International

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:50 UTC

  ITUC praises Argentina for putting people first in fighting Covid 19

  

  A new analysis from the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, of government responses from 69 countries to the COVID-19 pandemic has identified 12 governments that are putting people first as they tackle the economic fallout from lockdown measures to stem the spread of the virus.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:35 UTC

  Boris Johnson and Health minister Hancock test positive for Covid 19

  

  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus and is self-isolating at his Downing Street residence but said he would still lead the government's response to the accelerating outbreak.

• Saturday, March 28th 2020 - 08:34 UTC

  S&P downgrades Mexico and oil giant Pemex credit ratings

  

  S&P downgraded Mexico’s credit rating on Thursday as the coronavirus pandemic and a hit to state oil firm Pemex from plunging crude prices battered the growth outlook and piled pressure on the government to lift the struggling economy.

• Friday, March 27th 2020 - 09:01 UTC

  Nothing to celebrate on the 25th anniversary of the EU open border Schengen agreement

  

  The European Union marked the 25th anniversary of its open-border Schengen agreement on Thursday with all its land borders shut or subject to heavy checks imposed in an effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

• Friday, March 27th 2020 - 08:52 UTC

  Xi calls Trump to improve bilateral ties; offers to help combat coronavirus

  

  Chinese President Xi Jinping told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Friday that he hopes the United States will take substantive action to improve bilateral ties, China's foreign ministry said.

• Friday, March 27th 2020 - 08:51 UTC

  Britain has ordered 10.000 ventilators from vacuum cleaner company Dyson

  

  Britain has placed an emergency order of 10,000 ventilators designed at breakneck speed by bag-less vacuum cleaner company Dyson, the first fruits of an industry-wide call to arms to prepare for the looming peak of the coronavirus outbreak.

• Friday, March 27th 2020 - 08:51 UTC

  British charity and scientists training dogs to help detect Covid 19

  

  A British charity has teamed up with scientists to see whether dogs could help detect COVID-19 through their keen sense of smell, they said on Friday. Medical Detection Dogs will work with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Durham University in northeast England to determine whether canines could help diagnoses.

• Friday, March 27th 2020 - 08:21 UTC

  Norway's sovereign fund has lost US$ 124 billion because of the pandemic markets collapse

  

  Norway's sovereign wealth fund, the world's largest, has lost 1.33 trillion Norwegian crowns (US$124 billion) so far this year as stock markets have plunged due to the coronavirus pandemic, it said on Thursday.

• Thursday, March 26th 2020 - 18:53 UTC

  IATA: Airlines need $US200 billion in liquidity to face “apocalypse”

  

  As passenger demand evaporated around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned airlines are fighting for survival. The airline association stated that airlines need $US200 billion in liquidity support as they face “apocalypse now.”

• Thursday, March 26th 2020 - 08:40 UTC

  Spain extends state of emergency two weeks after it reported 783 deaths in one day

  

  Spain extended its state of emergency for two more weeks to allow the government to extend stringent lockdown measures in a desperate attempt to contain the coronavirus. Spain reported 738 new deaths in one day on Wednesday while Italy announced 683. The two countries have the highest fatality rate in the global pandemic.