Global aviation industry isbeing hammered because of the coronavirus outbreak. The Qatar Airways is now at risk of bankruptcy.

Global aviation industry hammered, Qatar Airways at risk of bankruptcy

Coronavirus cases in Spain surpassed 100,000 mark, a hospital in the northeastern region of Catalonia has been forced to turn its library into an Intensive Care Unit to deal with the influx of COVID-19 patients in critical condition.

Spain: Hospital's library transforms into ICU for coronavirus patients

Global Coronavirus cases are nearing 1 million now. The death toll continues to rise in the US and Europe. WION's Palki Sharma brings you the latest numbers in India and around the world.

Gravitas: Wuhan Coronavirus: More than 9,00,000

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus is leading the coronavirus fight. China has been criticised for its response to the outbreak. But Dr Tedros has ignored China's criminal negligence. WION's Palki Sharma tells you why the WHO Chief is turning a blind eye to China's actions.

Gravitas: Coronavirus: Why is the WHO Director General toeing China's line?

The death toll due to coronavirus in the United States touched a new single-day high with 884 fatalities. The number of total death across the United States has now reached 4,475.

Donald Trump hopeful of overcoming medical supplies shortage

The United States is the worst affected country in the world with more than 2 lakh positive cases. American hospitals are flooded with patients making conditions worse is the shortage of medical equipment, protective gear, and medicines. Watch report:

Fineprint: US becomes the most infected country: New York is the hotspot of coronavirus

The United Kingdom has reported the highest number of coronavirus deaths and infections in the last 24 hours. The country has reported 4324 positive cases and 563 deaths due to the deadly coronavirus.

UK struggles to battle COVID-19:  563 deaths in last 24 hours

The coronavirus cases are growing at fast rate, the world is shaken by the sheer magnitude of this outbreak.

Watch: Tracking the coronavirus pandemic

Malaysian government authorities advice to women to wear make-up and avoid nagging their husbands during the coronavirus lockdown has sparked accusations of sexism.

Malaysian government urges women to wear make-up at home

Highest rise in daily COVID-19 death toll in US

Russia has sent a cargo plane to the United States which is loaded with aid to fight the coronavirus. Masks and medical equipment has been sent to the US after President Donald Trump excepted an offer of humanitarian aid from Russian President Vladamir Putin. However, the critics are calling this as Russia's PR machinery to escape sanctions. Watch report:

Russia sends masks and medical equipment to US to fight COVID-19

Patients infected with COVID-19 can transmit the deadly virus one to three days before showing symptoms of the disease. According to the latest study published by US centers for disease control and prevention. Watch report:

Understanding transmission of COVID-19: US study confirms threat of silent carriers

The coronavirus has affected even the mightiest countries of the world taking the global death toll to 48,276. Now according to some US researchers, there may be a ray of hope. BCG vaccine may offer protection against the deadly coronavirus. Watch report:

India's battle against COVID-19 Pandemic: BCG vaccine to offer COVID-19 protection

The British airways which are in negotiations with Unite Union have already stopped operations and are expected to announce the suspension of 36,000 employees due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Watch report:

COVID-19 impact on British airways: 36,000 employees to be suspended

Nepal purchased coronavirus testing kits worth millions of Nepalese rupees from China but soon the advisor to Nepal said that many countries using the same kits are showing unreliable and controversial results.

Government of Nepal rejects China's COVID-19 testing kits

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfares held a press conference on COVID-19 cases in India. The number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus has crossed the 1,800-mark with 41 deaths. The authorities have also launched a nationwide search to track down the 6,000 people who attended the Nizamuddin Tablighi Jamaat congregation. On Wednesday 450 fresh cases of infection were reported.

Health Ministry briefs media on COVID-19: 28 new cases, 12 new deaths

After winning a second impressive term in May 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and brought the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) which sparked a widespread protest in the country.&nbsp;

The CAA divided opinion in India. Globally country’s image as an inclusive state that respects multiculturalism was dented.&nbsp; 
 
By February 2020, after five months of relentless attacks from the liberals, PM Modi astutely crafted US President Donald Trump's visit. The Trump-Modi grand show started from Gandhi’s Ashram in Gujarat. Modi received the much-needed endorsement by the most powerful leader of the free world. By the end of the visit and the beginning of Coronavirus outbreak, the narrative shifted from domestic discontent to a nation staring at the unimaginable social and economic crisis.&nbsp;

For Modi, it's an opportunity to prove to his people that he is strong enough to rescue India. He surely does not wish to make the same mistakes as his Chinese, American and British counterparts have made.

China

Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, Chinese President Xi Jinping is missing. On stage on the Great Hall of the people, he declared before the lunar year holiday, “Every single Chinese person, every member of the Chinese nation, should feel proud to live in this great era. Our progress will not be halted by any storms and tempests.” Since this speech, more than 3000 have died in China. With the economy slowing down, unending protests in Hong Kong and a trade war with America, Corona was a battle Xi did not need. Also, the country known for its capabilities and firm hold on public administration was blamed for the spread of the virus globally. Its prime position as an investment and manufacturing hub is challenged like never before. The man who was tipped to be the Mao of 21st century China faces a credibility crisis not just in his country but globally. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; 
United Kingdom 
&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Boris Johnson proved to be a disaster in handling the spread of Coronavirus in the UK. In his handling of the situation, he came across as reckless and clueless. He was in such a good mood that he appeared non-serious about the consequences of the pandemic on his people and economy. He even failed as fine communicator to either impress or assure his people in this crisis. While the virus spread in Europe in February like fire, Johnson was away for 12 days in the countryside with his fiancée. The first acknowledgement to prioritise the virus as a challenge came from him on March 1, 2020. He went on casually, boasting that he continued shaking hands even with virus patients in hospitals.&nbsp;Today, he is COVID 19 positive. &nbsp;Spain and Italy gave repeated warnings to other European countries to avoid the mistakes they made. His “herd immunity” failed and quite lockdown was announced. Brought in to execute the Brexit, Johnson looks most unsustainable to fight the Corona pandemic. 
&nbsp; &nbsp; 
The United States 
&nbsp; &nbsp; 
Donald Trump, throughout January and February, pushed a conspiracy theory that COVID 19 reporting was done to bring him down. Today, he is in conflict with his Governors. He has picked up the battle with media wishing them to be appreciative of him. But he is putting a great show in converting Coronavirus briefings into campaign rallies. He ain't sparing his rivals, critics and media. All this is scarcely helping his people. At a town hall in February, he declared that the United States lose thousands of people to flu annually and shutting down the country for Coronavirus is no option. On January 22 in a TV interview, Trump declared that the situation was under control. In the month of February Trump made the virus sound minor nuisance. He lost precious time to invest heavily in upgrading health infrastructure. Trump believed that warm spring weather could kill the virus. He blamed the media for panicking the markets. Only by mid of March, Trump administration tried to undo the damage of callousness and misinformation.&nbsp;

Today, the United States tops the chart of Coronavirus infected countries with over 1,74,000 detections and over 3400 dead. The only good decision Trump has taken is to stop travel from China and the announcement of a 2 trillion dollar stimulus. Experts believe with the death toll surpassing China, it's an astounding statement on the US handling of the crisis.&nbsp;&nbsp;

India 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
Prime Minister Modi like Xi, Trump or Johnson was not caught napping on Coronavirus.

On March 13, the Indian health ministry declared - coronavirus as a health scare. For the first time on March 19, 2020, Modi appealed for social distancing. Parliament of India was working till March 23, India did lose precious time to up its game on testing, health infrastructure.&nbsp;

However, unlike the UK and the US, Modi announced the lockdown even before the numbers went out of control. An expansive task force of bureaucrats, scientists and doctors are continuously monitoring the situation. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
PM Modi has successfully convinced India that he is in control. He also smartly collaborated with people on social distancing, fundraising and invoking the sense of brotherhood in this crisis. Lockdown truly is India’s only hope to avert the crisis. While the first part has ended for Modi well, the worst is yet to come. 
&nbsp; 
PM Modi, evacuated Indians from China, Iran and Italy. He also helped evacuate nationals like Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, US, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru. Contrary to some in his party, Modi responded most scientifically, he sounded serious and sincere. But India failed to quarantine all who came from affected countries as an SoP. Thermal testing could not filter possible infections. India’s biggest challenge is its testing capacity. 
&nbsp; 
Consequences of Coronavirus on the already sinking economy will be dire. He is expected to deliver a robust economic package that will ensure jobs, manufacturing. Coronavirus is an opportunity for the Modi administration to prove that he has administrative skills beyond sharp optics. He has daringly put his neck on the line. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
Modi has demonstrated aggressive leadership in the time of crisis.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

After winning a second impressive term in May 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and brought the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) which sparked a widespread protest in the country.

After winning a second impressive term in May 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article 370 that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and brought the Citizen Amendment Act (CAA) which sparked a widespread protest in the country. The CAA divided opinion in India. Globally country’s image as an inclusive state that respects multiculturalism was dented. By February 2020, after five months of relentless attacks from the liberals, PM Modi astutely crafted US President Donald Trump's visit. The Trump-Modi grand show started from Gandhi’s Ashram in Gujarat. Modi received the much-needed endorsement by the most powerful leader of the free world. By the end of the visit and the beginning of Coronavirus outbreak, the narrative shifted from domestic discontent to a nation staring at the unimaginable social and economic crisis. For Modi, it's an opportunity to prove to his people that he is strong enough to rescue India. He surely does not wish to make the same mistakes as his Chinese, American and British counterparts have made. China Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, Chinese President Xi Jinping is missing. On stage on the Great Hall of the people, he declared before the lunar year holiday, “Every single Chinese person, every member of the Chinese nation, should feel proud to live in this great era. Our progress will not be halted by any storms and tempests.” Since this speech, more than 3000 have died in China. With the economy slowing down, unending protests in Hong Kong and a trade war with America, Corona was a battle Xi did not need. Also, the country known for its capabilities and firm hold on public administration was blamed for the spread of the virus globally. Its prime position as an investment and manufacturing hub is challenged like never before. The man who was tipped to be the Mao of 21st century China faces a credibility crisis not just in his country but globally. United Kingdom Boris Johnson proved to be a disaster in handling the spread of Coronavirus in the UK. In his handling of the situation, he came across as reckless and clueless. He was in such a good mood that he appeared non-serious about the consequences of the pandemic on his people and economy. He even failed as fine communicator to either impress or assure his people in this crisis. While the virus spread in Europe in February like fire, Johnson was away for 12 days in the countryside with his fiancée. The first acknowledgement to prioritise the virus as a challenge came from him on March 1, 2020. He went on casually, boasting that he continued shaking hands even with virus patients in hospitals. Today, he is COVID 19 positive. Spain and Italy gave repeated warnings to other European countries to avoid the mistakes they made. His “herd immunity” failed and quite lockdown was announced. Brought in to execute the Brexit, Johnson looks most unsustainable to fight the Corona pandemic. The United States Donald Trump, throughout January and February, pushed a conspiracy theory that COVID 19 reporting was done to bring him down. Today, he is in conflict with his Governors. He has picked up the battle with media wishing them to be appreciative of him. But he is putting a great show in converting Coronavirus briefings into campaign rallies. He ain't sparing his rivals, critics and media. All this is scarcely helping his people. At a town hall in February, he declared that the United States lose thousands of people to flu annually and shutting down the country for Coronavirus is no option. On January 22 in a TV interview, Trump declared that the situation was under control. In the month of February Trump made the virus sound minor nuisance. He lost precious time to invest heavily in upgrading health infrastructure. Trump believed that warm spring weather could kill the virus. He blamed the media for panicking the markets. Only by mid of March, Trump administration tried to undo the damage of callousness and misinformation. Today, the United States tops the chart of Coronavirus infected countries with over 1,74,000 detections and over 3400 dead. The only good decision Trump has taken is to stop travel from China and the announcement of a 2 trillion dollar stimulus. Experts believe with the death toll surpassing China, it's an astounding statement on the US handling of the crisis. India Prime Minister Modi like Xi, Trump or Johnson was not caught napping on Coronavirus. On March 13, the Indian health ministry declared - coronavirus as a health scare. For the first time on March 19, 2020, Modi appealed for social distancing. Parliament of India was working till March 23, India did lose precious time to up its game on testing, health infrastructure. However, unlike the UK and the US, Modi announced the lockdown even before the numbers went out of control. An expansive task force of bureaucrats, scientists and doctors are continuously monitoring the situation. PM Modi has successfully convinced India that he is in control. He also smartly collaborated with people on social distancing, fundraising and invoking the sense of brotherhood in this crisis. Lockdown truly is India’s only hope to avert the crisis. While the first part has ended for Modi well, the worst is yet to come. PM Modi, evacuated Indians from China, Iran and Italy. He also helped evacuate nationals like Maldives, Myanmar, Bangladesh, China, US, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa and Peru. Contrary to some in his party, Modi responded most scientifically, he sounded serious and sincere. But India failed to quarantine all who came from affected countries as an SoP. Thermal testing could not filter possible infections. India’s biggest challenge is its testing capacity. Consequences of Coronavirus on the already sinking economy will be dire. He is expected to deliver a robust economic package that will ensure jobs, manufacturing. Coronavirus is an opportunity for the Modi administration to prove that he has administrative skills beyond sharp optics. He has daringly put his neck on the line. Modi has demonstrated aggressive leadership in the time of crisis. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Leadership lessons: In this time of crisis, PM Narendra Modi did what Xi and Trump couldn't

According to the study, national differences in impact of coronavirus could be partially explained by the different national policies respect to a TB vaccine called Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine.

Study that projects TB vaccine can protect from COVID-19 is legit?

Forced to cancel her 104th birthday celebrations due to the coronavirus outbreak, Ruth Gallivan's neighbors and friends in San Diego decided to bring the party to her by holding a surprise, drive-by, birthday party outside the centenarian's house.

Drive-by birthday party for 104-year-old WWII veteran in San Diego

The coronavirus has come as a lesson in fixing our priorities. It has exposed how fragile the world can be in the face of a health emergency.

The pandemic is punishing citizens for the unpreparedness of their leaders. Because the disaster our leaders have always worried about is a nuclear war and not a health crisis.

In their quest for dominance, countries have invested in weapons and are now being defeated by a pandemic.

There's a lot of talk of 'flattening the curve', but no one will tell you whether our hospitals can even cope with the most flattened of curves.

Hospitals and quarantine facilities across the world are filled to the brim. They don't have enough life-saving machines masks, face masks and ventilators. 
 
WATCH: Missiles cannot defeat microbes 
&nbsp;

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In Turkey, the health ministry has roped in a defence firm to manufacture ventilators. The company which goes by the name Baykar is racing against time to deliver 5,000 ventilators.

In Britain, the NHS has ordered 10,000 ventilators from a consortium of leading aerospace companies. This defence consortium is manufacturing, assembling and testing components for medical ventilators.

In India, Bharat Electricals, a public sector unit under the Defence Ministry has been given the task of manufacturing 30,000 ventilators.

In Israel, a missile production facility is being retooled to mass-produce ventilators. The Israeli health ministry says it only has 2,000 of them.

There's also a shortage of medicines and medical staff. Israeli soldiers have volunteered to hand out boxes of medicines and essential services to homes of the elderly.

Defence manufacturers are making ventilators, soldiers are filling up for the shortage of medics, perfume makers are making sanitisers and fashion brands are manufacturing masks. This should be an eye-opener.

The biggest threat to national security may not be foreign militaries but microbes. The world is fighting a tiny virus, all our weapons and defences rendered useless.

Armed troops and missiles cannot defeat the coronavirus, an efficient health-care system can. We need to prepare for an epidemic just as we do for wars.

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world) 
&nbsp;

The coronavirus has come as a lesson in fixing our priorities. It has exposed how fragile the world can be in the face of a health emergency. The pandemic is punishing citizens for the unpreparedness of their leaders.

The coronavirus has come as a lesson in fixing our priorities. It has exposed how fragile the world can be in the face of a health emergency. The pandemic is punishing citizens for the unpreparedness of their leaders. Because the disaster our leaders have always worried about is a nuclear war and not a health crisis. In their quest for dominance, countries have invested in weapons and are now being defeated by a pandemic. There's a lot of talk of 'flattening the curve', but no one will tell you whether our hospitals can even cope with the most flattened of curves. Hospitals and quarantine facilities across the world are filled to the brim. They don't have enough life-saving machines masks, face masks and ventilators. WATCH: Missiles cannot defeat microbes × In Turkey, the health ministry has roped in a defence firm to manufacture ventilators. The company which goes by the name Baykar is racing against time to deliver 5,000 ventilators. In Britain, the NHS has ordered 10,000 ventilators from a consortium of leading aerospace companies. This defence consortium is manufacturing, assembling and testing components for medical ventilators. In India, Bharat Electricals, a public sector unit under the Defence Ministry has been given the task of manufacturing 30,000 ventilators. In Israel, a missile production facility is being retooled to mass-produce ventilators. The Israeli health ministry says it only has 2,000 of them. There's also a shortage of medicines and medical staff. Israeli soldiers have volunteered to hand out boxes of medicines and essential services to homes of the elderly. Defence manufacturers are making ventilators, soldiers are filling up for the shortage of medics, perfume makers are making sanitisers and fashion brands are manufacturing masks. This should be an eye-opener. The biggest threat to national security may not be foreign militaries but microbes. The world is fighting a tiny virus, all our weapons and defences rendered useless. Armed troops and missiles cannot defeat the coronavirus, an efficient health-care system can. We need to prepare for an epidemic just as we do for wars. (Disclaimer: WION Edit is the channel's take on the big events of the world)

WION Edit: Why we must prepare for a health crisis like we do for wars

Author JK Rowling has just come to the rescue of parents worldwide who are finding it difficult to keep their children at home in time of self-isolation. 
 
The British author has introduced a new online hub called Harry Potter At Home, which is aimed at younger children and will be launched on the official website for of Potter called WizardingWorld.com. 
 
The first book from the Potter series, ' Harry Potter and the Philosopher`s Stone' will be available for free worldwide as an ebook as well as an audiobook throughout the month of April to help parents and carers entertain and engage housebound children. 
 
Rowling announced on Wednesday that the audiobook will be available in multiple languages. The version performed by British actor and writer Stephen Fry will be available in North America for the first time.

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Parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic, so I’m delighted to launch <a href="https://t.co/cPg0dZpexB">https://t.co/cPg0dZpexB</a> <a href="https://t.co/i0ZjTplVoU">pic.twitter.com/i0ZjTplVoU</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1245320037356929025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Each week 'Wizarding Wednesdays' and an email newsletter will provide creative activities, quizzes and ideas. 
The coronavirus pandemic has seen more and more countries limiting citizens` movements, closing schools and leaving many parents simultaneously working from home and looking after their children. 
 
Britain is in its second week of lockdown, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 23 that people would only be allowed to leave the house when absolutely necessary, such as to buy food. 
 
"The teachers, parents and carers working to keep children`s lives as normal and happy as possible while we`re all on lockdown deserve a bit of magic," Rowling said. 
 
"I hope these initiatives will give children and even adults a happy distraction during their enforced stay-at-home time."

&nbsp;

Author JK Rowling has just come to the rescue of parents worldwide who are finding it difficult to keep their children at home in time of self-isolation. The British author has introduced a new online hub called Harry Potter At Home, which is aimed at younger children and will be launched on the official website for of Potter called WizardingWorld.

Author JK Rowling has just come to the rescue of parents worldwide who are finding it difficult to keep their children at home in time of self-isolation. The British author has introduced a new online hub called Harry Potter At Home, which is aimed at younger children and will be launched on the official website for of Potter called WizardingWorld.com. The first book from the Potter series, ' Harry Potter and the Philosopher`s Stone' will be available for free worldwide as an ebook as well as an audiobook throughout the month of April to help parents and carers entertain and engage housebound children. Rowling announced on Wednesday that the audiobook will be available in multiple languages. The version performed by British actor and writer Stephen Fry will be available in North America for the first time. Parents, teachers and carers working to keep children amused and interested while we’re on lockdown might need a bit of magic, so I’m delighted to launch https://t.co/cPg0dZpexB pic.twitter.com/i0ZjTplVoU — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) April 1, 2020 × Each week 'Wizarding Wednesdays' and an email newsletter will provide creative activities, quizzes and ideas. The coronavirus pandemic has seen more and more countries limiting citizens` movements, closing schools and leaving many parents simultaneously working from home and looking after their children. Britain is in its second week of lockdown, after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on March 23 that people would only be allowed to leave the house when absolutely necessary, such as to buy food. "The teachers, parents and carers working to keep children`s lives as normal and happy as possible while we`re all on lockdown deserve a bit of magic," Rowling said. "I hope these initiatives will give children and even adults a happy distraction during their enforced stay-at-home time."

JK Rowling rescues bored kids in lockdown with Harry Potter and the wizarding world

A report brought new findings on the lethal coronavirus, According to the report, COVID-19 fatality rate ranges between 0.006%-7.8% and the average death rate is 1.38%.

COVID-19 fatality rate ranges between 0.006%-7.8%

UK recorded the highest daily death toll of 381, an increase of twenty-nine per cent as the coronavirus continued to ravage to the country. A 13-year-old boy was among the casualty who died at King's College Hospital in London.

UK: 13-year-old youngest to die of coronavirus

The beginning of 2020 brought a wild card entry in the global strategic equations in the form of Coronavirus pandemic, with Wuhan being the initial epicentre.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/wion-edit-chinas-authoritarianism-vs-democracy-and-transparency-289530">China will continue to be accused</a> of doing global damage by hiding crucial information from the rest of the world. China has gone through a full cycle of initially hiding it, being late in quarantining affected people, not being able to prevent community transfers, taking harsh measures to control it later, declaring victory over a pandemic and reopening lockdowns.

The trends in January and February suggested a sheer drop in Comprehensive National Power (CNP) of China with the combined impact of US-China trade war, failing BRI and COVID-19. The last week of March saw the epicenters of COVID-19 m&nbsp;westwards with the US, Europe and UK emerging to be worst affected, and China appearing to be helping the world in combatting the pandemic.

What does shift in epicenters of COVID-19 indicate?&nbsp;

The coronavirus has affected 203 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances. The worldometer indicates over 8.7 lakh cases of coronavirus with over 43,000 deaths and over 1.84 lakh recoveries. The WHO says the death rate continues to be low but the biggest danger being faced by mankind is its exponential rise due to community transfers. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/explained-us-president-donald-trumps-misplaced-priorities-289696">USA has emerged to be the largest epicentre </a>of COVID-19 having more than 19 per cent of global confirmed cases with more than three thousand deaths.

Europe, with over one lakh cases and 30,000 deaths, is closely followed by Spain, Germany, France, Iran and the UK. All these countries took the pandemic lightly initially, resulting in quick entry into the third stage of community transfer. Now most countries in the world are struggling for capacity building to take the challenge of the peak period, which is yet to come. This lockdowns and quarantining has brought global economic/commercial productivity to almost a grinding halt. &nbsp;

China was quick to declare that it has conquered the disease with reporting 76,238 recovered cases, only 36 fresh cases, as reported by the National Health Commission (NHC) of China. Considering Chinese credibility, these figures cannot be taken at its face value, because some media reports of sudden silencing of more mobiles connections, restrictions on reporting COVID-19 cases create a doubt as to what exactly is happening in China. The community lockdowns, and stringent measures of social distancing helped China in flattening the trend. If we add the unreported cases, the potential of the second cycle of the pandemic in China cannot be ruled out. Chinese effort of shifting soft power balance is also evident from alleged effective use of its influence and media to propagate conspiracy theory against the US and later trying to shift the blame to Italy. The world, however, will continue to accuse China of this pandemic, with many legal notices already filed against it globally.&nbsp;

China cannot deny that the coronavirus broke out in China late last year whereas Wuhan was locked down on January 23. The US efforts to evacuate its people at that point of time were seen as ‘triggering panic reaction’ by Beijing, which had already over-delayed global response by then. China tried to shift the narrative to the belligerent superpower wrangling between Beijing and Washington great power competition, viewing each other through a lens of conspiracy theories, hostility, trading stinging barbs on everything - from the origin of the virus to permitting medical experts to visit Wuhan.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, China has a reason to be keen to repair its damaged global reputation caused due to mishandling of the crisis in the initial stage; hence it behaved so assertively in the diplomatic repairs including ‘Mask Diplomacy’. The reluctance to lockdown by the US might show that the US-China competition is moving China’s way, but the Chinese follies of making the world suffer by their pandemic cover-up would not put Xi Jinping in a comfortable position either, although it’s too early to predict. &nbsp;&nbsp;

What's happening inside China

The CNP of a country is a combination of hard and soft power and includes a sum of economic, military, technological, human resource, diplomatic and other levers of power. China, claiming to have successfully encountered COVID-19, has restarted its industries, with a focus on the largest emerging demand of medical equipment related to COVID-19. After the IMF Chief’s revelation that the global economy has entered a recession, which could possibly be worst of its kind, the Chinese economy seems to be benefitting from others' sufferings.

Domestic flights are commencing in most areas, life is limping back to normal. China after exporting the pandemic, is now making the best of COVID-19 economic model by switching from failing BRI to COVID19 related production.&nbsp;

China is projecting itself as a better resource provider in this crisis. China is now&nbsp;focusing on the production of testing kits, personal protection kits, ventilators and other crucial medical equipment. Beijing, therefore, leads the global supply chain with other major manufacturers across the globe being paralysed due to the pandemic. 
&nbsp; 
Why is the world silent?&nbsp;

The fact that Coronavirus was detected, and spread exponentially in Wuhan, China may find difficult to prevent the accusations from the world which is angered by sufferings caused due to pandemic. It is, however, understandable that not many have started blaming China, due to their domestic compulsion and priorities to check the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, instead of involving in the blame game for the time being.&nbsp;

Most countries are also expecting Chinese assistance in their fight against the pandemic, as China is seen to have controlled the same, having gone through the peak of infection. Most countries also hope that a suspected creator of the virus is in the best position to find the antidote and help to combat it. Countries also do not want to disturb the supply chain of medical equipment from China at this juncture. The outcome of G20 virtual Summit was also on the same lines, wherein the G20 leaders issued a statement at the end of the summit calling for a coordinated global response to fight the coronavirus pandemic and adopting measures to protect the global economy, minimise disruptions in trade and take steps to enhance global coordination. If technologically advanced countries can utilize their capacities, especially on joint research and development of a vaccine, and strengthening the global value chain of supplies of medical equipment, it will help humanity.&nbsp; 
 
The G20 leaders pledged to inject $5 trillion into the global economy to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. I do feel that this issue of holding China accountable will not be dead but re-appear sometime in future. There are already few lawsuits already filed against China for the same and some more may be in the offing.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The credibility of global bodies

The pandemic has also exposed the Chinese influence in global bodies claiming to be neutral and serving for humanity. WHO knew about the outbreak of coronavirus in January 2020 and declared it as pandemic only on March 11, 2020, losing precious time for the world to respond, presumably under pressure from China. Also, how can WHO claim to serve humanity leaving out Taiwanese population? In recent G20 virtual Summit chaired by Saudi Arabia, the group has been too generous to WHO by agreeing to extend support to strengthen its mandate in fight against the pandemic, but the organisation needs to be held accountable once the crisis is over.&nbsp;

United Nation Security Council (UNSC) has not found it relevant to discuss the pandemic because China is a P5 country. Beijing chaired UNSC for March and the monthly Chair decides the agenda. It never felt the need to investigate when Wuhan was under lockdown and writings of the potential pandemic were on the wall already. UNSC certainly requires restructuring because in the current system China or any P5 country in its place, with its veto power can get away easily, even after putting humanity to risk. The suspicion over COVID-19 being a product of Chinese biological weapon research in Wuhan, could have been settled if China would have allowed investigation by world bodies.&nbsp; 
Strategic relations post-pandemic

Global strategic equations post-pandemic

Thinking positively, even if the world is able to fight this pandemic successfully, the global strategic equation will never remain the same. Coronavirus pandemic has exposed weaknesses of China, US and world organisations 
 
While China can be accused of a lack of transparency in handling the COVID-19 initially, the US &nbsp;took it lightly and reacted late enough. The idea of putting national interest over the survival of humanity will reduce the confidence of the world in the US and China. The western countries are used to fight the strategic competition by controlling trade and financial system and the power of alliance, but unpredictable events like this pandemic, climate change, elements of non-contact warfare can change the entire equation. China would also not be in a comfortable position, because the autocratic model cannot work for eternity. While China might be recovering and complimenting itself to have fought it better than democratic countries, the success of South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong nullifies that claim.

The world will also realise its mistake of putting all eggs in Chinese basket, and hopefully, a reverse flow may occur post-pandemic. The credibility of the UN is at stake, which is increasingly been seen as a political tool of P5. In my opinion, unless it undergoes a drastic reformation, there will be many countries ignoring its relevance and resolutions. With a threat of the second cycle of COVID-19, no one can be sure that who is better placed in the future strategic equation. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

The beginning of 2020 brought a wild card entry in the global strategic equations in the form of Coronavirus pandemic, with Wuhan being the initial epicentre. China will continue to be accused of doing global damage by hiding crucial information from the rest of the world.

The beginning of 2020 brought a wild card entry in the global strategic equations in the form of Coronavirus pandemic, with Wuhan being the initial epicentre. China will continue to be accused of doing global damage by hiding crucial information from the rest of the world. China has gone through a full cycle of initially hiding it, being late in quarantining affected people, not being able to prevent community transfers, taking harsh measures to control it later, declaring victory over a pandemic and reopening lockdowns. The trends in January and February suggested a sheer drop in Comprehensive National Power (CNP) of China with the combined impact of US-China trade war, failing BRI and COVID-19. The last week of March saw the epicenters of COVID-19 m westwards with the US, Europe and UK emerging to be worst affected, and China appearing to be helping the world in combatting the pandemic. What does shift in epicenters of COVID-19 indicate? The coronavirus has affected 203 countries and territories around the world and two international conveyances. The worldometer indicates over 8.7 lakh cases of coronavirus with over 43,000 deaths and over 1.84 lakh recoveries. The WHO says the death rate continues to be low but the biggest danger being faced by mankind is its exponential rise due to community transfers. USA has emerged to be the largest epicentre of COVID-19 having more than 19 per cent of global confirmed cases with more than three thousand deaths. Europe, with over one lakh cases and 30,000 deaths, is closely followed by Spain, Germany, France, Iran and the UK. All these countries took the pandemic lightly initially, resulting in quick entry into the third stage of community transfer. Now most countries in the world are struggling for capacity building to take the challenge of the peak period, which is yet to come. This lockdowns and quarantining has brought global economic/commercial productivity to almost a grinding halt. China was quick to declare that it has conquered the disease with reporting 76,238 recovered cases, only 36 fresh cases, as reported by the National Health Commission (NHC) of China. Considering Chinese credibility, these figures cannot be taken at its face value, because some media reports of sudden silencing of more mobiles connections, restrictions on reporting COVID-19 cases create a doubt as to what exactly is happening in China. The community lockdowns, and stringent measures of social distancing helped China in flattening the trend. If we add the unreported cases, the potential of the second cycle of the pandemic in China cannot be ruled out. Chinese effort of shifting soft power balance is also evident from alleged effective use of its influence and media to propagate conspiracy theory against the US and later trying to shift the blame to Italy. The world, however, will continue to accuse China of this pandemic, with many legal notices already filed against it globally. China cannot deny that the coronavirus broke out in China late last year whereas Wuhan was locked down on January 23. The US efforts to evacuate its people at that point of time were seen as ‘triggering panic reaction’ by Beijing, which had already over-delayed global response by then. China tried to shift the narrative to the belligerent superpower wrangling between Beijing and Washington great power competition, viewing each other through a lens of conspiracy theories, hostility, trading stinging barbs on everything - from the origin of the virus to permitting medical experts to visit Wuhan. Meanwhile, China has a reason to be keen to repair its damaged global reputation caused due to mishandling of the crisis in the initial stage; hence it behaved so assertively in the diplomatic repairs including ‘Mask Diplomacy’. The reluctance to lockdown by the US might show that the US-China competition is moving China’s way, but the Chinese follies of making the world suffer by their pandemic cover-up would not put Xi Jinping in a comfortable position either, although it’s too early to predict. What's happening inside China The CNP of a country is a combination of hard and soft power and includes a sum of economic, military, technological, human resource, diplomatic and other levers of power. China, claiming to have successfully encountered COVID-19, has restarted its industries, with a focus on the largest emerging demand of medical equipment related to COVID-19. After the IMF Chief’s revelation that the global economy has entered a recession, which could possibly be worst of its kind, the Chinese economy seems to be benefitting from others' sufferings. Domestic flights are commencing in most areas, life is limping back to normal. China after exporting the pandemic, is now making the best of COVID-19 economic model by switching from failing BRI to COVID19 related production. China is projecting itself as a better resource provider in this crisis. China is now focusing on the production of testing kits, personal protection kits, ventilators and other crucial medical equipment. Beijing, therefore, leads the global supply chain with other major manufacturers across the globe being paralysed due to the pandemic. Why is the world silent? The fact that Coronavirus was detected, and spread exponentially in Wuhan, China may find difficult to prevent the accusations from the world which is angered by sufferings caused due to pandemic. It is, however, understandable that not many have started blaming China, due to their domestic compulsion and priorities to check the exponential rise in COVID-19 cases, instead of involving in the blame game for the time being. Most countries are also expecting Chinese assistance in their fight against the pandemic, as China is seen to have controlled the same, having gone through the peak of infection. Most countries also hope that a suspected creator of the virus is in the best position to find the antidote and help to combat it. Countries also do not want to disturb the supply chain of medical equipment from China at this juncture. The outcome of G20 virtual Summit was also on the same lines, wherein the G20 leaders issued a statement at the end of the summit calling for a coordinated global response to fight the coronavirus pandemic and adopting measures to protect the global economy, minimise disruptions in trade and take steps to enhance global coordination. If technologically advanced countries can utilize their capacities, especially on joint research and development of a vaccine, and strengthening the global value chain of supplies of medical equipment, it will help humanity. The G20 leaders pledged to inject $5 trillion into the global economy to reduce the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. I do feel that this issue of holding China accountable will not be dead but re-appear sometime in future. There are already few lawsuits already filed against China for the same and some more may be in the offing. The credibility of global bodies The pandemic has also exposed the Chinese influence in global bodies claiming to be neutral and serving for humanity. WHO knew about the outbreak of coronavirus in January 2020 and declared it as pandemic only on March 11, 2020, losing precious time for the world to respond, presumably under pressure from China. Also, how can WHO claim to serve humanity leaving out Taiwanese population? In recent G20 virtual Summit chaired by Saudi Arabia, the group has been too generous to WHO by agreeing to extend support to strengthen its mandate in fight against the pandemic, but the organisation needs to be held accountable once the crisis is over. United Nation Security Council (UNSC) has not found it relevant to discuss the pandemic because China is a P5 country. Beijing chaired UNSC for March and the monthly Chair decides the agenda. It never felt the need to investigate when Wuhan was under lockdown and writings of the potential pandemic were on the wall already. UNSC certainly requires restructuring because in the current system China or any P5 country in its place, with its veto power can get away easily, even after putting humanity to risk. The suspicion over COVID-19 being a product of Chinese biological weapon research in Wuhan, could have been settled if China would have allowed investigation by world bodies. Strategic relations post-pandemic Global strategic equations post-pandemic Thinking positively, even if the world is able to fight this pandemic successfully, the global strategic equation will never remain the same. Coronavirus pandemic has exposed weaknesses of China, US and world organisations While China can be accused of a lack of transparency in handling the COVID-19 initially, the US took it lightly and reacted late enough. The idea of putting national interest over the survival of humanity will reduce the confidence of the world in the US and China. The western countries are used to fight the strategic competition by controlling trade and financial system and the power of alliance, but unpredictable events like this pandemic, climate change, elements of non-contact warfare can change the entire equation. China would also not be in a comfortable position, because the autocratic model cannot work for eternity. While China might be recovering and complimenting itself to have fought it better than democratic countries, the success of South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong nullifies that claim. The world will also realise its mistake of putting all eggs in Chinese basket, and hopefully, a reverse flow may occur post-pandemic. The credibility of the UN is at stake, which is increasingly been seen as a political tool of P5. In my opinion, unless it undergoes a drastic reformation, there will be many countries ignoring its relevance and resolutions. With a threat of the second cycle of COVID-19, no one can be sure that who is better placed in the future strategic equation. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

China's cover-up: Will coronavirus pandemic lead to changed world order?

By Enrico Bonadio and Andrea Baldini

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to claim victims around the world, the race is on to produce the right medicines to fight it. This includes developing a vaccine to stop people from falling ill in the first place, testing kits and drugs to treat those that fall ill with COVID-19.

In normal times, most pharmaceutical companies would not naturally collaborate in these endeavours. Developing new drugs requires huge amounts of investment. Drug companies seek and enforce patents to protect these investments, which give them a monopoly on drugs they develop. During this time, they can charge high prices for these medicines.

Naturally, at this time of global crisis, calls are growing for these companies to waive any proprietary rights they may have in order to facilitate the dissemination of drugs and devices that are useful in the fight against COVID-19. Some companies have taken the initiative themselves, such as US firm AbbVie. In March 2020, it announced that it would stop enforcing its patent on Kaletra, an HIV medicine which is currently being tested for effectiveness in the treatment of COVID-19, anywhere in the world.

Others, however, are still fighting for exclusivity. For instance, the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China recently filed for a national patent on the use of remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19 and first developed by US company Gilead.

Gilead also came under fire when it applied to US regulators for “orphan status” for remdesivir. Under US law, pharmaceutical companies that develop treatments for diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people enjoy seven years of market exclusivity. But, after a public backlash, Gilead released a note saying it would rescind this application for orphan status.

Both the Wuhan Institute and Gilead have acted legally. But is their decision to use intellectual property law to limit other people from accessing their drugs ethical?

Reducing drug prices

If drug companies fail to waive their legal exclusivity rights, there are mechanisms in the law to balance these rights with the overarching public interest. One instrument is the compulsory licence of patents. This allows companies that do not own the intellectual property of a drug to legally manufacture and sell copycat versions of it during emergencies. The major international trade treaties allow governments to grant compulsory licences over the use of a particular drug within that country’s national borders, subject to certain conditions.

In the past, these licences have proved effective in reducing drug prices. In 2012, for example, Indian generic drug maker Natco was granted such a licence for Sorafenib, an anticancer drug, after that country’s patent office ruled that Bayer AG, Sorafenib’s patent holder, had not done enough to make the drug available to Indian citizens. As a result, local pharmaceutical company Cipla produced a version of Sorafenib that was 75% cheaper.

It is likely that we will soon see a spike in the use of compulsory licences aimed at tackling experimental treatments of COVID-19, especially if drug companies do not willingly share their knowledge. Israel for example has just issued a compulsory licence in relation to AbbVie’s Kaletra – this is what prompted Abbvie to drop its patent rights over this medicine worldwide. Israel has since put plans in place to import the generic version of Kaletra produced by the Indian company Hetero.

The Chilean parliament and Ecuador’s National Assembly have also adopted resolutions that would pave the way for the issuance of compulsory licences to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, the German government has started plans to limit patent rights in view of the pandemic. And Canada is making similar moves.

In the face of an unprecedented global health emergency like the coronavirus pandemic, it has never been more necessary for researchers to work together in the search for better testing and treatment. This in turn may very well require companies to give up their monopoly rights on new treatments and technology.

In the past we have seen similar conflicts. In 1998, a group of pharmaceutical companies brought a legal case against the South African government to stop it introducing laws aimed at making various medicine more affordable, especially HIV and AIDS drugs. The main objection was that local laws reduced patent protection. The case provoked a lot of criticism worldwide and increased public awareness about the (sometimes) negative impact of patent rights on public health. The companies eventually abandoned the legal action.

Today’s moment of crisis calls into question, once again, the moral underpinnings of intellectual property law. These laws are crucial in incentivising the development of vital drugs, but they are far from perfect. Protecting patents must be managed ethically, which may very well result in companies occasionally forfeiting their legal rights in favour of wider public benefit.

(Enrico Bonadio is Reader in Intellectual Property Law, City, University of London; Andrea Baldini is 
Associate Professor of Aesthetics and Art Theory, Nanjing University)

 
(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/drug-companies-should-drop-their-patents-and-collaborate-to-fight-coronavirus-135241">original article</a>)

By Enrico Bonadio and Andrea Baldini As the coronavirus pandemic continues to claim victims around the world, the race is on to produce the right medicines to fight it.

By Enrico Bonadio and Andrea Baldini As the coronavirus pandemic continues to claim victims around the world, the race is on to produce the right medicines to fight it. This includes developing a vaccine to stop people from falling ill in the first place, testing kits and drugs to treat those that fall ill with COVID-19. In normal times, most pharmaceutical companies would not naturally collaborate in these endeavours. Developing new drugs requires huge amounts of investment. Drug companies seek and enforce patents to protect these investments, which give them a monopoly on drugs they develop. During this time, they can charge high prices for these medicines. Naturally, at this time of global crisis, calls are growing for these companies to waive any proprietary rights they may have in order to facilitate the dissemination of drugs and devices that are useful in the fight against COVID-19. Some companies have taken the initiative themselves, such as US firm AbbVie. In March 2020, it announced that it would stop enforcing its patent on Kaletra, an HIV medicine which is currently being tested for effectiveness in the treatment of COVID-19, anywhere in the world. Others, however, are still fighting for exclusivity. For instance, the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China recently filed for a national patent on the use of remdesivir, an experimental antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19 and first developed by US company Gilead. Gilead also came under fire when it applied to US regulators for “orphan status” for remdesivir. Under US law, pharmaceutical companies that develop treatments for diseases that affect fewer than 200,000 people enjoy seven years of market exclusivity. But, after a public backlash, Gilead released a note saying it would rescind this application for orphan status. Both the Wuhan Institute and Gilead have acted legally. But is their decision to use intellectual property law to limit other people from accessing their drugs ethical? Reducing drug prices If drug companies fail to waive their legal exclusivity rights, there are mechanisms in the law to balance these rights with the overarching public interest. One instrument is the compulsory licence of patents. This allows companies that do not own the intellectual property of a drug to legally manufacture and sell copycat versions of it during emergencies. The major international trade treaties allow governments to grant compulsory licences over the use of a particular drug within that country’s national borders, subject to certain conditions. In the past, these licences have proved effective in reducing drug prices. In 2012, for example, Indian generic drug maker Natco was granted such a licence for Sorafenib, an anticancer drug, after that country’s patent office ruled that Bayer AG, Sorafenib’s patent holder, had not done enough to make the drug available to Indian citizens. As a result, local pharmaceutical company Cipla produced a version of Sorafenib that was 75% cheaper. It is likely that we will soon see a spike in the use of compulsory licences aimed at tackling experimental treatments of COVID-19, especially if drug companies do not willingly share their knowledge. Israel for example has just issued a compulsory licence in relation to AbbVie’s Kaletra – this is what prompted Abbvie to drop its patent rights over this medicine worldwide. Israel has since put plans in place to import the generic version of Kaletra produced by the Indian company Hetero. The Chilean parliament and Ecuador’s National Assembly have also adopted resolutions that would pave the way for the issuance of compulsory licences to tackle the coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, the German government has started plans to limit patent rights in view of the pandemic. And Canada is making similar moves. In the face of an unprecedented global health emergency like the coronavirus pandemic, it has never been more necessary for researchers to work together in the search for better testing and treatment. This in turn may very well require companies to give up their monopoly rights on new treatments and technology. In the past we have seen similar conflicts. In 1998, a group of pharmaceutical companies brought a legal case against the South African government to stop it introducing laws aimed at making various medicine more affordable, especially HIV and AIDS drugs. The main objection was that local laws reduced patent protection. The case provoked a lot of criticism worldwide and increased public awareness about the (sometimes) negative impact of patent rights on public health. The companies eventually abandoned the legal action. Today’s moment of crisis calls into question, once again, the moral underpinnings of intellectual property law. These laws are crucial in incentivising the development of vital drugs, but they are far from perfect. Protecting patents must be managed ethically, which may very well result in companies occasionally forfeiting their legal rights in favour of wider public benefit. (Enrico Bonadio is Reader in Intellectual Property Law, City, University of London; Andrea Baldini is Associate Professor of Aesthetics and Art Theory, Nanjing University) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Drug companies should drop their patents and collaborate to fight coronavirus

The United States recorded 865 new deaths in just 24 hours due the coronavirus epidemic with the number of confirmed cases surging to 188,547, according to Johns Hopkins coronavirus resource centre.

US records highest death toll due to coronavirus

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/explained-us-president-donald-trumps-misplaced-priorities-289696">Donald Trump </a>has asked Americans to brace for a painful period ahead, but even he doesn't know how long it's going to last.

The Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in about 7 months from today and the campaign trail has already seen major disruption.

Rallies, town hall meetings and public events have been cancelled. Over a dozen Democratic primaries have been delayed.

Given <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/follow-covid-19-guidelines-for-next-30-days-its-a-matter-of-life-and-death-trump-tells-americans-289801">the situation at hand</a>, holding the election will be a herculean task. This is the time when the election campaign should have hit fever pitch, but now it has all gone cold!

Democrats still don't have a candidate to take on Trump. Democratic primaries across 14 states have been delayed.

The latest being New York, which was scheduled to hold it at the end of April, but now it has been pushed to the end of June.

Other states have expanded vote by mail, citing the difficulty of holding elections. Republicans, meanwhile, &nbsp;are still assessing the President's response to the crisis.

Donald Trump's biggest rival right now is not Joe Biden or even Bernie Sanders, but the Wuhan coronavirus. It's threatening the fundamentals of the Presidential election process.

Elections in America have been delayed because of emergencies in the past, but only at the state and local level.

The 9/11 terror attacks of 2001 came on the morning of a municipal primary election in the New York City. It was postponed by 2 weeks. In 2017, Municipal elections in Florida were briefly delayed because of Hurricane Irma. But never has the presidential election been postponed.

The date of the general election is set by the US Federal law and it has been fixed since the year 1845. To change election dates, the federal law will have to be changed which would need legislation enacted by the US Congress and signed by the President.

Furthermore, the American Constitution mandates that the new President’s term must begin on January 20. The US law doesn’t allow a President to stay in office after January 20 even in the case of a national emergency.

Trump initially underplayed the severity of the coronavirus, sparred with governors over their requests for medical supplies and floated the idea of reopening the economy against the advice of public health officials. But he shifted course to back extending the shutdown measures to slow the spread of the virus. 
 
According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday, the coronavirus had rattled the entire country, with 89 per cent&nbsp;saying they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned by the respiratory disease.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump has asked Americans to brace for a painful period ahead, but even he doesn't know how long it's going to last. The Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in about 7 months from today and the campaign trail has already seen major disruption.

US President Donald Trump has asked Americans to brace for a painful period ahead, but even he doesn't know how long it's going to last. The Presidential elections are scheduled to take place in about 7 months from today and the campaign trail has already seen major disruption. Rallies, town hall meetings and public events have been cancelled. Over a dozen Democratic primaries have been delayed. Given the situation at hand, holding the election will be a herculean task. This is the time when the election campaign should have hit fever pitch, but now it has all gone cold! Democrats still don't have a candidate to take on Trump. Democratic primaries across 14 states have been delayed. The latest being New York, which was scheduled to hold it at the end of April, but now it has been pushed to the end of June. Other states have expanded vote by mail, citing the difficulty of holding elections. Republicans, meanwhile, are still assessing the President's response to the crisis. Donald Trump's biggest rival right now is not Joe Biden or even Bernie Sanders, but the Wuhan coronavirus. It's threatening the fundamentals of the Presidential election process. Elections in America have been delayed because of emergencies in the past, but only at the state and local level. The 9/11 terror attacks of 2001 came on the morning of a municipal primary election in the New York City. It was postponed by 2 weeks. In 2017, Municipal elections in Florida were briefly delayed because of Hurricane Irma. But never has the presidential election been postponed. The date of the general election is set by the US Federal law and it has been fixed since the year 1845. To change election dates, the federal law will have to be changed which would need legislation enacted by the US Congress and signed by the President. Furthermore, the American Constitution mandates that the new President’s term must begin on January 20. The US law doesn’t allow a President to stay in office after January 20 even in the case of a national emergency. Trump initially underplayed the severity of the coronavirus, sparred with governors over their requests for medical supplies and floated the idea of reopening the economy against the advice of public health officials. But he shifted course to back extending the shutdown measures to slow the spread of the virus. According to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released on Tuesday, the coronavirus had rattled the entire country, with 89 per cent saying they were “very” or “somewhat” concerned by the respiratory disease. (With inputs from agencies)

Will coronavirus outbreak force a postponement of US Presidential elections?

Coronavirus Outbreak: TB vaccine to protect from COVID-19?

There’s a message in Pakistani and Egyptian responses to the Coronavirus: Neither ultra-conservative science-rejecting worldviews nor self-serving autocratic policies could have blunted the impact of the disease.

To be sure, Pakistan and Egypt, although different in what drove their responses, are in good company. Overwhelmingly, governments across the globe with the exceptions of Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, failed to take the initial warnings signs seriously.

Unlike western democracies that have little to boast about in their handling of the crisis, countries like Pakistan and Egypt lack the checks and balances, robust civil societies, and independent media needed as correctives.

And both Egypt and Pakistan have gone out of their way to keep it that way.

Egypt, apparently taking a leaf out of China’s playbook, reprimanded foreign correspondents for The Guardian and The New York Times in Cairo for reporting that the number of cases in the country was exponentially higher than the 495 confirmed by authorities as of March 29.&nbsp;

The coverage was based on conclusions by infectious disease specialists at the University of Toronto who had analyzed flight and traveller data as well as infection rates.

The scientists estimated that “Egypt likely has a large burden of Covid-19 cases that are unreported.” They put the number of Egyptian cases as high as 19,130 as of March 15.

In response, authorities withdrew the press permit of The Guardian’s Ruth Michaelson and expelled her from the country while The New York Times’ Declan Walsh was forced to delete a tweet. Furthermore, several Egyptians have been detained on charges of spreading false and fabricated rumours.

Yet, Egypt imposed strict measures including the closure of all educational institutions and the suspension of flights on March 15, the day the scientists published their findings. The government also announced a $6.38 billion fund to fight the virus.

A World Health Organisation (WHO) official in Cairo said the group could not verify the scientists’ methodology but added that “It is possible that there are many other cases with mild symptoms which did not result in hospital visits, and therefore are not detected or reported.”

Independent reporting is a crucial node in an effective early warning system. It creates pressure for a timely response. The effort to suppress it was in line with Egyptian general-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s initial reaction to the virus.

Rather than focusing on early preventive measures at home, Al-Sisi sought to benefit from China’s predicament.

With only one officially confirmed case of a Chinese national arriving in February at Cairo airport who was hospitalised and cured, Al Sisi sent his health minister, Hala Zayed, to China to praise it for preventing a far worse global outbreak by taking very strong precautionary measures. This despite Beijing’s costly failure to confront the disease firmly from the outset.

Pakistan’s approach in recent months was no less negligent.

Like Egypt, a country in which the power of the military is thinly camouflaged by hollowed-out institutions, Pakistan too waffled until last week in its response to the pandemic.

The Pakistani government refused early on to evacuate some 800 students from Wuhan in a bid to earn brownie points in Beijing. It also failed to manage the return of potentially infected pilgrims from Iran. And finally, it catered to ultra-conservative groups whose worldviews were akin to ones long prevalent in Saudi Arabia with its significant cultural and religious influence in the South Asian nation.

As a result, Pakistan, a deeply religious country that borders on both China and Iran, allowed Tablighi Jamaat, a proselytising group with a huge global following in some 80 countries that is banned in Saudi Arabia, to continue organising mass events.

The group organised a 16,000 people mass gathering in early March in Malaysia where scores were infected with the Coronavirus.

Hundreds of Tablighi gathered from March 21 to 23 in the Mardan District of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to pray, listen to speeches, and eat and sleep in congested quarters.

One participant, professing his belief that God would protect the Tablighi, described spending almost six weeks together with thousands of others at Tablighi headquarters near Lahore, a city of 11 million, just before travelling to Mardan.

Pakistan Religious Affairs Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri caved into demands by the clergy to keep mosques open but capped the maximum number of people at prayers at five.

The minister’s concession reinforced a popular perception of the government’s message that the virus crisis was less grave than projected by health authorities across the globe.

“If the pandemic was serious, the government would’ve shut down all the mosques,” said Sadiq Bhutt, speaking through an interpreter, as he entered a mosque in Islamabad for Friday prayers.

Eventually, overriding government policy, the Pakistan military intervened in recent days to impose a lockdown like in much of the rest of the world.

But as in Egypt, it may be too late for Pakistan.

Ultimately, the lesson of Egypt, Pakistan, and China’s initial handling of the Coronavirus is that neither self-serving autocrats nor authoritarians have the wherewithal to confront a crisis like a pandemic in a timely fashion. Their much-delayed responses have failed to take the public’s interests to the heart rather than those of elites that prioritise geopolitical or political advantage.

Western democracies have performed not much better with US President Donald J Trump seemingly more concerned about the economic impact in an election year than about public health and people’s lives.

The difference, however, is that western democracies have the potential of holding leaders to account and implementing lessons learned from the costly mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s hard to hold out a similar hope for Arab autocracies or countries like Pakistan whose democratic façade is at best skin-deep.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

There’s a message in Pakistani and Egyptian responses to the Coronavirus: Neither ultra-conservative science-rejecting worldviews nor self-serving autocratic policies could have blunted the impact of the disease.

There’s a message in Pakistani and Egyptian responses to the Coronavirus: Neither ultra-conservative science-rejecting worldviews nor self-serving autocratic policies could have blunted the impact of the disease. To be sure, Pakistan and Egypt, although different in what drove their responses, are in good company. Overwhelmingly, governments across the globe with the exceptions of Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, failed to take the initial warnings signs seriously. Unlike western democracies that have little to boast about in their handling of the crisis, countries like Pakistan and Egypt lack the checks and balances, robust civil societies, and independent media needed as correctives. And both Egypt and Pakistan have gone out of their way to keep it that way. Egypt, apparently taking a leaf out of China’s playbook, reprimanded foreign correspondents for The Guardian and The New York Times in Cairo for reporting that the number of cases in the country was exponentially higher than the 495 confirmed by authorities as of March 29. The coverage was based on conclusions by infectious disease specialists at the University of Toronto who had analyzed flight and traveller data as well as infection rates. The scientists estimated that “Egypt likely has a large burden of Covid-19 cases that are unreported.” They put the number of Egyptian cases as high as 19,130 as of March 15. In response, authorities withdrew the press permit of The Guardian’s Ruth Michaelson and expelled her from the country while The New York Times’ Declan Walsh was forced to delete a tweet. Furthermore, several Egyptians have been detained on charges of spreading false and fabricated rumours. Yet, Egypt imposed strict measures including the closure of all educational institutions and the suspension of flights on March 15, the day the scientists published their findings. The government also announced a $6.38 billion fund to fight the virus. A World Health Organisation (WHO) official in Cairo said the group could not verify the scientists’ methodology but added that “It is possible that there are many other cases with mild symptoms which did not result in hospital visits, and therefore are not detected or reported.” Independent reporting is a crucial node in an effective early warning system. It creates pressure for a timely response. The effort to suppress it was in line with Egyptian general-turned-president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s initial reaction to the virus. Rather than focusing on early preventive measures at home, Al-Sisi sought to benefit from China’s predicament. With only one officially confirmed case of a Chinese national arriving in February at Cairo airport who was hospitalised and cured, Al Sisi sent his health minister, Hala Zayed, to China to praise it for preventing a far worse global outbreak by taking very strong precautionary measures. This despite Beijing’s costly failure to confront the disease firmly from the outset. Pakistan’s approach in recent months was no less negligent. Like Egypt, a country in which the power of the military is thinly camouflaged by hollowed-out institutions, Pakistan too waffled until last week in its response to the pandemic. The Pakistani government refused early on to evacuate some 800 students from Wuhan in a bid to earn brownie points in Beijing. It also failed to manage the return of potentially infected pilgrims from Iran. And finally, it catered to ultra-conservative groups whose worldviews were akin to ones long prevalent in Saudi Arabia with its significant cultural and religious influence in the South Asian nation. As a result, Pakistan, a deeply religious country that borders on both China and Iran, allowed Tablighi Jamaat, a proselytising group with a huge global following in some 80 countries that is banned in Saudi Arabia, to continue organising mass events. The group organised a 16,000 people mass gathering in early March in Malaysia where scores were infected with the Coronavirus. Hundreds of Tablighi gathered from March 21 to 23 in the Mardan District of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to pray, listen to speeches, and eat and sleep in congested quarters. One participant, professing his belief that God would protect the Tablighi, described spending almost six weeks together with thousands of others at Tablighi headquarters near Lahore, a city of 11 million, just before travelling to Mardan. Pakistan Religious Affairs Minister Noor-ul-Haq Qadri caved into demands by the clergy to keep mosques open but capped the maximum number of people at prayers at five. The minister’s concession reinforced a popular perception of the government’s message that the virus crisis was less grave than projected by health authorities across the globe. “If the pandemic was serious, the government would’ve shut down all the mosques,” said Sadiq Bhutt, speaking through an interpreter, as he entered a mosque in Islamabad for Friday prayers. Eventually, overriding government policy, the Pakistan military intervened in recent days to impose a lockdown like in much of the rest of the world. But as in Egypt, it may be too late for Pakistan. Ultimately, the lesson of Egypt, Pakistan, and China’s initial handling of the Coronavirus is that neither self-serving autocrats nor authoritarians have the wherewithal to confront a crisis like a pandemic in a timely fashion. Their much-delayed responses have failed to take the public’s interests to the heart rather than those of elites that prioritise geopolitical or political advantage. Western democracies have performed not much better with US President Donald J Trump seemingly more concerned about the economic impact in an election year than about public health and people’s lives. The difference, however, is that western democracies have the potential of holding leaders to account and implementing lessons learned from the costly mismanagement of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s hard to hold out a similar hope for Arab autocracies or countries like Pakistan whose democratic façade is at best skin-deep. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

How Egypt and Pakistan waffled in their response to coronavirus

China has now re-opened businesses in Wuhan city as the lockdown ends. China has been changing its counting methods. The world is now questioning China's intentions.

China: Businesses re-open in Wuhan as lockdown ends

Visiting Thailand or Dubai was cheaper than flying to Goa or Kerala a few months ago. The ultra-low or the budget airfares resulted in&nbsp;a travel boom and it helped in turning the dreams of foreign holidays into reality for many.&nbsp;

From Mauritius to Malaysia, the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-mulls-up-to-16-billion-rescue-plan-for-aviation-sector-after-coronavirus-287453">budget or low airfares</a> enticed many to explore the new holiday destinations with millions in India and overseas flying for the first time. But with the coronavirus pandemic striking travel and aviation world, the dreams of many for foreign holidays may be over for now or delayed indefinitely.&nbsp;

From low-cost pocket-friendly carriers to full-service airlines, no one in the aviation world was prepared for a global crisis of this scale. Coronavirus pandemic has broken the backbone of the aviation industry and with this, it may be a long-lasting goodbye to the popular super saver airfare schemes or pocket-friendly budget airfare schemes.

Analysts point out with the global travel and tourism industry taking <a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/banking-systems-may-need-help-if-handicapped-by-disruption-from-coronavirus-lockdowns-imf-289804">a massive hit</a>, the aviation industry might be limited to the essential air or business and need-based travel for some time to come. The low-cost airfares are a result of competition among the airlines to fill seats fast. With many airlines ceasing to exist in future as a result of coronavirus pandemic, low competition can result in airlines resorting to collusion to charge high fares for high margins.&nbsp;

The low-cost airfares were also the result of budget travel that has also taken a massive hit with low-cost holiday destinations like Thailand and Dubai locking down the cities. Also, expensive loans taken for aircraft purchase or high lease costs of the planes won't allow many low-cost airlines to keep flying. Low-cost airlines that started in the US and Europe were quite popular among bag packers or budget holiday goers and the model has been replicated worldwide. But with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-badly-is-the-indian-e-commerce-sector-going-to-be-hit-by-the-coronavirus-pandemic-289640">coronavirus pandemic</a>, everything can change. Sydney-based CAPA Centre for Aviation estimates that many carriers might go bankrupt by the end of May 2020 itself. &nbsp;

A Bloomberg estimate says the airline that are in danger of going under are Pakistan International Airlines, Spicejet, Norwegian, American airlines, Skywest, Air Asia, Asiana Airlines, Virgin Australia, Korean Air, China Eastern, and China Southern airlines.&nbsp;

"In short to medium term, the demand for air travel will remain low. Many airlines will go out of business. But the remaining ones will be more sustainable in the long term as there will be a capacity rationalisation. Some fare models will have to be reworked", said a veteran of the aviation industry who has served at managerial positions in both low cost and full-service carriers.&nbsp;

Based on the assumption that the airlines are not grounded beyond April 15, when the current lockdown ends, estimates suggest the Indian airline industry including companies providing auxiliary services like airports and ground handlers could suffer losses ranging from 3.3 billion to 3.6 billion dollars in the first three months of fiscal 2021 ending in June.&nbsp;

But the situation can change if governments across the world go for massive bailouts for the aviation and tourism sector including one in India.

"Advance cheap airfares could still come even after the Covid-19 crisis is over. After all it is an easier way to raise cash much in advance and many airlines will be in dire need of cash going forward", said another aviation industry executive.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Visiting Thailand or Dubai was cheaper than flying to Goa or Kerala a few months ago. The ultra-low or the budget airfares resulted in a travel boom and it helped in turning the dreams of foreign holidays into reality for many.

Visiting Thailand or Dubai was cheaper than flying to Goa or Kerala a few months ago. The ultra-low or the budget airfares resulted in a travel boom and it helped in turning the dreams of foreign holidays into reality for many. From Mauritius to Malaysia, the budget or low airfares enticed many to explore the new holiday destinations with millions in India and overseas flying for the first time. But with the coronavirus pandemic striking travel and aviation world, the dreams of many for foreign holidays may be over for now or delayed indefinitely. From low-cost pocket-friendly carriers to full-service airlines, no one in the aviation world was prepared for a global crisis of this scale. Coronavirus pandemic has broken the backbone of the aviation industry and with this, it may be a long-lasting goodbye to the popular super saver airfare schemes or pocket-friendly budget airfare schemes. Analysts point out with the global travel and tourism industry taking a massive hit, the aviation industry might be limited to the essential air or business and need-based travel for some time to come. The low-cost airfares are a result of competition among the airlines to fill seats fast. With many airlines ceasing to exist in future as a result of coronavirus pandemic, low competition can result in airlines resorting to collusion to charge high fares for high margins. The low-cost airfares were also the result of budget travel that has also taken a massive hit with low-cost holiday destinations like Thailand and Dubai locking down the cities. Also, expensive loans taken for aircraft purchase or high lease costs of the planes won't allow many low-cost airlines to keep flying. Low-cost airlines that started in the US and Europe were quite popular among bag packers or budget holiday goers and the model has been replicated worldwide. But with coronavirus pandemic, everything can change. Sydney-based CAPA Centre for Aviation estimates that many carriers might go bankrupt by the end of May 2020 itself. A Bloomberg estimate says the airline that are in danger of going under are Pakistan International Airlines, Spicejet, Norwegian, American airlines, Skywest, Air Asia, Asiana Airlines, Virgin Australia, Korean Air, China Eastern, and China Southern airlines. "In short to medium term, the demand for air travel will remain low. Many airlines will go out of business. But the remaining ones will be more sustainable in the long term as there will be a capacity rationalisation. Some fare models will have to be reworked", said a veteran of the aviation industry who has served at managerial positions in both low cost and full-service carriers. Based on the assumption that the airlines are not grounded beyond April 15, when the current lockdown ends, estimates suggest the Indian airline industry including companies providing auxiliary services like airports and ground handlers could suffer losses ranging from 3.3 billion to 3.6 billion dollars in the first three months of fiscal 2021 ending in June. But the situation can change if governments across the world go for massive bailouts for the aviation and tourism sector including one in India. "Advance cheap airfares could still come even after the Covid-19 crisis is over. After all it is an easier way to raise cash much in advance and many airlines will be in dire need of cash going forward", said another aviation industry executive. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Coronavirus impact on aviation industry: Low-cost airfare schemes could be halted for a long time

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