All stories by Yoshita Singh
India-dominant Covid variant found in 53 countries: WHO
Rediff.com27 May 2021WHO has declared B.1.617 as a "variant of concern" and the update noted that this variant has "increased transmissibility", disease severity is "under investigation", risk of reinfection is "under investigation, possible modest reduction in neutralization activity (B.1.617.1)".
Real Covid deaths could be 2 times higher than official stats: WHO
Rediff.com21 May 2021"Excess deaths" captures not only confirmed deaths, but also COVID-19 deaths that were not correctly diagnosed and reported as well as deaths attributable to the overall crisis conditions.
New Covid cases fall by 13% in India last week, still highest globally: WHO
Rediff.com19 May 2021India registered a 13 per cent decrease in new COVID-19 cases in the past week but the number of fresh infections was still the highest around the world, the World Health Organisation has said.
WHO reminds Serum Institute of COVAX commitments
Rediff.com18 May 2021COVAX, 'the global COVID vaccine equity scheme', has so far delivered 65 million doses to 124 countries and economies but it is dependent on countries and manufacturers honouring their commitments.
India's Covid situation hugely concerning: WHO Chief
Rediff.com14 May 2021India's COVID-19 situation remains hugely concerning, with several states continuing to see a worrying number of cases, hospitalisations and deaths, World Health Organisation chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday, warning that the pandemic's second year will be 'far more deadly' than the first for the world.
Religious, political events accelerated COVID in India: WHO
Rediff.com12 May 2021"A recent risk assessment of the situation in India conducted by WHO found that resurgence and acceleration of COVID-19 transmission in India had several potential contributing factors, including increase in the proportion of cases of SARS-CoV-2 variants with potentially increased transmissibility; several religious and political mass gathering events which increased social mixing; and, under use of and reduced adherence to public health and social measures. The exact contributions of these each of these factors on increased transmission in India are not well understood," it said.
Workers sue BAPS in US over alleged forced labour, wage law violations
Rediff.com12 May 2021A group of Indian workers in the US have filed a lawsuit in a district court against the Swaminarayan sect BAPS, accusing it of human trafficking and wage law violations during the construction of a massive temple in New Jersey.
WHO classifies Indian Covid strain as 'variant of concern'
Rediff.com11 May 2021The B-1617 variant of the coronavirus, first identified in India, has been classified as a variant of concern at the global level by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
'Not same skin': Black man attacks Sikh with hammer in US
Rediff.com4 May 2021Ahluwalia said the man, a Black, assaulted him on April 26 at his workplace, the Quality Inn in Brownsville. He said the man came into the lobby of the hotel at around 8 am and started shouting while the front desk lady asked him if he needed help.
COVID-19 pandemic a long way from over: WHO chief
Rediff.com13 Apr 2021He voiced concern that confusion, complacency and inconsistency in public health measures and their application are driving transmission and costing lives. Cautioning that the disease is not flu, he said young, healthy people have died from the coronavirus.
India has world's 3rd highest number of billionaires; Mukesh Ambani back as Asia's richest
Rediff.com7 Apr 2021India has the third highest number of billionaires in the world after the US and China, according to a new list by the prestigious Forbes magazine, which said Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani reclaimed his spot as Asia's richest person, dethroning Chinese business tycoon Jack Ma who was the richest person in the region a year ago.
India's economy projected to record stronger recovery in 2021: UNCTAD
Rediff.com18 Mar 2021India's economy, estimated to contract by 6.9 per cent in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, is forecast to record a "stronger recovery" in 2021 and grow by 5 per cent, according to a UN report which said the country's current fiscal year budget points to a shift towards demand-side stimulus, with an uptick in public investment. The report, 'Out of the frying pan ...Into the fire?' published Thursday as an update to the Trade and Development Report 2020 by UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said the global economy is set to grow by 4.7 per cent this year, faster than the 4.3 per cent predicted in September 2020, thanks in part to a stronger recovery in the US, where progress in distributing vaccines and a fresh fiscal stimulus of $1.9 trillion are expected to boost consumer spending.
Will strike if attack by non-state actors imminent: India at UN
Rediff.com25 Feb 2021Exercising self-defence is a nation's primary right when a situation demands 'immediate and proportionate action' and applies also to attacks by non-state actors, India told a United Nations meeting, highlighting several proxy cross-border and state-supported terrorist attacks like the 26/11 Mumbai assault the country was subjected to from its neighbour.
Bhim Army chief, 5 Indian-origin persons on TIME's emerging leaders list
Rediff.com18 Feb 2021Other Indian-origin personalities on the list are Instacart founder and CEO Apoorva Mehta, doctor and Executive Director of nonprofit Get Us PPE Shikha Gupta and founder of nonprofit Upsolve Rohan Pavuluri.
Stop vaccine nationalism: Jaishankar at UNSC meeting
Rediff.com17 Feb 2021India, which has shipped 'Made In India' COVID-19 vaccines to around 25 nations, on Wednesday urged the international community to stop 'vaccine nationalism' and actively encourage 'internationalism', underlining that hoarding superfluous doses will defeat global efforts to attain collective health security and combat the pandemic.
NY Assembly passes Kashmir resolution; India protests
Rediff.com7 Feb 2021The New York State Assembly has passed a resolution calling on Governor Andrew Cuomo to declare February 5 as Kashmir American Day, drawing a sharp reaction from India which noted with 'concern' attempts by 'vested interests' to misrepresent Jammu and Kashmir's rich cultural and social mosaic to divide the people.
UNSC calls for immediate release of Myanmar leaders
Rediff.com5 Feb 2021The United Nations Security Council on Thursday expressed deep concern over the declaration of the state of emergency in Myanmar by the military and called for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political leaders arbitrarily detained by the military.
Jeff Bezos to step down as Amazon CEO; Andy Jassy named successor
Rediff.com3 Feb 2021Billionaire Jeff Bezos, who founded Amazon as an online bookseller nearly three decades ago, will step down as the CEO of the $1.7 trillion global retail giant in the third quarter of 2021 with Andy Jassy being named his successor.
UN chief Antonio Guterres receives COVID-19 vaccine
Rediff.com29 Jan 2021Guterres gestured to make a victory sign as he was administered the shot.
Any India, Pak military confrontation would be a disaster: UN chief
Rediff.com29 Jan 2021"I think it's absolutely essential for the two countries to be able to come together and seriously discuss their problems, and I think it's essential that human rights are fully respected in all territories that you mentioned," Guterres said during his press briefing on Thursday.