World News in Brief: July 13

The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Sunday (July 12), with the total rising by 230,370 in 24 hours. The biggest increases were from the United States, Brazil, India and South Africa, according to a daily report. The previous WHO record for new cases was 228,102 on July 10. Deaths remained steady at about 5,000 a day.

A police officer checks the body temperature of a man entering Tashkent in a street in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 10, 2020. Uzbekistan has announced to introduce a second lockdown from July 10 to Aug. 1 in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo: Xinhua)
A police officer checks the body temperature of a man entering Tashkent in a street in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, July 10, 2020. Uzbekistan has announced to introduce a second lockdown from July 10 to Aug. 1 in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo: Xinhua)

* Chinese health authority said Monday (July 13) that it received reports of eight new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Sunday, and all of them were imported. No new suspected cases or deaths related to the disease were reported Sunday, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. As of Sunday, the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83,602, including 320 patients who were still being treated, with three in severe condition.

* The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Sunday reported 3,236,130 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 62,918 cases from its previous count and said that the number of deaths had risen by 906 to 134,572.

* Brazil, the world's No. 2 coronavirus hot spot after the United States, registered 631 new deaths on Sunday, with a new total of 1,864,681 confirmed cases, the Health Ministry said. Brazil now has an official total of 72,100 deaths, the ministry said. The numbers of deaths and cases are usually lower on the weekend because of patchy reporting.

* India's federal health ministry Monday morning said 500 new deaths due to COVID-19, besides fresh 28,701 positive cases, were reported during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 23,174 and total cases to 878,254. This is said to be the highest single day spike in the number of fresh cases in the country so far.

* Russia on Monday reported 6,537 new cases of the novel coronavirus, pushing its overall tally to 733,699, the fourth largest reported in the world. Authorities said 104 people had died in the last 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 11,439.

* Deaths in Mexico from the coronavirus pandemic rose above 35,000 on Sunday, with the Latin American country overtaking Italy for the world's fourth-highest death total, according to Reuters data. Mexico on Sunday recorded 276 additional fatalities and 4,482 new infections to bring its coronavirus death toll to 35,006, with 299,750 confirmed cases. Italy has recorded 34,954 deaths and 243,061 cases. Mexico trails the United States, Brazil and the UK in total deaths.

* The United Kingdom's death toll from confirmed cases of COVID-19 rose to 44,819, up 21 on the previous day, the government said on Sunday.

* Argentina exceeded 100,000 cases of novel coronavirus infections on Sunday as it struggles to contain spiraling case rates despite a strict quarantine imposed on the capital Buenos Aires and its surroundings. The health ministry said 2,657 new cases confirmed overnight took the total to 100,166. The death toll in Argentina from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, is 1,845, a far cry from the 71,469 in Brazil by Sunday and the 11,682 in Peru.

* New Zealand reported no new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, with the number of active cases in the country remaining at 25, all in managed isolation or quarantine facilities, according to the Ministry of Health. It has been 73 days since the last case of COVID-19 was acquired locally from an unknown source, said a ministry statement. The total number of confirmed cases remains at 1,194, which is the number reported to the World Health Organization, it said.

* Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has called for the greatest efforts to brave challenges and go to the frontline of flood prevention and rescue and relief work to ensure the safety of people's lives and property. China has entered a crucial period of flood control, Xi said, calling for Party committees and governments at all levels to take responsibilities and go into the frontline to guide flood control work.

* Thailand is planing to make improvements and upgrades of airports in some provinces, given a THAB5.8 billion (about US$185.54 million) funding, confirmed a senior government official on Monday. Department of Airports Director General Thawee Kesisamang said his agency has planned to improve and upgrade the airports in several southern and northeastern provinces with the US$185-million budget allocated for the fiscal year 2021.

* The total trade between Myanmar and foreign countries reached over US$28.3 billion in ten months of present fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020, according to figures released by the Commerce Ministry on Monday. From Oct. 1, 2019 to July 3, Myanmar earned over US$13.2 billion while its import shared over US$15 billion. The country's trade deficit of present FY recorded over US$1.8 billion, up from over US$890.6 million compared to the corresponding period of last FY 2018-2019.

* Japan and the United States are sharing information about coronavirus infections at US military bases after an outbreak provoked ire in the southernmost prefecture of Okinawa, a top Japanese official said on Monday. Of the 62 individuals Okinawa confirmed had tested positive from Tuesday to Sunday, 39 were at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, 22 at Camp Hansen and one at Camp Kinser. Later on Monday, TV Asahi said 32 more cases were confirmed at Futenma.

* Voters in northern Spain protected themselves with face masks and hand sanitizer before voting on Sunday as Galicia and the Basque Country held regional elections despite new localised outbreaks of COVID-19. Spain has been one of the worst affected countries in Europe, with more than 271,762 coronavirus cases and 28,403 deaths. The government imposed a strict lockdown on March 14 and has been gradually easing restrictions since early May.

* The novel coronavirus could have existed in a dormant state long before its outbreak, Melita Vujnovic, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to Russia, has said.

* A series of small local outbreaks and a growing trickle of foreign arrivals are starting to nudge the number of coronavirus infections in Italy higher, according to information released by the Ministry of Health Sunday, although rates still remain a small fraction of the highs recorded in March and April. The country, which registered a high of 969 deaths in late March, has not seen more than 50 deaths in one day in nearly a month.

* Britain's event organisers, venues and suppliers warned that about 30,000 jobs are at risk due to increased uncertainty about when trade fairs and exhibitions could resume in the UK, an industry body said on Monday. The Events Industry Alliance (EIA), an industry body that represents the UK events sector, said companies would need at least eight to twelve weeks to restart exhibitions, calling on the government to set a date for reopening.

* Poland's incumbent Andrzej Duda has won the presidential election, results from over 99% of polling stations show, with remaining uncounted votes unlikely to sway the final outcome, the National Electoral Commission said on Monday. According to the latest results, Duda received 51.21% of the vote, while opposition candidate Rafal Trzaskowski got 48.79% of the vote. The difference in votes between the candidates amounted to around 500,000.

* Flames raged for hours on Sunday aboard a US warship docked at Naval Base San Diego, sending 21 people to the hospital with minor injuries and prompting a relocation of two other Navy vessels moored nearby, military and local fire officials said. Navy spokesman Mike Raney told Reuters there was no immediate evidence of foul play.

* Hungary has imposed new restrictions on cross-border travel as of next Wednesday in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus after a surge in new cases in several countries, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of staff said on Sunday.

* Honduras will extend its coronavirus curfew for another week in an effort to tame the coronavirus pandemic, the security ministry said on Sunday. Honduras first imposed a curfew in March but the government has in recent weeks been talking about slowly reopening businesses to help the economy.

* Iran's Civil Aviation Organisation blamed a misalignment of a radar system and lack of communication between the air defence operator and his commanders for the accidental downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January that killed 176 people aboard.

* A Lebanese waste management company is quarantining 133 Syrian workers who tested positive for the coronavirus, the company manager said on Sunday, as the country recorded a new daily high for infections. The health ministry said a total of 166 new cases had been confirmed in the last 24 hours. Lebanon has recorded more than 2,000 infections and 36 deaths from the coronavirus since February.

* Gunmen clashed with security forces following a car-bomb blast at a government compound in Afghanistan's northern province of Samangan on Monday, officials said, and more than 40 people were wounded. The attack took place at a government facility in Samangan's capital, Aybak, close to an office of the National Security Directorate, the main intelligence agency, officials said.

* The military of Yemen's Houthi group said on Monday it attacked and hit a large oil facility in an industrial zone in the southern Saudi city of Jizan as part of an operation launching drones and missiles into Saudi Arabia overnight.

Reuters, Xinhua