Digital tools being used to track people as never before, warns UN rights chief

Jun 26, 2020, at 10:03 am

New York/IBNS: The internet and new digital tools are being manipulated as never before to infringe on people’s right to free assembly, the UN’s top rights official said on Thursday, in a call for a moratorium on the use of facial recognition technology during peaceful demonstrations.

UN tallies action so far to fight COVID-19, and roadmap out of the pandemic

Jun 26, 2020, at 09:57 am

New York: Amid the upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN has mobilized to save lives, control transmission of the virus and ease the economic fallout, Secretary-General António Guterres told journalists on Thursday, speaking at the virtual launch of his report on the Organization’s response to the crisis

Extraordinary ‘megaflash’ lightening strikes cover several hundred kilometres, smashing records

Jun 26, 2020, at 09:53 am

New York/IBNS: New records for extreme lightning bursts, or ‘megaflashes’, during 2019, have been made official, more than doubling the size and duration of the previous record flashes, the UN’s weather agency, WMO, announced on Thursday.

CSE helps launch sanitation pocket book and campaign on faecal sludge management

Jun 25, 2020, at 09:39 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the National Mission for Clean Ganga have joined hands to support one of the key communities of onsite workers who are fighting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic – sanitation workers in cities.

Ozone levels increased during lockdown, says CSE’s new analysis of air pollution levels

Jun 25, 2020, at 09:27 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: While most people were happy with the decrease in the overall air pollution level during the national lockdown imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19 virus, it is not the complete picture, according to the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).

India sees biggest jump in Covid cases today, tally rises to 4.73 lakhs

Jun 25, 2020, at 12:00 pm

New Delhi/IBNS: India, the country of 1.3 billion people, on Thursday registered the biggest daily spike in Novel Coronavirus cases as the total number of infections in 36 states and union territories touched 4.73 lakhs.

Coronavirus: 10 million infections milestone looms – WHO's Tedros

Jun 25, 2020, at 09:54 am

New York/IBNS: The world is on track to reach 10 million coronavirus cases within the next week, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief executive said on Wednesday, a “sober reminder” that as research continues into therapeutics and vaccines, utmost efforts are needed now to suppress transmission and save lives.

Chhattisgarh records 51 fresh COVID-19 cases

Jun 24, 2020, at 05:15 pm

Raipur/UNI: As many as 51 new Coronavirus cases were detected in Chhattisgarh during last 12 hours, taking the caseload in the state to 868.

Loneliness did not appear to increase during COVID-19 pandemic: Study

Jun 24, 2020, at 05:13 pm

New York: Contrary to expectations, the social (physical) distancing recommendations and stay-at-home orders put in place across the United States to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to an uptick in loneliness among Americans, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.

COVID-19: Herd immunity threshold could be lower, says new study

Jun 24, 2020, at 05:10 pm

London: Herd immunity to Covid-19 could be achieved with less people being infected than previously estimated according to new research.

Australia records first COVID-19 death in 1 month after seeing spike in cases

Jun 24, 2020, at 04:37 pm

Canberra/Xinhua: The Australian government has offered Victoria military support on Wednesday as the state struggles to contain a spike in coronavirus cases.

Rajasthan reports 182 fresh nCoV cases, 7 deaths

Jun 24, 2020, at 04:35 pm

Jaipur/UNI:  Rajasthan added 182 new coronavirus cases and seven fatalities to its tally on Wednesday, taking the infection count in the state to 15,809 and death toll to 372.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police takes over Covid Care Centre in South Delhi's Chhattarpur

Jun 24, 2020, at 04:30 pm

New Delhi/UNI:  The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on Wednesday took over the Covid Care Centre set up at Radha Soami Beas in South Delhi's Chhattarpur as directed by the Union Home Ministry.

Maharashtra: Thane cop succumbs to COVID-19

Jun 24, 2020, at 04:22 pm

Thane/UNI: A cop succumbed to the COVID-19 on Wednesday while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Mumbai, informed police spokesman Tukaram Tatkar.

IIT Guwahati researchers develop point-of-care device for early and easy detection of diabetic retinopathy

Jun 24, 2020, at 04:18 pm

Guwahati/IBNS: Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT-G) in collaboration with Shri Sankaradeva Nethralaya Guwahati, has developed a point-of-care testing device that can detect diabetic retinopathy at an early stage, without need for invasive testing.

Assam reports 203 new Covid-19 cases, tally now 6,056

Jun 24, 2020, at 03:30 pm

Guwahati/IBNS: With 203 new positive cases for Covid-19, Assam has crossed 6,000 mark in the number of positive cases for the deadly virus.

Covid: India sees highest single-day spike of nearly 16k cases, tally now 4.56 lakh

Jun 24, 2020, at 01:22 pm

New Delhi/UNI: Union Health Ministry on Wednesday morning reported 465 new deaths and highest single-day spike of 15,968 new Covid-19 cases during the past 24 hours across the country, taking the number of deaths to 14,476 and total cases to 4,56,183.

Extreme weather ‘record’ likely in Arctic Circle, says UN weather agency WMO

Jun 24, 2020, at 10:10 am

New York/IBNS: Reports that temperatures in a Russian town in the Arctic Circle likely reached a record 38C (100.4F), last weekend, have been approved by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) pending final verification, it said on Tuesday.

Aurangabad: COVID-19 tally spikes to 3,961

Jun 24, 2020, at 09:11 am

Aurangabad/UNI: The total number of coronavirus patients in Aurangabad district has increased to 3,961 after 125 fresh cases were reported on Wednesday, district authorities said.

Following a variety of healthy eating patterns associated with lower heart disease risk: Study

Jun 24, 2020, at 09:07 am

Boston: Greater adherence to a variety of healthy eating patterns was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Earthquake in Mexico kills Five, leaves 30 others injured - Authorities

Jun 24, 2020, at 08:37 am

Mexico City/Sputnik: Five people were killed and another 30 injured in a strong earthquake in Mexico, authorities said.

New daily COVID-19 cases in US Texas surpass 5,000 for 1st time: governor

Jun 24, 2020, at 08:31 am

Houstan/Xinhua:  The U.S. state of Texas has surpassed 5,000 new coronavirus cases in a single day for the first time on Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott said, asking people to stay at home as much as they can.

Germany's Robert Koch Institute believes second wave of COVID-19 began in Iran

Jun 23, 2020, at 05:44 pm

Berlin/Sputnik: An increase in the number of new cases of the coronavirus infection in Iran indicates that a second wave of the pandemic has begun in the country, President of the Robert Koch Institute Lothar Wieler said on Tuesday.

Swasth, a Tele-health Network, launched to provide free Corona care

Jun 23, 2020, at 05:19 pm

Bengaluru/IBNS A coalition of over 100 healthcare specialists have come together to launch Swasth, a nationwide telemedicine platform for Corona care, which digitally connects Indians to the best doctors and wellness providers.

France's Sanofi accelerates plans, expects production of COVID-19 vaccine in early 2021

Jun 23, 2020, at 05:01 pm

Paris/Sputnik: French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi plans to start clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccine developed in collaboration with the British drugmaker GSK in September and seeks to release the vaccine on sale in the first half of 2021, which is earlier than first anticipated, the Sanofi company announced on Tuesday.

Assam : 30,000 people of four districts hit by fresh flood, death toll rises to 11

Jun 23, 2020, at 04:32 pm

Guwahati/IBNS: Nearly 30,000 people of four districts of Assam have been affected in the second wave of flood as the water level of Brahmaputra river and its tributaries are rising following incessant rain in past couple of days in many parts of the state.

Bangladesh reports over 3,400 new cases of COVID-19

Jun 23, 2020, at 04:24 pm

Dhaka/Xinhua/UNI:  Bangladesh reported over 3,400 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total in the country to nearly 120,000.

Rajasthan records 199 fresh nCoV cases, count 15,431

Jun 23, 2020, at 04:22 pm

Jaipur, Jun 23 (UNI) Rajasthan reported 122 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, taking the infection count in the state to 15,431.

Malaysia reports 3 new COVID-19 cases

Jun 23, 2020, at 04:03 pm

Kuala Lumpur/Xinhua/UNI:  Malaysia reported three new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, pushing the national total to 8,590, the Health Ministry said.

South Africa's confirmed COVID-19 cases surpass 100,000

Jun 23, 2020, at 04:01 pm

Cape Town/Xinhua: The cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Africa has exceeded the 100,000 mark to reach 101,590, according to the latest official update released early Tuesday.