Asia

Indian doctors switch to online consultations to treat patients

Jim Stein May 29, 2020

GURUGRAM, India (Technology) – As India’s health system grapples with the coronavirus, doctors are increasingly going online to consult with patients suffering less critical or chronic diseases, while the south Asian economy prepares to emerge from a nationwide lockdown. To head off

Business

Alibaba’s China reach expands as coronavirus outbreak opens doors

Jim Stein May 28, 2020

SHANGHAI (Business) – Alibaba Group Holding Ltd is emerging as one of China’s biggest corporate winners of the coronavirus crisis, gaining the opportunity to expand its businesses and solidify its status as a critical part of the country’s socio-economic engine. While many companies are hurting from disruption caused by the virus, Alibaba has seen traffic

Finance

European stocks have long, winding road to recovery

Nia N May 28, 2020

LONDON (Finance) – The recovery from the coronavirus financial crash will take time for European stocks which are expected to end 2021 around 10% below this February’s record high, a Reuters poll of about 30 fund managers, strategists and brokers showed. Taken over the past two weeks the survey showed the pan-European STOXX 600 would […]

USA

A new wave of U.S. layoffs anticipated amid deepening coronavirus pain

Jim Stein May 28, 2020

WASHINGTON (U.S.) – Job cuts by U.S. state and local governments whose budgets have been crushed fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and more second-wave layoffs in the private sector likely contributed last week to a 10th straight week of more than 2 million Americans seeking unemployment benefits. The Labor Department’s weekly jobless claims report on Thursday,

Tech

Indonesia volunteer army fights coronavirus using data, web

Nia N May 26, 2020

JAKARTA (Technology) – As Indonesia’s most populous province weighed tough movement restrictions to stop the new coronavirus, it turned to a loosely-knit volunteer group of data scientists and health experts. The Kawal COVID-19 (Guard against COVID-19) group organized a data model presented to the provincial governor that showed there could be 70,000 deaths by

Europe

Nursing homes in Italy fight to survive post coronavirus

Nia N May 26, 2020

MILAN (Europe) – Italy’s nursing homes, ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic which claimed the lives of thousands of residents, face financial pressures that threaten to put many out of business and create a fresh elderly care crisis. With costs escalating because of the pandemic and new admissions to care homes blocked in regions including Lombardy, […]

Asia

China’s coronavirus campaign gives inside eye into surveillance system

Jim Stein May 26, 2020

BEIJING (Asia) – The coronavirus outbreak in China has given unprecedented glimpses into how an extensive system of surveillance cameras works, as monitoring stations are rebranded epidemic “war rooms” helping to check people’s movements and stifle the disease. China is trying to build one of the world’s most sophisticated surveillance technology

Middle East

Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem reopens amid easing coronavirus curbs

Jim Stein May 26, 2020

BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Middle East) – Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity, the traditional birthplace of Jesus, reopened to worshippers and tourists on Tuesday as Palestinian authorities eased coronavirus restrictions in the occupied West Bank. Amid lingering pandemic concerns, the church is capping access to 50 people at a time and requires that they be free

Europe

Far-right protests erupt in Spain against government’s handling of coronavirus

Nia N May 23, 2020

MADRID (Europe) – Thousands of cars honking horns and flying Spanish flags out of their windows drove in procession through Madrid on Saturday as part of a nationwide anti-government protest called by the far-right Vox party. Protesters called for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias to resign over their handling of […]

Sport

U.S. to exempt foreign athletes from coronavirus-related entry bans

Jim Stein May 23, 2020

WASHINGTON (Sports) – The United States will exempt some foreign athletes who compete in professional sporting events in the United States from entry bans imposed because of the novel coronavirus epidemic, acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said on Friday. “In today’s environment, Americans need their sports. It’s time to reopen the economy and