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Antarctic island hits record temperature of 20.75C
Antarctica has exceeded 20C for the first time, after researchers logged a temperature of 20.75C on an island off the coast of the continent.
Brazilian scientist Carlos Schaefer told AFP they had "never seen a temperature this high in Antarctica".
But he warned the temperature, logged on 9 February, was just one reading and not part of a long-term data set.
The continent also hit a record... |
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Coronavirus: Singapore bank evacuated after worker falls ill
Around 300 employees have been evacuated from Singapore's biggest bank, DBS, after one person fell ill with the new coronavirus.
All 300 had been working on the same floor, the 43rd, and were sent home on Wednesday.
Singapore had previously reported 47 cases of the new virus - one of the highest tallies outside China.
The overall number of infections is more than 44,000 on mainland China,... |
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Irish general election: Polls open for first-ever Saturday general election vote
Voters are going to the polls in the Republic of Ireland's general election.
Polls opened at 07:00 local time and will close at 22:00.
Counting will begin on Sunday in all 39 constituencies. Newly elected TDs will gather on 20 February for the 33rd Dáil (Irish parliament).
A total of 160 representatives will be returned to the Dáil. The ceann comhairle, or speaker, is automatically re-ele... |
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Li Wenliang: Death of Wuhan doctor sparks outpouring of anger
The death of a Chinese doctor who tried to warn about the coronavirus outbreak has sparked an unprecedented level of public anger and grief in China.
Li Wenliang died after contracting the virus while treating patients in Wuhan.
Last December he sent a message to fellow medics warning of a virus he thought looked like Sars - another deadly coronavrius.
But he was told by police to "stop m... |
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Swiss humanitarian channel to Iran launches with medical shipments
A new Swiss payment mechanism has launched which allows humanitarian aid to be sent to Iran without falling foul of US sanctions.
Cancer and transplant patients are the first to have benefited.
The US said the channel was subject to "strict due diligence measures to avoid misuse by the Iranian regime".
Humanitarian supplies are exempt from the US sanctions, but the measures have deterred ... |
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Trump Middle East plan: Palestinians reject 'conspiracy'
Palestinians have dismissed US President Donald Trump's new Middle East peace plan as a "conspiracy".
The plan envisages a Palestinian state and the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements.
Mr Trump said Jerusalem would remain Israel's "undivided" capital, but the Palestinian capital would "include areas of East Jerusalem".
Reacting to Tuesday's announcement, Palesti... |
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Coronavirus: Death toll rises to 81 as China extends holiday
The number of people killed in China by the coronavirus has risen to 81, with almost 3,000 confirmed ill.
The national new year holiday has been extended by three days to Sunday, in an attempt to contain the spread.
On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province and centre of the outbreak.
The number of deaths in Hubei province has climbed from 56 to 76... |
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China coronavirus: Death toll rises as more cities shut down
China has widened a lockdown in Hubei province - the centre of the coronavirus outbreak - as the death toll climbed to 26.
The travel restrictions will affect at least 20 million people across 10 cities, including the capital Wuhan, where the virus emerged.
On Thursday, a coronavirus patient died in nearby Hebei province - making it the first death outside Hubei.
Another death was later c... |
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Coronavirus: Chinese officials advise against travel to Wuhan
Chinese authorities have urged people to stop travelling in and out of Wuhan, the city at the centre of a new virus outbreak that has killed nine.
Those living in the city of 8.9 million people have also been told to avoid crowds and minimise public gatherings.
The new virus has spread from Wuhan to several Chinese provinces, as well as the US, Thailand and South Korea.
There are 440 conf... |
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New China virus: Number of cases jumps as virus spreads to new cities
China has reported 139 new cases of a mysterious virus in two days, with the outbreak spreading from Wuhan to other major Chinese cities.
Beijing, the capital, reported two cases, while the southern tech hub of Shenzhen reported one case.
The total number of confirmed cases now exceeds 200, and three have died from the respiratory illness.
The sharp uptick in those infected comes as milli... |
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