Miracle 535-Jan 1, 2021

Volume 20 Issue 535-Jamadi ul I, 17, 1442 H, January 1, 2021 $1

www.miraclenews.com BC, CANADA First Muslim

Biweekly & Bilingual

THE

5 Why Scholars Disagree?

07 B.C. reports 683 cases,

3

11 Regression, hope and

07 Slow vaccine rollout across Canada draws 08 2021 a time to ask

6 8

14

change: The Middle East TIMELINE 2020

8 deaths in lasts

hard ques tions about

14 arrested for destroying Hindu shrine in Final goodbye: Recalling influential people Travellers to Canada will soon need -ve

This pandemic year has shown us what we can bear,may this coming year remove all this negative energy and enlighten our lives.

Turkey is no longer an COVID-19 found on 7 international flights option for Saudi tourists bound for Calgary, data shows

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World!

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To be Continued at page 10

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ireworks explode from the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, during New Year’s Eve celebrations in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 31, 2020

2001-2021

EDDAH: Saudis are known for their leisure travel.

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the resultant lockdowns have hit the global tourist industry hard.However, with the availability of vaccinations against the deadly infection, hopes for the revival of the industry are high. Saudis are also anxiously waiting to once again explore the world and revisit their favorite destinations.

Turkey was once among the favorite destinations for Saudis, but due to security reasons, the transcontinental country will no longer be an option. Security concerns ALGARY -- Hundreds of people who flew into have harmed Turkey’s tourism sector and the decline or out of Calgary since Dec. 21 may have been in the number of tourists has worsened the country’s exposed to a passenger infected with COVID-19, economic hardship.

To be Continued at page 7 government data shows. The information, posted on the Government of Canada’s website, has recorded all the possible points where Canadians may have been exposed to a positive case of COVID-19 while travelling through the country.

Since Dec. 21, there has been at least one confirmed case of the illness onboard 29 domestic and international flights going through Calgary International Airport.

New Testing Won’t Affect Alberta’s Rapid Pilot A new mandatory pre-flight COVID-19 testing procedure, set to come into affect on Jan. 7, 2021, will not To be Continued at page 7

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Jamadi ul I,3,1442 Jan 1, 2021

PAKISTAN

NA speaker rules no further action required Pakistan Army was not in politics, is after PML-N MNAs disown ‘fake’ resignations not and will not be: Sheikh Rashid

Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser on Thursday declared that the resignations of two PML-N lawmakers, sent to the NA Secretariat on government letterheads earlier this month, “could not be verified” and that no further action on them was required.

“Both members have disowned their resignations received by National Assembly Secretariat on Dec 14 and both the members also called the resignations fake,” the NA Secretariat said in a tweet.

The ruling comes a day after the two PML-N members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Muhammad Sajjad from Mansehra and Murtaza Javed Abbasi from Abbottabad appeared before the NA speaker after letters were issued to them by the assembly secretariat, asking them to appear before the speaker for ‘verification’ of their resignations. Earlier this month, a controversy broke out when the letters were issued to them, with the MNAs denying having sent the resignations. The PML-N too termed the

resignations “fake” and asked the NA speaker to conduct an inquiry into the matter.

Later in the month, PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz directed the two lawmakers to go to the National Assembly speaker and verify their resignations even if they were sent “by mistake”.

“Let me tell you one thing, regardless of whether they were sent by mistake, if the NA speaker asks you to verify the letters then say here are your resignations, now accept them,” she had said, while addressing a workers’ convention in Sukkur.

Source: dawn.com

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Monday emphasised that the Pakistan Army was “not involved” in the country’s politics in the past nor would it be in the future.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, he questioned why the leaders of the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) did not take the name of Gen Ziaul Haq when they talked about the alleged role of the army in politics.

“They polished Ziaul Haq’s boots. They are a product of General Headquarters gate number four. Pakistan Army is a great army. It was not in politics, is not and will not be in politics. It was with democracy, is with and will be with democracy.” He was referring to the PDM’s power show in Larkana a day earlier in which PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said that the opposition had united on PDM’s platform to rescue the country from the government’s alleged inefficiencies and will together make efforts to end “the business of selected and selection”. PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz also lambasted the “selected government” of Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying: “When po-

litical parties started completing their terms, some forces to whom ‘divide and rule’ suited started getting restless. Then we saw [former ISI chief Lt Gen Ahmed Shuja] Pasha set up a party by collecting political trash named the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, and that party was then used in dharnas and conspiracies against your elected government.”

She said while politicians were given death sentences and faced character assassinations, those who committed much severer offences such as “breaking the country and the Constitution, losing Siachen and the Kashmir cause, violating one’s oath to interfere in politics, having political rivals killed, and committing corruption worth billions” were not held accountable....Source: dawn.com

ISLAMABAD: Hitting back at Prime Minister Imran Khan over his threat to the opposition leaders regarding registration of cases against them for maligning the army, Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) vice-president Maryam Nawaz has declared that the party will present in the court all the videos of Mr Khan available on social media showing him talking against the army to implicate him as well on the same charge. Speaking to the charged party workers from Azad Kashmir at a ceremony to mark the party’s founding day here on Wednesday, Ms Nawaz and other PML-N leaders lashed out at Mr Khan for allegedly selling out Kashmir and party’s secretary general Ahsan Iqbal announced that if his party came to power, it would “file a treason case against Imran Khan Niazi for bargaining away Kashmir”.

Speaking on the occasion, AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider warned against any move to declare Azad Kashmir a province, saying any such effort would be strongly resisted by the people of Kashmir, even if it was made from his own party. He also warned the federal government against making any plan to rig the next elections in AJK. “If you (PM) want to make a case for speaking against the army, then there is Imran Khan’s history of 10 to 12 years,” Ms Nawaz said and asked: “With what face do you

say we and Nawaz Sharif talk against the army?”

Says country was prosperous under Nawaz government “I have heard that a treason case is being registered against Mufti Kifayatullah of the JUI-F”, she said while referring to a reported statement of Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed that a case would be registered against the JUI-F leader for his diatribe against Pakistan Army. “If a case is registered against him (JUIF leader) then 220 million people will demand registration of a similar case against Imran Khan for speaking against army on the basis of the videos available on social media,” the PMLN vice-president said in her apparent reference to a number of video clips viral on social media showing Mr Khan while in the opposition publicly criticising the military for its alleged interference in the country’s political affairs. She said they would present all these videos before courts as evidence against Mr Khan. Source: dawn.com

. ISLAMABAD: Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif blamed Prime Minister Imran Khan for his arrest as the accountability court of Islamabad on Wednesday granted the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) his daylong transit remand.

NAB will produce Mr Khwaja before the accountability court of Lahore on Thursday (today) to get his physical remand in connection with an inquiry into “assets beyond means”.

NAB produced the former defence minister before the accountability judge Mohammad Bashir.

Jahangir Khan Jadoon, counsel for Mr Khwaja, told the court that NAB Islamabad’s directorate on the complaint of Usman Dar — who had lost the 2018 election against the PML-N leader — had already probed these allegations against his client and closed the inquiry. However, he said, the matter was transferred to NAB Lahore which had issued Mr Khwaja’s arrest warrants.

NAB gets PML-N leader’s transit remand Mr Jadoon requested the court to set aside the arrest warrant through a judicial order.

On the other hand, NAB’s prosecutor said that the application in hand sought grant of transit

remand of Mr Khwaja to shift him to the court of competent jurisdiction in Lahore.

He sought four-day transit remand but Mr Khwaja’s lawyer opposed it and said as Lahore was located at four-hour drive from Islamabad, the transit remand should not be of more than a single day.Mr Khwaja told the court that NAB had taken him into custody without informing him about the grounds for his arrest in a proper way.

He said that an unsigned paper was shown to him which the NAB officials attributed to his arrest. Source: dawn.com

Mufti Muneeb removed as chairman of Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Maryam slams Imran over Kashmir ‘sellout’ ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony on Wednesday removed Mufti Muneebur Rehman from the post of chairman of Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and replaced him with Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, Khateeb of Badshahi Masjid, Lahore. The ministry also notified new members of the committee, which include 14 clerics and religious scholars belonging to the four mainstream schools of thought in the country, namely Brelvi, Deobandi, Shia and Ahle Hadis. The committee also includes four officers of grade 20, one each from Suparco, Met Office, Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The clerics and religious scholars in the committee are: Dr Raghib Hussain Naeemi, Allama Mohammad Hussain Akbar, Maulana Fazal-ur-Rahim, Dr Yaseen Zafar, Mufti Mohammad Iqbal Chishti, Dr Mufti Ali Asghar, Mufti Faisal Ahmed, Syed Ali Karar Naqvi, Mufti Yousaf Kashmiri, Hafiz Abdul Ghafoor, Mufti Fazal-i-Jamil Rizvi, Mufti Qari Mirullah, Sahibzada Syed Habibullah Chishti and Mufti Zameer Sajid.

He is replaced by Badshahi Masjid Khateeb; 15 new members of body also notified However, there is no structured law regard-

ing Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and the current set-up has been functioning under the Ministry of Religious Affairs as per a resolution passed by the National Assembly in 1974.

Respective governments have been striving to formulate laws and rules to administer the committee for the past decade.

Mufti Muneeb was the longest-serving chairman of the committee. He was appointed to the post at the end of 1997 for two years. However, he was reappointed the committee chairman in 2000 under the Musharraf regime, and re-notified in 2012 by the PPP government.Traditionally the head of Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is appointed for two years, but due to Mufti Muneeb’s continued retention of the office, which offers perks and privileges equivalent to those of a federal minister, he attracted opposition from clerics. Source: dawn.com

14 arrested for destroying Hindu shrine in KP’s Karak Khawaja Asif blames PM for his arrest Police arrested 14 people in overnight raids after a Hindu shrine was set on fire and severely damaged by a mob led by supporters of a cleric in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Karak district, officials said on Thursday.

The temple’s destruction on Wednesday drew condemnation from human rights activists and the minority Hindu community.

Local police said they detained at least 14 people in overnight raids and more raids were underway to arrest individuals who participated or provoked the mob to demolish the shrine. The attack happened after members of the Hindu community received permission from local authorities to renovate the building. According to witnesses, the mob was led by a local cleric and supporters of a religious political party.

Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq

Qadri called the attack “a conspiracy against sectarian harmony”. He took to Twitter on Thursday, saying attacks on minorities’ places of worship were not allowed in Islam.

“Protection of religious freedom of minorities is our religious, constitutional, moral and national responsibility,” he wrote.

The incident comes weeks after the government allowed Hindu citizens to build a new temple in Islamabad on the recommendation of a council of clerics.Although Muslims and Hindus generally live peacefully together in Pakistan, there have been other attacks on Hindu places of worship in recent years.Source: dawn.com

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T

O pinion

Evaluation performance

WO extraordinary things happened on Dec 22 — in the context of chasing elusive good governance in Pakistan. Prime Minister Imran Khan presided over a special ceremony at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to sign performance agreements with members of his federal cabinet for the year 2020-21. Given the high degree of emphasis which Imran Khan, his party and the scores of government spokespersons place on media events, one may excuse sceptical observers who look at the ceremony from the publicity angle alone and may not see anything substantive coming out of it.

But despite the ample room for scepticism, one can give credit to the researchers and administrators at the PMO who worked for the past several months to formulate targets, deadlines and indicators of progress for each or some of the 43-odd divisions organised under 33 federal ministries. It would have been impossible to come even this far and, more importantly, agree on the scheme of measuring performance with each minister without the strong support of the prime minister.

Although the idea of signing performance agreements with ministers was discussed during the previous government and then minister for planning Ahsan Iqbal spearheaded the effort, the project was dropped halfway after some powerful ministers convinced then prime minister Nawaz Sharif that the result could be embarrassing for the government. This government has at least moved beyond the planning stage and made the ministers’ accountability plan public.

This may be a great initiative but the prime minister and his spokespersons had been announcing several such initiatives to monitor ministers’

performance in the past two years without any subsequent substantive outcome. If any real benefit is to be expected this time, some urgent steps need to be taken.

The most important step which the PMO should take is to make the performance agreements signed with each minister public and preferably upload them

This government has moved beyond the planning stage and made the ministers’ accountability plan public. on the PMO website. Making this information public will not only engage the citizens in the campaign for good governance, it will also create greater incentive for ministers to be vigilant and active. The transparency will enhance public trust in the performance assessment exercise and people will be assured that targets, once set, are not manipulated to make ministers’ performance look good.

Second, there should be a proper system in place to periodically monitor the progress, scientifically quantify it and let people know about it. The PMO had done a wonderful job of tracking the progress of Imran Khan’s first 100 days programme and there is no reason why the same can’t be done in the case of ministries’ performance assessment. It is important that the PMO is adequately staffed to do this job. A dedicated unit may need to be created for this purpose, if not already established.

We have a history of creating excellent frameworks but these are not properly followed up and the results are hardly shared with the public. One prominent

and relevant example is that of the ‘Federal Medium-Term Budget Estimates for Service Delivery’ or the ‘Green Book’ which is being compiled by the Finance Division for the last 10 years and has recently been renamed as ‘Performance-Based Budget’ under the Public Finance Management Act, 2019.

This excellent document, which is shared with parliament every year at the time of presenting the budget, provides the performance indicators and targets of some 78 federal entities including all the ministries, their divisions and several autonomous entities such as National Assembly, Senate and Election Commission.

Sadly, the targets and their achievement or non-achievement have hardly ever been discussed in parliament or any other public forum with the result that the huge work that goes into the production of the over 300-page document has almost gone to waste. If the federal government is really serious about holding ministers accountable for their performance or lack of it, it doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel and produce new agreements. Individual sections covering each entity in the ‘Performance-Based Budget can be easily modified to form a robust basis for evaluation of each ministry.

Another example is that of the PTI’s election manifesto, 2018.

Imran Khan had personally launched his party’s manifesto, a more detailed version of the 100-days programme, with a lot of fanfare just before the general election. Sadly, unlike the 100-days programme, there is no regular public monitoring of the progress on various items of the manifesto. If the government is unwilling or unable to upload an ‘Imranmeter’ on the pattern of ‘Obamameter’ giving the progress on the PTI’s elec-

tion promises on a regular and scientific basis, the party itself should arrange to do this.

Another key requirement for the success of performance agreements signed with the ministers is the development of a dynamic online platform so that progress on realising the agreed targets may be projected on an almost real-time basis.

While fulfilling these requirements will significantly contribute towards making the performance assessment exercise meaningful, the prime minister’s admission about the lack of homework before coming to power and the resulting chaotic performance during the first two years of his government needs more serious introspection not only by the PTI and its leadership but by all political parties that will field candidates for the next federal or provincial governments.

Unless political parties, especially those which are serious contenders for power, constitute shadow cabinets on the pattern of British political parties and make them real, functional and effective entities, it is very difficult to imagine how political parties will be able to prepare themselves for the governance challenge. This practice is critical not only for those parties which have not been in power before, it is important also for experienced parties to keep their governance plans up to date. It is understandable that political parties have internal rivalries and powerful lobbies which make the formation of shadow cabinets a challenging exercise but there is no escaping from the serious preparation to run as complex a state as Pakistan.

Courtesy By: Ahmed Bilal Mehboob

affairs portal, quotes Asthana as suggesting that instead of pouring vast sums of money into expensive weapons imports, India would be better served by finding solutions to the security challenges both Pakistan and China present by strengthening itself internally and pursuing non-military solutions, including diplomacy.

Asthana’s columns are widely read for their scholarship and he has authored 48 books, written or co-authored while in service. He is particularly known for his willingness to be sharply critical of the political and bureaucratic establishment, Varadarajan says.

ers victims of their own rhetoric $130bn India is projected to spend

Asthana also puts the lens on what he calls the “politics of warmongering”, which, according to him, has consumed public discourse in India over the past six years.

“Under the delusion that India has somehow, magically become invincible, he notes how a large number of Indians seem to be itching for a war.”

This invincibility narrative is both fuelled and strengthened by relentless arms imports. Asthana puts the figure India has spent on arms imports in the five years since 2014 at $14 billion, “and the undisclosed cost of the 36 Rafale jets purchased Author says that exploiting en- from Dassault Aviation is not inmity with Pakistan for electoral cluded in this”. benefits has made Indian lead- But even this sum pales before the

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India can’t defeat Pakistan militarily, says book

NEW DELHI: India has no clarity about its military and strategic objectives vis-à-vis its stated adversaries, Pakistan and China, and can defeat neither of them in a war, a new book by N.C. Asthana, former Indian police officer respected for his insights into security affairs, says.

The Wire on Tuesday carried a review of the book National Security and Conventional Arms Race: Spectre of a Nuclear War. It quotes the book as seeing “a huge mismatch between the militaristic official and media rhetoric, on the one hand, and the reality, which is that India cannot defeat either country militarily”.

The reviewer, Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of the esteemed current

THE

on arms imports in the next decade, including on 100-plus even more expensive fighter jets to make up for the shortfall caused by the Modi government’s decision to scrap the earlier deal for 126 Rafales.

“As the fanfare over the arrival of the first Rafales showed, each of these purchases is hailed and sold to the public by the media as weapons that will flatten India’s enemies.

But of course, this is far from the truth,” Varadarajan quotes the book as saying.

Asthana argues that the frenzied import of conventional weapons will never guarantee a permanent solution to the military problem posed by Pakistan or China be-

To be Continued at Page 7

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Jamadi ul I, 3,1442 Jan 1, 2021

f ait h The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “The believer is not someone who eats his [or her] fill while [a] neighbor is hungry.” Sahih al-Bukhari

A

Why Scholars Disagree ?(1)

By: Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin S ALL MUSLIMS know, through their understanding of the Quran and the Sunnah, the dîn of Allah is the religion of Truth. Implicitly, this proposition entails that the Prophet (saw) has left us a complete, comprehensive explanation of the religion; thus, no further explanation is required, once this is accepted.

Fiqh In the Time of the Prophet

The existence of true guidance and religion obviates any falsehood, and the explanation must be comprehensive. When disagreements occurred at the time of the Prophet (saw), people would submit their affairs to him to settle disputes and to judge among them. He would explain to them what they were differing in. It was usually at such times that new âyât (verses) of the Quran were revealed. We read, for example: They ask you what is lawful for them. Say: Lawful unto you are al-Tayyibât (the pure, good things). [Sûrat Al-Mâ’idah, 5:4] And they ask you what they ought to spend.

Say: al-Safwa (that which is beyond your needs). [Sûrat Al- Baqarah, 2:219] They ask you about al–anfâl (the spoils of war). Say: al–anfâl are for Allah and the Messenger. [Sûrat Al-Anfâl, 8:1] They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage. [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:189] They ask you concerning fighting in the sacred months. Say: Fighting therein is a great transgression. [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:217] Trusting Our Scholars to Make Proper Rulings of Fiqh However, after the death of the Prophet some differences surfaced among the Muslims on the rules of the fiqh. These differences in fiqh rulings were not in the funda­ mentals or the sources of the dîn (Religion).

However, they have caused Muslim unity to suffer, particularly at times when knowledge of the dîn has not taken its natur­al course in directing the affairs of the Ummah. And because such differences are not expected to disappear, it becomes necessary for us to learn about them and know how to deal with them.

Knowing why scholars have disagreed on certain matters of fiqh is essential to developing an appreciation of the nature of our dîn and the complex job of scholars. Such a step will lead to developing a strong trust between Muslims and their scholars, something without which the Ummah cannot achieve success.

The purpose of this arti­cle is to introduce to the reader the subject of disagree­ment among scholars in regard to their opinions, to explain some of the reasons behind such differences and to advise Muslims what they can do in regard to these disagreements so as to best please Allah, and to lead an Islamic life.

The Human Endeavor to Discern Allah’s Law Scholars may make mistakes in arriving at rulings based on Allah’s Guidance. These mistakes may occur because no human being is perfect. In the Quran, Allah states: And man was created weak [Sûrat Al-Nisâ’i, 4:28]. Accordingly, mistakes may occur in some matters as a result of either some imperfection in one’s knowledge or in one’s perception of reality: 1.The evidence had not yet reached a certain scholar, or, it had reached the scholar but he was not comfortable with it.

2.The evidence never reached the scholar.

divorce). She was dis­pleased with it, however, and refused to take it. She went to the Prophet and he told her that she was not entitled even to support or sukna (cost of dwelling). This was because her husband had separated from her and pronounced divorce for the third (and final) time. Any woman who was completely separated from her hus­band was not entitled to support or sukna from her husband unless she had been preg­nant [at the time of the final divorce]: And if they are pregnant, then spend on them till they deliver [Sûrat AlTalâq, 65:6].

‘Umar, with all his knowledge and superi­ ority, did not know of that incident, so he thought that a woman in this situation had a right to support and sukna. He didn’t take Fatimah’s word, fearing that she had forgotten what had occurred. He said: “Should we give up the word of our Lord for the word of a woman whom we don’t know whether she remembered or for­got?” This indicates that ‘Umar was not comfortable with the evidence provided.

Such situations happened to ‘Umar and other Companions. It also happened to others who followed them, and it can hap­ pen today; and, most likely, similar situations will continue to occur until the Day of Judgment. There may be some scholars who will always be uncomfortable with the soundness of the evidence provided. This is seen a lot in the opinions of schol­ars concerning certain ahadîth. Some see a hadîth as sound and accept it, while others consider it unsound and do not accept it, because they cannot trust one of the transmitters.

The hadîth has been received but forgotten by the scholar.

A scholar may forget a hadîth or even a verse of the Quran The Prophet (saw) led the Prayer one day and omitted a verse because he had forgotten it. After salah he turned to Ubay ibn Katb and said, “Why didn’t you remind me of it?”Notice that this happened to a man on whom the wahy (Revelation) was sent down. Allah also said: We shall make you to recite so you shall not forget except what Allah may will. He knows what is apparent and what is hidden [Sûrat Al-A’râf, 7:6-7].

Another example is the story of ’Umar ibn Al-Khahtâb and ‘Ammâr bn Yâsir, when the Prophet sent them on a mis­sion. They both became junub (the state of sexual de-

filement that requires full bathing, ghusl).

‘Ammâr exercised ijtihâd (to formulate an independent ruling) that purification with sand is equivalent to purification with water, so he rolled in the sand as animals do, such that the sand rubbed all over his body as the water would have done. Then he prayed. ‘Umar, on the contrary, didn’t pray.They later brought the issue before the Prophet (saw)and he directed them to that which is right. He said to ‘Ammâr: It was sufficient for you to do this with your hands. The Prophet struck the ground with both hands one time and then wiped his left hand with the right, [then] wiped his forearms and his face. Ammâr used to narrate this hadîth afterwards.

During his reign as Caliph,’Umar called ‘Ammâr and asked him about the hadîth he was telling people. ‘Ammâr replied: “Don’t you remember when the Prophet(saw)sent us on a mission and we both became junub?

You didn’t pray, but I rolled on the ground [in the sand and then prayed]. The Prophet said: ‘It was suffi­cient for you to do so and so.”’ ‘Umar did­n’t remember the story and said to ‘Ammâr, “Fear Allah.” ‘Ammâr then said: “If you don’t want me to recite this hadîth, I will not, since I have to obey you, as Allah commanded.” ‘Umar then said: “I will leave it to you” (meaning go ahead and tell the people the hadîth).’Umar had forgotten that the Prophet (saw) had made tayammum the means of purification (in the absence of water) for both Salah and janâba.The Companion ‘Abdullâh ibn Mas’ûd, who adopted ‘Umar’s opinion, had a debate with another Companion, Abû Mûsa Al-‘Ash’ari, about this matter. Abû Mûsa mentioned ‘Ammâr’s comment to ‘Umar. Ibn Mas’ûd said: “Don’t you see that ‘Umar was not satisfied with what ‘Ammâr had said?” Abû Mûsa then replied: “Forget what ‘Ammâr said. What do you say about the verse in Sûrat Al-Mâ’idah, 5:6?” Ibn Mas’ûd kept silent.

Indeed, the truth is what the majority of scholars say, which is that the junub may make tayammum just as may the person who needs to pray.

So one may forget and may not know the legal ruling. One may then make an excusable mistake in delivering his ruling, but there is no excuse for those who know the evidence and don’t adopt it.

Source: aljumuah.com

Imam Bukhâri related that”Umar traveled once to Syria. On his way he was told that there was an epidemic in Syria—the plague.

He paused and consulted with his companions. They were split into two opinions. Those who opined that the expedition should not enter Syria prevailed. During this consultation and debate, ‘Abd Al-Rahmân ibn ‘Awf came and said: “I have some knowledge in this matter. I heard the Prophet (saw) say: ‘If you hear of it (meaning the plague) in a place, don’t go there. But if it breaks out in a place where you happen to be, do not leave such a place (running away from it).”’ Such a ruling was not known, even by the greater Companions, until ‘Abd Al-Rahmân ibn’ wf informed them of it.

A second example of evidence not yet being received, is as follows. Both’ Alî ibn Abî-’âlib and ‘Abdullâh ibn’ Abbâs used to believe that a pregnant woman should wait—after the death of her hus­band—the longer of the two periods, either four months and ten days, or the time until her delivery. If the woman gave birth before the end of four months and ten days, she should still wait until that time period was completed; if she waited the four months and ten days and still had not delivered, then she should continue wait­ing until she gave birth: And for those who are pregnant, their prescribed wait­ing period is until they deliver [Sûrat AlTalâq, 65:4]. In another verse: And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, [their wives] shall wait for four months and ten days [before they can remarry] [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:234].

1.In these two verses there are both specific and general considerations. To take the two rulings together,’ Alî and Ibn ‘Abbâs both believed in what has been mentioned. However, it was narrated in an authentic hadîth that Subaihah Al-Aslamiyyah had nifâs (post-partum bleeding) a few nights after the death of her husband; still, the Prophet permitted her to get married. This indicated Dec18- Jan 1, 2021 Jamadi ul I 17-J ul II,1442 H that one should follow the verse from Sûrat Al-Țalâq, 65:4. Had this hadîth reached ‘‘Alî ZawalAsar Dhuhr Asar Maghrib Isha Shafi / Hanfi or Ibn ‘Abbâs, they would undoubtedly have Isl. Dt. Day Date Fajar Sunr Dhur accepted it and changed their opinions.

17 Fri Collecting and Weighing Evidence 18 Sat The evidence was received, but the scholar 19 Sun was not comfortable with it.

It could be that the evidence reached 20 Mon the scholar, but that he did not trust the 21 Tue transmit­ter (of the hadîth), or that he found 22 Wed that the narration contradicted another 23 Thus narra­tion from a more trustworthy transFri mitter. In such a situation it is understand- 24 able that the scholar would go with the 25 Sat hadîth from the more trustworthy trans­ 26 Sun mitter. The following is an example from 27 Mon the time of the Companions regarding this 28 Tue specific situation: Wed When Fâtimah bint Qays was divorced for 29 the third time from her husband, she re- 30 Thus ceived some barley as support (nafaqa) dur- 1* Fri ing her ‘idda (prescribed waiting period for For such Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times: Quran ,n 4:103 Source: BCMA

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver

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Trump was briefed that China sought to pay non- Blasts hit Yemen’s Aden airport as state actors to attack U.S. forces in Afghanistan new unity government arrives

President Donald Trump received information earlier this month that China sought to pay non-state actors to attack American forces in Afghanistan, a senior administration official said.

The intelligence, which will be declassified by the Trump administration, was provided to the President in his daily brief on December 17, the official said. His national security adviser Robert O’Brien discussed the information with the President that same day, the official said.

News of the briefing and the administration’s intention to declassify the information was first reported on Wednesday by Axios.

Information of this alleged intelligence is thus far uncorroborated. The scenario is reminiscent of reports earlier this year that Russia allegedly offered Afghan militants bounties to kill US forces in Afghanistan.

That information also appeared in the President’s intelligence briefing although it was later revealed that the information likely went unnoticed for weeks.Trump has yet to publicly call Russia out on the issue.While it’s unclear whether President-elect Joe Biden has seen the intelligence, he would have had access to the same intelligence since he receives the President’s Daily Brief.

The White House and the Biden transition

team didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

CNN reported in June that Russian intelligence officers for the military intelligence agency GRU had recently offered money to Taliban militants in Afghanistan as rewards if they killed US or UK troops there, according to a European intelligence official. The official told CNN the incentives offered by the Russians had, in their assessment, led to coalition casualties, which would be service members’ deaths or injuries. The official did not specify as to the date of the casualties, their number or nationality, or whether these were fatalities or injuries.

Source: ctvnews.ca

Nashville bombing suspect to neighbour: The world is ‘never going to forget me’ NASHVILLE -- It seemed like a friendly chat between neighbours. Only after a bomb exploded in downtown Nashville on Christmas morning could Rick Laude grasp the sinister meaning behind his neighbour’s smiling remark that the city and the rest of the world would never forget him.

Laude told The Associated Press on Monday that he was speechless when he learned that authorities identified his 63-year-old neighbour, Anthony Quinn Warner, as the man suspected of detonating a bomb that killed himself, injured three other people and damaged dozens of buildings.

Laude said he saw Warner standing at his mailbox less than a week before Christmas and pulled over in his car to talk. After asking how Warner’s elderly mother was doing, Laude said he casually asked, “Is Santa going to bring you anything good for Christmas?” Warner smiled and said, “Oh, yeah, Nashville and the world is never going to forget me,” Laude recalled.Laude said he didn’t think much of the remark and thought Warner only meant that “something good” was going to happen for him financially. “Nothing about this guy raised any red flags,” Laude said. “He was just quiet.”Laude said Warner sometimes did

not respond when he and other neighbours waved to him, but said he did not take it personally. “I knew that he was just a recluse,” he said.

As investigators continued to search for a motive, body camera video released late Monday by Nashville police offered more insight to the moments leading up to the explosion and its aftermath.The recording from Officer Michael Sipos’ camera captures officers walking past the RV parked across the street as the recorded warning blares and then helping people evacuate after the thunderous blast off camera. Car alarms and sirens wailed as a police dispatch voice called for all available personnel and people stumbled through downtown streets littered with glass.

Source: globalnews.ca

Aden airport struck by large explosion shortly after plane carrying the new Yemeni government arrives from Saudi Arabia.

A large explosion struck the airport in the southern Yemeni city of Aden on Wednesday, shortly after a plane carrying the newly formed Saudi-backed cabinet landed there, security officials said. Yemen’s Interior Ministry said least 22 people were killed and 50 were wounded in the blast.

The source of the explosion was not immediately clear and no group claimed responsibility for attacking the airport. No one on the government plane was hurt.

Hours after the attack, a second explosion was heard around Aden’s Maasheq presidential palace where the cabinet members including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik, as well as the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, had been taken to safely, residents and local media said. It was unclear what caused the second blast and there were no immediate reports of casualties.Abdulmalik condemned the airport attacj as “treacherous” and “cowardly”. Sleek, modern outdoor style. Made from a wool blend and featuring a hidden inner zip-up layer for extra warmth, this is the perfect coat for when the thermometer starts to drop. | G Grafton Men’s S...

“This treacherous, cowardly and terrorist at-

tack, places the government at the heart of its responsibilities, which is the task of ending the coup, restoring the state, spreading stability and the recovery of our country,” Abdulmalik said.An AFP correspondent at the airport said he heard two explosions. “At least two explosions were heard as the cabinet members were leaving the aircraft,” the correspondent said.

Saudi state television Ekhbaria showed destroyed vehicles and smashed glass. Plumes of white smoke rose from the scene.

Yemen’s Information Minister Moammar AlEryani blamed the attack on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, adding that all the members of the government were safe.

“We assure our great people that members of the government are fine, and we assure you that the cowardly terrorist attack by the Iransupported Huthi militia will not deter us from carrying out our patriotic duty,” he said on Twitter. Source:aljazeera.com

Washington says bombers flew over the Gulf to deter Tehran from attacking American or allied targets in the region.

The United States flew strategic bombers over the Gulf on Wednesday for the second time this month, in what Washington says is a show of force meant to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East.

One senior US military officer said the flight by two Air Force B-52 bombers was in response to signals that Iran may be planning attacks against US allied targets in neighbouring Iraq or elsewhere in the region in the coming days, even as President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office.The officer was not authorised to publicly discuss internal assessments based on sensitive intelligence and spoke The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The B-52 bomber mission, flown round trip from an Air Force base in North Dakota, reflects growing concern in Washington, in the final weeks of President Donald Trump’s administration, that Iran will order further military retali-

ation for the US killing last January 3 of top Iranian military commander General Qassem Soleimani.

Iran’s initial response, five days after the deadly US drone strike, was a ballistic missile attack on a military base in Iraq that caused brain concussion injuries to about 100 American troops. Adding to the tension was a rocket attack last week on the US Embassy compound in Baghdad by Iraniansupported Shia armed groups. No one was killed, but Trump tweeted afterwards that Iran was on notice.“Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. Think it over,” Trump wrote on December 23.In announcing Wednesday’s bomber flight, the head of US Central Command said it was a defensive move. Source: aljazeera.com

US bombers fly over the Gulf amid tensions with Iran

Croatia hit by 6.4 magnitude earthquake, leaving at least 7 dead

Zagreb, Croatia (CNN)At least seven people were killed and dozens were injured after a powerful 6.4 magnitude earthquake struck central Croatia on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey and Croatian officials.

Emergency crews, assisted by the military,

were still digging through the rubble in several towns as night fell and electricity remained out.

The quake, which struck just after noon local time about 30 miles southeast of the capital Zagreb, could be felt across the Balkans. It is the largest quake to hit Croatia this year, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre. Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said the death toll was expected to rise. And he appealed to private citizens not to go to the worst-hit town, Petrinja, which was near the epicenter.

“At this moment, we don’t know exactly how many people have died. The latest information before the core cabinet meeting was seven

people,” Plenkovic said. “We have some indication that this number may be higher, so we’ll wait and see for the police’s official report.”

A girl in the town of Petrinja, a man found inside a collapsed church in the village of Žažina, and five men in the village of Majske Poljane, were among the dead, according to Croatia’s Interior Ministry and local media reports.

“We are doing everything we can to help the citizens of Petrinja and surrounding areas in this dramatic and tragic situation,” Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said in a tweet.

“The destructive earthquake has taken human lives, destroyed homes, and we deeply sympathise with every person and every family that has been harmed.” Croatian town ‘going through hell’ Petrinja Mayor Darinko Dumbovic told CNN

affiliate N1 that the town of nearly 25,000 residents was “going through hell” after the tremor, and had no running water or electricity. He has requested emergency aid.

“I feel that both its center and its soul have been destroyed,” Dumbovic said. “We have no electricity, no water. Everything is broken.

We are here in darkness, in ruin, searching for people,” he added.

HEP, the state electricity provider, said it had managed to restore power to parts of the quake-hit area; however Petrinja and its hospital remain dark, N1 reported. HEP said it was hoping to restore some power during the evening.

Footage from inside the hospital showed medical staff working by torchlight as they awaited the evacuation of some patients.

Source: cnn.com

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Turkey is no longer an option for Saudi tourists

Continued from Page 1

According to figures from the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of Saudi tourists visiting the country dropped significantly in August last year by more than 28 percent compared with the same

period the previous year. Moreover, arrivals from the UAE also fell by almost 16 percent over the same period.

A security alert published by the US Embassy in Turkey in October said it had received credible reports of potential terrorist

attacks and kidnappings against foreign nationals in Istanbul. The US mission advised its citizens “to exercise heightened caution in locations where Americans or foreigners may gather, including large office buildings or shopping malls.” It urged US citizens to

remain vigilant, avoid crowds, be aware of their surroundings, and stay alert in locations frequented by foreigners and monitor local media for updates. Source: cbc-ca.

need to secure COVID-19 testing several days prior to their flight back home.

Even if the test is negative, the travellers should be prepared to quarantine at home for 14 days, as per federal regulations.However, those returning to Canada through Calgary International Airport

will still be allowed to skip the two-week quarantine, but it is going to require another two tests.

“The new pre-departure testing introduced by the federal government does not replace the need to quarantine on arrival or undergo testing if an individual wishes to be in our pilot,” said Jessica

Luchenko with Alberta Health.

Under the province’s International Border Testing Pilot Program, travellers may submit to testing immediately upon arrival and then again on

COVID-19 found on 7 international flights bound for Calgary, data shows Continued from Page 1

replace the rapid testing pilot program installed at Calgary International Airport, the

Alberta government says.The Government of Canada announced on Thursday that all travellers, aged five and up, returning to Canada will

day six or seven of their prescribed quarantine period.Source: cbc-ca.

India can’t defeat Pakistan militarily, says book

Continued from Page 4 cause both the countries are nuclear-weapon states and cannot be decisively defeated on the battlefield.

“Given the myth of Indian invincibility, the futility of warmongering should be obvious.

Yet, as the past few years have demonstrated, jingoism in India is at an all-time high,” the book notes. “While conventional weapons can provide a tactical advantage in limited theatre conflicts short of war, the danger lies in escalation — which is hard to control at the best of times but especially so when the public discourse has been vitiated by the politics of warmongering.”

Asthana believes that exploiting enmity with Pakistan for electoral benefits has made In-

dian leaders victims of their own rhetoric, where they are left with a one-dimensional policy — one which is unrealistic in view of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons. Quoting Napoleon, he notes: “If they want peace, nations should avoid the pinpricks that precede cannon shots.”

India’s army, air force and navy are bigger than those of Pakistan. However, according to Asthana, the limited number of axes of attack, in which the much-touted Cold Start could be employed, tends to make the whole thing quite predictable.

There is no scope for any element of shock and surprise. Moreover, practically all options and counters to them have been de-

bated and explored by both sides.

“In any case, the moment Pakistan feels that it is going to lose a conventional war under the weight of a bigger Indian military, it will feel compelled to go nuclear immediately.

This is not 1971. Recall what General Khalid Kidwai, head of Pakistan’s strategic command, told a visiting Italian arms control organisation delegation about the country’s red lines in 2002.”

The Wire review recalls General Kidwai as saying that Pakistani nuclear weapons will be used “if the very existence of Pakistan as a state is at stake”. Asthana summarises Gen Kidwai’s red lines thus: “Nuclear weapons are aimed solely at India. In case that de-

VANCOUVER -- B.C. health officials announced another eight deaths from COVID-19 Thursday in their last pandemic briefing of the year, pushing the provincial death toll past 900.

Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry also announced 683 new infections, bringing B.C.’s total so far to 51,983.

Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix will also outline the number of new deaths and outbreaks recorded during

that time.

On Wednesday, Dix and Henry called a last-minute news conference by phone only.

Originally, they were only expected to release a written statement with case data.

During that call, the pair announced B.C. is cutting off liquor sales at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to discourage people from partying and potentially spreading COVID-19.

Henry explained the temporary restriction, which lasts until 9 a.m. on Jan. 1, applies to

restaurants, pub, stores and grocery stores where liquor is sold.

“The purpose is to decrease the late-night consumption of alcohol that leads to what we know can be risky behaviour, including gatherings and parties,” she said.

During the update, Henry also revealed another 485 people tested positive for the disease since their previous update and 11 more people died.

Source: /bc.ctvnews.ca

TORONTO -- Despite Canada securing millions of doses of COVID-19 vaccines, the rollout and implementation of vaccination programs has been slow so far, drawing criticism and anger from the public and health sector alike.

“We’re not getting these needles into arms as fast as we need to,” Toronto biostatistician Ryan Imgrund told CTV News.

Nationally, less than one-fifth of one per cent

of the population – an estimated 56,845 people -- has been vaccinated, compared with the U.S., where about four times as many people per capita have received the shots, according to data from Oxford University’s online tool “Our World in Data.” Our World in Data has Canada listed far below other countries like Israel and Bahrain, when measuring vaccines administered per 100 people: • Canada at 0.14 • United States at 0.59 • United Kingdom at 1.18 • Bahrain at 3.23 • Israel at 4.37 Federal authorities in the U.S. are also facing criticism for falling well short of their goal of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020, with just two million being immunized so far.

In Canada, the slow pace is being blamed on

limited supply, poorly planned vaccination programs in some provinces and the technicalities of deep-cold storage needed for the Pfizer vaccine.

Manitoba, for example, closed its vaccine clinics on Dec. 23, and will not reopen them until Tuesday, Dec. 29.

Ontario received 90,000 doses of the PfizerBioNtech vaccine, and expects the arrival of 53,000 doses of the newly approved Moderna vaccine by the end of the month, but only 13,200 doses have been administered as of 4 p.m. Monday.

Ontario health authorities faced harsh criticism for slashing vaccine clinic hours over the holidays, with only five out of 19 operating over Christmas. But the Ontario Ministry of Health argued that was requested by various hospitals due to staffing issues.

terrence fails, they will be used if India attacks Pakistan and conquers a large part of its territory (space threshold), India destroys a large part either of its land or air forces (military threshold), India proceeds to the economic strangling of Pakistan (economic strangling), India pushes Pakistan into political destabilisation or creates a large-scale internal subversion in Pakistan (domestic destabilisation).”

According to General Kidwai, “examples of economic strangling of Pakistan included a naval blockade and the stopping of the waters of the Indus river”.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2020=Source: dawn.com

B.C. reports 683 cases, 8 deaths in last COVID-19 update of 2020

Slow vaccine rollout across Canada draws criticism, anger

That decision didn’t sit well with some health-care providers.

“The virus doesn’t take a weekend, [it] doesn’t take time to sleep at night…and it certainly doesn’t take Boxing Day or the holidays [off],” said Doris Grinspun of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario.

Head of the Ontario Vaccine Task Force, Retired Gen. Rick Hillier, said that “clearly we got it wrong.”

“We’ve been slammed, we’ve been spanked.

We’ll pick up out game, we’ll get on from here,” he told CTV News.

The arrival of the easier-to-store Moderna vaccine is hoped to speed up the vaccine rollout nationally, as Canada surpassed 15,000 COVID-19 related deaths since the start of the pandemic. Source: ctvnews.ca

Coronavirus infections around 84 million worldwide Coronavirus Cases:

Deaths:

Recovered:

559,327,037

83,814,032

1,825,880

Coronavirus Cases:

Deaths:

Recovered:

Coronavirus Cases:

Deaths:

Recovered:

581,395 51,300

15,606 893

489,813 42,129

Last updated:

January 01, 2021, 06:23 GMT www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?

CANADA Last updated: January 01, 2021, 06:23 GMT

BC;CANADA Last updated: January 01, 2021, 06:23 GMT

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Travellers to Canada will soon need Trudeau calls on Canadians to support one negative COVID-19 test before boarding another this holiday season amid COVID-19

OTTAWA -- Anyone arriving in Canada starting Jan. 7 will need to have a negative COVID-19 test before boarding and may have to quarantine in a federal facility if they have inadequate isolation plans, the federal government says.

Flyers aged five and up will need have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of their scheduled departure and must show the results to their airline before they board their flight. Travellers who receive a negative test result must still complete the mandatory 14day quarantine. Travellers will have to provide a quarantine plan for federal officials to review. If officials aren’t satisfied, the government said people will be required to quarantine in a federal facility.

The statement on Thursday afternoon said Canadians vacationing abroad should immediately start arranging for a COVID-19 test to avoid delays in coming home.

The details arrive one day after cabinet ministers decided that Canada would join other countries in making a negative PCR test as a travel requirement.

A PCR test is designed to detect minute amounts of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, usually through a swab up the nose or in the mouth.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau had been in contact with airlines on Wednesday as the high-level details rolled out. On Thursday, the government said the Jan. 7 start date was

designed to provide airlines with enough time to comply with the new rules.

The National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents the country’s largest airlines, warned earlier Thursday of major issues in Ottawa’s plans, including what options passengers have if their jurisdiction does not offer the kind of test the government accepts. The new federal testing requirement will only apply for air travellers, but Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-Francois Blanchet argued it should apply at all ports of entry.

He also said the government should make sure that thousands of Canadians are reimbursed for travel plans that have been interrupted or cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Source: ctvnews.ca

TORONTO -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging Canadians to “give thanks for everything that unites us” and continue to support one another amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his annual Christmas message, Trudeau says the holiday season is supposed to be “filled with joy and family traditions,” but acknowledged that the novel coronavirus has changed festivities this year.

“Families aren’t getting together for big dinners and friends aren’t stopping by for cookies and eggnog. This isn’t the holiday season we want, I know,” he said in a video message on Christmas Eve. However, Trudeau said the spirit of the holidays remains the same.

“Even though this year’s Christmas traditions will be different, we can and should give thanks for everything that unites us, because today is a time to recognize all the good that we have in our lives,” he said.

Despite restrictions put in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, Trudeau said Canadians can still show one another compassion and love, which he says “has never been more important” than this year.

While Trudeau noted that 2020 has been a tough year, he said Canadians have met these “challenging times with generosity, kindness, and hope.”

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Trudeau said neighbours have helped one another,

children have given up playdates and birthday parties, and businesses have retooled to help in the ongoing battle against the virus.

He also recognized Canada’s front-line workers for putting themselves at risk every day to keep others safe. This year, everyone has done their part because that’s who we are as Canadians. We show up for each other, and that’s what Christmas and Canada is all about,” Trudeau said. In his message, Trudeau said the COVID-19 crisis will end and Canada will come out of it “stronger and more united.” He added that Canadians must continue to support one another as the fight against the coronavirus continues into 2021.

“Today and into the new year, let’s continue to stand together, but support folks in need in our communities and let’s reach out to our friends and neighbours who may be having a tough time,” Trudeau said.

Source: ctvnews.ca

2021 a time to ask hard questions about what Don Martin: Elections, vaccinations and went wrong, BC Liberals’ interim leader says other happier political predictions for 2021 PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. -- British Columbia’s interim Liberal Leader Shirley Bond says the coming year promises to be one of reflection, renewal and rebuilding.

The Liberals are looking to elect a new leader in 2021 following the resignation of Andrew Wilkinson after the party’s election defeat in October. She says Liberals need to ask hard questions about the election result that saw the party lose seats to the NDP in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley -- an area once considered a BC Liberal stronghold. Bond says a review of what She says she expects the Liberals to elect a went wrong during the election and plans leader this year, but a period of introspecfor the future direction of the party must be tion is required first.

Source: dawn.com addressed before a new leader is elected.

Addressing mental-health issues linked to pandemic looming issue in 2021, Bains says

OTTAWA -- Canada’s industry minister says the country faces mounting mental health concerns that the government will have to address in 2021. Navdeep Bains says he has heard more stories about the mental health of workers and entrepreneurs alongside needs for financial help to individuals and businesses.

He says it is particularly the case in his Toronto-area riding that is home to Pearson International Airport, where local hotels and restaurants are also suffering from a drop in travel. Bains tells The Canadian Press that he has seen the issue in his own home.A father of two, Bains says the pandemic has taken its toll on his school-aged daughters from not being able to engage with friends and family.

Research by Statistics Canada through the pandemic has noted a decline in self-perceived mental health.

A study by the agency published in June suggested those more affected by the pandemic -- such as women, those with compromised immune systems or chronic health conditions -- were less likely to report better mental health.

“I’m hearing more and more stories and frankly, personally, I can relate to that,” Bains said of mental health concerns.

“It’s an emerging issue not only in my riding -- I suspect it’s across the country as well. But it is clearly an issue that we have to deal with.”

Another Statistics Canada study released just before Christmas noted Canadians’ measurement of “life satisfaction” had dropped to its lowest level over two decades of comparable data.

The agency’s studies were among several released this year about the mental health impacts from the economic and health crisis.

Source:bc.ctvnews.ca

OTTAWA -- It’s that time of the year when crystal balls are dusted off to try to decipher what future shocks will rattle the political landscape. Given that nobody in 2019 predicted the Canadian arrival of COVID-19 and the pandemic’s catastrophic damage to the economy, our health-care system or general socialization habits, it’s safe to classify these as more random predictions than probable prophesies.

But after consulting some of the smartest people I know in the realms of politics, public health and business, all mixed in with some of my own alleged insights, this is the best-guess list for 2021.

VACCINES The slower-than-expected arrival of vaccines will tense up federal-provincial relations as the U.S. and Europe unleash a much faster rollout aimed at achieving public immunity by early summer. The provinces will blame the feds for not delivering the ordered vaccines fast enough.

The feds will point fingers at the provinces for not administering them fast enough. In the end, most Canadians who want a COVID-19 vaccine will have the jab by September.

THE BORDER The first stage of the U.S. border reopening to vehicular traffic comes in May, but only for Canadians with proven vaccination documentation. The two-week quarantine is lifted for returning Canadian travellers, although rapid testing will be administered to everyone upon arrival for the rest of the year.

BIDEN & CHINA President Joe Biden revives the U.S. tradition of making Canada the first presidential pitstop, possibly sometime in June. Bet on a rekindled bromance with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to replicate the one with former president Obama.

As a peace offering, Biden will rescind the extradition request for Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou, leaving her free to return to China.

Not surprisingly, China drops the trumpedup charges against Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig a few days later and

they return home. There is no noticeable thaw in icy Canada-China relations.

KEYSTONE In a surprise move, Joe Biden does not follow through on his pledge to rescind Keystone XL pipeline permits under strong pressure from unionized workers on the project, allowing work to proceed on another oilsands connection from Alberta to U.S. refineries.

ELECTION Trudeau will call a federal election in the fall to seek a mandate for his $100-billion COVID-19 recovery plan.

With almost 150 Liberal MPs first elected in October 2015 qualifying for a juicy parliamentary pension on their sixth anniversary as an MP (which is incredible taxpayer generosity when you think about it), the prime minister will face strong caucus resistance to his preferred spring 2021 election call from pension preservationists.

The ballot box issue will be, obviously, Trudeau’s pandemic response.

CONSERVATIVES Conservative leader Erin O’Toole outperforms the problem-plagued Andrew Scheer campaign from 2019, but insiders still think the Conservatives will fail to make the crucial big-city breakthroughs in Ontario or Quebec they need to form a true blue government.

On the other hand, a more popular NDP is seen as a spoiler which, along with a strong Bloc Quebecois campaign in Quebec, will confine Trudeau to another minority government. He will not stick around for another election as Liberal leader.

Source: ctvnews.ca

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What’s behind the latest GCC reconciliation efforts?

Reports of potential deal to end the Gulf dispute come ahead of upcoming GCC summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh.

At the start of 2020, talks to end the yearslong Gulf diplomatic crisis abruptly came to an end. For nearly a whole year, the regional rift between Qatar and a Saudi-led alliance remained in a stalemate as countries focused their efforts on combating the coronavirus pandemic.But earlier this month, reports of a potential deal to resolve the dispute has raised questions about what a preliminary agreement would entail, and who exactly

would it involve. Reports of reconciliation come ahead of an upcoming GCC summit, scheduled to convene in the Saudi capital Riyadh on January 5.The reports come nearly four years after an air, land and sea blockade was imposed on Qatar by fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain as well as non-GCC member Egypt.

The four Arab countries claimed the blockade, which began on June 5, 2017, was imposed on Qatar for “supporting terrorism” and for being too close to Iran, among other

things. The blockading quartet also issued a list of 13 demands, including the closure of the Al Jazeera Media Network as well as a Turkish military base, which Qatar promptly rejected.

Earlier this month, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said a resolution was in sight, with the four governments behind the blockade “on board” and a final agreement expected soon.

The GCC says Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has been invited to next month’s summit.Source: aljazeera.com

Netanyahu speaks with Morocco’s king, invites him to Israel the Israeli premier invited the king for a visit, Netanyahu’s office said.

The two leaders spoke on Friday about moving forward with a United Statesbrokered agreement announced earlier this month to normalise bilateral ties, according to the Israeli

While welcoming the renewal of ties, King Mohammed VI said his country’s position on Palestine remains unchanged.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Morocco’s King Mohammed VI have held a telephone conversation during which

statement.

“The leaders congratulated each other over the renewal of ties between the countries, the signing of the joint statement with the US, and the agreements between the two

countries,” said the statement.

“In addition, the processes and mechanisms to implement the agreements were determined,” it added.

Four bilateral deals were signed on Tuesday between Israel and Morocco, centering on direct air links, water management, connecting financial systems and a visa waiver arrangement for diplomats.

Israel and Morocco are also due to reopen diplomatic offices. Netanyahu also thanked King Mohammed VI for hosting an Israeli delegation this week. King Mohammed VI underscored the close ties between the Moroccan Jewish community and the monar-

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES -- It was clear that Loujain al-Hathloul intended to return home to Saudia Arabia to advocate for women’s rights after graduating in Canada, says a friend who got to know the imprisoned activist while the two women were studying at the University of British Columbia. “She wanted to go back to Saudi Arabia,” said Atiya Jaffar, who was on the Vancouver campus with al-Hathloul between 2009 and 2013. “All of the activism that she engaged in after graduation, I believe she did it out of a love for her people and her country.”

Now one Saudi Arabia’s most prominent women’s rights activists, 31-year-old alHathloul was sentenced Monday to nearly six years in prison, according to state-linked media, under a vague and broadly worded counterterrorism law.”A conviction for terrorism is not justice for Loujain,” said Jaffar, describing al-Hathloul as a lively person and engaged student who was involved in nu-

merous extracurricular clubs and activities.

Rights group “Prisoners of Conscience,” which focuses on Saudi political detainees, said al-Hathloul could be released in March 2021 based on time served. She has been imprisoned since May 2018, and 34 months of her sentencing will be suspended.

Al-Hathloul’s family said in a statement she will be barred from leaving the kingdom for five years and required to serve three years of probation after her release.

Jaffar said she worries the suspended sentence “could be used as an excuse for a future arrest, as could the terrorism verdict in general.” Al-Hathloul’s continued imprisonment was likely to be a point of contention in relations between the kingdom and the incoming presidency of Joe Biden, whose inauguration takes place in January -- around two months before what is now expected to be al-Hathloul’s release date.

Biden has vowed to review the U.S.-Saudi

relationship and take into greater consideration human rights and democratic principles. He has also vowed to reverse President Donald Trump’s policy of giving Saudi Arabia “a blank check to pursue a disastrous set of policies,” including the targeting of female activists. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s incoming national security adviser, called the sentencing of al-Hathloul “unjust and troubling.”

“As we have said, the Biden-Harris administration will stand up against human rights violations wherever they occur,” he said in a tweet.

Al-Hathloul was found guilty and sentenced to five years and eight months by the kingdom’s anti-terrorism court on charges of agitating for change, pursuing a foreign agenda, using the internet to harm public order and co-operating with individuals and entities that have committed crimes under antiterror laws, according to state-linked Saudi news site Sabq. The charges all come under

chy, the Royal Court said in a statement.

Morocco has North Africa’s largest Jewish community of about 3,000 people, and Israel is home to 700,000 Jews of Moroccan origin.

Palestine position unchanged: Morocco

While welcoming the resumption of relations with Israel, the king said Morocco’s position regarding Palestine remains unchanged.

Rabat advocates the two-state solution and the unique character of Jerusalem as a city of three religions.

Morocco closed its liaison office in Tel Aviv in 2000, at the start of the second Intifada, or uprising.Source: aljazeera.com

Saudi women’s rights activist, who studied in Canada, sentenced to nearly 6 years in prison

the country’s broadly worded counterterrorism law. Another Saudi women’s rights activist, Maya’a al-Zahrani, was issued the same sentence for a similar list of charges by the Specialized Criminal Court, which tries terrorism cases, according to local media reports Monday. .........Source: ctvnews.ca

Arya: Remain positive for Syrian soldier killed in Israeli raid near Damascus One Syrian soldier has been killed better days ahead and several others wounded in an

There is hope that better days are ahead.

These are the sentiments of Arya Pratinidhi Sabha media officer Kamlesh Arya who said Fiji had endured some serious situations this year.

He urged Fijians to remain positive because better days

were ahead.

“The 2021 package is unseen as yet and in welcoming the year 2021, there is hope that better days are ahead,” Mr Arya said.

“Unseen struggles may be many. All we can do is to rebuild what we have lost, bring about greater social cohesion and put our energies to positive and collective endeavours and remain resilient in the face of adversities.

“We need to remain faithful to the words of the God Almighty in whatever form one believes and pray that the days of sufferings are over with the passage of the year 2021.”

Source:fijitimes.com

Israeli attack on a military position in the Damascus countryside near the Zabadani Valley, state news agency SANA says, citing a military source.

“Today at 01:30 (22:30 GMT) the Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression with missile bursts from the northern Galilee, targeting a unit of our air defence forces in the Nabi Habeel area,” the military source said on Wednesday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the number of wounded had risen at five, two of them in grave condition. The raids had also targeted and destroyed Hezbollah rocket and ammunition depots near the town of Zabadani close to the Lebanese border, the war monitor said.

Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said pro-Iran groups use the heights around Zabadani to store weapons and ammunition.

“Hezbollah uses (the area) as a storage spot before transporting weapons and ammunition into Lebanon,” he said.Israel refused to confirm or deny the attack.“We do not comment on foreign media

reports,” an army spokesperson told AFP. Israel has launched hundreds of air raids on Syria since the start of the civil war in 2011, targeting government troops, allied Iranian forces and fighters from Lebanese group Hezbollah.

It rarely confirms details of its operations in Syria but says Iran’s presence in support of President Bashar al-Assad is a threat to which it will continue to respond. This is the second Israeli attack in Syria in the past week. Last Thursday, Syrian media reported that air defence systems responded to another Israeli air raid in the northwest of the country.Four buildings, part of a munitions factory in Masyaf, where the attack took place, were damaged.

Source: aljazeera.com

10 world The world slams the door on 2020 in hope of a better 2021 Jamadi ul I, 17,1442 Jan 1, 2021

T

his year many countries have restrictions in place to avoid mass gatherings amid COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, NYE 2021 will NOT be open to the public this year — but there will be live performances, and we hope all of you will enjoy the virtual celebrations safely from the comfort of your own home. New Year’s Eve 2021 might look a little different than usual, but one thing that will never change is the ticking of time and the arrival of a New Year at midnight on December 31st. Celebrate with us virtually in an enhanced celebration that will bring Times Square and the Ball Drop to you no matter where you are.

Source: google.com

India-Pakistan Wagah Border Post, about Times Square New Year’s Eve 2021 35 kms from Amritsar on December 31, 2020...(AFP) Not normally a city on the world’s radar, DUBAI: The world is preparing for an un- Wuhan was the ground zero of this year’s precedented celebration of New Year’s Eve, previously marked with grand public events.

This year many countries have put restrictions to avoid mass gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected over 80 million people worldwide, and killed around 1.8 million.

Every year as the clock nears midnight on Although 2020 has been a challenging year, December 31, the eyes of the world turn the Middle East has seen major milestones once more to the dazzling lights and bustling including Saudi Arabia’s G20 presidency and COVID-19 outbreak. With 15 minutes to energy of Times Square. Anticipation runs the normalization of diplomatic ties between go to midnight, the city and its residents are high. New Year’s Eve at the symbolic center Israel and a number of Arab countries. preparing to see in the new year...(AFP) of New York City has become more than just CN Tower Toronro Indian Border Security Force (BSF) sol- Tokyo Tower is lit as people walk at Shiba a celebration — it’s a global tradition. diers perform during the daily Beating the Park on New Year’s Eve in Tokyo on Decem- The world holds its breath, and cheers as Sadly the CN tower did not look like this tonight, just some flashing lights.

Retreat ceremony on New Year’s Eve at the ber 31, 2020. (AFP) the clocks strike twelve.

Dawn of Biden era offers new opportunities, old challenges for Canada-U.S. relations

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- If Donald Trump has anything in common with Canada, it might be this: a shared craving for the attention of the American people that at times can border on the pathological.

Both could go through withdrawal symptoms in the new year.

Whatever else history will say about the outgoing president, he had a knack for scratching that uniquely Canadian itch for acknowledgment from south of the border, even if it often left a painful welt. “South Park” fans might call it the “blame Canada” doctrine: Trump branded the country a national-security threat, an existential danger to U.S. farmers and manufacturers, and a place unworthy of U.S.-made pandemic

protection.

He decried “two-faced” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as a “very dishonest and weak” leader, and admitted to disliking former foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland, who he reportedly said “hates America.”

After Canada’s walk-on part in the U.S. reality-TV zeitgeist, the Joe Biden era will be boring by comparison - not such a bad thing, said Roy Norton, a former senior diplomat who did two stints at the Canadian Embassy in the 1990s and 2000s.

“In Washington, I used to find that not being on the radar screen was usually preferable to being on the radar screen,” said Norton, now a diplomat-in-residence at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Water-

loo, Ont. “When you are, you’re the target, and people are gunning for you. Certainly, Trump exercised that.” Canada-U.S. expert Eric Miller opted for a different metaphor.

“Some people are thinking that this is all going to have been like ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ where you’re going to wake up and it was all a scary dream,” said Miller, president of the Rideau Potomac Strategy Group in Washington. “But in reality, the world has changed very significantly over the last four years, and so a good part of what the Biden administration is going to be focused on is dealing with the immediate problem.” Pulling the U.S. out of its pandemic-induced a back seat, particularly if there’s a percepeconomic tailspin will be Job 1, which tion they run counter to those of the United means Canadian priorities may have to take States. Source: ctvnews.ca

dreds of store locations across Canada. And this does not even account for the countless local businesses also forced to close after serving neighbourhoods for decades.

Apparel and fashion sales in particular suffered one of its worst years, with that segment of the industry on track to see a 90 per cent plunge in profit, according to the State of Fashion report by The Business of Fashion and consulting firm McKinsey & Co. Brands already vulnerable pre-pandemic were among the first to fall -- and if 2020 didn’t take them, 2021 likely will, retail experts say, adding that stores too short-sighted to see past spring as an opportunity to reinvent themselves missed their opportunity.

2020 was a test of the survival of the fittest: those agile enough to switch gears quickly -- and lucky enough to carry the right merchandise during a pandemic -- were the ones left standing. That combination will continue to bolster some retailers in 2021.

“Look, they all took a blow irrespective, but it was less of a blow versus some other retailers that just didn’t have the (online) infrastructure that was set up and they didn’t have the ability to dial up,” said Farla Efros, managing partner with HRC Retail Advisory.

Staples is one example of a retailer with the right combination: an office supply company that had to pivot at a time when businesses were transitioning quickly to working from home. The retail chain had already been working to enhance its digital experience and improving its technology when the pan-

demic hit, and was able to change course and accelerate efforts that were already underway, Hutcheson explained. They were also among the first businesses to launch curbside pickup -- and do it with relatively few hiccups, she added.

And they are not alone. Grocers, home improvement companies, and many retailers that sell comfort wear and supplies for the home and outdoors did well in 2020, and are among those expected to weather ongoing challenges in 2021.

Homebound and nowhere to go, Canadians will likely continue to invest in upgrades at home, experts predict, whether it is extending their living space to the backyard, or refreshing their indoor environment.

“I don’t think any of those retailers would have ever thought that you’d build double digit growth in things like paint. They haven’t seen that in probably 50 years,” Efros said.

“There was a point where you couldn’t even get any materials to build a deck. They were just non-existent -- furniture, all those things.” Even grocers -- essential businesses that will do well regardless -- continued to improve their services, accelerating and giving more space to its curbside pickup service, expanding its online shopping and home delivery service. Voila by Sobeys, for example, launched at an opportune time this past summer in Toronto, with plans to expand in 2021. It is an online grocery delivery service that uses robots to assemble the

Retailers had an ugly year in 2020. What will 2021 look like?

By: Solarina Ho , CTVNews.

TORONTO -- With many of us planning to spend at least part of 2021 like we did in 2020 -- trading our business wear for yoga pants and sweats -- the outlook remains gloomy for many retailers in Canada, especially apparel. While more closures are likely, the COVID-19 pandemic offers silver linings for some businesses. “Retailers weren’t prepared for what lay ahead in March. It happened all so quickly, nobody could have prepared for it,” said Lisa Hutcheson, a managing partner with global retail consulting firm, J.C. Williams Group.

“The ones that have pivoted very quickly and adapted are weathering this new storm out and therefore will be even better positioned for next year. So I think it will be better.” The retail landscape in 2020 was always going to be grim, but the pandemic turned it into a graveyard of bankruptcies and closures, with dozens of chains shuttering doors at hun-

orders, reducing the amount of human handling a product goes through before they are delivered to the customer’s home.

With life still a long way off from “normal” even with the vaccines, lifestyle brands and apparel makers that sell athleisure, loungewear and outdoor wear like Urban Outfitters and Lululemon will also continue to do well in a pandemic environment.

Vancouver-based Lululemon, for example, reported third quarter sales of US$1.1 billion -- up 22 per cent from a year earlier. Long before COVID-19, the athleisure company had committed significant time and resources into integrating their online and store operations, making it a seamless experience for shoppers. That put them in a better position than others to handle the shock of the pandemic. In recent months, the company managed to increase its market share in the U.S. with new customers.

This summer, when other apparel companies were struggling to stay afloat, Lululemon spent US$500 million purchasing Mirror, an interactive home fitness company that lets users exercise with professional trainers from the comfort, privacy and pandemic safety of their own home. It demonstrates the company’s understanding that people are always looking for ways to stay physically fit, Hutcheson said. It also reflects Lululemon’s history as an “experiential” brand, something many retailers are increasingly striving to incorporate into their businesses.

Source: dawn.com

11

Jamadi ul I, 17,1442 Jan 1, 2021

2020 change

Regression, hope and change: The Middle East in 2020

been fighting alongside the government since 2015 against the Iran-backed Houthis.

The Houthis control the capital Sanaa and large areas in the north and west of the country. The conflict is increasingly becoming a burden on interWhile some developments have shined hope on ostensibly unsolvable conflicts, other dynamics national shipping, with the Houthis increasingly attacking Saudi oil tankers. have exacerbated issues across the region.

By Thomas O Falk, 26 Dec 2020 he year 2020 has left its mark on much of the Middle East. While some developments have shined a glimmer of hope on ostensibly unsolvable conflicts, other dynamics have exacerbated existing issues across the region.

Reflections on the year for Iraq and Iran have been published by Al Jazeera in other pieces.

cember 24, 2021.

Nonetheless, obstacles remain, particularly due to the pandemic.

COVID-19 has shifted the European focus away from Libya and provided Russia with additional leeway, Nicolai Due-Gundersen, a political analyst at United Nations Institute of Training and Research, said.

“As many EU states and the world tackles COVID-19, sadly Libya may not be a priority. This may further allow Russia to continue their interventions and backing of Haftar, including through military means.”

Egypt

T

Syria

In the 10th year of the war, which has not Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people have been killed over the past 10 years. According to the United Nations, Yemen faces the worst humanitarian crisis in decades.

Malnourished girl Rahmah Watheeq receives treatment at Al-Sabeen hospital in Sanaa, Yemen Yet, international aid has considerably receded compared with previous years. In June, an international donor conference fell $1bn short of the UN’s $2.4bn target, adding to the devastating situation.

In late December, Hadi swore in a new governonly resulted in more than 500,000 casualties ment that was formed thanks to a power-sharbut displaced an estimated 13 million peo- ing deal brokered by Saudi Arabia last year. ple – more than half of all Syrians – lasting The new government, headed by Prime progress on a resolution is still not in sight. Minister Maeen Abdul Malik, represents Turkey and Russia agreed on a new ceasefire Yemen’s northern and southern areas with at the beginning of March for the rebels’ last equal numbers of members from each reremaining stronghold, Idlib. gion. It includes five members of the STC. However, President Bashar al-Assad continues to affirm his intention to regain control Libya of every inch of Syrian soil, including the northeast areas controlled by a Kurdish-led administration, and Idlib.

The ceasefire between Moscow and Ankara notwithstanding, Israel has continued to conduct military attacks against Iran-related targets in Syria.

Adding to the situation’s volatility is the resurgence of ISIL (ISIS).

Aided by the pandemic and the vacuum created by the United States withdrawal of its forces from some areas, the group launched several attacks and continues to regain Foreign actors had previously influenced the strength only a year after the collapse of its conflict between the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) and renphysical caliphate in eastern Syria.

The overall situation is aggravated by unre- egade military commander Khalifa Haftar’s mitting US sanctions against the Syrian gov- self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA). ernment that have impaired the country’s The Turkish-backed GNA made significant economy, as well as by the 2021 Syrian presi- battlefield gains earlier this year against the dential elections, as former Syrian Ambassa- LNA, which is backed by Russia, Egypt, and dor to Turkey Nidal Kabalan told Al Jazeera. the United Arab Emirates, among others.

“Although Syrians cannot wait to wrap up The GNA regained full control over Tripoli one of the worst years in a decade of a cata- after being besieged for more than a year by strophic conflict, their main concern will Haftar’s forces. likely focus economically on overcoming In August, the GNA announced its committhe impact of stifling sanctions and politi- ment to a ceasefire and a political solution. cally on the upcoming presidential elections It has enabled a somewhat constructive dialogue, culminating in a plan for genuine and relevant ramifications,” Kabalan said. progress, drafted during a September meetYemen ing in Switzerland, and with the approval of The war between government forces under crucial Libyan actors and members of the President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Southern Transitional Council (STC) con- (UNSMIL). tinued in the south, while the rebel Houthis Most importantly, both sides agreed to concontinue to fight the Saudi Arabia-led coali- duct presidential and parliamentary election and government forces in the north. tions within 18 months, scheduled for DeThe Saudi Arabia-led military alliance has

The government continues its fight against the ISIL’s local affiliate in the Sinai Peninsula, while President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has tightened his grip over the country.

However, he has been facing increased friction among the Egyptian population, pinnacling in mass protests against the government in September amid el-Sisi’s repression of journalists and carrying out of mass executions.

The chair and two employees of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights were recently arrested and accused of spreading fake news and endangering public order and security.

These developments have alarmed the European Union. Its parliament passed a resolution urging member states to consider imposing targeted restrictions against Egypt for its crackdown on human rights activists.

However, the Egyptian government continuous to reject any international criticism, denouncing it as “interference”.

Adding fuel to the situation is the persistent inequality in the country. These could lead to new and increased protests, political analyst, Hamid Chriet said.

“Egypt’s society is unequal in terms of its income distribution, with an estimated 3540 percent of Egypt’s population earning less than the equivalent of $2 a day, while only around 2-3 percent can be considered wealthy.”

Moreover, COVID-19 will likely worsen the situation.

“The sanitary crisis, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, reinforces the inequality. The latter may spark new and more extensive protests,” Chriet said.

Palestine

“The abandonment of the Palestinians by Arab autocratic regimes and especially by their own incompetent leadership, are trends that have deep roots and will certainly continue in the new year,” Nader Hashemi, director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Denver, said.

The Palestinians witnessed how Israel advanced its interests during the final days of the Trump administration.

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan holds up a placard showing a series of maps of historical Palestine during a speech at the parliament, in Ankara, Turkey [File: Burhan Ozbilici/AP Photo] With the decision to advance plans to construct the Givat Hamatos settlement, previously a red line for the international community, Israel will build the first new settlement in occupied East Jerusalem in 20 years.

It establishes a de facto separation of the predominantly Palestinian East Jerusalem from the city of Bethlehem, making a twostate solution under the previous parameters, with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital, almost inconceivable.

While US President-elect Joe Biden is an advocate of the two-state solution and has pledged to reinstate US aid for Palestinians, he is unlikely to significantly alter the status quo.

“Israeli settler-colonialism will continue in the West Bank, perhaps at a slower pace due to the departure of Donald Trump,” Hashemi said.

Israel

While the normalisation agreements are detrimental for Palestinians, they are momentous for Israel in terms of economic prosperity and increased security against the common adversary Iran.

Moreover, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s not-so-clandestine trip to Saudi Arabia recently could be considered as perhaps the critical step in Israel-Arab normalisations.

As for Israel’s relations with Palestine, “not much will change in 2021”, Hashemi said, while American support will remain substantial and equally unconditional.

“Joe Biden will return American policy to the Obama era. This means very strong US support for Israel and a steadfast refusal to contemplate using American leverage to force Israel to abide by international law.”

However, while Netanyahu facilitated significant achievements on the international stage, his domestic situation remains problematic.

The coalition between his Likud party and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party was unable to agree on a budget by the deadline of December 23 and, as a result, the government dissolved.

Israel now faces its fourth election in two years.

This is a scenario that becomes all the more complicated with the founding by breakaway Likud member Gideon Saar’s New Hope party which, according to polls, could not only become the third strongest force but may thoroughly shake up the Knesset’s traditional majorities – and hence put Netanyahu’s political future in peril.

With normalisation agreements signed between several Arab states and Israel, the Palestinians have become increasingly isolated. Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas has promised elections.

However, potential reconciliation with Hamas has not yet advanced sufficiently, and Source: aljazeera.com paralysis remains.

12

Jamadi ul I, 17,1442 Jan 1, 2021

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14

Jamadi ul Awaal 17, 1442H Jan 1, 2021

NEWS &

January

• Jan 1 – The Australian bushfires of 2019, or “Black Summer”, that have killed as many as 500 million animals.

• Jan 3 – 2019–20 Persian Gulf crisis: A U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport kills Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi paramilitary leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

• Jan 8, Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 is mistakenly shot down by Iran’s armed forces shortly after takeoff from Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport, killing all 176 people on board • Jan 10 – The Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said, dies aged 79. Haitham bin Tariq sworned

JULY

• July 10 Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan orders the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul to be reverted to a mosque following a supreme court annulment of a 1934 presidential decree that made it into a museum.

• July 19 Flooding of the Brahmaputra River kills 189 and leaves 4M homeless in India and Nepal.

• 28 July Ex-Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak is found guilty of all seven charges in the first of five trials on the 1MDB scandal, being jailed 12 years and fined RM210 million as a result.

MIRACLE’S SPECIAL 2020

Jamadi ul Awaal 17, 1442H Jan 1, 2021

T

FEBRuary

he year 2020 has been heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. 2020 is “the worst year in terms of climate change” in part due to major climate disasters worldwide, including major bushfires in Australia and the western United States,.

• Feb 11 – COVID-19 pandemic: The World Health Organization (WHO) names the disease COVID-19 • Feb 23 - Riots are reported in parts of Delhi, India, leading to 53 deaths and over 200 injuries.

Over 2,000 people are arrested as a result.

• Feb 24 - The Pakatan Harapan coalition government of Malaysia collapses and is replaced by the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Feb 28 – Syrian Civil War: Ambassadors of all 29 NATO allies meet in the North Atlantic Council to express solidarity with Turkey after 33 Turkish soldiers were killed in an airstrike by pro-Syrian government forces.

AUGUST

• Aug 4 – An explosion caused by unsafely stored ammonium nitrate kills over 220 people, injures thousands, and severely damages the port in Beirut, Lebanon. Damage is estimated at $10–15 billion, and an estimated 300,000 people are left homeless. The following day, the Lebanese government declares a two-week state of emergency.

• Aug 13 – Israel and the UAE agree to normalise relations, marking the third Israel–Arab peace deal.

• Aug 26 – Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos becomes the first person in history to have a net worth exceeding US$200 billion, according to Forbes.

Updated on Dec 31, 2020.

• Aug 28 – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Reproduction of the layout of this feature in the longest-serving prime minister in the history of the Miracle is not permitted as it is.

Japan, announces his resignation from office, Sources: www.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020 citing ill health.

MARCH

• Mar 1, Muhyiddin Yassin is sworn as 8th Prime Minister of Malaysia.

• Mar 8, COVID-19 pandemic: Italy places 16 million people in quarantine, more than a quarter of its population, in a bid to stop the spread of COVID-19. A day later, the quarantine is expanded to cover the entire country.

• Mar 11, COVID-19 pandemic: The World Health Organization declares the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic.

• Mar 30 – 2020 Russia–Saudi Arabia oil price war: The price of Brent Crude falls 9% to $23 per barrel, the lowest level since Nov 2002.

SEPTEMBER

• Sept 4 Pope Benedict XVI becomes the longestlived pope at 93 years, four months, and 16 days, surpassing Pope Leo XIII, who died in 1903.

• Sept 4 Bahrain and Israel agree to normalise relations, marking the fourth Israel–Arab peace deal.

Sept 21 – Microsoft agrees to buy video game holding company ZeniMax Media, including Bethesda Softworks and their following subsidiaries for US$7.5 billion, in what is the biggest and most expensive takeover in the history of the video game industry.

• Sept 29 COVID-19 pandemic: The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 exceeds one million.

• Sept 29 The Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah dies at the age of 91. Crown Prince Nawaf AlAhmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is named his successor.

APRIL

MAY

• Apr 1, COVID-19 pandemic: China reports 130 asymptomatic cases of COVID-19, its first reported asymptomatic cases.

• Apr 5, COVID-19 pandemic: The first case of COVID-19 in a zoo animal is reported: a four-yearold female Malayan tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York City.

• Apr 8, COVID-19 pandemic: China ends the lockdown in Wuhan, with people allowed to leave the city for the first time in 76 days.

• Apr 10, COVID-19 pandemic: The death toll from COVID-19 exceeds 100,000 globally, a ten-fold increase from March 20.

• May 6, Astronomers announce the discovery of the first black hole located in a star system visible to the naked eye.

• May 19 – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announces the termination of all agreements, including security ones, with Israel and the US. • May 22 Flight PK8303, a PIA passenger aircraft, crashes in a residential area near Karachi, in Pakistan, killing 97 of the 99 total people on board and injuring dozens on the ground.

• May 26 Protests caused by the killing of George Floyd break out across hundreds of cities in the U.S. and around the world.

OCTOBER

• Oct 1 – The EU began legal proceedings against the UK after it ignored their deadline to drop controversial sections from its internal market Bill.

• Oct 10 – Armenia and Azerbaijan agree on a ceasefire in the ongoing Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

• Oct 17 – 2020 New Zealand general election: Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party wins a • Oct 21 One crisis after another for Trudeau since last federal election one year ago. Canadians elected to put Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals on a shorter leash, • Oct 23 Israel and Sudan agree to normalise relations, marking the fifth Israel–Arab peace deal.

• Oct 30 Aegean Sea earthquake: A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits Turkey and Greece, killing at least 81 people and injuring nearly 1,000.

NOVEMBER

• Nov 3 – Nov 7, 2020 United States presidential election: Joe Biden is elected as the 46th President of the United States, after remaining vote counts (Nov 7) come in from key states delayed by an influx of mail-in ballots caused by the pandemic, defeating the incumbent President Donald Trump.

• Nov 9 COVID-19 pandemic: The first successful phase III trial of a COVID-19 vaccine is announced by drug companies Pfizer and BioNTech, which is 90% effective according to interim results.

• Nov 18 – COVID-19 pandemic: Pfizer and BioNTech complete trials on their COVID-19 vaccine, with an overall effectiveness rate of 95% without adverse events • Nov 26 Indian farmers’ protest: The largest general strike in history is held across India in response to the recession and austerity measures.

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JUNE

• June 4 Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) says they are in full control of the capital, Tripoli, after forces of the Libyan National Army (LNA) retreat from the territory following months of intense fighting in the city.

• June 15 At least 20 Indian soldiers and over 40 Chinese forces are killed or injured in skirmishes in the disputed Galwan Valley, the largest escalation along the Sino-Indian border in five decades.

• June 28 COVID-19 pandemic:The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 passes 10 million worldwide. The U.S. continues to report the highest number of any country as it reaches 2.5 million.

DECEMBER

• Dec 2 COVID-19 pandemic: The United Kingdom approves Pfizer’s BNT162b2 vaccine, being the first country in the world to do so.

• Dec 3 Prime Minister Imran Khan presented a 10-point agenda for urgent action before the UN General Assembly on Thursday, underlining the measures the international community needs to take to defeat the Covid-19 pandemic.

• Dec 10 Western Sahara conflict, Arab–Israeli conflict: Israel and Morocco normalise diplomatic relations • Dec 13 Massive crowds pour into Minar e Pakistan for PDM’s Lahore jalsa • Dec 20 – COVID-19 pandemic: A highly infectious new strain of SARS-CoV-2 spreading in Europe and Australia, provoking international border closures.

• Dec -29-Croatia hit by 6.4 magnitude earthquake,

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PDM’s differences

AN internal crisis is brewing within the Pakistan Democratic Movement alliance and the days ahead call for some difficult decisions that will have far-reaching consequences. Even as they say they share a common democratic goal, the challenges for each opposition party in the PDM are quite different, as are the leadership’s individual positions on the political spectrum.

The JUI-F, which has the least to lose, is taking the hard-line stance that all PDM lawmakers must resign. The PML-N, however, has considerable numbers in both the national and provincial assemblies, but unlike the PPP, it is not part of a government in any province and therefore would be less affected in the case of mass resignations. It is also bearing the brunt of the government’s controversial accountability drive and facing increasing pressure with the arrest of Khawaja Asif by NAB and the continuing detention of key party figures such as Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz. With no indication that the PML-N will scale down its demands, there could be trouble ahead.

Among the PDM parties, it appears that the PPP is alone in its reluctance to resign en masse. By urging PDM members to tread carefully and evaluate the consequences of resignations from each angle, it has clearly signalled its hesitancy and has left the final decision on the issue to its central executive committee and not the alliance. The party’s suggestion of consulting constitutional law experts is valid, as resigning from the assemblies is an extreme decision that could

DEWAN-E-KHASS Pakistani & Indian Cuisine King of the Grill

have serious political repercussions.Resignations before the Senate elections would give the governing party an open field to ensure a majority in the upper house which is a continuous body unlike the National Assembly. The PPP’s question regarding what would happen if the government called for by-elections is also one that may be important for all PDM component parties to consider — for, as challenging as it appears, a by-election could take place as the government is showing no signs of relenting. Interestingly, while the parties speak with one voice from the same platform on one day and deny talks of a rift, the following day they make contradictory decisions. Some say the difference of opinion between Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari may be a reason for this, as the former president might want to leave room to build bridges with the establishment. This inconsistency, reflected in individual goals and evidenced in each party’s approach to the resignation issue, signals confusion within PDM ranks.

While it is not clear how it will affect the ‘long march’ on the capital, which is part of the alliance’s final-stage strategy, it doesn’t bode well for the future of the alliance. For now, the PDM needs to address its internal challenges if it wants to avoid disintegration, and take its next steps on the basis of reason, not emotion. Source dawn.com

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Jamadi ul I, 17,1442 Jan 1, 2021

women/youth/info

By: Asma Shums, he New Year is slowly nearing, and with the holiday season already upon us many people are indulging in retrospection and re-evaluating some of their life choices. New Year’s resolutions are the perfect opportunity for all those who have failed to start making the changes that they said they would make next week, next month, or perhaps when winter starts.

Well, now’s your chance to sit down and prepare a list of important lifestyle changes you want to make, and being the charitable and caring bunch that we are here at Lifehack, we’ve decided to give you a bit of help – because since the majority of people fail to stick to their resolution, you’ll need all the help you can get. Here are some ideas for you: 1. Get in shape: Losing weight is the top reso-

T

Welcome 2021:

lution for many people, combined with “exercise more” and “stay fit and healthy” it is something that over a third of the population wishes to achieve. It’s easy enough to start an exercise and diet program, but the trick is to find a decent one that will give you steady results and will be easy to stick to in the long run. Make sure you have goals that are easy to achieve and take it slow each day at one time – starting with small habit changes.

2. Start eating healthier food, and less food overall: This is usually an extension of the previous resolution. Switching to a healthier diet can be incredibly tricky when we are surrounded by cheap junk food. However, with a good amount of determination and some basic tips you can slowly develop healthier eating habits. Learn to control emotional eating, be aware of reasons for diets to fail, make use of these tricks and have a look at these awesome and healthy recipes.

3. Stop procrastinating: The biggest barrier that keeps most people from reaching their goals is the desire to relax and do something

• What is a New Year’s resolution?

Something that goes in one year and out the other

fun instead of working hard. Once you get used to procrastinating it’s difficult to snap yourself out of it, so you’ll need to put in a lot of work to change this bad habit. There are many useful tips out there to find your way to stop procrastinating. There are also tools which can help you achieve this task.

4. Improve your concentration and mental skills: People have been trying to find ways to improve their focus and cognitive capacities for thousands of years, and most ancient civilizations had some combination of mental exercise and herbal medicine to help them reach this goal. Today we can use anything from apps to ancient meditation techniques to boost concentration and hone our mental skills. If you go through with this, you will be able to control your mood, learn faster and have an easier time solving problems.

5 Learn more about art, music, culture etc.: The best way to fit in when talking to a variety of people from different backgrounds is to have a well-rounded education. Topics like art, music, history and culture often baffle

• What did the friends say to each other at midnight on New Year’s Eve? “I haven’t seen you since last year!”

people, but they can be easy to comprehend if you spend enough time learning about them using helpful websites and online courses.

6: Use your time wisely: Spend less time on social media: Some people might not spend hours in front of the TV, or playing video games, but social media has become a serious addiction among a wide range of demographics. It’s fine to stay in touch with friends and family, but if you consistently spend more than an hour every day on social media, it’s time to make a change.

Well, there you have it –a list of advice, tips and tricks to help you see your New Year’s resolution through and make some long-term changes in your life. I wish you all a Happy New Year. info at: asmashums@gmail.com

Ryan Kaji’s Net Worth Explained: Inside The Life Of Youtube’s Highest Earner ple can keep up with.

Celebrities have gone from exclusively being film and TV actors, sports stars and politicians to just about anyone with an internet connection, a camera and the luck of the YouTube algorithm on their side.

As a result, the youth of today have far different role models than those born 30 or 40 years ago.

One such YouTube star, who has amassed an enormous following and is now YouTube’s highest earner, is Ryan Kaji who is little more than eight years old.

M

By: Paul Fogarty eet YouTube’s highest-earning star, he’s just nine years old.

Thanks to the mass adoption of the internet and sites such as YouTube, the way the world works is changing faster than many peo-

MEET RYAN KAJI

Nine-year-old Ryan Kaji is one of YouTube’s fastest-growing content creators.

Ryan’s channel, Ryan’s World, was set up by his parents, back in March 2015 when their son was just three years old.

The content on the channel is very much child-

orientated with videos often consisting of toy reviews and educational videos.

Incredibly, in the five-and-a-half years since its birth, Ryan’s World has amassed a whopping 27.6 million subscribers and boasts over 43 billion views as of December 2020. The channel’s follower count was 22 million and he had 34 billion views in December 2019.

On top of that, Ryan’s online fame has also translated itself into the world of TV with the nine-year-old now starring in his very own TV show on Nick Jr. RYAN IS YOUTUBE’S HIGHEST EARNER As a result of Ryan’s huge online following and the advertising and sponsorship money that has come alongside his YouTube channel, the nine-year-old is the highest earner across all of YouTube, beating other stars like Mr. Beast.

The Guardian reports that in 2020, Ryan Kaji

has made a remarkable $29.5m (£22 million) thanks to his YouTube fame.

In 2019, it was estimated that Ryan has earned a total of $59 million (£45 million) from his YouTube work.

spite ongoing research “very little is currently known about how, where and when the virus started circulation in Wuhan,” according to the terms of reference but a lack of preliminary data from the early days of the outbreak, including the type and number of animals sold in Huanan as well as the travel history and other exposure factors of the people who worked and shopped there might make it a difficult question to answer.

It is still unclear if the market was a “contamination source, acted as an amplifier for human-tohuman transmission, or a combination of those factors,” WHO said in the terms of reference.

Much of the challenge comes from the fact that much of the evidence was lost when health authorities sealed the market off and disposed of what was there, leaving little for the first scientists who travelled to the city when the outbreak was first reported.

Whether the absence of data was deliberate is also unknown, although University of Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung, told broadcaster the BBC in July there was “nothing to see” when he and other researchers went there in mid-January as part of an exploratory mission for China’s National Health Commis-

sion. The market had been cleaned up like a “crime scene”, he said.

While the market’s role in the worst pandemic in a century remains unclear, more progress has been made in answering questions about when COVID-19 first emerged in humans.

A crucial study published in medical journal The Lancet earlier this year and another by the University College London speculate the disease appeared in the last quarter of 2019, while government data obtained by the South China Morning Post newspaper reportedly showed Patient Zero may have been a man living in the same province as Wuhan whose symptoms emerged as early as November 17.

“It was estimated that probably the first human cases probably occurred some time in late October or early to mid November,” Rasmussen said. “That was after the study in February in the Lancet that showed that the first case that was definitely identified was December 1 and it was a person who had no connection to the Wuhan seafood market. The seafood market was super-spreading event, but it wasn’t the event that caused the virus to jump over from animals into people that probably happened before that.” Source: aljazeera.com

HE HAS HIS PARENTS TO THANK

Ryan’s incredible success would not have been possible without the work done by his parents, mother Loann and father Shion.

In 2015, when Ryan enquired why other kids were on YouTube and he wasn’t, his parents decided to help him set up a YouTube channel and they began creating videos.

Ryan’s first-ever video, which just shows him playing with a Lego train, kick-started what would become an internet phenomenon. The video in question now has almost 50 million views since it was posted in 2015.

Source: hitc.com

How did the pandemic begin? WHO team to seek answers in China

Experts are preparing to travel to Wuhan to investigate how COVID-19 emerged as China questions origins and spread.

By Erin Hale, 28 Dec 2020 t the end of October, a team of researchers from the World Health Organization (WHO) finally sat down – virtually – with a group of Chinese experts to kick-off a long-term in-depth study into the origins of the coronavirus and how it entered the human population.

Next month – a year after China reported its first death in Wuhan from what was then considered a “mysterious” new illness – the 10 international experts from Denmark to Qatar will finally travel to the country to make indepth “epidemiologic, virologic, serologic assessments” of people and animals.

Under the supervision of the WHO and the government of China, the team will travel to central China to gather evidence and explore how the virus appeared in the city, laying the groundwork for further study into how and where COVID-19 might have begun.

“The current COVID-19 pandemic shows the devastating impact emerging zoonotic diseases can have on societies,” the study’s terms of reference read. “As the pandemic continues to unfold, understanding how the epidemic began is essential to prevent further SARS-CoV-2 virus introductions and help prevent introductions of new viruses in the future.”

The experts will build on research conducted over the past year, as well as historic data from the SARS-CoV-1 outbreak in 2002, to work

A

out how the new coronavirus, known as SARSCoV-2, first emerged in animal hosts and later spread to humans.

But as the trip gets nearer, the origins of the virus are being hotly contested by one of the study’s key partners – the government of China – underlining the political nature of the pandemic and the challenges of investigating the origins of a disease that has now killed more than 1.7 million people around the world and devastated economies.

“WHO has put together a team to go to China and to work with colleagues in China to investigate the origins question but that is of course going to require a lot of cooperation with the Chinese government and scientists in China,” said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Columbia University School of Public Health. “It’s going to be a very complicated political situation and political context in which to do a rigorous scientific investigation.”

Market research

Cases of the coronavirus first began appearing in Wuhan in late 2019, with Chinese media reporting the existence of a “mysterious” new respiratory illness among the city’s residents and suggesting a link to the Huanan market, which sold seafood but also a wide range of other animals including exotic wildlife.

The first phase of the study will look at one of the most important and confounding questions of the COVID-19 outbreak: what role did the market play in the outbreak – if any – and how did the virus get there in the first place?

The WHO has already admitted that de-

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HE A L TH

Why COVID-19 vaccines are not widely recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding Canadians, for now

By: Ross Andersen CTVNews.ca writer TORONTO -- As the first doses of OVID-19 vaccines are distributed across the country, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding will have to weigh their individual risks when it comes to getting the shot.

Because there’s currently no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during pregnancy, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) says the vaccine should not be routinely offered to those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. However, the NACI, which advises the Public Health Agency of Canada, says that if the benefits of vaccine outweigh the potential risks for the individual and “if informed consent includes discussion about the insufficient evidence in this population,” people in that group may get the shot.

Currently, neither Pfizer-BioNTech nor Moderna – the makers of COVID-19 vaccines approved for use in Canada so far -- have conclusive evidence on whether the vaccines pose any harm to pregnant or breastfeeding people, since those groups were excluded in clinical trials. Infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CTVNews.ca that despite the lack of data,

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he believes women should make their own decisions based on their individual circumstances and most up-to-date information available.

“We know that pregnant women can be at risk for more severe illness and more severe outcomes with COVID-19 and based on that I think we can empower women to make informed decisions for themselves,” said Bogoch.

“Having a nuanced discussion with an individual’s health-care provider might clarify if the pros outweigh the cons, then it could be acceptable,” he said.

The U.K. currently excludes pregnant and breastfeeding women from receiving the vaccine because of the lack of data available. The general advice in the U.S. is that individuals should make their own informed decisions based on potential risk factors.

“Pregnant patients who decline vaccination should be supported in their decision. Regardless of their decision to receive or not receive the vaccine, these conversations provide an opportunity to remind patients about the importance of other prevention measures,” according the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Canadian doctors echo their American counterparts in considering whether pregnant or breastfeeding women should receive the vaccine.

“We recommend that pregnant and breastfeeding individuals who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine due to exposure risk, medical status, or other circumstances should be able to make an informed decision by having access to up-to-date information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine (including clear information about the data that is not yet available) and information about the risks of COVID-19 infection for them,” says the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada.

Before deciding whether to receive a

COVID-19 vaccine, Canadians should consider their own current health status and individual risk of exposure to the virus, according to Bogoch.

“I’m all for empowering people to make their own decisions over their own bodies after having a nuanced discussion about what we know, and what we don’t know about these vaccines,” he said.

Pregnant women are historically excluded from vaccine clinical trials because of potential complications and ethical concerns that need to be considered, such as possible harm to the fetus and milk production.

“There are lots of vaccines pregnant women get, and there’s some that they don’t get.

But I think the real question is are they included in clinical trials? And the answer to that is no,” said Bogoch.

“It’s an issue - but there’s a huge push to enroll pregnant women and women who are breastfeeding in clinical trials so we actually have the data.”

Bogoch expects that there will be more data available to pregnant and breastfeeding women in the weeks ahead because of individuals around the world who may have become pregnant after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. Source: ctvnews.ca

Buying a coronavirus vaccine for everyone on Earth, storing and shipping it, and giving it safely will all be hard and expensive

I

nfectious diseases do not respect borders.

An estimated 3 billion people in lowincome countries across Africa, Asia and Latin America are likely to lack access to a COVID-19 vaccine for years after it becomes available. In poor nations, many communities lack the health care workers needed to administer vaccines, as well as the capacity to handle vaccines properly by keeping them extremely cold.

As a bioethicist studying global access to essential medicines, I’m closely monitoring what wealthy countries, foundations and international organizations are doing about this problem.

COVAX The COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Facility, or COVAX, is a joint effort by 184 countries working with international organizations to make it possible for people everywhere to get affordable access to COVID-19 vaccines as they become available.

So far, COVAX has raised about US$1.8 billion toward an initial target of $2 billion to cover the cost of manufacturing and distributing COVID-19 vaccines around the world.

The goal of this initiative is to produce 2 billion doses by the end of 2021. However,

many of the rich countries taking part are striking their own deals apart from COVAX to assure that they will get early access to a vaccine.

These instances of “vaccine nationalism” threaten to undermine COVAX and other attempts to equitably distribute new COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

Several large industrialized countries – including the U.S. and Russia – have opted to stay out of the agreement altogether.

They are making their own arrangements with pharmaceutical companies instead.

UNICEF Distributing COVID-19 vaccines could prove as hard as or harder than coming up with the money to pay for them.

That’s because the most promising vaccines require constant and extremely cold storage. Especially in areas where access to electricity is unreliable or missing altogether, there simply are not enough health facilities with the required refrigeration capacity.

Nearly 3 billion people around the world live in places lacking the temperaturecontrolled storage needed for a wide-scale immunization campaign. How bad this problem turns out to be will depend on which vaccines are ultimately approved, because not every vaccine undergoing clinical trials requires storage at the same cold temperatures.

What’s more, there are not enough health workers to administer the vaccines, and it’s extremely hard for many people in poor communities to travel to health clinics.

The United Nations Children’s Fund, a U.N. agency that provides aid to children worldwide, is leading the COVAX initiative’s vaccine distribution plans. UNICEF has worked with the public-private partnership called GAVI, formerly Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations, in the past to supply developing countries with the specialized refrigeration technol-

ogy needed to keep vaccines ice-cold.

In addition, UNICEF aims to stockpile 520 million syringes by the end of 2020, up to 1 billion syringes by 2021 and 5 million safety disposal boxes.

International organizations and foundations Several other international organizations are also working to make sure that people in low-income countries will have access to a COVID-19 vaccine and to treatments as well.

As of October 2020, the World Bank planned to provide US$12 billion to finance vaccine acquisition and deployment in low- and middle-income countries like India and Nigeria.

Other regional development banks are also playing an important role, since COVAX will not provide enough vaccines for everyone in the world. For instance, in sub-Saharan Africa, only 28% of health care facilities have access to reliable electricity, so the African Export-Import Bank has $3 million in grant funding to help communities procure equipment and supplies. Moreover, the bank is talking with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention about allocating $5 billion to buy COVID-19 vaccines.

And the Global Fund has allocated $665 million of the estimated $20 billion needed to vaccinate everyone in the whole world. Their COVID-19 Response Mechanism will improve supply chains for vaccine distribution and health systems in general.

Other organizations with extensive experience in vaccination campaigns are also stepping up to help.

For example, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative is providing staff trained to do polio surveillance to test wastewater for COVID-19, distribute masks and hand sanitizer, and perform contact tracing.

When a vaccine becomes available, this polio group will likely help out as well.

Foundations, especially the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are also playing a role.

The Gates Foundation is teaming up with GAVI and the Serum Institute of India to speed up COVID-19 vaccine manufacturing.

The vaccines will be sold for no more than $3 a dose to 92 low- and middle-income countries including Brazil, Chile, Singapore and South Africa.

In 1999, the Gates Foundation pledged $750 million to launch GAVI, and it has given $4 billion to the organization to date. At the 2020 Global Vaccine Summit, a virtual meeting hosted by the U.K., the Gates Foundation promised to spend $1.6 billion to vaccinate 300 million children against several diseases, including COVID-19 once vaccines become available.

The Gates Foundation is also participating in a joint effort with the World Health Organization and several other international organizations to pay for 100 million antigen rapid diagnostic tests being made available in low- and middle-income countries – where they are priced at $5 or less.

Likewise, many other philanthropic efforts are underway in conjunction with companies and international agencies.

[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]

The Wellcome Trust, for example, in partnership with the Gates Foundation and Mastercard, has funded the COVID-19 Therapeutic Accelerator a research alliance to develop new COVID-19 treatments and tests.

In my view, these efforts are just as important as efforts to develop, manufacture, and distribute new vaccines. After all, if no safe and effective vaccine emerges, testing, tracing, personal protective equipment and treatments will remain essential for combating the pandemic and saving millions of lives around the world.

Source: theconversation.com

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P ak i s t a n / s p o r t s

8 Pakistani women named in 100 outstanding nurses and midwives global list

Eight Pakistani nurses and midwives have been honoured in the global 100 Outstanding Women Nurse and Midwife Leaders 2020 list.

The healthcare workers have been acknowledged by Women in Global Health (WGH), which collaborated with the World Health Organisation (WHO), United Nations Population Fund, Nursing Now, International Council of Nurses and International Confederation of Midwives on the list.

All eight nurses and midwives from Pakistan are faculty or alumni of the Aga Khan University’s School of Nursing and Midwifery, SONAM. The list recognised 100 nurses and midwives from 43 countries for their contribution to raising healthcare standards across the globe, “especially during these difficult times” of the coronavirus pandemic, a statement issued by the Aga Khan University (AKU) said.

The ranking marks the end of the WHO’s yearlong Year of the Nurse and the Midwife

2020 campaign, which recognises the vital role of nurses and midwives in providing health services and in helping achieve targets under the global sustainable development goals.

SONAM Dean Dr Rozina Karmaliani has been honoured under the Board and Management category in recognition of her efforts to spearhead improvements in adolescent health, strengthen research capacities and integrate research into education and practice.

Faculty members Yasmin Parpio and Samina Vertejee have been named under the Community Hero category for their services in community health nursing, while Saima Sachwani has been recognised for her contributions in developing an impactful nursing curriculum under the Human Capital Development category. Nurse-midwife Marina Baig has also been lauded for leveraging mobile health technology to improve maternal health outcomes under the Innovation, Science and Health category.

Benazir’s vision of prosperity By: Zafar Alam Sarwar Miracle’s Contributor enazir Bhutto, elected twice to the office of the prime minister of the Republic of Pakistan and assassinated in the Liaquat Bagh of Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, can be described safely as a martyr. On her return home from abroad on October 18, she was said to have dedicated herself to the cause of the country and its people. The brave woman did not lose her heart following an attempt on her life during a mammoth welcome procession the same evening in Karachi.

In fact, she was in a crucial phase of struggle for true independence and sovereignty of her homeland and its economic survival with honour when the enemy’s bullet struck her. The enemy pointed his gun to her at a historic moment when the Daughter of the East, with a humane smile, jubilantly waved to thousands of her brethren who had come from across the country to see her speak to the masses. The people responded loudly to her call for awakening from slumber.

One can say the way Benazir Bhutto spoke her mind at the well-attended public meeting was marvellous and the message was delivered judiciously. It appeared she meant what she said. That was, in fact, a warning between the lines to the forces hostile to reemergence of a progressive state in South Asia. And the covert enemy of a strong and prosperous Pakistan was already playing a double-standard game in the region.

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She knew her father Zulfikar Ali Bhutto during his studies had been impressed by the leadership of Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

So, she expected educated Pakistanis to reflect the thoughts of the founder of Pakistan and his comrades who spent their lives for achievement of the ideal. Relevant to recall in this context the message of the Quaid on the first anniversary of the country: “Nature has given you everything; you have got unlimited resources; the foundations of your state have been laid; and it is now for you to build, and build as quickly and as well as you can.” The Daughter of the East was a well-studied woman and she had intellectually borrowed a lot of good things from her father also, who himself was inspired by the life and struggle of great freedom fighters like Mao Tse-tung of China and Ahmad S. Soekarno of Indonesia. As a student of political science and history, Benazir Bhutto remembered the Quaid’s interview to the Correspondent of Daily Worker, London, wherein he had stressed that Pakistan was the Muslims’ demand for freedom because Muslims in Pakistan wanted to be able to establish their own real democratic popular government which would have the sanction of the mass of the population and would function with the will and sanction of the entire body of people in Pakistan, irrespective of caste, creed, or colour.

The martyred Daughter of the East had a vision -- political and economic. She thought of bread, not bullet or bomb, for the common man -- and she made it clear to the world at large in an article in the first week of May 1996 as a democratically elected head of government. She was grieved on report of a bomb blast. She said: “more than 50 of my countrymen lost their lives in the cold-

Three SONAM alumni have also been recognised under the Community Hero category.

They include Dr Shela Hirani for her efforts to promote breastfeeding during the Covid-19 pandemic, Neelam Punjani for her work in improving access to sexual and reproductive health rights and Sadaf Saleem for her contributions to geriatric nursing.

“It is an honour to be acknowledged by the

international public health and nursing fraternity,” said Dr Karmaliani, according to the statement. “This year has been particularly challenging for healthcare providers, all of whom have shown incredible commitment in their respective roles in responding to the Covid-19 crisis.”

Source: dawn.com

blooded bombing in a Punjab bus returning from Eidul Azha, one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar.” How Benazir Bhutto felt and what vision she had for the future of Pakistan and its people can be assessed from her sayings and writings.

“Women and children burned to death, and witnesses were unable to approach the shattered vehicle for hours due to the extreme heat. It was a senseless tragedy that leaves us wondering about the kind of world we live in,” wrote the woman on the bus blast.

Something more of what she emphasised is relevant today: “Although we do not know the identity of those responsible for the heinous act the preliminary findings indicate that it might have been from outside the country and externally sponsored. It may have been an effort by the enemies of Pakistan to step up activity in the important province of the Punjab. The ultimate irony is that this comes at a time when all the nations of the world should be overcoming differences and learning to co-operate in the quest of peace and economic prosperity.”

The assassinated Benazir Bhutto rightly pointed out that it had been more than four decades since the last great World War tore the globe apart and led to a world carved into competing ideological camps. Economic interests took a back seat to Cold War competition as the Soviets and Americans used the developing nations as pawns on a global chess-board. But, as the Berlin Wall crumbled and the nations of the world were freed from their ideological prisons, real cooperation for economic prosperity became a viable option. “The nations have joined in regional alliances which allow them to enlarge their markets more rationally, divide labour, pool research and development resources, and generate a higher surplus for investment. But the success of regional alliances depends upon the promotion of a

common interest, mutual confidence and a spirit of equality among big and small neighbouring states -- the type easily shattered by a terrorist’s explosives.

“We must also remember that regionalisation can also be used as a barrier to change and peace when nations organise to insulate themselves from the salutary impact of a globalisation. One only needs to look at the so-called Co-prosperity Sphere, which the imperial Japan used as a justification for its invasion of Manchuria before the World War II, to understand that regionalism can serve as a cover for hegemony. We must not let these potential dangers deter us from our attempt to build successful regional alliances, however. The economic well-being of our people is too important for such fears.”

Email: zasarwar@hotmail.com

Cricketer Fakhar Zaman made honorary lieutenant by Pakistan Navy Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi on Monday conferred the rank of honorary lieutenant in the Pakistan Navy on Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman.

Zaman, an ex-Pakistan Navy serviceman, was honoured for his achievements in the cricket arena and association with the navy at a special epaulette award ceremony held at the Naval Headquarters, a statement issued by the Pakistan Navy said.

Having joined the navy in 2007 as a sailor in the Operations Branch, Zaman’s excellent cricket talent was spotted during his early years in service, and he went on to represent the Pakistan Navy in many tournaments. His performance in the game remained exceptional and he earned numerous laurels for the navy, according to the press release.

Zaman’s international debut was in 2012 while

he was serving in the navy, when he participated in the International Defence Cricket Challenge Cup 2012 held in Australia and was declared best player of the tournament.

In recognition of his cricketing skills, he was rewarded with Sanad-e-Tahseen by Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC).

In view of his skills and extraordinary talent, the Pakistan Navy “graciously provided him the opportunity to continue his career in cricket” and join the Pakistan national cricket squad, the statement said.

His major career achievements to date include a match-winning century against India in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy in 2017, in which he was declared the Man of the Match.

He also became the fastest player to score 1,000 runs in just 18 one-day internationals in the year 2018.

Zaman became the first Pakistani to score a double century in an ODI and had a record opening partnership of 304 runs in 2018. He also made a world record by amassing 512 runs in five consecutive ODI series. In the National T20 Cup 2020, he was declared the best player and batsman. In his address at the ceremony, Admiral Niazi congratulated Zaman for his achievements for Pakistan in the field of cricket. He underscored that the Pakistan Navy had been supporting various sports and had produced a number of professional players who represented the country.

The award ceremony was attended by civil and military officials, and dignitaries from the Pakistan Cricket Board. Former cricket players and Zaman’s family members were also present. Source: dawn.com

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Police say death of Pakistani activist Karima Mehrab in Toronto was ‘non-criminal’ but others have doubts

Mehrab, 37, was a member of the Balochi separatist movement and fled to Canada after Pakistan laid terrorism charges against her Bianca Bharti, Jelena Maric Dec 22, 2020 prominent Pakistani activist living in exile in Canada has been found dead in Toronto. Police say they are not treating the death of Karima Mehrab, 37, as a criminal matter. Mehrab, widely known as Karima Baloch, had been reported missing Sunday in the city’s waterfront area. On Monday, her body was pulled from the water.

“It is currently being investigated as a noncriminal death,” Toronto police said in a statement on Tuesday. “There are not believed to be any suspicious circumstances.”

Her death sparked anger, grief and suspicion from her wide network of friends, family and fellow activists.

“Karima was my sister,” said Mureed Baluch, 33, a close friend of Mehrab’s for more than a decade and one of her first contacts in Canada when she arrived in 2015.

He is deeply suspicious about what happened to her, saying “150 per cent in my mind do I see foul play here.”“This is not an ordinary case; she was not an ordinary person,” he said. Mehrab was an activist in the Balochistan separatist movement in Pakistan, and a human rights activist. She was the first leader of a student political organization fighting for human rights in the troubled insurgent state.

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“She was known as a very brave woman when it came to … women’s rights and girls’ education,” Baluch says. Another close friend and fellow activist told The Canadian Press that Mehrab had recently received death threats.

“Her husband got messages from unknown people saying they would give a Christmas gift to Karima she will never forget,” Lateef Johar said in an interview.

While police offered no details about the death, Johar said officers had told her family she was found drowned in the water. “We respect whatever the police says, but we will never believe and accept that it was an accident,” Johar said.

Mehrab’s sister told BBC Urdu on Tuesday that her death was “not only a tragedy for the family, but also for the Baloch national movement”.

“She didn’t go abroad because she wanted to, but because… open activism in Pakistan had become impossible,” Mahganj Baloch said.

She is the second known Balochi activist to be found dead in the last nine months.

In a statement, the Pakistan High Commission office in Ottawa said it has approached the Canadian government for more details on Mehrab’s cause of death. “An official response is still awaited though some media reports quoting the Toronto police have claimed that the death is being treated as “non-criminal at this stage. We express con-

dolences with the family of the deceased.”

Mehrab fled Pakistan in 2015 amid terrorism charges and death threats, arriving in Canada in November that year, where she successfully applied for refugee status. In Canada, she married fellow Balochi activist, Hamal Baloch. In exile, Mehrab continued her activism on social media and in media interviews and speaking opportunities in Canada and abroad. In 2016, the BBC selected Rehab as one of its 100 most inspirational and influential women for her work in human rights.

At the news of her death, Amnesty International South Asia tweeted Tuesday: “The death of activist #KarimaBaloch in Toronto, Canada is deeply shocking and must be immediately and effectively investigated. The perpetrators must be brought to justice This past spring, Swedish police found the body of journalist Sajid Hussain Baloch, who reported extensively on the separatist movement.

He had fled Pakistan in 2012 after receiving threats for his coverage, and settled in Sweden in 2017. His body was found in April in Fyris River, north of Stockholm. Investigators said his autopsy indicated he could have committed suicide or his death was an accident.

Press freedom organization Reporters without Borders countered that assertion, and said he may have been abducted by Pakistani intelligence

Balochi activists say thousands of members of the movement have gone missing in recent years, although the Pakistani military denies accusations of brutality in the region and suppression of autonomy.

Bordering Afghanistan and Iran, Balochistan province has been rife with conflict, both from Afghan and Pakistani extremists, as well as from the region’s own ethnic struggle for independence.

Balochistan is rich in natural resources.

Since 1948, the Balochi separatist movement has ignited and fizzled in cycles, but there have been moments of bloodshed between the government and separatists.

People from the region have differing last names, but many take on the last name Baloch, which identifies them as being from that province.

Source: nationalpost.com

Indian police arrest Republic TV senior executive over alleged ratings fraud

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ndian police have arrested the chief executive officer of a media group that owns a polarising television news channel on charges of rigging the ratings system, a major component in determining what a channel can charge advertisers.

Police arrested Vikas Khanchandani, the chief executive of ARG Outlier Media, on Sunday at his home in Mumbai, India’s financial capital, Republic TV, which is owned by ARG, announced during a broadcast. Republic TV, which broadcasts in English and Hindi, aggressively supports Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his nationalist policies.

Republic TV denounced the arrest. “I know he will go in and come out with his head held high,” the news channel’s co-founder, Arnab Goswami, said of Khanchandani on his firebrand nightly show.

The arrest is part of a police investigation that began in October into some TV channels in the western state of Maharashtra, of which Mumbai is the capital, over accusations that they rig the ratings system.

Khanchandani had also been questioned by police earlier.

Experts say the arrests are part of a feud between Republic TV and the local administration in Maharashtra, where the coalition of governing parties resisted efforts by Modi’s party to form an alliance in the state.

Last month, police arrested Goswami at his Mumbai home and charged him with abetting suicide in connection with the 2018 deaths of an interior designer and the designer’s mother.

Multiple senior leaders of Modi’s Hindunationalist Bharatiya Janata Party and ministers were quick to condemn Goswami’s arrest. The Supreme Court later intervened and granted him bail after a week’s imprisonment.

Goswami has also been charged in two other cases with inciting communal tensions and promoting hatred between religious groups. He has denied all the charges.

India has one of the world’s most vibrant and competitive media environments, with more than 850 news channels broadcasting in multiple languages. But over the years, the industry has faced a crisis of credibility. Television debates among its commentators have become increasingly strident

and shrill. Many powerful television news anchors, known to support Modi and his right-leaning administration, often indulge in rancorous and chaotic debates in which shouting, screaming and name-calling have become staples.

Republic TV recently ran exhaustive coverage of the Mumbai police and accused them of mishandling an investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, a popular actor. Stories about the actor’s death sidelined other critical issues, such as India’s stalling economy, the government’s coronavirus response and growing hostilities with China over a border dispute.

The result was a surge in ratings for some TV channels, including Republic TV. Republic TV has consistently denied the allegations of falsely bolstering its ratings data. However, the alleged ratings fraud has led to some Indian advertisers taking never-before-seen measures.

Automobile giant Bajaj Auto and Parle

gramme — Poochta Hai Bharat — the presenter Arnab Goswami and some of his guests made “several statements which amounted to hate speech against, and derogatory and abusive treatment of, Pakistani people”.

The programme was also “potentially offensive” and in violation of the Broadcasters’ Code.

“Due to the serious nature of these breaches we are considering imposing a statutory sanction,” Ofcom had said in the decision.

The decision included transcripts from the programme, which aired on Sept 6, 2019.

The show discussed, among other things, India’s space programme, the Kashmir issue and “Pakistan’s alleged involvement in terrorist activities against Indian targets”.

Ofcom said that the show had violated sections 2.3, 3.2 and 3.3 of the Broadcasters’ Code by airing material that included “hate

speech, abusive and derogatory treatment of individuals, groups, religions or communities and offensive content”.

The regulator also asked Worldview Media Network, the licensee which airs Republic Bharat in the UK, for an explanation. The network argued that the show was “based on evidence” and “did not promote terrorism or hatred and it certainly did not promote or justify hatred in any way” but this was not deemed an acceptable explanation by the watchdog.

Following the penalty, the network told the regulator it was stopping the airing of live debates on relations between Pakistan and India and would ensure that content was reviewed before being broadcast along with taking other steps.

In its decision, Ofcom said that it was cognisant of the broadcaster’s right to freedom of speech and it did not prohibit airing of

Products, India’s biggest biscuit maker, recently said they were pulling advertising from news channels that endorsed toxicity and hate-mongering. The companies did not name the channels, but the move was widely cheered on Indian social media.

India’s News Broadcasters’ Federation in a statement late Sunday called the arrest “highly disturbing”. It urged the Indian government “to immediately set up an independent and neutral national agency to investigate into any allegations of professional misconduct by journalists, executives, and owners of media companies, in order to prevent selective harassment by the State Authority and to ensure the Freedom of Press”. Source: dawn.com

British regulator fines Indian channel for airing ‘hate speech’ against Pakistanis

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ritish telecoms regulator Office of Communications (Ofcom) on Tuesday fined Worldview Media Network £20,000 after its Indian channel Republic Bharat TV aired a programme which showed “hate speech” against Pakistanis.

In a decision published earlier this year, Ofcom found that in a current affairs pro-

programmes on controversial topics as it was “clearly in the public’s interest”. However, broadcasters should ensure they comply with the code, it added.

It said one the guest’s, General K. K. Sinha, comments were “an expression of hatred and desire to kill by a figure of authority” and comments alleging that all Pakistanis were terrorists were considered as “expressions of hatred based on intolerance of Pakistani people based on their nationality alone”.

It noted that while Pakistani contributors were also included in the programme, they were “repeatedly interrupted and given little time to make points”.

In a statement on its website, Ofcom said that in addition to the fine, the channel would have to broadcast the regulator’s findings on a “date and in a form to be determined by Ofcom”. It also directed the channel not to repeat the programme. Source: dawn.com

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