Kazakhstan turns to high-value added manufacturing with building polyethylene plant it Atyrau region
Kazakhstan turns to high-value added manufacturing with building polyethylene plant it Atyrau regionCOVID-19 Live Updates: US, Canada Agree to Extend Border Closure Until June 21
At the moment, there are over 2.1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 116,000 fatalities in the US, while Brazil is second with more than 888,000 infected and almost 44,000 deaths from the virus. There are over 8 million confirmed cases worldwide, with the pandemic claiming over 436,000 lives globally.
The numbers of those infected is on the rise worldwide, however, multiple countries have eased restrictive measures and announced the cancellation of travel bans in a bid to relaunch their economies and return to normal life.
At the moment, there are over 2.1 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and 116,000 fatalities in the US, while Brazil is second with more than 888,000 infected and almost 44,000 deaths from the virus. There are over 8 million confirmed cases worldwide, with the pandemic claiming over 436,000 lives globally.
US to Choose 7 COVID-19 Vaccine Candidates for Further Development, Health Department Says
Fourteen promising candidates have been chosen from the 100+ vaccine candidates currently in development - some of them already in clinical trials with US government support", the US Department of Health and Human Services said in a fact sheet. "The 14 vaccine candidates are being narrowed down to about seven candidates, representing the most promising candidates from a range of technology options, which will go through further testing in early-stage clinical trials".
Large-scale randomised trials for the demonstration of safety and efficacy will proceed for the most promising candidates, the department said.
The US Administration launched last month Operation Warp Speed, a joint project of Health and Defense Departments, which aims to deliver 300 million doses of a vaccine for COVID-19 by January 2021.
17:17
Number of COVID-19 Cases in Americas Approaching 4Mln, WHO Official Says
3.8 million cases and almost 204,000 deaths from COVID-19 reported in the Americas. We are fast approaching 4 million cases and the epidemic is still accelerating in the region", Pan American Health Organization Director Carissa Etienne said during a videoconference.
She added that the US with over 2 million infections accounts for 54 percent of all Americas’ cases.
Brazil has 23 percent of all cases and 21 percent of all deaths in our region", Etienne said.
With over 888,000 coronavirus cases Brazil is the second worst-hit country in the world surpassed only by the US.
The Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) serves as the World Health Organization's (WHO) Regional Office for the Americas.
16:10
Beijing Raises Emergency Response to Second Level Amid New COVID-19 Cases
The local authorities in Beijing have raised the Chinese capital’s emergency response level from three to two, as the city is battling a new wave of COVID-19 infections, Chen Peixuan, the deputy secretary of the municipal government announced during a press conference on Tuesday.
After cutting off the local transmission of COVID-19 for more than two months, Beijing has begun to report a surge of new infections that appear to have originated from a local food wholesale market. The city has reported more than 100 new COVID-19 cases since June 11.
Under the containment measures of the second emergency response level, all local residential communities in Beijing will be placed under strict control and residents will only be allowed to leave their homes after registering their details with a local residential committee and having their temperatures measured.
All the schools in Beijing will resume online classes and universities students would no longer be allowed to return to the campus.
All the parks, museums and libraries will restrict the flow of visitors to about 30 percent of their normal capacity.
Although production is not suspended under the second level emergency response, companies will once again be encouraged to allow their staff members to work remotely for as long as possible.
Residents living in communities where the new cases were identified will have to show negative test results in the previous seven days before being allowed to leave the city.
15:49
Coronavirus-Related Restrictions Nearly Halved Migrant Flows in West, Central Africa, IOM Says
Coronavirus lockdowns have almost halved the number of migrants moving across West and Central Africa, the UN-backed International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a press release on Tuesday.
Data collected at 35 key transit points across West and Central Africa ... indicate regional migration has dropped by nearly 50 per cent during the first half of 2020," the press release reads.
The agency said that at least 33,000 migrants were stranded at borders, including overcrowded transit centers, after restrictions on mobility were introduced to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.
Many of those affected are seasonal workers involved in farming and gold mining, most of them from the Gulf of Guinea countries. Other frequent travelers are herders and Quranic students.
15:48
Moscow to Keep Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions in Place at Least Until Mid-July, Mayor Says
The remaining coronavirus-related restrictions in Moscow will not be removed at least until mid-July, the Russian capital's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Tuesday.
I think that we will not remove the remaining restrictions before mid-July. These are two months of the transition period, and we are looking to ensure that nothing goes wrong," Sobyanin said.
On Tuesday, the second stage of relaxing the restrictions began in the city, with dental clinics, summer terraces of cafes and restaurants, libraries, real estate offices, rental services, advertising, consulting and other services resuming work. Museums, exhibition halls and zoos also reopen their doors. It is allowed to attend sports events, but so far provided that no more than 10 percent of seats are occupied by spectators.
In the next stage of lifting restrictions on June 23, it is planned to open stationary restaurants and cafes, resume the work of the fitness industry and urban infrastructure.
The work of theaters and cinemas, as well as mass events, are still banned.
15:48
US, Canada Agree to Extend Border Closure Until June 21 - Trudeau
Canada and the United States have agreed to extend border restrictions that limit non-essential travel for another 30 days to July 21 amid the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.
I can now confirm that Canada and the United States have once again agreed to extend by 30 days - until July 21 - the current measures in place along our border," Trudeau told reporters during his daily COVID-19 press briefing.
Before the announcement, the restrictions on the Canada-US border were set to expire on Sunday. All non-essential travel between the United States and Canada has been halted since March 20.
13:55
Belarus Confirms 689 New COVID-19 Cases in 24 Hours as Spread Slows
We registered 55,369 people with a positive COVID-19 test. A total of 760,549 tests have been conducted. Over the entire period of the spread of the infection in the country, 318 COVID-19 patients with a number of chronic diseases have died", the Health Ministry said in a statement, adding that the death toll has grown by six over the past day.
13:34
Belgium Reports Further 55 COVID-19 Cases, Taking Total to 60,155
BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - Belgium has recorded 55 new COVID-19 cases over the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to 60,155, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday as the coronavirus-related restrictions in the country are being relaxed.
On Monday, the ministry's coronavirus response centre reported 71 new cases of the infection.
According to the health authorities, the death toll has reached 9,663 following the deaths of four people over the day. Eleven people were hospitalised in the given period, and the number of patients in intensive care units now stands at 76. A total of 15 people have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
13:14
Coronavirus Lockdown Cost Over 600,000 Jobs in UK - Statistics
LONDON, 16 June (Sputnik) - The number of people on a payroll in the United Kingdom went down by 612,000, or 2.1 percentage points, since the government imposed a coronavirus lockdown on 23 March, official figures released Tuesday show.
Data shows that the number of paid employees fell by 612,000 between March 2020 and May 2020", the Office for National Statistics said in a report.
The unemployment rate for the three months up to April was estimated at 3.9 percent, 0.1 percentage points higher than a year earlier, but largely unchanged on the previous quarter.
At the same time, the total number of weekly hours worked in the three months up to April was 959.9 million, down a record 94.2 million hours on the previous year, or 8.9 points.
The average pay growth slowed significantly from February to April, most notably in industries where furloughing was most prominent. Many of them were the lowest-paying industries, in particular accommodation and food services.
12:58
Iran Records Over 100 COVID-19 Deaths for 3rd Consecutive Day
TEHRAN (Sputnik) - The cumulative COVID-19 death toll in Iran has risen to 9,065 as the country recorded more than 100 coronavirus-related fatalities for a third consecutive day, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.
According to the ministry, 115 people have died from COVID-19 in Iran over the past 24 hours, and the number of deaths was 113 the day before. The health authorities have also registered 2,563 new coronavirus cases, taking the total to 192,439. Over 152,600 patients have recovered.
On Sunday, Iran reported more than 100 coronavirus-related fatalities for the first time in two months.
Iran started to gradually ease the coronavirus-related lockdown in mid-April. Since then, the number of infections has seen sporadic peaks and drops.
12:07
French Сourt Receives 84 Complaints Over Government's Handling of COVID-19 Crisis
The Court of Justice of the French Republic (CJR) has received 84 complaints to date against the government regarding its management of the coronavirus crisis, Attorney General at the Court of Cassation Francois Molins said on Tuesday.
11:40
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Promises to Supply Everyone With 'Miracle Pill' for Coronavirus
His comments come as countries race to develop a vaccine for the infectious disease that has infected more than 8 million across the world. The Imperial College in London has said it will begin clinical trials on humans this week.
11:24
Trump Eyes $1Trln Infrastructure Plan to Spur Economy Hit by Pandemic - Reports
MOSCOW, 16 June (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump's administration is mulling over a $1 trillion infrastructure plan to resuscitate the coronavirus-hit economy, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The plan, which is being developed by the Department of Transportation, reportedly focuses on traditional infrastructure, such as roads and bridges, but also envisages funds for 5G infrastructure and rural broadband.
According to the news agency, the proposal may become a kind of "infrastructure spending blitz" ahead of the November presidential election.
10:25
Iran's Zarif Expresses Solidarity With Russia Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
I want to express our sympathy with the people of Russia, as you have with us about the number of [COVID-19] casualties. Fortunately, the number of casualties both in Russia and in Iran has been relatively lower than in other places. But still lots of life [was lost], reflection of individuals and families, so our sympathies and our solidarity [are] with all those who have lost their loved ones here in Russia", Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.
09:47
Indonesia Registers 1,106 New Coronavirus Cases, Bringing Total to 40,400
09:08
Malaysia Confirms 11 New Cases, Total Reaches 8,505
08:47
UK Coronavirus Death Toll Reaches 53,077, Including Suspected Cases - Reports
The United Kingdom's suspected COVID-19 death toll has hit 53,077, Reuters reported, citing the official tally.
07:54
Russia Registers 8,248 COVID-19 Cases in Past 24 Hours
MOSCOW, June 16 (Sputnik) - Russia has registered 8,248 COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours (8,246 yesterday), bringing the overall tally to 545,458, the national coronavirus response centre said on Tuesday.
Over the past 24 hours, Russia has confirmed 8,248 COVID-19 cases in 82 regions, of which 2,950 (35.8 percent) have been detected with people showing no clinical symptoms", the response centre said in a statement.
Russia has so far recorded 545,458 COVID-19 cases in 85 regions (+1.5 percent), the centre added.
Of the new cases, 1,416 were registered in Moscow, 694 in the Moscow Region, and 319 in the Irkutsk Region (compared to yesterday's 1,359, 689, and 127, respectively).
The country's COVID-19 death toll has grown by 193 (143 yesterday) to 7,248.
As many as 9,767 COVID-19 patients have recovered across the country (4,489 yesterday), bringing the total number of cured people to 294,306.
06:40
Death Toll in India Rises to 9,900, Number of Infected Spikes to 343,091
India has witnessed another major jump in the coronavirus death toll as the country recorded 380 fatalities in the last 24 hours. The Indian Health Ministry said on Tuesday that causalities from the pandemic rose to 9,900 with 178 confirmed deaths in the western state of Maharashtra.
Nevertheless, country has witnessed slight slowdown in fresh COVID cases as 10,667 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours which is around 1,000 cases lower than Sunday. Meanwhile, the total number of coronavirus patients in the country has increased to 343,091.
06:16
Italy-Austria Border Reopens Amid Ease in Coronavirus Restrictions
06:06
Human Trials of COVID-19 Vaccine to Begin in Russia in Next Few Days
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – A Russian vaccine against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will be tested on volunteers in the coming days, when the two-week isolation of volunteers ends, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
The Russian Defence Ministry, jointly with the Gamaleya National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, is completing preparations for the start of clinical trials of a Russian vaccine against the new coronavirus infection on volunteers", the ministry said.
In the coming days, after completion of a two-week isolation, the first group of volunteers will be vaccinated. The main goal is to check the safety and tolerance to the vaccine’s components", it said.
Russia's overall number of recorded coronavirus cases has topped 537,000. The country's COVID-19 death toll is over 7,000 and more than 284,000 people have recovered.
05:57
Germany Records 378 COVID-19 Cases in Past Day, Total Tops 186,800
MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Health authorities in Germany have recorded 378 new COVID-19 cases and nine deaths over the past 24 hours, marking a two-fold increase in both parameters from the day before, the Robert Koch Institute said on Tuesday.
The latest situation update from Germany on Sunday stated a daily increase of 192 new cases and four fatalities.
The overall number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has now reached 186,839, and the death toll has topped 8,800, according to the situation update.
05:11
New Zealand Confirms Two New Cases After PM Announced Coronavirus Has Been Eliminated
According to director general of health Ashley Bloomfield, the two new cases were women who had visited a dying parent in Wellington. Both arrived from abroad and previously underwent quarantine in Auckland, and are in self-isolation right now, he stated.
05:06
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Announces Her Father's Death From Coronavirus Complications
05:05
Coronavirus Case Tally in South Korea Rises by 34 to 12,155
SEOUL (Sputnik) - South Korea has registered 34 new cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) over the past 24 hours - down from 37 yesterday - bringing the overall case count to 12,155, with 88.5 percent of those infected (10,760) having recovered by now, the Health Ministry's Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said.
One new death was recorded. The death toll now stands at 278, the KCDC said.
Source: sputniknews.com
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Kazakh Cinema Days held in Vilnius
Images | Kazakh MFA
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in Lithuania, with technical support of the national film studio "Kazakhfilm", organized the Kazakh Cinema Days in Vilnius dedicated to the 110th anniversary of Shaken Aimanov, the founder of Kazakh cinema, and the 90th anniversary of the film company. Representatives of the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas), diplomatic corps, mass media, Kazakh diaspora and public figures attended the screening, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
Opening the screening, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Lithuania Timur Urazaev noted the close cultural and humanitarian ties between the two countries and the mutual interest of citizens in the cultural process. It was noted that the Kazakh steppe has historically been a haven for different ethnic groups, in the XIX-XX centuries having received settlers, exiles and repressed people, among whom were several thousand Lithuanians. Kazakhs have always lent a helping hand in a difficult moment, which made our society multinational and multi-confessional. It is not by chance that Astana became the venue for the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions - a unique dialogue platform in the modern world. The screening of the film "The Voice of the Steppe" very accurately conveys the essence of the historical drama characteristic of Kazakhstan.
Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Jonas Jarutis noted the positive experience of interethnic harmony in Kazakhstan and expressed gratitude to our people for helping exiled Lithuanians during the years of political repression and deportation to the Kazakh steppes.
The film "Kazakh Khanate. Golden Throne", presented to the Lithuanian audience on the second day, was filmed based on the famous novel "Nomads" by Ilyas Esenberlin and covers the events of the 15th century, when the process of formation of the first Kazakh state was actively underway. The film was screened on the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the formation of the Ulus Juchi and the 5th World Nomad Games, which will be held in Astana from 8 to 14 September this year.
Lithuanian viewers were interested in the production of Kazakh cinema and received virtual access to the archives of "Kazakhfilm", reflecting the evolution of Kazakh cinema.
This information may not be reproduced without reference to Kazakhstan Today. Copyright of materials of News Agency Kazakhstan Today.
Parliament of Canada is Interested in Further Deepening Cooperation with Kazakhstan
Images | Kazakh MFA
The annual general meeting of the Kazakhstan-Canada Parliamentary Friendship Group held in the Parliament of Canada, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
At the beginning of the event, members of the Canadian Parliament expressed their support to Kazakhstan in connection with major floods in a number of regions of the country, praising the actions of the Kazakh authorities in the fight against the natural disaster and its consequences.
Canadian parliamentarians also supported the policy of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to carry out large-scale democratic reforms, including in the field of human rights protection and ensuring the principles of the rule of law. In this context, the legislators welcomed the adoption on April 15 this year of a package of laws aimed at toughening penalties in the field of domestic violence.
Special attention during the meeting was paid to the development of Kazakh-Canadian relations, as well as parliamentary ties between the two countries. Canadian parliamentarians expressed their readiness to provide comprehensive assistance in promoting bilateral cooperation, including in the field of agriculture, energy, transportation and logistics, digital technologies and education.
Following the event, the two sides agreed to organize a visit of the Canadian parliamentary delegation to Kazakhstan in 2024.
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Kazakhstan Took Part in the 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Strategic Dialogue "Central Asia - Gulf Cooperation Council"
Images | Kazakh MFA
The 2nd Ministerial Meeting on Strategic Dialogue "Central Asia - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)" took place in Tashkent, press service of the Kazakh MFA reports.
Kazakhstan delegation was headed by Alibek Bakayev, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
During the event, the countries of Central Asia and GCC discussed the state and prospects of interregional cooperation, as well as current issues of the international agenda.
Kazakh diplomat, in his statement noted the huge potential of this dialogue platform and made specific proposals for increasing cooperation in the trade, economic, cultural, humanitarian, scientific and technological fields.
In this context, Alibek Bakayev emphasized the importance of strengthening trade relations between the two regions and invited the Gulf States to take an active part in the implementation of joint investment projects in Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries.
In addition, the head of the Kazakh delegation voiced Kazakh initiatives such as expansion of the activities of the Islamic Organization for Food Security and use of the potential of the International Technopark of IT startups "Astana Hub" and organizing of the 5th World Nomad Games in Kazakhstan in September this year.
Concluding the meeting parties adopted Joint Statement, which aimed at strengthening comprehensive cooperation in key areas between the two regions.
It is worth mentioning that the "Central Asia - GCC" dialogue platform was launched in 2022. The First Ministerial Meeting took place in September 2022 in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, while the First Summit of this platform was held in July 2023 in Jeddah, with participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
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