Daily Archives: April 27, 2020


‘The Rise of Skywalker’ to hit Disney Plus on May 4

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” will begin streaming on Disney Plus on May 4, about two months earlier than scheduled.  The Walt Disney Co. said Monday that “The Rise of Skywalker” will land on the streaming service timed to what’s referred to as “Star Wars Day” after the slogan of “May the Fourth be with you.” The release will give fans the option of streaming the full nine-part saga on the annual “Star Wars” holiday.  “The Rise of Skywalker” was released for digital rental and video-on-demand in March, so …


Ugandan HIV-Positive Volunteer Goes Distance to Deliver ARVs

Amid a three-week suspension of public and private transport in Uganda due to the coronavirus, some HIV-positive Ugandans have struggled to get hold of needed antiretroviral medications. Noticing a higher risk for HIV patients with compromised immune systems, health worker Simon Bukenya jumped on his bicycle and began making home deliveries, even going long distances to do it.Simon Peter Bukenya has been living with HIV for 30 years and understands the importance of taking antiretroviral drugs. A lockdown due to the coronavirus has stranded Ugandans in need of medical attention, including …


COVID-19’s Huge Greenhouse Gas Cut Won’t Last, Experts Say

From a hill four miles outside Boston, World Resources Institute economist Michelle Manion says she can read the letters on top of the Prudential building, a city landmark.”I’ve never been able to do that,” she said. “It’s really amazing.”Since FILE – Gas prices are listed for unleaded at a gas station in Oklahoma City.Don’t expect it to last.”The general expectation is that most of this will pick up once the crisis is over,” said Michael Gerrard, director of the Saban Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. Satellite imagery already …


Australians Race to Download COVID-19 Tracing App Despite Privacy Concerns

More than a million Australians have downloaded a coronavirus contact tracing app within hours of it being released by the government.  Officials have said the technology would help Australia get back to normal and help lift restrictions, but it has been criticized by civil liberties groups.  Australia has managed to control its coronavirus outbreak, but officials worry about the risk of another flareup.  There are 6,713 confirmed Covid-19 infections in Australia.  83 people have died.  The Australian government says the voluntary app will help to save lives.  It is designed …


COVID-Hit Businesses Weigh Cost vs. Environment

By 2025, Indonesia is expected to generate 150 thousand tons of trash per day, much of it plastic. Indonesian entrepreneur David Christian is developing everyday products to edge the world’s 4th most populous nation toward producing zero waste. But with COVID-19 wreaking havoc on businesses around the world, some outlets are finding environmentally friendly packaging a luxury they can’t afford. VOA’s Rendy Wicaksana and Ahadian Utama report from Jakarta, Indonesia. …


Amazon Tests Screening New Merchants for Fraud via Video Calls in Pandemic

Amazon.com Inc is piloting the use of video conference calls to verify the identity of merchants who wish to sell goods on its websites, in a new plan to counter fraud without in-person meetings in the pandemic, the company said on Sunday. The world’s largest online retailer has long faced scrutiny over how it polices counterfeits and allegedly unsafe products on its platform. Fakes have frustrated top labels like Apple Inc and Nike Inc and discouraged some from selling via Amazon at all. Amazon said its pilot began early this year and …