Death

Omicron Likely To Accelerate Death Toll In Europe

Christmas get-togethers may need to be downsized as Omicron is now “very likely” to increase the death toll in Europe even if it proves to be less severe, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has said.The new COVID variant’s high transmissibility means that more people are forecast by the EU agency to be admitted to hospital or killed this winter than previously projected.The risk assessment, published on Wednesday, advises governments they urgently need to reintroduce COVID

16 December 2021
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Britain Reports World’s First Omicron Death

At least one person has died in the United Kingdom (UK) after contracting the Omicron coronavirus variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, the first publicly confirmed death globally from the swiftly spreading strain.Since the first Omicron cases were detected on 27 November in Britain, Johnson has imposed tougher restrictions and on Sunday cautioned that the variant could overcome the immune defences of those inoculated with two shots of vaccines.Britain gave no details on the d

14 December 2021
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US, Human Rights And Israel’s War On Palestine

Israel’s attempt to justify its latest brutal assault on Gaza rings hollow to anybody familiar with events in Israel, where the government of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, backed by anti-Arab racists, has systematically, cruelly, and persistently violated the basic human rights of the Arab population. Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global non-governmental organisation (NGO) with many Jewish leaders, has recently condemned Israel for crimes against humanity.

26 May 2021
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Court Dismisses Agent Orange In Vietnam War Case

An elderly French-Vietnamese woman failed Monday in her bid to sue Monsanto and other makers of the toxic chemical Agent Orange over its use by the United States (US) as a weapon during the Vietnam War, after a French court ruled that the companies had legal immunity because they were working for a sovereign government.Tran To Nga, born in 1942 in what was then French Indochina, accused 14 agrochemicals firms of causing grievous harm to her and others by selling Agent Orange to the American m

12 May 2021
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Myanmar Mourns For Young Anti-Coup Protester

Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing was a teenage grocery store worker in Myanmar's sparse and isolated capital until less than two weeks ago, when a gunshot turned her into a national symbol of resistance. The death of the young anti-coup protester has sent a ripple of grief through the country, days after a bullet struck her in the head during a confrontation with police.She had joined a massive rally in Naypyidaw demanding the release and return to power of the country's ousted civ

20 February 2021
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Wuhan Banishes Memory Of Lockdown Death

It was the image that became a symbol of the chaos enveloping coronavirus-hit Wuhan: the body of a man lying for hours on a pavement.The grim scene, captured a year ago by AFP, was around the corner from a hospital in the Chinese metropolis – now known as the pandemic's "ground zero". But the corpse was left untouched until nervous and overwhelmed rescue workers carried it away.Although the cause of his death has never been established, the unknown man lying on his bac

31 January 2021
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COVID Could Add To 2 Million A Year Stillbirth Toll

Almost two million babies are stillborn every year - one every 16 seconds - the United Nations (UN) said Thursday, warning that the COVID-19 pandemic could add another 200,000 deaths to the "devastating" toll.The vast majority of stillbirths, 84 percent, occur in low- and middle-income countries, where basic neo-natal care could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year, according to a joint report by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the World Bank Group. Most

9 October 2020
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Malaysian Police: 'No Sign' Quoirin Was Kidnapped

Malaysian police insisted Monday there was no indication a French-Irish teenager was kidnapped from a jungle resort, as an inquest began into the girl's death following her disappearance while on holiday.The body of Nora Quoirin, a 15-year-old with learning difficulties, was discovered unclothed last year after a massive hunt through the rainforest but authorities said there was no sign of foul play.However, her parents - who believe there was a criminal element to her death, as they say

25 August 2020
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One Dead As Strong Quake Hits Central Philippines

At least one person was killed and dozens injured when a 6.6-magnitude earthquake shook the central Philippines on Tuesday, sending residents fleeing their homes and damaging buildings and roads.The shallow quake struck southeast of Masbate Island in the Bicol region at 8:03 am (0003 GMT), the United States (US) Geological Survey said."There are a lot of damaged houses," said Staff Sergeant Antonio Clemente in Cataingan, a town of about 50,000 people on the impoverished island sever

19 August 2020
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Apocalyptic Scenes As Blasts Ravage Beirut

An entire port engulfed in fire, ships ablaze at sea and crumbling buildings: the site of the massive blast in Beirut's harbour area resembled a post-nuclear landscape.Soldiers cordoned off the area, littered with glass and debris from the explosion which officials said was the result of fire catching in a warehouse where hundreds of tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored.A woman in her twenties stood screaming at security forces, asking about the fate of her brother, a port employee.&qu

5 August 2020
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Indonesia Floods Death Toll Rises To 21

The death toll from floods on Indonesia's Sulawesi island has risen to at least 21, authorities said Wednesday as residents tried to salvage a few belongings from their inundated homes.The flash floods in North Luwu regency left hundreds of houses buried in mud after three rivers burst their banks due to torrential rains which started on Monday.Nearly 1,600 people were taking refuge in temporary shelters, the Search and Rescue Agency said Wednesday.The death toll rose to 21 with the disc

16 July 2020
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Dreams Of Myanmar's Jade Miners Buried By Disaster

Five Yay Ma Hsay - or 'unwashed' as the jade miners of northern Myanmar are known - arrived early Thursday at the pit to scrape out a living on a scraggy hillside, lured by the prospect of finding a stone that could transform their lives. But only three would return, the others victims of Myanmar's worst-ever mine disaster after a landslide in heavy rains entombed at least 174 people, with scores more feared missing. Sai Ko, 22, survived the spin-dryer of rock

6 July 2020
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