Singapore, Singapore | AFP | Oil prices were down in Asian trade Monday after big gains last week on signs of a demand revival as some governments ease coronavirus lockdown measures. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was down 2.95 percent to $24.01 a barrel in morning trade. International benchmark Brent was changing hands at …
Read More »Division threatens Premier League’s chances of comeback
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Warring Premier League clubs will meet on Monday with tensions mounting over the divisive ‘Project Restart’ plan to finish the season amid the coronavirus crisis. Premier League chiefs hope to return to action in June, but that goal could be scuppered by an internal battle …
Read More »Over 10,000 coronavirus cases in South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in South Africa has topped 10,000, including 194 fatalities, Health Minister Zwelini Mkhize announced on Sunday. “As of today, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa is 10,015, the minister said in a statement. “We note with concern that the …
Read More »With prices down and jobs leaving, US oil workers learn patience
Carlsbad, United States | AFP | Wait for an upturn, or pick up stakes and look for work elsewhere? That’s the dilemma facing oil workers around Carlsbad in New Mexico, where a brutal drop in petroleum prices has hit the local economy hard. Many oil workers in the arid southwestern state …
Read More »Face masks and slippers: Museums preserve lockdown life
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Would you put your slippers on display? The global coronavirus pandemic is still raging but museums are already gathering testimony and objects to remember life under lockdown. “It’s such an extraordinary experience,” Beatrice Behlen, senior curator at the Museum of London, told AFP. “When we …
Read More »Magufuli the maverick strikes again
Tanzanian president throws spanner into COVID-19 testing | THE INDEPENDENT | For those who recall the #WhatWouldMagufuliDo hashtag on Twitter in 2015 and have been following Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli’s unorthodox methods since then, his recent sting on the country’s COVID-19 testing facilities is nothing unusual. But it is …
Read More »Herbal medicine for COVID-19
Is this hope or gloom for Africans? COVER STORY | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it encourages innovations in the search for potential treatments for the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) including repurposing drugs, traditional medicines, and developing new therapies. COVID-19, a newly identified strain of …
Read More »Gaethje dominates in UFC’s return as Trump congratulates promoters
Miami, United States | AFP | The Ultimate Fighting Championship Saturday became the first major American sporting event held since the US coronavirus outbreak, with President Donald Trump congratulating the promoter. The controversial card put the UFC in the spotlight like never before, but did not go off without a hitch …
Read More »Pandemic a major blow for Airbnb
Athens, Greece | AFP | At the foot of the Acropolis hill, in the touristic Koukaki district, the coronavirus lockdown has silenced the sound of Airbnb customers’ wheeled luggage. The tourist industry in Athens, as in many other European capitals, has ground to a halt, with planes grounded and restaurants, museums and archaeological …
Read More »Special effects and virtual guests: China weddings go online
Beijing, China | AFP | Like many couples in the era of social distancing, Ma Jialun and Zhang Yitong held their wedding ceremony online — but they added a twist by livestreaming the event to more than 100,000 strangers. Coronavirus lockdowns and travel restrictions have forced people around the world to …
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