The third COVID-19 wave will come if "invited" by the human behaviour and that of the virus, said Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, on Monday.

"The virus' behaviour, we know, mutates. We don't have control over that. The more it gets into a larger number of infections, there is more the transmission. Human behaviour is in our control, which involves adopting Covid-appropriate behaviour, i.e. maintaining hygiene, wearing a face mask, following social distancing," Dr Swarup said.

Several scientists and epidemiologists, over the last few weeks, have had expressed concerns over the third wave of coronavirus in India as more virulent variants of the virus, like Delta Plus, circulate.

"If we continue to do follow COVID-19 protocol and break the chain of transmission, we do not allow the virus to go from one host to the other," Dr Swarup added.

The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has warned of a third COVID-19 wave peak in October in its recent report to the Prime Minister's Office.

The NIDM's report quoted the Reuters' opinion survey of 40 experts that forecasted that the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to hit India between July 15 and October 13.

Dr Swarup, however, asserted that the third wave is completely avoidable if Covid-appropriate human behaviour is strictly followed.

"There is clearly the human behaviour will overtake the virus behaviour, and I think if we allow it to be controlled, no way is the third going to happen," Dr Swarup told ANI.

The second COVID-19 wave swept across India in April-May this year with Covid cases breaching the four-lakh mark per day. Several states imposed lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly pathogen. The restrictions started easing up in a phased manner in June as fresh coronavirus cases began dropping and vaccination paced up. But the easing of lockdown came with people crowding hill stations and other public places. The government, in July, issued an advisory to states warning against "blatant violations of Covid norms."

The country has so far administered nearly 58 crore doses of three COVID-19 vaccines - Covaxin, Covishield and Sputnik V. Earlier this month, Johnson &amp; Johnson's was given emergency use approval in India for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, whereas Zydus Cadila was given a nod last week.

The third COVID-19 wave will come if "invited" by the human behaviour and that of the virus, said Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, on Monday.

The third COVID-19 wave will come if "invited" by the human behaviour and that of the virus, said Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary of Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, on Monday. "The virus' behaviour, we know, mutates. We don't have control over that. The more it gets into a larger number of infections, there is more the transmission. Human behaviour is in our control, which involves adopting Covid-appropriate behaviour, i.e. maintaining hygiene, wearing a face mask, following social distancing," Dr Swarup said. Several scientists and epidemiologists, over the last few weeks, have had expressed concerns over the third wave of coronavirus in India as more virulent variants of the virus, like Delta Plus, circulate. "If we continue to do follow COVID-19 protocol and break the chain of transmission, we do not allow the virus to go from one host to the other," Dr Swarup added. The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), under the Ministry of Home Affairs, has warned of a third COVID-19 wave peak in October in its recent report to the Prime Minister's Office. The NIDM's report quoted the Reuters' opinion survey of 40 experts that forecasted that the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to hit India between July 15 and October 13. Dr Swarup, however, asserted that the third wave is completely avoidable if Covid-appropriate human behaviour is strictly followed. "There is clearly the human behaviour will overtake the virus behaviour, and I think if we allow it to be controlled, no way is the third going to happen," Dr Swarup told ANI. The second COVID-19 wave swept across India in April-May this year with Covid cases breaching the four-lakh mark per day. Several states imposed lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly pathogen. The restrictions started easing up in a phased manner in June as fresh coronavirus cases began dropping and vaccination paced up. But the easing of lockdown came with people crowding hill stations and other public places. The government, in July, issued an advisory to states warning against "blatant violations of Covid norms." The country has so far administered nearly 58 crore doses of three COVID-19 vaccines - Covaxin, Covishield and Sputnik V. Earlier this month, Johnson & Johnson's was given emergency use approval in India for its single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, whereas Zydus Cadila was given a nod last week.

COVID-19 third wave will come if we invite it: Government

China has been caught lying again. The Chinese media cited claims made by a non-existent Swiss scientist Wilson Edwards to push pandemic propaganda. The Swiss Embassy called out China's bluff. Palki Sharma tells you what happened next.

Gravitas: Chinese Media cites non-existent Scientist for propaganda

The last 20 months of this pandemic have been emotionally & financially crippling for millions around the world. But for tech titans, they've brought a dramatic reversal in fortunes.

COVID-19: Big tech gets bigger during pandemic

Energy giant Saudi&nbsp;Aramco's second quarter profits for 2021 have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels due to higher oil prices, nearly quadrupling compared to the same period last year.

The company's success comes after its debts climbed last year, when Saudi Arabia was hammered by the double whammy of low prices and sharp cuts in production triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Aramco&nbsp;said on Sunday its net profit rose to $25.5 billion in the second quarter of the year, compared to $6.6 billion in the same quarter of 2020, owing to a stronger oil market and higher refining and chemicals margins, and with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

In the second quarter of 2019, before global economies were hit hard by Covid-19 restrictions, the company posted a net profit of $24.7 billion.

"Our second quarter results reflect a strong rebound in worldwide energy demand, and we are heading into the second half of 2021 more resilient and more flexible, as the global recovery gains momentum,"&nbsp;Aramco&nbsp;chief executive Amin Nasser said in a statement.

Aramco&nbsp;-- like other global oil giants, including ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and TotalEnergies -- has reported stronger profits this year, riding a wave of higher prices amid recovering demand.

It reported "a 288 percent increase in net income from the same quarter of last year to $25.5 billion and declaring a dividend of $18.8 billion", according to the statement.&nbsp;

Sunday's announcement comes approximately two months after the company said it raised $6 billion from its first dollar-denominated Islamic bond sale, posting earlier this year a 30 percent jump in first quarter profits.

Aramco, the kingdom's cash cow, said in May that its net profit rose to $21.7 billion in the first three months of the year.

The energy giant posted a 44.4 percent slump in 2020 net profit, piling pressure on government finances as Riyadh pursues its multi-billion dollar projects to diversify the economy.

The world's leading oil producers agreed last month to continue to modestly boost output from August reaching a compromise after the United Arab Emirates blocked a deal.&nbsp;

An OPEC+ meeting decided to raise output by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) each month from August to help fuel a global economic recovery as the pandemic eases.

The results come a day ahead of a UN report on climate change, which will give the international community its clearest ever warning about the dangers of accelerating global warming, according to Britain's COP26 President Alok Sharma.

Aramco&nbsp;opens up&nbsp;

Long seen as the kingdom's economic "crown jewel",&nbsp;Aramco&nbsp;and its assets were once tightly government-controlled and considered off-limits to outside investment.&nbsp;

But with the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, who is accelerating efforts to implement his "Vision 2030" reform programme, the kingdom has shown readiness to cede some control.

Aramco&nbsp;previously sold a sliver of its shares on the Saudi bourse in December 2019, generating $29.4 billion for 1.7 percent of its shares.

In April, the company said it had struck a $12.4-billion deal to sell a minority stake in a newly formed oil pipeline business, to a consortium led by US-based EIG Global Energy Partners.

And in June,&nbsp;Aramco&nbsp;"successfully raised $6 billion, following the sale of US dollar-denominated sharia-compliant securities to leading institutional investors", the company said.&nbsp;

Earlier this year, Prince Mohammed said the kingdom would sell more&nbsp;Aramco&nbsp;shares.

Some analysts have raised concerns at past drone and missile attacks on&nbsp;Aramco's facilities in the kingdom -- claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels.

Aramco&nbsp;reassured on Sunday that it achieved "100 percent reliability in the delivery of crude oil and other products in the second quarter of 2021".

There are also increased fears over cyber attacks, with Saudi&nbsp;Aramco&nbsp;confirming last month that company data had been leaked from one of it contractors. However, the company said it had "no impact" on operations.&nbsp;

When the coronavirus pandemic took hold early last year, oil prices plunged as demand for crude crashed.

They have since recovered, currently trading above $70 per barrel.

Energy giant Saudi Aramco's second quarter profits for 2021 have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels due to higher oil prices, nearly quadrupling compared to the same period last year.

Energy giant Saudi Aramco's second quarter profits for 2021 have bounced back to pre-pandemic levels due to higher oil prices, nearly quadrupling compared to the same period last year. The company's success comes after its debts climbed last year, when Saudi Arabia was hammered by the double whammy of low prices and sharp cuts in production triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. Aramco said on Sunday its net profit rose to $25.5 billion in the second quarter of the year, compared to $6.6 billion in the same quarter of 2020, owing to a stronger oil market and higher refining and chemicals margins, and with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. In the second quarter of 2019, before global economies were hit hard by Covid-19 restrictions, the company posted a net profit of $24.7 billion. "Our second quarter results reflect a strong rebound in worldwide energy demand, and we are heading into the second half of 2021 more resilient and more flexible, as the global recovery gains momentum," Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser said in a statement. Aramco -- like other global oil giants, including ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell and TotalEnergies -- has reported stronger profits this year, riding a wave of higher prices amid recovering demand. It reported "a 288 percent increase in net income from the same quarter of last year to $25.5 billion and declaring a dividend of $18.8 billion", according to the statement. Sunday's announcement comes approximately two months after the company said it raised $6 billion from its first dollar-denominated Islamic bond sale, posting earlier this year a 30 percent jump in first quarter profits. Aramco, the kingdom's cash cow, said in May that its net profit rose to $21.7 billion in the first three months of the year. The energy giant posted a 44.4 percent slump in 2020 net profit, piling pressure on government finances as Riyadh pursues its multi-billion dollar projects to diversify the economy. The world's leading oil producers agreed last month to continue to modestly boost output from August reaching a compromise after the United Arab Emirates blocked a deal. An OPEC+ meeting decided to raise output by 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) each month from August to help fuel a global economic recovery as the pandemic eases. The results come a day ahead of a UN report on climate change, which will give the international community its clearest ever warning about the dangers of accelerating global warming, according to Britain's COP26 President Alok Sharma. Aramco opens up Long seen as the kingdom's economic "crown jewel", Aramco and its assets were once tightly government-controlled and considered off-limits to outside investment. But with the rise of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler, who is accelerating efforts to implement his "Vision 2030" reform programme, the kingdom has shown readiness to cede some control. Aramco previously sold a sliver of its shares on the Saudi bourse in December 2019, generating $29.4 billion for 1.7 percent of its shares. In April, the company said it had struck a $12.4-billion deal to sell a minority stake in a newly formed oil pipeline business, to a consortium led by US-based EIG Global Energy Partners. And in June, Aramco "successfully raised $6 billion, following the sale of US dollar-denominated sharia-compliant securities to leading institutional investors", the company said. Earlier this year, Prince Mohammed said the kingdom would sell more Aramco shares. Some analysts have raised concerns at past drone and missile attacks on Aramco's facilities in the kingdom -- claimed by Yemen's Huthi rebels. Aramco reassured on Sunday that it achieved "100 percent reliability in the delivery of crude oil and other products in the second quarter of 2021". There are also increased fears over cyber attacks, with Saudi Aramco confirming last month that company data had been leaked from one of it contractors. However, the company said it had "no impact" on operations. When the coronavirus pandemic took hold early last year, oil prices plunged as demand for crude crashed. They have since recovered, currently trading above $70 per barrel.

Saudi Aramco Q2 profits bounce back to pre-pandemic levels

German&nbsp;exports&nbsp;soared&nbsp;past&nbsp;pre-pandemic&nbsp;levels&nbsp;in&nbsp;June&nbsp;for the first time since the coronavirus crisis wreaked havoc on trade, official data showed Monday, as the industry shrugged off supply chain shortages.

The pandemic has severely disrupted global supply chains, leading to shortage in raw materials or components including timber, plastics and steel.

Germany's crucial car industry has also been hit by a global computer chip crunch caused by a surge in demand for home electronics as employees are asked to work from home to cut infection risks.

But Europe's biggest economy exported 118.7 billion euros ($140 billion) of goods in&nbsp;June, 1.1 percent more than in February 2020, before the health emergency snared Germany.

The indicator rose for the 14th month in a row, and was 1.3 percent higher compared to May, after seasonal variations and calendar effects were taken into account.

"Today's strong data illustrates that supply chain frictions have not yet affected&nbsp;German&nbsp;exports," said analyst Carsten Brzeski of ING.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/not-too-late-to-prevent-runaway-climate-change-eu-404216">Also read |&nbsp;'Not too late' to prevent 'runaway climate change': EU</a>

But he warned that this could change in coming months.

"While order books are still richly filled, supply chain frictions, particularly the lack of microchips, could lead to more delivery problems in key sectors like the automotive industry and therefore to some distortions of&nbsp;export&nbsp;data in the coming months," he said.

Imports also saw a slight gain of 0.6 percent compared to a month ago to 102.4 billion euros.

Demand from the European Union for&nbsp;German&nbsp;goods was up 26.1 percent compared to a year ago, while that from other countries rose 20.7 percent.

China, a key market for Germany, imported 16 percent more than a year ago.

German exports soared past pre-pandemic levels in June for the first time since the coronavirus crisis wreaked havoc on trade, official data showed Monday, as the industry shrugged off supply chain shortages.

German exports soared past pre-pandemic levels in June for the first time since the coronavirus crisis wreaked havoc on trade, official data showed Monday, as the industry shrugged off supply chain shortages. The pandemic has severely disrupted global supply chains, leading to shortage in raw materials or components including timber, plastics and steel. Germany's crucial car industry has also been hit by a global computer chip crunch caused by a surge in demand for home electronics as employees are asked to work from home to cut infection risks. But Europe's biggest economy exported 118.7 billion euros ($140 billion) of goods in June, 1.1 percent more than in February 2020, before the health emergency snared Germany. The indicator rose for the 14th month in a row, and was 1.3 percent higher compared to May, after seasonal variations and calendar effects were taken into account. "Today's strong data illustrates that supply chain frictions have not yet affected German exports," said analyst Carsten Brzeski of ING. Also read | 'Not too late' to prevent 'runaway climate change': EU But he warned that this could change in coming months. "While order books are still richly filled, supply chain frictions, particularly the lack of microchips, could lead to more delivery problems in key sectors like the automotive industry and therefore to some distortions of export data in the coming months," he said. Imports also saw a slight gain of 0.6 percent compared to a month ago to 102.4 billion euros. Demand from the European Union for German goods was up 26.1 percent compared to a year ago, while that from other countries rose 20.7 percent. China, a key market for Germany, imported 16 percent more than a year ago.

German exports rise past pre-pandemic levels in June

As the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;nears its close, here is a look at how it played out under strict restrictions to ensure a "safe and secure" Tokyo 2020 amid a COVID-19 pandemic.

VIRUS CASES

Inside the Olympic "bubble" where athletes and others involved in the Games have spent the past two weeks, a total of 430 COVID-19 cases had been reported as of Sunday.

While organizers have touted the low infection rate among what they call the world's "most tested community", the Games have coincided with a surge in cases&nbsp;in the host city.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-closing-ceremony-when-and-where-to-watch-ist-time-theme-venue-indian-flag-bearers-403843" hreflang="en">Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony: When and where to watch; IST time, theme, venue, Indian flag bearers</a>

Tokyo has reported record daily case numbers in the past week and the number of infections in Japan has increased by more than 140,000 since the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;began on July 23. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Games organizers have reiterated that the event had not contributed to rising infections.

But senior medical adviser Shigeru Omi told parliament&nbsp;that hosting the Games may have affected public sentiment and eroded the impact of government requests for people to stay home.

MEDICAL SITUATION

Outside of the Olympic bubble, Japan has defended a new policy of asking patients with milder symptoms to isolate themselves at home rather than going to the hospital.

The number of serious cases have continued to increase in Tokyo, with the number of seriously ill patients rising to 150 as of Saturday.

Prime Minister Suga has said only patients who were seriously ill https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-covid-cases-hit-1-million-infections-spread-beyond-tokyo-2021-08-06 and those at risk of becoming so would be hospitalized, while others should isolate at home, a shift in policy some fear may lead to an increase in deaths.

SPECTATORS

Both foreign and domestic spectators were mostly absent from the Games, a decision was taken by organizers to reduce the potential risks of virus transmission.

At some events, noisy delegations&nbsp;made up for the lack of spectators, while announcers at other events tried to hype what little crowd they did have to cheer on the athletes.

Since most athletes were unable to bring their families to Tokyo, organizers set up special screens where athletes could see live feeds of their cheering family members after completing their competitions.

Isolation and the absence of family and friends, however, took a toll on athletes' mental health, with some struggling to cope with the challenges posed by the pandemic while carrying their country's hopes on the global sports stage.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-closing-day-live-updates-final-events-underway-followed-by-ceremony-403835" hreflang="en">Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing day, LIVE UPDATES: Final events underway followed by ceremony</a>

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the lack of spectators did not dent any excitement over the Games and that many viewers were still able to enjoy the event through TV and other platforms.

Though most venues did not allow spectators, crowds gathered outside the National Stadium for a glimpse of the opening ceremony and many lined the streets&nbsp;to watch the triathlon.

PUBLIC OPINION

While most of the public remained opposed to the Games leading up to its opening, there have not been more recent polls since the start of the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;to compare public sentiment.

Voter support, however, for the government slid to 34%, the lowest since Prime Minister Suga took office last September.

The IOC has touted the high TV viewership of the Games to show the Japanese public's support of the event. The IOC has said that 113.5 million Japanese watched some coverage of the Games as of Aug. 1.

There were intermittent protests at the Games, including outside the National Stadium during the opening ceremony, but none large enough to significantly disrupt any of the events.

As the Olympics nears its close, here is a look at how it played out under strict restrictions to ensure a "safe and secure" Tokyo 2020 amid a COVID-19 pandemic.

As the Olympics nears its close, here is a look at how it played out under strict restrictions to ensure a "safe and secure" Tokyo 2020 amid a COVID-19 pandemic. VIRUS CASES Inside the Olympic "bubble" where athletes and others involved in the Games have spent the past two weeks, a total of 430 COVID-19 cases had been reported as of Sunday. While organizers have touted the low infection rate among what they call the world's "most tested community", the Games have coincided with a surge in cases in the host city. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing ceremony: When and where to watch; IST time, theme, venue, Indian flag bearers Tokyo has reported record daily case numbers in the past week and the number of infections in Japan has increased by more than 140,000 since the Olympics began on July 23. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Games organizers have reiterated that the event had not contributed to rising infections. But senior medical adviser Shigeru Omi told parliament that hosting the Games may have affected public sentiment and eroded the impact of government requests for people to stay home. MEDICAL SITUATION Outside of the Olympic bubble, Japan has defended a new policy of asking patients with milder symptoms to isolate themselves at home rather than going to the hospital. The number of serious cases have continued to increase in Tokyo, with the number of seriously ill patients rising to 150 as of Saturday. Prime Minister Suga has said only patients who were seriously ill https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/japan-covid-cases-hit-1-million-infections-spread-beyond-tokyo-2021-08-06 and those at risk of becoming so would be hospitalized, while others should isolate at home, a shift in policy some fear may lead to an increase in deaths. SPECTATORS Both foreign and domestic spectators were mostly absent from the Games, a decision was taken by organizers to reduce the potential risks of virus transmission. At some events, noisy delegations made up for the lack of spectators, while announcers at other events tried to hype what little crowd they did have to cheer on the athletes. Since most athletes were unable to bring their families to Tokyo, organizers set up special screens where athletes could see live feeds of their cheering family members after completing their competitions. Isolation and the absence of family and friends, however, took a toll on athletes' mental health, with some struggling to cope with the challenges posed by the pandemic while carrying their country's hopes on the global sports stage. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 closing day, LIVE UPDATES: Final events underway followed by ceremony The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the lack of spectators did not dent any excitement over the Games and that many viewers were still able to enjoy the event through TV and other platforms. Though most venues did not allow spectators, crowds gathered outside the National Stadium for a glimpse of the opening ceremony and many lined the streets to watch the triathlon. PUBLIC OPINION While most of the public remained opposed to the Games leading up to its opening, there have not been more recent polls since the start of the Olympics to compare public sentiment. Voter support, however, for the government slid to 34%, the lowest since Prime Minister Suga took office last September. The IOC has touted the high TV viewership of the Games to show the Japanese public's support of the event. The IOC has said that 113.5 million Japanese watched some coverage of the Games as of Aug. 1. There were intermittent protests at the Games, including outside the National Stadium during the opening ceremony, but none large enough to significantly disrupt any of the events.

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Tokyo Games in the shadow of the pandemic

New South Wales recorded its worst-ever daily increase in COVID-19 infections as 319 new cases were reported. Also, the state recorded five deaths. Three out of which were linked to an outbreak at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney’s west.

New South Wales recorded its worst-ever daily increase in COVID-19 infections as 319 new cases were reported. Also, the state recorded five deaths. Three out of which were linked to an outbreak at Liverpool Hospital in Sydney’s west. NSW Health’s Dr Jeremy McAnulty said none of the people that died was vaccinated, with deaths linked to the latest outbreak now standing at 27. He was quoted by The Guardian as saying, "None of these five deaths, people who died, were vaccinated, and we extend our sincere sympathies to their loved ones". Also read | US State Department announces five additions to global terrorist list Meanwhile, Authorities in Australia's Melbourne announced another lockdown as Sydney continued to witness a surge in coronavirus cases. Victoria's Premier Daniel Andrews said there was "no alternatives to lockdown". "This thing moves so fast. There is no debate or discussion about this - the Delta variant moves at lightning speed and by the time you get the people they have already infected, all the people they live with," Victoria premier Dan Andrews said. Officials said people in New South Wales will receive additional 180,000 Pfizer-BioNTech doses next week as the government considers relaxing restrictions on August 29 for the vaccination campaign.

NSW records worst ever day of COVID-19 pandemic

Experts from Nutrition International, a Canadian not-for-profit&nbsp;organisation,&nbsp;emphasised&nbsp;that a mother’s breastmilk is like a vaccination that nourishes the baby lifelong. They say, it builds immunity and cognition, reduces the risk of stunting and protects the baby from diseases. It is naturally fortified with nutrients and antibodies,&nbsp;making it even more important in COVID-19 times to protect both babies and mothers, says the&nbsp;organisation. They also highlight the need to debunk the myths surrounding breast-feeding amid the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

On the sidelines of World Breastfeeding week (that is observed during the first week of August), they said that COVID-19 has disrupted services&nbsp;being&nbsp;provided&nbsp;by&nbsp;Anganwadis, heath sub-centers, besides a reduction in institutional deliveries. As a result, there is a decline in&nbsp;important pre-birth and post-birth services, counselling of pregnant, lactating women and weighing of children.&nbsp;

It is pointed out that the fear of COVID-19 infection transmission (via breastmilk) and rumors in this regard are discouraging the practice. Inadequate maternity leave legislation, unregulated and inappropriate marketing activities within the breastmilk substitute industry,&nbsp;etc&nbsp;are also stated as reasons that have caused a decline.&nbsp;&nbsp;

According to Mini Varghese, Country Director, India, Nutrition International, ensuring the implementation of breast-feeding within one hour of birth during all institutional deliveries will be an important step towards achieving the target.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On the myths and its detrimental effects of&nbsp;breast-feeding, Anganwadi Worker, Nidhi Shrivastav from Madhya Pradesh says, COVID-19 positive mothers, who give birth, refuse to breastfeed as they fear passing on COVID-19 infection to their babies. “However, we work on counselling these new mothers and their families on the lifesaving benefits of breast-feeding. We also encourage them to take precautions such as washing their hands, wearing masks and&nbsp;sanitising&nbsp;surfaces for safe breastfeeding practices,” she adds.&nbsp;

Nutrition International says that, despite breast-feeding being cost-effective, baby food companies continue to attack and replace&nbsp;it&nbsp;with their products. It also makes a mention of World Health Assembly (WHA) endorsing the "International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes”, that&nbsp;recognises&nbsp;commercial marketing of baby foods as harmful to the health of infants. In India, the Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 1992, and Amendment Act 2003 (IMS Act) bans all forms of promotion of foods marketed to children up to two years of age, says the&nbsp;organisation.&nbsp;

“While India has a law to protect breast-feeding, it needs action for enforcement,”&nbsp;says Mini Varghese. She adds that the concerned stakeholders including professional associations need to come forward to support the government to ensure that the IMS Act is implemented in its true spirit.&nbsp;

Experts from Nutrition International, a Canadian not-for-profit organisation, emphasised that a mother’s breastmilk is like a vaccination that nourishes the baby lifelong.

Experts from Nutrition International, a Canadian not-for-profit organisation, emphasised that a mother’s breastmilk is like a vaccination that nourishes the baby lifelong. They say, it builds immunity and cognition, reduces the risk of stunting and protects the baby from diseases. It is naturally fortified with nutrients and antibodies, making it even more important in COVID-19 times to protect both babies and mothers, says the organisation. They also highlight the need to debunk the myths surrounding breast-feeding amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On the sidelines of World Breastfeeding week (that is observed during the first week of August), they said that COVID-19 has disrupted services being provided by Anganwadis, heath sub-centers, besides a reduction in institutional deliveries. As a result, there is a decline in important pre-birth and post-birth services, counselling of pregnant, lactating women and weighing of children. It is pointed out that the fear of COVID-19 infection transmission (via breastmilk) and rumors in this regard are discouraging the practice. Inadequate maternity leave legislation, unregulated and inappropriate marketing activities within the breastmilk substitute industry, etc are also stated as reasons that have caused a decline. According to Mini Varghese, Country Director, India, Nutrition International, ensuring the implementation of breast-feeding within one hour of birth during all institutional deliveries will be an important step towards achieving the target. On the myths and its detrimental effects of breast-feeding, Anganwadi Worker, Nidhi Shrivastav from Madhya Pradesh says, COVID-19 positive mothers, who give birth, refuse to breastfeed as they fear passing on COVID-19 infection to their babies. “However, we work on counselling these new mothers and their families on the lifesaving benefits of breast-feeding. We also encourage them to take precautions such as washing their hands, wearing masks and sanitising surfaces for safe breastfeeding practices,” she adds. Nutrition International says that, despite breast-feeding being cost-effective, baby food companies continue to attack and replace it with their products. It also makes a mention of World Health Assembly (WHA) endorsing the "International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes”, that recognises commercial marketing of baby foods as harmful to the health of infants. In India, the Infant Milk Substitutes Feeding Bottles, and Infant Foods (Regulation of Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 1992, and Amendment Act 2003 (IMS Act) bans all forms of promotion of foods marketed to children up to two years of age, says the organisation. “While India has a law to protect breast-feeding, it needs action for enforcement,” says Mini Varghese. She adds that the concerned stakeholders including professional associations need to come forward to support the government to ensure that the IMS Act is implemented in its true spirit.

‘Must debunk fake news, myths on breast-feeding causing COVID-19' 

Even when the world is going through the coronavirus pandemic, luxury car makers are showing no signs of stress. Italian luxury car maker Ferrari is stuck to its 2021 target. It also increased its industrial cash flow.

Ferrari shows no signs of stress even amid COVID pandemic, sticks to its 2021 target

As owners return to work and students to the classroom, some animals are experiencing increased anxiety as they experience the new normal. There was a surge of pet adoptions during lockdown as more people were at home. But these furry friends feel isolated now-a-days as their owners return to their normal routine.

Pandemic changes life of pets as they face new challenges in post lockdown world

The pandemic has caused a large reduction in birth rates as well. When the pandemic began many expected that there would be a baby boom but the reverse has happened.

World witnesses one of the biggest slumps in birth rates due to COVID pandemic

Samsung&nbsp;Electronics' net profits surged more than 70 percent in the second quarter thanks to higher memory chip prices fuelled by pandemic-led demand, the South Korean tech giant reported Thursday.

Coronavirus-driven working from home boosted demand for devices and appliances powered by&nbsp;Samsung's memory chips. The company said that "memory shipments exceeded previous guidance and price increases were higher than expected".

The world's biggest smartphone maker saw net profits rise 73.4 percent year-on-year to 9.6 trillion won ($8.4 billion) for April-June, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Operating profit increased 54.3 percent to 12.6 trillion won from 8.1 trillion won a year earlier, more than half of which came from the firm's semiconductor business.

The strong results come despite an on-quarter decline in&nbsp;Samsung's earnings from its smartphone business because of supply chain problems that disrupted global production.

Samsung&nbsp;Electronics is the flagship subsidiary of the giant&nbsp;Samsung&nbsp;group, by far the largest of the family-controlled empires that dominate business in South Korea, the world's 12th largest economy.&nbsp;

The conglomerate's overall turnover is equivalent to one-fifth of gross domestic product.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/samsung-may-launch-flagship-phone-early-to-grab-huawei-share-341786">Also read |&nbsp;Samsung may launch flagship phone early to grab Huawei share</a>

Analysts say the chip unit's proportion of the firm's profit is likely to grow in the months ahead.

"Samsung&nbsp;will benefit from memory chip prices that are likely to go higher in the third and fourth quarter," Park Sung-soon, an analyst at Cape Investment &amp; Securities, told AFP.

The firm anticipates favourable market conditions for the rest of the year, with continued demand for memory chips in the server and mobile markets.&nbsp;

But it warned pandemic-fuelled uncertainty would persist in the second half, noting "continued disruptions in component supply".

Shares in&nbsp;Samsung&nbsp;Electronics closed down 0.25 percent on Thursday.&nbsp;

Eligible for parole

Samsung&nbsp;is expected to showcase the latest foldable smartphone models of its Galaxy Z and clamshell Galaxy Z Flip next month.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Makers of foldables are increasingly competitive, and include rivals such as China's Huawei and Xiaomi.&nbsp;

The upcoming gadgets will be equipped with "new multitasking capabilities and enhanced durability", said TM Roh, head of&nbsp;Samsung&nbsp;Electronics' mobile communications business.&nbsp;

Samsung&nbsp;aims to solidify its position in the smartphone market "with the rollout of its premium mobile lineups as well as cheaper models in the third quarter", said James Kang, senior analyst at Euromonitor International.&nbsp;

But Kang said the company could face headwinds next year, as consumer demand is likely to be weaker than in 2021.&nbsp;

Samsung&nbsp;also faces legal challenges.&nbsp;

Its leader Lee Jae-yong is currently on trial, charged with manipulating a takeover to smooth his succession at the top of the&nbsp;Samsung&nbsp;group.

Lee was separately jailed in January over a sprawling corruption scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye.

South Korea's corporate leaders and scholars say a leadership vacuum could hamper the firm's decision-making about large-scale investments, previously key to its global rise.

But Lee's absence would not have much of an impact on&nbsp;Samsung's earnings for the second half, said Park of Cape Investment.&nbsp;

Still, his return to management "could accelerate the decision-making process for long term investments", he added. &nbsp;

Lee is eligible for parole next month after completing more than half of his two-and-a-half year jail term.

Meanwhile, LG Electronics, South Korea's second-largest appliance firm after&nbsp;Samsung, posted a 65.5 percent jump in operating profit for the second quarter, to 1.1 trillion won.&nbsp;Its shares rose 1.5 percent.&nbsp;

Samsung Electronics' net profits surged more than 70 percent in the second quarter thanks to higher memory chip prices fuelled by pandemic-led demand, the South Korean tech giant reported Thursday.

Samsung Electronics' net profits surged more than 70 percent in the second quarter thanks to higher memory chip prices fuelled by pandemic-led demand, the South Korean tech giant reported Thursday. Coronavirus-driven working from home boosted demand for devices and appliances powered by Samsung's memory chips. The company said that "memory shipments exceeded previous guidance and price increases were higher than expected". The world's biggest smartphone maker saw net profits rise 73.4 percent year-on-year to 9.6 trillion won ($8.4 billion) for April-June, the company said in a regulatory filing. Operating profit increased 54.3 percent to 12.6 trillion won from 8.1 trillion won a year earlier, more than half of which came from the firm's semiconductor business. The strong results come despite an on-quarter decline in Samsung's earnings from its smartphone business because of supply chain problems that disrupted global production. Samsung Electronics is the flagship subsidiary of the giant Samsung group, by far the largest of the family-controlled empires that dominate business in South Korea, the world's 12th largest economy. The conglomerate's overall turnover is equivalent to one-fifth of gross domestic product. Also read | Samsung may launch flagship phone early to grab Huawei share Analysts say the chip unit's proportion of the firm's profit is likely to grow in the months ahead. "Samsung will benefit from memory chip prices that are likely to go higher in the third and fourth quarter," Park Sung-soon, an analyst at Cape Investment & Securities, told AFP. The firm anticipates favourable market conditions for the rest of the year, with continued demand for memory chips in the server and mobile markets. But it warned pandemic-fuelled uncertainty would persist in the second half, noting "continued disruptions in component supply". Shares in Samsung Electronics closed down 0.25 percent on Thursday. Eligible for parole Samsung is expected to showcase the latest foldable smartphone models of its Galaxy Z and clamshell Galaxy Z Flip next month. Makers of foldables are increasingly competitive, and include rivals such as China's Huawei and Xiaomi. The upcoming gadgets will be equipped with "new multitasking capabilities and enhanced durability", said TM Roh, head of Samsung Electronics' mobile communications business. Samsung aims to solidify its position in the smartphone market "with the rollout of its premium mobile lineups as well as cheaper models in the third quarter", said James Kang, senior analyst at Euromonitor International. But Kang said the company could face headwinds next year, as consumer demand is likely to be weaker than in 2021. Samsung also faces legal challenges. Its leader Lee Jae-yong is currently on trial, charged with manipulating a takeover to smooth his succession at the top of the Samsung group. Lee was separately jailed in January over a sprawling corruption scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye. South Korea's corporate leaders and scholars say a leadership vacuum could hamper the firm's decision-making about large-scale investments, previously key to its global rise. But Lee's absence would not have much of an impact on Samsung's earnings for the second half, said Park of Cape Investment. Still, his return to management "could accelerate the decision-making process for long term investments", he added. Lee is eligible for parole next month after completing more than half of his two-and-a-half year jail term. Meanwhile, LG Electronics, South Korea's second-largest appliance firm after Samsung, posted a 65.5 percent jump in operating profit for the second quarter, to 1.1 trillion won. Its shares rose 1.5 percent.

Samsung reports surge in profit on pandemic-led demand for chips

India’s ambitious third mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-3, may get launched in the third quarter next year. The mission has been facing delays due to the pandemic. &nbsp;

In a written answer in the Parliament, Dr Jitendra Singh, minister of state for department of space, said, “Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be launched during the third quarter of 2022 assuming normal work-flow henceforth.”&nbsp;

Initially scheduled for late 2020 or early 2021, the mission was hit badly by the pandemic as it affected the schedule due to the manufacturing the modules.&nbsp;

The answer given by minister in Lok Sabha read, “The realisation of Chandrayaan-3 involves various processes, including finalisation of configuration, subsystem realisation (manufacturing), integration, spacecraft-level detailed testing and a number of special tests to evaluate the systems performance on Earth. The realisation process was hampered due to COVID-19 pandemic.”&nbsp;

Planned as only a lander-rover mission, the Chandrayaan-3 aimed to demonstrate the country’s capability of soft landing on a celestial body. It will be communicated with Earth via the existing orbiter from Chandrayaan-2. The orbiter’s lifespan has been estimated to be seven years.&nbsp;

It was announced a few months after the Vikram lander aboard Chandrayaan-2 mission crash-landed on the lunar surface in September 2019.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

India’s ambitious third mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-3, may get launched in the third quarter next year. The mission has been facing delays due to the pandemic.

India’s ambitious third mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-3, may get launched in the third quarter next year. The mission has been facing delays due to the pandemic. In a written answer in the Parliament, Dr Jitendra Singh, minister of state for department of space, said, “Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be launched during the third quarter of 2022 assuming normal work-flow henceforth.” Initially scheduled for late 2020 or early 2021, the mission was hit badly by the pandemic as it affected the schedule due to the manufacturing the modules. The answer given by minister in Lok Sabha read, “The realisation of Chandrayaan-3 involves various processes, including finalisation of configuration, subsystem realisation (manufacturing), integration, spacecraft-level detailed testing and a number of special tests to evaluate the systems performance on Earth. The realisation process was hampered due to COVID-19 pandemic.” Planned as only a lander-rover mission, the Chandrayaan-3 aimed to demonstrate the country’s capability of soft landing on a celestial body. It will be communicated with Earth via the existing orbiter from Chandrayaan-2. The orbiter’s lifespan has been estimated to be seven years. It was announced a few months after the Vikram lander aboard Chandrayaan-2 mission crash-landed on the lunar surface in September 2019. (With inputs from agencies)

India's moon mission Chandrayaan-3 may get launched in 2022’s third quarter, says Indian govt 

Being called a 'beacon of hope' for countries struggling with coronavirus, Bhutan, tiny Himalayan kingdom, has fully vaccinated 90% of its eligible adult population with COVID-19 vaccine shots in a week, said UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The feat is being lauded as a 'success story' by many. The campaign for inoculating the second dose of vaccine had begun on July 20. In just a week, 90% of the population had got their shots.&nbsp;

The campaign involved months of preparation, such as setting up of cold chain storage facilities in inaccessible health clinics, deploying helicopters to deliver jabs to remote locations and deploying an army of volunteers for distribution of the vaccines along mountain footpaths.&nbsp;

Out of an eligible population of 530,000 people, around 480,000 have been vaccinated by Tuesday, said UNICEF's Bhutan representative Will Parks from the capital Thimphu. &nbsp;

Parks added, it was "arguably the fastest vaccination campaign to be executed during a pandemic."&nbsp;

During its campaign for first dose of vaccine in March and April, Bhutan administered around 500,000 AstraZeneca vaccines, donated by India. For the second dose, Bhutan got 500,000 Moderna jabs from the United States through COVAX vaccine sharing programme while Denmark donated 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca.&nbsp;

Being called a 'beacon of hope' for countries struggling with coronavirus, Bhutan, tiny Himalayan kingdom, has fully vaccinated 90% of its eligible adult population with COVID-19 vaccine shots in a week, said UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday.

Being called a 'beacon of hope' for countries struggling with coronavirus, Bhutan, tiny Himalayan kingdom, has fully vaccinated 90% of its eligible adult population with COVID-19 vaccine shots in a week, said UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) on Tuesday. The feat is being lauded as a 'success story' by many. The campaign for inoculating the second dose of vaccine had begun on July 20. In just a week, 90% of the population had got their shots. The campaign involved months of preparation, such as setting up of cold chain storage facilities in inaccessible health clinics, deploying helicopters to deliver jabs to remote locations and deploying an army of volunteers for distribution of the vaccines along mountain footpaths. Out of an eligible population of 530,000 people, around 480,000 have been vaccinated by Tuesday, said UNICEF's Bhutan representative Will Parks from the capital Thimphu. Parks added, it was "arguably the fastest vaccination campaign to be executed during a pandemic." During its campaign for first dose of vaccine in March and April, Bhutan administered around 500,000 AstraZeneca vaccines, donated by India. For the second dose, Bhutan got 500,000 Moderna jabs from the United States through COVAX vaccine sharing programme while Denmark donated 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca.

Bhutan vaccinates 90% adult population, becomes a beacon of hope  

A first-of-its-kind concert took place in Chennai where plants became audiences. In this virtual series concert artists performed without actual audiences and maintained adequate social distancing norms. The organizers told that a special tree plantation drive will also be carried out after this programme.

India: First-of-its kind concert takes place in Chennai

During Monday's talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the highest-ranking Biden administration envoy to visit China, China urged the US to stop "demonising" it.&nbsp;

"The hope may be that by demonising China, the US could somehow... blame China for its structural problems," China's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding the relationship between the nations is in a "stalemate and faces serious difficulties."

Watch | Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-caught-on-camera-bats-locked-up-inside-the-wuhan-lab-391511/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

On July 22, China's National Health Commission rejected the WHO plan for a second phase of the investigation. Later, the US had expressed disappointment with the decision and termed it "dangerous".

Leading infectious disease scientists in the United States are warning that China's rejection of a World Health Organization plan for a new Covid-19 probe inside the country risks losing the rest of the world of crucial data required to detect and prevent future pandemics.&nbsp; 
 
Watch | Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-what-was-chinas-batwoman-up-to-at-the-wuhan-lab-391738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

China has also refused to reveal information about hospital admissions, claiming that doing so would violate individual privacy.

The lab-leak scenario has acquired a lot of popularity recently, prompting US President Joe Biden to assign the American intelligence team a 90-day deadline to figure out where the virus came from.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

During Monday's talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the highest-ranking Biden administration envoy to visit China, China urged the US to stop "demonising" it.

During Monday's talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, the highest-ranking Biden administration envoy to visit China, China urged the US to stop "demonising" it. "The hope may be that by demonising China, the US could somehow... blame China for its structural problems," China's foreign ministry said in a statement, adding the relationship between the nations is in a "stalemate and faces serious difficulties." Watch | Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab On July 22, China's National Health Commission rejected the WHO plan for a second phase of the investigation. Later, the US had expressed disappointment with the decision and termed it "dangerous". Leading infectious disease scientists in the United States are warning that China's rejection of a World Health Organization plan for a new Covid-19 probe inside the country risks losing the rest of the world of crucial data required to detect and prevent future pandemics. Watch | Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab? China has also refused to reveal information about hospital admissions, claiming that doing so would violate individual privacy. The lab-leak scenario has acquired a lot of popularity recently, prompting US President Joe Biden to assign the American intelligence team a 90-day deadline to figure out where the virus came from. (With inputs from agencies)

Stop 'demonising' China: Beijing urges the US as envoy visits

China's National Health Commission reported 40 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 39 in Jiangsu and one in Liaoning, in its daily report on Monday.

36 new imported cases were also detected, with 18 in Yunnan, eight in Guangdong, five in Fujian, two each in Inner Mongolia and Henan, and one in Beijing, according to Xinhua. 
 
Meanwhile, the Chinese government has reacted angrily to international speculation that COVID-19 originated in China, insisting that it "had numerous roots and broke out in multiple regions."

Watch: India supplies oxygen to Bangladesh to help cope up with COVID-19

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-supplies-oxygen-to-bangladesh-to-help-cope-up-with-covid-19-400617/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

China slammed the World Health Organization's (WHO) second-stage plan to investigate the origins of COVID-19, calling it "a product of political manipulation."&nbsp;

COVID-19 has had a huge effect on people's lives and livelihoods all across the world.

More than 4 million people have died as a result of the virus, which has also infected 193 million others around the world.

During the same time period, more than 610,000 COVID-19 deaths were reported in the United States.&nbsp;

The pandemic has also wreaked havoc on the global economy.

Its consequences include a steep drop in global gross domestic product and a significant decline in global trade in 2020. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

China's National Health Commission reported 40 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 39 in Jiangsu and one in Liaoning, in its daily report on Monday.

China's National Health Commission reported 40 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Sunday, including 39 in Jiangsu and one in Liaoning, in its daily report on Monday. 36 new imported cases were also detected, with 18 in Yunnan, eight in Guangdong, five in Fujian, two each in Inner Mongolia and Henan, and one in Beijing, according to Xinhua. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has reacted angrily to international speculation that COVID-19 originated in China, insisting that it "had numerous roots and broke out in multiple regions." Watch: India supplies oxygen to Bangladesh to help cope up with COVID-19 China slammed the World Health Organization's (WHO) second-stage plan to investigate the origins of COVID-19, calling it "a product of political manipulation." COVID-19 has had a huge effect on people's lives and livelihoods all across the world. More than 4 million people have died as a result of the virus, which has also infected 193 million others around the world. During the same time period, more than 610,000 COVID-19 deaths were reported in the United States. The pandemic has also wreaked havoc on the global economy. Its consequences include a steep drop in global gross domestic product and a significant decline in global trade in 2020. (With inputs from agencies)

Chinese mainland reports 40 new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases

China on Monday reported 76 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily rise since January, including 40 domestic transmissions prompting authorities to test millions in eastern Jiangsu province.&nbsp;

Beijing has a zero-risk approach to the virus, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. It locks down cities and mass tests whenever small clusters appear. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/stop-demonising-china-beijing-urges-the-us-as-envoy-visits-400627">Also read | Stop 'demonising' China: Beijing urges the US as envoy visits</a>

Tens of thousands of people are under lockdown in Jiangsu's provincial capital Nanjing as authorities test the city's 9.2 million residents after an outbreak linked to its airport last week.&nbsp;

"Of the 40 domestic cases, 39 were from Jiangsu province and one from Liaoning," the national health commission said in a statement Monday, adding there had been no new deaths.

Watch | Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab

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Contact tracing also found five individuals who travelled through the Nanjing airport and tested positive after arriving in neighbouring Anhui and three other provinces, sparking fears that the cluster could lead to a fresh nationwide outbreak.

This prompted Nanjing officials to announce the second round of mass testing for all residents starting Sunday to identify patients who may take longer than usual to show symptoms.&nbsp;

Beijing has rushed to curb recent mini-outbreaks in border provinces, aware of the risks of the fast-spreading Delta variant. &nbsp; 
 
Watch | Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-what-was-chinas-batwoman-up-to-at-the-wuhan-lab-391738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

One new case was reported Monday in the northeastern province of Liaoning that borders North Korea, bringing the total number of local transmissions in the region to five since Thursday.

Yunnan in the southwest has reported a spike in infections traced to neighbouring Myanmar, where the military government that seized power in February is struggling to contain a coronavirus surge.&nbsp;

The province has reported 79 cases since June 20 with nearly half linked to Myanmar.

Beijing has tightened border controls and even supplied over 10,000 Covid-19 vaccines to the Kachin Independence Army, a spokesman for the rebel group said Saturday.

The border town of Ruili in Yunnan is using facial recognition to track people's movements and health status as they enter and exit residential areas, supermarkets, transport hubs and other public places to squash the virus spread.

The southern manufacturing hub of Guangdong is building a quarantine clinic for international arrivals with 5,000 beds after being hit by a recent virus outbreak.

China has recorded 92,605 virus cases and 4,636 deaths since the initial outbreak in late 2019.

China on Monday reported 76 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily rise since January, including 40 domestic transmissions prompting authorities to test millions in eastern Jiangsu province.

China on Monday reported 76 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily rise since January, including 40 domestic transmissions prompting authorities to test millions in eastern Jiangsu province. Beijing has a zero-risk approach to the virus, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. It locks down cities and mass tests whenever small clusters appear. Also read | Stop 'demonising' China: Beijing urges the US as envoy visits Tens of thousands of people are under lockdown in Jiangsu's provincial capital Nanjing as authorities test the city's 9.2 million residents after an outbreak linked to its airport last week. "Of the 40 domestic cases, 39 were from Jiangsu province and one from Liaoning," the national health commission said in a statement Monday, adding there had been no new deaths. Watch | Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab Contact tracing also found five individuals who travelled through the Nanjing airport and tested positive after arriving in neighbouring Anhui and three other provinces, sparking fears that the cluster could lead to a fresh nationwide outbreak. This prompted Nanjing officials to announce the second round of mass testing for all residents starting Sunday to identify patients who may take longer than usual to show symptoms. Beijing has rushed to curb recent mini-outbreaks in border provinces, aware of the risks of the fast-spreading Delta variant. Watch | Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab? One new case was reported Monday in the northeastern province of Liaoning that borders North Korea, bringing the total number of local transmissions in the region to five since Thursday. Yunnan in the southwest has reported a spike in infections traced to neighbouring Myanmar, where the military government that seized power in February is struggling to contain a coronavirus surge. The province has reported 79 cases since June 20 with nearly half linked to Myanmar. Beijing has tightened border controls and even supplied over 10,000 Covid-19 vaccines to the Kachin Independence Army, a spokesman for the rebel group said Saturday. The border town of Ruili in Yunnan is using facial recognition to track people's movements and health status as they enter and exit residential areas, supermarkets, transport hubs and other public places to squash the virus spread. The southern manufacturing hub of Guangdong is building a quarantine clinic for international arrivals with 5,000 beds after being hit by a recent virus outbreak. China has recorded 92,605 virus cases and 4,636 deaths since the initial outbreak in late 2019.

New outbreak of COVID-19 in China: Highest daily rise since January

The British government will be&nbsp;exposed&nbsp;to financial&nbsp;risks&nbsp;from its 372 billion pound&nbsp;pandemic&nbsp;spending for&nbsp;decades, according to lawmakers'&nbsp;reports on Sunday that also said more than 2 billion pounds had been spent on unusable protective equipment.

In two&nbsp;reports on the response by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to the COVID-19&nbsp;pandemic, parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said lessons needed to be learned before a promised public inquiry due to be held in 2022.

"With eye-watering sums of money spent on COVID-19 measures so far the government needs to be clear, now, how this will be managed going forward, and over what period&nbsp;of time," Meg Hillier, the PAC chair, said.

"The ongoing risk to the taxpayer will run for 20 years on things like arts and culture recovery loans, let alone the other new&nbsp;risks that departments across government must quickly learn to manage."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-government-is-letting-people-get-infected-by-covid-aide-claims-400358">Also read |&nbsp;UK government is letting people get infected by Covid, aide claims</a>

The PAC highlighted an estimated loss of 26 billion pounds through fraud and repayment default from loans handed to businesses to help cope with the&nbsp;pandemic&nbsp;as an example of the ongoing financial risk.

In a second&nbsp;report, the committee said there had also been "unacceptably high" levels of wasteful spending, with 2.1 billion items of unsuitable personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased, equating to more than 2 billion pounds of public money.

The government said only 0.84 per cent&nbsp;of all PPE had been found to be unusable, and it had plans to repurpose that which could not be used in the health service.

"There are robust processes in place to ensure that government spending always provides value for money for the taxpayer," a Department of Health spokesperson said.

The opposition Labour Party said the findings were further evidence of failings by the government and said the inquiry into the&nbsp;pandemic&nbsp;needed to start immediately.

&nbsp;

The British government will be exposed to financial risks from its 372 billion pound pandemic spending for decades, according to lawmakers' reports on Sunday that also said more than 2 billion pounds had been spent on unusable protective equipment.

The British government will be exposed to financial risks from its 372 billion pound pandemic spending for decades, according to lawmakers' reports on Sunday that also said more than 2 billion pounds had been spent on unusable protective equipment. In two reports on the response by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to the COVID-19 pandemic, parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said lessons needed to be learned before a promised public inquiry due to be held in 2022. "With eye-watering sums of money spent on COVID-19 measures so far the government needs to be clear, now, how this will be managed going forward, and over what period of time," Meg Hillier, the PAC chair, said. "The ongoing risk to the taxpayer will run for 20 years on things like arts and culture recovery loans, let alone the other new risks that departments across government must quickly learn to manage." Also read | UK government is letting people get infected by Covid, aide claims The PAC highlighted an estimated loss of 26 billion pounds through fraud and repayment default from loans handed to businesses to help cope with the pandemic as an example of the ongoing financial risk. In a second report, the committee said there had also been "unacceptably high" levels of wasteful spending, with 2.1 billion items of unsuitable personal protective equipment (PPE) purchased, equating to more than 2 billion pounds of public money. The government said only 0.84 per cent of all PPE had been found to be unusable, and it had plans to repurpose that which could not be used in the health service. "There are robust processes in place to ensure that government spending always provides value for money for the taxpayer," a Department of Health spokesperson said. The opposition Labour Party said the findings were further evidence of failings by the government and said the inquiry into the pandemic needed to start immediately.

UK will be exposed to paying pandemic cost risks for decades: Report

India added 39,742 new cases of coronavirus infection taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,13,71,901, while the death toll rose to 4,20,551 with 535 fresh fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

The active cases have declined to 4,08,212 and comprise 1.30 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 97.36 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. A decline of 765 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours.

As many as 17,18,756 tests were conducted on Saturday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 45,62,89,567.

The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.31 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for 34 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.24 per cent.

The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,05,43,138, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated.

Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 43.31 crore under the nationwide vaccination drive. 
The 535 new fatalities include 224 from Maharashtra and 98 from Kerala.

A total of 4,20551 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,31,429 from Maharashtra, 36,352 from Karnataka, 33,889 from Tamil Nadu, 25,041 from Delhi, 22,749 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,064 from West Bengal. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.&nbsp;

India added 39,742 new cases of coronavirus infection taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,13,71,901, while the death toll rose to 4,20,551 with 535 fresh fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

India added 39,742 new cases of coronavirus infection taking the total tally of COVID-19 cases to 3,13,71,901, while the death toll rose to 4,20,551 with 535 fresh fatalities, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday. The active cases have declined to 4,08,212 and comprise 1.30 per cent of the total infections and the national COVID-19 recovery rate has been recorded at 97.36 per cent, the data updated at 8 am showed. A decline of 765 cases has been recorded in the active COVID-19 caseload in a span of 24 hours. As many as 17,18,756 tests were conducted on Saturday taking the total cumulative tests conducted so far for detection of COVID-19 in the country to 45,62,89,567. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 2.31 per cent. It has been less than three per cent for 34 consecutive days, the ministry said, adding the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 2.24 per cent. The number of people, who have recuperated from the disease surged to 3,05,43,138, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.34 per cent, the data stated. Cumulative vaccine doses administered so far has reached 43.31 crore under the nationwide vaccination drive. The 535 new fatalities include 224 from Maharashtra and 98 from Kerala. A total of 4,20551 deaths have been reported so far in the country including 1,31,429 from Maharashtra, 36,352 from Karnataka, 33,889 from Tamil Nadu, 25,041 from Delhi, 22,749 from Uttar Pradesh and 18,064 from West Bengal. The health ministry stressed that more than 70 per cent of the deaths occurred due to comorbidities.

COVID-19: India logs 39,742 new cases, 535 fresh fatalities

While the world is grappling with COVID-19 let's take a look at some countries and their fight against the virus.

How are different nations tackling COVID-19

Thy sky over the National Stadium in Tokyo exploded in indigo and white as fireworks marked the start of the opening ceremony for the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;on Friday, celebrating the world's best athletes set to compete amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-2020-highlights-top-moments-of-the-opening-ceremony-399834" hreflang="en">Tokyo Olympics 2020 Highlights: Top moments of the opening ceremony</a>

Postponed for a year, organisers were forced to take the unprecedented step of holding the Games without fans as the novel coronavirus is on the rise again, taking lives around the world.

Even the opening ceremony, normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities was eerily silent, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on the spectators to "be quiet around the venue."

Regardless, it marks a coming together of the world, with an audience of hundreds of millions around the globe and at various stages of the pandemic tuning in to watch the start of the greatest show in sport.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-olympics-pakistan-and-two-other-countries-make-awkward-entry-in-opening-ceremony-watch-400139">Pakistan and two other countries make awkward entry in opening ceremony- WATCH</a>&nbsp;

Indigo and white are the colours of Tokyo's Olympic emblem.

The opening video featured at the stadium recapped Japan's path to the Games and the challenges the world has faced since the selection of the Japanese capital as host in 2013.

It showed how in 2020 the coronavirus struck, with lockdowns forcing the unprecedented postponement only four months before the Games were supposed to open, setting off a roller-coaster period of uncertainty and preparations in isolation for the athletes.

Some of them are expected to use the ceremony to make statements about equality and justice and several nations will be represented by a man and a woman after the organisers changed their rules to allow two flagbearers.

ECHO OF '64

Japan had billed the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;as an echo of the 1964 Tokyo Games, which marked the country's return to the world stage after its devastating World War Two defeat, but this time showcasing its recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis.

Shortly before the fireworks, the opening video turned into the live action shot of the stadium where a lone female athlete placed her hand on the ground over a single seed.

She then slowly stood up with her shadow stretching out in the shape of a seedling, underscoring the Games' theme of rebirth after the pandemic as well as Japan's reconstruction after the 2011 disasters.

In the segment highlighting the impact of the pandemic on the athletes and people around the world unable to see the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;in person, the organisers showed a lone female athlete, Japanese boxer nurse Arisa Tsubata https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-tokyo-boxer-wider-image-idUSKBN2CT32I, training in the darkness, running silently on a treadmill.

Dozens of dancers moved about while projection mappings showed connections between them, highlighting how people around the world, including the athletes, have formed fresh connections online during the lockdown.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, both masked, entered the stadium and bowed to each other before sitting down socially distanced.

The Japanese flag was carried into the stadium by six people, one a rescue worker dressed in her gray uniform in contrast to the red and white uniforms sported by the others, who included former Olympians such as Sydney 2000 marathon winner Naoko Takahashi.

NO-FRILLS OPENING

The opening is taking place without the usual mass choreography, huge props and cornucopia of dancers, actors and lights associated with past celebrations.

A vastly smaller number of athletes will march in the teams' parade, with many planning to fly in just before their competitions and leave shortly after to avoid infections.

Only 15 global leaders are in attendance, along with Emperor Naruhito, who will formally open the Games as his grandfather Hirohito did in 1964, and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden.

The ceremony is marked by high-profile absences, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wooed the Games to Tokyo. A number of top sponsors and economic leaders will also stay away, highlighting strong opposition to the sporting extravaganza in COVID-fatigued Japan.

Hundreds of protesters carrying placards that read “Lives over&nbsp;Olympics” protested around the venue. The protesters, a mix of people in white surgical masks, yelled “Stop the&nbsp;Olympics” as they marched.

Only a third of the nation have had even one dose of vaccines, prompting worries the Games could become a super-spreader event. More than 100 people involved with the&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;have already tested positive.

The&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;have been hit by a string of scandals, including the exit of senior officials over derogatory comments about women, jokes about the Holocaust and bullying.

The Games run until Aug. 8.

About 11,000 athletes from 204 national Olympic committees are expected, along with a team of refugee athletes competing under the Olympic flag.

Thy sky over the National Stadium in Tokyo exploded in indigo and white as fireworks marked the start of the opening ceremony for the Olympics on Friday, celebrating the world's best athletes set to compete amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thy sky over the National Stadium in Tokyo exploded in indigo and white as fireworks marked the start of the opening ceremony for the Olympics on Friday, celebrating the world's best athletes set to compete amid the COVID-19 pandemic. ALSO READ: Tokyo Olympics 2020 Highlights: Top moments of the opening ceremony Postponed for a year, organisers were forced to take the unprecedented step of holding the Games without fans as the novel coronavirus is on the rise again, taking lives around the world. Even the opening ceremony, normally a star-studded display teeming with celebrities was eerily silent, with fewer than 1,000 people in attendance, strict social distancing rules and signs calling on the spectators to "be quiet around the venue." Regardless, it marks a coming together of the world, with an audience of hundreds of millions around the globe and at various stages of the pandemic tuning in to watch the start of the greatest show in sport. ALSO READ: Pakistan and two other countries make awkward entry in opening ceremony- WATCH Indigo and white are the colours of Tokyo's Olympic emblem. The opening video featured at the stadium recapped Japan's path to the Games and the challenges the world has faced since the selection of the Japanese capital as host in 2013. It showed how in 2020 the coronavirus struck, with lockdowns forcing the unprecedented postponement only four months before the Games were supposed to open, setting off a roller-coaster period of uncertainty and preparations in isolation for the athletes. Some of them are expected to use the ceremony to make statements about equality and justice and several nations will be represented by a man and a woman after the organisers changed their rules to allow two flagbearers. ECHO OF '64 Japan had billed the Olympics as an echo of the 1964 Tokyo Games, which marked the country's return to the world stage after its devastating World War Two defeat, but this time showcasing its recovery from the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis. Shortly before the fireworks, the opening video turned into the live action shot of the stadium where a lone female athlete placed her hand on the ground over a single seed. She then slowly stood up with her shadow stretching out in the shape of a seedling, underscoring the Games' theme of rebirth after the pandemic as well as Japan's reconstruction after the 2011 disasters. In the segment highlighting the impact of the pandemic on the athletes and people around the world unable to see the Olympics in person, the organisers showed a lone female athlete, Japanese boxer nurse Arisa Tsubata https://www.reuters.com/article/us-olympics-2020-tokyo-boxer-wider-image-idUSKBN2CT32I, training in the darkness, running silently on a treadmill. Dozens of dancers moved about while projection mappings showed connections between them, highlighting how people around the world, including the athletes, have formed fresh connections online during the lockdown. Japanese Emperor Naruhito and International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach, both masked, entered the stadium and bowed to each other before sitting down socially distanced. The Japanese flag was carried into the stadium by six people, one a rescue worker dressed in her gray uniform in contrast to the red and white uniforms sported by the others, who included former Olympians such as Sydney 2000 marathon winner Naoko Takahashi. NO-FRILLS OPENING The opening is taking place without the usual mass choreography, huge props and cornucopia of dancers, actors and lights associated with past celebrations. A vastly smaller number of athletes will march in the teams' parade, with many planning to fly in just before their competitions and leave shortly after to avoid infections. Only 15 global leaders are in attendance, along with Emperor Naruhito, who will formally open the Games as his grandfather Hirohito did in 1964, and U.S. First Lady Jill Biden. The ceremony is marked by high-profile absences, including former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who wooed the Games to Tokyo. A number of top sponsors and economic leaders will also stay away, highlighting strong opposition to the sporting extravaganza in COVID-fatigued Japan. Hundreds of protesters carrying placards that read “Lives over Olympics” protested around the venue. The protesters, a mix of people in white surgical masks, yelled “Stop the Olympics” as they marched. Only a third of the nation have had even one dose of vaccines, prompting worries the Games could become a super-spreader event. More than 100 people involved with the Olympics have already tested positive. The Olympics have been hit by a string of scandals, including the exit of senior officials over derogatory comments about women, jokes about the Holocaust and bullying. The Games run until Aug. 8. About 11,000 athletes from 204 national Olympic committees are expected, along with a team of refugee athletes competing under the Olympic flag.

Olympics-Fireworks get Tokyo's no-frills opening ceremony underway

US&nbsp;First Lady Jill Biden is leading her country's diplomatic delegation to the Tokyo 2020&nbsp;Olympics, sending a message of support to a key Asian ally despite concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

Biden, wearing a red dress and face mask, arrived at Yokota Air Base in Japan on Thursday afternoon and was greeted by Japan's foreign minister and by US&nbsp;and Japanese base officials, at the start of a lengthy visit to Japan.

Olympics&nbsp;and Japanese officials have forged ahead with the sports spectacle despite public opposition in the country to hosting huge numbers of athletes, staff and media - more than 11,000 in the athletes' village alone - dozens of whom have already tested positive&nbsp;for COVID-19.

But US&nbsp;President Joe Biden sees the pandemic-postponed Games as a critical moment for showing support for a longtime ally and trading partner who he hopes will support US&nbsp;efforts to check China's rise, aides said.

Later on Thursday, Jill Biden will have dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his wife Mariko at Akasaka Palace, according to the White House.

On the way, Biden stopped in Alaska to greet military families and encourage vaccination.

Suga is meeting with only about 15 world leaders on the sidelines of the&nbsp;Olympics, compared with up to 120 previously, a spokesperson said. President Biden hosted Suga at the White House in April.

The&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;trip is the first lady's first solo adventure abroad and will include three days on the ground in Japan.

She plans to attend the opening ceremony on Friday, as well as meet with Team USA athletes, US&nbsp;foreign service officers and Japanese Emperor Naruhito.

US First Lady Jill Biden is leading her country's diplomatic delegation to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, sending a message of support to a key Asian ally despite concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic.

US First Lady Jill Biden is leading her country's diplomatic delegation to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, sending a message of support to a key Asian ally despite concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden, wearing a red dress and face mask, arrived at Yokota Air Base in Japan on Thursday afternoon and was greeted by Japan's foreign minister and by US and Japanese base officials, at the start of a lengthy visit to Japan. Olympics and Japanese officials have forged ahead with the sports spectacle despite public opposition in the country to hosting huge numbers of athletes, staff and media - more than 11,000 in the athletes' village alone - dozens of whom have already tested positive for COVID-19. But US President Joe Biden sees the pandemic-postponed Games as a critical moment for showing support for a longtime ally and trading partner who he hopes will support US efforts to check China's rise, aides said. Later on Thursday, Jill Biden will have dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his wife Mariko at Akasaka Palace, according to the White House. On the way, Biden stopped in Alaska to greet military families and encourage vaccination. Suga is meeting with only about 15 world leaders on the sidelines of the Olympics, compared with up to 120 previously, a spokesperson said. President Biden hosted Suga at the White House in April. The Olympics trip is the first lady's first solo adventure abroad and will include three days on the ground in Japan. She plans to attend the opening ceremony on Friday, as well as meet with Team USA athletes, US foreign service officers and Japanese Emperor Naruhito.

Jill Biden leads US delegation to Tokyo Games amid pandemic fears

China is blocking the World Health Organization's call for a new investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, which includes looking into whether it leaked from a lab, claiming that there is no proof for the theory and that it violates common sense.&nbsp;

China warned that a WHO plan to inspect Chinese labs as part of a larger investigation into the origins of the coronavirus outbreak demonstrates "disrespect" and "arrogance toward science."

Following increased pressure from the US for an investigation into a biotech facility in Wuhan, the WHO stated last week that a second stage of the international probe should include audits of Chinese facilities.&nbsp;

Liang Wannian, an epidemiologist who led a team of Chinese scientists working with the WHO said that the Wuhan laboratory "never possessed the virus."

“There's no reason for us to devote further resources to a lab leak investigation.”&nbsp;

"Audits of relevant laboratories and research institutions functioning in the vicinity of the initial human cases detected in December 2019," is one of the key aspects of the probe,&nbsp;according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was referring to the Chinese city of Wuhan.&nbsp;

Watch | Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab

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The search for the virus's origins has been marred by debate, with officials in Beijing and Washington promoting opposing viewpoints on how the illness emerged.&nbsp;

Chinese officials stated that they are determined to learn more about the novel coronavirus's origins, which they believe should be based on science. 
 
Watch | Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab?

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Political posturing has tainted the WHO's plans to make the lab leak hypothesis a priority for the next round of investigation, displaying "arrogance against science," they said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

China is blocking the World Health Organization's call for a new investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, which includes looking into whether it leaked from a lab, claiming that there is no proof for the theory and that it violates common sense.

China is blocking the World Health Organization's call for a new investigation into the origins of the coronavirus, which includes looking into whether it leaked from a lab, claiming that there is no proof for the theory and that it violates common sense. China warned that a WHO plan to inspect Chinese labs as part of a larger investigation into the origins of the coronavirus outbreak demonstrates "disrespect" and "arrogance toward science." Following increased pressure from the US for an investigation into a biotech facility in Wuhan, the WHO stated last week that a second stage of the international probe should include audits of Chinese facilities. Liang Wannian, an epidemiologist who led a team of Chinese scientists working with the WHO said that the Wuhan laboratory "never possessed the virus." “There's no reason for us to devote further resources to a lab leak investigation.” "Audits of relevant laboratories and research institutions functioning in the vicinity of the initial human cases detected in December 2019," is one of the key aspects of the probe, according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who was referring to the Chinese city of Wuhan. Watch | Gravitas: Caught On Camera: Bats locked up inside the Wuhan lab The search for the virus's origins has been marred by debate, with officials in Beijing and Washington promoting opposing viewpoints on how the illness emerged. Chinese officials stated that they are determined to learn more about the novel coronavirus's origins, which they believe should be based on science. Watch | Gravitas: What was China's Batwoman up to at the Wuhan lab? Political posturing has tainted the WHO's plans to make the lab leak hypothesis a priority for the next round of investigation, displaying "arrogance against science," they said. (With inputs from agencies)

COVID-19: Wuhan lab leak study — China opposes virus origins probe

Coca-Cola Co will rely on its pandemic-tested strategy of focusing on bigger brands and doubling down on its supply chain to combat a potential impact from the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/delta-is-the-fastest-covid-19-variant-and-will-pick-off-the-most-vulnerable-who-393278">Delta variant</a> of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus</a>, its finance chief said on Wednesday.

CFO John Murphy's comments come as the re-opening of global economies helped the beverage giant beat second-quarter expectations and raise its full-year sales forecast, sending the Dow component's shares up as much as 3 per cent.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/coca-cola-loses-4-billion-as-cristiano-ronaldo-removes-soft-drink-bottles-at-a-presser-391777">Coca Cola loses $4 billion as Cristiano Ronaldo removes soft drink bottles at a presser</a>

Surging infections from Australia to the United States have brought back lockdowns and other restrictions in some regions, raising fears over the pace of the economic recovery and rattling stock markets earlier this week.

Sales in some markets in Asia were hit in the second quarter from the resurgence, Murphy said, adding some likely impact of the variant was baked into the raised sales forecast.

"When things get more constrained, the bigger brands are the ones you focus on," Murphy told Reuters.

Coca-Cola has streamlined its product range over the past year to ease the fallout from the pandemic. The company, which owns brands such as Sprite, Fanta and Dasani, has discontinued its TaB diet soda and Coca-Cola Energy brands in the United States and sold its ZICO coconut water brand.

The company is particularly vulnerable to the closing of theatres, restaurants and stadiums, unlike rival PepsiCo that relies more on grocery and retail channels.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coca-cola-promotes-anti-white-rhetoric-invites-backlash-365070">Coca-Cola promotes anti-white rhetoric, invites backlash</a>

"If we have a re-closing of venues or capacity restrictions re-implemented, Coke sales are going to suffer. For that reason we view it as the riskier name to Pepsi," said Garrett Nelson, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research.

Coca-Cola's adjusted overall revenue rose 41.1 per cent in the second quarter to $10.13 billion, beating estimates of $9.32 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitv.

The company raised its annual organic revenue target to an increase of 12 per cent to 14 per cent, from the high single digits rise expected earlier. Annual adjusted earnings per share are expected to rise 13 per cent to 15 per cent.

Adjusted earnings of 68 cents per share beat expectations of 56 cents.

Coca-Cola Co will rely on its pandemic-tested strategy of focusing on bigger brands and doubling down on its supply chain to combat a potential impact from the Delta variant of the coronavirus, its finance chief said on Wednesday.

Coca-Cola Co will rely on its pandemic-tested strategy of focusing on bigger brands and doubling down on its supply chain to combat a potential impact from the Delta variant of the coronavirus, its finance chief said on Wednesday. CFO John Murphy's comments come as the re-opening of global economies helped the beverage giant beat second-quarter expectations and raise its full-year sales forecast, sending the Dow component's shares up as much as 3 per cent. Also read | Coca Cola loses $4 billion as Cristiano Ronaldo removes soft drink bottles at a presser Surging infections from Australia to the United States have brought back lockdowns and other restrictions in some regions, raising fears over the pace of the economic recovery and rattling stock markets earlier this week. Sales in some markets in Asia were hit in the second quarter from the resurgence, Murphy said, adding some likely impact of the variant was baked into the raised sales forecast. "When things get more constrained, the bigger brands are the ones you focus on," Murphy told Reuters. Coca-Cola has streamlined its product range over the past year to ease the fallout from the pandemic. The company, which owns brands such as Sprite, Fanta and Dasani, has discontinued its TaB diet soda and Coca-Cola Energy brands in the United States and sold its ZICO coconut water brand. The company is particularly vulnerable to the closing of theatres, restaurants and stadiums, unlike rival PepsiCo that relies more on grocery and retail channels. Also read | Coca-Cola promotes anti-white rhetoric, invites backlash "If we have a re-closing of venues or capacity restrictions re-implemented, Coke sales are going to suffer. For that reason we view it as the riskier name to Pepsi," said Garrett Nelson, senior equity analyst at CFRA Research. Coca-Cola's adjusted overall revenue rose 41.1 per cent in the second quarter to $10.13 billion, beating estimates of $9.32 billion, according to IBES data from Refinitv. The company raised its annual organic revenue target to an increase of 12 per cent to 14 per cent, from the high single digits rise expected earlier. Annual adjusted earnings per share are expected to rise 13 per cent to 15 per cent. Adjusted earnings of 68 cents per share beat expectations of 56 cents.

Coca-Cola leans on early pandemic lessons to prepare for Delta variant hit

The Tour de France's Saitama Criterium has been cancelled for the second straight year over rising Covid-19 cases, organizers said, days before the Tokyo Olympic opening ceremony.

"We have reached the conclusion that our priority is ensuring the safety and security of the people of Saitama, athletes and other participants, and fans," organisers said in a statement late Tuesday.

"Various anti-infection measures are being taken... but the expanding spread of infections in Japan remains unpredictable," the statement said.

The annual autumn race features winners and stars from the Tour de France and attracts some 100,000 fans to the Saitama region, north of Tokyo.

But the pandemic forced the event's cancellation last year for the first time since it started in 2013.

The greater Tokyo region has seen a rapid rise of new infections in recent weeks, prompting the central government to place the area under a state of emergency.

The measure is much looser than a lockdown, however, and Japan's pandemic outbreak remains much smaller than in many other countries.

The Tokyo Olympics started competition Wednesday with a softball game between Japan and Australia.

The Games, which will officially open Friday, will be held mostly behind closed doors with athletes and officials placed under strict anti-virus protocols.

The Tour de France's Saitama Criterium has been cancelled for the second straight year over rising Covid-19 cases, organizers said, days before the Tokyo Olympic opening ceremony.

The Tour de France's Saitama Criterium has been cancelled for the second straight year over rising Covid-19 cases, organizers said, days before the Tokyo Olympic opening ceremony. "We have reached the conclusion that our priority is ensuring the safety and security of the people of Saitama, athletes and other participants, and fans," organisers said in a statement late Tuesday. "Various anti-infection measures are being taken... but the expanding spread of infections in Japan remains unpredictable," the statement said. The annual autumn race features winners and stars from the Tour de France and attracts some 100,000 fans to the Saitama region, north of Tokyo. But the pandemic forced the event's cancellation last year for the first time since it started in 2013. The greater Tokyo region has seen a rapid rise of new infections in recent weeks, prompting the central government to place the area under a state of emergency. The measure is much looser than a lockdown, however, and Japan's pandemic outbreak remains much smaller than in many other countries. The Tokyo Olympics started competition Wednesday with a softball game between Japan and Australia. The Games, which will officially open Friday, will be held mostly behind closed doors with athletes and officials placed under strict anti-virus protocols.

Japan's cycling Saitama Criterium cancelled over pandemic

After a drop last year, global greenhouse gas emissions will grow again this year and next year, putting 2023 on course to be the year with the greatest levels of carbon dioxide output in human history, according to the International Energy Agency.&nbsp;

The IEA predicted in its latest report monitoring pandemic recovery efforts worldwide that governments had provided $380 billion in clean energy support out of a total of $16 trillion in pandemic support.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-cities-witnessed-spike-in-no2-pollution-between-april-2020-and-2021-report-396661">Also read | Indian cities witnessed spike in NO2 pollution between April 2020 and 2021: Report</a> 
 
Even if all of these steps were implemented on time, the world would still be “far from what is required to put the world on a road to net-zero emissions by mid-century,” according to the report.

It isn't even enough to keep global emissions from reaching new highs, according to IEA's executive director.&nbsp; 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/in-pics-fatal-flooding-in-western-germany-398443">In Pics | Fatal flooding in Western Germany</a>

Such an increase would put the Paris climate agreement's goals out of reach, as experts have warned that emissions must be cut in half this decade if global temperature rises are to be kept at 1.5 degrees Celsius, beyond which the effects of climate breakdown will destroy huge areas of the globe.&nbsp;

Watch | Gravitas Plus: Who is responsible for Climate Change?

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Watch | Greenhouse gases hit new record despite lockdowns

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Governments all across the world have pledged to promote "green" recovery and use pandemic assistance measures to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels.

However, studies have regularly concluded that such spending falls well short of what is required to keep global warming from reaching catastrophic levels.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

After a drop last year, global greenhouse gas emissions will grow again this year and next year, putting 2023 on course to be the year with the greatest levels of carbon dioxide output in human history, according to the International Energy Agency.

After a drop last year, global greenhouse gas emissions will grow again this year and next year, putting 2023 on course to be the year with the greatest levels of carbon dioxide output in human history, according to the International Energy Agency. The IEA predicted in its latest report monitoring pandemic recovery efforts worldwide that governments had provided $380 billion in clean energy support out of a total of $16 trillion in pandemic support. Also read | Indian cities witnessed spike in NO2 pollution between April 2020 and 2021: Report Even if all of these steps were implemented on time, the world would still be “far from what is required to put the world on a road to net-zero emissions by mid-century,” according to the report. It isn't even enough to keep global emissions from reaching new highs, according to IEA's executive director. In Pics | Fatal flooding in Western Germany Such an increase would put the Paris climate agreement's goals out of reach, as experts have warned that emissions must be cut in half this decade if global temperature rises are to be kept at 1.5 degrees Celsius, beyond which the effects of climate breakdown will destroy huge areas of the globe. Watch | Gravitas Plus: Who is responsible for Climate Change? Watch | Greenhouse gases hit new record despite lockdowns Governments all across the world have pledged to promote "green" recovery and use pandemic assistance measures to accelerate the transition away from fossil fuels. However, studies have regularly concluded that such spending falls well short of what is required to keep global warming from reaching catastrophic levels. (With inputs from agencies)

Greenhouse gas emissions are on track to set a new record in 2023: IEA

In its largest-ever crisis response, the World Bank has deployed over $157 billion to fight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, economic and social fronts over the last 15 months.

This represents an increase of more than 60 per cent over the 15-month period prior to the pandemic, the bank said on Monday.

"Since the start of the pandemic, the World Bank Group has committed or mobilised a record $157 billion in new financing, an unprecedented level of support for an unprecedented crisis," World Bank Group President David Malpass said.

"We will continue to provide critical assistance to developing countries through this ongoing pandemic to help achieve a more broad-based economic recovery," he said.

The Bank Group has proven to be a rapid, innovative, and effective platform to support developing countries as they respond to the pandemic and strengthen resilience for future shocks, Malpass said.

"But we must still do more," he said, adding that he remains deeply concerned about the limited availability of vaccines, which are critical to saving lives and livelihoods, for developing countries.

According to a press release, support to countries from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development totalled $45.6 billion, including drawing down IBRD's $10 billion crisis buffer in addition to the board-approved sustainable annual lending limits.

Grants and zero or low-interest loans to the world's poorest countries from the International Development Association (IDA) amounted to $53.3 billion. To meet increased financing needs, the World Bank fully used all the remaining IDA18 resources in fiscal 2020 and frontloaded about half of all the three-year envelope of IDA19 resources in FY21, it said.

In February 2021, IDA donor and borrower country representatives agreed to advance IDA20 by 12 months to enable continued surge financing in the coming years, it added.

Over the same 15 months, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group's private sector development arm, reached a record high of $42.7 billion in financing, including short-term finance ($10.4 billion) and mobilisation ($14.9 billion), 37 per cent of which was in low-income and fragile and conflict-affected states, the release said.

The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), whose mandate is to drive impactful foreign direct investment to developing countries, issued $7.6 billion in new guarantees over the same 15-month period since the onset of the pandemic, of which 19 per cent supported projects in IDA countries and fragile settings, it said. 
&nbsp;

In its largest-ever crisis response, the World Bank has deployed over $157 billion to fight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, economic and social fronts over the last 15 months.

In its largest-ever crisis response, the World Bank has deployed over $157 billion to fight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on health, economic and social fronts over the last 15 months. This represents an increase of more than 60 per cent over the 15-month period prior to the pandemic, the bank said on Monday. "Since the start of the pandemic, the World Bank Group has committed or mobilised a record $157 billion in new financing, an unprecedented level of support for an unprecedented crisis," World Bank Group President David Malpass said. "We will continue to provide critical assistance to developing countries through this ongoing pandemic to help achieve a more broad-based economic recovery," he said. The Bank Group has proven to be a rapid, innovative, and effective platform to support developing countries as they respond to the pandemic and strengthen resilience for future shocks, Malpass said. "But we must still do more," he said, adding that he remains deeply concerned about the limited availability of vaccines, which are critical to saving lives and livelihoods, for developing countries. According to a press release, support to countries from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development totalled $45.6 billion, including drawing down IBRD's $10 billion crisis buffer in addition to the board-approved sustainable annual lending limits. Grants and zero or low-interest loans to the world's poorest countries from the International Development Association (IDA) amounted to $53.3 billion. To meet increased financing needs, the World Bank fully used all the remaining IDA18 resources in fiscal 2020 and frontloaded about half of all the three-year envelope of IDA19 resources in FY21, it said. In February 2021, IDA donor and borrower country representatives agreed to advance IDA20 by 12 months to enable continued surge financing in the coming years, it added. Over the same 15 months, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group's private sector development arm, reached a record high of $42.7 billion in financing, including short-term finance ($10.4 billion) and mobilisation ($14.9 billion), 37 per cent of which was in low-income and fragile and conflict-affected states, the release said. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), whose mandate is to drive impactful foreign direct investment to developing countries, issued $7.6 billion in new guarantees over the same 15-month period since the onset of the pandemic, of which 19 per cent supported projects in IDA countries and fragile settings, it said.

World Bank deployed $157 billion to fight pandemic in 15 months

By the thousands, they sleep in hallways, tents and cars, gasping for air as they wait for beds in overcrowded hospitals that may not have oxygen to give them. Others see hospitals as hopeless, even dangerous, and take their chances at home.

Wherever they lie, as COVID-19 steals their breath away, their families engage in a frantic, daily hunt for scarce supplies of life-giving oxygen.

Indonesia has become the new epicenter of the pandemic, surpassing India and Brazil to become the country with the world’s highest count of new infections. The surge is part of a wave across Southeast Asia, where vaccination rates are low but countries had, until recently, contained the virus relatively well​. Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand are also facing their largest outbreaks yet and have imposed new restrictions, including lockdowns and stay-at-home orders.

In Indonesia, cases and deaths have skyrocketed in the past month as the highly contagious delta variant sweeps through densely populated Java island, as well as Bali. In some regions, the coronavirus has pushed the medical system past its limits, although hospitals are taking emergency steps to expand capacity.

Bekasi Regional Public Hospital, where some COVID patients have waited days for treatment, has erected large tents on its grounds, with beds for up to 150 people. Nearby in Jakarta, the capital, a long line of people waited for hours outside a small dispensary, hoping to fill their portable tanks with oxygen.

Among them was Nyimas Siti Nadia, 28, who had been searching for oxygen for her aunt’s family, all sick with COVID.

“She is a doctor and she is afraid to go to a hospital because she knows the situation,” Nyimas said. “There are many instances where patients do not get beds or oxygen. If we go to the hospital, we have to bring our own oxygen.”

On Thursday, Indonesian authorities reported nearly 57,000 new cases, the highest daily total yet — seven times as many as a month earlier. On Friday, they reported a record 1,205 deaths, bringing the country’s official toll from the pandemic to more than 71,000.

But some health experts say those figures vastly understate the spread in Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most-populous nation, because testing has been limited. Dicky Budiman, an Indonesian public health researcher at Griffith University in Australia, estimates that the true number of cases is three to six times higher.

In India, where the delta variant was first identified, daily cases peaked at more than 414,000 in May, but they have since dropped to about 40,000.

Despite Indonesia’s mushrooming caseload, officials say they have the situation under control.

“If we talk about the worst-case scenario, 60,000 or slightly more, we are pretty OK,” said Luhut Pandjaitan, a senior minister assigned by President Joko Widodo to handle the crisis. “We are hoping that it will not reach 100,000, but even so, we are preparing now for if we ever get there.”

Many Indonesians, however, have been facing their worst-case scenarios for weeks.

Family members describe nightmare scenes of trying to get a hospital to admit their sick relatives. Some hospitals were accepting only patients who brought their own oxygen, they said. At others, patients waited wherever they could find space to lie down.

In Bekasi, a city of 2.5 million that adjoins Jakarta, patients have flocked to the regional public hospital. To accommodate the surge, 10 large tents were set up on the grounds, equipped with beds for as many as 150 people.

Lisa Wiliana’s husband had been in one of the tents since the previous day, waiting for space in a ward. After nine days of sickness, she said, his oxygen saturation level had dropped to 84, well below the range of 95-100 that is considered healthy. The hospital was giving him some oxygen, but she had to arrange to get more.

“We are waiting for an available room because it is full,” she said. “What else can we do? The important thing is to get the oxygen, because he already had trouble breathing. It was scary.”

Even being admitted does not make getting oxygen a certainty. At Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, in the city of Yogyakarta, 33 patients died this month after the central oxygen supply ran out. The staff switched to tanks donated by the police, but it was too late for many patients.

Overwhelmed hospitals have added thousands of beds, but on average, 10% of their health care workers are in isolation after exposure to the virus, said Dr. Lia G. Partakusuma, secretary-general of the Indonesian Hospital Association. Some hospitals are using five times as much liquid oxygen as normal, and distributors are having difficulty keeping up with the demand, she said.

“Some hospitals have said, ‘If you brought your own oxygen tank, please use it first because we have a limited oxygen supply,’” she said. “But it is not a requirement for them to bring their own oxygen.”

With hospitals so overcrowded, many people choose to stay home — and many die there. Lapor COVID, a nonprofit group that is tracking deaths from the disease, reports that at least 40 COVID patients a day are now dying at home.

The president has stopped short of a nationwide lockdown but ordered restrictions in Java and Bali, including closing places of worship, schools, shopping malls and sports facilities, reducing public-transit capacity and limiting restaurants to takeout. The restrictions are set to expire Tuesday, but officials are weighing whether to extend them.

Only about 15% of Indonesia’s 270 million people have received a dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and just 6% are fully inoculated. Indonesia has relied heavily on the vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech, a Chinese company, which has proved less effective than other shots. At least 20 Indonesian doctors who were fully vaccinated with Sinovac have died from the virus.

This past week, the United States donated 4.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Indonesia. Officials said the first priority would be to give booster shots to nearly 1.5 million health workers.

Budiman, the Indonesian public health researcher in Australia, predicted more than a year ago that Indonesia would become a pandemic epicenter because of its dense population and weak health care system. He has urged more testing, contact tracing and isolation of infected individuals.

Indonesia’s health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said Friday that the country had increased testing to about 230,000 people a day, from about 30,000 in December. His target is 400,000 a day.

But Budiman contends that testing is still woefully limited, noting that in recent days, the share of tests that came up positive had risen to more than 30%. Health experts say a high rate is a sign of too little testing.

“For more than a year, our test positivity rate has almost never been below 10%, which means we are missing many cases and we cannot identify the majority of infections and the clusters,” he said.

Outside the small CV Rintis Usaha Bersama oxygen shop in South Jakarta, more than 100 customers lined up in the street with their oxygen tanks and waited hours for the chance to refill them.

Alif Akhirul Ramadan, 27, said he was getting oxygen for his 77-year-old grandmother, who was being cared for by family members at home. He said that her condition had suddenly worsened and that her tank was running low.

“Now it has to be refilled,” said Alif, who has had COVID twice. “There is no backup at home. That is why we need to refill it quickly.”

By the thousands, they sleep in hallways, tents and cars, gasping for air as they wait for beds in overcrowded hospitals that may not have oxygen to give them. Others see hospitals as hopeless, even dangerous, and take their chances at home.

By the thousands, they sleep in hallways, tents and cars, gasping for air as they wait for beds in overcrowded hospitals that may not have oxygen to give them. Others see hospitals as hopeless, even dangerous, and take their chances at home. Wherever they lie, as COVID-19 steals their breath away, their families engage in a frantic, daily hunt for scarce supplies of life-giving oxygen. Indonesia has become the new epicenter of the pandemic, surpassing India and Brazil to become the country with the world’s highest count of new infections. The surge is part of a wave across Southeast Asia, where vaccination rates are low but countries had, until recently, contained the virus relatively well. Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand are also facing their largest outbreaks yet and have imposed new restrictions, including lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. In Indonesia, cases and deaths have skyrocketed in the past month as the highly contagious delta variant sweeps through densely populated Java island, as well as Bali. In some regions, the coronavirus has pushed the medical system past its limits, although hospitals are taking emergency steps to expand capacity. Bekasi Regional Public Hospital, where some COVID patients have waited days for treatment, has erected large tents on its grounds, with beds for up to 150 people. Nearby in Jakarta, the capital, a long line of people waited for hours outside a small dispensary, hoping to fill their portable tanks with oxygen. Among them was Nyimas Siti Nadia, 28, who had been searching for oxygen for her aunt’s family, all sick with COVID. “She is a doctor and she is afraid to go to a hospital because she knows the situation,” Nyimas said. “There are many instances where patients do not get beds or oxygen. If we go to the hospital, we have to bring our own oxygen.” On Thursday, Indonesian authorities reported nearly 57,000 new cases, the highest daily total yet — seven times as many as a month earlier. On Friday, they reported a record 1,205 deaths, bringing the country’s official toll from the pandemic to more than 71,000. But some health experts say those figures vastly understate the spread in Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most-populous nation, because testing has been limited. Dicky Budiman, an Indonesian public health researcher at Griffith University in Australia, estimates that the true number of cases is three to six times higher. In India, where the delta variant was first identified, daily cases peaked at more than 414,000 in May, but they have since dropped to about 40,000. Despite Indonesia’s mushrooming caseload, officials say they have the situation under control. “If we talk about the worst-case scenario, 60,000 or slightly more, we are pretty OK,” said Luhut Pandjaitan, a senior minister assigned by President Joko Widodo to handle the crisis. “We are hoping that it will not reach 100,000, but even so, we are preparing now for if we ever get there.” Many Indonesians, however, have been facing their worst-case scenarios for weeks. Family members describe nightmare scenes of trying to get a hospital to admit their sick relatives. Some hospitals were accepting only patients who brought their own oxygen, they said. At others, patients waited wherever they could find space to lie down. In Bekasi, a city of 2.5 million that adjoins Jakarta, patients have flocked to the regional public hospital. To accommodate the surge, 10 large tents were set up on the grounds, equipped with beds for as many as 150 people. Lisa Wiliana’s husband had been in one of the tents since the previous day, waiting for space in a ward. After nine days of sickness, she said, his oxygen saturation level had dropped to 84, well below the range of 95-100 that is considered healthy. The hospital was giving him some oxygen, but she had to arrange to get more. “We are waiting for an available room because it is full,” she said. “What else can we do? The important thing is to get the oxygen, because he already had trouble breathing. It was scary.” Even being admitted does not make getting oxygen a certainty. At Dr. Sardjito General Hospital, in the city of Yogyakarta, 33 patients died this month after the central oxygen supply ran out. The staff switched to tanks donated by the police, but it was too late for many patients. Overwhelmed hospitals have added thousands of beds, but on average, 10% of their health care workers are in isolation after exposure to the virus, said Dr. Lia G. Partakusuma, secretary-general of the Indonesian Hospital Association. Some hospitals are using five times as much liquid oxygen as normal, and distributors are having difficulty keeping up with the demand, she said. “Some hospitals have said, ‘If you brought your own oxygen tank, please use it first because we have a limited oxygen supply,’” she said. “But it is not a requirement for them to bring their own oxygen.” With hospitals so overcrowded, many people choose to stay home — and many die there. Lapor COVID, a nonprofit group that is tracking deaths from the disease, reports that at least 40 COVID patients a day are now dying at home. The president has stopped short of a nationwide lockdown but ordered restrictions in Java and Bali, including closing places of worship, schools, shopping malls and sports facilities, reducing public-transit capacity and limiting restaurants to takeout. The restrictions are set to expire Tuesday, but officials are weighing whether to extend them. Only about 15% of Indonesia’s 270 million people have received a dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and just 6% are fully inoculated. Indonesia has relied heavily on the vaccine made by Sinovac Biotech, a Chinese company, which has proved less effective than other shots. At least 20 Indonesian doctors who were fully vaccinated with Sinovac have died from the virus. This past week, the United States donated 4.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine to Indonesia. Officials said the first priority would be to give booster shots to nearly 1.5 million health workers. Budiman, the Indonesian public health researcher in Australia, predicted more than a year ago that Indonesia would become a pandemic epicenter because of its dense population and weak health care system. He has urged more testing, contact tracing and isolation of infected individuals. Indonesia’s health minister, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, said Friday that the country had increased testing to about 230,000 people a day, from about 30,000 in December. His target is 400,000 a day. But Budiman contends that testing is still woefully limited, noting that in recent days, the share of tests that came up positive had risen to more than 30%. Health experts say a high rate is a sign of too little testing. “For more than a year, our test positivity rate has almost never been below 10%, which means we are missing many cases and we cannot identify the majority of infections and the clusters,” he said. Outside the small CV Rintis Usaha Bersama oxygen shop in South Jakarta, more than 100 customers lined up in the street with their oxygen tanks and waited hours for the chance to refill them. Alif Akhirul Ramadan, 27, said he was getting oxygen for his 77-year-old grandmother, who was being cared for by family members at home. He said that her condition had suddenly worsened and that her tank was running low. “Now it has to be refilled,” said Alif, who has had COVID twice. “There is no backup at home. That is why we need to refill it quickly.”

The pandemic has a new epicenter: Indonesia

Two-thirds of people in Japan do not believe the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey published by the Asahi newspaper just four days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo. 
 
In the poll, 68% of respondents expressed doubt about the ability of Olympic organisers to control coronavirus infections, with 55% saying they were opposed to the Games going ahead. 
 
Three-quarters of the 1,444 people in the telephone survey said they agreed with a decision to ban spectators from events. 
 
As COVID-19 infections rise in Tokyo, forcing the government into a fourth state of emergency, public concern has grown about hosting an event that is bringing tens of thousands of overseas athletes, officials and journalists into Japan's capital. 
 
Games officials on Sunday reported the first COVID-19 case among competitors in the athletes' village in Tokyo, bringing the total number of cases connected to the Olympics to at least 10. 
 
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has said he hopes the Japanese public will warm to the Games once competition begins and as Japanese athletes begin winning medals.

Two-thirds of people in Japan do not believe the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey published by the Asahi newspaper just four days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo.

Two-thirds of people in Japan do not believe the country can host a safe and secure Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey published by the Asahi newspaper just four days before the opening ceremony in Tokyo. In the poll, 68% of respondents expressed doubt about the ability of Olympic organisers to control coronavirus infections, with 55% saying they were opposed to the Games going ahead. Three-quarters of the 1,444 people in the telephone survey said they agreed with a decision to ban spectators from events. As COVID-19 infections rise in Tokyo, forcing the government into a fourth state of emergency, public concern has grown about hosting an event that is bringing tens of thousands of overseas athletes, officials and journalists into Japan's capital. Games officials on Sunday reported the first COVID-19 case among competitors in the athletes' village in Tokyo, bringing the total number of cases connected to the Olympics to at least 10. International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach has said he hopes the Japanese public will warm to the Games once competition begins and as Japanese athletes begin winning medals.

Tokyo 2020: Two-thirds of Japanese doubt pandemic Olympics can be safe, says poll

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US&nbsp;President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic. 
 
The leaders, struggling to tame outbreaks exacerbated by the Delta variant of coronavirus, said they would encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies 'on mutually agreed terms' as the region prepared for future health shocks. 
 
"The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies," the leaders said in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting chaired by New Zealand. 
 
"We will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines," they said. 
 
The APEC leaders met virtually to discuss collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. 
 
New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it would chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held. 
 
"Our discussions moved us beyond vaccine nationalism. Now we are focusing on all aspects of contributing to the global vaccination effort — making vaccines, sharing vaccines and using vaccines," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the meeting. She said the leaders agreed this will not be the world`s last pandemic and that preparedness was critical. 
 
The meeting highlights growing concerns around COVID-19, which is raging in the region as countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Australia face new waves of infections.

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic.

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic. The leaders, struggling to tame outbreaks exacerbated by the Delta variant of coronavirus, said they would encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies 'on mutually agreed terms' as the region prepared for future health shocks. "The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies," the leaders said in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting chaired by New Zealand. "We will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines," they said. The APEC leaders met virtually to discuss collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it would chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held. "Our discussions moved us beyond vaccine nationalism. Now we are focusing on all aspects of contributing to the global vaccination effort — making vaccines, sharing vaccines and using vaccines," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the meeting. She said the leaders agreed this will not be the world`s last pandemic and that preparedness was critical. The meeting highlights growing concerns around COVID-19, which is raging in the region as countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Australia face new waves of infections.

World leaders pledge to redouble pandemic fight at special APEC meeting

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