International

G20 vows ‘sufficient’ global food supplies amid virus

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — G20 agriculture ministers on Tuesday pledged to ensure “sufficient” global food supplies amid the coronavirus pandemic as the UN warned the number of people facing acute hunger globally could nearly double. “We will work together to help ensure that sufficient, safe, affordable, and nutritious food continues to be available and accessible to all people, including the poorest, the most vulnerable, and displaced people,” said the ministers from the 20 most […]

At least seven dead in Yemen flash floods

SANAA, Yemen (AFP) — At least seven people have been killed and 85 injured in flash flooding in Yemen this month, the UN said Tuesday, as the war-torn nation braces for the spread of the novel coronavirus. Yemen’s prime minister Moeen Abdulmalik Saeed declared the southern city of Aden, where the government is based, a “disaster zone”. Yemen announced its first case of COVID-19 on April 10 and aid organizations have warned that its health […]

Mexico raises health emergency level as virus cases mount

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — Mexico raised its health emergency level following a rapid increase in coronavirus cases and amid fears the health system could collapse, the government said Tuesday. Health Undersecretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell said the country was moving to “phase three” of its response to the deadly pandemic. “We’re in a phase of rapid increase, where we’re accumulating a large number of infections (and) hospital admissions,” he said. The government has suspended all non-essential […]

Death toll from Canada mass shooting rises to 23: RCMP

OTTAWA, Canada (AFP) — The death toll from a weekend mass shooting in Canada’s Nova Scotia province has risen to 23, police said Tuesday, after remains were found in burnt out homes and vehicles. “We believe there to be 23 victims, including a 17-year-old (girl). All other victims are adults, both men and women,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement. “We have recovered remains from some of the locations of the fires,” […]

Iran records 88 new virus deaths, has freed prisoners

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran on Tuesday announced 88 new deaths from the novel coronavirus as the country said it had released more than 1,000 foreign prisoners over the outbreak. According to health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour, the latest fatalities in the past 24 hours brought the total to 5,297, in one of the world’s deadliest outbreaks. The foreign prisoners were among 100,000 inmates temporarily released in several stages since March. They included British-Iranian woman […]

Spain sees slight hike in daily toll with 430 deaths

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spain saw a slight increase in the daily virus death toll on Tuesday, with 430 people dying in the past 24 hours, health ministry data showed. So far, 21,282 people have succumbed to the pandemic in Spain, which has suffered the third-highest number of deaths in the world after the United States and Italy. Officials say the numbers tend to go up slightly on Tuesdays following a slight delay in receiving […]

Italian PM to unveil reopening plan

ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italy’s Prime Minister said on Tuesday that by the weekend he would reveal the steps the country will take to loosen restrictions, reopen the economy and emerge from the coronavirus crisis. Italy, which has reported more coronavirus deaths than any other European country, has been under national quarantine since March 9, with some regions imposing lock-downs even earlier. The quarantine period, which has been extended twice, is due to expire on […]

Families mourn as police seek motive for Canada gun rampage

  by Eric THOMAS Agence France Presse MONTREAL, Canada (AFP) — Investigators on Monday scoured crime scenes from the worst mass shooting in Canadian history to try to understand why a dental worker with no criminal past killed at least 18 people. The gunman, identified by police as 51-year-old Gabriel Wortman, began his rampage late Saturday in the seaside village of Portapique, Nova Scotia, dying 14 hours later in a hail of police gunfire outside […]

Trump vows immigration ban as US protestors demand lockdown end

by Michael Mathes, with Catherine Triomphe in Harrisburg and AFP bureaus Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Donald Trump pledged a temporary ban on immigration to the United States because of the “invisible enemy” of coronavirus, as the disease sparked angry demonstrations on American streets to demand an end to crippling lockdowns. In just four months, the virus has turned the world upside down, confining half the planet indoors and killing nearly 170,000 […]

EBC update: Trudeau wants stricter gun control amid latest shooting rage; COVID-19 deaths rise to over 1700

(Eagle News) — EBC Correspondent in Canada Thomas Likness gives the latest situation in Canada amid a shooting rampage that killed 19 people and a COVID-19 pandemic that has killed at least 1,700 people and infected more than 36,000. Before the shooting victims were gunned down, their houses were reportedly sent on fire leading the police to think that there could be more victims. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his condolences to the loved […]

UN member states demand ‘equitable’ access to future COVID-19 vaccines

  UNITED NATIONS (AFP) — The 193 members of the UN General Assembly on Monday adopted by consensus a resolution that calls for “equitable, efficient and timely” access to any future vaccines developed to fight coronavirus. The resolution also highlights the “crucial leading role” played by the World Health Organization, which has faced criticism from Washington and others about its handling of the pandemic. The resolution, which was drafted by Mexico and received US support, […]

Italy’s current virus cases fall for first time

by Dmitry ZAKS Agence France Presse ROME, Italy (AFP) — Italy reported its first drop on Monday in the number of people currently suffering from the novel coronavirus since it recorded its first infection in February. Those receiving intensive care treatment also fell to the lowest level in a month as Europe’s hardest-hit country began to see the first direct health benefits of its economically devastating lockdown. The civil protection service said 108,237 people were […]