
Chinese factory activity grew at a slower pace in April as demand remained sluggish while the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, according to official data released on Thursday.

Britain now has Europe's second-highest official COVID-19 death toll with more than 26,000, according to figures published on Wednesday that raised questions about Prime Minister Boris Johnson's response to the outbreak.

Formula One teams and drivers have sent 100th birthday congratulations to Captain Tom Moore, the World War Two veteran whose own laps have raised more than 29 million pounds for Britain's National Health Service.

The Falkland Islands government announced on Monday that a decrease in electricity prices will come into effect on from this Friday 1 May 2020. The move is part of the government’s comprehensive suite of measures to assist businesses, private sector employees and households during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two new research projects – in partnership with British Antarctic Survey engineers – will drill deeper than ever before in Antarctica and in space. The first project, called INCISED, is led by the University of Durham, funded by the European Research Council, and has set its sights on the Antarctic. It will drill bedrock from beneath the polar ice sheets, with the goal being to retrieve scientific samples.

Brazil's giant meatpacker Marfrig Global Foods CEO, Miguel Gularte, said the company has resumed sales of fresh beef to the US following a decision by US authorities to open their market to Brazilian beef. American slaughterhouses have been closing amid coronavirus social distancing rules and this has led to unmet demand within the US.

Major US airlines announced this week's new health and safety measures to protect in-flight personnel and passengers from COVID-19, even as states begin lifting restrictions. In a memo to employees, Delta Airlines said that from Tuesday, “all employees and partners” will be required to wear masks in case they cannot maintain social distancing.

Research from Germany and Italy suggests that footballers and other athletes face a particular risk of the coronavirus infecting their lungs, raising major questions over attempts to restart professional soccer.

Millions of Americans who have been thrown out of work during the coronavirus pandemic have been unable to register for unemployment benefits since the U.S. economy entered a free fall, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

Spain's professional footballers can start training again from next week, the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said on Tuesday as he announced plans to relax the country’s COVID-19 lockdown and bring the country back to normality by the end of June.