WORLD

Washington, United States | AFP | The coronavirus pandemic is pushing the global economy into its deepest recession in a century, cutting world output by three percent this year, the International Monetary Fund said Tuesday. If the virus is contained and economies can begin operating again, 2021 should see a rebound …

Beijing, China | AFP | US chain McDonald’s has apologised after a sign telling black people they were banned from entering a branch in southern China prompted outrage online, following reports of discriminatory treatment towards Africans in the city. Tensions have flared between police and Africans in the southern metropolis of …

Sydney, Australia | AFP | Australian Cardinal George Pell, released from prison last week after a court overturned his child sex conviction, was warned by police Tuesday of online threats against him, as new abuse allegations also emerged. Pell walked free last week after the Australian High Court cleared him …

Just after 1230 GMT, gold rallied to $1,731.25 an ounce on the London Bullion Market, striking a peak last seen in November 2012. The dollar slid against main rivals Tuesday in the wake of the Federal Reserve’s ongoing stimulus policies that are aimed at cushioning the blow to the world’s …

Oswiecim, Poland | AFP |  Every day, Pawel Sawicki, head of social media at the Auschwitz Museum, posts several photos of victims of the former Nazi German death camp on a Twitter account that has become a powerful tool in Holocaust education. A recent post to the account, which has a …

New York, United States | AFP |  Daniel Terna experienced neither the Holocaust that nearly killed his father nor the war that spawned it, but since childhood he has been immersed in the inherited trauma. It’s been 75 years since the liberation of concentration camps in Nazi Germany, four of which …

Moscow, Russia | AFP |  When President Vladimir Putin announced a paid holiday for the month of April to keep Russians home and prevent the coronavirus from spreading, many small business owners braced themselves. How would they keep to the president’s promise of paying employees while they were shut down? The …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Coronavirus deaths in the hard-hit United States were flat for a second consecutive day, with New York’s governor saying the “worst is over” as many countries weigh a gradual reopening of their shattered economies. Since emerging late last year, the coronavirus pandemic has killed around …

Washington, United States | AFP |  Retired track star Usain Bolt showed he’s still a few steps ahead when he posted an AFP picture of him outstripping his rivals at the Beijing Olympics with the cheeky caption: “social distancing”. Bolt’s post, featuring a picture by AFP photographer Nicolas Asfouri of …

Washington, United States | AFP | The International Monetary Fund on Monday announced immediate debt relief for 25 poor countries to help them free up funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic. “This provides grants to our poorest and most vulnerable members to cover their IMF debt obligations for an initial phase over the next six …