Stories for 2020

Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 08:40 UTC
Colombia's national airline, Avianca, has filed for bankruptcy protection in a US court.

Avianca is the second-largest carrier in Latin America, but its passenger operations have been grounded since March because of coronavirus. It said the pandemic had cut more than 80% of its income, and it was struggling with high fixed costs.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 08:18 UTC
Beijing disappointed with Australia: suspends meat imports from four abattoirs

China has suspended meat imports from four Australian abattoirs, fuelling concerns that escalating tensions between the two nations are damaging Australia's most important trading relationship.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 08:15 UTC
Chinese official sacked in Wuhan for reporting confirmed new cases of Covid-19

An official has been sacked in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province after the city recently reported six new confirmed Covid-19 cases, local authorities said on Monday.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 08:00 UTC
President Trump cuts short press briefing after an exchange with CBS reporter

US President Donald Trump abruptly ended his coronavirus press briefing on Monday after getting into a testy exchange with an Asian-American reporter. CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang asked Trump why he continued to insist that the US was doing better than other countries when it came to testing for the virus.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 07:49 UTC
Trump opposes renegotiating US-China Phase 1 trade deal despite Beijing concerns

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he opposed renegotiating the US-China “Phase 1” trade deal after a Chinese state-run newspaper reported some government advisers in Beijing were urging fresh talks and possibly invalidating the agreement.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 07:47 UTC
Charles Darwin HMS Beagle unearthed dock in Essex under Historic England protection

The remains of a rare 19th Century dock built for Charles Darwin's ship HMS Beagle has been recognized as a site of national importance. The submerged mud berth on the River Roach in Rochford, Essex, will now be protected against unauthorized change.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 07:46 UTC
Saudi Arabia to cut oil production to a decade record low of 7,5 million bpd

Saudi Arabia said on Monday it had asked oil giant Aramco to cut an additional one million barrels per day from June, to support prices that have crashed during the coronavirus crisis.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 07:24 UTC
“No mandate to invite Taiwan” to WHO assembly; Beijing warns New Zealand “to stop making wrong statements”

The World Health Organization's director-general has “no mandate” to invite Taiwan to take part in its assembly next week, the body's lawyer said on Monday, adding member states had “divergent views” on the self-ruled island's participation.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 07:18 UTC
White House staff must wear masks in the West Wing, except Trump

White House staff have been ordered to wear masks when entering the West Wing after two aides tested positive for coronavirus. The White House personnel office has said that staff must cover their faces at all times except when seated at their desks, socially distant from colleagues.
Tuesday, May 12th 2020 - 06:57 UTC
Notorious Mexican drug lord dies in prison after contracting coronavirus

Moisés Escamilla May, a notorious Mexican gang leader, has died in prison after contracting coronavirus. Escamilla, 45, was the leader of a group within the feared criminal cartel Los Zetas. He was serving a 37-year sentence for organized crime, including his role in the decapitation of 12 people in Yucatán.