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- Coronavirus live news: Trump casts doubt on China death toll as IMF issues Asia warning
- Trump wades further into China Covid-19 row as focus turns to easing lockdowns
- Trump fans flames of Chinese lab coronavirus theory during daily briefing
- 'It's catastrophic': Fiji's colossal tourism sector devastated by coronavirus
- South Korea's ruling party wins election landslide amid coronavirus outbreak
- China may have conducted low-level nuclear test, US claims
- Abuse allegations in China spark calls to raise age of consent from 14
- 'Spectacular' artefacts found as Norway ice-patch melts
- Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz passes deadline to form government
- Elizabeth Warren says she would accept being Joe Biden's running mate
- Iranian boats come 'dangerously' close to US navy warships
- Bangladesh rescues hundreds of Rohingya drifting at sea for nearly two months
- New Zealand TV presenter 'deeply sorry' for her disturbing Jacinda Ardern cake
- Amazon closes French warehouses after court ruling on coronavirus
- If you need to go for a walk … why not wander around a video game?
- Capt Tom Moore, 99, completes garden walk NHS fundraiser with guard of honour – video
- Signing on: The deaf workers weaning a capital city off plastic bags
- Miami's flawed Covid-19 testing system exposes city's rich-poor divide
- Returning Venezuelans in squalid quarantine face uncertain future
- Court bans Dunk Island redeveloper from advertising two investment products
- Pandemic raises fears over welfare of domestic workers in Lebanon
- 'We have nothing': as lockdown bites, migrants in Tunisia feel the pinch
- What is a wet market?
- Arcadia Group cancels ‘over £100m’ of orders as garment industry faces ruin
- Suspicion and fear linger as Ethiopia’s campus wars go quiet
- Coronavirus: drone footage shows empty streets of Dublin in lockdown – video
- Timelapse shows busy Wuhan streets as coronavirus lockdown is lifted – video
| Coronavirus live news: Trump casts doubt on China death toll as IMF issues Asia warning Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:04 AM PDT Cases pass 2 million; WHO chief hopes US will remain a 'friend'; almost 700 test positive on French aircraft carrier. Follow the latest updates
The number of confirmed cases in west Africa is steadily rising since the first case confirmed by Nigeria on 27 February. All countries in the region are now affected and under lockdowns of varying degrees, with international travel suspended and movement increasingly prohibited. Ivory Coast has the highest number of confirmed cases at 638. Yet, across west Africa testing is very limited, with Ghana testing about 35,000 people so far and Nigeria only about 5,000. In Lagos, authorities have just begun the first community testing to determine the spread in the wider population as so far tests have only been conducted on people who have recently travelled into the country or who have alerted authorities to their condition.
More from the World Health Organization press briefing, as the body's European regional director warns that the continent is still in the eye of the storm of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of cases nearing a million. "There is no fast-track back to normal," the WHO's Hans Kluge said. "Case numbers across the region continue to climb. In the past 10 days, the number of cases reported in Europe has nearly doubled to close to 1 million," he told reporters in an online briefing. Continue reading... |
| Trump wades further into China Covid-19 row as focus turns to easing lockdowns Posted: 15 Apr 2020 10:21 PM PDT US president asks 'do you really believe those numbers?' and provokes angry response from editor of Global Times by repeating claims virus came from a lab Donald Trump has again questioned China's transparency over the coronavirus outbreak, casting doubt on the origins of the virus and number of cases, while signalling the US would soon join countries across Europe in easing its lockdown. "Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China?" the US president said, when asked about the severity of the US death toll at a White House press briefing. "We report everything, we're reporting the cases and our reporting is good. We're reporting every death." Continue reading... |
| Trump fans flames of Chinese lab coronavirus theory during daily briefing Posted: 15 Apr 2020 05:58 PM PDT The president attacked those who favored China, including the WHO, for which he previously announced a hold on funding Donald Trump has fuelled a media theory that the coronavirus pandemic began when the pathogen accidentally escaped a Chinese laboratory, teasing that "more and more we're hearing the story". The US president's TV network of choice, Fox News, has reported that "multiple sources" in the American government believe initial transmission of the virus was bat-to-human in a virology lab in Wuhan. Due to weak safety protocols, an infected lab worker then went to a wet market where the virus spread. Continue reading... |
| 'It's catastrophic': Fiji's colossal tourism sector devastated by coronavirus Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:00 PM PDT Tourism employs about 150,000 people in the Pacific nation, but travel restrictions mean the work and the money are drying up On a typical evening Suva's Holiday Inn is packed with guests from all over the world. But tonight, the dining room of the hotel, one of the most popular in Fiji's capital, which normally buzzes with the dinner rush, stands empty, Looking lost amid the empty tables is waiter Samuela Yavala. Continue reading... |
| South Korea's ruling party wins election landslide amid coronavirus outbreak Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:50 PM PDT Voters reward Moon Jae-in for response to pandemic with biggest majority since transition to democracy in 1987 South Korea's ruling party has won a landslide victory in national assembly elections, in what is being seen as an endorsement of President Moon Jae-in's response to the coronavirus pandemic. Moon's left-leaning Democratic party and its smaller affiliate won 180 seats in the 300-seat assembly – the biggest majority in the national assembly by any party since South Korea's transition to democracy in 1987 – according to the Yonhap news agency. The conservative opposition United Future party and its smaller sister party won 103 seats. Continue reading... |
| China may have conducted low-level nuclear test, US claims Posted: 16 Apr 2020 01:05 AM PDT State Department report points to activities at China's Lop Nur test site last year, though it does not have proof The US state department has claimed China may have secretly conducted a low-yield underground nuclear test, in an accusation likely to further inflame already poor relations between Washington and Beijing. A report on arms control compliance does not offer proof, but points to circumstantial evidence, of excavations and other stepped-up activity at China's Lop Nur test site. Continue reading... |
| Abuse allegations in China spark calls to raise age of consent from 14 Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:48 AM PDT Lawyer Bao Yuming accused of repeatedly assaulting teenage girl known as Xingxing The alleged sexual assault of a teenager by a prominent lawyer and oil executive in China has sparked calls for the government to do more to address the sexual abuse of children and women, including raising the age of consent from 14. Bao Yuming has been accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting a teenage girl, now 18 and given the pseudonym Xingxing, in 2016. Continue reading... |
| 'Spectacular' artefacts found as Norway ice-patch melts Posted: 15 Apr 2020 11:00 PM PDT Discoveries exposed by retreating ice include snowshoe for horses and bronze age ski The retreat of a Norwegian mountain ice patch, which is melting because of climate change, has revealed a lost Viking-era mountain pass scattered with "spectacular" and perfectly preserved artefacts that had been dropped by the side of the road. The pass, at Lendbreen in Norway's mountainous central region, first came to the attention of local archaeologists in 2011, after a woollen tunic was discovered that was later dated to the third or fourth century AD. The ice has retreated significantly in the years since, exposing a wealth of artefacts including knitted mittens, leather shoes and arrows still with their feathers attached. Continue reading... |
| Israeli opposition leader Benny Gantz passes deadline to form government Posted: 15 Apr 2020 02:50 PM PDT Benny Gantz loses chance to lead coalition after talks with Benjamin Netanyahu stall Israel's opposition leader, Benny Gantz, has failed to form a coalition government after talks with Benjamin Netanyahu stalled, pushing the country further towards an unprecedented fourth round of elections. Gantz had until midnight on Wednesday to build a majority government and now loses the mandate given to him by the president, Reuven Rivlin. Continue reading... |
| Elizabeth Warren says she would accept being Joe Biden's running mate Posted: 15 Apr 2020 08:17 PM PDT Democratic candidate has vowed to pick a woman for vice-president and says a committee will vet a shortlist of names Elizabeth Warren has said she would accept an offer to be running mate to the Democratic presidential candidate, Joe Biden, if the position were offered. "Yes," said the US Senator when asked on MSNBC how she would respond if Biden asked her to run for vice-president. Continue reading... |
| Iranian boats come 'dangerously' close to US navy warships Posted: 15 Apr 2020 03:35 PM PDT
Iranian navy vessels came within 10 yards of American warships in the Persian Gulf in what the US navy described as a series of "dangerous and harassing approaches". The close encounters on Wednesday and the aggressive tactics pursued by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, visible from photos and video released by the US Fifth Fleet, represent a blow to the Trump administration's claims to have "restored deterrence" in its relations with Iran. Continue reading... |
| Bangladesh rescues hundreds of Rohingya drifting at sea for nearly two months Posted: 15 Apr 2020 05:37 PM PDT About 400 were on board, and more than 30 had died during perilous attempt to reach Malaysia Bangladesh's coastguard says it has rescued at least 382 "starving" Rohingya refugees floating in a large boat in the country's territorial waters after nearly two months at sea. Acting on a tip-off, a patrol launched a three-day search for the boat, locating it on Wednesday night off its south-eastern coast, spokesman Lieutenant Shah Zia Rahman said. Continue reading... |
| New Zealand TV presenter 'deeply sorry' for her disturbing Jacinda Ardern cake Posted: 15 Apr 2020 05:05 PM PDT Laura Daniel experimented with baking during the national lockdown, and regretted it A tribute to the prime minister of New Zealand has gone horribly wrong, after a television presenter attempted to render Jacinda Ardern in cake form, and failed spectacularly. Laura Daniel said the common wisdom was "don't bake your heroes" but she wanted to try anyway as the coronavirus lockdown dragged on. Continue reading... |
| Amazon closes French warehouses after court ruling on coronavirus Posted: 16 Apr 2020 12:00 AM PDT Court ruled Amazon was not doing enough to protect workers and told it to stop selling non-essential goods Amazon has ordered the temporary closure of all six of its French distribution centres, a day after a French court ruled that it was not doing enough to protect workers from the coronavirus pandemic. The company said in a statement: "This week we are requesting employees of our distribution centres to stay at home. In the longer term we will evaluate the impact of that [court] decision for them and our French logistic network." Continue reading... |
| If you need to go for a walk … why not wander around a video game? Posted: 15 Apr 2020 10:30 PM PDT Escape the lockdown by losing yourself in the stunning virtual landscapes of walking simulator games With the pandemic keeping everyone inside just as spring brings good weather and longer days, many of us are missing simply wandering outdoors. Fortunately, there are video games offering beautiful landscapes where you can lose yourself in (virtual) nature. You're in good company if you do – as film and media professor Alenda Chang points out in her book, Playing Nature: "For many people, the hours spent in game environments vastly outnumber those spent in wilderness areas", even without a public health crisis. Replaying favourite games for comfort is a trend now, and some are revisiting recent open-world adventures, such as Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, and even Far Cry 5 with the guns put away. But these blockbuster action games tend to feature enemies —not ideal if all you want is a peaceful ramble around a beautiful place. Continue reading... |
| Capt Tom Moore, 99, completes garden walk NHS fundraiser with guard of honour – video Posted: 16 Apr 2020 01:45 AM PDT Capt Tom Moore has completed his multimillion-pound fundraiser for the NHS by walking 100 laps of his garden. Moore, who aimed to complete the walk before he turns 100 on 30 April, originally hoped to raise £1,000 but smashed his target within days and has now helped raise more than £12m. Moore, 99, who lives with his family in Bedfordshire, completed the last of the 25-metre laps on Thursday morning and told BBC Breakfast: 'I'm feeling fine' Continue reading... |
| Signing on: The deaf workers weaning a capital city off plastic bags Posted: 16 Apr 2020 12:00 AM PDT Ethiopian paper bag firm employs 18 deaf workers who use sign language to persuade clients to choose greener alternative What do you say to a business owner who has heard it all before? Answer: Don't speak, use sign language. At least that's the novel approach taken by Teki Paper bags, an Ethiopian enterprise developed by deaf women. Continue reading... |
| Miami's flawed Covid-19 testing system exposes city's rich-poor divide Posted: 16 Apr 2020 03:00 AM PDT Fisher Island's super-rich have bought rapid-test kits from the local university while poorer Floridians are made to wait The first cars arrive at Hard Rock Stadium shortly after 4am. It is three hours until sunrise, and five before the state-run coronavirus drive-through testing station opens its gates, but the early arrivals, some coughing and feverish, all wearing face masks, want to be sure of their slot. Related: 'Designed for us to fail': Floridians upset as unemployment system melts down Continue reading... |
| Returning Venezuelans in squalid quarantine face uncertain future Posted: 16 Apr 2020 02:15 AM PDT Migrants who lost their jobs in Colombia's pandemic lockdown have been shocked by their confinement in a border town When Jhoel Brito headed back to Venezuela last week he sought safe haven from an epoch-making global health emergency that has paralyzed scores of countries and claimed more than 120,000 lives. After losing his job as a butcher in Colombia, the 25-year-old Venezuelan migrant believed he would be safer waiting out the coronavirus storm back home. Continue reading... |
| Court bans Dunk Island redeveloper from advertising two investment products Posted: 16 Apr 2020 01:59 AM PDT Australia's corporate regulator had raised concerns about Mayfair 101's solvency A court has banned the high-profile group behind the redevelopment of the stricken Dunk Island resort, Mayfair 101, from advertising two of its investment products after the corporate regulator raised concerns about the group's solvency. On Thursday afternoon, federal court judge Stewart Anderson also ordered Mayfair 101 not to compare its products to bank term deposits and put a notice on its website alerting potential investors to the risk of placing money with it. Continue reading... |
| Pandemic raises fears over welfare of domestic workers in Lebanon Posted: 16 Apr 2020 01:00 AM PDT Covid-19 lockdown could leave migrant workers across Middle East confined to employers' households without pay, NGOs warn Calls by NGOs for increased protection of domestic workers in Lebanon during the coronavirus crisis have cast a spotlight on the predicament of migrant workers across the Middle East, many of whom are highly vulnerable to the pandemic and without support. In parts of the Levant, the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, workers from south and south-east Asia account for a large proportion of labour forces. Closed airports, bonded labour, or other forms of unbreakable employment contracts, and little access to funds, have made it close to impossible for those who want to leave to do so. Continue reading... |
| 'We have nothing': as lockdown bites, migrants in Tunisia feel the pinch Posted: 15 Apr 2020 11:00 PM PDT With Covid-19 yet to spread widely, business closures are already causing hardship for people dependent on casual work From 6pm to 6am, the security services enforce the curfew. Like most other countries in the world, Tunisia remains in lockdown. At all other times, tight restrictions on public movement are in place to limit the spread of coronavirus. Across the country, many businesses are shuttered up, with employees preparing themselves for the long and potentially economically devastating wait until something like normal life returns to the country. Continue reading... |
| Posted: 15 Apr 2020 09:17 PM PDT In China and Asia, most do not trade in exotic or wild animals and should not be confused with 'wildlife markets' At the crack of dawn every day, "wet markets" in China and across Asia come to life, with stall owners touting their wares such as fresh meat, fish, fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices in an open-air setting. The sights and sounds of the wet market form part of the rich tapestry of community life, where local people buy affordable food, or just go for a stroll and meet their neighbours for a chat. The markets have come under extra scrutiny following the coronavirus outbreak. Continue reading... |
| Arcadia Group cancels ‘over £100m’ of orders as garment industry faces ruin Posted: 15 Apr 2020 07:00 AM PDT As owner of brands including Topshop and Dorothy Perkins cancels unshipped orders, thousands will be left without income, warn rights groups The Arcadia Group, which owns brands including Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge, is estimated to have cancelled in excess of £100m of existing clothing orders worldwide from suppliers in some of the world's poorest countries as the global garment sector faces ruin. According to data from the Bangladesh Garments and Manufacturing Association (BGMEA), the Arcadia Group has cancelled £9m of orders in Bangladesh alone. Continue reading... |
| Suspicion and fear linger as Ethiopia’s campus wars go quiet Posted: 15 Apr 2020 04:21 AM PDT Violent unrest at Ethiopia's universities has been quelled by police, but the root causes will prove harder to tackle On a December morning last year, students at Ambo University in Ethiopia's Oromia region awoke to find threatening notices pinned to the walls of their dormitories. The message was simple: boycott classes. Anyone failing to do so would face punishment. Written by Oromo student activists calling themselves the Qeerroo, the notices demanded solidarity with fellow Oromos at universities in the neighbouring region of Amhara, after a spate of deadly ethnic clashes there. Similar boycotts had been called in universities across Oromia, the country's largest region. Continue reading... |
| Coronavirus: drone footage shows empty streets of Dublin in lockdown – video Posted: 15 Apr 2020 01:51 PM PDT Drone footage from Ireland shows the streets of Dublin eerily empty after the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, announced coronavirus lockdown restrictions would be extended for another three weeks. The measures, which prevent people from leaving home in all but limited circumstances, were due to expire on Easter Sunday Continue reading... |
| Timelapse shows busy Wuhan streets as coronavirus lockdown is lifted – video Posted: 15 Apr 2020 01:59 AM PDT Life in Wuhan is gradually returning to normal as people go shopping and return to work in the once-empty centre of the coronavirus outbreak. Wuhan began to ease its nearly three-month lockdown on 8 April, allowing people with permits to travel in and out of the city Continue reading... |
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