Global investor and economist Dambisa Moyo has said that India can surpass China as the world’s most important buyer of minerals in a decade.

Warning that China’s debt and demographic challenges would become “incredibly problematic over the next 10 years”, Moyo was speaking at the Diggers &amp; Dealers mining conference in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

Highlighting that these structural challenges would intensify China’s “struggle to manage a lot of their policy initiatives from the centre in terms of their political approach”, Moyo said they could have wider implications not only for the world’s mineral and resources companies but also for the Chinese economy as well.

Moyo, who is a board member of Chevron, 3M, and Condé Nast, also added that “The real story of the emergence and product mix, thinking about the energy stack and about minerals, does become India.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/india-projected-to-surpass-china-as-worlds-most-populous-country-in-2023-says-un-report-496295">Also read |&nbsp;India projected to surpass China as world's most populous country in 2023, says UN report</a>

Following the UN report which showed that India’s population is set to surpass China’s next year, Moyo said this would have “material consequences” for how global mineral resources are allocated.

China, which has faced criticism for wasteful spending to stem its economic slowdown and reverting to debt-fuelled, is the world's second-largest economy after the United States.

“Indian demand for coal and renewable energy will mean a lot for Australia,” the Financial Times quoted Roland Rajah, &nbsp;an economist with the Lowy Institute think-tank, as saying.

“India will probably grow much faster than China but China is still pretty big,” he added.

In order to kick-start slowing growth China will adopt “a more aggressive agenda” this year that would stimulate greater investment in resources, according to Moyo.

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Global investor and economist Dambisa Moyo has said that India can surpass China as the world’s most important buyer of minerals in a decade. Warning that China’s debt and demographic challenges would become “incredibly problematic over the next 10 years”, Moyo was speaking at the Diggers & Dealers mining conference in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

Global investor and economist Dambisa Moyo has said that India can surpass China as the world’s most important buyer of minerals in a decade. Warning that China’s debt and demographic challenges would become “incredibly problematic over the next 10 years”, Moyo was speaking at the Diggers & Dealers mining conference in Kalgoorlie in Western Australia. Highlighting that these structural challenges would intensify China’s “struggle to manage a lot of their policy initiatives from the centre in terms of their political approach”, Moyo said they could have wider implications not only for the world’s mineral and resources companies but also for the Chinese economy as well. Moyo, who is a board member of Chevron, 3M, and Condé Nast, also added that “The real story of the emergence and product mix, thinking about the energy stack and about minerals, does become India.” Also read | India projected to surpass China as world's most populous country in 2023, says UN report Following the UN report which showed that India’s population is set to surpass China’s next year, Moyo said this would have “material consequences” for how global mineral resources are allocated. China, which has faced criticism for wasteful spending to stem its economic slowdown and reverting to debt-fuelled, is the world's second-largest economy after the United States. “Indian demand for coal and renewable energy will mean a lot for Australia,” the Financial Times quoted Roland Rajah, an economist with the Lowy Institute think-tank, as saying. “India will probably grow much faster than China but China is still pretty big,” he added. In order to kick-start slowing growth China will adopt “a more aggressive agenda” this year that would stimulate greater investment in resources, according to Moyo. Watch WION's live TV here: ×

Battle of minerals: Experts predict India can overtake China as bigger buyer in next decade

As Chinese naval vessel Yuan Wang 5 continues its journey to Sri Lanka's Hamabantota port. India has raised its concerns with Sri Lanka. The Chinese ship is expected to reach the Sri Lankan port in mid-August and has New Delhi worrying that it may snoop on Indian ports and nuiclear plants in southern India.&nbsp;

"Government carefully monitors any development having a bearing on India's security and economic infrastructure and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them. I think that should be a clear message," said Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs.

Watch | China to station 'Spy Ship' at Lankan port; Indian raises concern over Chinese vessel

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Northern reaches of Indian Ocean are traditionally considered within the influence zone of India and Indian Navy has a regular presence in these waters where some of the important global trade sea lanes are present. Chinese foray here is hence a topic of concern for India.

Yuan Wang 5, the Chinese vessel is said to have lethal capabilities. It can track satellites and military installations. It is a 3rd generation tracking ship of Yuan Wang series and has aerial range of 750 kilometres.

This means that about six southern Indian ports and several nuclear plants are within obe=servational range of the ship even if it is docked in the port.

The port of Hambantota has been handed by Sri Lanka to China on a 99-year lease for commercial activities.

The Chinese ship is expected to be docked at Hambantota between August 11 and 17.

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As Chinese naval vessel Yuan Wang 5 continues its journey to Sri Lanka's Hamabantota port. India has raised its concerns with Sri Lanka. The Chinese ship is expected to reach the Sri Lankan port in mid-August and has New Delhi worrying that it may snoop on Indian ports and nuiclear plants in southern India.

As Chinese naval vessel Yuan Wang 5 continues its journey to Sri Lanka's Hamabantota port. India has raised its concerns with Sri Lanka. The Chinese ship is expected to reach the Sri Lankan port in mid-August and has New Delhi worrying that it may snoop on Indian ports and nuiclear plants in southern India. "Government carefully monitors any development having a bearing on India's security and economic infrastructure and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them. I think that should be a clear message," said Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson for Ministry of External Affairs. Watch | China to station 'Spy Ship' at Lankan port; Indian raises concern over Chinese vessel × Northern reaches of Indian Ocean are traditionally considered within the influence zone of India and Indian Navy has a regular presence in these waters where some of the important global trade sea lanes are present. Chinese foray here is hence a topic of concern for India. Yuan Wang 5, the Chinese vessel is said to have lethal capabilities. It can track satellites and military installations. It is a 3rd generation tracking ship of Yuan Wang series and has aerial range of 750 kilometres. This means that about six southern Indian ports and several nuclear plants are within obe=servational range of the ship even if it is docked in the port. The port of Hambantota has been handed by Sri Lanka to China on a 99-year lease for commercial activities. The Chinese ship is expected to be docked at Hambantota between August 11 and 17. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Can Chinese ship snoop on India from Sri Lanka port? India raises concerns

Months after launching a special military operation in Ukraine, while addressing the press at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “There is no in-between, no intermediate state: either a country is sovereign, or it is a colony, no matter what the colonies are called. And a colony has no historical prospects. If a country is not able to make sovereign decisions — it is a colony.”

He was justifying his decision to launch the offensive in Ukraine which he termed as ‘defensive’ in character. Nevertheless, the message, and not the act in itself, is important for us in the discussion that we are going to take up in this piece.

Since its independence in 1947, India is a sovereign state and it has executed its sovereignty time and again to strengthen it all the more. Pursuing a foreign policy of non-alignment during the Cold War, signing Panchsheel with China in 1954. accomplishing&nbsp;Operation Smiling Buddha&nbsp;(in 1974) and its successor (Operation Shakti&nbsp;in 1998) to become a&nbsp;de facto&nbsp;nuclear-state, are some of the most impressive instances when India showcased its sovereign power. Ostensibly, India has not shied away from imposing its will when it comes to securing its core national interests.

However, there is also an exception to this rule. When it comes to an invisible exhibition of power, India has faltered and lost the narrative wars, especially when it comes to exercising state sovereignty at home. It has continued to look towards the west in a quest to secure validation from the erstwhile imperialists. Manpower and resources have been spent in the western civil society to secure a favourable view from them in terms of getting our democratic character endorsed. This obsessive compulsion to get validation has empowered the western governments to weaponise it and use it to browbeat us on critical occasions. It appears that Rudyard Kipling’s ‘white-man burden’ to civilise the orientalists remain intact due to our continued servility of the anglicists. We are yet to accept that democracy was not a gift of the imperialists but it stemmed from our ancient civilisational past. Until this realisation is accepted and promulgated by us, the subservience to the imperialists for an “award of validation”&nbsp;will continue to eclipse our major contemplations.

It has been often said that strong leadership in colonies is detested by the west because it opens up the possibility of reversing the trends of imperial propaganda which is key to perpetuate colonialism (or neo-colonialism) in the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, even strong leaderships, like the one that India’s political system threw up at the helm in 2014 have failed to break the bluffs of western imperial supremacy. Time and again, the leadership at the helm has buckled under pressure when it comes to the enforcement of sovereign laws domestically. Gunnar Myrdal, in his&nbsp;Asian Drama&nbsp;(1968), pointed towards the powerlessness of the South Asian states to implement their economic policies and programmes effectively. To extend it to the realm of security, here is the paradox — despite enormous expansion of state power in even the most basic realms of society, the Indian state falters in imposing its laws effectively and ends up becoming powerless. It is common sense to know that a law is&nbsp;as good as it can be implemented on the ground. Without implementation, a law is merely a black imprint on a piece of paper. The so-called strong leadership in India has failed to alter this course and bring us out of the ‘soft-state’ category, which is a blemish on a modern democratic Indian state.

This brings us to the question, why there is hesitancy in imposition of sovereign laws at the domestic front? The answer lies partly to the subliminal slavery that has subjugated the structure of governments in India since independence. This slavery has been perpetuated without any real act but it has been fed using an indeterminate threat. A power, that has never (or seldom) been witnessed, the mien of which has remained ephemeral. Yet, it has changed the entire course of government policies in India. It is a travesty of justice for the citizens of India that the sovereign that they solemnly resolved to constitute, remains influenced by some vague nineteenth-century shibboleths. The sovereign remains incarcerated to the false assumption that there will be a backlash if it enforces the laws strictly at home. No government in the world compromises upon domestic laws in order to please some harmless activists and their masters in government. This inferiority complex of Indian state rests on a myth or bluff which needs to be smashed immediately. Breaking this mould would require confidence on part of our political leadership.

It is important to point out that the destiny of India is going to be shaped in this decade (and the upcoming one) when a major part of the world will be forced to focus upon taming the dragon which has grown well beyond its size to ravage the hard earned global peace after the second world war. If India fails to leverage this opportunity to set its house in order, it will forfeit its chance to compete as a powerful force in the eventual conflicts that will befall upon it after the dragon ceases to exist. Prime Minister Modi has broken many bluffs — the nuclear bluff of Pakistan, remapping of Kashmir and, most importantly, frustrating the dragon by gallantly mobilising a matching force at the borders to deal with its evil designs. Not only as the leader of this country but also as a relay runner of this civilisation, it is the duty of the Prime Minister to remove all his inhibitions which may act as an obstacle in the path of India to become immensely powerful.&nbsp;It is good to have political power but it is as good how (and when) you exercise it. It will be as good as not having it, if you are not exercising it at the right time.

Therefore, India must wrest control over its internal security by effectively enforcing the laws and let the foreign-funded activists and their regimes speak in disdain about us. It will be preferable to be criticised than to lose the race that we have been participating&nbsp;hors concours.

In the end, we can understand the whole message by paraphrasing President Putin — “only if a country is able to make sovereign decisions, it is not a colony.”

Months after launching a special military operation in Ukraine, while addressing the press at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “There is no in-between, no intermediate state: either a country is sovereign, or it is a colony, no matter what the colonies are called.

Months after launching a special military operation in Ukraine, while addressing the press at the Kremlin, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, “There is no in-between, no intermediate state: either a country is sovereign, or it is a colony, no matter what the colonies are called. And a colony has no historical prospects. If a country is not able to make sovereign decisions — it is a colony.” He was justifying his decision to launch the offensive in Ukraine which he termed as ‘defensive’ in character. Nevertheless, the message, and not the act in itself, is important for us in the discussion that we are going to take up in this piece. Since its independence in 1947, India is a sovereign state and it has executed its sovereignty time and again to strengthen it all the more. Pursuing a foreign policy of non-alignment during the Cold War, signing Panchsheel with China in 1954. accomplishing Operation Smiling Buddha (in 1974) and its successor (Operation Shakti in 1998) to become a de facto nuclear-state, are some of the most impressive instances when India showcased its sovereign power. Ostensibly, India has not shied away from imposing its will when it comes to securing its core national interests. However, there is also an exception to this rule. When it comes to an invisible exhibition of power, India has faltered and lost the narrative wars, especially when it comes to exercising state sovereignty at home. It has continued to look towards the west in a quest to secure validation from the erstwhile imperialists. Manpower and resources have been spent in the western civil society to secure a favourable view from them in terms of getting our democratic character endorsed. This obsessive compulsion to get validation has empowered the western governments to weaponise it and use it to browbeat us on critical occasions. It appears that Rudyard Kipling’s ‘white-man burden’ to civilise the orientalists remain intact due to our continued servility of the anglicists. We are yet to accept that democracy was not a gift of the imperialists but it stemmed from our ancient civilisational past. Until this realisation is accepted and promulgated by us, the subservience to the imperialists for an “award of validation” will continue to eclipse our major contemplations. It has been often said that strong leadership in colonies is detested by the west because it opens up the possibility of reversing the trends of imperial propaganda which is key to perpetuate colonialism (or neo-colonialism) in the twenty-first century. Unfortunately, even strong leaderships, like the one that India’s political system threw up at the helm in 2014 have failed to break the bluffs of western imperial supremacy. Time and again, the leadership at the helm has buckled under pressure when it comes to the enforcement of sovereign laws domestically. Gunnar Myrdal, in his Asian Drama (1968), pointed towards the powerlessness of the South Asian states to implement their economic policies and programmes effectively. To extend it to the realm of security, here is the paradox — despite enormous expansion of state power in even the most basic realms of society, the Indian state falters in imposing its laws effectively and ends up becoming powerless. It is common sense to know that a law is as good as it can be implemented on the ground. Without implementation, a law is merely a black imprint on a piece of paper. The so-called strong leadership in India has failed to alter this course and bring us out of the ‘soft-state’ category, which is a blemish on a modern democratic Indian state. This brings us to the question, why there is hesitancy in imposition of sovereign laws at the domestic front? The answer lies partly to the subliminal slavery that has subjugated the structure of governments in India since independence. This slavery has been perpetuated without any real act but it has been fed using an indeterminate threat. A power, that has never (or seldom) been witnessed, the mien of which has remained ephemeral. Yet, it has changed the entire course of government policies in India. It is a travesty of justice for the citizens of India that the sovereign that they solemnly resolved to constitute, remains influenced by some vague nineteenth-century shibboleths. The sovereign remains incarcerated to the false assumption that there will be a backlash if it enforces the laws strictly at home. No government in the world compromises upon domestic laws in order to please some harmless activists and their masters in government. This inferiority complex of Indian state rests on a myth or bluff which needs to be smashed immediately. Breaking this mould would require confidence on part of our political leadership. It is important to point out that the destiny of India is going to be shaped in this decade (and the upcoming one) when a major part of the world will be forced to focus upon taming the dragon which has grown well beyond its size to ravage the hard earned global peace after the second world war. If India fails to leverage this opportunity to set its house in order, it will forfeit its chance to compete as a powerful force in the eventual conflicts that will befall upon it after the dragon ceases to exist. Prime Minister Modi has broken many bluffs — the nuclear bluff of Pakistan, remapping of Kashmir and, most importantly, frustrating the dragon by gallantly mobilising a matching force at the borders to deal with its evil designs. Not only as the leader of this country but also as a relay runner of this civilisation, it is the duty of the Prime Minister to remove all his inhibitions which may act as an obstacle in the path of India to become immensely powerful. It is good to have political power but it is as good how (and when) you exercise it. It will be as good as not having it, if you are not exercising it at the right time. Therefore, India must wrest control over its internal security by effectively enforcing the laws and let the foreign-funded activists and their regimes speak in disdain about us. It will be preferable to be criticised than to lose the race that we have been participating hors concours. In the end, we can understand the whole message by paraphrasing President Putin — “only if a country is able to make sovereign decisions, it is not a colony.”

Breaking the bluff: India needs to carve its future in the aftermath of Russia-Ukraine war

West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee announced on Monday that the east Indian state would gain seven new districts, bringing the total to 30. This announcement came after Banerjee decided to expand her cabinet from four to five ministers.

West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee has introduced seven new districts in her state

These seven new districts have been established to streamline administrative operations in West Bengal. According to a senior government official in West Bengal, "the decision was made to ensure smooth administrative operations."

Is there any need to add seven new districts in West Bengal?

If this move is viewed through a political lens, Banerjee's TMC party would like to create more districts in order to reach a larger audience. The formation of new districts is intended to provide an electoral dividend to the current ruling party. It would allow the party to become more region-specific and focused. The establishment of new districts will also aim to improve law and order in the state, as the Mamta-led government is frequently chastised by the opposition party for its poor handling of the law and order situation.

The following are the seven new districts established in West Bengal

(1): Berhampore (2):Jangipur (3): Sundarban (4): Bashirhat (5): Ichamati (6): Ranaghat (7): Bishnupur&nbsp;

Here is the full list of districts in West Bengal:

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West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee announced on Monday that the east Indian state would gain seven new districts, bringing the total to 30. This announcement came after Banerjee decided to expand her cabinet from four to five ministers.

West Bengal's Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee announced on Monday that the east Indian state would gain seven new districts, bringing the total to 30. This announcement came after Banerjee decided to expand her cabinet from four to five ministers. West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee has introduced seven new districts in her state These seven new districts have been established to streamline administrative operations in West Bengal. According to a senior government official in West Bengal, "the decision was made to ensure smooth administrative operations." Is there any need to add seven new districts in West Bengal? If this move is viewed through a political lens, Banerjee's TMC party would like to create more districts in order to reach a larger audience. The formation of new districts is intended to provide an electoral dividend to the current ruling party. It would allow the party to become more region-specific and focused. The establishment of new districts will also aim to improve law and order in the state, as the Mamta-led government is frequently chastised by the opposition party for its poor handling of the law and order situation. The following are the seven new districts established in West Bengal (1): Berhampore (2):Jangipur (3): Sundarban (4): Bashirhat (5): Ichamati (6): Ranaghat (7): Bishnupur Here is the full list of districts in West Bengal:

West Bengal introduces 7 new districts: Check full list

Family and friends comprise 20 high-risk contacts of the first patient who died of Monkeypox infection in India, revealed authorities in the southern state of Kerala. The deceased individual had travelled to India from the UAE on July 21st and stayed at his residence for five days until he was hospitalised for illness. Three days after he was hospitalized, he succumbed to the virus.

According to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, the 22-year-old had travelled on July 21st from the UAE and reached Kerala's Calicut airport on July 22nd. Thereafter, he went to his residence in the Thrissur district along with his friends. After staying at home for more than four days, he is said to have fallen ill and was hospitalised on July 27th.

While being treated at the private hospital in Thrissur, his condition is said to have deteriorated rapidly, following which he was put on ventilator support, and he succumbed on July 30th. According to health authorities, the patient's family had revealed to the private hospital on July 30th that the patient was already monkey pox positive, as per a pre-travel test taken in the UAE. This has raised concerns, and a probe is underway to determine what caused the delay in sharing information in that regard.

A follow-up test of this patient that was conducted in India's National Institute of Virology(NIV) has also confirmed that he was indeed monkey pox positive. On Monday, Kerala's Health Minister Veena George confirmed that the NIV test result of the deceased person had also revealed monkeypox positive.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

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Family and friends comprise 20 high-risk contacts of the first patient who died of Monkeypox infection in India, revealed authorities in the southern state of Kerala.

Family and friends comprise 20 high-risk contacts of the first patient who died of Monkeypox infection in India, revealed authorities in the southern state of Kerala. The deceased individual had travelled to India from the UAE on July 21st and stayed at his residence for five days until he was hospitalised for illness. Three days after he was hospitalized, he succumbed to the virus. According to Kerala Health Minister Veena George, the 22-year-old had travelled on July 21st from the UAE and reached Kerala's Calicut airport on July 22nd. Thereafter, he went to his residence in the Thrissur district along with his friends. After staying at home for more than four days, he is said to have fallen ill and was hospitalised on July 27th. While being treated at the private hospital in Thrissur, his condition is said to have deteriorated rapidly, following which he was put on ventilator support, and he succumbed on July 30th. According to health authorities, the patient's family had revealed to the private hospital on July 30th that the patient was already monkey pox positive, as per a pre-travel test taken in the UAE. This has raised concerns, and a probe is underway to determine what caused the delay in sharing information in that regard. A follow-up test of this patient that was conducted in India's National Institute of Virology(NIV) has also confirmed that he was indeed monkey pox positive. On Monday, Kerala's Health Minister Veena George confirmed that the NIV test result of the deceased person had also revealed monkeypox positive. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India: First Monkeypox casualty is a 22-year old male who had 20 close contacts

A slew of African leaders will be in Delhi for a key investment meet next week that will be inaugurated by India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. Vice President of Mauritius Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon, Gambia's Vice President Badara A. Joof, Zambia's Vice President Mutale Nalumango and Deputy PM of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will be the key African leaders present at the 17th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership.

The event taking place on July 19 and 20 will see the participation of 40 ministers from 17 countries. These countries include Burkina Faso, Congo, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Sudan, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Togo, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

Interestingly, the Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Wamkele Mene would also be participating in this year’s Conclave. With its permanent secretariat based in Accra, Ghana, AfCFTA is the largest free-trade area by number of member states population and geographic size.&nbsp;

Key sessions include five country sessions – Namibia, Zambia, Gabon, Gambia, Mauritius, and exhibitions involving 14 missions. Sectoral Sessions will be on areas like Agriculture, Starts-ups, Healthcare &amp; Pharmaceuticals, and IT.

Read More:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/joe-biden-raised-jamal-khashoggis-murder-during-meeting-with-saudi-crown-prince-497807">&nbsp;Joe Biden tells Saudi Crown Prince he is responsible for Khashoggi's Murder</a>

India and Africa's trade partnership

India is the fourth largest partner for Africa registering $69.7 billion in trade during the financial year 2018-19 with investments in areas like oil &amp; gas, agriculture, banking, mining, automotive, pharma, textiles etc. 38 African nations have benefited from Indian govt's Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme which provides duty-free access to 98.2 per cent of India’s total tariff lines.

India has a historic partnership with the continent and is increasingly engaging with it. Recently it expanded its diplomatic footprint by establishing 18 new diplomatic missions in Africa taking the total Indian Missions in the continent to 47.&nbsp;

The continent is the second largest recipient of India’s concessional loan. Under Indian Lines of Credits (LoCs) worth $12.26 billion, 193 projects have been completed and 66 projects are currently under execution. Amid the Covid crisis, New Delhi gifted 150 tonnes of medical aid to more than 25 African countries.

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A slew of African leaders will be in Delhi for a key investment meet next week that will be inaugurated by India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal.

A slew of African leaders will be in Delhi for a key investment meet next week that will be inaugurated by India's Vice President Venkaiah Naidu in presence of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Trade Minister Piyush Goyal. Vice President of Mauritius Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon, Gambia's Vice President Badara A. Joof, Zambia's Vice President Mutale Nalumango and Deputy PM of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah will be the key African leaders present at the 17th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership. The event taking place on July 19 and 20 will see the participation of 40 ministers from 17 countries. These countries include Burkina Faso, Congo, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Sudan, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Togo, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Interestingly, the Secretary-General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Wamkele Mene would also be participating in this year’s Conclave. With its permanent secretariat based in Accra, Ghana, AfCFTA is the largest free-trade area by number of member states population and geographic size. Key sessions include five country sessions – Namibia, Zambia, Gabon, Gambia, Mauritius, and exhibitions involving 14 missions. Sectoral Sessions will be on areas like Agriculture, Starts-ups, Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals, and IT. Read More: Joe Biden tells Saudi Crown Prince he is responsible for Khashoggi's Murder India and Africa's trade partnership India is the fourth largest partner for Africa registering $69.7 billion in trade during the financial year 2018-19 with investments in areas like oil & gas, agriculture, banking, mining, automotive, pharma, textiles etc. 38 African nations have benefited from Indian govt's Duty-Free Tariff Preference (DFTP) scheme which provides duty-free access to 98.2 per cent of India’s total tariff lines. India has a historic partnership with the continent and is increasingly engaging with it. Recently it expanded its diplomatic footprint by establishing 18 new diplomatic missions in Africa taking the total Indian Missions in the continent to 47. The continent is the second largest recipient of India’s concessional loan. Under Indian Lines of Credits (LoCs) worth $12.26 billion, 193 projects have been completed and 66 projects are currently under execution. Amid the Covid crisis, New Delhi gifted 150 tonnes of medical aid to more than 25 African countries. WATCH WION LIVE:

African leaders to visit Delhi next week for key investment meet

With the intention of ending their traditional way of life and strengthening its grip over border regions, particularly India, the Chinese government has declared plans to uproot over 100,000 Tibetans from their homes by 2030. According to the Tibet Press, this is a part of China’s strategy to aggressively build new villages in disputed border regions in order to extend or cement its control over these areas, which India, Bhutan, and Nepal insist are part of their national territory.

China plans to construct 624 border communities in contested Himalayan regions, according to a recent claim in a Hong Kong-based journal that cited a Chinese government document. 
 
This new action is a component of China’s larger strategy, which was unveiled in 2018 by the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) Communist Party Committee and aimed at relocating Tibetans who resided in areas of Tibet that were classified as being at or above 4,800 metres in elevation as part of its purported “very high-altitude ecological relocation plan”.&nbsp;There is no scientific proof that relocation will have a good influence on the environment, despite China’s claims that it was done to protect the ecosystem.

The article claims that the real motivation was to put an end to the traditional Tibetan way of life. Notably, Tibetans from these areas have been nomads for decades and have long lived “cordially with nature” in the mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. About 2 million Tibetan nomads are predicted to be displaced as a result of the forcible relocation and settlement, losing their means of subsistence and being pushed into poverty and marginalisation.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-tiny-turtle-rescued-from-sydney-beach-pooped-pure-plastic-for-six-days-502056">Watch | Tiny turtle&nbsp;rescued from Sydney beach pooped 'pure plastic'&nbsp;for six days</a>

Thus, under China’s so-called “Poverty Alleviation”,&nbsp;“Ecological Migration”,&nbsp;and current “Very High Altitude Ecological Migration” plans, the Tibetans were uprooted and immediately changed to achieve Beijing’s plan to weaken Tibet’s identity and control and enforce their assimilation into the Chinese cultural and economic world. According to the relocation plan, up to 130,000 residents in the TAR’s autonomous prefectures of Shigatse (Rikaze), Nagchu, and Ngari (Ali) could be uprooted between 2018 and 2025.

(with inputs from agencies)

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With the intention of ending their traditional way of life and strengthening its grip over border regions, particularly India, the Chinese government has declared plans to uproot over 100,000 Tibetans from their homes by 2030.

With the intention of ending their traditional way of life and strengthening its grip over border regions, particularly India, the Chinese government has declared plans to uproot over 100,000 Tibetans from their homes by 2030. According to the Tibet Press, this is a part of China’s strategy to aggressively build new villages in disputed border regions in order to extend or cement its control over these areas, which India, Bhutan, and Nepal insist are part of their national territory. China plans to construct 624 border communities in contested Himalayan regions, according to a recent claim in a Hong Kong-based journal that cited a Chinese government document. This new action is a component of China’s larger strategy, which was unveiled in 2018 by the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) Communist Party Committee and aimed at relocating Tibetans who resided in areas of Tibet that were classified as being at or above 4,800 metres in elevation as part of its purported “very high-altitude ecological relocation plan”. There is no scientific proof that relocation will have a good influence on the environment, despite China’s claims that it was done to protect the ecosystem. The article claims that the real motivation was to put an end to the traditional Tibetan way of life. Notably, Tibetans from these areas have been nomads for decades and have long lived “cordially with nature” in the mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. About 2 million Tibetan nomads are predicted to be displaced as a result of the forcible relocation and settlement, losing their means of subsistence and being pushed into poverty and marginalisation. Also Read: Watch | Tiny turtle rescued from Sydney beach pooped 'pure plastic' for six days Thus, under China’s so-called “Poverty Alleviation”, “Ecological Migration”, and current “Very High Altitude Ecological Migration” plans, the Tibetans were uprooted and immediately changed to achieve Beijing’s plan to weaken Tibet’s identity and control and enforce their assimilation into the Chinese cultural and economic world. According to the relocation plan, up to 130,000 residents in the TAR’s autonomous prefectures of Shigatse (Rikaze), Nagchu, and Ngari (Ali) could be uprooted between 2018 and 2025. (with inputs from agencies)

Tibetans being forcibly moved to Indian border by Chinese officials to increase influence: Report

Moscow is using Ukraine’s membership of the Western military alliance — the Soviet Union's adversary during the Cold War — as a justification for its special military operations launched on February 24. In another,&nbsp;US President Joe Biden has contracted the virus again and has returned to isolation.

Click on the headlines to read more:

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/putin-signs-russian-naval-doctrine-marks-us-nato-as-main-threats-to-national-security-502301">Putin signs Russian naval doctrine, says US, NATO ‘main threats’ to national security</a>
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According to a new Russian naval strategy that President Vladimir Putin signed on Sunday, the American desire to rule the oceans and NATO's growth pose the greatest threats to Russia. According to the 55-page report, NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders and Washington's "strategic objective to dominate the world's oceans" pose threat to national security and prosperity.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/days-after-recovery-us-president-joe-biden-contracts-covid-disease-again-502133">Days after recovery, US President Joe Biden contracts Covid again</a>
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Days after recovering from COVID-19, US President Joe Biden has contracted the virus again and has returned to isolation, the White House said.

Presidential physician Kevin O’Connor in a memorandum said, “This, in fact, represents ‘rebound’ positivity, wherein the patients who are treated with the drug Paxlovid, as Biden was, clear the virus but test positive after completing their course.”

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The Navy celebrations in the Russian-annexed Crimea region were dealt a heavy blow as a Ukrainian drone strike wounded five people at the Black Sea headquarters in Sevastopol, according to authorities. Mikhail Razvozhayev, who is leading the local Russian administration in Sevastopol, posted the details of the attack on social media and blamed Ukraine for the damages.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/debris-from-chinese-rocket-crashes-into-indian-ocean-502129">Debris from Chinese rocket crashes into Indian Ocean&nbsp;</a>
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According to US space command&nbsp;officials, the debris of the Chinese rocket&nbsp;Long March 5B “re-entered over the Indian Ocean” on Saturday.&nbsp;

“We refer you to the PRC for further details on the reentry’s technical aspects such as potential debris dispersal+ impact location,” the US space command said on its Twitter handle.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/prince-charles-charity-accepted-donation-from-osama-bin-ladens-family-report-502217">Prince Charles’ charity accepted donation from Osama bin Laden’s family: Report</a>
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Prince Charles’&nbsp;charity, The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund, accepted 1 million pounds in donation from the family of al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden, according to reports.

The Sunday Times reported that Princes Charles had met Osama’s half-brother Bakr bin Laden and his brother Shafiq in London in 2013, two years after Osama was shot dead by US special forces at a compound near Islamabad in Pakistan.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lebanon-people-queue-up-to-buy-bread-six-breads-sell-for-20-on-black-market-502273">Lebanon: People queue up to buy bread, six breads sell for $20 on black market</a>
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Khalil Mansour must stand in line for hours every day to buy food for his family in bankrupt Lebanon, and some days he is unable to do so. Prior to the financial crisis in 2019, Lebanon had the moniker "Switzerland of the Middle East" for its flourishing banking industry, therefore the ongoing shortage of the food staple has been difficult to bear. 2020 saw Lebanon's sovereign debt default, and since then, the currency has lost about 90 per cent&nbsp;of its value on the illegal market.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russias-black-sea-fleet-headquarters-hit-by-ukrainian-drone-strike-five-injured-502239">Russia’s Black Sea fleet headquarters hit on Navy Day by Ukrainian drone, five injured</a>
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The Navy celebrations in the Russian-annexed Crimea region were dealt a heavy blow as a Ukrainian drone strike wounded five people at the Black Sea headquarters in Sevastopol, according to authorities. Mikhail Razvozhayev, who is leading the local Russian administration in Sevastopol, posted the details of the attack on social media and blamed Ukraine for the damages.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/gunmen-attack-army-guardian-guatemalan-president-near-mexican-border-1-injured-502233">Gunmen attack soldiers guarding Guatemalan president near Mexican border, 1 injured&nbsp;</a>
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Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei had a narrow escape after gunmen opened fire on soldiers guarding the leader at a town near the Mexican border. One of the guards is said to be injured.

The brazen attack took place on Saturday when military officials spotted a vehicle approaching the checkpoint that was being guarded during a visit by Giammattei to northwestern.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/jeremy-lalrinnunga-battles-injury-to-clinch-indias-2nd-gold-at-commonwealth-games-2022-creates-new-record-502246">Jeremy Lalrinnunga battles injury to clinch India’s 2nd gold at Commonwealth Games 2022, creates new record</a>
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19-year-old weightlifter&nbsp;Jeremy Lalrinnunga produced a brave performance in the&nbsp;men’s 67kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 to extend India’s dominance in weightlifting at the showpiece event.&nbsp;Lalrinnunga clinched gold with a record overall lift of 300 kg to bag the country’s second gold medal at the CWG 2022 so far.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-chris-rock-jokes-about-infamous-oscar-slap-hours-after-will-smiths-apology-video-502127">Chris Rock jokes about infamous Oscar slap after Will Smith’s apology video</a>
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It seems that American comedian Chris Rock is in no mood to address Will Smith's apology video, but is still okay&nbsp;making passing jokes about the Oscar incident. While performing on a stage in Atlanta on Friday night for his 'Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour',&nbsp;he addressed the infamous slap and called the 'Men In Black' actor 'Suge Smith'.

Moscow is using Ukraine’s membership of the Western military alliance — the Soviet Union's adversary during the Cold War — as a justification for its special military operations launched on February 24.

Moscow is using Ukraine’s membership of the Western military alliance — the Soviet Union's adversary during the Cold War — as a justification for its special military operations launched on February 24. In another, US President Joe Biden has contracted the virus again and has returned to isolation. Click on the headlines to read more: Putin signs Russian naval doctrine, says US, NATO ‘main threats’ to national security According to a new Russian naval strategy that President Vladimir Putin signed on Sunday, the American desire to rule the oceans and NATO's growth pose the greatest threats to Russia. According to the 55-page report, NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders and Washington's "strategic objective to dominate the world's oceans" pose threat to national security and prosperity. Days after recovery, US President Joe Biden contracts Covid again Days after recovering from COVID-19, US President Joe Biden has contracted the virus again and has returned to isolation, the White House said. Presidential physician Kevin O’Connor in a memorandum said, “This, in fact, represents ‘rebound’ positivity, wherein the patients who are treated with the drug Paxlovid, as Biden was, clear the virus but test positive after completing their course.” Russia’s Black Sea fleet headquarters hit on Navy Day by Ukrainian drone, five injured The Navy celebrations in the Russian-annexed Crimea region were dealt a heavy blow as a Ukrainian drone strike wounded five people at the Black Sea headquarters in Sevastopol, according to authorities. Mikhail Razvozhayev, who is leading the local Russian administration in Sevastopol, posted the details of the attack on social media and blamed Ukraine for the damages. Debris from Chinese rocket crashes into Indian Ocean According to US space command officials, the debris of the Chinese rocket Long March 5B “re-entered over the Indian Ocean” on Saturday. “We refer you to the PRC for further details on the reentry’s technical aspects such as potential debris dispersal+ impact location,” the US space command said on its Twitter handle. Prince Charles’ charity accepted donation from Osama bin Laden’s family: Report Prince Charles’ charity, The Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund, accepted 1 million pounds in donation from the family of al-Qaeda founder Osama Bin Laden, according to reports. The Sunday Times reported that Princes Charles had met Osama’s half-brother Bakr bin Laden and his brother Shafiq in London in 2013, two years after Osama was shot dead by US special forces at a compound near Islamabad in Pakistan. Lebanon: People queue up to buy bread, six breads sell for $20 on black market Khalil Mansour must stand in line for hours every day to buy food for his family in bankrupt Lebanon, and some days he is unable to do so. Prior to the financial crisis in 2019, Lebanon had the moniker "Switzerland of the Middle East" for its flourishing banking industry, therefore the ongoing shortage of the food staple has been difficult to bear. 2020 saw Lebanon's sovereign debt default, and since then, the currency has lost about 90 per cent of its value on the illegal market. Russia’s Black Sea fleet headquarters hit on Navy Day by Ukrainian drone, five injured The Navy celebrations in the Russian-annexed Crimea region were dealt a heavy blow as a Ukrainian drone strike wounded five people at the Black Sea headquarters in Sevastopol, according to authorities. Mikhail Razvozhayev, who is leading the local Russian administration in Sevastopol, posted the details of the attack on social media and blamed Ukraine for the damages. Gunmen attack soldiers guarding Guatemalan president near Mexican border, 1 injured Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei had a narrow escape after gunmen opened fire on soldiers guarding the leader at a town near the Mexican border. One of the guards is said to be injured. The brazen attack took place on Saturday when military officials spotted a vehicle approaching the checkpoint that was being guarded during a visit by Giammattei to northwestern. Jeremy Lalrinnunga battles injury to clinch India’s 2nd gold at Commonwealth Games 2022, creates new record 19-year-old weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga produced a brave performance in the men’s 67kg category at the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022 to extend India’s dominance in weightlifting at the showpiece event. Lalrinnunga clinched gold with a record overall lift of 300 kg to bag the country’s second gold medal at the CWG 2022 so far. Chris Rock jokes about infamous Oscar slap after Will Smith’s apology video It seems that American comedian Chris Rock is in no mood to address Will Smith's apology video, but is still okay making passing jokes about the Oscar incident. While performing on a stage in Atlanta on Friday night for his 'Chris Rock Ego Death World Tour', he addressed the infamous slap and called the 'Men In Black' actor 'Suge Smith'.

Top 10 world news: US, NATO 'main threats' to Russian security, Biden contracts Covid again, and more

Here are the countries offering the cheapest and the most costly internet packs. Find out where India stands

The groundbreaking ceremony of Maldives' biggest infrastructure project, the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) will be done during President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's visit to India next week.

The groundbreaking ceremony of Maldives' biggest infrastructure project, the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP) will be done during President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih's visit to India next week. The project is supported by New Delhi with a grant of $100 million and a $400 million line of credit, totalling $500 million.Under the project, a 6.74 kilometres long bridge and causeway link will be built that will connect the national capital Male with three adjoining islands viz. Villingli, Gulhifalhu and Thilafushi. The project was first discussed during External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar's visit to the country in September 2019. The agreement for the project was signed between AFCONS and Maldives government last year and the mega infrastructure is expected to be completed within two years. Read More: India, Maldives to sign pact on mega Greater Malé Connectivity Project An opportunity to lend further momentum to the relations: EAM Ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi informed about the visit last week by stating: "The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review the progress made in this wide-ranging partnership and impart direction to the two sides that will lend further momentum to this strong partnership that we have." During the visit, focus will also be on other major projects that India is helping the Maldives government build. Reportedly, India is supporting 45 projects in the country with grant assistance of $16.88 million or 260 million Maldivian rufiyaas. Of these 45 projects, 17 have been completed and inaugurated already. These projects cover diverse areas of socio-economic development including tourism, sustainable development, education, fisheries, healthcare, local infrastructure, sports & youth development. The projects are identified by the Maldivian government based on its development priorities and are implemented by local councils or concerned ministries. India has replaced China Before GMCP, Sinamalé Bridge, built by the Chinese was the biggest infrastructure project in the Maldives. The bridge is 1.39 km long and connects the capital city of Male with Hulhule. The construction of the bridge was started in 2014 under Abdulla Yameen, the then President who was close to Beijing. Currently, Yameen is leading an anti-India campaign in the country. The last state visit of Solih was in December 2018, just a month after taking charge. During that visit, India announced a $1.4 billion economic package which included support for building ports, airport expansion, reclamation and cricket stadiums amongst other projects. Cricket diplomacy has been a key component of the ties as India is training members of the Maldives cricket team. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Groundbreaking ceremony of Maldives biggest infra project to be done during Prez Solih's Delhi visit

Indian and Chinese foreign ministers on Friday (July 29),&nbsp;attended a regional conference in Uzbekistan. The conference came just a day after New Delhi expressed displeased at Chinese military ship's planned visit to Hambantota, a strategic port in Sri Lanka near waters that see heavy presence of Indian Navy ships.

Indian concerns are about a possible Chinese naval base that can potentially be built at the Chinese-built and leased port in Sri Lanka.

Sino-Indian ties have remained strained since armed clash between two armies at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The clash was preceded ad followed by massive troop build up by both the nations.

Reports in Indian media said that foreign ministers of both the countries may hold bilateral meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The meet could come on the sidelines of Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO).

Chinese research and survey vessel Yuan Wang 5 was en route to Sri Lanka and due to arrive on August 11, as per the shipping data from Refinitiv Eikon.

Foreign security analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as one of China’s latest generation space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches.

During a weekly briefing late on Thursday, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said the government was monitoring the planned visit of the Chinese ship, adding that New Delhi would protect its security and economic interests.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Indian and Chinese foreign ministers on Friday (July 29), attended a regional conference in Uzbekistan. The conference came just a day after New Delhi expressed displeased at Chinese military ship's planned visit to Hambantota, a strategic port in Sri Lanka near waters that see heavy presence of Indian Navy ships.

Indian and Chinese foreign ministers on Friday (July 29), attended a regional conference in Uzbekistan. The conference came just a day after New Delhi expressed displeased at Chinese military ship's planned visit to Hambantota, a strategic port in Sri Lanka near waters that see heavy presence of Indian Navy ships. Indian concerns are about a possible Chinese naval base that can potentially be built at the Chinese-built and leased port in Sri Lanka. Sino-Indian ties have remained strained since armed clash between two armies at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The clash was preceded ad followed by massive troop build up by both the nations. Reports in Indian media said that foreign ministers of both the countries may hold bilateral meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The meet could come on the sidelines of Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO). Chinese research and survey vessel Yuan Wang 5 was en route to Sri Lanka and due to arrive on August 11, as per the shipping data from Refinitiv Eikon. Foreign security analysts describe the Yuan Wang 5 as one of China’s latest generation space-tracking ships, used to monitor satellite, rocket and intercontinental ballistic missile launches. During a weekly briefing late on Thursday, an Indian foreign ministry spokesman said the government was monitoring the planned visit of the Chinese ship, adding that New Delhi would protect its security and economic interests. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

India, China ministers attend summit as Delhi keeps eye on Chinese ship

In pics| Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 opening ceremony

Basil Syam, a resident in the Indian state of Kerala can only cuss his luck as the Kerala traffic police fined him for&nbsp;‘driving without sufficient fuel&nbsp;with passengers’. The motorcycle rider shared the receipt of the fine on his Facebook account and remarked that he was charged $3 (Rs 250) while he was on his way to work.

Reportedly, Basil was driving in the opposite direction of a one-way street at Pukkatupadi junction when he was stopped by the traffic police. Knowing that he had broken the law, Basil handed the fine amount and went on his way.&nbsp;

However, upon reaching the office, Basil took out the fine receipt and was astonished to see that the reason for the charge was attributed to ‘driving without sufficient fuel with passengers’.

Watch:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-man-catches-toddler-after-she-falls-from-fifth-floor-building-as-video-goes-viral-500402"> Man catches toddler after she falls from fifth floor building as video goes viral</a>

As soon as Basil posted the photo of the receipt, it went viral on social media platforms. It was only when the Kerala traffic police received some flak from the netizens that an official from the Motor Vehicle Department called Basil to explain the situation.

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The officer stated that there is such a section in the law but it is not applicable to two-wheelers and private vehicles. However, commercial vehicles like buses can be fined if they are found in violation of this particular section of the law.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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Basil Syam, a resident in the Indian state of Kerala can only cuss his luck as the Kerala traffic police fined him for ‘driving without sufficient fuel with passengers’.

Basil Syam, a resident in the Indian state of Kerala can only cuss his luck as the Kerala traffic police fined him for ‘driving without sufficient fuel with passengers’. The motorcycle rider shared the receipt of the fine on his Facebook account and remarked that he was charged $3 (Rs 250) while he was on his way to work. Reportedly, Basil was driving in the opposite direction of a one-way street at Pukkatupadi junction when he was stopped by the traffic police. Knowing that he had broken the law, Basil handed the fine amount and went on his way. However, upon reaching the office, Basil took out the fine receipt and was astonished to see that the reason for the charge was attributed to ‘driving without sufficient fuel with passengers’. Watch: Man catches toddler after she falls from fifth floor building as video goes viral As soon as Basil posted the photo of the receipt, it went viral on social media platforms. It was only when the Kerala traffic police received some flak from the netizens that an official from the Motor Vehicle Department called Basil to explain the situation. × The officer stated that there is such a section in the law but it is not applicable to two-wheelers and private vehicles. However, commercial vehicles like buses can be fined if they are found in violation of this particular section of the law. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

'Driving without sufficient fuel', an Indian motorcycle driver fined for this bizarre reason

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and its nodal security agency Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) have <a href="https://www.cert-in.org.in/">issued </a>a warning to Apple watch users, citing the device as a 'high severity' security risk. According to the warning issued, anyone running watchOS 8.7 or older is expected to be affected.&nbsp;

The government agency revealed that Apple Watch carried multiple vulnerabilities which make it an ideal target for hackers. The warning mentions that remote hackers may be able to get hold of the wearer's device and using the vulnerabilities, execute arbitrary codes and bypass security restrictions on the device.&nbsp;

If the hackers do manage to break into the Apple watch remotely, they will be able to access the private information of the user. With more and more users using Apple watches to communicate sensitive data such as their bank details, the hacking could prove catastrophic. &nbsp;

"These vulnerabilities exist in Apple watch due to buffer overflow in AppleAVD component; an authorization issue in AppleMobileFileInterity component; out-of-bounds write in Audio, ICU and WebKit component; type confusion in Multi-Touch component; Multiple out-of-bounds write and memory corruption in GPU Drivers component; out-of-bounds read in Kernel component; and memory initialization in libxml2 component." the agency explained the vulnerabilities.&nbsp;

Read More:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/smartwatch-saves-users-life-in-us-detects-deadly-tumour-499552"> Smartwatch saves user`s life in US, detects deadly tumou</a>

Before the watch users get panicked, Apple has already rolled out a new OS update for the watch. The watchOS 8.7 update has security updates and patches, as advised by CERT-IN.

Thus, all users need to do is update their device by installing the latest software. To do so, the user needs to be connected to a wi-fi network and make sure that the device has at least 50 per cent battery.

On the watch, one needs to open settings and tap on software update in the General section. If the update is available, it will start downloading and the user can follow the instructions from there.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and its nodal security agency Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) have issued a warning to Apple watch users, citing the device as a 'high severity' security risk.

India's Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) and its nodal security agency Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) have issued a warning to Apple watch users, citing the device as a 'high severity' security risk. According to the warning issued, anyone running watchOS 8.7 or older is expected to be affected. The government agency revealed that Apple Watch carried multiple vulnerabilities which make it an ideal target for hackers. The warning mentions that remote hackers may be able to get hold of the wearer's device and using the vulnerabilities, execute arbitrary codes and bypass security restrictions on the device. If the hackers do manage to break into the Apple watch remotely, they will be able to access the private information of the user. With more and more users using Apple watches to communicate sensitive data such as their bank details, the hacking could prove catastrophic. "These vulnerabilities exist in Apple watch due to buffer overflow in AppleAVD component; an authorization issue in AppleMobileFileInterity component; out-of-bounds write in Audio, ICU and WebKit component; type confusion in Multi-Touch component; Multiple out-of-bounds write and memory corruption in GPU Drivers component; out-of-bounds read in Kernel component; and memory initialization in libxml2 component." the agency explained the vulnerabilities. Read More: Smartwatch saves user`s life in US, detects deadly tumou Before the watch users get panicked, Apple has already rolled out a new OS update for the watch. The watchOS 8.7 update has security updates and patches, as advised by CERT-IN. Thus, all users need to do is update their device by installing the latest software. To do so, the user needs to be connected to a wi-fi network and make sure that the device has at least 50 per cent battery. On the watch, one needs to open settings and tap on software update in the General section. If the update is available, it will start downloading and the user can follow the instructions from there. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Apple Watch dubbed a 'high severity' security risk by the Indian government

India has reached out to Palestine with support for refugees with $ 2.5 million support and the development of a project.

Last week, a $2.25 million cheque was handed over to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by Indian diplomat Sunil Kumar and Harish Kumar who are in the ministry of external affairs WANA or West Asia and North Africa division. The cheque was handed over to UNRWA's Karim Amer at the UN body's headquarters at a ceremony in East Jerusalem.

At the ceremony, Karim Amer, Director of Partnerships of the Department of External Relations of UNRWA, said, "this timely contribution is a strong demonstration of India’s unwavering support to the work of UNRWA and commitment to the wellbeing for Palestine refugees".

He extended "deep appreciation" to the Indian government for its "continued funding to the agency and its backing of Palestine refugees across the Middle East.”

India has given $20 million in support of core UNRWA services to Palestine refugees across West Asia since 2018.&nbsp;The money will be used by&nbsp;UNRWA&nbsp;to provide&nbsp;education, health care, relief and social services for Palestine refugees.&nbsp;

UNRWA, established by the General Assembly in 1949 is mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees. It has been reaching out to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank&nbsp;including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, last week, the Indian delegation led by Indian diplomats Sunil Kumar and Harish Kumar also visited Gaza Industrial estate with key focus on the establishment of Center for the Development of Palestinian Heritage Products--"My Heritage".&nbsp;

The project will be funded by the Indian government and will be the extension of main center in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate.&nbsp;

Palestine's Investment Promotion and Industrial Estate Agency is willing to provide 500 square meters for the project.

According to a Palestinian release, the project "comes within the Palestinian government’s strategy related to Empowering women in various fields, pointing out the importance of this project that seeks to integrate traditional industries with creative ideas to consolidate the Palestinian identity and market it globally".

New Delhi has in the past extended economic assistance to the Palestinian people for various projects.

The Indian government supported the construction of Jawaharlal Nehru Library at the Al Azhar University in Gaza city and the Mahatma Gandhi Library-cum-Student Activity Centre at the Palestine Technical College at Deir Al Balah in the Gaza Strip.

In fact, the Palestine national press and the&nbsp;Palestine-India techno park have been established with the Indian government's support.&nbsp;

India has reached out to Palestine with support for refugees with $ 2.5 million support and the development of a project. Last week, a $2.25 million cheque was handed over to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by Indian diplomat Sunil Kumar and Harish Kumar who are in the ministry of external affairs WANA or West Asia and North Africa division.

India has reached out to Palestine with support for refugees with $ 2.5 million support and the development of a project. Last week, a $2.25 million cheque was handed over to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) by Indian diplomat Sunil Kumar and Harish Kumar who are in the ministry of external affairs WANA or West Asia and North Africa division. The cheque was handed over to UNRWA's Karim Amer at the UN body's headquarters at a ceremony in East Jerusalem. At the ceremony, Karim Amer, Director of Partnerships of the Department of External Relations of UNRWA, said, "this timely contribution is a strong demonstration of India’s unwavering support to the work of UNRWA and commitment to the wellbeing for Palestine refugees". He extended "deep appreciation" to the Indian government for its "continued funding to the agency and its backing of Palestine refugees across the Middle East.” India has given $20 million in support of core UNRWA services to Palestine refugees across West Asia since 2018. The money will be used by UNRWA to provide education, health care, relief and social services for Palestine refugees. UNRWA, established by the General Assembly in 1949 is mandated to provide assistance and protection to some 5.6 million Palestine refugees. It has been reaching out to refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, last week, the Indian delegation led by Indian diplomats Sunil Kumar and Harish Kumar also visited Gaza Industrial estate with key focus on the establishment of Center for the Development of Palestinian Heritage Products--"My Heritage". The project will be funded by the Indian government and will be the extension of main center in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate. Palestine's Investment Promotion and Industrial Estate Agency is willing to provide 500 square meters for the project. According to a Palestinian release, the project "comes within the Palestinian government’s strategy related to Empowering women in various fields, pointing out the importance of this project that seeks to integrate traditional industries with creative ideas to consolidate the Palestinian identity and market it globally". New Delhi has in the past extended economic assistance to the Palestinian people for various projects. The Indian government supported the construction of Jawaharlal Nehru Library at the Al Azhar University in Gaza city and the Mahatma Gandhi Library-cum-Student Activity Centre at the Palestine Technical College at Deir Al Balah in the Gaza Strip. In fact, the Palestine national press and the Palestine-India techno park have been established with the Indian government's support.

India reaches out to Palestine on refugees, projects

The skies of the Indian city Dehradun were graced by an awe-inspiring phenomenon on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, locals reported seeing a sun halo with a rainbow of colours. This soon prompted many to capture the rare sight on their devices and post it on social media, where it quickly went viral, reported PTI.&nbsp;The sun halo, also known as the "22 degree halo," is an unusual optical phenomenon that gives the appearance of a rainbow encircling the sun or moon at a distance of about 22 degrees.

Director of the Meteorological Centre Bikram Singh explained&nbsp;that the phenomenon happens as a result of sunlight getting refracted by the millions of hexagonal ice crystals hovering in the atmosphere.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/the-end-is-upon-us-organisation-lists-the-many-ways-humanity-can-meet-its-end-check-it-out-499670">The end is upon us? Organisation lists the many ways humanity can meet its end. Check it out!</a>

Experts advise that people must exercise caution when taking photos of sun halos. Directly facing the sun without any obstructions can harm a camera and your eyes.

As per the website EarthSky, both refraction, or the splitting of light, and reflection, or the glints of light from these ice crystals, result&nbsp;in the halos we witness. For the halo to emerge, the crystals must be precisely aligned and placed in relation to the observer’s eye.

Watch |&nbsp;Italian diver makes an exceptional discovery; finds cargo of an ancient Roman ship

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“That’s why, like rainbows, halos around the sun – or moon – are personal. Everyone sees their own particular halo, made by their own particular ice crystals, which are different from the ice crystals making the halo of the person standing next to you.”

Let’s look at some of the stunning images of the spectacular sight that the&nbsp;locals have shared on social media:

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Captured rare Sun Halo 😁 <a href="https://t.co/cd7BFD4QLs">pic.twitter.com/cd7BFD4QLs</a>
— Ankit 🙃 (@Ankit_ash1) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ankit_ash1/status/1551148933904076800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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First time saw Halo around the Sun 😍 <a href="https://t.co/NXDvQb1XD6">pic.twitter.com/NXDvQb1XD6</a>
— Deepjyoti Barman (@DJBarman_JR) <a href="https://twitter.com/DJBarman_JR/status/1551096088186068992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Amazing rainbow-colored halo around the sun in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dehradun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dehradun</a> yesterday 
Mesmerizing!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nature?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nature</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uttarakhand?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uttarakhand</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> <a href="https://t.co/je6DmXZRwy">pic.twitter.com/je6DmXZRwy</a>
— Dr Pankaj K Garg (@DrPankajGarg) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrPankajGarg/status/1551403980059582464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A circular rainbow visible just over my head😁 
It's called a Sun Halo and a rare phenomenon occuring once in few years <a href="https://t.co/3x0nsXuAHH">pic.twitter.com/3x0nsXuAHH</a>
— Rahul Sethi (@techysethi) <a href="https://twitter.com/techysethi/status/1551105056963174400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Sun halo. 
24/7. <a href="https://t.co/ZqfXM2MXM7">pic.twitter.com/ZqfXM2MXM7</a>
— Vatsalya Singh Baghel (@VatsalyaBaghel) <a href="https://twitter.com/VatsalyaBaghel/status/1551097302806573056?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A sun halo in Dehradun today. Absolutely beautiful. <a href="https://t.co/DccSlWtOaB">pic.twitter.com/DccSlWtOaB</a>
— Arpit Batra (@arpitbatra123) <a href="https://twitter.com/arpitbatra123/status/1551102931331842048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Rare sun halo 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sunhalo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sunhalo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sunbow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sunbow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sundog?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sundog</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dehradun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dehradun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Uttarakhand?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Uttarakhand</a> <a href="https://t.co/cujxDmhtsA">pic.twitter.com/cujxDmhtsA</a>
— Rishita Juyal (@juyal_rishita) <a href="https://twitter.com/juyal_rishita/status/1551096365475778561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Paradise <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/dehradun?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#dehradun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/sunhalo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#sunhalo</a> <a href="https://t.co/XiWUibiyiU">pic.twitter.com/XiWUibiyiU</a>
— Dehradooni (@dehradooni) <a href="https://twitter.com/dehradooni/status/1551119433057259521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from agencies)

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You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

The skies of the Indian city Dehradun were graced by an awe-inspiring phenomenon on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, locals reported seeing a sun halo with a rainbow of colours.

The skies of the Indian city Dehradun were graced by an awe-inspiring phenomenon on Sunday. On Sunday afternoon, locals reported seeing a sun halo with a rainbow of colours. This soon prompted many to capture the rare sight on their devices and post it on social media, where it quickly went viral, reported PTI. The sun halo, also known as the "22 degree halo," is an unusual optical phenomenon that gives the appearance of a rainbow encircling the sun or moon at a distance of about 22 degrees. Director of the Meteorological Centre Bikram Singh explained that the phenomenon happens as a result of sunlight getting refracted by the millions of hexagonal ice crystals hovering in the atmosphere. Also read | The end is upon us? Organisation lists the many ways humanity can meet its end. Check it out! Experts advise that people must exercise caution when taking photos of sun halos. Directly facing the sun without any obstructions can harm a camera and your eyes. As per the website EarthSky, both refraction, or the splitting of light, and reflection, or the glints of light from these ice crystals, result in the halos we witness. For the halo to emerge, the crystals must be precisely aligned and placed in relation to the observer’s eye. Watch | Italian diver makes an exceptional discovery; finds cargo of an ancient Roman ship “That’s why, like rainbows, halos around the sun – or moon – are personal. Everyone sees their own particular halo, made by their own particular ice crystals, which are different from the ice crystals making the halo of the person standing next to you.” Let’s look at some of the stunning images of the spectacular sight that the locals have shared on social media: Captured rare Sun Halo 😁 pic.twitter.com/cd7BFD4QLs — Ankit 🙃 (@Ankit_ash1) July 24, 2022 × First time saw Halo around the Sun 😍 pic.twitter.com/NXDvQb1XD6 — Deepjyoti Barman (@DJBarman_JR) July 24, 2022 × Amazing rainbow-colored halo around the sun in #Dehradun yesterday Mesmerizing!! #nature #uttarakhand #India pic.twitter.com/je6DmXZRwy — Dr Pankaj K Garg (@DrPankajGarg) July 25, 2022 × A circular rainbow visible just over my head😁 It's called a Sun Halo and a rare phenomenon occuring once in few years pic.twitter.com/3x0nsXuAHH — Rahul Sethi (@techysethi) July 24, 2022 × Sun halo. 24/7. pic.twitter.com/ZqfXM2MXM7 — Vatsalya Singh Baghel (@VatsalyaBaghel) July 24, 2022 × A sun halo in Dehradun today. Absolutely beautiful. pic.twitter.com/DccSlWtOaB — Arpit Batra (@arpitbatra123) July 24, 2022 × Rare sun halo . . . . . .#sunhalo #Sunbow #sundog #Dehradun #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/cujxDmhtsA — Rishita Juyal (@juyal_rishita) July 24, 2022 × Paradise #dehradun #sunhalo pic.twitter.com/XiWUibiyiU — Dehradooni (@dehradooni) July 24, 2022 × (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Rainbow-coloured sun halo in India's Dehradun leaves internet awe-struck. Take a look!

23rd April 2022 marked the 30th death anniversary of Satyajit Ray. The quintessential Bengali with an aristocratic air, yet bubbling with a 'Bhadralok-ian' vitality.

23rd April 2022 marked the 30th death anniversary of Satyajit Ray. The quintessential Bengali with an aristocratic air, yet bubbling with a 'Bhadralok-ian' vitality. Indian cinema has long been plagued by the curse of generalisation. It has been mollycoddled as an escapist art form, where ‘heroines’ waltz around in scantily clad clothes, while 'Übermenschen' heroes bash the baddies to a pulp. And then there was Ray, arguably 'the' poster boy for arthouse cinema of the 1950s. The debonair ‘artsy’ intellectual, with his drop-dead looks, bourgeoisie suaveness, and nicotine-stained baritone. Hailing from a family of avant-garde scholars; grandfather Upendrokishore Ray, and father Sukumar Ray, Satyajit was a cultural behemoth. A writer, filmmaker, artist, musician, and thinker, all rolled into one. Insurmountably gifted, now lying buried under piles of mediocrity, he was the flag bearer of parallel film and unconventional storytelling. India’s first honorary Oscar winner, who made global critics swoon at his ideas, he was the maverick underdog, experimenting with frugal resources to change the course of the film and make his countrymen fall in love with the language of film. There was ‘Pather Panchali’ (The song of the road: 1955), adapted from a book by the great Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay. A film that took four years and incessant coaxing for funds before the state government took over and unintentionally helped Ray create a cinematic masterpiece. A film that placed India on the cultural map of the world (legend has it that the film was positioned as a Highway development PSA, to escape the red tapism). Ray and his wizardry of creating iconic characters With a career spanning close to five decades, Ray delivered some of the most moving films to grace our screens. As an author with a flair for catering to kids, his stories, which were regularly published in his ancestral magazine Sandesh, explored the macabre, unorthodox fantasies of an impressionable age. However, neither were they childish nor esoteric. Instead, they were deeply critical of the society, packaged within the garb of frolic and euphoria. Ray created some of the most iconic characters in Bengali literature; Feluda, the tall, 'Charminar' smoking private investigator with his assistant cousin Topshe, Professor Shonku, the eccentric scientist inventing wacky gadgets, and Goopy Gynne-Bagha Byne, the musician duo blessed by the King of Ghosts, among others. Ray cannot be confined to simple words. He was a phenomenon that inspired the world and made India a global name. He was truly a Ray-Naissance man. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

The Ray-Naissance man: Remembering Satyajit Ray

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Friday stated that the linking of RuPay credit cards to Unified Payment Interface (UPI)- India's prominent digital payment network, is expected to take place within the next two months. Moreover, NPCI is expected to send the framework of its proposal to India's central bank viz Reserve Bank of India in the next 10 days

RuPay credit card issuers that included big banks such as State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB), Union Bank and Axis bank, amongst others have already submitted their proposals to NPCI

"We are hoping that the RuPay credit card linking to the UPI should get operationalised in a couple of months. We are talking to BoB Cards 581 Cards, Axis Bank and Union Bank of India. Once we get approval, we should be able to start in two months," said Dilip Asbe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NPCI.

UPI and its ubiquitous reach

The government is of the view that UP's vast reach to remote comers of the country can be used to boost credit penetration Moreover, it may allow for the monetisation of UPI payment for the payment companies.

However, experts argue that one of the major reasons why UPI spread to every nook and cranny of the country was due to its zero fees. Merchant Discount Rates (MDR) is the bone of contention and the banks, as well as RBI, is mulling a strategy to reach the middle ground.

It was in 2016 that NPCI introduced the revolutionary UPI system PhonePe was one of the first platforms to integrate UPI into its system. A year later, several competitors followed the suit and since then, UPI has transformed into a behemoth that even foreign nations are looking to get their hands on.

Singapore and Bhutan have already adopted UP) and as reported by WION France could soon be another participant. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NPCI International, and Lyra Network of France last month.&nbsp;

Read More: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/rupay-cards-and-upi-will-soon-be-accepted-in-france-indian-ambassador-confirms-489123">Go cashless India's Rupay cards and UPS will soon be accepted in France</a>

(With inputs from agencies)

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The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Friday stated that the linking of RuPay credit cards to Unified Payment Interface (UPI)- India's prominent digital payment network, is expected to take place within the next two months.

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on Friday stated that the linking of RuPay credit cards to Unified Payment Interface (UPI)- India's prominent digital payment network, is expected to take place within the next two months. Moreover, NPCI is expected to send the framework of its proposal to India's central bank viz Reserve Bank of India in the next 10 days RuPay credit card issuers that included big banks such as State Bank of India (SBI), Bank of Baroda (BOB), Union Bank and Axis bank, amongst others have already submitted their proposals to NPCI "We are hoping that the RuPay credit card linking to the UPI should get operationalised in a couple of months. We are talking to BoB Cards 581 Cards, Axis Bank and Union Bank of India. Once we get approval, we should be able to start in two months," said Dilip Asbe, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), NPCI. UPI and its ubiquitous reach The government is of the view that UP's vast reach to remote comers of the country can be used to boost credit penetration Moreover, it may allow for the monetisation of UPI payment for the payment companies. However, experts argue that one of the major reasons why UPI spread to every nook and cranny of the country was due to its zero fees. Merchant Discount Rates (MDR) is the bone of contention and the banks, as well as RBI, is mulling a strategy to reach the middle ground. It was in 2016 that NPCI introduced the revolutionary UPI system PhonePe was one of the first platforms to integrate UPI into its system. A year later, several competitors followed the suit and since then, UPI has transformed into a behemoth that even foreign nations are looking to get their hands on. Singapore and Bhutan have already adopted UP) and as reported by WION France could soon be another participant. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between NPCI International, and Lyra Network of France last month. Read More: Go cashless India's Rupay cards and UPS will soon be accepted in France (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India: RuPay credit cards to be linked to UPI in the next two months

As part of cultural connect, a wall outside Delhi's Vasant Vihar metro station has received a makeover in the form of Colombian artwork. The artwork has been painted by renowned Colombian urban artist Laura Ortiz Hernández and an Indian artist named&nbsp;Laxmi.

Speaking to WION, Laura said, "I wanted to portray something that could be at the same time from my country Colombia and also something that looks similar to the movement I see in India. I wanted to portray street vendors, full of colours, urban landscape."

The artwork comes even as Colombia celebrates its 212th Independence day. Laxmi from Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi, said, "I was going for some work and then I saw mam painting and I approached her and requested that I want to also paint and she agreed. I showed some sketches."

The project has come with the collaboration between Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Colombian Embassy. Ambassador of Colombia to India Mariana Pacheco Montes told WION, "It is a precious gift to not only the metro station at Vasant Vihar but also shows how similar we are, how well we connect, Colombian and Indian people...I am very proud of both the artists, this is a present from Colombia to Vasant Vihar metro station," Mariana explained before adding, "..we could be very far geographically but are very close in spirit and values."

The Colombian Ambassador also visited the metro station and appreciated the world-class facilities provided by the Delhi Metro. 
&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

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As part of cultural connect, a wall outside Delhi's Vasant Vihar metro station has received a makeover in the form of Colombian artwork. The artwork has been painted by renowned Colombian urban artist Laura Ortiz Hernández and an Indian artist named Laxmi.

As part of cultural connect, a wall outside Delhi's Vasant Vihar metro station has received a makeover in the form of Colombian artwork. The artwork has been painted by renowned Colombian urban artist Laura Ortiz Hernández and an Indian artist named Laxmi. Speaking to WION, Laura said, "I wanted to portray something that could be at the same time from my country Colombia and also something that looks similar to the movement I see in India. I wanted to portray street vendors, full of colours, urban landscape." The artwork comes even as Colombia celebrates its 212th Independence day. Laxmi from Kashi Vidyapeeth, Varanasi, said, "I was going for some work and then I saw mam painting and I approached her and requested that I want to also paint and she agreed. I showed some sketches." The project has come with the collaboration between Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and the Colombian Embassy. Ambassador of Colombia to India Mariana Pacheco Montes told WION, "It is a precious gift to not only the metro station at Vasant Vihar but also shows how similar we are, how well we connect, Colombian and Indian people...I am very proud of both the artists, this is a present from Colombia to Vasant Vihar metro station," Mariana explained before adding, "..we could be very far geographically but are very close in spirit and values." The Colombian Ambassador also visited the metro station and appreciated the world-class facilities provided by the Delhi Metro. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Delhi's Vasant Vihar Metro Station gets Colombian artwork

The outbreak of monkeypox, which has afflicted nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, was classified as a global health emergency on Saturday by the World Health Organization, the highest alert it can issue. According to a count released on July 20 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox has afflicted over 15,800 persons in 72 countries. Since early May, there has been an increase in monkeypox cases outside of the West and Central African nations where the illness has long been endemic. On June 23, the WHO established an emergency committee (EC) of experts to determine if monkeypox qualifies as a PHEIC, the highest degree of alert recognised by the UN health organisation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/monkeypox-virus-in-semen-who-probes-if-its-a-sexually-transmitted-disease-488597">Monkeypox virus in semen? WHO probes if it's a sexually transmitted disease</a>

<h2>What is Monkeypox and what are the latest symptoms of Monkeypox?</h2>

According to CDC of the US,&nbsp;Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the Monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus belongs to the&nbsp;Orthopoxvirus&nbsp;genus in the family&nbsp;Poxviridae.&nbsp;The first human case of Monkeypox was recorded in 1970. Since then, Monkeypox virus has been reported in people in several central and western African countries. The latest symptoms of Monkeypox include fever, rashes all over the body, severe headache, fatigue, and enlarged lymph nodes. The incubation period&nbsp;of Monkeypox virus is usually from 6 to 13 days, but it can range from five to 21 days. The skin eruption usually begins within 1–3 days of appearance of fever.&nbsp;The rash tends to be more concentrated on the face and extremities rather than on the trunk.

Watch |&nbsp;WHO to rename Monkeypox, scientists call for a non discriminatory name

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&nbsp;

<h2>Why is Monkeypox virus&nbsp;spreading so fast?</h2>

The main reason for the Monkeypox outbreak and the virus spreading&nbsp;so fast is the carelessness of people. Even after the cases increasing day by day, people are not taking the required precautions. Currently, no countries have applied any travel restrictions. These were also one of the reason in the increase in number of Covid-19&nbsp;cases earlier, and the same case is seen in Monkeypox.

<h2>Spread through sexual activity: Report</h2>

The largest study to date, involving 528 individuals in 16 nations, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and found that 95% of cases were spread through sexual activity.&nbsp;

Approximately a third of those affected were known to have gone to sex-on-site locations like sex parties or saunas within the previous month. Overall, 98 percent of those infected were gay or bisexual men.

&nbsp;

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-monkeypox-cases-rise-in-us-cdc-issues-new-guidance-488894">&nbsp;As monkeypox cases rise in US, CDC issues new guidance</a>

<h2>CDC Sex Guidelines related to Monkeypox</h2>

Yes, you heard it right! Monkeypox can spread through&nbsp;sexual intercourse or direct physical contact. Though CDC suggests to avoid direct physical contact, it has&nbsp;given some sex guidelines to prevent the spread of Monkeypox.&nbsp;Here are some of them:

1.&nbsp;Have virtual sex with no in-person contact.

2.&nbsp;Masturbate together at a distance of at least 6 feet, without touching each other and without touching any rash or sores.

3. Consider having intercourse&nbsp;with your clothes on or covering areas where rash or sores are present, reducing as much skin-to-skin contact as possible.

4.Avoid kissing.

5. Remember to wash your hands, bed sheets and other things used.&nbsp;

6. Limit your number of partners to avoid opportunities for Monkeypox to spread.

See the infographic below,

<img alt="Sexual guidelines by CDC" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0c73ba9f-e267-4901-9d98-1b160b3b6f82" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/monkeypox.jpg" />

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

<h2>Why should India get battle-ready for Monkeypox?</h2>

Many new countries like South Korea and Singapore have started to report cases of Monkeypox.&nbsp;According to latest reports, the virus is now spreading from person to person even in non-endemic countries. India should also get ready and take the necessary precautions as the Monkeypox virus can also enter India any day. The government should apply necessary travel restrictions. Vaccines should be given to the one's who have not got it yet and senior citizens and small children should try to stay indoors. India has to prepare itself to not face situations like it did in the COVID-19 outbreak.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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The outbreak of monkeypox, which has afflicted nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, was classified as a global health emergency on Saturday by the World Health Organization, the highest alert it can issue.

The outbreak of monkeypox, which has afflicted nearly 16,000 people in 72 countries, was classified as a global health emergency on Saturday by the World Health Organization, the highest alert it can issue. According to a count released on July 20 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), monkeypox has afflicted over 15,800 persons in 72 countries. Since early May, there has been an increase in monkeypox cases outside of the West and Central African nations where the illness has long been endemic. On June 23, the WHO established an emergency committee (EC) of experts to determine if monkeypox qualifies as a PHEIC, the highest degree of alert recognised by the UN health organisation. Also read | Monkeypox virus in semen? WHO probes if it's a sexually transmitted disease What is Monkeypox and what are the latest symptoms of Monkeypox? According to CDC of the US, Monkeypox is a rare disease caused by infection with the Monkeypox virus. Monkeypox virus belongs to the Orthopoxvirus genus in the family Poxviridae. The first human case of Monkeypox was recorded in 1970. Since then, Monkeypox virus has been reported in people in several central and western African countries. The latest symptoms of Monkeypox include fever, rashes all over the body, severe headache, fatigue, and enlarged lymph nodes. The incubation period of Monkeypox virus is usually from 6 to 13 days, but it can range from five to 21 days. The skin eruption usually begins within 1–3 days of appearance of fever. The rash tends to be more concentrated on the face and extremities rather than on the trunk. Watch | WHO to rename Monkeypox, scientists call for a non discriminatory name Why is Monkeypox virus spreading so fast? The main reason for the Monkeypox outbreak and the virus spreading so fast is the carelessness of people. Even after the cases increasing day by day, people are not taking the required precautions. Currently, no countries have applied any travel restrictions. These were also one of the reason in the increase in number of Covid-19 cases earlier, and the same case is seen in Monkeypox. Spread through sexual activity: Report The largest study to date, involving 528 individuals in 16 nations, was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and found that 95% of cases were spread through sexual activity. Approximately a third of those affected were known to have gone to sex-on-site locations like sex parties or saunas within the previous month. Overall, 98 percent of those infected were gay or bisexual men. Also read | As monkeypox cases rise in US, CDC issues new guidance CDC Sex Guidelines related to Monkeypox Yes, you heard it right! Monkeypox can spread through sexual intercourse or direct physical contact. Though CDC suggests to avoid direct physical contact, it has given some sex guidelines to prevent the spread of Monkeypox. Here are some of them: 1. Have virtual sex with no in-person contact. 2. Masturbate together at a distance of at least 6 feet, without touching each other and without touching any rash or sores. 3. Consider having intercourse with your clothes on or covering areas where rash or sores are present, reducing as much skin-to-skin contact as possible. 4.Avoid kissing. 5. Remember to wash your hands, bed sheets and other things used. 6. Limit your number of partners to avoid opportunities for Monkeypox to spread. See the infographic below, Why should India get battle-ready for Monkeypox? Many new countries like South Korea and Singapore have started to report cases of Monkeypox. According to latest reports, the virus is now spreading from person to person even in non-endemic countries. India should also get ready and take the necessary precautions as the Monkeypox virus can also enter India any day. The government should apply necessary travel restrictions. Vaccines should be given to the one's who have not got it yet and senior citizens and small children should try to stay indoors. India has to prepare itself to not face situations like it did in the COVID-19 outbreak. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Monkeypox: WHO declares global health emergency; why India should get battle ready?

Every few days, politicians in the opposition camp keep on repeating a single line, akin to that of a broken record&nbsp;– Democracy is in danger and it is an emergency-like situation. An authoritarian government is running the show in New Delhi. It is an understandable fact that any political party that is in opposition similarly attacks the Government. However, I am not sure about the sincerity of such statements from experienced politicians, well aware of the Constitution. I&nbsp;am sure that a significant portion of citizens/booth-level political workers throw these statements without even knowing the nitty-gritty of the subject.&nbsp;

I am not a constitutional expert but as far as I have understood the Constitution of India, there are several fault lines which can be exploited to turn down the Democratic system and basic assured rights of citizens overnight (as happened in 1975) and convert it into an authoritarian regime.

In 1975, a suspension of fundamental rights (Article 19) was interpreted because Article 359, was read with Article 358 –which merely states that nothing in Article 19 will restrict the power of the State to make any law. The purpose of Articles 352, 358 and 359 is to protect the security of India, especially from war or external aggression.

The question remains whether the frightening scenario can ever be repeated in India, as was done by late Mrs Indira Gandhi in June 1975. The Constitution is very strong and one of the immutable parts of the Constitution, the Preamble, defines India as a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'. But is the Preamble immutable? Prior to the forty-second Amendment of the Constitution in 1976, the wording was 'Sovereign, Democratic and Republic'.&nbsp;

During the Emergency, the words 'Socialist' and 'Secular' were added. If the Preamble is a part of the basic feature of the Constitution, how could it be amended? The fact that it was, and that it has not been challenged, raises doubts about whether other features of the Constitution can similarly be amended. 
&nbsp; 
Let us examine other hypothetical crises to find fault lines of the system, which can be exploited:

Let us assume a situation in the Indian Parliament where all 543 elected MPs are independent. Our individualism and regionalism have gone so far that we are solely concerned about our sub-nationalism.&nbsp;

Let us assume there is no coalition and all 272 individual MPs&nbsp;subscribe to individual identity politics. What would be the condition of the Republic of India? How would it function as a union?

As there is no majority government, the President can dissolve the House (parliament). As per the constitution, as there is no working Prime Minister, the President of India does not require any advice from the Prime Minister for dissolving the house. Under these circumstances, because Parliament has to meet within six months of its last session under Article 85 of the Constitution, the dissolution of the House has to be followed by an election within the next six months.

During this interval, the President is bound to call upon a person to be Prime Minister, albeit a caretaker Prime Minister, because the Constitution does not permit the imposition of the President’s rule at the level of the Union.&nbsp;

Suppose the President invites a person who is not a politician - say, the Chief of Army Staff or anyone else whom the President trusts and who would give the President the advice that he desires. Because Parliament would not be in session, Article 123 would give the President the power to promulgate ordinances which would have the power of an Act.&nbsp;

Article 368 provides the powers of Parliament on this behalf to the President for the amendment of the Constitution. The question is whether, by ordinance, the President can exercise the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution.&nbsp;

Articles 123 and 368 nowhere categorically state that the Constitution cannot be amended by an ordinance and the legislative powers of the President do not extend to legislating for amendment of the Constitution. 
&nbsp; 
This is a lacuna which needs to be studied and if the constitutional experts feel that there is a loophole here, it needs to be plugged. I believe that such situations may arise in India in future. It will arise when we may get&nbsp;individualized by our pity identity politics in our multiparty democracy model that not even a coalition government can be formed. T

o avoid any such threat to democracy and to secure the constitutional ethos intact, it appears a prudent decision&nbsp;to shift to the ‘Two Party’ democracy model for the Union of India. However, it may sound absurd at this point, considering this too, requires several constitutional amendments. But, for the greater good of our future generations, for the security of national integrity and for the protection of democratic ethos – a two-party democracy model should be opted. &nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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Every few days, politicians in the opposition camp keep on repeating a single line, akin to that of a broken record – Democracy is in danger and it is an emergency-like situation.

Every few days, politicians in the opposition camp keep on repeating a single line, akin to that of a broken record – Democracy is in danger and it is an emergency-like situation. An authoritarian government is running the show in New Delhi. It is an understandable fact that any political party that is in opposition similarly attacks the Government. However, I am not sure about the sincerity of such statements from experienced politicians, well aware of the Constitution. I am sure that a significant portion of citizens/booth-level political workers throw these statements without even knowing the nitty-gritty of the subject. I am not a constitutional expert but as far as I have understood the Constitution of India, there are several fault lines which can be exploited to turn down the Democratic system and basic assured rights of citizens overnight (as happened in 1975) and convert it into an authoritarian regime. In 1975, a suspension of fundamental rights (Article 19) was interpreted because Article 359, was read with Article 358 –which merely states that nothing in Article 19 will restrict the power of the State to make any law. The purpose of Articles 352, 358 and 359 is to protect the security of India, especially from war or external aggression. The question remains whether the frightening scenario can ever be repeated in India, as was done by late Mrs Indira Gandhi in June 1975. The Constitution is very strong and one of the immutable parts of the Constitution, the Preamble, defines India as a 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic'. But is the Preamble immutable? Prior to the forty-second Amendment of the Constitution in 1976, the wording was 'Sovereign, Democratic and Republic'. During the Emergency, the words 'Socialist' and 'Secular' were added. If the Preamble is a part of the basic feature of the Constitution, how could it be amended? The fact that it was, and that it has not been challenged, raises doubts about whether other features of the Constitution can similarly be amended. Let us examine other hypothetical crises to find fault lines of the system, which can be exploited: Let us assume a situation in the Indian Parliament where all 543 elected MPs are independent. Our individualism and regionalism have gone so far that we are solely concerned about our sub-nationalism. Let us assume there is no coalition and all 272 individual MPs subscribe to individual identity politics. What would be the condition of the Republic of India? How would it function as a union? As there is no majority government, the President can dissolve the House (parliament). As per the constitution, as there is no working Prime Minister, the President of India does not require any advice from the Prime Minister for dissolving the house. Under these circumstances, because Parliament has to meet within six months of its last session under Article 85 of the Constitution, the dissolution of the House has to be followed by an election within the next six months. During this interval, the President is bound to call upon a person to be Prime Minister, albeit a caretaker Prime Minister, because the Constitution does not permit the imposition of the President’s rule at the level of the Union. Suppose the President invites a person who is not a politician - say, the Chief of Army Staff or anyone else whom the President trusts and who would give the President the advice that he desires. Because Parliament would not be in session, Article 123 would give the President the power to promulgate ordinances which would have the power of an Act. Article 368 provides the powers of Parliament on this behalf to the President for the amendment of the Constitution. The question is whether, by ordinance, the President can exercise the power of Parliament to amend the Constitution. Articles 123 and 368 nowhere categorically state that the Constitution cannot be amended by an ordinance and the legislative powers of the President do not extend to legislating for amendment of the Constitution. This is a lacuna which needs to be studied and if the constitutional experts feel that there is a loophole here, it needs to be plugged. I believe that such situations may arise in India in future. It will arise when we may get individualized by our pity identity politics in our multiparty democracy model that not even a coalition government can be formed. T o avoid any such threat to democracy and to secure the constitutional ethos intact, it appears a prudent decision to shift to the ‘Two Party’ democracy model for the Union of India. However, it may sound absurd at this point, considering this too, requires several constitutional amendments. But, for the greater good of our future generations, for the security of national integrity and for the protection of democratic ethos – a two-party democracy model should be opted. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Faultlines of Indian constitution: An advocacy for two-party democracy

On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market.

On the same day, the US&nbsp;tech group posted the findings of its own research into Facebook's business in India on an internal employee forum. The study, conducted over the two years to the end of 2021, identified different problems.

Many women have shunned the male-dominated social network because they're worried about their safety and privacy, according to the Meta research, which hasn't been previously reported.

"Concerns about content safety and unwanted contact impede women's FB use," said the study, reviewed by Reuters, as it detailed the platform's main challenges.

"Meta cannot succeed in India while leaving women behind."

Other obstacles included nudity content, the perceived complexity of its app design, local language and literacy barriers and a lack of appeal among internet users seeking video content, according to the research, which was based on surveys of tens of thousands of people as well as internal user data.

Facebook's growth began plateauing last year, when it added a few million users in the space of six months in the country of about 1.4 billion people, significantly lagging sister apps WhatsApp and Instagram, according to the report, which noted: "FB has grown more slowly than the internet and other apps."

A Meta spokesperson, contacted about the study, said the company regularly invested in internal research to better understand the value its products provide and help identify ways to improve.

"But it's misleading to characterize 7-month-old research as an accurate or comprehensive representation of the state of our business in India," they added.

Nonetheless, the main Indian issues detailed in the research were not cited by Meta's chief financial officer, Dave Wehner, on a Feb. 2 call&nbsp;with analysts to discuss results for the final quarter of 2021.

Wehner said Facebook's user growth in Asia-Pacific and some other areas was hit by competition, plus comparison with prior quarters when COVID resurgences aided user engagement. He identified higher mobile data costs as a "unique" headwind for India.

Asked why the obstacles to growth identified by Wehner were different from those identified in the research, the spokesperson pointed to a Meta filing in April, during its first-quarter earnings, where it said Facebook users in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam represented the top three sources of growth in daily active users in March versus a year before.

Facebook's fortunes in India have broad implications for Meta, which has lost about half of its value this year amid a broader tech sell-off and faces scrutiny from investors and analysts who fear its growth in potentially high-growth developing markets is starting to wane.

"India contains more FB users than any other country," said the research, which pegged the number at almost 450 million as of November, after rapid growth over much of the past decade.

"Teams across the company should explicitly consider their strategic position and growth opportunities in India. Outcomes in India could drive global results."

FAMILY DOESN'T ALLOW FB

The internal study, a "high-level overview of the growth trends" in India, was detailed in a presentation meant to help Facebook's researchers and product teams. It said that a key problem Facebook had tried to fix for years in India, with limited success, was related to "gender imbalance".

Men accounted for 75% of Facebook's monthly active users in India last year. That compared with 62% of internet users more broadly in early 2020, the researchers found.

"While there is a gender imbalance in internet use across India, the imbalance among Facebook users is even more pronounced," said the study, adding that online safety concerns and societal pressures were among reasons deterring women from the platform.

The researchers found that 79% of female Facebook users had "expressed concern about content/photo misuse", while 20-30% of overall users were estimated to have seen nudity on the platform within the last seven days in the largely conservative country.

India ranked highest globally on the latter metric; around 10% of users surveyed in the United States and Brazil said they had seen nudity in the past week, for example, and under 20% in Indonesia, according to a survey conducted in August 2021.

"Negative content is more prevalent in India than other countries," said the internal report.

Family disapproval – "Family doesn't allow FB" - was a major reason cited by women for not using Facebook, the study found.

The Meta spokesperson said the online gender imbalance was an industry-wide problem and not specific to its platforms.

They said that since 2016, Meta had quadrupled the size of the global team working on safety and security to over 40,000, and that between January and April this year, more than 97% of adult nudity and sexual activity content was removed before someone reported it.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

Depicting struggles of women users, one research slide showed a picture of an Indian woman walking on a street wearing a saree with which she covered her head and face, a tradition common in many parts of India.

Next to this image was the account of a woman who said she had received 367 friend requests from strangers, with a string of comments on photos like "very beautiful", "where do you live", "you look good".

The comments stopped after she used the "locked profile" feature, according to the woman cited, referring to an option Facebook introduced in 2020 in India allowing users to restrict viewing of pictures and posts to non-friends.

By June 2021, the feature had been adopted by 34% of women users in India, said the internal report, but more work was needed, with "bold product changes", to address the problem of low uptake of Facebook among women.

Facebook has faced criticism globally from online safety campaigners for not doing enough to safeguard women from bullying or harassment. In 2019, the platform said it had a team of people focusing "just on making sure we are keeping women safe", using technology tools to remove content deemed unsafe.

The Meta spokesperson said it had launched a Women's Safety Hub and other privacy features such as a profanity filter to help female users in India stay safe online. Since 2021, more than 45% of Facebook Groups in India related to entrepreneurship have been created by women, Meta added.

WHATSAPP GRABS CROWN

Facebook's growth in India began to level off last year, according to the internal research. The platform's main appeal has been to connect with friends and family, but non-Facebook users were primarily now using the internet to see pictures and videos, the research noted.

Its annualised growth rate based on May-October 2021 showed it was adding just 6.6 million users per year, versus WhatsApp's 71 million and Instagram's 128 million, according to one internal slide that illustrated the slowdown graphically.

By November, Facebook's user base in India was 447 million strong, lagging its Meta sister apps. WhatsApp - which Facebook acquired in 2014 - had 563 million Indian users. Instagram, bought in 2012, had 309 million.

The slowdown stands in contrast to Facebook's strong expansion in past years. In 2014, the platform had fewer than 100 million users in India, a number that doubled by 2017, the research said.

The Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the user numbers, saying it didn't disclose country-specific data. They said the company was "definitely increasing the prominence of video" on Facebook.

Lower-educated users are another group that is underrepresented on Facebook, according to the research. The platform faced challenges in meeting demand for content in India's many local languages, while many people cited the app's complexity and lack of tutorials as deterrents.

Between 2017 and 2020, India's monthly online users as a share of the population doubled, boosted by cheaper data plans, but the share of internet users who reported they used Facebook declined during that period, the study found.

"India is now the country with more Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts than any other country in the world," said an internal post accompanying the report. "But continued growth in India faces many challenges."

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market.

On Feb. 2, when Meta Platforms reported Facebook's first-ever quarterly drop in daily users, its finance chief identified higher mobile data costs as a unique obstacle slowing growth in India, its biggest market. On the same day, the US tech group posted the findings of its own research into Facebook's business in India on an internal employee forum. The study, conducted over the two years to the end of 2021, identified different problems. Many women have shunned the male-dominated social network because they're worried about their safety and privacy, according to the Meta research, which hasn't been previously reported. "Concerns about content safety and unwanted contact impede women's FB use," said the study, reviewed by Reuters, as it detailed the platform's main challenges. "Meta cannot succeed in India while leaving women behind." Other obstacles included nudity content, the perceived complexity of its app design, local language and literacy barriers and a lack of appeal among internet users seeking video content, according to the research, which was based on surveys of tens of thousands of people as well as internal user data. Facebook's growth began plateauing last year, when it added a few million users in the space of six months in the country of about 1.4 billion people, significantly lagging sister apps WhatsApp and Instagram, according to the report, which noted: "FB has grown more slowly than the internet and other apps." A Meta spokesperson, contacted about the study, said the company regularly invested in internal research to better understand the value its products provide and help identify ways to improve. "But it's misleading to characterize 7-month-old research as an accurate or comprehensive representation of the state of our business in India," they added. Nonetheless, the main Indian issues detailed in the research were not cited by Meta's chief financial officer, Dave Wehner, on a Feb. 2 call with analysts to discuss results for the final quarter of 2021. Wehner said Facebook's user growth in Asia-Pacific and some other areas was hit by competition, plus comparison with prior quarters when COVID resurgences aided user engagement. He identified higher mobile data costs as a "unique" headwind for India. Asked why the obstacles to growth identified by Wehner were different from those identified in the research, the spokesperson pointed to a Meta filing in April, during its first-quarter earnings, where it said Facebook users in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam represented the top three sources of growth in daily active users in March versus a year before. Facebook's fortunes in India have broad implications for Meta, which has lost about half of its value this year amid a broader tech sell-off and faces scrutiny from investors and analysts who fear its growth in potentially high-growth developing markets is starting to wane. "India contains more FB users than any other country," said the research, which pegged the number at almost 450 million as of November, after rapid growth over much of the past decade. "Teams across the company should explicitly consider their strategic position and growth opportunities in India. Outcomes in India could drive global results." FAMILY DOESN'T ALLOW FB The internal study, a "high-level overview of the growth trends" in India, was detailed in a presentation meant to help Facebook's researchers and product teams. It said that a key problem Facebook had tried to fix for years in India, with limited success, was related to "gender imbalance". Men accounted for 75% of Facebook's monthly active users in India last year. That compared with 62% of internet users more broadly in early 2020, the researchers found. "While there is a gender imbalance in internet use across India, the imbalance among Facebook users is even more pronounced," said the study, adding that online safety concerns and societal pressures were among reasons deterring women from the platform. The researchers found that 79% of female Facebook users had "expressed concern about content/photo misuse", while 20-30% of overall users were estimated to have seen nudity on the platform within the last seven days in the largely conservative country. India ranked highest globally on the latter metric; around 10% of users surveyed in the United States and Brazil said they had seen nudity in the past week, for example, and under 20% in Indonesia, according to a survey conducted in August 2021. "Negative content is more prevalent in India than other countries," said the internal report. Family disapproval – "Family doesn't allow FB" - was a major reason cited by women for not using Facebook, the study found. The Meta spokesperson said the online gender imbalance was an industry-wide problem and not specific to its platforms. They said that since 2016, Meta had quadrupled the size of the global team working on safety and security to over 40,000, and that between January and April this year, more than 97% of adult nudity and sexual activity content was removed before someone reported it. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? Depicting struggles of women users, one research slide showed a picture of an Indian woman walking on a street wearing a saree with which she covered her head and face, a tradition common in many parts of India. Next to this image was the account of a woman who said she had received 367 friend requests from strangers, with a string of comments on photos like "very beautiful", "where do you live", "you look good". The comments stopped after she used the "locked profile" feature, according to the woman cited, referring to an option Facebook introduced in 2020 in India allowing users to restrict viewing of pictures and posts to non-friends. By June 2021, the feature had been adopted by 34% of women users in India, said the internal report, but more work was needed, with "bold product changes", to address the problem of low uptake of Facebook among women. Facebook has faced criticism globally from online safety campaigners for not doing enough to safeguard women from bullying or harassment. In 2019, the platform said it had a team of people focusing "just on making sure we are keeping women safe", using technology tools to remove content deemed unsafe. The Meta spokesperson said it had launched a Women's Safety Hub and other privacy features such as a profanity filter to help female users in India stay safe online. Since 2021, more than 45% of Facebook Groups in India related to entrepreneurship have been created by women, Meta added. WHATSAPP GRABS CROWN Facebook's growth in India began to level off last year, according to the internal research. The platform's main appeal has been to connect with friends and family, but non-Facebook users were primarily now using the internet to see pictures and videos, the research noted. Its annualised growth rate based on May-October 2021 showed it was adding just 6.6 million users per year, versus WhatsApp's 71 million and Instagram's 128 million, according to one internal slide that illustrated the slowdown graphically. By November, Facebook's user base in India was 447 million strong, lagging its Meta sister apps. WhatsApp - which Facebook acquired in 2014 - had 563 million Indian users. Instagram, bought in 2012, had 309 million. The slowdown stands in contrast to Facebook's strong expansion in past years. In 2014, the platform had fewer than 100 million users in India, a number that doubled by 2017, the research said. The Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the user numbers, saying it didn't disclose country-specific data. They said the company was "definitely increasing the prominence of video" on Facebook. Lower-educated users are another group that is underrepresented on Facebook, according to the research. The platform faced challenges in meeting demand for content in India's many local languages, while many people cited the app's complexity and lack of tutorials as deterrents. Between 2017 and 2020, India's monthly online users as a share of the population doubled, boosted by cheaper data plans, but the share of internet users who reported they used Facebook declined during that period, the study found. "India is now the country with more Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts than any other country in the world," said an internal post accompanying the report. "But continued growth in India faces many challenges." You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Facebook's growth woes in India: too much nudity, not enough women

A police official in western Indian state of Gujarat was mowed down by a truck he was trying stop on Wednesday (July 20) morning. The police official was on vehicle-checking duty. The horrific incident took place on a highway near Borsad town in Gujarat's Anand district. This incident marked third such case in India in last two days.

A speeding container truck hit constable Karansinh Raj (40) at 1 am. A grievously injured Raj was taken to the hospital but he died within hours.

"The constable was grievously injured. He was taken to a hospital where he died around 11.30 am," said deputy Superintendent of Police DH Desai.&nbsp;

The driver of the truck left the vehicle at the spot and ran away. The official said that efforts were on to nab him. The truck was not found to be carrying any suspicious cargo.

Constable Raj was attached to the Borsad town police station and carrying out vehicle checking at the time of the incident. When he tried to wave down the container truck, it did not stop.&nbsp;

"The constable and a Gram Rakshak Dal jawan accompanying him chased the truck for a few kilometres in a private vehicle and overtook it," Desai said.&nbsp;

"Raj got down and signalled the truck driver to stop. Instead of stopping, the truck ran over him," Desai said. The truck driver has been identified.

The incident took place a day after a deputy superintendent of police investigating illegal stone-mining was killed when a truck he was trying to stop ran over him in Haryana's Nuh district. On Wednesday, a woman police official engaged in vehicle-checking drive near the Jharkhand capital Ranchi was mowed down by a pickup van allegedly involved in cattle smuggling.

(With inputs from agencies)

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A police official in western Indian state of Gujarat was mowed down by a truck he was trying stop on Wednesday (July 20) morning. The police official was on vehicle-checking duty.

A police official in western Indian state of Gujarat was mowed down by a truck he was trying stop on Wednesday (July 20) morning. The police official was on vehicle-checking duty. The horrific incident took place on a highway near Borsad town in Gujarat's Anand district. This incident marked third such case in India in last two days. A speeding container truck hit constable Karansinh Raj (40) at 1 am. A grievously injured Raj was taken to the hospital but he died within hours. "The constable was grievously injured. He was taken to a hospital where he died around 11.30 am," said deputy Superintendent of Police DH Desai. The driver of the truck left the vehicle at the spot and ran away. The official said that efforts were on to nab him. The truck was not found to be carrying any suspicious cargo. Constable Raj was attached to the Borsad town police station and carrying out vehicle checking at the time of the incident. When he tried to wave down the container truck, it did not stop. "The constable and a Gram Rakshak Dal jawan accompanying him chased the truck for a few kilometres in a private vehicle and overtook it," Desai said. "Raj got down and signalled the truck driver to stop. Instead of stopping, the truck ran over him," Desai said. The truck driver has been identified. The incident took place a day after a deputy superintendent of police investigating illegal stone-mining was killed when a truck he was trying to stop ran over him in Haryana's Nuh district. On Wednesday, a woman police official engaged in vehicle-checking drive near the Jharkhand capital Ranchi was mowed down by a pickup van allegedly involved in cattle smuggling. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

India: On-duty cop mowed down by truck he tried to stop

Even as India waits for the results of the 16th Presidential elections with bated breath, the race for the selection of the next Vice-President of the country has also begun. M. Venkaiah Naidu's term as vice-president ends on August 10, and the election to choose his replacement will take place on August 6. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has chosen Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice presidential candidate. The joint opposition has pitted Margaret Alva as their candidate against Dhankar.

Let's take a look at NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar and his career before being chosen as the vice-president candidate.

Early career:

Dhankar is a renowned law practitioner. In 1979, he registered as an attorney with the Rajasthan High Court. Later he practised law in the Supreme Court of India.&nbsp;

The Sutlej River water dispute, for which Dhankar argued in 2016 on behalf of the state of Haryana, is one significant case in which he was involved.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-president-elections-2022-electoral-fate-of-murmu-sinha-to-be-stored-in-ballot-boxes-not-evms-498340">India President elections 2022: Electoral fate of Murmu, Sinha to be stored in ballot boxes, not EVMs</a>

Political career:

Dhankar during his political career has been a member of India's three political parties: Janata Dal, Congress and BJP.

In the years 1989 to 1991, he served as an MP from Jhunjhunu constituency of Rajasthan, and represented Janata Dal in the Lok Sabha.

In the 10th Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, from 1993 to 1998, he served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing Kishangarh.

In 1990, during the short-lived Chandra Shekhar government, he was appointed Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/wion-insights/indian-presidential-election-2022-heres-how-india-elects-its-president-486646">Indian Presidential Election 2022: Here's how India elects its President</a>

He joined BJP in 2008 and in July 2019, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office for the second time, he was named Governor of West Bengal.&nbsp;

On Sunday, he submitted his letter of resignation as governor of West Bengal.

Filing his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: "Not even in my dreams did I think that a common man like me would be given such an opportunity. A farmer`s son has filed his nomination today...Grateful to PM Modi and the leadership for this opportunity," said Dhankhar after filing his nomination.

"I will always strive to enhance the democratic values of the country. Never thought even in my dreams that a person with a humble background like me will get this opportunity."

(With inputs from agencies)

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Even as India waits for the results of the 16th Presidential elections with bated breath, the race for the selection of the next Vice-President of the country has also begun.

Even as India waits for the results of the 16th Presidential elections with bated breath, the race for the selection of the next Vice-President of the country has also begun. M. Venkaiah Naidu's term as vice-president ends on August 10, and the election to choose his replacement will take place on August 6. The ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has chosen Jagdeep Dhankhar as its vice presidential candidate. The joint opposition has pitted Margaret Alva as their candidate against Dhankar. Let's take a look at NDA candidate Jagdeep Dhankar and his career before being chosen as the vice-president candidate. Early career: Dhankar is a renowned law practitioner. In 1979, he registered as an attorney with the Rajasthan High Court. Later he practised law in the Supreme Court of India. The Sutlej River water dispute, for which Dhankar argued in 2016 on behalf of the state of Haryana, is one significant case in which he was involved. Also read | India President elections 2022: Electoral fate of Murmu, Sinha to be stored in ballot boxes, not EVMs Political career: Dhankar during his political career has been a member of India's three political parties: Janata Dal, Congress and BJP. In the years 1989 to 1991, he served as an MP from Jhunjhunu constituency of Rajasthan, and represented Janata Dal in the Lok Sabha. In the 10th Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan, from 1993 to 1998, he served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing Kishangarh. In 1990, during the short-lived Chandra Shekhar government, he was appointed Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs. Also read | Indian Presidential Election 2022: Here's how India elects its President He joined BJP in 2008 and in July 2019, shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took office for the second time, he was named Governor of West Bengal. On Sunday, he submitted his letter of resignation as governor of West Bengal. Filing his nomination in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: "Not even in my dreams did I think that a common man like me would be given such an opportunity. A farmer`s son has filed his nomination today...Grateful to PM Modi and the leadership for this opportunity," said Dhankhar after filing his nomination. "I will always strive to enhance the democratic values of the country. Never thought even in my dreams that a person with a humble background like me will get this opportunity." (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India Vice-President elections 2022 | A look at NDA's candidate Jagdeep Dhankar

Namibia's Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah&nbsp;said that India has met the requirements for Cheetah relocation, something that is tightly controlled by her government. Speaking to WION's&nbsp;diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, an emotional FM Ndaitwah sad, "Indian scientists met all the requirements, that is when the decision is finally taken that we will be able to export those cheetahs", adding, "we are really hopeful that the Indian people take care of those animals, they are very dear to us, you know Namibia is the Cheetah capital".

India and Namibia on Wednesday signed the pact for Cheetah relocation. India is expected to get a dozen of Cheetah from Namibia under the pact, the first pact anywhere in the world for the transcontinental transfer of such large numbers of carnivorous animals. The Cheetah will be brought to India before 15th August on a special flight and will be relocated to MP's Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary.

WION: What do you have to say about the Cheetah relocation pact...

Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: First for me it's a very important instrument we have signed, you know biodiversity is one sector which is very important in Namibia our constitution is very clear, which is about sustainable utilisation, about biodiversity, for use for the current and the future generation and we take our wildlife very seriously and when the government of India approached us that they would want to restock their&nbsp;cheetahs, we went through a very long process for scientists exchanging information because according to our laws, we do not allow our wildlife to go to any country if the environment is not the same and they are not able to give the treatment that is required. Now the Indian scientists met all the requirements, that is when the decision is finally taken that we will be able to export those cheetahs and we are really hopeful that the Indian people take care of those animals, they are very dear to us, you know Namibia is the Cheetah capital.

 
WION: How many cheetahs are being sent to India?

Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: They are coming, you may find them at 5 and then 5, otherwise that is how transportation will be done.

WION: You met the Indian environment and foreign minister. What was the conversation like?

Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: The talks with the minister of foreign affairs basically are how the governments will be able to facilitate the activities particularly when it comes to saving the people. You know, as governments, we are elected by the people and people are looking for service from us. But the private sector has the capacity to participate in the economy, but then we have to facilitate, and we want the private sector to understand that we have the responsibility to serve the people and they do that particularly when it comes to job creation.

We are grateful that we use our own instruments and own national laws, but we are also part of the international community. For example, Namibia and India, we are members of the UN and currently, we are working on sustainable development goals...goals that will address the real problem of people in areas of health, education, &nbsp;poverty, and zero hunger.

That is another issue we discussed, we have to meet the target of zero hunger, so we produce enough food. What we are experiencing now because of the conflict in Ukraine and Russia is something that we cannot allow to continue and that is why we discussed how Namibia and India can cooperate in the area of food production so that the two&nbsp;countries can be self-sufficient in food.

It is very critical, and it came out very clearly in our discussion. Namibia is known to be dry, but I must tell you that we have developed a dam in the south of the country, fortunately, it's full and we are asking investors to come and make use of that water so that you are able to produce food for our people and also for exports.

WION: Do you see India supporting Africa, in terms of the playout of the Russian Ukraine water on food prices?

Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: No, it's not the support&nbsp;on Ukraine Russia conflict but rather how India and Africa...India, and Namibia can strengthen our food production capacity in order to take care of our own people and that is required, what is on the table and for discussion.

You can also have some products which may be food products that India might need and you can have space in Namibia and produce them in Namibia and export them to India, these are the things we are looking at.

WION: Any high-level visit expected?

Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: We were supposed to have our joint commission meet, unfortunately, it could not take place last year because of covid but I am expecting as time goes on, we to now agree on the date, it now expected to take place in Namibia, that is the high-level delegation we are expecting, once we agree on the dates.

Namibia's Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah said that India has met the requirements for Cheetah relocation, something that is tightly controlled by her government.

Namibia's Deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah said that India has met the requirements for Cheetah relocation, something that is tightly controlled by her government. Speaking to WION's diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, an emotional FM Ndaitwah sad, "Indian scientists met all the requirements, that is when the decision is finally taken that we will be able to export those cheetahs", adding, "we are really hopeful that the Indian people take care of those animals, they are very dear to us, you know Namibia is the Cheetah capital". India and Namibia on Wednesday signed the pact for Cheetah relocation. India is expected to get a dozen of Cheetah from Namibia under the pact, the first pact anywhere in the world for the transcontinental transfer of such large numbers of carnivorous animals. The Cheetah will be brought to India before 15th August on a special flight and will be relocated to MP's Kuno Wildlife Sanctuary. WION: What do you have to say about the Cheetah relocation pact... Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: First for me it's a very important instrument we have signed, you know biodiversity is one sector which is very important in Namibia our constitution is very clear, which is about sustainable utilisation, about biodiversity, for use for the current and the future generation and we take our wildlife very seriously and when the government of India approached us that they would want to restock their cheetahs, we went through a very long process for scientists exchanging information because according to our laws, we do not allow our wildlife to go to any country if the environment is not the same and they are not able to give the treatment that is required. Now the Indian scientists met all the requirements, that is when the decision is finally taken that we will be able to export those cheetahs and we are really hopeful that the Indian people take care of those animals, they are very dear to us, you know Namibia is the Cheetah capital. WION: How many cheetahs are being sent to India? Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: They are coming, you may find them at 5 and then 5, otherwise that is how transportation will be done. WION: You met the Indian environment and foreign minister. What was the conversation like? Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: The talks with the minister of foreign affairs basically are how the governments will be able to facilitate the activities particularly when it comes to saving the people. You know, as governments, we are elected by the people and people are looking for service from us. But the private sector has the capacity to participate in the economy, but then we have to facilitate, and we want the private sector to understand that we have the responsibility to serve the people and they do that particularly when it comes to job creation. We are grateful that we use our own instruments and own national laws, but we are also part of the international community. For example, Namibia and India, we are members of the UN and currently, we are working on sustainable development goals...goals that will address the real problem of people in areas of health, education, poverty, and zero hunger. That is another issue we discussed, we have to meet the target of zero hunger, so we produce enough food. What we are experiencing now because of the conflict in Ukraine and Russia is something that we cannot allow to continue and that is why we discussed how Namibia and India can cooperate in the area of food production so that the two countries can be self-sufficient in food. It is very critical, and it came out very clearly in our discussion. Namibia is known to be dry, but I must tell you that we have developed a dam in the south of the country, fortunately, it's full and we are asking investors to come and make use of that water so that you are able to produce food for our people and also for exports. WION: Do you see India supporting Africa, in terms of the playout of the Russian Ukraine water on food prices? Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: No, it's not the support on Ukraine Russia conflict but rather how India and Africa...India, and Namibia can strengthen our food production capacity in order to take care of our own people and that is required, what is on the table and for discussion. You can also have some products which may be food products that India might need and you can have space in Namibia and produce them in Namibia and export them to India, these are the things we are looking at. WION: Any high-level visit expected? Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah: We were supposed to have our joint commission meet, unfortunately, it could not take place last year because of covid but I am expecting as time goes on, we to now agree on the date, it now expected to take place in Namibia, that is the high-level delegation we are expecting, once we agree on the dates.

India met the requirements of Cheetah relocation: Namibia's Deputy PM Ndaitwah

India and China on Monday said the 16th round of Corps Commander-Level Meeting held on Sunday was held in a constructive, forward-looking manner and reaffirmed that resolution of remaining issues in eastern Ladakh would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations.

The statement comes amid indications about both sides expecting a positive outcome in the near future.

India-China joint statement issued on Monday said the two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest.

In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector.The 16th round India- China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side. They had a frank exchange of views.

"The two sides continued discussions for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector in a constructive and forward-looking manner building on the progress made at the last meeting on March 11 this year," the statement said.

"They had a frank and in-depth exchange of views in this regard, in keeping with the guidance provided by the State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. The two sides reaffirmed that the resolution of remaining issues would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations," it stated.

The Indian side in the talks was led by Fire and Fury Corps Commander Lt Gen A Sengupta, India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala.The situation worsened after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020.

The talks have led to disengagement from some areas including the North and South Banks of Pangong Tso and Galwan but some friction points remain.

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India and China on Monday said the 16th round of Corps Commander-Level Meeting held on Sunday was held in a constructive, forward-looking manner and reaffirmed that resolution of remaining issues in eastern Ladakh would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations.

India and China on Monday said the 16th round of Corps Commander-Level Meeting held on Sunday was held in a constructive, forward-looking manner and reaffirmed that resolution of remaining issues in eastern Ladakh would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations. The statement comes amid indications about both sides expecting a positive outcome in the near future. India-China joint statement issued on Monday said the two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. In the interim, the two sides agreed to maintain the security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector.The 16th round India- China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side. They had a frank exchange of views. "The two sides continued discussions for the resolution of the relevant issues along the LAC in the Western Sector in a constructive and forward-looking manner building on the progress made at the last meeting on March 11 this year," the statement said. "They had a frank and in-depth exchange of views in this regard, in keeping with the guidance provided by the State Leaders to work for the resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. The two sides reaffirmed that the resolution of remaining issues would help in the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector and enable progress in bilateral relations," it stated. The Indian side in the talks was led by Fire and Fury Corps Commander Lt Gen A Sengupta, India and China have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala.The situation worsened after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020. The talks have led to disengagement from some areas including the North and South Banks of Pangong Tso and Galwan but some friction points remain. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

India, China say 16th round military talks held in constructive, forward-looking manner

In a major shot in the arm of India over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system, the US House of Committee has passed a legislative amendment through voice vote that exempts New Delhi from the punitive CAATSA sanctions.

Californian Congressman and Indian-origin Ro Khanna introduced the legislative amendment, which urges the Biden administration to use its authority to provide India with a Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) waiver to help deter aggressors like China.

According to PTI news agency, the amendment was passed on Thursday as part of an ‘en bloc’ (all together as a single unit) amendment during floor consideration of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA).

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"The United States must stand with India in the face of escalating aggression from China. As Vice Chair of the India Caucus, I have been working to strengthen the partnership between our countries and ensure that India can defend itself along the Indian Chinese border," said Khanna said.

"This amendment is of the utmost importance, and I am proud to see it pass the House on a bipartisan basis," he said.

The CAATSA was introduced in 2017 to punish those countries with sanctions who engage in transactions with the Russian defence and intelligence sectors.

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There is no relationship of greater significance to US strategic interests than the US-India partnership. 
 
My bipartisan NDAA amendment marks the most significant piece of legislation for US-India relations out of Congress since the US-India nuclear deal. <a href="https://t.co/uXCt7n66Z7">pic.twitter.com/uXCt7n66Z7</a>
— Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRoKhanna/status/1547644871942422529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Under US law, the&nbsp;administration can impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections.

In October 2018, India signed the $5.43 billion deal with Russia for five squadrons of S-400 air missile systems. There had been strong bipartisan support for India to be exempted from the sanctions and it was often hinted by US President Joe Biden as well.

The US has already sanctioned Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia.

While speaking on the House floor, Khanna asserted that there is no relationship of greater significance to US strategic interests than the US-India partnership.

"My bipartisan NDAA amendment marks the most significant piece of legislation for US-India relations out of Congress since the US-India nuclear deal," Khanna said.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In a major shot in the arm of India over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system, the US House of Committee has passed a legislative amendment through voice vote that exempts New Delhi from the punitive CAATSA sanctions.

In a major shot in the arm of India over its purchase of Russia’s S-400 missile system, the US House of Committee has passed a legislative amendment through voice vote that exempts New Delhi from the punitive CAATSA sanctions. Californian Congressman and Indian-origin Ro Khanna introduced the legislative amendment, which urges the Biden administration to use its authority to provide India with a Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) waiver to help deter aggressors like China. According to PTI news agency, the amendment was passed on Thursday as part of an ‘en bloc’ (all together as a single unit) amendment during floor consideration of the National Defence Authorisation Act (NDAA). × "The United States must stand with India in the face of escalating aggression from China. As Vice Chair of the India Caucus, I have been working to strengthen the partnership between our countries and ensure that India can defend itself along the Indian Chinese border," said Khanna said. "This amendment is of the utmost importance, and I am proud to see it pass the House on a bipartisan basis," he said. The CAATSA was introduced in 2017 to punish those countries with sanctions who engage in transactions with the Russian defence and intelligence sectors. There is no relationship of greater significance to US strategic interests than the US-India partnership. My bipartisan NDAA amendment marks the most significant piece of legislation for US-India relations out of Congress since the US-India nuclear deal. pic.twitter.com/uXCt7n66Z7 — Rep. Ro Khanna (@RepRoKhanna) July 14, 2022 × Under US law, the administration can impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential elections. In October 2018, India signed the $5.43 billion deal with Russia for five squadrons of S-400 air missile systems. There had been strong bipartisan support for India to be exempted from the sanctions and it was often hinted by US President Joe Biden as well. The US has already sanctioned Turkey under the CAATSA for the purchase of a batch of S-400 missile defence systems from Russia. While speaking on the House floor, Khanna asserted that there is no relationship of greater significance to US strategic interests than the US-India partnership. "My bipartisan NDAA amendment marks the most significant piece of legislation for US-India relations out of Congress since the US-India nuclear deal," Khanna said. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

US House passes amendment to exempt India under CAATSA over Russian S-400 missile deal

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday (July 16) said that the country's economy remained resilient in the face of global headwinds. India's top bank also predicted that India is anticipated to continue on the path to becoming the world's fastest-growing economy as inflation declines from its recent peak. Reuters reports that RBI in a bulletin said that recent improvements in the southwest monsoon and fresh planting have increased confidence that rural demand will soon catch up to urban spending and consolidate a recovery. "Knock-on effects of geopolitical spill overs are visible in several sectors, tapering the pace of recovery."

Watch |&nbsp;Recession fears and Indian-based firms | Shashank Srivastava Exclusive

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"In spite of this overwhelming shock, there are sparks in the wind that ignite the innate strength of the economy and set it on course to becoming the fastest growing economy in the world, though besieged it might be by fears of recession."

RBI did not give a time frame,&nbsp;however, according to it, the worst of the recent inflation spike will be over if the commodity price slowdown seen in recent weeks persists together with the reduction of supply chain pressures.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/vice-president-election-2022-ruling-bjp-allies-pick-bengal-governor-jagdeep-dhankhar-498133" hreflang="en">Vice President election 2022: Ruling BJP, allies pick Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar</a>

"There is some evidence now that supply-chain pressures are peaking globally and in India," the bank said, adding that "a major source of upward inflation pressures may be ebbing."

"External debt remains modest as a proportion to GDP and has actually declined between March 2021 and March 2022," RBI said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india/government-of-india-to-make-silicon-valley-tech-giants-pay-for-content-to-news-publishers-498052" hreflang="en">Government of India to make Silicon Valley tech giants pay for content to news publishers</a>

Reuters reports that according to figures released this week, India's annual consumer inflation remained agonisingly high above the 7 per cent mark, more than the central bank's tolerance range for the sixth consecutive month.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday (July 16) said that the country's economy remained resilient in the face of global headwinds. India's top bank also predicted that India is anticipated to continue on the path to becoming the world's fastest-growing economy as inflation declines from its recent peak.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Saturday (July 16) said that the country's economy remained resilient in the face of global headwinds. India's top bank also predicted that India is anticipated to continue on the path to becoming the world's fastest-growing economy as inflation declines from its recent peak. Reuters reports that RBI in a bulletin said that recent improvements in the southwest monsoon and fresh planting have increased confidence that rural demand will soon catch up to urban spending and consolidate a recovery. "Knock-on effects of geopolitical spill overs are visible in several sectors, tapering the pace of recovery." Watch | Recession fears and Indian-based firms | Shashank Srivastava Exclusive "In spite of this overwhelming shock, there are sparks in the wind that ignite the innate strength of the economy and set it on course to becoming the fastest growing economy in the world, though besieged it might be by fears of recession." RBI did not give a time frame, however, according to it, the worst of the recent inflation spike will be over if the commodity price slowdown seen in recent weeks persists together with the reduction of supply chain pressures. Also read | Vice President election 2022: Ruling BJP, allies pick Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar "There is some evidence now that supply-chain pressures are peaking globally and in India," the bank said, adding that "a major source of upward inflation pressures may be ebbing." "External debt remains modest as a proportion to GDP and has actually declined between March 2021 and March 2022," RBI said. Also read | Government of India to make Silicon Valley tech giants pay for content to news publishers Reuters reports that according to figures released this week, India's annual consumer inflation remained agonisingly high above the 7 per cent mark, more than the central bank's tolerance range for the sixth consecutive month. (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India is 'on course to becoming the fastest growing economy in the world': RBI

After months of opposition to his administration over the worst economic crisis in the country's history, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned. Sri Lanka's parliament convened on Saturday to start the process of electing a new president. Sri Lanka used to be a middle-income economy, continuously improving on social indicators, but economic mismanagement by the government led it to collapse.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Everything started with the tourism industry, which was severely impacted first by bombings carried out by Islamic extremists targeting hotels and churches in 2019, and then by the coronavirus outbreak the following year. Tourism revenues contributed to 5.6 per cent of the Sri Lankan GDP in 2018 but fell to just 0.8 per cent in 2020. India, as a country is also dependent on tourism, as this sector contributed 9.3 per cent to the country's GDP in 2019. The Indian tourism industry also needs to cope with the setbacks created due to the coronavirus pandemic, or the revenue source could be lost. 
&nbsp; 
The Government of Sri Lanka under Rajapaksa reduced VAT to 8 per cent, reduced corporate tax from 28 per cent&nbsp;to 24 per cent, and abolished the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax and the 2 per cent “nation-building tax” which financed infrastructure development. All of these led to a 33.5 per cent decline in registered taxpayers. India is also in the process of reforming its tax structure, with the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), reduction in corporate tax rate and exemption of individual taxpayers with taxable income up to Rs&nbsp;500,000 &nbsp;by providing a 100 per cent tax rebate. These reforms need to be implemented with caution. 
&nbsp; 
In its 2014 State of the Economy Report, the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka called attention to hot money, unsettling borrowing habits, ephemeral and shallow quick fixes, and a monopoly of foreign direct investment flow into the hotel industry. When compared to 2005, Sri Lanka's foreign debt more than doubled, rising to $56.3 billion by 2020. The country's foreign debt increased from roughly 42 per cent&nbsp;of GDP in 2019 to 119 per cent&nbsp;of GDP in 2021. The nation needed to pay $4 billion in debt by the end of 2022, but as of April 2022, government foreign currency reserves were only $2.3 billion.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
According to the Reserve Bank of India's data, at the end of March 2022, India’s external debt was placed at $ 620.7 billion, recording an increase of $ 47.1 billion over its level in end-March 2021. As per a recent RBI report, five Indian states have been flagged as highly debt-ridden states. India should manage its debt-to-GDP ratio to avoid defaulting.&nbsp;
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The government of Sri Lanka printed more and more money in order to deal with debt liabilities, but that led to the depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, leading to falling forex reserves. India should restructure debt, but at the same time also boost exports to deal with any untoward impact on forex reserves. 
&nbsp; 
In April 2021, Rajapaksa announced that the country will only allow organic farming, banning chemical pesticides and fertilisers, negatively impacting the production of tea and rice. Sri Lanka used to be the second largest tea exporter in the world, but bad agriculture policies led to the downfall of the industry. In November 2021, the government abandoned the organic farming plan, but the damage was already done. This led Sri Lanka to import rice worth $450 million in 2021. 
&nbsp; 
A big lesson to learn for India from this situation is to be self-sufficient in food production. As per the data released by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, around 1550 tonnes of food grain have been wasted during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Food Corporation of India’s godowns, due to a lack of a proper mechanism to store the food grains, and this should be avoided at all costs, especially at a time when food resources have become scarce all over the world, with the situation exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war. The ongoing war also contributed to the collapse of the Sri Lankan economy, as Russia is the second biggest market for Sri Lankan tea exports, and also a major source of tourism. 
&nbsp; 
All these factors contributed to the fall of Sri Lanka, resulting in electricity and fuel shortages, and a rise in inflation. This placed the country at a standstill, with health services being impacted, mid-term examinations being postponed due to a shortage of paper, and also affecting the trade and diplomatic relations with other nations. 
&nbsp; 
India, as a country is also dealing with a set of unique economic problems that need to be dealt with carefully in order to avoid a future crisis. Firstly, India has a reserve oil storage of 74 days, but this needs to be increased keeping in mind the ongoing fuel crisis around the world created due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Secondly, India seems to be on the brink of a power crisis with the ongoing coal shortage at a time when the country is dependent on fossil fuels for more than 60 per cent of electricity generation. Third, the Indian rupee has depreciated 5.9 per cent in 2022, which will further result in decreasing forex reserves, which have already plunged to the lowest ever value in the past 15 months. Fourth, Indian inflation soared to 7.79 per cent in April 2022, which should be avoided at all costs, as seen in Sri Lanka, where angry protestors raided government institutions to express outrage over increasing prices. Lastly, industrial production should be increased in tune with the government’s plan to produce goods worth $1 trillion by 2025, and at the same time exports should be increased to earn sufficient forex reserves to deal with debt liabilities and the ever-increasing cost of imports due to unstable global atmosphere around fuel and food. 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

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After months of opposition to his administration over the worst economic crisis in the country's history, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned. Sri Lanka's parliament convened on Saturday to start the process of electing a new president.

After months of opposition to his administration over the worst economic crisis in the country's history, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned. Sri Lanka's parliament convened on Saturday to start the process of electing a new president. Sri Lanka used to be a middle-income economy, continuously improving on social indicators, but economic mismanagement by the government led it to collapse. Everything started with the tourism industry, which was severely impacted first by bombings carried out by Islamic extremists targeting hotels and churches in 2019, and then by the coronavirus outbreak the following year. Tourism revenues contributed to 5.6 per cent of the Sri Lankan GDP in 2018 but fell to just 0.8 per cent in 2020. India, as a country is also dependent on tourism, as this sector contributed 9.3 per cent to the country's GDP in 2019. The Indian tourism industry also needs to cope with the setbacks created due to the coronavirus pandemic, or the revenue source could be lost. The Government of Sri Lanka under Rajapaksa reduced VAT to 8 per cent, reduced corporate tax from 28 per cent to 24 per cent, and abolished the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax and the 2 per cent “nation-building tax” which financed infrastructure development. All of these led to a 33.5 per cent decline in registered taxpayers. India is also in the process of reforming its tax structure, with the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), reduction in corporate tax rate and exemption of individual taxpayers with taxable income up to Rs 500,000 by providing a 100 per cent tax rebate. These reforms need to be implemented with caution. In its 2014 State of the Economy Report, the Institute of Policy Studies of Sri Lanka called attention to hot money, unsettling borrowing habits, ephemeral and shallow quick fixes, and a monopoly of foreign direct investment flow into the hotel industry. When compared to 2005, Sri Lanka's foreign debt more than doubled, rising to $56.3 billion by 2020. The country's foreign debt increased from roughly 42 per cent of GDP in 2019 to 119 per cent of GDP in 2021. The nation needed to pay $4 billion in debt by the end of 2022, but as of April 2022, government foreign currency reserves were only $2.3 billion. According to the Reserve Bank of India's data, at the end of March 2022, India’s external debt was placed at $ 620.7 billion, recording an increase of $ 47.1 billion over its level in end-March 2021. As per a recent RBI report, five Indian states have been flagged as highly debt-ridden states. India should manage its debt-to-GDP ratio to avoid defaulting. The government of Sri Lanka printed more and more money in order to deal with debt liabilities, but that led to the depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, leading to falling forex reserves. India should restructure debt, but at the same time also boost exports to deal with any untoward impact on forex reserves. In April 2021, Rajapaksa announced that the country will only allow organic farming, banning chemical pesticides and fertilisers, negatively impacting the production of tea and rice. Sri Lanka used to be the second largest tea exporter in the world, but bad agriculture policies led to the downfall of the industry. In November 2021, the government abandoned the organic farming plan, but the damage was already done. This led Sri Lanka to import rice worth $450 million in 2021. A big lesson to learn for India from this situation is to be self-sufficient in food production. As per the data released by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, around 1550 tonnes of food grain have been wasted during the Covid-19 pandemic in the Food Corporation of India’s godowns, due to a lack of a proper mechanism to store the food grains, and this should be avoided at all costs, especially at a time when food resources have become scarce all over the world, with the situation exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine war. The ongoing war also contributed to the collapse of the Sri Lankan economy, as Russia is the second biggest market for Sri Lankan tea exports, and also a major source of tourism. All these factors contributed to the fall of Sri Lanka, resulting in electricity and fuel shortages, and a rise in inflation. This placed the country at a standstill, with health services being impacted, mid-term examinations being postponed due to a shortage of paper, and also affecting the trade and diplomatic relations with other nations. India, as a country is also dealing with a set of unique economic problems that need to be dealt with carefully in order to avoid a future crisis. Firstly, India has a reserve oil storage of 74 days, but this needs to be increased keeping in mind the ongoing fuel crisis around the world created due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Secondly, India seems to be on the brink of a power crisis with the ongoing coal shortage at a time when the country is dependent on fossil fuels for more than 60 per cent of electricity generation. Third, the Indian rupee has depreciated 5.9 per cent in 2022, which will further result in decreasing forex reserves, which have already plunged to the lowest ever value in the past 15 months. Fourth, Indian inflation soared to 7.79 per cent in April 2022, which should be avoided at all costs, as seen in Sri Lanka, where angry protestors raided government institutions to express outrage over increasing prices. Lastly, industrial production should be increased in tune with the government’s plan to produce goods worth $1 trillion by 2025, and at the same time exports should be increased to earn sufficient forex reserves to deal with debt liabilities and the ever-increasing cost of imports due to unstable global atmosphere around fuel and food. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Sri Lankan crisis: Economy lessons India can learn

India's ambitious mass vaccination program hit a major milestone on Sunday (July 17). Reportedly, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data, India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage breached the two billion mark.

India's ambitious mass vaccination program hit a major milestone on Sunday (July 17). Reportedly, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare data, India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage breached the two billion mark. 14,800 sites conducting vaccinations on Sunday helped reach the landmark. Over 1bn first doses have been administered while over 920 million second doses have been inoculated. It is pertinent to note that India's vaccination program began on January 16 last year. Initially, only Oxford-AstraZeneca developed Covishield was used for the immunisation process before the government and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) approved indigenously developed Bharat Biotech's Covaxin vaccine. It was in mid-September last year that the centre reached the milestone of 100 crore doses; 277 days after the immunisation drive began. Up until now, 87 per cent of the country's population has been completely inoculated. To encourage the public to take the third shot, referred to as the Booster shot, the centre on Friday announced that all adults in the age group 18-75 will be able to receive free precaution dose at government Covid centres. The aforementioned campaign is being run as part of ‘COVID Vaccination Amrit Mahotsava’ as India gears to celebrate its 75th Independence Day. Such has been the effect of India's vaccination program that medical journal The Lancet released a report last month which revealed that 'Covid-19 vaccines prevented over 42 lakh potential deaths in India in 2021'. "For India, we estimate that 42,10,000 deaths were prevented by vaccination in this period. This is our central estimate, with the uncertainty in this estimate ranging between 36,65,000-43,70,000," Oliver Watson, the lead author of the report was quoted as saying by news wire agency PTI. A new study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal has revealed that Covid-19 vaccines prevented over 42 lakh potential deaths in India in 2021. The world’s largest vaccination drive undertaken by the Modi administration is the reason for it. https://t.co/CeFhJvoJFy — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 24, 2022 × India's vaccination drive has eclipsed that of several big, developed nations. Despite the caseload going up every few months, the rate of hospitalisation has been extremely low due to the vaccination programme. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

India administers two billion COVID-19 doses, achieves a milestone

Emphasizing the cooperative role of the I2U2 summit, Israel's ambassador to India Naor Gilon has said that the grouping is "not against anyone,” adding that “it's for our people and for making the world a better place".

The grouping of India, Israel, UAE &amp; US held its first summit level meeting last week with two key projects being announced. Both projects, one on food projects and one on renewal energy will be undertaken in India.

Speaking to WION’s Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, envoy Gilon said I2U2 or West Asian Quad is a "very, very positive initiative that will help, change the reality and cooperation and friendships in the region.".

The grouping first met at the foreign ministers level last year during EAM Jaishankar's Israel visit and since then has taken off significantly. Full interview.

&nbsp;

WION: How do you see the I2U2 summit happening and the role of Israel in this major West Asian quad

Naor Gilon: I think it's a very important and interesting imitative in the sense that none of the 4 countries involved, India, Israel, United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE). They have no common border, but they only have common values and interests, and we are going to unite together and work together to implement these values and interests. It is not against anyone, it's for our people, for making the world a better place. There are two projects we will work together to implement, one in the field of food security, food corridors in India and another one is clean tech, and clean energy, also in India. With the implementation of technologies, funding from different actors including Israel. So, I think, it's a very very positive initiative that will help, change the reality and cooperation and friendships in the region.

&nbsp;

WION: Do you think it's because of the Abraham accords that this grouping has emerged.

Naor Gilon: Of course, there is no doubt that the basis of everything for the big change we are seeing in the middle east is the Abraham accords. Without the Abraham accords, we would not see for example the UAE not joining it with such enthusiasm. I think&nbsp;the Abraham accords, is really huge change for the middle east, because although we had very important peace accords with important Neighbours like Jordan and Egypt, but these were based on land problems, land swaps etc. But now we are doing peace with countries that are far away from Israel and really don't have an issue with Israel as well.&nbsp;Morrocco, Bahrain, UAE, and this is a change. I must say, probably, we have to thank Iran also because the fear of Iran for these countries undoubtfully is one of the elements that is uniting them, pushing them to be closer to Israel, which is considered the biggest opponent, I guess, of the Iranian behaviour, destabilizing, supporting terrorism. I think they deserve a lot of credit for the Abraham accords, and then I2U2, which is really a continuation of that.

&nbsp;

WION: How does India benefit or is central to I2U2?

Naor Gilon: I think the first two&nbsp;projects are in India. Their collaboration on high technology&nbsp;and health is very important. US, Israel, and UAE are there, so it's a good neighbourhood partnership, and brings abilities in different fields on the table, be it technology be it financial, be it both. It is a huge opportunity also for India.

Emphasizing the cooperative role of the I2U2 summit, Israel's ambassador to India Naor Gilon has said that the grouping is "not against anyone,” adding that “it's for our people and for making the world a better place".

Emphasizing the cooperative role of the I2U2 summit, Israel's ambassador to India Naor Gilon has said that the grouping is "not against anyone,” adding that “it's for our people and for making the world a better place". The grouping of India, Israel, UAE & US held its first summit level meeting last week with two key projects being announced. Both projects, one on food projects and one on renewal energy will be undertaken in India. Speaking to WION’s Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal, envoy Gilon said I2U2 or West Asian Quad is a "very, very positive initiative that will help, change the reality and cooperation and friendships in the region.". The grouping first met at the foreign ministers level last year during EAM Jaishankar's Israel visit and since then has taken off significantly. Full interview. WION: How do you see the I2U2 summit happening and the role of Israel in this major West Asian quad Naor Gilon: I think it's a very important and interesting imitative in the sense that none of the 4 countries involved, India, Israel, United States and United Arab Emirates (UAE). They have no common border, but they only have common values and interests, and we are going to unite together and work together to implement these values and interests. It is not against anyone, it's for our people, for making the world a better place. There are two projects we will work together to implement, one in the field of food security, food corridors in India and another one is clean tech, and clean energy, also in India. With the implementation of technologies, funding from different actors including Israel. So, I think, it's a very very positive initiative that will help, change the reality and cooperation and friendships in the region. WION: Do you think it's because of the Abraham accords that this grouping has emerged. Naor Gilon: Of course, there is no doubt that the basis of everything for the big change we are seeing in the middle east is the Abraham accords. Without the Abraham accords, we would not see for example the UAE not joining it with such enthusiasm. I think the Abraham accords, is really huge change for the middle east, because although we had very important peace accords with important Neighbours like Jordan and Egypt, but these were based on land problems, land swaps etc. But now we are doing peace with countries that are far away from Israel and really don't have an issue with Israel as well. Morrocco, Bahrain, UAE, and this is a change. I must say, probably, we have to thank Iran also because the fear of Iran for these countries undoubtfully is one of the elements that is uniting them, pushing them to be closer to Israel, which is considered the biggest opponent, I guess, of the Iranian behaviour, destabilizing, supporting terrorism. I think they deserve a lot of credit for the Abraham accords, and then I2U2, which is really a continuation of that. WION: How does India benefit or is central to I2U2? Naor Gilon: I think the first two projects are in India. Their collaboration on high technology and health is very important. US, Israel, and UAE are there, so it's a good neighbourhood partnership, and brings abilities in different fields on the table, be it technology be it financial, be it both. It is a huge opportunity also for India.

I2U2 summit is not against anyone, says Israel envoy Naor Gilon

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