Category: Global Politics

Trump insists that school open, but teachers aren’t so sure

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ President Donald Trump has made his position clear: “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!” he tweeted Monday. As Covid-19 surges in parts of the US, many teachers aren’t convinced. The pandemic’s ever-shifting nature has robbed school districts of the ability to plan with certainty — not only for instruction, but to provide protective equipment and intensive cleaning. Even if a sustained decline in infections allows them to open their doors, many are preparing a mix of in-person and remote education that is certain to fall short of…

‘Coronavirus can spread in air’: Over 200 scientists want WHO to recognise new risk

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ More than 200 scientists have called for the World Health Organization and others to acknowledge that the coronavirus can spread in the air — a change that could alter some of the current measures being taken to stop the pandemic. In a letter published this week in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, two scientists from Australia and the U.S. wrote that studies have shown “beyond any reasonable doubt that viruses are released during exhalation, talking and coughing in microdroplets small enough to remain aloft in the air.”…

Justin Trudeau turns down White House invitation amid pandemic

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has turned down a White House invitation to celebrate the new regional free trade agreement in Washington with U.S President Donald Trump and Mexican President AndrĂŠs Manuel LĂłpez Obrador. Trump and LĂłpez Obrador are due to meet Wednesday Washington, but Trudeau spokesperson Chantal Gagnon said Monday that while Canada wishes the U.S. and Mexico well, Trudeau won’t be there. “While there were recent discussions about the possible participation of Canada, the prime minister will be in Ottawa this week for scheduled Cabinet meetings…

Facebook, others, block govt requests on Hong Kong user data

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram will deny law enforcement requests for user data in Hong Kong as they assess the impact of a new national security law enacted last week. Facebook and its messaging app WhatsApp said in separate statements Monday that they would freeze the review of government requests for user data in Hong Kong, “pending further assessment of the National Security Law, including formal human rights due diligence and consultations with international human rights experts.” The policy changes follow the roll out last week of laws…

Africa starts opening airspace even as Covid-19 cases surge

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ As Covid-19 cases surged in many parts of the world, the island nation of the Seychelles was looking good: 70-plus straight days without a single infection. Then the planes arrived. Two chartered Air Seychelles flights carrying more than 200 passengers also brought the coronavirus. A few tested positive. Then, between June 24 and 30, the country’s confirmed cases shot from 11 to 81. Now the Indian Ocean nation has delayed reopening for commercial flights for its lucrative tourism industry until August 1, if all goes well. African nations face…

India-China ties in complex situation, says Beijing after Doval-Wang icebreaker

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ China on Monday said the consensus reached with India to disengage troops at the border should be implemented as soon as possible, indicating cooling down of tension with India at the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC). India and China clashed earlier last month along the disputed border in Galwan Valley, resulting in death of 20 Indian soldiers and purported casualties of Chinese troops. Acknowledging that current bilateral ties were facing a “complex situation”, Beijing said both sides should adhere to the “to the strategic judgement that they do not pose…

China arrests top Xi critic, plans crackdown on political foes

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ Beijing police arrested an outspoken critic of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday morning as his administration took steps to crack down on potential threats to the Communist Party stemming from the economic fallout of the pandemic. Xu Zhangrun, a law professor at Tsinghua University, was taken away by police from his house at a Beijing suburb, according to his friend, Geng Xiaonan, who said she got the information from his domestic helper, his wife and students. She said she believed Xu’s arrest was linked to a book he…

Pakistan stops work at first Hindu temple in Islamabad

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ The fate of Islamabad’s first Hindu temple seems to hang in the balance after its boundary wall was vandalised by a group of fundamentalists men over the weekend and the Capital Development Authority ordered stoppage of the construction The video of the temple being attacked went viral on Twitter and garnered a lot of criticism from people across the country. Following this the hashtag #MandirTauBanga has become one of the top trends on the social media platform. Prime Minister Imran Khan, who had earlier approved its construction…

‘Must be held accountable’: Trump blames China for Covid-19 in July 4 speech

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ As the United States celebrated its 244th birthday in an unusually somber manner reflecting the mood of a country in the throes of deadly coronavirus disease outbreak, President Donald Trump once again blamed China for it and held out hopes of a vaccine by the end of the year. The president, who held the July 4 celebrations against the advice of public health officials and experts warning that the virus is also spreading through these large gatherings, did not mention the fatalities in his speech. Currently the…

Pakistan will complete CPEC project at all costs, says PM Imran Khan

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COURTESY BY: https://www.hindustantimes.com/ Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed on Friday that his government would complete the ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) at “any cost” as the USD 60 billion project is a manifestation of the all-weather friendship between the two countries. Addressing a meeting held here to review progress on the CPEC projects, Khan said it is an excellent project for Pakistan’s socio-economic development and the “gigantic multi-faceted initiative would guarantee a bright future for the nation”, the Dawn newspaper reported. Lauding the performance of the CPEC Authority, he…