Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT & AFP | Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization who has been criticised by the US for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, warned for years that countries were not prepared in case one broke out. The most shocking outbreak at …
Read More »The Wuhan lab at the core of a virus controversy
Wuhan, China | AFP | Nestled in the hilly outskirts of the city at the heart of the coronavirus crisis, a Chinese high-security biosafety laboratory is now the subject of US claims it may be the cradle of the pandemic. Chinese scientists have said the virus likely jumped from an animal …
Read More »Republicans urge Trump to demand WHO chief quits
Washington, United States | AFP | Congressional Republicans on Thursday urged President Donald Trump to condition US funding for the World Health Organization on the resignation of its chief over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Seventeen Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said they had “lost faith” in …
Read More »WHO: This is a time for all to be united, not divided
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP & WHO | The World Health Organization said Wednesday it was reviewing what impact the US decision to halt funding would have, and said it was looking to others to help fill financial “gaps”. “WHO is reviewing the impact on our work of any withdrawal of US …
Read More »Obama endorses Biden for president to ‘heal’ America
Washington, United States | AFP | Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden’s White House bid on Tuesday, saying his longtime vice president can unify and “heal” a nation struggling through some of its darkest moments. The formal backing by perhaps the most popular politician in America is the latest boost for Biden’s …
Read More »Trump suspends WHO funding over COVID-19
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump announced Tuesday a suspension of US funding to the World Health Organization because he said it had covered up the seriousness of the COVID-19 outbreak in China before it spread around the world. Trump told a press conference he was …
Read More »Trump proposes dividing US by coronavirus risk levels
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump, keen for an early lifting of economically costly social distancing measures against the coronavirus, said Thursday he would propose dividing the United States by risk levels. In a letter to state governors released by the White House, Trump said that better testing now allows the mapping …
Read More »Coronavirus, reelection squeeze Trump from two sides
Washington, United States | AFP | Under pressure on one side from an economy cratered by coronavirus and on the other by his crumbling reelection campaign, President Donald Trump is struggling to deliver Americans a clear message. After having finally gone all in on the strategy of social distancing to halt …
Read More »US fast-tracking antimalarials to treat coronavirus: Trump
Washington, United States | AFP | The US is fast-tracking antimalarial drugs for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump said Thursday, following encouraging early results in France and China. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have not been given a formal green light in the US to fight the …
Read More »2020: It’s Trump vs Biden… vs coronavirus
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump is increasingly sure Joe Biden will be his Democratic challenger, but coronavirus is already the more dangerous opponent — sending his campaign reeling and throwing the entire contest into uncertainty. Just over a couple weeks ago, Trump was sitting pretty, at least …
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