Portugal suspends rents, worries surface over post-pandemic housing crisis
Portugal’s parliament approved on Thursday the suspension of rents for vulnerable households and cash-strapped small firms during the coronavirus outbreak, but rights groups warned that the measure might only delay a looming housing crisis.
U.N. agency keeps Africa food aid flowing amid coronavirus
The United Nations food agency has negotiated a humanitarian corridor to keep food aid flowing in southern Africa after many countries shut their borders to stop the spread of the coronavirus, an official said on Thursday.
Canada coronavirus cases rise above 10,000, death toll jumps 21%
Canada now has more than 10,000 coronavirus cases and the death toll has jumped 21% from a day earlier to 127, according to data posted by the country’s public health agency on Thursday.
Putin replaces head of remote Russian region after coronavirus outbreak
Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced the head of a remote northern region on Thursday soon after a preliminary investigation was launched to check if more than 50 people in a local hospital had been infected by a doctor.
Putin extends Russia’s non-working period until April 30 over coronavirus
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday prolonged until April 30 a paid non-working period across Russia, stepping up measures to stem the spread of coronavirus just a week after the Kremlin said there was no epidemic.
Istanbul mayor says time running out to halt coronavirus spread
Europe’s largest city, Istanbul, is running out of time to impose a lockdown and stop a surge in coronavirus cases as around two million people are still going out into the streets every day, its mayor Ekrem Imamoglu said on Thursday.
Exclusive: UK’s worst case coronavirus toll is 50,000 dead but UK is not on course for that – source
The British government’s worst case scenario envisages a coronavirus death toll of 50,000 if self isolation is not fully adhered to, but the United Kingdom is not right now on course for a toll of that scale, a source familiar with the government’s eme…
Over half of Britons say government was too slow on virus: poll
More than a half of Britons think Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government was too slow to order a lockdown to counter the spread of coronavirus, according an opinion poll published on Thursday.
EU Commission apologises to Italy over coronavirus response, deaths push higher
The head of the European Commission apologised to Italy on Thursday for a lack of solidarity from Europe in tackling its coronavirus crisis, but promised greater help in dealing with the economic fallout.
NATO welcomes North Macedonia as 30th ally
NATO foreign ministers welcomed North Macedonia as the alliance’s newest member on Thursday, ending a long process that included a change to the country’s name.
