Food crisis fuels fears of protectionism compounding shortages
Davos, Switzerland Reuters A growing world food crisis is precipitating protectionist moves by countries which are likely to compound the problem and could lead to a wider trade war, business leaders and policymakers at the World Economic Forum said. In a sign of the escalating squeeze on food supplies and rising prices, a government source […]
Ukraine urges more world pressure, says it repels Russian attack on eastern city
Kyiv/Mariupol, Ukraine Reuters Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told global business leaders on Monday the world must increase sanctions against Russia to deter other countries from using “brute force” to achieve their aims. Zelenskiy spoke via video link to the World Economic Forum in Davos as the Ukrainian military claimed to have held off a Russian […]
Governments need to take urgent action to combat inequality – Oxfam
London, UKReuters Governments need to take urgent action to tackle rising inequality which emerged over the COVID-19 crisis with a surge in energy and food prices ramping up pressures on millions of people around the world, Oxfam said on Monday. The report, released by the Nairobi-based charity as top policy makers and industry chiefs arrive […]
Invest in nature and reap cash benefits, World Economic Forum urges cities
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation After a landslide in 2017 killed 1,141 people and left more than 3,000 homeless in Sierra Leone’s capital Freetown, the recovery plan included training residents to plant 21,000 native trees to reduce the risk of future disasters on bare hillsides. Amid erratic and unusually heavy rains, as well as urban expansion, […]
Super-rich thrive as COVID-19 pushes millions into poverty
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation The world’s 10 wealthiest people more than doubled their fortunes to $US1.5 trillion during the pandemic as poverty rates soared, according to a study released by a charity on Monday ahead of a high-profile World Economic Forum event. Heads of state will join chief executives and other prominent figures this week […]
Climate inaction – and ‘dramatic’ consequences – top global threat list
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Governments are struggling to adopt climate-smart policies as COVID-19 hits economic activity and forces them to focus instead on tackling surging social inequality, the World Economic Forum said on Tuesday. Failure to implement emissions-cutting pledges and the “dramatic consequences” in terms of devastating floods, storms and wildfires are now the world’s […]
India tests drones to take COVID-19 vaccines to rural areas
Thomson Reuters Foundation Villagers in remote corners of rural India could start seeing curious flying objects in the skies as health experts test out drones to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to isolated communities amid a deadly surge in coronavirus cases. The southern state of Telangana, which is part of the World Economic Forum’s Medicine from the Sky project […]
Access to language: Young Africans go online to preserve local languages, fight COVID-19
KIM HARRISBERG and KRISTI EATON, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, report…
Pandemic pushes gender equality back a generation – WEF
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Women will not reach parity with men until the middle of the next century as the COVID-19 pandemic hits them hardest, according to a World Economic Forum report released on Wednesday. “The pandemic has fundamentally impacted gender equality in both the workplace and the home, rolling back years of progress,” said WEF’s managing […]
Fewer desks, more coffee: How the office could change after COVID-19
Tbilisi, GeorgiaThomson Reuters Foundation Employees returning to the office after the coronavirus pandemic ends might find fewer desks and more room to chat over coffee, real estate experts say, as companies look to “seduce” remote workers back by offering more space for interaction. Lockdowns that have taken hold since March last year have forced millions […]