March 2020 - Anticentric

Still conservative, Singapore court rejects challenges to law criminalising sex between men

March 31, 2020 David Ho

Singapore remains very conservative. A recent court challenge to a law that makes homosexuality illegal failed but those that challenged it have vowed to stay the course.

Social unrest and COVID-19: In LatAm, a break during the outbreak

March 20, 2020 Sergio Held

Social unrest, protests and economic issues in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Venezuela have been pushed to the back burner by the COVID-19 pandemic. The next area of dissent will be how to deal with the impact of the novel coronavirus.

COVID-19: Speaking from quarantine, a Hong Konger returning home describes confusion but few answers

March 19, 2020 David Ho

A Hong Konger trapped at the airport relays his experience. There appear to be no clear rules on the extent of quarantine measures for suspected cases. HONG KONG – Borders are closing worldwide in a bid to contain the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic, but Hong Kong is still scrambling with

COVID-19: Venezuela faces outbreak with almost no defences

March 13, 2020 Sergio Held

BOGOTA. Venezuela is a country just waiting to die. As the world braces for the impact of the coronavirus, Venezuela continues to deny it has any cases of COVID-19 in its territory. The governing regime claims it has a drug to deal with the virus should the need arise. “I

COVID 19: Beijing struggles to return to normalcy

March 10, 2020 Anticentric

The outbreak of COVID-19 is rapidly slowing in China but, at least in the capital of Beijing, any kind of normalcy will take time to return. Even though some of the city’s 20-plus million residents are beginning to venture out, the streets are far less busy than they once were.

Bangladesh on track to pull off a multi-decade economic miracle

March 6, 2020 Alfred Romann

Bangladesh has been undergoing a significant shift that could have a dramatic impact on global supply chains and secure an economic miracle. COVID-19 could put a damper on growth by shutting down factories en masse. Bangladesh has tapped into global supply chains. HONG KONG – Bangladesh is not known as

Chile: An exhausted country plunged into chaos

March 5, 2020 Sergio Held

Chile is witnessing vandalism, crime and even terrorism and the country has been plunged into chaos. Protestors appear dissatisfied by the president’s offer of a vote to change the constitution. The economy is set to suffer a decline. Many Chilean cities have not seen a day of calm for months.

COVID-19: In Canada, quarantines and precautions are the concern for many

March 3, 2020 Alfred Romann

The fear that the coronavirus outbreak has caused can be difficult to understand in places where the outbreak has been relatively small. And yet, it is right there and impossible to ignore. For some of us, it is not so much fear as the understanding that it makes very little