USA

‘Flipkart opens avenues for Nepali sellers as well as consumers’
12Sep By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
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, ...
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It’s time for western universities to cut their ties to China
11Sep By Brian ThompsonNo Comments
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...
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Imported seed varieties to soar tomato production in India’s Kashmir
9Sep By Joe RodriguezNo Comments
Asia, USA

Imported seed varieties to soar tomato production in India’s Kashmir

With an aim to boost the production of tomatoes in the Kashmir valley, scientists of the Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agriculture Science and Technology (SKUAST) have imported seeds from different countries."Currently, 122 varieties of tomatoes brought from the USA, Germany Poland, Peru, Bulgaria and different states of India also are available in the high-tech Polly houses of the university where scientists are doing different experiments in the shape of exchange the plasma for better results," said Dr Rizwan Rashid, Assistant Professor-cum scientist at SKUAST.Rashid said that these tomato plants are different from the local varieties and are growing fast with a large number of other crops. He further said that they get funding from the Centre's Indian Council of Agricultural Research and...
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As uncertainty threatens US growth, Fed seeks more firepower
6Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

As uncertainty threatens US growth, Fed seeks more firepower

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. A year ago, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned fellow central bankers of the significant risks posed by trade policy uncertainty, and the lack of precedents for monetary policy in the face of those unknowns. REUTERS: A year ago, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warned fellow central bankers of the significant risks posed by trade policy uncertainty, and the lack of precedents for monetary policy in the face of those unknowns. As Powell this week prepares to address the Fed's annual central bankers' conference - usually held in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, but being conducted virtually this year because of the ongoing COVID-19 pan...
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UK economy slumps 20% in Q2 due to COVID-19, unemployment fears mount
5Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

UK economy slumps 20% in Q2 due to COVID-19, unemployment fears mount

LONDON: Britain's economy shrank by a record 20.4 per cent between April and June when the coronavirus lockdown was tightest, official figures published on Wednesday (Aug 12) showed. It was the largest contraction reported by any major economy so far, and a wave of job losses is set to hit later in 2020. Official figures also showed the world's sixth-biggest economy entered a recession as it shrank for a second quarter in a row. There were signs of a recovery in the month of June when output grew by 8.7 per cent from May, the Office for National Statistics said, just above economists' average expectation in a Reuters poll for an 8 per cent rise. Some analysts, however, said this likely reflected a catch-up in activity suppressed during lockdown. The scale of the hit to gross...
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Commentary: Green offsets let polluting airlines off the hook
4Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
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...
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COVID-19 has prompted stimulus measures, but Southeast Asian governments may be missing the chance to go green: Experts
4Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
Asia, Singapore, USA, World

COVID-19 has prompted stimulus measures, but Southeast Asian governments may be missing the chance to go green: Experts

Governments around the world are injecting money into their respective economies amid the pandemic. In Southeast Asia though, analysis shows little of those funds are being earmarked for green projects. BANGKOK: Earlier this month, a group of diplomats, politicians and journalists gathered at the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok to discuss an issue of global importance - how to manage a green recovery from COVID-19. This year was meant to be a critical year, they argued, for tackling climate change, where big decisions would be made and transformative policies imagined to avoid future calamity. Instead, they noted that major climate conferences had been postponed and a crisis of potentially staggering magnitude had drifted back to being tomorrow’s problem. The event, hosted by the em...
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A stress-free guide to credit cards: How to use them responsibly
3Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
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...
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‘We’re trapped’: Californians now face the dual nightmare of wildfires and a pandemic
3Sep By Desk TeamNo Comments
USA, World

‘We’re trapped’: Californians now face the dual nightmare of wildfires and a pandemic

Kena Hudson's 7-year-old son Clarence has asthma that's sometimes landed him in the hospital. Typically, when wildfire season starts in Northern California, he'll stay indoors but continue to see friends and attend school. This year, a record spell of wildfires is blanketing much of the state in smoke. Facing a dual threat of reduced air quality coupled with a coronavirus pandemic, Clarence will have to stay indoors around-the-clock. "We're in a pandemic and a heat wave, and we don't have air conditioning," said Hudson, who's based in Oakland, where temperatures are usually mild. "We can't open up the window, we're trapped, we're hot and no one can come over to play." Californians across the state are now facing a crisis across multiple fronts. As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, lightni...
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US must end trade deal with China: East Turkistan National Awakening activists
2Sep By Michael SmithNo Comments
China, USA

US must end trade deal with China: East Turkistan National Awakening activists

In view of China’s consistent engagement in “genocide, organ harvesting and using slave labour of Uyghurs”, the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement has urged the US Trade Representative to ends its trade deal with Beijing and officially recognize the genocide of Uyghur Muslims.“The @USTradeRep must END its #TradeDeal with #China. #America shouldn’t engage in trade with #CCP regime that is engaging in genocide, organ harvesting & using #SlaveLabor of #Uyghurs. We urge the @WhiteHouse to officially recognize the #UyghurGenocide & take ACTION to STOP it,” the East Turkistan National Awakening Movement said in a tweet.Over the years, Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang have been tortured with the objective of eradicating their ethnic identity and the population.According to multiple rep...
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