Coronavirus: German officials ‘very concerned’ by rising cases
The head of Germany’s public health agency has said he is “very concerned” by rising infections in the country. “We are in the middle of a rapidly developing pandemic,” Lothar Wieler, head of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), told reporters. Mr Wieler said Germans had...
Turkey’s MPs vote to tighten grip on social media
Turkey’s parliament has passed a law to control social media platforms, a move human rights groups say poses a severe threat to freedom of expression. The law requires social media firms with more than million Turkish users to set up local offices and comply with...
Israel ‘thwarts Hezbollah infiltration from Lebanon’
Israel’s military has opened fired on Hezbollah militants who were trying to “infiltrate our territory”, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said up to four militants crossed the border in the Mount Dov area, part of the Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan Heights....
Britain prepares for four-way winter crisis
The UK is preparing for multiple crises this winter, with the possibility of a second coronavirus spike, a flu outbreak, winter flooding and disruptions caused by the Brexit transition threatening to overwhelm national resources, a senior military official has said. “The [Covid-19] crisis is still...
Israel: ‘Gay conversion’ therapy ban bill passed by MPs
Israeli MPs have taken steps to outlaw the practice of “gay conversion” therapy by psychologists – the first Middle East country to do so. A bill passed its first stage in parliament, after two parties in the coalition government joined the opposition to vote in...
French President Macron “slammed his fist on the table” during tense EU talks on virus recovery fund
French President Emanuel Macron “slammed his fist on the table” in anger during crunch overnight talks on the EU coronavirus recovery fund, French officials said. The officials said there had been a “tough moment last night” as European leaders struggle to reach an agreement on...
EU leaders still haven’t agreed on coronavirus recovery deal
After three days of marathon talks, European leaders have been unable to reach an agreement on a landmark initiative to fund Europe’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis. Leaders will reconvene in Brussels on Monday afternoon. After all-night discussions, talks stalled early Monday after leaders couldn’t find...
EU coronavirus recovery deal: Wrangling over huge plan enters fourth day
EU talks aimed at reaching an agreement on a huge post-coronavirus recovery fund have stretched into a fourth day. The main division is between countries hit hardest by the virus – such as Italy and Spain – and some EU members seeking to limit the...
Nantes cathedral fire: Questioned volunteer released without charge
A volunteer detained for questioning over a fire at the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul cathedral in Nantes has been released without charge. The blaze tore through the cathedral early on Saturday morning, destroying stained glass windows and the grand organ inside. The detained Rwandan refugee, 39, was in...
EU’s ‘moment of truth’ as leaders seek Covid funding deal
EU leaders are meeting in their first face-to-face summit since the coronavirus crisis, with low expectations of a deal on a €750bn (£670bn) post-Covid stimulus package. French President Emmanuel Macron said it was a “moment of truth” for Europe and the next hours would be...
Curious timing of Russian meddling claims
When you have picked your jaw up from the floor after the revelations hackers working for the Russian state are believed to have been trying to steal research into a vaccine that could combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus, it’s worth knowing that attempts...
Azerbaijan general among troops killed in Armenia border clash
Azerbaijan says one of its generals and five other officers have been killed in a third day of fighting with Armenian forces on the countries’ border. An Azeri private also died, bringing the official Azeri death toll so far to 11. Azerbaijan says heavy fighting...
France’s president in favor of mandatory face masks in indoor public spaces
French President Emmanuel Macron said he is “in favor” of making wearing face masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces to limit the spread of coronavirus, adding during a televised interview that the measure could be enforced as early as August 1. “I would like to...
Iraq reports more than 2,000 new Covid-19 cases, health ministry say
Iraq on Tuesday recorded at least 2,022 new coronavirus cases, according to the country’s health ministry. This brings the total number of Covid-19 cases in Iraq to more than 81,700 according to the health ministry. The health ministry also reported at least 95 new Covid-19-related...
Bastille Day: France honours health workers amid pandemic
France is honouring its health workers at scaled-down events to mark the national celebration Bastille Day, amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Authorities cancelled the traditional military parade but instead are holding a tribute to those tackling the virus. Invited audience members included families of French...
WHO chief blasts “lack of leadership” and calls for global unity
The director-general of the World Health Organization has condemned a “lack of leadership” in fighting the coronavirus pandemic and made an emotional plea for global unity, as cases soar in multiple countries and the world struggles to contain the devastating virus more than six months...
How coronavirus affects the entire body
(CNN)Coronavirus damages not only the lungs, but the kidneys, liver, heart, brain and nervous system, skin and gastrointestinal tract, doctors said Friday in a review of reports about Covid-19 patients. The team at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City — one...
Notre Dame: Cathedral’s spire will be restored to 19th Century design
The spire of Notre Dame cathedral, which was destroyed in a fire last April, will be restored according to the original Gothic design. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision, putting an end to speculation that the spire would be rebuilt in a modern style....
Police fire tear gas at protesters in Serbian capital
Police in the Serbian capital Belgrade fired tear gas at protesters demonstrating against the country’s President Aleksandar Vucic after he announced a weekend-long curfew to try to combat a surge in coronavirus cases. Video from the scene showed at least several hundred demonstrators gathered around Serbia’s...
Israel had the coronavirus under control. What happened?
For months, Israel appeared to be an international model of coronavirus success. With early travel restrictions and sweeping closures, the Startup Nation had largely contained the spread of Covid-19, recording a mortality rate that was far better than many countries in the Western world. As...
UK PM criticized for saying “too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures” in pandemic
British social care institutions have criticized Boris Johnson’s latest comments on the Covid-19 deaths in the country’s care homes. The UK Prime Minister said Monday that during the coronavirus outbreak, “too many care homes didn’t really follow the procedures in a way that they could...
Russian space official Safronov arrested for treason
A spokesman for the head of the Russian space agency has been arrested for treason, the agency says. Roscosmos said in a statement (in Russian) that former journalist Ivan Safronov’s arrest was not linked to his current job there. Russia’s FSB security service said he...
Ennio Morricone, Oscar-winning film composer, dies at 91
Ennio Morricone the Oscar-winning film composer, has died at the age of 91, his lawyer said. He died at dawn in a Rome hospital after falling and breaking his leg, his lawyer, Giorgio Assumma, said. Morricone is best known internationally as the composer behind the...
Coronavirus: Louvre reopens with masks and one-way system
The Louvre museum has reopened in Paris after its closure nearly four months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masks are compulsory, a one-way system is in place and numbers of visitors will be controlled. There will also be a spaced queue to view Leonardo...
Europe is distancing itself from the US
London (CNN)For more than 70 years, the transatlantic alliance has served as the unshakable foundation of European stability and underpinned the values of the US-led Western order. In 2020, it appears that relationship is being rethought on both sides of the Atlantic. Earlier this week,...
It’s 8 a.m. in New York and 1 p.m. in London. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.
There have been more than 10.8 million confirmed cases of coronavirus globally, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. Of these cases, more than 2.7 million are in the US, which saw more than 52,000 new Covid-19 cases Thursday, the highest daily jump in cases...
Khashoggi murder: Turkish absentia trial of 20 Saudis opens
Twenty Saudi nationals have gone on trial in absentia in Turkey over the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. He was killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018. Those being tried include two former top aides to Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince...
France’s Macron picks Jean Castex as PM after Philippe resigns
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has tendered his resignation after heading President Emmanuel Macron’s government for three years. The president swiftly named centre-right mayor Jean Castex to lead a new team of ministers after a reshuffle. Although Mr Philippe was considered more popular than the...
It’s 8 a.m. in Atlanta and 1 p.m. in London. Here’s the latest on the pandemic.
The United States saw a record number of new coronavirus cases in a single day, with 50,203 new infections reported on Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. It took a little more than two months for the US to record its first 50,000 coronavirus cases....
Hagia Sophia: Turkey delays decision on turning site into mosque
A Turkish court has delayed a decision on whether the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul can be converted into a mosque. The Council of State – Turkey’s highest administrative body – said it would make a ruling within 15 days, after a hearing lasting just 17...