‘Humans May Be Apex Species, But Covid-19 Exposes Our Weaknesses’
NEW DELHI: Mauritius’ first woman President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim (2015-18), a biodiversity scientist, takes a magnifying glass to the weaknesses the coronavirus has exposed in humanity’s preparedness to deal with pandemics. In this exclusive conversation with StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P.Revi, she stresses how dealing with the virus is highlighting inequality especially for the poor in times of lockdowns. […]
Coronavirus The Proverbial Last Straw For Pakistan?
NEW DELHI: Pakistan has been reeling under severe economic challenges for the past twelve months, barely avoiding a sovereign default with handouts from Saudi Arabia, UAE, China and the IMF. Keeping in mind that Pakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world, an economic collapse will have severe human implications but in terms of […]
How Hungarian PM Viktor Orban Ensured His ‘Corona Coup’ Was A Success
NEW DELHI: Could governments use the coronavirus to muzzle democracy? This is not a trick question. Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has through the infamous ‘coronavirus bill’, armed himself with almost unlimited powers and extended the ‘state of emergency’ allowing him to rule by decree. People can be jailed for up to five years for […]
‘Biggest Lesson From Covid-19: Invest Heavily In Health, Education’
NEW DELHI: Post-Coronavirus, the government must set aside fiscal discipline and focus on stabilising the lives of thousands of workers in the informal sector. That’s the word from Rajat Kathuria, head of the economic policy think tank ICRIER. In an audio chat with StratNews Global’s Editor-in-Chief Nitin Gokhale and Editor Surya Gangadharan, Kathuria said the lives […]
Chinese Virus: How East Asia’s Tackling The Pandemic — Part-II
As the Chinese coronavirus continues its unrelenting march across the globe, StratNews Global cast its eyes around the region to see how other nations are coping. Our focus is on East Asia, and we examine the steps they have put in place to deal with a crisis of this magnitude, whether they are working and whether there are any lessons […]
World Bank Approves $1.9 Bn Emergency Fund For COVID-19, Says Will Spend More
NEW DELHI: To help developing countries fight the COVID-19 outbreak better, the World Bank has approved a first set of emergency support operations. The first group of projects, amounting to $1.9 billion, will assist 25 countries. India is the biggest beneficiary, with an allocation $1 billion. Pakistan comes a distant second ($200 mn) followed by Sri […]
Coronavirus: ‘Spain Has Existential Fear It’s The Next Apocalyptic Italy’
NEW DELHI: Imran Garda, host of ‘The Newsmakers’ on TRT World speaks to StratNews Global Associate Editor Amitabh P. Revi on Spain having the world’s second-highest number of people killed by the Coronavirus after Italy and why the health minister says there’s a ‘glimmer of hope. The journalist addresses the issues of whether Spain was […]
‘West Is In Decline But There’s No Certainty Yet Of A Chinese-Led World Order’
NEW DELHI: As part of our ‘Chinese Virus, Global Reset’ series, StratNews Global reached out to former diplomats and strategic analysts with questions on what the world order will look like post Covid-19. Harsh Pant, Director, Studies and Head of the Strategic Studies Programme at the Observer Research Foundation, tells Opinion Editor Ashwin Ahmad that […]
Chinese Virus In India’s Neighbourhood — Part 3
NEW DELHI: As the Chinese coronavirus continues its unrelenting march across the globe, StratNews Global casts its eyes around the Indian subcontinent to see how the neighbourhood is coping. Much like India, these countries are densely populated, have poor health infrastructure and lack the wherewithal to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Many are […]
‘Singapore’s Coronavirus Lesson: Set Up For Bad Times In Good Times’
NEW DELHI: ‘Singapore prepared for a pandemic crisis for 17 Years After SARS, when the sun was shining. Spotting the coronavirus trend early, using high-tech tools and coordination for contact tracing, dealing severely with violators and transparent communication- those are the reasons for Singapore to be considered one of the best practice countries dealing with the pandemic. Anuraag […]
What Has Relief Got To Do With Religion? A Lot, If You’re In Pakistan
KARACHI: Even at the best of times, it’s tough being part of a minority community in Pakistan. The Chinese virus pandemic that has affected over 1800 people in India’s western neighbour hasn’t blurred the administrative indifference towards Hindus and Christians. In the narrow bylanes of Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the country’s financial nerve centre, minorities […]
Virus: How East Asia’s Tackling The Pandemic
NEW DELHI: As the Chinese coronavirus continues its unrelenting march across the globe, StratNews Global cast its eyes around the region to see how other nations are coping. Our focus is on East Asia, and we examine the steps they have put in place to deal with a crisis of this magnitude, whether they are […]
India Will Now Accept Foreign Donations To Help Battle Chinese Virus
NEW DELHI: Amid eyebrows being raised about the government setting up the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) for donations to deal with the Wuhan virus, India has decided to accept foreign contributions to the fund. It marks a shift from India’s position dating back to the tsunami of 2004, to not accept […]
Chinese Virus In India’s Neighbourhood – Part 2
NEW DELHI: As the Chinese coronavirus continues its unrelenting march across the globe, StratNews Global cast its eyes around the Indian subcontinent to see how the neighbourhood is coping. Much like India, these countries are densely populated, have poor health infrastructure and lack the wherewithal to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Many are looking to India […]
Wuhan Virus Will Lead To A Changed International Order And Brave New World
NEW DELHI: As part of our ‘Chinese Virus, Global Reset’ series, StratNews Global reached out to former diplomats and strategic analysts with questions on what the world order will look like post Covid-19. Former Indian Indian Ambassador to Bhutan, Pakistan and China and currently Distinguished Professor, Symbiosis International University Gautam Bambawale tells Opinion Editor Ashwin […]
Chinese Virus In India’s Neighbourhood – Part 1
NEW DELHI: As the Chinese virus continues its unrelenting march across the globe, StratNews Global cast its eyes around the Indian subcontinent to see how the neighbourhood is coping. Much like India, these countries are densely populated, have poor health infrastructure and lack the wherewithal to deal with a crisis of this magnitude. Many are […]
Can China’s Communist Party Survive The Chinese Virus Fallout?
DHARAMSHALA: As China is apparently recovering from the battle against the dreaded Covid-19 virus, Beijing has started an Information Warfare (IW) against the way the world perceives the Middle Kingdom. For several years, analysts have been predicting that IW would be an important part of any battle of tomorrow. The first shot was fired by […]
Chinese Virus Has Exposed The True Face of The Pakistani Army
NEW DELHI: The Chinese Coronavirus pandemic is not only a test of a nation’s resolve, but in some cases, also exposes the true face of its society, military and institutions. While, in India, its armed forces are taking a lead in the fight against the invisible enemy, the Pakistani Army is busy shifting COVID-19 affected […]
Why Did WHO, China Take So Long To Act On Chinese Virus? Troubling Questions Remain Unanswered
NEW DELHI: As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic, troubling questions are being asked. Was there any way the infection could have been stopped from spreading? With prior information, could the number of those dead worldwide have been reduced? Some of these questions centre on the role of the World Health Organisation (WHO) which, […]
China Will Bounce Back From COVID-19 To Pursue Its Political And Economic Agenda
NEW DELHI: As part of our ‘Chinese Virus, Global Reset’ series, StratNews Global reached out to former diplomats and strategic analysts with a set of questions to essentially get their responses on what the world order will look like post Covid-19. Former Indian diplomat Talmiz Ahmad who is a West Asia expert tells Deputy Editor Parul Chandra that […]