Up to 6.3 million more people are predicted to develop TB between now and 2025 and 1.4 million more people are expected to die as cases go diagnosed and untreated during the lockdown.

Over 6.3 million predicted to develop Tuberculosis by 2025

African nations are facing a surge of COVID-19 cases with less than one intensive care bed and one ventilator per 100,000 people, a Reuters survey has found.

W.H.O. projects up to 44 million could be infected in Africa with COVID-19

It doesn't get much more Italian than pizza - piping hot, cheese melting, straight out of the oven of the thousands of traditional pizzerias on streets all over the country. Pizzerias were finally able to open their doors again this week after almost two months in lockdown - and Italians were savouring every bite.

Stringy cheese, fresh out the oven - hoorah pizza is back

Social distancing public benches were installed in the northwestern district of Kestel on Thursday (May 7) as Turkey sets out new social guidelines and business practices to prevent any resurgence of coronavirus outbreak.

Social distancing benches become new normal in Turkey

Swiss violinist, Debora Vonwiller, performed on Wednesday (May 6) in front of the residents of a Retirement Homes Foundation in Zurich, bringing at least one of them to tears. The care home's residents are all over 65 years old and have hardly left their apartments for weeks.

Swiss violinist plays music for elderly during coronavirus lockdown

The easing of the coronavirus lockdown has people back on the streets of Bangkok -- and cats back at work. Their work at the Caturday Cat Cafe consists of lounging around and being petted by customers who want to take their minds off of the stresses the pandemic has brought to them.

Cats help Thais cope with coronavirus stress

Firefighter Saul Pena and his colleague Miguel Angel Pisadon have designed a simple and practical disinfection station they provide free of charge to nursing homes around Valladolid, northwestern Spain, as they hope to contain the spread of coronavirus among the most vulnerable and their carers.

Spanish firefighters build disinfection shower to ease decontamination of PPE users

As the world fights <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-lockdown-may-not-lead-to-a-rise-in-population-says-study-297484">coronavirus pandemic</a>, China is throwing its weight around. Beijing has deployed warships, asserted itself on the high seas and flexed its military muscle on the South China sea.

The developed world, barring a few, hasn't said much about the Chinese military aggression. But, that is not the case with smaller nations.

A report says that Vietnam is close to filing an international arbitration case and settle the South China Sea dispute with Beijing.

Leading countries are indecisive and divided over China. As the world scratches their heads over the right approach, Vietnam's decisiveness is like a breath of fresh air. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world-leaders-look-for-ways-to-hold-china-accountable-for-spread-of-coronavirus-report-297509">Also read: World leaders look for ways to hold China accountable for spread of coronavirus</a>

Last year, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam had hosted a conference on the South China Sea. Vietnam's deputy foreign minister had raised the issue of an international case for the first time in nearly five years.

Since then, Vietnam has got more firm with China. Recently, China had announced a fishing ban in the South China Sea until August. However, Vietnam has rejected that decision, calling China's order "unilateral".

Indonesia is standing up to China too. After three Indonesian sailors died in the Pacific, Indonesia summoned the Chinese ambassador. This came after the reports that they were mistreated and exploited, apparently by the Chinese. 
 
Taiwan, considered as a breakaway province by China, has repeatedly called out Beijing over its botched up response to the pandemic.

The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the lack of leadership on the world stage. China is trying to coerce its way to the centre of the world order. When the G20 Summit happened, world leaders had a chance to call out China, but they didn't.

The world needs to closely look at Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan, they have decided not to bow to the&nbsp;economic pressures.

As the world fights coronavirus pandemic, China is throwing its weight around. Beijing has deployed warships, asserted itself on the high seas and flexed its military muscle on the South China sea.

As the world fights coronavirus pandemic, China is throwing its weight around. Beijing has deployed warships, asserted itself on the high seas and flexed its military muscle on the South China sea. The developed world, barring a few, hasn't said much about the Chinese military aggression. But, that is not the case with smaller nations. A report says that Vietnam is close to filing an international arbitration case and settle the South China Sea dispute with Beijing. Leading countries are indecisive and divided over China. As the world scratches their heads over the right approach, Vietnam's decisiveness is like a breath of fresh air. Also read: World leaders look for ways to hold China accountable for spread of coronavirus Last year, the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam had hosted a conference on the South China Sea. Vietnam's deputy foreign minister had raised the issue of an international case for the first time in nearly five years. Since then, Vietnam has got more firm with China. Recently, China had announced a fishing ban in the South China Sea until August. However, Vietnam has rejected that decision, calling China's order "unilateral". Indonesia is standing up to China too. After three Indonesian sailors died in the Pacific, Indonesia summoned the Chinese ambassador. This came after the reports that they were mistreated and exploited, apparently by the Chinese. Taiwan, considered as a breakaway province by China, has repeatedly called out Beijing over its botched up response to the pandemic. The coronavirus outbreak has exposed the lack of leadership on the world stage. China is trying to coerce its way to the centre of the world order. When the G20 Summit happened, world leaders had a chance to call out China, but they didn't. The world needs to closely look at Vietnam, Indonesia and Taiwan, they have decided not to bow to the economic pressures.

How smaller neighbours of China are taking on the dragon

Los Angeles' downtown flower market saw a brisk trade on Thursday morning (May 7) after California Governor Gavin Newsom gave the green light to retail florist stores to begin opening on Friday (May 8), ahead of Mother's Day in the U.S.

Los Angeles wholesale flower market busy ahead of florists re-opening for Mother's Day

The true cost of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-lockdown-may-not-lead-to-a-rise-in-population-says-study-297484">the coronavirus </a>can't be measured, but what we can measure is how much countries are spending, and losing due to the coronavirus.

The global economy will lose at least one trillion dollars. To make the dragon pay, leaders in different countries want to sue China.

There is an avalanche of legal claims against China now. Last month Missouri became the first American state to sue China. The lawsuit says Missouri lost billions of dollars due to the pandemic.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-smaller-neighbours-of-china-are-taking-on-the-dragon-297518">Also read: How smaller neighbours of China are taking on the dragon</a>

There are more lawsuits that target China. US President Donald Trump hasn't ruled out a demand for damages either. Some suggest countries should sue China at international tribunals.

However, international law experts say that may not work because China remains protected by the doctrine of sovereign immunity.

Also, Beijing is unlikely to accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.

Some argue that China can be booked under international health regulations. Article 6 of the regulations says the WHO must be notified within 24 hours of any event that poses a risk, something that could become an international public health emergency.

While China can be accused of censoring, misrepresenting and suppressing valuable data, that alone, may not be enough.

So far, no national government has announced its intention to sue China for the coronavirus outbreak, but several leaders are looking for ways to up the ante against Beijing.

Making China legally liable and seeking damages is an appealing idea, but world leaders will have to come up with an effective way to do it.

&nbsp;

The true cost of the coronavirus can't be measured, but what we can measure is how much countries are spending, and losing due to the coronavirus. The global economy will lose at least one trillion dollars.

The true cost of the coronavirus can't be measured, but what we can measure is how much countries are spending, and losing due to the coronavirus. The global economy will lose at least one trillion dollars. To make the dragon pay, leaders in different countries want to sue China. There is an avalanche of legal claims against China now. Last month Missouri became the first American state to sue China. The lawsuit says Missouri lost billions of dollars due to the pandemic. Also read: How smaller neighbours of China are taking on the dragon There are more lawsuits that target China. US President Donald Trump hasn't ruled out a demand for damages either. Some suggest countries should sue China at international tribunals. However, international law experts say that may not work because China remains protected by the doctrine of sovereign immunity. Also, Beijing is unlikely to accept the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice. Some argue that China can be booked under international health regulations. Article 6 of the regulations says the WHO must be notified within 24 hours of any event that poses a risk, something that could become an international public health emergency. While China can be accused of censoring, misrepresenting and suppressing valuable data, that alone, may not be enough. So far, no national government has announced its intention to sue China for the coronavirus outbreak, but several leaders are looking for ways to up the ante against Beijing. Making China legally liable and seeking damages is an appealing idea, but world leaders will have to come up with an effective way to do it.

World leaders look for ways to hold China accountable for spread of coronavirus: Report

Dozens of emerging painters' work is now being curated at an online exhibition gallery, MYART, sponsored by Art TV. The online gallery has received praise from Pakistan's artist community. Despite the millions of views that the exhibition received, only a few paintings have been sold.

Pakistan holds 'first' online-only art exhibition amid coronavirus lockdown

After recording over 10,000 cases for 4 days in a row, Russia on Thursday recorded another record jump in the number of cases. 11,231 new cases were recorded in 24 hours. Taking the total number of cases in the country to over 177,000.

Coronavirus Outbreak: Russia records highest COVID-19 cases in one day

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan while addressing a meeting of the National Coordination Committee said on Thursday that the coronavirus lockdown in the country will be lifted in phases from Saturday.

Gradual lifting of lockdown from May 9 in Pakistan

Sikh doctor duo shaved their beard to serve better during time of pandemic in Canada. Watch this video to know more.

Canada: Sikh medics shave their beard to serve

States in the US are slowly reopening and the country has reported nearly 77,000 deaths from COVID-19. Watch report.

US death toll nears 77,000 mark: Pelosi outlines next COVID-19 aid package

By Thomas Strandberg 
 
By the beginning of April 2020, a large proportion of the world’s population was living in some level of isolation as their governments took measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some countries imposed tight restrictions at an early stage whereas others waited.

Findings from a survey taken at the time suggest that early action was the way to go for governments seeking public support. The public preferred their governments to take action more quickly in the UK and the US – two countries facing criticism for their slowness to act.

People in these two countries were also less trusting of their governments than in Germany and Italy. One reason behind this could be that politicians in both Germany and Italy acted more decisively compared to their two counterparts, almost immediately imposing lockdown measures. Italy was particularly notable for a high level of trust in the government, despite also suffering a high number of deaths.

We asked 2,006 people across four different countries to complete an online survey – 603 from the UK, 504 from the US, 427 from Germany and 472 from Italy. Each answered questions on their attitudes towards the measures taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

We found that respondents in the US were significantly less trusting of their government during this crisis than people in other countries. When asked to rate how much of the time they trusted their government on a four-point scale, with 0 being “just about never” and 3 being “just about always”, US respondents came out with an average score of just 0.85. German respondents reported quite a lot of trust, at 1.65, which brings them closer to trusting their government “some” or “most of the time”. In the UK, the trust level was 1.1 and in Italy 1.28.

The significantly different death rates, with Germany standing out with a small number of deaths per capita, in combination with Germany’s and Italy’s earlier responses to the pandemic could partly explain these differences.

There was a similar pattern in media trust, with German respondents having a higher trust (1.49) compared to respondents from the other countries (an average of 1.14).

Faster action needed

When asked what politicians in their country should have done differently, the most common response was to say they should have acted faster. Around three in four answers spoke to this point. This view was particularly prevalent in the UK, where 81% of respondents mentioned it, and in the US, where 74% mentioned it. In Germany, 69% brought it up, and in Italy, where very strict lockdown conditions were introduced, the least number of people (although still 57%) raised the issue.

There was also a strong sense that politicians should have “isolated more”, such as by closing down societal functions, restricting social life and keeping elderly and other risk groups isolated. However, views on this varied between countries. A significant seven out of ten people in the UK thought more isolation would have been preferable but only one in three Germans felt the same. This may also be because German politicians imposed more radical measures at an early stage, whereas UK and US governments have been criticised for reacting late and changing their strategies. However, all in all many respondents from all four countries wanted more isolation.

In the UK and US, the view that politicians should have provided more medical resources (such as hospital beds, personal protective and diagnostic equipment) was twice as common as in Germany and Italy.

Supporting lockdowns 
 
Participants were also asked: “How should the leaders of the world tackle the current situation?”. In response they could either say “open up and only isolate risk groups to save economy and jobs” or “isolate and lock down the whole country as long as needed to reduce the spread of the virus”.

An overwhelming majority (83%) chose isolating and locking down over the option to think more about the economy. However, there was some variation between countries. While 22% of German respondents wanted to open up, only 12% of UK respondents did. In the US, 17% of respondents wanted to open up and in Italy, only 16% did.

As governments decide how to approach the next phase of this crisis, it is clear that their citizens want priority to be given to health issues over economic concerns, which might conflict with politicians’ will to alleviate rising unemployment rates. And, in the longer-term future, some leaders may have some difficult questions to answer about why they didn’t take action sooner.

(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/coronavirus-us-and-uk-governments-losing-public-trust-137713">original article</a>) &nbsp;

(Thomas Strandberg is PhD candidate, cognitive science, Lund University) 
&nbsp;

By Thomas Strandberg By the beginning of April 2020, a large proportion of the world’s population was living in some level of isolation as their governments took measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

By Thomas Strandberg By the beginning of April 2020, a large proportion of the world’s population was living in some level of isolation as their governments took measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Some countries imposed tight restrictions at an early stage whereas others waited. Findings from a survey taken at the time suggest that early action was the way to go for governments seeking public support. The public preferred their governments to take action more quickly in the UK and the US – two countries facing criticism for their slowness to act. People in these two countries were also less trusting of their governments than in Germany and Italy. One reason behind this could be that politicians in both Germany and Italy acted more decisively compared to their two counterparts, almost immediately imposing lockdown measures. Italy was particularly notable for a high level of trust in the government, despite also suffering a high number of deaths. We asked 2,006 people across four different countries to complete an online survey – 603 from the UK, 504 from the US, 427 from Germany and 472 from Italy. Each answered questions on their attitudes towards the measures taken to contain the spread of the coronavirus. We found that respondents in the US were significantly less trusting of their government during this crisis than people in other countries. When asked to rate how much of the time they trusted their government on a four-point scale, with 0 being “just about never” and 3 being “just about always”, US respondents came out with an average score of just 0.85. German respondents reported quite a lot of trust, at 1.65, which brings them closer to trusting their government “some” or “most of the time”. In the UK, the trust level was 1.1 and in Italy 1.28. The significantly different death rates, with Germany standing out with a small number of deaths per capita, in combination with Germany’s and Italy’s earlier responses to the pandemic could partly explain these differences. There was a similar pattern in media trust, with German respondents having a higher trust (1.49) compared to respondents from the other countries (an average of 1.14). Faster action needed When asked what politicians in their country should have done differently, the most common response was to say they should have acted faster. Around three in four answers spoke to this point. This view was particularly prevalent in the UK, where 81% of respondents mentioned it, and in the US, where 74% mentioned it. In Germany, 69% brought it up, and in Italy, where very strict lockdown conditions were introduced, the least number of people (although still 57%) raised the issue. There was also a strong sense that politicians should have “isolated more”, such as by closing down societal functions, restricting social life and keeping elderly and other risk groups isolated. However, views on this varied between countries. A significant seven out of ten people in the UK thought more isolation would have been preferable but only one in three Germans felt the same. This may also be because German politicians imposed more radical measures at an early stage, whereas UK and US governments have been criticised for reacting late and changing their strategies. However, all in all many respondents from all four countries wanted more isolation. In the UK and US, the view that politicians should have provided more medical resources (such as hospital beds, personal protective and diagnostic equipment) was twice as common as in Germany and Italy. Supporting lockdowns Participants were also asked: “How should the leaders of the world tackle the current situation?”. In response they could either say “open up and only isolate risk groups to save economy and jobs” or “isolate and lock down the whole country as long as needed to reduce the spread of the virus”. An overwhelming majority (83%) chose isolating and locking down over the option to think more about the economy. However, there was some variation between countries. While 22% of German respondents wanted to open up, only 12% of UK respondents did. In the US, 17% of respondents wanted to open up and in Italy, only 16% did. As governments decide how to approach the next phase of this crisis, it is clear that their citizens want priority to be given to health issues over economic concerns, which might conflict with politicians’ will to alleviate rising unemployment rates. And, in the longer-term future, some leaders may have some difficult questions to answer about why they didn’t take action sooner. (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) (Thomas Strandberg is PhD candidate, cognitive science, Lund University)

Coronavirus outbreak: US and UK governments are losing public trust

From historical times, human beings have been surviving despite several types of diseases confronting them. &nbsp;In such conditions, medical science was developed to safeguard human beings from diseases

In ancient India, there were reports of several medicinal practices and development of several types of drugs for the treatment of different types of illness, which were mostly based on natural products and not developed by the synthetic process. Traditionally, such Indian medical practices have been termed as Ayurveda, Siddha etc.

In other countries too, such traditional medical practices have prevailed under various names such as homoeopathy, Unani etc.

In short, the world has been living with diseases from time immemorial and has been responding to the diseases by developing appropriate medical procedures from time to time.

With the changing lifestyle of people, development of synthetic production processes for cosmetics, chemicals, &nbsp;fertilisers, pesticides, etc. and environmental hazards created by industrial operations and transportation, promotion of new food items etc. newer diseases have also been steadily rising.

The medical researchers have not lagged behind and have been developing new drugs and vaccines to treat new and emerging diseases.

COVID-19 is the latest addition to the rest of the diseases in the world.

Huge international efforts have now been taken up to identify the root cause of COVID-19 and develop appropriate drug/vaccine to treat the disease. &nbsp;

Given the past success ratings of medical researchers in handling other diseases, one can be hopeful that appropriate drug/vaccine would also be developed to treat COVID-19 patients.

While medical research has developed phenomenally, it has not been able to prevent the occurrence of the diseases, except in a few cases. Of course, in the case of polio attack, vaccines given to the children at the right time have largely eliminated the polio disease in the world.

However, this cannot be said about several of diseases such as cancer, influenza etc. which continue to occur at a very high level and are being treated.

A similar situation may prevail in future in the case of COVID 19 too, with medical researchers unable to prevent it but only treat it.

While the panicked world is still viewing COVID-19 with great fear and medical researchers are striving hard to develop treatment procedures, certainly, the day will come when the world would reconcile itself to the prevalence of COVID-19, just as it has reconciled itself to the prevalence of diseases like cancer, flu etc. and would also be prepared to treat the disease with appropriate procedures.

Possibly, after six months or so from now, when COVID-19 crisis would settle down, the world community would look back at the COVID-19 crisis and would wonder whether the world had overreacted.

In such circumstances, is it appropriate that the world economy should have been brought down to the level of stagnant or decelerating growth over several months in the year 2020, fearing COVID-19?

Due to such near-global lockdown, billions of poor people have been put to hardships, a large number of people have lost the jobs, many production centres are facing closure and appear that it would take some time for the world to recover from this losses due to lockdown, fearing COVID-19.

Today, it would look odd, if anyone would say that the world has overreacted to COVID-19 and sacrificed it’s social and economic interests.

As the days go by, perhaps, at the beginning of 2021 the world would realise that after all, it could have been a case of overreaction by the world community&nbsp;to the COVID-19 crisis.

In future, the world would add COVID-19 to the list of diseases prevailing in the world, treatment procedures would be evolved and some people would succumb and some people would recover.&nbsp;

The world will move on, &nbsp;just as it has been moving on even as it is confronted with diseases like cancer, flu, heart ailment etc.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

From historical times, human beings have been surviving despite several types of diseases confronting them. In such conditions, medical science was developed to safeguard human beings from diseases In ancient India, there were reports of several medicinal practices and development of several types of drugs for the treatment of different types of illness, which were mostly based on natural products and not developed by the synthetic process.

From historical times, human beings have been surviving despite several types of diseases confronting them. In such conditions, medical science was developed to safeguard human beings from diseases In ancient India, there were reports of several medicinal practices and development of several types of drugs for the treatment of different types of illness, which were mostly based on natural products and not developed by the synthetic process. Traditionally, such Indian medical practices have been termed as Ayurveda, Siddha etc. In other countries too, such traditional medical practices have prevailed under various names such as homoeopathy, Unani etc. In short, the world has been living with diseases from time immemorial and has been responding to the diseases by developing appropriate medical procedures from time to time. With the changing lifestyle of people, development of synthetic production processes for cosmetics, chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides, etc. and environmental hazards created by industrial operations and transportation, promotion of new food items etc. newer diseases have also been steadily rising. The medical researchers have not lagged behind and have been developing new drugs and vaccines to treat new and emerging diseases. COVID-19 is the latest addition to the rest of the diseases in the world. Huge international efforts have now been taken up to identify the root cause of COVID-19 and develop appropriate drug/vaccine to treat the disease. Given the past success ratings of medical researchers in handling other diseases, one can be hopeful that appropriate drug/vaccine would also be developed to treat COVID-19 patients. While medical research has developed phenomenally, it has not been able to prevent the occurrence of the diseases, except in a few cases. Of course, in the case of polio attack, vaccines given to the children at the right time have largely eliminated the polio disease in the world. However, this cannot be said about several of diseases such as cancer, influenza etc. which continue to occur at a very high level and are being treated. A similar situation may prevail in future in the case of COVID 19 too, with medical researchers unable to prevent it but only treat it. While the panicked world is still viewing COVID-19 with great fear and medical researchers are striving hard to develop treatment procedures, certainly, the day will come when the world would reconcile itself to the prevalence of COVID-19, just as it has reconciled itself to the prevalence of diseases like cancer, flu etc. and would also be prepared to treat the disease with appropriate procedures. Possibly, after six months or so from now, when COVID-19 crisis would settle down, the world community would look back at the COVID-19 crisis and would wonder whether the world had overreacted. In such circumstances, is it appropriate that the world economy should have been brought down to the level of stagnant or decelerating growth over several months in the year 2020, fearing COVID-19? Due to such near-global lockdown, billions of poor people have been put to hardships, a large number of people have lost the jobs, many production centres are facing closure and appear that it would take some time for the world to recover from this losses due to lockdown, fearing COVID-19. Today, it would look odd, if anyone would say that the world has overreacted to COVID-19 and sacrificed it’s social and economic interests. As the days go by, perhaps, at the beginning of 2021 the world would realise that after all, it could have been a case of overreaction by the world community to the COVID-19 crisis. In future, the world would add COVID-19 to the list of diseases prevailing in the world, treatment procedures would be evolved and some people would succumb and some people would recover. The world will move on, just as it has been moving on even as it is confronted with diseases like cancer, flu, heart ailment etc. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Is the world overreacting to COVID-19 crisis?

Let me begin by stating what should be obvious.

It may be marginally about health, but the debate about the origin of COVID-19 is really about vast amounts of money, the research programs it supports and the power and prestige that go with them.

It is also about potential complicity or culpability.

On April 30, 2020, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the United States issued a statement including the following:

“The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified,”

What exactly comprises the “wide scientific consensus?”

If you exclude massive amounts of Chinese propaganda, it is actually based largely on a single, but widely-cited, Nature Medicine article entitled “The Proximal Origin of SAR-CoV-2,” and a supporting scientific narrative made by a few Western scientists with possible vested interests in the outcome, linked to a nearly endless regurgitation of the same arguments by the mainstream media.

It appears to be the same formula for artificially creating the “wide scientific consensus” of climate science or COVID-19 epidemiological models, mostly meant to stifle debate by labelling any contrary views as conspiracy theories.

That technique involves stating some scientific facts, but weaving them together in a manner that leads either to an entirely speculative conclusion or a false one, but both sounding definitive.

The truth is that no one yet knows the origin of COVID-19 and to make any categorical statements is misleading.

The naturally-occurring theory claims that coronaviruses circulating in a bat population mutated, acquiring the ability to infect humans, which was then transmitted to people either visiting or working in the Wuhan Seafood Market; &nbsp;

First of all, the initial patients hospitalised between December 1-10, 2019 <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30183-5/fulltext">had not visited</a> the Wuhan Seafood Market and bats were <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7079563/">not sold </a>there.

According to <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7">data published</a> by Zhengli Shi of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the protein sequence of COVID-19 indicates that it most closely resembles the B Lineage of bat beta coronaviruses.

Yet, COVID-19 contains a furin polybasic cleavage site not found in any B Lineage bat beta coronaviruses found in nature.

There may be a scientific explanation for that, which would destroy the naturally-occurring theory of COVID-19.

In nature, B Lineage bat beta coronaviruses may select against the presence of a furin polybasic cleavage site because the biochemical action it induces <a href="https://nerdhaspower.weebly.com/blog/scientific-evidence-and-logic-behind-the-claim-that-the-wuhan-coronavirus-is-man-made#comments">may expose </a>the virus to the more robust immune system of wild animals, especially bats.

Furthermore, the entire naturally-occurring argument made in the much-cited scientific article “The Proximal Origin of SAR-CoV-2” rests largely on the sequence of presumed B Lineage bat betacoronavirus RaTG13, which has never been verified outside of China, nor have samples of RaTG13 been provided to independent laboratories for study.&nbsp;

That is, RaTG13 appears to exist only on paper.

It has been reported that early in the COVID-19 outbreak viral samples in the Wuhan Institute of Virology were <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8281085/Wuhan-virus-lab-cover-up.html">destroyed </a>and changes were made in its <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/06/what-is-china-covering-up-about-the-coronavirus-devine/">database</a>, allegedly by Zhengli Shi on the evening of December 30th, the day before the World Health Organisation was alerted to the outbreak of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan.

Even if RaTG13 exists and the sequence reported by China is accurate, <a href="https://gnews.org/192144/">evidence</a> <a href="https://gnews.org/192144/">suggests</a> that the mutation pattern compared to COVID-19 does not resemble that for similar beta coronaviruses found in nature, indicating that either RaTG13 or COVID-19 is not natural.

It should now be clear even to the dimmest bulbs in Washington that the evidence supporting the naturally-occurring theory of the origin of COVID-19 is questionable and that a broader objective scientific investigation is warranted. 
 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

Let me begin by stating what should be obvious. It may be marginally about health, but the debate about the origin of COVID-19 is really about vast amounts of money, the research programs it supports and the power and prestige that go with them.

Let me begin by stating what should be obvious. It may be marginally about health, but the debate about the origin of COVID-19 is really about vast amounts of money, the research programs it supports and the power and prestige that go with them. It is also about potential complicity or culpability. On April 30, 2020, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the United States issued a statement including the following: “The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified,” What exactly comprises the “wide scientific consensus?” If you exclude massive amounts of Chinese propaganda, it is actually based largely on a single, but widely-cited, Nature Medicine article entitled “The Proximal Origin of SAR-CoV-2,” and a supporting scientific narrative made by a few Western scientists with possible vested interests in the outcome, linked to a nearly endless regurgitation of the same arguments by the mainstream media. It appears to be the same formula for artificially creating the “wide scientific consensus” of climate science or COVID-19 epidemiological models, mostly meant to stifle debate by labelling any contrary views as conspiracy theories. That technique involves stating some scientific facts, but weaving them together in a manner that leads either to an entirely speculative conclusion or a false one, but both sounding definitive. The truth is that no one yet knows the origin of COVID-19 and to make any categorical statements is misleading. The naturally-occurring theory claims that coronaviruses circulating in a bat population mutated, acquiring the ability to infect humans, which was then transmitted to people either visiting or working in the Wuhan Seafood Market; First of all, the initial patients hospitalised between December 1-10, 2019 had not visited the Wuhan Seafood Market and bats were not sold there. According to data published by Zhengli Shi of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the protein sequence of COVID-19 indicates that it most closely resembles the B Lineage of bat beta coronaviruses. Yet, COVID-19 contains a furin polybasic cleavage site not found in any B Lineage bat beta coronaviruses found in nature. There may be a scientific explanation for that, which would destroy the naturally-occurring theory of COVID-19. In nature, B Lineage bat beta coronaviruses may select against the presence of a furin polybasic cleavage site because the biochemical action it induces may expose the virus to the more robust immune system of wild animals, especially bats. Furthermore, the entire naturally-occurring argument made in the much-cited scientific article “The Proximal Origin of SAR-CoV-2” rests largely on the sequence of presumed B Lineage bat betacoronavirus RaTG13, which has never been verified outside of China, nor have samples of RaTG13 been provided to independent laboratories for study. That is, RaTG13 appears to exist only on paper. It has been reported that early in the COVID-19 outbreak viral samples in the Wuhan Institute of Virology were destroyed and changes were made in its database, allegedly by Zhengli Shi on the evening of December 30th, the day before the World Health Organisation was alerted to the outbreak of a cluster of pneumonia cases in Wuhan. Even if RaTG13 exists and the sequence reported by China is accurate, evidence suggests that the mutation pattern compared to COVID-19 does not resemble that for similar beta coronaviruses found in nature, indicating that either RaTG13 or COVID-19 is not natural. It should now be clear even to the dimmest bulbs in Washington that the evidence supporting the naturally-occurring theory of the origin of COVID-19 is questionable and that a broader objective scientific investigation is warranted. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Is the COVID-19 naturally-occurring narrative driven by politically-motivated science?

Nearly a fifth of young children in the United States are not getting enough to eat since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, according to research out Wednesday highlighting the broader health impact of the crisis.

Study: Nearly one out of five children in US left hungry since COVID-19 crisis

President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday (May 6) said Russia should not rush to lift coronavirus-related restrictions, warning that any haste in removing preventative measures could undo their work so far.

Russian President Putin warns against lifting coronavirus-related restrictions

As COVID-19 pandemic hits supply and demand in the world, the US private employers laid off a record 20.236 million workers in April. Watch this video to know more.

US: 20.2 million private sectors workers laid off in April

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday renewed his aggressive criticism of China, blaming it for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people from the coronavirus and demanding again that it share information about the outbreak.

Mike Pompeo: China could have prevented thousands of deaths

With each passing day, the UK's misery is only increasing and the coronavirus is behind the economic seizure. It is the second most-affected country in the world due to the pandemic.&nbsp;

The country is now facing the risk of an economic collapse not seen in 300 years. The Bank of England says the economy will fall by 14 per cent this year.

Among the dust-gathering files, the UK's central bank found a similar event that literally put the economy in a deep freeze. It was the great frost of 1709. 
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So this collapse is the worst in 300 years. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a tough task. Over 200,000 coronavirus cases and 30,000 deaths have been reported so far. No wonder, the newly-elected leader of opposition Keir Starmer questioned the PM with utter perplexity.

On top of this, the UK government is planning to ease the lockdown restrictions next week.&nbsp;

But, companies say reopening will be difficult. Ao, why is Boris Johnson rushing to open up the economy?&nbsp; 
The answer lies with this man chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak who has spent over eight billion pounds to save 6.3 million jobs at some 800,000 firms.

And this is just one of the many schemes announced to cushion the economy. So, the government is running low on funds both to fight the pandemic, and to rescue the economy.

Unemployment will rise above 9 per cent by the end of this year. Inflation could drop to zero next year. As of now, it remains below 2 per cent due to the fall in consumer spending by 30 per cent in recent weeks.

Interest rates are at a record low of 0.1 per cent, but British firms are in no position to take more loans. Three sectors are the worst hit - aviation, steel and auto. Their combined output is set to fall by 55 per cent. 
 
Johnson is due to announce the next steps in Britain’s battle to tackle the novel coronavirus on Sunday following a review by ministers of the current measures that have all but shut the economy and kept millions at home. 
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With each passing day, the UK's misery is only increasing and the coronavirus is behind the economic seizure. It is the second most-affected country in the world due to the pandemic.

With each passing day, the UK's misery is only increasing and the coronavirus is behind the economic seizure. It is the second most-affected country in the world due to the pandemic. The country is now facing the risk of an economic collapse not seen in 300 years. The Bank of England says the economy will fall by 14 per cent this year. Among the dust-gathering files, the UK's central bank found a similar event that literally put the economy in a deep freeze. It was the great frost of 1709. So this collapse is the worst in 300 years. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has a tough task. Over 200,000 coronavirus cases and 30,000 deaths have been reported so far. No wonder, the newly-elected leader of opposition Keir Starmer questioned the PM with utter perplexity. On top of this, the UK government is planning to ease the lockdown restrictions next week. But, companies say reopening will be difficult. Ao, why is Boris Johnson rushing to open up the economy? The answer lies with this man chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak who has spent over eight billion pounds to save 6.3 million jobs at some 800,000 firms. And this is just one of the many schemes announced to cushion the economy. So, the government is running low on funds both to fight the pandemic, and to rescue the economy. Unemployment will rise above 9 per cent by the end of this year. Inflation could drop to zero next year. As of now, it remains below 2 per cent due to the fall in consumer spending by 30 per cent in recent weeks. Interest rates are at a record low of 0.1 per cent, but British firms are in no position to take more loans. Three sectors are the worst hit - aviation, steel and auto. Their combined output is set to fall by 55 per cent. Johnson is due to announce the next steps in Britain’s battle to tackle the novel coronavirus on Sunday following a review by ministers of the current measures that have all but shut the economy and kept millions at home.

UK economy faces deepest downturn

Super rich have not forgone luxury even during time of COVID-19 pandemic. Watch this video to know more.

Thailand: Super rich have not forgone luxury in times of pandemic

The economic backlash against China is intensifying. The United States has joined a growing list of countries to clamp down on Chinese investments.

A bill has been moved in the US Congress. If passed, it would prevent predatory investments by the Chinese in American companies.

The bill has been introduced by Jim Banks. Someone who is seen as an influential lawmaker. He wanted to expand the scope of the committee on foreign investments in the United States.

This is an inter-agency committee which has the right to review foreign investments. Jim Banks wants this committee to review purchases by firms with links to the Communist Party.

Chinese companies have deep investments in America now. As of 2019, 156 Chinese companies were listed on the US exchanges. This includes 11 state-owned companies.&nbsp;

This bill is something that would suit Donald Trump. At the moment, the US president is considering aggressive economic measures against China.

The White House is planning to respond to China's diplomatic attacks. They are considering moves to curb China's access to supply chains. The Trump administration has taken some steps already.&nbsp;

Rules to export semiconductors to China have been tightened. Curbs could be placed on government pensions funds to stop them from buying Chinese stocks.&nbsp;

More countries now want to practice economic distancing from China. Governments are stepping up their protections to&nbsp;guard their companies against hostile takeovers.&nbsp;

Germany has amended its laws. Now the German government can intervene and open a review into foreign investment.

Spain has enacted a royal decree, any and all FDI now needs a government authorisation there. Italy has brought in similar restrictions too - they call it the "golden powers law".

Australia also plans to screen foreign investments. India recently introduced new rules for investments from China. They must go through the central government.

The new rules were branded as a move to keep investments from the neighbourhood in check, but it was aimed at China.

And now, it looks like America too wants to erect a firewall to block china from its economy.

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The economic backlash against China is intensifying. The United States has joined a growing list of countries to clamp down on Chinese investments. A bill has been moved in the US Congress.

The economic backlash against China is intensifying. The United States has joined a growing list of countries to clamp down on Chinese investments. A bill has been moved in the US Congress. If passed, it would prevent predatory investments by the Chinese in American companies. The bill has been introduced by Jim Banks. Someone who is seen as an influential lawmaker. He wanted to expand the scope of the committee on foreign investments in the United States. This is an inter-agency committee which has the right to review foreign investments. Jim Banks wants this committee to review purchases by firms with links to the Communist Party. Chinese companies have deep investments in America now. As of 2019, 156 Chinese companies were listed on the US exchanges. This includes 11 state-owned companies. This bill is something that would suit Donald Trump. At the moment, the US president is considering aggressive economic measures against China. The White House is planning to respond to China's diplomatic attacks. They are considering moves to curb China's access to supply chains. The Trump administration has taken some steps already. Rules to export semiconductors to China have been tightened. Curbs could be placed on government pensions funds to stop them from buying Chinese stocks. More countries now want to practice economic distancing from China. Governments are stepping up their protections to guard their companies against hostile takeovers. Germany has amended its laws. Now the German government can intervene and open a review into foreign investment. Spain has enacted a royal decree, any and all FDI now needs a government authorisation there. Italy has brought in similar restrictions too - they call it the "golden powers law". Australia also plans to screen foreign investments. India recently introduced new rules for investments from China. They must go through the central government. The new rules were branded as a move to keep investments from the neighbourhood in check, but it was aimed at China. And now, it looks like America too wants to erect a firewall to block china from its economy.

China faces risk of global economic backlash

Helmets are a common sight in Rome, worn by the thousands of vespa riders whizzing around the ancient city. But now you’ll see them inside the main international airport too. Fiumicino is now the first in Europe to use ‘smart helmets’ to check the temperature of travellers.

Robocop-style helmets help Rome airport check passenger temperatures from a distance

US President Donald Trump has described the coronavirus pandemic as the "worst attack" ever on the United States. Renewing his criticism of China on Wednesday over the global coronavirus pandemic and said it has been worse for the United States than Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Donald Trump: Coronavirus pandemic 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11

97-year-old Russian World War Two veteran has taken inspiration from the charity efforts of British centenarian Captain Tom Moore and raised $29,274 dollors for the families of doctors who died of COVID-19.

British Captain Tom Moore inspires Russia's war veteran

A young boy chooses a nurse as the superhero he wants to play with over Batman and Spiderman in a new artwork by Banksy that encapsulates the gratitude Britons have felt toward the country's National Health Service during the coronavirus crisis.

Artist Banksy pays tribute to Britain's NHS staff in latest piece

Female athletes in Iran are determined to carry on training and keeping fit despite the restrictions imposed by anti-coronavirus measures. Life for female athletes in the strict Muslim nation was already complicated by the regulations on clothing and the virus outbreak added to their problems.

Iran's sportswomen fight to keep fit despite coronavirus curbs

Indigenous groups from nine countries in the Amazon basin called on Wednesday (May 6) for donations to help protect 3 million rainforest inhabitants who are vulnerable to the spread of the novel coronavirus because they lack adequate access to healthcare.

Amazon indigenous groups launch international fund to fight coronavirus

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