Junior Digest

Baghdad, Nov 7,2021: A rocket struck the house of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi during a drone attack, Al Arabiya reports.

The broadcaster said early on Sunday that a drone attack targeted the prime minister’s house and a Katyusha rocket struck it. Al-Kadhimi was injured and was taken to the hospital. Several of his security guards were also wounded.

The Shafaq news agency said citing an Iraqi security source that three of the prime minister’s security guards were injured.

According to Al Arabiya, there was also heavy gunfire exchange near the Green Zone in Baghdad. A security source told the broadcaster that a drone believed to have been involved in the attack on Al-Kadhimi’s house was intercepted.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said on Twitter following the reported drone attack targeting his house that he was fine and was calling for calm and restraint from everyone.

The Iraqi News Agency (INA) said citing security forces that there was an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the prime minister with the help of a drone, but he was not hurt.

Washington [US], November 7,2021: A new study looking at the state of online relationships has found that men are likely to experience more emotional pain as compared to women when they end up parting ways.
The study and its results have been published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
An international team of psychologists led by researchers at Lancaster University conducted the first-ever “big data” analysis of relationship problems. The study began as an attempt to create a map of the most common relationship problems experienced by people outside of clinical and counselling settings.
“Most of what we know about relationship problems comes from studies of people in couples therapy, which includes a rather specific subset of people — people who have the time, money, and motive to work on their relationship problems,” said Charlotte Entwistle, lead author of the study. “We wanted to understand not only what relationship problems are most commonly experienced by the general public, but who experiences which problems more.
“Using natural language processing methods, the team analyzed the demographic and psychological characteristics of over 184,000 people who posted their relationship problems to an anonymous online forum. The researchers were then able to statistically determine the most common themes that came up across each post, creating a “map” of the most common relationship problems.
Results showed that communication problems were the #1 most frequent problem mentioned, with nearly 1 in 5 people noting difficulty discussing problems, and 1 in 8 mentioning trust issues in their relationships. Previously unexpected patterns emerged from the data as well, including key gender differences in which themes were used the most.
“As we were conducting the study, we realized that this was an important opportunity to put a lot of common ideas about gender differences in relationships to the test,” said Dr Ryan Boyd, the lead researcher of the project. “For example, are men truly less emotionally invested in relationships than women, or is it the case that men are simply stigmatized out of sharing their feelings?”

Analysis revealed that the most common theme mentioned by people talking about their relationship problems was about the emotional pain caused by the problems, rather than the problems themselves. The most common theme was about “heartache” and was comprised of words like regret, breakup, cry, and heartbroken.
Contrary to their expectations, the team’s findings showed that men discuss heartbreak significantly more than did women. These findings suggest that the stereotype of men being less emotionally invested in relationships than women may not be accurate.
Charlottle Entwistle said: “Notably, the fact that the heartache theme was more commonly discussed by men emphasizes how men are at least as emotionally affected by relationship problems as women.”Additionally, the researchers found that men were more likely to seek relationship help than women in online settings.
Dr Ryan Boyd noted that “Traditionally, women are more likely to identify relationship problems, consider therapy, and seek therapy than are men. When you remove the traditional social stigmas against men for seeking help and sharing their emotions, however, they seem just as invested in working through rough patches in their relationships as women.
“The team’s findings have implications for the general public, as well as clinical settings. The researchers noted that developing a more accurate picture of relationship problems helps us to better understand when and why things go wrong in our relationships, potentially helping couples avoid the most common setbacks to romantic success. The study’s authors also suggest the findings may also help to destigmatize help-seeking by showing how common many relationship problems are, and by showing that men are just as likely as women to seek help in the first place.
The researchers say that this work also points to important future directions for additional research. “One of the most important things that we’re seeing here is that we’re able to create an incredibly accurate picture of relationship problems that everyday people face based purely on what people say online,” said Dr Boyd.
“This gives us serious hope that we can use help-seeking behaviour to better understand all types of social and psychological issues, and in a way that we simply cannot do using traditional research methods.”

Hanoi [Vietnam], November 8,2021: Vietnam is ranked 4th on the list of top Asian countries for girls’ rights.
Vietnam is one of the leading Asian countries in promoting girls’ political participation rights, according to a report released November 5 by Plan International. The report also identifies opportunities for girls and women in 19 countries in Asia and 14 countries in the Pacific.
Vietnam ranks 4th in the above list. In particular, Vietnam leads the way in law and politics, along with the Philippines and Thailand; ranks second in political voice after Singapore. Vietnam’s health and education indicators also rose from those released in 2020.

UNITED NATIONS, Nov 6,2021: The U.N. Security Council on Friday called for an end to the fighting in Ethiopia and for talks on a lasting ceasefire as the 15-member body expressed deep concern in a rare statement about the expansion and intensification of military clashes.

The council also “called for refraining from inflammatory hate speech and incitement to violence and divisiveness.”

It had been negotiating a statement for several days and eventually reached a compromise with Russia on the text, diplomats said. Such statements have to be agreed by consensus.

Russia and China have long made clear they believe the year-long conflict, which started in the northern region of Tigray, is an internal affair for Ethiopia. Both countries are council veto-powers – along with the United States, Britain and France – so any strong council action, like sanctions, is unlikely.

The war, which has killed thousands of people and forced more than two million from their homes, has intensified in recent weeks. With rebels threatening to move on the capital Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian army on Friday called on former troops to rejoin to fight them, state media said. read more

A planned Security Council meeting on Ethiopia on Friday was postponed until Monday, said Mexico’s U.N. Ambassador Juan Ramón de la Fuente Ramírez, council president for November.

The statement on Ethiopia – drafted by Ireland, Kenya, Niger, Tunisia and St Vincent and the Grenadines – was only the second by the Security Council in the past year.

“Today the Security Council breaks six months of silence and speaks again with one united voice on the deeply concerning situation in Ethiopia,” Ireland’s U.N. Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason said in a statement.

“For the first time, the council clearly calls for a cessation of hostilities. We believe this should happen immediately, and that all civilians must be protected,” she said.

The United Nations has said that up to 7 million people in the Ethiopian regions of Tigray, Amhara and Afar need help, including 5 million in Tigray where some 400,000 people are estimated to be living in famine-like conditions.

The Security Council “called for the respect of international humanitarian law, for safe and unhindered humanitarian access, the re-establishment of public services, and further urged the scaling up of humanitarian assistance.”

Moscow, Nov 6 ,2021: Pregnant women are better protected against harm to their placenta and fetus when they are inoculated against the SARS-CoV-2, which increases pregnancy-linked risks, the Swiss Institute of Virology and Immunology said on Friday.

According to the findings of research teams of the institute, the virus can rapidly multiply and infect human placenta cells.

“The fact that the virus can infect and proliferate in the placenta demonstrates the need for women to be vaccinated,” researchers were quoted as saying in a statement.

Pregnant women are 70% more exposed to getting infected than other people from the same age group, with risks of severe progression increasing up to 10%. In particular, risks of premature delivery or fetal death rise by two or three times, according to scientists.

“Messenger RNA [in vaccines] does not pass into the foetus, while the antibodies developed by the mother cross the placental barrier and will therefore protect the child,” the institute explained.

On Thursday, Marco Cavaleri, an official at the European Medicines Agency, said that the watchdog supports vaccination among pregnant women as it is a population group particularly exposed to the virus.

BOSTON / GLASGOW ,Nov 8,2021: A week after the start of the much-publicized United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, executives and financial analysts said they were optimistic the talks will lead to the changes needed for companies to play a greater role in the fight against climate change.

Trade watchers pointed to several steps taken by world leaders that they believe could boost sustainable businesses and invest efforts to raise the vast sums of money needed to wean the world off fossil fuels.

These include a pledge by financial companies with combined assets of $ 130 trillion to focus on climate change, the creation of a global standards body to look at companies’ climate claims and commitments to reduce methane emissions and save forests.

Although two decades later than scientists say was necessary to avoid catastrophic climate impacts, the commitment was still more than what India had offered in the past and could be accelerated with financial help from developed countries.

Peter Lacy, Global Head of Sustainability Services at Accenture, said for investors and businesses the most important milestone of the conference was the creation on November 3 of the International Sustainability Standards Board, intended to create a baseline allowing companies to describe their climate impact.

LACK OF DETAIL

Critics say many key conference announcements lack detail and give companies leeway. For example, banks, insurers and investors have pledged to work to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050, but each entity has made its own net zero commitments with potential overlap between initiatives, institutions
and assets.

Leslie Samuelrich, a media outlet for Green Century Capital Management in Boston, which does not invest in fossil fuel stocks, said she was concerned that large investment firms had signed on to announced carbon reduction pledges so quickly. in Glasgow, as their terms might be too easy to meet.

“The speed with which some have adopted it makes me cautious,” Samuelrich said.

But other financial executives say it’s inevitable that companies will scramble to cut emissions under pressure from customers and seek profits. Mark Haefele, chief investment officer of UBS Global Wealth Management, said promising areas include renewables, transport and batteries.

Diplomats must now set rules in areas such as building markets to help companies price carbon and how developed countries will help poorer ones.

In a call with reporters on Friday, David Waskow, director of the nonprofit World Resources Institute, said he was more optimistic than a week ago that attendees would make meaningful deals.

“I think the start of the week actually laid a good foundation. Not to say that everything is rosy, ”he said.

New Delhi, Nov 6,2021: The Commerce Ministry on Friday set an ambitious target of a five-fold increase in export of technical textiles from two billion dollars to 10 billion dollars over the next three years with plans to support PLIs for the textile sector in states offering affordable infrastructure for textile manufacturing like cheap land and power.

“Time has come to target five times increase in export in three years,” said Piyush Goyal, while speaking to representatives of the Indian Technical Textile Association (ITTA).

The technical textiles sector in India has been growing at an accelerated pace in the past five years with a current rate of eight per cent per annum, supported by the National Technical Textiles Mission launched in February, 2020. In January 2019, for the first time in India, 207 HSN codes were issued for technical textiles and in less than two years, India has become a net exporter in technical textiles. In 2020-21, India’s major share of exports has been in PPEs, N-95 and surgical masks, fabric for PPEs and masks.

The Government is now pushing for growth of technical textiles in the 15-20 per cent range during the next five years to achieve a bigger chunk of the global market, which is worth USD 250 billion. With a current share of USD 19 billion, India is aspiring for USD 40 billion size, which is eight per cent of the international market.

Outlining the strategy to achieve the target, Goyal called for aligning with the best standards in textile manufacturing, while ensuring a parity between the quality of textile meant for international and that for the domestic consumers. He also suggested public-private participation in use of Government funds in research and development in technical textiles, and orienting the growth towards towards high technology and indigenously innovated products.

Nov 7,2021:Israel stepped up its public opposition on Saturday to a plan by President Joe Biden’s administration to reopen a U.S. consulate for Palestinians in Jerusalem, suggesting such a mission should be in the occupied West Bank.

Under former President Donald Trump, Washington delighted Israelis and outraged Palestinians by closing the Jerusalem consulate and placing its staff within the U.S. Embassy to Israel that was moved to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv in 2018.

Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state and saw the U.S. initiative to move its embassy as undermining that aspiration. Israel, which captured East Jerusalem in 1967, calls Jerusalem its indivisible capital.

Seeking to repair ties with Palestinians, the Biden administration has said it would reopen the consulate, although it has not given a date.

“My position, and it was presented to the Americans … is that there is no place for a U.S. consulate which serves the Palestinians in Jerusalem. We are voicing our opinion consistently, quietly, without drama,” Prime Minister Naftali Bennett told reporters.

Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, speaking next to Bennett, proposed reopening the consulate in the de-facto seat of the Palestinian government in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.

“If they (the United States) want to open a consulate in Ramallah, we have no problem with that,” he said.

In Ramallah, the spokesman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas rejected Lapid’s comments.

“We will only accept a U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, the capital of the Palestinian state. That was what the U.S. administration had announced and had committed itself to doing,” Nabil Abu Rudeineh told Reuters.

Spokespeople for the U.S. Embassy did not immediately comment.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said last month Washington would “be moving forward with the process of opening a consulate as part of deepening of those ties with the Palestinians”, although one of his senior staff also said Israel’s rejection of the plan was an obstacle.

“My understanding (is) that we need the consent of the host government to open any diplomatic facility,” Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Brian McKeon said during a U.S. Senate hearing when queried on the consulate standoff.

Nov 10,2021: China stands ready to work with the United States to properly manage differences, President Xi Jinping has said, according to a statement posted on the website of his country’s US embassy.

The Asian giant was ready to work to enhance exchanges and cooperation across the board, Xi said in a letter read by Qin Gang, its ambassador to the United States.

Meanwhile, a virtual meeting is being planned between Biden and Jinping and it will be held as soon as next week, Reuters reported.

Combative US diplomatic exchanges with China early in the Biden administration unnerved allies, and US officials believe direct engagement with Xi is the best way to prevent the relationship between the world’s two biggest economies from spiraling toward conflict.

The two sides said they had reached an agreement in principle to hold the virtual meeting between Biden and Xi before year-end after talks in the Swiss city of Zurich last month between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi.

Nov 4,2021:Decaying infrastructure and pollution from toxic “forever chemicals” are causing tens of millions of United States residents to drink contaminated water, increasing the risk of cancer and other ailments, according to a new report.

Fifty-six new contaminants, including pesticides and radioactive materials, have been discovered in US tap water over the past two years, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) reported on Wednesday.

Researchers from the Washington, DC-based non-profit analysed data from nearly 50,000 water systems from across the US to draw their conclusions.

“It’s striking and frustrating how little is being done to improve water quality across the country,” David Andrews, a senior scientist with the EWG told Al Jazeera. “Our scientific understanding of health has progressed, but our drinking water standards are not being updated with the most modern science.”

National US regulations for water, for example, do not include standards for a newer class of chemicals known as PFAS, which are used in the manufacturing of non-stick coatings, Teflon, firefighting film and other products, Andrews said.

Dubbed “forever chemicals” because they build up in human bodies and don’t break down in the environment, small doses of PFAS have been linked to kidney, liver and pancreatic cancer, weaker immune system responses and other serious health problems, the EWG reported.

“There is no federal drinking water standard to test for these PFAS chemicals,” Andrews said.

The administration of US President Joe Biden announced a strategy to regulate PFAS chemicals earlier this month, but it has yet to be implemented.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the US government body responsible for creating and enforcing standards for chemical exposure, did not immediately respond to phone calls or emails from Al Jazeera requesting comment.

Contaminated water in the US made headlines in recent years following revelations that more than 25,000 people in Flint, Michigan were harmed through exposure to lead and other toxins in their drinking water. Last year, the state agreed to pay about $600m in compensation to residents, including more than 5,000 children, who were harmed by the polluted water in the working-class city just north of Detroit.

The problems outlined in the latest EWG report are slightly different to what happened in Flint, Andrews said, as contamination in that city was linked to lead pipes through which water travelled after it passed through a treatment plant.

The EWG, in contrast, analysed data from water treatment plants to search for traces of different chemicals.

Washington [US], November 4,2021: Congresswoman Carolyn B Mahoney announced introducing a bill in US Congress, legislation that would make Diwali a nationally recognized federal holiday.
On Wednesday, the Democrat congresswoman from New York joined with Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Gregory Meeks Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee announced the introduction of the Deepavali Day Act.
“I want to start by wishing a Happy Diwali to all those celebrating around the world this week as the time of reflection and renewal that marks the Hindu New Year comes to a close,” said Rep Maloney.
“This beautiful festival celebrates lightness over darkness, goodness over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. My bill today recognizes the importance of this beautiful holiday and gives it the respect and acknowledgement it deserves,” added Maloney.
“I am proud to join Chairwoman Maloney and our colleagues in introducing this legislation to establish Diwali as a federal holiday in recognition of its importance to our nation’s more than three million Americans of Indian descent, including Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains,” said Rep Krishnamoorthi.
“The meaning of this legislation extends beyond honouring the significance of Diwali to the Indian-American community to acknowledging the contributions of Indian-Americans to our nation,” added Krishnamoorthi.
“I am proud to support Congresswoman Maloney’s resolution to make Diwali a federal holiday. The United States of America is about celebrating the different cultures that make us one,” said Rep Meeks.
“I understand the importance of the festival of lights and hope we can soon make this a reality for members of the Indian diaspora in my district and Indian Americans all over the country,” added Meeks.

“Every year, I join more than six million Americans in celebrating Diwali, a festival of lights, signifying the victory of light over darkness,” said Rep Ro Khanna (D-CA).
“I am proud to co-sponsor this bill with Representative Maloney to recognize Diwali as a federal holiday and know how meaningful this will be to many families across the country,” added Khanna.
If the bill gets approval in the coming years, the holiday would be observed in federal institutions, with significant populations that celebrate Diwali and honour the cultural heritage of millions of Indian Americans who celebrate the holiday in the United States.
Representing the Indian American communities were advocates and members of the Indian diaspora.
“I urge the United States Congress and Senate to pass this landmark legislation allowing all Americans and future generations to come to be able to observe this important holiday as it signifies the democratic values of light and truth triumphing over darkness and untruth as well as strengthening the bonds between the citizenry, families and communities across our nation,” said Dr Sumita Sen Gupta, Author, Educator, and Community Leader in New York.
“The United States holds the largest population of Deepavali (or Diwali) observers outside of Asia and for many Americans, the holiday marks the beginning of the new year in which friends, friends and communities come together to celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. As the first Indian American elected official in the State of New York, I understand the importance of communities being able to celebrate the festival of lights freely and through the passage of the Deepavali Holiday Act, all Americans will be able to fully observe the holiday without discrimination or persecution,” said Uma Sen Gupta, District Leader At Large in New York.
“For humanity, the biggest struggles stem from inequality, unrighteousness and tyranny. Similar to Christmas, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Independence Day and Juneteenth, on Deepavali we reflect and celebrate the victory over the darkest times in our history to recommit ourselves towards ushering in a new period of peace, enlightenment and prosperity. Deepavali is a holiday that transcends religion, culture or class and I support the Deepavali National Holiday Act to become law,” said Dr Urmilesh Arya, National President of the Association for Indian Americans.
Congresswoman Maloney in the past has successfully worked with advocates across the country and led efforts in Congress urging the US Postal Service to approve and issue a commemorative stamp honouring Diwali, which has been in circulation since 2016.
Maloney relentlessly fought for this cause as she felt that “a relatively small action would hold great meaning for millions of people.”
“Diwali, the Festival of Lights, is recognition of the light within all of us,” said Sanjeev Joshipura, the Executive Director of Indiaspora.
“Observed by a plurality of faiths, including Sikhs, Jains, Hindus and Buddhists, it is an acknowledgement to pursue the good that is there in all of us, and we hope that is a message that can be universally shared,” said Joshipura.

Nov 07,2021:From Paris to Sydney, Nairobi to Seoul, more than 200 events are planned worldwide on Saturday to demand immediate action for communities already affected by climate change, particularly in the poorer countries in the South.

In Glasgow, organisers and police said they expected up to 50,000 people to parade through the streets of the city near the COP26 summit venue, which is under tight security.

“The mood is mixed here,” Al Jazeera’s Andrew Simmons, reporting from Glasgow, said. “There is anger, there is some form of celebratory tactics to be used, and there is real concern particularly among the families who have joined the demonstrations.

“We’re seeing many children and families turning out, and the message primarily to the climate diplomats is one of you must stand accountable. We are halfway through COP26 right now, and the pressure has never been greater,” he added.

Delegates from nearly 200 countries are in Glasgow to hammer out how to meet the Paris Agreement goals of limiting temperature rises to between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius (34.7 to 35.6 Fahrenheit).

So far, some countries have signed up to pledges to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, with separate deals on phasing out coal, ending foreign fossil fuel funding and slashing methane.

The promises followed a significant assessment that showed global carbon dioxide emissions were set to rebound in 2021 to pre-pandemic levels.

But campaigners have been left unimpressed by the summit, with prominent environmental activist Greta Thunberg calling it a “failure”.

“They cannot ignore the scientific consensus and they cannot ignore us,” said Thunberg.

“This is no longer a climate conference. This is now a global greenwashing festival.”
‘We want more’

In Australia on Saturday, more than 1,000 protesters in Sydney and Melbourne – some dressed as lumps of coal or Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a vigorous defender of the mining industry – labelled the talks “a sham” and their national leader “an absolute embarrassment”.

“No more blah, blah blah. Real climate action now,” read one sign at a protest in Sydney.

“We’re all out here to show that we want more from our government,” Georgia, one of the protesters, told the Reuters news agency.

Melbourne’s protest was smaller than Sydney’s, with just a few hundred people turning out for a rally that also featured a giant koala emitting plumes of smoke and protesters dressed as skeletons on bikes.

Several smaller events were held elsewhere in Australia.

Meanwhile, the South Korean capital of Seoul saw approximately 500 demonstrators take to the streets demanding immediate action for communities already hit by the fallout of a heating planet.

South Korea has few energy resources of its own and relies on imported coal – a cheap but dirty fuel – for about 40 percent of the electricity powering the world’s 12th-largest economy, according to figures from the International Energy Agency.

The country aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, but local activists say the goal cannot be accomplished without more fundamental changes.

“At COP26, the expected ‘blah blah blah’ is taking place,” Climate Strike, one of the organising groups of Saturday’s march in Seoul, said.

In Turkey, protesters called for more action to be taken to help save the planet for future generations.

“I want my children to live on a beautiful planet in the future,” said protester Kadriye Basut in Istanbul. “I think we owe that to our children and the planet,” she added.

University lecturer Baris Gencer Baykal, who also attended the demonstration, criticised the 2050 targets set by world leaders and called for an earlier end to the use of coal.

“It cannot be postponed any longer,” he said. “We want climate justice.”
‘It can’t go on like this’

COP26 negotiations continued on Saturday before taking a pause on Sunday ahead of what is shaping up to be a frantic week of shuttle diplomacy, as ministers arrive to push through hard-fought compromises on a number of issues.

Countries still need to flesh out how pledges made in the Paris deal will work in practice, including rules governing carbon markets, common reporting timeframes and transparency.

According to the UN, countries came into COP26 with national climate plans that, when brought together, put Earth on course to warm 2.7C (36.9F) this century.

With just 1.1C (34F) of warming so far, communities across the world are already facing ever more intense fire and drought, displacement and economic ruin wrought by global heating.

Brianna Fruean, a Samoan member of the Pacific Climate Warriors, who addressed a world leaders’ summit at the start of COP26, said it was time for leaders to take note of protesters’ demands.

“It can’t go on like this,” she said. “We refuse to be just victims to this crisis. We are not drowning, we are fighting and on Saturday the world will hear us.”

New Delhi, November 10,2021: Terming the ‘Services’ sector as the key driver of India’s economic growth, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said that India is poised to achieve the Services Export target of USD 1 trillion by 2030.
Goyal while speaking at the ‘Services Export Promotion Council- Global Services Conclave 2021’ at the national capital said, “Services sector provides employment to nearly 2.6 crore people and contributes approximately 40 per cent to India’s total global exports. The services trade surplus was USD 89 billion in FY 2020-21 and it has been the largest FDI recipient.”
Emphasizing that the Service sector is our competitive advantage, powered by Skills, startups and IT Solutions, the Minister said that India’s services have the twin power of universal acceptance and universal attraction, according to a release by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Lauding India’s commitment to enabling ‘work from Home’ during the pandemic, Goyal said “While services trade remained depressed in other countries, India’s services sector showed immense resilience. Sectors like tourism and hospitality, which suffered due to COVID-19 is showing revival signs” he said.
The Union Minister also highlighted the central government’s initiatives Aatmanirbhar Bharat Package, collateral-free Automatic Loans for Businesses and MSMEs and initiatives in Skill development and said, “Rs 56,027 crore was released under various Export Promotion schemes.”
The theme of the Global Services Conclave 2021 was ‘India Serves: Exploring Potential Growth Sectors Beyond IT/ITes’.

Nov 4,2021:Iran has said it will resume multilateral talks on November 29 in Austria’s capital, Vienna, aimed at reviving the country’s nuclear deal with world powers.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani, who became Tehran’s chief negotiator in mid-September, said on Wednesday the date was set in a phone call with European Union mediator Enrique Mora.

“We agreed to start the negotiations aiming at removal of unlawful and inhumane sanctions on 29 November in Vienna,” Bagheri said on Twitter, referring to the measures the United States has imposed on Iran since its unilateral withdrawal from the nuclear deal – formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan for Action (JCPOA) in May 2018.

Six rounds of talks with the remaining parties to the deal – China, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom – in Vienna, with the US participating indirectly, concluded in late June to allow the administration of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to take form.

The European Union also confirmed the news about the resumption of talks and said the negotiations would be chaired by Mora on behalf of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

“Participants will continue the discussions on the prospect of a possible return of the United States to the JCPOA and how to ensure the full and effective implementation of the agreement by all sides,” said the EU’s European External Action Service in a statement, which added that the remaining JCPOA signatories would be represented.

In April, Tehran and six powers started to discuss ways to salvage the nuclear pact, which has eroded since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the US from it and reimposed punishing sanctions on Iran, prompting Tehran to breach various limits on uranium enrichment set by the pact.

But the talks have been on hold since the election of Raisi, whose administrations is expected to take a tough approach when the talks resume.

For its part, the US said it could reach an agreement quickly if Iran was “serious” as it announced the resumption of indirect negotiations.

New Delhi, Nov 10,2021: Security chiefs of Russia, Iran and five Central Asian countries on Wednesday began their deliberations here as part of the ‘Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan’ with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval saying that the developments in Afghanistan have important implications not only for the people of that country but also for its neighbours and the region.

In his opening remarks, Doval said that this is a time for close consultation among the countries, and for greater cooperation, and coordination.

He said that this is the third meeting of the process that was initiated by Iran in 2018, and the second meeting was held in Tehran too in 2019. “And we are grateful to Iran for that.”

“It’s a privilege for India to host the dialogue today with participation of all the Central Asian countries and Russia, who was initiator of the idea,” the NSA said.

“We are meeting today to discuss matters related to Afghanistan. We all have been keenly watching developments in that country.

“These have important implications not only for the people of Afghanistan but also for its neighbours and the region.

“This is a time for close consultations among us, greater cooperation, and interaction and coordination among the regional countries.”

“I am confident that our deliberations will be productive, useful and will contribute to help the people of Afghanistan and enhance our collective security.”

The participating countries: Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan Uzbekistan and India