Archive For The “Topnews” Category
New Delhi/Rome, Oct 30 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Pope Francis on Saturday at the Vatican and invited the head of the Catholic Church to visit India.
Taking to Twitter after his first-ever meeting with the Pope, Modi said: "Had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis.
I had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with him and also invited him to visit India."
According to officials, the meeting which was initially scheduled for only 20 minutes, continued for an hour during which they discussed a wide range of topics, including the fight against climate change and removing poverty.
The last Papal visit to India took place in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.
It was the Pope John Paul II who had come to India then.
Modi is on a three day visit to Italy to attend the G20 Summit in Rome from where he will proceed to Glasgow for the UN COP26.
--IANS
niv/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Taking to Twitter after his first-ever meeting with the Pope, Modi said: "Had a very warm meeting with Pope Francis.
I had the opportunity to discuss a wide range of issues with him and also invited him to visit India."
According to officials, the meeting which was initially scheduled for only 20 minutes, continued for an hour during which they discussed a wide range of topics, including the fight against climate change and removing poverty.
The last Papal visit to India took place in 1999 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.
It was the Pope John Paul II who had come to India then.
Modi is on a three day visit to Italy to attend the G20 Summit in Rome from where he will proceed to Glasgow for the UN COP26.
--IANS
niv/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Washington, Oct 30 : The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in children between five to 11 years, the first jab against the virus for kids in this age group.
The authorization was based on the FDA's thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favour of making the vaccine available to children in this age group, the agency said in a statement late Friday.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered as a two-dose primary series, three weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 mg) than that used for individuals 12 years of age and older (30 mg), reports Xinhua news agency.
The decision came following an FDA advisors' meeting held earlier this week which recommended authorizing the vaccine.
The advisors believed the benefits of the jab outweigh its risks for use in this younger group.
Data show immune responses of children aged five to 11 were comparable to those of individuals between 16 to 25 years.
In that study, the vaccine was 90.7 per cent effective in preventing Covid, according to the FDA.
The vaccine's safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children in the age group who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study, said the FDA.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week to discuss further clinical recommendations.
"Vaccinating younger children against Covid-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy," said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock.
"Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine's safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards," she said.
Covid-19 cases in children in the five to 11 age group make up 39 per cent of infections in individuals younger than 18 years of age, according to the CDC.
Approximately 8,300 cases have resulted in hospitalization.
At least 691 deaths have been reported in the US in individuals less than 18 years of age, with 146 in the five to 11 group.
--IANS
ksk/.
Source: IANS
The authorization was based on the FDA's thorough and transparent evaluation of the data that included input from independent advisory committee experts who overwhelmingly voted in favour of making the vaccine available to children in this age group, the agency said in a statement late Friday.
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is administered as a two-dose primary series, three weeks apart, but is a lower dose (10 mg) than that used for individuals 12 years of age and older (30 mg), reports Xinhua news agency.
The decision came following an FDA advisors' meeting held earlier this week which recommended authorizing the vaccine.
The advisors believed the benefits of the jab outweigh its risks for use in this younger group.
Data show immune responses of children aged five to 11 were comparable to those of individuals between 16 to 25 years.
In that study, the vaccine was 90.7 per cent effective in preventing Covid, according to the FDA.
The vaccine's safety was studied in approximately 3,100 children in the age group who received the vaccine and no serious side effects have been detected in the ongoing study, said the FDA.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet next week to discuss further clinical recommendations.
"Vaccinating younger children against Covid-19 will bring us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy," said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock.
"Our comprehensive and rigorous evaluation of the data pertaining to the vaccine's safety and effectiveness should help assure parents and guardians that this vaccine meets our high standards," she said.
Covid-19 cases in children in the five to 11 age group make up 39 per cent of infections in individuals younger than 18 years of age, according to the CDC.
Approximately 8,300 cases have resulted in hospitalization.
At least 691 deaths have been reported in the US in individuals less than 18 years of age, with 146 in the five to 11 group.
--IANS
ksk/.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 30 : US intelligence agencies said they may never be able to identify the origins of Covid-19, but have concluded that it was not created as a biological weapon, the BBC reported.
In an updated assessment of where the virus began, the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said an animal-to-human transmission and a lab leak were both plausible hypotheses for how it spread, the report said.
But there was not enough information to reach a definitive conclusion.
China, where the pandemic originated in late 2019, has criticised the report.
The findings were published in a declassified report which is an update of a 90-day review that President Joe Biden's administration released in August, the report added.
It said the intelligence community remains divided on the most likely origin of the virus.
Four agencies assessed with "low confidence" it had originated with an infected animal or a related virus.
But one agency said it had "moderate confidence" that the first human infection most likely was the result of a laboratory accident, probably involving experimentation or animal handling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the report said.
The report also said Chinese officials were unaware of the existence of the virus before the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in the city of Wuhan, in late 2019.
But it said China was continuing to hinder the global investigation and to resist sharing information.
Chinese authorities linked early Covid-19 cases to a seafood market in Wuhan, leading scientists to theorise that the virus first passed to humans from animals, the BBC reported.
But earlier this year, US media reports suggested growing evidence the virus could instead have emerged from the Wuhan laboratory, perhaps through an accidental leak.
--IANS
san/ksk/.
Source: IANS
In an updated assessment of where the virus began, the Office of the US Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said an animal-to-human transmission and a lab leak were both plausible hypotheses for how it spread, the report said.
But there was not enough information to reach a definitive conclusion.
China, where the pandemic originated in late 2019, has criticised the report.
The findings were published in a declassified report which is an update of a 90-day review that President Joe Biden's administration released in August, the report added.
It said the intelligence community remains divided on the most likely origin of the virus.
Four agencies assessed with "low confidence" it had originated with an infected animal or a related virus.
But one agency said it had "moderate confidence" that the first human infection most likely was the result of a laboratory accident, probably involving experimentation or animal handling by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the report said.
The report also said Chinese officials were unaware of the existence of the virus before the initial outbreak of Covid-19 in the city of Wuhan, in late 2019.
But it said China was continuing to hinder the global investigation and to resist sharing information.
Chinese authorities linked early Covid-19 cases to a seafood market in Wuhan, leading scientists to theorise that the virus first passed to humans from animals, the BBC reported.
But earlier this year, US media reports suggested growing evidence the virus could instead have emerged from the Wuhan laboratory, perhaps through an accidental leak.
--IANS
san/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Beijing, Oct 30 : Close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases were found to have visited the Universal Studios theme park in Beijing on October 24, Global Times reported.
Beijing reported two new locally transmitted cases on Saturday, both in Changping district.
Changping closed 23 businesses, including pharmacies and hair salons, after closing 44 businesses for their slack implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures.
The Universal Studios theme park notified all visitors who came to the part on October 24 to have nucleic acid testing and necessary health checks, and said all the park staff members have undergone nucleic acid testing and received a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot.
The Beijing government on Friday urged the Universal Studios theme park to implement Covid-19 emergency management, after the Chinese capital reported nearly 30 confirmed cases in less than two weeks.
Beijing's Haidian district will give nucleic acid tests on all students in primary and middle schools.
Meanwhile, all teachers are also required to take the tests. Vaccination on students aged above three years old will begin starting from November 1.
The China Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing announced closure for three days immediately from Saturday, with all scheduled performances and activities cancelled due to epidemic concerns.
Xicheng district closed all movie theatres on Saturday until October 4.
The Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that the epidemic situation in Beijing is extremely severe which requires high vigilance and strict measures, and in-door venues such as chess rooms have to suspend services.
Beijing's latest Covid-19 flare-ups are Delta variant-related, and the virus strain is similar to the recent coronavirus cases reported in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Gansu province, the Beijing government said, the report added.
--IANS
san/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Beijing reported two new locally transmitted cases on Saturday, both in Changping district.
Changping closed 23 businesses, including pharmacies and hair salons, after closing 44 businesses for their slack implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures.
The Universal Studios theme park notified all visitors who came to the part on October 24 to have nucleic acid testing and necessary health checks, and said all the park staff members have undergone nucleic acid testing and received a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot.
The Beijing government on Friday urged the Universal Studios theme park to implement Covid-19 emergency management, after the Chinese capital reported nearly 30 confirmed cases in less than two weeks.
Beijing's Haidian district will give nucleic acid tests on all students in primary and middle schools.
Meanwhile, all teachers are also required to take the tests. Vaccination on students aged above three years old will begin starting from November 1.
The China Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing announced closure for three days immediately from Saturday, with all scheduled performances and activities cancelled due to epidemic concerns.
Xicheng district closed all movie theatres on Saturday until October 4.
The Beijing Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that the epidemic situation in Beijing is extremely severe which requires high vigilance and strict measures, and in-door venues such as chess rooms have to suspend services.
Beijing's latest Covid-19 flare-ups are Delta variant-related, and the virus strain is similar to the recent coronavirus cases reported in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Gansu province, the Beijing government said, the report added.
--IANS
san/ksk/.
Source: IANS
London, Oct 30 : Antibodies after a Covid infection remain about 10 months in the body and generate a strong response to future infection from their own variant, but the antibodies were found less effective when fighting against different variants, finds a study.
The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, looked at the antibodies of 38 patients and healthcare workers at the St Thomas' Hospital who were infected within the first wave of Covid-19, before they were vaccinated.
Despite an initial decline in antibody levels just after infection, results showed that most people (18/19 patients) maintained detectable antibody levels 10 months after they were infected.
Antibodies help to fight Covid-19 by binding to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, preventing the virus from infecting cells.
These results show how long antibodies remain in the body to fight future infections.
While antibodies from a specific SARS-CoV-2 variant were able to generate a strong response to an infection from their own variant, results showed that antibodies were less effective when fighting against different variants.
Antibodies bind to the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and vaccines mimic this protein to create the immune response against SARS-CoV-2.
"This study provides unique insight into the cross-neutralising antibody responses induced by different SARS-CoV-2 variants," said Dr Liane Dupont, from Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London.
However, these results suggest that there were differences in the spike protein of alpha, beta, and delta variants.
This means that vaccines designed around one of these new variants may be less effective against other variants.
These results also show that our current vaccines designed around the original SARS-CoV-2 variant provides the best protection against all variants and should be used for vaccination programmes, Dupont said.
--IANS
rvt/ksk/.
Source: IANS
The study, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, looked at the antibodies of 38 patients and healthcare workers at the St Thomas' Hospital who were infected within the first wave of Covid-19, before they were vaccinated.
Despite an initial decline in antibody levels just after infection, results showed that most people (18/19 patients) maintained detectable antibody levels 10 months after they were infected.
Antibodies help to fight Covid-19 by binding to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, preventing the virus from infecting cells.
These results show how long antibodies remain in the body to fight future infections.
While antibodies from a specific SARS-CoV-2 variant were able to generate a strong response to an infection from their own variant, results showed that antibodies were less effective when fighting against different variants.
Antibodies bind to the spike protein on the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and vaccines mimic this protein to create the immune response against SARS-CoV-2.
"This study provides unique insight into the cross-neutralising antibody responses induced by different SARS-CoV-2 variants," said Dr Liane Dupont, from Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Immunology and Microbial Sciences, King's College London.
However, these results suggest that there were differences in the spike protein of alpha, beta, and delta variants.
This means that vaccines designed around one of these new variants may be less effective against other variants.
These results also show that our current vaccines designed around the original SARS-CoV-2 variant provides the best protection against all variants and should be used for vaccination programmes, Dupont said.
--IANS
rvt/ksk/.
Source: IANS
New Delhi/Rome, Oct 30 : In their first in-person meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart Mario Draghi discussed the challenges posed by climate change and the need for the international community to work together, as well as the situation in Afghanistan.
During the meeting on Friday, Modi highlighted the transformative climate actions undertaken by India, and the concerns of developing countries about climate financing commitments of the developed world.
The two leaders also exchanged views on recent global and regional developments, including in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.
"They reiterated their desire for working closer together for furthering the India-EU multi-faceted cooperation," said a release from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
On the bilateral side, the two leaders reviewed developments since the India-Italy Virtual Summit in November 2020 and expressed satisfaction at the progress in implementation of the 2020-2025 Action Plan adopted at the virtual summit that set strategic goals in the political, economic, S (and) T and cultural spheres to be achieved in the next five years.
The Prime Ministers also reiterated their commitment to further expanding trade and investment linkages between the two countries particularly in textiles, food processing, automotive and renewable energy sectors.
"To provide fresh impetus to the bilateral cooperation in renewables and clean energy, India and Italy issued a Joint Statement announcing a aStrategic Partnership on Energy Transition' and agreed to explore partnerships in areas such as large size green corridor projects, smart grids, energy storage solutions, gas transportation, integrated waste management (waste-to-wealth), development and deployment of green hydrogen and promotion of bio-fuels.
India and Italy also signed a aStatement of Intent on Textiles Cooperation' during the meeting," the release said.
Earlier on Friday, Draghi offered a grand welcome to Modi amid military honours at the Palazzo Chigi courtyard.
--IANS
niv/ksk/.
Source: IANS
During the meeting on Friday, Modi highlighted the transformative climate actions undertaken by India, and the concerns of developing countries about climate financing commitments of the developed world.
The two leaders also exchanged views on recent global and regional developments, including in Afghanistan and the Indo-Pacific.
"They reiterated their desire for working closer together for furthering the India-EU multi-faceted cooperation," said a release from the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.
On the bilateral side, the two leaders reviewed developments since the India-Italy Virtual Summit in November 2020 and expressed satisfaction at the progress in implementation of the 2020-2025 Action Plan adopted at the virtual summit that set strategic goals in the political, economic, S (and) T and cultural spheres to be achieved in the next five years.
The Prime Ministers also reiterated their commitment to further expanding trade and investment linkages between the two countries particularly in textiles, food processing, automotive and renewable energy sectors.
"To provide fresh impetus to the bilateral cooperation in renewables and clean energy, India and Italy issued a Joint Statement announcing a aStrategic Partnership on Energy Transition' and agreed to explore partnerships in areas such as large size green corridor projects, smart grids, energy storage solutions, gas transportation, integrated waste management (waste-to-wealth), development and deployment of green hydrogen and promotion of bio-fuels.
India and Italy also signed a aStatement of Intent on Textiles Cooperation' during the meeting," the release said.
Earlier on Friday, Draghi offered a grand welcome to Modi amid military honours at the Palazzo Chigi courtyard.
--IANS
niv/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Copenhagen, Oct 30 : Despite the World Health Organization's (WHO) European Region registering a steady increase in the number of new Covid-19 infections for a fourth consecutive week, it is still advising schools to remain open with "appropriate preventive and response measures in place".
"Last year's widespread school closures, disrupting the education of millions of children and adolescents, did more harm than good, especially to children's mental and social well-being.
We can't repeat the same mistakes," Hans Henri P. Kluge, the WHO Europe's regional director, said in a statement issued here on Friday.
According to the latest figures, in the third week of October the WHO European Region accounted for 57 per cent of new global cases.
While the WHO's five other global regions reported a decline in Covid-19 case numbers, more than half of the countries in the European Region registered a marked increase in infection rates with new cases soaring by 18 per cent across all age groups.
According to the WHO, the increases have already triggered an immediate response from national and local governments to protect the schools across the region that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
"A total of 45 countries and territories recommended that schools remain open for in-person learning with infection prevention and control.
"Seven countries opted for full or partial school closures, either at a national or sub-national level, and two countries recommend distance learning," the WHO statement said.
According to WHO Europe, "interrupting children's education should be a last resort".
"Science must trump politics, and the long-term interests of children must remain a priority, especially now that a number of countries are seeing a spike in transmission.
We have more efficient tools to address this spike than closing schools," Kluge said.
To date, 76 million Covid-19 cases and 1.4 million deaths have been reported in the WHO European Region.
--IANS
ksk/.
Source: IANS
"Last year's widespread school closures, disrupting the education of millions of children and adolescents, did more harm than good, especially to children's mental and social well-being.
We can't repeat the same mistakes," Hans Henri P. Kluge, the WHO Europe's regional director, said in a statement issued here on Friday.
According to the latest figures, in the third week of October the WHO European Region accounted for 57 per cent of new global cases.
While the WHO's five other global regions reported a decline in Covid-19 case numbers, more than half of the countries in the European Region registered a marked increase in infection rates with new cases soaring by 18 per cent across all age groups.
According to the WHO, the increases have already triggered an immediate response from national and local governments to protect the schools across the region that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.
"A total of 45 countries and territories recommended that schools remain open for in-person learning with infection prevention and control.
"Seven countries opted for full or partial school closures, either at a national or sub-national level, and two countries recommend distance learning," the WHO statement said.
According to WHO Europe, "interrupting children's education should be a last resort".
"Science must trump politics, and the long-term interests of children must remain a priority, especially now that a number of countries are seeing a spike in transmission.
We have more efficient tools to address this spike than closing schools," Kluge said.
To date, 76 million Covid-19 cases and 1.4 million deaths have been reported in the WHO European Region.
--IANS
ksk/.
Source: IANS
Washington, Oct 30 : The global coronavirus caseload has topped 246 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 4.98 million and vaccinations soared to over 6.94 billion, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and the total number number of vaccine doses administered stood at 246,004,319, 4,988,624 and 6,947,883,074, respectively.
The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 45,923,884 and 745,375, according to the CSSE.
In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 34,246,157 cases.
The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (21,793,401), the UK (9,021,701), Russia (8,260,045), Turkey (7,961,505), France (7,248,285), Iran (5,899,509), Argentina (5,286,074), Spain (5,008,887), Colombia (4,997,444), Italy (4,757,231), Germany (4,553,744), Indonesia (4,242,532) and Mexico (3,793,783), the CSSE figures showed.
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are Brazil (607,462), India (457,191), Mexico (287,274), Russia (230,786), Peru (200,149), Indonesia (143,333), the UK (140,815), Italy (132,004), Colombia (127,195), Iran (125,875), France (118,561) and Argentina (115,916).
--IANS
ksk/.
Source: IANS
In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and the total number number of vaccine doses administered stood at 246,004,319, 4,988,624 and 6,947,883,074, respectively.
The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 45,923,884 and 745,375, according to the CSSE.
In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 34,246,157 cases.
The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (21,793,401), the UK (9,021,701), Russia (8,260,045), Turkey (7,961,505), France (7,248,285), Iran (5,899,509), Argentina (5,286,074), Spain (5,008,887), Colombia (4,997,444), Italy (4,757,231), Germany (4,553,744), Indonesia (4,242,532) and Mexico (3,793,783), the CSSE figures showed.
Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are Brazil (607,462), India (457,191), Mexico (287,274), Russia (230,786), Peru (200,149), Indonesia (143,333), the UK (140,815), Italy (132,004), Colombia (127,195), Iran (125,875), France (118,561) and Argentina (115,916).
--IANS
ksk/.
Source: IANS
New Delhi, Oct 30 : Just ahead of nations descending on Glasgow for the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, with the UK presidency's key objective as keeping the goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach, British High Commissioner Alex Ellis said India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is already taking impressive climate action -- quadrupling wind and solar capacity in the last decade.
India has already proved that it has the innovation and political will to follow a sustainable development path.
Also India has a huge opportunity to use new tech to pioneer a clean development path, he said.
In an exclusive interview with IANS here just hours before the official start of COP26 with calls for concrete climate action in Glasgow coming from all sectors, the High Commissioner to India said: "We have a packed agenda given that there hasn't been a COP for two years.
Our expectations and aims are driven by science."
"The international scientific consensus is that the world is running out of time to avert great harm to ourselves and our planet, through climate change.
The COP26 summit in Glasgow is our last best chance to avert this, by putting the world on the path to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
"That means that globally we need to reach net zero emissions by 2050 -- with countries getting there at different speeds according to their stage of development.
So as hosts of COP26, we are asking all countries to work together to keep the path to 1.5 degrees alive."
Laying out what success in Glasgow would look like, he replied: "We are asking all countries to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (short-term targets) and to make long-term targets in line with the 2050 goal.
For this COP, we also need to flesh out some of the detail of the Paris Agreement on issues such as how carbon markets will operate in the future."
Believing the developed nations should meet climate finance pledge of (Dollar) 100 billion a year, Ellis, who remembers his time fondly while trekking in the Himalayas and taking in the night sky in the desert near Jaisalmer, said Britain also wants to ensure that countries are supported in adapting to climate change and that developed countries deliver the climate finance and technology flows to support green economic transformation in developing countries.
On the world expectation from India, the diplomat told IANS that India under Modi is already taking impressive climate action -- quadrupling wind and solar capacity in the last decade and now setting the 450GW target as well as launching the National Hydrogen Mission.
"Climate action must support development.
India has already proved that it has the innovation and political will to follow a sustainable development path.
India has already reduced the emissions intensity of its economy by 20 per cent compared to 2005 levels.
"So along with all countries, we are asking India to enhance their greenhouse gas target until 2030 and to set out a long-term strategy in line with the 1.5 degree goal."
On calls to the developed nations to reduce their emissions, he was categorical in saying, "The developed countries need to set out ambitious targets on climate action, and as the COP Presidency, we are pressing them to do so."
"India has a huge opportunity -- to use new tech to pioneer a clean development path.
Climate action must support growth. Most of the infrastructure for energy and other needs that India will need by 2040 is yet to be built.
"India can leapfrog ahead using clean tech to develop, rather than locking into more polluting and ultimately more expensive high carbon systems."
At the same time, Ellis believes India is already on this path.
Prime Minister Modi's commitment to install 450GW of renewable energy by 2030 is hugely impressive.
"We realise that developed countries too have their role to play and that's why the UK is pushing for COP26 to deliver the right flows of finance and technology to meet the needs of countries like India."
To mark a show of leadership, US President Joe Biden will be travelling to Glasgow on November 1 to attend the UN climate summit -- a pivotal moment on the road towards a more secure and sustainable future since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Also, Modi will be attending the climate talks that is expected to bring more than 120 world leaders together to discuss the best ways of tackling the climate crisis that the UN chief has called for a "massive mobilization" of political will that requires trust among the world's biggest economies -- the G20 -- and between developed and developing countries, including emerging economies.
On expectation from the nations to come forward with national plans on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, an optimistic envoy replied: "We have already seen countries like the US and Japan pledging to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
"The next decade will set a path for the net-zero future vision.
The UK last week published its own detailed strategy for how we will meet our net zero by 2050 goal."
Prime Minister Johnson's 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution reinstates the UK's commitment to build back better, support green jobs and accelerate the path to net-zero, he added.
The COP26 is the annual UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties.
This year COP, after missing 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is being held under the presidency of the UK in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city home to nearly 6,00,000 people, from October 31 to November 12.
The climate talks will bring together heads of state, climate experts and campaigners to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
--IANS
vg/shb/ksk/.
Source: IANS
India has already proved that it has the innovation and political will to follow a sustainable development path.
Also India has a huge opportunity to use new tech to pioneer a clean development path, he said.
In an exclusive interview with IANS here just hours before the official start of COP26 with calls for concrete climate action in Glasgow coming from all sectors, the High Commissioner to India said: "We have a packed agenda given that there hasn't been a COP for two years.
Our expectations and aims are driven by science."
"The international scientific consensus is that the world is running out of time to avert great harm to ourselves and our planet, through climate change.
The COP26 summit in Glasgow is our last best chance to avert this, by putting the world on the path to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
"That means that globally we need to reach net zero emissions by 2050 -- with countries getting there at different speeds according to their stage of development.
So as hosts of COP26, we are asking all countries to work together to keep the path to 1.5 degrees alive."
Laying out what success in Glasgow would look like, he replied: "We are asking all countries to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (short-term targets) and to make long-term targets in line with the 2050 goal.
For this COP, we also need to flesh out some of the detail of the Paris Agreement on issues such as how carbon markets will operate in the future."
Believing the developed nations should meet climate finance pledge of (Dollar) 100 billion a year, Ellis, who remembers his time fondly while trekking in the Himalayas and taking in the night sky in the desert near Jaisalmer, said Britain also wants to ensure that countries are supported in adapting to climate change and that developed countries deliver the climate finance and technology flows to support green economic transformation in developing countries.
On the world expectation from India, the diplomat told IANS that India under Modi is already taking impressive climate action -- quadrupling wind and solar capacity in the last decade and now setting the 450GW target as well as launching the National Hydrogen Mission.
"Climate action must support development.
India has already proved that it has the innovation and political will to follow a sustainable development path.
India has already reduced the emissions intensity of its economy by 20 per cent compared to 2005 levels.
"So along with all countries, we are asking India to enhance their greenhouse gas target until 2030 and to set out a long-term strategy in line with the 1.5 degree goal."
On calls to the developed nations to reduce their emissions, he was categorical in saying, "The developed countries need to set out ambitious targets on climate action, and as the COP Presidency, we are pressing them to do so."
"India has a huge opportunity -- to use new tech to pioneer a clean development path.
Climate action must support growth. Most of the infrastructure for energy and other needs that India will need by 2040 is yet to be built.
"India can leapfrog ahead using clean tech to develop, rather than locking into more polluting and ultimately more expensive high carbon systems."
At the same time, Ellis believes India is already on this path.
Prime Minister Modi's commitment to install 450GW of renewable energy by 2030 is hugely impressive.
"We realise that developed countries too have their role to play and that's why the UK is pushing for COP26 to deliver the right flows of finance and technology to meet the needs of countries like India."
To mark a show of leadership, US President Joe Biden will be travelling to Glasgow on November 1 to attend the UN climate summit -- a pivotal moment on the road towards a more secure and sustainable future since the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015.
Also, Modi will be attending the climate talks that is expected to bring more than 120 world leaders together to discuss the best ways of tackling the climate crisis that the UN chief has called for a "massive mobilization" of political will that requires trust among the world's biggest economies -- the G20 -- and between developed and developing countries, including emerging economies.
On expectation from the nations to come forward with national plans on cutting greenhouse gas emissions, an optimistic envoy replied: "We have already seen countries like the US and Japan pledging to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
"The next decade will set a path for the net-zero future vision.
The UK last week published its own detailed strategy for how we will meet our net zero by 2050 goal."
Prime Minister Johnson's 10-point plan for a green industrial revolution reinstates the UK's commitment to build back better, support green jobs and accelerate the path to net-zero, he added.
The COP26 is the annual UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties.
This year COP, after missing 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, is being held under the presidency of the UK in Glasgow, Scotland's biggest city home to nearly 6,00,000 people, from October 31 to November 12.
The climate talks will bring together heads of state, climate experts and campaigners to agree coordinated action to tackle climate change.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
--IANS
vg/shb/ksk/.
Source: IANS
Rabat, Oct 30 : The total number of people fully vaccinated against the Covid-19 in Morocco reached 22,012,820, representing more than 70 per cent of the target population, the Moroccan Ministry of Health said.
So far, a total of 24,177,909 first doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Morocco, as well as 1,372,951 third booster shots, said the Ministry in a statement.
The North African country launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on January 28 after the arrival of the first shipment of China's Sinopharm vaccines, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, 216 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, bringing Morocco's tally of Covid-19 infections rose to 945,720, and the total recoveries increased by 224 to 926,044, the statement added.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Morocco rose by 6 to 14,660, it added.
--IANS
int/khz/.
Source: IANS
So far, a total of 24,177,909 first doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered in Morocco, as well as 1,372,951 third booster shots, said the Ministry in a statement.
The North African country launched a nationwide vaccination campaign on January 28 after the arrival of the first shipment of China's Sinopharm vaccines, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, 216 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours, bringing Morocco's tally of Covid-19 infections rose to 945,720, and the total recoveries increased by 224 to 926,044, the statement added.
The death toll from the coronavirus in Morocco rose by 6 to 14,660, it added.
--IANS
int/khz/.
Source: IANS