World 79 - Samvada World

17Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

World

Chinese tech company Huawei wilts under US sanctions and global boycott; Set to sell its Honor phone brand

Chinese tech company Huawei is set to sell its major mobile phone brand, Honor, which caters to the budget section of smartphones. Huawei’s decision to sell one of its major brands is seen as an effort to rescue the struggling business from damaging US sanctions imposed on it and the boycott in many countries over security concerns. The company announced the sale on Tuesday and aims to revive Honor by separating it from Huawei’s network equipment business. Huawei’s network equipment business which has expanded across the world for over two decades, has seen resistence from many countries in Asia, Europe and America in recent years owning to security concerns and the control of the Chinese Communist Party over the company's functioning and policies. Honor will be owned by a newly...

Residents of Armenian territories set fire to homes and move graves to avoid vandalism by Azerbaijan forces after land swap in a Russia-brokered peace deal

15Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Middle East, World

Residents of Armenian territories set fire to homes and move graves to avoid vandalism by Azerbaijan forces after land swap in a Russia-brokered peace deal

Many residents have adopted a scorched earth policy in Nagorno-Karabakh region by setting their houses on fire before leaving to other parts in Armenia before the deadline that will see parts of the territory handed over to Azerbaijan as part of the peace agreement. Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to end hostilities after they agreed to a Russia-brokered peace deal earlier this month. The Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan brokered by Russia stipulates swap of territory, an exchange of prisoners of war and bodies, the return of refugees to the region and restoring economic and transport ties. The current peace deal mandates the return of Kalbajar and Aghdam districts to Azerbaijan by Armenia within November 20. Similarly, the Lachin district, held by...

ASEAN countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand sign China backed RCEP, excluding India and USA

15Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Asia, World

ASEAN countries, Japan, Australia, New Zealand sign China backed RCEP, excluding India and USA

Fifteen Asian countries along with Australia and New Zealand have formally signed the China backed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) at the regional summit in Hanoi. The agreement to lower tariffs and open up the services trade within the RCEP. Excluding the United States from the pact is viewed as a Chinese-led alternative to a now-defunct Washington trade initiative. India pulled out of RCEP talks in November last year, but ASEAN leaders have said the door remained open for it to join. First proposed in 2011 at the summit in Bali, the agreement was finally signed at a virtual ASEAN Summit on 15 November 2020. The deal is important as the countries part of the pact are trying to get their pandemic-hit economies back on track. The arrangement will also ...

38 years after war, Falkland Islands cleared of mines; Islanders celebrate being ‘landmine free’

15Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

South America, World

38 years after war, Falkland Islands cleared of mines; Islanders celebrate being ‘landmine free’

Nearly 40 years after the Falklands Wars, all but one of the remaining anti-personnel landmines on the islands have been cleared. On Tuesday 10th November, the UK's foreign office announced that the final landmine will be set off clearing the islands of landmines placed during the 1982 war. The islanders had called for a celebration there on 14 November. Argentina invaded the British territory of Falkland Islands in 1982 which was taken back by British forces 74 days later. The island territory is located 400 km off the Argentinian coast. It is estimated that nearly 13,000 mines were placed by the Argentine forces during this battle. The programme to remove the mines was started in 2009 as part of the UK's obligations under the international anti-personnel mine ban conven...

Philippines set to become BrahMos Cruise Missile’s first International customer

14Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Defence & Security, World

Philippines set to become BrahMos Cruise Missile’s first International customer

The Philippines could become the first international customer of the acclaimed BrahMos cruise missiles if everything goes as planned. The BrahMos system is a supersonic cruise missile system developed by India in collaboration with Russia. Reports say that the two countries are set to conclude the deal during a summit between PM Modi and President Duterte planned early next year. When the deal goes through, the Philippines will become the first country to acquire the BrahMos missile system. Talks have been going on with many other prospective buyers, including Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam, to sell land and sea-based versions of the supersonic cruise missile. Hindustan Times reports that BrahMos Aerospace that produces the weapons system is expected to send its team to visit ...

Jack Ma’s world’s largest IPO was scuttled personally by Chinese President Xi Jinping: Report

13Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Asia, World

Jack Ma’s world’s largest IPO was scuttled personally by Chinese President Xi Jinping: Report

A WSJ report says that the Chinese President took the decision to stop Ant groups IPO after Jack Ma criticised the country's financial watchdogs and Communist Party’s handling of the economy. The Wall Street Journal on Thursday reported that China’s President Xi Jinping personally made the decision to halt the initial public offering of Ant Group after controlling shareholder Jack Ma infuriated government leaders by attacking the country's financial watchdogs and Communist Party’s handling of the economy. The Ant IPO which sought to raise $37bn would have been the world’s biggest IPO. The WSJ report quoted Chinese officials who had the knowledge of the matter. The scuttling of the IPO by the intervention of the president himself is seen as the culmination of years of tense relat...

Biden at the helm! What it means for the US and India – Part 2

12Nov

By Editor1 Comment

Analysis, Featured, North America, World

Biden at the helm! What it means for the US and India – Part 2

From viewing India as a third-world country and a minion to becoming a equal partner in many endeavors, the US-India relationship has come a long way. The closeness of political leaders of the two democracies and the increasing cooperation in defence and other fields is an indication of the changing preferences of both the countries irrespective of the party or president in power. As a metric of the increasing proximity of the two countries, there were just three US presidential visits to India for the first 50 years since India’s independence I.e, from 1947 to 1997. The first two visits were by Republican Presidents, Dwight D Eisenhower (in 1959) and Richard Nixon (in 1969), and third one was by a Democrat, Jimmy Carter (in 1978). However, the 23 years since then saw five US...

COVID19 – France overtakes Russia as worst affected country in Europe

12Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Europe, World

COVID19 – France overtakes Russia as worst affected country in Europe

France is now the worst coronavirus affected country in Europe, overtaking Russia. The country reported 35,879 new cases on Wednesday, taking the national total to 1,865,538. The country is almost two weeks into a new lockdown. International aid group Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said it is recruiting emergency help for nursing homes in France to help with surging infections. Coordinator Olivia Gayraud said the emergency program is focused on relieving over-worked staff, adding that MSF has "expertise in crisis management" and experience helping "populations whose lives and health are threatened.' France is almost two weeks into a new national lockdown and the health ministry's new case tally was up from the 22,180 reported on Tuesday but remained well below the record high of...

China’s strike on Democracy in Hong Kong – City’s pro-Democracy legislators resign in protest

12Nov

By SamvadaWorld StaffNo Comments

Asia, World

China’s strike on Democracy in Hong Kong – City’s pro-Democracy legislators resign in protest

Pro-democracy legislators Wu Chi-Wai, Claudia Mo, Lam Cheuk-ting and several others have resigned from the Legislative Council after Alvin Yeung Ngok-kiu, Kwok Ka-ki, Kenneth Leung and Dennis Kwok were disqualified when China passed a new resolution on 11, 2020 In a major jolt to China's machinations in the island nation, pro-democracy legislators of the Hong Kong parliament have tendered their resignations. They formally tendered their resignation on Thursday in protest against the dismissal of four of their colleagues. https://in.reuters.com/article/us-hongkong-security/hong-kong-opposition-lawmakers-expected-to-formally-tender-resignations-in-protest-over-oustings-idUSKBN27S04P The dismissals came after China's National People's Congress Standing Committee passed a resolution...

Biden at the helm! What it means for the US and the World – Part 1

9Nov

By EditorNo Comments

Featured, World

Biden at the helm! What it means for the US and the World – Part 1

Joe Biden has criticised Trump’s temperamental approach towards long standing allies and has vowed to recommit the U.S. to global alliances and international accords that President Trump has quit or criticized. The major differences in the two rivals’ approaches to foreign policy is sure to have a telling effect on the world after the change of guard at the White House. The suspense over who will enter the White House has ended, well almost. Though Trump promises to challenge the results and urge for re-counting at several states, the entire world along with the the citizens of USA are looking forward to the the new US President taking oath as if their future plans depended on the results. While the live coverage in media across the world is an indication of the importance of the r...