The Indian Weekender, 11 June 2021

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14 INDIA Friday, June 11, 2021 The Indian Weekender NEWS in BRIEF Cheetah: The world's fastest cat is returning to India If all goes well, eight cheetahs - five males and three females - will make the 8,405km (5,222 miles) journey from South Africa to their new home in a sprawling national park in India in November. The world's fastest land animal will make a comeback in India, more than half a century after it became extinct in the country. "Finally we have the resources and the habitat to reintroduce the cat," says Yadvendradev Jhala, dean of the Wildlife Institute of India, and one of the experts tasked with the effort. This is the first time in the world, he says, when a large carnivore will be relocated from one continent to another for conservation. With their black spotted coats and teardrop marks, the cheetah is a sleek animal, racing across grasslands at speeds touching 70 miles (112km) an hour to capture prey. The cat is also a remarkably athletic animal, braking, ducking and diving as it goes for the kill. The vast majority of the 7,000 cheetahs in the world are now found in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana. The endangered cat was reportedly last sighted in India in 1967-68, but their numbers had vastly dwindled by 1900. Coronavirus: The 'unknown' Covid-19 deaths in rural India The second wave of Covid-19 ravaged India as hospitals and then crematoriums ran out of space. Families struggled to find beds, oxygen or even medicines to save their loved ones. While cities were first hit, the second wave soon reached rural parts of the country. Hundreds died due to poor or no access to good healthcare. Most of them were not even able to get a Covid test done. Now experts believe that the number of deaths in rural India is much higher than official statistics. India's cumulative Covid-19 vaccine coverage crosses 240 million-mark The number of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 24 crore, the Union Health Ministry said. The ministry said that in the 18-44 age group, 19,24,924 beneficiaries received the first dose of vaccine and 86,450 got the second dose on Wednesday. So far, 3,38,08,845 people in the 18-44 age group have received the first dose across states and union territories and 4,05,114 have got the second dose. Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have administered the first dose to more than 10 lakh beneficiaries in the 18-44 age group each, the ministry said. The country has administered cumulatively 24,24,79,167 vaccine doses, according to a provisional report at 7 pm on Wednesday. Covaxin effective in neutralising Delta, Beta variants of Covid-19: Study Researchers at Pune’s Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology (ICMR-NIV) found that Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin is effective in neutralizing the Delta (B.1.617.2) and Beta (B.1.351) variants of SARS-CoV-2, which causes the coronavirus disease (Covid-19). The paper, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, is titled - “Neutralization against B.1.351 and B.1.617.2 with sera of COVID-19 recovered cases and vaccinees of BBV152” - and has been authored by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the ICMR-NIV and Bharat Biotech. “The study demonstrated that despite a reduction in neutralization titers with BBV152 vaccinees sera against B.1.351 and B.1.617.2, its neutralization potential is well established,” the study pointed out, claiming that the vaccine developed by the Hyderabad-based pharmaceutical company is effective against these two variants which caused widespread concern among doctors for its increased severity. VACCINATION is important to protect against a spreading variant first identified in India, Fauci says Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded with the public Tuesday to get vaccinated, saying the Delta coronavirus variant -- the B.1.617.2 variant first identified in India -- accounts for more than 6% of the sequenced viruses in the United States. The variant's spread and dominance in the United Kingdom, which was first hit hard by the Alpha variant -- B.1.1.7 -- could spell trouble for the United States if people don't get vaccinated, Fauci said in a White House Covid-19 briefing. "We cannot let that happen in the United States," Fauci said, adding it's "such a powerful argument" to get vaccinated. The Delta variant "may be associated with an increased disease severity, such as hospitalization risk, compared to (the Alpha variant, B.1.1.7)," Fauci said. The variant is susceptible to available two-dose vaccines from Pfizer and AstraZeneca, he said, but protection from these vaccines requires following a twodose schedule. "There is reduced vaccine effectiveness in the one dose," said Fauci, who is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director. "Three weeks after one dose, both vaccines, the (AstraZeneca) and the Pfizer/BioNTech, were only 33% effective against symptomatic disease from Delta." There is not yet a booster vaccine trial underway specific to the Delta variant, but variant-specific boosters may be on the horizon, Fauci said. A booster may focus on a specific variant, or the type a person was originally vaccinated against, he said. "We are approaching both of those, but the one thing that we are noticing that's important is that the higher your degree of immune response against the wild type, the greater the secondary coverage you have against a wide array of variants," he said. "You can boost against the wild type, and still cover variants, including 617." Vaccination numbers have plummeted since April Fauci's plea for Americans to get vaccinated against Covid-19 comes as vaccinations across the country have slowed, leaving unvaccinated Americans vulnerable to new variants and threatening the chances of reaching h e r d immunity. Over the last week, the US averaged more than 1.07 million Covid-19 vaccine shots administered per day -- well below the peak seven-day average of 3.38 million shots per day reached on April 13, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mississippi is the state with the lowest percentage of its population fully vaccinated -- 27.5% as of Monday, according to the CDC. The state fell from 128,841 doses administered during the week ending March 27 down to 24,374 doses in the week ending June 5. Alabama has the second-lowest percentage of fully vaccinated residents among all states -- 29.4% as of Monday, according to CDC data. The state fell from 44,397 doses administered April 8 down to 1,465 doses on Saturday, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health's Covid-19 dashboard. Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee and Wyoming also had less than 33% of their populations fully vaccinated as of Monday. "I understand that in the short run we may get away with it, having slow vaccination rates," said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. "But those people really are vulnerable – once we have more variants circulating in the United States -- to get reinfected and potentially get very sick." Even those who've already had coronavirus should get vaccinated because research shows immunity achieved through vaccination is better than immunity through previous infection, Fauci said. "We need to get vaccinated because vaccines are highly efficacious. They are better than the traditional response you get from natural infection," Fauci said last month. Lab research shows those who previously had Covid-19 and received two doses of an mRNA vaccine "had interesting, increased protection against the variants of concern," he said. And those relying on their immunity from previous infection need to understand the danger of new variants, Jha said. "This is a bit of a misunderstanding that unfortunately a lot of people have ... this idea that if you've been infected that you have natural immunity that you don't need to get vaccinated," Jha said. "There is no doubt about it in my mind that a vaccine-induced immunity is much more durable and is going to hold up much better against the variants." Right now, the three vaccines used in the US work well against known variants of concern. But as coronavirus keeps spreading and mutating among unvaccinated people, "there may be future variants for which we are not so lucky," said emergency physician Dr. Megan Ranney, director of the Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health. Rare breakthrough infections have milder outcomes While the Moderna, Pfizer/BioNTech and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe Covid-19, they're not perfect at preventing infection. But even those who get infected down the road after getting vaccinated will likely be less miserable than if they hadn't gotten vaccinated at all. CDC data published research showing those who had rare "breakthrough" infections after one or two doses of vaccine had 40% less virus in their bodies and were 58% less likely to have a fever. They also spent two fewer days in bed than unvaccinated Covid-19 patients, according to the study. "The only way to be protected is to be fully vaccinated," Jha said. For those taking the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, "This is why everybody needs a second dose." Moderna says data on vaccines for 5-year-olds likely available in early fall Moderna anticipates it will have data on the Covid-19 vaccine for children as young as 5 in September or October. "I think it's going to be early fall just because we have to go down in age very slowly and carefully," Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said at an event Monday hosted on the social media platform Clubhouse. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has already been approved for children as young as 12. Moderna said it is testing its vaccine on children as young as 6 months. Bancel said the process will take time as it determines the appropriate dosages for small children. "We anticipate data available in the September/October time frame," he said.
The Indian Weekender Friday, June 11, 2021 WORLD 15 'BRIDGE-BUILDER': UNSC backs Guterres, ensuring second term as Secy General The UN Security Council recommended Antonio Guterres, who is running unopposed, for a second term as the Secretary General, ensuring his re-election. "He has proven worthy of the post," Council President Sven Jurgenson said while announcing the decision after a brief closed-door meeting of the UN body which effectively has the final say on the appointment. The recommendation for another five-year term will now go to the 193-member General Assembly for a formal vote. India, which is a nonpermanent member of the Security Council, supports Guterres's re-election. After a meeting with Guterres last month, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted that New Delhi "values" his leadership and would back his re-election. India's Permanent Represenative T. S. Tirumurti tweeted that "India welcomes" the Security Council resolution recommending a second term for Guterres. Re-election of Guterres, who has not antagonised the permanent members of the Security Council, is seen only as a formality as seven of his predecessors sailed through to further terms in office. Only Boutros Boutros Ghali, an Egyptian, did not get re-elected because of Washington's opposition. Guterres was able to navigate the shoals of UN polarisation that has sharpened during his term, managing even the reflexive opposition of then US President Donald Trump to the UN and China's aggressive diplomacy. Jurgenson, who is from Estonia, described Guterres as a "bridge-builder". "He's able to speak to everybody, and I think this is something that is expected from the secretary-general," he said. India's former Permanent Representative Syed Akabaruddin tweeted: "It augurs well for diplomacy, when the world's top diplomat is amongst the most affable too." Guterres's main achievement is his leadership of the world body during the Covid-19 crisis, pleading for equitable distribution of vaccines and other resources, and promoting an agenda for post-pandemic rebuilding while fighting disinformation. The top item on his agenda has been global warming, which he has called an existential threat to humanity. Guterres, a former Prime Minister of Portugal and a UN High Commissioner for Refugees, was the surprise consensus candidate in 2016. It had been expected that a woman, likely from East Europe, would get the job that had been held only by men and never by a East European. He received the essential approval of the Security Council after six straw polls in which he outlasted 12 candidates, seven of them women. But this time he had no official rivals as the Security Council did not recognise at least seven other self-nominated candidates -- including Arora Akanksha, a Canadian of Indian descent -- because they did not have the backing of any member states. The only one of them with a shred of credibility was Rosalia Arteaga, a former President of Ecuador. Akanksha, 34, is an employee of the UN Development Programme who made a splashy campaign video pitching her youth and the need for change at a UN weighed down by a sclerotic bureaucracy. Biden warns Russia it faces ‘robust’ response for harmful actions as he begins European visit President Joe Biden on Wednesday began his first trip abroad since taking office by hailing America’s unwavering commitment to the NATO alliance and warning Russia it faced “robust and meaningful” consequences if it engaged in harmful activities. Biden, speaking to about 1,000 troops and their families at a British air base, said he would deliver a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin when they meet next week after separate summits with NATO, G7 and European leaders. “We’re not seeking conflict with Russia,” the Democratic president said at the start of his eight-day visit to Europe. “We want a stable and predictable relationship … but I’ve been clear: The United States will respond in a robust and meaningful way if the Russian government engages in harmful activities.” Biden has said he is determined to rebuild trans-Atlantic ties and reframe relations with Russia after four rocky years under Republican former President Donald Trump, whose tariffs and withdrawal from treaties strained relations with major allies. “This is my first overseas trip as president of the United States. I’m heading to the G7, then the NATO ministerial and then to meet with Mr. Putin to let him know what I want him to know,” Biden said, drawing cheers from the troops. “At every point along the way, we’re going to make it clear that the United States is back and democracies of the world are standing together to tackle the toughest challenges, and the issues that matter most to our future.” Biden told reporters as he left for Europe that his goals were “strengthening the alliance, making it clear to Putin and to China that Europe and the United States are tight.” His summit with Putin on June 16 in Geneva is the capstone of the trip, an opportunity to raise U.S. concerns directly with the Russian leader about ransomware attacks emanating from Russia, Moscow’s aggression against Ukraine and a host of other issues.In a development further straining U.S.-Russia ties, a Russian court on Wednesday outlawed groups linked to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, after declaring them “extremist.” rCondemning the decision, the U.S. State Department said it “effectively criminalized one of the country’s few remaining independent political movements.” Speaking to U.S. troops based at Royal Air Force Mildenhall base, a huge American flag behind him, Biden underscored the U.S. commitment to the NATO alliance but said it needed to modernize and expand its cyber capabilities. Biden also comes to Europe with a goodwill gesture, the planned announcement that the United States will buy and donate 500 million Pfizer Inc/BioNTech (PFE.N), (22UAy.DE) coronavirus vaccine doses to about 100 countries over the next two years, three sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. Biden is expected to announce the deal on Thursday. The United States has faced criticism over securing access to much of the initial stockpile of the most promising vaccines. G7 SUMMIT, MEETING WITH JOHNSON Biden will make his first stop of the trip at the seaside village of St. Ives in Cornwall where he will participate in the G7 summit. The meeting is expected to be dominated by vaccine diplomacy, trade, climate and an initiative for rebuilding infrastructure in the developing world. U.S. officials see that effort as a way to counter China’s growing influence. His push for a global minimum tax on multinational corporations faces opposition at home. G7 finance ministers agreed before the summit to pursue a global minimum tax rate of at least 15% and to allow market countries to tax up to 20% of the excess profits – above a 10% margin – generated by about 100 large, high-profit companies. Republicans came out against the plan this week, potentially complicating the U.S. ability to implement a broader global agreement. NEWS in BRIEF Japan minister says aims to raise security ties with Australia to new levels Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Wednesday he aimed to hold talks with Australia’s foreign and defence ministers on strengthening bilateral cooperation to raise the two countries’ security ties to new levels. Motegi made the comment at the start of a meeting, via video conferencing, between foreign and defence ministers from Japan and Australia. Pandemic propels Auckland to top of EIU’s most liveable cities ranking COVID-19 has shaken up the Economist Intelligence Unit’s annual ranking of most liveable cities, propelling Auckland to first place, replacing Vienna, which crashed out of the top 10 as the island nations of New Zealand, Australia and Japan fared best. The Austrian capital had led the list since 2018 and for years ran neck and neck with Melbourne at the top of the survey of 140 urban centres. New Zealand’s elimination of COVID-19 within its borders through lockdown measures helped by its geographic isolation, however, gave its cities a big boost. “New Zealand’s tough lockdown allowed their society to reopen and enabled citizens of cities like Auckland and Wellington to enjoy a lifestyle that looked similar to prepandemic life,” the EIU said in a statement. The EIU generally does not make the full ranking public. The last time Auckland was in the top 10 was in 2017, when it came eighth, a position Melbourne shared with Geneva this year. Vienna fell to 12th. Australia’s Melbourne looks set to lift COVID-19 lockdown after low cases Australia’s Victoria state reported its lowest rise in new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in more than two weeks as authorities look set to lift a hard lockdown in the state capital Melbourne, as planned on Thursday night. Victorian officials said plans to ease curbs in Melbourne remained “on track” barring any spike in cases after daily infections remained in single digits on most days and were linked to existing virus clusters. US has bought and will donate 500 million doses of Pfizer's vaccine worldwide The US has purchased and will donate 500 million doses of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine worldwide as it seeks to be a key player in getting other nations vaccinated, a person familiar with the move told the media. President Joe Biden will announce the news at the G7 summit in Cornwall, England, this week, the person said. Around 200 million doses will go out in 2021 and 300 million will be distributed in the first half of 2022. Biden's top Covid adviser, Jeff Zients, has been working on the deal for the last month, a person familiar said. All doses will go through COVAX, the international vaccine initiative, and will go to 92 low- and lower-income countries, in addition to the African Union. Scientists confirm discovery of Australia's largest dinosaur, two stories tall and a basketball court long A new species of dinosaur discovered in Australia has been confirmed as the largest ever found in the country, and one of the biggest in the world. The fossilized skeleton, nicknamed "Cooper," was found in southwest Queensland in 2007, at Cooper Creek in the Eromanga Basin. But the skeleton remained a mystery for years, and has only now been scientifically described and named by paleontologists. Researchers at the Eromanga Natural History Museum (ENHM) and the Queensland Museum published their findings in the PeerJ scientific journal on Monday. "Cooper," whose scientific name is Australotitan cooperensis, is estimated to have walked the Earth over 90 million years ago. It was a titanosaur -- a plant-eating species belonging to the family of long-necked sauropods, the largest of the dinosaur species. The dinosaur is estimated to have reached a height of 5 to 6.5 meters (16.4 to 21.3 feet) at the hip, and a length of 25 to 30 meters (82 to 98.4 feet) -- making it as long as a basketball court and as tall as a twostory building, the ENHM said.
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