When the world celebrated the dawn of a new decade with a blaze of firework parties and revelry on January 1, few could have imagined what 2020 had in store.
In the last 12 months, the novel coronavirus has paralysed economies, devastated communities and confined nearly four billion people to their homes. It has been a year that changed the world like no other for at least a generation, possibly since World War II.
More than 1.7 million people died. Around 80 million people are known to have contracted the virus, though the actual number is likely much higher. Children became orphans, grandparents were lost and partners bereaved as loved ones died alone in hospital, bedside visits considered too dangerous to risk.
"This is a pandemic experience that's unique in the lifetime of every single person on Earth," says Sten Vermund, infectious disease epidemiologist and dean of Yale School of Public Health. "Hardly any of us haven't been touched by it."
Covid-19 is far from the deadliest pandemic in history. Bubonic plague in the 14th Century wiped out a quarter of the population. At least 50 million succumbed to Spanish Influenza in 1918-19. Thirty-three million people died of AIDS.
But contracting coronavirus is as simple as breathing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"I went to the gate of hell and came back," said Wan Chunhui, a 44-year-old Chinese survivor who spent 17 days in hospital. "I saw with my own eyes that others failed to recover and died, which has had a big impact on me."
The scale of the global disaster was scarcely imaginable when on December 31, Chinese authorities announced 27 cases of "viral pneumonia of unknown origin" that was baffling doctors in the city of Wuhan.
The next day, authorities quietly shut the Wuhan animal market initially linked to the outbreak. On January 7, Chinese officials announced they had identified the new virus, calling it 2019-nCoV. On January 11, China announced the first death in Wuhan. Within days, cases flared across Asia, in France and the United States.
By the end of the month, countries were airlifting foreigners out of China. Borders around the world started to close and more than 50 million people living in Wuhan's province of Hubei were in quarantine.
- New disease, lockdown -
AFP images of a man lying dead on his back outside a Wuhan furniture shop, wearing a face mask and holding a plastic bag, came to encapsulate the fear pervading the city. AFP could not confirm the cause of his death at the time. Emblematic of the horror and claustrophobia also was the Diamond Princess cruise ship on which more than 700 people ultimately contracted the virus and 13 died.
As the horror went global, the race for a vaccine had already begun. A small German biotech company called BioNTech quietly put their cancer work aside and launched another project. Its name? "Speed of Light".
On February 11, the World Health Organization named the new disease as Covid-19. Four days later, France reported the first confirmed death outside Asia. Europe watched in horror as northern Italy turned into an epicentre.
"It's worse than the war," said Orlando Gualdi, mayor of the Lombardy village of Vertova in March, where 36 people died in 25 days. "It's absurd to think that there could be such a pandemic in 2020."
First Italy, then Spain, France and Britain went into lockdown. WHO declared Covid-19 a pandemic. US borders, already closed to China, shut to much of Europe. For the first time in peacetime, the summer Olympics were delayed.
By mid-April, 3.9 billion people or half of humanity were living under some form of lockdown. From Paris to New York, from Delhi to Lagos, and from London to Buenos Aires, streets fell eerily silent, the all too frequent wail of ambulance sirens, a reminder that death loomed close.
Scientists had warned for decades of a global pandemic, but few listened. Some of the richest countries in the world, let alone the poorest floundered in the face of an invisible enemy. In a globalised economy, supply chains ground to a halt. Supermarket shelves were stripped bare by panic buyers.
Chronic underinvestment in healthcare was brutally exposed, as hospitals struggled to cope and intensive care units were rapidly overwhelmed. Underpaid and overworked medics battled without personal protective equipment.
"I graduated in 1994 and government hospitals were utterly neglected then," said Nilima Vaidya-Bhamare, a doctor in Mumbai, India, one of the worst-hit countries. "Why does it take a pandemic to wake people up?" she asked in May.
In New York, the city with more billionaires than any other, medics were photographed having to wear bin liners. A field hospital was erected in Central Park. Mass graves were dug on Hart Island.
- 'Absolute calamity' -
"It is a scene out of a horror movie," said Virgilio Neto, mayor of Manaus in Brazil. "We are no longer in a state of emergency but rather of absolute calamity." Bodies were piling up in refrigerated trucks and bulldozers were digging mass graves.
Businesses closed. Schools and colleges shut. Live sport was cancelled. Commercial airline travel saw its most violent contraction in history. Shops, clubs, bars and restaurants closed. Spain's lockdown was so severe that children couldn't leave home. People were suddenly trapped, cheek by jowl in tiny apartments for weeks on end.
Those who could, worked from home. Zoom calls replaced meetings, business travel and parties. Those whose jobs were not transferrable were often sacked or forced to risk their health and work regardless.
In May, the pandemic had wiped out 20 million American jobs. The pandemic and global recession could push to 150 million the number of people living in extreme poverty by 2021, the World Bank has warned.
Social inequities, which for years had been growing, were exposed like never before. Hugs, handshakes and kisses fell by the wayside. Human interaction took place behind plexiglass, face masks and hand sanitiser.
Instances of domestic violence soared, so did mental health problems. As city dwellers with means congratulated themselves on riding out the pandemic at palatial second homes in the countryside and governments floundered, tempers boiled among those trapped in cities and rage spilt onto the streets.
The United States, the world's biggest economy and a country without universal healthcare, rapidly became the single worst-hit nation. More than 330,000 people have died while President Donald Trump pooh-poohed the threat and touted questionable treatments such as hydroxychloroquine and floated the idea of injecting disinfectant.
By May, he launched Operation Warp Speed, with the US government spending $11 billion on developing a Covid-19 vaccine by the end of the year. Trump touted it as the biggest US endeavour since creating the atom bomb in World War II.
Not even the rich and powerful could buy immunity. In October, Trump contacted Covid-19 as had Brazilian leader Jair Bolsonaro in July. Trump's response to the pandemic likely helped cost him the election to Joe Biden. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson spent three days in the ICU with coronavirus in April.
A-list movie star Tom Hanks and his wife fell sick. Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the greatest footballers of his generation, tennis champion Novak Djokovic, Madonna, Prince Charles and Prince Albert II all tested positive.
- 2021 vaccine drive -
As the year draws to a close, governments are on the cusp of inoculating millions, starting with the elderly, medics and the most vulnerable before moving into mass campaigns presented as the only ticket back to a normal life.
In December, Britain became the first Western country to approve a vaccine for general use and roll out the inoculation developed in the BioNTech lab in cooperation with US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer.
The United States quickly followed suit with EU nations to start on Sunday, but the emergence of a new strain of the virus in multiple countries has dampened some of the euphoria over the start of mass vaccination program.
"If I can have it at 90 then you can have it too," said Margaret Keenan, the British grandmother who became the first person to receive the approved Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.
As wealthy nations rush to buy up stocks, 2021 will likely see China and Russia vie for influence by expanding beyond their borders their own, cheaper vaccines.
The extent to which the Covid-19 pandemic will leave a lasting legacy is far from clear. Some experts warn it could yet take years to build up herd immunity through mass vaccination, especially in the face of entrenched anti-vax beliefs in some countries. Others predict lives could snap back to normal by the middle of next year.
Many expect a more flexible approach to working from home, increased reliance on technology and supply chains that become more local. Travel is likely to resume, but how quickly is uncertain. The disease can leave otherwise healthy young people debilitated for months.
If home-working for white-collar workers remains common place, what will happen to commercial real-estate in downtown cities? Could urban centres start to de-populate as people, no longer bound by the commute, move away in search of greener or quieter lifestyles?
There are also concerns about the impact on civil liberties. Think tank Freedom House says democracy and human rights have deteriorated in 80 countries as governments abuse power in their response to the virus.
Others predict that fear of large crowds could have huge consequences, at least for public transport, cultural, sporting and entertainment venues, and the cruise ship industry.
"I think there are going to be some profound shifts in our society," warned Yale School of Public Health's Vermund.
The world economy is also in for a rough ride. IMF has warned of a recession worse than that which followed the 2008 financial crisis. But for many, the pandemic is just a spot on the long-term horizon of a far deadlier, far more challenging and far more life-changing calamity.
"Covid-19 has been something of a big wave that's been hitting us, and behind that is the tsunami of climate change and global warming," says astrobiologist Lewis Dartnell whose 2014 book "The Knowledge" advises how the world can rebuild following a global catastrophe.
Supporters of the assisted dying law for terminally ill people hold a banner, on the day British lawmakers are preparing to vote on the bill, in London, Britain, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes
PARLIAMENT voted on Friday (20) in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying, paving the way for the country's biggest social change in a generation.
314 lawmakers voted in favour with 291 against the bill, clearing its biggest parliamentary hurdle.
The "Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life)" law would give mentally competent, terminally ill adults in England and Wales with six months or less left to live the right to choose to end their lives with medical help.
The vote puts Britain on course to follow Australia, Canada and other countries, as well as some US states, in permitting assisted dying.
Supporters say it will provide dignity and compassion to people suffering, but opponents worry that vulnerable people could be coerced into ending their lives.
The bill now proceeds to the upper chamber, the House of Lords, where it will undergo months of scrutiny. While there could be further amendments, the unelected Lords will be reluctant to block legislation that has been passed by elected members of the House of Commons.
Prime minister Keir Starmer's Labour government was neutral on the legislation, meaning politicians voted according to their conscience rather than along party lines. Starmer had previously said he was in favour of allowing assisted dying.
FILE PHOTO: Kim Leadbeater reacts during an interview about the Assisted Dying Bill in Westminster, London, Britain, October 15, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Opinion polls show that a majority of Britons back assisted dying. Friday's vote followed hours of emotional debate and references to personal stories in the chamber and followed a vote in November that approved the legislation in principle.
The vote took place 10 years after parliament last voted against allowing assisted dying.
Opponents of the bill had argued that ill people may feel they should end their lives for fear of being a burden to their families and society, and some lawmakers withdrew their support after the initial vote last year, saying safeguards had been weakened.
The 314 to 291 vote for the bill compared to the last November's result, which was 330 to 275 in favour.
In the original plan, an assisted death would have required court approval. That has been replaced by a requirement for a judgement by a panel including a social worker, a senior legal figure and a psychiatrist, which is seen by some as a watering down.
The Labour lawmaker who proposed the bill, Kim Leadbeater, said that the legislation still offered some of the most robust protections in the world against the coercion of vulnerable people.
Hundreds of campaigners both in favour and against the legislation gathered outside parliament on Friday to watch the vote on their mobile phones.
Those in favour chanted “my decision, my choice”, holding up posters that said “my life, my death” and photos of relatives who they said had died in pain.
Those against the legislation held up placards that said “let’s care not kill” and “kill the bill not the ill”.
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An Air India Airbus A320-200 aircraft takes off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad, India, July 7, 2017. Picture taken July 7, 2017.
INDIA’s aviation regulator has warned Air India for violating safety rules after three of its Airbus aircraft operated flights without undergoing mandatory checks on emergency escape slides, according to official documents reviewed by Reuters.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued warning notices and a detailed investigation report highlighting the breach. These documents were sent days before the recent crash of an Air India Boeing 787-8, in which all but one of the 242 people onboard were killed. The Airbus incidents are unrelated to that crash.
According to the DGCA report, spot checks carried out in May found that three Air India Airbus aircraft were flown even though scheduled inspections on the escape slides – considered “critical emergency equipment” – were overdue.
One Airbus A320 was flown for more than a month before the check was completed on 15 May. AirNav Radar data showed that the aircraft operated international flights during that period, including to Dubai, Riyadh and Jeddah.
In another case, an Airbus A319 used on domestic routes had slide checks overdue by over three months. A third case involved a plane where the inspection was two days late.
“The above cases indicate that aircraft were operated with expired or unverified emergency equipment, which is a violation of standard airworthiness and safety requirements,” the DGCA report stated.
The report also said Air India failed to respond on time to DGCA’s queries on the issue, which “further evidenc[ed] weak procedural control and oversight.”
Air India, which was acquired by the Tata Group from the government in 2022, said in a statement that it was “accelerating” verification of all maintenance records, including escape slide checks, and expected to finish the process soon.
In one case, Air India said the issue came to light after an AI Engineering Services engineer “inadvertently deployed an escape slide during maintenance.”
The DGCA and Airbus did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters.
Vibhuti Singh, a former legal expert at India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, said checks on escape slides are “a very serious issue. In case of accident, if they don’t open, it can lead to serious injuries.”
The DGCA report said aircraft that miss mandatory inspections have their airworthiness certificates “deemed suspended.”
The warning notices and report were issued by Animesh Garg, deputy director of airworthiness, and were addressed to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson, as well as the airline’s continuing airworthiness manager, quality manager and head of planning.
An Indian aviation lawyer told Reuters such breaches often lead to monetary and civil penalties for both the airline and individual executives.
Wilson said in a 2023 interview with Reuters that global parts shortages were affecting most airlines, but the problem was “more acute” for Air India, whose “product is obviously a lot more dated,” with many aircraft not updated since 2010-2011.
‘Systemic control failure’
The DGCA report said some Air India aircraft inspected by officials also had outdated registration paperwork. Air India told Reuters that all but one of its aircraft met the required standards and said this “poses no impact” to safety.
The report criticised the airline’s internal oversight systems, stating: “Despite prior notifications and identified deficiencies, the organisation’s internal quality and planning departments failed to implement effective corrective action, indicating systemic control failure.”
India’s junior aviation minister told parliament in February that airlines were fined or warned in 23 cases over safety violations last year. Of these, 12 involved Air India and Air India Express. One case involved “unauthorised entry into cockpit”, and the biggest fine – $127,000 – was imposed on Air India for “insufficient oxygen on board” during a San Francisco-bound flight.
Air India’s Chairman N Chandrasekaran addressed employees on Monday, calling on staff to remain focused amid criticism following last week’s crash and said the incident should serve as a catalyst to build a safer airline.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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Pro and anti-assisted dying campaigners protest ahead of a parliamentary decision later today, on June 20, 2025 in London.
UK MPs are set to hold a key vote on assisted dying on Friday, which could either advance or halt a proposed law that would allow terminally ill adults to end their lives under strict conditions.
The vote follows several hours of debate in the House of Commons and will decide whether the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill moves to the House of Lords for further scrutiny or is dropped altogether.
As MPs gather for the third reading — their final opportunity to debate the bill’s content — demonstrators from both sides of the issue are expected outside parliament.
“This is about real people facing the prospect of a painful and undignified death either for themselves or a loved one,” said MP Kim Leadbeater, who is leading the bill. “The injustice and inhumanity of the status quo means we cannot wait any longer to offer them the hope of a better death.”
The legislation would apply to adults in England and Wales with an incurable illness and fewer than six months to live.
It would require patients to administer the life-ending medication themselves, with approval needed from two doctors and a panel of experts.
If passed, the law would bring England and Wales in line with other countries that permit some form of assisted dying.
Concerns and changes
Supporters of the bill say it would offer more protection and choice to people nearing the end of life. Opponents argue it could put pressure on vulnerable individuals.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists has raised concerns, stating last month that it had “serious concerns” about safeguarding people with mental illness, and said it could not support the bill in its current form.
MPs initially backed the bill by 330 votes to 275 in November. Since then, changes have been made, including a ban on advertising assisted dying and provisions allowing health workers to opt out of taking part.
The current vote comes as several MPs have shifted their stance, and political parties are allowing a free vote. The outcome remains uncertain.
Vote tally and next steps
An ITV News tally of about half of all MPs suggests 153 support the change, 141 are opposed, 21 remain undecided and another 21 are expected to abstain.
Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords must pass the bill before the end of the current parliamentary year, likely in the autumn, for it to become law.
If approved and granted royal assent, assisted dying services would not begin for at least four years.
Legal and regional developments
The government’s impact assessment, published this month, estimates that 160 to 640 assisted deaths could occur in the first year of implementation, rising to about 4,500 by the tenth year.
Prime minister Keir Starmer is expected to support the bill, but some cabinet members, including the health and justice secretaries, have spoken against it.
Assisted suicide is currently punishable by up to 14 years in prison in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Separate legislation is being considered in Scotland, and the Isle of Man passed an assisted dying bill in March, becoming the first British territory to do so.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Zhenhao Zou, 28, was jailed on Thursday after being found guilty of multiple offences. (Photo: Reuters)
A CHINESE postgraduate student convicted of drugging and raping 10 women in the UK and China has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a London court.
Zhenhao Zou, 28, was jailed on Thursday after being found guilty of multiple offences. Police say there is evidence he may have targeted more than 50 other women.
Zou targeted young Chinese women, inviting them to his flat in London under the pretext of studying or having drinks, before drugging and assaulting them. He filmed nine of the rapes using hidden or handheld cameras. Only three of the 10 victims have been identified so far.
‘Planned and executed a campaign of rape’
Sentencing him at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Rosina Cottage said there was “no doubt that you planned and executed a campaign of rape” that had caused “devastating and long term effects”.
She said that while Zou appeared “well to do, ambitious and charming”, this image masked a “sexual predator”. He had treated his victims “callously” as “sex toys” for his own gratification, she said, and posed a “risk for an indefinite period” due to his desire to assert “power and control over women”.
Zou, wearing a dark suit and glasses, listened to the sentence via a translator. He will serve a minimum of 22 years, taking into account time already spent in custody.
A former engineering student at University College London, Zou was found guilty in March of 28 offences. These included 11 counts of rape, three counts of voyeurism, one count of false imprisonment, three counts of possessing butanediol with intent to commit a sexual offence, and 10 counts of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
He raped three women in London and seven in China between 2019 and 2023. Two of the rape charges related to one woman.
Victims speak of trauma
Several victims gave impact statements during the sentencing, describing the psychological effects they continue to suffer. These include nightmares, self-harm, and isolation.
One woman said she remembered “wandering like a trapped animal trying to find an exit” after the attack.
“What happened that night is etched into my soul forever,” she said. She added that Zou’s family was “very powerful in China” and that she feared he would “seek revenge”.
Police appeal for more victims to come forward
After the sentencing, Saira Pike from the Crown Prosecution Service said Zou was a “serial rapist and a danger to women”.
“His life sentence reflects the heinous acts and harm he caused to women and the danger he posed to society,” she said.
She said that analysis of footage and online chats had shown the former student’s “meticulous planning and the horrifying execution of his crimes”. Pike also praised the “courageous women” who came forward and whose evidence, along with Zou’s own videos, helped secure his conviction.
Since his conviction, 24 women have come forward following an international police appeal, saying they believe they may have been assaulted by Zou.
The Metropolitan Police believe there may be more victims and have appealed for them to come forward.
Commander Kevin Southworth said, “Our investigation remains open and we continue to appeal to anyone who may think they have been a victim of Zou.”
“Please come forward and speak with our team – we will treat you with empathy, kindness and respect.”
Zou also studied in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 2017.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Mother (C) of First Officer Clive Kunder, co-pilot of the Air India plane that crashed in Ahmedabad last week, mourns after his mortal remains were brought to his residence, in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)
AIR INDIA said on Wednesday (18) it will cut international operations on its widebody aircraft by 15 per cent for the next few weeks, citing ongoing safety inspections and operational disruptions following last week's deadly crash of one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
Authorities continue to investigate the crash of flight AI171, which killed 241 people and marked the world's deadliest aviation disaster in a decade.
Inspections had been completed on 26 of Air India’s 33 Boeing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, and those 26 have been cleared for service, the airline said.
The cuts to some routes, effective until at least mid-July, were being implemented "to ensure stability of operations, better efficiency and minimise inconvenience to passengers," the Tata Group-owned airline said.
The remaining planes will be checked in the coming days and additional checks are also planned for its Boeing 777 fleet, Air India added.
In an interview with Indian broadcaster Times Now, Chandrasekaran said Air India flight 171's right engine was new and installed in March 2025, and that the left engine was last serviced in 2023.
The Dreamliner was fitted with GE Aerospace's engines. "The plane was well-maintained, with its last major check in June 2023," Air India said.
"Its right engine was overhauled in March 2025, and the left engine was inspected in April 2025. Both the aircraft and engines were regularly monitored, showing no issues before the flight," the airline added.
It said the pilots were accomplished flyers. "The flight was led by Captain Sumeet Sabharwal, a highly experienced pilot and trainer with over 10,000 hours flying widebody aircraft.
"First Officer Clive Kunder, had over 3,400 hours of flying experience."
The London-bound jet burst into a fireball when it smashed into a residential area of Ahmedabad moments after take-off, leaving at least 38 people dead on the ground.
Initial checks since the crash on Air India's Dreamliners "did not reveal any major safety concerns", the country's civil aviation regulator said earlier this week.
India's aviation investigative unit said on Thursday (19) the probe was "progressing steadily".
"Key recovery work, including site documentation and evidence collection, has been completed, and further analysis is now underway," the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said in a statement.
Air India also cited geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and "night curfews in many European and East Asian airspaces" as contributing factors behind flight cancellations, which have totalled 83 over the past six days.
India's aviation investigative unit said the probe was "progressing steadily" (PTI photo)
Routes with reduced frequency until July 15, 2025:
North America
Delhi-Toronto: Reduced from 13x weekly to 7x weekly Delhi-Vancouver: Reduced from 7x weekly to 5x weekly Delhi-San Francisco: Reduced from 10x weekly to 7x weekly Delhi-Chicago: Reduced from 7x weekly to 3x weekly Delhi-Washington (Dulles): Reduced from 5x weekly to 3x weekly
Europe
Delhi-London (Heathrow): Reduced from 24x weekly to 22x weekly Bengaluru-London (Heathrow): Reduced from 7x weekly to 6x weekly Amritsar-Birmingham and Delhi Birmingham: Reduced from 3x weekly to 2x weekly Delhi-Paris: Reduced from 14x weekly to 12x weekly Delhi-Milan: Reduced from 7x weekly to 4x weekly Delhi-Copenhagen: Reduced from 5x weekly to 3x weekly Delhi-Vienna: Reduced from 4x weekly to 3x weekly Delhi-Amsterdam: Reduced from 7x weekly to 5x weekly
Australia
Delhi-Melbourne and Delhi-Sydney: Reduced from 7x weekly to 5x weekly
Far-East
Delhi-Tokyo (Haneda): Reduced from 7x weekly to 6x weekly Delhi-Seoul (Incheon): Reduced from 5x weekly to 4x weekly2
1Suspended until June 30 .
2To operate 3x weekly from June 21 to July 5 , and 4x weekly from July 6 to July 15 .