A US drug trial has found that Remdesivir has a 'clear-cut' effect in stopping the Coronavirus. But, experts say doctors should not begin prescribing it to all patients.

Coronavirus Pandemic: Remdesivir showing signs of a potential COVID-19 drug

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin revealed Thursday that he tested positive for coronavirus and will self-isolate to protect other cabinet members. COVID-19 cases are surging constantly in Russia.

Russia reports massive surge in COVID-19 cases, Russian PM tests positive as well

There is surge in cancers deaths due to disruptions in health services. According to a new research, Cancer deaths in United Kingdom could rise by 20%. Watch this video to know more.

Surge in cancers deaths due to disruptions in health services

The new president of the United Nations Security Council Estonia has called for more transparency and information on COVID crisis even as the country has sought cooperation among members of the core UN body. Speaking exclusively to our diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal Estonia's envoy to India Katrin Kivi this kind of threats can't stop on the state border. Estonia had presented COVID draft in March but due to lack of consensus among permanent UNSC members, it was not adopted. In another major development, the country has invited India to be part of some UNSC meets for the month of May. On Kashmir, she said, UNSC should be seized of other mater and no one should bring the bilateral issue on the table of the body.

WION Exclusive: Estonian envoy to India speaks with WION

Londoners welcomed the news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's fiancee, Carrie Symonds, gave birth to a baby boy on Wednesday (April 29). The baby was born at a London hospital slightly earlier than had been expected.

Boris Johnson welcomes a baby boy: How twitter reacted to the news

US President Donald Trump is upping the ante against China. US Intelligence agencies are investigating 'what China hid' during the Coronavirus outbreak. Funding to a research project in China on 'Coronaviruses and bats' has been stopped. The top United States intelligence agency has said that the virus originated in Wuhan was neither manmade nor genetically modified. Watch this video to know more.

US to investigate 'what China was hiding in Wuhan'

Two years back, the US President Donald Trump began a trade war with China, it led to unavoidable frictions that have now snowballed into a full-blown diplomatic crisis.&nbsp;

The coronavirus pandemic is making it worse with the US President Donald Trump openly pitting America against China.&nbsp;The US&nbsp;President has become relatively consistent, and increasingly sharp in his criticism of China. 
 
According to reports, the US intelligence community has been given specific instructions. The Trump administration has set up task forces and it wants them to probe China and the WHO.

The US President wants investigators to find out the critical information that China failed to share and how much that has cost the world.

Three agencies are said to have received these instructions: The National Security Agency; The Defence Intelligence Agency; The Central Intelligence Agency.

The White House wants the investigators to explore every possible source of information.

On Wednesday, Trump called the WHO a pipe organ for China. "It [the investigation] is coming in and I am getting pieces already and we are not happy about it and we are by far the largest contributor to WHO,...And they misled us. I don't know. They must have known more than they knew because they came after what other people knew that weren't even involved," Trump said.

Pending an investigation, the President has stopped US aid to the WHO. "We can give this money to lots of different incredible groups. There are a lot of groups out there. It doesn't have to go to the WHO. We can give it to groups that are very worthy and get much more bang for your buck, but we're going to make a decision in the not-too-distant future," he added.

Now Donald Trump has his own reasons to go after China and the WHO. The US Presidential election is scheduled&nbsp;in November. And as the coronavirus death toll rises, his ratings will suffer. 
 
Trump said he believes Beijing wants his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, to win the race to ease the pressure Trump has placed on China over trade and other issues.

Beijing should take the blame for the coronavirus spread, but so should Trump for refusing to take the pandemic seriously.

Trump is upping the ante against Beijing in more ways that one which includes cutting off funding for research in China.

And it's not just the President who is taking on China, other American lawmakers are at it too. The US Congress is mulling a "Counter-China" fund.

A Republican lawmaker is pushing a bill that will create a dedicated defence fund worth $6 billion. The aim of this fund will be to boost America's deterrence against China in the pacific.

Leaders of the US, the UK and Germany believe that the deaths and the destruction of the global economy could have been avoided, had China shared the information about the virus in its early phases.

The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in mid-November, has killed more than two lakh people and infected over three million globally.&nbsp;

Two years back, the US President Donald Trump began a trade war with China, it led to unavoidable frictions that have now snowballed into a full-blown diplomatic crisis.

Two years back, the US President Donald Trump began a trade war with China, it led to unavoidable frictions that have now snowballed into a full-blown diplomatic crisis. The coronavirus pandemic is making it worse with the US President Donald Trump openly pitting America against China. The US President has become relatively consistent, and increasingly sharp in his criticism of China. According to reports, the US intelligence community has been given specific instructions. The Trump administration has set up task forces and it wants them to probe China and the WHO. The US President wants investigators to find out the critical information that China failed to share and how much that has cost the world. Three agencies are said to have received these instructions: The National Security Agency; The Defence Intelligence Agency; The Central Intelligence Agency. The White House wants the investigators to explore every possible source of information. On Wednesday, Trump called the WHO a pipe organ for China. "It [the investigation] is coming in and I am getting pieces already and we are not happy about it and we are by far the largest contributor to WHO,...And they misled us. I don't know. They must have known more than they knew because they came after what other people knew that weren't even involved," Trump said. Pending an investigation, the President has stopped US aid to the WHO. "We can give this money to lots of different incredible groups. There are a lot of groups out there. It doesn't have to go to the WHO. We can give it to groups that are very worthy and get much more bang for your buck, but we're going to make a decision in the not-too-distant future," he added. Now Donald Trump has his own reasons to go after China and the WHO. The US Presidential election is scheduled in November. And as the coronavirus death toll rises, his ratings will suffer. Trump said he believes Beijing wants his Democratic opponent, Joe Biden, to win the race to ease the pressure Trump has placed on China over trade and other issues. Beijing should take the blame for the coronavirus spread, but so should Trump for refusing to take the pandemic seriously. Trump is upping the ante against Beijing in more ways that one which includes cutting off funding for research in China. And it's not just the President who is taking on China, other American lawmakers are at it too. The US Congress is mulling a "Counter-China" fund. A Republican lawmaker is pushing a bill that will create a dedicated defence fund worth $6 billion. The aim of this fund will be to boost America's deterrence against China in the pacific. Leaders of the US, the UK and Germany believe that the deaths and the destruction of the global economy could have been avoided, had China shared the information about the virus in its early phases. The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in mid-November, has killed more than two lakh people and infected over three million globally.

Has the US-China cold war now begun?

Veteran actor <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood-actor-rishi-kapoor-passes-away-295707">Rishi Kapoor died on Thursday morning </a>after a prolonged battle with cancer. The actor was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after he complained of breathing problems. 
 
Post his death, the actor's family issued a statement stating that he remained jovial throughout his treatment that had started nearly two years back. 
 
The family for the first time revealed that the actor was suffering from leukemia. 
 
Usually, when a celebrity passes away in Mumbai, fans throng the streets to catch the glimpse of the star for one last time. But things may be different now as the country is observing lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic. 
 
Appealing to the fans to abide by the give rules, the family urged everyone to stay home and not gather in large numbers on streets.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/terrible-week-for-indian-cinema-rahul-gandhi-priyanka-chopra-rajinikanth-and-others-pay-tribute-to-rishi-kapoor-295717" hreflang="en">'Terrible week for Indian cinema': Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Chopra, Rajinikanth and others pay tribute to Rishi Kapoor</a>

Here is the full statement issued by the Kapoor family.

"Our dear Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully at 8:45am IST in hospital today after a two-year battle with leukemia. The doctors and medical staff at the hospital said he kept them entertained to the last.

He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents. Family, friends, food and films remained his focus and everyone who met him during this time was amazed at how he did not let his illness get the better of him.

He was grateful for the love of his fans that poured in from the world over. In his passing, they would all understand that he would like to be remembered with a smile and not with tears.

In this hour of personal loss, we also recognise the world is going through a very difficult and troubled time. There are numerous restrictions around movement and gathering in public. We would like to request all his fans and well-wishers and friends of the family to please respect the laws that are in force.

He would not have it any other way."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/rishi-kapoors-last-tweet-was-an-appeal-and-it-makes-us-teary-eyed-295752" hreflang="en">Rishi Kapoor's last tweet was an 'appeal' and it makes us teary-eyed</a> 
 
The actor is survived by his wife Neetu, daughter Ridhima and son Ranbir.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/respect-the-laws-that-are-in-force-rishi-kapoors-family-appeal-to-fans-to-not-gather-in-large-numbers-amid-lockdown-295737" hreflang="en">'Respect the laws that are in force': Rishi Kapoor's family appeal to fans to not gather in large numbers amid lockdown</a>

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor died on Thursday morning after a prolonged battle with cancer. The actor was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after he complained of breathing problems.

Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor died on Thursday morning after a prolonged battle with cancer. The actor was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after he complained of breathing problems. Post his death, the actor's family issued a statement stating that he remained jovial throughout his treatment that had started nearly two years back. The family for the first time revealed that the actor was suffering from leukemia. Usually, when a celebrity passes away in Mumbai, fans throng the streets to catch the glimpse of the star for one last time. But things may be different now as the country is observing lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic. Appealing to the fans to abide by the give rules, the family urged everyone to stay home and not gather in large numbers on streets. 'Terrible week for Indian cinema': Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Chopra, Rajinikanth and others pay tribute to Rishi Kapoor Here is the full statement issued by the Kapoor family. "Our dear Rishi Kapoor passed away peacefully at 8:45am IST in hospital today after a two-year battle with leukemia. The doctors and medical staff at the hospital said he kept them entertained to the last. He remained jovial and determined to live to the fullest right through two years of treatment across two continents. Family, friends, food and films remained his focus and everyone who met him during this time was amazed at how he did not let his illness get the better of him. He was grateful for the love of his fans that poured in from the world over. In his passing, they would all understand that he would like to be remembered with a smile and not with tears. In this hour of personal loss, we also recognise the world is going through a very difficult and troubled time. There are numerous restrictions around movement and gathering in public. We would like to request all his fans and well-wishers and friends of the family to please respect the laws that are in force. He would not have it any other way." Rishi Kapoor's last tweet was an 'appeal' and it makes us teary-eyed The actor is survived by his wife Neetu, daughter Ridhima and son Ranbir. 'Respect the laws that are in force': Rishi Kapoor's family appeal to fans to not gather in large numbers amid lockdown

'Respect the laws that are in force': Rishi Kapoor's family appeal to fans to not gather in large numbers amid lockdown

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may feel that the global pandemic and its economic fallout are the more immediate of his problems as the kingdom gradually lifts restrictions put in place to stymie the spread of the coronavirus.

However, looming large on the horizon is a potential rift with the United States as a result of the kingdom’s price war with Russia that contributed to the collapse of oil markets and an existential crisis for America’s shale industry.

US President Donald Trump is believed to be weighing a ban on import of Saudi oil in a bid to force the kingdom to reroute tankers carrying some 40 million barrels of crude to the United States.

More fundamentally, Prince Mohammed has put the kingdom’s relationship with the United States at risk without having any real alternative options at a time that an agreement among oil producers to cut production amounts to at best a timeout in a price war that is all about market share.

The price war has further strained Saudi Arabia’s ties to the US Congress, already troubled by the war in Yemen, the kingdom’s record of human rights abuse, and the killing and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

Saudi judiciary reforms in the past week, including abolishing flogging as a legal punishment and death sentences for people who committed crimes as minors, constituted an effort to respond to criticism but were unlikely to turn the tide.

Speaking for Congressmen representing US shale states, North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer warned that “Saudi Arabia’s next steps will determine whether our strategic partnership is salvageable.”

Salvaging Saudi-US relations may be Prince Mohammed’s only option.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to have taken kindly to a reported shouting match in a phone call with the crown prince at the outset of the price war.

Signalling that the production cuts are a ceasefire rather than an end to the war, Saudi Arabia and Russia continue to fight it out on oil markets with the kingdom undercutting Russia with discounts and special offers, according to a Reuters investigation.

Strained relations did not prevent the two countries from moving forward with an agreement on Russian wheat sales to the kingdom. A first Russian shipment of 60,000 tons set sail for Saudi Arabia earlier this month.

Irrespective of the state of Saudi-Russian relations, Russia’s call for replacing the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multi-lateral security arrangement that would involve the United States, as well as China, Europe, and India, is a skeleton with no flesh.

Russia has neither the wherewithal nor the will to shoulder responsibility for Gulf security. Nor do others, envisioned by Russia as a participant in a revised Gulf security arrangement.

The proposal, moreover, is a stillborn baby as long as Saudi Arabia refuses to engage with Iran with no pre-conditions. The kingdom has so far used the pandemic to harden fault lines with the Islamic Republic, casting aside opportunities to build bridges with goodwill gestures.

Similarly, China has no appetite for a major military role in the Middle East despite having established its first foreign military base in Djibouti and contributing to anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia.

Equally troubling for Prince Mohammed is the fact that he cannot be certain that China would be able to maintain its neutrality if US-Iranian tensions were to explode into an all-out war given that when the chips are down Iran may be of greater strategic significance to Beijing.

Iran’s geography, demography, and highly educated population give it a leg up in its competition with Saudi Arabia for Chinese favour. So does the fact that China and Iran see each other as bookends at both ends of Asia with a civilizational history that goes back thousands of years.

Iran, moreover, plays a pivotal role in Belt and Road-related efforts to link China to Europe by a rail that would traverse Central Asia and the Islamic Republic and end the expensive and time-consuming process of having to transfer goods to ships at one end of the Caspian Sea and loading them back onto a train on the Caspian’s opposite shore.

Prince Mohammed’s maneuvering to strike a balance in securing Saudi Arabia’s place in a world of contentious big power relationships is reflected in coverage by the kingdom’s tightly controlled media of Chinese and US efforts to combat the pandemic.

Andrew Leber, a student of Saudi policymaking, noted that “China’s mixed record in boosting its image in Riyadh is a reminder that soft-power competition is not a zero-sum game. Even as Saudi outlets have grown more willing to air criticisms of China, some have derided the efforts of President Donald Trump and his administration to blame COVID-19 on Beijing.”

Leber’s analysis of Saudi media coverage suggests that Prince Mohammed is seeking to keep all doors open.

It will, however, take a lot more than vacillating media coverage and reform of the kingdom’s penal code to polish Saudi Arabia’s tarnished image in the United States and level the playing field with Iran when it comes to China.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

(First Published on <a href="https://insidearabia.com/saudi-arabias-problems-not-just-a-pandemic-and-economics-but-geopolitics-too/">The Inside Arabia)</a>

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may feel that the global pandemic and its economic fallout are the more immediate of his problems as the kingdom gradually lifts restrictions put in place to stymie the spread of the coronavirus.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman may feel that the global pandemic and its economic fallout are the more immediate of his problems as the kingdom gradually lifts restrictions put in place to stymie the spread of the coronavirus. However, looming large on the horizon is a potential rift with the United States as a result of the kingdom’s price war with Russia that contributed to the collapse of oil markets and an existential crisis for America’s shale industry. US President Donald Trump is believed to be weighing a ban on import of Saudi oil in a bid to force the kingdom to reroute tankers carrying some 40 million barrels of crude to the United States. More fundamentally, Prince Mohammed has put the kingdom’s relationship with the United States at risk without having any real alternative options at a time that an agreement among oil producers to cut production amounts to at best a timeout in a price war that is all about market share. The price war has further strained Saudi Arabia’s ties to the US Congress, already troubled by the war in Yemen, the kingdom’s record of human rights abuse, and the killing and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Saudi judiciary reforms in the past week, including abolishing flogging as a legal punishment and death sentences for people who committed crimes as minors, constituted an effort to respond to criticism but were unlikely to turn the tide. Speaking for Congressmen representing US shale states, North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer warned that “Saudi Arabia’s next steps will determine whether our strategic partnership is salvageable.” Salvaging Saudi-US relations may be Prince Mohammed’s only option. Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to have taken kindly to a reported shouting match in a phone call with the crown prince at the outset of the price war. Signalling that the production cuts are a ceasefire rather than an end to the war, Saudi Arabia and Russia continue to fight it out on oil markets with the kingdom undercutting Russia with discounts and special offers, according to a Reuters investigation. Strained relations did not prevent the two countries from moving forward with an agreement on Russian wheat sales to the kingdom. A first Russian shipment of 60,000 tons set sail for Saudi Arabia earlier this month. Irrespective of the state of Saudi-Russian relations, Russia’s call for replacing the US defence umbrella in the Gulf with a multi-lateral security arrangement that would involve the United States, as well as China, Europe, and India, is a skeleton with no flesh. Russia has neither the wherewithal nor the will to shoulder responsibility for Gulf security. Nor do others, envisioned by Russia as a participant in a revised Gulf security arrangement. The proposal, moreover, is a stillborn baby as long as Saudi Arabia refuses to engage with Iran with no pre-conditions. The kingdom has so far used the pandemic to harden fault lines with the Islamic Republic, casting aside opportunities to build bridges with goodwill gestures. Similarly, China has no appetite for a major military role in the Middle East despite having established its first foreign military base in Djibouti and contributing to anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia. Equally troubling for Prince Mohammed is the fact that he cannot be certain that China would be able to maintain its neutrality if US-Iranian tensions were to explode into an all-out war given that when the chips are down Iran may be of greater strategic significance to Beijing. Iran’s geography, demography, and highly educated population give it a leg up in its competition with Saudi Arabia for Chinese favour. So does the fact that China and Iran see each other as bookends at both ends of Asia with a civilizational history that goes back thousands of years. Iran, moreover, plays a pivotal role in Belt and Road-related efforts to link China to Europe by a rail that would traverse Central Asia and the Islamic Republic and end the expensive and time-consuming process of having to transfer goods to ships at one end of the Caspian Sea and loading them back onto a train on the Caspian’s opposite shore. Prince Mohammed’s maneuvering to strike a balance in securing Saudi Arabia’s place in a world of contentious big power relationships is reflected in coverage by the kingdom’s tightly controlled media of Chinese and US efforts to combat the pandemic. Andrew Leber, a student of Saudi policymaking, noted that “China’s mixed record in boosting its image in Riyadh is a reminder that soft-power competition is not a zero-sum game. Even as Saudi outlets have grown more willing to air criticisms of China, some have derided the efforts of President Donald Trump and his administration to blame COVID-19 on Beijing.” Leber’s analysis of Saudi media coverage suggests that Prince Mohammed is seeking to keep all doors open. It will, however, take a lot more than vacillating media coverage and reform of the kingdom’s penal code to polish Saudi Arabia’s tarnished image in the United States and level the playing field with Iran when it comes to China. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) (First Published on The Inside Arabia)

Saudi Arabia is coping with not just coronavirus pandemic’s economic fallout but geopolitical issues too

British Airways is set to cut more than a quarter of its jobs due to the coronavirus crisis, forecasting that passenger numbers will take years to return to 2019 levels. British Airways has 45,000 employees, including 16,500 cabin crew and 3,900 pilots, according to its website.

British Airways plans to cut up to 12,000 jobs | COVID-19 Pandemic

Watch today in 'WION In Focus': Some Stories Related To Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic.

WION In Focus: Some Stories Related To Coronavirus Pandemic

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday restrictions on citizens' movements would be lifted and more shops allowed to reopen from May 4 in a gradual easing of a lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

Greece to ease COVID-19 lockdown from May 4 | Coronavirus Pandemic

In this segment of WION, we bring you report on two twin brothers both killed by pandemics but 100 years apart.

Two twin brothers killed by two pandemics | COVID-19 Pandemic | WION News

More evidence has emerged which support&nbsp;the theory that coronavirus originated in a virology lab in Wuhan in China.

The Washington Times says that the Wuhan lab is the "most likely" source of the coronavirus. This claim is part of an unfinished document which is based on circumstantial evidence that is available in public. This document is part of an investigation which is underway in the United States.

Americans are&nbsp;not&nbsp;alone in saying this. A leading Russian microbiologist made a stunning claim against a Wuhan lab.

Professor Petr Chumakov has said, "In China, scientists at the Wuhan laboratory have been actively involved in the development of various coronaviruses for over ten years. They did absolutely crazy things, in my opinion. "

The Wuhan Institute of Virology, also known as Asia's biggest virus lab, was among the first to receive samples from patients infected by the Wuhan coronavirus.

There are many who claim that this lab is actually the source of this virus.&nbsp;

More than three months after its first cases were reported, the origin of the coronavirus remains unknown.&nbsp;Wuhan, the original epicentre of this pandemic, still remains cut off from the outside world.

China has opposed any idea of an independent investigation into this outbreak, but these attempts to escape scrutiny are only hurting the Communist party.

US President Donald Trump has been publicly blaming China for the global spread of the "invisible enemy" and launched an investigation against it

Leaders of the US, the UK and Germany believe that the deaths and the destruction of the global economy could have been avoided, had China shared the information about the virus in its early phases.

The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in mid-November, has killed more than two lakh people and infected over three million globally.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

More evidence has emerged which support the theory that coronavirus originated in a virology lab in Wuhan in China. The Washington Times says that the Wuhan lab is the "most likely" source of the coronavirus.

More evidence has emerged which support the theory that coronavirus originated in a virology lab in Wuhan in China. The Washington Times says that the Wuhan lab is the "most likely" source of the coronavirus. This claim is part of an unfinished document which is based on circumstantial evidence that is available in public. This document is part of an investigation which is underway in the United States. Americans are not alone in saying this. A leading Russian microbiologist made a stunning claim against a Wuhan lab. Professor Petr Chumakov has said, "In China, scientists at the Wuhan laboratory have been actively involved in the development of various coronaviruses for over ten years. They did absolutely crazy things, in my opinion. " The Wuhan Institute of Virology, also known as Asia's biggest virus lab, was among the first to receive samples from patients infected by the Wuhan coronavirus. There are many who claim that this lab is actually the source of this virus. More than three months after its first cases were reported, the origin of the coronavirus remains unknown. Wuhan, the original epicentre of this pandemic, still remains cut off from the outside world. China has opposed any idea of an independent investigation into this outbreak, but these attempts to escape scrutiny are only hurting the Communist party. US President Donald Trump has been publicly blaming China for the global spread of the "invisible enemy" and launched an investigation against it Leaders of the US, the UK and Germany believe that the deaths and the destruction of the global economy could have been avoided, had China shared the information about the virus in its early phases. The virus, which originated in China's Wuhan city in mid-November, has killed more than two lakh people and infected over three million globally. (With inputs from agencies)

More evidence emerges suggesting coronavirus originated in Wuhan lab

The relations between Australia and China have worsened after Australia demanded an inquiry into the origin of COVID-19.

China got furious after Australian prime minister Scott Morrison called for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.

The Chinese ambassador, Cheng Jingye, asked the citizens of his country to boycott Australian beef, wine and universities. He even asked them to stop visiting Australia.

Cheng Jingye had a phone conversation with the Secretary of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat). The exchange, reportedly, was not pleasant.&nbsp;

Following which, the Chinese embassy then released a statement detailing what it said was discussed on the call, prompting another rebuke from DFAT.&nbsp;

The statement describes the demand for probe as a "political maneuver". In diplomacy, backroom conversations are rarely released to the media, but Australia-China ties are on the verge of a total breakdown.&nbsp;

Australia has issued a response, expressing regret over the fact that China breached protocol.

In a no mood to let this go, angered China issued a counter-statement, saying on its website that details of the call had first been "obviously leaked by some Australian officials."

"The Embassy of China doesn't play petty tricks, this is not our tradition. But if others do, we have to reciprocate," the statement said.

Even the Chinese state media has jumped in. Hu Xijin, the editor of Global Times wrote this on Weibo: "Australia is always there, making trouble. It is a bit like chewing gum stuck on the sole of china's shoes.

Beijing wants to do everything it can, to undermine Australia's demand for an international investigation. China says the demands for an investigation are destined to fail, but&nbsp;Australia is quietly working behind the scenes to build international support to make China pay. 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The relations between Australia and China have worsened after Australia demanded an inquiry into the origin of COVID-19. China got furious after Australian prime minister Scott Morrison called for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus.

The relations between Australia and China have worsened after Australia demanded an inquiry into the origin of COVID-19. China got furious after Australian prime minister Scott Morrison called for an international investigation into the origins of the coronavirus. The Chinese ambassador, Cheng Jingye, asked the citizens of his country to boycott Australian beef, wine and universities. He even asked them to stop visiting Australia. Cheng Jingye had a phone conversation with the Secretary of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat). The exchange, reportedly, was not pleasant. Following which, the Chinese embassy then released a statement detailing what it said was discussed on the call, prompting another rebuke from DFAT. The statement describes the demand for probe as a "political maneuver". In diplomacy, backroom conversations are rarely released to the media, but Australia-China ties are on the verge of a total breakdown. Australia has issued a response, expressing regret over the fact that China breached protocol. In a no mood to let this go, angered China issued a counter-statement, saying on its website that details of the call had first been "obviously leaked by some Australian officials." "The Embassy of China doesn't play petty tricks, this is not our tradition. But if others do, we have to reciprocate," the statement said. Even the Chinese state media has jumped in. Hu Xijin, the editor of Global Times wrote this on Weibo: "Australia is always there, making trouble. It is a bit like chewing gum stuck on the sole of china's shoes. Beijing wants to do everything it can, to undermine Australia's demand for an international investigation. China says the demands for an investigation are destined to fail, but Australia is quietly working behind the scenes to build international support to make China pay.

China-Australia spat escalates over demand for probe into COVID-19 origin

The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the potential of a virus as a weapon of mass destruction. It has added a new dimension to alter the global strategic balance and triggered another chain of events for global strategic dominance, besides unprecedented human sufferings.&nbsp;

During the First and Second World Wars era, the use of military forces and declaration of war was considered as basic essentiality to call it a World War. War is defined to be a state in which a nation prosecutes its right by force. Similarly as per Collins English Dictionary; World War is a war that involves countries all over the world. During earlier World Wars, the strategic aim was&nbsp;the capture of key territories or surrender of political leadership/will of adversaries. In the current era, the strategic aim revolves around the economic collapse of the adversary.

Were We already in World War III prior to COVID-19?&nbsp;

Considering the destructive capability of major world powers, a declared World War between combat forces may not occur&nbsp;as it will be devastating for all. The ‘Force’ for application potential will be measured in terms of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) of the world powers. It includes economy, military strength (including nuclear capability), strategic posturing, foreign policy/diplomacy, governance, Human Development Index (HDI), technological capability, knowledge information, geography, natural resources, national will and leadership. Out of all the components of CNP, economic power is the over-riding component dictating the rest. The dimensions of war have grown globally from erstwhile conventional wars under nuclear hangover (barring nuclear strike on Japan) to the aggressive trade war, military posturing, arms race (including Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear arsenal), with political bouts interspersed with few offensive actions involving conventional forces. &nbsp;

The application of economic power had resulted in an intense trade war between the two largest economies - the US and China. In Indo-Pacific, the conventional and nuclear-armed combat forces of the US and China are continuing strategic posturing, deterrence and messaging to all stakeholders. China used combat forces to occupy and develop features in the South China Sea. The recent US-Iran confrontation after the killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani saw active use of conventional force and brought both countries close to war. If all cases of use of conventional forces are linked, then two opposing alliances covering worldwide conflicts appear on the scene, the first one being US-Israel-Saudi Arabia-South Korea-Japan and the other one being China-Russia-North Korea-Iran-Syria, with other countries seem to be doing the strategic balancing. &nbsp;

The space warfare has taken a dangerous turn with each side taking preparatory actions to destroy each other’s space assets. The use of elements like misinformation campaign, election meddling, cyberwar, hacking of economic and crucial military network, perception management, is already in progress.&nbsp;

Diplomatic pressures, economic and technological threats, nuclear blackmailing, proxy wars by nations amount to use of force/CNP to achieve strategic objectives.&nbsp;

The number of casualties suffered in ongoing conflicts surpasses the total casualties and refugees of both the earlier world wars put together. The global strategic situation has graduated to conflicts, the capture of &nbsp;South China Sea, innumerable deaths and economic destruction; hence calling it cold war will be an understatement. The global situation even before COVID-19 had every element of a World War, except that the dimension, instruments and modalities have changed, and the war has not been ‘formally declared’; hence it may not be wrong to call it an ‘undeclared World War III’.&nbsp;

COVID-19 impact

The outbreak of COVID-19 has put humanity to one of the biggest risks of this century. It exposed the vulnerability of strongest nations,&nbsp;triggered by a possible biological weapon (accidentally or otherwise). While the global powers were busy strengthening other elements of CNP, it exposed the consequences of any possible biological weapon to the world adding a new dimension in ongoing undeclared World War III. Wuhan being the initial epicentre, the trends in early 2020 suggested a sheer drop in CNP of China with a combined effect of US-China trade war, failing BRI and COVID-19.

The last week of March 2020 onwards saw the epicentres of COVID-19 shifting westwards with the US, Europe and UK emerging to be worst affected. China, having declared victory over the pandemic, was quick to put back its manufacturing sector in place, trying to boost a ‘COVID-19 economy’ by creating a ‘Health Silk Road’ and re-activating most needed supply chain of medical equipment and medicines, as an attempt to earn maximum profit out of the pandemic, besides attempting to repair its global image.&nbsp;

Contours of undeclared World War III post-COVID-19 pandemic&nbsp;

COVID-19 has exposed some vulnerabilities of US and created huge trust deficit for China globally; hence the idea of everyone accepting one/two countries as superpowers or global leader may be outdated in future. The new paradigm will be unlike earlier World Wars, all countries will not be at war, because all of them may not agree to common narratives of key players. And&nbsp;hence, some countries would be at hot war, some in military posturing stage, and some using other dimensions and instruments of war, simultaneously. A new global order will emerge post-COVID-19 which need not be the US or China-centric. Next few decades will see the pivot shifting towards the East, which has fastest-growing economies. It can, therefore, be argued that the battleground for ‘Undeclared World War III’ could be Indo-Pacific, and the world has already entered in the preparatory phase of it, without recognising/declaring it to be so.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the potential of a virus as a weapon of mass destruction. It has added a new dimension to alter the global strategic balance and triggered another chain of events for global strategic dominance, besides unprecedented human sufferings.

The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the potential of a virus as a weapon of mass destruction. It has added a new dimension to alter the global strategic balance and triggered another chain of events for global strategic dominance, besides unprecedented human sufferings. During the First and Second World Wars era, the use of military forces and declaration of war was considered as basic essentiality to call it a World War. War is defined to be a state in which a nation prosecutes its right by force. Similarly as per Collins English Dictionary; World War is a war that involves countries all over the world. During earlier World Wars, the strategic aim was the capture of key territories or surrender of political leadership/will of adversaries. In the current era, the strategic aim revolves around the economic collapse of the adversary. Were We already in World War III prior to COVID-19? Considering the destructive capability of major world powers, a declared World War between combat forces may not occur as it will be devastating for all. The ‘Force’ for application potential will be measured in terms of Comprehensive National Power (CNP) of the world powers. It includes economy, military strength (including nuclear capability), strategic posturing, foreign policy/diplomacy, governance, Human Development Index (HDI), technological capability, knowledge information, geography, natural resources, national will and leadership. Out of all the components of CNP, economic power is the over-riding component dictating the rest. The dimensions of war have grown globally from erstwhile conventional wars under nuclear hangover (barring nuclear strike on Japan) to the aggressive trade war, military posturing, arms race (including Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear arsenal), with political bouts interspersed with few offensive actions involving conventional forces. The application of economic power had resulted in an intense trade war between the two largest economies - the US and China. In Indo-Pacific, the conventional and nuclear-armed combat forces of the US and China are continuing strategic posturing, deterrence and messaging to all stakeholders. China used combat forces to occupy and develop features in the South China Sea. The recent US-Iran confrontation after the killing of Major General Qasem Soleimani saw active use of conventional force and brought both countries close to war. If all cases of use of conventional forces are linked, then two opposing alliances covering worldwide conflicts appear on the scene, the first one being US-Israel-Saudi Arabia-South Korea-Japan and the other one being China-Russia-North Korea-Iran-Syria, with other countries seem to be doing the strategic balancing. The space warfare has taken a dangerous turn with each side taking preparatory actions to destroy each other’s space assets. The use of elements like misinformation campaign, election meddling, cyberwar, hacking of economic and crucial military network, perception management, is already in progress. Diplomatic pressures, economic and technological threats, nuclear blackmailing, proxy wars by nations amount to use of force/CNP to achieve strategic objectives. The number of casualties suffered in ongoing conflicts surpasses the total casualties and refugees of both the earlier world wars put together. The global strategic situation has graduated to conflicts, the capture of South China Sea, innumerable deaths and economic destruction; hence calling it cold war will be an understatement. The global situation even before COVID-19 had every element of a World War, except that the dimension, instruments and modalities have changed, and the war has not been ‘formally declared’; hence it may not be wrong to call it an ‘undeclared World War III’. COVID-19 impact The outbreak of COVID-19 has put humanity to one of the biggest risks of this century. It exposed the vulnerability of strongest nations, triggered by a possible biological weapon (accidentally or otherwise). While the global powers were busy strengthening other elements of CNP, it exposed the consequences of any possible biological weapon to the world adding a new dimension in ongoing undeclared World War III. Wuhan being the initial epicentre, the trends in early 2020 suggested a sheer drop in CNP of China with a combined effect of US-China trade war, failing BRI and COVID-19. The last week of March 2020 onwards saw the epicentres of COVID-19 shifting westwards with the US, Europe and UK emerging to be worst affected. China, having declared victory over the pandemic, was quick to put back its manufacturing sector in place, trying to boost a ‘COVID-19 economy’ by creating a ‘Health Silk Road’ and re-activating most needed supply chain of medical equipment and medicines, as an attempt to earn maximum profit out of the pandemic, besides attempting to repair its global image. Contours of undeclared World War III post-COVID-19 pandemic COVID-19 has exposed some vulnerabilities of US and created huge trust deficit for China globally; hence the idea of everyone accepting one/two countries as superpowers or global leader may be outdated in future. The new paradigm will be unlike earlier World Wars, all countries will not be at war, because all of them may not agree to common narratives of key players. And hence, some countries would be at hot war, some in military posturing stage, and some using other dimensions and instruments of war, simultaneously. A new global order will emerge post-COVID-19 which need not be the US or China-centric. Next few decades will see the pivot shifting towards the East, which has fastest-growing economies. It can, therefore, be argued that the battleground for ‘Undeclared World War III’ could be Indo-Pacific, and the world has already entered in the preparatory phase of it, without recognising/declaring it to be so. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Coronavirus outbreak has added a new dimension to 'undeclared World War III'

As &nbsp;India is now passing through tremendous stress due to COVID 19 crisis and the consequent prolonged lockdown, the most affected are those living below the poverty line, who constitute around 20 per cent of the national population ( around &nbsp;250 million people).

Amongst these affected people, the deeply deprived persons constituting around 50 million of the national population consist of the physically disabled persons, visually impaired, hearing/speech impaired and mentally retarded persons, aged people in poor health, destitute women and section of self-employed people with no skill such as rag pickers.

Even in normal times, these deeply deprived people live in desperate conditions without knowing as to where their next meal would come from. These people have been surviving due to the freebies such as free ration etc. extended by the government, as well as, welfare pension such as old age pension etc. Without such freebies and pension support from the government, most of these people would have lost their lives due to poverty and sickness.

Need for support in the post-COVID 19 period :

During the COVID 19 crisis, central and state governments, non-government organisations, voluntary bodies and kind-hearted individuals have been doing their level best to support these deeply deprived 50 million people all over India, by extending support in various forms.

The governments can continue to extend support&nbsp;as given in the normal times after COVID 19 period, which would not be adequate to sustain the deeply deprived persons, in view of their extensive sufferings during the COVID 19 crisis.

In recent years, it is seen there is enormous interest amongst most of these deeply deprived people to at least educate their children, so that they can take up jobs to uplift their families. They have to be supported, as adequately educating the children of poor families is the best way of uplifting the poor and downtrodden families.

In the post-COVID 19 scenario, due to the income lost during the lockdown period, these deeply deprived people will not be able to come out of this distressed conditions without support from society.

Strategy for post-COVID 19 period :

A strategy has to be worked out by the people in the affordable income group, &nbsp;to help these 50 million people to survive.

Let each family identify one poor family who are part of the 50 million deeply deprived people and handover the sum deposited in the hundi to them every month.

If every family in the affordable income group would adopt such helpful attitude and practice, it will help the deprived people&nbsp;to find a way out for themselves and enable their children to undergo education to occupy the rightful place in the society as they grow up.

If an individual family in the affordable income group does not have the time or contact to identify such deeply deprived people, then&nbsp;they can coordinate with an NGO for providing to the needy people.

The ideal arrangement for the donor would be to contact the deprived family, personally talk to them in an encouraging way and provide them help&nbsp;so that the deeply deprived families would not get a feeling of isolation and gain confidence that they are part of the society. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

As India is now passing through tremendous stress due to COVID 19 crisis and the consequent prolonged lockdown, the most affected are those living below the poverty line, who constitute around 20 per cent of the national population ( around 250 million people).

As India is now passing through tremendous stress due to COVID 19 crisis and the consequent prolonged lockdown, the most affected are those living below the poverty line, who constitute around 20 per cent of the national population ( around 250 million people). Amongst these affected people, the deeply deprived persons constituting around 50 million of the national population consist of the physically disabled persons, visually impaired, hearing/speech impaired and mentally retarded persons, aged people in poor health, destitute women and section of self-employed people with no skill such as rag pickers. Even in normal times, these deeply deprived people live in desperate conditions without knowing as to where their next meal would come from. These people have been surviving due to the freebies such as free ration etc. extended by the government, as well as, welfare pension such as old age pension etc. Without such freebies and pension support from the government, most of these people would have lost their lives due to poverty and sickness. Need for support in the post-COVID 19 period : During the COVID 19 crisis, central and state governments, non-government organisations, voluntary bodies and kind-hearted individuals have been doing their level best to support these deeply deprived 50 million people all over India, by extending support in various forms. The governments can continue to extend support as given in the normal times after COVID 19 period, which would not be adequate to sustain the deeply deprived persons, in view of their extensive sufferings during the COVID 19 crisis. In recent years, it is seen there is enormous interest amongst most of these deeply deprived people to at least educate their children, so that they can take up jobs to uplift their families. They have to be supported, as adequately educating the children of poor families is the best way of uplifting the poor and downtrodden families. In the post-COVID 19 scenario, due to the income lost during the lockdown period, these deeply deprived people will not be able to come out of this distressed conditions without support from society. Strategy for post-COVID 19 period : A strategy has to be worked out by the people in the affordable income group, to help these 50 million people to survive. Let each family identify one poor family who are part of the 50 million deeply deprived people and handover the sum deposited in the hundi to them every month. If every family in the affordable income group would adopt such helpful attitude and practice, it will help the deprived people to find a way out for themselves and enable their children to undergo education to occupy the rightful place in the society as they grow up. If an individual family in the affordable income group does not have the time or contact to identify such deeply deprived people, then they can coordinate with an NGO for providing to the needy people. The ideal arrangement for the donor would be to contact the deprived family, personally talk to them in an encouraging way and provide them help so that the deeply deprived families would not get a feeling of isolation and gain confidence that they are part of the society. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Underprivileged in India will need support even after COVID-19 lockdown is lifted

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been speculation that this disruptive event will spark a new wave of government activism. The question is- Was Donald Trump's COVID-19 response adequate?

Was Donald Trump's COVID-19 response adequate?

Union Health Ministry of India on Tuesday addresses Press conference over current status of Coronavirus Pandemic. According to ministry, there are 29,435 positive cases and 934 deaths reported so far.

What makes COVID-19 so deadly?

The clamour to make China pay is growing louder and the latest on the list is Nigeria.

A group of Nigerian lawyers is suing China. They are demanding $200 billion from Beijing. The damages are being sought for the “loss of lives, economic strangulation, trauma, hardship, social disorientation, mental torture and disruption of the normal, daily existence of people in Nigeria.”

The lawyers have a two-phase action plan. First,&nbsp;to go to the Federal High Court of Nigeria. And then to persuade the government to sue China at the International Court of Justice.

Africa's anger against china is being fueled by the racist attacks Africans are facing in China. They are battling discrimination and stigma.

Racism and xenophobia are on the rise in China. Reports say thousands of African-origin people have been left homeless after being evicted over fears that they could be spreading the coronavirus.

This is apparently linked to a cluster of COVID-19 cases in the Nigerian community in the southern city of Guangzhou in China.

The African students residing in the area say that they have been subjected to arbitrary quarantines and forced evictions.

The African Union earlier this month expressed its "extreme concern" about the situation in Guangzhou and called on Beijing to take immediate corrective measures.

Several African ambassadors in China have written to the country's foreign minister over the discrimination faced by Africans.

But the hands of these governments are tied, most of them have taken billions of dollars of Chinese loans.&nbsp;

Nearly two decades of lending has made china Africa's top creditor. The continent now faces multiple challenges - repaying China's loans, fighting Wuhan virus and dealing with China's racism.

&nbsp;

The clamour to make China pay is growing louder and the latest on the list is Nigeria. A group of Nigerian lawyers is suing China. They are demanding $200 billion from Beijing.

The clamour to make China pay is growing louder and the latest on the list is Nigeria. A group of Nigerian lawyers is suing China. They are demanding $200 billion from Beijing. The damages are being sought for the “loss of lives, economic strangulation, trauma, hardship, social disorientation, mental torture and disruption of the normal, daily existence of people in Nigeria.” The lawyers have a two-phase action plan. First, to go to the Federal High Court of Nigeria. And then to persuade the government to sue China at the International Court of Justice. Africa's anger against china is being fueled by the racist attacks Africans are facing in China. They are battling discrimination and stigma. Racism and xenophobia are on the rise in China. Reports say thousands of African-origin people have been left homeless after being evicted over fears that they could be spreading the coronavirus. This is apparently linked to a cluster of COVID-19 cases in the Nigerian community in the southern city of Guangzhou in China. The African students residing in the area say that they have been subjected to arbitrary quarantines and forced evictions. The African Union earlier this month expressed its "extreme concern" about the situation in Guangzhou and called on Beijing to take immediate corrective measures. Several African ambassadors in China have written to the country's foreign minister over the discrimination faced by Africans. But the hands of these governments are tied, most of them have taken billions of dollars of Chinese loans. Nearly two decades of lending has made china Africa's top creditor. The continent now faces multiple challenges - repaying China's loans, fighting Wuhan virus and dealing with China's racism.

Nigerian lawyers set to sue China over coronavirus outbreak

Questions remain as to whether this COVID-19 pandemic that we are living through is the result of malevolent actions by the Chinese government, i.e., some form of biological warfare. Or is it just the result of careless behaviour in the Wuhan Institute of Virology or another nearby lab that accidentally resulted in the virus leaking out and spreading across the globe? Or could it be, as the World Health Organisation and much of the media want us to believe, something that came from bats or other animals sold in the wet markets of China?

As I have been documenting in a series of recent articles, with very technical but vital information, the evidence is building that this was the result of genetic manipulation. If true, it could suggest that this line of research might lead in the direction that some might define as part of a biological warfare program. To explain how I’ve reached this conclusion, at this point, it requires a rather technical explanation. So please bear with me.

Viruses rely on the biochemical mechanisms of the host cell they invade to bind and fuse with the host cell membrane and replicate inside the cell.

The fusion part of that cascade of events can involve the virus using host cell enzymes to cleave one or more of the virus’ proteins at specific sites to facilitate entry into the host cell.

Those sites are often composed of relatively short sequences of chemically basic amino acids called polybasic cleavage sites.

At the junction of the S1 and S2 protein subunits, COVID-19 has just such a polybasic cleavage site that uses the host cell enzyme furin, which is found in many human organ systems and known to be involved in the pathogenic processes of viruses, for example, HIV, Ebola and various strains of coronavirus.

The presence of the furin polybasic cleavage site may explain clinical reports of COVID-19’s ability to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/coronavirus-destroys-lungs-but-doctors-are-finding-its-damage-in-kidneys-hearts-and-elsewhere/2020/04/14/7ff71ee0-7db1-11ea-a3ee-13e1ae0a3571_story.html">infect </a>a variety of organ systems.

The furin polybasic cleavage site in COVID-19 can be roughly defined by the amino acid sequence SPRRARS, which is Serine-Proline-Arginine-Arginine-Alanine-Arginine-Serine, where the cleavage takes place at the R-S junction.

Within that broader sequence, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1964754/">minimum sequence</a> for a furin cleavage site is R-X-X-R, where Arginine (R) occurs in the 3rd and 6th positions and positions 4 and 5 can be any amino acid, but activity of the furin cleavage site can be significantly enhanced with a basic amino acid like Arginine in the 4th position, as occurs in COVID-19.

It is very important to note that the furin polybasic cleavage site in COVID-19 is unique and has not been found in any of the coronaviruses yet identified as close relatives.

Remarkably, however, such sequences do exist in other viruses, including coronaviruses not directly related to COVID-19.

For example, the feline (cat) enteric coronavirus (FECV) causes a mild, but highly-transmissible infection, in which chronically infected cats can shed infectious virus for a year or longer.

FECV <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3713968/">isolates</a> have an amino acid sequence at the S1/S2 junction of SRRARRS.

The alpha-coronavirus HKU1, which can infect the human respiratory system and has done so as recently as <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466428/">2016</a>, has a SRRKRRS sequence at the S1/S2 junction.

The Beaudette gamma-coronavirus strain has an amino acid sequence at the S2-prime (S2′) cleavage site of SSRRKRS, very similar to the sequence seen at COVID-19’s S1 site.

It is also interesting to note that the S2′ sequence of bat coronavirus CoVZX21, often cited as a close relative of CoVid-19, has an identical amino acid sequence of SKPSKRS at that position, but is demonstrably different at the critical S1 cleavage site.

The bioengineering capability to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0042682206000900">insert </a>polybasic cleavage sites into the coronavirus S1 protein is well-established, already from 2006.

All of the above could be considered coincidental except for the fact that no clear evolutionary pathway has been identified that would explain the presence of COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site, especially given its enhanced pathogenic significance.

It is, therefore, not an unreasonable alternative to assume that the unique furin polybasic cleavage site found in COVID-19 and in no other close relatives may be the result of genetic manipulation.

(The article was first published on <a href="https://ccnationalsecurity.org/the-conceptual-basis-for-a-bioengineered-covid-19/">The Citizens Commission on National Security</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

Questions remain as to whether this COVID-19 pandemic that we are living through is the result of malevolent actions by the Chinese government, i.e., some form of biological warfare.

Questions remain as to whether this COVID-19 pandemic that we are living through is the result of malevolent actions by the Chinese government, i.e., some form of biological warfare. Or is it just the result of careless behaviour in the Wuhan Institute of Virology or another nearby lab that accidentally resulted in the virus leaking out and spreading across the globe? Or could it be, as the World Health Organisation and much of the media want us to believe, something that came from bats or other animals sold in the wet markets of China? As I have been documenting in a series of recent articles, with very technical but vital information, the evidence is building that this was the result of genetic manipulation. If true, it could suggest that this line of research might lead in the direction that some might define as part of a biological warfare program. To explain how I’ve reached this conclusion, at this point, it requires a rather technical explanation. So please bear with me. Viruses rely on the biochemical mechanisms of the host cell they invade to bind and fuse with the host cell membrane and replicate inside the cell. The fusion part of that cascade of events can involve the virus using host cell enzymes to cleave one or more of the virus’ proteins at specific sites to facilitate entry into the host cell. Those sites are often composed of relatively short sequences of chemically basic amino acids called polybasic cleavage sites. At the junction of the S1 and S2 protein subunits, COVID-19 has just such a polybasic cleavage site that uses the host cell enzyme furin, which is found in many human organ systems and known to be involved in the pathogenic processes of viruses, for example, HIV, Ebola and various strains of coronavirus. The presence of the furin polybasic cleavage site may explain clinical reports of COVID-19’s ability to infect a variety of organ systems. The furin polybasic cleavage site in COVID-19 can be roughly defined by the amino acid sequence SPRRARS, which is Serine-Proline-Arginine-Arginine-Alanine-Arginine-Serine, where the cleavage takes place at the R-S junction. Within that broader sequence, the minimum sequence for a furin cleavage site is R-X-X-R, where Arginine (R) occurs in the 3rd and 6th positions and positions 4 and 5 can be any amino acid, but activity of the furin cleavage site can be significantly enhanced with a basic amino acid like Arginine in the 4th position, as occurs in COVID-19. It is very important to note that the furin polybasic cleavage site in COVID-19 is unique and has not been found in any of the coronaviruses yet identified as close relatives. Remarkably, however, such sequences do exist in other viruses, including coronaviruses not directly related to COVID-19. For example, the feline (cat) enteric coronavirus (FECV) causes a mild, but highly-transmissible infection, in which chronically infected cats can shed infectious virus for a year or longer. FECV isolates have an amino acid sequence at the S1/S2 junction of SRRARRS. The alpha-coronavirus HKU1, which can infect the human respiratory system and has done so as recently as 2016, has a SRRKRRS sequence at the S1/S2 junction. The Beaudette gamma-coronavirus strain has an amino acid sequence at the S2-prime (S2′) cleavage site of SSRRKRS, very similar to the sequence seen at COVID-19’s S1 site. It is also interesting to note that the S2′ sequence of bat coronavirus CoVZX21, often cited as a close relative of CoVid-19, has an identical amino acid sequence of SKPSKRS at that position, but is demonstrably different at the critical S1 cleavage site. The bioengineering capability to insert polybasic cleavage sites into the coronavirus S1 protein is well-established, already from 2006. All of the above could be considered coincidental except for the fact that no clear evolutionary pathway has been identified that would explain the presence of COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site, especially given its enhanced pathogenic significance. It is, therefore, not an unreasonable alternative to assume that the unique furin polybasic cleavage site found in COVID-19 and in no other close relatives may be the result of genetic manipulation. (The article was first published on The Citizens Commission on National Security) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Explained: The conceptual basis for a bioengineered COVID-19

Health Ministry briefs Media over COVID-19 criris, says '29,435 positive cases, 934 deaths' so far

As COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in India and across the world, economies are taking a hard punch to the gut. The world economy is falling into recession. India’s healthcare sector, in particular, is getting overwhelmed in the process. &nbsp;As disparaging as this is, the pandemic does present a unique opportunity for India. The lockdown has demonstrated one thing: digital technology can quickly connect the country together. But can expanding our digital activity significantly help the economy?  &nbsp;

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his thoughts on COVID-19 on LinkedIn to young working professionals and students. He stated that “The workplace is getting Digital First…[and that] India, a youthful nation known for its innovative zeal can take the lead in providing a new work culture.” The Prime Minister also invited young people to take part in the workforce.&nbsp;

The impacts of COVID-19 are not going to disappear after the lockdown ends. The economy will take some time to recover. However, the pandemic does give a wide-open opportunity for digital players. Even before coronavirus, India’s digital space was already surging exponentially. In fact, India is digitising faster than most countries in the world. With a whopping 560 million internet subscribers as of 2018, the nation is one of the largest growing and fastest markets for digital consumers. The exponential rise in smartphone usage over the past six years has resulted in 1.2 billion mobile phone subscriptions and over 12 billion apps downloaded in 2018. The best part? There is room to grow; only about 40 per cent of the population has an internet subscription.&nbsp;

Moreover, the Modi government’s implementation of the Aadhar scheme has provided over 1.2 billion citizens with a digital identity and the GST has brought well over 10 million MSMEs, businesses and firms onto a common, transparent digital platform. The national lockdown has brought new digital ecosystems and business models to the forefront within days and weeks. These new models can be seen across multiple sectors including healthcare, retail and agriculture.&nbsp;

Job opportunities can now be seen in formalising these new business models, as well as, in digital solutions for banking, insurance, transportation of goods and healthcare. Government portals are now aggressively working towards going truly digital which will further open up the job market. For instance, the government is currently finding ways for making it easier to incorporate rural and tribal products into e-commerce platforms. Creating digital platforms for teleconsultations for patients is another example that is already boosting the Indian healthcare sector. Digital solutions for mapping out the most efficient directions for cargo transportation; especially for perishable items; are the need of the hour.&nbsp;

The real question is if going digital will help minimise the hit to the Indian economy caused by COVID-19. The answer is an objective yes. All sectors have the ability to get tech-enabled. Firms that are able to adapt to digital will be serving a market of 700 million smartphone users and approximately 800 million internet users by 2023. If they do, significant economic value will be added. &nbsp;

Going digital will double the nine core sectors by 2025. These core sectors alone have the potential to contribute up to $150 billion in economic value. Furthermore, if non-core sectors (ie. retail) can go digital, they can not only add value to the GDP but also create significant employment and skills development opportunities. With cross-sector digitisation, digitisation India can look at potential value adds; for instance, $130 billion for electronics manufacturing, $250 billion for IT-BPM and an overall total of up to $435 billion by 2025. That’s about 10 per cent of India’s GDP.

 Additionally, going digital calls for policy adaptations. For instance, new digital platforms will require more ease and redefined rules in things like founding start-ups and hiring digital age employees. More women will enter the workforce; in particular, those that are currently unable to work due to logistical, safety and/or other reasons. &nbsp;

Citizens need to accept the idea of a digital economy. Going ‘COVIDigital’ is the new normal. The time to act is now. Youth must take lead on the discourse for innovation and using technology for solutions. Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has jolted India in multiple ways. We are still in lockdown. But in an adverse situation always comes opportunities. The coronavirus crisis has proven that our government and citizens are capable of unified action at large scale. Going 'COVIDigital' will not only significantly bolster the immediate economy, but also establish the groundwork for a smart, tech-enabled and solution-based long-term growth.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

As COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in India and across the world, economies are taking a hard punch to the gut. The world economy is falling into recession. India’s healthcare sector, in particular, is getting overwhelmed in the process.

As COVID-19 numbers continue to rise in India and across the world, economies are taking a hard punch to the gut. The world economy is falling into recession. India’s healthcare sector, in particular, is getting overwhelmed in the process.  As disparaging as this is, the pandemic does present a unique opportunity for India. The lockdown has demonstrated one thing: digital technology can quickly connect the country together. But can expanding our digital activity significantly help the economy?   Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared his thoughts on COVID-19 on LinkedIn to young working professionals and students. He stated that “The workplace is getting Digital First…[and that] India, a youthful nation known for its innovative zeal can take the lead in providing a new work culture.” The Prime Minister also invited young people to take part in the workforce. The impacts of COVID-19 are not going to disappear after the lockdown ends. The economy will take some time to recover. However, the pandemic does give a wide-open opportunity for digital players. Even before coronavirus, India’s digital space was already surging exponentially. In fact, India is digitising faster than most countries in the world. With a whopping 560 million internet subscribers as of 2018, the nation is one of the largest growing and fastest markets for digital consumers. The exponential rise in smartphone usage over the past six years has resulted in 1.2 billion mobile phone subscriptions and over 12 billion apps downloaded in 2018. The best part? There is room to grow; only about 40 per cent of the population has an internet subscription. Moreover, the Modi government’s implementation of the Aadhar scheme has provided over 1.2 billion citizens with a digital identity and the GST has brought well over 10 million MSMEs, businesses and firms onto a common, transparent digital platform. The national lockdown has brought new digital ecosystems and business models to the forefront within days and weeks. These new models can be seen across multiple sectors including healthcare, retail and agriculture. Job opportunities can now be seen in formalising these new business models, as well as, in digital solutions for banking, insurance, transportation of goods and healthcare. Government portals are now aggressively working towards going truly digital which will further open up the job market. For instance, the government is currently finding ways for making it easier to incorporate rural and tribal products into e-commerce platforms. Creating digital platforms for teleconsultations for patients is another example that is already boosting the Indian healthcare sector. Digital solutions for mapping out the most efficient directions for cargo transportation; especially for perishable items; are the need of the hour. The real question is if going digital will help minimise the hit to the Indian economy caused by COVID-19. The answer is an objective yes. All sectors have the ability to get tech-enabled. Firms that are able to adapt to digital will be serving a market of 700 million smartphone users and approximately 800 million internet users by 2023. If they do, significant economic value will be added.  Going digital will double the nine core sectors by 2025. These core sectors alone have the potential to contribute up to $150 billion in economic value. Furthermore, if non-core sectors (ie. retail) can go digital, they can not only add value to the GDP but also create significant employment and skills development opportunities. With cross-sector digitisation, digitisation India can look at potential value adds; for instance, $130 billion for electronics manufacturing, $250 billion for IT-BPM and an overall total of up to $435 billion by 2025. That’s about 10 per cent of India’s GDP.  Additionally, going digital calls for policy adaptations. For instance, new digital platforms will require more ease and redefined rules in things like founding start-ups and hiring digital age employees. More women will enter the workforce; in particular, those that are currently unable to work due to logistical, safety and/or other reasons.  Citizens need to accept the idea of a digital economy. Going ‘COVIDigital’ is the new normal. The time to act is now. Youth must take lead on the discourse for innovation and using technology for solutions. Yes, the COVID-19 pandemic has jolted India in multiple ways. We are still in lockdown. But in an adverse situation always comes opportunities. The coronavirus crisis has proven that our government and citizens are capable of unified action at large scale. Going 'COVIDigital' will not only significantly bolster the immediate economy, but also establish the groundwork for a smart, tech-enabled and solution-based long-term growth. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Digital technology can help minimise the coronavirus impact on economy: here's how

The world and the world around us has become uncertain. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic will be felt by India both internally and externally. &nbsp;

Internally, a full lockdown cannot continue because the economy needs to be unlocked. Reignited. India needs to start working, even if a real threat of COVID-19 pandemic persists. We cannot surrender our future to a virus. A month lockdown has brought an already slowing economy to a grinding halt. &nbsp;

Externally, the world economies will become inward-looking. The global recession is underway. Liberal economic order is taking a bow as protectionism will now flourish. In the geopolitical order, India will be the middle power between the United States and China. It will have substantial bargaining power in a deepening US-China confrontation. &nbsp;

In the last two months, the pandemic scenario was so dynamic, that it was difficult to reflect upon the impact. An extended lockdown in India, the opaqueness and the revelations concerning China’s role and the abdication of the United States to lead the world in overcoming this crisis has made the picture clearer. &nbsp;

Internal Challenges and Opportunities&nbsp;

There is a prediction of zero percentage GDP Growth for India. India will bear ‘catastrophic consequences’ and 40 crore jobs are at peril, as per an ILO report. A large number of people are already losing their jobs and many small businesses have started bearing the brunt. Unorganised sector — which is already enduring the burden of an unplanned lockdown is hurt the most. Millions are becoming poor. Migrants have still not reached home. Women and children isolated in the houses have become vulnerable owing to a spike in the cases of abuse. Societal fissures have deepened, owing to the complacency of governments in allowing religious congregations in the beginning. Communal harmony is in danger. &nbsp;

The Central government has announced two major packages. First, an ‘economic package’ worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore for the poor, which entails bare minimum cash transfers to women, some minuscule help to health workers, no real help for farmers and zero assistance to the small and medium businesses. Second, an ‘Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package’ worth Rs 15,000 crores has been announced for states. &nbsp;

Health is a state subject. It is the states which are required to take lead in fighting the pandemic. However, no real funding has been given to states. For instance, Punjab has been handed over a pittance sum of Rs 71 crores to fight the pandemic. A big state like Karnataka has been allocated only Rs 395 crores. Kerala which has the second-highest number of cases has been allocated Rs 157 crores. This is too little. The union government should increase this funding so that states can start building the requisite healthcare infrastructure. &nbsp;

Supply chains are still disrupted. People are hungry and are mortgaging their dignity to stand in long queues, to get cooked food either from private bodies. Only 15 per cent&nbsp;of the poor have received the promised pulses under the union government’s package. Around 11 crore poor are estimated to be out of the entitled PDS net and are on the verge of starvation. &nbsp;

Even the most ardent supporters of the market economy feel that this is no time for fiscal prudence and a loosening of purse strings is the need of the hour. Cash transfers to the poor, tax breaks to industry, and deferment of loans, employee retaining packages for the small industries, wrapped in a large stimulus package is the need of the hour. How India deals with its economy would have a direct impact on its external trade and geopolitics at large. A nation’s external policy is shaped by its internal stability. &nbsp;

External Challenges and Opportunities &nbsp;

There is an economic web angle to the current crisis. US Fed’s balance sheet is now at record levels above $6 trillion, after the central bank pumped almost $2 trillion in quantitative easing since late February. The United States, therefore, is running high trade deficits and acting as a consumer market. Closer to home, China is acting as an investor. It wants to put the Yuan on the global currency map. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its numerous infrastructure projects make it an ideal power for smaller countries to gravitate towards itself. 
 
However, there is a constraint. With businesses shut in most of the developed world, who will China export too? After, all Economy 101 is based on supply and demand. With the demand weakening, can China retain its position as a major exporter? &nbsp;

India is in a unique position to bargain. On one side, the US would want India to spearhead its economic and geostrategic potential to counter China. Given that India also has a large sector for vaccination and pharmaceuticals, it would be heavily wooed by the United States. On the other side of the spectrum, China would want India to continue increasing its trade with it, the latter being a massive consumer market for its goods. &nbsp;

The newfound negotiating power of India places it as the middle power between two confrontationist nation-states. Yes, there will be other powers like Russia, Japan, and EU et al which may join either camp. However, traditional Indian foreign policy prefers installing ‘tents’ in either block to joining any ‘camp’ and that position will only get strengthened. &nbsp;

All this will be contingent on how India strengthens its economy — internally. And that should be our only focus, for the time being.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

 
&nbsp;

The world and the world around us has become uncertain. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic will be felt by India both internally and externally. Internally, a full lockdown cannot continue because the economy needs to be unlocked.

The world and the world around us has become uncertain. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic will be felt by India both internally and externally. Internally, a full lockdown cannot continue because the economy needs to be unlocked. Reignited. India needs to start working, even if a real threat of COVID-19 pandemic persists. We cannot surrender our future to a virus. A month lockdown has brought an already slowing economy to a grinding halt. Externally, the world economies will become inward-looking. The global recession is underway. Liberal economic order is taking a bow as protectionism will now flourish. In the geopolitical order, India will be the middle power between the United States and China. It will have substantial bargaining power in a deepening US-China confrontation. In the last two months, the pandemic scenario was so dynamic, that it was difficult to reflect upon the impact. An extended lockdown in India, the opaqueness and the revelations concerning China’s role and the abdication of the United States to lead the world in overcoming this crisis has made the picture clearer. Internal Challenges and Opportunities There is a prediction of zero percentage GDP Growth for India. India will bear ‘catastrophic consequences’ and 40 crore jobs are at peril, as per an ILO report. A large number of people are already losing their jobs and many small businesses have started bearing the brunt. Unorganised sector — which is already enduring the burden of an unplanned lockdown is hurt the most. Millions are becoming poor. Migrants have still not reached home. Women and children isolated in the houses have become vulnerable owing to a spike in the cases of abuse. Societal fissures have deepened, owing to the complacency of governments in allowing religious congregations in the beginning. Communal harmony is in danger. The Central government has announced two major packages. First, an ‘economic package’ worth Rs 1.7 lakh crore for the poor, which entails bare minimum cash transfers to women, some minuscule help to health workers, no real help for farmers and zero assistance to the small and medium businesses. Second, an ‘Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness Package’ worth Rs 15,000 crores has been announced for states. Health is a state subject. It is the states which are required to take lead in fighting the pandemic. However, no real funding has been given to states. For instance, Punjab has been handed over a pittance sum of Rs 71 crores to fight the pandemic. A big state like Karnataka has been allocated only Rs 395 crores. Kerala which has the second-highest number of cases has been allocated Rs 157 crores. This is too little. The union government should increase this funding so that states can start building the requisite healthcare infrastructure. Supply chains are still disrupted. People are hungry and are mortgaging their dignity to stand in long queues, to get cooked food either from private bodies. Only 15 per cent of the poor have received the promised pulses under the union government’s package. Around 11 crore poor are estimated to be out of the entitled PDS net and are on the verge of starvation. Even the most ardent supporters of the market economy feel that this is no time for fiscal prudence and a loosening of purse strings is the need of the hour. Cash transfers to the poor, tax breaks to industry, and deferment of loans, employee retaining packages for the small industries, wrapped in a large stimulus package is the need of the hour. How India deals with its economy would have a direct impact on its external trade and geopolitics at large. A nation’s external policy is shaped by its internal stability. External Challenges and Opportunities There is an economic web angle to the current crisis. US Fed’s balance sheet is now at record levels above $6 trillion, after the central bank pumped almost $2 trillion in quantitative easing since late February. The United States, therefore, is running high trade deficits and acting as a consumer market. Closer to home, China is acting as an investor. It wants to put the Yuan on the global currency map. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its numerous infrastructure projects make it an ideal power for smaller countries to gravitate towards itself. However, there is a constraint. With businesses shut in most of the developed world, who will China export too? After, all Economy 101 is based on supply and demand. With the demand weakening, can China retain its position as a major exporter? India is in a unique position to bargain. On one side, the US would want India to spearhead its economic and geostrategic potential to counter China. Given that India also has a large sector for vaccination and pharmaceuticals, it would be heavily wooed by the United States. On the other side of the spectrum, China would want India to continue increasing its trade with it, the latter being a massive consumer market for its goods. The newfound negotiating power of India places it as the middle power between two confrontationist nation-states. Yes, there will be other powers like Russia, Japan, and EU et al which may join either camp. However, traditional Indian foreign policy prefers installing ‘tents’ in either block to joining any ‘camp’ and that position will only get strengthened. All this will be contingent on how India strengthens its economy — internally. And that should be our only focus, for the time being. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

India’s position in global order depends on how it restarts the economy post-COVID 19

Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan is spear-heading telethons to mobilise funds from influential Pakistani citizens.&nbsp;

Influential personalities appear live on TV, they praise Imran Khan's response to the crisis. Some generous contributions are made to the Pakistani government. 
 
These telethons have provided a free platform to Pakistani clerics and their outrageous views. Cleric Tariq Jamil linked the pandemic to what he calls ‘the wrongdoing of women'.

These remarks were made in the presence of the Pakistani prime minister who made no effort to rebuke the cleric for his chauvinistic views.

Imran Khan even accused the Indian film industry of corrupting Pakistan's youth. According to him, Bollywood is behind the rise in sex crimes in Pakistan.

A prominent Pakistani activist, Hina Jilani, called the comments absurd and insensitive. She has condemned the prime minister for letting the cleric abuse women under his watch.

Pakistan's human rights commission too is appalled by these remarks. The commission said that televising such comments compound the misogyny that is already entrenched in the society.

These comments come at a time when women across the world are suffering due to domestic violence. There has been a surge in cases of femicide, but clerics are stigmatising and blaming women and for the coronavirus pandemic and the Pakistan government is silently watching.

&nbsp;

Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan is spear-heading telethons to mobilise funds from influential Pakistani citizens. Influential personalities appear live on TV, they praise Imran Khan's response to the crisis.

Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan is spear-heading telethons to mobilise funds from influential Pakistani citizens. Influential personalities appear live on TV, they praise Imran Khan's response to the crisis. Some generous contributions are made to the Pakistani government. These telethons have provided a free platform to Pakistani clerics and their outrageous views. Cleric Tariq Jamil linked the pandemic to what he calls ‘the wrongdoing of women'. These remarks were made in the presence of the Pakistani prime minister who made no effort to rebuke the cleric for his chauvinistic views. Imran Khan even accused the Indian film industry of corrupting Pakistan's youth. According to him, Bollywood is behind the rise in sex crimes in Pakistan. A prominent Pakistani activist, Hina Jilani, called the comments absurd and insensitive. She has condemned the prime minister for letting the cleric abuse women under his watch. Pakistan's human rights commission too is appalled by these remarks. The commission said that televising such comments compound the misogyny that is already entrenched in the society. These comments come at a time when women across the world are suffering due to domestic violence. There has been a surge in cases of femicide, but clerics are stigmatising and blaming women and for the coronavirus pandemic and the Pakistan government is silently watching.

Pakistani cleric links coronavirus pandemic to ‘wrongdoing of women’ as Imran Khan watches on

Globally, the number of COVID-19-related deaths has crossed 200,000. The total cases stand at over 2.8 million. Of these, 200,698 patients have died and more than 810,000 have recovered

India battles COVID-19: Health Ministry briefs media over Coronavirus crisis

There is no doubt that COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, but from where did it originate?

No one knows. There have been hints. Yet, now, for some reason, some of those hints have disappeared from the debate.

In the February 3, 2020 article in the prestigious journal Nature, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Zheng-Li Shi, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7">claimed</a> that the coronavirus RaTG13, isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, China, showed a 96.2% sequence identity with COVID-19 and, therefore, “RaTG13 is the closest relative” of COVID-19 and forms a distinct lineage from other coronaviruses.

A month later on March 17, 2020, in now the most widely-cited article both by scientists and the media, “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” published by Nature Medicine, the authors supported the conclusion that RaTG13 is CoVid-19’s closest relative, which “jumped” from animals to humans in the Wuhan Seafood Market.

But is that conclusion warranted?

In an article that appeared on February 6, 2020, scientists at the State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2020.1725399">wrote</a> that the partial RdRp gene sequence of bat coronavirus strain BtCoV/4991 (GenBank KP876546) had a 98.7% nucleotide identity with COVID-19.

On March 16, 2020 and maybe earlier, it was <a href="https://www.virology.ws/2020/02/20/pangolins-and-the-origin-of-sars-cov-2-coronavirus/">noted</a> that BtCoV/4991’s short sequence was a 100% match for the same short sequence in RaTG13 and was also a 100% match for <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7036342/">SNU01</a>, the viral isolate from the first COVID-19 patient in South Korea.

The obvious question<a href="https://www.virology.ws/2020/02/20/pangolins-and-the-origin-of-sars-cov-2-coronavirus/"> then</a> as <a href="https://osf.io/wy89d/">now</a> remains, are RaTG13 and BtCoV/4991 the same coronavirus? If true, it could reveal a cover-up by China as to the true origin of COVID-19.

Both bat coronaviruses <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-2012-7">RaTG13</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26920708">BtCoV/4991</a> were isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, China in July 2013. There GenBank accession designations are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/MN996532.1/">MN996532</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/nuccore/KP876546.1/">KP876546</a>, respectively.

BtCoV/4991 was partially sequenced in 2016, but its full sequence has never been published. Oddly, although isolated in 2013, the sequence of RaTG13 was not submitted until January 27, 2020.

It is also strange that with all the information publicly available, the most widely cited article by many scientists and media, “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” never mentions BtCoV/4991.

And how did a coronavirus, whether it be RaTG13 or BtCoV/4991, isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, nearly 1,000 miles away, end up in the Wuhan Seafood Market, if that was indeed the source of the outbreak?

Or, more likely, was it the result of a leak from a Wuhan laboratory, where experiments were being conducted on a variety of bat coronaviruses?

In addition, no one has explained the origin of COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site, which exists in none of the yet identified close coronavirus relatives and may be partially responsible for its <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12250-020-00212-7">enhanced transmissibility </a>in humans.

Furthermore, as an April 22, 2020 comment <a href="https://osf.io/wy89d/">states</a>:

“If they [the Chinese] obfuscated the origin of this virus, how can we be sure the RaTG13 genome is accurate and not manipulated? In this context, we would need independent third-party access to the original specimen to extract the genetics.”

Indeed. The science coming out of China seems to raise more questions than it answers.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) 
&nbsp;

There is no doubt that COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, but from where did it originate? No one knows. There have been hints. Yet, now, for some reason, some of those hints have disappeared from the debate.

There is no doubt that COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus, but from where did it originate? No one knows. There have been hints. Yet, now, for some reason, some of those hints have disappeared from the debate. In the February 3, 2020 article in the prestigious journal Nature, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, led by Zheng-Li Shi, claimed that the coronavirus RaTG13, isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, China, showed a 96.2% sequence identity with COVID-19 and, therefore, “RaTG13 is the closest relative” of COVID-19 and forms a distinct lineage from other coronaviruses. A month later on March 17, 2020, in now the most widely-cited article both by scientists and the media, “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” published by Nature Medicine, the authors supported the conclusion that RaTG13 is CoVid-19’s closest relative, which “jumped” from animals to humans in the Wuhan Seafood Market. But is that conclusion warranted? In an article that appeared on February 6, 2020, scientists at the State Key Laboratory of Virology, Modern Virology Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University wrote that the partial RdRp gene sequence of bat coronavirus strain BtCoV/4991 (GenBank KP876546) had a 98.7% nucleotide identity with COVID-19. On March 16, 2020 and maybe earlier, it was noted that BtCoV/4991’s short sequence was a 100% match for the same short sequence in RaTG13 and was also a 100% match for SNU01, the viral isolate from the first COVID-19 patient in South Korea. The obvious question then as now remains, are RaTG13 and BtCoV/4991 the same coronavirus? If true, it could reveal a cover-up by China as to the true origin of COVID-19. Both bat coronaviruses RaTG13 and BtCoV/4991 were isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, China in July 2013. There GenBank accession designations are MN996532 and KP876546, respectively. BtCoV/4991 was partially sequenced in 2016, but its full sequence has never been published. Oddly, although isolated in 2013, the sequence of RaTG13 was not submitted until January 27, 2020. It is also strange that with all the information publicly available, the most widely cited article by many scientists and media, “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2,” never mentions BtCoV/4991. And how did a coronavirus, whether it be RaTG13 or BtCoV/4991, isolated from bats in Yunnan Province, nearly 1,000 miles away, end up in the Wuhan Seafood Market, if that was indeed the source of the outbreak? Or, more likely, was it the result of a leak from a Wuhan laboratory, where experiments were being conducted on a variety of bat coronaviruses? In addition, no one has explained the origin of COVID-19’s furin polybasic cleavage site, which exists in none of the yet identified close coronavirus relatives and may be partially responsible for its enhanced transmissibility in humans. Furthermore, as an April 22, 2020 comment states: “If they [the Chinese] obfuscated the origin of this virus, how can we be sure the RaTG13 genome is accurate and not manipulated? In this context, we would need independent third-party access to the original specimen to extract the genetics.” Indeed. The science coming out of China seems to raise more questions than it answers. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Is Bat coronavirus 4991 a smoking gun in China’s COVID-19 cover-up?

The nationwide lockdown in India may or may not be extended beyond May 3, but companies and the manufacturing sector have already prepared their plans. As the priority will be to avoid coronavirus cases at all costs, companies will likely resume only 50 per cent of the work, keeping precautions in mind.&nbsp;

Contributing to around 7.5 per cent of India's GDP and employing over 35 million workers, the auto industry is preparing for big changes. &nbsp;

" We will be taking precautions at all the places, ranging from company buses for employees to canteens where capacity could be reduced to maintain social distancing norms. Production may come down initially but lower initial demand and some stock already lying with us could balance this reduction in production", said Raju B Ketkale, Deputy MD, Toyata Kirloskar Motor.

It's not only the production, but the sales process at dealerships and showrooms of the companies will also be impacted.

"There will be thermal checking and sanitisation points set-up at all the entry and exit points, workstations and the premises of the dealerships and showrooms. A product demonstration will also see a change as a whole new disinfection process will be implemented before every demo, to assure customer safety", said Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India

"The concern in all of the manufacturing industries is of the people gathering anywhere in the plant or in the offices. Restrictions will be there to stop the second wave of Coronavirus from occurring", said Ashim Sharma, Partner, NRI Consulting &amp; Solutions.

The service sector is also planning to handle the post-COVID-19 lockdown situation in a different way. Here, the 'work from home' concept is not going to fade away anytime soon.&nbsp;

"Businesses have found out that 'work from home' concept is very suitable for them. As a result of more people working from their place of dwelling, some areas have seen internet and voice traffic surge. Now we are planning for long term viability of these services spread across wide areas. Telecom network has to be firmed up now", said Rajan Mathews, Director-General, Cellular Operators Association of India

Post COVID-19 scenario will be also suitable for further growth of co-working business in India. Co-working workspace provides work stations and workplaces with shared resources including premises, high-speed broadband, electricity, pantry services etc. Those who are not comfortable working from home can use shared spaces at these locations.&nbsp;

"In our business also social distancing norms will change significantly. As a business model co-working will do better. We have seen 50-60 per cent jump in a number of enquiries", said Neetish Sarda, founder Smartworks, a shared office space provider as the company is betting on demand increasing post-COVID-19 lockdown is lifted.

The nationwide lockdown in India may or may not be extended beyond May 3, but companies and the manufacturing sector have already prepared their plans. As the priority will be to avoid coronavirus cases at all costs, companies will likely resume only 50 per cent of the work, keeping precautions in mind.

The nationwide lockdown in India may or may not be extended beyond May 3, but companies and the manufacturing sector have already prepared their plans. As the priority will be to avoid coronavirus cases at all costs, companies will likely resume only 50 per cent of the work, keeping precautions in mind. Contributing to around 7.5 per cent of India's GDP and employing over 35 million workers, the auto industry is preparing for big changes. " We will be taking precautions at all the places, ranging from company buses for employees to canteens where capacity could be reduced to maintain social distancing norms. Production may come down initially but lower initial demand and some stock already lying with us could balance this reduction in production", said Raju B Ketkale, Deputy MD, Toyata Kirloskar Motor. It's not only the production, but the sales process at dealerships and showrooms of the companies will also be impacted. "There will be thermal checking and sanitisation points set-up at all the entry and exit points, workstations and the premises of the dealerships and showrooms. A product demonstration will also see a change as a whole new disinfection process will be implemented before every demo, to assure customer safety", said Shashank Srivastava, Executive Director, Maruti Suzuki India "The concern in all of the manufacturing industries is of the people gathering anywhere in the plant or in the offices. Restrictions will be there to stop the second wave of Coronavirus from occurring", said Ashim Sharma, Partner, NRI Consulting & Solutions. The service sector is also planning to handle the post-COVID-19 lockdown situation in a different way. Here, the 'work from home' concept is not going to fade away anytime soon. "Businesses have found out that 'work from home' concept is very suitable for them. As a result of more people working from their place of dwelling, some areas have seen internet and voice traffic surge. Now we are planning for long term viability of these services spread across wide areas. Telecom network has to be firmed up now", said Rajan Mathews, Director-General, Cellular Operators Association of India Post COVID-19 scenario will be also suitable for further growth of co-working business in India. Co-working workspace provides work stations and workplaces with shared resources including premises, high-speed broadband, electricity, pantry services etc. Those who are not comfortable working from home can use shared spaces at these locations. "In our business also social distancing norms will change significantly. As a business model co-working will do better. We have seen 50-60 per cent jump in a number of enquiries", said Neetish Sarda, founder Smartworks, a shared office space provider as the company is betting on demand increasing post-COVID-19 lockdown is lifted.

Explained: Post-lockdown strategy of manufacturing and service sector

The destroyer with its crew of 350 are off the Pacific coast of South America. Its current mission is related to U.S. counter-drug activities.

Naval destroyer USS Kidd reports rise in virus cases to 33

Cases of the new coronavirus are overwhelming hospitals, morgues and cemeteries across Brazil as Latin America’s largest nation veers closer to becoming one of the world’s pandemic hot spots.

Steep rise in number of cases in Brazil

The new reports bring unknown facts to light, suggesting the COVID-19 could be spreading in the United States since December. Watch this video to know more.

Facts suggest coronavirus spreading in US since December 2019

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