Health & Science

• Thursday, June 18th 2020 - 13:30 UTC

  Chile heading for its worst economic contraction in 35 years, central bank

  

  The Chilean central bank said on Wednesday that the economy of the world’s top copper producer would contract between 5.5% and 7.5% in 2020, taking it to the lowest levels since the Latin American debt crisis of the 1980s.

• Thursday, June 18th 2020 - 12:40 UTC

  Macron puts on De Gaulle boots and visits UK in a symbolic anniversary

  

  French President Emmanuel Macron travels to Britain this Thursday for talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a hugely symbolic visit and his first foreign trip since the coronavirus pandemic began.

• Thursday, June 18th 2020 - 12:18 UTC

  Peru with more virus contagion cases than hard hit Italy

  

  Peru topped 240,000 total cases of coronavirus on Wednesday, surpassing hard-hit Italy, government data showed, even as the pace of infections has begun to moderate in the Andean nation.

• Wednesday, June 17th 2020 - 18:54 UTC

  Honduran president and wife test positive for Covid 19

  

  The Honduran president has said he and his wife have tested positive for coronavirus. The Central American nation has registered just under 10,000 COVID-19 infections, according to the health ministry, and 330 deaths.

• Wednesday, June 17th 2020 - 08:35 UTC

  Chile's government agrees with opposition US$ 12bn stimulus package

  

  Chile’s government reached a deal with opposition lawmakers for a US$ 12 billion stimulus package over the weekend as infections hit a record and the health minister quit.

• Wednesday, June 17th 2020 - 08:26 UTC

  Peru's economic activity plunges 405% year on year in April

  

  Peru´s economic activity sank 40.49% year-on-year in April, its worst-ever percentage drop in output, as a national lockdown to combat the coronavirus slammed the brakes on industry across the country, the government said.

• Wednesday, June 17th 2020 - 08:00 UTC

  Brazil reports 35,000 new virus cases; PAHO denies the pandemic is under control

  

  Brazil reported a record 34,918 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the same day that one of the senior officials leading the country’s widely criticized response to the crisis said the outbreak was under control.

• Tuesday, June 16th 2020 - 10:08 UTC

  Imperial College begins clinical trials of Covid 19 vaccine in 300 volunteers

  

  Scientists at Imperial College London will start the first clinical trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine this week with more than 45 million pounds (US$56.50 million) in backing from the UK government and philanthropic donors.

• Tuesday, June 16th 2020 - 08:32 UTC

  Brazilian Attorney General Office investigating hospital invasions by Bolsonaro supporters

  

  Brazil's Attorney General has called for an investigation into several invasions of hospitals in the country after its President called on Brazilians to inspect the conditions of medical wards treating Covid-19 patients.

• Tuesday, June 16th 2020 - 08:28 UTC

  China bans Norwegian salmon claiming it could be linked to Covid-19 outbreak in Beijing market

  

  China has halted imports from European salmon suppliers amid fears they might be linked to a COVID-19 outbreak at a Beijing market, although experts say the fish itself is unlikely to carry the disease.