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Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Agri growth crucial to reduction of poverty: NITI Aayog member
Stating that agriculture is important 'not only for growth, but also inclusive growth', NITI Aayog member Prof Ramesh Chand Tuesday said growth in the farm sector was more impactful in reducing poverty than manufacturing. 'There are studies which show the power of 1% growth in agriculture to reduce poverty is four times the power of manufacturing to reduce poverty,' Chand said at a symposium on 'Innovation and Sustainability in India's Root and Tuber Crop Sector'. Emphasising 'agriculture focused inclusive development', he said, 'I prepared a case for agriculture focused inclusive development, that agriculture is important, not only for growth, but also important for inclusive growth.' The symposium was organised by the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP) in collaboration with the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). It was held as part of the CIP's board meeting. The CIP, which commenced its work in India in 1975, plans to establish its South Asia Regional Centre at Singana in Agra, one of the top potato producing districts of the country. The UP government has transferred 10 hectares of land necessary for the establishment of the CIP's centre at Singana in Agra. China opened a CIP centre eight years ago. Speaking at the symposium, UP Horticulture Minister Dinesh Pratap Singh said the state government is ready to extend all support to set up the CIP centre in Agra. The CIP centre, he said, will not only help farmers in the state but in the entire country. Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi said the partnership with Peru, where the potato originated, will be beneficial not just for India but also other parts of South Asia where the tuber is a major crop. Dr Simon Heck, Director General, CIP, highlighted 50 years of CIP's association with India. 'It was in 1975 that the ICAR and CIP signed an initial agreement for cooperation on potato and sweet potatoes in India… On that, it's also a time then finally, to look forward and discuss how the next 50 years might look like. Given the huge potential of potato, sweet potato and other root crops in India, and in the region and globally,' he said. India is today the second largest producer of potato in the world, and perhaps it will be the largest in near future. That's an excellent foundation for future growth,' Heck added. With production of 93 million metric tonnes, China tops potato production globally followed by India (60 million metric tonnes). In a statement, the CIP said India is on course to overtake China in potato production.
The Hindu
20-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
India poised to emerge as world's leading potato producer, say international scientists
India is on track to become the world's top potato producer, overtaking China, according to scientists from the Peru-based International Potato Center (Centro Internacional de la Papa – CIP). Speaking at a science symposium on 'Root and Tuber Crops Research and Development in India and South Asia', international experts projected that India's annual potato production could rise from the current 60 million tonnes to 100 million tonnes by 2050. Addressing the seminar, chairperson of the CIP Board, Helen Hambly Odame, said the institution's 50-year partnership with India has been instrumental in the country becoming the second largest potato producer globally. She said India has the capacity to take the top position by continuing to expand cultivation, noting that beyond potatoes, there is also significant potential in scaling up sweet potato and other root crops to drive farmer employment, rural development, nutrition, women's empowerment, and youth engagement in agriculture. 'These crops, of course, will open new opportunities in the value chain partnerships of the private sector entrepreneurship and cooperative and farmers' producers associations and will strengthen the presence of roots and tuber crops,' Prof. Odame said. Also read | New sweet potato variety developed by ICAR-CTCRI to strengthen tribal food security programmes She emphasised that tuber crops are resilient to climate change and encourage judicious use of natural resources, particularly water. Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, addressing the event, said the government has enhanced investment in science and innovation to catalyse agricultural growth. He added that India must simultaneously ensure food security, income security, and nutritional security for its population while responding to the mounting challenges posed by climate change. 'There is scope for more collaborative research in potato and other tuber crops, especially the sweet potato,' Mr. Chaturvedi said. NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand said the government's growth model remains agriculture-centric and views agriculture as an active driver of the economy.
Boston Globe
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
A new pope confronts his church's abuse scandal amid praise and scrutiny
Leo has not made any public statements about the sexual abuse crisis, though in past interviews he disavowed 'cover-up and secrecy' and emphasized assistance for victims. One possible sign of an early focus on the issue came Wednesday, when the pope met with Cardinal Sean O'Malley, a retired leader of the Boston Archdiocese who heads the Vatican's commission on the abuse of minors. Advertisement Experts and those who have worked with Leo during his lengthy tenure as priest, missionary, bishop, and leader of an international order express confidence that he has the characteristics to accelerate progress -- excellent listening skills, a canon law degree, experience suppressing an abusive Catholic movement in Peru. Advertisement Yet his record during those years, when he was known as Father Robert Prevost, has already faced scrutiny from some survivor groups. They say they are troubled by his ascent to the apex of the church, calling his oversight of two cases involving accused priests problematic. In March, the US-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, sent a complaint to the Vatican calling for investigations into both cases: an accusation that a quarter-century ago, Prevost approved the relocation of an abuser to a Chicago friary located near a parish elementary school; and a 2023 claim by three sisters in Peru who say that Prevost, at that point a bishop for the Diocese of Chiclayo, insufficiently investigated their allegations of sexual abuse by two priests years earlier. In neither case did the alleged abuse occur under Prevost's watch. Still, SNAP president Shaun Dougherty said he felt 'flabbergasted' last week when Prevost emerged as Pope Leo XIV on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. The cardinals' selection of Prevost was 'tone deaf' as the church continues to grapple with the decades-long crisis, Dougherty said. Others have a different assessment, saying abuse in the church has been so widespread that the conclave would have struggled to choose a pontiff whose career was untouched by the fallout. Activists of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests held a press conference in Rome in March. From left were Sarah Pearson, Peter Isely, and president Shaun Dougherty. Andrew Medichini/Associated Press 'For me, the bigger story is what he does moving forward,' said Brian Clites, an expert at Case Western Reserve University on clergy sexual abuse. The allegations 'are serious,' he said, 'but they're so common that I cannot imagine many people who would have been elected pope who would not have had similar profiles.' Advertisement And in a statement posted last week on X, the president of the Peru Survivors Network said he had met with Prevost in January and praised the new pope's role in helping to dismantle Sodalitium Christianae Vitae. The Peru-based movement, a lay community founded to recruit 'soldiers for God,' was dissolved early this year after a Vatican investigation uncovered sexual and spiritual abuses. 'He listened with attention to my ideas and showed his total agreement and support for my fight against physical, psychological, spiritual, and sexual violence in the Catholic Church,' Jose Enrique Escardó Steck wrote of their conversation. The church's reckoning became far more visible under Francis, who met several times with survivors and in 2014 created a Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Five years later, he convened an unprecedented summit on clerical sexual abuse, where he called for an 'all-out battle' to end it. Francis followed that with a sweeping law to hold clerics accountable, requiring church officials to report accusations of abuse or cover-ups to their superiors. (The law does not require civil authorities to be contacted.) Even so, Francis was criticized for slow-walking certain cases, and survivors and their advocates saw many of his moves as toothless. Some commission members quit in protest, saying the body lacked independence and transparency, a charge the group itself echoed in a report last year. Though thousands of priests have been disciplined by the Holy See and abuse cases keep surfacing, critics say the investigative process remains cloaked, the result of an entrenched hierarchy averse to openness and change. Advertisement Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit priest who is considered one of the church's foremost authorities on safeguarding children from sexual abuse, quit the commission out of frustration in 2023. But he said he has seen 'a positive dynamic' worldwide over the past two to three years and is looking for the new pope to build on it. Zollner hopes Leo will invite victims to Rome -- not only so he can hear directly from them, but also so he can involve them in 'rethinking procedures in the church and in promoting safeguarding.' As a native of the United States, where the scandal exploded in Boston in 2002, Leo would have significant familiarity with the problem and what is now the US church's 'zero tolerance' policy. Across the country, dioceses and other Catholic entities have since reported more than 16,200 credible allegations of abuse made by minors, as detailed in a report early this year by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. But Leo's many years in Peru may give him a broader perspective -- one that grasps the scope of abuse in countries from Ireland to Australia to the Philippines. Some Catholics around the world continue to believe 'this is a decadent American problem,' said Stephen White, who leads Catholic University's response to the abuse crisis. 'I think he will be very much disabused of that idea.' Clites said Leo, like Francis, seems to embrace a liberation-theology-style approach that gives a 'preferential option' for the poor. Whether he will extend the same to survivors of abuse, as SNAP and other groups have demanded, is unclear. 'The biggest thing a pope could do that we haven't seen from the past few popes would be to direct dioceses around the world to be more transparent. We really have no idea about the rates and cases of abuse outside of the most developed countries,' Clites said. He added: 'It's not just about implementing policies and the speech acts that Francis did a good job at.' Advertisement
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Asante Mourns the Death of Board Member Carsten Korch
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Asante Gold Corporation (CSE:ASE | GSE:ASG | FRANKFURT:1A9 | ('Asante' or the 'Company') announces with great sadness that Carsten Korch, a valued member of the Asante board of directors, has passed away. Carsten Korch had been a director of the Company since July 2020. He served as a member of the Company's Audit Committee and Compensation, Governance and Nominating Committee and led the ESG Committee. Throughout his tenure he made valuable contributions to the Board. A Danish national, Carsten was a Peru-based entrepreneur with more than 30 years' experience in several sectors. In addition to serving on the board of directors of a number of mining companies, Carsten had an illustrious career in tourism, the music industry and as a business coach and author of inspirational self-help books, including his most recent book From Dreamer to Entrepreneur. In addition to mining, his business experience was extensive and spanned intellectual property, retail, investment and data-driven marketing. Malik Easah, Executive Chairman of Asante stated, 'I am very saddened by Carsten's passing. He was a tremendous supporter of Asante and his contributions are significant. We offer our prayers and extend our deepest condolences to Carsten's family at this time.' Dave Anthony, CEO of Asante added, 'Carsten's enthusiasm and positivity were inspiring. He challenged all of us to find a better path to success, in our personal lives and in our Company. He will be deeply missed.' Frederick Attakumah, Executive Vice President of Asante also stated, 'Carsten's unwavering commitment to sustainability has been instrumental in shaping Asante's values and direction. We will honour his memory by continuing steadfastly in our quest to make a positive impact on our planet and society.' About Asante Gold Corporation Asante is a gold exploration, development and operating company with a high-quality portfolio of projects and mines in Ghana. Asante is currently operating the Bibiani and Chirano Gold Mines and continues with detailed technical studies at its Kubi Gold Project. All mines and exploration projects are located on the prolific Bibiani and Ashanti Gold Belts. Asante has an experienced and skilled team of mine finders, builders and operators, with extensive experience in Ghana. The Company is listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Ghana Stock Exchange and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. Asante is also exploring its Keyhole, Fahiakoba and Betenase projects for new discoveries, all adjoining or along strike of major gold mines near the centre of Ghana's Golden Triangle. Additional information is available on the Company's website at About the Bibiani Gold Mine Bibiani is an operating open pit gold mine situated in the Western North Region of Ghana, with previous gold production of more than 4.5 million ounces. It is fully permitted with available mining and processing infrastructure on-site consisting of a refurbished 3 million tonne per annum process plant and existing mining infrastructure. Asante commenced mining at Bibiani in late February 2022 with the first gold pour announced on July 7, 2022. Commercial production was announced November 10, 2022. For additional information relating to the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the Bibiani Gold Mine, please refer to the 2024 Bibiani Technical Report filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile ( About the Chirano Gold Mine Chirano is an operating open pit and underground mine located in the Western Region of Ghana, immediately south of the Company's Bibiani Gold Mine. Chirano was first explored and developed in 1996 and began production in October 2005. The mine comprises the Akwaaba, Suraw, Akoti South, Akoti North, Akoti Extended, Paboase, Tano, Obra South, Obra, Sariehu and Mamnao open pits and the Akwaaba and Paboase underground mines. For additional information relating to the mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates for the Chirano Gold Mine, please refer to the 2024 Chirano Technical Report filed on the Company's SEDAR+ profile ( For further information please contact: Dave Anthony, President & CEOFrederick Attakumah, Executive Vice President and Country Directorinfo@ 604 661 9400 or +233 303 972 147 LEI Number: 529900F9PV1G9S5YD446. Neither IIROC nor any stock exchange or other securities regulatory authority accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Ottawa Citizen
14-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Advocates hold onto hope as Pope Leo faces claims he mishandled alleged clergy abuse
Article content An advocate for victims of clergy abuse said Saturday they are holding on to cautious hope about Pope Leo XIV, but keeping a close eye on recently surfaced allegations that he previously sheltered those accused of abuse. Article content Newfoundlander Gemma Hickey, the board president of Ending Clergy Abuse, was in Rome this week to push for the church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy for clergy abuse. They said Saturday that survivors have mixed reviews about Leo, which is the name taken by Cardinal Robert Prevost upon his election Thursday. Article content 'You can't be married and be a priest,' Hickey said. 'But you can be a child rapist and be a priest. There's something wrong with that picture.' Article content Article content Just weeks before Prevost became the first American to be elected Pope, a Chicago-based group filed complaints about him with Vatican officials, claiming he fell short in his responses to allegations of abuse in Chicago and Peru. Article content In a March 25 letter to the Vatican secretary of state, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests allege Prevost failed to investigate after three women came forward in 2022 to say they were abused by two priests in Peru when they were minors. The letter says Prevost, then the Bishop of Chiclayo, a coastal city in northern Peru, did not ask the women for testimony, nor did he notify authorities or remove the priests. Article content Article content The letter also claims Prevost didn't alert authorities at a Chicago elementary school when a priest forbidden to be alone with minors because he was accused of sexual abuse was residing at a nearby Augustinian friary in the early 2000s. Article content The letter said Prevost, who was a regional leader of the Order of St. Augustine at the time, gave the approval for James Ray, then a priest in the Archdiocese of Chicago, to live at the friary 'half a city block away from the school,' despite knowing Ray was not allowed to be around children. Article content 'In our opinion, this conduct of Cardinal Prevost stands as an abuse of ecclesiastical power, office, or function that has harmed the vulnerable and caused scandal,' the letter reads. Article content But some advocates, including Pedro Salinas, a founding member of Ending Clergy Abuse, credit Prevost with supporting survivors of an abusive, Peru-based Catholic movement that was eventually dissolved by the late Pope Francis. Article content 'As Bishop of Chiclayo, Robert Prevost played a decisive role in confronting the Sodalicio case — one of the most egregious abuse scandals in Latin America,' Salinas, a journalist, said in a press release Friday. 'He stood with us when others didn't. That's why his election matters.'
