ea

Afghanistan distributes free bread as prices soar amid coronavirus

Afghanistan's government began distributing free bread to hundreds of thousands of people across the country this week as supplies have been disrupted during the coronavirus shutdown and prices have soared, officials and experts said.




ea

Pakistan to start easing lockdown amid sharp coronavirus spread

Pakistan will begin lifting its coronavirus lockdown on Saturday, Prime Minister Imran Khan said, hours after the country announced its highest daily increase in new cases.




ea

Indigenous elders channel tough love in Earth Day film

Indigenous elders from Alaska to Australia have come together to deliver some tough love in a new film for Earth Day. Francis Maguire reports.




ea

South Korean artist crafts cornstarch furniture

Artist Ryu Jong-dae experiments with various cornstarch-based bioplastic in the bid to protect the Earth. Rosanna Philpott reports.




ea

'Act, or Die': Walter Cronkite's First Earth Day

CBS News anchor Walter Cronkite hosted a special broadcast on the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 to report on the nationwide protests that took place that day.




ea

BMW cuts outlook, sees coronavirus pain lasting all year

BMW expects the coronavirus pandemic to hit demand and earnings throughout this year, while Volkswagen sees some green shoots with higher Chinese demand. Francis Maguire reports.




ea

Gas leak at LG plant leaves hundreds hospitalized

A chemical gas leak at an LG Polymers plant in southern India on Thursday killed at least 9 people, and emergency services rushed more than 300 to hospital and evacuated hundreds more from nearby areas, a police official in Andhra Pradesh state said. Libby Hogan reports.




ea

Bank of England predicts worst slump in 300 years

The Bank of England says the UK faces its worst slump in 300 years, but on Thursday held off from any moves on rates or bond buying. Julian Satterthwaite reports.




ea

Top brewer AB InBev sees worse ahead, but hope in China

The world's biggest brewer, AB InBev, says it sees signs of a rebound in China, but warns the next quarter will still be worse overall. Julian Satterthwaite reports.




ea

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.




ea

Pandemic slams healthcare jobs

The steep plunge in U.S. payrolls caused by the pandemic also slammed the healthcare sector, as many workers in dentists' and doctors' offices lost their jobs. Fred Katayama reports.




ea

Biting passengers on flight is no reason for cash compensation delay: EU court adviser

Air travelers cannot receive cash compensation if their flight is delayed by a passenger biting others and assaulting crew members, an adviser at the Court of Justice of the European Union said on Thursday.




ea

Waiter, there's a fly in my waffle: Belgian researchers try out insect butter

Belgian waffles may be about to become more environmentally friendly.




ea

Eat it: Hanoi chef spreads joy with 'Coronaburger'

You've got to eat it, to beat it: That's the philosophy of one Hanoi chef who is attempting to boost morale in the Vietnamese capital by selling green, coronavirus-themed burgers.




ea

Do your bit for farmers and eat more fries, Belgians urged

With potato farmers and processors struggling, Belgians are being urged to eat more fries to offset a slump in demand during the coronavirus pandemic.




ea

Superheroes, from near and far, join Indonesia's coronavirus battle

Volunteers clad as Superman and Spider-Man sprayed disinfectant against the coronavirus on Indonesia's island of Java, flanking a colleague wearing the winged helmet of local superhero Gatotkaca who shouted, "Wear masks, wash hands and stay alert."




ea

Five-year-old stopped on U.S. highway wanted to buy Lamborghini, police say

A trooper stopping a car with a suspected "impaired driver" on a U.S. highway on Monday was bemused to find a 5-year-old in the driver's seat, the Utah Highway Patrol tweeted.




ea

Lockdown diary: the Italian priest delivering blessings from car speaker

Priest Don Giuseppe Castelvecchio hasn't been able to conduct services in his San Fiorano church for two months. In the town where restrictions are easing, his sermons delivered from a loud speaker in a car are a welcome relief. Joe Davies reports.




ea

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.




ea

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.




ea

Austrian ski resort covers glacier after coronavirus cuts season short

With its season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, one of Austria's most popular glacial ski resorts covered its glacier in protective fabric earlier than usual this year to help preserve it for a still uncertain reopening.




ea

U.S. job losses in April worst since Great Depression

The latest figures from the Labor Department released on Friday showed the U.S. economy losing 20.5 million jobs in April, the steepest plunge in payrolls since the Great Depression. Colette Luke has more.




ea

Syria's mosques open for prayer as coronavirus lockdown eases

Syria's government allowed mosques to open on Friday for worshipers willing to perform prayers. The mosque had remained closed as part of the measures taken to contain the spread of coronavirus.




ea

Pandemic slams healthcare jobs

The steep plunge in U.S. payrolls caused by the pandemic also slammed the healthcare sector, as many workers in dentists' and doctors' offices lost their jobs. Fred Katayama reports.




ea

Brazil refuge welcomes eagle hatchling

Brazil's Bela Vista Biological Refuge Veterinarian Pedro Enrrique Ferreira says the Harpy Eagle hatchling born on April 26 only weighs 150 grams now but could one day grow to weigh some 20 pounds.




ea

Countries must return to public health surveillance in COVID-19 fight -WHO

Countries must return to "basic principles" of public health surveillance if they are to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control, the World Health Organization's (WHO) top emergency health expert Mike Ryan said on Friday (May 8).




ea

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.




ea

A bubble looms over China's heartland

China's policymakers struggle to grapple with a property market, the world's largest, that is crucial for growth yet prone to bubbles springing up in unlikely places.




ea

Drone images show northern French beach deserted in coronavirus lockdown

Beaches nationwide have been shut for weeks as the government put itself on lockdown in mid-March to curb the spread of the virus, which has to date killed nearly 26,000 nationwide.




ea

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.'




ea

Mum and newborn leave hospital after beating COVID-19

A mother who was given a 50 percent survival chance and her newborn baby were discharged from hospital on Monday (May 4) after both fighting COVID-19.




ea

Austrian ski resort covers glacier after coronavirus cuts season short

With its season cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, one of Austria's most popular glacial ski resorts covered its glacier in protective fabric earlier than usual this year to help preserve it for a still uncertain reopening.




ea

Countries must return to public health surveillance in COVID-19 fight -WHO

Countries must return to "basic principles" of public health surveillance if they are to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control, the World Health Organization's (WHO) top emergency health expert Mike Ryan said on Friday (May 8).




ea

Brazil refuge welcomes eagle hatchling

Brazil's Bela Vista Biological Refuge Veterinarian Pedro Enrrique Ferreira says the Harpy Eagle hatchling born on April 26 only weighs 150 grams now but could one day grow to weigh some 20 pounds.




ea

Queen say 'You Are The Champions' to health workers

Rock band Queen and singer Adam Lambert are raising money for health workers fighting COVID-19 with new single ''You Are The Champions." Ryan Brooks reports.




ea

Harry Potter himself reads...Harry Potter

Daniel Radcliffe joins a slew of celebrities to read Harry Potter at home during lockdown. Emer McCarthy reports.




ea

U.S. graduates turn regalia into PPE: Wear the cap, donate the gown

In this year's mostly virtual commencement ceremonies, thousands of American graduates are adorning their mortarboards with the slogan "Gowns 4 Good" after donating their gowns to healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic to use as personal protective equipment.




ea

Absence makes the heart grow fonder as China goes back to school

Temperature checks, compulsory face masks and scrupulous hygiene - it's more like going to a hospital than a school, but the Shanghai students returning to class after three months of lockdown are thrilled to be there.




ea

Greece to reopen ancient monuments this month as it eases coronavirus ban

After standing empty for two months, Greece's ancient sites, including the Acropolis hill towering over Athens, will reopen to visitors on May 18, authorities said on Thursday.




ea

Texas nurse expecting Mother's Day baby makes tough choices over virus fears

Samantha Salinas never planned to give birth during a global pandemic, but Mother's Day 2020 may be when her baby finally arrives.




ea

Police file homicide complaint against LG Chem after deadly leak

Indian police have filed a culpable homicide complaint against an LG Chem subsidiary over a toxic gas leak at its chemical plant in the south of the country that killed 11 people and forced 800 into hospital for treatment from poisoning.




ea

India government sharply increases borrowing, markets watch RBI

The Indian government plans to borrow 12 trillion rupees ($160 billion) in the fiscal year to March 2021, up from the previously budgeted 7.8 trillion rupees to cushion the blow from the new coronavirus pandemic, it said on Friday.




ea

No warning, no escape as deadly gas swept through Andhra Pradesh village

When gas began leaking from a nearby chemical factory and drifting towards his house in southern India, there were no warnings and no alarms, welder Elamanchili Venkatesh said.




ea

Cricket: India ready for quarantine in Australia to help tour proceed - official

India captain Virat Kohli and his team mates would be ready to spend two weeks in quarantine in Australia if that helped the tour go ahead as planned later this year, a top official of the Indian board has said.




ea

Amid ruins of a Syrian town, Ramadan meal reunites a community

Amid mounds of rubble and the ruins of buildings destroyed during nearly a decade of war, a Ramadan iftar meal has reunited a community in northwestern Syria.




ea

New York governor says 5-year old died from rare COVID-related complications

A 5-year old boy has died in New York from a rare inflammatory syndrome believed to be linked to the novel coronavirus, highlighting a potential new risk for children in the pandemic, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Friday.




ea

Coronavirus inflicts huge U.S. job losses as pandemic breaches White House walls

The U.S. government reported more catastrophic economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis on Friday as the pandemic pierced the very walls of the White House and California gave the green light for its factories to restart after a seven-week lockdown.




ea

Protesters demand closure of LG Polymers plant in Andhra Pradesh after toxic gas leak

Villagers placed the bodies of three victims of a deadly gas leak from an LG Polymers plant in Andhra Pradesh at the gates of the site on Saturday, and demanded the factory be shut down immediately and its top management arrested.




ea

Facebook to allow employees to work remotely until year end

Facebook Inc said on Friday it would allow its workers who are able to work remotely to do so until the end of the year as the coronavirus pandemic forces governments to extend stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the disease.




ea

WHO readies coronavirus app for checking symptoms, possibly contact tracing

The World Health Organization (WHO) plans to launch an app this month to enable people in under-resourced countries to assess whether they may have the novel coronavirus, and is considering a Bluetooth-based contact tracing feature too, an official told Reuters on Friday.