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world news Diahuebs 15 OctOber 2020

Iran virus death toll hits record high, 3rd time in a week

(AP) — For the third to prevent the spread of the mass deaths, told state TV on
time in a week, Iran on virus. Kianoush Jahanpour, a Wednesday that the country’s
Wednesday marked its Health Ministry spokesman, true death toll is about dou-
highest single-day record told state TV that the trav- ble the reported figures.
for new deaths and infec- el ban aims to reduce risks The death tolls released by
tions from the coronavi- ahead of a religious holiday the Health Ministry are based
rus, with 279 people killed on Saturday. Iran’s weekend on those who had tested pos-
and 4,830 new cases. is Thursdays and Fridays. itive, he said. Harirchi added
that there are large numbers
A Health Ministry spokes- Under the plan, police will of patients in hospitals be-
woman, Sima Sadat Lari, stop vehicles from entering ing treated as COVID-19
made the announcement as the five cities if their license cases but who had not been
Iran, with a population of plates do not match the city tested, whose tests came out
more than 83 million, strug- they're entering. Many Irani- as false negatives or whose
gles with the worst outbreak ans travel to Mashhad, some symptoms are not the same
in the Middle East. Since the 900 kilometers (560 miles) as those listed by the World
first cases of the virus were northeast of Tehran, to visit Health Organization and
announced in February, the the tomb of Imam Reza, who are therefore not count- international travelers. While around 3,000-4,000 per day
country has had more than Iran’s holiest Shiite site. ed in the official numbers. coming amid an aggressive from a late summer peak of
513,000 confirmed cases and The coronavirus has also testing campaign, the upward 5,000. But actual numbers
over 29,300 deaths. spread to some of the highest Also Wednesday, the United trend has raised fears that au- might be higher, doctors in
levels of Iran's government, Arab Emirates reported a re- thorities could reinstate lock- Baghdad and Iraq’s south
In recent weeks, Iran has which includes many older cord number of coronavirus downs in parts of the country said, as patients showing mild
seen daily death tolls spike men. Among those recently cases for the second consecu- that rely heavily on tourism. to moderate virus symptoms
to their highest-ever levels, infected is the head of the tive day, with 1,431 new in- Meanwhile in Iraq, coronavi- often stay at home and do not
sparking increasing concern country’s atomic energy or- fections. The caseload brings rus-related deaths surpassed get tested for COVID-19.
even as government officials ganization while Iran's vice the total number in the coun- 10,000 from among more
continue to resist a total lock- president in charge of budget try to over 110,000, including than 347,000 confirmed cas- “The case numbers are much
down for fear of cratering the and planning tested positive 450 fatalities. es, according to government higher than what is known
economy, which has been on Sunday. Recorded infections have figures on Wednesday. The because a lot of people, when
hard-hit by U.S. sanctions. soared again over recent country has been grappling they show symptoms of CO-
On Wednesday, Iran an- Deputy Health Minister weeks, as authorities have with a surge in cases in recent VID-19, they quarantine
nounced a travel ban to and Iraj Harirchi, who had test- relaxed restrictions and re- months, jumping two-fold themselves in their homes
from five major cities, in- ed positive for the virus in opened schools. Dubai, the since August. without making the test,”
cluding the capital of Tehran March after playing down its region’s business hub, re- Daily virus cases have dipped said Qassem Jawad, a doctor
and the holy city of Mashhad, threat and refuting reports of cently reopened its airport for some in Iraq, averaging in Missan, in southern Iraq.

Top Russian diplomat skeptical about nuclear pact extension

(AP) — Russia's top rov said that Russia can't ac- on the basis of an ultimatum Associated Press Friday that Washington withdrew from
diplomat voiced doubt cept the conditions put for- they put forward that fully U.S. and Russian negotia- the 1987 Intermediate-range
Wednesday that Moscow ward by the United States ignores the principles which tors have agreed in principle Nuclear Forces Treaty last
and Washington could for the extension of the New were acknowledged as the to continue freezing their year, the New START is the
negotiate an extension START treaty. “I personally basis for all our agreements nuclear warhead stockpiles only remaining nuclear arms
of their last arms control don't see the prospect,” Lav- for decades." in a bid to salvage the New control deal between the
pact still standing, even as rov snapped when asked if START. The person, who two countries. Russia has of-
the United States offered the extension is possible be- Lavrov's pessimistic view was not authorized to discuss fered its extension without
a more optimistic view. fore the pact expires in Feb- contrasted with the state- the negotiations publicly and any conditions, while the
ruary. “We will never say that ments from U.S. diplomats, spoke on condition of ano- Trump administration has
Speaking in an interview with we will shut the door and cut who said that Moscow and nymity, said it’s not yet clear pushed for a new arms con-
several Russian news outlets, all contacts. But we explain Washington were close to a if the agreement for a freeze trol agreement that would
Foreign Minister Sergey Lav- that it's impossible to talk deal. will succeed or translate into also include China. Moscow
“We would welcome the op- an extension of the pact. has described that idea as un-
portunity to complete an feasible, pointing at Beijing’s
agreement based on under- If it works, the person said refusal to negotiate any deal
standings that were achieved an agreement could be an- that would reduce its much
over the last couple weeks nounced before the Nov. 3 smaller nuclear arsenal.
about what the range of pos- presidential election with an
sibilities look like for an ex- eye toward extending the ac- Lavrov specified Wednes-
tension of New START and cord and eventually bring- day that Russia can’t accept
an outcome that benefits the ing China into it, a longtime the U.S. proposal to limit
entire world, increased sta- demand by President Don- battlefield nuclear weapons
bility of the most dangerous ald Trump's administration. alongside nuclear warheads
weapons in the world,” U.S. The New START treaty was that arm strategic missiles
Secretary of State Mike Pom- signed in 2010 by U.S. Presi- and bombers until the U.S.
peo said Wednesday. dent Barack Obama and then agrees to withdraw its tactical
Russian President Dmitry nuclear weapons from Eu-
Pompeo said that “I am hope- Medvedev. The pact limits rope.
ful that the Russians will find each country to no more than He also noted that Mos-
a way to agree to an outcome 1,550 deployed nuclear war- cow wouldn't agree to the
that, frankly, I think is in their heads and 700 deployed mis- U.S. demand to have intru-
best interest and in our best siles and bombers, and envis- sive verification measures
interest,” voicing hope that ages sweeping on-site inspec- like those that existed in the
China will eventually join tions to verify compliance. 1990s when inspectors were
the talks too. A person famil- positioned at missile facto-
iar with the talks told The After both Moscow and ries.