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Nepal's policymakers are undergoing 13 days' offline and online training for the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) in Beijing after China "especially invited" them to attend it, sources said. China has reserved several seats for policymakers of the mega Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project at its Science Academy in Beijing. The programme started on September 4 and will end on September 20, sources said. "China has invited policymakers of Nepal to attend the training programme so that they can understand how these GPS and its application works in the field of education, research, science and other fields," they said. The move of China is seen as a counter to the US-based Global Positioning System (GPS) hegemony and push for its own indigenously developed navigation system in the region. China uses its homegrown navigation system BeiDou for both military and civilian purposes. BDS, stated to be rivalling GPS, is the fourth global satellite navigation system in the world. Other systems are Russia's GLONASS and the European Union's Galileo. India too is developing its own navigational system called the <keyword id="1493841" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Regional-Navigation-Satellite-System">Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System</keyword> (<keyword id="1596484" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="IRNSS">IRNSS</keyword>), with an operational name of NAVIC. Sources said that BDS' implementation will not only reduce the dependence of Chinese aircraft, vehicles and anti-missile systems on GPS and GLONASS, but it will enhance the People's Liberation Army's capabilities in conducting overseas operations. BeiDou started providing independent navigation services over China in 2000 and will serve many countries part of BRI. Currently, BeiDou covers nearly 30 countries including Pakistan, Egypt and Indonesia. China's BRI is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects launched in 2013 by President Xi Jinping. It is aimed at furthering China's influence abroad with infrastructure projects funded by Chinese investments all over the world. The initiative also led to allegations of smaller countries reeling under mounting Chinese debt after Sri Lanka handed over its strategic Hambantota port in a debt swap to China in 2017 on a 99-year lease. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, China has inked 198 cooperation documents with 167 countries and international organisations under the BRI. China sees its trade expansion with the BRI countries as a way out to sustain its exports amid declining trend in the US and European Union, its top export destinations till now. (Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in) --IANS sk/kr

China trains Nepal policymakers on BeiDou navigation system amid border tensions with India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In a Tuesday interview with <keyword id="352115" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stephen-Colbert">Stephen Colbert</keyword>, former President <keyword id="15962" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Barack-Obama">Barack Obama</keyword> praised President-elect Joe Biden's <keyword id="44266" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Foreign-policy">foreign policy</keyword> picks for the incoming administration.</li><li>Obama said that he was looking forward to seeing an administration where people "know where countries are," an apparent dig at President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> and his administration.</li><li>In June 2017, Trump <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-called-bhutan-nepal-button-nipple-john-walcott_n_5c58c7b0e4b00187b5544631">reportedly mispronounced</a> <keyword id="12266" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nepal">Nepal</keyword> and <keyword id="6356598" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="bhutan">Bhutan</keyword>, and when looking at a map, had to be told where the countries were located.</li></ul>Former President Barack Obama is thrilled to see his No. 2, President-elect Joe Biden, take office next year, but he's also anxious to see <keyword id="138327" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="geography">geography</keyword> skills make a comeback.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhnPAHQFs_g">During an interview</a> with the "Late Show" host Stephen Colbert that aired on Tuesday, Obama praised Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris for the work that they've done so far to build their new administration."Joe's going to be great," Obama said. "Kamala's going to be great. They're going to have big challenges ahead, but we've got the potential of returning to a presidency that is actually paying attention and trying to do right by all people and not just some."Colbert then complimented the incoming administration's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-foreign-policy-will-mitigate-trump-damage-but-have-challenges-2020-11">national security appointments</a> — which include Antony Blinken as the nominee for Secretary of State, Alejandro Mayorkas as the designate for Secretary of Homeland Security, and longtime diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield to serve as the US Ambassador to the United Nations — while reserving criticism for the Trump administration."It's a whole lot of return to the sort of stability and competency of your eight years, which is novel," Colbert said. "It's as good as a vacation right now, with somebody who actually wants to do the job that they were hired to do. That's an interesting idea, isn't it?Obama added: "And have experience and written about stuff and know where countries are. It's great."The former president was likely referencing President Donald Trump's geographic blunders, <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-called-bhutan-nepal-button-nipple-john-walcott_n_5c58c7b0e4b00187b5544631">where he reportedly mispronounced</a> Nepal and Bhutan as "Nipple" and "Button" during a June 2017 intelligence meeting and knew little about the respective countries while studying a world map, <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/13/trump-world-knowledge-diplomatic-774801">according to Politico</a>."He didn't know what those [two countries] were," a source told Politico. "He thought it was all part of India. He was like, 'What is this stuff in between and these other countries?'"And then in January 2020, Secretary of State <keyword id="3109665" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Mike-Pompeo">Mike Pompeo</keyword> also had a bizarre geography-related incident during an interview with NPR host Mary Louise Kelly.When Kelly asked Pompeo questions about the US's commitment to <keyword id="6355101" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ukraine">Ukraine</keyword> and the dismissal of former US ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mike-pompeo-accuses-veteran-npr-reporter-lying-and-being-unhinged-2020-1">he reportedly became irate</a> with the veteran journalist, cursing her and giving her a geography quiz."He used the f-word in that sentence and many others," <a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/799381193/mary-louise-kelly-interviews-secretary-of-state-mike-pompeo">Kelly said on NPR</a>. "He asked if I could find Ukraine on a map. I said yes, and he called out for aides to bring us a map of the world with no writing. I pointed to Ukraine. He put the map away."After the interview, <a href="https://twitter.com/amyfiscus/status/1221091732944773121">Pompeo released a statement</a> saying that Kelly had "lied" to him about having an off-the-record conversation and accused her of misidentifying Bangladesh for Ukraine, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/01/25/799584780/npr-responds-to-sec-pompeo-interview">accusations that NPR roundly dismissed</a>.

In an apparent dig at the Trump administration, Obama says Biden's foreign policy team will 'know where countries are'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Worldwide approval of the US has rebounded under President Biden.</li><li>Gallup's annual world poll found that approval of the US shot up 15 percentage points.</li></ul>Worldwide views of the US vastly improved during President <keyword id="99719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="Orion">Joe Biden</keyword> first year in office, a sign of just how much the globe had soured on former President <keyword id="11914386" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="donald-trump" source="Orion">Donald Trump</keyword>, new <keyword id="11940429" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="polling" source="Orion">polling</keyword> revealed.Median approval of US leadership shot up 15 percentage points, according to the latest edition of Gallup's world poll. The bump takes America roughly back to the Obama-era norm of approval in the 45% range compared to 30% during Trump's final year in office. Biden even tied Obama's 49% record high by August 2021 before the US ratings slipped in the second half of the year amid the administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, although Gallup cautions it can't specifically say the withdrawal caused the decline. "I anticipated a change, but I didn't anticipate the change would be to this scale," Julie Ray, managing Editor for World <keyword id="11893589" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="news" source="Orion">News</keyword> at Gallup said in an interview. <div type="image" title="A Gallup graph showing global approval of the US" height="1500" width="2100" msid="90803630" hostid="261"></div>Biden ran on a message of ending Trump's "America First" policies, returning America to <keyword id="6356001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="international" source="Orion">international</keyword> agreements like the Paris Climate Accord and taking a less confrontational stance towards alliances and international bodies like NATO.This vast change in world views is nothing new, Ray said. President Barack Obama experienced a similar bump after he replaced President George W. Bush after most of the world grew fed up with the Iraq War and the Bush administration's <keyword id="11896900" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="foreign-policy" source="Orion">foreign policy</keyword>.The polling is a bit of good news for a <keyword id="11896084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="white-house" source="Orion">White House</keyword> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-approval-rating-polling-downward-trend-first-year-analysis-2022-1">that is facing a much more hostile reception back home.</a> Biden's domestic approval ratings tanked after his Afghanistan withdrawal and as the Omicron variant renewed COVID-19 worries. Unlike his predecessors<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-approval-rating-polling-ukraine-russia-war-rally-round-flag-2022-4">, Biden is also not experiencing a "rally round' the flag" bump</a> as he helps guide the West amid Russia's war in Ukraine.Some of the biggest pro-America swings were in Europe. The nation's overall approval rating for US leadership are in parentheses. Views of the US jumped 52 percentage-points in Portugal (64%), 45 points in the Netherlands (63%), and 42 points in Norway (54%).<div type="image" title="A map of global swings in US approval" height="1500" width="2100" msid="90803631" hostid="261"></div>Traditional US allies that Trump repeatedly tangled with also expressed rosier views. Germany, where Trump clashed with Chancellor Angela Merkel, gave Biden's America a 36-point boost (42%). Global views are still more favorable of Germany compared to the US, the Germans have a median world approval of 50%.Canada, which Trump labeled a US "security threat" when he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/06/07/trump-to-see-national-security-threat-in-canada-firsthand/">imposed tariffs</a> on its steel and aluminum imports, gave Biden a 38-point bump (55%). US approval also went up 26 points in Mexico (52%), which Trump made a prime target of criticism over immigration.Before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, views of the US soared among NATO members. In 20 out of the 27 NATO nations, the US experienced a double-digit bump in approval. Lithuania was the only NATO member where views of the US declined, down 6 percentage points. <a href="https://www.gallup.com/178667/gallup-world-poll-work.aspx">Gallup surveyed 116 countries and territories for its world poll</a>, which it began tracking in 2007. The polling is so massive that it had to been conducted throughout 2021 with some final surveys ending in January 2022. The firm used phone and in-person interviews with nationally representative samples among people 15-years-old or older. For results based on a nation's total sample, the margin of error ranges from plus or minus 2.8 to 5 percentage points.Some changes in approval could also be due to surveying methods, Gallup said. The polling firm suggested this is why views of the US fell double digits in Nepal and Zambia after Gallup switched from telephone interviews in 2020 to in-person interviews in 2021.

Global approval of the US shot up 15 points during Biden's first year after crashing under Trump, new polling finds

By Shirish B Pradhan Kathmandu, Jun 19 () Nepal and China's ruling communist parties on Friday held a virtual meeting during which they discussed the current political situation and shared their experience on running the party and government. However, according to local media reports, some Nepalese leaders raised questions over the timing of the meeting given the border stand-off between India and China and escalating tension between Kathmandu and New Delhi over Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. Nepal Communist Party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel were among senior leaders of the party who took part in the video conference with senior Chinese leaders. During the conference, relations between the two communist parties, the current coronavirus pandemic and the current political situation mainly figured, according to sources close to the NCP. Dahal during the conference reiterated Nepal's commitment to the 'one China' policy regarding Tibet and Taiwan. The Chinese side assured the NCP leaders that China will continue to extend help to Nepal in its fight against the spread of the coronavirus. Party chairman Dahal said that Nepal will not accept any foreign assistance that is linked to foreign security interests. Dahal's statement comes at a time when there is hot debate going on within the ruling NCP about whether to accept the US' economic assistance under the MCC (Millennium Challenge Corporation) which is linked to the US's Indo-Pacific Strategy. According to a report in the Kathmandu Post, a central member of the NCP, on the condition of anonymity, said he was wondering if the timing for the meeting is right, given the border India-China military tension and souring of the relationship between Kathmandu and New Delhi over Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura areas. Former foreign minister Kamal Thapa said that such a meeting was objectionable. "Objectionable, a neo-colonial practice," Thapa, also the chairman of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, wrote on Twitter. "What will happen if other political parties also start receiving training and financial assistance from foreign parties whom they are comfortable with? Is it an attempt to make Nepal a playground for international forces?" Nepal on Thursday completed the process of redrawing the country's political map through a Constitutional amendment, incorporating three strategically important Indian areas in a move that could severely jolt bilateral relations. India has already termed as "untenable" the "artificial enlargement" of the territorial claims by Nepal after its lower house of Parliament on Saturday unanimously approved the new political map of the country featuring Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas which India maintains belong to it. Meanwhile, Nepal's Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali took part in the high-level video conference on "Belt and Road International Cooperation: Combating COVID-19 with Solidarity" chaired by Chinese Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi. On the occasion, Gyawali underlined that mutual support and collective efforts and the cooperation from multilateral institutions are vital in combating the COVID- 19 pandemic. The WHO should be strengthened further and supported with core resources and technologies to promote international cooperation, he said. Appreciating the role played by BRI in playing high-quality development in the partner countries, he underscored the importance of the new initiative of Health Silk Road under BRI aimed at facilitating trade in anti-epidemic medical supplies and enhancing cooperation in fighting infectious diseases. Foreign Ministers and other senior officials from 26 countries along with the Director General of WHO and Administrator of the UNDP took part in the conference The participants underlined the need for unity, solidarity, mutual cooperation among the countries and strengthening the role of the WHO for combating the pandemic. SBP PMS AKJ PMS PMS

Ruling communist parties of Nepal, China hold virtual meeting

<ul><li>No talks as of now to bid for Air India, India &amp; Nepal Vice President Esa Sulaiman Ahmad told Business Insider. </li><li>The United Arab Emirates (UAE) airline executive said the company is focussed on organic growth in India. </li><li>Emirates' code-share agreement with SpiceJet may roll-out by Diwali, which is in end-October.</li></ul>The Indian government is keen on selling its stake in Air India and <a href="https://www.businesstoday.in/sectors/aviation/air-india-disinvestment-deal-by-october/story/362506.html">the process may kick off by October</a>. Yet, suitors are not lining up for the debt-ridden airline even as government uncharacteristically relinquishing 100% of its control. Amidst hectic parleys in the corridors of power, Emirates, owned by the government in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has ruled out the possibility of a bid for Air India. "We are not looking at it. We are more focussed on seeing how we can grow better organically," Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, the Vice President of India and Nepal, said in a conversation with Business Insider. There are heated debates underway in many forums on whether Air India should be fully privatised. Should the buyer for the national carrier should be Indian or foreign? A few sections of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government seem keen to find the best possible price for the ailing Air India, but the BJP's ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has a clear stand against selling the airline to a foreign peer. Subramanian Swamy's latest tweet on the proposed privatisation of Air India 
	<div type="twitter" handle="Swamy39" handlename="Subramanian Swamy" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1069415134882230272/ATG6qpfq_normal.jpg" favoritecount="13454" retweetcount="2923" status="The Civil Aviation Minister Hardip Puri has been misled by foreign consultancy firms and corrupt bureaucrats on pri… https://t.co/2ApcCIxWKy" createdat="1567087085000" id="1167073942357475329"></div>



 Cashing out of Air India is important for the Narendra Modi government looking to <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/how-air-india-sale-can-spur-govt-s-divestment-agenda-1562613367526.html">garner enough money to invest in</a> more productive ventures that may speed up the economic growth, which recently hit a six-year low of 5% between April and June 2019. The fact that the debt-ridden airline-- ₹55 000 crore at last count-- <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/air-india-losses-to-end-maharaja-may-break-even-this-year-after-a-decade-disinvestment-may-get-easier/1693527/">may reportedly clock a profit</a>, for the first time in a decade, may have helped the sale after many failed attempts in the past. However, the sale of Air India has been a political and an emotional issue, which the Emirates has steered clear of. Emirates code-share agreement with SpiceJet Meanwhile, Ahamad is excited about the code share agreement with SpiceJet, a budget airline based in India. "We will gain six new destinations in India," he said adding that the process is in its final stages. "The two tech platforms have to talk to each other and that is taking a little time," he said. The roll-out is likely by Diwali (late October) this year. The two airlines <a href="https://www.emirates.com/media-centre/emirates-to-expand-reach-in-india-with-spicejet-codeshare-partnership#targetText=Monday%2C%20April%2022%2C%202019%20%E2%80%94,Europe%20and%20the%20Middle%20East.">reached an agreement in April this year </a>to ride on each other's strengths. With a 15% market share, Emirates is already the biggest player in international flights flying to and from India and now, it wants more. SpiceJet is a popular carrier especially in the southern part of India which has frequent fliers to the Gulf countries. Emirates' expansion in India will depend on the review of bilateral agreement between India and UAE The entry of Singapore Air-backed Vistara into international routes, particularly in the Middle East, is a challenge to the likes of Emirates. However, there is a likelihood of expansion for Emirates in India if the two countries decide to revisit the bilateral agreements. "The last one was signed in 2014. There is no specific timeline for a review," he said. The grounding of Jet Airways has been a shot in the arm for airlines in tightly fought market like India. The average number of annual passengers in India is expected to treble to 520 million by 2037, and at that point, it would be the third largest aviation market in the world. Emirates wants a chunkier slice of that pie. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/air-india-will-remain-with-an-indian-company-even-after-sale-says-minister/articleshow/70174990.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Air India will remain with an Indian company even after sale, says Minister</a>

Emirates is not interested in Air India but is excited about its code share with SpiceJet

PM <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword>’s demonetisation policy may fetch good results in the long run. But currently it’s taking a severe toll on common men who are facing difficulties in getting old notes exchanged and waiting in queue at ATM only to know that there is no cash in it. Life hasn’t been so difficult for daily wagers and software engineers alike, when there is money in account but can’t be used. The irony of money couldn’t have been worse. 
 
At such a juncture, when many daily wagers haven’t eaten ample meals in last few days because they couldn’t stand in queue at the bank fearing a day’s loss of income, things aren’t better for well offs staying abroad. 
 
For the NRIs and foreigners planning a visit to India, the fun isn’t the same anymore. Earlier they would be basking in the idea of meeting Indian friends and visiting historical monuments in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. Now they can only think of how to get enough cash in hand. 
 Indian economy, apart from a few exceptions, is largely dependent on cash. Be it street snacks stores to ticket counters of railways at small stations. A few countries in the Middle East, <keyword id="6356662" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Singapore">Singapore</keyword>, <keyword id="8695" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword>, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the countries where Indian population is a bit denser, there are options to change to Indian currencies directly from local ones. Instead of changing to USD first, this foreign exchange has two benefits. Firstly there is not much loss of money in the name of exchange rate. Also you won’t have to depend on another forex office to get the dollar changed after landing in India. 
 Travel advisors make sure people visiting India change to rupee before boarding the flight. The recent demonization has left the tourists in tension. According to <keyword id="265234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sreyashi-Sen">Sreyashi Sen</keyword>, an entrepreneur in Singapore, all the forex offices where they would get Indian currency have stopped changing money to rupee. Leading forex like <keyword id="201800" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mustafa">Mustafa</keyword> has also put a board outside saying ‘No INR’. 
 
Sen, planning a visit to Goa early next week would have count some extra bucks when she lands in India to get currencies changed. Moreover if among the few available forex counters in Goa are non-operative, by any chance, she would be left at the mercy of god. 
 Idmantzi, a Mexican citizen on her India trip is currently halted at Darjeeling in <keyword id="6357783" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="West-Bengal">West Bengal</keyword>. She is a solo traveller without any acquaintance in India. She was carrying a credit card from her country, which isn’t operating in India. The cash, she carried, is in Rs 500 mostly, which has been refused by the hotel and other places there. She had to ask favour from her embassy, who rushed to Darjeeling and bailed her out. 
 If these miseries aren’t enough, an old couple from <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> who went to visit their son in Malaysia had a tough time returning home from Kolkata airport. After they landed at the airport yesterday, the pre-paid counter didn’t accept the notes they carried a month back. Forget booking taxi through apps, for they don’t own a smartphone. Finally a normal yellow taxi decided to ferry them on the condition of paying full Rs 500 without any change in return. The septuagenarians had to shell out Rs 500 for a distance of mere 10 kilometres. Possessing a great sense of humour, the septuagenarian man told the author, “We don’t have any <keyword id="6356023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Black-Money">black money</keyword>. But a note of Rs 500 at the time of economic black out.”

Not
just India, people staying in Singapore and Dubai are facing trouble over Modi’s
demonetization

<ul><li>A report by the Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon states that 123 South Asian <keyword id="70933" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="immigrants">immigrants</keyword> are being detained at Oregon’s Sheridan federal prison in the <keyword id="6356955" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-states">United States</keyword> (US). </li><li>Reports indicate that these migrants fled to the US seeking asylum against <keyword id="1139178" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="religious-persecution">religious persecution</keyword>. </li><li>Prisoner accounts reveal that the immigrants are kept locked up for 23 hours at a time and impeded from meeting their lawyers.</li></ul><keyword id="6354862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword>’s ‘zero-tolerance’ policy has created a wave of unrest along US borders, but what’s not been talked about yet is how it has impacted Indian immigrants as well. According to a statement made by the <a href="http://www.apano.org/blog/2018/06/18/apano-call-to-action-123-immigrants-detained-in-sheridan-or/">Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)</a>, apparently, 123 immigrants who came to the US seeking asylum were detained and put into jail instead. These immigrants are primarily South Asian who speak Hindi and Punjabi but reports indicate that a few maybe Chinese speakers as well. According to Valarie Kaur, a Sikh community activist, at least 52 of the detainees are Indian, 13 are from Nepal and 2 are from Bangladesh. 
 
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Indians were the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/indian-migration-to-the-us.pdf">third largest</a> group of the US immigrants after Mexicans and the Chinese in 2015. As per <a href="https://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/06/immigration_crackdown_brings_1.html">The Oregonian</a>, members of the congressional delegation went to tour the detention center and received accounts of how the migrants were locked up for 23 hours at a stretch and kept from reaching their lawyers. Most of them are victims of religious persecution on account of being Sikh or Christian and these migrants don’t even know where their wives and children are currently being kept. Trend reversal Between the beginning of the current millennium and 2015, the Asian population in the US grew by 72%. In fact, the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/indian-migration-to-the-us.pdf">inflow of Asians</a> had grown to such an extent that it was speculated they would overtake the Hispanic population by 2055 to become the largest immigrant group in the US. The Indian population, specifically, has doubled in the same span of time from nearly 3 million to 4 million. Even among the Asian group, Indians form the second largest faction after the Chinese. The numbers reflect that it’s possible for the ‘zero-tolerance’ policy to potentially have a cascading effect. Even the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-signs-order-targeting-h-1b-visa-program-2017-4">H-1B visas</a>, half of which used to be awarded to Indians, have become more difficult to attain. Not to mention that Trump’s administration already has plans in the pipeline to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/spouses-of-h-1b-visa-holders-may-lose-work-permits-in-the-us/articleshow/63898572.cms">rescind the H4 rule</a> that lets the dependants of H-1B visa holders gain employment. (Representative image)

Trump’s zero-tolerance policy hits Indian migrants fleeing religious persecution

Soon after assuming power in May this year, <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">Prime Minister</keyword> Narendra Modi and <keyword id="5263" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="External-Affairs-Minister">External Affairs Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6355111" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sushma-Swaraj">Sushma Swaraj</keyword> made a flurry of visits to neighbouring countries—while Modi visited Bhutan, Nepal and Japan; Sushma Swaraj made trips to Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam and Afghanistan, in addition to Bhutan and Nepal. This was a clear deviation from historical precedence where predecessors typically hurried to the US and the UK before trying to shake hands with close neighbours. While Modi eventually made hugely successful visits to the US and Australia, the initial trips underlined the Modi-led regime’s ‘Asia first’ policy. 
 This has also given a new dimension the ‘look east’ policy, initiated by <keyword id="6358441" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narasimha-Rao">Narasimha Rao</keyword> in early 90s. Look east aims at strengthening ties with Southeast Asian countries in a bid to counter the increasing regional influence of China—strategically, militarily and economically. Renewed ties between India and Japan, amid similar ones with other SE Asian neighbours, are of significant importance; considering the heightened military manoeuvering China has been initiating of late. 
 The one key aspect of Modi’s emerging <keyword id="44266" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Foreign-policy">foreign policy</keyword> approach is clear: re-establish close relationships with Asian neighbours to position India as a strong regional power, and leverage it to counter China’s burgeoning regional influence and economic/military acumen. 
 
In fact, during his Japan visit he took the ‘look east’ policy a step ahead, turning it into ‘act Asia’ policy (as Sushma Swaraj put it recently) by trying to convert rhetoric into actionable steps. Aggressively marketing the ‘Make in India’ campaign and signing pacts leading to Japanese investments worth $35 billion over a five-year period reflected Modi’s resolve to translate foreign visits. Such visits used to be mere photo opportunities for many of his predecessors, but Modi translated it into initiatives that will enhance bilateral trade and help grow the domestic economy. 
 This was evident in his just-concluded Australia visit where he finalised Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which is expected to boost trade between the two countries; and Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement which will enable uranium export from Australia and provide a much-needed leg-up to India's power-generation capacity. Modi clarion call at the <keyword id="51196" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="G-20">G-20</keyword> meet at Brisbane for close cooperation in the fight against black money meant that trade talks are not entirely isolated from larger political issues back at home. 
 
The fact that economic and trade agenda is at the core of Modi’s foreign policy was also evident when his government initiated the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to India. It is seen as a strategic move to tilt the relation with the bigger Asian neighbour economic growth. 
While China is keen to leverage from India’s strength as a big market, India is looking for significant Chinese investments to build infrastructure critical to long-term economic growth. 
 
While Modi did not rush to the ‘big uncle’ US soon after assuming power, as many of his predecessors did, and despite the strained diplomatic relationship between India and US after the ill-treatment meted out to Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade, Modi sent a clear message that India is serious about stronger engagement with the US. The decision to attract investment in India’s $250 billion defence sector, which will involve significant US partnership, underlined this. 
 
The fact that despite a tight schedule Modi found time to meet his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during his US visit reiterated the fact that Modi’s Middle East policy is going to be tilted towards Israel than the Arab countries. This also means that alliance with Israel in the field of defence, which grew significantly over the last two decades, is likely to be strengthened. Russia too is going to be a key ally in the field of defence besides space exploration and energy, including nuclear power. 
 
Will Modi mend or break the strained India-Pakistan relationship is another key question. While he shared some camaraderie with Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif soon after assuming power, calling off secretary level talks over Pakistani envoy’s engagement with Kashmiri separatists means Modi can be unpredictable on this front. 
 
Adding Modi’s call for deeper people-to-people alliance among BRICS countries at the recent summit in Brazil, one begins to get a glimpse of the would-be foreign policy perspective of Modi. He is mostly going to stress on closer ties with the US (Obama will visit India in January), Israel and Asian countries such as Japan and Russia(Putin will visit India next month), while positioning India as a counter-force to China and being cautious about how to go about dealing with Pakistan.

A Peek Into Modi’s Emerging Foreign Policy Perspective

Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> is in <keyword id="6356598" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhutan">Bhutan</keyword> on a two-day visit (June 15-16) to the Himalayan nation – his first foreign visit as the <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> premier. But why did he choose Bhutan as his first foreign destination after assuming office in May this year? 
 
Before his departure, Modi said Bhutan was a ‘natural choice’ for his visit because of the ‘unique and special relationship’ between the two countries. “Bound by common interests and shared prosperity, India and Bhutan enjoy a unique and special relationship, which has been forged by ties of geography, history and culture. Therefore, Bhutan as the destination for my first visit abroad as Prime Minister is a natural choice,” he said. Modi also described the bilateral ties as B2B relations – Bharat-to-Bhutan relations. 
 Relations between India and Bhutan have always been warm and friendly. Bhutan, along with <keyword id="12266" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nepal">Nepal</keyword>, is India’s closest friend in the neighbourhood. India is the largest trading partner of Bhutan. In fact, Bhutan is fully dependent on India for its trade as India accounts for 98% of its exports and 90% of its imports. 
 India has also played a crucial role in the infrastructural development and security in Bhutan. India provides military training to the Bhutanese army. Bhutan does not have air force and it depends on the <keyword id="15141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Air-Force">Indian Air Force</keyword> for support. Since it is a landlocked country, it does not have navy. 
 The bilateral relations between the two countries have been close historically. In 1949, India and Bhutan signed the <keyword id="2339173" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Treaty-of-Friendship">Treaty of Friendship</keyword>, under which Bhutan agreed to let India ‘guide’ its foreign policy while both nations would consult each other on foreign policies. 
 <keyword id="1334" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="China">China</keyword>’s annexation of Tibet brought both the nations even closer. In 1958, the then Indian Prime Minister, <keyword id="6360386" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jawaharlal-Nehru">Jawaharlal Nehru</keyword>, went to Bhutan and on his return, announced in the Parliament that “any aggression against Bhutan would be seen as aggression against India.” 
 Bhutan, too, has always stood by India. It supported India on the <keyword id="148052" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Comprehensive-Test-Ban-Treaty">Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty</keyword> (<keyword id="42800" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="CTBT">CTBT</keyword>) issue and the Pokhran nuclear tests. In 2003, Bhutan launched military operations against the <keyword id="534673" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="United-Liberation-Front-of-Assam">United Liberation Front of Assam</keyword> (<keyword id="38341" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="ULFA">ULFA</keyword>), which had established some bases in the Bhutanese territory. 
 
Modi’s visit assumes more significance as it comes before the talks between Bhutan and China. China, of late, has been keen on establishing diplomatic ties with Bhutan.

Why Modi Chose Bhutan For His First Foreign Visit

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image"></div>AP Photo/Matt RourkeDavida Johnson, 30, believes she contracted a venereal disesase at Kermit Gosnell's clinic.</div>Perhaps the worst part of the<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kermit-gosnell-abortion-trial-2013-4"> horrifying allegations against a Philadelphia abortion clinic</a> is that it operated for 17 years before anyone did anything.
72-year-old Kermit Gosnell has been charged with killing seven babies and accused of killing hundreds in gruesome and illegal late-term abortions.
Prosecutors claim Gosnell "snipped" the necks of viable babies and exploited low-income, immigrant women who couldn't get abortions anywhere else.
Gosnell — who wasn't licensed to practice obstetrics and gynecology — is also accused of giving women venereal diseases by using dirty instruments, and of causing the death of a 41-year-old immigrant from Nepal. His lawyer insisted in court Wednesday that the clinic <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20130410_Gosnell_lawyer_insists_no_babies_killed.html">never killed any babies.</a>
The clinic was not inspected from 1993 to 2010, when FBI agents finally raided the place. They found moaning women covered in blood-stained blankets and jars with severed fetus feet, according to <a href="http://www.phila.gov/districtattorney/PDFs/GrandJuryWomensMedical.pdf">the 281-page grand jury report</a>.
The grand jury report that lays out allegations against Gosnell has an entire section called "How did this go on so long?" The simple answer is politics.
<div>
Pennsylvania's health department stopped routine inspections of <keyword id="6357791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="abortion">abortion</keyword> facilities in the state after Tom Ridge, a pro-choice Republican, became governor in 1995.
<div>
Health department lawyers "changed their legal opinions and advice to suit the policy preferences of different governors," health department official Janet Staloski said in grand jury testimony. In this case, she said the state didn't want to be "putting a barrier up to women" who wanted abortions.
In 1999, high-level Pennsylvania officials met to consider starting up regular inspections again but decided not to, state lawyer Kenneth Brody testified, according to the grand jury report. He told the grand jury that officials were concerns that abortion clinics wouldn't meet inspection standards and then there "would be less abortion facilities."
</div>
</div>
The state's politics-driven policy continued until the gruesome allegations regarding Gosnell came to light.
Inspections finally resumed in 2010 after more than 15 years. When pro-life Republican Gov. Tom Corbett took office in 2011, he asked officials to issue a report on the <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/01/abortion_clinic_inspections_in.html">state's failure to inspect facilities for so long</a>, the AP reported.
By February 2011, Corbett had announced sweeping changes at the health department — including routine, unannounced inspections of abortion facilities.

Horrifying Illegal Abortion Clinic Wasn't Inspected For 17 Years Due To Pro-Choice Policy

Sixty-six percent of <keyword id="23012810" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="road-traffic-deaths" source="keywords">road traffic deaths</keyword> in <keyword id="19952305" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Southeast-Asia" source="keywords">Southeast Asia</keyword> are of <keyword id="20239488" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pedestrians" source="keywords">pedestrians</keyword>, motorized <keyword id="20937113" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="two-wheeler-riders" source="keywords">two-wheeler riders</keyword>, and <keyword id="20007750" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyclists" source="keywords">cyclists</keyword>, while the highest traffic fatalities in India are among two- and three-wheeler riders, according to the latest <keyword id="20738786" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO-report" source="keywords">WHO report</keyword>. The "WHO South-East Asia Regional Status Report on <keyword id="20187029" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="road-safety" source="keywords">Road Safety</keyword>" was launched during "Safety 2024", the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, 2024. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, 30% of reported road traffic deaths involved users of powered two- and three-wheelers. Occupants of four-wheeled vehicles make up 25% of the deaths and pedestrians account for 21 %. Cyclists represent 5% of the deaths. The remaining 20% include occupants of large vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, and other or unknown user types. "In the WHO Southeast Asia Region, the share of reported road traffic deaths is 46% for users of powered two- and three-wheelers, 12 for occupants of four-wheeled vehicles, 17% for pedestrians, 3% for cyclists and 22% for others. In all these countries, vulnerable road users (pedestrians, motorised two-wheeler users and bicyclists) constitute 66% of the total reported road traffic deaths," the report said. "Drivers or riders of two and three-wheelers constitute the highest proportion among all road user categories in India (45.1%), Maldives (100 %), Myanmar (47%) and Thailand (51.4%)," it added. The WHO noted that no country in the South Asian region had achieved the target of reducing its estimated road traffic deaths by 50 %. However, considerable reduction in the WHO's estimated road traffic deaths occurred in the Maldives and Thailand, where estimated road traffic deaths decreased by 46.2% and 41.7 %, respectively. On the contrary, reported road traffic deaths in the region increased by 15 % in the 2010-2021 period. At the country level, no member state of the Southeast Asia Region with more than 10 million population has reported a decrease in road traffic deaths during this period. "However, it should be noted that the reported number of road traffic deaths in Thailand reduced by 22.9% between 2016 and 2021. The estimated road traffic deaths too increased in Bangladesh, India and Nepal during the period 2010-2021 by 23 %, 2% and 25%, respectively," the report said. Etienne Krug, director of the WHO's Department for Social Determinants of Health, said road traffic crashes were a major crisis of the 21st century. "...a large proportion of people who die in road crashes are those who cannot afford to buy a car. This is urgent time to take action. The report reveals that the crisis is huge but we need to understand and act with determination that prevention is possible and needs strict enforcement," he said. The three-day conference is being hosted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi; George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) and co-sponsored by WHO. "To reduce inequities, we must acknowledge that injuries disproportionately impact vulnerable communities -- because we are far behind in addressing real problems with real solutions. Lived experience shows how policy shapes differential exposure, risk, and outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for change," said Jagnoor Jagnoor, head of injury division at George Institute for Global Health. During the conference, the international experts are uniting with a shared goal of "building a safer future for all: Equitable and sustainable strategies for injury and violence prevention". The conference will focus on five key themes -- improving coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, strengthening capacity for research and practice, integrating injury prevention with global health agendas such as sustainability and equity, empowering communities, and promoting informed policymaking.

Pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders constitute 66% of road fatalities in Southeast Asia, says a WHO report

Every year, nearly 6,500 <keyword id="20068743" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="adolescent-girls" source="keywords">adolescent girls</keyword> in <keyword id="19897710" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="South-Asia" source="keywords">South Asia</keyword> die giving birth. Most of them are minors <keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="WHO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="WHO">who</keyword> have limited power over their reproductive health or lives, according to a joint analysis done by <keyword id="20018080" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNICEF" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="UNICEF" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="UNICEF">UNICEF</keyword>, WHO and <keyword id="20802066" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNFPA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="UNFPA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="UNFPA">UNFPA</keyword>. South Asia accounts for 290 million <keyword id="22387193" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="child-brides" source="keywords">child brides</keyword> - nearly half of the world's burden. In three countries in South Asia, they are also four times more likely to be out of school than their unmarried peers, as per the analysis done by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), <keyword id="19902256" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organisation" source="keywords">World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO) and United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). At the two-day regional dialogue on adolescent pregnancy in South Asia, which concluded on Friday, the <keyword id="20679678" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SAARC" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SAARC" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SAARC">SAARC</keyword> countries, UNICEF South Asia, UNFPA and WHO called for increased commitment to critical services for over 2.2 million adolescent girls that give birth yearly in South Asia, a joint press release issued by the agencies said. "I appreciate the role of governments, UN agencies, NGOs and civil society for the improvements made by the SAARC region over the years in reducing <keyword id="22387194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="teenage-pregnancy" source="keywords">teenage pregnancy</keyword>," said Ambassador Golam Sarwar, the Secretary General of SAARC. "But the region still has a long way to go. I call upon everyone to resolutely address the root causes including child marriage, access to adolescent health education, and removing social stigma in managing the teenage population of the SAARC region," he said. Every year, nearly 6,500 adolescent girls die in childbirth in South Asia, according to the analysis by UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA. Most of them are child brides who have limited or negligible power and autonomy over their reproductive health or lives. When young girls give birth, their lives can be at risk as they are not yet physically ready to give birth. Thousands more girls are forced to drop out of school, face stigma, rejection, violence, unemployment as well as lifelong social challenges. Forty-nine per cent of young girls in South Asia are not in education, employment or training - the highest in the world, the press release said. "We must do better for adolescent girls, particularly those who are married, pregnant or parents. In addition to hurdles to learn, get good healthcare and eat nutritious food, they are denied the opportunity to build skills and start businesses -- everything they need as parents to thrive and fulfil their potential," said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF Regional Director for South Asia. "We must work together and invest in opportunities to unleash the promise of more than 170 million adolescent girls in South Asia. Doing so would be transformative for this region," he said. Government and UN officials, adolescent girls, as well as civil society representatives from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have participated in the dialogue and reaffirmed their commitment to providing better services to support pregnant adolescent girls and young mothers. This includes opportunities to learn, set up their businesses, and earn a living. The event held in Kathmandu over July 11-12 was jointly organised by SAARC, WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA and was inaugurated by the Secretary General of SAARC, Ambassador Golam Sarwar. Adolescent mothers have a much higher risk of dying from maternal causes, compared to women in their 20s and 30s. "It is high time that we reverse this trend. The unique physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and sexual development during adolescence necessitates special attention in national and international policies. Effective strategies to tackle adolescent pregnancy require cross-sectoral collaboration and equitable access to a variety of services," said Saima Wazed, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia.

You Searched For "nepal policy" and got 12 results

China trains Nepal policymakers on BeiDou navigation system amid border tensions with India

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Ruling communist parties of Nepal, China hold virtual meeting

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A Peek Into Modi’s Emerging Foreign Policy Perspective

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Why Modi Chose Bhutan For His First Foreign Visit

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Horrifying Illegal Abortion Clinic Wasn't Inspected For 17 Years Due To Pro-Choice Policy

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Pedestrians, cyclists, two-wheeler riders constitute 66% of road fatalities in Southeast Asia, says a WHO report

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Over 6,500 adolescent girls die giving birth every year across South Asia, says a recent study

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