Piles of cash in viral video stoke bribery scandal in Mexico - Reuters Canada

(This Aug 17 story corrects to remove Twitter statement attributed to Rafael Caraveo from an unverified account bearing his name)

By David Alire Garcia

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - An unverified video showing piles of cash being handed to Mexican congressional staffers went viral on Monday, fueling a corruption scandal that is already convulsing the country even as the clip’s source and context remain unclear.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who has made combating graft his top issue, earlier in the day said the public should see all evidence linked


UPDATE 2-New Zealand's Ardern hits back at Trump over coronavirus 'surge' - Reuters Africa

(Recasts with Ardern’s response to Trump)

By Praveen Menon

WELLINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern hit back on Tuesday against U.S. President Donald Trump for saying her country is experiencing a “big surge” in COVID-19, calling the remarks “patently wrong”.

Trump sparked uproar in New Zealand when he told a crowd in Minnesota that the South Pacific country of 5 million people was in the grip of a “terrible” upsurge in COVID-


Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 1390 to 225404 - RKI - Reuters Africa

FILE PHOTO: A medical staff prepares for COVID-19 testing a traveller at the Hochfelln service station on the A8 motorway near the town of Bergen, Germany, August 13, 2020. REUTERS/Michael Dalder

BERLIN (Reuters) - The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 1,390 to 225,404, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.

The reported death toll rose by four to 9


More infectious coronavirus mutation may be 'a good thing', says disease expert - Reuters

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - An increasingly common mutation of the novel coronavirus found in Europe, North America and parts of Asia may be more infectious but appears less deadly, according to a prominent infectious diseases doctor.

FILE PHOTO: The ultrastructural morphology exhibited by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China, is seen in an illustration released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Empty scenes from the DNC as Democrats move meeting online - Reuters.com

Empty scenes from the DNC as Democrats move meeting online Reuters.com

Australia's Westpac scraps dividend as coronavirus crisis squeezes capital - Reuters India

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Westpac Banking Corp scrapped its interim dividend on Tuesday, becoming the first major Australian bank to officially cancel a shareholder payout amid the coronavirus crisis, knocking its share price lower.

Pedestrians walk past the ground floor of an office building with Westpac logo amidst the easing of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions in the Central Business District of Sydney, Australia, June 3, 2020. Picture taken June 3, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott/Files

Australia


China launches anti-dumping probe into Australian wine imports - Reuters

BEIJING/SYDNEY (Reuters) - China has begun an anti-dumping probe into imports of Australian wine, it said on Tuesday, a move that knocked a fifth off the market value of Australia’s biggest winemaker and is likely to worsen tension between the nations.

FILE PHOTO: Bottles of Penfolds Grange, made by Australian wine maker Penfolds and owned by Australia's Treasury Wine Estates, sit on a shelf for sale at a wine shop in central Sydney, Australia, August 4, 2014.

Dollar hits 27-month low as U.S. stocks reach record highs - Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar index fell to its lowest in more than two years on Tuesday, as the ongoing effects of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus programs weakened the dollar broadly for the fifth consecutive day and lifted U.S. stock indexes to record highs.

FILE PHOTO: Rolled Euro banknotes are placed on U.S. Dollar banknotes in this illustration taken May 26, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

Although the dollar often functions as a safe


Dollar falls to 27-month low as U.S. stocks hit record highs - Reuters

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. dollar index fell to its lowest in more than two years on Tuesday as the ongoing effects of the Federal Reserve’s stimulus programs weakened the greenback broadly for the fifth consecutive day and lifted U.S. stock indexes to record highs.

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Dollar banknote is seen in this illustration taken May 26, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Although the dollar often functions as a safe-haven investment in moments of


China reports 22 new coronavirus cases on August 17 - Reuters Africa

FILE PHOTO: Women wearing masks are seen on a hot summer day, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Shanghai, China August 14, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song

BEIJING (Reuters) - China reported on Tuesday 22 new coronavirus cases in the mainland for August 17, same as the tally a day earlier, the health authority said.

All of the new infections were imported cases, the National Health Commission said in a statement, making it the second