As Italy undergoes a nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of COVID-19, the Italian government has announced a blanket suspension of mortgage payments to help its residents cope. We discuss Italy’s proactive measures to aid its people in this time of crisis, and how being the worst hit country in Europe hasn’t stopped the nation’s quick reflexes in dealing with this threat.

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The COVID-19 outbreak does not seem to be slowing down. The number of cases that have tested positive is increasing daily, whilst many employees are being forced to work remotely. A pandemic outbreak of this magnitude has caught companies, and many industries off guard, with a shockwave tearing through their supply chains and businesses. So how exactly do you plan for a sudden disruption?

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Trust is an essential, yet often overlooked, ingredient in leadership. A decline in trust can lead to lower rates of compliance, and stakeholders i.e. citizens, businesses or employees (in a corporate setting) can also become more risk-averse, delaying important decisions that are essential to regain competitiveness and jumpstart growth. So how do leaders build and retain trust? We discuss.

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Working 9-5 is a very sedentary way of living, and you’d assume with all that stillness you wouldn’t be losing too much energy. So why is it that we all come back home from a work day totally drained? Turns out, scientists have some hypotheses on just that.

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Air travel during the coronavirus outbreak can be made safer with a few basic precautions - and taking a window seat helps. According to a study of 10 transcontinental United States flights by the FlyHealthy Research Team from 2018, window seat passengers have far fewer close encounters on a plane than people in aisle and middle seats, which thus lowers their risk of getting an infectious disease.

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Experts say Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s new cabinet line-up is well chosen as it comprises candidates with vast experience in many aspects. We discuss the unorthodox structural changes in the Prime Minister’s line up, and the potential impact these experienced ministers could have on the country’s economy.

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Those who had slept less than six hours a night the week before were four times more likely to catch the cold compared with those who got more than seven hours of sleep.  Are you getting enough sleep?

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South Korea has taken an interesting approach to deal with the sheer number of people testing for COVID-19 by introducing a drive thru testing area. The whole process takes about 10 minutes and it reduces the risks of spreading the virus even further by staying in your car.

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We’ve heard it too many times: the government is too slow. Too bureaucratic. But could the solution simply be to inject more entrepreneurs into the mix? More inventors, builders and innovators, as opposed to analysts, strategists and experts at politicking. Could these innovators effect change?

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Local fruits like durian and jackfruit could change the way we charge our smartphones or electric cars in the future, according to a study highlighted in website Popular Mechanics. A group of scientists led by associate professor Vincent G. Gomes at the University of Sydney in Australia has found a way to turn fruit cores from durian and jackfruit into potentially high-performing electrochemical supercapacitors, or energy storage devices with high energy density, which can then be further developed into applications such as batteries for electronic devices and transportation.

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