Top news of the day: WHO panel says world could have prevented COVID-19 catastrophe; Health Ministry against use of ‘Indian Variant’ for B.1.617 strain, and more

The major news headlines of the day, and more.

May 12, 2021 07:04 pm | Updated 07:08 pm IST

A volunteer carries the body of a child who died of Covid-19 for the last rites at a crematorium in New Delhi on May 12, 2021.

A volunteer carries the body of a child who died of Covid-19 for the last rites at a crematorium in New Delhi on May 12, 2021.

World could have prevented COVID catastrophe: expert panel

The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) said a series of bad decisions meant COVID-19 went on to kill at least 3.3 million people so far and devastate the global economy. Institutions "failed to protect people" and science-denying leaders eroded public trust in health interventions, the IPPPR said in its long-awaited final report , requested by the WHO member states in May 2020.

WHO has not used term ‘Indian Variant’ for B.1.617 strain: Health Ministry

The word ‘Indian’ has not been used in the WHO report on the matter, noted a release issued by the Health Ministry.

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud tests positive for COVID-19

A crucial hearing on the COVID issue is listed before a three-judge Bench of Justices Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat for hearing on May 13. The Bench had constituted the National Task Force to scientifically study and recommend a foolproof mechanism for allocation of oxygen to States.

India opened up prematurely, says Dr. Fauci

“The reason that India is in such dire straits now is that they had an original surge and made the incorrect assumption that they were finished with it, and what happened, they opened up prematurely and wind up having a surge right now that we’re all very well aware of is extremely devastating,” Dr. Fauci told the Senate Health, Education, Labour and Pensions Committee during a hearing on the COVID-19 response.

With fewer side-effects, Ivermectin still used widely in India despite WHO recommendation against it

This orally-administered drug is included in India’s revised national COVID-19 treatment protocol for people with mild infection even though its maker has now clarified that there is no evidence of its efficacy against the viral disease.

237 of 320 ventilators received by Punjab through PM CARES Fund defective

“The medical college in Patiala received 98 ventilators from the PM CARES Fund. Though 48 of them were made functional after repair, they are still not put to use because the anaesthetists are not confident lest they should break down at critical times. Another 50 are non-functional there. The college is using its own 61 ventilators,” Dr. Raj Bahadur, professional adviser to Punjab’s COVID-19 response and procurement committee, said.

PM CARES allots ₹322.5 crore to procure DRDO’s oxygen supply system

The Oxycare system was developed by Defence Bio-Engineering and Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru, of the DRDO for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas.

Bhima Koregaon case | Supreme Court dismisses bail plea of Gautam Navlakha

Justice K.M. Joseph pronounced the verdict, saying Mr. Navlakha’s period of house arrest cannot be counted as “custody” and, hence, he was not eligible for statutory bail.

2 Bengal BJP MPs resign as MLAs

Cooch Behar MP Nisith Pramanik was elected from Dinhata and Ranaghat MP Jaganath Sarkar from Santipur. While Mr. Pramanik won by only a margin of 57 votes, Mr. Sarkar won by a margin of over 16,000 votes. Both said they were resigning as MLAs as per the instructions of the party leadership.

Gaza attack | Kerala victim was in a video call with her husband when shells hit her

Soumya Santhosh, who was in a video call with her husband when the shells hit her, said that she would soon move to the bunker inside the house for safety and would not know when she could speak to him again.

News Analysis | Did Israel misjudge Hamas response?

Hamas seems to be prepared for this moment, given the way it is firing rockets.

Bangladesh rebuffs China on Quad warning

As a sovereign country, Bangladesh will determine the course of its foreign policy in the interest of its people, says Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen.

WTO chief hopes to seal IP waivers for COVID vaccines in December

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala expresses her anguish at second wave of COVID-19 that had engulfed India and hopes the situation will be resolved soon.

U.S. removes Xiaomi from blacklist, reversing late China jab by Trump

The U.S Department of Defense had designated the firm as having ties to China's military and placed it on a list that would restrict U.S. investment in the company.

Automobile wholesales dip 30% month-on-month in April: SIAM

The wholesales of passenger vehicles stood at over 2.61 lakh units in April, a month-on-month decline of 10.7% from 2.90 lakh units sold in March 2021, due to various restrictions in States which have been experiencing surge in COVID-19 cases.

Saina, Srikanth’s Tokyo Olympics hopes virtually over with Singapore Open cancellation

Star Indian shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Kidambi Srikanth's chances of booking berths for Tokyo Olympics are all but over after the world body on Wednesday cancelled the last qualifying event in Singapore due to the coronavirus-related travel restrictions.

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