No need to search for information on the Burundian presidential election on Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp, social networks have been cut since the opening of polling stations on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. The data collected by NetBlocks and cross-checked by information obtained by RSF undoubtedly report a targeted internet cut-off despite the denial published by Willy Nyamitwe, the ambassador and adviser of the Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza who had described this interruption as “rumor”.
Thousands of Nigerians are receiving free mental health care through a program to help people cope with stress and isolation from COVID-19. The program, Mentally Aware Nigeria, or MANI, was formed by psychologists and medical experts to create an environment where people can seek mental health care without fear of stigma or discrimination. Timothy Obiezu …
With Europe’s economies ravaged by the coronavirus, the European Union is considering a 545-billion-dollar plan to help them recover. Among the worst hit is Spain, where leaders are torn between extending the lockdown or reopening quickly as demon-strations mount demanding an end to what some see as unnecessary damage to the economy, especially for those at the bottom of the rung
Uganda’s security officers stand accused of using excessive force and targeting political opponents while carrying out lockdown measures during the coronavirus pandemic. On April 19, police stormed the home of Ugandan legislator Francis Zaake and arrested him for allegedly disobeying presidential directives against distributing food aid. He was released a week later but with scars all over his body and left partially blind
The resolution also “captures the comprehensive whole of government and whole of society approach we have been calling for since the beginning of the outbreak. If implemented, this would ensure a more coherent, coordinated and fairer response that saves both lives and livelihoods,” said Tedros.
Brian Stokes Mitchell is a Broadway star, film actor and Chair of the Actors Fund, which helps those in need in the entertainment community. The fund has distributed millions of dollars since the outbreak of COVID-19. Mitchell is giving his personal thanks to the pandemic’s frontline workers
Twitter currently uses an AI technique called deep learning to recommend tweets to its users and also uses AI to identify racist content and hate speech, or content from extremist groups.
After Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended contingency and crisis strategies for front line healthcare workers in late March, there was an immediate shortage of protective gears in hospitals. A family in Maryland is doing their part by making face shields at home and donating it to not only healthcare workers they know but also where it is much needed, hospitals in New York. VOA‘s Saqib Ul Islam has their story
South Korea is one of very few countries to so far contain the coronavirus without resorting to mass lockdowns. Instead, it is taking a targeted approach: using cellphone data to locate and isolate those exposed to the virus. The digital tracing places public safety above personal privacy, but has been highly effective
Losing a loved one is hard enough, but when you lose someone from COVID-19, you can’t even be at their deathbed, nor attend their funeral due to social distancing measures. For close-knit Muslim communities, including Indonesian Muslims in the US, this means making the most of technology and also praying for their loved ones from afar