As Europe and much of the developed world shuts down in the face of coronavirus, many millions of people haven’t much hope in following the World Health Organization (WHO) advice on washing hands and keeping their distance.

About one billion people live in slum-like conditions, making up 30% of the world’s urban population. These housing facilities tend to have very little ventilation, drainage and sewage facilities, with diseases spreading easily. Celestine Adhiambo, 43, lives in the Mukuru slum in Nairobi with her husband and six children. The family’s one-room house has no running water or electricity. She says her children can’t move around much without banging into each other.

“It is not possible for us to separate a child from another in case of any infection. We don’t have any space. No rooms here. The government should take the infected people to hospitals,” she told the BBC. Her husband works as a carpenter and on the days he works, he earns about 400 Kenyan Shillings (£3.15, $4) and every day the family spends about 50 shillings on buying 10 buckets of water.

But the water supply is erratic and on days when there is no water, the family has to forgo the quick bath they are accustomed to.(BBC)…[+]

Hong Kong, Singapore and Osaka have just been ranked as the world’s most expensive cities to live in. But this may not be the case after the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll.

Cities that get a large part of their income from tourism could become cheaper as their economies shrink and prices are driven down. This is one of the predictions made by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which tracks living costs globally.

Its Worldwide Cost of Living Survey for 2020 was compiled in November 2019, before the coronavirus became a pandemic. It’s next survey could look very different. “Cities that rely on tourism should see some downward pressure on prices. So Singapore and Hong Kong might not hold the top spot going forward. We could see a different city on top,” said Simon Baptist, the EIU’s chief economist.(BBC)…[+]

China has effectively expelled journalists from three US newspapers in retaliation for restrictions on its news outlets in the US. Its foreign ministry ordered reporters from the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal to return media passes within 10 days. The papers criticised the move, which will affect at least 13 reporters.

The Times said it was a mistake for China to cut itself off, while the WSJ called it an attack on press freedom.

“We unequivocally condemn any action by China to expel US reporters,” said Washington Post executive editor Marty Baron. He said the decision was particularly regrettable because it came during the global crisis over the coronavirus. At a press briefing in Beijing, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman called the move a legitimate response to the restrictions placed on Chinese journalists in the US. China’s action is part of a swiftly escalating row between Beijing and Washington, and correspondents say the departure of the reporters will have a major impact on what the world knows about China as they do some of the most in-depth reporting about the country.(BBC)…[+]