New Year celebrations around the world remained subdued amid concern over Covid. Australia welcomed 2022 with fireworks but fewer crowds. In New Zealand, a light show illuminates the Sky Tower and Harbour Bridge in Auckland. Fireworks light up the Taipei skyline as Taiwan rings in 2022. In Japan, People offered […]

Experts in Singapore have warned that the new and supposedly more contagious variant Omicron is likely to replace Delta over the coming weeks as the dominant global variant. Dr Sebastian Maurer-Stroh, executive director of the state-owned Agency for Science, Technology and Research’s Bioinformatics Institute has said the virus has a […]

World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the simultaneous circulation of Delta and Omicron variants is driving a dangerous tsunami of Covid-19 cases. Briefing media yesterday, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said, the twin threats of the two variants, are now driving up cases to record numbers, leading to spikes […]

World Health Organization chief has warned that blanket booster programmes of COVID-19 vaccines are likely to prolong the pandemic, rather than ending it by diverting supply to countries that already have high levels of vaccination coverage. Addressing a media briefing at Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus added, it will […]

India’s role is essential in maintaining peace and stability in the Central Asian region which translates into a peaceful SCO region. Secretary-General of Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Vladimir Norov said this at his farewell meet in Beijing. He specially mentioned India’s role in countering terrorism in the region, most importantly […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia is prepared to take military steps in response to unfriendly Western actions over the Ukraine conflict. He also called for serious negotiations on Russian security demands during his first call with new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who in turn called for “de-escalation”. […]

World Economic Forum (WEF) has deferred its annual meeting in Davos amid Omicron scare. The meeting of economically powerful nations and high-profile corporate leaders was scheduled to take place between January 17 and 21. It has been deferred for early summer. In a statement, WEF said, the pandemic and existing […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that Omicron variant of COVID-19 was spreading at an unprecedented rate and urged countries to act swiftly to rein in the transmission. Omicron, which was first detected by South Africa and reported to the WHO  in November, has a large number of mutations, […]

India voted against a UNSC draft Resolution on Climate and Security yesterday that attempted to securitize climate action and undermine the hard-won consensual agreements in Glasgow. India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations T S Tirumurti said, India is second to none when it comes to climate action and climate […]