Paris, France | AFP | The International Energy Agency on Wednesday called on governments to put clean energy at the heart of their coronavirus economic recovery plans, as it forecast the first slowdown in new renewable power installations worldwide in two decades. The IEA warned that lockdown measures — which at …
Read More »France looks past Google, Apple for virus contact tracing
Paris, France | AFP | France, which has long been sceptical of the growing power of US tech titans, is seeking to bypass Apple and Google for a smartphone app to help trace people infected with the novel coronavirus. The move, which leaves France relatively isolated in Europe alongside Britain and …
Read More »As Europe slowly exits lockdown, Sweden hunkers down for long haul
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Sweden has taken a soft approach to virus restrictions and although its rules are likely to be in place longer than in other countries, officials are adamant their strategy is a winner in the long term. “This fight against COVID-19 is a marathon,” Prime Minister Stefan …
Read More »Europe’s Franco-German ‘motor’ sputters back to life
Paris, France | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel have jump-started the Franco-German “motor” at the heart of Europe by jointly pitching a hugely ambitious economic recovery plan, even if it faces a bumpy road ahead. Macron and Merkel, whose relationship has been shadowed by disagreements on several …
Read More »Global CO2 emissions to drop 4-7% in 2020, but will it matter?
Paris, France | AFP | Global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels are set to drop by up to seven percent in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but even this dramatic decline — the sharpest since WWII — would barely dent longterm global warming, researchers reported Tuesday. In early April, coronavirus …
Read More »US hails Taiwan model, but impact on China to be seen
Washington, United States | AFP | With its remarkable success in fighting the coronavirus and its democratic values, Taiwan is enjoying a groundswell of support in the United States whose leadership is eager to hold up the island as a model against China. Experts, however, doubt there will be a major …
Read More »Coronavirus gives Trump big stage for pet medical theories
Washington, United States | AFP | America, Dr Trump will see you now. While US President Donald Trump admits he’s not actually a doctor, he’s long been convinced of his scientific talents — and the coronavirus pandemic has given him the ultimate stage to test his theories. The Republican leader’s announcement …
Read More »Russia denounces US attempts to ‘break’ WHO
Moscow, Russia | AFP | Russia on Tuesday denounced President Donald Trump’s threat to pull the United States out of the World Health Organization over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. “Yes, there are opportunities to improve it… and we are ready — as before — to play an active role in this work,” deputy …
Read More »WHO faces virus probe after Trump ultimatum
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | World Health Organization member states agreed Tuesday to launch an investigation into its coronavirus response, after US President Donald Trump threatened to quit the UN agency and branded it a “puppet of China”. Trump has been locked in a bitter spat with Beijing, alleging it covered …
Read More »Australia threatens WTO action as dispute with China deepens
Sydney, Australia | AFP | Australia threatened Tuesday to take China to the World Trade Organisation to counter a fresh round of punitive sanctions, as the two countries clashed over an investigation into the origins and spread of the coronavirus. Canberra said it may seek remedial action to overturn almost 81 …
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