India has seen another record daily rise in coronavirus infections, as 18 people died in a fire on a COVID-19 hospital ward. A further 401,993 cases of coronavirus were reported in the country on Saturday, the first time the 400,000 mark has been surpassed. And 3,523 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, taking
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The first funerals have been taking place for victims of a stampede disaster at a crowded religious festival in northern Israel. At least 45 people were crushed to death during the Lag B’Omer event on the slopes of Mount Meron, where annual commemorations include all-night prayers, singing and dancing. Devastated families have been identifying their
At least 44 people have died after a stampede at a religious festival in Israel resulted in a crush. More than 100 have been injured at the Lag B’Omer celebrations in Mount Meron, northern Israel. The national ambulance service told Sky News that “scores” of people have died, with the death toll continuing to rise.
At least 28 people have been killed after a “disastrous” crush at a religious bonfire festival in Israel. The country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has described the incident as a “heavy disaster”, adding: “We are all praying for the wellbeing of the casualties.” Dozens of people were hurt at the Lag Ba’Omer event in northern
Some lockdown restrictions in Ireland are to be lifted in the coming weeks, the country’s prime minister has said. Micheál Martin declared that “hope is returning” as he made the announcement in a TV address to the nation. From 10 May: • Hairdressers, barbers, beauticians will be able to reopen, and people will be able
Russian and Chinese media are trying to sow mistrust in western COVID-19 vaccines, according to a European report. The report says that between December and April, the two countries’ state media outlets published fake news online in a number of languages. They sensationalised vaccine safety concerns, publicised unfounded links between vaccines and deaths in Europe,
China is “preparing for its final military assault” on Taiwan, the island’s foreign minister has told Sky News, as he vowed to “defend ourselves to the very end”. In an exclusive interview, Joseph Wu said that China had “been conducting misinformation campaigns, hybrid warfare, and recently they have increased their grey zone activities against Taiwan“.
The number of people who have died with coronavirus in India has passed 200,000. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare gave an updated official figure of 201,187, although many believe the real figure is much higher. This means there were 3,293 deaths reported in the most recent 24-hour period, as the world’s second-largest country
A major new report by Human Rights Watch has concluded that Israel is presiding over a system of apartheid in the Palestinian Territories which amount to “crimes against humanity”. The controversial 213-page document, produced over two years and titled A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution, accuses Israel of methodically
India’s hospitals are already full to bursting, but doctors in Delhi are warning there could be even worse to come. Hard to imagine just how much worse it could get when the country’s citizens are begging in the street for air; people are collapsing and dying on hospital doorsteps and administrators are saying oxygen is
The European Commission has launched legal action against AstraZeneca for not respecting a contract for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines. The commission’s spokesperson confirmed that it started legal proceedings against AstraZeneca on 23 April, in a move that has been backed by all 27 EU states. Stefan De Keersmaecker said the legal action was launched
The frantic hunt for oxygen is an ugly one at the epicentre of the world’s coronavirus pandemic. There’s shouting. There’s pleading. There’s crying. And there’s death. Dozens of vehicles were crammed into a narrow road outside a Sikh temple in the east of the Indian capital, New Delhi. Image: The situation in the Indian capital
Ventilators are among 600 pieces of life-saving medical equipment being sent from the UK to India as the country battles a surge in COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to “stand side by side” with India as it struggles with its highest numbers of new daily coronavirus cases to date since the pandemic
The heat is intense. The grief is palpable. Fires just do not stop burning in the Indian capital, Delhi, right now. The coronavirus dead are piled up in vehicles and ambulances and rickshaws – as India continues to set daily global records for new infections. Image: An crematorium in Delhi cremating people who have died
The oxygen supply for the 53 crew members of an Indonesian navy submarine missing in waters off Bali is believed to have run out, with no sign of the vessel. Rescue teams from several countries have been battling against time to find the KRI Nanggala 402 which went missing during a training exercise in waters
People were dying on the pavement outside one of the biggest hospitals in the Indian capital, Delhi, as doctors struggled to cope with the country’s dwindling supplies of oxygen amid a massive second surge in coronavirus cases. India is now the world’s fastest-growing coronavirus crisis and for the second day running it set a record