| North Korea 'fires two missiles' in latest aggressive test Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:56 PM PDT  North Korea on Saturday fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast, Seoul's military said. The projectiles were fired from North Pyongan province into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, without providing further details. "The military is monitoring for additional launches and maintaining readiness," it added. Japan's defence ministry said the North launched what appeared to be "ballistic missile-like object(s)", adding there had been no indication of anything coming down in Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone. Earlier this month, the nuclear-armed North carried out similar launches on two occasions – Pyongyang said they had conducted "long-range artillery" drills, but Japan said the projectiles appeared to be ballistic missiles. The latest launch comes amid a prolonged hiatus in disarmament talks with the United States. The North has been continuing to refine its weapons capabilities, analysts say, more than a year after a summit between its leader Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump broke down in Hanoi. Shortly before the launch, the North's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the country would convene its parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly (SPA), on April 10 – despite the coronavirus pandemic.
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| Fleeting OPEC-Shale Détente Exposes Wildcat Roots of U.S. Oil Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:40 PM PDT |
| NYC Has a Third of U.S. Cases; States Shut Down: Virus Update Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:35 PM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- New York City accounts for almost a third of confirmed U.S. coronavirus cases. More states followed New York and California in tightening restrictions on the public and business.Airlines warned of flight and jobs cuts without U.S. aid. An aide in the office of Vice President Mike Pence tested positive.U.S. stocks fell, capping their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis. Goldman Sachs warned the U.S. economy may shrink 24% in the second quarter.Key Developments:Worldwide cases top 250,000, more than 10,000 deadU.S. infections exceed 17,000, fatalities top 220Spain, Iran cases rise to almost 20,000Target boosts pay, Walmart to hire 150,000 workersDelta says 13,000 workers are on unpaid leaveItaly had 627 deaths in one day, the most anywhereFour U.S. senators sold stock after virus briefings in JanuarySubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg's Prognosis team here.Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus and here for maps and charts. For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics, click here. To see the impact on oil and commodities demand, click here.Washington State Urges Residents to Stay Home (8 a.m. HK)Washington Governor Jay Inslee stopped short of issuing an order to keep people isolated, but encouraged residents to stay home to help stem the spread of the coronavirus.Inslee, whose state has reported the most deaths so far, said people aren't treating the illness as a mortal threat.U.S. Team Rescued From Honduras (7:55 a.m. HK)An Air Force C-130 transport flew 89 Americans -- including members of a U.S. women's football team -- out of Honduras to Charleston, South Carolina, the second mission to fetch citizens unable to leave the Central American country.Earlier, a C-17 flew from Honduras' Soto Cano Air Base with other passengers, including half of the team, the U.S. Southern Command said in a statement.The 55-member team became trapped after Honduras closed its borders in response to the coronavirus. They were on a charity visit for a local homeless shelter, and to play in a tournament, CBS Sports said on its website.Pence Aide Confirmed With Virus (6:30 a.m. HK)An employee in the office of Vice President Mike Pence, leading the government's response to the outbreak, has tested positive for the illness, according to a statement."Neither President Trump nor Vice President Pence had close contact with the individual," said Katie Miller, Pence's press secretary. "Further contact tracing is being conducted in accordance with CDC guidelines."NYC Leads U.S. in Cases (6:20 a.m. HK)New York City accounts for almost a third of the U.S. cases of Covid-19, and half the infections in the state."We are now the epicenter of this crisis," Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference.De Blasio reported 5,151 infections as of Friday morning out of 17,041 nationwide and 7,102 in New York state. The virus has caused 29 deaths, the mayor said.Three states have a majority of U.S. cases: New York, Washington and California.Target, Walmart Aid Workers (6:15 a.m. HK)Target Corp. is boosting hourly wages, expanding its paid-leave policy and delivering bonuses to thousands of store employees to reward rank-and-file staff for coping with the coronavirus.The retailer is raising hourly pay by $2 until at least May 2, and offering paid sick leave of up to 30 days for staffers who are 65 or older, pregnant or have underlying medical conditions. It's doling out bonuses from $250 to $1,500 for hourly workers who oversee departments like beauty or food and beverage.The moves come just hours after rival Walmart Inc. said it would hire 150,000 additional staff and disperse bonuses of as much as $300 to its hourly associates.United, Southwest Warn on Flights (5:40 p.m. NY)United Airlines Holdings Inc. said it will lay off employees in less than two weeks unless Congress passes a package to help carriers amid a collapse in air travel. Southwest Airlines Co. said it will cut more flights.United trimmed 60% of its typical schedule for April, cutting 85% of its international service and 42% of domestic flying. The schedule for May may be cut even further, Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz and President Scott Kirby told employees in a memo.Southwest, which carries the most passengers in U.S. markets, will cut 1,000 daily flights starting Sunday because of a plunge in demand. International service will end after Sunday until at least May 4 as more nations restrict cross-border travel.Hospital Stockpile Potential Covid-19 Drug (5:30 p.m. NY)Hospitals are stockpiling a decades-old antimalarial drug touted by President Donald Trump and others as a treatment for the new coronavirus.Hydroxychloroquine is being snapped up at more than twice the typical pace as U.S. hospitals seek to build inventories in anticipation of the medication's potential use in patients with Covid-19.In the first 17 days of March, hospitals bought an average of 16,110 units of hydroxychloroquine, up from an average 8,800 units a month from January 2019 through February 2020, according to Premier Inc., which helps member hospitals buy and manage their supplies.Read story hereD.C. Extends Limits to Late April (5 p.m. NY)Washington, D.C., extended the prohibition on mass gatherings until April 25 and will keep district schools, which shuttered this week, closed until April 27.Restaurants and bars in the nation's capital will continue to offer carry-out food to customers or delivery services. All indoor dining or drinking is banned.Delta Workers Take Unpaid Leave (4:40 p.m. NY)Delta Air Lines Inc. said more than 13,000 employees accepted voluntary unpaid leaves as the carrier struggles with the coronavirus outbreak, which slowed travel and led to cutbacks in flights."While I'm grateful to the thousands that have volunteered, we could use more," Chief Executive Officer Ed Bastian said in a message to employees.Bastian said revenue in the June quarter will be down 80% from a year earlier and the company is burning through about $50 million in cash every day. Delta suspended its capital return program, including stock repurchases, and future dividend payments.Illinois Issues Shelter-in-Place Order (4:20 p.m. NY)Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered residents to shelter in place starting Saturday, following California, New York and New Jersey in restricting the movement of residents to combat the coronavirus.Earlier this month, Pritzker closed schools, dine-in service at bars and restaurants and banned gatherings of more than 50. Chicago earlier ordered sick residents to remain home.Similar shelter-in-place actions were taken by governors in Connecticuty and Nevada.Read story hereN.J. to Shut 'Nonessential' Businesses (4 p.m. NY)New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he will sign an executive order requiring all "nonessential" businesses closed to help slow the spread of the virus. Murphy said he would give more details when he signs the order Saturday."The only way we're going to beat this darn virus is if we literally stay home and stay away from each other," Murphy said at a news conference in Paramus.Read story here.World Needs 80-100 Times More Tests, WHO Says (2:30 p.m. NY)The number of coronavirus tests needed in coming months is probably 80 to 100 times the 1.5 million that the World Health Organization supplied so far, said Mike Ryan, the agency's head of health emergencies. Governments need to step up their commitments because there are more than 26 million health-care workers around the world who need to have protective gear, he said."The greatest tragedy for me among all the tragedies we're seeing is the prospect of losing a part of our workforce, those doctors and nurses and hygienists and others who put themselves in the front line," Ryan said.Nigeria to Conduct Trials of Chloroquine (2:30 p.m. NY)Nigeria's Lagos State government plans to conduct a clinical trial on the effectiveness of the malaria drug chloroquine in the prevention and management of coronavirus infection, according to Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi.The trial will be carried out against "the fast spreading news that chloroquine could be effective in preventing and managing Covid-19," Abayomi said in emailed statement on Friday.U.S. President Donald Trump touted the drug at a press briefing Thursday, urging regulators to approve its use for the coronavirus.U.K. to Help Pay Workers Wages (1:30 p.m. NY)The U.K. government said it will step in and help pay its citizen's wages during the coronavirus pandemic "for the first time in the nation's history."The state will cover 80% of the salary of workers that firms can't afford to retain as a result of the crisis. That is up to a total of 2,500 pounds ($2,900) a month, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak told reporters on Friday."You will not face this alone," Sunak said.Read full story here.Crowds Swarm New Jersey Test Site (1:23 p.m. NY)New Jersey closed its first drive-through test site to people beyond the 1,000 already in line, and even they may not get swabbed today.The line had grown too long less than four hours after its planned 8 a.m. opening at Bergen Community College in Paramus. The site was to get 2,500 new coronavirus test kits, with supplies replenished weekly.Read full story here.Brazilian Lawmakers Hold First Remote Voting (12:45 p.m. NY)Brazil's Congress held its first-ever remote voting session as part of efforts to proceed with crucial legislative work while restricting movement of people in Brasilia's often-crowded parliament.In a video conference broadcast on their official website, senators approved a calamity decree allowing President Jair Bolsonaro to increase anti-virus spending.Cuomo Orders All Non-Essential Workers Home (12:20 p.m. NY)Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered New Yorkers to stay at home for the foreseeable future, except for essential services like grocery stores and mass transit.He said the new orders would go in place on Sunday. The state's death toll has reached 35. New York has more than 7,100 coronavirus cases, the most in the U.S."This is the most drastic action we can take," Cuomo said.Read full story here.First Virus Deaths in Peru (12:15 p.m. NY)Three people died on Thursday after becoming infected by the coronavirus, Peru's Health Ministry says on Twitter.Two men -- one 47 and the other 69 -- died in Lima after visiting Spain. The third victim was a 78-year-old man.Medical experts worry that Latin America, which has so far reported relatively few cases, is unprepared for a larger outbreak.London Pubs, Restaurants Set to Be Told to Close (11:27 a.m. NY)London's pubs, restaurants, leisure centers, and cinemas will be told to close to stop the spread of coronavirus, under plans expected to be agreed to on Friday, a British official said.Social Distancing Will Last Several More Weeks (11:08 a.m. NY)Americans will have to practice social distancing for at least several more weeks to mitigate U.S. cases of Covid-19, Anthony S. Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said Friday."If you look at the trajectory of the curves of outbreaks in other areas, it's at least going to be several weeks. I cannot see that all of a sudden next week or two weeks from now, it's going to be over. I don't think there's a chance of that. I think it's going to be several weeks," Fauci said on The Today Show.IRS Moving Tax Day to July 15 (10:25 a.m. NY)U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says people and businesses will have more time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.First American Air Cargo Flight in 36 Years (10:22 a.m. NY)American Airlines Group Inc. is shifting some of its biggest idled jets to ferry just cargo -- the carrier's first flights without passengers in nearly four decades.The Boeing Co. 777-300s will fly medical supplies, military mail, e-commerce packages and high-demand office equipment as more people work from home, the airline said in a statement. The wide-body flights begin Friday, with two round trips over four days between Frankfurt and the airline's home base at Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Read full story here.Brazil Bans Visitors from Europe and Asia (10:17 a.m. NY)Brazil will bar travelers from about three dozen European and Asian nations from entering the country. The ban doesn't apply to Brazilians or foreigners living in the country and will last for 30 days starting Monday.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| North Korea fires two 'ballistic missiles' into sea: Seoul Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:06 PM PDT  North Korea on Saturday fired two projectiles presumed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the sea off its east coast, Seoul's military said. The projectiles were fired from North Pyongan province into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea, the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, without providing further details. Japan's defence ministry said the North launched what appeared to be "ballistic missile-like object(s)", adding there had been no indication of anything coming down in Japanese territory or its exclusive economic zone.
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| North Korea Fires Missiles as Kim Leads Artillery Competition Posted: 20 Mar 2020 04:50 PM PDT |
| South Korea: North Korea fires 2 presumed missiles into sea Posted: 20 Mar 2020 04:19 PM PDT  North Korea on Saturday fired two presumed short-range ballistic missiles into the sea, South Korea's military said, as it continues to expand military capabilities amid deadlocked nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration and a crippling global health crisis. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles were fired around 6:45 and 6:50 a.m. from an area around the county of Sonchon, western North Korea. South Korea and the U.S. were analyzing the launches.
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| Iran frees French researcher in apparent prisoner swap Posted: 20 Mar 2020 02:14 PM PDT |
| Trump's big promises on COVID-19 often fall short Posted: 20 Mar 2020 02:06 PM PDT  Almost daily, President Donald Trump appears on television, flanked by officials, to announce his latest maneuver in the fight against the new coronavirus. The new national testing infrastructure he unveiled in the Rose Garden last week is actually a modest pilot program still in development. It's unclear whether he's using all his power to ramp up production of medical equipment — or whether he's just preparing to do so.
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| Trump vs Fauci: President and doctor spar over unproven drug Posted: 20 Mar 2020 01:49 PM PDT  In an extraordinary exchange, President Donald Trump and the government's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, publicly sparred Friday on whether a malaria drug would work to treat people with coronavirus disease. The scene played out on national television during the daily White House briefing on the outbreak. Reporters asked both men — first Fauci then Trump — if a malaria drug called hydroxychloroquine could be used to prevent COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
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| Health agencies: No evidence ibuprofen worsens coronavirus Posted: 20 Mar 2020 01:42 PM PDT  The World Health Organization and other leading agencies say there is no evidence to support the suggestion that ibuprofen might worsen the symptoms of COVID-19. WHO said earlier this week that it did a quick review and found no published research or data on the issue. The U.N. health agency said it was "not aware of reports of any negative effects of ibuprofen, beyond the usual known side effects."
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| States Tighten Public Limits; Grim Italy Milestone: Virus Update Posted: 20 Mar 2020 01:36 PM PDT (Bloomberg) -- New York state ordered non-essential workers to stay home, a move followed hours later by neighboring New Jersey and then by Illinois. Italy reported 627 fatalities, the most in one day anywhere, as the death toll in Europe's epicenter topped 4,000.President Donald Trump banned all non-essential travel from Mexico, exempting commerce. He also deferred student loan payments.The U.K. and the U.S. warned that social distancing may be in place longer than expected. The European Union said the looming recession may be much worse than previously anticipated.It took three months to reach 100,000 cases but only 12 days for the next 100,000.Key Developments:Cases top 250,000, more than 10,000 deadInfections rise to almost 20,000 in both Spain and IranBiennial Farnborough Airshow postponed until 2022Four U.S. senators sold stock after virus briefings in JanuaryNew York City reports 5,151 cases of Covid-19, 29 fatalitiesLatin America isn't ready for the virus onslaught headed its waySubscribe to a daily update on the virus from Bloomberg's Prognosis team here.Click VRUS on the terminal for news and data on the coronavirus and here for maps and charts. For analysis of the impact from Bloomberg Economics, click here. To see the impact on oil and commodities demand, click here.Illinois Issues Shelter-in-Place Order (4:20 p.m. NY)Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker ordered residents to shelter in place starting Saturday, following California, New York and New Jersey in restricting the movement of residents to combat the coronavirus.Earlier this month, Pritzker closed schools, dine-in service at bars and restaurants and banned gatherings of more than 50. Chicago earlier ordered sick residents to remain home.N.J. to Shut 'Nonessential' Businesses (4 p.m. NY)New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said he will sign an executive order requiring all "nonessential" businesses closed to help slow the spread of the virus. Murphy said he would give more details when he signs the order Saturday."The only way we're going to beat this darn virus is if we literally stay home and stay away from each other," Murphy said at a news conference in Paramus.World Needs 80-100 Times More Tests, WHO Says (2:30 p.m. NY)The number of coronavirus tests needed in coming months is probably 80 to 100 times the 1.5 million that the World Health Organization supplied so far, said Mike Ryan, the agency's head of health emergencies. Governments need to step up their commitments because there are more than 26 million health-care workers around the world who need to have protective gear, he said."The greatest tragedy for me among all the tragedies we're seeing is the prospect of losing a part of our workforce, those doctors and nurses and hygienists and others who put themselves in the front line," Ryan said.Nigeria to Conduct Trials of Chloroquine (2:30 p.m. NY)Nigeria's Lagos State government plans to conduct a clinical trial on the effectiveness of the malaria drug chloroquine in the prevention and management of coronavirus infection, according to Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi.The trial will be carried out against "the fast spreading news that chloroquine could be effective in preventing and managing Covid-19," Abayomi said in emailed statement on Friday.U.S. President Donald Trump touted the drug at a press briefing Thursday, urging regulators to approve its use for the coronavirus.U.K. to Help Pay Workers Wages (1:30 p.m. NY)The U.K. government said it will step in and help pay its citizen's wages during the coronavirus pandemic "for the first time in the nation's history."The state will cover 80% of the salary of workers that firms can't afford to retain as a result of the crisis. That is up to a total of 2,500 pounds ($2,900) a month, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak told reporters on Friday."You will not face this alone," Sunak said.Read full story here.Crowds Swarm New Jersey Test Site (1:23 p.m. NY)New Jersey closed its first drive-through test site to people beyond the 1,000 already in line, and even they may not get swabbed today.The line had grown too long less than four hours after its planned 8 a.m. opening at Bergen Community College in Paramus. The site was to get 2,500 new coronavirus test kits, with supplies replenished weekly.Read full story here.Brazilian Lawmakers Hold First Remote Voting (12:45 p.m. NY)Brazil's Congress held its first-ever remote voting session as part of efforts to proceed with crucial legislative work while restricting movement of people in Brasilia's often-crowded parliament.In a video conference broadcast on their official website, senators approved a calamity decree allowing President Jair Bolsonaro to increase anti-virus spending.Cuomo Orders All Non-Essential Workers Home (12:20 p.m. NY)Governor Andrew Cuomo ordered New Yorkers to stay at home for the foreseeable future, except for essential services like grocery stores and mass transit.He said the new orders would go in place on Sunday. The state's death toll has reached 35. New York has more than 7,100 coronavirus cases, the most in the U.S."This is the most drastic action we can take," Cuomo said.Read full story here.First Virus Deaths in Peru (12:15 p.m. NY)Three people died on Thursday after becoming infected by the coronavirus, Peru's Health Ministry says on Twitter.Two men -- one 47 and the other 69 -- died in Lima after visiting Spain. The third victim was a 78-year-old man.Medical experts worry that Latin America, which has so far reported relatively few cases, is unprepared for a larger outbreak.London Pubs, Restaurants Set to Be Told to Close (11:27 a.m. NY)London's pubs, restaurants, leisure centers, and cinemas will be told to close to stop the spread of coronavirus, under plans expected to be agreed to on Friday, a British official said.Social Distancing Will Last Several More Weeks (11:08 a.m. NY)Americans will have to practice social distancing for at least several more weeks to mitigate U.S. cases of Covid-19, Anthony S. Fauci of the National Institutes of Health said Friday."If you look at the trajectory of the curves of outbreaks in other areas, it's at least going to be several weeks. I cannot see that all of a sudden next week or two weeks from now, it's going to be over. I don't think there's a chance of that. I think it's going to be several weeks," Fauci said on The Today Show.FAA Closes Airspace Near Indianapolis (10:26 a.m. NY)The FAA has vacated three airspace work areas in Indianapolis after an air traffic control supervisor tested positive for COVID-19.Flights through the airspace handled by those sectors were rerouted, according to FAA in emailed statementIRS Moving Tax Day to July 15 (10:25 a.m. NY)U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says people and businesses will have more time to file and make payments without interest or penalties.American Air Flies First Cargo-Only Flight in 36 Years (10:22 a.m. NY)American Airlines Group Inc. is shifting some of its biggest idled jets to ferry just cargo -- the carrier's first flights without passengers in nearly four decades.The Boeing Co. 777-300s will fly medical supplies, military mail, e-commerce packages and high-demand office equipment as more people work from home, the airline said in a statement. The wide-body flights begin Friday, with two round trips over four days between Frankfurt and the airline's home base at Dallas-Fort Worth airport.Read full story here.Brazil Bans Visitors from Europe and Asia (10:17 a.m. NY)Brazil will bar travelers from about three dozen European and Asian nations from entering the country. The ban doesn't apply to Brazilians or foreigners living in the country and will last for 30 days starting Monday.Dutch Death Toll Jumps to 106 (9:15 a.m. NY)The Netherlands reported 30 more deaths, the biggest daily increase since the first coronavirus case was confirmed at the end of February. The total number of fatalities now stands at 106, according to Dutch health authorities.Frankfurt Airport Operator Furloughs Thousands (9:10 a.m. NY)Fraport AG put at least 18,000 of its 22,000 employees in Frankfurt on furlough until the end of May to offset the coronavirus impact. The company said in a statement that Frankfurt airport will also shut the shortest of its four runways, but intends to maintain flight operations and continue work on its new terminal.Amazon Prime Slows Europe Streaming (9:05 a.m. NY)Amazon.com Inc.'s Prime Video will follow Netflix and Google's lead in reducing the speed of streams across Europe to ensure networks can handle increased use amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has sent thousands of workers home and shut schools.Social Distancing Could Be Needed Most of Year: U.K. Advisers (8:42 a.m. NY)U.K. government's scientific advisers say social distancing measures to suppress the coronavirus outbreak may be necessary for "at least most of a year." In documents published Friday, the U.K. scientific committee said: "It was agreed that a policy of alternating between periods of more and less strict social distancing measures could plausibly be effective at keeping the number of critical care cases within capacity."In an NBC interview, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci said social distancing may be needed for at least several more weeks. "I cannot see that all of a sudden next week or two weeks from now, it's going to be over," Fauci said.Commerzbank Sticks With Target as Impact 'Unforeseeable' (8:37 a.m. NY)Commerzbank AG said it's too early to quantify the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy and its own outlook for the year. In its annual report published Friday, the German bank kept its forecast for a profit this year, while warning of numerous risks that "could affect the 2020 profit forecast to a considerable, though not reliably quantifiable, extent should events take an unfavorable turn."Gilead's Likely Remdesivir Approval Prompts Piper Upgrade (7:20 a.m. NY)Piper Sandler raised Gilead to overweight from neutral and said President Donald Trump's comments on remdesivir at a Thursday press conference show the "tremendous pressure to approve the Covid-19 drug within days."Separately, Sorrento Therapeutics says it has produced a pre-clinical batch of STI-4398 protein to immediately begin testing its neutralization and blocking activity in preventing SARS-CoV-2 virus from infecting ACE2-expressing cells.Singapore Suspends Large Events, Steps Up Social Distancing (7:17 a.m. NY)Singapore will prohibit events and gatherings of 250 or more people as it steps up measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The government said there were 40 new virus cases as of 12 p.m. on Friday, taking the total to 385. Thirty of the new infections came from abroad, the majority of them Singapore residents returning home.Cases Rise to Almost 20,000 in Spain, Iran (6:50 a.m. NY)Iran reported 1,237 new coronavirus cases and 149 deaths, bringing the country's total to 19,644 cases and 1,433 fatalities. The health ministry also noted that 6,745 people had recovered from the virus so far, adding that 13 provinces have had a noticeable decrease in new cases.In Spain, cases rose by 2,833 to 19,980 and the death toll surged by 31% to 1,002.WHO Suspects Thailand Community Transmission Rising (6:40 a.m. NY)The WHO is concerned about the possibility that the transmission of the virus is more widespread in the community following recent increases in the daily confirmed cases. Thailand reported 50 more cases earlier on Friday, taking its total to 322 -- of the country's total new cases, 41 are related to existing cases from Thai boxing stadiums and the nightlife sector.Disease Is Doubling at Even Faster Rate Now (6:15 a.m. NY)While the number of cases doubled to 200,000 cases in the 12 days through Thursday, on Friday the tally already was halfway to the 300,000 mark. The number of cases in France has doubled in four days, said Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for the World Health Organization. When countries don't have enough tests, they should triage, he said.The WHO said it developed new guidelines to investigate the extent of infection among the population with antibody tests. Thirteen countries have begun to implement some of the investigation protocols, and another 18 said they plan to do so. More widespread testing would give better information about the disease.The United Nations plans to give details next week about a humanitarian response as 100 million people in war zones face extreme risks related to the outbreak, said Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN humanitarian office.Altria CEO Tests Positive (6:11 a.m. NY)Altria said CEO Howard A. Willard III contracted the Covid-19 virus and is taking a temporary medical leave of absence. Chief Financial Officer William F. Gifford Jr. will take over Willard's responsibilities until he returns.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Rouhani urges Americans to call on U.S. to lift sanctions as Iran fights coronavirus- state media Posted: 20 Mar 2020 12:06 PM PDT |
| Coronavirus: Algeria protests called off for first time in a year Posted: 20 Mar 2020 12:01 PM PDT  Opposition activists urged protesters to stay inside to stop the spread of coronavirus.
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| Just get through today: Sheltering in place amid a pandemic Posted: 20 Mar 2020 11:20 AM PDT  A week ago, I was that crazy parent. Today, we are "sheltering in place," an order from the mayor in our Chicago suburb, Oak Park, to leave home only for essential services until at least April 3 — and to stay 6 feet (1.8 meters) away from others when outside. Moments of levity — the toilet paper jokes, the video with comedian Mel Brooks protected behind his glass door, the dog on Twitter who howls along with the "Law and Order" theme — are like a salve.
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| COVID-19 Has Hit the Auto Industry Hard, But Could Hit EVs Even Harder Posted: 20 Mar 2020 11:01 AM PDT  According to S&P Global, the coronavirus outbreak, which is wreaking havoc all over the globe and pretty much in any segment of the economy you can think of, has pushed the world's economy into a global recession.Initial figures suggest that the Chinese economy was hit far harder than estimated, but on a brighter note, there are signs that it is beginning to stabilize. They are quite shy for now, but something is better than nothing! Now, Europe and the United States are following a similar path. Increasing restrictions on person-to-person contacts have resulted in a collapsing demand that will push all activity sharply down before a recovery, hopefully, begins later in the year. The world's largest economy, the U.S. economy, is either in the process of entering a recession, or it has already entered one, as the pandemic has severely disrupted economic activity far more drastically than previously estimated.Earlier this week, the big three U.S. automakers closed their North American production plants. And as bad as things may seem for the automotive industry, they are even worse for electric vehicles. Stopped Production Both European and U.S. auto manufacturers have now halted production. The European market was already in a conundrum. It was also caught in the middle of the U.S.-China trade war due to the complexity of its supply chain. Then there was the Brexit uncertainty. And to top it off, weakened car demand in China due to an economic slowdown whose prospects still remain clouded.And now COVID-19 has forced Volkswagen (OTC: VWAGY), Daimler AG (OTC: DMLRY) which owns Mercedes-Benz, Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft (OTC: BMWYY), Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F), Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (NYSE: FCAU), Renault SA (OTC: RNLSY) and even the Japanese giant Toyota Motor Corporation (NYSE: TM) to close down its European plants. The road ahead can only be downhill and experts even fear that this blow will result in a lost decade.Low Oil Prices As if COVID-19 hasn't already taken a toll on the production of EVs considering all the above companies have invested heavily in this segment in an effort to combat Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) and adhere to stricter EU legislation regarding zero-emissions, oil prices have never been lower. This will make things harder for EV manufacturers.Moreover, with the weakening economy and lost jobs, purchasing power will be severely damaged, a tough blow for EVs, as they're still considered a luxury option when compared to regular combustion vehicles. Shifting The CO2 Strategy? BMW and Mercedes have announced they will add a range of plug-in hybrids as part of their strategy to meet the stricter EU regulations this year. Moreover, LMC Automotive predicts that they will even outsell EVs. Does this mean that automakers are backing off from their big debuts in EVs and turning to more realistic, not to mention more affordable, plug-in hybrids with combustion engines? It does make sense in a way, as CEOs of the above companies were openly scared about the costs of electrification, which is why many of them opted for joint ventures. And even Honda's Motor Co's (NYSE: HMC) CEO expects hybrids to outperforms EVs.BMW is using flexible manufacturing to produce all three types on the same assembly line, so in a way it is more adaptable than everyone else who has EV-dedicated platforms to whatever lies ahead. This article is not a press release and is contributed by Ivana Popovic who is a verified independent journalist for IAMNewswire. It should not be construed as investment advice at any time please read the full disclosure. Ivana Popovic does not hold any position in the mentioned companies. Press Releases - If you are looking for full Press release distribution contact: press@iamnewswire.com Contributors - IAM Newswire accepts pitches. If you're interested in becoming an IAM journalist contact: contributors@iamnewswire.com Questions about this release can be sent to ivana@iamnewswire.comThe post, COVID-19 Has Hit the Auto Industry Hard- But EVs Even Harder appeared first on IAM Newswire.See more from Benzinga * What's Next For The Big 3 Automakers? * Netflix Vs COVID-19 – Does The Streaming Giant Have A Chance Of Winning? * Will Coronavirus Stop Car Production In The USA The Same Way It Did In Europe?(C) 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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| Coronavirus dampens Iran New Year, but many still travel Posted: 20 Mar 2020 10:45 AM PDT  Iran Friday marked a downbeat Persian New Year beset by the novel coronavirus, even as a rising death toll failed to dissuade millions from ignoring official advice and travelling for the holiday. The Islamic republic is among the three countries hardest hit by the deadly virus -- its official death toll of 1,433 puts it behind only Italy and China. In order to limit the virus' spread, authorities had for weeks been requesting that people avoid all travel during the 15 days of Nowruz, a holiday marking the Persian New Year, which usually sees almost all citizens take to the roads.
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| Poland's idle restaurants send free food to medical 'heroes' Posted: 20 Mar 2020 10:26 AM PDT  A popular Warsaw entertainment center looks empty and closed amid a government ordered shutdown from the coronavirus, but inside, cook Bozena Legowska is busy. One hot pizza after another is lifted out of the oven, boxed and whisked to a nearby hospital for a hungry staff of doctors who are working harder than ever under the pressure of the spreading virus. The Ale Zebra center in northern Warsaw has joined a growing nationwide network of restaurants and eateries showing their appreciation for the doctors, nurses and other medical professionals by bringing them free meals.
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| Crowned Global Champion in Education by WSA, BitDegree Commits to Relieving COVID-19 Crisis for Educators and Learners at No Cost Posted: 20 Mar 2020 09:45 AM PDT  On the 11th of March in Vienna, a Lithuanian, online learning platform, BitDegree, was pronounced the Global Champion of the World Summit Awards in the Learning & Education category. The competition process, initiated by the United Nations, has selected the most innovative solutions addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) out of this year's pool of 8,000+ nominees from 112 countries. BitDegree's victory was conditional on its potential to make an impact on people's lives by tackling the SDG 4 – Quality Education.
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| Returning troops denied water, bathrooms under quarantine Posted: 20 Mar 2020 09:38 AM PDT  It wasn't the welcome home that U.S. soldiers expected when they returned from war zones in the Middle East in the past week. When their planes landed at Fort Bliss, Texas, they were herded into buses, denied water and the use of bathrooms, then quarantined in packed barracks, with little food or access to the outdoors. The soldiers posted notes on social media about the poor conditions.
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| Air France, Airbus Lining Up for Government-Backed Bailouts Posted: 20 Mar 2020 09:24 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Air France-KLM and Airbus SE are poised to tap French government-backed loans as the coronavirus outbreak drains corporate cash reserves, according to people familiar with the matter.With the aviation industry among sectors most under pressure from the pandemic, the airline and planemaker, based in Paris and Toulouse respectively, will be among the first firms to receive French support, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing private negotiations.Airbus has also signaled to the German government that it might need to tap a state loan facility, a government official there said.Airbus said it's having regular dialogue with home-nation governments that are non-public in nature. Spokespeople for Air France-KLM and the French Finance Ministry declined to comment.Air France-KLM traded 4.2% higher at 4.74 euros as of 4:40 p.m. in Paris, while Airbus was up 22% at 65.41 euros.Like other carriers, Air France-KLM has seen demand all but wiped out as people stop traveling and nations close borders, with the company saying it may cancel 90% of flights. The situation has been exacerbated by political clashes over French and Dutch state holdings in the airline group, with France saying Wednesday it will consult the Netherlands before stepping in.Airbus is grappling with an unprecedented reversal in fortunes as customers push back against deliveries and new orders dry up with build rates at record levels. The manufacturer hasn't yet said whether it will dramatically slow production, but for both companies state-backed credit lines will provide a safety net while as they hunker down to protect vital cash reserves.Airbus said it participated in a meeting with the German Economy Ministry, alongside representatives of airlines and airports. Chancellor Angela Merkel has earmarked 550 billion euros ($590 billion) of lending to support business, with German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG saying it held talks with a state bank.French President Emmanuel Macron promised to guarantee up to 300 billion euros of bank loans Monday in an effort to bolster firms threatened by the impact of the virus, saying France was "at war" and that all government and parliamentary forces must be focused on fighting the epidemic.While governments around the world have been laying out the bare bones of national rescue packages, most have yet to specify which companies and sectors will be a focus for bailouts.Scandinavian AidCountries in Scandinavia have provided the most detail on aid to airlines, with Sweden and Denmark lining up behind SAS AB, in which they each have stakes, and Finland backing Finnair Oyj, in which it also has a holding, boosting the stock 13%.Norway said that Norwegian Air Shuttle ASA could get the equivalent of $263 million, though most will be available only if commercial institutions also dip into their pockets. The bonds hit a record low Friday and the stock fell as much as 12%.(Updates with state support for Scandinavian carriers from 10th paragraph)For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| US virus testing faces new headwind: Lab supply shortages Posted: 20 Mar 2020 09:11 AM PDT  Now, just as the federal government tries to ramp up nationwide screening, laboratory workers are warning of a new roadblock: dire shortages of testing supplies. The shortages are the latest stumble in a botched effort to track the spread of coronavirus that has left the U.S. weeks behind many other developed countries. Dwindling supplies include both chemical components and basic swabs needed to collect patient samples.
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| Lebanon FM summons US envoy over American being flown out Posted: 20 Mar 2020 09:01 AM PDT  Lebanon's foreign minister summoned the U.S. ambassador Friday after an American on trial in Beirut was taken out of the country by a U.S. warplane — a move that the powerful militant group Hezbollah called a "blatant violation" of Lebanese sovereignty and laws. The Lebanese-American man, Amer Fakhoury, was ordered released Monday by a judge in Lebanon because more than 10 years had passed since he allegedly tortured prisoners at a jail run by an Israel-backed Lebanese militia. Fakhoury has denied the charges.
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| Democrats fret as virus halts in-person voter registration Posted: 20 Mar 2020 08:26 AM PDT  The coronavirus is idling a potentially powerful force in the Democratic Party — liberal canvassers who go door to door or cruise through public gatherings, clipboard in hand, to register new voters. In Arizona, Latino registrations drives have moved online. The party is depending on expanding the electorate to include more Latinos, young people and other groups that lean Democratic but have high rates of unregistered voters.
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| What the massive locust swarm in Africa and the Middle East means to the US Posted: 20 Mar 2020 07:42 AM PDT  Amid worldwide concerns over the new coronavirus, an age-old but now "extremely alarming" problem is developing in several countries that represents "an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods" as the start of growing season approaches for these parts of the world, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.New swarms of locusts are forming in the Horn of Africa, with Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia specifically most at risk. Swarms are also forming in Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and India. The FAO has requested $138 million to help control the situation, to protect farmers' livelihoods and to help those affected.The weather initiated the crisis. In 2018, cyclones from the Indian Ocean hit the Arabian Peninsula near the borders of Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman and warm weather at the end of 2019, combined with unusually heavy rains, created the ideal conditions for the locusts."When you have rains associated with cyclones, they're much stronger than normal," Keith Cressman, the FAO's senior locust-forecasting officer told New York Magazine. "When those rains fall in desert areas with sandy soil, that will flood the soil. Once those floods recede, the soil retains so much moisture that it allows desert locust females to lay their eggs probably for a period of around six months." Source: UN's Food and Agriculture Organization The locusts spread rapidly and national emergencies have been declared in Pakistan, Jordan and Somalia. More than 140,000 acres of crops have been damaged in Pakistan alone since last April.The United States cotton industry may benefit as a result of the tragedy because countries like Pakistan will need to rely on imports rather than their own production. The textile industry is Pakistan's biggest employer and generates 60 percent of its exports. Because of the locusts, the country is expected to fall 25 to 30 percent short of its targeted production goal for cotton."This is the worst locust attack we have seen since 1993," Falak Naz, director general of crop production at Pakistan's Ministry of Food Security, told Bloomberg News. In this photo taken Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, young desert locusts that have not yet grown wings jump in the air as they are approached, as a visiting delegation from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) observes them, in the desert near Garowe, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) "Cotton is critical to Pakistan's economy," said AccuWeather consultant Jim Candor, a long-time meteorologist. "Last year, U.S. cotton exports to Pakistan were $618 million, or about 10 percent of total U.S. cotton exports. Pakistan imported 40 percent of the cotton it needed - 39 percent of which came from the U.S. If Pakistan has a bad year of cotton production, then they would obviously need to import that much more - there is a good chance the U.S. could be the source of much of the additional cotton."The FAO forecast for the locust swarm from March through June 2020 includes increases of up to 400 percent in some locations on the Horn of Africa during the time period (see map). This is particularly problematic for areas unaccustomed to handling locust infestations, such as Kenya, which has encountered locust swarms just twice in the last 70 years.The weather could also play a role in ending the locust swarms. Most immediately, insecticides are used to kill the locusts, but a failure of the seasonal rains could assist. "That's usually how mother nature helps to bring these things under control," Cressman told New York Magazine. "[Also] sometimes the winds will push locusts into areas they just don't want to be in, ... cold areas where they would die, or areas that are very tropical where they would pick up a lot of pathogens and die."CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APPFor certain areas, locust infestations are not unusual. In 2013, a massive swarm hit Egypt and the Middle East and in 2004, locusts in Africa and the Middle East cost $400 million as well as harvest losses of $2.5 billion, according to the FAO."It's a summer thing during the growing season," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls.Could a locust infestation occur in the U.S.? Not likely these days, although locusts decimated American farmers in the past. "The chances of this happening today are much smaller," Nicholls said. "There are modern means of controlling it - pesticides and so much technology." Source: UN's Food and Agriculture Organization However, during the 1800s, Rocky Mountain locust swarms periodically destroyed U.S. crop fields. Within a short span of hours, locust swarms could blow in and devour everything a farmer had -- crops, fabric, clothing and more, according to a Farm Progress story.In fact, in 1875, the largest locust cloud in world history was recorded over the Midwest, according to Jeffrey Lockwood's book "Locust." It covered 198,000 square miles -- larger than all of California -- and was estimated to contain several trillion locusts and perhaps weighed several million tons.Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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| Russia Ramps Up Virus Fight Amid Doubt on Low Number of Sick Posted: 20 Mar 2020 07:19 AM PDT |
| Coronavirus forces Putin critics to scale back protests before big vote Posted: 20 Mar 2020 06:52 AM PDT |
| AP PHOTOS: Virus clears out Tel Aviv's beaches, outdoor gyms Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:28 AM PDT  On most spring days, Tel Aviv's sprawling beachfront is a hive of activity, with joggers and cyclists racing up and down the boardwalk, fitness enthusiasts pumping away at outdoor gyms and the constant racket of paddle-ball. The arrival of the new coronavirus, and the strict measures imposed to contain its spread, have changed all that.
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| What you need to know today about the virus outbreak Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:19 AM PDT  The death toll from the global coronavirus pandemic surpassed 10,000 people worldwide and the effects of a global economy grinding to a halt because of the pandemic were beginning to show, from millions of unsold flowers rotting in piles in Kenya to the slow emptying of the world's skies. In Southern Europe, gasping patients filled sick wards and field hospitals went up in hotels and a convention center in Madrid. The governors of California, New York and Illinois ordered residents to stay home unless they have vital reasons to go out.
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| The battle against disinformation is global Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:08 AM PDT  Disinformation-spewing online bots and trolls from halfway around the world are continuing to shape local and national debates by spreading lies online on a massive scale. In 2019, Russia used Facebook to intervene in the internal politics of eight African nations.Russia has a long history of using disinformation campaigns to undermine opponents – even hoodwinking CBS News anchor Dan Rather back in 1987 into saying that U.S. biological warfare experiments sparked the AIDS epidemic. One group of researchers identified Russian interference in 27 elections around the world, from 1991 to 2017. It interfered in the 2016 U.S. elections, reaching more than 126 million Americans on Facebook alone. Russia is almost certainly already doing so again in 2020.But Russia is not alone: From the end of World War II to the year 2000, scholars have documented 116 attempts to influence elections – 80 of them by the United States. Nations around the world, including the United States, have to decide how to react. There is no shortage of experimentation, with new laws and codes of conduct, and even efforts to cut off internet access entirely – and that was before misinformation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. As a scholar of cybersecurity policy, I have been reviewing the efforts of nations around the world to protect their citizens from foreign interference, while protecting free speech, an example of which is being published by the Washington and Lee Law Review.There is no perfect approach, given the different cultural and legal traditions in play. But there's plenty to learn and use to diminish outsiders' ability to hack U.S. democracy. EuropeThe European Union has been a target of Russian efforts to undermine stability and trust in democratic institutions including elections across Europe. Disinformation was rampant across Europe in 2019, including in the Netherlands and the U.K., prompting the closing of far-right Facebook groups for spreading "fake news and polarizing content."This has been repeated elsewhere in Europe, such as Spain, where Facebook – again under pressure from the authorities and civil society groups – closed down far-right groups' Facebook pages days ahead of their parliamentary elections in April 2019.The disinformation efforts go beyond Facebook and manipulated Twitter feeds, when Twitter handles are renamed by hackers to mislead followers. A growing aspect of multiple disinformation is how artificial intelligence can create manipulated videos that look real, which are called deepfakes.Not all of this interference is foreign, though – political parties across Europe and around the world are learning disinformation tactics and are deploying it in their own countries to meet their own goals. Both the Labour and Conservative parties in the U.K. engaged in these tactics in late 2019, for example.In response, the EU is spending more money on combating disinformation across the board by hiring new staff with expertise in data mining and analytics to respond to complaints and proactively detect disinformation. It is working to get member countries to share share information more readily, and has built a system that provides nations with real-time alerts of disinformation campaigns. It is unclear if the U.K. will be participating in these activities post-Brexit. The EU also seems to be losing patience with Silicon Valley. It pressured social media giants like Facebook, Google and Twitter to sign the Code of Practice on Disinformation in 2018. This initiative is the first time that the tech industry has agreed "to self-regulatory standards to fight disinformation." Among other provisions, the code requires signatories to cull fake accounts, and to report monthly on their efforts to increase transparency for political ads. In response, these firms have set up "searchable political-ad databases" and have begun to take down "disruptive, misleading or false" information from their platforms. But the code is not binding, and naming and shaming violators does not guarantee better behavior in the future.At the national level, France has taken a leading role in taxing tech giants to reign in the power of tech firms including how they are used to spread disinformation, prompting threats of retaliatory tariffs from the Trump administration. But this may just be a "warmup" to more ambitious actions designed to help protect both competition and democracy. AsiaDemocracies across Asia are also dealing with disinformation. In Indonesia, for example, President Joko Widodo spearheaded the creation of the new National Cyber and Encryption Agency to combat disinformation in their elections. One example was in June 2019, when a member of the Muslim Cyber Army was arrested in Java for posting misinformation that implied that the Indonesian government was being controlled by China. Like Indonesia, Malaysia has also criminalized the sharing of misinformation. Myanmar and Thailand have leaned on law enforcement actions by arresting people who they argue are behind disinformation campaigns to curtail misinformation, which have been abused in some cases to silence critics of public corruption.The problem of disinformation in India is so severe that it has been likened by some commentators to a public health crisis. One Microsoft study, for example, found that 64% of Indians encountered disinformation online in 2019, which was the highest proportion among 22 surveyed countries. Not only have these incidents affected elections in India such as by spreading false information about candidates on WhatsApp, but they have led to real-world harm, including at least 33 deaths and 69 instances of mob violence following kidnapping allegations. In response, the Indian government has shut down the internet more than 100 times over the past year, and has proposed laws that would give it largely unchecked surveillance powers, mirroring Chinese-style internet censorship. Australia and New ZealandAustralia and New Zealand have also been targets of online influence campaigns – not from Russia, but from China. In response, Australia has enacted a new law to ban foreign interference in Australia's elections, but enforcement has been lacking. New Zealand has taken on a more global leadership role in combating this problem. In partnership with France, New Zealand's Christchurch Call to Eliminate Terrorist and Violent Extremist Content Online has more than 50 nations supporting its goal of stopping the spread of violent extremism online and banning foreign political donations. Although not necessarily disinformation, such content can similarly widen fissures in democratic societies and disrupt elections. Making cyberspace safe for democracyGroups within the U.S. and outside it have long sought to exploit domestic divisions like inequality and injustice. This is a global issue, demanding action from both advanced and emerging democracies.The U.S., for example, could take a wider view of combating disinformation, featuring three parts. First, more integration of disparate efforts is vital. That does not mean establishing an independent agency (as in Indonesia), for example, or focusing tenaciously on censorship and surveillance (as in India), but it could mean the current Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department investigations into tech giants including Facebook should include disinformation as one focus. Second, social media firms – including Facebook – could agree to comply by the EU Code for Disinformation globally, as some are already doing with the EU's data privacy regulations.Third, media literacy and education is imperative to help inoculate citizens against disinformation. Educational reforms are urgently needed to help students recognize disinformation when they see it, a topic all the more important given the rise of deepfakes. In short, by working together and taking these threats seriously, we might even be able to find a way that – despite the challenges – democracy can persist even in a hyperconnected future. [You need to understand the coronavirus pandemic, and we can help. Read our newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * Albania's plan against disinformation lets Facebook and powerful politicians off the hook * Don't let your vote get stolen – 5 essential reads about disinformation in 2020Scott Shackelford is a principal investigator on grants from the Hewlett Foundation, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and the Microsoft Corporation supporting both the Ostrom Workshop Program on Cybersecurity and Internet Governance and the Indiana University Cybersecurity Clinic.
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| Coronavirus spotlights the link between clean water and health Posted: 20 Mar 2020 05:07 AM PDT  As the world confronts the coronavirus pandemic, experts say that a key way to minimize the odds of getting sick is by washing your hands thoroughly and frequently.But what if you don't have access to clean water?March 22 is World Water Day, designated by the United Nations to measure progress toward the goal of providing everyone worldwide with clean water for drinking and hygiene. Over the past 40 years, many nations have made great progress in treating wastewater, providing residents with clean drinking water and enhancing water supplies to grow needed food and fiber. But as a researcher focusing on water resources management and policy, I know there is still far to go. More than 40% of the world's population lives in regions where water is becoming increasingly scarce, and that figure is likely to rise. Every day, nearly 1,000 children die from preventable water- and sanitation-related diseases. Life without clean waterWater use has increased worldwide by about 1% annually since the 1980s, driven by population growth, economic development and changing consumption patterns. At the same time, water supplies are increasingly threatened by climate change, overuse and pollution. For example, in 2019 residents of Chennai, India, had to queue up for water delivered by tanker trucks because the city's reservoirs were empty. Persistent drought, worsened by climate change, had virtually exhausted local supplies. The city, which is home to 7 million people, still faces severe shortages, and may exhaust its available groundwater within a few years. In rural Mexico, some 5 million people lack access to clean water. Women and children are tasked with collecting water, taking time that could be spent in school or on political engagement. Meanwhile, men decide how water rights are allocated. Residents of Flint, Michigan, whose trust in the safety of their drinking water has been gradually restored after a notorious case of lead contamination, were advised in August 2019 to boil water as a precaution against impurities after a pipeline rupture reduced pressure in the city's water lines. The advisory ended after sampling indicated that there was no danger of contamination, but the city is still replacing lead and galvanized steel water delivery pipes to prevent further lead exposure.Today, with coronavirus present on every continent except Antarctica, washing hands is a difficult challenge in many developing countries. Clean water and soap are often in short supply, and many slum dwellers live in homes without running water. Systems under stressAccording to the United Nations, rising demand for water in the industrial, domestic and agricultural sectors signals that people are starting to live better, thanks to progress in harnessing fresh water for growing food and fiber and for public consumption. However, experts note three areas where progress is lagging. First, more than 2 billion people live in countries experiencing high water stress, and about 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity during at least one month of the year. These problems are directly attributable to rising water demands and the intensifying effects of climate change. They also worsen mistreatment of women, who bear much of the burden of providing scarce water to families.Second, while many countries are spending money on improving access to water – often by privatizing supplies, which enriches global engineering firms that build infrastructure – access to clean water remains inadequate. Nearly 800 million people worldwide lack updated sanitation. In many instances primitive latrines release human wastes directly to the environment, contaminating streams and rivers. Worldwide, over 80% of wastewater from human activities remains untreated. Third, in every country water infrastructure is deteriorating, and people are disposing of drugs, personal care products and other common household goods into public water systems. These combined trends add persistent, hard-to-treat contaminants to water supplies and threaten public health worldwide. Water as a leadership testThese problems are daunting, but progress is possible if water agencies and government officials engage the public, heed evidence-based advice from experts and exercise political leadership.As a first step, governments need to focus on long-term planning and coordinated responses. The problems facing Chennai, rural Mexico, Flint and countless other places usually generate early warning signs, which public officials often ignore due to a lack of political will or sense of urgency. In Cape Town, South Africa, where residents faced a water shortage in 2017 similar to Chennai's, it had been clear for years that the city's water infrastructure could not handle growing demands. A government-sponsored study published in 1998 had recommended building a wastewater reuse plant as a hedge against future drought, but the plant was never constructed. Flint's water crisis escalated over some 18 months while public officials closed their ears to residents' frequent complaints about the smell and taste of their water. The good news is that many large cities, including Los Angeles and Sao Paulo, Brazil, have begun to heed climate change warning signs. In response, public officials are initiating innovative water alternatives that conserve water, reuse wastewater and harvest rainwater.Second, it is important to recognize water problems as environmental justice challenges. The U.N.'s International Hydrological Program now promotes water equity, recognizing that the burdens of protracted drought, water stress and contaminated supplies fall disproportionately on women, the very young, the frail and destitute, and oppressed indigenous minorities, who often are forced to migrate elsewhere when conditions become intolerable. Here in the United States, cities and states are pledging not to cut off water supplies to households that fail to pay their bills during the coronavirus crisis.Finally, I believe that building or restoring public trust is critical for addressing these problems. The experience of cities that have weathered drought, such as Melbourne, Australia, shows that governments need to weigh and address community concerns, and to foster trust and confidence in the agencies charged with implementing solutions. In my view, the best way to build that kind of trust is by courageously meeting today's water crises head-on.[Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research. Sign up for our newsletter.]This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * What Islamic hygienic practices can teach when coronavirus is spreading * Farmers are drawing groundwater from the giant Ogallala Aquifer faster than nature replaces itDavid Feldman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| Iran's coronavirus death toll rises to 1,433 Posted: 20 Mar 2020 04:58 AM PDT  Iran said Friday that coronavirus has killed 149 more people in the Islamic republic, raising the country's official death toll from the disease to 1,433. Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi said 1,237 more cases have been confirmed over the past 24 hours and 19,644 people are now known to have been infected in Iran, one of the world's worst-hit countries. The latest figures come as Iranians celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year which ushers in a two-week holiday during which Iran's roads are normally filled with people visiting family.
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| Finland is again world's happiest country: UN Posted: 20 Mar 2020 04:30 AM PDT  Good cheer may feel in short supply as the world reels under a global pandemic, but experts at the United Nations on Friday declared Finland to be the world's happiest nation for the third year running. Researchers for the World Happiness Report asked people in 156 countries to evaluate their own levels of happiness, and took into account measures such as GDP, social support, personal freedom and levels of corruption to give each nation a happiness score. The happiest countries are those "where people feel a sense of belonging, where they trust and enjoy each other and their shared institutions," John Helliwell, one of the report's authors, said in a statement.
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| Egypt frees detainee amid calls for releases due to virus Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:50 AM PDT |
| Big Promises on Virus Fight Now Need Details Posted: 20 Mar 2020 03:18 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- Three trillion dollars and counting. That's how much governments around the world are pledging to inject into their economies to help companies and ordinary people weather the coronavirus outbreak.Central banks meanwhile are piling in with rate cuts and their own liquidity measures. All the big guns are being fired.But while on paper it sounds like a lot, in reality it's unclear when, or even whether, the money will flow to where it's needed. Having made announcements about supporting small- and medium-sized businesses, many governments now need to figure out how that will actually work.There's not much time to iron it out.As lockdowns spread across Europe, the U.S., and the Middle East — and with parts of Asia facing a second round of the virus — a global recession will become a reality. Many economies rely on casual labor, on service industries, on tourism and travel, all of which is grinding to a halt. There's talk in some countries of nationalizing large companies whose collapse would create systemic risk.Leaders are increasingly using the language of war when they talk of the virus and the need for lockdowns. In some places, the army is now being deployed to ensure people stay indoors. It's harder than ever for a corner shop to keep going, let alone find the right bureaucrat to help them locate the correct form to access government aid.Global HeadlinesVirus surge | With Europe now the epicenter of the outbreak, Italy surpassed China with the most coronavirus deaths, as fatalities reached 3,405. Despite the devastating impact on the economy, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he'll extend a nationwide lockdown beyond the March 25 deadline.Japan was one of the first countries outside of China hit by the coronavirus and now it's one of the least-affected among developed nations. Gearoid Reidy explains why this is puzzling health experts. Unlike Asia and Africa, western governments didn't have plans and teams ready for the pandemic. Marc Champion and Iain Marlow report on why Italy's rich-world health care system has buckled.Key partnership | House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin have forged the most important relationship in Washington, Saleha Mohsin reports, as lawmakers work to stop an economic collapse from the coronavirus. Mnuchin has become Pelosi's primary connection to the administration after last year's impeachment inquiry damaged her relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump beyond repair.Click here for more on the industries clamoring for a piece of the proposed $2 trillion stimulus package. Four senators who sold shares after receiving sensitive briefings in late January about the emerging virus threat are now under scrutiny.Not backing down| President Vladimir Putin is determined not to submit to what Russia sees as oil blackmail from Saudi Arabia, as the unprecedented clash between the former OPEC+ allies continues to roil markets. While crude may fall below $20 a barrel, the Kremlin is confident it can hold out longer than Riyadh, Ilya Arkhipov, Evgenia Pismennaya, Dina Khrennikova and Olga Tanas report. Trump called the price war "devastating to Russia."Russian meddling | Documents taken off two Russian operatives arrested in Libya shed new light on Moscow's apparent efforts to build influence in the oil-rich North African state at a time of U.S. disengagement. As Samer Al-Atrush reports, the cache revealed details of meetings with Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi, the son of deposed, deceased dictator Moammar Al Qaddafi, and Russia's offer to help facilitate the return of the Qaddafi name to power.Venezuela showdown | The Organization of American States plans today to elect its secretary-general in a test of the popularity of Trump's firm policy against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. If the U.S.-supported incumbent and favorite Luis Almagro loses, it would be a setback for the White House in America's backyard.What to WatchFinland was again crowned as the world's happiest country, extending its lead over Denmark and Switzerland, according to a United Nations-affiliated research network. Afghanistan was the least happy. India's slowing economy is in for more pain after Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealed to citizens to stay home to curb the coronavirus. A rising chorus by athletes, the public and even Trump to delay or cancel the 2020 Tokyo Olympics has paralyzed Japan's politicians and organizers.Pop quiz, readers (no cheating!). As the world goes into lockdown, which political leader was out hugging and kissing supporters. Send us your answers and tell us how we're doing or what we're missing at balancepower@bloomberg.net.And finally ... The widespread shutdown in Europe and the U.S. over the coronavirus is having a devastating impact in an unexpected place: Kenya's flower industry. As David Herbling writes, a crash in demand has forced the largest exporter of cut flowers to Europe to destroy roses, which are popular at events including royal parties in the U.K. "Almost the entire market has collapsed," says Kenya Flower Council CEO Clement Tulezi. "Technically, our industry is on lockdown." For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Parents, police struggle to herd the young in virus outbreak Posted: 20 Mar 2020 02:53 AM PDT  The adolescent brain is definitely in play as authorities around the globe struggle to keep young people from gathering, while parents fret at home about what they're up to as the coronavirus spreads. "It's like herding chickens," said Southampton, New York, mom Anastasia Gavalas, with five of her own who range from 13 to 21. Rachel Busman, a child and adolescent psychologist with the Child Mind Institute in New York, said the still-developing adolescent brain can exhibit those traits and more, only now teens with thoughts of invincibility can potentially do real harm to themselves and others.
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| U.S. to Iran: Coronavirus won't save you from sanctions Posted: 20 Mar 2020 02:00 AM PDT |
| How a Russian Plan to Restore Qaddafi’s Regime Backfired Posted: 20 Mar 2020 01:55 AM PDT  (Bloomberg) -- On an April day last year, as war raged around Tripoli, two Russian operatives set out from the Libyan capital to meet the man they hoped to install as leader.Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi, the son and heir apparent of deposed dictator Colonel Moammar Al Qaddafi, had been holed up in an area around the Zintan plateau ever since his father was killed in a 2011 rebellion. A fugitive from the International Criminal Court, he was planning to claim what he saw as his rightful place.Along came Maxim Shugaley, a veteran Saint Petersburg elections consultant, and his translator and colleague, Samir Seifan, with an offer to help make that happen. Russian polling showed that after years of civil war, nostalgia for the old regime was strong: Saif Al-Islam was among Libya's most popular politicians.This account of their meetings is based on notes taken by the Russians and seen by Bloomberg News after they were arrested in Tripoli. Some records of Russian involvement in Libya were separately published by The Daily Beast in collaboration with the Dossier Center and Russian news site Proekt. Those seen by Bloomberg contain information that has not previously been revealed about interactions with Saif Al-Islam, now 47.The documents shed light on Russia's apparent efforts to build influence in the oil-rich North African state at a time of U.S. disengagement.The April get-together was the Russians' last of at least three meetings with Qaddafi's son that year, according to Libyan officials, and he was brimming with plans. Saif Al-Islam wanted them to pass a message to Moscow that he had compromising material on Western politicians showing they'd received campaign contributions from his family. He proposed that together they "think about how this information could be used," one of the Russians noted in a memo at the time.But the consultants weren't there to discuss "kompromat," a term for damaging material about a person that could be used for blackmail, extortion or public embarrassment. They had bigger things in mind.Libya, which has Africa's largest oil reserves, has been all but ungovernable since a violent NATO-backed rebellion led to the killing of Qaddafi, who ruled the country for more than 40 years, enjoying warm relations with Moscow even as the West wavered between engaging and isolating the erratic dictator.Almost eight years on from his ouster, the Russian consultants had been dispatched to plan the return of the Qaddafi regime.The Kremlin had long thought about how it could maneuver its way back into Libya. Qaddafi's downfall sidelined Moscow, leaving Italy, France and regional powers seeking the spoils while rival Libyan factions fought one civil war after another.Moscow's official line is that it works with all parties in Libya. Initially, Russia's government kept contacts with both sides of the civil war while promoting Saif Al-Islam as a future president. By September of last year, however, Russia shifted to flat-out support for Khalifa Haftar, a rebel strongman who controls the east of the country, despite misgivings about his past connections to the U.S. and legendary unpredictability.Russia's Defense Ministry had maintained connections with Haftar for years, even hosting him aboard a Russian aircraft carrier off the Libyan coast in 2017. But different actors close to power in Russia have their own ideas of whom to back and how to support them.Yevgeny Prigozhin, an insider also known as "Putin's chef," reckoned Saif Al-Islam could be a good bet for an investment in the country, according to three people familiar with his thinking. That was despite war-crimes charges against Saif Al-Islam and the fact he was in hiding.A former restaurateur who found favor with President Vladimir Putin, Prigozhin branched out from catering into the mercenary business; he's best known as boss of the Wagner private security company, which has sent fighters and political consultants to Ukraine, Syria and Libya, among other hotspots.In 2018, he was indicted by a grand jury in the U.S. for his companies' alleged role in trying to sway the 2016 presidential election. Prosecutors have now dropped the charges against Prigozhin's company, Concord Management and Consulting LLC, although the allegations against him remain. Prigozhin has not entered a plea. Concord didn't respond to requests for comment on Prigozhin's alleged Libyan engagements. However, in a March 17 statement, Prigozhin said the dropped charges showed that the U.S. government "feared publicity and just court proceedings" and the allegations were "mendacious and false." As Bloomberg reported last year, digital documents collected from Shugaley and Seifan after their arrest linked them to a so-called troll farm, or digital propaganda and disinformation company, connected to Prigozhin. They also showed the company had been in touch with Saif Al-Islam."Saif Al-Islam is Prigozhin's project," said Kirill Semenov, a Libya expert at the Kremlin-funded Russian International Affairs Council. But others in the Kremlin had doubts about him, he said.By the start of 2019, Libya had been divided between a United Nations-recognized but weak government led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj in the West including Tripoli, while field marshal Haftar held sway in the east and the south. In April, Haftar decided to seize the capital. Haftar's offensive on Tripoli faltered despite backing from the U.A.E., dragging the warring sides into a stalemate in the city's suburbs. Wagner dispatched more than 1,400 mercenaries, but the move ultimately backfired because the desperate government in Tripoli turned to Turkey for military help, altering the balance of power in the conflict.Haftar's spokesman Ahmed Al-Mismari has denied that Russian mercenaries are fighting alongside his forces, but acknowledged there were Russian teams deployed to the east to help with maintenance of aircraft and weapons. Putin has publicly distanced himself from the mercenaries, saying that even if they were in Libya, they had nothing to do with the Russian government. A spokesman for the Kremlin didn't respond to a request for comment. Haftar's spokesman didn't respond either.Moscow's strategy of betting on multiple horses in Libya has hit headwinds before. In late 2018, Russia facilitated a phone call between the field marshal and Saif Al-Islam to try and get them on the same page, according to three people familiar with the conversation. It didn't go well.In his meetings with the Russian consultants, Qaddafi's son made no secret of his contempt for Haftar."Eighty percent of those fighting on the side of Haftar are my people," he told them, according to the Russians' records of the meetings. "When he takes over Tripoli, the people he considers his own will change sides. I know he wants to kill me, but he won't be able to make that happen."Saif Al-Islam predicted that elections would eventually take place whether or not Haftar won the war—and that he and not Haftar would come out on top. But first, he also sought some Russian assistance, according to the notes seen by Bloomberg.At one meeting, they discussed training consultants in neighboring Tunisia, and building up a group of "specialists" who would distribute messages over social media. "He's very interested in counter-propaganda," the Russians noted.They presented him with a slide show, entitled, "Saif Qaddafi. Revival of Libya. Strategy." It laid out steps for him to either become a candidate or support a leader in exchange for a role in a new government. The Russian plan including organizing a "flash mob" of the Libyan community in The Hague. The slogan: "Safe with Saif."The Hague is home to the International Criminal Court, which issued warrants for Saif Al-Islam and his father in 2011 for crimes against humanity including murder and persecution. Libya challenged the admissibility of the case against Saif Al-Islam, which the court rejected in 2013. In 2015, in a trial of former regime officials, a Tripoli court sentenced Saif Al-Islam to death in absentia. Hours later, lawmakers for the UN-backed government in Libya passed an amnesty for some crimes committed after the uprising.At their final meeting in April as covered in the notes, Saif Al-Islam promised to provide a list of military commanders loyal to him, and to make arrangements to receive personnel from what the Russians described in the memo as "our Sudanese company," according to the files seized by the Libyans.Shugaley and Seifan headed back to their Tripoli apartment, and were arrested soon after. A third Russian, Alexander Prokofiev, attended one of the meetings with Saif Al-Islam, according to the notes seized by prosecutors, but left the country before the others were arrested. In a phone interview, Prokofiev said he and the others were in Libya to conduct political research, and denied they acted as consultants to Qaddafi's son. "These are all far-fetched theories," he said. Saif Al-Islam was just "one of our respondents."Prokofiev denied any links to Prigozhin, saying he worked for the Foundation for the Defense of National Values. The Moscow-based organization is headed by Alexander Malkevich, a former editor-in-chief of the USA Really news website, which is part of a media group that the U.S. linked to Prigozhin in its sanctions designation. Malkevich has also been targeted for U.S. sanctions for alleged involvement in elections interference.In a statement, Malkevich's Moscow-based organization said it had employed the two consultants in Libya but denied they were there to meddle in elections. The group made public its research, including opinion polls showing Haftar and Saif Al-Islam as Libya's two most popular potential politicians, without mentioning consultancy work for Saif Al-Islam.An aide to Saif Al-Islam confirmed he had met with the Russian consultants. He wanted good relations with Western countries too, but the Russians offered their help first, the aide said.The two Russians are being held in a prison at Tripoli's Mitiga airport, which also houses former senior regime officials and Islamist militants. The duo are accused of espionage and seeking to interfere in future elections. When contacted by Bloomberg, a lawyer for the detainees declined to comment.Russia has privately campaigned for their release. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov has raised the issue with Libyan leaders, so far without success, according to people familiar with the matter.Malkevich took out an ad in the Washington Post demanding the Russians' freedom. The newspaper subsequently took down the ad and refunded his organization to avoid a possible violation of sanctions, which were imposed in Dec. 2018 and generally prohibit U.S. persons from doing business with him.For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.comSubscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
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| Iran leaders vow to defeat virus in holiday messages Posted: 20 Mar 2020 01:53 AM PDT  Iran's supreme leader and president promised Friday that the country would overcome one of the world's deadliest coronavirus outbreaks just as it had faced down sweeping US sanctions. In messages marking the Persian New Year holiday Nowruz, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani both acknowledged that the past year had been difficult. Khamenei paid tribute to the sacrifices of the country's doctors and nurses in tackling the coronavirus, which has infected 18,407 people in Iran and killed 1,284, according to an official tally.
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| These Are the World’s Happiest Countries — And the Most Miserable Posted: 20 Mar 2020 01:16 AM PDT |
| Africa's week in pictures: 13-19 March 2020 Posted: 20 Mar 2020 01:15 AM PDT  A selection of the best photos from across the continent this week.
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| Iran’s Khamenei Describes a ‘Difficult Year’ of Sanctions, Virus Posted: 20 Mar 2020 12:46 AM PDT |
| Stop Shutting Borders and Start Working Together Posted: 20 Mar 2020 12:04 AM PDT |
| Stop Shutting Borders and Start Working Together Posted: 20 Mar 2020 12:04 AM PDT |
| One-two punch of new virus, falling oil prices threaten Iraq Posted: 19 Mar 2020 11:08 PM PDT  The economic fallout from the coronavirus coupled with a sudden drop in oil prices is threatening to catapult Iraq into an unprecedented crisis. The crude-exporting country is struggling to finance measures to contain the pandemic amid a leadership void in the federal government, and the unexpected oil price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia is further exacerbating budget shortfalls as losses accrue daily in trade, commerce, tourism and transportation. "This epidemic is striking our economy more than it is striking our health," said Thamir Gharib, a hotel owner in Karbala.
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| Iran's leaders take upbeat tone even as virus deaths climb Posted: 19 Mar 2020 11:02 PM PDT  Iran's leaders vowed to overcome the coronavirus outbreak in upbeat messages marking the Persian New Year on Friday, even as the Health Ministry announced 149 more fatalities, bringing the country's death toll to 1,433. Iran is battling the worst outbreak in the Middle East, with nearly 20,000 confirmed cases, and has been widely criticized for its slow response. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters, called the new year "the year of leaps in production" in Iran's economy, which has been under strain since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear accord and imposed .harsh new sanctions.
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| Global coronavirus deaths top 10,000 Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:32 PM PDT  The global toll of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic reached another grim new milestone on Thursday as recorded deaths from the new virus topped 10,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering. As of Thursday night, 10,030 people have died from COVID-29, with more than half of the deaths in Italy (3,405) and China (3,132). Globally, 244,517 have been confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus, but that number is certainly much larger due to inadequate testing and inaccurate reporting by governments. At least 86,025 people have recovered.Italy has the world's deadliest official coronavirus outbreak, but Iran's cases are almost certainly being underreported. Researchers at Sharif University of Technology in Tehran created a computer model of the country's epidemic that predicted more than 12,000 deaths in a best-case scenario — effective government quarantines, access to medical supplies currently strangled by U.S. sanctions — and in a more realistic scenario, 3.5 million deaths by late May.More stories from theweek.com Top coronavirus doctor puts head in hands when Trump mentions 'Deep State Department' at briefing America has one of the world's worst coronavirus responses Bloomberg's last FEC filing shows he spent nearly $1 billion on his failed presidential run
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| Coronavirus task force offers an even keel to a zigzag Trump Posted: 19 Mar 2020 10:17 PM PDT  Fueled by coffee, doughnuts and data, members of the White House coronavirus task force fill the secure basement conference room to parse new disease patterns as they weigh next steps in the fight against a virus that has dramatically altered American lives. On one recent morning, renowned infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci was conferenced in by telephone when he shared news that landed like a gut punch: World Health Organization data showed that younger people were becoming seriously ill at higher rates than previously reported. Barely an hour later, Dr. Deborah Birx, the task force coordinator, stood at the White House lectern to sound the alarm publicly.
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| Trump angrily defends his handling of coronavirus pandemic Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:16 PM PDT  Defending his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, an angry President Donald Trump on Friday lashed out at reporters and broke with his own health officials on the science of the outbreak. Trump said he was tapping the Defense Production Act to order American businesses to manufacture and send supplies, like testing kits, ventilators and masks, to hospitals preparing to be overwhelmed by a wave of coronavirus cases. Trump had said earlier in the week he would tap the act as needed; he then added Friday that he has put that "in gear."
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| Mexico's president in no hurry to confront virus outbreak Posted: 19 Mar 2020 09:02 PM PDT  Many countries in Latin America have taken aggressive measures to deal with the coronavirus such as closing their borders, dock and airports to foreigners, declaring states of emergencies and ordering business shutdowns. Mexico, by contrast, has so far taken a "business as usual" attitude. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and his government have said a shutdown of the country would disproportionately hurt poor people and also be a psychological weight on all Mexicans.
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| How Long Can Iraq Go Without Leadership? Posted: 19 Mar 2020 08:59 PM PDT |
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