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The UK entered a second lockdown on 5 November as coronavirus cases surpassed 1.2 million.With the sudden surge in infections and an alarming increase in deaths, especially in Europe and the UK, the need for a cure and vaccine is becoming more and more critical. In the last week 160,000 people in the UK have contracted the virus and today alone over 530 people have died (a total not seen since mid-May). A prospective vaccine has been announced, but not approved. “BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine — developed with the help of US partner Pfizer and China’s Fosun — is on course to become the first approved vaccination in the US and EU for the disease that has killed 1.25m people. Pfizer and BioNTech said they expected to have complete safety data from the trial ready to submit to US a...

Religious leaders unite in prayer for peace during COVID-19 On September 26 2020, European and African leaders united in an interfaith prayer event online to call for the continued work of peace amid the current pandemic and the eradication or COVID-19.Hundreds gathered to pray as the United Nations marked its 75th anniversary and International Peace Month. Faith leaders from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and other religious joined Heavenly Culture World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL) to host the event. Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL) is a non-governmental organization in Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and associated with the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC). The ...

Early this morning President Trump tweeted that he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19. His tweet about the diagnosis is his most-ever-liked, despite being tweeted at nearly 1 a.m. This is clearly a very shocking development and commentators have been trying to make sense of what this means for the presidential race. Will the next presidential debate be cancelled? Will Trump benefit from some public sympathy (which Boris Johnson arguably benefitted from in the U.K. after contracting COVID-19)? Or will this shake Trump’s image and cause his supporters to rethink their position?   As the story has developed, it appears that Trump’s symptoms are ‘mild’. But even if he makes a speedy recovery, the significance of this will depend, like many other things, on...

The Science of Kindness in Quarantine The first week I moved to London, I went to a Tesco Express for some tomatoes. I looked a woman in the eye. I smiled as I passed someone coming out the door. They hurriedly moved on. I made chit-chat with the cashier. I even tried cracking a joke. They didn’t even flinch. What’s happening? I thought. Is it me?Within 6 months, I acted like everyone else - no hellos, no jokes, looking busy to feel important, exhausted. Staring at the tube adverts, phone, anything. And not, under any circumstances, making eye contact with a stranger. But then my mother came to visit - and she, as I had originally been, spoke to anyone, tossing compliments at people on the Northern Line, smiling at people in Sainsburys, chatting away, chipper as ever. Once, she loudly ...

What's happening with Belarus' "Slipper Uprising"?  After claiming independence from the Soviet Union nearly three decades ago, landlocked Belarus established a constitution and elected Alexander Lukashenko (who has been in power since that time). Within two years, he altered the Constitution, giving himself leeway to make unilateral decisions independent from other government bodies (hence why he is often referred to as "Europe's last dictator”). Globally, Lukashenko is likened to Vladimir Putin, and infamous for silencing the media, threatening opposition, and toying with election results. He also commented that ice hockey could be a solution to COVID-19 (more on that later).Lukashenko was recently up for reelection (again) - and leading up to those elections, b...

The English Teacher vs. Europe’s Last Dictator Imagine this.You are a stay-at-home mother. You are under 40 years old. You have two children, one of whom has special needs. You love teaching but gave up your career to care for your family. Your spouse works as a writer, and often critiques the oppressive government you live under. Then, one day, security services from said government ransack your home, claim to find $900,000 in cash, accuse your spouse of being a foreign agent, and arrest him. You are left to care for your 10-year-old son and five-year-old daughter alone. You receive death threats and flee to a neighbouring country. Your spouse is still imprisoned.Meanwhile, a fire boils is within you - a fire for justice, equality, and a future of freedom for you...

Beirut’s blast that tore through the capital on the 4th August continues to unearth the Lebanese government’s fragility during a crisis. Four weeks later and here’s what we know:  Two blasts erupted in the capital. The second and more powerful blast was allegedly caused by unsafely stored Ammonium Nitrate (widely used in fertilizers and mining explosives, although it is not explosive on its own).Safe storage of chemicals like Ammonium Nitrate has been debated for years, especially since 2014. Follow the timeline of events that led to the explosion here and visual impact here.At least 181 people are confirmed dead, 6,000 injured, and 300,000 left homelessThe international community continues to pour millions of pounds of humanitarian aid into Beirut - list of donations here. &n...

Image: Chadwick Boseman/Twitter Rest in Power “I’m absolutely devastated. This is beyond heartbreaking.  Chadwick was special. A true original. He was a deeply committed and constantly curious artist. He had so much amazing work still left to create. I’m endlessly grateful for our friendship. Rest in power, King” - Chris Evans  “Our hearts are broken and our thoughts are with Chadwick Boseman’s family. Your legacy will live on forever. Rest In Peace.” - Marvel studios  Tributes have poured in since we woke up to the tragic news that Chadwick Boseman passed away from a private four-year battle with Colon Cancer. Why Boseman kept his diagnosis out of the public eye is unknown, but what is certain is that he did not let his illness detract from deliveri...

Breaking News - The Beirut Blast On Tuesday 4th August a devastating explosion hit Lebanon in its capital city of Beirut. The shockwaves were so powerful that they could be felt over 100 miles away in Cyrpus.  One week later and here’s what we know so far:  Two blasts erupted in the capital. The second and more powerful blast was allegedly caused by unsafely stored Ammonium Nitrate (widely used in fertilizers and mining explosives, although it is not explosive on its own). Safe storage of chemicals like Ammonium Nitrate has been debated for years, especially since 2014. Follow the timeline of events that led to the explosion here and visual impact here. Over 150 people are confirmed dead and the death toll continues to rise as hospitals which would normally be on fi...

Right to a fair trial: Sold to many, redeemable by the few Unless you were in hiding for the last five months, you could not miss the eruption of protests all across the world. Sparked by George Floyd’s death in police custody in the United States, outcries for justice spread to encompass other developed nations who quickly pointed the finger elsewhere but were slow to recognise their own shortcomings. In the UK, typical phrases such as, “that only happens in America” or, “at least we’re not as bad as the States” are synonymous with rhetoric on judicial reform.  George Floyd’s killers are being charged with second-degree murder or aiding and abetting murder. However, devastatingly low numbers of police killings actually result in convictions. This raises the quest...