London, United Kingdom | AFP | Premier League players are set to be subjected to a strict testing regime if they are to return to training amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to British media reports. The BBC said Tuesday it had seen a copy of official protocols sent to all 20 …
Read More »Rocky road ahead for ‘sharing economy’ platforms amid pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | “Sharing economy” firms like Uber and Airbnb were seeing surging growth and predictions they would reshape several economic sectors. Then the pandemic hit. These companies are now bleeding more cash than ever, shedding workers and scaling back expectations for profitability amid heightened uncertainty about consumer trends …
Read More »With little competition, the Bundesliga goes global
Paris, France | AFP | German football will find itself in an unaccustomed global spotlight this weekend as audiences starved of live football turn to the only major European league back in action. With the Premier League, Spain’s La Liga and Serie A in Italy all still sidelined by the coronavirus …
Read More »As countries begin reopening, US virus expert warns of dangers
Washington, United States | AFP | France began reopening schools on Tuesday and Russia and India started getting back to work as the top US infectious disease expert warned that relaxing coronavirus lockdowns too quickly could have serious consequences. Government immunologist Anthony Fauci’s stark words fed concerns that even a cautious …
Read More »Coronavirus shuts down Africa’s tourist industry
Africa’s hotels, tour operators and airlines are all reeling from the impact of coronavirus. The African Business Magazine’s Liam Taylor surveys the situation The Serena Hotel in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, is a luxurious complex of conference facilities, fine dining spaces and landscaped gardens. In normal times Geoffrey Ssejongo, a waiter, would be …
Read More »New resolution on pandemic truce presented to UN Security Council
United Nations, United States | AFP | Germany and Estonia submitted Tuesday a resolution to the UN Security Council on a ceasefire in various conflicts around the world during the coronavirus pandemic, to replace one drafted by France and Tunisia that the United States has blocked. Encompassing five major points — …
Read More »Multinationals in the time of virus: who wins, who loses
Milan, Italy | AFP | The coronavirus pandemic, set to provoke a severe global recession this year, is hitting multinational companies disproportionately. Here is a list of winners and losers, according to a study published on Tuesday from the research unit of Italian bank Mediobanca, based on results from the first quarter of 2020. THE …
Read More »At odds with Trump, top expert says dangerous to reopen too fast
Washington, United States | AFP | The US government’s top infectious disease expert warned Congress Tuesday that ending lockdowns too quickly could bring “really serious” consequences including new outbreaks of coronavirus just as the country tries to overcome the pandemic. In his first appearance on Capitol Hill in two months, …
Read More »Premier League braced for TV losses as player protests mount
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Premier League clubs face having to pay a huge refund to broadcasters even if they manage to complete the coronavirus-disrupted season behind closed doors. Broadcasters would be reimbursed for matches not being played as scheduled and the lack of atmosphere in empty stadiums is also …
Read More »Smokers, industry fuming over S. Africa’s U-turn on tobacco sales
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | South African smokers rejoiced last month as President Cyril Ramaphosa lifted a ban on tobacco sales imposed as part of draconian measures to fight the coronavirus pandemic. But less than a week later, one of his cabinet ministers reversed the decision for “health-related” reasons — …
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