WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | The US economy is showing “encouraging signs” and there’s no need for another spending package to combat the downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a White House advisor said on Monday. “If the economy recovers slower than we expect, then it’s possible we’ll have to put some more cash …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israel’s new foreign minister said Monday that US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace proposal offered an “historic opportunity” but that regional peace deals must be maintained during its implementation. Gabi Ashkenazi, who became the Jewish state’s top diplomat when a new unity government was sworn …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | China supports an “comprehensive evaluation” of the global response to the coronavirus pandemic after it “has been brought under control”, President Xi Jinping told the World Health Assembly on Monday. Xi told the virtual meeting via video that China has “always had an open, transparent and responsible attitude”, and had …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Monday the growth in new coronavirus cases had been stopped as Russia reported under 9,000 infections for the first time since the beginning of the month. With more than 290,000 cases as of Monday, Russia has recorded the world’s largest number …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The coronavirus pandemic should serve as a “wake-up call” to the world which must be more united in responding to the crisis, UN chief Antonio Guterres said Monday. The secretary-general said COVID-19 was the “greatest challenge of our age” and had demonstrated the world’s fragility, as …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | China would make any coronavirus vaccine it developed a “global public good” once it was put into use, President Xi Jinping told the World Health Assembly on Monday. China has five potential vaccines in clinical trials as countries race to find a way to stop the …

Shenzhen, China | AFP | Chinese technology giant Huawei on Monday assailed the latest US move to cut it off from semiconductor suppliers as a “pernicious” attack that will sow chaos in the global technology sector and other industries. The Commerce Department said on Friday it was tightening sanctions on Huawei — seen by Washington …

Rome, Italy | AFP | Restaurants and churches will reopen in Italy on Monday as part of a fresh wave of lockdown easing in Europe, but rising coronavirus death tolls in Brazil, South Africa and other parts of the world showed the worst is still to come in many countries. The …

Hong Kong, China | AFP |  Stock markets rose Monday as a further easing of lockdowns around the world offset another round of data highlighting the sharp economic pain being inflicted by the virus. Traders also looked past a warning from the head of the Federal Reserve that a full recovery …

Puebla, Mexico | AFP | Scores of Mexicans are dying from drinking adulterated liquor, a consequence of the shortage of mainstream alcoholic beverages during the coronavirus pandemic, authorities say. The first of at least 138 deaths in recent weeks occurred at the end of April in the western state of Jalisco, …