JournaBulletin - Global - Week 22

 

THE WORLD THIS WEEK 

Top international news from this week at a glimpse.  

300 million COVID-19 cases record over worldwide 

From 5.5 million COVID-19 cases jumped to 10 million at the start of this year globally, accelerated by newly develop Omicron variant cases are surging rapidly, so far it is less virulent but spreading more quickly than delta variant which creates huge havoc last year. One side case is rising so quickly but the death rate has declined over recent weeks, also cases of hospitalization were much lower in proportion as compared to the previous wave. 

Government of different countries drafting new rules in order to deal with upcoming days of Coronavirus infection which is driven by Omicron. A few countries like France, Germany and US government also considering Booster shots or third doses to combat the situation. 

NATO Prepared to Respond Forcefully to Russian Aggression: Antony Blinken 

On Friday US secretary of state Antony Blinken with a NATO meeting come up with a diplomatic solution, the Russian military build-up on the Ukraine border is still possible and preferable, but that the alliance is prepared to respond forcefully to Russian aggression. On Kazakhstan Blinken said it might have a hard time getting rid of Russian troops, saying he should reflect instead on U.S. military meddling around the world. 

Blinken challenged Russia's justification for sending forces into Kazakhstan after days of violent unrest in the Central Asian country. Later Russia's foreign ministry called Blinken's remark "typically offensive" and accused him of joking about tragic events in Kazakhstan. 

India slammed by UK peers for blocking’ FCRA license of NGO’S and Mother Teresa charity 

On Thursday in the house of lord’s peers slammed India for not renewing the license of foreign funding of nearly 6,000 organisations, and called for the UK to engage with India to reverse the decision. The debate started when Lord Harries of Pentre Garth asked what representations the UK government was making to Delhi about the blocking of funds. 

On December 25, the MHA refused to renew the FCRA registration after which because of failure to renew or license was rejected almost 6,000 organisations lost their FCRA licences on January 1. 

Heading to watch snowfall, 21 people died trapped in a vehicle 

On Saturday, 21 people died in Pakistan after an enormous traffic jam caused by visitors near a hill station, Murree in the capital Islamabad who are heading to witness unusual snowfall, after which all the routes of the hill station are blocked leaving the rest of the tourists helpless. 

According to police Nine children were also among the dead and six people had frozen to death in their cars, it is not yet clear if others had died from asphyxiation after inhaling fumes in the snowdrift. Usman Abbasi, an eyewitness tourist stuck in the town where heavy snow was still falling said, “people are facing terrible situation". Later Punjab province Chief Minister's office urged people to stay away from Murree as it had been declared a "disaster area". 

Another Year another Variant of COVID-19

At the beginning of 2022, France witnessed another variant of Covid 19 IHU’ B.1.640.2 has been detected with 46 mutations and 37 deletions in its genetic code, Its name came as “variant IHU” because a team from the Méditerranée Infection University Hospital Institute (IHU) in Marseilles, France was the first to report the variant in a pre-print uploaded to MedRxiv on December 29. 

It is not yet clear whether this B.1.640.2 variant will be that much trouble or anything like the Delta and Omicron variants, studies are still going on. After this nomenclature “IHU” people rush to Twitter by making memes as “I HATE U”. It is very clear that this virus has the ability to mutate and can be mutated more in future as well. 

Author 

Shadman Alam