Six In The Morning Friday 20 May 2022

 

North Korea is facing a Covid disaster. What does that mean for Kim Jong Un?

Analysis by Eric Cheung and Will Ripley, CNN

Updated 1027 GMT (1827 HKT) May 20, 2022

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un looks like he's in big trouble. His country has announced an "explosive" outbreak of Covid-19, reporting more than 2 million cases of what it refers to as "fever" in little more than a week since its first reported case.

In a largely undeveloped and famously isolated country of 25 million, where the vast majority of people are thought to be unvaccinated, it has the potential to be a humanitarian disaster on the sort of scale that would threaten the grip on power of just about any government in the world.

But Pyongyang isn't like any other government. In fact, some experts say that rather than weaken Kim the outbreak could make him more powerful -- by giving him an excuse to tighten his grip.

Global heating is cutting sleep across the world, study finds

Data shows people finding it harder to sleep, especially women and older people, with serious health impacts

Damian Carrington Environment editor

@dpcarrington

Rising temperatures driven by the climate crisis are cutting the sleep of people across the world, the largest study to date has found.

Good sleep is critical to health and wellbeing. But global heating is increasing night-time temperatures, even faster than in the day, making it harder to sleep. The analysis revealed that the average global citizen is already losing 44 hours of sleep a year, leading to 11 nights with less than seven hours’ sleep, a standard benchmark of sufficient sleep.

Lost sleep will increase further as the planet continues to heat but it affects some groups much more than others. The sleep loss per degree of warming is about a quarter higher for women than men, twice as high for those over 65 years old and three times higher for those in less affluent nations. The researchers used data from sleep-tracking wristbands used by 47,000 people over 7 million nights and across 68 countries.

German ex-Chancellor Schröder gives up Rosneft position

Germany's Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has stepped down from the board of the Russian state-owned oil company, a week after the Bundestag announced he would lose his taxpayer-funded office and staff.

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has told Russia's state-owned oil company Rosneft that he cannot continue serving on its board of directors, a statement on the company's website says.

German businessman and Nord Stream 2 CEO Matthias Warning had also made the same move, it said.

Syria lambasts Erdogan plan to return million refugees

Syrian authorities on Friday rejected plans by Turkey to return one million Syrian refugees to a "safe zone" on the border, state media reported.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in early May said Ankara was aiming to encourage one million Syrian refugees to return to their country by building them housing and local infrastructure there.

Turkey is today home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, who fled after a civil war broke out in 2011 in Turkey's southern neighbour.

New video shows no fighting before journalist Abu Akleh’s killing

The video, verified by Al Jazeera, corroborates witness accounts, adds further proof that Israeli forces shot Abu Akleh.

By Al Jazeera Staff

Published On 20 May 202220 May 2022

A new video that begins moments before Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed has emerged showing relative calm and quiet, contrary to claims by Israeli officials that fighting was taking place in the area.

Abu Akleh, 51, was killed by an Israeli soldier on May 11, according to colleagues and witnesses who were present at the scene, while covering a military raid by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

Biden begins three-day visit to Korea, starting with Samsung tour

By Shin Ji-hye

US President Joe Biden will arrive in South Korea on Friday afternoon to begin his three-day visit focused on strengthening the Korea-US alliance.

After President Biden arrives at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, he will move to the Pyeongtaek campus of Samsung Electronics to tour the world’s largest semiconductor production base.

President Yoon Suk-yeol will accompany him and Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong will guide them through the facility. It is the first time that leaders of the two nations will visit a Samsung factory together.