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International News

Covid-19:No fans at Olympics, making Games a TV event

“The infections are in their expansion phase and everyone in this country must firmly understand the seriousness of it,” Dr Shigeru Omi, a top government medical adviser, said.
The Olympics are pushing ahead against most medical advice, partially because the postponement stalled the IOC’s income flow. It gets almost 75 per cent of its income from selling broadcast rights, and estimates suggest it would lose USD 3 billion to USD 4 billion if the Olympics were cancelled.

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ECB tweaks inflation target, carves out climate role

In perhaps the biggest change, the central bank said it will do more to help the fight against climate change and will include climate change considerations in monetary policy operations in the areas of disclosure, risk assessment, collateral framework and corporate sector asset purchases.

“The ECB will adjust the framework guiding the allocation of corporate bond purchases to incorporate climate change criteria, in line with its mandate,” it said.

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EU fines German car makers $1B over emission collusion

EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said that even though the companies had the technology to cut harmful emissions beyond legal limits, they resisted competition and denied consumers the chance to buy less polluting cars.

”Manufacturers deliberately avoided to compete on cleaning better than what was required by EU emission standards. And they did so despite the relevant technology being available,” Vestager said. That made their practice illegal, she said.

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Brutal Summer’s record-high temperatures flare up extreme events in Northern Hemisphere

Extremes are piling up in what’s poised to be a brutal summer as the planet warms. Climate change is intensifying many unusual weather patterns to the point that scientists are able to detect its influence nearly in real time. That’s been the case during the heatwave that’s boiled Canada and the U.S. northwest this season, as well as the heatwave that hit Siberia last year.

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Lawsuits are becoming increasingly common as consumers shop online with little understanding

“Within the last year, especially with Covid-19 and more consumers shopping online, counterfeiters have gotten really smart and taken advantage of that,” said Tiffany Pho, manager of anti-counterfeiting at the International Trademark Association.The association has projected that, by next year, the total estimated value of counterfeit goods including digital piracy will reach at least $1.9 trillion annually. Internet sales are particularly popular because the counterfeiters can have a more global reach and more ways to hide, Pho said.

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