Day: July 23, 2020

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A feared resurgence of the Islamic State has not so far materialized in Iraq, paving the way for a further coalition troop drawdown, a US commander said Wednesday. Though IS may never be completely eradicated, the group has been significantly diminished from when it controlled swathes of Iraq and Syria just a few years ago, Major General Kenneth Ekman, deputy commander of coalition forces, told reporters. “What that has allowed us to do is to reduce our footprint here in Iraq,” Ekman said, speaking from Baghdad. “I…

BRASILIA (AFP) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has again tested positive for the new coronavirus, his office announced Wednesday, saying he would extend his two-week quarantine and suspend upcoming travel plans. The far-right leader, who has faced criticism for downplaying the pandemic and flouting social distancing measures, has been in self-isolation in the presidential palace in Brasilia since first testing positive for the virus on July 7. “President Jair Bolsonaro s health continues to improve, under the treatment of the presidential medical team,” his office said in a statement. “A (new…

BRASILIA (AFP) – Brazil recorded a new daily record of coronavirus cases Wednesday with nearly 68,000 infections, a sign COVID-19 is still far from being brought under control in the hard-hit country. The health ministry said 67,860 new infections and 1,284 deaths had been reported in the past 24 hours in Brazil, which has the second-biggest outbreak in the world after the United States. The South American country of 212 million people has recorded 2.2 million infections and 82,771 deaths from the new coronavirus since confirming its first case five…

MONTEVIDEO (AFP) – More than four million coronavirus cases have been recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean, half of them in Brazil, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. The region passed the bleak milestone as Brazil reported a daily record of 67,860 new coronavirus cases Wednesday. Latin America is one of the hardest-hit regions in the world, with 4,040,925 recorded cases and 172,886 people killed by COVID-19. That is the highest caseload of any region except North America, and the highest death toll of any region…

SRINAGAR (AFP) – Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday imposed a strict lockdown for a week as authorities warned of rising coronavirus cases, one day after cancelling a major annual Hindu pilgrimage. India, which has recorded almost 1.2 million infections and is the world s third-most infected nation, had significantly eased a months-long shutdown to revive its shattered economy. But numerous states across the nation of 1.3 billion people have reimposed restrictions in recent weeks as case numbers exploded, sparking fears of overwhelmed healthcare systems. Officials in Kashmir said the Muslim-majority Himalayan valley,…