Chris eubanks

New Zealand on Sunday reported three new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, the country’s first since late January, when a returned traveller tested positive after leaving quarantine. New Zealand’s minister for COVID-19 response, Chris Hipkins, said the three cases were a couple and their daughter in Auckland, and that genomic testing was being conducted to see if the family’s infection was linked to any highly infectious variants. The new cases, the first since Jan. 24, forced Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to return to the capital Wellington, skipping a gay pride event in Auckland that she was due to attend on Sunday afternoon. “Our system has swung into action,” Hipkins told a hastily called media conference. “We are gathering all of the facts as quickly as we can. And the system that’s served us so well in the past is really gearing up to do so again.” New Zealand - which had gone more than two months without infection before the January case - is to start inoculating its 5 million people against the new coronavirus on Feb. 20, after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine earlier than anticipated. The country remains on alert level 1 for COVID-19, its lowest level, with no restrictions. “No further consideration of change to alert levels has been taken at this point. We will collect more information before we would make any such decision,” Hipkins said. Health authorities are still working to find out how the family contracted the virus and “whether COVID-19 could be out there in the community ... or whether this is the start of what could be a chain of transmission,” he said. As a precaution, the high school of the girl in the family will be closed on Monday and Tuesday, with COVID-19 testing facilities to be set up there, officials said. Airlines have also been contacted, as the woman in the infected family works for an airline catering company, LSG Sky Chefs, where she mostly works in the laundry facilities, they said. …

[Read more...] about New Zealand reports three new COVID-19 local cases, first since January

Man City survive huge FA Cup scare, Arsenal crash out (photo: youtube/ FPT Bong Da) Six-time winners City were minutes away from exiting at the fourth-round stage before goals from Phil Foden, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres broke the hearts of the brave League Two side. City boss Pep Guardiola made 10 changes for the trip to the southwest of England but his side was still packed with internationals. The home team -- 72 places below City in the football pyramid -- produced a stirring defensive display but also sporadically threatened at the other end of the pitch. Jesus hit the post shortly after the restart as City upped the tempo following a goalless first half but it was the home team who broke the deadlock. The visitors failed to deal with the outstanding Ben Tozer's long throw and Alfie May fired in from close range just before the hour mark. Guardiola threw on Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo in a desperate bid to find a way back into the game and was rewarded in the 81st minute when Foden volleyed in Cancelo's cross. Three minutes later Jesus made amends for his earlier miss and Torres made it 3-1 with the final kick of the game, turning in Gundogan's low cross. "We came here with humility and had the quality to make the difference," said Guardiola. "They used their quality in the box, they are taller and better than us there and we showed clips on how to solve it. It is difficult to control that." The Catalan had warm words for Foden, who is the club's top-scorer in all competitions this season. "Phil Foden is in a great moment and with great confidence," he added. "He is clinical in front of goal." Cheltenham boss Michael Duff said he was "super proud" of his players, bemoaning the fact the match had to be played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus pandemic. "It's a shame because (with fans) the place would've been bouncing," he said. "Would that have seen us through in the last 10 minutes? I'm not so sure -- but the …

[Read more...] about Man City survive huge FA Cup scare, Arsenal crash out

The Hanoitimes - Some Vietnam-themed beautiful photos have won high prizes at the “Travel Photographer of the Year 2020” contest. The global outreach of the awards – about to embark on their 19th year - is evidenced by the fact that almost 25,000 images were submitted from photographers in 147 countries, with Vladimir Alekseev becoming first-ever Russian overall winner of the contest. The photographer had captured the lightning sky in Russia's Tver region. The photo of award-winning photographer Vladimir Alekseev. Chris Coe – founder of the “Travel Photographer of the Year 2020” said: “Travel photography in a global pandemic, with numerous travels bans, has been challenging to say the least, but travel photographers are a resourceful breed, as the latest set of winning images is a testament to. These winners are spectacular in their beauty, range, drama, elegance and, in some cases, poignancy. In tough times they will bring a warmth and joy to many and confirm that there is skill, insight, vision and art in travel photography.” Notably, a few beautiful photos that won this year's award were taken in Vietnam, by both Vietnamese and foreign photographers. Photographer Paul Sansome won the “Best Single Image” in Travel Folio with a photo entitled “Green Energy” capturing a local man drove his motorbike in a Hanoi’s street. The photo entitled "Green Energy" by U.K photographer Paul Sansome. “I had to exercise extreme patience to achieve this shot at a very busy junction in Hanoi where traffic from left, right and behind me would constantly block the desired image I spent an hour before, as I had hoped, just a single bike drove past part of the world’s longest mosaic mural producing an image that I call “Green Energy,” the photographer shared his experience. Some photos shot in Vietnam are highly appreciated at the photography awards, including: The photo of a fisherman throwing a fishing net by Hoai Nguyen Phuoc is …

[Read more...] about The beauty of Vietnamese landscape and people are honored in Travel Photographer Awards