Beijing, China | AFP | Beijing has urged the United States to stop the “unreasonable suppression of Huawei and Chinese enterprises” after Washington announced new export controls to restrict the tech giant’s access to semiconductor technology. The latest restrictions on the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer, which is at the centre of US spying allegations, are …
Read More »Bundesliga defies COVID-19, no shaking hands
All eyes on Germany as Bundesliga football returns Berlin, Germany | AFP | The Bundesliga returns to action on Saturday with the resumption of the first top European league since the coronavirus lockdown watched closely to see if it provides a blueprint for other competitions. Matches will be played behind …
Read More »Alarm in Germany as ‘corona demos’ take off
Berlin, Germany | AFP | From anger over lockdown measures to a purported vaccine plan by Bill Gates: a growing wave of demonstrations in Germany by conspiracy theorists, extremists and anti-vaxxers has alarmed even Chancellor Angela Merkel. Initially starting as a handful of protesters decrying tough restrictions on public life to …
Read More »US-China war of words clouds WHO meet focused on pandemic
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | As the World Health Organization prepares to host its main annual meeting next week, fears abound that US-China tensions could hamper the strong action needed to address the COVID-19 crisis. The UN health agency, which for months has been consumed by the towering task of trying …
Read More »Ukraine workers skirt lockdowns to rescue European farms
Kiev, Ukraine | AFP | In an almost empty terminal at Boryspil airport in Kiev, Yuriy was waiting in a busy line of 200 seasonal workers to check in for a lone flight to Finland. The flight was an exception after Ukraine closed its borders and grounded air travel in March …
Read More »Huge virus recovery bill clears US House, fate uncertain in Senate
Washington, United States | AFP | House Democrats on Friday narrowly pushed through the largest-ever US economic rescue package, but the coronavirus measure faces headwinds in the White House and Senate where Republicans bemoan its $3 trillion price tag. The Heroes Act, which passed largely along party lines, provides some $1 …
Read More »Worrying surge in childhood disease linked to COVID-19
Paris, France | AFP | Europe and the United States have seen sharp surges in recent weeks of a severe immune disorder in children linked to COVID-19, health authorities reported Friday, sounding an alarm. At least five children — three in New York, and one each in France and Britain — …
Read More »Europe at odds as US, China fight over pandemic at UN
United Nations, United States | AFP | The clash between China and the United States over COVID-19 has caused a rift between European nations at the UN Security Council over a call for ceasefires in some conflict zones during the pandemic. For two months, France has been trying to corral Washington …
Read More »China calls on US to pay its debts to the United Nations
United Nations, United States | AFP | China on Friday issued a statement calling on all UN member states to “actively fulfill their financial obligations to the United Nations,” stressing that Washington owes the organization more than $2 billion. “As of May 14, the total unpaid assessments under the UN regular budget and peacekeeping budget …
Read More »Income key factor in coronavirus cases: study
Paris, France | AFP | People living in the most deprived areas of Britain are more than four times likelier to test positive for COVID-19 than those living in the richest neighbourhoods, new research showed Saturday. A University of Oxford study looked at more than 3,600 COVID-19 test results from national programmes and found that …
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