NewspaperPhilippine public warned of claims of anti-viral drug
Sunday, May 24
12:07 GMT - Philippine public warned of claims of anti-viral drug
The Philippine health department has warned the public against social media posts claiming that an anti-viral drug developed by a Filipino doctor can cure or protect people against the coronavirus.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a cease-and-desist order against the use of the Fabunan anti-viral injection, amid reports that more people were getting the medication, said Health
Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire.
"To date, there has not been any record of the (Fabunan anti-viral injection) applying with the FDA," the Department of Health said in a statement.
"The department will continue to update our people of any scientifically proven developments in our fight against COVID-19," it added.
11:52 GMT - In Pictures: Eid al-Fitr in the time of coronavirus
Subdued Eid celebrations are held across the Muslim world as many people mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan under lockdown.
View the photo gallery here.
11:40 GMT - A lonely Eid al-Fitr under a highway in Jakarta
Workers in the Indonesian capital struggle to earn a living and support their families amid the coronavirus pandemic. Read about it here.
11:27 GMT - Iran: Death toll nears 7,500
Iran has confirmed 58 more fatalities from coronavirus over the past day, bringing the nationwide death toll to 7,417.
Another 2,180 people tested positive for coronavirus, raising the overall count to 135,701, the Health Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said.
11:08 GMT - First signs if a COVID-19 vaccine works possible in autumn: GAVI
First indications of the effectiveness of a potential vaccine against coronavirus may be available in the autumn, the head of the GAVI vaccine alliance has told a Swiss newspaper, predicting a long road from there to broad availability.
"Unfortunately, we really do not know which vaccine will work and whether there will be one at all. If we're lucky, we'll receive indications in autumn as to (a potential vaccine's) effectiveness," GAVI head Seth Berkley told NZZ am Sonntag in an interview published on Sunday.
"But there will still be a long way to go from there until an approved active substance becomes available in large quantities for the global population."
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11:04 GMT - Lyon boss calls French League's halt to Ligue 1 'stupid'
Olympique Lyonnais president Jean-Michel Aulas lashed out at the French football league for ending the Ligue 1 soccer season early, calling the decision "stupid".
Aulas spoke after La Liga on Saturday got the Spanish government's green light to resume play. Matches will likely begin on June 12, according to League president Javier Tebas.
"In the past two months, the Spanish officials have been observing and working with UEFA," Aulas told L'Equipe on Sunday, referring to European soccer's governing body.
"What is paradoxical is that Javier Tebas, in particular, attended the same meetings as (French League director-general) Didier Quillot, notably that of April 23."
"In fact, what was said at that meeting with UEFA is 'patience'. When we see that our officials attended this meeting and drew different conclusions, one can feel that we are really too stupid."
10:58 GMT - Chinese Foreign Ministry says 'political virus' spreading across US
China's Foreign Ministry has said US politicians are spreading "lies" and "conspiracy theories" regarding Beijing's role in the pandemic, while calling on the two countries to cooperate in fighting the virus.
"It's most regrettable that while the coronavirus is still out there, the political virus is also spreading in the US and jumping at any opportunity to attack and slander China," Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a press conference on the sidelines of China's parliamentary session, the National People's Congress.
Wang added that some US politicians "ignore the basic facts and make up countless lies and conspiracy theories concerning China".
10:54 GMT - Lufthansa to resume flights to 20 destinations from mid-June
Lufthansa, which is in talks with the German government over a nine billion euro ($9.8bn) bailout, will resume flights to 20 destinations from mid-June, including some holiday hot-spots, a spokeswoman has said.
The destinations include Mallorca, Crete, Rhodes, Faro, Venice, Ibiza and Malaga, the spokeswoman said, adding flights would depart from the airline's main hub in Frankfurt.
Further destinations will be unveiled at the end of next week, she said.
10:51 GMT - UK PM Johnson's adviser Cummings will not resign: minister
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior adviser Dominic Cummings, who drove 400km (250 miles) to northern England while coronavirus lockdown measures were in place, will not resign, Transport Minister Grant Shapps has said.
"Is he going to resign?" BBC presenter Andrew Marr asked during an interview.
"No," Shapps said.
Several lawmakers from Johnson's Conservative Party called on Sunday morning for Cummings to quit.
09:32 GMT - Malaysia reports 60 new coronavirus cases
Malaysia has reported 60 new coronavirus cases, raising the total number of infections to 7,245, the health ministry has said.
The number of deaths remained unchanged at 115, it said.
09:31 GMT - UK aims to reopen primary schools from June 1
The United Kingdom's government intends to stick with a plan to reopen primary schools to some pupils from June 1, Transport Minister Grant Shapps has said.
"That's certainly the intention," he told Sky News.
The government faces opposition to the plan from some teachers and labour unions.
09:30 GMT - Indian states seek delay in restarting flights as coronavirus cases rise
Three large Indian states have sought to delay the planned opening of their airports on Monday as new cases of the coronavirus jumped by a record, complicating the federal government's plan to resume flights after a two-month lockdown.
Airlines are preparing to resume about a third of their domestic flight operations from Monday, even without clarity over which states will allow flights or what quarantine rules may apply to passengers.
9:00 GMT - India reports 6,767 coronavirus cases, highest daily jump
India has reported 6,767 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily jump, taking the overall total to 131,868, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
At least 147 coronavirus-related deaths were recorded over the past 24 hours, raising the total number of deaths to 3,867.
According to NDTV (New Delhi Television), Sunday marks the third consecutive day that India has recorded more than 6,000 coronavirus cases with a record number of new patients each day.
08:20 GMT - China 'open' to international effort to identify virus source: FM
China is "open" to international cooperation to identify the source of the coronavirus, China's foreign minister has said.
But any investigation must be "free of political interference", Wang Yi said at a press conference, blasting what he called efforts by US politicians to "fabricate rumours" about the pathogen's origins and "stigmatise China".
He added that World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has done a good job and countries with decency will support the body.
08:05 GMT - Iranian 107-year-old woman recovers from coronavirus
A 107-year-old Iranian woman who was infected with the new coronavirus has recovered, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency has reported.
The woman, Saltanat Akbari, was admitted to the Khansari hospital in the central city of Arak. She was released from the hospital after spending "some time" in isolation.
"She defeated the virus with the help of doctors and nurses at the hospital," Fars said.
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08:03 GMT - Those who want China to pay coronavirus compensation are daydreaming: Diplomat
Those who want to make China pay compensation for the coronavirus outbreak are daydreaming, the Chinese government's top diplomat Wang Yi has said.
07:54 GMT - Russia records 153 coronavirus deaths, highest daily toll yet
Russia has reported 153 coronavirus deaths over the past 24 hours, the epidemic's highest daily toll, raising the total number of coronavirus-related deaths to 3,541, the country's coronavirus crisis response centre has said.
It also said 8,599 new cases had been documented, fewer than on the previous day, pushing the total number of infections to 344,481.
07:42 GMT - Jerusalem's Holy Sepulcher reopens
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in occupied East Jerusalem has reopened to visitors after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Christian authorities managing the site closed it to visitors in March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but religious leaders maintained prayers inside the shuttered church throughout its closure.
On Sunday, church authorities limited entrance to 50 people at a time, and required that those entering the cavernous site maintain social distance and avoid touching any of the church's stones, icons or other religious items.
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