Author: Starvision News Desk

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Italy’s withdrawal would deal another blow to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has already been scaled back as recipient countries grapple with debt distress, Chinese banks seek to reduce their exposure to risky loans, and China grapples with mounting domestic economic challenges, writes David Saks in Council for Foreign Relations.David Sacks is a fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).European countries are increasingly focused on “de-risking” their economies and will be reluctant to increase their economic dependence on China, making it unlikely that any major economy will soon join…

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) As Italy clearly indicated during the sidelines of the recently concluded G20 Delhi summit, that it plans to quit China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), it reaffirmed the gradually evolving belief, that how economically unfeasible the whole project is proving to be for any of its supporters.Though it managed to garner a lot of support from many central Asian and even European nations (like Italy), who saw a potential of boosting their trade in Asia through it, India has been a long standing opponent of the project.The main thrust of India’s opposition to BRI has…

Washington, Sep 17 (IANS) IMEC, a new acronym born during the recent G20 meeting in Delhi, is the most ambitious project yet undertaken under the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII), the US-led West’s response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).IMEC is a port-and-rail economic corridor connecting India, the Middle East and Europe. Thus the name, India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Along the route, the plan is to run a cable for electricity and digital connectivity US President Joe Biden, the architect of the (PGII) hailed the project as a “game-changing” regional investment.Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it “historic”.…

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) In a significant development which could have far reaching geopolitical ramifications, the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) was announced at the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding this was signed by India, Middle Eastern countries, Europe and the US, thus marking a significant milestone in global economic and political dynamics.The participating nations in this initiative are Saudi Arabia, India, United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Germany, Italy and the US.The corridor aims to strengthen economic development by improving connectivity and economic integration between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe.Most significantly…

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) Many analysts have characterised Chinese lending through the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) as “debt trap diplomacy” designed to give China leverage over other countries and even seize their infrastructure and resources.After Sri Lanka fell behind on payments for its troubled Hambantota port project in 2017, China obtained a 99-year lease on the property as part of a deal to renegotiate the debt, wrote Michael Bennon and Francis Fukuyama in a recent article in Foreign Affairs.Bennon is a Research Scholar and Manager of the Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative at the Center on Democracy, Development,…

Islamabad, Sep 16 (IANS) China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ (OBOR) initiative is one of the world’s biggest financial investment and trade initiatives through an ambitious economic development and commercial connectivity among multiple countries spread across Asia, Africa and Europe, dubbed as the “Project of the Century” by the authorities in Beijing.In a project that embodies about 78 countries; Pakistan remains as one of the pivotal parts of it through OBOR’s flagship project, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).The CPEC is a core project of OBOR and has been termed as significant in making Pakistan both a conduit and destination for cross-regional investment…

New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS) BRI countries are increasingly opting for bailouts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), even though they often come with tough conditions, rather than trying to negotiate further relief from Beijing, wrote Michael Bennon and Francis Fukuyama in a recent article in Foreign Affairs.Bennon is a Research Scholar and Manager of the Global Infrastructure Policy Research Initiative at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford University.Fukuyama is Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Director of the…

Tokyo, Sep 16 (IANS) A 90-minute nap followed by a 30-minute nap is more effective in putting off drowsiness and fatigue than a single 120-minute nap during the overnight duty, according to a new study.The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, analysed the data of pilot studies on night-shift naps conducted from 2012 to 2018.“A 90-minute nap to maintain long-term performance and a 30-minute nap to maintain lower fatigue levels and fast reactions, as a strategic combination of naps, can be valuable for early morning work efficiency and safety,” said study sole author Sanae Oriyama, a nursing science professor…

Washington, Sep 16 (IANS) The Covid-19 vaccine misinformation policies of Facebook, the world’s largest social media platform, were not effective in combating misinformation and its overall design is more to blame for this rather than just algorithms, a new study has revealed.The study, led by researchers at the George Washington University in the US and published in the journal Science Advances, found that Facebook’s efforts were undermined by the core design features of the platform itself.“To effectively tackle misinformation and other online harms, we need to move beyond content and algorithms to also focus on design and architecture,” said David…

Kiev, Sep 16 (IANS) The Unesco has said that historical sites in the Ukrainian capital Kiev and the city of Lviv are in danger of destruction due to Russia’s ongoing war.According to UN cultural body, the sites include the iconic Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kiev, the medieval buildings of the city’s Kiev-Pechersk Lavra monastery site and the historic centre in Lviv, the BBC reported.These sites have been placed on Unesco’s List of World Heritage in Danger.In a statement, the unesco said its World Heritage Committee had concluded that “optimal conditions are no longer met to fully guarantee the protection of…