COVID-19: Several proxy wars spawned by the pandemic
When Australia, India, Japan and the US countries strategically allied under the so-called Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) switched focus to fighting COVID-19, it was seen as one more of the several proxy wars spawned by the pandemic.
The Quad Vaccine, announced at a virtual summit of the leaders of the four countries on 12 March, is based on a vaccine developed by the US transnational, Johnson & Johnson, produced by India s Biological E Limited, and funded by the other two partners. The plan is to churn out a billion doses by the end of 2022.
The country s second most populous state accounted for 57% of all cases reported in India over the same period. Infection cases have been rising since mid-February, but fatality rate remains relatively low.
There are more than 580,000 total active cases in India, or about 4.78% of all positive cases, according to the health ministry s daily update on Thursday. Five states Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Chhattisgarh and Punjab account for 78.9% of all active cases in India, with a majority of them in the western state of Maharashtra.
Maharashtra s state government imposed night curfew last Sunday and banned all gatherings, including political and religious ones. It also enforced a mask mandate.
By Jessie Yeung, Esha Mitra and Manveena Suri, CNN
Updated 4:26 AM ET, Thu April 1, 2021
Hindu devotees attend evening prayers during Kumbh Mela in Haridwar on March 11.
New Delhi (CNN)Massive crowds of Hindus began arriving in the northern Indian city of Haridwar on Thursday for the largest religious pilgrimage on Earth, even as experts warned it could cause a surge in Covid-19 cases as the country grapples with a second wave.
The months-long Kumbh Mela festival, one of the most important Hindu celebrations, typically takes place every 12 years and draws tens of millions of pilgrims to four rotating sites.
This year, it takes place in Haridwar, in the foothills of the outer Himalayas in Uttarakhand state, where devotees attend prayers, and wash their sins away in the sacred waters of the Ganges River. According to some myths associated with the festival, the river water turns into amrita, or the nectar of immortality, on particular days.
India canât be a receiver of climate decisions made elsewhere. It should write them
Indiaâs journey from a $3 trillion-to a $10 trillion economy coincides with ongoing climate action, polarising climate debate and climate-impacted economics.
Samir Saran 2 April, 2021 12:32 pm IST Text Size:
th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (
COP26) in Glasgow in November this year, there is a concerted effort to push countries towards publicly endorsing and adopting âNet Zeroââa carbon neutral emission normâas policy. This is a demand for an inflexible, near-impossible, time-bound agenda to achieve what is no doubt a noble goal. And, as is often the case with climate-related issues, the nobility of intent is at risk of being overwhelmed by sanctimonious hectoring that raises hackles instead of ensuring meaningful participation.
Hefazat-e-Islam, the radical outfit behind recent violence in Bangladesh indiatimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from indiatimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.