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Unvaccinated children suffering Covid-19 impact, Americas health agency warn
So far, the only vaccine approved by the WHO for adolescents is the Pfizer Inc shot, while Moderna Inc has asked for emergency use approval of its vaccine for 12-15-year-olds, according to PAHO Assistant Director Jarbas Barbosa.
He said China’s Sinovac Biotech and Sinopharm have also requested WHO approval or the use of their vaccines for adolescents and children from 3 to 17 years old.
U.N. says world likely to miss climate targets despite COVID pause in emissions
“This year has seen fossil fuel emissions bounce back, greenhouse gas concentrations continuing to rise and severe human-enhanced weather events that have affected health, lives, and livelihoods on every continent,” he said. Concentrations in the atmosphere of the major greenhouse gases – CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide – continued to increase in 2020 and the first half of 2021, the U.N. said.
GST Council to meet on Friday; rate review, tax concession to 11 COVID drugs on cards
The Council, comprising central and state finance ministers, will deliberate on the proposal of extending the existing concessional tax rate structure on Amphotericin B, Tocilizumab, Remdesivir, and anti-coagulants like Heparin, till December 31, 2021, from the present September 30.
Tax rate on Amphotericin B, Tocilizumab was cut to ‘Nil’, while Remdesivir and Heparin were reduced to 5 percent in June 2021.
The Council on Friday may also discuss the proposal of reducing GST from 12 percent to 5 percent to seven more drugs till December 31, 2021. These are Itolizumab, Posaconazole, Infliximab, Bamlanivimab & Etesevimab, Casirivimab & Imdevimab, 2-Deoxy-D-Glucose, and Favipiravir.
Asia supercharges vaccination efforts after slow start, U.S. lags
While each country’s inoculation strategies differ, Asia’s momentum reflects pent-up demand for the shots as a means to ease lockdowns, said Paul Griffin, an infectious disease expert at the University of Queensland in northeast Australia.
Australia is giving priority supplies to its largest cities, which are in lockdown to contain a third wave of infections fuelled by the Delta variant. It expects to have enough to complete vaccinations of those older than 12 by mid-October. read more
Japan has overcome initial logistics hurdles to give about a million shots a day since mid-June, as urgency has grown after Delta unleashed an unprecedented wave of infections and serious cases in August.
Govt guarantee of Rs 30,600 cr to NARCL for acquiring stressed assets: FM
”It will incentivise quicker action on resolving stressed assets thereby helping in better value realization. India Debt Resolution Company Limited (IDRCL) will engage market expertise for value enhancement. This approach will also permit freeing up of personnel in banks to focus on increasing business and credit growth,” Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
As the holders of these stressed assets and SRs, banks will receive the gains and the guarantee will also enhance liquidity of SRs as such these instruments are tradable, she added.
SoftBank CEO Son says smart robots can revitalise Japan growth, competitiveness
The SoftBank founder now sees a future with “smart robots that will replace not just the manufacturing, industrial working population, but the entire working population.”
EU pledges extra 4 billion euros in international climate finance
The EU already contributes $25 billion per year in climate finance, von der Leyen said.
Climate finance is expected to be a decisive issue at the United Nations’ COP26 summit in November, where world leaders will attempt to unlock commitments to cut emissions faster and stave off catastrophic climate change. With seven weeks to go until COP26, finance remains a sore point.
India records 27,176 fresh cases of COVID-19, 284 deaths
The cumulative doses administered in the country so far under the nationwide vaccination drive has reached 75.89 crore according to the ministry.
Household debt may have declined to 34% in Q1 FY22: SBI report
In absolute numbers, the household debt has increased to Rs 75 lakh crore in the first quarter of FY22 from Rs 73.59 lakh crore in FY21, it said.
It said the recently released India Debt & Investment Survey (AIDIS) report for 2018 showed an increase in the average amount of debt among rural as well as urban households between 2012 and 2018.
The average amount of debt increased by 84 per cent and 42 per cent, respectively, for rural and urban households for the six-year period ended 2018, the SBI research report said.
Depression crosses Odisha, hits over 20 lakh people and leaves 4 dead
The calamity has also caused severe damage to about 100 roads and left 25 villages marooned. As per preliminary reports received from districts there have been four human causalities ,including a three-year-old girl in a wall collapse in Ganjam in southern Odisha.