Good morning dear readers, the blog is introducing tweets for better visuals. First up, we have a WHO-commissioned independent panel report on how the pandemic was handled; Bharat Biotech readies to test its vaccine on kids and we have a rare visitor from the deep blue sea.
Coronavirus News
⚕️Preventable: Independent panel says pandemic was preventable but happened due to (i) slow reaction (ii) weak links at every point (iii) preparation was poor (iv) Global political leadership absent. Calls Feb 2020 “the lost month” when pandemic could’ve been prevented. Puts onus on wealthiest countries to pull us out.
👦🏼 Minor trials: Covaxin to be tested on children between 2 to 17 years of age.
💉 Vaccinations: Karnataka, Maharashtra suspend drive for 18-44 age; 85% of shots for 18+ in just 7 states: Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Rajasthan
🦠 What’s in a name?: Govt objects to the use of the term “Indian variant” for the B.1.167 mutant virus first reported in India last year. WHO agrees:
Except: It’s true the WHO does not refer to vairants by countries in their weekly epidemiological updates, but informally they do. Such as referring to “UK variant” and “South African variant” here and here.
Some other major viruses too have place of origin name such as Nipah named after Malaysian village, Ebola after a river in Congo, the “ME” in MERS (another coronavirus) is for “middle east” and the superbug New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase 1 (although this is a bacteria)
🗺️ All over: Indian variant now in 44 countries, adds to evidence that it is more transmissible; EU advises its countries to halt all non-essential travel from India; preliminary studies suggest vaccines in India effective
🤕 Another jolt: Norway will not resume AstraZeneca jabs due to side effects; Canada’s Ontario also halts
🤦♂️Comes back to bite: GoI’s amendments to foreign contributions law (FCRA) in just three days in Sept is limiting NGOs’ ability to help. 13 NGOs write that it has paralysed them. India waived GST but not FCRA, meaning only state can provide aid.
🛃 Riders on state: States allowed to buy vaccines from outside with their own money, but only those approved by the Centre.
📈 Economy: Factory output rose 22% in March but because of very poor last year; retail inflation in April down to 4.29%, passenger vehicle sale down 10%
⚰️ Mass burials: 100s of bodies found buried near Ganga banks in UP. A large net spread across the river to catch more bodies.
😪Compensate them: Allahabad high court asks UP to give at least Rs 1 cr to kin of poll officials who died of Covid
🥺 Opposition demands: 12 parties write to PM and ask for universal free vaccinations, use Central Vista funds for O2, essentials
👩⚕️ Want us gone?: 14 health centre chiefs in UP have offered to quit due to “harassment” from senior administration officials.
👨⚖️ Case on hold: SC puts on hold Covid management case as J Chandrachud tests +
🙏 Dead: Trade union activist Ranjana Nirula (75); 3-time national table tennis champion V Chandrasekhar (63)
💉💉 Vaccine study : Indonesia finds China’s inactivated shot CoronaVac efficacy at 98%, Brazil found it 50%, Turkey 91%
💉💰 Vaccine lottery : US state Ohio will weekly give $1 million to each of five persons who got the shot.
India News
📷 Transparency kaboom: The controversial Central Vista project is now off limits to cameras as CPWD bans photography and restricts public access.
⛔ Don’t come: Bengal asks Schedule Caste panel not to visit state due to pandemic. Panel probing violence against Dalits. Governor’s visit to violence hit regions too draws govt ire.
🧐 CAA, religious freedom: US govt report say concerned over treatment to minorities especially how Muslims were blamed for Covid spread.
👩🏫 Guru-uncool: IIT Kharagpur suspends teacher for allegedly abusing SC/ST and persons with disability students. Inquiry on.
🙏 Dead: Assamese author and journalist Homen Borgohain (88; Subala, Pita Putra)
🎣 At WTO : India and 79 countries likely to oppose draft text that will see reduction in subsidies to fisheries.
🥇All that glitters: Sovereign gold bond subscriptions from May 17
World News
⚔️ Middle East: Heavy bombardment in Gaza on Eid. Top Hamas commander, 2 civilians killed. Six Israelis, including a child, killed. Communal clashes in Israel between Muslim and Jew citizens.
👩💻 For democracy :UK bill in parliament requires social media firms to not discriminate between political viewpoints and protect “democratically important content” such as opinions in favour or against government policy.
👩💼 No Price for Soul : US Republicans oust Liz Cheney from leadership after she spoke out against Donald Trump. “Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar,” she said. “I will not participate in that.”
🇳🇿 MP thrown out: New Zealand parliamentarian asked to leave House after he protested “racism” against Maoris by performing traditional haka dance.
🤑 Amazon wins: EU general court says firm did not receive any illegal aid from Luxembourg from where it runs its European ops with little to no tax. Freed from paying $303 mn.
🐟 Out of depth: Pacific footballfish, usually found deep in the Pacific Ocean where even light doesn’t reach, washed up on a California beach. No one knows why.
🇮🇷 Honey, I’m back!: Former Iranian hardline president Mahmoud Ahmedinejad will run for president.
👨💻 So, you like WFH?: WeWork CEO Sandeep Mathrani thinks those who enjoy WFH are “least engaged” in work.
🪙 Abandoned : Tesla boss Elon Musk says his company will no longer accept Bitcoins due to climate change concerns. Bitcoin shares fall by 10%.
News of Yesterday
News Of Today 