Posts

Showing posts from March, 2020

Italy coronavirus deaths rise by 812, number of new cases falls sharply

Image
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in Italy climbed by 812 to 11,591, the Civil Protection Agency said on Monday, reversing two days of declines in the daily rate. Italy has registered more deaths than anywhere else in the world and accounts for more than a third of all global fatalities from the virus. Italy's largest daily toll from the five-week-old epidemic was registered on Friday, when 919 people died. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39wcxms

Too little too late? Experts decry Mexico virus policy delay

Image
Mexico has started taking tougher measures against the coronavirus after weeks of its president hugging followers and saying religious medals would protect him. Some experts warn the sprawling country of 129 million is acting too late and testing too little to prevent the type of crisis unfolding across the border in the United States. Last week Mexico banned non-essential government work as confirmed cases climbed, but took until late Monday to extend that to other business sectors and to bar gatherings of more than 50 people. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wIkmsb

US asks Juan Guaido to renounce claim to Venezuela leadership – for the time being

Image
The United States has called on Venezuela’s Juan Guaido to temporarily renounce his claim to the presidency as it recalibrates its strategy to oust leader Nicolas Maduro.The shift came after more than a year of faltering US-led efforts to oust the leftist Mr Maduro. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2wRngL7

Romanian Virus Death Toll Rises to Worst in EU’s Eastern Wing

Image
(Bloomberg) -- Romania is suffering a surge in fatalities caused by the coronavirus after tens of thousands of its citizens returned from Italy and Spain, making it the worst-hit nation in central and eastern Europe.The death toll surged to 69 in the past 24 hours, with more than 2,100 people infected with COVID-19. That’s almost the combined number of deaths in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. The latter two countries -- along with Romania -- were among the European Union’s first after Italy to impose strict lockdowns on most aspects of public life earlier this month.A small historical town in the north of the country, Suceava, is the epicenter, with almost half of the deaths originating from a hospital where most doctors and nurses contracted the illness. The town, renowned for its UNESCO religious heritage status, was placed in full lockdown on Tuesday to try to limit the contagion. Authorities estimate that more than 1,000 more potentially positive cases are still unidentifi

Mexico president ramps up rich vs poor rhetoric in coronavirus fight

Image
As the outlook for Mexico's economy gets gloomier during the coronavirus crisis, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has driven home the message that his government is ready to help the poor to weather the storm - but that the rich can forget it. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2wT7uiH

Australian authorities take cluster approach to contain coronavirus

Image
Australian authorities will open a pop-up coronavirus testing clinic next to Sydney's Bondi Beach on Wednesday as health workers try to contain clusters of infections across the country. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2ymlXEh

Paris Club creditors agree to cancel $1.4 billion of Somali debt

Image
The Paris Club of creditor nations agreed on Tuesday to restructure Somalia's debt, including immediately canceling $1.4 billion owed by the impoverished Horn of Africa country. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2QXBLDN

New Zealand, a country of about 5 million, has 18 million masks in its reserves, with 80,000 being made every day

Image
New Zealand's prime minister posted a video of masks being made in a factory and said, "I'll admit, I have watched this video more than once." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2WTAdhY

'Sailors do not need to die,' warns captain of coronavirus-hit U.S. aircraft carrier

Image
The captain of the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, in a blunt letter, has called on Navy leadership for stronger measures to save the lives of his sailors and stop the spread of the coronavirus aboard the huge ship. The four-page letter, the contents of which were confirmed by U.S. officials to Reuters on Tuesday, described a bleak situation onboard the nuclear-powered carrier as more sailors test positive for the virus. Captain Brett Crozier, the ship's commanding officer, wrote that the carrier lacked enough quarantine and isolation facilities and warned the current strategy would slow but fail to eradicate the highly contagious respiratory virus. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/34aBVxn

AOC Drifts Away from Activist Left, Toward a More Conventional Staff and Political Strategy

Image
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has taken steps recently to collaborate more with the Democratic establishment, taking a less contentious approach and allying with fellow Democratic members.After urging fellow progressives in 2018 to run for office with the support of the progressive group the Justice Democrats, which supported her, the New York Democrat has declined to endorse most of the candidates the group is backing to oust incumbent Democrats in 2020.Of the six candidates the group is backing this time around, Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed Jessica Cisneros in Texas and Marie Newman in Illinois, both of whom are running against conservative Democrats who oppose abortion and were subsequently supported by several other high-profile Democrats.The move comes as the Justice Democrats are recruiting progressive candidates to run against liberals and moderate Democrats."We don’t usually endorse so far out," Ocasio-Cortez's communications director, Lauren Hitt said of

12 Buildings That Show the Beauty of Deconstructed Architecture

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2UxjMXf

Venezuela rejects a U.S. offer to ease sanctions in exchange for transitional government

Image
A former senior U.S. government official says it's the "best" deal they can get, while an analyst said this is more about "politics than policy." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2w3wzat

Trump: a U.S. coronavirus death toll of 100,000 would mean his administration did 'a very good job'

Image
President Trump on Sunday said if his administration can keep the coronavirus death toll to 100,000 in the United States, it will have done a "very good job."Earlier in the day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the coronavirus pandemic could cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths in the United States. Trump said while 100,000 is "a horrible number," if the U.S. can keep its death toll to "100,000, so we have between 100,000 and 200,000, we altogether have done a very good job."Trump also announced he is extending social distancing guidelines to April 30, a departure from his earlier declaration of having the U.S. "opened up" by Easter on April 12. That proclamation was "aspirational," Trump said.As of Sunday night, there are more than 139,700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 coronavirus in the United States, and at least 2,400 people have died from the virus.More stories from th

Idaho governor signs into law anti-transgender legislation

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ymR0Qr

Saudis Start to Unleash Oil Wave Despite U.S. Pressure

Image
(Bloomberg) -- Saudi Arabia has made good on its pledge to ramp up oil exports in April, with a first wave of crude already on its way toward Europe and the U.S., a clear sign the price war remains in full swing.The kingdom has loaded several of the supertankers it hired earlier this month to boost its ability to increase exports, according to ship-tracking data. In addition, Riyadh has used the last few weeks to shuttle large amounts of crude into storage in Egypt, a stepping stone to the European market.The movements suggest that Riyadh is ramping up its oil production toward its target of supplying a record 12.3 million barrels a day in April, up from about 9.7 million in February, despite American pressure to end the price war.Saudi Arabia earlier this month slashed its official selling prices and announced the output hike after Russia refused to join other nations inside the OPEC+ alliance to cut output. The announcement, interpreted in the market as an oil price war, sent Brent a

10 cruise ships that are still at sea as the coronavirus shuts down the cruise industry

Image
Ships from cruise lines like Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, and Cunard Line are still at sea. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xGzp5r

Outrage in India as migrants sprayed with disinfectant to fight coronavirus

Image
Indian health workers caused outrage on Monday by spraying a group of migrants with disinfectant, amid fears that a large scale movement of people from cities to the countryside risked spreading the coronavirus. Footage showed a group of migrant workers sitting on a street in Bareilly, a district in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, as health officials in protective suits used hose pipes to douse them in disinfectant, prompting anger on social media. Nitish Kumar, the top government official in the district, said health workers had been ordered to disinfect buses being used by the local authorities but in their zeal had also turned their hoses on migrant workers. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2QYoP0w

Top White House advisers predict as many as 240,000 US deaths from coronavirus - live updates

Image
Members of the Trump administration laid out dire estimates Tuesday to underscore the potential impact of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ynpUbW

US warship captain seeks crew isolation as virus spreads

Image
The captain of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier facing a growing outbreak of the coronavirus is asking for permission to isolate the bulk of his roughly 5,000 crew members on shore, which would take the warship out of duty in an effort to save lives. In a memo to Navy leaders, the captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt said that the spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating and that removing all but 10% of the crew is a “necessary risk” in order to stop the spread of the virus. Navy leaders on Tuesday were scrambling to determine how to best respond to the extraordinary request as dozens of crew members tested positive. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2xCXA53

Mexico president ramps up rich vs poor rhetoric in coronavirus fight

Image
As the outlook for Mexico's economy gets gloomier during the coronavirus crisis, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has driven home the message that his government is ready to help the poor to weather the storm - but that the rich can forget it. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2wT7uiH

Australian authorities take cluster approach to contain coronavirus

Image
Australian authorities will open a pop-up coronavirus testing clinic next to Sydney's Bondi Beach on Wednesday as health workers try to contain clusters of infections across the country. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2ymlXEh

Paris Club creditors agree to cancel $1.4 billion of Somali debt

Image
The Paris Club of creditor nations agreed on Tuesday to restructure Somalia's debt, including immediately canceling $1.4 billion owed by the impoverished Horn of Africa country. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2QXBLDN

Tokyo may keep city-run schools closed through early May: media

Image
Tokyo is considering keeping city-operated schools closed through early May, public broadcaster NHK and other local media reported on Wednesday, a day after coronavirus infections in the Japanese capital hit a daily record of 78. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2QYL8TK

'Unacceptable': Florida officials concerned about Holland America ships headed there with ill passengers

Image
Passengers on Holland America's MS Zaandam and MS Rotterdam may soon be home, though at least one Florida government official is concerned. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39w6FJW

Venezuelan ex-general surrenders to US on drug trafficking charges

Image
A retired Venezuelan general who was charged by the United States with "narco-terrorism" along with President Nicolas Maduro and other officials has surrendered in Colombia to US authorities, prosecutors said Saturday. "The national Attorney General learned that Mr Cliver Alcala surrendered to US authorities," the Colombian prosecutor said in a statement, adding there was no arrest warrant when he gave himself up. Alcala turned himself in on Friday to the Colombians, who in turn handed him over to US authorities, the El Tiempo de Bogota newspaper said. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2ULwj86

Andrew Cuomo sees major spike in favorability rating amid coronavirus pandemic

Image
Back in February, a Siena College poll showed that only 44 percent of New Yorkers viewed their Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) favorably. Then, the coronavirus pandemic hit.Cuomo has received widespread praise for his calm, cool, and collected approach as he guides the country's epicenter through the COVID-19 outbreak, and his constituents are on the bandwagon, as well. In March, Cuomo's favorability rating spiked to 71 percent, which is the highest it's been since he was first elected governor in 2011.> To whom it may concern: > If you would like to see an actual polling bump for handling a crisis well, see this morning’s @SienaResearch poll of NY voters: pic.twitter.com/nhK9d2IoGD> > — Nick Gourevitch (@nickgourevitch) March 30, 2020There's still a partisan split, but even Republicans in the state have shown some appreciation, as more than twice as many GOP voters approve of Cuomo now than last month.> Cuomo favorable bump: > Overall: 44% favorable in February

Biden leads Trump in new polls despite coronavirus approval bounce

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3as6ell

FBI report describes China’s ‘biosecurity risk’

Image
In late November 2018, just over a year before the first coronavirus case was identified in Wuhan, China, U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at Detroit Metro Airport stopped a Chinese biologist with three vials labeled “Antibodies” in his luggage. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2WVFqG0

NBC’s Chuck Todd Asks Biden If Trump Has ‘Blood’ on His Hands Over Coronavirus Response

Image
Meet the Press anchor Chuck Todd drew the ire of MAGA world on Sunday morning when he asked presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden if he believes President Donald Trump has “blood” on his hands due to his slow response on the coronavirus pandemic.After Biden offered up his recommendations for how the Trump administration should handle the growing crisis—including a more robust use of the Defense Production Act and increased urgency in providing life-saving medical supplies to health workers—the ex-veep criticized Trump for not acting fast enough.“If I see something that’s not happening, I think it’s my obligation to step up and say ‘this is what we should be doing,’” Biden said. “Look, the coronavirus is not the president’s fault. But the slow response, the failure to get going right away, the inability to do the things that needed to be done quickly, they are things that shouldn’t—they can’t continue.”Todd, meanwhile, wondered aloud if Biden slamming the president for b

Photos show crowds of New Yorkers breaking social distancing rules and gawking at the USNS Comfort docked in Manhattan

Image
The New York City Mayor's office eventually asked police to disperse the crowd that was not following social distancing guidelines. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3avMD3v

Brazil's Bolsonaro urges no more coronavirus quarantine, says jobs being lost

Image
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday that there can be no more quarantine measures imposed on the country than those already in place to combat coronavirus because jobs are being destroyed and the poor are suffering disproportionately. from Reuters: World News https://ift.tt/2wFhlZF