WORLD

London, United Kingdom | AFP | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told senior ministers on Thursday the government would adopt “maximum caution” as it moves towards a relaxation of lockdown measures imposed to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Johnson will address the nation on Sunday evening, his spokesman said, but warned against …

Beijing, China | AFP | China accused the United States on Thursday of trying to shift blame over the coronavirus, after President Donald Trump said the pandemic was a worse “attack” than Pearl Harbor or 9/11. Tension between the world’s two biggest economies has reached fever pitch in recent days as …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Bitcoin miners, whose computer processors enable the running of the world’s most popular virtual currency, will soon face an event that takes place every four years and alters the profitability of the hi-tech industry. So-called halving is when cryptocurrency-mining companies and individuals find out the …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | The number of international tourist arrivals could plunge by 60 to 80 percent in 2020 owing to the coronavirus, the World Tourism Organization said Thursday, revising its previous forecast sharply lower. Widespread travel restrictions and the closure of airports and national borders to curb the spread …

Paris, France | AFP | As COVID-19 deaths climb ever higher in Europe and the United States, millions of lives are at risk in developing nations where lockdowns and overwhelmed medical systems are disrupting vital testing, vaccination and treatment for other killer diseases. The pandemic has seen unprecedented social distancing measures, …

Cushing, United States | AFP |  Using his fleet of drones, Dale Parrish tracks one of the most sensitive data points in the oil world: the amount of crude stored in giant steel tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma. The black liquid can’t be seen from outside the structures, so Parrish and his …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP | Tom Cruise will film his next Hollywood blockbuster on location — 250 miles up in the air and orbiting the Earth once every 90 minutes. The “Top Gun” star will fly through the stratosphere to shoot an as-yet-unknown film aboard the International Space Station (ISS), NASA said on …

Jerusalem, Undefined | AFP | Israel’s Supreme Court on Wednesday approved a coalition deal between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival-turned-ally Benny Gantz, paving the way for a unity government to be sworn in next week. The alliance formed last month between the right-wing incumbent and his centrist challenger …

Vienna, Austria | AFP | The UN’s Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday warned of increased risks to human trafficking victims due to the coronavirus crisis with people more vulnerable to exploitation and protection limited. New UNODC analysis found, other than the risk of catching the virus, some rescued victims have been unable …

Beijing, China | AFP | The Chinese laboratory accused by top American officials of being the source of the coronavirus pandemic conducts research on the world’s most dangerous diseases. US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have both claimed that there is evidence the pathogen came from the …