News Analysis India

Category: World

  • Switzerland Says 91-year-old’s Death After COVID-19 Vaccination ‘was A Coincidence’

    Switzerland’s medical authorities have categorically rejected any ‘correlation’ between the Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine and the death of the 91-year-old just days after it was administered on her. The Swiss authorities said on December 30 that there is no indication that the death occurred due to the vaccine dosage and said that “it is highly unlikely” if Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is responsible for the incident. 

    A 91-year-old person who was also among the first individuals to be inoculated in Switzerland last week. The report confirmed by Swissmedic regulatory authority and regional authorities in the central canton of Lucerne. Swissmedic said that neither the person’s medical history nor the acute course of their illness indicates that there is a direct causal link between immunisation and their death. It said, “ The detailed information available indicates that the person died of natural causes. This was also noted on the death certificate.”

    While Swissmedic made it evident that “no unknown side effects have occurred as a result of vaccinations” against COVID-19, another remarkable case emerged from the United States where a nurse tested positive for the disease just a week after being inoculated by Pfizer vaccine. 

    According to media reports, Matthew W., a San Diego’s hospital nurse received the jab of the vaccine on December 18 and six days later after working his shift at a COVID-19 ward, he started to feel uneasy. A COVID-19 test later confirmed that he was positive for the disease. Dr Christian Ramers, an infectious disease specialist at the Family Health Centers in San Diego, told KGTV that from the trial results of the vaccine that it is known that patients do not develop protection immediately. 

  • Joe Biden’s ‘diverse’ White House Staff Consists Of 61% Women, 54% People Of Colour

    President-elect Joe Biden and his deputy Kamala Harris had promised one of the most diverse administrations in the history of the United States after they defeated Donald Trump in November. It looks like Biden and the Vice-President-elect have kept their words because the first 100 members of the incoming White House staff come of all backgrounds and can easily be called the most diverse in terms of their ideology, gender, race, and skin colour. Biden and Harris have named more than 100 White House appointees so far, a goal they had set to complete by the end of 2020.  According to the Biden-Harris administration, 61 percent of the first 100 White House appointees are women, while 54 percent are people of colour. As per the Biden-Harris transition team, AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) appointees represent more than twice their share of the national population. First-generation Americans account for almost 20 percent of the appointees, while 11 percent of all White House staff belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Almost 40 percent of White House staff have children at home. Joe Biden made history after he picked Kamala Harris as his running mate earlier in August, before the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Kamala Harris is the first Indian-American to be elected vice-president in the history of the United States. She is also the first woman overall to hold that position. Joe Biden’s team also consists of other Indian-Americans such as Dr. Vivek Murthy, a surgeon who has been appointed to co-chair the COVID-19 task force, Neera Tanden, nominated as the next director of the Office of Management and Budget, among others. 

  • UN Criticises Donald Trump’s Pardon To Blackwater Guards, Terms It ‘affront To Justice’

    The United Nations (UN) experts have condemned US President Donald Trump’s pardon of four American men convicted of killing the Iraqi civilians on December 30. In a statement, the UN experts called it an “affront to justice” as the four Blackwater Worldwide contractors were prosecuted and found guilty of several war crimes during a 2007 massacre at  Nisour Square in Baghdad that killed at least 14 unarmed civilians and left 17 injured. 

    The UN experts also cited the Geneva Conventions that obliges the countries to hold the ‘war criminals’ accountable and noted that all four men were legally tried and then convicted for their crimes. These included Nicholas Slatten who was convicted of first-degree murder along with  Paul Slough, Evan Liberty and Dustin Heard who were found guilty of both voluntary and attempted manslaughter when the US contractors opened fire in a busy road in Baghdad square and caused more than a dozen deaths. 

    However, on December 22, the Trump administration, in its closing days, pardoned all four of them. The Chair-rapporteur of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries said that the move by the US President “violated US obligations” under the international law and even “undermined” the humanitarian rights at the global level.

    While announcing the pardons that drew severe backlash from a number of officials including US Ambassador to Iraq, White House had said that it was “broadly supported by the public” and was even backed by several Republican lawmakers. The Nisour Square massacre in 2007 was reportedly one of the lowest episodes of the US-led invasion and occupation in the Islamic nation. However, UN experts stressed that these pardons “open doors to future abuses”.

  • Indian Navy Bids Adieu To 2020 With Firm Commitment To Protect Nation’s Interests At Sea

    The Indian Navy on Thursday, December 31, reiterated its commitment to protecting the nation’s interests at sea and fighting adversities throughout the year as it bid goodbye to 2020.

    Paying tribute to the determination of the cohesive force, the navy recalled its efforts in defending the country’s sovereignty, reassuring the Indian diaspora by carrying out crucial operations such as Samudra Setu and Mission Sagar during the COVID-19 pandemic and building the trust of friendly nations through joint naval exercises.

    The Spokesperson of the Indian Navy took to his official Twitter account to share a compilation of diverse actions taken by the maritime forces over the year.

    The Indian Navy is a well-balanced and cohesive three-dimensional force, capable of operating above, on and under the surface of the oceans, efficiently safeguarding our national interests. The Navy has three commands under the control of a Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief namely, The western Naval Command (Headquarters at Mumbai), The Eastern Naval Command (Headquarters at Vishakhapatnam), and The Southern Naval Command (Headquarters at Kochi).The bigger, improved and better-armed Arighat is in the final stages of sea trials and is likely to be commissioned into service early next year. After teething troubles, India’s nuclear submarine programme — the country’s costliest defence project, monitored directly by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval — has made big strides in recent years. With the Arihant-class project now working at “assembly-line pace”, the programme has also got a new vertical — SSNs or nuclear-powered submarines which, unlike the SSBNs, are armed with missiles with conventional warheads. 

  • Nepal PM Oli ‘tired Of Making Deals With Prachanda’; Chinese Ploy To Restore Unity Fails

    Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Wednesday said that he is “tired of making deals” with the rival faction leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ and accused him of breaching various agreements reached between them on several occasions to keep the ruling Nepal Communist Party’s unity intact.

    According to My Republica newspaper, Oli’s remarks came hours after a four-member Chinese delegation led by Vice Minister of the International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Guo Yezhou returned home without much success in its mission to patch up differences between Nepal’s feuding leaders.

    Addressing party leaders and cadres of his faction from Sudurpaschim Province in Kathmandu, Oli came down heavily against leaders of the rival faction for their non-cooperation in running the party and government for the past two years since he came to power.

    Oli, who is also the chairperson of a faction of the NCP, accused Prachanda of breaching various agreements reached between them on multiple occasions to keep the party unity intact, it said. “In fact, Prachandaji was negotiating with the Nepali Congress to form the government and at the same time he was bargaining with me although we (two communist parties) won elections after forging an electoral alliance,” Oli said.  

    “I am tired of making deals with Dahal (Prachanda),” Oli said, adding that he had reached a number of agreements with the former Prime Minister for keeping the party unity intact.

    Nepal’s Supreme Court on Friday issued a show-cause notice to the Oli-led government, asking it to submit a written clarification over its decision to abruptly dissolve Parliament. The five-member Constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana asked the government to submit an original copy of the recommendations made by it to dissolve the House and the decision made by the President to authenticate the government’s recommendations within 10 days.

  • Indian Sailors Stuck In China For 7 Months Catch Owaisi’s Eye; Govt Assures ‘return Soon

    The Indian government on Wednesday said 39 Indian sailors stuck in China will be brought back soon as diplomatic talks are on with the neighbouring country. Two cargo vessels with a total of 39 Indians on board have been on anchorage in Chinese waters as they were not allowed to unload their cargo though some other ships have managed to do so. The matter was purported to also have a connection to the souring of Australia-China ties in recent months, though Beijing has disputed this.

    “Diplomatic talks are going on for this successfully. Our seafarers will come to India soon,” Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in reply to a query about sailors being stuck in China for the last seven months during Cabinet briefing.

    Meanwhile, China has said that the “real” reason for the Indian sailors stuck in China is that the “freight forwarder doesn’t want to adjust plans due to commercial interests”. The spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Counselor Ji Rong also said that the Chinese authorities have “never denied any vessel departure”.

    Taking to Twitter, the spokesperson said, “Chinese authorities have been in close communication with the Indian side and provided timely assistance and necessary supplies to Indian sailors. China has never denied any vessel departure. The real cause of the situation is freight forwarder doesn’t want to adjust plans due to commercial interests.”

  • WHO Chief Asks To Ensure Equal Distribution Of Vaccine ‘to Protect The World’

    Marking a year since the initial discovery of coronavirus in China, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized on the need for equal distribution of vaccines to people at risk across the globe. Urging international powers to refrain from ‘vaccine nationalism’ the director general urged nations to contribute to COVAX initiative which aims to distribute vaccines to underdeveloped and developing nations by early 2021. In addendum, he also asked people to combat “infodemic” asserting that the choice between right and wrong information was “easy”.

    Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, speaking at a virtual press briefing made an appeal to the international communities to contribute $4 billion to buy COVID-19 vaccines for distribution in lower and middle-income countries through the COVAX vaccine facility. COVAX is one of the three pillars of the Access to COVID-19 tools (ACT) Accelerator which aims at providing innovative and equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostics, treatment and vaccine. “This is the challenge we must rise to in the New Year,” Tedros said in a message issued a day before the first anniversary of China reporting the first cases of pneumonia of unknown origin.

    In a video message, he urged countries to combat ‘infodemics’ that is miss information, conspiracy theories and attacks on science, saying “the choice is easy,” and the world can “walk the last miles of this crisis together, helping each other along the way, from sharing vaccines fairly, to offering accurate advice, compassion and care” to all who need them.

  • Boris Johnson Signs Post-Brexit Trade Deal After UK Lawmakers Vote To Pass Agreement

     Boris Johnson has signed the trade and cooperation agreement with the European Union, drawing curtains on the nation’s four-year-long divorce battle with the 27 nation bloc on Wednesday, December 30. Johnson signed the deal on behalf of the United Kingdom after the House of Commons passed the 1,200-page trade agreement with 521 votes to 73 – a majority of 448. The European Union (future relationship) bill now heads to the House of Lords and is expected to be given royal assent shortly before midnight.

    The British parliament was recalled for an emergency single-day session to pass the post-Brexit trade and co-operation agreement after it was signed by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and European Council president Charles Michel earlier in the day after a brief signing ceremony in Brussels. 

    While addressing the parliament, Johnson asserted that the UK would be a “friendly neighbour and best friend” to the 27 member bloc after the Brexit transition period ends on December 31. The hard-won deal comes after the two sides reached an agreement on Christmas Eve after months of tedious negotiations. 

    As per the summary published on the UK government website of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, both sides have agreed to “unprecedented 100% tariff liberalisation”. This means that all tariffs have been scrapped along with quotas on the movement of goods produced by Britain and the European Union. This is also the first time that the 27-nation-bloc has agreed to a ‘zero tariff zero quota deal’ with any trading partner, starting from January 1, 2021.

  • Trump Administration Rushes Sale Of $290m Bombs To Saudi Arabia Ahead Of White House Exit

    In a spat of arms deals ahead of the Trump administration’s White House exit, the US State Department approved the sale of $290 million in bombs to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, December 29. These arms deals have faced broad congressional and public opposition for the despicable human rights records of the nations concerned. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the imprisonment of women’s rights activist Loujain Al Hathloul and the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi are some prominent cases of human rights abuse that have drawn global attention. 

    As per the US State Department’s Defence Security Cooperation Agency, Saudi Arabia will be sold GBU-39 small diameter bomb I (SDB I) munitions and related equipment for an estimated cost of $290 million. The Kingdom has requested three thousand GBU-39 SDB I munitions. On the same day, the US also announced a $4 billion deal for the sale of AH-64E Apache helicopters to Kuwait and $65.6 million deal in precision targeting equipment for Egyptian warplanes. 

    While the State Department has claimed that the arms deal will support US foreign policy and national security objectives vis-a-vis political stability and economic growth in the Middle East, critics fear the sale would fuel the war in Yemen which continues to witness a huge civilian death toll. 

    The massive sales come as Biden’s transition team accused Pentagon officials of setting up ‘roadblocks’ and ‘stalling the transition’ in the weeks preceding inauguration, on January 20. In a press briefing, Biden said, “Right now, we just aren’t getting all the information that we need from the outgoing administration in key national security areas. It is nothing short, in my view, of irresponsibility.” 

  • Nawaz Sharif’s Passport To Be Cancelled; Pak PM Imran Khan Accused For Ex-FM Asif’s Arrest

    “There have been many attempts to break the PML-N and weaken its supremo Nawaz Sharif over the last two and a half years,” The News International quoted Asif as saying. The Pakistani newspaper quoted PML-N leader as saying that he was “100% sure” that Prime Minister Imran Khan was behind his arrest.

    Following Asit’s arrest, Maryam Nawaz addressed reporters and said that Khawaja Asif had been told all cases against him would be written off if he stood against Nawaz Sharif. When a reporter asked Khawaja Asif to elaborate on Maryam’s statement, the lawmaker said, “This is what we are all being told.”

    “I was given a charge sheet that assets increased but NAB has not conducted any investigation in the matter. I have been facing this case for over two years, first in Rawalpindi then in Lahore,” he said.

     On Tuesday Khawaja Asif was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Islamabad pertaining to acquiring assets beyond means of income. Asif held an iqama (work permit) from 2004 to 2008, adding that he earned a total of Rs 136 million for his services as a consultant legal adviser, Nawazish Ali, bureau’s spokesperson said. Citing the NAB, Dawn reported that the evidence shows Asif established the Kent Housing Society, which has been operating illegally.