WORLD

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 …

Washington, United States | AFP | Like a global tsunami, the coronavirus pandemic has caused a huge loss of life and taken a massive economic toll. In the US economy, skyrocketing unemployment is the most-visible sign of the devastation: almost overnight, at least 30 million workers lost their jobs. The April …

Washington, United States | AFP | A biting new anti-Trump ad by a group of dissident Republicans, including the husband of a top White House aide, prompted the US president to lash out Tuesday at the “losers” who created it. Tens of thousands of Americans have been killed by “a deadly …