Stories for May 2020

Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:49 UTC
World Bank US$ 500 million loan to help Ecuador cover budget needs

The World Bank Board of Directors approved a flexible US$500 million loan to help cover Ecuador's budget needs during the Covid-19 emergency and to promote economic recovery. The loan is the second in a series of three Development Policy Financing (DPF) operations. The first loan of this series was disbursed in June 2019. The operation has been adapted to the current context and to the country’s needs during the pandemic.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:45 UTC
Governor praises the admirable public sector of the Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands' Nigel Phillips, CBE, this week praised the response of the Public Service to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 and associated restrictions. Speaking at the daily Covid-19 update on Wednesday, Mr. Phillips said, “lockdown, as it has become known, can be difficult and the government has introduced a range of measures that are targeted to support individuals and businesses in these unprecedented times.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:41 UTC
Madrid's top health official resigns over disagreement on easing lockdown measures

Madrid's top health official stepped down on Thursday after a reported disagreement with regional government requests to ease virus lockdown measures. Yolanda Fuentes resigned as Madrid's head of public health as the local authorities asked the central government to relax measures from Monday, a regional spokesman said.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:39 UTC
Nearly a fifth of US children not getting enough to eat since pandemic outbreak

Nearly a fifth of young children in the United States are not getting enough to eat since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, according to research released on Wednesday, highlighting the broader health impact of the crisis.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:39 UTC
Michigan and California reopen lockdowns with go ahead for the auto industry

Michigan and California, two U.S. manufacturing powerhouses, acted on Thursday to allow factories to reopen from coronavirus lockdowns over the next few days, as millions more Americans joined the ranks of workers left jobless by the pandemic.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:32 UTC
Proposal to rename street in front of China's embassy after Wuhan doctor punished for warning about Covid-19

United States lawmakers on Thursday proposed renaming the street in front of China's embassy after the late Wuhan doctor who was punished after warning about the new coronavirus, a step sure to outrage Beijing.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:31 UTC
Dozens queue up as German brewery gives away beer

Unable to deliver to hotels and restaurants closed due to coronavirus restrictions, a German brewery on Thursday gave away some 2,600 liters of beer. Rather than throwing it away, the owners of the Willinger brewery, in the western state of Hesse, decided to dish out the light and dark beer free of charge.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:30 UTC
Prince Andrew in trouble over purchase of a US$ 22,5 million chalet in Switzerland

Legal proceedings have been launched in Switzerland against Britain's Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah, a newspaper reported on Thursday, over money they still owe on a luxury chalet.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:26 UTC
US russet potatoes farmers giving away production before next July crop

When Tina Yates pulled her truck up to a mall in western Washington state on Thursday, workers waved her past hundreds of cars waiting to pick up free russet potatoes.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:04 UTC
Chinese scientists detect coronavirus in the semen of infected men

Chinese scientists have detected coronavirus in the semen of infected men but further research will be needed to determine whether the virus can be sexually transmitted. The findings from a study of coronavirus patients at a Chinese hospital were published on Thursday in the JAMA Network Open medical journal.