WORLD

Rome, Italy | AFP |  Hundreds of millions of people worldwide kicked off the weekend under a coronavirus lockdown, as the global death toll accelerated sharply and the World Health Organization warned young people they were “not invincible”. The pandemic has completely upended lives across the planet, sharply restricting the movement …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization said Friday that the original epicentre in China of the coronavirus outbreak at last reporting no new cases gave hope to the rest of the world battling the pandemic. The city of Wuhan registered no new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours …

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  Russian President Vladimir Putin has insisted the economy can weather the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices, but the two-pronged crisis is a huge challenge to his promises to reduce poverty and boost growth. Since 2016, Russia has cooperated closely with the Organization of the Petroleum …

Lucena del Puerto, Spain | AFP |  Inside her greenhouse, Emilia Gomez bends down to see how her strawberries are faring following a difficult season with barely any water after her farm’s illegal well was shut down. Digging an illegal well to irrigate crops is a widespread practice in Spain as …

Paris, France | AFP | The lack of available tests for COVID-19 means the world is effectively fighting the pandemic blind and may not know the true extent of infection for months if not years, experts said Thursday. Because COVID-19 is so infectious — roughly 2.5 times that of the common …

Washington, United States | AFP | The US is fast-tracking antimalarial drugs for use as a treatment against the new coronavirus, President Donald Trump said Thursday, following encouraging early results in France and China. Chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine have not been given a formal green light in the US to fight the …

New York, United States | AFP | With governments clamping down on social interactions to contain the coronavirus spread, dating sites are discouraging dates and asking users to get to know each other virtually instead. “We don’t know who needs to hear this, but now is NOT the time to go …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed comparisons to a tsar on Thursday, arguing he “works every day” and listens to what people want. “Well, this is not true,” Putin said when asked about being described as a Russian imperial-era ruler. “Maybe someone else can be called a tsar. But in my …

New York, United States | AFP | Before shutdowns swept the globe and many were urged — or mandated — to stay indoors to stymie coronavirus’s spread, Divya Sonti sensed the worst was yet to come. A specialist in public health communications, the 31-year-old encouraged her millennial peers to steer clear …

Washington, United States | AFP |  As the United States grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, there is concern not only for the elderly but also for another vulnerable population: prisoners. The US has the highest rate of incarceration in the world and experts have warned that infections could potentially spread rapidly …