Macron seeks more EU powers as Europe faces coronavirus meltdown
French President Emmanuel Macron is leading a push for the European Union to acquire more powers to respond in healthcare emergencies, conscious that the EU risks being blamed for the continent’s shortcomings in tackling the coronavirus outbreak.
Taiwan’s new ‘electronic fence’ for quarantines leads wave of virus monitoring
Taiwan, which has won global praise for its effective action against the coronavirus, is rolling out a mobile phone-based “electronic fence” that uses location-tracking to ensure people who are quarantined stay in their homes.
Russia starts testing coronavirus vaccine prototypes on animals
Russian scientists have begun testing prototypes of potential vaccines against the new coronavirus on animals in a laboratory in Siberia, Russia’s consumer health regulator said on Friday.
Khamenei praises Iranians for their fight against coronavirus
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a live speech on state TV for the Persian new year, praised Iranians for their “dazzling” sacrifices to fight the coronavirus outbreak in the worst-affected country in the Middle East.
California issues ‘stay home’ order; U.S. death toll hits 200
California issued an unprecedented statewide “stay at home” order on Thursday for its 40 million residents and Washington warned Americans to return home or stay abroad indefinitely, as the number of coronavirus deaths in the country hit 200.
Turkey postpones events until end-April over coronavirus
President Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree on Friday postponing all events related to science, culture and art, as Turkey seeks to contain a surge in coronavirus cases.
Malaysia to deploy army to help enforce coronavirus curbs
Malaysia will deploy the army from Sunday to help enforce travel and movement curbs aimed at reining in the spread of a coronavirus, the government said, as it grapples with the highest number of infections in Southeast Asia.
Khamenei says U.S. sanctions forced Iran to become ‘self-sufficient’
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a live speech on state TV for the start of the Persian new year, said on Friday that U.S. sanctions has forced the country to become self-sufficient as he called on Iranians to preserve unity.
Rohingya, UN step up efforts to get Malaysia refugees screened for virus
The U.N. refugee agency and Rohingya community leaders in Malaysia are stepping up efforts to get refugees who attended a Muslim gathering to come forward for coronavirus checks, after cases linked to the event jumped across Southeast Asia.
Coronavirus concerns overshadow Olympic flame arrival in Japan
An Olympic cauldron was ignited in Japan on Friday with a flame carried from Greece, with officials again pledging the Tokyo 2020 Games will proceed despite mounting pressure to halt the world’s biggest sporting event due to the coronavirus pandemic.
