The Nepal Government is planning to create jobs for the Sherpas, who became unemployed due to the COVID-19 lockdown, by hiring them to repair and clean up the trekking trails in the rugged Himalayas, a media report said on Thursday. The initiative by the Government came as all Everest expeditions slated for this spring season were cancelled on March 12 due to the coronavirus spread, The Kathmandu Post reported. Climbers and the Nepal Mountaineering Association suggested that the Government should use this as an opportunity by mobilising the tourism workers for an Everest clean-up campaign
Bangladesh has decided to extend the nationwide Covid-19 shutdown for 10 more days until May 5 amid warnings of heightening risks of coronavirus infections in the country, including among doctors and healthcare workers. To curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, the government initially declared a general holiday on March 26 for 10 days. Later, that was gradually extended till April 25 as the country kept seeing a rise in the number of cases and deaths from Covid-19
Greenlanders said on Thursday they welcome reports that the United States wants to invest in their island, but the money has to come without conditions. The US administration is expected to announce the opening of a US Agency for International Development office at the new American consulate in the capital, Nuuk, and at least $12 million in new aid projects
Greece’s Government is extending the country’s lockdown measures by one week to May 4. They had been due to expire April 27. The measures have shut down most economic activity in the country. Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Thursday they will gradually be relaxed over the course of May and June
South Korean health authorities are planning to soon begin antibody tests to learn how widespread the coronavirus infection is within the population. They are also researching how long people maintain immunity after recovering from Covid-19
A federal appeals court has allowed Arkansas to ban most surgical abortions during the coronavirus pandemic. A three-judge panel of the 8th US Circuit Court of Appeals dissolved a judge’s temporary restraining order that allowed surgical abortions to continue after the Arkansas Department of Health told the state’s only surgical abortion clinic to stop performing the procedure unless it was needed to protect the life or health of the mother
Harvard University announced it will turn down $8.7 million in federal coronavirus relief, a day after President Donald Trump excoriated the wealthy Ivy League school over taxpayer money it stood to receive. Similar action was taken at Stanford, Princeton and Yale universities, which said they too will reject millions of dollars in federal funding amid growing scrutiny of wealthy colleges. Trump later thanked Harvard and Stanford saying he was pleased the schools turned down the funding
