WORLD

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  Russia has lost its long-held monopoly as the only country able to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station following the flawless manned launch by US company SpaceX. The Russian space agency congratulated the United States and Elon Musk’s SpaceX on the first crewed flight ever …

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  When Moscow authorities closed non-essential businesses to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Boris Kupriyanov began to personally deliver books to his customers. This, he said, has helped him and his indie bookstore survive over the past two months. “In many ways this has become our …

Mexico City, Mexico | AFP |  Latin America’s beleaguered airlines will take up to three years to recover losses due to the coronavirus pandemic, and in the meantime desperately need government help, according to experts surveying the damage to the industry. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates it will take …

Washington, United States | AFP |  As the coronavirus worked its way across the United States, it cleaved the country’s workforce in two: those who have the ability to work from home, and those who do not. From baristas to hotel workers to tourism operators, people whose job requires them to …

Washington, United States | AFP |  US President Donald Trump said Saturday he will delay the G7 summit scheduled to take place in June and invite other countries — including Russia — to join the meeting. “I don’t feel that as a G7 it properly represents what’s going on in the …

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  Russian oil giant Rosneft, run by a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, is wielding growing influence over Russia’s remaining independent media outlets, already squeezed by tightening press freedoms and pressure from the Kremlin. Now, reporters at the country’s top liberal business daily Vedomosti — shaken …

United States | AFP |  Donald Trump came to Florida on Saturday to witness the dawn of a new space age. But not everyone in America had their eyes to the sky. As Trump witnessed the successful launch of American astronauts into space from US soil for the first time in …

United Nations, United States | AFP |  For nearly a decade, the UN Security Council has been frequently paralyzed by Russia’s obstinacy over the Syrian crisis. Today, however, it is the US-China rivalry that has infected a growing array of issues, according to officials and diplomats. As recently as 2017, an …

United States | AFP |  Two veteran NASA astronauts were headed for the International Space Station on Saturday after Elon Musk’s SpaceX became the first commercial company to launch a rocket carrying humans into orbit, ushering in a new era in space travel. SpaceX’s two-stage Falcon 9 rocket with astronauts Robert …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Climate change, debt, mental health struggles and now the coronavirus: life is no laughing matter. But for under-30s the best way to stay sane is often to wisecrack. “We joke that we post because none of us can afford therapy,” says Chuck Wentzell, 26, a …