Worldwide
Africa: locusts, drought, famine
14 Feb 2020
Somalia has declared a national emergency as desert locusts destroy vegetation. An average swarm containing 40 million insects can travel 150 km in 24 hours, devouring enough food to feed 34 million people in that time.…
China: update on coronavirus
14 Feb 2020
Until 12 February the number of people with the virus in Hubei province, where coronavirus emerged, was stabilising, but new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 - with…
China: keep praying
06 Feb 2020
A baby born in Wuhan was diagnosed with coronavirus thirty hours after birth. It is unclear if the disease was transmitted in the womb or after birth. Medical experts believe the infection could have been contracted…
China: coronavirus - wildlife trade - ecology
06 Feb 2020
China's demand for wildlife products for traditional medicine and exotic foods is driving a global trade in endangered species. Markets selling live animals are considered a potential source of diseases that are new to humans. Over…
Tanzania: church stampede kills 20+
06 Feb 2020
Tanzania has seen an increase in ‘prosperity gospel’ pastors promising to lift people out of poverty and perform what they call miracle cures. A stampede occurred when Boniface Mwamposa, calling himself ‘the Apostle’, poured what he…
Israel: rocket attacks escalate
06 Feb 2020
On 3 February Israeli media reported that Hamas, which rules Gaza, is afraid of being seen as a collaborator with Israel as a result of ongoing negotiations for a long-term truce. It also does not wish…