Acting US director of national intelligence Richard Grenell says he spoke "with an influential Lebanese Shi'ite leader" who is "close" to coming out publicly in favor of decriminalizing homosexuality

“This is something we started in our CSR wing some years ago and we will continue doing so," he said.

Beijing says reforms are underway to improve disease prevention and control mechanisms.

Carefree socialising is back in full swing, with no evidence that frequent handwashing has become the norm.

Some propose that frontline workers be housed at an isolated facility.

The looming eviction and relocation of 150 elderly residents at a decades-old care home in Hong Kong amid the coronavirus pandemic has left many fearful of infection risks, as a resident prepares to launch a last-minute legal battle against the government to stop a demolition plan within a month.Situated in the suburbs of the northern border town of Sheung Shui, Dills Corner Garden has housed 16 elderly care homes since 1997 and is much beloved by many residents for its tranquil life, quality…

A new pro-establishment alliance led by former Hong Kong leaders hopes to educate young residents on the rule of law, but cannot fulfil the government’s role of addressing political issues that emerged from last year’s months of social unrest, one of its leaders said on Sunday.Hong Kong Coalition co-convenor Leung Chun-ying, the city’s chief executive from 2012 to 2017, also said the body has been formulating plans to offer young graduates training and employment opportunities.“I hope we can…

The US government began distributing remdesivir, an experimental drug recently approved for emergency use against Covid-19, to areas of the country struggling the most with the disease.The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) arranged for some 600,000 vials of Gilead Sciences’ antiviral medication, shown to reduce recovery times for some patients, to be shipped to health authorities in New Jersey, Illinois, Michigan and three other states, to treat an estimated 78,000 hospitalised…

With her neighbourhood south of Manila locked down due to the coronavirus, Dolly Pelle had been planning to close her sari-sari convenience store – until customers convinced her they couldn’t do without her. Pelle’s store is one of a handful of similar shops all on the same street, but her’s has a crucial difference: it is the only one able to process local remittances. Lock down, start up: the digital firms cashing in on coronavirus in the Philippines In the past four years in the…

EMS said the man died at the scene.

Channelling Trump, Baldwin dispenses some words of advice to the class.

Biologists discover first salmon spawning since Revolutionary War, drawing new attention to canceled restoration program

Donald Trumps win in the Silver State gives him three straight victories in the race for the Republican nomination

Amid North Korea provocations, US could activate Pacific batteries at serene tourist locale

Prized in Asia as a luxury food, marine creature numbers could be dwindling

Sixteen defendants plead not guilty to federal conspiracy charges over armed occupation of wildlife refuge in Oregon

Rate of ER visits possibly related to marijuana doubled among out-of-state tourists, according to doctors' review

Republican Brian Sandoval, reportedly under consideration by Obama for the nation's top court, says he's not interested

Despite programs aimed at helping former fighters recover and rebuild, many struggle to find their place in society

1. Reliance Industries Limited’s First Rights Issue In Three Decades Likely To Open On 22 May  Swarajya
2. Reliance announces record date for ₹53,125 crore rights issue  Livemint
3. RIL fixes May 14 as record date for rights issue  Economic Times
4. Should You Invest In Reliance Industries Rights Issue?  Goodreturns
5. View Full coverage on Google News

Prince Harry's warmth and affection as a loving father was something that his friend Mike Tindall had predicted almost one year ago

Prince William was a bit of a reveler, something that did not sit quite well with Kate Middleton

Piers Morgan has been at outs with the newly-exited British royal family members Harry and Meghan Markle

Bhagyashree in a scene, instead of running and hugging Salman Khan, ended up bursting into tears

RAWALPINDI: Federal Minister for Industry and Production Hamad Azhar has said that two more new schemes are being introduced for small businesses.The government is well aware of the challenges being...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

VISAKHAPATNAM, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility's closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

RIYADH: Coronavirus restrictions have been eased in some Madina neighbourhoods allowing residents to leave their homes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., according to the Ministry of Interior.The move...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

LONDON: Fifty Labour Party parliamentarians have told the new Labour leader Keir Starmer that his recent statement on Indian Occupied Kashmir after a meeting with Labour Friends of India is...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

MANSEHRA: Though Kaghan-Naran section of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road has been reopened to traffic following the suspension of five consecutive months, the tourism activities in the valley are yet to...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Islamabad: A meeting of Shopping Mall Association was held here under the chairmanship of Commodore Irfanul Haq to discuss problems being faced by owners due to closure of mega facilities across the...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

HAFIZABAD: Funeral prayer of Major Nadeem Abbas Bhatti, who was martyred near Buleda, Balochistan, was offered at Buraj Dara village on Saturday. Scores of people, including politicians, army...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

RIYADH: Coronavirus restrictions have been eased in some Madina neighbourhoods allowing residents to leave their homes between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., according to the Ministry of Interior.The move...

[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Friday to discuss the issue of increased allowances of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s employees.According to a statement issued by the corporation, the mayor said that his meeting with the CM helped...

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home...

BUENOS AIRES: Diego Maradona has lent a hand in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in his hometown by autographing an Argentina national team jersey for a raffle. The sale raised money for an underprivileged area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires affected by quarantine rules....

Visakhapatnam, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility’s closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days earlier.Thursday’s pre-dawn accident in the industrial port city of Visakhapatnam injured hundreds...

KATHMANDU: Nepal protested India´s inauguration of a new road to China that passes through territory claimed by Kathmandu on Saturday, with police arresting dozens demonstrating close to India´s embassy.Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inaugurated via video link the...

MINSK: Thousands of troops paraded before crowds of spectators in Minsk Saturday to mark 75 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany as Belarus held a celebration of Victory Day despite the coronavirus pandemic.Neighbouring Russia cancelled its Victory Day parade over the pandemic and Belarus was...

DHAKA: Michael Joseph Martin, Bangladesh’s last Armenian, has died aged 89, bringing an end to the more than 300-year presence of the once thriving and powerful minority Christian community.Martin spent decades as custodian of the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection which was founded in...

LONDON: Britain could introduce a 14-day mandatory quarantine for international arrivals to stem the spread of coronavirus, an airline association said on Saturday, sparking alarm in an industry already hard hit by the global pandemic.Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the trade body...

KATHMANDU: Nepal protested India’s inauguration of a new road to China that passes through territory claimed by Kathmandu on Saturday, with police arresting dozens demonstrating close to India’s embassy.Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inaugurated via video link the...

VISAKHAPATNAM, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility’s closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days earlier.Thursday’s pre-dawn accident in the industrial port city of Visakhapatnam injured hundreds...

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed "shortcomings" in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home and abroad...

Islamabad :” The Patron-in-Chief of Supreme Shia Ulema Board and Quaid-i-Millat Jafariya Agha Syed Hamid Ali Shah Moosavi has said that enemies of the religion are looting the wealth of Muslims by creating differences amongst them and by sowing the seeds of hatred, says a press release.He...

Rawalpindi : Unruly scenes were witnessed when the shopkeepers of the city and cantonment board areas opened their shops on Saturday but were forced to close down by the local administration and police. The shopkeepers started a protest demonstration and raised full throated slogans against local...

Islamabad : The sale and purchase of readymade garments on the rise in federal capital ahead of Eidul Fitr.Amina Ansari, a designer said that due to COVID-19 lockdown, people were not able to buy clothes of their choice, so now they prefer to buy readymade garments rather than unstitched...

Islamabad : Tarnol Police on Friday raided a fake beverage factory in its area and confiscated thousands of empty and filled bottles of various brands, a police spokesman said on Friday.Following directions and guidance of IGP Islamabad Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar, the police spokesperson said that...

Islamabad: A meeting of Shopping Mall Association was held here under the chairmanship of Commodore Irfanul Haq to discuss problems being faced by owners due to closure of mega facilities across the country mainly non-payment of rents by tenants for the last nearly two monthsThe demand for waiver...

Islamabad : Industrial-Area police have arrested a wine dealer and recovered 115 bottles of wine and 150 litres liquor from him, a police spokesman said.He said that Deputy Inspector General of Police Waqar Uddin Syed assigned special task to SP Industrial Area Zubair Ahmed Sheikh, to ensure...

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) under its ‘Supply Chain Finance Programme’ has dedicated $200 million to support companies that make and distribute medicines and other items needed to combat coronavirus in the developing member countries of the Bank.

The programme aims to stabilise the supply chain for products such as N95 marks, test kits, gloves, personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare providers, ventilators, hygiene items, and other critical goods.

The ADB assistance is targeted at channeling fund to manufacturers, their suppliers, and the distributors of critical goods through post-shipment post-acceptance finance, pre-shipment loans, and distributor financing.

Export bans of key materials have worsened the shortage of face masks in 22 economies, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Poland, China, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Korea, Taipei, Thailand and Ukraine. The export bans are in place in these economies since March 18.

Pakistan among nations that faced shortage of masks due to ban on export

A $800m increase in ADB’s Trade Finance Programme will also be mobilised and along with the increase in capital comes flexibility to support domestic and cross-border trade in times of emergency. The programme is an effective crisis response vehicle because it has strong relationships with many banks, both inside developing Asia and globally, the latter particularly helpful to mobilise co-financing, involving private sector resources to leverage the impact of ADB’s direct support.

An ADB report says that surging demand, partly joined with panic buying, hoarding, and misuse of PPE amid the Covid-19 pandemic, is disrupting global supplies and putting lives at risk. Demand has surged, overwhelming global production capacity.

The dramatic rise in demand for surgical masks, goggles, gloves, and gowns has depleted stockpiles, prompted significant price increases, and led to production backlogs of 4 to 6 months in fulfilling orders.

The most significant challenge is to ensure that critical PPE products are sourced and allocated to frontline health workers and other responders in affected countries, especially those most vulnerable to the spread of coronavirus.

The global market for PPE in the health sector was estimated to be worth $2.5 billion in 2018. Gloves have the highest share of sales revenues at 25 per cent, followed by suits or coveralls at 22pc. Face masks and hats came in third with a share of 14pc.

By region, the United States had the largest market share (33pc), followed by Asia and the Pacific (28pc), and Europe (22pc) in 2018.

The PPE supply chain has not been properly functioning to meet a surge in demand due to the constraints in production and logistics. Prices of PPE products have risen dramatically since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak: a six-fold increase for surgical masks; threefold for respirators; and a doubling in the price of gowns.

Among the major sources of the identified backlogs in the production and distribution of PPE, with a focus on face masks, are transport and shipping constraints caused by roadblocks and quarantine measures, and lower availability of transportation and freight containers, hoarding, profiteering, and limited workforce capacity due to illness, also contribute to the shortage.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2020