The Deadly Heatwave in Europe

Temperatures in Europe have hit a new high this summer, with hotter early-summer heatwaves resulting in illness, excessive deaths and the collapse of infrastructure. 

On June 28, temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some regions of the continent, including in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. 

And France’s national public health agency Santé publique France reported that the country experienced roughly 1,000 excess deaths during the heatwave which began on June 20th. 

Official figures noted that France's baseline death rate prior to the extreme heat (measured during April and May) sat at approximately 900 to 1,000 deaths per day. 

It's really, really bad because on June 23, 2026, for instance, France recorded a temperature of 44.3°C (111.7°F), making it one of the highest temperatures ever measured in the country since modern weather records began. 

Overall, 1,300 excess deaths have been reported in Europe since June 21, according to World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

In a post on X on June 28 too, he wrote that Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average, and warned that the continent’s infrastructure has not been built to withstand high temperatures. 

“Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the ‘once-in-a-generation’ heatwave is now occurring nearly annually”, he had grimly said.

Contrast this to Malaysia. During our hottest months so far in 2026 (March to May), the average daily temperatures ranged between 27°C and 28°C, with normal average daytime highs sitting around 33°C. 

In March and April, multiple districts in northern states like Perlis, Kedah, and Perak were placed under Level 2 heatwave alerts as daily maximum temperatures spiked between 37°C and 40°C for consecutive days. 

In fact, extended hot weather lasted through June, with maximum daytime temperatures consistently soaring up to 38°C across Peninsular Malaysia.

In case you're interested, the expected temperature in Malaysia today ranges from a minimum of 24°C to 25°C to a maximum of 33°C to 34°C. The current conditions are partly sunny at 24°C, though high humidity makes it feel closer to 28°C.

The Real Cost of FIFA’s World Cup Record Revenue

Despite initial fears, football fans have unequivocally proven that they are willing to pay steep ticket prices to experience the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

In fact, FIFA effectively won the battle for fans' wallets, turning the tournament into a historic commercial success. 

However, the data shows that this nearly 99.7% occupancy rate and the staggering 6,527,410 total attendees through the first 100 matches tell a more complex story than just universal fan approval. 

Truth be told, a vast percentage of the tickets were purchased by corporate sponsors, hospitality packages, and affluent travelers – a group that possess the immense purchasing power required to absorb the record-high costs. 

And while the overall cumulative data is record-breaking, early matches featuring less prominent football nations did suffer from noticeable, televised swathes of empty seats (e.g., June 11th's South Korea vs. Czech Republic fixture in Guadalajara, Mexico). 

Furthermore, to combat severe backlash regarding accessibility, FIFA introduced a last-minute Supporter Entry Tier right before the tournament began. This program, which allocated heavily discounted $60 tickets to loyal national federation fans, helped fill gaps in lower-demand games. 

Sure, Gianni Infantino might subscribe to the view that FIFA's pricing model has succeeded financially and that global demand for the World Cup is incredibly resilient, but it has left a lasting debate regarding the tournament's overall inclusivity. 

And if I may repeat, the hostile US treatment towards Iran is a blardy disgrace!

KPMG Publish AI Report Filled with Hallucinations

KPMG, one of the largest consulting firms in the world, have been accused of publishing a report on the future of AI that is riddled with hallucinations. 

In one instance, uncovered by the AI detection company, GPTZero, the report claims that the Japanese East Japan Railway Company (JR East) are using agentic AI for customer service, linking to a 2019 press release, years before agentic AI became mainstream. 

In another instance, the report falsely claimed that Austrian electricity provider Verbund is using AI agents in households to conduct real-time analytics as part of its “energy-as-a-service ecosystem”. Although Verbund invested in a start-up using agents for grid optimization, there was no evidence to support the claim of real-time analytics in households.  

GPTZero had analyzed the report, Total Experience: Redefining Excellence in the Age of Agentic AI, which was released in October, 2025. Out of 45 total citations, they found only 5 were accurate, with many of the others being entirely fabricated or containing a mix of real authors and fake data (a phenomenon GPTZero dubbed "vibe citing"). Another 28 citations provide paraphrased titles and/or fake components for a real source. The final 12 are too vague or flawed to accurately determine if a source exists.

Additionally, the report highlighted cutting-edge "Agentic AI" case studies for several major organizations. However, companies like UBS, Swiss Federal Railways, UK's Transport for London (TfL), and NHS (Greater Manchester) formally denied these claims, calling them factually incorrect or highly misleading.

The results may have redefined excellence, but not in the way KPMG intended! 

Anyway, the said report, which has now been taken down, has been referenced by multiple customer service publications and a major newspaper in the Czech Republic. 

In addition, researchers noted that the paper is now being referenced as a resource on customer experience by OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini. GPTZero allege that an LLM research tool was asked to find appropriate case studies of companies using agentic AI worldwide. 

“This tool seems to have conflated sources, exaggerated claims, and injected references to agentic AI that were copied into the final report without verification”, according to GPTZero, which suspect "no human at KPMG double-checked the citations, the claims, or the sources” before the report was published.

And predictably, KPMG came up with the following "generic excuse": "We expect all our people to follow our guidelines on the responsible use of AI, including human oversight to validate content and verify independent sources".  😅😅😅

Sivasangari Subramaniam was in top form to beat world No. 6 Satomi Watanabe of Japan in straight games to reach the semi-finals of the PSA Tour Finals in Paris, France on Wednesday. 

The Malaysian, ranked No. 5 in the world, won the first-round encounter 3-0: 11-9, 11-6, 11-9 in 35 minutes. It was Sivasangari's eighth win over Satomi in nine meetings. 

The 27-year-old Sivasangari, who won the Australian and Grasshopper Open titles this year, will face world champion Amina Orfi of Egypt for a place in the final on Friday. 

Orfi, who won the British Open title  earlier this month, has a 7-2 winning record against the Malaysian.

Russia Reveals Scale of Strikes on Ukrainian Targets

Russian forces have carried out 23 combined strikes on Ukrainian targets in the past week, the Defense Ministry in Moscow announced. 

 

The unrelenting blitz, which took place between June 29 and July 05, involved both “high precision weapons” and drones, the ministry said in a statement on Friday. They hit Ukrainian airfields, as well as energy infrastructure used to power the country’s military-industrial complex. Sites where Kiev’s missiles were being stored and prepared for launch were also successfully targeted. 

 

Russian missiles and UAVs also destroyed fuel depots used for Ukrainian hardware, and assembly shops for aerial drones and unmanned boats, the ministry added. 

 

On Tuesday, the Mirgorod airfield in Poltava Region came under attack, in which five of Kiev’s Su-27 fighter jets were destroyed and two others damaged.

 

Additionally, Russian air-defense systems shot down two Ukrainian Air Force MiG-29s and one Su-27 jet, five US-supplied ATACMS missiles, 14 Storm Shadow cruise missiles that had been donated by UK, 42 rockets for US-made HIMARS, and Czech-made Vampire systems, as well as 451 drones of various types. 

 

The total losses incurred by the Ukrainian military over these seven days have reached up to 13,500 service personnel, according to the defense ministry. And thirty-two soldiers surrendered at the line of engagement.

 

Meanwhile, more Ukrainian-occupied positions have been liberated, among them Evgenovka, Krasnohorivka, Novopokrovskoye, Novoselivske, Pivdinne, Pobjeda, Razdolivka, Severnnoe, Shumy, Spornoe, Stelmakhivka, Stepovaya Novoselovka, Timofeevka, Toretsk, Verkhnokamyanske, Veselivka, Volodymyrivka, Yasnobrodivka, Zhuhirne and Zhuravka.

 

Already, Russian troops have the initiative along the entire front-line, and are constantly and consistently degrading the enemy’s combat potential. 

 

It's just a question of time – and Ukraine will be toast.

Wild Horses Return to Altyn Dala

Endangered wild horses have returned to Altyn Dala – the Kazakh name for the Golden Steppe of Kazakhstan for the first time in at least 200 years after decades-long efforts. 

 

The airlifts of seven Przewalski's Horses – one stallion and six mares – from Europe to the Central Asian country took place in early June in an operation run by Prague Zoo in Czechia. They aim to bring in at least 40 more over the next five years. 

 

Researchers told the BBC that the horses are already doing well two weeks in: roaming around the plains and even beginning the mating process. 

 

Zoo officials say it's a triumph of generations of conservation work. 

 

"This is an endangered species returning to their ancestral lands, a species which went extinct in the wild in the 1960s, last seen in Mongolia... so it's just marvellous... a miracle", said Filip Mašek, a spokesperson for Prague Zoo. 

 

While the horses have been slowly reintroduced to Mongolia and China in recent decades, this operation marks the first time they are back in Kazakhstan. 

 

The Przewalski's Horse (Scientific name: Equus przewalskii) is the last wild horse species on the planet, named after Russian explorer Nikolai Przewalski who was the first to identify the horse for the European science community. 

 

The species originated millennia ago from the steppes of Central Asia and was taken by researchers to Europe and North America in the 19th and 20th Centuries, where populations were established in zoos. Some of them ended up in zoos in Prague and Munich, Germany – it's their descendants that have now been reintroduced in Kazakhstan. 

 

Cultural artefacts show people in the country's north were riding and using the horses for food at least 2,000 years before records of domesticated horses in Europe. But by the time of Przewalski's "discovery" in 1879, the horses could only be found in a small section of western Mongolia. Competition with humans and livestock, along with changes in the environment led to them dying out. 

 

Recognizing the threat, international efforts were made after World War Two to save the animals. And Prague Zoo were entrusted with the "international studship" of the breed.

 

Przewalski's horses have long been considered the one true remaining wild horse species – as species such as the American mustang and Australian brumby are feral horses descended from domesticated animals. 

 

The Przewalski's horse is shorter and stockier than modern domesticated horses and their genetic differences show that neither species are ancestors of the other. 

 

Prague Zoo, which have spent the past decade and a half introducing the horses back to Central Asia, mainly in Mongolia, said the Kazakhstan operations had been in the plans since 2022 after signing a deal with the local government. 

 

Mašek said the zoo hoped to emulate the success of their Mongolia program last decade – where the introduction of 34 horses had helped boost the native population to now well over 850 animals.

UNGA "Yes" to Immediate Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza

Israel won't budge, nor will it cease and desist! The US will supply weapons and more weapons. And the callous carnage in Gaza continues!

 

In spite of the UN General Assembly having overwhelmingly adopted a non-binding resolution on Tuesday demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. 

 

153 member states voted in favor, 10 against and there were 23 abstentions. 

 

The ten countries not in favor of a ceasefire are Austria, Paraguay, Czech Republic, Guatemala, Liberia, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea and of course, Israel and the United States.

 

The UK, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Ukraine were among the 23 countries to abstain.

 

This was a second attempt by the UN General Assembly which on October 27 had called for "a humanitarian truce" in a resolution adopted with 121 "yes" votes, 14 against and 44 abstentions.

 

According to Gaza's health ministry, since the Israeli offensive began, more than 18,400 people have been killed and more than 50,000 people have been injured. No mention of the estimated numbers who are buried in the rubble though.

UNGA Vote For Palestine

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian truce between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas. 

 

The 193-member body passed the resolution, drafted by a group of 22 Arab countries, by a margin of 120 to 14, with 45 countries abstaining. 

 

Obviously, the United States and Israel voted no as well as twelve other countries: Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Fiji, Guatemala, Hungary, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay and Tonga.

 

Speaking before the vote, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that voting against the resolution “means approving this senseless war, this senseless killing”. Israel denounced the vote as “infamy”. Needless to say, the US is firmly in cahoots with the Israelis and so, they too oppose peace.

 

Russian soft drinks brand Dobry overtook Coca-Cola in sales on the domestic market in January-August 2023, news website RBK reported on Thursday, citing a study by NielsenIQ. 

 

The Dobry Cola brand is produced at factories that belonged to Coca-Cola HBC Russia, the bottler of the original drink. 

 

According to the report, Dobry came in second in the ranking of the 50 most popular FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) brands. Based on the results of the first eight months, the brand’s share in total sales on the FMCG market is 1.2%, the study showed. 

 

The original Coca-Cola did not even make it into the top 50 brands in Russia, despite finding its way into the sanctioned country through parallel imports.

Smashing Pumpkins

The carved pumpkins were pictured earlier this week before they were smashed on two days running. Image credit: Marek Kortis/Obec Kurdejov Facebook

 

A parish priest has apologised to local children after stomping on Halloween pumpkins near his church. 

 

Father Jaromir Smejkal destroyed the carved pumpkins on two successive days in Kurdejov, a village in the wine-making region of South Moravia, Czechia. 

 

He has apologized for the vandalism in an open letter to the mayor and published on the village Facebook page. He said he would have acted differently had he known they were carved by children.

 

"On leaving the parsonage on Sunday evening, I saw numerous symbols of the satanic holiday 'Halloween'... placed in front of our sacred grounds", he reportedly wrote. "I acted according to my faith and duty to be a father and protector of entrusted children and removed the symbols". 

 

Czech news outlet Breclavsky Denik, which first reported the story, said Father Smejkal who saw Halloween as anathema to his religion, had admitted he did not believe the people who placed the pumpkins in front of the Roman Catholic Church of St John the Baptist, "wanted to express contempt for what is holy to us Catholics". 

 

"That they acted in ignorance, so I don't blame anyone", he added.

 

The pumpkins had been carved as part of Halloween festivities organized by the village. Some children are said to have been in tears when they were told their creations had been destroyed. New pumpkins were left in the park but were found scattered and stomped on the next day, reported the paper.

 

The Czech Republic is considered to be one of the least religious countries in the world. However, some traditional religious feasts – including All Souls' Day – remain popular, and are marked by both believers and atheists alike. And some Czechs complain their traditions are being eroded by highly commercialised imports from the West, with Halloween being a prime example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In today's Premier League match at Anfield, Liverpool beat 10-man Everton 2-0. Mohamed Salah was the Merseyside derby match-winner with a second-half double.

 

His confident penalty in front of the Kop End following a handball ended a frustrating 75 minutes for the home side and then, he scored again to end the argument, sweeping in a second – a close-range finish in injury time – after good work by Darwin Nunez.

 

Despite the win, Liverpool today gave a surprisingly flat performance. In any case, they've played nine games and collected 20 points and this put them at the top of the table. For now, at least.

Protests Are Spreading in Europe

All doesn't seem to be well in Europe. People in some European countries have taken to the streets to protest soaring energy prices, steep living costs and high inflation worsened by their governments' sanctions against Russia. And related to these pressing issues is the fact that the EU and NATO are responsible for the mess Europe finds itself in.

Expect protests to increase in frequency and intensity all over Europe. I reckon it’s just a matter of time.

In yesterday’s Champions League Group A match against Liverpool, Rangers lifted the roof off Ibrox when they slotted home in the seventeenth minute. It was their first group goal. 

But that was all they could muster. 

The Reds struck back with a vengeance. A goal fest. A Roberto Firmino brace (24, 55), a Darwin Nunez strike (66), a Mohamed Salah hattrick (75, 80, 81) and Harvey Elliott rounding off the scoring (87).

Now, they need just one point from their final two matches to be sure of a spot in the competition's knockout stages. They meet Ajax on October 26. 

Their massive 7-1 win was a result Liverpool sorely needed as they get ready for Manchester City in a Premier League game this Sunday!

Visit Ukraine 2022

It would seem that even a country at “war” can become a popular destination and attract travellers, especially from Europe and North America! 

Consider Ukraine – although I must clarify that this country is mired in a military conflict with a neighbor, rather than being actually caught in a full-blown war, as Western media would like to portray. If Russia really goes to war, would VIPs ("Very Idiotic Persons") dare to step foot into a country where death and destruction is all around? 

Indeed, the country is luring those who want to be seen to "stand with Ukraine" and in the process, bask in the media limelight. This explains why an endless stream of visitors can’t wait to turn up there and I can tell you, thus far, the guest line-up is pretty impressive! 

In March, Ukraine hosted Czechia’s prime minister Petr Fiala, together with Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa, and Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his deputy Jaroslaw Kaczynski. 

In April, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, European Council President Charles Michel, and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen were all in Ukraine at one time or another. So too, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă, Bulgarian prime minister Kiril Petkov, Swiss leader of the House of Representatives Irène Kälin and fellow parliamentarians, Lithuanian prime minister Ingrida Šimonytė, UK prime minister Boris Johnson, and Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen along with her Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez. Not forgetting, from the US, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. 

In May, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, his deputy Chrystia Freeland and foreign minister Mélanie Joly paid Ukraine a visit. So too, the foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania Eva-Maria Liimets, Edgars Rinkēvičs and Gabrielius Landsbergis respectively. And from the US, came House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and a posse of Democratic Reps, Gregory Meeks of New York, Jason Crow of Colorado, Jim McGovern and Bill Keating of Massachusetts, and Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee of California. Also, actor and United Nations special envoy Angelina Jolie and even first lady Jill Biden. Not to mention Irish singer-songwriter of U2 band, Bono.

I don’t think the above listing is exhaustive – but you get my drift! 

Ukraine is most certainly, 2022’s No. 1 travel destination!

Banned Alphabets, A Name Change & Hand-made Pillows

Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, too, have passed a law prohibiting "any propaganda of the Russian regime" and Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine, lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on Thursday. 

The document, published on their website, bans the public display of symbols associated with the Russian Armed Forces, including the letters Z and V and their equivalents in the Cyrillic alphabet. 

At the same time, according to the law, these symbols may be used for "condemning the Russian regime", in media reports that don’t justify Russia’s actions, on captured military equipment and in trademarks registered before February 24, 2022.

A village in southern Spain has come up with a flighty idea! It decided to change its name to Ukraine, supposedly in solidarity with the people of Ukraine! 

No longer Fuentes de Andalucia, the sign at the village’s entrance now reads Ukraine and the country’s blue and yellow flag has been painted alongside. Even streets were renamed City of Kyiv and Odesa in the village of over 7,100 people, east of Seville. 

Silliness is spreading like a virus! A Czech designer, Brinek is producing limited edition hand-made pillows that feature a portrait depicting Volodymyr Zelensky. He claims they have received more than 2,000 orders and raised some 420,000 crowns ($18,900) for a charity helping Ukrainians affected by the conflict. 

I don't know why people want to make heroes of politicians, more so a puppet president?! I can tell you, it won't end well! 

Celtic’s dreams of a domestic treble are over after yesterday’s 2-1 loss in extra-time to arch-rivals Rangers at Hampden Park. 

The former was on target for a place in the Scottish Cup final when Greg Taylor gave them the lead in the sixty-third minute. However, Rangers equalised 15 minutes later. With scores locked at 1-1 at the end of normal time, extra-time was required, with Rangers sealing a spot in the Cup decider against Hearts via an own goal from Celtic defender Carl Starfelt in the 114th minute. 

As manager Ange Postecoglou said: “It was a typical semi-final, very tight. Both teams had their moments and they took theirs in extra-time and unfortunately it decided the game”. 

Sure, it is a depressing result but once emotions simmer down, it can be written off as a bad day at the office. After all, Celtic had won the previous two Glasgow Derbies.

Two Malaysian Cities Win Jean Paul L’allier Heritage Prize Award

Melaka and Georgetown, Penang have won the ‘Jean Paul L’allier Prize For Heritage’ award organized by the Organisation of World Heritage Cities. 

The award given out every two years is aimed at recognizing and appreciating cities that had distinguished themselves by their achievements in the conservation, enhancement or management of property inscribed on the World Heritage List.

This proves that the two Malaysian cities are still sitting pretty at the top of the list in terms of heritage cities. 

Other cities that have won the ‘Jean Paul L’allier Prize For Heritage’ are Cidade Velha (Cape Verde), Cuenca (Ecuador), Hue (Vietnam), Krakow (Poland), Kutna Hora (Czech Republic), Luxembourg (Luxembourg), Mexico City (Mexico), Queretaro (Mexico) and Safranbolu (Turkey). 

Celtic had needed loads of perseverance before they could secure a hard-fought Scottish Premiership win against a stubborn Ross County in yesterday’s game. 

They had to wait until the 64th minute, when debutant centerback Cameron Carter-Vickers' long-range strike deflected over the helpless Staggies’ goalie and into the net. This was followed six minutes later when Albian Ajeti headed in to kill the game, before nodding in a third in the eighty-fifth minute. 

The brace certainly put some gloss on the scoreline – but the fact is Celtic had nearly 80 percent possession and just one shot on target. Still the 3-0 triumph earned them a very precious 3 points to move them up to fifth place. 

105 Million Cases and Indonesia is Making FDI Gains

Worldwide, coronavirus cases are still steadily climbing – and they have reached 105 million.

And Czechia is the latest to surpass one million cases, making it country #20. 

It's grim news for the country. Malaysia is losing out on FDIs to our neighbors, especially Indonesia. 

We should be thankful to the backdoor PN government for doing a great job! We are no longer a country favored by investors. Never mind, our loss is Indonesia's gain. 

Well done, Indonesia!

Social Justice for Statues

It’s not only in the US – but elsewhere, monuments too have faced a reckoning. 

Statues of historical figures are being targeted. They all share a common fate of once being held in esteem and now falling into disrepute and even disgrace. 

In the UK, a statue of a 17th century slave trader in Bristol was pulled down and rolled into the harbour on June 07, 2020.

Edward Colston's ships had transported eighty thousand men, women and children from Africa to the Americas. And his memory has been honored for centuries in his home city, which benefited from his immense wealth. 

Up north, a monument in Scotland’s capital commemorating one of the country's most influential politicians in the 18th and 19th centuries, was spray-painted with the words "George Floyd" and "BLM", also on June 07.

The 150ft (46m) tall Melville Monument, in Edinburgh's St Andrew Square, was erected in 1823 in memory of Henry Dundas – he had frustrated efforts to end the slave trade by using his influence as home secretary, thus, setting the move back 15 years. 

Winston Churchill, the famous wartime prime minister, too faced the wrath of protesters, who sprayed his statue with the words, "He was a racist" in London, UK.

As well as in Toronto, Canada and Prague, Czech Republic ("Byl rasista" which also means "He was a racist").

For sure, he was a racist. For example, in 1943, Churchill engineered the Bengal famine, where wheat was exported from India for allied troops as Indians went to bed hungry. He halted all food supplies to India and was a major reason why four million people starved to death in Bengal in the same year. 

"It's (Indians) their own fault...for breeding like rabbits", Churchill had said.

According to a report in The Sun, the Black Lives Matter protesters in the UK alone have a list of 78 statues of historical figures whom they have declared as racist and want them removed. 

In Italy, the statue of a journalist who defended colonialism, Indro Montanelli, inside a Milan park that bears his name, has become a flashpoint in the country’s Black Lives Matter protests. 

Demonstrators daubed his statue with red paint and defaced it with the words "racist, rapist".

Activist group Retestudentimilano labelled Montanelli "a colonialist who made slavery an important part of his political activity" and said he "cannot and should not be celebrated in the public square". 

In Australia, a statue of British explorer Captain James Cook in Hyde Park, Sydney was spray-painted on June 14, 2020. Two women had been charged. 

Another Cook statue in Randwick, a Sydney suburb was vandalized; so was a Cook memorial in Edinburgh Gardens, North Fitzroy in Melbourne.

In Belgium, a bust of Leopold II, the colonial-era king in the city of Ghent was covered in red paint, with cloth over its head marked with the words "I can't breathe" on June 02. The cloth evoked those last spoken by George Floyd as a white police officer knelt on his neck, leading to recent protests.

A day later, in Antwerp, the king’s statue was set on fire by protesters. And in the capital Brussels, his statue was marked with the word "assassin". 

King Leopold II (1865 to 1909) is notoriously remembered for his hateful legacy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as the Congo Free State – and which he turned into his own private colony. Its inhabitants became forced labor to help him build a fortune from the rubber trade. Those who resisted were often shot, and Leopold's troops were ordered to collect the hands of their victims. 

Over 10 million Congolese had perished during his reign. And he even had some of them shipped to Belgium where he put them into a human zoo. 

A group called Repair History has launched a petition calling on Brussels city authorities to remove all statutes of the king by June 30, the sixtieth anniversary of Congo’s independence from Belgium. 

Indeed, the movement against racism and injustice is truly global.

Methinks there is glory in seeing monuments, once dedicated to colonisers, enslavers, and murderers, removed from their pedestals and layered with inscriptions for social justice. It's really about correcting history and erasing the pain.

5.5 Million Coronavirus Cases

Yesterday, the world heralded the arrival of another set of grim statistics – global cases have passed 5.5 million and deaths surpassed 345,000. 

The US, of course, is indisputably leading the world in infections with 1.7 million cases – and that is much more than the cumulative totals of the next six hardest-hit countries!

Yet, Donald Trump (left) is unworried and unflustered. I daresay he is proud of having put his country at the top of the charts – after all, to him, US coronavirus numbers are a “badge of honor”. (Insert titters and tehees here!) 

On Sunday, Brazil at No. 3 switched places with Russia at No. 2 – the former registered 363,618 cases and counting. The day after, the latter had also surpassed 350,000 cases – but the margin of increase just wasn’t enough to win back its previous position. 

Afghanistan too, has been hard hit by Covid-19 – it jumped from 1,000 to 5,000 cases in 23 days and then to 10,000 cases in just 11 days.

And Sweden and Poland reached 4,000 and 1,000 deaths respectively.

Enough of the somber numbers – I am going to be happy for the Czechs! 

Monday marked the final stage in the Czech Republic's staged easing of lockdown. It is cause for celebration because beer-lovers can finally get back into pubs, albeit with social distancing and mask-wearing indoors. 

Na Zdravi! 

FYI, it is the country with the highest per capita beer consumption in the world.