Washington, United States | AFP | US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said “enormous evidence” showed the new coronavirus originated in a lab in China, further fueling tensions with Beijing over its handling of the outbreak. Pompeo’s comments came as Europe and parts of the United States prepared to …
Read More »Trump relaunches campaign with vaccine promise, vision of ‘incredible’ future
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump relaunched his election campaign Sunday with a live television event inside the iconic Lincoln Memorial, promising an early coronavirus vaccine and urging Americans to put the pandemic behind them to embrace an “incredible” future. With the two-hour long Fox News “town hall,” …
Read More »Oil starts week on back foot as rally loses steam
Singapore, Singapore | AFP | Oil prices fell on Monday after strong gains last week, with continued concerns about oversupply and storage capacity due to a coronavirus-triggered demand shock overshadowing massive output cuts. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate fell about eight percent to trade at $18.19 a barrel. International benchmark Brent crude fell three percent …
Read More »Italy reports lowest toll since first day of lockdown – 174 dead
Rome, Italy | AFP | Italy reported 174 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, its lowest toll since 168 fatalities were registered when the country’s stay-at-home orders were imposed on March 10. The Mediterranean country’s toll on the eve of its first easing of lockdown measures on Monday officially stands at …
Read More »Trump to take pandemic victory lap in TV ‘town hall’
Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump will wrap himself in the mantle of America’s arguably greatest president with a television extravaganza Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial meant to leave the coronavirus crisis behind and relaunch his election campaign. The businessman Republican is doing poorly in most polls ahead of …
Read More »Spaniards flock outdoors as European countries ease lockdowns
Madrid, Spain | AFP | Spaniards took to the streets to jog, cycle and rollerskate for the first time following 48 days of confinement on Saturday as some European nations cautiously eased coronavirus lockdowns while Russia reported a sudden surge of infections. As governments weigh lifting restrictions to restart economies, US …
Read More »Bolshoi ballet soloists limber up in lockdown
Moscow, Russia | AFP | In the middle of their bedroom, Bolshoi ballet dancers Margarita Shrainer and Igor Tsvirko have placed a linoleum mat and a barre. Since the start of the lockdown, the couple, both soloists in the legendary troupe, have largely used their own initiative to keep up their …
Read More »Coronavirus sweeping through massive US prison population
Washington, United States | AFP | A massive wave of coronavirus infections is blasting through the world’s largest prison population in the United States even as officials begin opening up their economies, saying the disease has plateaued. One prison in Marion, Ohio has become the most intensely infected institution across the …
Read More »Las Vegas torn by virus as casinos clamor to reopen
Las Vegas, United States | AFP | A smattering of cars drove past the eerily quiet hotels and casinos, shuttered since mid-March, while a handful of tourists gathered by the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign to take photos. But beneath the quiet of the world-famous Strip, Sin City is in …
Read More »Hollywood artist tutors Arabic-speaking kids during pandemic
Los Angeles, United States | AFP | It was during a phone conversation with her sister back in Qatar that the idea clicked for Hollywood animation artist Reem Ali Adeeb. Like other regions across the world, young children in the Middle East were confined at home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, …
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