KUALA LUMPUR -- In an interview with Xinhua on Thursday, Malaysian virologist and infectious disease expert Lam Sai Kit said all signs point to a natural origin of the virus, singling out the claim that the virus had been genetically engineered by a biosafety laboratory in the central Chinese city of Wuhan as being patently false.

"This Wuhan lab has been doing some excellent research work with international organizations outside of China, including American researchers," said Lam who has joined over a dozen of scientists around the world to issue a statement published this week on the website of medical journal The Lancet, in support of the scientists, public health professionals and medical professionals of China combating the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

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NEW YORK -- China's economy will bounce back once the novel coronavirus epidemic is contained, Robert Kuhn, chairman of the Kuhn Foundation, told Xinhua via email on Wednesday.

"One need not be an economist to forecast that, once the novel coronavirus is contained, there will be 'snap back' or a 'make up' period of strong growth driven by pent-up demand," said the leading U.S. expert on China.

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GENEVA -- The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that preliminary results from clinical trials of therapeutics against COVID-19 are expected in three weeks.

"We're also looking forward to results from two clinical trials of therapeutics prioritized by the WHO R&D Blueprint," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a daily briefing.

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CAPE TOWN -- South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the African Union (AU) chair, welcomed on Thursday an agreement between conflicting parties in South Sudan to form a coalition government on Feb. 22.

"Today's breakthrough in Juba, South Sudan is a major step in our collective efforts to silence guns in Africa," said Ramaphosa. Enditem

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