World Reports: Pandemic To Push Struggling Iraqis Into Poverty; New Zealand Welcomes Investors
News on the global COVID-19 outbreak is reported from Iraq, New Zealand, Russia, South Africa, Algeria, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Eswatini, Gabon, Colombia, Eritrea, Namibia, Panama, Peru and North Korea.
Reuters:
Pandemic Pushes Some Iraqis, Broken By Conflict, Into Poverty
When shops and homes shutter at curfew, some Iraqis in this Baghdad district say it reminds them of past traumas that destroyed lives and livelihoods: sectarian death squads, foreign invasion, and the ruin wrought by international sanctions. (Davison, 5/6)
Reuters:
PM Ardern Touts New Zealand As 'Safe Haven' For Investment
New Zealand’s success in curbing the coronavirus has given it a “safe haven” advantage, allowing the country to be open for investment, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Wednesday. (5/6)
The Associated Press:
2 Russian Doctors Dead, 1 In ICU After Mysterious Accidents
Two Russian doctors have died and one remains in the intensive care unit in serious condition after falling out of windows in hospitals under mysterious circumstances. The tragic incidents last week made national headlines, with media reports saying all three have come under pressure from their superiors over working conditions amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Litvinova, 5/6)
The Associated Press:
Palestinians Fear Outbreak In Jerusalem's 'No Man's Land'
As the coronavirus pandemic gathered strength last month, community leaders in a Palestinian neighborhood on the outskirts of Jerusalem tried to impose lockdown and quarantine measures to protect residents. The problem: there were no police to enforce the measures. (Daraghmeh and Kraus, 5/6)
CIDRAP:
As Exponential COVID-19 Spread Hits Parts Of Africa, WHO Issues Advisory On Traditional Medicines
COVID-19 activity in parts of Africa has grown exponentially over the past 2 weeks, raising worries that the region could become the next pandemic epicenter in the weeks and months ahead, according to an update from the World Health Organization (WHO). The world's case total climbed to 3,646,206, and at least 255,096 have died from their infections, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard. (Schnirring, 5/5)
Reuters:
Transgender People Face Discrimination, Violence Amid Latin American Quarantines
Alis Nicolette Rodriguez is bracing themself, nervously looking over their shopping list and preparing in case someone tries to bar their way at the grocery store. It has happened before. (Cobb, 5/5)
The Washington Post:
Kim Jong Un Didn't Have Heart Surgery, South Korea Says, Tying Absence To Coronavirus Fears
South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers Wednesday it does not believe North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had heart surgery last month, and determined that his three-week absence from public view was probably linked to fears over the coronavirus pandemic. Officials of the National Intelligence Service told a parliamentary committee that the reports of heart surgery, first carried by South Korean website Daily NK and then amplified by Western media into talk that Kim was gravely ill or even dead, were “groundless,” according to a lawmaker on the intelligence committee. (Denyer and Kim, 5/6)
The Associated Press:
UK Scientist Who Warned Over Virus Quits For Lockdown Breach
Britain’s health secretary said Wednesday that national lockdown rules were “for everyone,” after one of the government’s key scientific advisers quit for receiving secret visits from his girlfriend amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Lawless, 5/6)
