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Boris Johnson's trip to India should go ahead later this month, a Cabinet Minister said today - despite George Eustice, the Environment Secretary said the high infection rates in India doesn't mean there should be "no visits at all." India today reported 2,61,500 new cases of coronavirus and 1,501 deaths - the country's worst ever daily spike. And Public Health England this week said it was investigating 77 cases of the Indian variant of the virus in the UK. Mr Eustice told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday: ""Public health does come first but that doesn't mean that there should be no visits at all for business purposes." Mr Eustice said "for something like this, I think yes it is appropriate", adding: "But absolutely measures will be taken to ensure that the visit is Covid-secure." He continued: "But I think it is important that the business and the business of politics if you like does continue and doesn't stop completely - we just need to make sure we take the right … [Read more...] about Minister defends Boris Johnson’s trip to India despite huge Covid spike

Addressing the launch, Deputy Minister of Information and Telecommunications Hoang Vinh Bao said this marks a start of a series of events of this year’s Vietnam Book Day, a day to celebrate the reading culture nationwide. Via the events, the organisers want to inspire a love for books among people around the country, encourage them to read more and make reading their habit, he said, adding that it will help spread the reading culture among the community. A host of events, including a display of books about Ho Chi Minh City, a launch of books on digital transformation, and talks with renowned writers and poets, are scheduled on the Book Street from April 18 – 22. Meanwhile, an online book fair is underway at book365.vn, featuring more than 70 domestic publishers and over 20,000 book titles. An online festival on book copyright will also take place from April 19 – 26, attracting around 50 domestic and international publishing houses. Then Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc issued … [Read more...] about 8th Vietnam Book Day kicks off in Ho Chi Minh City

SHANGHAI: Volkswagen on Saturday unveiled its third electric car ID.6 at Shanghai Motor Show. The multi-variable all-round model has room for up to seven people. The ID.6 is a continuation of Volkswagen’s regionalization strategy and is another important step towards becoming the most sought-after brand for sustainable mobility in China, the German carmaker said. Two versions of the fully electric family SUV are available: The ID.6 CROZZ01 is being manufactured in the north of China and the ID.6 X01 in the southern part of the country. Like other VW electric offensive, the third member is also based on the Modular Electric Drive Kit (MEB). The ID.6 makes full use of the strengths of MEB: It enables consistently high quality worldwide, with equally high standards – and also leaves room to develop individual models specifically for certain markets or regions of the world. The ID.6 is tailored specifically to the needs and wishes of Chinese customers in terms of space, … [Read more...] about Volkswagen debuts ID.6 at Shanghai Motor Show, claims 588-km range

Tata Motors has compensated German national Marc Llistosella , whom it had hired to lead the company but withdrew the offer before he could take charge, it is learned. On February 12, Tata Motors announced the appointment of Llistosella as its chief executive. But it said a month later that he will not be joining the Mumbai-based company. Tata Motors didn’t give any reason for the change in decision. Llistosella, a former Daimler veteran, according to the employment terms, was to join the Tata Group flagship formally on June 1. He had also attended virtual meetings to gain an understanding of its domestic business in the intervening period. While the damages paid by Tata Motors could not be ascertained, a labour lawyer said it is usually equivalent to the compensation an applicant would have earned during his contractual notice period. “Such issues are mostly amicably settled by the employer and the candidate,” he added. Tata Motors didn’t respond to TOI’s request … [Read more...] about Offer withdrawal: Tata Motors pays damages to CEO-designate

Video Player Close BOAO, Hainan, April 18 (Xinhua) -- The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA)'s annual conference will be held from April 18 to 21 in south China's island province of Hainan. This year's annual conference will be mainly held offline with the addition of online features as part of ongoing COVID-19 prevention and control efforts, with over 2,600 people expected to participate in person, making it the world's first large-scale international conference to be held this year in predominantly offline forms. Founded in 2001 when Asian countries sought economic integration in the aftermath of the 1998 financial crisis, the forum hosts its 20th edition this year. The annual conference in 2020 was canceled due to the pandemic. This year's annual conference is themed "A World in Change: Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation." It will set up dozens of content-rich events, which are divided into six modules, including "Explore China," … [Read more...] about Backgrounder: Boao Forum for Asia annual conference

Video Player Close Zaklean Ansari Zambri speaks during an online class for her clients at her office in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, April 14, 2021. When Malaysian entrepreneur Zaklean Ansari Zambri first visited China in a business delegation in 2004, little did she anticipate how much her experience in the country would change her life in the future. (Xinhua/Zhu Wei) KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 (Xinhua) -- When Malaysian entrepreneur Zaklean Ansari Zambri first visited China in a business delegation in 2004, little did she anticipate how much her experience in the country would change her life in the future. Sharing her story at her office in the outskirt of Kuala Lumpur with Xinhua in a recent interview, Zaklean recalled how she was impressed by the Chinese people during the visit. "People are working very hard. They are committed. One thing I notice about that time was the way they do things, very dedicated and very detailed," she said. Since then, China became … [Read more...] about Feature: Malaysian entrepreneur’s e-commerce dream from China turns into reality

Video Player Close KABUL, April 18 (Xinhua) -- A local Islamic State (IS) leader was killed by Afghan Special Forces in the country's eastern Nangarhar province Saturday night, National Directorate of Security (NDS), the country's national intelligence agency, confirmed on Sunday. "Acting on a confirmed tip-off, the NDS Special Operations Forces conducted an operation in Kuz Kunar district, Nangarhar province, to arrest Kamin, known as Hakimullah, one of the IS newly designated local leaders," the agency said on Twitter. "A gunfight took place while the targeted man was planning to flee the area. As a result, Kamin, who served as IS military chief for Pachir Wa Agam and Haska Mina districts of Nangarhar was killed," the statement read. In an unrelated development, Afghan army personnel discovered and destroyed an attack tunnel of Taliban insurgents and arrested four militants in Sharsharak village of northern Balkh province on Friday night, the army's 209 Shaheen Corps … [Read more...] about Local IS leader killed by gov’t forces in eastern Afghanistan

Video Player Close HONG KONG, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Matthew Cheung, chief secretary for administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said on Sunday that by eradicating threats to national security and improving the electoral system, Hong Kong is entering a new era of good governance. Cheung said in his blog that national security is the foundation of development. The chaos in the Legislative Council of the HKSAR in the past made the administration of the HKSAR government difficult, revealing the loopholes in the existing electoral system of Hong Kong. This gave anti-China troublemakers opportunities to enter Hong Kong's governance structure, seriously disrupted the administration and jeopardized national security, sovereignty and development interests. He said that stability and harmony in the society enable the HKSAR government to focus on addressing deep-seated social problems, smoothly carry out policies that benefit the country, Hong … [Read more...] about Eradicating national security threats allows Hong Kong to enter new era of good governance: HKSAR gov’t official

Video Player Close BOAO, Hainan, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Asia should be a major engine for sustainable global recovery, according to a report released by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Sunday. Asian countries that have emerged from the pandemic need to offer more assistance to their neighbors, said the BFA's Sustainable Development: Asia and the World Annual Report 2021. The countries need to make concerted efforts in virus prevention and control, and accelerate the vaccination process, thus creating conditions for reopening borders and resuming normal travel, it said. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) should be carried out as high-standard rules and practices for free trade and investment, it said. The Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, New Development Bank, and other regional development financial institutions and platforms should implement … [Read more...] about Asia should be major engine for sustainable global recovery: report

Video Player Close BOAO, Hainan, April 18 (Xinhua) -- Four development deficits restrict the sustainable recovery of Asian development, according to a report released by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Sunday. The COVID-19 pandemic ravaging since early 2020 has further widened the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) gap, according to the forum's Sustainable Development: Asia and the World Annual Report 2021. The report highlights addressing "four development deficits" to attain a sustainable recovery, which are health, infrastructure, green, and digital deficits. "Under the pandemic, Asian countries have reinforced their health care system by all means, stabilized the global supply chain, and led trade and investment recovery," said the report. On the health deficit, rapidly distributing vaccines is a daunting task for Asia. Various health policies need to be maintained to flatten the pandemic curve, and public health infrastructure is also crucial to guarantee health … [Read more...] about Development deficits restrict Asia’s sustainable recovery: report