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Update on Omicron

On 26 November 2021,   WHO designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern, named Omicron, on the advice of WHO’s  Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution  (TAG-VE).  This decision was based on the evidence presented to the TAG-VE that Omicron has several mutations that may have an impact on how it behaves, for example, on how easily it spreads or the severity of illness it causes. Here is a summary of what is currently known.   Current knowledge about Omicron  Researchers in South Africa and around the world are conducting studies to better understand many aspects of Omicron and will continue to share the findings of these studies as they become available.   Transmissibility : It is not yet clear whether Omicron is more transmissible (e.g., more easily spread from person to person) compared to other variants, including Delta. The number of people testing positive has risen in areas of South Africa...
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Afghanistan's current condition | Formation of caretaker government

 T aliban Announce Caretaker Government With Longtime Leaders in Top Positions The Taliban announced a caretaker cabinet that includes many hard-line figures who held authority when the group last ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s ( New York Times ). The cabinet did not appear to include women, many members of minority communities, or former Afghan government officials ( TOLOnews ). Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghans—including a significant number of women—protested for women’s rights and against the Pakistani government, before the Taliban violently dispersed the crowd ( Al Jazeera ).    September 8, 2021 Taliban Captures Last Provincial Capital in Afghanistan The Taliban announced they captured the last provincial capital not under their control in Panjshir after several days of heavy fighting. The leader of the opposition forces vowed to continue fighting the Taliban ( TOLOnews ).   September 7, 2021 New Afghan ...
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Whats happening in Myanmar? : The Military Dictatorship

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  Myanmar’s generals have seized power in a coup, plunging the Southeast Asian nation into renewed political turmoil only a decade after the end of 49 years of strict military rule. The February 1 coup has triggered nationwide protests, with hundreds of thousands taking to the streets to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the restoration of civilian rule. Security forces have cracked down, opening fire on unarmed protesters and killing at least 50 people across the country. Dozens more have been wounded and more than a 1,000 people detained. The US, UK, Canada, New Zealand and the EU have all announced selected sanctions on the country’s generals, while China has expressed concern, saying that “the current development in Myanmar is absolutely not what China wants to see”. Here is a timeline of events since the coup. February 1:  The military detains Aung San Suu Kyi, President Win Myint and other senior figures from the ruling National League for Democra...
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The Qatar Blockade : crises between qatar and other gulf countries

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   Three years ago, an air, land and sea blockade was imposed on   Qatar   by four Arab countries. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates,  Bahrain  and Egypt cut diplomatic and trade ties with Doha, and imposed a sea, land and air blockade on Qatar, claiming it supported “terrorism” and was too close to Iran. Qatar rejected the claims and said there was “no legitimate justification” for the severance of relations. There has since been little progress towards a resolution. Qatar and the  UAE  remain locked in a  battle  at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) after Doha filed a racial discrimination case. While the Qatari prime minister visited Saudi Arabia last year for a series of summits, the highest-level meeting since the beginning of the crisis, Doha subsequently expressed  reservations  about the statements issued in Mecca. “The Gulf summit statement talked about a unified Gulf, but where is it amid the continuation ...
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