Australia recorded its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday with 14 deaths and more than 700 new infections mainly in Victoria state, where the government ordered all residents to wear face-coverings outside. The toll takes the country’s total fatalities from the novel coronavirus to 190, more than half …
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GOP coronavirus bill is ‘selling out working families’
The GOP is “selling out working families” in an attempt to “enrich the corporate interests” with its new coronavirus relief proposal, the US Congress top Democrats say. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement Tuesday, attacking the Republicans in control of the …
Read More »Oil falls as U.S. stimulus package faces tough talks
Oil prices fell on Tuesday as U.S. lawmakers prepared to wrangle over an economic stimulus package and investors worried about a rise in coronavirus cases worldwide. Brent crude futures fell 19 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $43.22 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 56 …
Read More »Barr testifies Portland protests have been ‘hijacked,’ defends federal response
“In the wake of George Floyd’s death, violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests to wreak senseless havoc and destruction on innocent victims,” Barr said. Attorney General William Barr faced a grilling from Democrats at a contentious congressional hearing Tuesday as he spoke about the protests following George Floyd’s …
Read More »UK Prime Minister warns of Europe ‘second wave’ amid Spain row
Boris Johnson has warned there are signs of a “second wave” of coronavirus in Europe, as he defended a 14-day quarantine on travellers from Spain. The PM said the government had to be “swift” – and it would continue to take further action “where it is necessary”. It comes after …
Read More »Australian police disperse Black Lives Matter rally
Australian police on Tuesday said they arrested six people and ordered about 50 others to disperse after they gathered in Sydney to go ahead with a Black Lives Matter protest, despite an official ban because of the coronavirus pandemic. The march had been called to highlight the deaths of Aboriginal …
Read More »Oil prices steady as demand concerns offset US stimulus hopes
Oil prices were steady on Tuesday, erasing gains earlier in the session, as rising coronavirus cases dampened the outlook for demand and countered optimism over more U.S. stimulus. Efforts to stimulate the U.S. economy’s recovery from the coronavirus crisis had raised hopes for stronger oil demand. However, a proposal on …
Read More »Health workers should be top priority for vaccines – nurses’ group
Nurses and other health workers must be top priority for the first COVID-19 vaccines, especially as they are often left without enough protection against the virus in their frontline jobs, the International Council of Nurses said on Monday. An estimated 1.5 million health care workers have been infected, three times …
Read More »UK keeps eye on France, Germany after slapping coronavirus quarantine on Spain
Britain is closely watching rises in coronavirus cases in other European destinations such as France and Germany after slapping a 14-day quarantine on travellers from Spain at the height of the summer vacation season. The imposition of a British quarantine on Spain is one of the starkest indications to date …
Read More »Ardern poll boost ahead of New Zealand’s September election
The party of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has extended its lead in New Zealand’s latest opinion poll, putting the charismatic 40-year-old leader on track for a comfortable victory in the elections in September. A Newshub-Reid Research Poll released late on Sunday showed the popularity of Ardern’s Labour Party rose to …
Read More »North Korea’s Kim marks war anniversary amid virus concerns
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a national cemetery and handed out commemorative pistols to army officers, state media reported Monday, as he pushes to muster public support for efforts to contain a potential coronavirus outbreak. On Sunday, North Korea said that Kim had put a city near …
Read More »China seizes U.S. consulate in Chengdu, retaliating for Houston
China took over the premises of the U.S. consulate in the southwestern city of Chengdu on Monday, after ordering the facility to be vacated in retaliation for China’s ouster last week from its consulate in Houston, Texas. The seizure capped a dramatic escalation in tensions between the world’s two biggest …
Read More »Morocco shuts down major cities after spike in coronavirus cases
Morocco will stop people entering and leaving some of its biggest cities from midnight to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases, the interior and health Ministries said on Sunday. The cities to be locked down include the economic powerhouse of Casablanca as well as Tangier, Marrakech, Fez, and Meknes. The …
Read More »Trump-era record | Eight in 10 Americans think country is headed in wrong direction
More Americans are pessimistic about the direction of their country than at any point during Donald Trump’s presidency, as the nation continues to struggle with the coronavirus, protests against police brutality that have at times turned violent, and a venomous presidential election that has exposed deep political divides. Roughly eight …
Read More »Latin America leads world in coronavirus cases
Coronavirus cases in Latin America for the first time have surpassed the combined infections in the United States and Canada, a Reuters tally showed on Sunday, amid a surge of infections in Brazil, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Argentina. The quickly growing number of cases makes Latin America the region most …
Read More »Iraq declares holiday lockdown, reports over 2,400 more coronavirus cases
The Iraqi government on Sunday announced a total lockdown during the Eid al-Adha holidays, as the Ministry of Health and Environment reported 2,459 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours. COVID-19 Figures The health ministry said in its daily statement that health workers had conducted 17,511 tests over the …
Read More »Moderna gets further $472 million U.S. award for coronavirus vaccine development
Moderna Inc said on Sunday it has received an additional $472 million from the U.S. government’s Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support the development of its novel coronavirus vaccine. The U.S.-based drugmaker said the additional funding will support its late-stage clinical development including the expanded Phase 3 …
Read More »Spain is safe, minister insists as British quarantine move sows dismay
Spain is safe for tourists and Spaniards, the government insisted on Sunday after Britain abruptly imposed a two-week coronavirus quarantine on travelers returning from there, a decision that filled holidaymakers with dismay. Last year, Britons made up over a fifth of foreign visitors to Spain, which relies heavily on tourism …
Read More »100 Days: Trump faces headwinds as Election Day draws near
With the November election 100 days away, more Americans say the country is heading in the wrong direction than at any previous point in Donald Trump’s presidency, putting the incumbent in a perilous position as his reelection bid against Democrat Joe Biden enters a pivotal stretch. A new poll from …
Read More »Coronavirus Latest: South Africa reports over 12,000 new cases
South Africa has announced more than 12,000 new confirmed coronavirus cases as the total in one of the world’s worst affected countries reaches 434,200 with 6,655 deaths. South Africa makes up well over half the confirmed cases on the African continent, where experts say the virus could smoulder in areas …
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