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India:Amid unlock, Doctors warn of ‘Worse Than Second Wave’ situation if norms not followed
Medical experts in mid-May had concurred that it was lockdown majorly that had brought down the count of daily cases, while cautioning that the severity of cases was still the same.
Why Asia, the pandemic champion, remains miles away from the finish line
But nearly everywhere in the region, the trend lines point to a reversal of fortune. While Americans celebrate what feels like a new dawn, for many of Asia’s 4.6 billion people, the rest of this year will look a lot like the last, with extreme suffering for some and others left in a limbo of subdued normalcy.
COVID-19:Insurance protection gap reaches new high of $1.4 trillion in 2020, Swiss Re
Jérôme Haegeli, Swiss Re Group Chief Economist said “”The global pandemic has accentuated the gap between the rich and poor. It has laid bare the need for governments to focus on rebuilding and promoting social cohesion. Social equity – and at its heart, creating equal opportunities for all – will be a defining feature of a more resilient world.”
Indian tech firms struggling with Covid-19 trauma
Indian tech firms help young workers in Covid trauma
There is a cultural hurdle companies need to cross as they help staff. Consulting a psychologist or a psychiatrist is often taboo in India so companies sometimes camouflage their support. Workers are given access to “life coaches,” not psychologists, and they’re measured on a “happiness index,” rather than an anxiety or depression scale.
Virus disaster leaves deep scars on India’s economy
Surging unemployment, coupled with state lockdowns, a large increase in hospitalizations and fatalities amid the second wave and fears of a third wave, are prompting many people to cut spending.
Meanwhile, sales of cars and motorcycles fell 30% in April over March and are expected to slump by over 60% in May as automakers including Maruti Suzuki and Hero MotoCorp halted production for several days amid rising infections. Dealerships remain closed.
Economy:Emerging Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s growth rests on three pillars: exports, social progress and fiscal prudence. Between 2011 and 2019, Bangladesh’s exports grew at 8.6% every year, compared to the world average of 0.4%. The success is largely due to the country’s relentless focus on products, such as apparel, in which it possesses a comparative advantage.
Climate change: six priorities for pulling carbon out of the air
Done right, carbon removal could be the perfect accompaniment to emissions cuts, bringing the climate back into balance. Done badly, it could be a dangerous distraction.
Drones for Health
“When a woman has lost a lot of blood during childbirth and may need to be transferred to a bigger medical facility, she first needs to be stabilized where she is before being driven out of that place. The timely delivery of blood can be lifesaving. A drone can be sent to deliver the blood so that the patient is stabilized,” says Lorato Mokganya, Chief Health Officer in the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Digital divide: How to unmute climate voices in poorer nations
Pandemic moves to virtual events – including U.N. climate talks starting on Monday – have made it easier for experts and activists worldwide to participate, but many living in places without reliable connectivity say they are still missing out.
‘They hit you hard’: How DarkSide became powerhouse of ransomware attacks
Where once criminals had to play psychological games to trick people into handing over bank passwords and have the technical know-how to siphon money out of secure personal accounts, now virtually anyone can obtain ransomware off the shelf and load it into a compromised computer system using tricks picked up from YouTube tutorials or with the help of groups like DarkSide.
“Any doofus can be a cybercriminal now,” said Sergei A. Pavlovich, a former hacker who served 10 years in prison in his native Belarus for cybercrimes. “The intellectual barrier to entry has gotten extremely low.”