WORLD
Francis Collins to step down as director of US National Institutes of Health
A physician-geneticist, Collins took office as the 16th NIH director on August 17, 2009, after being appointed by then President Barack Obama and confirmed by the US Senate. In 2017, he was asked to continue in his role by then President Donald Trump, and in 2021, by President Joe Biden. "It has been an incredible privilege to lead this great agency for more than a decade," said Collins in a statement on Tuesday.
Senators call on Biden to expel Russian diplomats over embassy dispute
Seventeen bipartisan senators, including leaders of the Senate Intelligence and Foreign Relations committees, wrote in a letter to Biden on Monday that there are over 400 Russian diplomats in the US but only about 100 US diplomats in Russia, Xinhua news agency reported.
WHO to decide on granting Emergency Use Listing to Covaxin next week
The WHO will carry out the risk and benefit assessments next week with the experts and take a final call on granting the much-awaited EUL to Covid vaccine Covaxin. The global health body said, "WHO and an independent group of experts are scheduled to meet next week to carry out the risk/benefit assessments and come to a final decision whether to grant Emergency Use Listing to Covaxin."
Won't allow Sri Lanka to be used to inflict threat on India's security: SL President
Issuing a statement following the meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, the President's media unit said that Rajapaksa made the assurance on India's security describing the importance of the geographical positioning of India and Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa also explained his country's relationship with China and assured that India should not have any doubt about it.
Tesla to pay $137 mn to ex-employee in racial discrimination lawsuit
Owen Diaz, an elevator operator who worked for the company between June 2015 and May 2016, sued the carmaker, alleging a hostile work environment and racial harassment, and said "daily racist epithets" such as the n-word were used in the factory, where his son, Demetric, also worked, the Washington Post reported.
Macron meets Blinken for first talks after submarine row
The "at length, face-to-face meeting" between Macron and Blinken, which lasted about 40 minutes according to French media, should "help restore confidence" between the two countries, the Elysee said in a statement, Xinhua News Agency reported. Earlier on Tuesday, Blinken also met with his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian. They chose not to hold a joint press conference.
G20 nations must enable 1.5 aligned lifestyles: Study
The latest edition of the Institute's 1.5-Degree Lifestyles report analyses lifestyle carbon footprints from nine G20 countries around the world -- Canada, the UK, Japan, China, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil, India and Indonesia as well as Finland -- and identifies where changes can be made to meet the Paris Agreement 1.5 degrees C climate target.
Taiwan warns of 'catastrophic consequences' if China invades island
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen vowed to "do whatever it takes" to guard Taiwan against invasion as she indicated that without help from the country's allies "authoritarianism has the upper hand over democracy." Nearly 150 Chinese warplanes have breached Taiwan's airspace since Friday, including 56 jets on Monday in a dramatic increase in aggression.
Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for discoveries in climate, complex physical systems
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Physics Nobel to Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann, and Giorgio Parisi "for groundbreaking contributions to our understanding of complex physical systems", said a statement. Manabe from Princeton University, US and Hasselmann from Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany were jointly awarded "for the physical modelling of Earth's climate, quantifying variability and reliably predicting global warming".
US warning China over Taiwan provocations
Taiwan raised the alarm after Chinese warplanes violated its airspace nearly 150 times over the course of about four days, leaving top Taiwanese, and some American, officials worried about a military confrontation. "We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure and coercion against Taiwan, and we have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait." White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
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