Tag: pandemic

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-Top News

Disney revenue rebounds from pandemic

Disney said its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) revenues for the quarter increased 38 per cent to $4.6 billion and operating loss increased from $400 million to $630 million…reports Asian Lite News.

The Walt Disney Company has reported a revenue of $18.53 billion for its fiscal fourth quarter of 2021, up 26 per cent from a year earlier, largely due to the rebound of its theme park business from the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to Disney’s quarterly earnings report, the earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter ending on October 2 reached 9 cents compared to a loss of 39 cents in the same period last year, reports Xinhua news agency.

Disney Parks, Experiences and Products revenues for the fourth quarter increased to $5.5 billion from $2.7 billion in the prior-year quarter. The division’s quarterly profit increased to $640 million.

“Revenue and operating income growth was due to the reopening of our parks and resorts, which were open for the entire quarter (the fourth quarter) this year,” said the company in the report.

“Covid-19 and measures to prevent its spread have impacted our segments in a number of ways. Our theme parks and resorts were closed and cruise ship sailings and guided tours were suspended,” said Disney, adding that its parks and resorts, “were generally operating at reduced capacities” even while they were open.

Meanwhile, the company’s two-year-old flagship streaming service, Disney+, recorded an increase of 2.1 million subscribers in the latest quarter, bringing the number of subscribers to 118.1 million, up 60 per cent from 73.7 million in 2020.

Disney said its Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) revenues for the quarter increased 38 per cent to $4.6 billion and operating loss increased from $400 million to $630 million.

“This has been a very productive year for The Walt Disney Company, as we’ve made great strides in reopening our businesses while taking meaningful and innovative steps in Direct-to-Consumer and at our Parks,” said Bob Chapek, Disney’s CEO, in a statement.

Chapek said the company is “extremely pleased with the success of our streaming business” and confident in the growth of Disney streaming platforms globally.

Disney’s DTC services include Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu, which are viewed as new products to compete with Netflix. The company aims to gain 230 million to 260 million Disney+ subscribers by the end of fiscal 2024.

ALSO READ-Saudi Arabia to showcase first time Disney Concert

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-Top News World News

G20 leaders uphold multilateralism, grapple with pandemic

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, called on the G20 to quickly supply the vaccine donations that have been pledged to Africa, and support vaccine production there…reports Asian Lite News.

The leaders of the world’s major economies and international organizations called for enhanced international cooperation on the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly on the supply and distribution of vaccines, as multilateral talks kicked off at the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit on Saturday.

Even before the pandemic, “we faced protectionism, unilateralism and nationalism,” Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi said in his opening remarks, stressing that “it is clear multinationalism is the best answer to the problems we face today.”

Draghi praised the global vaccination effort that has almost met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) target of vaccinating 40 per cent of the world’s adult population by the end of this year, though he noted that vaccination campaigns in poor countries have lagged dramatically behind those in high-income countries, Xinhua news agency reported.

“Now we must do all we can to reach 70 per cent global vaccination rate by mid-2022,” Draghi added.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said through a video link at the first session of the summit that the G20 countries should solve the problem of mutual recognition of Covid-19 vaccines and vaccination certificates as soon as possible. This issue combined with unfair competition and protectionism means not all countries have equal access to vaccines and other vital resources, he stressed.

He called on the G20 members to develop mechanisms for the systematic and prompt updating of vaccines, given that the coronavirus continues to mutate.

Meanwhile, European Council President Charles Michel tweeted during the summit: “We need to expand vaccine sharing and production in vulnerable countries, notably against Covid-19,” adding that a treaty on pandemics will allow for better prevention, preparedness and global response.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO, called on the G20 to quickly supply the vaccine donations that have been pledged to Africa, and support vaccine production there.

“Vaccine equity is not charity; it’s in every country’s best interests,” he said.

The issues at the top of the agenda for the two-day summit under the Italian Presidency of the G20 include the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change and economic recovery.

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-Top News COVID-19 UK News

Inquiry finds UK’s Covid failings among worst in history

Tory MPs Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark, who chair the committees, said the nature of the pandemic meant it was “impossible to get everything right”…reports Asian Lite News.

The UK’s failure in early handling in the Covid-19 pandemic was one of the worst ever public health failures, a landmark inquiry has found.

The government approach – backed by its scientists – was to try to manage the situation and in effect achieve herd immunity by infection, the report by MPs said, the BBC reported.

This led to a delay in introducing the first lockdown, costing lives. But the report by a cross-party group said there had been successes too – in particular the vaccination programme.

It described the whole approach – from the research and development through to the rollout of the jabs – as “one of the most effective initiatives in UK history”.

According to BBC, the findings are detailed in the long-awaited report from the Health and Social Care Committee and the Science and Technology Committee, which contain MPs from all parties.

Across 150 pages, the committees cover a variety of successes and failings over the course of the pandemic, which has claimed more than 150,000 lives to date and is described by the MPs as the “biggest peacetime challenge” for a century.

Tory MPs Jeremy Hunt and Greg Clark, who chair the committees, said the nature of the pandemic meant it was “impossible to get everything right”.

“The UK has combined some big achievements with some big mistakes. It is vital to learn from both,” they added in a statement to accompany the report.

A government spokesperson said lessons would be learned, which was why there would be a full public inquiry next year.

“We have never shied away from taking quick and decisive action to save lives and protect our NHS, including introducing restrictions and lockdowns,” BBC quoted the spokesperson as saying. “Thanks to a collective national effort, we avoided NHS services becoming overwhelmed.”

Meanwhile, another 40,224 people in Britain have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 8,193,769, according to official figures released Monday.

The country also recorded another 28 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 137,763. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

There are currently 6,728 patients in hospital with COVID-19 in Britain.

The data came as British Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Health Secretary Sajid Javid have jointly written to parents of secondary school and college students, urging them to ensure their children are testing regularly and encouraging them to get vaccinated against coronavirus.

Official estimates showed that around 270,000 secondary pupils had COVID-19 in the week to Oct. 2.

Meanwhile, new data showed that England’s rate of new COVID cases has climbed to its highest level since the summer this year.

A total of 201,660 cases were recorded in the seven days to Oct. 7, the equivalent of 356.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is the highest figure since July 24, when the seven-day rate stood at 375.1, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

More than 85 percent of people aged 12 and over in Britain have had their first dose of vaccine and more than 78 percent have received both doses, the latest figures showed. (ANI/Xinhua)

ALSO READ-UK Covid 19 cases surge to four-month high

READ MORE-UK Covid Death Toll Rose To 63,506

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Arts & Culture Lite Blogs

Pandemic impact on women artists

I know women bore a disproportionate share of the burden during the pandemic. But I cannot comment on how that affected their practice…artist Santosh Jain interacts with Siddhi Jain.

In the modern era, women are exploring their talents and exposing them to the outer world without any inhibition. The pandemic has transformed the art landscape in India, driving art exhibitions to the digital medium and an influx of pandemic-inspired themes on the canvas.

How has the art landscape in India changed from 2019 to now? Is there a specific impact of the pandemic on women artists? Four Indian female artists assess its tangible impacts on the art world.

Santosh Jain

Viewing of art on digital platforms gained almost sudden popularity after 2019. Indian artists took to social media to share their works, form artist groups and even tag peers in art challenges. It was as if the artist community had come together; this was inspiring. One could see works of artists one hadn’t come across earlier, and virtual interactions helped support each other during the lockdown. But the ease of posting and over one year of just digitally viewing art also led to ‘art fatigue’ and a dilution in quality! Art galleries and museums have reopened in the last 2 months. And even though there are strict guidelines on admissions, timings, etc., it feels great to see art lovers step out to experience art.

I know women bore a disproportionate share of the burden during the pandemic. But I cannot comment on how that affected their practice. Instead, I can speak about myself and how the pandemic impacted me as a woman artist.

The pandemic affected me quite badly. I felt pressed down with so much dread around… updates on tv, ambulance sirens, eerie silence and WhatsApp messages bearing sad news. Fear and uncertainty haunted me day and night. My art helped me express my inner concerns and come to terms with the new ‘normal’. I created works across mediums almost daily – Multi Media works, Digital Paintings and even Linocuts in 2020 -21. For The Lockdown Series, I experimented with art material’ that was available at home — bills from home deliveries, kitchen foil, laundry strips, coffee, old cards, etc., My colour palette turned gloomy during the second wave. I also explored the concept of ‘shadows’ in The Languish Series. I feel no one stays with us forever except our shadow. In good times, in bad times and even in death.

Sonali Chaudhari

The years 2019 to 2021 have seen significant changes in each and every sphere. The Covid-19 pandemic has had lasting implications on every level of society. Art forms of any period are a reflection of that era. Needless to say, much of the art created during these years will remind us of these difficult times for generations to come. Furthermore, locked in the confines of their homes, people have become more conscious of the impact of art in their lives. Instead of being something elitist, art also has a vital role in stress relief and mental health. More and more online exhibitions made art easily accessible to all people. As an artist, I have seen many people approach me for art that they can identify with and uplift them. During the prolonged lockdowns, my studio was my sanctuary. It gave me much time for self-reflection and exploring various facets of my work in ways that are impossible without complete solitude.

The pandemic has affected every single person and has had an impact on women artists too. However, as in all cases, the level of that impact varies from person to person, based on their socio-economic background. So one cannot generalise in this case. We have all been through the same storm but in different boats.

Seema Kohli

Post the pandemic, art became much more accessible and easier to procure. People had the time to virtually explore art. Most established art galleries already had online presence. The pandemic allowed them to gear up the virtual experience with enhanced technology such as online viewing rooms, artist talks and so on. I think, in spite of the fact that the pandemic had lot of lows, there was room for people to sort of alter their lives and move into different spaces online.

I see myself as an artist first and then as a women artist! On the whole, the impact on the artist community was more of an emotional set back, despite having all the time to themselves to create art. Most of us felt that it was time when we could introspect, sit-down, experiment and work a lot more than otherwise. I think there was no social compulsion which also made it easier for us all to work in our own space and embark on our own journey.

Brinda Miller

I wouldn’t say that the current art landscape has been a reason for artists to make time for introspection and I find a lot of artists posting their best work on social media, especially women artists. I have spent a fair amount of time dabbling in different art experiments. More for my enjoyment and pleasure rather than thinking about the future of art in terms of a career. The shift has been fairly satisfying. The works are brighter than ever as times maybe uncertain and grim. I have always been inspired by my travel but now I am looking at other things. Looking inwards rather than outwards. Being creative can have the best results for women …. be it in their kitchen or it could be pursuing online courses.

Art is a form of meditation. Colour is therapy! I try to lead a normal life and keep myself busy. I miss a few things like meeting people and travelling but there are other things to keep me going. I have recently begun travelling again -I was in Ladakh last week where the landscape was spectacular, and hope to travel to new places. The rainy weather outside my window is awesome and Mumbai as a city inspires me a lot as do the people of Mumbai who go on with their lives and deal with every issue and survive so well.

ALSO READ-‘Lokame Tharavadu’ a shot in the arm for artists

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-Top News PAKISTAN

Punjab province fails to release pandemic funds

Pakistan's medical facilities crumbling under rising COVID-19 cases(ANI)

These funds were allocated in the month of July, for the COVID-19 medicines and required instruments in the state-run hospitals….Reports Asian Lite News

State-run hospitals in Pakistan’s Punjab province are facing a financial crunch due to the shortage of funds in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Punjab province’s Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department (SH&MED) sent numerous reminders to the Punjab government, to release the funds of Pakistani Rs 2 Billion, which they had allocated for the state-run hospitals in Punjab, reported Dawn.

The health department in their fourth reminder to the Punjab government asked to release the allocated fund of Pakistani Rs 2 Billion for the emergency provision, in view of COVID-19 fourth wave in the province.

These funds were allocated in the month of July, for the COVID-19 medicines and required instruments in the state-run hospitals.

Officials from government hospitals even claimed that they were not able to pay the salaries of the doctors. They even warned of possible “mishap” due to the COVID-19 peak in the absence of funds, reported Dawn.

SH&MED in its fourth letter to the Punjab government gave reference to all the letters sent to the government earlier. These letters were sent to the Punjab Finance Secretary in order to acquire the allotted funds for the COVID-19. The letter read about the inability of the government hospitals to meet their expenses and pay salaries to the doctors. The hospitals had specifically hired doctors at lump sum packages during COVID-19.

The health department has requested the Punjab government to release at least Pakistani Rs 1 billion of the allocated Pakistani Rs 2 billion funds as part of an emergency grant to the state-run hospitals.

Meanwhile, Pakistan on Sunday has reported 2,580 fresh cases of COVID-19 and 71 deaths in the last 24 hours, according to Pakistan’s National Command and Operation Centre data.

2,580 cases of COVID-19 were reported after 55,027 tests of COVID-19 were conducted throughout the country. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Imran Khan slammed over rising inflation in Pakistan

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-Top News COVID-19 UAE News

UAE reports fewest Covid-19 cases in a year

UAE reports fewest Covid-19 cases in a year

The United Arab Emirates reported fewer than 400 coronavirus cases for the first time in more than a year, with just two weeks to go for Dubai Expo – the biggest in-person event since the pandemic began…reports Asian Lite News

The Gulf nation reported 391 cases on Sunday. Infections have been dropping steadily in the country, which has rolled out one of the fastest vaccination campaigns in the world.

Abu Dhabi on Sunday abolished a requirement for visitors coming from other parts of the country to show a Covid-19 negative test as infection rate in the UAE capital fell to 0.2% of total tests.

UAE reports fewest Covid-19 cases in a year

The decline in cases will come as a boost for Dubai, one of the UAE’s seven emirates, as it gears up to host the Expo event that starts in October. The exhibition is expected to attract 25 million visits over six months.

Visitors to the event will now be required to provide vaccination certificates or get tested to enter the event, under new rules issued days after organizers said inoculations weren’t needed.

ALSO READ: 95% surge in public trust in UAE’s Covid measures

The Expo, initially set for October 2020, was meant to attract millions of visitors and provide a boost to the local economy. But as the pandemic hit, halting the global economy, the government postponed the event and reconsidered its targets.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health and Prevention has announced that 33,216 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine were given in the past 24 hours. The total number of doses provided up to today stands at 19,445,872 with a rate of vaccine distribution of 196.61 doses per 100 people.

95% surge in public trust in UAE’s Covid measures

This is in line with the Ministry’s plan to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to all members of society and efforts to reach acquired immunity resulting from the vaccination, which will help reduce the number of cases and control the virus.

Meanwhile, more than 228.11 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 4,891,537 have died on Sunday.

Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.

Categories
-Top News COVID-19 UAE News

CBUAE sees Covid-19 increasing money-laundering risks

Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE

The number of so-called “money mules” increased during the pandemic, reports Asian Lite News

The United Arab Emirates central bank sees increased risks of illicit financial flows emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, including money-laundering and terrorism financing, it said in a report published on Sunday.

The use of unlicensed money service providers for money laundering has increased during the coronavirus crisis last year, the report said, as well as the use of e-commerce to launder money.

CBUAE sees Covid-19 increasing money-laundering risks

“Widespread lockdowns have resulted in a significant surge in e-commerce. Due to limited ability to move funds and goods during the pandemic, illicit actors are turning to e-commerce as a money laundering tool”, it said.

The number of so-called “money mules” – people who receive illicit funds into their bank accounts to hold or withdraw and wire elsewhere, taking a commission for their services – increased, the bank said, with accounts in the majority of cases belonging to low income individuals from Africa and Asia.

The bank identified fraud risks linked to the pandemic such as companies or individuals submitting false claims to qualify for government stimulus support measures.

“As we continue to monitor and learn more about the spread of Covid-19 in our communities, we have recently observed heightened external fraud threat, especially with cyber criminals exploiting both traditional and digital channels, to remotely perpetrate cyber-enabled fraud attacks at scale in a rapidly evolving environment”, the bank also said.

The report comes as the central bank steps up efforts to combat illicit financial flows.

The Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental anti-money laundering monitor, said last year that “fundamental and major improvements” were needed to avoid it placing the UAE on its “grey list” of countries under increased monitoring.

New guidance for licensed financial institutions

Last week, CBUAE issued a new guidance on transaction monitoring and sanctions screening for its licensed financial institutions (LFIs).

The Guidance aims to promote the understanding and effective implementation by LFIs of their statutory anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) obligations.

The guidance has come into effect on 13th September and requires LFIs to demonstrate compliance with CBUAE’s requirements within one month from said date.

ALSO READ: Abu Dhabi Chamber Chief Lauds UAE’s progress

LFIs are obliged to develop internal policies, controls, and procedures that are commensurate with the nature and size of their business that are approved by their senior management, to enable them manage their identified money laundering and financing of terrorism risks. LFIs must also put in place indicators to identify suspicious transactions and activities in order to file suspicious transaction and activity reports or other report types to the UAE’s Financial Intelligence Unit.

In addition, LFIs are obliged to regularly screen their databases and transactions against names on lists issued by the United Nations Security Council and its relevant Committees (UN Consolidated List) or by the UAE Cabinet (UAE Local Terrorist List) before conducting any transaction or entering into a business relationship with any client, whether it is individual or corporate.

Central Bank of the UAE, CBUAE

As stipulated in the guidance, LFIs should establish and maintain effective transaction monitoring and sanction screening programs consisting of a well-calibrated risk-based framework, training and awareness of their employees and active oversight by their board. In addition, LFIs should ensure the ongoing enhancement of their transaction monitoring and sanctions screening systems based on their risks. The systems, including the relating monitoring and screening models used should be subject to independent testing, validation, and auditing.

Khaled Mohamed Balama, Governor of the CBUAE, said, “As we continue to enhance the effectiveness of AML/CFT measures to safeguard the UAE financial system, we expect licensed financial institutions to fulfil their duties as well. This guidance serves as a key point of reference for licensed financial institutions to ensure their compliance with AML/CFT requirements.”

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Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Pandemic made changes in home décor trends

Who said lights are only for Diwali and X’mas? Light denotes hope and positivity in all way. Not enough lighting in homes can impact your mood for the worse…writes Puja Gupta.

Home also needs refreshed look and changes as per time passes. Looking at the same walls 24/7 while stuck at home can be quite taxing. While people are reclaiming their space, they are finding true meaning in their homes in terms of feeling safe and comfortable. While we cannot control the uncertainty happening in the outside world, we definitely can control things inside, and this outbreak has inspired us to transform our homes. Michelle Williamson, Interior Designer, WoodenStreet, shares how this pandemic brought changes in home decor trends.

Colours and Colours

Since the pandemic, the outside world has left us with no colourful vibes, but on the positive side, it has inspired us to bring colour to our home in the best way possible. Colours are proven to be a perfect way to infuse positivity into your home interiors. Add them in any form, be it cushion covers, rugs, curtains, and other furnishing items. Incorporating hues like yellows and bright pinks into your surroundings adds a dash of cheerfulness in no time.

A Wall Re-Do

Looking at the same drab wall the whole day while stuck at home can make you feel more bored. In that case, wall treatments are the true caller. Bring in a scenario — the photo frames, which are the right statement-makers. Photo frames always make you feel nostalgic, and it is a good-to-go option for a re-do as well. From childhood pictures to the pandemic photographs (yes, why not?), create a wall full of pictures, and it will give a perfect Instagram-worthy look.

Let the Light Follow You

Who said lights are only for Diwali and X’mas? Light denotes hope and positivity in all way. Not enough lighting in homes can impact your mood for the worse. Add the light that you love, be it hanging lights, table lamps, floor lamps, and bring a change in surroundings. With WFH becoming the new normal, interior designers suggest to move your workspace close to a window to infuse natural light to your home.

Porch Treatment

This pandemic has reduced people from going to each other’s homes, rather preferring to meet them outside the house like in a porch or home garden. And this inspired them to do a home garden or porch treatment. Compared to the plain porches earlier, people are now adopting balcony furniture for making seating space outside the home, considering the home garden and other deco-inspiring items as essentials.

Make Private Spaces

While this crisis has allowed us to spend enough time with family members, accept that you do need your private space too. And, this encouraged people to create separate areas within the home itself. While you can’t create a separate room, you can create separate zones with room dividers and various other screen partitions.

Kitchen Deserves Convenience

This lockdown has led many to experiment with the new recipes and made the kitchen the favourite place of the house. And, while you start spending time at some place, you want it to be as per your convenience, and kitchens definitely deserve that. The kitchen cabinets, trolleys, functional microwave stands and high-quality machines can help you achieve that oh-so-perfect and restaurant-style results at home.

Hygiene is Must

People are now giving more importance to bathroom accessories which were often ignored earlier. From bathroom mats to soap dispenser sets, people are more towards the side of adding all these things in a bathroom as on priority, considering the hygiene factor a must.

ALSO READ-India’s pride reaches home

READ MORE-Enjoy culinary experience from home kitchen

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Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Know the pulse of career trends

In a world changing so fast, successful companies are always creating new value for their customers…writes Siddhi Jain.

Pandemic has really shaken the world of job opportunities, that eventually hit the life and career ambitions of many. As the world of education and work makes a gradual recovery from the effects of Covid-19 pandemic, experts foresee the new trends and dramatic changes that will impact the careers of graduates who venture out in the market in 2021-22 and onwards.

A new technology-driven focus, according to Marwadi University Provost Sandeep Sancheti, would emerge in the jobs that are likely to be in demand in the coming times. In the medical and health field, he lists some of these trending jobs to be: Health-care supporting staff like intake specialists, pharmacy technicians, and certified nursing assistants. This field also has roles such as mental health specialists and health and fitness coaches to be on the rise.

In the IT and Computer space, he foresees demand for data science specialists, data management analysts and data mining experts, along with artificial intelligence and machine learning engineers, user experience professionals like UI/UX design specialists, product design consultants, game developers, full stack developers and cloud engineers and architects, and cyber security experts.

“Among everything else, one thing is for sure, remote work is here to stay. The millennials and GenZ will be the trendsetters with Zoom and Google workspaces as the ruling platforms for remote work and the year 2021 will see more opportunities and prospects for dynamic and multi-tasking professionals with analytical, programming and marketing skills,” he says.

As per Sandeep Shastri, Vice Chancellor, Jagran Lakecity University, the career trends currently being offered in the 2nd decade of this century are the most diverse ever available in human history. The fields are demanding super specializations and individuals are training to fill the gaps.

“The digital revolution has shown its effects in the hospitality sector in the form of automation of a huge chunk of repetitive tasks. Public policy traditionally being a blend of political science, law and sociology now has added data analytics to the mix. In areas like accounting and finance, new and extended career roles are outsourcing services, big data analytics, fintech, artificial intelligence, cloud accounting and block chain technology. Post-Covid era brings huge job opportunities in financial institutions like stock exchanges, depositaries, stock broking firms and investment banks etc which are employing tech-savvy economists en masse,” he says.

Digital content creators like podcasters, bloggers, influencers, video creators, and voice-over artists will be in demand in the future.

According to Sahil Aggarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, Rishihood University, “with increasing options, access to information, and technological changes”, the current generation of students faces a different aspect of career growth.

Here are some tips on capitalising on these career trends:

Entrepreneurial mindset

Employers are increasingly looking for employees who are self-driven. The best employees align with the company’s objectives, find new tasks, and work with teams to achieve. Those who work as if it is their own company are more likely to succeed than those who wait to be given a task list.

Interdisciplinary talent

Graduates who demonstrate an understanding of varied domains are appreciated more than those who are narrowly focused.

Creative potential

In a world changing so fast, successful companies are always creating new value for their customers. Employees who have creative potential are far more valuable than those who stick to the routine.

People skills

It is often repeated, and rightly so, that beyond a point, a person grows or stagnates based on how well one can work with others.

Learning to learn
Once we stop learning, we are replaced by other humans or machines. The mindset of learning is key to succeed in the 21st century.

ALSO READ-Nepal provides temporary jobs for tourism workers

READ MORE-‘Great Kashmir firewall to prevent terror sympathisers from getting govt jobs’

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-Top News UK News World

G7 to unveil global anti-pandemic action plan

The G7 leaders are expected to agree to the ‘Carbis Bay Declaration’, in which they commit to a 100 day response window to develop vaccines, treatments and diagnostics and how governments can quickly respond to any future outbreaks, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) will commit to using all their resources in an effort to ensure the devastation caused by a pandemic like Covid-19 is never repeated.

On the second day of their summit in Cornwall, they are expected to agree the ‘Carbis Bay Declaration’, an historic statement setting out a series of concrete commitments to prevent any repeat of the human and economic devastation wreaked by coronavirus.

The G7 opened a three-day summit in an English seaside village on Friday, focused on pandemic recovery, including plans for equitable access to vaccines and financial support to build vaccine production sites around the world.

G7
Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs the G7 Leaders Summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall. (Picture Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)

The much-anticipated Summit marks the first in-person meeting of the member heads of state since the Covid-19 outbreak last year.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie welcomed the G7 leaders at the beach of Carbis Bay in Cornwall, where the group posed for the traditional “family photo” as talks kicked off.

In his opening remarks, Johnson said the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies would learn from the lessons of the “wretched pandemic,” Britain’s Press Association (PA) reported.

“We need to make sure that we learn the lessons from the pandemic, we need to make sure that we don’t repeat some of the errors that we doubtless made in the course of the last 18 months or so,” Johnson said.

Queen Elizabeth II, sits for a group photograph with all the G7 leaders at the Eden Project. (Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)

He also said that the G7 wanted to be sure that “we are building back better together and building back greener and building back fairer and building back more equal.”

US President Joe Biden, who is on his first trip abroad since taking office, jokingly said at one point while on the beach: “Everybody in the water.”

“I’m looking forward to reinforcing our commitment to multilateralism and working with our allies and partners to build a more fair and inclusive global economy,” he said, according to PA.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also stressed the importance for multilateralism.

She said especially Biden “presents and represents the commitment to multilateralism, which after all we have lacked in recent years,” referencing Biden’s predecessor, former US president Donald Trump.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson speak with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Eden Project during the G7 leaders Summit. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

On Thursday, the G7 pledged to donate 1 billion vaccine doses to poorer nations, by sharing jabs directly and through financial aid, the British government announced.

Leaders are also to come up with a plan to extend vaccine manufacturing.

Ahead of the summit, Biden said the US would donate another 500 million vaccine doses to 92 poorer countries and the African Union by June next year.

Johnson, who is hosting the summit, announced that his country would provide 100 million surplus doses, most of them to be distributed through the COVAX vaccine-sharing programme.

COVAX co-chair Jane Halton told Times Radio she was “delighted and excited” about Johnson’s announcement.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street.

“We’ve been calling to target the vulnerable around the world. So let’s assume we get to 1 billion by the end, that will be extraordinarily welcome.”

However, about 11 to 12 billion vaccine doses were necessary to immunize the entire global population, Halton warned, adding that so far only about 2.2 billion doses had been administered, about 77 per cent of which had gone to just 10 countries.

The G7 group remains divided over the issue of lifting patent protection for coronavirus vaccines, as proposed by the US and several other nations.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that France and South Africa would present a proposal during the summit on an exemption for a limited period of time and applying to particular places.

The group is also looking to discuss plans to better prepare the world for future outbreaks. “Global solutions are needed,” according to a draft of a “Carbis Bay Health Declaration” seen by dpa.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson poses for a family photograph with US President Joe Biden, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, France’s President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel during the G7 Leaders summit in Carbis Bay. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street

In the evening, the leaders are scheduled to attend a reception hosted by Queen Elizabeth II and her son, Prince Charles, during which environmental protection and fighting climate change are on the agenda.

In the afternoon, hundreds of Extinction Rebellion environmental activists staged a protest march targeting the G7 summit, PA reported.

Extinction Rebellion says the protests are in response to G7 nations’ “failure to respect the global climate commitments they made in Paris in 2015” and “to urge the leaders meeting at Carbis Bay in Cornwall to act immediately to address the climate and ecological emergency.”

A group of 457 global investors published a letter on Friday, calling on leaders worldwide to ramp up national plans to combat climate change to meet the goals set in the Paris climate agreement.

  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)
  • (Picture by Andrew Parsons No 10 Downing Street)