BEIJING (AP) — Imports of canola, a Canadian oilseed crop, will now undergo more thorough inspections in China, the country’s customs agency said Thursday, amid what appears to be a retaliatory move amid a diplomatic row over the arrest of a Chinese executive.

Relations between Canada and China have been tense since December, when Canada arrested Chinese tech executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver at the request of the U.S. China warned of “grave consequences” if Canada did not immediately release Meng Wanzhou, the chief financial officer of Huawei.

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Senior Chinese leaders on Wednesday urged for more efforts to advance high-quality development.

Li Keqiang, Wang Yang and Han Zheng -- members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee -- made the remarks at the annual "two sessions" of the country's top legislative and political advisory bodies.

NEW YORK, March 6 (Xinhua) -- The United States will see its annual economic growth decline to about 2 percent this year and slower growth is just a "new normal," New York Fed President John Williams said on Wednesday.

A downturn in global growth, heightened geopolitical uncertainty and the effects of tighter financial conditions are the three constraining factors that will contribute to the slower pace this year, the central bank official said in a speech to the Economic Club of New York.

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Downward pressure on the Chinese economy has worried global investors, but national lawmakers and political advisors attending the ongoing annual "two sessions" are optimistic about the economic outlook.

They have good reason to. While the GDP target of 6-6.5 percent for 2019 moderated from the 6.6-percent growth the country achieved last year, a series of new growth drivers have emerged that are expected to underpin the country's long-term prosperity.

New Delhi, Mar 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court Wednesday reserved its order on whether the politically sensitive Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute can be settled through mediation.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi heard the contesting parties.

The bench also comprising Justices S A Bobde, D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S A Nazeer heard submissions from various Hindu and Muslim bodies involved in the matter.

Sant Kabir Nagar (UP), Mar 6 (PTI) Two elected representatives of the ruling BJP came to blows during the district planning committee meeting here Wednesday evening in full public glare.

The incident took place when the planning committee meeting was underway at the collectorate in the presence of minister in-charge of the district, Ashutosh Tandon.

Chandigarh, Mar 6 (PTI) Farmers squatting on the Amritsar-Delhi rail tracks Wednesday called off their agitation following the intervention of the high court, which asked the state government to look into their demands.

During resumed hearing on a PIL filed by Patiala resident Mohit Kapoor, the court of Chief Justice Krishna Murari and Justice Arun Palli asked the farmers' leaders to submit their demands within 24 hours to the Advocate General, Punjab, and posted the matter for March 19.

New Delhi, Mar 6; PTI/GANASHAKTI: Documents related to the Rafale deal were published in public interest and nobody would get any information from The Hindu newspaper on the confidential sources who provided them, The Hindu Publishing Group Chairman N Ram said on Wednesday.

The documents were published because details were withheld or covered up, the veteran journalist said as the government told the Supreme Court that documents related to the Rafale aircraft deal have been stolen from the Defence Ministry and an investigation into the theft is on.

New Delhi, March 6 : The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has issued the following statement:

The United States has extended its trade war to India by withdrawing preferential trade treatment for India.  By scrapping the benefits under the Generalised System of Preferences, which will take effect after 60 days, 1900 items of exports from India, which were exempted from duties, will be affected.

New York, Mar 6 (PTI) An Indian-origin former employee of Cisco Systems has been arrested and charged with a criminal complaint alleging he defrauded the technology major of more than USD 9.3 million.

Prithviraj Bhikha, 50 was charged in a criminal complaint with wire fraud, US Attorney David Anderson and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge John Bennett have said.

New Delhi, March 5; GANASHAKTI: The Central Trade Unions and independent federations organised a workers convention at Constitutional Club Annexe on 5th March, 2019, with a view to adopt a Workers Charter of Demands to be placed in the electoral process about to begin for constitution of 17th Lok Sabha.

The Convention began by observing a minute’s silence to pay homage to the Pulwama martyrs of a terrorist attack.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — An estimated 11 million people in North Korea — over 43 percent of the population — are undernourished and “chronic food insecurity and malnutrition is widespread,” according to a U.N. report issued Wednesday.

The report by Tapan Mishra, the head of the U.N. office in North Korea, said that “widespread undernutrition threatens an entire generation of children, with one in five children stunted due to chronic undernutrition.”