Coronavirus latest: UK second country to record more than 40,000 deaths

In the decade that followed the global financial crash of 2008, a wave of protest and populism battered and challenged many of the perceived norms of Europe’s political discourse.

Coupled with the subsequent Eurozone and migrations crises, politicians were branded as an elite, out of touch with mass public opinion. The fire took hold. From anti-austerity measures in Greece, to the rise of the far-right in Germany, to increasing authoritarianism in Central Europe. Nationalism in Spain, populism in Italy, the Yellow Vest protesters in France and, of course, Brexit in Britain. European politics was upended.

But Europe in many ways now faces a much bigger crisis. The economic shock from the lockdown of almost the entire continent will lead to a recession far deeper than the one we saw 10 years ago. Millions more could lose their jobs, more businesses could go bust. Could we also see more political turmoil?

READ THE FULL ANALYSIS BY EURONEWS' POLITICAL EDITOR HERE.

Two major companies in the automotive and aviation sector announced major job cuts on Friday.

Bombardier Aviation, based in Canada, and British carmaker Bentley are set to cut 2,500 and 1,000 jobs respectively.

Both cited the coronavirus crisis as a factor and it comes hot on the heels of other grim news regarding the economy.

Late last month Nissan announced the closure of its Barcelona branch, which it says will see 3,000 jobs go.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

Even in normal times one in three women are reported to suffer violent abuse from a partner, ex-partner or family member. On average, one hundred women in the world die every day - killed by someone they know. Eveline (not her real name) is one of the many victims.

"I was attacked by my ex-partner who came to my company's offices and said he wanted to kill me. He hit me with an axe handle violently on the head. There was blood everywhere. 

The lockdown is believed to have led to a huge explosion in violence with some countries reporting that abuse has risen by a third. Despite those estimates, it remains difficult to get a clear picture on how the pandemic has affected domestic violence in Europe as the data are not collected in a systematic manner.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE.

Blood of COVID-19 patients could help predict how ill they will get

While older patients and those with underlying conditions are typically more susceptible to the most severe forms of COVID-19, the pandemic has shown that young, previously healthy people can also develop serious symptoms.

A joint German-British study has discovered 27 biomarkers in the blood of infected patients that could help us understand why symptoms vary so dramatically – and predict how ill a person might become.

The findings could help doctors decide what treatment to prescribe, and could provide scientists with new targets in their hunt for effective drugs.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE. 

Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) told the AFP news agency that police forces have been involved in the killing of 15 people since a curfew was introduced in late March as part of the lockdown.

The IPOA said it had received 87 complaints against police and that preliminary investigations had found that "15 deaths and 31 incidents where victims sustained injuries have directly been linked to actions of police officers during the curfew enforcement."

In April, Human Rights Watch had accused the Kenyan police of imposing the curfew in a "chaotic and violent manner from the start".