The UK government launched its first test of a coronavirus contact tracing app this week on a small island off the south coast of England. Using bluetooth technology, the app will alert users if they have been near someone who reports that they have symptoms of the virus or a positive test. The app, which […] Read more
South Africa has announced a nationwide lockdown of its 56 million inhabitants for 21 days, enforced by police and the army, in a bid to curtail the spread of coronavirus. Confirmed cases in the country currently sit at 552, the highest in Africa but much lower than other major economies across Europe and the Americas, […] Read more
EU tells Turkey to ‘honour commitments’ to curb migration as hundreds of refugees head to the border
The EU called on Turkey to “honour its commitments” on Friday after Ankara said it would no longer impede the passage of migrants to Europe, prompting hundreds of refugees to head to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Turkey’s action came as it triggered an emergency NATO meeting following a deadly airstrike in Idlib, Syria […] Read more
President Trump once again is asking Congress to make major cuts to the budgets of science and health agencies while favoring research deemed essential to national security. The 2021 budget request delivered Monday to Congress includes a nearly 10 percent cut to Health and Human Services and a 26 percent cut to the Environmental Protection […] Read more
Tesla has temporarily closed its stores in mainland China as of Sunday, Feb. 2, according to an online post from a company sales employee on that date. The move comes as more than half of China has shut down in an effort to control the spread of a new coronavirus that has killed more than […] Read more
Chinese health authorities said Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak has killed 106 people and infected 4,515. The officials also said 60 people had been discharged. The majority of the reported cases are in mainland China, where local authorities have quarantined several major cities and canceled Lunar New Year’s events in Beijing and elsewhere. The U.S. Department […] Read more
The Swiss franc, which has been in a steep incline against the dollar of late, may be being used as a proxy for gold, according to Goldman Sachs. Gold has rallied in recent weeks following the spiking of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, instigated by the U.S. killing of top Iranian military commander Qasem […] Read more
Investors are worried about possible attacks on oil facilities in Southern Iraq that could affect crude supplies into Asia, an analyst told Sirius Energy. Iraq is the second-largest oil producer in OPEC, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. A disruption to its output level could make it hard for the oil cartel to replace […] Read more
The latest passport power rankings have come out and Asian countries have emerged as the winners. European passports, on the other hand, have shuffled down in the ranking. Japan and Singapore have firmly established their lead on the passport power ranking, overtaking countries such as Germany and Finland. The Henley Passport Index measures which passports […] Read more
For Iranians whose icons since the Islamic Revolution have been hardline clerics, Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani widely represented a figure of national resilience in the face of four decades of U.S. pressure. For the U.S. and Israel, he was a shadowy figure in command of Iran’s proxy forces, responsible for fighters in Syria backing President […] Read more
