News - CDE News - The Dispatch

WTO chief Azevedo expected to step down early

The head of the World Trade Organization will announce his early departure on Thursday more than a year before the end of his term, Geneva-based sources said, a surprise move…

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Study says only 4.4% of French population infected by coronavirus

A study led by the Pasteur Institute says a mere 4.4% of the French population - or 2.8 million people - have been infected by the novel coronavirus, much higher…

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UK says Belgium is worse on COVID-19 deaths per million

The United Kingdom is on a similar level to France, Italy and Spain on COVID-19 deaths per million but Belgium is worse, a junior British health minister said on Thursday.…

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Swiss to re-open borders with neighbouring countries but not Italy

Switzerland is planning to re-open its borders with Germany, France and Austria as part of a gradual loosening of restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic imposed in March. Justice Minister Karin Keller-Sutter said…

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Sanofi to accelerate European COVID-19 vaccine access after CEO prioritizes U.S. preorders

French drugmaker Sanofi SA said on Wednesday that it is working with European regulators to speed up access to a potential coronavirus vaccine in Europe after its chief executive…

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Czech Republic planning to open borders with Austria, Slovakia in June

The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria could open their mutual borders as soon as June 8, allowing residents of the three countries to travel between them, Czech Prime Minister Andrej…

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Australians warned worse still to come after job losses hit record high

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison warned citizens to brace for more bad news as data released on Thursday showed the country’s monthly job losses rose to a record high because…

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Gilead ties up with generic drugmakers for COVID-19 drug supply

Gilead Sciences Inc said on Tuesday it has signed non-exclusive licensing pacts with five generic drugmakers based in India and Pakistan to expand the supply of its experimental COVID-19 treatment…

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Fears of an emerging 2nd wave of COVID-19 in Asia

Fears of a second surge of coronavirus infections are forcing early-hit countries to rethink plans for re-opening as new cases come to light. China is now testing millions of people to catch…

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Bulgaria declares coronavirus emergency until June 14

Bulgaria’s government on Wednesday declared an epidemic emergency until June 14, allowing the health minister to extend restrictions aimed at containing the coronavirus outbreak. The measure replaces a state of…

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Spanish antibody study suggests 5% of population affected by coronavirus

Preliminary results from a nationwide coronavirus antibody study showed that about 5% of the overall Spanish population had contracted the novel virus - about 10 times more than the tally…

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Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Thursday's Editorials provide us with diverse topics for discussion, including a call for political leaders to lead by example and wear protective masks, and another on employers to make teleworking…

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New study shows Coronavirus could remain in the air for several minutes after talking

Droplets generated by people talking while infected with the novel coronavirus could linger in the air for several minutes, potentially triggering new infections, according to researchers. A new estimate by…

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U.S. airlines tell crews not to force passengers to wear masks

The top three U.S. airlines have told their flight attendants not to force passengers to comply with their new policy requiring face coverings, just encourage them to do so, according…

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US says Chinese hackers might be targeting virus researchers

Organizations conducting research into COVID-19 may be targeted by computer hackers linked to the Chinese government, according to the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Neither agency cited any…

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Iceland to test tourist arrivals with the aim to restart tourism by June 15

Holidaymakers arriving in Iceland will be given the choice of a coronavirus test or a two-week quarantine under plans to restart tourism to the island nation. The Icelandic government said…

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Scotland could be closed to tourists all summer

Scotland could remain closed to tourists for the duration of the summer, one of the country’s tourism chiefs has warned. Riddell Graham, director of VisitScotland, criticised the UK government's mixed…

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China begins testing every resident in Wuhan

At least one community in the Chinese city of Wuhan was to begin testing residents for the new coronavirus Thursday after officials were given 10 days to test everyone in…

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EP wants data protection guaranteed before allowing fingerprint exchange with UK

MEPs urge the Council not to take any decision on the topic until the UK gives guarantees on full reciprocity and data protection and to wait until the new legal…

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Tunisia relaxes curfew as virus outbreak slows

Tunisia shortened its nightly curfew on Wednesday after three consecutive days without recording any new coronavirus cases and as the government relaxes a general lockdown. The North African democracy imposed…

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4.1 earthquake off the coast of Malta

An earthquake measuring 4.1 shook the central Mediterranean off the coast of Malta on Wednesday night. The tremor was also registered by the University of Malta Seismic Monitoring & Research…

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U.N. warns of global mental health crisis due to COVID-19 pandemic

A mental illness crisis is looming as millions of people worldwide are surrounded by death and disease and forced into isolation, poverty and anxiety by the pandemic of COVID-19, United…

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Malta: Gaming association chief warns about impacts to sector

Business Today carries an interview with the chairman of association of iGaming companies, Enrico Bradamante who wanted that a change in attitude towards illegal gambling in Sweden could affect the…

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Malta: Sixth Covid-19 victim was Prof. Aaron Casha

The Malta Business Weekly leads with the death of Prof. Aaron Casha, the sixth victim of the coronavirus in Malta. The 53-year-old was consultant cardiothoracic surgeon and an Academic at…

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Malta: Opposition demands 30c decrease in fuel prices

In-Nazzjon quotes Opposition spokesperson for Energy Ryan Callus who said that diesel prices in Malta are the highest in Europe while petrol prices are the second-highest. The Nationalist Party is…

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Malta: Public appointments to be made by Cabinet, not PM

The Times quotes a letter by the government to the European Commission for Democracy which said that high-ranking officials will start being appointed by the Cabinet instead of the Prime…

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Malta: Chamber of SMEs propose national campaign to revive economy

L-Orizzont carries a report by the Chamber for SMEs which found that businesses that returned to trade last week did not make much sales. The Chamber is proposing a national…

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Malta: Education Minister unveils think-tank

The reports on an announcement by Education Minister Owen Bonnici about the setting up of a think-tank on the future of education. The seven-member team does not include teachers or…

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Oil prices inch higher but outlook remains bleak

Oil prices were lifted on Thursday by an unexpected drop in U.S. crude stocks, but gains were capped by both a bleak outlook for the world's no. 1 economy as…

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EU urges voluntary use of virus-tracing apps to speed recovery from pandemic

The European Commission has urged EU governments to use COVID-19 contact tracing apps on a voluntary basis as part of efforts to lift border restrictions and revive the European Union's tourism and travel industries.…

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Sanofi to give US preference on future Covid-19 vaccine

The US will have priority access to a Covid-19 vaccine if and when Sanofi develops one, the French pharmaceutical giant told Bloomberg, explaining that the US offered more money to…

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Israel’s unity government set to be sworn in after over a year of deadlock

An Israeli unity government agreed between former army chief Benny Gantz and veteran right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to be sworn in on Thursday evening, ending more than a year…

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EU seeks new revenue sources to finance economic recovery

The European Union executive will ask member states to allocate new sources of revenue to the EU's long-term budget to help finance an economic recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, its…

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On This Day…

1607 - The first permanent British settlement in North America was founded at Jamestown, Virginia. 1643 - Four-year-old Louis XIV ascended the throne of France. 1787 - Delegates gather in…

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A COVID-19 vaccination should be made available to everyone without discrimination – David Casa

Maltese MEP David Casa has called on the European Union to ensure that once available, the vaccination for the COVID-19 virus should be provided to every citizen, without discrimination. David…

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Italy approves long-awaited €55 billion bailout package

The Italian government has approved a long-delayed, 55 billion-euro ($59.6 billion) stimulus package aimed at helping Italy's battered businesses and struggling families survive the coronavirus crisis. The new measures also include…

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Teachers ‘at more risk of catching coronavirus from other teachers than from pupils’

Teachers are at greater risk of contracting coronavirus from their colleagues than from schoolchildren, the British government’s chief pandemic modeller has suggested. Professor Graham Medley, who oversees the mathematical models…

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Pope says Thursday will be day of prayer for all religions for end to pandemic

Thursday will be a day of prayer for all religions, Pope Francis said at his weekly general audience on Wednesday. He said he had agreed to a request from the…

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Live Update: Covid-19 Bulletin Malta – Thursday 14th May 2020

Updated 1231 Seven further persons have recovered from coronavirus infection, taking this tally to 443. Yesterday a record of 1321 tests were carried out, resulting in 14 positive cases, taking…

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New 100% accurate COVID-19 antibody test approved for use in UK

A new coronavirus antibody test has been found to be 100% accurate, public health leaders have confirmed. The test is designed to help determine if a patient has had COVID-19…

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Deaths worldwide near 300,000

The number of lives lost worldwide in the coronavirus pandemic is nearing 300,000, according to Johns Hopkins University figures, with 297,197 confirmed deaths. The true figure is likely to be…

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Italian doctors find link between Covid-19 and inflammatory disorder in children

Doctors in Italy have reported the first clear evidence of a link between Covid-19 and a rare but serious inflammatory disorder that has required some children to undergo life-saving treatment…

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EP approves increased water reuse

To prevent water shortages in the European Union, the European Parliament has approved a resolution allowing increased levels of water re-use. The new law defines minimum requirements at European…

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WHO warns coronavirus may never go away

The coronavirus "may never go away", the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, WHO emergencies director Dr Mike Ryan warned against trying to predict…

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Active COVID-19 cases in Italy down in 19 out of 20 regions

The number of active coronavirus cases in Italy was down in 19 out of 20 regions (the only exception being one of the smallest, Molise), as 888 cases were identified…

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UK registers almost 500 COVID-19 deaths in one day

Another 494 people have died in the UK after testing positive to COVID-19, taking the total to 33,186. A total of 87,063 swab tests took place yesterday, with 3,242 people…

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Chinese lab boosts Serbia’s coronavirus testing capacity

A Chinese-built state-of-the-art laboratory is helping to nearly double Serbia's testing capacity for COVID-19, the lung disease caused by the new coronavirus, in the latest example of close ties…

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New Zealand moves to tighten foreign ownership rules amid Covid-19 pandemic

The Government in New Zealand is speeding up changes to foreign investor rules as the economy recovers from the fallout of the global Covid-19 pandemic. “We need to minimise the…

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Hackers threaten to leak sensitive documents about leading personalities

A group of hackers is threatening to leak legal documents from a law firm used by some of the world's biggest celebrities. The first leak of data came last week,…

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Photo story: Ukrainian artists attract attention to their dire situation

The light rays are seen over Ukrainian capital during art-performance named 'Stop the culture's quarantine!' in Kiev, Ukraine, 12 May 2020, amid the ongoing coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Ukrainian artists try…

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Meat plants around the world struggle with virus outbreaks

Outbreaks of Covid-19 at slaughterhouses are occurring in a number of countries around the world, in a development that may have long-term implications for food supply systems, say experts. The…

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Photo Story: Spain adapts to the ‘new normal’

Workers place signs at crossings to remind pedestrians about social distancing in Santander. Spain ordered a two-week quarantine on travellers arriving from abroad from this Friday as it continues to fight…

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Lexus goes to exceptional lengths to make sure there’s no loss of comfort in the new LC Convertible

It’s one of the great pleasures of driving a convertible, that wind-in-the-hair feeling that makes you feel closer to the world around you as you take to the open road.…

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Commerzbank swings to worse-than-expected Q1 loss as pandemic bites

Germany's Commerzbank said on Wednesday it swung to a loss in the first quarter, as the lender undergoes restructuring and dealt with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. The bank…

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Malta: Member states should decide best way to lift their country’s flights ban – MEPs

Member states should be the ones to decide when to lift their country’s travel bans, MEPs David Casa and Miriam Dalli agree, acknowledging the EU should also ensure a coordinated…

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Malta: New think tank on future of education in Malta set up, MUT laments teachers not included

A new think tank has been set up to report on the possible avenues which the education system in Malta could take in the future. The think tank, made up…

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Malta: SME Chamber proposals to re-ignite Maltese economy presented to government

The Malta Chamber of SMEs has presented a list or proposals which it deems necessary for the economy to be re-ignited after the Coronavirus pandemic. Source: The Malta Independent Updated…

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