International

New York imposes new restrictions in virus-surge areas

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York’s governor announced Tuesday tough new restrictions in several areas recording high infection rates to try to ward off a second coronavirus wave. Andrew Cuomo ordered non-essential businesses, including gyms and restaurants, closed in parts of Brooklyn and Queens in New York City. The governor also banned mass gatherings and capped at ten the number of people allowed in places of worship in the so-called red zones witnessing […]

Pompeo slams China’s ‘malign activity’ as he meets Asian allies

  by Hiroshi HIYAMA Agence France Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned Tuesday of Beijing’s “malign activity in the region” as he met with key Asia-Pacific allies in Tokyo, presenting a united front against an increasingly assertive China. The top US diplomat is meeting his Japanese, Australian and Indian counterparts on a trip that was scaled back after President Donald Trump and a raft of staff and advisors contracted […]

Trump leaves hospital for White House — removes mask immediately, claims to have beaten COVID

  by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump checked out of hospital Monday after four days of emergency treatment for Covid-19, pulling off his mask the moment he reached the White House and vowing to quickly get back on the campaign trail. Shortly beforehand, Trump had tweeted that Americans, who have lost nearly 210,000 people to the virus, have nothing to fear. A series of made-for-TV moments allowed […]

Hurricane Delta threatens Mexico, southern United States

MIAMI, United States (AFP) — Tropical storm Delta strengthened into a hurricane Monday in the Caribbean, and is expected to intensify as it passes over Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula and into the southern United States. Hurricane Delta was packing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour as it moved southwest of Jamaica, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was heading towards the US Gulf Coast at seven miles per hour, the […]

IMF approves aid for world’s 28 poorest countries

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The International Monetary Fund on Monday approved new emergency aid for 28 of the world’s poorest countries to help them alleviate their debt and better cope with the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement, which follows a similar measure passed in mid-April for 25 countries, is intended to help the countries cover their debt repayments to the IMF for the next six months and “free up scarce financial […]

North Korea’s Kim orders 80-day ‘battle’ to boost economy

SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered a nationwide drive to boost the ailing economy ahead of a key party congress in January, state media reported Tuesday. The decision was made during a meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party and comes as the coronavirus pandemic and recent floods have added yet more pressure on the isolated country’s flagging economy. Mandatory mass mobilisation drives, featuring extra-long work hours and additional […]

New York closes schools in virus-hit areas over second wave fears

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — New York will temporarily close schools in nine neighborhoods experiencing an uptick in coronavirus infections, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday, highlighting the difficulty of keeping children in classrooms during the pandemic. The public and private schools are in areas of Brooklyn and Queens, where the rate of positive cases has been above the three percent threshold for more than seven days. New York — America’s largest school district with […]

Six dead as storm causes floods, landslides in Mexico

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — At least six people died and thousands were forced from their homes as a tropical storm triggered floods and landslides in southeastern Mexico over the weekend, the authorities said. The victims included two women and two children whose home was buried in a mountainous area in the state of Chiapas, the civil defense said in a statement. Two other people died in Tabasco state, where Tropical Storm Gamma caused severe […]

Trump criticized for leaving hospital to greet supporters

  by Brian Knowlton and Joshua Melvin Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump sparked an angry backlash from the medical community Sunday with a protocol-breaking visit to his supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated for the highly-infectious, potentially deadly new coronavirus. He was masked as he waved from inside his bulletproof vehicle during the short trip outside Walter Reed military medical center near Washington, which appeared […]

France, Italy step up rescue efforts after floods

by Chloe Fabre with Vincenzo Pinto in Garessio, Italy SAINT-MARTIN-VERSUBIE, France (AFP) — French and Italian rescue services stepped up search efforts Sunday after floods cut off several villages in the mountainous border regions, causing widespread damage and killing at least four people. Others remained unaccounted for on the French side of the border after storms, torrential rain and flash floods battered the area, washing away roads and houses, cutting off entire villages and triggering […]

Wildfires raze dozens of homes in New Zealand

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AFP) — Wildfires have destroyed dozens of homes in New Zealand, authorities announced Monday, saying it was a miracle no one was hurt when “a wall of orange” descended on a remote South Island village. The blaze began in a mountain forest early Sunday morning and, fanned by strong winds, swept through the village of Lake Ohau, forcing residents to flee for their lives. “The high winds meant the fire could not […]

Venezuela’s Maduro says son to join virus vaccine trial

CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) — Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Sunday his son will join trials of Sputnik V, the coronavirus vaccine which was met with caution when Russia announced it was the world’s first to be approved. An initial batch of the vaccine arrived in Venezuela on Friday, the government announced, and 2,000 residents will participate in the trials. “In this clinical trial phase, my son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, told me of his decision […]