Photos capture North Korea ships’ sanctions busting in Chinese waters: U.N. report
On Oct. 10 last year, eight North Korean vessels – several carrying illicit coal shipments – were anchored in Chinese waters off the port of Ningbo-Zhoushan, according to a photo in a U.N. report published online on Friday.
Ireland plans to expand weekly coronavirus testing capacity to 100,000
Ireland plans to expand its coronavirus testing capacity to 100,000 tests per week over the next 10 days as it considers easing stay-at-home restrictions on May 5, Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan said on Friday.
France coronavirus death toll nears 19,000 but spread continues to slow
France’s registered death toll from coronavirus infections neared 19,000 on Friday, but most data provided further indications that the spread of the disease was slowing after a one-month-old national lockdown, officials said.
Malawi high court sets aside coronavirus lockdown pending review
A Malawi high court on Friday granted a temporary injunction against the the government’s 21-day coronavirus lockdown period due to start on Saturday, pending a judicial review within seven days.
Police levy fines, shut monastery as Ukraine begins Orthodox Easter under lockdown
Ukrainians geared up to celebrate Orthodox Easter this weekend under the wary eye of authorities who have tightened lockdown measures to fight the spread of the coronavirus and fined people for breaking the rules.
Hairdressers, small shops prepare to reopen in Portugal, students summoned to the fields
Portugal is preparing to gradually lift some lockdown measures next month as the coronavirus outbreak slows, with small neighborhood shops, hairdressers and childcare centers likely to be first on the list to re-open.
Factbox: Canada offers C$2.5 billion for hard-hit energy sector as part of COVID-19 stimulus
* Canada to invest C$1.7 billion ($1.2 billion) to clean up orphan and abandoned wells, set up C$750 million emission reduction loan fund and offer C$962 million to regional development agencies to help small businesses.
Canada offers C$2.5 billion in aid for hard-hit energy sector; death toll hits 1,250
Canada will invest C$2.5 billion ($1.8 billion) in measures to help the hard-hit oil and gas industry during the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed 1,250 people in the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday.
Mexico calls on older medical workers at home to return to work
Mexico’s president on Friday urged medical workers aged 60 to 65 to return to their jobs and treat non-coronavirus patients, in a bid to help the health system handle an expected surge of demand from the virus.
At least 300,000 Africans expected to die in pandemic: U.N. agency
The COVID-19 pandemic will likely kill at least 300,000 Africans and risks pushing 29 million into extreme poverty, the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) said on Friday, calling for a $100 billion safety net for the continent.
