Month: August 2020

U.K. Economy Won’t Make Up Lost Ground Until End of 2021

By Frances R. Booker 13 hours ago

LONDON—The Financial institution of England said the U.K. overall economy will choose until finally the finish of 2021 to make up the ground dropped in the course of the pandemic, immediately after struggling what it estimates was the steepest second-quarter tumble in output amid loaded international locations.

Officials estimate the overall economy shrunk by all-around twenty% between April and June as a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus came into force. That compares with estimates of 9.5% for the U.S. and 12% for the eurozone, highlighting the scale of the U.K.’s financial hit.

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Pope Francis Names Six Women to Senior Vatican Jobs

By Frances R. Booker 13 hours ago

VATICAN CITY—Pope Francis named six women of all ages to the human body that oversees Vatican finances, creating them the most senior feminine officers ever to serve at the Vatican.

Their appointment to the Vatican’s 15-member Council for the Economy, which was earlier all-male, is the most important move so much by Pope Francis to carry out his assure to location far more…

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Pandemic Lays Bare U.S. Reliance on China for Drugs

By Frances R. Booker 18 hours ago

The lack of a basic, more than-the-counter painkiller exhibits how dependent the U.S. has turn into on China for critical pharmaceutical provides.

For months this spring, as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the environment, Nicole Izsak wasn’t capable to stock up on acetaminophen at her community pharmacies on New York City’s Roosevelt Island.

“They experienced very little…

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In Belarus, Veteran Leader Alexander Lukashenko Faces Unexpected Challenger

By Frances R. Booker 18 hours ago

MOSCOW—Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, just one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders, is going through an unparalleled problem from a 37-12 months-outdated newcomer forward of Sunday’s presidential election, a indication of the groundswell of frustration with Mr. Lukashenko’s 26-12 months reign.

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has tapped Belarusians’ anger in excess of allegations of human legal rights abuses, economic stagnation, and Mr. Lukashenko’s erratic handling of the coronavirus disaster. The widespread disappointment has pushed tens of countless numbers of persons to consider to…

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Beirut Explosion Brings Lebanon to the Brink

By Frances R. Booker 18 hours ago

BEIRUT—Everyday lifestyle in Lebanon was currently unraveling. The economic climate was in cost-free slide, a coronavirus outbreak was accelerating and electricity outages were plunging Beirut into darkness for hours at a time.

Then came Tuesday’s catastrophic explosion, which in a few terrifying moments killed more than a hundred folks, wounded hundreds and tore the coronary heart out of this tiny nation’s money town.

Lebanon…

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