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Eco/Invest/Demography

Prepare for the next pandemic, says WHO scientist

“We’ve seen time and time again that products developed in high income countries take decades to find their way to low income countries. This has happened with influenza pandemics, with HIV, and with hepatitis B vaccines.

It took 30 years for hepatitis B vaccines to get to developing countries and that’s exactly the reason why COVAX [the UN-led scheme to distribute two billion COVID-19 vaccines to mostly poorer countries] was set up, to make sure that as vaccines get developed, that there’s also equity in access.

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Saudi: Drones attack Riyadh oil facility, no supply disruption reported

Details about Friday’s attack remained slim, and authorities did not name the facility. Saudi Arabian Oil Co., the kingdom’s oil giant, operates a refinery just southeast of Riyadh that produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products for consumption around the capital.

Satellite images from Planet Labs Inc., analysed by The Associated Press, showed no immediately visible damage at the Riyadh refinery.

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Govt has taken number of steps to bring down pollution in Delhi: Javadekar

Responding to a question on pollution in the national capital during the Question Hour in Lok Sabha, Javadekar said air pollution in Delhi is the ”most serious problem”, and noted that the air quality along the Indo-Gangetic belt is poor.

To address the issue of pollution in 100 cities, a National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was also launched and a plan has been made for every city, Javadekar said.

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UN World Happiness Report 2021: India ranks 139 out of 149 nations, Pakistan happier at 105

The World Happiness Report 2021, issued by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, focuses on the effects of Covid-19 and how people all over the world have fared.Finland has been ranked as the happiest country in the world. The Nordic nation is followed by Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Norway.

Pakistan is on 105th, Bangladesh on 101st and China on 84th, according to the report.

People in war-torn Afghanistan are the most unhappy with their lives, followed by Zimbabwe (148), Rwanda (147), Botswana (146) and Lesotho (145).

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