Butchers of Sopore and Birmingham

Nine years of calm before icy storm

Kashmir turns crimson with blood of Pandits

AN UN-ISLAMIC KIDNAPPING AND CHAOS IN THE VALLEY

The illusion of azaadi and Kashmir’s historic deception

How Pak's terror policy evolved in Kashmir

Birth of social media jihadists, death of Article-370

Operation Sindoor: When Indian missiles rained on Pak terror parade

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<p><strong>Covid-19 vaccine</strong></p><p>The last time Pranav Sharma (name changed on request) was at AIIMS, Delhi, it was for the birth of his best friend&rsquo;s son. The 33-year-old, however, returned to the institute on July 20 as one of 1,124 individuals being screened for a Covid vaccine trial, and who will receive a dose of the indigenously developed Covaxin as part of the ongoing Phase 1 and 2 of the trial. &ldquo;It is for the greater good of our planet,&rdquo; he says.</p><p>Not all of the 375 people to be studied in Phase 1 and the 750 in Phase 2 are likely to contract the killer virus. It depends on the movement and environment of these volunteers. But their initial response to the vaccine will show whether it is safe to use, and whether it shows a spike in antibodies (an immune response that can potentially help defeat a Covid attack). Results from such a trial conducted in a different part of the world were published on July 20 in the medical journal The Lancet.</p><p>Observatory data from the Oxford-AstraZeneca trials in the UK is the first-ever to be published on a Covid vaccine. It shows the vaccine to be safe and also that it triggers an immune response. Even if the larger Phase 3 trials fail to protect volunteers from contracting Covid, the experience is immensely helpful for the global community to understand what works and what doesn&rsquo;t. As Dr Randeep Guleria, director of AIIMS, says, &ldquo;All data is a step forward towards figuring out the virus.&rdquo;</p><div class="itemcenter"><amp-iframe height="62" title="" width="320" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014%5Cu0026native%3D1" class="mrBt15 preferred-source-banner"> </amp-iframe></div></p><p>Different vaccine makers are using either a killed virus, a live but genetically altered virus or RNA vaccines (which carry a code for an antigen specific to Covid) to give the body information and time to learn how to protect itself against the infection, so that it will know what to do when it encounters the full-strength virus. The Oxford vaccine is made out of a harmless adenovector (or live) virus, which targets a genetic mark-up in host cells to generate an immune response. The same technology has also been used by China-based CanSino Biologics, which has been flagged as safe and shown that it leads to a spike in antibodies. Such viral vector vaccines have previously been shown to trigger robust immune responses as well. They are also more convenient to store as they need only refrigeration and not freezing. Covaxin, on the other hand, is an inactivated or weakened vaccine, which may require a few more doses to ensure an immune response.</p><p>Adar Poonawalla&rsquo;s Serum Institute of India has tied up with AstraZeneca to mass produce the Oxford vaccine in India, of which the latter is a co-producer. Its Phase 3 trials will also commence here with around 4,000-5,000 participants. If things go well, there could potentially be a vaccine by the end of 2020. While a few million doses could be made by December, around 300-400 million will be produced by the Serum Institute by the first quarter of 2021. Poonawalla has also said that half their production would be for India. &ldquo;Phase 1 and 2 trials are showing promising signs but one needs Phase 3 results to see how effective the vaccine is on a larger scale. You need a varied group of 40,000 to 50,000 people to see if the vaccine is actually halting the progression of Covid in the body. Right now we only know it triggers a spike in antibodies,&rdquo; says Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist and CEO of the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance, an independent body that funds health research.</p><p>Many medical scientists say Covid has given a major boost to vaccine technology and research across the world. There are more than 155 vaccine candidates across the globe in various stages of trials; 23 of these have begun human trials. A vaccine developed by the Russian defence ministry has finished Phase 2 trials and defence minister Ruslan Tsalikov has claimed it is ready for use even ahead of recruitment for Phase 3 trials, which are larger and more conclusive. Without peer-reviewed data or a well-designed Phase 3 trial, global acceptance of the vaccine is doubtful. The other three trials fast approaching Phase 3 are LNP-encapsulated mRNA by Moderna in the US; Adenovirus Type 5 Vector by the Beijing Institute of Technology; and an inactivated vaccine by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.</p><p>Of these, the Moderna mRNA vaccine, if it proves efficacious, will be pathbreaking. &ldquo;Unlike conventional vaccines, which take months to develop and are produced by growing inactivated forms of the virus, mRNA vaccines can be constructed quickly using only the pathogen&rsquo;s genetic code. The mRNA platform could have particular utility for pandemics due to its potential speed in modifying the encoded antigen aligned with the viral sequence,&rdquo; says a spokesperson from Pfizer, which is also working on an mRNA vaccine along with BioNTech.</p><div class="itgimage"><amp-img src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fbodyeditor%2F202007%2Fthumbnail_Upfront-1-3-Aug3-2_1_0-x1280.jpg%3FooC_SwcliWxi6tlC5.T3oZgcwC655SFz%3Fsize%3D750:*" alt="" height="1280" width="1176" class="" layout="responsive"></amp-img>
<div class="body_caption"> </div>
</div></p><p>Covaxin is not out of the global vaccine race yet. There remain hopes, based on promising pre-clinical data, that Covaxin too could be ready by the end of the year. &ldquo;We will test for efficacy in human trials for six to seven months, but, if all goes well, we could have something by the end of 2020 or early next year,&rdquo; says Dr Sanjay Rai, head of community medicine at AIIMS, Delhi. Volunteers like Sharma are a critical to this process. Even though there is no guarantee whether he will or not get Covid, that thousands like him are willing to, in a way, be guinea pigs for new medicine is remarkable. For the next few weeks, he&rsquo;ll have to regularly monitor his life and be available for data collection. &ldquo;Agar marna hai, toh kuchh achha kaam karte karte maro (If one has to die, then it might as well be while doing good),&rdquo; he says.</p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Iram Ara Ibrahim</div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Jul 25, 2020</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div>

up-front

UP Front

<p><strong>Covid-19 vaccine</strong></p><p>The last time Pranav Sharma (name changed on request) was at AIIMS, Delhi, it was for the birth of his best friend&rsquo;s son. The 33-year-old, however, returned to the institute on July 20 as one of 1,124 individuals being screened for a Covid vaccine trial, and who will receive a dose of the indigenously developed Covaxin as part of the ongoing Phase 1 and 2 of the trial. &ldquo;It is for the greater good of our planet,&rdquo; he says.</p><p>Not all of the 375 people to be studied in Phase 1 and the 750 in Phase 2 are likely to contract the killer virus. It depends on the movement and environment of these volunteers. But their initial response to the vaccine will show whether it is safe to use, and whether it shows a spike in antibodies (an immune response that can potentially help defeat a Covid attack). Results from such a trial conducted in a different part of the world were published on July 20 in the medical journal The Lancet.</p><p>Observatory data from the Oxford-AstraZeneca trials in the UK is the first-ever to be published on a Covid vaccine. It shows the vaccine to be safe and also that it triggers an immune response. Even if the larger Phase 3 trials fail to protect volunteers from contracting Covid, the experience is immensely helpful for the global community to understand what works and what doesn&rsquo;t. As Dr Randeep Guleria, director of AIIMS, says, &ldquo;All data is a step forward towards figuring out the virus.&rdquo;</p><div class="itemcenter"><iframe scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="62" awidth="320" aheight="62" amplayout="fixed" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Fsites%2Findiatoday%2Fbanner%2Fpreferred-source-new.html%3Fv%3D1.014" class="preferred-source-banner" loading="lazy"></iframe></div><style>.preferred-source-banner{  margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}</style></p><p>Different vaccine makers are using either a killed virus, a live but genetically altered virus or RNA vaccines (which carry a code for an antigen specific to Covid) to give the body information and time to learn how to protect itself against the infection, so that it will know what to do when it encounters the full-strength virus. The Oxford vaccine is made out of a harmless adenovector (or live) virus, which targets a genetic mark-up in host cells to generate an immune response. The same technology has also been used by China-based CanSino Biologics, which has been flagged as safe and shown that it leads to a spike in antibodies. Such viral vector vaccines have previously been shown to trigger robust immune responses as well. They are also more convenient to store as they need only refrigeration and not freezing. Covaxin, on the other hand, is an inactivated or weakened vaccine, which may require a few more doses to ensure an immune response.</p><p>Adar Poonawalla&rsquo;s Serum Institute of India has tied up with AstraZeneca to mass produce the Oxford vaccine in India, of which the latter is a co-producer. Its Phase 3 trials will also commence here with around 4,000-5,000 participants. If things go well, there could potentially be a vaccine by the end of 2020. While a few million doses could be made by December, around 300-400 million will be produced by the Serum Institute by the first quarter of 2021. Poonawalla has also said that half their production would be for India. &ldquo;Phase 1 and 2 trials are showing promising signs but one needs Phase 3 results to see how effective the vaccine is on a larger scale. You need a varied group of 40,000 to 50,000 people to see if the vaccine is actually halting the progression of Covid in the body. Right now we only know it triggers a spike in antibodies,&rdquo; says Dr Shahid Jameel, virologist and CEO of the DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance, an independent body that funds health research.</p><p>Many medical scientists say Covid has given a major boost to vaccine technology and research across the world. There are more than 155 vaccine candidates across the globe in various stages of trials; 23 of these have begun human trials. A vaccine developed by the Russian defence ministry has finished Phase 2 trials and defence minister Ruslan Tsalikov has claimed it is ready for use even ahead of recruitment for Phase 3 trials, which are larger and more conclusive. Without peer-reviewed data or a well-designed Phase 3 trial, global acceptance of the vaccine is doubtful. The other three trials fast approaching Phase 3 are LNP-encapsulated mRNA by Moderna in the US; Adenovirus Type 5 Vector by the Beijing Institute of Technology; and an inactivated vaccine by the Wuhan Institute of Biological Products.</p><p>Of these, the Moderna mRNA vaccine, if it proves efficacious, will be pathbreaking. &ldquo;Unlike conventional vaccines, which take months to develop and are produced by growing inactivated forms of the virus, mRNA vaccines can be constructed quickly using only the pathogen&rsquo;s genetic code. The mRNA platform could have particular utility for pandemics due to its potential speed in modifying the encoded antigen aligned with the viral sequence,&rdquo; says a spokesperson from Pfizer, which is also working on an mRNA vaccine along with BioNTech.</p><div class="itgimage"><div class="itgimage"><img  height="1280"  title=""  width="1176"  class="" alt="" src="https://ancillary-proxy.atarimworker.dev?url=https%3A%2F%2Fakm-img-a-in.tosshub.com%2Findiatoday%2Fimages%2Fbodyeditor%2F202007%2Fthumbnail_Upfront-1-3-Aug3-2_1_0-x1280.jpg%3FooC_SwcliWxi6tlC5.T3oZgcwC655SFz%3Fsize%3D750:*" loading="lazy" /></div>
<div class="body_caption"> </div>
</div></p><p>Covaxin is not out of the global vaccine race yet. There remain hopes, based on promising pre-clinical data, that Covaxin too could be ready by the end of the year. &ldquo;We will test for efficacy in human trials for six to seven months, but, if all goes well, we could have something by the end of 2020 or early next year,&rdquo; says Dr Sanjay Rai, head of community medicine at AIIMS, Delhi. Volunteers like Sharma are a critical to this process. Even though there is no guarantee whether he will or not get Covid, that thousands like him are willing to, in a way, be guinea pigs for new medicine is remarkable. For the next few weeks, he&rsquo;ll have to regularly monitor his life and be available for data collection. &ldquo;Agar marna hai, toh kuchh achha kaam karte karte maro (If one has to die, then it might as well be while doing good),&rdquo; he says.</p><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Iram Ara Ibrahim</div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Jul 25, 2020</div></div></div><div class="sendros">--- ENDS ---</div></div>

Observatory data from the Oxford-AstraZeneca trials in the UK is the first-ever to be published on a Covid vaccine.

India Today

A shot at immunity - India Today

A shot at immunity

The only remaining nuclear treaty between the US and Russia expires today. It effectively spells a death knell for nearly three decades of nuclear control cooperation. What was the treaty? Will it lead to a new nuclear arms race? We delve into these questions in this article.

Russia's Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump

US-Russia nuclear treaty expires today. Will it lead to a new arms race?

Actor Eesha Rebba filed a complaint at the Banjara Hills Police Station to report harassment after receiving obscene and abusive comments on Instagram amid promotional activities for her recent Telugu film.

eesha rebba files complaint

Telugu actor Eesha Rebba files complaint over obscene Instagram comments

The era of vibe coding may be over. AI guru Andrej Karpathy believes that the world will now move to a new way of using AI to write code, what he calls agentic engineering. Here is what it means.

AI guru Andrej Karpathy believes that vibe coding may be over. (Representational image made with AI)

Vibe coding era over? AI guru who coined the term prefers agentic engineering now

Abhijeet Sawant, winner of Indian Idol season 1, has addressed persistent problems in the film music industry relating to singer pay and royalties. His comments follow Arijit Singh's recent announcement to step away from playback singing.

Abhijeet Sawant

No royalties, low pay, fear culture: Abhijeet Sawant on playback singing struggles

Korean pop culture has surged in India since 2022, spanning dramas, music, food, fashion, and language learning. From family-centric storytelling to soft masculinity and female-focused narratives, Korean content has struck a deep emotional chord across age groups, becoming one of the most influential global cultural forces shaping Indian audiences today.

Why Korean culture won India’s heart with K-dramas, K-pop, kimchi

K-dramas, K-pop, kimchi: Why Korean culture won India’s heart

Play Time!

Parliament Budget Session

Bharat Taxi

PM Modi

Donald Trump

Mamata Banerjee

IND vs AFG LIVE Score

Rahul Gandhi

Lok Sabha

WPL 2026

Dhurandhar 2

T20 World Cup

Border 2

Here's the drone visuals of the massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which has hit vehicular movement for over 24 hours after a gas tanker overturned in the hilly Khandala Ghat section.

drone

Watch: Drone visuals of massive 22-km traffic jam on Mumbai-Pune Expressway

Addressing the Lok Sabha, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said the government has successfully safeguarded sensitive sectors in US trade deal.  

Piyush Goyal: No Compromise On Farmers Interests In US Deal

India protected agriculture, dairy interests in US trade deal: Piyush Goyal

In this Special Report, India Today’s Mir Fareed provides exclusive details on a major counter-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur. Security forces, including the Army, Jammu Kashmir Police, and CRPF, successfully eliminated two Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who were hiding in a natural cave within a dense forested terrain. Mir Fareed noted, ‘Finally, their luck ran out as security forces used IEDs to blow up the entrance. And with that, they were eliminated.’ One of the deceased has been identified as a top commander, Abu Mavia. The operation involved sophisticated drone surveillance and sharpshooters to pin down the terrorists who had previously evaded capture. The report highlights the evolving tactics of security agencies in tackling infiltrators using the treacherous forest reaches of Jammu. The area is currently being sanitised as per standard operating procedures following the recovery of weapons.

Mir Fareed: Two Jaish Terrorists Killed In Udhampur Cave

2 Jaish terrorists killed as security forces blow up cave in Jammu and Kashmir

This news report covers the intense political confrontation in Parliament where Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi reportedly called BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu a 'traitor'. The incident occurred near the Makar Dwar as suspended MPs were protesting. The transcript highlights that Bittu, once a close associate of Gandhi, was heckled by Congress members following the remark. Additionally, the bulletin features a statement regarding the suspension of eight Congress MPs for the remainder of the session due to 'unruly behaviour'. Dilip Saikia, who was in the chair during the ruckus, stated that the members violated parliamentary decorum and rules. The report notes that the Congress party views those who defect to the other side through a specific 'prism', leading to the sharp exchange. The drama unfolded as Priyanka Gandhi also met with the suspended legislators to discuss the adjournment of the House.

Rahul Gandhi Calls Bittu a Traitor in Parliament

Rahul Gandhi Calls Ravneet Singh Bittu a 'Traitor' outside Parliament

On this Special Report, the focus is on a tragic incident in Ghaziabad where three minor sisters, aged 12, 14, and 16, allegedly died by suicide by jumping from the ninth floor of a high-rise building. ACP Atul Kumar stated, 'Three girls jumped from the balcony of the ninth floor of flat number 907 in Bharat City and were declared dead upon arrival at the hospital.' A suicide note recovered from the scene read, 'Mummy Papa, we are sorry.' Police have seized mobile phones and gadgets for forensic examination to determine if specific gaming tasks triggered the extreme step. The incident occurred around 2:30 AM, and authorities are recording statements from family and neighbors to uncover the exact cause behind this triple suicide horror.

Atul Kumar: 3 Sisters Jump To Death In Ghaziabad

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A shot at immunity

Observatory data from the Oxford-AstraZeneca trials in the UK is the first-ever to be published on a Covid vaccine.

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