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Intel: Amid US funding gap, UN Palestinian refugee agency seeks $93M in coronavirus aid




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In Israel, coronavirus crisis improves Jewish-Arab relations

Contrary to past emergency situations, the COVID-19 crisis seems to have helped improve the relationship between the Jewish and Arab communities.




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TB infections, deaths likely to rise with focus on Covid-19

New study explains effects of lockdowns and limitations on diagnosis, treatment and prevention services.




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China admits coronavirus exposed 'shortcomings' in healthcare

Beijing says reforms are underway to improve disease prevention and control mechanisms.




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Is your team working well from home? It all depends on you!

Trust must be strong in your team: your trust in your team members; and their trust in you.




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Police brutality will only aggravate crisis

Militarising the operations creates bad blood. People become resistant and restive.




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The Covid-19 numbers that don’t yet seem to be adding up

Carefree socialising is back in full swing, with no evidence that frequent handwashing has become the norm.




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Uhuru caught between saving the economy and succession politics

A coalition government will further strengthen the Kenyatta and Raila axis, which is what it is all about.




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The Education ministry must stop this bias

The illusion that learning from home is taking place is a conscious bias that is remiss of the context.




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Closed health colleges missing crucial lessons

Closing health training institutions as we did was not properly thought out.




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Securing common prosperity in face of Covid-19

This pandemic is a new test to our collective strength and we must work together to address it.




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Mobile phones can help children stay in school

Students are more likely to succeed when they are supported as individuals.




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Pay me my money, ailing Williamson implores FKF

He lodged a case of unfair dismissal against FKF at the Employment and Labour Court in Nairobi.




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Seoul closes bars, clubs over fears of second coronavirus wave

Health authorities have warned of a further spike in infections.




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Iranians fearful as coronavirus infections rise again

People rarely observe basic anti-contagion protocols.




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Lessons from court battle for Mbiyu Koinange estate

As a politician, Koinange loved land and power - the two levers of influence.




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EACC flags sale of pensioners’ land to Mike Sonko

Sonko claims agency's actions are politically motivated.




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Gen Kibochi to take over KDF mantle on Monday

Kibochi is expected to the military chief to bring Kenyan soldiers back home from Somalia.




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A look into Rotary Club history and milestones in doing good

The foundation uses its funds to eradicate poverty, to promote literacy and numeracy.




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Why e-learning must go beyond Mwisho wa Lami

From the top 20 students, only four had access to smartphones.




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Hidden ‘talents’ emerge courtesy of coronavirus

We all need some cheering up and need something to do with all the time we find ourselves with.




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Joy and agony of travel by ship

I well understand why so many murder stories are set on cruise ships.




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Curtain falls on man smitten with John F Kennedy magic

He was a beneficiary of the Kennedy Airlifts, a project in the late 1950s and early 60s.




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Schools scramble to embrace online learning

It has exposed the huge economic disparities in homes that enhance social inequalities.




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Police on the prowl, thugs on the hunt, and Kibra asleep

Nairobi, a restless metropolis of 4.4 million, is a bizarre landscape under curfew.




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Uhuru, Raila calm MPS after attack on government

Luo Nyanza leaders feel that the handshake dividend has not trickled down to the people.




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Contacts of Isiolo Covid-19 case isolated, 53 being traced

Authorities acquire passenger manifest for the bus patient travelled in.




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Coronavirus: left out of Hong Kong relief packages, asylum seekers struggle with higher food prices, lack of masks

When Zima did her weekly grocery shopping in March, she was shocked by the prices.“A package of chicken that used to cost HK$39 (US$5) was HK$50,” she recalled. A litre of milk went up from HK$35 to HK$49, and the tomatoes she used to pay HK$8 for were now HK$12.She worried her family of three might not have enough to eat for the month, because they would run out of money.The 32-year-old fled Pakistan in 2015 together with her husband and son, claiming religious persecution as members of the…




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Why Beijing’s offices in Hong Kong cannot be guilty of interference, despite the legal community’s misgivings

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the enactment of the Basic Law. Forget about organising webinars to celebrate the anniversary, a debate about the core constitutional issues underlying the implementation of the Basic Law – China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong and the extent of Hong Kong’s autonomy – is unfolding right before us. The debate was triggered by statements made by the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, and the central government’s liaison office on…




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Covid-19 toll on marriage: divorce inquiries on the rise as stay-home measures push Hong Kong couples off the edge

Confined to their 100 sq ft space in a subdivided flat in Hong Kong amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Wendy Cheung and her husband quarrelled numerous times over hygiene, money and caring for their son.Finally, she decided it was time to get a divorce after eight years of marriage.The distress caused by the fear of coronavirus infection, confinement measures and social isolation has taken a toll on couples. Cooped-up Hongkongers have been flooding hotlines with calls seeking help with conflicts at…




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Hong Kong finance chief sees hope for third quarter, but warns return of protests could derail retailers’ prospects

Hong Kong’s financial chief said there could be light at the end of the tunnel for the city’s economy in the third quarter of this year on Sunday, while doubling down on his call for an end to protests, which he warned could further hurt local businesses and restaurants.Writing on his official blog, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po noted Hong Kong’s coronavirus-ravaged economy had suffered its worst decline on record, shrinking by 8.9 per cent year on year in the first quarter based on his…




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Coronavirus: Hong Kong records at least one new imported Covid-19 case on Sunday

Hong Kong recorded at least one new imported coronavirus case on Sunday, ending a string of three days with no reported infections. The tally of confirmed Covid-19 cases now moves to at least 1,045. The last time the city recorded new infections was on Thursday, when four imported cases were revealed. At least eight new infections have been recorded so far this month, all imported – cases involving people with recent travel history. Health authorities have previously said the deadly…




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Elderly Hongkongers peeved by looming eviction and relocation at decades-old care home amid Covid-19 pandemic

The looming eviction and relocation of 150 elderly residents at a decades-old care home in Hong Kong amid the coronavirus pandemic has left many fearful of infection risks, as a resident prepares to launch a last-minute legal battle against the government to stop a demolition plan within a month.Situated in the suburbs of the northern border town of Sheung Shui, Dills Corner Garden has housed 16 elderly care homes since 1997 and is much beloved by many residents for its tranquil life, quality…




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Former city leader says Hong Kong Coalition hopes to bolster economy, rule of law but cannot ‘do government’s job’

A new pro-establishment alliance led by former Hong Kong leaders hopes to educate young residents on the rule of law, but cannot fulfil the government’s role of addressing political issues that emerged from last year’s months of social unrest, one of its leaders said on Sunday.Hong Kong Coalition co-convenor Leung Chun-ying, the city’s chief executive from 2012 to 2017, also said the body has been formulating plans to offer young graduates training and employment opportunities.“I hope we can…




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Lessons to learn from Hong Kong’s great mask giveaway

The road to hell is always paved with good intentions.The old adage is proving true for the Hong Kong government’s highly publicised scheme to distribute free reusable masks to every resident.The controversy over the CuMask+ scheme must be hugely frustrating for embattled Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, whose administration is now facing concerns and accusations ranging from possible conflict of interest, since the commissioned manufacturers did not go through proper tender…




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Hong Kong swelters on Mother’s Day as temperature hits half-century high

Hong Kong is sweltering on its hottest Mother’s Day in more than half a century, with the mercury hitting 36 degrees Celsius in some areas and triggering this year’s first “very hot weather warning”.The Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui issued the warning at 1.15pm on Sunday after the temperature there hit 32.2 degrees.At Tai Mei Tuk in Tai Po, the temperature hit 36.1 degrees. Yuen Long Park in Yuen Long also recorded 35.1 degrees, and Sheung Shui 35 degrees.It is the hottest Mother’s Day since…




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Coronavirus: US starts distributing Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug to states most in need

The US government began distributing remdesivir, an experimental drug recently approved for emergency use against Covid-19, to areas of the country struggling the most with the disease.The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) arranged for some 600,000 vials of Gilead Sciences’ antiviral medication, shown to reduce recovery times for some patients, to be shipped to health authorities in New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan and three other states, to treat an estimated 78,000 hospitalised…




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Coronavirus latest: European countries prepare reopening as infections pass 4 million worldwide

France and Spain, two of the countries hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, were preparing on Sunday for an easing of lockdown rules as the global number of infections passed 4 million.In the US, the country with the world’s highest death toll, President Donald Trump faced sharp criticism from his predecessor Barack Obama who said on a leaked tape that Trump’s handling of the crisis was an “absolute chaotic disaster”.The virus has claimed more than 78,000 lives in the United States, which…




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Coronavirus: US approves new antigen test with fast results

US regulators have approved a new type of coronavirus test that administration officials have promoted as a key to opening up the country.The Food and Drug Administration on Saturday announced emergency authorisation for antigen tests developed by Quidel Corporation of San Diego. The test can rapidly detect fragments of virus proteins in samples collected from swabs swiped inside the nasal cavity, the FDA said in a statement.The antigen test is the third type of test to be authorised by the FDA…




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Coronavirus: Obama calls Trump’s handling of pandemic a ‘chaotic disaster’

Former president Barack Obama has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it an “absolute chaotic disaster”.In a leaked web call Friday night with former members of his administration, Obama also said the Justice Department’s decision to drop charges against Michael Flynn, the former Trump national security adviser who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI in the Russia probe, endangers the rule of law in the US.In the audio, first obtained by…




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Elon Musk threatens to move Tesla from California over coronavirus restrictions

Tesla chief Elon Musk on Saturday threatened to pull his electric car headquarters and plant out of California after local authorities kept him from resuming production due to the coronavirus pandemic.“Frankly, this is the final straw. Tesla will now move its HQ and future programmes to Texas/Nevada immediately,” Musk tweeted in a long diatribe, characteristic of past online rants which are not necessarily carried out.Referring to the California city where the cars are produced, Musk said that …




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Coronavirus lockdown means some US college students are paying US$70,000 for Zoom classes

The cost of a university education in the United States has long been eye-watering, with a year costing tens of thousands of dollars.But as the coronavirus crisis settles in, students – many of whom take out huge loans to finance their degrees – are wondering how to justify spending US$70,000 a year on … Zoom classes.They feel like they’re getting the raw end of the deal, and are demanding that their colleges be held to account.“We’re paying for other services that the campus offers that aren’t…




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Coronavirus: Dr Anthony Fauci self-quarantining along with two other White House task force members

Three members of the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr Anthony Fauci, placed themselves in quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, another stark reminder that not even one of the nation’s most secure buildings is immune from the virus.Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and a leading member of the task force, has become nationally known for his simple and direct explanations to the public about the…




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Asia’s next coronavirus flashpoint? Overcrowded, neglected prisons

All across Asia , and around the world, people have been urged to keep a safe distance and maintain good personal hygiene amid the coronavirus pandemic. But if your “home” is a prison dormitory that holds five times the 100 inmates it was designed to, doing either is almost impossible.Overcrowding is the norm in the prison systems of many developing nations, but the Philippines has long held the dubious distinction of having one of the most jam-packed in the world.In Manila City Jail, one of an…




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Coronavirus: how cash-mad Philippines learned to love digital money thanks to Covid-19

With her neighbourhood south of Manila locked down due to the coronavirus, Dolly Pelle had been planning to close her sari-sari convenience store – until customers convinced her they couldn’t do without her. Pelle’s store is one of a handful of similar shops all on the same street, but her’s has a crucial difference: it is the only one able to process local remittances. Lock down, start up: the digital firms cashing in on coronavirus in the Philippines In the past four years in the…




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Mekong nations face growing threat to food security amid claims China’s dams exacerbate effects of drought

Fishermen in northeast Thailand say they have seen catches in the Mekong River plunge, while some farmers in Vietnam and Cambodia are leaving for jobs in cities as harvests of rice and other crops shrink.The common thread driving these events is erratic water levels in Asia’s third longest waterway.Water flows along the 4,300km (2,700 mile) Mekong shift naturally between monsoon and dry seasons, but non-governmental groups say the 11 hydroelectric dams on China’s portion of the river – five of…




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Coronavirus cases in Japan drive surge in discrimination against medical workers

The coronavirus in Japan has brought not just an epidemic of infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers.A government campaign to raise awareness seems to be helping, at least for medical workers. But it’s made only limited headway in countering the harassment and shunning that may be discouraging people from seeking testing and care and hindering the battle against the pandemic.When Arisa Kadono tested positive and was…




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India’s coronavirus lockdown is forcing women to do all the work

Every morning, marketing professional Sagari starts her day at 9am by sweeping the floors of her two-bedroom flat in suburban Mumbai. The 35-year-old then makes breakfast for her husband, father and three-year-old son, before preparing lunch and parking herself in front of her laptop to work, in between responding to calls for tea from her husband and demands from her toddler. At 9pm, she cooks dinner then washes up and listens in on international client calls that can last until 2am. How…




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Can Malaysia cope with a ‘triple whammy’ economic shock?

There was little sign of cheer in Malaysia last week even as the government began easing the gruelling nationwide lockdown it had put in place to curb the spread of Covid-19, with all eyes now on the bleak economic road ahead.Government data released on Friday showed the unemployment rate in Southeast Asia’s third-largest economy rose to 3.9 per cent in March – the highest rate since 2010, and a 17.1 per cent jump from a year ago. Expectations are that the figure will continue to surge.While…