France sees no evidence linking COVID-19 to Wuhan lab

HECTOR RETAMAL / AFP

France has dismissed reports of any links between the new coronavirus and a research lab in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the pandemic started.

An official at French President Emmanuel Macron's office said there is no factual evidence to support the increasingly US-backed claims.

France has been forced to respond because in 2004, it signed an agreement with China to establish a research laboratory on infectious diseases in Wuhan.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said his government was trying to determine whether the virus came from the Wuhan lab, while Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Beijing 'to come clean' on what they know.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

More from International news

  • Israeli strikes kill 15 in Gaza, minister says no deal to halt attacks

    Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza for a second straight day on Sunday, killing at least 15 Palestinians, medics said, despite US President Donald Trump's announcement of a breakthrough in efforts to implement last year's Gaza ceasefire agreement.

  • Death toll from migrant rush into Ceuta rises to 72

    The death toll from Thursday's mass rush into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco reached at least 72 on Sunday as five more bodies were found along Ceuta's coast, officials said.

  • Ukrainian drones kill eight in Russia

    Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least eight people in Russian regions overnight and on Sunday, hitting targets including a warehouse belonging to Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer, regional officials said.

  • Two helicopters collide as Greece battles wildfires

    Two firefighting helicopters collided in Greece while helping to control a huge wildfire on Sunday that has destroyed more than 100 homes northwest of Athens, while a fresh blaze forced evacuations on the popular tourist island of Kefalonia..

News