How did COVID 19 begin and spread all over the world?
The world is in the grip of a pandemic caused by a new virus. It began when a large number of cases of unexplained pneumonia (lung infection) were detected in Wuhan, in China’s Hubei province. China first reported it to the World Health Organisation (WHO), on December 31, 2019. The new virus belonged to the [...]
Towards a free and fair election with a raging pandemic
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was firmly placed in his presidential seat after comfortably winning the presidential election, much before the arrival of the Covid virus. He needs a parliament with two thirds of its membership as a cheering squad to enable him to rule according to his mandate. And he wants it soon. Would the Covid [...]
Love in adversity: Adversity in plenty – Policing the Police
“Love is a many-splendored thing. Love is nature’s way of giving reason to be living.” — song by Sammy Fain & Paul Francis (1955). Let us also remember, “Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love, this is the eternal truth.” – Buddha. “If you want to see the brave, look at those [...]
The Arab world’s perfect COVID-19 storm
BEIRUT – Middle Eastern and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) economies are heading toward a recession in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, collapsing oil prices, and the unfolding global financial crisis. The fast-spreading global pandemic – with Europe its new epicenter – is generating both supply and demand shocks. The supply shock results [...]