New York: The US and several other countries on Thursday urged members of the UN to keep their "food and agricultural markets" open and "to avoid unjustified restrictive measures, such as export bans on food or fertilizer".In a statement issued the after ministerial meeting 'Roadmap for Global Food Security-Call to Action', they called on all UN Member States to work together to mitigate the mid-term and long-term impact of recent shocks to global agriculture and food systems."We must collectively mitigate fertilizer shortages and the subsequent threat to food production, increase investments in agricultural capacity and resilience, buffer those in vulnerable situations from impacts to their food security, nutrition and well-being, and sustain high-level global political engagement on these critical issues," the statement said.The 'Global Food Security-Call to Action' Ministerial was chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken with a focus on strengthening global food security, nutrition, and resilience. The seven-point 'actions' in the statement called for UN Member States with available resources to make new, additive financial donations to key humanitarian organizations providing immediate life-saving humanitarian assistance."All UN Member States to keep their food and agricultural markets open and to avoid unjustified restrictive measures, such as export bans on food or fertilizer, which increase market volatility and threaten food security and nutrition at a global scale, especially among those in vulnerable situations already experiencing increased poverty, hunger, and malnutrition, and call on all members to ensure safe maritime transportation in the Blak Sea," the statement said. The statement noted with with grave concern that the newly-released 2022 Global Report on Food Crises indicates that the number of people facing acute food insecurity greatly increased from 135 million in 2019 to 193 million in 2021 in the 53 countries most in need of assistance, and that nearly 40 million people across 36 countries experienced emergency levels of acute food insecurity, just one step away from famine. "Driven by conflicts, extreme climate-related events, such as historic multi-season droughts and floods; economic shocks, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on livelihoods, incomes, and food prices; and a multitude of other threats to human, animal and crop health, the food security outlook for 2022 and beyond is grim," the statement said."This is compounded by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which is further exacerbating this already dire situation," it added. Other 'actions' measures proposed in the statement included a request to countries with available resources to temporarily increase fertilizer production, increase efforts to support the sustainable transformation of agriculture and food systems as well as requests to all countries to increase their investments in research to develop and implement science-based and climate-resilient agricultural innovations. "We note the many commitments made today in response to this Roadmap for Global Food Security-Call to Action and urge the mobilization of additional resources to implement this roadmap on an urgent basis," the statement said. The countries which have endorsed the statement include Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Norway, the UK, Saudi Arabia and UAE.India, represented at the conference by MoS Muraleedharan, did not endorse the statement which was released by the US Department of State. During his speech at the Ministerial, Muraleedharan expressed his concern over global food insecurity and noted that according to a report by Global Report on Food Crises, 139 million people had suffered across the world from conflict-induced acute food insecurity. He stated that this situation is a severe issue and it can't be neglected. Muraleedharan, who on Thursday also participated at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate on 'Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Conflict and Food Security', said that the Indian government took the measure to impose restriction on export of wheat as it "recognized the sudden spike in global prices of wheat which put our food security and those of our neighbours and other vulnerable countries at risk." —ANI

The US and several other countries on Thursday urged members of the UN to keep their "food and agricultural markets" open and "to avoid unjustified restrictive measures, such as export bans on food or fertilizer".

36 Countries Including US Urge UN Members To Keep Food Markets Open, Avoid Export Bans

London: More than 80 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in at least 12 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced. The WHO said another 50 suspected cases are being investigated, without naming any countries, and warned that more cases are likely to be reported. Infections have been confirmed in nine European countries, as well as the US, Canada and Australia, the BBC reported citing the global health body as saying.Monkeypox is most common in remote parts of Central and West Africa.It is a rare viral infection which is usually mild and from which most people recover in a few weeks, according to the UK's National Health Service. The virus does not spread easily between people and the risk to the wider public is said to be very low. There is no specific vaccine for monkeypox, but a smallpox jab offers 85 per cent protection since the two viruses are quite similar, BBC reported. So far, public health agencies in Europe have confirmed cases in the UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Sweden. The WHO said on Friday that the recent outbreaks "are atypical, as they are occurring in non-endemic countries". It said it was "working with the affected countries and others to expand disease surveillance to find and support people who may be affected".The WHO also warned against stigmatising groups because of the disease, the BBC reported. "It can be a barrier to ending an outbreak as it may prevent people from seeking care, and lead to undetected spread," it said. WHO's Europe regional director Hans Kluge warned that "as we enter the summer season with mass gatherings, festivals and parties, I am concerned that transmission could accelerate". He added that all but one of the recent cases had no relevant travel history to areas where monkeypox was endemic.—IANS

More than 80 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in at least 12 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced.

Monkeypox cases confirmed in 12 countries

Tokyo: Four-nation grouping Quad on Tuesday launched a major new initiative for the Indo-Pacific that allows the partner countries to fully monitor the waters on their shores and help ensure peace and stability in the region, a move that comes amid China's increasingly intimidatory behaviour. The announcement on the rollout of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) came at the end of the second in-person Quad summit attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese. A joint statement by the four leaders said the IPMDA will support and work in consultation with Indo-Pacific nations and regional information fusion centres in the Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands by providing technology and training to support shared maritime domain awareness to promote stability and prosperity.The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and vowed to work "tirelessly to deliver tangible results" for the region."The IPMDA embodies what the Quad stands for: catalysing our joint efforts towards concrete results that help to make the region more stable and prosperous," it said.The leaders also announced the establishment of the 'Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-Pacific' that is aimed at further strengthening collaboration to effectively respond to disasters in the region.According to a White House fact sheet, the IPMDA will offer a "near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective" maritime domain awareness picture and it will transform the ability of partners in the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region to fully monitor the waters on their shores, and, in turn, "uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific”. It said the new initiative will allow tracking of 'dark shipping' and other tactical-level activities, such as rendezvous at sea."Quad countries are committed to contributing to the region's maritime domain awareness -- a fundamental requirement for peace, stability, and prosperity -- through investment in IPMDA over five years.“The partnership will innovate upon existing maritime domain awareness efforts, rapidly bringing emerging technologies to bear for the greater good of the Indo-Pacific community," the White House said.China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea. China also has territorial disputes with Japan in the East China Sea.The White House said the IPMDA will build a faster, wider, and more accurate maritime picture of near-real-time activities in the waters of its partners."This common operating picture will integrate three critical regions -- the Pacific Islands, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean region -- in the Indo-Pacific. The benefits of this picture are vast: it will allow tracking of 'dark shipping' and other tactical-level activities, such as rendezvous at sea, as well as improve partners' ability to respond to climate and humanitarian events and to protect their fisheries, which are vital to many Indo-Pacific economies," the White House said.It said the IPMDA will harness commercially-available data using existing technologies."Through a combination of automatic identification system and radio-frequency technologies, Quad partners can provide an unprecedented 'common thread' of activities. Because of its commercial origin, this data will be unclassified, allowing the Quad to provide it to a wide range of partners who wish to benefit," it said.It said existing support infrastructure for information-sharing such as the Information Fusion Cente for Indian Ocean Region in India, the Information Fusion Center based in Singapore; the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency based in the Solomon Islands and the Pacific Fusion Center, based in Vanuatu, could be part of the initiative.<img src="https://im.rediff.com/news/2022/may/24quad1.jpg?w=670&amp;h=900"> The White House said the Quad partners will begin immediate consultations on the opportunity with partners in the region."As the initiative proceeds, the Quad will identify future technologies of promise, allowing IPMDA to remain a cutting-edge partnership that promotes peace and stability throughout the region," it said.In their statement, the Quad leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and emphasised the importance of fundamental values and principles.They also expressed their commitment to work tirelessly to deliver "tangible results" to the region."In doing so, we will regularise the Quad activities, including regular meetings by the leaders and foreign ministers. We agree to hold our next in-person summit in 2023 hosted by Australia," they said.The Quad leaders on Tuesday also strongly opposed any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change status quo and increase tensions in the Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed their resolve to uphold the international rules-based order, amidst China's growing assertiveness in the region."We strongly oppose any coercive, provocative or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo and increase tensions in the area, such as the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities," said a joint statement issued after the meeting.It said the Quad is committed to cooperation with partners in the region who share the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific."We will champion adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the maintenance of freedom of navigation and overflight, to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the East and South China Seas," the statement said.The summit took place at a time when the relations between China and the Quad member countries have become tense, with Beijing increasingly challenging democratic values and resorting to coercive trade practices.Relations between India and China nose-dived after the Eastern Ladakh standoff in 2020 following Beijing moving thousands of troops to several disputed areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) which was strongly objected to and resisted by New Delhi.China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific against the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region."We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force, any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, and freedom of navigation and overflight, all of which are essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and to the world," the joint statement said. The Quad will continue to act decisively together to advance these principles in the region and beyond, the statement said as it reaffirmed the four-nation grouping's resolve to uphold the international rules-based order where countries are free from all forms of military, economic and political coercion.—PTI

Four-nation grouping Quad on Tuesday launched a major new initiative for the Indo-Pacific that allows the partner countries to fully monitor the waters on their shores and help ensure peace and stability in the region, a move that comes amid China's increasingly intimidatory behaviour.

Quad unveils new initiative to monitor maritime activity across Indo-Pacific

Washington: David Malpass, chief of the World Bank. has warned that Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine could cause a global recession as the price of food, energy and fertiliser jump. He made the remarks while addressing a US business event on Wednesday, the BBC reported.“As we look at the global GDP, it’s hard right now to see how we avoid a recession… The idea of energy prices doubling is enough to trigger a recession by itself,” he said in the latest warning over the rising risk that the world economy may be set to contract. Last month, the World Bank cut its global economic growth forecast for this year by almost a full percentage point, to 3.2 per cent.Malpass also said that many European countries were still too dependent on Russia for oil and gas. That’s even as Western nations push ahead with plans to reduce their dependence on Russian energy. He also told a virtual event organised by the US Chamber of Commerce that moves by Russia to cut gas supplies could cause a “substantial slowdown” in the region.He said higher energy prices were already weighing on Germany, which is the biggest economy in Europe and the fourth largest in the world, the BBC reported. Developing countries are also being affected by shortages of fertiliser, food and energy, the World Bank head added. Malpass also raised concerns about lockdowns in some of China’s major cities. including the financial, manufacturing and shipping hub of Shanghai, which he said are “still having ramifications or slowdown impacts on the world”. “China was already going through some contraction of real estate, so the forecast of China’s growth before Russia’s invasion had already softened substantially for 2022,” he said. “Then the waves of Covid caused lockdowns which further reduced growth expectations for China.”—IANS

David Malpass, chief of the World Bank. has warned that Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine could cause a global recession as the price of food, energy and fertiliser jump.

Russia-Ukraine War Could Cause Global Recession: World Bank Chief

Beijing: With China expecting a surge in demand for Chinese arms and ammunition from several countries including Middle-Eastern and African countries as the Russia-Ukraine war has entered into fourth month, a study indicates a fall in Chinese defence contracts due to lack in transparency and less sophisticated parts vis-a-vis Western technologies in manufacturing weapons. A RAND Corporation (US-based thinktank) study in 2021 clearly pointed to a lacuna in Chinese defence contracts, stating there is a lack of transparency and accountability.According to the experts, a lot of countries have little or no faith in Chinese companies because of poor after-sales support and equipment that rapidly declines into non-functional machinery. China also does not have the required ability to manufacture highly sophisticated parts as it is still not considered a first-rate developer and producer of state-of-the-art military material, reported the Russian Council. Meanwhile, Bejing's assertive policy in terms of arms sales and presence around the world should raise some cautionary eyebrows. China is not only increasing its arms sales, but also military training and investment in Africa's infrastructure projects, which are giving Beijing a foothold on the continent.Moreover, a new analysis by Jane's, a company known for its publications on global weapons, a sharp increase is witnessed over the past two decades in Chinese military equipment sales to Africa, compared with the continent's traditional benefactor, Russia.Pakistan, Bangladesh and Thailand are other China's clients for arms and ammunition. China has also sold 36 J-10C fighters to Pakistan and delivered HQ-22 (FK-3) surface-to-air missiles (SAM) to Serbia.Countries like Tanzania, Nigeria, Sudan, Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Gabon, Algeria, Namibia, Ghana and Ethiopia are among the top importers of Chinese arms. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)'s recent report, nearly half of Chinese weapon exports -- 47 per cent, in fact -- went to its closest ally Pakistan, while Beijing's next largest clients were Bangladesh and Thailand at 16 pc and 5 pc respectively, as per the media portal.Given the relative strength of China's position on the arms export table, it is perhaps surprising that China also appeared fifth on the international list of arms importers, behind India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Australia.—ANI

With China expecting a surge in demand for Chinese arms and ammunition from several countries including Middle-Eastern and African countries as the Russia-Ukraine war has entered into fourth month, a study indicates a fall in Chinese defence contracts due to lack in transparency and less sophisticated parts vis-a-vis Western technologies in manufacturing weapons.

China's arms sales declining due to trust deficit: Study

New Delhi: The monkeypox virus has spread to more than 20 countries, with about 200 confirmed cases and over 100 suspected cases in nations where it is typically not found, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The global health body has urged nations to increase surveillance of the infectious disease as outbreaks grow. According to Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s Covid-19 technical lead, more cases of the rare viral illness will likely be reported as surveillance expands, but added that the recent spread is containable, CNBC reported.“We expect more cases to be detected. We are asking countries to increase surveillance,” Van Kerkhove said during a Q&amp;A on the global health agency’s social media platforms. “This is a containable situation. It will be difficult, but it’s a containable situation in non-endemic countries.” Since the first reported case on May 7, from the UK, monkeypox has spread to North America and Europe in recent weeks. The outbreak is driven by a milder West African strain of the virus and most patients recover in a few weeks.No deaths have been reported so far. As per the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the European Union (EU) has confirmed 118 cases of monkeypox. Spain and Portugal have reported the largest outbreaks in the EU with 51 and 37 cases, respectively.The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed 90 cases of the virus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified nine cases across seven states, while Canadian health officials have confirmed 16 cases of monkeypox, all detected in the province of Quebec, the report said. CDC Director Rochelle Walensky noted that some patients in the US haven’t travelled to countries with active outbreaks, suggesting that the virus is spreading domestically. Health officials in these countries have said a majority the patients are gay or bisexual men, with the virus spreading in many cases through sex. However, the officials emphasised that monkeypox can spread to anyone through close physical contact regardless of sexual orientation. But, monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease. The virus can spread through any kind of sustained skin-to-skin contact with an infected person who has a lesion.It can also spread through body fluids, contaminated bed sheets and clothing, or respiratory droplets if a person has a lesion in their mouth. Van Kerhkove suggested health-care professionals to consider monkeypox a diagnosis for patients with rash illnesses that present at sexual health clinics, emergency departments, infectious disease clinics, primary-care physicians and dermatologists, the report said. “It doesn’t mean that anyone with a rash will have monkeypox but we need to raise awareness about what monkeypox is and isn’t, and we need to ensure that countries have the capacity to test and provide the right information.”—IANS

The monkeypox virus has spread to more than 20 countries, with about 200 confirmed cases and over 100 suspected cases in nations where it is typically not found, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

Monkeypox Spreads To More Than 20 Countries: WHO

New Delhi: The monkeypox virus has spread to more than 20 countries, with about 200 confirmed cases and over 100 suspected cases in nations where it is typically not found, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.The global health body has urged nations to increase surveillance of the infectious disease as outbreaks grow.According to Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's Covid-19 technical lead, more cases of the rare viral illness will likely be reported as surveillance expands, but added that the recent spread is containable, CNBC reported."We expect more cases to be detected. We are asking countries to increase surveillance," Van Kerkhove said during a Q&amp;A on the global health agency's social media platforms. "This is a containable situation. It will be difficult, but it's a containable situation in non-endemic countries."Since the first reported case on May 7, from the UK, monkeypox has spread to North America and Europe in recent weeks. The outbreak is driven by a milder West African strain of the virus and most patients recover in a few weeks.No deaths have been reported so far.As per the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the European Union (EU) has confirmed 118 cases of monkeypox. Spain and Portugal have reported the largest outbreaks in the EU with 51 and 37 cases, respectively.The UK Health Security Agency has confirmed 90 cases of the virus. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified nine cases across seven states, while Canadian health officials have confirmed 16 cases of monkeypox, all detected in the province of Quebec, the report said.CDC Director Rochelle Walensky noted that some patients in the US haven't travelled to countries with active outbreaks, suggesting that the virus is spreading domestically.Health officials in these countries have said a majority the patients are gay or bisexual men, with the virus spreading in many cases through sex.However, the officials emphasised that monkeypox can spread to anyone through close physical contact regardless of sexual orientation.But, monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted disease. The virus can spread through any kind of sustained skin-to-skin contact with an infected person who has a lesion.It can also spread through body fluids, contaminated bed sheets and clothing, or respiratory droplets if a person has a lesion in their mouth.Van Kerhkove suggested health-care professionals to consider monkeypox a diagnosis for patients with rash illnesses that present at sexual health clinics, emergency departments, infectious disease clinics, primary-care physicians and dermatologists, the report said. "It doesn't mean that anyone with a rash will have monkeypox but we need to raise awareness about what monkeypox is and isn't, and we need to ensure that countries have the capacity to test and provide the right information." —IANS

Geneva: The World Health Organization said on Sunday that the sudden appearance of monkeypox at once in several countries where the disease is not typically found suggests undetected transmission for some time and recent amplifying events.As of May 26, a total of 257 confirmed cases and 120 suspected cases have been reported from 23 member states that are not endemic for the virus, WHO said in a statement. The agency added that it expects more cases to be reported as surveillance in endemic and non-endemic countries expands.Monkeypox is an infectious disease that is usually mild, and is endemic in parts of west and central Africa. It is spread by close contact, so it can be relatively easily contained through measures such as self-isolation and hygiene. Most of the cases reported so far have been detected in the UK, Spain and Portugal. "The vast majority of reported cases so far have no established travel links to an endemic area and have presented through primary care or sexual health services," the UN agency said.—REUTERS

The World Health Organization said on Sunday that the sudden appearance of monkeypox at once in several countries where the disease is not typically found suggests undetected transmission for some time and recent amplifying events.

'Monkeypox in non-endemic countries suggests undetected transmission'

Geneva: Thirty non-endemic countries have reported more than 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.“Investigations are ongoing, but the sudden appearance of monkeypox in many countries at the same time suggests there may have been undetected transmission for some time,” Tedros told journalists at WHO’s Geneva headquarters on Wednesday. With most reported cases have been among sexual encounters between men, those communities are working to inform their members of risks and preventative action that can be taken. “But all of us must work hard to fight stigma, which is not just wrong, it could also prevent infected individuals from seeking care, making it harder to stop transmission,” warned the WHO chief, urging affected countries to widen their surveillance to the broader community. Anyone risks infection if they have close physical contact with someone who has Monkeypox. Tedros noted that as the situation is evolving, WHO expects more cases to be found. “It’s important to remember that generally, Monkeypox symptoms resolve on their own, but can be severe in some cases,” he added.WHO continues to receive updates on the status of ongoing Monkeypox outbreaks in African countries where the disease is endemic. The top WHO official outlined his priorities to provide accurate information to those most at-risk; prevent further spread among those at high risk; protect frontline health workers; and advance “our understanding” of the disease, said UN in its press release.In view of the increasing reports of Monkeypox (MPX) cases in non-endemic countries, India’s Health Ministry on Tuesday acted proactively and issued ‘Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease’ to ensure advance preparedness across the country. “There are no reported cases of monkeypox disease in India, as of date,” the Health Ministry said in a statement.As per the guidelines, a confirmed case is laboratory confirmed for monkeypox virus by detection of unique sequences of viral DNA either by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and/or sequencing.“All the clinical specimens should be transported to the Apex Laboratory of ICMR-NIV (Pune) routed through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) network of the respective district/state,” it said in the guidelines. The Guidelines on Management of Monkeypox Disease include the epidemiology of the disease (including host, incubation period, period of communicability, and mode of transmission; contact and case definitions; clinical features and its complication, diagnosis, case management, risk communication, guidance on Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) including use of personal protective equipment.“The guidelines stress surveillance and rapid identification of new cases as the key public health measures for outbreak containment, mandating the need to reduce the risk of human-to-human transmission. It explains the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures, IPC at home, patient isolation and ambulance transfer strategies, additional precautions that need to be taken care of, and duration of isolation procedures,” the statement reads. As per the guidelines, contacts should be monitored at least daily for the onset of signs/symptoms for a period of 21 days from the last contact with a patient or their contaminated materials during the infectious period. Raising awareness of risk factors, the guidelines further explain in detail about raising awareness and educating people about the measures for Monkeypox virus-like avoiding contact with any material of the sick person, isolation of the infected patient from others, practicing good hand hygiene, and using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when caring for patients. The Ministry further said that the Monkeypox has been reported as endemic in several other central and western African countries such as Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of the Congo, and Sierra Leone. However, cases have been also reported in certain non-endemic countries e.g. USA, United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Austria, Israel, Switzerland, etc.—ANI

Thirty non-endemic countries have reported more than 550 confirmed cases of monkeypox, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

More than 550 confirmed monkeypox cases reported: UN

Kolkata: Both international and domestic buyers have rejected a series of tea consignments due to the presence of pesticides and chemicals beyond permissible limits, Indian Tea Exporters Association (ITEA) chairman Anshuman Kanoria said on Friday.Filling up the vacuum created by crisis-hit Sri Lanka in the global market, Tea Board is eyeing to ramp up exports. However, the rejection of consignments is causing a decline in outward shipments.All teas sold in the country must conform to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) norms. However, most of the buyers are purchasing tea that have unusually high chemical content, Kanoria told PTI.In 2021, India exported 195.90 million kg tea. The major buyers were Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) nations and Iran. The board is aiming to achieve 300 million kg tea this year.Kanoria said that many countries are following strict entry regulations for tea. Most of the countries follow variations of the EU standards, which are more stringent than the FSSAI rules."Instead of complying with the law, many are urging the government to make the FSSAI norms more liberal," he said, adding that this would send a wrong signal as the beverage is considered to be a health drink.A senior official of Tea Board told PTI that complaints have been received from tea packers and exporters on the issue."It is reiterated that producers should strictly abide by the extant FSSAI norms. The issue of modification of the norms has been raised by the producers' organisations with FSSAI. It is obvious that exports should adhere to the existing norms of the importing countries," he said.India exported tea worth Rs 5,246.89 crore in 2021.—PTI

 Both international and domestic buyers have rejected a series of tea consignments due to the presence of pesticides and chemicals beyond permissible limits, Indian Tea Exporters Association (ITEA) chairman Anshuman Kanoria said on Friday.

High in pesticides, many countries send back Indian tea

Both international and domestic buyers have rejected a series of tea consignments due to the presence of pesticides and chemicals beyond permissible limits, Indian Tea Exporters Association (ITEA) chairman Anshuman Kanoria said on Friday.



Vienna (The Hawk): On June 5th,&nbsp;World Environmental Day,&nbsp;WWF Central and Eastern Europe&nbsp;joins&nbsp;other European countries to highlight the crucial role of healthy rivers and wetlands to halt the collapse in freshwater biodiversity and increase natural protection against extreme weather episodes, in particular droughts and floods.&nbsp;Several European governments, WWF and the largest transnational water management body in the continent, have come together on World Environment Day to celebrate rivers and wetlands. The video underlines the vital importance of restoring these ecosystems for climate change adaptation, the reversal of biodiversity loss and strengthening bonds between people and nature. Finland, Italy, Latvia, or the<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=96e07973bd&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">&nbsp;International Commission for the Protection of the Danube River –&nbsp;which encompasses 14 countries</a>&nbsp;– Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia, Montenegro, Herzegovina and Ukraine – talk about their commitment to freshwater restoration on this&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=cb1ee222ff&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">video</a>&nbsp;(video will be available on&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=62e8fd817d&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">WWF-CEE YT channel</a>&nbsp;on 5th June).Restoration in Europe is crucial to counteract the impact of more frequent and intense extreme weather episodes and alarming biodiversity loss. Our geography is saturated with channelled and dredged rivers, deforestation, polluted streams, drained wetlands and aquifers, invasive species, eroded zones and<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=c3f0eb5108&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">&nbsp;over 1 million barriers blocking our rivers</a>. The dramatic degradation of Europe’s ecosystems, in particular freshwater ones, is appalling.&nbsp;Last year 2021, severe floodings in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands caused devastating damage. More than 220 people were killed and there was an&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=e29b339564&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">estimated €33 billion in losses</a>, the costliest natural disaster in Germany and Europe to date. Climate change fueled natural disasters are a rising tendency, and it’s up to society to get ready for them by restoring nature so it can successfully face these challenges. Some&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=0890864c7f&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">restoration measures</a>&nbsp;include reconnecting rivers to their floodplains, eliminating dykes, removing unnecessary dams, recovering drained wetlands, inundating peatlands, restoring riverine vegetation or, building permeable pavements, among others.The facts are still there,&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=a390aec6c9&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">60% of EU rivers, lakes and wetlands are not healthy</a>, and Europe has the&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=ebd6e22e9d&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">most fragmented river landscape on the planet</a>. One in three freshwater fish species in Europe are currently threatened with extinction and migratory freshwater fish populations have seen a&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=d45ae9d0f8&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">93% collapse since 1970</a>. There are only 3 remaining free flowing rivers of over 1.000km of length left in Europe&nbsp;The European Commission is expected to present a proposal for a new law that would set legally binding targets to restore nature across the EU on 22 June. WWF is calling on the EU to include in the upcoming Nature Restoration Law&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=f68e3dd7dc&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">legally binding, ambitious restoration targets</a>, in particular for rivers, floodplains, wetlands and all types of ecosystems that contribute to retain and store water. In addition, WWF is calling on the European Commission to propose targets of at least 15% of EU land and sea (650,000 km2) to be restored by 2030.Along the same lines, WWF calls on Member States to include Nature-based Solutions, and in particular floodplain restoration and natural water retention measures, as key measures in national and regional plans on water, forests,&nbsp;floods, climate, disaster risk reduction, energy, and agricultural and transport sectors.The advantages of nature restoration are many and varied, and not only limited to improving the state of freshwater’s, land’s (and even ocean’s) biodiversity. It also implies benefits for our health, creating new areas for recreation and to&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=3cc42f4717&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">reconnect with nature</a>. It provides an&nbsp;economic investment for the future, with the creation of&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=86c40297df&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">sustainable jobs and new business opportunities</a>.&nbsp;it also helps reducing natural disaster risks,&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=b4ca596c3b&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">adapting to climate change and contributing to mitigation</a>, thus preventing and reducing the cost of these episodes.&nbsp;Sabien Leemans, Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer at WWF European Policy Office&nbsp;says “Nature restoration can become a real game-changer and a&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=0e3cd2d411&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">win-win solution to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises</a>. But for this to happen, it needs to be timely, credible and ambitious. That’s why we need the EU nature restoration law now!”Eva Hernández, head of WWF’s Living European Rivers Initiative, explains “We wish to celebrate river and wetland restoration as a key environmental and economic measure for nature and people, and we wish to involve everyone, from government officials to companies and citizens. We believe in working together to create a great legal framework as well as designing and carrying out river &amp; wetland restoration project, encouraging people to participate in the fantastic Move4Nature challenge and show they care!”.Since 2014, WWF-CEE offices, together with the water and nature protection institutions and local partners, have started the restoration of the river sections and floodplains along the Danube in several important areas.&nbsp;<a href="https://panda.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=c2fd914b2063017162a61c28b&amp;id=b5deb082fe&amp;e=e366a45b6c" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 124, 137);">Nine restoration projects</a>&nbsp;across six countries (Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria) were held and further sites for future restoration were identified in this period. The projects are concentrated in and thus contribute to realising the Lower Danube Green Corridor (shared by Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine); and the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve (shared by Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia and Serbia).The EU Biodiversity Strategy has committed Europe to restoring freshwater ecosystems as a key measure to ensure that Europe's biodiversity will be on the path to recovery by 2030. WWF urges governments and EU institutions to make sure that this commitment is translated into binding restoration targets and mainstreamed in sectoral policies.

On June 5th, World Environmental Day, WWF Central and Eastern Europe joins other European countries to highlight the crucial role of healthy rivers and wetlands to halt the collapse in freshwater biodiversity and increase natural protection against extreme weather episodes, in particular droughts and floods. 

WWF gathers countries across Europe to support river and wetland restoration

New Delhi: Qatar, Iran and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader against Prophet Muhammad. Seeking to defuse a diplomatic row, spokespersons of the Indian Embassy in Qatar and Kuwait said that the Ambassadors 'conveyed that the tweets do not, in any manner, reflect the views of the Government of India. These are the views of fringe elements'.The spokesperson said that Indian Ambassador to Qatar Deepak Mittal had a meeting in the Foreign Office in which concerns were raised with regard to some offensive tweets by individuals in India denigrating the religious personality. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is currently visiting Qatar and on Sunday he met Qatar's Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani in Doha.Earlier, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, handed the note to the Ambassador of the Republic of India, the ministry said in a statement. It welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India in which it announced the suspension of the party's leader and said Qatar is expecting a public apology and immediate condemnation of these remarks from the Government of India.'Strong action has already been taken against those who made the derogatory remarks,' the spokesperson of the Indian Embassy in Doha said.'In line with our civilisational heritage and strong cultural traditions of unity in diversity, Government of India accords the highest respect to all religions,' the official added.Noting that vested interests that are against India-Qatar relations have been inciting the people using these derogatory comments, the embassy spokesperson said that the two sides should work together against such mischievous elements who aim to undercut the strength of their bilateral ties.Meanwhile, the Kuwait Foreign Ministry said that the Indian Ambassador to Kuwait Sibi George was on Sunday summoned and handed over an official protest note by the Assistant Secretary of State for Asia Affairs expressing Kuwait's 'categorical rejection and condemnation' of the statements issued by an official of the ruling party against the Prophet.The ministry welcomed the statement issued by the ruling party in India, in which it announced the suspension of the leader.In Tehran, Indian Ambassador to Iran Dhamu Gaddam was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Director General of South Asia on Sunday evening where a strong protest was registered by the Islamic Republic of Iran over the controversial remarks by the ruling party leader on against the Prophet, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.The Indian ambassador expressed regret and called any insult to the Prophet of Islam unacceptable, it added.The development comes ahead of Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian's planned maiden visit to India since taking charge last year.In New Delhi, the BJP&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rediff.com/news/2022/jun/05bjp-suspends-nupur-sharma-axes-naveen-jindal-over-controversial-remarks.htm" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(71, 123, 196);">suspended its national spokesperson Nupur Sharma</a>&nbsp;and expelled its Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal after their controversial remarks against the Prophet, as it sought to defuse a row over the issue.Amid protests by Muslim groups over the remarks, the party also issued a statement aimed at assuaging the concerns of minorities and distancing itself from these members, asserting that it respects all religions and strongly denounces the insult of any religious personality.The controversial remarks also sparked a Twitter trend in the Arab world calling for a boycott of Indian products.Qatar Foreign Ministry in its statement said that allowing such Islamophobic remarks to continue without punishment, constitutes a grave danger to the protection of human rights and may lead to further prejudice and marginalisation, which will create a cycle of violence and hate.The note indicated that more than two billion Muslims across the world follow the guidance of Prophet Mohammed, whose message came as a message of peace, understanding and tolerance, and a beacon of light that Muslims all over the world follow.Qatar reaffirmed its full support for the values of tolerance, coexistence and respect for all religions and nationalities, where such values distinguish Qatar's global friendships and its relentless work to contribute to the establishment of international peace and security, the statement added.—PTI

Qatar, Iran and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader against Prophet Muhammad.

Prophet remark: 3 countries summon Indian envoys; outrage in Gulf

Qatar, Iran and Kuwait on Sunday summoned India's Ambassadors and the key Gulf nations expressed their strong protest and condemnation of the controversial remarks of a Bharatiya Janata Party leader against Prophet Muhammad.



Thane: A section of activists and experts on Monday questioned the "silence"' of Muslim nations on China's treatment of minorities and alleged violation of human rights there after some of these countries lodged a protest with India over the remarks of two Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries on Prophet Mohammad. The row over the alleged derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammad escalated on Sunday with protests from countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and Iran, prompting the BJP to take action against its functionaries and assert that it respects all religions.But after the reaction of the Islamic countries, questions are being asked in some quarters on whether these nations will raise similar objections against China, which has been accused by many human rights groups of targeting Muslims and other minorities.Bejing has been denying these allegations. Brahma Chellaney, Professor Emeritus of strategic studies at the Centre for Policy Research, said, "Some Muslim states that have been mute on China's assault on Islam, including incarcerating over a million Muslims and confiscating Korans, have played up the anti-Muslim remarks of two Indians now expelled from the ruling party."Is it because they perceive India as a soft state?" Kasturi Shankar, an activist and lawyer, also took to Twitter echoing similar sentiments."Nations that claim to stand for the sentiments of the world's two billion Muslims do nothing for Muslims in Afghanistan, Syria, China or Burma."We can do nothing against ISIS or China or Taliban, so let's pick on a lone woman in a TV debate instead," Shankar said.Former Rajya Sabha MP and BJP member Balbir Punj took to Twitter saying, "World knows how China treats its minorities- specifically Muslims &amp; Tibetan Buddhists. China violates all human rights, international conventions while dealing with Islam &amp; Muslims in Xinjiang. None in the world even squeaks about it. Why? Why? (sic)".He alleged that the Congress, the communists and "jihadis" were celebrating as their "'relentless campaign on manufactured intolerance against Modi &amp; India has worked for now"."'We have to work harder to expose the real character of this lot &amp; neutralise them to save plural India," he said.Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iran and Kuwait expressed their condemnation of the controversial remarks against the Prophet by former BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma and former Delhi media head Naveen Kumar Jindal, and called for "respect for beliefs and religions." Indian ambassadors were summoned and handed over protest notes.As the row intensified domestically and abroad, the BJP on Sunday suspended Nupur Sharma and expelled Jindal.Sharma's comments, made in a TV debate nearly 10 days ago, and Jindal's now-deleted tweets also sparked a Twitter trend calling for a boycott of Indian products in some countries."I condemn hate speech of any kind. I condemn hate speech by anyone. What piques me is the selective outrage and double standards. The world needs to put humanity before religion," Shankar said."Nupur Sharma was way out of line. I cannot imagine the party had any other option but to expel her. That said, I don't hear any of these countries condemn the manchester massacre, Charlie Hebdo or Islamic terrorist acts," she said in a series of tweets.Divya Kumar Soti, security affairs analyst and columnist, also raised the issue of Uighurs and restrictions on Muslims imposed by the Chinese regime."China sent millions of Uighur Muslims to reeducation camps, banned hijab and beard, restricted namaz and Ramzan. Did any Arab country ever dare summon a Chinese ambassador?" Soti said.Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit also took a swipe at the Arab countries over their reaction."So Arab countries will now decide who should be a member of @BJP4India &amp; what should be the basic principles on which the party should function," he tweeted.Shankar said those who issue statements on behalf of all the Muslims of the world "should logically take responsibility for all the crimes by any and all Muslims too".Several other Twitter users echoed the same sentiments."Kuwait and Qatar never bothered about the actual torture of Uighur Muslims by China. But a TV debate on an Indian channel where the opponent was also insulting Hindus left right center rattled them," said Monica Verma.Vishwas Mehta, another user, tweeted, "As an Indian, my respect to China on this matter because no Muslim country dares to say a word to the Chinese government for making concentration camps, atrocities on Muslims. They just make it look so simple and peaceful".Pakistan, which has often drawn flak over the treatment meted out to minorities on its soil, had also summoned the Indian charge d'affaires over the remarks by the two BJP leaders.—PTI

A section of activists and experts on Monday questioned the "silence"' of Muslim nations on China's treatment of minorities and alleged violation of human rights there after some of these countries lodged a protest with India over the remarks of two Bharatiya Janata Party functionaries on Prophet Mohammad.

'Why are Muslim countries silent on China?'

Gorakhpur: Gita Press, the largest publishing press of Hindu religion text, is planning to open its outlets in 11 countries, the international convener of the press Jai Kishan Sarda said. Jai Kishan Sarda and his wife Sumitra Sarda, both are of Indian origin and living in Nepal from many generations. They have been managing Gita Press book depot in Nepal at Pashupatinath temple campus since 2016 and Jai Kishan Sarda thought of serving the society after he was saved in the earthquake in Nepal. “We are planning to open Gita Press stores in other countries and we became highly motivated after listening to President Kovind during the Gita Press centenary programme in Gorakhpur last week. President Kovind said that his secretariat will help in reaching the books at the international level. I have many contacts in several countries and we are coordinating with the people of Indian and Nepali origin in 11 countries to open outlets in their respective countries,” he said. He further added that he has plans to open outlets in Australia, America, Dubai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, the UK, Ghana, Kenya, Thailand and Myanmar. The Gita Press is located in Gorakhpur and was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the principles of Sanatan Dharma. Hanuman Prasad Poddar, popularly known as ‘Bhai ji’ was the founding and the lifetime editor of its noted magazine who also wrote articles with his pen name ‘Shiv Kalyan’. It started publishing in 1927, with a circulation of 1,600 copies and its print order had reached 2,50,000 in 2012. The Gita Press archives contain over 3,500 manuscripts including over 100 interpretations of the Bhagwad Gita. Since its establishment, the Gita Press has published approximately 410 million copies of the Gita (in different editions) and 70.0 million copies of the Ram Charitamanas, at subsidised prices.—IANS

Gita Press, the largest publishing press of Hindu religion text, is planning to open its outlets in 11 countries, the international convener of the press Jai Kishan Sarda said.

Gita Press To Open Outlets In 11 Countries

Gorakhpur: Gita Press, the largest publishing press of Hindu religion text, is planning to open its outlets in 11 countries, the international convener of the press Jai Kishan Sarda said.Jai Kishan Sarda and his wife Sumitra Sarda, both are of Indian origin and living in Nepal from many generations. They have been managing Gita Press book depot in Nepal at Pashupatinath temple campus since 2016 and Jai Kishan Sarda thought of serving the society after he was saved in the earthquake in Nepal. "We are planning to open Gita Press stores in other countries and we became highly motivated after listening to President Kovind during the Gita Press centenary programme in Gorakhpur last week. President Kovind said that his secretariat will help in reaching the books at the international level. I have many contacts in several countries and we are coordinating with the people of Indian and Nepali origin in 11 countries to open outlets in their respective countries," he said.He further added that he has plans to open outlets in Australia, America, Dubai, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, the UK, Ghana, Kenya, Thailand and Myanmar.The Gita Press is located in Gorakhpur and was founded in 1923 by Jaya Dayal Goyanka and Ghanshyam Das Jalan for promoting the principles of Sanatan Dharma.Hanuman Prasad Poddar, popularly known as 'Bhai ji' was the founding and the lifetime editor of its noted magazine who also wrote articles with his pen name 'Shiv Kalyan'.It started publishing in 1927, with a circulation of 1,600 copies and its print order had reached 2,50,000 in 2012. The Gita Press archives contain over 3,500 manuscripts including over 100 interpretations of the Bhagwad Gita.Since its establishment, the Gita Press has published approximately 410 million copies of the Gita (in different editions) and 70.0 million copies of the Ram Charitamanas, at subsidised prices. —IANS

Bengaluru: As India plans to usher in the 5G era, the demand for 5G-compatible devices has nosedived in Southeast Aisa as practical uses of 5G have yet to be seen amid rising inflation, a new report said on Monday.
5G deployment in developing Southeast Asian markets has been abysmal, ensuring the hype for 5G has dwindled, and demand has shifted to more practical aspects of smartphones such as battery life, storage, processor speed and camera quality, reports Canalys.
"The demand for 5G devices has come to a standstill. 5G devices experienced their first sequential decline to 18 per cent of overall smartphone shipments in Q2," said research analyst Chiew Le Xuan.
Growing inflation has resulted in consumers looking for longer-lasting devices over less practical qualities such as 5G.
Practical uses of 5G have yet to be seen, and is especially unnecessary for low-mid devices when 4G speeds are sufficient in day-to-day usage.
"Maintaining device affordability while boosting profitability is the greatest challenge fora-vendors," Xuan added.
In the second quarter (Q2), Southeast Asian smartphone shipments reached 24.5 million units, a 7 per cent drop from the previous quarter.
Samsung retained its leading position, despite a 19 per cent fall from Q1, owing to lower than anticipated demand for its mid-to-high-end A series.
Indonesia remained the largest market, with 37 per cent share and 9.1 million shipments, followed by Philippines with 4.4 million shipments.
Thailand's smartphone market declined 14 per cent sequentially to 4 million units, and Vietnam smartphone market declined 32 per cent quarter-on-quarter to 3.1 million shipments, as a result of weakened consumer demand stemming from global uncertainties and rising commodity prices.
Malaysia's smartphone market grew 6 per cent to 2.4 million shipments.&nbsp;
—IANS

As India plans to usher in the 5G era, the demand for 5G-compatible devices has nosedived in Southeast Aisa as practical uses of 5G have yet to be seen amid rising inflation, a new report said on Monday.

 Demand for 5G smartphones nosedives in Southeast Asian countries

San Francisco: Meta (formely Facebook) on Tuesday announced to expand its Horizon Worlds metaverse experience to more countries in Europe, for people aged 18 or older in France and Spain.
Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that he looks forward to "seeing people explore and build immersive worlds, and to bringing this to more countries soon".&nbsp;
"We want everyone to have control over their experience in Horizon Worlds, so we're always working to add more tools and features that let people customize their own experiences," Meta said in a blog post.
To start, the Conduct in VR Policy and Horizon Worlds Prohibited Content Policy outlines what is and is not allowed on the platform.
If someone bothers you, you have several options. From your wrist menu, you can tap the shield icon and pull up Safe Zone, which allows you to take a break from your surroundings and block, mute, or report anyone engaging in unwanted behaviour.
"All new Horizon Worlds users go through an onboarding process that explains how to use Safe Zone. Further, anyone violating our policies may have their account restricted, suspended, or disabled, depending on the specifics of the case," said the company.
Recently, Meta announced a new setting known as Voice Mode in Horizon Worlds that gives users more control over their experience.
With an aim to make it more user-friendly, tech giant Meta has also introduced a new content rating system for "mature audiences".&nbsp;
—IANS

Meta (formely Facebook) on Tuesday announced to expand its Horizon Worlds metaverse experience to more countries in Europe, for people aged 18 or older in France and Spain.

 Meta expands Horizon Worlds metaverse to more European countries

New Delhi: India stands a good chance of filling in a suitable position in manufacturing, leaving behind several South Asian countries including China, according to the director of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Shishir Priyadarshi.
'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' attempts to correct this imbalance by incentivising manufacturers, addressing disabilities, and attracting global value chains. Shishir Priyadarshi believes that as far as the global value chain is concerned, most countries at present are not likely to be dependent on a single country.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, the WTO director said that most countries would not like to be dependent on a single country as far as sourcing the primary inputs for the global value chain is concerned.
"Most countries today globally would not like to be dependent on a single country as far as sourcing the primary inputs for the global value chain is concerned. And yes, China has been the predominant supplier for many of these countries who now want to diversify," Priyadarshi told ANI.
"And I think India stands a very good chance of filling in that niche. Provided India can ensure competitiveness and high technology and that can only come about if we can help ease business and cost of businesses in India", Priyadarshi told ANI.
He was addressing a session on Aatmanirbhar Bharat -- whether how and when India's indigenisation efforts will pay off.
"Will it slow or hasten our integration into global supply chains?" the WTO director asked while stressing the fact that we need to be clear if we want to "Make in India" or "Make for the world".
Further speaking about his assessment of India's recent pulling out of the trade-related negotiations pertaining to the United States-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the Director added that New Delhi's presence in all four verticals would be essential to have a strategic partnership with the other countries. "India has opted out from one of the pillars of this forum. It would have been much better if India was in the forum because then you can guide the discussions. But, I did read a specific statement from Piyush Goyal who seemed positive in that statement about the possibility of joining this trade pillar at a subsequent date. Overall, if we are to have a strategic partnership with the countries in this forum, then I think India's presence in all these four verticals would be important", said Priyadarshi.
Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) was formed jointly by the US and partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on the sidelines of the Quad Summit in Tokyo on May 23 this year. India decided to join three pillars related to supply chains, tax and anti-corruption, and clean energy. but decided to opt out of the trade pillar. Priyadarshi who is one of the directors of WTO in Geneva was speaking at the 2022 edition of the Mindmine Summit in New Delhi. —ANI

India stands a good chance of filling in a suitable position in manufacturing, leaving behind several South Asian countries including China, according to the director of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Shishir Priyadarshi.

As Countries Move Out From China For Global Supply, India Stands Good Chance Of Filling Niche: WTO Director

Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with seven ambassadors of India posted in different nations on Monday at his residence. Various topics were discussed between the Chief Minister and the ambassadors on this occasion, said an official statement.
"Cooperation of ambassadors would be taken to promote 'One District Two Products' of the state in different countries. More efforts are needed to make people aware of the local products of Uttarakhand in different countries," CM Dhami said. "Uttarakhand has many possibilities in the field of tourism, industry and horticulture. The state government is making continuous efforts to promote them", he said.
The Chief Minister asked all the ambassadors to inform the officials of the Uttarakhand government about the best practices of the countries in which they are working. The Chief Minister directed the government officials to make complete documentation of the suggestions received in the meetings with ambassadors on various subjects today and tomorrow. He further gave instructions to the officers to make an action plan by implementing these suggestions to make Uttarakhand one of the best states in the country.
"Infrastructure and connectivity are expanding rapidly in the state and if people from different countries want to come to Uttarakhand for information related to various products, tourism, local culture and cultural heritage in the state, then the information should also be given about it. Everyone will be welcomed in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand and all possible help will be given," the Chief Minister said.
On this occasion, the Indian ambassadors suggested that the products and food of the mountainous region of the state should be promoted. Along with promoting the products of the state, there should be a good system of their manufacturing, branding and packaging. It was suggested in the meeting that the state can be rapidly promoted on the global level in the form of Yoga and Wellness tourism. Uttarakhand has been the land of Yoga. By taking training from here, people in different countries are training in yoga. More and more people can take training in yoga in the state, it can be arranged well in the state, said the ambassadors at the event.
Tanmay Lal, Ambassador of India to Sweden, Viraj Singh, Ambassador of India to Tajikistan, Upendra Singh Rawat, Ambassador of India to Panama, Alok Amitabha, Ambassador of India to Brunei, Namgya Khampa, Ambassador of India to Kenya, Ambassador of India to Slovenia, Namrata S. Kumar, Ambassador of India to Algeria, Gaurav Ahluwalia, Secretary Pankaj Kumar Pandey and Additional Secretary Nitin Bhadauria were present. —ANI

 Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with seven ambassadors of India posted in different nations on Monday at his residence. Various topics were discussed between the Chief Minister and the ambassadors on this occasion, said an official statement.

CM Dhami Meets Indian Envoys To 7 Countries In Dehradun

San Francisco: Tech giant Apple has announced that its subscription-based Fitness+ service will now be available to iPhone users in 21 countries, starting from October 24.
Fitness+ users with an Apple Watch can continue to take their motivation to the next level with personalised real-time metrics that display on iOS devices. However, users can also enjoy the services even if they do not have an Apple Watch.
"We built Fitness+ to be the most inclusive and welcoming fitness service in the world, and the response from our users has been overwhelmingly positive. We wanted the amazing impact of Fitness+ to reach iPhone users and make it easier than ever to get started on your health and fitness journey," Jay Blahnik, Apple's vice president of Fitness Technologies, said in a statement.
The subscription-based service can be shared with up to five other family members. In addition, Fitness+ will include Taylor Swift's music, beginning with a series of Solo Artist Spotlights featuring new songs from her upcoming album, "Midnights".
Fitness+ will also introduce a new workout programme, Yoga for Every Runner, led by Fitness+ Yoga trainer Jessica Skye and featuring Scott Jurek.
"Whether users want to get outside and go for a walk with Time to Walk, improve their running with ultramarathoner Scott Jurek, or get moving to one of their favourite artists, like Taylor Swift, there really is something for everyone to stay motivated," Blahnik added.
—IANS

Tech giant Apple has announced that its subscription-based Fitness+ service will now be available to iPhone users in 21 countries, starting from October 24.

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36 Countries Including US Urge UN Members To Keep Food Markets Open, Avoid Export Bans

Inam Ansari

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36 Countries Including US Urge UN Members To Keep Food Markets Open, Avoid Export Bans

Inam Ansari

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