<p>Opposition parties in Turkey have slammed President Recep Erdogan's ''wayward economic policies'' due to which the country is paying ''a steep price.''</p>

<p>Erdogan dismissed Naci Agbal on Saturday, two days after the governor raised rates to curb inflation. Erdogan then appointed a critic of tight policy who is expected to reverse recent rate hikes, fuelling fears of political meddling in monetary policy.</p>

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<p>The Turkish lira and stocks plunged Monday as officials tried to stem the carnage caused by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's abrupt dismissal of his reformist central bank chief.</p>

<p>The lira lost nearly 15 percent against the dollar on the first day of trading after Erdogan replaced market-friendly economist Naci Agbal with former ruling party lawmaker Sahap Kavcioglu at the crucial post.</p>

<p>Kavcioglu, who shares the president's unorthodox view that high-interest rates cause inflation, is Turkey's third central bank chief since mid-2019.</p>

<p>"Turkey is paying the price for Mr Erdogan's thoughtless and reckless decisions with high-interest rates, unemployment and high inflation," Iyi Party chairwoman Meral Aksener told her party's lawmakers in a speech in parliament.</p>

<p>Erdogan recently announced an economic reform package but Aksener said it lacked credibility. She said Turkey's economic woes - with inflation above 15%, high unemployment and a gaping current account deficit - left no alternative to high rates.</p>

<p>"High-interest rates have become necessary. High-interest rates are a fever medicine, not a permanent cure. As the treatment is delayed, it is inevitable for the patient to die," said Aksener, head of the fifth largest party in parliament.</p>

<p><strong>'Unprecedented incompetence'</strong></p>

<p>Faik Oztrak, deputy head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), slammed what he called the AKP's "ideological blindness".</p>

<p>"It is truly unprecedented incompetence to cause the Turkish lira to lose more than 10 per cent&nbsp;in a single day two days after interest rates were raised," he told a Monday news conference.</p>

<p>Erdogan has not commented on the move but a deputy head of the AKP, Nurettin Canikli, said Agbal had been dismissed because he did not use monetary policy instruments rationally.</p>

<p>Aksener said her party supported Agbal prioritising price stability and faulted Erdogan's economic management, under a presidential system that&nbsp;came into force after a 2018 election.</p>

<p>"Turkey has no macroeconomic problems. Turkey has macro-Erdoganic problems... What is the solution? To immediately get rid of this failed system and return to a parliamentary democracy," she said.</p>


Opposition parties in Turkey have slammed President Recep Erdogan's ''wayward economic policies'' due to which the country is paying ''a steep price.'' Erdogan dismissed Naci Agbal on Saturday, two days after the governor raised rates to curb inflation.

Opposition parties in Turkey have slammed President Recep Erdogan's ''wayward economic policies'' due to which the country is paying ''a steep price.'' Erdogan dismissed Naci Agbal on Saturday, two days after the governor raised rates to curb inflation. Erdogan then appointed a critic of tight policy who is expected to reverse recent rate hikes, fuelling fears of political meddling in monetary policy. The Turkish lira and stocks plunged Monday as officials tried to stem the carnage caused by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's abrupt dismissal of his reformist central bank chief. The lira lost nearly 15 percent against the dollar on the first day of trading after Erdogan replaced market-friendly economist Naci Agbal with former ruling party lawmaker Sahap Kavcioglu at the crucial post. Kavcioglu, who shares the president's unorthodox view that high-interest rates cause inflation, is Turkey's third central bank chief since mid-2019. "Turkey is paying the price for Mr Erdogan's thoughtless and reckless decisions with high-interest rates, unemployment and high inflation," Iyi Party chairwoman Meral Aksener told her party's lawmakers in a speech in parliament. Erdogan recently announced an economic reform package but Aksener said it lacked credibility. She said Turkey's economic woes - with inflation above 15%, high unemployment and a gaping current account deficit - left no alternative to high rates. "High-interest rates have become necessary. High-interest rates are a fever medicine, not a permanent cure. As the treatment is delayed, it is inevitable for the patient to die," said Aksener, head of the fifth largest party in parliament. 'Unprecedented incompetence' Faik Oztrak, deputy head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), slammed what he called the AKP's "ideological blindness". "It is truly unprecedented incompetence to cause the Turkish lira to lose more than 10 per cent in a single day two days after interest rates were raised," he told a Monday news conference. Erdogan has not commented on the move but a deputy head of the AKP, Nurettin Canikli, said Agbal had been dismissed because he did not use monetary policy instruments rationally. Aksener said her party supported Agbal prioritising price stability and faulted Erdogan's economic management, under a presidential system that came into force after a 2018 election. "Turkey has no macroeconomic problems. Turkey has macro-Erdoganic problems... What is the solution? To immediately get rid of this failed system and return to a parliamentary democracy," she said.

Opposition parties say Turkey paying steep price for Erdogan's 'wayward' policies

<p>Researchers in&nbsp;the Philippine province of Laguna&nbsp;wearing headlamps and protective suits race to untangle the claws and wings of bats caught up in a big net after dark.</p>

<p>The tiny animals are carefully placed in cloth bags to be taken away, measured and swabbed, with details logged and saliva and faecal matter collected for analysis before they are returned to the wild.</p>

<p>The researchers call themselves the "virus&nbsp;hunters", tasked with catching thousands of bats to develop a simulation model they hope will help the world avoid a pandemic similar to COVID-19, which has killed nearly 2.8 million people.</p>

<p>The Japanese-funded model will be developed over the next three years by the University of the Philippines Los Banos, which hopes the bats will help in predicting the dynamics of a coronavirus&nbsp;by analysing factors such as climate, temperature and ease of spread, to humans included.</p>

<p>"What we're trying to look into are other strains of coronavirus&nbsp;that have the potential to jump to humans," said ecologist Phillip Alviola, the leader of the group, who has studied bat&nbsp;viruses for more than a decade.</p>

<p>"If we know the&nbsp;virus&nbsp;itself and we know where it came from, we know how to isolate that&nbsp;virus&nbsp;geographically."</p>

<p>Beyond work in the laboratory, the research requires lengthy field trips, involving traipsing for hours through thick rainforest and precarious night hikes on mountains covered in rocks, tree roots, mud and moss.</p>

<p>The group also targets bat roosts in buildings, setting up mist nets before dusk to catch bats and extract samples by the light of torches.</p>

<p>Each bat is held steady by the head as researchers insert tiny swabs into their mouths and record wingspans with plastic rulers, to try and see which of the more than 1,300 species and 20 families of bats are most susceptible to infections and why.</p>

<p><strong>Devastating impact</strong></p>

<p>Researchers wear protective suits, masks and gloves when in contact with the bats, as a precaution against catching&nbsp;viruses.</p>

<p>"It's really scary these days," said Edison Cosico, who is assisting Alviola. "You never know if the bat is already a carrier.</p>

<p>"What we're after is finding out if there are any more&nbsp;viruses from bats that can be transmitted to humans. We'll never know if the next one is just like COVID."</p>

<p>The bulk of those caught are horseshoe bats known to harbour coronaviruses, including the closest known relative of the novel coronavirus.</p>

<p>Horseshoe bats figure in two of the scenarios of World Health Organization experts investigating the origins of the SARS-CoV-2&nbsp;virus&nbsp;that causes COVID-19.</p>

<p>Host species, such as bats, usually display no symptoms of the pathogens, although they can be devastating if transmitted to humans or other animals.</p>

<p>Deadly&nbsp;viruses to have originated from bats include Ebola and other coronaviruses, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).</p>

<p>Humans' exposure and closer interaction with wildlife meant the risk of disease transmission was now higher than ever, said bat ecologist Kirk Taray.</p>

<p>"By having baseline data on the nature and occurrence of the potentially zoonotic&nbsp;virus&nbsp;in bats, we can somehow predict possible outbreaks."</p>


Researchers in the Philippine province of Laguna wearing headlamps and protective suits race to untangle the claws and wings of bats caught up in a big net after dark.

Researchers in the Philippine province of Laguna wearing headlamps and protective suits race to untangle the claws and wings of bats caught up in a big net after dark. The tiny animals are carefully placed in cloth bags to be taken away, measured and swabbed, with details logged and saliva and faecal matter collected for analysis before they are returned to the wild. The researchers call themselves the "virus hunters", tasked with catching thousands of bats to develop a simulation model they hope will help the world avoid a pandemic similar to COVID-19, which has killed nearly 2.8 million people. The Japanese-funded model will be developed over the next three years by the University of the Philippines Los Banos, which hopes the bats will help in predicting the dynamics of a coronavirus by analysing factors such as climate, temperature and ease of spread, to humans included. "What we're trying to look into are other strains of coronavirus that have the potential to jump to humans," said ecologist Phillip Alviola, the leader of the group, who has studied bat viruses for more than a decade. "If we know the virus itself and we know where it came from, we know how to isolate that virus geographically." Beyond work in the laboratory, the research requires lengthy field trips, involving traipsing for hours through thick rainforest and precarious night hikes on mountains covered in rocks, tree roots, mud and moss. The group also targets bat roosts in buildings, setting up mist nets before dusk to catch bats and extract samples by the light of torches. Each bat is held steady by the head as researchers insert tiny swabs into their mouths and record wingspans with plastic rulers, to try and see which of the more than 1,300 species and 20 families of bats are most susceptible to infections and why. Devastating impact Researchers wear protective suits, masks and gloves when in contact with the bats, as a precaution against catching viruses. "It's really scary these days," said Edison Cosico, who is assisting Alviola. "You never know if the bat is already a carrier. "What we're after is finding out if there are any more viruses from bats that can be transmitted to humans. We'll never know if the next one is just like COVID." The bulk of those caught are horseshoe bats known to harbour coronaviruses, including the closest known relative of the novel coronavirus. Horseshoe bats figure in two of the scenarios of World Health Organization experts investigating the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Host species, such as bats, usually display no symptoms of the pathogens, although they can be devastating if transmitted to humans or other animals. Deadly viruses to have originated from bats include Ebola and other coronaviruses, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS). Humans' exposure and closer interaction with wildlife meant the risk of disease transmission was now higher than ever, said bat ecologist Kirk Taray. "By having baseline data on the nature and occurrence of the potentially zoonotic virus in bats, we can somehow predict possible outbreaks."

Philippines: 'Virus hunters' studying bats to prevent future pandemics

<p>Soldiers in the Chinese military will receive loyalty lessons&nbsp;to the Communist Party and its leader President Xi Jinping for the party's 100 birthday this year as a part of a campaign.</p>

<p>The party never misses an opportunity to mark a key anniversary, to remind people of China's history and the central role played by the party in the country's life, and that they should be grateful.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/eu-china-impose-tit-for-tat-sanctions-over-xinjiang-abuses-372439/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Since Xi took over as party chief in late 2012 he has taken out enemies in the name of fighting corruption and firmly pushed the notion that the "the party leads everything", extending its controls into all walks of life, business and government.</p>

<p>The People's Liberation Army has been at the centre of those efforts, and Xi has showered it with fancy new equipment like stealth fighters while seeking to dispel any doubts over its loyalty.</p>

<p>The military must "resolutely listen to Chairman Xi's command, be accountable to Chairman Xi,&nbsp;let Chairman Xi rest assured," Major General Li Jun told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, kicking off anniversary celebrations.</p>

<p>Every soldier will be educated about the history of the party, so that they can be "loyal to the core, uphold the core, follow the core", he said, referring to the party leadership helmed by Xi.</p>

<p>The education is aimed at making soldiers "appreciate the glorious truth about Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics", and to "firmly establish Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military as the guiding force," Li added.</p>

<p>As birthday presents to the party, the military will open a new Naval Museum and an exhibition centre about the PLA garrison in Hong Kong, where there have been large-scale anti-government protests over the past two years.</p>

<p>While the Chinese military&nbsp;will celebrate the armed forces' Hong Kong garrison there will be no mass parade.</p>

<p>Xi will speak at a mega celebration expected to take place on July 1, when the party officially turns 100.</p>


Soldiers in the Chinese military will receive loyalty lessons to the Communist Party and its leader President Xi Jinping for the party's 100 birthday this year as a part of a campaign.

Soldiers in the Chinese military will receive loyalty lessons to the Communist Party and its leader President Xi Jinping for the party's 100 birthday this year as a part of a campaign. The party never misses an opportunity to mark a key anniversary, to remind people of China's history and the central role played by the party in the country's life, and that they should be grateful. Since Xi took over as party chief in late 2012 he has taken out enemies in the name of fighting corruption and firmly pushed the notion that the "the party leads everything", extending its controls into all walks of life, business and government. The People's Liberation Army has been at the centre of those efforts, and Xi has showered it with fancy new equipment like stealth fighters while seeking to dispel any doubts over its loyalty. The military must "resolutely listen to Chairman Xi's command, be accountable to Chairman Xi, let Chairman Xi rest assured," Major General Li Jun told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday, kicking off anniversary celebrations. Every soldier will be educated about the history of the party, so that they can be "loyal to the core, uphold the core, follow the core", he said, referring to the party leadership helmed by Xi. The education is aimed at making soldiers "appreciate the glorious truth about Xi Jinping's Thought on Socialism with Chinese characteristics", and to "firmly establish Xi Jinping's Thought on Strengthening the Military as the guiding force," Li added. As birthday presents to the party, the military will open a new Naval Museum and an exhibition centre about the PLA garrison in Hong Kong, where there have been large-scale anti-government protests over the past two years. While the Chinese military will celebrate the armed forces' Hong Kong garrison there will be no mass parade. Xi will speak at a mega celebration expected to take place on July 1, when the party officially turns 100.

Chinese military to get loyalty lessons as party gears up for 100th birthday

<p>A Dutch designer has created biodegradable facemasks made from rice paper that will transform into flowers when planted.</p>

<p>Face masks are now part of our daily lives and are likely to remain so for months, if not years. But while they may be essential in stopping the spread of coronavirus pandemic, they are not particularly friendly for the planet or the oceans.</p>

<p>Surgical masks littering the streets of Europe’s capitals has become an image synonymous with the pandemic. As a result, the environment — which had finally made its way onto the agenda of key concerns for people worldwide — has suffered a serious blow. When they aren’t discarded in the streets, face masks are filling up public trash cans and home garbage bags, which isn’t particularly environmentally friendly.</p>

<p>This is an issue that got Marianne de Groot-Pons, a graphic designer with the Pons Ontwerp agency based in Utrecht, in the Netherlands, thinking. To cut pollution linked to mask-wearing, the young designer has come up with a 100 per cent&nbsp;biodegradable model.</p>

<p>But she hasn’t stopped there. To brighten up these gloomy times, the designer is offering an artisanal-made face mask which, once worn, can be planted in a garden or a pot and grow into flowers. This is possible thanks to flower seeds embedded in the original accessory.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CLjnhhTJnQm/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Marie Bee Bloom (@mariebeebloom)</a></p>
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<p>“After weeks of tripping over all the blue disposable masks on the street, I woke up one morning to the idea of a biodegradable face mask with flower seeds in it. Earth happy, bees happy, nature happy, people happy. I sell the mask under the name Marie Bee Bloom. Bloom the world!” explains the creator of these eco-friendly masks on her website.</p>

<p>The mask is made from rice paper and contains flower seeds. Its straps are made from pure sheep’s wool. Even the glue used to attach certain parts is made using potato starch and water. This does, nevertheless, make the mask much more fragile than regular disposable masks, as Marianne de Groot-Pons explains herself, reminding would-be buyers that the accessory should be handled with care.</p>

<p>And, unsurprisingly, they are also more expensive than regular disposable masks. They are priced at €3 (approx. US$3.58) each or, more precisely, from €15 (or approx. $17.88) for five masks. Another important detail is protection. The website states that the Marie Bee Bloom mask potentially provides as much (or as little) protection as a handmade fabric mask, since the mask has not yet been tested to measure its effectiveness against covid-19. That’s certainly something to take into account before placing an order, currently only possible from three countries … for the time being.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from AFP)</em></p>


A Dutch designer has created biodegradable facemasks made from rice paper that will transform into flowers when planted. Face masks are now part of our daily lives and are likely to remain so for months, if not years.

A Dutch designer has created biodegradable facemasks made from rice paper that will transform into flowers when planted. Face masks are now part of our daily lives and are likely to remain so for months, if not years. But while they may be essential in stopping the spread of coronavirus pandemic, they are not particularly friendly for the planet or the oceans. Surgical masks littering the streets of Europe’s capitals has become an image synonymous with the pandemic. As a result, the environment — which had finally made its way onto the agenda of key concerns for people worldwide — has suffered a serious blow. When they aren’t discarded in the streets, face masks are filling up public trash cans and home garbage bags, which isn’t particularly environmentally friendly. This is an issue that got Marianne de Groot-Pons, a graphic designer with the Pons Ontwerp agency based in Utrecht, in the Netherlands, thinking. To cut pollution linked to mask-wearing, the young designer has come up with a 100 per cent biodegradable model. But she hasn’t stopped there. To brighten up these gloomy times, the designer is offering an artisanal-made face mask which, once worn, can be planted in a garden or a pot and grow into flowers. This is possible thanks to flower seeds embedded in the original accessory. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marie Bee Bloom (@mariebeebloom) “After weeks of tripping over all the blue disposable masks on the street, I woke up one morning to the idea of a biodegradable face mask with flower seeds in it. Earth happy, bees happy, nature happy, people happy. I sell the mask under the name Marie Bee Bloom. Bloom the world!” explains the creator of these eco-friendly masks on her website. The mask is made from rice paper and contains flower seeds. Its straps are made from pure sheep’s wool. Even the glue used to attach certain parts is made using potato starch and water. This does, nevertheless, make the mask much more fragile than regular disposable masks, as Marianne de Groot-Pons explains herself, reminding would-be buyers that the accessory should be handled with care. And, unsurprisingly, they are also more expensive than regular disposable masks. They are priced at €3 (approx. US$3.58) each or, more precisely, from €15 (or approx. $17.88) for five masks. Another important detail is protection. The website states that the Marie Bee Bloom mask potentially provides as much (or as little) protection as a handmade fabric mask, since the mask has not yet been tested to measure its effectiveness against covid-19. That’s certainly something to take into account before placing an order, currently only possible from three countries … for the time being. (With inputs from AFP)

These biodegradable facemasks bloom into flowers when planted after use

<p>Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Co and Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, part-owned by Mubadala, said on Tuesday they had invested a combined $150 million in messaging app Telegram.</p>

<p>Mubadala invested $75 million in five-year, pre-initial public offering (IPO) bonds of Telegram, while Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners invested a further $75 million.</p>

<p>"Telegram's user base has reached a critical mass that places it amongst global tech giants," Mubadala executive Faris Sohail Faris al-Mazrui said in a statement.</p>

<p>"Telegram is well-positioned for an inflexion point that will transform it into a leading global technology company."</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/final-nail-in-coffin-telegram-again-trolls-whatsapp-over-new-privacy-update-356104">Final nail in coffin: Telegram again trolls Whatsapp over new privacy update</a></strong></p>

<p>Telegram, already headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, will open an office in Abu Dhabi following the new investment, Mubadala said.</p>

<p>Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners is a Mubadala joint venture with U.S. investment company Falcon Edge Capital.</p>

<p>Mubadala, which manages more than $230 billion in assets, is UAE's second-biggest state investor after Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.</p>

<p>Both have invested in technology, with Mubadala contributing $15 billion to SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Fund in 2017.</p>

<p>Mubadala last year bought a 1.85 per cent&nbsp;stake in Reliance Industries' digital unit, Jio Platforms, for $1.2 billion.</p>

<p><strong>Tapping&nbsp;Telegram</strong></p>

<p>Telegram, along with messaging app Signal, have seen an increase in users this year amid privacy concerns with larger rival Facebook-owned WhatsApp.</p>

<p>The encrypted messaging app's&nbsp;Russia-born founder Pavel Durov&nbsp;said on his&nbsp;Telegram&nbsp;channel Tuesday that the app had over 500 million monthly active users in the first weeks of January.</p>

<p>Telegram&nbsp;is a popular social media platform in a number of countries, particularly in the former Soviet Union and Iran, and is used both for private communications and sharing information and news.</p>

<p>Durov said&nbsp;Telegram&nbsp;has become a "refuge" for those seeking a private and secure communications platform and assured new users that his team "takes this responsibility very seriously."</p>

<p>Telegram&nbsp;was founded in 2013 by brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, who also founded Russia's social media network VKontakte.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Co and Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, part-owned by Mubadala, said on Tuesday they had invested a combined $150 million in messaging app Telegram.

Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Investment Co and Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners, part-owned by Mubadala, said on Tuesday they had invested a combined $150 million in messaging app Telegram. Mubadala invested $75 million in five-year, pre-initial public offering (IPO) bonds of Telegram, while Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners invested a further $75 million. "Telegram's user base has reached a critical mass that places it amongst global tech giants," Mubadala executive Faris Sohail Faris al-Mazrui said in a statement. "Telegram is well-positioned for an inflexion point that will transform it into a leading global technology company." Also read| Final nail in coffin: Telegram again trolls Whatsapp over new privacy update Telegram, already headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, will open an office in Abu Dhabi following the new investment, Mubadala said. Abu Dhabi Catalyst Partners is a Mubadala joint venture with U.S. investment company Falcon Edge Capital. Mubadala, which manages more than $230 billion in assets, is UAE's second-biggest state investor after Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Both have invested in technology, with Mubadala contributing $15 billion to SoftBank's $100 billion Vision Fund in 2017. Mubadala last year bought a 1.85 per cent stake in Reliance Industries' digital unit, Jio Platforms, for $1.2 billion. Tapping Telegram Telegram, along with messaging app Signal, have seen an increase in users this year amid privacy concerns with larger rival Facebook-owned WhatsApp. The encrypted messaging app's Russia-born founder Pavel Durov said on his Telegram channel Tuesday that the app had over 500 million monthly active users in the first weeks of January. Telegram is a popular social media platform in a number of countries, particularly in the former Soviet Union and Iran, and is used both for private communications and sharing information and news. Durov said Telegram has become a "refuge" for those seeking a private and secure communications platform and assured new users that his team "takes this responsibility very seriously." Telegram was founded in 2013 by brothers Pavel and Nikolai Durov, who also founded Russia's social media network VKontakte.

Abu Dhabi state fund invests $150 million in Telegram messaging app

<p>The US Treasury placed sanctions Monday on two senior Chinese officials for what it called "serious human rights abuses" against Uighurs and other minorities in the country's Xinjiang region.</p>

<p>"Chinese authorities will continue to face consequences as long as atrocities occur in Xinjiang," Andrea Gacki, the Treasury official overseeing the sanctions program.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-sending-children-of-exiled-uighurs-to-orphanages-report-371703" hreflang="en">China sending children of exiled Uighurs to orphanages: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>The sanctions targeted Wang Junzheng, the secretary of the Chinese Communist Party committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), and Chen Mingguo,&nbsp;director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau.</p>

<p>The Treasury action was part of a coordinated effort by the European Union, Britain, Canada and the United States to raise the pressure on Beijing for putting more than one million Xinjiang citizens, mostly Muslim Uighurs, in prison camps, and using many in forced labor programs.</p>

<p>The Treasury said in a statement the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps is a paramilitary group that advances Beijing's tough controls on Xinjiang, in parallel with the Public Security Bureau.</p>

<p>"The Chinese government treats almost all expressions of faith as a sign of religious 'extremism' or ethnic separatism," the Treasury said.</p>

<p>Activists and U.N. experts say that more than 1 million Muslim Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims are being held against their will in harsh camps in the remote western region.</p>

<p>China rejects US&nbsp;charges that it has committed genocide against ethnic and religious minorities, and says the camps provide vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sensed-strong-smell-of-gunpowder-in-us-talks-says-china-371685">Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China</a></strong></p>

<p>The first high-level US-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday, with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.</p>

<p>The largest group representing exiled ethnic Uighurs has written to US&nbsp;Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to demand that Beijing close its internment camps in the&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region.</p>

<p>"China is using coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan, abuse human rights in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;and Tibet, and assert maritime claims in the South China Sea that violate international law," Blinken said.</p>

<p>The Biden administration has made clear that it is looking for a change in behaviour from China, which has expressed hope to reset relations between the world's two largest economies that worsened drastically under former President Donald Trump.</p>


The US Treasury placed sanctions Monday on two senior Chinese officials for what it called "serious human rights abuses" against Uighurs and other minorities in the country's Xinjiang region.

The US Treasury placed sanctions Monday on two senior Chinese officials for what it called "serious human rights abuses" against Uighurs and other minorities in the country's Xinjiang region. "Chinese authorities will continue to face consequences as long as atrocities occur in Xinjiang," Andrea Gacki, the Treasury official overseeing the sanctions program. Also read| China sending children of exiled Uighurs to orphanages: Report The sanctions targeted Wang Junzheng, the secretary of the Chinese Communist Party committee of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), and Chen Mingguo, director of the Xinjiang Public Security Bureau. The Treasury action was part of a coordinated effort by the European Union, Britain, Canada and the United States to raise the pressure on Beijing for putting more than one million Xinjiang citizens, mostly Muslim Uighurs, in prison camps, and using many in forced labor programs. The Treasury said in a statement the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps is a paramilitary group that advances Beijing's tough controls on Xinjiang, in parallel with the Public Security Bureau. "The Chinese government treats almost all expressions of faith as a sign of religious 'extremism' or ethnic separatism," the Treasury said. Activists and U.N. experts say that more than 1 million Muslim Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims are being held against their will in harsh camps in the remote western region. China rejects US charges that it has committed genocide against ethnic and religious minorities, and says the camps provide vocational training to help stamp out Islamist extremism and separatism. Also read| Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China The first high-level US-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday, with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension. The largest group representing exiled ethnic Uighurs has written to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging him to demand that Beijing close its internment camps in the Xinjiang region. "China is using coercion and aggression to systematically erode autonomy in Hong Kong, undercut democracy in Taiwan, abuse human rights in Xinjiang and Tibet, and assert maritime claims in the South China Sea that violate international law," Blinken said. The Biden administration has made clear that it is looking for a change in behaviour from China, which has expressed hope to reset relations between the world's two largest economies that worsened drastically under former President Donald Trump.

US hits two Chinese officials with sanctions over Uighur abuses

<p>Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as the two countries stepped up efforts to cement their close ties to counter the Biden administration's plan to pursue a tough policy towards them on a host of issues including human rights violations.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Russia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Russia</a> both agree that <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/US?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#US</a> should take a hard look at the damage it has done to world peace and development, stop its bullying practice of ganging up on others and meddling in other countries' internal affairs. <a href="https://t.co/Bcd6O8aVeE">pic.twitter.com/Bcd6O8aVeE</a></p>
— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) <a href="https://twitter.com/MFA_China/status/1374014526979371013?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>During the meeting, both&nbsp;China and Russia agreed that ''the US should take a hard look at the damage it has done to world peace and development, stop its bullying practice of ganging up on others and meddling in other countries' internal affairs.''</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-says-regrets-us-refusal-to-attend-putin-biden-live-debate-372284" hreflang="en">Russia says regrets US refusal to attend Putin-Biden live debate</a></strong></p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The purposes and principles of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UN</a> Charter must be upheld. Real multilateralism &amp; greater democracy in international relations should be pursued. <a href="https://t.co/p1crjEQqeQ">pic.twitter.com/p1crjEQqeQ</a></p>
— Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) <a href="https://twitter.com/MFA_China/status/1374014549255356417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Lavrov, 71, the longstanding top Russian diplomat, arrived in the Chinese city of Guilin in Guangxi province where he held talks&nbsp;with Wang on Monday and Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-hits-2-chinese-officials-with-sanctions-over-uighur-abuses-372382">US hits 2 Chinese officials with sanctions over Uighur abuses</a></strong></p>

<p>While announcing Lavrov's visit, Hua had denied China and Russia are ganging-up against the US and its allies.</p>

<p>China has criticised the recent Quad summit hosted by US President Joe Biden and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.</p>

<p>Ahead of his arrival, Lavrov in interviews to various outlets of the Chinese official media said that the US and its partners were trying to dictate their own will on other countries and obstruct the establishment of the multipolar democratic world.</p>

<p>"Unfortunately, some of the Western countries, led by the United States, are trying to obstruct the establishment of the true multipolar democratic world, attempting to maintain at any cost their dominance in the global economy and international politics, and to obtrude upon everyone their will and demands," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia's state-run TASS news agency.</p>

<p>Lavrov said that it is unwise to use sanctions in a bid to punish Russia and China, referring to US sanctions on Chinese entities in Hong Kong and Washington's plans to impose sanctions against Russia.</p>

<p>"It is wrong to punish anyone on the present-day international arena and it is simply unwise to try to use this logic in respect of Russia and China," Lavrov said.</p>

<p>"The model of interaction between Russia and China is absolutely free from any ideological constraints. It is of intrinsic nature, not subject to any opportunistic factors nor against any third country," he stressed, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.</p>

<p>Lavrov's visit comes in the immediate backdrop of the first high-level strategic dialogue between US-China at Anchorage, Alaska, which was marked by angry rhetoric by both sides.</p>

<p>The Biden administration signalled to follow the tough China policy pursued by his predecessor, Donald Trump, which marked a new low in Beijing-Washington ties.</p>

<p>The last week's dialogue, the first after Biden took over as US President, was held between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese diplomats Yang Jiechi and Wang.</p>

<p>Coinciding with the deterioration of China-US ties, Biden also signalled to pursue equally firm policy against Russia and its President Vladimir Putin by imposing sanctions over the poisoning of Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is now in prison.</p>


Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as the two countries stepped up efforts to cement their close ties to counter the Biden administration's plan to pursue a tough policy towards them on a host of issues including human rights violations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in China on Monday for talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi as the two countries stepped up efforts to cement their close ties to counter the Biden administration's plan to pursue a tough policy towards them on a host of issues including human rights violations. #China and #Russia both agree that #US should take a hard look at the damage it has done to world peace and development, stop its bullying practice of ganging up on others and meddling in other countries' internal affairs. pic.twitter.com/Bcd6O8aVeE — Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) March 22, 2021 × During the meeting, both China and Russia agreed that ''the US should take a hard look at the damage it has done to world peace and development, stop its bullying practice of ganging up on others and meddling in other countries' internal affairs.'' Also read| Russia says regrets US refusal to attend Putin-Biden live debate The purposes and principles of the #UN Charter must be upheld. Real multilateralism & greater democracy in international relations should be pursued. pic.twitter.com/p1crjEQqeQ — Spokesperson发言人办公室 (@MFA_China) March 22, 2021 × Lavrov, 71, the longstanding top Russian diplomat, arrived in the Chinese city of Guilin in Guangxi province where he held talks with Wang on Monday and Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing. Also read: US hits 2 Chinese officials with sanctions over Uighur abuses While announcing Lavrov's visit, Hua had denied China and Russia are ganging-up against the US and its allies. China has criticised the recent Quad summit hosted by US President Joe Biden and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. Ahead of his arrival, Lavrov in interviews to various outlets of the Chinese official media said that the US and its partners were trying to dictate their own will on other countries and obstruct the establishment of the multipolar democratic world. "Unfortunately, some of the Western countries, led by the United States, are trying to obstruct the establishment of the true multipolar democratic world, attempting to maintain at any cost their dominance in the global economy and international politics, and to obtrude upon everyone their will and demands," Lavrov was quoted as saying by Russia's state-run TASS news agency. Lavrov said that it is unwise to use sanctions in a bid to punish Russia and China, referring to US sanctions on Chinese entities in Hong Kong and Washington's plans to impose sanctions against Russia. "It is wrong to punish anyone on the present-day international arena and it is simply unwise to try to use this logic in respect of Russia and China," Lavrov said. "The model of interaction between Russia and China is absolutely free from any ideological constraints. It is of intrinsic nature, not subject to any opportunistic factors nor against any third country," he stressed, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. Lavrov's visit comes in the immediate backdrop of the first high-level strategic dialogue between US-China at Anchorage, Alaska, which was marked by angry rhetoric by both sides. The Biden administration signalled to follow the tough China policy pursued by his predecessor, Donald Trump, which marked a new low in Beijing-Washington ties. The last week's dialogue, the first after Biden took over as US President, was held between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and senior Chinese diplomats Yang Jiechi and Wang. Coinciding with the deterioration of China-US ties, Biden also signalled to pursue equally firm policy against Russia and its President Vladimir Putin by imposing sanctions over the poisoning of Russian Opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is now in prison.

Russia's foreign minister meets Chinese counterpart to cement ties against US firm policy push

<p>The&nbsp;Indo-Pacific&nbsp;region has become&nbsp;the geopolitical centre of the world for which several leaders are fighting over.</p>

<p>The location is crucial because it is the merging point of two oceans, that is, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.</p>

<p>The geographic region has become&nbsp;the biggest maritime flashpoint of the world.</p>

<p>China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, which is extremely rich in resources.</p>

<p>The country has been accused by the United States of efforts to "intimidate, coerce and threaten other nations" to control it.</p>

<p>An international tribunal invalidated&nbsp;China's claim to 90 per cent&nbsp;of the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea&nbsp;in 2016, but Beijing does not recognise the ruling.&nbsp;China&nbsp;has built islands in the disputed waters in recent years, putting airstrips on some of them.</p>

<p>Beijing often invokes the so-called nine-dash line to justify its apparent historic rights over most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei.</p>

<p>Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin&nbsp;told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he "commended India's leadership role in the&nbsp;Indo-Pacific&nbsp;and growing engagement with like-minded partners across the region to promote shared goals," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said.</p>

<p>New Delhi has recently shifted&nbsp;its foreign policy focus eastward. Nearly&nbsp;200 billion dollars worth of Indian trade passes through the South China Sea.</p>

<p>Free and open navigation is in India's interest, but&nbsp;Chinese dominance would be disastrous.</p>

<p>The Philippines urged&nbsp;China&nbsp;on Sunday to recall more than 200 Chinese boats it said had been spotted at a reef in the&nbsp;South&nbsp;China&nbsp;Sea, saying the presence of the vessels violated its maritime rights as it claims ownership of the area.</p>

<p>From the&nbsp;British empire in the 16th and 17th centuries to the&nbsp;United States&nbsp;since World War I, maritime superpowers have dominated world politics.</p>

<p>China's&nbsp;unilateral actions have had an unintended effect.&nbsp;It has brought all the regional stakeholders&nbsp;including the Quad&nbsp;together.</p>

<p>The leaders of the United States, India, Australia and Japan - countries together known as the Quad - held the first summit last week pledging to work together for a free and open&nbsp;Indo-Pacific&nbsp;and to cooperate on maritime and cybersecurity in the face of challenges from China.</p>

<p>India has been cultivating its ties in the region as a part of the ''act east'' policy. Its&nbsp;major focus is on the ASEAN grouping.</p>

<p>The ASEAN has 10 member nations.&nbsp;It is among the fastest-growing political unions in the world.</p>

<p>India has opted for mini trade deals. It is mulling&nbsp;a preferential trade arrangement with the Philippines,&nbsp;the third-largest economy in ASEAN.</p>

<p>Despite over 70 years of diplomatic ties -- India and the Philippines do not have close ties. Earlier this month,&nbsp;the two countries&nbsp;signed a major defence deal.</p>

<p>The Philippines will buy the Indian-made Brahmos PJ-10 missiles, the fastest cruise missile in the market. Defence cooperation mostly leads to strategic partnerships.</p>

<p>India and the Philippines are also cooperating on the vaccine front. Manila plans to secure 8 million doses of COVAXIN&nbsp;-- developed by India's Bharat biotech.</p>

<p>India could help the Philippines revive its struggling inoculation campaign.</p>

<p>In December last year - India and Vietnam&nbsp;participated in a two-day military drill</p>

<p>An Indian warship was dispatched to Vietnam to deliver humanitarian aid and the naval drills were organised on its return voyage.</p>

<p>Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the region is ''India's sphere of influence.''</p>

<p>Indians have sailed these waters for more than 1,500 years.</p>

<p>Economically and politically -- India has a lot at stake in the South China Sea.</p>

<p>In the last 40 years -- the Indo-Pacific prospered as a hub of free navigation...</p>

<p>Deterring China's belligerence in the region is key and India could be the bulwark against Beijing.</p>

<p>New Delhi has the economic power, the political clout and the military strength to tackle China on the high seas.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Indo-Pacific region has become the geopolitical centre of the world for which several leaders are fighting over. The location is crucial because it is the merging point of two oceans, that is, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.

The Indo-Pacific region has become the geopolitical centre of the world for which several leaders are fighting over. The location is crucial because it is the merging point of two oceans, that is, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The geographic region has become the biggest maritime flashpoint of the world. China claims almost the entirety of the South China Sea, which is extremely rich in resources. The country has been accused by the United States of efforts to "intimidate, coerce and threaten other nations" to control it. An international tribunal invalidated China's claim to 90 per cent of the South China Sea in 2016, but Beijing does not recognise the ruling. China has built islands in the disputed waters in recent years, putting airstrips on some of them. Beijing often invokes the so-called nine-dash line to justify its apparent historic rights over most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei. Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he "commended India's leadership role in the Indo-Pacific and growing engagement with like-minded partners across the region to promote shared goals," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. New Delhi has recently shifted its foreign policy focus eastward. Nearly 200 billion dollars worth of Indian trade passes through the South China Sea. Free and open navigation is in India's interest, but Chinese dominance would be disastrous. The Philippines urged China on Sunday to recall more than 200 Chinese boats it said had been spotted at a reef in the South China Sea, saying the presence of the vessels violated its maritime rights as it claims ownership of the area. From the British empire in the 16th and 17th centuries to the United States since World War I, maritime superpowers have dominated world politics. China's unilateral actions have had an unintended effect. It has brought all the regional stakeholders including the Quad together. The leaders of the United States, India, Australia and Japan - countries together known as the Quad - held the first summit last week pledging to work together for a free and open Indo-Pacific and to cooperate on maritime and cybersecurity in the face of challenges from China. India has been cultivating its ties in the region as a part of the ''act east'' policy. Its major focus is on the ASEAN grouping. The ASEAN has 10 member nations. It is among the fastest-growing political unions in the world. India has opted for mini trade deals. It is mulling a preferential trade arrangement with the Philippines, the third-largest economy in ASEAN. Despite over 70 years of diplomatic ties -- India and the Philippines do not have close ties. Earlier this month, the two countries signed a major defence deal. The Philippines will buy the Indian-made Brahmos PJ-10 missiles, the fastest cruise missile in the market. Defence cooperation mostly leads to strategic partnerships. India and the Philippines are also cooperating on the vaccine front. Manila plans to secure 8 million doses of COVAXIN -- developed by India's Bharat biotech. India could help the Philippines revive its struggling inoculation campaign. In December last year - India and Vietnam participated in a two-day military drill An Indian warship was dispatched to Vietnam to deliver humanitarian aid and the naval drills were organised on its return voyage. Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the region is ''India's sphere of influence.'' Indians have sailed these waters for more than 1,500 years. Economically and politically -- India has a lot at stake in the South China Sea. In the last 40 years -- the Indo-Pacific prospered as a hub of free navigation... Deterring China's belligerence in the region is key and India could be the bulwark against Beijing. New Delhi has the economic power, the political clout and the military strength to tackle China on the high seas.

What is at stake for India in South China Sea?

<p>India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of investment over five years, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters.</p>

<p>The country's efforts to promote EVs to reduce its oil dependence and cut pollution has been under discussion since mid-2020 to provide a more focused approach, industry sources close to the matter told Reuters. The plans envisage $8 billion of incentives for carmakers and suppliers over a five-year period to drive large investment in the sector.</p>

<p>Final details of the scheme are expected within a month, but companies will be able to apply for incentives from April 1, the sources said.</p>

<p>Companies will receive 4-7 per cent&nbsp;government cashbacks on the eligible sale and export value of vehicles and components, but for EVs and their components there is an additional 2 per cent&nbsp;as a "growth incentive" to promote electric mobility, according to the draft policy document seen by Reuters.</p>

<p>Elon Musk's Tesla Inc is already gearing up to enter India while rivals including Ford, Volkswagen and India's Tata Motors and Mahindra &amp; Mahindra also have plans to invest billions of dollars in EVs to meet stricter global emissions regulations.</p>

<p>Automotive component manufacturers in India must be ready to pivot their product offerings to cater for the shift towards EVs, the document said.</p>

<p><strong>Made in India</strong></p>

<p>The automotive incentive scheme is part of India's broader $27 billion programme to attract manufacturers from the likes of China and Vietnam to capture a bigger share of the global supply chain and exports.</p>

<p>But for new companies entering India, as well as existing automakers, challenges abound.</p>

<p>Steep interest rates and power tariffs, as well as poor infrastructure and high logistics costs, make it costlier for companies to operate in India compared with rivals such as Thailand or Vietnam.</p>

<p>"The (new) scheme proposes financial incentives to help overcome these disabilities and make India more competitive," the draft policy document said, referring to inefficiencies that it said can lead to 5-8 per cent higher costs for manufacturers in India.</p>

<p>The government expects the scheme to bring an additional investment of $14 billion, create 5.8 million new jobs and rake in more than $4 billion in total tax revenue over five years.</p>

<p>To benefit from the scheme automakers must meet conditions including minimum global revenue of $1.4 billion. For auto parts makers it is $69 million. The companies must grow by at least 8% each year to qualify for the incentives, which are also linked to the distance between the factory and point of sale.</p>

<p>The document added that existing programmes focus on a large number of companies that lack scale and "are constrained in their ability to invest and undertake the risk required for rapid growth".</p>

<p>"A change in strategy is needed to focus on promoting firms that have the scale, competitive ability and management capabilities to be automotive champions," it said.</p>


India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of investment over five years, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters.

India plans to offer fresh incentives to companies making electric vehicles (EVs) as part of a broad auto sector scheme it expects to attract $14 billion of investment over five years, according to industry sources and a document seen by Reuters. The country's efforts to promote EVs to reduce its oil dependence and cut pollution has been under discussion since mid-2020 to provide a more focused approach, industry sources close to the matter told Reuters. The plans envisage $8 billion of incentives for carmakers and suppliers over a five-year period to drive large investment in the sector. Final details of the scheme are expected within a month, but companies will be able to apply for incentives from April 1, the sources said. Companies will receive 4-7 per cent government cashbacks on the eligible sale and export value of vehicles and components, but for EVs and their components there is an additional 2 per cent as a "growth incentive" to promote electric mobility, according to the draft policy document seen by Reuters. Elon Musk's Tesla Inc is already gearing up to enter India while rivals including Ford, Volkswagen and India's Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra also have plans to invest billions of dollars in EVs to meet stricter global emissions regulations. Automotive component manufacturers in India must be ready to pivot their product offerings to cater for the shift towards EVs, the document said. Made in India The automotive incentive scheme is part of India's broader $27 billion programme to attract manufacturers from the likes of China and Vietnam to capture a bigger share of the global supply chain and exports. But for new companies entering India, as well as existing automakers, challenges abound. Steep interest rates and power tariffs, as well as poor infrastructure and high logistics costs, make it costlier for companies to operate in India compared with rivals such as Thailand or Vietnam. "The (new) scheme proposes financial incentives to help overcome these disabilities and make India more competitive," the draft policy document said, referring to inefficiencies that it said can lead to 5-8 per cent higher costs for manufacturers in India. The government expects the scheme to bring an additional investment of $14 billion, create 5.8 million new jobs and rake in more than $4 billion in total tax revenue over five years. To benefit from the scheme automakers must meet conditions including minimum global revenue of $1.4 billion. For auto parts makers it is $69 million. The companies must grow by at least 8% each year to qualify for the incentives, which are also linked to the distance between the factory and point of sale. The document added that existing programmes focus on a large number of companies that lack scale and "are constrained in their ability to invest and undertake the risk required for rapid growth". "A change in strategy is needed to focus on promoting firms that have the scale, competitive ability and management capabilities to be automotive champions," it said.

India to launch supercharged push for global electric vehicle players

<p>NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said "all options remain open" on Afghanistan, as allies wait for Washington to decide on a looming withdrawal deadline.&nbsp;</p>

<p>US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Brussels for two-days of meetings with NATO foreign ministers, looking to shore up ties on his first official trip to Europe.</p>

<p>High on the agenda is the future of the alliance's 9,600-strong mission in Afghanistan after former US leader Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban to withdraw troops by May 1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There are no easy choices and for now, all options remain open," Stoltenberg said at a press conference.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The security situation is difficult and we will take all the necessary measures to keep our troops safe."</p>

<p>Current US President Joe Biden is reviewing the accord and said last week it would &nbsp;be "tough" for Washington to meet that date.</p>

<p>That prompted outrage from the Taliban, who warned that the US would be "responsible for the consequences".</p>

<p>NATO allies have said they are willing to stay in Afghanistan longer, if Washington decides to remain as well.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There are some 2,500 US troops in the country and American support is vital to keep the NATO mission going.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Stoltenberg said the allies would "consult closely" with Blinken at the upcoming meeting.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Under the deal with the US, the Taliban vowed to engage in peace talks with the Afghan government, but the talks have made almost no progress and fighting has &nbsp;worsened -- particularly in rural areas.</p>

<p>Major urban centres are also in the grip of a bloody terror campaign in the form of attacks targeting politicians, civil servants, academics, rights activists and journalists.</p>

<p>The US is scrambling to inject fresh impetus into a peace process that has dragged on in Doha since September, with feuding parties unable even to agree on an agenda.</p>

<p>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Sunday for talks with President Ashraf Ghani.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last week Moscow hosted a gathering of stakeholders in a bid to break the deadlock, but even that ended without any concrete proposals.</p>

<p>An even broader conference is now scheduled to be hosted by Turkey next month.</p>

<p>The US and its allies are desperate to avoid seeing Afghanistan slip back into being a haven for terror groups, two decades after they intervened in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.&nbsp;</p>


NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said "all options remain open" on Afghanistan, as allies wait for Washington to decide on a looming withdrawal deadline.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said "all options remain open" on Afghanistan, as allies wait for Washington to decide on a looming withdrawal deadline. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Brussels for two-days of meetings with NATO foreign ministers, looking to shore up ties on his first official trip to Europe. High on the agenda is the future of the alliance's 9,600-strong mission in Afghanistan after former US leader Donald Trump struck a deal with the Taliban to withdraw troops by May 1. "There are no easy choices and for now, all options remain open," Stoltenberg said at a press conference. "The security situation is difficult and we will take all the necessary measures to keep our troops safe." Current US President Joe Biden is reviewing the accord and said last week it would be "tough" for Washington to meet that date. That prompted outrage from the Taliban, who warned that the US would be "responsible for the consequences". NATO allies have said they are willing to stay in Afghanistan longer, if Washington decides to remain as well. There are some 2,500 US troops in the country and American support is vital to keep the NATO mission going. Stoltenberg said the allies would "consult closely" with Blinken at the upcoming meeting. Under the deal with the US, the Taliban vowed to engage in peace talks with the Afghan government, but the talks have made almost no progress and fighting has worsened -- particularly in rural areas. Major urban centres are also in the grip of a bloody terror campaign in the form of attacks targeting politicians, civil servants, academics, rights activists and journalists. The US is scrambling to inject fresh impetus into a peace process that has dragged on in Doha since September, with feuding parties unable even to agree on an agenda. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made an unannounced visit to Afghanistan Sunday for talks with President Ashraf Ghani. Last week Moscow hosted a gathering of stakeholders in a bid to break the deadlock, but even that ended without any concrete proposals. An even broader conference is now scheduled to be hosted by Turkey next month. The US and its allies are desperate to avoid seeing Afghanistan slip back into being a haven for terror groups, two decades after they intervened in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

NATO chief says 'all options open' on Afghan withdrawal

<p>India on Monday conferred the prestigious Gandhi&nbsp;Peace Prize 2020 on&nbsp;Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.</p>

<p>The award, instituted in 1995, has been awarded posthumously for the first time accordingly to the ministry of culture. It carries a cash prize of one crore along with a citation and plaque.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 has been conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, one of the greatest leaders of our subcontinent. Year 2020 marked the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. He remains an icon of indomitable courage and tireless struggle for his millions of admirers.</p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1374005519753482240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/in-life-and-death-mujibur-rahman-continues-to-be-a-towering-figure-in-bangladesh-371417" hreflang="en">In life and death, Mujibur Rahman continues to be a towering figure in Bangladesh</a></strong></p>

<p>The jury for the award is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and unanimously decided to give the award to&nbsp;Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his outstanding contribution during social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and Gandhian methods.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Bangabandhu's vision continues to light the India-Bangladesh friendship. I had the privilege of honouring his memory during my previous Bangladesh visit and will again pay homage to him, alongside PM Hasina, during the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MujibBorsho?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MujibBorsho</a> celebrations. <a href="https://t.co/5rFPCnlpVy">https://t.co/5rFPCnlpVy</a> <a href="https://t.co/iS2wjPLIdo">pic.twitter.com/iS2wjPLIdo</a></p>
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi/status/1374006072675995652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The award recognises&nbsp;Bangabandhu's immense and unparalleled contribution towards inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh and promoting peace.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The announcement comes ahead of PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh on March 26 and 27 as a guest of honour for ''three epochal events''-Mujib Borsho, the&nbsp;birth centenary of Bangladesh's father of the nation,&nbsp;'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 50 years of the diplomatic ties and 50 years of Bangladesh's war of liberation.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


India on Monday conferred the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 on Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The award, instituted in 1995, has been awarded posthumously for the first time accordingly to the ministry of culture.

India on Monday conferred the prestigious Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 on Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The award, instituted in 1995, has been awarded posthumously for the first time accordingly to the ministry of culture. It carries a cash prize of one crore along with a citation and plaque. Gandhi Peace Prize 2020 has been conferred on Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, one of the greatest leaders of our subcontinent. Year 2020 marked the birth centenary of Bangabandhu. He remains an icon of indomitable courage and tireless struggle for his millions of admirers. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2021 × Also read| In life and death, Mujibur Rahman continues to be a towering figure in Bangladesh The jury for the award is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and unanimously decided to give the award to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for his outstanding contribution during social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and Gandhian methods. Bangabandhu's vision continues to light the India-Bangladesh friendship. I had the privilege of honouring his memory during my previous Bangladesh visit and will again pay homage to him, alongside PM Hasina, during the #MujibBorsho celebrations. https://t.co/5rFPCnlpVy pic.twitter.com/iS2wjPLIdo — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2021 × The award recognises Bangabandhu's immense and unparalleled contribution towards inspiring the liberation of Bangladesh and promoting peace. The announcement comes ahead of PM Modi's visit to Bangladesh on March 26 and 27 as a guest of honour for ''three epochal events''-Mujib Borsho, the birth centenary of Bangladesh's father of the nation, 'Bangabandhu' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, 50 years of the diplomatic ties and 50 years of Bangladesh's war of liberation.

Bangladesh's founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman conferred Gandhi Peace Prize

<p>The Biden administration, with hundreds of billions of dollars to spend to end the COVID crisis, has set a series of aggressive bench marks to determine whether the economy has fully recovered, including returning to historically low unemployment and helping more than 1 million Black and Hispanic women return to work within a year.</p>

<p>But restoring economic activity, which was central to President Joe Biden’s pitch for his $1.9 trillion stimulus package, faces logistical and epidemiological challenges unlike any previous recovery. Infectious new variants of the virus are spreading. Strained supply chains are holding up the distribution of rapid COVID-19 tests, which could be critical to safely reopening schools, workplaces, restaurants, theaters and concert venues.</p>

<p>Then there are questions of whether the money can reach schools and child care providers quickly enough to make a difference for parents who were forced to quit their jobs to care for their children.</p>

<p>The money from the rescue plan “will absolutely allow us to pull forward that end date,” said Charlie Anderson, the director of economic policy and budget for the White House’s coronavirus response team. “It’s very hard to tell how much, but I can tell you it will absolutely supercharge what we’re doing.”</p>

<p>Privately, Biden’s aides are tracking health and economic data — like the capacity levels of day care centers — to gauge their success. They are also setting broad targets, like a return to a 4% unemployment rate, which would be just above the nation’s pre-pandemic rate, by next year.</p>

<p>Similar promises came back to bite Biden in 2009, as vice president, when he oversaw a considerably smaller economic stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama to lift the country from the Great Recession. Shortly before he and Obama took office that January, their advisers predicted the measure would keep unemployment from rising above 8% — a projection that haunted the administration as the economy slogged on for years.</p>

<p>This recovery is showing more favorable signs for the Biden administration. Economic optimism is rising as the pace of vaccinations steadily increases. Unemployment has already fallen from its pandemic peak of 14.8% in April to 6.2% in February. Federal Reserve officials expect the unemployment rate to slip below 4% by next year and the economy to grow faster this year than in any year since the Reagan administration, thanks in part to Biden’s rescue package.</p>

<p>The Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, told reporters last week that federal spending to combat the crisis was “going to wind up very much accelerating the return to full employment.”</p>

<p>He added, “It’s going to make a huge difference in people’s lives, and it has already.”</p>

<p>But risks remain. For the economy to fully bounce back, Americans need to feel confident in returning to shopping, traveling, entertainment and work. No matter how much cash the administration pumps into the economy, recovery could be stalled by the emergence of new variants, the reluctance of some Americans to get vaccinated and, in the coming weeks, spotty compliance with social distancing guidelines and other public health measures before a critical mass of Americans is inoculated.</p>

<p>“We’re being really cautious about our expectations about the speed” of the economic rebound, said Heather Boushey, a member of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers. “Part of this is establishing trust with the American people that we contain the virus, and that it’s safe, and then the economic activity will come up.”</p>

<p>Americans will also have to be willing to change their habits. As new infections have declined, so too has coronavirus testing. But public health experts say more testing — not less — will be critical for the economy to recover. When Biden ran for office, and again after he was sworn in, he promised to create a “pandemic testing board,” akin to the wartime production board that President Franklin D. Roosevelt created to help bring the country out of the Great Depression. Biden described the approach as a “full-scale wartime effort.”</p>

<p>His coronavirus testing coordinator, Carole Johnson, said the board, composed of officials from across government agencies, had been meeting to discuss how to work with the private sector to expand testing capacity, and to lay out plans to spend tens of billions of dollars from the stimulus bill for testing and other mitigation measures.</p>

<p>“We know that we’re going to continue to need to grow as we go forward,” she said of the nation’s testing capacity.</p>

<p>Biden made grand promises in pushing his American Rescue Plan to swift passage in Congress this month.</p>

<p>“This is what this moment comes down to,” he said in February. “Are we going to pass a big enough package to vaccinate people, to get people back to work, to alleviate the suffering in this country this year? That’s what I want to do.”</p>

<p>Biden got virtually everything he wanted. Now administration officials must make good on his vow.</p>

<p>The legislation he signed centers on $1,400 direct payments to low- and middle-income Americans, expanded unemployment benefits, aid to renters facing eviction and a variety of programs to help the poor. The president and his aides have said that spending is intended to help the most vulnerable people in the country stay in their homes and keep food on the table.</p>

<p>But Congress will not continue borrowing trillions of dollars to tide citizens over indefinitely. The economy will not fully rebound from the recession brought on by the virus until the pandemic is over.</p>

<p>To that end, hundreds of billions of dollars in the bill are earmarked to speed vaccinations, bolster testing, help businesses return to full capacity sooner and ease the return to work for Americans — disproportionately women of color — who were forced to leave their jobs to care for young children.</p>

<p>Those provisions include nearly $30 billion to ramp up vaccine deployment, support struggling community health centers and hire 100,000 public health workers. It also has nearly $50 billion for more COVID-19 testing, $122 billion for schools and both direct spending and expanded tax credits meant to increase the availability of child care.</p>

<p>In keeping with Biden’s focus on racial equity across a wide range of policy endeavors, administration officials say they will look at how quickly women of color rejoin the labor force to gauge how well equity efforts are working.</p>

<p>None of that spending is guaranteed to immediately change the course of the crisis. Schools, for example, are not required by the legislation to spend their additional dollars to reopen sooner, although administration officials are confident the money will help more students return to in-person learning in the coming months.</p>

<p>Sometime next month, vaccine distribution will enter a new phase. The supply of doses will exceed the number of people looking for shots and public officials are likely to focus more on convincing reluctant Americans to agree to be vaccinated.</p>

<p>Perhaps no spending effort will challenge the administration as much as increased testing.</p>

<p>Right now, testing is largely used as a diagnostic tool to detect whether someone is infected. Moving forward, testing is expected to function more as a screening tool that helps Americans feel more comfortable returning to normalcy.</p>

<p>The rescue plan includes nearly $48 billion for the administration to expand testing, contact tracing and other measures to track and contain the spread of the virus.</p>

<p>The administration has not said how it will spend all of that money, although the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it would invest $10 billion in coronavirus screening for schools, with the goal of returning to in-person learning by the end of the school year. An additional $2.25 billion will go toward coronavirus testing in underserved communities.</p>

<p>“We’re going to need widespread testing for this virus probably for the next several years,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “Right now, it’s all about just management of disease. But over time, as the pandemic gets under control, there are a whole series of things we want to do where testing will add a layer of confidence — everything from getting on an airplane to going into a restaurant to going to a concert.”</p>

<p>But there are obstacles to that plan, including a shortage of the kind of rapid tests that are necessary to screen a large population. Michael Mina, an immunologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University, said onerous Food and Drug Administration regulations were delaying the approval of new rapid antigen tests that could fill that gap.</p>

<p>“I feel very firmly that the Biden administration is hampered by a regulatory framework that is not in a position to actually tackle this pandemic, that is holding up the tools that are required to effectively curb transmission, to keep schools and businesses safe,” he said.</p>

<p>Biden, who criticized his predecessor President Donald Trump for interfering with the work of the FDA, is hardly in a position to intervene in a regulatory matter. But his coronavirus testing coordinator, Johnson, said in an interview that the administration was closely tracking the supply chains for tests to determine what it could do to ensure widespread testing at schools become a reality.</p>

<p>“We make policy decisions informed by where the supply is,” she said.</p>

<p>Administration officials are also closely tracking the CDC’s infection data to guide their spending decisions and determine how to measure success. The uncertainty in the models based on that data, they say, underscores the challenge ahead of them: Four weeks from now, the nation could have as many as 511,000 new weekly cases — or as few as 138,000.</p>


The Biden administration, with hundreds of billions of dollars to spend to end the COVID crisis, has set a series of aggressive bench marks to determine whether the economy has fully recovered, including returning to historically low unemployment and helping more than 1 million Black and Hispanic women return to work within a year.

The Biden administration, with hundreds of billions of dollars to spend to end the COVID crisis, has set a series of aggressive bench marks to determine whether the economy has fully recovered, including returning to historically low unemployment and helping more than 1 million Black and Hispanic women return to work within a year. But restoring economic activity, which was central to President Joe Biden’s pitch for his $1.9 trillion stimulus package, faces logistical and epidemiological challenges unlike any previous recovery. Infectious new variants of the virus are spreading. Strained supply chains are holding up the distribution of rapid COVID-19 tests, which could be critical to safely reopening schools, workplaces, restaurants, theaters and concert venues. Then there are questions of whether the money can reach schools and child care providers quickly enough to make a difference for parents who were forced to quit their jobs to care for their children. The money from the rescue plan “will absolutely allow us to pull forward that end date,” said Charlie Anderson, the director of economic policy and budget for the White House’s coronavirus response team. “It’s very hard to tell how much, but I can tell you it will absolutely supercharge what we’re doing.” Privately, Biden’s aides are tracking health and economic data — like the capacity levels of day care centers — to gauge their success. They are also setting broad targets, like a return to a 4% unemployment rate, which would be just above the nation’s pre-pandemic rate, by next year. Similar promises came back to bite Biden in 2009, as vice president, when he oversaw a considerably smaller economic stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama to lift the country from the Great Recession. Shortly before he and Obama took office that January, their advisers predicted the measure would keep unemployment from rising above 8% — a projection that haunted the administration as the economy slogged on for years. This recovery is showing more favorable signs for the Biden administration. Economic optimism is rising as the pace of vaccinations steadily increases. Unemployment has already fallen from its pandemic peak of 14.8% in April to 6.2% in February. Federal Reserve officials expect the unemployment rate to slip below 4% by next year and the economy to grow faster this year than in any year since the Reagan administration, thanks in part to Biden’s rescue package. The Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, told reporters last week that federal spending to combat the crisis was “going to wind up very much accelerating the return to full employment.” He added, “It’s going to make a huge difference in people’s lives, and it has already.” But risks remain. For the economy to fully bounce back, Americans need to feel confident in returning to shopping, traveling, entertainment and work. No matter how much cash the administration pumps into the economy, recovery could be stalled by the emergence of new variants, the reluctance of some Americans to get vaccinated and, in the coming weeks, spotty compliance with social distancing guidelines and other public health measures before a critical mass of Americans is inoculated. “We’re being really cautious about our expectations about the speed” of the economic rebound, said Heather Boushey, a member of the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers. “Part of this is establishing trust with the American people that we contain the virus, and that it’s safe, and then the economic activity will come up.” Americans will also have to be willing to change their habits. As new infections have declined, so too has coronavirus testing. But public health experts say more testing — not less — will be critical for the economy to recover. When Biden ran for office, and again after he was sworn in, he promised to create a “pandemic testing board,” akin to the wartime production board that President Franklin D. Roosevelt created to help bring the country out of the Great Depression. Biden described the approach as a “full-scale wartime effort.” His coronavirus testing coordinator, Carole Johnson, said the board, composed of officials from across government agencies, had been meeting to discuss how to work with the private sector to expand testing capacity, and to lay out plans to spend tens of billions of dollars from the stimulus bill for testing and other mitigation measures. “We know that we’re going to continue to need to grow as we go forward,” she said of the nation’s testing capacity. Biden made grand promises in pushing his American Rescue Plan to swift passage in Congress this month. “This is what this moment comes down to,” he said in February. “Are we going to pass a big enough package to vaccinate people, to get people back to work, to alleviate the suffering in this country this year? That’s what I want to do.” Biden got virtually everything he wanted. Now administration officials must make good on his vow. The legislation he signed centers on $1,400 direct payments to low- and middle-income Americans, expanded unemployment benefits, aid to renters facing eviction and a variety of programs to help the poor. The president and his aides have said that spending is intended to help the most vulnerable people in the country stay in their homes and keep food on the table. But Congress will not continue borrowing trillions of dollars to tide citizens over indefinitely. The economy will not fully rebound from the recession brought on by the virus until the pandemic is over. To that end, hundreds of billions of dollars in the bill are earmarked to speed vaccinations, bolster testing, help businesses return to full capacity sooner and ease the return to work for Americans — disproportionately women of color — who were forced to leave their jobs to care for young children. Those provisions include nearly $30 billion to ramp up vaccine deployment, support struggling community health centers and hire 100,000 public health workers. It also has nearly $50 billion for more COVID-19 testing, $122 billion for schools and both direct spending and expanded tax credits meant to increase the availability of child care. In keeping with Biden’s focus on racial equity across a wide range of policy endeavors, administration officials say they will look at how quickly women of color rejoin the labor force to gauge how well equity efforts are working. None of that spending is guaranteed to immediately change the course of the crisis. Schools, for example, are not required by the legislation to spend their additional dollars to reopen sooner, although administration officials are confident the money will help more students return to in-person learning in the coming months. Sometime next month, vaccine distribution will enter a new phase. The supply of doses will exceed the number of people looking for shots and public officials are likely to focus more on convincing reluctant Americans to agree to be vaccinated. Perhaps no spending effort will challenge the administration as much as increased testing. Right now, testing is largely used as a diagnostic tool to detect whether someone is infected. Moving forward, testing is expected to function more as a screening tool that helps Americans feel more comfortable returning to normalcy. The rescue plan includes nearly $48 billion for the administration to expand testing, contact tracing and other measures to track and contain the spread of the virus. The administration has not said how it will spend all of that money, although the Department of Health and Human Services announced Thursday that it would invest $10 billion in coronavirus screening for schools, with the goal of returning to in-person learning by the end of the school year. An additional $2.25 billion will go toward coronavirus testing in underserved communities. “We’re going to need widespread testing for this virus probably for the next several years,” said Dr. Ashish K. Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “Right now, it’s all about just management of disease. But over time, as the pandemic gets under control, there are a whole series of things we want to do where testing will add a layer of confidence — everything from getting on an airplane to going into a restaurant to going to a concert.” But there are obstacles to that plan, including a shortage of the kind of rapid tests that are necessary to screen a large population. Michael Mina, an immunologist and epidemiologist at Harvard University, said onerous Food and Drug Administration regulations were delaying the approval of new rapid antigen tests that could fill that gap. “I feel very firmly that the Biden administration is hampered by a regulatory framework that is not in a position to actually tackle this pandemic, that is holding up the tools that are required to effectively curb transmission, to keep schools and businesses safe,” he said. Biden, who criticized his predecessor President Donald Trump for interfering with the work of the FDA, is hardly in a position to intervene in a regulatory matter. But his coronavirus testing coordinator, Johnson, said in an interview that the administration was closely tracking the supply chains for tests to determine what it could do to ensure widespread testing at schools become a reality. “We make policy decisions informed by where the supply is,” she said. Administration officials are also closely tracking the CDC’s infection data to guide their spending decisions and determine how to measure success. The uncertainty in the models based on that data, they say, underscores the challenge ahead of them: Four weeks from now, the nation could have as many as 511,000 new weekly cases — or as few as 138,000.

Biden’s $1.9 trillion challenge: End the coronavirus crisis faster

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