22/04/20 COVID-19 Global News Update

Europe’s banks are expected to have to set aside billions for potential loan losses as well as take profit hits because of the coronavirus crisis when they start reporting results over the next two ...

The U.S. Senate on Tuesday unanimously approved $484 billion in fresh relief for the U.S. economy and hospitals hammered by the coronavirus pandemic, sending the measure to the House of Representatives for final passage later this week.

Italy’s UniCredit on Wednesday became the first major euro zone bank to announce it would write down the value of its loans to reflect the economic slump which the coronavirus emergency is expected to drive this year.

A “unique” Swiss loan programme for companies hit by the coronavirus outbreak is attracting interest from countries including Germany and Britain, the head of Credit Suisse’s (CSGN.S) Swiss business said.

Supermarket and shop workers deserve to be paid a minimum of £10 an hour after coronavirus, a union leader has argued. Paddy Lillis, of the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw), said retail "heroes" should be rewarded for risking their health to keep people "fed and watered".

A third of the UK’s community radio stations could face closure due to the impact of coronavirus without urgent government support, according to the body that represents the broadcasters’ interests.

The government is facing fresh questions over the time it took to join an EU scheme to source medical equipment. Officials have insisted the UK did not receive an initial invitation in time because of communication problems.

The United Kingdom should hold an independent inquiry into Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the novel coronavirus crisis, the opposition Liberal Democrat party said.

ASA cracks down on three companies marketing vitamin ‘immune boosters’ Coronavirus – latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage The advertising watchdog has cracked down on three companies for implying they could provide immune-boosting IV drips that could prevent or treat coronavirus.

UK students should be given the option to retake or be reimbursed for this academic year, says the National Union of Students. The NUS is also calling for a student hardship fund to help those struggling.

Libraries across England have reported a surge in online borrowing during the coronavirus lockdown as the nation seeks escapism and comfort in e-books.

Mental health units could be hit with a surge in cases of Covid-19 because staff cannot get the protective equipment or testing they need, psychiatrists have warned.

Agriculture and food ministers from the Group of 20 countries agreed at a virtual meeting on Tuesday that emergency measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic must not create “unnecessary barriers to trade or disruption to global food supply chains”.

latest updates See all our coronavirus coverage Students whose courses have been thrown into chaos by the coronavirus pandemic should be reimbursed for the year or allowed to retake it ...

UK guidance for people aged 70 and over to self-isolate is leaving people aged 60 to 69 at increased risk from coronavirus, say scientists.

The number of calls to poison control centres in the US has increased since the start of the coronavirus outbreak. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed in a report released on Monday, that “the daily number of calls to poison centres increased sharply” in March, for cleaning ...

A group of 25 doctors have written to the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, because they are concerned about the UK's current advice on self-isolation for coronavirus. The guidance says people should stay at home and avoid contact with others for seven days if they develop symptoms.

Somalia has recorded a rise in coronavirus cases in the past week, with the majority of those affected reportedly young people. So far there have been 237 confirmed cases and eight deaths in the country. A member of parliament and a state minister are among those who have died.

President Donald Trump has said his plan to ban immigration into the US will last for 60 days and apply only to those seeking permanent residence. Mr Trump, who had announced the move in an ambiguous tweet, said the measure would protect Americans who had lost jobs because of the ...

Spain will allow children to go outside for walks from next weekend in a loosening of the country’s strict coronavirus lockdown, Health Minister Salvador Illa said late on Tuesday, amid mounting criticism that the government’s restrictions unfairly penalise the very young.

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s effort to distribute protective cloth masks in its coronavirus battle has been marred by complaints about mould, insects, and stains, fuelling further concern that the government has botched its handling of the pandemic. Just weeks after it began supplying every household with two washable, reusable masks ...

Harvard University has pushed back against US President Donald Trump after he demanded it pay back nearly $9m (£7.3m) in coronavirus relief aid. The president said he was unhappy that the ultra-wealthy Ivy League college had received stimulus money.

WUHAN, China (Reuters) - Dressed in a hazmat suit, two masks and a face shield, Du Mingjun knocked on the mahogany door of a flat in a suburban district of Wuhan on a recent morning.

Last week, hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, thousands of migrant workers gathered near a railway station in Mumbai city.

Demand for plant-based protein foods is surging in Asia, suppliers say, as suspicion over possible links between wild animal meat and the new coronavirus drives some consumers, particularly in Hong Kong and mainland China, to rethink diets.

The president was seen coughing at a public rally, as criticisms against his response grow.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the chief judge to free prison inmates who have been awaiting trial for six years or more to ease overcrowding as the novel coronavirus spreads, a spokesman said on Tuesday.

A residential-care facility in Tokyo for babies and toddlers on Wednesday reported eight cases of coronavirus infections, local media said. One staff member at the institution had tested positive for the virus on April 16, prompting a test of its residents, Kyodo News said.

The advertising watchdog has hit out at three companies over claims that intravenous (IV) drip treatments could be used to prevent or treat coronavirus.

(Reuters) - A second wave of the coronavirus is expected to hit the United States next winter and could strike much harder than the first because it would likely arrive at the start of influenza season, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned on Tuesday.