the coronavirus pandemic is being accompanied by a global outbreak of conspiracy theories in part aided and abetted it seems by remarks coming out of the white house. as the month of fasting and prayer known as ramadan starts muslim communities the world over find themselves unable to assemble in mosques that shut down by the pandemic. the u.k. enjoy some lovely spring sunshine prompting many to ignore stern government warnings themselves locked down letting the country's parks and beaches. and creature comforts with many struggling and self isolation zoos have gone online to give people a chance to pet their animals remotely spondon to give that

a try because it's. just. a very warm welcome from all of us here in moscow this is r.t. international with me nicky erin let's begin with the latest figures on covert 19 the global pandemic is still raging with 2700000 cases now confirmed and the number of states howard sees house of past 191000 but over 750000 people have recovered. well corona virus isn't the only thing that's spreading during this pandemic conspiracy theories about the origins of covert 19 have swung to the internet r.t.

if caleb maupin looks at why they gaining so much traction. the coronavirus chan demick is opening up weird new horizons for online conspiracy theorists the virus was bioengineered in a lab by scientists to be used as a weapon or a form of population control this is a theory form of politician bronwyn bishop has also suggested it is to get rid of nonproductive chinese in the chinese community in the words of george that is who should be eliminated. so they don't have to be seen but it's getting beyond just talk hashtags don't your hospital is saying that the corona virus is just a big hoax and urging people to come out of lockdown nothing going on here and i've done nothing gone. to. check some sound.

things are starting to get frightening to as individuals who believe these ideas take action neo nazis and white supremacists capitalized on the lists and publish them aggressively across their values using the data far and extremist who are calling for harassment campaign while sharing conspiracy theories about the corona virus the damage someone dumped thousands of personal email addresses and passwords online now the information allegedly belongs to people working to fight against the pandemic people working with the gates foundation the national institutes of. health the centers for disease control the world health organization and yes even the institute of uralla judging the distribution of this alleged e-mail credentials or just another part of a month's long initiative across the far right to weaponize decoded 900. now you

certainly cannot blame anyone for people believing conspiracy theories but the fact that the white house has latched onto their ideas is certainly not helping at this point we've got the white house encouraging distrust of a vital international body that's working against the pandemic had the w.h.o. done its job to get medical experts into china to objectively assess the situation on the ground and to call out china's lack of transparency the outbreak could have been contained at its source with very little death we still don't have the transparency and openness we need in china and it is the world health organization's responsibility to achieve that transparency they're not doing it they need to be held accountable and now the world health organization has been targeted as has the one lap top us brass continue to insist could have possibly been a source of the pandemic we know that there is there was an institute of oil that

just a handful of miles away from where the wet market was there still lots to learn you should know that the united states government is working diligently to figure this out amid the fear and uncertainty it's human nature to pursue opportunities but what's needed now is global togetherness in the face of the pandemic not naysayers chancers and governments weaponized it will mop and r.t. new york privacy kinds of being aggravated as governments try to tackle the pandemic they too in the bulletin will look at how tech giant 5 tough playing with a european state say the lead data collected by a new contact tracing app path on people flaunt faith all in faith service a story still to come. the u.k. is enjoying a spell of sunny weather ordinarily a welcome saying now it's a concern as people visit parks and beaches flouncing the nation wide lockdown we have our correspondent shoddy a good start today with more on this. britain is by no means out of the danger zone

but despite that as you say the u.k. is witnessing a growing number of people have been caught out in about breaking these lockdown measures that of course of the been in place now for well over a month and that really is the concern going forward as the weeks all turning into months people of feeling isolated and cooped up plus quite crucially at this stage the weather is significantly improving across the united kingdom we are witnessing some of the hottest days of the year quite up in normal and uncharacteristic for what is usually quite rainy days in this april season but it's sunny and we are now seeing many people are yet again in these lockdown measures now these breaches actually come as the death toll remains quite high across the united kingdom the latest figures show that the numbers have cling to the 20000 mark just in the last 24 hours alone we've seen 616 deaths now as we know in the united kingdom the government's policy has always been led by the medical experts and the science

experts all know who say that if we relax these measures too much too soon we could even see a resurgence in this virus in fact a leading government science expects even anticipates that social distancing you know that to meet its distance will have to remain in place indefinitely until a vaccine is found available in the long run the exit from this is going to be one of 2 things ideally one of which is a highly effective vaccine in the variety of ways vaccines can be deployed or and or highly effective drugs so that people stop dying of this disease into we have those and the probability of having those anytime in the next calendar year incredibly small and i think we should be realistic about that and we're going to have to rely on other social measures. well while maintaining a distance might all be well and good opposition party leaders think the united kingdom's response has been actually quite frankly too little too late that comes

amid as i already mentioned huge death toll persistent reports of a lack of preventative equipment to staff at hospitals and care homes testing or not enough transparency in what happens next what does the future look like person these are really serious and very pressing issues for many people across the united kingdom and the opposition leader the new opposition need to secure starman loss in scathing attack on the government saying something's going very wrong indeed with the government's policy and something's going wrong on the supply the verge of here we were slowed to look slow and tested slower protective equipment are now slow to take up the british curbs. well one of the biggest issues a stomach mentioned there is this lack of testing for the virus and even insisted that he was confident the government reached the target of 100000 tests a day by the end of this month which is by the way self-imposed deadline but as we

have ever closer to the end of the month in fact it's just less than a week away that seems really really way off the united kingdom a president only has a capacity 440000 tests a day just over half of that number actually being carried out the latest figures just around trips 2000 so we're still around 80000 shy so it really does seem highly likely that that target will be missed as we know all of the effects of this virus having to stress that impact also on the economy now the bank of england warns actually of the worst contraction in centuries it's of course no surprise that the canonic activity has been completely ground to a halt but the key question is how does the united kingdom recover not just financially but physically as well. a record number of americans were filed for unemployment benefits in the last week those over 3000000 lost their job since the outbreak of coronavirus the most 30000000 people in the u.s.

have signed on and it's feared this number will keep flooring in the coming weeks despite the government's dumping up funds to help businesses retain staff but the u.s. senate majority leader has questioned additional spending on benefits pointing out that it would add to america's national debt. let us weigh this very carefully because the future of our country in terms of the amount of debt there were you know is a matter of genuine concern what you're seeing. since the great depression of the 1930 s. in the united states and in most other countries political leadership sailed to prepare in the same way that they failed to prepare for the coronavirus and so now we have 2 crises on top of one another an unprepared for viral pandemic and an unprepared for capitalist downturn because

the downturn is worse since it took 10 or 11 years and because we have this virus it is it extreme collapse of capitalism and no one at this point can tell you clearly how bad it will get or how long it will last. the federal budget committee says that concern and has predict predicted that the national debt could potentially set pos post world war 2 records the u.s. treasury secretary is adamant though that the trumpet ministration will spend whatever it takes while keeping a close eye on mounting debts economist richard wolffe again says government is the only force that can solve the current crisis but is being held back. we now have somewhere between 27 and 30000000 people unemployed that is by the way a serious under count this coin the only thing would be

a massive intervention by the state by the government to try to no other social source exists in the western capitalist parts of the world but probably anywhere other than the government and here then is the problem the government is controlled in the united states and in most other parts of the capitalist world by the private capitalist sector and they don't want the government to take steps that threatens their control so the government can't do. with lockdown taking its toll many are in need of critic comfort want better than a group of friendly alpaca will thank you taylor got up close and personal with the adorable animals opiate via video link. so it's friday.

while away it's quarantine days 795 full disclosure i'm a big i pretty much only subscribe to dog him accounts on instagram and those are amazing because they're loving that entertaining and they help to reduce anxiety and depression and let's be honest be cooped up for weeks on end and solve isolation is sending some people stress levels through the roof now i don't have a pet to help me through these tough times but i found the next best thing i was actually it's all over the world of giving you a screen tired with your favorite farmyard creatures of stooges miniature donkeys goats cows pigs you name it you consume of them at a price why office he did my research and a killer animal caught my eye i give you. the humble alpaca. of. the course.

more to success i've not done much interaction with benny one for several weeks pools like this have been a huge hit hundreds of animals have already crashed conference schools and online classes because that's fun big break up the monotony of corentin life spirits but crucially a lifeline for struggling businesses unlike restaurants or museums places like zoos can't just shut the doors and wait for this all to end they have mouths to feed and out of those are expensive they need food veterinary care. as well as constant attention. or no we work according to the plan but without visitors it makes it

difficult because when people come it helps us to move forward both financially and in other directions the park is or what attracts people to our farm people come they watch and talk with the animals then go to our store where they can buy our products it's all linked to each other all together it brings as income. with no revenue from visitors so using johnny for example have appealed for public donations and asking for a 100000000 euro bailout from the government the situation is so dire that one sale in the north of the country said in a worst case scenario it might have to feed animals to each other because of the financial pressure here the alpaca farmer says he's trying to be proactive and use this time off wisely but admits that others will not come out of this crisis quite as well. if you take our farm for example then we have

a relatively good situation the land is our property and despite the fact that there are no visitors we use this time to repair or build something new people who rent their territories they physically have nothing to do or improve there they are in a worse situation maybe some will even close i feel sorry for the animals we have the opportunity to stay with them all the time while others for example in zoos cannot so maybe next time you have a spare moment pick an animal any animal not to soon and then to medical business a helping hand and just feel your stress way and if you don't think you can handle on our pocket one might not have one that makes a party out of. what is coming up after the break.

is your media a reflection of reality. in a world transformed. what will make you feel safe. isolation in the community. are you going the right way or are you being led. by. what is true what is faith. in the world corrupted you need to descend. to join us in the depth. already made in the shallowness.

of their survival guide books they seem to want to start simply. don't get it back. repatriations look at the rest of 70 years. ago of the 7 times report. welcome back muslims that around the world are going to celebrate the holy month of ramadan in isolation with most mosques closed down to religious services suspended muslims are unable to participate in traditional mass prize to our galaxy of joins us now to explain how typical ramadan practices have been adopted during the pandemic more i get to see it so how are muslims adopting ramadan. well we're talking here about

a quarter of the world's population and muslims just like everyone else just like every other part of society they're trying to save and salvage what traditions they can but this is the 1st day of a ramadan that is unlike any other unlike anything that muslims expected this is a very difficult time of ramadan and the locked out. or with public gatherings bandaging ramadan including communal prayers speeches and so on remember to continue your prayers and devotions in self isolation a little will mean. look you you might think that ramadan is an individual thing that you could be fast by yourself at home but in fact ramadan is it's a very social thing there's a huge aspect of it that is community that is social that is your neighbors and your family for example families wake up together to pray in the morning to eat

before a very difficult day at the end of that day they get together with entire communities entire towns and they celebrate they they eat they pray they they they said this is you know long and difficult a hungry day food at last this is there's also a charity to it a huge aspect of it is charity because ramadan is the one month of the year where the very rich and all the people with a full plate in life where they can feel what it's like for people that don't have a full plate in life that go hungry people who starve every month of the year it's about giving to the poor maybe your money maybe a little bit of your time and something else entirely. people have been deprived of the social aspect for now obviously for their own good but it is being felt keenly and that this holy month is known for the strict father thing in particular with

everybody and lock down the isolation and will this be a tradition that people keep up to think. the fasting certainly other aspects will be much more difficult the charity aspect as i mentioned for example but don't forget it isn't only about charity and boston there's also a whole host of things the things that muslims stay away from so for the to the generation of the thoughts while the sun is up people refrain from entertainment various forms of entertainment television for example they stay away obviously from food there's no smoking there's no alcohol and even no swearing soo people can get very irritable and on top of that there's all the other challenges there's the quarantine there's millions of people who don't have enough money who don't live in a country where the government can give them money to stay in self isolation for a month people facing very difficult challenges

we must accept ramadan as a test sent to us by allah we lived and sometimes forgot about who gave us hope of life wellbeing and work today there is an opportunity to think to look at the past and into the future. again muslims are a quarter of the world's population and for the next month many of them will be tossed it as a whole host of medical arguments here to be made whether whether you know some people should be exempt others shouldn't and they are they are religious leaders and leaders of muslim nations or exempting nurses for example medical staff doctors from the fuss because they're working in incredibly stressful conditions especially now they're wearing full personal protection equipment it is very difficult work they have a new room to the era no room to make mistakes and they're being exempt from the

fast others pregnant woman the elderly the sick children they're already exempt under islamic tradition but again what can be saved say muslim leaders must be saved if a doctor asks a person not to foster as it might affect his immunity then the person has the right not to fostering ramadan workers in the health sector also have the islamic right to choose not to fostering their record days. this is uncharted territory completely unprecedented in in living memory ramma down under lockdown this is just the 1st stage of this you muslims around the world the voice that they will abide by 3 this one of the 5 pillars of islam the month of ramadan but this is going to be a very different and

a very difficult month for many miles thank you for those details. the u.n. warns that the corona virus outbreak could trigger another global disaster a hunger pandemic of biblical proportions the situation is already dire and 135000000 people are facing crisis levels of hunger and the u.n. says that the number could double because of covert 19 a crossing at life now to hell out of the un special rapporteur on the right to food welcome to the program is good to see you now the u.n. is saying that the number of people living on the brink of famine could double in some countries by the end of the year what kind of impact would that have. yes this report is a yearly report there what the whole global who crisis a report and this is 2019 the courage chamber mass and the impact of clearly is not yet in this report so they predict it. now

as of 2 times end of 201925 1000000 people are severely secure in it basically eternally conscious for the cause of the real mate is this at least double the don't know and maybe it will not or maybe it will mark so if they are in the. uncharted territory yet with the world in a grip of a pandemic right now how well prepared is it to combat a food emergency. is the word it was not prepared to pursue was such a global pandemic to come but has emergency that's serious let alone could americans of course some countries that are major staple of the explorer terrorists like us russia and china have significance talked about not. met for the importers a country set such

a comfortable position that that if there's going to be the serious some or some countries not of. how has the pandemic made food insecurity worse. well actually pandemic came in a time there and there was not my problem there was no put up like i mean there was no significant. pool to really to be having now. but many rock the global supply because of lack of down and mobility this search and today we are most through lying on global supply chain and almost all countries are depending on imports from port. is more the other one less and or even inside have to come to pollute systems are dependent on transportation from crime to take. this change grow their prices go up for the next cannot reach

to market and so trow and major put in securities stocks gradually being serious they're the ones worst food crises by now in yemen afghanistan south sudan and syria and now with a pandemic to add to the equation is there any hope of solving it. fortunately i am not too optimistic about it because wars and conflicts are number one reasons for crooks in security and hunger in the top of the conflict and the myth means you should expect a catastrophe then the result has occurred through general called global fire is an important call and significant amount of countries. was it to but some that are involved such conflicts did not. at least 20 percent of the african population is under. how dependent are they on imports and how they've been kept up during the global lockdown. most of them are serious the dependent on stable footing part and

also they have been suffering from extreme weather events such as a prolonged drought in plot and now recently desert local in some parts of africa there is some suggestion that you gentle trade system should take place and many of the countries are your mammal too late and obviously because of coding 19 emergence of they. will be skyrocketed saw it's very difficult to cry and if they. respond to all and superior to it in security right not enough to. allow the un special rapporteur on the right to food thank you very much for your time thank you very much. and thank you for joining us here on r.t. international we hope you'll stay for a while and we're back in 30 minutes with the latest thing about.

khloe and welcome to cross talk we're all things are considered i'm peter lavelle with good reason public discourse is focused on addressing and finally containing the code 1000 pandemic now the focus is on devastated economies we're in a recession will it morph into a depression will the recovery be you. know. should run stock economic growth.