The latest on the crown crisis: in Brussels, the center becomes a cycling and pedestrian zone – News story

The ticker starts at 2:00 a.m.

• 6:56

  Brussels becomes a cycling paradise

  Priority for pedestrians and cyclists: new times begin in early May in the center of the Belgian capital, Brussels. The Pentagone, the inner ring of the city, has become a cycling and pedestrian zone for at least three months. Cars, trams and buses can only drive a maximum of 20 kilometers per hour, and must give priority to walkers and cyclists.

  The goal: Pedestrians and cyclists should have more space in public space and should be able to better maintain the required distance. The decision is not against cars, the city said. But if the people of Brussels leave the house in the coming weeks, they should be encouraged to do so on foot or by bicycle.

  On May 4, the first crown restrictions will be relaxed in Belgium. The curfew currently in force is gradually being lifted.

• 5:15

  Facebook user numbers are growing faster in Corona crisis

  Facebook gains more new users than usual in the Corona crisis. 2.6 billion users were last active on Facebook each month, 100 million more than three months earlier. The online network generally gains around 50 million users every quarter.

  In addition, the world’s largest online network advertising business has already stabilized after a setback in March. In the first few weeks of April, ad sales remained at least at the level of the previous year, as Facebook announced when the current quarterly figures were released.

• 4:20

  South Korea for the first time without “domestic” infections

  For the first time in South Korea, no new domestic crown infections have been confirmed since the peak of the epidemic in February. Thursday there were only four new cases, but they were all “imported” from abroad, according to the state disease control authority.

  Overall, the number of infected people was around 10,800. So far, 247 people have died from the coronavirus in South Korea. Management of the East Asian country with the coronavirus has received worldwide attention. South Korea relies on mass testing and the isolation of confirmed cases.

• 3:38

  Argentina: House arrest for prisoners causes resentment

  After hundreds of prisoners were transferred to house arrest, numerous people in Argentina protested the measure to contain the crown pandemic. In the Buenos Aires metropolitan area, many protesters beat pots and pans on their balconies on Wednesday.

  In order to curb the spread of the virus in Argentine prisons, some 950 prisoners had recently been transferred to house arrest. Should benefit from regulation, eg Preventive detainees, prisoners under the age of three, pregnant women and older prisoners. However, there is resentment that isolated murderers and rapists have been transferred to house arrest. However, they also belonged to the Corona risk group.

• 2:15

  Microsoft benefits from the home office

  The US computer company USA Microsoft benefits from the fact that many people currently work from home with videoconferencing and documents from the cloud. The company generated 15 percent more sales in the first three months of the year. It was a total of $ 35 billion. Profits grew 22 percent to $ 10.8 billion. Therefore, the negative effects of the Corona crisis were barely noticeable, the company said.

  According to Microsoft, the business with location-independent teamwork software and online learning was particularly good. “In two months we experienced a digital transformation that would have otherwise taken two years,” said Microsoft chief Satya Nadella.

  

• 2:13

  Trump expects a 100 percent return to normal

  The President of the United States, Donald Trump, does not believe that the crown pandemic permanently changes life in the United States. Trump said in Washington afternoon on Wednesday that he expected a 100 percent return to normal in the country. “We want it to be as it was.” And this would go faster than many expected.

  Trump did not name a time horizon for the stage. “It could take longer.” But states were gradually taking steps in this direction. According to United States Vice President Mike Pence, 35 states have published plans for a gradual return to normal operations.

  The crown pandemic has largely halted public life in the United States, plunging the country’s economy into crisis.

  

• 2:07

  That happened last night

  • Austrian Foreign Minister Kurz insists on considering AUA aid
  • Double crisis for sex workers in Amsterdam
  • The concept of protection poses great challenges for Swiss schools

see more