Moody's cuts South Africa's credit ratings to junk
World BusinessMar 28, 2020
Moody's has downgraded South Africa's credit rating to junk status, piling more anguish on an economy already in recession and battered by Africa's worst coronavirus outbreak. Two other major international rating agencies Fitch and S&P had cut the credit rating of Africa's most developed economy to subinvestment level in 2017. Losing its last investment grade rating will see the country being excluded from the FTSE World Government Bond Index. The downgrade late Friday came as South Afric
-
China virus epicentre eases travel restrictions after lockdownWorld NewsMar 28, 2020The Chinese city of 11 million people that was Ground Zero for what became the global coronavirus pandemic partly reopened on Saturday after more than two months of almost total isolation. Wuhan was placed under lockdown in January with residents forbidden to leave, roadblocks ring-fencing the city's outskirts and drastic restrictions on daily life. But the major transport and industrial hub has now signalled the end of its long isolation, with state media showing the first officially sanction -
Trump invokes defense powers to order GM to produce ventilatorsWorld NewsMar 28, 2020President Donald Trump issued a federal order Friday to force auto giant General Motors to manufacture ventilators, as supplies of the crucial hospital equipment grow short and coronavirus infections mount across the country. Trump invoked the rarely-used Defense Production Act (DPA) to order GM to speed up its commitment to make ventilators in one of its auto plants after delays in negotiations. The act, designed for use in wartime to commandeer private business to manufacture for defense nee
-
French PM warns 'difficult' days ahead over coronavirusWorld NewsMar 27, 2020PARIS (AFP) -- French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe raised the alarm Friday over an "extremely high" surge in coronavirus cases in the country and warned things will be "difficult" in the coming days. After 365 people died and more than 2,300 people were hospitalised in France in a single day, the military sent a plane Friday to evacuate six patients from the hard-hit east of the country where hospitals are overstretched. "We find ourselves in a crisis that will l -
International tourism to plunge up to 30% due to virus: UNWorld NewsMar 27, 2020MADRID (AFP) -- The number of international tourist arrivals will fall by 20-30 percent in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus, putting millions of jobs at risk, the World Tourism Organization said Friday. This revises sharply lower a forecast made earlier this month of a decline of just 1.0-3.0 percent. The drop in arrivals will lead to an estimated loss of $300-450 billion in international tourism receipts, almost one third of the $1.5 trillion generated in 2019, the Madrid-based UN body sa -
In Iran, false belief a poison fights virus kills hundredsWorld NewsMar 27, 2020TEHRAN (AP) -- Standing over the still body of an intubated 5-year-old boy wearing nothing but a plastic diaper, an Iranian health care worker in a hazmat suit and mask begged the public for just one thing: Stop drinking industrial alcohol over fears about the new coronavirus. The boy, now blind after his parents gave him toxic methanol in the mistaken belief it protects against the virus, is just one of hundreds of victims of an epidemic inside the pandemic now gripping Iran. Iranian media -
Italy hopes virus is easing but fears new onslaught in southWorld NewsMar 27, 2020ROME (AP) -- Doctors and nurses in Italy's ov erwhelmed northern hospitals have welcomed a slight stabilizing in the number of coronavirus infections but fear the virus is still silently spreading in the south two weeks into the West's most extreme nationwide shutdown. As the dead in Italy keep piling up, virologists warn that the actual number of Italy's positive cases is up to five times as high as the official count of 80,539. That means infections will still climb even with Italians order -
Washington set to deliver $2.2 trillion virus rescue billWorld NewsMar 27, 2020With rare bipartisanship and speed, Washington is about to deliver massive, unprecedented legislation to speed help to individuals and businesses as the coronavirus pandemic takes a devastating toll on the US economy and health care system. The House is set to pass the sprawling, $2.2 trillion measure Friday morning after an extraordinary 96-0 Senate vote late Wednesday. President Donald Trump marveled at the unanimity Thursday and is eager to sign the package into law. The relief can hardly c -
Half-million infected worldwide as economic toll risesWorld NewsMar 27, 2020The human and economic toll of the lockdowns against the coronavirus mounted Thursday as India struggled to feed the multitudes, Italy shut down most of its industry, and a record-shattering 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in a single week. The US surpassed official Chinese government numbers to become the country with most reported infections. As the number of cases worldwide topped a half-million and deaths climbed past 24,000, the damage to people's livelihoods and th -
![[Bangladesh] Message by the Ambassador of Bangladesh](http://res.heraldm.com/phpwas/restmb_idxmake.php?idx=643&simg=/content/image/2020/03/26/20200326000800_0.jpg)
[Bangladesh] Message by the Ambassador of BangladeshWorld NewsMar 26, 2020On this auspicious occasion of the 49th Independence and National Day of Bangladesh on 26 March 2020, I cordially convey our warmest greetings and warm felicitations to the friendly people and the Government of the Republic of Korea as well as to the expatriate Bangladeshis living in this country. We laud the commendable measures undertaken by the Government of the Republic of Korea to fight against COVID-19 pandemic and as part of its “Social Distancing” campaign, we have canc -
![[Bangladesh] A message from the prime minister of Bangladesh](http://res.heraldm.com/phpwas/restmb_idxmake.php?idx=643&simg=/content/image/2020/03/26/20200326000792_0.jpg)
[Bangladesh] A message from the prime minister of BangladeshWorld NewsMar 26, 2020I extend my heartiest greetings to the countrymen and expatriate Bangladeshis on the occasion of the great Independence and National Day of Bangladesh. The 26 March is the day of establishing self-identity of our nation. It‘s the day of breaking the shackles of subjugation. On this Independence Day, I recall with deep gratitude the Greatest Bangalee of all times, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose undisputed leadership we have earned our coveted indepen -
![[Bangladesh] A message from the President of Bangladesh](http://res.heraldm.com/phpwas/restmb_idxmake.php?idx=643&simg=/content/image/2020/03/26/20200326000774_0.jpg)
[Bangladesh] A message from the President of BangladeshWorld NewsMar 26, 2020Today is 26th March, the Independence Day of Bangladesh. On the occasion of our great Independence and National Day, I extend my heartfelt greetings and warm felicitations to my fellow countrymen living at home and abroad. On this historic day, I remember with profound respect the architect of our independent Bangladesh, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. I pay my deep homage to the millions of martyrs who made supreme sacrifice in the war of liberation. I also recall wit -
Ex-FBI agent missing for 13 years died in Iran custody, family saysWorldMar 26, 2020WASHINGTON (AFP) -- A former FBI agent who mysteriously vanished in 2007 died in Iranian custody, his family concluded Wednesday, saying US intelligence had made them give up 13 years of hope. President Donald Trump did not confirm Bob Levinson's death, saying that Iran had not communicated any news on the former agent, who would have turned 72 this month. But Levinson's family said that it had learned that he was dead, although it gave no information on how or when. "We recently receiv -
Rescheduled Tokyo Olympics need sacrifices from all stakeholders: BachWorld NewsMar 25, 2020Lausanne (AFP) -- International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said Wednesday that the postponed Tokyo Games would require "sacrifices and compromises" from all sides to make them work. "These postponed Olympic Games will need sacrifices, will need compromises by all of the stakeholders," Bach told reporters in a conference call the day after the IOC decided to delay the 2020 Games because of the coronavirus pandemic. The IOC's role, Bach said, was "to make t -
Death toll in Spain surpasses China as virus ravages EuropeWorld NewsMar 25, 2020NEW DELHI (AP) — The world's largest democracy went under the world's biggest lockdown Wednesday, as India's 1.3 billion people stayed home in a bid to stop the march of the coronavirus pandemic. As infections and deaths rose in the US and Europe, US lawmakers agreed on a massive $2 trillion domestic aid package to help those devastated by the outbreak. India's unprecedented move aimed to keep the virus from overwhelming its fragile health care system, as it has done in parts of Europe a
MOST POPULAR
-
01Govt. set to decide on school opening date next week
-
146 newly confirmed with virus in S. Korea; Recovery rate tops 50%02
-
03S. Korea begins mandatory 14-day self-quarantines on arrivals from US
-
PM says hard to ban overseas arrivals04
-
05[Newsmaker] Ex-FT Island singer additionally convicted for filming rape victims
-
S. Korea puts US, UAE, Indonesia on priority list for quarantine supplies export06
-
07New infections again skid, clusters, imported cases still concerns
-
Goo Hara’s brother pushes for law under her name08
-
09Seokchon Lake to be shut down until mid-April to prevent COVID-19 infection
-
Traditional Korean zombie series creates global sensation on Netflix10