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India needs to make its air quality norms more stringent, say experts after new WHO guidelines

by | Sep 22, 2021 | , ,

WHO’s new guidelines recommend new air quality levels to protect the health of populations by reducing levels of key air pollutants, some of which also contribute to climate change.”There is a body of scientific evidence to prove that air pollution is leading to severe health impacts and 90 per cent of the entire global population is breathing polluted air,” IIT-Kanpur professor S N Tripathi, said.

India likely to block Chinese investment in insurance giant LIC’s IPO -sources

by | Sep 22, 2021 | , ,

State-owned LIC is considered a strategic asset, commanding more than 60% of India’s life insurance market with assets of more than $500 billion. While the government is planning to allow foreign investors to participate in what is likely to be the country’s biggest-ever IPO worth a potential $12.2 billion, it is leery of Chinese ownership, the sources said.

India may allow smaller gap between Covishield doses sold privately: Report

by | Sep 22, 2021 | , ,

Earlier this month, the high court in the southern state of Kerala ordered changes in the health ministry’s vaccine-booking platform to give people paying for vaccination this choice, which is already being offered to those flying abroad. 

“Since the high court has given a judgement, it will have to be done,” said one of the sources. “For the government’s programme, the ideal gap remains 12 weeks.”

India’s first framework for air quality forecast, SAFAR, accepted globally: Project director Beig

by | Sep 22, 2021 | , ,

“Now that India has its own air quality framework whose credibility is proven beyond doubt, we need to take its advantage to become self-sufficient in replicating in other cities as originally envisaged in the National Clean Air Programme plan document rather than borrowing foreign framework with a cost,” Dr Gufran Beig said.

Using this, all urban local bodies can issue timely health advisories to alert citizens about ‘bad air’ days, which will help save vulnerable groups from severe health impacts of air pollution, the senior scientist added.

U.S. VP Harris to announce $10 bln global fund to prepare for future pandemics

by | Sep 22, 2021 | , , ,

The new Global Health Security Financial Intermediary Fund will be created at the World Bank to coalesce resources for pandemic preparedness, the White House official said.

The Biden administration will also request an additional $850 million from the U.S. Congress for the fund, to build on the $630 million in such funding that was secured for fiscal year 2021.

World Bank and Sri Lanka sign agreement to strengthen Climate Resilience

by | Sep 21, 2021 | , , ,

Sri Lanka is among countries most affected by extreme weather events and is expected to see a 1.2 percent annual GDP loss by 2050 due to climate change. It is estimated that close to 19 million Sri Lankans may live in areas that could become moderate or severe hotspots in terms of floods or droughts by 2050.

MS Amlin AG appoints Robert Wiest as CEO

by | Sep 21, 2021 | , ,

Robert Wiest brings over 30 years of industry experience. During a career at Swiss Re spanning over two decades, most recently as Chief Operating Officer, Wiest has successfully led business units as the Head of Global Business Solutions, Head of Strategy and Operations for Asia, and Head of Western and Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Turkey.

Brit launches machine learning algorithm to enable faster claims response to catastrophe events

by | Sep 21, 2021 | , , ,

In this latest innovation, Brit’s Data Science team developed and overlaid a machine learning algorithm to access the ultra-high-resolution ariel images and data such that it pinpoints, color-codes, and displays properties by damage classification within days after a catastrophe event.  This enables the Brit Claims team to proactively identify, triage and assign response activity even before claims are reported.

Adani calls for global unity in managing climate crisis

by | Sep 21, 2021 | ,

“In my country, more than a quarter billion households and millions of small businesses that generate jobs rely on the availability of cheaply produced electricity,” said Adani. “To switch off that power source without an economical alternative in place would put hundreds of millions of people on an accelerated path to darkness and there are several other nations in the same situation.”

India govt won’t buy Pfizer, Moderna vaccines amid local output -sources

by | Sep 21, 2021 | , , , ,

That essentially means the globally popular vaccines, which their makers have pledged not to sell to private parties during the pandemic, will not be available for now in the world’s two most populous countries – China and India. The Indian government has also declined to meet the U.S. companies’ requests for legal protection over any side-effects from the use of their shots, which are currently made only in the United States or Europe, two of the sources said.

NGT directs Maharashtra to deposit Rs 1 crore as interim compensation for restoration of water quality near Trimbakeshwar

by | Sep 21, 2021 | , , ,

The bench was hearing an application filed by Kiran Ramdas Kamble and others seeking to take action for failure of the Trimbakeshwar Municipal Council and other concerned authorities of Maharashtra in preventing discharge of Municipal waste into the river which joins Godavari in violation of the judgement of the Supreme Court, in spite of at least four orders of NGT in the last two years and also general orders in other cases.