Cases 19

India logged 17,073 new coronavirus infections, raising its tally to 4,34,07,046, while the daily positivity crossed 5% after over four months, the Union Health Ministry said on June 27. The death toll climbed to 5,25,020 with 21 fresh fatalities, data updated at 8 a.m. by the ministry stated. The active cases increased to 94,420, comprising 0.22% of the total infections. The national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.57%, the ministry said. An increase of 1,844 cases was recorded in the active COVID-19 case count in a span of 24 hours, as per the data. The daily positivity rate was recorded at 5.62%, while the weekly positivity rate was recorded at 3.39%, it stated. The daily positivity crossed 5% after a gap of 139 days. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease surged to 4,27,87,606, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.21%. According to the ministry, 197.11 crore doses of vaccine have been administered in the country so far under … [Read more...] about India records 17,073 new COVID-19 cases, 21 deaths; daily positivity rate 5.62%

Although the summer started only a few days ago in Slovakia, the number of positive coronavirus cases is growing daily. Experts expected another wave of covid in the autumn. In an interview, mathematician and expert on the spread of the virus RICHARD KOLLÁR explains why the wave has come so soon, when will it culminate, what are the risks to human health, and how will it impact everyday life. Skryť Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement Skryť Remove ad Article continues after video advertisement In recent days, cases of infections with new variants have been growing. Is another wave starting? Not starting, it is already underway. We are seeing a significant increase in positive tests. Last few years we were accustomed to a new wave coming in autumn. This year it was not expected until September. How is it possible it has started at the beginning of summer? You have just exceeded the number … [Read more...] about Mathematician: Summer will probably see return of respirators

Price rise is bad. It pinches you where it hurts the most. You have to rethink and regroup your life and plans. However, when premium rates are raised, as in many things in insurance, it is not exactly what it seems to be. An increase in premium is an indication of something good because it is still a promise that your increasing losses will be reimbursed. Increasing claims When insurance companies increase premium rates, they are catching up with increasing claims. The way it works in the real world, they rarely are ahead of that race. There may be a higher number of claims (as during COVID-19 or a natural disaster), claims of higher value (due to rising cost of healthcare or car repairs or whatever) or a combination of both. Price rises as well as unforeseen events can through the economics of insurance into disarray. Add to this the complications of investment returns with interest rate drops and tanking stock markets. Higher claims logically lead to less profits or … [Read more...] about An insurance premium rate increase isn’t always bad!

A long-simmering dispute between San Francisco’s Catholic leaders and the city’s elected officials escalated Friday when a Bay Area archbishop took the extraordinary step of barring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving Communion over her support for abortion access. The move, occurring just as the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to overturn Roe vs. Wade, underscores deep divisions among Catholics over the issue. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone told Pelosi in a letter Thursday that she had not offered “an accommodation to my many requests to speak with you again since you vowed to codify the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in federal law” after a Texas law effectively banning most abortions took effect last year. Cordileone said he had written to Pelosi in April warning her that he was prepared to bar her from receiving Communion. “As you have not publicly repudiated your position on abortion, and continue to refer to your Catholic faith in justifying your position and … [Read more...] about San Francisco archbishop bars Rep. Nancy Pelosi from receiving Communion over abortion rights stance

Lawyers for Tahawwur Rana, a Pakistani-American businessman charged with having facilitated the November 26, 2008 attacks on Mumbai, say he had no knowledge his immigration business was being used as a cover for the Lashkar-e-Taiba. Rana's lawyers will argue that he was duped by his childhood friend, the Pakistani-American jihadist-turned-star prosecution witness David Headley, when court proceedings reopen on Tuesday after an extended weekend break. Deceitful conduct Charles Swift, Rana's lawyer, earlier underlined the training Headley received from Pakistan's intelligence services, his less-than-edifying past as a narcotics trafficker and his deceitful conduct with his two wives. Mr. Swift noted that his client had visited India in November 2008, along with his wife — suggesting he had no knowledge that the terrorist knowledge was imminent. But prosecutors say e-mail between the two men makes clear the businessman knew at least something of Headley's real agenda. … [Read more...] about ‘Businessman who aided 26/11 was duped’

BANGKOK, June 27 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): LGBTQ+ couples now have the right to Thailand's Government Housing Bank (GH Bank) loans, the bank said on Monday. GH Bank said the move to promote equality was in line with its mission to help Thais improve their life quality by owning their homes. The bank is issuing a new loan called "My Pride" targeted at LGBTQ+ homebuyers. Annual interest for the first three years is set at the minimum retail rate minus 2.4 per cent. The bank’s standard interest rates apply from the fourth year until the end of the contract, which can last up to 40 years. "This loan is being granted to customers who want to purchase a house, condominium or the bank's NPA land," the announcement said. "Instalment payments can be made for up to 40 years." My Pride loans are available until December 30 this year at GH Bank branches nationwide, the call centre at (02) 645 9000, www.ghbank.co.th, @ghbank Facebook page or the GHB ALL application. In another … [Read more...] about Thailand govt bank launches housing loans for LGBTQ+ couples

New Delhi : As many as 373 infrastructure projects, each worth Rs 150 crore or more, are hit by cost overruns of more than Rs 3.89 lakh crore owing to delays and other reasons, according to a report. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation monitors infrastructure projects worth Rs 150 crore and above. Of such 1,634 projects, 373 projects reported cost overruns and 552 projects time escalation. "Total original cost of implementation of the 1,634 projects was Rs 19,40,699.03 crore and their anticipated completion cost is likely to be Rs 23,29,746.02 crore, which reflects overall cost overruns of Rs 3,89,046.99 crore (20.05 per cent of original cost)," the ministry's latest report for August 2019 said. According to the report, the expenditure incurred on these projects till August 2019 is Rs 9,75,180.06 crore, which is 41.85 per cent of the anticipated cost of the projects However, it said, the number of delayed projects decreased to 489 if the delay is calculated … [Read more...] about 373 Infrastructure Projects Show Cost Overruns of Rs 3.89 Lakh Crore, Says Report

Wearing masks was made mandatory for devotees coming to see the annual Ratha Jatra festival in Puri on July 1 amid rising COVID-19 cases in Odisha, a senior official said on Monday. Around 10 lakh people are expected to gather for the festival in the temple town from across the country, and some foreign nations, Director of Health Service Bijay Mohapatra said. The festival of Lord Jagannath this time will see the participation of devotees after two years. In 2020 and 2021, only servitors took part in rituals due to the pandemic. ”We are expecting a large congregation during the festival this year. Mask is mandatory in Puri during the festival. Health camps will be set up at the railway station, bus stand and Grand Road (Bada Danda),” Mohapatra said. Asking people with symptoms to avoid visiting the town, he said caution should be maintained to check the spread of the virus. The state government has set up Covid Care Centres in Puri, and arranged for oxygen and ICU beds to meet with … [Read more...] about Puri Prepares for Lord Jagannath’s Ratha Yatra Amid Fresh Covid Alarm

Travelers wait to get checked in at Incheon International Airport on Sunday. [NEWS1] Airline and duty-free industries were expected to bounce back as the pandemic waned, but are instead being ambushed by high exchange rates and faring poorly. The closing price of the won-dollar exchange rate exceeded 1,300 won for the first time in 13 years on June 23. Although edging down slightly, it stayed in the vicinity Monday, recording 1,286.5 won. Airlines in particular have to pay aircraft lease fees in U.S. dollars, and therefore have to pay more when the exchange rate rises. In the case of Korean Air Lines, if the exchange rate rises by 100 won, it has to book 410 billion won in foreign currency exchange losses. Low-cost carriers (LCCs) struggle even more due to high exchange rates. Large airlines made a profit even during the Covid-19 pandemic due to the boom in cargo transport. But LCCs, which had to suspend passenger-oriented international flights, were unable to turn in a … [Read more...] about Airline, duty-free industries faring poorly amid high exchange rates

Students walk on campus at Chungbuk National Universtiy in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, on March 2. [YONHAP] Twenty-two-year-old Kim Su-min has a dilemma. For some of her college courses, she has to leave the room every time she wants to speak out. Ironically, that’s the only way she can be heard. Kim has a mixed timetable of in-person and online classes this semester, which means that on some days, she has both. On those days, Kim goes to her school, Kyung Hee University in Dongdaemun District, eastern Seoul, for in-person classes, and attends her virtual classes from the school library. With many other students in the library for the same reason, Kim says she has to move to a less crowded location every time she wants to unmute herself to speak, so as not to disrupt the other students studying online. Despite the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, many universities have refused to again go fully virtual, like in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, instead allowing … [Read more...] about Students decry cumbersome online-offline class mix-match