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 U.N. chief to push pandemic ceasefire at world summit
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will use his annual address
to world leaders next week to push for a global ceasefire until the
end of 2020 so countries can fight the coronavirus pandemic, but he
said opportunities would be lost because national leaders will not
physically be in New York.
Guterres said a global ceasefire would boost efforts to contain
COVID-19 and help create conditions for a coordinated, sustainable,
inclusive recovery.
He initially urged a global truce on March 23, but formal backing
from the 15-member U.N. Security Council took more than three
months, because of a standoff between China and the United States.
Washington did not want the resolution to reference the World Health
Organization, while Beijing did.
Olympic organisers to decide 'counter-measures' by year-end
Organisers are ploughing ahead with the postponed Tokyo Olympics and
will decide by the end of the year what "counter-measures" are
required to hold them safely in the time of coronavirus, IOC Vice
President John Coates said on Tuesday.
Australian Coates, who heads the Tokyo Games' coordination panel,
told reporters in Sydney that organisers were "throwing whatever
resources are necessary" at the Games.
"What we wait for is to decide what counter-measures we need...to
proceed, depending on what stage COVID is at," Coates said. "The
extent of the ceremonies, the extent of the crowd participation, any
necessary quarantine when they arrive in Japan. All of those
things."
Newly discovered proteins may be triggers for immune system
Scientists have discovered 23 proteins made by the novel coronavirus,
including four that might be triggering patients' immune systems to
act, or in some cases, overreact, and cause severe illness.
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By tracking protein-producing "machines" called ribosomes in cells,
the researchers were able to map exactly which parts of the genetic
code of the virus were being translated into proteins, study
co-leader Yaara Finkel of the Weizmann Institute of Science in
Israel told Reuters about the study published in the journal Nature
on Wednesday.
More work is required to determine the proteins' role in infection,
Finkel said, but that knowledge could bring "a better understanding
of the progression of the infection, as well as better ways of
either treating COVID-19, or preventing the dangerous immune
over-response."
Duterte swipes at pharma firms seeking advance vaccine payment
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte vowed on Monday to prioritise
buying coronavirus vaccine to be made available by China or Russia,
while taking a swipe at pharmaceutical firms of Western nations
asking for advance payment for offerings.
Duterte singled out China, which he said was unlike other countries
seeking a "reservation fee" or advance payment. "The one good thing
about China is you do not have to beg, you do not have to plead," he
said. "One thing wrong about the Western countries, it's all profit,
profit, profit."
Duterte did not name any companies, but said Philippine law
prohibits the government from buying anything that is non-existent
or has yet to be produced. "They want you to finance their research
and the perfection of the vaccine," he said. "They want cash advance
before they deliver the vaccine. If that's the case, then all of us
will die."
(Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
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