‘Much, much worse’: India’s richest state swamped by pandemic’s second wave
MUMBAI (Reuters) – Hospitals in Maharashtra are running short of beds, piped oxygen and a key anti-viral drug as a second wave of coronavirus infections has swamped India’s richest state, doctors and patients’ families said. Home to India’s financial capital Mumbai, Maharashtra accounts for nearly a quarter of India’s 12.7 million coronavirus infections. If the […]
Trouble befalls Japanese manufacturing workers following earthquake in February and ongoing Covid worries
The manufacturing sector in Japan is experiencing significant fall in semiconductor/chips output and affecting the automobile and electrical machinery production since the Fukushima-ken Oki earthquake (7.1-7.3 magnitude) off the East coast of Japan adding to ongoing Covid worries.
Uneven Recovery Drives Growing Inequality Across East Asia and the Pacific
WASHINGTON, March 25, 2021 – More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the developing economies of East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) are facing a markedly uneven recovery, according to the World Bank’s latest economic update for the region, released today. Only China and Vietnam are experiencing a V-shaped rebound where output has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels. In the other major […]
Queen thanks volunteers for helping Britain through the pandemic
LONDON (Reuters) – Queen Elizabeth has thanked the millions of people who stepped up to volunteer during the pandemic in Britain, including those who delivered food, medicines and friendship to vulnerable people shielding at home for months. The 94-year-old Queen joined Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and wife of heir-to-the throne Prince Charles, on a […]
Europe aims to get vaccinations back on track after clearing AstraZeneca shot
AMSTERDAM/LONDON (Reuters) – Europe pushed to get its COVID-19 vaccination drive back on track on Friday after EU and British regulators said the benefits of AstraZeneca’s shot outweighed any risks and the World Health Organization gave its backing to it. The end to the suspension of AstraZeneca shots by more than a dozen countries will […]
Biden to name Gene Sperling to lead COVID-19 relief plan: administration official
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden will name Gene Sperling to lead implementation of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, one of the largest economic stimulus measures in American history, an administration official said on Sunday.
On the road to a speedy economic recovery: A broad-based tax system is key to Solomon Islands’ pandemic response
By Matthew Hodge A more sustainable revenue base for the Pacific Island nation could better manage changing economic conditions and the impact of shocks such as COVID-19. While being largely shielded from the health impacts of COVID‑19, the economy of the Solomon Islands has felt a severe shock. Travel restrictions shuttered tourism throughout 2020, major construction […]
New technology helping rebuild Nepal’s quake-hit schools better, and faster
By Naresh Giri Effective project implementation demands real-time monitoring of construction progress and quality in the field. Thanks to technology, real-time monitoring of development projects is now possible, helping project managers address the multiple challenges of implementing post-disaster emergency projects. A good example is using a web-based project monitoring information system (MIS) to closely follow progress […]
University-industry collaboration at the heart of knowledge-based economic growth
By Brajesh Panth, Shanti Jagannathan The Republic of Korea and the People’s Republic of China offer 4 lessons for developing countries to strengthen their higher education systems and innovation capacities. Educated and skilled human resources are the backbone that help to build innovative capacities in economies as they move from factor-driven to efficiency-driven and then to knowledge-driven […]
The spread of Covid-19 and attending football matches in England
The rapid spread of the Covid-19 virus meant that by mid-March 2020, the UK government had stopped outdoor sports from being played in England. Since then, football has resumed behind closed doors, and whether fans should be allowed to attend matches is now the subject of much debate. This column examines whether football matches held in England across February and March helped to spread Covid-19. It finds that attendance at matches resulted in an increase in cases and deaths and concludes that extreme caution should be applied to reopening football to spectators and that there should be close monitoring of any gradual re-opening of stadiums.
