12 Countries Have Zero Coronavirus Cases

Believe it or not, there are still countries with zero cases of the coronavirus. These are the following:

BTW, Slovenia has become the first European country to proclaim an end to the viral pandemic at home, AP reported. 

It said on Friday that Covid-19 is under control and there is no longer a need for extraordinary health measures. The government says EU residents are free to cross into Slovenia from Austria, Italy and Hungary at predetermined checkpoints – although most non-EU nationals will need to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine. 

The first coronavirus case in Slovenia was recorded on March 04 – a returnee from neighbouring Italy. By May 13, there were 1,463 confirmed cases and 103 deaths in Slovenia.

Still, I am expecting the coronavirus to make a return.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, saw cases rise to more than 20,000.

Also yesterday, Russia announced more than 10,000 new coronavirus infections, bringing the country’s total to 262,843 – the third-highest in the world after the United States and Spain. 

On Thursday, Russian officials defended the country against claims that its unusually low mortality rate from Covid-19 is suspicious, maintaining that its method of ascribing cause of death is “exceptionally precise”.

China had good tidings yesterday. It has gone a month without announcing any new fatalities from the coronavirus. 

The last time a death was reported was on April 14. I reckon it's just a respite because again, I believe it'll come back.

And for many other countries, they shouldn't be expecting a hiatus any time soon. For sure, Covid-19 will be with all of us for quite a while.

Mass Pardon of Crooked Politicians

Vanuatu's parliamentary speaker Marcellino Pipite (left) used his interim executive powers while the country’s President was abroad to pardon himself and thirteen other MPs, including Deputy Prime Minister, Moana Carcasses.

 

Note that under Vanuatu law, the speaker acts as president when the latter is travelling overseas and has the powers of pardoning, commutation and reduction of sentences.

 

Justice Mary Sey had ruled on October 09, 2015 that payments amounting to 35 million vat ($452,000) were corruptly made by the deputy prime minister, corruptly received, and designed to influence MPs in their capacity as public officials. The fourteen crooked politicians were due to be sentenced on October 22. They faced a maximum of 10 years in jail along with the loss of their seats in parliament.

 

When Baldwin Lonsdale returned, he said Pipite had acted unlawfully and promised action. He has since then overturned those pardons, citing constitutional obligations on leaders to conduct themselves in such a way that avoided conflicts of interest, compromising official duties, demeaning the office, allowing their integrity to be called into question, or endangering or diminishing respect for – or confidence in – the integrity of Vanuatu's government.

 

There should be no compromise when it comes to corruption. 

 

On Tuesday, I was at the TMIKL Toastmasters meeting where I was given a speaking a lot. I presented CC speech #3 and the title was given by club member Rhoda Omar. This meeting witnessed seven speakers including yours truly.