How COVID-19 impacts SSA remittances

Amid falling prices of raw materials, recession, and now COVID-19, Africa is in serious trouble as debt burden grows. Zambia is on the brink of defaulting on its foreign debt as a so-called grace period expires. 

French charity Secours Catholique recently published its annual report on poverty. The NGO, which helped around 1.4 million people in 2019, estimates that their median income is €537 per month, well below the poverty line in France. Due to the Covid-19 crisis, people across job sectors have been left with little or no work, with many households slipping into poverty as a result. Our colleagues at France 2 report, with FRANCE 24's James Vasina.

The World Bank has downgraded its previous prediction for global growth in 2021 to 4 percent. The organisation warned of a subdued recovery that could lag even further if countries do not stem the rise in coronavirus infections and effectively deploy vaccines. The European Union is also starting to look ahead to how to spend its recovery fund – with the largest recipient, Italy, on the brink of political crisis.

The brewer Heineken is cutting 8,000 jobs around the world, around 10 percent of its current workforce. The Dutch company reported losses of €204 million for 2020, as Covid-19 restrictions shut down much of the hospitality sector over the past year. Also today, we look at President Joe Biden's efforts to win support from business leaders for his $1.9 trillion economic rescue plan. He hosted several top CEOs for a meeting in the White House on Tuesday, along with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

A recent report by the Economist Intelligence Unit on the state of democratic freedoms has downgraded France to a "flawed democracy", as civil liberties in rich and poor countries alike come under attack amid Covid-19 restrictions. We discuss the delicate balancing act of protecting individual freedoms in the midst of a global health crisis with the report's author Joan Hoey, Europe Editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit. She says that although "nobody has put forward a convincing alternative to the policy of lockdowns and social distancing", checks and balances remain essential.

Rich countries need to share their Covid-19 vaccines evenly amongst the entire global population, or else the coronavirus will never go away. That's the message from the organisation The ONE, which campaigns to end extreme poverty and preventable disease. The NGO has created a series of films called "Pandemica" to highlight the argument that if Covid-19 is not tackled universally, it will continue to mutate and cross borders. We spoke to the deputy director of The ONE in France, Maé Kurkjian.

The Entertainment industry world over has taken the biggest hit since the world was forced to shut down because of the Covid-19 pandemic and Nigeria is not exempted. Estimated to worth over 2 Billion Dollars, GuardianTV takes an exclusive look at the massive impact it has on the Nigerian entertainment and event industry.

The global economy is heading for its strongest – but most uneven – recovery on record. The World Bank has warned that more international cooperation is needed to ensure more equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to help developing economies rebuild. Franziska Ohnsorge, Manager of the Prospects Group at the World Bank, says that vaccinations and economic recovery will go hand in hand. Also in the show: French gyms prepare to reopen after being closed for more than seven months.

The global economy is heading for its strongest - but most uneven - recovery on record. The World Bank has warned that more international cooperation is needed to ensure more equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to help developing economies rebuild. Franziska Ohnsorge, Manager of the Prospects Group at the World Bank, says that vaccinations and economic recovery will go hand in hand. Also in the show: French gyms prepare to reopen after a more than seven month closure.

People walk down Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles as California -- the first US state to enact a stay-at-home order just under 15 months ago -- celebrates its "reopening day" by lifting almost all pandemic-related social distancing and capacity limits. "It's not up to individual businesses and companies owners to decide if we wear it", regrets a Los Angeles resident reacting to mask mandate exceptions.

A new report on terrorist activity in the EU has highlighted the threat of online propaganda during the pandemic. The research shows Islamist and far-right extremists have posed the greatest threat.

As Afghan civilian life continues to suffer following the Taliban's takeover, the World Bank is the latest international organisation to suspend dispersements of development funds to the country. This, as western governments increase pressure on the insurgents by squeezing their cash flows, while negotiating a safe exit for people wanting to leave. Also, the "naked baby boy", on the iconic cover of Nirvana's 1991 album "Nevermind", sues the band and record labels for child sexual exploitation.