Summary
- The global death toll from coronavirus has passed 211,000. There are more than 3 million known cases of infection but more than 896,000 people have recovered, according to the Johns Hopkins University tally
- In Australia, the death toll stands at 88 after the death of four more residents at Newmarch House.
- French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus has saved tens of thousands of lives.
- Australia's top researchers and science leaders have formed a strike force to help the federal government navigate the COVID-19 crisis.
- The NRL has finally signed off on a 20-round season, resuming on May 28.
YouTube brings fact-checking to US in midst of infodemic
YouTube will start showing links to fact-check articles to viewers in the US, part of its effort to tame the spread of misinformation on the world's largest video site.
The feature will display snippets from select news publishers and organisations that follow standards from fact-checking bodies, the company said Tuesday. These links will appear above videos when people type in searches for certain topical claims, such as "covid and ibuprofen."
Google, who own YouTube, and Facebook have been criticised for letting misinformation spread.Credit:Peter Braig
Two years ago, YouTube began posting links to Wikipedia below videos about known conspiracy theories. But the whirlwind speed of events such as political elections and the novel coronavirus prompted the company to add more safeguards, said Neal Mohan, YouTube's chief product officer.
"We're literally seeing science happen hour-by-hour," he said. "That's where fact-checking comes in."
Owned by Google, YouTube already introduced this tool in India and Brazil. For the US version, more than a dozen publishers are participating at the start. YouTube didn't say how many search terms would trigger the fact-check articles, but Mohan said the feature would "roll out pretty narrowly and expand from there."
Google and Facebook have been criticised for letting misinformation spread. But the companies can't or won't check the veracity of all the content posted on their services. Instead, they have tapped external fact-checking groups to deal with false and unverified claims. Results have been mixed.
YouTube saw a 75 per cent jump in views on news content as the pandemic took hold. In response, the site has inserted links to public health agencies below videos about COVID-19 and taken down thousands of videos for violating disinformation policies, according to Mohan.
The fact-checking feature appears in search results on YouTube, but the company has said in the past that the bulk of its traffic comes from video recommendations, not searches.
Mohan noted that YouTube has trained its software system to detect videos with misinformation and then demote them in recommendations.
Nine inmates dead in Peru coronavirus prison riot
Prisoners in Peru staged a riot to protest their precarious living conditions following the deaths of several fellow inmates from the new coronavirus, but the revolt in itself proved fatal, with nine prisoners winding up dead, authorities said.
Authorities said Tuesday the inmates were shot to death during a clash with authorities at the Miguel Castro Castro prison in Lima a day earlier. Who fired the deadly shots was under investigation.
A woman holds a sign that reads "There are dead and sick. They deserve to live. They are human beings," as relatives of the inmates gather outside Castro Castro prison in Lima.Credit:AP
Hundreds of inmates gathered around the bodies of two of the dead in a common space of the prison late Monday afternoon. Images taken by The Associated Press show one of the deceased prisoners was surrounded by candles and placed next to a cross and an illustration of Jesus Christ that is venerated in Peru.
"Right to life," read a large sign created by the prisoners with black cloth and white letters. "We want to live but outside these walls."
Peru's overcrowded jails have been hard hit by the coronavirus: At least 13 prisoners have died and more than 500 infected. Over 100 workers have also fallen ill.
Throughout Latin America, prisons are notoriously overcrowded, violent and dominated in large part by gangs or corrupt officials. Overall there are 1.5 million inmates in the region's jail cells, which often lack basic necessities like soap and water.
Governments in the region have reported close to 1400 confirmed COVID-19 cases among inmates and prison staff, though advocates say not enough testing is taking place.
Peru has nearly 30,000 confirmed cases total of COVID-19, the second-highest number of infections in the region following Brazil. Health authorities say 782 have died.
AP
Tour de France may have to limit number of spectators at start
The Tour de France may have to make arrangements for limiting the number of spectators in order to comply with a ban on major events gathering more than 5000 people before September, as it starts late August, the French sports ministry said.
This year's Tour de France will now begin at the end of August.Credit:Reuters
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said on Tuesday that following the end of a nationwide coronavirus lockdown on May 11, major sporting and cultural events bringing together more than 5000 participants cannot be held before September.
Philippe did not specifically mention the Tour de France, which has been postponed to August 29 to September 20 from its original June 27 start date.
"It is too early to say (how this will impact the Tour) but for now this does not imply a postponement nor a cancellation, but it does not rule out arrangements notably in terms of number of spectators," a sports ministry spokeswoman said.
Reuters
US House of Representatives won't return next week: majority leader
The US House won't return to Washington next week after all, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told reporters Tuesday, citing the continued risk from the spread of the coronavirus in the Washington area.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.
"The House physician's view was that there was a risk to members that he would not recommend taking," Hoyer said. The doctor said infection numbers in Washington were still rising and that the region had "hot spots," the Maryland Democrat said.
He also said there was no need to press for a return in part because the next phase of coronavirus aid legislation won't be ready for action.
Hoyer had told House Democrats on a conference call Monday that the House would be in session next week and that votes may be held.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Monday his chamber plans to return to Washington May 4 and he has been sketching out Republican priorities for the next round of aid legislation.
McConnell said he would insist on liability protections for business owners who reopen and indicated he would be open to some aid for beleaguered states.
Democrats are pushing to assistance to state and local governments. Hoyer said that the party's lawmakers had not yet discussed the merits of liability protections for businesses.
Coronavirus app data will stay here despite US security laws, Health Minister says
By Max Koslowski
Health Minister Greg Hunt has assured Australians that US authorities will not be able to access data collected by the government's coronavirus tracing app as crossbench senator Jacqui Lambie raised fears the information could be misused.
Mr Hunt on Tuesday said he had received advice from Attorney-General Christian Porter's office that protections under Australia's Biosecurity Act would trump any overseas laws.
Greg Hunt says he has received advice saying the United States could not access COVIDSafe data.Credit:Simon Schluter
The ABC earlier reported that data collected by the COVIDSafe app might be obtained via subpoena under America's CLOUD Act, which can require US data storage services to produce data they hold no matter where it is stored. US tech giant Amazon won the contract to store data collected by the app in Australia.
"It's absolutely clear that there is no application to the US law in relation to this app. It doesn't apply in Australia," Mr Hunt said at a press conference in Victoria. "In any event, the Biosecurity Act determination trumps it."
Putin extends Russia's non-working period
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday extended a non-working period in Russia aimed at containing the spread of the novel coronavirus until May 11, speaking during a televised meeting with senior government officials and regional heads.
Russian President Vladimir Putin.Credit:AP
Restrictions were due to be lifted at the end of April, but Putin said the peak of Russia's coronavirus infections had not yet been reached.
He ordered the government to come up with fresh measures aimed at supporting the economy and citizens, and to prepare recommendations on gradually easing the coronavirus lockdown restrictions by May 5.
Reuters
UN chief: Use pandemic to 'rebuild our world for the better'
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that the coronavirus pandemic has exposed how fragile societies are but that if governments work together on common challenges, including global warming, it can be an opportunity to "rebuild our world for the better."
Speaking at a two-day international meeting on climate change, the United Nations chief said the only effective response to the worldwide health emergency is "brave, visionary and collaborative leadership."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.Credit:Getty Images
"The same leadership is needed to address the looming existential threat of climate disruption," Guterres said, noting that the past decade was the hottest in history since measurements began.
He urged the European Union to show "global leadership" by presenting updated emissions reduction plans by the end of the year that would put Europe on course to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050.
But Guterres added that other big emitters also have come on board. He noted that the Group of 20 major developed and emerging economies together account for more than 80 per cent of global emissions.
"The Paris Agreement was largely made possible by the engagement of the United States and China," he said, referring to a 2015 climate accord. "Without the contribution of the big emitters, all our efforts will be doomed."
Under President Donald Trump, the United States has moved to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which commits to keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
"These are dark days, but they are not without hope," Guterres said. "We have a rare and short window of opportunity to rebuild our world for the better."
"Let us use the pandemic recovery to provide a foundation for a safe, healthy, inclusive and more resilient world for all people," he added.
AP
Science strike force warns winter could help virus spread faster
By Liam Mannix
Australia's top researchers and science leaders have formed a strike force to help the federal government navigate the COVID-19 crisis.
The group known as the Rapid Research Information Forum has warned the virus that causes COVID-19 is likely to spread faster in cold weather and says Australia and the world could face annual winter coronavirus seasons.
Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel is chair of the forum.Credit:AAP
The chairman of the forum is Chief Scientist Dr Alan Finkel, and its 35 members include state and territory chief scientists.
Launched two weeks ago, the group meets daily by email to consider questions from cabinet ministers.
French PM says it's time to emerge from virus lockdown
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus has saved tens of thousands of lives but that it was time to ease the restrictions to stave off economic collapse.
The death toll in France passed 23,000 on Monday, the world's fourth-highest behind the United States, Italy and Spain.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, left, speaks with French Minister for Solidarity and Health Olivier Veran.Credit:AP
But the government is now looking to take advantage of falling infection rates to rescue a free-falling economy, though Philippe said the French people would have to adapt to a new way of living.
"We are going to have to learn to live with the virus," Philippe told parliament on Tuesday as he began outlining measures to gradually ease the lockdown. "We must learn to live with COVID-19 and to protect ourselves from it."
Philippe's government faces a delicate balancing act, keen to relieve the mounting frustration of people holed up in their homes since mid-March without heightening the risk of a second wave of infections if France moves too swiftly.
France would begin emerging from the lockdown on May 11, unless it was unsafe to do so, Philippe said.
"If the indicators are not right, we will not unwind the lockdown on May 11, or we will do it more strictly," he said.
By then, France would have the capacity to conduct 700,000 tests per week, the prime minister continued. The state would cover the full cost of testing.
Philippe's address will be followed by a debate and vote in the evening, with just 75 of the National Assembly's 577 lawmakers sitting in the chamber to respect social distancing rules.
Virus cases in India climb towards 30,000
India is nearing 30,000 coronavirus infections, second only to China in Asia, a steady rise that will make it difficult to lift a nearly six-week lockdown that ends this weekend, health officials and some government leaders say.
Neighbouring Pakistan also recorded a jump in cases and deaths from COVID-19, and there were concerns that many people were gathering in mosques for Ramadan prayers despite strict rules on distancing.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has allowed some farm and industrial activity to resume in less-affected rural areas after the shutdown of the economy left millions without work and short of food and shelter.
But with about 1500 new cases each day on an average over the past week, the government is facing calls not to ease further and instead keep the world's biggest shutdown in force beyond May 3, even though the economic distress is deepening.
AP
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