Paris, France | AFP | Churches will be empty this Easter and Passover festivities will also take place behind closed doors owing to the COVID-19 lockdown. Christians will be obliged to turn to services broadcast on television or over social media this year owing to the coronavirus and Jews will mark the Passover holiday in …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The outbreak of the COVID-19 has presented a number of challenges in the fight against desert locusts that have resurfaced in parts of Uganda. Agriculture Minister Vincent Bamulangaki Ssempijja says that they are currently unable to buy nose masks because of the stiff competition …

Paris, France | AFP | The coronavirus pandemic has caused many thousands of people, including Britain’s prime minister, to need treatment in intensive care units, where severe cases of COVID-19 often receive breathing support. Boris Johnson was moved into intensive care when his condition worsened on Monday, 10 days after diagnosis …

New York, United States | AFP | A key test flight of the Boeing 737 MAX has been pushed back by a month to May due to the upheaval of the coronavirus crisis, two sources told AFP Tuesday. The certification flight, overseen by the US Federal Aviation Administration, is a vital step in clearing the …

Washington, United States | AFP | The new coronavirus isn’t picky about who it infects — so why does data emerging from some states suggest that African Americans are bearing the brunt? Experts say the community is disproportionately impacted by underlying conditions linked to poverty, and often faces challenges in accessing …

Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | FIFA on Monday urged clubs and players to reach agreement on wage reductions to protect clubs suffering financial damage due to the coronavirus crisis, sources said. The call from world football’s governing body comes as Premier League clubs are locked in talks with players and their …

Paris, France | AFP | Here are the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: – British PM in intensive care – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is fighting the virus in intensive care after being diagnosed late last month. The 55-year-old is being given oxygen support but was not put on …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The government has cleared the People Power to deliver relief to the National coronavirus task force. Last week, People power had started distributing relief but it was stopped by the government. URN has now learnt that items including flour, beans, salt and soap will …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Some 1.25 billion workers are seeing their livelihoods threatened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Nations said Tuesday, warning it was the “worst global crisis” since World War II. In a fresh study, the International Labour Organization warned that the global spread of the new coronavirus …

Vatican City, Holy See | AFP | Pope Francis decried “unjust” sentences against “innocent” people on Tuesday, hours after Australian Cardinal George Pell walked free from prison following the quashing of his conviction for child sex abuse. Australia’s High Court overturned five counts of sexually abusing two 13-year-old choirboys in the …