International

Optimism, with a side of fries, as Kiwi lockdown eases

by Neil SANDS Agence France Presse WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealanders satisfied their cravings for hamburgers and coffee as a five-week lockdown eased on Tuesday, as hopes swelled that the country’s coronavirus outbreak was under control. Lines of cars snaked along drive-thru lanes at McDonald’s outlets around the country, with the fast-food chain reporting 50 vehicles queued before dawn in the North Island town of Hastings. Coffee lovers also indulged in barista-brewed beverages […]

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Saudi Arabia eliminates death penalty for minors

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) –Saudi Arabia on Sunday ended the death penalty for crimes committed by minors after effectively abolishing floggings as the kingdom seeks to blunt criticism over its human rights record. The reforms underscore a push by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to modernize the ultra-conservative kingdom long associated with a fundamentalist strain of Wahhabi Islam. The death penalty has been eliminated for those convicted of crimes committed while they […]

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US records 1,303 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States recorded 1,303 more novel coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, according to figures reported late Monday by the Johns Hopkins University, with confirmed US cases nearing one million. The country now has an overall death toll of 56,144, with 987,022 infections, according to a tally by the Baltimore-based institution at 8:30 pm (0030 GMT Tuesday). At least 111,109 people have recovered from the virus. The 24-hour […]

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California governor admonishes crowds who flocked to beaches

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday admonished Californians who flocked to beaches at the weekend, warning that their behavior could reverse progress made in combating the coronavirus pandemic. “We can’t see images like we saw, particularly on Saturday, in Newport Beach and elsewhere,” Newsom said, referring to photos showing thousands of people packing several beaches in southern California amid a heatwave. “The virus doesn’t take the weekend off because it’s […]

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Trump says he expects to see a ‘lot of schools’ open up

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Monday he expects to see a “lot” of US schools reopen after being shut down by the coronavirus pandemic. “Many (state governors) are thinking about their school system,” Trump said at a daily White House briefing. “Not a long way to go in the school system right now, for this season, for this year, but I think you’ll see a lot of schools open up,” he […]

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‘World should have listened to WHO’ on virus: director

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization’s director-general said Monday that the agency had sounded the highest level of alarm over the novel coronavirus early on, but lamented that not all countries had heeded its advice. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus pointed out that the WHO warned the COVID-19 outbreak constituted a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” on January 30, when there were no deaths and only 82 cases registered outside China. “The world should […]

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France daily coronavirus deaths rise to 437: official

PARIS, France (AFP) — France on Monday reported 437 new deaths from COVID-19 in hospitals and nursing homes over the last 24 hours, marking a rise after lower daily figures in the last days. The latest deaths brought the total toll from the epidemic in the country to 23,293, the health ministry said in a statement. The day earlier, a far lower figure of 242 people was confirmed to have died. The latest figures were […]

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Trump appears to confirm that NKorea’s Kim is alive

WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump on Monday appeared to confirm that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is alive, saying he wished him well after days of speculation over the dictator’s whereabouts. Asked if he had new information about Kim’s health, Trump said “yes, I do have a very good idea, but I can’t talk about it now. I just wish him well.” “I hope he’s fine,” Trump continued, speaking at […]

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New York cautious as more US states ease virus lockdowns

by Peter HUTCHISON with Michael MATHES in Atlanta Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — More US states began lifting coronavirus lockdown orders on Monday but New York — America’s economic engine and coronavirus epicenter — is in no hurry, with hospitalization rates still high. As Colorado, Minnesota, Mississippi and Tennessee were among the latest states to loosen restrictions, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was preparing to lengthen confinement measures for […]

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Spain counts 331 new virus deaths in 24 hours: government

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain on Monday counted another 331 new virus deaths, with the daily toll rising by several dozen from its lowest level in more than a month. The figure lifted the total to 23,521 in Spain, which has suffered the world’s third-highest number of deaths but which on Sunday began easing lockdown conditions, allowing children out to play for the first time in six weeks. Sunday’s toll had dropped to 288 — […]

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Students return to class in Shanghai and Beijing

BEIJING, China (AFP) — Tens of thousands of students returned to school in Shanghai and Beijing Monday after months of closures intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus, as China’s major cities gradually return to normality. Shanghai students in their final year of middle and high school returned to classrooms, while only high school seniors in Beijing were allowed back on campus to prepare for the all-important “gaokao” university entrance exam. But the students […]

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UK PM makes first public appearance after virus absence

LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday made his first public appearance in nearly a month after a spell in hospital and several days in intensive care with the novel coronavirus. In a statement outside his Downing Street office, he said Britain was “beginning to turn the tide” in tackling COVID-19 but indicated no immediate lifting of lockdown restrictions. © Agence France-Presse

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