Climate

The last thing that you may want to hear right now, is that we are royally screwed. Although those of us with a more fatalistic disposition may already find this thought racing through our minds pretty often lately, we are generally still clinging on to some kind of false hope. A pretense that everything is going to be OK again, that things are not as bad as they may seem. Risky Business: JP Morgan Chase Fires Back Although it is understandable that we are clinging onto whatever positives - or not so negatives - that we may be looking at, perhaps it would help our planet if our species would not suffer from the urge to try and be so irrevocably glass-half-full all the time. {youtube}                                             Leaked JPMorgan Report: 'Cannot Rule Out' Human Extinction Two economists working for JP Morgan Chase surely understood this, when they decided to lash out at conventional climate change beliefs. Funny, as this company is probably one of the world’s leading financiers of fossil fuel projects. And they can no longer feign innocence, as the internal report those two wrote was leaked and now makes a bold claim: the world is seriously underestimating how climate change will affect us. Recommended:  Climate Change: China Floods The Arctic On Fire In a 22-page essay by UK economists David Mackie and Jessica Murray, aptly titled ‘Risky Business: the Climate and the Macroeconomy’, they painted a pretty gloom picture of our future. As it turns out, the consequences of climate change for our economy as a whole can be pretty drastic. The pair even goes so far as stating that, “ We cannot rule out catastrophic outcomes where human life as we know it is threatened .” JP Morgan Chase was quick to retract their claim, saying that it was “wholly independent from the company as a whole” as soon as they realized it had been leaked after it was sent to the bank’s clients. But this does not change the message within, that is looking at the impact of climate change on GDP - and reviews existing literature on this topic. In the end, they conclude that “ these estimates of the income and wealth effects of unmitigated climate change are far too small .”   Climate Impact Will Not Be Linear These estimates include research by Richard Told, who claims that warming of up to 2.5 degrees Celsius might even have a positive impact on GDP; and by Mark Lynas, who said that a 6 degrees Celsius rise in temperature could only impact GDP by some 7%.   Those are at the low end of the spectrum, with other studies putting the impact at up to a 23% hit to the GDP by the year 2100. Yet those numbers are still way too optimistic, or so Mackie and Murray claim. They refute the approach that many scientists before them took to calculate the impact, that largely focuses on the use of climate economy models, in which a linear model is utilized.   Recommended:  Oceans Suffocated: The World According To WhatsOrb This means that climate impacts will be linear, allowing for high discount rates as investments in the short-term will then be more expensive than investments at a later time - as the same amount of money will be less meaningful in the future. Effectively, this puts the burden of action on later generations, an idea that is widely criticized.   As the authors of this paper claim, there is no such thing as a linear evolvement when it comes to global warming. Chances are that there will be much more abrupt effects, such as rapid ice-sheet disintegration. Additionally, the economic effects are largely benchmarked based on the historical data of the last few decades, where we already saw a rise in temperature and precipitation. Unfortunately, there was not enough variability in these sets to even pretend any future projects would be accurate. What all of this means? A gross underestimation of the financial impact of climate change. Courtesy of JP Morgan Chase, one of the multinationals most to blame for the whole phenomenon. You’re welcome. Climate Change: Carbon Pricing Is Not Enough Carbon pricing is our current go-to for trying to save up for any climate-related costs. JP Morgan Chase is one of the biggest supporters of a carbon-tax plan that is based on the models that are now so heavily criticized in a paper from the hand of their own employees. This plan includes a tax of $40 per ton of carbon dioxide. This is grossly inadequate, as many economists were quick to point out. Even analysts of ExxonMobil, the initiator of this tax, claimed that at least $75 per ton would be necessary - for stabilizing our emissions back in 1991 (!). Go figure how much that ought to be today. Recommended:  Our Focus On CO2 Alone: Other Climate Culprits Carbon pricing in and of itself is definitely not bad. It is a decent safeguard for any policies that we will ultimately need to remedy the worst consequences of global warming. We just need to listen to financial economists instead of climate economists if we want to settle on an adequate price. Some leading experts have already stated that, although they would not quote a number, it could not “ in good conscience get lower than $125 ”. The actual pricing is difficult and not even the point. As one expert said, " it could be $200 per ton or $400 per ton. There are so many uncertainties that presenting one number is just insane. It’s uncomfortable for an economist to say, but the grand conclusion is a bit of humility. We can’t tell you about the grand solution. Everything we know about how to price a ton of carbon dioxide tells us that it seems to be much, much worse than the standard climate economy models tell us. ” Translation? We will be royally screwed if we continue to underestimate the economical costs associated with global warming. Passing it on to future generations on some lewd depreciation model just is not fair - nor is it realistic. We should not just find ways of tempering global warming, we also ought to find better ways of buying ourselves proper insurance for it. Before you go! Recommended:  Global Cooling Or Warming: Will It Kill Us? Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about rising sea levels and climate change? Send your writing & scribble with a photo to  hansvanderbroek@whatsorb.com , and we will write an interesting article based on your input.

The Arctics would not usually be associated with liveliness. Dark, sullen ice caps as far as the eye can see. Rustic tundra landscapes, cold weather. Nothing too exciting - unless you look under the surface, as a team of Russian scientists did. And what they found, was nothing short of alarming. Arctics Pop As A Bottle Of Campagne. Back in 2014, this team located a suspicious crater. Curious as to how this got here, they continued to monitor the area. Now they documented another 16 explosions, the result of trapped gas in the thawing permafrost. So, a natural phenomenon was only first observed some six years ago, is becoming something of a commonplace in Siberia. It includes random and unpredictable explosions of the ground, blasting craters of more than 100 feet deep in the surface. Photo from July 2020 by Vesti Yamal. The new funnel filmed from air by the team of Yamal-based TV station.  Recommended:  Climate Change: China Floods The Arctic On Fire Crater 17 Sounds Alive The latest crater, that has fittingly been named ‘Crater 17’, has made quite the literal and figurative impression. It is a large pit, dark and ominous, that has all the appearances of being really, really active. The sound of dirt and ice peeling off the permafrost crater wall and falling in the hole is nothing short of eery. One of the lead scientists even dubbed it as something that was “ making noises, like something alive ”.   Over the examinations of the now 17 craters, the scientists managed to find out more about the how and why. These craters, all of them in the far north of western Siberia, were blasted by exploding subterranean gases. And why there are suddenly so many of them? I will let you guess first. You’ve got it: global warming. Recommended:  Arctic Sea Cooks Methane. Extremely Alarming Much Is Unknown About The Craters Although more is now known about this phenomenon, there is still as much - or probably even more - unknown. What we do know is that their occurrence is limited to the specific region in Siberia, so they are probably related to the geology of that area. Then, they occur under small hills on the tundra, typically places trapping large amounts of gas.   As these ‘gas bubbles’ are surrounded by ice sheets above it and permafrost all around it, they have no way of escaping. That is, until the pressure gets too high and the ice layer thaws. Boom. Photo by Vasily Bogoyavlensky. The Siberian Times, Vladimir Epifanov. Gas craters found in 2014 - 2015 years on Yamal and Taimyr peninsula.  Where The Gas Comes From The origin of the gas is still somewhat fuzzy. Scientists do think it has something to do with decaying animals and plants in the permafrost. This layer is technically a mix of soil, ice, prehistoric plants, and some frozen ancient mammals. Think deep-frozen mammoths, musk ox, woolly rhinoceroses, prehistoric horses, wolves, and other beasts; all mixed up with bits of plant, soil and ice. How’s that for a milkshake? While the theory of gas building up by the decomposing in this layer is sound, it has not been proven. Scientists have been unsuccessful in retrieving animal parts in the debris field of the exploded land. Yet the theory is the best one they got, so far. The permafrost is usually a few hundred yards up to a mile thick, hiding a lot of secrets - and dead matter. As time goes on, the top layers thaw. Especially in warmer summers, this process speeds up. As this top layer was the ‘safeguard’ for layers underneath, these are now susceptible to melting and weakening as well. And as some deeper layers might have a pretty spectacular gas build-up, a result of centuries-long processes of decaying and freezing organic materials, it is the literal match setting everything ablaze. Recommended:  Antarctic: Our Growing Footprint On This Pristine Continent Exploding From Combustion Or Weakening There is another theory, though. The methane in the deeper layers of the permafrost used to be crystallized, but is now becoming gaseous again as the Earth warms up. This means that the rising pressure under the surface is more to blame for the explosions than the weakening of the ice, as the earlier theory advocates. This would be like a bottle of champagne going off. This real-life minefield is pretty dangerous, needless to say. Thankfully, the area in question is very scarcely populated - with only some reindeer herders and Russian oil-workers present in the area. This might explain why we did not take notice until recently, although there are stories in reindeer communities of such explosions having happened before.   Regardless, it is pretty obvious that these rare occurrences are now becoming more commonplace - and that it has something to do with global warming. The Arctic is hit harder than the rest of the Earth, and this is just another way of her letting us know that she is about done with it. If the loud ‘boom’ does not get her message across, it is hard to say what will. Before you go! Recommended:  Global Cooling Or Warming: Will It Kill Us? Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about rising sea levels and climate change? Send your writing & scribble with a photo to hansvanderbroek@whatsorb.com , and we will write an interesting article based on your input.

We human beings have a funny way of dealing with anything potentially harmful or negative that is thrown our way. If it is staring us right in the face, we are all too eager to get away from whatever it is that we identified as a threat. However, if it is somehow obscure and invisible, for now, we are more than happy to turn a blind eye. Ignore it, so to speak. Sea Level Rise Due To Climate Change: So What? This very much applies to the most dire consequences of climate change. One of those crucial benchmarks of climate change is the rising sea level. And if the news would start to broadcast right now that there’s a massive tsunami heading our way, we would definitely be fleeing our coastal regions, or throwing up huge dykes and dams. Yet unfortunately the message that we will be facing a much higher sea level in decades does not seem to hit home in any sense. Recommended:  Our Food With Rising Sea Levels. Never Give Up The Reality Of Rising Sea Levels The reality is that the global sea levels already rose some 25 centimeters since 1880. About a third of this happened during the last 25 years. Just another sign that we are speeding up our own demise. This rise can mostly be contributed to melting glaciers and ice sheets, along with the thermal expansion of warming seawater. And this process is definitely not about to stop, as the last year alone already saw an increase in global average sea levels of almost 7 millimeters. The projection is that we will be looking at a 30 centimeters increase before the end of this century compared to the levels in 2000. That is, provided that our greenhouse gas emissions are cut significantly - if not completely - in the next decades.   Miami! Where to go? Recommended:  CO2 At Current Levels Causes A 16 Meters Sea Rise Regional Differences Are No Excuse One way in which people obscure those findings, is by claiming that it does not apply to their region. This is only partially true. There can indeed be regional differences, as caused by a number of things: including the ground settling, upstream flood control, erosion, and the ocean currents.   This should not be a reason to say that rising sea levels are not real, or not an actual threat. Quite the contrary. If empathy with others does not do the trick, the realisation that it will ultimately harm you as well might.   Threatening Our Livelihood As the U.N. Atlas of the Oceans points out, 8 of the 10 largest cities in the world are near a coast. Traditionally, people have opted for living in marine regions as those saw a greater prosperity - close to industry and infrastructure - as well as a higher standard of living. This might all just start to fall away, though, as projects all over the world are postponed out of fear for rising sea levels.   Roads, bridges, subways, power plants, sewage treatment plants, landfills: these are all threatened by the rising sea levels. As the sea level rises, entire areas become more prone to flooding, as demonstrated by Hurricane Katrina, “Superstorm” Sandy and Hurricane Michael. Even areas in-land are now at risk for extensive damage. This includes residential and commercial areas, which is bad for our wallets, but also natural areas, where entire ecosystems are ruined. Rising sea levels would harm both our economic and natural treasures. Now that is something to be concerned about. California's new reality! Recommended:   Madness Or Visionary? A Floating Airport The Future Is Uncertain How concerned should you be, exactly? Well, there is really no way of knowing how grim the future might look. Most of it depends on what we do today. How quickly can we cut back on our harmful emissions? What are we doing to prevent further warming of our planet? These actions are determinant for how much sea levels will rise.   Another way of looking at it is by trying to estimate how fast sea levels will rise. This depends on the rate of glacier and ice sheet melting. In recent years, this process seemed to accelerate, although this does not necessarily mean it will continue to do so - there might be some internal glacier and ice sheet dynamics working together with natural climate variability, which could lead to intermittent slowdowns in melting activity. This means that we do not know exactly when we are in for wet feet. The estimates vary, mostly due to the uncertainty on actions taken now and tomorrow. Experts found that, even at the lowest possible greenhouse gas emission level, we would be looking at a rise of at least 30 centimeters above the 2000 levels by 2100.   If this emission level would be higher, we could potentially be in for a rise of up to 2,5 meters by 2100, as compared to the 2000 levels. Much higher would be unlikely, no matter our actions in the remainder of this decade. Recommended:  Stop Rising Seas With Manmade Snowstorms We Cannot Prevent Rising Sea Levels Extensive modeling and observations of ice loss in Antarctica and Greenland led to this estimate, that should be worrying to everyone. We cannot prevent a rise in sea levels, so we will at least find ourselves dealing with some of the consequences towards the end of this century. Yet this does not mean that we should sit back and throw our hands up: the difference between a rise of 30 centimeters and 2,5 meters is much more than the 2,2 meters that the math proffers us.   It might be the difference between life and death, prosperity or poverty, for millions and millions. This is the time to accept our responsibility and cut our losses. We are in this together - all to prevent a scenario where Iowa would suddenly find itself with a coastline.   Before you go! Recommended:  Global Cooling Or Warming: Will It Kill Us? Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about rising sea levels and climate change? Send your writing & scribble with a photo to hansvanderbroek@whatsorb.com , and we will write an interesting article based on your input.

This article is a summary of the coronavirus, COVID-19 world events, starting on the 13th of July till the 17th of July 2020. Coronavirus Updates 2020 History (1, 2, 3) Globally In  Coronavirus Updates 2020 History (1) Globally you can read the summary of the coronavirus, COVID-19 world events from the 24th of January till the 13th of April 2020 In  Coronavirus Updates 2020 History (2) Globally you can read the summary of the coronavirus, COVID-19 world events from the 14th of April till the 13th of May 2020 In  Coronavirus Updates 2020 History (3) Globally you can read the summary of the coronavirus, COVID-19 world events from the 14th of May till the 13th of July 2020 The most recent day to day updates you can read in:  Heat Waves And COVID-19: A Killers Mix On Its Way Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand, track, and contain a new virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, at the beginning of December 2019. The World Health Organization named the disease caused by the coronavirus COVID-19, which references the type of virus and the year it emerged. The WHO declared that the virus is a pandemic. Coronavirus Updates 2020 History (4) Globally Public health experts around the globe are scrambling to understand, track, and contain a new virus that appeared in Wuhan, China, at the beginning of December 2019. The World Health Organization named the disease caused by the coronavirus COVID-19, which references the type of virus and the year it emerged. The WHO declared that the virus is a pandemic. WhatsOrb started keeping track of coronavirus developments globally since January 24, 2020. WhatsOrb published various articles on the coronavirus or COVID-19 like: Coronavirus, COVID-19: From Pangolin, Snake Or Bat. Fact? Innovations By COVID-19: Corona Unleashes Creative Thinking The Corona Virus Continued: Will The Weather Help Us Beat It? Lockdown Caused By The Coronavirus: A Relieve For Our Planet Coronavirus, COVID-19 Symptoms Flu And Global Climate Change Coronavirus Images From Around The Globe Below the 'Coronavirus History 2020 Globally'. Only plane text. All photos and clips removed! Below a continuation of the updates of the last days. News Updates 27-07-2020 Headlines 07:41 am Global infections stand at just under 16.2 million, with nearly 650,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins figures. Vietnam plans to evacuate 80,000 tourists from the central city of Danang after an outbreak there, a government statement said. Japan’s economy minister says the government will urge businesses to aim for 70% telecommuting and enhance other social distancing measures amid a rise in cases among workers, some infected during after-work socializing, Reuters reports. Cases in Papua New Guinea have nearly doubled in a weekend, with the emerging pandemic threatening to overwhelm the country’s already-fragile healthcare system. New Zealand has reported zero cases of Covid-19 for the third day in a row. Mexico’s Health Ministry on Sunday reported 5,480 new confirmed cases and 306 additional fatalities, bringing its total to 390,516 cases and 43,680 deaths. China’s 61 new cases almost all local transmissions Aged care homes hit hard in Melbourne. India records 50,000 cases in a day. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:41 1,176 new cases and 20 new deaths in Pakistan  2 new cases in Bhutan  1,402 new cases in Kazakhstan  18 new cases in Haiti  838 new cases and 18 new deaths in Honduras  299 new cases in Belgium  532 new cases and 6 new deaths in Australia      1,148 new cases and 48 new deaths in Bolivia  25 new cases and 1 new death in South Korea  5,480 new cases and 306 new deaths in Mexico  5 new cases in Jamaica  61 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 26-07-2020 Headlines 07:35 am Global coronavirus cases passed 16m. There are now more than 16 million known coronavirus cases worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, and 644,528 recorded deaths.There are currently 16,046,986 confirmed cases. On Saturday the World Health Organisation warned that cases have been growing at around 1m per week for the last few weeks. Looking at the Johns Hopkins tracker, this looks set to change, as the last three days have seen more than 280,000 cases confirmed worldwide per day – if Covid-19 continues to grow at this rate, cases will increase by 2 million per week. Costa Rica reported record cases and deaths. Costa Rica’s Health Ministry reported a record 931 new coronavirus cases and 11 deaths on Saturday, both single-day highs for the small Central American nation where 72% of all its confirmed cases have been registered since the beginning of this month. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un convened an emergency politburo meeting on Saturday after a person suspected of having Covid-19 returned from South Korea after illegally crossing the border. The UK government has advised against all but essential travel to mainland Spain and confirmed that all people arriving from Spain from Sunday will have to self-isolate for two weeks. Florida became the US state with the second-highest number of infections on Saturday, leaving it second to only California, the state with the highest population. Brazil registered an additional 1,211 deaths from Covid-19 on Saturday, as well as a further 51,147 confirmed infections. The number of people in Israel who have tested positive for coronavirus topped 60,000 on Saturday, as thousands of Israelis protested on Saturday in Jerusalem and other cities demanding prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation. South Africa’s trade minister Ebrahim Patel on Saturday tested positive for Covid-19, the cabinet said, the fourth minister to contract the virus in Africa’s hardest-hit country. The governor of Lombardy, Italy’s hardest-hit region in the pandemic, acknowledged that he is being investigated by Milan prosecutors over a lucrative contract to obtain protective medical gowns from his brother-in-law’s company, but denied any wrongdoing. In Yemen, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating what was already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a charity has warned. An already weak health system has been destroyed by five years of conflict and 80% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance. Covid-19 hospitalizations in New York are at the lowest level since the pandemic began, as the state reported 10 further coronavirus deaths during the past 24 hours. In Australia: Victoria recorded 459 new coronavirus cases and a national one-day record of 10 deaths. There have been 459 new cases in Victoria, bringing the total to 8181 cases. 10 people died overnight, a national record number of deaths, bringing the Victorian total to 71. New South Wales reported 14 new cases, bringing the total cases to 3279. There are 99 cases being treated currently, with four in intensive care. Six of the new cases are linked to the Thai Rock restaurant cluster, two of these are also linked Our Lady of Lebanon church; three are returned travelers; and one is under investigation. Four of the new cases attended a funeral and related church services. The New South Wales supreme court has ruled in favor of the police, effectively banning a Black Lives Matter protest planned for Tuesday in Sydney – but activists say the rally will go ahead. The court on Sunday sided with police and dubbed the event a prohibited public assembly, opening up demonstrators to arrest and fines for breaching coronavirus restrictions on mass gatherings. But seconds after Justice Mark Ierace announced his orders, a lawyer for the rally organizer Paddy Gibson asked they be temporarily suspended to allow for an appeal to be lodged with the court of appeal. The Australian treasurer is ‘favorably disposed’ to extending payment for jobseekers. Josh Frydenberg has defended the phased withdrawal of wage subsidies and lower rates of job keeper for part-time workers after Treasury cautioned against the move and the Greens released an analysis showing it will hit women hardest. Western Australia has committed AU$5.5bn to an economic recovery plan, including $2.7bn in new spending. A further $2.7bn will be spent by the McGowan government on rescuing jobs and repairing damage to the West Australian economy from the coronavirus pandemic. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 07:26 1 new case in Vietnam  1,226 new cases and 35 new deaths in Pakistan 274 new cases and 1 new death in Uzbekistan  689 new cases in Kyrgyzstan  9 new cases in Thailand  1 new case in Bhutan  453 new cases and 10 new deaths in Australia      1,494 new cases in Kazakhstan  37 new cases and 1 new death in Haiti  528 new cases and 4 new deaths in Belgium  879 new cases and 37 new deaths in Honduras  1,825 new cases and 62 new deaths in Bolivia  58 new cases in South Korea  6 new cases in Jamaica  6,751 new cases and 729 new deaths in Mexico  46 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 25-07-2020 Headlines 07:35 am The United States recorded over 1,000 deaths for the fourth day in a row. It is the first four-day streak since early June. Mexico reported 7,573 new cases. There were also 737 deaths, as the government warns the real number of infections is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. Victoria recorded 357 new cases and five deaths. Health officials say the number of new cases every day is stubborn, but there has been some stability, amid dozens of clusters in aged care facilities and food distribution facilities across the state. New South Wales reported 15 new cases. Eight are associated with the Thai Rock restaurant cluster. One case is under investigation. Six are returned travelers in hotel quarantine. Germany reported 781 new cases. South Korea reported 113 new cases. The highest number of new cases since March. Of the new cases, 86 were imported and 27 were domestic infections. Vietnam reports the first local case in three months. Vietnam’s health ministry said that a 57-year-old man from Danang, a popular tourist hotspot, had tested positive three times for the virus, prompting the isolation of 50 people he came in contact with. The WHO reported the greatest single-day increase in global cases yet seen, with the total rising by 284,196 in 24 hours. The biggest increases were from the United States, Brazil, India, and South Africa, according to a daily report. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 07:26 13 new cases in Georgia  8 new cases in Germany  1 new case in Faeroe Islands  2,045 new cases and 19 new deaths in India   3 new cases in Vietnam  55 new cases and 21 new deaths in Afghanistan  11 new deaths in El Salvador  293 new cases and 1 new death in Uzbekistan  3 new cases in Thailand  1,487 new cases and 24 new deaths in Pakistan  1 new case in Belize  1,740 new cases in Kazakhstan  352 new cases and 5 new deaths in Belgium  63 new cases and 2 new deaths in Haiti  657 new cases and 50 new deaths in Honduras   353 new cases and 6 new deaths in Australia      1,204 new cases and 66 new deaths in Bolivia  113 new cases in South Korea  10 new cases in Jamaica  7,573 new cases and 737 new deaths in Mexico  34 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 24-07-2020 Headlines 06:44 am There nearly 15.5m known cases worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University, and over 632,000 deaths. US cases passed 4 million. The US surpassed 4m coronavirus cases on Thursday after more than 1,100 new COVID-19-related deaths were reported in a single day on Wednesday for the first time since late May. The United States on Thursday recorded more than 1,100 deaths from Covid-19, marking the third straight day the nation passed that grim milestone as the pandemic escalates in southern and western US states, according to Reuters analysis. US President Donald Trump has canceled the Jacksonville Republican national convention. Trump said that it is “not the right time” for a big meeting in Jacksonville. Jacksonville, Florida residents, filed a lawsuit against the city, the Republican National Committee, and the Trump campaign earlier this month to stop the convention in August, concerned that a crowded event would accelerate the spread of disease in a state that is already a coronavirus hotspot. Coronavirus crisis could spark ‘massive’ new migration: Red Cross. The devastating economic toll the coronavirus crisis is taking around the world could spark huge waves of late migration once borders reopen, the head of the Red Cross warned in an interview with AFP. Rescheduled Tokyo Olympics must be safe and straightforward, says Games official. Senior Olympic official John Coates has reiterated that Tokyo must stage a simplified summer Games next year with the health and safety of athletes the most crucial consideration in the planning, Reuters reports. Australian Coates heads up the International Olympic Committee’s coordination commission for the Tokyo 2020 Games, which have been postponed until 2021 because of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Former UK prime minister Tony Blair believes coronavirus will not be eliminated. He urged the UK government to focus on containment measures to see the country through a second wave. In an interview with the PA news agency, Blair described the crisis as “the biggest challenge logistically and practically” a government has ever faced, but criticized ministers for not yet put in place an “infrastructure of containment.” He said: “The reality is that we’re going to be living with Covid-19 - we’re not going to be able to eliminate it. Bolsonaro criticized for lack of distancing, despite positive test. Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, is again coming under fire after being caught on camera chatting with cleaners without a mask - despite testing positive for the coronavirus only yesterday. Meanwhile, Brazil’s death toll passed 84,000. The country has registered 2,287,475 cases of the virus, up from 2,227,514 yesterday. South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa says the country’s coronavirus cases have risen to over 400,000. Ramaphosa said the cabinet has decided that all public schools should be closed for the next four weeks from Monday with some exceptions. The Australian state of Victoria has reported 300 new coronavirus cases and six deaths, a record one-day number of fatalities for the state. All of the people who died were connected to aged care. Three were aged in their 90s; three were in their 80s. Twenty-two people have died in the past seven days. Yesterday’s numbers were 484 new cases and five deaths, three of which were connected to aged care clusters. Disney postponed the Mulan release indefinitely. Disney on Thursday adjourned the debut of its movie “Mulan” indefinitely, Reuters reports. Dealing a new blow to theatre operators that were counting on the live-action epic to help attract audiences during a pandemic. Paramount Pictures also said “Top Gun: Maverick,” the much-awaited sequel to the Tom Cruise-starring “Top Gun,” has been delayed to 2 July 2021 from 23 December 2020. Updates: 07:32 118 new cases and one new death in Uzbekistan  1,209 new cases and 54 new deaths in Pakistan  Ten new cases in Thailand  898 new cases and 42 new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  220 new cases and four new deaths in Belgium  One new case in Mongolia  800 new cases and five new deaths in Honduras  30 new cases in Haiti  1,687 new cases in Kazakhstan  Four new cases in Belize  Four new cases in the Turks and Caicos Islands  289 new cases and six new deaths in Australia      Four new cases in Cambodia   1,117 new cases and 79 new deaths in Bolivia  41 new cases and one new death in South Korea  One new case in New Zealand  Five new cases in Jamaica  8,438 new cases and 718 new deaths in Mexico  21 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 23-07-2020 Headlines 06:44 am Global cases passed 15m. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide passed 15m on Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government data. Known coronavirus deaths number 617,832. US daily coronavirus deaths surpass 1,000 for the first time since June. The seven-day average for the number of deaths in the country has been slowly rising this month, according to multiple data analyses, and went past the 1,000 marks on Tuesday, taking US fatalities to more than 142,000. Australia to post the most significant budget deficit since the second world war. The government that went to the last federal election declaring it was 'back in black' will on Thursday unveil the most massive budget deficit since the second world war, reflecting the substantial fiscal support rolled out during the pandemic and a decline in revenue because of contraction inactivity. Africa’s confirmed Covid-19 cases exceed 750,000 - Reuters tally. The tally showed the continent had 751,151 cases, 15,721 deaths, and 407,461 recoveries. Cases crossed the 500,000 marks on 8 July. Female leaders have been better at tackling Covid-19, says ECB chief. The differences in policies and communication were “quite stunning” in countries led by women, said the European Central Bank chief Christine Lagarde. The US agrees to pay Pfizer $2bn for Covid-19 vaccine doses by the end of the year. The Trump administration will pay Pfizer nearly $2bn for a December delivery of 100m doses of a Covid-19 vaccine the pharmaceutical company is developing. The agreement is part of a plan to ramp up manufacturing in the event a vaccine is approved. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:43 152 new cases and one new death in Uzbekistan  1,646 new cases in Kazakhstan  990 new cases and 46 new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  Eight new cases in Thailand  1,763 new cases and 32 new deaths in Pakistan  One new case in Cambodia   153 new cases and five new deaths in Malawi  369 new cases and three new deaths in Belgium  757 new cases and 18 new deaths in Honduras  21 new cases in Haiti  1,778 new cases and 55 new deaths in Bolivia  406 new cases and five new deaths in Australia      59 new cases in South Korea  6,019 new cases and 790 new deaths in Mexico  Six new cases in Jamaica  22 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 22-07-2020 Headlines 07:44 am Global cases passed 14.9m. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide passed 14.9m on Wednesday, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, which relies on official government data. Known coronavirus deaths number 615,754. Donald Trump has admitted that the coronavirus pandemic is likely to 'get worse before it gets better' at his first press briefing devoted to the issue since April. The US president returned to the White House podium, urging people to wear face masks and promising his administration was working on a 'strategy.' In Australia, the state of Victoria reported the highest-ever one-day new case total for any Australian state, with 484 in a single day. The rise is higher than Australia’s previous record one-day total, which means Wednesday also marked Australia’s largest cases throughout the pandemic so far. California cases set to overtake New York’s. California, on Tuesday, became the second US state after New York to report more than 400,000 Covid-19 cases, according to a Reuters tally of county data. Reuters reports that the most populous US state has a total of 400,166 Covid-19 cases. New York currently has over 412,800 total cases and is adding on average 700 new cases a day in July. In California, there is an average of 8,300 new cases a day. Zimbabwe introduces curfew. Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa, on Tuesday, imposed a curfew and reinstated strict measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus following a spike in cases in recent weeks. The number of cases recorded in the southern African country, whose health system has been tottering from years of neglect, rose by nearly a third over the past week to a total 1,713 cases. The number of deaths climbed from 18 to 26. China reported 14 new coronavirus cases in the mainland, up from 11 cases a day earlier, the health commission said on Wednesday. Of the new infections, nine were in the far western region of Xinjiang, according to a statement by the National Health Commission. The other five were imported cases. Brazil has confirmed 41,008 more cases in the past 24 hours, as well as 1,367 related deaths, the country’s health ministry has said. Brazil has registered nearly 2.2m cases since the pandemic began, while the official death toll has risen to 81,487, according to ministry data. The euro hit an 18-month high, and stock markets gained ground after the EU agreed on a €750bn pandemic recovery fund, in a deal, struck hot on the heels of reports that a coronavirus vaccine could be ready within months. After more than four days of tortuous negotiation, the EU’s 27 leaders resolved to issue debt jointly, with the proceeds to be disbursed to countries wrestling with an economic downturn not seen since the Great Depression. The United States is failing to report vital information on Covid-19. The data would help authorities track the spread of the disease and prevent the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans, according to the first comprehensive review of the nation’s coronavirus data. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 07:32 112 new cases and four new deaths in Afghanistan  24 new cases in Georgia  11 new deaths in El Salvador  803 new cases and one new death in India   290 new cases and one new death in Uzbekistan  Six new cases in Thailand  729 new cases and 32 new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  46 new cases and three new deaths in Haiti  One new case in Belize  1,332 new cases and 38 new deaths in Pakistan  Two new cases in Bhutan  1,685 new cases in Kazakhstan   734 new cases and 53 new deaths in Honduras  164 new cases in Belgium  466 new cases and two new deaths in Australia      1,366 new cases and 55 new deaths in Bolivia  63 new cases and one new death in South Korea  One new case in Jamaica  6,859 new cases and 915 new deaths in Mexico  14 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 21-07-2020 Headlines 06:59 am Global deaths are nearing 600,000. Globally, there are 14,126,793 confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, and 596,688 deaths. Covid-19 cases are surging across much of the south and west of the United States, as familiar scenes of weary doctors and nurses in packed hospitals replay across a new region. WHO reports record daily rise in cases globally. The World Health Organization published a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Saturday, with the total rising by 259,848 in 24 hours. The most significant gains were recorded in the United States, Brazil, India, and South Africa, according to a daily report. The previous WHO record for new cases was 237,743 on Friday. Deaths rose by 7,360, the most significant one-day increase since 10 May. British PM likens the second national lockdown to using a nuclear deterrent. Boris Johnson has played down the prospect of a second national coronavirus lockdown, saying he did not want to use it any more than Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent. “I can’t abandon that tool any more than I would abandon a nuclear deterrent. But it is like a nuclear deterrent; I certainly don’t want to use it. And nor do I think we will be in that position again,” he told the Sunday Telegraph. In Spain, more than four million people in Barcelona were advised to stay at home on Friday except for necessary trips from this weekend onwards, after Alba Vergés, the Catalan health minister, said the measure was the best way to avoid a new lockdown. Cinemas, theatres, and nightclubs were closed, and gatherings of more than ten people were also prohibited. The new restrictions came barely four weeks after Spain ended its state of emergency when its 47 million residents were subjected to one of the world’s toughest lockdowns to slow the spread of the virus. Scotland has recorded its highest number of daily positive coronavirus tests for almost a month, with 21 confirmed results in 24 hours, as the deputy first minister warned of the ongoing threat of coronavirus. Figures released by the Scottish government on Saturday were the highest number since 21 June, when there were 26 positive test results. Iran reintroduced localized lockdown measures. The Iranian government on Saturday reimposed local restrictions, including a week-long lockdown in the capital Tehran, after President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that some 25 million Iranians might have been infected with the coronavirus. The measures include the banning of religious and cultural functions, the closing of boarding schools, cafes, indoor pools, amusement parks, and zoos. France makes masks compulsory in enclosed spaces. Face masks will be made mandatory in France in enclosed public spaces, including banks, shops, and indoor markets from Monday, the country’s health minister has announced. The UK government is pausing updates of the coronavirus death toll after ordering a review of how the data is calculated after concerns were raised that the total may be exaggerated. The health secretary, Matt Hancock, has called for an urgent review of the figures. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:32 1,272 new cases in India     Five new cases in Thailand  1,013 new cases and 40 new deaths in Pakistan  47 new cases and five new deaths in Haiti  1,108 new cases and 42 new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  201 new cases and five new deaths in Belgium  One new case in Bhutan  776 new cases and 35 new deaths in Honduras  1,630 new cases in Kazakhstan  1,409 new cases and 67 new deaths in Bolivia  45 new cases in South Korea  359 new cases and three new deaths in Australia      One new case in New Zealand  5,172 new cases and 301 new deaths in Mexico   19 new cases in Jamaica  11 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 20-07-2020 Headlines 06:59 am South Africa’s death toll from coronavirus passed the 5,000 marks, according to official figures released on Sunday. South Africa registered 85 new deaths from the virus in the previous 24 hours, bringing the death toll to 5,033. A total of 13,449 new infections were also officially diagnosed, taking the number to 364,328, figures released by the health ministry showed. China has recorded 17 cases of coronavirus in the western province of Xinjiang. The capital Urumqi has entered a “wartime state.” The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, said on Sunday that he would postpone the second phase of the country’s economic reopening, slated to begin Tuesday, after evaluating inputs from experts and the Salvadoran health ministry. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un berated construction managers for unspecified problems in building a showpiece hospital in comments reported Monday that may indicate the country is struggling to secure supplies amid US-led sanctions and a coronavirus lockdown. Papua New Guinea recorded its first COVID-19-related death – the first Pacific island fatality outside US territories and the first in Melanesia – as it seeks to contain an outbreak in the main hospital in its capital, Port Moresby. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:32 One new case in Fiji  145 new cases and two new deaths in Uzbekistan  One new case in Thailand  611 new cases and 34 new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  Two new cases in Bhutan  1,587 new cases and 31 new deaths in Pakistan  1,499 new cases in Kazakhstan  1,042 new cases and nine new deaths in Honduras  1,444 new cases and 45 new deaths in Bolivia  26 new cases and one new death in South Korea  One new case in New Zealand  22 new cases in China  5,311 new cases and 296 new deaths in Mexico  267 new cases and one new death in Australia      16 new cases in Jamaica  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 19-07-2020 Headlines 06:51 am The global death toll from Covid-19 has passed 600,000, following another daily record increase in infections, which currently stands at nearly 14.3 million. The World Health Organization on Saturday reported a record one-day rise in coronavirus cases, with more than a quarter of a million cases confirmed in 24 hours. The WHO also recorded the highest death toll since 10 May, with 7,360 people reported dead in one day. Deaths have been averaging 4,800 a day in July, up slightly from an average of 4,600 a day in June. In Europe, a stand-off between EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Saturday threatened to derail plans for a massive stimulus fund to breathe life into their coronavirus-hammered economies. Leaders on Saturday extended their summit by an extra day in the hope they were finally closing in on a deal for an unprecedented €1.85tn (US$2.1tn) EU budget and coronavirus recovery fund. In Australia, overseas travelers arriving in Sydney will be limited to 350 people a day under tighter Covid-19 restrictions to ensure the health system in the state of New South Wales isn’t overwhelmed, as neighboring Victoria state continues to battle an outbreak. The premier of the Australian state of Victoria said people in Melbourne, and the adjacent shire of Mitchell to its north would have to wear a mask or a face covering from 11.59 pm on Wednesday. It’s the first time masks have been made compulsory in the country, with a threat of a A$200 (US$140) fine for non-compliance. The premier, Daniel Andrews, announced another 363 cases of Covid-19 as he introduced the face-coverings requirement on Sunday, marking a fortnight of triple-figure rises in new daily cases in and around the city. In Israel, police used water cannon to disperse demonstrators around the prime minister. Benjamin Netanyahu’s residence on Saturday as protests mounted against him over alleged corruption and his handling of the coronavirus crisis. South Africa now ranks fifth in the world for confirmed coronavirus cases, after reporting 13,285 new confirmed cases on Saturday, for a total of 350,879. That makes up roughly half the cases in Africa. Russia’s ambassador to London has denied accusations by Britain and its allies of helping hackers target labs conducting coronavirus vaccine research, in a UK television interview to be broadcast on Sunday. In the US, a health official on the Texas Gulf Coast says that 85 infants have tested positive for the coronavirus. Corpus Christi Nueces County, public health director Annette Rodriguez said Friday that the 85 infants are each younger than one, but offered no other details, including how the children are suspected of having become infected. In Spain, more than 4 million people in Barcelona were advised to stay at home on Friday except for necessary trips from this weekend onwards, after Alba Vergés, the Catalan health minister, said the measure was the best way to avoid a new lockdown. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:32 Three new cases in Thailand  1,580 new cases and 46 new deaths in Pakistan  207 new cases in Belgium  78 new cases in Haiti  1,048 new cases and 34 new deaths in Honduras  361 new cases and four new deaths in Australia      2,036 new cases and 57 new deaths in Bolivia  34 new cases and one new death in South Korea  Three new cases in New Zealand  Six new cases in Jamaica  7,615 new cases and 578 new deaths in Mexico   16 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 18-07-2020 Headlines 08:07 am Coronavirus live news: global cases pass 14m as Australian parliament is postponed The US, Brazil, and India see the most significant increases as worldwide tally grows by 237,743 in 24 hours; the Australian parliament postponed on medical advice. Follow all the developments live Opposition accepts Scott Morrison’s decision to defer parliament Global report: India cases pass 1 million mark Boris Johnson’s plan for ‘normality’ met with criticism Los Angeles suburbs hit hard as cases surge in California Last night, EU leaders failed to agree on a stimulus plan to counter the coronavirus pandemic – but will try again when talks resume today. The second day of more than 70,000 cases in the US. Johns Hopkins has just confirmed that there were 71,600 cases in the US on Friday. That’s the second day running over 70,000 – after yesterday’s record one-day rise of 77,255. The UK planning to hand out millions of free antibody tests The UK government is planning to distribute millions of free coronavirus antibody tests after secret trials showed they were 98.6% accurate. Australia’s acting chief medical officer, Paul Kelly, says there are “good signs” coming from Melbourne, where the R rate is at 1. Still, Sydneysiders are “not taking those messages about physically distancing ... seriously”. Australia’s treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, who is currently in Melbourne, will be allowed to enter Canberra to deliver the nation’s economic update on Thursday, but will have to take certain precautions, Paul Kelly says. Panama’s civil aviation authority says it will extend a suspension of international flights by another month due to the coronavirus crisis. The additional month of suspended flights begins on 22 July, according to a statement from the civil aviation authority on Friday. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:32 60 new cases in Afghanistan  One new case in the Turks and Caicos Islands  Eight new cases in Georgia  15 new deaths in El Salvador  289 new cases and six new deaths in India   289 new cases and one new death in Uzbekistan  Seven new cases in Thailand  One new case in Bhutan  1,917 new cases and 47 new deaths in Pakistan  1,808 new cases in Kazakhstan  25 new cases in Mongolia  27 new cases and one new death in Haiti  878 new cases and 22 new deaths in Honduras  261 new cases and five new deaths in Belgium  203 new cases and two new deaths in Australia      1,946 new cases and 65 new deaths in Bolivia  39 new cases and one new death in South Korea  One new case in New Zealand  Three new cases in Jamaica  7,257 new cases and 736 new deaths in Mexico  22 new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 17-07-2020 Headlines 07:41 am There are 13,767,548 known coronavirus cases worldwide. The number of deaths stands at 589,211, according to Johns Hopkins University’s tracker. US Democrats have urged elected leaders and party delegates to skip the national convention in August as coronavirus cases surge, the New York Times reported, in what the paper says is “a sign of the ever-shrinking aspirations for their big campaign event in the face of the spreading virus.” The state of Victoria in Australia reported a record 428 new cases, ten days into the lockdown of Melbourne. The neighboring state of New South Wales tightened restrictions on pubs, restaurants, and gatherings, as it reported eight new cases, six of which were from community transmission. Australia has 10,810 cases and 113 deaths, according to the latest Johns Hopkins University data. In Mexico, authorities imposed local restrictions on mobility, commerce, and leisure, particularly in popular tourist destinations, even as the government seeks to revive the battered economy. Mexico has 317,635 cases and 37,574 deaths. In Spain, officials in Catalan said on Thursday that residents in three districts in the Barcelona suburb of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat must stay indoors amid a resurgence in cases. Wednesday saw residents told to stay at home in an area in and around the north-eastern city of Lerida, a measure affecting around 160,000 people. They are allowed to leave to go to work, buy food or medication, or to exercise. In Colombia, doctors are calling for a return to a strict city-wide quarantine to slow coronavirus infections in the capital, warning that medical services are close to collapsing. The country has reported over 165,000 cases of the coronavirus and around 6,000 deaths. Bogota accounts for more than a third of the country’s total cases and over 20% of its deaths. Bogota’s intensive care units were at just under 90% capacity as of Wednesday evening, according to local government figures. Israel has imposed a new weekend shutdown. Israel imposed a new weekend shutdown on Friday and tightened a series of coronavirus curbs to lower infection rates, amid growing public anger over the government’s handling of the crisis, Reuters reports. In India, new restrictions have been introduced in the western city of Pune and other states, including Uttar Pradesh, home to 200 million people, as well as badly hit Tamil Nadu and Assam. The northern Indian state of Bihar, with a population of around 125 million people, started a 15-day lockdown from 16 July. The southern city and IT hub of Bangalore, home to more than 13 million people, also began week-long confinement on 14 July. Puerto Rico’s governor has announced major rollbacks, including the closure of bars, gyms, marinas, theaters, and casinos, and restricted the use of beaches as a spike hits the U.S. territory in Covid-19 cases in recent weeks. Governor Wanda Vázquez said the changes and an ongoing curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. would remain in place until 31 July. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said, ‘The science should not stand in the way’ of reopening schools. McEnany defended President Trump’s push to reopen schools, despite concerns about the spread of coronavirus in the classroom.“And when he says open, he means open and full, kids being able to attend every day at their school,” McEnany noted during her White House briefing. Brazil cases have passed 2 million. Brazil, on Thursday, caught the 2 million confirmed coronavirus case mark, with little sign that the rate of increase is slowing as anger grows over President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the outbreak. In recent weeks, there have been nearly 40,000 confirmed new cases per day, according to government figures. A new report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says President Trump’s European travel ban was enacted too late to protect New York residents. “Although travel restrictions are an important mitigation strategy, by the time the European restrictions were implemented, importation and community transmission of Sars-CoV-2 had already occurred in NYC,” the report said. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:32 2,085 new cases and 49 new deaths in Pakistan  603 new cases and six new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  46 new cases in Haiti  1,707 new cases in Kazakhstan  199 new cases and three new deaths in Belgium  Five new cases in Cambodia   831 new cases and ten new deaths in Honduras  Two new cases in Bhutan  One new case in Mongolia  Two new cases in the Turks and Caicos Islands  1,938 new cases and 42 new deaths in Bolivia  423 new cases and three new deaths in Australia      One new case in New Zealand  60 new cases and two new deaths in South Korea  Two new cases in Jamaica  6,406 new cases and 668 new deaths in Mexico  Ten new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 16-07-2020 Headlines 07:41 am China’s economy returned to growth in the second quarter, rebounding more strongly than expected from a historic contraction caused by the coronavirus outbreak, official data showed Thursday. Gross domestic product expanded a surprise 3.2% in April-June, the National Bureau of Statistics said. However, retail sales - a key indicator of consumer sentiment in the world’s second-largest economy - fell short of expectations, shrinking 1.8% on-year last month. Tokyo is likely to see coronavirus cases exceed 280 on Thursday – a daily record for the Japanese capital – according to the governor, Yuriko Koike. “It’s still incomplete, but I hear that the number will be above 280,” Koike told reporters. In the United States, Dr. Anthony Fauci predicted on Wednesday the country would meet its goal of a vaccine by year’s end, he told Reuters in an interview, saying, “I feel good about the projected timetable.” Fauci’s comments came as US cases increased by a daily world record of more than 67,400, taking the total to nearly 3.5 million confirmed infections. California reported a record of 11,000 daily cases. California recorded its most significant number of coronavirus infections in a single day on Tuesday, amid efforts to halt reopening statewide. The state tallied 11,126 cases, the highest number since the pandemic began. The number of positive cases has increased by 3.3% in the past seven days and 47.2% in the past 14 days, according to state data. In Australia, the state of Victoria reported two more deaths and 317 cases on Thursday, the most substantial daily increase in cases for an Australian state since the start of the pandemic. Two men in their 80s died, bringing the total coronavirus deaths in the state to 29 and upping the national toll to 113. There are 109 people in hospital with 29 in intensive care, with a total of 4750 cases since the pandemic began, state premier Daniel Andrews said. Canada’s efforts to flatten the curve have put the country on the brink of zero deaths for the first time since March, but officials see worrying signs of a new spike as provinces lift restrictions. Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, has again tested positive for Covid-19, he told reporters on Wednesday in Brasilia, suggesting he has yet to recover from an infection first diagnosed last week, Reuters reports. Ireland’s prime minister, Micheal Martin, said on Wednesday night the government continues to advise against non-essential overseas travel, as he announced that a planned move to “phase 4 reopening” had been postponed to 10 August because the country’s reproduction rate – the number of people infected by a virus carrier – had increased to more than 1. South Africa surpassed 300,000 confirmed coronavirus cases late on Wednesday. The country’s 311,049 cases make up close to half of Africa’s total. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 07:06 521 new cases and seven new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  206 new cases and one new death in Uzbekistan  71 new cases and two new deaths in Haiti  Four new cases in Thailand  2,145 new cases and 40 new deaths in Pakistan  1,674 new cases in Kazakhstan  323 new cases and two new deaths in Australia        One new case in Cambodia  930 new cases and 18 new deaths in Honduras  1,351 new cases and 44 new deaths in Bolivia  One new case in China  61 new cases and two new deaths in South Korea  One new case in New Zealand  One new case in Jamaica  6,149 new cases and 579 new deaths in Mexico  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 15-07-2020 Headlines 07:41 am Global cases are nearing 13.3m, as cases continue to rise by around 200,000 every 24 hours. There have been 577,954 deaths so far, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. Cities and states around the world returned to tighter coronavirus restrictions to battle recurring outbreaks, including India’s IT hub Bangalore which was set to go into a new week-long lockdown on Tuesday as the number of coronavirus cases surged. Tokyo is considering raising its alert for coronavirus infections to the highest of four levels, officials said on Wednesday, after a spike in cases to record numbers in the Japanese capital. Fearing a second wave of infections spreading from the capital, local municipalities and opposition lawmakers also urged the central government to suspend a major campaign aimed at boosting domestic tourism. Egyptian doctors targeted for highlighting Covid-19 working conditions. Overwhelmed and ill-equipped medical staff in Egypt are being threatened for speaking out about poor working conditions during the Covid-19 pandemic, with increasing numbers detained by a domestic security agency. 133m re-enter lockdown in India as Covid-19 cases top 900,000. Late on Tuesday, India’s coronavirus cases, the third-highest in the world, passed 900,000, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The current total stands at 906,752, with 23,727 known deaths. The northern Indian state of Bihar, which has a population of 125 million, has been ordered into a new 15-day lockdown to combat coronavirus. The announcement came a few hours before the southern city and IT hub Bangalore, with a population of 8 million, was due to go into a week-long lockdown. Trump says it’s a ‘mistake’ to keep schools closed. US President Donald Trump said in an interview on Tuesday that it was a 'mistake' for the two largest California school districts, Los Angeles and San Diego, to keep schools closed in the fall. Trump has pushed for schools to open up for the school year even as states across the country see a surge in cases of the coronavirus and amid questions about whether schools can hold in-person classes safely. The Australian state of Victoria records 238 new cases. The Australian state of Victoria has recorded 238 new cases of Covid-19, and the death of a woman in her 90s and New South Wales has recorded 13 new cases, including ten linked to the Crossroads Hotel cluster in south-west Sydney which has now affected 34 people. Australian PM says Australia can’t be shut down to contain the second Covid-19 wave. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the response to the second wave of Covid-19 infections cannot be shutting the country down to try to eliminate the virus, and he’s moved to reassure people his government will not be withdrawing income support “for those in need.” Venezuela’s capital Caracas will go into a strict lockdown on Wednesday, in a bid to slow its coronavirus outbreak. Much of Venezuela has been shut down since its first case was reported in early March. Air travel has been suspended until 12 August. It has confirmed 9,707 cases and 93 deaths. However, observers worry that the infamously opaque government of Nicolás Maduro is underreporting the numbers. In France, masks will become mandatory in all enclosed public spaces within the next few weeks, President Emmanuel Macron has said in a significant Bastille Day interview. This comes as a French study revealed the case of a baby boy infected with coronavirus in the womb. This is believed to be the first such confirmed case, but doctors say an infant has made a good recovery. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 07:32 Five new cases in Thailand  208 new cases and one new death in Uzbekistan  194 new cases in Congo  One new case in Curaçao  527 new cases and 18 new deaths in Honduras  533 new cases and 11 new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  2,165 new cases and 66 new deaths in Pakistan  1,759 new cases in Kazakhstan   18 new cases in Mongolia  Three new cases in the Bahamas  1,617 new cases and 32 new deaths in Bolivia  One new death in Costa Rica  237 new cases and three new deaths in Australia      39 new cases in South Korea  Two new cases in New Zealand  Three new cases in Jamaica  7,051 new cases and 836 new deaths in Mexico   Six new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 14-07-2020 Headlines 07:05 am Cities and states around the world returned to tighter coronavirus restrictions to battle recurring outbreaks, as global infections passed 13 million, and the World Health Organization warned there were “no shortcuts out of the pandemic.” Hong Kong will impose strict new social distancing measures from midnight on Tuesday, the most stringent there since the start of the pandemic, as authorities warned the risk of a large-scale outbreak was extremely high. In the Philippines, a quarter of a million people in Manila will return to lockdown in an attempt to stall the infection rate there. With just over 57,000 cases, the Philippines has the second-highest number of infections in south-east Asia. Nearly 1,600 people have died in the country throughout the pandemic so far. In the US, California’s governor ordered all bars to close statewide and all restaurants, cinemas, and museums to halt indoor operations, in a dramatic rolling back of reopening efforts as cases continue to surge. The US has reported roughly 60,000 new cases a day for almost a week, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The New York Times reported that about 5.4 million Americans lost health insurance in the pandemic, more than have ever lost coverage through job losses in a year, according to a new study, as the Trump administration ramped up its war with Anthony Fauci, the federal government’s top public health expert, over the handling of the crisis. As Australia’s cases passed 10,000 on Tuesday, the state of New South Wales also introduced restrictions on bars. The measures are partly in response to a new cluster at a Sydney pub called The Crossroads. New South Wales recorded 13 new cases as of Monday evening, in addition to 10 cases connected to the pub. In the Australian state of Victoria, 270 new cases of the virus were identified overnight. Staff from the private sector, including airlines, telecommunications companies, and banks, as well as 1,000 additional Australian defense force personnel, will be deployed to help efforts to contain Covid-19 in the state. Health officials in Tokyo, Japan, appealed on Tuesday for more than 800 theatergoers to get tested after a production starring a Japanese boy band was found to be the source of at least 20 cases. Britain must start 'intense preparations' for the second wave of coronavirus that has the potential to kill as many as 120,000 hospital patients in a worst-case scenario, experts have warned. Face masks will become mandatory in shops across England; ministers are to announce on Tuesday, following mixed messages, a cabinet split, and mounting pressure on the country’s prime minister Boris Johnson to change public advice. More than 880 employees of private contractors running US immigration detention centers have tested positive, according to congressional testimony given by company executives. An entire hospital in Mexico’s southern Oaxaca state has been put in quarantine after 68% of its remaining staff tested positive. Source Worldometers, The Guardian Updates: 06:56 281 new cases in Uzbekistan  Seven new cases in Thailand  1,979 new cases and 54 new deaths in Pakistan  327 new cases and two new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  Two new deaths in Haiti   1,856 new cases in Kazakhstan   Three new deaths in Costa Rica  13 new cases in Mongolia  Two new cases in the Bahamas  One new case in Vietnam  489 new cases and 15 new deaths in Honduras  Nine new cases in Cambodia   One new case in Jamaica  1,063 new cases and 59 new deaths in Bolivia  One new case in New Zealand  33 new cases in South Korea  4,685 new cases and 485 new deaths in Mexico  270 new cases in Australia      Three new cases in China  Source Worldometers, The Guardian News Updates 13-07-2020 Headlines 07:59 am The World Health Organization reported a record increase in global coronavirus cases on Sunday, with the total rising by 230,370 in 24 hours. The most significant increases were recorded in the United States, Brazil, India, and South Africa.  The Australian state of New South Wales recorded 14 new cases of coronavirus in the 24-hours to 8 pm last night. Eight of the new cases are connected to a cluster at a clyster at a restaurant and pub, the Crossroads Hotel. They include five people who had attended the hotel and three of their close contacts. Four of those cases had already been reported to the media, so the number of matters connected to the cluster has increased to 13. Only four of the new cases were returned travelers in hotel quarantine. A 30-year-old patient died after attending a 'COVID party,' believing the virus to be a hoax, a Texas medical official has said. Two Madagascar lawmakers die with coronavirus. Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina on Sunday said two lawmakers - one member of the senate and one deputy - had died after becoming infected with the coronavirus. Eleven other deputies and 14 senators had also tested positive for the virus, Rajoelina said. Mexico’s deaths pass Italy’s to become fourth-highest worldwide. Mexico’s coronavirus death toll passed Italy’s on Sunday, AFP reports, becoming the fourth-highest globally, with at least 35,006 fatalities throughout the pandemic so far. Mexico has 295,268 confirmed cases. Italy has 295,268 cases and 34,954 deaths. The Philippines reports record new deaths. The Philippines’ health ministry on Monday confirmed 162 new coronavirus deaths, the country’s most significant single-day increase in casualties, as a health ministry official said authorities validated some earlier cases included in the tally. Ten million kids ‘may never return to school’ after the virus. The coronavirus pandemic has caused an “unprecedented education emergency” with up to 9.7 million children affected by school closures at risk of never going back to class, Save the Children warned Monday. Super-rich call for higher taxes on the wealthy to pay for Covid-19 recovery. A group of 84 of the world’s wealthiest people has called on governments to permanently increase taxes on them and other members of the wealthy elite to help pay for the economic recovery from the Covid-19 crisis. A new report by Oxfam warns that the hunger crisis worsened by the pandemic could potentially kill more people each day than the infection itself, which has claimed more than half a million lives so far. The US state of Florida has registered 15,300 new infections on Sunday, the most significant daily increase in recorded coronavirus cases in any US state since the beginning of the pandemic. Current hospitalizations in the US state of Texas rose by 327 to a new high of 10,410, a record high for the 14th day in a row. South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, has reinstated a ban on the sale of alcohol to reduce the volume of trauma patients so that hospitals have more beds to treat Covid-19 patients. The Palestinian Authority on Sunday imposed a night-time and weekend curfew on the occupied West Bank for the coming 14 days to try to rein in rising coronavirus numbers. News Updates 07:39 am 3Threenew cases in Thailand  196 new cases and one new death in Uzbekistan  1,646 new cases in Kazakhstan   488 new cases and 15 new deaths in Kyrgyzstan  2,753 new cases and 69 new deaths in Pakistan  Two new cases in Bhutan  23 new cases and one new death in Angola   37 new cases in Haiti  101 new cases in Belgium  507 new cases and three new deaths in Honduras  987 new cases and 53 new deaths in Bolivia  2,037 new cases and 162 new deaths in the Philippines DoH report that 2,124 positive cases were added and 87 duplicates were removed from the total case count   62 new cases in South Korea  184 new cases in Australia      4,482 new cases and 276 new deaths in Mexico  Eight new cases in China  S ource: Worldometer, the Guardian Before you go! Recommended:  Travel The World: Keeping The Environment Healthy Did you find this an interesting article, or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. 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Just as quickly as we once rose to civilization, we now find ourselves breaking it down at a similarly impressive pace. All around the world, scientists agree on one thing; that we are well underway to destroying this place that we call home. The World According To WhatsOrb: Chapter Three The second ( Climate Cascade )  and third chapters discuss the current state of affairs, including climate change and our dying oceans. These will not be for the faint of heart, as they will highlight the inexcusable predatory behavior as displayed by humanity. Oceans Suffocated: Oceans At The Tipping Point There has been much talk about the Earth’s tipping point, mostly referring to the critical limits for global warming and the rise in sea level. We should add a third limit to this. The state of our oceans is quite disastrous and detrimental. We are killing the one thing that has kept climate change from escalating.   Photo by Dustan Woodhouse Estimates claim that our oceans are responsible for having absorbed 90% of the heat as generated by global warming. Simultaneously, they have absorbed at least 30% of carbon out of the atmosphere, effectively preventing us from the worst effects of climate change.   Recommended:  Our Focus On CO2 Alone: Other Climate Culprits This hasn’t been easy. The oceans have been damaged by these heroics, the extent of which is just now becoming visible. Coral reefs have been destroyed, acidity levels are going through the roof and numerous marine animals have been forced out of their habitats. The latter has altered the food chain in many regions, causing even more habitat changes and troubles for those who depend on them - including people living in marine areas. While the oceans have had their hands full in dealing with all of this, we have not made it any easier on them. By suffocating the oceans with plastic, for instance. To highlight the absurdity of our plastic issue: estimates claim that by 2050, there will be more plastic than fish by weight in the oceans. Add to this our persistent overfishing issues, alongside pollution being fed right into it. It is not hard to see why the oceans are slowly giving up the fight. Nutrient Run-Off Triggers Dead Zones In Oceans So-called ‘dead zones’ are a concept that was unheard of in history until quite recently. Since the 1960s, each passing decade led to a doubling of the amount of those life-ridden areas. A recent study proved the existence of at least 400 dead zones around the world. All nutrients have been drained from those areas, having traveled downstream into other bodies of water. In the Arabian Sea, the largest dead zone found thus far is measuring at about 64,000 square miles - pretty much the same size as the entire Gulf of Oman nearby. Another huge patch of dead nothingness can be found in the Gulf of Mexico, adding up to roughly 6,000 square miles. These continue to grow - and more of them are popping up as we speak. Each year, numerous new dead zones are added to the world’s growing list of problems. And we are the only ones to blame for it. A dead zone does not contain any healthy microbes and bacteria. Effectively, we have been killing the one microbe that is keeping our oceans healthy: phytoplankton. These tiny, microscopic algae really like sunlight. They function like plants, absorbing sunlight and carbon dioxide, and getting more oxygen in the oceans. This is what makes them so important. Photo by USGS. M assive congregations of greenish phytoplankton swirl in the dark water around Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. Phytoplankton is microscopic marine plants that form the first link in nearly all ocean food chains. Population explosions, or blooms, of phytoplankton, like the one shown here, occur when deep currents bring nutrients up to sunlit surface waters, fueling the growth and reproduction of these tiny plants. Unfortunately, there has been a steady decline in the amount of phytoplankton in our oceans. Actually, it is not just the amount of phytoplankton, it is also the productivity of the existing phytoplankton. The decline in both the amount of phytoplankton and their productivity correlates with the rising temperatures on Earth. No surprise there.   Ocean’s Phytoplankton Cascading Effects The surprise does, however, lie hidden in the effect that this decline of phytoplankton will have on the world’s food chain. This effect will become noticeable soon enough, as it does not appear to be just global warming that is killing the phytoplankton. Research has shown a weakening in the important ocean circulation pattern known as the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation). This circulation has been key in the exchange of nutrients that form the basis of the phytoplankton’s diet. Photo by Marjorie Teo. The beautiful town of Ilulissat Greenland. With the weakening AMOC, for reasons that scientists do not yet fully understand, phytoplankton is struggling to survive. The water is getting warmer while more freshwater is flowing in through the melting of Greenland’s ice. This water has a lower density and will prevent nutrients from coming up to the surface - effectively trapping them in a lower ‘layer’. Phytoplankton is now not only living in a less friendly environment, but global warming is also starving it of its much-needed food supplies. Recommended:  Breaking: Did You Know, All You Read About CO2 Rise Is Half The Truth Marine Life Suffocates Without Oxygen It is not just the phytoplankton that is starving. Marine life is suffering equally, both from a lack of appropriate food sources as smaller fish are migrating as their food supplies run dry; and from a lack of oxygen in the water, as phytoplankton has increasingly greater issues in generating it.   The science is simple: as soon as the water holds less than two parts per million of oxygen, this is considered to be a low-oxygen environment. All mobile animals - including crabs, fish, and snails - will find a new habitat with better living conditions. As they migrate away, larger fish will have trouble finding food.   Recommended:  Climate Change Stop, Store CO2, Add Phytoplankton By Whales? The immobile animals, on the other hand, could suffocate. This includes reefs and non or slow-moving fish and sea critters. Other animals living near those low-oxygen zones will experience some unexpected by-effects that you may, with some creative freedom, attribute to evolution. What to think about female Atlantic croaker fish, who suddenly found themselves equipped with reproductive organs more resembling testes instead of ovaries? Or shrimp who cannot grow out of infancy in size? Effects that are sure to mess up the entire balance in the oceans. Ocean Dead Zones! Can We Forecast Them? While disaster movies are keen on showcasing dead zones as areas that suddenly appear, out of the blue, there might be a way of predicting where they will pop up next. Scientists managed to predict a dead zone after a period of intense rain in the Mississippi River watershed. This led to a great number of nutrients flowing away as they washed into the Gulf of Mexico in a short period of time. It left a large area virtually devoid of nutrients and oxygen. Currently, certain areas that are important for their surrounding environments - including the Chesapeake Bay and Great Lakes in the United States - are being monitored carefully for their temperature and oxygen levels, the two most significant markers for a dead zone. If those water bodies would ‘die’, the entire surrounding community will suffer. Overfishing In Oceans Worldwide Another big problem for our oceans is chronic overfishing. We want more from our oceans than they can provide us, and instead of changing our wants, we are trying to adapt to the can't. A dangerous strategy. Thankfully, more and more countries are becoming aware of the dangers, with over 120 of them adopting a resolution meant to cut down on this so-called bycatch. Seafood companies, on the other hand, are definitely not as willing to give in. They claim that it will increase their costs to a great extent. Such a great extent that they are not about to cut back on the fishing practice using extraordinary large nets. These allow them to catch the required amount of fish in a short amount of time - with a great amount of bycatch as the unfortunate result, where unwanted animals wind up in the nets. Photo by Meritt Thomas. Stacks of worn crab traps await fishing season in Bodega Bay. All around the world, estimates have put this bycatch at between 20 to 25% of all fish caught. While these are usually thrown overboard, most of them do not survive the trauma. This is not all for the fishing industry. They also largely discard items like nets, hooks, and lines in the ocean. Approximately 300,000 small whales, dolphins, and porpoises get stuck in those materials each year. Once again, they usually die. It is not just fish suffering from the effects of overfishing. Birds do, too, as they routinely get caught in nets. This has led to the near-extinction of many albatross species.   Ocean’s Plastic Pollution If all of those species living in the ocean are not being killed by overfishing or leftover fishing materials, it will be our leftover plastic that does the trick. Billions and billions of kilos of plastic are swirling around our oceans in perfect convergences, that already cover some 40% of the entire world's ocean surface. We are quite literally surrounded by plastic. Photo by Gina Jie Sam Foek.  Seroe Colorado, Aruba All of this plastic is beyond dangerous to wildlife. They ingest plastic or get stuck in it. Either way, they die from the intrusion of this foreign material in their habitat. This foreign material is our responsibility. The single-use packaging world that we live in today is absolutely in love with plastics. For our drinks, our food wrapping, even our clothes. Over the past decade, more plastic has been produced than in all of history together.   Recommended:  Ocean Cleanup’s New Plastic-Catcher: Is It Working? Even worse? The fossil fuel industry is looking to ramp up plastic production by another 40 percent over the next decade. And while creating more, every single piece of plastic ever created is still around. It doesn’t break down. At this rate, we seem to be determined to cover the entire surface of our oceans with plastic. And as there are still plenty of animals who are decidedly not keen on plastic, this will be a disaster waiting to happen.   They ingest it, they get stuck in it - you name it. No good things have ever come from plastic in the ocean. While there are efforts underway to clean up our oceans, none of them are near the level required to make an actual dent. COVID-19 Adds To The Ocean Pollution The amount of trash piled up in our oceans is set to grow even more in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The personal protective equipment (PPE) that is set to keep our health professionals safe, including face masks and gloves, is on its way to our oceans as well. In recent months, masks have washed up ashore, in a completely new type of pollution.   Some people are skeptical. How could a face mask end up in the ocean? Who would throw it in there? The real answer is that no one does. They do, however, throw them in the streets. When it rains, trash will be swept away and end up in rivers. These will, in turn, guide them to the sea - adding to the already enormous pile. With the massive increase in use during the COVID-19 pandemic, including many countries battling for scarce supplies and others fighting to create more, there should be a clear red flag pointing towards a potential environment danger.   The State Of Our Oceans Conclusion We should not think lightly of any of this. The oceans are what make our Earth habitable. They are literally our lifeblood. And as we wear face masks to keep our bodies healthy, we ought to do the same for our oceans. Let’s start a movement where we keep plastic out of our oceans for good, just like we are now fighting to keep COVID-19 out of our bodies. The oceans are home to a wealth of animals, fish, and plants. They can only survive when we help them. They don’t necessarily need us. They just want us to keep their home clean. Let’s start with that. Before you go! Recommended:  Earth Matters. Nature And Us: What Was, What’s Left: Hope? Did you find this an interesting article or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your article about the effect of climate change in your neighborhood? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage' .