Events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the US housing-market crash of 2007-2009, and the terrorist attacks of 11 September, 2001, are often called “black swans.” The term is meant to suggest that no one could have seen them coming.

To the outside world, Brunei, the tiny Southeast Asian monarchy, looks like a Shangri La. The country, with a population of less than half a million, has one of the highest gross domestic product (GDP) levels per capita in the world.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul’s behaviour over the past two weeks is exactly what’s wrong with America’s response to COVID-19. Paul has a compromised lung, so he decided that he should be tested for the disease out of an abundance of caution. From the time of his test until he was confirmed positive six days later, Paul did nothing to protect those around him.

Last fall, 16 leaders from governments, businesses and international organisations gathered in New York to conduct a simulated response to a hypothetical global health emergency. We looked at the challenges that could arise in such a scenario, which was increasingly likely given the world has about 200 epidemic events per year.

COVID-19 is ravaging advanced economies such as Italy, France, Spain, and the United States (US).

As a member of the international community, Indonesia needs to play an active role in ensuring global sustainability. The alarming threat of climate change should be a concern for every country. A comprehensive transformation to a circular economy might be the answer to this dire situation. We believe now is really the time for the Indonesian government to start designing a comprehensive policy reform that changes its economic approach, from linear to circular.

No health system in the world has the surge capacity to cope with an influx of tens of thousands of patients in a matter of weeks, as is the case with the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 1988, Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, made a speech in Bruges, Belgium. She summarised her views in a related magazine interview in which she said “They are casting their problems at society. And, you know, there's no such thing as society. There are individual men and women and there are families. And no government can do anything except through people, and people must look after themselves first.

Rising economic prosperity and poverty reduction may not tell the whole story of progress in Asia and the Pacific. Telling signs in the natural world recount a narrative that is far from complete. This year has been particularly affected by the COVID-19 global health pandemic, with devastating impacts on our health and the economy.

With Vietnam starting its chairmanship of the Association of South East Nations (ASEAN) this year, it is worth exploring ideas to reinvigorate and reenergize the bloc from a perspective of its citizens, specifically through the lens of its youth.Is the bloc capable of coming up with transformative and out of the box ideas that can match the aspirations of millions of youths living in Southeast Asia; offering them a vision, hope and a common platform to hone their skills for a shared prosperou