Antibody tests close to being ready – Fauci
Dr Anthony Fauci, who is leading the US response to coronavirus, tells CNN that antibody tests are close to being ready. An antibody test can be used to see if someone has already had the virus. “At the last task force meeting, the individuals responsible...
Amazon to build virus testing lab for staff
Retail giant Amazon says it will build its own coronavirus testing lab to monitor the health of its staff, after cases were reported at more than 50 of its facilities across the US. Some of those cases have involved multiple infected workers. The company said...
How new technology is transforming Vietnam’s economy
In 1975, Vietnam emerged from its 20-year-long war as one of the poorest nations in the world. Since then, its economy has been transformed — largely thanks to a package of economic and political reforms, designed to engineer growth, that was launched by the government...
10 million students in China are facing the toughest exam of their lives in a pandemic
Every day, student Xiong Yanfei sits at her desk in her parent’s small apartment in Wuhan, studying for an exam that could change the course of her life. She starts at 8 a.m. and finishes at 11 p.m. Normally, at school she’d get little breaks...
People in India can see the Himalayas for the first time in ‘decades,’ as the lockdown eases air pollution
People in the northern Indian state of Punjab are reacting with awe at the sight of the Himalayan mountain range, which is now visible from more than 100 miles away due to the reduction in air pollution caused by the country’s coronavirus lockdown. Indians in...
Passengers to be evacuated from Antarctic cruise ship after almost 60% test positive for coronavirus
Australian and New Zealand passengers will be evacuated from a stricken Antarctic cruise ship Thursday, after almost 60% of those on board tested positive for the coronavirus. The Greg Mortimer, a cruise liner operated by Australia’s Aurora Expeditions, departed March 15 on a voyage to...
French doctors’ proposal to test Covid-19 treatment in Africa slammed as ‘colonial mentality’
World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condemned controversial comments made by French doctors about testing a Covid-19 potential treatment in Africa, calling the remarks a “hangover from a colonial mentality.” “To be honest, I was so appalled. And it was a time when...
The Brazilian favela resident who saw coronavirus coming
When the coronavirus first emerged, it seemed like a distant threat to Brazil and the country’s sprawling and impoverished favelas. But as the virus spreads across the South American nation, one favela resident is taking it upon himself to protect the neighborhood. Thiago Firmino, 39,...
Activist Kerry Kennedy says the Middle East region is in transition
With an uncle who served as a President of the United States, and a father who ran for office, human rights activist Kerry Kennedy has a unique perspective on the state of politics and a free press in her homeland today. “President Trump has really...
James Carafano: After coronavirus — We still need Europe and they need us. Here’s what has to happen
The coronavirus is taking a huge toll in many European countries. Not everyone is going to be looking good at the end. Will this be the death of the dream of a Europe whole, free, prosperous and secure? Certainly not. But it will be a...
Macron faces calls to allow wider use hydroxychloroquine in coronavirus fight: report
French President Emmanuel Macron is facing new calls to allow wider use of the anti-malaria drug touted by President Trump as a possible treatment option for COVID-19 patients. Hydroxychloroquine combined with antibiotics have proven to be an effective treatment for some patients suffering from severe...
Bill Gates: Schools may reopen in fall but no one can ‘wave a wand’ to fix US economy
Schools closed because of the coronavirus will likely reopen in the fall but reviving the U.S. economy to pre-outbreak levels will be a taller order, Bill Gates said Thursday. The 64-year-old billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, who with his wife now runs the philanthropic Bill and...
Sumo wrestler tests positive for coronavirus
A Japanese sumo wrestler has tested positive for the coronavirus, further threatening postponement of next month’s Summer Grand Sumo Tournament which has already been delayed. The Japan sumo association said Friday a wrestler had tested positive to become the first confirmed case from Japan’s ancient...
Coronavirus in the US: State-by-state breakdown
As of Friday morning, the novel coronavirus has infected more than 1,603,330 people across 185 countries and territories, resulting in over 95,758 deaths. In the U.S., all 50 states plus the District of Columbia have reported confirmed cases of COVID-19, tallying over 466,299 illnesses and...
Cities struggling to boost urban tree cover
Many cities around the globe are struggling to reconcile ambitious environmental targets with development pressures, a study has suggested. Scientists in Melbourne recorded a net gain in street tree cover but a net loss in parks and private land. The Australian team says measures to...
Surfing: Coronavirus lockdown advice leaves room for confusion
In one surf-loving nation, Australia, some beaches are closed but others remain packed. So is it ok to surf during the Covid-19 crisis? Gary Nunn reports from Sydney. Mark Stockdale surfs every day of his life. But not today. He lives near surfing hotspot Bells...
Coronavirus: Should the world worry about Singapore’s virus surge?
Singapore had been a master class in how to handle the Covid-19 outbreak. Before the disease even had a name, the country had stringent travel restrictions and an efficient contact-tracing operation which contained the virus’s spread. But in recent days, the number of confirmed cases...
Coronavirus: Western economies slow to react to crisis, says leading economist
The coronavirus was “taken a little more lightly” by western economies compared to those in Asia, says a former IMF chief economist. Raghuram Rajan said western economies are facing a drop in growth by as much as 6 percentage points this year. The widespread closure...
101-year-old makes full recovery
The news at the moment is often grim. We’re well aware. So hopefully this update will make you smile. A 101-year-old man who tested positive for coronavirus has returned home from hospital after making a full recovery. Keith Watson, from Worcestershire, was initially admitted for...
A day in locked-down Delhi
It’s Day 17 of India’s 21-day lockdown. And it’s almost exactly the same as the last 16 days. It’s eerily quiet, except for the birds, and the garbage truck, which rolls around every morning around 8am, blasting an anthem from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Clean...
South Korea heads to vote despite virus
South Koreans are proving their commitment to democracy – heading to the polls amid the coronavirus pandemic. The two days of early voting ahead of the parliamentary elections next Wednesday have seen a record turn-out. All voters must have their temperatures checked, and wear masks...
Zambian government revokes TV station’s licence
The Zambian government has revoked a licence for one of the country’s most popular TV stations – Prime Television. The reason for revoking the licence wasn’t given but it came after the channel refused to air free coronavirus-awareness adverts The decision was announced by Josephine...
Coronavirus: New York using mass graves amid outbreak
Images have emerged of coffins being buried in a mass grave in New York City, as the death toll from the coronavirus outbreak continues to rise. Workers in hazmat outfits were seen using a ladder to descend into a huge pit where the coffins were...
Oil producers agree to cut production by a tenth
Opec producers and allies have agreed to cut output by around 10% to counter the slump in demand caused by coronavirus lockdowns. The group said it would cut output in May and June by 10 million barrels to help prop up prices. The cuts will...
Yemen: World Food Programme to cut aid by half in Houthi-controlled areas
The World Food Programme is set to halve aid to parts of Yemen’s Houthi-controlled areas due to a funding crisis. The UN says some donors have stopped their aid over concerns that deliveries were being obstructed by Houthi forces. From mid-April, families will get aid...
Coronavirus: U.S. unemployment surges as global infections top 1.6m
The number of people across the world infected with the coronavirus topped 1.6 million on Friday with more than 95,000 fatalities. As cases surge in the U.S., joblessness has risen to around one-in-ten Americans out of the work, even as the U.S. government commits billions...
Coronavirus conundrum: COVID-19 tracking apps that don’t breach privacy
Countries across Europe are looking to roll out digital apps to control the spread of the coronavirus, but they face a big challenge: making them compatible with the EU’s strict data privacy rules. As nationwide lockdowns begin to show signs of “flattening the curve” of...
‘Job catastrophe’: 1.25 billion workers face major hit from coronavirus
The coronavirus crisis is having a devastating effect on employment worldwide, with more than one billion workers at risk of a pay cut or losing their jobs, according to the International Labour Organization. The UN agency says the pandemic is bound to prove a lot...
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...
Coronavirus Live Updates: New York Has More Confirmed Cases Than Any Country
COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, was officially declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11. There are more than 1.6 million confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, and more than 95,000 people have died from it, according to data compiled...
