This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Myah Ward on politico.com on May 7, 2020.Melinda Gates on Thursday gave the Trump administration low marks for its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, adding that more money is needed for testing and vaccine development in the United States and across the world.Gates – co-chairman of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has donated billions of dollars to health research – gave the…

The African Union (AU) said it has held discussions with officials from Madagascar to find out more about a herbal drink recently touted by the island nation’s president as a possible treatment for Covid-19.According to a statement issued on Tuesday, AU Commissioner for Social Affairs Amira El Fadil held a meeting with the chargé d’affaires of Madagascar’s embassy in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on April 30, at which it was agreed that more information would be provided about the…

A large-scale study in New York looking at the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine has cast further doubt on its effectiveness in the treatment of Covid-19 patients.Researchers at Columbia University observed nearly 1,400 patients at a large medical centre in New York City in March and April. They found hydroxychloroquine use led to neither a higher nor lower chance of patients ending up with intubation or death.“Our results cannot completely exclude the possibility of either modest benefit or…

Europe marked the 75th anniversary of the surrender of Nazi Germany to Allied forces in low-key fashion Friday because of coronavirus lockdown restrictions across the continent.The big celebrations planned were either cancelled or dramatically scaled back. There were no mass gatherings, no hugging or kissing, but the day of liberation was emotionally charged from Belfast to Berlin. For the few surviving World War II veterans, many living in nursing homes under virus lockdowns, it has been a…

Japanese exotic dancer Aya Yumiko has been living off her savings since March as she waits for the bars and clubs in Tokyo where she performs in burlesque shows to reopen.But a decision by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week to extend a state of emergency to tackle the coronavirus pandemic until the end of May means Yumiko could use up her last reserves of cash before she can get back to work.“I had enough saved up to last me for two or three months,” said the 40-year-old dancer, who performs…

A delayed rotation of US Marines to a defence base in Australia’s northern city of Darwin will go ahead based on strict adherence to Covid-19 measures, Australia’s defence minister said after speaking with her US counterpart.Up to 2,500 US Marines had been scheduled to arrive in April, in a major defence alliance cooperation exercise, but this was postponed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.The remote Northern Territory, which has recorded just 30 Covid-19 cases, closed its borders…

The United States has reached a settlement to recover more than US$49 million involving Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, the US Department of Justice said.The government of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak set up the 1MDB fund in 2009 to promote economic development.The US justice department has estimated more than US$4.5 billion was siphoned out of Malaysia by high-level fund officials and their associates between 2009 and 2014 in a scandal that has also embroiled Goldman Sachs…

Under lockdown and far apart, Sushen Dang and Keerti Narang went online to say their marriage vows – and pulled off a spectacular Indian wedding complete with thousands of guests and raucous Bollywood dancing.In a country famous for lavish weddings that last for days, the young couple are among a growing number modifying their marriage ceremonies under a virus lockdown that has limited public gatherings.Eager to go ahead with the arranged marriage on the auspicious date selected for them by a…

A group of 150 Chinese workers believe the world’s largest maker of trainers used the coronavirus as an excuse to fire them, having helped Taiwanese firm Pou Chen successfully expand its production into Vietnam for more than a decade.Pou Chen, which makes footwear for the likes of Nike and Adidas, informed the group in late April that they would no longer be needed as they were unable to return to Vietnam from their hometowns in China due to the coronavirus lockdowns.“We believe we contributed…

President Vladimir Putin told Russians they are “invincible” when they stand together as the country on Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of second world war on lockdown from the coronavirus.With the number of virus cases surging and authorities urging Russians to stay in their homes, celebrations of this year’s Victory Day were muted after the Kremlin grudgingly agreed to postpone plans for a grand parade with world leaders.Instead of columns of military hardware and thousands of…

Malaysia’s on-again-off-again political partners Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim said “it’s time” to restore an election mandate that they won two years ago, issuing a statement together for the first time since internal bickering in February led to the collapse of their ruling coalition. The two leaders – now in the opposition – said the current government led by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin wasn’t the choice of voters at ballot boxes and does not have a mandate to rule. The statement…

Prague Daily Monitor

Although the suspicious cases of coronavirus at Prague's Na Bulovce were not confirmed as such, there are several other pending cases across the country. At the Prague Airport certain measures have already come together to start more intensive screening of incoming flights, for now those from China.

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Prague Daily Monitor

So far the coronavirus, in the Czech Republic as well as most of the world, has remained relatively contained. Several suspicious cases in the country have proved negative as just normal flu or cold symptoms. People are advised to clean hands often, especially after visiting busy public places.

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Prague Daily Monitor

Strong winds felled trees on to cars and flung loose materials across the city on Tuesday afternoon. The spokesperson for the Prague Firefighter Brigade said that "so far we have responded to 23 incidents related to wind up to 15:00. The most common calls were related to fallen trees, scattered branches and debris."

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Prague Daily Monitor

With increasing cases and deaths the Czech Republic is yet to confirm its first case. All suspected cases up to Sunday have resulted in negative results, or results are still pending. The country has also managed to evacuate citizens from China to Brussels and other European destinations.

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Prague Daily Monitor

The Czech Republic has not recorded a positive test on any suspected patients to date. There have been several suspected cases, mostly from Chinese tourists in North Moravia, Brno and Prague. Futhermore, even the Czechs that were evacuated from China last week have thus far not been tested positive for the virus. There remain 105 Czech citizens in China whom want to return home. The Minister of Foreign Affairs Tomas Petricek communicated to media that if need be the country will send an airbus to China to pick them up.

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Prague Daily Monitor

Most mountain ranges across the country have received fresh snow. All suspected cases of coronavirus in the country have been tested negative. A young man was convicted of growing marijuana and sentenced to three years in prison. The Prague Monitor is continuing its fundraiser to upgrade its systems.

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Prague Daily Monitor

As seems to be the norm this winter, the Czech Republic had another day of record warm temperatures on Sunday. With the warm temperatures came high velocity winds which knocked out electricity for hundreds of homes in the western part of the country, caused traffic accidents and as much as a 30% halt in railways service.

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Prague Daily Monitor

The Prince of Lichtenstein Foundation has lost its case concerning ownership of 600 hectares of forest close to the city of Říčany, outside of Prague. The Constitutional Court upheld the prior verdict in the case which was not to return the 600 hectares of forest to the foundation. "The Prince of Lichtenstein will in this case use all possible tools and opportunities to get justice in an international court and international institutio," said the foundation's spokesperson.

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by Brad McGregor | Prague Daily Monitor

Not only are US citizens living overseas able to vote in all the various US elections, when it comes to Democrats, they are also able to participate in the exciting primary process. Next week, those Americans will get their chance to go to the polls as part the Global Democrats Abroad Primary, which is held alongside 15 other state primaries on Super Tuesday—a day that usually decides the Democrats' nominee.

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Prague Daily Monitor

There is not very much in the news outside of the fear selling virus epidemic, as it is being increasingly referred to. As of Sunday, March 8th there were thirty-two cases confirmed in the country. They are mostly people returning from Italy or close contacts. There does not appear to be any run away escalation of cases as in some other countries. But life as we know it will most likely change for a while. The Czech Republic seems to be the first country to threaten quarantine breakers with a maximum fine of CZK 3,000,000.

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Prague Daily Monitor

The Covid-19 virus brought new measures to the Czech Republic. With cases quickly growing to over 10,000 in Italy, and surrounding countries running over a thousand cases each, the Czech Republic has decided to try and get ahead of the virus and stop its spread. Schools are closed for an unspecified amount of time. All activities which have groups larger than 100 people are cancelled.

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Prague Daily Monitor

Europe and the world are entering a new phase in the fight against the epidemic. Yesterday, the WHO declared the spread of the Covid-19 virus a pandemic. The Czech Republic is closing in on 94 confirmed cases as of Wednesday night. This includes a few cases which are not traced to a patient zero, meaning the patient got the virus from another person who may not yet be known to the health authorities.

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Jacaranda was first introduced in Africa via Cape Town in 1829 before spreading to the rest of the continent.

Davis, 29, has competed against his elder brother Frank, 33, in top flight hockey since 2012.

Fredie Blom says cigarettes were his only birthday wish this year.

Contractor expresses confidence about project but notes effects of the pandemic.

Professor Samuel Yeung-shan Wong says he loves Canada, and wants it to learn from Hong Kong’s successes in the battle with Covid-19.Wong, director of the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s school of public health, earned his medical degree at the University of Toronto in the 1990s and did his residency in Halifax, Nova Scotia.When he chats with his Canadian cousins they tell him that “they aren’t going out”, he said. Hong Kong, meanwhile, has avoided a Canadian-style lockdown, and on Friday…

1. Pandemic drives rethink of Hong Kong’s hospital needs More isolation beds and more land to hold them among key concerns going forward, Hospital Authority chief tells the Post. 2. Inadequate links between public, private hospitals ‘Non-urgent’ cases postponed as overburdened public hospitals focus on Covid-19 patients. 3. Musician recounts horror from Covid-19 bar cluster Mark Anthony Balcueva struggled to breathe and had to be put on a cocktail of drugs, with only the thought of his…

The High Court has thrown out a Hong Kong resident’s challenge to his quarantine status, dismissing his application for a writ of habeas corpus over his mandatory isolation at a government-run facility.Accountant Syed Agha Raza Shah, who tested negative for Covid-19 upon his return, was sent to the Chun Yeung Estate in Fo Tan for a 14-day stay after returning from Pakistan via Qatar with about 200 other Hong Kong residents on April 29.On Thursday, he applied for a writ of habeas corpus…

A Hong Kong man has admitted in court to raping his nine-year-old daughter and telling his younger son that it was none of his business when the child caught him in the act.The High Court heard the sexual attacks spanned nearly six years, since 2011, when the casual vegetable seller, who could not be identified for legal reasons, first attempted to rape his daughter after school.At the time she was only six, while he was 40.Acting deputy director of public prosecutions Catherine Ko said the…

It is about 7pm when Muslim community leader Raheel Ahmed, 57, gathers with his wife, two sons and daughter for a home-made meal of dates, rice and spicy curried chicken, salad, fresh fruit and juice.For this Hong Kong family of Pakistani origin, it is their first meal after fasting for more than 12 hours, as this is the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.The world’s 1.8 billion Muslims mark the month by abstaining from food or drink from sunrise to sunset, and gathering as a community in mosques to…

A man in Hong Kong has died the day after police used what they described as appropriate force to arrest him for criminal damage, drugs possession and assaulting officers.The force said that Yau Tsim district officers on patrol in Nathan Road were called at about 5pm on Thursday by members of the public who reported that a non-Chinese man “smelling strongly of alcohol” had damaged a moving vehicle with a glass bottle and toppled over a nearby motorcycle.The suspect “fiercely resisted” when he…

Manssour Bin Mussallam, is Secretary General-elect of the Organisation of Educational Cooperation (OEC)

The post The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Reinvention of the Spirit of Solidarity and Cooperation appeared first on Inter Press Service.

After her mother passed away, her father remarried and moved elsewhere, and so attending school became a luxury for 12-year-old Sheuly Munda. Along with her grandmother Belmoni, a registered tea-garden worker, Sheuly now plucks leaves at a tea garden in Moulvibazar district’s Srimongol upazila. “I wanted to continue my study, but my grandmother said she […]

The post May Day: Large number of children work in tea estates appeared first on Inter Press Service.

The current coronavirus pandemic can offer insight into how to shake-up traditional methods of data collection, and might provide an opportunity to do it in more innovative ways, in turn enhancing progress towards gender equality. “Necessity is the mother of invention, and when you look at society’s crisis – whether that’s a health crisis or […]

The post Q&A: COVID-19 Means we Must Innovate Data Collection, Especially on Gender appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Police beat anti-corruption protesters with batons and fired volleys of tear gas to disperse them in Kenya's capital on Thursday, Reuters witnesses said.

Kenya has accused the UN of bowing to pressure from other countries by setting up an investigation that pins the blame for peacekeeping failures in South Sudan on the Kenyan force commander.

A 14-year old girl sitting for her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) in Samburu County died tragically on Wednesday after she complained of stomach cramps.

A Kenyan official says a South Sudanese rebel spokesperson has been deported to South Sudan over a Facebook posting, while colleagues fear for his life and human rights workers say he was a UN-registered refugee.

The US says it is closely monitoring the situation following President Uhuru Kenyatta’s decision to withdraw Kenya Defence Forces from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.

The first day of the 2016 Kenya Certificate of Secondary education (KCSE) examination was marred by the death of a pupil just as exams begun.