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Airlines warn of more bankruptcies as wage support ends

Airlines consumed $51 billion in cash in the second quarter as the pandemic brought global travel to a near-standstill, the industry body said.
Whereas the withdrawal of subsidies makes sense for sectors in recovery, IATA warned of further airline bankruptcies in the northern hemisphere winter as the collapse in revenue continues to dwarf cost savings. The average carrier now has cash for 8.5 months of operations, Brian Pearce, chief economist at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told reporters

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COVID-19: 72,049 new cases take India’s virus tally to 67,57,131

The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further declined to 1.55 per cent.

There are 9,07,883 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 13.44 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 8,22,71,654 samples have been tested up to October 6 with 11,99,857 samples being tested on Tuesday.

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One in 10 may have caught COVID, as world heads into ‘difficult period’: WHO

“Our current best estimates tell us about 10% of the global population may have been infected by this virus. It varies depending on country, it varies from urban to rural, it varies depending on groups. But what it does mean is that the vast majority of the world remains at risk,” Ryan said. “We are now heading into a difficult period. The disease continues to spread.”

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Plastic pandemic: COVID-19 trashed the recycling dream

Plastic, most of which does not decompose, is a significant driver of climate change.

The manufacture of four plastic bottles alone releases the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions of driving one mile in a car, according to the World Economic Forum, based on a study by the drinks industry. The United States burns six times more plastic than it recycles, according to research in April 2019 by Jan Dell, a chemical engineer and former vice chair of the U.S. Federal climate committee.

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COVID-19 cases in India breach 65-lakh mark

The total coronavirus cases mounted to 65,49,373 with 75,829 people testing positive for the infection in a day, while the death toll climbed to 1,01,782 with the virus claiming 940 lives in a span of 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

The total recoveries have surged to 55,09,966, while there are 9,37,625, active cases of coronavirus infection in the country which comprises 14.32 per cent of the total caseload, the data stated.
The recovery rate stands at 84.13 per cent.

The COVID-19 case fatality rate has further dropped to 1.55 per cent.

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India seeks up to 500 million coronavirus vaccine doses by July

“There is a high-level expert body going into all aspects of vaccines,” Vardhan wrote on Twitter. “Our rough estimate and the target would be to receive and utilise 400 to 500 million doses covering (200 million-250 million) people by July 2021.”

Serum Institute of India and private companies have been teaming up with organizations from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to U.S. drug developer Novavax Inc in a scramble to secure vaccines for the country of 1.3 billion people.

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India and South Africa ask WTO to waive rules to aid COVID-19 drug production

In their letter dated Oct. 2 the two countries called on the global trade body to waive parts of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), which governs patents, trademarks, copyright and other intellectual property rules globally.“As new diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines for COVID-19 are developed, there are significant concerns (over) how these will be made available promptly, in sufficient quantities and at (an) affordable price to meet global demand,” the letter posted on the Geneva-based WTO’s website says.

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Coal baron seeks US benefits to treat his black lung disease:Report

Murray, an ally of President Donald Trump, filed a claim with the Department of Labor seeking to access federal benefits to treat his disease, which is caused by prolonged exposure to coal dust, Ohio Valley ReSource,  a National Public Radio affiliate, reported on Thursday.

The Black Lung Disability Trust Fund is funded through a $1.10 per ton excise-tax on production of underground coal but runs a massive debt and is at risk of insolvency, according to the U.S. General Accountability Office.

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Headwinds for Google as rivals, customers criticise Fitbit concessions

Alphabet’s Google last week offered to restrict the use of Fitbit data for Google ads and to monitor the process closely.

It also offered to make it easier for rival makers of wearables to connect to the Android platform by offering them access to Android software (API), and said third parties would continue to have access to Fitbit users’ data with their consent.

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