The deadly Covid-19 pandemic may have originated in raccoon dogs from the Wuhan market in China, according to an international team of virus experts. More than two years after the pandemic, the origins of Covid-19 remain unclear. It has been a political and scientific debate with scientists and politicians globally contending that the Coronavirus jumped into people from bats, or has been leaked from a laboratory. The new study, yet to be published, and led by experts including from the Universities of Arizona, Utah and Sydney and from the <keyword id="742488" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="scripps-research-institute" source="Orion">Scripps Research Institute</keyword> is based on genetic data drawn from swabs taken from in and around the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market starting in January 2020, the New York Times reported. Although the Chinese authorities had shut down the market after being linked to the outbreak of Covid pandemic, and the animals cleared out, the researchers got the samples from swabbing walls, floors, metal cages and carts that are used for transporting animal cages. The results showed that large amounts of genetic material were a match for the raccoon dog, the NYT report said. Raccoon dogs are related to foxes and are known to be able to transmit the Coronavirus. "We were able to figure out relatively quickly that at least in one of these samples, there was a lot of raccoon dog nucleic acid, along with virus nucleic acid," <keyword id="11937479" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="stephen-goldstein" source="Orion">Stephen Goldstein</keyword>, a virologist at the <keyword id="194748" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="university-of-utah" source="Orion">University of Utah</keyword> who worked on the new analysis, was quoted as saying. (Nucleic acids are the chemical building blocks that carry genetic information.) However, the team noted that "jumbling together of genetic material from the virus and the animal does not prove that a raccoon dog itself was infected. And even if a raccoon dog had been infected, it would not be clear that the animal had spread the virus to people." "Another animal could have passed the virus to people, or someone infected with the virus could have spread the virus to a raccoon dog," they said. But the scientists stated that their "analysis did establish that raccoon dogs deposited genetic signatures in the same place where genetic material from the virus was left," the NYT report said. That evidence was consistent with a scenario in which the virus had spilled into humans from a wild animal. "We don't have an infected animal, and we can't prove definitively there was an infected animal at that stall," Goldstein said. But genetic material from the virus is stable enough, he said, adding that it is not clear when exactly it was deposited at the market. "But," he said, "given that the animals that were present in the market were not sampled at the time, this is as good as we can hope to get." The experts also pointed out the presence of genetic material from other animals and from humans in the samples. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/kabira-mobility-secures-usd-50-mn-funding-from-qatar-based-al-abdulla-group/articleshow/98734257.cms">Kabira Mobility secures USD 50 mn funding from Qatar-based Al-Abdulla group</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/rupee-rises-18-paise-to-82-58-against-us-dollar/articleshow/98734335.cms">Rupee rises 18 paise to 82.58 against US dollar</a>

Covid-19 may have originated from racoon dogs at Wuhan market says new study

Electric two-wheeler maker <keyword id="10771675" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kabira-mobility" source="Orion">Kabira Mobility</keyword> on Friday said it has secured USD 50 million (around Rs 412 crore) funding from Qatar-based Al-Abdulla Group. The Panjim-based company plans to utilise the capital to fund its future growth in the country. The company plans to ramp up production capacity of its electric bikes KM3000, KM4000, introduce new products and enhance sales infrastructure across the country. The company currently has an installed production capacity of 40,000 units a month at its Dharwad-based plant in Karnataka. In an interaction with PTI, Kabira Mobility CEO Jaibir <keyword id="3681361" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="siwach" source="Orion">Siwach</keyword> said the company has raised USD 50 million through equity sale. The companies, however, did not share the exact details of the deal. Siwach said the production capacity of the <keyword id="6360661" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="dharwad" source="Orion">Dharwad</keyword> plant could be enhanced to 60,000 units a month. "We are also looking to set up a new manufacturing facility around Jewar in Uttar Pradesh with an installed capacity of 1.25 lakh units a month," he noted. The project entails investment to the tune of around Rs 300 crore, Siwach said. He noted that the company will go in for another round of fund raise by the end of the year. On product launches, Siwach said the company will launch pro trims of KM3000 and KM4000 electric bikes and also introduce KM 5000, an electric cruiser later this year. The company is focusing primarily on the electric bike segment and is looking to garner 30 per cent market share in the vertical over the next two years, he said. The company also aims to add around 70 dealerships this year to take the total number of outlets to over 100 mark. Al-Abdulla Group CEO Manoj George said <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> holds immense potential and is expected to become the global manufacturing hub for the electric two-wheeler segment. "Our investment in Kabira Mobility is aligned with Al-Abdulla group's vision of investing in the renewable energy sector and supporting sustainable mobility solutions on a global scale," he added. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/markets-extend-gains-in-see-saw-trade-metal-banking-stocks-sparkle/articleshow/98733884.cms">Markets extend gains in see-saw trade; metal, banking stocks sparkle</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/one-third-of-worlds-population-suffers-from-sleep-disorders-say-medical-experts/articleshow/98731255.cms">One-third of world's population suffers from sleep disorders say medical experts</a>

Kabira Mobility secures USD 50 mn funding from Qatar-based Al-Abdulla group

India offers huge <keyword id="20009960" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="investment-opportunities" source="keywords">investment opportunities</keyword> worth over <keyword id="20120060" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="USD-500-billion" source="keywords">USD 500 billion</keyword>, particularly in <keyword id="19914923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clean-energy" source="keywords">clean energy</keyword> value chain including <keyword id="19955662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewables" source="keywords">renewables</keyword>, <keyword id="19990484" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-hydrogen" source="keywords">green hydrogen</keyword> and <keyword id="19931191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EV" source="keywords">EV</keyword>, by 2030, the <keyword id="19910473" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Commerce-ministry" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Commerce ministry" meta.hostid="153" meta.entityid="Commerce ministry">commerce ministry</keyword> said on Thursday. This was stated by Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, who is in Singapore for the two-day meet of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Clean Economy Investor Forum. The meeting, which started on Wednesday, brought together the region's top investors, clean economy companies, and start-ups to mobilise investments into <keyword id="20900661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-infrastructure" source="keywords">sustainable infrastructure</keyword>, <keyword id="21246486" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-technology" source="keywords">climate technology</keyword>, and renewable energy projects. The 14-member IPEF bloc was launched jointly by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo. Together, they account for 40 per cent of the world's economic output and 28 per cent of trade. The framework is structured around four pillars relating to trade, supply chains, clean economy and fair economy. India has joined all the pillars except the trade. Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam are members of the bloc. Barthwal, during the inaugural IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum, acknowledged the forum as a unique platform that brought global investors, policy makers, and academia under one roof, which would be instrumental in advancing sustainable infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific Region. The secretary while addressing the forum underlined the huge investment opportunities that "India offers of more than USD 500 billion, particularly in the clean energy value chain including renewables, green hydrogen and EV and its infrastructure transition, by 2030". Barthwal also highlighted key reforms around ease of doing business in India to improve business environment over the last decade. During the two-day event, more than 300 participants from financial institutions, multilateral development banks, venture capital funds, project owners, entrepreneurs and government agencies from IPEF partners actively participated under the sustainable infrastructure and climate tech engagement tracks. In the sustainable infrastructure track, after the screening, "four companies (ReNew Power, Avaada Energy Pvt Ltd, Indusbridge Capital Advisors LLP. Founder, SEIP, and Powerica Ltd) from India were shortlisted for pitching their concepts on energy transition, transport and logistics, and waste management/waste to energy to global investors," the ministry said. Similarly in the climate tech track, 10 Indian startups and companies (BluSmart, Recykal, LOHUM, Sea6 Energy, EVage Ventures, Kabira Mobility, Batx Energies, Newtrace and Alt Mobility, igrenEnergi, Inc.) were selected to pitch their innovative ideas, technologies and solutions that contribute to mitigating or adapting to climate change. Further, the ministry said that the forum resulted in USD 23 billion investment opportunities for sustainable infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific. The coalition estimates that its members, taken together, have over USD 25 billion in capital that can be deployed in Indo-Pacific emerging market infrastructure investments in the coming years. DFC's (Development Finance Corporation) Board has also approved an equity investment as part of the USD 900 million Eversource Climate Investment Partners-II fund, which will provide capital, management, and expertise to innovative companies using new and existing capabilities to address climate change in India and Southeast Asia. It added that the IPEF partners and the Private Infrastructure Development Group announced the operational launch of the IPEF Catalytic Capital Fund, which would deploy concessional financing, technical assistance, and capacity-building support to expand the pipeline of quality, resilient, and inclusive clean economy infrastructure projects in emerging and upper-middle income economies, for instance, projects in development include a renewable energy platform in India. The fund's founding supporters include Australia, Japan, Korea, and the US, which plan to provide USD 33 million in initial grant to catalyse up to USD 3.3 billion in private investment. "A coalition of investors, including Singapore's Temasek and GIC, have committed to injecting USD 25 billion in infrastructure investments in emerging markets that are part of an economic alliance between the US and several Asia-Pacific countries," it added. The event also witnessed signing of an offtake agreement between Sembcorp Green Hydrogen India, Kyushu Electric and Sojitz for production and export of 200 KTPA (kilotonne per annum) green ammonia from India to Japan. The programme was attended by ministers from Singapore and Japan and Barthwal. The agreement aims to increase production and export of 200 KTPA green ammonia in Phase-I (total 800 KTPA in 4 phases) at Tuticorin Port in India and export to Japan. The project proposed above would further the objective of the National Green Hydrogen Mission implemented by India towards making the country as global hub for production and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. During an interaction with Indian companies and startups, Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce and India's Chief Negotiator for IPEF Rajesh Agrawal said the forum provides an opportunity for Indian companies and startups to seek funding and collaborate with global investors.

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Covid-19 may have originated from racoon dogs at Wuhan market says new study

IANS

Kabira Mobility secures USD 50 mn funding from Qatar-based Al-Abdulla group

PTI

India offers USD 500 billion investment opportunities in clean energy, green hydrogen and EV by 2030

PTI