Six In The Morning Saturday 2 May 2020

'If your child is hungry, you will eat your rulers to feed your children'

How a Lebanese city was pushed over the edge

By Tamara Qiblawi and Ghazi Balkiz, CNN

Updated 0812 GMT (1612 HKT) May 2, 2020

A large bag of the thistly gundelia plant arrives at Um Ahmad's door as it does nearly every day. Wearing a double layered headscarf, she settles into a blue armchair. She has until the afternoon to trim the spines off the wild plant for her customers to cook.

"We work on the akoub (gundelia) so that we can live," says Um Ahmad, using a pseudonym.

When visitors walk into her dark, cavernous room to meet her, she doesn't even look up. A drama series blasts from an old TV.

No leadership and no plan: is Trump about to fail the US on coronavirus testing?

Declarations of false victory and a vacuum of federal leadership have undermined testing as experts warn reopening the US could result in disaster

by Tom McCarthy in New York

A broad coalition of US health systems has mobilized to ramp up coronavirus testing in a national effort on a scale not seen since the second world war. But declarations of false victory by the Trump administration and a vacuum of federal leadership have undermined the endeavor, leading experts to warn that reopening the US could result in a disaster.

Interviews with agents on the frontlines of the coronavirus battle – lab directors, chemists, manufacturers, epidemiologists, academics and technologists – reveal as diverse an application of the legendary American ingenuity as the century has seen.

Kim Jong-un: Where has the North Korean leader been for the past few weeks?

Leader makes first public appearance since 11 April, amid rumours of avoiding coronavirus

Kate Ng

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s health has been under speculation for several weeks, following reports that he was in critical condition after undergoing a cardiovascular procedure in mid-April.

He was last seen in public on 11 April, until Saturday, when state news agency KCNA said he attended the completion of a fertiliser plant north of Pyongyang.

Prior to his appearance at the plant, South Korean officials said it was likely he had been avoiding exposure to coronavirus, although North Korea insists there are zero cases of the virus in the country.

Is the era of hyperglobalisation at last over?

The state steps in to save global economies

Covid-19 has forced governments to prioritise the needs of their citizens. To do that, they’ve had to override the ideas and laws that underpinned the extreme globalisation of the past 30 years. A quick return to business as usual gets less likely by the day; that gives us a unique chance to rewrite the economic rules once and for all.

by Lori M Wallach

The Covid-19 pandemic could trigger an overdue end to the era of hyperglobalisation, the corporate-rigged economic regime that has caused enormous social and environmental costs worldwide over the last decades.

But change will be fiercely opposed by powerful commercial interests profiting from the status quo and now in ‘crisis capitalism’ mode, trying to secure more of the same. Some current and aspiring political leaders lack the imagination or courage to achieve a visionary makeover, or worse, are actively aligned with the corporate lobby.

Thailand's king living in luxury quarantine while his country suffers

The king of Thailand is enjoying life at a luxury hotel in Germany, while his subjects back home are suffering under coronavirus. But criticizing the monarchy is outlawed, despite the king's "embarrassing" behavior.

Life in Thailand has been brought to a standstill by the coronavirus pandemic. The normally bustling streets of Bangkok are deserted. Suvarnabhumi Airport, normally a hub of international tourism, is seeing a fraction of its usual traffic. Thailand's critical tourism industry, which made up 20% of the country's GDP in 2018, has ground to a halt.   

During a crisis, people expect leaders to demonstrate solidarity and encouragement. But Thailand's king, Maha Vajiralongkorn, has largely been absent from his kingdom since the coronavirus pandemic began. He has been riding out the coronavirus at a luxury hotel in the Bavarian Alps.

Associated Press

Michigan militia puts armed protest in the spotlight

SARA BURNETT

Gun-carrying protesters have been a common sight at some demonstrations calling for coronavirus-related restrictions to be lifted. But an armed militia’s involvement in an angry protest in the Michigan statehouse Thursday marked an escalation that drew condemnation and shone a spotlight on the practice of bringing weapons to protest.

The “American Patriot Rally” started on the statehouse steps, where members of the Michigan Liberty Militia stood guard with weapons and tactical gear, their faces partially covered. They later moved inside the Capitol along with several hundred protesters, who demanded to be let onto the House floor, which is prohibited. Some protesters with guns — which are allowed in the statehouse — went to the Senate gallery, where a senator said some armed men shouted at her, and some senators wore bulletproof vests.