China’s table tennis chief has bemoaned Covid-19 safety rules at the Tokyo Olympics, saying they are making life “extremely difficult” as his team looks to sweep the golds once again. China have won 28 of the 32 table tennis titles awarded at the Olympics, dominating a sport in a way that has rarely been matched. […]
virus
Covid surging in Africa with more than 6 mn cases: AFP tally
Coronavirus is surging in Africa with a record average number of new cases according to an AFP tally based on official sources on Tuesday at 1815 GMT. It said 6,009,854 cases have been officially counted in Africa’s 54 nations and territories since the virus was first discovered in December 2019 in China. The number of […]
Thailand imposes tougher Covid-19 curbs, curfew in Bangkok
More than 10 million people were placed under fresh Covid-19 restrictions and a curfew in the Thai capital Monday, as the kingdom battled a surge of cases worsened by the highly infectious Alpha and Delta variants. Thailand has so far recorded more than 345,000 cases and 2,791 deaths — with the bulk of them coming […]
Thousands join rare anti-government protests in Cuba
Thousands of Cubans took part in rare protests Sunday against the communist government, marching through a town chanting “Down with the dictatorship” and “We want liberty.” The protest in San Antonio de los Banos, a town of some 50,000 people southwest of Havana, came as Cuba is experiencing its toughest phase yet of the coronavirus […]
Thai beauty pageant investigated after coronavirus cluster
Thai beauty queens who took part in a pageant last month could face criminal charges for not wearing masks, police warned Sunday, after a cluster of 22 infections emerged from the event. Thirteen contestants and nine others associated with the Miss Grand Samut Sakhon pageant, which was held at a Bangkok venue late June, have […]
90-year-old infected with ‘two virus variants at once’
A 90-year-old woman who died after falling ill with Covid-19 was infected with both the Alpha and Beta variants of the coronavirus at the same time, researchers in Belgium said Sunday, adding that the rare phenomenon may be underestimated. The unvaccinated woman, who lived alone and received at-home nursing care, was admitted to the OLV […]
Clashes between Venezuelan police and gangs leave 26 dead
At least 26 people died in nearly two days of clashes between Venezuelan security forces and gangs that control poor neighborhoods of Caracas, the government said Saturday. The toll is 22 suspected gang members and four police officers dead, Interior Minister Carmen Melendez said. She said an unspecified number of non-combatants died and 28 people […]
Japan’s Fukushima, Hokkaido ban fans at Olympic events
Japan’s northern Fukushima and Hokkaido regions have banned spectators from Olympic competitions in their areas, expanding unprecedented steps to hold the Games mostly behind closed doors due to the pandemic. The announcements by their regional governors reversed a decision Thursday evening by Olympic organisers to save competitions outside the greater Tokyo area for live viewing. […]
Bangladesh secures vaccine boost after virus cases pass one million
Bangladesh has sealed deals for 17.5 million more coronavirus vaccine doses, the health minister said Saturday, as the country battles record deaths and its caseload passed one million. The country of 169 million people has imposed its harshest ever lockdown as it seeks to curb a major surge in cases and record numbers of deaths. […]
Sri Lanka-India postponed for five days by coronavirus
Sri Lanka’s cricket board said Saturday that a one-day series against India would be postponed for five days because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the Sri Lankan camp. Several Sri Lankan players and officials have been put into isolation after batting coach Grant Flower and a team data analyst tested positive for coronavirus on Friday. […]