Posted on

Kenyan HIVAIDS patients get lifeline in generic drugs

(Xinhua)10:59, August 01, 2019

NAIROBI, July 31 — Jacqueline Wambui, a resident of Nairobi, Kenyan capital, has been living positively with HIV for several years now.

The member of National Empowerment Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK) has become an AIDS activist, with her work involving championing for the rights of HIV patients.

I promote greater and meaningful involvement of people living with HIV in the national response to the disease, she said in a recent interview.

Wambui, who runs the advocacy and communication program at NEPHAK, is able to do this because of easy access to generic anti-retroviral drugs, which have made her stronger.

She is among millions of people in Kenya and across Africa who are readily accessing the life-saving drugs thanks to innovative licensing agreements that allow production of the generic drugs.

The licenses have enabled generic drug manufacturers to produce and sell single and combination versions of the drugs for adults and children in countries with the highest burden of HIV like Kenya.

Leading the list of drugs whose generic versions are widely used across the world is Dolutegravir (DTG), which was first approved in the United States in 2013.

DTG is the latest anti-retroviral drug and it is being offered in Kenya for free by the government as a first line of treatment for HIV patients.

The drug by ViiV Healthcare, a pharmaceutical company specializing in the development of therapies for HIV infection, has 18 generic manufacturers, who are authorized to produce and sell low-cost single or fixed-dose combination versions of DTG in least developed, low-income, lower-middle income, and sub-Saharan Africa countries as well as some other upper middle-income countries, according to the global firm.

These licensing agreements have also allowed generic manufacturers to include Dolutegravir in a newly developed fixed-dose combination, tenofovir disoproxil fumarate/lamivudine/dolutegravir, which combines the WHO-preferred treatment regimen into a single pill, said Deborah Waterhouse, CEO of ViiV Healthcare.

The agreements between UN-backed public health organisation Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and ViiV Healthcare were originally negotiated in 2014.

Since then, some 3.9 million people in the developing world have access to the HIV treatment dolutegravir, according to ViiV Healthcare.

Wambui was put on several different antiretroviral regimens before switching to DTG later.

The new drug has much less side effects than the others and it comes in such a low dose, only 50 milligrams. Im in my fourth month of treatment and I would say of course I am more hyper, Im no longer lethargic, I no longer dread taking my pill at 10pm at night, she said.

Using the life-saving drug has enabled her and millions of other people, especially women, to function well and move on with their lives that include doing business to feed their families.

For a long time, I couldnt just stand up and walk out of a seat because I had to wake up slowly. It was quite painful. But now my body has gotten used to it, and my bones are getting stiff, she said.

The HIV activist noted that people living with HIV should be given the choice to take the drugs they want after learning of the associated risks and benefits of different regimens.

Let people decide what is best for them. Also, sexual and reproductive care and counseling should be integrated in HIV settings, she said.

Kenyas fight against HIV/AIDS has been paying off, with the east African nation recording a sharp decline in number of infections in the last eight years.

HIV incidence among adults aged between 15 and 49 fell from 0.35 percent in 2010 to 0.19 percent in 2017 due to the scale-up of various prevention and treatment programs, according to the recently released Kenya HIV Estimates Report 2018 by the Ministry of Health.

According to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, the total number of adults and children living with HIV in Kenya is approximately 1.5 million.

From January 2012 to December 2018, MPP generic manufacturing partners have supplied 413,000 patients years of DTG treatment in Kenya, according to ViiV Healthcare.

Kenya targets to reduce new HIV infections among adults by 75 percent and cut mother-to-child transmission to 5 percent, notes the National AIDS Control Council.

Posted on

Three Chinese scientists elected in European Academy of Sciences

(Peoples Daily Online)13:58, July 11, 2019

Three Chinese scientists were elected as foreign academicians of the European Academy of Sciences (EurASc), thepaper.cn reported on July 9.

Professor Jin Guoxin, head of Inorganic Chemistry Institute of Fudan University, Shanghai, specializes in synthesis, structure, bonding rules and applications of organometallic complexes.

Professor Zhang Chi, dean of the School of Chemical Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, has been engaged in the research of transition metals and inorganic and organic nano-hybrids and semiconductors. He has published about 300 papers and obtained 38 patents.

Alex Jen Kwan-yue, provost of the City University of Hong Kong, is one of the international pioneers in organic polymer optoelectronics. He has contributed a lot to organic polymer biosensors, solar cells and nano-optical materials.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the European Academy of Sciences is an international organization aiming to promote excellence in science and technology. The members are the worlds leading scientists and scholars from all European countries and the United States, Japan, China and etc.

Posted on

New version of Arctic sea ice forecast system starts running

(Xinhua)14:35, July 11, 2019

BEIJING, July 10 (Xinhua) — An updated version of the Arctic sea ice short-term forecast system has started operation, according to the Ministry of Natural Resources on Wednesday.

The previous version of the Arctic sea ice short-term forecast system with 18 km horizontal resolution was built in 2017 and served Chinas eighth Arctic expedition.

During the countrys ninth Arctic expedition, the researchers evaluated the new version which had lower than 20 percent sea ice intensity and 0.36 meters thickness prediction errors with seven days in advance.

And a 4.5 km horizontal resolution version of the sea ice forecast system is being tested and expected to be put into trial operation by the end of 2019.

Posted on

Bridge expected to benefit more people in southwest China

(Peoples Daily Online)17:45, July 08, 2019

(Photo/Xinhua)

The main arch of a bridge on the border of southwest Chinas Sichuan, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces was completed on July 7. Once opened, the bridge will make travel more convenient and help to alleviate poverty within the local community.

The construction began in 2016. Built across the Chishui River, the arch bridge measures 286.4 meters long with a span of 180 meters. With a total investment of about 59 million yuan, it鈥檚 designed as a two-lane, two-way bridge with sidewalks on both sides.

Since the construction site was located in a canyon scenic area, constructors had to lift the concrete 150 meters above the river with baskets so as to reduce damages to the vegetation, said Jiang Zhongqiao, project manager of Sichuan Road and Bridge Group, contractor of the bridge.

The bridge connects two poverty-stricken counties in Sichuan and Yunnan. Upon opening, it will take one minute to drive across the bridge from one province to the other, while the travel time beforehand was normally 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

This means it will be more convenient to transport Yunnans coal, Sichuans tobacco, and other economic crops outside of the mountains. Moreover, the bridge will boost canyon tourism, helping to get rid of local poverty.

Posted on

Ex-colonial governors HK comments blasted

(China Daily)08:00, July 08, 2019

A statement from a person identified as the principal official in the Office of the Commissioner of the Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region rebuffed former British governor of Hong Kong Chris Patten and urged him to respect the facts, know his place and stop telling blatant lies and putting on ridiculous performances.

Time keeps moving on, but Mr Patten has stood pat, indulging in the faded glory of colonialism and refusing to face the reality that it has been 22 years since Hong Kongs return to its motherland, the unnamed official said in the statement on Saturday.

Responding to Pattens remarks about Hong Kong in an earlier media report, the official said that it is shameless and absurd for Patten, who was not democratically elected, to picture himself as a guardian of human rights and freedoms.

In a signed article published in the Financial Times on Friday, Patten wrote that the UK has every right to discuss with China what is happening in its former colony, and freedom of speech has been whittled away in Hong Kong.

The statement said Hong Kong people didnt enjoy any freedom or democracy during the 150 years it was under British colonial rule. Instead, Hong Kong people, once second-class citizens during the colonial period, have stood up as their own masters with unprecedented democratic rights and freedoms in accordance with law, it said.

Hong Kong now has an economy twice the size that of 1997 and has ranked as the worlds most free economy for more than 20 consecutive years. Hong Kong ranked 16th for its rule of law in 2018, up from below 60th in 1996 under British rule, it said. These are facts that not even Mr Patten can deny, the statement concluded.

On July 1, Hong Kong and the international community witnessed violent protests against an extradition bill, including protesters storming and vandalizing the building of the citys legislature. Patten, however, turned a blind eye to the violent crime and tried every means to justify the offenders, the statement said.

Such condoning of violence is an assault on the rule of law in Hong Kong, in total disregard of the rights and security of the vast majority of Hong Kong residents. It shows not the least sense of justice or morality, the statement said. It also reiterated that the Sino-British Joint Declaration, often cited by Patten to pressure the Hong Kong SAR and China, became null when Hong Kong returned to the motherland on July 1, 1997.

The official criticized Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, for overreaching himself and putting up desperate attempts to cause trouble for the Hong Kong SAR and China at large for years.

On Sunday afternoon, a group of demonstrators opposed to the now-suspended extradition bill launched a protest march from Tsim Sha Tsui to the West Kowloon high-speed rail station.

The bill, which was intended to plug legal loopholes in Hong Kongs handling of fugitives, was suspended by the government on June 15. In the weeks since, the city has seen its people divided over the issue, as well as protests that frequently involved violence.

The police have arrested a number of people in connection with the violence and other unlawful acts carried out during recent protests.

Secretary for Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah said on Sunday in a blog post that comments and opinions expressed in the community would not affect the Department of Justice in discharging its prosecutorial duties.

Posted on

Guangzhou to build over 14,000 5G base stations

(Xinhua)16:33, July 09, 2019

GUANGZHOU, July 9 (Xinhua) — Guangzhou, capital of south Chinas Guangdong Province, is accelerating the development of 5G and is expected to build 14,600 5G base stations by the end of this year, local authorities said Tuesday.

The number will exceed 65,000 by 2021, when Guangzhou will achieve uninterrupted 5G network coverage in main urban districts and key areas, according to the citys bureau of industry and information technology.

The expansion of 5G network will boost the development of related industries in Guangzhou, such as electronic manufacturing and artificial intelligence, the value of which will top 800 billion yuan (116.24 billion U.S. dollars) by 2021, it added.

To promote application of 5G in industries, Guangzhou will set up a 5G industrial innovation alliance and apply the technology in various fields, including smart logistics, smart cities and industrial Internet.

Chinese cities are adopting the 5G network to meet public demand. Guangzhou has built and opened 5,000 5G base stations by the end of June.

In early June, China granted 5G licenses for commercial use, marking the beginning of a new era in the countrys telecommunications industry.

According to the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, 5G technology is expected to create more than 8 million jobs by 2030.

Posted on

Brexit should take place in October without further delay, UK Brexit Secretary says

(Xinhua)08:54, July 09, 2019

LONDON, July 8 (Xinhua) — UK Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said on Monday that the country should leave the European Union on Oct. 31 without any further delay, stressing that both sides should work for a Brexit with a deal.

It is important that the UK leaves (EU) on October 31, and that will be in the interests of the UK and EU, Barclay said at a briefing with foreign reporters at the Foreign Press Association headquarters in London.

Then there will be the certainty that businesses need, who can get investment under way and the UK can move forward onto the positive future relationship based on shared values with the EU rather than focusing on unwinding the past relationship, he said.

We dont want a no-deal outcome but it is important we prepare for it, he said, stressing that it is not only Theresa Mays priority but also the priority of (UK prime minister candidates) Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt to secure a deal.

He rejected the idea of a second referendum on Brexit, saying it sometimes is misunderstood. The danger of a second referendum is you have a further year of uncertainty and it would be divisive but would not necessarily decisive, Barclay said.

The UKs departure from the EU has been postponed from the original March 29, 2019 deadline to Oct. 31, more than three years after the British people voted in a referendum to leave the bloc.

Having failed to deliver a Brexit deal through the UK Parliament to bring Britain out of the EU, Theresa May resigned as Conservative Party leader on June 7, but will remain as caretaker prime minister until her successor is chosen.

Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt are vying for the Conservative Party leadership. The winner will automatically move into 10 Downing Street as prime minister.

Posted on

Chinese enterprise helps Myanmar solve electricity shortage

(Peoples Daily Online)10:17, July 09, 2019

The control room in theChipwi Nge hydropower station (Peoples Daily/Sun Guangyong)

Thanks to the hydropower station built by a Chinese enterprise, Myitkyina, the capital city of Kachin State in northern Myanmar, is provided with a constant electricity supply.

In 2013, Chinas State Power Investment Corporation (CSPIC), the contractor, delivered the hydropower station to the local client.

The Chipwi Nge hydropower station, with a total installed capacity of 99 megawatts, can generate 599 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year. By the end of 2018, the hydropower station had supplied 783 million kWh of electricity to cities in Kachin.

The hydropower station also provides jobs for local people. 51 of its total 69 employees are from the local community. The CSPIC has held various training courses for local employees in order to help them master advanced technologies.

Currently, only 44 percent of Myanmar people have access to electricity and many places are frequently stricken by power failures in summer. However, the demand for electricity grows at an annual rate of 19 percent.

Even though the government has increased power supply by 12 percent per year, it still is not able to satisfy the soaring demand due to inefficient generation and poor transmission.

To solve this issue, the local government has launched a three-year plan, under which it will develop electricity infrastructure under the guidance of the Chinese company.

Posted on

U.S. vows to maintain pressure on Iran amid tension

(Xinhua)10:46, July 09, 2019

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Xinhua) — U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said on Monday that his country will continue to pile up economic pressure on Iran and defend U.S. interests as Tehran went one step further to endanger the 2015 nuclear deal.

Let me be clear: Iran should not confuse American restraint with a lack of American resolve, Pence told audience at an annual summit of a pro-Israel Christian organization in Washington.

We hope for the best, but the United States of America and our military are prepared to protect our interests and protect our personnel and our citizens in the region, he added.

Pences remarks came hours after Tehran announced that Iran has raised the concentration of its enriched uranium to 4.5 percent, crossing the limit of 3.67 percent set by the landmark nuclear pact.

In his speech, the U.S. vice president also vowed that his country will continue to bring pressure on Irans economy, which he claimed had already been reeling under heavy U.S. sanctions.

Pences tough stance was echoed by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, both Iran hawks, who spoke later on the same event.

Weve implemented the strongest pressure campaign in history against the Iranian regime, and we are not done, Pompeo noted.

A year after the U.S. unilateral exit from the nuclear deal, Iran withdrew from part of the nuclear deal on May 8 and threatened more actions in case its interests under the pact cannot be guaranteed.

Iran said earlier that the Europeans have failed to take practical steps to ensure Irans economic interests under the deal.

Around a week ago, Iran announced that its low-grade enriched uranium stockpile had exceeded 300 kg, its first breach of limits set in the accord.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres believes Irans action to cross the nuclear deal limit would neither help preserve the plan nor secure economic benefits for the Iranian people, his deputy spokesman said Monday.

Posted on

Murderer of Chinese scholar in court to face sentencing

(Xinhua)16:03, July 09, 2019

PEORIA, the United States, July 8 (Xinhua) — Brendt Christensen, who was found guilty by a U.S. jury of kidnapping and killing Chinese visiting scholar Zhang Yingying in 2017, appeared Monday at a federal courthouse in Peoria, Illinois, for his sentence.

On Monday afternoon, U.S. Department of Justice attorney James Nelson gave the opening statement for the prosecution, starting with the last line from Zhangs diary: Life is too short to be ordinary.

She had no way of knowing how short her life would be, Nelson said. The only way you know Yingying Zhang is her death.

Describing Zhangs life, he said: Yingying was far more than just an international scholar. She was a devoted and loving daughter … She was the hope of her family.

Nelson said the family is still in deep sorrow, mentioning that her father has difficulty looking at photos of her.

Yingying had a beautiful voice and loved to sing, but on June 9, 2017, that beautiful voice fell silent, Nelson said.

Calling for death penalty, Nelson said it was not an ordinary crime. It was cold, calculated, cruel and months in the making.

Christensens attorney Julie Brain gave the opening for the defense, saying Christensen will die in prison, alone, with strangers.

She described Christensen as someone who struggled his whole life with mental health issues — night terrors, walking in his sleep, debilitating migraines.

Brain said Christensen sought mental health treatment, but didnt get the help he needed.

While she said the crime is his fault, this is not a case that deserves the death penalty.

Brain asked jurors to make a moral decision, to keep an open mind, and to sentence him to life in prison without the possibility of release.

Following the opening statements from both sides, the prosecutors summoned three Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) language specialists and Hou Xiaolin, Zhangs boyfriend to testify.

During Hous testimony, the prosecutors played video recordings of four roommates and friends in China talking about Zhang in their eyes.

Diligent, filial, smiling, independent, motivated, optimistic, and helpful are the common words they used to describe her. Some just couldnt help crying during the talk.

Christensen gazed at the screen when the videos were played, emotionless.

In the next two weeks, dozens of witnesses will testify, including Zhangs father and brother, before the 12-person jury decides between death penalty or life imprisonment.

Zhangs mother has been approved to testify via a video given the emotionally difficulty of being present in court.

Early Monday morning, Judge James Shadid refused the motion of excluding the video testimony of Zhangs friends and roommates raised by the defense.

Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (UIUC), attended the sentencing trial on Monday.

We are so sad, she told Xinhua in an interview. As a parent myself … I cant imagine going through a loss like this in such a horrible, senseless, terrible way.

Its partly our efforts to ensure that we have a very welcoming community and that we let Chinese students know that were delighted and very proud to have them as part of our community, Kaler said.

Kaler hopes Zhangs family receives justice.

Zhang Yingying, a 26-year-old Chinese scholar, went missing on June 9, 2017, after getting into a black Saturn Astra about five blocks away from where she got off a bus on her way to an apartment complex to sign a lease.

Christensen was arrested on June 30, 2017, after being caught on tape pointing out people he described as ideal victims during a vigil in Zhangs honor.