The Age World Headlines

Coronavirus deaths in the US top 45,000, doubling in a week

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 22:55:04 GMT

New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan each reported their highest single-day coronavirus-related death tolls on Tuesday - over 800 between the three states.

Chinese envoy takes veiled swipe at Trump for politicising coronavirus

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 21:59:04 GMT

Speaking at a webcast event, Cui Tiankai also defended the handling of the disease by China, which has drawn fire from Trump.

Coronavirus study shows more deaths, no benefit from Trump's drug treatment suggestion

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 20:49:01 GMT

Researchers did not track side effects, but noted a hint that hydroxychloroquine might have damaged other organs, too.

US state of Missouri sues China over coronavirus pandemic

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:59:01 GMT

Lawsuits against other countries are typically fruitless because US law generally prohibits them with rare exceptions, said one international law expert.

A disaster waiting to happen or a bold, evidence-based response? In Sweden, it depends who you ask

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 19:53:01 GMT

As winter fades and spring breaks over Sweden, a high-stakes experiment in self-responsibility is underway.

Coronavirus likely of animal origin, not made in a lab: WHO

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 17:09:02 GMT

All available evidence suggests the novel coronavirus originated in animals in China and was not manipulated or produced in a laboratory, the WHO says.

South Korea plays down reports Kim Jong-un is near death

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 10:47:03 GMT

Officials in Seoul say they have not seen any unusual activity in North Korea, following reports North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un was gravely ill.

'The greatest challenge': Asia catches coronavirus' second wave

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 14:49:01 GMT

Beijing has imposed new restrictions on an upscale diplomats district home to 3.5 million people, as it guards a second wave of coronavirus cases.

Indonesia bans Ramadan mass exodus tradition to curb coronavirus spread

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 07:17:03 GMT

The mass exodus tradition, locally known as mudik will not be allowed to proceed at the end of the Muslim fasting month, President Joko Widodo said.

Israeli missiles target fighters near Palmyra

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 03:56:02 GMT

Syrian state TV gave no further details about the attacks, the latest to hit central Syria in three weeks.

Amid oil price plunge, Trump says he will add to oil reserves

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 03:30:01 GMT

Trump acknowledged that global demand for oil has plummeted. "The problem is nobody's driving a car, anywhere in the world, essentially," he said.

'Invisible enemy': Trump to suspend immigration due to virus

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 07:57:01 GMT

President says he will be signing an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States.

Kim Jong-un's health status in question after surgery: report

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 02:51:01 GMT

The North Korean leader underwent a "cardiovascular surgical procedure", according to a website that gathers information from informants.

Trump-aligned states ready to reopen for business from this week

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 12:42:01 GMT

Republican governors, including in Georgia, are reopening gyms, churches, bowling alleys and hairdressers later this week despite COVID-19 cases still rising.

Coronavirus is accelerating eight challenging mega trends

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 04:44:03 GMT

We are about to experience the next 20 years in 12 months, and we need to get ready for it, according to a former British foreign secretary.

German region issues rule for eating ice cream during coronavirus

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 22:00:00 GMT

"An initial swift lick of a scoop while rapidly proceeding away from the ice cream parlour" is allowed to prevent ice cream from dripping, the edict says.

'Immunity passport' to free recovered Chileans from lockdown

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 03:20:03 GMT

Critics warn against moving too quickly with a medical union secretary saying: "There are serious doubts over existence of long-term immunity to this virus."

Death toll from Canada's mass shooting rises, Trudeau pledges action on guns

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 06:09:04 GMT

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Monday his government would move ahead on the gun control legislation he promised during last year's election campaign after the shooting.

Facebook removes anti-quarantine protest events in some US states

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 04:00:01 GMT

Stay-at-home orders, which experts say are essential to slow the spread of the virus, have battered the US economy.

WHO chief warns worst of coronavirus pandemic is still ahead

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 18:04:02 GMT

The World Health Organisation chief has revived the alarm just as many countries ease restrictive measures aimed at reducing the spread of the virus.

Benjamin Netanyahu reaches power-sharing deal with rival

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 05:03:01 GMT

The deal averts what would have been a fourth consecutive election in just over a year as the country fights its coronavirus outbreak.

Coronavirus pandemic: South Koreans return to work, malls and golf courses

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 07:59:03 GMT

As the number of new coronavirus infections drops below 20 a day, big firms start social distancing back at the office.

The brave few workers who keep the country going under lockdown

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 07:41:02 GMT

While hundreds of thousands in Spain have lost their jobs during the lockdown, these few workers are making sure the basic needs and services function at the risk of also falling ill.

UNSW graduate, Chinese Vice Minister investigated for 'severe violations of discipline and law'

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 07:46:03 GMT

The move comes a month after Sun Lijung played a key role in the Chinese Communist Party's response to the coronavirus crisis.

Pakistan eases restrictions on mosques for Ramadan

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:57:01 GMT

The country at odds with other Muslim nations as it bows to clerics on the religious festival despite rising infections.

New Zealand to ease virus lockdown next week

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 06:19:01 GMT

The nation of 5 million introduced its highest, level-four lockdown measures in late March.

Prince Harry and wife Meghan blacklist British tabloids

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 04:09:03 GMT

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have written to Britain's biggest tabloids, vowing never to work with them again.

'Crossed the Rubicon': Bolsonaro attends protest for military intervention

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:57:03 GMT

At a protest outside the army headquarters in Brasilia, tightly packed protesters were calling for the Supreme Court and Congress to be shut down.

'Cartels are scrambling': Lockdown hits the global drug trade

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 06:30:03 GMT

Traffic over the Mexican-US border has slowed and supplies from China have dried up, but the drug cartels are still finding a way to sell their wares.

'Armed bandits' kill dozens in north-west Nigeria

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 23:38:09 GMT

Police said some of the gunmen wielded AK 47 guns in the attacks on villagers.

'A stroke of luck': Passenger glad to be on global cruise during pandemic

Tue, 21 Apr 2020 03:31:01 GMT

The virus-free bubble that the Costa Deliziosa cruise ship became on its 15-week odyssey is coming to an end.

Iraq lifts Reuters news agency suspension over virus report

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 21:32:05 GMT

The agency's suspension came after an April 3 story cited multiple sources who said the government was misreporting coronavirus cases.

British government on the defensive over claims Boris Johnson skipped coronavirus meetings

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 08:26:01 GMT

Current and former cabinet ministers have rushed to defend Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the wake of damning claims.

Push for universal global ceasefire 'stalled by US and Russia'

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 20:16:01 GMT

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General, has urged warring countries to declare a temporary truce and focus all their attention on fighting the virus.

Police say mass shooting Canada's worst in recent history

Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:52:02 GMT

A man wearing a police uniform has gone on a shooting rampage in Canada.

Pandemic gives Arthur Sinodinos 'baptism of fire' as US ambassador

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 13:30:00 GMT

Our man in Washington is making new friends at a safe distance.

Encouraged by Trump, protesters pressure governors over lockdown

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 06:07:14 GMT

Governors eager to rescue their economies and feeling heat from President Donald Trump are moving to ease restrictions despite warnings from experts.

Brazil digging large-scale graves ahead of coronavirus peak

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 05:34:05 GMT

The public health system in Sao Paulo is approaching its limit with several city hospitals close to filling all their intensive care beds.

Dear Diary: Ardern's new COVID-19 stopper

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 17:19:02 GMT

While Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has proposed a voluntary contact tracing app, the New Zealand PM has a more homespun method for tracking its citizens.

Payne condemns Hong Kong arrests of democracy advocates amid coronavirus

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 15:15:05 GMT

The sweeping crackdown amid a coronavirus pandemic is based on charges of unlawful assembly stemming from huge protests in Hong Kong last year.

Coronavirus analysis shows weight elevates risk of complications

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 02:12:09 GMT

An analysis of 15,100 patients across Britain hospitalised with COVID-19 finds carrying excess weight increases the likelihood of severe complications.

Boris Johnson starts to take back control as Britain prepares to ease lockdown

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 15:15:11 GMT

As part of a major set of changes, the British government government will closely examine the economic and health impacts of the lockdown, as it prepares to decide when and how some measures can be eased.

Iran partially reopens capital as coronavirus deaths hit one-month low

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 15:01:07 GMT

Low-risk businesses - including many shops, factories and workshops - have resumed operations in Tehran.

Singapore sees huge surge in new coronavirus cases

Sun, 19 Apr 2020 17:24:05 GMT

The number of cases in Singapore has more than doubled over the past week largely due to an explosion in infections among foreign workers.

HK democracy activists detained as Lam accused of creating 'ring of terror'

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 12:08:04 GMT

The raids mark the biggest crackdown on the pro-democracy movement since the beginning of the anti-government protests across the former British colony in June last year.

Queen cancels birthday celebrations as COVID-19 sweeps through UK

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 21:31:01 GMT

The Queen has cancelled her birthday celebrations, deeming them inappropriate as Britain fights the coronavirus.

With butlers in isolation, wealthy are forced to learn housekeeping

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 07:50:03 GMT

A housekeeping staffing company says "We're getting calls from the principals themselves saying, 'I've never had to change the bed - what do I do?"

Joe Biden sketches out his would-be administration

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 14:49:05 GMT

Biden casts Donald Trump as chaotic and woefully unreliable in moments of crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump's 'LIBERATE MICHIGAN!' tweets incite insurrection. That's illegal in the US

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 05:12:01 GMT

Using the current crisis to encourage a backlash against lawful and expert-recommended public health measures enjoys no protection under the US Constitution.

Coronavirus infection surge threatens to collapse Japan's hospitals

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 07:04:03 GMT

Two Japanese medical associations warn that the country's healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.

WHO defends China's new Wuhan coronavirus death toll

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:25:01 GMT

US President Donald Trump seized on the new figures as evidence China has been deliberately concealing its true toll from the rest of the world.

France contradicts US on coronavirus link to Wuhan research lab

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 01:25:03 GMT

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, also rejected suggestions the novel coronavirus was man-made.

In a time of coronavirus, Iran parades medical gear, not missiles

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 23:25:01 GMT

It was a far cry from the typical Army Day parades, which normally feature spectacles of infantry, missiles, and armoured vehicles.

Europe is emerging from the pandemic with beds and ventilators to spare

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 14:53:04 GMT

All across Europe, the numbers are coming down. There is finally good news to share.

Trump, at war with states over lockdowns, calls on people to rise up

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 04:11:05 GMT

US President Donald Trump has urged his supporters in three states to "liberate" themselves from stay-at-home orders aimed at containing COVID-19.

'Everything has shifted': How a pandemic is reshaping the US election

Sat, 18 Apr 2020 15:19:07 GMT

As a rule, if the economy is going well then US presidents get re-elected. If it's going badly, they lose. But will that hold in a global health emergency?

Now is the worst time to cut World Health Organisation funding

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 08:42:01 GMT

For all its faults, it is the best agency to lead a global response to this disease.

Jobs first: Bolsonaro fires popular health expert

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 12:52:01 GMT

Few global leaders have done more than Bolsonaro to play down the pandemic, which has killed nearly 2000 Brazilians.

Virus epicentre Wuhan raises number of dead by 50 per cent

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 12:51:01 GMT

An official said the new figures were "due to the insufficiency in admission and treatment capability" at the early stages of the outbreak.

Refugee women killed in Turkish strikes on Kurdish group in Iraq

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 05:39:01 GMT

Iraq's Foreign Ministry said the attack "constituted a serious violation of international humanitarian law."

From 'Xi's doing a great job' to 'The WHO really blew it’: Trump's coronavirus response in tweets

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 11:03:02 GMT

The US President has been able to use Twitter to shape what the public talks about in the realm of politics. He's gone into overdrive on the coronavirus pandemic.

Bathroom Banksy: Street-artist's lockdown work

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 11:54:02 GMT

Banksy has followed official UK advice to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, much to his wife's concern.

Foreign hackers target US virus research: FBI

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 03:54:01 GMT

A senior FBI cyber security official says the bureau has seen state-backed hackers poking around the US healthcare and research sectors.

Russia carries out anti-satellite test

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 09:28:01 GMT

Officials say space will increasingly become an important domain for warfare, with the US, Russia and China stepping up their military postures in orbit.

Trump Administration fuels rumours that virus came from China lab

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 02:49:01 GMT

Without the weight of evidence, they're trying to blame China for sickness and death from COVID-19 in the United States.

Drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury released from Colombian prison

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 01:08:01 GMT

The Australian woman has been released from prison in Bogota, Colombia, as the nation responds to the coronavirus pandemic.

Donald Trump's three-phase plan to reopen economy to take months

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 16:29:02 GMT

Federal officials have warned that some social distancing measures may need to remain in place through to the end of the year to prevent a new outbreak.

EU apologises to Italy for being slow to offer help

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 04:02:01 GMT

No other EU country has suffered as greatly as Italy from the pandemic, with more than 21,600 dead and 105,000 people still infected.

Readers angered by Donald Trump's 'propaganda' briefing

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 03:06:05 GMT

The story about TV networks cutting away from the US President's press briefing generated the most online discussion with our readers this week.

One in seven US workers jobless as pandemic shock to economy hits

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 21:28:01 GMT

Conservative economist Steven Moore, a Trump ally, said there will be 30 million people out of work in the country if the economy doesn't open back up soon.

Right-wing shock jock takes right-wing media to task over coronavirus lies

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 20:12:02 GMT

Michael Savage has howled with unabated contempt about "the pimps" in the right-wing media who he calls "intellectual dwarfs" and "science illiterates".

‘Eerily quiet’: Qantas pilot flies Australians home in near-empty skies

Fri, 17 Apr 2020 13:16:03 GMT

While the route is familiar, the Qantas pilot of a flight bringing Australians in the UK home said he had never seen the skies so "eerily quiet."

Prince Harry pays tribute to parents in lockdown

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 17:41:03 GMT

"This is hard on everyone, but it is especially hard on you," Prince Harry said to the families of children with severe health needs.

Anonymous tip 'led to the discovery of more than a dozen bodies' at US nursing home

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 18:09:02 GMT

Police responding to an anonymous tip found more than a dozen bodies at a nursing home in north-western New Jersey, according to reports.

Ivanka Trump, disregarding federal guidelines, travelled to New Jersey for Passover

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 16:17:02 GMT

Donald Trump's eldest daughter left Washington for another one of her family's homes, even as she has publicly thanked people for self-quarantining.

Gangnam smile: North Korean defector wins South Korea's swankiest seat

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:34:01 GMT

Thae Yong-ho was Pyongyang's deputy ambassador to the UK where he had managed secret funds for leader Kim Jong-un until he fled to the South in 2016.

What doctors on the front lines in New York wish they’d known a month ago

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 21:07:01 GMT

Ironclad emergency medical practices — about when to use ventilators, for example — have dissolved almost overnight.

Two dozen Rohingya die of starvation on drifting boat; 382 rescued

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:33:40 GMT

Bangladesh coastguard officials say the ship was drifting for weeks after failing to reach Malaysia, and it is believe more boats may remain adrift.

Refugee children leave Greece to settle in Luxembourg

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:30:33 GMT

A group of 12 is the first of more than 1000 relocations being expedited amid concerns over the impact of coronavirus on vulnerable groups.

US investigating whether virus came from Wuhan lab: Trump

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 15:07:03 GMT

The source of the virus remains a mystery, although the broad scientific consensus holds that SARS-CoV-2, its official name, originated in bats.

After 10 days of hell, take it from me: you don't want to catch this virus

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:33:32 GMT

I did not think I was going to die but it absolutely felt like the virus was trying hard to kill me. I've never been so sick, or scared.

'Airway team': the nurse couple fighting the virus together

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 04:38:20 GMT

"What's important is that we stick together, we work together, and we always support each other. And not just Ben and I, but the human race right now."

South Korea's coronavirus battle propels government to election win

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:29:42 GMT

Despite the strict lockdown requirements on voting, turnout was higher than any parliamentary elections held since 1992.

Hundreds test positive to COVID-19 on French aircraft carrier

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 02:59:57 GMT

More than 1700 mariners, nearly all from the Charles de Gaulle itself, with at least 668 infected. A third of tests still await results.

Shop with tongs and lock up your cat: Scientists' suggestions for life after lockdown

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 02:52:50 GMT

Experts looked at how different countries are coping in creating a list of 275 ideas to stop coronavirus spreading.

Four IS suspects arrested over plot to attack US bases in Germany

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 02:42:41 GMT

Prosecutors said the men joined IS in January 2019 and were instructed to form a cell in Germany. They reportedly first planned to carry out an attack in Tajikistan but later shifted their target

Multiple US protests for people 'sick and tired' of virus lockdown

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:31:53 GMT

Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in multiple US states to protest against stay-at-home orders meant to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

'Banana republic': Trump threatens to unilaterally suspend Congress

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 10:30:23 GMT

The President's remarkable threat - which came on the day US recorded its highest number of coronavirus deaths - drew immediate criticism from constitutional experts.

Amid slowing infections, Germany takes first steps to restart public life

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 02:20:39 GMT

New infections in Germany have slowed in recent weeks, but Merkel cautioned that the country has achieved only "a fragile intermediate success".

China may have secretly conducted low-level nuclear test blasts

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 15:22:01 GMT

US concerns about Beijing's possible pact breaches have been prompted by activities at China's Lop Nur nuclear test site throughout 2019.

Coronavirus deaths top 30,000 in the US

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 02:02:57 GMT

Despite the spike in deaths, there were tentative signs in some parts of the country that the outbreak was beginning to ebb.

Countries rally behind WHO after Trump suspends payments

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 20:37:36 GMT

While Trump's criticism of the WHO is being shared by others, US allies disagreed with a suspension of payments.

China didn't warn public of likely pandemic for six key days

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 19:37:29 GMT

China's attempt to walk a line between alerting the public and avoiding panic set the stage for a pandemic that has infected more than 2 million people.

Donald Trump wanted his own two-hour radio show during the pandemic

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:44:26 GMT

The US President said he envisioned a show running two hours a day, according to White House officials, and would do it were it not for the risk of encroaching on Rush Limbaugh, the conservative host.

Bill Gates, in rebuke of Trump, calls WHO funding cut 'as dangerous as it sounds'

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:25:19 GMT

The Microsoft co-founder said halting funding for the World Health Organisation during a world health crisis was "as dangerous as it sounds".

Finding the pointe of life in childhood living room

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:01:00 GMT

With New York in lockdown, I've found refuge at my childhood home, which I left 20 years ago to pursue a dance career.

Antarctic researchers are now isolating within isolation

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 22:38:12 GMT

In the frozen and desolate expanse of Antarctica, Davis station leader David Knoff and other expeditioners are well aware of what it takes to live this way.

Massive waves slam Wellington's coast

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 08:40:14 GMT

Emergency services were called to the south coast on Wednesday, as waves of up to five metres caused flooding and damage from Owhiro Bay to Island Bay.

China vows equal treatment for Africans after McDonald's apology

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 11:17:21 GMT

McDonald's said it had closed a restaurant in Guangzhou for diversity and inclusion training after an investigation confirmed social media reports it was barring "black people".

Iraq suspends Reuters for report saying coronavirus cases were understated

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 05:48:19 GMT

Iraqi President Barham Salih described the decision to suspend Reuters as "regrettable".