El Salvador student takes to treetops to pick up signal for online classes
When Alexander Contreras and his father planted a guava tree next to their house in rural El Salvador six years ago, he never dreamed that beyond providing shade and food, it would become key to his college education.
Tanzania’s president calls for debt forgiveness to help battle virus
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli called on international creditors on Wednesday to cancel debts owed by African nations to enable them use the savings to battle the coronavirus.
Muslim grouping OIC urges help for vulnerable states in coronavirus battle
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) urged member states on Wednesday to help struggling Muslim states combat the coronavirus pandemic, particularly in Africa.
Pompeo renews criticism of China over virus but welcomes supplies
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hit out at Beijing again on Wednesday over the coronavirus outbreak and accused it of taking advantage of the pandemic to bully neighbors, even as he welcomed China’s provision of essential medical supplies.
EU regrets U.S. refusal to allow economic aid for Iran to fight coronavirus
The European Union has urged the United States to ease its sanctions on Iran and approve economic aid to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic, but its calls were rejected, the EU’s top diplomat said on Wednesday.
Special Report: Peruvian coca farmers to Paris pushers, coronavirus upends global narcotics trade
Countries around the world have spent billions of dollars bailing out businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Peru’s coca farmers, who grow the bushy plant used to make cocaine, say they want help, too.
WHO chief urges U.S. to reconsider funding, says ‘virus will be with us for a long time’
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday that he hoped the Trump administration would reconsider its suspension of funding, but that his main focus was on ending the pandemic and saving lives.
Iran reopens parks, further easing virus-linked curbs
Iran reopened parks and recreational areas on Wednesday, pressing ahead with measures to ease its coronavirus curbs despite one of the worst outbreaks of the disease in the Middle East.
Finland adopts hybrid strategy to contain coronavirus
Finland will adopt a hybrid strategy to move towards more normal life while still containing the coronavirus outbreak, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday.
France coronavirus death toll close to Spain’s, still world’s fourth highest
The number of people who have died from coronavirus infection in France increased by 544 to 21,340 on Wednesday, the fourth-highest casualty tally in the world, but trailing just a few hundred behind Spain, which has a death toll of 21,717.
