Covid-19: Costa Rica sees first death

SAN JOSE, March 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) –– Costa Rica saw its first death from the novel coronavirus Wednesday, an 87-year-old man who had been hospitalized, the government said. He was in intensive care at the hospital in Alajuela city, 15 kilometers northeast of the capital San Jose, where most of the…

Chile’s 2019 economic growth lowest in decade: central bank

SANTIAGO, March 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — The Chilean economy grew 1.1 percent in 2019, the poorest performance in a decade mainly due to social upheaval that disrupted productivity in the fourth quarter, the Central Bank of Chile said. The figure failed to meet the 3-percent economic growth forecast for 2019. According…

Covid-19: Chile declares state of catastrophe

Local workers clean the streets as a precautionary measure in Vina del Mar, Chile SANTIAGO, March 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — Chilean President Sebastian Pinera declared a 90-day state of catastrophe to step up the government’s action to combat the COVID-19 epidemic that has so far infected 238 people. At a press…

Covid-19: US Pres Trump plans to invoke Defense Production Act to combat coronavirus outbreak

WASHINGTON, March 19 (NNN-Xinhua) — US President Donald Trump said he will invoke the Defense Production Act, which allows the administration to force American industry to ramp up production of medical supplies, to combat the coronavirus pandemic. “It can do a lot of good things if we need it,” Trump…

Covid-19: Foreign missions in Malaysia keeping track of situation

By R.Ravichandran and V.Sankara KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 (NNN-BERNAMA) —  Following the Malaysian government’s decision to enforce the Movement Control Order to curb the rise in COVID-19 cases, foreign embassies here have put several measures in place to cope with the situation. The measures include working from home, reducing the number of staff on duty, and shortening the working hours.  They are also…

Covid-19: US-Canada border to close amid virus crisis

WASHINGTON/OTTAWA, March 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — US President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have agreed to close the US-Canada border to all non-essential travel in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus. “We will be, by mutual consent, temporarily closing our northern border with Canada,” Trump tweeted. He said…

COVID-19 Cases Top 200,000 Globally, Death Toll Over 8,000: WHO

GENEVA, Mar 19 (NNN-XINHUA) – More than 200,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported globally, to the World Health Organisation (WHO), among which more than 8,000 people have lost their lives, WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said here yesterday. Eighty percent of all cases worldwide were reported in two regions…

Covid-19: IMF rejects crisis-hit Venezuela’s request for $5 bn virus aid over Pres Maduro legality

WASHINGTON, March 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday rejected economically devastated Venezuela’s request for a $5 billion loan to help it cope with the onslaught of coronavirus on the country. President Nicolas Maduro made the request earlier Tuesday but, in a statement hours later, the Washington-based institution…

Covid-19: Colombia orders senior citizens to self-isolate from March 20

People walk on the street, wearing protective masks as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bogota BOGOTA, March 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Colombia’s President Ivan Duque declared a state of emergency as the country steps up measures to stop the spread of coronavirus, including ordering…

Brazil recaptures inmates who escaped in COVID-19 row

Authorities in Brazil planned to end day-pass programmes, sparking riots and mass escapes SAO PAULO, March 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Brazilian authorities said they had recaptured 444 inmates who escaped from their minimum-security prisons after their right to leave on temporary furloughs was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic. But an…
Load More