North America

New York, Mar 10 (AFP/PTI) US aviation giant Boeing has said that one of its factory workers had tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus -- the company's first known case.

The employee in question works at the company's Everett factory near Seattle in the northwestern state of Washington, one of the areas most affected by the virus's outbreak in the US.

United Nations, Mar 10 (PTI) The coronavirus outbreak could cost the global economy up to USD 2 trillion this year, the UN's trade and development agency said, warning that shock from the epidemic will cause a recession in some countries and depress global annual growth to below 2.5 per cent.

MEXICO CITY, Mar 10 (NNN-PRENSA LATINA) – Mexico’s economy is strong enough to withstand the global drop in oil prices, and subsequent devaluation of the national currency, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said, on Monday.

Oil prices and stock markets plunged early in the day, amid fears of the COVID-19, and “yes it impacted us,” Lopez Obrador told reporters.

(Reuters) - Shares of Boeing Co (BA.N) dropped more than 12% on Monday amid a broader market plunge as pressure mounted on global aviation from the spread of the coronavirus and U.S. regulators said they disagreed with Boeing’s argument about the safety of wiring bundles on the grounded 737 MAX jet.

Underscoring the global risks for America’s largest exporter, Ethiopian investigators singled out faulty 737 MAX systems in a new interim report on last year’s crash, the second of two fatal accidents that plunged Boeing into its worst-ever crisis.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has not been tested for the coronavirus, the White House said on Monday, though at least two lawmakers with whom he has recently come into contact have announced they were self-quarantining after attending a conference with a person who had tested positive for the virus.

MEXICO CITY, March 9 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's economy is strong enough to withstand the global drop in oil prices, and subsequent devaluation of the national currency, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday.

Oil prices and stock markets plunged early in the day amid fears of the coronavirus, and "yes it impacted us," Lopez Obrador told reporters at his daily press conference.

UNITED NATIONS, March 9 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday was encouraged by what he saw as movement-building in gender equality, and asked for more efforts to further carry forward the cause.

This year, the world marks the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action, which together define the most comprehensive and transformative global agenda for gender equality and women's empowerment, he told the opening meeting of the 64th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Monday held Iran responsible for the kidnapping of former FBI agent Robert Levinson, entering a default judgement against the regime on the 13th anniversary of his disappearance.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly was a milestone moment in the family’s lawsuit against Tehran, which featured wrenching testimony in Washington’s federal court from each of Levinson’s seven children.

NEW YORK (AP) — With prosecutors seeking a severe punishment for Harvey Weinstein in his landmark #MeToo case, his lawyers argued on Monday that he deserves mercy for his already “historic fall from grace” and serious health issues.

In a letter filed in advance of Weinstein’s sentencing on Wednesday for his New York City rape conviction, his defense team asked Judge James Burke to give him to only five years behind bars — a far cry from the potential 29-year maximum term allowed by law.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A quirk in how delegates are won under Democratic Party rules is raising the stakes for Tuesday’s elections, allowing a candidate to make up ground in the race quickly — or fall further behind.

Five states — Michigan, Washington, Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho — hold Democratic primaries on Tuesday, while North Dakota has a caucus. All told, there are 352 delegates up for grabs. A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win the Democratic presidential nomination.