Leading indices have sold off on high inflation, geopolitical tensions, and tightening monetary policy Major European stock indices struggled in 2022, with most showing their worst performance since before the Covid-19 pandemic, CNBC reported on Friday. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index began the last trading day of the year down …
Read More »Indonesia lifts all coronavirus-related restrictions
Almost three years after officials announced the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Indonesia, the country’s leader said Friday they are lifting all coronavirus-related restrictions nationwide. President Joko Widodo said Indonesia’s COVID-19 situation is under control after observing improvements over the past 10 months, allowing the country to abandon the …
Read More »Thousands of UK ambulance staff strike as public urged to avoid risks
Thousands of ambulance workers in England and Wales walked out over pay on Wednesday, increasing the strain on a state-funded health service a day after nurses went on strike, as government ministers advised the public to avoid taking risks. The government said the “deeply regrettable” strike would result in fewer …
Read More »UK health regulator authorizes Pfizer/BioNTech COVID vaccine for infants as young as 6 months
‘Expected side effects were in-keeping with what can be anticipated from the vaccine in this age group,’ regulator says Britain’s health regulator on Tuesday authorized the use of a Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for infants and children aged six months to 4 years. In a statement, the Medicines and Healthcare products …
Read More »Anti-lockdown protests break out in China (Videos)
Footage shows demonstrators in Shanghai, Wuhan, and other cities demanding an end to harsh zero-Covid policies Protests broke out in China this weekend, with demonstrators in Shanghai, Wuhan, Beijing, and other locations demanding an end to the government’s stringent Covid restrictions. Videos shared on social media purportedly show some protesters …
Read More »Taiwan president quits as party head after China threat bet fails to win votes
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday after her strategy to frame local elections as showing defiance of China’s rising bellicosity failed to pay off and win public support. The elections for mayors, county chiefs, and local councilors are ostensibly about …
Read More »China orders lockdowns, mass testing after record COVID surge
Record spike in COVID infections for the second day in a week forces mass testing in Nanjing amid sweeping restrictions. China has ordered mass testing in the eastern city of Nanjing in Jiangsu province, the latest measure as the country for the second day in a row reported a record …
Read More »China sets record for daily Covid-19 cases
Almost 31,500 people were diagnosed with the disease on Wednesday, according to official data China on Wednesday registered its highest number of daily coronavirus infections since the start of the pandemic almost three years ago, official data has shown. There were 31,444 new cases of the disease in the country …
Read More »China’s Guangzhou locks down millions in ‘zero-COVID’ fight
The southern Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou locked down its largest district Monday as it tries to tamp down a major COVID-19 outbreak, suspending public transit and requiring residents to present a negative test if they want to leave their homes. The outbreak is testing China’s attempt to bring a more …
Read More »GLOBAL ECONOMY Factory output weakens on widespread slowdown, China COVID curbs
Global factory output weakened in October as widespread recession fears, high inflation, and China’s zero-COVID policy hurt demand, business surveys showed on Tuesday, adding to persistent supply disruptions and darkening recovery prospects. Inflation has soared globally as supply chains still healing from the coronavirus pandemic were hit again by Russia’s …
Read More »COVID-19: Iraq reported one death, 327 new cases in a week
Iraq logged only 327 COVID-19 cases in the past seven days, the Iraqi Ministry of Health said today, Monday. In its weekly epidemiological report on COVID-19, the Ministry reported 559 recoveries and one mortality. The cumulative count of COVID-19 patients since the emergence of the virus in the region amounted …
Read More »White House urges Americans to get updated COVID-19 vaccine shots this fall
The White House said its COVID response is “constrained” by a lack of funding. The White House is urging Americans to get updated COVID-19 vaccine shots this fall specifically targeting prevalent omicron variants. The Biden administration on Thursday released more details on its plan to make the newly approved shots …
Read More »China’s Chengdu enforces strict lockdown despite fatal earthquake
Authorities in the southwestern China province of Chengdu have maintained a strict Covid lockdown, after an earthquake that has killed at least 65 people in surrounding areas. Footage circulating online showed workers wearing protective gear preventing some of the city’s 21 million residents from exiting their apartments. Buildings in Chengdu …
Read More »Iraq reported 638 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths last week
Iraq logged 638 COVID-19 cases last week, the Ministry of Health and Environment said today, Monday. The weekly epidemiological report on COVID-19 reported two deaths and 1695 recovery cases. The cumulative count of COVID-19 patients since the emergence of the virus in the country amounted to 2458509, of whom 2431657 …
Read More »Shenzhen districts locked down as China battles COVID outbreaks
Most residents of the Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen went into a weekend lockdown on Saturday as mass COVID-19 testing kicked off in much of the city of 18 million people. The lockdown, and the suspension of bus and subway services, came into effect two days after city authorities said …
Read More »COVID-19: 2342 new cases and 5 deaths in Iraq last week
Iraq logged 2342 COVID-19 cases last week, the Ministry of Health and Environment said today, Monday. The weekly epidemiological report on COVID-19 reported 5 deaths and 6158 recovery cases. The cumulative count of COVID-19 patients since the emergence of the virus in the country amounted to 2456555, of whom 2426824 …
Read More »WHO recommends Valneva’s COVID vaccine
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday recommended the use of French drugmaker Valneva’s COVID-19 vaccine. The UN agency also recommended the use of a second booster dose for some individuals at high risk of severe disease. However, that does not constitute a general recommendation of vaccinating all adults, and …
Read More »COVID-19: more than 3,000 cases, and 12 deaths in Iraq last week
Iraq logged 3,035 COVID-19 cases last week, the Ministry of Health and Environment said today, Monday. The weekly epidemiological report on COVID-19 reported 12 deaths and 11,014 recovery cases. The cumulative count of COVID-19 patients since the emergence of the virus in the country amounted to 2,454,213, of whom 2,420,666 …
Read More »Russia’s official toll of COVID-related deaths exceeds 820,000
Russia has registered a total of 820,307 COVID-related deaths since the start of the pandemic in the country in April 2020, the state statistics service Rosstat said on Friday. It said 4,991 people had died of COVID-19 or related causes in June, down from 7,098 in May. Russia recorded more …
Read More »WHO says no evidence monkeypox virus has mutated
The World Health Organization does not have evidence that the monkeypox virus has mutated, a senior executive at the U.N. agency said on Monday, noting the infectious disease that has been endemic in the west and central Africa has tended not to change. Rosamund Lewis, head of the smallpox secretariat …
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