The government of India recently invited proposals for research to determine the benefits of cow dung and urine under its program called, SUTRA PIC, Scientific Utilisation through Research Augmentation-Prime.&nbsp;

The government through its research wants to materialise on the idea of developing prime-products from "indigenous cows-based utility items" like mosquito repellent, floor cleaner, personal care products like toothpaste, hair-oil, shampoos, conditioners, etc.&nbsp;

According to a release by the government, initial studies showed the effective development of an antidandruff poly-herbal hair conditioner based on cow urine.

The research has been planned with the support of Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush); Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Project proposals are invited from scientists, academicians from research institutions, academics, grassroots organisations, etc to carry out the research and development (R&amp;D) work, the release said.

However, the idea has not gone down well among the scientific community of the country.&nbsp;

More than 290 scientists and academicians have written to the government and expressed their displeasure with the scheme.&nbsp;

An online appeal addressed to the department of science and technology (DST), said, "We, the concerned scientists and science communicators of this country, are extremely perturbed by the recent call for research proposals under the SUTRA-PIC India Program of SEED, DST. This call lists five thematic areas and each of them has its own set of problems."&nbsp;

The scientists went on to say that the present "call for proposals" (CFP) is drafted unscientifically from start to finish.

The appeal suggests that the "document is full of statements prefaced by 'it is believed’' Science cannot presume the validity of beliefs, however, commonly held. Validity has to be put to test, which is absent in the CFP."

"Scientific research on cow products cannot presume the efficacies presumed in the CFP. To begin a project with such presumptions is prima facie unscientific. We regret to note that such a flawed document issued by the DST along with several other bodies of the Government of India will severely undermine the credibility of the Indian scientific establishment," read the online appeal.&nbsp;

The scientists also pointed out the difficulties the scientific community has been facing by institutes in the country.&nbsp;

"Several important research projects are getting derailed due to lack of adequate funds from the government. Several young researchers, including research scholars, INSPIRE fellows, UGC-FRP fellows, etc. are getting their monthly fellowships inordinately delayed. In such a dismal funding situation, DST actively canvassing proposals under such a dubious scheme is even more infuriating." 
&nbsp;

The government of India recently invited proposals for research to determine the benefits of cow dung and urine under its program called, SUTRA PIC, Scientific Utilisation through Research Augmentation-Prime.

The government of India recently invited proposals for research to determine the benefits of cow dung and urine under its program called, SUTRA PIC, Scientific Utilisation through Research Augmentation-Prime. The government through its research wants to materialise on the idea of developing prime-products from "indigenous cows-based utility items" like mosquito repellent, floor cleaner, personal care products like toothpaste, hair-oil, shampoos, conditioners, etc. According to a release by the government, initial studies showed the effective development of an antidandruff poly-herbal hair conditioner based on cow urine. The research has been planned with the support of Ministry of Science and Technology, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR)- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush); Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). Project proposals are invited from scientists, academicians from research institutions, academics, grassroots organisations, etc to carry out the research and development (R&D) work, the release said. However, the idea has not gone down well among the scientific community of the country. More than 290 scientists and academicians have written to the government and expressed their displeasure with the scheme. An online appeal addressed to the department of science and technology (DST), said, "We, the concerned scientists and science communicators of this country, are extremely perturbed by the recent call for research proposals under the SUTRA-PIC India Program of SEED, DST. This call lists five thematic areas and each of them has its own set of problems." The scientists went on to say that the present "call for proposals" (CFP) is drafted unscientifically from start to finish. The appeal suggests that the "document is full of statements prefaced by 'it is believed’' Science cannot presume the validity of beliefs, however, commonly held. Validity has to be put to test, which is absent in the CFP." "Scientific research on cow products cannot presume the efficacies presumed in the CFP. To begin a project with such presumptions is prima facie unscientific. We regret to note that such a flawed document issued by the DST along with several other bodies of the Government of India will severely undermine the credibility of the Indian scientific establishment," read the online appeal. The scientists also pointed out the difficulties the scientific community has been facing by institutes in the country. "Several important research projects are getting derailed due to lack of adequate funds from the government. Several young researchers, including research scholars, INSPIRE fellows, UGC-FRP fellows, etc. are getting their monthly fellowships inordinately delayed. In such a dismal funding situation, DST actively canvassing proposals under such a dubious scheme is even more infuriating."

Indian scientists government to withdraw research on benefits of cow dung, urine

Newly-released documents of America's Central Intelligence Agency documents revealed how Insectothopter, first micro UAV flight of an insect-seized vehicle, was developed in the 1970s.

According to the declassified files, Insectothopter, a tiny aerial surveillance device, had a miniature engine to move wings up and down.&nbsp;

<img alt="insctophopter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4cecd80d-907c-43c3-bf41-98add7a77f3d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/insect%203.jpg" />

Documents also revealed how flight tests were impressive for a laser-guided flight of 200 meters for 1 minute. But, control in crosswinds was too difficult as the wing was "much too high and the stability, guidance, and control seemed impossible", thus making it susceptible to crosswinds.

<img alt="insctophopter" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b4f832cc-3ebe-4003-a1f7-0dbf0af08ae6" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/insect%204.jpg" />

The description of Insectothopter said that the vehicle is a fluttering wing, miniature drone, which had limited flight characteristics. The design was intended to be insect-like in appearance when casually observed.&nbsp;

It was also considered to be handy for audio operations and had a range of up to 200 meters, which could be launched through a roof, window or even a moving vehicle.

The Insectothopter was tested in free-flight and wind tunnel tests and was a success in "controlled-environment" lab tests. Though the ultimate demonstration of controlled powered flight was not achieved.

Even though the project at the end was evaluated as "excellent", Insectothopter never came into use for the CIA due to the&nbsp;lack of support from potential users.&nbsp;The additional research funds required to meet the final intelligence objective was also larger than expected.

Hence, it never made its debut for the coveted Intelligence Agency, CIA.

Newly-released documents of America's Central Intelligence Agency documents revealed how Insectothopter, first micro UAV flight of an insect-seized vehicle, was developed in the 1970s.

Newly-released documents of America's Central Intelligence Agency documents revealed how Insectothopter, first micro UAV flight of an insect-seized vehicle, was developed in the 1970s. According to the declassified files, Insectothopter, a tiny aerial surveillance device, had a miniature engine to move wings up and down. Documents also revealed how flight tests were impressive for a laser-guided flight of 200 meters for 1 minute. But, control in crosswinds was too difficult as the wing was "much too high and the stability, guidance, and control seemed impossible", thus making it susceptible to crosswinds. The description of Insectothopter said that the vehicle is a fluttering wing, miniature drone, which had limited flight characteristics. The design was intended to be insect-like in appearance when casually observed. It was also considered to be handy for audio operations and had a range of up to 200 meters, which could be launched through a roof, window or even a moving vehicle. The Insectothopter was tested in free-flight and wind tunnel tests and was a success in "controlled-environment" lab tests. Though the ultimate demonstration of controlled powered flight was not achieved. Even though the project at the end was evaluated as "excellent", Insectothopter never came into use for the CIA due to the lack of support from potential users. The additional research funds required to meet the final intelligence objective was also larger than expected. Hence, it never made its debut for the coveted Intelligence Agency, CIA.

Insectothopter: The bug-carrying bug

China said it would welcome assistance from the United States to fight the&nbsp;coronavirus outbreak&nbsp;after it accused Washington of "scaremongering"&nbsp;even as the death toll in China rose to 492&nbsp;on Wednesday.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/world%20-news-ten-passengers-aboard-a-cruise-ship-in-japan-test-positive-for-coronavirus-278655">Also Read: Ten passengers aboard a cruise ship in Japan test positive for coronavirus</a>

The deadly virus has now gone beyond China with a man dieing in Hong Kong on Tuesday, earlier the Philippines was the first country to report death caused due to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/coronavirus-death-toll-reaches-490-figure-expected-to-rise-278644">coronavirus</a> outside China. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
China had accused the US of scaremongering as the United States set its advisory level at 4, which is the highest safety risk. The US State Department in its latest travel advisory had told its citizens not to travel to China because of the threat to life posed by the virus.&nbsp;

Travel and trade restrictions introduced to control the spread of the coronavirus from China are now expected to deliver a short, sharp blow to both Chinese and global economic activity for the first quarter of this year.

While it remains unclear how far the virus will spread and when it will peak, economists have been trying to estimate the impact on the GDP of the world's second-largest economy.

With worrying signs in Chinese and Asian markets, China's central bank injected 1.2 trillion-yuan ($174 billion) worth of liquidity into money markets&nbsp;after promising to help companies struggling due to the virus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/coronavirus-in-india-what-do-we-know-so-far-278544">In Pics: Coronavirus in India - what do we know so far</a>

SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003 had resulted in a global economic loss of $40 billion, according to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information and authored by Jong-Wha Lee and Warwick J. McKibbin. If experts are to be believed the coronavirus may dwarf SARS $40 billion global economic blow.&nbsp;

China does realise things are not easier this time around. It is now&nbsp;different because of the dissemination of information in the digital era has led countries and companies to act faster in an authoritarian state like China.

One of the biggest reasons why the coronavirus is a big test for Chinese President Xi Jinping is because of the digital transformation that has changed lives in China and around the world. Realising that the war is not just on the ground but on digital platforms too, China has unleased its diplomatic circuit from around the world to say that “situation is under control in China”.&nbsp;

The systematic approach of popular Twitter handles of Chinese diplomats fighting the "online war of perception"&nbsp;for China reflects how the Chinese regime has been working hard to minimise the impact of nCoV outbreak on its economy.&nbsp;

Twitter handles of Chinese diplomats - Lijian Zhao (deputy director-general, information department, ministry of foreign affairs, China), Sun Weidong (Chinese ambassador to India), Liu Xiaoming (Chinese ambassador to the UK), Chinese ambassador to South Africa (@AmbLINSongtian), or Yao Jing, Chinese embassy in Pakistan @CathayPak, each one of them have been tweeting on China "successfully" handling the situation.&nbsp;

Yao Jing, in the Chinese embassy to Pakistan on Tuesday tweeted, “CPEC will not be affected by #Coronavirus. It is long-term cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese Government and people is firmly committed to the BRI and CPEC cooperation with Pakistan.”&nbsp;

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Ambassador Yao Jing: CPEC will not be affected by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Coronavirus</a>. It is a long term cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese Government and people is firmly committed to the BRI and CPEC cooperation with Pakistan.<a href="https://twitter.com/CPEC_Official?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CPEC_Official</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ForeignOfficePk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ForeignOfficePk</a> <a href="https://t.co/U4SHH4QYAQ">pic.twitter.com/U4SHH4QYAQ</a>
— Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) <a href="https://twitter.com/CathayPak/status/1224661940254863360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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He also tweeted a link to an article published in "People’s Daily"&nbsp;titled, “a&nbsp;good neighbour is a&nbsp;blessing". Pakistan is one of the few countries that has stood with its “all-weather ally” China and not evacuated its citizens amid the virus outbreak.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/coronavirus-outbreak-india-cancels-valid-e-visas-for-travellers-from-china-278548">Also Read: India cancels valid e-visas for travellers from China over coronavirus</a>

As many as twenty-seven thousand Pakistani nationals are in China among them 1,500 are in Hubei and 559 in Wuhan, which are the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak. The ambassdor also tweeted a video titled "Pak Chin Dosti Zindabad!"&nbsp;in which students from the University of Sargodha expressed their support to China on the coronavirus in the Chinese language.&nbsp;

Lin Songtian, Chinese ambassador to South Africa, is another diplomat who has been fighting the “digital war” and has been allaying Africa’s coronavirus fears.&nbsp;

The ambassador to South Africa said that there is no need for Africans to panic over the virus.&nbsp;

China is South Africa’s largest trading partner and more than 3,000 South African nationals reside in China.&nbsp;

The ambassador advised the South African nationals in China to remain in place. The Chinese ambassodor took to Twitter and retweeted a "China Daily"&nbsp;tweet saying, "This is the way we will win the global battles, now not only in China, but in the world."&nbsp;

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China's success in meeting the public health crisis will hold useful lessons for the world. It represents a big step forward not only for the Chinese, but for all countries. That is why it is important to keep faith with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Wuhan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Wuhan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a>
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChinaDaily/status/1224551906430742531?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In a tweet&nbsp;later,&nbsp;he again emphasised on China’s capability to fight the outbreak saying, “This is the ways we are fighting against the epidemic,” while he retweeted a video of "China Daily" depicting renovation of the city's sports stadium and two convention centers into three mobile cabin hospitals to treat the virus-hit patients.&nbsp;

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This is the way we will win the global battles, now not only in China, but in the world. <a href="https://t.co/vB6V9CmkEo">https://t.co/vB6V9CmkEo</a>
— Chinese Ambassador to South Africa (@AmbLINSongtian) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbLINSongtian/status/1224658243886239744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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As the other Chinese diplomats were on a defensive mode displaying and talking about the Chinese government's efforts on effectively handling the situation, Lijian Zhao, deputy director-general, information department, ministry of foreign affairs, went one step further and attacked the US for “scaremongering” over the virus.&nbsp;

Lijan in a series of tweets on Tuesday accused US politicians of using the virus to attack China. He asserted that “such an act is disgraceful by any social moral standards.”&nbsp;

“Nobody should underestimate China's ability to fight a public health crisis. As we can take measures that many countries cannot take, we can quickly recover after the crisis. Some countries should not hurt Chinese people's feelings when China is in temporary difficulties,” Lijan added.

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opinion: Nobody should underestimate China's ability to fight a public health crisis. As we can take measures that many countries cannot take,we can quickly recover after the crisis. Some countries should not hurt Chinese people's feelings when China is in temporary difficulties.
— Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) <a href="https://twitter.com/zlj517/status/1224620687278477312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Lijan compared the 2019-nCoV situation to that of H1N1 flu virus with the US as one of the original sites of the outbreak.&nbsp;

“It killed 284,000 people worldwide&nbsp;&amp; WHO declared the flu a PBEIC. However, the US failed to adopt effective control measures, causing a worldwide spread of H1N1. 2019-20 flu season is "on track for one of the worst flu seasons in decades,” he added.&nbsp;

Once a country which would shy away from US-based social media platforms, to now aggressively using the platform to fight the “battle of perception”, China has come a long way.&nbsp;

The country's diplomatic brigade has clearly taken up up the job on social media platforms while the Chinese government continues to take measures to contain the nCoV.&nbsp;

It also reflects China’s damage control through social media platforms to reduce panic among citizens around the world regarding China, as a continued ban on travel to China from different countries hurts Chinese economic interests. If China wants to win this "war", actions will have to be more on the ground than on Twitter.

China said it would welcome assistance from the United States to fight the coronavirus outbreak after it accused Washington of "scaremongering" even as the death toll in China rose to 492 on Wednesday.

China said it would welcome assistance from the United States to fight the coronavirus outbreak after it accused Washington of "scaremongering" even as the death toll in China rose to 492 on Wednesday. Also Read: Ten passengers aboard a cruise ship in Japan test positive for coronavirus The deadly virus has now gone beyond China with a man dieing in Hong Kong on Tuesday, earlier the Philippines was the first country to report death caused due to coronavirus outside China. China had accused the US of scaremongering as the United States set its advisory level at 4, which is the highest safety risk. The US State Department in its latest travel advisory had told its citizens not to travel to China because of the threat to life posed by the virus. Travel and trade restrictions introduced to control the spread of the coronavirus from China are now expected to deliver a short, sharp blow to both Chinese and global economic activity for the first quarter of this year. While it remains unclear how far the virus will spread and when it will peak, economists have been trying to estimate the impact on the GDP of the world's second-largest economy. With worrying signs in Chinese and Asian markets, China's central bank injected 1.2 trillion-yuan ($174 billion) worth of liquidity into money markets after promising to help companies struggling due to the virus. In Pics: Coronavirus in India - what do we know so far SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003 had resulted in a global economic loss of $40 billion, according to a study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information and authored by Jong-Wha Lee and Warwick J. McKibbin. If experts are to be believed the coronavirus may dwarf SARS $40 billion global economic blow. China does realise things are not easier this time around. It is now different because of the dissemination of information in the digital era has led countries and companies to act faster in an authoritarian state like China. One of the biggest reasons why the coronavirus is a big test for Chinese President Xi Jinping is because of the digital transformation that has changed lives in China and around the world. Realising that the war is not just on the ground but on digital platforms too, China has unleased its diplomatic circuit from around the world to say that “situation is under control in China”. The systematic approach of popular Twitter handles of Chinese diplomats fighting the "online war of perception" for China reflects how the Chinese regime has been working hard to minimise the impact of nCoV outbreak on its economy. Twitter handles of Chinese diplomats - Lijian Zhao (deputy director-general, information department, ministry of foreign affairs, China), Sun Weidong (Chinese ambassador to India), Liu Xiaoming (Chinese ambassador to the UK), Chinese ambassador to South Africa (@AmbLINSongtian), or Yao Jing, Chinese embassy in Pakistan @CathayPak, each one of them have been tweeting on China "successfully" handling the situation. Yao Jing, in the Chinese embassy to Pakistan on Tuesday tweeted, “CPEC will not be affected by #Coronavirus. It is long-term cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese Government and people is firmly committed to the BRI and CPEC cooperation with Pakistan.” Ambassador Yao Jing: CPEC will not be affected by #Coronavirus. It is a long term cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese Government and people is firmly committed to the BRI and CPEC cooperation with Pakistan.@CPEC_Official @ForeignOfficePk pic.twitter.com/U4SHH4QYAQ — Chinese Emb Pakistan (@CathayPak) February 4, 2020 × He also tweeted a link to an article published in "People’s Daily" titled, “a good neighbour is a blessing". Pakistan is one of the few countries that has stood with its “all-weather ally” China and not evacuated its citizens amid the virus outbreak. Also Read: India cancels valid e-visas for travellers from China over coronavirus As many as twenty-seven thousand Pakistani nationals are in China among them 1,500 are in Hubei and 559 in Wuhan, which are the epicenters of the coronavirus outbreak. The ambassdor also tweeted a video titled "Pak Chin Dosti Zindabad!" in which students from the University of Sargodha expressed their support to China on the coronavirus in the Chinese language. Lin Songtian, Chinese ambassador to South Africa, is another diplomat who has been fighting the “digital war” and has been allaying Africa’s coronavirus fears. The ambassador to South Africa said that there is no need for Africans to panic over the virus. China is South Africa’s largest trading partner and more than 3,000 South African nationals reside in China. The ambassador advised the South African nationals in China to remain in place. The Chinese ambassodor took to Twitter and retweeted a "China Daily" tweet saying, "This is the way we will win the global battles, now not only in China, but in the world." China's success in meeting the public health crisis will hold useful lessons for the world. It represents a big step forward not only for the Chinese, but for all countries. That is why it is important to keep faith with #China. #Wuhan #coronavirus — China Daily (@ChinaDaily) February 4, 2020 × In a tweet later, he again emphasised on China’s capability to fight the outbreak saying, “This is the ways we are fighting against the epidemic,” while he retweeted a video of "China Daily" depicting renovation of the city's sports stadium and two convention centers into three mobile cabin hospitals to treat the virus-hit patients. This is the way we will win the global battles, now not only in China, but in the world. https://t.co/vB6V9CmkEo — Chinese Ambassador to South Africa (@AmbLINSongtian) February 4, 2020 × As the other Chinese diplomats were on a defensive mode displaying and talking about the Chinese government's efforts on effectively handling the situation, Lijian Zhao, deputy director-general, information department, ministry of foreign affairs, went one step further and attacked the US for “scaremongering” over the virus. Lijan in a series of tweets on Tuesday accused US politicians of using the virus to attack China. He asserted that “such an act is disgraceful by any social moral standards.” “Nobody should underestimate China's ability to fight a public health crisis. As we can take measures that many countries cannot take, we can quickly recover after the crisis. Some countries should not hurt Chinese people's feelings when China is in temporary difficulties,” Lijan added. opinion: Nobody should underestimate China's ability to fight a public health crisis. As we can take measures that many countries cannot take,we can quickly recover after the crisis. Some countries should not hurt Chinese people's feelings when China is in temporary difficulties. — Lijian Zhao 赵立坚 (@zlj517) February 4, 2020 × Lijan compared the 2019-nCoV situation to that of H1N1 flu virus with the US as one of the original sites of the outbreak. “It killed 284,000 people worldwide & WHO declared the flu a PBEIC. However, the US failed to adopt effective control measures, causing a worldwide spread of H1N1. 2019-20 flu season is "on track for one of the worst flu seasons in decades,” he added. Once a country which would shy away from US-based social media platforms, to now aggressively using the platform to fight the “battle of perception”, China has come a long way. The country's diplomatic brigade has clearly taken up up the job on social media platforms while the Chinese government continues to take measures to contain the nCoV. It also reflects China’s damage control through social media platforms to reduce panic among citizens around the world regarding China, as a continued ban on travel to China from different countries hurts Chinese economic interests. If China wants to win this "war", actions will have to be more on the ground than on Twitter.

How China is fighting 'novel' war on coronavirus through Twitter

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. was awarded a $13 million contract from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for its "Glide Beaker" program. The contract is for the research, development, and demonstration of technology that is critical for enabling an advanced interceptor capable of engaging and manoeuvring "hypersonic" threats in the upper atmosphere.

Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced successfully developing an 'invincible' hypersonic missile, the United States has been bolstering its investment in hypersonic weapons. But, one of the major concerns remains the protection from these "Avangard" hypersonic missiles.

President Putin earlier claimed that the "Avangard" hypersonic missiles, believed to be located in the Urals mountain range in Western Russia, can deliver warheads at 27 times the speed of sound. Russian President went on saying, "not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons," as reported by news agency AFP. &nbsp;

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/were-constructing-many-hypersonic-missiles-us-president-donald-trump-273112">We're constructing many hypersonic missiles - US President Donald Trump</a>

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<h5>"The Avangard is invulnerable to intercept by any existing and prospective missile defence means of the potential adversary, " Putin had said.</h5>
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"The Avangard is invulnerable to intercept by any existing and prospective missile defence means of the potential adversary, " he added.

Glide Breaker should be tested in 2020 and the reason behind this is that the US is in a bit of rush. Hypersonic weapons may be able to penetrate US missile defences. Recent "drone" attacks on key Saudi oil facility Aramco on 14 September 2019, revealed the limits of US-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles. The Aramco facility under attack had a fleet of six Patriot surface-to-air missiles and associated radars. The Patriots didn’t stop the recent attack.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-first-avangard-hypersonic-missiles-enter-service-270620">Russia says first Avangard hypersonic missiles enter service</a>

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First artist’s concept for Glide Breaker, a Darpa-funded technology to defeat hypersonic weapons, revealed at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/darpa60?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#darpa60</a>. More coverage to follow in <a href="https://twitter.com/AviationWeek?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AviationWeek</a>. <a href="https://t.co/Ep6HmBVHzu">pic.twitter.com/Ep6HmBVHzu</a>
— Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheDEWLine/status/1037649207501488133?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The race for "hypersonic weapons" is not just limited to the US and Russia. China - which is estimated to be the world's second-largest armament maker after the US according to a recent report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI ) - is also close on the heels. China recently demonstrated the DF-17 hypersonic missile. China claims that the DF-17 hypersonic missile can travel faster than five times the speed of sound and is believed to "transform" Beijing's might in advance weaponry. The DF-17 first appeared in public in Beijing during a military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China.

Whether it is Russia, China or the US, they initiated the pursuit of "hypersonic weapons" for unique strategy purposes but the recent accelerated rush reflects on their efforts to overtake their rivals in a classic race called "arms race". 
&nbsp;

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. was awarded a $13 million contract from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for its "Glide Beaker" program. The contract is for the research, development, and demonstration of technology that is critical for enabling an advanced interceptor capable of engaging and manoeuvring "hypersonic" threats in the upper atmosphere.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. was awarded a $13 million contract from Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for its "Glide Beaker" program. The contract is for the research, development, and demonstration of technology that is critical for enabling an advanced interceptor capable of engaging and manoeuvring "hypersonic" threats in the upper atmosphere. Ever since Russian President Vladimir Putin announced successfully developing an 'invincible' hypersonic missile, the United States has been bolstering its investment in hypersonic weapons. But, one of the major concerns remains the protection from these "Avangard" hypersonic missiles. President Putin earlier claimed that the "Avangard" hypersonic missiles, believed to be located in the Urals mountain range in Western Russia, can deliver warheads at 27 times the speed of sound. Russian President went on saying, "not a single country possesses hypersonic weapons, let alone continental-range hypersonic weapons," as reported by news agency AFP. Also read: We're constructing many hypersonic missiles - US President Donald Trump "The Avangard is invulnerable to intercept by any existing and prospective missile defence means of the potential adversary, " Putin had said. × "The Avangard is invulnerable to intercept by any existing and prospective missile defence means of the potential adversary, " he added. Glide Breaker should be tested in 2020 and the reason behind this is that the US is in a bit of rush. Hypersonic weapons may be able to penetrate US missile defences. Recent "drone" attacks on key Saudi oil facility Aramco on 14 September 2019, revealed the limits of US-made Patriot surface-to-air missiles. The Aramco facility under attack had a fleet of six Patriot surface-to-air missiles and associated radars. The Patriots didn’t stop the recent attack. Also read: Russia says first Avangard hypersonic missiles enter service First artist’s concept for Glide Breaker, a Darpa-funded technology to defeat hypersonic weapons, revealed at #darpa60. More coverage to follow in @AviationWeek. pic.twitter.com/Ep6HmBVHzu — Steve Trimble (@TheDEWLine) September 6, 2018 × The race for "hypersonic weapons" is not just limited to the US and Russia. China - which is estimated to be the world's second-largest armament maker after the US according to a recent report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI ) - is also close on the heels. China recently demonstrated the DF-17 hypersonic missile. China claims that the DF-17 hypersonic missile can travel faster than five times the speed of sound and is believed to "transform" Beijing's might in advance weaponry. The DF-17 first appeared in public in Beijing during a military parade celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of Communist China. Whether it is Russia, China or the US, they initiated the pursuit of "hypersonic weapons" for unique strategy purposes but the recent accelerated rush reflects on their efforts to overtake their rivals in a classic race called "arms race".

Pentagon looks for 'defence' to Putin's 'invincible' hypersonic missiles

CYRAN AI Solutions, a deep-tech start-up of IIT Delhi on Monday launched BUDDHI (Build Understand Design Deploy Human-like Intelligence) which is THE world's first do-it-yourself (DIY) AI (Artificial Intelligence) kit. The kit is invented and made in India, for the world.

The BUDDHI kit is the brainchild of Professor Manan Suri of IIT Delhi, who was recognized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US as one of the world's top 35 innovators under the age of 35.

The kit was launched on Monday by Professor V Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi in the presence of representatives from the education/skills sector, NGOs, schools as well as students.

The BUDDHI Kit is the first-of-its-kind highly interactive and easy-to-use DIY educational kit that can be used to quickly learn the basics of AI and build AI-based solutions for real-world problems without any prior domain knowledge or training. The BUDDHI Kit can be used by young students, tinkerers, makers, innovators, hobbyists, teachers, educationists, artists, parents and professionals from any background.

The kit helps bridge the gap between theoretical and practical aspects of AI for end-users by helping them develop an intuitive understanding of the subject. The DIY nature of the kit helps users develop core skills such as problem-solving, creative thinking and the ability to work in teams. With BUDDHI Kit, the creative possibilities are endless as it can be used to easily introduce AI in any existing STEAM (science technology, engineering, art and math) project.

Professor Manan Suri in a conversation with WION said BUDDHI is a complete learning eco-system on its own and will help in experiencing AI, learning AI basics and building AI-based projects.

Here are some excerpts from his conversation with WION.

WION: Every day we hear the term 'artificial intelligence' or 'AI' multiple times, but not many of us understand the term? Can you please explain what it means?

Professor Suri: AI is an interdisciplinary field of science and technology that lies at the intersection of advanced mathematics, computer science, neuroscience and data sciences. The basic goal of AI is to be able to design systems, machines or solutions that can intelligently solve real-life problems.

WION: Tell us something about the BUDDHI AI DIY kit and how does it work? Also, how easy or difficult is it for anyone to use this kit?

Professor Suri: BUDDHI AI DIY kit its an indigenous AI learning kit that we have built at IIT-Delhi. The term BUDDHI here stands for 'Build Understand Design Deploy Human-like Intelligence'. The BUDDHI kit is a complete learning ecosystem in itself. With the kit, one can experience AI, can learn the basics of AI and can also build their projects which involve AI or they can build simple AI projects.

WION: What led to the creation of "BUDDHI"?

Professor Suri: AI is a complex subject. If you need to build something with AI or you want to build AI itself, you need very complex or rigorous mathematical training and advanced computer programming. 
The motivation was to bring this complex subject to a much younger audience so that we could gently nudge them towards the scope of the applications of AI. In a much easy manner, we can remove the barriers of complexity to introduce a new topic or an advance topic of AI to a young population. The motivation was to remove the barriers of complexity and make the subject more intuitive and more practical so that students can enjoy and do not get drowned in the complexity of the subject.

WION: What all things are needed to use BUDDHI DIY Kit?

Professor Suri: You just need the kit, some creativity, and the intent to explore. The kit in itself is sufficient, you can connect it to a smartphone, a tablet, a display, a screen, so the kit is self-contained in itself. We have a lot of additional learning resources that come along with the kit. You can just unbox the kit and start using it right away.

WION: How deep-rooted is AI in our lives at this stage? Also, how important is it to understand the changes it will bring to our daily lives shortly?

Professor Suri: AI is extremely important and the extent to which it is entering our lives is increasing everyday which cannot be ignored. It becomes important for the younger generation to engage with AI in a more meaningful way. What is important is we don't just use AI, we also learn what it means, how to build with it. There are tonnes of examples of how AI is already playing an important role in our lives.

WION: How fast is AI growing in India vis-à-vis the rest of the world?

Professor Suri: India is doing great in terms of AI-related growth, one of the reasons for that is that India has a lot of intellectual and innovative ability, Indian academics and researchers are doing a fascinating job related to AI-related research and development. One of the feeders for AI is data and India is an extremely large storehouse for data of any kind which makes us very strongly positioned. India is in the right direction with the several government initiatives that are being taken around related to AI, the academic initiatives, India is in a good shape but a lot more work needs to be done.

CYRAN AI Solutions, a deep-tech start-up of IIT Delhi on Monday launched BUDDHI (Build Understand Design Deploy Human-like Intelligence) which is THE world's first do-it-yourself (DIY) AI (Artificial Intelligence) kit.

CYRAN AI Solutions, a deep-tech start-up of IIT Delhi on Monday launched BUDDHI (Build Understand Design Deploy Human-like Intelligence) which is THE world's first do-it-yourself (DIY) AI (Artificial Intelligence) kit. The kit is invented and made in India, for the world. The BUDDHI kit is the brainchild of Professor Manan Suri of IIT Delhi, who was recognized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US as one of the world's top 35 innovators under the age of 35. The kit was launched on Monday by Professor V Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi in the presence of representatives from the education/skills sector, NGOs, schools as well as students. The BUDDHI Kit is the first-of-its-kind highly interactive and easy-to-use DIY educational kit that can be used to quickly learn the basics of AI and build AI-based solutions for real-world problems without any prior domain knowledge or training. The BUDDHI Kit can be used by young students, tinkerers, makers, innovators, hobbyists, teachers, educationists, artists, parents and professionals from any background. The kit helps bridge the gap between theoretical and practical aspects of AI for end-users by helping them develop an intuitive understanding of the subject. The DIY nature of the kit helps users develop core skills such as problem-solving, creative thinking and the ability to work in teams. With BUDDHI Kit, the creative possibilities are endless as it can be used to easily introduce AI in any existing STEAM (science technology, engineering, art and math) project. Professor Manan Suri in a conversation with WION said BUDDHI is a complete learning eco-system on its own and will help in experiencing AI, learning AI basics and building AI-based projects. Here are some excerpts from his conversation with WION. WION: Every day we hear the term 'artificial intelligence' or 'AI' multiple times, but not many of us understand the term? Can you please explain what it means? Professor Suri: AI is an interdisciplinary field of science and technology that lies at the intersection of advanced mathematics, computer science, neuroscience and data sciences. The basic goal of AI is to be able to design systems, machines or solutions that can intelligently solve real-life problems. WION: Tell us something about the BUDDHI AI DIY kit and how does it work? Also, how easy or difficult is it for anyone to use this kit? Professor Suri: BUDDHI AI DIY kit its an indigenous AI learning kit that we have built at IIT-Delhi. The term BUDDHI here stands for 'Build Understand Design Deploy Human-like Intelligence'. The BUDDHI kit is a complete learning ecosystem in itself. With the kit, one can experience AI, can learn the basics of AI and can also build their projects which involve AI or they can build simple AI projects. WION: What led to the creation of "BUDDHI"? Professor Suri: AI is a complex subject. If you need to build something with AI or you want to build AI itself, you need very complex or rigorous mathematical training and advanced computer programming. The motivation was to bring this complex subject to a much younger audience so that we could gently nudge them towards the scope of the applications of AI. In a much easy manner, we can remove the barriers of complexity to introduce a new topic or an advance topic of AI to a young population. The motivation was to remove the barriers of complexity and make the subject more intuitive and more practical so that students can enjoy and do not get drowned in the complexity of the subject. WION: What all things are needed to use BUDDHI DIY Kit? Professor Suri: You just need the kit, some creativity, and the intent to explore. The kit in itself is sufficient, you can connect it to a smartphone, a tablet, a display, a screen, so the kit is self-contained in itself. We have a lot of additional learning resources that come along with the kit. You can just unbox the kit and start using it right away. WION: How deep-rooted is AI in our lives at this stage? Also, how important is it to understand the changes it will bring to our daily lives shortly? Professor Suri: AI is extremely important and the extent to which it is entering our lives is increasing everyday which cannot be ignored. It becomes important for the younger generation to engage with AI in a more meaningful way. What is important is we don't just use AI, we also learn what it means, how to build with it. There are tonnes of examples of how AI is already playing an important role in our lives. WION: How fast is AI growing in India vis-à-vis the rest of the world? Professor Suri: India is doing great in terms of AI-related growth, one of the reasons for that is that India has a lot of intellectual and innovative ability, Indian academics and researchers are doing a fascinating job related to AI-related research and development. One of the feeders for AI is data and India is an extremely large storehouse for data of any kind which makes us very strongly positioned. India is in the right direction with the several government initiatives that are being taken around related to AI, the academic initiatives, India is in a good shape but a lot more work needs to be done.

IIT Delhi's start-up launches world's first do-it-yourself Artificial Intelligence kit

United States President Donald Trump again <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mediation-only-if-both-india-pakistan-agree-trump-after-meeting-pm-imran-khan-251588">offered mediation over Kashmir</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday, despite India making clear its position&nbsp;that its a bilateral matter between the country and Pakistan.

Confirming that Kashmir was raised during his bilateral&nbsp;meetings with Pakistan and&nbsp;India, Trump said, "We talked about Kashmir and whatever help I can be, I said I offered."

"Whether its arbitration or mediation or whatever it has to be," Trump added.

"I will do whatever I can because they are at very serious odds right now and hopefully that will get better," Trump also said.

"You look at two gentlemen heading those two countries, two good friends of mine, I said fellas work it out, just work it out. Those are two nuclear countries, they've gotta work it out," Trump also said.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs reacting to the comments said, "Our position is very clear which was articulated by the PM and as well the foreign minister S Jaishankar."

The ministry clarified that the talks on Jammu and Kashmir took place but on "counterterrorism" and said that "there will be no change in our position".&nbsp;

Earlier this week as well, Trump offered to mediate between India and Pakistan over Kashmir as he met Pak PM Imran Khan on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly.

Trump had said he is "ready, willing, and able" to meditate on the Kashmir matter if India and Pakistan want him to do so.

"If I can help, I would certainly do that. It will be dependent on both of these gentlemen (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Imran Khan)," Trump had said in response to a question on whether he will offer to mediate on the issue of Kashmir.

"One without the other does not work, if you want to do the mediation or if you want to do the arbitration. But I would certainly want to help if both India and Pakistan would want to do that. It's a complex issue, but if both want it, I would be willing to do that," he had added.

A similar statement was made by the US President in the presence of Khan at a joint press conference during the latter's visit to Washington in July.

Tensions between India and Pakistan soared following New Delhi's decisions to abrogate Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories (UTs).&nbsp;

Pakistan has downgraded its diplomatic ties and suspended bilateral trade with India in the aftermath of the move.

India has maintained that its constitutional decisions on Kashmir is its internal matter -- a stance that has been supported by many countries around the world. 
&nbsp;

United States President Donald Trump again offered mediation over Kashmir on Wednesday, despite India making clear its position that its a bilateral matter between the country and Pakistan.

United States President Donald Trump again offered mediation over Kashmir on Wednesday, despite India making clear its position that its a bilateral matter between the country and Pakistan. Confirming that Kashmir was raised during his bilateral meetings with Pakistan and India, Trump said, "We talked about Kashmir and whatever help I can be, I said I offered." "Whether its arbitration or mediation or whatever it has to be," Trump added. "I will do whatever I can because they are at very serious odds right now and hopefully that will get better," Trump also said. "You look at two gentlemen heading those two countries, two good friends of mine, I said fellas work it out, just work it out. Those are two nuclear countries, they've gotta work it out," Trump also said. Meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs reacting to the comments said, "Our position is very clear which was articulated by the PM and as well the foreign minister S Jaishankar." The ministry clarified that the talks on Jammu and Kashmir took place but on "counterterrorism" and said that "there will be no change in our position". Earlier this week as well, Trump offered to mediate between India and Pakistan over Kashmir as he met Pak PM Imran Khan on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly. Trump had said he is "ready, willing, and able" to meditate on the Kashmir matter if India and Pakistan want him to do so. "If I can help, I would certainly do that. It will be dependent on both of these gentlemen (Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Imran Khan)," Trump had said in response to a question on whether he will offer to mediate on the issue of Kashmir. "One without the other does not work, if you want to do the mediation or if you want to do the arbitration. But I would certainly want to help if both India and Pakistan would want to do that. It's a complex issue, but if both want it, I would be willing to do that," he had added. A similar statement was made by the US President in the presence of Khan at a joint press conference during the latter's visit to Washington in July. Tensions between India and Pakistan soared following New Delhi's decisions to abrogate Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the region into two Union Territories (UTs). Pakistan has downgraded its diplomatic ties and suspended bilateral trade with India in the aftermath of the move. India has maintained that its constitutional decisions on Kashmir is its internal matter -- a stance that has been supported by many countries around the world.

'I'll do whatever I can': Trump again offers to mediate over Kashmir between India, Pakistan

Indian Prime Minister met his Japanese couterpart Shinzo Abe in Osaka on Thursday in his first bilateral on the sidelines of the 14th G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.&nbsp;

This is Modi's first meeting with the Japanese PM in his second term.&nbsp;

PM Modi thanked Abe for calling him and congratulating him after his <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-meets-japan-pm-in-his-first-bilateral-summit-g20-sidelines-230752">election victory on May 23</a> and said "Shinzo Abe was the first friend to congratulate me. I would like to thank PM Abe for this."

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On the G20 summit whose presidency is currently with Japan, PM said, "Your work as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/g20-summit-pm-modi-to-meet-trump-and-attend-two-trilateral-meetings-on-friday-230703">G20 chairman is appreciable</a> and congratulatory."&nbsp;

PM congratulated people of Japan and Japanese PM for the new Reiwa era.&nbsp;

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Expanding the strategic template of our relationship 
​ 
PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> met Japanese PM <a href="https://twitter.com/AbeShinzo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AbeShinzo</a> ahead of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/G20Summit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#G20Summit</a>. Discussed broad range of topics of mutual interest. PM said that he was looking forward to visit of PM Abe to India later this year for the Annual Summit. <a href="https://t.co/q07u4i68yu">pic.twitter.com/q07u4i68yu</a>
— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia/status/1144114496593522688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Reiwa era began on 1st May 2019 when Emperor Akihito's eldest son, Naruhito, ascended the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan.&nbsp;

President Ram Nath Kovind will represent India at the enthronement ceremony of Naruhito as emperor of Japan on October 22, 2019. Japanese Emperor Akihito abdicated the Throne on 30 April 2019.&nbsp;

India-Japan 2+2 dialogue between defence and foreign ministers will take place later this year, ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's India visit for the India-Japan Annual Summit that alternates its location between India and Japan. This is the second time India engaging with any country in this format.

During the meet, both sides discussed connectivity, Indo-Pacific and country infrastructure projects.

"Connectivity issue was touched upon. First was Act-East Forum, both agreed on joint operations in countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Indo-Pacific is essentially a connectivity issue. The seamless connectivity of two major oceans", Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in a press conference later.&nbsp;

The bullet train project and a convention centre in Varanasi were also discussed.

"Lot of personal chemistry between PM Modi and Japanese PM Abe and they are more like friends. They are very close, very frank and have very open discussions and they are very helpful to each other.", Indian envoy to Japan Sanjay Kumar Verma told WION.

PM arrived in Japan on a three-day visit on Thursday morning and was received by Japanese parliamentary vice minister for foreign affairs Kenzi Yamada and mayor of Osaka city at Kansai Airport. On his arrival, he tweeted, "Reached Osaka to join the #G20 Summit. Grateful to the dynamic Indian community for the warm welcome!".

Indian Prime Minister met his Japanese couterpart Shinzo Abe in Osaka on Thursday in his first bilateral on the sidelines of the 14th G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan.

Indian Prime Minister met his Japanese couterpart Shinzo Abe in Osaka on Thursday in his first bilateral on the sidelines of the 14th G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan. This is Modi's first meeting with the Japanese PM in his second term. PM Modi thanked Abe for calling him and congratulating him after his election victory on May 23 and said "Shinzo Abe was the first friend to congratulate me. I would like to thank PM Abe for this." × On the G20 summit whose presidency is currently with Japan, PM said, "Your work as G20 chairman is appreciable and congratulatory." PM congratulated people of Japan and Japanese PM for the new Reiwa era. Expanding the strategic template of our relationship PM @narendramodi met Japanese PM @AbeShinzo ahead of the #G20Summit. Discussed broad range of topics of mutual interest. PM said that he was looking forward to visit of PM Abe to India later this year for the Annual Summit. pic.twitter.com/q07u4i68yu — Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) June 27, 2019 × Reiwa era began on 1st May 2019 when Emperor Akihito's eldest son, Naruhito, ascended the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan. President Ram Nath Kovind will represent India at the enthronement ceremony of Naruhito as emperor of Japan on October 22, 2019. Japanese Emperor Akihito abdicated the Throne on 30 April 2019. India-Japan 2+2 dialogue between defence and foreign ministers will take place later this year, ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's India visit for the India-Japan Annual Summit that alternates its location between India and Japan. This is the second time India engaging with any country in this format. During the meet, both sides discussed connectivity, Indo-Pacific and country infrastructure projects. "Connectivity issue was touched upon. First was Act-East Forum, both agreed on joint operations in countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Indo-Pacific is essentially a connectivity issue. The seamless connectivity of two major oceans", Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said in a press conference later. The bullet train project and a convention centre in Varanasi were also discussed. "Lot of personal chemistry between PM Modi and Japanese PM Abe and they are more like friends. They are very close, very frank and have very open discussions and they are very helpful to each other.", Indian envoy to Japan Sanjay Kumar Verma told WION. PM arrived in Japan on a three-day visit on Thursday morning and was received by Japanese parliamentary vice minister for foreign affairs Kenzi Yamada and mayor of Osaka city at Kansai Airport. On his arrival, he tweeted, "Reached Osaka to join the #G20 Summit. Grateful to the dynamic Indian community for the warm welcome!".

PM Modi meets Japan's Abe in his first bilateral summit on G20 sidelines  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 on Friday for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth. The award was presented to him by the Seoul Peace Prize Foundation at a grand ceremony in South Korea.

The event was organised in Seoul and interestingly, the head chef of Lotte Hotel in Seoul where PM Modi stayed along with his delegation was an Indian with her roots in Gorakhpur.&nbsp;

Deepali, the Indian-origin chef based in Seoul, was specially invited by the Indian Ambassador of South Korea to head the culinary front for the PM and his delegation of over 150 people.&nbsp;

While speaking to WION, Deepali said it was an exciting moment for her to prepare food for the PM and his delegation. It was a moment of pride for her and her family.&nbsp;

She said the PM loved the food and also complimented her for it after he learnt that the head chef for his delegation was an Indian. Later, after the dinner when he met Deepali, he asked her about her roots and was delighted to learn that Deepali is from Gorakhpur. He told Deepali that <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-launches-pm-kisan-yojna-says-first-installment-of-rs-2000-paid-to-11-crore-farmers-199330">he will visit Gorakhpur on February 24</a> (today).&nbsp;

Here are some excerpts of Deepali speaking to WION.

WION: What was it like being head chef for PM Modi and his delegation?&nbsp;

DEEPALI: It was definitely an exciting moment to head the culinary front for the PM and his delegation of 150 pax. This event was held in “Lotte Hotel Seoul”, by the way I do not work at this place on a regular basis. It was for this event that the Indian Ambassador here in Seoul had asked me to lead on the culinary front for PM Modi’s trip (2 days and approximately 150+ people in the delegation).

WION: What did the menu include during his two days of stay?&nbsp;

DEEPALI: It was mostly Indian food served in breakfast, lunch and dinner.&nbsp;

MENU FOR BOTH DAYS WERE AS FOLLOW:

February 21

Breakfast: 
Banarasi Aloo&nbsp; 
jhol &amp; puri&nbsp; 
Kanda poha&nbsp; 
Upma&nbsp; 
Shrikhand

Lunch: 
Dal Tarka&nbsp; 
Palak paneer&nbsp; 
Dum aloo&nbsp; 
Chana salad&nbsp; 
Kachumbar salad&nbsp; 
Bundi Raita&nbsp; 
Jeera Rice&nbsp; 
Tandoori Roti&nbsp; 
Gajar Halwa&nbsp; 
Pickle / papadum/ chutney&nbsp;

Dinner&nbsp; 
Dal Makhni&nbsp; 
Khoya matar makhana&nbsp; 
Veg Jalfrezi&nbsp; 
Corn salad&nbsp; 
Sprout salad&nbsp; 
Fruit Raita&nbsp; 
Saffron Rice&nbsp; 
Naan&nbsp; 
Ras malai&nbsp; 
Pickle / papadum/ chutney

&nbsp; 
February 22

Breakfast 
Idli&nbsp; 
Vermicelli upma&nbsp; 
Medu vada&nbsp; 
Sambhar Chutney&nbsp; 
Rava Kesri

Lunch 
Chana palak Daal&nbsp; 
Kadhai paneer&nbsp; 
Aloo gobhi&nbsp; 
Mix veg Raita&nbsp; 
Peanut potato salad&nbsp; 
Carrot Sundal&nbsp; 
Tandoori roti&nbsp; 
Peas pulav&nbsp; 
Kheer&nbsp; 
Pickle / papadum/ chutney

PM’s reception on February 22

Dabeli&nbsp; 
Sandwich&nbsp; 
Sabudana vada&nbsp; 
Skewers&nbsp; 
Hara bhara kabaab&nbsp; 
Fruit juice, coke and water&nbsp; 
Tea coffee
<img alt="Modi in Seoul" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b28be95d-1a27-40e9-ae34-0cc591343246" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/chef_0.jpg" />
&nbsp; 
WION: Any comments by the PM on the food?

DEEPALI: It was after dinner that we got a chance to meet the PM and he complimented us for the food saying, “It was very tasty”. After this we got a chance to get pictures clicked with the him and then he also asked me to send this picture to my parents in Gorakhpur.&nbsp;

WION: Tell us more about your journey from Gorakhpur to Seoul.&nbsp;

DEEPALI: I was born and brought up in Gorakhpur, did my schooling from Gorakhpur itself and then moved to Vanasthali Vidyapeeth, Rajasthan where I completed my Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science. I got married while I was completing my Masters.&nbsp;

My husband then was working in US so I moved to US and started my career as a developer in US itself. By the time I got settled with my job in US, my husband got transferred to Thailand. Since I was a trailing spouse I didn not have a work permit, my husband had the work permit, I was on a dependent VISA. I decided to utilise the time I had by enrolling in a college but I got a job offer from my institute of that of a Corporate trainer. Then I got to know we were expecting our first child so we moved back to India.

After the birth of my first child we then moved to the Philippines where I got to know that the best courses offered here were on Culinary, I started learning Culinary.&nbsp;I won a lot of competitions after that and then I started getting more work as a Chef. I never thought that I would be working as a Chef but I went with the flow.&nbsp;

Then we again got a transfer to South Korea. Whatever Indian Projects that were in Seoul I was the Chef-in-Charge in most of them. Interestingly I was never a trained Chef in Indian food because of my training in Culinary in the Philippines. I never cooked Indian food so to get the expertise I worked for free in Indian Restaurants in Seoul.&nbsp;

It has been a learning experience for me and the journey has been an exciting one from Gorakhpur to Seoul.&nbsp;
<img alt="Chef" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ca547a9a-641a-446b-a30f-c2b978365afd" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/chef%202.jpg" />
WION: What is it about India that you miss here in Seoul, South Korea?&nbsp;

DEEPALI: I miss my family and friends the most. Along with that I miss the “chaat” and my mother’s “mutton curry” the most here.

WION: What was your experience of serving the PM of India?&nbsp;

DEEPALI: The delegation and Mr PM liked the food. It was a great honour to personally hear from him that the food was good.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 on Friday for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the prestigious Seoul Peace Prize for 2018 on Friday for his contribution to international cooperation and fostering global economic growth. The award was presented to him by the Seoul Peace Prize Foundation at a grand ceremony in South Korea. The event was organised in Seoul and interestingly, the head chef of Lotte Hotel in Seoul where PM Modi stayed along with his delegation was an Indian with her roots in Gorakhpur. Deepali, the Indian-origin chef based in Seoul, was specially invited by the Indian Ambassador of South Korea to head the culinary front for the PM and his delegation of over 150 people. While speaking to WION, Deepali said it was an exciting moment for her to prepare food for the PM and his delegation. It was a moment of pride for her and her family. She said the PM loved the food and also complimented her for it after he learnt that the head chef for his delegation was an Indian. Later, after the dinner when he met Deepali, he asked her about her roots and was delighted to learn that Deepali is from Gorakhpur. He told Deepali that he will visit Gorakhpur on February 24 (today). Here are some excerpts of Deepali speaking to WION. WION: What was it like being head chef for PM Modi and his delegation? DEEPALI: It was definitely an exciting moment to head the culinary front for the PM and his delegation of 150 pax. This event was held in “Lotte Hotel Seoul”, by the way I do not work at this place on a regular basis. It was for this event that the Indian Ambassador here in Seoul had asked me to lead on the culinary front for PM Modi’s trip (2 days and approximately 150+ people in the delegation). WION: What did the menu include during his two days of stay? DEEPALI: It was mostly Indian food served in breakfast, lunch and dinner. MENU FOR BOTH DAYS WERE AS FOLLOW: February 21 Breakfast: Banarasi Aloo jhol & puri Kanda poha Upma Shrikhand Lunch: Dal Tarka Palak paneer Dum aloo Chana salad Kachumbar salad Bundi Raita Jeera Rice Tandoori Roti Gajar Halwa Pickle / papadum/ chutney Dinner Dal Makhni Khoya matar makhana Veg Jalfrezi Corn salad Sprout salad Fruit Raita Saffron Rice Naan Ras malai Pickle / papadum/ chutney February 22 Breakfast Idli Vermicelli upma Medu vada Sambhar Chutney Rava Kesri Lunch Chana palak Daal Kadhai paneer Aloo gobhi Mix veg Raita Peanut potato salad Carrot Sundal Tandoori roti Peas pulav Kheer Pickle / papadum/ chutney PM’s reception on February 22 Dabeli Sandwich Sabudana vada Skewers Hara bhara kabaab Fruit juice, coke and water Tea coffee WION: Any comments by the PM on the food? DEEPALI: It was after dinner that we got a chance to meet the PM and he complimented us for the food saying, “It was very tasty”. After this we got a chance to get pictures clicked with the him and then he also asked me to send this picture to my parents in Gorakhpur. WION: Tell us more about your journey from Gorakhpur to Seoul. DEEPALI: I was born and brought up in Gorakhpur, did my schooling from Gorakhpur itself and then moved to Vanasthali Vidyapeeth, Rajasthan where I completed my Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science. I got married while I was completing my Masters. My husband then was working in US so I moved to US and started my career as a developer in US itself. By the time I got settled with my job in US, my husband got transferred to Thailand. Since I was a trailing spouse I didn not have a work permit, my husband had the work permit, I was on a dependent VISA. I decided to utilise the time I had by enrolling in a college but I got a job offer from my institute of that of a Corporate trainer. Then I got to know we were expecting our first child so we moved back to India. After the birth of my first child we then moved to the Philippines where I got to know that the best courses offered here were on Culinary, I started learning Culinary. I won a lot of competitions after that and then I started getting more work as a Chef. I never thought that I would be working as a Chef but I went with the flow. Then we again got a transfer to South Korea. Whatever Indian Projects that were in Seoul I was the Chef-in-Charge in most of them. Interestingly I was never a trained Chef in Indian food because of my training in Culinary in the Philippines. I never cooked Indian food so to get the expertise I worked for free in Indian Restaurants in Seoul. It has been a learning experience for me and the journey has been an exciting one from Gorakhpur to Seoul. WION: What is it about India that you miss here in Seoul, South Korea? DEEPALI: I miss my family and friends the most. Along with that I miss the “chaat” and my mother’s “mutton curry” the most here. WION: What was your experience of serving the PM of India? DEEPALI: The delegation and Mr PM liked the food. It was a great honour to personally hear from him that the food was good.

'Exciting moment to prepare food for PM': Head chef for Modi's Seoul visit speaks to WION

United States Special Representative for<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/russia-firms-up-foothold-in-afghanistan-as-us-eyes-exit-195664"> Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad</a> will be back in the region during which he will be visiting six countries - Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

The visit from 10th February to 28th February, according to a State Department release is "part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that protects US national security interests and brings all Afghan parties together in an intra-Afghan dialogue through which they can determine a path for their country’s future."

The State Department added, "He will meet with our allies and partners to discuss mutual efforts to advance that goal and will consult with the Afghan government throughout the trip."

The US will be keen to focus on <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-says-us-promised-to-halve-its-troops-in-afghanistan-by-april-report-195635">intra-Afghan dialogue given the fact </a>that Moscow just hosted a dialogue involving the Taliban and opposition leaders including former President Hamid Karzai, former national security advisor Haneef Atmar and ex-governor of Balkh province Ata Mohammad Noor.

On February 25th, Zalmay will be meeting the Taliban.

The Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid earlier this &nbsp;month speaking exclusively to WION had said, "A meeting has been arranged on February 25th," while explaining "from the initial agreement we reached with the United States, they seem to have shown readiness to leave Afghanistan and put an end to their occupation."

Last month a number of parleys between US special envoy and Taliban took place which seemed to suggest both are working on a pact, the details of which are not known.

Speaking at an event last Friday in Washington, Zalmay said overall goal is "not to seek out withdrawal agreement" but a "peace agreement." He hoped to reach an agreement before the July vote in the landlocked South Asian country.

The last time when he visited the region in January, Zalmay started his visit from New Delhi and had met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale during which India raised the issue of destabilising role Pakistan in the region. India also called on the US to safeguard current political and constitutional structure in the country.

United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad will be back in the region during which he will be visiting six countries - Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad will be back in the region during which he will be visiting six countries - Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The visit from 10th February to 28th February, according to a State Department release is "part of an overall effort to facilitate a peace process that protects US national security interests and brings all Afghan parties together in an intra-Afghan dialogue through which they can determine a path for their country’s future." The State Department added, "He will meet with our allies and partners to discuss mutual efforts to advance that goal and will consult with the Afghan government throughout the trip." The US will be keen to focus on intra-Afghan dialogue given the fact that Moscow just hosted a dialogue involving the Taliban and opposition leaders including former President Hamid Karzai, former national security advisor Haneef Atmar and ex-governor of Balkh province Ata Mohammad Noor. On February 25th, Zalmay will be meeting the Taliban. The Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid earlier this month speaking exclusively to WION had said, "A meeting has been arranged on February 25th," while explaining "from the initial agreement we reached with the United States, they seem to have shown readiness to leave Afghanistan and put an end to their occupation." Last month a number of parleys between US special envoy and Taliban took place which seemed to suggest both are working on a pact, the details of which are not known. Speaking at an event last Friday in Washington, Zalmay said overall goal is "not to seek out withdrawal agreement" but a "peace agreement." He hoped to reach an agreement before the July vote in the landlocked South Asian country. The last time when he visited the region in January, Zalmay started his visit from New Delhi and had met external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale during which India raised the issue of destabilising role Pakistan in the region. India also called on the US to safeguard current political and constitutional structure in the country.

US representative Zalmay Khalilzad to be back to focus on intra-Afghan dialogue

Ahead of the Budget the International Monetary Fund's(IMF)&nbsp;top representative Andreas Bauer in India spoke exclusively to our correspondent Siddhant Sibal.&nbsp; 
Bauer lauded the various reforms in India especially the GST and said that the country has done well and the world needs it to grow. He hoped for fiscal consolidation in the upcoming Budget. Here is the full interview.&nbsp;

WION: The IMF report was upbeat on India. What makes you so confident?&nbsp;

Andreas Bauer: We think India has a strong base to grow on. It has a young population, it has human resources that are growing, it has a fairly high savings rate, although we would see some more of that will provide the basis for investment.

India has a good basis to start growing. We need reforms. This is why we looking in Budgets, programmes of the new government. We want to see continues pace of reforms, some important reforms have been implemented in recent years.&nbsp;

WION: Your assessment of reforms introduced by the government in the last few years?&nbsp;

Andreas Bauer: India has made a lot of progress in a few years and GST for us is a big reform. It has the potential to unify the domestic market, certainty, the initial structure of GST was quite complex and compliance cost very high.

We have seen good moves to simplify that. More scope to go further. But reforms give a tailwind to move the economy forward. Looking at the next phase, after the elections that India can pick up the reform pace and continue to build the economic pace that allows country to grow at these high rates.

India has done well, India is growing above 7 per cent, the country is 15 per cent of global growth and world needs India to grow as there are other economies like China which are slowing, so we do need India to grow.&nbsp;

WION: What kind of reforms you expect?&nbsp;

Andreas Bauer: We have laid reforms out in our annual assessment of the economy. In short term, we are looking at a number of things. We are looking at ways to address twin balance sheet problem.

So improving capital base of banks, which is ongoing for public banks and governance reforms of the banks and making sure these banks in future work on much better basis and we don't see repeat of accumulation of large non-performing loans. One of the issues, we have discussed is the global environment might become challenging. Important to put fiscal on a strong footing.&nbsp;

WION: Your suggestions on the Budget?&nbsp;

Andreas Bauer: I rather wait for the Budget to see what is in there but we have been for sometimes saying that India should gradually consolidate. So certainly we want India to persist on that path.

See the deficits to decline and debt levels to decline. These are relatively high levels for an emerging economy and we want to have a space that when a negative shock comes, fisc can help. We would like to see the continuation of the consolidation path. It is important to take a global view and create fiscal space to be ready in case if negative shock.&nbsp;

WION: Your assessment of oil prices especially with the crisis in Venezuela?

Andreas Bauer: Geopolitical events always pose risk to oil price. The general expectation is after the recent decline oil prices, they will remain at the current level so that is not bad news for oil importers like India.

Risk of supply disruption as we saw last year. So risk as well on that front. In general, given that global economy is slowing and given that previous supply disruptions have been addressed, so our forecast and markets forecast is stable oil prices.&nbsp;

WION: You have painted a gloomy picture of the world economy. What makes you pessimistic?&nbsp;

Andreas Bauer: The good news is the global economy is still expanding but expansion is slowing and at a faster pace than originally then we anticipated. So we put out a word of caution. The global economy last year expanded by 3.7 per cent, that is quite a good pace.

For the current year, growth will slow down to 3.5 per cent and that refects in both advanced and emerging markets. The key message to countries is, the situation is still okay, but risk remains and better prepare for a more difficult external environment.&nbsp;

Ahead of the Budget the International Monetary Fund's(IMF) top representative Andreas Bauer in India spoke exclusively to our correspondent Siddhant Sibal. Bauer lauded the various reforms in India especially the GST and said that the country has done well and the world needs it to grow.

Ahead of the Budget the International Monetary Fund's(IMF) top representative Andreas Bauer in India spoke exclusively to our correspondent Siddhant Sibal. Bauer lauded the various reforms in India especially the GST and said that the country has done well and the world needs it to grow. He hoped for fiscal consolidation in the upcoming Budget. Here is the full interview. WION: The IMF report was upbeat on India. What makes you so confident? Andreas Bauer: We think India has a strong base to grow on. It has a young population, it has human resources that are growing, it has a fairly high savings rate, although we would see some more of that will provide the basis for investment. India has a good basis to start growing. We need reforms. This is why we looking in Budgets, programmes of the new government. We want to see continues pace of reforms, some important reforms have been implemented in recent years. WION: Your assessment of reforms introduced by the government in the last few years? Andreas Bauer: India has made a lot of progress in a few years and GST for us is a big reform. It has the potential to unify the domestic market, certainty, the initial structure of GST was quite complex and compliance cost very high. We have seen good moves to simplify that. More scope to go further. But reforms give a tailwind to move the economy forward. Looking at the next phase, after the elections that India can pick up the reform pace and continue to build the economic pace that allows country to grow at these high rates. India has done well, India is growing above 7 per cent, the country is 15 per cent of global growth and world needs India to grow as there are other economies like China which are slowing, so we do need India to grow. WION: What kind of reforms you expect? Andreas Bauer: We have laid reforms out in our annual assessment of the economy. In short term, we are looking at a number of things. We are looking at ways to address twin balance sheet problem. So improving capital base of banks, which is ongoing for public banks and governance reforms of the banks and making sure these banks in future work on much better basis and we don't see repeat of accumulation of large non-performing loans. One of the issues, we have discussed is the global environment might become challenging. Important to put fiscal on a strong footing. WION: Your suggestions on the Budget? Andreas Bauer: I rather wait for the Budget to see what is in there but we have been for sometimes saying that India should gradually consolidate. So certainly we want India to persist on that path. See the deficits to decline and debt levels to decline. These are relatively high levels for an emerging economy and we want to have a space that when a negative shock comes, fisc can help. We would like to see the continuation of the consolidation path. It is important to take a global view and create fiscal space to be ready in case if negative shock. WION: Your assessment of oil prices especially with the crisis in Venezuela? Andreas Bauer: Geopolitical events always pose risk to oil price. The general expectation is after the recent decline oil prices, they will remain at the current level so that is not bad news for oil importers like India. Risk of supply disruption as we saw last year. So risk as well on that front. In general, given that global economy is slowing and given that previous supply disruptions have been addressed, so our forecast and markets forecast is stable oil prices. WION: You have painted a gloomy picture of the world economy. What makes you pessimistic? Andreas Bauer: The good news is the global economy is still expanding but expansion is slowing and at a faster pace than originally then we anticipated. So we put out a word of caution. The global economy last year expanded by 3.7 per cent, that is quite a good pace. For the current year, growth will slow down to 3.5 per cent and that refects in both advanced and emerging markets. The key message to countries is, the situation is still okay, but risk remains and better prepare for a more difficult external environment.

Ahead of Budget, IMF calls for more reforms

Senior Economist- World Bank Prospects Group Patrick Kirby said that high levels of public debt, in general, could be one of the biggest risk being faced by the South Asian Region's economic growth.&nbsp;

Speaking exclusively to WION he also added that India would still be the leading growing economy in coming years with GDP growth estimated at 7.3% for 2018-19.

On being asked whether China is adding to the Global Debt Crisis by lending loans to low-income countries and then influencing their policy decisions favouring China, Patrick Kirby further added that debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries have increased substantially in recent years. As a result, in most low-income countries, interest payments are absorbing an increasing proportion of government revenues.&nbsp;

In a recent report conducted by The Center for Global Development, a non-profit research organization, which analyzed debt to China that will be incurred by nations participating in the current Belt and Road investment plan. Eight nations will find themselves vulnerable to above-average debt: Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Montenegro, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.

<img alt="The Center for Global Development" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cb1b7b82-94c4-40f1-96f2-9a8fb242a2ff" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/The%20Center%20for%20Global%20Development.jpg" />

In another report by The Center for Global Development in early 2018 on Examining the Debt Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative from a Policy Perspective stated that countries like Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan etc are in the High-Risk Category because of BRI Project. While Sri Lanka, Maldives etc are under significant threat because of the BRI Loans.&nbsp;

Here are the excerpts from the exclusive conversation with Patrick Kirby:

WION: The primary reason for India's growth in GDP in the World Banks forecast?

Patrick Kirby:&nbsp;India’s growth accelerated to an estimated 7.3 per cent in FY2018/19 as economic activity continued to recover with strong domestic demand. While investment continued to strengthen amid GST harmonization and a rebound of credit growth, consumption remained the major contributor to growth.

India’s GDP is forecast to grow by 7.3 per cent in FY2018/19 and 7.5 per cent thereafter, in line with June forecasts. Private consumption is projected to remain robust and investment growth is expected to continue as the benefits of recent policy reforms begin to materialize and credit rebounds. Strong domestic demand is envisioned to widen the current account deficit to 2.6 per cent of GDP next year. Inflation is projected to rise somewhat above the midpoint of the Reserve Bank of India’s target range of 2 to 6 per cent, mainly owing to energy and food prices.

WION: What is the growth outlook for the South Asia Region? Also, China recently has been accused of DEBT DIPLOMACY Globally and crushing various economies worldwide forcing countries like Pakistan, Equador, Sri Lanka, Maldives etc in debt crisis thus influencing their regional politics as well. How does the World Bank look at this crisis?&nbsp;

Patrick Kirby:&nbsp;On the outlook for the South Asian region, South Asia remains the world’s fastest-growing region. Growth in the region is projected to accelerate to 7.1 per cent in 2019 from 6.9 in the previous year. Over the medium term, robust domestic demand will continue to underpin growth, which is expected to average 7.1 per cent.&nbsp;

Nevertheless, there are a number of risks to the outlook. For example, we say that South Asian economies have high levels of public debt in general. Fiscal slippages could further worsen already-precarious public debt positions and result in a costly rise in already-elevated interest payments. 
Also, the upcoming election cycle next year elevates political uncertainty in the region. The challenging political environment could adversely affect the ongoing reform agenda and economic activity in some countries (e.g. Afghanistan, Sri Lanka).

In South Asia, non-performing assets are still high despite recent measures taken to improve the recognition of these assets. Especially, public sector banks in India, which represent roughly 70 per cent of the banking sector assets, still report low profitability and high non-performing loans. Credit expansion could be limited in some major South Asia economies unless further steps are taken to deal with financial and corporate balance sheets.

On the external front, the region has relatively low exposure to international trade, which limits the benefits from trade over the long term. However, the low exposure also suggests that it could be more insulated from the effects of rising trade protectionism than other regions. Moreover, the region may even benefit from trade diversion amid the recent dispute between some major economies.

WION: What can be the possible reasons for Slowdown in Chinese Economy?&nbsp;

Patrick Kirby:&nbsp;On the issue of China, growth is estimated to have slowed to a still robust 6.5 per cent in 2018, supported by resilient consumption. Growth is projected to decelerate to 6.2 per cent in 2019, slightly below previous projections as a result of weaker exports, and to further moderate to 6 per cent by the end of the forecast horizon, broadly in line with its potential pace. Domestic demand is projected to remain robust aided by policies to boost consumption. Supportive fiscal and monetary policies undertaken or announced so far are expected to largely offset the negative impact of higher tariffs; however, additional stimulus may have the undesirable effect of slowing the deleveraging and de-risking process

WION: How does the World Bank look at the Global Debt Crisis especially in low-income countries?&nbsp;

Patrick Kirby:&nbsp;On the issue of debt, debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries have increased substantially in recent years. Since 2013, median government debt has risen by 20 percentage points of GDP and has shifted toward non-concessional and private financing. As a result, in most low-income countries, interest payments are absorbing an increasing proportion of government revenues. The majority of low-income countries would be hard hit by a sudden weakening in a trade or global financial conditions are given their high levels of external debt, lack of fiscal space, low foreign currency reserves, and undiversified exports. Efforts to reduce debt-related vulnerabilities are a policy priority for many low-income countries, and a key focus needs to be improving debt management and developing domestic financial systems.

WION: How important is coordination between Central Banks and Policy Makers (Government) in a country's economy? For eg RBI and GOI having different views on Farm Loan Waivers.&nbsp;

Patrick Kirby:&nbsp;On the issue of central banks in general, policymakers in emerging market and developing economies need to uphold a credible commitment to medium-term price stability—one that is supported by macroeconomic frameworks that set attainable inflation targets where appropriate, as well as maintain strong institutional independence and transparency. This will be especially critical if the ongoing period of low and stable global inflation comes to an end, perhaps driven by a slowdown or rollback of the structural factors that have held inflation at bay in recent decades—in particular, trade and financial integration—or erosion of central bank independence.

WION: How should we see Artificial Intelligence replacing humans as a workforce? Can it be seen as a potential threat or a power booster?&nbsp;

Patrick Kirby:&nbsp;On the issue of the future of work, this issue is discussed extensively in the World Bank’sWorld Development Report 2019, The Changing Nature of Work.

Senior Economist- World Bank Prospects Group Patrick Kirby said that high levels of public debt, in general, could be one of the biggest risk being faced by the South Asian Region's economic growth.

Senior Economist- World Bank Prospects Group Patrick Kirby said that high levels of public debt, in general, could be one of the biggest risk being faced by the South Asian Region's economic growth. Speaking exclusively to WION he also added that India would still be the leading growing economy in coming years with GDP growth estimated at 7.3% for 2018-19. On being asked whether China is adding to the Global Debt Crisis by lending loans to low-income countries and then influencing their policy decisions favouring China, Patrick Kirby further added that debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries have increased substantially in recent years. As a result, in most low-income countries, interest payments are absorbing an increasing proportion of government revenues. In a recent report conducted by The Center for Global Development, a non-profit research organization, which analyzed debt to China that will be incurred by nations participating in the current Belt and Road investment plan. Eight nations will find themselves vulnerable to above-average debt: Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Montenegro, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. In another report by The Center for Global Development in early 2018 on Examining the Debt Implications of the Belt and Road Initiative from a Policy Perspective stated that countries like Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan etc are in the High-Risk Category because of BRI Project. While Sri Lanka, Maldives etc are under significant threat because of the BRI Loans. Here are the excerpts from the exclusive conversation with Patrick Kirby: WION: The primary reason for India's growth in GDP in the World Banks forecast? Patrick Kirby: India’s growth accelerated to an estimated 7.3 per cent in FY2018/19 as economic activity continued to recover with strong domestic demand. While investment continued to strengthen amid GST harmonization and a rebound of credit growth, consumption remained the major contributor to growth. India’s GDP is forecast to grow by 7.3 per cent in FY2018/19 and 7.5 per cent thereafter, in line with June forecasts. Private consumption is projected to remain robust and investment growth is expected to continue as the benefits of recent policy reforms begin to materialize and credit rebounds. Strong domestic demand is envisioned to widen the current account deficit to 2.6 per cent of GDP next year. Inflation is projected to rise somewhat above the midpoint of the Reserve Bank of India’s target range of 2 to 6 per cent, mainly owing to energy and food prices. WION: What is the growth outlook for the South Asia Region? Also, China recently has been accused of DEBT DIPLOMACY Globally and crushing various economies worldwide forcing countries like Pakistan, Equador, Sri Lanka, Maldives etc in debt crisis thus influencing their regional politics as well. How does the World Bank look at this crisis? Patrick Kirby: On the outlook for the South Asian region, South Asia remains the world’s fastest-growing region. Growth in the region is projected to accelerate to 7.1 per cent in 2019 from 6.9 in the previous year. Over the medium term, robust domestic demand will continue to underpin growth, which is expected to average 7.1 per cent. Nevertheless, there are a number of risks to the outlook. For example, we say that South Asian economies have high levels of public debt in general. Fiscal slippages could further worsen already-precarious public debt positions and result in a costly rise in already-elevated interest payments. Also, the upcoming election cycle next year elevates political uncertainty in the region. The challenging political environment could adversely affect the ongoing reform agenda and economic activity in some countries (e.g. Afghanistan, Sri Lanka). In South Asia, non-performing assets are still high despite recent measures taken to improve the recognition of these assets. Especially, public sector banks in India, which represent roughly 70 per cent of the banking sector assets, still report low profitability and high non-performing loans. Credit expansion could be limited in some major South Asia economies unless further steps are taken to deal with financial and corporate balance sheets. On the external front, the region has relatively low exposure to international trade, which limits the benefits from trade over the long term. However, the low exposure also suggests that it could be more insulated from the effects of rising trade protectionism than other regions. Moreover, the region may even benefit from trade diversion amid the recent dispute between some major economies. WION: What can be the possible reasons for Slowdown in Chinese Economy? Patrick Kirby: On the issue of China, growth is estimated to have slowed to a still robust 6.5 per cent in 2018, supported by resilient consumption. Growth is projected to decelerate to 6.2 per cent in 2019, slightly below previous projections as a result of weaker exports, and to further moderate to 6 per cent by the end of the forecast horizon, broadly in line with its potential pace. Domestic demand is projected to remain robust aided by policies to boost consumption. Supportive fiscal and monetary policies undertaken or announced so far are expected to largely offset the negative impact of higher tariffs; however, additional stimulus may have the undesirable effect of slowing the deleveraging and de-risking process WION: How does the World Bank look at the Global Debt Crisis especially in low-income countries? Patrick Kirby: On the issue of debt, debt vulnerabilities in low-income countries have increased substantially in recent years. Since 2013, median government debt has risen by 20 percentage points of GDP and has shifted toward non-concessional and private financing. As a result, in most low-income countries, interest payments are absorbing an increasing proportion of government revenues. The majority of low-income countries would be hard hit by a sudden weakening in a trade or global financial conditions are given their high levels of external debt, lack of fiscal space, low foreign currency reserves, and undiversified exports. Efforts to reduce debt-related vulnerabilities are a policy priority for many low-income countries, and a key focus needs to be improving debt management and developing domestic financial systems. WION: How important is coordination between Central Banks and Policy Makers (Government) in a country's economy? For eg RBI and GOI having different views on Farm Loan Waivers. Patrick Kirby: On the issue of central banks in general, policymakers in emerging market and developing economies need to uphold a credible commitment to medium-term price stability—one that is supported by macroeconomic frameworks that set attainable inflation targets where appropriate, as well as maintain strong institutional independence and transparency. This will be especially critical if the ongoing period of low and stable global inflation comes to an end, perhaps driven by a slowdown or rollback of the structural factors that have held inflation at bay in recent decades—in particular, trade and financial integration—or erosion of central bank independence. WION: How should we see Artificial Intelligence replacing humans as a workforce? Can it be seen as a potential threat or a power booster? Patrick Kirby: On the issue of the future of work, this issue is discussed extensively in the World Bank’sWorld Development Report 2019, The Changing Nature of Work.

High-level debt in South Asian Countries a major risk: World Bank

Rights groups across the world are asking the United Arab Emirates <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rights-group-demand-whereabouts-of-dubai-princess-missing-for-2-months-135035?amp">to disclose the whereabouts and condition of a daughter of Dubai's ruler</a>, following reports that she was forcibly returned after fleeing the Gulf Arab state.

Latifa Maktoum announced in a video in March that she was fleeing the emirates due to restrictions imposed on her by her family. The reports said she escaped with the help of friends on a yacht owned by a Frenchman which was later intercepted. Among those friends was Finnish national Tiina Jauhiainen, who was one of several foreigners on the boat.

Jaujiainen, along with British lawyers and international crisis manager David Haigh and other activists, is protesting outside the Embassy of UAE in London calling for UAE to free Dubai Princess Latifa. It has been nine months since they have had any contact with her.

In an exclusive conversation with WION, Jauhiainen and Haigh reveal the full story of the "runaway Dubai princess".

WION: It has been nine months since anyone has seen Latifa. Do you think she is still alive?

Tiina Jauhiainen: I want to believe she is.

WION: How did you know Princess Latifa? When did you meet her for the first time?

Tiina Jauhiainen: She contacted me at the end of 2010 asking for Capoeira (a form of martial arts) lessons and I then started giving her private classes at the family's sports club close to Zabeel Palace in Dubai. We started meeting 5-7 times a week for training sessions and slowly got to know each other and became best friends over the years.

WION: After how many days of your meeting her did she mention that she wants to flee from UAE and why?

Tiina Jauhiainen: She told me in 2016 about her past escape attempt and also about the story of her sister Shamsa, but it was only in summer 2017 she asked me to help her to flee Dubai. We had lost a close friend in a skydiving accident and also her sister Shamsa's situation had gotten worse so Latifa thought that life is too short to wait for things to improve. Also, she didn't want to end up being locked up again as Shamsa did. In fact, she wanted to leave to be able to help her from outside too. Another reason for leaving was simply to be able to have freedom of choice and freedom of movement which should be the basic human rights available for everyone.

WION: When was the first time she tried to escape?

Tiina Jauhiainen: She first tried to escape in 2002 which failed so she has been planning for half of her life. She was in communication with Herve Jaubert (a former French spy) for over seven years talking about the escape plan.

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(Latifa talks about her life in Dubai and her escape from the emirate.)

WION: What was the plan? And what route did she decide to take?

Tiina Jauhiainen: The plan was to drive from Dubai to Muscat and board a dinghy to international waters followed by jet skis to the yacht that was about 30 miles off the coast of Muscat. The plan was to sail to India and fly from there to the USA where she was planning to claim for political asylum.

WION: When did Herve Jaubert, David Haigh and NGO worker Radha Stirling come into the picture?

Tiina Jauhiainen: Latifa had read his book called Escape from Dubai based on his own experience. She then contacted him to ask for help. He was in contact with her for years.

Latifa and David had mutual friends in Dubai, and he had heard of her plight as early as 2011, just before he came to Dubai to run Leeds United. Latifa Contacted David and Radha when she was leaving Dubai and they were supporting us throughout our journey. Latifa called them as the boat was attacked. They campaigned for our release from the UAE secret jail, they essentially saved our lives. The UAE, I believe, was going to kill us.

WION: What was Herve Jaubert's role in her escape?

Tiina Jauhiainen: He made the plan and organised the yacht as he is a captain. He was liaising at all times with Radha and David, he has spent, like us all, the months since our release campaigning for Latifa day and night. He likes us all, especially David who has been attacked and harassed by the UAE because of helping Latifa.

WION: Was she ever in India as claimed by various reports? If yes, when?

Tiina Jauhiainen: Latifa never visited India before. What happened to her after she was kidnapped from the yacht is unknown.

WION: Do you know where she might now be?

Tiina Jauhiainen: I do not know about her whereabouts as nobody has seen or heard from her after March 4. The UN, AMnesty, Human Rights Watch and other groups have been demanding information from the UAE for nine months.

WION: When was the video posted on your website, in which Princess Latifa is explaining her plight, originally made?

Tiina Jauhiainen: The video was recorded on February 19, 2018. The video was posted by David Haigh and Radha Stirling. When it was posted, it was forcibly taken by UAE. David quickly put together a website asking for help and for information. It was posted on it on March 9 and had appeared in part in a leading English newspaper. Millions have watched it now.

WION: Have you tried to speak to her family?

Tiina Jauhiainen: No.

David Haigh: I got the details of Latifa's family's British PA working in the Palace, a lady named Collete. My mutual friend contacted her by phone and I contacted her on WhatsApp. She was meant to call me back or have Latifa's brother contact me. But they did not. It felt like she had gone to her bosses, maybe the ruler and said there are people on the phone with information on Latifa. They must have told her, we already have her.

WION: Where is Jaubert as of now?

David Haigh: We have all been subjected to harassment and threats from the UAE since we returned, so we are not going to discuss where we are. Myself, in particular, has had my house robbed and attacked, laptop stolen, been followed and the UAE Embassy has even publicly attacked me and defamed me on their official Twitter account no less, as they have Herve. When a recent documentary aired, the British police sat outside my house to protect me. I have given evidence against the Dubai ruler to the police. The UAE is behaving like a Mafia and not a country.

WION: UAE government claims that Herve Jaubert is a French spy who was conspiring against them using Princess Latifa. Any comments on that?

David Haigh: This is incorrect. A similar accusation about me being a Qatari spy was published and now the UAE is attacking both of us publicly accusing us of completely ludicrous things. An Embassy and country lying. This is becoming more and more like the Khashoggi tragedy.

The great Mahatma Gandhi said 'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win'. These words are very close to our hearts now. We are certain he would not have denied Latifa her claims of asylum and protection from the torture and abuse of the UAE.

WION: Dubai ruler's court also says she is back home "safe" and "happy". Any comments?

David Haigh: How can a person who escaped from the hands of her family be back home feeling safe and happy with them? She had been planning to leave all her adult life.

&nbsp;

Rights groups across the world are asking the United Arab Emirates to disclose the whereabouts and condition of a daughter of Dubai's ruler, following reports that she was forcibly returned after fleeing the Gulf Arab state.

Rights groups across the world are asking the United Arab Emirates to disclose the whereabouts and condition of a daughter of Dubai's ruler, following reports that she was forcibly returned after fleeing the Gulf Arab state. Latifa Maktoum announced in a video in March that she was fleeing the emirates due to restrictions imposed on her by her family. The reports said she escaped with the help of friends on a yacht owned by a Frenchman which was later intercepted. Among those friends was Finnish national Tiina Jauhiainen, who was one of several foreigners on the boat. Jaujiainen, along with British lawyers and international crisis manager David Haigh and other activists, is protesting outside the Embassy of UAE in London calling for UAE to free Dubai Princess Latifa. It has been nine months since they have had any contact with her. In an exclusive conversation with WION, Jauhiainen and Haigh reveal the full story of the "runaway Dubai princess". WION: It has been nine months since anyone has seen Latifa. Do you think she is still alive? Tiina Jauhiainen: I want to believe she is. WION: How did you know Princess Latifa? When did you meet her for the first time? Tiina Jauhiainen: She contacted me at the end of 2010 asking for Capoeira (a form of martial arts) lessons and I then started giving her private classes at the family's sports club close to Zabeel Palace in Dubai. We started meeting 5-7 times a week for training sessions and slowly got to know each other and became best friends over the years. WION: After how many days of your meeting her did she mention that she wants to flee from UAE and why? Tiina Jauhiainen: She told me in 2016 about her past escape attempt and also about the story of her sister Shamsa, but it was only in summer 2017 she asked me to help her to flee Dubai. We had lost a close friend in a skydiving accident and also her sister Shamsa's situation had gotten worse so Latifa thought that life is too short to wait for things to improve. Also, she didn't want to end up being locked up again as Shamsa did. In fact, she wanted to leave to be able to help her from outside too. Another reason for leaving was simply to be able to have freedom of choice and freedom of movement which should be the basic human rights available for everyone. WION: When was the first time she tried to escape? Tiina Jauhiainen: She first tried to escape in 2002 which failed so she has been planning for half of her life. She was in communication with Herve Jaubert (a former French spy) for over seven years talking about the escape plan. × (Latifa talks about her life in Dubai and her escape from the emirate.) WION: What was the plan? And what route did she decide to take? Tiina Jauhiainen: The plan was to drive from Dubai to Muscat and board a dinghy to international waters followed by jet skis to the yacht that was about 30 miles off the coast of Muscat. The plan was to sail to India and fly from there to the USA where she was planning to claim for political asylum. WION: When did Herve Jaubert, David Haigh and NGO worker Radha Stirling come into the picture? Tiina Jauhiainen: Latifa had read his book called Escape from Dubai based on his own experience. She then contacted him to ask for help. He was in contact with her for years. Latifa and David had mutual friends in Dubai, and he had heard of her plight as early as 2011, just before he came to Dubai to run Leeds United. Latifa Contacted David and Radha when she was leaving Dubai and they were supporting us throughout our journey. Latifa called them as the boat was attacked. They campaigned for our release from the UAE secret jail, they essentially saved our lives. The UAE, I believe, was going to kill us. WION: What was Herve Jaubert's role in her escape? Tiina Jauhiainen: He made the plan and organised the yacht as he is a captain. He was liaising at all times with Radha and David, he has spent, like us all, the months since our release campaigning for Latifa day and night. He likes us all, especially David who has been attacked and harassed by the UAE because of helping Latifa. WION: Was she ever in India as claimed by various reports? If yes, when? Tiina Jauhiainen: Latifa never visited India before. What happened to her after she was kidnapped from the yacht is unknown. WION: Do you know where she might now be? Tiina Jauhiainen: I do not know about her whereabouts as nobody has seen or heard from her after March 4. The UN, AMnesty, Human Rights Watch and other groups have been demanding information from the UAE for nine months. WION: When was the video posted on your website, in which Princess Latifa is explaining her plight, originally made? Tiina Jauhiainen: The video was recorded on February 19, 2018. The video was posted by David Haigh and Radha Stirling. When it was posted, it was forcibly taken by UAE. David quickly put together a website asking for help and for information. It was posted on it on March 9 and had appeared in part in a leading English newspaper. Millions have watched it now. WION: Have you tried to speak to her family? Tiina Jauhiainen: No. David Haigh: I got the details of Latifa's family's British PA working in the Palace, a lady named Collete. My mutual friend contacted her by phone and I contacted her on WhatsApp. She was meant to call me back or have Latifa's brother contact me. But they did not. It felt like she had gone to her bosses, maybe the ruler and said there are people on the phone with information on Latifa. They must have told her, we already have her. WION: Where is Jaubert as of now? David Haigh: We have all been subjected to harassment and threats from the UAE since we returned, so we are not going to discuss where we are. Myself, in particular, has had my house robbed and attacked, laptop stolen, been followed and the UAE Embassy has even publicly attacked me and defamed me on their official Twitter account no less, as they have Herve. When a recent documentary aired, the British police sat outside my house to protect me. I have given evidence against the Dubai ruler to the police. The UAE is behaving like a Mafia and not a country. WION: UAE government claims that Herve Jaubert is a French spy who was conspiring against them using Princess Latifa. Any comments on that? David Haigh: This is incorrect. A similar accusation about me being a Qatari spy was published and now the UAE is attacking both of us publicly accusing us of completely ludicrous things. An Embassy and country lying. This is becoming more and more like the Khashoggi tragedy. The great Mahatma Gandhi said 'First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win'. These words are very close to our hearts now. We are certain he would not have denied Latifa her claims of asylum and protection from the torture and abuse of the UAE. WION: Dubai ruler's court also says she is back home "safe" and "happy". Any comments? David Haigh: How can a person who escaped from the hands of her family be back home feeling safe and happy with them? She had been planning to leave all her adult life.

Dubai's missing Princess Latifa: Her friends tells WION the full story

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Praphul Singh

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