Global coronavirus death toll passes 90,000 – latest updates

The novel coronavirus has infected more than 1.5 million people and killed over 90,000 worldwide. Here are the latest updates for April 9:

EU mulls more Syria sanctions after chemical ruling

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons for the first time explicitly blamed the Syrian regime for chemical attacks using sarin and chlorine in 2017.

US-Russian crew blasts off for International Space Station

NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Roscosmos’ Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner lifted off as scheduled from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Greece must tackle cramped, unruly prisons – rights body

The country had taken "some positive measures" following a 2015 investigation, the Council of Europe said, but a delegation that visited last year found that degrading treatment of prisoners by police remained a "frequent practice throughout Greece".

How the epidemic became a pandemic

Yes, Covid-19 originates in China, but it’s globalisation that took the virus on a world tour.

WHO urges global coronavirus unity after Trump attack

The UN's health agency has faced criticism in the past both for overreacting and for moving too slowly in fighting epidemics, but it has rarely faced as much scrutiny as with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Northern Irish driver pleads guilty over 39 Vietnamese truck deaths

The victims, 31 men and boys and eight women whose ages ranged from 15 to 44, were discovered in October in a container at the back of a truck driven by Robinson to an industrial estate in Grays in Essex.

Covid-19 cases top 1.5 million worldwide – latest updates

The virus has infected more than 1,5 million people and killed over 88,000 by spreading to 209 countries and territories. Here are the latest updates for April 8:

Syrian regime air force behind chemical attacks, OPCW team finds

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)'s investigation team, the formation of which was opposed by Moscow and Damascus, said more than 100 people were affected by the attacks, carried out in March 2017.

Over 148,000 asylum seekers entered Greece – Turkish defence minister

Turkey's National Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said 148,763 people have crossed the [Greek] border since February 28 and also noted Turkish and Russian forces stationed in Syria conducted their third joint patrol.

Germany launches smartwatch app to monitor coronavirus spread

The Corona-Datenspende app gathers vital signs from volunteers wearing smartwatches or fitness trackers – including pulse, temperature and sleep – to analyse whether they are symptomatic of the flu-like illness.

UK PM Johnson spends second night in intensive care

Boris Johnson was admitted to intensive care on Monday evening after spending Sunday night in hospital following concerns he still had a cough and high temperature 10 days after being diagnosed with Covid-19.