Senate coronavirus bill includes union protection measure
One of the provisions tucked into the massive coronavirus relief bill approved by the Senate late Wednesday night restricts certain businesses that accept government loans in their dealings with labor unions. Businesses with between 500 and 10,000 employees that accept loans to tide them over...
Homeless man in Las Vegas tests positive for coronavirus, was in facilities while symptomatic: officials
A homeless man who went to two facilities in Las Vegas has tested positive for coronavirus, said officials, who were working to notify anyone exposed. The Southern Nevada Health District said Wednesday in a news release the man received help “while he was symptomatic” at...
New York City hospital staff seen wearing trash bags for protection, co-worker dies from coronavirus
A need for safety equipment at a New York City hospital reportedly became so unbearable this week that nurses there resorted to wearing trash bags as protection against the coronavirus. The unusual scene was documented in a photo shared on social media of three nurses...
Coronavirus: Australia reverses 30 minute hair appointment rule
Australia has reversed a decision to limit hairdressing appointments to just 30 minutes following a backlash. However, while appointments can now go on for longer, hairdressers and barbers must still observe the “four square metre per person” rule. Salons have been allowed to remain open,...
India coronavirus: Gambling on lockdown to save millions
India is on pause. The streets are empty, the skies vacant, railways silent. Nearly everything is shut. People have been asked to stay at home. Time stands still. But the eerie stillness of a 21-day lockdown of the world’s second most populous country to prevent...
Christchurch shootings: Brenton Tarrant pleads guilty to 51 murders
A man accused of deadly attacks on mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch a year ago has pleaded guilty to 51 charges of murder. Brenton Tarrant, 29, also admitted the attempted murder of another 40 people, and one terrorism charge. He had previously...
Coronavirus: Fears over rapid spread in Italy’s south
The Italian region worst hit by coronavirus has seen a steep decline in the number of deaths and infections but fears are growing that the country’s south could become the next hotspot. Recent numbers from the northern region of Lombardy suggested the epidemic might be...
Coronavirus: Can I get tested to see if I have Covid-19?
The UK government wants to increase the number of people tested for coronavirus. Currently, between 5,000 and 6,000 people are tested daily. But by the end of March it wants to test 10,000 people a day, rising to 25,000 by the end of April. Can...
London hospitals facing ‘tsunami’ of coronavirus cases
London hospitals are facing a “tsunami” of coronavirus cases and are beginning to run out of intensive care beds, a senior hospital figure has said. Chris Hopson, of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said while critical care capacity had been expanded hospitals in the capital...
Globalisation is no longer business as usual. Coronavirus has changed how the world works ǀ View
COVID-19 is the new guy in town, or rather the whole world. It is not even an electronic virus that would devastate computer servers wreaking havoc on social media and financial networks, defence systems and telecommunications. It is a “traditional” virus, which apparently originated in...
It’s not too late for Europe and the US to learn lessons from Asia to fight COVID-19 ǀ View
As some Western governments face a barrage of criticism for bumbling and delayed responses to the coronavirus, there are still lessons to be learned from looking east. Despite claims by some US officials that it is too late to learn from Asia, policies in Singapore,...
Swedish populist quits party amid controversy over coronavirus masks
The deputy chairman of the right-wing populist party, Alternative for Sweden, has resigned just days after launching a business selling protective face masks. William Hahne announced he was stepping down from his role after a party board meeting on Sunday. Hahne’s resignation comes just days...
EU enlargement: Brussels ‘can open membership talks’ with Albania and North Macedonia
The European Union has opened membership talks with the North Macedonia and Albania, the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, has announced. Varhelyi took to Twitter to confirm that the bloc’s 27 EU members had reached the agreement, adding that this “also sends a...
Astérix comic books cartoonist Albert Uderzo dies aged 92
Albert Uderzo, the cartoonist behind the famous French Astérix and Obélix comic series, has died at the age of 92. “Albert Uderzo died in his sleep at his home in Neuilly from a heart attack unrelated to the coronavirus,” his son-in-law Bernard de Choisy confirmed...
As Arctic Circle winters warm up, what changes lie ahead in the coldest places in Europe?
Thriving red foxes, rising tree lines and hungry reindeer are some of the effects of climate change we witnessed in Abisko, Sweden, in this special report from inside the Arctic Circle for Climate Now. Update the record books A review of the Copernicus Climate Change...
Analysis: In some countries, freedoms curbed to fight COVID-19 may be lost for good
Around a third of the world’s population is in so-called lockdown due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. In Europe, that’s much of the continent and most of its citizens. People are limited in how often they can go outside. They are told to work from...
Europe’s coronavirus lockdowns are making phone calls popular again
Europe’s wave of coronavirus lockdowns has sparked a hike in mobile phone calls. Mobile network providers have noticed an increase in activity for both voice calls and WiFi calls since a number of countries imposed confinement. Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica reported that both fixed and...
France launches special train to transport COVID-19 patients from east to west
France will start running a special train to transport COVID-19 patients to the west of the country as its eastern region struggles with a surge in cases of the virus. The train will run from Strasbourg to the Loire region, transporting a total of 20...
‘Tweet us’, doctors tell Spaniards during lockdown
Doctors and other health professionals in Spain have taken to Twitter in an effort to consult patients online as the country faces another two weeks of lockdown. A range of specialists, from urologists to dermatologists to ophthalmologists, are using the social network to field concerns...
Coronavirus: French mayor removes public benches amid claims of lockdown rebellion
The mayor of a Lille suburb says he has removed public benches in a bid to get people to obey lockdown rules. Sébastien Leprêtre has taken away around 40 benches after claiming locals in La Madeleine were not respecting confinement orders. “Even if the fines...
COVID-19: No parade on National Day as Greece fights coronavirus
On March 25, Greece and Cyprus mark the start of a 1821 war of independence against the Ottoman Empire. But in 2020, festivities were considerably more muted than in previous years. Gone was the military march as well as a traditional parade of schoolchildren carrying...
Coronavirus: Spain extends state of emergency as death toll passes China
Spain extended its state of emergency for two more weeks to allow the government to extend stringent lockdown measures in a desperate attempt to contain the coronavirus. Spain reported 738 new deaths in one day on Wednesday while Italy announced 683. The two countries have...
Coronavirus: What’s behind the great toilet roll grab?
“I didn’t want to overbuy as I didn’t want to be a part of the problem. So I placed an online order on Amazon for 30 rolls for £18 – I thought that would definitely cover her for three months.” Josh, a 25-year-old carer from...
Coronavirus: US Senate passes $2tn disaster aid bill
The US Senate has passed a $2 trillion (£1.7tn) coronavirus disaster aid bill that is the largest economic stimulus in US history. The vote was delayed by a last-minute row between Republican and Democratic senators over unemployment benefits. The plan includes direct payments of $1,200...
Coronavirus: Asian ‘poster child’ heads for recession due to virus
The world has been given an indication of the economic impact of coronavirus as Singapore released its initial growth figures for this quarter. The trade-reliant city state now looks to be heading for its first full-year recession in about two decades. The figures suggest that...
Italy’s inspiring response to the coronavirus
As Italy becomes the global epicentre for the coronavirus pandemic, the nation’s beautiful, shared showcase of Italian culture is nothing short of remarkable. By Erica Firpo 26 March 2020 It’s late afternoon and my daughter and I are leaning out of our living room window,...
Coronavirus capital by capital: How are Europeans coping with shutdown?
Across the Continent, Europeans are facing a barrage of restrictions on their freedoms as the authorities struggle to stop the new coronavirus spreading further. BBC correspondents describe the challenges faced in the cities where they live. Spaniards do their best amid worsening crisis Fear and...
Coronavirus symptoms: What are they and how do I protect myself?
Coronavirus has spread to 169 countries or territories, including the UK, and claimed more than 18,000 lives. So, what is the disease, how does it spread and when are people most infectious? How do I protect myself? The best thing is regular and thorough hand...
Coronavirus: How to go for a walk safely, without getting shamed
There’s now a new phenomenon – known as “quarantine shaming” – to try to keep people indoors. Over the weekend, photos of busy parks, markets and beaches in the US, UK and Canada caused uproar, as officials described people who ignored social distancing guidelines as...
Coronavirus: What’s young people’s risk?
So far, the health message has been clear – the older you are, the more at risk you are from coronavirus. But the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned young people not to view themselves as “invincible”. Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, a Labour MP and A&E...
