International

Pentagon: China military exercises will ‘further destabilize’ S. China Sea

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon said Thursday it was “concerned” about Chinese military exercises around a disputed archipelago in the South China Sea, noting the maneuvers will “further destabilize” the region. “The Department of Defense is concerned about the People’s Republic of China (PRC) decision to conduct military exercises around the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on July 1-5,” the Pentagon said in a statement. The activities “further destabilize the situation” […]

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Swiss authorize remdesivir for wide use against COVID-19

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — Switzerland announced Thursday that COVID-19 patients beyond those on clinical trials could be given remdesivir, the first drug shown to be relatively effective in treating the new coronavirus. At least two major US studies have shown that the anti-viral drug can reduce the duration of hospital stays for those suffering from the novel coronavirus. “With immediate effect, remdesivir can be used more widely in Switzerland for the treatment of COVID-19 patients,” […]

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More than 160 dead in Myanmar jade mine landslide

HPAKANT, Myanmar (AFP) — The battered bodies of more than 160 jade miners were pulled from a sea of mud after a landslide in northern Myanmar on Thursday, after one of the worst-ever accidents to hit the treacherous industry. Scores die each year while working in the country’s lucrative but poorly regulated jade trade, which uses low-paid migrant workers to scrape out a gem highly coveted in China. The disaster struck after heavy rainfall pounded […]

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Kim hails NKorea’s ‘shining success’ against COVID-19: KCNA

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has praised what he described as his country’s “shining success” in holding off the new coronavirus, according to state-run KCNA news agency Friday. The head of the hermetic totalitarian state spoke at a Worker’s Party politburo meeting on Thursday discussing the impact of the virus, six months after North Korea closed borders and put thousands in to isolation. KCNA reported that after reviewing efforts, Kim […]

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Japan seeks extradition of two who helped Nissan chief Ghosn escape

TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan has formally asked the United States to extradite two men who helped former Nissan chief executive Carlos Ghosn escape the country to avoid prosecution, a court filing showed Thursday. The men — security contractor and former US special forces member Michael Taylor and his son Peter — were taken into custody on May 20 after they were named earlier in a Japanese arrest warrant for participating in Ghosn’s dramatic escape. […]

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Pupils in England to go back to school in Sept: govt

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — All children in England will have to go back to school in September, the government said Thursday, after weeks of wrangling as coronavirus restrictions are lifted. The government initially intended pupils to return before the summer break later this month but was forced to revise its plans after concerns from teaching unions and parents. Local authorities said it would be difficult to enforce two-metre (six feet) social distancing with children, […]

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US to get latest unemployment figures as virus explodes

by Chris Stein WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The ailing US economy is likely to receive good news Thursday in the government’s June employment report, but surging virus cases could reverse the tentative recovery. The coronavirus pandemic since mid-March has cost more than 22 million US jobs — and as many as 45 million — as businesses were closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections. But amid massive government support the economy regained 2.5 […]

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China vows ‘corresponding measures’ if UK extends HK citizenship plan: embassy

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — China warned Britain on Thursday it could retaliate with “corresponding measures” for London’s decision to extend a broader path to citizenship for the residents of Hong Kong. Britain’s offer came in response to a sweeping new security law that China unveiled for the former British territory this week. Hong Kong was under UK jurisdiction until its handover to China in 1997 with a guarantee that Beijing would preserve the city’s […]

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WHO says Mideast at ‘critical threshold’ in virus numbers

  CAIRO, Egypt (AFP) — The World Health Organization warned Wednesday the Middle East was at a decisive moment in the fight against the novel coronavirus, with cases surging as countries ease lockdown measures. “We are at a critical threshold in our region,” the WHO’s Middle East head, Ahmed al-Mandhari, said in an online press conference. According to figures published by the global health body on Wednesday, the 22 countries from Morocco to Pakistan had […]

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UPDATED: More than 100 dead in Myanmar jade mine landslide

YANGON, Myanmar (AFP) — The bodies of at least 100 jade miners were pulled from the mud after a landslide in northern Myanmar on Thursday, in one of the worst ever accidents to hit the perilous industry. Scores die each year while working in the country’s lucrative but poorly regulated jade industry, which uses low-paid migrant workers to scrape out a gem highly coveted in China. The disaster struck after an early bout of heavy […]

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US sees record 52,000 new virus cases in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US notched more than 52,000 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours Wednesday, a tally by Johns Hopkins University showed, a new one-day record as infections surge around the country. The Baltimore-based university’s tracker showed 52,898 more cases as of 8:30 pm (0030 Thursday GMT), bringing the total number of cases since the pandemic reached the US to 2,682,270. The university also recorded a further 706 fatalities, bringing the total […]

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US regulators complete test flights on Boeing 737 MAX

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Air safety regulators successfully completed three days of flight tests on the Boeing 737 MAX, a key step in recertifying the plane, US officials said Wednesday. While the flight tests in Seattle are “an important milestone … a number of key tasks remain, including evaluating the data gathered during these flights,” the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday. “We will lift the grounding order only after FAA safety experts are […]

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