Major News
North Korea prepares anti-South leaflets amid heightened tensions
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea is gearing up to send propaganda leaflets over its southern border, denouncing North Korean defectors and South Korea, its state media said on Saturday, the latest retaliation for leaflets from the South as bilateral tensions rise. FILE PHOTO: A soldier stands guard at a checkpoint on the Grand Unification Bridge …
China publishes Beijing coronavirus genome data, officials suggest a European strain
BEIJING (Reuters) – China has released genome sequencing data for the coronavirus responsible for a recent outbreak in Beijing, with officials saying on Friday it identified a European strain based on preliminary studies. China, which had been under pressure to make the data public sooner rather than later as COVID-19 cases mount in the country’s …
Ahead of Trump rally, coronavirus cases surge in Oklahoma, other states
(Reuters) – Just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Tulsa, the biggest event in the country since pandemic restrictions were imposed in March, new coronavirus cases are surging in Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona and elsewhere. The spike in new cases on Wednesday and over the last two weeks points to a troubling trend …
Low expectations as Johnson joins EU leaders to break Brexit deadlock
BRUSSELS (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will join a video-conference with EU leaders on Monday, keen to make headway in negotiations on a future UK-EU relationship, but officials in Brussels expect no breakthrough in the Brexit deadlock. FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures are seen in front of a Brexit logo in this illustration …
AstraZeneca agrees to supply Europe with 400 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine
ROME (Reuters) – AstraZeneca Plc has signed a contract with European governments to supply the region with its potential vaccine against the coronavirus, the British drugmaker’s latest deal to pledge its drug to help combat the pandemic. FILE PHOTO: Small bottles labeled with a “Vaccine COVID-19” sticker and a medical syringe are seen in this …
Anti-racism protests undoubtedly increase risk of coronavirus spread -UK health minister
LONDON, June 7 (Reuters) – Anti-racism protests attended by thousands of people in London and other major British cities “undoubtedly” risk causing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases again, British health minister Matt Hancock said on Sunday. Thousands of people attended protests on Saturday to voice their anger at police brutality after the …
London police chief says 14 officers injured during anti-racism protests
Demonstrators hold signs during a Black Lives Matter protest in Parliament Square, following the death of George Floyd who died in police custody in Minneapolis, in London, Britain, June 6, 2020. REUTERS/Christian Radnedge LONDON (Reuters) – Fourteen police officers were injured in “shocking and completely unacceptable” assaults during anti-racism protests in central London on Saturday, …
Exclusive: Buyout firm Sycamore Partners in talks to buy J.C. Penney – sources
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Private equity firm Sycamore Partners is in preliminary talks to acquire J.C. Penney Co Inc (JCP.N) out of bankruptcy should the U.S. department store chain’s negotiations with its creditors fail, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday. FILE PHOTO: Shoppers enter and leave the J.C. Penney department store in …
As Chinese authorities expand use of health tracking apps, privacy concerns grow
SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s health tracking QR codes, which have played a key part in the country’s successful containment of the coronavirus, now look set to play a much broader role in daily life as local authorities dream up new uses for the technology. A security guard holds up a QR code for a health …
Korean prosecutors question Samsung heir in succession-related probe
SEOUL (Reuters) – Samsung Group heir Jay Y. Lee was questioned on Tuesday by prosecutors about a controversial 2015 merger and alleged accounting fraud that they said may have helped him advance his succession-planning agenda at the country’s top conglomerate. The questioning brings fresh legal trouble for Lee who is already facing court trial over …
