WHO opens door to broader use of masks to limit spread of coronavirus; latest on spread around the world
Geneva, Switzerland/Washington DC, USReuters The World Health Organization on Friday said that medical masks should be prioritised for health workers, but it opened the door to greater public use of homemade masks or other mouth coverings as a way to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. A senior WHO official told reporters there was some […]
Australia says true coronavirus infections could be as high as 10 million cases
Sydney, AustraliaReuters As many as 10 million people globally may have been infected by the new coronavirus, Australia’s chief medical officer said on Friday, with the under-reporting due to a lack of testing in some countries for the highly contagious respiratory disease. A Reuters tally of offical data on Friday pegged the number of COVID-19 […]
Climate disasters seen increasing conflict risk in large countries
Rome, ItalyThomson Reuters Foundation Countries with large populations and low levels of development are most likely to see a rise in the risk of armed conflict after extreme weather events, according to a new study that researchers said underscored the need to boost their resilience. Almost one in three conflicts in large countries with ethnic […]
Afghan women play “crucial” role in Taliban talks, says negotiator
Kabul, AfghanistanThomson Reuters Foundation Afghanistan’s “fragile gains” in women’s rights are at risk unless women play a key role in peace talks with the Taliban, one of the few female members of the government’s negotiating team has said. Lawmaker Fawzia Koofi, a vocal critic of the Taliban, is one of five women on the 21-member […]
World risks “sleepwalking into surveillance” with coronavirus controls
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation Digital surveillance rolled out to curb coronavirus should be limited in time and scope, more than 100 rights groups said on Thursday, warning governments not to use the crisis as cover for pervasive snooping. From facial recognition to phone tracking, governments are turning to technology to trace infections and keep tabs […]
Suspected slavery surges in UK with a record 10,000 reports
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation A record 10,627 suspected slaves were referred to the British government for help in 2019, official data showed on Thursday, up by 52 per cent in a year, amid fears coronavirus will worsen abuse. Anti-slavery groups called for more action to help people at risk of exploitation and trafficking, amid a […]
LOCUSTS STEALING LIVES: SOMALILAND FARMERS, HERDERS FEAR LOOMING PLAGUE
NITA BHALLA, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports…
As pandemic ensues, Italy’s south turn to faith for sustenance
Vatican CityRNS Positive coronavirus cases have started to grow in Italy’s very religious south, where high levels of unemployment and organized crime complicate the application of stringent rules to prevent the spread of the pandemic. In some southern cities, fights have started to break out and people have been robbed while leaving the supermarket. While […]
ESSAY: HUNGARY’S VIKTOR ORBÁN NOW RULES BY DECREE IN TROUBLING EXAMPLE OF HOW CORONAVIRUS FEAR ENABLES AUTHORITARIANS TO TIGHTEN THEIR GRIP
In an article first published on The Conversation, UMUT KORKUT, chair professor at Glasgow Caledonian University, looks at the “troubling” situation in Hungary…