WUHAN, China, Feb 9 (Reuters) – The head of the World Health Organization-led team of experts investigating the origins of COVID-19, Peter Ben Embarek, said on Tuesday that it was “very unlikely” that a leak from a laboratory was the source of the outbreak.
During its investigation in the central Chinese city where the virus first emerged, the team visited the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the subject of a number of conspiracy theories that claim a lab leak caused the city’s outbreak.
(Reporting by Josh Horwitz in Wuhan and David Stanway in Shanghai Editing by Gareth Jones)
Photo – A researcher works in a lab of Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, 23 February 2017 (issued 16 April 2020). EPA-EFE/SHEPHERD HOU CHINA
2nd July 2026
Kyiv will observe a day of mourning on Friday after a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack killed at least 13 people and injured about 90 others, according to city officials.
...
2nd July 2026
Malta Public Transport will be organising special bus services for the BBC Concert taking place on 4th July 2026, at the Granaries in Floriana.
In order to provide a more convenient t...
2nd July 2026
Morning Briefing
Yorgen Fenech trial over Daphne Caruana Galizia murder begins
The long-awaited trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech over the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia ...
1st July 2026
Morning Briefing
Gozo’s fully electric bus fleet records 11% rise in passenger numbers
One month after the full electrification of Gozo’s public transport network, the island’s bus...
25th June 2026
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
2nd July 2026
Malta Public Transport will be organising special bus services for the BBC Concert taking place on 4th July 2026, at the Granaries in Floriana.
In order to provide a more convenient t...
1st July 2026
Developments in artificial intelligence are outpacing scientific understanding and government policy, meaning there are no guarantees the technology will not cause catastrophic harm, a...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
8th June 2026
The European Union has approved new rules aimed at tightening the screening of foreign investments in strategic sectors, marking a major shift in Europe’s approach towards economic secur...
2nd July 2026
Malta Public Transport will be organising special bus services for the BBC Concert taking place on 4th July 2026, at the Granaries in Floriana.
In order to provide a more convenient t...
30th June 2026
One month after Gozo’s public transport service has been fully electrified, Gozo’s bus service has recorded more than 332,000 passenger journeys across more than 16,220 trips, demonstrat...
18th June 2026
The U.S. and Iran released the text of an interim agreement their presidents have signed to end their war on Wednesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to resume attacks and...
15th June 2026
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Te...
25th June 2026
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
2nd July 2026
Kyiv will observe a day of mourning on Friday after a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack killed at least 13 people and injured about 90 others, according to city officials.
...
2nd July 2026
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy cut short his visit to Dublin on Wednesday, warning that the Kremlin would soon launch a new large-scale attack on Ukraine.
Zelenskyy was atten...