The antiviral drug Remdesivir has shown promising results in the treatment of COVID-19 in clinical trials. Two trials of the drug were carried out: one by the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the other by Gilead Sciences. More than 1,000 patients across the globe took part in NIAID’s trial. Treatment with Remdesivir was compared with supportive care with a placebo.
South Korea has reported zero new local coornavirus cases and four imported cases of the coronavirus over the past 24 hours. It is the first time that its daily jump has marked below five in about two months. The Koreas Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement on April 30 country’s total is 10,765 with 247 deaths.
Legendary Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor passed away at the age of 67 in Mumbai. He had been battling leukemia since 2018. He returned to India last year after treatment in the US. Rishi’s brother Randhir said that he was taken to the hospital on Wednesday morning after he complained of breathing difficulties. His death come a day after the passing away of another Bollywood legend, Irrfan Khan.
A US government panel called for India to be put on a religious freedom blacklist. The panel called for it over a “drastic” downturn under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering a sharp rebuttal from New Delhi. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom recommends but does not set policy, and there is virtually no chance the State Department will follow its lead on India, an increasingly close US ally.
Advisor to the Prime Minister on Finance Dr Hafeez Sheikh has said the price of petroleum products will drop from May 1. He added that similarly, the cost of traveling and investment in the energy sector will also be reduced. On March 25, the federal government cut petrol price by Rs 15 per litre and said it would maintain that level for three months or even reduce it further.
A bit of good news for hikers and nature lovers in the capital: Islamabad has decided to reopen its hiking trails. The trails had been shut down during the lockdown imposed in the country to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus. However, the district administration of the city issued a notification for hiking trails to be reopened for public.
Gigi Hadid and her boyfriend Zayn Malik are expecting their first child, according to a report by TMZ. The report quoted “family sources” as saying that the supermodel is 20 weeks’ pregnant with the 27-year-old former One Direction singer. The on-again, off-again couple have yet to confirm the baby news publicly. Malik made a rare appearance on Hadid’s Instagram when she shared a slew of photos from her 25th birthday celebration.
Bollywood star, Irrfan Khan took his last breath in Mumbai, India at the age of 54. The actor had spent the last two years fighting a battle against cancer. In 2018, the actor posted on Twitter to say that he was diagnosed with an endocrine tumour, a rare illness affecting cells that release hormones into the bloodstream.
India has cancelled orders to import coronavirus rapid testing kits from China after finding them to be “faulty”. The country had placed an order for about half a million kits from two Chinese firms: Wondfo Biotech and Livzon Diagnostic. States in India had refused to use the rapid testing kits, claiming they were only 5% accurate.
Prime Minister Imran Khan aims to provide ration, funds and other help to all overseas Pakistanis in these stressful times of the novel coronavirus. For this purpose he has ordered the foreign ministry to provide him data of all overseas Pakistanis. According to the prime minister, remittances sent by overseas Pakistanis contribute to a big chunk of revenues for the country and their contribution is very crucial for Pakistan.