The US is arguably India's most comprehensive security partner.

The collaboration extends in areas such as intelligence, maritime ties, space exploration and cyber cooperation.

The US Is also perhaps India's most comprehensive economic partner if we take into consideration research and development, education, technology, employment, energy and health care.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-history-of-india-us-strategic-ties-371791/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

This partnership has progressed at a time when almost every other major bilateral relationship be it with adversaries or allies has experienced immense challenges.&nbsp;

India is that rare country in which both the Republicans and Democrats are on the same page.

In fact, both parties compete to project themselves as a better partner for India.

But how were the contours of this strategic partnership drawn?

And how have the ties between the largest democracy and the oldest one evolved over the years? Our report attempts to find out.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/decoding-washingtons-game-plan-as-us-defence-secretary-arrives-in-india-371783">Decoding Washington's game plan as US Defence Secretary arrives in India</a>

In October 1949, India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru went on a multi-week tour of the US.&nbsp;

He was hosted by US President Harry S Truman.

Just before the visit, India had formally proclaimed neutrality in the developing Cold War by spearheading the Non-Aligned Movement.

This laid the groundwork for the US's relationship with India and left room for friendly ties between Delhi and Moscow.&nbsp;

In December 1959, Dwight Eisenhower became the first serving US President to visit New Delhi.

Eisenhower's visit helped India acquire adequate financial assistance and achieve reasonable stability during the Cold War.

Since then seven US presidents have visited India and nine Indian PMs have visited the US.&nbsp;

But a strategic partnership between the two democracies emerged only in 2010.

In June 2010, the US and India formally convened the first-ever strategic dialogue when a large and high-ranking delegation of Indian officials visited Washington DC.&nbsp;

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called India "an indispensable partner" and the US President Barack Obama called the relationship "a defining partnership in the 21st century".

In November 2010, Obama visited India and addressed the countrý's parliament.

He also backed India's long-held bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and also announced 14.9 billion dollars in trade deals.&nbsp;

In the years that followed the strategic partnership only grew further.&nbsp;

In 2011, India and the US signed an MoU on cybersecurity cooperation.

The very next year the US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta visited India to boost Obama's "pivot to Asia" plan.&nbsp;

In 2014, the newly-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a high-profile visit to the US where agreements were signed.&nbsp;

Obama attended India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015.&nbsp;

In 2017, the then US President Donald Trump welcomed Modi at the White House.

The joint statements emphasised the existing defence partnership and counter-terrorism efforts.

In 2018, India and the US signed the COMCASA which gave India access to the US's advanced defence technology. &nbsp;

Trump made his first and last visit to India as US president in 2020 in which New Delhi agreed to purchase US military equipment worth three billion dollars.

Currently, the India-US Strategic partnership is a broad-based and multi-sectoral affair and this is irrespective of who is in the White House.

New Delhi and Washington have been called natural allies with shared democratic values.

Last week, the first-ever Quad leaders' summit underscored this and now with the arrival of the US Defence Secretary in New Delhi, they're turning another page in both countries strategic partnership. 
&nbsp;

The US is arguably India's most comprehensive security partner. The collaboration extends in areas such as intelligence, maritime ties, space exploration and cyber cooperation.

The US is arguably India's most comprehensive security partner. The collaboration extends in areas such as intelligence, maritime ties, space exploration and cyber cooperation. The US Is also perhaps India's most comprehensive economic partner if we take into consideration research and development, education, technology, employment, energy and health care. Watch | This partnership has progressed at a time when almost every other major bilateral relationship be it with adversaries or allies has experienced immense challenges. India is that rare country in which both the Republicans and Democrats are on the same page. In fact, both parties compete to project themselves as a better partner for India. But how were the contours of this strategic partnership drawn? And how have the ties between the largest democracy and the oldest one evolved over the years? Our report attempts to find out. Also read | Decoding Washington's game plan as US Defence Secretary arrives in India In October 1949, India's Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru went on a multi-week tour of the US. He was hosted by US President Harry S Truman. Just before the visit, India had formally proclaimed neutrality in the developing Cold War by spearheading the Non-Aligned Movement. This laid the groundwork for the US's relationship with India and left room for friendly ties between Delhi and Moscow. In December 1959, Dwight Eisenhower became the first serving US President to visit New Delhi. Eisenhower's visit helped India acquire adequate financial assistance and achieve reasonable stability during the Cold War. Since then seven US presidents have visited India and nine Indian PMs have visited the US. But a strategic partnership between the two democracies emerged only in 2010. In June 2010, the US and India formally convened the first-ever strategic dialogue when a large and high-ranking delegation of Indian officials visited Washington DC. The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called India "an indispensable partner" and the US President Barack Obama called the relationship "a defining partnership in the 21st century". In November 2010, Obama visited India and addressed the countrý's parliament. He also backed India's long-held bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and also announced 14.9 billion dollars in trade deals. In the years that followed the strategic partnership only grew further. In 2011, India and the US signed an MoU on cybersecurity cooperation. The very next year the US Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta visited India to boost Obama's "pivot to Asia" plan. In 2014, the newly-elected Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a high-profile visit to the US where agreements were signed. Obama attended India's Republic Day celebrations in 2015. In 2017, the then US President Donald Trump welcomed Modi at the White House. The joint statements emphasised the existing defence partnership and counter-terrorism efforts. In 2018, India and the US signed the COMCASA which gave India access to the US's advanced defence technology. Trump made his first and last visit to India as US president in 2020 in which New Delhi agreed to purchase US military equipment worth three billion dollars. Currently, the India-US Strategic partnership is a broad-based and multi-sectoral affair and this is irrespective of who is in the White House. New Delhi and Washington have been called natural allies with shared democratic values. Last week, the first-ever Quad leaders' summit underscored this and now with the arrival of the US Defence Secretary in New Delhi, they're turning another page in both countries strategic partnership.

How India-US ties evolved over the years

This is not the first time India and Pakistan are trying to make peace.&nbsp;

It has happened quite a few times in the last six&nbsp;years, even more in the last seven decades.

But all attempts have faltered often after highly-charged summits and high-profile visits.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-is-peace-with-pakistan-sustainable-371531/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

So there is a reason to be sceptical.

Each time a peace agreement was reached, Islamabad promised to uphold it.

However, it threw all diplomatic nicety and border restraint to the winds.

What has changed in the last six years, is India's response.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/why-pakistan-is-offering-peace-with-india-371510">Why Pakistan is offering peace with India</a>

New Delhi struck at Pakistan's terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

History tells us that India-Pak peace is littered with many false dawns and this report explores why there is not any guarantee of any amity anytime soon.&nbsp;

In 2014, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/narendra-modi">Narendra Modi</a>&nbsp;took oath as the Prime Minister of India and in attendance were dignitaries from all SAARC nations, including the then PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif.

This was the first time that a Pakistani leader was attending the oath-taking of an Indian prime minister-designate.

There was optimism in the air.

"I pointed out that we were at the beginning of our respective tenures with a clear mandate. This provides us the opportunity of meeting the hopes and aspirations of our peoples, that we will succeed in turning a new page in our relations," Sharif had said during that time.&nbsp;

In 2015, New Delhi returned the courtesy, and in a surprise visit, Modi stopped over in Lahore shortly after his visit to Afghanistan.

The Indian PM was there to wish Sharif on his granddaughter's wedding.

Seasoned observers of Indo-Pak ties received the news with excitement and hope.

But Pakistan's army generals were miffed with the growing camaraderie and exactly a year later, the weather changed dramatically.&nbsp;

On January 2, 2016, there was a terror attack in Pathankot.

The Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force was targeted, killing one civilian and seven security personnel.&nbsp;

It led to a breakdown in Indo-Pak relations.

This was just the beginning of Islamabad's naked aggression.&nbsp;

On September 18, 2016, there was another terror attack and this time the site was Uri.&nbsp;

It was the deadliest attack on the Indian security forces in two decades which killed at least 19 soldiers.&nbsp;

The perpetrator was the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), a terror group financed by the Pakistani deep state.

It quashed all hopes of a thaw with New Delhi responding by striking terror pads in Pak-occupied Kashmir.

In the four years that followed, the equation between both nations saw several flashpoints.

And the biggest was the 2019 Pulwama attack when the JeM targeted a CRPF convoy with a car laden with explosives.

As many as 49 security personnel lost their lives and several others received injuries.&nbsp;

India avenged these deaths with the Balakot airstrikes with the air force wiping out the biggest training camp of JeM.&nbsp;

The last year was one of the most active years at the Line of Control (LoC).&nbsp;

There were at least 4,600 ceasefire violations by Pakistan and a total of 46 security personnel were killed.

The ceasefire agreement reached on February 25 is a largely tactical move.

There's no guarantee that it would sustain because nothing much has changed materially on the ground.

On the diplomatic front, the rhetoric hasn't been toned down either.&nbsp;

Islamabad in collusion with other nations has kept the rhetorical fire on Kashmir alive on global platforms.

On the security front, Pakistan is openly trying to resurrect the Khalistan movement.

Pakistan Army's drones have been seized in Punjab and new terror groups have emerged in Kashmir with more secular names like "The Resistance Front".&nbsp;

The situation is hardly conducive to any kind of a thaw and Islamabad may be extending an olive branch.

There is neither any evidence of a fundamental shift in its policy on terror nor on the main bone of contention between the two countries: Kashmir.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

This is not the first time India and Pakistan are trying to make peace. It has happened quite a few times in the last six years, even more in the last seven decades.

This is not the first time India and Pakistan are trying to make peace. It has happened quite a few times in the last six years, even more in the last seven decades. But all attempts have faltered often after highly-charged summits and high-profile visits. Watch | So there is a reason to be sceptical. Each time a peace agreement was reached, Islamabad promised to uphold it. However, it threw all diplomatic nicety and border restraint to the winds. What has changed in the last six years, is India's response. Also read | Why Pakistan is offering peace with India New Delhi struck at Pakistan's terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. History tells us that India-Pak peace is littered with many false dawns and this report explores why there is not any guarantee of any amity anytime soon. In 2014, Narendra Modi took oath as the Prime Minister of India and in attendance were dignitaries from all SAARC nations, including the then PM of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. This was the first time that a Pakistani leader was attending the oath-taking of an Indian prime minister-designate. There was optimism in the air. "I pointed out that we were at the beginning of our respective tenures with a clear mandate. This provides us the opportunity of meeting the hopes and aspirations of our peoples, that we will succeed in turning a new page in our relations," Sharif had said during that time. In 2015, New Delhi returned the courtesy, and in a surprise visit, Modi stopped over in Lahore shortly after his visit to Afghanistan. The Indian PM was there to wish Sharif on his granddaughter's wedding. Seasoned observers of Indo-Pak ties received the news with excitement and hope. But Pakistan's army generals were miffed with the growing camaraderie and exactly a year later, the weather changed dramatically. On January 2, 2016, there was a terror attack in Pathankot. The Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force was targeted, killing one civilian and seven security personnel. It led to a breakdown in Indo-Pak relations. This was just the beginning of Islamabad's naked aggression. On September 18, 2016, there was another terror attack and this time the site was Uri. It was the deadliest attack on the Indian security forces in two decades which killed at least 19 soldiers. The perpetrator was the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), a terror group financed by the Pakistani deep state. It quashed all hopes of a thaw with New Delhi responding by striking terror pads in Pak-occupied Kashmir. In the four years that followed, the equation between both nations saw several flashpoints. And the biggest was the 2019 Pulwama attack when the JeM targeted a CRPF convoy with a car laden with explosives. As many as 49 security personnel lost their lives and several others received injuries. India avenged these deaths with the Balakot airstrikes with the air force wiping out the biggest training camp of JeM. The last year was one of the most active years at the Line of Control (LoC). There were at least 4,600 ceasefire violations by Pakistan and a total of 46 security personnel were killed. The ceasefire agreement reached on February 25 is a largely tactical move. There's no guarantee that it would sustain because nothing much has changed materially on the ground. On the diplomatic front, the rhetoric hasn't been toned down either. Islamabad in collusion with other nations has kept the rhetorical fire on Kashmir alive on global platforms. On the security front, Pakistan is openly trying to resurrect the Khalistan movement. Pakistan Army's drones have been seized in Punjab and new terror groups have emerged in Kashmir with more secular names like "The Resistance Front". The situation is hardly conducive to any kind of a thaw and Islamabad may be extending an olive branch. There is neither any evidence of a fundamental shift in its policy on terror nor on the main bone of contention between the two countries: Kashmir.

Why India needs to look at history as Pakistan pretends to extend hand of peace

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that it was time for India and Pakistan to "bury the past and move forward" as he asserted that the peace between the two neighbours would help to "unlock" the potential of South and Central Asia.

Addressing a session of the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue here, Gen Bajwa also said that the potential for regional peace and development always remained hostage to the disputes and issues between Pakistan and India - the two "nuclear-armed neighbours".

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-dispatch-after-imran-khan-paks-army-chief-talks-peace-with-india-371456/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward," he said, adding that the responsibility for a meaningful dialogue rested with India.

India last month said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.

India has also told Pakistan that "talks and terror" cannot go together and has asked Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching various attacks on India.

"Our neighbour will have to create a conducive environment, particularly&nbsp;in Kashmir, Gen Bajwa said, adding that any effort to improve ties without addressing the core issue would be vulnerable to external political factors.

"The Kashmir issue is at the heart of this. It is important to understand that without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means, the process will always remain susceptible to derailment to politically motivated bellicosity,"&nbsp;he said.

The army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 70 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy.

Gen Bajwa's remarks came a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan made a similar statement at the same venue.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-pakistan-makes-another-peace-offer-to-india-371523">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-pakistan-makes-another-peace-offer-to-india-371523/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Prime Minister Khan said on Wednesday India will be benefitted economically by having peace with Pakistan as it will enable New Delhi to directly access the resource-rich Central Asia region through Pakistani territory.

"India will have to take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much," Khan said while delivering the inaugural address at the launch of the two-day dialogue.

Khan said that having a direct route to the Central Asian region will economically benefit India. Central Asia is rich in oil and gas.

Central Asia, in the modern context, generally includes five resource-rich countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Gen Bajwa also said that peace between Pakistan and India would help to "unlock the potential of South and Central Asia" by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia.

Though both Prime Minister Khan and Gen Bajwa didn't specify the minimum steps that India should take, many experts in Pakistan believe that some positive measures in Kashmir could ease pressure on the Pakistan government before entering into talks or restoring the normal diplomatic ties.

Gen Bajwa also talked about poverty, which he said was linked with the regional tensions that had hindered the regional connectivity and integration.

"Despite being impoverished, we end up spending a lot of our money on defence, which naturally comes at the expense of human development," he said.

However, he added that Pakistan was resisting the temptation to become part of the arms race or increase defence budget despite rising security challenges.

"This has not been easy, especially when you live in a hostile and unstable neighbourhood. But having said that, let me say that we are ready to improve our environment by resolving all our outstanding issues with our neighbours through dialogue in a dignified and peaceful manner," he said.

India and Pakistan had announced on February 25 that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.

Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on the Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.

The relationship dipped further after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.

The relations deteriorated after India announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019.

Talking about the concept of national security, Gen Bajwa said that it was not just about protecting countries from external and internal threat.

"Today, the leading drivers of change in the world are demography, economy and technology. However, one issue that remains central to this concept is economic security and cooperation,"&nbsp;he said.

He said that since national security involved ensuring human security, national progress and development, it was not solely the function of the armed forces and required a national effort to safeguard a nation.&nbsp;

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that it was time for India and Pakistan to "bury the past and move forward" as he asserted that the peace between the two neighbours would help to "unlock" the potential of South and Central Asia.

Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Thursday that it was time for India and Pakistan to "bury the past and move forward" as he asserted that the peace between the two neighbours would help to "unlock" the potential of South and Central Asia. Addressing a session of the first-ever Islamabad Security Dialogue here, Gen Bajwa also said that the potential for regional peace and development always remained hostage to the disputes and issues between Pakistan and India - the two "nuclear-armed neighbours". Watch | "We feel it is time to bury the past and move forward," he said, adding that the responsibility for a meaningful dialogue rested with India. India last month said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence. India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility. India has also told Pakistan that "talks and terror" cannot go together and has asked Islamabad to take demonstrable steps against terror groups responsible for launching various attacks on India. "Our neighbour will have to create a conducive environment, particularly in Kashmir, Gen Bajwa said, adding that any effort to improve ties without addressing the core issue would be vulnerable to external political factors. "The Kashmir issue is at the heart of this. It is important to understand that without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means, the process will always remain susceptible to derailment to politically motivated bellicosity," he said. The army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 70 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy. Gen Bajwa's remarks came a day after Prime Minister Imran Khan made a similar statement at the same venue. Watch | Prime Minister Khan said on Wednesday India will be benefitted economically by having peace with Pakistan as it will enable New Delhi to directly access the resource-rich Central Asia region through Pakistani territory. "India will have to take the first step. Unless they do so, we cannot do much," Khan said while delivering the inaugural address at the launch of the two-day dialogue. Khan said that having a direct route to the Central Asian region will economically benefit India. Central Asia is rich in oil and gas. Central Asia, in the modern context, generally includes five resource-rich countries -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Gen Bajwa also said that peace between Pakistan and India would help to "unlock the potential of South and Central Asia" by ensuring connectivity between East and West Asia. Though both Prime Minister Khan and Gen Bajwa didn't specify the minimum steps that India should take, many experts in Pakistan believe that some positive measures in Kashmir could ease pressure on the Pakistan government before entering into talks or restoring the normal diplomatic ties. Gen Bajwa also talked about poverty, which he said was linked with the regional tensions that had hindered the regional connectivity and integration. "Despite being impoverished, we end up spending a lot of our money on defence, which naturally comes at the expense of human development," he said. However, he added that Pakistan was resisting the temptation to become part of the arms race or increase defence budget despite rising security challenges. "This has not been easy, especially when you live in a hostile and unstable neighbourhood. But having said that, let me say that we are ready to improve our environment by resolving all our outstanding issues with our neighbours through dialogue in a dignified and peaceful manner," he said. India and Pakistan had announced on February 25 that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors. Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on the Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship. The relationship dipped further after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The relations deteriorated after India announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019. Talking about the concept of national security, Gen Bajwa said that it was not just about protecting countries from external and internal threat. "Today, the leading drivers of change in the world are demography, economy and technology. However, one issue that remains central to this concept is economic security and cooperation," he said. He said that since national security involved ensuring human security, national progress and development, it was not solely the function of the armed forces and required a national effort to safeguard a nation.

Pak Army Chief Gen Bajwa says it's time to bury the past and move forward 

It did not look like a very promising investment opportunity.

SpectraScience’s phone number was out of service. So was its website. And it had not disclosed financial results since late 2017, when the San Diego medical equipment company reported a quarterly loss — its 12th in a row.

But early this year, SpectraScience’s nearly worthless shares — priced in hundredths of a penny and too minor to trade on a major stock exchange — sprang to life.

On Jan. 27, their price doubled, with more than 900 million shares traded. The next day, amid a flurry of social media cheerleading, more than 3.5 billion shares of the company changed hands — a volume roughly equal to half that day’s trading on the New York Stock Exchange. After soaring 500% as trading opened, just as quickly SpectraScience collapsed.

Penny stocks — the name given to more than 10,000 tiny companies like SpectraScience — have been around forever, but they are booming as small investors flood the market. And this time around, social media is fueling the craze. Whether traded to fend off the boredom of pandemic living or to turn a quick profit, these dirt-cheap but risky shares are another frontier in a world where meme stocks such as GameStop gained overnight stardom; Dogecoin morphed from a joke cryptocurrency to a hot investment; and a digital artwork known as a nonfungible token, or NFT, sold for $69 million.

It is part of a “massive surge” in retail trading reminiscent of the 1920s, when amateurs flooded into the stock market before the 1929 crash, said Tyler Gellasch, a former Securities and Exchange Commission official who leads the nonprofit Healthy Markets Association.

“The only relevant historical precedent seems to increasingly be the days before the Great Depression,” he said.

Penny stocks occupy a low-rent district of Wall Street, a world rife with fraud and chicanery where companies that do not have a viable product or are mired in debt often sell their shares. Traded on the lightly regulated over-the-counter, or OTC, markets, penny stocks face fewer rules about publishing information on financial results or independent board members. Wall Street analysts do not usually follow them. Major investors do not buy them.

But last month, there were 1.9 trillion transactions on OTC markets, an increase of more than 2,000% from a year earlier, according to data from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a self-regulatory group that oversees brokerage firms.

The lack of oversight that makes penny stocks easy targets for scammers has long accounted for penny stocks' unsavory reputation. But risk can also be a draw for thrill-seekers or those who fear they have missed a market boom that is creating wealth all around them.

And now it is easier than ever to get in on these stocks; commission-free trades and the proliferation of online trading platforms mean small investors do not have to go through a traditional broker.

Because these stocks are so small and lightly traded, a sudden surge of interest can make their prices go berserk. Since the start of the year, shares have soared for companies such as Healthier Choices Management, which operates vape stores; For the Earth, which makes cannabis-based sunscreen; and Garb Oil &amp; Power, which, despite its name, spotlighted its planned purchase of a manufacturer of marijuana pipes in one of its most recent business operation updates. (It was published in 2014.)

“Everyone wants to get rich,” said Jordan Belfort, whose memoir, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” detailed his debauched life as cheap-stock kingpin, complete with helicopter crashes, sunken yachts and copious quaaludes. “And they want to get rich quick.”

Belfort, now a motivational speaker and writer living in Los Angeles, presided over Stratton Oakmont, one of the notorious “boiler rooms” that manipulated penny stocks to prey on unwitting retail investors before it went out of business in 1996.

“We all want to believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and Bernie Madoff,” he said.

Just as they were in Belfort’s heyday, penny stocks remain the backbone of schemes to part newbie traders from their cash. Consider one perennially popular racket: the pump and dump.

First, fraudsters load up on ultracheap shares of a small stock hardly anyone trades. Then comes the pump: They pitch the stock as one with hot prospects, spreading around positive information to push up its price. Finally, there is the dump: After the price jumps higher, the perpetrator sells and leaves the new buyers holding a mostly empty bag.

“It’s all just a pool filled with sharks,” said Urska Velikonja, a law professor who studies securities regulation at Georgetown University Law Center. “It’s where the unwary go to get eaten.”

Booms in penny stock tend to occur during raging bull markets, when greed abounds. They were hot in the 1980s, when the arrival of cheap, long-distance telephone service gave rise to brokerage firms that specialized in high-pressure, cold-call pitches of worthless stocks.

That was the specialty of Blinder, Robinson &amp; Co., which was led by Meyer Blinder, a New York broker with a flamboyant reputation. In the mid-1980s, it became the largest penny stock brokerage in the country. But by 1990, it had been liquidated, and by 1992, Blinder had been convicted of racketeering and securities fraud. After his conviction was announced, he lunged at a prosecutor, threatening to kill him.

But stock-touting technology changes with the times. Cold-calling went out, followed by faxes and email spam. Today, social media sites such as Twitter and Reddit, which powered the rise of GameStop and other meme stocks, are the preferred method for building unwarranted hype.

According to a civil complaint filed this month by the SEC, Andrew Fassari of Irvine, California, used his Twitter account — OCMillionaire — to pump up the price of Arcis Resources, a company that has not conducted business since at least 2016 but whose stock still trades. Fassari, regulators said, bought 41 million shares of the company and then posted misleading information, including fictitious emails from the company’s purported CEO about expansion plans. Over nine days in December, the share price skyrocketed more than 4,000% — to more than a nickel. Fassari’s gains were $929,000, according to the agency.

Fassari’s lawyer, Jessica Munk, said he denied wrongdoing. “It appears Mr. Fassari has been hit with fallout from the GameStop, Robinhood, Reddit controversy,” Munk said in a statement, including a reference to the Robinhood trading app. She also noted the SEC action’s “lightning pace.”

Art Hutchinson, a 50-year-old construction services salesperson in Fort Worth, Texas, has been making bets on penny stocks — companies that he acknowledges are “absolute garbage” — for about two years. And the activity he watches closely is increasingly being driven by social media, he said.

“Everybody is on Twitter, whatever, these social media accounts, and they’re all lying,” he said. “They’re preying upon people not doing any research on their own or not understanding it.”

A 2017 paper from Thomas Renault, a finance professor at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, analyzed millions of Twitter messages about low-priced stocks. A surge in tweets about a small stock led to big price increases followed by sudden collapses, he found, saying the pattern was consistent with pump-and-dump schemes.

Regulators appear to be taking some steps to tamp down on such activity. Weeks after SpectraScience crashed, the SEC temporarily suspended trading of the stock, citing “potentially manipulative trading activity.” It was one of nearly two dozen stock tickers sidelined for similarly suspicious trading by late February.

“We proactively monitor for suspicious trading activity tied to stock promotions on social media, and act quickly to stop that trading when appropriate to safeguard the public interest,” Melissa Hodgman, acting director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, said in an announcement.

Current and former regulators say penny stock fraud will remain as long as penny stocks are traded.

“Whatever you do, don’t claim victory, because it’ll come back,” said Joseph Goldstein, a partner at Murphy &amp; McGonigle, a financial services law firm. In the late 1980s, Goldstein led the SEC’s task force on penny stocks amid a surge of frauds in the market.

“It’s not going away, basically, because it’s greed,” he said. “I don’t think there will be a successful effort to end greed in this world.”

It did not look like a very promising investment opportunity. SpectraScience’s phone number was out of service. So was its website. And it had not disclosed financial results since late 2017, when the San Diego medical equipment company reported a quarterly loss — its 12th in a row.

It did not look like a very promising investment opportunity. SpectraScience’s phone number was out of service. So was its website. And it had not disclosed financial results since late 2017, when the San Diego medical equipment company reported a quarterly loss — its 12th in a row. But early this year, SpectraScience’s nearly worthless shares — priced in hundredths of a penny and too minor to trade on a major stock exchange — sprang to life. On Jan. 27, their price doubled, with more than 900 million shares traded. The next day, amid a flurry of social media cheerleading, more than 3.5 billion shares of the company changed hands — a volume roughly equal to half that day’s trading on the New York Stock Exchange. After soaring 500% as trading opened, just as quickly SpectraScience collapsed. Penny stocks — the name given to more than 10,000 tiny companies like SpectraScience — have been around forever, but they are booming as small investors flood the market. And this time around, social media is fueling the craze. Whether traded to fend off the boredom of pandemic living or to turn a quick profit, these dirt-cheap but risky shares are another frontier in a world where meme stocks such as GameStop gained overnight stardom; Dogecoin morphed from a joke cryptocurrency to a hot investment; and a digital artwork known as a nonfungible token, or NFT, sold for $69 million. It is part of a “massive surge” in retail trading reminiscent of the 1920s, when amateurs flooded into the stock market before the 1929 crash, said Tyler Gellasch, a former Securities and Exchange Commission official who leads the nonprofit Healthy Markets Association. “The only relevant historical precedent seems to increasingly be the days before the Great Depression,” he said. Penny stocks occupy a low-rent district of Wall Street, a world rife with fraud and chicanery where companies that do not have a viable product or are mired in debt often sell their shares. Traded on the lightly regulated over-the-counter, or OTC, markets, penny stocks face fewer rules about publishing information on financial results or independent board members. Wall Street analysts do not usually follow them. Major investors do not buy them. But last month, there were 1.9 trillion transactions on OTC markets, an increase of more than 2,000% from a year earlier, according to data from the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a self-regulatory group that oversees brokerage firms. The lack of oversight that makes penny stocks easy targets for scammers has long accounted for penny stocks' unsavory reputation. But risk can also be a draw for thrill-seekers or those who fear they have missed a market boom that is creating wealth all around them. And now it is easier than ever to get in on these stocks; commission-free trades and the proliferation of online trading platforms mean small investors do not have to go through a traditional broker. Because these stocks are so small and lightly traded, a sudden surge of interest can make their prices go berserk. Since the start of the year, shares have soared for companies such as Healthier Choices Management, which operates vape stores; For the Earth, which makes cannabis-based sunscreen; and Garb Oil & Power, which, despite its name, spotlighted its planned purchase of a manufacturer of marijuana pipes in one of its most recent business operation updates. (It was published in 2014.) “Everyone wants to get rich,” said Jordan Belfort, whose memoir, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” detailed his debauched life as cheap-stock kingpin, complete with helicopter crashes, sunken yachts and copious quaaludes. “And they want to get rich quick.” Belfort, now a motivational speaker and writer living in Los Angeles, presided over Stratton Oakmont, one of the notorious “boiler rooms” that manipulated penny stocks to prey on unwitting retail investors before it went out of business in 1996. “We all want to believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy and Bernie Madoff,” he said. Just as they were in Belfort’s heyday, penny stocks remain the backbone of schemes to part newbie traders from their cash. Consider one perennially popular racket: the pump and dump. First, fraudsters load up on ultracheap shares of a small stock hardly anyone trades. Then comes the pump: They pitch the stock as one with hot prospects, spreading around positive information to push up its price. Finally, there is the dump: After the price jumps higher, the perpetrator sells and leaves the new buyers holding a mostly empty bag. “It’s all just a pool filled with sharks,” said Urska Velikonja, a law professor who studies securities regulation at Georgetown University Law Center. “It’s where the unwary go to get eaten.” Booms in penny stock tend to occur during raging bull markets, when greed abounds. They were hot in the 1980s, when the arrival of cheap, long-distance telephone service gave rise to brokerage firms that specialized in high-pressure, cold-call pitches of worthless stocks. That was the specialty of Blinder, Robinson & Co., which was led by Meyer Blinder, a New York broker with a flamboyant reputation. In the mid-1980s, it became the largest penny stock brokerage in the country. But by 1990, it had been liquidated, and by 1992, Blinder had been convicted of racketeering and securities fraud. After his conviction was announced, he lunged at a prosecutor, threatening to kill him. But stock-touting technology changes with the times. Cold-calling went out, followed by faxes and email spam. Today, social media sites such as Twitter and Reddit, which powered the rise of GameStop and other meme stocks, are the preferred method for building unwarranted hype. According to a civil complaint filed this month by the SEC, Andrew Fassari of Irvine, California, used his Twitter account — OCMillionaire — to pump up the price of Arcis Resources, a company that has not conducted business since at least 2016 but whose stock still trades. Fassari, regulators said, bought 41 million shares of the company and then posted misleading information, including fictitious emails from the company’s purported CEO about expansion plans. Over nine days in December, the share price skyrocketed more than 4,000% — to more than a nickel. Fassari’s gains were $929,000, according to the agency. Fassari’s lawyer, Jessica Munk, said he denied wrongdoing. “It appears Mr. Fassari has been hit with fallout from the GameStop, Robinhood, Reddit controversy,” Munk said in a statement, including a reference to the Robinhood trading app. She also noted the SEC action’s “lightning pace.” Art Hutchinson, a 50-year-old construction services salesperson in Fort Worth, Texas, has been making bets on penny stocks — companies that he acknowledges are “absolute garbage” — for about two years. And the activity he watches closely is increasingly being driven by social media, he said. “Everybody is on Twitter, whatever, these social media accounts, and they’re all lying,” he said. “They’re preying upon people not doing any research on their own or not understanding it.” A 2017 paper from Thomas Renault, a finance professor at the University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, analyzed millions of Twitter messages about low-priced stocks. A surge in tweets about a small stock led to big price increases followed by sudden collapses, he found, saying the pattern was consistent with pump-and-dump schemes. Regulators appear to be taking some steps to tamp down on such activity. Weeks after SpectraScience crashed, the SEC temporarily suspended trading of the stock, citing “potentially manipulative trading activity.” It was one of nearly two dozen stock tickers sidelined for similarly suspicious trading by late February. “We proactively monitor for suspicious trading activity tied to stock promotions on social media, and act quickly to stop that trading when appropriate to safeguard the public interest,” Melissa Hodgman, acting director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, said in an announcement. Current and former regulators say penny stock fraud will remain as long as penny stocks are traded. “Whatever you do, don’t claim victory, because it’ll come back,” said Joseph Goldstein, a partner at Murphy & McGonigle, a financial services law firm. In the late 1980s, Goldstein led the SEC’s task force on penny stocks amid a surge of frauds in the market. “It’s not going away, basically, because it’s greed,” he said. “I don’t think there will be a successful effort to end greed in this world.”

Penny stocks are booming, which is good news for swindlers

We have all learnt the importance of hand-washing during the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">coronavirus pandemic </a>as one major way to avoid the deadly virus.&nbsp;

In general, also, hand-washing is considered a good and hygienic habit to lead a healthy life.

However, a growing number of eczema cases in the UK has caused a concern for parents whether they should encourage this habit or not.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="http://wionews.com/world/mexico-city-is-struggling-to-enforce-hand-washing-amid-pandemic-heres-why-331221">Mexico City is struggling to enforce hand washing amid pandemic. Here's why</a>

Jordan Ferris, from Grimsby, UK said that her five-year-old child is facing pain in her hand due to the reemergence of eczema caused by soaps and sanitisers, reports BBC.

Eczema is a condition in which skin becomes red and itchy and generally experienced by children. &nbsp;

Ferris said her daughter who had eczema when she was two, faced itching and when the week was about to end her hands "really dry, red, cracked and bleeding slightly"

The British Skin Foundation said the number of children with hand eczema had spiked in the pandemic-period.

"It's a bit upsetting really seeing her come home from school in pain," Ferris said.&nbsp;

"She's there to have fun and learn and she's coming back and she was really upset about it."

The skin foundation's consultant dermatologist Dr Mary Sommerlad said that children are more likely to suffer eczema because of a less-developed skin barrier.&nbsp;

"Irritation from soap and water can make existing eczema worse, or trigger contact irritation eczema for the first time," she said.&nbsp;

"This is because the skin's barrier is disrupted by frequent washing with soap." 
&nbsp;

We have all learnt the importance of hand-washing during the coronavirus pandemic as one major way to avoid the deadly virus. In general, also, hand-washing is considered a good and hygienic habit to lead a healthy life.

We have all learnt the importance of hand-washing during the coronavirus pandemic as one major way to avoid the deadly virus. In general, also, hand-washing is considered a good and hygienic habit to lead a healthy life. However, a growing number of eczema cases in the UK has caused a concern for parents whether they should encourage this habit or not. Also read | Mexico City is struggling to enforce hand washing amid pandemic. Here's why Jordan Ferris, from Grimsby, UK said that her five-year-old child is facing pain in her hand due to the reemergence of eczema caused by soaps and sanitisers, reports BBC. Eczema is a condition in which skin becomes red and itchy and generally experienced by children. Ferris said her daughter who had eczema when she was two, faced itching and when the week was about to end her hands "really dry, red, cracked and bleeding slightly" The British Skin Foundation said the number of children with hand eczema had spiked in the pandemic-period. "It's a bit upsetting really seeing her come home from school in pain," Ferris said. "She's there to have fun and learn and she's coming back and she was really upset about it." The skin foundation's consultant dermatologist Dr Mary Sommerlad said that children are more likely to suffer eczema because of a less-developed skin barrier. "Irritation from soap and water can make existing eczema worse, or trigger contact irritation eczema for the first time," she said. "This is because the skin's barrier is disrupted by frequent washing with soap."

UK: Frequent hand-washing damaging children's skin

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">Coronavirus vaccinations</a>&nbsp;to all adults in the United Kingdom are unlikely to completely stop the deadly virus, a new modelling study claimed.&nbsp;

The study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal was done before the real-world data on vaccination rollout was available. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The authors studied a range of levels of protection against infection.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/europe-covid-surge-fueled-by-contagious-virus-variants-371633/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

They found that their model neither includes new coronavirus variants nor for the effects of waning immunity.&nbsp;

This study modelled the combined interaction of the UK vaccination rollout with various scenarios of relaxing control measures, to predict the R-number and deaths and hospitalisations due to Covid-19 from January 2021 to January 2024.

It assumed vaccine uptake would be 95 per cent in the age group 80 and older, 85 per cent in 50–79, and 75 per cent in 18–49 group.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="http://wionews.com/world/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-coronavirus-right-now-371690">What you need to know about the coronavirus right now</a>

Vaccine protection against symptomatic infection was assumed to be 88 per cent based on phase 3 trial data from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, the two jabs administered in the UK.&nbsp;

The vaccines' protection was varied in four scenarios: 0 per cent, 35 per cent, 60 per cent, 85 per cent.

The modelling suggests that though vaccination can substantially reduce R-number, it may not be enough to drive it below 1 without other preventive rules.&nbsp;

Even in the best-case scenario which offers 85 per cent protection against Covid-19, the R number is estimated to be 1.58 without other measures.&nbsp;

Since the vaccine alone cannot take R below 1, removing all restrictions after the vaccination is complete could lead to another wave of cases and a surge in the number of deaths, the study said.&nbsp;

Coronavirus vaccinations to all adults in the United Kingdom are unlikely to completely stop the deadly virus, a new modelling study claimed. The study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal was done before the real-world data on vaccination rollout was available.

Coronavirus vaccinations to all adults in the United Kingdom are unlikely to completely stop the deadly virus, a new modelling study claimed. The study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases Journal was done before the real-world data on vaccination rollout was available. The authors studied a range of levels of protection against infection. Watch | They found that their model neither includes new coronavirus variants nor for the effects of waning immunity. This study modelled the combined interaction of the UK vaccination rollout with various scenarios of relaxing control measures, to predict the R-number and deaths and hospitalisations due to Covid-19 from January 2021 to January 2024. It assumed vaccine uptake would be 95 per cent in the age group 80 and older, 85 per cent in 50–79, and 75 per cent in 18–49 group. Also read | What you need to know about the coronavirus right now Vaccine protection against symptomatic infection was assumed to be 88 per cent based on phase 3 trial data from the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines, the two jabs administered in the UK. The vaccines' protection was varied in four scenarios: 0 per cent, 35 per cent, 60 per cent, 85 per cent. The modelling suggests that though vaccination can substantially reduce R-number, it may not be enough to drive it below 1 without other preventive rules. Even in the best-case scenario which offers 85 per cent protection against Covid-19, the R number is estimated to be 1.58 without other measures. Since the vaccine alone cannot take R below 1, removing all restrictions after the vaccination is complete could lead to another wave of cases and a surge in the number of deaths, the study said.

Covid-19 vaccination alone will not able to prevent infection: Study

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed his US counterpart <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> for calling Russia's Vladimir Putin a "killer," saying the comments by the US president were "unacceptable".&nbsp;

"Mr. Biden's statements about Mr. Putin are not fitting of a president, and a president coming out and using such remarks against the president of a country like Russia is truly unacceptable, not something that can be stomached," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul, as reported by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

Watch |

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-joe-biden-calls-vladimir-putin-a-killer-371517/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In a TV interview when Biden was asked whether he considers the Russian president a killer, the US president responded "I do".&nbsp;

Putin in his response mocked Biden which roughly translates into "it takes one to know one" and wished him good health.&nbsp;

Erdogan also praised Putin for his response to the US president, calling his answer "very smart" and "elegant".&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/subtle-art-of-diplomacy-biden-and-putin-engage-in-verbal-spat-371511">Subtle art of diplomacy: Biden and Putin engage in verbal spat</a>

"In my opinion, Mr. Putin has done what is necessary by giving a very, very smart and elegant answer," the Turkish president said.&nbsp;

The remarks by Erdogan can escalate tensions between Washington and Ankara as Biden's administration has been critical of Turkey's worsening record on human rights, something his predecessor Donald Trump was silent of.&nbsp;

Despite Turkey growing proximity with Russia during Trump-era, the ties remained largely normal, however, Biden since his inauguration has not engaged in any conversation with Erdogan so far via a phone call.&nbsp;

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed his US counterpart Joe Biden for calling Russia's Vladimir Putin a "killer," saying the comments by the US president were "unacceptable".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed his US counterpart Joe Biden for calling Russia's Vladimir Putin a "killer," saying the comments by the US president were "unacceptable". "Mr. Biden's statements about Mr. Putin are not fitting of a president, and a president coming out and using such remarks against the president of a country like Russia is truly unacceptable, not something that can be stomached," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul, as reported by news agency Reuters. Watch | In a TV interview when Biden was asked whether he considers the Russian president a killer, the US president responded "I do". Putin in his response mocked Biden which roughly translates into "it takes one to know one" and wished him good health. Erdogan also praised Putin for his response to the US president, calling his answer "very smart" and "elegant". Also read | Subtle art of diplomacy: Biden and Putin engage in verbal spat "In my opinion, Mr. Putin has done what is necessary by giving a very, very smart and elegant answer," the Turkish president said. The remarks by Erdogan can escalate tensions between Washington and Ankara as Biden's administration has been critical of Turkey's worsening record on human rights, something his predecessor Donald Trump was silent of. Despite Turkey growing proximity with Russia during Trump-era, the ties remained largely normal, however, Biden since his inauguration has not engaged in any conversation with Erdogan so far via a phone call.

Erdogan slams Biden for 'killer' remarks, says Putin's response 'elegant'

BBC on Friday reported that one of its journalist in Myanmar has gone missing after he "was taken away by unidentified men".&nbsp;

The British broadcaster's official Twitter account said that it was doing everything to locate reporter Aung Thura that disappeared around midday. &nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-coup-people-fear-they-are-being-tracked-using-chinese-technology-371625/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We are extremely concerned about our BBC News Burmese Reporter, Aung Thura, who was taken away by unidentified men," the statement posted on Twitter said.&nbsp;

"We call on the authorities to help locate him and confirm that he is safe."

Local media outlet Mizzima said that one of its reporters, Than Htike Aung, was also "arrested" in the capital Naypyidaw on Friday.&nbsp;

The two journalists were together when they were taken, reports news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-deploys-ai-indonesian-president-calls-for-asean-meeting-on-coup-crisis-371577">Myanmar deploys AI; Indonesian president calls for ASEAN meeting on coup crisis</a>

More than 30 journalists have been arrested since the coup in Myanmar on February 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group.&nbsp;

The detainees include Thein Zaw, a photojournalist working for the Associated Press, who has been charged with "causing fear, spreading false news or agitating directly or indirectly a government employee".

Myanmar is in the middle of a political crisis after the country's military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering mass protests and international condemnation.&nbsp;

Huge demonstrations in the country and international pressure have forced the junta to use violent measures as a crackdown on dissent.&nbsp;

The licenses of five independent local broadcasting services have also been revoked and there have been raids on many newsrooms.&nbsp;

BBC on Friday reported that one of its journalist in Myanmar has gone missing after he "was taken away by unidentified men". The British broadcaster's official Twitter account said that it was doing everything to locate reporter Aung Thura that disappeared around midday.

BBC on Friday reported that one of its journalist in Myanmar has gone missing after he "was taken away by unidentified men". The British broadcaster's official Twitter account said that it was doing everything to locate reporter Aung Thura that disappeared around midday. Watch | "We are extremely concerned about our BBC News Burmese Reporter, Aung Thura, who was taken away by unidentified men," the statement posted on Twitter said. "We call on the authorities to help locate him and confirm that he is safe." Local media outlet Mizzima said that one of its reporters, Than Htike Aung, was also "arrested" in the capital Naypyidaw on Friday. The two journalists were together when they were taken, reports news agency AFP. Also read | Myanmar deploys AI; Indonesian president calls for ASEAN meeting on coup crisis More than 30 journalists have been arrested since the coup in Myanmar on February 1, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group. The detainees include Thein Zaw, a photojournalist working for the Associated Press, who has been charged with "causing fear, spreading false news or agitating directly or indirectly a government employee". Myanmar is in the middle of a political crisis after the country's military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering mass protests and international condemnation. Huge demonstrations in the country and international pressure have forced the junta to use violent measures as a crackdown on dissent. The licenses of five independent local broadcasting services have also been revoked and there have been raids on many newsrooms.

BBC's Myanmar journalist goes missing as crackdown on dissent continues

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg is being probed after reports emerged that she along with her family violated the coronavirus restrictions, police confirmed on Friday.&nbsp;

"Against the background of information that has surfaced through the press, together with the prime minister's own statements, police have decided to initiate an investigation tied to a potential breach of the infectious disease regulation," police in a statement said as reported by news agency AFP.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/norway-probes-blood-clot-cases-after-astrazeneca-vaccine-suspension-370309">Norway probes blood clot cases after AstraZeneca vaccine suspension</a>

"The matter will then be evaluated by the prosecution authority in reference to a potential legal sanction," it added.&nbsp;

Solberg has agreed to her violations in a post after public broadcaster NRK reported on Thursday that the Norwegian prime minister with her family gathered in the ski resort town of Geilo for her 60th birthday on February 25.&nbsp;

"I am sorry that my family and I have broken the corona regulations, that should never have happened. We of course should have followed all the recommendations, as I have asked you to do," she wrote in the Facebook post.&nbsp;

"I understand those who get angry and disappointed over this. I have made a mistake and for that I want to say I'm sorry."

 
&nbsp;

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg is being probed after reports emerged that she along with her family violated the coronavirus restrictions, police confirmed on Friday.

Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg is being probed after reports emerged that she along with her family violated the coronavirus restrictions, police confirmed on Friday. "Against the background of information that has surfaced through the press, together with the prime minister's own statements, police have decided to initiate an investigation tied to a potential breach of the infectious disease regulation," police in a statement said as reported by news agency AFP. Also read | Norway probes blood clot cases after AstraZeneca vaccine suspension "The matter will then be evaluated by the prosecution authority in reference to a potential legal sanction," it added. Solberg has agreed to her violations in a post after public broadcaster NRK reported on Thursday that the Norwegian prime minister with her family gathered in the ski resort town of Geilo for her 60th birthday on February 25. "I am sorry that my family and I have broken the corona regulations, that should never have happened. We of course should have followed all the recommendations, as I have asked you to do," she wrote in the Facebook post. "I understand those who get angry and disappointed over this. I have made a mistake and for that I want to say I'm sorry."

Probe begins after Norwegian PM violates Covid-19 regulations for birthday celebrations

A new report by human rights group Amnesty International said that China has forcibly sent Uighur exiles' children into orphanages.&nbsp;

The rights group has asked China to release all Uighur children being held in state orphanages without the consent of their families.&nbsp;

For the report, Amnesty talked with Uighurs who left their children with relatives when they were forced to leave China.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/high-level-chinese-study-exposes-uighurs-persecution-367845/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The interviewed Uighurs are the ones who fled the country before the crackdown on the Muslim minority group intensified in 2017.&nbsp;

Mihriban Kader and Ablikim Memtinin fled to Italy in 2016 from Xinjiang after they faced harassment by the administration and forced to submit their passports, the report said.&nbsp;

The left their four children with their grandparents, but the grandmother was taken to a detention centre, while the grandfather was interrogated by police.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/largest-group-representing-uighur-exiles-urge-blinken-to-demand-china-close-xinjiang-camps-371401">Largest group representing Uighur exiles urge Blinken to demand China close Xinjiang camps</a>

"Our other relatives didn't dare to look after my children after what had happened to my parents," Mihriban was quoted in the report.&nbsp;

"They were afraid that they would be sent to camps, too."

Italy allowed them to bring their children, but they were stopped on their way by Chinese police and sent to an orphanage, the report said.&nbsp;

"Now my children are in the hands of the Chinese government and I am not sure I will be able to meet them again in my lifetime," Mihriban said.

The report mentions another couple who fled to Turkey in 2016 and have not heard about their children ever since.&nbsp;

"China's ruthless mass detention campaign in Xinjiang has put separated families in an impossible situation: children are not allowed to leave, but their parents face persecution and arbitrary detention if they attempt to return home to care for them," Alkan Akad, Amnesty International's China researcher said. 
&nbsp;

A new report by human rights group Amnesty International said that China has forcibly sent Uighur exiles' children into orphanages. The rights group has asked China to release all Uighur children being held in state orphanages without the consent of their families.

A new report by human rights group Amnesty International said that China has forcibly sent Uighur exiles' children into orphanages. The rights group has asked China to release all Uighur children being held in state orphanages without the consent of their families. For the report, Amnesty talked with Uighurs who left their children with relatives when they were forced to leave China. Watch | The interviewed Uighurs are the ones who fled the country before the crackdown on the Muslim minority group intensified in 2017. Mihriban Kader and Ablikim Memtinin fled to Italy in 2016 from Xinjiang after they faced harassment by the administration and forced to submit their passports, the report said. The left their four children with their grandparents, but the grandmother was taken to a detention centre, while the grandfather was interrogated by police. Also read | Largest group representing Uighur exiles urge Blinken to demand China close Xinjiang camps "Our other relatives didn't dare to look after my children after what had happened to my parents," Mihriban was quoted in the report. "They were afraid that they would be sent to camps, too." Italy allowed them to bring their children, but they were stopped on their way by Chinese police and sent to an orphanage, the report said. "Now my children are in the hands of the Chinese government and I am not sure I will be able to meet them again in my lifetime," Mihriban said. The report mentions another couple who fled to Turkey in 2016 and have not heard about their children ever since. "China's ruthless mass detention campaign in Xinjiang has put separated families in an impossible situation: children are not allowed to leave, but their parents face persecution and arbitrary detention if they attempt to return home to care for them," Alkan Akad, Amnesty International's China researcher said.

China sending children of exiled Uighurs to orphanages: Report

An Indian drugmaker has partnered with Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developer on Friday to produce 200 million doses of the Russian <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine</a>.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in a statement confirmed its partnership with Strides Pharma Science's unit Stelis Biopharma "to produce and supply a minimum of 200 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine". &nbsp;

RDIF also said that Stelin will work with the Russian wealth fund for further supplies "beyond the initial agreement".

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-kremlin-is-cutting-deals-to-ship-sputnik-v-369463/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said that the "significant vaccine volumes" that will be produced by Stelis "will help widen access to the vaccine on a global scale".

The deal follows similar agreements with Indian pharmaceutical firms Gland Pharma and Hetero to produce millions of doses of Sputnik V jabs.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-share-4-million-doses-of-astrazeneca-vaccine-with-mexico-canada-371635">US to share 4 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine with Mexico, Canada</a>

Sputnik V, named after the Soviet-era satellite, has been approved by 22 nations so far.&nbsp;

However, RDIF has said that 52 countries have approved the use of the Russian vaccine.&nbsp;

Moscow registered the vaccine in August last year before conducting large-scale clinical trials, but leading medical journal The Lancet has since said it is safe and has an efficacy of more than 90 per cent.

India is the world's biggest vaccine producer and currently supplying several countries with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses.&nbsp; 
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An Indian drugmaker has partnered with Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developer on Friday to produce 200 million doses of the Russian coronavirus vaccine.

An Indian drugmaker has partnered with Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine developer on Friday to produce 200 million doses of the Russian coronavirus vaccine. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) in a statement confirmed its partnership with Strides Pharma Science's unit Stelis Biopharma "to produce and supply a minimum of 200 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine". RDIF also said that Stelin will work with the Russian wealth fund for further supplies "beyond the initial agreement". Watch | RDIF chief Kirill Dmitriev said that the "significant vaccine volumes" that will be produced by Stelis "will help widen access to the vaccine on a global scale". The deal follows similar agreements with Indian pharmaceutical firms Gland Pharma and Hetero to produce millions of doses of Sputnik V jabs. Also read | US to share 4 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine with Mexico, Canada Sputnik V, named after the Soviet-era satellite, has been approved by 22 nations so far. However, RDIF has said that 52 countries have approved the use of the Russian vaccine. Moscow registered the vaccine in August last year before conducting large-scale clinical trials, but leading medical journal The Lancet has since said it is safe and has an efficacy of more than 90 per cent. India is the world's biggest vaccine producer and currently supplying several countries with Oxford-AstraZeneca doses.

Indian drugmaker enters into partnership to produce 200 million doses of Sputnik V vaccine

India on Wednesday advocated peaceful dialogue -- on the lines of the Arria formula -- on the situation in Crimea at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) follow-up meeting that was held earlier on March 12, 2021.

Speaking at the UNSC, India's Deputy Permanent Representative-Political Coordinator to the UN R Ravindra said that India has advocated political and diplomatic solutions that protect the legitimate interests of all countries in the region and ensure long-term peace and stability in Europe and beyond.

The path forward can only be through peaceful dialogue for a lasting solution acceptable to all concerned.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-will-never-accept-russias-occupation-of-crimea-g7-371383">We will never accept Russia's occupation of Crimea: G7</a>

"I wish to clarify that India's relations with countries in the region stand on their own merit. They are not affected by any individual issue or crisis or external factors," he said.

While thanking the Russian delegation for organising this follow-up meeting, he cautioned, "Allow me to also place on record our reservations on this format of meeting as it has been misused in the past."

This was the second Arria-formula meeting on Crimea in five days.

Wednesday meeting was a follow-up to the 12 March high-level Arria-formula meeting on Crimea organised by Council members Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the UK, and the US.

As per Russia, the meeting's objective was to provide comprehensive information on the situation in Crimea from current residents of Crimea.

After the 2014 referendum, Crimea (Russian-speaking province of Ukraine) subsequently acceded to Russia.

Council members whose positions are closely aligned with that of Ukraine have used the Arria-formula format to promote discussions on different aspects of the situation in Crimea starting in March 2014.

Since then, these meetings have been held each March on the anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea. They have usually been organised jointly by European members of the Council and the US, in partnership with Ukraine. Most Council members have been generally supportive of holding such meetings.

 
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India on Wednesday advocated peaceful dialogue -- on the lines of the Arria formula -- on the situation in Crimea at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) follow-up meeting that was held earlier on March 12, 2021.

India on Wednesday advocated peaceful dialogue -- on the lines of the Arria formula -- on the situation in Crimea at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) follow-up meeting that was held earlier on March 12, 2021. Speaking at the UNSC, India's Deputy Permanent Representative-Political Coordinator to the UN R Ravindra said that India has advocated political and diplomatic solutions that protect the legitimate interests of all countries in the region and ensure long-term peace and stability in Europe and beyond. The path forward can only be through peaceful dialogue for a lasting solution acceptable to all concerned. Also read | We will never accept Russia's occupation of Crimea: G7 "I wish to clarify that India's relations with countries in the region stand on their own merit. They are not affected by any individual issue or crisis or external factors," he said. While thanking the Russian delegation for organising this follow-up meeting, he cautioned, "Allow me to also place on record our reservations on this format of meeting as it has been misused in the past." This was the second Arria-formula meeting on Crimea in five days. Wednesday meeting was a follow-up to the 12 March high-level Arria-formula meeting on Crimea organised by Council members Estonia, France, Ireland, Norway, the UK, and the US. As per Russia, the meeting's objective was to provide comprehensive information on the situation in Crimea from current residents of Crimea. After the 2014 referendum, Crimea (Russian-speaking province of Ukraine) subsequently acceded to Russia. Council members whose positions are closely aligned with that of Ukraine have used the Arria-formula format to promote discussions on different aspects of the situation in Crimea starting in March 2014. Since then, these meetings have been held each March on the anniversary of the Russian annexation of Crimea. They have usually been organised jointly by European members of the Council and the US, in partnership with Ukraine. Most Council members have been generally supportive of holding such meetings.

India advocates peaceful dialogue on Crimea at UNSC meeting

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Abhilash Mahajan

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