Pope Francis livestreamed his Sunday blessing from inside the Vatican — and not from his window overlooking St. Peter's Square — in order to dissuade crowds gathering there during Italy’s coronavirus outbreak, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: Italy has the largest number of reported cases in Europe, and at least 16 million people are now under quarantine in the country's north. Despite the precautions, Pope Francis waved from the window at the small crowd that gathered in the square to watch his address on large video screens.
Female representation on corporate boards around the world has doubled in the last decade. But board members — who play a big role in corporate decision-making, and earn big money for their labors — are still much more likely to be male.
Why it matters: Today is International Women's Day, and — despite unprecedented pressure from shareholders and others to diversify boardrooms — the prospects for gender parity there are bleak. Researchers say it could take another 25 years before there are just as many women as men in boardrooms worldwide.
March 5 marked the 50th anniversary of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) going into force.
Why it matters: While the number of atomic warheads in the world has fallen considerably since the darkest days of the Cold War, the club of nuclear-armed countries has expanded. With countries including the U.S. updating their nuclear arsenals and arms control treaties in danger of collapsing, many experts believe the risk of nuclear conflict is rising.
At least 34 people have been rescued from a collapsed hotel in the southeastern Chinese province Fujian that held people under quarantine amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, South China Morning Post reports, citing several local media outlets.
What's happening: About 70 people were in the Xinjia Express Hotel when it collapsed on Saturday evening local time, AP reports. The hotel was reportedly converted by the city to observe people who had contact with virus patients.
Chinese activists say domestic violence cases have risen dramatically as people across much of the country have been quarantined during the coronavirus outbreak.
Why it matters: As International Women's Day approaches this year, China is reneging on its constitutional commitment to gender equality.
