Covid-19: Brazil jumps to third in virus cases worldwide as US shows decline

BRASILIA/WASHINGTON, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazil has the third-highest number of novel coronavirus cases in the world, according to official figures released Monday, a troubling surge for a country struggling to respond to the pandemic. With 254,220 confirmed cases, Brazil has now surpassed Britain, Spain and Italy in the past…

Rocket hits near US embassy in Baghdad, no casualties: security sources

BAGHDAD, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — One rocket hit near the US embassy in Baghdad early Tuesday morning, security sources said, the first to land in the high-security zone in weeks. The blast could be heard across the Iraqi capital and triggered security sirens at the US embassy compound but did…

Bomb kills six, wounds four in southwest Pakistan

QUETTA (Pakistan), May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Six paramilitary soldiers were killed and four wounded in Pakistan’s restive southwestern province of Balochistan in a roadside bomb attack on their vehicle, officials said early Tuesday. The incident happened in the hilly areas of Bolan district, some 80 kilometres (50 miles) southeast of…

Four dead after earthquake in southwest China

BEIJING, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four people were killed and another 23 injured when an earthquake shook southwestern China’s Yunnan province, local authorities said Tuesday. The shallow quake in Qiaojia county struck late Monday evening, the Yunnan government said in a statement on its social media account. The quake hit…

Jacinda Ardern surges in polls on Kiwi virus success

WELLINGTON, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s success containing coronavirus has driven an extraordinary popularity surge that has put the youthful leader on course for a landslide win in September’s national election. Ardern’s Labour Party was up 14 points at 56.5 percent, a Newshub-Reid Research poll…

Covid-19: China vows to make coronavirus vaccine a ‘global public good’ once ready

GENEVA, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China would make any coronavirusvaccine it developed a “global public good” once it was put into use,President Xi Jinping told the ongoing World Health Assembly. China has five potential vaccines in clinical trials as countriesrace to find a way to stop the pathogen that has…

Bangladesh orders preparedness as coastlines embraces for cyclone

DHAKA, May 19 (NNN-BSS) — Bangladesh authorities orderedintensified preparedness as the southern coastlines visibly brace for acyclone called Amphan feared to be a “very severe one” with met officeissuing its high “danger signal number 7” in a scale of 10. Meteorologists said the powerful cyclone in the Bay of Bengal…

Covid-19: European countries further relax restrictions

A trial participant receives a shot in the first-stage safety study of the Moderna Inc. clinical trial for a vaccine against coronavirus. ROME, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Italy and Spain are among a number of European countries further easing their coronavirus lockdown restrictions on Monday. Most businesses in Italy, including…

Covid-19: 100 countries want a probe into handling of coronavirus

GENEVA, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — China has been trying to avoid the fallout from coronavirus. Now 100 countries are pushing for an investigation Russian President Vladimir Putin once called Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, a “lone warrior.” Putin was joking, but that description is starting to look more and more…

Covid-19: Egypt tightens restrictions for Eid holiday

A member of a volunteer medical team sprays disinfectant along a street as a precaution to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease in Cairo CAIRO, May 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Egypt will bring forward the start of its curfew by four hours to 5 pm and halt public transport from…