Market

How China’s top-notch mass surveillance system threatens global freedoms
China, Market, USA, World

How China’s top-notch mass surveillance system threatens global freedoms

Going by the records of Beijing Public Safety Bureau, every step, every action is monitored by state-of-the-art surveillance cameras. Facial recognition algorithms filed away in a secret database could land you in legal trouble for something you did near your front door. A semi-political post made in a private chat could lead to the loss of your job.Yet it is only the beginning of the rise of technologically-advanced China and its dystopian dreams. It might be a deterrent to crime, as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership says, but it also means a substantial loss of privacy and free expression."The Chinese Communist Party is committed to the production and use of technology that controls and surveils its population," Chairman Robin Cleveland and Vice Chairman Carolyn Bartholomew of...
Srinagar bizman develops hands-free sanitizer dispensing stand
Asia, Market

Srinagar bizman develops hands-free sanitizer dispensing stand

To tackle the spread of coronavirus, a young Kashmiri businessman has come up with the concept of a sanitiser stand which dispenses the liquid with the use of one's foot and the equipment also carries corporate advertisements.The Srinagar-based businessman, Harris Ahmad, developed this sanitiser stand after his previous business was hit by the impact of COVID-19. The fear of COVID-19 infection is minimised as one does not touch the bottle with one's hands."At the time of COVID-19 pandemic, there was heavy demand for anti-COVID-19 essential products. The entire country was under lockdown. Our corporate advertisement business was affected as markets were closed," said Ahmad.Ahmed said that as demand for sanitisers increased, he and his team decided to add value to their products. The sanitis...
‘Flipkart opens avenues for Nepali sellers as well as consumers’
Asia, Market, USA

‘Flipkart opens avenues for Nepali sellers as well as consumers’

Founder and CEO of Sastodeal, a leading e-commerce company in Nepal, feels that the partnership of her company with e-commerce giants Flipkart and Myntra of India has further strengthened friendship between the two nations.After signing the deal, Amun Thapa said the opportunity would be beneficial for consumers in both India and Nepal."Sastodeal's strategic partnership with Flipkart is a big step towards strengthening the Nepal-India relationship. We hope millions of Nepalese consumers and millions of Indian vendors benefit from this partnership," Thapa said.Under the partnership, cross-border e-trade opportunities for local Indian MSMEs will open up and Sastodeal will host over 5,000 product verticals from Flipkart marketplace sellers operating across the categories of babycare and kids, ...
It’s time for western universities to cut their ties to China
China, Market, USA

It’s time for western universities to cut their ties to China

Western universities now need to close their Confucius Institutes and end their academic cooperation with China. Following the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, one of the ways China sought to rebuild its image abroad was by systematically forging partnerships with Western universities. At first, these partnerships mainly focused on research collaboration. Later, they grew to include the Confucius Institutes for language education and the establishment of Western universities’ branch campuses in China.At a time when China was undemocratic but liberalizing, such engagement seemed like a sensible strategy. There have always been uneasy moments in Western universities’ relationships with China, whether prompted by tensions over hosting the Dalai Lama or controversies over university self-censor...
The rise of new India as PM Modi fulfils his promises
Market

The rise of new India as PM Modi fulfils his promises

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on the country’s 74th Independence Day came with the credibility of six previous speeches in which all promises made by him have been kept. For example, in 2014, PM Modi promised a bank account for every Indian. Then, from 58% Indians in 2014, almost 400 million new accounts have opened now.A billion plus scale financial inclusion has since been used along with Aadhaar (biometric countrywide data base) to affect the largest and most successful Direct Benefits Transfer (DBT) policy in the world.Now, during the recent coronavirus induced lockdown, while many developed countries struggled to give out some cash in the hands of the poor, India did it instantly within days of the lockdown utilizing the DBT regime.In the 2015 speech, Modi made the prom...
COVID-19 brings three-decade economic boom to a sudden halt in Vietnam
Market, Singapore, World

COVID-19 brings three-decade economic boom to a sudden halt in Vietnam

For the past three decades, Vietnam has known only good — or great — economic news. The nation’s consistent growth as an exporter, propelled by Communist leaders who began embracing market-oriented policies in the late 1980s, pushed many into the middle class. The coronavirus pandemic changed all that. With garment companies seeing orders slashed and other sectors hit with sudden export declines, Vietnam’s workers are enduring the downside of being tethered to the global economy. The economic slowdown in the U.S. and other markets Vietnam depends on for growth is being felt on the streets of Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, as well as in villages and tourist centers. Le Thi Hoa, who sells pineapple and mango slices outside Ho Chi Minh City’s Ben Thanh Market in the heart of the commercial hub...
Commentary: Green offsets let polluting airlines off the hook
Market, USA, World

Commentary: Green offsets let polluting airlines off the hook

Sustainability targets for airlines need to be based on real emissions cuts at their source, says an observer. BIRMINGHAM, England: The coronavirus pandemic has grounded thousands of aircraft, contributing to the largest-ever annual fall in carbon dioxide emissions. At some point though, the planes will soar again and with them, global emissions. Most airlines in the UK have committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. From 2026, it will become mandatory for airlines worldwide to ensure that their annual emissions stay flat. But the UK aviation industry also plans to increase the number of passengers it serves by 70 per cent in the next three decades. To pull this off, airlines will be planning to fly planes at or near full passenger capacity and use cleaner burning fu...
‘Nothing to worry about’: Thailand seeks to ease fears of COVID-19 return
Market, World

‘Nothing to worry about’: Thailand seeks to ease fears of COVID-19 return

BANGKOK: Thailand sought to allay fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections on Thursday (Aug 20), after a woman tested positive having cleared quarantine nearly two months ago on returning from overseas. Thailand has gone 87 days without domestic transmission but news that a woman tested positive for COVID-19 in Bangkok on Tuesday, having returned from abroad on Jun 24, has triggered concern of a fresh outbreak in a country so far spared the level of contagion elsewhere. Authorities said the woman was unlikely to be contagious and may have caught the virus in the United Arab Emirates or her home province of Loei, bordering Laos. "She may have been infected in the past three months, probably in Dubai or Loei, but not Bangkok," Taweesin Wisanuyothin, spokesman for the governmen...
Fed officials expect that coronavirus will ‘weigh heavily’ on the economy, minutes show
Market, World

Fed officials expect that coronavirus will ‘weigh heavily’ on the economy, minutes show

Federal Open Market Committee members expressed concern at their latest meeting over the future of the economy, saying that the coronavirus likely would continue to stunt growth and potentially pose dangers to the financial system. At the July 28-29 session, the Federal Reserve's policymaking arm voted to keep short-term interest rates anchored near zero, citing an economy that was falling short of its pre-pandemic levels. Officials at the meeting "agreed that the ongoing public health crisis would weigh heavily on economic activity, employment, and inflation in the near term and was posing considerable risks to the economic outlook over the medium term," the meeting summary said. As Chairman Jerome Powell and Fed leaders have emphasized multiple times, the minutes noted a consensus on ...
A stress-free guide to credit cards: How to use them responsibly
Market, USA, World

A stress-free guide to credit cards: How to use them responsibly

There are a lot of perks that come with having a credit card, from the convenience of being able to pay for a purchase when you don't have cash to the chance to earn rewards on every dollar you spend. Having a credit card can also help you build your credit history, which is important if you want to one day apply for a mortgage or personal loan. While having a credit card can help you improve your credit score, it can also hurt it. It's essential to know how to use a credit card responsibly, spending within your means and paying off your balance in full and on time every month. Credit cards can come with high interest rates compared to other financial products like personal loans or student loans. And unlike installment loans, which have predictable monthly payments, you must keep track of...