Eight dead, others trapped under avalanche in eastern Turkey: hospital
Eight people died after an avalanche hit eastern Turkey on Wednesday, the local hospital said, while the Turkish interior minister was quoted as saying 10-15 people were still trapped under the snow.
Russia says coronavirus vaccine will take 8-10 months to develop: Interfax
Russia said on Wednesday it will take between eight and 10 months to develop a vaccine against coronavirus, the Interfax news agency cited health minister Mikhail Murashko as saying.
EU seeks to expand to six Balkan states with new reforms, Commissioner says
The European Union’s goal remains to expand to the six Balkan countries of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Albania, Bosnia and North Macedonia, new EU enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said on Wednesday, after France vetoed membership bids in 2019.
Passengers face two weeks on virus-hit cruise ship off Japan
Around 3,700 people are facing at least two weeks locked away on a cruise liner anchored off Japan after health officials confirmed on Wednesday that 10 people on the ship had tested positive for coronavirus and more cases were possible.
Qatar Foundation rejects U.S. university’s reason for scrapping event after anti-gay backlash
An American university’s partner in Qatar has rejected the university’s explanation for cancelling an event in Doha that would have featured a prominent Middle East band whose singer is openly gay.
China’s Xi says virus controls at crucial stage: state media
China’s efforts to control a coronavirus outbreak are at a crucial stage and authorities must prevent the epidemic from spreading, Xinhua news agency quoted President Xi Jinping as saying on Wednesday.
Bodies of two U.S. firefighters killed in Australia sent home
The bodies of two U.S. firefighters killed battling Australian blazes were sent home on Wednesday in emotional ceremonies attended by officials and relatives.
Companies feel the heat as bushfires choke Australia
A number of Australian companies signaled hits to earnings and flagged damages from the months-long bushfires that have claimed 33 lives and ravaged about 29.7 million acres across the country’s most populous states.
Data suggests virus infections under-reported, exaggerating fatality rate
Fatalities from the coronavirus epidemic are overwhelmingly concentrated in central China’s Wuhan city, which accounts for over 73% of deaths despite having only one-third the number of confirmed infections.
Turkey’s Erdogan demands Syrian forces in Idlib withdraw
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Wednesday to drive back Syrian troops in Idlib unless they withdraw by the end of the month to stem an assault which he said had displaced nearly 1 million people.
