Even accounting for differential allocation of vaccines, only a fraction opted for it, data show As on February 21, the uptake of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin for COVID-19 across India was about 10%, Health Ministry data show. The reception to the vaccine stands in contrast to Covishield, manufactured by the the Serum Institute of India, which accounts for the remaining 90%. Of the 10.6 million doses administered, 10,37,565 are Covaxin.On January 3, the Indian regulator approved Covaxin for restricted use “under clinical trial mode” as a matter of “abundant caution” even when no interim data of phase-3 trial was available. Post-approval,…
Author: Mike Harrison
The UN on Monday slammed countries that are using the pandemic to justify cracking down on dissent and suppressing criticism.Speaking at the opening of the UN Human Rights Council’s main annual session, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres charged that authorities in a number of nations were using restrictions meant to halt the spread of COVID-19 to weaken opposition.“Using the pandemic as a pretext, authorities in some countries have deployed heavy-handed security responses and emergency measures to crush dissent, criminalise basic freedoms, silence independent reporting and curtail the activities of non-governmental organisations,” he said, without naming the countries.Speaking in a pre-recorded video message…
Under the banner of freedom of expression, many Spaniards strongly object to putting an artist behind bars for his lyrics and tweets. The imprisonment of a rap artist for his music praising terrorist violence and insulting the Spanish monarchy has set off a powder keg of pent-up rage this week in the southern European country.The arrest of Pablo Hasél has brought thousands to the streets for different reasons.Under the banner of freedom of expression, many Spaniards strongly object to putting an artist behind bars for his lyrics and tweets. They are clamoring for Spain’s left-wing government to fulfil its promise…
Leader of the Opposition, N. Rangasamy said the Congress government was blaming the Centre and former Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi as a cover for its own failure to implement any worthwhile scheme The AIADMK and the BJP, allied with the AINRC in Puducherry, have left the decision about their next course of action, including staking a claim to form a government, to their respective central leaderships.Addressing a press conference after the Narayanasamy-led Congress government lost the confidence vote, former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, N. Rangasamy said the government was blaming the Centre and former Lt. Governor Kiran…
The vessel departed from Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf in Bangladesh 10 days ago and has been adrift for over a week after the engine broke down A broken-down boat carrying ethnic Muslim Rohingya is believed to drifting in the Andaman Sea with some of them already dying from lack of food and water, the U.N. refugee agency said on Monday, appealing to Southeast Asian governments to rescue them.The vessel departed from Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf in Bangladesh 10 days ago and has been adrift for over a week after the engine broke down, the U.N. High Commission For Refugees said.…
“We have no intention to challenge or replace the United States,” Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in his annual speech at the Lanting Forum China on February 22 urged the U.S. to stop “smearing” the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and it’s one-party political system, lift sanctions on trade and halt Washington’s backing of “separatist forces” in Taiwan, Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.In his annual speech at the Lanting Forum, focussing on China-U.S. ties, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Biden administration should “adjust” the hardline policy pursued by former President Donald Trump towards Beijing to check…
A final decision on whether Pakistan should remain in the ‘greylist’ will be taken on completion of the FATF Plenary. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) three-day virtual Plenary session, during which Pakistan’s performance in terms of measures taken against money laundering and terror funding will be reviewed once again, will start on Monday.Pakistan has been in the FATF’s ‘greylist’ since June 2018 when it was presented with 27-point action plan.During the last FATF plenary in October 2020, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pakistan was given an extension for full compliance with the recommendations till the next session. It had…
She will continue to hold the post for the next three years. Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was re-elected as the president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday.“Ms. Mufti was unanimously re-elected as J&K PDP president for a period of three years. Her name was proposed by senior leader G.N.L Hanjura and seconded by Khurshid Alam,” PDP spokesman Suhail Bukhari said.PDP senior leader A.R. Veeri was the chairman of the party election board.Ms. Mufti, who was jailed in 2019 and continues to face a tough political situation post August 5, has been the party president…
He said that with initiatives like de-licensing, de-regulation, export promotion, foreign investment liberalisation, the government has taken several measures to give the defence manufacturing sector a boost. India had an age-old experience in making arms and military equipment but after Independence this capacity was not strengthened, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, asserting that now the country is committed to enhancing its capabilities in defence manufacturing at a fast pace.Addressing a webinar on the effective implementation of the Union Budget’s provisions in the defence sector, the prime minister listed a series of measures taken by his government to boost…
Authorities say confrontation could cost lives; two killed at weekend in bloodiest spell of protests Businesses shut in Myanmar on February 22 in a general strike called to oppose the military coup and thousands of protesters gathered in towns and cities despite a chilling message from the junta that confrontation would cost more lives.On Feb. 21, hundreds of people attended the funeral in the capital Naypyitaw of Mya Thwate Thwate Khaing, a young woman who became a symbol of resistance after being shot in the head on Feb. 9 while protesting.On Saturday, two more protesters were killed when police opened…