WORLD

San Francisco, United States | AFP |  The US Department of Defense said Thursday it wants to reconsider its decision to award a multi-billion-dollar military cloud computing contract to Microsoft in a bidding process Amazon claims was tainted by politics. A judge last month issued an order at Amazon’s request temporarily …

Beijing, China | AFP | A Chinese government campaign to cast doubt on the origin of the coronavirus pandemic is fuelling a row with the United States, with a Beijing official promoting conspiracy theories and Washington calling it the “Wuhan virus”. The spat comes as China tries to deflect blame for …

Athens, Greece | AFP | Greece on Friday swore in the first woman president in its history as the country grapples with over 100 coronavirus cases. Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a 63-year-old senior judge, becomes the new Greek head of state for a five-year term. She took a religious oath in parliament before Archbishop Ieronymos, head of …

Rome, Italy | AFP |  It’s not easy being Italian these days. Especially without coffee. For Alessandro, a 30-something businessman in suit and mask in central Rome, an espresso at the local bar in the morning is “indispensable”. But on Thursday, after the government’s latest measures to stem the rise of …

Paris, France | AFP | With disparate and at times conflicting responses to the deadly coronavirus outbreak, governments across the globe are abandoning any pretence of joint action and instead putting their own health, economic and diplomatic interests first, analysts say. From the United States to Europe, governments have in recent …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump defended Thursday his shock decision to impose a 30-day ban on travel from mainland Europe over the coronavirus pandemic that sent markets into a tailspin and sparked panic among stranded travellers. As the number of cases and fatalities surged in Europe, …

Seattle, United States | AFP | An American woman who has recovered from the novel coronavirus has a simple message for people who are worried: Don’t panic — but do think about high-risk individuals and stay home if you feel ill. Elizabeth Schneider lives in Seattle, the biggest city of Washington …

Washington, United States | AFP | Donald Trump suspended travel from Europe to the United States for 30 days on Wednesday in an “aggressive” effort to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The ban will go into effect from midnight Friday but will not include travelers from Britain, which …

Washington, United States | AFP |  US President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced measures meant to shore up an economy reeling from the new coronavirus pandemic, while simultaneously downplaying the situation. He also imposed a travel ban on mainland Europe for 30 days and stated trade would be halted, although he later …

Rome, Italy | AFP |  Italy on Wednesday shut all stores except for pharmacies and food shops in a desperate bid to halt the spread of a coronavirus that has killed 827 in the the country in just over two weeks. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced the latest wave of restrictions …