When coughing became a tool of terror
by Rashmee
Posted on March 30, 2020
In Canberra, Australia, two men were arrested on March 28 for coughing and spitting in public. In Hail, Saudi Arabia, a man with coronavirus could face the death penalty after spitting on trolleys and doors in a shopping centre. In Blackburn, England, a 40-year-old man was jailed after threatening to cough and spit at a … Continue reading “When coughing became a tool of terror”
Read MoreCoronavirus cancels Brexit talks. No such luck with Brexit itself
by Rashmee
Posted on March 28, 2020
It’s nearly eight weeks since Brexit was done – at least in the sense that Britain left the European Union (EU). But the 11-month transition period to final exit has already been overtaken by events. On March 26, planned negotiations on the UK’s future relationship with the EU were abandoned. During a European commission briefing … Continue reading “Coronavirus cancels Brexit talks. No such luck with Brexit itself”
Read MoreThere is a Rumi quote for every moment, including the time of coronavirus
by Rashmee
Posted on March 27, 2020
There is a Rumi quote for every moment. For these times we live in: “Be patient where you sit in the dark. The dawn is coming.” Truly, Rumi transcends timezones and the times. I saw this over the course of just one fortnight. Days ago, in Washington, D.C. there was this: And at a Tube … Continue reading “There is a Rumi quote for every moment, including the time of coronavirus”
Read MoreCoronavirus: Lessons from Chinese companies
by Rashmee
Posted on March 26, 2020
It was Axios, the US news website, that suggested there were lessons for American companies to learn from their Chinese counterparts in lockdown. But in actual fact, Chinese companies could be seen as a template for others, everywhere. As Philipp Carlsson-Szlezak, the Boston Consulting Group’s chief economist, told Axios, the lessons from China are abundant. … Continue reading “Coronavirus: Lessons from Chinese companies”
Read MoreCoronavirus or not, Europe uses Albania to show it’s business as usual
by Rashmee
Posted on March 25, 2020
The European Union (EU) is trying business as usual, pandemic or not, and it’s using a hot-button issue – accession talks for Albania and North Macedonia – to do so. On Tuesday (March 24), EU foreign and Europe ministers discussed (by videoconference) a proposal to open talks with the two Balkan countries. It was an … Continue reading “Coronavirus or not, Europe uses Albania to show it’s business as usual”
Read MoreIn time of coronavirus, Taiwan has a doctor in the house (or the vice-president’s office)
by Rashmee
Posted on March 23, 2020
Taiwan’s treatment of the coronavirus pandemic is considered extraordinary and quite remarkable, tough, transparent and effective. Consider this. Even though 850,000 of Taiwan’s 23 million citizens live in mainland China and 400,000 work there, Taiwan has just 169 cases (as of March 23) compared to more than 80,000 in China. How did this happen? Two … Continue reading “In time of coronavirus, Taiwan has a doctor in the house (or the vice-president’s office)”
Read MoreCoronavirus and the prognosis for Afghanistan’s faux peace deal
by Rashmee
Posted on March 21, 2020
Afghanistan is at a particularly unenviable moment as the coronavirus outbreak shuts down the planet. Its government is paralysed by a tense political power struggle, a supposed “peace deal” has been signed between the US and the Taliban and the coronavirus is affecting the promised withdrawal of US troops. Meanwhile, the impact of … Continue reading “Coronavirus and the prognosis for Afghanistan’s faux peace deal”
Read MoreCometh the hour, cometh the growth opportunity
by Rashmee
Posted on March 20, 2020
Three sectors are flourishing in the age of the novel coronavirus, Covid-19: New words and phrases New crimes of opportunity New openings for commerce Yesterday, I wrote about the crop of words and phrases already being harvested from the coronavirus outbreak. Click here to read it. If you don’t, here’s a reminder of some of … Continue reading “Cometh the hour, cometh the growth opportunity”
Read MoreItalians under lockdown are an example to us all, especially here in ‘hamstering’ Britain
by Rashmee
Posted on March 19, 2020
Eliara del Banco, mother of 12-year-old Alessandro, lives in Lucca, birthplace of the great composer Puccini and famous for its beautifully preserved Renaissance-period walls, historic city centre and cobblestoned streets. For the past nine days, mother and son have been in quarantine because on March 10, Italy became the first democratic country since World War II … Continue reading “Italians under lockdown are an example to us all, especially here in ‘hamstering’ Britain”
Read MoreIf perfume companies can make hand gel, clothing firms can do protective gear for medics
by Rashmee
Posted on March 18, 2020
It was a coincidence that I heard Italian doctor Fabiano Di Marco talking about the deadly effects of the coronavirus on the medical community in Bergamo town, near Milan, the very day a worried London father described how his son and daughter-in-law – specialist doctors – had been deployed to deal with Covid-19 patients without … Continue reading “If perfume companies can make hand gel, clothing firms can do protective gear for medics”
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Rashmee has lived and worked in several countries in the past decade, including Afghanistan, India, Haiti, Tunisia, the UAE, US and UK