Trends - COVID19 - Business Recorder

World

UK has vaccinated 137,897 people so far against COVID, minister says

"A really good start to the vaccination program. It's been 7 days and we have done: England: 108,000, Wales: 7,897, Northern Ireland: 4,000, Scotland: 18,000. U.K Total 137,897,".

Published 16 Dec, 2020 05:24pm

Markets

Indian shares close at record high on financial, IT sector boost

Mahindra and Mahindra ended up 2pc after the automaker said on Tuesday it would increase the price of its passenger and commercial vehicles from January.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 05:13pm

Pakistan

30 covid-19 deaths, 535 new cases reported in Pb

The Punjab health department conducted 2, 223,422 tests for COVID-19 so far while 115,424 confirmed cases recovered altogether in the province.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 05:12pm

World

WTO mulls how to ease food aid hurdles in pandemic

If adopted, the proposal would "ban export restrictions on these foodstuffs which hinder the World Food Programme's ability to procure (food products for) the populations most in need across the world."

Published 16 Dec, 2020 05:09pm

Business & Finance

World Bank expects Russian economic growth in 2021 but warns over banks

This could happen if "the meaningful rollout of an approved vaccine is delayed by about three quarters and is limited by a general reluctance to be immunized."

Published 16 Dec, 2020 05:07pm

World

Study finds 1 in 10 people in Spain has been infected with virus

The sero-prevalence study, presented late on Tuesday, is now in its fourth round. Its work involved carrying out rapid antibody tests on 51,409 people across the country of some 47 million people between November 16 and 29.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 05:00pm

World

Germany sees record death toll on first day of new lockdown

It said 27,728 new coronavirus cases were registered, a figure close to the daily record of nearly 30,000 infections reported on Friday.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 04:54pm

World

Saudi Arabia receives first shipment of COVID-19 vaccines: health minister

Tawfiq al-Rabiah asked citizens and residents to register to receive the vaccine and reiterated that the vaccine would be free to all in the country.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 04:44pm

Business & Finance

Irish annual house price deflation eases in October

Prices declined for the first time in seven years in July in the wake of the COVID-19 disruption.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 04:41pm

World

UK has vaccinated 137,897 people so far against COVID, minister says

“That number will increase as we have operationalised hundreds of PCN (primary care networks),” he said.
Vaccines developed by Pfizer and BioNTech are being used to treat coronavirus in UK.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 03:21pm

Pakistan

COVID-19:Chinese companies in Pakistan seek permission from govt to vaccinate workers

Around 5000 Chinese workers of CZEC and COECG are stationed in Karachi.
The companies will make all arrangements for their workers vaccination and they will be administered Sinovac vaccine made in China, further in the letter.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 03:16pm

Pakistan

Right decision to close educational institutions amid spike in COVID-19: Shafqat Mahmood

“Given the current high rate of corona infections and sadly deaths, it was the right decision to close educational institutions,” says the Minister.
On November 23, the federal government had announced to shut all educational institutions from November 26 to December 24 amid resurge in COVID-19 cases.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 02:41pm

World

EU members to start Covid-19 jabs 'the same day'

Her statement to the European Parliament came as pressure mounted on the bloc to catch up with the United States and Britain.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 01:24pm

Markets

Rouble holds steady ahead of OFZ bond auctions

Such auctions serve as a gauge of demand for Russian assets and can buttress the rouble.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 01:11pm

Technology

Driven by COVID-19 led digitalization, Online Retail to double size in five years: EIU

In 2021 EIU expects further growth of 18% in online sales, and by 2025 they are likely to account for nearly 20% of total retail sales, up from 10% in 2019.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 12:59pm

Pakistan

Over 41 percent health workers faced verbal, physical assault while battling COVID-19 in Pakistan: Study

As part of the research project, 360 healthcare workers from different hospitals in Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi were interviewed
Majority of healthcare workers witnessed verbal and physical assault while some say they were falsely accused of causing injury or death to patients

Updated 16 Dec, 2020 02:14pm

Business & Finance

Tokyo stocks close higher with eyes on US Fed

The dollar fetched 103.56 yen in Asian trade, against 103.61 yen in New York and 104.08 yen in Tokyo late Tuesday.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 12:11pm

World

Biden to be sworn into office in largely virtual event as COVID-19 rages

Both the ceremony and traditional parade that follows will have limited attendance and be reimagined, the committee planning the event said in a statement.
The committee is urging members of the public to refrain from traveling to Washington for the inauguration, which in the past has drawn hundreds of thousands.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 12:09pm

Business & Finance

Growth in Power Generation and Petroleum Sale: SBP

SBP reports that easing of lockdowns has resulted in growth in power generation and petroleum product sales during the first quarter of FY21.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 12:02pm

World

Costa Rica authorizes Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

The United States, Britain, Canada, Bahrain, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Singapore have also approved or authorized emergency use of the shot.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 11:32am

World

Record climate disasters in Asia-Pacific push millions to 'breaking point'

In Vietnam, CARE's country director Le Kim Dung said the pandemic had made it harder to bounce back, particularly in rural areas, from widespread floods that had inundated many provinces hit by heavy rains and a series of typhoons since early October.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 11:12am

World

Panama approves Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine

Neighboring Costa Rica also approved the drug on Tuesday, joining a number of other countries including the United States and Britain.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 11:06am

Business & Finance

Global demand for Pakistan’s goods rise, amid timely govt measures: Baqir

He said that as the global demand returns, the demand for Pakistani products is increasing which has lead to increase orders for our exporters.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 10:35am

World

Australia reports first local COVID-19 case in two weeks after airport worker tests positive

"As the virus seemed to be contained in terms of community transmission, our most exposed areas are principally around our borders... we may be an island but we are not totally isolated from the pandemic that is raging across the world," he said.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 10:31am

Markets

Copper advances on solid China data, vaccine optimism

China's factory output grew at the fastest pace in 20 months in November on rising demand for its manufactured goods.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 09:59am

Markets

Indian shares hit record highs on Mahindra and Mahindra boost

Automaker Mahindra and Mahindra rose 2.5% on Wednesday and was the top percentage gainer on the Nifty 50.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 09:39am

World

Five million more Afghans will need help in 2021: UN

Opened in September in Doha, the peace talks, which follow a landmark US-Taliban agreement reached in February in Qatar, were suspended and will resume January 5.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 09:25am

Markets

Australia shares poised to track Wall Street higher on stimulus hopes

The local share price index futures rose 0.7%, a 50.7-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close. The benchmark fell 0.4% on Tuesday.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 08:57am

Markets

Gold eases as vaccine rollouts expand; Fed meet eyed

The US Federal Reserve is expected to keep interest rates pinned near zero and to signal where rates are headed in the coming years at it's final policy meet of the year. The Fed's policy statement is due at 1900 GMT.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 08:53am

Markets

Dollar on the defensive as US leaders meet on stimulus, pound buoyed by Brexit hopes

The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of currencies, was last at 90.477, after sinking as low as 90.419 on Monday, a level not seen since April 2018.

Published 16 Dec, 2020 08:49am