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International News

Ships skip Singapore as China congestion snarls supply chain

“The delays have already resulted in pressurizing soaring shipping prices within China due to a lack of containers and increased export demand,” said Josh Brazil, vice president of marketing at project44, a supply-chain intelligence firm. “These high shipping costs are just one factor that may contribute to an additional looming threat to global inflation.”

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G7 to counter China’s BRI with big infrastructure project: US official

According to a Refinitiv database, as of mid-last year, more than 2,600 projects at a cost of $3.7 trillion were linked to the Belt and Road Initiative, although the Chinese foreign ministry said last June that about 20% of projects had been seriously affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, Biden said he had suggested to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, hosting the G7 summit, that democratic countries should develop their own rival scheme.

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China’s internet watchdog issues notices to 129 mobile apps for illegally collecting personal info

Popular news aggregation app Jinri Toutiao developed by TikTok owner ByteDance, alongside Tencent-operated Kuai Bao and Tencent News, Sogou News by New York listed Sogou, and Nasdaq-listed Qutoutiao, were among a group of news apps that received an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China on Friday to rectify their data practices within 15 days, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

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‘Worse than Covid’: Threat of pandemics spurs race for vaccines in 100 days

The specter of another global crisis, along with the potential emergence of a deadlier foe, is pushing disease trackers to begin preparations now, even as Covid continues to rage in some regions. Researchers and governments want to smash vaccine development records set during this pandemic, harnessing technologies such as messenger RNA, and build a stronger system that can respond swiftly to stop the next outbreaks from exploding when they do occur.

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Child labour records 1st rise in 20 years, millions more at risk due to Covid: Report

”The number of children in child labour has risen to 160 million (16 crore) worldwide — an increase of 8.4 million (84 lakh) children in the last four years — with millions more at risk due to the impacts of COVID-19,” the report said.
UNICEF India Representative Dr Yasmin Ali Haque said the coronavirus pandemic has clearly emerged as a child rights crisis, aggravating the risk of child labour as many more families are likely to have fallen into extreme poverty. ”Children in poor and disadvantaged households in India are now at a greater risk of negative coping mechanisms such as dropping out of school and being forced into labour, marriage, and even falling victim to trafficking,” she said.

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Delta variant 60% more transmissible, reduces vaccine effect: UK experts

However, while vaccination reduces the risk of severe disease, it does not eliminate it. With data showing that Delta is significantly more transmissible than Alpha, it is just as important as ever to follow public health advice, which has not changed. Get vaccinated, work from home where you can and remember hands, face, space, fresh air’ at all times. These measures work, and they save lives, Dr Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of the UK Health Security Agency. said.

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Volkswagen to receive 270 million euro from its D&O Liability insurers in dieselgate settlement

The settlement marks a major milestone in Volkswagen’s efforts to turn a page on its biggest ever corporate scandal, which has cost it more than 32 billion euros in vehicle refits, fines and legal costs so far.

The scandal, which Volkswagen initially blamed on a small number of rogue engineers, also spurred it to launch a huge investment in electric cars.

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