“Prime Minister Boris Johnson will use the first in-person G7 summit in almost two years to ask leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to seize the opportunity to build back better from coronavirus, uniting to make the future fairer, greener and more prosperous,” the statement said.

Boris Johnson was planning to visit India to Republic Day parade. He was the supposed to be the chief guest in R-Day parade. However the plan was cancelled because of the serious coronavirus situation in the UK.

Terming India as ‘pharmacy of the world’, the UK praised the efforts regarding the production of coronavirus vaccine and said, “India already supplies more than 50 per cent of the world’s vaccines, and the UK and India have worked closely together throughout the pandemic.”

Apart from India, Australia and South Korea,too, have been invited to attend G7 summit. The meet is scheduled to be held in Cornwall from June 11 to 14, 2021.

Announcing plans to hold the G7 Summit in June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted to use Britain’s presidency of the G7 to forge a consensus that the global economy must recover from the COVID-19 crisis in a pro-free trade and sustainable way.

“Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations and the greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced,” he said in a statement. “It is only right that we approach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future.”

The summit in June will address shared challenges, from beating coronavirus and tackling climate change, to ensuring that people everywhere can benefit from open trade, technological change and scientific discovery.

G7 is a grouping of leading economies — the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the USA and the EU.

Last year’s G7 meeting, due to be hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, was cancelled due to the pandemic.The leaders of Britain, Germany, France, the United States, Italy, Japan, the European Union and Canada have not met in person since the 2019 meeting in Biarritz, France.

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BBC reports that only 275,800 babies were born last year, down 10% person from 2019. Around 307,764 people died.

This alarming figures prompted the South Korea government to call for major changes to its policies.

A declining population puts immense strain on a country.

Last month, President Moon Jae-in launched several policies aimed at addressing the low birth rate, including cash incentives for families.

Under the scheme, from 2022, every child born will receive a cash bonus of 2 million won ($1,850; £1,350) to help cover prenatal expenses, on top of a monthly payout of 300,000 won handed out until the baby turns one. The incentive will increase to 500,000 won every month from 2025.

A declining youth population and increased cost of living lead to labour shortages that have a direct impact on the economy.

The major reason for South Korea’s falling birth rate is the country’s employment policies are not favourable to women who want to have children. Hence, South Korea’s women struggle to achieve a balance between work and other life demands.

Soaring real estate prices are another major issue which discourage young couple to have children as it increase the expenses.

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Now South Korea’s spy agency told lawmakers that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has ordered at least two people executed, banned fishing at sea and locked down the capital, Pyongyang, as part of extreme efforts to guard against the coronavirus and its economic damage. This comes after the South Korean lawmakers attended a private meeting by the spy agency National Intelligence Service(NIS) .

The agency further stated that Kim Jong-Un-led government has also directed the diplomats overseas to avoid doing anything that could provoke the United States as the supreme leader is worried about President-elect Joe Biden’s approach towards North Korea.

One of the lawmakers, Ha Tae-Kung, further added that according to NIS Kim is displaying “excessive anger” and taking “irrational measures” over the pandemic and its economic impact.

A high-profile money changer from Pyongyang was executed in North Korea last month after being held responsible for a slight decrease in exchange rate. Further, a key official was also executed in August for reportedly violating government rules that restrict goods brought from abroad.

North Korean also banned fishing and salt production at sea to prevent sea water from being infected with the virus. However, there is no information about whether the ban applied to all North Korean waters or whether it was still in effect.

NIS also said that North Korea also made a hacking attempt on at least one South Korean pharmaceutical company that was trying to develop a coronavirus vaccine, though it was unsuccessful.

Recently,North Korea imposed lockdown in Pyongang and Northern Jagang province in November. The COVID-19 lockdown was further extended to several areas of North Korea where unauthorised goods and foreign currencies were found.

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 in January , North Korea was forced to seal the border with its major trading partners and aid benefactor, China. North Korea and China’s trade has dropped drastically as compared to 2019 as it has totalled to about $530 million which just 25% of last years figures. A lawmaker also quoted the NIS saying that the sugar and seasoning price in North Korea has shot up four times.

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According to PUBG Corporation, the new version is specifically designed for Indian users, which include local customisations such as characters starring the game “fully clothed”. The official release date of PUBG Mobile India will be announced soon.

Besides PUBG Corporation will erect an Indian subsidiary that will hire 100 employee specialising in areas of business, esports and game development. This move is also beneficial for PUBG Corporation as it will increase jobs in the country, especially when the app ecosystem of India is undergoing a major change after the backlash against Chinese apps.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CHfCLO-DIfd/?utm_source=ig_embed

South Korea’s PUBG Corporation has said it will offer secure and healthy gameplay for the PUBG Mobile India, which are likely to be in line with government’s mandate.

To recall, PUBG Mobile was banned in India on September 2, under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. The reason behind the ban was that the app has been engaging in activities that are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence and security of the country.

It was among the 118 apps that are banned by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

The ban imposed on PUBG Mobile created a void in the Indian mobile gaming community as it was one of the most played titles on the platform.

Apart from the government concern on security, the rhetoric of PUBG Mobile being a bad influence on teenagers of India had a lot to do with the ban.

The general perception of PUBG Mobile as a violent game that goes against India’s “cultural practices” is something that PUBG Coporation is addressing head on. In the Indian specific PUBG Mobile India, the characters will be fully clothed. In the original version some of the avatars are half-naked and have to be dressed with the help of attires won or bought in the game. The game will also be set in a virtual simulation training ground that is familiar to Indian users.

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The traders and importers who had placed their orders in November and December last year are yet to receive a chunk of their consignments. The unprecedented delay in delivery is due to the shutting down of Chinese borders in January and February, followed by the coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown in India which lasted for about two months beginning March 25.

However, Khandelwal said that traders have not placed fresh orders with China for these items since March.

India’s imports from China during the April- August period of the current financial year stood at $21.58 billion. This is as 27.63 percent drop compared to the previous year.

India’s decision to reduce imports from China, especially cheap electronic and electrical items including mobile phones, home appliances, gifts and toys- will be a big blow to China. India has initiated talks with Vietnam, Taiwan and South Korea besides boosting its own production through Atma Nirbhar.

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Meanwhile, the death toll due to the COVID disease rose to 774,288, with the US reporting the highest deaths in the world (170,052), followed by Brazil (107,852), Mexico (56,757), and India (50,921).

Globally, more than 13 million people have recovered from the infection (13,372,643), with the highest number of recovered in Brazil (2,655,017) and followed by India (1,919,842).

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday decided to delay New Zealand’s national elections by four weeks as the country deals with a new coronavirus outbreak in its largest city, Auckland. The election had been scheduled for September 19 but will now be held on October 17. Under New Zealand law, Arden could delay election for two months.

South Korea, which efficiently controlled the virus outbreak, witnessed a triple-digit spike in new coronavirus cases, as fears grew about a massive outbreak in the greater capital region. The government urged people to stay home and curb travel.

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BTS (Bangtan Soneyondan), the South Korean music band, that’s an international sensation, will return soon with a new song that holds a special meaning. The news was unexpectedly revealed when the boys appeared for a livestream. The new digital single will be released on Korean and international streaming sites on August 21.

In contrast to their usual ways, BTS will have the new single in English, as a prelude to their new album.

The “upbeat” single is designed to provide good energy to those in need during the pandemic, the boys said during the livestream. Member V said the demo track was originally in English and the group felt that it “sounded perfect” in that language.

The new track, which wasn’t given a title, may be the first English language single where all BTS members sing. A previous Steve Aoki collaboration, Waste It on Me, was officially credited to BTS, but did not feature vocals from every member. The group thinks that now is the perfect time to bring a song in English.

To the surprise of many, K-pop group BTS has managed to become one of the biggest musical acts in the world without making an English-language song. They kept making music sticking to Korean and Japanese.

In many interviews BTS were asked about why they’ve chosen to remain true to their K-Pop roots.  RM, the group leader, had said that they didn’t want to change their identity or genuineness to get the number one. “Like if we sing suddenly in full English, and change all these other things, then that’s not BTS. We’ll do everything, we’ll try. But if we couldn’t get number one or number five, that’s okay,” he said.

The new album will be out in the second half of the year. It will be their first since February’s Map of the Soul.

The group’s Big Hit Entertainment label confirmed the plans in an announcement.

“We would like to thank all ARMY for your continued affection for BTS, and we ask for your love and support for the new digital single soon to be unveiled,” the label wrote on the group’s official website.

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As South Korea is planning to launch a lunar orbiter in 2022, and send a lunar landing module by 2030, “I hope that we share the experience and scientific data, so we can open up a new chapter of our cooperation in space exploration,” said Cheolho Lim, President of Korea Aerospace Research Institute, KARI, which is the aeronautics and space agency of South Korea, the WAM news agency reported

“I believe Korea can greatly benefit from the UAE’s experience and accumulated knowledge in Mars when Korea carries out Mars exploration in future,” he said, adding that both parties can carry out joint Moon and Mars exploration projects in future.

The Hope Probe blasted off from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Centre ‪at 01:58 Monday morning‬ and it would travel 493.5 million km over seven months to reach Mars’ orbit in February 2021, coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations to mark the historic union of the Emirates.

Once Hope Probe successfully reaches Mars, the UAE will join the exclusive club of spacefarers that have landed on Mars, alongside the US, Russia, the European Union and India.

KARI president went on to say that “the UAE has become the fifth country in the world to launch a Mars probe. This means the UAE is one step ahead of Korea in terms of space exploration, especially in Mars probe.”

By successfully launching Hope Probe as its first mission, UAE has joined the elite club of spacefaring nations at one go, Lim said.

“I extend my heartfelt congratulations on the achievement. I sincerely wish Hope Probe’s safe arrival on Mars’ orbit and successful completion of the mission,” he said.

“I have no doubt that this was made possible by the UAE’s highest leadership with keen insight into the future, UAE people’s passion toward space, with strong support from the government,” he said.

South Korea’s space industry and KARI have been closely cooperating in the development of Earth observation satellites with UAE over the past ten years, Lim pointed out.

“And this has led to a fruitful relationship between two countries. I hope Korea becomes part of the UAE’s ongoing Mars Science City project, so our partnership in space can be further strengthened.”

In line with Mars 2117 Strategy, the UAE will build a complex of buildings called Mars Scientific City in Dubai. It will comprise laboratories for food, energy and water, agricultural testing and studies about food security in the future.

Mars Scientific City will include a laboratory that will stimulate the red planet’s terrain and harsh environment through advanced 3D printing technology and heat and radiation insulation. A team of scientists and astronauts will live in this simulated environment for one year.

Kari president said, “The UAE’s Mars 2117 Vision is something no countries have ever tried before. I wish UAE all of the very best in its continued endeavours in space, including the planned human settlement on Mars by 2117.”

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Praising Kerala for the way it has handled the coronavirus surge, Nobel-laureate and economist Amartya Sen said COVID-19 would be a transformatory movement in the state and it has dealt with the pandemic combating bureaucracy and red tape.

Sen was speaking during a webinar on development titled ‘Kerala Dialogue’, organised by the Kerala government, to bring together thinkers, policy-makers, professionals, scientists and the public to a space where they could rethink and re-imagine development for a world disrupted by the pandemic. Sen appreciated the public healthcare system and the high level of literacy in the state.

Sen came down heavily on the “unplanned and unstructured lockdown” in India and said it caused distress and hardship. However, the government implemented the lockdown in an authoritarian manner.It was a disaster for the daily wage labourers,” Sen said.

Well-known philosopher and social critic, Noam Chomsky, who also participated in the talk, said the way Kerala responded to the Covid-19 pestilence was a surprise to the whole world.

“The differences in the way between Kerala and the rest of India, and the rest of most of the world, on how they reacted to the crisis was quite startling.Not many places have dealt with it the way Kerala has.This pandemic has brought out very sharply the extraordinary inequality that has been, of course always there, but greatly exaggerated through the neo-liberal period,” Chomsky said.

Asked if there will be a fundamental change in the world at the end of the pandemic, Chomsky claimed countries like the US are trying to prolong the current situation and move to more dictatorships, restrictions and people-watching.

“But there are movements all over the world to counter this.Coordinating this can be a huge force.They can make changes and they are all trying to create a new world,” Chomsky said.

Sen also pointed out that the collapse of the public system, which has happened in Europe, has not happened in Kerala. “Though Europe had a tradition of public sector intervention it is not there now but that kind of reliance on the public sector can still be seen in Kerala,” he added.

WHO Chief Scientist, Dr Soumya Swaminathan said countries, which responded to the early warning issued by the World Health Organization, were better prepared to face the pandemic.
“On January 30, WHO issued an emergency alert for global Covid-19 defence. But Kerala had already started preventive measures in early January, anticipating potential problems. That is why the first cases from Wuhan could be discovered.Following this, Kerala was able to locate, quarantine those who had contact with them and contain the outbreak. Kerala has been able to contain the disease as fast as possible due to proper preventive measures,” Swaminathan said.

Chomsky said Vietnam has confronted this pestilence and not a single Covid related death was reported there. He also pointed out that South Korea has also effectively controlled the pandemic without even a lockdown. “Taiwan, Hong Kong and New Zealand are other countries that dealt with the disease. In Europe, Germany was able to prevent the spread of the disease in a good way.What saved them was that Germany did not adopt a commercial hospital system like the US,” he said.

Chomsky said it was doctors from “poor Cuba, who have been the victims of the US economic assault for more than six decades”, who moved to Italy to help them out.  “This pandemic was able to show the extraordinary inequality of the world. In the United States, it was most pronounced….Blacks and their descendants from Spain and South America suffered the most in the United States,” he claimed.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who also participated in the discussion, said Kerala was starting a new conversation on development. “The Left Front is launching the Kerala Dialogue to bring new concepts and sustainable development models,” Vijayan said.

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The decision to postpone plans for military action against the South was brought up by the leader during a virtual meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK).It said that other talks including bolstering the country’s “war deterrent ” was discussed. Analysts say North Korea after weeks of raising tensions is just trying to make room for South Korean concessions.

Yoh Sang-key, spokesman of South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said Seoul was closely considering the prevailing situation but didn’t further elaborate details. Yoh also said this was the first report in state media of Kim holding a video conferencing meeting, but he didn’t provide a clear answer on whether that would have something to do with the coronavirus.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether Kim’s decision to hold back military action would affect the country’s plans for leafleting. The North’s military had said it would open border areas on land and sea and provide protection for civilians involved in the leafleting campaigns.

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