WHO Lauds Lockdown-Ignoring Sweden As a ‘Model’ For Countries Going Forward

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Post: The World Health Organization lauded Sweden as a “model” for battling the coronavirus as countries lift lockdowns — after the nation controversially refused restrictions. Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s top emergencies expert, said Wednesday there are “lessons to be learned” from the Scandinavian nation, which has largely relied on citizens…

How Spies Snuck Malware Into the Google Play Store — Again and Again

Google’s Play Store for Android apps has never had a reputation for the strictest protections from malware. Shady adware and even banking trojans have managed over the years to repeatedly defy Google’s security checks. Now security researchers have found what appears to be a more rare form of Android abuse: state-sponsored spies who repeatedly slipped their targeted hacking tools into the…

After Trump’s Musing About Injecting Disinfectants, Spike in Calls to Poison Control Centers

America’s generally pro-Trump media site Fox News felt compelled to report today that “Some poison control centers reported a spike in calls following President Trump’s suggestion that injecting disinfectant might help people infected with coronavirus.” The comment alarmed medical professionals around the world. The president subsequently claimed on Friday that he was being “sacrastic,” although at the press conference he was…

Helping governments respond to the unemployment crisis caused by the coronavirus

By Leah Belsky, Chief Enterprise Officer and Kevin Mills, Head of Government Partnerships As businesses across sectors lay off workers due to an abrupt economic slowdown, the world faces the biggest unemployment crisis in the modern era. The pandemic has affected the livelihoods of 2.7 billion workers globally. In the U.S. alone, jobless claims have […]
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Satellite images: Air pollution in India plummets

These satellite images show how much aerosol levels have dropped over northern India since the Covid-19 lockdown began. Source: https://earthsky.org/earth/satellite-images-air-pollution-india-covid19…

Trump Will Temporarily Suspend Immigration Into the US For 60 Days Due To Coronavirus Fears

President Trump tweeted on Monday night that he will sign an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the U.S. to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, adding that his decision was spurred by an “attack from the Invisible Enemy, as well as the need to protect the jobs of our GREAT American Citizens.” Trump later clarified at a coronavirus…

Drones Take Italians’ Temperature and Issue Fines

wiredmikey writes from a report via SecurityWeek: Authorities in Italy are using Drones equipped with heat sensors to take the temperature of citizens and send the information to a drone operator, who has a thermal map on his hand-held screen — shining orange and purple blobs. The hovering drone emits a mechanical buzz reminiscent of a wasp and shouts down instructions…

Startups, VCs in India Request ‘Relief Package’ From the Government To Fight Coronavirus Disruption

More than six dozen startup founders, venture capitalists and lobby groups in India have requested the government to grant them a “robust relief package” to help combat severe disruptions their businesses face due to the coronavirus outbreak. From a report: In a joint letter to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, startups requested the government to bankroll 50% of their workforce’s salaries…

Trump Signs Executive Order To Support Moon Mining, Tap Asteroid Resources

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Space.com: President Donald Trump signed an executive order today (April 6) establishing U.S. policy on the exploitation of off-Earth resources. That policy stresses that the current regulatory regime — notably, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty — allows the use of such resources. This view has long held sway in U.S. government circles. For example,…

Russia Accused of Spreading Coronavirus Disinformation

Two associate professors studying foreign trolls online have penned an op-ed in the Washington Post arguing that Russian efforts to stir up antagonisms online “continues to be true with coronavirus disinformation.”
In our research, we have found multiple networks of fake accounts — one of which we can attribute to Russia — that use conversations about coronavirus as a tool for political…