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Coronavirus claims first foreign victim from the US

A 60-year-old US citizen diagnosed with the Coronavirus died on Thursday (7) in Wuhan, the city at the epicentre of the health emergency, according to the US embassy.

However, it did not provide more details about the person.


A Japanese man in his 60s with a suspected coronavirus infection also died in hospital in Wuhan, the Japanese foreign ministry said. It added that it was difficult to confirm if he had the illness.

The only fatalities so far, outside mainland China, were a Chinese man in the Philippines and a 39-year-old man in Hong Kong.

Currently, more than 320 cases have emerged in nearly 30 other countries.

Nearly 35,000 people have been infected by the new strain, which is believed to have emerged in a market selling wild animals in Wuhan last year before spreading across China.

The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak soared to 722 on Saturday (8). As many as 86 more people died in mainland China — the highest one-day jump so far.

The coronavirus death toll was closing in on the 774 killed worldwide during the SARS epidemic in 2002.

Hong Kong imposed a mandatory quarantine on mainland arrivals to block the spread of an epidemic.

The US health department is working with pharmaceutical firm Regeneron to develop a treatment using a class of drug that has boosted survival rates among Ebola patients.

Earlier, Chinese doctors confirmed they had been giving anti-HIV drugs to coronavirus patients in Beijing, based on a 2004 study published after the SARS outbreak that showed positive responses.

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Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
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Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

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  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
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  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

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Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

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Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

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England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

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Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

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Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

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