by Brian KNOWLTON Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Two top US economic advisers on Sunday defended the need for an expeditious reopening of the economy even as the coronavirus reached into the White House despite the extraordinary precautions taken there. The comments by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and economic adviser Larry Kudlow came just two days after the country recorded its steepest job losses in history, with 20.5 million jobs lost in […]
Tag: US
US VP Pence not in quarantine: spokesman
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Vice President Mike Pence is not in quarantine and has tested negative to COVID-19, his spokesman said Sunday, after a close aide was confirmed to have been infected. Pence would go to work at the White House on Monday, spokesman Devin O’Malley said in a statement following some US media reports that Pence would be self-isolating. “Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House […]
Pandemic gives fresh momentum to digital voice technology
by Rob Lever Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON DC, United States (AFP) — In a world suddenly fearful of touch, voice technology is getting a fresh look. Voice-activated systems such as Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Apple’s Siri have seen strong growth in recent years, and the virus pandemic could accelerate that, analysts say. Voice assistants are not only answering queries and shopping, but also being used for smart home control and for a range of business and […]
US adds 776 coronavirus deaths in 24 hours: tracker
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States recorded 776 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 79,522, according to the real-time tally by Johns Hopkins University at 8:30 pm Sunday (0030 GMT Monday). The figure was the lowest daily tally since March, with 24-hour totals in recent weeks ranging from 1,000 to 2,500. The country — hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities — has […]
US reversal prevents UN vote on pandemic truce
by Philippe RATER Agence France Presse The United States on Friday stunned other members of the UN Security Council by preventing a vote on a resolution for a ceasefire in various conflicts around the world to help troubled nations better fight the coronavirus pandemic, diplomats said. Washington’s reversal came a day after it agreed to the text, negotiators said under cover of anonymity. “The United States cannot support the current draft,” the country’s delegation […]
US suffers biggest job losses in history amid coronavirus pandemic
by Heather SCOTT Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — With shops and factories closed nationwide due to the coronavirus pandemic, nearly all of the jobs created in the US economy in the last decade were wiped out in a single month. An unprecedented 20.5 million jobs were destroyed in April in the world’s largest economy, the biggest amount ever recorded, the Labor Department said in a report released Friday, the first to capture […]
US VP Pence spokeswoman tests positive for COVID-19
by Sebastian Smith Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US vice president’s spokeswoman became the second White House staffer this week to test positive for coronavirus, officials said Friday, even as President Donald Trump continued to go mask-free at a World War II ,commemoration with veterans in their 90s. News that staffer Katie Miller had fallen ill boosted fears that the White House is at risk of becoming a viral hot […]
Virus crisis leaves thousands of cruise ship crew stuck at sea
by Leila MACOR Agence France Presse The cruise industry has taken a beating during the coronavirus crisis — on-board outbreaks, refusal of port access and now no clear idea of when ships can sail once again. While the passengers have headed home, the journey drags on for tens of thousands of crew members who are stranded at sea aboard their vessels, with no end in sight. Many are no longer being paid because […]
US virus death toll climbs by 2,073 in 24 hours: tracker
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States recorded 2,073 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 73,095, according to the latest real-time tally Wednesday reported by Johns Hopkins University. The country — hardest hit by the pandemic in terms of the number of fatalities — has now confirmed a total of 1,227,430 cases, the Baltimore-based school reported. © Agence France-Presse
Asia equities turn negative as virus economic reality bites
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Asian markets dropped Thursday as the economic reality of the coronavirus crisis became even starker, and China-US relations soured, overshadowing recent optimism over the easing of lockdown measures. With countries from Asia-Pacific to Europe and US states reopening their shattered economies, global equities have enjoyed a strong revival after crashing in March, with oil also getting much-needed support from hopes for a pick-up in demand. But a slew of […]
PHL to receive additional P298 million in COVID-19 aid from US
(Eagle News)–The United States on Thursday, May 7, announced an additional P298 million in aid to the Philippines in its fight against COVID-19. In a statement, the US embassy in Manila said with the amount, the total US COVID-19 assistance given to the archipelago now amounts to over P768 million. As part of the additional assistance, the US embassy said the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will partner with 18 local governments in some […]
Nearly 1 in 5 US children left hungry since virus crisis: study
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Nearly a fifth of young children in the United States are not getting enough to eat since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, according to research out Wednesday highlighting the broader health impact of the crisis. The Brookings Institution report said a survey found that 17.4 percent of mothers with children aged 12 or under reported that their offspring were not eating enough due to lack of money. “It is clear […]





