Washington: As trade frictions mount among the world's major economies, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned on Tuesday that large trade surpluses in Germany and China together with the large US deficit could exacerbate that conflict.
But in a message that seemed directed largely at US President Donald Trump, the IMF once again warned against using protectionist trade measures, calling this a "slippery slope" that could harm growth without resolving the problem.
In addition, Trump's own policies are driving some of the issues he has complained about: US fiscal stimulus-- like the massive tax cut approved in December -- "is leading to a tightening in monetary conditions, a stronger US dollar and a larger US current account deficit," the IMF said.
Those are precisely the developments Trump railed against on Twitter last week, breaking with longstanding tradition to chastise the Federal Reserve for raising interest rates, which has caused the dollar to strengthen.
Trump has pursued a multifront trade confrontation with key economies, especially China, but also has singled out Germany, and the European Union in general, for treating the US "unfairly." The tariffs he imposed have angered trading partners and prompted swift retaliation.
He also accused the EU and China of keeping their currencies artificially weak to make their exports more competitive.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development has launched a contest, #Childline1098, inviting people to share images of the Childline 1098 logo that they spot at unique locations and send it with a tagline, to mark World Day against Trafficking in Persons on July 30.
CHILDLINE is India's first 24-hour, free, emergency phone service for children in need of aid and assistance. At present, it is operational at 450 locations. As Railways often act as carriers of trafficked children, the Ministry signed an MoU with the Ministry of Railways to rescue and rehabilitate runaway, abandoned, kidnapped and trafficked children via Railways. The Ministry launched an awareness campaign via posters in railway coaches in November, 2015, and around 2 lakh posters have been put in trains which caution passengers about children around them who may need protection.
"Whether you are a concerned adult or a child, you can dial 1098, the toll free number to access our services. We not only respond to the emergency needs of children but also link them to services for their long-term care and rehabilitation," said Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Hon'ble Union Minister for Women and Child Development, while adding that such online contests were a means to connect with citizens and engage them in spreading information about this great initiative towards curbing trafficking.
To familiarise children with Childline 1098, Smt. Gandhi had earlier requested Shri Prakash Javadekar, Hon'ble Union Minister for Human Resource Development, to popularise it through the National Council Of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) publications and screening of educational films on child sexual abuse in schools. Based on the request, NCERT has published the information regarding Childline (1098) on the back side of the front cover of all course books from Class 6 to Class 12.
In order to address various aspects of trafficking in terms of its prevention, protection and rehabilitation of victims, the Ministry drafted the comprehensive Draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection & Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018, which was approved by the Cabinet in February, 2018, and is expected to be approved by the Parliament in the Monsoon Session.
New Delhi: India and Rwanda reviewed their entire gamut of bilateral ties and signed eight agreements across different sectors during the course of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to the East African nation, the External Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday.
“During the talks, both leaders reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and expressed satisfaction at the excellent relations between Rwanda and India in the overall context of Strategic Partnership,” the ministry said in a statement following delegation-level talks chaired by Modi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali on Monday.
Ties between India and Rwanda were elevated to that of a Strategic Partnerhsip in January last year.
According to the statement, Modi highlighted the fact that Rwanda would house the first of the 18 new resident Indian missions to be opened in Africa in 2018 and this underlined the importance attached by India to its relations with Rwanda.
Stating that India and Rwanda were looking forward to further elevate their ties, Modi, while addressing the media with Kagame following Monday’s talks, said: “This (opening the new mission) will not only facilitate close communication among our governments, it will also help in consular, passport, visa and other facilities.”
Agreements in the area of trade, defence, dairy cooperation, agriculture, culture, leather and allied sectors and two lines of credit worth $200 million for expansion of the special economic zone and irrigation scheme were signed.
“Prime Minister appreciated the effective utilisation of $400 million lines of credit extended to Rwanda in the last few years,” the ministry statement said.
In his address, Modi appreciated the steps for peace that have been adopted in Rwanda following the mass genocide in that country in 1994.
Around 500,000 to one million people were killed in the mass genocide against the Tutsi people by the majority Hutu government of that time.
“For us, it is a matter pride that India is a trusted development partner of Rwanda,” Modi said.
“We have been helping Rwanda in capacity building, infrastructure development and ICT,” he said.
According to the ministry statement, Modi complemented President Kagame for the important role played by him as African Union Chair in finalising the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement that has been signed by 44 countries as of March 21, 2018.
“He expressed hope that his leadership will guide the African Union in furthering economic integration of the continent,” it stated.
“He indicated India’s willingness to continue to strengthen relations with African Union.”
Following the talks, Modi also interacted with the Indian community in Rwanda and invited them to visit India for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas to be held in January 2019.
Members of the Indian community of neighbouring states had also travelled for this interaction with the Prime Minister.
On Tuesday, the second and concluding day of his visit, Modi visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial honouring the memory of the 1994 genocide victims and laid a wreath there.
Thereafter, he visited the Rwera model village and gifted 200 diary cows to the villagers as part of the Rwandan government’s Girinka programme for economic development.
Girinka was initiated by President Kagame in response to the alarmingly high rate of childhood malnutrition and as a way to accelerate poverty reduction and integrate livestock and crop farming.
Speaking on the occasion, Modi appreciated the Girinka programme, and Kagame’s initiative in this regard.
According to the External Affairs Ministry, he said people in India too would be pleasantly surprised to see the cow being given such importance as a means of economic empowerment in villages, in faraway Rwanda.
The Prime Minister also announced gifting of 100,000 books of the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) books, setting up of the Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Kigali which would provide training to youth of Rwanda for enhancing their skills in a variety of sectors, fully funded 25 slots for short-term training in the field of dairy production and processing, contribution of $10,000 each to the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Imbuto Foundation run by the First Lady of Rwanda towards the education of the girl child.
Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore announced that the rate of pension for sportspersons who have won medals in international competitions and have retired from active sports, has been doubled from April 1.
In a written reply in Lok Sabha on Thursday, Rathore said at present the government gives lifelong pension to 588 players under the scheme of ‘Pension to Meritorious Sportspersons.'
According to the revised rates, Olympic and Para Olympic medallists will get a sum of Rs 20,000 per month each, while gold medallists at World Cups and World Championships in Olympic and Asian Games disciplines will receive Rs 16,000 per month.
Japan has named its official mascots for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The two futuristic creatures, christened Miraitowa and Someity, were picked by schoolkids across the country.
Pakistan's Fakhar Zaman has just become the fastest man to reach 1000 runs in one-day internationals, shaving the earlier mark by a whopping three innings.
He started the fifth and final ODI with 980 runs in 17 innings against his
That beat the record of 21 innings, held jointly by five batsmen – Zaman’s countrymate Babar Azam the last one to join the club – by three innings, with Zaman getting there in 18 innings.
| Innings | Batsman |
| 18 | Fakhar Zaman |
| 21 | Viv Richards, Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott, Quinton de Kock, Babar Azam |
| 23 | Gordon Greenidge, Ryan ten Doeschate, Azhar Ali |
Jonathan Gold, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Los Angeles Times restaurant critic who richly chronicled the city’s vast culinary landscape and made its food understandable and approachable to legions of fans, has died. He was 57.
Gold died of pancreatic cancer at St. Vincent Medical Center on Saturday evening, according to his wife, Times arts and entertainment editor Laurie Ochoa. The disease was diagnosed in early July.
One of the most widely admired voices of Los Angeles, Gold wrote about restaurants for four decades and became indelibly linked with the city in which he was born and raised.
Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar will be the Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court, Pakistan’s top judge announced on Monday, paving way for her to become the first woman chief justice of any court in the conservative Muslim-majority nation.
“Madam Tahira Safdar will be the next chief justice of BHC,” Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar said today at a book launch in Lahore, where he was invited as the chief guest, the Express Tribune reported.
Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai is scheduled to retire on on August 31.
Justice Tahira will replace Justice Meskanzai. She will work as the chief justice of the BHC till October 5 next year.
India and Rwanda signed eight agreements last night following delegation-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali.
The two countries signed agreements in the fields of Defence, Trade, Agriculture, Leather and allied products and Dairy. India also extended two Lines of Credit of 100 million US dollars each - one for development of industrial parks and Kigali Special Economic Zone, and the other for three agricultural projects in Rwanda.
Mr Modi and Mr Kagame held wide-ranging talks and discussed measures to boost the bilateral strategic ties. Addressing a joint press conference, Mr Modi said, India will soon open a High Commission in Rwanda which will not only establish communication between the governments of the two countries but also enable facilities for consular, passport and visa.
The Prime Minister
In his remarks, Mr Kagame said, Mr Modi's visit represents a milestone between the long-standing friendship and co-operation between Rwanda and India.
Later, Mr Modi interacted with the Indian community.
Star sprinter Muhammed Anas Yahiya once again entered the record books on Saturday as he broke his own national record to win the 400 metres race at the Cena Noveho Mesta nad Metuji
Anas set a time of 45.24 seconds to break his own record of 45.31 seconds which he had set during the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast earlier this year.