2020 Gates Letter, Equihax, Missing Journalist, 'Humanitarian Catastrophe' + D'oh!
NewsHero Feb 11, 2020 - Issue 31
Welcome to today’s edition of NewsHero for Tuesday, February 11, 2020.
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Going forward we’ll be keeping to this current layout each day: two quick mentions called NewsHero Notes, followed by three items for our Afternoon Brief. Next there’s one story that we go a wee bit deeper with, then the Extra! Extra! we end with, which serves as an editorial space where sometimes we have a bit of fun.
And as always, we’re on the lookout for the hero of every story. These are the ones who make our headlines and make our world a better place to read about.
Thanks for everything!
Team NewsHero
Sharni Edwards (L) and Robyn Peoples. Charles McQuillan/Getty
NewsHero Notes
Mazel Tov! Robyn Peoples and Sharni Edwards just made history. The Belfast couple’s wedding today was Northern Ireland’s first same-sex marriage.
With the coronavirus epidemic in so many headlines and on so many minds, Save the Children has put together a fiction-versus-fact slideshow that will help keep the public appropriately informed.
Afternoon Brief
‘Equihax’
The Justice Department announced Monday that four members of the Chinese military have been charged with hacking into the computer networks of credit reporting agency Equifax and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans.
Missing Journalist
Committee to Protect Journalists said on Monday it’s calling on Chinese authorities to account for the whereabouts of journalist Chen Qiushi. According to his posts on YouTube, Chen traveled to the city of Wuhan on January 24 and began reporting on the coronavirus outbreak. On February 6, he told his family he planned to report on a temporary hospital, and has not been seen since. In a January 29 video Chen said, “The department of justice called me again,” and “Qingdao Police Station called me as well. They asked me where I was. They asked me to cooperate with their investigation.” Toward the end of the video he said, “I am scared,” adding, “I have the virus in front of me. Behind me is China’s law enforcement.”
Syria’s ‘Humanitarian Catastrophe’
Eight humanitarian aid groups—including the Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children, Care and the International Rescue Committee—have called for a ceasefire in northwest Syria, where the conflict has displaced half a million people in the past two months. The aid groups labeled the dire situation a “humanitarian catastrophe.”
The European Union has called for an end to the bombings in northwest Syria and the opening of a humanitarian corridor. Josep Borrell, the EU's diplomatic chief, said on Thursday “bombings and other attacks on civilians in northwest Syria must stop.”
Human Rights Watch says its research on the effects of explosive weapons in populated areas shows the toll they have on civilians. “Governments should recognize the devastating effect that explosive weapons have on civilians in cities, towns, and villages,” said Richard Weir, crisis and conflict researcher at Human Rights Watch.
Pope Francis last week told tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s square that the reports from Syria’s Idlib province were “painful…particularly regarding the conditions of women and children, of people forced to flee from a military escalation.”
Gates Foundation Annual Letter Released
‘Why we swing for the fences’ addresses key global issues
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation/Frederic Courbet
Bill and Melinda Gates released their 2020 annual letter Monday, calling it “Why We Swing for the Fences: Reflecting on the First Two Decades of Our Foundation.” In their twelfth annual letter the couple looks back on how the world—and their work—has changed in the past twenty years.
The letter addresses work the Gates Foundation has done in health and education, as well as the climate crisis and gender equality, two issues identified as priorities, and how they will factor into the next two decades.
“There is no question that this new decade is beginning at a time of tremendous unrest and uncertainty around the world,” write Bill and Melinda Gates. “But even in a moment as challenging as this one—in fact, especially in a moment like this one—we remain committed to supporting advocates, researchers, government officials, and frontline workers who are making a healthy and productive life possible for more people in more places.”
Extra! Extra!
And now for some “D’oh!” news. Many burglars will leave behind a “calling card” to put their mark on a crime or taunt police. Authorities in Tennessee though say they nabbed a burglar who happened to be well-organized. Perhaps too much so. A 49-year-old man accused of smashing a glass door at a Nashville-area home and stealing a TV and a gun (naturally), reportedly left behind an unintentional clue: a notebook with a list of homes that he likely intended as targets. One of the homes, only a few miles away, had actually been reported as burglarized just hours before. Investigators identified the man partly through notes his daughter left in the journal, along with her address. Oh, Watson… The thief was caught on video kicking in the back door of another house the next day. Then he was arrested. It’s good to keep a journal, but it’s also a good idea to get one of those with a lock on it. You know, like a cute little pink sparkly diary of criminal plans.
Sources: (Style - Heading 5)
First same-sex marriage takes place in Northern Ireland - The Guardian
Amnesty International - Instagram
Save the Children - Instagram
US says Chinese military stole masses of Americans’ data - AP News
How Chinese military hackers allegedly pulled off the Equifax data breach, stealing data from 145 million Americans - USA Today
Justice Department charges 4 members of Chinese military for massive Equifax hack - CBS News
Chinese video journalist Chen Qiushi, who covered coronavirus, missing in Wuhan - CPJ
Citizen journalist Chen Qiushi covering coronavirus outbreak in China goes missing - NY Post
Family 'deeply worried' after journalist covering coronavirus outbreak vanishes - Yahoo.au
Pope calls for respect of humanitarian law in Syria's Idlib amid escalation - Reuters
Explosive Weapons Devastating for Civilians - Human Rights Watch
'Very dire' situation: EU calls for end to Syria bombing - Al Jazeera
Aid groups warn of 'humanitarian catastrophe' in northwest Syria - Al Jazeera
Why we swing for the fences - Gates Foundation
Bill Gates says the best way to help poorer countries fight climate change is to make sure they're healthy enough to survive it - Business Insider
Bill and Melinda Gates Have Released Their Annual Letter for 2020. Here Are 3 Major Takeaways - Inc.com
Bill and Melinda Gates Release 2020 Annual Letter: “Why We Swing for the Fences: Reflecting on the First Two Decades of Our Foundation” - PR Newswire
Bill and Melinda Gates talk health and education in annual letter - CNET
Prosecutors: Thief dropped journal with list of homes to hit - AP News