News now, ‘Vaccine’



Kanak Joyti, Contributing Correspondent, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Vaccines are now the top news in the world media. Vaccine news is just a big place in every news agency, online portal and print media. International media are reporting on the progress of vaccine activities in the country, leaving behind the reports of deaths and infections in the coronavirus.

Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers have confirmed that they are preparing to send large doses to the United States. The United States, the world's top corona-affected country, wants to complete immunization on a large scale by next summer. Pfizer and Moderna have promised the US administration 220 million doses of the vaccine by March. In the meantime, 75 million doses of the vaccine have been shipped. The information was officially announced on Wednesday (February 24).

In addition to Pfizer and Moderna, a third vaccine is being developed from Johnson & Johnson, in addition to the 220 million doses. Johnson & Johnson is in the final stages of obtaining the consent of the country's regulatory authorities to send their vaccine to the United States. The idea is that the Johnson & Johnson-produced vaccine would receive a "green signal" to enter the United States any day.

Like the Northern Hemisphere, vaccines are being used all over the world. Many countries have begun administering the second dose of the vaccine. The first dose is in full swing in many countries. Several countries in Asia and the Pacific are set to begin vaccination this week.

Vaccination will begin in South Korea on Friday (February 26). Two older Australians have taken higher-than-prescribed doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Vaccine shipments have entered Thailand for the first time. Thailand has received 200,000 doses of the vaccine from China's Synovax Company. Malaysia has begun vaccinating on a limited scale and the country's prime minister has received the first vaccine.

News about the vaccine is coming from almost all over the world. Ukraine has received its first collection of vaccines. Five lakh doses of AstraZeneca manufactured at the Seram Institute of India have reached the country. Vaccination program against coronavirus will start any day in Ukraine.

The African nation of Senegal has also started vaccination this week. The global pandemic coronavirus has killed and infected the country's health sector. In response to the emergency, Senegal has collected 200,000 doses of the Chinese synoform vaccine. Senegal's health minister has officially received the first vaccine in Dakar, the capital of the West African country.

Meanwhile, in conflict-torn Lebanon, there have been management problems with vaccinations. In Lebanon, which is divided by riots, clashes and tensions, registration and other activities are being disrupted. Unable to overcome the stalemate, the World Bank has threatened the Lebanese government to cut off funding for vaccines.

Britain has slowly come a long way in vaccination. Those concerned are working there day and night to handle the situation. As one of the world's top seven financial powers, Britain has called for the introduction of a global 'vaccine passport'. Britain hopes that this will reduce the stagnation of world tourism and safe movement and increase the employment opportunities for vaccinators.

Hopefully, the World Health Organization (WHO) has started distributing vaccines for the Kovax program. Ghana is the first country in the world to receive the vaccine.

On Wednesday (February 24), the Oxford-AstraZeneca-invented vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, arrived in the Ghanaian capital, Accra. Under the Kovax program, the WHO aims to supply about six lakh doses of the Covid-19 vaccine worldwide by the end of the year.

Sheikh Rehana, the youngest daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has been vaccinated against coronavirus in Bangladesh. She received the corona vaccine on Wednesday (February 24) morning.

The corona vaccination program started nationally on February 7 in Bangladesh. This activity is going on every day from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm. Till Tuesday (February 23), 24 lakh 91 thousand 53 people have been vaccinated.

Meanwhile, 20 lakh doses of vaccine arrived in the country on Monday (February 22) in the second consignment from the Serum Institute of India to prevent corona. The vaccines were later placed in five special freezer vans from the airport to the Beximco Pharmaceuticals warehouse in Tongi.

Earlier, the Bangladesh government received 20 lakh doses of vaccine as a gift from the Indian government. After receiving this, the government started vaccinating from January 27. The experimental vaccine was administered on 27 and 28 January in Dhaka. Then on February 7 vaccination started all over the country.

   

Gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari passes away



International Desk, Barta24.com
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Jailed gangster-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansari died of a heart attack.

The 63-year-old politician died on Thursday (March 28) around 8:30 pm while undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Earlier, the jail authorities took him to the district's Rani Durgavati Medical College Hospital after he fainted in the jail last Tuesday. Later a team of nine doctors provided immediate medical attention to him. But, despite their best efforts, he died after 14 hours in the ICU.

Indian media NDTV reported that this 5-time MP from Uttar Pradesh has been in jail since 2005.

A large contingent of police was deployed outside the hospital soon after Ansari was taken to the hospital and prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been issued across Uttar Pradesh following his death, news agency PTI reported.

Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police Prashant Kumar said additional policemen have been deployed in Banda, Mau, Ghazipur and Varanasi districts as well as Central Reserve Police Force.

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The ICJ ordered Israel to take steps to stop the famine in Gaza



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has ordered Israel to take necessary and effective measures to stop the spread of famine in the besieged Palestinian Gaza Strip.

On Thursday (March 28), the International Court of Justice unanimously gave the order to Israel. But Hamas leaders say a ceasefire is necessary to prevent a humanitarian crisis.

South Africa asked the court for new measures as part of a case accusing Israel of state-led genocide in Gaza. Later the court gave this order.

The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to take necessary and effective measures to ensure basic food supplies for the Palestinian population and to stop the spread of famine, Reuters reported. The order came as Israeli forces and Palestinian fighters battled around Gaza's Al Shifa hospital.

The people of Gaza are going to face worse conditions, the court judges said. The court observed that the people of Gaza are not only at risk of famine but that famine has already begun, the judges said in the order.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said the verdict was not enough. Israel must be ordered to cease military attacks to end the suffering.

He added, "We welcome any new demands to end the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, but we hope that the court will order a ceasefire as a solution to the misery our people in Gaza are living through."

There was no immediate comment from Israel's Foreign Ministry on the International Court of Justice ruling.

The UN Security Council voted on Tuesday to demand an immediate ceasefire and the immediate unconditional release of all hostages. The United States abstained from voting, but did not veto.

 

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76 more killed in Gaza, death toll rises to nearly 32,500



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Even after the UN Security Council passed a cease-fire resolution, the Israeli barbaric attacks on the Palestinian-besieged Gaza have not stopped. Another 76 Palestinians were killed in Gaza in the last 24 hours by Israeli attacks. The death toll has increased to about 32,500 people. The number of injured has reached about 75000 people.

Al-Jazeera reported this information in a live update on Thursday (March 28).

Quoting the Ministry of Health of Gaza, the report said that since last October, the number of dead in Palestine has reached 32490 in the Israeli barbaric attack in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, an emergency ceasefire resolution was passed in the besieged Gaza Strip. The resolution passed by the UN Security Council on Monday (March 25) calls for a cease-fire in Gaza as well as the immediate and unconditional release of hostages held by Hamas.

In this proposal, 14 countries of the Security Council voted in favor of the proposal. Israel's close ally, the United States, abstained from voting.

Welcoming the proposal, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said, after a long wait, the Security Council has passed a resolution regarding the cease-fire in Gaza. This proposal must be implemented. Failure of any party to implement the ceasefire and its terms would constitute an unforgivable offence. 

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Israel wants to wipe out Palestinians: UN



International Desk, Barta24.com, Dhaka
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Gazans are going through one of the worst times in living memory. The lives of Palestinians are in danger due to the long-term killings and severe food shortages. The world is criticizing the surprise attack on the destitute Gazans. However, Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu is unwilling to stop the attack. In this situation, the international organization, which could not find any solution after repeated efforts, said that Israel is going to wipe out the Palestinians.

On Monday (March 25), the special envoy for human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanez, released her detailed report. She said that since the start of the attack, Israel has targeted Gazans. The Israeli forces assumed that these Gazans could be attacked, killed, or even destroyed. Israel's genocidal action has become clear through this. They are trying to erase Palestinians from Palestine.

The news agency AFP reported this information.

According to the report, Albanez attacked Israel in harsh language at the meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council. She said Israel destroyed Gaza. She also said, 'What is happening in Gaza shows the intention of genocide. We cannot turn away from it. We have to face it, we have to stop this genocide and action must be taken against those who took this step.''

Francesca Albanez is working as Special Envoy for Palestinian Human Rights. She told the United Nations Human Rights Council last Monday that the organization's member states should end arms embargoes against Israel and arms supplies to Israel.

Support for the UN expert panel, which has been working on allegations of genocide against Israel since the start of Israel's assault on Gaza, has been growing in Palestine. Various countries are now showing interest in investigating the allegations of genocide.

Ambassadors of different countries are supporting this report of Albanez. Ambassadors from Muslim and Arab countries, as well as Latin American countries, are among those supporting Albanez's report to hold Israel accountable.

Pakistan has supported this Albanez report on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The OIC has also called for an arms embargo on Israel. When Albanez presented the report to the United Nations Human Rights Council, Pakistan's representative said, "We appreciate your courage in documenting the genocide in Gaza."

Accusations of genocide against Israel are intensifying as it continues to operate in Gaza's Rafah area in defiance of international calls. The Ministry of Health of Palestine said on Wednesday that 76 people were killed in the attack in the last 24 hours. With this, 32490 people have been killed in Israel's attacks since October 7.

The representative of Egypt, on behalf of the Arab countries, said they were deeply concerned about Israel's structural and systematic attack on the Gaza Strip, making it uninhabitable. Qatar represented the Gulf countries in the meeting. They want international action to stop the war that Israel is waging in Palestine. 

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