Opposition chief calls for lockdown as India’s coronavirus cases cross 20 million
Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called for a nationwide lockdown as the country’s tally of coronavirus infections surged past 20 million on Tuesday, becoming the second nation after the United States to pass the grim milestone. India’s deadly second wave of infections, the world’s biggest surge in coronavirus infections, has seen it take just over […]
Aviation, travel groups urge fully reopening U.S.-UK travel market
A coalition of U.S. and European travel, airline, union, business and airport groups on Monday called for fully reopening the U.S.-UK air travel market “as soon as safely possible.” In a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the groups said the leaders’ planned meeting in early June “would be […]
Congo declares end of Ebola outbreak that killed six
The Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that infected 12 people in the eastern province of North Kivu and killed six of them. The outbreak was contained using Merck’s (MRK.N) Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients’ contacts and contacts of contacts, according to the […]
KPN shares slide after it rejects takeover offers
KPN (KPN.AS) shares lost almost 4% in early trading on Monday after the Dutch telecoms company said it had rejected two unsolicited takeover offers in recent weeks. The company on Sunday said that said it had rejected approaches from U.S. investment firm KKR (KKR.N) and another from a private equity consortium comprising EQT AB (EQTAB.ST) and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, saying they […]
South Africa to clamp down on captive lion breeding, minister says
South Africa will clamp down on captive lion breeding after a review panel concluded the industry risked the conservation of wild lions and harmed tourism, the environment minister said on Sunday. In the nearly 600-page report, the panel appointed by the ministry in 2019 recommended that South Africa end the breeding and keeping of captive […]
In energy-reliant Canada, banks and investors face dilemma in meeting emissions target
Canadian banks’ commitments to “net-zero financed emissions” by 2050 have drawn doubts from many investors, given the lack of a defined goal, details and their continued support for oil and gas companies, even if partially aimed at helping them transition to alternatives. But their growing funding for green projects also presents a dilemma for shareholders […]
Ethereum breaks past $3,000 to quadruple in value in 2021
Cryptocurrency ether broke past $3,000 on Monday to set a new record high in a dazzling rally that has outshone the bigger bitcoin, as investors bet that ether will be of ever greater use in a decentralised future financial system. Ether , the token transacted on the ethereum blockchain, rose 3% on the Bitstamp exchange […]
EXCLUSIVE Tesla, under scrutiny in China, steps up engagement with regulators
Electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc (TSLA.O), facing scrutiny in China over safety and customer service complaints, is boosting its engagement with mainland regulators and beefing up its government relations team, industry sources said. Tesla’s change of strategy leading to more behind-the-scenes interaction with policymakers in Beijing compared to relatively little previously shows the seriousness with which […]
Pfizer in talks with India over expedited approval for COVID-19 vaccine
Pfizer is in discussions with the Indian government seeking an “expedited approval pathway” for its COVID-19 vaccine, its CEO Albert Bourla said on LinkedIn on Monday, announcing a donation of medicines worth more than $70 million. “Unfortunately, our vaccine is not registered in India although our application was submitted months ago,” he said. “We are […]
Hundreds of boats line up on Lake Geneva in border art project
Hundreds of boats lined up across Lake Geneva on Sunday in an artistic representation of the border between Switzerland and France that runs for 59 km (36.7 miles) down the middle of the waterway. The “Brief Alignment” project was envisioned by Lausanne architect Bastian Marzoli as a collective performance to reflect on the nature of […]
