Health
Coronavirus escaped from lab in China, says US CDCs former chief
Robert Redfield
Robert Redfield, the former director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has said that he believes coronavirus escaped from a lab in China. Redfield told CNN in an interview on Friday: If I was to guess, this virus started transmitting somewhere in September, October, in Wuhan, China.
Redfield said that he was just offering his opinion while saying, I am of the point of view that I still think the most likely etiology of this pathogen in Wuhan was from a laboratory, escaped. Redfield added: I am of the point of view that I still think the most likely etiology of this pathogen in Wuhan was from a laboratory, escaped.
For the uninitiated, the central Chinese city Wuhan is home to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has experimented extensively with coronaviruses. Redfield said: I am a virologist, I have spent my life in virology. I do not believe this somehow came from a bat to a human and, at that moment in time, the virus that came to the human became one of the most infectious viruses that we know in humanity for human-to-human transmission. Normally when a pathogen goes from a zoonotic to a human, it takes a while for it to figure out how to become more and more efficient in human-to-human transmission. I just don’t think this makes biological sense.
Nagpur News
Umesh Yadav teases teammate Shubham Gill with epic Tinder billboards in Nagpur

Billboards that mention Shubham Gill
Indian cricketer Umesh Yadav had a ‘field day’ teasing his team member Shubham Gill after Tinder – a popular dating app – showed a photo of a girl with a placard on large billboards in Nagpur that read, “Shubman idhar toh dekh lo” (Shubman, have a look here).” Tinder was quick to capitalise on the joke and turn it into hoardings in Nagpur ahead of India first Test match vs Australia.
Taking to twitter, Yadav wrote, “Poora Nagpur bol raha hai, Shubman Gill ab toh dekh le.”
Poora Nagpur bol raha hai, @ShubmanGill ab toh dekh le pic.twitter.com/9iaW2BBtZY
— Umesh Yaadav (@y_umesh) February 3, 2023
During India’s T20 match in Ahmedabad, a picture of a female fan holding a placard that read ‘Tinder, Shubman se match kara do” (Tinder, match me with Shubman)’ had gone viral.
The Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) would host the opening Test of the four-game Border Gavaskar Trophy from February 9 to 13 at Jamtha in Nagpur.
Also read: All 31 days in January 2023 in Nagpur observed to be polluted, reveals study
Governance
PM Modi world’s most popular leader: Survey

PM Modi
A US-based firm Morning Consult released a list of world leaders trending on the basis of their approval ratings among 22 nations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the most popular leader in the world with an approval rating of over 75% thus leaving behind US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Also read: All 31 days in January 2023 in Nagpur observed to be polluted, reveals study
Nagpur News
All 31 days in January 2023 in Nagpur observed to be polluted, reveals study

Representational image
As per the recent survey of Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, the entire month of January (all 31 days) in Nagpur this year saw tremendously high levels of Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2).
The survey that released pictures of the same showed increased levels of SO2 and NO2 not just in Nagpur but in cities including Chandrapur, Gondia and Amravati. Environmental experts have said that the matter was worrying from the point of view of the health of the residents as the pollution index in Nagpur saw an increase in all the three months of winter.
Not just in January this year but 28 out of 30 days in November last year as well as 30 out of 31 days in December last year showed poor air quality. Environmental expert Professor Suresh Chopani said an action plan, to avoid respiratory issues, under National Clean Air Programme would be strictly implemented.
Also read: Anil Deshmukh seeks court permission to visit hometown Nagpur, Delhi