WORLD

Emphasising that control over information is key to victory in modern warfare, Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to be "combat ready" as nine rounds of talks to resolve military faceoff in eastern Ladakh between India and China have failed to defuse the border tension.

Ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year, Xi Jinping delivered a speech during a visit to the PLA air force unit recently. Chinese media quoted Xi Jinping as saying during his tour of the aviation unit, "During the Spring Festival, the entire army must strengthen combat readiness on duty to guard national security and the happiness and tranquillity of the people."

The statement assumes significance in the backdrop of India and China having been locked in a military standoff since May 2020. Thousands of soldiers have stayed put through the harsh winter months of December and January in the sub-zero conditions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The US state department on Sunday (February 7) expressed condolences over the loss of life and people affected due to the glacier burst at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district which triggered flash floods in the region.

The US state departments Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs said in a tweet, Our deepest condolences to those affected by the glacier burst and landslide in India. We grieve with the family and friends of the deceased and extend our hopes for a speedy and full recovery for the injured.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron, replying to Prime Minister Narendra Modis tweet on the disaster, expressed solidarity with India. He tweeted, France expresses its full solidarity with India, after a glacier burst in the Uttarakhand province, leading to the disappearance of over 100 people. Our thoughts are with them and their families.

Amid alleged international propaganda to defame the Narendra Modi government over ongoing farmers' protest, the US Administration of President Joe Biden has said that it welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India's markets and attract greater private sector investment.

The White House also stated that it acknowledges that peaceful protests are a hallmark of a thriving democracy.

The State Department, while responding to a question on the ongoing farmers' protests in India, said the US encourages that any differences between the parties be resolved through dialogue. It further indicated that the new Joe Biden Administration is supportive of the Indian government's move to reform the agricultural sector that attracts private investment and greater market access to farmers. A State Department spokesperson said, "In general, the United States welcomes steps that would improve the efficiency of India's markets and attract greater private sector investment".

There are around 4,000 variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 around the world now so all vaccine manufacturers including Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca Plc are trying to improve their vaccines, a British minister said.

Thousands of variants of the type of coronavirus that causes COVID-19 have been documented as the virus mutates, including the so-called British, South African and Brazilian variants which appear to spread more swiftly than others.

There are around 4,000 variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 around the world now so all vaccine manufacturers including Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca Plc are trying to improve their vaccines, a British minister said.

Wikipedia on Tuesday introduced a new global code of conduct to address the criticism around harassment and lack of diversity as well as pressure on internet platforms to curb misinformation. The 20-year old website, until now, largely relied on unpaid volunteers to handle issues around users' behaviour. It has noted that it is going to revamp content rules and more strictly enforce them.

"There's been a process of change throughout the communities," Katherine Maher, the executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation told Reuters. "It took time to build the support that was necessary to do the consultations for people to understand why this is a priority." Wikimedia Foundation is a nonprofit that administers Wikipedia.

The new code of conduct bans harassment on and off the site, barring behaviours like hate speech, the use of slurs, stereotypes or attacks based on personal characteristics. It also bans threats of physical violence and hounding or following someone across different articles to critique their work. It is further aimed at restricting someone who deliberately introduces false or biased information into the content.