EU wants pandemic treaty to ban wildlife markets, reward virus detection
The European Union is pushing for a global deal aimed at preventing new pandemics that could include a ban on wildlife markets and incentives for countries to report new viruses or variants, an EU official told Reuters, Reuters reported.
International negotiators will meet for the first time on Wednesday to prepare talks for a potential treaty, said the official, who is not authorised to speak to media and so declined to be named.
The aim is to reach a preliminary agreement by August.
However, Brussels has so far struggled to get full backing for a new treaty from the United States and other major countries, some of which want any agreement to be non-binding.
A spokesperson for Charles Michel, the president of the European Council who in November 2020 proposed a new treaty on pandemics, said he had no fresh comment on the matter.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
According to the most widely accepted theory, the COVID-19 pandemic began with the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus from an animal to humans in a wildlife market in China.
Although Beijing was initially praised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for notifying it quickly of the new virus, the United States in particular has accused China of holding back information about the likely origins of the outbreak.
Among measures the EU wants to be included in the treaty is a gradual shutdown of wildlife markets, the EU official said.
Incentives for countries to report new viruses are also seen as crucial to help with speedy detection and avoid cover-ups.
Last year, southern African nations were hit with punishing flight restrictions after they identified the Omicron coronavirus variant, which some fear could deter reporting of future outbreaks if incentives are not attractive enough.
VACCINES FOR VIRUS ALERTS
The official said incentives could include guaranteed access to medicines and vaccines developed against new viruses, which poorer nations have struggled to obtain quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic as wealthier states rushed to secure supplies.
States that detect and report a new virus could also receive immediate support, which might involve shipments of medical equipment from a global stockpile.
Talks will involve delegates from six countries, representing the world’s main regions – Japan, the Netherlands, Brazil, South Africa, Egypt and Thailand, officials said.
Brazil, which will represent northern and southern American countries, favours a non-binding treaty.
The EU, which will be represented by the Netherlands, wants to introduce legally-binding obligations to prevent and report new virus outbreaks, an EU document seen by Reuters says.
If an agreement is reached, the treaty is expected to be signed in May 2024.
As part of an overhaul of global health rules, countries are also negotiating tweaks to the International Health Regulations, a set of global rules to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
The United States wants to strengthen rules to boost transparency and grant the WHO quick access to outbreak sites, two sources following the discussions told Reuters.
23 cameras meant for tiger census stolen and damaged
As many as 16 cameras installed for the tiger census have reportedly been stolen from the Banke and Bardiya National Parks.
Similarly, six have been damaged by elephants, according to the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bardiya Chief Rabin Kadariya.
This has affected the census. Nine cameras were stolen from Block ‘1’ followed by four each from Block 2' and ‘3’, he said. The cost of cameras is Rs 40,000 each.
The first and second blocks entirely stretch through the Bardiya National Park while the third block covers parts of both national parks and the fourth block totally lies in the Banke National Park. Tentatively, the cameras were installed for around 15 months at certain locations to track the possible movement of wild animals.
Kadariya said those visiting the park areas to collect fodder and poachers might have taken away the census gadgets.
So far, the census has been over at the first and second blocks and it is underway at the third and fourth blocks, Banke National Park Chief Conservation Officer Shyam Kumar Shah said.
The census based on camera trapping methods began some two months ago (December 15, 2021). “While assessing the recorded movements of tigers, we expect a rise in its population this time,” Shah added. RSS
Oscar nominations 2022: See the full list of nominees
The nominations for the 94th Academy Awards were announced Tuesday and included films in a wide range of genres, CNN reported.
“The Power of the Dog” led among nominated films with 12 nods. The drama’s director, Jane Campion, made history by becoming the first woman to be nominated more than once for best director. (Her previous nod was for “The Piano.”)
Fellow directing nominee Steven Spielberg also set a new record. As producer of “West Side Story,” which earned a total of seven nominations, Spielberg has now produced 11 films nominated for best picture, a new record for the Oscars.
Denzel Washington extended the record he already holds as the most nominated Black actor, earning his tenth Oscar nomination for his performance in “The Tragedy of Macbeth.” (One of his nominations was for producing.)
The Academy Awards are set to take place on Sunday, March 27. See below for a full list of nominees.
BEST PICTURE
“Belfast”
“CODA”
“Don’t Look Up”
“Drive My Car”
“Dune”
“King Richard”
“Licorice Pizza”
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“West Side Story”
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter”
Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”
Judi Dench, “Belfast”
Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”
Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Ciaran Hinds, “Belfast”
Troy Kotsur, “CODA”
Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog”
J.K. Simmons, “Being the Ricardos”
Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”
INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM
“Drive My Car”
“Flee”
“The Hand of God”
“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”
“The Worst Person in the World”
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
“Audible”
“Lead Me Home”
“The Queen of Basketball”
“Three Songs for Benazir”
“When We Were Bullies”
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
“Ascension”
“Attica”
“Flee”
“Summer of Soul”
Writing with Fire”
ORIGINAL SONG
“King Richard”
“Encanto”
“Belfast”
“No Time to Die”
“Four Good Days”
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
“Encanto”
“Flee”
“Luca”
“The Mitchells vs. The Machine”
“Raya and the Last Dragon”
ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
“CODA”
“Drive My Car”
“Dune”
“The Lost Daughter”
“The Power of the Dog”
ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
“Belfast”
“Don’t Look Up”
“King Richard”
“Licorice Pizza”
“The Worst Person in the World”
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”
Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Power of the Dog”
Andrew Garfield, “Tick, Tick… Boom!”
Will Smith, “King Richard”
Denzel Washington, “The Tragedy of Macbeth”
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Jessica Chastain, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
Olivia Colman, “The Lost Daughter”
Penelope Cruz, “Parallel Mothers”
Nicole Kidman, “Being the Ricardos”
Kristen Stewart, “Spencer”
DIRECTOR
Kenneth Branagh, “Belfast”
Ryusuke Hamaguchi, “Drive My Car”
Paul Thomas Anderson, “Licorice Pizza”
Jane Campion, “The Power of the Dog”
Steven Spielberg, “West Side Story”
PRODUCTION DESIGN
“Dune”
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
“West Side Story”
CINEMATOGRAPHY
“Dune”
“Nightmare Alley”
“The Power of the Dog”
“The Tragedy of Macbeth”
“West Side Story”
COSTUME DESIGN
“Cruella”
“Cyrano”
“Dune”
“Nightmare Alley”
“Westside Story”
ACHIEVEMENT IN SOUND
“Belfast”
“Dune”
“No Time to Die”
“The Power of the Dog”
“Westside Story”
ANIMATED SHORT FILE
“Affairs of the Art”
“Bestia”
“Boxballet”
“Robin Robin”
“The Windshield Wiper”
LIVE ACTION SHORT FILM
“Ala Kachuu — Take and Run”
“The Dress”
“The Long Goodbye”
“On My Mind”
“Please Hold”
ORIGINAL SCORE
“Don’t Look Up”
“Dune”
“Encanto”
“Parallel Mothers”
“The Power of the Dog”
VISUAL EFFECTS
“Dune”
“Free Guy”
“No Time to Die”
“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”
“Spider-Man: No Way Home”
FILM EDITING
“Don’t Look Up”
“Dune”
“King Richard”
“The Power of the Dog”
“Tick, Tick… Boom!”
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
“Coming 2 America”
“Cruella”
“Dune”
“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”
“House of Gucci”
Nepal records 1, 957 new Covid-19 cases, 11 deaths on Tuesday
Nepal recorded 1, 957 new Covid-19 cases and 11 deaths on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 8,587 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 1,184 returned positive. Likewise, 4,105 people underwent antigen tests, of which 773 tested positive.
The Ministry said that 5,103 infected people recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.
As of today, there are 36,181 active cases in the country.
