ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani lab will soon receive Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine for commercial sale, a company official said on Sunday, making Pakistan one of the first countries to market shots privately as it scrambles to secure supplies.
Despite concerns over fairness and higher prices, Islamabad agreed this week to allow the commercial import and sale of vaccines without price caps, in contrast to most countries, which are importing and administering vaccines through government channels.
“We are told the first shipment is expected within the next week,” Chughtai Lab director Omar Chughtai told Reuters, adding it would be receiving several thousand doses.
Pakistan’s decision to allow private sales of vaccine without a price cap in a lower-income country of 220 million people has faced criticism.
Former health minister Zafar Mirza, while praising government efforts to procure and distribute free vaccines, said that avoiding a price cap for private sales “will deepen inequality in society at a time when there is a need to have widespread coverage.”
The government launched a vaccination drive this month with 500,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine donated by longtime ally China. But aside from the donated Chinese doses, Islamabad has not completed any deals to buy vaccines.
Sputnik V is one of four vaccines approved for emergency use in Pakistan, in addition to those by China’s Sinopharm and CanSinoBio, and the AstraZeneca-Oxford University shot.
Chughtai Lab aims to import the others as well, but Sputnik V was the first to become available, Chughtai said.
Health Minister Faisal Sultan said in a message he was “not directly aware” of the deal.
Chughtai declined to specify import costs or prices but said the price would “appear inflated” compared with what has been reported for Sputnik V globally, given the smaller volume it was planning to sell relative to global procurement.
Sputnik V’s developers have said the two-dose vaccine would be sold at $10 per dose.
“Internationally there is very high demand, and I would not be surprised if the price points are higher today,” Chughtai said, adding that prices will come down over the next three to four months as more vaccines become available.
“The biggest challenge around the vaccines globally right now is allocation to specific countries,” he said.
Chughtai said his Lahore-based pathology lab had turned down “grey market” offers from people in various countries who had “extra vaccine” not officially meant for re-export.
The lab is importing Sputnik V through Pakistani firm Ali Gohar Pharmaceuticals Pvt and the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is responsible for marketing the vaccine abroad.
In a filing with the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Feb. 15, Ali Gohar Pharmaceuticals Pvt said it was the exclusive distributor of the Sputnik V vaccine in the country, but “has not entered into a supply agreement with any hospital or diagnostic center” either “directly or indirectly.”
The statement added that the firm would only make such an agreement “after completion of all necessary legal formalities and which duly conforms and fully complies with the directions issued by the relevant regulatory authorities.”
Chughtai said he expected an official government decree in the next two days specifying rules on inoculations by the private sector, including on registration of recipients. The company expects to receive shipments every four to five days.
Pakistan lab expects Sputnik V doses for commercial sale in a week
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Pakistan lab expects Sputnik V doses for commercial sale in a week
- Islamabad agreed this week to allow the commercial import and sale of vaccines without price caps
- Sputnik V’s developers have said the two-dose vaccine would be sold at $10 per dose
China to lift sanctions on EU Parliament members, official says
- China has grown keen to forge closer economic and political ties with Europe
- The sanctions China is lifting, according to the official, were imposed in 2021
BRUSSELS: China has decided to lift sanctions on four members of the European Parliament as well as on its subcommittee on human rights, a parliament official told Reuters.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is expected to announce the change on Wednesday. The official initially said sanctions would be lifted for four current members and one former member but later said the decision applied only to four current members.
China has grown keen to forge closer economic and political ties with Europe to limit the damage from tariffs on most of its exports to the United States.
The sanctions China is lifting, according to the official, were imposed in 2021 in response to Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detentions of Muslim Uyghurs.
In response to the Chinese sanctions on its members, the European Parliament halted the ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, which had aimed to put EU companies on an equal footing in China.
Asked about reports that Beijing would lift sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference on Wednesday that “the economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe is complementary and mutually beneficial.”
“The legislative bodies of China and the EU are an important part of China-EU relations, and we hope that the two sides will meet each other halfway and strengthen exchanges,” he said, adding that “members of the European Parliament are welcome to visit China more often.”
Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’
- On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a ‘major plot’ planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast
- Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle
ABIDJAN: Several thousand people rallied in support of Burkina Faso’s ruling junta Wednesday, days after the military authorities said they had uncovered a “plot” to overthrow the government.
Demonstrators carried giant posters of junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and Burkinabe and Russian flags.
With placards bearing slogans such as: “Down with imperialism and its local lackeys” and “Full support for President Ibrahim Traore and the people of Burkina Faso,” they gathered in a central square in the capital Ouagadougou.
It was one of the biggest pro-junta demonstrations since Traore seized power in a September 2022 coup in the west African country, which has been battling jihadist attacks for a decade that have killed tens of thousands of people.
On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a “major plot” planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast, with the arrests of several top army officials.
Traore has regularly accused Ivory Coast of harboring his opponents, allegations its neighbor rejects.
Over more than a year, the junta has detained several dozen military officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, accusing them of plotting or of attempting to destabilize republican institutions.
Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle.
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo addressed the rally which was also attended by several ministers and MPs and called by the National Coordination of the Civilian Vigil (CNAVC), a coalition of pro-junta civil society groups.
“We must stand up more than ever because when the people stand up, the imperialists tremble,” the prime minister told the crowd.
Rallies condemning the “hypocrisy” of former colonial powers also took place in Burkina’s second biggest city Bobo Dioulasso and in Boromo.
“We, peoples who love justice and sovereignty, affirm our unwavering solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Burkinabe people for their emancipation,” a CNAVC spokesman said.
“This mobilization is proof that the people are committed to their leaders,” Ghislain Some, CNAVC secretary general, said.
“The people are standing up, mobilized and united behind captain Ibrahim Traore. We will never be able to harm our president or destabilize our country. We are a shield,” Some said.
Adama Kima, one of the organizers, said on national television that the rally was also to denounce remarks attributed to US Africa Command chief General Michael Langley accusing Traore of using the country’s gold reserves for personal protection at the expense of the well-being of the people.
Like its neighbors Niger and Mali, Burkina Faso under Traore has turned away from its former colonial master France and moved closer to Russia.
All three of those Sahel states have been battling violence by militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group for a decade.
The three junta-led countries quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the beginning of the year, accusing the regional bloc of being subservient to France, and have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), originally set up as a defense pact in 2023 but which now seeks closer integration.
William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary
- The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color
- The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials
LONDON: Prince William and his wife Catherine marked their 14th anniversary by releasing a romantic photograph of themselves on the Scottish island of Mull, as the princess continues her cancer recovery.
The heir to the throne and Catherine, also known as Kate, were pictured looking out to sea on a shoreline with their arms around each other.
The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color.
The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials.
“Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull. Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome W & C,” it said.
The couple opted for a low-key anniversary celebration including a stay at a self-catering cottage on the secluded west coast island.
They married on April 29, 2011, at London’s Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.
During the two-day visit to the islands of Mull and Iona, William and Catherine spent time with members of the local communities “reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment” — two subjects close to both their hearts, according to their Kensington Palace office.
They previously visited Mull when they were students at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews where they met.
The island, Scotland’s fourth-largest, has a population of around 3,000 people, and is known for its fishing and farming communities.
Engagements included a visit to an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory and a local croft where they learned about sustainable farming and hospitality.
On Wednesday they joined children and parents at a woodland play group offering den building, nature trails and animal tracking.
The issue of childrens’ early years development has been described as mother-of-three Catherine’s life’s work by aides.
She has also stressed the healing role of nature in her own recovery following a cancer diagnosis last year.
Catherine, whose formal title is Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was “in remission,” having announced in March last year that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.
She has since returned to frontline public duties but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.
Her diagnosis came as William’s father King Charles III also battled cancer for which he is still undergoing treatment.
The royal couple were due to wrap up their trip later Wednesday with a visit by public ferry to the neighboring island of Iona.
Although Iona has a population of only around 170 people it receives around 130,000 visitors a year.
US backs Israel’s ban on UNRWA Gaza aid operations at World Court
- The US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories
- The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired
AMSTERDAM: Israel cannot be forced to allow the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA to operate in Gaza, the United States said on Wednesday at a World Court hearing in The Hague.
Israel last year passed a law that banned UNRWA from operating in the country, as it said the organization had employed members of Hamas who took part in the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The UN said in August that nine UNRWA staff may have been involved in the assault and had been fired. Another Hamas commander, confirmed by UNRWA as one of its employees, was killed in Gaza in October, according to Israel.
The United Nations General Assembly in December asked the UN’s top court to give an advisory opinion on Israel’s obligations to facilitate aid to Palestinians that is delivered by states and international groups, including the United Nations.
At the third day of hearings on the matter, the US said Israel had the right to determine which organizations could provide basic needs to the population of the occupied Palestinian territories.
“An occupational power retains a margin of appreciation concerning which relief schemes to permit,” US State Department legal adviser Joshua Simmons said.
“Even if an organization offering relief is an impartial humanitarian organization, and even if it is a major actor, occupation law does not compel an occupational power to allow and facilitate that specific actor’s relief operations.”
Simmons also stressed the “serious concerns” Israel has about UNRWA’s impartiality.
UN and Palestinian representatives at the opening of hearings on Monday had accused Israel of breaking international law by refusing to let aid into Gaza.
Since March 2, Israel has completely cut off all supplies to the 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip, and food stockpiled during a ceasefire at the start of the year has all but run out.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in Jerusalem on Monday that Israel had submitted its position in writing to the hearings, which he described as a “circus.”
Man charged with ‘terrorism offense’ for Israeli embassy incident: UK police
- Police said they had arrested a suspect attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel
LONDON: UK police charged a man with “a terrorism offense” Wednesday as Israel’s embassy in London said a knifeman had tried to carry out an attack at the site earlier this week.
Police said they had arrested a suspect “attempting to gain unauthorized access to the grounds of the Embassy of Israel” late on Monday.
Officers said they prevented him from entering the grounds of the embassy in southwest London.
Abdullah Sabah Albadri, 33, has been charged with the “preparation of terrorist acts” and two counts of possessing a blade.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Israeli embassy in London said there was “an attempted terror attack from an armed man with a knife who tried to penetrate the embassy.”
“No injuries occurred and all embassy staff and visitors are safe,” it said.
Dominic Murphy, head of the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are not seeking anyone else in connection with this matter and we do not believe there is any wider threat to the public.”
Albadri was to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London later on Wednesday.
