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Centre says Covid vaccine wastage is 6.5%, calls for optimal use of shots

On March 15, 8.34 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered worldwide, of which India alone administered 36 per cent of doses, he said.

Bhushan said COVID-19 vaccine wastage in five states — Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir is higher than 6.5 per cent, which is the national average.

Uber to give UK drivers minimum wage, pension, holiday pay

Uber said it’s extending the benefits immediately to its more than 70,000 drivers in the U.K. Drivers will earn at least the minimum wage, which currently stands at 8.72 pounds ($12.12), after accepting a trip request and expenses, and will still be able to earn more.

Drivers will also get holiday pay equal to about 12% of their earnings, paid every two weeks. And they’ll be enrolled in a pension plan that both they and the company will pay into.

‘Green’ funds shown to herd less, cutting climate shock risk: EU watchdog

ESMA published what it described as a first attempt to assess vulnerabilities to climate-related financial risks using data from 23,965 EU-based funds worth 10.7 trillion euros ($12.7 trillion).

“Within the European financial sector, investment funds are more exposed to climate-sensitive economic sectors than banks, insurers and pension funds. However, few investment fund climate-related financial risk assessments have been conducted,” ESMA said in its latest summary of market risks.

Nirmala Sitharaman introduces Bill in Rajya Sabha to allow 74% FDI in insurance sector

Sitharaman presenting the Union Budget for 2021-22 had said, “I propose to amend the Insurance Act, 1938 to increase the permissible FDI limit from 49 percent to 74 percent in insurance companies and allow foreign ownership and control with safeguards.”

Under the new structure, the majority of directors on the board and key management persons would be resident Indians, with at least 50 percent of directors being independent directors, and specified percentage of profits being retained as a general reserve.

Swiss Re announces ambitious climate targets; accelerates race to net zero

Swiss Re’s Group Chief Executive Officer Christian Mumenthaler said: “Climate change remains the biggest challenge we face as a society. The stakes are high and require immediate attention. Signing up to net-zero emissions by 2050 and setting concrete climate targets are important first steps. What needs to follow now is action. We are moving ahead in all areas of our business to accelerate the transition towards net zero.“

Lethal pollution high in 2020 despite lockdowns: report

Concentrations of the life-shortening particles — cast off by traffic pollution and burning fossil fuels — dropped 11 percent in Beijing, 13 percent in Chicago, 15 percent in New Delhi, 16 percent in London, and 16 percent in Seoul.

At least 60 percent of India’s cities were more breathable last year than in 2019, and all of them had cleaner air than in 2018.

APAC not on track to achieve SDG goals by 2030; may realize 10 pc of target: UN report

There are 17 goals under the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (UNESCAP), targeted to be achieved by 2030.

These include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, bio-diversity, innovation and infrastructure, and reduced inequalities, among others.

Maharashtra in beginning of second COVID wave, step up contact tracing: Centre

“Maharashtra is at the beginning of the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts to track, test, isolate cases and quarantine contacts are limited there with no adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour among people both in rural and urban areas,” Bhushan wrote in the letter.

Pointing towards contact tracing, the Health Secretary’s letter mentioned that the case-contact ratio is more than 1:20 in the state.

22 of world’s 30 most polluted cities are in India: Report

Besides Delhi, the 21 other Indian cities among the 30 most polluted cities in the world are Ghaziabad, Bulandshahar, Bisrakh Jalalpur, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Agra, and Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh, Bhiwari in Rajasthan, Faridabad, Jind, Hisar, Fatehabad, Bandhwari, Gurugram, Yamuna Nagar, Rohtak and Dharuhera in Haryana, and Muzaffarpur in Bihar.