As number of Covid-19 cases continue to surge, the virus epicentre has shifted to India even as cases topped 6 million and 7 million in the United States and the Latin American region respectively. 
 
As many as 25,377,704 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 17,700,781 have recovered, 850,149 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 6,173,229. cases. It is followed by Brazil, which has 3,862,311.

Coronavirus cases in United States, the world’s worst hit nation, topped 6 million on Sunday as many states in US’s Midwest region started reporting new surges since the last month. This also comes as school and universities started reopening across the states.

After reporting a constant surge in infections, Mexico’s death toll surpassed 64,000 mark after recording 339 new fatalities. The country’s total death toll stands at 64,158 currently and the case count is 595,841. Mexico has the third worst death toll in the world after the United States and Brazil.

(With inputs from agencies)

As number of Covid-19 cases continue to surge, the virus epicentre has shifted to India even as cases topped 6 million and 7 million in the United States and the Latin American region respectively.

As number of Covid-19 cases continue to surge, the virus epicentre has shifted to India even as cases topped 6 million and 7 million in the United States and the Latin American region respectively. As many as 25,377,704 people around the world have been diagnosed with Covid-19. While more than 17,700,781 have recovered, 850,149 have died so far. The US, the worst-hit country, has 6,173,229. cases. It is followed by Brazil, which has 3,862,311. Coronavirus cases in United States, the world’s worst hit nation, topped 6 million on Sunday as many states in US’s Midwest region started reporting new surges since the last month. This also comes as school and universities started reopening across the states. After reporting a constant surge in infections, Mexico’s death toll surpassed 64,000 mark after recording 339 new fatalities. The country’s total death toll stands at 64,158 currently and the case count is 595,841. Mexico has the third worst death toll in the world after the United States and Brazil. (With inputs from agencies)

Coronavirus cases in US top 6 million; Mexico’s toll surpasses 64,000

Now the Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way the schools and universities are functioning across the world. Most of the courses offered online, exams are being waved off within the exception of few schools are brought back to their old ways of teaching, but is it safe schools to reopen completely?

World Pandemic: New study on schools in the UK

India's Ministry of Home Affairs(MHA) issued new guidelines for Unlock 4.0 allowing Metro rail services to restart operations from September 7 in a "graded manner".

India Unlock 4.0: What will reopen in India?

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Saturday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had "recovred" after "post-COVID-19&nbsp;care". AIIMS added that he will be discharged in a short time. He was admitted to AIIMS hospital on August 18.

"Amit Shah, Hon'ble Home Minister is admitted at AIIMS, New Delhi for post-COVID-19 care. He has recovered and is likely to be discharged in a short time," said AIIMS in its statement.

Amit Shah was admitted to AIIMS after he had complained of fatigue and body ache.

Also Read: <a href="http://13.235.153.162/india-news/number-of-coronavirus-tests-crosses-40-million-mark-in-india-323892">Number of coronavirus tests crosses 40-million mark in India</a>

The Union Home Minister was admitted to Medanta Hospital previously, after&nbsp;he was found positive for Covid-19 infection.

On August 2, Shah, 55, had said on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He had undergone treatment for the coronavirus infection at Medanta Hospital and was discharged after he tested negative for the disease.

He was admitted to AIIMS just days after his discharge from Medanta.

(With inputs from PTI) 
&nbsp;

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Saturday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had "recovred" after "post-COVID-19 care". AIIMS added that he will be discharged in a short time.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) said on Saturday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had "recovred" after "post-COVID-19 care". AIIMS added that he will be discharged in a short time. He was admitted to AIIMS hospital on August 18. "Amit Shah, Hon'ble Home Minister is admitted at AIIMS, New Delhi for post-COVID-19 care. He has recovered and is likely to be discharged in a short time," said AIIMS in its statement. Amit Shah was admitted to AIIMS after he had complained of fatigue and body ache. Also Read: Number of coronavirus tests crosses 40-million mark in India The Union Home Minister was admitted to Medanta Hospital previously, after he was found positive for Covid-19 infection. On August 2, Shah, 55, had said on Twitter that he had tested positive for COVID-19. He had undergone treatment for the coronavirus infection at Medanta Hospital and was discharged after he tested negative for the disease. He was admitted to AIIMS just days after his discharge from Medanta. (With inputs from PTI)

Home Minister Amit Shah has recovered after COVID-19 care, to be discharged soon: AIIMS

The city of Berlin will put thousands of police on the streets at the weekend to enforce a ban on demonstrations opposing measures imposed to stem the coronavirus pandemic after marchers at a recent rally failed to wear masks or keep their distance.

WION Dispatch: Berlin bans massive protest planned against virus curbs

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has also been withdrawn from the France squad for matches against Croatia and Sweden having tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus. Both the Premier League midfielders will now undergo a period of complete self-isolation and will not be considered for matches on September 5 and 8.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/several-chelsea-players-test-positive-for-covid-19-reports-323461" hreflang="en">Several Chelsea players test positive for COVID-19: reports</a>

The positive COVID-19 test results could very well keep Pogba and Ndombele out of the opening weekend of Premier League 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to get underway in just over two weeks’ time.

Meanwhile, Deschamps have called up Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to his 23-man squad while also recalling Manchester United forward Anthony Martial.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-ban-looming-for-lionel-messi-argentines-contract-situation-decoded-323445" hreflang="en">'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded</a>

Deschamps said: "I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga."

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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19 and has been withdrawn from the France squad. French head coach Didier Deschamps has confirmed that Pogba’s name has been taken out for the games against Sweden and Croatia next month after the flamboyant midfielder returned a positive COVID-19 test. Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Tanguy Ndombele has also been withdrawn from the France squad for matches against Croatia and Sweden having tested positive for the dreaded coronavirus. Both the Premier League midfielders will now undergo a period of complete self-isolation and will not be considered for matches on September 5 and 8. ALSO READ: Several Chelsea players test positive for COVID-19: reports The positive COVID-19 test results could very well keep Pogba and Ndombele out of the opening weekend of Premier League 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to get underway in just over two weeks’ time. Meanwhile, Deschamps have called up Rennes midfielder Eduardo Camavinga to his 23-man squad while also recalling Manchester United forward Anthony Martial. ALSO READ: 'FIFA ban' looming for Lionel Messi? Argentine's contract situation decoded Deschamps said: "I had to make a last-minute change to this list, because Paul Pogba was planned to be in this list but unfortunately for him, he took a test (for COVID-19) yesterday which turned out to be positive today, so at the last minute he was replaced by Eduardo Camavinga."

Is analysis of COVID-19 origins based on Chinese Communist Party's lie?

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that India is at second place when it comes to coronavirus COVID-19 testing while the US leading the world.

"We have tested close to 65 million people and no country is even close to that number. India would be second at 11 million (tests) and they have 1.5 billion people. We have the number one testing in the world by far and also the highest quality tests," Donald Trump told reporters.

"I feel strongly that we will have a vaccine by the end of the year and it will be put into service as soon as we get it," he added.

"Nationwide we continue to see encouraging signs in the last seven days as in the last seven days we continue to see a decline in cases by 14 per cent, hospitalisations decrease by 7 per cent and fatalities decrease by 9 per cent," he said further.

As per Johns Hopkins University, the US has a total of 5,089,416 COVID-19 cases and India has a total of 2,215,074 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday.

India performed 719,364 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tests on August 8, taking the total number of daily testing closer to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) target of one million per day by the end of August.

ICMR is in the process of ramping up Covid-19 testing in the country.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that India is at second place when it comes to coronavirus COVID-19 testing while the US leading the world. "We have tested close to 65 million people and no country is even close to that number.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that India is at second place when it comes to coronavirus COVID-19 testing while the US leading the world. "We have tested close to 65 million people and no country is even close to that number. India would be second at 11 million (tests) and they have 1.5 billion people. We have the number one testing in the world by far and also the highest quality tests," Donald Trump told reporters. "I feel strongly that we will have a vaccine by the end of the year and it will be put into service as soon as we get it," he added. "Nationwide we continue to see encouraging signs in the last seven days as in the last seven days we continue to see a decline in cases by 14 per cent, hospitalisations decrease by 7 per cent and fatalities decrease by 9 per cent," he said further. As per Johns Hopkins University, the US has a total of 5,089,416 COVID-19 cases and India has a total of 2,215,074 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday. India performed 719,364 coronavirus disease (Covid-19) tests on August 8, taking the total number of daily testing closer to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) target of one million per day by the end of August. ICMR is in the process of ramping up Covid-19 testing in the country. (With inputs from agencies)

India has conducted most coronavirus tests after US: Donald Trump

Amid pandemic, musicians are finding newer ways to stay connected to their fans. While live music session on virtual space has now become common, the heavy metal band Metallica has planned to bring its concerts to its fans. The band is set to bring a recorded concert to fans, which will air at drive-in theatres throughout the United States and Canada. 
 
On Monday, the band took to social media to announce the news, which is part of Encore`s `Drive-In Nights` series. 
"We`re bringing the Metallica live experience to a drive-in theatre near you on August 29 with a concert filmed for the big screen, presented by @encoredrivein," the band said.

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We’re bringing the Metallica live experience to a drive-in theater near you on August 29 with a concert filmed for the big screen, presented by <a href="https://twitter.com/encoredrivein?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@encoredrivein</a>! Tix go on sale Friday, 8/14 with a Fifth Member presale on Wednesday, 8/12. Visit <a href="https://t.co/USlKNdaEll">https://t.co/USlKNdaEll</a> for more info. <a href="https://t.co/AiD8sPe4IS">pic.twitter.com/AiD8sPe4IS</a>
— Metallica (@Metallica) <a href="https://twitter.com/Metallica/status/1292777718925291520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The event will take place on August 29 event and will also feature Three Days Grace as the opening act. This is Metallica's first event in a year. 
 
The press release issued by the band states that the concert will be shot "at a location near the band`s Northern California headquarters" as well as be "edited and mixed by Metallica`s award-winning production team to the highest standards possible."

Additionally, the concert will show material from their nearly 40-year career.According to the band, every ticket purchase, which admits one carload of up to six people, will include four digital downloads of Metallica`s upcoming album, `S&amp;M2.` 
Drive-in concerts and screenings are slowly becoming the norm amid pandemic. With most public spaces still not open, musicians, film festivals are looking at virtual screenings as well as drive-ins. The Chainsmokers' drive-in concert drew criticism recently as many of the viewers were seen at the event without a mask. 
Recent reports also suggest that this year's edition of Toronto Film Festival will have drive-in screening.

Amid pandemic, musicians are finding newer ways to stay connected to their fans. While live music session on virtual space has now become common, the heavy metal band Metallica has planned to bring its concerts to its fans.

Amid pandemic, musicians are finding newer ways to stay connected to their fans. While live music session on virtual space has now become common, the heavy metal band Metallica has planned to bring its concerts to its fans. The band is set to bring a recorded concert to fans, which will air at drive-in theatres throughout the United States and Canada. On Monday, the band took to social media to announce the news, which is part of Encore`s `Drive-In Nights` series. "We`re bringing the Metallica live experience to a drive-in theatre near you on August 29 with a concert filmed for the big screen, presented by @encoredrivein," the band said. We’re bringing the Metallica live experience to a drive-in theater near you on August 29 with a concert filmed for the big screen, presented by @encoredrivein! Tix go on sale Friday, 8/14 with a Fifth Member presale on Wednesday, 8/12. Visit https://t.co/USlKNdaEll for more info. pic.twitter.com/AiD8sPe4IS — Metallica (@Metallica) August 10, 2020 × The event will take place on August 29 event and will also feature Three Days Grace as the opening act. This is Metallica's first event in a year. The press release issued by the band states that the concert will be shot "at a location near the band`s Northern California headquarters" as well as be "edited and mixed by Metallica`s award-winning production team to the highest standards possible." Additionally, the concert will show material from their nearly 40-year career.According to the band, every ticket purchase, which admits one carload of up to six people, will include four digital downloads of Metallica`s upcoming album, `S&M2.` Drive-in concerts and screenings are slowly becoming the norm amid pandemic. With most public spaces still not open, musicians, film festivals are looking at virtual screenings as well as drive-ins. The Chainsmokers' drive-in concert drew criticism recently as many of the viewers were seen at the event without a mask. Recent reports also suggest that this year's edition of Toronto Film Festival will have drive-in screening.

Metallica's next concert will take place at a drive-in

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam who tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back is said to be stable. The singer was admitted to a Chennai hospital with mild symptoms. 
 
"S P Balasubrahmanyam who is admitted at MGM Healthcare for mild symptoms for COVID continues to be stable. He is being monitored by the expert team of clinicians and is maintaining normal oxygen saturation," MGM Healthcare said in a health bulletin.

On August 5,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/veteran-singer-sp-balasubrahmanyam-tests-covid-positive-says-im-alright-in-video-318345"> the musician confirmed testing positive for COVID-19 </a>with `mild` symptoms through a video message posted on his official Facebook page. 
 
In the video, the singer revealed that he had experienced a little "discomfort" for two days, stating he had chest congestion along with cold and on-off fever, which led him to get tested for the virus.However, he also mentioned that he could have stayed at home in self-quarantine, as advised, but did not want to put his family in danger and hence got admitted by his own choice, to recover quickly. 
 
"I am in good hand, I am in good health. Nobody has to worry about this. The fever has subsided and in two days I`ll be discharged and I`ll be home. Thanks for the concern," he said in the video message. 
 
&nbsp;SP Balasubrahmanyam is a renowned singer, music director, actor, dubbing artist and film producer who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam.

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam who tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back is said to be stable. The singer was admitted to a Chennai hospital with mild symptoms.

Singer SP Balasubrahmanyam who tested positive for COVID-19 a few days back is said to be stable. The singer was admitted to a Chennai hospital with mild symptoms. "S P Balasubrahmanyam who is admitted at MGM Healthcare for mild symptoms for COVID continues to be stable. He is being monitored by the expert team of clinicians and is maintaining normal oxygen saturation," MGM Healthcare said in a health bulletin. On August 5, the musician confirmed testing positive for COVID-19 with `mild` symptoms through a video message posted on his official Facebook page. In the video, the singer revealed that he had experienced a little "discomfort" for two days, stating he had chest congestion along with cold and on-off fever, which led him to get tested for the virus.However, he also mentioned that he could have stayed at home in self-quarantine, as advised, but did not want to put his family in danger and hence got admitted by his own choice, to recover quickly. "I am in good hand, I am in good health. Nobody has to worry about this. The fever has subsided and in two days I`ll be discharged and I`ll be home. Thanks for the concern," he said in the video message. SP Balasubrahmanyam is a renowned singer, music director, actor, dubbing artist and film producer who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam.

SP Balasubrahmanyam's condition is stable, assure hospital authorities

Walt Disney Co on Tuesday avoided the unmitigated disaster some investors feared as it eked out an adjusted profit amid the coronavirus pandemic that shut down parks, movie theaters and sporting events across the globe. 
 
Disney`s quarterly profit of 8 cents per share on an adjusted basis beat expectations for a loss of 64 cents, sending the stock up 5% in after-market trade. 
 
The company took a nearly $5 billion charge due to the pandemic and shifting media habits. COVID-19 wiped out $3.5 billion in operating profit in the parks division. 
 
"The majority of businesses worldwide have experienced unprecedented disruption as a result of the pandemic," Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek told analysts. "Most of our businesses were shut down, and this had a huge impact." 
 
Investors overlooked total revenue that fell short of expectations by nearly $600 million and focused on divisions including parks and its media networks with revenue declines that were not as bad as expected. 
 
The Disney+ streaming service, which had 60.5 million paying customers as of Monday, was a bright spot in the quarter, Chapek said. Disney had reported 54.5 million subscribers as of May 4. 
 
"What we plan to do is invest even more in our content in order to keep that machine cranked and going," he said. 
 
Combined with Hulu and ESPN+, Disney has attracted more than 100 million streaming customers worldwide since launching its big streaming effort nine months ago. Netflix Inc, which got a head start in the market when it began streaming 13 years ago, boasts 193 million. 
 
The coronavirus outbreak forced Disney to delay the theatrical debut of movies including the live-action epic "Mulan" about a Chinese warrior. 
 
In a surprise move, Disney said it will release "Mulan" on Disney+ on Sept. 4 for people to watch at home at a cost of $30, and in theaters in markets where Disney+ is not available. 
 
Chapek said the shift was a one-time event and did not represent a shift in strategy. 
 
The decision followed a deal in July between Comcast Corp`s Universal Pictures and cinema chain AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc to allow the studio to release films directly to consumers after just three weeks in theaters, down from the average three months. 
 
Disney also said it would launch a new international streaming service under the Star brand. 
 
"Investors are looking beyond the tough quarter to continued reopening of parks, while Disney+ is expected to see further growth," said Investing.com analyst Haris Anwar. 
 
Theme park closures from April to June led to an operating loss of $1.96 billion in the parks and consumer products business. Even as four of its six theme park resorts around the world have opened, social distancing rules have limited attendance. 
 
Demand at profit center Walt Disney World was lower than expected because of the resurgence of coronavirus infections in Florida, Disney Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said. 
 
The media network segment, which includes ESPN and Disney channels, reported a 48% jump in operating income to $3.15 billion. 
 
The direct-to-consumer and international unit, which houses the Disney+ streaming service, reported an operating loss of $706 million, below the $1.06 billion that analysts expected. 
 
Operating income at the movie studio fell 16% to $668 million as many movie theaters remained closed. 
 
Overall revenue fell 42% to $11.78 billion. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $12.37 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. 
 
Net loss from continuing operations was $4.72 billion, or $2.61 per share, in the third quarter ended June 27, compared with a net profit of $1.43 billion, or 79 cents per share, a year earlier.

Walt Disney Co on Tuesday avoided the unmitigated disaster some investors feared as it eked out an adjusted profit amid the coronavirus pandemic that shut down parks, movie theaters and sporting events across the globe.

Walt Disney Co on Tuesday avoided the unmitigated disaster some investors feared as it eked out an adjusted profit amid the coronavirus pandemic that shut down parks, movie theaters and sporting events across the globe. Disney`s quarterly profit of 8 cents per share on an adjusted basis beat expectations for a loss of 64 cents, sending the stock up 5% in after-market trade. The company took a nearly $5 billion charge due to the pandemic and shifting media habits. COVID-19 wiped out $3.5 billion in operating profit in the parks division. "The majority of businesses worldwide have experienced unprecedented disruption as a result of the pandemic," Disney Chief Executive Bob Chapek told analysts. "Most of our businesses were shut down, and this had a huge impact." Investors overlooked total revenue that fell short of expectations by nearly $600 million and focused on divisions including parks and its media networks with revenue declines that were not as bad as expected. The Disney+ streaming service, which had 60.5 million paying customers as of Monday, was a bright spot in the quarter, Chapek said. Disney had reported 54.5 million subscribers as of May 4. "What we plan to do is invest even more in our content in order to keep that machine cranked and going," he said. Combined with Hulu and ESPN+, Disney has attracted more than 100 million streaming customers worldwide since launching its big streaming effort nine months ago. Netflix Inc, which got a head start in the market when it began streaming 13 years ago, boasts 193 million. The coronavirus outbreak forced Disney to delay the theatrical debut of movies including the live-action epic "Mulan" about a Chinese warrior. In a surprise move, Disney said it will release "Mulan" on Disney+ on Sept. 4 for people to watch at home at a cost of $30, and in theaters in markets where Disney+ is not available. Chapek said the shift was a one-time event and did not represent a shift in strategy. The decision followed a deal in July between Comcast Corp`s Universal Pictures and cinema chain AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc to allow the studio to release films directly to consumers after just three weeks in theaters, down from the average three months. Disney also said it would launch a new international streaming service under the Star brand. "Investors are looking beyond the tough quarter to continued reopening of parks, while Disney+ is expected to see further growth," said Investing.com analyst Haris Anwar. Theme park closures from April to June led to an operating loss of $1.96 billion in the parks and consumer products business. Even as four of its six theme park resorts around the world have opened, social distancing rules have limited attendance. Demand at profit center Walt Disney World was lower than expected because of the resurgence of coronavirus infections in Florida, Disney Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy said. The media network segment, which includes ESPN and Disney channels, reported a 48% jump in operating income to $3.15 billion. The direct-to-consumer and international unit, which houses the Disney+ streaming service, reported an operating loss of $706 million, below the $1.06 billion that analysts expected. Operating income at the movie studio fell 16% to $668 million as many movie theaters remained closed. Overall revenue fell 42% to $11.78 billion. Analysts on average had expected revenue of $12.37 billion, according to Refinitiv IBES data. Net loss from continuing operations was $4.72 billion, or $2.61 per share, in the third quarter ended June 27, compared with a net profit of $1.43 billion, or 79 cents per share, a year earlier.

Disney takes $5 billion hit but pandemic impact not as bad as feared

Two days after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan were discharged from Mumbai's Nanavati hospital after recovering from COVID-19, the actress on Wednesday extended gratitude towards her fans for their "prayers, concern, wishes and love". 
 
Aishwarya took to Instagram to share a picture where the mother-daughter duo is seen thanking their fans through their hand gestures. While Aishwarya is seen forming a heart with her hands, Aaradhya is seen joining her hands as a mark of gratitude.

"THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for ALL your Prayers, Concern, Wishes, and Love for my darling Angel Aaradhya and for Pa, Ab ...and me. TRULY OVERWHELMED and forever indebted...GOD BLESS YOU ALL," she wrote in the caption. "ALL MY LOVE ALWAYS and Prayers for the well-being of you ALL and all yours... Truly, Deeply and Heartfelt... Be Well and Be Safe GOD BLESS. LOVE YOU All too," she added.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMoXuwJErg/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">✨❤️THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for ALL your Prayers , Concern, Wishes and Love for my darling Angel Aaradhya 🥰🙏❤️and for Pa, Ab ...and me✨TRULY OVERWHELMED and forever indebted...GOD BLESS YOU ALL ❤️✨ALL MY LOVE ALWAYS and Prayers for the well-being of you ALL and all yours... Truly, Deeply and Heartfelt... ❤️Be Well and Be Safe GOD BLESS ✨LOVE YOU All too🙏❤️✨</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aishwaryaraibachchan_arb/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> AishwaryaRaiBachchan</a> (@aishwaryaraibachchan_arb) on <time datetime="2020-07-28T19:23:18+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jul 28, 2020 at 12:23pm PDT</time>
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Aishwarya and Aaradhya were tested negative for coronavirus earlier on July 27 following which they were discharged from the hospital. Her husband Abhishek Bachchan and his star father Amitabh Bachchan are still being treated for the infection at the same hospital.

Two days after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan were discharged from Mumbai's Nanavati hospital after recovering from COVID-19, the actress on Wednesday extended gratitude towards her fans for their "prayers, concern, wishes and love".

Two days after Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and her daughter Aaradhya Bachchan were discharged from Mumbai's Nanavati hospital after recovering from COVID-19, the actress on Wednesday extended gratitude towards her fans for their "prayers, concern, wishes and love". Aishwarya took to Instagram to share a picture where the mother-daughter duo is seen thanking their fans through their hand gestures. While Aishwarya is seen forming a heart with her hands, Aaradhya is seen joining her hands as a mark of gratitude. "THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for ALL your Prayers, Concern, Wishes, and Love for my darling Angel Aaradhya and for Pa, Ab ...and me. TRULY OVERWHELMED and forever indebted...GOD BLESS YOU ALL," she wrote in the caption. "ALL MY LOVE ALWAYS and Prayers for the well-being of you ALL and all yours... Truly, Deeply and Heartfelt... Be Well and Be Safe GOD BLESS. LOVE YOU All too," she added. View this post on Instagram ✨❤️THANK YOU SO SO MUCH for ALL your Prayers , Concern, Wishes and Love for my darling Angel Aaradhya 🥰🙏❤️and for Pa, Ab ...and me✨TRULY OVERWHELMED and forever indebted...GOD BLESS YOU ALL ❤️✨ALL MY LOVE ALWAYS and Prayers for the well-being of you ALL and all yours... Truly, Deeply and Heartfelt... ❤️Be Well and Be Safe GOD BLESS ✨LOVE YOU All too🙏❤️✨ A post shared by AishwaryaRaiBachchan (@aishwaryaraibachchan_arb) on Jul 28, 2020 at 12:23pm PDT × Aishwarya and Aaradhya were tested negative for coronavirus earlier on July 27 following which they were discharged from the hospital. Her husband Abhishek Bachchan and his star father Amitabh Bachchan are still being treated for the infection at the same hospital.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan extends gratitude to fans after recovering from COVID-19

Scientists are still struggling to understand how the virus affects children and whether kids can spread it to caregivers. Watch this video to know more.

Scientists struggle to study virus impact on kids

Brazil continues to battle the virus, WHO's health emergencies chief Michael Ryan said, "The rise in Brazil is no longer exponential, it has plateaued." The WHO official stressed that the virus cases in Brazil had "stabilised".

WHO: Brazil has an opportunity to contain coronavirus outbreak

In this segment of WION In Focus, watch some stories related to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

WION In Focus: Some stories related to coronavirus pandemic

Tokyo is likely to see coronavirus cases top 280 on Thursday (July 16), Governor Yuriko Koike said, in what would mark a record daily high for the Japanese capital.

Japan: Tokyo reports 280 COVID-19 cases in 24 hours

Bollywood actor Amit Sadh, who co-starred with Abhishek Bachchan in the web series 'Breathe: Into The Shadows', has tested negative for coronavirus. 
 
Bachchan and Sadh had recorded at the same dubbing studio in Mumbai for their web series a few days back. After Abhishek Bachchan tested positive for the disease, the dubbing studio has been sealed. Sadh had to also undergo tests. 
 
The actor took to Twitter to share the news. "Thank you for your prayers and concerns. This is the only time I say happily I am negative. To all people battling this, my prayers and thoughts continue. Love you. Togetherness is the only strength!” the actor tweeted. 
 
Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and daughter Aaradhya have all tested positive for coronavirus. While Big B and his son Abhishek are at Nanavati Hospital, Aishwarya Rai and her daughter have isolated themselves at home. Abhishek's mother, Jaya Bachchan and sister Shweta Bachchan have tested negative for the disease. 
 
Abhishek made his digital debut recently in Amazon prime's 'Breathe: Into The Shadow'. Sadh who was also part of season 1 of the series, reprised his role in this one. The actor will also be seen in 'Yaara', 'Avrodh', and 'Shakuntala Devi' - films that are lined up for release in the coming weeks.

Bollywood actor Amit Sadh, who co-starred with Abhishek Bachchan in the web series 'Breathe: Into The Shadows', has tested negative for coronavirus. Bachchan and Sadh had recorded at the same dubbing studio in Mumbai for their web series a few days back.

Bollywood actor Amit Sadh, who co-starred with Abhishek Bachchan in the web series 'Breathe: Into The Shadows', has tested negative for coronavirus. Bachchan and Sadh had recorded at the same dubbing studio in Mumbai for their web series a few days back. After Abhishek Bachchan tested positive for the disease, the dubbing studio has been sealed. Sadh had to also undergo tests. The actor took to Twitter to share the news. "Thank you for your prayers and concerns. This is the only time I say happily I am negative. To all people battling this, my prayers and thoughts continue. Love you. Togetherness is the only strength!” the actor tweeted. Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai, and daughter Aaradhya have all tested positive for coronavirus. While Big B and his son Abhishek are at Nanavati Hospital, Aishwarya Rai and her daughter have isolated themselves at home. Abhishek's mother, Jaya Bachchan and sister Shweta Bachchan have tested negative for the disease. Abhishek made his digital debut recently in Amazon prime's 'Breathe: Into The Shadow'. Sadh who was also part of season 1 of the series, reprised his role in this one. The actor will also be seen in 'Yaara', 'Avrodh', and 'Shakuntala Devi' - films that are lined up for release in the coming weeks.

Bollywood actor Amit Sadh tests negative for coronavirus

Just an hour after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-Amitabh-Bachchan-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-admitted-to-hospital-312610">Amitabh Bachchan announced on Twitter</a> that he had tested positive for coronavirus, his son actor Abhishek Bachchan too has tested positive for the disease. 
 
BIig B, who has been admitted to the respiratory ward of Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai had tweeted that other members of his family too had undergone the tests and results were awaited.

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Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you. 🙏🏽
— Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) <a href="https://twitter.com/juniorbachchan/status/1282018653215395840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Urgings fans to not panic, Abhishek tweeted that both he and his father had mild symptoms and were admitted to hospital. 
 
Abhishek, whose web series 'Breathe: Into The Shadows' premiered on OTT platform Amazon Prime Video on Friday, took to Instagram on Saturday morning to thank fans for the positive response on his show.

More details awaited.

Just an hour after Amitabh Bachchan announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for coronavirus, his son actor Abhishek Bachchan too has tested positive for the disease.

Just an hour after Amitabh Bachchan announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for coronavirus, his son actor Abhishek Bachchan too has tested positive for the disease. BIig B, who has been admitted to the respiratory ward of Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai had tweeted that other members of his family too had undergone the tests and results were awaited. Earlier today both my father and I tested positive for COVID 19. Both of us having mild symptoms have been admitted to hospital. We have informed all the required authorities and our family and staff are all being tested. I request all to stay calm and not panic. Thank you. 🙏🏽 — Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) July 11, 2020 × Urgings fans to not panic, Abhishek tweeted that both he and his father had mild symptoms and were admitted to hospital. Abhishek, whose web series 'Breathe: Into The Shadows' premiered on OTT platform Amazon Prime Video on Friday, took to Instagram on Saturday morning to thank fans for the positive response on his show. More details awaited.

After Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek too tests positive for coronavirus

Bollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai and Jaya Bachchan have tested negative for coronavirus. Their husbands<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-After-Amitabh-Bachchan-son-Abhishek-too-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-312616"> Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan were hospitalized </a>on Saturday evening after testing positive for the disease. 
 
The rest of the house staff and Big B's daughter Shweta Nanda have also tested negative but are in isolation. Amitabh Bachchan stays in his Jalsa bungalow with wife Jaya, Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and granddaughter Aaradhya.&nbsp; 
 
The father and son duo both have got mild symptoms and admitted at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai.

While speaking to Zee New, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, "Only Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan's corona report has come as of now. Their family members, staff, drivers etc have been tested for the deadly virus at Nanavati Hospital and the reports are expected to come tomorrow (July 12)." 
 
In a post on Instagram, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-Those-who-came-in-proximity-to-me-please-get-tested-Amitabh-Bachchan-312618">Big B urged everyone</a> who had been in close promiximity to him and Abhishek in the last 10 days to get tested. 
 
Wishes have poured in from politicians,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/from-tendulkar-to-raina-sports-fraternity-wishes-amitabh-bachchan-speedy-recovery-as-big-b-tests-positive-for-covid-19-312615"> sports stars</a> and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-Bollywood-celebs-wish-Amitabh-Bachchan-speedy-recovery-as-he-tests-positive-for-COVID-19-312620">Bollywood fraternity</a> for the Bachchans as everyone wished the two actors a speedy recovery.

Bollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai and Jaya Bachchan have tested negative for coronavirus. Their husbands Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan were hospitalized on Saturday evening after testing positive for the disease.

Bollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai and Jaya Bachchan have tested negative for coronavirus. Their husbands Abhishek and Amitabh Bachchan were hospitalized on Saturday evening after testing positive for the disease. The rest of the house staff and Big B's daughter Shweta Nanda have also tested negative but are in isolation. Amitabh Bachchan stays in his Jalsa bungalow with wife Jaya, Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and granddaughter Aaradhya. The father and son duo both have got mild symptoms and admitted at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai. While speaking to Zee New, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope said, "Only Amitabh Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan's corona report has come as of now. Their family members, staff, drivers etc have been tested for the deadly virus at Nanavati Hospital and the reports are expected to come tomorrow (July 12)." In a post on Instagram, Big B urged everyone who had been in close promiximity to him and Abhishek in the last 10 days to get tested. Wishes have poured in from politicians, sports stars and Bollywood fraternity for the Bachchans as everyone wished the two actors a speedy recovery.

Aishwarya Rai, Jaya Bachchan test negative for coronavirus

There's finally some relief for attendees of boring Zoom meetings while they work from home due to coronavirus crisis. The Zoom users can now lighten their mood by hiring a donkey to crash their virtual meetings.

In return, Buckwheat, a donkey at the Farmhouse Garden Animal Home, get paid for injecting some fun into their humdrum work-from-home office day.

"Hello. We are crashing your meeting, we are crashing your meeting -- this is Buckwheat," says sanctuary volunteer Tim Fors, introducing the gray and white animal on a Zoom call. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/no-links-with-china-planning-significant-investment-in-india-zoom-311988">Also Read: No links with China, planning significant investment in India: Zoom</a>

"They donate to the sanctuary when they want her to crash a meeting, so it's mostly a fundraiser so we can feed the cows, especially during COVID," Fors said.

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The Ontario-based animal sanctuary dented financially after its closure to visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic, but thanks to Buckwheat! It's raining big bucks now.

Buckwheat gets paid between $50 for 10 minutes to $175 for 30 minutes.

They themselves were using Zoom calls for work at the sanctuary, and thus, was born the idea of having animals sit in on people's work calls to lighten the mood.

On the sanctuary's website, interested parties can fill out a form to hire Buckwheat, Melody the horse or Victoria, whom Fors calls the "matriarch of the herd."

(With inputs from agencies)

There's finally some relief for attendees of boring Zoom meetings while they work from home due to coronavirus crisis. The Zoom users can now lighten their mood by hiring a donkey to crash their virtual meetings.

There's finally some relief for attendees of boring Zoom meetings while they work from home due to coronavirus crisis. The Zoom users can now lighten their mood by hiring a donkey to crash their virtual meetings. In return, Buckwheat, a donkey at the Farmhouse Garden Animal Home, get paid for injecting some fun into their humdrum work-from-home office day. "Hello. We are crashing your meeting, we are crashing your meeting -- this is Buckwheat," says sanctuary volunteer Tim Fors, introducing the gray and white animal on a Zoom call. Also Read: No links with China, planning significant investment in India: Zoom "They donate to the sanctuary when they want her to crash a meeting, so it's mostly a fundraiser so we can feed the cows, especially during COVID," Fors said. × The Ontario-based animal sanctuary dented financially after its closure to visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic, but thanks to Buckwheat! It's raining big bucks now. Buckwheat gets paid between $50 for 10 minutes to $175 for 30 minutes. They themselves were using Zoom calls for work at the sanctuary, and thus, was born the idea of having animals sit in on people's work calls to lighten the mood. On the sanctuary's website, interested parties can fill out a form to hire Buckwheat, Melody the horse or Victoria, whom Fors calls the "matriarch of the herd." (With inputs from agencies)

Meet the donkey who crashes boring Zoom meetings to make some money

Attracting Businesses to India&nbsp;

If we have to put India’s markets and industry back in place, we will need strong investment from outside the country. The trust that people had in certain economies has been seriously eroded, and over 300 top companies in the world are looking for a new home, if not fully, at least partially. This is a great opportunity and India is eminently positioned to take advantage of this. This will need a very determined effort from the industry lobby, the businesses, and of course the government. How efficiently we do it and how hungrily we grab this will determine its success.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Tapping into our DNA of Innovation&nbsp;

Indians have always been patting our own backs, saying we are a very innovative society. This is the time to show how innovative we really are. There is no magic wand for the challenge that we are facing. All of us have to rethink the fundamentals of what we are doing. We must be ready to make enormous innovation. We must be willing to come down to the ground from whatever comfortable towers we are sitting on, and reinvent a lot of things. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, we have been left out of the economic development in the world, including Asia. We have to level that in the next three to five years.&nbsp;

Reviving Rural India&nbsp;

Statistics say that around 72 per cent of the world's investment is just in some thirty-odd cities in the world. It is quite natural for people from other areas to migrate there. In India, it was estimated that 220 million people will move from rural to urban India. You can imagine the plight of the cities if this happens. If we do not focus on spreading industry across the seven-hundred and odd districts in the country, migration will become too difficult to manage. The only way you can spread it is by taking it to rural India in some way. I understand that it is much more difficult because to get talent and train people in rural India takes much more. But if you do this now, the economy will be far more resilient. If ten years later another virus or something else comes our way, we will be able to sail through those things much better. &nbsp;

Business Opportunities in Agriculture&nbsp;

Right now, India is the only nation in the world where 60 per cent&nbsp;of the population still knows how to perform this magic of transforming mud into food. We are capable of growing food twelve months of the year, and we have the soil types, climatic conditions and latitudinal spread to grow almost any crop in the world. In the next five to ten years, if we do the right things, we can establish India as the breadbasket of the world. We need to focus on rural India. That is where the people are, that is where the land is and that is where India's wealth is.&nbsp;

Rethinking Education&nbsp;

Everyone does not have an academic mindset. They do not have to go to university. They have to learn other skills, innovations and a variety of disciplines. The industry needs skills. They can make a slightly long-term investment and train tenth standard children for their industry’s requirements. A certain amount of disruption will be there, but we must be willing to go through that. Only then will we unleash the potential of our youthful population. &nbsp;

We must set up a structure that by the time you are eighteen, either you must be going to a university or you must have some livelihood skills. If you do not have both, you must be conscripted into either the military or paramilitary or a one-year residential skill development institution. They must go through the discipline of becoming physically fit, mentally fit and disciplined enough to learn a skill and execute it. You will develop an enormous amount of skill in the country with this. &nbsp;

Turning Waste into Wealth&nbsp;

Right now for many polluting industries, there is a law in the country that they must set up their own treatment plants. That has been our biggest mistake because such treatment plants will only work on the inspection day! It is most important that a treatment industry grows in such a way that your effluent is my business and my raw material. Then I will make sure my raw material is always flowing and my business is to treat it. You can make the treatment industry very lucrative. &nbsp;

For domestic waste, as there is a charge for how much water or electricity you use, there must also be a charge for how much sewage you discharge. Today, there are many technologies to transform filth into wealth. If there is an economic value to it, people will not let it go waste. &nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

Attracting Businesses to India If we have to put India’s markets and industry back in place, we will need strong investment from outside the country. The trust that people had in certain economies has been seriously eroded, and over 300 top companies in the world are looking for a new home, if not fully, at least partially.

Attracting Businesses to India If we have to put India’s markets and industry back in place, we will need strong investment from outside the country. The trust that people had in certain economies has been seriously eroded, and over 300 top companies in the world are looking for a new home, if not fully, at least partially. This is a great opportunity and India is eminently positioned to take advantage of this. This will need a very determined effort from the industry lobby, the businesses, and of course the government. How efficiently we do it and how hungrily we grab this will determine its success. Tapping into our DNA of Innovation Indians have always been patting our own backs, saying we are a very innovative society. This is the time to show how innovative we really are. There is no magic wand for the challenge that we are facing. All of us have to rethink the fundamentals of what we are doing. We must be ready to make enormous innovation. We must be willing to come down to the ground from whatever comfortable towers we are sitting on, and reinvent a lot of things. Unfortunately, over the last few decades, we have been left out of the economic development in the world, including Asia. We have to level that in the next three to five years. Reviving Rural India Statistics say that around 72 per cent of the world's investment is just in some thirty-odd cities in the world. It is quite natural for people from other areas to migrate there. In India, it was estimated that 220 million people will move from rural to urban India. You can imagine the plight of the cities if this happens. If we do not focus on spreading industry across the seven-hundred and odd districts in the country, migration will become too difficult to manage. The only way you can spread it is by taking it to rural India in some way. I understand that it is much more difficult because to get talent and train people in rural India takes much more. But if you do this now, the economy will be far more resilient. If ten years later another virus or something else comes our way, we will be able to sail through those things much better.  Business Opportunities in Agriculture Right now, India is the only nation in the world where 60 per cent of the population still knows how to perform this magic of transforming mud into food. We are capable of growing food twelve months of the year, and we have the soil types, climatic conditions and latitudinal spread to grow almost any crop in the world. In the next five to ten years, if we do the right things, we can establish India as the breadbasket of the world. We need to focus on rural India. That is where the people are, that is where the land is and that is where India's wealth is. Rethinking Education Everyone does not have an academic mindset. They do not have to go to university. They have to learn other skills, innovations and a variety of disciplines. The industry needs skills. They can make a slightly long-term investment and train tenth standard children for their industry’s requirements. A certain amount of disruption will be there, but we must be willing to go through that. Only then will we unleash the potential of our youthful population.  We must set up a structure that by the time you are eighteen, either you must be going to a university or you must have some livelihood skills. If you do not have both, you must be conscripted into either the military or paramilitary or a one-year residential skill development institution. They must go through the discipline of becoming physically fit, mentally fit and disciplined enough to learn a skill and execute it. You will develop an enormous amount of skill in the country with this. Turning Waste into Wealth Right now for many polluting industries, there is a law in the country that they must set up their own treatment plants. That has been our biggest mistake because such treatment plants will only work on the inspection day! It is most important that a treatment industry grows in such a way that your effluent is my business and my raw material. Then I will make sure my raw material is always flowing and my business is to treat it. You can make the treatment industry very lucrative.  For domestic waste, as there is a charge for how much water or electricity you use, there must also be a charge for how much sewage you discharge. Today, there are many technologies to transform filth into wealth. If there is an economic value to it, people will not let it go waste. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Innovative ideas to revive the Indian economy

History is full of examples whenever the ambition of any autocrat grew beyond global tolerance, he became responsible for the collapse of his regime.&nbsp;Today, despite facing unprecedented global anger for being the originator of novel coronavirus, the aggressiveness of Chinese leadership on multiple fronts to suppress internal and external dissent has pushed the world against itself. Xi Jinping’s unfair adventurism for incremental encroachment, in the continental and maritime domain, at a time when other countries are fighting against the most dangerous pandemic of the century, is amounting to inhuman aggression, junking all morals, international conventions, rules, treaties and forcing the world to reluctantly react against his regime. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Xi Jinping’s Overambition &nbsp;

Xi started his term by dream-selling that all Chinese living below the poverty line would no more be poor by 2020. Internationally he projected himself as the crusader for world peace and climate change, with a resolve to push through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to fulfil Chinese dream of rejuvenation. As ‘Chairman of Everything’, he indirectly declared himself as the tallest leader on the planet, in the manner he got himself re-elected for the second term and did everything possible to make himself great, under the banner of ‘Making China Great’. His anti-corruption drive was most popular amongst masses witnessing powerful people in jail, besides systematically eliminating the entire dissenting elements and all his possible competitors, through this drive. &nbsp;

The Boiling Pot&nbsp;

Xi took over in 2012 as President with 7.9 per cent GDP growth and led China to economic downslide thereafter. With failing BRI, mishandling of COVID-19, there is no worthwhile achievement to his credit except that he managed to eliminate dissenting elements better than others. Disagreeing with Xi ‘The Core’ is anti-national and leads to jail. Xi has indicated that in “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” and adequate ‘Revolutionary Tampering’ will be resorted to quell dissent.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
As his regime stops delivering economically, the democratic winds will start flowing from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the educated youth may not tolerate the autocratic system of Xi Jinping, having no worthwhile grievance redressal mechanism. After all, China is the third most popular educational hub, with the largest number of PhD’s in the world, where the population understands the entire power play; hence cannot be assumed to be quiet forever. The legal system stands hostage to party leadership justifies the boiling pot theory; hence the biggest threat to China comes from within. &nbsp;

Some of his actions like unfair treatment&nbsp;of Uighurs in Xinjiang province,&nbsp;the use of force in implementing draconian National Security Law in Hongkong are risky. The strict censorship of media and internet, electronic isolation, social engineering to bring societal changes are unpopular steps to minimize unrests. The viability of “Implosion theory” is feared to be a reality by a totalitarian regime; hence a dose of nationalism to be nurtured through external aggression suits Xi Jinping’s hold on power, besides making the best use of early recovery from COVID-19 in comparison to his competitors.&nbsp;

Opening Multiple Fronts&nbsp;

China has unfairly used early recovery from the pandemic as an opportunity to assert itself on multiple fronts, including India-China borders to scrumptiously encroaching some area not supposed to be held as per the mutually agreed CBMs, where both sides were free to patrol. This is a sequel to Chinese adventurism in Indo-Pacific at multiple places in the South and the East China Sea with greater assertion against other claimants like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Besides the coercion of Taiwan, it has also taken away the autonomy of Hong Kong by passing the draconian National Security Act unilaterally. The rationale of China being over assertive at the time of pandemic comes from Sun Tzu’s thoughts of ‘Strike adversary when it's weak and preserve yourself when it is strong’. China is, therefore, speeding up its Incremental Encroachment Strategy in the South China Sea as well as LAC. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The strategic calculations seem to be ambitious as in the authoritarian state, the sycophancy sometimes prevents leaders from getting objective advice from subordinate strategists. When Hitler launched an offensive in Russia in World War II, beyond its logistics limit for sustaining in winters, he overruled the advice of subordinates and brought Germany to disaster. &nbsp;

Global Reaction&nbsp;

In continental domain its land grab efforts in Ladakh have been rebutted by India, which honoured its 20 fallen soldiers with state honours, whereas PLA chose to hide the actual number of its fallen soldiers, creating another wave of anger amongst PLA veterans. The mutual disengagement is being viewed with suspicion as PLA demonstrated its unprofessionalism to the world by using barbaric tools for attacking Indian soldiers, junking the CBMs and yet suffered heavy casualties. India is certainly not going to take mini disengagement gestures for granted unless PLA withdraws to pre-standoff positions; hence will be ready to respond with all options on the table.&nbsp;

On the maritime front, the US has already demonstrated strong military posturing. ASEAN, which has been muted by China so far by the consolation of CoC and purse diplomacy combined with coercion due to large power asymmetry, seems emboldened to talk about UNCLOS, demanding its fair share of EEZ in case of affected countries. Taiwan, emboldened by national sentiments, leadership and US support, has started identifying itself as a nation, junking ‘One country Two systems’, ready to defend itself should a situation arise.&nbsp;Xi Jinping’s ambition has costed global loss of trust and some important markets for China. Russians have a forced marriage with China, due to sanctions from the West and economic compulsions, but given the geostrategic situation, playing neutral, along with the sale of weaponry may be the best option for them. &nbsp;&nbsp;

China may be able to implement the draconian National Security Act in Hong Kong, but the global reaction is unavoidable. &nbsp;China has to bear the cost of the demise of its financial hub, with many countries inclined for economic distancing, shifting FDI, banning concessions granted to Hong Kong, granting citizenship to those willing to exit, thus creating ideal conditions for urban insurgency in times to come, besides the rural insurgency of Xinjiang. Suddenly the voices in support of Uighurs and Tibetans and questions on ‘One China Policy’ have started becoming active, notwithstanding the threats of Chinese wolf warrior diplomats and state media Global Times, which are being taken as tools of propaganda warfare.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Future of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping’s Chinese dream of ‘Rejuvenation’ and his aim of ‘Prosperous Developed Society’ with a ‘War Winning Modern PLA’ by 2050 was achievable, had he not harboured dictatorial overambition to achieve these aims by making unfair use of pandemic. With the kind of global anger he has generated against his regime, the lesson of diversification of global factory for the world along with the need for economic distancing from China has become evident. Xi has thus pushed his country on a path of disaster.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

History is full of examples whenever the ambition of any autocrat grew beyond global tolerance, he became responsible for the collapse of his regime. Today, despite facing unprecedented global anger for being the originator of novel coronavirus, the aggressiveness of Chinese leadership on multiple fronts to suppress internal and external dissent has pushed the world against itself.

History is full of examples whenever the ambition of any autocrat grew beyond global tolerance, he became responsible for the collapse of his regime. Today, despite facing unprecedented global anger for being the originator of novel coronavirus, the aggressiveness of Chinese leadership on multiple fronts to suppress internal and external dissent has pushed the world against itself. Xi Jinping’s unfair adventurism for incremental encroachment, in the continental and maritime domain, at a time when other countries are fighting against the most dangerous pandemic of the century, is amounting to inhuman aggression, junking all morals, international conventions, rules, treaties and forcing the world to reluctantly react against his regime. Xi Jinping’s Overambition Xi started his term by dream-selling that all Chinese living below the poverty line would no more be poor by 2020. Internationally he projected himself as the crusader for world peace and climate change, with a resolve to push through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to fulfil Chinese dream of rejuvenation. As ‘Chairman of Everything’, he indirectly declared himself as the tallest leader on the planet, in the manner he got himself re-elected for the second term and did everything possible to make himself great, under the banner of ‘Making China Great’. His anti-corruption drive was most popular amongst masses witnessing powerful people in jail, besides systematically eliminating the entire dissenting elements and all his possible competitors, through this drive. The Boiling Pot Xi took over in 2012 as President with 7.9 per cent GDP growth and led China to economic downslide thereafter. With failing BRI, mishandling of COVID-19, there is no worthwhile achievement to his credit except that he managed to eliminate dissenting elements better than others. Disagreeing with Xi ‘The Core’ is anti-national and leads to jail. Xi has indicated that in “Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era” and adequate ‘Revolutionary Tampering’ will be resorted to quell dissent. As his regime stops delivering economically, the democratic winds will start flowing from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and the educated youth may not tolerate the autocratic system of Xi Jinping, having no worthwhile grievance redressal mechanism. After all, China is the third most popular educational hub, with the largest number of PhD’s in the world, where the population understands the entire power play; hence cannot be assumed to be quiet forever. The legal system stands hostage to party leadership justifies the boiling pot theory; hence the biggest threat to China comes from within. Some of his actions like unfair treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang province, the use of force in implementing draconian National Security Law in Hongkong are risky. The strict censorship of media and internet, electronic isolation, social engineering to bring societal changes are unpopular steps to minimize unrests. The viability of “Implosion theory” is feared to be a reality by a totalitarian regime; hence a dose of nationalism to be nurtured through external aggression suits Xi Jinping’s hold on power, besides making the best use of early recovery from COVID-19 in comparison to his competitors. Opening Multiple Fronts China has unfairly used early recovery from the pandemic as an opportunity to assert itself on multiple fronts, including India-China borders to scrumptiously encroaching some area not supposed to be held as per the mutually agreed CBMs, where both sides were free to patrol. This is a sequel to Chinese adventurism in Indo-Pacific at multiple places in the South and the East China Sea with greater assertion against other claimants like Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines. Besides the coercion of Taiwan, it has also taken away the autonomy of Hong Kong by passing the draconian National Security Act unilaterally. The rationale of China being over assertive at the time of pandemic comes from Sun Tzu’s thoughts of ‘Strike adversary when it's weak and preserve yourself when it is strong’. China is, therefore, speeding up its Incremental Encroachment Strategy in the South China Sea as well as LAC. The strategic calculations seem to be ambitious as in the authoritarian state, the sycophancy sometimes prevents leaders from getting objective advice from subordinate strategists. When Hitler launched an offensive in Russia in World War II, beyond its logistics limit for sustaining in winters, he overruled the advice of subordinates and brought Germany to disaster. Global Reaction In continental domain its land grab efforts in Ladakh have been rebutted by India, which honoured its 20 fallen soldiers with state honours, whereas PLA chose to hide the actual number of its fallen soldiers, creating another wave of anger amongst PLA veterans. The mutual disengagement is being viewed with suspicion as PLA demonstrated its unprofessionalism to the world by using barbaric tools for attacking Indian soldiers, junking the CBMs and yet suffered heavy casualties. India is certainly not going to take mini disengagement gestures for granted unless PLA withdraws to pre-standoff positions; hence will be ready to respond with all options on the table. On the maritime front, the US has already demonstrated strong military posturing. ASEAN, which has been muted by China so far by the consolation of CoC and purse diplomacy combined with coercion due to large power asymmetry, seems emboldened to talk about UNCLOS, demanding its fair share of EEZ in case of affected countries. Taiwan, emboldened by national sentiments, leadership and US support, has started identifying itself as a nation, junking ‘One country Two systems’, ready to defend itself should a situation arise. Xi Jinping’s ambition has costed global loss of trust and some important markets for China. Russians have a forced marriage with China, due to sanctions from the West and economic compulsions, but given the geostrategic situation, playing neutral, along with the sale of weaponry may be the best option for them. China may be able to implement the draconian National Security Act in Hong Kong, but the global reaction is unavoidable. China has to bear the cost of the demise of its financial hub, with many countries inclined for economic distancing, shifting FDI, banning concessions granted to Hong Kong, granting citizenship to those willing to exit, thus creating ideal conditions for urban insurgency in times to come, besides the rural insurgency of Xinjiang. Suddenly the voices in support of Uighurs and Tibetans and questions on ‘One China Policy’ have started becoming active, notwithstanding the threats of Chinese wolf warrior diplomats and state media Global Times, which are being taken as tools of propaganda warfare. Future of China under the leadership of Xi Jinping Xi Jinping’s Chinese dream of ‘Rejuvenation’ and his aim of ‘Prosperous Developed Society’ with a ‘War Winning Modern PLA’ by 2050 was achievable, had he not harboured dictatorial overambition to achieve these aims by making unfair use of pandemic. With the kind of global anger he has generated against his regime, the lesson of diversification of global factory for the world along with the need for economic distancing from China has become evident. Xi has thus pushed his country on a path of disaster. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Xi Jinping’s adventurism is leading China to disaster

An American passport allowed its holders access to numerous countries with free visas or visa-on-arrival, but it no longer holds the same access.

According to the latest Henley Passport Index, US passports have access to 158 countries, 27 less than before coronavirus and largely due to the EU's decision to temporarily ban travellers from the US. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-administration-begins-formal-withdrawal-from-who-311479">Also Read: Trump administration begins formal withdrawal from WHO</a>

Under the current EU ban, Americans have around the same level of travel freedom as citizens of Mexico (No. 25 on Henley Passport Index, with a score of 159) and Uruguay (No. 28, with a score of 153).

The US has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths compared to any other country. These travel bans are a stinging rebuke for America's poor handling of this pandemic.

US coronavirus deaths surpassed 130,000 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-death-toll-may-rise-over-208200-by-november-1-reveals-new-covid-19-model-311653">Also Read: US death toll may rise over 208,200 by November 1</a> 
 
Furthermore, Goldman Sachs, one of the largest investment banking enterprises in the world, has further lowered America's GDP forecast.

The bank predicts the US GDP growing 25 per cent in the third quarter as compared to its previous projection of 33 per cent.

America is failing phenomenally on several counts. After weeks of protests, a show of strength by armed militias has become a common sight in the land of the free. 
 
A diminishing privilege, a raging pandemic and a growing recession and the evolving unrest, all these things together bust the many myths that have surrounded America for centuries.

&nbsp;

An American passport allowed its holders access to numerous countries with free visas or visa-on-arrival, but it no longer holds the same access. According to the latest Henley Passport Index, US passports have access to 158 countries, 27 less than before coronavirus and largely due to the EU's decision to temporarily ban travellers from the US.

An American passport allowed its holders access to numerous countries with free visas or visa-on-arrival, but it no longer holds the same access. According to the latest Henley Passport Index, US passports have access to 158 countries, 27 less than before coronavirus and largely due to the EU's decision to temporarily ban travellers from the US. Also Read: Trump administration begins formal withdrawal from WHO Under the current EU ban, Americans have around the same level of travel freedom as citizens of Mexico (No. 25 on Henley Passport Index, with a score of 159) and Uruguay (No. 28, with a score of 153). The US has the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths compared to any other country. These travel bans are a stinging rebuke for America's poor handling of this pandemic. US coronavirus deaths surpassed 130,000 amid a surge in COVID-19 cases across the country. Also Read: US death toll may rise over 208,200 by November 1 Furthermore, Goldman Sachs, one of the largest investment banking enterprises in the world, has further lowered America's GDP forecast. The bank predicts the US GDP growing 25 per cent in the third quarter as compared to its previous projection of 33 per cent. America is failing phenomenally on several counts. After weeks of protests, a show of strength by armed militias has become a common sight in the land of the free. A diminishing privilege, a raging pandemic and a growing recession and the evolving unrest, all these things together bust the many myths that have surrounded America for centuries.

US Passport loses its charm in a post-pandemic world

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping lead three different countries in three different continents, but have a lot in common.&nbsp;

All three presidents projected themselves as outsiders to win power and they cannot stand criticism, especially, when it comes from the media.&nbsp;

The United States, Brazil and China are on the same boat. US president Donald Trump promised to make America great again, but the country is worst hit by the coronavirus.

The US coronavirus outbreak crossed a grim milestone of over 3 million confirmed cases that has put President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis under the microscope and derailed efforts to restart the economy. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/xi-jinpings-hunger-for-power-grows-as-china-struggles-with-pandemic-311714">Also read: Xi Jinping's hunger for power grows as China struggles with pandemic</a> 
 
Authorities have reported alarming upswings of daily caseloads in roughly two dozen states over the past two weeks, a sign that efforts to control transmission of the novel coronavirus have failed in large swaths of the country.&nbsp;

In Brazil, Bolsonaro remained in denial and encouraged protests against the lockdown and now he himself has tested positive for coronavirus. He has regularly appeared in public without a mask and on Friday vetoed parts of a bill that made the use of masks mandatory in public places.

Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases with over 60,000 deaths so far. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/eu-urges-china-to-free-activists-on-crackdown-anniversary-311720">Also Read: EU urges China to free activists on crackdown anniversary</a>

China's coronavirus cover-up allowed the virus to spread all over the world and Xi Jinping's lust for power has isolated his country.&nbsp; 
 
Several world leaders have accused China of spreading coronavirus across the world, calling for it to be held ‘fully accountable’. Many have alleged that coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, however, China has refuted the allegations.

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping failed to handle a serious health emergency, and now their countries are paying the price for their self-obsession and failures. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping lead three different countries in three different continents, but have a lot in common. All three presidents projected themselves as outsiders to win power and they cannot stand criticism, especially, when it comes from the media.

Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping lead three different countries in three different continents, but have a lot in common. All three presidents projected themselves as outsiders to win power and they cannot stand criticism, especially, when it comes from the media. The United States, Brazil and China are on the same boat. US president Donald Trump promised to make America great again, but the country is worst hit by the coronavirus. The US coronavirus outbreak crossed a grim milestone of over 3 million confirmed cases that has put President Donald Trump’s handling of the crisis under the microscope and derailed efforts to restart the economy. Also read: Xi Jinping's hunger for power grows as China struggles with pandemic Authorities have reported alarming upswings of daily caseloads in roughly two dozen states over the past two weeks, a sign that efforts to control transmission of the novel coronavirus have failed in large swaths of the country. In Brazil, Bolsonaro remained in denial and encouraged protests against the lockdown and now he himself has tested positive for coronavirus. He has regularly appeared in public without a mask and on Friday vetoed parts of a bill that made the use of masks mandatory in public places. Brazil has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases with over 60,000 deaths so far. Also Read: EU urges China to free activists on crackdown anniversary China's coronavirus cover-up allowed the virus to spread all over the world and Xi Jinping's lust for power has isolated his country. Several world leaders have accused China of spreading coronavirus across the world, calling for it to be held ‘fully accountable’. Many have alleged that coronavirus originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, however, China has refuted the allegations. Donald Trump, Jair Bolsonaro and Xi Jinping failed to handle a serious health emergency, and now their countries are paying the price for their self-obsession and failures. (With inputs from agencies)

A tale of three presidents who've pushed their countries to the edge

India loves its cricketers, after all, they give us joy and make us feel like... well... “Indian” but that is usually when all things are bright and shiny, but these are not normal times.

The German Bundesliga opened last month, Liverpool has already won the English Premier League even as Europe battles the virus.&nbsp;

The ‘reopening’ of sports lifts spirits, after all at least till April the European continent was the hardest hit with the deadly virus- but when a person watches Ronaldo, Messi or Klopp on the field it gives them one thing which we all crave for in these difficult times- hope.

In India, as the virus continues to make inroads it has pegged us back on several fronts. The county’s morale is low and uncertainty prevails. This is the time to fall back on that thing we call hope and what better way if Sourav’s BCCI and Virat’s Team India decide to hold a fun match- not IPL - to lift a nation down in spirits.

All we want is our “entertainers” to put their hands up and be counted because once this is all over we will remember who stood up for us and&nbsp;those who stayed home. India needs true heroes and not paper tigers but the big question is: are the big boys of Indian cricket ready to bat for the country?

It is not as if Indian cricketers earlier haven't set a precedent. The great Sachin Tendulkar had dedicated his ton in the Chennai Test to the country after the horrific Mumbai attack in 2008 - the true Mumbaikar cried for his city. Indian cricketers back in the 80s had played a cricket match for drought relief, then there are of course innumerable examples of individual "care and giving" by our role models.&nbsp;

However, this time it is different. The pandemic has hit us hard with nowhere to run, most of all it has taken us by surprise like most nations and it has meant we have had to give up all the things we love for better days ahead but the heart yearns for the "good, old days" when all was great - we could watch our idols on television or walk down to the stadium to see them in the flesh that day will be back but India like the rest of the world will count the cost of loss, destruction and countless stories of valour and greatness of our COVID-19 warriors.

We want our cricketers to also be in that "elite list" not of moneymakers, A-listers and highest taxpayers but of those who showed us the way in a year of gloom. We want them to be corona warriors feted by the country and looked upon as true idols.&nbsp;

We just want one match to feel “normal”, &nbsp;will Sourav and Virat hear our call?

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India loves its cricketers, after all, they give us joy and make us feel like... well... “Indian” but that is usually when all things are bright and shiny, but these are not normal times.

India loves its cricketers, after all, they give us joy and make us feel like... well... “Indian” but that is usually when all things are bright and shiny, but these are not normal times. The German Bundesliga opened last month, Liverpool has already won the English Premier League even as Europe battles the virus. The ‘reopening’ of sports lifts spirits, after all at least till April the European continent was the hardest hit with the deadly virus- but when a person watches Ronaldo, Messi or Klopp on the field it gives them one thing which we all crave for in these difficult times- hope. In India, as the virus continues to make inroads it has pegged us back on several fronts. The county’s morale is low and uncertainty prevails. This is the time to fall back on that thing we call hope and what better way if Sourav’s BCCI and Virat’s Team India decide to hold a fun match- not IPL - to lift a nation down in spirits. All we want is our “entertainers” to put their hands up and be counted because once this is all over we will remember who stood up for us and those who stayed home. India needs true heroes and not paper tigers but the big question is: are the big boys of Indian cricket ready to bat for the country? It is not as if Indian cricketers earlier haven't set a precedent. The great Sachin Tendulkar had dedicated his ton in the Chennai Test to the country after the horrific Mumbai attack in 2008 - the true Mumbaikar cried for his city. Indian cricketers back in the 80s had played a cricket match for drought relief, then there are of course innumerable examples of individual "care and giving" by our role models. However, this time it is different. The pandemic has hit us hard with nowhere to run, most of all it has taken us by surprise like most nations and it has meant we have had to give up all the things we love for better days ahead but the heart yearns for the "good, old days" when all was great - we could watch our idols on television or walk down to the stadium to see them in the flesh that day will be back but India like the rest of the world will count the cost of loss, destruction and countless stories of valour and greatness of our COVID-19 warriors. We want our cricketers to also be in that "elite list" not of moneymakers, A-listers and highest taxpayers but of those who showed us the way in a year of gloom. We want them to be corona warriors feted by the country and looked upon as true idols. We just want one match to feel “normal”, will Sourav and Virat hear our call? (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Sourav and Virat, it is time to deliver for India in COVID-19 times

By Hassan Vally

As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, one question that keeps coming up is whether COVID-19 can be transmitted through the air.

In fact, 239 scientists in 32 countries have written an open letter to the World Health Organisation (WHO) arguing there is mounting evidence the airborne route plays a role in the transmission of COVID-19.

Like a lot of issues to do with the pandemic, what seems to be a relatively straightforward question is deceptively complex. We actually don’t know the answer for sure.

Why do we need to understand the modes of transmission?

Understanding how COVID-19 is transmitted from one person to the next enables us to design effective public health interventions to minimise the risk of transmission.

For instance, we’re advised to keep 1.5 metres away from others because there’s consensus one of the main ways the virus spreads is via large droplets.

These “large” droplets are usually greater than 5 micrometres in size and are propelled from an infected person’s nose or mouth in their mucus and saliva when they sneeze, cough or talk.

Thanks to gravity, these large droplets don’t generally travel far before landing. If you position yourself more than 1.5 metres from someone who is infected, the expectation is you’ll be clear of the droplets’ path.

Similarly, understanding these large droplets can land on surfaces and that the virus can survive on these surfaces means we know we need to wash our hands to avoid transferring the virus to our mouth, nose or eyes.

Until now, the WHO has maintained these large droplets are the major source of COVID-19 transmission. But the authors of the open letter suggest they are underplaying the role of airborne transmission.

Airborne transmission and COVID-19

In its simplest interpretation, airborne transmission refers to the ability of a virus to be spread by droplets small enough to be suspended in the air. These droplets are less than 5 micrometres in size and generally called aerosols.

Whereas large droplets can only travel short distances, these smaller droplets, in theory, can be spread further, or can linger in a room even after an infected person has left.

Evidence supporting the notion that transmission of COVID-19 can occur via the airborne route takes several forms.

First, laboratory studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can be aerosolised, and can survive for up to four hours in this form.

Second, genetic material from SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in aerosols sampled at hospitals, including two hospitals in Wuhan, the Chinese city from which the pandemic emerged. But it’s important to note the presence of this genetic material doesn’t necessarily mean the virus is infectious in this form.

Perhaps the strongest evidence, however, comes through the various case reports of superspreading events. These are situations in which many people appear to have been infected with coronavirus in the absence of close contact.

One notable early example was from a choir practice in the United States where almost 50 people were infected even though they maintained physical distance. Two died.

Another example is an outbreak in Guangzhou, China, where ten people from three families contracted COVID-19 after dining in a restaurant. Non-infected people were not in close contact with any infected person, but those who became infected were in the direct line of one air conditioning unit.

The study of this outbreak is not yet peer-reviewed but is part of the evidence the authors of the open letter draw on.

What are the implications of airborne transmission? 
 
Airborne transmission of this novel coronavirus is potentially a worry, because if it occurs often, it means the virus may be commonly transmitted in the absence of close contact.

It also raises the possibility the virus may travel on air currents, and even be transmitted through air conditioning.

This means social distancing may not always be effective, and in particular, crowded indoor areas with poor ventilation pose a major threat.

So where does this leave us? 
 
The key question is not whether airborne transmission is theoretically possible; it certainly is. But rather, how significant is its role in the transmission of COVID-19?

If, for example, most transmission of SARS-CoV-2 happens via large droplets and the airborne route plays a role only occasionally, this has very different implications to a scenario where the airborne route is a significant mode of transmission.

Reassuringly, the interventions that have been implemented to limit the spread of the virus, such as social distancing, have been largely successful so far in most of Australia. This suggests even if the virus can be spread by the airborne route, it’s not likely to be a major route of transmission.

Given what we know, the dilemma is whether to employ the precautionary principle and assume the airborne route plays an important role in disease transmission — and adjust infection control measures accordingly. This may take the form of encouraging wider use of masks and looking at increasing ventilation in enclosed spaces.

The other approach is to wait for more definitive evidence before changing public health advice.

We will await with interest the WHO’s response to the open letter.

 
(Hassan Vally is Associate Professor, La Trobe University)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-the-airborne-route-a-major-source-of-coronavirus-transmission-141198">original article</a>) &nbsp;

By Hassan Vally As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, one question that keeps coming up is whether COVID-19 can be transmitted through the air.

By Hassan Vally As the world continues to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic, one question that keeps coming up is whether COVID-19 can be transmitted through the air. In fact, 239 scientists in 32 countries have written an open letter to the World Health Organisation (WHO) arguing there is mounting evidence the airborne route plays a role in the transmission of COVID-19. Like a lot of issues to do with the pandemic, what seems to be a relatively straightforward question is deceptively complex. We actually don’t know the answer for sure. Why do we need to understand the modes of transmission? Understanding how COVID-19 is transmitted from one person to the next enables us to design effective public health interventions to minimise the risk of transmission. For instance, we’re advised to keep 1.5 metres away from others because there’s consensus one of the main ways the virus spreads is via large droplets. These “large” droplets are usually greater than 5 micrometres in size and are propelled from an infected person’s nose or mouth in their mucus and saliva when they sneeze, cough or talk. Thanks to gravity, these large droplets don’t generally travel far before landing. If you position yourself more than 1.5 metres from someone who is infected, the expectation is you’ll be clear of the droplets’ path. Similarly, understanding these large droplets can land on surfaces and that the virus can survive on these surfaces means we know we need to wash our hands to avoid transferring the virus to our mouth, nose or eyes. Until now, the WHO has maintained these large droplets are the major source of COVID-19 transmission. But the authors of the open letter suggest they are underplaying the role of airborne transmission. Airborne transmission and COVID-19 In its simplest interpretation, airborne transmission refers to the ability of a virus to be spread by droplets small enough to be suspended in the air. These droplets are less than 5 micrometres in size and generally called aerosols. Whereas large droplets can only travel short distances, these smaller droplets, in theory, can be spread further, or can linger in a room even after an infected person has left. Evidence supporting the notion that transmission of COVID-19 can occur via the airborne route takes several forms. First, laboratory studies have demonstrated that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, can be aerosolised, and can survive for up to four hours in this form. Second, genetic material from SARS-CoV-2 has been detected in aerosols sampled at hospitals, including two hospitals in Wuhan, the Chinese city from which the pandemic emerged. But it’s important to note the presence of this genetic material doesn’t necessarily mean the virus is infectious in this form. Perhaps the strongest evidence, however, comes through the various case reports of superspreading events. These are situations in which many people appear to have been infected with coronavirus in the absence of close contact. One notable early example was from a choir practice in the United States where almost 50 people were infected even though they maintained physical distance. Two died. Another example is an outbreak in Guangzhou, China, where ten people from three families contracted COVID-19 after dining in a restaurant. Non-infected people were not in close contact with any infected person, but those who became infected were in the direct line of one air conditioning unit. The study of this outbreak is not yet peer-reviewed but is part of the evidence the authors of the open letter draw on. What are the implications of airborne transmission? Airborne transmission of this novel coronavirus is potentially a worry, because if it occurs often, it means the virus may be commonly transmitted in the absence of close contact. It also raises the possibility the virus may travel on air currents, and even be transmitted through air conditioning. This means social distancing may not always be effective, and in particular, crowded indoor areas with poor ventilation pose a major threat. So where does this leave us? The key question is not whether airborne transmission is theoretically possible; it certainly is. But rather, how significant is its role in the transmission of COVID-19? If, for example, most transmission of SARS-CoV-2 happens via large droplets and the airborne route plays a role only occasionally, this has very different implications to a scenario where the airborne route is a significant mode of transmission. Reassuringly, the interventions that have been implemented to limit the spread of the virus, such as social distancing, have been largely successful so far in most of Australia. This suggests even if the virus can be spread by the airborne route, it’s not likely to be a major route of transmission. Given what we know, the dilemma is whether to employ the precautionary principle and assume the airborne route plays an important role in disease transmission — and adjust infection control measures accordingly. This may take the form of encouraging wider use of masks and looking at increasing ventilation in enclosed spaces. The other approach is to wait for more definitive evidence before changing public health advice. We will await with interest the WHO’s response to the open letter. (Hassan Vally is Associate Professor, La Trobe University) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article)

Is the airborne route a major source of coronavirus transmission?

Parts of London and other cities, deserted during lockdown, sprang to life as people dressed up and came out for "Super Saturday", July 4, the day England's hospitality sector reopened for the first time since March.

Government guidelines insisted on "minimum contact" between staff and customers, with table service only. Drinkers are supposed to give contact details in case of an outbreak.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Boris Johnson also urged Britons to act responsibly and not to blow the collective effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

But, several pubs have been shut again after some customers tested positive for the novel coronavirus. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-ireland-delays-lifting-travelling-ban-to-make-quarantine-arrangements-310897">Also Read: UK to invest 10 million in a new study; Health Minister thanks locals</a>

Britain has been among the worst-hit countries in the world in the epidemic. The death toll from confirmed cases of the coronavirus is over 44,000.

If the Britishers let the beer get to their head, so did the Italians. A common love of football and beer has made them forget the pandemic. Not allowed into stadiums, groups of friends are gathering at pubs to cheer for their team.

In Brazil, authorities discovered a crowded bar operating under the cover of a pet shop with no pets.

People across the world are forcing their government to open pubs, but they seem to be forgetting the basic rule of consuming alcohol - drink responsibly.

Parts of London and other cities, deserted during lockdown, sprang to life as people dressed up and came out for "Super Saturday", July 4, the day England's hospitality sector reopened for the first time since March.

Parts of London and other cities, deserted during lockdown, sprang to life as people dressed up and came out for "Super Saturday", July 4, the day England's hospitality sector reopened for the first time since March. Government guidelines insisted on "minimum contact" between staff and customers, with table service only. Drinkers are supposed to give contact details in case of an outbreak. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also urged Britons to act responsibly and not to blow the collective effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. But, several pubs have been shut again after some customers tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Also Read: UK to invest 10 million in a new study; Health Minister thanks locals Britain has been among the worst-hit countries in the world in the epidemic. The death toll from confirmed cases of the coronavirus is over 44,000. If the Britishers let the beer get to their head, so did the Italians. A common love of football and beer has made them forget the pandemic. Not allowed into stadiums, groups of friends are gathering at pubs to cheer for their team. In Brazil, authorities discovered a crowded bar operating under the cover of a pet shop with no pets. People across the world are forcing their government to open pubs, but they seem to be forgetting the basic rule of consuming alcohol - drink responsibly.

Pubs in England shut again after COVID-19 positive tests

Broadway star Nick Cordero died of coronavirus complications on Sunday night. The actor , known for his roles in `Rock of Ages,` `Waitress,` `Bullets Over Broadway` and `A Bronx Tale The Musical,` was battling the deadly virus for several months. 
 
His wife, Amanda Kloots, made the sad announcement on her Instagram account on Sunday night.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCSBM89Axt_/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">God has another angel in heaven now. My darling husband passed away this morning. He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth. ⠀ I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him. Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband. Elvis and I will miss him in everything we do, everyday. ⠀ To Nicks extraordinary doctor, Dr. David Ng, you were my positive doctor! There are not many doctors like you. Kind, smart, compassionate, assertive and always eager to listen to my crazy ideas or call yet another doctor for me for a second opinion. You’re a diamond in the rough. ⠀ ⠀ I cannot begin to thank everyone enough for the outpour of love , support and help we’ve received these last 95 days. You have no idea how much you lifted my spirits at 3pm everyday as the world sang Nicks song, Live Your Life. We sang it to him today, holding his hands. As I sang the last line to him, “they’ll give you hell but don’t you light them kill your light not without a fight. Live your life,” I smiled because he definitely put up a fight. I will love you forever and always my sweet man. ❤️</a>

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Cordero was hospitalised at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after testing positive for COVID-19 in March earlier this year. He was given a temporary pacemaker and had to undergo a leg amputation while being treated for the disease. The actor was in a medically induced coma and was in the intensive care unit for more than 90 days and suffered from additional complications, like lung infections and septic shock. 
 
His wife, Amanda had been giving regular updates on Cordero`s status on her Instagram stories throughout his hospital stay. Most recently she told TV presenter Gayle King that he would likely need a double lung transplant if he survived. 
Many people showed their support with posts and videos using #WakeUpNick. 
 
Cordero made his debut on Broadway stage in 2012 for `Rock of Ages` as Dennis and Record Company Man. Cordero earned a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk nomination for his role of Cheech in the musical adaptation of Woody Allen`s `Bullets Over Broadway.` 
 
He also appeared as Earl in `Waitress,` leaving to play Sonny in `A Bronx Tale The Musical,` for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk award. 
 
He also made a name in television, had guest roles in `Queer as Folk` and `Lilyhammer,` and had recurring roles as Victor Lugo in `Blue Bloods` and as Anthony Marino in `Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.` 
 
Cordero is survived by his wife, who was a former Radio City Rockette and dancer, and their son, Elvis.

(With inputs from ANI)

Broadway star Nick Cordero died of coronavirus complications on Sunday night. The actor , known for his roles in `Rock of Ages,` `Waitress,` `Bullets Over Broadway` and `A Bronx Tale The Musical,` was battling the deadly virus for several months.

Broadway star Nick Cordero died of coronavirus complications on Sunday night. The actor , known for his roles in `Rock of Ages,` `Waitress,` `Bullets Over Broadway` and `A Bronx Tale The Musical,` was battling the deadly virus for several months. His wife, Amanda Kloots, made the sad announcement on her Instagram account on Sunday night. View this post on Instagram God has another angel in heaven now. My darling husband passed away this morning. He was surrounded in love by his family, singing and praying as he gently left this earth. ⠀ I am in disbelief and hurting everywhere. My heart is broken as I cannot imagine our lives without him. Nick was such a bright light. He was everyone’s friend, loved to listen, help and especially talk. He was an incredible actor and musician. He loved his family and loved being a father and husband. Elvis and I will miss him in everything we do, everyday. ⠀ To Nicks extraordinary doctor, Dr. David Ng, you were my positive doctor! There are not many doctors like you. Kind, smart, compassionate, assertive and always eager to listen to my crazy ideas or call yet another doctor for me for a second opinion. You’re a diamond in the rough. ⠀ ⠀ I cannot begin to thank everyone enough for the outpour of love , support and help we’ve received these last 95 days. You have no idea how much you lifted my spirits at 3pm everyday as the world sang Nicks song, Live Your Life. We sang it to him today, holding his hands. As I sang the last line to him, “they’ll give you hell but don’t you light them kill your light not without a fight. Live your life,” I smiled because he definitely put up a fight. I will love you forever and always my sweet man. ❤️ A post shared by AK! ⭐️ (@amandakloots) on Jul 5, 2020 at 6:05pm PDT × Cordero was hospitalised at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles after testing positive for COVID-19 in March earlier this year. He was given a temporary pacemaker and had to undergo a leg amputation while being treated for the disease. The actor was in a medically induced coma and was in the intensive care unit for more than 90 days and suffered from additional complications, like lung infections and septic shock. His wife, Amanda had been giving regular updates on Cordero`s status on her Instagram stories throughout his hospital stay. Most recently she told TV presenter Gayle King that he would likely need a double lung transplant if he survived. Many people showed their support with posts and videos using #WakeUpNick. Cordero made his debut on Broadway stage in 2012 for `Rock of Ages` as Dennis and Record Company Man. Cordero earned a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk nomination for his role of Cheech in the musical adaptation of Woody Allen`s `Bullets Over Broadway.` He also appeared as Earl in `Waitress,` leaving to play Sonny in `A Bronx Tale The Musical,` for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk award. He also made a name in television, had guest roles in `Queer as Folk` and `Lilyhammer,` and had recurring roles as Victor Lugo in `Blue Bloods` and as Anthony Marino in `Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.` Cordero is survived by his wife, who was a former Radio City Rockette and dancer, and their son, Elvis. (With inputs from ANI)

Nick Cordero, Broadway star, dies at 41 after battling with COVID-19 for months

In 2013, Zheng-Li Shi, the <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-chinas-bat-woman-hunted-down-viruses-from-sars-to-the-new-coronavirus1/">“bat woman,</a>” and her team from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were asked to <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-chinas-bat-woman-hunted-down-viruses-from-sars-to-the-new-coronavirus1/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ScientificAmerican-News+%28Content%3A+News%29">investigate</a> the virus profile of a mine shaft in Yunnan Province after six miners contracted pneumonia with symptoms similar to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

After sampling the mine shaft for a year, the researchers <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12250-016-3713-9">identified</a> a diverse group of bat coronaviruses, one of which was designated RaBtCoV/4991 (GenBank KP876546) and partially sequenced as a 440-base pair fragment targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene (RdRp).

Despite being &nbsp;unique enough to be <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12250-016-3713-9">considered</a> a new strain and associated with a human SARS-like outbreak as a Potential Pandemic Pathogen, thereafter, RaBtCoV/4991 disappeared from the scientific literature.

That is, until 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an intensive search for the origin of the coronavirus responsible, SARS-CoV-2.

In the February 3, 2020 Nature article, scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Zheng-Li Shi, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7">stated </a>that the coronavirus RaTG13, isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, China, showed a 96.2% sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2 and, therefore, “RaTG13 is the closest relative” forming a distinct lineage from other coronaviruses and supporting China’s claim that SARS-CoV-2 is naturally-occurring.

A month later, on March 17, 2020, the article “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” widely-cited by scientists and the media, supported the conclusion that RaTG13 is SARS-CoV-2’s closest relative, which likely “jumped” from animals to humans in the Wuhan Seafood Market.

It is important to note that, Ian Lipkin, one of the authors of “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” the article supporting China’s claim that SARS-CoV-2 is naturally occurring, <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/public-health-now/news/china-honors-ian-lipkin">received a medal </a>from the Chinese government in January, 2020.

It did not take long for doubts to appear about the validity of the RaTG13 argument or even its existence . We have now learned that RaTG13 existed only on paper. RaTG13 and RaBtCoV/4991 are the <a href="https://ccnationalsecurity.org/chinas-narrative-about-the-origin-of-covid-19-is-starting-to-unravel/">same virus.</a>

The entire RaTG13 genome was first <a href="https://www.pop.org/was-the-coronavirus-created-by-chinese-scientist-who-tried-to-cover-her-tracks-and-failed/">uploaded</a> to the National Institutes of Health GenBank on January 27, 2020 and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MN996532">updated</a> on March 24, 2020. In those filings, there is no mention of RaBtCoV/4991.

Yet, in a Chinese virus database, dated March 7, 2020 in the source code, RaTG13 and RaBtCoV/4991 are listed as being the same virus. It means that China knew early on that RaTG13 was not a unique coronavirus, but merely a duplicate of RaBtCoV/4991 and kept that important fact secret.

China has long <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7?rel=outbound">implied </a>that RaTG13 was only discovered in 2020 after the onset of the pandemic via a search of its coronavirus database.

That claim was echoed by Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance and long-time collaborator of the Wuhan Institute of Virology:

“We found the closest relative to the current SARS-CoV-2 in a bat in China in 2013. We sequenced a bit of the genome, and then it went in the freezer; because it didn’t look like SARS.”

Now comes yet another stunning revelation. It was not in the freezer.

According to new information, Chinese scientists <a href="https://twitter.com/ydeigin/status/1279777350385831936">experimented</a> with RaTG13 during 2017 and 2018.

The evidence clearly shows that, not only did China lie in a major way about the origin of COVID-19, but that it is, without question, due to a man-made virus.

China lied, people died. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

In 2013, Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman,” and her team from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were asked to investigate the virus profile of a mine shaft in Yunnan Province after six miners contracted pneumonia with symptoms similar to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

In 2013, Zheng-Li Shi, the “bat woman,” and her team from the Wuhan Institute of Virology were asked to investigate the virus profile of a mine shaft in Yunnan Province after six miners contracted pneumonia with symptoms similar to Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). After sampling the mine shaft for a year, the researchers identified a diverse group of bat coronaviruses, one of which was designated RaBtCoV/4991 (GenBank KP876546) and partially sequenced as a 440-base pair fragment targeting the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene (RdRp). Despite being unique enough to be considered a new strain and associated with a human SARS-like outbreak as a Potential Pandemic Pathogen, thereafter, RaBtCoV/4991 disappeared from the scientific literature. That is, until 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an intensive search for the origin of the coronavirus responsible, SARS-CoV-2. In the February 3, 2020 Nature article, scientists from the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Zheng-Li Shi, stated that the coronavirus RaTG13, isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, China, showed a 96.2% sequence identity with SARS-CoV-2 and, therefore, “RaTG13 is the closest relative” forming a distinct lineage from other coronaviruses and supporting China’s claim that SARS-CoV-2 is naturally-occurring. A month later, on March 17, 2020, the article “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” widely-cited by scientists and the media, supported the conclusion that RaTG13 is SARS-CoV-2’s closest relative, which likely “jumped” from animals to humans in the Wuhan Seafood Market. It is important to note that, Ian Lipkin, one of the authors of “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” the article supporting China’s claim that SARS-CoV-2 is naturally occurring, received a medal from the Chinese government in January, 2020. It did not take long for doubts to appear about the validity of the RaTG13 argument or even its existence . We have now learned that RaTG13 existed only on paper. RaTG13 and RaBtCoV/4991 are the same virus. The entire RaTG13 genome was first uploaded to the National Institutes of Health GenBank on January 27, 2020 and updated on March 24, 2020. In those filings, there is no mention of RaBtCoV/4991. Yet, in a Chinese virus database, dated March 7, 2020 in the source code, RaTG13 and RaBtCoV/4991 are listed as being the same virus. It means that China knew early on that RaTG13 was not a unique coronavirus, but merely a duplicate of RaBtCoV/4991 and kept that important fact secret. China has long implied that RaTG13 was only discovered in 2020 after the onset of the pandemic via a search of its coronavirus database. That claim was echoed by Peter Daszak, President of the EcoHealth Alliance and long-time collaborator of the Wuhan Institute of Virology: “We found the closest relative to the current SARS-CoV-2 in a bat in China in 2013. We sequenced a bit of the genome, and then it went in the freezer; because it didn’t look like SARS.” Now comes yet another stunning revelation. It was not in the freezer. According to new information, Chinese scientists experimented with RaTG13 during 2017 and 2018. The evidence clearly shows that, not only did China lie in a major way about the origin of COVID-19, but that it is, without question, due to a man-made virus. China lied, people died. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Yet another stunning revelation about the true origin of COVID-19

India can deal with Chinese expansionism with the Himalayan region only by expeditious infrastructure development at its frontier areas. India has been able to establish political governance at the grassroots level through Hill Development Councils, Panchayats and a host of ‘packages’ in these areas. But, there is a sense of deep neglect on the implementation front, especially in context of physical infrastructure needs. A revival of the esteemed Indian Frontier Administrative Service (IFAS) – an experiment done in the 1950-60’s will bridge the governance gap in these remote far-flung areas.

The best public policy interventions work on pilot and feedback loops. In this case, we have had a pilot in the IFAS and some key learnings from it. A renewed, reoriented and restructured IFAS dedicated to the Himalayan frontier states in India is the need of the hour. The first step of a good foreign policy measure is to start domestically. And this is what this piece elucidates.

The Indian Frontier Administrative Service (IFAS), a separate cadre created in 1954 to administer the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA i.e., present-day Arunachal Pradesh and at that time, a part of Assam) was the military-governance mechanism mooted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It emphasised more on the socio-economic development of the various tribes in the protected region but did not focus on strategic border development. Some historical accounts attribute this deficiency in the said policy to Verrier Elwin, an anthropologist who was appointed as the advisor to the government of Assam. But this may not be entirely true.

&nbsp;A cursory review of the list of IFAS cadre suggests that most members were either distinguished army officers or belonged to the Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Administrative Service, and the Indian Police Service, rotating between these postings.

NEFA was placed in a special category administered by the Ministry of External Affairs (and post 1965, by Ministry of Home Affairs) through an ‘IFAS’ Secretariat at Shillong, consisting of advisors for finance, tribal and legal affairs. The IFAS cadre mainly functioned as Political Officers (and thereafter as Deputy Commissioners) in charge of a frontier district vested with the powers of a District Magistrate and were the ultimate authority in their district to examine and implement development schemes. All top bureaucratic posts in other North Eastern States like Manipur were also filled by IFAS officers. An interesting Parliamentary answer between Manipur’s stalwart politician, Rishang Keishing and the then Deputy External Affairs Minister alludes to local tribals being preferred in filling the IFAS posts.

One of the most illustrious officers of IFAS was Major Ralengnao (Bob) Khathing. Under whose leadership, two platoons of Assam Rifles took possession of Tawang in February 1951, establishing Indian administrative control in the Bum La area along McMahon Line. This heroic act was enacted without shedding blood, even as China forced Tibet to sign a Seventeen Point Agreement in May 1951 and officially annexe it.

In 1968, the special cadre of IFAS was merged within the Indian Administrative Service. In the present context, the Indian Government can draw many lessons from the IFAS experiment, especially when China has officially transgressed the LAC as many as 2264 times since 2015 and India-China faced a 73-day standoff on Doklam in 2017.

First, for the NEFA tribals, IFAS had a simple policy laid down by Nehru. He avoided the two extremes - “one was to treat them as anthropological specimens for study and the other was to allow them to be engulfed by the masses of Indian humanity”. The could act as a Magna Carta for the newly restructured IFAS too. Since 2019, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are now both Union Territories. They are crucial frontier border areas with Pakistan and China, it is imperative that IFAS should be resurrected and expanded for their administration and infrastructural development.

Second, Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram have made calls for a revival of the IFAS, but their plea is more to provide a state-specific cadre than a larger administrative force implementing developmental programmes in the Himalayan region. A set of highly specialised officers, superior in merit and in strategic thinking, would entail that the development of Himalayan frontier regions remain at par with the rest of the country.

Third, presently the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), albeit mainly an infrastructure special purpose vehicle, backed by the army, is used for building strategic roads in the frontier areas. It is not a secret that towns, hamlets and villages in border areas are neglected and often complain of virtually no administration. The political mechanism of Hill Development Councils which was fructified in Leh &amp; Ladakh (and later replicated in North-Eastern states) have become bastions of local political empowerment, but lack robust administrative capacity. They are often marred with leakages and want of strategic planning. Massive packages have been announced, in the name of development by all governments, but they hardly reach the last border village.

Fourth, given that the present government is widening the scope of lateral entries in civil services provides enough ground for ‘specialized’ inclusion in the civil services.

Many would argue that replacing the existing IAS driven cadre stationed in these districts with a rehashed version of the same – The IFAS, would hardly solve any purpose. They are wrong. Looking at the merit, superiority and the military background which the erstwhile IFAS cadre possessed, and their accounts of solid administrative delivery in the difficult terrains, punctures that argument. 
 
National security is closely linked with strategic development, and it is a hope that policymakers realise that. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

India can deal with Chinese expansionism with the Himalayan region only by expeditious infrastructure development at its frontier areas. India has been able to establish political governance at the grassroots level through Hill Development Councils, Panchayats and a host of ‘packages’ in these areas.

India can deal with Chinese expansionism with the Himalayan region only by expeditious infrastructure development at its frontier areas. India has been able to establish political governance at the grassroots level through Hill Development Councils, Panchayats and a host of ‘packages’ in these areas. But, there is a sense of deep neglect on the implementation front, especially in context of physical infrastructure needs. A revival of the esteemed Indian Frontier Administrative Service (IFAS) – an experiment done in the 1950-60’s will bridge the governance gap in these remote far-flung areas. The best public policy interventions work on pilot and feedback loops. In this case, we have had a pilot in the IFAS and some key learnings from it. A renewed, reoriented and restructured IFAS dedicated to the Himalayan frontier states in India is the need of the hour. The first step of a good foreign policy measure is to start domestically. And this is what this piece elucidates. The Indian Frontier Administrative Service (IFAS), a separate cadre created in 1954 to administer the North-East Frontier Agency (NEFA i.e., present-day Arunachal Pradesh and at that time, a part of Assam) was the military-governance mechanism mooted by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It emphasised more on the socio-economic development of the various tribes in the protected region but did not focus on strategic border development. Some historical accounts attribute this deficiency in the said policy to Verrier Elwin, an anthropologist who was appointed as the advisor to the government of Assam. But this may not be entirely true. A cursory review of the list of IFAS cadre suggests that most members were either distinguished army officers or belonged to the Indian Foreign Service, the Indian Administrative Service, and the Indian Police Service, rotating between these postings. NEFA was placed in a special category administered by the Ministry of External Affairs (and post 1965, by Ministry of Home Affairs) through an ‘IFAS’ Secretariat at Shillong, consisting of advisors for finance, tribal and legal affairs. The IFAS cadre mainly functioned as Political Officers (and thereafter as Deputy Commissioners) in charge of a frontier district vested with the powers of a District Magistrate and were the ultimate authority in their district to examine and implement development schemes. All top bureaucratic posts in other North Eastern States like Manipur were also filled by IFAS officers. An interesting Parliamentary answer between Manipur’s stalwart politician, Rishang Keishing and the then Deputy External Affairs Minister alludes to local tribals being preferred in filling the IFAS posts. One of the most illustrious officers of IFAS was Major Ralengnao (Bob) Khathing. Under whose leadership, two platoons of Assam Rifles took possession of Tawang in February 1951, establishing Indian administrative control in the Bum La area along McMahon Line. This heroic act was enacted without shedding blood, even as China forced Tibet to sign a Seventeen Point Agreement in May 1951 and officially annexe it. In 1968, the special cadre of IFAS was merged within the Indian Administrative Service. In the present context, the Indian Government can draw many lessons from the IFAS experiment, especially when China has officially transgressed the LAC as many as 2264 times since 2015 and India-China faced a 73-day standoff on Doklam in 2017. First, for the NEFA tribals, IFAS had a simple policy laid down by Nehru. He avoided the two extremes - “one was to treat them as anthropological specimens for study and the other was to allow them to be engulfed by the masses of Indian humanity”. The could act as a Magna Carta for the newly restructured IFAS too. Since 2019, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are now both Union Territories. They are crucial frontier border areas with Pakistan and China, it is imperative that IFAS should be resurrected and expanded for their administration and infrastructural development. Second, Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram have made calls for a revival of the IFAS, but their plea is more to provide a state-specific cadre than a larger administrative force implementing developmental programmes in the Himalayan region. A set of highly specialised officers, superior in merit and in strategic thinking, would entail that the development of Himalayan frontier regions remain at par with the rest of the country. Third, presently the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), albeit mainly an infrastructure special purpose vehicle, backed by the army, is used for building strategic roads in the frontier areas. It is not a secret that towns, hamlets and villages in border areas are neglected and often complain of virtually no administration. The political mechanism of Hill Development Councils which was fructified in Leh & Ladakh (and later replicated in North-Eastern states) have become bastions of local political empowerment, but lack robust administrative capacity. They are often marred with leakages and want of strategic planning. Massive packages have been announced, in the name of development by all governments, but they hardly reach the last border village. Fourth, given that the present government is widening the scope of lateral entries in civil services provides enough ground for ‘specialized’ inclusion in the civil services. Many would argue that replacing the existing IAS driven cadre stationed in these districts with a rehashed version of the same – The IFAS, would hardly solve any purpose. They are wrong. Looking at the merit, superiority and the military background which the erstwhile IFAS cadre possessed, and their accounts of solid administrative delivery in the difficult terrains, punctures that argument. National security is closely linked with strategic development, and it is a hope that policymakers realise that. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Why the Indian Frontier Administrative Service could be a potent force against China

Like many paradigms across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic and its associated economic downturn have changed the paradigm shaping debates about Gulf security that was inevitably set to gradually migrate from a unipolar US defence umbrella that shielded energy-rich monarchies against Iran to an architecture that was more multilateral. In many ways, the pandemic’s fallout has levelled the playing field and not necessarily in ways that favour current policies of Gulf states.

Saudi Arabia’s relations with the West are increasingly being called into question, with the Saudi–Russian oil price war in March potentially having broken the camel’s back. The Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stand to lose at least some of the financial clout that allowed them to punch above their weight even if they are likely to exclude arms purchases from their austerity measures.

Weakened financial clout comes at a moment when the Gulf states and Iran are gearing up towards an arms race in the wake of Iran’s recent satellite launch and the unveiling of an unmanned underwater vehicle against the backdrop of the 2015 international agreement that curbed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme inching towards collapse. The unmanned underwater vehicle puts Iran in an elite club, of which the only other members capable of producing them are the United States, Britain and China.[1] The satellite adds Iran to a group of only about a dozen countries able to do launches of their own. [2]

Add to this the fact that none of the regional players — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iran, Turkey, and Israel — feel secure that any of the external powers — the United States, China, and Russia — are reliable security and geopolitical partners.

Gulf states have, for years going back to the era of Barak Obama if not Bill Clinton, increasingly perceived the United States as unfortunately their only option on the premise that they are not willing to change their policies, particularly towards Iran, but one that is demonstrably unreliable, unwilling to defend Gulf states at whatever cost, and at times at odds with them in terms of policy objectives.

The Gulf states’ problem is that neither Russia nor China offers real alternatives at least not on terms that all Gulf states are willing to accept. Russia is neither interested nor capable of replacing the United States. Moreover, its Gulf security plan is at odds with at least the policy of Saudi Arabia.

The plan calls for a security arrangement modelled on that of Europe under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It would be an arrangement that, unlike the US defence umbrella in the Gulf, includes Iran, not directed against it. It would have to involve some kind of regional agreement on non-aggression.[3]

Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has made clear that it is not interested, as is evident in the pandemic where it has refrained, in contrast to other Gulf states, from reaching out to Iran with humanitarian aid even though it last year engaged in an indirect exchange with the Islamic Republic. That exchange died with the killing by the United States in January of Iranian general Qassim Soleimani.

The Elephant in the Room

China is obviously the elephant in the room.

Logically, China and the Gulf states are in the same boat as they grapple with uncertainty about current regional security arrangements. Like the Gulf states, China has long relied on the US defence umbrella to ensure the security of the flow of energy and other goods through waters surrounding the Gulf in what the United States has termed free-riding.

In anticipation of the day when China can no longer depend on security provided by the United States free of charge, China has gradually adjusted its defence strategy and built its first foreign military facility in Djibouti facing the Gulf from the Horn of Africa. With the People’s Liberation Army Navy tasked with protecting China’s sea lines of communication and safeguarding its overseas interests, strategic planners have signalled that Djibouti is a first step in the likely establishment of further bases that would allow it to project long-range capability and shorten the time needed to resupply.

But like with the Russians, Chinese strategic planners and their Gulf counterparts may part ways when it comes to what would be acceptable geopolitical parameters for a rejuvenated regional security architecture, particularly with regard to Iran. Any new architecture would break the mould of Chinese engagement in the Middle East that is designed to shield the People’s Republic from being sucked into the region’s myriad conflicts.

The assumption has long been that China could at best postpone the execution, but that ultimately, it would have no choice but to engage in the politics of the region. More recently, influential Chinese analysts are suggesting that China has another option: turn its back on the region. That may seem incredulous given China’s dependence on Middle Eastern energy resources as well as its significant investments in the region.

These analysts argue, however, that China is able to diversify its energy sources and that Chinese investment in the Middle East is but a small percentage of overall Chinese overseas investment. They describe Chinese Middle Eastern economic relations as past their heyday with economies of both in decline and the prospects of the situation in the Middle East getting worse before it becomes better.

“China–Middle East countries is not a political strategic logic, it’s an economic logic. For China, the Middle East is always on the very distant backburner of China’s strategic global strategies … Covid-19, combined with the oil price crisis, will dramatically change the Middle East. (This) will change China’s investment model in the Middle East … The good times of China and the Middle East are already gone… Both China and the Middle Eastern economies have been slowing down … In the future, the pandemic, combined with the oil price problem, will make the Middle East situation worse. So, the China economic relationship with the Middle East will be affected very deeply,” said Niu Xinchun, director of Middle East studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), widely viewed as China’s most influential think tank.[4]

Pessimistic forecasts of economic prospects in the Middle East bolster Niu’s prediction. Data and analytics company GlobalData predicted in an email that depressed oil markets and prices in the Middle East and North Africa would lead to a contraction in non-oil sectors, including construction. “Construction activity for the remainder of 2020 is set to see poor performance … In addition, public investment is likely to be moderate, which will translate into fewer prospects for private sector businesses to grow — especially within sectors such as infrastructure. Expected increase in taxes, selected subsidy cuts and the introduction of several public sector service charges will influence households’ purchasing power, having a knock-on effect on future commercial investments,” said GlobalData economist Yasmine Ghozzi.

Moreover, the downplaying of Chinese economic interest in the Middle East fits a pattern of reduced Chinese capital outflows. “What we may not have seen is how much China has retreated financially already for the past four years … Especially since 2016, China’s outflows have come down dramatically in both lending and investment. Foreign direct investment is now at about 30 per cent of what it was in 2016,” said Agatha Kratz, associate director of Rhodium Group, an independent research provider.[5]

To be sure, Chinese officials and analysts have consistently maintained that the Middle East is not a Chinese priority, that any future battles with the United States will be fought in the Asia Pacific, not in the Gulf. Their assertions are backed up by the fact that China has yet to articulate a comprehensive policy towards the region and in 2016 issued its one and only white paper on policy towards the Arab world that essentially was an elaboration of its basic foreign and defense policy principles.

More likely than China seriously entertaining turning its back on the Middle East is the probability that it is sending the region a message that is not dissimilar from what Russia is saying: get your act together and find a way to dial down the tension. It is a message that appears to varying degrees to have been heard in the smaller Gulf states but has yet to resonate in Riyadh. It is also a message that has not been rejected out of hand by Iran.

Discussing a possible extension of a United Nations arms embargo against Iran, Saudi Ambassador Abdallah Al Mouallimi, arguing in favour of a prolongation, suggested that it would serve Russian and Chinese interests even though they would not agree with that assessment. “They have their views, we respect their views, but their interests would be better served and promoted with the embargo extended,” said Al Mouallimi.[6]

A Chinese Communist Party newspaper made days later a first reference in the People’s Republic’s state-controlled media to reports of an alleged secret 25-year multi-billion-dollar co-operation agreement in Iran amid controversy in the Islamic Republic. Chinese officials and media have largely remained silent about Iranian reports of an agreement worth anywhere between $120 billion and $400 billion that seemingly was proposed by Iran, but has yet to be accepted by China.[7]

Writing in the Shanghai Observer, a subsidiary of Liberation Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China, Middle East scholar Fan Hongda argued that the agreement, though nowhere close to implementation, highlighted “an important moment of development” at a time that US–Chinese tensions allowed Beijing to pay less heed to American policies.[8] Fan’s suggestion that the US–Chinese divide gave China more room to develop its relations with Iran will not have gone unnoticed in Riyadh and other Gulf capitals.

An Emerging Tug of War

How all of this may shake out could be determined by the emerging tug of war in the Middle East between China and the US. Israel has already been caught up in it and has made it's choice clear, even if it still attempting to maintain some wiggle room. Nonetheless, Israel, in the ultimate analysis, knows where its bread is buttered, particularly at a moment where the United States is the only backer of its annexationist policies. In contrast to Israel, the US is likely to find the going tougher when it comes to persuading Gulf states to limit their engagement with China, including telecom giant Huawei, which already has significant operations in the region.

Like Israel, UAE officials have sought to convey to the US that they see relations with the United States as indispensable even though that has yet to be put to a test when it comes to China. Gulf officials’ stress on the importance of ties will, however, not shield them from American demands that they review and limit their relations with China, nor its warnings that involvement of Huawei could jeopardise sensitive communications, particularly given the multiple US bases in the region, including the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the forward headquarters of the US military’s Central Command, or Centcom, in Qatar.

The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, in a shot across the Gulf’s bow, last month rejected a UAE offer to donate hundreds of coronavirus tests for screening of its staff. The snub was designed to put a dent in China’s health “Silk Road” diplomacy centered on its experience with the pandemic and ability to manufacture personal protective and medical equipment.

A US official said the tests were rejected because they were either Chinese-made or involved BGI Genomics, a Chinese company active in the Gulf, which raised concerns about patient privacy. The US softened the blow when the prestigious Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic sent 40 nurses and doctor to its Abu Dhabi subsidiary. The Abu Dhabi facility was tasked with treating the UAE’s most severe cases of coronavirus.[9]

The problem for the US is that it is not only Trump’s policy or lack thereof towards the Middle East that undermines confidence but it is also policies that, on the surface, have nothing to do with the Middle East. The United States has been asking its partners including Gulf states to give it time to develop an alternative to Huawei’s 5G network. Yet at the same time, it is barring the kind of people entry that technology companies need to develop systems.

A Silver Lining

No matter how the tug of war in the Middle East evolves, the silver lining is that, like China, the United States despite its desire to reduce its commitment cannot afford a power void in the region. That is what may create the basis for breaking the mould.

It will require a backing away from approaches that treat conflicts as zero-sum games not only on the part of regional players but also of external players, like in the case of the US versus Iran, and it will require engagement by all regional and external players. To achieve that, players would have to recognise that in many ways, perceptions on both sides of the Gulf divide are mirror images of one another: all parties see each other as existential threats.

Failure to break the stalemate risks conflicts becoming further entrenched and threatening to spin out of control. The opportunity is that confidence-building measures and a willingness to engage open a door towards mutually acceptable regional security arrangements and conflict resolution. However, for that to happen, major powers would have to invest political will and energy at a time when they feel they have bigger fish to fry and prioritise geopolitical jockeying.

In a twist of irony, geopolitical jockeying may prove to be an icebreaker in a world, and certainly, a region, where everything is interconnected. Increasingly, security in the Gulf is not just about security in the Gulf. It is not even just about security in the Middle East. It is about security in the Mediterranean, whether one looks at Libya on the sea’s southern shores, Syria in the east, or growing tension in the whole of the Eastern Mediterranean. And it does not stop there with regional rivalries reaching into the Black and Caspian Seas and into Central Asia.

Finally, there are the grey and black swans built into partnerships and alliances that are either becoming more fragile like those of the United States or ones that have fragility built into their DNA like the ties between Iran, Turkey, China, and Russia. Those swans could at any moment swing the pendulum one way or another.

To be sure, contrary to Western perceptions, relations between Iran, Turkey, Russia and China are not just opportunistic and driven by short-term common interests but also grounded in a degree of shared values. The fact of the matter is that men like presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei find common ground in a view of a new world order that rejects democracy and the rule of law; disregards human and minority rights; flaunts, at least for now, violations of international law; and operates on the principle of might is right.

That glue, however, is insufficient, to prevent Turkey and Russia from ending up on opposite sides of conflicts in Libya and Syria. It is also unlikely to halt the gradual erosion of a presumed division of labour in Central Asia with Russia ensuring security and China focusing on economic development. And it is doubtful it would alter the simmering rivalry between Iran and Russia in the Caspian Sea and long-standing Russian reluctance to sell Iran a desperately needed anti-missile defense system.

In short, fasten your seat belt. Gulf and broader regional security could prove to be a bumpy ride with unexpected speed bumps.

<h6>[1] “Iran’s UUV to add new dimension to its warfare capability: Forbes”, Tehran Times, 30 May 2020, https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/448370/Iran-s-UUV-to-add-new-dimension-to-its-warfare-capability-Forbes. 
[2] Mike Wall, “Iran launches its 1st military satellite into orbit: reports”, Space.com, 22 April 2020, https://www.space.com/iran-launches-first-military-satellite.html. 
[3] Theodore Karasik, “Is Russia’s ‘old’ Gulf security plan the best it can do?”, Arab News, 20 July 2019, https://www.arabnews.com/node/1533096. 
[4] Niu Xinchun speaking on “How are China’s Relations with the Middle East Evolving During the COVID-19 Pandemic?”, Chatham House, 19 May 2019, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2721841274725780. 
[5] Agatha Kratz speaking on “China and the Mediterranean Region in and Beyond the Pandemic, German Marshal Fund”, 3 July 2020, https://www.gmfus.org/events/china-and-mediterranean-region-and-beyond-pandemic. 
[6] Joyce Karam, “Russian and Chinese interests ‘better served’ if Iran arms embargo is extended, says Saudi official”, The National, 2 July 2020, https://www.thenational.ae/world/the-americas/russian-and-chinese-interests-better-served-if-iran-arms-embargo-is-extended-says-saudi-official-1.1042822. 
[7] Seth J Frantzman, “Iran media discuss 25-year deal between Iran and China”, The Jerusalem Post, 3 July 2020, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-media-discuss-25-year-deal-between-iran-and-china-633739. 
[8] Fan Hongda, “Iran announced a 25-year comprehensive cooperation plan with China, can Sino-Iranian relations get closer?” [观察家 | 伊朗宣布与华25年全面合作计划，中伊关系能否进一步走近？], Shanghai Observer, 20 June 2020, https://www.shobserver.com/news/detail?id=264494. 
[9] Interview with the author, 8 June 2020.</h6>

Like many paradigms across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic and its associated economic downturn have changed the paradigm shaping debates about Gulf security that was inevitably set to gradually migrate from a unipolar US defence umbrella that shielded energy-rich monarchies against Iran to an architecture that was more multilateral.

Like many paradigms across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic and its associated economic downturn have changed the paradigm shaping debates about Gulf security that was inevitably set to gradually migrate from a unipolar US defence umbrella that shielded energy-rich monarchies against Iran to an architecture that was more multilateral. In many ways, the pandemic’s fallout has levelled the playing field and not necessarily in ways that favour current policies of Gulf states. Saudi Arabia’s relations with the West are increasingly being called into question, with the Saudi–Russian oil price war in March potentially having broken the camel’s back. The Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) stand to lose at least some of the financial clout that allowed them to punch above their weight even if they are likely to exclude arms purchases from their austerity measures. Weakened financial clout comes at a moment when the Gulf states and Iran are gearing up towards an arms race in the wake of Iran’s recent satellite launch and the unveiling of an unmanned underwater vehicle against the backdrop of the 2015 international agreement that curbed the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme inching towards collapse. The unmanned underwater vehicle puts Iran in an elite club, of which the only other members capable of producing them are the United States, Britain and China.[1] The satellite adds Iran to a group of only about a dozen countries able to do launches of their own. [2] Add to this the fact that none of the regional players — Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Iran, Turkey, and Israel — feel secure that any of the external powers — the United States, China, and Russia — are reliable security and geopolitical partners. Gulf states have, for years going back to the era of Barak Obama if not Bill Clinton, increasingly perceived the United States as unfortunately their only option on the premise that they are not willing to change their policies, particularly towards Iran, but one that is demonstrably unreliable, unwilling to defend Gulf states at whatever cost, and at times at odds with them in terms of policy objectives. The Gulf states’ problem is that neither Russia nor China offers real alternatives at least not on terms that all Gulf states are willing to accept. Russia is neither interested nor capable of replacing the United States. Moreover, its Gulf security plan is at odds with at least the policy of Saudi Arabia. The plan calls for a security arrangement modelled on that of Europe under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). It would be an arrangement that, unlike the US defence umbrella in the Gulf, includes Iran, not directed against it. It would have to involve some kind of regional agreement on non-aggression.[3] Saudi Arabia, under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has made clear that it is not interested, as is evident in the pandemic where it has refrained, in contrast to other Gulf states, from reaching out to Iran with humanitarian aid even though it last year engaged in an indirect exchange with the Islamic Republic. That exchange died with the killing by the United States in January of Iranian general Qassim Soleimani. The Elephant in the Room China is obviously the elephant in the room. Logically, China and the Gulf states are in the same boat as they grapple with uncertainty about current regional security arrangements. Like the Gulf states, China has long relied on the US defence umbrella to ensure the security of the flow of energy and other goods through waters surrounding the Gulf in what the United States has termed free-riding. In anticipation of the day when China can no longer depend on security provided by the United States free of charge, China has gradually adjusted its defence strategy and built its first foreign military facility in Djibouti facing the Gulf from the Horn of Africa. With the People’s Liberation Army Navy tasked with protecting China’s sea lines of communication and safeguarding its overseas interests, strategic planners have signalled that Djibouti is a first step in the likely establishment of further bases that would allow it to project long-range capability and shorten the time needed to resupply. But like with the Russians, Chinese strategic planners and their Gulf counterparts may part ways when it comes to what would be acceptable geopolitical parameters for a rejuvenated regional security architecture, particularly with regard to Iran. Any new architecture would break the mould of Chinese engagement in the Middle East that is designed to shield the People’s Republic from being sucked into the region’s myriad conflicts. The assumption has long been that China could at best postpone the execution, but that ultimately, it would have no choice but to engage in the politics of the region. More recently, influential Chinese analysts are suggesting that China has another option: turn its back on the region. That may seem incredulous given China’s dependence on Middle Eastern energy resources as well as its significant investments in the region. These analysts argue, however, that China is able to diversify its energy sources and that Chinese investment in the Middle East is but a small percentage of overall Chinese overseas investment. They describe Chinese Middle Eastern economic relations as past their heyday with economies of both in decline and the prospects of the situation in the Middle East getting worse before it becomes better. “China–Middle East countries is not a political strategic logic, it’s an economic logic. For China, the Middle East is always on the very distant backburner of China’s strategic global strategies … Covid-19, combined with the oil price crisis, will dramatically change the Middle East. (This) will change China’s investment model in the Middle East … The good times of China and the Middle East are already gone… Both China and the Middle Eastern economies have been slowing down … In the future, the pandemic, combined with the oil price problem, will make the Middle East situation worse. So, the China economic relationship with the Middle East will be affected very deeply,” said Niu Xinchun, director of Middle East studies at China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), widely viewed as China’s most influential think tank.[4] Pessimistic forecasts of economic prospects in the Middle East bolster Niu’s prediction. Data and analytics company GlobalData predicted in an email that depressed oil markets and prices in the Middle East and North Africa would lead to a contraction in non-oil sectors, including construction. “Construction activity for the remainder of 2020 is set to see poor performance … In addition, public investment is likely to be moderate, which will translate into fewer prospects for private sector businesses to grow — especially within sectors such as infrastructure. Expected increase in taxes, selected subsidy cuts and the introduction of several public sector service charges will influence households’ purchasing power, having a knock-on effect on future commercial investments,” said GlobalData economist Yasmine Ghozzi. Moreover, the downplaying of Chinese economic interest in the Middle East fits a pattern of reduced Chinese capital outflows. “What we may not have seen is how much China has retreated financially already for the past four years … Especially since 2016, China’s outflows have come down dramatically in both lending and investment. Foreign direct investment is now at about 30 per cent of what it was in 2016,” said Agatha Kratz, associate director of Rhodium Group, an independent research provider.[5] To be sure, Chinese officials and analysts have consistently maintained that the Middle East is not a Chinese priority, that any future battles with the United States will be fought in the Asia Pacific, not in the Gulf. Their assertions are backed up by the fact that China has yet to articulate a comprehensive policy towards the region and in 2016 issued its one and only white paper on policy towards the Arab world that essentially was an elaboration of its basic foreign and defense policy principles. More likely than China seriously entertaining turning its back on the Middle East is the probability that it is sending the region a message that is not dissimilar from what Russia is saying: get your act together and find a way to dial down the tension. It is a message that appears to varying degrees to have been heard in the smaller Gulf states but has yet to resonate in Riyadh. It is also a message that has not been rejected out of hand by Iran. Discussing a possible extension of a United Nations arms embargo against Iran, Saudi Ambassador Abdallah Al Mouallimi, arguing in favour of a prolongation, suggested that it would serve Russian and Chinese interests even though they would not agree with that assessment. “They have their views, we respect their views, but their interests would be better served and promoted with the embargo extended,” said Al Mouallimi.[6] A Chinese Communist Party newspaper made days later a first reference in the People’s Republic’s state-controlled media to reports of an alleged secret 25-year multi-billion-dollar co-operation agreement in Iran amid controversy in the Islamic Republic. Chinese officials and media have largely remained silent about Iranian reports of an agreement worth anywhere between $120 billion and $400 billion that seemingly was proposed by Iran, but has yet to be accepted by China.[7] Writing in the Shanghai Observer, a subsidiary of Liberation Daily, the official newspaper of the Shanghai Committee of the Communist Party of China, Middle East scholar Fan Hongda argued that the agreement, though nowhere close to implementation, highlighted “an important moment of development” at a time that US–Chinese tensions allowed Beijing to pay less heed to American policies.[8] Fan’s suggestion that the US–Chinese divide gave China more room to develop its relations with Iran will not have gone unnoticed in Riyadh and other Gulf capitals. An Emerging Tug of War How all of this may shake out could be determined by the emerging tug of war in the Middle East between China and the US. Israel has already been caught up in it and has made it's choice clear, even if it still attempting to maintain some wiggle room. Nonetheless, Israel, in the ultimate analysis, knows where its bread is buttered, particularly at a moment where the United States is the only backer of its annexationist policies. In contrast to Israel, the US is likely to find the going tougher when it comes to persuading Gulf states to limit their engagement with China, including telecom giant Huawei, which already has significant operations in the region. Like Israel, UAE officials have sought to convey to the US that they see relations with the United States as indispensable even though that has yet to be put to a test when it comes to China. Gulf officials’ stress on the importance of ties will, however, not shield them from American demands that they review and limit their relations with China, nor its warnings that involvement of Huawei could jeopardise sensitive communications, particularly given the multiple US bases in the region, including the US Fifth Fleet in Bahrain and the forward headquarters of the US military’s Central Command, or Centcom, in Qatar. The US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, in a shot across the Gulf’s bow, last month rejected a UAE offer to donate hundreds of coronavirus tests for screening of its staff. The snub was designed to put a dent in China’s health “Silk Road” diplomacy centered on its experience with the pandemic and ability to manufacture personal protective and medical equipment. A US official said the tests were rejected because they were either Chinese-made or involved BGI Genomics, a Chinese company active in the Gulf, which raised concerns about patient privacy. The US softened the blow when the prestigious Ohio-based Cleveland Clinic sent 40 nurses and doctor to its Abu Dhabi subsidiary. The Abu Dhabi facility was tasked with treating the UAE’s most severe cases of coronavirus.[9] The problem for the US is that it is not only Trump’s policy or lack thereof towards the Middle East that undermines confidence but it is also policies that, on the surface, have nothing to do with the Middle East. The United States has been asking its partners including Gulf states to give it time to develop an alternative to Huawei’s 5G network. Yet at the same time, it is barring the kind of people entry that technology companies need to develop systems. A Silver Lining No matter how the tug of war in the Middle East evolves, the silver lining is that, like China, the United States despite its desire to reduce its commitment cannot afford a power void in the region. That is what may create the basis for breaking the mould. It will require a backing away from approaches that treat conflicts as zero-sum games not only on the part of regional players but also of external players, like in the case of the US versus Iran, and it will require engagement by all regional and external players. To achieve that, players would have to recognise that in many ways, perceptions on both sides of the Gulf divide are mirror images of one another: all parties see each other as existential threats. Failure to break the stalemate risks conflicts becoming further entrenched and threatening to spin out of control. The opportunity is that confidence-building measures and a willingness to engage open a door towards mutually acceptable regional security arrangements and conflict resolution. However, for that to happen, major powers would have to invest political will and energy at a time when they feel they have bigger fish to fry and prioritise geopolitical jockeying. In a twist of irony, geopolitical jockeying may prove to be an icebreaker in a world, and certainly, a region, where everything is interconnected. Increasingly, security in the Gulf is not just about security in the Gulf. It is not even just about security in the Middle East. It is about security in the Mediterranean, whether one looks at Libya on the sea’s southern shores, Syria in the east, or growing tension in the whole of the Eastern Mediterranean. And it does not stop there with regional rivalries reaching into the Black and Caspian Seas and into Central Asia. Finally, there are the grey and black swans built into partnerships and alliances that are either becoming more fragile like those of the United States or ones that have fragility built into their DNA like the ties between Iran, Turkey, China, and Russia. Those swans could at any moment swing the pendulum one way or another. To be sure, contrary to Western perceptions, relations between Iran, Turkey, Russia and China are not just opportunistic and driven by short-term common interests but also grounded in a degree of shared values. The fact of the matter is that men like presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei find common ground in a view of a new world order that rejects democracy and the rule of law; disregards human and minority rights; flaunts, at least for now, violations of international law; and operates on the principle of might is right. That glue, however, is insufficient, to prevent Turkey and Russia from ending up on opposite sides of conflicts in Libya and Syria. It is also unlikely to halt the gradual erosion of a presumed division of labour in Central Asia with Russia ensuring security and China focusing on economic development. And it is doubtful it would alter the simmering rivalry between Iran and Russia in the Caspian Sea and long-standing Russian reluctance to sell Iran a desperately needed anti-missile defense system. In short, fasten your seat belt. Gulf and broader regional security could prove to be a bumpy ride with unexpected speed bumps. [1] “Iran’s UUV to add new dimension to its warfare capability: Forbes”, Tehran Times, 30 May 2020, https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/448370/Iran-s-UUV-to-add-new-dimension-to-its-warfare-capability-Forbes. [2] Mike Wall, “Iran launches its 1st military satellite into orbit: reports”, Space.com, 22 April 2020, https://www.space.com/iran-launches-first-military-satellite.html. [3] Theodore Karasik, “Is Russia’s ‘old’ Gulf security plan the best it can do?”, Arab News, 20 July 2019, https://www.arabnews.com/node/1533096. [4] Niu Xinchun speaking on “How are China’s Relations with the Middle East Evolving During the COVID-19 Pandemic?”, Chatham House, 19 May 2019, https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2721841274725780. [5] Agatha Kratz speaking on “China and the Mediterranean Region in and Beyond the Pandemic, German Marshal Fund”, 3 July 2020, https://www.gmfus.org/events/china-and-mediterranean-region-and-beyond-pandemic. [6] Joyce Karam, “Russian and Chinese interests ‘better served’ if Iran arms embargo is extended, says Saudi official”, The National, 2 July 2020, https://www.thenational.ae/world/the-americas/russian-and-chinese-interests-better-served-if-iran-arms-embargo-is-extended-says-saudi-official-1.1042822. [7] Seth J Frantzman, “Iran media discuss 25-year deal between Iran and China”, The Jerusalem Post, 3 July 2020, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-media-discuss-25-year-deal-between-iran-and-china-633739. [8] Fan Hongda, “Iran announced a 25-year comprehensive cooperation plan with China, can Sino-Iranian relations get closer?” [观察家 | 伊朗宣布与华25年全面合作计划，中伊关系能否进一步走近？], Shanghai Observer, 20 June 2020, https://www.shobserver.com/news/detail?id=264494. [9] Interview with the author, 8 June 2020.

Resolving the tug of war in the Middle East amid coronavirus crisis

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