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Biden wins US presidential race,to inherit a nation in turmoil over the coronavirus pandemic

Biden has said his first priority will be developing a plan to contain and recover from the pandemic, promising to improve access to testing and, unlike Trump, to heed the advice of leading public health officials and scientists.

Despite his victory, Biden will have failed to deliver the sweeping repudiation to Trump that Democrats had hoped for, reflecting the deep support the president enjoys despite his tumultuous four years in office.

This could complicate Biden’s campaign promises to reverse key parts of Trump’s legacy. These include deep Trump tax cuts that especially benefited corporations and the wealthy, hardline immigration policies, efforts to dismantle the 2010 Obamacare healthcare law and Trump’s abandonment of such international agreements as the Paris climate accord and Iran nuclear deal.

Should Republicans keep control of the U.S. Senate, they would likely block large parts of his legislative agenda, including expanding healthcare and fighting climate change.

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India’s COVID-19 caseload goes past 84 lakh with 47,638 fresh infections

A total 77,65,966 people have recuperated from COVID-19 so far, pushing the national recovery rate to 92.32 per cent, while the case fatality rate stands at 1.49 per cent.

The number of active COVID-19 cases remained below 6 lakh for the eighth consecutive day.

There are 5,20,773 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country as on date, which comprises 6.19 per cent of the total caseload, data stated.

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Haze Chokes Delhi, pollution levels highest since November last yr

 Health experts said that during the COVID-19 pandemic, air pollution has become a serious health concern for about the two crore residents of the national capital.

According to a doctor at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, intake of every 22 micrograms per cubic metre of polluted air is equivalent to smoking a cigarette.

 Ajit Jain, the nodal officer for COVID-19 at Rajiv Gandhi Super Specialty Hospital, said air pollution was turning the pandemic catastrophic.

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Threat of crackdown on U.S. insurers fades as political ‘Blue Wave’ sputters

That bodes well for the insurance industry, which had feared a Democratic sweep would allow progressives to reprise regulations introduced after the 2008-2009 financial crisis and push a disruptive healthcare overhaul.

Health insurance stocks jumped on Wednesday, as fears of a dramatic change faded. The S&P 500 managed care index .SPLRCHMO rose 9.8% as investors and insurance trade groups cheered an expected Republican hold on the Senate. 

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India sees early vaccine launch as AstraZeneca deliveries run late

An Indian government-backed vaccine could be launched as early as February – months earlier than expected – as last-stage trials begin this month and studies have so far showed it is safe and effective, a senior government scientist told Reuters.

Bharat Biotech, a private company that is developing COVAXIN with the government-run Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), had earlier hoped to launch it only in the second quarter of next year.

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Poor public risk management led to higher Covid-19 Pandemic losses and P&C market exposure:Denis Kessler 

Denis Kessler, chairman and chief executive officer of SCOR said that this is the biggest surprise of the crisis because it’s the opposite of what, broadly speaking, had been anticipated and modelled for pandemic risk. While the industry was certainly not unaware of pandemic threat, it failed to accurately anticipate the lines it would impact most severely

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High recovery keep active COVID-19 cases in India below 6 lakh

The Health ministry further said 76 per cent of the new cases of COVID-19 were from 10 states and UTs, with Kerala and Delhi having contributed the maximum of more than 6,000 cases each. Maharashtra had over 4,000 new cases in a day.

As many as 514 fatalities have been reported in a a day. Of these, nearly 80 per cent were concentrated in 10 states and UTs with Maharashtra reporting the maximum 120 deaths.

India’s COVID-19 fatality rate stands at 1.49 per cent, with 21 states and UTs have deaths per million lower than the national average, the ministry said. 

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