India
China accuses India of discrimination over latest app ban
Beijing lashed out at India on Wednesday after it banned another tranche of Chinese apps for national security reasons, the latest sore point between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Tensions remain high between Beijing and New Delhi after a deadly June clash in a disputed border area that left 20 Indian soldiers dead and an unspecified number of Chinese casualties. India banned 43 Chinese apps on Tuesday — including some from e-commerce giant Alibaba — for threatening “sovereignty and integrity”. China said it had “serious concerns” about the move and India’s “so-called pretext of upholding national security”. “The relevant methods clearly violate market principles and WTO guidelines, and severely harm Chinese companies’ legal rights and interests,” said foreign ministry spokesman Zhao L...
Unknown treks in Asia: 10 offbeat trails
From remote corners of Bhutan to the lofty heights of Nepal, we profile some of the best unknown treks in Asia When it comes to exploration, ‘too late for the seas, too soon for the stars’ may best describe our current times. Legendary explorers like Drake and Magellan charted the seas long ago while Scott, Shackleton, Amundsen and their like did the same for remote lands. There’s a sense that our planet has been entirely measured and mapped; tamed, some might say. Even Everest – one of the most inhospitable places on Earth – has queues on its slopes. This is why I was thrilled last year to join a trek to K2 base camp including a crossing of Gondogoro La pass. In comparison to my earlier trip to Everest base camp, K2 felt far more remote. It left me craving for a taste of...
Coronavirus vaccine breakthrough raises hopes of rapid global rollout
A coronavirus vaccine developed by Britain’s University of Oxford and the pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca has shown successful results in early trials. If it is approved by regulators, the vaccine appears suitable for a fast rollout around the globe. Early analysis of trials involving 20,000 volunteers in Britain and Brazil show the vaccine is at least 62% effective after two doses. In volunteers given a different dosing regimen — a half dose, followed by a full dose — that figure rose to 90%. The average efficacy of the two dosing methods is 70%. None of those given the vaccine developed severe COVID-19 illness. Andrew Pollard, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said the recent successful trials of three different vaccines by Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, represent a...
Over 40 million people recover from coronavirus
More than two-thirds of the over 58 million people infected by COVID-19 across the world have recovered from the disease after treatment. The post Over 40 million people recover from coronavirus appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Tokyo reports record daily virus cases, outbreak locks down Australian state
Daily coronavirus cases in Tokyo and South Korea hit fresh highs on Wednesday, as pollution-cloaked New Delhi struggled with rising cases and Australia reported a highly contagious virus strain which forced a state-wide lockdown. The post Tokyo reports record daily virus cases, outbreak locks down Australian state appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Nigerian government committed to end open defecation – minister
The Minister of Environment, Dr. Mohammad Abubakar, has reiterated the commitment of the Federal Government to end open defecation in the country. The post Nigerian government committed to end open defecation – minister appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Six killed after soldiers, rebels clash in India
Three Indian soldiers and three suspected rebels were killed in fighting near the de facto Kashmir border with Pakistan, the army said Sunday, in the deadliest clash to hit the contested region in months. The fighting began early Sunday after soldiers detected “suspicious” movements in the northern forested Machil area near a military fence that marks the de facto border known as the Line of Control (LoC), Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. One Indian border guard and one suspected militants were killed in an initial exchange of gunfire before more troops were “rushed to the area”, he said in a statement. Two more soldiers and two more suspected rebels were later killed while two other injured troops were taken to hospital, Kalia added. The clash was the deadliest since April when nine suspected m...
US election: Kamala Harris calls Joe Biden
California Senator Kamala Harris has congratulated Joe Biden. The running mate called Joe by phone after Biden’s projection as winner. Harris, in sporty wear, said: “We did it Joe, you gonna be the next President of the United States”. We did it, @JoeBiden. pic.twitter.com/oCgeylsjB4 — Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 7, 2020 The lawmaker would become Vice President if Biden is officially declared winner. It would be a major win against racial and gender barriers in American politics. The 56-year-old is a daughter of immigrants from India and Jamaica. Harris will be the first woman, the first Black person, the first Indian American and the first Asian American to hold the office. She will also be the first graduate of a historically Black College and first member of a black sorority ...
The travel that changed me: Roz Watkins
From trekking in the hills of Kashmir to evading a rhino in India, author Roz Watkins tells us about the travel that changed her Roz Watkins is the author of the critically-acclaimed DI Meg Dalton crime series. Set in the Peak District, her novels are known for their extraordinary sense of place. Think moody moors, gnarled forests and creepy local lore. Her protagonist is spirited and sensitive, but what draws me most strongly to Roz’s work is her willingness to venture into the darker corners of society. In Cut to the Bone, Roz examines the practice of factory farming. Its horrors are writ large in the novel, but the moral heart of the story never hampers the action. In fact, the grisly realities only dial up the tension. We spoke to Roz about her latest book, why animal rights are ...
European Union backs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for WTO role
The European Union has endorsed former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation, Bloomberg reported. The business news outlet cited anonymous officials familiar with the matter that all the 27 EU member countries agreed on Monday in Brussels to support Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala. Bloomberg also reported that the United States has decided to back Yoo Myung-hee, South Korea’s trade minister, for the role. The position has been fiercely contested amongst candidates of different countries since Roberto Azevedo resigned in August. Last month, Okonjo-Iweala and Myung-hee were selected as the last two candidates in the contest. The EU’s endorsement is seen as a significant boost for Okonjo-Iweala’s candidacy, with the final winner expected...
Comedy Central Censored a Schitt’s Creek Gay Kiss Scene in India
Schitt’s Creek is currently airing on Comedy Central as part of a new syndication deal inked shortly before the beloved series made history at the 2020 Emmys. However, the TV network isn’t exactly broadcasting all of the episodes as intended — at least not around the world. According to Schitt’s Creek co-creator and star Dan Levy, Comedy Central in India has censored out a kiss between his character David Rose and Ted Mullens (Dustin Milligan). In a tweet on Tuesday, Levy called out the TV network and attached video proof of the doctored footage. The clip, meant to be a promo, focuses on the spin-the-bottle scene of the Season 5 episode “Housewarming”. While kisses between two women and between a man and a woman are shown, the one between two men — David and Ted — is edited out completely....
PTF warns against neglect of virus protocols
The Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 has warned against perceived neglect of the non-pharmaceutical protocols and other measures aimed at tackling the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country. The PTF chairman and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, gave the warning at the daily briefing by the PTF on Monday in Abuja. He said that there was increasing disregard for basic non-pharmaceutical measures that have proven to be very successful. He said face masks have now been turned into chin masks, social distancing and gatherings are returning to the pre-COVID era. Mustapha, however, called for vigilance in order to forestall any danger of second wave of the pandemic as the countries in Europe were currently facing. According to him, th...
