Tag: latest Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
07 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Pfizer seeks emergency approval for its Covid-19 vaccine in India. 

Pfizer India has become the first pharmaceutical firm to seek from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) an emergency use authorisation for its Covid-19 vaccine in the country, after its parent company secured such clearance in the UK and Bahrain. The firm, in its application submitted to the drug regulator, has sought permission to import the vaccine for sale and distribution in the country, besides waiver of clinical trials on Indian population in accordance with the special provisions under the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019, official sources said. Pfizer India has submitted an application on December 4 to the DCGI seeking emergency use authorization (EUA) for its COVID-19 vaccine in India. The UK on Wednesday became the first country to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against Covid-19, with the UK regulator Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granting a temporary authorisation for its emergency use. Bahrain on Friday also announced that it has granted an EUA for the two dose vaccine made by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech. The pharma company has already applied to the US FDA seeking EUA for the vaccine.

B) Opposition leaders extend support for Bharat Bandh called by farmers’ groups.

Top Opposition leaders, in a joint statement on Sunday, extended support for the December 8 Bharat Bandh call by the agitating farmers and said the new farm laws would destroy agriculture by mortgaging it to corporates. The joint statement was signed by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, DMK president M.K. Stalin, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D. Raja, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav and CPI(ML)’s Dipankar Bhattacharya among others. These new laws, passed in Parliament in a brazen anti-democratic manner preventing a structured discussion and voting, threaten India’s food security, destroy agriculture and our farmers, lay the basis for the abolishment of the minimum support price and mortgage agriculture and our markets to the caprices of multi-national agri-business corporates and domestic corporates, read the joint statement released by the CPI(M) office. Asking the Centre to listen to the legitimate demands of our Kisans-Annadatas, the Opposition leaders said that they are the undersigned leaders of political parties extend their solidarity with the massive struggle by the farmers organised by various kisan organisations from across the country and extend their support to their call for Bharat bandh on December 8 demanding the withdrawal of these retrograde agri-laws and the Electricity Amendment Bill.

C) Over 170 hospitalised with mysterious illness in Andhra’s Eluru. 

Over 170 people, including several women and children, were admitted with some unknown disease in the Government General Hospital (GGH) in Eluru in West Godavari district during the last couple of days. The number of in-patients which was 55 on Saturday midnight went up to 170 by Sunday morning, the officials said, with patients suffering from symptoms like dizziness, headache and epilepsy-type symptoms, said a doctor treating them. A.P. Deputy Chief Minister and Health Minister Alla Kali Krishna Srinivas enquires about the health condition of the patients who were admitted in Eluru Government General Hospital with giddiness and epilepsy symptoms. Medical teams from different hospitals in West Godavari and Krishna districts were rushed to the colonies, where the patients are being treated in special camps. Water, food and blood samples have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) and the reports are awaited. CT scan and X-ray reports are normal, the doctors said. Officials indicate so far that about 30 patients have been discharged from the GGH. This is a story they will keep a track on and bring them more details shortly.

D) Honey brands war with each other over NMR claims. 

Two leading homegrown rival FMCG brands Dabur and Marico are in an open spat with each other over claims regarding their honey brands and have taken the matter to advertising regulator ASCI. Dabur on Sunday said it is filing a complaint against rival Marico before the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) for claiming its Saffola Honey sample being passed through the NMR test. The Noida-based company claimed Marico’s Saffola honey has failed the NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) test and is misleading the consumers. To know more about the NMR test and the current questions being raised about the purity of Indian honey brands read our previous reporting on the subject here. Dabur is filing a complaint in ASCI against Marico as their Saffola Honey sample from the market has failed the NMR test. Test reports clearly indicate the presence of sugar syrup in Saffola honey. Their claim on NMR test is misleading the consumers, Dabur claimed in a statement. Earlier, Marico had filed a complaint before the ASCI on October 1, over Dabur’s claims of its honey passing the NMR test. The complaint has been admitted by ASCI and taken on record for further hearing, said Marico.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.K. and E.U. making last push for post-Brexit trade agreement before December 31. 

The U.K. and European Union (EU) are holding crunch talks on December 6 to give one last push to try and thrash out a post-Brexit trade agreement before the end of the transition period on December 31. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke on the telephone on December 5 to try and find a way out of a stalemate that has lasted months, ending in the chief negotiators on both sides concluding the latest round of talks without achieving a breakthrough. There are lingering divergences on key areas of EU fishing rights in U.K. waters and governance matters after Britain ceases to be a member of the economic bloc from January 1, 2021. In a phone call on the ongoing negotiations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, we welcomed the fact that progress has been achieved in many areas. Nevertheless, significant differences remain on three critical issues: level playing field, governance and fisheries. Both sides underlined that no agreement is feasible if these issues are not resolved, read a joint statement issued by Mr. Johnson and Ms. von Der Leyen.

B) Saudi prince hits out at Israel at security summit. 

A prominent Saudi prince harshly criticized Israel on Sunday at a Bahrain security summit that was remotely attended by Israel’s Foreign Minister, showing the challenges any further deals between Arab States and Israel face in the absence of an in. dependent Palestinian state. The fiery remarks by Prince Turki al-Faisal at the Manama Dialogue appeared to catch Israel’s Foreign Minister offguard, particularly as Israelis receive warm welcomes in Bahrain and the UAE following agreements to normalize ties. Left unresolved by those deals, however, is the decades-long conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The Palestinians view those pacts as a stab in the back from their fellow Arabs and a betrayal of their cause. Prince Turki opened his remarks by contrasting what he described as Israel ‘s perception of being peace-loving upholders of high moral principles versus what he described as a far-darker Palestinian reality of living under a Western colonizing power. Israel has incarcerated (Palestinians) in concentration camps under the flimsiest of security accusations young and old, women and men, who are rotting there without recourse to justice, Prince Turki said. They are demolishing homes as they wish and they assassinate whomever they want. The prince also criticized Israel’s undeclared arsenal of nuclear weapons and Israeli governments unleashing their political minions and their media outlets from other countries to denigrate and demonise Saudi Arabia. Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, who spoke after Prince Turki, said that he would like to express his regret on the comments of the Saudi representative.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
06 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Farmers delegation observes ‘maun vrat’ during meeting, govt. seeks more time. 

After four hours of discussion with Central Ministers on the tenth day of their ongoing protests on the borders of Delhi, farmer leaders ran out of patience. Refusing to speak any further, they went on a 25-minute maun vrat or silent protest. Holding up impromptu placards with a short scribbled message, Yes or No?, they demanded that the government declare whether it was willing to repeal the three contentious farm reform laws or not. According to farmer leaders who described the course of the meeting, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar then opted to buy more time for a response to their ultimatum, saying that further consultations within the government were needed in order to present a concrete proposal. The next round of talks has been scheduled for December 9, a day after the proposed Bharat Bandh. This was the fifth meeting between the government and farm unions since the agitation began in Punjab over two months ago, demanding a repeal of all three laws. Large groups of farmers from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and representatives from other states have now joined tens of thousands of Punjab farmers in protest on the borders of the capital. Although the Centre was willing to meet again on December 7, farmer leaders suggested December 9. This will allow farmers to put on a show of strength through a Bharat Bandh call on December 8. Along with their allies, especially trade unions and a national truckers’ federation, the farmers groups plan to hold nationwide agitations, seal off entry into Delhi, and close down transport across northern India.

B) Former sportspersons to leave awards outside Rashtrapati Bhavan if President won’t meet them. 

Several former sportspersons from Punjab, including Padma Shri and Arjuna awardees, left for Delhi today to return their awards in support of the farmers’ protest, PTI reported. They will join the farmers camping at the national capital’s Singhu border on Saturday before returning their awards to the president the next day. They have left for Delhi today and will join the farmers’ protest, said former wrestler Kartar Singh, who is a Padma Shri and Arjuna awardee. Many former players like Sajjan Singh Cheema, who could not join us because of health or other issues, have given their sports awards to us, he said. The sportspersons said they have sought time from President Ram Nath Kovind to return the awards. If are not allotted a time to meet the president, they will place their awards outside the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday, said former hockey player Rajbir Kaur.

C) MPs raise concerns over exemptions in privacy Bill.

Ten members of the 30-member joint parliamentary committee on the Data Protection Bill, 2019, have moved amendments against the provision in the legislation giving power to the Central government to exempt any agency of the government from application of the Act. The members have said this clause makes the entire act infructuous. The Bill seeks to provide protection of personal data of individuals and was introduced in December last year in Lok Sabha. It was referred to the joint parliamentary committee, headed by BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, in February this year. Congress MPs Jairam Ramesh, Manish Tewari, and Gaurav Gogoi, Trinamool Congress MPs Derek O’ Brien and Mahua Moitra, along with Biju Janta Dal MP Bharatuhari Mahtab and Amar Patnaik, BSP MP Ritesh Pandey, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde and BJP MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar have moved amendments to this contentious Clause 35 of the legislation. Invoking sovereignty and integrity of India, public order, friendly relations with foreign states and security of the state, the legislation gives powers to the Central government to suspend all or any of the provisions of this Act for government agencies. Five of the MPs — Jairam Ramesh Derek O’ Brien, Mahua Moitra, Ritesh Pandey and Amar Patnaik — want the act to be suitably amended, vesting the power in Parliament instead of the Central government to approve any such exemption. Several objections have also been raised regarding Clause 26 of the legislation that deals with social media, with five members moving amendments. Tewari has moved an amendment seeking changes to make it mandatory for every social media intermediary to identify all its subscribers. He further has moved that if any social media intermediary fails to comply, then it should be liable for a fine “that shall not be less than 3% and not exceed 5% of its total global turnover and shall be punishable with an imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years.

D) Two weeks after getting trial shot, Haryana Minister tests positive for Covid-19.

A little over two weeks after the Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij participated in the Phase 3 trial of Bharat Biotech’s Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin, he tweeted on Saturday morning that he has tested positive for the virus. Responding to the social media post, the Union Health Ministry said that antibodies against the infection build up in a human being only after a specific number of days pass after the second dose of the vaccine is taken, since this is a two-dose vaccine. The Minister in question has taken only one dose of the vaccine. Bharat Biotech said the clinical trials of Covaxin are based on a two-dose schedule, given 28 days apart. Reacting to the incident, the Hyderabad-based drug maker said the vaccine efficacy will be determined 14 days post the second dose. Covaxin has been designed to be efficacious when subjects receive both doses. Safety is our primary criteria in vaccine development, the company said in its statement. It added that one of the three Covid-19 vaccine candidates being tested in India, Covaxin, will be administered to 26,000 subjects across 25 sites.

E) Modi to lay foundation stone for new Parliament Building on Dec 10. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for a new Parliament building on December 10, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Saturday. The new building will have an area of 64,500 square metres and is being built at an estimated cost of ₹971 crore, he said. The existing temple of democracy is completing 100 years. It is a matter of pride for our countrymen that the new one will be built by our own people as a prime example of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Birla said, announcing details of the new proposed building. The new building will showcase the cultural diversity of the country. Hopefully, in the 75th year of independence, Parliament session will be held in the new building, he said. Birla said the new building will be earthquake-resistant and 2,000 people will be directly involved in the construction of the new building and 9,000 indirectly. He said as many as 1,224 MPs can sit together in the building, while a new office complex for all MPs of both the houses would be built at the site of the existing Shram Shakti Bhawan. The existing Parliament building will be conserved as it is an archaeological asset of the country, Birla said. In September this year, Tata Projects Limited won the bid to construct the new parliament building at a cost of ₹861.90 crore. The new building will be constructed close to the existing one under the Central Vista redevelopment project.

F) Seven more arrested under anti-conversion law in Uttar Pradesh. 

After arresting a youth in Bareilly and filing cases in Mau and Muzaffarnagar, the Uttar Pradesh police have arrested seven persons in Sitapur district under the newly promulgated ordinance against unlawful conversions. The FIR was filed against eight persons under the Tambor police station of Sitapur, police said. SP North Sitapur Rajiv Dixit said an FIR was registered (under kidnapping) by the family of a girl on November 24, alleging that a local youth had allured her into elopement. On November 27, on the basis of facts in an application submitted by the girl’s family, relevant sections under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 were added to the case, said Dixit. A 21-year-old man in Bareilly, Uwaish Ahmed, had become the first person to be booked under the new ordinance against unlawful conversion. He was arrested on Wednesday. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, was cleared by the State cabinet recently and promulgated on November 27.

G) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 96,32,004 with the death toll at 1,40,324. India is the world’s largest buyer of Covid-19 vaccines, having placed an order for 1.6 billion doses, according to a global analysis. Experts have said that this number could cover 800 million people, or 60 per cent of the population, and will be enough to develop ‘herd immunity’. India has purchased 500 million doses of the Oxford University-AstraZeneca vaccine candidate, one billion from the US company Novavax, and 100 million doses of the Sputnik V candidate from Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute, according to the US-based Duke University Global Health Innovation Center. The ‘Launch and Scale Speedometer’ analysis, which is updated every two weeks, showed that India has confirmed 1.6 billion doses of three vaccines as of November 30, while the US and the EU have purchased doses of six candidates. According to the analysis, India is the top Covid-19 vaccine buyer followed by the European Union which has confirmed 1.58 billion doses, and the US, the worst affected country so far, which has managed to purchase just over a billion doses.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Amid virus challenge, Kuwait holds election.

Kuwait voted on Saturday for its National Assembly, the first election since the death of its longtime ruling Emir and as the oil-rich nation faces serious economic problems under the coronavirus pandemic. This tiny country’s hundreds of thousands of voters selected lawmakers for 50 seats in the parliament, the freest and most-rambunctious assembly in the Gulf Arab countries. However, Kuwait’s parliament has tamped down on opposition to its ruling Al Sabah family since the 2011 Arab Spring protests that saw demonstrators storm the chamber. Parliaments typically don’t serve out their full terms in the stalwart U.S. ally, but this one did. Kuwaitis voted across 102 schools in the nation, which is the size of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Authorities said masks and social distancing will be required due to the pandemic. Several schools will take those with active cases of the virus, with the sick first receiving permission from the government to vote. The vote came after the death in September of Kuwait’s ruler, the 91-year-old Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah. Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 83, quickly took power without any opposition. The outgoing Parliament then approved Sheikh Nawaf’s choice for crown prince, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, the 80year-old deputy head of Kuwait’s National Guard.

B) U.S. ends exchange programmes with China. 

The U.S. State Department said on Friday it has ended five cultural exchange programs with China, calling them soft power propaganda tools. The Department said on its website it had terminated the Policymakers Educational China Trip Program, the U.S.-China Programme, the U.S. China Leadership Program, the U.S.-China Transpacific Program and the Hong Kong Educational and Cultural Programme.  It said that the programmes had been set up under the auspices of the Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act, a 1961 law signed by President John F. Kennedy and aimed at boosting academic and cultural exchange with countries. While other programmes funded under the auspices of the MECEA are mutually beneficial, the five programmes in question are fully funded and operated by the (Chinese) government as soft power propaganda tools,- the statement said. The Chinese Embassy in did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the move. Attempts to reach representatives for the programs singled out by the State Department were immediately successful.

C) Trump orders U.S. to pull out most troops from Somalia. 

The Pentagon said on Friday it is pulling most U.S. troops out of Somalia on President Donald Trump’s orders, continuing a post-election push by Mr. Trump to shrink U.S. involvement in counterterrorism missions abroad. The Pentagon said in a statement that a majority of U.S. troops in Somalia will be withdrawn in early 2021. There are currently about 700 troops in that Horn of Africa nation, training and advising local forces in an extended fight against the extremist group al-Shabab, an affiliate of al-Qaida. Mr. Trump recently ordered troop drawdowns in Afghanistan and Iraq. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had said on Wednesday that the future structure of the U.S. military presence in Somalia was still in debate. The adjusted U.S. presence, Gen. Milley said, would amount to a relatively small footprint, relatively low cost in terms of number of personnel and in terms of money. He provided no specifics but stressed that the U.S. remained concerned about the threat posed by al-Shabab, which he called an extension of alQaida,  the extremist group that planned the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S. They do have some reach and they could if left unattended conduct operations against not only U.S. interests in the region but also against the homeland, he said. So they require attention. Noting that Somalia remains a dangerous place for Americans, he said that a CIA officer was killed there recently.

D) Moscow starts inoculating vulnerable workers. 

Moscow on Saturday began vaccinating workers at high risk of becoming infected with the coronavirus at newly opened clinics across the city. Health officials said they had opened 70 coronavirus vaccine centres in the RusSian capital that would initially offer jabs for health, education and social workers. Citizens from the main risk groups who in connection with their professional activities come into contact with a large number of people can get vaccinated, officials said. Russia was one of the first countries to announce the development of a vaccine, Sputnik V dubbed after the Soviet-era satellite in August but before beginning final clinical trials. It is currently in its third and final stage of clinical trials involving some 40,000 volunteers. Sputnik V ‘s developers last month said interim results had shown the vaccine was 95% effective and would be cheaper and easier to store than some alternatives. The jab uses two different human adenovirus vectors and is administered in two doses with a 21-day gap. The vaccine will be free to all Russian citizens and inoculation will be voluntary. Health officials on Saturday said that during the initial rollout in Moscow the jab would not be available to workers over 60, those with chronic diseases, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. They did not say when the vaccine would be available to the wider public.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
05 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Vaccine may be ready in a few weeks: Modi. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday told floor leaders of 19 political parties represented in Parliament that a vaccine against COVID-19 could be available for roll-out in the next few weeks. He said this during his closing remarks at an all party meeting, where nearly 30 leaders of various parties were present. Experts have assessed that it won’t be too long before a vaccine against corona is available and that it could be a matter of weeks for that to happen, Mr. Modi said. As soon as scientists green light a vaccine, the distribution will start, he said. The government, he said, had set up a national experts group of scientists, Central and State government officials for mapping the vaccination programme, which would likely take advantage of India’s large and experienced vaccination network from its universal immunisation programme. Cold chain and other logistics will be boosted, taking inputs from State governments, he said. Frontline health workers and those with comorbidities would be first in line for the vaccine, Mr. Modi said. The pricing of the vaccine would be according to the imperatives of public health and in consultation with the State governments, he added. 

B) Ministry seeks proposals for technical textiles body.

The Ministry of Textiles has invited proposals to constitute a dedicated export promotion council for technical textiles. Exporter associations and trade bodies registered under the Companies Act or Society Registration Act can submit proposals by December 15, the ministry said. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, in its meeting held in February this year, gave its approval to set up a National Technical Textiles Mission, with a four-year implementation period and a total outlay of t1,480 crore, to position the country as a global leader in technical textiles. The export promotion council for technical textiles is one of the components of the mission. K.S. Sundararaman, chairman of Indian Technical Textile Association, said annual technical textile exports are now worth {14,000 crore. The government is looking at explosive growth in the sector. Most of the exporters of technical textiles currently go through export promotion councils for other products. A dedicated council for this sector will be beneficial, he added. Confederation of Indian Textile Industry’s chairman T. Rajkumar said that the government had set a target market size of $350 billion for technical textiles by 2024-2025 from the current $167 billion for the textile and clothing sector. The decision to set up a dedicated export promotion council is a step in the right direction. he added.

C) RBI holds rates, sees FY, GDP contraction at 7.5%.

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday left benchmark interest rates unchanged and retained an accommodative stance as it prioritized support for the economy over sticky inflation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The MPC kept the RBI’s key lending rate, the repo rate, steady at 4%. The central bank has slashed the repo rate by 115 basis points since late March to cushion the economy from the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis, including the lockdowns to check the spread of the coronavirus. The RBI also brightened its outlook for the economy, projecting that the GDP contraction would narrow to 7.5% for the financial year ending in March 2021, a full 2 percentage points shallower than the 9.5% it had forecast in October. Citing the improvement in activity in the second quarter, it projected that GDP would return to growth of 0.1% in Q3, and expand 0.7% in Q4. The risks to its estimates were “broadly balanced”, the RBI added. There is considerable optimism on successes in vaccine trials, the MPC said. Consumers remain optimistic about the outlook, and business sentiment of manufacturing firms is gradually improving, it added.

D) Remarks by Canadian PM unacceptable: India. 

Comments from the leadership and other members of the Canadian government regarding the ongoing farmers agitation is unacceptable interference in India’s affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday. This message was conveyed to Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel by senior Indian diplomats after he was formally summoned to the Ministry and handed over a demarche in this regard. The Canadian High Commissioner was informed that comments by the Canadian Prime Minister, some Cabinet Ministers and Members of Parliament on issues relating to Indian farmers constitute an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs. Such actions, if continued, would have a seriously damaging impact on ties between India and Canada, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that summed up the contents of the demarche issued to Mr. Patel. Reacting to the development, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Canada will always stand up for the right to peaceful protest anywhere around the world and we are pleased to see moves towards de-escalation and dialogue (with the farmers).

E) LIC’s online policy sales rise 128%, says MD Kumar.

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has posted a 128% growth year-on-year in online sales of insurance policies during this fiscal up to October, and settled maturity claims and survival benefits worth more than {57,000 crore, said Managing Director Raj Kumar. The insurer has been resilient during COVID-19 times, reaching out to people, he added. Alternative payment channels such as Google Pay and PhonePe witnessed a huge response during the pandemic with more than 42% of the premium being collected via the digital route, he said. In all, 72% of the premium collections occurred outside of the traditional cash counters in offices. Thus, digital route had gained popularity during the pandemic, he added. Till November, LIC recorded an investment income of more than u.49 lakh crore, registering a growth rate of 20%. It had booked 05,000 crore in profit via stock trading, Mr. Kumar said in a statement.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.K. drugs regulator defends fast pace of vaccine approval.

Britain’s medicines regulator insisted on Friday its world first approval of the Pfizer, BioNTech coronavirus vaccine met all safety standards, after officials in Europe and the U.S. queried the rapid process. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on Wednesday announced emergency approval for the vaccines general use against COVID-19, and the government plans to start rolling it out next week. Any vaccine must undergo robust clinical trials in line with international standards, the MHRA said in a statement. No vaccine would be authorized for supply in the U.K. unless the expected standards of safety, quality and efficacy are met. Leading U.S. infectious disease scientist Anthony Fauci on Thursday said the MHRA had rushed through that approval, but later apologized. Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in die U.K. And that’s just the reality. he said. He did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way. MHRA chief executive June Raine previously insisted that no corners had been cut in vetting the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. With Britain transitioning out of the European Union, the U.K. regulator obtained an exemption from the ELI’s medicines which has stressed it prefers to wait for further review and consultations across the 27-nation bloc. Britain plans to distribute an initial batch of 8,00,000 doses starting next week, prioritizing care homes.

B) China poses greatest threat to U.S., says intelligence chief.

China poses the greatest threat to America and the rest of the free world since the Second World War, outgoing National Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe said on Thursday as the Trump administration ramps up anti Chinese rhetoric to pressure President-elect Joe Biden to be tough on Beijing. The intelligence is clear, Beijing intends to dominate the U.S. and the rest of the planet economically, militarily and technologically, Mr. Ratcliffe wrote in an op-ed published on Thursday in The Wall Street Journal. Many of China’s major public initiatives and prominent companies offer only a layer of camouflage to the activities of the Chinese Communist Party. He call its approach of economic espionage rob, replicate and replace, Mr. Ratcliffe said. China robs U.S. companies of their intellectual property, replicates the technology and then replaces the U.S. firms in the global marketplace. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying dismissed the editorial as a further move to spread false information, political viruses and lies in hopes of damaging China’s reputation and China-U.S. relations. It offered nothing new but repeated the lies and rumours aimed at smearing China and playing up the China threat by any means, Ms. Hua said at a daily briefing on Friday. It’s another hodgepodge of lies being produced by the relevant departments of the U.S. government for some time. Trump administration officials have been stepping up their anti-China rhetoric for months, especially during the presidential campaign as President Donald Trump sought to deflect blame for the spread of the coronavirus . On the campaign trail, Mr. Trump warned that Biden would go easy on China, although the President-elect agrees that China is not abiding by international trade rules, is giving unfair subsidies to Chinese companies and stealing American innovation. The Trump administration, which once boasted of warm relations with Chinese President Xi Jinping, also has been ramping up sanctions against China over Taiwan, Tibet, trade, Hong Kong and the South China Sea. It has moved against the Chinese telecoms giant Huawei and sought restrictions on Chinese social media applications like TikTok and WeChat. Mr. Ratcliffe, a Trump loyalist who has been accused of politicizing the position, has been the nation’s top intelligence official since May. In his op-ed, he did not directly address the transition to a Biden administration. Trump has not acknowledged losing the election.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
04 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Amarinder meets Shah to help end deadlock between Centre and farmers. 

While the ongoing talks between farmers’ groups and the Centre remained inconclusive, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the protesting farmers to find an early resolution to the impasse over the new farm laws, saying the agitation is affecting Punjab’s economy and the nation’s security. The Centre and farmers groups are holding their fourth round of talks today and reportedly met for over five hours at Vigyan Bhavan. Singh, after meeting Shah at his residence here, said common ground must be found soon and the two sides should not take rigid positions on the matter. He came to meet the Home Minister to reiterate our position and to make a request to him and the farmers to resolve this soon because this (agitation) affects the economy of Punjab as well as the security of the nation, the Congress leader told reporters after the meeting. He said he urged the home minister to find an early solution to the issue. The meeting was held at the same time as the interaction between the agitating farmer leaders and the government at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi, sources said. The protesting farmers, a large number of whom are from Punjab, have been holding sit-ins on the borders of the national capital. They are demanding that the government withdraw the new farm laws if it wants them to end their stir.

B) Farmers refuse food provided by government. 

Farmer leaders who met with Central Ministers today at Vigyan Bhavan declined the government’s offer of lunch and tea, preferring to bring in their own food from a nearby gurdwara. The government said they would not repeal the three laws, and there is much anger about that, and a lot of heated arguments going on in the meeting room. In that situation, how can they eat the government’s food during the lunch break?” said one farmer leader on the Singhu border, whose colleagues were inside Vigyan Bhavan. So they brought lunch for themselves from a gurdwara langar instead. Just regular chapati and dal. A few minutes ago, during the tea break, chai was also taken in from outside, he added.

C) Congress seeks winter session of Parliament to discuss key issues. 

A day after protesting farmers demanded a special Parliament session, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday wrote to Speaker Om Birla to convene a short winter session. In his letter, Chowdhury mentioned a number of issues such as farmers’ agitation, status/preparation of Covid-19 vaccine, Chinese intrusion, economic slowdown and the unemployment scenario to press for the session. Chowdhury is likely to raise this issue at Friday’s all-party meeting on Covid-19, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He would like to draw their kind attention that there are a number of very important issues that the nation is facing in the present times. The most notable among them are the ongoing farmers’ agitation, status/preparation of Covid-19 vaccine, the economic slowdown, unemployment scenario, the continuous stand-off on India-China border, unabated ceasefire violations on the Indo-Pak border. There is a need for a thorough and transparent debate/discussion on all the above mentioned important issues, Chowdhury wrote in his letter to Birla. In view of the above, he shall request them that a short Winter Session may be convened taking all COVID precautions. This will help the nation at large to understand and appreciate current important issues that the country is grappling with, he added.

D) Rajinikanth to launch political party in January. 

Actor Rajinikanth today said that he will launch a political party in January 2021 to contest in the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections and that the date of the launch will be announced on December 31. In a tweet in Tamil, Rajinikanth said that in the upcoming elections, they will achieve a big victory with the support of the people. A spiritual politics will emerge in Tamil Nadu that will bring transparency, honesty, a politics with no corruption and one that is free of caste and religious bias. He further said that miracles would happen. In December 2017, the actor had declared that his political entry was a certainty. However, last month, Rajinikanth raised doubts over his much-awaited political plunge when he confirmed that doctors have advised him against meeting people and campaigning during the elections as it would increase the risk of contracting Covid-19. Elaborating on his fragile health, Rajinikanth said that everybody knows that he have had a kidney transplant. The natural (body’s) immunity needs to be reduced to enable the body to accept a new organ. However, the body needs immunity to fight Covid-19. This is a big problem. Doctors advised that it was dangerous to meet people and campaign. But now he had decided to take the plunge, he added. Rajinikanth said that prominent political activist Tamilaruvi Manian will supervise party activities while R. Arjunamoorthy, who was serving as president of the State unit of the BJP’s intellectual wing, has been made the chief coordinator of RMM. Though the BJP has relieved Arjunamoorthy of his responsibilities in the party, his appointment to this key post has sparked speculation regarding Rajinikanth’s possible leanings towards the BJP.

E) Cyclone Burevi: IMD predicts heavy rains in southern T.N., Kerala.

The Burevi tropical cyclone is headed towards southern India, authorities confirmed today, after it slammed Sri Lanka’s east coast earlier this week but caused little damage. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), ‘Burevi’ lay centred over north Sri Lanka and adjoining Gulf of Mannar, and 310 km east-northeast of Kanniyakumari. It was likely to move west-northwestwards and emerge into Gulf of Mannar. Heavy rains lashed parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as the cyclonic storm approached closer. Southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala are on red alert.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Turkey makes plans with Chinese vaccine.

Turkey has announced a vaccination plan starting with an experimental inactivated vaccine later this month to combat the Covid-19 pandemic, according to reporting by the Associated Press. Turkey’s health minister Fahrettin Koca had previously announced an agreement with Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech for 50 million doses of CoronaVac, which is currently in Phase 3 trials. Koca said in a statement late Wednesday that the first shipment of the inactivated vaccine will arrive in Turkey after Dec. 11. Inactivated vaccines are made by growing the whole virus in a lab and then killing it. It is an older method for vaccine development compared to the mRNA technology used by firms like Pfizer or Moderna, which instruct the body’s cells to make a spike protein that could potentially train the immune system to recognise and destroy the virus. The mRNA technology is as yet untested for widespread use. The minister said early use authorization would be granted after Turkish labs confirm vaccine safety and initial results from Phase 3 trials are assessed. If developments continue positively as they expect, Turkey would be among the first countries in the world to begin vaccinations in the early phase, Koca said.

B) China plays down plan to build dam on Brahmaputra river. 

China on Thursday played down its plan to build a major dam in the lower reaches of the Brahmaputra river in Tibet, saying there is no need to have any anxiety over the project and Beijing will continue to have good communication with lower riparian states, India and Bangladesh. China’s plan to build the dam over Brahmaputra river, reportedly at Medog in Tibet, which borders Arunachal Pradesh, was disclosed by Yan Zhiyong, chairman of the Power Construction Corp of China, at a conference recently. The over 3,800-km-long Brahmaputra, one of the longest rivers in the world, passes through China, India and Bangladesh and has several tributaries and sub-tributaries. Yan had said China will implement hydropower exploitation in the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River (the Tibetan name for Brahmaputra) and the project could serve to maintain water resources and domestic security, the Global Times reported on Sunday.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
03 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Farmers’ groups demand special Parliament session to repeal three farm laws. 

One week after they began their protests on the borders of Delhi, farmers’ groups demanded that the Centre call a special session of Parliament in order to repeal the three new agriculture reform laws. If their demands are not met, they threatened to “choke” the capital by blocking more of the entry points to the city. A truckers’ confederation also threatened a strike in northern India from December 8 in support of farmers. The Centre is only willing to consider more limited revisions of the laws. Senior sources in the BJP told The Hindu that while providing a legal safeguard for minimum support prices or writing it into the law is not something that the government wants to do, adequate safeguards within the Agricultural Produce Market Committee structure could be considered. The second demand that could be looked into is the grievance redressal mechanism under the new laws which makes the district administration very powerful. The protestors, meanwhile, are widening their scope and their allies. The All-India Motor Transport Congress, the apex truckers’ body, will go on a strike in North India from December 8 in support of farmers’ agitation, said its President Kultaran Singh Atwal. The Bharatiya Kisan Union-Tikait group, which has been blocking highways in Uttar Pradesh in a separate protest and had a separate meeting with Cabinet Ministers on Wednesday, has also joined hands with the wider movement for now. 

B) Honey marketed by top Indian brands fail purity test. 

Honey marketed by prominent Indian brands failed a key purity test, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found in an investigation. This comes at a time when there has been a trend of people making it a point to regularly consume honey in order to boost their immunity in view of the pandemic. There are a range of purity tests to determine if the honey has been adulterated with sugar. CSE food researchers selected 13 brands of raw and processed honey, including Dabur, Patanjali, Baidyanath and Zandu, and subjected them to tests that they are required to clear under India’s food regulatory laws in order to be labelled as honey. Most of the brands passed muster but when subjected to a test called Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (which can ascertain the composition of a product at the molecular level), only three of the brands passed. The NMR test is not required by Indian law but is required by Indian companies who want to export honey. What they found was shocking, said Amit Khurana, programme director of CSE’s Food Safety and Toxins team. It shows how the business of adulteration has evolved so that it can pass the stipulated tests in India. They have found that sugar syrups are designed so that they can go undetected.

C) NGT extends complete ban on sale, use of firecrackers. 

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed a complete ban on the sale and use of firecrackers during the Covid-19 pandemic in the National Capital Region (NCR) and all cities and towns where the ambient air quality is in the poor or worse categories. A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also directed that only green crackers will be permitted for Christmas and New Year between 11:55 pm and 12:30 am in areas where the ambient air quality is in the moderate or better categories. All district magistrates have been directed to ensure that firecrackers are not sold and that compensation from violators are recovered. Noting firecracker manufacturers’ opposition to the ban, the Bench observed that Right to business is not absolute. There is no right to violate air quality and noise level norms. This being crime under the law of the land cannot be a right. Nobody has the right to carry on business at the cost of health of others. All licenses already given or which may be given are inherently subject to overriding requirement of preventing damage to the environment and the public health.

D) Trinamool sees politics in Oxford Union postponing Mamata Banerjee speech. 

The Oxford Union Debating Society, citing unforeseen circumstances, on Wednesday sought to postpone a scheduled virtual address by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the last moment, drawing flak from the ruling TMC, which sniffed political pressure from the highest level in the matter. Banerjee was set to become the first Indian woman Chief Minister to address the ‘The Oxford Union Debate’ around 2:30 p.m., but the organisers, at around 1.50 p.m., requested that the programme be rescheduled, stating that nothing prevails over circumstances sometimes. The TMC leadership, infuriated over the development, claimed that political pressure might have forced the organisers to take such a call. All sorts of pressure were applied from the highest level to stop Mamata Banerjee’s address. They condemn such politics, said a TMC spokesperson.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Interpol issues alert over Covid-19 vaccines. 

The Interpol has issued a global alert to law enforcement agencies across its 194 member countries, asking them to prepare for organized crime networks targeting Covid-19 vaccines, both physically and online. The Interpol Orange Notice outlines potential criminal activity in relation to the falsification, theft and illegal advertising of Covid-19 and flu vaccines, with the pandemic having already triggered unprecedented opportunistic and predatory criminal behaviour, it said on Wednesday. The notice also includes examples of crimes where individuals were found to be advertising, selling and administering fake vaccines. As a number of Covid-19 vaccines come closer to approval and global distribution, ensuring the safety of the supply chain and identifying illicit websites selling fake products will be essential. The need for coordination between law enforcement and health regulatory bodies will also play a vital role to ensure the safety of individuals and well-being of communities, said the Interpol in a statement.

B) U.K. becomes first western country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine. 

Britain today approved Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, jumping ahead of the United States and Europe to become the West’s first country to formally endorse a vaccine shot that it said should reach the most vulnerable people early next week. Prime Minister Boris Johnson touted the medicine authority’s approval as a global win and a ray of hope amid the gloom of the novel coronavirus, which has killed nearly 1.5 million people globally. Britain’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) granted emergency use approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in record time — just 23 days since Pfizer published the first data from its final stage clinical trial. The breakneck speed at which approval was given drew criticism from the European Union (EU). In an unusually blunt statement, the EU’s drugs regulator said its longer procedure to approve vaccines was more appropriate as it was based on more evidence and required more checks. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has been reported to be 95% effective in preventing illness.

C) Chinese fintech giant considers selling stake in Paytm. 

Chinese fintech giant Ant Group is considering selling its 30% stake in Indian digital payment processor Paytm amid tensions between the two Asian neighbours and a toughening competitive landscape, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. Financial details of the possible transaction have not been firmed up and Ant, the Alibaba-backed payments-to-consumer credit behemoth, has not launched a formal sale process yet, Reuters reported. Paytm, which is also backed by SoftBank Group Corp among others, was valued at about $16 billion during its latest private fundraising round a year ago. At that valuation, Ant’s stake in the Indian firm is worth about $4.8 billion. Both Ant and Paytm said that the information was incorrect. A Paytm spokesman said that there has been no discussion with any of our major shareholders ever, nor any plans, about selling their stake. Ant’s possible exit from Paytm would be another step back from its ambitions of becoming a global payments leader.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
02 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Talks between farmers’ groups and govt. remain inconclusive. 

The government on Tuesday offered to set up a committee to look into the issues raised by farmers protesting against new farm laws, but it was rejected by the representatives of the 35 agitating organisations who met with three union ministers. The Centre then asked farmers’ bodies to identify specific issues related to the three new farm laws and submit those by Wednesday for consideration and discussion in the next round of talks on Thursday, an official statement said. At the nearly three-hour-long meeting at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar was accompanied by Railways and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, and Minister of State for Commerce Som Parkash, also an MP from Punjab. The meeting remained inconclusive and the government has called for another round of discussions on December 3, union leaders said. Government officials said the dialogue would continue and the next round of talks has been scheduled for Thursday. The protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the Centre’s farm laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates. The government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture. Sources said the ministers were of the view that it was difficult to reach a decision while interacting with such large groups and therefore they suggested meeting with a smaller group, but the farmer leaders were firm that they would meet collectively only. Union leaders said they feared the government might be trying to break their unity and the momentum of their protest.

B) MEA decries Justin Trudeau’s comments on farmers protests. 

The Canadian leadership’s comments on the ongoing agitation by farmers are “ill-formed”, an official of the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday. The Indian response came hours after Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his country has contacted Indian authorities through multiple means to express concern about the protesting farmers. They have seen some ill-informed comments by Canadian leaders relating to farmers in India. Such comments are unwarranted, especially when pertaining to the internal affairs of a democratic country, said Official Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava in response to a media query. Trudeau had earlier said in a video message that the news about the protest unfolding around Delhi is concerning. They are all very worried about family and friends. Canada will always be there to defend the rights of peaceful protesters, he said, announcing that Canada has reached out to the Government of India regarding the protests. Canada has a sizeable and influential diaspora of migrants from Punjab. In response, to the Canadian Prime Minister’s comments, Srivastava said that it is also best that diplomatic conversations are not misrepresented for political purposes. In some sections of social media, the MEA’s response drew comparisons with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sloganeering of Abki baar, Trump sarkar at an event in Houston September 2019, which may also be construed as a foreign leader interfering in another country’s internal affairs. Lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted that he is happy that Canadian PM Trudeau has spoken out for Right to Protest in a democracy & for our farmers’ rights. It is important for all leaders worldwide to stand up for democratic rights of people in all nations. Those saying that this is an internal matter have got it all wrong.

C) All-party meet on vaccines: Parties with less than 10 MPs won’t be allowed to speak. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits a facility of biotech firm Bharat Biotech on the outskirts of Hyderabad on November 28, 2020 to review development of indigenous COVID-19 vaccine candidate Covaxin. During the all-party meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 4 on the subject of Covid-19 and distribution of vaccines, only parties with more than 10 members in Parliament will be allowed to speak. The smaller parties have to be silent participants. The meeting was called after Modi’s Saturday visit to three vaccine-manufacturing facilities Zydus Cadila in Ahmedabad, Serum Institute of India in Pune, and Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad. Earlier too, for the several videoconference meetings with chief ministers, the Prime Minister’s Office had drafted the schedule in such a way that different states got to speak on different dates, instead of opting for an open discussion on the subject. With the 10-MP criteria, many regional parties will not get an opportunity to air their opinion, including Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party, and the two Left parties, the CPI (M) and the CPI. CPI Parliamentary Party leader Binoy Viswam has written a letter to Modi urging him to reconsider this decision of not allowing those with less than 10 MPs to speak in the meeting. The NCP, which has five members in the Lok Sabha and four in the Rajya Sabha, falls short of the PMO’s criteria by one member. 

D) China and Pakistan sign military deal amid tensions with India. 

China and Pakistan on Monday signed a new memorandum of understanding to boost their already close military relations, as China’s Defence Minister and People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General Wei Fenghe visited the headquarters of the Pakistani army in Rawalpindi. Gen. Wei called on Pakistan’s Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa at the General Headquarters, and both discussed matters of mutual interest, regional security and enhanced bilateral defence collaboration, Pakistani media reported. The two sides also discussed on-going projects under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), in which the Pakistani military is playing an increasingly prominent role. Prior to Gen. Wei’s visit, recently appointed Chinese envoy to Pakistan Nong Rong conducted a comprehensive review of the CPEC projects along with former Pakistan Army Lt. Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa, who is heading the CPEC Authority. While details of the new MoU signed by the two militaries were not immediately available, it follows another agreement signed last year, when China’s Vice-Chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC) General Xu Qiliang visited Rawalpindi for defence cooperation and capacity building of the Pakistan Army Gen. Wei’s visit followed his day-long visit to Nepal, where he was the highest ranking Chinese official to visit since President Xi Jinping’s visit in October last year.

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 94,83,073 with the death toll at 1,79,818. With the entire country waiting anxiously for a vaccine, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan today said the government has never spoken about vaccinating the entire country. He just want to make this clear that the government has never spoken about vaccinating the entire country. It’s important that they discuss such scientific issues, based on factual information only, Bhushan said, in response to a question about vaccine access for everyone in the country. Vaccination would depend on the efficacy of the vaccine and our purpose is to break the chain of virus transmission. If they are able to vaccinate a critical mass of people and break virus transmission, then they may not have to vaccinate the entire population, said Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Balram Bhargava, who was also present at the presser. Bhushan also clarified that the initial findings into an adverse event allegedly suffered by an Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trial participant in Chennai did not necessitate halting of the trials and that the vaccine timelines will not be affected.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

A) Arizona, Wisconsin certify Biden’s victory over Trump. 

Arizona and Wisconsin officials on Monday certified Democrat Joe Biden as the winner of their respective States in the November 3 presidential elections, further formalizing his win against incumbent U.S. President Donald Trump. Mr. Trump had won both the States in 2016 and sought to reverse Mr. Biden’s win via legal challenges and vote recounts. Arizona’s Secretary of State Katie Hobbs (Democrat) certified the election results on Monday. with (Republican) Governor Doug Ducey signing the results, confirming Mr. Biden’s win in the State, giving the Democrat Il electoral votes. Mark Kelly, a Democrat, was also confirmed the winner of the State’s race for the U.S. Senate, defeating incumbent Martha McSally, a Republican. Turning blue Democrats performed well in the highly populated Maricopa County, flipping it for the first time in decades in a presidential race. The State has been turning blue on the back of demographic shifts — Krysten Sinema, a Democratic Senator, won Maricopa County in the 2018 midterm election. Protest in Phoenix Supporters of Mr. Trump gathered in downtown Phoenix. as per reports, to protest against Monday’s confirmation of the results. The President has made sweeping claims of a fraudulent election without backing those claims with adequate evidence. Members of Mr.Trump’s campaign, including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, met Arizona State legislators to discuss these claims. In Wisconsin, Chairman of the Elections Commission, Ann Jacobs, signed the determination of the election results, where Mr. Trump’s campaign had requested a recount in Dane and Milwaukee counties. Mr. Biden’s tally went up by 87 votes, confirming his win in the State and giving him 10 electoral votes. Democratic Governor Tony Evers signed the certification later on Monday.

B) Facebook News to launch in U.K. next year.

Facebook said on Tuesday it will launch its news tab feature in Britain from next year, paying publishers for stories delivered through the world’s leading social network. The arrival of Facebook News in January comes after the service was rolled out in the U.S. in late 2019 and is part of plans to extend it worldwide, the company said. With Facebook News, they will pay publishers for content that is not already on the platform, help drive new audiences, and bring publishers greater monetization opportunities, it added. Titles covered in the first wave of deals include The Economist, The Guardian, The Independent and the Mirror, and local newspapers the London Evening Standard, the Manchester Evening News and the Scotsman. Lifestyle magazines such as Cosmopolitan, GQ, Vogue and Tatler have also signed up, while there is a video partnership with Channel 4 News. Facebook’s director of news partnerships Jesper Doub said the company was in active negotiations to bring the feature to France and Germany. They will continue to work with publishers in countries where market conditions and regulatory environments invite this kind of investment and innovation, he added.

C) Pak. protesters call for Imran’s resignation at Multan rally. 

Despite a government ban and arrests of hundreds of activists, Pakistani Opposition supporters rallied in a central city on Monday. calling on Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign over alleged bad governance and incompetence. The rally in Multan by the Pakistan Democratic Movement, an alliance Of Opposition parties, was held a day after the police, on orders from the government, carried out the arrests and banned the gathering, defending the move as necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The police acknowledged arresting more than 370 people, while Opposition groups put the number at more than 1,800. Authorities also switched off the mobile phone network. Maryam Nawaz, the daughter of former Minister Nawaz Sharif, attended the rally. There is no doubt that the government will no more be in power in the coming days, God willing, and she have no doubt about it, she said. Also in attendance and marking her political debut was Assefa Bhutto Zardari, the daughter Of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated in 2007.