| A big question for both parties: How do you stage a convention in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic? Posted: 08 May 2020 06:15 AM PDT  Figuring out how to stage the nation's largest and most important political gatherings will be tricky in the COVID-19 era. And while officials in both parties say they're still planning for in-person conventions, pulling that off will be a lot easier said than done.
|
| Elon Musk says Tesla will 'immediately' leave California after coronavirus shutdowns forced the company to close its main car factory Posted: 09 May 2020 10:34 AM PDT  In a tweet Saturday morning, Tesla's chief executive said it would file a lawsuit against county officials over not being able to run its factory.
|
| Texas governor amends lockdown and orders salon owner freed from jail Posted: 07 May 2020 05:44 PM PDT  The governor's order names the Dallas hairdresser who was jailed on Tuesday for staying open.
|
| Venezuela says troops seize abandoned Colombian combat boats, weapons Posted: 09 May 2020 11:04 AM PDT |
| India uses drones to disinfect virus hotspot as cases surge Posted: 09 May 2020 08:19 AM PDT  Indian authorities used drones and fire engines to disinfect the pandemic-hit city of Ahmedabad on Saturday, as virus cases surged and police clashed with migrant workers protesting against a reinforced lockdown. The western city of 5.5 million people in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state has become a major concern for authorities as they battle an uptick in coronavirus deaths and cases across India.
|
| Report says cellphone data suggests October shutdown at Wuhan lab, but experts are skeptical Posted: 08 May 2020 05:12 PM PDT  U.S. and U.K. intel agencies are reviewing the private report, but intel analysts examined and couldn't confirm a similar theory previously.
|
| Chaffetz: I don't understand why Adam Schiff continues to have a security clearance Posted: 08 May 2020 11:43 AM PDT  Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz and Andy McCarthy react to House Intelligence transcripts on Russia probe.
|
| Trump says coronavirus will 'go away without a vaccine' Posted: 08 May 2020 12:51 PM PDT  President Trump on Friday broke with health experts, telling reporters that the coronavirus will "go away without a vaccine."
|
| GOP in power grab to rein in Dem governors on virus response Posted: 09 May 2020 07:28 AM PDT  Republican-controlled legislatures are increasingly trying to strip Democratic governors of their executive authority to close businesses and schools, a power grab by lawmakers that channels frustration over the economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic but could come with long-term consequences for how their states fight disease. The efforts to undermine Democratic governors who invoked stay-at-home orders are most pronounced in states such as Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, all three of which have divided government and are key to President Donald Trump's path to reelection. Democratic governors there face lawsuits, legislation and other moves by Republicans trying to seize control of the response to the virus.
|
| Boeing says it's about to start building the 737 Max plane again in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, even though it already has more planes than it can deliver Posted: 08 May 2020 09:44 AM PDT  Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the company was aiming to resume production this month, despite the ongoing grounding and coronavirus pandemic.
|
| How COVID-19 Symptoms May Present in Kids Posted: 09 May 2020 01:41 PM PDT  As experts learn more about the virus, it's become clear that COVID-19 can affect people of all ages, including kids, in a variety of ways -- some deadly.
|
| Plastic shields in place, Dutch schools to reopen amid coronavirus Posted: 08 May 2020 08:15 AM PDT  At the Springplank school in the Dutch city of Den Bosch, staff have installed plastic shields around students' desks and disinfectant gel dispensers at the doorways as part of preparations to reopen amid the country's coronavirus outbreak. New infections in the Netherlands have been declining for weeks, and the government on Wednesday announced a schedule to relax some of its lockdown measures, with elementary schools to reopen on May 11. "Our teachers are not worried," said Rascha van der Sluijs, the school's technical coordinator.
|
| Coronavirus: Chinese official admits health system weaknesses Posted: 09 May 2020 08:02 AM PDT  China says it will improve public health systems after criticism of its early response to the virus.
|
| Meet the Ohio health expert who has a fan club — and Republicans trying to stop her Posted: 09 May 2020 02:04 AM PDT  Some Buckeyes are not comfortable being told by a "woman in power" to quarantine, one expert said.
|
| Pence press secretary tests positive for coronavirus Posted: 08 May 2020 03:23 PM PDT  The news comes shortly after a valet who served meals to President Trump also tested positive for the virus.
|
| ‘This is the final straw’: Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla HQ from California over Covid-19 shutdown Posted: 09 May 2020 01:05 PM PDT  Elon Musk has threatened to close Tesla's factory and headquarters in California and move to Nevada or Texas in a row with local authorities over when the company can reopen its facilities.Mr Musk has been a vocal opponent of stay-at-home orders introduced across the country to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the deadly virus has killed more than 78,000 Americans.
|
| How one doctor is fighting coronavirus — and Trump Posted: 08 May 2020 03:21 PM PDT  A 37-year-old doctor and Texas native is running to replace a pro-Trump conservative in the House of Representatives. He is one of several doctors who are running for Congress and seeking to protect Obamacare.
|
| Court halts ban on mass gatherings at Kentucky churches Posted: 08 May 2020 09:55 PM PDT  A federal court halted the Kentucky governor's temporary ban on mass gatherings from applying to in-person religious services, clearing the way for Sunday church services. U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove on Friday issued a temporary restraining order enjoining Gov. Andy Beshear's administration from enforcing the ban on mass gatherings at "any in-person religious service which adheres to applicable social distancing and hygiene guidelines."
|
| Almost 12,000 meatpacking and food plant workers have reportedly contracted COVID-19. At least 48 have died. Posted: 08 May 2020 09:21 AM PDT  The infections and deaths are spread across roughly two farms and 189 meat and processed food factories.
|
| Ex-husband of Biden accuser Tara Reade said she told him of being sexual harassed: report Posted: 08 May 2020 05:39 AM PDT  Biden has repeatedly denied Reade's allegation.
|
| US and UK intelligence agencies 'examining report on mobile phone data at Wuhan laboratory' Posted: 09 May 2020 10:42 AM PDT  US and British intelligence agencies are reportedly examining mobile phone data suggesting there could have been an emergency shutdown in October at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. According to a report, obtained by NBC News, there was no mobile phone activity in a high-security part of the Chinese laboratory complex from Oct 7 to Oct 24. Previously, there had been consistent use of mobile phones. The report, carried out by private experts, suggested there may have been a "hazardous event," specifically at the institute's National Biosafety Laboratory, between Oct 6 and Oct 11. Analysis of mobile phone data from the area surrounding the institute also suggested roadblocks were in place between Oct 14 and Oct 19. Experts urged caution over the report, suggesting it may be based on only limited commercially available mobile phone data, and that there could be other reasons for varying levels of phone usage. However, the document could be what Donald Trump was referring to when the president recently said he had seen evidence giving him a "high degree of confidence" the pandemic began accidentally at the Wuhan laboratory. The prevailing theory is that the virus originated in bats and crossed over to humans at a market in Wuhan. But US intelligence agencies continue to investigate the Wuhan laboratory and Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, has said there is a "significant amount of evidence".
|
| Putin pays a somber tribute to WWII dead as Russian coronavirus cases skyrocket Posted: 09 May 2020 07:14 AM PDT  Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power.
|
| Gavin Newsom Signs Executive Order to Mail Every Voter a Ballot for November Elections Posted: 08 May 2020 01:23 PM PDT  California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Friday that he had signed an executive order to mail ballots to the state's 20.6 million registered voters, citing potential health risks due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic."There's a lot of excitement around this November's election in terms of making sure that you can conduct yourself in a safe way, and make sure your health is protected," Newsom said Friday. In March, the state allowed ballots to be mailed in for its primary, which saw a record-high of 72 percent of all ballots that were cast by mail.California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who heads the state's elections, commended the move "It's great for public health, it's great for voting rights, it's going to be great for participation," he said. California already allows for generous absentee voting, passing a 2002 decision which gives voters the option to request permanent voting by mail, regardless of the reason.While Newsom's decision applies only to the November election, it could set a precedent for other Democratic states, with voting by mail quickly becoming a partisan issue. It comes after the state's lawmakers and local officials requested the measure, saying coronavirus will severely hamper voting efforts, a complaint echoed by prominent Democrats."Why should we be saying to people, 'Stand in line for hours,' when we don't even want you leaving the house?" House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in April. But President Trump has repeatedly slammed calls for mail-in voting, saying last month that it lets "people cheat" and involves "a lot of dishonesty."Newsom said that his order would still allow an "appropriate number" of in-person voting sites, saying that some voters, including those that are disabled, require technological help to cast a ballot.
|
| Nepal protests new Indian road through disputed territory Posted: 09 May 2020 07:48 AM PDT  Nepal protested India's inauguration of a new road to China that passes through territory claimed by Kathmandu on Saturday, with police arresting dozens demonstrating close to India's embassy. Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inaugurated via video link the 80-kilometre (50 miles) long road from Ghatiabagarh in northern Uttarakhand state to the Lipu Lekh pass high in the Himalaya. The pass is claimed by Nepal based on an 1816 treaty that defines its western border with India.
|
| Pence press secretary Katie Miller tests positive for coronavirus Posted: 08 May 2020 09:58 AM PDT  An aide to Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the coronavirus, senior administration officials confirmed Friday.
|
| Indiana shootings strain relationship between police, blacks Posted: 08 May 2020 11:47 AM PDT  Indianapolis police Chief Randal Taylor solemnly promised thoroughness and transparency as his department investigates the fatal shootings of two black men in the city by officers. Taylor, an African American and longtime member of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, also made a plea to the community as he faced the first major crisis since becoming chief less than five months ago: Give his office time and he'll address any mistakes made, but jumping to conclusions won't help. Given the department's contentious history with black residents and numerous police shootings of blacks around the U.S. captured on video in recent years, Taylor's race and pledge may not be enough.
|
| 88,300 truck drivers lost their jobs in April, and it's the biggest trucking job loss on record Posted: 08 May 2020 07:33 AM PDT  The April jobs report revealed that the US lost a record 20.5 million jobs. Truck drivers saw record losses, too.
|
| As deaths mount in Brazil's Amazon, official COVID-19 toll under scrutiny Posted: 08 May 2020 04:04 AM PDT |
| South Dakota governor demands tribes remove travel checkpoints on Indian reservations Posted: 09 May 2020 02:34 PM PDT  South Dakota Indian tribes have set up checkpoints on reservations restricting travel during the COVID-19 pandemic.
|
| These are the most dangerous jobs you can have in the age of coronavirus Posted: 08 May 2020 04:34 PM PDT  For millions of Americans, working at home isn't an option. NBC News identified seven occupations in which employees are at especially high risk of COVID-19.
|
| Newsom declares California will be a vote-by-mail state Posted: 09 May 2020 09:25 AM PDT  The executive order does not replace in-person voting, Newsom said during a press conference.
|
| US accuses China, Russia of coordinating on virus conspiracies Posted: 08 May 2020 05:21 PM PDT  The United States on Friday accused China and Russia of stepping up cooperation to spread false narratives over the coronavirus pandemic, saying Beijing was increasingly adopting techniques honed by Moscow. "Even before the COVID-19 crisis we assessed a certain level of coordination between Russia and the PRC in the realm of propaganda," said Lea Gabrielle, coordinator of the State Department's Global Engagement Center, which tracks foreign propaganda. The Global Engagement Center earlier said thousands of Russian-linked social media accounts were spreading conspiracies about the pandemic, including charging that the virus first detected last year in the Chinese metropolis of Wuhan was created by the United States.
|
| McDonald's drive-throughs are 'made for social distancing', says Eustice as he hints at a return of takeaways Posted: 07 May 2020 06:38 PM PDT  If lockdown is to continue, we should be trusted to know the real reasons why Care home cases drive up coronavirus reproductive rate, denting hopes of easing lockdown Coronavirus lockdown to be reviewed every two weeks Subscribe to The Telegraph, free for seven days Telegraph Coronavirus Appeal: Join us in helping those hit hardest George Eustice has told the country not to expect any "dramatic changes" from the Prime Minister's Sunday address, as he urged people to keep to the lockdown on another sunny bank holiday weekend. But the Environment Secretary said that "food to go" outlets were being encouraged to reopen, describing McDonald's drive-throughs as "made for the social distancing situation we are in". He also hinted that the Government may change its ruling on funerals. But he failed to answer questions about the splits emerging in the four-nation handling of the coronavirus crisis, with Wales and Scotland announcing different routes out of lockdown. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said garden centres would allowed to re-open in Wales on Monday, as part of a "modest" lifting of lockdown. People will also be able to exercise more than once a day in Wales and institutions including libraries and recycling centres are putting together plans to safely reopen. But Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Holyrood is keeping the lockdown in place, with the only option "under consideration" that of more outdoors exercise. She said Scotland's R-rate was higher than in other parts of the country. Boris Johnson is due to set out his roadmap on Sunday. Follow the latest below.
|
| New York City is readying 1,200 hotel rooms with laundry service and meals as part of the city's coronavirus testing and tracing efforts Posted: 09 May 2020 03:13 PM PDT  The New York City coronavirus "test and trace corps" will begin by June. People living in cramped spaces who are COVID-exposed will be sent to hotels.
|
| China says Taiwan's bid to attend key WHO meeting will fail Posted: 08 May 2020 02:22 AM PDT |
| Mike Huckabee: No elected official who orders a lockdown should get a paycheck as long we're shut down Posted: 08 May 2020 07:47 PM PDT  Reaction from Fox News contributor Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and Republican presidential candidate.
|
| Off-duty officer body slams Walmart shopper irate over face mask rule Posted: 07 May 2020 07:28 PM PDT  The officer used a "takedown measure" to gain control of the woman because of "other threat factors in the store," a police official said.
|
| Coronavirus deals 'powerful blow' to Putin's grand plans Posted: 07 May 2020 07:09 PM PDT  The bombastic military parade through Moscow's Red Square on Saturday was slated to be the spectacle of the year on the Kremlin's calendar. Standing with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron, President Vladimir Putin would have overseen a 90-minute procession of Russia's military might, showcasing 15,000 troops and the latest hardware. Now, military jets will roar over an eerily quiet Moscow, spurting red, white and blue smoke to mark 75 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany.
|
| Biden's lead over Trump widens – but strain on his virtual campaign grows Posted: 09 May 2020 02:00 AM PDT  Coronavirus has robbed the Democrat of his typical back-slapping approach as he faces growing scrutiny and a third-party challengeThe Tampa, Florida, rally for Joe Biden on Thursday evening began as it normally might have, before a once-in-a-century pandemic transformed all aspects of American life, including the presidential campaign. A local high school student recited the pledge of allegiance, a campaign organizer pleaded with supporters to volunteer and a local DJ spun R&B music between speakers.But in a sign of how profoundly the coronavirus crisis has reshaped American politics, that was where the similarities ended.With much of the US still in lockdown, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has been forced to take his campaign to unseat Donald Trump online. It has not always been easy.His campaign's first attempt to recreate a traditional rally – part of a virtual swing through the battleground state of Florida – was later described by his opponents as an "unmitigated technological failure". The video stream was glitchy and pixelated. The audio was choppy, rendering some remarks nearly incomprehensible. And there were lengthy delays between speakers and at one point, the feed went dark for several minutes."Am I on?" asked Biden, beaming into the telecast from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he has been isolated since the middle of March. An off-camera voice replied that he was. Biden removed a pair of aviator sunglasses as he walked toward the camera."Good evening, Tampa. Thanks so much for tuning in," he continued, a hint of irritation in his voice. "I wish we could have done this together – and it had gone a little more smoothly."For nearly two months, Biden has been the test subject in a novel political experiment: running for president in the age of Covid-19.Social distancing restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the virus have already starved the campaign of a victory tour to mark his ascent to the Democratic nomination. It may well deny Democrats the chance to formally nominate him in person at the party's national convention this summer. Endorsements from former rivals and party leaders occur online to varying degrees of fanfare. . The remote set-up, anathema to Biden's back-slapping, glad-handing approach to politics, has left the candidate walled off from voters and competing for visibility.Yet, technical difficulties aside, his campaign of confinement seems to be working.In recent weeks, Biden has widened his lead over Trump as the president's support slips amid growing disapproval of his response to the pandemic. Surveys from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina and Arizona – key battlegrounds that Trump won in 2016 – show Biden ahead. At a recent virtual fundraiser last week, Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, his new campaign manager, expressed optimism about Biden's prospects in Florida and Arizona."The natural state of this race is to be a referendum on Donald Trump and every time Donald Trump steps to the microphone he hurts himself," said Mark Mellman, a veteran Democratic pollster. "That's a pretty good position for Joe Biden to be in."Biden initially struggled to adapt to his cloistered reality. In March, the campaign turned a recreation room in the basement of his home into a studio, though not fast enough for his critics, who launched a "Where's Joe" campaign to mark the candidate's relative disappearance from the national stage.But since then, Biden has been busy. Nearly every day he makes appearances on local TV news channels or national talkshows. He launched a podcast, where he has hosted conversations with prominent Democratic governors and potential vice-presidential candidates. He spends time each day speaking with a voter – a frontline worker, campaign volunteers – and he participated in what the campaign billed as a "virtual rope line"."So what's up?" he said to Ashley Ruiz of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, one of several voters on the rope line. "Tell me about your situation, Ash."•••Biden's rise in the polls comes as he contends with an allegation from Tara Reade, a former aide in his Senate office who accused him of sexual assault in 1993. In an interview this week with Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News and NBC television host, Reade said he should withdraw from the presidential race.Biden has forcefully denied the allegation. "It's not true, I am saying unequivocally. It never, never happened," he said last week, in an interview addressing her claim for the first time publicly.Publicly, Democrats, including prominent MeToo advocates, have rallied around Biden, though privately some in the party have expressed concern about the continuous drip of reporting on the matter.So far the allegation appears to have marginally dented his reputation, but not his lead. Most voters – 86% – are aware of the allegation, according to a Monmouth poll, which found the electorate divided over whether they viewed the claim as credible. At the same time, the poll showed Biden nine points ahead of Trump.Despite Trump's falling electoral fortunes, many Democrats remain anxious about Biden's position – and his strategy.David Axelrod and David Plouffe, two of Barack Obama's top campaign strategists, implored Biden's campaign to expand its digital footprint in a joint New York Times op-ed that compared the atmospherics of the candidate's home videos to "an astronaut beaming back to earth from the International Space Station"."Online speeches from his basement won't cut it," they wrote.Lis Smith, the former top adviser to Pete Buttigieg's presidential campaign, followed with an op-ed on Thursday that offered a blueprint for turning Biden into the "hottest bad boy and disrupter in the media game". She suggested his campaign use TV appearances and digital content to highlight Biden's empathy, a trait even supporters say the president has lacked in response to the rising coronavirus death toll.Part of the campaign's evolving digital strategy includes partnering with groups that already have an online presence, like JoeMamas2020, a national coalition of "moms, caregivers, moms to be, aunts & all the parental figures in between" with about 27,000 Facebook and 1,200 Twitter followers. The group has helped amplify Biden's appearances and policy proposals while spreading the word about upcoming events.Julie Zebrak, the group's co-founder, said the online army is growing with women energized to help elect a candidate who promises to restore stability and calm after four years of what Trump's critics view as chaos and controversy."We are all extremely enthusiastic for Joe Biden to beat Donald Trump," she said.Yet the same traits that endear Biden to a growing coalition of suburban women and Never Trump Republicans have largely failed to excite younger, progressive voters. It's not that they prefer Trump – they don't – but a lack of enthusiasm among those voters could spell trouble in November if they stay home or vote for a third-party candidate.The campaign has also ramped up its outreach to young people, who overwhelmingly supported Biden's rival Bernie Sanders. On Friday, Biden presented his economic pitch in an appearance on NowThis, a social-media-heavy news outlet with a young, progressive audience."This crisis hit harder and will last longer because Donald Trump spent the last three years undermining the core pillars of our economic strength," Biden said in remarks that attacked Trump's stimulus efforts a kind of "cronyism" and corporate welfare. Before he began speaking, Biden removed a face mask, a pointed rebuke of the president who had refused to wear one.Still, new research conducted on behalf of NextGen America found many young people weren't convinced Biden's policies meet the scale of the challenges bearing down on their generation.This makes the efforts of groups like Progressive Turnout Project, which endorsed him this week, all the more important. In the coming months, the group is investing more than $52m to turn out low-propensity Democratic voters – including young people and people of color – in 17 key battleground states."The best thing we can do is go and knock on doors and have face-to-face conversations with voters," said Alex Morgan, the group's executive director. "We are still looking to do that. But it'll be knocking on that door and then taking a few big steps back and having a more distant conversation."•••Biden's campaign also faces another looming threat. The Michigan congressman Justin Amash, who left the Republican party last year after voting to impeach Trump, recently announced that he would seek the Libertarian party nomination.His entrance has alarmed Democrats, who fear he could siphon off Never Trump voters who might otherwise back Biden, particularly in Amash's home state of Michigan, where third-party candidates pulled away a combined 5% of the vote share in 2016. Hillary Clinton lost the state by just 10,704 votes, less than 0.25%.Many Democrats believe Biden's fate may well rest on his ability to persuade their own side to vote."Trump has shown no desire or ability to moderate for those swing voters in this election," said Addisu Demissie, who served as Cory Booker's presidential campaign manager. "So those voters are now likely going to end up either Biden voters or non-voters or third-party voters, and that's the competition."This week, Trump traveled to the battleground state of Arizona, where he toured a medical mask facility without wearing one himself. The visit was a symbolic show of his administration's push to reopen the US economy but there were unmistakable elements of his signature campaign rallies, including the music that played when Trump finished his remarks (the Rolling Stones' You Can't Always Get What You Want).Trump's cross-country venture stood in striking contrast to Biden's virtual swing through Florida – which included a rally, a roundtable in Jacksonville and an appearance on the local news in Tampa. The technical glitches only further highlighted the limitations of his confinement.But the coronavirus has also upended Trump's strategy, erasing the booming economy he has made a centerpiece of his re-election campaign. In recent weeks, his campaign has all but abandoned championing the president's leadership, instead focusing its efforts on diminishing Biden.Trump's campaign manager, Brad Parscale, previewed the onslaught on Twitter this week, comparing the Trump re-election juggernaut to the Death Star from the Star Wars movies. "In a few days we start pressing FIRE for the first time," he wrote.As Trump prepares to make even greater use of the advantages of incumbency, Biden faces his biggest test yet. Can he really lead a Rebel Alliance from his basement?
|
| Missing Idaho kids' uncle died of blood clot in Arizona Posted: 08 May 2020 03:14 PM PDT  A pulmonary blood clot killed the brother of an Idaho woman who's facing charges in the disappearance of her children — a case that attracted worldwide attention with revelations of her doomsday beliefs and connection to three mysterious deaths. Autopsy and toxicology reports were released Friday for Alex Cox, who died in Arizona in December. In July, Cox fatally shot his sister's estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in what he said was self-defense.
|
| You Touch Public Surfaces All Day. Here's How to Stay Safe From Coronavirus. Posted: 08 May 2020 09:39 AM PDT  From the moment COVID-19 started spreading in the U.S., you probably heard recommendations to wash your hands after contact with what are called high-touch surfaces: elevator buttons, public fauc...
|
| A Wisconsin chief justice faced backlash for blaming a county's coronavirus outbreak on meatpacking employees, not 'regular folks' Posted: 07 May 2020 09:35 PM PDT  Chief Justice Patience Roggensack faced backlash for her comment, with some people calling it "elitist" to separate meatpackers from "regular folks."
|
| Tripoli airport shelling hits fuel tanks, passenger plane-ministry Posted: 09 May 2020 03:08 AM PDT  Shelling of Tripoli's Mitiga airport early on Saturday, part of an intensified barrage of artillery fire on the capital in recent days, hit fuel tanks and damaged passenger planes, the Transport Ministry said in a statement. Mitiga is the last functioning airport in the Libyan capital, though civilian flights stopped in March because of repeated shelling even before the country imposed a lockdown over the coronavirus pandemic. Brega Petroleum Marketing Company, part of the National Oil Corporation, said its jet fuel tanks at Mitiga caught fire after coming under attack and firemen were working to control the blaze.
|
