Why most Indians may be protected from Omicron

News Network
November 30, 2021

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A “very large” number of Indians are likely to remain protected from Omicron or any other variant of Covid-19 and there is no need to panic, eminent virologist Dr Shahid Jameel has said.

Jameel, who is the former head of the advisory group to the Indian SARS-COV-2 Genomics Consortia (INASACOG), said people must be cautious and keep wearing masks.

"While we should be cautious, there is no need to panic. India's second wave due to the Delta variant was huge, infecting more people than we imagined. This is reflected in the fourth National Sero-survey that showed 67 per cent of Indians to have Covid antibodies. That is about 930-940 million people at a time when the vaccination levels were very low, and so it came mainly from infection," he said in an interview.

"More recently, Delhi showed 97 per cent with antibodies, Mumbai around 85-90 per cent and so on. All this means that a very large fraction of Indians will be protected from severe disease caused by Omicron or any other variant," Jameel said.

A new variant of Covid-19, feared to have a high amount of spike mutations, has been detected in South Africa. On November 26, the WHO had designated B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern and named it Omicron.

Speaking on the effectiveness of vaccines against the new variant, Jameel said more data is awaited but vaccine effectiveness against the variant may dip by a few points. However, vaccines will not become useless, he said.

"We don't have this data available yet. It may take another one to two weeks for the first laboratory results to become available. My hunch is that vaccine effectiveness against this variant may dip a few points, but vaccines will not become useless. They will continue to protect from severe disease," he said.

On how India can prepare to tackle the new variant, he said people should not panic, and continue to wear mask while the government should increase the rate of vaccination.

"We are fortunate to have sufficient vaccines and the ability to vaccinate. Along this line, it may help to reduce the duration between two doses of Covishield from 16 weeks to 12 weeks. This will get more people vaccinated quickly, especially those in vulnerable age groups (elderly), those with comorbidities and those in high risk occupations (health care)," he said.

On what role a booster dose of vaccine can play against the new variant to tackle waning immunity against Covid-19, he said booster shots help, but it is more important to first get more people vaccinated with two doses.

"Further, about 90 per cent of doses in India are Covishield, and this has limited use as a booster. For that we will need either RNA, DNA or protein vaccines. For the moment, just make sure more and more people get the two doses," he said.

Responding to reports claiming that the variant mainly affects people below 25 years of age, he said there is no data available on the subject.

"So far, the few known patients are in this age group. I doubt it will pose a bigger threat to children who naturally have no or mild disease to this virus," Jameel said.

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News Network
June 27,2025

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New Delhi, June 27: Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday hinted at a potentially “very big” trade deal with India, weeks after closed-door negotiations between the two countries concluded in Washington.

Speaking at the Big Beautiful Event at the White House, Trump said, “We just signed with China yesterday. We have some great deals. One may be coming up with India — a very big one.” He added that the US would not pursue trade deals with every country, suggesting a selective, strategic approach.

The four-day negotiations focused on expanding market access, reducing tariffs, and addressing non-tariff barriers across industrial and agricultural sectors. The Indian delegation was led by Commerce Ministry’s Rajesh Agrawal, while the US side was headed by officials from the Office of the US Trade Representative.

Sources say the proposed deal aims to boost bilateral trade from $190 billion to $500 billion by 2030.

Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal confirmed that talks are ongoing to strike a “fair, equitable, and balanced” agreement. “PM Modi and President Trump met in February 2025 and agreed on the importance of a mutually beneficial trade pact,” he said.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick also indicated that the deal could be finalized soon, noting that both countries are finding common ground.

US-China Deal Also Signed

Trump also mentioned a new trade agreement with China, signed a day earlier, focused on accelerating rare earth shipments to the US. According to a White House official, the pact includes a framework tied to the Geneva agreement, following a period of heightened tensions and stalled trade between the two countries.

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News Network
July 1,2025

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Bengaluru, July 1: As senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala prepares to meet Karnataka MLAs amid growing unrest within the party, Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain has claimed that over 100 legislators support a leadership change and back Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to take over as Chief Minister.

Hussain, known to be a close ally of Shivakumar, warned that the Congress risks losing power in the 2028 Assembly elections if the top post is not handed over now. “More than 100 MLAs are in favour of a change. Many have been waiting for this moment. They want good governance and believe DK Shivakumar deserves the opportunity,” he said in a TV interview.

‘May Lose 2028’

“I will definitely raise the issue with Mr Surjewala,” Hussain added, referring to Monday's meeting. “If the change doesn’t happen now, Congress cannot retain power in 2028. This is in the party’s best interest.”

While Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge recently reiterated that the decision on the Chief Minister post lies with the party high command, Hussain said, “We respect the high command, but it’s our responsibility to speak the truth.”

DKS Camp Pushes for Rotation

The current discontent traces back to the 2023 Assembly elections, when the Congress registered a resounding victory. Shivakumar, then KPCC president, was widely credited for the win and was seen as a strong contender for the Chief Minister’s post. Eventually, he was persuaded to accept the roles of Deputy CM and state party chief.

While there were reports of a power-sharing or rotational CM deal between Shivakumar and incumbent Siddaramaiah, no official confirmation ever came from the party.

Top Brass Denies Change

Randeep Surjewala, who was rushed to Bengaluru by the party high command, dismissed speculation of a leadership change. He described his visit as a routine organisational exercise focused on governance and party development, calling any talk of a leadership shake-up “a figment of imagination.”

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, too, downplayed the buzz. Speaking in Mysuru with Shivakumar at his side, he said, “This government will be as solid as a ‘bande’ (rock) for five years.” Holding hands with the Deputy CM, he added, “We are on good terms. We don’t listen to what others say.”

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News Network
June 26,2025

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Israel has suffered an estimated $12 billion in direct losses from its 12-day war of aggression against Iran, with total losses potentially rising to $20 billion, according to Israeli media and economic reports.

The losses encompass military expenditures, missile strike damages, payouts to affected individuals and businesses, and infrastructure repairs.

Experts warn the final tally may reach $20 billion once indirect economic impacts and civilian compensation claims are fully calculated.

According to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, the regime’s treasury has already sustained 22 billion shekels ($6.46 billion) in damages.

The Israeli military is now seeking an extra 40 billion shekels ($11.7 billion) to restock arms supplies, purchase additional interceptors and offensive weapons, and maintain reserve units, following pre-war requests of 10 billion and later 30 billion shekels.

Israel’s budget deficit is expected to rise to approximately 6 percent amid challenges to finance war expenses, building on deficits already accumulated during the Gaza war.

The move coincides with forecasts of at least a 0.2 percent economic slowdown, which would further reduce tax revenues.

Massive military spending

Israeli business daily Calcalist reported that the regime’s cabinet had spent roughly $5 billion, around $725 million per day, on offensive operations against Iran and defensive measures to intercept Tehran’s missile and drone barrages

Compensation alone is expected to cost at least five billion shekels ($1.5 billion).

TheMarker confirmed on Monday that physical damage from Iranian missile attacks has already surpassed 5 billion shekels ($1.5 billion).

Economic analysts had cautioned that prolonging the war could have pushed Israel's embattled economy to the brink of collapse.

According to property tax estimates, approximately 15,000 Israeli settlers were forced to evacuate their units due to damages caused by Iranian retaliatory operations, with many relocating to hotels across the occupied territories.

The cost of their hotel accommodation is currently estimated at around 100 million shekels ($29 million. The regime will have to pay rent for an unknown period of time to hundreds or thousands of families, some of them long-term, until the collapsed buildings are rebuilt - a process that could take years.”

So far, more than 41,000 claims have been submitted to the regime’s compensation fund, with many more expected, according to data published by the right-wing newspaper Israel Hayom.

Of these, approximately 33,000 claims were for damage to buildings, while over 8,000 related to damage to vehicles, property, and equipment. The majority of claims - around 26,000 - were submitted by residents of Tel Aviv.

Before October 7, 2023, around 6,000 settlers were receiving permanent compensation from the regime. That number rose sharply to 25,000 following the Hamas-led operation inside southern settlements.

According to TheMarker, this figure is expected to increase further in the aftermath of the war on Iran.

Calls for US support

According to a report, citing a finance ministry insider, Israel is considering asking Washington for additional financial backing, whether as aid or guaranteed loans, to mitigate war costs and fund pressing military priorities.

On June 13, Israel launched an unprovoked aggression against Iran, targeting nuclear facilities and assassinating senior military commanders and scientists along with ordinary civilians.

In response, Iran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones that struck multiple sensitive and strategic Israeli locations, as confirmed by Israeli media outlets.

The Israeli health ministry confirmed 29 fatalities and 3,238 injuries from the Iranian retaliatory attacks, though observers say the figure is likely to be much higher due to Israel's history of censoring casualty statistics.

The Marker characterized the missile strikes as creating “apocalyptic'” devastation, with preliminary damage assessments reaching at least 5 billion shekels ($1.4 billion).

Israel was forced to unilaterally accept a US-proposed ceasefire after incurring heavy losses and failing to destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

After the ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday, Israel’s extremist finance minister Bezalel Smotrich was quoted as saying “There is no doubt that this morning leaves a bitter taste.”

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