Covid-19: China rebuts US Pres Trump accusation of coronavirus ‘mass killing’

BEIJING, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China offered a low-key rebuttal to United States President Donald Trump’s accusation of mass killing, with a foreign ministry official insisting the country did its best to protect lives during the pandemic. Tensions between the US and China have been on the rise as the…

Covid-19: UK healthcare workers begin hydroxychloroquine trial

LONDON, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British healthcare workers on Thursday begin taking part in a University of Oxford-led international trial of two anti-malarial drugs to see if they can prevent COVID-19, including one US President Donald Trump says he has been taking. The ‘COPCOV’ study will involve more than 40,000…

Covid-19: Alarm as crowds flock to European beaches

PARIS, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A surge in visitors to beaches in northern Europe after coronavirus lockdowns was eased and temperatures rose has alarmed officials and experts. Three towns in north-western France shut their beaches on Wednesday because of the “unacceptable” failure of people to observe social-distancing rules. Municipalities in…

Covid-19: Cyprus ends virus lockdown but airports stay shut

NICOSIA, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Cypriot government ended a strict coronavirus lockdown, reopening outdoor restaurants, barber shops and beaches, but keeping the Mediterranean resort island’s vital airports and hotels closed for now. After two months of living in self-isolation, Cypriots are allowed to move around freely again. Some 32,000…

Covid-19: US secures 300 million doses of potential AstraZeneca vaccine

WASHINGTON, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The United States has secured almost a third of AstraZeneca’s one billion possible COVID-19 vaccine doses by pledging up to $1.2 billion, as the world’s biggest powers scramble for medicinal supplies to get their economies back to work. While not proven to be effective against…

Pres Trump announces US to exit open skies treaty, accusing Russia of violation

WASHINGTON, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Trump administration notified international partners on Thursday that it is pulling out of a treaty that permits 30-plus nations to conduct unarmed, observation flights over each other’s territory — overflights set up decades ago to promote trust and avert conflict. The administration says it…

ICRC warns of dire humanitarian crisis in northeast Syria

DAMASCUS, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Committee of the Red Cross warned of a worsening crisis in northeast Syria, where water cuts, food shortages and depleted health services are proving as dangerous as coronavirus. Home to sprawling displacement camps hosting tens of thousands of people, including families of Daesh…

Egyptians rush to buy treats before Eid al-Fitr curfew

CAIRO, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Families rushed to buy sweets and biscuits in Cairo as they prepared to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan under a tightened coronavirus curfew and lockdown. The Eid al-Fitr festivities are usually a time of release when people pack the streets…

Covid-19: Lebanon sees highest single-day jump in cases

BEIRUT, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported 63 new cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, the largest single-day increase since the outbreak of the pandemic. Lebanon has seen an increase in cases in recent weeks after it began easing lockdown measures as part of a gradual re-opening of…

World Bank approves record $500 million to battle locust swarms in Africa

NAIROBI, May 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The World Bank approved a record $500 million in grants and low-interest loans to help countries in Africa and the Middle East fight swarms of desert locusts that are eating their way across vast swaths of crops and rangelands. Four of the hardest-hit countries –…