Stories for July 2020

Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 09:09 UTC
Chinese economy grows 3,2% in second quarter year-on-year; follows on steep slump of 6,8% in first quarter

China's economy grew 3.2% in the second quarter from a year earlier, data showed on Thursday, recovering from a record contraction as lockdown measures ended and policymakers stepped up stimulus to combat the shock from the coronavirus crisis.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 09:00 UTC
UK anticipates sweeping tax cuts and planning ten new “free-ports”, after final divorce with EU

British finance minister Rishi Sunak is preparing to introduce sweeping tax cuts and an overhaul of planning laws in up to 10 new “free-ports” within a year of the UK's becoming fully independent from the European Union in December, the Sunday Telegraph said.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 09:00 UTC
Chilean lawmaker celebrates passing of a bill liberating 10% of pension funds

Chilean lawmaker launched hundreds of internet memes on Wednesday when she ran through congress wearing a pink cape and waving matching fans to celebrate passage in the lower house of a coronavirus emergency aid measure.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 08:03 UTC
Danish ice cream maker removes the brand “Eskimo” from one of its products

A Danish ice cream maker said on Wednesday it would remove the name “Eskimo” from one of its products in case it offended Inuit and other Arctic people. Hansens Is said it had opposed changing the name of its Eskimo ice lolly but after careful consideration had decided to choose a more suitable name.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 07:40 UTC
Report on per capita carbon “food prints” criticizes beef and dairy consumption

If everyone alive ate steaks and dairy the way Brazilians and Americans do, we would need an extra five planets to feed the world, according to the first report to compare the carbon emissions from food consumption in Group of Twenty (G20) nations, released on Thursday.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 07:22 UTC
Venezuelan cases of the “Colombian virus”, accelerate at a rate of 30% every week

Coronavirus cases in Venezuela have jumped in recent weeks and two top lieutenants of President Nicolas Maduro have tested positive, triggering warnings from health workers that the pandemic may overwhelm the country's already battered healthcare system.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 07:18 UTC
After four months suspension, Peru reopens domestic air travel

Peru reopened domestic air travel on Wednesday in a bid to reignite the economy as it announced a drop of 33% in GDP for May year-on-year. Long queues of passengers formed from dawn at the Jorge Chavez airport in the capital Lima with 17 domestic flights operating during the day.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 06:47 UTC
Trump replaces his campaign manager with less than four months to Election Day

President Donald Trump replaced his campaign manager on Wednesday as he faces a gap in the polls against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden with less than four months to Election Day.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 06:43 UTC
Major hack and “take and run” scam with Twitter high-profile accounts

The official Twitter accounts of Apple, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and others were hijacked on Wednesday by scammers trying to dupe people into sending crypto-currency bitcoin, in a massive hack of the social media platform. The list of accounts commandeered simultaneously grew rapidly to include Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Uber, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, reality television show star Kim Kardashian and rapper Kanye West, among many others.
Thursday, July 16th 2020 - 06:32 UTC
London to announce the return of EU reclaimed regulatory powers to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Britain will publish plans this Thursday to keep trade flowing freely between its constituent nations when regulatory powers are reclaimed from the European Union at the end of the year and redistributed to devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.