American mathematician Dennis P. Sullivan is awarded the Abel Prize for the year 20202 by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. According to the citation, the award was given for his contributions to topology in its broadest sense, including its algebraic, geometric, and dynamical aspects. A field of mathematics known as topology was founded in the nineteenth century, and it studies surfaces whose properties do not change despite deformation. A circle and a square are topologically equivalent, and a doughnut and a coffee mug with one handle are topologically equivalent, but a sp
On Tuesday, Novavx Inc said its COVID-19 vaccine has got emergency-use authorization from the Drug Controller General of India for 12-17 years children. Novavax is manufactured and marketed in India by the Serum Institute of India under the name Covovax. Its vaccine authorization is a global first for the 12-17 years age group. As per the trials conducted, Novavax is 80% effective against the virus. The testing was conducted on 2,247 teens between the age group of 12-17 years. In a mid-to late-stage study involving 460 Indian adolescents, the company said its vaccine produced an immu
Four countries in southern and eastern Africa launched a drive to vaccinate more than nine million children against polio this week. Malawi confirmed the outbreak and an urgent vaccination campaign has started. Across the country, drops of inoculation are being placed in the mouths of children including the capital, Lilongwe and the country’s largest city, Blantyre. On Thursday, according to UNICEF, the campaign will expand and include neighbouring countries of Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. UNICEF is working along with the government and other partners in Africa. The campaign i
Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi thanked Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison for returning 29 antiquities. Ahead of the virtual meet between the two nations on Monday, Australia sent these artefacts to India. PM Modi said, “I would like to especially thank you for taking the initiative to return ancient Indian artefacts. Among them are hundreds of year-old idols and pictures illegally removed from Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh along with many other Indian states”. The relationship between the nations is strengthening and the move is termed historic. Mr Modi h
Finland is crowned as the world’s happiest country for the fifth year in a row. The report provides scores based on an average of data over a three-year period on a scale of zero to 10. The World Happiness Report, reports are based on people’s own assessment of their happiness along with economic and social data. The happiness score considers GDP, social support, personal freedom, as well as the level of corruption in each country along with a personal sense of well-being based on Gallup polls in each country. The authors also used social media data this year to compare people's emo
A long-awaited intellectual property waiver for the COVID-19 vaccine has been reached by the United States, European Union, India, and South Africa. There are still some elements of the consensus agreement that need to be finalized, such as whether the patent waivers will last three years or five years. A comprehensive WTO waiver that had been supported by the United States would apply only to COVID-19 vaccine patents. According to some source, the talks has described the text as a tentative agreement among the four World Trade Organization members that requires formal approval from the
On Monday, the British government announced that all measures related to coronavirus, including the requirement to test some unvaccinated travelers for COVID-19 before and after their arrival, will cease on Friday in order to make going on holiday easier for the Easter school vacation. According to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, the changes will mean that the people “can travel just like in the good old days”. The people will be required to fill out the passenger locator forms with the travel details, address in the UK, and their vaccination status. Some of the UK airlines like V
On Friday, the United States unveiled relaxation of a wide range of financial and commercial transactions in Afghanistan. The “General Licence 20”- new relations allow “financial institutions, international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and private sector companies to engage in wide-ranging transactions and activities in the country while complying with the US sanctions. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, “The United States took the decision today to facilitate a broad range of commercial activities in Afghanistan to benefit the people there”. He spec
In the Weddell Sea, Sir Ernest Shackleton's lost vessel, the Endurance, was discovered over the weekend. In 1915, the ship sank due to getting crushed by sea ice which forced Shackleton and his men to escape on foot and in small boats. For more than a century, the ship is sitting 10,000 feet, it is still much together and looks just like it did while sinking. However, its timber is disrupted, the name- Endurance is clearly visible on the stern. The marine archaeologist, Mensun Bound said, “Without any exaggeration, this is the finest wooden shipwreck I have ever seen- by far”. Mensu
India is set to resume regular international flights from March 27. After 2 years the flight will resume as pre-pandemic schedules. Civil Aviation Minister said that international operations will be subjected to strict adherence to Ministry of Health guidelines for international travel. In November last year, the aviation ministry announced it would resume regular international flights starting December 15, 2021. That order was subsequently revoked due to the rise in Omicron cases. The government official said, “After being recognised the increase of vaccination coverage across the gl