Chemical Market Reports

Samuel Roan

Starlink Satellite Internet to Complete Its Beta Testing by October 2021

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The beta testing of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service will be completed in October 2021, although it is not yet clear how it will vary from the present offering. Elon Musk, the CEO and founder of SpaceX, made this forecast early on Friday morning, responding “Next month” to an inquiry from a Canadian gamer who had tweeted the day before that his Starlink terminal is yet to arrive. Musk’s two-word tweet left it unclear how the new Starlink will vary from the beta version, in terms of performance and cost. For those who pay USD 99 a month, a Starlink FAQ says that broadband rates would range from 50 Mbps to 150 Mbps, and the latency rate will be between 20 milliseconds and 40 milliseconds. Their site also states that Starlink’s beta product does not have a data limit, testers have noticed that its application also does not indicate total data usage, the organization, and Elon Musk have not responded to queries concerning post-beta use rules. Elon tweeted a beta-exit timeline in mid-April, only a few weeks before Friday’s prediction: “Probably out of beta this summer.” In general, he has managed to undersell Starlink’s promise for overcoming technological barriers, which contrasts sharply with his habit of extolling forthcoming advancements in self-driving capabilities of Tesla’s electric vehicles, only to have them arrive late and disappoint.

Elon Musk stated that Starlink is “really designed for sparsely inhabited regions”, that is, areas that are outside the scope of conventional cellular service. “We should have a worldwide connection for everything, except the poles beginning this August,” he added. Musk told his audience to anticipate “pretty substantial collaborations” with telecom providers in other nations that would utilize Starlink to reach users outside their cellular networks, but no such arrangements have been revealed. Musk told guests at the Satellite 2020 event in Washington, D.C. in March, “It’s not like Starlink is some enormous danger to telecom companies.” MoffettNathanson, a market research firm, acknowledged in an April note, stating that although Starlink might be a “significant factor to helping to overcome the digital gap in the United States,” capacity restrictions would prohibit it from becoming a “meaningful rival to terrestrial alternative solutions.” In a review published in May, Starlink had swiftly built out its network of tiny satellites since a February 2018 test launch of two demonstration Starlink satellites, sending 60 at a time to orbits around 340 miles up using SpaceX’s partially-reusable Falcon 9 rockets.

According to astronomer Jonathan McDowell, there are already 1,658 Starlink satellites in operation; the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has allowed a maximum of 4,408 for its first stage, with tens of thousands more queued-up for conceivable future launches. Starlink will face intense competition from two additional Low-Earth-orbit constellations, one of which is nearing completion and the other of which is yet to be launched. After rebounding from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy case with a significant investment from the United Kingdom government, the London-based business “OneWeb” recently completed its 10th launch using disposable Russian Soyuz rockets to place 322 satellites in orbit. Back in the United States, Amazon’s Project Kuiper received FCC clearance in July 2020 for a 3,236-satellite network. According to the terms of the agreement, Kuiper must have 50% of them operational by July 30, 2026. Even though Amazon founder Jeff Bezos runs a rocket business, Blue Origin, its in-development and semi-reusable New Glenn rocket will not get Kuiper off the ground. Instead, in April, the firm established a partnership with United Launch Alliance under which its first 9 launches will be carried out on disposable Atlas V rockets.  Kuiper has submitted FCC objections to Starlink’s proposals, arguing that the agency has allowed it undue freedoms.

ESA’s Mercury-Bound BepiColombo Spacecraft Completes First Of Six Flybys Of Planet, Sends Photos

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The European Space Agency has announced that its spacecraft has made a flyby of Mercury. Mercury is the first planet from Sun in the ascending order. It is also the smallest one in the entire solar system. The ESA said that BepiColombo’s flyby was successful. BepiColombo is slated to have six encounters with the planet. This was the first flyby. BepiColombo is a joint mission by the ESA and Japan. It is designed to study Mercury’s magnetosphere, magnetic field, and surface structure. The mission was launched in 2018. BepiColombo performed the flyby from an altitude of 200 km above the planet’s surface. It will enter into Mercury’s orbit and start circling the planet in December 2025.

BepiColombo captured images and science data of Mercury during the flyby. Although it is difficult to click high-resolution pictures during flybys, scientists expect that it will give the first taste of the main mission. The ESA said that BepiColombo sent an image that shows the planet’s northern hemisphere. The region is flooded by lavas. It said that the Lermontov crater could also be seen in the picture. It appears bright. The crater contains volatile elements that are escaping to outer space. Scientists have also spotted a vent. They said that volcanic explosions occurred at the vent. The agency said that BepiColombo will begin a science mission and study the planet’s features after it enters orbit.

Many of the images sent by BepiColombo are overexposed. It is believed that Mercury’s surface is heavily cratered. The surface appears quite similar to the Moon of Earth. Scientists believe that mapping Mercury’s surface and studying its composition allows them to decode the planet’s formation and understand its evolution. BepiColombo has two orbiters. The first one is Mercury Planetary Orbiter and the second is Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter. The spacecraft in total will make nine planetary flybys including the six of Venus before orbital insertion. It will make one flyby of Earth and two of Venus. This will help the spacecraft to steer into the orbit of Mercury.

Clubhouse Adds In-App Support For Audio Recording Of Public Rooms

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The clubhouse has announced to launch of a new feature for audio recording. The popular audio chat platform said that the new feature fulfills the long pending demand of creators. They were asking for easier ways to record and share conversations. The feature will be called ‘replays’. It is an in-app feature. The company said that it can record a room with the help of features. They can save it to their profile and club. Users can even download the recorded content. According to Clubhouse, creators and moderators will have the right to the audio recording. They will also have the right to on and off the feature. The rooms will be recorded only when they are public.

Clubhouse said that users can do full recordings. Besides, they can also create 30 seconds long clips. The clips will be shareable in rooms. Speakers joining the rooms will get a notification the recording feature has been enabled. Clubhouse said that the feature will let users share memorable moments from the rooms. It will also help the company in growing audiences. The company said that it has plans to launch a more extensive feature for recording rooms. Clubhouse previously didn’t offer an in-app feature for record conversations. Users had to rely on a third-party app for recording.

The clubhouse has also announced a search feature. Users can search for rooms, clubs, users, and bios by just typing a name or keyword. Besides, the company has started rolling out spatial audio to Android. It was initially made available to iOS devices. The audio chat app had last month introduced a new way to invite users to chats. The feature is called Wave. Users just need to tap a waving hand emoji to invite friends to a live audio room. Clubhouse said that the new features will enhance the user experience by making conversations more meaningful, engaging, and fun. The clubhouse is an invite-only platform that lets people talk in real-time across the world. It was launched in April last year.

Netflix Launches Mobile Gaming Platform, Acquires First Video Game Studio Night School

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Netflix is working on war footing to cement its position in the gaming industry. The streaming service provider has launched five titles under its new ‘Game’ tab. Now the company has acquired its first gaming studio. It has acquired Night School Studio which is known for titles like ‘Oxenfree.’ Mike Verdu, vice president of game development at Netflix, said that the proven track record of Night School Studio makes them the best choice for the company. “The artistic excellence of the studio in the field of gaming industry makes it an invaluable partner. We are working to build the library of games for Netflix together,” Verdu said.

Verdu also said that the company is planning to add exclusive games that will be included with its membership. These games would be designed for every kind of gamer with different levels to suit their need. These games will have not ads or in-app purchases. The first mobile games are currently available for Netflix subscribers exclusively in Europe. Also, the game can be only played on Android smartphones and devices. It is important to mention that subscribers cannot play games within the Netflix app. Users will have to download the Netflix-exclusive games after they are directed on the Google Play Store. Users can download the apps available in their reason as they normally do with other gaming apps.

Sean Krankel and Adam Hines had founded the Night School Studio in the year 2014. While Krankel was a former designer at Disney Interactive, Hines was a lead writer at Telltale Games, which was a partner of Netflix and they worked together on interactive shows before being shut down. In a statement posted on the site of Night School, Krankel said that Netflix is giving game makers a canvas where they can create games to entertain millions of people. Krankel also assured fans of Oxenfree and other titles of the studio that they will continue to work on Oxenfree II and other games.

Harley-Davidson To Sell Limited Edition Serial 1 Retro-Inspired Electric Bikes Later This Year

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Harley-Davidson has announced that its retro-inspired electric bikes would go on sale later this year. The announcement comes almost a year after the iconic two-wheeler manufacturer said that it is planning to spin out its own e-bike company. Harley-Davidson had said that it would name the company Serial 1. The electric bikes would be available for sale in limited numbers only. The company had initially said that these vintage-inspired models were just a ‘styling exercise.’ The e-bike S1 Mosh/Tribute is basically the company’s way to pay homage to ‘Serial Number One’. It was the oldest know motorcycle built by the American motorcycle manufacturer in 1903.

The design of the e-bike is almost similar to its first prototype. I will have a sleek black frame with gold littering, leather saddle, and handgrips along with its white tires. The bike, however, has a lot of similarities with Mosh/Cty model. Mosh/Cty is the entry-level model of Serial 1. Talking about the similarity, they both have Gates Carbon Drive belt, TRP hydraulic disc brakes along with integrated lighting and internally routed cables. While the white-toned Schwalbe Super Moto-X tires are only available for Serial 1 exclusively. The other highlights of the Mosh/Tribute model are that it has a leather saddle and matching grips that are handmade from Brooks England.

The update will surely bring smiles to the faces of potential customers who were disappointed when the company had in October 2020 refused to make it clear that whether the prototype would go into production. This is also an indication Harley-Davidson is leaning into its motorcycle roots. The company is now relying more on such limited editions and exclusive one-offs. This is happening as the electric bike market is getting crowded with every passing day. There is a lot of competition in this market and Harley-Davidson doesn’t want to stay behind. The company has recently said that it would soon launch e-bikes under its 1-Off series brand name.

US Scientists Discover New Method To Create Concrete-Like Material For Building Permanent Base On Mars

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Space agencies are planning to send a crewed mission to Mars. The objective is to set up a permanent base on the Red Planet. However, a breakthrough is still awaited. According to NASA, it has plans to send humans to Mars by 2030 for exploration. This mission will advance its plans to build a house. However, building a concrete base is not an easy task. Scientists at the University of Manchester have now claimed to create a concrete-like material that could be helpful in building a house on Mars. The material is made of extraterrestrial dust. Notably, transporting bricks to Mars could be very expensive. According to an estimate, even transporting a brick can cost USD 2 million.

Scientists have demonstrated that human serum albumin can act as a binder for Mars or Moondust. This could produce material like concrete. Human serum albumin is a common protein from human blood. They have named the material as AstroCrete. Scientists said that they found incorporating urea can bolster the strength by more than 300 percent. This will result in stronger than ordinary concrete. The new discovery is seen as an advantage over other construction techniques that have been proposed for setting up a permanent base on Mars and Moon. Notably, scientists have been developing technologies that can produce concrete-like materials on Mars for building a house.

Scientists said that six astronauts can produce 500 kg of high-strength AstroCrete on Mars surface during a two-year mission. This would be crucial in building a house on the Red Planet. They said that each astronaut can produce enough AstroCrete if they use a mortar for sandbags. Notably, animal blood was used in past as a binder for mortar. Scientists said that the discovery is exciting and could address the challenges humans face in developing a permanent base on Earth’s neighbor. This could be a potential solution to form an extended structure. Mars has been the favorite destination for scientists to look for signs of life. NASA has launched several robotic missions. But no agency has managed to land humans on the planet so far.

US Researchers Find Moderna’s Covid-19 Vaccine Reduces Hospitalization Risk By 95 Percent Than Pfizer, J&J

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The Delta variant of Covid-19 is having a devastating impact on America’s public health system. The rising cases have once again left the health authorities on their toes. The slow pace of vaccination in some parts has only added to the woes. President Joe Biden recently signed executive orders to step up efforts to vaccinate Americans who are yet to take even the first dose. He also signed punitive measures. Although America’s vaccination speed was highest in the world, the country didn’t manage to inoculate the entire population with two doses and provide a shield against the Delta variant. Vaccines that are being administered to Americans are Pfizer and Moderna. Both are two doses vaccines. The single-dose vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson is also being given to people.

Vaccines are the most effective weapon to fight against Covid-19. However, the lower efficacy of vaccines against the Delta variant has come as a hindrance in the war. Scientists and doctors around the world are saying that a complete dose of vaccines can cut the threat of virus spread. Therefore, it becomes crucial to provide vaccines to the entire population. According to a new study, Moderna’s vaccine effectively works against Delta variant than other drugs. Indiana University researchers said that Moderna provides greater protection than vaccines developed by Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson. The study said that Moderna is 95 percent effective. It significantly cuts the risk of hospitalization.

Researchers said that the study involved adults above 18 years of age. They recommended that all eligible people should take vaccines. Vaccines reduce the severity in case of infection. They said that vaccination can ease the burden on the country’s hospitals and healthcare facilities. Researchers said that Pfizer’s vaccine is 80 percent effective at cutting the hospitalization risk due to the Delta variant. The vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson works 60 percent against the variant. The study was done between June and August when the Delta variant was in the predominant phase. They found that unvaccinated people were required to visit hospitals around 5 to 7 times than those vaccinated group. The study added that vaccine effectiveness is lower in people above 75 years of age.

Elon Musk: Tesla Is Making a Humanoid for Monotonous and Hazardous Jobs

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Elon Musk revealed during Tesla’s AI Day on Thursday, 19 February 2021, that the organization is working on developing a commercially available humanoid robot and would have a prototype model by next year. It will be designed to help deal with a job that is tedious, repetitive, and potentially harmful. It is unclear if or not this robot will be available for sale, or how much it will cost. A screen will be placed where a human face is to convey helpful info. This robot, according to Musk, will have a substantial economic impact. Physical labor will be optional in the future, he claimed, and a basic universal income will be required.

Musk is one of the most influential Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and has warned that automation may replace countless individuals’ employment, necessitating the creation of a new stream of money for certain individuals. Humanoid robots have long piqued people’s interest in popular culture. However, building a humanoid robot capable of doing human jobs has proven to be extremely challenging. Machine learning has progressed quickly, yet it still stutters to even compete with a toddler’s overall abilities. Robotics implementations have traditionally been limited to activities such as moving products at a plant or cleaning a house on its own.

Musk’s groundbreaking efforts at Tesla & SpaceX have thrown the automotive and aerospace sectors into disarray. However, he has a track record of chronic lateness and overpromising, Musk has not had much luck with his previous claims. Tesla’s automated driving system is being investigated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as well as 2 US Senators who have urged the Federal Trade Commission to look into whether Tesla’s advertising of the technology is fraudulent. The humanoid, according to Musk, is an offshoot of Tesla’s efforts towards autonomous vehicles. The robots will utilize the exact processing chip as Tesla’s automobiles and will operate using 8 sensors. The humanoid will be 5’8” tall, weighing 125 pounds. According to Musk, it will be able to carry up to 45 pounds and travel at a speed of 5 miles per hour. Elon stated that Tesla will give the robot 5 fingers, to begin with, however, that this could vary.

Tesla intended to prove it is more than just an electric vehicle manufacturer, Musk stated at Tesla’s AI Day. Numerous staff members also gave presentations concerning Tesla’s artificial intelligence capability, which is crucial for the development of self-driving vehicles and humanoid robots. Elon also teased that the robots would be human-friendly. Robots have a wide variety of applications in the global industrial sector, all information regarding the same is abundantly available on various research forums. However, the demand for a humanoid robot in the global markets is still uncertain.

Citadel Working On To Redeem USD 500 Million From Melvin Capital Management

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Citadel has apparently decided to pull around USD 500 million from Melvin Capital Management. According to a person privy with the development, the money that is being redeemed is of the USD 2 billion invested in Melvin. The Citadel funds and firm partners are reportedly planning to withdraw money in the third quarter. This will scale back the investment into Gabe Plotkin’s hedge fund. A total of USD 2.75 billion was invested in Melvin’s hedge fund earlier in January this year. Out of this, USD 750 million was invested from Point72 Asset Management. In exchange for a rare monthly investment, the two companies received a three-year dominant revenue share. Reports suggest that the capital of Point72 will remain unchanged after the pull-out. So far no one has commented on the development.

Melvin was founded by Gabe Plotkin, former star portfolio manager of billionaire Steve Cohen. Melvin remained one of the top-performing hedge funds in recent years until the portfolio was overturned because of the misfortune of the meme stock. While some hedge funds managed to get benefitted from unprecedented market movements, Melvin lost over 50 percent within few weeks. The loss is estimated to be around USD 6 billion. New York-based Melvin still has assets worth USD 11 billion. The firm has also recently raised new funds and has been hiring new employees and adding office space.

Plotkin, considered to be one of Wall Street’s most successful traders in the past few years, has made some big gains by both investing in stocks and taking aggressive positions against companies. Melvin earned 70 percent of its profit from its bearish wagers. It had posted annual returns of 30 percent between 2014 and 2020, which is considered good in the market. As per the confidential documents released by Melvin, it held put options on several additional stocks at the end of the last year.

Twitter Spaces To Get New Rules, Replay Option; Hosts To Get More Control Over Room

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Twitter is rolling out new updates for Spaces. Spaces is an audio chat service by the microblogging site. It allows users to host live audio chats. The company said that Spaces will soon get more options. This includes new rules for participants and also an option for replay in a live conversation. At present, the features are under development. The features were recently discovered in Twitter’s code. Twitter Spaces is likely to get four new options. The options will give more control to hosts over the audio chat room. Twitter also wants a proper set of rules to be in place for those using Spaces services.

Twitter has hinted that the new rules will have a separate section for hosts. They can use this section to define what content the participants can and cannot say during the live chat on Spaces. Twitter is also developing a block option. This will allow users to restrict some users from joining a live chat. They can limit the conversation to certain users. This will help them to filter a specific group of users. Twitter will also add a replay feature. It will allow users to check the duration of a conversation and also see the participants.

Notably, Twitter has no replay-like feature currently. It doesn’t allow users to listen to a conversation again. A user can join Spaces only when the conversation is lively. Twitter will make the replay an optional feature. When the replay is enabled, users will be able to check how long the chat lasted and the list of participants. Twitter has been updating its audio chat service consistently. It projects Spaces as a competitor to Clubhouse. The Clubhouse was launched in April 2020 and Twitter Spaces in November. It is a platform that is based on voice. Users can talk and listen in real-time. Twitter allows accounts with a minimum of 600 followers to host an audio conversation. Twitter recently rolled out a web version of Spaces on the desktop and mobile. Twitter Spaces was earlier available via apps on iOS and Android.

NASA Voluntarily Suspends Artemis Program’s Lunar Lander Contract To SpaceX After Blue Origin’s Lawsuit

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NASA has put on hold the ambitious lunar lander contract. The contract was awarded to private aerospace company SpaceX. SpaceX is owned by Elon Musk. NASA has asked SpaceX to suspend the work on the lunar lander. The development comes after Blue Origin sued NASA. Blue Origin is owned by Jeff Bezos. The company has filed a lawsuit against NASA’s decision to award the lunar lander contract to SpaceX. The contract worth USD 3 billion has been suspended by NASA for the second time. Earlier, the space agency had put the contract on hold after Blue Origin and Dynetics had moved to the Government Accountability Office against the awarding of the contract.

Reports say that NASA has voluntarily decided to suspend the contract temporarily. The suspension will remain in place till November 1. Blue Origin and Dynetics had earlier said that NASA’s selection procedure was not fair. This forced NASA to suspend the contract. NASA granted a go-ahead to SpaceX after the Government Accountability Office cleared it. It squashed Blue Origin’s challenge. The GAO in its ruling said that NASA complied with contracting law in deciding the awarding of the contract. Both Blue Origin and Dynetics were also bidding for the lunar lander contract. Dynetics is an IT firm. Its major clients are NASA and the Department of Defense. The lunar lander contract is a part of the Artemis program that will see humans returning to the Moon after 50 years.

Blue Origin in its lawsuit has asked urged for pausing the contract. It said that the lawsuit will create competition and ensure fairness in the awarding of the contract. According to Blue Origin, NASA violated its own procedure while making the selection. NASA had earlier hinted that it will select two lunar lander prototypes for development. It was likely that both SpaceX and Blue Origin will get a chance. But the funding cut by the US Congress forced the space agency to pick one between SpaceX over Blue Origin. The latest lawsuit is likely to cause further delay in launching the Artemis program. The agency has will launch three Moon-bound spacecraft under the Artemis program in 2021, 2023, and 2024. The last one will take two humans including the first woman to Moon. This will be the first crewed Moon mission after Apollo 17 which was launched in 1972.

New Coronavirus Vaccine Resistant Mutant Called Lambda Variant Becomes More Prevalent In The United States

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Many health experts have said that a new coronavirus variant that is called lambda variant might have elevated vaccine resistance. The new mutant is also known as the C.37 variant. It has been found in Peru for the first time in 2020. Peru is among the countries that have been hardest hit by the COVID19 pandemic. There have been around 595 COVID19 deaths per 100000 people. The country has recorded the highest rate of death due to COVID19 in the world. Now, health experts have revealed that the lambda variant has started becoming more prevalent in the United States as well. As per the latest report, more than 1300 cases that are linked to the lambda strain have been found in the US. A spokesperson from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has said that the lambda variant has been detected in 44 states of the country. Health experts have said that the lambda strain has been circulating in eight nations in South America. As per the Global Science Initiative GISAID, the deadly variant has been spreading in 41 countries across the globe. The World Health Organization (WHO) as well has said that the lambda variant is a variant of interest.

Peru has been relying heavily on the Chinese COVID19 shot that is known as Sinopharm. Sinopharm, the Chinese shot has been proved to be 79 percent efficient in preventing hospitalizations linked to COVID19. On the other hand, a COVID19 shot that has been developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and the other COVID19 vaccine that has been made by Moderna has been proved to be 94 percent efficient in averting hospitalizations due to COVID19. Health experts from Japan have said that the lambda variant has three concerning mutations on the surface of its spike protein that make it more contagious and deadly as compared to the original strain of the virus. A study has found that the lambda strain might be 150 percent more resistant to antibodies that are derived from COVID19 shots. A spike protein is found on the surface of the virus that helps the virus to latch on to the ACE2 receptor of human cells. However, the findings of the study have not been peer-reviewed yet. The officials from the WHO has said that the strain in question is a variant of interest, as it is considered to be either more infectious as compared to the original strain of the virus or might have more ability to dodge antibodies derived from COVID19 shots. Scientists from the WHO have said that when more facts emerge that a new mutant is able to do either of these two things, it is classified as a variant of concern. Many experts are currently studying the lambda variant.

Health scholars from Japan are quite concerned that categorizing the lambda strain as a variant of interest will lessen the potential threat that might harm public health in the future. Experts have said that as the variant has been termed as a variant of interest, it might not be considered an ongoing concern as compared to other variants of concerns that have surfaced during the COVID19 pandemic. Nevertheless, as the lambda variant has been found to be relatively resistant to COVID19 shots, it might be able to surge breakthrough infection among people who are already vaccinated. Health experts have assured that the lambda strain does not appear to be spreading as widely as the Delta variant that has been detected in India for the first time during the second wave of the pandemic. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released a report that says the 1300 cases linked to the lambda variant in the United States account for less than 0.2 percent of new cases at present. On the other hand, the Delta variant contributed to around 93 percent of new COVID19 cases in the US. Considering these findings, the CDC has not termed the lambda variant as either a variant of interest or a variant of concern so far. An epidemiologist, Marie Van Kerkhove has said that the lambda strain does not appear to take off immediately after it is detected in a country. Marie Van Kerkhove is the technical chief of the COVID19 response team at the WHO.

FDA Authorizes First Antibody Treatment To Be Used As Preventive Tool After COVID19 Exposure In The US

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People who are at a higher risk of being diagnosed with severe COVID19 infection along with those who are dealing with compromised immune systems now will have an option of receiving preventive monoclonal antibody care if they are exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently authorized an injectable COVID19 antibody treatment to be used as a preventive means after exposure. Health experts from the FDA have said that around 3 percent of people living in the US who are dealing with compromised immune systems, autoimmune ailments, HIV, organ transplants, and cancer will be benefitted from the new antibody treatment that has been given a green signal by the officials of the FDA. Health experts have said that these people might be at a higher risk of being diagnosed with COVID19 even after vaccination. The new antibody treatment is known as REGEN-COV, said the experts. The lead researcher of the study, Dr. Myron Cohen has said that monoclonal antibodies offer protection against serious COVID19 infection. He has said that monoclonal antibodies can eliminate COVID19 infection while it is present in the nose and throat only and does not let the infection grow in the body. The new antibody treatment has been developed by experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The lead author of the study has said that it is a kind of race between scientists to make a preventive treatment to protect the lungs and the rest of the body from the virus. Experts from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have said that new antibody treatment should not be considered a substitute for vaccination. They have said that people who are eligible for COVID19 vaccination should definitely take vaccines.

Dr. Ghady Haidar has said that issuing emergency use authorization (EUA) to the new antibody treatment is a good move. He has said that people who do not respond to COVID19 vaccines well or are unable to develop enough antibodies can be protected from being infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus if exposed. Such people can be given the new antibody treatment after virus exposure. Dr. Ghady Haidar is a transplant infectious diseases expert at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Haidar has been a part of the study that has found that people who have gone through organ transplants and who are dealing with cancer and compromised immune systems are not able to enough antibodies after taking COVID19 shots. However, this study has not been peer-reviewed. There is a growing body of evidence that proves that patients who have weaker immune systems might not be protected after vaccination. Health experts have said that monoclonal antibody treatment can offer protection against fatal COVID19 disease, hospital admissions, and deaths. However, the usage of this treatment is quite limited, as it needs to be given via an IV infusion within 10 days of COVID19 symptoms showing up. As the FDA has given expanded authorization to the treatment, the Regeneron antibody blend can be administered as an injection. Health experts have said that the first dose of this antibody treatment should be given within 96 hours of virus exposure. The FDA has given the sanction to the Regeneron antibody treatment after seeing the findings of the large-scale clinical trial of the antibody blend. Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody cocktail consists of casirivimab and imdevimab antibodies.

The clinical trial has enrolled participants from the United States, Romania, and Moldova. These people have been household contacts of people who have been diagnosed with COVID19 within the past four days. These people have been kept in two different groups. One group has been given a single intramuscular injection of the treatment. People in the control group have been given a placebo. Around 1500 people have been included in the trial. Around 7.8 percent of the people who have been given antibody injections have started showing symptoms of COVID19 within four weeks as compared to 1.5 percent of people in the placebo group. Health experts have said that the antibody treatment has been able to reduce the risk of severe infection by 81 percent. For people who have started showing symptoms of the virus, the treatment has helped them clear the infection much faster. The treatment has reduced the duration of their symptoms as well. All participants have tested negative for COVID19 before they have been given the treatment, said the experts. Experts have said that antibody care has lessened the risk of being diagnosed with severe signs of COVID19 by 32 percent in those who have tested positive for asymptomatic COVID19 infection at the time of study over the next four weeks. None of them who have been given the antibody care have been hospitalized. On the other hand, around 10 people from the placebo group have been admitted to the hospitals. Although the trial has included very few people who have been dealing with the compromised immune system, the FDA has recognized people of this demographic as entrants for preventive care. The study has included people who have been at a greater risk of exposure to infected people at work, in hospitals, or prisons. Health experts have said that people who are at ongoing risk of exposure to the virus from close contact can be given repeated doses of the treatment per month. The makers of the antibody treatment have said that the cost of the care will be covered by the US government. The officials from the FDA have said that only those who are not vaccinated or are dealing with autoimmune disease and are at a higher risk of severe disease are eligible to receive antibody care. People who are living in proximity with people who are have diagnosed with the disease as well are eligible to take the new treatment. Dr. Katharine Bar has said that the new treatment is a kind of reassurance for people who are at a greater risk of exposure to the virus. Dr. Katharine Bar is an infectious disease expert at the University of Pennsylvania.

Australia’s Qantas To Stand Down 2,500 Staff As Lockdown Impacts Air Travel Across Australia

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Lockdown has impacted air travel across Australia and as a result around 2,500 employees of Qantas will be stood down for almost 2 months. The Australian airline said that the decision has been taken because of the impact of the lockdown on air travel. The announcement comes at a time when some of the major cities of Australia are under lockdown. The lockdown in these cities has been imposed because of the increase in the number of cases of delta variant of Covid-19. Sydney and Brisbane are also under lockdown these days. It is pertinent to mention that these cities are the largest and third-largest biggest cities ¬¬¬respectively. Growing clusters of delta variants is a cause of concern in these areas.

Among those affected by the decision will also include employees of the budget subsidiary Jetstar. There is around 26,000 staff of the airlines in the country. Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce said that considering the present situation, it is most likely that the borders of Sydney will remain closed for another two months at least. Qantas is headquartered in Sydney. It is under lockdown since June 26. There are other cities too where similar curbs are in place. The lockdown will remain in place at least August 28.

Meanwhile, experts are saying that the focus should be on vaccinating as many people as possible. There were even suggestions from the opposition to the citizens for getting vaccinated. However, Australia’s prime minister has outrightly rejected the proposal saying it would be an insult to Australians. There is an urgent need to focus on vaccination strategy in Australia as just 19 percent of adults in the country had been vaccinated so far. The dismal figure is mainly because of the concerns over the side effects of Covid-19 vaccines. There were reports of blood clotting caused by AstraZeneca and this is why most people want Pfizer. However, Pfizer is short in supply in the country and the only alternative is AstraZeneca.

Israel Is The First Country In The World To Give A Green Signal To Third COVID Shot For People Above 60 Years

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After people from Israel have been banned from traveling to four more countries and the green pass has been made mandatory, four major health funds of the country have announced that they are planning to vaccinate people who are above 60 years with the third dose of COVID19 shot. A unanimous majority of 56 versus 1 from the Health Ministry’s Coronavirus Committee has voted in favor of giving a third dose of Pfizer shot to senior citizens. Health experts have said that elderly people who are above 60 years and have been vaccinated more than five months ago will be eligible for the third dose of the COVID19 vaccine. Israel is the first country to give a green signal to the third jab of coronavirus shot. On the other hand, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has still not authorized the third job in the United States. Health experts have said that President Isaac Herzog will be the first one to receive the booster shot in the country. As per the latest news, Maccabi Health Services has informed that the vaccination for booster shots will start this week itself. The officials from other health funds have said that they will start taking appointments for booster shots from this weekend. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has said that the new vaccination strategy aims to protect people’s lives and their daily routines. Prime Minister Bennett has said that the decision to rollout booster shot has been taken after analyzing the findings of many studies and looking at the rise and spread of the Delta variant that has been termed as one of the most infectious variants of coronavirus.

Health experts have revealed that Israel as well has inoculated more than 2000 people who have been dealing with compromised immune systems with a third dose of the vaccine. Now, the officials are going to kick-start a nationwide third-dose vaccination program as well. Health authorities in Israel have said that they are going to share the rest of the details of their booster shot vaccination with the global community as they go ahead with their new strategy. Professor Nimrod Maimon, who is the chief of the Magen Avot V’Imahot program has called a meeting of delegates of the assisted living facilities of the country and said that people who are being facilitated there, will be given booster shots at their homes. Health authorities in Israel have taken this decision after Pfizer has told its investors that the third dose of their shot is able to elevate the levels of antibodies by five to 11 times among people. The officials from Pfizer have said that they are going to submit their application for emergency use authorization (EMU) for the third dose of their COVID19 shot in the month of August. As per the latest report, the Israel Gerontological Society as well is going to administer the third dose of the vaccine to its residents soon. It represents around 100 nursing homes and geriatric hospitals in the country.

Health experts from the country have said that the Delta variant has been circulating in Israel quite rapidly. Israel has reported 2177 new cases of COVID19 this week. The Health Ministry has said that around 2.36 percent of people who have been screened for COVID19 have been diagnosed with the disease. Around 26 people have been put on intubation and 151 people have been hospitalized with severe infection. One patient has lost his life due to the disease at Soroka Medical Center. The person who has died has not been identified with any other underlying medical issue, said the experts. As per a report from the Coronavirus National Information and Knowledge Center, in the absence of quick action and extensive vaccination coverage, the number of new and severe cases is going to shoot up to such an extent that it will result in congestion in the community health center and hospitals across the country. Health experts have said that most new cases are taking place among the younger population. Unvaccinated children as well are contributing to new cases that are being reported in Israel. Experts have said that the county has started to witness new cases among elderly people as well who have been vaccinated four or five months ago. A preliminary study by the Health Ministry has shown that the COVID19 shot developed by Pfizer-BioNTech has been proved to be only 16 percent effective against the Delta strain in people who have been vaccinated so far. As per the authors of the study, the efficiency of Pfizer shot has reduced from 97 percent to 81 percent in people who are above 60 years. Professor Eran Segal from the Weizmann Institute of Science has said that earlier, the chances of vaccinated people who are above 60 years getting infected with the virus has been 3 percent and now it is around 19 percent that means the risk of getting reinfection has increased six times more. The Health Ministry has requested the Knesset to add countries such as the UK, Turkey, Cyprus, and Georgia to the list of countries where people from Israel are banned from traveling. As per the latest report, some of the popular tourist destinations such as Greece, Bulgaria, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well are going to be included in the banned list. People from Israel are already prohibited from visiting countries such as Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Spain, Belarus, India, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan, said the experts. Health authorities have recently reinstated the Green pass program in the country. Under the program, people who are above 12 years need to show a vaccination or recovery certificate or a negative COVID19 test to be a part of an event or location that includes more than 100 people. Experts have said that the COVID19 negative test should be taken within 72 hours. This pass is needed to participate in a cultural or sports event. It is also required to enter hotels, cafes, bars, gyms, tourist attractions, and restaurants as well.

REvil Ransomware Victim Kaseya Obtains Universal Key To Decrypt Files Of Over 1,500 Businesses

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More than three weeks after US software firm Kaseya was hit by a massive ransomware attack, the software vendor has managed to get hold of the universal decryptor key. Swedish grocery chain Coop was among the first whose businesses were impacted by the ransomware attack. Overall, there were more than 1,500 businesses and public organizations whose computers were seized by hackers. Russia-linked REvil gang has claimed responsibility for the attack. But the notorious group responsible for this hacking disappeared from the internet. This left the Florida company with no option of paying up in order to get decryptor keys. But the issue seems to have been resolved now with the surprise appearance of the universal key required to decrypt all the files crippled in the attack. The hack was so widespread that not only Kaseya’s clients but also the files of all their customers were targeted by the group. The group managed to do it by exploiting a bug in managed service provider software known as Virtual System Administrator. This resulted in a wave of devastation. Kaseya is a company that provides software services to companies that would not deal with IT infrastructures.

Usually, in the cases of such ransomware attacks, the victims have two options – rebuild the entire thing again with the help of backup or simply pay the ransom to get access. In this case, the hackers demanded roughly USD 45,000 from individual businesses. REvil has initially demanded USD 70 million for a universal decryptor. However, the group later brought down this amount to USD 50 million. But eventually, the hackers vanished, leaving everyone stranded. They even took away their payment portal. Victims were not able to pay even if some of them wanted to. But the company has now confirmed that it had got access to the universal key. According to a spokesperson of the company, Kaseya got a universal decryptor from a ‘trusted third party.’ However, the spokesperson refused to elaborate on how exactly they got it. “Our team is actively working with companies and organizations that were affected. We will soon share the information about how the universal key will be made available to all who need it. The spokesperson said that the company is taking the help of antivirus firm Emsisoft in order to reach victims. The outreach program is already underway and the company hopes to reach most of them in a very short span of time.

Emsisoft threat analyst Brett Callow said that they confirmed that the universal key is effective files affected in the attack. “We are working with the software firm to provide all necessary support to its customers. The key is effective and we will help customers of Kaseya to access their files. However, experts believe that the number of victims at this point may be relatively small. “It is good news that we finally have a universal key. It would definitely help some clients. But it is likely that it’s too little too late. This is because all those who could have managed to rebuild their data through backups would have done it by now,” Jake Williams, CTO of security firm BreachQuest, was quoted as saying in a report. But many victims of this global ransomware attack were those who preferred to outsource their IT needs and hence it is very likely that they would have any reliable backups. While the development brings a sigh of relief for many, the larger concern about the ransomware threat still remains. Before targeting Kaseya, the group shut down the food supply giant JBS. REvil is known for using ransomware against big companies. There are other such groups who are active in these things. Earlier to this, another notorious group, known as Darkside, targeted Colonial Pipeline and cut off a large portion of the East Coast’s fuel supply.

Instagram Adds New Support To Allow Users Translate Text In Stories Automatically, 90 Languages Available

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Popular photo-sharing platform Instagram has announced a new feature for its Stories feature. The new option will translate text in Stories automatically. Instagram said that whenever a foreign language is detected in a post, it will show a See Translation option. It will be displayed on the top left corner of the screen. Users can translate the text just by tapping it. The translation will be displayed at the bottom of the post. Instagram said that the feature is being rolled out for users worldwide. The new translation feature currently supports over 90 languages. The company said that it will increase it gradually and improvise it as required.

The feature will make it easier for users to share content with international audiences. The feature was in the making for a long time. There will be no parity between traditional posts and Stories on Instagram. It will help users to involve large numbers of audiences in a post and create more engagement. The translation feature is not new to Instagram. It brought a similar feature in 2016. However, it was limited to comments and intros. It allows users to automatically translate comments, captions, and bios. The translation is based on the language setting of the account. The new feature can only translate text and doesn’t support audio translation.

Instagram has also announced a new Sensitive Content Control option. It will ensure that sensitive content is not shown to users from accounts they don’t follow on the platform. It provides the ability to users to control what kind of content can appear on Explore feeds. This will allow users to turn off comments they don’t wish to see or read. They can also restrict someone from interacting. The company believes that this will help in checking violent posts, harmful information, or fake news. The Sensitive Content Control can be accessed in the Settings menu. Instagram said that the new features will help shape up user experience the way they want.

Study Finds Subsurface Lakes On South Pole Of Mars May Not Really Be Lakes

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Scientists have claimed that lakes beneath the south pole of Mars may not be real. Researchers had in 2018 claimed to make a surprising discovery on the Red Planet. They detected signals from a radar instrument to reveal a liquid subsurface lake on the planet’s South Pole. The discovery was made during a detailed analysis of data obtained from the Mars Express orbiter. It is a space exploration mission by the European Space Agency. It was launched in 2003. However, NASA scientists and Arizona State University researchers have now said that subsurface lakes may not really be lakes. They too detected similar radar reflections near the South Pole. They said that many fall in regions that are too cold and make it difficult for water to stay in its original form.

Scientists said that loss of energy is reported in radar waves when they travel through a material. Therefore, the reflections should be less bright when coming from deep than those from a surface. The latest study said that there could be other reasons for bright subsurface reflections. It said that the 2018 studies claimed that a liquid water component resulted in bright reflections. Notably, when water is in its real form, which is liquid, it appears bright to radar. The region where radar detected liquid water is called South Polar Layered Deposits. Scientists said that temperatures in these areas are estimated to be around minus 63 degrees Celsius. They said that water would be frozen at this temperature even if salty minerals are present.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA said that scientists detected signals more widespread than what was reported in the original paper. The study said that these radar reflections could be indicative of something else in the region. Notably, the Mars Express is the second-longest-surviving orbiter. It still provides data related to Mars’ atmosphere, surface, and subsurface. The orbiter uses a radar sounder to study the composition of Mars’ subsurface. NASA’s Mars Odyssey is the longest surviving orbiter. It is still active since its launch in 2001. Several countries have sent orbiter missions to Mars. But the US and China are the only two countries that have landed rovers on the Red Planet. While NASA has sent several robotic missions, China achieved the feat in May 2021.

Richard Branson Flies To The Edge Of Space, Experiences Few Minutes of Weightlessness Before Landing Back

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Virgin Galactic founder and billionaire Richard Branson created history on Sunday by flying to the edge of space aboard the Virgin Galactic spaceplane. This is a big achievement for both Branson as well as Virgin. While this was the British billionaire’s first trip to space, it was also the first time when his company has flown a full crew cabin. The carrier aircraft VMS Eve along with the SpaceShipTwo Unity rocket took off at around 8.40 am. The aircraft was handled by former NASA research pilot Kelly Latimer and former NASA astronaut CJ Sturckow. Branson was joined by three employees of the company – Beth Moses, Colin Bennett, and Sirisha Bandla. The pilots at the control of Unity were Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci.

The Unity rocket reached speeds of Mach 3 within minutes of separating from the aircraft and reached a peak altitude of 86 km. The height reached was enough to see the curvature of the Earth. For those who are unaware, the aircraft has been named VMS Eve after Branson’s mother Eve. His mother died of Covid-19 complications in January this year. Describing it as the ‘experience of a lifetime,’ Branson told journalists that the ‘whole thing was just magical.’ The 70-year-old Virgin Galactic founder said that his mother has been a major source of inspiration behind this journey.

Branson tapped a message using a camera onboard the spaceplane. The message addressed to all the kids said – “I was once a child and had dreams. Now I am an adult in a spaceship. If we can do this, just imagine what all can be done by your generation.” At the height of 50 miles, the vehicle remained weightless for a few minutes. This allowed the passengers to enjoy the views of the space. SpaceShipTwo was then glided back to a runway landing. Branson has now announced that it would offer two seats in the upcoming flight through an Omaze contest. The contest also encourages donations for the nonprofit Space for Humanity.

Antitrust Lawsuit Filed Against Google In US Over Collecting High Play Store Fees

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Search engine giant Google is once again involved in an antitrust lawsuit. The company has been accused of abusing its market power. The lawsuit said that Google stifled its competitors. The lawsuit has been filed by a coalition of 37 attorney generals. They have alleged that Google forced developers and consumers to use its in-app payments. This granted the company a hefty cut, thus making profits. The lawsuit said that Google’s conduct was illegal. According to them, millions of people using Android turn only to Google for apps. People downloaded apps to their devices from the Play Store by paying fees. They argued that this affected millions of small businesses.

The lawsuit said that Google’s attempt to influence the users has affected the competition in the market. The company also indulged in illegal activities to ensure its user pool and developers don’t leave. It used misleading security warnings. These warnings were aimed at keeping developers and consumers within its walls and making profits. The lawsuit further said that Google acted unlawfully. It blocked companies from competing with its Play Store. Play Store is a distribution platform developed and operated by Google. It distributed apps for Android devices. The company collects fees from the developers for allowing them to sell their apps. Besides, it also charges consumers.

The lawsuit said that Google made earnings by locking app developers and consumers. Google compelled them to use its own payment system for the services. It charged that Google collected high fees by making them use its payment gateway. In December last year, Google faced a separate antitrust suit. The lawsuit was filed by 35 states. The lawsuit said that Google used its power for a monopoly on the online search business. Before that, Google was summoned in a case of antitrust violations filed by 11 states. The lawsuit accused Google of wrongly weaponizing its dominance in the online search and advertising market. It alleged that the company killed the competition in the market and caused harm to consumers.

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