Let’s start off with some good news: A UK study has found two vaccines highly effective against the Indian variant, but there is a catch, you need both doses. There is a killer volcano erupting and thousands have been forced to flee (Videos and pics in blog). An important meeting will take place today regarding CBSE class 12 exams. And finally, while the 20th century was a period of population boom, the next 50 years could see deaths overtake birth.
“If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type a little faster.”
Isaac Asimov, fiction writer
Coronavirus News
💉 Vaccine efficacy: Pfizer 80%, AstraZeneca 60% on Indian variant. It takes a while for AstraZeneca jab to reach peak efficacy so the actual number may be higher. But here’s the catch: If only 1 dose, efficacy is 33%.
✅ Covaxin Push: GoI looking to get jab approved by WHO. This is important as the world opens its borders, many countries require travellers to get WHO-approved shots.
🚪💉 Door-to-Door: After Bombay high court admonished Centre for refusing to endorse door-to-door vaccinations, PM principal secy P K Mishra says the complexity involved makes it difficult and cannot be compared to, say polio.
🗣️ AstraZeneca Defends: AstraZeneca says slow rollout of vaccines in Europe (for which it maybe sued) was due to “less aggressive investment”.
🗺️ Expand Waiver: At the WTO, India, South Africa and several other countries want patent waiver, not just for vaccines but for other drugs and equipment such as diagnostics and protective as well for three years.
⚕️ High Cost: 420 doctors died due to Covid-19, says IMA, 25% from Delhi. Association wants Ramdev to be booked for misleading the public.
🏥 Fix ‘em: Rajasthan govt says it has 2,523 ventilators, of which nearly 600 given by Centre under PMCares Fund are not working.
🚷 Lockdown: Tamil Nadu, UP, J-K, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh till May 31.
🇹🇼🇨🇳 Cognitive Warfare: Taiwan believes China is spreading fake news on the island and spooking people on Covid-19 in an attempt to undermine the govt.
🦠🏔️ Virus No Rest: Disease has infected over 100 climbers and support staff at Everest base camp, according to a guide. Nepal continues to deny.
🔎💩 It’s Sh*t: The UK is ramping up its efforts to test sewage to gauge virus spread. Detecting genetic signatures in waste will help target testing and other interventions.
🇺🇸 Tinder Boost: White House is partnering with dating apps to give users premium access if they can prove they’ve been vaccinated. The Whiite House is also slowly letting go off masks and getting ready to hug.
India News
✍🏽 CBSE: Centre proposes that CBSE Class 12 exams be conducted only for major subjects. Today, this will be among the proposals to be discussed with stakeholders.
👮 Security Increased: Centre provides Y+ security to Bengal MLA Suvendu Adhikari’s father and brother, both of who are parliamentarians. But is it a sign? Mamata Banerjee earlier said her TMC had kept doors open for people to return. Mukul Roy has not been seen at BJP deliberations and one has apologised for leaving.
👨🏼🌾 Centre Hardens: Central govt says farmers opposing the three farm laws have to either be positive to govt’s proposals or offer alternatives apart from repeal.
🌀 Teething: Cyclone Yaas (Oman named it after an aromatic plant, likely jasmine) likely to intensify over next two days and strike Bengal/Odisha on May 26. Click here to know how cyclones are named.
🍅 Tomayto, Tomahto: Tomatoes go unsold at Kolar agriculture market – 2nd largest tomato market in Asia- forcing farmers to dump them on roads. Lockdown blamed.
🐮❤️ Back to basics: Gujarat Governor signs “anti-love jihad” bill into law – max 10 years in jail in case of “forced” conversion through marriage; Assam will introduce cow protection bill.
🥊 Olympian Held: Wrestler Sushil Kumar has been arrested in connection with a murder case.
🙏 Dead: Music composer Vijay Patil (78, composed for Hum Aapke Hai Kaun, Hum Saath Sath Hain), mathematcian M S Narasimhan (88)
World News
🇦🇪 Princess Seen: It was a daring “escape” allegedly thwarted by India and UAE. Dubai ruler’s daughter Princess Latifa, who had many times claimed her life was in danger from her own family, was seen again in public. Last month, the UN had said UAE had failed to provide proof of life.
🍊 Trump Escape Plan: Trump Hotel in Washington raised rates by 180% on March 3 and 4 to keep off QAnon supporters who believed Trump would would somehow return to Presidency on March 4 (US Presidents earlier took oath of office on a fixed day — March 4– but this was abolished in 1933.
⚡🔛🪨🔆🔆 Mass, Energy, Money: Albert Einstein’s letter in which he had written his famous equation E=mc2 [conversion of matter into energy and vice-versa] is sold for $1.2mn.
🤦♀️ So Close, Yet: Fiame Naomi Mata’afa won the Samoan elections by beating two-decade ruling PM Va’aletoa Sualauvi II. But on Saturday, Sualauvi suspended Parliament making it impossible for Mata’afa to take oath.
“This is a coup.”
Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Samoa Prime Minister
😔 Tragedy: 20 marathon runners in 100 km race die after extreme weather hit China province.
🔥 Blaze of Fury: One of the biggest fires in at least two decades is threatening to go out of control in Greece.
🌋 Volcano Erupts: Mt Nyiragongo in Congo erupts forcing many to leave their homes. In 2002 eruption, it killed at least 100 people and in 1977 it killed 600.
The sky has turned red. There is a smell of sulphur. In the distance you can see giant flames coming out of the mountain.
Carine Mbala, resident, to the Guardian
👨👩👦👦 Population Implosion?: In another 50 years, deaths may overtake births. Good: lower pressure on resources, Bad: more old people and fewer young ones to support them, Ugly: increase inequality. Do young don’t want children? They do, but “several obstacles”, including low pay.
😐 ‘Only part blame’: Martin Bashir who interviewed Princess Diana and now under fire for unethical conduct said he could not be held responsible for tragedy although he admits it was wrong to forge documents.
💬 Check, Mate: Tinder announces that it is coming up with prompts that will ask user if s/he wants to send a message that may seem abusive.
Science
🇨🇳 Leaving Tracks: China’s rover Zhurong rolled onto the surface of Mars, 2nd country to do so. It’ll search for evidence of life.
News of Yesterday
🇨🇳 China annexed Tibet on May 23, 1951
An earlier version described Sushil Kumar as boxer. Or should have been wrestler.
News Of Today 