WHO: World coronavirus cases fall 24%; deaths rise in Asia

LONDON (AP) — New coronavirus cases reported globally in the last week dropped by nearly a quarter while deaths fell by 6%. That’s according to the latest report on the pandemic released Thursday by the World Health Organization. The U.N. health agency reported 5.4 million new COVID-19 cases last week, a decline of 24% from the previous week. Infections fell everywhere in the world, including by nearly 40% in Africa and Europe and by a third in the Middle East. Still, the number of COVID deaths rose in the Western Pacific by 31% and in Southeast Asia by 12%  while falling or remaining stable everywhere else.