New Zealand records new COVID-19 cases, brings back restrictions

Wellington: New Zealand on Tuesday confimed new cases of locally acquired COVID-19 after going for 102 days without any domestic transmission.

New Zealand director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said,  "We actually have four confirmed caes of COVID-19 in one family acquired from an unknown source. The first case to present was a person in their fifties who lives in South Auckland. That person was swabbed yesterday when they presented to their general practitioner with symptoms. That test was processed twice and returned positive and a second swab today also returned a positive result. Importantly, the person has no history of overseas travel. And as per our usual protocol, we would, very closely with Auckland regional public health, to interview the person. We've sprung into action and in fact, all those family members residing in the same household, there were another six, were all tested and three of the six have returned positive test results. The other three were negative."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said four people from one family in South Auckland had been confirmed to have acquired the coronavirus. Ardern announced that Auckland will move to alert level 3 restrictions from noon on Wednesday for three days. The rest of the country was also be moved to alert level 2 restriction from Wednesday, she said.

Corona crisis: Spain surpasses UK to register most cases in Western Europe

Madrid: Spain's government defended its response to the coronavirus pandemic on Monday after official data showed on Friday the country had overtaken Britain to register the highest total number of cases in Western Europe.

Spain's health ministry on Sunday reported a total a cumulative total of 314,363 cases whilst the UK reported 310,825. During the first half of April, Spain was second only to the United States in total cases before reining in its soaring infection rate through a strict nationwide confinement. However, the virus has rebounded sharply since the state of emergency ended six weeks ago, with average daily infections surging from 132 in June to 1,499 in the first 10 days of August.

On Friday data published by Johns Hopkins University showed

In a letter published in the Lancet last week a group of Spanish health experts called for an independent evaluation of the government's handling of the crisis and highlighted a litany of flaws.

One of the letter's signatories, Ildefonso Hernandez Aguado, a public health professor at Alicante's Miguel Hernandez University, said a lack of qualified tracing staff was letting the disease spread unseen. He also pointed the finger at Spain's highly social culture and longstanding tradition of big family gatherings, which he said would be tough to give up.

The United States response to the virus is met with incredulity abroad

Rome, Italy: The United States' failure to contain the spread of the coronavirus has been met with astonishment and alarm in Europe, as the world's most powerful country edges closer to a global record of 5 million confirmed infections.

Perhaps nowhere outside the US is America's bungled virus response viewed with more consternation than in Italy, which was ground zero of Europe's epidemic. Italians were unprepared when the outbreak exploded in February and the country still has one of the world's highest official death tolls at 35,000. But after a strict nationwide 10-week lockdown, vigilant tracing of new clusters and general acceptance of mask mandates and social distancing, Italy has become a model of virus containment.

Don't they care about their health a mask-clad Patrizia Antonini asked about people in the United States as she walked with friends along the banks of Lake Bracciano, north of Rome. They need to take our precautions ... They need a real lockdown."

Much of the incredulity in Europe stems from the fact that America had the benefit of time, European experience and medical know-how to treat the virus that the continent itself didn't have when the first COVID-19 patients started filling intensive care units.

Yet, more than four months into a sustained outbreak, the US is about to hit an astonishing milestone of 5 million confirmed infections, easily the highest in the world. Health officials believe the actual number is closer to 50 million, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40% of all cases are asymptomatic.

We Italians always saw America as a model," said Massimo Franco, columnist with daily Corriere della Sera. But with this virus we've discovered a country that is very fragile, with bad infrastructure and a public health system that is nonexistent."

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza hasn't shied away from criticising the US, officially condemning as wrong Washington's decision to withhold funding from the World Health Organization and marveling personally at President Donald Trump's virus response.

After Trump finally donned a protective mask last month, Speranza told La7 television: I'm not surprised by Trump's behavior now; I'm profoundly surprised by his behavior before."

With America's list-leading 160,000 dead, politicized resistance to masks and rising caseload, European nations have barred American tourists and visitors from other countries with growing cases from freely traveling to the bloc.

France and Germany are now imposing tests on arrival for travelers from at risk countries, the US included.

I am very well aware that this impinges on individual freedoms, but I believe that this is a justifiable intervention, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said in announcing the tests last week.

Mistakes were made in Europe, too, from delayed lockdowns to insufficient protections for nursing home elderly and critical shortages of tests and protective equipment for medical personnel.

The virus is still raging in some Balkan countries and thousands of maskless protesters demanded an end to virus restrictions in Berlin earlier this month. Hard-hit Spain, France and Germany have seen infection rebounds with new cases topping 1,000 a day, and Italy's cases inched up over 500 on Friday.

The UK is still seeing an estimated 3,700 new infections daily, and some scientists say the country's beloved pubs might have to close again if schools are to reopen in September without causing a new wave.

In the US, new cases run at about 54,000 a day an immensely higher number even when taking into account its larger population. And while that's down from a peak of well over 70,000 last month, cases are rising in nearly 20 states, and deaths are climbing in most.

In contrast, at least for now Europe appears to have the virus somewhat under control.

Had the medical professionals been allowed to operate in the States, you would have belatedly gotten to a point of getting to grips with this back in March, said Scott Lucas, professor of international studies at the University of Birmingham, England.

But of course, the medical and public health professionals were not allowed to proceed unchecked, he said, referring to Trump's frequent undercutting of his own experts.

When the virus first appeared in the United States, Trump and his supporters quickly dismissed it as either a hoax or a virus that would quickly disappear once warmer weather arrived. At one point, Trump suggested that ultraviolet light or injecting disinfectants would eradicate the virus. (He later said he was being facetious).

Trump's frequent complaints about Dr. Anthony Fauci have regularly made headlines in Europe, where the U.S. infectious diseases expert is a respected eminence grise. Italy's leading COVID-19 hospital offered Fauci a job if Trump fired him.

Trump has defended the U.S. response, blaming China, where the virus was first detected, for America's problems and saying the U.S. numbers are so high because there is so much testing. Trump supporters and Americans who have refused to wear masks against all medical advice back that line.

There's no reason to fear any sickness that's out there, said Julia Ferjo, a mother of three in Alpine, Texas, who says she is vehemently against wearing a mask. Ferjo, 35, teaches fitness classes in a large gym with open doors, where she doesn't allow participants to wear masks.

Samsung launches Galaxy Note Z Fold 2, foldable smart phone as pandemic shrinks market

Seoul, South Korea: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its latest Galaxy Note smartphone and new version of its foldable phone, the Z Fold 2, on Wednesday, hoping to regain ground against rivals Huawei and Apple Inc as the smartphone market begins to recover from its COVID-19 slump.

Samsung launched its previous premium model, the S20, in February at the start of the pandemic but since then has ceded its top ranking in the smartphone market to China's Huawei, as people opt for cheaper models in tough times. The Z Fold 2 has a 6.2-inch (15.75-cm) screen when folded to provide a full smartphone experience even when it is closed, Samsung announced during a livestreamed event. Its unfolded display measures 7.6 inches (19.3 cm).

The new iteration is thinner than the first Fold, and the hinge is improved to be more resilient, Samsung said. Samsung did not disclose the phone's price, but said more details and preorders will be available on Sept. 1. The new Note 20 boasts a larger screen at 6.7 inches (17 cm), 5G connectivity, enhanced writing features with its S-Pen stylus, and access to more than 100 console and PC games via a tie-up with Microsoft Corp's Xbox cloud service.

It will go on sale on Aug. 21 in about 70 countries, including the United States, where the basic version will retail for $999 (USD), compared with its predecessor's $949. Apple fans are unlikely to jump ship to the new Samsung model as the 5G iPhone is likely to be launched later this year, analysts say.

Samsung posted a 29% on-year drop in shipments in the June quarter, the biggest fall among top vendors, according to researcher IDC. Apple, which launched the budget-friendly SE during the period, remained resilient with 11% on-year shipment growth, while Huawei posted only a 5% fall.

The global smartphone market shrank about 16% on-year in the April-June quarter due to COVID-19 lockdowns and consumer caution, a larger contraction than in the first quarter, and is expected to improve only slightly in the second half, IDC said.

Pizza restaurant launches Spain's first virtual waiter app as COVID-19 bites

Palafrugell, Spain: A restaurant on Spain's northeastern Mediterranean coast is pioneering a dining experience that allows customers to avoid most face-to-face contact with staff and minimise the risk of coronavirus contagion.

Customers at Funky Pizza, in Palafrugell on the Costa Brava popular with tourists, can browse the menu, order and pay via the "Funky Pay" app on their phones - the first time a purpose-designed app has been integrated into a restaurant's ordering system in Spain. A waiter does bring the order to the table. "Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID," said restaurant owner Carlos Manich. Staff manage the orders from screens behind the bar.

The restaurant has had to adapt to social distancing rules by becoming table service only and reminding customers on entry they must wear face masks at all times when not at their tables. "The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving," said Claudia Medina, 26, eating at the restaurant. But some customers disagreed. "I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can't ask about different preferences or quantities," said customer Javier Comas, 26.

Corona Crisis: Philippines capital returning to lockdown as COVID-19 virus surges

Manila: The Philippine president has agreed to place the capital and outlying provinces back under a lockdown after medical groups warned that the country was waging a losing battle against the coronavirus amid an alarming surge in infections.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Monday that metropolitan Manila, the capital region of more than 12 million people, and five densely populated provinces will revert to stricter quarantine restrictions for two weeks starting Tuesday. The move, which finance and economic officials oppose, will again prohibit non-essential travel outside of homes. President Rodrigo Duterte relaxed the country's lockdown on June 1 in a bid to restart the stagnant economy.

Under the new restrictions, police checkpoints will return to ensure only authorized people, including medical personnel and workers in vital companies, venture out of their homes, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said. Other businesses previously allowed to partly reopen, including barbershops, internet cafes, gyms, dine-in restaurants, massage and tattoo shops, drive-in cinemas and tourist destinations, will again be closed.

Authorised companies, including banks, health and food processing firms, can operate partly but need to shuttle their employees from home and work. Workers can travel by bike, motorcycles and private cars, but mass transit will be closed. Businesses in the capital and outlying regions comprise about 67 per cent of the national economy and the Duterte administration has walked a tightrope between public health and economic revival.

The economy contracted slightly in the first quarter but is likely facing a deep recession from the massive business closures that started when Duterte declared a strict lockdown in mid-March. Leaders of nearly 100 medical organizations held a rare online news conference Saturday and warned that the health system has been overwhelmed by infection spikes and may collapse as health workers fall ill or resign from exhaustion and fear.

They asked Duterte to reimpose a tight lockdown in the capital to allow the government to give health workers a time out and allow the government to recalibrate its response to the pandemic. We are waging a losing battle against COVID-19 and we need to draw up a consolidated, definitive plan of action, the groups said in a letter to Duterte that they read publicly.

They expressed fears to Duterte that the Philippine coronavirus crisis may worsen like in the United States. The Department of Health reported a record-high daily tally of 5,032 confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday, bringing the country's total to 103,185, including more than 2,000 deaths.

The Philippines has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in Southeast Asia after Indonesia, and has had more reported infections than China, where the pandemic began late last year. While he granted the demand, Duterte appeared irritated after the medical groups went public with critical remarks, saying they could have talked to him first.

If you will stage a revolution, you will give me the free ticket to stage a counter-revolution. How I wish you would do it, Duterte said in televised remarks Sunday night.You yourself don't have any solution. What are you babbling about?" Duterte asked.
He floated the idea of tapping civilian reservists to be placed under military control, including his daughter who is a city mayor and police nurses and medics, if exhausted doctors and nurses leave their anti-pandemic work.

Runners told to observe social distancing in Moscow half-marathon

Moscow, Russia: More than 9,500 runners competing in Moscow's annual half-marathon on Sunday, August 2 wore masks and gloves in the starting area, had their temperature checked and were told to observe social distancing rules because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 21.1-km race had been postponed from May, when the Russian capital was in lockdown because of the new coronavirus. Participants in a separate 5-km (3.11 miles) run were also asked to follow social distancing rules, though this can be challenging when racing. Russia reported 5,427 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours on Sunday, more than 660 of them in Moscow, bringing the nationwide tally to 850,870. The death toll in Russia rose to 14,128.

Despite the new cases, Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin, who wore a medical mask and gloves when presenting awards, said the event was a celebration of Russia's success in combating the virus. "We overcame the difficult period that was the pandemic and the fact that we are together today... is our common victory," Matytsin said.

He later told reporters: "We will show the whole world how to carry on with a normal life in these very difficult conditions while respecting all (safety) requirements." The half-marathon provided a chance for some runners finally to compete again. Moscow, a city of nearly 13 million, lifted its more than two-month lockdown in June. "I'm filled with happiness and emotion because there haven't been any competitions in almost a year," said Luiza Dmitrieva, who finished fourth among women and 33rd overall.

Trump calling for hourly updates as talks on coronavirus bill hit impasse

Washington, DC, US: The White House and top Democrats in Congress are not close to a deal to pump more money into the U.S. economy to ease the coronavirus' heavy toll, both sides said on Saturday, August 1, after an essential lifeline for millions of unemployed Americans expired.

"We're still a long ways apart and I don't want to suggest a deal is imminent because it is not," Mnuchin told reporters, adding "there are still substantial differences but we did make good progress." The officials will meet again on Monday, August 3, and their staff will meet on Sunday, Mnuchin said, adding that reaching a deal on the bill was the President Donald Trump's "top priority." "The president is checking in literally on a hourly basis to see how we're progressing," Meadows said.

On Saturday, Trump could be seen playing golf at Trump National Golf Club, his club in the Washington suburbs. The president, along with most of those in his group, did not sport masks for the outing. Congress for the past several months has been unable to reach an accord for a next round of economic relief from a pandemic that has killed more than 150,000 Americans and triggered the sharpest economic collapse since the Great Depression.

In a meeting on August 30 night between top White House officials and congressional Democratic leaders, negotiations focused on an extension of the $600 per week in federal unemployment benefits, which Americans who lost jobs The House in May passed a $3 trillion deal that addressed a wide range of coronavirus responses, including more money for testing, for elections and support to financially strapped state and local governments.

protest across Israel against Benjamin Netanyahu's government's handling of the coronavirus crisis

Jerusalem, Israel: Thousands of Israelis took to the streets on Saturday night, August 1 to protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's alleged corruption and against his government's handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Israeli media estimated that some 15,000 protesters arrived at Netanyahu's state residence in Jerusalem where they carried banners calling on him to resign and to save Israeli democracy. Saturday's protest was reported to be the biggest in a weeks-long weekly demonstrations near Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. Protesters also arrived outside his private house in the Israeli city of Caesarea. Hundreds also gathered to protest in Tel Aviv.

Netanyahu faces nationwide protests over the state of the economy, hit by the coronavirus, further weakening his appeal to many in the Israeli public who find him unfit to lead the country while he faces trial for corruption charges, in which he denies wrong doing.

Netanyahu has rebuked the protesters, tweeting: "Don't drag the country towards anarchy, violence and attacks against the police."

But critics say Netanyahu- who normally receives high marks for his economic policies- appeared to lose interest in managing the crisis and failed to prepare a clear exit strategy after the first lockdown.

Promised financial aid has been slow to arrive, and has been dogged by bureaucracy, businesses say. Some Israelis believe Netanyahu was distracted by plans to annex parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Others say his attention turned to a corruption case against him, in which he denies any wrong doing.

USA: Hundreds of children at youth camp test positive for Coronavirus

Rabun County, USA: An outbreak of coronavirus spread to at least 44% of staff and campers at a sleep-away camp in the U.S. state of Georgia over a week and a half, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said.

NBC News reported that the outbreak happened at Camp High Harbour in Rabun County, about 100 miles (160.9 km) north of Atlanta. 260 children and staffers tested positive for the virus, NBC reported. The camp followed most of the CDC's recommendations to mitigate the spread of the virus, including segregation of attendees by cabin and enhanced cleaning and disinfection measures.

However, campers did not follow rules to wear cloth masks and open windows and doors for ventilation, according to the report. Attendees, including staff and campers, were required to get COVID-19 tests showing no virus before attending. After camp started, a camper developed COVID-19 symptoms, leading the camp to shut down. The Georgia Department of Public Health then recommended attendees get screenings, the CDC report said.

The camp held orientation and a session between June 17 and June 27, when it closed because of the virus. Test results were available for 344 of 597 Georgia resident attendees, but total infection rates were calculated based on all attendees. 

Thus infection rates are probably underestimates, the CDC said, adding that some also could have contracted the virus outside camp. The overall infection rate of the 597 staff and campers was 44%, with an infection rate of 76% among the 344 for whom test results were available.

Thousands march in Berlin against coronavirus measures

Berlin, Germany: Thousands of protesters rallied in Berlin on Saturday, August 01 against the latest coronavirus measures imposed by the German government.

With no signs of face masks or social distancing rules, people of all ages gathered in the heart of the capital to march against what they consider getting away "from these laws that have been imposed on us", one protester told Reuters TV. Anti-lockdown protests, mounted in part by proponents of anti-establishment theories blaming everyone from vaccine makers to billionaire software tycoon and philanthropist Bill Gates for the disease, started taking place as the virus's reproduction rate in Germany ticked back above the critical threshold of 1.

Protests and demonstrations are allowed in the country, but authorities urge people to remain cautious, wear face masks and maintain social distancing. People returning from high-risk areas must now go into quarantine for two weeks unless they can present a negative coronavirus test not older than 48 hours or are willing to take a test at an airport after the number of cases in Europe increased in the past weeks.

On Tuesday, Germany's top public health official scolded the public for their lack of discipline in adhering to social distancing practices and wearing masks that can slow the spread of the highly contagious disease in the absence of a vaccine. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 955 to 209,653, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Friday, July 30.

Saudi Arabia’s Kaaba adorned with new cover as annual Haj commences

Mecca, SA: Saudi Arabia’s holy Kaaba in Mecca was adorned on Wednesday, July 29 with a new cover, also known as ‘Kiswah’, marking the beginning of the annual Haj amid tight restrictions and reduced pilgrim numbers due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Normally costing almost 24 million Saudi riyals ($6.4 million), the cover is externally made of 675 kilogrammes of pure black silk, and green silk internally. Tens of kilogrammes of gold and silver-plated threads are used to stitch verses of the holy Quran on the cloth. Muslim worshippers started the annual haj pilgrimage on Wednesday (July 29), which has been dramatically scaled back due to the coronavirus pandemic.

For the first time in the modern era, amidst efforts to curb COVID-19, Muslims from abroad will be unable to attend the pilgrimage. This year's event has been limited to about 1,000 people from within Saudi Arabia, 70% of whom will be foreign residents of the kingdom. The remaining 30% will be drawn from Saudi healthcare workers and security personnel who have recovered from the coronavirus, as a gesture of thanks for their sacrifice.

Some 2.5 million Muslims typically visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long pilgrimage. A once-in-a-lifetime duty for able-bodied Muslims who can afford the cost, it is usually extremely crowded.

CEOs from Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple faced jabs for alleged abuse of their market power!

Washington, DC: Tensions between lawmakers were high during a much-anticipated congressional hearing on Wednesday, July 29 with four of America's most prominent tech CEOs in the hot seat.

When Republican Jim Jordan concluded questions about fears that Google's powerful search engine might steer voters to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Representative Mary Scanlon criticized Jordan's line of questioning. "I'd like to redirect your attention to antitrust law rather than fringe conspiracy theories," she said. "There is no fringe conspiracy," Jordan snapped back, prompting lawmakers to shout "Put your mask on!"

The issue of masks has been contentious between House Republicans and Democrats, especially following another positive case from one of their own colleagues on Wednesday, July 29. Republican U.S. congressman Louie Gohmert, who has steadfastly refused to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic, said on Wednesday he had tested positive for COVID-19, leading at least three of his colleagues to say they would self-quarantine.

The moment with Rep. Jordan came during an hours-long hearing in which Google and Facebook took the sharpest jabs for alleged abuse of their market power from Democrats and Republicans.

Facebook Inc's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon.com Inc's Jeff Bezos, Alphabet Inc -owned Google's Sundar Pichai and Apple Inc's Tim Cook - whose companies together represent about $5 trillion of market value - parried a range of accusations from lawmakers via videoconference before the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel.

On the Republican side, Jordan accused the companies of taking a long list of actions that he said showed they try to hamper conservatives from reaching their supporters."Big Tech is out to get conservatives," he said. The companies have denied allegations of political censorship. Jordan's allegations come after President Donald Trump, who has clashed with several of the biggest tech companies, on Wednesday threatened to take action against them.

"If Congress doesn't bring fairness to Big Tech, which they should have done years ago, I will do it myself with Executive Orders," Trump said on Twitter. The president did not provide details but in the past has been irritated by tech companies, including Facebook and Twitter, which have occasionally taken action on his postings on issues such as treatments for the coronavirus. He has also clashed with the Washington Post, which is owned by Bezos.

Facebook's Zuckerberg took a series of questions about the company's purchase of Instagram in 2012, and whether it was acquired because it was a threat. Zuckerberg responded that the deal had been reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission and that Instagram at the time was a tiny photo-sharing app rather than a social-media phenomenon.

Cicilline's subcommittee has been looking in to allegations by critics that the companies have hurt competitors and consumers with their business practices and seemingly insatiable appetite for data. The hearing marks the first time the four CEOs have appeared together before lawmakers, and was also the first-ever appearance of Bezos before Congress.

A detailed report with antitrust allegations against the four tech platforms and recommendations on how to tame their market power could be released by late summer or early fall by the committee, which has separately amassed 1.3 million documents from the companies, senior committee aides said.

Italian PM Conte wins backing to extend COVID-19 emergency period

Rome: Italy's upper house of parliament approved on Tuesday, July 28 a request by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to extend until Oct. 15 a state of emergency, expanding his government's powers as it tackles the coronavirus health crisis.

Opposition parties had objected, accusing Conte of trying to keep too much power in his own hands despite a dramatic fall in the rate of contagion. However, the upper house Senate passed the measure by 157 votes to 125 in the 319-seat chamber. Conte announced a six-month state of emergency on Jan. 31, when the first two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Rome.

"Since there are contagion situations in various areas of the world that show no sign of improving and that the situation in countries close to us, or even bordering with us, such as France, the Balkan countries and Spain, requires an attitude of careful vigilance to prevent the resurgence of the contagion affects also Italy," Conte told the Senate in Tuesday's debate.

However, he drew back from initial plans to seek an extension until the end of the year, saying he only wanted a renewal until mid-October. The state of emergency gives greater powers to both regional and central government, including making it easier for ministers to declare red zones should the disease flare up again, and to bolster hospital resources.

It will also cut bureaucracy as officials prepare schools to reopen in September after being shut for six months. Italy has been one of the worst-affected countries in Europe, registering more than 35,000 deaths from around 246,500 cases. However, new infections have fallen sharply over the past three months and Conte's critics said he needed to involve parliament in key decisions. The lower house, where the coalition has a much larger majority, will vote on the measure on Wednesday, July 29.

US cybersecurity firm says Beijing-linked hackers target Vatican ahead of talks

Vatican City: Hackers linked to the Chinese government have infiltrated Vatican computer networks, including the Roman Catholic Church's Hong Kong-based representative, a U.S. firm that tracks state-backed cyber attacks said on Wednesday, July 29.

It said the attacks began in May. The Vatican and Beijing were expected to engage in talks this year over the renewal of a landmark 2018 deal that stabilised relations between China and the Church. U.S. cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said in the report that the attacks targeted the Vatican and the Catholic diocese of Hong Kong, including the head of the Hong Kong Study Mission, who is seen as Pope Francis' de facto representative to China.

The report said the targets included communications between the Hong Kong diocese and the Vatican and used similar tools and methods previously identified with Chinese state-backed hacking groups. China's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.

Beijing routinely denies it engages in any state-backed hacking attempts, and says it is a victim of such threats. A Vatican spokesperson had no immediate comment. The Hong Kong Study Mission did not respond to a request for comment. The reported hacking follows an extremely rare meeting between Beijing and the Vatican's foreign minister in Germany earlier this year, marking the highest-level official encounter between the two sides in decades.

Relations between the two have been improving and they have been expected to renew the provisional two-year deal on the operation of the Catholic Church in China this September. A Chinese delegation had been due to visit the Vatican as part of continuing talks but there was no indication if or when they would travel because of the coronavirus outbreak, a senior Vatican source has said.

The source, who spoke to Reuters before the hacking report, said it was still not clear if the deal would be automatically extended because of the pandemic and for how long.

California to add sexual orientation, gender identity to COVID data collection efforts

US: California will expand its COVID-19 data collection efforts to include race, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation, a health official announced on Tuesday, July 28.

"Improving our data is like getting a new pair of glasses that helps us see more clearly. Or using binoculars. And help us see a little further out," said Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state's secretary of health and human services. The move expands the data reporting requirements for providers and laboratories carrying out testing. California Department of Public Health currently requires race and ethnicity to be collected, but Ghaly said they lack data for those two areas for about a third of the cases they've received.

The goal is to "have a better sense of where transmission is happening, which communities are impacted and what the magnitude of that impact will be," Ghaly said. Among those particularly impacted is the state's Latino community, which Ghaly said is becoming ill and dying from COVID-19 at far greater rates than other groups. Latinos make up 39% of the population in the most populous U.S. state, but account for 56% of COVID-19 infections and 46% of deaths, he said.

Also of concern is a high death rate for African-Americans who contract the disease, although progress has been made lowering the group's overall infection rate, Ghaly said. African-Americans make up 6% of California's population and account for 4% of COVID-19 infections but 8.5% of deaths, he said. Whites, who make up 37% of the population, account for 17.5% of cases and 30% of deaths, state data show.

The news comes as California and several other states grapple with a spike in infections this month. The surge has overwhelmed hospitals and forced a U-turn on steps to reopen economies after the end of lockdowns put in place in March and April to slow the spread of the virus.

Bolivian workers union marches against election delay as tensions mount

EI Alto, Bolivia: A major Bolivian union led a protest march in the highland city of El Alto on Tuesday, July 28, opposing a delay to the country's presidential election as tensions mount over the vote that will decide the country's political future.

Thousands of people joined the march organised by the powerful Bolivian Workers' Centre (COB), an umbrella group representing various industries. They carried banners criticising the conservative interim government. The vote, a re-run of a fraught election last year that sparked violent protests leading to the downfall of long-term leftist leader Evo Morales, is a tussle between the country's socialist party and a fragmented conservative flank.

Morales, exerting his political influence from exile in Argentina, has called for the election to be held on Sept. 6 as previously planned. The electoral tribunal postponed the date because coronavirus infections are expected to peak in coming months.

The march ended in a council of workers declaring an indefinite general strike and mobilisations all around the country.

The COB said the interim government of led by presidential candidate Jeanine Anez had used the pandemic to extend power and persecute supporters of Morales' Movement for Socialism (MAS). Bolivia has recorded over 70,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with over 2,600 deaths.

Kenya extends curfew for a month as COVID-19 cases jump

Nairobi: Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta extended a nightly curfew on Monday, July 27 for 30 days to curb the spread of COVID-19 and banned alcohol sales in restaurants but stopped short of locking down the country again despite a surge in cases.

The curfew had been due to be lifted on Aug. 6 or 7. Kenyans on the streets of Nairobi greeted the news with mixed feelings, with some expressing concern about the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and favouring a total lockdown. Kenya has so far reported 17,975 cases of infection with the new coronavirus and 285 deaths from the related disease COVID-19. The health ministry said on Sunday (July 26) it had reported 960 more cases, the biggest daily jump since the first case was confirmed in March.

Kenyatta, referring to the country being at war with an invisible enemy, said the government had also shortened restaurant operating times by an hour, and ordered bars to stay closed indefinitely.

Republican senator contends with mobile phone while unveiling recovery plan

Washington, DC: Senator Chuck Grassley's news conference to unveil the Republicans' coronavirus aid package was disrupted-by his mobile phone. As he announced plans to slash the supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 to $200 at a news conference on Monday, July 27, Grassley was drowned out by the persistent ring of a mobile phone.

Turning to find out where the ringing was coming from, Grassley chuckled as an aide suggested the disruption was coming from his pocket. "You've got to be kidding...I'm embarrassed, I'm sorry," Grassley said after turning off the offending phone. Senate Republicans on Monday proposed a $1 trillion coronavirus aid package hammered out with the White House, paving the way for talks with Democrats on how to help Americans as expanded unemployment benefits for millions of workers expire this week.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell called the proposal a "starting point" focused on getting children back to school and employees back to work and protecting corporations from lawsuits, while slashing the expiring supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 a week by two-thirds. The plan sparked immediate opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats decried it as too limited compared to their $3 trillion proposal that passed the House of Representatives in May, and some Republicans called it too expensive.

Republicans want to reduce the expanded unemployment benefit from the current $600 per week, which expires on Friday, to $200, paid in addition to state unemployment benefits, and to extend the program for two months. After that, the benefit would switch to 70% of a worker's previous wages, to a maximum of $500 a week including state unemployment benefits.The supplemental benefit has been a financial lifeline for laid-off workers and a key support for consumer spending. The extra unemployment funds - exceeding the former wages of some workers - have been a sticking point for many Republicans, who say they encourage Americans to stay home rather than go back to work.

Democrats, in turn, have decried the Republican delay in writing more legislation as U.S. coronavirus cases passed the 4 million mark, a milestone for a pandemic that has killed roughly 150,000 people in the United States and thrown tens of millions out of work.