Washington, United States | AFP | Presidential hopeful Joe Biden said Wednesday he has a proud history of campaigning against sexual violence, as he faces mounting pressure to respond to an assault allegation made by a former aide. The presumptive Democratic nominee has been accused by Tara Reade of assaulting her …
Read More »Tunisia medics spending Ramadan in isolation
Tunis, Tunisia | AFP | Amira Jamoussi, a doctor on the front line fighting the novel coronavirus in a hospital in Tunisia, is spending the Muslim holy month of Ramadan away from her family. “It’s been five weeks since I’ve held my children in my arms,” Jamoussi said, before putting on …
Read More »Half world’s workers risk livelihoods being ‘destroyed’: ILO
Genève, Switzerland | AFP | Nearly half of the entire global workforce is in immediate danger of having their livelihoods destroyed by the coronavirus pandemic, the International Labour Organization warned Wednesday. The ILO said the risk fell on those workers in the informal economy, and three-quarters of them, some 1.6 billion …
Read More »US GDP contracts 4.8% as virus hit, ends decade of growth
Washington, United States | AFP | The decade of US economic expansion ended dramatically in the first quarter when GDP shrank 4.8 percent as the coronavirus hit, according to government data released Wednesday. It was the biggest decline in GDP in 12 years as the pandemic forced businesses to …
Read More »Wary Russian doctors count their own dead from virus
Moscow, Russia | AFP | When Russian cardiologist Alexei Erlikh and several colleagues started a project to keep track of medics who had died from the coronavirus, he never expected there would be so many names. Launched last week, the database already lists more than 70 dead doctors, nurses and lab …
Read More »With widespread testing, New Yorkers pin hopes on virus antibodies
New York, United States | AFP | For the first time Tuesday, hundreds of New Yorkers were able to get tested for COVID-19 without having serious symptoms or underlying health issues — hopeful they had already contracted and beaten the potentially deadly disease. Dozens of people wearing masks — many young …
Read More »US govt reveals details of sunlight study on virus
Washington, United States | AFP | The US Department of Homeland Security revealed to AFP on Tuesday new technical details regarding its highly anticipated study into how ultraviolet radiation destroys the new coronavirus, saying that its experiment had accurately mimicked natural sunlight. A summary of the research was presented last week …
Read More »Many questions for Boeing as it reports earnings
New York, United States | AFP | As it reports first quarter earnings Wednesday, Boeing faces many questions over how it will navigate the coronavirus crisis and its devastating impact on global aviation. The largest exporter of manufactured goods in the United States, Boeing is expected by Wall Street analysts to …
Read More »Virus pushes iconic American department stores to the brink
New York, United States | AFP | The Macy’s department store located two blocks from the Empire State Building in New York City is a stop on many tourists’ itineraries, but visitors may need to find another shopping temple once the coronavirus pandemic is over. Iconic American department store chains like …
Read More »UK develops virus contact-tracing app despite privacy fears
London, United Kingdom | AFP | A smartphone app developed by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) could be rolled out within three weeks, its technology chief said on Tuesday, despite privacy concerns. Matthew Gould, head of the state-run service’s digital innovation arm NHSX, said the in-house app — reportedly favoured over …
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