Author: Grace Tsoi

India donates funds to Taiwan to boost cooperation on traditional medicine
28Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

India donates funds to Taiwan to boost cooperation on traditional medicine

In order to boost cooperation in traditional medicine, India on Friday donated Rs 1.5 million (NTD 570,000) to Taiwan’s National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (NRICM).This is the first time the Indian government made a donation to a Taiwanese government institution, as the NRICM resorts under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.Taiwan’s representative office in the South Asian country spent years promoting exchanges between the traditional medicine sectors of the two sides. India is one of 18 countries targeted by Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, which was introduced in 2016.India has already set up a permanent “AYUSH Information Cell” providing data about traditional Indian medicine and managing exchanges with the Chinese medicine community in Taiwan.The Ministry of Ayush and the W
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India’s Bharat Biotech confirms deal with Brazil to supply 20 million covid-19 vaccine doses
27Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

India’s Bharat Biotech confirms deal with Brazil to supply 20 million covid-19 vaccine doses

India’s Bharat Biotech International Limited on Friday confirmed an agreement with Brazil for the supply of 20 million doses of India manufactured covid-19 vaccine, Covaxin.“The company is delighted to partner with Brazil in its battle against Covid-19 and aid its immunization program against the virus. It has signed an agreement for delivery of COVAXIN during Q2 (April to June) and Q3 (July to September) (of) 2021,” the company said in a statement.“There is a strong interest in Covaxin from many countries around the world, and the company is fully committed to ensuring supplies promptly and efficiently,” it added.Covaxin is one of the two Covid-19 vaccines approved for emergency use in India. The other one is Covishield (the local name for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the U
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EU-China investment deal faces flak in European Parliament
25Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

EU-China investment deal faces flak in European Parliament

In a session of the European Parliament on international trade on Wednesday, the Ministers of the Parliament (MEPs) lashed out at the European Commission on its investment deal with China overlooking human rights conditions in China and Hong Kong.According to media reports, MEPs accused Brussels of overlooking concerns over the prevailing human rights conditions in China, glossing over Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong, and not bothering about the Biden administration.The Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI) was signed in December last year, however, it still needs to be ratified by the European Parliament and approved by the EU Council.German MEP Reinhard Butikofer, who chairs the parliament’s delegation for relations with China, said the deal was a “Christmas present for (Chinese P
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EU must end over-reliance on China for rare earth elements: European Commission president
24Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

EU must end over-reliance on China for rare earth elements: European Commission president

To end China’s virtual monopoly on processing rare earth elements, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday suggested that the European Union (EU) must end its over-reliance on imports from abroad so that the EU could develop its technological industry.“Green and digital technologies currently depend on a number of scarce raw materials. We import lithium for electric cars, platinum to produce clean hydrogen, silicon metal for solar panels, 98 per cent of the rare earth elements we need come from a single supplier – China – and this is not sustainable,” von der Leyen said in a video address to mark the EU Industry Days 2021.The president said that the creation of a European Raw Materials Alliance late last year was made for this purpose, so as to alleviate the bloc’
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EU Council condemns military coup in Myanmar, ready to impose sanctions
22Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

EU Council condemns military coup in Myanmar, ready to impose sanctions

As incidents of brutal violence against peaceful protestors come forth in Myanmar, the European Union (EU) Council on Monday condemned the military coup and said that it is considering sanctions against the individuals responsible for ousting the country’s civilian government.“The European Union calls for de-escalation of the current crisis through an immediate end to the state of emergency, the restoration of the legitimate civilian government and the opening of the newly elected parliament,” the Council said in a statement.The council called for the results of the democratic elections held on November 9, last year to be respected and demanded that the military must renounce its action.The European Union is “deeply concerned about reports of intimidation”.The EU Council also added that it
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Committed to no first use of nukes, support negotiations on FMCT: India
22Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Committed to no first use of nukes, support negotiations on FMCT: India

During a high-level segment conference on Disarmament under the Presidency of Brazil on Monday, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shiringla said that India is committed to the goal of universal, non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament, and it has reiterated its position of no first use of nuclear weaponsShiringla also said that the country is committed as per its nuclear doctrine to maintain credible minimum deterrence with the posture of no-first-use and non-use against non-nuclear-weapon states.“Our call for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons through a step-by-step process, as also outlined in our Working Paper on Nuclear Disarmament submitted to the Conference of Disarmament in 2007 (CD) has enduring relevance,” he said.“India reiterates its call to undertake the ste
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India, Australia can work together on open, secure Indo-Pacific: Australian PM Scott Morrison
19Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

India, Australia can work together on open, secure Indo-Pacific: Australian PM Scott Morrison

After having a brief talk with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday said that both New Delhi and Canberra can work together on common challenges including COVID-19 and a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.“Great to talk to my good friend PM Narendra Modi again. As Comprehensive Strategic Partners, we can work together on common challenges including COVID-19, the circular economy, oceans and an open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. We also discussed progress of our media platform bill,” Scott Morrison said in a tweet.On Thursday, Prime Minister Modi had tweeted that he discussed regional issues of common interest with Morrison and reiterated their commitment to consolidating New Delhi and Canberra Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.The
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British-Pakistani activist held in Pakistan over London speech
18Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

British-Pakistani activist held in Pakistan over London speech

Yousaf Ali Khan, a British-Pakistani activist is being held in Pakistan on charges of sedition and "conspiring to wage war" against the state.He is accused of making incendiary remarks advocating violence in a speech in London broadcast on social media.Khan has lived in the UK for some 20 years, and was visiting Pakistan for a family funeral when he was detained. He was arrested on Saturday night, when a large number of heavily armed police surrounded the family's home in Swabi in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.He is president of the UK chapter of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), which campaigns for accountability for alleged human rights abuses committed by the Pakistani army whilst fighting against Islamist militants on the border with Afghanistan.According to legal documents, Khan is ac...
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Ambassadors to Myanmar ask military to stop violence
16Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

Ambassadors to Myanmar ask military to stop violence

As protests against the Myanmar military coup continue to rage across the country, the Ambassadors to Myanmar on Sunday called on the military junta to refrain from violence against demonstrators and civilians.The envoys have issued a joint statement condemning the detention and the arrests of political leaders, civil society activists, and civil servants, as well as the harassment of journalists.The official statement has been signed by Ambassadors to Myanmar from Canada; the Delegation of the European Union and EU Member States with presence in Myanmar: Denmark, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden; Norway; Switzerland; the United Kingdom; and the United States."We call on security forces to refrain from violence against demonstrators and civili...
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‘Expressing our Amistad’, says Jaishankar as ‘Made in India’ COVID-19 vaccines reach Mexico
14Feb By Grace TsoiNo Comments

‘Expressing our Amistad’, says Jaishankar as ‘Made in India’ COVID-19 vaccines reach Mexico

As over eight lakh made-in-India coronavirus vaccine reached Mexico, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday took to Twitter to announce the news.“Expressing our Amistad. Mexico receives Made in India vaccines,” tweeted Jaishankar.On Saturday, Indian Ambassador Manpreet Vohra said that 870,000 Made-in-India vaccines will reach Mexico on Sunday morning. The doses were requested by Mexico.“To meet #Mexico’s special request to #India for additional doses, huge efforts made by Minister @DrSJaishankar to help quickly. Now 870,000 Made-in-India vaccines will reach here on Sunday morning,” he tweeted.At a news conference last week, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador informed that the country would receive around a million doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine sent from India
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