As the World Health Organization
acknowledged "evidence emerging" of the airborne spread of the
coronavirus, a UN report warned that a rush by countries to
buy personal protective equipment has created an opportunity for
criminal groups, which are peddling sub-standard equipment and
are likely to move on to medicines soon.
EUROPE
* New French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday
that in case of a new major coronavirus outbreak, any new
lockdown would be targeted, not nationwide.
* Austria is issuing travel warnings for Bulgaria, Romania
and Moldova because of the worsening coronavirus situation in
those countries and clusters in Austria involving people
arriving from the region, the government said.
AMERICAS
* A top US health official said the US and other
countries could have had a stronger initial response to Covid-19
if China had been more forthcoming about key features of the
virus.
* Colombia's national lockdown to control the spread of
coronavirus will be extended by just over two weeks until August 1, President Ivan Duque said on Tuesday.
* Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday he
tested positive for the novel coronavirus after months
minimizing the severity of the pandemic and defying medical
experts.
ASIA-PACIFIC
* Australia should slow down the return of its citizens from
abroad, as the country grapples with a fresh coronavirus
outbreak that has forced it to isolate its second most populous
state.
* Uzbekistan will impose a second wave of lockdown
restrictions between July 10 and August 1.
* Thailand expects to delay plans for so-called travel
bubbles given a resurgence in coronavirus infections in
countries that had managed to contain the initial outbreak, a
senior official told Reuters.
* Supercomputer-driven models simulated in Japan suggested
that operating commuter trains with windows open and limiting
the number of passengers may help reduce the risk of coronavirus
infections.
* Three hundred drones took to the evening sky over the Han
River in South Korea to dispense coronavirus prevention advice.
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
* In Africa, lack of coronavirus data raises fears of
"silent epidemic".
* Iran has recorded its highest number of deaths from
Covid-19 within a 24-hour period, Health Ministry figures showed
on Tuesday.
MEDICAL DEVELOPMENTS
* Vaccine maker GSK has put its vaccine booster
technology to work in a potential new Covid-19 shot, to be
developed with a Canadian biopharmaceutical company backed by
Philip Morris.
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
* Global stocks faltered on Wednesday, losing momentum after
a five-day rally, as an increase in new coronavirus cases in
some parts of the world undermined prospects for a quick
economic recovery.
* The French economy is set to rebound sharply in the second
half of the year after an unprecedented slump in the first half,
the INSEE statistics agency said.
* British finance minister Rishi Sunak will announce on
Wednesday his next moves to prevent a wave of job cuts from
snowballing into a full-blown unemployment crisis in the world's
sixth biggest economy.
* The Norwegian economy rebounded in May after two months of
steep decline as a gradual reopening of businesses helped turn
activity around, Statistics Norway (SSB) said.
* Japan's service sector sentiment jumped at a record pace
in June, a Cabinet Office survey revealed, indicating the
economy may have reached the bottom of its coronavirus-induced
slump.
* The Philippine government expects the country's
debt-to-GDP ratio to rise to 50% from 39% last year, as it
increases borrowing.