If the reports are to be believed, world's largest star sapphire cluster seems to have been found in a backyard in the gem-rich Ratnapura area, all by accident. The Sri Lankan authorities have made the claim.&nbsp;

According to a gem trader, the stone, which is pale blue in colour, was found by labourers while digging a well in his home. Ratnapura, where he lives, is known to be the gem capital of the country. &nbsp;

The stone, which has been named the 'Serendipity Sapphire', has an estimated value of up to $100 million in the international market. It weighs around 510 kg.&nbsp;

The owner Gamage, who didn't want to share full name due to security reasons, told the BBC, "The person, who was digging the well, alerted us about some rare stones. Later, we stumbled upon this huge specimen."&nbsp;

The third-generation gem trader informed authorities about the find. And it took more than a year to clean it by removing mud and other impurities before it could be analysed and certified. &nbsp;

In the cleaning, the owner said some stones also fell out. They seem to be found to be high quality star sapphires.&nbsp;

If the reports are to be believed, world's largest star sapphire cluster seems to have been found in a backyard in the gem-rich Ratnapura area, all by accident. The Sri Lankan authorities have made the claim.

If the reports are to be believed, world's largest star sapphire cluster seems to have been found in a backyard in the gem-rich Ratnapura area, all by accident. The Sri Lankan authorities have made the claim. According to a gem trader, the stone, which is pale blue in colour, was found by labourers while digging a well in his home. Ratnapura, where he lives, is known to be the gem capital of the country. The stone, which has been named the 'Serendipity Sapphire', has an estimated value of up to $100 million in the international market. It weighs around 510 kg. The owner Gamage, who didn't want to share full name due to security reasons, told the BBC, "The person, who was digging the well, alerted us about some rare stones. Later, we stumbled upon this huge specimen." The third-generation gem trader informed authorities about the find. And it took more than a year to clean it by removing mud and other impurities before it could be analysed and certified. In the cleaning, the owner said some stones also fell out. They seem to be found to be high quality star sapphires.

World's largest star sapphire cluster found in a Sri Lankan backyard: Report 

The World Heritage Committee on Saturday inscribed five cultural sites, including one transnational property, in Saudi Arabia, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on UNESCO’s World Heritage List during its 44th session held online and chaired from Fuzhou (China).

The World Heritage Committee on Saturday inscribed five cultural sites, including one transnational property, in Saudi Arabia, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on UNESCO’s World Heritage List during its 44th session held online and chaired from Fuzhou (China). Few Indian sites including Dholavira, an archaeological site in Gujarat which represents the ruins of an ancient city of the Harappan civilization, and the Glorious Kakatiya Temples and Gateways in Telangana will also be examined for inscription on UNESCO's list. Let's read about the sites which have been inscribed. Hima Cultural Area, Saudi Arabia Located in an arid, mountainous area of southwest Saudi Arabia, this site is on one of the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient caravan routes, Ḥimā Cultural The area contains a substantial collection of rock art images depicting hunting, fauna, flora and lifestyles in a cultural continuity of 7,000 years. The inscriptions here are in different scripts, including Musnad, Aramaic-Nabatean, South-Arabian, Thamudic, Greek and Arabic. As per UNESCO, the property and its buffer zone are also rich in unexcavated archaeological resources in the form of cairns, stone structures, interments, stone tool scatters and ancient wells. This location is at the oldest known toll station on an important ancient desert caravan route, where the wells of Bi’r Ḥimā date back at least 3,000 years and still produce fresh water. The Great Spa Towns of Europe in Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland The transnational site of The Great Spa Towns of Europe comprises 11 towns, located in seven European countries. This includes Baden bei Wien in Austria, Spa in Belgium, Františkovy Lázně in Czechia, Karlovy Vary in Czechia, Mariánské Lázně in Czechia, Vichy in France, Bad Ems in Germany, Baden-Baden in Germany, Bad Kissingen in Germany, Montecatini Terme in Italy, and City of Bath in the United Kingdom.The towns have developed around natural mineral water springs. Cordouan Lighthouse, France The lighthouse rises up on a shallow rocky plateau in the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Gironde estuary. It has been built in white limestone dressed blocks at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries. Designed by engineer Louis de Foix and remodelled by engineer Joseph Teulère in the late 18th century, it is decorated with pilasters, columns modillions and gargoyles. As per UNESCO, the architectural forms have drawn inspiration from ancient models, Renaissance Mannerism and the specific architectural language of France’s engineering school École des Ponts et Chaussées. Also read | UNESCO calls on US to end construction of Trump’s border wall Mathuldenhohe Darmstadt, Germany Established in 1897 by Ernst Ludwig, Grand Duke of Hesse, it is the highest elevation above the city of Darmstadt in west-central Germany. The buildings of the colony were created by its artist members as experimental early modernist living and working environments. The serial property consists of two parts including 23 elements, such as the Wedding Tower (1908), the Exhibition Hall (1908), the Plane Tree Grove (1833, 1904-14), the Russian Chapel of St. Maria Magdalena (1897-99), the Lily Basin, the Gottfried Schwab Memorial (1905), the Pergola and Garden (1914), the “Swan Temple” Garden Pavilion (1914), the Ernst Ludwig Fountain, and the 13 houses and artists’ studios that were built for the Darmstadt Artists’ Colony and for the international exhibitions. A Three House Group, built for the 1904 exhibition is an additional component. Padua’s fourteenth-century fresco cycles, Italy The site is composed of eight religious and secular building complexes, within the historic walled city of Padua which houses a selection of fresco cycles painted between 1302 and 1397 by different artists for different types of patron. These include Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel fresco cycle. Other fresco cycles of different artists include Guariento di Arpo, Giusto de’ Menabuoi, Altichiero da Zevio, Jacopo Avanzi and Jacopo da Verona.

Five sites inscribed on UNESCO’s world heritage list

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

A strong explosion shook the Caspian Sea area. As a result of this, a column of fire rose into the sky late on Sunday.

The cause of the blast was not immediately determined. However, the state oil company Socar said highlighted that it was a mud volcano. The company further said that none of its platforms was damaged in the explosion.

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Yesterday, there was a blast in the Caspian Sea, which also was vividly witnessed from Baku. Many assumed it was an explosion in oil and gas platforms, but the dawn revealed a new baby island in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. <a href="https://t.co/oeDnIQKp88">pic.twitter.com/oeDnIQKp88</a>
— Ali Mirzazada (@AliMirzazada) <a href="https://twitter.com/AliMirzazada/status/1411936058485493761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Not to be outdone by the Gulf of Mexico, there was a massive explosion in the Caspian Sea <a href="https://t.co/JgxMkAmzUW">pic.twitter.com/JgxMkAmzUW</a>
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Mark Tingay, who is an expert on mud volcano and adjunct associate professor at the Australia’s University of Adelaide, said the explosion “certainly could be a mud volcano” and that the location “fits roughly” with a mud volcano called Makarov Bank, which exploded in 1958, releasing a column of flame 500-600 metres high and 150 metres wide.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rest-of-collapsed-florida-apartment-demolished-ahead-of-storm-search-and-rescue-to-resume-395845">Also read |&nbsp;Rest of collapsed Florida apartment demolished ahead of storm, search and rescue to resume</a>

He further said that the country has “hundreds” of mud volcanoes, and a quarter of these are known to erupt violently.&nbsp;

Socar spokesman Ibrahim Ahmadov has been quoted by the Azerbaijani news agency APA saying the blast took place about 10km from the Umid gas field, which is 75km off the coast of the capital, Baku.

Scientists are yet to determine the cause of mud volcanoes. However, the most likely theory is that the boulders and rocks which are propelled upwards during an explosion can knock against each other. This causes a spark that lights gasses.

A strong explosion shook the Caspian Sea area. As a result of this, a column of fire rose into the sky late on Sunday. The cause of the blast was not immediately determined.

A strong explosion shook the Caspian Sea area. As a result of this, a column of fire rose into the sky late on Sunday. The cause of the blast was not immediately determined. However, the state oil company Socar said highlighted that it was a mud volcano. The company further said that none of its platforms was damaged in the explosion. Yesterday, there was a blast in the Caspian Sea, which also was vividly witnessed from Baku. Many assumed it was an explosion in oil and gas platforms, but the dawn revealed a new baby island in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea. pic.twitter.com/oeDnIQKp88 — Ali Mirzazada (@AliMirzazada) July 5, 2021 × Not to be outdone by the Gulf of Mexico, there was a massive explosion in the Caspian Sea pic.twitter.com/JgxMkAmzUW — philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) July 4, 2021 × Mark Tingay, who is an expert on mud volcano and adjunct associate professor at the Australia’s University of Adelaide, said the explosion “certainly could be a mud volcano” and that the location “fits roughly” with a mud volcano called Makarov Bank, which exploded in 1958, releasing a column of flame 500-600 metres high and 150 metres wide. Also read | Rest of collapsed Florida apartment demolished ahead of storm, search and rescue to resume He further said that the country has “hundreds” of mud volcanoes, and a quarter of these are known to erupt violently. Socar spokesman Ibrahim Ahmadov has been quoted by the Azerbaijani news agency APA saying the blast took place about 10km from the Umid gas field, which is 75km off the coast of the capital, Baku. Scientists are yet to determine the cause of mud volcanoes. However, the most likely theory is that the boulders and rocks which are propelled upwards during an explosion can knock against each other. This causes a spark that lights gasses.

Caspian sea explosion caused by 'mud volcano'

As China completes a century of its ruling Communist party, it has put a propaganda campaign into overdrive with movies, history tours and well-timed space missions.

As China completes a century of its ruling Communist party, it has put a propaganda campaign into overdrive with movies, history tours and well-timed space missions. The party was founded 100 years ago in Shanghai and under its leadership, China today is the world's second-largest economy. There were several key events that helped in shaping the country. From the Long March that gave motion to Mao Zedong’s rise to Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms to Xi Jinping coming to power, the party has evolved in its own ways. "China has been developing for so long thanks to the efforts of our forefathers and that generation of Communist Party members," said 23-year-old student and party member Li Peng. He added, "The CCP isn't dying. It's a party that's full of life... now, young people are particularly patriotic and unafraid to speak out." It all began in 1921 with the first meeting in Shanghai. July 1 was chosen by Mao Zedong years later for commemoration. This was because he could not remember the exact date on which the dozen or so comrades had held their conclave. Also Read | One year into contentious security law, Hong Kong has made 117 arrests This was followed by the long march of 1934. As Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists were gaining upper hand in their struggle for power, the Communist armies embarked on a series of lengthy retreats. Mao took over as the leader in 1935. The year 1949 is deemed as the year of revolution as the Chinese defeated the Japanese and came to power again. By 1949 Beijing was captured by the communists as Mao’s portrait replaced that of Chiang above the Gate of Heavenly Peace at the entrance to the Forbidden City. In the process of revolutionizing the country, there were hindrances. The first was a man-made famine, which was triggered by Mao’s attempt to rapidly industrialise China. Under Mao's rule, farmers were forced to build backyard furnaces. As a result, grain output collapsed, and between 35 million and 40 million people starved to death. The Cultural Revolution stopped in 1965 when Mao turned young Red Guards on the political system as he urged the young radicals to “bombard the headquarters". Millions were killed, families were broken up and the economy stooped to a new low. The death of Mao in 1976 has been a turning point in the history of China. Mao’s death created a power vacuum between the Gang of Four, the ultra-leftists led by Jiang Qing, or Madame Mao; and reformers including Deng Xiaoping and Hua Guofeng, Mao’s designated successor. The reformers managed to win the loyalty of the Central Security Bureau. Just a month after Mao's death, the army unit arrested Jiang Qing and her comrades. The four were imprisoned and then tried in 1980-81. Another year that marked a turning point in Chinese history was 1978 when China approved its first special economic zones. China has been involved in a series of conflicts. In 1996, Beijing shelled the waters near Taiwan to portray its anger at the island’s first democratic presidential election. However, all it gained was humiliation by its powerlessness. In 2013, China built islands in disputed waters in the South China Sea, and soon turned them into military bases, trying to show its power. The current Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, will complete his second five-year term towards the end of next year. It is still unclear if he will step down or will start to groom a successor.

China's Communist Party: One century that impacted the entire world

Luminous 'Strawberry Supermoon' shines bright all across the world, see images here

US&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;Republicans&nbsp;on Tuesday torpedoed a Democratic effort to protect&nbsp;voting&nbsp;rights&nbsp;and expand ballot access for all Americans, a flashpoint issue months after an election marred by Donald Trump's baseless allegations of fraud.

Waving off broad bipartisan public support for election law updates, the opposition party united to&nbsp;block&nbsp;the advancement of a&nbsp;sweeping&nbsp;package which would amount to the most expansive federal election reform in decades.

Democrats brought the "For the People Act" to the floor as a test&nbsp;vote, in reaction to controversial efforts by&nbsp;Republicans&nbsp;to enact strict new&nbsp;voting&nbsp;laws in dozens of states.

Critics have widely savaged those measures, which include restricting mail-in ballots, criminalizing the delivery of water to people waiting to&nbsp;vote, and limiting early Sunday&nbsp;voting&nbsp;hours as a way to deny Black churches' "souls to the polls" events.

The Democrats' historic bill, S1, is aimed at ensuring Americans can&nbsp;vote&nbsp;by mail, plus have full access to early&nbsp;voting&nbsp;and use of ballot drop boxes.

A version of the bill, which also reforms campaign finance laws and attempts to thwart gerrymandering, or the partisan redrawing of district lines, passed the House of Representatives in March.

But the text failed on a strictly party line 50-50&nbsp;vote&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Senate, where support from 60 senators was needed in order to even begin debating the&nbsp;measure.

Senate&nbsp;Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a scathing rebuke to&nbsp;Republicans&nbsp;as he sought to claim a moral victory.

While all Democrats voted to protect&nbsp;voting&nbsp;rights, "voter suppression has become part of the official platform of the Republican Party," he said.

Vowing that the fight was "far from over," President Joe Biden called the&nbsp;Republicans' move &nbsp;"suppression of a bill to end voter suppression," while also labeling it "another attack on&nbsp;voting&nbsp;rights&nbsp;that is sadly not unprecedented."

The blocking of S1 ensures the issue remains a political firestorm into the 2022 midterm elections and beyond.

There was worry that Democratic moderates, led by Senator Joe Manchin, would not support it.

But Manchin aligned with his party after leaders agreed to introduce a "commonsense compromise" that he proposed.

"I remain committed to finding a bipartisan pathway forward because the future of our democracy is worth it," Manchin said in a statement.

Manchin's compromise maintains most of the Democratic bill's provisions but allows a key concession -- voter identification requirements -- in a bid to win over&nbsp;Republicans.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/socialists-are-terrorists-describes-us-military-training-manual-393303">Also Read |&nbsp;Socialists are 'terrorists', describes US military training manual&nbsp;</a>

Democrats have accused&nbsp;Republicans&nbsp;of caving to Trump's pressure about mail-in&nbsp;voting&nbsp;and other expansive&nbsp;voting&nbsp;rules, and targeting the ways that younger, poorer, non-white and typically Democratic voters access the ballot.

'Under assault'

The White House had acknowledged the&nbsp;vote&nbsp;would fail, but nevertheless issued a statement of support, as it highlighted how Americans' right to&nbsp;vote&nbsp;"is under assault" thanks to moves by Republican state legislatures.

"In state after state, new restrictive laws on&nbsp;voting, and efforts to replace non-partisan election administration with partisan processes designed to overturn the will of the voters have become more widespread," the White House budget office said.

Republicans&nbsp;however remain firmly opposed to the Democratic effort.

Their bill is a "transparently partisan plan to tilt every election in America permanently in their favour," said top&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;Republican Mitch McConnell.

"It's a recipe for undermining confidence in our elections, remaking our entire system of government to suit the preferences of one far end of the political spectrum."

With the&nbsp;voting&nbsp;rights&nbsp;bill now blocked, Democrats face pressure to abolish the filibuster, the&nbsp;Senate&nbsp;procedure that allows the minority to&nbsp;block&nbsp;legislation unless it earns support from 60 of the chamber's 100 members.

Biden, a 36-year veteran of the&nbsp;Senate, has expressed opposition to getting rid of the filibuster outright.

But several lawmakers in his party believe such a move is the only way to ensure&nbsp;voting&nbsp;protections and get other elements of his ambitious progressive agenda into law.

"I've been engaged in this work my whole career, and we are going to be ramping up our efforts to overcome again -- for the people, for our very democracy," Biden said.

Schumer said the bill's defeat was not the finish line for&nbsp;voting&nbsp;rights&nbsp;action, but the starting gun.

"We are going to explore every last one of our options," he said. "We have to."

US Senate Republicans on Tuesday torpedoed a Democratic effort to protect voting rights and expand ballot access for all Americans, a flashpoint issue months after an election marred by Donald Trump's baseless allegations of fraud.

US Senate Republicans on Tuesday torpedoed a Democratic effort to protect voting rights and expand ballot access for all Americans, a flashpoint issue months after an election marred by Donald Trump's baseless allegations of fraud. Waving off broad bipartisan public support for election law updates, the opposition party united to block the advancement of a sweeping package which would amount to the most expansive federal election reform in decades. Democrats brought the "For the People Act" to the floor as a test vote, in reaction to controversial efforts by Republicans to enact strict new voting laws in dozens of states. Critics have widely savaged those measures, which include restricting mail-in ballots, criminalizing the delivery of water to people waiting to vote, and limiting early Sunday voting hours as a way to deny Black churches' "souls to the polls" events. The Democrats' historic bill, S1, is aimed at ensuring Americans can vote by mail, plus have full access to early voting and use of ballot drop boxes. A version of the bill, which also reforms campaign finance laws and attempts to thwart gerrymandering, or the partisan redrawing of district lines, passed the House of Representatives in March. But the text failed on a strictly party line 50-50 vote in the Senate, where support from 60 senators was needed in order to even begin debating the measure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a scathing rebuke to Republicans as he sought to claim a moral victory. While all Democrats voted to protect voting rights, "voter suppression has become part of the official platform of the Republican Party," he said. Vowing that the fight was "far from over," President Joe Biden called the Republicans' move "suppression of a bill to end voter suppression," while also labeling it "another attack on voting rights that is sadly not unprecedented." The blocking of S1 ensures the issue remains a political firestorm into the 2022 midterm elections and beyond. There was worry that Democratic moderates, led by Senator Joe Manchin, would not support it. But Manchin aligned with his party after leaders agreed to introduce a "commonsense compromise" that he proposed. "I remain committed to finding a bipartisan pathway forward because the future of our democracy is worth it," Manchin said in a statement. Manchin's compromise maintains most of the Democratic bill's provisions but allows a key concession -- voter identification requirements -- in a bid to win over Republicans. Also Read | Socialists are 'terrorists', describes US military training manual Democrats have accused Republicans of caving to Trump's pressure about mail-in voting and other expansive voting rules, and targeting the ways that younger, poorer, non-white and typically Democratic voters access the ballot. 'Under assault' The White House had acknowledged the vote would fail, but nevertheless issued a statement of support, as it highlighted how Americans' right to vote "is under assault" thanks to moves by Republican state legislatures. "In state after state, new restrictive laws on voting, and efforts to replace non-partisan election administration with partisan processes designed to overturn the will of the voters have become more widespread," the White House budget office said. Republicans however remain firmly opposed to the Democratic effort. Their bill is a "transparently partisan plan to tilt every election in America permanently in their favour," said top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell. "It's a recipe for undermining confidence in our elections, remaking our entire system of government to suit the preferences of one far end of the political spectrum." With the voting rights bill now blocked, Democrats face pressure to abolish the filibuster, the Senate procedure that allows the minority to block legislation unless it earns support from 60 of the chamber's 100 members. Biden, a 36-year veteran of the Senate, has expressed opposition to getting rid of the filibuster outright. But several lawmakers in his party believe such a move is the only way to ensure voting protections and get other elements of his ambitious progressive agenda into law. "I've been engaged in this work my whole career, and we are going to be ramping up our efforts to overcome again -- for the people, for our very democracy," Biden said. Schumer said the bill's defeat was not the finish line for voting rights action, but the starting gun. "We are going to explore every last one of our options," he said. "We have to."

Senate Republicans block sweeping US voting rights measure

A new survey reveals the most expensive city in world, see stunning images here

China on Sunday pointedly cautioned Group of Seven leaders that the days when 'small' groups of countries decided the fate of the world was long gone, hitting back at the world's richest democracies, which have sought a unified position over Beijing. 
 
"The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone," a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said. 
 
"We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries." 
 
The re-emergence of China as a leading global power is considered to be one of the most significant geopolitical events of recent times, alongside the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union that ended the Cold War. 
 
The G7, whose leaders are meeting in southwestern England, has been searching for a coherent response to the growing assertiveness of President Xi Jinping after China’s spectacular economic and military rise over the past 40 years. 
 
Leaders of the group, the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, France and Japan, want to use their gathering in the English seaside resort of Carbis Bay to show the world that the richest democracies can offer an alternative to China’s growing clout. 
 
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led a Group of Seven discussion of China on Saturday and called on leaders to come up with a unified approach to the challenges posed by the People`s Republic, a source said. 
 
The G7 are planning to offer developing nations an infrastructure scheme that could rival Xi's multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative. 
 
Beijing has repeatedly hit back against what it perceives as attempts by Western powers to contain China, and says many major powers are still gripped by an outdated imperial mindset after years of humiliating China.

China on Sunday pointedly cautioned Group of Seven leaders that the days when 'small' groups of countries decided the fate of the world was long gone, hitting back at the world's richest democracies, which have sought a unified position over Beijing.

China on Sunday pointedly cautioned Group of Seven leaders that the days when 'small' groups of countries decided the fate of the world was long gone, hitting back at the world's richest democracies, which have sought a unified position over Beijing. "The days when global decisions were dictated by a small group of countries are long gone," a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in London said. "We always believe that countries, big or small, strong or weak, poor or rich, are equals, and that world affairs should be handled through consultation by all countries." The re-emergence of China as a leading global power is considered to be one of the most significant geopolitical events of recent times, alongside the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union that ended the Cold War. The G7, whose leaders are meeting in southwestern England, has been searching for a coherent response to the growing assertiveness of President Xi Jinping after China’s spectacular economic and military rise over the past 40 years. Leaders of the group, the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, France and Japan, want to use their gathering in the English seaside resort of Carbis Bay to show the world that the richest democracies can offer an alternative to China’s growing clout. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau led a Group of Seven discussion of China on Saturday and called on leaders to come up with a unified approach to the challenges posed by the People`s Republic, a source said. The G7 are planning to offer developing nations an infrastructure scheme that could rival Xi's multi-trillion-dollar Belt and Road initiative. Beijing has repeatedly hit back against what it perceives as attempts by Western powers to contain China, and says many major powers are still gripped by an outdated imperial mindset after years of humiliating China.

China cautions G7: 'Small' groups don't rule the world

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday called for leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations to make a commitment to vaccinate the entire world against COVID-19 by the end of 2022 when they meet in Britain next week. 
 
Johnson will host the first in-person summit in almost two years of G7 leaders, which follows a meeting of the group's finance ministers which wrapped up earlier in the day and said he would seek a pledge to hit the global vaccination goal. 
 
"Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history," Johnson said in a statement. "I’m calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end this terrible pandemic and pledge we will never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again." 
 
The leaders of Germany, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, the European Union and Canada will join Johnson for the three-day summit in Cornwall, southwest England, which begins on Friday. It will be the first overseas trip for US&nbsp;President Joe Biden since he took office in January. 
 
While the richest nations have been vaccinating large numbers of their populations, many poorer countries have not had the same access to vaccines. And health experts have warned that unless more COVID-19 shots were donated, the virus will continue to spread and mutate. 
 
US&nbsp;Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in London for the finance ministers meeting, said it was urgent for the richest nations to promote vaccinations in poorer countries that could not afford to buy them. 
 
She also repeated the US&nbsp;position that patent rights should be removed for the vaccines, and said they were doing everything they could to address supply chain problems that were preventing a build-up of shots in other parts of the world. 
 
Britain has ordered more than 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for its population of 67 million and says it will donate any shots it does not need. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday called for leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations to make a commitment to vaccinate the entire world against COVID-19 by the end of 2022 when they meet in Britain next week.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday called for leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations to make a commitment to vaccinate the entire world against COVID-19 by the end of 2022 when they meet in Britain next week. Johnson will host the first in-person summit in almost two years of G7 leaders, which follows a meeting of the group's finance ministers which wrapped up earlier in the day and said he would seek a pledge to hit the global vaccination goal. "Vaccinating the world by the end of next year would be the single greatest feat in medical history," Johnson said in a statement. "I’m calling on my fellow G7 leaders to join us to end this terrible pandemic and pledge we will never allow the devastation wreaked by coronavirus to happen again." The leaders of Germany, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, the European Union and Canada will join Johnson for the three-day summit in Cornwall, southwest England, which begins on Friday. It will be the first overseas trip for US President Joe Biden since he took office in January. While the richest nations have been vaccinating large numbers of their populations, many poorer countries have not had the same access to vaccines. And health experts have warned that unless more COVID-19 shots were donated, the virus will continue to spread and mutate. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, in London for the finance ministers meeting, said it was urgent for the richest nations to promote vaccinations in poorer countries that could not afford to buy them. She also repeated the US position that patent rights should be removed for the vaccines, and said they were doing everything they could to address supply chain problems that were preventing a build-up of shots in other parts of the world. Britain has ordered more than 500 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine for its population of 67 million and says it will donate any shots it does not need. (With inputs from agencies)

UK's Johnson calls on G7 to vaccinate world by end of 2022

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. 
 
In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 170,174,444 and 3,537,835, respectively. 
 
The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,258,547 and 594,430, respectively, according to the CSSE. 
 
In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 27,894,800 cases. 
 
The other worst countries with over three million cases are Brazil (16,515,120), France (5,728,418), Turkey (5,242,911), Russia (5,005,171), the UK (4,499,934), Italy (4,216,003), Argentina (3,753,609), Germany (3,687,715), Spain (3,668,658) and Colombia (3,383,279), the CSSE figures showed. 
 
In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 461,931 fatalities. 
 
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (325,972), Mexico (223,455), the UK (128,043), Italy (126,046), Russia (119,130) and France (109,562).

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 170.1 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.53 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Monday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 170,174,444 and 3,537,835, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 33,258,547 and 594,430, respectively, according to the CSSE. In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 27,894,800 cases. The other worst countries with over three million cases are Brazil (16,515,120), France (5,728,418), Turkey (5,242,911), Russia (5,005,171), the UK (4,499,934), Italy (4,216,003), Argentina (3,753,609), Germany (3,687,715), Spain (3,668,658) and Colombia (3,383,279), the CSSE figures showed. In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 461,931 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (325,972), Mexico (223,455), the UK (128,043), Italy (126,046), Russia (119,130) and France (109,562).

Global COVID-19 caseload tops 170.1 million

The organizers, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, announced on Thursday that it had received two letters of objection from the police, one banning the March set for May 30 and the other imposing ban at the annual June 4 vigil.

Hong Kong police denies June vigil at Tiananmen Square for 2nd year in a row

India is now the global epicentre of this pandemic and it doesn't look like things will improve anytime soon. Today, the Indian government issued a warning. An official said, time has now come for you to start wearing a mask at home, while you share common spaces with your family members.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indians-asked-to-mask-up-at-home-380631/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The virus is still mutating and spreading and countries are still trying to keep up with it. More than 147 million infections worldwide but the coronavirus isn't done yet. The virus is mutating into dangerous variants. The latest one has been found in Sri Lanka. It spreads very fast and can remain airborne for nearly an hour. It began spreading rapidly after last week's new year celebrations. Younger people are getting infected in larger numbers. Experts fear a third wave and the next two to three weeks will be critical. &nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">As the surge continues, a new study has found that pregnant women and newborn children face higher risks. The study was conducted by the University of Oxford and it found that women, who test positive during pregnancy face high risk of complications. They are over 50 per cent more likely to experience premature birth, pre-eclampsia, admission to intensive care and even the risk of death. Newborns too are nearly three times more at risk. &nbsp;</div>

The world's best bet are vaccines, but we don't have enough of them. The World Health Organization might deliver a booster shot soon. It is reviewing Moderna's coronavirus shot. Technical experts will meet on April 30 to decide. So far, the WHO has approved vaccines made by Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson. An emergency use listing from the WHO may accelerate the adoption of the Moderna vaccine around the world.&nbsp;

Here's another potential cure, an HCQ spray. In Singapore, researchers have found promise in an old, but highly controversial drug. They say&nbsp;that using a throat spray with anti-malarial drug hydrooxychloroquine can reduce the spread of the virus. Researchers tested their hypotheses on more than 3,000 migrant workers. They found that using the two drugs cuts the spread of the virus in high transmission settings, like dormitories, cruise ships and prisons. Hydrooxychloroquine or HCQ has been a controversial choice of treatment since last year. &nbsp;

And finally, a story that gives hope. Italy, after six months of rotating lockdowns, is unlocking again. Restaurants are serving customers again after a major outbreak last year. The country has been in and out of lockdowns. Right wing parties say Italy has been too cautious. Virologists disagree as they feel the lockdowns were needed and unlocking even now might invite a new surge. Italy's vaccination programme is going slow. It is missing its daily targets of 500,000 shots a day and remains limited to the elderly. As Italians say cheers, they'll have to keep their guard up.&nbsp;

India is now the global epicentre of this pandemic and it doesn't look like things will improve anytime soon. Today, the Indian government issued a warning. An official said, time has now come for you to start wearing a mask at home, while you share common spaces with your family members.

India is now the global epicentre of this pandemic and it doesn't look like things will improve anytime soon. Today, the Indian government issued a warning. An official said, time has now come for you to start wearing a mask at home, while you share common spaces with your family members. The virus is still mutating and spreading and countries are still trying to keep up with it. More than 147 million infections worldwide but the coronavirus isn't done yet. The virus is mutating into dangerous variants. The latest one has been found in Sri Lanka. It spreads very fast and can remain airborne for nearly an hour. It began spreading rapidly after last week's new year celebrations. Younger people are getting infected in larger numbers. Experts fear a third wave and the next two to three weeks will be critical. As the surge continues, a new study has found that pregnant women and newborn children face higher risks. The study was conducted by the University of Oxford and it found that women, who test positive during pregnancy face high risk of complications. They are over 50 per cent more likely to experience premature birth, pre-eclampsia, admission to intensive care and even the risk of death. Newborns too are nearly three times more at risk. The world's best bet are vaccines, but we don't have enough of them. The World Health Organization might deliver a booster shot soon. It is reviewing Moderna's coronavirus shot. Technical experts will meet on April 30 to decide. So far, the WHO has approved vaccines made by Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson. An emergency use listing from the WHO may accelerate the adoption of the Moderna vaccine around the world. Here's another potential cure, an HCQ spray. In Singapore, researchers have found promise in an old, but highly controversial drug. They say that using a throat spray with anti-malarial drug hydrooxychloroquine can reduce the spread of the virus. Researchers tested their hypotheses on more than 3,000 migrant workers. They found that using the two drugs cuts the spread of the virus in high transmission settings, like dormitories, cruise ships and prisons. Hydrooxychloroquine or HCQ has been a controversial choice of treatment since last year. And finally, a story that gives hope. Italy, after six months of rotating lockdowns, is unlocking again. Restaurants are serving customers again after a major outbreak last year. The country has been in and out of lockdowns. Right wing parties say Italy has been too cautious. Virologists disagree as they feel the lockdowns were needed and unlocking even now might invite a new surge. Italy's vaccination programme is going slow. It is missing its daily targets of 500,000 shots a day and remains limited to the elderly. As Italians say cheers, they'll have to keep their guard up.

Coronavirus continues to create ripples around the world 

A government helicopter was shot down by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-army-advances-into-idlib-set-to-retake-rebel-bastion-279807">Syrian rebels</a> in the northwest, where <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/250000-migrants-fleeing-from-syrias-idlib-towards-turkey-tayyip-erdogan-271660">Syrian troops</a> are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people.

Two crew members were killed when the helicopter was shot down and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-threatens-damascus-slams-moscow-over-idlib-massacre-280294">government forces</a> came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria. This would extend President Bashar Assad's control over Syria for the first time since 2012.

Syrian troops have been on the offensive with support from Russia for weeks in Idlib province, where stands the last rebel stronghold. Parts of nearby Aleppo are also under fire, which has triggered a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/several-civilians-killed-as-syrian-government-presses-idlib-offensive-274750">humanitarian crisis</a> involving the mass displacement of 700,000 people. Reports from the UN indicate that Several hundred civilians have been killed.

Watch:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/syrian-attack-in-idlib-kills-4-turkish-soldiers-278296">Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers</a>

The deaths of 13 on both sides of the clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops worsened the conflict, and <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-reinforces-troops-in-syrias-idlib-talks-with-russia-279554">prompted Turkey</a>, which supports the Syrian opposition, to send hundreds of vehicles into Idlib to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey.

3.6 million Syrian refugees are currently <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-planes-pound-idlib-as-offensive-escalates-turkey-france-call-for-de-escalation-270092">situated in Turkey</a>, with more flowing into its border as the fighting continues. Backed by Turkish artillery, the fighting was concentrated near the village of Al-Nayrab as rebels reportedly tried to retake the village that they lost last week.

Insurgents shot down the government helicopter gunship, killing the two crew members on board. Followed this was an airstrike which&nbsp;reportedly killed 7 people and injured 24, half of whom were children. Syrian troops have reportedly secured the highway that links southern Syria with the northern city of Aleppo. M5, another name for the highway, is vital for the country's economy as well as for advancing reinforcements.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-world-news-Syrian-army-advances-in-Idlib-as-UN-Security-Council-calls-emergency-meeting">Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting</a>

Another victory for Assad is marked by the capture of this highway, as his forces have been progressing with leaps and bounds since 2015 with Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed fighters on the ground. Government forces have been capturing parts of the 450-kilometre highway for the past three years as it cuts through the country's four largest cities.

A government helicopter was shot down by Syrian rebels in the northwest, where Syrian troops are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people.

A government helicopter was shot down by Syrian rebels in the northwest, where Syrian troops are fighting the last rebel stronghold. Following this was a government-sanctioned airstrike on a nearby city which reportedly killed 7 people. Two crew members were killed when the helicopter was shot down and government forces came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria. This would extend President Bashar Assad's control over Syria for the first time since 2012. Syrian troops have been on the offensive with support from Russia for weeks in Idlib province, where stands the last rebel stronghold. Parts of nearby Aleppo are also under fire, which has triggered a humanitarian crisis involving the mass displacement of 700,000 people. Reports from the UN indicate that Several hundred civilians have been killed. Watch: Syrian attack in Idlib kills 4 Turkish soldiers The deaths of 13 on both sides of the clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops worsened the conflict, and prompted Turkey, which supports the Syrian opposition, to send hundreds of vehicles into Idlib to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey. 3.6 million Syrian refugees are currently situated in Turkey, with more flowing into its border as the fighting continues. Backed by Turkish artillery, the fighting was concentrated near the village of Al-Nayrab as rebels reportedly tried to retake the village that they lost last week. Insurgents shot down the government helicopter gunship, killing the two crew members on board. Followed this was an airstrike which reportedly killed 7 people and injured 24, half of whom were children. Syrian troops have reportedly secured the highway that links southern Syria with the northern city of Aleppo. M5, another name for the highway, is vital for the country's economy as well as for advancing reinforcements. Also Read: Syrian army advances in Idlib as UN Security Council calls emergency meeting Another victory for Assad is marked by the capture of this highway, as his forces have been progressing with leaps and bounds since 2015 with Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed fighters on the ground. Government forces have been capturing parts of the 450-kilometre highway for the past three years as it cuts through the country's four largest cities.

Syrian insurgents shot down government helicopter; airstrikes on Idlib followed

The ancient Greeks were brilliant at inventing fantastical animals like the Chimera for instance. It was a fearsome fire-breathing monster, which had a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail.&nbsp;

In Greek mythology, the Chimera was slain by Bellerophon, the son of Poseidon. But today, not all Chimeras are mythological. For biologists, this term describes any organism, whose body consists of cells from two different organisms. The scientists in the United States recently tried to create the world's first human-monkey Chimera.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-scientists-inject-human-cells-into-monkeys-embryo-378884/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

American scientists injected human cells into the embryo of a monkey. These efforts have ignited a debate about scientific ethics. In simple terms, DNA is the code of life. It is that all-important molecule we inherit from our parents. It gives the chemical instructions that make our bodies and sustain them. &nbsp;

What if the DNA is mixed? This is exactly what scientists at America's Salk Institute for Biological Studies recently tried doing. They integrated human cells into the embryos of a Macaque Monkey. In simple terms, they created embryos, that were part monkey and part human. &nbsp;

The embryos were grown in the open at lab for 20 days and then they were destroyed. But who came up with the idea? Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, who also tried creating the first human-pig hybrid in 2017. &nbsp;

Professor Carlos believes his work could advance understanding of early human development and understand the onset of disease, the progression of ageing, and address the shortage of life-saving organs for human transplantation.

But like with any unnatural experiment, some ethical concerns have been raised. Scientists are arguing that while embryos in this case were destroyed in 20 days, others could try to take the work further and make a baby out of an embryo.&nbsp;

The second big concern has to do with a moral dilemma. Will the embryos be classified as humans or non-humans? If the answer is humans, can we legally use them for experiments at a later stage without human consent? The third and last concern is spreading viruses from animals to humans. &nbsp;

The coronavirus has taught us a thing or two about it. We still don't fully know what the drawbacks or benefits of creating a human-monkey hybrid could be, but this experiment sure sounds like the beginning to a bad horror movie.&nbsp;

The ancient Greeks were brilliant at inventing fantastical animals like the Chimera for instance. It was a fearsome fire-breathing monster, which had a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail.

The ancient Greeks were brilliant at inventing fantastical animals like the Chimera for instance. It was a fearsome fire-breathing monster, which had a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. In Greek mythology, the Chimera was slain by Bellerophon, the son of Poseidon. But today, not all Chimeras are mythological. For biologists, this term describes any organism, whose body consists of cells from two different organisms. The scientists in the United States recently tried to create the world's first human-monkey Chimera. American scientists injected human cells into the embryo of a monkey. These efforts have ignited a debate about scientific ethics. In simple terms, DNA is the code of life. It is that all-important molecule we inherit from our parents. It gives the chemical instructions that make our bodies and sustain them. What if the DNA is mixed? This is exactly what scientists at America's Salk Institute for Biological Studies recently tried doing. They integrated human cells into the embryos of a Macaque Monkey. In simple terms, they created embryos, that were part monkey and part human. The embryos were grown in the open at lab for 20 days and then they were destroyed. But who came up with the idea? Professor Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte, who also tried creating the first human-pig hybrid in 2017. Professor Carlos believes his work could advance understanding of early human development and understand the onset of disease, the progression of ageing, and address the shortage of life-saving organs for human transplantation. But like with any unnatural experiment, some ethical concerns have been raised. Scientists are arguing that while embryos in this case were destroyed in 20 days, others could try to take the work further and make a baby out of an embryo. The second big concern has to do with a moral dilemma. Will the embryos be classified as humans or non-humans? If the answer is humans, can we legally use them for experiments at a later stage without human consent? The third and last concern is spreading viruses from animals to humans. The coronavirus has taught us a thing or two about it. We still don't fully know what the drawbacks or benefits of creating a human-monkey hybrid could be, but this experiment sure sounds like the beginning to a bad horror movie.

Scientists try to create world's first human-monkey Chimera, raise eyebrows  

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is fighting for life in Russia for over three weeks. Navanly has been on a hunger strike and his health has deteriorated over the weekend. &nbsp;

Navalny's doctor warned that he could die 'at any moment'. Alexei Navalny is the most prominent critic of Vladimir Putin in Russia. &nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-alexei-navalny-could-die-any-minute-378694/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Navalny is in jail since March and has also been on a hunger strike. Reports say prison authorities refused to provide him with adequate medical care for an acute leg and back pain. So, Navalny went on a hunger strike and his condition worsened. &nbsp;

On Sunday, his doctors tried to visit him in prison but they were denied access. On Monday, Navalny was transferred to a hospital in another jail. &nbsp;

Opposition leaders have spoken up for him. Nearly a dozen politicians in Russia have published an open letter to President Putin. They hold Putin personally responsible for the life of Navalny. Moscow has neither responded nor expressed any concern. &nbsp;

The situation is escalating. Navalny's allies have announced rallies across Russia on Wednesday. They've started a petition and said if 500,000 supporters sign it, they will launch street protests again. As of Sunday, the petition was 50,000 signatures shy of its target.&nbsp;

Navalny's health could lead to an international showdown. The European Union has told Russia that Navalny must receive medical aid. The United States is considering sanctions. US national security advisor Jake Sullivan has issued a statement. He says the Biden administration is weighing options to punish Russia if Navalny dies in prison. &nbsp;

Navalny perhaps knew what was coming in January. He said, he had no plans to commit suicide in prison as his life hangs in the balance. &nbsp;

Information about Navalny's health remains scarce. The Russian penitential system has released a statement, saying that the Kremlin critic was moved for 'treatment with vitamins'. Russian authorities say Navalny's health is satisfactory. The West is watching him closely. &nbsp;

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is fighting for life in Russia for over three weeks. Navanly has been on a hunger strike and his health has deteriorated over the weekend.

Opposition leader Alexei Navalny is fighting for life in Russia for over three weeks. Navanly has been on a hunger strike and his health has deteriorated over the weekend. Navalny's doctor warned that he could die 'at any moment'. Alexei Navalny is the most prominent critic of Vladimir Putin in Russia. Navalny is in jail since March and has also been on a hunger strike. Reports say prison authorities refused to provide him with adequate medical care for an acute leg and back pain. So, Navalny went on a hunger strike and his condition worsened. On Sunday, his doctors tried to visit him in prison but they were denied access. On Monday, Navalny was transferred to a hospital in another jail. Opposition leaders have spoken up for him. Nearly a dozen politicians in Russia have published an open letter to President Putin. They hold Putin personally responsible for the life of Navalny. Moscow has neither responded nor expressed any concern. The situation is escalating. Navalny's allies have announced rallies across Russia on Wednesday. They've started a petition and said if 500,000 supporters sign it, they will launch street protests again. As of Sunday, the petition was 50,000 signatures shy of its target. Navalny's health could lead to an international showdown. The European Union has told Russia that Navalny must receive medical aid. The United States is considering sanctions. US national security advisor Jake Sullivan has issued a statement. He says the Biden administration is weighing options to punish Russia if Navalny dies in prison. Navalny perhaps knew what was coming in January. He said, he had no plans to commit suicide in prison as his life hangs in the balance. Information about Navalny's health remains scarce. The Russian penitential system has released a statement, saying that the Kremlin critic was moved for 'treatment with vitamins'. Russian authorities say Navalny's health is satisfactory. The West is watching him closely.

World watches closely as Navalny fights for life in Russia  

An evolving enemy is of the worst kind as tried and tested methods may not work in its case. The coronavirus is one such evolving enemy. It has mutated thousands of times. Some mutations are more dangerous as they are difficult to trace. So, what should we do?&nbsp;

We must keep updating ourselves to tackle it and mutations are proving to be the biggest challenge. They have been reported in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, the US, even in India. Earlier this year, India reported a case of double mutation.&nbsp;

Why are these variants important?&nbsp;Because they have super-charged the pandemic. In Brazil, the p1 variant is driving the surge in cases. In India, some experts say mutations are behind the massive second wave. So, tracking these changes is important. Remember the thumb rule of 2020: trace, test and quarantine.&nbsp;

But tracing mutants is hard work as normal RTPCR test isn't working on them. In some cases, the mutants are escaping the test. So, here's what happens. You get a test done, your result is negative, but you're actually infected, and you'll probably discover it when your condition is much worse. This is a very scary scenario. &nbsp;

The US Food and Drugs Administration has warned of this as genetic variants could possibly mislead the RTPCR test. It's happening in India too and elsewhere in South Asia. So far, the RTPCR was your best bet to detect the presence of a virus. Not anymore, it seems. The mutations pose a new challenge.

So, what's the workaround here?&nbsp;

Doctors will have to bank on their diagnostic chops. There are some classic covid symptoms, the lungs for example appear glassy in a CT scan but even a CT scan can sometimes mislead. The fool-proof method, we're told, is genome testing. What's that? &nbsp;

It is finding genetic code of the mutant. Unless we know this code, we won't recognise the mutant and so, a test won't detect it. So, we are basically operating in the dark. Going forward, genome sequencing must be our eyes and ears. Otherwise, even vaccines may not help. &nbsp;

Let's look at the numbers, this time last year versus right now. First, let's look at the daily caseload. This is what the last five days looked like: more than 746,000 cases were reported last Thursday but by Monday, the numbers plateaued. There were 588,000 cases reported globally on Monday.&nbsp;

In case of daily deaths, last Thursday was a peak. More than 13,000 deaths were reported on Monday. This came down to 8,800 and now, this sample is too small to draw trends.&nbsp;

But projections have been made for as far as August 1. This is one such model made by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. What does it say?&nbsp;

At the current rate of vaccination and mutation, we could be looking at more than 4,730,000 deaths. That's if the current trends hold, but what if things get worse?&nbsp;

In a worst-case scenario, global deaths could cross the five million mark. That's a nightmare scenario, but if everyone wears a mask and social distancing is strictly imposed, we can still save lives. A worst-case scenario, unfortunately, looks like this: more than four million deaths. &nbsp;

Let's face it, none of these scenarios are ideal, but that's where we are heading. Africa and Latin America are struggling with vaccination. Jabs are running out and mutants are running riot. There is just one saving grace, last year the virus came out of nowhere. Most countries did not have the infrastructure to handle the cases, so serious infections inevitably led to death. In 2021, that should not be the case. We have added millions of hospital beds and thousands of intensive care units. So, even patients with the mutant strain are surviving. The trend of 2021 is, higher caseloads but fewer deaths.&nbsp;

Remember the basic rules, they remain the same: masks, social distancing and sanitising. Mutant or not, the sanitiser will get it. And vaccinate like there is no tomorrow. Governments must pump more money into vaccine-making, dispel all notions of vaccine hesitancy and make herd immunity, their number one priority.&nbsp;

The coronavirus is like a Maths problem, whose variables keep changing. &nbsp;

An evolving enemy is of the worst kind as tried and tested methods may not work in its case. The coronavirus is one such evolving enemy. It has mutated thousands of times.

An evolving enemy is of the worst kind as tried and tested methods may not work in its case. The coronavirus is one such evolving enemy. It has mutated thousands of times. Some mutations are more dangerous as they are difficult to trace. So, what should we do? We must keep updating ourselves to tackle it and mutations are proving to be the biggest challenge. They have been reported in the UK, South Africa, Brazil, the US, even in India. Earlier this year, India reported a case of double mutation. Why are these variants important? Because they have super-charged the pandemic. In Brazil, the p1 variant is driving the surge in cases. In India, some experts say mutations are behind the massive second wave. So, tracking these changes is important. Remember the thumb rule of 2020: trace, test and quarantine. But tracing mutants is hard work as normal RTPCR test isn't working on them. In some cases, the mutants are escaping the test. So, here's what happens. You get a test done, your result is negative, but you're actually infected, and you'll probably discover it when your condition is much worse. This is a very scary scenario. The US Food and Drugs Administration has warned of this as genetic variants could possibly mislead the RTPCR test. It's happening in India too and elsewhere in South Asia. So far, the RTPCR was your best bet to detect the presence of a virus. Not anymore, it seems. The mutations pose a new challenge. So, what's the workaround here? Doctors will have to bank on their diagnostic chops. There are some classic covid symptoms, the lungs for example appear glassy in a CT scan but even a CT scan can sometimes mislead. The fool-proof method, we're told, is genome testing. What's that? It is finding genetic code of the mutant. Unless we know this code, we won't recognise the mutant and so, a test won't detect it. So, we are basically operating in the dark. Going forward, genome sequencing must be our eyes and ears. Otherwise, even vaccines may not help. Let's look at the numbers, this time last year versus right now. First, let's look at the daily caseload. This is what the last five days looked like: more than 746,000 cases were reported last Thursday but by Monday, the numbers plateaued. There were 588,000 cases reported globally on Monday. In case of daily deaths, last Thursday was a peak. More than 13,000 deaths were reported on Monday. This came down to 8,800 and now, this sample is too small to draw trends. But projections have been made for as far as August 1. This is one such model made by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. What does it say? At the current rate of vaccination and mutation, we could be looking at more than 4,730,000 deaths. That's if the current trends hold, but what if things get worse? In a worst-case scenario, global deaths could cross the five million mark. That's a nightmare scenario, but if everyone wears a mask and social distancing is strictly imposed, we can still save lives. A worst-case scenario, unfortunately, looks like this: more than four million deaths. Let's face it, none of these scenarios are ideal, but that's where we are heading. Africa and Latin America are struggling with vaccination. Jabs are running out and mutants are running riot. There is just one saving grace, last year the virus came out of nowhere. Most countries did not have the infrastructure to handle the cases, so serious infections inevitably led to death. In 2021, that should not be the case. We have added millions of hospital beds and thousands of intensive care units. So, even patients with the mutant strain are surviving. The trend of 2021 is, higher caseloads but fewer deaths. Remember the basic rules, they remain the same: masks, social distancing and sanitising. Mutant or not, the sanitiser will get it. And vaccinate like there is no tomorrow. Governments must pump more money into vaccine-making, dispel all notions of vaccine hesitancy and make herd immunity, their number one priority. The coronavirus is like a Maths problem, whose variables keep changing.

Fighting new strains of coronavirus sends world into a tizzy 

Sputnik V, the COVID-19 vaccine from Russia, has been given 'Emergency Use Authorisation' in India by a panel of experts. Meanwhile, the British government has opened an official independently-run investigation into former Prime Minister David Cameron's lobbying activities for financier Lex Greensill, The Sun newspaper reported.&nbsp;

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/russias-sputnik-v-covid-vaccine-gets-emergency-nod-from-expert-panel-in-india-377064">Russia's Sputnik V COVID vaccine gets emergency nod in India from experts</a>

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This is the third vaccine to get a go-ahead for use after Covishield and Covaxin.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-opens-official-investigation-into-ex-pm-camerons-lobbying-says-the-sun-377100">UK opens official investigation into ex-PM Cameron's lobbying, says The Sun</a>

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The Financial Times and Sunday Times newspapers have reported that Cameron contacted ministers directly to lobby on behalf of Greensill Capital, including sending texts to finance minister Rishi Sunak and arranging a private drink between Greensill and Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syrian-air-force-may-have-dropped-chlorine-bomb-on-town-in-rebel-area-in-2018-says-watchdog-377084">Syrian air force may have dropped chlorine bomb on town in rebel area in 2018, says watchdog&nbsp;</a>

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The new report by the OPCW chemical weapons watchdog's investigative arm said no one was killed when the cylinder of chlorine gas, delivered in a barrel bomb, hit the Al Talil neighbourhood in the city of Saraqib in February 2018.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanese-minister-expands-claim-in-maritime-area-dispute-with-israel-377099">Lebanese minister expands claim in maritime area dispute with Israel&nbsp;</a>

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The amendment would add around 1,400 square kilometres (540.54 square miles) to the exclusive economic zone claimed by Lebanon in its original submission to the United Nations.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-huge-fire-in-historic-factory-in-st-petersburg-377093">Russia: Huge fire in historic factory in St Petersburg</a>

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The enormous factory, founded as a cloth manufacturer in 1841, was engulfed in flames.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-prince-harry-praises-philip-for-dedication-to-granny-377111">Prince Harry praises Philip for 'dedication to Granny'</a>

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Releasing a statement on his return to Britain from his home in the United States ahead of Philip`s funeral on Saturday, Harry said the Duke of Edinburgh had been a man of "service, honour and great humour".

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/one-person-shot-dead-in-front-of-paris-hospital-says-police-source-377106">One person shot dead in front of Paris hospital, says police source</a>&nbsp;

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The source said the injured person was now being treated inside the hospital, the Henry Dunant, which is also a Covid-19 vaccination centre. The motive for the shootings remains unknown.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-prince-philip-reportedly-wasnt-keen-to-turn-100-can%E2%80%99t-imagine-anything-worse-377094">Prince Philip reportedly wasn't keen to turn 100: 'Can’t imagine anything worse'</a>

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The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip died two months short of his centenary birthday.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/houthis-claim-to-attack-saudi-aramco-facilities-no-confirmation-from-riyadh-377090">Houthis claim to attack Saudi Aramco facilities; no confirmation from Riyadh</a>

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Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Twitter the group's barrage included 10 Samad-3 drones fired at refineries in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and Jubail in the Eastern Province.

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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/czech-foreign-minister-to-lose-job-after-challenging-party-leader-377083">Czech foreign minister to lose job after challenging party leader</a>

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Party chief Jan Hamacek will submit a proposal to the prime minister later on Monday to dismiss Petricek, Hamacek said.

Sputnik V, the COVID-19 vaccine from Russia, has been given 'Emergency Use Authorisation' in India by a panel of experts. Meanwhile, the British government has opened an official independently-run investigation into former Prime Minister David Cameron's lobbying activities for financier Lex Greensill, The Sun newspaper reported.

Sputnik V, the COVID-19 vaccine from Russia, has been given 'Emergency Use Authorisation' in India by a panel of experts. Meanwhile, the British government has opened an official independently-run investigation into former Prime Minister David Cameron's lobbying activities for financier Lex Greensill, The Sun newspaper reported. Russia's Sputnik V COVID vaccine gets emergency nod in India from experts This is the third vaccine to get a go-ahead for use after Covishield and Covaxin. UK opens official investigation into ex-PM Cameron's lobbying, says The Sun The Financial Times and Sunday Times newspapers have reported that Cameron contacted ministers directly to lobby on behalf of Greensill Capital, including sending texts to finance minister Rishi Sunak and arranging a private drink between Greensill and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Syrian air force may have dropped chlorine bomb on town in rebel area in 2018, says watchdog The new report by the OPCW chemical weapons watchdog's investigative arm said no one was killed when the cylinder of chlorine gas, delivered in a barrel bomb, hit the Al Talil neighbourhood in the city of Saraqib in February 2018. Lebanese minister expands claim in maritime area dispute with Israel The amendment would add around 1,400 square kilometres (540.54 square miles) to the exclusive economic zone claimed by Lebanon in its original submission to the United Nations. Russia: Huge fire in historic factory in St Petersburg The enormous factory, founded as a cloth manufacturer in 1841, was engulfed in flames. Prince Harry praises Philip for 'dedication to Granny' Releasing a statement on his return to Britain from his home in the United States ahead of Philip`s funeral on Saturday, Harry said the Duke of Edinburgh had been a man of "service, honour and great humour". One person shot dead in front of Paris hospital, says police source The source said the injured person was now being treated inside the hospital, the Henry Dunant, which is also a Covid-19 vaccination centre. The motive for the shootings remains unknown. Prince Philip reportedly wasn't keen to turn 100: 'Can’t imagine anything worse' The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip died two months short of his centenary birthday. Houthis claim to attack Saudi Aramco facilities; no confirmation from Riyadh Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said on Twitter the group's barrage included 10 Samad-3 drones fired at refineries in the Red Sea city of Jeddah and Jubail in the Eastern Province. Czech foreign minister to lose job after challenging party leader Party chief Jan Hamacek will submit a proposal to the prime minister later on Monday to dismiss Petricek, Hamacek said.

Top 10 World News: Sputnik V vaccine gets emergency nod in India, and more

Israel's legal and political dramas converged Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced court in his corruption trial while his bid to form a government after another inconclusive election reached a critical phase. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Read this and more in our Top 10 World News brief.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu-faces-court-in-corruption-trial-375515">Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces court in corruption trial</a>

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The 71-year-old veteran premier -- who last month contested his fourth election in less than two years -- arrived at the Jerusalem courthouse where he was met by supporters but also opponents who called him Israel's "crime minister".

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwan-reports-new-incursion-by-chinas-air-force-into-defence-zone-375512">Taiwan reports new incursion by China’s Air Force into defence zone</a>

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Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-communities-across-us-fight-back-against-anti-asian-hate-crimes-375520">Police, communities across US fight back against anti-Asian hate crimes</a>

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The officers walked through the arcade of hair and nail salons, restaurants serving Vietnamese cuisine, and herbal medicine shops on Saturday, talking to business owners and patrons

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-extends-deadline-for-twitter-to-remove-banned-content-375503">Russia extends deadline for Twitter to remove 'banned' content</a>

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State telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor imposed slowdowns on Twitter's services in mid-March, accusing it of failing to remove banned content

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-shuts-secret-guantanamo-prison-unit-moves-prisoners-to-another-nearby-camp-375521">US shuts secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners to another nearby camp</a>

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Biden's Democratic predecessor Obama had pitched for closing the camps but could not reach a deal with Congress when Biden was his vice-president.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-to-announce-new-rules-to-restart-international-travel-375522">UK to announce new rules to restart international travel</a>

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Travel destinations will be categorised as red, amber or green based on the virus risk.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/former-chief-of-chinese-defence-giant-norinco-being-probed-for-corruption-375495">Former chief of Chinese defence giant Norinco being probed for corruption</a>

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Yin was at the helm of the company’s leadership between 2013-2018, and is among many being probed from the defence industry

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jordans-prince-hamzah-refuses-to-obey-restrictions-on-movements-amid-coup-allegations-375489">Jordan's Prince Hamzah refuses to obey restrictions on movements amid 'coup' allegations</a>

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The government has accused Hamzah of involvement in a seditious conspiracy to "destabilise the kingdom's security", placed him under house arrest and detained at least 16 more people.

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-extends-easter-wishes-especially-to-radical-left-crazies-375487">Donald Trump extends Easter wishes, especially to 'Radical Left CRAZIES'</a>

<img alt="Trump" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b3452439-13f0-42e8-b5f3-fa8258c6de87" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Top%2010%20-%20Final%20-%2010.jpg" />

After being banned from Twitter and Facebook in the aftermath of the Capitol riot, Trump has been assessing other ways to get his word out

 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-100-nabbed-10-officers-injured-in-londons-kill-the-bill-protests-375484">Over 100 nabbed, 10 officers injured in London's 'Kill the Bill' protests</a>

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Earlier on Sunday, London police said that 10 officers were left with minor injuries after police and protesters clashed in central London on Saturday

Israel's legal and political dramas converged Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced court in his corruption trial while his bid to form a government after another inconclusive election reached a critical phase.

Israel's legal and political dramas converged Monday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced court in his corruption trial while his bid to form a government after another inconclusive election reached a critical phase. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Taiwan’s Defence Ministry on Monday reported a new incursion by China’s air force into the island’s air defence identification zone, made up of eight fighter jets and two other aircraft, one of which flew through the strategic Bashi Channel. Read this and more in our Top 10 World News brief. Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces court in corruption trial The 71-year-old veteran premier -- who last month contested his fourth election in less than two years -- arrived at the Jerusalem courthouse where he was met by supporters but also opponents who called him Israel's "crime minister". Taiwan reports new incursion by China’s Air Force into defence zone Chinese-claimed Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the island, concentrated in the southwestern part its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands Police, communities across US fight back against anti-Asian hate crimes The officers walked through the arcade of hair and nail salons, restaurants serving Vietnamese cuisine, and herbal medicine shops on Saturday, talking to business owners and patrons Russia extends deadline for Twitter to remove 'banned' content State telecommunications watchdog Roskomnadzor imposed slowdowns on Twitter's services in mid-March, accusing it of failing to remove banned content US shuts secret Guantanamo prison unit, moves prisoners to another nearby camp Biden's Democratic predecessor Obama had pitched for closing the camps but could not reach a deal with Congress when Biden was his vice-president. UK to announce new rules to restart international travel Travel destinations will be categorised as red, amber or green based on the virus risk. Former chief of Chinese defence giant Norinco being probed for corruption Yin was at the helm of the company’s leadership between 2013-2018, and is among many being probed from the defence industry Jordan's Prince Hamzah refuses to obey restrictions on movements amid 'coup' allegations The government has accused Hamzah of involvement in a seditious conspiracy to "destabilise the kingdom's security", placed him under house arrest and detained at least 16 more people. Donald Trump extends Easter wishes, especially to 'Radical Left CRAZIES' After being banned from Twitter and Facebook in the aftermath of the Capitol riot, Trump has been assessing other ways to get his word out Over 100 nabbed, 10 officers injured in London's 'Kill the Bill' protests Earlier on Sunday, London police said that 10 officers were left with minor injuries after police and protesters clashed in central London on Saturday

Top 10 World News: Netanyahu faces court, Taiwan reports incursion, and more

Russia has registered the world's first vaccine for animals against Covid-19, its agricultural regulator said on Wednesday, after tests showed it generated antibodies against the virus in dogs, cats, foxes and mink.&nbsp;

Mass production of the vaccine, called Carnivac-Cov, can start in April, regulator Rosselkhoznadzor said.&nbsp;

The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the transmission of the virus between humans and animals. The regulator said the vaccine would be able to protect vulnerable species and thwart viral mutations.&nbsp;

Russia has so far only registered two cases of Covid-19 among animals, both in cats.&nbsp;

Denmark culled all 17 million mink on its farms last year after concluding that a strain of the virus had passed from humans to mink and that mutated strains of the virus had then turned up among people.&nbsp;

Rosselkhoznadzor said Russian fur farms planned to buy the vaccine, along with businesses in Greece, Poland and Austria. Russia's fur farm industry accounts for around 3% of the global market, down from 30% in the Soviet era, according to the main trade body.&nbsp;

Alexander Gintsburg, head of the institute that developed Russia's Sputnik V human vaccine, was quoted in Izvestia newspaper on Monday as saying Covid-19 was likely to hit animals next.&nbsp;

“The next stage of the epidemic is the infection with the coronavirus of farm and domestic animals," Gintsburg said.&nbsp;

Some scientists say that cats and dogs do not play a major role in transmitting the coronavirus to humans and that their own symptoms are often mild if they contract Covid-19.&nbsp;

Clinical trials of the Russian animal vaccine began in October last year and involved dogs, cats, Arctic foxes, mink, foxes and other animals.&nbsp;

"The results of the trials allow us to conclude that the vaccine is safe and highly immunogenic as all the vaccinated animals developed antibodies to the coronavirus," Konstantin Savenkov, Rosselkhoznadzor's deputy head, said in the statement.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Russia has registered the world's first vaccine for animals against Covid-19, its agricultural regulator said on Wednesday, after tests showed it generated antibodies against the virus in dogs, cats, foxes and mink.

Russia has registered the world's first vaccine for animals against Covid-19, its agricultural regulator said on Wednesday, after tests showed it generated antibodies against the virus in dogs, cats, foxes and mink. Mass production of the vaccine, called Carnivac-Cov, can start in April, regulator Rosselkhoznadzor said. The World Health Organisation has expressed concern over the transmission of the virus between humans and animals. The regulator said the vaccine would be able to protect vulnerable species and thwart viral mutations. Russia has so far only registered two cases of Covid-19 among animals, both in cats. Denmark culled all 17 million mink on its farms last year after concluding that a strain of the virus had passed from humans to mink and that mutated strains of the virus had then turned up among people. Rosselkhoznadzor said Russian fur farms planned to buy the vaccine, along with businesses in Greece, Poland and Austria. Russia's fur farm industry accounts for around 3% of the global market, down from 30% in the Soviet era, according to the main trade body. Alexander Gintsburg, head of the institute that developed Russia's Sputnik V human vaccine, was quoted in Izvestia newspaper on Monday as saying Covid-19 was likely to hit animals next. “The next stage of the epidemic is the infection with the coronavirus of farm and domestic animals," Gintsburg said. Some scientists say that cats and dogs do not play a major role in transmitting the coronavirus to humans and that their own symptoms are often mild if they contract Covid-19. Clinical trials of the Russian animal vaccine began in October last year and involved dogs, cats, Arctic foxes, mink, foxes and other animals. "The results of the trials allow us to conclude that the vaccine is safe and highly immunogenic as all the vaccinated animals developed antibodies to the coronavirus," Konstantin Savenkov, Rosselkhoznadzor's deputy head, said in the statement. (With inputs from agencies)

In a first, Russia registers Covid-19 vaccine for animals 

President Joe Biden wants to forge an “alliance of democracies.” China wants to make clear that it has alliances of its own.

Only days after a rancorous encounter with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s foreign minister joined his Russian counterpart last week to denounce Western meddling and sanctions.

He then headed to the Middle East to visit traditional U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as Iran, where he signed a sweeping investment agreement Saturday. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, reached out to Colombia one day and pledged support for North Korea on another.

Although officials denied the timing was intentional, the message clearly was. China hopes to position itself as the main challenger to an international order, led by the United States, that is generally guided by principles of democracy, respect for human rights and adherence to rule of law.

Such a system “does not represent the will of the international community,” China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, told Russia’s, Sergey Lavrov, when they met in the southern Chinese city of Guilin.

In a joint statement, they accused the United States of bullying and interference and urged it to “reflect on the damage it has done to global peace and development in recent years.”

The threat of a U.S.-led coalition challenging China’s authoritarian policies has only bolstered Beijing’s ambition to be a global leader of nations that oppose Washington and its allies. It shows an increasingly confident and unapologetic China, one that not only refutes U.S. criticism of its internal affairs but that presents its own values as a model for others.

“They’re actually trying to build an argument like, ‘We’re the more responsible power. We’re not the spoilers or an axis of evil,’” John Delury, a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, said of China’s strategy.

As result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct if not purely ideological camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure supporters.

Biden made that clear in his first presidential news conference Thursday, presenting a foreign policy based on geopolitical competition between models of governance. He compared Xi to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “who thinks that autocracy is the wave of the future and democracy can’t function” in “an ever-complex world.”

He later called the challenge “a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies.”

China, for its part, argues that it is the United States dividing the world into blocs. Xi set the tone shortly after Biden’s inauguration, telling this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that multilateralism should be based on consensus among many countries, not a view advanced by “one or the few.”

“To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions, and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation,” Xi said.

In pushing back on criticism of its policies in recent days, China has championed the primacy of international organizations like the United Nations, where Beijing’s clout has grown.

Wang noted that more than 80 countries at the U.N. Human Rights Council had expressed support for China’s actions in Xinjiang, the far western region where authorities have detained and interned Uyghur Muslims in a campaign the United States declared a genocide.

As a result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct, if not purely ideological, camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure in supporters. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Wang secured an endorsement of its Xinjiang policies, as well as its quashing of dissent in Hong Kong, from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, though a Saudi statement did not mention Xinjiang.

China’s most striking alignment is with Russia, where Putin has long complained about U.S. hegemony and its use — abuse, in his view — of the global financial system as an instrument of foreign policy.

The Russian foreign minister arrived in China on March 22 railing about U.S. sanctions and saying the world needed to reduce its reliance on the U.S. dollar.

China and Russia have drawn closer especially since Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was met with international outrage and Western penalties. While the possibility of a formal alliance remains remote, the countries’ diplomatic and economic ties have deepened in common cause against the United States. So have strategic ties. The People’s Liberation Army and the Russian military now routinely hold exercises together and have twice conducted joint air patrols along Japan’s coast, most recently in December.

The two countries announced this month that they would build a research station on the moon together, setting the stage for competing space programs, one led by China and the other by the United States.

“The latest steps and gestures by the Biden administration, seen as hostile and insulting by the Russian and Chinese leaders, have predictably pushed Moscow and Beijing even deeper into a mutual embrace,” said Artyom Lukin, a professor of international studies at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia.

Chinese officials, like the Russians, have repeatedly said the United States lacks the standing to criticize other nations. They cite as evidence its military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and accuse it of instigating public protests against governments it opposes.

In his extraordinary confrontation with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, cited racism and police brutality in the United States, along with mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, as evidence of the country’s decline.

China’s State Council released a report on human rights in the United States on Wednesday, using as an epigraph George Floyd’s plea to the police, “I can’t breathe.”

“The United States should lower the tone of democracy and human rights and talk more about cooperation in global affairs,” Yuan Peng, president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a government think tank, wrote the same day.

From that perspective, Xi’s outreach to North Korea and Wang’s visit to Iran could signal China’s interest in working with the United States to resolve disputes over those two countries’ nuclear programs.

Biden’s administration may be open to that. After the Alaska meetings, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned both as potential areas where “our interests intersect” with China’s.

In other areas, a chasm is widening.

Since Biden’s election, China has sought to prevent the United States from forging a united front against it. It appealed to the new administration to resume cooperation after the confrontations of the Trump years. It sealed trade and investment agreements, including one with the European Union, hoping to box out Biden.

It did not work. The first results of Biden’s strategy emerged last week, when the United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union jointly announced sanctions on Chinese officials over Xinjiang. China’s condemnation was swift.

“The era when it was possible to make up a story and concoct lies to wantonly meddle in Chinese domestic affairs is past and will not come back,” Wang said.

China retaliated with sanctions of its own against elected officials and scholars in the European Union and Britain. Similar penalties followed Saturday on Canadians and Americans, including top officials at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government body that held a hearing this month on forced labor in Xinjiang. All affected will be barred from traveling to China or conducting business with Chinese companies or individuals.

Theresa Fallon, director of the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies in Brussels, said China’s sanctions on Europeans were an overreaction that would drive officials into an anti-China camp.

They could also jeopardize China’s investment deal with the European Union, as many of those penalized are members of the European Parliament, whose approval is required. So could new campaigns by Chinese consumers against major Western brands like H&amp;amp;M and Nike.

Until now, many EU nations have not wanted to explicitly choose sides, eschewing the kind of bipolar ideological divisions seen during the Cold War, in part because of deepening economic ties with China.

With each new twist in relations, however, clearer camps are emerging.

“The Chinese mirror all the time,” Fallon said. “They always accuse people of Cold War thinking because I think that’s really, deep down, how they think.”

President Joe Biden wants to forge an “alliance of democracies.” China wants to make clear that it has alliances of its own. Only days after a rancorous encounter with U.

President Joe Biden wants to forge an “alliance of democracies.” China wants to make clear that it has alliances of its own. Only days after a rancorous encounter with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s foreign minister joined his Russian counterpart last week to denounce Western meddling and sanctions. He then headed to the Middle East to visit traditional U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as Iran, where he signed a sweeping investment agreement Saturday. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, reached out to Colombia one day and pledged support for North Korea on another. Although officials denied the timing was intentional, the message clearly was. China hopes to position itself as the main challenger to an international order, led by the United States, that is generally guided by principles of democracy, respect for human rights and adherence to rule of law. Such a system “does not represent the will of the international community,” China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, told Russia’s, Sergey Lavrov, when they met in the southern Chinese city of Guilin. In a joint statement, they accused the United States of bullying and interference and urged it to “reflect on the damage it has done to global peace and development in recent years.” The threat of a U.S.-led coalition challenging China’s authoritarian policies has only bolstered Beijing’s ambition to be a global leader of nations that oppose Washington and its allies. It shows an increasingly confident and unapologetic China, one that not only refutes U.S. criticism of its internal affairs but that presents its own values as a model for others. “They’re actually trying to build an argument like, ‘We’re the more responsible power. We’re not the spoilers or an axis of evil,’” John Delury, a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, said of China’s strategy. As result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct if not purely ideological camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure supporters. Biden made that clear in his first presidential news conference Thursday, presenting a foreign policy based on geopolitical competition between models of governance. He compared Xi to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “who thinks that autocracy is the wave of the future and democracy can’t function” in “an ever-complex world.” He later called the challenge “a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies.” China, for its part, argues that it is the United States dividing the world into blocs. Xi set the tone shortly after Biden’s inauguration, telling this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that multilateralism should be based on consensus among many countries, not a view advanced by “one or the few.” “To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions, and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation,” Xi said. In pushing back on criticism of its policies in recent days, China has championed the primacy of international organizations like the United Nations, where Beijing’s clout has grown. Wang noted that more than 80 countries at the U.N. Human Rights Council had expressed support for China’s actions in Xinjiang, the far western region where authorities have detained and interned Uyghur Muslims in a campaign the United States declared a genocide. As a result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct, if not purely ideological, camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure in supporters. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Wang secured an endorsement of its Xinjiang policies, as well as its quashing of dissent in Hong Kong, from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, though a Saudi statement did not mention Xinjiang. China’s most striking alignment is with Russia, where Putin has long complained about U.S. hegemony and its use — abuse, in his view — of the global financial system as an instrument of foreign policy. The Russian foreign minister arrived in China on March 22 railing about U.S. sanctions and saying the world needed to reduce its reliance on the U.S. dollar. China and Russia have drawn closer especially since Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was met with international outrage and Western penalties. While the possibility of a formal alliance remains remote, the countries’ diplomatic and economic ties have deepened in common cause against the United States. So have strategic ties. The People’s Liberation Army and the Russian military now routinely hold exercises together and have twice conducted joint air patrols along Japan’s coast, most recently in December. The two countries announced this month that they would build a research station on the moon together, setting the stage for competing space programs, one led by China and the other by the United States. “The latest steps and gestures by the Biden administration, seen as hostile and insulting by the Russian and Chinese leaders, have predictably pushed Moscow and Beijing even deeper into a mutual embrace,” said Artyom Lukin, a professor of international studies at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Chinese officials, like the Russians, have repeatedly said the United States lacks the standing to criticize other nations. They cite as evidence its military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and accuse it of instigating public protests against governments it opposes. In his extraordinary confrontation with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, cited racism and police brutality in the United States, along with mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, as evidence of the country’s decline. China’s State Council released a report on human rights in the United States on Wednesday, using as an epigraph George Floyd’s plea to the police, “I can’t breathe.” “The United States should lower the tone of democracy and human rights and talk more about cooperation in global affairs,” Yuan Peng, president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a government think tank, wrote the same day. From that perspective, Xi’s outreach to North Korea and Wang’s visit to Iran could signal China’s interest in working with the United States to resolve disputes over those two countries’ nuclear programs. Biden’s administration may be open to that. After the Alaska meetings, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned both as potential areas where “our interests intersect” with China’s. In other areas, a chasm is widening. Since Biden’s election, China has sought to prevent the United States from forging a united front against it. It appealed to the new administration to resume cooperation after the confrontations of the Trump years. It sealed trade and investment agreements, including one with the European Union, hoping to box out Biden. It did not work. The first results of Biden’s strategy emerged last week, when the United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union jointly announced sanctions on Chinese officials over Xinjiang. China’s condemnation was swift. “The era when it was possible to make up a story and concoct lies to wantonly meddle in Chinese domestic affairs is past and will not come back,” Wang said. China retaliated with sanctions of its own against elected officials and scholars in the European Union and Britain. Similar penalties followed Saturday on Canadians and Americans, including top officials at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government body that held a hearing this month on forced labor in Xinjiang. All affected will be barred from traveling to China or conducting business with Chinese companies or individuals. Theresa Fallon, director of the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies in Brussels, said China’s sanctions on Europeans were an overreaction that would drive officials into an anti-China camp. They could also jeopardize China’s investment deal with the European Union, as many of those penalized are members of the European Parliament, whose approval is required. So could new campaigns by Chinese consumers against major Western brands like H&amp;M and Nike. Until now, many EU nations have not wanted to explicitly choose sides, eschewing the kind of bipolar ideological divisions seen during the Cold War, in part because of deepening economic ties with China. With each new twist in relations, however, clearer camps are emerging. “The Chinese mirror all the time,” Fallon said. “They always accuse people of Cold War thinking because I think that’s really, deep down, how they think.”

An alliance of autocracies? China wants to lead a new world order.

India, China, Brazil are among nations from which leadership will emerge in the post-pandemic world order, but it is too early to tell, according to Youssef Chahed, former chief of government, Tunisia.

"The new leadership will come from many countries like India, Brazil, Europe and China. It is still too early to tell," he said at the WION Global summit in Dubai on Wednesday.

"The country or the force having recognised as safe from the pandemic will gain power. The lesson from Covid-19 is that it doesn't apply to all...We can imagine basic outlines of how the new leadership will be, though&nbsp;it still remains speculative."&nbsp;

The recovery of the economies from the pandemic is likely to depend on the crisis management and the quick containment of the virus. "The speed and amount of the recovery will vary across regions and depend on access to medical facilities, effectiveness of the policy support, characteristics of the companies before the beginning of the crisis," said Chahed.&nbsp;

According to the politician, the response of Asian countries such as China, India, South Korea and&nbsp;Vietnam&nbsp;to the pandemic contrasted with that of the&nbsp;US and Europe. While we see China and India continue to grow in 2021, the Europe and Latin America will lag behind, he added.&nbsp;

Pointing out that the recovery will also depend on innovation, he said, "In 2008, companies who invested in innovation&nbsp;survived the recession." &nbsp;

He said it is too early to say that multilateral global system has failed. But it is clear that no country played global leadership during the pandemic. Today, China and US have internal challenges. And China will also probably try to continue to promote its model of controlling the virus. &nbsp;

Chahed looked to indicate that the political leaders, who did management mistakes during the pandemic, will pay high political prices as the mistakes have the power to undermine the government or leader.&nbsp;

India, China, Brazil are among nations from which leadership will emerge in the post-pandemic world order, but it is too early to tell, according to Youssef Chahed, former chief of government, Tunisia.

India, China, Brazil are among nations from which leadership will emerge in the post-pandemic world order, but it is too early to tell, according to Youssef Chahed, former chief of government, Tunisia. "The new leadership will come from many countries like India, Brazil, Europe and China. It is still too early to tell," he said at the WION Global summit in Dubai on Wednesday. "The country or the force having recognised as safe from the pandemic will gain power. The lesson from Covid-19 is that it doesn't apply to all...We can imagine basic outlines of how the new leadership will be, though it still remains speculative." The recovery of the economies from the pandemic is likely to depend on the crisis management and the quick containment of the virus. "The speed and amount of the recovery will vary across regions and depend on access to medical facilities, effectiveness of the policy support, characteristics of the companies before the beginning of the crisis," said Chahed. According to the politician, the response of Asian countries such as China, India, South Korea and Vietnam to the pandemic contrasted with that of the US and Europe. While we see China and India continue to grow in 2021, the Europe and Latin America will lag behind, he added. Pointing out that the recovery will also depend on innovation, he said, "In 2008, companies who invested in innovation survived the recession." He said it is too early to say that multilateral global system has failed. But it is clear that no country played global leadership during the pandemic. Today, China and US have internal challenges. And China will also probably try to continue to promote its model of controlling the virus. Chahed looked to indicate that the political leaders, who did management mistakes during the pandemic, will pay high political prices as the mistakes have the power to undermine the government or leader.

Who will lead the post-pandemic order? Leaders debate at WION Global Summit

Are you ready to live with the coronavirus for another five years? Answer is surely no. The entire world is desperate for the pandemic to end, but for it, we need herd immunity. The global population is now close to eight billion. Out of this, 75 per cent needs to be vaccinated. Each individual need two doses. So, where do we stand?&nbsp;

Right now, more than six million shots are being administered every day across the world. At this rate, it will take five years to cover 75 per cent of the world's population. We started in 2021 with vaccines but the rollout has been terribly slow. Rich countries are hoarding vaccines and there is a supply shortage.&nbsp;

Countries like Japan might waste millions of shots as they don't have the right needles. Last week, the United Nations said 130 countries still haven't received even a single shot. The global vaccination programme needs a jump start and India can help.&nbsp;

India is running the world's largest vaccination drive right now. It could be the catalyst that the global vaccination drive needs. There are two reasons. &nbsp;

Firstly, India has a population of more than one billion. It is almost 18 per cent of the world's total population. If India vaccinates 75 per cent of its population. Close to a billion people will be immune to the virus. This can encourage more people around the world to take vaccines.&nbsp;

Secondly, India's vaccine manufacturing capabilities. Before the pandemic, India produced 60 per cent of the vaccines for the world and delivering 390 million doses annually for aliments like measles and tuberculosis already.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-india-going-slow-with-wuhan-vaccine-shots-365770">WATCH|</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-india-going-slow-with-wuhan-vaccine-shots-365770/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

India is contributing to the global fight as it is sending vaccines to all corners of the world. Both under commercial contracts as well as gifts. By mid February, India exported more than 1.6 crore shots. 37 per cent of these supplies were gifts to friendly countries and a large shipment of the oxford vaccine was dispatched from India for Covax, the global vaccine alliance, led by the World Health Organization. These shots will be sent to 25 to 30 countries.&nbsp;

What about India's own vaccination drive? How is the world's largest vaccination drive faring?&nbsp;

It depends on which numbers you consider. India was the fastest country to administer six million shots. The second fastest to complete 10 million vaccinations. As of today, more than 1.17 crore shots have been given.&nbsp;

India ranks number five after the United States, China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, when it comes to the sheer number of doses administered. India administered its first shot on the 16th of January.&nbsp;

In less than 40 days, it has administered more than one crore shots. But how close are we to inoculating 75 per cent of our population, the herd immunity mark? India has a long way to go.&nbsp;

As of the Feburary 21, India has administered just 0.8 doses per 100 people. Not even one shot per 100.&nbsp;

Till Monday, less than 0.1 per cent of India had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Not even one per cent of India has got a shot. And India is the pharmacy of the world. But is it doing enough when it comes to inoculating its own people?&nbsp;

Supplying vaccines to the world is great, but is it happening at the cost of people at home? It's important to understand India's current rollout plan.&nbsp;

Right now, the vaccine drive is in the hands of the government. The government procures the vaccines and sends them to vaccination centres around the country.&nbsp;

For the moment, only health workers are being inoculated in India. The govt's targets are ambitious as India set a goal to inoculate 300 million people by August but as of the beginning of February, the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker and the supplier of the oxford shot was sitting on a stockpile of 70 million doses. &nbsp;

India has more than enough doses to share with the world and vaccinate its own. There's a stockpile of millions waiting to be used. What India needs is wider administration of the vaccine and more centres.&nbsp;

This is where the private players come in. If the vaccine is safe and the stock is available. The private sector should be allowed to join the programme. The same happened with testing. Virus testing on a wide scale began once the private sector was made part of it. So why is the govt shy of including the private sector in the vaccination drive?&nbsp;

Remember, these vaccines are still new and most countries in the world have granted restricted permissions to vaccine makers for two reasons. One for shortage in supplies and two to avoid adverse events, in case the vaccines show any major side effects.&nbsp;

India is following global standards with restricted permissions. It granted vaccines an emergency approval first. Reports say no adverse effects have been found so far. So, India needs to evolve its strategy and rollout plan, and consider involving the private sector. In fact, the serum institute has said that the rest of the world will have to wait for its supplies. It has been directed to fulfil the domestic needs first. It's a welcome step as India needs to expand its domestic programme. Else, the 300 million target will be hard to chase. &nbsp;

Are you ready to live with the coronavirus for another five years? Answer is surely no. The entire world is desperate for the pandemic to end, but for it, we need herd immunity.

Are you ready to live with the coronavirus for another five years? Answer is surely no. The entire world is desperate for the pandemic to end, but for it, we need herd immunity. The global population is now close to eight billion. Out of this, 75 per cent needs to be vaccinated. Each individual need two doses. So, where do we stand? Right now, more than six million shots are being administered every day across the world. At this rate, it will take five years to cover 75 per cent of the world's population. We started in 2021 with vaccines but the rollout has been terribly slow. Rich countries are hoarding vaccines and there is a supply shortage. Countries like Japan might waste millions of shots as they don't have the right needles. Last week, the United Nations said 130 countries still haven't received even a single shot. The global vaccination programme needs a jump start and India can help. India is running the world's largest vaccination drive right now. It could be the catalyst that the global vaccination drive needs. There are two reasons. Firstly, India has a population of more than one billion. It is almost 18 per cent of the world's total population. If India vaccinates 75 per cent of its population. Close to a billion people will be immune to the virus. This can encourage more people around the world to take vaccines. Secondly, India's vaccine manufacturing capabilities. Before the pandemic, India produced 60 per cent of the vaccines for the world and delivering 390 million doses annually for aliments like measles and tuberculosis already. WATCH| India is contributing to the global fight as it is sending vaccines to all corners of the world. Both under commercial contracts as well as gifts. By mid February, India exported more than 1.6 crore shots. 37 per cent of these supplies were gifts to friendly countries and a large shipment of the oxford vaccine was dispatched from India for Covax, the global vaccine alliance, led by the World Health Organization. These shots will be sent to 25 to 30 countries. What about India's own vaccination drive? How is the world's largest vaccination drive faring? It depends on which numbers you consider. India was the fastest country to administer six million shots. The second fastest to complete 10 million vaccinations. As of today, more than 1.17 crore shots have been given. India ranks number five after the United States, China, the European Union, the United Kingdom, when it comes to the sheer number of doses administered. India administered its first shot on the 16th of January. In less than 40 days, it has administered more than one crore shots. But how close are we to inoculating 75 per cent of our population, the herd immunity mark? India has a long way to go. As of the Feburary 21, India has administered just 0.8 doses per 100 people. Not even one shot per 100. Till Monday, less than 0.1 per cent of India had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Not even one per cent of India has got a shot. And India is the pharmacy of the world. But is it doing enough when it comes to inoculating its own people? Supplying vaccines to the world is great, but is it happening at the cost of people at home? It's important to understand India's current rollout plan. Right now, the vaccine drive is in the hands of the government. The government procures the vaccines and sends them to vaccination centres around the country. For the moment, only health workers are being inoculated in India. The govt's targets are ambitious as India set a goal to inoculate 300 million people by August but as of the beginning of February, the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine maker and the supplier of the oxford shot was sitting on a stockpile of 70 million doses. India has more than enough doses to share with the world and vaccinate its own. There's a stockpile of millions waiting to be used. What India needs is wider administration of the vaccine and more centres. This is where the private players come in. If the vaccine is safe and the stock is available. The private sector should be allowed to join the programme. The same happened with testing. Virus testing on a wide scale began once the private sector was made part of it. So why is the govt shy of including the private sector in the vaccination drive? Remember, these vaccines are still new and most countries in the world have granted restricted permissions to vaccine makers for two reasons. One for shortage in supplies and two to avoid adverse events, in case the vaccines show any major side effects. India is following global standards with restricted permissions. It granted vaccines an emergency approval first. Reports say no adverse effects have been found so far. So, India needs to evolve its strategy and rollout plan, and consider involving the private sector. In fact, the serum institute has said that the rest of the world will have to wait for its supplies. It has been directed to fulfil the domestic needs first. It's a welcome step as India needs to expand its domestic programme. Else, the 300 million target will be hard to chase.

What role can India play in coronavirus vaccine inoculation?

South Korea's fertility rate fell to the lowest in the world last year, data showed on Wednesday, as uncertainty over the coronavirus discouraged couples from marrying and having children.&nbsp;

The number of expected babies per South Korean woman fell to 0.84 in 2020, dropping further from the country's previous record low of 0.92 a year earlier, the official annual reading from the Statistics Korea showed.&nbsp;

That is the lowest among over 180 member countries of the World Bank, and far below 1.73 in the United States and 1.42 in Japan.&nbsp;

The grim milestone comes after the population fell for the first time ever last year.&nbsp;

Asia's fourth-largest economy is the fastest aging country in the OECD. The government has failed to reverse the falling birth rate despite spending billions of dollars each year on childcare subsidies and maternity leave support.&nbsp;

The nation's capital Seoul logged the lowest birth rate of 0.64.&nbsp;

In some recent reports, the number of newborns in China also plummeted by 15 per cent in 2020 from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Public Security, with the onset of the novel coronavirus disrupting the economy and weighing on decisions to have a family.&nbsp;

China saw 10.035 million births last year, the ministry said on Monday, compared with 11.79 million in 2019. Of those born last year, 52.7% were boys and 47.3% girls.&nbsp;

Posts on Chinese social media with the hashtag 'How to get China out of a low fertility trap' were viewed 120 million times recently, with some comments linking low fertility rates to high living costs, while others said social norms were changing.&nbsp;

“The declining fertility rate actually reflects the progress in the thinking of Chinese people - women are no longer a fertility tool,” wrote a user of Weibo, a Twitter-like microblog popular in China.&nbsp;

South Korea's fertility rate fell to the lowest in the world last year, data showed on Wednesday, as uncertainty over the coronavirus discouraged couples from marrying and having children.

South Korea's fertility rate fell to the lowest in the world last year, data showed on Wednesday, as uncertainty over the coronavirus discouraged couples from marrying and having children. The number of expected babies per South Korean woman fell to 0.84 in 2020, dropping further from the country's previous record low of 0.92 a year earlier, the official annual reading from the Statistics Korea showed. That is the lowest among over 180 member countries of the World Bank, and far below 1.73 in the United States and 1.42 in Japan. The grim milestone comes after the population fell for the first time ever last year. Asia's fourth-largest economy is the fastest aging country in the OECD. The government has failed to reverse the falling birth rate despite spending billions of dollars each year on childcare subsidies and maternity leave support. The nation's capital Seoul logged the lowest birth rate of 0.64. In some recent reports, the number of newborns in China also plummeted by 15 per cent in 2020 from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Public Security, with the onset of the novel coronavirus disrupting the economy and weighing on decisions to have a family. China saw 10.035 million births last year, the ministry said on Monday, compared with 11.79 million in 2019. Of those born last year, 52.7% were boys and 47.3% girls. Posts on Chinese social media with the hashtag 'How to get China out of a low fertility trap' were viewed 120 million times recently, with some comments linking low fertility rates to high living costs, while others said social norms were changing. “The declining fertility rate actually reflects the progress in the thinking of Chinese people - women are no longer a fertility tool,” wrote a user of Weibo, a Twitter-like microblog popular in China.

South Korea's fertility rate drops to lowest in world

Feb 10 in history: Treat of Paris, Satellites collide in space and more

The new strain of COVID-19 is spreading in advanced and scarier version, days after Britain reported multiple cases of mutated virus similar cases has been discovered in different parts of the world. In India no cases of mutated strain has been reported but the government is not taking any chances at least six labs across the country are conducting Genome sequencing test to detected the presence of the mutant strain.

What steps are to be taken by India to prevent this new strain of COVID-19 from reaching the country?

Indian health ministry said that the country is doing relatively well in its fight against COVID-19 pandemic. It also spoke about the way forward for vaccine against the infection.

India: Central govt asks states to be ready for COVID-19 vaccination

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said that coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll in ways that no one can measure.&nbsp;

It was vital, he said, for people to follow the science and resist the urge to turn a blind eye to the virus.

"We might be tired of COVID-19. But it is not tired of us," he said.

Tedros, speaking from quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, warned that the virus preys on weakness.

"It preys on those in weaker health, but it preys on other weaknesses too: inequality, division, denial, wishful thinking and willful ignorance, he said.

"We cannot negotiate with it, nor close our eyes and hope it goes away."

"It pays no heed to political rhetoric or conspiracy theories," he said.

"Our only hope is science, solutions and solidarity."

Addressing the WHO's main annual assembly he said that "We can’t measure the grief of families who weren’t able to say goodbye to their loved ones. We can’t measure the fear felt by so many in the face of an uncertain future."

"Almost 50 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 1.2 million people have lost their lives. Millions more have died due to disruption of essential health services".

"No one knows the long-term effects of this virus on the human body, or on the type of world, our children and grandchildren will inherit. Although this is a global crisis, we must remember that countries have responded differently, and they have been affected differently,”.

(With inputs from agencies)

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said that coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll in ways that no one can measure. It was vital, he said, for people to follow the science and resist the urge to turn a blind eye to the virus.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday said that coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll in ways that no one can measure. It was vital, he said, for people to follow the science and resist the urge to turn a blind eye to the virus. "We might be tired of COVID-19. But it is not tired of us," he said. Tedros, speaking from quarantine after coming in contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, warned that the virus preys on weakness. "It preys on those in weaker health, but it preys on other weaknesses too: inequality, division, denial, wishful thinking and willful ignorance, he said. "We cannot negotiate with it, nor close our eyes and hope it goes away." "It pays no heed to political rhetoric or conspiracy theories," he said. "Our only hope is science, solutions and solidarity." Addressing the WHO's main annual assembly he said that "We can’t measure the grief of families who weren’t able to say goodbye to their loved ones. We can’t measure the fear felt by so many in the face of an uncertain future." "Almost 50 million cases of COVID-19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 1.2 million people have lost their lives. Millions more have died due to disruption of essential health services". "No one knows the long-term effects of this virus on the human body, or on the type of world, our children and grandchildren will inherit. Although this is a global crisis, we must remember that countries have responded differently, and they have been affected differently,”. (With inputs from agencies)

World may be tired, but the virus 'not tired of us': WHO chief

5 million young voters will be able to cast ballots for the first time in Myanmar elections. WION brings you a report.

Myanmar Election: Aung San Suu Kyi expected to win again

French President Emmanuel Macron calls for an overhaul of the rules governing the Schengen area of the free movement in Europe. He also announces to double their forces of border control to fight against the terrorist threat.

France wants stronger response to illegal immigration

A Pakistani reporter who went missing in Karachi returned home on Saturday, his family and government officials said.

Pak journalist returns home a day after going missing in Karachi

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