USA

Relief efforts should cushion economy in months ahead, White House report says
26Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Market, USA, World

Relief efforts should cushion economy in months ahead, White House report says

WASHINGTON: Increased transfer payments and expanded liquidity measures aimed at companies should help buffer U.S. households and businesses from the worst of the economic crisis unleashed by the coronavirus pandemic in coming months, the White House Council of Economic Advisers said in a report on Thursday. Nonetheless, the economy would recover faster and with less scarring if agreement were reached on additional support, Tyler Goodspeed, the CEA's acting chair, told reporters in a briefing on the report. Republicans and Democrats in Congress are at an impasse over the size of another coronavirus aid package, with talks having broken down in the past week. "Very substantial headwinds remain," Goodspeed said. "What is going to be absolutely essential for continued economic recovery...
Read More
‘We must fight’: Thailand’s youth take on the establishment
25Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

‘We must fight’: Thailand’s youth take on the establishment

BANGKOK: Leaderless, social media-savvy and inspired by Hong Kong's young activists, Thailand's budding pro-democracy movement is intent on overhauling the government, rewriting the constitution and even taking on a law that shields the monarchy. The kingdom has seen a decades-long spin-cycle of coups and violent street protests led by well-funded veterans for or against the establishment. But the new generation of demonstrators says its fight is very different, as they stage near-daily protests with crowds of up to several thousand angry young Thais. "I just want my rights," said 20-year-old Rawee, real name Nawiboon Chompoo, who helps fire up rallies with chants for reform and by burning pictures of the country's prime minister. "The government is unreliable and bad for the peopl...
Read More
Brazil indigenous leader Aritana dead from COVID-19
25Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Brazil indigenous leader Aritana dead from COVID-19

related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. 2 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. GOIANIA, Brazil: Chief Aritana Yawalapiti, one of Brazil's most influential indigenous leaders who led the people of Upper Xingu in central Brazil and helped create an indigenous park there, died on Wednesday (Aug 5) from COVID-19, his family said in a statement. His death underscores the threat that Brazil's indigenous people are facing from the novel coronavirus pandemic that has spread to their vulnerable communities, infected thousands and killed hundreds. Aritana, 71, was rushed to a Goiânia hospital two weeks ago in a risky 9-hour drive from the western state of Mato Grosso, breathing with the aid of oxygen tanks so that he ...
Read More
Facebook executive in India files police complaint after report on content practices
22Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Facebook executive in India files police complaint after report on content practices

NEW DELHI: A top Facebook executive in India has filed a police complaint in New Delhi saying she is receiving death threats after a media report said she and the U.S. social network company allegedly favoured Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party. Ankhi Das, Facebook's top public-policy executive in India, in her complaint to Delhi police, as reported by Indian media, said the threats followed a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report that said she opposed applying Facebook's hate-speech rules to a politician from Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and some other Hindu nationalist individuals and groups. Das said that after the WSJ report last week some individuals online had "intentionally vilified" her due to their political affiliations and were engaging in abuse. "I am extremel...
Read More
J&K Lt Governor seeks Centre’s intervention in apple sale
21Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

J&K Lt Governor seeks Centre’s intervention in apple sale

Jammu and Kashmir’s Lt Governor GC Murmu has taken it upon himself to highlight the issues faced by apple growers who haven't been able to sell their crop because of the coronavirus induced lockdown.In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Lt Governor Murmu has demanded an extension of the Market Intervention Scheme under which the government procures the produce."The breakout of COVID-19 has disrupted the market supply chain yet again and has created unique challenges for marketing apples. This has necessitated the extension of scheme for at least one more year. I request the Government of India to extend the market intervention scheme for apple of Jammu and Kashmir for 2020-21. An agreed implementation mechanism with NAFED is already in place," Murmu said in the lette...
Read More
Trump administration finalizes oil drilling plan in Alaska wildlife refuge
21Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

Trump administration finalizes oil drilling plan in Alaska wildlife refuge

related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. 2 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery. The Trump administration on Monday finalized a plan to allow oil and gas drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, putting it on track to issue decades-long leases in the pristine wilderness area before a potential change in U.S. leadership. REUTERS: The Trump administration on Monday finalized a plan to allow oil and gas drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, putting it on track to issue decades-long leases in the pristine wilderness area before a potential change in U.S. leadership. The energy industry and Alaska Governor Michael Dunleavy said opening ANWR to drilling would create jobs and boost the state'...
Read More
‘We are a battleground now’: In Southeast Asia, U.S.-China tensions flare on social media
19Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, China, Singapore, USA, World

‘We are a battleground now’: In Southeast Asia, U.S.-China tensions flare on social media

Tensions between the United States and China over the South China Sea have erupted into a war of words on social media, in what analysts see as a change in U.S. strategy amid a burgeoning superpower rivalry in Southeast Asia. After Washington last week hardened its position by explicitly rejecting Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea, U.S. embassies in the region produced an unprecedented flurry of op-eds and statements criticizing Beijing's actions. China's response was fiery, accusing Washington of "defaming China with untrue words so as to mislead the public" in the region. "We are a battleground now," Renato de Castro, an analyst with the Albert Del Rosario Institute for Strategic and International Relations in the Philippines, told Reuters by phone. "It will be a long gam...
Read More
New company by Temasek, Bayer to develop vegetable seed varieties for vertical farming
19Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Singapore, USA, World

New company by Temasek, Bayer to develop vegetable seed varieties for vertical farming

SINGAPORE: Singapore state investment firm Temasek has joined hands with the impact investment arm of German pharmaceutical and chemical maker Bayer to form a company that aims to develop new varieties of vegetable seeds better suited for indoor vertical farms. The new company, Unfold, will be headquartered in Davis, California, and plans to have commercial and research and development (R&D) operations in both the United States and Singapore. Unfold has raised US$30 million from Temasek and Bayer in its initial funding round, which will go into getting its R&D capabilities in place, said CEO John Purcell on Wednesday (Aug 12). “Initially, Bayer and Temasek have equal ownership of Unfold, but this may change over time. Unfold has the flexibility to seek investment from other compan...
Read More
Kashmiri youth avail PMEGP scheme to create new opportunities
4Aug By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

Kashmiri youth avail PMEGP scheme to create new opportunities

Zahoor Ahmad is one of the many people to establish livelihood means through the government’s employment generation scheme. As Covid-19 crisis gripped the Kashmir Valley, his garment-manufacturing unit, in South Kashmir's Pulwama, manufactured thousands of face masks for the people of the region."When this virus came, we made about 80,000 face masks after district administration placed an order with us," says Ahmad.The Khadi Village Industries Board (KVIB) helped him establish the factory, where other youth also work.After the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, several governmental schemes have reached Kashmir and benefitted many like Ahmad, who borrowed a loan under Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).PMEGP is a credit-linked subsidy programme aimed at generatin...
Read More
Asia’s garment workers say COVID-19 used as cover to smash unions
3Aug By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, USA, World

Asia’s garment workers say COVID-19 used as cover to smash unions

BANGKOK: From factory floors in India to the warehouses of Cambodia, garment workers for global brands say the collapse in demand triggered by COVID-19 is being used as a cover to break their unions. The crippling effect of the pandemic has seen orders worth billions of dollars cancelled across manufacturing hubs in China, Bangladesh, India, Cambodia and Myanmar. That has left hundreds of thousands out of work in some of Asia's poorest countries. But workers allege the financial turmoil has also provided an opportunity for bosses to target troublesome shop floors where unions have pressed for higher wages and better conditions. In southern India's Karnataka state - home to 20 per cent of India's massive garment manufacturing sector - union leader Padma has sat every day cross-legge...
Read More