Briefly

INDIA

Excess deaths as high as 4.9m in pandemic

India's excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic could be as high as 4.9 million, a new study showed, providing further evidence that millions more may have died than the official tally. The report by the Washington-based Center for Global Development, co-authored by India's former chief economic adviser Arvind Subramanian, included deaths from all causes since the start of the pandemic through June this year. Meanwhile, two-thirds of India's population have antibodies against the virus, the health agency chief said on Tuesday, citing the fourth national serology survey of nearly 29,000 people conducted during June and July.

SOUTH KOREA

Leaders apologize for navy ship outbreak

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and Defense Minister Suh Wook apologized as hundreds of COVID-19 infected sailors were flown to Seoul on Tuesday after a navy destroyer patrolling the waters off Africa was found to be riddled with the coronavirus. Close to 250 of the 301-strong unvaccinated crew aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great were infected. This is the country's biggest cluster of COVID-19 military cases, sparking a public furor at the government's failure to protect those serving abroad. The destroyer left South Korea just a couple of weeks before the national vaccination program was kicked off.

EGYPT

Ancient military vessel found in sunken city

Divers found rare remains of a military vessel and a Greek funerary complex in an ancient sunken city that once served as Egypt's main Mediterranean port, said officials on Monday. For centuries, Thonis-Heracleion was considered Egypt's largest port in the area until Alexander the Great founded the coastal city of Alexandria in 331 BC. The city, which became submerged following a series of earthquakes and tidal waves, was discovered in 2001. Flat-bottomed with large oars, mast and sails, the 25-meter-long vessel was often used for navigation within the Nile Delta, according to experts.

FRANCE

Global emissions to hit record high in 2023

Carbon emissions are set to hit an all-time high by 2023 as just 2 percent of pandemic recovery finance is being spent on clean energy, said the International Energy Agency on Tuesday. Countries have allocated more than $16 trillion in fiscal support during the pandemic, mostly in the form of emergency financial help for workers and businesses. The IEA found that just $380 billion of this had been provided for clean energy projects. If all spending plans were to be realized, the intergovernmental body said global carbon emissions would hit record levels in 2023 and continue to rise in the following years.

Agencies - Xinhua