World

Amid rising tensions, China suspends pineapples import from Taiwan
28Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

Amid rising tensions, China suspends pineapples import from Taiwan

China has abruptly suspended imports of pineapples from Taiwan to step up its economic pressure against the Taiwanese government.The Chinese General Administration of customs reported that from Monday, China will stop importing pineapples from Taiwan.“This move was a normal precaution to protect biosecurity and prevent the import of plant diseases,” said the spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office.Presidential Office spokesman Xavier Chang said that China’s action is “unfriendly.”Taiwan produces nearly 420,000 tonnes of pineapples every year. It had exported 6,200 batches to China since last year, with only 13 batches, totalling 141 tonnes, failing tests, meaning the qualification rate was 99.79 per cent.“Taiwan’s Council of Agriculture (COA) announced that it would spend NT$1 billi...
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US-China tensions over South China Sea to continue under Biden administration: Report
28Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

US-China tensions over South China Sea to continue under Biden administration: Report

With Chinese military conducting a live-fire drill to test its response to repeated missile attacks in a “far sea” and US stepping up reconnaissance activities, it seems that tensions between Beijing and Washington over the South China Sea will continue under the new Joe Biden administration.There are fresh signs from the Chinese and the American armed forces that tensions over the South China Sea will continue, according to media reports.The Chinese military’s Southern Theatre Command conducted a live-fire drill to test its response to repeated missile attacks in a “far sea”, state broadcaster CCTV reported on Saturday without saying when or where the exercise took place.The drill involved the guided-missile destroyer Yinchuan, guided-missile frigate Hengyang, the amphibious dock landing ...
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US moves bill to ban 10-year multiple-entry visa to China to curb “espionage”
28Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
China, World

US moves bill to ban 10-year multiple-entry visa to China to curb “espionage”

A group of US Republican senators have introduced a legislation to end China's access to 10-year multi-entry visas until it is certified that Beijing has ceased its campaign of "economic and industrial espionage" against Washington.The legislation, Visa Security Act, was introduced by Senators Marsha Blackburn, Tom Cotton, Rick Scott, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio on Friday.If passed, it would prohibit Chinese nationals from receiving 10-year B-1/B-2 visas until the Secretary of State certifies that China has "ceased its campaign of economic and industrial espionage against the United States and ended its provocative and coercive behaviour towards Taiwan."The B-1/B-2 visas are issued to those who come to the US for business, visit or tourism purposes.Under this legislation, Chinese citizens wo...
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India’s Rohit slams critics over Chennai pitch furore
26Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

India’s Rohit slams critics over Chennai pitch furore

Batsman Rohit Sharma took aim at critics who complained about the Chennai pitch in the second test against England, saying India were well within their rights to prepare a surface that assists spin. REUTERS: Batsman Rohit Sharma took aim at critics who complained about the Chennai pitch in the second test against England, saying India were well within their rights to prepare a surface that assists spin. India won the second test by 317 runs to level the series at 1-1 after England struggled to negotiate spin on a track where Rohit and Ravichandran Ashwin notched centuries in the first and second innings, respectively. Former Australia batsman Mark Waugh called the pitch unacceptable while former England captain Michael Vaughan described it as a beach but Rohit said home advantage me...
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COVID-19 ICU deaths have plunged, but progress may be stalling, study says
26Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

COVID-19 ICU deaths have plunged, but progress may be stalling, study says

COVID-19 treatments and improved hospital care have reduced death rates in intensive care by more than a third since the early months of the pandemic, but this progress might be stalling, according to research published Tuesday. Whereas medical staff in the first wave of the pandemic had few insights to help them tackle the new virus, they now have some effective drugs and therapies for treating severely ill patients. A large-scale meta-analysis of overall mortality of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units (ICUs) around the world, published in the journal Anaesthesia, found that it had fallen to 36% by October. An earlier analysis by the same authors found that ICU mortality had fallen from 60% in late March 2020 to 42% at the end of May. “After our first meta-analysis last year sh...
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Razer co-founder Lim Kaling exits investment in Myanmar after military coup
26Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

Razer co-founder Lim Kaling exits investment in Myanmar after military coup

SINGAPORE: Singapore gaming company Razer’s co-founder and director Lim Kaling said on Tuesday (Feb 9) that he will exit his investment in a tobacco firm in Myanmar after the military coup there caused him “grave concern". In a statement issued to the media, Mr Lim said he is disposing of his one-third stake in a joint venture that owns RMH Singapore, which in turn owns 49 per cent of Myanmar’s cigarette maker Virginia Tobacco Company. The businessman added that he has always been “a passive minority shareholder with no direct involvement” in the operations of Virginia Tobacco. Mr Lim also noted that this investment in Myanmar – his “only remaining” exposure in the country – was started nearly three decades ago under very different circumstances. “The joint venture I started wi...
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Here is the best prepaid card with no monthly fee
26Feb By Desk TeamNo Comments
World

Here is the best prepaid card with no monthly fee

Prepaid cards are an easy way to manage your spending since you preload a set amount of cash on the card before you use it. Parents, therefore, can benefit from prepaid cards because they can help them manage their kids spending money with a little less risk. But sometimes the fees on prepaid cards outweigh the benefits. We reviewed nearly a dozen prepaid cards and found it wasn't exactly easy to narrow our list down to cards with monthly fees under $10. The Bluebird® by American Express prepaid card is one option with no monthly fee and a $0 fee when you open your card online (or up to $5 in stores). This card is suitable for families, since users can open separate cards on the same account, called subaccounts, for their children ages 13 and up. There's also an easy-to-use mobile app to h...
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India hailed globally for providing COVID-19 vaccination assistance
25Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

India hailed globally for providing COVID-19 vaccination assistance

Leaders across the world have lauded the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the country’s efforts under its ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative to fight the covid-19 pandemic.Last month, India had dispatched a consignment of 50,000 doses of Covishield vaccine to Seychelles.Soon after receiving the vaccine, Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan in his state of the nation address on January 22, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for donating the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine.“I thank Prime Minister Modi and the Government of India for making us the first African country to which India has donated the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine,” he said.He further said, “We can give this vaccine to all our population including those who are above 60 years so once again thank you very much for help...
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India takes on Turkey, Pak & OIC over remarks on J&K at Human Rights Council
25Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

India takes on Turkey, Pak & OIC over remarks on J&K at Human Rights Council

At the ongoing session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), India launched a scathing attack against Pakistan, Turkey and Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for their remarks on Jammu and Kashmir, and reiterated that both Union Territories, Ladakh and J&K, are an integral part of India.Terming Turkey’s remarks regarding the situation in Kashmir and the implementation of UN resolutions as “completely unacceptable,” India said it is “ironical for a country which has trampled upon its own civil society to pass unjustified comments on other’s internal matters”.India also rejected the factually incorrect and unwarranted references to India in the OIC statement.Exercising the Right of Reply, Seema Pujani, Second Secretary, Permanent Mission of India said Turkey should p...
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India signs free trade agreement with Mauritius, delivers additional 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines
23Feb mmBy Mike TrudellNo Comments
World

India signs free trade agreement with Mauritius, delivers additional 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines

India on Monday signed free trade agreement along with five key pacts with Mauritius, making it the first such agreement with an African country.The agreement was signed during the visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to Mauritius. On the occasion, Jaishankar said India is privileged to have entered the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) with Mauritius.“This Agreement is India’s first-such Agreement with an African country as noted by the Prime Minister. It will provide a timely boost for the revival of our post-COVID economies and also enable Indian investors to use Mauritius as a launch-pad for business expansion into continental Africa helping the prospect of Mauritius emerging as a ‘hub of Africa’,” he said.CECPA will provide preferential ac...
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