India is under enormous pressure from both   Washington and Moscow to vote with them on a   UN Security Council resolution to censure Russia   for its invasion of Ukraine. Both sides have   reached out to New Delhi to make their case and   openly expressed hope that they will have India's   support for a vote that is expected in the early   hours of Saturday IST. Barring a dramatic shift in India's traditionalist and independent-minded geo-political thinking, it is expected to abstain or vote nay on the resolution, which in any case will be largely symbolic because Russia, as a permanent member of the UNSC will veto it. A former Indian diplomat who has served in the UN said India's vote will be a nay or an abstention depending on the language of the resolution, but he could not see it being a yes. US analysts already seem reconciled to India not supporting Washington. "For those brand new to India and India-US relations, you're destined to be disappointed by India's approach to Russia. Disturbing loyalty to a rogue actor destabilizing the region. It's nearly as bad as our relationship with Pakistan," tweeted Jeff Smith, South Asia Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.India's distrust of NATO, despite good ties with the US and European nations, is also rooted in Cold War alliances that Washington stitched together that New Delhi viewed with suspicion. Among them were Central Treaty Organisation (CENTO) which was derived from the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), also known as the Baghdad Pact, and which, till its dissolution in 1979, included Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey and the United Kingdom; and the Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (SEATO), which till its dissolution in 1977 had Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, and the United Kingdom as members. If India is in a jam over Ukraine, Pakistan is in a worse situation, having decided to cosy up to Moscow despite it long standing dependence on the west for monetary assistance and its military ties with Ukraine, which designed the Al Khalid battletank for the Pakistan army. The fact that Imran Khan went ahead with his Moscow visit even as Russian tanks were rolling towards Ukraine means Pakistan has either given up hopes of being in the US camp, piqued by the treatment it has received in recent years, or is playing its final card to work its way back into favor.

India abstained from voting on a UN Security   Council resolution that condemned Russia's   "aggression" against Ukraine and demanded   the withdrawal of Russian forces from the   neighbouring country. The UN Security   Council voted on Friday on the draft   resolution sponsored by the US and Albania   and supported by several other nations including Poland, Italy, Germany, Estonia, Luxembourg and New Zealand. Eleven countries voted in favour of the resolution while three countries, including India, abstained. Afterwards, India's envoy to the UN T. S. Tirumurti provided an explanation of vote (EOV) that laid out the rationale behind India's stance in the matter. It appealed to all concerned parties to immediate cease violence and hostilities and referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's conversation with President Putin urging the same. "India is deeply disturbed by recent turn of developments in Ukraine. We urge that all efforts are made for the immediate cessation of violence and hostilities. No solution can ever be arrived at the cost of human lives," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T. S. Tirumurti said. "It is a matter of regret that the path of diplomacy was given up. We must return to it. For all these reasons, India has chosen to abstain on this resolution," he added. India has been in touch with all sides, urging parties concerned to return to the negotiating table, the envoy said. Welfare and security of the Indian community, in particular stranded students and their evacuation from Ukraine is the immediate priority. By abstaining, India retained the option of reaching out to relevant sides in an effort to bridge the gap and find the middle ground with an aim to foster dialogue and diplomacy, said Tirumurti. An earlier draft of the resolution had proposed moving it under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which provides the framework within which the Security Council may take enforcement action. However, this was dropped in the final version that was put to vote.

Astronomers had initially identified that the rocket to crash   on the Moon was the upper-stage of an old SpaceX Falcon 9   rocket Astronomer Bill Gray, who manages the   Project Pluto   software used to track Near-Earth Objects, has now issued a   clarification saying that the rocket set to hit the Moon is not   from SpaceX's Falcon-9, instead it is part of China's Chang'e-5   mission. Gray was the first person to pinpoint a rocket that   was headed towards the lunar surface.

"I (mis)identified this object as 2015-007B, the second stage of the DSCOVR spacecraft. We now have good evidence that it is actually 2014-065B, the booster for the Chang'e 5-T1 lunar mission. It will, however, still hit the moon within a few kilometers of the predicted spot," Gray said in a blog update.

Misidentification Confirmed

The astronomer had initially identified that the rocket to crash on the Moon was the upper-stage of an old SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched the Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite in 2015. He had said that after successfully deploying the payload, the two-stage rocket was left with not enough fuel to return to Earth's atmosphere and burn up. The rocket was so far away that it did not have enough energy to escape the gravity of the Earth-Moon system, forcing it to remain in a chaotic orbit.‘

Confident Its From China's Chang'e-5 Mission‘

He is now confident that the candidate launch was the Chang'e 5-T1 mission, launched on October 23, 2014. "It's unclear when the Chang'e 5-T1 booster would have gone by the moon, but four days after launch would be a reasonable ballpark estimate," he said.

Confirming his findings, he said that astronomer Jonathan McDowell has sent orbital elements for an amateur radio CubeSat that got a "ride-share" with the booster, and it's a very close match. Despite it's changed identity, the remnants will still hit the Moon on March 4 and create a new crater on the heavily cratered lunar surface.

Gray maintained that once the upper stage strikes the lunar surface, Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and ISRO's Chandrayaan-2 orbiter could find the crater that will be formed by the crash.

New Delhi, the modern grand capital of India   with the Raisina Hill complex at its heart,   whose foundation stones were laid by King   George V and Queen Mary over a century ago,   was inaugurated on this day in 1931 by   Viceroy Lord Irwin. The inauguration   ceremony was spread over a week, during   which then Viceroy also dedicated the All-  India War Memorial Arch, now known as India Gate, on February 12 that year in memory of the soldiers who died in the First World War (1914-1918) and the Third Anglo-Afghan War (1919). The landmark has the names of soldiers inscribed on its surface. The new imperial city was born on December 12, 1911, during a grand ceremonial 'Durbar' here when British monarch King George V had announced the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi.

Three days later, a simple ceremony was held at the Government of India Camp where King George and Queen Mary had laid two foundation stones of the new capital city in succession. The stone blocks did not carry anything, but a simple inscription of "15th December 1911", according to archival records. After laying of the foundation stones, the King-Emperor, said: "It is my desire that the planning and designing of the public buildings to be erected should be considered with the greatest deliberation and care, so that the new creation may be in every way worthy of this ancient and beautiful city.“

In consonance with the vision of the king, architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Sir Herbert Baker built the new capital city of the British Raj, whose grandeur and architectural splendour rivalled the best of the cities in Europe and America. The centrepiece of this new capital was the Raisina Hill complex, housing the majestic Viceroy's House (now Rashtrapati Bhavan) and North Block and South Block. The city, constructed between the two World Wars and which took over 20 years to build, was inaugurated on February 13, 1931 by the then Viceroy Lord Irwin. On the day of the inauguration, four iconic Dominion Columns, each made of red sandstone and topped by replica of a ship, were unveiled by Lord Irwin amid fanfare of trumpets followed by the playing of the (British) national anthem, according to the book 'Glittering Decades: New Delhi in Love and War'.

Scientists in China have warned   about a new strain of coronavirus,   NeoCov, related to the Middle East   respiratory syndrome MERS-  coronavirus. NeoCoV carries with it   the potentially combined high   mortality rate of MERS-CoV (where   one in three infected people die on average) and the high transmission rate of the current SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, the researchers have said.“ Furthermore, our studies show that the current COVID-19 vaccinations are inadequate to protect humans from any eventuality of the infections caused by these viruses," says the research paper published in the bioRxiv website. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed and has been released in preprint.“ Considering the extensive mutations in the RBD regions of the SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially the heavily mutated omicron variant, these viruses may hold a latent potential to infect humans through further adaptation via antigenic drift," the paper adds. The NeoCoV virus, has been previously linked with outbreaks in countries of the Middle East in 2012 and 2015. It is quite similar to COVID-19 causing coronavirus in many ways. NeoCoV was found in a population of bats in South Africa and has spread exclusively among these animals. As per a report by Russian news agency Sputnik, experts from the Vector Russian State Research Centre of Virology and Biotechnology issued a statement on Thursday after being briefed about NeoCov, in response to the publication. "Experts from the Vector research centre are aware of the data that Chinese researchers obtained regarding the NeoCov coronavirus. At this time, it’s not about the emergence of a new coronavirus capable of actively spreading among humans." They added that the Chinese team had outlined potential risks requiring further study.

Daily Covid infections in India   dropped by 12 per cent as the country   reported 2.51 lakh new cases today.   The positivity rate is down from   19.59% to 15.88% while the weekly   positivity rate was recorded at 17.47   per cent. The active now comprises   5.18 per cent of the total infections,   while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has decreased to 93.60 per cent. 400 districts have logged over 10 per cent positivity rate in the week ending January 26. India's COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 164.35 crore doses. Ninety five per cent of India's eligible adult population has been administered the first dose of Covid vaccine while 74 per cent are fully inoculated. Covishield and Covaxin have been cleared by India's drugs regulator for sale in the market, sources have said. However, this doesn't mean the two COVID-19 vaccines will be available at shops soon though people would be able to buy them from hospitals and clinics, sources have said. Key details are awaited from the government, they said. The world recorded more than two million daily coronavirus cases on average between January 1 and 7 with figures doubling in 10 days, news agency AFP reported. The virus has killed over 5.4 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019.

Senior Surgeon of Medanta Hospital Dr.   Arvind Kumar on Thursday said that the   data shows that the Covid-19 variant   Omicron is more infectious than the Delta   variant. However, it is milder as compared   to it. "Delta variant had a higher incidence   of involving the lungs and causing oxygen problems. Until now, the data shows that Omicron is more infectious than Delta but also milder as compared to it. Omicron shows higher vaccine unresponsiveness and vaccine failure," he told ANI. "The number of Covid-19 cases is increasing and people are getting serious diseases but the number of ICU admissions, oxygen requirements and death is not as frantic and as psychologically daunting as it was in the second wave in the last year, till now," he added. India reported 2,47,417 fresh Covid-19 infections in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday. Today's fresh Covid-19 cases are about 27 per cent higher than compared to yesterday's figures. On Wednesday, the country logged 1,94,720 new Covid-19 cases. In today's figures, Maharashtra reported 46,723 new Covid-19 cases, Delhi reported 27,561 new cases, Kerala reported 12,742 new Covid-19 cases and the rest of the cases were reported by other states. Out of the fresh infections of Covid-19 logged in the last 24 hours in the country, the Omicron variant of Covid-19 is found in 5,488 cases. Maharashtra reported 1,367 cases, Rajasthan reported 792 cases, Delhi reported 549 cases, Kerala reported 486 cases, Karnataka reported 479 cases, West Bengal reported 294 cases of the Omicron variant. As far as the Covid-19 vaccination status is concerned, 154.61 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far under the nationwide vaccination drive.

Days after three asteroids zoomed past Earth,   a massive celestial object is headed for a close   approach on January 18. Asteroid 7482 (1994   PC1) will swoop past Earth in the coming   weeks as it moves around in its elliptical orbit   through the solar system. Asteroids are rocky   fragments left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. At its closest, the asteroid will be 1.93 million km from Earth, 5.15 times the distance between the Moon and Earth. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which tracks the movement of these asteroids have said that the object will be flying at 70,416 kilometers per hour. The asteroid, which is about 1 kilometre in diameter and 2.5 times the height of the Empire State Building in the US, has been dubbed potentially hazardous due to its staggering size. While astronomers do not see the asteroid impacting Earth, experts have said that an asteroid of this size has the potential of hitting the planet every 6,00,000 years. According to JPL, Near-Earth objects are asteroids and comets with orbits that bring them to within195 million kilometres of the Sun, which means they can circulate through the Earth’s orbital neighbourhood. While the majority of the asteroid are classified NEOs, only a few are designated potentially hazardous. These objects are defined as asteroids that are more than about 460 feet (140 meters) in size with orbits that bring them as close as within 7.5 million kilometres of Earth’s orbit around the Sun.Asteroid 7482 (1994 PC1) was first discovered by Robert McNaught on August 9, 1994, using the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia and data showed that it had been captured in the scans since 1974. With over 47 years of observations, astronomers have well predicted its orbit over the years. According to JPL, the closest approach set for January 18 with Earth will not happen for another 200 years. According to EarthSky, Asteroid (7482) 1994 PC1 will shine at around magnitude 10. An object at 10th magnitude is a decent target for observers using a 6-inch or larger backyard telescope from a dark sky site. Three asteroids zoomed past Earth in the first week of 2022. Among the three visiting Earth's orbit in the first week of the month, 22021 YQ was the biggest with a size extending between 49-110 meters wide.

The collection of hundreds of   different seashells that my   father amassed as a teenager   here would be an impossible   feat now. This is not   surprising for 14-year-old   old climate change activist   Anesh Mungur, who says he   has hardly seen any seashells   in his lifetime. "I think it's really sad that the shells are disappearing."I feel that the island is really suffering from the consequences of climate change and more needs to be done to protect the island before it's too late.“ Shells have always played an important role in Mauritian culture - the Monetaria annulus, commonly known as gold ring cowrie, is a gift of love or luck. The Monetaria moneta also used to be very common in Mauritius - it is known at the money cowrie as thousands of years ago it was used as a form of currency in some parts of Africa. Oceanographer Vassen Kauppaymuthoo says seashells on the island have decreased in number by 60% over the last three decades. He blames climate change and activities such as overfishing, tourism and pollution from wastewater and boats. Mauritius is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world when it comes to climate change. It suffers from rising sea levels, droughts and cyclones. But while shell picking may be restricted - and it is illegal to export them now - it is difficult to stop people popping the pretty souvenirs into their bags.

The new vaccines - Serum Institute of   India's Covovax and Biological E's   Corbevax - have both been authorised   for "restricted use in emergency   situation". India has now approved   eight vaccines, three of which have   been developed in India. The country   has so far given more than 1.4 billion   doses. The government aimed to   vaccinate all Indians by the end of this   year but is falling short of that target.   About 62% of eligible adults have been   fully vaccinated and more than 90%   have received at least one jab since the   beginning of the drive in January.   Corbevax from Indian pharma company   Biological E was developed in   collaboration with US-based Dynavax   and Baylor College of Medicine. It is India's first indigenously developed recombinant protein sub-unit vaccine, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya said. That is, it's made up of the coronavirus' "spike protein", which the virus uses to latch on and enter human cells. When injected, this is expected to trigger an immune response in the body.

The other candidates which are in different stages of trials in India to test safety and efficacy include:HGCO19, India's first mRNA vaccine made by Pune-based Genova in collaboration with Seattle-based HDT Biotech Corporation, using bits of genetic code to cause an immune response.

 In the remote reaches of Alaska,   scientists have bored a tunnel deep   beneath the tundra – and revealed   something horrific. At this exact   moment, though, the incredible danger   around them is sealed in permafrost.   Yet that doesn’t offer much comfort for   the scientists. Why? Because they know the frozen soil is starting to melt. And when the permafrost melts it will trigger a time bomb that could have frightening consequences for humankind...The experts knew about the danger going in, of course. Alaska has always been a wild and beautiful place – but a worrying secret has laid buried for thousands of years in this stunning landscape of ice and snow. And even though life has changed little over the centuries here, this secret has the potential to wreak havoc across the Earth as we know it today. According to Turetsky, we should take such developments as a warning. In 2019 she told Anchorage Daily News, “It can happen super quickly, even in a matter of months. This has been a wake-up call to the climate science community. What has been happening at some of our field sites is a whole different ball game.” Ultimately, no one can be sure what the full effects of the thawing permafrost could be. Yet it’s this uncertainty that troubles experts such as Turetsky and although she believes that measures must be taken to curb human-created emissions – and so hopefully stave off environmental disaster – the worry remains that it could all be too little, too late.

 The debate has begun with the new variant   emerging across the globe. while many experts   are saying that the pandemic may soon turn   into an endemic, others say that it is too early   to predict. minister for health and family   welfare Dr .K. Sudhakar said, “this might be the   beginning of the end of covid, though we   cannot say this definitely. the reason why we don’t want to say this is that this may result in complacency among people which is not right. Evidence shows that every pandemic has to end and this one will also end. if we look at the history, the first two waves cause major dangers especially the second one. even in covid, we had a steep hike. the third or fourth waves may not be as dangerous as the first and second. having said that, we should not be complacent and we should continue to follow covid-appropriate behavior.” meanwhile, in an interview with the Times of India, Mumbai, Maharashtra’s technical advisor Dr. Subhash Salunkhe has said that if the omicron variant is milder, people may return to normal life by June 2022. the logic, as per epidemiology, is that viruses lose their virulence over time and settle for a symbiotic relationship with their living hosts. Dr. Salunkhe says that omicron could be the symbiotic variant: if community transmission of omicron begins, it would over the next few months replace the highly virulent delta. “people may get infected or re-infected, but that would act as a natural vaccine,” said Dr. Salunkhe, adding covid could be downgraded from pandemic to endemic in the next five to six months, as a result. in early march, when the number of covid cases and deaths suddenly shot up, Dr. Salunkhe travelled across Vidarbha and told the Maharashtra government that a mutated form of sars-cov-2 was the cause. This was confirmed later when scientists identified the delta variant. the positive outlook comes from Dr. Salunkhe whose calculations are based on news about omicron coming out of South Africa over the past two weeks. one need not be too worried at the moment because it seems to be mild. It is definitely more transmissible, but it is not causing a severe disease,” said Dr. Salunkhe, who was previously the state director general of health and an adviser to the who. “the final word on omicron’s virulence or lack of it is still not out. we have to wait for it for the next couple of weeks when experts make an assessment,” he added.

The newly discovered exoplanet,   known as TOI 1789b, is located 725   light years away from Earth, and is   orbiting very close to an evolved or   aging star with a mass 1.5 times that   of our Sun. Scientists, part of an   exoplanet search and study group at   the Physical Research Laboratory   (PRL) in Ahmedabad, have recently discovered an exoplanet larger in size than Jupiter. The newly discovered exoplanet, known as TOI 1789b, is located 725 light years away from Earth, and is orbiting very close to an evolved or aging star with a mass 1.5 times that of our Sun, according to a statement relesed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The study, led by Professor Abhijit Chakraborty, was recently published in the Monthly Notices journal of the Royal Astronomical Society. The PRL Advanced Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search (PARAS) optical fiber-fed spectrograph on the 1.2 metre InfraRed Telescope at Mount Abu Observatory was used to make the discovery. A fiber optic spectrograph, which is used to measure the wavelength and line width of laser and a common light source, can accurately obtain the spectral characteristics of the light source.

The PARAS optical fiber-led spectrograph is the first of its kind in India, and can measure the mass of an exoplanet. The scientists carried out the measurements between December 2020 and March 2021.

The detection of such systems will contribute to the understanding of mechanisms responsible for inflation in hot Jupiters and also provide an opportunity to understand the evolution of planets around stars, the study states.This is the second exoplanet discovered by PRL scientists using the 1.2 metres telescope at Mount Abu Observatory. The first exoplanet which was discovered using this telescope is called K2-236b, has a size less than that of Saturn, and is located 600 light-years away from Earth.

After the LAC   disengagement talks   between senior   commanders last month   ended on a sour note   with both sides blaming   each other for the   continued deadlock,   India and China were   back on the dialogue   table Thursday with   another round of diplomatic talks to resolve the situation in eastern Ladakh. The 23rd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) saw India seeking early and complete disengagement from all friction points along the LAC in the western sector and the two sides agreeing to have another round of military talks soon. There was no sign of any breakthrough though with both India and China reiterating their respective positions in separate statements after what was the 9th meeting of WMCC since the Galwan incident last year. The Chinese readout also didn't mention complete disengagement even as it spoke about efforts to settle the remaining issue and to shift from "urgent dispute settlement" to regular border management and control.

They recalled the agreement between foreign minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart Wang Yi during their meeting in September in Dushanbe that military and diplomatic officials of the two sides should continue their discussions to resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. Accordingly, India said in its readout, the two sides had candid and in-depth discussions on the situation along the LAC in western sector of India-China border areas and also reviewed the developments since the last meeting of the senior commanders of both sides last month. "In this regard they agreed on the need to find an early resolution to the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols so as to restore peace and tranquility. The two sides also agreed that both sides should in the interim also continue to ensure a stable ground situation and avoid any untoward incident," said the government.After the last round of military talks, the government had accused China of ignoring India's "constructive suggestions" and not coming up with any forward-looking proposal.

Since the beginning of the pandemic,   healthcare workers  have   administered billions of  COVID-19   vaccine doses. In this Special   Feature, we speak with medical   experts about how scientists made   coronavirus vaccines so rapidly   without compromising safety.SARS-  CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-  19, was first identified in December 2019. By December 11, 2020Trusted Source, the Pfizer vaccine became the first to receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Creating a vaccine in under 1 year is no small feat. While the coronavirus pandemic made a new normal of mask-wearing and physical distancing, it also spurred global cooperation for vaccine research and distribution.However, a vaccine is only effective if people are willing to receive it. With rapid research development, some may be concerned that the vaccine was rushed, and with these concerns comes vaccine hesitancy.A study that appeared in Nature MedicineTrusted Source in October 2020 surveyed 19 countries to investigate the acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines. The researchers found that only 71.5% of the respondents would consider taking a COVID-19 vaccine and that only 48.1% would take it if their employer recommended it.By October 2021, healthcare workers had delivered more than 7 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine globally. However, vaccine hesitancy remains.According to an ongoing Kaiser Family Foundation survey, 16% of respondents will “definitely not” get the vaccine.Considering that the fastest vaccine — the mumps vaccine, which is now part of the MMR vaccine — took 4 years to develop, it is natural to have some apprehension over the safety and effectiveness of a new vaccine.Dr. Sam Sun is a chief resident at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the director of the inDemic Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides information about COVID-19.He told Medical News Today that transparency throughout the vaccine process will be key to debunking misinformation and building the public’s trust.

A deal aimed at staving off dangerous climate change has been struck at the COP26 summit in Glasgow. The Glasgow Climate Pact is the first ever climate deal to explicitly plan to reduce coal, the worst fossil fuel for greenhouse gases. The deal also presses for more urgent emission cuts and promises more money for developing countries - to help them adapt to climate impacts. But the pledges don't go far enough to limit temperature rise to 1.5C.A commitment to phase out coal that was included in earlier negotiation drafts led to a dramatic finish after India and China led opposition to it. India's climate minister Bhupender Yadav asked how developing countries could promise to phase out coal and fossil fuel subsidies when they "have still to deal with their development agendas and poverty eradication". UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he hoped the world would "look back on COP26 in Glasgow as the beginning of the end of climate change". "There is still a huge amount more to do in the coming years. But today's agreement is a big step forward and, critically, we have the first ever international agreement to phase down coal and a roadmap to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees," he said. John Kerry, the US envoy for climate, said it was always unlikely that the Glasgow summit would result in a decision that "was somehow going to end the crisis", but that the "starting pistol" had been fired.

Amid the ongoing festive   season, coronavirus cases   that have been on a record   low are once again   witnessing a slight spike.   Taking cognizance of the   sudden rise, the Centre on   Thursday extended the nationwide COVID-19 containment measures till November 30. In a communication to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla said that existing protocols for curbing the spread of Covid-19 will continue till November 30. Last month, he had said that there was a possibility that Covid-appropriate behaviour might not be adhered to strictly, especially during the festival season and hence it was critical to enforce guidelines that allowed regular festivities in a cautious, safe and Covid-appropriate manner. As per the health ministry’s data, on Friday India recorded 14,348 fresh cases, slightly lower than Thursday- recorded 16,156 fresh cases- a rise of 20 per cent from Wednesday. The country’s total caseload now stands at 3,42,46,157. On October 27, the country recorded 13.45k new cases and 585 new deaths. The difference between new cases reported in the last seven days and the preceding seven days in India is -2%, while the world average is +4%.

Are Covid Cases Rising Globally?

Several countries have imposed fresh restrictions and lockdowns as the world enters its second winter with Covid-19. The Ukrainian capital Kyiv will tighten lockdown restrictions due to a spike in coronavirus cases, mayor Vitali Klitschko said. As Russia reported record numbers of daily coronavirus cases and deaths, Moscow shut down non-essential services for 11 days to combat the surge in infections. Meanwhile in China, where the Covid-19 infection first emerged- the third city went under lockdown to tackle Covid-19 numbers. The resurgence prompted officials this week to lock down Lanzhou city-with a population of over four million -and Ejin in the Inner Mongolia region. Europe stood out as the only major region worldwide to report an increase in both coronavirus cases and deaths over the last week, with double-digit percentage increases in each, WHO said. Coming back to Asia, Singapore’s health ministry is looking into an “unusual surge" in infections after the city-state reported 5,324 new cases of Covid-19 on Wednesday, the most since the beginning of the pandemic. 

Facebook chief   Mark   Zuckerberg on   Thursday   announced the   parent company's   name is being   changed to "Meta" to represent a future beyond just its troubled social network. The name change comes as the company battles criticisms from lawmakers and regulators over its market power, its algorithmic decisions and the policing of abuses on its platforms. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, speaking at the company's live-streamed virtual and augmented reality conference, said the new name reflected its focus on building the metaverse. "Right now, our brand is so tightly linked to one product that it can't possibly represent everything that we're doing today, let alone in the future," he said. "We've learned a lot from struggling with social issues and living under closed platforms, and now it is time to take everything that we've learned and help build the next chapter," Zuckerberg said. Name of apps to remain same The tech giant said the change would bring together its different apps and technologies under one new brand. It said it would not change its corporate structure. The names of the apps that it builds — Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp — will remain the same. The metaverse, a term first coined in a dystopian novel three decades ago and now attracting buzz in Silicon Valley, refers broadly to the idea of a shared virtual environment which can be accessed by people using different devices. New symbol The company unveiled a new sign at its headquarters in Menlo Park, California, on Thursday, replacing its thumbs-up "Like" logo with a blue infinity shape. Skeptics pointed out that the name change appears to be an attempt to change the subject from the Facebook Papers, a leaked document trove that has revealed the ways Facebook ignored internal reports and warnings of the harms its social network created or magnified across the world. Zuckerberg said he expects the metaverse to reach a billion people within the next decade.

India’s fall in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 rankings has been used by some to argue there has been a worsening of hunger in the country.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 rankings were released last week. India was placed at 101st rank among 116 nations covered in the report. India was ranked 94th out of 107 countries in the 2020 GHI rankings. India’s fall in the rankings has been used by some to argue there has been a worsening of hunger in the country.

The standardized scores take a value from zero to 100, where zero is the lowest level of a given measure of undernourishment and 100 the highest. The aggregate GHI score is a weighted average of the four indicators where PUN and CM have a weight of one-third and CWA and CST have a weight of one-sixth each.

The GHI report is unambiguous on non-comparability of scores overtime. “GHI scores are comparable with each year’s report, but not between different years’ reports...like the GHI scores and indicator values, the rankings from one year’s report cannot be compared to those from another,” the 2021 GHI report says.

Moreover, the report adds that there have been significant changes to the methodology of GHI, including addition of new countries. To be sure, the latest GHI report does allow for a comparison of 2021 GHI scores over three reference years: 2000, 2006 and 2012.

Six people, including three Nepalese nationals and a tourist from Kanpur, were killed in separate landslide incidents in Uttarakhand, which has been lashed by heavy rainfall in the past 24 hours. In the most severe rain-related mishap on Monday, three were killed in Pauri district following a landslide in Lansdowne at the site of an under-construction hotel, according to the State Emergency Operation Centre.

In another incident in Rudraprayag district, a 27-year-old man from Kanpur, died after being hit by a boulder near Sangam market in Rudraprayag. Meanwhile, Nainital was cut off from the rest of the state on Monday after landslides blocked all three highways to the hill town, leaving many tourists stranded on the roads and in hotels. According to the district administration, many people travelling to and from Nainital were stranded for several hours on the routes. Hordes of tourists had reached Nainital over the Dussehra long weekend and many have been left stranded. The torrential rains also resulted in an abrupt rise in water level at the Naini Lake on Monday.

India might be entering the endemic stage of the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Soumya Swaminathan said on Wednesday. The senior official said this stage will be marked by low or moderate levels of transmission, with no peak or exponential growth as witnessed during the second wave that had wreaked havoc in the country.

“We may be entering some kind of stage of endemicity where there is low level transmission or moderate level transmission going on, but we are not seeing the kinds of exponential growth and peaks that we saw a few months ago," Swaminathan said in an interview.

In other words, a population slowly learns to live with the disease. An endemic is the observed level of a disease and never the desired level since desired level of any disease will always be zero. When the disease rises above expected levels, it becomes an epidemic or an outbreak, and when the epidemic spreads to several countries it becomes a pandemic.

Countries all over the world are slowly learning to live with coronavirus and relaxed restrictions. Focus is gradually being shifted to containing infections and expediting the vaccination process. Countries like Thailand, Australia, Singapore and many others have also started to look at coronavirus as an endemic and insisted that the general population will have to start learning how to live with it.

The health   ministry on   Thursday said   that September   and October   are crucial in   Covid-19   management and warned that festivals should be celebrated with Covid appropriate behaviour.

Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan while addressing media reiterated that the country is still during the second wave.

Wherever there has been a gap in following Covid appropriate behaviour, we have seen a rise in cases, the health ministry said.

ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said vaccines are disease modifying and not disease preventing so it is very important to continue the use of masks even after vaccination.

The government said that 41 districts in India were reporting a weekly positivity rate of more than 10 per cent.

 Kerala is the only state reporting over 1 lakh active Covid-19 cases, while four states have 10,000 to 1 lakh active cases.

"Rajesh Bhushan said. Speaking on the vaccination coverage in India, the health ministry said that 80 lakh doses of vaccine were administered in the country in the last 24 hours. While more than 47 lakh doses have been administered so far today.

The government said over 400 evacuees were brought back from Afghanistan so far and that some of them have tested positive for Covid-19. The infected people have been isolated and are being treated.

The Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) called for global governance and recommended the establishment of a Global Health Board "under the auspices of the G20".

According to WHO, Covid-19 demonstrated how some governance structures failed to protect societies from the worst impacts of the pandemic, with some countries resorting to responses informed by politics rather than science, the Xinhua news agency reported.

"It is necessary to enhance the position of health policy in overall policy-making by governments and international organisations by setting up a Global Health and Finance Board at the G20, recognizing that health is a global public good," said Mario Monti, Chair of the Commission.

In addition, the Commission called for regional bodies of governance such as a Pan-European Network for Disease Control and a Pan-European Health Threats Council to improve data-sharing and data-interoperability platforms across the vast Region.

Further recommendations include countries in the region being called upon to fight inequality and so "decrease polarization in society", as well as a call for greater investment and innovation in Europe's health systems which have "proved flawed and not fit for the purpose" during the pandemic.

The Commission noted in the press release that Covid-19 showed that single-country solutions are not enough when it comes to the spread of communicable diseases in a hyper-connected, globalised world and such crises can only be tackled effectively through joint international action.

Researchers have   discovered an   ancient human   genome from   Southeast Asia that   shows the   movement of early modern humans in the region. It was unknown till now. This movement could have been through India, enhancing its genetic diversity.

The DNA analysis of the fossil of a young hunter-gatherer woman shows a human lineage that branched off around 37,000 years ago and shares similarities with present-day Papuan, indigenous Australian and modern Andamanese people.

The research looks at the movement of early Homo sapiens between the Sunda Shelf (comprising mainland Southeast Asia and the continental islands of western Indonesia) and Pleistocene Sahul (AustraliaNew Guinea).

They also describe Denisovan (believed to be an extinct species or subspecies of ancient humans) and deep Asian-related ancestries in the genome and infer their large-scale displacement from the region today.

The study published in the journal Nature states that so far, only two pre-Neolithic human genomes have been sequenced from this region. Both are from mainland Hòabìnhian (related to prehistoric Southeast Asian population and artifact) hunter-gatherer sites: Pha Faen in Laos, and Gua Cha in Malaysia.

"Genome-wide analyses of the Leang Panninge individual show that most genetic drift is shared with present-day groups from New Guinea and Aboriginal Australia. However, this Toalean-associated genome represents a previously undescribed ancestry profile, one that branched off around the time that Papuan and Indigenous Australian groups split," the paper said.

Researchers also added that it was possible that this Toalean (Indonesian) individual carried a local ancestry that was present in Sulawesi before they moved to modern-day Australia.

India might be entering the endemic stage of the coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19), chief scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Soumya Swaminathan said on Wednesday. The senior official said this stage will be marked by low or moderate levels of transmission, with no peak or exponential growth as witnessed during the second wave that had wreaked havoc in the country.

“We may be entering some kind of stage of endemicity where there is low level transmission or moderate level transmission going on, but we are not seeing the kinds of exponential growth and peaks that we saw a few months ago," Swaminathan said in an interview.

In other words, a population slowly learns to live with the disease. An endemic is the observed level of a disease and never the desired level since desired level of any disease will always be zero. When the disease rises above expected levels, it becomes an epidemic or an outbreak, and when the epidemic spreads to several countries it becomes a pandemic.

Countries all over the world are slowly learning to live with coronavirus and relaxed restrictions. Focus is gradually being shifted to containing infections and expediting the vaccination process. Countries like Thailand, Australia, Singapore and many others have also started to look at coronavirus as an endemic and insisted that the general population will have to start learning how to live with it.

The health   ministry on   Thursday said   that September   and October   are crucial in   Covid-19   management and warned that festivals should be celebrated with Covid appropriate behaviour.

Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan while addressing media reiterated that the country is still during the second wave.

Wherever there has been a gap in following Covid appropriate behaviour, we have seen a rise in cases, the health ministry said.

ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said vaccines are disease modifying and not disease preventing so it is very important to continue the use of masks even after vaccination.

The government said that 41 districts in India were reporting a weekly positivity rate of more than 10 per cent.

 Kerala is the only state reporting over 1 lakh active Covid-19 cases, while four states have 10,000 to 1 lakh active cases.

"Rajesh Bhushan said. Speaking on the vaccination coverage in India, the health ministry said that 80 lakh doses of vaccine were administered in the country in the last 24 hours. While more than 47 lakh doses have been administered so far today.

The government said over 400 evacuees were brought back from Afghanistan so far and that some of them have tested positive for Covid-19. The infected people have been isolated and are being treated.

The iconic One World Trade Center,   the tallest building in America that   stands on the site of the 9/11   terror attacks, and two other   popular New York City buildings,   will be lit in colours of the Indian   flag on August 15 to commemorate   India's 75th Independence Day.

The South Asian Engagement Foundation said it is working with The Durst Organisation to light up the One World Trade Center's 408 feet tall and 758-tonne spire as well as its podium in hues of the Indian tricolour on August 15th.

"This initiative commemorates the world's largest democracy - India entering its 75th year of Independence," South Asian Engagement Foundation (SAEF) said.

As part of the celebrations, other Durst installations at One Bryant Park and One Five One in mid-town Manhattan will also be lit up in the tricolours.

The lighting would turn on at sunset, New York City time, on August 15th on the spire of One World Trade Center, One Bryant Park and One Five One in mid-town and remain lit until 2:00 AM. Additionally, the Indian tricolour would be visible on the podium of the World Trade Center.

Traditionally, the Empire State Building in New York is lit every year in the Indian tricolours on the occasion of the country''s independence day.

Rahul Walia, the founding trustee of SAEF, described the event as a "historic moment commemorating India''s Independence and most importantly the expression of love between the US and India.

"We hope to continue the tradition and enhance the experience for everyone with more imagery on the podium," he said.

Kabul: The Afghan government has offered the Taliban a share in power so long as the rising violence in the country comes to a halt, Al Jazeera report...

The proposal was delivered through Qatar, the host of Afghan peace talks, according to the source. In another development, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), Abdullah Abdullah, presented to the members of Troika-plus the scheme of Afghan government for winding up the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Abdullah said the Afghan government is committed to end the ongoing conflicts through negotiations. The head of HCNR was addressing the representatives of the US, China, Pakistan and Russia in the Troika-plus meeting held in Doha on Wednesday evening. Abdullah further added that the major powers of the world along with the Afghans want an independent and united Afghanistan which is free of terrorism. He also accused the Taliban of being indifferent to the peace negotiations which has led to a stalemate in intra-Afghan talks.

Right now, protection   against Covid-19 comes   via an injection. But in   future, those vaccines   could come from   inhalers or even pills.

  In a white, airy   laboratory in Medicon Village, one of southern Sweden's largest science parks, chemist Ingemo Andersson holds up a thin, plastic inhaler, half the size of a matchbox.

Her team is hoping this tiny product could play a big role in the global fight against coronavirus allowing people to take powdered versions of future vaccines at home.

"It's easy and it's really cheap to produce," says Johan Waborg, CEO of the firm, which usually makes inhalers for patients with asthma.

The company, Iconovo, is collaborating with an immunology research start-up in Stockholm, ISR, which has developed a dry-powder vaccine against Covid-19.

It uses manufactured Covid-19 virus proteins (unlike Pfizer, Moderna and Astra Zeneca which use RNA or DNA that code for these proteins), and can withstand temperatures of up to 40C.

That's a major contrast to the conditions needed to store the current commonly available coronavirus vaccines approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), which are all in liquid form.

They have to be kept in tough glass vials in temperatures as low as -70C, before being transferred to fridges, or they they lose effectiveness - known as the "cold chain".

"We have to be able to get vaccines to populations in all settings to tackle epidemics and pandemics globally," agrees Ingrid Kromann, a spokesperson for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovation (Cepi), a global non-profit organisation working to accelerate the development of vaccines.

"But if it is successful, it could contribute to better access to vaccines, less wastage, and lower costs of vaccination programmes."

Rescue teams in   India struggled  through thick   sludge and debris   on Saturday to   reach dozens of   submerged homes as the death toll from landslides and accidents caused by torrential monsoon rain rose to 125.

Maharashtra state is being hit by the heaviest rain in July in four decades, experts say. Downpours lasting several days have severely affected the lives of hundreds of thousands, while major rivers are in danger of bursting their banks.In Taliye, about 180 km (110 miles) southeast of the financial capital of Mumbai, the death toll rose to 42 with the recovery of four more bodies after landslides flattened most homes in the village, a senior Maharashtra government official said.

"About 40 people are still trapped. The possibility of rescuing them alive is thin as they've been trapped in mud for more than 36 hours," said the official, who declined to be identified as he is not authorised to talk to the media.

Harsh weather has hit several parts of the world in recent weeks, with floods in China and Western Europe and heat waves in North America, raising new fears about the impact of climate change.

Indian environmentalists have warned that climate change and indiscriminate construction in fragile coastal regions could lead to more disasters.

"The rain fury that lashed Mahabaleshwar is a strong warning against any more tampering with the ecologically fragile Western Ghats," environment economist Devendra Sharma said on Twitter referring to the range of hills along India's west coast.

The Uttar Pradesh   government has   intensified   preparations to   foil a possible   third wave by   training medical   staff, facilitating   easy availability of proper medical treatment and Covid-related medicines.

The ambulance staff has been trained to adopt a sensitive approach towards parents or guardians of children and the ambulances have been equipped with all life-saving equipments for the treatment of children, the state government said in a statement issued here on Monday.

Uttar Pradesh’s Chief Minister, Shri Yogi Adityanath directed the officials, “The state must be equipped to serve all its citizens. Improve the response time and bring down the number of cancelled calls due to non-availability of ambulances for various reasons," the statement said.

The state government's '102' and '108' emergency ambulance services that have been serving as 'frontline warriors' to ensure 24x7 smooth and timely admission of patients across the state have geared up to protect children against a probable third COVID-19 wave.

The vehicles of '108', '102' fleet and 137 Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance services have been pressed into service by the state government which are equipped with oxygen cylinders and 'ALS', which includes both oxygen cylinders and ventilators.

The vehicles of '108, '102' and ALS ambulances have now been deployed in various districts in both rural and urban areas. The service can be availed by calling on '108' toll free number.

A 24-hour Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and a team of more than 23,000 people have been working day and night as part of the ambulance services.

Many are looking forward to booking their slots and get jabbed as soon as possible. However, some people are concerned about the side-effects experienced after vaccine administration.

Instead make little changes to your diet to minimise side effects and maximise the effects of the COVID-19 vaccine. For a speedy recovery post-vaccine and to feel back to normal in no time, add these food items to your diet.

 Whole-grain foods

Consuming whole grains promote gut health and result in better immune responses. High in fibre and polyphenols, whole grains provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits that help to reduce chronic inflammation.

 Raw turmeric

Known as the wonder spice, turmeric has anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties that help to promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut. You can drink a glass of warm turmeric milk or turmeric tea to achieve its immense health benefits and reduce the side effects of the jab.

 Green vegetables

Vegetables are packed with essential nutrients such as vitamins A, C, and K, potassium, folate, magnesium, and other minerals that help to build immunity. You can eat raw vegetables in salads or include them in soups to increase the body’s metabolism and maintain overall good health.

Ginger

Ginger consists of more than 30 amino acids and 500 enzymes and coenzymes, which helps to provide immune-boosting properties to the body. Consuming ginger helps to combat inflammation and lower down stress levels. You can either eat raw ginger, take ginger tea, or gingerols supplement to feel good after taking the jab.

Both   Covishield and   Bharat   Biotech’s   Covaxin produce a “good immune   response” but the   AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine shows “significantly higher” seropositivity rate and anti-spike antibody titre, a new study by Indian doctors has found. 

The study, which has not yet been peer reviewed and was published in Medrxiv on 2 June, observed immune responses in 515 healthcare workers and found that 95 per cent showed seropositivity after the two doses of both vaccines. 

“Of the 425 Covishield and 90 Covaxin recipients, 98.1% and 80.0% respectively, showed seropositivity,” said the study, adding that the “median interquartile rise” in anti-spike antibodies was also “significantly higher in Covishield vs Covaxin recipient” at 127 AU/mL and 53.0 AU/mL respectively.

Seropositivity refers to the production of antibodies in an individual, and the titre refers to the amount of the antibodies produced. The study went on to compare the post-vaccination immune responses of all participants with those who had a history of Covid-19, and those who didn’t. It found that participants who had recovered from Covid-19 at least six weeks before the first dose, and took both shots, were 100 per cent sero positive and had higher antibody titres, too.

The study concludes by saying that both vaccines are found to produce a good immune response, and “whether any real difference in inducing immunogenicity exists between two vaccines can only be meaningfully demonstrated through a head-to-head RCT (randomised control trial).”

The core of the Sun   burns at 15 million   degrees Celsius by   nuclear fusion of   hydrogen nuclei into   helium, but now scientists have designed an 'Artificial Sun' on Earth that has sustained a temperature of 120 million degrees Celsius. The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) fusion reactor designed by China burns at eight times the Sun's core temperature.

The reactor broke the record by reaching a plasma temperature of 120 million degree Celsius for 101 seconds and 160 million Celsius for 20 seconds. Located at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the reactor has been designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process that occurs naturally in the sun and stars to provide almost infinite clean energy, Global Times reported.

In a fusion reaction, two light nuclei merge to form a single heavier nucleus. The process releases energy because the total mass of the resulting single nucleus is less than the mass of the two original nuclei. The leftover mass becomes energy.

How does the reactor reach such high temperatures?

In a bid to push for clean energy and reach such high temperatures, hydrogen isotopes are placed inside a fusion device to create a plasma state where ions and electrons are separated. During the process, ions are heated and maintained at high temperatures. China's EAST reactor had previously reached 100 million degrees Celsius in 2018.

According to Global Times, EAST is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facility, which is a global science project jointly constructed by China, the EU, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US. While the reactor has already made a massive record, scientists believe it will at least take another decade for a fully functional reactor to take shape from the experimental design.

In view of the   severity of the   cyclone, the army   and navy have   kept their   resources on standby,   including military   aircraft and   warships.

  Barely a week after   the cyclone Tauktae battered the west coast, the country was bracing for Yaas, which was expected to hit eastern coastal areas of Odisha and West Bengal on May 26 as "very severe cyclonic storm".

As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the cyclone is moving northwards in the Bay of Bengal. It was expected to make landfall on Wednesday evening between Paradip in Odisha and Sagar islands in West Bengal. The storm packs in winds with speed ranging between 155 kmph and 165 kmph, gusting to 185 kmph.

"It would continue to move north-northwestwards, intensify further and reach Northwest Bay of Bengal near West Bengal and north Odisha coasts by 26th May morning," the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said. From Tuesday, it would start bringing heavy rain in coastal areas, the weather department also said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the coast guard teams are also ready to be deployed to assist civil authorities at short notice, officials said.

Cyclone Yaas is set to hit days after the severe cyclonic storm, Tauktae, wreaked havoc along India's west coast, leaving a trail of destruction behind.

The production of   Sputnik V, the   COVID-19   vaccine granted   emergency use   authorisation,   has been   launched in India, said a joint statement issued by Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and pharmaceutical firm Panacea Biotec on May 24.

The first batch of doses produced at Panacea Biotec’s facilities at Himachal Pradesh's Baddi will be shipped to the Moscow-based Gamaleya Centre for "quality control", the statement said.

Full-scale production of the vaccine is due to start this summer, it stated, adding that the company’s facilities "comply with GMP standards and are prequalified by the WHO (World Health Organisation)".

Panacea Biotec's Managing Director Dr Rajesh Jain said the launch of Sputnik V production is a significant step in India's battle against the virus. "Together with RDIF, we hope to help bring a sense of normalcy back to people across the country and around the world," he added.

The vaccine is based on a proven and well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors and uses two different vectors for the two shots in a course of vaccination, "providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines using the same delivery mechanism for both shots", the statement said.

Sputnik V is the third COVID-19 vaccine that would be administered to the beneficiaries across India. The country has so far conducted its inoculation drive using Covishield and Covaxin, manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India and Hyderabad's Bharat Biotech Limited, respectively.

The   four-day   burst of   violence   has   pushed   Israel   into uncharted territory — dealing with the most intense fighting it has ever had with Hamas while simultaneously coping with the worst Jewish-Arab violence inside Israel in decades. Israel on Thursday said it was massing troops along the Gaza frontier and calling up 9,000 reservists ahead of a possible ground invasion of the Hamas-ruled territory, as the two bitter enemies plunged closer to all-out war. Egyptian mediators rushed to Israel for cease-fire efforts but showed no signs of progress. The stepped-up fighting came as communal violence in Israel erupted for a fourth night, with Jewish and Arab mobs clashing in the flashpoint town of Lod. The fighting took place despite a bolstered police presence ordered by the nation’s leaders. The four-day burst of violence has pushed Israel into uncharted territory — dealing with the most intense fighting it has ever had with Hamas while simultaneously coping with the worst Jewish-Arab violence inside Israel in decades. A late-night barrage of rocket fire from Lebanon that landed in the sea threatened to open a new front along Israel’s northern border. Saleh Aruri, an exiled senior Hamas leader, told London-based satellite channel Al Araby early Friday that his group has turned down a proposal for a three-hour lull to allow for more negotiations toward a full cease-fire. He said Egypt, Qatar and the United Nations were leading the truce efforts. Gaza’s Health Ministry said the death toll has climbed to 109 Palestinians, including 28 children and 15 women, with 621 people wounded. The Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups have confirmed 20 deaths in their ranks, though Israel says that number is much higher. Seven people have been killed in Israel, including a 6-year-old boy.

Amid an   ongoing struggle   to vaccinate all   above 18, Bharat   Biotech was on   Tuesday     recommended by an expert panel to send its COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covaxin’ for phase II and phase III clinical trial on children between the age of two and 18 years. An approval to vaccinate the younger population would be a major breakthrough as it would mean reopening of schools and normal classes. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on COVID-19 of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) deliberated upon Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s application seeking permission to conduct phase II/III clinical trials to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity of Covaxin jabs in children aged 2 to 18 years. The trial will take place in 525 subjects at various sites, including AIIMS, Delhi, AIIMS, Patna and Meditrina Institute of Medical Sciences, Nagpur, officials said.“ After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended for conduct of proposed phase II/III clinical trial of whole virion inactivated coronavirus vaccine in the 2 to 18 years age group subject to the condition that the firm should submit the interim safety data of phase II clinical trial along with DSMB recommendations to the CDSCO before proceeding to phase III part of the study,” an official told PTI. Earlier, the proposal was deliberated in the SEC meeting dated February 24 and the firm was asked to submit a revised clinical trial protocol. Covaxin, indigenously developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), is being used in adults in India’s ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive.

US President Joe   Biden on Monday   conveyed   solidarity with   India in its fight   against COVID-19 and asserted that his country was determined to support its efforts by quickly deploying resources such as therapeutics, ventilators and identifying sources of raw materials to be made available for the manufacture of Covishield vaccine, according to a statement here. Biden expressed the support of the US to India in a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during which the two leaders discussed the pandemic situation in their countries, including India's ongoing efforts to contain a second wave of COVID-19 through expedited vaccination efforts, and ensuring the supply of critical medicines, therapeutics, and medical equipment.

He mentioned India's commitment to contain the COVID-19 pandemic globally through 'Vaccine Maitri', and its participation in COVAX and the Quad Vaccine Initiatives. Modi underscored the need to ensure smooth and open supply chains of raw materials and inputs required for the manufacturing of vaccines, medicines, and therapeutics related to COVID-19. Both leaders underlined the potential of the India-US partnership in vaccine development and supply to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and directed their respective officials to maintain close coordination and cooperation in their efforts in this domain, the statement said. The two leaders agreed to remain in regular touch. The US president and Vice President Kamala Harris had earlier assured India and its people of providing all assistance, including urgently sending necessary medical life-saving supplies and equipment, to help the country combat the deadly coronavirus crisis.

COVID-19 patients are required to keep a check on their oxygen saturation frequently. If the saturation goes below 94 per cent, one should try ‘proning’ (lying on your belly), advise medical experts, to improve oxygen levels.

The Health Ministry recently shared a step-by-step guide for proning, a medically accepted position to improve breathing comfort and oxygen, and therefore beneficial for COVID-19 patients.

Those in home isolation should keep these things in mind before they go for self-proning:

For this, you need pillows — one should be below the neck, one or two below the chest through the upper thighs and two pillows below the shins, according to the Health Ministry.

Following are the positions for self-proning; it is recommended that one should not spend more than 30 minutes in each position:

*Start with lying on your belly

*Lying on your right side

*Sitting up with your legs extended in front of you

*Lying on the left side

*Go back to lying on your belly

Dos and don’ts for proning

*Avoid proning for an hour after meals

*Maintain proning for only as many times as easily tolerable

*One May prone for up to 16 hours a day, in multiple cycles, as felt comfortable

*Pillows May be adjusted slightly to alter pressure areas and for comfort

*Keep a track of any pressure sores or injuries, especially around bony prominences

Who should avoid proning?

Proning should be avoided in conditions like:

*Pregnancy

*Deep venous thrombosis (treated in less than 48 hours)

*Major cardiac conditions

*Unstable spine, femur, or pelvic fractures

                          STAY HOME… STAY SAFE

Thonis  Heracleion the Lost City: In 1987 maritime archeologist Franck Goddio founded the Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (The European Institute of Underwater Archaeology) in order to concentrate solely on underwater excavations. He has found several important shipwrecks including the San Diego found in the waters of the Philippines and Napoleon Bonaparte’s flagship during his campaign in Egypt, the Orient. His most important excavation to date is the discovery of the ancient sunken port city of Thonis Heracleion and parts of the city of Canopus in the Bay of Aboukir near Alexandria, Egypt. Partnered with the Egyptian Ministry for Antiquities, Goddio and his team have pulled some remarkable artifacts from the sea floor. According to franckgoddio.org, an almost five hundred foot long wall of the temple was found as well as a gold plaque inscribed with Greek letters signifying that King Ptolemy III had erected a temple dedicated to Herakles. Three huge statues made of pink granite representing a king, queen and Hapy, the god of fertility and abundance, were brought up and after examination the statues were measured at over sixteen feet tall and weighed over five tons. Steles (tall inscribed pillars or tablets which usually indicated either directions, news of a pharaoh’s decree or odes to the gods) also made of pink granite were found with both Greek and Egyptian writings attesting to the idea that the two countries shared ideologies as well as trade. Franck Goddio estimates that only five percent of the city has been uncovered and the excavations are still ongoing with many more artifacts to be brought to light.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has tested positive for COVID-19 and is isolating himself, he tweeted this afternoon. The announcement comes a day after he went under isolation following some of his officials of his office testing positive for the virus. The 48-year-old said all activities of the state government are being conducted normally and urged those who came in contact with him in recent days to get themselves tested. "When the initial symptoms were seen, I got myself tested for Covid and my report came back as positive. I am in self-isolation and fully following the instructions of physicians. I am doing all work virtually," he tweeted in Hindi. Yogi Adityanath's announcement comes on the same as that of his predecessor, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, who too has tested positive for COVID-19. Last week, the Uttar Pradesh government ordered the closure of all schools till April 30. It also directed to impose night curfews from 9 pm to 6 am in districts reporting more than 100 new infections every day. Uttar Pradesh recorded a single-day spike of 17,963 coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours. 85 people died of the disease in the same period. He had received the first dose of vaccine against COVID-19 in Lucknow earlier this month. Apart from monitoring the Covid situation in the state, the Chief Minister had been actively campaigning for his party, the BJP, in West Bengal that is voting in eight-phase assembly election.

Scientists have discovered a new species of ancient, winged shark, which fed on plankton eons before the emergence of giant manta rays

The species, Aquilolamna milarcae, which lived around 93 million years ago, was discovered in the north east of Mexico. The specimen in question measured around 1.65 metres in length and has a fin span of 1.9 metres.

Like modern-day rays, the species, nicknamed "eagle shark", had extremely long pectoral fins reminiscent of wings.

Coupled with a large head and no teeth found on the skeleton — suggesting they were very small or missing entirely, it was more a plankton eater than predator.

Until the discovery, scientists had only known of one category of large plankton feeders in the Cretaceous period, a group of large bony fish known as pachycormidae.

The eagle shark is now the second known plankton eating fish discovered from the last epoch when dinosaurs still stalked the Earth. Pachycormidae died out in the extinction event following the Chicxulub meteor strike 66 million years ago.

Eagle sharks were little by little replaced by manta rays and devil rays, which developed at the beginning of the Tertiary period, after the extinction.

Some astronomers believe there is a massive planet, far     beyond the orbit of Neptune, orbiting  the sun — but after years of searching,  scientists have not found this theoretical world, which they've dubbed "Planet Nine."

This has spurred theorists to consider a radical hypothesis: Perhaps Planet Nine is not a planet but rather a small black hole that might be detectable from the theoretical radiation emitted from its edge, so-called Hawking radiation.

For centuries, astronomers have used variations in planetary orbits to predict the existence of new planets. When a planet's orbit doesn't quite line up with predictions based on everything else we know about the solar system, we need to update our physics (by, say, getting a better theory of gravity) or add more planets to the mix. For example, scientists' inability to accurately describe Mercury's orbit eventually led to Einstein's theory of relativity. And, on the opposite end of the solar system, strange behaviors in the orbit of Uranus led to the discovery of Neptune.

In 2016, astronomers studied a collection of extremely distant objects in the solar system. Called trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), these tiny, icy bodies are left over from the formation of the solar system, and they sit in a lonely, dark orbit beyond that of Neptune (hence the name).

Black holes are perhaps the most mysterious objects in the cosmos, and we do not fully understand them. In particular, Hawking radiation itself would teach us about the relationship between gravity and quantum mechanics at small scales. If Planet 9 is a black hole (and that's a big "if" indeed), within a few years we could launch a mission to observe it in detail, and hopefully answer some long-burning questions in physics.

Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry has announced the discovery of several ancient churches and rooms in the Bahariya Oasis, southwest of Cairo.

Egypt's Tourism and Antiquities Ministry has announced the discovery of a few ancient churches and rooms in the Bahariya Oasis, southwest of Cairo. In a statement, the Ministry said on Saturday that a Norwegian-French archaeological mission working at the Tal site in the Bahariya Oasis discovered several buildings constructed of basalt stone and carved into the rocks, as well as other buildings constructed of mud bricks, reports Xinhua news agency.

The buildings made of mud bricks date back from the 4th to the 7th century AD, the statement said, adding that the remains are parts of three churches and rooms for monks.

This discovery is important as it led the mission to know the planning of buildings as well as understanding the formation of the early monastic congregations in this region, according to the statement.

The North African country has witnessed several large-scale archaeological discoveries in recent years in different parts of the country, including Pharaonic tombs, statues, coffins, and mummies.

Maharashtra, for instance, reported close to 25,000 cases in a day at its peak in September last year.

If we look at the situation only in Maharashtra, the state is currently reporting around 16,000 cases per day. Looking at the present trends, it is likely that the state will very soon touch the 20,000-cases a day mark. The effort is to prevent that, but it does seem we are headed towards that figure in the next few days.

The most important difference is the fact that the virus circulating now appears to be much less virulent than earlier. This is evident from the fact that even though the cases are rising, the case fatality ratio, has been declining. While the increase in cases continue to be worrisome, at least people are not dying. Now we are monitoring the CFRs on a weekly basis, and except for three or four districts in Maharashtra, it is falling everywhere.

Epidemic curves are different in different places because of a variety of factors, including the geography, weather patterns and international connectivity. There is a very complex interplay of these reasons, and it is not always possible to predict these curves. We do not even fully understand why a certain state or country has taken a specific trajectory, very different from others. There are lots of variables to be considered, and not all of them are easily deterministic.

In a major   development, the state   government has   decided to lend a   facelift to 14 districts   including Lucknow, PM Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency of Varanasi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s home turf of Gorakhpur. A state government spokesperson said that the districts would soon have a new master plan that would cater to their future needs considering the existing population, housing infrastructure and traffic conditions. The state government would also be affecting alteration in the master plan of some of the districts. Officials said that the housing and urban planning department, which would be framing up the new master plans with the help of a consultant, would propose beautification of places having historical and religious importance, conservation of water bodies, wild life sanctuaries, reserve forests and places conserved by the environment and forest.

Besides, Lucknow, Varanasi and Gorakhpur, the other 11 districts which are proposed to be taken up by the state government include Kanpur, Chitrakoot, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Agra, Mathura, Bareilly, Meerut, Saharanpur, Moradabad and Gautam Budh Nagar. The spokesperson said that the renovation of the districts would boost tourism and help people in getting employment.

According to officials, the housing department would be drawing up land use afresh as per the existing needs. The master plan, which is proposed to be based on the geographical information system, would incorporate rivers, airport, bus-stations and cantonment areas, including the army firing range. For this, a committee headed by secretary, housing, would be preparing a proposal to add new elements in the master plan.

Scientists have   warned that   emerging data   on long covid in   children should not be ignored given the lack of a vaccine for this age group but cautioned that the evidence describing these enduring symptoms in the young is so far uncertain.

While kids who contract SARS-CoV-2 generally do not get severe COVID-19, evidence is accumulating that some may suffer long-lasting effects akin to what has been dubbed long COVID in adults. Healthcare centres around the world are setting up facilities to monitor and deal with the problem, including among children.

Recently published data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has caused worry. The data suggest that 13% of under 11s and about 15% of 12- to 16-year-olds reported at least one symptom five weeks after a confirmed Covid-19 infection. ONS samples households randomly, therefore positive cases do not depend on having had symptoms and being tested.

In both cases, the long-term challenges aren’t limited to those hit hard by the infection initially, the researchers found; even some children who didn’t feel sick when they first tested positive described symptoms months later.

In the meantime, healthcare centers are setting up clinics to monitor minors who’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19.

Although children are relatively less likely to become infected, transmit the virus and be hospitalised, the key question is whether even mild or asymptomatic infection can lead to long Covid in children.

The Haryana government suspended the mobile internet and SMS services in 14 districts with immediate effect . With this, only voice calls are now allowed in 17 of the 22 districts.

The government move has come at time when people from across Haryana have started moving towards Delhi’s borders, especially Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu, to extend support to the farmers protesting against the Centre's new agricultural laws.

The step has been taken to “stop the spread of disinformation and rumors and divisive propaganda through various social media platforms, such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Twitter etc. on mobile phones and SMS, for facilitation and mobilization of agitators and demonstrators who can cause serious loss of life and damage to public and private properties by indulging in arson or vandalism and other types of violent activities,” as per an order issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Rajeev Arora.

The oceans are losing their oxygen. Warmer waters and excess nutrients from human activities have led to a 2 percent decline in the seas’ oxygen levels since the 1960s—and it’s taking a toll on marine life. In a study published on January 19, researchers found that blue sharks (Prionace glauca) don’t dive as deeply in low-oxygen areas, a behavior that could leave them more vulnerable to fishing.

P. Glauca is a pelagic, migratory shark that is classified by the IUCN as near threatened. Along with Shortfin Mako Sharks, Blue Sharks are among the most commonly caught sharks by Atlantic pelagic longline fisheries—a type of fishing that uses lines up to 100 kilometers long with thousands of baited hooks. Because there is little regulation of these catches, the species could be at risk from overfishing in the future, says Sims(a coauthor of study. )

According to a 2019 IUCN report, the ocean is projected to lose 3–4 percent of its oxygen by the year 2100 under a “business-as-usual” climate scenario. “Ocean deoxygenation is a climate change problem. Anything that our society does to tackle global warming is going to tackle ocean deoxygenation,” says Levin(member of the study’s research) “It’s the kind of thing where most people would think, ‘Well, I have nothing to do with oxygen in the ocean.’ But in reality, we all make choices every day that can affect carbon dioxide emissions and climate.”

Akash is a medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile defense system developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The missile system can target aircraft up to 30 km away, at altitudes up to 18,000 m. It has the capability to neutralize aerial targets like fighter jets, cruise missiles and air-to-surface missiles as well as ballistic missiles. It is in operational service with the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force.

•The Union Cabinet on December 30, 2020 approved the export of Akash Missile System aiming to achieve the target of USD 5 billion of defence export. The move is also aimed at improving strategic relations with friendly foreign countries.

•Defence Minister Rajnath Singh tweeted saying that the export version of Akash will be different from the System currently deployed with the Indian Armed Forces.

•As per reports, nine friendly foreign countries from Africa and Southeast Asia have shown interest in the acquisition of the DRDO-developed Akash air defence missile system.

•Following the clearance by the union cabinet, a public sector unit under the Defence Ministry will explore the opportunities of exporting the weapon system to these countries.

NASA’s Cygnus spacecraft, named in memory of   Kalpana Chawla, to depart from ISS

 An American commercial cargo spacecraft bound for the International Space Station has been  named after fallen NASA astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the first India-born woman to enter space, for her key contributions to human spaceflight.

Northrop Grumman, an American global aerospace and defence technology company, announced that its next Cygnus capsule will be named the "S.S. Kalpana Chawla", in memory of the mission specialist who died with her six crewmates aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.

"Today we honour Kalpana Chawla, who made history at NASA as the first female astronaut of Indian descent. Her contributions to human spaceflight have had a lasting impact," the company tweeted on Wednesday.

The SS Kalpana Chawla capsule is scheduled to launch on the NG-14 mission atop a Northrop Grumman Antares rocket from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on September 29. The spacecraft will arrive at and be attached to the space station two days later.

For the NG-14 mission, the Cygnus spacecraft will deliver approximately 3,629 kg of cargo to the space station