Day: June 30, 2021

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Williamson back as No.1 in MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings

Dubai, June 30, 2021 (PPI-OT):The New Zealand captain has reclaimed the No.1 position in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings for batting. New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has reclaimed the No.1 position in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings after leading his side to the ICC World Test Championship title in Southampton last week.

The 30-year-old’s knocks of 49 and 52 not out in the low-scoring final against India have helped him move above the 900-point mark and he now enjoys a 10-point lead over Steve Smith (891 rating points). Williamson, who conceded the top spot to Smith two weeks ago, is back in the position he had first grabbed in November 2015 during a series against Australia.

Ross Taylor, who scored an unbeaten 47 and partnered in an unbroken 96-run stand with Williamson, has advanced three places to 14th position while left-hander Devon Conway has gained 18 slots to reach 42nd place after top-scoring with 52 in the first innings. New Zealand’s fast bowlers too have gained after thriving in the seaming conditions, player of the match Kyle Jamieson continuing the stupendous start to his Test career. His figures of five for 31 and two for 30 have pushed him up to a career-best 13th position, not surprising since no bowler has taken more Test wickets at a better average than him since 1900.

Left-armer Trent Boult’s figures of two for 48 and three for 39 have lifted him two places to 11th position while for India, vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane’s progress of three places to 13th position after scores of 49 and 15, was the only notable gain. Ravindra Jadeja has slipped behind West Indian Jason Holder to second position after a week at the top of the rankings for all-rounders.

In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, West Indies’ left-handed opener Evin Lewis has moved from 13th to 10th position after a player of the match effort of 71 off 35 balls in the first of the two matches of their ongoing five-match series that counted for this week’s rankings. Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen has progressed 23 places to 20th position. South Africa’s Quinton de Kock (up one place to 22nd), Reeza Hendricks (up three places to 24th) and Temba Bavuma (up 24 places to 64th) are among the others to move up. England’s 3-0 series win over Sri Lanka, which should come as a morale booster for the 50-over World champions ahead of this year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, sees several of their players move up too.

Chris Jordan (up five places to 11th), Mark Wood (up 11 places to 14th), Sam Curran (up 62 places to 39th) and David Willey (up 23 places to 51st) have progressed in the bowlers’ list while for Sri Lanka, Wanindu Hasaranga has moved up five places to fifth and Dushmantha Chameera 41 places to 43rd. The latest weekly update, which includes performances in the Sofia four-team tournament won by Romania, and which also featured Bulgaria, Serbia and Greece, saw Romania’s Ramesh Satheesan enter the top 100. He has moved up 101 slots to 95th position after topping the series aggregate with 197 runs.

For more information, contact:
Headquarters,
International Cricket Council (ICC)
Street 69, Dubai Sports City,
Sh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Phone: +97-143828800
Fax: +97-143828600
E-mail: enquiry@icc-cricket.com
Website: www.icc-cricket.com

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Webinar on “Cyber Technologies and Responsible State Behaviour: Achieving Peace, Security and Sustainable Development”

Islamabad, June 30, 2021 (PPI-OT):The Arms Control and Disarmament Center (ACDC) at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad organised a webinar on “Cyber Technologies and Responsible State Behaviour: Achieving Peace, Security and Sustainable Development” on June 29, 2021. The eminent speakers included Brig. Mohammad Yasin, Senior Advisor SDPI, Dr. Tughral Yamin, Associate Dean CIPS, NUST and Dr. Khashif Kifayat, Dean Computer Sciences, Air University Islamabad.

Malik Qasim Mustafa, Director ACDC-ISSI, in his introductory remarks said that the use of cyber technologies has transformed our lives and providing us with endless possibilities to transform our future. The world is already witnessing a growing competition between major players to dominate each other in cyberspace. There is a likelihood that the growing use of cyber technologies is going to affect individuals and states and peace, security and development. In this regard, states should ensure the protection of cyberspace from cyber threats and cyberwarfare to safeguard their social, economic and national security interests.

Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, Director General ISSI, in his welcome remarks said cyber technologies are changing the way humans lead their life. Its use can be positive or negative. It is the malicious use that is of concern. There is a need to regulate it at the regional and global levels. It is important to generate debate on responsible state behaviour in the cyber realm.

Ms. Aamna Rafiq, Research Associate ACDC-ISSI, in her briefing said it is critical to identify new ways to unlock the full potential of cyber technologies for human development. These developments could be an essential building block in the ability to achieve the Global Goals in 2030. She said that it is essential to establish an international regime to regulate cyberspace and promote responsible state behaviour.

Brig. Mohammad Yasin, while speaking on “Cybersecurity for Sustainable Development” said that there has been a rapid increase in cyber-attacks globally over the last few years. There is a deep relation between cybersecurity and growth and development. Pakistan has many challenges in the realm of cybersecurity. He said that Pakistan’s cybersecurity approach is weak, disorganised, and superficial. Public and private organisations are working in isolation. There is no coordination between the armed forces of the country. He emphasised the need to work to secure the country’s infrastructure. Pakistan now has a cybersecurity regulation. All stakeholders must work together to devise best practices. He stressed that there can be no sustainable development without cybersecurity.

Dr. Tughral Yamin spoke on “Building a Cyberspace Regime for Security and Peace: A Regional Approach.” He said the cyberspace regime should be part of the overarching national security architecture. He suggested that it should have joint ownership of all the stakeholders including the military-civil sector and corporate sector. It should cover all legal aspects but should not be at the cost of the citizens’ digital rights. He said it should be adopted with consensus through the parliament. He said that cybersecurity should be on top of the national and global agenda. He said that a regional approach is possible through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) or Shangai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). The SCO is a better forum because it is not hostage to India Pakistan rivalry.

Dr. Khashif Kifayat, in his remarks on “International Cooperation for Peaceful Uses of Cyber Technologies: A Case for Pakistan,” said that in today’s world cyberspace is increasingly important because our dependence is increasing. He talked about the human factor in cybersecurity. He especially talked about online child exploitation that is hitting the entire world very hard. He said that this could be a common ground for international cooperation. Another area where global cooperation could be very fruitful is the banking sector. This is a sector where we can collaborate internationally to stop cyber crimes which cause financial losses. He emphasised the need to develop human resources in Pakistan to tackle the problem of cybersecurity.

The webinar was followed by an interesting question and answer session. In his concluding remarks, Amb. Khalid Mahmood, Chairman BOG ISSI, said that cyber technologies could help accelerate the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They are also helping in peacekeeping efforts and better governance. There are great benefits to cyber technologies but it has its costs. These techs can be misused to launch like cyberattacks. These threats are increasing in sophistication and inflicting major financial losses to countries corporations and individuals. He pointed that access to cyberspace and its misuse by non-state actors is a source of concern and can create havoc. As cyber technologies keep evolving, so there is a need to promote measures to promote responsible behaviour in the form of a legal framework, awareness, and skill development.

For more information, contact:
Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI)
Sector F-5/2, Islamabad – 44000, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-9202481
Fax: +92-51-9204658
E-mail: strategy@issi.org.pk
Website: http://issi.org.pk/

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New grant to spur development of gene editing therapies

Karachi, June 30, 2021 (PPI-OT):Innovative gene editing therapies for two significant blood disorders, beta thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia, have received a boost with AKU’s Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, CRM, winning a competitive research grant of Rs 159.60 million (US$ 1.02 m) to look for a genetic ‘fix’.

Thalassemia and sickle cell disease are genetic disorders, passed down from parent to child, and common in Pakistan. There are as many as 100,000 transfusion dependent thalassemia patients in the country. Every year another 5,000 babies are born with the disorder. On the other hand, sickle-cell disease is one of the well-known causes of anaemia in Pakistan.

Doctors and research scientists are aware that mutations in the haemoglobin beta-globin, HBB, gene cause both diseases. Patients suffer from a lack of haemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to rest of the body; and a lack of oxygen in the body’s tissues can lead to poor growth, organ damage and other health problems.

The only treatments available are blood transfusions or bone marrow transplants, both with drawbacks and side effects. Blood transfusion often leads to iron overload and organ damage. Bone marrow transplant is a costly, risky and invasive treatment available only to patients who can find suitable donors with matching blood stem cells. Also, limited bone marrow transplantation facilities and expertise within Pakistan mean that most patients cannot access this treatment.

Given these challenges, researchers around the world are looking at new gene and cell repair therapies for a treatment and potentially a cure. “Our research aims to find an innovative, less-invasive and more affordable cure for these common genetic diseases,” says AKU’s Dr Afsar Mian, the study’s principal investigator. “Our team aspires to work on two gene editing therapies that will be applicable to both, beta thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia.”

In the first approach, AKU researchers will work on developing a druggable gene editing therapy, using CRISPR/Cas9, a molecular gene editing tool. Unlike existing gene therapies, this new therapy could be injected as a drug to allow the defective part of the HBB gene to be ‘sniped’ and repaired for beta thalassemia and sickle cell disease.

Dr Mian is excited about this research work: “Our team will be among the few researchers around the globe who are working on developing this gene editing approach. Better still, conducting this study in Pakistan will help build local capacity and solutions, instead of waiting for treatments from elsewhere.”

Emergent gene and cell therapies are now seen as having the most potential to impact healthcare in the coming years. “This potential therapy could provide a permanent cure, bypassing the need for bone marrow transplant and blood transfusion” says Professor El-Nasir Lalani, founding director of CRM.

The second therapy involves reactivating the production of foetal haemoglobin as a substitute for the missing or faulty adult haemoglobin in beta thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia. Dr Mian and his team will work on gene-silencing, using the same gene editing tool and approach, suppressing the BCL11A gene that stops foetal haemoglobin from being produced.

Both concepts will be first tested in the laboratory, using stem cells that have the potential to form any cell type in the body, drawn from thalassemia and sickle-cell patients. If successful, this will be followed by pre-clinical trials to determine if the treatment is safe.

The study team includes Drs Afsar Mian, Salma Jahan, Hammad Hassan and Mohammed Yusuf from CRM and international collaborators from the University of California, San Francisco, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Cardiff University in the UK.

The World Bank-supported HEC Grand Challenge Fund, launched in 2020, aims to promote research excellence in strategic sectors with awards based on competitive, peer-reviewed evaluation of proposals. CRM is one of the five winning recipients, out of more than 700 applicants in the fund’s inaugural round.

For more information, contact:
Media Executive
Department of Public Affairs
Aga Khan University (AKU)
Stadium Road, Karachi
Tel: +92-21-34930051
Fax: +92-21-34934294, +92-21-34932095
Cell: +92-301-8258028
Email: rasool.sarang@aku.edu, public.affairs@aku.edu
Website: www.aku.edu

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Amongst Pakistanis who wear eyeglasses, 69% wear eyeglasses for weak eyesight; women (93%) are more likely to wear eyeglasses for weak eyesight than men (62%): Gallup and Gilani Pakistan

Islamabad, June 30, 2021 (PPI-OT):According to a survey conducted by Gallup and Gilani Pakistan, amongst Pakistanis who wear eyeglasses, 69% wear eyeglasses for weak eyesight.

A nationally representative sample of adult men and women who wear eyeglasses from across the four provinces was asked the following question, “What type of eyeglasses do you wear?” In response to this question, 69% said they wear “eyeglasses for weak eyesight”, 30% said, they “wear sunglasses” and 1% did not know or did not respond.

Question: “What type of eyeglasses do you wear?”

For more information, contact:
Head Office,
Gallup Pakistan
Islamabad, Pakistan
Tel: +92-51-8445080
Email: isb@gallup.com.pk, caf@gallup.com.pk
Website: www.gallup.com.pk