| From Donald Trump to Emmanuel Macron and Prince Charles, the Indian greeting gesture that doesn't require body contact is gaining traction among world leaders. Prince Charles extended his hand to greet Sir Kenneth Olisa, the lord lieutenant and Queen Elizabeth’s representative in Greater London, earlier this month — but then quickly withdrew it. Instead, he folded his hands, pressing the palms together in an intrinsically Indian way — also known as the "namaste" gesture. The heir to the British crown isn't alone. As the outbreak of the coronavirus, which experts say spreads through physical contact and has so far infected more than 681,000 people in 177 countries, the centuries-old Indian form of greeting is slowly sweeping the world, especially in diplomacy. And while it didn't help Charles — who tested positive last week — the namaste is fast emerging as the new handshake in foreign relations. At a time diplomatic visits and global summits are being postponed or canceled because of the crisis, the greeting is allowing world leaders to at least hold the most essential meetings. The namaste gesture does not involve skin contact and lets people maintain a distance — without compromising on politeness. | 
