Texas Police Pray For Coronavirus-Suffering Officer
Police in the U.S. State of Texas have been praying for a fellow officer who was rushed to an intensive care unit with the new coronavirus COVID-19.
Media
Israel To Restart Economy Despite Coronacirus Pandemic
Israeli officials say the government wants to gradually reopen the country’s economy hit hard by a coronavirus pandemic that overshadowed the Passover holiday. But in a setback for the tourism industry, regular flights will only resume in September, Israeli media reported Saturday.
Cuban Christian journalist interrogated for reporting the news
A Cuban journalist reporting on abuses against Christianity in Cuba was recently taken in for questioning by authorities, who accused him of being a CIA agent and threatened his mother and two-year-old son.
France Orders Google To Pay For News
France’s competition regulator has ordered online search giant Google to pay French publishing companies and news agencies for re-using their content under Europe’s new digital copyright legislation.
Britain’s Johnson Out Of Intensive Care With Coronavirus
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken from intensive care late Thursday but remained in a London hospital recovering of the new coronavirus COVID-19, his office announced. “The prime minister has been moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward…He will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery,” it added.
Mystery Surrounds Jailed Chinese Christian Jiang Zhanchun
Concerns remained Thursday over the whereabouts of a jailed Christian in China after authorities prevented his wife from sending him money and clothes, Christian activists say. Jiang Zhanchun was arrested in China’s capital Beijing last year when he and his wife discussed opportunities to be baptized with Christian leaders of a Beijing house church, according to the letter seen by Worthy News.
WHO Boss Defends Agency After Trump Threatens To Cut Funding
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) rushed to defend his agency’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic after President Donald Trump threatened to cut U.S. funding to them. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appealed for unity and a halt to “politicization” of the global health crisis, saying China and the United States should show “honest leadership.”
Federal Appeals Court upholds Texas ban on most abortions during coronavirus pandemic
A federal Court of Appeals has allowed Texas to continue its ban on most abortions during the coronavirus pandemic. Tuesday’s ruling overturns a lower court’s decision to block the state’s ban on non-essential abortions. The ban remains in place while the case moves on to be heard by a federal court in Austin next week.
U.S. Acting Navy Secretary Resigns Over Comments
Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Thomas Modly has resigned after his controversial comments of the officer he fired as captain of a coronavirus-stricken aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, officials confirmed. Modly had come under fire for dismissing Captain Brett E. Crozier, last week, saying Crozier had shown “extremely poor judgment.” He referred to Crozier distributing a letter calling for urgent help with the virus COVID-19 outbreak aboard his ship.
Britain’s Johnson Rushed To Intensive Care With Coronavirus
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was rushed to the intensive care unit at a London hospital after his condition worsened in a battle with the new coronavirus, COVID-19. “Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the Prime Minister has worsened, and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital,” said his Downing Street office in a statement. “The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputize for him where necessary.”
U.S. And Britain Bracing For Deadly Week
The United States and Britain braced Monday for what officials viewed as one of their darkest weeks in post-war memory as the social and financial toll of the coronavirus pandemic mounted and the British prime minister was in the hospital with the virus. Monday’s glooming scenario came as Italy, Spain, and France saw signs that they were flattening the pandemic curve, despite many people still dying there.
Countries Fight Over Medical Supplies Amid Coronavirus Pandemic
As countries struggle to contain the new coronavirus outbreak, a global fight has emerged over dwindling medical supplies. The tensions even led to growing competition for medical goods between the United States and its traditional European allies. Take Germany. The local government in the German state and capital, Berlin, claims that 200,000 U.S.-made protective masks bound for Germany never arrived. Authorities say the shipment was ‘confiscated’ in Bangkok, Thailand.
EU ‘Deeply Concerned’ Over Hungary’s Coronavirus Measures
Thirteen European Union nations say they fear that emergency measures to contain the new coronavirus pandemic could threaten “democracy and fundamental rights.” Their statement came after EU-member Hungary introduced coronavirus legislation that allows the increasingly authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to rule by decree without parliamentary approval.
Netanyahu: All Israelis must wear face masks as virus precaution
All Israelis must wear face masks while in public as a precaution against the coronavirus, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
Federal Reserve Temporarily Eases Capital Requirement for Big Banks
The Federal Reserve is temporarily relaxing a rule that imposes additional capital requirements on deposits and Treasury securities held by the biggest U.S. banks.
Israel’s health minister tests positive for coronavirus
Israel’s most senior Health Minister has tested positive for coronavirus, government officials confirmed Thursday. Yaakov Litzman has entered isolation together with his wife, who also tested positive. Litzman is part of Israel’s ultra-Orthodox community which, according to unofficial figures cited by Israeli TV channels Sunday, make up half the country’s hospitalized coronavirus patients.
Morgan Stanley: ‘World Facing Deep Global Recession’
The world’s largest investment bank and financial services company warns of a “deep global recession” due to the new coronavirus pandemic. New York-based Morgan Stanley says worldwide economic growth could slow by as much as 0.9 percent this year. “[The virus] COVID-19 is at once a human tragedy and unparalleled synchronous shock, affecting both the demand and supply sides of the global economy,” writes Morgan Stanley chief economist Chetan Ahya in a note.
Dutch Daily: ‘World Searching For Leader Amid Coronacrisis’
With roughly half the world in lockdown and many politicians weak or ill, the largest Dutch daily concludes in a headline: “World searching for LEADER.” De Telegraaf (The Telegraph) also expresses that “Nobody takes the lead in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.” Its commentator, Frank van Vliet, complained: “While the world is on fire, international politicians are running in one direction to put out their fire. No leader has taken the lead, and solidarity is lacking. They did not read author Alexander Dumas’ Three Musketeers because “one for all and all for one” has been replaced by “own people first.”
Chinese researchers isolated deadly bat coronaviruses near Wuhan animal market
Chinese government researchers isolated more than 2,000 animal viruses, including deadly bat coronaviruses, and carried out scientific work on them just three miles from a wild animal market identified as the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One dead, dozens sick after Illinois church revival service, many confirmed with coronavirus
At least one person has died, and 43 people have fallen ill at an Illinois Pentecostal church, with at least 10 testing positive for coronavirus so far.