Author: RT

Orban imposes 2-week lockdown, expects coronavirus peak in Hungary by July Hungary is imposing a two-week lockdown to slow the spread of the coronavirus epidemic. It is expected to peak in the country in June or July, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday. Citizens will be allowed to go to work, shop and take limited exercise outside during the lockdown, which starts on Saturday. However, they should keep distance from each other, Orban said on public radio. Restrictions would be enforced by police, he added. Hungary has recorded around 300 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths,  Reuters reported. Orban has said the actual number of cases is probably much higher. “Restrictions put in place so far have been efficient,” the PM said. “Hungarians reduced the magnitude of social con...

Indonesian volcano Mount Merapi spews massive ash in 2nd major eruption this month Indonesia’s most active volcano Mount Merapi erupted Friday, shooting a column of ash some 5,000 meters (16,000 feet) into the air in its second major eruption this month. Ash and sand covered areas several kilometers away from the peak of the rumbling crater near Indonesia’s cultural capital Yogyakarta. Authorities did not raise Merapi’s alert level. “There has been no reports of damage from the eruption. We urge people to stay calm and not panic,” national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said. Merapi erupted earlier this month, shooting a massive ash cloud some 6,000 meters in the air. That eruption coated Yogyakarta and neighboring city Solo with gray dust and forced an airport...

Vietnam aims to keep number of Covid-19 cases under 1,000 – govt Vietnam is aiming to keep the number of coronavirus cases in the country under 1,000, the government said. The statement came as the number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country passed 150 on Friday. “We have been able to contain epicenters, and even potential epicenters… and we are determined to keep the number of COVID-19 cases from reaching 1,000,” Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said. Vietnam will limit domestic flights and stop public gatherings for two weeks from Saturday in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Hanoi has moved to bar entry to all foreigners, suspend international flights and put tens of thousands of people under quarantine, Reuters said. Vietnam aims to kee...

Washington cancels major Philippines maneuvers The US military has canceled a large-scale exercise involving thousands of troops in the Philippines because of the coronavirus pandemic. The decision to scrap Balikatan 2020 was taken “in light of the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and in the best interest of the health and safety of both countries’ forces,” AFP quoted US Indo-Pacific Command chief Admiral Phil Davidson as saying. The war games, scheduled for May 4-15, would have involved more than 10,000 troops from the two long standing allies and a smaller contingent from Australia. The US troops who take part in Balikatan, or ‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ in Tagalog, usually come from bases in Japan and South Korea, which have reported coronavirus cases....

‘Enjoy cherry blossoms next year,’ Tokyo governor says as 40 new coronavirus cases reported Japan’s Tokyo prefecture reported 40 more coronavirus infections on Friday. Its governor appealed to people to wait until next year for traditional spring parties to view the flowering of cherry blossoms. Preventing a regional outbreak is a prerequisite for holding a successful Olympic Games, after the event was delayed until next year, Yuriko Koike told reporters. Should the Games be held next spring, she expressed hope of bringing back the Olympics marathon race to host city Tokyo. The marathon had to be relocated this year to Sapporo due to the hot weather. A surge in virus infections this week took Tokyo’s tally to 259 on Thursday, Reuters said. ‘Enjoy cherry blossoms next ...