Politics

• Thursday, April 16th 2020 - 10:42 UTC

  Reopening professional sports leagues in US is possible but in empty stadiums

  

  The top US health and infectious disease specialist says the key to reopening professional sports leagues in America is to have the athletes play games in front of empty stadiums. Anthony Fauci, who is helping to coordinate the US response to the global coronavirus pandemic, said reliable antibody testing and fast results are also crucial to the return of sports.

• Thursday, April 16th 2020 - 08:30 UTC

  Brazil's most wanted criminal has been arrested in Mozambique

  

  One of Brazil's most wanted criminals has been arrested in Mozambique after spending more than two decades on the run, officials say. Gilberto Aparecido dos Santos, known as Fuminho, is accused of running drug trafficking operations for one of Brazil's most powerful gangs.

• Thursday, April 16th 2020 - 08:20 UTC

  Beijing's lockdown ahead of a possible resurgence of coronavirus infection

  

  Beijing has virtually walled itself off to outsiders with drastic measures to protect China's seat of power against the threat of a second wave of coronavirus infections from other regions. After largely getting the outbreak under control, China has banned foreigners from entering the country as authorities fret over an increase in cases imported from abroad - though most have been Chinese citizens.

• Thursday, April 16th 2020 - 07:43 UTC

  Two McDonald's employees file US$ 500 million class action lawsuit for “systemic sexual harassment”

  

  Two McDonald's employees in Florida have filed a US$500 million class-action lawsuit, accusing the fast-food giant of fostering “systemic sexual harassment”. Jamelia Fairley and Ashley Reddick are named on behalf of some 5,000 women from over 100 US McDonald's outlets.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 13:51 UTC

  Argentina is readying to announce terms of the US$ 83bn debt restructure

  

  Argentina is expected to announce an offer to restructure US$ 83 billion in foreign-currency bonds any moment as it tries to avoid default, despite shutting down the economy to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 13:00 UTC

  “A bomb” hit Ecuadorean city of Guayaquil: “no space for the living or the dead”

  

  Ecuador's economic capital Guayaquil is reeling from the most aggressive outbreak of COVID-19 in Latin America after the pandemic hit the city “like a bomb,” its mayor said. Cynthia Viteri has emerged from her own bout with the virus to battle the worst crisis the port city of nearly 3 million people has known in modern times.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 10:55 UTC

  Second humanitarian corridor for Greg Mortimer's passengers will depart this Wednesday

  

  The Uruguayan government announced on Tuesday that it will evacuate the remaining passengers on the Antarctic cruise ship Greg Mortimer through a second humanitarian corridor. There will be about 15 passengers who have remained in the ship anchored in front of the port of Montevideo, where there are people with the COVID-19 disease.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 10:07 UTC

  Obama: ”Joe (Biden) has all the qualities we need in a president right now”

  

  Barack Obama endorsed Joe Biden's White House bid on Tuesday, saying his longtime vice president can unify and “heal” a nation struggling through some of its darkest moments.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 10:04 UTC

  US will hold nations and individuals responsible for the pandemics accountable, announces Pompeo

  

  The United States is seeking to “fundamentally change” the World Health Organization, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday after Washington decided to withhold contributions during the coronavirus pandemic. The United States is the top donor to the WHO, offering US$400 million last year.

• Wednesday, April 15th 2020 - 10:02 UTC

  IMF approves immediate debt relief for 25 of the poorest country members

  

  IMF Managing Director Ms. Kristalina Georgieva announced that the Executive Board approved immediate debt service relief to 25 of the IMF’s member countries under the IMF’s revamped Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust (CCRT) as part of the Fund’s response to help address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.