Author: Alan Lorenz

The Tech Companies Went Down Again on Wall Street
11May By Alan LorenzNo Comments
Business, News, US

The Tech Companies Went Down Again on Wall Street

The tech companies went down again on a red-coloured Wall Street on Tuesday amid investor concerns about rising inflation and higher interest rates.   The energy sector on the stock exchanges in New York was also under pressure from falling oil prices. If inflation soars, it could mean that the Federal Reserve will increase interest rates faster, which would be particularly unfavourable for tech stocks. Big names like Amazon, Apple, Google, mother Alphabet and Facebook lost up to 2.3 percent. Tesla went down 4.5 percent. Oil and gas producers ExxonMobil and Chevron fell to 1.9 percent. ConocoPhillips lost 2.6 percent. The shareholders of the American oil company vote on a climate resolution. In addition, steel group US Steel fell 2 percent due to fears of higher raw material price...
Read More
Aung San Suu Kyi Will Appear in Court on May 24
10May By Alan LorenzNo Comments
Myanmar, News

Aung San Suu Kyi Will Appear in Court on May 24

Former Myanmar government leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court for the first time on May 24. Her lawyer has communicated this to the AFP news agency.   Aung San Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since her arrest in the military coup on February 1. Since then, she has been under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw, and is only allowed to speak to her lawyers during short video sessions that her guards strictly monitor. This morning a new hearing was held via video conference. It was announced there that Aung San Suu Kyi "would appear in person on May 24," said one of her lawyers, Khin Maung Zaw. His client appeared to be in good health, but he still hasn't been able to meet her. "We are not sure that the police will allow us to speak to her privately before the hearing," t...
Read More
India Registers A Record Increase of Corona Infections Again
7May By Alan LorenzNo Comments
India, News

India Registers A Record Increase of Corona Infections Again

India has again registered a record number of corona infections in one day. On Friday, it reported a further 414,188 new cases in the last 24 hours.   India has already registered a total of about 21.49 million corona infections. The number of corona deaths increased by another 3,915 in the last 24 hours.   In the country with approximately 1.37 billion inhabitants, a total of at least 234,083 deaths were caused by Covid-19. Experts believe the true death toll is much higher.
Read More
Antony Blinken: Moscow Must Stop Aggressive Actions Against Ukraine
6May By Alan LorenzNo Comments
US, News, Russia, Ukraine

Antony Blinken: Moscow Must Stop Aggressive Actions Against Ukraine

US Foreign Minister Antony Blinken calls on Russia to stop its "reckless and aggressive actions" against Ukraine. He did this during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelenski in Kyiv.   Blinken's visit comes just after Russia gathered more than 100,000 soldiers at the border with Ukraine last month. That was the largest mobilization of Russian forces since Moscow annexed Ukrainian Crimea in 2014 and war broke out in Eastern Ukraine. Kyiv said the military was threatened with "the destruction of the Ukrainian state," while Moscow said the military exercises at the border were not a cause for concern. Now that those exercises are over, the soldiers are leaving. Zelenski does not think that is going fast enough. "There may still be a threat," he said. "Nobody wants these s...
Read More
EU Gets Another Envoy for Freedom of Religion
5May By Alan LorenzNo Comments
Europe, News

EU Gets Another Envoy for Freedom of Religion

After years, the European Union will again receive a special envoy who stands up for freedom of religion. The former Cypriot European Commissioner Christos Stylianides has been entrusted with that task.   The Christian Democrat Stylianides will work on behalf of the EU to combat discrimination and counter-radicalization. He will also encourage conversation between different faith communities and help with reconciliation. The European Commission actually wanted to get rid of the envoy after the departure of special envoy Ján Figel in 2019. But the committee gave in to pressure from especially the Christian Democrats and the right-wing conservatives in the European Parliament. However, it was not possible to appoint a successor for Figel. The SGP is happy with the appointment. "We f...
Read More
Netanyahu Again Does Not Seem to be Able to Form A Government
4May By Alan LorenzNo Comments
Israel, News

Netanyahu Again Does Not Seem to be Able to Form A Government

The deadline for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to form a new government will expire at midnight (local time).   On Tuesday, however, there are hardly any signs that the country's longest-serving leader can break the political deadlock of more than two years. The political contradictions and mistrust in the prime minister are great. Nor are there any signs that, should Netanyahu fail to form a new coalition, the opposition parties would be able to bridge their political differences and form a government. Netanyahu, 71, has been in office since 2009 and served three years in government in the 1990s. He's been fighting for his political life through four elections since 2019 without a clear winner. A new premiership makes him inviolable and thus prevents him from being co...
Read More
Greek Coast Guard Rescues 170 Migrants From A Boat Adrift
3May By Alan LorenzNo Comments
News

Greek Coast Guard Rescues 170 Migrants From A Boat Adrift

Near the Greek peninsula of the Peloponnese, nearly 170 boat people who attempted to cross the Mediterranean have been rescued. The Greek coast guard has communicated this.   The migrants' craft had run into trouble about 90 kilometres south of Peloponnese due to an engine failure. The boat had been adrift for several hours when the passengers were picked up by a passing freighter. The coast guard escorted them to the port of the southern Greek city of Kalamata. In recent months, migrants have been picked up several times off the coast of the Peloponnese. According to the Greek coastguard, they are often put on old vessels by smugglers, which are soon in danger of failing when crossing the Mediterranean.
Read More
Cardinals and Bishops Can Go to Court in the Vatican
30Apr By Alan LorenzNo Comments
News

Cardinals and Bishops Can Go to Court in the Vatican

Cardinals and bishops can now be taken to court in the Vatican. Pope Francis has implemented this reform in the fight against corruption.   Previously, these clergy could only be tried before a special high council of cardinals in the papal state. The new rules will take effect on Saturday. The Pope says the measure will treat all believers equally without privileges. The clergy in the Vatican cannot be tried until the Pope has given permission. Francis is engaged in a fight against corruption within the Vatican. On Thursday, a rule was introduced that prohibits employees from accepting gifts of more than 40 euros. Almost a year ago, he came up with stricter procurement rules from the Vatican. Moreover, Francis obliged his board to be economical and transparent in the purchase of...
Read More
The French President Will Come With Easing Especially in June
29Apr By Alan LorenzNo Comments
France, Europe, News

The French President Will Come With Easing Especially in June

The French cafes and restaurants can reopen the terraces on June 9, and at the end of that month, the curfew will be abolished entirely.   These are parts of a plan to phase out the corona measures that President Emmanuel Macron informed regional media on Thursday. However, the plan is already available on news channel Europe 1, among others. The strict curfew from 7 pm to 6 am will be abolished in two steps. On May 19, the country will close from 9 pm and June 9 from 11 pm. On June 9, healthy tourists can also come again, and they must have a "health document" with them. Under certain conditions, theatres, museums and other public spaces such as concert halls will open their doors again on May 19.
Read More
Corona Vaccines Cut Family Infections in Half
28Apr By Alan LorenzNo Comments
News

Corona Vaccines Cut Family Infections in Half

One dose of Pfizer / BioNTech or AstraZeneca corona vaccine reduces infections within the family by nearly half, and the UK health service PHE reports based on research.   According to the study, people who become infected with the virus three weeks after a first shot are 38 to 49 percent less likely to pass the virus on to other family members than people who were not vaccinated. This applies regardless of the age of the infected person or his or her family members. "This is fantastic news. We already knew that vaccines save lives, and this study, the most complete in real-life conditions, shows that they also reduce the transmission of this deadly virus," said UK Health Minister Matt Hancock... The study followed 57,000 people from 24,000 families where a vaccinated person test...
Read More