Inside the CanSino Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial at Pakistan’s Shifa Hospital

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A general view of Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Reuters)
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Updated 13 November 2020
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Inside the CanSino Phase 3 COVID-19 vaccine trial at Pakistan’s Shifa Hospital

  • Government plans to administer the experimental vaccine to at least 10,000 volunteers
  • Shifa International has repurposed a building previously used for COVID-19 testing for the trial

LAHORE: Doctors in green scrubs and sneakers darted in and out of specially designated rooms at Shifa International Hospital in Islamabad one chilly morning last month, attending to volunteers participating in late-stage clinical trials for a Chinese coronavirus vaccine.

Pakistan launched the trial in September for Ad5-nCoV, a vaccine candidate co-developed by CanSino Biologics and a Chinese military-backed research unit. The tests are being led by Pakistan’s National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Chinese company’s local representative.

This month’s announcement by Pfizer that its experimental COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90 percent effective based on initial trial results has been hailed as a major victory in the war against a virus that has killed more than a million people and battered the world’s economy.

Though scientists, public health officials and investors have welcomed the first successful interim data from a large-scale clinical test as a watershed moment, they also say several vaccines will be necessary to meet massive global needs.

In Pakistan, the government plans to administer the experimental Chinese vaccine to at least 10,000 volunteers, doctors in charge of the program said.

Shifa International, the first of five trial sites, has repurposed a building previously used for COVID-19 testing for the trial. There are two more trial centers in Karachi and two in Lahore.

“There is a criterion that each volunteer has to fulfil,” Dr. Ejaz Khan, the chairman of infection control at Shifa Hospital, told Arab News.

Volunteers can arrive by appointment, or simply walk in, but must be over 18 years of age, willing to participate, have no major diseases and not have been infected with the coronavirus, Khan, who is heading the trials, said. Pregnant women cannot take part in the exercise.

“Also, he or she must be able to participate for more than one year,” Khan said.

Doctors administering the trials said that they had to ensure that each volunteer was first counselled on what to expect from the process, asked to sign a document of consent and have his or her basic health examined. Next, blood samples were taken, and then the vaccine was injected into the upper arm.

Since Sept. 22, Khan said 1,500 people had taken part in the trial at Shifa Hospital where doctors work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day to register volunteers’ data and store their samples.

During the year’s course, the volunteers will be monitored through weekly messages and monthly phone calls.  

Each participant receives a one-time travel and food allowance of 3,000 Pakistani rupees ($19) on the first visit and 5,000 Pakistani rupees on the second, a year later, when he or she must provide a second blood sample.  

Last month, sisters Urmila, 18, and Faiza, 20, who had arrived to volunteer for the trials, said that they had heard about the trial from a neighbor, who told them that each candidate would receive a travel allowance.

“Yes that (the money) is one reason,” said Urmila when asked why she was volunteering, holding her national identity card, a pen and a questionnaire in her hands.

The form required basic contact details and a brief health history to be filled out before a candidate could be approved for the trial. “I don’t know what to write,” Urmila said. “I am not literate, you see.”

Seated behind her was Sumaira Shafiq, a middle-aged housewife who unlike Urmila was still unsure about whether she should participate in the trial. “I am observing right now,” she said. “Who knows, I might just slip out before my turn.”

If Shafiq ends up participating in the trial, her blood samples, like those of all participants, will be shipped to Dalhousie University in Canada, which will independently review the data to determine the vaccine’s efficacy.

By early next year, interim results are expected to become available.

“Let’s say three months from now, they (the university) will tell us OK this vaccine is not effective, stop the trials, or the vaccine is effective, let’s move to Phase 4,” Khan said.

Phase 4 is when the vaccine will be prepared for manufacturing, marketing and distribution.

Pakistani officials have said once proven, they expect Pakistan will be provided with several million doses of the vaccine on a priority basis by CanSinoBio.

The Chinese vaccine, one of nine developed worldwide that are considered safe, will be tested on 40,000 people in several countries.

So far only 10 percent of the participants have developed adverse reactions to the vaccine. “These include pain in the injection area, body ache and fever,” Khan said.


Five European defense ministers to meet in Rome on Friday

Updated 12 May 2025
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Five European defense ministers to meet in Rome on Friday

  • Defense ministers to discuss support for Ukraine
  • They will also discuss ways to strengthen European defense

ROME: Defense ministers from five major European military powers will meet in Italy on Friday to discuss support for Ukraine, the host country said.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto will host his counterparts from Britain, France, Germany and Poland, his ministry said Monday in a statement.
The announcement came after Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said he was ready for direct talks with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Istanbul on Thursday.
US President Donald Trump said Monday he was “thinking” about flying to Turkiye for the talks but Russia did not indicate whether Putin would take part.
Aside from Ukraine, the European ministers will also discuss ways to strengthen European defense — a priority for them following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The five will hold a joint press conference at the end of their meeting at 1245 GMT on Friday, the Italian statement said.
Kyiv and its European allies called on Saturday for a 30-day ceasefire starting Monday — calling it a prerequisite for direct peace talks between the two countries.
Moscow rejected their call on Monday, despite threats of “massive sanctions” in case of refusal.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during his daily briefing that “the language of ultimatums is unacceptable to Russia.”
He later said that Moscow wanted “serious” negotiations to achieve peace in the conflict, which has left tens of thousands of people dead.


Police probe fire at UK PM Starmer’s former home

A person walks to a police officer at a cordoned off street, where a fire broke out at Keir Starmer’s home on Monday.
Updated 12 May 2025
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Police probe fire at UK PM Starmer’s former home

  • Starmer still owns the property in Kentish Town, north London, British media said, but he has since moved into the prime minister’s official residence in Downing Street

LONDON: Police in London on Monday said they had launched an investigation into a fire that caused damage outside the former family home of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer still owns the property in Kentish Town, north London, British media said, but he moved into the prime minister’s official residence in Downing Street after his Labour party’s election victory last year.
At 1:35 am (0035 GMT) on Monday “police were alerted by the London Fire Brigade to reports of a fire at a residential address,” the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.
“Officers attended the scene. Damage was caused to the property’s entrance, nobody was hurt. The fire is being investigated and cordons remain in place while enquiries continue.”
London Fire Brigade described the incident as “a small fire outside a property in Kentish Town.” “The brigade was called at 01:11 and the fire was under control by 01:33,” it added.
Starmer’s official spokesman said: “The prime minister thanks the emergency services for their work and it is subject to a live investigation. So, I can’t comment further.”


India PM Modi warns Pakistan of more strikes if there is a ‘terrorist attack’

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation following a truce with Pakistan, via video conferencing in New Delhi.
Updated 12 May 2025
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India PM Modi warns Pakistan of more strikes if there is a ‘terrorist attack’

  • Modi was speaking two days after the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to a ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump
  • Pakistan denies Indian accusations that it supports militants who attack it and says the locations hit by India last week were civilian sites

NEW DELHI/ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned Pakistan on Monday that New Delhi would target “terrorist hideouts” across the border again if there were new attacks on India and would not be deterred by what he called Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail.”
Modi’s first public comments since Indian armed forces launched strikes on what New Delhi said were “terrorist camps” across the border last week indicated a hardening of India’s position on ties with its neighbor, which were icy even before the latest fighting.
Pakistan denies Indian accusations that it supports militants who attack it and says the locations hit by India last week were civilian sites.
Modi was speaking two days after the nuclear-armed neighbors agreed to a ceasefire, announced by US President Donald Trump.
The truce was reached after four days of intense exchanges of fire as the old enemies targeted each other’s military installations with missiles and drones, killing dozens of civilians.
The military confrontation began on Wednesday, when India said it launched strikes on nine “terrorist infrastructure” sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir following an attack on Hindu tourists by militants in Indian Kashmir last month that killed 26 men.
Islamabad denied any links to the attack and called for a neutral investigation.
“If there is a terrorist attack on India, a fitting reply will be given... on our terms,” Modi said, speaking in Hindi in a televised address. “In the coming days, we will measure every step of Pakistan... what kind of attitude Pakistan will adopt.”
“India will strike precisely and decisively at the terrorist hideouts developing under the cover of nuclear blackmail,” he said, and listed New Delhi’s conditions for holding talks with Islamabad and lifting curbs imposed after the Kashmir attack.
“India’s position is clear: terror and talks cannot go together; terror and trade cannot go together. And water and blood cannot flow together,” he said, referring to a water sharing pact between the two countries New Delhi suspended.
There was no immediate response to his comments from Islamabad.
Military talks
Hindu-majority India and Muslim Pakistan both rule part of the Himalayan region of Kashmir, but claim it in full. They have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over the region and there have been several other more limited flare-ups, including in 2016 and 2019.
The latest military conflict between the South Asian neighbors spiralled alarmingly on Saturday and there were briefly fears that nuclear arsenals might come into play as Pakistan’s military said a top body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet.
But the Pakistani defense minister said no such meeting was scheduled.
Military analysts said this may have been Pakistan’s way of hinting at its nuclear option as Islamabad has a “first-use” policy if its existence is under threat in a conflict.
Modi’s address came hours after the military operations chiefs of India and Pakistan spoke by phone, two days after they agreed to the ceasefire.
“Issues related to continuing the commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive and inimical action against each other were discussed,” the Indian army said.
“It was also agreed that both sides consider immediate measures to ensure troop reduction from the borders and forward areas,” it added.
There was no immediate Pakistani readout of the military operations chiefs’ talks.
In Washington, Trump said the leaders of India and Pakistan were “unwavering,” and the US “helped a lot” to secure the ceasefire, adding that trade was a “big reason” why the countries stopped fighting.
“We are going to do a lot of trade with Pakistan... and India. We are negotiating with India right now. We are soon going to negotiate with Pakistan,” he said, just ahead of Modi’s speech.
Pakistan has thanked the US for brokering the ceasefire while India, which opposes third-party involvement in its disputes with Pakistan, has not commented on Washington’s role.
Markets soar
Pakistan’s international bonds rallied sharply on Monday, adding as much as 5.7 cents in the dollar, Tradeweb data showed.
Late on Friday, the International Monetary Fund approved a fresh $1.4-billion loan and also the first review of its $7-billion program.
Pakistan’s benchmark share index closed up 9.4 percent on Monday, while India’s blue-chip Nifty 50 index closed 3.8 percent higher in its best session since February 2021.
In Beijing the foreign ministry said China, which also controls a small slice of Kashmir, was willing to maintain communication with both its neighbors, and play a “constructive role in achieving a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire” and maintaining peace.
India blames Pakistan for an insurgency in its part of Kashmir that began in 1989, but Pakistan says it provides only moral, political and diplomatic support to Kashmiri separatists.


Bangladesh investigators say ousted PM behind deadly crackdown

Protesters, some who were injured in protests against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year.
Updated 12 May 2025
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Bangladesh investigators say ousted PM behind deadly crackdown

  • “Investigation team has found Sheikh Hasina culpable in at least five charges,” chief prosecutor at Bangladesh’s domestic International Crimes Tribunal said

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina masterminded a deadly crackdown on mass protests that prompted her ouster last year, prosecutors at a domestic war crimes tribunal said Monday.
Up to 1,400 people died in July 2024 when Hasina’s government launched a brutal campaign to silence the opposition, according to the United Nations.
Hasina lives in self-imposed exile in India, where she fled by helicopter, and has defied an arrest warrant from Dhaka over charges of crimes against humanity.
“The investigation team has found Sheikh Hasina culpable in at least five charges,” Mohammad Tajul Islam, chief prosecutor at Bangladesh’s domestic International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), told reporters.
“They have brought charges of abetment, incitement, complicity, facilitation, conspiracy, and failure to prevent mass murder during the July uprising.”
Tajul Islam said the prosecution had submitted its first report to be presented at the court set to try Hasina and two of her aides — former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and ex-police chief Abdullah Al Mamun.
“Sheikh Hasina directly ordered law enforcement agencies and auxiliary forces aligned with her party to kill and maim, and to burn corpses and even people who were still alive at certain points,” he added.
The ICT was set up in 2009 by Hasina to investigate crimes committed by the Pakistani army during Bangladesh’s war for independence in 1971.
Investigators have collected video footage, audio clips, Hasina’s phone conversations, records of helicopter and drone movements as well as statements from victims of the crackdown as part of their probe.
Bangladesh’s interim government on Saturday banned Hasina’s party, the Awami League, pending the outcome of the trial.
The decision was taken to ensure the country’s “sovereignty and security” as well as the safety of the protesters, plaintiffs and witnesses of the tribunal, Asif Nazrul, a government adviser on law and justice, told reporters.
Bangladesh has requested India to extradite her but has not yet received a response.


Indonesia puts spotlight on Palestine as Jakarta hosts meeting with OIC states

Updated 12 May 2025
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Indonesia puts spotlight on Palestine as Jakarta hosts meeting with OIC states

  • Delegations representing member countries, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, attending conference
  • Indonesian government sees Palestinian statehood as being mandated by constitution

JAKARTA: Indonesia began hosting a meeting of the Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States on Monday with a special focus on the situation in Gaza, as Jakarta seeks to strategize efforts for Palestine among Muslim countries.

Representatives from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s member countries are in Jakarta for the 19th Session of the PUIC Conference, which is being hosted by Indonesia’s House of Representatives from May 12-15.

Delegations have arrived from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Malaysia, Morocco, and Egypt, among other countries.

Discussions during the three-day event will cover Palestine and particularly Gaza, where 19 months of Israeli attacks have killed more than 52,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the territory’s civilian infrastructure, while Tel Aviv continues to block humanitarian aid from entering the enclave. 

“I raised Palestine as one of the main topics during the opening session. And everyone agreed to continue fighting for Palestinian independence and to punish Zionist Israel for brutality and genocide,” Mardani Ali Sera, head of the Committee for Inter-Parliamentary Cooperation, or BKSAP, said in a statement.

The focus on Palestine had been raised in the weeks leading up to the conference by Indonesian officials, who saw the meeting as an opportunity to coordinate collective action.

“We are all here to talk about the situation in Gaza, how we can help the people of Palestine in various aspects,” BKSAP deputy head Muhammad Husein Fadlulloh said.

“But what’s more important is how we can unite our strategies so that the international community, outside of OIC, will also support this fight.”

A staunch supporter of Palestine, the Indonesian government and its people see Palestinian statehood as being mandated by its own constitution, which calls for the abolition of colonialism.

Since Israel began its assault on Gaza, Indonesians have shown their support of Palestine through a series of mass demonstrations, organized boycotts and solidarity campaigns. 

Indonesian Culture Minister Fadli Zon, who hosted a cultural dinner with OIC member states ahead of the start of the conference, is among those calling for more action on Palestine, including a permanent ceasefire.

“Our efforts must also be intensified to champion Palestinian independence and (a) permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” he said in a speech on Sunday, addressing representatives of OIC countries.

“Collective steps to contribute to international peace and security is a necessity, not an option. We must promote the Islamic values of peace and equality, ensuring that the voice of the voiceless are heard, the right to self-determination is fulfilled and that cultural justice triumphs.”