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European medical body says no application from SII yet for Covishield authorisation

A European Medical body has said no application from the Serum Institute of India for Covishield authorisation has been received after the European Union has introduced the digital Covid Certificate that makes travel within the Union possible.

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Covid-19 vaccines

A European Medical body has said no application from the Serum Institute of India for Covishield authorisation has been received after the European Union has introduced the digital Covid Certificate that makes travel within the Union possible.

For Covishield, the Covid-19 vaccine to be evaluated for use in the Union, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) has said that the developer needed to submit a formal marketing authorisation application to them. However, to date, it has not received any application from the Serum Institute of India. 

As part of the authorisation process, the medical body has said minor differences in manufacturing processes could result in differences in the final product, and the European Union law required assessments.

So far, four vaccines- Moderna’s Spikevax, Comirnaty of Pfizer/BioNTech, Vaxzervria by AstraZeneca-Oxford, and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen have been approved by the European medical body for restriction-free travel within the EU during the pandemic.

Since only India’s Covishield, developed by AstraZeneca’s formula, has been authorised under EMA, the Indian travellers are facing hurdles travelling to the European Union. However, the Covishield has also been excluded despite being granted emergency use listing from the World Health Organisation in February.

The European Medicines Agency had earlier clarified Covishield’s exclusion from the list of approved vaccines for the ‘Green Pass’, stating that the vaccine does not currently have a marketing authorisation in the European Union (EU).

Currently, the people vaccinated with Covishield will be subjected to quarantine protocols as enforced by individual member countries, and may even be blocked from entering some others.

Read Also: New MG Motor 5-seater SUV details leaked ahead of global debut

Meanwhile, Serum Institute CEO Adar Poonawalla had said that he was taking this up at the highest levels with regulators and diplomats and that he hoped to resolve this matter soon.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) today issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. The leaders allegedly restricted essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to civilians in Gaza, resulting in severe humanitarian crises and deaths, including among children.

Last year in October, Israel had launched attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war has led to the death of thousands of civilians, while lakhs have been displaced. The major infrastructures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, were also destroyed as Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas.

The International Criminal Court stated that it found reasonable grounds to believe the accused intentionally targeted civilians and limited medical supplies, forcing unsafe medical procedures, which caused immense suffering. This ruling was based on the findings from at least October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024.

The court remarked that it has assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza.

Furthermore, it also noted that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and medical supplies created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza, leading to death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration.

Additionally, the International Criminal Court dismissed two challenges by Israel against its jurisdiction in the situation in the State of Palestine.

Notably, Israel had contested the ICC’s jurisdiction, claiming it could not be exercised without Israel’s consent. Nonetheless, the Chamber ruled that the Court has jurisdiction based on Palestine’s territorial scope, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It further noted that Israel’s objections were premature, as jurisdictional challenges under the Rome Statute can only be made after an arrest warrant is issued.

Reportedly, Israel had also requested a fresh notification regarding the investigation, started in 2021. Denying the request, the court stated that Israel had earlier declined to request a deferral, making additional notifications unnecessary.

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Yogi Adityanath accords tax-free status to Sabarmati Report film in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accorded a tax-free status to ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film, based on the train burning incident at Godhra in Gujarat in 2002, in the state.

The announcement was made after Chief Minister Adityanath attended the screening of Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna-starrer ‘The Sabarmati Report’ in Lucknow with the film’s cast.  

Speaking to reporters, actor Vikrant Massey thanked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for making ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film tax-free in the state. “I want to thank Yogi Adityanath ji. This is an important film and I appeal to everyone to go and watch this film,” he said.

Chief Minister Adityanath along with many of his cabinet colleagues watched the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’ under a special screening at a cinema hall in the capital, said a spokesperson of the state government.

Several people associated with the film unit were also present on the occasion. Later the chief minister announced to make this film tax-free in UP.

The BJP-ruled states have been praising the makers of The Sabarmati Report, claiming the team has tried to bring out this truth in front of the people of the country through the film.

The saffron party is appealing to people to watch this film and try to get closer to the truth of Godhra.

Uttar Pradesh becomes the sixth BJP-ruled state after Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to declare lead actors Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna’s film tax-free.

Adityanath said along with identifying the faces of those who are conspiring against the country for political gains, there is also a need to expose them. The film team has discharged its responsibilities to expose the truth, he said, adding an attempt has been made to bring the real truth in front of the country in a big way through the film.

The Sabarmati Report is said to be based on the incident of setting fire to a train full of ‘karsevaks’ in Godhra on February 27, 2002, killing 90 devotees. After this incident, communal riots broke out in Gujarat. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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Adani Group rejects US bribery charges against Gautam Adani, calls it baseless

The Adani Group said that the allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied.

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The Adani Group on Thursday rejected the move by a US department to name the group in a case of alleged wrongdoing as baseless. The group claimed that these are mere allegations and must be seen only as that. Furthermore, the group has also decided to examine a legal course of action.

Issuing a statement, the Adani Group said that the allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied. It maintained that the group has steadfastly maintained the highest possible standards of governance and transparency.

It underlined that as stated by the US Department of Justice itself, the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. It added that all possible legal recourse will be sought. 

The statement remarked that the Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. It also assured their stakeholders, partners and employees that they are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws.

BJP leader Amit Malviya said that this is mere abuse of jurisdiction. He added that an Indian Court can similarly, on legitimate grounds, accuse American firms of bribing US government officials, to deny access to Indian markets. Should we then allow law to take its course and the concerned corporate to defend or plant ourselves in the domestic politics of a foreign country, he questioned.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra also said that the charges are allegations and counter-allegations, and that they clearly believe that as far as the company and the case against it are concerned, the company will issue a statement and defend itself on its own. He continued that law will take its own course. 

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that Gautam Adani should be arrested immediately, and his protector Madhabi Puri Buch should be investigated. 

The US prosecutors charged Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, with his alleged involvement in a plan to pay over $250 million in bribes to government officials in India for solar energy contracts.  

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