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Unlock: Mumbai at level 3; local trains yet off-limits for common people

As per the state government’s notification, municipal corporations and districts in Maharashtra with a positivity rate between 5 per cent and 10 per cent and occupancy of oxygen beds over 40 per cent are categorised under level 3.
As per the fresh guidelines issued by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Saturday, local trains will remain available only for specific categories.In a notification issued on Friday night, the Maharashtra government had stated local trains will remain available for ”medical, few essentials and women”, but authorised the civic administrations to put additional restrictions they deem fit.

The reference of ”women” was deleted by the BMC in its latest order which stated that entry in suburban trains will be restricted only for ”medical and few essentials.

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Willis Towers Watson collaborates on world-first insurance protection for endangered Mesoamerican Coral Reef

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems and is home to 65 species of coral and more than 500 species of fish, as well as many other protected marine species. Coastal wetlands, lagoons, mangrove forests, and seagrass beds also protect against storms and coastal erosion.

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China permits Ant Group to operate a consumer finance company

In December, the People’s Bank of China instructed Ant Group to develop a rectification plan, and in April, it approved a series of steps. One of those includes Ant Group becoming a financial holding company, which could mean the company becomes regulated more like a bank. While that has not yet happened, the creation and operation of a consumer finance company is a big first step for Ant Group to resolve its regulatory issue

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U.S. cities hire specialists to counter climate change as impacts worsen

Since 2019 at least 30 U.S. cities have taken fresh action such as hiring specialists to combat the impact of extreme weather, including Phoenix, Houston, Louisville, Nashville, and Oakland, according to the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, based at Washington D.C.’s Atlantic Council think tank.

Many of those cities have created posts and initiatives to deal with worsening heat waves, seasonal wildfires or the effects of flooding, often with a focus on poor and minority communities, the group said.

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Kerala retains top rank in Niti Aayog’s SDG India Index 2020-21; Bihar worst performer

The Index for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) evaluates progress of states and union territories on social, economic and environmental parameters.

The country’s overall SDG score improved by 6 points — from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2020-21. This positive stride towards achieving the targets is largely driven by exemplary country-wide performance in clean water and sanitation, and affordable and clean energy, the Niti Aayog said in a statement.

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Environment Day: Climate change, toxic air remain issues of deep concern for India, say experts

As per the ‘State of India’s Environment 2021’ report, poor air quality was the fourth leading risk factor for early death worldwide in 2019, surpassed only by high blood pressure, tobacco use, and poor diet. Over the past two decades, deaths attributable to ambient PM2.5 in India has increased by 2.5 times, the report said, adding that between 1990 and 2019, deaths due to household pollution has increased by over 40 per cent, the report said.

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