Good morning good people! Today’s list contains a Newslaundry investigation into Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha Foundation that found blatant environment violations, and Cyclone Tauktae made landfall yesterday and arrives weaker in Gujarat today. And finally, we have Tesla boss Elon Musk who greatly upset the cryptocurrency world with just one word: “Indeed…”.
Coronavirus News
💉 Vaccines Safe: A govt panel that looked into side effects of vaccines in India said that the risk of blood clots was very low for Covishield, and none for Covaxin. A study found Pfizer, Moderna jabs working against Indian variants.
💉💉 Vaccinations: Apollo Hospitals collaborates with Dr Reddy’s Lab to administer Sputnik V jabs that made debut on CoWin; Kerala, Himachal starts vaccinating 18-44 group.
In Kerala, those under 18-44 who need jabs but also suffer from co-morbidities can register at state portal for priority vaccine. Steps: another registration.
💊 We’ve been here before: Defence ministry launches oral drug 2-DG. But again, data on efficacy and safety are yet to be published.
🩸 Plasma out: The ineffective therapy dropped from Covid treatment.
👨⚖️ Delhi HC: After police cleared Congress, BJP and AAP politicians of any wrongdoing over distributing free O2 cylinders and medicines, the Delhi HC said: “We are not accepting this… Political parties cannot make this pandemic a selling point. How could they purchase it without prescription?”
👩🏼⚖️ Allahabad HC: “Entire medical system in UP’s small cities and villages can only be taken to be like famous Hindi saying ‘Ram bharaose (at mercy of god)’.”
🤫 Silence of Lambs: When journalists questioned UP BJP MLA Rakesh Rathore on lack of beds, he said, “If we MLAs speak too much, then we too will have to face sedition charges.”
🚷 Lockdown: Andhra extends curfew till May 31, Assam stops inter-dist travel for 2 weeks.
🙏 Dead: Former cricketer Rajendrasinh Jadeja (66), Ex-IMA chief Dr K K Aggarwal (62) and ex-chairperson of Usha Int’l Siddharth Shriram (76).
🐄🍺 Liquid Gold: BJP MP Pragya Thakur declares, “I drink cow urine every day, so don’t have Covid.”
👷🏻 Much work kills Jack: WHO-ILO study finds working 55 hrs a week increases chance of stroke by 35% compared to 35-40 hrs. During lockdown, working hrs up by 10%.
🌐 Cancelled: WEF annual meet in Singapore where it was shifted from usual Davos base.
Other India News
🌀 Land Ho!: Cyclone Tauktae made landfall at 8.30pm in Mumbai. Scientists say they were shocked at its sudden rise in intensity to “extremely severe”: From Category 1(90-125kmph) to Category 4(220-280kmph). On Tuesday morning, it weakened and now re-categorised to “very severe”.
🦜 Bengal Drama: CBI arrested 3 TMC MLAs Firhad Hakim, Subrata Mukherjee (both ministers) and Madan Mitra, and ex-Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee (earlier with TMC, then BJP and then quit that too) in the Narda Sting case. Mamata Banerjee reached CBI office and dared them to arrest her too. Six hours later, a special court allowed bail that was later overturned by high court. No action against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari and Mukul Roy (both ex-TMC) in the case prompting TMC to allege CBI acting on BJP orders.
🐠 Dark Waters: Hundreds of dead fish float in South Bengaluru’s Mottanalluru Lake due to industrial and agriculture pollution.
🔎 Weak Foundation: Isha Ashram built between ’94-’11 close to Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Human activity there is regulated by govt authority called HACA. But Isha didn’t apply for a permit till ’11. Forest dept ordered them to stop, they went on to build the Adi Yogi structure that Modi inaugurated in ’17. The constructions have increased human-animal conflict, local and forest officials said. In ’20, forest dept did U-turn and govt changed rules.
😤 Being Casteist: Three Dalit men forced to prostrate before upper caste people at a panchayat meeting over a petty issue in Tamil Nadu.
📊 Economy: Wholesale inflation in two digits – fastest rise in 11 years – as fuel price rise and last year’s effect; 2nd wave impact on economy not as severe as 1st wave: RBI’s tentative assessment.
World News
🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 Unrelenting Crisis: For 3rd time, US blocks UN statement to halt violence and for protection of kids even as Biden backs ceasefire. Israel targets Doctors Without Borders, only Covid testing centre, and Qatari Red Crescent. Palestine: 212 dead (59 kids); Israel: 10 (2 kids).
🇳🇿 Entry Restricted: New Zealand will be more choosy on who they will allow to migrate, giving preference for the rich and high skill workers.
🛳️ Widening: Egypt has begun work to widen the Suez Canal for two-way traffic, two months after a ship got stuck and choked the world’s trade.
💪 Bravery: Miss Universe contestant from Myanmar Thuzar Wint Lwin used the stage to protest Army’s crackdown on critics.
⚰️ Death wish: South Carolina passes a law that allows death row inmates to choose between firing squad or electric chair as lethal injection supply over.
Business
🪙 Beginning of End?: After Musk’s tweet that made people think Tesla was going to sell its Bitcoins, currency’s shares got blown to bits. It recovered once Musk’s clarified:
However, world govts are taking note of troublesome reports: Hackers were allegedly paid $5mn in Bitcoin to release hold on the oil pipeline last week, and in 2020 victims paid $406 mn in Bitcoin to hackers. Even RBI has informally told businesses to stay away.
💬 Little Bird’s Plan: Twitter Blue could be a paid service that will allow users to save tweets as collections and undo tweets.
🇮🇷🇮🇳 Deal, Undeal: Iran drops India for $3bn gas production deal. India says it the US had tied its hands and Iran says Indian offers were unsatisfactory.
🎬 New Netflix: US telecom major AT&T will merge its media wing with Discovery to create new streaming service.
Science
🦈 In-built GPS: Sharks have been known to travel great distances in the ocean and yet return to the exact spot to feed and breed. Now scientists have solved how: they have learned to use Earth’s magnetic field.
News of Yesterday
News Of Today 