🌳 Ever heard of the Darién Gap?

🥾 Last year, a record 133,000 people crossed this perilous jungle route without roads, hoping to reach the U.S.

👣 We sent our reporter @AnastasiaBogota to walk with the migrants as they embarked on their journey. Here’s what we found. 🧵 👣 The journey starts in the Colombian beach town of Necoclí.

🛶 Here, they take a boat to the village of Capurganá, where they start the jungle trek.

🥾 Migrants pay about $160 each to be led through the jungle by local smugglers.
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☕️ It's 9 a.m. on Monday. You're logging on for work.

🏖 But instead of being in the office, you're on the beaches of Barbados.

Eco-conscious "slomads," like digital nomads, work while travelling — but they prefer to spend more time in one place.

Could this life be for you? 🧵 📈 Remote and flexible working has boomed since coronavirus lockdowns lifted globally.

It’s backed by big companies like @AirBnB and @Twitter.

✈️ More countries are now issuing digital nomad visas which allow people to stay and work for up to two years.
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🇱🇰 Since March, Sri Lankans have faced severe shortages - of fuel, medicine and food essentials.

Now, the country is losing yet another resource: its most skilled professionals.

✈️ From engineers to doctors, why are Sri Lankans leaving their own country? 🧵 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka is facing its worst financial crisis in more than seven decades.

The nation has been battered by a combination of factors including COVID-19 and rising oil prices.

Data suggests the number of those leaving the country was big enough to delay any economic recovery.

🚁 Flying drones for taxis
👻 Holographs for teachers
🌙 Even a man-made moon

Would you sell your data to live in Saudi Arabia's new smart city, #TheLine?

Some are keen but others are concerned. Why? 🧵 🏙️ #TheLine will be the first development in @NEOM, a planned $500 billion city.

The sustainable smart city will feature two skyscrapers stretching in a straight line over 170 kilometers.

📊 It will stack homes and offices vertically, mining the data of its 9 million people.

🇺🇦 "A new nation appeared in the world on Feb. 24... It was not born, but reborn,” said @ZelenskyyUa in a speech to celebrate Ukraine's 31st independence day.

Today marks six months since the invasion by Russia. Here's how the crisis affected the lives of ordinary Ukrainians. 🧵 🇺🇦 The war triggered Europe's worst refugee crisis since the end of WWII, @UNmigration reported.

🇪🇺 Most refugees have crossed to the EU.

In May, nearly 400 of them found a haven in France under a community project.

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🇲🇽 Many Mexicans can't afford to buy basic food...
🇧🇷 Meat is becoming a luxury in Brazil...
🇻🇪 And some Venezuelans can't even pay to bury their dead.

The cost-of-living crisis is wreaking havoc in countries worldwide.

Here’s how three nations in the Americas are coping. 🧵 🇲🇽 In Mexico, the #UkraineCrisis has pushed the price of corn to a nine-year high.

Vegetable oil prices are also up by 23% over the last year. Inflation is at a 21-year high of nearly 8%.

🌮 Families are cutting back on staples like tacos and empanadas.

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🚨 From London to Nairobi to New Delhi, nations everywhere have been hit by rising food and energy costs.

🇺🇦 Triggered by the #UkraineCrisis and COVID-19, the cost of living crisis is devastating ordinary people.

Here's how it's reaching breaking point in 6 countries. 🧵 🇬🇧 UK

📈 Inflation is running at the highest rate for 40 years.

💸 Debt is spiralling fast with research showing there's now a 38% increase in households saying they were a heavy financial burden in 2021. tmsnrt.rs/3PfjM8b

🚨 The latest #crypto crash has roiled markets and spooked many investors.

But from Ukraine to Gaza to Afghanistan, people facing war or crisis say #cryptocurrencies are still a vital lifeline.

Here's how people in 3 countries have turned to digital coins for survival. 🧵 🇺🇦 When Russia invaded #Ukraine, many relied on #bitcoin to bypass sanctions.

⭕️ Crypto was used to buy supplies for those in warzones.

💰 The government's fund of about $100 million in crypto has been depleted by the crash, but charities are still seeing generous donations.

🇬🇧 The UK is pressing on with a plan to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda - even after a European court halted the first flight.

🚨 Campaigners are alarmed - but it's not the first nation to send people overseas.

Here's how others have adopted offshoring policies. 🧵 🇦🇺 Australia

⭕️ Introduced in 2001, the country’s offshoring asylum programme specifically targets migrants arriving in Australian waters by boat.

🌏 They have been transferred to detention centres in Papua New Guinea's Manus Island and the South Pacific island nation of Nauru.

💸Black women in the U.S, especially in the South, have historically faced huge hurdles when it comes to jobs and building wealth.

🇺🇸But in Georgia, a revolutionary scheme will give free monthly cash to lift poor women out of poverty.

How could guaranteed income change lives?🧵 💰Across the U.S, Black women earn about 60 cents for every $1 paid to white, non-Hispanic men.

⭕️ In Georgia, they're roughly twice as likely to live in poverty as white women.

🚨That's why non-profits @GiveDirectly and @theGROfund are leading a new guaranteed income project.

🇧🇪 Belgium has become the first country in Europe to decriminalise sex work.

⭕️ The new policy means sex workers will have more legal protections while supporters say it fights stigma.

🇪🇺 Could other EU nations soon follow? Here’s what you need to know. 🧵 🇧🇪 Before now, sex work wasn't prohibited in Belgium.

But to avoid pimping and exploitation, those who facilitated it - like hotel owners or accountants - could be prosecuted.

Activists say the lack of legal clarity led to abuse, like long hours and the risk of violence.

🛁 Hot tubs
🍼 Free babysitting
💵 Cold hard cash

🇺🇸 Across the U.S., smaller cities are trying to lure remote workers away from big metropolitan areas with new, tempting perks.

🚐 Ready to pack a moving van? Here are 4 places you could consider calling home. 🧵 1️⃣ Tulsa, Oklahoma

💰 The city will give you a $10,000 grant to relocate alongside a year’s free membership at a co-working space - and the promise of a welcoming community.

📈 More than 1,500 people have already taken up the offer. tmsnrt.rs/39OlJbH

🇨🇫 The Central African Republic is the first African country to adopt #Bitcoin as legal tender.

It's also the world's 2nd-poorest nation, facing economic crisis.

Expert @PeterJHowson argues #crypto could lead to more resource exploitation & become a digital 'blood diamond.' 🧵 💎 In colonial times, European powers capitalised on war in Africa to profit from its resources.

“Blood diamonds” define diamonds sold to fund military action in diamond-rich areas.

Today, they're making a comeback in the form of #crypto, says @NorthumbriaUni’s @PeterJHowson.

🇺🇸 As abortion wars escalate across the U.S., digital footprints could become a dangerous weapon.

📱 From location data to search history, online records could be used to target people if #RoeVWade is overturned, researchers say.

🚨 We answer 4 key questions. 🧵 1️⃣ How could data be used against pregnant people?

📺 Anti-abortion groups could use it to target them with ads.
📍 Private companies could sell their location data.
🚨 Law enforcement could use search histories to mount prosecutions.

All without their knowledge or consent.

🚨 Around 1.6 billion children worldwide couldn't go to school because of COVID-19.

📚 A worsening education crisis means over 70% of 10-year-olds in many countries could soon be unable to read a simple story, the @WorldBank warns.

What does this mean for our kids' futures? 🧵 💻 When the pandemic was declared two years ago, a normal school day soon involved online learning through Zoom classes.

🎒 In richer countries, things now seem to be back to normal.

⭕️ But this isn’t the case in some developing nations.
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🇺🇦 The #Ukraine war may be miles away from families in the Middle East. But many fear it will be felt in their kitchens.

🌾 Russia and Ukraine export 29% of world's wheat. The crisis has sent food prices to a 13-year high.

Here’s how 3 countries are facing dire consequences. 🧵 🇾🇪 Yemen

🌾 The war-torn nation is almost entirely dependent on food imports, buying at least 27% of its wheat from Ukraine and 8% from Russia.

🥖 7 years of conflict has already left more than half of its people hungry. Now the #RussiaUkraineConflict is making things worse.

💰 Millions in crypto donations
📱 @Pussyrrriot selling #NFTs
⚡️ @ElonMusk activating Starlink internet

🇺🇦 People and companies are using new tech to support #Ukraine as Russia continues its invasion.

Here are 5 ways the world is rallying online to help Ukrainians in crisis. 🧵 1️⃣ Crypto donations

💰 Ukraine's government has raised almost $13 million in #cryptocurrency to help their military, says analysis firm @Elliptic. Funds to volunteer and hacking groups have also spiked.

⭕️ Charities like @Save_Children are also accepting #Bitcoin donations.

☀️ Sun, sea and... NFTs?

🇵🇼 Pacific nation Palau is kicking off a digital residency scheme for so-called 'crypto-citizens.'

It hopes to revive its economy during COVID-19. But some are skeptical about what this means.

Here's what experts @PeterJHowson and @OJutel told us. 🧵👇 1️⃣ Why is the scheme happening?

🛥 Palau used to be a magnet for tourists and welcomed about 100,000 yachting enthusiasts each year.

💸But COVID-19 restrictions mean people have stayed away - and Palau’s cash is drying up.

⚡️ Now, it’s turning to #crypto to boost its economy.

⚡️ Forget the Olympic athletes, it's the tech that's going for gold at #Beijing2022.

⭕️ But could some of the new gadgets and tools lead to a privacy nightmare?

🇨🇳 We look at 5 innovations creating a buzz at the #Olympics. 🧵👇

news.trust.org/item/202201311… 1️⃣ Robot chefs

👩‍🍳 Visitors can expect some of their food to be prepared and served by friendly robots.

🍔 They can make hamburgers, serve ice cream and coffee, and even deliver room service.

⭕️ They also ensure social distancing and help sanitise areas.
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💰 #Crypto could be revolutionising the way we pay.

🚨 But is it doing more harm than good?

🇸🇻 While nations like El Salvador are embracing crypto like #Bitcoin, others such as Russia are starting to crack down.

Here’s why countries and authorities are sounding the alarm. 🧵 1️⃣Crypto could weaken the economy

@IMFNews has urged El Salvador to drop #Bitcoin as a legal tender, citing "large risks".

🇵🇰Pakistan's central bank argues cryptocurrency trading could mean more money flowing out of the country.

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🇦🇫 Five months since the Taliban seized power, Afghan companies are battling to stay afloat.

📉 International sanctions and curbs against the hardline Islamist group are fuelling a deepening economic crisis.

⭕️ Here's how businesses in the country have been affected. 👇 1️⃣ Dynamic Vision

⭕️ Dynamic Vision was one of the country's top infrastructure companies.

It had more than 300 projects, some 1,200 employees and an annual turnover of $10 million.

⛔️ But the Taliban takeover meant millions stuck in unpaid dues and limited cash.