Asia

## J&K: DIC Ramban hosts awareness events to encourage entrepreneurship ##
6Oct mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

## J&K: DIC Ramban hosts awareness events to encourage entrepreneurship ##

In the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Ramban’s District Industries Centre (DIC) organized a series of awareness events to encourage entrepreneurship in the District as envisaged under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (self-reliant India programme).The awareness programmes were held at Khar, Banihal, Karoal and Thore area of Batote Tehsil in a limited way in consonance with coronavirus protocol.GM, DIC, Vishwa Jeet informed the participants that the Indian government has launched various schemes to provide employment opportunities to unemployed youth, strengthen the industries sector and mitigate the problems being faced by the entrepreneurs, especially in the MSME sector due to COVID-19 pandemic.He said that there is a need for the private sector to be price competitive a...
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COVID-19 outbreak: J&K’s admin provides jobs under MGNREGA to villagers near border areas
4Oct mmBy Michael SmithNo Comments
Asia

COVID-19 outbreak: J&K’s admin provides jobs under MGNREGA to villagers near border areas

In India’s union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Department of Rural Development is providing jobs to people of Panjgrain block in Rajouri District who were facing problems in getting employment due to the coronavirus pandemic.There are 11 panchayats in Panjgrain block, out of which eight are along the India-Pakistan border.The jobs are being provided under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme and it is benefiting daily wage labourers during the coronavirus induced lockdown.Naureen Choudhary, Block Development Office (BDO) of the area, said her department is trying to come up with more work during the COVID-19 pandemic to help the locals sustain themselves in the absence of other employment options.“We have done a lot of work in border areas. We are t...
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COVID-19: 74 stranded Pakistanis return home from India
4Oct mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

COVID-19: 74 stranded Pakistanis return home from India

Pakistan High Commission in India said a batch of 74 Pakistani nationals who were stranded in India due to coronavirus pandemic returned to Pakistan through Attari Wagah border on September 10."Today, another 74 Pakistanis, who were stranded in different Indian cities due to COVID-19 pandemic, were repatriated to Pakistan via Attari-Wagah border," the high commission said in a statement.Since March 20, more than 760 stranded Pakistanis have returned home.Pakistan High Commission said it will continue to extend all possible assistance to the remaining stranded Pakistanis in India for their earliest, safe and smooth repatriation.
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President Xi Jinping undertakes fresh round of brutal purge in China
4Oct mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China, USA

President Xi Jinping undertakes fresh round of brutal purge in China

Millions of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cadres are potentially at risk of being targeted now as President Xi Jinping has launched a fresh round of purges, as a part of his ongoing anti-corruption campaign.Under the campaign, over two dozen police and judicial officials were investigated, with dozens more removed from their posts in August.A senior ally to Xi’s called for the purge in July, saying it was time to ‘turn the blade of a knife inwards, cure the poison by scrapping it from the bones’ that must cleanse the country’s justice system of corrupt elements and purge officials who only paid lip service to the CCP.A “Yan’an Rectification Movement” style purge of party cadres was first announced by Chen Yixin on July 8 during a meeting of the Central Political and Legal Commission, a pol...
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How floods and Covid-19 slowly distorting Xi Jinping-led China’s superpower dream
1Oct mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China

How floods and Covid-19 slowly distorting Xi Jinping-led China’s superpower dream

China is currently facing severe food shortage and is struggling to feed its people, say reports.If reports are to be believed, a number of factors have directly contributed to the food crisis. China's surging population, the growing industrial economy and an increase in consumerism have given rise to demand for agricultural products. Apart from that, floods have played a key part in disturbing China's food stability.According to Chinese local media, the recent floods have cost the country at least $29 billion, affecting 70 million Chinese citizens across 28 provinces.Li Kungang, an official of the Emergency Management Ministry, has warned of another flooding during autumn. "It is the first time that three major river basins experienced a regional or above-average flood since 1998," the of...
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China fails to tackle flooding problem, billions of dollars at stake
1Oct mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, China

China fails to tackle flooding problem, billions of dollars at stake

Over the last several years, China has built many reservoirs, levees, dikes and dams on its seven major river systems, however, it is still struggling with a spike in crippling floods, which has destroyed huge agricultural and industrial land, and millions of homes.Flooding in cities is a worrying trend and it is a clear sign of rising populations and failure to execute urbanisation policies.In August, flooding in the Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, on the Yangtze River peaked and officials feared it could overflow. Authorities elsewhere have blown up barriers that were creating more damage than help.According to China Water Risk, a research firm based in Hong Kong, over 40 per cent of China’s population lives in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and accounts for nea...
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Pakistan has not fulfilled obligations related to ICJ judgment in Kulbhushan Jadhav case: India
30Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

Pakistan has not fulfilled obligations related to ICJ judgment in Kulbhushan Jadhav case: India

Pakistan has not been able to fulfil its obligations on implementation of International Court of Justice (ICJ) judgment in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case, Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told reporters.Srivastava also said that Pakistan has not addressed the appointment of an Indian lawyer or a Queen’s counsel to ensure a free and fair trial for Jadhav.“The Government of Pakistan has not been able to fulfil its obligations on implementation of the ICJ judgment in letter and spirit. It has not yet addressed the core issues, which includes the provision of all documents related to the case, providing unconditional and unimpeded consular access to Kulbhusan Jadhav and appointment of an Indian lawyer or a Queen’s counsel to ensure free and fair trial,” he s...
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India wants normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan: MEA
30Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

India wants normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan: MEA

India wishes for normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan but Islamabad has to create a conducive atmosphere by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible action against terrorism, said V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs.Replying to a question in the Rajya Sabha on India's present foreign policy towards Pakistan, Muraleedharan said, "India wishes for normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan but Islamabad has to create a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible, verifiable and irreversible action to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner."Speaking on steps being taken by India to counter Pakistan on terrorism, the Minister said, "As a result of Government's persistent efforts, there is ...
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Thailand planning land and rail passageway, bypassing congested Strait of Malacca
30Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, Singapore

Thailand planning land and rail passageway, bypassing congested Strait of Malacca

Discussions are underway in Thailand to construct two deep seaports on both sides of the country’s southern coast, which would be linked via rail and highway in hopes to shorten shipping time by bypassing the busy Strait of Malacca with a 100-kilometre highway and railway passageway.The latest proposal replaces the Kra Canal plan, which has been dropped on environmental grounds. That plan would have seen a canal crossing the skinniest point of the country, through the Isthmus of Kra just south of Phuket and Krabi, chopping around 1,200 kilometres off the shipping journey.The new project is expected to reduce shipping time by 2 days by bypassing the Strait of Malacca, which runs along Peninsular Malaysia’s south-west coast, before curving east past Singapore.However, the passageway is notor...
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Facebook removes several Pakistani accounts over ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’
30Sep mmBy Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia

Facebook removes several Pakistani accounts over ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’

Social media giant Facebook removed 453 accounts, 103 Pages, 78 Groups and 107 Instagram accounts operated from Pakistan for 'coordinated inauthentic behaviour' and focused on 'Pakistan and India'.In its statement, Facebook said, "We are making progress rooting out this abuse, but as we’ve said before, it’s an ongoing effort. We’re committed to continually improving to stay ahead.""That means building better technology, hiring more people and working closely with law enforcement, security experts and other companies," it said.According to the report, the people behind this network relied on fake accounts, some claiming to be based in India to post content and manage a handful of Indian military fan Pages and Groups."The vast majority of the accounts, Pages and Groups engaged in coordinated...
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