Coronavirus: What you need to know
As coronavirus continues to spread across the country and the globe, here is some important information you should know about the potentially deadly disease, and what you can do to mitigate its impact. Coronavirus: FAQ What is coronavirus? Coronaviruses are a family of viruses named...
Global stocks fall again despite coronavirus action
European stock markets have taken further hits over fears of the economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic. London’s FTSE 100 index sank more than 4%, while main indexes in Frankfurt and Paris were down more than 3%. Earlier, Asian stock markets had fallen sharply. Crude...
Global economy will suffer for years to come, says OECD
The world will take years to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has warned. Angel Gurría, OECD secretary general, said the economic shock was already bigger than the financial crisis. He told the BBC it was “wishful thinking” to...
Budget airline Ryanair says it will ground nearly all flights from next week due to coronavirus
Budget airline Ryanair says it will ground nearly all its flights from next week due to the coronavirus crisis gripping Europe. The industry has been heavily hit by the outbreak as governments have scrambled to close borders and lockdown citizens. It comes after Flybe, which...
Brexit: British government spent at least €5 billion preparing for leaving the EU
The UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) has released a report showing that government departments spent at least £4.4 billion (€5.08 billion) preparing for the United Kingdom’s exit. In the 32-page report, published on Friday (March 6), the office said it had asked all 18 central...
Geneva Motor Show 2020: Swiss car showcase cancelled over coronavirus
The Geneva Motor Show was cancelled after the Swiss government put an immediate ban Friday on all public and private events involving more than 1,000 people in order to halt the spread of the new COVID-19 coronavirus. The ban on big events will last until...
Europe’s biggest companies need to spend twice as much on reducing emissions: report
European companies spent €124 billion on reducing their carbon footprint in 2019 – but a report claims that is just half what they needed to spend if the EU is to reach its net-zero carbon target by 2050. The CDP, a UK-based organisation specialising in...
Delivering success through digitalisation
Once only the largest firms could afford to pay for the best digital tools, but rapid advances in online technology, smart computing and artificial intelligence mean that even the smallest companies can now take advantage of the latest systems to boost their business. Driving a...
Coronavirus: Dutch PM appoints opposition minister as new Health Secretary
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has appointed an opposition MP as the country’s new health minister to help combat the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Martin van Rijn, the former Labour party health secretary, has been appointed the Minister for Medical Care on a temporary...
Coronavirus: Spain’s COVID-19 death toll passes 1,000 people
Spain’s coronavirus death toll passed 1,000 people on Friday, health authorities confirmed, as infections surged to nearly 20,000. The spread of the COVID-19 continues to put significant strain on Spain’s health system, with more than 1,100 people fighting the disease in intensive care. “It is...
Ireland ramps up testing amid fears of a surge in coronavirus cases
Ireland is not taking social distancing rules seriously enough, the country’s health minister has warned. Simon Harris made the claim amid fears infections could hit 15,000 by the end of March, even though this is regarded as a worst-case scenario. Ireland currently has 638 COVID-19...
Coronavirus: Did Europe lock down too late amid the COVID-19 outbreak? | Culture Clash
As Asia locked down, Europe looked on. Once the severity of COVID-19 became clear, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore took rapid and uncompromising action. They now appear to have turned the tide. It’s only after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Europe the epicentre of...
International Forest Day: Experts highlight the impact of climate change on Belgium’s forests
Forests are paying a heavy price in the face of climate change. International Forest Day (March 21st) is an opportunity to sound the alarm. In Belgium, repeated droughts and heat waves have weakened ecosystems in local forests, which are particularly affected by insects like bark...
Coronavirus: Generosity is infectious for those on COVID-19 frontline
As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to sweep the United Kingdom, an initiative has begun to support doctors, nurses and other frontline hospital workers. At the centre of the efforts to rally behind health workers, businesses within the food and hospitality sector are offering up their...
‘Please stop all crime’: Polish police plea amid COVID-19 workload
“Please stop all criminal activities until further notice.” They were the light-hearted words of Polish police as they admitted COVID-19 had significantly added to their workload. In a viral tweet, they said the new coronavirus had “caused panic and imposed [them with] many new tasks”....
Coronavirus: London books 300 hotel rooms for the homeless to self-isolate
London will open 300 hotel rooms for the self-isolation of homeless people, the Mayor of London announced on Saturday as the UK prepares to enter weeks of social distancing to fight the coronavirus pandemic. “Homeless Londoners will benefit from vital protection against the coronavirus, as...
French parliament declares ‘state of health emergency’
The French Assemblée National approved on Saturday a legal text that would introduce a “state of health emergency” in France during the coronavirus pandemic. The law would give the French prime minister “the power to declare, by decree and upon recommendation of the Health minister,...
Coronavirus: First French hospital doctor dies of COVID-19
A French hospital doctor has died of coronavirus, the French Health minister announced on Sunday, adding that this is the first death of a doctor in the country. “I was informed on Saturday of the death of a hospital doctor”, Health minister Olivier Véran said...
Orthodox priest arrested in Greece for holding mass during coronavirus lockdown
An orthodox priest was arrested in Greece on Saturday after celebrating mass in a church, following the suspension of religious office ordered by the country during the coronavirus outbreak. Metropolite Seraphim of Cypher island, off the Greek coast, had celebrated religious office on Friday night,...
COVID-19: Italy slows industrial production as Lombardy toughens lockdown rules
In its most far-reaching measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, Italy is slowing industrial production nationwide, while the hardest-hit region of Lombardy has banned any outdoor exercise not on personal property and set distance limits on dog-walking. Franco Locatelli, president of Italy’s Higher Health...
Azerbaijan Grand Prix postponed because of coronavirus outbreak
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix, due to take place on 7 June, has been postponed as a result of the coronavirus crisis. The street race in Baku is the eighth race to be called off at the start of the 2020 World Championship season. Race organisers...
Earthquake rocks Croatia’s capital Zagreb
An earthquake has rocked Croatia’s capital Zagreb, damaging buildings and leaving cars crushed by falling chunks of masonry. A teenager is in a critical condition after a roof collapsed, local media say. The spire of the city’s cathedral also snapped off. After Sunday’s tremor, Zagreb’s...
Coronavirus: What is shielding?
More than a million people most at risk of needing hospital treatment if they catch coronavirus are being asked to stay at home for at least 12 weeks. The strategy is called “shielding” and the aim is to protect lives. Why do it? Cases of...
Coronavirus: The fake health advice you should ignore
Coronavirus is emerging in more countries around the world and there’s currently no known cure. Unfortunately that hasn’t stopped a slew of health advice, ranging from useless but relatively harmless, to downright dangerous. We’ve been looking at some of the most widespread claims being shared...