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International News

Vaccine storage issues could leave 3 billion people without access

The vaccine cold chain hurdle is just the latest disparity of the pandemic weighted against the poor, who more often live and work in crowded conditions that allow the virus to spread, have little access to medical oxygen that is vital to Covid-19 treatment, and whose health systems lack labs, supplies or technicians to carry out large-scale testing.

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WHO reports third straight daily record in virus cases

According to the WHO’s figures, there have been more than 42.3 million confirmed cases of the respiratory disease, while nearly 1.15 million people have lost their lives, including 6,570 on Saturday.

Nearly half of Saturday’s new cases were registered in the WHO’s Europe region, which logged a one-day record high of 221,898 cases.

In total, more than nine million cases have now been registered in the region.

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Xi’s carbon neutrality vow to reshape China’s five-year plan

“The understanding is that there is no time to waste if China is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.,said Kevin Lo, Associate Director at the David C. Lam Institute for East-West Studies in Hong Kong, who studies China’s environmental policies.

Experts say China needs to bring the share of coal in its total energy mix from 58% last year to less than 50% by 2025, and provide enhanced support for technology like carbon capture.

It could start by setting an absolute emissions cap for the first time, said Zou Ji, head of the Energy Foundation China, which has been involved in five-year plan research.

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South Korea urges people to get flu vaccinations despite death tolls

“Vaccination offers far greater benefits compared to side effects, and both the WHO and domestic and overseas experts agree,” Health Minister Park Neung-hoo told a briefing on Sunday, in a reference to the World Health Organization.

Last year, more than 1,500 elderly people died within seven days of receiving flu vaccines, but those deaths were not linked to the vaccinations, the government said.

As South Korea presses on with its inoculations, southeast Asia’s tiny city state of Singapore became one of the first nations this week to call a temporary halt to the use of two influenza vaccines, as a precaution.

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Insurance costs too steep? Try writing your own

“For many, insurance has become or is becoming more expensive, so people are turning to captives,” said Rodney Bonnard, insurance leader for EY UK Financial Services.

“We are seeing a massive uptick.Seventy-six new captives were formed this year globally, a 200% year-on-year growth, according to insurance broker Marsh. That level of growth is “unprecedented”, Michael Serricchio of Marsh Captive Solutions told a recent webinar.

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