Month: April 2020

Local authorities in Ukraine have dismissed residents’ concerns that forest fires near the Chernobyl nuclear power station have led to unsafe radiation levels.The radiation levels in the capital Kyiv and the exclusion zone established around the plant in 1986, after an explosion there that caused the world’s worst nuclear accident, “did not exceed natural background …

Read more “Ukraine Fights Fires in Chernobyl Zone, Says no Radiation Jump”

After dropping for straight days, Spain’s health ministry announced Tuesday both the coronavirus daily rate of new infections and the death rate were higher overnight.At news briefing in Madrid, the health ministry’s Dr. Maria Jose Sierra reported the number of new infections grew at a faster pace from Monday, rising 4.1 percent to 140,510 total …

Read more “Spain Sees Uptick in Spread of COVID Cases, Overnight Deaths”

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has announced a $434 billion package of additional economic aid for Italian companies of all sizes struggling in the wake of the coronavirus crisis that has hit Italy especially hard.At a news conference with his cabinet in Rome Tuesday, Conte said the funds will be split between aiding the domestic …

Read more “Italy Announces Additional Economic Aid Package”

A pandemic forcing everyone to stay home could be the perfect moment for online grocery services. In practice, they’ve been struggling to keep up with a surge in orders, highlighting their limited ability to respond to an unprecedented onslaught of demand.After panic buying left store shelves stripped of staples like pasta, canned goods and toilet …

Read more “Online Grocery Services Struggle to Meet Spike in Demand”

With Istanbul the epicenter of Turkey’s COVID-19 epidemic, the city is becoming the political battleground over how to defeat the virus.  Istanbul’s mayor is calling for a city shutdown, but the Turkish president insists the wheels of the economy must continue to turn. Every day, millions of people in Istanbul go to work, potentially running a gantlet of infection. While the city’s schools and entertainment venues …

Read more “Turkish Lockdown Calls Grow as Epidemic Continues  “

Australia’s highest court has dismissed the convictions of the most senior Catholic found guilty of child sex abuse. High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel announced the decision of the seven judges on Tuesday in the appeal of Cardinal George Pell. The decision means he will be released from Barwon Prison outside Melbourne after serving 13 months of a …

Read more “Australian Court Dismisses Cardinal’s Sex Abuse Convictions”

The United States has designated the white supremacist group Russian Imperial Movement (RIM,) as a global terrorist organization, an unprecedented move that reflects increasing concerns about violent white supremacists with transnational connections.In Monday’s State Department announcement, three of RIM’s leaders — Stanislav Anatolyevich Vorobyev, Denis Valliullovich Gariev and Nikolay Nikolayevich Trushchalov — have also been designated …

Read more “US Designates Russian White Supremacist Group as Terror Organization”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved to the intensive care unit of a London hospital after his coronavirus symptoms worsened Monday, just a day after he was admitted for what were said to be routing testsJohnson was admitted to St. Thomas’ Hospital late Sunday, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.”Over the course …

Read more “British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Moved to Intensive Care”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s condition has worsened since being hospitalised with persistent COVID-19 symptoms and he has been moved into intensive care, his Downing Street office said in a statement on Monday.”Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has …

Read more “UK Prime Minister Johnson in Intensive Care After COVID-19 Worsens”

In her daily coronavirus briefing Monday, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon took the opportunity to wish British Prime Minister Boris Johnson — hospitalized for symptoms related to COVID-19 — a speedy recovery.  Johnson tested positive for the virus over a week ago and as recently as Friday reported he was doing well. But the prime minister was …

Read more “Scotland’s First Minister Gives Coronavirus Update”

France will likely see its deepest economic downturn this year since the end of World War Two, far surpassing the slump seen after the global financial crisis, its finance minister said on Monday. Bruno Le Maire told a Senate hearing by teleconference that eurozone’s second-biggest economy would likely contract more than it did in 2009. “That shows …

Read more “Minister: France May See Deepest post-WW2 Downturn This Year”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who last week tested positive for coronavirus, remained hospitalized Monday after being admitted for additional testing after having a persistent high fever. His office called the development “precautionary” and said he remained in charge of the government. Britain has emerged as one of the latest hot spots in the pandemic, reporting more than 600 …

Read more “Coronavirus Concerns in US, Britain as Italy and Spain Show Signs of Progress”

Two forest fires near the now defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine have boosted the radiation level in the area. Ukrainian firefighters worked into Sunday night to put the fires under control. Emergency services said one of the fires that spread to an area of about five hectares was contained. The other fire was covering a much larger area, of about 20 hectares. Fire officials said radiation levels in the area near Chernobyl were considerably higher than normal.  The emergencies …

Read more “Fires Near Chernobyl Increase Radiation Level”

The U.N. secretary-general warned Sunday that the increase in social and economic pressures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has led to a global increase in violence against women and girls.   Last week, Antonio Guterres called for a global cease-fire so that the international community could focus all of its attention on stopping the virus and helping those who …

Read more “UN Chief: Coronavirus Pressures Leading to Global Surge in Domestic Violence”