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Photo: Buses are being disinfected a couple of times a day in Moscow. Credit: Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA

COVID-19 Could Derail Russia's Constitutional Reform Vote

Viewpoint by Ben Noble*

LONDON (IDN) – Russia's nationwide vote on controversial constitutional reforms is likely to be postponed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The vote is currently scheduled for April 22.

The vote is the last hurdle before this set of reforms – including a change allowing Vladimir Putin to stay in the presidency beyond 2024 – can come into force.

Russian press has reported that a decision to postpone the vote has already been taken by the Kremlin, but a new date has yet to be selected.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 02 April 2020

Photo: Secretary-General António Guterres briefs the media on the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. UN Photo/Mark GartenPhoto: Secretary-General António Guterres briefs the media on the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. UN Photo/Mark Garten

The Impact of COVID-19 on the World's Vulnerable a Major Priority of the UN

By Daniel Johnson of UN News

GENEVA (IDN) – The impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on the elderly, the world's poorest, and the asylum seekers as well as the ways and means of addressing the after-effects are some major priorities of the United Nations.

Abandoning elderly at risk from coronavirus is 'criminal', the UN human rights office, OHCHR, has said. The rights of all people and particularly the elderly and infirm need to be respected at a time of crisis such as the ongoing pandemic, the OHCHR said, amid concern that some countries are doing too little to look after their senior citizens.

: UN Bureau; COVID-19; 02 April 2020

Photo: When UK prime minister Boris Johnson argued to "get Brexit done", he was making the case against parliamentary politics. Credit: Houses of Parliament.

There's Nothing So Political as a Pandemic – Part 2

Viewpoint by Adam Ramsay*

This is the second of a two-part article originally published on openDemocracy. Click here for the first part. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News.

LONDON (IDN) – Given that people feel deeply alienated from our political institutions, it's not surprising that the many will rally behind the idea that we shouldn't politicise crises. Politics, as people experience it, is utterly awful.

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 01 April 2020

Photo: Responding to Opposition Labour Party's Jeremy Corbyn's demands of the UK government in light of the coronavirus outbreak, Tory MP Jonathan Gullis accused him of try to "play party politics with a health crisis". Credit: eremycorbyn.org.uk

There's Nothing So Political as a Pandemic – Part 1

Viewpoint by Adam Ramsay*

This is the first of a two-part article originally published on openDemocracy. Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of IDN-InDepth News.

LONDON (IDN) – The technocrats are on the rampage.

When [British Labour Party leader] Jeremy Corbyn produced a list of fairly moderate demands of the UK government in light of the coronavirus outbreak, ITV's Paul Brand argued that if such proposals were 'too political', they would look opportunistic. Tory [Conservative Party] MP Jonathan Gullis branded Corbyn "the biggest disgrace to British politics I have known in my lifetime. To try to play party politics with a health crisis", he raved, "is disgusting."

: Phil Harris; OPINION; 01 April 2020

Women Peace and Security in the Time of Corona

Viewpoint by Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE*

With over 70% of the global healthcare workforce made up of women and many more shouldering caregiving roles, women are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, but the consequences and new realities of our world have gendered implications that need to be understood. Sanam Naraghi Anderlini MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire), calls our attention to these impacts, the realities of women living this pandemic, and the relevance of the women, peace and security agenda now more than ever.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 31 March 2020

Photo: Julian Assange. Source: acidpolly/Flickr under a Creative Commons license.

The British and American Press Don't Tell All on Human Rights Violations

That's Why We Need Wickileaks and Julian Assange Should Be Exonerated.

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN) – Julian Assange of Wickileaks languishes in a British jail during a too-long wait for a court to decide if he can be extradited to the US where the government has made clear that it wants to put him on trial on charges that could land him in prison for the rest of his life, even though President Donald Trump was happy to quote from Wickileaks research on his opponent, Hillary Clinton, during his campaign for president. "I love Wickileaks", he said.

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 31 March 2020

Ugandan Singer Bobi Wine Sings of Handwashing and More in New Pop Song

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – Ugandan pop star and opposition leader Bobi Wine, who describes himself "a singer, an activist and a member of parliament" is known for his "must plays" – and his latest tune "Corona Virus Alert!," is definitely one of them.

The lyrics remind listeners to wash their hands to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. But there's another message – namely that time has come for Africa's leaders to put more resources into building health care systems that serve both the rich and the poor.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 31 March 2020

African Ministers Expect ‘Break the Glass Moment’ Without Major Debt Relief

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) – Multilateral lenders and investors are being asked to pony up a modest stimulus package that would halt the spread of the coronavirus in Africa and keep economies from crashing under the weight of debt-servicing costs.

African finance ministers, at a virtual conference on March 23, calculated that an injection of $100 billion – including $44 billion in debt-servicing wavers – would put off the likelihood of a recession and protect growth rates from falling further behind – now at 1.8% from 3.2% earlier in March.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 31 March 2020

Photo: United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the 2010 High-level Review Conference of the Parties to the NPT. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Challenge for the NAM: Move the NPT Review Conference to 2021 in Vienna

Viewpoint by Tariq Rauf*

VIENNA (IDN) – It is sometimes said that it is easy to try to herd cats than to get the States parties to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to agree on anything practical! This certainly seems to be the case now, as after dithering for several weeks the earth shaking announcement coming out of New York on March 27 is that "In light of the situation related to the COVID-19 pandemic, States Parties have decided to postpone the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to a later date, as soon as the circumstances permit, but no later than April 2021. Information on the new dates of the Review Conference will be posted in due course".

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 30 March 2020

Photo: A woman has her samples taken for COVID-19 testing upon arriving at Noi Bai International Airport, Hanoi, March 18, 2020. Credit: VnExpress/Giang Huy.

Vietnam Readies 90,000 Doctors for Combating Coronavirus

By Le Nga and Le Phuong, VNExoress International

HANOI (IDN) – Vietnam has readied as many as 90,000 doctors and 125,000 nurses as also turned many facilities into zones for quarantining and treating COVID-19 patients.

On March 18, 90,000 doctors and 125,000 nurses nationwide had been positioned to be deployed in case Vietnam sees a spike in COVID-19 patients.