News Archives for World - 2021-05-28

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Europe

France reports 3,104 people in intensive care units with COVID-19

The health ministry also reported 98 new coronavirus deaths in hospitals on Friday. Later on Friday, it is set to report the death tally for retirement care homes over the past three days as well as data on new cases.

Updated 28 May, 2021 11:20pm

World

Explainer: What we know about the Indian variant

The B.1.617 variant contains two key mutations to the outer "spike" portion of the virus that attaches to human cells, said senior Indian virologist Shahid Jameel

Updated 29 May, 2021 01:31am

USA

US inflation surges in April; consumer spending moderates

Core PCE price index jumps 0.7% in April.
Core PCE price index accelerates 3.1% year-on-year.
Consumer spending increases 0.5%; income drops 13.1%.

Published 28 May, 2021 08:53pm

South Asia

Vietnam in talks to secure COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna

Vietnam has placed orders for more vaccines from several suppliers and received around 2.9 million doses from its purchases and via the international COVAX scheme.
Vietnam has registered 6,396 coronavirus cases so far, half of which were recorded in the latest outbreak.

Published 28 May, 2021 08:29pm

Europe

EU regulator backs Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents

The European Medicines Agency's endorsement comes weeks after it began evaluating extending use of the vaccine, developed with Germany's BioNTech, to include 12- to 15-year-olds. It is already being used in the European Union for those aged 16 and older.
Inoculating children and young people is considered a critical step toward reaching "herd immunity" and taming the pandemic.

Published 28 May, 2021 08:23pm

USA

Canada records C$314.0 billion budget deficit in fiscal 2020/21

Compared to the previous fiscal year revenues dropped 10.4%, while program expenses jumped 80.1%, largely due to emergency transfers to individuals, businesses and the provinces.
On a monthly basis, Canada posted a deficit of C$31.44 billion in March 2021, compared to a deficit of C$14.79 billion recorded in March 2020.

Updated 28 May, 2021 08:17pm

USA

US consumer inflation surges in April

Consumer prices as measured by the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, excluding the volatile food and energy components, increased 0.7% last month after gaining 0.4% in March, the Commerce Department said on Friday. In the 12 months through April, the so-called core PCE price index vaulted 3.1%. That followed a 1.9% year-on-year gain in March.

Published 28 May, 2021 07:08pm

Europe

Slovak parliament approves higher 2021 budget deficit

The country's public finances have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The extra spending will put the gap at about 12% of expected gross domestic product in 2021.
Lawmakers approved a 2021 budget in December that envisaged a fiscal gap of 7.4% of GDP, with economic growth seen picking up this year.

Published 28 May, 2021 06:58pm

South Asia

Malaysia PM orders 'total lockdown' amid COVID-19 surge

Muhyiddin said the stricter lockdown from June 1 to 14 was for all social and economic sectors, and that only essential services would remain in operation.
"With the latest rise in daily cases showing a drastically upward trend, hospital capacity across the country to treat COVID-19 patients are becoming limited," Muhyiddin said in a statement.

Published 28 May, 2021 06:56pm

Europe

Belarus leader flies into Russia for talks with Putin amid uproar over 'air piracy'

The talks in the Black Sea city of Sochi were organised before the plane incident, but come as the West has accused Belarus of piracy over the way the plane was made to land.
Both are now languishing in jail. Accused of orchestrating mass riots, Protasevich could be jailed for up to 15 years.

Published 28 May, 2021 06:52pm

Stocks

Stocks push for record high on $6 trillion US spending hopes

Strong US data lifts outlook for global pandemic recovery.
World stocks index pushes for record high.
Value shares in favour as higher bond yields hurt tech.
Oil extends gains as economy outweighs Iran supply concerns.

Published 28 May, 2021 06:23pm

Europe

German parliament to clear way for women quota on some company boards

Parliament expected to pass legislation this summer.
Affects around 70 large companies in Germany.
One board member must be a woman if more than three members.
Board members will also be entitled to parental leave.

Published 28 May, 2021 05:41pm

Europe

Britain approves J&J COVID-19 vaccine for use

Britain also cut its order for the single-dose shot, also known as J&J unit Janssen's vaccine, amid issues with the company's supply chain and reports of rare blood clots.
J&J's vaccine is already approved in the United States and European Union, where reports of rare blood clots are being reviewed.

Published 28 May, 2021 05:36pm

Europe

WTO says goods trade rising at accelerated pace

The WTO said its goods trade barometer had surged to 109.7 points, well above the baseline of 100, from 103.9 in February.

Published 28 May, 2021 05:34pm

Europe

Russia plans to supply up to 1mn tonnes of wheat to Syria in 2021

The already delivered wheat was supplied as part of contracts, Russian ambassador to Syria, Alexander Efimov, was quoted as saying. He did not provide further details.
Russia, one of the world's largest exporters of wheat, has supported Syrian President Bashar al Assad but its publicly available customs data does not show significant supplies of wheat to Syria.

Published 28 May, 2021 05:23pm

Europe

EU fails to agree farming subsidies deal amid disputes over green schemes

After all-night talks on Thursday, EU member states failed to find a compromise to put forward in negotiations with the European Parliament and the European Commission.
Portuguese agriculture minister Maria do Ceu Antunes said member states had made "numerous concessions" in the talks.

Published 28 May, 2021 05:03pm

World

Russia hails Assad's 'decisive' poll victory

On the eve of the election, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and Italy said the poll was "neither free nor fair", and Syria's fragmented opposition has called it a "farce".

Published 28 May, 2021 04:24pm

World

Greek February unemployment drops to 15.9%

Seasonally adjusted data showed the number of unemployed at 700,842 people.

Published 28 May, 2021 02:23pm

World

Royal academy seeks 1mn vaccines as Thailand approves Sinopharm

Just a over 1 million of Thailand's more than 66 million people are fully vaccinated.

Published 28 May, 2021 02:17pm

World

Hungary seeks new bilateral ties with Britain, Orban says ahead of Johnson meeting

We agreed on many things, which created a sort of balance in the EU," Orban told public radio.

Published 28 May, 2021 11:20am

World

Russia disappointed by US decision not to rejoin Open Skies treaty

The US refusal did not create an atmosphere conducive to arms control discussions being held at a summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Published 28 May, 2021 11:15am

World

Taiwan reports another rise in domestic COVID-19 cases

It continues to readjust its infection numbers following delays in reporting positive tests.

Published 28 May, 2021 11:12am

World

Mexico arrests alleged Romanian gangster

According to Mexican media, he is suspected of leading a group of Romanians that clone credit cards.

Published 28 May, 2021 11:11am

World

Trudeau apologizes to Italian-Canadians for WWII treatment

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, addressing the House of Commons, also apologized for harm suffered by members of the community, with about 31,000 declared "enemy aliens."

Published 28 May, 2021 11:06am

World

US 'outraged' by violence against protesters in Iraq

"The United States is outraged that peaceful demonstrators who took to the streets to urge reform were met with threats and brutal violence," Price added.

Published 28 May, 2021 11:02am

World

No end in sight as Colombia marks full month of protests

Some fear deep-seated rancor will continue fueling revolt in a country intimately familiar with violent conflict and deep social inequality, with many people with little to lose.

Published 28 May, 2021 10:59am

World

Same morbid fate despite different Covid approaches in Uruguay, Argentina

"I'm at the end of my tether, I had to see a psychiatrist because I can't stay shut inside," complained pensioner Nadia Mariella, 73, after receiving her vaccine in Buenos Aires.

Updated 28 May, 2021 10:52am

World

Biden's defense budget seeks greater China deterrence and nuclear funding

There will also be money to further develop and test of hypersonic weapons and other "next-generation" weapons systems as the military aims to build capabilities to counter Russia and China

Published 28 May, 2021 10:25am

World

Germany says committed genocide in Namibia during colonial rule

We will now officially refer to these events as what they are from today's perspective: genocide," said Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

Published 28 May, 2021 10:21am

World

Pandemic takes centre stage in Macron's SAfrica trip

Macron and South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa will hold talks and then head to the University of Pretoria to launch a programme to support African vaccine production, a project backed by the European Union, United States and World Bank.

Published 28 May, 2021 10:08am

World

No surprises as Syria's Assad re-elected for 4th term

Celebrations were also underway in Aleppo and in Sweida, in Syria's south, where a crowd gathered in front of city hall, state media said.

Published 28 May, 2021 10:02am

World

Tycoon Jimmy Lai, 7 others handed new jail terms over Hong Kong protests

It was a vivid and embarrassing illustration of how huge swathes of Hong Kong's population seethe under Beijing's rule as the government celebrated 70 years since communist China's founding.

Published 28 May, 2021 09:58am

World

Australia's Covid success under threat as Melbourne goes into lockdown

In recent months, Australians had largely been enjoying few restrictions after the country successfully contained the spread of coronavirus.

Published 28 May, 2021 09:55am

World

HK woman breaks record for fastest ascent of Everest

KATHMANDU: Hong Kong mountaineer Tsang Yin-hung has recorded the world’s fastest ascent of Everest by a woman with...