Japan announced that it has decided to defy the 1986 global ban on whaling and exit the International Whaling Commission. The island nation said that it would resume wh

Japan confirms IWC exit, to resume whaling

Japan announced that it has decided to defy the 1986 global ban on whaling and exit the International Whaling Commission. The island nation said that it would resume whaling from July next year for the first time in 30 years and would officially announce its decision by the end of the year. Drawing flak from all quarters, Japan insisted that it would confine its hunting in the territorial waters and in the exclusive economic zone.  

A rise in cases of the Covid-19 variant dominant in India could "pose serious disruption" to Britain's reopening plans, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday. E

A rise in cases of the Covid-19 variant dominant in India could "pose serious disruption" to Britain's reopening plans, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday. England will take the next step of reopening on Monday. However, the final stage of reopening scheduled for June 21, could be in doubt.
Second doses of vaccines will be accelerated for the over-50s and the clinically vulnerable in a bid to keep the strain at bay, Johnson told a press briefing.
He agreed the &lsquo;new variant could pose a serious disruption to progress&rsquo;, but added that he will do &lsquo;whatever it takes to keep the public safe." The health ministry said decisive action is being taken to further control its spread.

Chances are that when you woke up Friday morning and saw the news that fully vaccinated people in the United States can now move without masks in most outdoor or indoor

Chances are that when you woke up Friday morning and saw the news that fully vaccinated people in the United States can now move without masks in most outdoor or indoor settings, you were either overjoyed at the prospect of such guidelines being issued in India in the future or were confused about why all health experts, top doctors and govt in India insist that we continue to wear masks even after being fully vaccinated.
Let&rsquo;s try and understand why US&rsquo; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued such a guideline and why India shouldn&rsquo;t see this as a green signal to put their mask away.
The US CDC has said that fully vaccinated people i.e those who have received their final COVID-19 jab at least two weeks ago, don&rsquo;t need to wear masks anymore indoors or outdoors or follow physical distancing but that advice comes with ifs and buts.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, Director of CDC said that wearing of masks is still required in places like hospitals, healthcare centres, homeless shelters. Also, while travelling in a bus, train, plane or any other public transport.
Fully vaccinated people will also have to wear masks wherever required by the federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules, and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance.
While some states in US have adapted their Covid SOPs to reflect the CDC recommendations, most have decided to keep their rules unchanged.
Now let&rsquo;s look at what led to the &lsquo;masks off&rsquo; guidelines.
CDC believes that the country&rsquo;s aggressive vaccination campaign is paying off. U.S. virus cases are at their lowest rate since September, deaths are at their lowest point since last April and the test positivity rate is at the lowest point since the pandemic began.
To date about 154 million Americans, more than 47% of the population, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccines and more than 117 million are fully vaccinated. Also, US has just approved Pfizer vaccines for children between 12-15 years of age.
While the guideline has been met with much cheer by some people, including US President Joe Biden who hailed it as a &lsquo;great day&rsquo;, there is also a apprehension in people&rsquo;s mind that those who haven&rsquo;t got their jabs can now remove their masks by claiming that they are fully vaccinated.
The situation in India is opposite to the one in US. The country is currently in the throes of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Experts have said that India has hit the peak and cases are expected to plateau but have also cautioned that it is not all clear till the positivity rate comes. There are also warnings of a third wave.
Vaccinations are being seen as the only way to reduce the transmission and severity of the disease but India&rsquo;s vaccine drive is on the slow track. As of 7am on May 14 according to the govt data, 13.87 crore people or just under 11.66% were vaccinated with the first dose and 4.05 crore people or just over 3.33% were fully vaccinated with both doses.
So stay home, stay safe and mask up if absolutely have t

Australia resumed repatriation flights from India on Friday for its stranded citizens after a 2-week temporary ban due to the Covid crisis in the country. 40 out of th

Australia resumed repatriation flights from India on Friday for its stranded citizens after a 2-week temporary ban due to the Covid crisis in the country.
40 out of the 150 passengers booked on the first such flight from New Delhi tested covid positive. Including their close contacts, a total of about 70 have been grounded and cannot fly out.
Around 10,000 Australian citizens are seeking to return home from India. Almost 1,000 of those are considered vulnerable and have been given priority to board the repatriation flights.
According to the current rules, only those who test negative will board the flights and after landing in Australia, passengers will have to undergo a strict quarantine to make sure they are not carrying the Indian variant of the coronavirus strain.
The Australian government had imposed a temporary ban along with criminal sanctions for people flying to Australia from India. The government said it was to mitigate the risk of potentially highest rates of infection on arrival and ensure that the quarantine system could receive further flights.

The race to shoot the first film in space seems to be getting tougher, as Russia has now entered the race, months after Tom Cruise made the announcement. Russia

The race to shoot the first film in space seems to be getting tougher, as Russia has now entered the race, months after Tom Cruise made the announcement.&nbsp;
Russia on Friday revealed that they have chosen&nbsp;actress&nbsp;Yulia Peresild and filmmaker&nbsp;Klim Shipenko&nbsp;who&nbsp;will blast off in a Russian rocket from Baikonur cosmodrome on October 5 to shoot their first film in space.&nbsp;
Reportedly, Russia mounted a rival production last year, shortly after Cruise confirmed his plans&nbsp;to go into low Earth orbit, backed by NASA and Elon Musk.&nbsp;

The Gaza Strip’s feeble health system was struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases even before the violence broke out in the region following escalating tensi

The Gaza Strip&rsquo;s feeble health system was struggling with a surge in coronavirus cases even before the violence broke out in the region following escalating tensions with Israel. Last month, Gaza&rsquo;s daily coronavirus cases and deaths hit record highs. In the wake of the surging cases, authorities cleared out hospital operating rooms and redeployed doctors to patients having difficulty in breathing.
Now with Israel pounding Gaza with airstrikes doctors across the crowded coastal enclave are reallocating intensive care unit beds treating blast and shrapnel wounds. This week&rsquo;s violence between Israel and Gaza&rsquo;s Hamas rulers has killed 103 Palestinians, including 27 children, and wounded 530 people in the impoverished territory.
The impoverished health care system in the territory of more than 2 million people has always been vulnerable. Gaza Health Ministry official fears total collapse amid casualties coming from all directions.

KP Sharma Oli on Thursday was reappointed as Nepal's Prime Minister as the opposition party failed to oust Oli to form a new government. The 69-year-old

KP Sharma Oli on Thursday was reappointed as Nepal's Prime Minister as the opposition party failed to oust him and form a new government. The 69-year-old CPN-UML chairman who lost a crucial trust vote in the parliament earlier this week was reinstated as PM by Nepal President, Bidya Devi Bhandari. In a statement released by President's office, it was revealed that no 2 parties or more showed the intent of forming a coalition government by the deadline, which expired on 9 PM, Thursday. To continue his office, Oli will now have to prove the majority through vote of trust in the parliament within 30 days of his appointment otherwise the House may face dissolution, and Nepal might conduct early elections.

Prince Harry said in an interview released on Thursday that he moved his wife and son to US to break a family cycle of "pain and suffering" after realizing his fa

Prince Harry said in an interview released &nbsp;on Thursday that he moved his wife and son to US to break a family cycle of "pain and suffering" after realizing his father Prince Charles treated him the way he was treated. Harry told "Armchair Expert" podcast host that while he did not blame his father, he had resolved to avoid making the same mistakes with his own children. Harry said that once he began thinking about his father's own upbringing, he came to realize that the Prince of Wales did not have it easy growing up as a Royal. The remarks come in the wake of Harry and Meghan's explosive television interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes on Friday in response to a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave. Israel however stopped short of a

Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes on Friday in response to a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave. Israel however stopped short of a ground offensive in the conflict that has now claimed more than 100 Palestinian lives.
The Israeli army clarified early Friday that its troops had not entered the Gaza Strip as it had earlier stated, blaming an "internal communication" problem for the confusion.
Meanwhile,&nbsp;Israeli security forces have been trying to contain deadly riots between Jews and Arabs
The United Nations said the Security Council would meet on Sunday to address the conflict, while the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was "deeply concerned about the violence in the streets of Israel".

In a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life, US’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vac

In a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life, US&rsquo; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday eased indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people. This easing will allow people to stop wearing masks outdoors in crowds and inside in most situations.
However, the new guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals but will help clear the way for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues.
US President Joe Biden in a nationally televised address at the White House called it "a great day" in the fight against Covid-19 and that they could now "smile again." Biden declared a major victory in the more than year-long battle which has seen more than half a million Americans die.

The World Health Organisation in its weekly update said that the new strains of the Covid variant found in India are deadlier and more infectious. The world healt

The World Health Organisation in its weekly update &nbsp;said that the new strains of the Covid variant found in India are deadlier and more infectious. The world health body said B.1.617 variant first detected in India in October and now found in 44 countries, has a higher rate of transmission and reduced susceptibility to neutralisation antibodies
It also said the potential impact of these mutations on the effectiveness of vaccines is uncertain. Some studies revealed&nbsp;the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have shown "reduced effectiveness" against variants in India, the WHO said.
According to WHO, the B.1.17 variant found in UK and the India-dominant B.1.617 will wane, but there are more dangerous mutations of the B.1.617 now.
&nbsp;

In the latest escalation of violence between Israel-Hamas, Israeli airstrikes toppled a high-rise building in central Gaza on Wednesday. A dramatic video showed fighte

In the latest escalation of violence between Israel-Hamas, Israeli airstrikes toppled a high-rise building in central Gaza on Wednesday.
A dramatic video showed fighter jets dropping bombs on the Al-Farouk tower which housed businesses in addition to offices for Hamas&rsquo; Al-Aqsa satellite channel.
The building was located in the busiest shopping street of Gaza in the Roman neighbourhood. As many as 10 senior Hamas military figures maybe have been killed in these air strikes, say reports.

As incidents of violence escalates between Israel and Palestine, popstar Rihanna has raised her voice and said that she stands with humanity. Taking to Instagram, Riha

As incidents of violence escalates between Israel and Palestine, popstar Rihanna has raised her voice against it&nbsp;and said that she stands with humanity.
Taking to Instagram, Rihanna wrote, 'My heart is breaking with the violence I'm seeing displayed between Israel and Palestine'.
Stating that she can't bare to see innocent Israeli and Palestinian children hiding in bomb shelters, Rihanna said that 'this cycle needs to be broken'.

Even as world is vaccinating the adults against Covid-19... the big question on everyone's mind is when will we have a vaccine for children? ((When will we have a

Even as world is vaccinating the adults against Covid-19... the big question on everyone's mind is when will we have a vaccine for children?&nbsp;
Second wave in India has seen more children getting infected.
Nearly 11.5% of the 56 lakh Covid-19 cases reported between January and April this year were in the age group zero to 20 years, government data shows.&nbsp;
Parents, school administrators and public health officials have eagerly awaited approval for the shot to be made available to more kids.
A group of parents have launched a tweetathon to demand vaccine for children at the earliest
In a big move drug regulator on Thursday cleared clinical trials for Bharat Biotech's Covaxin in 2 to 18 years age group.
Bharat Biotech will conduct trials in 525 healthy volunteers...
Till now only US and Canada have started giving Pfizer vaccine to children 12 years and older.
The US Food and Drug Administration declared that the Pfizer vaccine is safe and offers strong protection for younger teens based on testing of more than 2,000 US volunteers aged 12 to 15.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Outside of the US, AstraZeneca is studying its vaccine among 6- to 17-year-olds in Britain. And in China, Sinovac recently submitted preliminary data to the regulators showing its vaccine is safe in children as young as 3.
Moderna and Johnson &amp; Johnson are currently testing their vaccines on those aged 12-18.
Moderna and Pfizer are also testing their jabs on younger children between six months and 11 years old.
&nbsp;

Gal Gadot, who hails from Israel, released a statement on the Israel-Palestine conflict as she said, ‘Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation, our neigh

Gal Gadot, who hails from Israel, released a statement on the Israel-Palestine conflict and said, &lsquo;Israel deserves to live as a free and safe nation, our neighbors deserve the same&rsquo;.&nbsp;
The Wonder Woman actress' statement&nbsp;sparked online war and she had to turn&nbsp;off comments on her post.
Netizens&nbsp;accused her of being a &lsquo;propaganda&rsquo; tool for Israel, given her past military service record.&nbsp;
Gadot, a former Israeli Defense Forces fighter also added that&nbsp;her &lsquo;country is at war&rsquo; and told how her &lsquo;heart breaks&rdquo; at the conflict&rsquo;.&nbsp;

American talk show star Ellen DeGeneres has announced that she is ending her long-running TV show. Her decision to call it quit after anchoring 19 seasons of 'The Ellen

American talk show star Ellen DeGeneres has announced that she is ending her long-running TV show. Her decision to call it quit after anchoring 19 seasons of 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' comes amid allegations of toxic workplace culture.
On Wednesday, she insisted that her decision had nothing to do with the allegations of bullying, sexual harassment and racial discrimination that hit her show last year. "As great as this show is, and as fun as it is, it's just not a challenge anymore," DeGeneres told The Hollywood Reporter.
The 63-year-old host, writer, producer, actress and comedian won dozens of Emmy awards for the show. She has been a pioneer of the LGBTQ community in the US since she came out as gay in 1997.
DeGeneres is scheduled to have Oprah Winfrey as a guest on her show on Thursday to talk about ending the programme. The final episode is scheduled for the spring of 2022.

Israel has pressed ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing as many as 10 senior Hamas military figures. The Israeli strikes toppled a pair of

Israel has pressed ahead with a fierce military offensive in the Gaza Strip, killing as many as 10 senior Hamas military figures. The Israeli strikes toppled a pair of high-rise towers housing Hamas facilities in a series of airstrikes. Hamas also showed no signs of backing down and fired hundreds of rockets at Israeli cities.
In just three days, this latest round of fighting between the bitter enemies has already begun to resemble a devastating 50-day war in 2014.
Gaza's Health Ministry said the death toll rose to 65 Palestinians, including 16 children and five women. A total of seven people have been killed in Israel in Hamas rocket attacks.
The fighting has triggered the worst Jewish-Arab violence inside Israel in decades.
&nbsp;

Billionaire and Bitcoin backer Elon Musk backtracked from his commitment towards the cryptocurrency as he tweeted that Tesla will stop accepting the digital a

Billionaire and Bitcoin&nbsp;backer Elon&nbsp;Musk backtracked from his commitment towards the cryptocurrency as he tweeted that Tesla will stop accepting the digital asset as payment. Musk cited environmental&nbsp;concerns rising from excessive Bitcoin&nbsp;mining.&nbsp; "We are concerned about rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for Bitcoin mining and transactions, especially coal, which has the worst emissions of any fuel," Musk said in a statement on twitter. &nbsp; Technoking of Tesla, however reassured that the company would not be selling any of its bitcoin and intends "to use it for transactions as soon as mining transitions to more sustainable energy." The value of bitcoin declined sharply after Musk's tweet, dropping from about $54,700 per coin to about $52,000 in less than an hour.

The family of a 30-year-old Kerala woman, Soumya Santosh who lost her life in a deadly Palestinian rocket attack in Israel, is yet to recover from shock. Her husband, a

The family of a 30-year-old Kerala woman, Soumya Santosh who lost her life in a deadly Palestinian rocket attack in Israel, is yet to recover from shock. Her husband, a resident of Kerala&rsquo;s Idukki district, is struggling to console their nine-year-old son, who could not cope with the situation.
Ron Malka, Israel's ambassador to India, spoke to the family and expressed grief that Soumya&rsquo;s young son had lost his mother. Soumya&rsquo;s family is yet to come to terms with her tragic end. It happened at a time when Soumya was planning to return to Kerala, for a better life back home.
The Indian embassy authorities in Tel Aviv are making efforts to bring Soumya's mortal remains to India.

China's Sinovac Biotech vaccine is 98% effective at preventing death and 96% effective at preventing hospitalisation, an analysis of Indonesian health wo

China's Sinovac&nbsp;Biotech&nbsp;vaccine&nbsp;is 98% effective at preventing death and 96% effective at preventing hospitalisation, a Indonesian study on health workers reportedly showed.
The controversial Chinese shot, however, performed far worse than western vaccines in clinical trials.
The preliminary study was done from data on healthcare workers in the Indonesian capital Jakarta who had received the CoronaVac vaccine between January and March this year.

A panel of independent experts who reviewed the World Health Organization's response to the coronavirus pandemic says the UN health agency should be granted “guar

A panel of independent experts who reviewed the World Health Organization's response to the coronavirus pandemic says the UN health agency should be granted &ldquo;guaranteed rights of access&rdquo; in countries to investigate emerging outbreaks, a contentious idea that would give it more powers and require member states to give up some of theirs.
In a report released Wednesday, the panel faulted countries worldwide for their sluggish response to COVID-19, saying most waited to see how the virus was spreading until it was too late to contain it, leading to catastrophic results. The group also slammed the lack of global leadership and restrictive international health laws that &ldquo;hindered&rdquo; WHO's response to the pandemic.
Some experts criticized the panel for failing to hold WHO and others accountable for their actions during COVID-19, describing that as &ldquo;an abdication of responsibility.&rdquo; Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University said the panel "fails to call out bad actors like China, perpetuating the dysfunctional WHO tradition of diplomacy over frankness, transparency and accountability.&rdquo; The panel was led by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, who were tapped by WHO last year to examine the UN agency's response to COVID-19 after bowing to a request from member countries.
&ldquo;The situation we find ourselves in today could have been prevented,&rdquo; Johnson Sirleaf said.
Beyond the call to boost WHO's ability to investigate outbreaks, the panel made an array of recommendations, such as urging the health agency and the World Trade Organization to convene a meeting of vaccine-producing countries and manufacturers to quickly reach deals about voluntary licensing and technology transfer, in an effort to boost the world's global supply of coronavirus shots.
The panel also suggested that WHO's director-general &mdash; currently Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of Ethiopia &mdash; should be limited to a single seven-year term. As it stands, the WHO chief is elected to a five-year term that can be renewed once.
The suggestion to limit the tenure of WHO's top leader appeared in part designed to ease the intense political pressure that WHO director-generals can face. Last year, the Trump administration repeatedly inveighed against the agency's handling of the pandemic &mdash; taking aim at WHO's alleged collusion with China.

International

UK: 2nd dose for 50+ to be sped up due to concern over India-dominated strain

Explained: Why CDC recommended 'masks off' for fully vaccinated people in US

Australia resumes repatriation flights from India, half the passengers grounded after testing Covid +ve

Russia to send film crew to ISS to shoot first movie in space in same month as Tom Cruise

Tension with Israel hits hard Gaza hospitals already crippling under Covid wave

Oli reappointed as Nepal PM as opposition fails to secure majority

'To break chain of pain & suffering': Prince Harry on why he moved to US

Israel pounds Gaza with airstrikes as conflict intensifies

'Great day. Can smile again': Joe Biden on lifting of indoor mask rule

'Uncertain': WHO on vaccine effectiveness on India-dominant variants

Israel-Gaza fight continues, Israeli air strikes bomb high-rise building

'This cycle needs to be broken': Rihanna condemns Israel-Palestine violence

Covid-19: When Will We Have Covid Vaccine for Kids?

Gal Gadot faces backlash for tweet on Israel-Palestine conflict, disables comments

US TV icon Ellen DeGeneres to end her long-running show

Israel intensifies Gaza air strikes, top Hamas leaders killed

Musk backtracks on Bitcoin, Tesla stops accepting cryptocurrency payments

Family of Kerala woman killed in Israel rocket strike in shock, her son inconsolable

Indonesian study: Chinese Sinovac shot shows high efficacy

WHO must have more power to probe: Independent panel on Covid response

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