Welcome to My Blog
Here is a masonry blog layout with no sidebarCOVID-19, electric vehicles to reshape Thailand’s auto industry
Thailand’s auto-related businesses, which employ 900,000, are reopening after months of coronavirus shutdowns, promising relief for many laid-off workers.
But there’s a catch: Thailand’s shift toward electric vehicles (EVs) could pummel the local auto industry because it is dominated by hundreds of parts makers, while EVs require just 10% to 20% as many of parts as internal-combustion vehicles.
Twitter hacking spree alarms experts concerned about the platform’s security
U.N. aid chief to G20 on coronavirus: ‘Step up now or pay price later’
The United Nations increased its humanitarian appeal by more than a third to $10.3 billion to help 63 states, mainly in Africa and Latin America, tackle the spread and destabilizing effects of the coronavirus. This is up from the world body’s initial $2 billion request in March, then $6.7 billion in May.
So far, Lowcock said, the United Nations has only received $1.7 billion.
India tops a million coronavirus cases as pandemic hits villages
India recorded 34,956 new infections on Friday, taking the total so far to 1.004 million, with 25,602 deaths from COVID-19, federal health ministry data showed. That compares to some 3.6 million cases in the United States and 2 million in Brazil – both countries with populations under 400 million.
Epidemiologists say India is still likely months away from hitting its peak of cases, suggesting the country’s already overburdened healthcare system will come under further strain.
IMF chief warns global economy ‘not out of the woods,’ dangers lurk
The IMF last month further slashed its 2020 global output forecasts, predicting a 4.9% contraction and weaker-than-expected recovery in 2021.
IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said $11 trillion in fiscal measures by G20 members and other countries, as well as massive central bank liquidity injections, have put a floor under the global economy.
Even so, dangers lurked, she said, including a major new wave of infections, stretched asset valuations, volatile commodity prices, rising protectionism and political instability.
India’s tech hub Bengaluru, other towns back in lockdown amid COVID-19 surge
South African regulator cautions insurers over rejection of virus claims
UK Supreme Court to consider landmark Equal-Pay case against Walmart’s Asda
A second wave could eat into insurers’ capital:S&P
Currently estimates of insured losses from COVID-19 vary and include V.J. Dowling’s $80 billion to the Lloyd’s estimate $107 billion and Willis Towers Watson’s $140 billion. The consensus is that the bulk of the losses will come from event insurance, business interruption and entertainment. S&P expects the bulk of claims to be reported in Q2 and Q3. However, it warns, losses could escalate if conditions worsen beyond the current recovery scenario.
UK Plans to spend $6.6 billion on building flood defenses through 2027
Under the plans, the UK’s Flood Re insurance program will also be modified to allow claims to include the installation of flood resilience measures as well as repairs for affected properties.
“For every pound spent improving protection from flooding and coastal erosion, we avoid around 5 pounds of property damages,” Environment Agency Chairman Emma Howard Boyd said. “The long-term commitments announced today will make homes, businesses and infrastructure more resilient to the accelerating impacts of the climate crisis.”
Russia requires firms to develop financial/insurance contingency plans for oil spills
The law makes it mandatory for companies to have sufficient financial reserves to prevent potential spills or clean them up if they occur. The financial reserves can take various forms, including an insurance contract or a letter of guarantee to pay the damage from a given accident.The law also requires companies handling hydrocarbons to draw up plans to prevent and clean up spills by Jan.1, 2024.
Moderna Phase 1 results show coronavirus vaccine safe,induces immune response
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, whose researchers developed Moderna’s vaccine candidate, called the results “good news,” noting that the study found no serious adverse events and the vaccine produced “reasonably high” levels of virus-killing or neutralizing antibodies.
Afghanistan faces ‘catastrophe’ as COVID-19 cases grow: Red Crescent
Red Crescent Secretary General Nilab Mobarez said acute protective equipment shortages and difficulties in accessing remote regions were hampering its COVID-19 response. But it was expanding mobile health teams and adding thousands of community volunteers to try and detect and prevent the disease, which it said it expected to spread over coming weeks
Single-day spike of 29,429 COVID-19 cases in India
Of the 582 new deaths reported, 213 are from Maharashtra, 85 from Karnataka, 67 from Tamil Nadu, 43 from Andhra Pradesh, 35 from Delhi, 28 from Uttar Pradesh, 24 from West Bengal, 14 each from Bihar and Gujarat , 10 each from Madhya Pradesh and Telangana.
63.24 per cent of patients have recovered so far
Tokyo Olympics at risk if coronavirus mutates, gets stronger:Japan adviser
‘Hands free’: Automakers race to next level of not quite self-driving cars
Most traditional automakers until recently had resisted allowing drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel for extended periods, concerned about product liability claims. Now, hands-free driving systems offer a new and sorely needed source of profit for automakers and suppliers such as Aptiv Plc , especially when this technology is packaged with other extra-cost options.
Joe Biden announces $2 trillion climate plan, vows to rejoin Paris deal
“We’re going to reverse Trump’s rollbacks of 100 public health and environmental rules – and then forge a path to greater ambition. We’re going to get back into the Paris Agreement – and back into the business of leading the world,” Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said in a major policy address on climate change, which he said poses a serious threat the mankind.
Coronavirus Pandemic:Indian airlines staring at Rs 1.1-1.3 lakh crore revenue loss over 3 years: CRISIL
Curtailed mobility of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions will shrink domestic air passenger traffic by 40-45 percent and international traffic by 60-65 percent, respectively, this fiscal, the report said.
With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging in much of the world, a revival to pre-pandemic levels appears unlikely even next fiscal, it said.
This is a serious jolt to the Indian domestic air travel industry that had logged double-digit growth in seven of the past ten fiscals before its fortunes took a turn for the worse with the bankruptcy and grounding of a couple of major carriers, the report added.