science and technology

U.S. coronavirus outbreak soon to be deadlier than any flu since 1967 as deaths top 60,000

U.S. deaths from the novel coronavirus topped 60,000 on Wednesday and the outbreak will soon be deadlier than any flu season since 1967, according to a Reuters tally.




science and technology

Russia drops plans for Putin mosaic in military church

A grandiose mosaic depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials will not be put on display in a new military church after objections from the Kremlin leader, a church official said on Friday.




science and technology

A Minute With: Tim Gunn on pajamas and post-quarantine fashion

Even Tim Gunn, the immaculately dressed fashion mentor from "Project Runway" and Amazon's new competition show "Making the Cut," is finding it hard to get out of his pajamas these days.




science and technology

Cuba's artists make music and dance on rooftops during lockdown

Cuba's artists are rising to the occasion during the coronavirus lockdown, taking to rooftops and balconies to create music or dance.




science and technology

Locked out of galleries, Londoners find Caravaggio street art

Londoners locked out of galleries can find an alternative art fix on a wall under under some railway arches after street artist Lionel Stanhope painted a Caravaggio classic, updated for the coronavirus age.




science and technology

Belgium brings back its bling with reopening of world's largest diamond hub

Antwerp is regaining its glitz as Belgium eases a two-month nationwide coronavirus lockdown that virtually halted business in the world's largest diamond trade centre.




science and technology

"Bailing out the Titanic" - French arts struggle amid coronavirus

Dancer and choreographer Nicolas Maloufi has not worked since France went into lockdown in mid-March, and his daily yoga sessions in a borrowed Paris apartment are his only form of training.




science and technology

A British nurse is the chosen superhero in new Banksy artwork

A young boy chooses a nurse as the superhero he wants to play with over Batman and Spiderman in a new artwork by Banksy that encapsulates the gratitude Britons have felt toward the country's National Health Service during the coronavirus crisis.




science and technology

Nintendo smashes Switch sales view; says Animal Crossing is device's fastest-selling game

Japan's Nintendo Co Ltd said on Thursday its fourth-quarter profit soared 200% due to surging demand for its Switch games console, and that title Animal Crossing: New Horizons shifted a record 13.4 million units in its first six weeks.




science and technology

After the triumph of Animal Crossing, a thin pipeline for Nintendo

The runaway success of Nintendo Co Ltd's island life simulator Animal Crossing: New Horizons has overshadowed an uncomfortable fact for fans of the Switch console - it lacks upcoming titles.




science and technology

Australia sets plan to end most COVID-19 restrictions by July

Australia will ease social distancing restrictions in a three-step process, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Friday, as Canberra aims to remove most curbs by July and get nearly 1 million people back to work amid a decline in coronavirus cases.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: EU airlines

Paris and the Netherlands are lending their respective parts of Air France-KLM up to 11 bln euros. The tricky bailout exposes the frailty of the 2004 merger. Ed Cropley reveals how other operators, including Germany’s Lufthansa and Britain’s IAG, could fly into similar problems.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: The new TBTF

The coronavirus has helped make Big Tech too big to fail. Before the pandemic, political pressure in D.C. and Brussels was mounting on Silicon Valley giants like Facebook. Gina Chon explains how their size has been an asset in a crisis, which will mute arguments to break them up.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: Kim Jong ill?

North Korea’s portly dictator has dropped out of sight. Concern is rampant: Is he sick with coronavirus? In a coma? Dead? Whatever his condition, Pete Sweeney discusses the country’s succession problem and its implications for the region.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: Wall St pay

Goldman Sachs shareholders gave lukewarm approval for CEO David Solomon’s $27.5 mln package. It’s similar to what his peers get, and most of it doesn’t come for at least a year. Still, in a time of economic crisis, eight-digit rewards attract extra scrutiny, John Foley suggests.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: CETWon

Shares in Europe’s top banks have plunged as investors fret about a surge in bad debts. Yet most lenders’ capital buffers can absorb a spike three times as bad as the 2009 average. As Liam Proud explains, that makes taxpayer bailouts and widespread equity hikes unlikely.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: Cable Cowboy

U.S. billionaire John Malone may merge his Virgin Media broadband outfit with mobile operator O2. A joint venture could see Spain’s Telefonica, O2’s indebted parent, pocketing over 4 billion pounds. Ed Cropley explains how this might mean a lonelier future for rival Vodafone.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: Debt games

Could President Trump refuse to pay back the $1.1 trln the U.S. owes to China? While markets would hate the idea, it’s theoretically possible thanks to broad powers designed for times of emergency. John Foley explains how this dangerous weapon could be used if push came to shove.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: China cloud

Kingsoft Cloud will debut on Nasdaq, testing appetite for Chinese shares a month after the Luckin Coffee scandal. Data demand is booming in China amid Covid-19, and Kingsoft is a strong rival to market leader Alibaba. Robyn Mak explains why New York might like this listing.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: Cord cutting

U.S. cable firms are in for pain even after the pandemic starts to fade. Sports rights to air football games and other matchups are expected to soar and so will monthly bills. Jennifer Saba explains why non-sports lovers will choose Netflix and Disney+ and ditch their cable.




science and technology

Breakingviews TV: Dating apps

Like diseases in the past, the pandemic will change intimacy patterns. Covid-19 will make it harder for lovers to swipe right on platforms like $22 bln Match Group’s Tinder with peace of mind. But more engagement, if fewer hookups, may benefit the model, argues Dasha Afanasieva.




science and technology

5G and smart cities

As the number of connected devices within the Internet of Things grows, 5G technology could soon become the foundation for greener, safer, more sustainable cities worldwide.




science and technology

SpaceX, Blue Origin get contracts to build NASA's astronaut moon lander

NASA on Thursday selected space firms SpaceX, Blue Origin and Dynetics to build lunar landing systems that can carry astronauts to the moon by 2024, the White House's accelerated deadline under the space agency's moon-to-Mars campaign. Jillian Kitchener has more.




science and technology

On AI: How AI affects human rights

From surveillance to healthcare, artificial intelligence is getting personal. As companies join the AI race, the technology is also raising ethical concerns.




science and technology

Lego-based robot sanitizer created at refugee camp

Refugees at the Zaatari camp in Jordan have designed a robot prototype made from LEGOs, which automatically dispenses sanitizer to avoid contact with the bottle and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.




science and technology

Lego-based robot sanitizer created at refugee camp

Refugees at the Zaatari camp in Jordan have designed a robot prototype made from LEGOs, which automatically dispenses sanitizer to avoid contact with the bottle and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.




science and technology

Destination Space: Cleaning up space junk

It might be hard to imagine but space is getting crowded. ‘Space junk’ is becoming a dangerous hazard for orbiting satellites, and now some countries are joining forces to tackle it.




science and technology

European coalition takes shape on coronavirus contact-tracing

A European coalition is forming around an approach to using smartphone technology to trace coronavirus infections which, it's hoped, will enable borders to reopen. Joe Davies reports.




science and technology

5G: Is the U.S. easing up on Huawei?

The U.S. Department of Commerce is close to signing off on a new rule that would allow U.S. companies to work with China’s Huawei Technologies on setting standards for next generation 5G networks, people familiar with the matter said.




science and technology

Class of 2020 graduates with 'robot ceremony'

Arizona State University's Thunderbird School of Global Management utilizes robots to give its students a virtual graduation ceremony. Freddie Joyner has more.




science and technology

Youth recreate Iraq's ancient Nineveh in VR technology

Stone by stone, digital artists and game developers from Mosul are rebuilding Nineveh's heritage sites in the digital world. Francis Maguire reports.




science and technology

Schumer: Reopening states without more tests is 'dangerous'

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday said it was 'dangerous' for the Trump administration to pressure states and businesses to 'reopen without a plan for a dramatic increase in testing'.




science and technology

Trump will announce new members of task force soon

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he would announce new members of his coronavirus task force by Monday, as its focus turns to medical treatments and easing restrictions on businesses and social life.




science and technology

Trump contradicts nurse who says PPE has been 'sporadic'

At a ceremony honoring nurses at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump contradicted a New Orleans nurse who said the availability of personal protective equipment has been 'sporadic.'




science and technology

Trump says coronavirus task force to shift focus, drawing criticism

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his White House coronavirus task force would remain in place but with a focus on medical treatments and easing restrictions on businesses and social life and perhaps with different advisers. This report produced by Chris Dignam.




science and technology

No right to praise healthcare workers and then ignore them: Pelosi takes aim at Trump

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday made an indirect dig at President Donald Trump's Navy Blue Angels flyover this weekend, saying that political leaders have 'no right to praise them and then ignore their needs.'




science and technology

Trump 'very happy for' Flynn on news DOJ dropping charges

U.S. President Donald Trump described his former national security adviser Michael Flynn as an 'innocent man' after learning that the U.S. Justice Department on Thursday abruptly sought to drop the criminal charges against Flynn.




science and technology

Trump had 'little' contact with valet who tested positive

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday described a valet of his reportedly testing positive for the coronavirus as "one of those things" and said that he and Vice President Mike Pence have since been tested and they are both negative.




science and technology

DOJ to drop case against Trump ex-advisor Flynn

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday abruptly asked a judge to drop criminal charges against President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn following mounting pressure from Trump and his political allies on the right. This report produced by Jillian Kitchener.




science and technology

Trump tests negative after valet contracts virus

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said it's "one of those things" after he learned that a White House valet tested positive for the coronavirus, noting contact with that person was limited. Gavino Garay has more.




science and technology

As U.S. states reopen, White House keeps CDC guidance on the shelf

The White House shelved a step-by-step guide prepared by U.S. health officials to help states safely reopen mass transit and businesses closed by the coronavirus pandemic, an administration official said on Thursday. This report produced by Chris Dignam.




science and technology

'Justice finally prevailed' in Michael Flynn case: WH

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany on Friday said it appears that the FBI 'manufactured' a crime in the case of President Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, after the Department of Justice moved to drop the case on Thursday.




science and technology

We had to put a 'stop' to the economy to save lives: WH

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany on Friday was asked about the U.S. economy that lost a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April, the steepest plunge in payrolls since the Great Depression, and she responded saying it was 'decided' by the president to 'stop the economy' to save lives.




science and technology

Key Pence aide diagnosed with coronavirus

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary, the wife of one of President Donald Trump's senior advisors, has tested positive for the coronavirus, the second White House staffer to be diagnosed with the illness. This report produced by Chris Dignam.




science and technology

Urban tennis conquers city squares in corona times

Tennis in the time of coronavirus serves up a new sort of court as World Club players take their game to Munich's now empty squares and boulevards.




science and technology

Trump contradicts nurse who says PPE has been 'sporadic'

At a ceremony honoring nurses at the White House on Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump contradicted a New Orleans nurse who said the availability of personal protective equipment has been 'sporadic.'




science and technology

Artist Banksy pays superhero tribute to Britain's NHS staff

A young boy chooses a nurse as the superhero he wants to play with over Batman and Spiderman in a new artwork by Banksy that encapsulates the gratitude Britons have felt toward the country's National Health Service during the coronavirus crisis.




science and technology

Drive-in Bavarian festival provides Oktoberfest flair

Not to be beaten by the virus, Landshut pub-owner Patrick Schmidt took his tent, rolled up the sides and condensed the annual Bavarian 'Dult' experience, where locals feast and drink on local specialities to their heart's content, into a drive-through culinary delight.




science and technology

Walk in the forest for two penguins on lockdown

Two Humboldt penguins, Nacho and Goat, went on a field trip in the forest accompanied by their keepers at Oregon Zoo on Friday (May 1) in Portland, United States.




science and technology

Drive-in Bavarian festival provides Oktoberfest flair

Not to be beaten by the virus, Landshut pub-owner Patrick Schmidt took his tent, rolled up the sides and condensed the annual Bavarian 'Dult' experience, where locals feast and drink on local specialities to their heart's content, into a drive-through culinary delight.