Health & Science

Friday, May 8th 2020 - 09:23 UTC
Argentina's countdown to ninth default; some bondholders and IMF trust a last minute understanding

Argentina's Economy Minister Martin Guzman has given the country's biggest bondholders until this Friday to accept the offer he has put on the table to suspend payments until 2023 and reduce interest rates thereafter. One of the largest of those creditors, the investment management firm BlackRock, rejected Guzman's proposal and immediately presented a counteroffer.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 09:16 UTC
Brazilian government anticipates food shortages and social disorder because of the lockdowns

Brazil could face “economic collapse” in a month's time due to stay-at-home measures to stem the coronavirus outbreak, with food shortages and “social disorder,” Economy Minister Paulo Guedes warned on Thursday.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:59 UTC
International tourist arrivals could plunge 60/80% in 2020, the worst since 1950, WTO forecasts

The number of international tourist arrivals could plunge by 60 to 80% in 2020 owing to the coronavirus, the World Tourism Organisation, WTO, said on Thursday, revising its previous forecast sharply lower.
Friday, May 8th 2020 - 08:58 UTC
Falklands input to UK/EU Brexit trade negotiations to avoid a fait accompli

Lawmaker MLA Teslyn Barkman confirmed that work continues in London to ensure that any future Brexit agreement (UK leaving the EU) has input from the Falkland Islands.
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 - 08:31 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.