EVERY time we think we have understood the SARS-CoV-2 virus, it comes around and smacks us in the face reminds us that we probably don’t. This time it is about whether natural immunity stays for a long time. Most studies we have seen so far suggested that we could have natural immunity even after six months, now we have one that says that is unlikely. In other news, the Delhi Police’s attempts to keep three JNU students long enough to “verify their addresses” has been quashed, and the US has a new holiday. It’s not every day that a minister admits for failing to protect women, read what UK’s Justice Secretary has to say.
Have a real hard look at the chocolate that you eat. How would you like to know that the ingredients from there came due to child slavery? Read on:
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CORONAVIRUS NEWS
🦠 Natural Protection: Researchers employed a machine learning tool to predict how long antibodies in 78 health care workers would last. At six months, the predictions were that most people would not be able to mount a defence against Covid-19 at six months. [THIS IS A PRE-PRINT AND HAS NOT UNDERGONE SCIENTIFIC SCRTUINY.]
👶🏻🧒👧 The Kids Are OK: AIIMS study finds antibodies in children were the same as that of adults. This adds to the growing body of research that suggests that children are likely to be less severely affected in the event of a third wave. SII could begin its trial of Covovax, which showed 90% efficacy in the US among adults, in children; the vaccine itself is expected in September for adults.
🐌💉 Snail’s Pace: Covaxin’s has complied with WHO’s additional data requirement for Emergency Use and will meet with them on June 23. The company is yet to provide them with Phase-3 data that is expected only next month, but which the govt said it would get the data in “a few days”, a few days ago.
👉👈 CM vs Ex-CM: Uttarakhand chief minister Tirath Singh Rawat blamed his predecessor Trivendra Singh Rawat who blamed him back for a local lab issuing false rapid test results during Kumbh Mela. An FIR has finally been registered against the private lab and others.
🏊♀️ For Olympics: Japan is set to lift its “state of Emergency” that has been on since April although restrictions are to remain. The Olympics is to begin in Tokyo on July 23.
💊 Antivirals: The US has announced a program to channel $3bn into developing pills – the Antiviral Program for Pandemics – that can fight viruses, similar to the antiviral therapy for HIV.
INDIA NEWS
👨⚖️ Release them: A Delhi court refused to entertain Delhi Police’s plea for more time to verify the addresses of the three JNU students – Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha – and a delay on their orders till then.
🚙 Lifeline: Union govt extends validity of driving licences that expired after February 2020 to September 30.
🤝 Stalin and PM: Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin urged PM Narendra Modi with a 25-point list of demands that included allowing states to judge quota limit to most backward classes and SC/ST, revoke education policy, repeal the draft environment impact assessment notification, the CAA and the three farm laws.
👮 Dedication: Delhi Police shows up in B’lore and questions Twitter MD on the Congress toolkit case (in which the social media company marked a BJP spokesperson’s tweet as ‘manipulated media’).
✋ Punjab Cong Feud: Punjab Additional Advocate General Rameeza Hakeem has resigned. She is the wife of the state’s Advocate General and her appointment in 2017 had come in for criticism. But the more immediate reason could be Congress leaders complaining to a party panel that the state had failed to handle sensitive cases before courts giving rise to perception that the CM was in some sort of understanding with the Badal family.
🗳️ Poll Challenge: Mamata Banerjee challenges Suvendu Adhikari’s victory over her in Nandigram’s state elections in the high court.
🦹♂️ Conspiracy: Former encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma of the Mumbai Police was arrested in the case of explosives being found outside the house of Mukesh Ambani.
📺 TV Regulations: No more ad-hoc structure of self-regulation. Govt tells all to come under a formal framework like the new IT Rules – acknowledge complaints within 15 days and respond, complainant can appeal to self-regulated body that has to address the complaint in 60 days and after which it can go to a govt body.
🇨🇭🏦 SwissIndians: Indians parked over Rs 20,000 crore in Swiss banks, the highest in 13 years.
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WORLD NEWS
🇮🇱🇵🇸 Embers continue: Israel air raids into Gaza continued after more incendiary balloons were released allegedly by Hamas. No casualties.
🇮🇷🗳️ Iran votes today: In the presidential elections there is only one serious candidate – ultraconservative judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi – after most others were rejected by the country’ Guardian Council
🇺🇸👨🏿👩🏿 New Holiday: US Congress marks June 19 as a national holiday – called Juneteenth- commemorating the day in 1865 when Black people in Texas learnt they had been set free.
🚨📰 Police State: Hong Kong has arrested the editor of a local pro-democracy newspaper over many articles, dating back to 2019, that the state claims was part of larger conspiracy involving foreign forces.
“Normal journalists are different from these people. Please keep a distance from them.”
John Lee, Hong Kong security chief
🏥 Obamacare Stays: The Supreme Court of the USA, which is packed with conservative judges backed by Republicans, has rejected a challenge to the health insurance policy brought under former President Barack Obama. The challenge had the backing of 18 Republican states and even Trump.
🍫 Can’t Sue: USA Supreme Court says one cannot sue Nestle or Cargill for child slavery in African farms from where they buy cocoa. According to a 2019 US govt report, 1.56 million kids are enslaved in such farms in Ivory Coast and Ghana.
The first thing I think I need to say is, sorry – it’s not good enough. The vast majority of victims do not see the crime against them charged and reach a court. These are trends of which we are deeply ashamed. Victims of rape are being failed.
Rober Buckland, Justice Secretary, UK
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BUSINESS NEWS
🪟 Climbing Ladder: Microsoft names its incumbent CEO Satya Nadella as its chairperson.
🌐 Internet Outage: Several US airlines – American Airlines, SouthWest Airlines etc – and many major Australian banks – ANZ, Commonwealth Bank and Allianz etc – affected as web service company Akamai suffered a disruption.
⛔ World Bank says No: El Salvador, the first country to announce it would adopt Bitcoins as legal tender in three months, may not be able to meet this deadline after the top bank refused its request for help. The concerns over transparncency over the crypto mining and its effect on the enviroment are its top issues.
🇪🇺🇬🇧 Flashpoint: The trade irritants between the EU and the UK continues with the European body now warning the country to not fall foul over favouring its own companies in the wind energy sector.
NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Napoleon was defeated in the Battle of Waterloo on this day in 1815.
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News Of Today 