New Delhi: The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the world with more than 25,50,000 cases and over 1,77,000 deaths. Several countries have introduced various measures and restrictions to contain the spread of the virus.
ThePrint brings you eight important global stories linked to the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump backs off banning guest worker visas
US President Donald Trump seems to have partially backed off from a ban on all forms of immigration to the country, reports The New York Times. Trump had announced Monday that he would pass an executive order that would temporarily ban all forms of immigration to the country. However, the President announced Tuesday that the US would be temporarily suspending new green cards for the next 60 days, but given the resistance from business groups, he refrained from banning guest worker visas.
Trump argued that the rationale behind the immigration ban was to protect American jobs. Due to the pandemic, more than 22 million Americans have lost their jobs.
US state sues China for not doing enough to stop outbreak
The US state of Missouri has filed a lawsuit against the Chinese government, accusing it of being responsible for the novel coronavirus, reports The Guardian. The lawsuit has been filed by states’ attorney general at a federal court, and it notes that Chinese officials are “responsible for the enormous death, suffering, and economic losses they inflicted on the world, including Missourians”.
World risks famines of ‘biblical proportions’: UN
A new report by the United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) reveals the the world is at risk of experiencing famines of “biblical proportions” due to the coronavirus pandemic, notes BBC. The report also states that the number of people suffering from hunger could rise from 135 million to more than 250 million. Ten countries — Yemen, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Nigeria and Haiti — are at severe risk of food shortages, according to the WFP report.
Hong Kong crisis escalates as Beijing cracks down
After months of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, Beijing is finally cracking down on the protesters. According to a Washington Post report, the Chinese government Tuesday publicly expressed its support for the arrest of more than two dozen pro-democracy activists and stressed Beijing’s “rights and responsibilities to maintain the constitutional order” in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, Beijing has quietly carried out a cabinet reshuffle in Hong Kong, reports South China Morning Post.
Conservative groups behind anti-lockdown protests in US
The US has recently witnessed anti-lockdown protests, which have been facilitated by conservative groups and supported by President Trump. The New York Times looks at the conservative coalition behind these protests. “An informal coalition of influential conservative leaders and groups, some with close connections to the White House, has been quietly working to nurture protests and apply political and legal pressure to overturn state and local orders intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus,” the report notes.
Prisons becoming Covid-19 hotspots
Prisons in countries such as Philippines and Cambodia have emerged as potential coronavirus hotspots, according to a report in Nikkei Asian Review. From Germany to the US, countries around the world have had to face the danger of their prisons being hit by a wave of coronavirus. Anticipating such a crisis, several countries, including India, have released prisoners.
Chinese envoy takes veiled swipe at Trump
On Tuesday, the Chinese ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai blamed US President Donald Trump and other senior US politicians of politicising the coronavirus pandemic and ignoring scientific expertise, reports South China Morning Post. “So little attention is paid to the views of the scientists… And some politicians are so preoccupied in their efforts for stigmatisation, for groundless accusations,” he said.
Netflix posts explosive growth, but boom may not last long
While the global economy at large is experiencing a major slowdown, video streaming services such as Netflix have registered increasing profits, as people are forced to stay home. “Netflix added a record 15.8 million paid subscribers during the first quarter, almost double the 8.47 million forecast by Wall Street analysts,” notes a report in Bloomberg. However, if the lockdown continues, Netflix might struggle to push out newer content, which could potentially hurt the company going ahead.