Indias demographic dividend

/ March 1, 2021

Modi takes home-grown vaccine as India widens immunisation drive

BHUBANESWAR -- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was inoculated with the first dose of a home-grown coronavirus vaccine on Monday, kicking off an expansion of the country’s immunisation campaign as infections rise in some big states. People above 60, and those who are 45 or more and suffering from certain medical conditions, are now eligible for the vaccinations. But some inoculation centres reported issues with the government’s Co-Win portal used to coordinate the drive, which could slow its progress. India, which has reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases after the United States, has so far vaccinated 12 million health and front-line workers since starting its immunisation programme in mid-January. It wants to cover 300 million of its 1.35 billion people by August. “I appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine,” 70-year-old Modi said on Twitter, posting a picture of him getting the shot at a government hospital in New Delhi. “Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!” The government said last week it would let people choose their vaccination centres, effectively letting beneficiaries pick either the home-grown COVAXIN shot or the AstraZeneca vaccine, unlike earlier. The inoculation campaign has run slower than expected due to a reluctance of health and front-line workers to take COVAXIN, which was approved without late-stage efficacy data. Only about 11% of vaccinated people have opted for the product developed by Bharat Biotech and the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research. Bharat Biotech has said efficacy data from a late-stage trial on nearly 26,000 volunteers who took COVAXIN will be out soon. The company, along with India’s drug regulator, says COVAXIN is safe and effective, based on early and intermediate studies. “Inspired and humbled by Hon’ble PM’s remarkable commitment to build an Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” Bharat Biotech said in reply to Modi’s tweet, referring to his self-reliance pitch to back local products. …

/ December 25, 2015

Pho among Business Insider’s top 100 lifetime experience

Trying delicious Pho Hanoi . See the great wildebeest migration in Africa's Serengeti National Park. Watch the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea from Santorini, one of the most beautiful Greek islands. Feed swimming pigs in Exuma, in the Bahamas. Snap the ultimate tourist shot at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Taste some of the best pizza in the world in Naples, Italy. Get lost in the Grand Bazaar of Istanbul, Turkey. Ride a dogsled through the backcountry of Sweden. Stay at the luxurious OberoiUdaivilas in Udaipur, India, which we named the best hotel in the world. Spend a night cozied up in an ice hotel, like the Ice Hotel Romania in the Fagaras Mountains near Bucharest. Stare into the so-called "Door to Hell," a burning natural gas field, in Derweze, Turkmenistan. Dive with whale sharks and manta rays off the coast of Mozambique. …

/ December 12, 2020

UKVFTA to boost export of Vietnam key items

The Hanoitimes - The trade deal will open a new chapter in the Vietnam – UK relations, UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has said. Once coming into force, the UK – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) would serve as a major boost for a number of Vietnam’s export staples, including seafood, rice, garment, vegetables, among others, suggested the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) in a report. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and UK International Trade Secretary Liz Truss in a meeting yesterday. Photo: Quang Hieu. In 2019, Vietnam exported seafood worth US$298.2 million to the UK, or 6.7% of the latter’s total fishery imports. With the UKVFTA in place import tariffs for fresh or frozen shrimp would immediately go down to 0%. A zero-tariff rate is set to continue boosting Vietnam’s exports of shrimp and catfish to the UK market, which also makes the sector more attractive in the eyes of investors looking to take advantage of the trade deal. A study from the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) predicted export turnover of Vietnam’s garment products to the EU market would expand by 67% by 2025 with the EU – Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). A similar effect is expected from the UKVFTA, stated the MoIT. At present, Vietnam’s textile exports to the UK only accounts for 2.77% of total import turnover of the latter for garment products, indicating huge potential for Vietnamese textile companies to further penetrate the market. The MoIT also views the UK as a potential rice buyer for Vietnam. In 2019, the country’s rice exports to the UK surged by 376% against that of in the previous year. Needless to say, the UKVFTA is set to put Vietnam in a favorable position compared to other rice exporters that do not possess a similar deal with the UK, including Thailand, China or India. Vietnam remained 6 th largest exporter of wooden products to the UK in 2019 with turnover of US$432.8 million, accounting for 3.6% of the …