Russia overtakes France, Germany in virus cases

MOSCOW: Russia’s coronavirus case tally surged to 177,160 on Thursday after a record daily rise in infections, meaning it now has the fifth highest number of registered cases in the world and more cases than in Germany or France. The number of new cases of the novel virus jumped by 11,231 in the last 24 hours, the country’s coronavirus taskforce said. Reuters

UN appeals for $6.7bn to fight virus in poor nations

United Nations: The United Nations announced on Thursday it is increasing its appeal to fight the coronavirus pandemic in fragile and vulnerable countries from $2 billion to $6.7 billion. UN humanitarian chief Mark Lowcock reiterated that the peak of the pandemic is not expected to hit the world’s poorest countries for three to six months. There is already evidence of incomes plummeting and jobs disappearing, food supplies falling and prices soaring, and children missing vaccinations and meals. PTI

Nepal extends nationwide lockdown till May 18

Kathmandu: The Nepal government has decided to extend the ongoing nationwide lockdown imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic, until May 18, while the suspension of domestic and international flights will continue till May 31. Minister of Communications and Information Technology Yubaraj Khatiwada said the government also decided to keep all border entry points shut till May 31. PTI

New York became ‘Grand Central Station’ for Covid

New York: The COVID-19 outbreak in New York became the primary source of infections around the US, with researchers saying the state acted like the “Grand Central Station” by carrying the virus across many directions. “New York acted as the Grand Central Station, with the opportunity to move from there in so many directions, to so many places,” said David Engelthaler, an expert. PTI