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This is VOA news. Via remote, I'm Diane Roberts.
The human toll of the new coronavirus in the United States hit a magnitude not seen since mid-May, with nearly 1,600 deaths recorded in a 24-hour period. It also has surpassed another stark reminder of how deadly the virus is. According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 150,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. That's more than any other country. AP correspondent Sagar Meghani reports. The worldwide toll is more than a half million and Johns Hopkins University's tally shows the U.S. has the most by far. The grim milestone comes amid spikes in various parts of the nation, including Florida which reported 216 deaths today, breaking the single day record set just yesterday. Visiting Texas, where the virus has also been surging, President Trump says the nation's making progress. "Together, we will end the plague from China. We will defeat the virus." And as he promises an economic recovery, Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell says the path forward remains extraordinarily uncertain. "... and we'll depend in large part on our success in keeping the virus in check." Sagar Meghani, Washington. Brazil nears [8] 89,000 COVID-19 deaths. Worldwide more than 662,000 people have died. Meanwhile, China also reported highest single day case toll in three months, announcing 101 new infections in sporadic regional outbreaks. And French heath authorities reported 1,392 additional confirmed cases Wednesday, the highest daily increase in more than a month. At this hour, nearly 17 million globally are infected with COVID-19. For more on these or other stories, please visit us at voanews.com. From Washington, this is VOA news. Chinese drug company Sinopharm and Parana state have agreed to launch the fourth major COVID-19 vaccine trial in Brazil and will seek regulatory approval in the next two weeks, the Brazilian partners, both mentioned, said this on Wednesday. A trial by Sinopharm would join Phase III trials already announced in Brazil by AstraZeneca, Sinovac Biotech and a Pfizer partnership with BioNTech. The head of the Parana Technology Institute said they would soon finalize their proposal and submit it for approval with federal health regulator. Brazil's COVID-19 outbreak, the world's worst outside of the United States, has made it a global testing ground for potential vaccines. U.S. officials say Russian intelligence officers are spreading disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic through English-language websites. The aim is to exploit a crisis that America is struggling to contain before the November presidential election. Russian officials are rejecting the accusations as, quote, "conspiracy theories," end quote, and a, quote, "persistent phobia." U.S. officials told the Associated Press two Russians who've held senior roles in the military intelligence service had been identified as responsible for the disinformation effort. Wednesday, Afghans welcomed a three-day cease-fire but called for it to be made permanent. This after the government and the Taliban said they would observe a truce that could kickstart peace talks as soon as next week. The foes this week announced a temporary stoppage in Afghanistan's war, only the third official pause in nearly 19 years. It is slated to start on Friday and run for the duration of the Eid Al Adha Muslim festival. Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve stressed the course of the coronavirus pandemic will be critical to the economic recovery. The statement came as the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee, FOMC, held the benchmark lending rate at zero as expected and did no make any other changes to its guidance. The Fed also said it will continue to buy at least $120 billion in U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities each month to steady financial markets. The World Bank Group's private sector arm said Wednesday it's launching a $4 billion financing platform aimed at boosting the production and supply of critical health products in developing countries to help fight the coronavirus pandemic. [The International Financial] The International Finance Corp's initiative is largely aimed at private sector projects to manufacture products such as personal protective equipment, ventilators and other medical equipment, coronavirus test kits, therapeutic drugs and vaccines. The U.S. government says it will withdraw the federal tactical teams that have clashed with protesters in the U.S. city of Portland, Oregon, beginning Thursday. Via remote, I'm Diane Roberts, VOA news. |