WORLD

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Newcastle United fans have long dreamed of ridding the club from owner Mike Ashley, but a potential £300 million ($377 million) takeover backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund presents fans on Tyneside with a different dilemma. Retail tycoon Ashley has been deeply unpopular in …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Some complain about joggers panting on passers-by. Others wonder what to do when they overhear drunken partygoers rejecting quarantine measures. Still more question whether people they see in the street are really on “essential” business. Local social media networks, long places for recipe swaps and …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Before lifting lockdowns imposed across the United States in March, experts say we’ll need a massive screening system in place to monitor and respond to localized coronavirus surges. Are we on track? That depends on who you ask. President Donald Trump has boasted the US …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Bookmakers at an “emergency summit” this month will be trying to find a way to “survive the slump” triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Racing and football, bookmakers’ two key sources of revenue, have come to a standstill across Europe since mid-March with betting shops also …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The British government on Wednesday dismissed a TV presenter’s claim that there could be a link between 5G technology and coronavirus as “complete nonsense”. The 5G conspiracy theory, spread widely on social media, has already led to a new telecoms mast being set alight in Ireland at the weekend. …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The British government was under pressure Wednesday to set out its plans to end the coronavirus lockdown, as the country’s death toll approached 13,000. Keir Starmer, the new leader of the opposition Labour Party, said it would support the government’s expected decision on Thursday to …

Dubai, United Arab Emirates | AFP | Aviation giant Emirates has launched a 10-minute coronavirus blood test for passengers departing from its Dubai home base, in what it claimed Wednesday as a first for the industry. The airline resumed limited passenger flights earlier this month after the United Arab Emirates grounded all commercial aircraft. The …

Paris, France | AFP | People infected with the new coronavirus may start spreading the virus several days before they have any noticeable symptoms, according to a new modelling study published Wednesday. The study comes as nations have broadened restrictions aimed at curbing the epidemic, amid concerns over patients who may …

Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization is purely focused on saving lives and halting the coronavirus pandemic, its chief said Wednesday after US President Donald Trump announced he was freezing funding for the WHO. “There is no time to waste. WHO’s singular focus is on working to serve all people to save …

Los Angeles, United States | AFP |  Swift and strict containment measures in California appear to have succeeded in reducing hospital overcrowding and mass deaths from coronavirus, according to health experts in the country’s most populous state. California, one of the first states struck by the deadly disease, has been under …