Hundreds of scientists say coronavirus is airborne, ask WHO to revise recommendations – NYT
Reuters Hundreds of scientists say there is evidence that the novel coronavirus in smaller particles in the air can infect people and are calling for the World Health Organization to revise recommendations, the New York Times reported on Saturday. The WHO has said the coronavirus disease spreads primarily from person to person through small droplets […]
Curb climate change, protect environment to prevent future pandemics, countries told
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Land degradation, wildlife exploitation, intensive farming and climate change are driving the rise in diseases that, like the coronavirus, are passed from animals to humans, United Nations experts said on Monday. The UN Environment Programme and International Livestock Research Institute jointly identified seven trends responsible for such diseases, known as zoonotic, […]
Survey finds 77 per cent of Japanese think Olympics “cannot be held” next year
Tokyon, JapanReuters A wide-ranging survey conducted by the Japan News Network found that 77 per cent of those questioned said that the Tokyo Olympics “cannot be held” next year, it was announced on Monday. The Tokyo 2020 Games, originally due to start this month, have already been delayed for a year because of the coronavirus […]
What should replace America’s Confederate statues?
Washington DC, USThomson Reuters Foundation As protesters fell monuments honouring slave owners, Confederates and disgraced white leaders of decades past, their downfall opens a debate over who should rise up to take their place. The United States had at least 780 Confederate monuments as of last year, according to a study by the Southern Poverty […]
Armenia property tax reform raises gentrification fears
Thomson Reuters Foundation A property tax rise in Armenia risks forcing elderly people from homes they have lived in since the Soviet era and which have risen dramatically in value since then, critics have warned. The reform was signed into law this week and will bring thousands of homes that were previously exempt because of […]
Updated: Australia closes state border for first time in 100 years to halt coronavirus
Last updated: 5pm AESTSydney, AustraliaReuters The border between Australia’s two most populous states will close from Tuesday for an indefinite period as authorities scramble to contain an outbreak of the coronavirus in the city of Melbourne. The decision announced on Monday marks the first time the border between Victoria and New South Wales has been […]
Investigation: China cuts Uighur births with IUDs, abortion, sterilisation
In a special investigation, the Associated Press uncovers methods the Chinese Goverment is using to slash birth rates among Uighur Muslims and other minorities even as it encourages some of the country’s Han majority to have more children…
Some question replacing Mississippi’s Confederate symbol with ‘In God We Trust’
RNS Rev Isiac Jackson, Jr, was one of many Mississippi residents who took it as a spiritual victory when the state’s lawmakers voted on Sunday, 28th June, to remove the Confederate symbol from the state’s flag. “God answers prayer,” said Jackson, president of the General Missionary Baptist State Convention. “He may not come when you […]
This Life: Don’t let anyone steal your joy
US columnist CAROL ROUND, in an article first published on ASSIST News Service, looks at the importance of joy in our lives…
Rainforest Alliance aims to help ethical growers get climate-smart
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation The Rainforest Alliance will bolster its food certification scheme to ensure growers and brands make better use of technology to tackle climate change, respect human rights and invest in sustainable farming, the green group said. International certification bodies the Rainforest Alliance and UTZ merged in 2018, and provide ethical labelling […]