Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump sparked controversy Friday, calling it a “great day” for George Floyd, the man whose death in custody last week unleashed nationwide protests over police brutality against African Americans. “We all saw what happened last week. We can’t let that happen,” Trump said …
Read More »UN rights experts condemn modern-day ‘racial terror lynchings’
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Independent UN rights experts called Friday for systemic reform in the United States following the killings of George Floyd and other African Americans they said resembled “modern-day racial terror lynchings”. The group, who report to the world body, decried the spate of killings by police and …
Read More »‘No benefit’ from hydroxychloroquine for virus: UK trial
Paris, France | AFP | A major British trial of hydroxychloroquine has found it has “no benefit” for patients hospitalised with the coronavirus, researchers said Friday, announcing they had stopped tests of the drug. “We have concluded that there is no beneficial effect of hydroxychloroquine in patients hospitalised with COVID-19,” said a statement from the …
Read More »US shows surprising jobs recovery in May amid pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | The United States regained 2.5 million jobs in May and the unemployment rate dropped as coronavirus pandemic shutdowns began to ease, raising hopes the economy could recover from the crisis sooner than expected. The Labor Department report released Friday, which showed the jobless rate fall …
Read More »Putin tells metals giant to pay for full cleanup after Arctic spill
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday said he expected metals giant Norilsk Nickel to fully restore the environment after an unprecedented Arctic fuel spill, as responders said they had managed to stop the slick from spreading further. A national-level state of emergency was announced after 21,000 …
Read More »Virus stimulus can help combat climate crisis: central banks
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Massive financial stimulus in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic offers a “once in a lifetime” chance to insulate the global economy from the climate crisis, central bankers declared Friday. “This (COVID-19) crisis offers us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild our economy in order to withstand the next shock …
Read More »Trump says US ‘largely through’ coronavirus pandemic
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump asserted Friday that the United States has made it through the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, after new jobs numbers showed a surprising increase in employment. “We had the greatest economy in the history of the world. And that strength let us get through this horrible …
Read More »Generation Z: creative and committed, against the virus
Paris, France | AFP | With their art, technology know-how, creative social networking skills or political commitment, post-millennials, known as Generation Z, have found their own ways to help others through the coronavirus lockdown. From Colombia to Senegal, Malaysia to North Macedonia, AFP talked to a group of 15- to 24-year-olds, …
Read More »In Haiti, disbelief and rumors lead to virus deaths
Cité Soleil, Haiti | AFP | On paper, Haiti so far has everything it needs to battle the coronavirus crisis — unoccupied hospital beds, medical staff and supplies. But in reality, the population’s skepticism about whether the contagion even exists has led to a quickly mounting death toll. “The illness is …
Read More »Tax the rich? Post-pandemic recovery idea finds favour in UK
London, United Kingdom | AFP | In billionaire-friendly Britain, where the global coronavirus outbreak has hit hard, the idea of making the wealthiest pay more tax to help economic recovery is gaining ground. Mass unemployment, bankruptcies and other potential shocks could hit the richest but supporters of tax reform say they …
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