Taliban won’t agree to ceasefire unless reason behind war is discussed

The Taliban will not agree to a ceasefire unless peace negotiators discuss the main reason behind the war, said their spokesperson Mohommed Naeem

The Taliban will not agree to a ceasefire unless peace negotiators discuss the main reason behind the war, said their spokesperson Mohommed Naeem. The spokesperson claimed that the terrorist group reduced violence levels with the beginning of the preliminary round of talks but the government has not halted its “offensive operations, according to Tolo News. “It does not make sense to end 20 years of war in one hour. In our perspective, it will be logical to discuss the main aspects of the problems and the war and then finalise a ceasefire so that the problem is resolved permanently,” Mohammad Naeem told TOLOnews.

“Suppose, if we announce a ceasefire today, but then we fail to reach an agreement at the negotiating table tomorrow, do we go toward the war again? What does this mean?” he added. Naeem further said that the Taliban wants an Islamic system “that is answerable to the public and the nation”. “One of our objectives was to end the invasion of Afghanistan. The other one was that there is a true Islamic system that is answerable to the public and the nation,” Tolo News reported quoting the spokesperson.

Naeem said that despite the possibility of ups and downs in the negotiations, he is optimistic about the outcome of the talks between the two. “We have entered the peace process with a strong will and determination. We want this problem finally to be resolved. The process is complicated and it has its own complexities, but we are hopeful that the problems come to an end,” added Naeem…Read More

Anti-Corruption Bureau files Disproportionate Assets case against official

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a case of Disproportionate Assets to the lawful sources of income against Samudrala Krishna Reddy, Assistant Director of Agriculture in Peddapalli

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has filed a case of Disproportionate Assets to the lawful sources of income against Samudrala Krishna Reddy, Assistant Director of Agriculture in Peddapalli. The case filed on September 15, was in continuation of a case registered against him by ACB in 2019. The simultaneous searches conducted at his residence as well as of his relatives revealed that the accused amassed assets disproportionate to his lawful sources of income worth Rs 2,07,72,953, which include houses, residential plots, cash, and fixed deposits. Reddy was earlier arrested in the case and was released on bail. The case is under investigation.

Trump wants a vaccine by end of this year but the barriers are too high

But the administration has also offered timelines for a vaccine that fly in the face of almost every experience in pharmaceutical history

Every effort to develop a new medicine is like launching a ship across the ocean to hunt for riches. Over the years, we’ve improved the hulls and masts, the maps are better, the sailors more experienced. But even so, vessels get turned back or new lands are barren. And, sometimes, a squall takes down the boat and all her crew.

The Trump administration has set sail on one of the most ambitious vaccine development efforts in history. Operation Warp Speed is likely to deliver a Covid-19 inoculation in a fraction of the years it would usually take. If it does so, it could save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and economies around the world.

But the administration has also offered timelines for a corona vaccine that fly in the face of almost every experience in pharmaceutical history. On Tuesday night, President Donald Trump said a shot could be ready in three or four weeks. Then, on Wednesday, Paul Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at the Department of Health and Human Services and one of the senior leaders of the Warp Speed program, said every American could be vaccinated by the end of March.

Mango said that there are enough doses in production and that trials are moving at a speed so that “the combination of those two will permit us to vaccinate every American before the end of first quarter 2021.” A few hours later, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that “we do believe that it will be widely available by the end of” this year, though also referred to doses of the vaccine being production by then, as opposed to actually distributed.

Supreme Court to begin hearing SBI’s plea against Anil Ambani today

A banker said Ambani has objected to the SBI invoking personal guarantees under the Corporate Debtors Regulations, 2019

Indian lenders are keenly watching the outcome of a petition filed by State Bank of India (SBI) in the Supreme Court, which invoked the personal guarantees of Anil Ambani. The SC will hear the petition from Thursday. A banker said Ambani has objected to the SBI invoking personal guarantees under the Corporate Debtors Regulations, 2019. Till November, the IBC only covered Indian companies and not promoters. The new rules are applicable against the personal guarantors given to loans above Rs 1,000 crore or more by promoters.

“As Ambani’s will be the first case where personal guarantees have been invoked and is now in SC, it will decide the fate of 40 other top defaulters who were sent to NCLT since IBC law came into effect in 2017,” said a banker. In its petition to the SC, SBI said several promoters have moved the Delhi High Court after their personal guarantees have been invoked. The fate of dues worth Rs 45,000 crore, including to the Chinese banks, will be decided by the NCLT where the matter is still pending, and the personal guarantee matter will be heard by the top court.

On September 7, the SBI also invoked the personal guarantees of Sanjay Singal, promoter of Bhushan Power & Steel, as the company defaulted to loans worth Rs 48,000 crore. The debt resolution of the company is almost ready in the NCLT, with JSW Steel declared the highest bidder with a Rs 19,700-crore offer. The matter is currently pending in the SC after JSW Steel sought its intervention on not holding the firm liable for any criminal acts of the previous promoter. The SC will come out with its verdict on this issue this month.

Curriculum framework for teachers’ education to be developed under NEP 2020

Under the NEP, a new National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) will be formulated in the country, said Union Minister for Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

Under the National Education Policy (NEP), a new National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) will be formulated in the country, said Union Minister for Education, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank on Wednesday. The new and comprehensive NCFTE will be formulated by the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE) in consultation with the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), according to the Ministry of Education.

Earlier, Nishank had said that the government is taking multiple initiatives and actions for implementation of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. “The NEP 2020 has been finalised after a detailed consultation process with all stakeholders including State/UT Governments. As per National Education Policy 2020, implementation of the Policy requires multiple initiatives and actions, which will have to be taken by multiple bodies in a synchronized and systematic manner,” Pokhriyal said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

“Accordingly, this Ministry has communicated to all States/UT Governments for implementation of NEP 2020 in letter and spirit. Ministry of Education is also organising ‘ShikshakParv’ from September 8 to September 25, 2020, to deliberate on various themes and implementation of NEP 2020 aimed at eliciting suggestions,” he said.

Serum Institute gets DCGI nod to resume clinical trial of Oxford vaccine

DCGI gave permission to Serum Institute to resume clinical trial of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the country

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) Dr V G Somani on Tuesday gave permission to Serum Institute of India to resume clinical trial of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate in the country while revoking its earlier order of suspending any new recruitment for phase two and three trial.

The DCGI, however, put certain conditions like taking extra care during screening, providing additional information in informed consent and close monitoring for adverse events during follow-up of the study which have to be “scrupulously” followed by Serum Institute of India (SII). SII has also been asked to submit to the DCGI’s office details of medication used in accordance with the protocol for management of adverse events.

The DCGI had on September 11 directed Serum Institute of India to suspend any new recruitment in the phase two and three clinical trial of the Oxford COVID-19 vaccine candidate till further orders in the backdrop of pharma giant AstraZeneca pausing the clinical trials in other countries because of ”an unexplained illness” in a participant in the study. On Saturday, British-Swedish biopharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford said clinical trials for their coronavirus vaccine have resumed in the UK after the Medicines Health Regulatory Authority’s (MHRA) confirmed that the trials were safe…

India slams Pakistan for persecuting Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities

India described Pakistan as an epicenter of terrorism and said no one deserves unsolicited lecture on human rights from Islamabad

India on Tuesday described Pakistan as an epicenter of terrorism and said no one deserves unsolicited lecture on human rights from Islamabad that has consistently persecuted its ethnic and religious minorities including Hindus, Sikhs and Christians Exercising the Right of Reply to the statements made by Pakistan at the 45th session of Human Rights Council (HRC) here, the Indian representative said that it has become habitual for Pakistan to malign India with false and fabricated narratives for its self-serving malicious purposes.

“Neither India nor others deserve this unsolicited lecture on human rights from a country that has consistently persecuted its ethnic and religious minorities, is an epicenter of terrorism, has the distinction of providing pensions to individuals on UN Sanctions list and has a Prime Minister who proudly admits training tens of thousands of terrorists to fight in Jammu and Kashmir, the Indian diplomat said.

The diplomat said that it was not surprising that other relevant multilateral institutions have been raising serious concerns on Pakistan’s failure to stop terror financing and lack of effective actions against all terror entities in Pakistan. Highlighting the nefarious designs of Pakistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the diplomat said, “the mass influx of outsiders has whittled down the number of Kashmiris to an insignificant number in Pakistan occupied parts of Indian Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Laddakh…

US violated international trade rules with tariffs on China, says WTO

A panel of three WTO trade experts on Tuesday said the US broke international rules when it imposed tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018

The World Trade Organization undercut the main justification for US President Donald Trump’s trade war against China, saying that American tariffs on Chinese goods violate international rules. A panel of three WTO trade experts on Tuesday said the US broke international rules when it imposed tariffs on Chinese goods in 2018. Washington has imposed levies on more than $550 billion in Chinese exports.

The panel said in its report “that the United States had not met its burden of demonstrating that the measures are provisionally justified.” While the ruling bolsters Beijing’s claims, Washington can effectively veto the decision by lodging an appeal at any point in the next 60 days. That’s because the Trump administration has already paralyzed the WTO’s appellate body, a tactic that has rendered toothless the world’s foremost arbiter of trade.

Section 301

The dispute centers on the Donald Trump administration’s use of a 1970s-era US trade law to unilaterally launch its commercial conflict against China in 2018. China claimed the tariffs violated the WTO’s most-favored treatment provision because the measures failed to provide the same treatment to all WTO members. China also alleged the duties broke a key dispute-settlement rule that requires countries to first seek recourse from the WTO before imposing retaliatory measures against another country.

The US tariffs against China were authorised under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which empowers the president to levy tariffs and other import restrictions whenever a foreign country imposes unfair trade practices that affect US commerce. The Trump administration has claimed the tariffs were necessary to confront China’s widespread violations of intellectual property rights and forced technology transfer policies…

Japan’s Yoshihide Suga wins ruling party race to replace premier Shinzo Abe

The party, which has ruled mostly uninterrupted since 1955, was set to use its parliamentary majority to install Suga as prime minister in a separate vote Wednesday

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was elected leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party by an overwhelming majority, ushering in the country’s first change of prime minister in almost eight years. The party, which has ruled mostly uninterrupted since 1955, was set to use its parliamentary majority to install Suga as prime minister in a separate vote Wednesday.

Suga’s appointment will bring to an end the record run of his ailing boss, Shinzo Abe, who has served since 2012 and forged an identity on the global stage that the world’s third-largest economy had often lacked. “Amid the national crisis of the spreading coronavirus, we must not allow a political vacuum,” Suga told party lawmakers after the announcement, pledging to maintain Shinzo Abe’s key policies and bring reform to areas where it’s needed. “To make sure everyone in the country can feel reassured and live a stable life, we need to continue with Prime Minister Abe’s efforts.”

Suga inherits an economy in a grim state as Covid-19 reverses many of the gains of the past few years, effectively closing down what had been a growing inbound tourism industry. He has pledged to fight the virus while helping businesses stay afloat.

Suga has said he will continue the ultra-easy “Abenomics” monetary policy. He has said that more should be done on monetary and fiscal policy, if needed, to protect jobs and companies during the virus crisis. Suga has said reviving the economy should be prioritized over tackling debt at this point. Any sign of a departure from the path of Abenomics could send the yen surging and stocks sliding, triggering a re-evaluation of the outlook for the nation.

India says it provided medicine amid Covid while China, Pak took advantage

The Fund, established in 2017, has so far supported 59 projects in 48 countries, through USD 47.8 million in contributions from a USD 150 million multi-year pledge by the Indian govt

In a thinly-veiled reference to Pakistan and China, India on Monday said that when some countries are busy taking undue advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing their support to terrorism or to adopt aggressive policies, New Delhi has focussed on immediately extending medical assistance and supporting countries vulnerable to the pandemic.

The remarks by India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti came while addressing the 3rd anniversary of the India-UN Development Partnership Fund at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN. The Fund, established in 2017, has so far supported 59 projects in 48 countries, through USD 47.8 million in contributions from a USD 150 million multi-year pledge by the Government of India.

“At a time when some countries are busy taking undue advantage of COVID-19 to spread divisive disinformation or to enhance even more their support to terrorism or to adopt aggressive policies, India’s answer has been to immediately come to the support of countries vulnerable to the pandemic, rush urgently needed medical supplies, strengthen national health capacities and mitigate the diverse socio-economic impact of this crisis, Tirumurti said…

Fresh floods in four districts of Assam hit 34,000 people, one killed

After over a month, fresh floods in four Assam districts have affected 34,000 people besides killing one person, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said on Monday.

After over a month, fresh floods in four Assam districts have affected 34,000 people besides killing one person, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) officials said on Monday. A man drowned in Jia Bharali river in Biswanath district. The ASDMA officials said that as many as 34,000 people from 109 villages in Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Biswanath and Chirang districts in eastern Assam have been affected. The floods, caused by incessant rain in the past few days, also inundated 4,200 hectares of crop land besides submerging the low lying areas.

Like previous years, Assam until the first week of August witnessed devastating floods that killed 113 people in 22 districts, while 26 others were killed in landslides since May 22. With a respite in monsoon rains, the situation significantly improved in the first week of August even as 57 lakh people were affected in 5,378 villages in 30 of the state’s 33 districts.

A six-member Central team led by Sandeep Poundrik, Joint Secretary (Mitigation), National Disaster Management Authority, had visited Assam last month to assess the damage caused by the floods, which also killed domestic and wild animals in various sanctuaries and national parks, including the world-famous Kaziranga National Park, where 18 rhinos and 135 wild animals died due to the deluge…

China laying cables to bolster communications at border flashpoint: India

Such cables, which would provide forward troops with secure lines of communication to bases in the rear, have recently been spotted to the south of Pangong Tso lake

Two Indian officials said Chinese troops were laying a network of optical fibre cables at a western Himalayan flashpoint with India, suggesting they were digging in for the long haul despite high-level talks aimed at resolving a standoff there. Such cables, which would provide forward troops with secure lines of communication to bases in the rear, have recently been spotted to the south of Pangong Tso lake in the Himalayan region of Ladakh, a senior government official said.

China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to questions on the matter from Reuters, while defence officials could not immediately be reached for comment. Thousands of Indian and Chinese troops backed by tanks and aircraft are locked in an uneasy stalemate along a 70 km-long front to the south of the lake. Each country has accused the other of escalating the standoff. A third Indian official said on Monday that there had been no significant withdrawals or reinforcements on either side since the foreign ministers of the two countries met last week. “It is as tense as earlier,” he said.

Above Leh, Ladakh’s main city, Indian fighter planes flew throughout the morning, their engines booming and echoing across the valley surrounded by brown, barren mountains. “Our biggest worry is that they have laid optical fibre cables for high-speed communications,” the first official said, referring to the lake’s southern bank, where Indian and Chinese troops are only a few hundred metres apart at some points…Read More

Ex-JNU student leader Umar Khalid arrested in connection with Delhi riots

He was questioned by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for a couple of hours on September 2 in connection with the riots

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader Umar Khalid was arrested late on Sunday night for his alleged role in the northeast Delhi riots, sources said on Sunday. He was questioned by the Delhi Police Crime Branch for a couple of hours on September 2 in connection with the riots.

Khalid was earlier booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in another case related to the riots. He was also quizzed by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police earlier regarding an alleged conspiracy behind the riots.

His mobile phone was also seized by the police. Communal clashes had broken out in northeast Delhi on February 24 after violence between supporters of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and those against the legislation spiralled out of control, leaving at least 53 people dead and around 200 injured….

Samsung to launch Galaxy S20 Fan edition at Galaxy Unpacked event on Sep 23

The Galaxy S20 Fan edition is expected to be a new variant in the company’s Galaxy S20-series

Samsung is hosting another Galaxy Unpacked event on September 23 where the South Korean electronics maker is likely to launch the Galaxy S20 Fan edition smartphone. Titled ‘Galaxy Unpacked for Every Fan’, the virtual event will livestream on company’s web portal.

The Galaxy S20 Fan edition is expected to be a new variant in the company’s Galaxy S20-series. The phone is expected to features a 6.5-inch super AMOLED screen of fullHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. Like other Samsung premium smartphones, the Galaxy S20 Fan edition would be based on two different mobile platforms — Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 system-on-chip and Exynos 990. The model with Qualcomm chip is expected to feature 5G connectivity, whereas, the Exynos 990 model would be targeted to International markets like India where 5G is still work in progress.

ALSO READ: Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus review: Wholesome package justifies premium pricing

The Galaxy S20 Fan edition would come in 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. Unlike the exisiting Galaxy S20-series, the Fan edition would use LPDDR4 RAM and UFS 2.1 storage. As for the optics, the smartphone would feature a triple-camera set-up on the back with 12-megapixel wide, ultra-wide and telephoto sensors. On the front, the phone is expected to feature a 32MP sensor in a punch-hole format screen.

Oracle to take charge of TikTok’s US biz; may help ByteDance avoid ban

Microsoft announced Sunday that its bid to buy TikTok has been rejected

The owner of TikTok has chosen Oracle over Microsoft as its preferred suitor to buy the popular video-sharing app, according to a source familiar with the deal.Under the proposed deal, Oracle will be ByteDance’s technology partner and will assume management of TikTok’s U. S. user data, the sources said. Oracle is also negotiating taking a stake in TikTok’s U. S. operations, the sources added. Some of ByteDance’s top backers, including investment firms General Atlantic and Sequoia, will also be given minority stakes in TikTok’s U. S. operations under the proposed deal, one of the sources said.Microsoft announced Sunday that its bid to buy TikTok has been rejected, removing a leading suitor for the Chinese-owned app a week before President Donald Trump promises to follow through with a plan to ban it in the US.

Microsoft said in a Sunday statement that TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, let us know today they would not be selling TikTok’s US operations to Microsoft. The Trump administration has threatened to ban TikTok by mid-September and ordered ByteDance to sell its US business, claiming national-security risks due to its Chinese ownership. The government worries about user data being funneled to Chinese authorities. TikTok denies it is a national-security risk and is suing to stop the administration from the threatened ban….

iPhone makers among biggest winners in India’s $6.6 bn manufacturing plan

At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Indian government is expected to approve a plan aimed at bringing $150 billion in mobile-phone production over the next five years

Apple Inc.’s major iPhone assemblers are among the companies expected to win approval to participate in a $6.6 billion stimulus program to bring manufacturing to India, according to people familiar with the matter, a potentially seismic shift as the world’s most valuable company diversifies beyond China.

At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Indian government is expected to approve a plan aimed at bringing $150 billion in mobile-phone production over the next five years, said the people, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. Among the dozen phonemakers already cleared by a high-powered government committee are Apple’s primary supplier Foxconn Technology Group, which had submitted two applications, and peers Wistron Corp. and Pegatron Corp., the people said. The three companies make virtually every iPhone sold globally in sprawling factories currently located mainly in China.

Under the Production Linked Incentive program, or PLI as it’s called, manufacturing incentives will rise each year in an ongoing effort to entice the world’s biggest smartphone brands to make their products in India and export to the world. Besides the Apple contractors, Samsung Electronics Co. is the only other applicant for the five slots allotted to foreign companies. China’s largest phonemakers Huawei Technologies Co. and BBK Group, which manufactures brands like Oppo and Vivo, are conspicuous by their absence.

Pakistan raises Ayodhya to cover its treatment of minorities: India at UN

India has accused Pakistan of spreading a “culture of violence” and suppressing the rights of minorities while Islamabad brings up the Ayodhya temple construction at the General Assembly

India has accused Pakistan of spreading a “culture of violence” and suppressing the rights of minorities while Islamabad brings up the Ayodhya temple construction at the General Assembly. “Talk of ‘culture of peace’ from the delegation of Pakistan is nothing but a decoy to divert attention from their own shameful records” on the treatment of minorities “continues to foment a ‘culture of violence’ at home and across its borders”, Paulomi Tripathi, a counsellor at India’s UN Mission said on Thursday.

“Before making absurd allegations against India, where equal rights of people of all faiths are guaranteed by the constitution, the delegation of Pakistan must do itself a favour of looking at their own system and records of protecting minorities,” she said in response to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram’s remarks about Ayodhya and Kashmir.

She accused Akram of exploiting the Assembly’s High-Level Forum on the Culture of Peace as a “platform for hate speech against India”. She said that “Pakistan’s deplorable human rights records and discriminatory treatment of religious and ethnic minorities is a cause of persistent concern for international community”, and listed Islamabad’s main transgressions.

“Blasphemy laws are used against religious minorities such as Hindus, Christians and Sikhs, to violate their human rights and dignity. Women and girls remain particularly vulnerable as they are abducted, raped, forcefully converted and married to their violators. The pandemic has aggravated the situation.”

Covid-19: Hospitals to get 80% oxygen cylinders, says Uddhav Thackeray

Uddhav Thackeray has said the state government has decided to provide 80% oxygen cylinders to hospitals and 20% to industries

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has said that in view of the WHO’s warning that COVID-19 cases will be on the rise in the coming days, the state government has decided to provide 80 per cent oxygen cylinders to hospitals and 20 per cent to industries.

He also said that although there were only a handful of testing laboratories in the state when the outbreak began, their number has now grown to 550. Uddhav Thackeray said this while inaugurating a testing laboratory and six COVID Care centres in Navi Mumbai on Thursday.

“Considering the warning given by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that the number of COVID-19 cases will rise in the coming days, the state government has decided to provide 80 per cent oxygen cylinders to hospitals and the remaining 20 per cent to industries,” an official release quoted him as saying.

“This distribution of oxygen cylinders will be done through a centralised system,” he said. The state government is creating a large number of health facilities to tackle the pandemic, he said.”But despite the excellent quality of medical facilities, people are skeptical about them. Therefore, the agencies should make efforts to increase the credibility in the minds of people towards the facilities,” Thackeray said….

Hackers from Russia, China targeting US Presidential campaigns: Microsoft

Microsoft said that it has spotted multiple cyberattacks from Russia, China and Iran on individuals and organisations involved in the ongoing presidential campaigns in the United States

The tech giant Microsoft said on Thursday that it has spotted multiple cyberattacks from Russia, China and Iran on individuals and organisations involved in the ongoing presidential campaigns in the United States.

“In recent weeks, Microsoft has detected cyberattacks targeting people and organisations involved in the upcoming presidential election, including unsuccessful attacks on people associated with both the Trump and Biden campaigns,” the company said on its blog. “The activity we are announcing today makes clear that foreign activity groups have stepped up their efforts targeting the 2020 election as had been anticipated.”..

Jaishankar-Wi meet: India, China agree on 5-point plan to resolve standoff

The Indian Army and the Chinese PLA have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since early May

India and China have agreed on a five-point plan for resolving the prolonged border face-off in eastern Ladakh that included abiding by all existing agreements and protocol on management of the frontier, maintaining peace and tranquility and avoiding any action that could escalate matters. The two countries agreed to the plan during talks between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow on Thursday evening on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meet.

The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army(PLA) have been locked in a tense standoff in multiple areas along the Line of Actual Control(LAC) in eastern Ladakh since early May. The Ministry of External Affairs(MEA) issued a joint press statement early on Friday featuring five points which were agreed by both the sides at the “frank and constructive” discussions by the two ministers.

“The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed, therefore, that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions,” it said…India China Border Row

Black Lives Matter: Firms pledge to add at least 1 Black director to board

More than a dozen companies are promising to add at least one Black director to their boards, as businesses across America slowly get their leadership to look more like the customers they serve.

Black Lives Matter: More than a dozen companies, including Zillow and M M LaFleur, are promising to add at least one Black director to their boards within the next year, as businesses across America slowly get their leadership to look more like the customers they serve.

The companies all made the pledge as part of the launch of an initiative by The Board Challenge, which is pushing to get more diversity into boardrooms. The Board Challenge’s co-founders will check in with each of them after six months and again at 12 months to monitor their progress, while also helping them to find candidates.

“America has been reminded again in tragic fashion that we must redouble our efforts to build a more inclusive society,” Brad Gerstner, CEO of Altimeter Capital and a co-founder of The Board Challenge, said in a statement. “Business leaders can’t let this moment pass us by without playing our part and taking this tangible step to build a more diverse boardroom.”

Companies have been making slow progress in getting people who aren’t white men into leadership positions. Across the big companies in the S&P 500 index, more than a third did not have a single Black director in 2019, according to Black Enterprise. The rate of 37 per cent was down slightly from 39 per cent a year before. In many cases, forces outside the companies are pushing for better representation in the board room and in senior executive ranks.

California wildfire explodes, burning across 25 miles in day

A Northern California wildfire burning for more than three weeks roared to life after being stoked by high winds, spreading at a ferocious rate across an estimated 40 kilometres of mountainous terrain

A Northern California wildfire burning for more than three weeks roared to life after being stoked by high winds, spreading at a ferocious rate across an estimated 40 kilometres of mountainous terrain and parched foothills and destroying an untold number of homes. As thick smoke choked the air on Wednesday and cast an eerie orange hue across much of the region, thousands of people in communities near Oroville were ordered to evacuate. The fire even threatened the town of Paradise that was devastated just two years ago by the deadliest blaze in state history, causing a panic that led to a traffic jam as residents tried to escape.

Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said the fire had conservatively burned about 1,036 square kilometers in 24 hours. “The unbelievable rates of spread now being observed on these fires it is historically unprecedented,” Swain tweeted. The North Complex fire was one of more than two dozen in the state, including three of five largest ever as wildfires burned across parts of the West amid gusty, dry conditions. Forecasters said some weather relief was in sight that could help firefighters overwhelmed by the blazes.

In Washington, more acres burned in a single day than firefighters usually see all year. Fires also forced people to flee homes in Oregon and Idaho. A blast of polar air helped slow wildfires in Colorado and Montana.Since the middle of August, fires in California have killed eight people, destroyed more than 3,600 structures, burned old growth redwoods, charred chaparral and forced evacuations in communities near the coast, in wine country and along the Sierra Nevada.

Indian soldiers tells Chinese troops to stop incursion, put up barbed wires

Indian soldiers have set up barbed wire obstacles at points where Chinese troops have come a few metres away from their positions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh

Indian soldiers have set up barbed wire obstacles at points where Chinese troops have come a few metres away from their positions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. India has warned against attempts to enter its territory as Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops, armed with medieval-type weapons, have been making multiple attempts to take over Indian-held positions.

Apart from setting obstacles to avoid further escalation at the LAC and dissuade the Chinese side from provocative and aggressive movements, India has also warned it will retaliate if Chinese troops continue to make incursion attempts.

India’s clear message was given when Indian and Chinese military representatives met on Wednesday to amicably de-escalate tension at the LAC in eastern Ladakh, sources said. The meeting, however, remained “inconclusive” and the talks will continue.PLA troops had made an attempt to dislodge Indian soldiers from their positions at the LAC on Monday and warning shots were also fired.

Sources also said that India clearly stated during Wednesday’s meeting that if Chinese troops would carry out provocative military movements, Indian soldiers will retaliate. India had found that China started fresh build up at the finger area north of Pangong Tso (lake). The deployments of PLA troops have increased since Tuesday evening. They are also bringing in more material and logistics items…Read More

Covid-19: Serum Institute to halt trial of Oxford vaccine after DCGI notice

On Tuesday, AstraZeneca had decided to stop trials after a participant fell sick with an unexplained illness.

In a major turn of events, the Indian drug regulator on Wednesday issued a show cause notice to Serum Institute of India (SII), which had earlier said it would proceed with clinical trials of AZD1222, the vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford, despite a halt on the same by AstraZeneca in the UK. On Tuesday, the British-Swedish drug major had decided to stop trials after a participant fell sick with an unexplained illness. Reacting to the show cause notice, a Serum spokesperson said:

“We were going by the DCGI’s direction, and so far had not been told to pause trials. If the DCGI has any safety concerns, we will follow their instructions and abide by the standard protocols.” Earlier during the day, the company had said that as far as Indian trials were concerned, they would continue as SII had faced “no issues at all”.

Investigators here, however, had expressed concerns during the day. The lead investigator of one of the clinical trial sites in western India had said trials here should have, ideally, been paused as it was the same vaccine being administered to volunteers. The person added that investigators were waiting to hear from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and SII on this. In a strongly worded show cause notice to SII, V G Somani, the DCGI, asked the Pune-based firm why the permission granted to it on August 2 should not be suspended till “patient safety is established”…Read More