You are watching Africa 54, your daily news and feature magazine-style program, from the Voice of America. Host Esther Githui-Ewart and a team of correspondents zero in on the big stories making news on the continent and around the world with context and analysis.
Top Stories:
A World Health Organization official warns that if countries are too quick to relax corona-virus lockdown measures, they risk a resurgence of the coronavirus. Dr. Takeshi Kasai, the WHO regional director for the western pacific said during an online conference, “this is not the time to be lax. Instead, we need to ready ourselves for a new way of living for the foreseeable future.” His cautionary message comes as governments worldwide consider when and how to relax COVID-19 stay-at-home restrictions to stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Through an executive order, U.S. President Donald Trump says he is temporarily suspending all immigration into America in response to the coronavirus outbreak and to protect jobs.
The World Food Program says the number of people facing acute food insecurity could nearly double this year to 265 million due to the economic fallout of COVID-19.
People living with HIV/Aids in Zimbabwe have trouble accessing their medication as the country extends its COVID-19 lockdown for two more weeks.
Days before the holy fasting month of Ramadan begins, the Islamic world is grappling with an untimely paradox enforced separation at a time when socializing is almost sacred.
As the global COVID-19 pandemic challenges both scientists and patients, experts say communities play an important role in flattening the curve of the outbreak. However, mistrust by communities can be a major impediment. In part-two of Linord Moudou's interview with Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, they discuss the issue of community trust.
British actor and filmmaker Idris Elba launches a new United Nations Fund to help farmers in poorer nations – and to call on wealthier economies to provide aid to prevent "needless hunger and suffering" due to the coronavirus pandemic. Elba and his wife gave their support to a fund set up by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, to help stop economic shocks caused by COVID-19 triggering a global food crisis.
A54 Business: South Africa’s struggling state-owned airline, South African Airways, offers severance packages to its 5,000 member workforce after Pretoria said it would no longer fund rescue efforts.
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