22 men own more wealth than Africa's 326 million women, Oxfam says
Updated 0702 GMT (1502 HKT) January 20, 2020
Global inequality is "out of control" because of biased economic systems that exclude many women while allowing billionaires to amass huge fortunes that do little for society, according to Oxfam International.
The charity is calling on governments to implement policies that ease the burden on women who provide care for children and the elderly, often for little or no pay. Oxfam suggests higher taxes on the wealthy, and more spending by national governments on child- and health care.
Oxfam's annual report on inequality was released ahead of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which each year brings together many of the world's wealthiest and most influential people. Among the report's key findings:
'The river is our home': Bangladeshi boatmen mourn their receding waters
Mon 20 Jan 2020
Decreased flows caused by water-hungry neighbours, especially India, are damaging river communities
Holding his down turned palm level with his waist, Musana Robi Das indicates how tall he was when he started working on Bangladesh’s rivers.
As a child he helped his father ferry villagers across local waterways. Now a tall and spindly 50-year-old, he has had to abandon that life as a boatman. The waters now sit so low that his services are unnecessary. So the past decade has instead been spent repairing shoes inside a dimly lit wooden booth in the village market.
Bangladesh has 700 rivers integral to the country’s culture, but many of them are dying. Driven by changing weather patterns and the country’s relentless push towards development, the crisis has become so critical that in July 2019 the supreme court declared all the country’s rivers to be “living entities”, with anyone damaging them subject to punishment.
Australia weather: Huge dust storms descend on New South Wales as wildfires continue
‘Next time they forecast a storm, I’ll know just to assume dust storm,’ says residentKate Ng
Dust storms big enough to block out the sun swept through parts of western New South Wales on Sunday as drought and wildfires continued to ravage Australia.
Residents in outback towns of Nyngan, Parkes and Dubbo were left frustrated and in darkness “for hours” as forecasts for rain failed materialise.
Dramatic images and footage of walls of dust blanketing large swathes of land were posted on social media, alongside photos of golf ball-sized hailstones which hit parts of southeastern Australia.
Iraq protesters battle security forces in bid to shut Baghdad streets
Hundreds of Iraqi anti-government protesters grappled with security forces in a bid to shut Baghdad streets on Monday, a deadline they had given authorities to implement long-awaited reforms.
Rallies have rocked Iraq since October but, fearing they would lose momentum amid spiralling regional tensions, protesters last Monday told the government it had one week to meet their demands or they would escalate.
They have called for early elections under a new voting law, an independent prime minister and for all corrupt officials to be held accountable.
Yes, the UK media’s coverage of Meghan Markle really is racist
The UK press’s continued denial of racism just shows how entrenched these attitudes are.By
Not agreeing with the concept of a hereditary monarchy in a country where it’s celebrated is an odd place to be. Stranger still is spending your time defending particular members of the royal family after coverage of them turns hostile. But this is where I’ve found myself this past week.
Part of my job as an academic is to examine how racism functions in the UK. Ever since Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry announced they were stepping back from their “roles” as senior royals, there’s been a debate in British media about whether the coverage of Markle has been racist. A debate that has — in a sad but predictable turn of irony — reproduced racism while denying it is prevalent.
New China virus: Cases triple as infection spreads to Beijing and Shanghai
The number of people infected with a new virus in China tripled over the weekend, with the outbreak spreading from Wuhan to other major cities.
There are now more than 200 cases, mostly in Wuhan, though the respiratory illness has also been detected in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen.
Three people have died. Japan, Thailand and South Korea have reported cases.
The sharp rise comes as millions of Chinese prepare to travel for the Lunar New Year holidays.
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