OR the first time in decades, the principles on which the modern world was built are open to question. The healthy instinct of nations to hang together, first in security blocs and UN bodies, and then in free trade zones and multilateral mechanisms like the World Trade Organization, is being replaced by a disregard for the treaty-based and rules-based order that holds the world together.
Meanwhile, the clarity which the culture of transparency had brought to public affairs is being replaced by the fog of state-backed disinformation.
This week, it was reported that US president-elect Donald Trump's administration would withdraw the polio vaccine. Then, he denied it in his first press conference since he won a second term. The point is not whether the initial report was true—what matters is that people took the news seriously. The polio eradication programme, which began in 1988, is of great significance for all of humanity. It could be the second great victory against a viral disease, after the eradication of smallpox in 1980. Success would also confirm that an organism which infects only humans can be tackled by herd immunity, without the challenging process of inoculating the global population.
Denne historien er fra December 21, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express Coimbatore.
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Denne historien er fra December 21, 2024-utgaven av The New Indian Express Coimbatore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Emergency' triggers stir in Punjab, security at multiplexes tightened
THE screening of Kangana Ranaut's film 'Emergency' was cancelled in Punjab due to intense protests by various Sikh organisations, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members and farmers' groups on Friday.
India Plans to Be MRO Hub, Work With S'pore
Sector holds tremendous potential for employment generation
No action for returning to mainstream, cops tell Arunachal armed group
ARUNACHAL Pradesh police on Friday appealed to the members of a newly-floated armed group to return to the mainstream, assuring that no legal action will be taken against them if they do so on their own accord.
Russia, Iran sign partnership treaty to deepen relations
RUSSIAN President Vladimir Putin and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian signed a broad cooperation pact on Friday, as the two nations deepened their partnership in the face of stinging Western sanctions.
Resolve TN Guv-govt issues or we will do it, says Supreme Court
THE Supreme Court on Friday said if the pending issues between Governor R N Ravi and the Tamil Nadu government, including selection and appointment of Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) to state universities, are not resolved by the next date of hearing, the court will intervene to resolve the issues.
Hunting For Keys To Crack Indus Valley Code
About two decades ago, the conference rooms of Delhi institutions like the Sahitya Akademi and India International Centre were often haunted by a tall, thin and unfailingly polite gentleman with a briefcase who sat at the back. There, he carried on a private conference with his neighbours that began with these momentous words: \"I have it!\"
Economic growth poised to rebound: RBI report
THE economic growth, which surprisingly slumped to a seven-quarter low of 5.4% in the second quarter, is poised to rebound, as demand regained momentum, though stickiness in food inflation warrants careful monitoring, the latest RBI bulletin has said.
From playing with bamboo stick to Arjuna award
GROWING up, when Salima Tete fashioned hockey sticks out of bamboo to practice with, she would have hardly guessed that one day she would lead the Indian women's hockey team.
TN revises incentive for specialists
AFTER a gap of four years, the National Health Mission (NHM) - Tamil Nadu revised incentive for engaging government and private specialists, including obstetricians, anaesthetists, and paediatricians, to provide Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEMONC) at secondary and tertiary care hospitals.
C'garh scam: ED calls its own affidavit 'fishy'
IN a surprising turn of events in the Supreme Court on Friday, the Enforcement Directorate termed its own counter-affidavit \"fishy\" and sought to disown it.
