Coronavirus: latest global developments
Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis.
The pandemic has killed 355,736 people worldwide since it surfaced in China late last year, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT on Thursday, based on official sources.
With 175,011 deaths, Europe is the hardest-hit continent.
The United States has recorded the most deaths of any country, with 100,442 fatalities. It is followed by Britain with 37,460, Italy with 33,072, France with 28,596 and Spain with 27,118.
In new virus hotspot Latin America, Brazil has now surpassed 25,000 fatalities.
There have been more than 5,705,890 officially recorded cases in 196 countries and territories.
- Second wave ripples in South Korea -
South Korea re-imposes a series of social distancing measures it had eased early this month, as several clusters emerge mostly centred around the Seoul metropolitan area.
Museums, parks and art galleries will close again from Friday for two weeks, the health ministry says, while companies are urged to re-introduce flexible working and other measures.
- Sri Lanka locks down again -
Sri Lanka will reimpose selective lockdown measures from Sunday to restrict large gatherings after recording its biggest daily surge in infections, mostly found in citizens repatriated last week from Kuwait.
- Nissan in crisis -
Japanese automaker Nissan reports a huge $6.2-billion annual net loss and announces it will shut its Barcelona plant and slash production.
- EasyJet slashes jobs -
British no-frills airline EasyJet says it will axe up to 4,500 jobs, or almost one third of its staff.
- 'Minor' breach, major scandal -
UK police close the case into Prime Minister Boris Johnson's top aide Dominic Cummings, concluding he committed a "minor" breach by driving to a beauty spot at the height of the lockdown.
Following the verdict, Johnson's office says the prime minister considers the case closed and "has said he believes Mr. Cummings behaved reasonably and legally given all the circumstances".
- EU calls for health boost -
The EU is asking member states to approve nine billion euros ($9.9 billion) in new health spending as part of the bloc's ambitious recovery plan, a top official says.
