WORLD

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Stock markets extended gains Wednesday, although wins were far more modest than the strong rally seen in the previous session, as traders weighed coronavirus treatment and economic recovery hopes against fears of a second wave of COVID-19. In afternoon trading, London and Frankfurt were both up around half a percentage point, …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The UN’s human rights chief urged countries Wednesday to confront the legacy of slavery and colonialism and to make amends for “centuries of violence and discrimination” through reparations. Addressing an urgent debate on racism and police brutality at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Michelle Bachelet called on countries …

Paris, France | AFP |  When human contact needs to be kept to a minimum, robots can save lives and factories. But when the coronavirus crisis is over, will they amplify job losses? It may be a mechanised arm pulling beers in a Seville bar, a dog-like dispenser of hand sanitiser …

Paris, France | AFP |  Half a year after protests which Iran has now acknowledged claimed more than 200 lives, rights groups fear the real toll from the crackdown was far higher and that nobody will be brought to justice. Protests erupted across Iran from November 15-19 after a sudden fuel …

United Nations, United States | AFP |  The UN General Assembly on Wednesday will elect five new members of the Security Council for 2021 and 2022, with battles underway for the Western and African seats. Kenya and Djibouti are facing off for one seat, while in the Western bloc, three nations …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The Trump administration filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to prevent publication of former national security advisor John Bolton’s book, which is expected to provide a damning insider portrait of the White House. The Department of Justice alleged in its suit, filed in federal court in …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Stock markets shot higher Tuesday as investor hopes for a quick economic recovery were fuelled by a massive Federal Reserve stimulus programme and evidence of US consumers flocking back to shops. The rally was rooted also in reports that US President Donald Trump is considering a $1.0-trillion infrastructure investment …

Washington, United States | AFP | The United States plans to give priority to the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions and essential workers once there is a vaccine against COVID-19, a senior Trump administration official said Tuesday. Under Operation Warp Speed (OWS), the US government is aiming to deliver 300 million …

Paris, France | AFP | Britain is to start giving seriously ill coronavirus patients a basic steroid treatment hailed as a “major breakthrough” Tuesday capable of reducing the global pandemic’s death toll as worrying new outbreaks surfaced. A new and “extremely severe” cluster of cases in Beijing cast doubt over efforts …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain’s government on Tuesday bowed to demands by Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford to change its policy on free school meals for the poorest children, amid growing concerns about the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on low-income families. The England international drew on his own experience of growing up …