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Hello ladies and gents this is the Viking telling you that today we are talking about

9/11 Terrorist attacks

11th September 2001

The US had experienced sporadic terrorist attacks before. But, the sheer audacity and scale of these terrorist attacks shocked the US and the world. The loss of life was estimated at just under 3,000. The event changed American foreign policy. It was a motivating factor behind the controversial invasion of Iraq and led to a ‘war on terror’ symbolised by Guantanamo Bay and a debate over the justification of torture.

Covid-19 Pandemic 2020

In late 2019/early 2020, China experienced an outbreak of a new virus, Covid-19. The virus had a fatality rate of between 1-4% but spread with alarming speed. In March 2020 Italy became the first country in the western world to implement a lockdown to try and stop the rapid escalation of the virus. There soon followed widespread global ‘lockdowns’ with people confined to their homes and business shut down.

Despite travel bans, the virus spread to all countries around the world. This lockdown had a profound adverse effect on the global economy with a sharp rise in unemployment and a fall in output. It also challenged long-held view of invulnerability amongst western developed countries. 

The long-term impact of the pandemic is uncertain, but it will lead to structural changes in the economy and the balance of the world. China is both seen as the source of the virus, but also – as the world’s dominant manufacturer – is a key player in the efforts to manufacture equipment to deal with the crisis.

And as always have a chilled day from the Viking