As the world comes to terms with the coronavirus pandemic and life after lockdown, tensions have mounted between India and China in the Ladakh region. Reports have stated that the Chinese military is fast increasing its troop presence around Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley along the Line of Actual Control.

With rising temperatures, Uttarakhand wildfires are raging. So far, over 51.34 hectares of forest cover has been gutted, putting wildlife in grave danger.

Now migrants are dying on Shramik Special trains. With no food or water for 60 hours, a worker starved to death. On another train, a 10-month-old lost his life because he did not receive medical attention.

Maharashtra government had recommended that Bandra’s Mehboob Studio be converted into a 1,000-bed quarantine centre. But residents of the plush suburb have apparently refused the BMC permission to do so, a move that some are saying smacks of privilege. It came under fire from actor-director Pooja Bhatt, who labelled it “sheer hypocrisy”.

Heera Lal, the AIIMS Sanitation Chief, died yesterday due to Covid-19. The senior healthcare professional, who handled the entire sanitation effort at the premier hospital, didn’t have protective gear. He wasn't administered a Covid-19 test until his symptoms worsened.

Two members of the Pinjra Tod movement, who were held for taking part in a protest against the CAA, were re-arrested soon after they received bail. The police have been accused of using the lockdown to curb civil rights.

In what seems almost Biblical, armies of locusts are ravaging entire harvests of crops in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. If not controlled, this could lead to a nationwide food shortage.

From Germany to New Zealand and Iceland to Taiwan, women leaders have shown exemplary leadership amid the pandemic. Angela Merkel has won praise for her scientific approach, Jacinda Ardern and Katrín Jakobsdóttir for their empathy in the time of crisis, and Tsai Ing-Wen for her proactive politics.

I am grateful for the escape provided by work. It is saving me from going bonkers, because at least the chaos of work follows a discipline. Grief, heartbreak, the pandemic – these things aren’t disciplined. I’d take work anxiety any day over the anticipation of a dry cough.