Covid-19: 54 more people passes away in pakistan within 24 hrs

Pakistan has recorded fresh 3,313 COVID-19 cases and 54 deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours, reported on Friday.

In the past 24 hours, 54 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 7,897. 1,489 patients have recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours and 2,112 patients are in critical condition.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), with fresh inclusion of the infections in the country the national tally of cases now currently stands at 389,311, whereas, the active cases stood at 45,533.

A total of 43,214 tests were conducted across the country during this period. 335,881 people have recovered from the deadly disease while 5,386,916 samples have been tested thus far.

Earlier on Thursday, it emerged that Pakistan had decided to contact China for the availability of COVID-19 vaccine, sources told ARY News.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) will communicate with the Chinese government via the foreign ministry, sources in the knowledge of the matter, said.

The health authorities in Islamabad will seek details of the expected vaccines being developed in China and also the details about the Chinese vaccine developing companies, CanSino Biologics and Sinopharm, the sources said.

Moreover, the price and the data of the clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccines would also be sought from the pharmaceutical companies.

It is pertinent to mention here that both the Chinese companies conducting phase three of clinical trials of their vaccines.

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Covid-19: 54 more people passes away in pakistan within 24 hrs

Pakistan has recorded fresh 3,313 COVID-19 cases and 54 deaths due to the virus in the last 24 hours, reported on Friday.

In the past 24 hours, 54 more people succumbed to the disease, taking the death toll to 7,897. 1,489 patients have recovered from the virus during the last 24 hours and 2,112 patients are in critical condition.

According to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC), with fresh inclusion of the infections in the country the national tally of cases now currently stands at 389,311, whereas, the active cases stood at 45,533.

A total of 43,214 tests were conducted across the country during this period. 335,881 people have recovered from the deadly disease while 5,386,916 samples have been tested thus far.

Earlier on Thursday, it emerged that Pakistan had decided to contact China for the availability of COVID-19 vaccine, sources told ARY News.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) will communicate with the Chinese government via the foreign ministry, sources in the knowledge of the matter, said.

The health authorities in Islamabad will seek details of the expected vaccines being developed in China and also the details about the Chinese vaccine developing companies, CanSino Biologics and Sinopharm, the sources said.

Moreover, the price and the data of the clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccines would also be sought from the pharmaceutical companies.

It is pertinent to mention here that both the Chinese companies conducting phase three of clinical trials of their vaccines.

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CMEA organized a discussion on “The Role of China in the Middle East & Africa

The Centre for Middle East & Africa (CMEA) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) organized a web panel discussion on “The Role of China in the Middle East & Africa.”

Panel of experts included Ms. Maria German, student at the School of International Relations and Public Affairs Fudan University (China); Dr. Zahid Ahmed, Research Fellow at the Deakin University (Australia) and Dr. Talat Shabbir, Director China-Pakistan Study Centre (CPSC). Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General ISSI, and Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, Chairman BoG, ISSI also joined the panel for the discussion. Director CMEA, Ms. Amina Khan moderated the discussion.

Director CMEA, Ms. Amina Khan opened the panel discussion by stating that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a mega-project focused on increasing connectivity by opening up avenues for diplomatic and economic activity, thereby cementing trade and commercial ties between China and partner countries.

In the case of the Middle East, this can be evidenced in the sharp increase in trade between China and the Middle East countries. Chinese investment in the Middle East focuses on infrastructure, construction, agriculture, finance, however the energy sector remains the substratum of China's associations with the region.

Both sides have mutual interests in integrating the BRI into national regeneration schemes, such as Saudi Vision 2030, UAE Vision 2021, Jordan 2025, Turkey's Middle Corridor and Kuwait's Vision 2035. She went on to say that it is a similar story in Africa. China has taken a multi-pronged approach in its economic relations with Africa, as it is a significant source of foreign direct investment.

In 2019, Beijing announced a $1 billion Belt and Road Africa infrastructure development fund as well as a $60 billion African aid package in 2018. Moreover, the ‘Extraordinary China-Africa Summit on Solidarity Against COVID-19’ held in June 2020, has further strengthened ties between China and the African bloc.

Answering a question regarding China’s overall role in the Middle East, Ambassador Aizaz stated that there are three dimensions of China’s regional approach, the economic, political and security dimensions.

The economic dimension is more dominant than the other two. The Western analysts often perceive China in the Middle East in a more negative light although its security engagement in the region is quite minimal.

Commenting on China’s perception in the African continent, he said that the African countries view China as a good investor while there is also stiff competition between China and Africa’s traditional partners such as the US and France.

While commenting on China’s overall Foreign policy approach towards the Middle East, Ms. German said that apart from increasing investments, China is also cognizant of ensuring the safety of its citizens residing in different countries of the region.

She further remarked that China’s regional preference is peace, stability, with a cautious approach to conflict resolution. It becomes engaged in a process but does not play a decisive role. China has a growing role in African security as can be seen in its collective naval drill and anti-piracy missions. Ms. German observed that China’s economic relations with the African continent are based on win-win cooperation as without building infrastructure in these countries, it would be impossible to attract any foreign investment.

Ambassador Khalid was of the view that China is slowly gravitating towards the Middle East and Africa region with the main focus being on the energy sector. China’s appetite for energy resources since China’s demand for oil and gas is increasing. Ambassador Khalid said that at present China’s role in the region is purely economic because of China’s policy of non-interference. It is only natural that in order to safeguard its stakes in the region, China has to maintain some sort of presence in the region, which it does through bases in Djibouti and peacekeepers in Sudan. He was of the view that China has let the US take a lead in playing a security role in the region and instead has focused on economic development.

While answering various questions, Dr. Zahid said that energy is a key driver of China's relations with the Middle East. It has shown no desire to interfere or influence the US dominated security infrastructure in the region. A lot of China’s role will also depend on how US allies such as India shape their policy in the Middle East so while US withdrawal will provide space to China, it is likely that China and India will be locked in a battle for influence. Regarding Africa, he said there is now a Chinese role in Africa albeit minimum.

He said that pragmatism and flexibility are two main characteristics of China’s foreign policy. Making his observations on a question on prospects for Pakistan is not just a passive actor in the Pakistan China relationship and considering Pakistan’s strong relationship there are sure to be avenues.

Dr. Talat talked about China's policy in the Middle East and Africa, and said it is also driven by China’s overall global approach. China wants a shared future of prosperity for its partners. This also extends to the Middle East countries.

China’s vision focuses on expansion of trade links in the region and follows its policy of non-interference in countries’ political rifts strictly. There is a thought process in Chinese scholarship that if China gets involved in the security matters of the region, it will be detrimental to the win-win narrative China propagates. Commenting on the prospects of Sino-Pak cooperation in the African continent in the backdrop of Pakistan’s Engage Africa policy, Dr Talat said that this was a timely initiative by the Pakistani government and would provide abundant opportunities for joint outreach to African countries.

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Maradona buried as world grieves imperfect soccer extraordinary

Argentina’s Diego Maradona, one of the world’s greatest ever soccer players, was buried on Thursday amid a global outpouring of grief from the streets of Buenos Aires to Naples in Italy.

The death of Maradona at the age of 60 on Wednesday, following a heart attack, has sparked both mourning and celebrations of a true sporting star, who was a genius on the soccer field but lived a life marred by struggles with addiction.

In a day of high emotion, the World Cup winner was taken by hearse late on Thursday to the Bella Vista cemetery on the outskirts of Buenos Aires - where his parents are also interred - for an small private ceremony of his family and close friends.

Thousands of Argentines lined the roads as the procession passed on the hour-long journey from the presidential palace in central Buenos Aires, where Maradona had lain in state during the day.

Earlier, there were clashes between police and fans and a febrile atmosphere more akin to a rowdy soccer game than a wake, with fans clambering up the palace gates to get as close as possible to their hero.

In Italy, crowds tied hundreds of blue and white scarfs to the railings outside his former club Napoli, while in France, sports paper L’Equipe’s front page blared out: “God is dead”.

In Argentina, three days of national mourning were called for the player who led the country to a 1986 World Cup win and is revered with cult-like status. Tens of thousands took to the streets, not all wearing masks, despite fears over the COVID-19 pandemic. Some left flowers and messages at his childhood home.

“Maradona for me is the greatest thing that happened to me in life. I love him as much as my father and it’s like my old man died,” Cristian Montelli, 22, a supporter of the star’s former club Boca Juniors said with tears in his eyes after he had filed past the coffin.

“If I die young, hopefully upstairs I can play ball and watch a Boca game with him,” added Montelli, who had a tattoo of Maradona’s face on his leg.

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No mutant coronavirus strain in Pakistan: Dr Faisal Sultan

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination Dr Faisal Sultan clarified on Thursday that at present there is no evidence that coronavirus has undergone a mutation giving it an additional virulence.

Responding to APP queries, he strongly dispelled the misconception about a mutant strain in the country and stressed that all viruses mutate with time and therefore it is nothing unusual.

A health ministry official contacted by APP via phone said "there is no evidence that virus mutation can not be detected through PCR (testing) nor do we have evidence that transmission of the virus changes its strain".

The remarks came in response to concerns that the PCR test cannot reliably detect the new supposedly "mutated" virus.

Dr Zahra Hasan, a member of the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP), elaborating further told APP that robust diagnostic tests are designed to detect multiple target sites so that random point mutations do not affect their sensitivity.

"Robust PCR tests have at least two target genes and that way you should not miss diagnosing the target just because you may sequence variations in one target or other," she said.

"We do not have any clinical evidence that mutations are causing a difference in the disease; it's still speculation," said Dr Hasan, also a professor at Aga Khan University.

She reiterated that "Genome Sequencing" is ongoing and it will help us understand the strain diversity and disease associated with the strains.

The doctor stressed that people must continue to strictly adhere to coronavirus safety protocols and help contain the spread of COVID-19 as well as flu in the country.

 

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Almost 100 pilot whales die in New Zealand stranding

Almost 100 pilot whales have died in a mass stranding on New Zealand’s remote Chatham Islands, conservation officials said on Wednesday.

Most of the marine mammals beached themselves over the weekend but rescue efforts were hampered by the area’s isolated location, about 800 kilometres (500 miles) east of the South Island, the Department of Conservation (DOC) said.

Department biodiversity ranger Jemma Welch said 69 whales had already died by the time wildlife officers reached the beach.

She said 28 pilot whales, including two that beached on Monday after the initial stranding, and three dolphins were euthanised.

Welch said the animals had to be put down “due to the rough sea conditions and almost certainty of there being great white sharks in the water which are brought in by a stranding like this”.

She said members of the local Maori community had performed a ceremony to honour the spirits of the whales, which would be left to decompose naturally.

The Chatham Islands was the site of New Zealand’s largest recorded mass stranding, when 1,000 beached themselves in 1918.

Pilot whales grow up to six metres (20 feet) long and are the most common species of whale in New Zealand waters.

The causes of mass strandings remain unknown despite scientists studying the phenomenon for decades.

Theories include pod members following a sick leader ashore, shoreline geography that scrambles the animals’ sonar, the presence of predators and extreme weather.

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No quick end to economic damage after Covid-19 vaccine: UNCTAD

Despite growing confidence that an end to health pandemic is in sight, a report released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has warned that a viable Covid-19 vaccine will not contain the economic damage.

The report said that the after-effects of the economic damage caused by the pandemic will be felt for a long time in future especially by the poorest and most vulnerable.

The UNCTAD report titled ‘Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Trade and Development: Transition to a New Normal’ provides a comprehensive assessment of the economic knock-ons, projecting that the global economy will contract by a staggering 4.3 per cent in 2020 and warning that the crisis could send an additional 130 million people into extreme poverty.

The way the world economy is set up is partly to blame for the disproportionate impact on the world’s poorest who lack resources necessary to respond to shocks such as Covid-19, the report says.

“Moving rapidly across borders, along the principal arteries of the global economy, the spread of virus has benefited from the underlying interconnections — and frailties — of globalisation, catapulting a global health crisis into a global economic shock that has hit the most vulnerable the hardest,” it added.

The report said the UN Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 will be derailed unless immediate policy actions are taken, especially in favour of the poorest. A better recovery must centre on renewed trade policy that tackles the twin challenges of market concentration and environmental impact, the report says.

It also notes there is a pressing need to reshape global production networks to be more green, inclusive, and sustainable while simultaneously resetting the multilateral system to support the most vulnerable and deliver on climate action.

In the report, UNCTAD tracks the deepening impact of the virus on all areas of the world economy and maps how the crisis has affected global trade, investment, production, employment and, ultimately, individual livelihoods.

It finds that the pandemic’s impact has been asymmetric and tilted towards the most vulnerable, both within and across countries, affecting low-income households, migrants, informal workers and women disproportionately, the report says.

Global poverty is on the rise for the first time since the 1998 Asian financial crisis. In 1990, the global poverty rate was 35.9pc. By 2018, it had been curtailed to 8.6pc but has already inched up to 8.8pc this year and will likely rise throughout 2021.

Additionally, Covid-19 has had an excessive effect on two sectors — tourism and micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises — which employ many vulnerable groups.

These and other setbacks, such as school closures that threaten 20 years of progress in expanding access to education, especially for girls, will have strong negative impacts on the productive capacity of countries well into the future, the report finds.

The disparities caused by the Covid-19 crisis are glaring, and vaccine production and delivery will likely underscore the limited capacity of most developing and least-developed countries (LDCs) to respond to the crisis.

In the report, the UN’s trade and development body provides a road map for recovery that requires an overdue and opportune shift in the structure of global trade and cooperation.

“Covid-19 has been painful and course-altering, but it is also a catalyst for needed change,” UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said. “We need to reshape global production networks and reset multilateral cooperation for the better.”

Global production networks will play a critical role in producing and distributing the new vaccine, as they have in moving critical medical supplies during the crisis. But vaccine deployment will likely expose long-entrenched inequalities in the global trading system that the report says must change to ‘recover better’, he said.

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