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COVID-19 can't be beaten one country at a time: GuterresUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for global solidarity in the fight against the pandemic, saying that "Covid-19 cannot be beaten one country at a time". World leaders must urgently step up with a global plan for equitable access to vaccines, tests and treatments, he said in a video message on Monday to the World Health Assembly, which is underway in Geneva."This starts with funding the ACT-Accelerator and its COVAX Facility, to deploy life-saving tools to the poorest countries on a global scale," Xinhua news agency quoted the UN chief as saying.He repeated his appeal for a G20 task force that brings together all countries with vaccine production capacities, the World Health Organization (WHO), the ACT-Accelerator partners and international financial institutions, and other key stakeholders.The task force should aim to at least double manufacturing capacity by exploring all options, from voluntary licenses and technology transfers to patent pooling and flexibility on intellectual property rights, he said.The G20 task force should address equitable global distribution by using the ACT-Accelerator and its COVAX Facility and it should be co-convened at the highest levels by the major powers who hold most of the global supply and production capacity, together with the multilateral system, according to the Secretary-General."From the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have warned of the dangers of a two-speed global response. Sadly, unless we act now, we face a situation in which rich countries vaccinate the majority of their people and open their economies, while the virus continues to cause deep suffering by circling and mutating in the poorest countries."Further spikes and surges could claim hundreds of thousands of lives, and slow the global economic recovery."Our efforts to recover from Covid-19 should not come at the cost of other essential health care, from women's reproductive services to children's vaccinations and mental health coverage," said Guterres.The WHO must be at the heart of global pandemic preparedness, it needs sustainable and predictable resources, and it must be fully empowered to do the job demanded of it, he said."The world needs a framework for international cooperation and solidarity fit for the future; new solutions for sustainable and predictable financing; and national capacity for prevention, detection, and responses to disease outbreaks."

COVID-19 can't be beaten one country at a time: Guterres

The WHO must be at the heart of global pandemic preparedness, it needs sustainable and predictable resources, and it must be fully empowered to do the job demanded of it, he said.

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Joe BidenJoe Biden won Michigan’s Democratic primary on Tuesday, seizing a key battleground state that helped propel Bernie Sanders’ insurgent candidacy four years ago. The former vice president’s victory in Michigan, as well as Missouri and Mississippi, dealt a serious blow to Sanders, who is urgently seeking to jump-start his flagging campaign.Sanders could still get a boost later in the night in Idaho, North Dakota or Washington state. But fewer delegates were at stake than in Mississippi, Missouri, and Michigan, where Biden’s decisive performance again showed his strength with working-class voters and African Americans, who are vital to winning the Democratic nomination.It’s a dramatic reversal of fortune for Biden, whose campaign appeared on the brink of collapse just two weeks ago. Sanders opened the nomination process with strong showings in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada, but Biden rebounded in South Carolina and built on that success with a surprise Super Tuesday rout last week.Sanders had been hoping to pull off a victory in Michigan, where his win four years ago lent much-needed credibility to his 2016 primary challenge of Hillary Clinton. The state is also vitally important since President Donald Trump’s win there was so narrow four years ago that Democrats are desperate to show they have the strength to flip it back.Even as the contours of the race took shape, however, the campaigns faced new uncertainty amid fears of the spreading coronavirus. Sanders and Biden both abruptly canceled public events in Ohio that were scheduled for Tuesday night. Sanders’ campaign said all future events would be decided on a case-by-case basis, while Biden called off a scheduled upcoming stop in Florida. The Democratic National Committee also said that Sunday’s debate between Sanders and Biden would be conducted without an audience.As soon as polls closed in Mississippi and Missouri at 8 p.m. Eastern time, The Associated Press declared Biden the winner in both states’ Democratic presidential primary.The AP called Biden the winner over Sanders even though state officials had yet to release any results from Tuesday’s election. The news agency did so based on results from AP VoteCast, its wide-ranging survey of the American electorate. That election research captures the views of voters on whom they vote for, and why.Tuesday marked the first time voters weighed in on the primary since it effectively narrowed to a two-person race between Sanders and Biden. It showed that Sanders had yet to really broaden his appeal among African Americans after earlier setbacks in the South on Super Tuesday. Biden, meanwhile, kept up momentum after a dominant South Carolina victory.With 125 delegates at stake, Michigan got most of the attention Tuesday. Trump won the state by only about 10,000 votes during the general election in 2016, his closest margin of victory between it, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — the three states that gave Trump the edge in the Electoral College after Clinton won the popular vote.Biden is hoping his showing can convince voters he’s the candidate who can win Michigan back for his party against Trump. Sanders, who has vowed not to drop out regardless of Tuesday’s results, may be unable to catch Biden, and perhaps only be left trying to deny him an outright delegate win ahead of the Democratic National Convention this summer in Milwaukee.AP VoteCast survey showed Biden leading among both men and women, as well as among both white voters and African American voters.Sanders had predicted victory in Michigan and scrapped a scheduled Mississippi stop to spend more time there. Biden went there less frequently, but sought late-breaking support there and toured an auto plant in Detroit on Tuesday.“You’re the best damn workers in the world!” Biden shouted through a megaphone at the auto plant as workers in hard hats chanted, “Joe! Joe!”Biden now frequently ticks off the names of six former presidential rivals who have endorsed him just in the past week, saying he is “the candidate that they think can win.” The former vice president has campaigned in recent days with two of them, Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, and appeared with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. All three have been mentioned as possible vice presidential picks if Biden wins the nomination.It wasn’t all good feelings, though. At the auto plant, Biden was interrupted repeatedly by protesters angered by his support for the North American Free Trade Agreement and reluctance to embrace sweeping environmental proposals outlined in the Green New Deal. In a scuffle with demonstrators, Biden senior adviser Symone Sanders was knocked to the ground but unhurt.Biden also endured a testy exchange with a worker who accused him of “actively trying to end our Second Amendment right.” Biden responded, “You’re full of shit,” and went on to say that while he supports the Second Amendment, “Do you need 100 rounds?” His gun control plan reinstates the assault weapons ban and includes a voluntary buyback program for assault weapons, stopping short of a mandatory buyback program that some of his opponents had supported in the primary.Although he has rejected notions he could drop out of the race if Tuesday goes badly, Sanders says he is now battling the “Democratic establishment.”“In a general election, which candidate can generate the enthusiasm and the excitement and the voter turnout we need?” Sanders asked.Detroit neighbors Fayette Turner and Margaret Marsh were split on which to support: Turner voted for Sanders on Tuesday, while Marsh voted for Biden. But they agreed on one thing: the desire to beat Trump.“Anybody but Trump,” Turner, 64, said. Marsh, 69, said her family has identified as Republican her entire life -- until Trump took office.ALSO READ | Xi Jinping makes first visit to coronavirus-hit Wuhan city since COVID-19 outbreakALSO READ | UK preparing for ‘delay’ stage of coronavirus: Boris Johnson

Biden adds Michigan to win total, delivering blow to Sanders

The former vice president’s victory in Michigan, as well as Missouri and Mississippi, dealt a serious blow to Sanders, who is urgently seeking to jump-start his flagging campaign.

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More than 14.53 million people in 150 county-level regions had been affected by the torrential rains. Over 1.09 million hectares of crops were damaged, and over 30,600 houses collapsed across the province.The death toll from last month's unprecedented flash floods triggered by the heaviest rainfall in a thousand years in central China's Henan province has climbed to 302, three times higher than the previous official figures.The Chinese government on Monday ordered a probe into the handling of the calamity.In Henan province's capital, Zhengzhou -- which was the worst-hit -- a total of 292 people were confirmed dead and 47 still missing, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting local officials.The previous death toll, announced by provincial authorities on Friday, was 99. Now, the provincial death toll stands at 302, while 50 others are still missing.More than 14.53 million people in 150 county-level regions had been affected by the torrential rains. Over 1.09 million hectares of crops were damaged, and over 30,600 houses collapsed across the province, the report said.Since July 16, record rainstorms had inundated Henan. In Zhengzhou, 617.1 mm of rainfall fell over a three-day period, which is close to the city's average annual rainfall amount. The city also registered a record hourly precipitation rate of 201.9 mm.In the aftermath of the worst flood in the region, the local government came under severe criticism for not being transparent about the loss of life and damage caused by the deluge.As the death toll shot up, the State Council (China's Cabinet) announced Monday that it has decided to set up an investigation team to assess the response to the devastating flood in Zhengzhou.The team will be headed by the Ministry of Emergency Management and include officials and experts from relevant departments, an official statement said.The investigation aims to summarise the experience and lessons drawn from the response and propose measures that can be taken to improve disaster prevention and relief in the future.Those who are found breaching their duties in the Zhengzhou flood will be held responsible according to the law and regulations, it added.Zhengzhou, a metropolis of 12.6 million people, saw tragic scenes as floodwaters inundated metro trains and tunnels leading to the deaths of a large number of people.Several hospitals were also flooded and officials made desperate efforts to shift patients to safety.The Chinese Army sent its troops to a damaged dike in Yichuan county to explode it to divert the floodwater.The massive floods, described by meteorologists as a once-in-a-lifetime event, has resulted in apocalyptic scenes in Zhengzhou, with its public avenues and subway tunnels getting submerged in surging waters.Videos on social media showed people stuck in cars being washed away by rampaging waters in the main streets of the city.In the videos, petrified passengers trapped in subway trains were seen clinging on to the rails, desperately waiting for help as floodwaters raised up to their necks.People were seen trying to wade through floods in the downtown area of the city, while scores of cars and other vehicles washed away. Some videos also showed people falling into the massive cave-ins of the roads.The downtown area of Zhengzhou received average precipitation of 457.5 mm within 24 hours, the highest daily rainfall since the weather record began, Xinhua reported.Henan is home to many cultural sites and a major base for industry and agriculture. According to several media reports, Shaolin Temple, known for its Buddhist monks' mastery of martial arts, was also severely hit by the floods.Weather forecasters described the extreme event as the heaviest rainfall in 1,000 years.Currently, the railway, civil aviation, expressways and major roads in Henan have resumed traffic. The urban and rural public transportation and communication networks have also resumed, the Xinhua report said.  /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); cs_jw_script.src = 'https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/internal-c2/plugins/streamingtag_plugin_jwplayer.js'; firstjw.parentNode.insertBefore(cs_jw_script, firstjw.nextSibling); } var jwconfig_8488075305 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/07/0_77x4azl2/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_77x4azl2_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Breaking News | 12th round of talks between India and China to reduce tensions at Gogra and Hot Springs areas", "height": "440px", "width": "100%", "aspectratio": "16:9", "autostart": false, "controls": true, "mute": false, "volume": 25, "floating": false, "sharing": { "code": "", "sites": [ "facebook", "twitter", "email" ] }, "stretching": "exactfit", "primary": "html5", "hlshtml": true, "sharing_link": "", "duration": "1074", "advertising": { "client": "vast", "autoplayadsmuted": true, "skipoffset": 5, "cuetext": "", "skipmessage": "Skip ad in xx", "skiptext": "SKIP", "preloadAds": true, "schedule": [ { "offset": "pre", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PreRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" }, { "offset": "50%", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_MidRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=" }, { "offset": "post", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PostRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" } ] } }; var jwvidplayer_8488075305 = ''; jwsetup_8488075305(); function jwsetup_8488075305() { jwvidplayer_8488075305 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_8488075305").setup(jwconfig_8488075305); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_8488075305, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_77x4azl2\", ns_st_pr=\"Breaking News | 12th round of talks between India and China to reduce tensions at Gogra and Hot Springs areas\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Breaking News | 12th round of talks between India and China to reduce tensions at Gogra and Hot Springs areas\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Breaking News | 12th round of talks between India and China to reduce tensions at Gogra and Hot Springs areas\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-07-31\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-07-31\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/07/0_77x4azl2/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_8488075305.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_8488075305.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_8488075305.stop(); jwvidplayer_8488075305.remove(); jwvidplayer_8488075305 = ''; jwsetup_8488075305(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_8488075305.stop(); jwvidplayer_8488075305.remove(); jwvidplayer_8488075305 = ''; jwsetup_8488075305(); return; }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8488075305.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Death toll in worst flood in China's Henan province rises to 302

In Henan province's capital, Zhengzhou -- which was the worst-hit -- a total of 292 people were confirmed dead and 47 still missing, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting local officials.

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Indonesia intensifies search for crashed plane's black boxesIndonesian authorities on Tuesday intensified search operation in two areas where signals from the black boxes if the crashed Sriwijaya Air plane were detected, while dozens of bags of human remains were also recovered.The Boeing 737-500 aircraft with 62 people on board plunged into the waters off the coast of Indonesia's capital Jakarta on January 9, Xinhua news agency reported.Commander of the Search and Rescue Task Force First Admiral Yayan Sofyan said efforts were underway to clear the spots to locate the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR)."The rupture of the plane made the debris cover the black boxes. We will clear the spots from the debris, then will test the strength of the signals with a ping allocator," the commander said.ALSO READ | EXPLAINER: Why is Indonesia prone to plane crashes?"As the debris still disturbs the release of the signals, we will remove it again until the signals become stronger," Sofyan told a local media outlet.The distance of the two black boxes is between 150 metres and 200 metres, Head of the National Search and Rescue Agency Bagus Puruhito said.Meanwhile, a total of 74 bags containing human body parts have been retrieved by the divers, Rasman M.S., the agency's operation director, said on Tuesday.Besides, 24 large parts of the plane wreckage and 16 bags containing small pieces of the plane's body have been lifted from the seafloor, the director said.A total of 3,600 personnel have been involved in the search mission, as well as 54 ships and 13 planes and helicopters, he said.The flight SJ-182 operated by the budget airline crashed shortly after taking off from the Soekarno-Hatta international airport in Jakarta, bound for Pontianak city in West Kalimantan province.ALSO READ | 26 missing, at least 13 dead in Indonesia landslides

Indonesia intensifies search for crashed plane's black boxes

Indonesian authorities on Tuesday intensified search operation in two areas where signals from the black boxes if the crashed Sriwijaya Air plane were detected, while dozens of bags of human remains were also recovered.

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US-based Indian engineer in Green Card backlog diesA US-based software engineer, whose name was listed in the Green Card backlog, died suddenly and as a result, his pregnant wife has been rendered out of status resulting in her inevitable return to India, a media report said. Shiva Chalapathi Raju, who was based in North Carolina, died suddenly on Tuesday, The American Bazaar reported on Thursday. Because the family was in line for Green Card, Raju's sudden death would mean that his pregnant wife, Bobby Sowjanya, was now rendered out of status and would have no choice but to travel back to India.Raju had been working with Oracle as a developer client in High Point, North Carolina. In the past, he had also worked for Wipro and British Petroleum in Michigan and Illinois.The Indian Green Card backlog community took to Twitter on Thursday and described the plight of another Green Card backlog family on the micro-blogging platform by using the hashtag #DurbinWidow and #DurbinOrphan.Many Indians expressed their outrage at Illinois Senator Dick Durbin's opposition to S.386. or Fairness for High Skilled Immigrants Act 2019.Many held him directly responsible for the uncertain fate of a number of such families, who were having to reconsider their lives due to their long wait to obtain a Green Card in the US.Meanwhile, the Piedmont Area Telugu Association (PATA) has started a GoFundMe page to help Raju's family, The American Bazaar said in its report.The GoFundMe page says: "We (PATA) have started a funeral fundraiser to help cover the cost of his funeral expenses to transport his body to India. His family was not prepared for the high cost of a funeral, and during this difficult time we are reaching out to the community for help."ALSO READ: Trump may sign China trade deal in IowaALSO READ: UNSC has no plans to take up Kashmir issue: President

US-based Indian engineer in Green Card backlog dies

The GoFundMe page says: "We (PATA) have started a funeral fundraiser to help cover the cost of his funeral expenses to transport his body to India. His family was not prepared for the high cost of a funeral, and during this difficult time we are reaching out to the community for help."

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Respiratory ailments hit in Amazon as Brazil spurns G-7 aidAcrimony between Brazil and European countries seeking to help fight Amazon fires deepened on Tuesday, jeopardizing hopes of global unity over how to protect a region seen as vital to the health of the planet.A personal spat between the leaders of Brazil and France seemed to dominate the dispute, but it also centered on Brazilian perceptions of alleged interference by Europe on matters of sovereignty, economic development and the rights of indigenous people. Brazil said it will set conditions for accepting any aid from the Group of Seven nations, which offered tens of millions of dollars for firefighting and rainforest protections.The Amazon’s rainforests are a major absorber of carbon dioxide, considered a critical defense against rising temperatures and other disruptions caused by climate change. While many of the recorded fires this year were set in already deforested areas by people clearing land for cultivation or pasture, Brazilian government figures indicate that they are much more widespread this year, suggesting the threat to the vast ecosystem is intensifying.The effect of the fires was evident in the Amazonian city of Porto Velho, where smoke drifted over the sky for parts of the day. Elane Diaz, a nurse in the city, spoke about respiratory problems while waiting for a doctor’s appointment at a hospital with her 5-year-old-son Eduardo.Amazon fireAmazon fire“The kids are affected the most. They’re coughing a lot,” Diaz said. “They have problems breathing. I’m concerned because it affects their health.”Still, Diaz and some other residents in Porto Velho, the capital of Rondonia state, were supportive of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, saying he was doing what he could to protect the Amazon and that international criticism was unfounded.“Germany had already been helping through NGOs and they couldn’t prevent this,” said Mona Lisa Pereira, an agronomist. “It seems like this is the fire of a lifetime. But it’s not. We have fires every year.”Bolsonaro, who took office this year with a promise to boost development in Latin America’s biggest economy, has questioned whether offers of international aid mask a plot to exploit the Amazon’s resources and weaken Brazilian growth. On Tuesday, he said French President Emmanuel Macron had called him a liar and that he would have to apologize before Brazil considers accepting rainforest aid.Macron has to retract those comments “and then we can speak,” Bolsonaro said.In a video message, Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho offered an apology to France for what he called Bolsonaro’s “hysteria,” saying the Brazilian government had resorted to insults to dodge responsibility for the Amazon fires.Bolsonaro met governors of states in the Amazon region, some of whom criticized laws that protect the environment and the rights of indigenous people that they said limited opportunities for economic development.Marcos Jose Rocha dos Santos, the governor of Rondonia state, questioned the intentions of international aid.“International resources are welcome as long as who uses those resources is us,” Rocha dos Santos said. “We will determine where the money will be applied, it’s useless if those resources get here and go to international NGOs.”At a summit in France on Monday, the G-7 nations pledged $20 million to help fight the flames in the Amazon and protect the rainforest, in addition to a separate $12 million from Britain and $11 million from Canada.Onyx Lorenzoni, the Brazilian president’s chief of staff, sharpened the criticism, saying Europe should use the funds for its own problems.“Macron could not avoid an obvious fire in a church that is a world heritage site,” Lorenzoni told the G1 news website, referring to the Notre Dame Cathedral that was ravaged by fire in April.Macron, who has questioned Bolsonaro’s trustworthiness and commitment to protecting biodiversity, shrugged off the snub from the Brazilian president. The French leader said Bolsonaro’s interpretation was a “mistake” and that the aid offer is “a sign of friendship.”He said the aid money isn’t just aimed at Brazil, but at nine countries in the vast Amazon region that also spans Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, an overseas region of France. About 60% of the Amazon region is in Brazil.Even so, Macron has threatened to block a European Union trade deal with several South American states, including Brazil. He has also acknowledged that Europe, by importing soya from Brazil, shares some blame for agricultural pressure on the rainforest. Bolsonaro has previously said he wants to convert land for more cattle pastures and soybean farms.In contrast to the tension between France and Brazil, U.S. President Donald Trump praised the Brazilian president. “He is working very hard on the Amazon fires and in all respects doing a great job for the people of Brazil - Not easy,” Trump tweeted Tuesday.Bolsonaro also said that Japan is “extremely aligned with us” and seeks a deeper trade partnership with South American nations.Brazil’s National Space Research Institute, which monitors deforestation, said the number of fires has risen by 85% to more than 77,000 in the last year, a record since the institute began keeping track in 2013. About half of the fires were in the Amazon region, with most just in the past month.Neighboring Bolivia is battling its own vast blazes. The largest are in the Chiquitanía region, a zone of dry forest, farmland and open prairies that has seen an expansion of farming and ranching. President Evo Morales, who has been under criticism for an allegedly slow response to the fires, was in the region on Tuesday overseeing firefighting efforts involving more than 3,500 people, including soldiers, police and volunteers.The Amazon has experienced an increased rate of fires during drought periods in the last 20 years, but the phenomenon this year is “unusual” because drought has not yet hit, said Laura Schneider of Rutgers University-New Brunswick.Schneider, an associate professor in the geography department, said fire is commonly used by people to clear land for cultivation, and the actual area burned this year must be measured for an accurate comparison with damage in past years.The funds offered this week by the world’s richest countries are widely viewed as useful but insufficient for dealing with the threats to the Amazon in the long term. Under international pressure, Bolsonaro has said he would make 44,000 troops available to fight the blazes.However, federal prosecutors in the Amazon state of Para said they had warned Brazil’s environmental protection agency about a “fire day” organized by farmers earlier this month to clear land. The agency said it lacked support from military police to protect its field teams in risky monitoring operations, according to prosecutors.Grace Quale, a laboratory technician at the 9 of July hospital in Porto Velho, said more people were undergoing tests because of respiratory problems caused by smoke. Children and the elderly are suffering the most, said Quale, who supports Bolsonaro and believes fires are being set by opponents trying to discredit him.“What’s happening is disrespectful to our humans, to our animals, because if they end the Amazon, how will we survive?” she said.ALSO READ | Amazon fire rages, Brazilian firefighters toil in region hazy with smoke VIDEO: Watch aerial view of destruction caused by fires as Amazon rainforest burns at record rate

Respiratory ailments hit in Amazon as Brazil spurns G-7 aid

​Acrimony between Brazil and European countries seeking to help fight Amazon fires deepened on Tuesday, jeopardizing hopes of global unity over how to protect a region seen as vital to the health of the planet.

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Pakistani authorities have reportedly sent the shoes worn by Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife for forensic examination.According to a report in Pakistan Today, the authorities have taken this decision to determine the nature of the suspected presence of a foreign object.Related Stories Govt to make statement on Kulbhushan Jadhav in both Houses of Parliament tomorrowKulbhushan Jadhav a 'terrorist' for Pak, being treated accordingly; why only talk about him: SP leaderKulbhushan Jadhav's wife's shoes had 'something metallic', claims Pakistan Foreign OfficeKiren Rijiju slams 'very irresponsible' Pakistani media over heckling of Kulbhushan Jadhav's mother, wifeThe report quoted Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal  as saying that the authorities were ascertaining whether the “metallic object” in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip. A separate report in Dawn reported that the FO confirmed a “metallic substance” had been detected in Jadhav’s wife’s shoes that were retained by security officials prior to the meeting with the Indian death row prisoner at the Foreign Office in Islamabad. Jadhav’s wife’s shoes were kept for inspection, while all other belongings, including jewellery, were returned, Faisal said, adding that she was given an alternative pair of shoes to wear after her shoes were removed.  In a statement issued last night, the FO made no mention of the “metallic substance” and had said that there was “something” in the shoes. In the statement, Pakistan rejected as “baseless” India’s contentions that Jadhav’s wife and mother were harassed and claimed that his wife’s shoes were confiscated on security grounds as there was “something” in it.  “There was something in the shoe. It is being investigated. We gave her a pair of replacement shoes. All her jewellery etc were returned after the meeting,” Faisal said.  The external affairs ministry said in a statement yesterday that Pakistan went so far as to have the mangal sutra, bangles and bindi of Jadhav’s mother and wife removed before they could meet him. India also accused Pakistan of disregarding cultural and religious sensibilities of family members under the pretext of security. “This included removal of mangal sutra, bangles and bindi, as well as a change in attire that was not warranted by security,” it said. The FO said that Pakistan does not wish to indulge in a “meaningless battle of words” and categorically rejects India’s baseless “allegations and twists” about attitude of authorities during Jadhav’s meeting with his wife and mother. “The Indian baseless allegations and twists, that come 24 hrs later, about the visit of the wife and mother of Commander Jadhav, a convicted terrorist and spy, who has confessed to his crimes, are categorically rejected,” the statement said.  If Indian concerns were serious, the guests or the Indian DHC (Deputy High Commissioner) should have raised them during the visit with the media which was readily available, but at a safe distance as requested by India, it said.  “We do not wish to indulge in a meaningless battle of words. Our openness and transparency belie these allegations,” it said. During the December 25 meeting, whose pictures were released by Pakistan, Jadhav was seen sitting behind a glass screen while his mother and wife sat on the other side. They spoke through intercom and the entire 40-minute proceedings appeared to have been recorded on video.  Jadhav, who was captured in March last year, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court for alleged spying, an accusation that India has dismissed as concocted.  New Delhi says Jadhav was kidnapped in Iran where he had legitimate business interests, and brought to Pakistan. To save Jadhav, India moved the International Court of Justice, which ordered Pakistan in May to stay his execution. /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); cs_jw_script.src = 'https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/internal-c2/plugins/streamingtag_plugin_jwplayer.js'; firstjw.parentNode.insertBefore(cs_jw_script, firstjw.nextSibling); } var jwconfig_7012766918 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_l7qfxesw_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_l7qfxesw_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Pakistani Journalists misbehave with Kulbhushan Jadhav's family in Pakistan", "height": "440px", "width": "100%", "aspectratio": "16:9", "autostart": false, "controls": true, "mute": false, "volume": 25, "floating": false, "sharing": { "code": "", "sites": [ "facebook", "twitter", "email" ] }, "stretching": "exactfit", "primary": "html5", "hlshtml": true, "sharing_link": "", "advertising": { "client": "vast", "autoplayadsmuted": true, "skipoffset": 5, "cuetext": "", "skipmessage": "Skip ad in xx", "skiptext": "SKIP", "preloadAds": true, "schedule": [ { "offset": "pre", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PreRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" }, { "offset": "50%", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_MidRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=" }, { "offset": "post", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PostRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" } ] } }; var jwvidplayer_7012766918 = ''; jwsetup_7012766918(); function jwsetup_7012766918() { jwvidplayer_7012766918 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_7012766918").setup(jwconfig_7012766918); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_7012766918, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_l7qfxesw\", ns_st_pr=\"Pakistani Journalists misbehave with Kulbhushan Jadhav's family in Pakistan\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Pakistani Journalists misbehave with Kulbhushan Jadhav's family in Pakistan\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Pakistani Journalists misbehave with Kulbhushan Jadhav's family in Pakistan\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2017-12-27\", ns_st_tdt=\"2017-12-27\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_l7qfxesw_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_7012766918.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_7012766918.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_7012766918.stop(); jwvidplayer_7012766918.remove(); jwvidplayer_7012766918 = ''; jwsetup_7012766918(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_7012766918.stop(); jwvidplayer_7012766918.remove(); jwvidplayer_7012766918 = ''; jwsetup_7012766918(); return; }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7012766918.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Pakistan sends shoes of Kulbhushan Jadhav’s wife for forensic testing to examine 'metallic substance' found in them

Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Mohammad Faisal said that the authorities were ascertaining whether the “metallic object” in the shoes was a camera or a recording chip.

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A day after US President Donald Trump announced the decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, his administration defended the move saying the landmark agreement did not hold countries like India and China accountable on greenhouse emissions."As you know, China did not have to take any steps of compliance until 2030. India had no obligations until USD 2.5 trillion of aid was provided," Scott Pruitt, administrator of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told reporters at a White House news conference.Pruitt said, “And Russia, when they set their targets, they set 1990 as their baseline, which allowed them to continue emitting more CO2." "It (Paris accord) did not hold nations like China and India accountable," he said.Trump declared Thursday that he was pulling the US from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change as it was not tough on India and China."India makes its participation on receiving billions and billions of dollars from developed countries. Paris accord is very unfair at the highest level to the United States. The current India will be allowed to double its coal production and so does China," Trump alleged.The pact was agreed upon by nearly 190 countries a year and a half ago."In this country, we had to have a 26 to 28 per cent reduction in greenhouse gases, which represented the Clean Power Plan and the entire climate action agenda of the past administration," Pruitt told reporters.Pruitt said Trump made a very courageous decision by pulling out of the Paris Agreement."He put America's interests first with respect to environmental agreements and international discussions," he said."The discussion over the last several weeks has been one of a thoughtful deliberation. He heard many voices, voices across a wide spectrum of vantage points. The president made a very informed, and I think thoughtful and important decision for the country's benefit."What we have to remember when it comes to environmental agreements and international agreements with respect to things like the Paris Agreement is we have nothing to be apologetic about as a country. We had reduced our CO2 footprint to levels of the early 1990s," he asserted.Pulling out of Paris does not mean disengagement, he said."In fact, the president said yesterday that Paris represents a bad deal for this country. It doesn't mean that we're not going to continue the discussion."To export our innovation, to export our technology to the rest of the world, to demonstrate how we do it better here is I think a very important message to send," he said.He indicated that he's going to either reenter Paris or engage in a discussion around a new deal with a commitment to putting America first.The president has said routinely he's going to put the interest of American citizens at the head of this administration, he said."That's in trade policy, that's in national security, that's in border security, that's in right-sizing Washington, DC, and he did that with respect to his decision yesterday on Paris," the top Trump official said.Noting that the US has significant steps to reduce its CO2 footprint to levels of the pre-1990s, Pruitt said this was achieved largely because of technology, hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling, that has allowed a conversion to and natural gas and the generation of electricity."You won't hear that from the environmental left. So we need to export clean coal technology, we need to export the technology in natural gas to those around the globe -- India and China -- and help them learn from us on what we've done to achieve good outcomes. We've led with action, not words," Pruitt said."Paris, at its core, was a bunch of words committed to very, very minimal environmental benefits and -- cost the country a substantial amount of money and put us at an economic disadvantage," Pruitt said in response to a question.According to the EPA Administrator, if nations around the globe want to learn from the US on what it is doing to reduce its CO2 footprint, it is going to share that with them."That's something that should occur and will occur in the future. We will reach out and reciprocate with nations who seek to achieve that," he asserted. (With PTI inputs) 

Paris climate deal didn't hold India, China accountable on CO2 emissions, says White House

Trump administration defended the move o withdraw from the Paris climate accord saying the landmark agreement did not hold countries like India and China accountable on greenhouse emissions.

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President Donald Trump threw his weight behind the Olympics-inspired diplomatic opening with North Korea, telling South Korea’s leader Wednesday that the U.S. was open to talks with Kim Jong Un’s government under the right circumstances.A White House statement said Trump and South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in still underscored the importance of continuing the “maximum pressure” campaign against North Korea over its development of nuclear weapons — the U.S.-led barrage of international sanctions that is starting to bite the North’s meager economy.Related Stories North Korea says likely to join Winter Olympics in South: ReportsTrump says he is open to talking with North Korean leaderNorth Korea offers to send a delegation to the Winter Games in SouthAfter Olympic deal, South Korea floats summit with North Korean dictator Kim Jong UnBut South Korea’s presidential office also said Trump told Moon to let North Korea understand that there will be no military action of any kind while the two Koreas continue to hold dialogue, the Yonhap news agency reported. On Tuesday, the two Koreas held their first talks in two years and agreed on the North’s participation in the Winter Olympics being held the South next month.The prospects of resolving decades-old tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula remain deeply uncertain. North Korea has shown no willingness to discuss its nuclear weapons which pose an emerging threat to the American mainland, and it has stuck to its tough stance toward Washington while it tries to woo the South. The newspaper of the ruling party on Tuesday called Trump a “lunatic” and said the U.S. needs to accept North Korea is now a nuclear power.But the thaw between North and South, which have also restored a military hotline, provides a diplomatic opening after months of escalating tensions that have fueled fears of war.“President Trump expressed his openness to holding talks between the United States and North Korea at the appropriate time, under the right circumstances,” the White House statement said.Trump also told Moon that Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence will lead the U.S. delegation to the Winter Olympics, scheduled for Feb. 9-25 in Pyeongchang. Pence will stop in Alaska to review intercontinental ballistic missile defense systems and in Japan, stressing the U.S. commitment to stability in the region.Moon has been supportive of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign but has long advocated engagement with Pyongyang. He told reporters in Seoul Wednesday that he’s open to meeting with Kim to resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff, although he said the success of such a summit must be guaranteed before the meeting can be realized.Trump has previously scoffed at the futility of talking with the North, but when the inter-Korean dialogue was proposed last week he claimed credit for making it happen through the sanctions pressure. He declared in a tweet, “talks are a good thing.” The White House said Moon had briefed Trump on the outcomes of the North-South talks on Tuesday, and “thanked President Trump for his influential leadership in making the talks possible.”Yonhap cited Moon’s chief press secretary, Yoon Young-chan, as saying Trump dismissed a recent report that he may be considering military action against the North. The White House statement did not mention that, nor Trump’s assurance that military force would not happen while the two Koreas continue to talk.The U.S. retains 28,500 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the adversaries in a state of war for the past six decades.The prospect of military confrontation has been magnified in the past year as Trump and Kim have traded bellicose rhetoric and crude insults, as the North has conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear detonation and three tests of intercontinental ballistic missiles that now put the U.S. mainland in North Korea’s range.Resorting to force is widely viewed as very risky. A pre-emptive U.S. attack could provoke a devastating retaliation by North Korea against the South, whose capital Seoul lies with the range of North Korean artillery and rockets.

Donald Trump open to US-North Korea talks ‘under right circumstances’

White House said Trump and Moon Jae-in still underscored the importance of continuing maximum pressure campaign against North Korea over its development of nuclear weapons.

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Pakistan's COVID-19 cases cross 100,000-markPakistan's coronavirus cases crossed the 100,000-mark on Sunday, as Prime Minister Imran Khan ruled out the return to a strict shutdown to stem the spread of the disease and said the “elitist” idea would collapse the economy and increase poverty.The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 101,173 on Sunday after new infections were reported, making it the 16th country to cross 100,000-mark.With 97 more fatalities due to COVID-19, the death toll jumped to 2,032 in the country.The Health Ministry said that on the positive side, at least 33,465 patients have fully recovered so far.So far 37,090 cases have been reported in Punjab, 38,108 in Sindh, 13,487 in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, 6,221 in Balochistan, 4,979 in Islamabad, 927 in Gilgit-Baltistan and 361 in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's provincial lawmaker Chaudhry Ali Akhtar has tested positive for the virus, his spokesperson said.The spokesperson shared that the Akhtar was in home isolation and had gotten himself tested after showing symptoms of the virus. Akhtar was elected from Punjab Assembly’s Faisalabad III in the 2018 elections.At least four lawmakers, including a provincial minister, have died due to coronavirus in Pakistan.Meanwhile, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has made wearing face masks mandatory in public hospitals across the province."Due to the outbreak of Covid-19, it is notified in the best public interest that no person should be allowed to enter any government hospital without wearing a face mask," according to a notification.The province reported 486 new coronavirus cases, taking the provincial tally to 13,487, according to the health department.The province's death toll from the virus rose to 575 with 14 more deaths reported — seven in Peshawar, two in Bajaur and one each in Nowshera, Mardan, Dir Lower, Malakand, Kohat.Of the 38,108 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus in Sindh, 30,548, a whopping 80 per cent, have been reported from the metropolis, according to data released by the provincial health department.Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said on Sunday that the federal government distributed 250 ventilators among the provinces in the last week."Of these, 72 were given to Punjab, 52 each to Sindh and KP and 20 to Balochistan," he wrote on Twitter.Umar also announced that the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC) has, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Board, launched an updated version of the government's COVID-19 app."An updated version of the COVID-19 app will allow users to see the availability of beds/vents & capacity/usage in real-time at various health centres across Pakistan," he said.Amid the spike in coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Khan on Saturday called for creating awareness among the masses regarding the severity of the coronavirus pandemic and the need for strict observance of the standard operating procedures (SOPs), the Express Tribune reported.Khan again ruled out the return to a strict lockdown to stem the spread of coronavirus, stressing that the “elitist” idea would cause the economy to collapse and increase poverty. Instead, he insisted on a “smart lockdown” with strict adherence to the SOPs.“And some of our elite, wanting a lockdown - the elite who have the privilege of spacious homes and income unaffected by the fallout of lockdown,” he said in a series of tweets.“A lockdown means the collapse of the economy and in poorer countries a steep rise in poverty, crushing the poor as happened in Modi’s lockdown in India,” the prime minister added.“The only solution as the world has discovered is smart lockdown which allows for economic activity with SOPs. We are amongst the pioneers of this approach. I appeal to civil society, media, Ulema and our tiger force to create awareness amongst the public of Covid-19’s severity and the need to strictly observe SOPs,” he tweeted.Earlier this week, the prime minister ordered the reopening of more sectors of the economy as part of easing the lockdown in order to save people’s livelihood, particularly the daily-wage workers. However, since then there is a spurt in new cases. 

Pakistan's COVID-19 cases cross 100,000-mark

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Pakistan rose to 101,173 on Sunday after new infections were reported, making it the 16th country to cross 100,000-mark.

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Yerevan: External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar being received by Armenian Foreign Minister H. E. Ararat Mirzoyan on his arrival in Armenia. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday arrived in Armenia on the last leg of his three-nation tour to Central Asia with an aim to further expand bilateral ties and discuss key regional issues including the developments in Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the war-torn country following the exit of US forces.Jaishankar, who arrived here from Kazakhstan, was welcomed by his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan at the Zvartnots International airport.During his stay here, Jaishankar will hold talks with Mirzoyan and call on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Speaker of National Assembly Alen Simonyan.In Kazakhstan, Jaishankar attended the 6th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Conference of Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) and held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Russia, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan during which he discussed issues of bilateral and regional cooperation.Jaishankar traveled to Kazakhstan from Kyrgyzstan where he held "constructive" talks with the top Kyrgyz leadership to boost bilateral ties, including defense cooperation, and discussed global issues like Afghanistan.  /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; 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Jaishankar arrives in Armenia as part of his three-nation tour to Central Asia

During his stay in Armenia, Jaishankar will hold talks with Mirzoyan and call on Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Speaker of National Assembly Alen Simonyan.

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Outrage over mispronunciation of Kamala Harris' name, supporters launch online campaignOutraged over the mispronunciation of vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris' name by a Republican Senator from Georgia, her supporters launched an online campaign with the hashtags 'MyNameIs' and 'IstandwithKamala'.During an election rally of US President Donald Trump on Saturday in Macon City in Georgia, a battle ground state, Republican Senator David Perdue mispronounced 55-year-old Harris' name. "KAH'-mah-lah? Kah-MAH'-lah? Kamala-mala-mala? I don't know. Whatever," he told thousands of his supporters.The mispronunciation outraged a large number of Harris' supporters and Harris' spokesperson Sabrina Singh said, "I'll keep it simple: If you can pronounce 'former Senator David Perdue' you can pronounce 'future Vice President Kamala Harris'."BuzzFeed on Saturday reported that Senator Perdue, who is seeking his reelection from Georgia, is facing backlash for mockingly mispronouncing the name of Kamala Harris.Spokesperson of Perdue said that the Senator mispronounced the name and he did not mean anything by it.Several people gave the origin and meaning of their names as they expressed outrage at the mispronunciation of the vice-presidential candidate's name.Preet Bharara, the former attorney general for the powerful southern district of New York tweeted, "#MyName is Preet, which means love.""#MyNameIs Meenakshi. I'm named after the Hindu goddess, as well as my great great grandmother. I come from a long line of strong women who taught me to be proud of my heritage and to demand respect—especially from racist white men like @sendavidperdue who are threatened by us,” tweeted Meena Harris.Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from Minnesota tweeted, "#MyNameIs Ilham, I prefer Ilhan. I never liked the M sound Winking face with tongue. It means “Inspiration” in Arabic. My father named me Ilham and inspired me to lead a life of service to others. In his honor I am voting for an inspirational ticket over desperate and maddening one,” ."MyNameIs Erin. My name has Irish origin and I am the youngest with three amazing sisters. All of our names deserve respect. I stand with @KamalaHarris," tweeted Erin Wilson."#MyNameIs Shekar Narasimhan which means a Hindu god who represents a half man-half lion. Exhibits courage and humanity. My son’s name was Sidarth to symbolize Gautama Buddha, the enlightened One. We are proud Americans and can pronounce others names correctly,” tweeted Indian American Democratic fund raiser Shekar Narasimhan.Expressing support for presidential nominee Joe Biden and Harris, Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna tweeted, "#MyNameIs Rohit, and my friends call me Ro. It means bright light in Sanskrit. This election, #IWillVote for an inclusive America by voting for @joebiden & @kamalaharris.""My great grandmother’s name was Kamala. Not “Kamala-mala-mala, I don’t know, whatever.” #MyNameIs Gautam. It means bright light. The kind of bright light a Biden-Harris Administration will represent. And that is why #IWillVote,” tweeted Gautam Raghavan, who is heading the transition team of the Biden Campaign."#MyNameIs 趙美心 or Zhao-Mei-Shin. It means 'beautiful heart' in Mandarin. My grandparents risked it all & came here to offer their kids a better life. Now, their grandchild is the 1st Chinese American Congresswoman. #IWillVote bc Joe & Kamala know our diversity is our strength,” tweeted Congresswoman Judy Chu. Perdue's spokesperson John Burke in a tweet said that he was making an argument against the radical socialist agenda.“Senator Perdue simply mispronounced Senator Harris' name, and he didn't mean anything by it. He was making an argument against the radical socialist agenda that she and her endorsed candidate Jon Ossoff are pushing, which includes the Green New Deal... (1/2) #GASen #gapol,” Burke tweeted.Versha Sharma, a Twitter user, posted, “Imagine if your coworker of nearly 4 years did this to you. Perdue and Kamala Harris have served in the Senate together for that long. The disrespect is intentional."“#MyNameIs Hiral. It means diamond, bright, full of luster. Sparkles My mom used to say that they picked it because she saw a bright light reflecting from me & a toughness that made me unbreakable. Glowing star It’s that strength my mom saw in me that gave me the courage to run for Congress,” tweeted Indian American Congressional candidate from Arizona, Dr Hiral Tipirneni.Democratic fund raiser from California Ajay Jain Bhutoria said that Harris was attacked by Senator Perdue for her Indian name. “Please help us push back against this bigotry, will you join thousands of celebrities, elected officials and friends in all communities by tweeting or sharing #MyNameIs...,” he said in an appeal.“#mynameis Ajay. Ajay, is an Indian given name originating in Sanskrit ajaya , which means "unconquered", "unsurpassed”, "invincible". I'll keep it simple: If you can pronounce “former Senator David Perdue” you can pronounce “future Vice President Kamala Harris” All of our names deserve respect. I stand with @KamalaHarris,” Bhutoria said.

Outrage over mispronunciation of Kamala Harris' name, supporters launch online campaign

Outraged over the mispronunciation of vice-presidential nominee Kamala Harris' name by a Republican Senator from Georgia, her supporters launched an online campaign with the hashtags 'MyNameIs' and 'IstandwithKamala'.

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects military exercise at an undisclosed location in North Korea on Saturday, March 21, 2020. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency.President Donald Trump sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seeking to maintain good relations and offering cooperation in fighting the viral pandemic, Kim’s sister said Sunday. The latest correspondence came as Kim observed the firing of tactical guided weapons over the weekend, drawing criticism from South Korea, as the nuclear talks remain deadlocked.In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim’s sister and senior ruling party official, Kim Yo Jong, praised Trump for sending the letter at a time when “big difficulties and challenges lie ahead in the way of developing ties” between the countries.In the letter, she said Trump explained his plan to “propel the relations between the two countries ... and expressed his intent to render cooperation in the anti-epidemic work” in an apparent reference to the global coronavirus outbreak. She said her brother expressed his gratitude for Trump’s letter.North Korea has repeatedly said there hasn’t been a single case of the coronavirus on its soil. Some foreign experts question that claim and say an outbreak in the North could cause a humanitarian disaster because of its poor medical infrastructure. Last month, the State Department expressed concerns about North Korea’s vulnerability to a potential coronavirus outbreak and said it was ready to support efforts by aid organizations to contain the spread of the illness in the North.There was no immediate comment from the White House.Kim Yo Jong said Trump’s letter is “a good example showing the special and firm personal relations” between the North Korean and U.S. leaders. But she said it’s not a good idea to “make hasty conclusion or be optimistic about” the prospect for bilateral relations.“In my personal opinion, I think that the bilateral relations and dialogue for them would be thinkable only when the equilibrium is kept dynamically and morally and justice ensured between the two countries,” she said. “Even at this moment we are working hard to develop and defend ourselves on our own under the cruel environment which the U.S. is keen to ‘provide.’”Earlier, Trump sent birthday greetings to Kim Jong Un, who was believed to have turned 36 on Jan. 8. Senior North Korean official Kim Kye Gwan said at the time that the birthday messages won’t lead his country to return to talks unless the U.S. accepts its demands.Kim and Trump have met three times and exchanged letters and envoys on many occasions since 2018, when they launched talks on the fate of Kim’s advancing nuclear arsenal. The two leaders have avoided harsh language against each other and Trump once said he and Kim “fell in love.”But their diplomacy has largely come to a standstill since the breakdown of their second summit in Vietnam in February 2019, when Trump rejected Kim’s demands for broad sanctions relief in return for a partial disarmament step.Kim pressed Trump to come up with new proposals to salvage the negotiations by the end of last year. Kim later vowed to bolster his nuclear deterrent, unveil “a new strategic weapon” and warned he would no longer be bound by a major weapons test moratorium.In recent weeks, North Korea has fired a slew of artillery and other rockets into the sea in what experts say is an attempt to improve its military capabilities. The weapons were all short range and did not pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland. A resumption of long-range missile or nuclear weapons tests by Kim would likely completely scuttle diplomacy with Trump, experts say.KCNA said Kim watched the test firing of tactical guided weapons on Saturday with Kim Yo Jong and other top officials. South Korea’s military called the demonstration “very inappropriate” at a time when the world is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic.South Korea’s military said Saturday it detected two presumed short-range ballistic missiles that flew from a site in western North Korea across the country and landed in the waters off the east coast. The weapons flew 410 kilometers (255 miles), according to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

North Korea says Trump's letter offers anti-virus cooperation

President Donald Trump sent a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seeking to maintain good relations and offering cooperation in fighting the viral pandemic, Kim’s sister said Sunday. The latest correspondence came as Kim observed the firing of tactical guided weapons over the weekend, drawing criticism from South Korea, as the nuclear talks remain deadlocked.

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15 killed in raid on Islamist hideout in Sri Lanka Fifteen bodies were recovered after a fierce gun battle between Sri Lankan forces and an armed group near Batticaloa, police said on Saturday.Officers acting on a tip-off had launched a raid on Friday night in Ampara Sainthamaruthu and the armed group set off an explosion which triggered the gun battle, the BBC reported.Related Stories Colombo Easter attacks: Sri Lanka observes 3-minute silence as death toll rises to 310Blast heard in Pugoda town near Sri Lankan capital Colombo, no casualtiesHumanity over terrorism: Sri Lankans throng to donate blood for blasts survivorsSri Lanka keeps visa-on-arrival programme on holdEaster blasts: Death toll down from 359 to 253 as Sri Lanka cites 'calculation error'Indian becomes 3rd Dubai expat killed in Sri Lanka's Easter Sunday bombingsBengaluru, Mysuru on high alert post-Sri Lanka blasts; hotels, multiplexes told to tighten securityWhen troops moved in after dawn on Saturday, they found the bodies of 15 people.In another raid in the same town, the police found Islamic State (IS) flags, 150 sticks of gelignite, thousands of steel pellets and a drone camera, a military spokesman said.On Friday, 10 people were arrested from across the country bringing the number detained since the Easter Sunday bombings to 80.Sunday's explosions killed 253 people and injured over 500 in one of the bloodiest days in Sri Lanka since the civil was ended a decade ago.

15 killed in raid on Islamist hideout in Sri Lanka

On Friday, 10 people were arrested from across the country bringing the number detained since the Easter Sunday bombings to 80.

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Indian-origin Lisa Nandy announces bid for Labour leadershipLisa Nandy, the Indian-origin British MP, has launched her bid for the Labour leadership race, vowing to "bring the party home" to its traditional heartlands after it suffered its worst defeat in over 70 years in December 2019 election, it was reported. The Wigan MP is the fourth contender to officially declare her bid in the race, alongside Birmingham MP Jess Phillips, Shadow First Secretary of State Emily Thornberry and Shadow Minister for Sustainable Economics Clive Lewis, reports metro.co.uk.She announced her bid on Friday in her local constituency paper - a move symbolic of her promise to change the perception of Labour as London-centric.Nandy wrote that a future Labour government should give "power and resources" to "every town, city, region, and nation in the UK"."We must leave behind the paternalism of the past and give people the ability to deliver change for themselves."I am determined to defeat (Prime Minister) Boris Johnson in order to lead the compassionate, radical, dynamic government that I firmly believe you want and deserve," she added.Labour suffered its worst defeat at the polls in over 70 years in the December 12 election, as many northern heartlands turned blue (Conservative) for the first time.Nandy's announcement came hours after Philips announced her bid to replace incumbent leader Jeremy Corbyn, in which the Birmingham MP called for a "different kind of leader", metro.co.uk reported.Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer and Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey were also believed to be considering a leadership bid.A timetable for the leadership election - and any rule changes - is set to be decided by the party's ruling National Executive Committee (NEC) on January 6.Also Read:

Indian-origin Lisa Nandy announces bid for Labour leadership

The Indian-origin British MP Lisa Nandy has launched her bid for the Labour leadership race, vowing to "bring the party home" to its traditional heartlands after it suffered its worst defeat in over 70 years in December 2019 election, it was reported.

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A top American expert on China said that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only world statesman to have stood up to China's Belt and Road Initiative even though the US has been silent on the ambitious project till recently.During a Congressional hearing, Michael Pillsbury, Director of Center on Chinese Strategy at the prestigious think-tank Hudson Institute, told lawmakers that Modi and his team have been quite outspoken against Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious project.Related Stories US backs India on One Belt One Road, says it crosses 'disputed territory'India should shed its reservations over Belt and Road Initiative and join it: ChinaIndia's stand on Belt and Road Initiative 'wavering', says China"The only statesman in the world who stood up to it yet, is Prime Minister Modi. He and his team have been quite outspoken, partly because the Belt and Road Initiative includes violation of Indian sovereign claims," Pillsbury said."But the US government, until now and this is a five-year-old initiative if you count the early part of it, has been silent," he said.Praising the Trump administration for its new Indo-Pacific strategy, the former Pentagon official said in recent days, people have heard more than 50 times by members of the Trump administration including the president himself mentioning a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region."The Chinese have already attacked this. They don't like it," said Pillsbury, who is considered an authority on China-related issues."The Indians, fairly recently, were joking about we want to make the Indian Ocean the Indian Ocean, by which they meant the purchase of several billion dollars worth of American PA aircraft, which have weapon systems in the back that can sink ships, frankly, and other improvements including maritime situational awareness and a big new center in Delhi where the Indians can keep track of both blue holes and grey holes going through the Indian Ocean," he said."The Chinese are very angry about this. They have criticised the Obama administration for its effort to, as they say, boost India, to a higher rank order in comprehensive power than the Chinese believe India deserves," the top American expert on China said in response to a question.Senator Ed Markey said China's signature Belt and Road Initiative that aims to position China as the uncontested leading power in Asia "may further coerce" its neighbours through loans they cannot repay.The BRI aimed at building a vast network of infrastructure projects expanding China's expertise and capital to different parts of the world includes USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) over which India has protested as it traversed through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).India boycotted the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) organised by China in May this year to highlight its concerns over Beijing pushing projects through the PoK.He said the US companies face the threat of intellectual property theft with reports that China has been stealing cutting-edge research as well as sensitive trade secrets from the US. And that includes companies working in the clean energy sector who cannot compete with state-backed firms, he alleged.Pillsbury said Chinese are offering low interest loans to countries that cannot afford it."We're already saw the example of Sri Lanka, which fell behind in its payments and then was the subject of coercion that if you transfer the main port here in Sri Lanka to Chinese control, we will forgive the debt. The Sri Lankans did it," he said.There were concerns of debt burden brought in by the BRI projects after Sri Lanka opted for long-term lease of its Hambantota port for USD 1.12 billion debt swap."...So we are beginning to see, just through the media, what the Belt and Road Initiative may mean," Pillsbury told the lawmakers.Senator Markey said China is challenging the very underpinnings of the global order that has brought peace and prosperity.China has not lived up to its international obligations to help denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, he said."No country has greater leverage than China, which is responsible for approximately 90 per cent of North Korean trade," he noted.Markey said, "China is challenging the international system elsewhere as well. It has constructed in violation of international law, military bases on artificial islands and disputed areas of the South China Sea.""Through economic coercion, Beijing undermined the sovereignty of its smaller neighbours and countries including South Korea and the Philippines face Chinese retaliation for taking legal and sovereign actions in their own defence," he said.

PM Modi and his team outspoken against China's OBOR: Top US expert

During a Congressional hearing, Michael Pillsbury, Director of Center on Chinese Strategy at the prestigious think-tank Hudson Institute, said that Modi and his team have been quite outspoken against OBOR.

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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today rued that the people of his country learnt nothing from the fall of Dhaka which resulted in the Islamic Republic lagging all other independent countries of the region. Nawaz Sharif, who was re-elected as the head of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN) today, further said that he was ousted as prime minister despite the fact that he was not found guilty of any wrongdoing in  Panamagate, The Nation reported. “Those who violated constitutional oath remained sadiq and ameen. The people will decide through their vote in general elections of 2018 who is qualified and who is unqualified,” Nawaz Sharif said while addressing party’s General Council meeting at Convention Center in Islamabad. “I served nation cordially. I was ousted merely on basis of Iqama as no wrongdoing was found in Panamagate. I ask, is ehtasaab [accountability] for Nawaz Sharif only?" he asked. 

Pakistan learned nothing from the fall of Dhaka, rues former PM Nawaz Sharif

Nawaz Sharif, who was re-elected as the head of the ruling PML-N today, further said that he was ousted as prime minister despite the fact that he was not found guilty of any wrongdoing in Panamagate.

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Representational ImageChinese scientists allegedly investigated weaponising coronaviruses five years before the COVID-19 pandemic and may have predicted a World War III fought with biological weapons, according to media reports referring to documents obtained by the US State Department. According to ‘The Sun’ newspaper in the UK, quoting reports first released by ‘The Australian’, the “bombshell” documents obtained by the US State Department reportedly show the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) commanders making the sinister prediction.US officials allegedly obtained the papers which were written by military scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015 as part of their own investigation into the origins of COVID-19.What Chinese scientists described SARS coronaviruses as?Chinese scientists described SARS coronaviruses — of which COVID is one example — as presenting a “new era of genetic weapons”. The PLA papers referenced seem to fantasise that a bioweapon attack could cause the "enemy's medical system to collapse".It references work by US Air Force colonel Michael J. Ainscough, who predicted World War III may be fought with bioweapons.The paper also includes musing that SARS —which hit China in 2003 — could have been a man-made bioweapon deliberately unleashed by "terrorists".They reportedly boasted the viruses could be “artificially manipulated into an emerging human disease virus, then weaponised and unleashed in a way never seen before”.The document lists some of China's top public health figures among the authors and has been revealed in an upcoming book on the origins of COVID, titled ‘What Really Happened In Wuhan’.China reported the first COVID-19 case in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 and since then the deadly disease has become a pandemic, affecting more than 157,789,300 people and over 3,285,200 deaths worldwide.Document raises major concerns about China's transparency on origins of COVID-19Tom Tugendhat MP and Australian politician James Paterson said the document raises major concerns about China's transparency on the origins of COVID-19.Tugendhat, chairman of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee, was quoted in ‘The Sun’ as saying: "China’s evident interest in bioweapons is extremely concerning. Even under the tightest controls these weapons are dangerous."This document raises major concerns about the ambitions of some of those who advise the top party leadership.”Peter Jennings, the executive director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told news.com.au that the document is as close to a “smoking gun” as we’ve got.“I think this is significant because it clearly shows that Chinese scientists were thinking about military application for different strains of the coronavirus and thinking about how it could be deployed,” said Jennings.“It begins to firm up the possibility that what we have here is the accidental release of a pathogen for military use,” added Mr Jennings.He also said that the document may explain why China has been so reluctant for outside investigations into the origins of COVID-19.“If this was a case of transmission from a wet market it would be in China’s interest to co-operate … we’ve had the opposite of that.”Questions remain over the origins of the deadly virus after a much derided World Health Organisation (WHO) probe earlier this year, with the organisation ordering a further investigation which factors in the possibly of a lab leak.Most scientists have said there is no evidence that COVID-19 is manmade — but questions remain whether it may have escaped from a biolab in Wuhan — the Chinese region where the pandemic originated.China is known to have been carrying out high risk "gain of function" research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) — which is near the outbreak's ground zero at the Huanan Seafood Market.There is no evidence so far to suggest it was intentionally released by China.Meanwhile, in Beijing, the state-run Global Times newspaper slammed The Australian for publishing the article to smear China.An academic book that explores bioterrorism and possibilities of viruses being used in warfare was interpreted as a conspiracy theory by The Australian, which deliberately and malignantly intends to invent pretexts to smear China, Chen Hong, a professor and director of the Australian Studies Center at East China Normal University, told the newspaper."It is a shame for anti-China forces in Australia to back their own ideology against China at the expense of basic professional journalistic ethics, conspiring to twist the real meaning of the book," Chen said. ALSO READ: COVID-19 infection is transmitted via air, says US CDCALSO READ: WHO China chief says approval for 1st Chinese vaccine a 'milestone achievement' /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); cs_jw_script.src = 'https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/internal-c2/plugins/streamingtag_plugin_jwplayer.js'; firstjw.parentNode.insertBefore(cs_jw_script, firstjw.nextSibling); } var jwconfig_9685784863 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/05/0_tb95qlid/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_tb95qlid_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "When will the Covid-19 end? 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Chinese scientists allegedly investigated weaponising coronaviruses five years before Covid-19 pandemic

US officials allegedly obtained the papers which were written by military scientists and senior Chinese public health officials in 2015 as part of their own investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

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Imran KhanTwo major opposition parties in Pakistan have slammed Prime Minister Imran Khan for showing "too much keenness" by offering India a foreign ministerial-level meeting on UNGA sidelines. The new prime minister had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to re-start bilateral talks on key issues "challenging the relationship" including on terrorism and Kashmir.India initially announced it agreed for a meeting between Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York this month. However, later New Delhi called off the meeting, citing "barbarism" by Pakistan. It cited the "brutal" killing of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the release of the postal stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.Dawn news reported that two major opposition parties -- the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) -- have held the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government responsible for the latest "diplomatic debacle" following New Delhi's refusal to hold the meeting.Former foreign minister and PML-N lawmaker Khawaja Mohammad Asif criticised Khan for stating in the letter that "Pakistan remains ready to discuss terrorism" and said it seemed the government was "not prepared" from the day one."Too much keenness being shown by the prime minister showed weakness on our part. Giving them (India) too much reflects haste on our part to mend fences with India," Asif was quoted as saying by Dawn news.Asif said he was not against normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan but "dignity must be maintained".He regretted that Khan wrote a letter in which he "talked about terrorism" without realising that the US and India had recently issued a joint statement after the visit of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to New Delhi and Islamabad which was "dead against" Pakistan."They (the US and India) raised all kinds of allegations against Pakistan and you are talking about terrorism (in the letter). This is a sign of weakness (on our part)," Asif said.He also criticised Prime Minister Modi, alleging that "he is playing to the gallery" as part of poll campaign.PPP Vice-President and former envoy to the US Sherry Rehman said that the Imran Khan government should have done its homework before approaching India for a meeting, especially after the initial response."Right now, however the Indian Govt and Army chief response is both immature and irresponsible. What are they threatening Pakistan about? "They have crossed all diplomatic norms and protocols to emerge as a belligerent nuclear power that is only looking to externalise its own extremisms," Rehman said on her official social media page on Twitter.Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan based terror groups since January 2016. Following the strikes, India announced it will not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand.Amid heightened tension with Pakistan over Uri terror attack in which 18 soldiers were killed, India had pulled out of the SAARC Summit to be held in Islamabad in November, 2016. The summit was called off after Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan also declined to participate in the meet.(With PTI inputs)

Too much keenness by Imran Khan showed weakness on our part: Pak opposition slams PM for 'diplomatic debacle' with India

Khan had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking to re-start bilateral talks on key issues "challenging the relationship" including on terrorism and Kashmir.

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Taliban fighters stand guard inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.Taliban has appreciated India's humanitarian and development efforts in Afghanistan. Speaking to news agency ANI, Taliban spokesperson Muhammed Suhail Shaheen acknowledged that India has constructed roads, dams and made contributions for other infrastructure projects."We appreciate everything in capacity building, whether it is Parliament, schools, roads or dams. India has infused more than USD 2 billion in assistance to Afghanistan. We appreciate everything that has been done for the people of Afghanistan like dams, national projects, infrastructure and anything that is for the development of Afghanistan for its reconstruction, for economic prosperity and for the people of Afghanistan," Shaheen told ANI.When asked if Taliban can assure India that Afghanistan soil will not be used against it, he said, "We have a general policy that we are committed not to allow anyone to use Afghanistan soil against any country including the neighbouring countries.""There were reports about an Indian delegation meeting our delegation, but I can’t confirm that. According to my info, (separate) meeting hasn't happened but yesterday we had a meeting in Doha, in which an Indian delegation also participated," he said."There is no danger from our side to embassies and diplomats. We won't target any embassy or diplomat. We have said that in our statements many times. It is our commitment," he added.On the removal of Nishan Sahib from a Gurudwara in Afghanistan's Paktia, he said that the flag was removed by the Sikh community themselves. "When our security officials went there, they said that if a flag is seen, someone will harass them. Our people assured them and they hoisted it again."To a question on Taliban having deep linkages with Pakistan-based terror groups, the spokesperson replied, "These are baseless allegations. They are not based on ground realities but on the basis of their certain policies towards us, on the basis of politically motivated goals."The Taliban completed their sweep of Afghanistan's south on Friday, taking four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that brought them closer to Kabul just weeks before the US is set to officially end its two-decade war. In the last 24 hours, the country's second and third-largest cities Herat in the west and Kandahar in the south have fallen to the insurgents, as has the capital of the southern province of Helmand, where American, British and NATO forces fought some of the bloodiest battles of the conflict.While Kabul is not directly under threat yet, the resurgent Taliban were battling government forces in Logar province, some 80 kms from the capital. The US military has estimated that Kabul could come under insurgent pressure within 30 days and that the Taliban could overrun the rest of the country within a few months.Meanwhile, the US will send 3,000 troops to help evacuate some personnel from the US Embassy in Kabul. Britain and Canada are also sending forces to aid their evacuations. Denmark said it will temporarily close its embassy, while Germany is reducing its embassy staff to the absolute minimum.READ MORE: Taliban sweep across Afghanistan's south, nears Kabul; US, UK, others prepare for evacuationsREAD MORE: Afghanistan spinning out of control, may plunge into prolonged civil war: UN Chief

Taliban appreciates India's development efforts in Afghanistan, assures not to target any embassy or diplomat

The Taliban completed their sweep of Afghanistan's south on Friday, taking four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that brought them closer to Kabul just weeks before the US is set to officially end its two-decade war.

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The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has unanimously adopted a resolution aimed at preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons, particularly small arms and light weapons.The Council on Wednesday "strongly condemned" the continued flow of weapons, military equipment, unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and their components, and improvised explosive device (IED) components to and between the Islamic State, Al-Qaida, their affiliates, and associated groups, illegal armed groups and criminals, Xinhua reported.The 15-member body said the "destabilizing accumulation and misuse" of weapons "continue to pose threats to international peace and security and cause significant loss of life".UN member states were encouraged to prevent and disrupt procurement networks for weapons, systems and components between and among such groups and entities.Member states were specifically urged to ensure the ability to take appropriate legal actions against those who are knowingly engaged in providing terrorists with weapons and to ensure proper physical security and management for stockpiles of small arms and light weapons.These states were also urged to strengthen their judicial, law enforcement and border-control capacities, and develop their capabilities to investigate arms-trafficking networks in order to address the link between transnational organized crime and terrorism. 

UNSC adopts resolution to thwart terrorists' access to weapons

The 15-member body said the "destabilizing accumulation and misuse" of weapons "continue to pose threats to international peace and security and cause significant loss of life".

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india gateIt was a bright, chilly, windy morning in the national capital on Friday with the minimum temperature recorded five notches below average at 10.4 degrees Celsius, the weather office said."The sky was partly cloudy. The city witnessed moderate fog in the morning," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said.The humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 82 per cent. There was 0.9 mm of rain recorded in the past 24 hours since Thursday..The maximum temperature was likely to hover around 26 degrees Celsius.On Thursday, the minimum temperature was recorded at 11.8 degrees Celsius, four notches below the season's average, while the maximum was 24.6 degrees Celsius, five notches below the season's average.

Bright, chilly morning in Delhi as mercury drops to 10 degrees Celsius

The humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 82 per cent. There was 0.9 mm of rain recorded in the past 24 hours since Thursday.

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Representational ImageAt least 21 people people were injured following a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan's northwestern coast overnight and caused a slight tsunami, officials announced on Wednesday.The quake occurred at 10.22 p.m. on Tuesday and had its epicenter at sea - though near the coast - close to the border that separates the prefectures of Niigata and Yamagata, reports Efe news.Related Stories Mild tremors felt in Gujarat's Banaskantha ahead of Cyclone VayuMajor 7.2-magnitude earthquake jolts New Zealand; tsunami warning issuedStrong earthquake hits islands off New Zealand; no signs of tsunami11 dead, 122 injured in China earthquakeAs soon as the seismic activity was registered, the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami alert that was lifted three hours later.The tsunami's waves could be seen in Awashima, Sakata, Sado, Wajima and Niigata, where they reached a maximum height of 0.1 metres (less than four inches), according to the agency's data.Japanese authorities were still checking the state of buildings, although no serious structural damage to residences or installations has so far been identified.The JMA has urged people in the affected area to remain alert due to the risk of building collapses and landslides as similar tremors and aftershocks may still occur and in light of the rains forecast for Wednesday in part of the region.The quake led to the temporary closure of some roads and interruptions in rail services, but no accidents were reported. Some 10,000 people were affected by the shutdown of the bullet trains, although the popular commuter service has since been restored.Japan sits on the so-called Ring of Fire in the Pacific Ocean, one of the world's most seismically active areas. (Except for the headline, IndiaTVnews.com has not edited anything in the story)  

Strong earthquake strikes Japan coast, leaves 21 injured

The tsunami's waves could be seen in Awashima, Sakata, Sado, Wajima and Niigata, where they reached a maximum height of 0.1 metres (less than four inches), according to the agency's data.

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India, China hold talks over boundary questionSpecial representatives of India and China held "constructive and forward-looking" talks over the vexed boundary question as the two nations resolved to "intensify" their efforts to achieve a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable" solution to the issue on Saturday. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met at Dujiangyan near Chengdu in southwestern Sichuan province for the 21st round of Special Representatives' (SR) talks.Both sides issued official statements which spoke of advancing the process to find a solution to the border issue.Related Stories China no longer in race to supersede US as top economic power, says Donald TrumpChina unveils World's first AI news anchorChina to build port in Myanmar, third in India's neighbourhoodUS not pursuing cold war with China, says Mike PompeoUS accuses China of repressing religious groups like Christians, Tibetans and Uighur MuslimsDifferences between India, China should not become disputes: Nirmala SitharamanPacific island region not sphere of influence of any country, says China Top India, China officials hold defence, security meet, agree to enhance military exchanges and interactionsPak received ‘big’ package of aid from China, not to reveal amount under instructions from President Xi: Imran KhanUS, China spar over trade, political influence at APEC summitIMF demands details of Pakistan's financial assistance deal with China: ReportChina successfully launches five satellitesAhead of border talks, China says differences with India 'managed properly' through dialogueChina rejects US hacking report ahead of Trump-Xi meeting"Recalling the strategic guidance and support to their work provided by the leaders at the Wuhan Summit (between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping), the SRs resolved to intensify their efforts to achieve a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question at an early date," a statement issued by the Indian Embassy after the talks said.A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry of China said under the political guidance of the leadership of the two countries, both sides would continue to advance the negotiation process of the special representatives' mechanism; strive for an early settlement of the boundary question that is fair, reasonable and acceptable to both sides.The statements by the two sides are being seen as a step forward from last year’s boundary talks held in New Delhi.Last year, both sides "agreed that an early settlement of the boundary question serves the fundamental interests of both countries".The Indian statement said while an early solution would serve the fundamental interests of both the countries, the two designated SRs for the border talks said pending the final solution, the two countries should maintain peace and tranquillity at the borders, ensuring that the dispute does not affect the overall development of bilateral ties.The Chinese statement too said, "before the final settlement of the border issue, we will jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas between the two countries".The India-China border dispute covers 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC). China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet.This was the first round of talks for Wang after he succeeded State Councillor Yang Jiechi earlier this year. Wang has become the state councillor, a rank higher than the foreign minister in the Chinese government's hierarchy.Doval and Wang also "underlined the importance of approaching the boundary question from the strategic perspective of India-China relations and agreed that an early settlement of the boundary question serves the fundamental interests of both countries," the Indian statement said."They noted the mature handling of issues relating to the India-China border areas since the Wuhan Summit," it said.Acknowledging the importance of predictability in border management and underscoring the importance of maintaining strategic communication at all levels, the SRs held discussions on various confidence building measures to promote exchanges and communication between their border personnel.Doval and Wang also reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations following the Wuhan Summit and subsequent meetings between Modi and Xi in Qingdao in June 2018 and in Johannesburg in July 2018.

India, China hold talks over boundary question; resolve to intensify efforts to achieve mutually acceptable solution

The statements by the two sides are being seen as a step forward from last year’s boundary talks held in New Delhi.

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'Mayday, we've lost engine,' PIA pilot's last words before the crashPakistan Plane crash: News of PIA (Pakistan International Airlines) crash has rocked the subcontinent and aviation industry. The Airbus A320 took off from Lahore airport for Karachi and crashed near Karachi airport minutes before it was to land. The plane carried 107 people onboard out of which 99 were passengers and 8 were flight crew.What makes the incident tragic that this was the first flight that took off after coronavirus lockdown in Pakistan. It is not yet known exactly what was the exact reason behind the crash but technical glitch is said to be the cause.PIA pilot's last words before the tragic crash appear to suggest the same. According to the recording obtained by Pakistani media, here are PIA pilot's exact words before the fatal crash.'We've lost an engine. Mayday, mayday,' the pilot can be heard saying in the final moments.'Mayday' is a code-word used by pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC) to quickly convey that the situation is extremely dire and the plane is about to crash. The use of the word Mayday is rare and everyone in the aviation industry takes extreme care that the word is not used to describe minor situations. The use of the word 'Mayday' by a pilot triggers a massive operation on ground as it is considered that a disastrous situation is about to unfold. In a tragic turn of events. The PIA flight crashed before much could be done to prevent the crash.Sindh health department said that 57 people have been confirmed dead so far. However, it is not yet clear if the deceased are from the crashed plane or the area where the crash took place, the Dawn newspaper reported. Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho said there are three survivors.ALSO READ I PIA Plane Crash: Watch dramatic footage of crash site recorded from second plane landing moments after tragedyALSO READ I PIA Plane Crash in Pakistan: 57 dead; Bank of Punjab President among 3 survivors /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); cs_jw_script.src = 'https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/internal-c2/plugins/streamingtag_plugin_jwplayer.js'; firstjw.parentNode.insertBefore(cs_jw_script, firstjw.nextSibling); } var jwconfig_6250891145 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_7u2ahrzm_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_7u2ahrzm_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Here's what PIA pilots said moments before fatal plane crash in Karachi", "height": "440px", "width": "100%", "aspectratio": "16:9", "autostart": false, "controls": true, "mute": false, "volume": 25, "floating": false, "sharing": { "code": "", "sites": [ "facebook", "twitter", "email" ] }, "stretching": "exactfit", "primary": "html5", "hlshtml": true, "sharing_link": "", "duration": "54", "advertising": { "client": "vast", "autoplayadsmuted": true, "skipoffset": 5, "cuetext": "", "skipmessage": "Skip ad in xx", "skiptext": "SKIP", "preloadAds": true, "schedule": [ { "offset": "pre", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PreRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" }, { "offset": "50%", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_MidRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=" }, { "offset": "post", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PostRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" } ] } }; var jwvidplayer_6250891145 = ''; jwsetup_6250891145(); function jwsetup_6250891145() { jwvidplayer_6250891145 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_6250891145").setup(jwconfig_6250891145); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_6250891145, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_7u2ahrzm\", ns_st_pr=\"Here's what PIA pilots said moments before fatal plane crash in Karachi\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Here's what PIA pilots said moments before fatal plane crash in Karachi\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Here's what PIA pilots said moments before fatal plane crash in Karachi\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2020-05-22\", ns_st_tdt=\"2020-05-22\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_7u2ahrzm_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_6250891145.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_6250891145.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_6250891145.stop(); jwvidplayer_6250891145.remove(); jwvidplayer_6250891145 = ''; jwsetup_6250891145(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_6250891145.stop(); jwvidplayer_6250891145.remove(); jwvidplayer_6250891145 = ''; jwsetup_6250891145(); return; }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6250891145.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

PIA pilot cried for help moments before crash; 'Mayday we've lost an engine'

Pakistan Plane crash: The use of the word Mayday is rare and everyone in the aviation industry takes extreme care that the word is not used to describe minor situation.

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A wounded man is brought by stretcher into a hospital in Jalalabad city, capital of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan on SaturdayThe death toll from a suicide bombing against a gathering of Taliban fighters celebrating a holiday cease-fire in Afghanistan has risen to 36, an official said today.Najibullah Kamawal, director of the health department in the eastern Nangarhar province, said another 65 people were wounded in Saturday's attack.Related Stories Five killed in Afghanistan blastKabul blast: 13 killed, 13 injured in Green Zone bombing; all Indians safe, says Sushma SwarajThe bomber targeted a gathering of fighters who were celebrating a three-day truce coinciding with the Eid al-Fitr holiday. No one immediately claimed the attack, but it was likely carried out by the Islamic State group, which was not included in the cease-fire and has clashed with the Taliban in the past.After the attack, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani announced a nine-day extension of the cease-fire. There was no immediate word from the Taliban on whether they would observe the extension.The three-day holiday and cease-fire ends Sunday.The chairman of the High Peace Council, a government body charged with negotiating an end to the nearly 17-year war, called on the Taliban to accept the extended cease-fire and join the peace process."We hope that the extension of the cease-fire will be announced by the leadership of the Taliban," Mohammad Karim Khalili told a press conference in the capital, Kabul. He said there had been an "exchange of views" between the government and the Taliban over the past week, without elaborating.The Taliban have steadily expanded their presence in recent years, seizing a number of districts across the country and carrying out near-daily attacks on Afghan security forces.But over the past two days Taliban fighters could be seen celebrating the truce alongside Afghan troops and other people in a number of locations, according to photos and videos posted online that appeared to be authentic.Taliban leaders have at different times expressed interest in holding peace talks to end the conflict. But they have refused to meet with the U.S.-backed government, saying they will only negotiate with the United States directly. They have also demanded the withdrawal of all foreign forces. 

Death toll from ISIL suicide bombing in Afghanistan climbs to 36

No one immediately claimed the attack, but it was likely carried out by the Islamic State group, which was not included in the cease-fire and has clashed with the Taliban in the past.

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A fire swept through a coronavirus ward in southern Iraq, killing at least 50 people and injuring dozens more, Iraqi medical officials said late Monday.A fire swept through a coronavirus ward in southern Iraq, killing at least 58 people and injuring dozens more, Iraqi medical officials said late Monday. The officials said all those who died suffered severe burns during the blaze at al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in the southern city of Nasiryah. At least 58 people were killed and others were in critical condition, they said.The officials said the fire was caused by an electric short circuit, but did not provide more detail. Another health official in Dhi Qar province, where Nasiriyah is located, said the fire erupted when an oxygen cylinder exploded.The Health Ministry has not provided an official account of the cause of the fire. The new ward, opened just three months ago, contained 70 beds, said two medical officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.Ammar al-Zamili, spokesman for the Dhi Qar health department, told local media there were at least 63 patients inside the ward when the fire began. Maj. Gen. Khalid Bohan, head of Iraq’s civil defense, said in comments to the press that the building was constructed from flammable materials and prone to fire.It was the second time a large fire has killed coronavirus patients in an Iraqi hospital this year. At least 82 people died at Ibn al-Khateeb hospital in Baghdad in April when an oxygen tank exploded, sparking the blaze.That incident brought to light widespread negligence and systemic mismanagement in Iraq’s hospitals. Doctors have decried lax safety rules, especially around oxygen cylinders.Iraq is in the midst of another severe COVID-19 wave. 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58 die, dozens injured after fire in Covid-19 ward at hospital in southern Iraq

A fire swept through a coronavirus ward in southern Iraq, killing at least 50 people and injuring dozens more, Iraqi medical officials said late Monday.

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Breaking News September 14The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 29 million, including more than 928,000 fatalities. More than 21,026,990 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on the coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. IndiaTvNews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe, and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news on coronavirus, coronavirus vaccine trial updates, photos, video, news, views and top stories from monsoon rains, business, politics, education, science, yoga, and much more in India and worldwide.

Breaking News: September 14, 2020 | As it happened

Get all the latest news on coronavirus cases, news on the vaccine, monsoon rains, business, politics, science, education and much more in India and worldwide.

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A day after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) stayed the execution of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, the death row convict in Pakistan, Islamabad has reportedly filed a fresh plea in the top UN court today seeking rehearing of the case within six weeks.Dunya News reported that Pakistan was set to re-challenge the jurisdiction of the ICJ after it granted injunction on Thursday on an Indian plea to stay Jadhav's execution.According to law, Jadhav can challenge till the end of Saturday his death sentence in an appellate court. A military court sentenced him to death on April 10 on spying and terrorism charges.Within 60 days of the verdict of the appellate court, the inmate can make a clemency appeal to the Chief of the Pakistan Army, Dunya said.A death row inmate is permitted to make the final clemency appeal to the Pakistan President within 90 days of the Army chief's order.The Pakistani government is facing flak over its handling of the case at the international forum with several legal experts questioning the strategy adopted and asking why it accepted the global court's jurisdiction. The Hague-based court, the UN's highest judicial body, had yesterday stayed the execution of Jadhav, 46, considered to be a spy by Pakistan. The ruling triggered criticism of the  Pakistan Foreign Office (FO) for its "poor handling" and also for its choice of Khawar Qureshi, who represented Pakistan's case before the ICJ. The Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) had recommended some other counsel, The Express Tribune reported. According to former Pakistan Bar Council Vice Chairman Farogh Naseem, Pakistan should have immediately withdrawn its March 29, 2017 declaration accepting the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ. Instead of contesting the matter, Pakistan should havewithdrawn the declaration immediately after India took Jadhav's case to the ICJ, he said. "Why did Pakistan not take the glaring and brutal human rights violations in Kashmir before the court, despite the fact that Islamabad had a strong case in this regard?" Former Additional Attorney General Tariq Khokhar, an expert in international law, regretted that Pakistan had accepted ICJ jurisdiction through a declaration, which should have been withdrawn once Pakistan knew that India would invoke the ICJ's jurisdiction against it. "Being an arbitration forum, each contesting state was allowed to nominate one person of its choice to act as an ad hoc judge at the ICJ...India did nominate one but Pakistan did not," Khokhar said, adding that Pakistan's counsel did not argue for the full allotted time either. Eminent lawyer and human rights activist Asma Jahangir suggested that rather than making the ICJ ruling a matter of ego, “We should sit down, join our heads and find a way out by going through the ruling thoroughly. Who gave the opinion to deny consular access to Jadhav in the first place?" 

Pakistan moves ICJ to rehear Kulbhushan Jadhav case within six weeks: Report

The Pakistani government is facing flak over its handling of the case at the international forum with several legal experts questioning the strategy adopted and asking why it accepted the global court's jurisdiction.

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Trump administaration on military transgender banThe administration of US President Donald Trump has urged the Supreme Court to hear a petition challenging the president’s policy, which bars most transgender individuals from military service. The policy was first announced by Trump in July 2107 via Twitter and was later officially released by Secretary of Defence James Mattis.As per the policy, individuals who suffer from a condition known as gender dysphoria from serving with limited exceptions, media reports said.Related Stories Legislation to protect work authorisation of spouses of H1-B visa holders introduced in US Congress'Reports inaccurate': Trump administration denies reaching conclusion on Khashoggi's death'Will publish full report over next two days': Trump on Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi murderTrump defends USD 300 million military aid cut to Pakistan; says it doesn’t do ‘a damn thing’ for US'It's terrible, there is no reason for me to hear it': Trump on Jamal Khashoggi murder tapesPak summons US diplomat, lodges protest over Trump's remarks'Have been a great ally': Trump signals no strong action against Saudi Arabia in Khashoggi murderNo US aide unless you act against militant safe haven on your soil: Trump warns PakistanTrump defends daughter Ivanka's use of personal emailChina rejects US hacking report ahead of Trump-Xi meetingTrump threatens to shut down entire US-Mexico border 'World is vicious place', says Trump as he insists CIA has no evidence against Saudi prince in Khashoggi murderIt also specifies that individuals without the condition can serve, but only if they do so according to the sex they were assigned at birth.The policy has so far been blocked from going into effect by the district courts across the country.Petitions, asking the justices to take up the issue in three separate cases that were still in lower courts so it could be decided definitively this term, were filed by Solicitor General Noel Francisco on Friday.Francisco argued that lower court rulings imposing nationwide injunctions were wrong and wanted immediate review.He said that because of the injunctions, "the military has been forced to maintain that prior policy for nearly a year" despite a determination by Mattis and a panel of experts that the "prior policy, adopted by (Defence Secretary Ash Carter), posed too great a risk to military effectiveness and lethality".Earlier this month, the Department of Justice warned the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that it planned to ask for emergency relief to lift the nationwide injunction.The filing comes after Chief Justice John Roberts and Trump got into a public dispute about the independence of the judiciary this week.Roberts issued a statement on Wednesday, criticizing the president for calling one lower court judge who ruled against him an "Obama judge".The president responded via Twitter, criticizing Roberts and accusing the American judiciary of undermining national security.

Trump administration asks Supreme Court to hear petition challenging military transgender ban

Petitions, asking the justices to take up the issue in three separate cases that were still in lower courts so it could be decided definitively this term, were filed by Solicitor General Noel Francisco on Friday.

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Don't issue virus 'immunity passports': WHOGovernments should not issue so-called "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" as a way of easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. The WHO's guidance is based on evidence from researchers all around the world. But it could well change as we rapidly learn more about this virus, the BBC reported.There isn't currently any evidence to suggest having had the virus once protects you from getting it again. So the idea of an "immunity passport", allowing people who test positive for antibodies to have fewer restrictions, would be a very risky one.Some governments have considered permitting people who have recovered to travel or return to work.Restrictions imposed on movement to stop the virus spreading have crippled economies around the world.More than 2.8m cases of the virus have been confirmed worldwide and nearly 200,000 people have died.Many countries including Germany, Italy and the UK are beginning to test samples of their populations for antibodies. In the UK, 25,000 people will be tested every month for the next year - both for antibodies, and to check if they currently have the virus.This could provide more information about whether (and for how long) the disease confers immunity to those who have recovered. And that would give us a clearer idea about whether testing individuals and giving them some kind of immunity status might be an option in the future.Last week Chile said it would begin issuing "health passports" to people deemed to have recovered from the illness.Once screened for the presence of antibodies to make them immune to the virus, they could rejoin the workforce, officials said.In Sweden, which has chosen to keep large parts of society open, some scientists believe people may end up with much higher immunity levels compared with those living under stricter regulations.However Anders Wallensten from the Swedish Public Health Agency told the BBC that not enough was yet known about immunity."We will know more as more people are tested for antibodies, but also the more time goes on, and if more accounts of re-infection etcetera are reported," he said.In Belgium, which has one of the highest death rates per capita but is planning to gradually relax lockdown restrictions from 11 May, a government adviser told the BBC he strongly opposed the idea of immunity passports."I abhor the fact that we would give people passports, a green one or a red one, depending on their serology status," said virologist Professor Marc Van Ranst, a member of the Belgian government's Risk Assessment Group and Scientific Committee on the Coronavirus."That will lead to forgeries, that will lead to people wilfully infecting themselves to the virus. This is just not a good idea. It is an extremely bad idea."Earlier this week Professor Mala Maini from University College London said reliable antibody tests were urgently needed to determine how long antibodies persisted and whether they conferred protection."We're not yet sure if these antibodies indicate protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 but preliminary data suggest they may be a reasonable proxy for this - so they are being considered to inform release from lockdown etc," she said.ALSO READ | No evidence proves antibodies can protect from second wave: WHOALSO READ | WHO, global partners join forces to develop COVID-19 technologies

Don't issue virus 'immunity passports': WHO

Governments should not issue so-called "immunity passports" or "risk-free certificates" as a way of easing lockdowns, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

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6.5-magnitude earthquake rattles PhilippinesA strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 shook Masbate province in the Philippines on Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) said. No casualties and damage have been reported yet.The institute said the quake, which struck at around 8 a.m. local time, hit at a depth of 1 km, about 5 km southwest of Cataingan town of Masbate province in the Bicol region, Xinhua reported.The institute said the tremor was also felt in Mapanas town in Northern Samar province, Legazpi City in Albay province, Lezo town in Aklan province, Iloilo City, Capiz province and many provinces in the central Philippines.The institute said the quake, which was tectonic in origin, will trigger aftershocks.The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific "Ring of Fire."

6.5-magnitude earthquake rattles Philippines

A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 shook Masbate province in the Philippines on Tuesday, the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology (Phivolcs) said.

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Representative Image. At least 17 people were killed in poll-related violence on Sunday as voting was underway across Bangladesh amid allegations by the ruling Awami League and opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of attacks on supporters and candidates.Voting began at 8 am (local time) in the morning with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appearing as the first voter in Dhaka centre from where her nephew and party candidate Fazle Nur Taposh was a contender."I'm always confident about our victory in the elections... I trust my people and I know that they will choose us so that they can get a better life in future," Hasina said after casting her vote.While Hasina is seeking re-election for a fourth term as the prime minister, her rival ex-premier and BNP chief Khalida Zia, who is reportedly partially paralysed, faces an uncertain future in a Dhaka jail.Schools and colleges across Bangladesh were turned into makeshift polling centres for the day while people had begun to line up to cast their vote even before the election opened.Meanwhile, violence marred the polling in parts of the country with media reports putting the death toll at 11. Dozens of people were wounded in the poll-related violence.A Jubo League - the youth wing of the Awami League - leader was killed and 10 others injured in a clash between the ruling party and opposition BNP supporters in Rangamati's Kawkhali, Bdnews24 reported.One BNP activist was killed in Chattogram, while an Awami League supporter died in Rajshahi, the news portal reported.An Awami League polling agent was killed in Narsingdi 3 constituency.According to the Daily Star newspaper, BNP men attacked and killed an Awami League supporter in Mohonpur, Rajshahi-3. One Oikyafront supporter was killed in Chandina in police firing.A voter died during tension between supporters of the Awami League and the BNP in Dinajpur-2. An activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League was killed in clashes with the BNP activists in Cox's Bazar-1.One Awami League supporter was killed during a clash with the BNP workers at Baghail Government Primary Schoo, under Bogura-4.A member of law enforcement agency was killed by activists of Jamaat in Noakhali-3 constituency.At least seven candidates - six being BNP nominees - announced to stay off the polls with most of them alleging that their agents were ousted from polling centres by the ruling party workers.BNP's Ruhul Kabir Rizvi alleged that polling centres are being occupied across the country, the party's agents are being driven out and that its supporters and activists are facing violence."From the picture we have received, this is a violent election. We are seeing a one-sided election environment conducted at the whims of the government. This paints a clear picture that they want to ensure a favourable result through a one-sided contest," Rizvi told a media briefing at the party office.Party's secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told the media from his northwestern Thakurgaon constituency that some of their candidates stayed off the vote in their "personal decisions" but "we will announce our party stance at 4 PM when the voting will end".Jatiya Oikya Front (National Unity Front) leader Kamal Hossain expressed concern over the poll-related violence and allegations of rigging."Every minute I receive calls saying Kamal Bhai (brother), it has already happened overnight. It began in the evening. I have gotten so many reports. These reports are concerning. It's sad and shameful," he said.The Jatiya Oikya Front is a coalition of four parties - Gono Forum, BNP, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Nagorik Oikya and Krishak Sramik Janata League - led by Hossain.Bangladesh police chief Mohammad Javed Patwary said the nationwide polls are "progressing peacefully" and vowed to investigate the "isolated" incidents of violence.Over 600,000 security personnel including several thousand soldiers and paramilitary border guards have been deployed across the country to help conduct the election in which 10.41 crore people are eligible to vote.Security agencies have been asked to keep an extra vigil on religious minority communities as media reports said at least three Hindu households were set on fire by miscreants between December 16 and 26.According to the eyewitnesses, posters bearing the ruling party's "boat" symbol outnumbered those of the main opposition's "sheaf of paddy".BNP earlier said intimidation and police harassment kept their activists away from the campaign and polling process."Barring some unwanted incidents, the polling so far was smooth and peaceful...We could tell you at the end of the day if the election was participatory," Chief Election Commissioner Nurul Huda told reporters.The 11th parliamentary poll is the first fully competitive general election in a decade since 2008 while it is widely expected to be won by the Awami League of Hasina, who is likely to be the country's first premier for the fourth terms.Citing security reasons, authorities temporarily blocked mobile data services and slowed down the internet.According to the Election Commission, 1,848 candidates are contesting for 299 out of 300 Parliament seats. The polls are being held at 40,183 polling stations. Voting was suspended in one seat due to the death of a candidate.Zia, serving a 10-year prison term on graft charges, has been barred from contesting the polls while Rahman is living in London.\(With PTI inputs)

Bangladesh general election: 17 killed, over 64 injured in poll-related violence

While Hasina is seeking re-election for a fourth term as the prime minister, her rival ex-premier Khalida Zia, who is reportedly partially paralysed, faces an uncertain future in a Dhaka jail.

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'Free coronavirus vaccine for all if elected President': Joe Biden's promise days ahead of electionDemocratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday said he would ensure free vaccination for all Americans if elected president in the November 3 election. In a major policy speech on the coronavirus, a day after the final presidential debate with Republican incumbent Donald Trump, Biden said over 220,000 Americans have lost their lives, which is more than one-fifth of the total global death.In his speech in his home state of Delaware, Biden blamed the policies of Trump for the deadly spread of the virus that has had a devastating impact on the country's economy. He said Americans are not learning to live with COVID-19, but learning to die with it as the pandemic has dwarfed anything that the country faced in recent history and is not showing any signs of slowing down."President Trump said we're rounding the corner, it's going away, we're learning to live with it. They are quotes. But as I told him last night, we're not learning to live with it. We're learning to die with it. This is a dark winter ahead," the 77-year-old said."Already more than 220,000 people in the US have lost their lives to this virus. Worse yet, a new study from Columbia University suggests that anywhere between 130,000 and 210,000 of those deaths were avoidable," he said."COVID-19 dwarfs anything we've faced in recent history and it isn't showing any signs of slowing down. The virus is surging in almost every state. We passed 4.8 million cases. And when Trump was asked this week what he'd do differently to get the pandemic response right from the start his answer was and I quote, 'Not much. Not much.'," said the former vice president.Alleging that Trump does not have a plan to fight the coronavirus, Biden said the longer he is the President, the "more reckless" he gets. "We don't have to be held prisoner by this administration's failures. We can choose a different path. We can do what Americans have always done: come together and meet the challenge with grit, compassion, and determination," he said.Revealing his plan, if voted to power in November, Biden said he would immediately put in place a national strategy that will position the country to finally get ahead of this virus and get back the lives.Biden said he will ask the new Congress to put a bill on his desk by the end of January with all the resources necessary to see how both the public health and economic response can be seen through the end what is needed.Biden said he will go to every governor and urge them to mandate wearing masks in their states. "And if they refuse, I'll go to the mayors and county executives and get local masking requirements in place nationwide," he said, adding that as President he will mandate mask wearing at all federal buildings and all interstate transportation."Because masks save lives," he said, adding that he will put a national testing plan in place with a goal of testing as many people each day as they are currently testing each week. The Democratic presidential candidate said the vaccine would be free and freely available to everyone.Describing this as a Biden-Harris agenda, he said that it is going to take all Americans working together. "And that's not hyperbole, all of us working together, watching out for one another. We're all still going to have to wear a mask or practise social distancing a while longer. It's going to be hard," he said."But if we follow the science and keep faith with one another, I promise you, we'll get through this and come out the other side much faster than the rate we're going now. Look, you all know this. The American people have always given their best to this country in times of crisis. And this time isn't any different," he said. (With PTI inputs)

'Free coronavirus vaccine for all if elected President': Joe Biden's promise days ahead of election

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday said he would ensure free vaccination for all Americans if elected president in the November 3 election.

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Taliban fighters stand guard inside the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021.The Taliban seized a province just south of Afghanistan’s capital and launched a multi-pronged assault early Saturday on Mazar-e-Sharif, a major city in the north defended by powerful former warlords, Afghan officials said.Homa Ahmadi, a lawmaker from Logar, says the Taliban control the entire province, including its capital, and reached a district in the neighboring Kabul province on Saturday. That puts the insurgents less than 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the nation’s capital.The Taliban have also captured much of northern, western and southern Afghanistan less than three weeks before the United States is set to withdraw its last troops.Munir Ahmad Farhad, a spokesman for the provincial governor in northern Balkh province, meanwhile said the Taliban attacked the city of Mazar-e-Sharif from several directions, setting off heavy fighting on its outskirts. There was no immediate word on casualties.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had flown to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday to rally the city’s defenses, meeting with several militia commanders allied with the government.The Taliban captured much of southern Afghanistan in recent days in a rapid offensive that has raised fears of a full takeover. Their lightning advance has left the Western-backed government in control of a smattering of provinces in the center and east, as well as Kabul and Mazar-e-Sharif.The withdrawal of foreign forces and the swift retreat of Afghanistan’s own troops — despite hundreds of billions of dollars in U.S. aid over the years — has raised fears the Taliban could return to power or the country could be plunged into civil war.The first Marines from a contingent of 3,000 arrived on Friday to help partially evacuate the U.S. Embassy. The rest are set to arrive by Sunday, and their deployment has raised questions about whether the administration will meet its Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline.The Taliban meanwhile released a video in which an unnamed insurgent announced the takeover of the main radio station in the southern city of Kandahar, which fell to the insurgents earlier this week.The station has been renamed the Voice of Sharia, or Islamic law. He said all employees were present and would broadcast news, political analysis and recitations of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. It appears the station will no longer play music.It was not clear if the Taliban had purged the previous employees or allowed them to return to work. Most residents of Kandahar sport the traditional dress favored by the Taliban. The man in the video congratulated the people of Kandahar on the Taliban’s victory.The Taliban have operated mobile radio stations over the years, but have not operated a station inside a major city since they ruled the country from 1996-2001. At that time, they also ran a station called Voice of Sharia out of Kandahar, the birthplace of the militant group. Music was banned.The U.S. invaded shortly after the 9/11 attacks, which al-Qaida planned and carried out while being sheltered by Taliban. After rapidly ousting the Taliban, the U.S. shifted toward nation-building, hoping to create a modern Afghan state after decades of war and unrest.Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced a timeline for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops by the end of August, pledging to end America’s longest war. His predecessor, President Donald Trump, had reached an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for a U.S. pullout.Biden’s announcement set the latest offensive in motion. The Taliban, who have long controlled large parts of the Afghan countryside, moved quickly to seize provincial capitals, border crossings and other key infrastructure. They are now within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of Kabul.Tens of thousands of Afghans have fled their homes, with many fearing a return to the Taliban’s oppressive rule. The group had previously governed Afghanistan under a harsh version of Islamic law in which women were largely confined to the home.

Taliban seize province near Kabul, launch multi-pronged attack on Mazar-e-Sharif

Homa Ahmadi, a lawmaker from Logar, says the Taliban control the entire province, including its capital, and reached a district in the neighboring Kabul province on Saturday.

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JuD chief terrorist Hafiz Saeed has served a Rs 100 million legal notice to Pakistan's Defence Minister for "defamation", days after the government banned the Jamaat-ud-Dawah from collecting donations following US President Donald Trump's outburst against Islamabad's sheltering of terrorists. "I call upon you (minister Khurram Dastgir) to send a written apology to my client (Saeed) within 14 days and seek his forgiveness and promise to be careful in future, failing which criminal proceedings under section 500 of Pakistan Penal Code punishable for two years will initiated against you," said the notice by lawyer A K Dogar who served it on behalf of Mumbai attack mastermind Saeed. Related Stories Pakistan bans Hafiz Saeed’s JuD, FIF from collecting donationsDefence Minister speaking language of Donald Trump, will serve legal notice: Hafiz Saeed's JuDAmerica can’t drone strike JuD’s Lahore HQ, says Hafiz Saeed; blasts Pakistan govt US aid freeze on Pakistan not linked to Hafiz Saeed's release: Official Pakistan banned JuD and FIF and other organisations from collecting donations on Monday, after Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists. Dastgir had said that action against JuD, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) and other organisations had been taken so that "terrorists cannot open fire on schoolchildren anymore". Dogar claimed the JuD has no nexus with Lashkar-e-Taiba and the UN resolution against it is "illegal". He alleged the minister had caused "immense damage" to the "reputation" of Saeed and JuD by issuing an "irresponsible" statement. Dastgir had also said that Pakistan did not act against JuD and FIF under "pressure" from the US but after "serious deliberations". The government has banned companies and individuals from making donations to the JuD, the FIF and other organisations on the UN Security Council's sanctions list. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) also issued a notification prohibiting the collection of donations by the JuD, the front organisation of terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, as well as several other such groups named in a list of outfits banned by the UN Security Council.

JuD chief terrorist Hafiz Saeed slaps Rs 100 million 'defamation' notice on Defence Minister

Pakistan banned JuD and FIF and other organisations from collecting donations on Monday, after Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" and providing "safe haven" to terrorists.

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US Secretary of State Antony BlinkenUS Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday launched a scathing attack against China for a lack of transparency during "the early stages" of the coronavirus pandemic and called for a more thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19.Blinken's remarks come as a report of a joint inquiry by the World Health Organization and China published last month did not conclusively establish how or when the virus began spreading and did little to address Western concerns that the Chinese Communist Party bent the investigation to its advantage."I think China knows that in the early stages of COVID, it didn't do what it needed to do, which was to give access to international experts, in real-time to share information, in real-time to provide real transparency," said Blinken in an interview with Chuck Todd of NBC, as per the transcript by the US Department of State.The top US diplomat stated that one result of that failure is that the virus got out of hand faster and with."I think, much more egregious results than it might otherwise," he said."As we're dealing with COVID-19, we also have to put in place a stronger global health security system to make sure that this doesn't happen again or, if it does happen again, we're able to mitigate it, to get ahead of it. And that means making a real commitment to transparency, to information sharing, to access for experts. It means strengthening the World Health Organization and reforming it so it can do that. And China has to play a part in that," Blinken added.When asked about whether Washington is going to guarantee to the world that we're going to get to the bottom of how this originated, the top diplomat agreed with the same and stated that "we need to get to the bottom of this"."I think we have to, because we need to do that precisely so we fully understand what happened in order to have the best shot possible at preventing it from happening again. That's why we need to get to the bottom of this," he said.Blinken's comments, however, illustrated the Biden administration's willingness to convey skepticism of the official narrative coming from Beijing, according to The New York Times.A group of international scientists called for a new investigation into the origins of Covid-19 last week after China and the World Health Organization (WHO) released a scrutinized report last week concluding that the virus most likely came from wildlife instead of a laboratory.Twenty-four scientists from Europe, the US, Australia and Japan issued an open letter, which was obtained by The New York Times, that analyzed steps to complete a more comprehensive investigation, as reported by The Hill.The scientists requested a probe involving biosecurity and biosafety experts conducted either by WHO or another group of nations to study the origins of COVID-19, which was first reported in Wuhan, China, in 2019.The WHO report determined that the possibility the virus came from a lab was "extremely unlikely," noting there was "no record" any lab had closely related viruses.The United States, Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia and Israel recently said in a statement that they "fully" supported the WHO's efforts to bring an end to the pandemic, including understanding how it "started and spread".But they added it was "essential that we voice our shared concerns that the international expert study on the source of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was significantly delayed and lacked access to complete, original data and samples".US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price last week said that what is evident from Washington's review of the report is that it lacks crucial data, it lacks information, and it lacks access. "It represents a picture that is partial and, in our view, incomplete. That's not just our view. Many other countries share that view," he said during a briefing.China has been criticised widely across the world for its role in the spread of the novel coronavirus that has infected over 135 million people across the world. More than 2.934 million people have lost their lives to the virus, as per Johns Hopkins University.(With ANI inputs)ALSO READ | China reacts to India, says shared all data with WHO to probe Covid origin

US reiterates call for investigation into the origins of COVID-19, slams China not cooperating

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday launched a scathing attack against China for a lack of transparency during "the early stages" of the coronavirus pandemic and called for a more thorough investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

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MoS MEA V Muraleedharan at ‘Global Food Security Call to Action’ chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken under the US Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of May.Calling out the West, India on Wednesday said that food grains should not go the way of the Covid-19 vaccines as it voiced concern over hoarding and discrimination amid the “unjustified increase” in food prices. It stressed that its decision to restrict wheat exports will ensure it can truly respond to those most in need. “A number of low income societies are today confronted with the twin challenges of rising costs and difficulty in access to food grains. Even those like India, who have adequate stocks, have seen an unjustified increase in food prices. It is clear that hoarding and speculation is at work. We cannot allow this to pass unchallenged,” Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said here Wednesday.Muraleedharan was speaking at the ministerial meeting on ‘Global Food Security Call to Action’ chaired by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken under the US Presidency of the UN Security Council for the month of May. The meeting came just days after India’s last Friday decision to ban wheat exports in a bid to check high prices amid shortage of wheat due to scorching heat wave. The decision is aimed at controlling the retail prices of wheat and wheat flour -- which have risen by an average 14-20 per cent in the last one year -- and meet the foodgrain requirement of neighbouring and vulnerable countries.The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) had in the last week notification said that wheat exports will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the central government. At the high-level meeting, India spoke about the issue of the wheat export ban for the first time in the UN since its May 13 announcement. Muraleedharan said the Indian government has recognised the sudden spike in global prices of wheat which put “our food security and those of our neighbours and other vulnerable countries at risk.” “We are committed to ensuring that such adverse impact on food security is effectively mitigated and the vulnerable cushioned against sudden changes in the global market. In order to manage our own overall food security and support the needs of neighbouring and other vulnerable developing countries, we have announced some measures regarding wheat exports on 13 May 2022,” he said. “Let me make it clear that these measures allow for export on the basis of approvals to those countries which are required to meet their food security demands. This will be done on the request from the concerned governments. Such a policy will ensure that we will truly respond to those who are most in need,” he said.The minister emphasised that India will play its due role in advancing global food security “and it will do so in a manner in which it upholds equity, display compassion, and promotes social justice." India called out the West and cautioned that the issue of food grains should not go the way of Covid-19 vaccines, which were purchased by the rich nations in quantities excess of what they needed, leaving the poor and less developed nations scrambling to administer even the initial doses to their people. “It is necessary for all of us to adequately appreciate the importance of equity, affordability and accessibility when it comes to food grains. “We have already seen to our great cost how these principles were disregarded in the case of Covid-19 vaccines. Open markets must not become an argument to perpetuate inequity and promote discrimination,” Muraleedharan said, making a strong statement. Ahead of Washington’s signature events on food security, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said “We have seen the report of India’s decision. We’re encouraging countries not to restrict exports because we think any restrictions on exports will exacerbate the food shortages. But you’ve – again, India will be one of the countries participating in our meeting at the Security Council, and we hope that they can, as they hear the concerns being raised by other countries, that they would reconsider that position.”Muraleedharan highlighted India’s “track record” of helping its partners in distress, saying that even in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts, India has never been found wanting. “We have provided food aid in the form of thousands of metric tonnes of wheat, rice, pulses, and lentils to several countries, including our neighbourhood and Africa, to strengthen their food security,” he said, adding that in view of the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, India is donating 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to its people. India has continued its humanitarian support for Myanmar, including a grant of 10,000 tons of rice and wheat, he said. “We are also assisting Sri Lanka including with food assistance, during these difficult times.” “In keeping with our ethos of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, (the world is one family) and our ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, we will continue to assist our neighbours, in their hour of need, and stand by them, always,” he said. India underlined that the global impact of Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing conflicts, including in Ukraine, has impacted lives of ordinary people adversely, particularly in the developing countries, with spiralling energy and commodity prices and disruptions in global logistical supply chains.(With ANI Inputs) Also Read | United States hopes India would 'reconsider' its decision to restrict wheat exports

India calls out the West, says food grains shouldn’t go the way of COVID vaccines

India called out the West and cautioned that the issue of food grains should not go the way of Covid-19 vaccines, which were purchased by the rich nations in quantities excess of what they needed, leaving the poor and less developed nations scrambling to administer even the initial doses to their people.

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China today announced an 8.1 per cent increase of its defence expenditure for this year amounting to USD 175 billion, which is over three times higher than India's defence budget.China will raise its defence budget by 8.1 per cent in 2018, according to a budget report to be submitted to the national legislature today, which is up from last year's seven per cent.Related Stories India-China border situation sensitive, has potential to escalate: MoS Defence Subhash BhamreChina plans to build nuclear aircraft carrierChina justifies removing term limit for Xi's presidency, says "essential to uphold leadership of CPC"The 2018 defence budget will be 1.11 trillion yuan (USD 175 billion), state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the official documents submitted to the National People's Congress (NPC).China last year increased the defence budget to USD 150.5 billion. China is the second largest spender on defence after the US. The defence budget of the US which is the highest in the world amounted to USD 602.8 billion.The increase of China's defence budget to 8.1 per cent this year, is three times higher than India's latest defence budget of about USD 52.5 billion.Though China announced its military spending at about USD 150.5 billion last year, observers say it is considerably higher, considering it is now building two more aircraft carriers in addition to the one already in service as well as addition of new jet fighters, including stealth fighter J-20.Chinese Navy also expanded its global reach with flotilla ships sailing through the far-off oceans to expand China's influence.The official media justified the increase to USD 175 saying that, although slightly higher than the previous two years, the growth rate is the third time to dip into the single digit since 2013, following 7.6 per cent in 2016 and 7 per cent in 2017.China's defence budget takes up a smaller share of its gross domestic product (GDP) and national fiscal expenditure compared with other major countries, Zhang Yesui, spokesperson of the NPC told media here yesterday.Its military spending per capita is also lower than other major countries, Zhang said."A large part of the growth of the defence budget is to make up for the low military spending in the past and is mainly used to upgrade equipment and improve the welfare of servicemen and women and the living and training conditions of grassroots troops," he said.

China hikes 2018 defence budget by 8.1 per cent

The increase of China's defence budget to 8.1 per cent this year, is three times higher than India's latest defence budget of about USD 52.5 billion.

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30 Taliban militants killed in blast: Afghan ArmyAt least 30 Taliban militants were killed as their explosive device went off prematurely inside a mosque in Afghanistan's Balkh province, an Army official said.According to the spokesman, a group of Taliban insurgents were receiving training in Qalta village of the restive Dawlatabad district on how to make explosive devices and roadside bombs when an IED went off suddenly, killing the 30 militants on the spot, six of them foreign nationals, reports Xinhua news agency.The spokesman, however, failed to identify the nationality of the foreign victims.Taliban militants who are active in parts of Balkh province are yet to make comments.ALSO READ | 2 years of Pulwama attack: A look back at India's 'Black Day' when 40 soldiers were martyred

30 Taliban militants killed in blast: Afghan Army

At least 30 Taliban militants were killed as their explosive device went off prematurely inside a mosque in Afghanistan's Balkh province, an Army official said.

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Saudi policemen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed 81 people convicted of crimes ranging from killings to belonging to militant groups, the largest known mass execution carried out in the kingdom in its modern history. The executions carried out surpassed even the toll of a January 1980 mass execution for the 63 militants convicted of seizing the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979, the worst-ever militant attack to target the kingdom and Islam's holiest site.It wasn't clear why the kingdom choose Saturday for the executions, though they came as much of the world's attention remained focused on Russia's war on Ukraine. The number of death penalty cases being carried out in Saudi Arabia had dropped during the coronavirus pandemic, though the kingdom continued to behead convicts under King Salman and his assertive son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.The state-run Saudi Press Agency announced Saturday's executions, saying they included those “convicted of various crimes, including the murdering of innocent men, women and children.” The kingdom also said some of those executed were members of al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and also backers of Yemen's Houthi rebels. A Saudi-led coalition has been battling the Iran-backed Houthis since 2015 in neighboring Yemen in an effort to restore the internationally recognized government to power.The report provided no breakdown for those executed, not say where the executions took place. “The accused were provided with the right to an attorney and were guaranteed their full rights under Saudi law during the judicial process, which found them guilty of committing multiple heinous crimes that left a large number of civilians and law enforcement officers dead,” the Saudi Press Agency said.“The kingdom will continue to take a strict and unwavering stance against terrorism and extremist ideologies that threaten the stability of the entire world,” the report added. It did not say how the prisoners were executed, though death-row inmates typically are beheaded in Saudi Arabia. An announcement by Saudi state television described those executed as having “followed the footsteps of Satan” in carrying out their crimes.The kingdom's last mass execution came in January 2016, when the kingdom executed 47 people, including a prominent opposition Shiite cleric who had rallied demonstrations in the kingdom. In 2019, the kingdom beheaded 37 Saudi citizens, most of them minority Shiites, in a mass execution across the country for alleged terrorism-related crimes.The 1979 seizure of the Grand Mosque remains a crucial moment in the history of the oil-rich kingdom. A band of ultraconservative Saudi Sunni militants took the Grand Mosque, home to the cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims pray toward five times a day, demanding the Al Saud royal family abdicate. A two-week siege that followed ended with an official death toll of 229 killed. The kingdom's rulers soon further embraced Wahhabism, an ultraconservative Islamic doctrine.Since taking power, Crown Prince Mohammed under his father has increasingly liberalized life in the kingdom, opening movie theaters, allowing women to drive and defanging the country's once-feared religious police. However, U.S. intelligence agencies believe the crown prince also ordered the slaying and dismemberment of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, while overseeing airstrikes in Yemen that killed hundreds of civilians.ALSO READ | ALSO READ | 

Saudi Arabia puts 81 to death in its largest mass execution

The executions carried out surpassed even the toll of a January 1980 mass execution for the 63 militants convicted of seizing the Grand Mosque in Mecca in 1979, the worst-ever militant attack to target the kingdom and Islam's holiest site.

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The US defense forces are preparing to send 159 oxygen concentrators to India via a commercial flight next week, the Pentagon said.The US defense forces are preparing to send 159 oxygen concentrators to India via a commercial flight next week, the Pentagon said."Defense Logistics Agency is preparing 159 oxygen concentrators at Travis Air Force Base. They are scheduled to ship via commercial air for a Monday, that's the 17th of May, delivery to India," Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said at a news conference on Thursday."We obviously remain in close communication and touch with our partners in the Indian government and stand by to continue to assist in any way that would be helpful," he said in response to a question.Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has also made it very clear that he wants the Pentagon to lean in and do as much as it can, obviously in full coordination and consultation with leaders in India, Kirby said.Also Read: US advisers endorse Pfizer COVID shot for kids 12 and above

Preparing to send 159 oxygen concentrators to India: Pentagon

The US defense forces are preparing to send 159 oxygen concentrators to India via a commercial flight next week, the Pentagon said.

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WHO names new Covid variant  'Omicron', classifies it 'highly transmissible' virusAn advisory panel of the World Health Organization classified a new COVID-19 variant first detected in South Africa as a highly transmissible virus of concern and named it ``omicron'' under its Greek-letter system. The announcement Friday from the United Nations health agency marks the first time in months that WHO has classified a COVID-19 variant as such. The delta variant, which has become the world's most prevalent, is in the same category.The discovery of a new coronavirus variant sent a chill through much of the world Friday as nations raced to halt air travel, markets fell sharply and scientists held emergency meetings to weigh the exact risks, which were largely unknown.Medical experts, including the World Health Organization, warned against any overreaction before the variant that originated in southern Africa was better understood. But a jittery world feared the worst nearly two years after COVID-19 emerged and triggered a pandemic that has killed more than 5 million people around the globe.``We must move quickly and at the earliest possible moment,'' British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told lawmakers.There was no immediate indication whether the variant was more transmissible or causes more severe disease. As with other variants, some infected people display no symptoms, South African experts said.Even though some of the genetic changes appear worrisome, it was unclear if the new variant would pose a significant public health threat. Some previous variants, like the beta variant, initially concerned scientists but did not spread very far.The 27-nation European Union imposed a temporary ban on air travel from southern Africa, and stocks tumbled in Asia, Europe and the United States. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,000 points. The S&P 500 index was down 2.3%, on pace for its worst day since February. The price of oil plunged nearly 12%.``The last thing we need is to bring in a new variant that will cause even more problems,'' German Health Minister Jens Spahn said. The member nations of the EU have experienced a massive spike in cases recently.EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said flights will have to ``be suspended until we have a clear understanding about the danger posed by this new variant, and travelers returning from this region should respect strict quarantine rules.''She insisted on extreme caution, warning that ``mutations could lead to the emergence and spread of even more concerning variants of the virus that could spread worldwide within a few months.``Belgium became the first European Union country to announce a case of the variant.``It's a suspicious variant,`` Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said. ``We don't know if it's a very dangerous variant.''It has yet to be detected in the United States, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government's top infectious disease expert. Abroad, the variant ``seems to be spreading at a reasonably rapid rate,'' he told CNN. And although it may be more transmissible and resistant to vaccines than other variants, ``we don't know that for sure right now.''Showing how complicated the spread of a variant can be, the Belgian case involved a traveler who returned to Belgium from Egypt on Nov. 11 but did not became sick with mild symptoms until Monday, according to professor Marc Van Ranst, who works for the scientific group overseeing the Belgian government's COVID-19 response.Israel, one of the world's most vaccinated countries, announced Friday that it also detected its first case of the new variant in a traveler who returned from Malawi. The traveler and two other suspected cases were placed in isolation. Israel said all three were vaccinated, but officials were looking into the travelers' exact vaccination status.After a 10-hour overnight trip, passengers aboard KLM Flight 598 from Capetown, South Africa, to Amsterdam were held on the edge of the runway Friday morning at Schiphol airport for four hours pending special testing. Passengers aboard a flight from Johannesburg were also being isolated and tested.``It's ridiculous. If we didn't catch the dreaded bugger before, we're catching it now,'' said passenger Francesca de' Medici, a Rome-based art consultant who was on the flight.Some experts said the variant's emergence illustrated how rich countries' hoarding of vaccines threatens to prolong the pandemic.Fewer than 6% of people in Africa have been fully immunized against COVID-19, and millions of health workers and vulnerable populations have yet to receive a single dose. Those conditions can speed up spread of the virus, offering more opportunities for it to evolve into a dangerous variant.``This is one of the consequences of the inequity in vaccine rollouts and why the grabbing of surplus vaccines by richer countries will inevitably rebound on us all at some point,'' said Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at Britain's University of Southampton. He urged Group of 20 leaders ``to go beyond vague promises and actually deliver on their commitments to share doses.''The new variant added to investor anxiety that months of progress containing COVID-19 could be reversed.``Investors are likely to shoot first and ask questions later until more is known,'' said Jeffrey Halley of foreign exchange broker Oanda.In a sign of how concerned Wall Street has become, the market's so-called fear gauge known as the VIX jumped 48% to a reading of 26.91. That's the highest reading for the volatility index since January, before vaccines were widely distributed.Speaking before the EU announcement, Dr. Michael Ryan, head of emergencies at the WHO, warned against ``knee-jerk responses.````We've seen in the past, the minute there's any kind of mention of any kind of variation and everyone is closing borders and restricting travel,`` Ryan said. ``It's really important that we remain open and stay focused.''The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed and strongly discouraged any travel bans on countries that reported the new variant. It said past experience shows that such travel bans have ``not yielded a meaningful outcome.''The U.K. banned flights from South Africa and five other southern African countries at noon on Friday and announced that anyone who had recently arrived from those countries would be asked to take a coronavirus test.Germany said its flight ban could be enacted as soon as Friday night. Spahn said flights returning from South Africa will only be able to transport German citizens home, and travelers will need to go into quarantine for 14 days whether they are vaccinated or not.Germany has seen record daily case numbers in recent days and on Thursday surpassed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19.Italy's health ministry announced measures to ban entry for anyone who has been in seven southern African nations _ South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia and Eswatini _ in the past 14 days. The Netherlands and the Czech Republic planned similar measures.The Japanese government announced that Japanese nationals traveling from Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and Lesotho will have to quarantine at government-dedicated accommodations for 10 days and take COVID-19 tests on the third, sixth and tenth days. Japan has not yet opened up to foreign nationals.The South African government said that the U.K.'s decision to temporarily ban South Africans from entering ``seems to have been rushed,'' citing the fact that the WHO has yet to recommend next steps.Fauci said U.S. public health officials were talking Friday with South African colleagues. ``We want to find out scientist to scientist exactly what is going on.''The WHO's technical working group was to meet Friday to assess the new variant _ currently identified as B.1.1.529 _ and may decide whether to give it a name from the Greek alphabet. It says coronavirus infections jumped 11% in the past week in Europe, the only region in the world where COVID-19 continues to rise.The WHO's Europe director, Dr. Hans Kluge, warned that without urgent measures, the continent could see an additional 700,000 deaths by the spring.ALSO READ: South Africa Covid variant: All about new variant B.1.1.529 that has put India on alert 

WHO names new Covid variant 'Omicron', classifies it 'highly transmissible' virus

The announcement Friday from the United Nations health agency marks the first time in months that WHO has classified a COVID-19 variant as such.

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Joe Biden asks intelligence to investigate Covid-19 origin, submit report in 90 daysUS President Joe Biden asked his intelligence agencies on Wednesday to redouble their efforts to find out the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that has had devastating consequences in countries across the globe."I have now asked the Intelligence Community to redouble their efforts to collect and analyze information that could bring us closer to a definitive conclusion, and to report back to me in 90 days," Biden said in a statement.As part of that report, the president said he has asked for areas of further inquiry that may be required, including specific questions for China."I have also asked that this effort include work by our National Labs and other agencies of our government to augment the Intelligence Community's efforts. And I have asked the Intelligence Community to keep Congress fully apprised of its work," he said.Biden said the United States will also keep working with like-minded partners around the world to press China to participate in a full, transparent, evidence-based international investigation and provide access to all relevant data and evidence.Back in early 2020, when COVID-19 emerged, Biden had called for the CDC to get access to China to learn about the virus so that the US could fight it more effectively."The failure to get our inspectors on the ground in those early months will always hamper any investigation into the origin of COVID-19," he said."Nevertheless, shortly after I became President, in March, I had my National Security Advisor task the Intelligence Community to prepare a report on their most up-to-date analysis of the origins of COVID-19, including whether it emerged from human contact with an infected animal or from a laboratory accident," the president said."I received that report earlier this month, and asked for additional follow-up. As of today, the US Intelligence Community has coalesced around two likely scenarios but has not reached a definitive conclusion on this question. Here is their current position: while two elements in the IC lean toward the former scenario and one leans more toward the latter -- each with low or moderate confidence -- the majority of elements do not believe there is sufficient information to assess one to be more likely than the other," Biden said.READ MORE: Half of all US adults fully vaccinated against Covid-19: Joe BidenREAD MORE: ‘Great day for America’, says Joe Biden as mask rules relaxed for fully vaccinated /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); cs_jw_script.src = 'https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/internal-c2/plugins/streamingtag_plugin_jwplayer.js'; firstjw.parentNode.insertBefore(cs_jw_script, firstjw.nextSibling); } var jwconfig_6617886516 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/01/0_3nhzwyrd/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_3nhzwyrd_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Was the coronavirus made in a Wuhan lab? 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Redouble efforts to investigate Covid origin, submit report in 90 days: Joe Biden tells intelligence

President Joe Biden has asked the US intelligence community to redouble its efforts to investigates the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Biden admin proposes 18-month delay in calculating prevailing wages of H-1B, other visasThe Biden Administration has proposed an 18-month delay in the effective date of a final rule on calculating the prevailing wages of certain immigrants and non-immigrant workers, including those on the popular H-1B visas. The proposed delay will provide the Department of Labour with sufficient time to consider the rule’s legal and policy issues thoroughly and issue an upcoming Request for Information and gather public comments on the sources and methods for determining prevailing wage levels, an official release said following the announcement on Monday.This proposed rule follows an initial 60-day delay announced earlier this month.The department based that action on January 20, 2021, White House memo, the media release said.The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.The Department of Labour in its federal notification published earlier this month said that it is considering whether to propose a further delay of the final rule's effective date and accompanying implementation periods.The Department proposed to delay is in accordance with the Presidential directive as expressed in the memorandum of January 20, 2021, from the Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, entitled “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review.”The Department invited written comments from the public for 15 days on the proposed delay of the effective date. All comments had to be received by February 16, 2021.Published in January 2021, the final rule affects employers seeking to employ foreign workers on a permanent or temporary basis through certain immigrant visas or through H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 non-immigrant visas, the Department of Labour said.While the E3 visa is one for which only citizens of Australia are eligible, the H-1B1 visa is for people from Singapore and Chile.The proposed delay will also give agency officials sufficient time to compute and validate prevailing wage data covering specific occupations and geographic areas, complete necessary system modifications and conduct public outreach.The rule is a carry-over from the Trump administration, which had proposed revisions mandatory salaries after losing a court battle to organisations including the Bay Area Council over an initial version.If imposed, workers on the H-1B at the lowest wage level would have to receive at least the 35th percentile of the prevailing wage for their job type and location, compared to the 45th percentile in the initial version. Workers at the highest wage level would have to receive the 90th percentile, compared to the 95th percentile.According to the Department of Labour, the proposed rule’s delay in effective date will result in the reduction of transfer payments in the form of higher wages from employers to H-1B employees.Additionally, the proposed rule would delay the potential for deadweight losses to occur in the event that requires employers to pay a wage above what H-1B workers are willing to accept results in H-1B caps not to be met, it said.The Department has observed that the annual H-1B cap was reached within the first five business days each year from fiscal 2014 through fiscal 2020.“While the Department expects that the increase in wages may incentivise some employers to substitute domestic workers for H-1B employees, provided that domestic workers are available for the jobs, it is likely that the same number of H-1B visas will be allotted within the annual caps in the future,” it said.To calculate the reduction of transfer payments the Department considered the transfer payments of the Final Rule as the baseline and shifted them according to the proposed rule’s new transition effective dates, it said.(With PTI inputs)

Biden admin proposes 18-month delay in calculating prevailing wages of H-1B, other visas

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

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Representative ImageThe US on Thursday retained India in Tier 2 list of countries in its annual report on human trafficking, arguing that the country does not fully meet the minimum standards for its elimination even as it is making progress.Tier 2 is for those countries whose governments do not fully meet the TVPA’s minimum standards but are making significant efforts to bring themselves into compliance with those standards.TVPA stands for Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, which is a Congressional legislation that requires an annual report from the State Department on status of human trafficking in countries across the world. There are more than 90 countries in Tier 2.In its India section of the report, the State Department said that the Indian Government does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so."The government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period; therefore, India remained on Tier 2," said the annual report for the year 2018."These efforts included convicting traffickers, initiating a high-profile investigation into one case that allegedly involved officials complicit in sex trafficking at a government-funded shelter, and continuing to raise awareness of trafficking," he added.The government took some action following reports of government complicity in forced labour and sex trafficking, although the systemic failure to address forced labour and sex trafficking in government-run and government-funded shelter homes remained a serious problem, it said.The government did not report information on investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of traffickers, or on trafficking victims identified and referred to care, the State Department said.According to the report, the government's efforts to address bonded labour remained insufficient compared to the scale of the problem, and in the majority of reported cases officials did not follow the law requiring provision of release certificates and compensation to bonded laborers removed from exploitation, which prevented victims from accessing government services and in some cases led to their re-victimization.The State Department in its report recommended India to increase investigations, prosecutions, and convictions of all forms of trafficking, including bonded labour.It urged India to vigorously investigate allegations of official complicity in human trafficking and sentence perpetrators to significant prison terms and develop and immediately implement regular monitoring mechanisms of government-run and government-funded shelters to ensure appropriate quality of care, and promptly disburse funding to shelters that meet official standards for care.The report among other things also recommend establishment of Anti-Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) in all districts with clear mandates, dedicated funding, and specially trained staff. "Amend the definition of trafficking in Section 370 of the Penal Code to include forced labour trafficking and ensure that force, fraud, or coercion are not required to prove a child sex trafficking offense," it said.It also recommended India to cease forcible detention of adult trafficking victims in government-run and government-funded shelters and eliminate all recruitment fees charged to workers.Also Read: 12 suspected Rohingyas held in Mizoram

US retains India in Tier 2 list of countries in its report on human trafficking

The US on Thursday retained India in Tier 2 list of countries in its annual report on human trafficking, arguing that the country does not fully meet the minimum standards for its elimination even as it is making progress.

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Coronavirus LIVE: Top Headlines This HourThe total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 7.7 million, including more than 428,000 fatalities. More than 3,925,000 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. IndiaTvNews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news on coronavirus: 

Coronavirus Updates: June 13, 2020 | As it happened

The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 7.7 million, including more than 428,000 fatalities. Follow this LIVE blog for latest updates on coronavirus and its global economic fallout

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Russia begins production of world's first Covid vaccine for animalsRussia's agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor announced on Friday that it had started mass production of the world's first Covid-19 vaccine for animals Carnivac-Cov. The first batch of 17,000 doses has been produced at Rosselkhoznadzor's subordinate institution, the Federal Centre for Animal Health, the watchdog said in a statement, Xinhua reported.There is great domestic demand for the vaccine and the first batch of doses will be distributed within the country, it said, adding that foreign companies have also shown interest in it.The production capacity is 3 million doses per month now and will hopefully increase to 5 million in the near future, local media reported, citing an adviser to the head of Rosselkhoznadzor.Russia is negotiating for the fast registration of the vaccine abroad, particularly in the European Union.Rosselkhoznadzor announced on March 31 that the country had registered the Carnivac-Cov vaccine.(With PTI inputs)

Russia begins production of world's first Covid vaccine for animals

There is great domestic demand for the vaccine and the first batch of doses will be distributed within the country, it said, adding that foreign companies have also shown interest in it.

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US official have Pakistan to take some serious steps to eliminate terror outfits on its territory. A top US official has reminded Pakistan that it is still "on notice" to eliminate terror havens from its territory and said that Washington wants unequivocal cooperation in ending sanctuaries enjoyed by the Taliban on its soil."Pakistan is on notice that we expect its unequivocal cooperation ending sanctuaries that the Taliban have enjoyed since the remnants of their toppled regime fled into Pakistan in 2001," said Ambassador Alice Wells, Senior Bureau Official for South and Central Asian Affairs, in a testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Thursday.Related Stories Taliban offer direct negotiations with US India a responsible aid provider to Afghanistan, says Trump AdministrationPakistan has not taken 'sustained and decisive actions' against Taliban : US Afghanistan: Security forces repel Taliban attack in two districts, 37 killedWells told the committee that the current US administration was working with Pakistan to uproot Taliban from its soil.In this year's New Year Day message, US President Donald Trump had put Islamabad on notice, accusing it of "taking billions and billions of dollars" from Washington while "housing the same terrorists" that it was supposed to fight. Later, he suspended more than two billion dollars of security aid to Pakistan. Islamabad had rejected the allegations as "unfounded".In her testimony on "US policy towards Afghanistan", Wells said: "Despite some positive indicators, we have not yet seen Pakistan take the sustained or decisive steps that we would have expected to see 10 months after the announcement of the (Trump administration's) South Asia strategy." In her message to Pakistan, she asked it to work with the US to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table and arrest or expel those elements in the militant group that do not join the peace process.Talking about Afghanistan, Wells said that the US was encouraging reconcilable elements within the Afghan Taliban to stop fighting to reduce violence and make the environment conducive for reconciliation. She identified four key areas where the US was working to help bolster prospects for an eventual settlement.They were: Supporting Afghan efforts to reduce violence and protect a peace process from spoilers, encouraging all political actors -- including the Taliban -- to participate in the peace process, supporting Kabul's efforts to eliminate the conditions that cause militancy and encouraging Afghanistan's neighbours to back the peace process.Wells also called upon the Afghan Taliban to snap ties with Al Qaeda, submit to the Constitution and ensure protection of women's rights. 

US reminds Pakistan it's still 'on notice' for Taliban 'sanctuaries'

US has said to Pakistan that it needs to eliminate terror havens from its territory and Washington wants unequivocal cooperation in ending sanctuaries enjoyed by the Taliban on its soil.

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US President Donald Trump spoke over phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May to offer his "warm support" after her Conservative party failed to muster a simple majority in the Britain's snap polls. "President Trump emphasised his commitment to the United States-United Kingdom special relationship and underscored that he looks forward to working with the Prime Minister on shared goals and interests in the years to come," the White House said in a statement yesterday. May's gamble of calling snap polls backfired after the British electorate delivered a hung Parliament and forcing her to seek the support of a small Northern Irish party for staying in power, as the country braces for hard Brexit talks. With results declared for all of the 650 seats of the British Parliament, the Conservatives won 318 while the opposition Labour secured 262, leaving neither party anywhere close to the 326 seats required for an overall majority. 

UK elections 2017: Trump offers 'warm support' to Theresa May after poll setback

US President Donald Trump spoke over phone with British Prime Minister Theresa May to offer his warm support after her Conservative party failed to muster a simple majority.

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Airport security personnel stand guard as travelers walk past protesters holding a sit-in rally at the departure gate of the Hong Kong International Airport. Protesters severely crippled operations at Hong Kong's international airport for a second day on Tuesday, forcing authorities to cancel all remaining flights out of the city after demonstrators took over the terminals as part of their push for democratic reforms.After a brief respite early Tuesday during which flights were able to take off and land, the airport authority announced check-in services for departing flights were suspended as of 4:30 p.m. Other departing flights that had completed the process would continue to operate.It said it did not expect arriving flights to be affected, though dozens of arriving flights were already cancelled. The authority advised the public not to come to the airport, one of the world's busiest transport hubs.On Monday more than 200 flights were canceled and the airport was effectively shut down with no flights taking off or landing.Passengers have been forced to seek accommodation in the city while airlines struggle to find other ways to get them to their destinations.The airport protests and their disruption are an escalation of a summer of demonstrations aimed at what many Hong Kong residents see as an increasing erosion of the freedoms they were promised in 1997 when Communist Party-ruled mainland China took over what had been a British colony.Those doubts are fueling the protests, which build on a previous opposition movement that shut down much of the city for seven weeks in 2014 that eventually fizzled out and whose leaders have been imprisoned.The central government in Beijing ominously characterized the current protest movement as something approaching "terrorism" that posed an "existential threat" to the local citizenry.Meanwhile, paramilitary police were assembling across the border in the city of Shenzhen for exercises in what some saw as a threat to increase force brought against the mostly young protesters who have turned out in their thousands over the past 10 weeks.Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the ongoing instability, chaos and violence have placed the city on a "path of no return."The demonstrators have shown no sign of letting up on their campaign to force Lam's administration to respond to their demands, including that she step down and entirely scrap legislation that could have seen criminal suspects sent to mainland China to face torture and unfair or politically charged trials.While Beijing tends to define terrorism broadly, extending it especially to nonviolent movements opposing government policies in minority regions such as Tibet and Xinjiang, the government's usage of the term in relation to Hong Kong raised the prospect of greater violence and the possible suspension of legal rights for those detained.Demonstrators have in recent days focused on their demand for an independent inquiry into what they call the police's abuse of power and negligence. That followed reports and circulating video footage of violent arrests and injuries sustained by protesters.Some protesters have thrown bricks, eggs and flaming objects at police stations and police said they arrested another 149 demonstrators over the weekend, bringing the total to more than 700 since early June. Police say several officers have suffered burns, bruises and eye damage inflicted by protesters.Lam told reporters Tuesday that dialogue would only begin when the violence stopped. She reiterated her support for the police and said they have had to make on-the-spot decisions under difficult circumstances, using "the lowest level of force.""After the violence has been stopped, and the chaotic situation that we are seeing could subside," Lam said, "I as the chief executive will be responsible to rebuild Hong Kong's economy ... to help Hong Kong to move on."She did not elaborate on what steps her government will take toward reconciliation. After two months, the protests have become increasingly divisive and prompted clashes across the city.The airport shutdown added to what authorities say is already a major blow to the financial hub's crucial tourism industry.Kerry Dickinson, a traveler from South Africa, said she had trouble getting her luggage Tuesday morning."I don't think I will ever fly to Hong Kong again," she said.The protests early on were staged in specific neighborhoods near government offices. However, the airport protest was had a direct impact on business travel and tourism. Analysts said it could make foreign investors think twice about setting up shop in Hong Kong, which has long prided itself as being Asia's leading business city with convenient air links across the region.The black-clad protesters Tuesday held up signs in Simplified Chinese and English to appeal to travelers from mainland China and other parts of the world. "Democracy is a good thing," said one sign in Simplified Chinese characters, which are used in mainland China instead of the Traditional Chinese script of Hong Kong.Adding to the protesters' anger, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways told employees in a memo that the carrier has a "zero tolerance" for employees joining "illegal protests" and warned violators could be fired.While China has yet to threaten sending in the army — as it did against pro-democracy protesters in Beijing in 1989 — the exercises in Shenzhen were a further demonstration of its ability to crush the demonstrations, even at the cost to Hong Kong's reputation as a safe haven for business and international exchange. Images shown on the internet showed armored personnel carriers belonging to the People's Armed Police driving in convoy Monday toward the location of the exercises just across the border from Hong Kong.The People's Liberation Army also stations a garrison in Hong Kong, which recently released a video showing its units combating actors dressed as protesters. The Hong Kong police on Monday also put on a display of armored car-mounted water cannons that it plans to deploy by the middle of the month.ALSO READ | Hong Kong airport shuts down amid pro-democracy protestALSO READ | China hints at deployment of military to quell protests in Hong KongALSO READ | Armed mob storms Hong Kong train station, attack people

Hong Kong airport cancels all departures as protesters squat inside

On Monday more than 200 flights were canceled and the airport was effectively shut down with no flights taking off or landing. Passengers have been forced to seek accommodation in the city while airlines struggle to find other ways to get them to their destinations.

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Donald Trump retweets declining COVID deaths in US; Twitter deletes postTwitter on Sunday took down US President Donald Trump's retweeted post that spread false information. The retweeted post claimed that the coronavirus death count is declining in the US. The tweet was originally posted by "Mel Q" a follower of the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon which posits that the president is battling a cabal of Satan-worshiping child sex traffickers. It was copied from a Facebook post and claimed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had "quietly updated the COVID number to admit that only 6%" of reported deaths - or about 9,000 - "actually died from COVID," as reported by NDTV. At least 180,000 people have died of the coronavirus in the United States, according to Washington Post tracking. Most experts, including the nation's top infectious disease expert, believe deaths are being undercounted rather than overcounted.Conspiracies and misinformation have been a persistent problem amid the coronavirus pandemic, causing alarm among public health experts. Safdar noted that once a false claim "gets out there, it goes on like wildfire."

Donald Trump retweets tweet claiming decline in COVID deaths in US; Twitter deletes post

Twitter on Sunday took down US President Donald Trump's retweeted post that spread false information. The retweeted post claimed that the coronavirus death count is declining in the US.

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China reports 51 new coronavirus cases, mostly in WuhanChina has reported 51 new coronavirus cases including 40 asymptomatic infections, majority of them in the contagion's first epicentre Wuhan, where over six million tests have been conducted in the last 10 days, health officials said on Monday. The country's National Health Commission (NHC) said that 11 new imported cases were reported on Sunday.While no new domestically-transmitted COVID-19 cases were reported in China on Sunday, 11 imported cases including 10 in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and one in Sichuan province were reported, the NHC said in its daily report.Out of the 40 new asymptomatic cases, 38 were reported in Wuhan, which is currently undergoing mass testing of its over 11.2 million people after a spike in the asymptomatic cases.Currently, 396 people with asymptomatic symptoms are under medical observation in China, including 326 in Wuhan, according to the health authority.Asymptomatic cases refer to the patients who have tested COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. However, they pose a risk of spreading the disease to others.Wuhan, which earlier had over 50,000 cases between January and March, started a campaign on May 14 to expand the nucleic acid testing in order to better know the number of asymptomatic cases or people who show no clear symptoms despite carrying the virus.According to the latest figures released by the Wuhan municipal health commission, the city conducted more than 6 million nucleic acid tests between May 14 and 23.On Saturday, the city carried out nearly 1.15 million tests, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.Nucleic acid testing is a molecular technique for screening blood donations to reduce the risk of transfusion transmitted infections.As of Sunday, a total of 82,985 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported in China with 4,634 fatalities, the NHC added.

China reports 51 new coronavirus cases, mostly in Wuhan

China has reported 51 new coronavirus cases including 40 asymptomatic infections, majority of them in the contagion's first epicentre Wuhan, where over six million tests have been conducted in the last 10 days, health officials said on Monday.

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FILE IMAGEIn a gruesome incident, a high school teacher, who allegedly displayed caricatures of Prophet Mohammed to his students during a class, was decapitated by an attacker Friday afternoon. The French Police shot the suspect in a nearby town, killing him. The attack occurred near a school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Saint-Honorine northwest of Paris. The victim is said to be a history teacher who recently discussed caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed in class. Meanwhile, prosecutors said they were treating the incident as "a murder linked to a terrorist organisation" and related to a "criminal association with terrorists."French President Emmanuel Macron denounced what he called an “Islamist terrorist attack” and urged the nation to stand united against extremism.Hours later, four people, one a minor, were detained. Police typically fan out to find family and friends of potential suspects in terror cases.Macron visited the school where the teacher worked in the town of Conflans-Saint-Honorine and met with staff after the slaying. “One of our compatriots was murdered today because he taught ... the freedom of expression, the freedom to believe or not believe,” Macron said.He said the attack shouldn’t divide France because that’s what the extremists want. “We must stand all together as citizens,” he said.A police official said the suspect, armed with a knife and an airsoft gun — which fires plastic pellets — was shot dead about 600 meters (yards) from where the male teacher was killed after he failed to respond to orders to put down his arms, and acted in a threatening manner.The teacher had received threats after opening a discussion “for a debate” about the caricatures about 10 days ago, the police official told The Associated Press. The parent of a student had filed a complaint against the teacher, another police official said, adding that the suspected killer did not have a child at the school.An ID card was found at the scene but police were verifying the identity, the police official said. French media reported that the suspect was an 18-year-old Chechen, born in Moscow. That information could not be immediately confirmed.(With AP inputs)

Paris teacher, who allegedly displayed caricatures of Prophet Mohammed in class, beheaded

In a gruesome incident, a high school teacher, who allegedly displayed caricatures of Prophet Mohammed to his students during a class, was decapitated by an attacker Friday afternoon. The French Police shot the suspect in a nearby town, killing him.

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The United States has announced a USD 285 million cut to the operating budget of the United Nations for 2018-19. The US Mission to the United Nations also said that reductions will also be made to the UN’s management and support functions.Nikki Haley, the US Ambassador to the UN, said that the “inefficiency and overspending of the United Nations are well known”. Related Stories US envoy Nikki Haley heckled at global women’s summit Don’t need India, China and France telling us what to do, says Nikki HaleyIndia can help US to keep an eye on Pakistan, says Nikki Haley“We will no longer let the generosity of the American people be taken advantage of or remain unchecked,” she said.Haley also said that while the mission was pleased with the results of budget negotiations, it would continue to “look at ways to increase the UN’s efficiency while protecting the interests of American people”.The announcement didn’t make clear the entire amount of the budget or specify what effect the cut would have on the US contribution.The move comes after President Donald Trump had warned that he would cut funding to countries that didn't support his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In a mostly symbolic vote, the UNGA had last week condemned Trump's Jerusalem decision.

After UNGA voted condemning Jerusalem decision, US announces $285 million cut in United Nations budget

The move comes after President Donald Trump had warned that he would cut funding to countries that didn't support his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

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Despite short supply, COVAX distributed nearly 40 mn vaccine doses: WHOClose to 40 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have already been distributed through the COVAX Facility, half of them in Africa, but vaccine supplies are still stalled due to "tremendous demand" especially in India, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.COVAX, a WHO-led program to secure equitable access to vaccines for low and middle-income countries, "has, as of today, distributed just over 38.7 million doses and we expect to get past 40 million doses later this week," Bruce Aylward, the WHO's senior advisor to the director-general on organisational change, said at a press conference on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported."Over 40 countries on the African continent will have received doses by the end of this week, and they will receive nearly half of the doses from COVAX," he added.However, the COVAX Facility has experienced major difficulties in accessing vaccines, especially since the Serum Institute of India, "one of the main producers that supply the COVAX Facility" according to Aylward, cut back on AstraZeneca vaccine deliveries due to the "tremendous demand" created by the "escalating outbreak in India."One solution suggested by the WHO to ensure proper immunization is to administer the second AstraZeneca dose after "12 weeks" or even a bit later, Aylward said.At the same time, the WHO urged populations to continue practicing the infection control measures as vaccines represent just one approach to dealing with Covid-19."There was a nine percent increase in transmissions last week, the seventh consecutive week when we've seen an increase in transmission and a five percent increase in the number of deaths," said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's technical lead on Covid-19."We are at a critical point of the pandemic right now," she stressed.ALSO READ | Airlifted COVID vaccines to 9 countries, will gradually supply to WHO's COVAX facility: India at UN

Despite short supply, COVAX distributed nearly 40 mn vaccine doses: WHO

Close to 40 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have already been distributed through the COVAX Facility, half of them in Africa, but vaccine supplies are still stalled due to "tremendous demand" especially in India, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

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A top Chinese military strategist today hailed the settlement of the border row between India and China in Sikkim sector, terming it ‘the best result possible’.Qiao Liang, a Major General in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said that the reason why so many Chinese people paid attention to the China-India border standoff in the Doklam area, is that they are unfamiliar with China's strategic positioning."If they had a clear understanding of China's strategic positioning, they would know that the settlement of the Doklam stand-off was one of the best results possible. China and India are both neighbours and competitors, but not all competitors must be treated in the toughest way," he said.Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a tense border stand-off for over two months on the Doklam border, seriously straining their relations.Amid repeated PLA threats to oust the Indian soldiers from Doklam, claimed by both Bhutan and China, New Delhi and Beijing withdrew their troops late last month following diplomatic negotiations.Indian troops entered Doklam area to stop Chinese soldiers from building a road which New Delhi said would affect its strategic interests."Many people would say that the road construction in China's territory was none of India's business. Is this belief right?" the author wrote in state-run Global Times late on Tuesday.It is reasonable to some extent, the author said, adding because road construction in this area is not a matter of right and wrong, but we need to understand that it is not always right to do something right at any time. Only doing the right thing at the right time is correct, the writer noted."So, with this principle in mind, one can understand that the Doklam confrontation was solved in the way it should have been. And the most important thing is that when you understand China's strategic positioning and you cannot bring the entire world under your domination, you are willing to leave well enough alone.""Resorting to war is irresponsible for the country and the country's future as war has always been the last resort to solve problems. Whenever there may be a way to solve a conflict without war, war should be avoided," the author added.  

Top Chinese General hails settlement of Doklam standoff, calls it ‘best result possible’

Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a tense border stand-off for over two months on the Doklam border, seriously straining their relations.

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Worried over growing missile threat from North Korea, the Pentagon will test a defence system next week that will try to shoot down an intercontinental-range missile. According to US officials, the goal is to more closely simulate a North Korean ICBM aimed at the U.S. homeland. The American interceptor has a spotty track record, succeeding in nine of 17 attempts against missiles of less-than-intercontinental range since 1999. The most recent test, in June 2014, was a success, but that followed three straight failures. The system has evolved from the multibillion-dollar effort triggered by President Ronald Reagan’s 1983 push for a “Star Wars” solution to ballistic missile threats during the Cold War — when the Soviet Union was the only major worry.North Korea is now the focus of U.S. efforts because its leader, Kim Jong Un, has vowed to field a nuclear-armed missile capable of reaching American territory. He has yet to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, but Pentagon officials believe he is speeding in that direction.Marine Lt. Gen. Vincent Stewart, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said this week that “left unchecked,” Kim will eventually succeed.The Pentagon has a variety of missile defense systems, but the one designed with a potential North Korean ICBM in mind is perhaps the most technologically challenging. Critics say it also is the least reliable.The basic defensive idea is to fire a rocket into space upon warning of a hostile missile launch. The rocket releases a 5-foot-long device called a “kill vehicle” that uses internal guidance systems to steer into the path of the oncoming missile’s warhead, destroying it by force of impact. Officially known as the Ground-based Midcourse Defense system, the Pentagon likens it to hitting a bullet with a bullet.The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency, which is responsible for developing and testing the system, has scheduled the intercept test for Tuesday.An interceptor is to be launched from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and soar toward the target, which will be fired from a test range on Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific. If all goes as planned, the “kill vehicle” will slam into the ICBM-like target’s mock warhead high over the Pacific Ocean.The target will be a custom-made missile meant to simulate an ICBM, meaning it will fly faster than missiles used in previous intercept tests, according to Christopher Johnson, spokesman for the Missile Defense Agency. The target is not a mock-up of an actual North Korean ICBM. “We conduct increasingly complex test scenarios as the program matures and advances,” Johnson said Friday. “Testing against an ICBM-type threat is the next step in that process.” While it wasn’t scheduled with the expectation of an imminent North Korean missile threat, the military will closely watch whether it shows progress toward the stated goal of being able to reliably shoot down a small number of ICBMs targeting the United States. The Pentagon is thirsting for a success story amid growing fears about North Korea’s escalating capability.“I can’t imagine what they’re going to say if it fails,” said Philip Coyle, senior science fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. He headed the Pentagon’s office of operational test and evaluation from 1994 to 2001 and has closely studied the missile defense system.“These tests are scripted for success, and what’s been astonishing to me is that so many of them have failed,” Coyle said.The interceptor system has been in place since 2004, but it has never been used in combat or fully tested. There currently are 32 interceptors in silos at Fort Greely in Alaska and four at Vandenberg, north of Los Angeles. The Pentagon says it will have eight more, for a total of 44, by the end of this year.In its 2018 budget presented to Congress this week, the Pentagon proposed spending $7.9 billion on missile defense, including $1.5 billion for the ground-based midcourse defense program. Other elements of that effort include the Patriot designed to shoot down short-range ballistic missiles and the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, which the U.S. has installed in South Korea as defense against medium-range North Korean missiles.The Trump administration has yet to announce its intentions on missile defense.President Donald Trump recently ordered the Pentagon to undertake a ballistic missile defense review. Some experts argue the current strategy for shooting down ICBM-range missiles, focused on the silo-based interceptors, is overly expensive and inadequate. They say a more fruitful approach would be to destroy or disable such missiles before they can be launched, possibly by cyberattack.(With AP inputs)

In view of growing threat from North Korea, Pentagon to test shooting down of ICBM

Worried over growing missile threat from North Korea, the Pentagon will test a defence system next week that will try to shoot down an incoming ICBM.

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Breaking news The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 3.8 million, including more than 265,000 fatalities. More than 1,299,000 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. Indiatvnews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news on coronavirus:

Coronavirus updates May 7, 2020 | As it happened

The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 3.8 million, including more than 265,000 fatalities. More than 1,299,000 patients are reported to have recovered.

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Women represent 29.2% of Microsoft workforce globallyWomen today constitute 29.2 per cent of Microsoft's workforce globally -- an increase of 1.2 percentage points from 2018 -- and at leadership levels, they currently represent 37 per cent of the company's executives responsible for leading a geographic market, the company revealed in its first full "Diversity and Inclusion Report 2019". Asians account for 33.3 per cent of employees, up from 31.9 per cent last year.The data reflects Microsoft family of companies, which includes employees from LinkedIn, GitHub, Compulsion, Playground Games, Ninja Theory, InXile, Obsidian Entertainment, and Undead Labs."Taken all together, our broader workforce has grown more than 27 per cent since 2016 before we acquired these companies, and we saw an overall employee population growth of 9.7 per cent from 2018 to 2019," said the report that came out on Tuesday.In the US, women earn $1.001 for every $1 earned by their counterparts who are men, and racial and ethnic minorities earn $1.006 for every $1 earned by their white counterparts."As we expanded our equal pay data to include data on women and men from the US plus the five largest markets outside the U.S. "collectively representing about 80 per cent of our workforce" we see that women in those combined geographies earn $0.999 for every $1.000 by their counterparts who are men," explained Lindsay-Rae McIntyre - Chief Diversity Officer, Microsoft."At Microsoft, we are committed to the principle of equal pay for equal work for our employees and strive to pay employees equally for substantially similar work," she added.The Microsoft Inclusion Index, shared publicly for the first time, reflects that 88 per cent of employees agree that they experience positive aspects of inclusion at Microsoft."With our scale and global reach, this is a positive indicator, but we know we have a responsibility to engage those who are not part of that 88 per cent," McIntyre added.Microsoft now have business activity in 190 countries and more than 144,000 employees worldwide."Through acquisitions such as LinkedIn, GitHub, and our game studios, and through the growth of our businesses such as Azure and AI, our broader workforce has grown more than 27 per cent since 2016."Without those minimally integrated companies, more than 50 per cent of our Microsoft workforce has been with the company five years or less," said McIntyre.In technical roles alone, Microsoft has 49 per cent more women, 48 per cent more Hispanic/Latinx, and 67 per cent more African American/Black employees than three years ago.ALSO READ: Trump blames Fed's policy for capping economic gainsALSO READ: Two Indian brothers indicted on charges of marriage fraud scheme in US

Women represent 29.2% of Microsoft workforce globally

In technical roles alone, Microsoft has 49 per cent more women, 48 per cent more Hispanic/Latinx, and 67 per cent more African American/Black employees than three years ago.

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Passengers who are not fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine must still take a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 test and complete 10 days self-isolation on entry to the UK. Beginning November 1, the UK will remove the remaining seven countries from its COVID-19 travel ban red list, which will be reviewed every three weeks and revised in case of emerging COVID variant threats, the British government has announced.From 4am on November 1, the remaining seven destinations on the UK’s COVID-19 travel ban red list – Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru and Venezuela – will be removed, it said in an update on Thursday.The red list itself has not been scrapped and will be reviewed every three weeks, with restrictions imposed in case of emerging COVID variant threats.The Department for Transport (DfT) said that Delta is now the dominant COVID variant in most countries around the world, which means the risk of known variants entering the UK has been reduced.“This is another step in the right direction for international travel with more good news today for passengers, businesses and the travel sector,” said UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.“Whether it’s reuniting family members or making it easier for businesses to trade, the success of the vaccine rollout both at home and abroad has allowed us to reach this milestone. However, we must not be complacent and remain ready to spring into action and defend our hard-won gains if needed,” he said.The travel regulations between India and the UK for fully vaccinated passengers had been eased earlier this month, with Covishield-vaccinated Indians not required to undergo self-isolation at a declared address on entry into Britain.Travellers coming from red list countries continued to be subjected to a mandatory 10-day quarantine at a government-sanctioned facility. The latest update means travellers vaccinated with UK-recognised vaccines will all face similar international travel rules.“The red list and quarantine remain vital in protecting our borders – we are keeping a small number of quarantine rooms on standby and will not hesitate to take swift action by adding countries to the red list if the risk increases again,” said UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid.The DfT said government scientists will continue to closely monitor variants of concern in order to ensure the UK’s approach remains "proportionate", surveillance through regular testing continuing throughout.Meanwhile, under rules effective since October 24, fully vaccinated travelers returning to England from countries not on the travel ban red list – including India – can use a COVID negative Lateral Flow Test (LFT) instead of the more expensive Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.All travelers must complete a compulsory passenger locator form prior to travel, including providing a test booking reference number supplied by a testing provider.Passengers who are not fully vaccinated with an authorised vaccine must still take a PCR test on day 2 and day 8 test and complete 10 days self-isolation on entry to the UK.It comes as the UK recorded 39,842 coronavirus cases on Thursday, reflecting a downward trend over the last few days having crossed 50,000 daily cases last week.ALSO READ | US to lift restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers from November 8; 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UK to remove all countries from its COVID travel ban red list

From 4 am on November 1, the remaining seven destinations on the UK’s COVID-19 travel ban red list – Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela – will be removed, the British government said in an update on Thursday.

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Cemetery worker Bruno Avelino walks among graves as he waits for the arrival of a coffin that contains the remains of one-year-old Vitoria, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, May 8, 2020. According to her mother, Vitoria died from the new coronavirus, infected in the health unit where she was being hospitalized for a gastrointestinal problem. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) South Korea reported 18 new coronavirus cases Saturday after bars and nightclubs were urged to close following a spate of infections, while Pakistan bowed to economic pressure and allowed some businesses to reopen despite a surge in case numbers. The United States, Brazil and Italy also were wrestling with how to ease curbs on business and public activity. Others imposed new restrictions: Kuwait in the Middle East announced a lockdown from Sunday through May 30.Worldwide, the virus has infected at least 3.9 million people and killed more than 270,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University based on data reported by governments.On Friday, South Korea urged nightclubs to close for a month after new cases jumped above 10 for the first time in five days. A decline in new infections had prompted the government to ease social distancing guidelines and announce plans to reopen schools Wednesday.Most of the new cases are linked to the Itaewon leisure district of the capital, Seoul, where a 29-year-old man visited three nightclubs before testing positive.Also Saturday, Pakistan allowed shops, factories, construction sites and some other businesses to reopen, while 1,637 new cases and 24 deaths were reported. That was close to Thursday’s one-day peak of 1,764 new infections and raised Pakistan’s total to 27,474.Prime Minister Imran Khan said his government is rolling back curbs because it can’t support millions of families that depend on daily wages. The government warned controls will be reimposed if the public fails to follow social distancing guidelines.Meanwhile, the U.S. government reported Friday unemployment surged to its highest level since the Great Depression of the 1930s, likely adding to conflict over when to allow businesses to reopen.The Labor Department reported unemployment stood at 14.7% after some 20.5 million jobs vanished in April. The department, citing miscounting of some workers by its survey-takers, said the true rate probably was closer to 20%. Some economists said the total might be even higher at 23.6%, not far from the 1939 peak of 25%.President Donald Trump is pushing state governors to allow factories, restaurants and shops to reopen despite warnings that might lead to a deadly spike in infections.Some states including Texas and South Carolina have allowed some businesses to reopen. Others such as New York, the hardest-hit U.S. state, and Illinois want to see more progress in containing the disease before relaxing controls.The Trump reelection campaign planned to hammer its opponent with negative ads while touting a strong economy. But Trump’s team is increasingly worried about key states such as Michigan, Wisconsin and Florida.Also Friday, Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary became the second person at the White House to test positive for the virus. The first was a member of the military who works as Trump’s valet.China, where the pandemic began in December, announced plans to reopen more schools in its capital, Beijing.More than 84,200 junior high school students and 13,200 teachers will return to class Monday, the city government announced. Nearly 50,000 high school students went back to class April 27.Controls including checks for the virus’s telltale fever still are in place at apartment complexes and public buildings in the Chinese capital.China’s ceremonial legislature is due to hold its annual session May 22, postponed from March. The government has yet to say how some 3,000 delegates will conduct meetings.In Europe, Britain’s environment minister said there will be no “dramatic overnight change” announced when Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a national address on Sunday.Johnson is expected to explain how Britain, with the second-highest death toll behind the United States at 31,241, can ease the lockdown. Only minor changes such as allowing people to sunbathe in parks are anticipated.The government will be “very, very cautious,” said the minister, George Eustice.Italy’s government said it would to take legal action to stop a northern province, Bolzano, from reopening stores this weekend in defiance of a national plan to wait until later this month. Italy has reported more than 217,000 virus cases and 30,200 deaths.In Brazil, the country’s fifth-biggest city, Fortaleza, started a lockdown Friday amid surging infections, even as President Jair Bolsonaro asked the Supreme Court to order states to roll back restrictions on business.Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceara in the northeast, will impose roadblocks and allow only essential services. Similar restrictions were imposed this week in the capitals of the states of Maranhao and Para.Brazil has more than 140,000 cases and 9,600 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.

South Korea reports more virus cases, Pakistan eases curbs

South Korea reported 18 new coronavirus cases Saturday after bars and nightclubs were urged to close following a spate of infections, while Pakistan bowed to economic pressure and allowed some businesses to reopen despite a surge in case numbers.

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Pro-China supporter set on fire amid chaos in Hong KongAmid the ongoing chaos in Hong Kong, a pro-China supporter was doused with flammable liquid and set alight on Monday, hours after a protester was shot at by police. According to the police, the incident on a footbridge in the city's Ma On Shan area took place due to a dispute, the South China Morning Post reported.A video making rounds on social media shows the man assaulted and sprayed with an unknown solution.As he walks away he shouts, "you are not Chinese". A crowd responds, "we are Hongkongers". He returns after someone hurls abuses at him and a dispute ensues.The man is then doused with flammable liquid and set alight.A police source said that the man has been taken to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin for treatment. He has second degree burns on 28 per cent of his body, mainly on his chest and arms.On Monday morning, a policeman has shot a protester as demonstrators tried to block a junction at Sai Wan Ho on the north-east of the island. Police confirmed that one officer "discharged his service revolver" and that a man was shot.The officer fired twice more, but there were no injuries.After the shooting, footage showed the 21-year old protester lying with his eyes wide open and with blood around him.He has undergone surgery and remains in a critical condition, a Hospital Authority spokesman told the BBC.This was the third time a police officer shot someone with live rounds since the Hong Kong protests began in June.The first incident was during protests on October 1 when China was celebrating 70 years of communist rule. The second case was a teenage boy shot in the leg on October 4.Meanwhile, police also fired rubber bullets and tear gas in others parts of Hong Kong.At one point, tear gas was fired in the central business district - a rare occurrence during working hours on a weekday.While most protests have taken place on weekends, protesters called for a general strike - that is, all workers not to work - on Monday.Several universities have cancelled their classes for the day.At some metro stations, activists jammed trains and prevented doors from closing.Many roads were blocked by makeshift barricades erected by black-clad men who came and went quickly. Various metro stations were closed while train services were delayed.The latest violence comes after after the death of a 22-year-old university student Alex Chow Tsz-lok on Friday.He fell from height in a car park on November 3 and suffered serious brain injuries under circumstances that are still unclear.The Hong Kong protests, which have been drawing massive crowds since June following a contentious proposed extradition law, have mutated into a movement that seeks to improve the democratic mechanisms that govern the city and safeguard the region's partial autonomy from Beijing.However, some demonstrators have opted for more radical tactics than peaceful civil disobedience and violent clashes with the police have been frequent.ALSO READ | G20 nations need to amp up emission cut targets: ReportALSO READ | Iran discovers new oil field with over 50 billion barrels

Pro-China supporter set on fire amid chaos in Hong Kong

A police source said that the man has been taken to Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha Tin for treatment. He has second degree burns on 28 per cent of his body, mainly on his chest and arms.

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18 sailors aboard US Navy destroyer test COVID-19 positive (Representational Image)At least 18 sailors aboard a deployed US Navy destroyer have tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the second outbreak at sea aboard a US Navy vessel, local media reported. The Pentagon on Friday said additional cases are expected aboard the USS Kidd, a destroyer carrying out a counter-narcotics mission near South America, Xinhua news agency reported.Commanders are preparing to return the ship to port, where they will remove a portion of the crew and begin cleaning the ship before it returns to sea, Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman said on Friday. He did not reveal information about the source of the infection.The Kidd is the second US Navy ship at sea to be forced to pull into port due to a major virus outbreak following the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. Local media reported earlier this week that crews from 26 warships have been hit by the coronavirus, but most of them are in port.The USS Theodore Roosevelt operating in the Pacific was docked in Guam late March over the pandemic.ALSO READ | WHO, global partners join forces to develop COVID-19 technologiesALSO READ | Coronavirus death toll in US crosses 50,000 mark

18 sailors aboard US Navy destroyer test COVID-19 positive

At least 18 sailors aboard a deployed US Navy destroyer have tested positive for the coronavirus, marking the second outbreak at sea aboard a US Navy vessel, local media reported.

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If Indian migrants were to form a country, its population would be greater than 127 existing nations. With over 16.59 million living abroad, Indians form world's largest migrant pool, a UN report said. The 2017 International Migration Report released at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday showed that during this century's period of rapid globalisation, the number of Indian migrants doubled from 7.98 million in 2000.Related Stories I-T lens on foreign accounts of NRIs as govt tightens noose on money-launderingGovernment to table Bill in Winter Session to allow NRIs to vote, SC told NRIs, PIOs don't need to link bank a/c, PAN with Aadhaar: UIDAIMexico sent out 13 million migrants, the second highest number.The definition of international migrants used in the report is broad, taking into account anyone living in a country other their own and includes refugees and economic migrants, both those immigrating officially and those who do so "irregularly", said Bela Hovy, the chief of the Migration Section of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, who spoke to reporters after the report's release.The numbers are not a count of people by national origin or ethnicity and, therefore, do not include children of migrants born in the countries their parents went to.The United Arab Emirates has the largest number of Indian migrants, who number 3.31 million, up from 978,992 in 2000, followed by the US with 2.3 million, up from 1.04 million, the report said.In all the Gulf countries together, Indians totaled 8.9 million, according to the report. Of them, 2.27 million were in Saudi Arabia, 1.2 million in Oman and 1.16 million in Kuwait.The number of migrant from other countries living in India is 5.2 million, a fall of 1.22 million from 2000.Most of the international migration takes place among developing countries with 60 per cent of the migrants from Asia going to other Asian countries, Hovy said.He said that about $400 billion is sent to developing countries by migrants and the remittances are used to finance education, housing and other activities that promote development.In Europe, there are 1.3 million people from India, almost double the 665,105 in 2000, according to the report. Britain has most of them - 836,524, up from 452,144 in 2000.Canada now has 602,144 people from India, an increase from 319,138 in 2000. Australia showed a huge jump of more than four times, from 90,719 people from India in 2000 to 408,880 now.In the current political climate, "migration has become a toxic" topic, said Leonard Doyle, the spokesperson for International Migration Organisation's Director-General William Lacy Swing.As a result migrating is a problem for those outside the "global elite" made up professionals who can move easily to other countries, he said. Therefore, he added, there was need for policies to take care of the migrants who do not fall in that category.(With inputs from agency)

With 16.59 million living abroad, Indians form world's largest migrant pool

The 2017 International Migration Report released at the UN headquarters in New York on Monday showed that during this century's period of rapid globalisation, the number of Indian migrants doubled from 7.98 million in 2000.

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Developing countries face growing risks from financial fragility: World Bank. Developing countries face growing risks from financial fragility created by the Covid-19 crisis and non-transparent debt, the World Bank has said in a report, urging policymakers to focus on creating healthier financial sectors."Risks may be hidden" because the balance sheets of households, businesses, banks, and governments are tightly interrelated, according to the World Development Report 2022: Finance for an Equitable Recovery.High levels of non-performing loans and hidden debt impair access to credit, and "disproportionately" reduce access to finance for low-income households and small businesses, the report noted.ALSO READ: World Bank approves loan of $125 million to Bengal government"The risk is that the economic crisis of inflation and higher interest rates will spread due to financial fragility," World Bank Group President David Malpass was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency."Tighter global financial conditions and shallow domestic debt markets in many developing countries are crowding out private investment and dampening the recovery."The World Bank chief said it is critical to work toward broad-based access to credit and growth-oriented capital allocation."This would enable smaller and more dynamic firms- and sectors with higher growth potential- to invest and create jobs," he said.Surveys of businesses in developing countries during the pandemic found that 46 percent expected to fall into arrears, the report showed, warning that loan defaults could now "sharply increase," and private debt could quickly become public debt, as governments provide support.Calling for the proactive management of distressed loans, the report said that improving insolvency mechanisms, facilitating out-of-court workouts, especially for small businesses, and promoting debt forgiveness can help enable the orderly reduction of private debts.The multilateral lender also noted that in low-income countries, dramatically increased levels of sovereign debt "need to be proactively managed in an orderly, and timely manner."ALSO READ: 'No evidence that reopening schools caused Covid surge': World Bank Education Director

Developing countries face growing risks from financial fragility: World Bank

High levels of non-performing loans and hidden debt impair access to credit, and "disproportionately" reduce access to finance for low-income households and small businesses, the report noted.

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US President Joe BidenOne year after the nation was brought to a near-standstill by the coronavirus, President Joe Biden used his first prime-time address Thursday night to announce his plan to make all adults vaccine-eligible by May 1 and “begin to mark our independence from this virus” by the Fourth of July. He offered Americans fresh hope and appealed anew for their help.Speaking in the White House East Room, Biden announced moves to speed vaccinations, including lifting eligibility qualifications, deploying an additional 4,000 active-duty troops to support vaccination efforts, and allowing more people — such as medical students, veterinarians and dentists — to deliver shots.He is also directing more doses toward some 950 community health centers and up to 20,000 retail pharmacies, to make it easier for people to get vaccinated closer to their homes.His aim: let Americans gather at least in small groups for July Fourth and “make this Independence Day truly special.”Biden was marking one year since the onset of the pandemic that has killed more than 530,000 Americans and disrupted the lives of countless more.“While it was different for everyone, we all lost something,” Biden said, calling the past year “a collective suffering, a collective sacrifice.”Earlier Thursday, Biden signed into law a $1.9 trillion relief package that he said will help defeat the virus, nurse the economy back to health and deliver direct aid to Americans in need. Some direct checks could begin arriving this weekend.“This historic legislation is about rebuilding the backbone of this country,” Biden said as he signed the bill in the Oval Office.Most noticeable to many Americans are provisions providing up to $1,400 in direct payments and extending $300 weekly emergency unemployment benefits into early September. Also included are expanded tax credits over the next year for children, child care, and family leave — some of them credits that Democrats have signaled they’d like to make permanent — plus spending for renters, feeding programs, and people’s utility bills.In his Thursday night address, Biden said that as vaccine supplies continue to increase, he will direct states and territories to make all adults eligible for vaccination by May 1. The U.S. is expecting the delivery of enough doses for those 255 million adults by the end of that month, but the process of actually administering those doses will take time.Biden said his administration is launching a nationwide website to help people find doses, saying it would address frustrations so that there would be “no more searching day and night for an appointment.”Even as he offered optimism, Biden made clear that the July 4 timetable applied only to smaller gatherings, not larger ones, and requires cooperation from Americans to continue to wear face coverings, maintain social distancing, and follow federal guidelines meant to slow the spread of the virus in the near term. He also called on them roll up their sleeves to get vaccinated as soon as they’re eligible.This is “not the time to not stick with the rules,” Biden said, warning of the potential for backsliding just as the nation is on the cusp of defeating the virus. “I need you, the American people,” he added. “I need you. I need every American to do their part.”The House gave final congressional approval to the sweeping package by a near party-line 220-211 vote on Wednesday, seven weeks after Biden entered the White House and four days after the Senate passed the bill. Republicans in both chambers opposed the legislation unanimously, characterizing it as bloated, crammed with liberal policies, and heedless of signs the crises are easing.Biden originally planned to sign the bill on Friday, but it arrived at the White House more quickly than anticipated.“We want to move as fast as possible,” tweeted chief of staff Ron Klain.Biden’s initial prime-time speech was “a big moment,” said presidential historian and Rice University professor Douglas Brinkley. “He’s got to win over hearts and minds for people to stay masked and get vaccinated, but also recognize that after the last year, the federal government hasn’t forgotten you.”Biden’s evening remarks in the East Room were central to a pivotal week for the president as he addresses the defining challenge of his term: shepherding the nation through the twin public health and economic storms brought about by the virus.On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released initial guidance for how vaccinated people can resume some normal activities. On Wednesday, Congress approved the president’s $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan,” aimed at easing the economic impact of the virus on tens of millions of people. And the nation was on pace to administer its 100 millionth dose of vaccine as soon as Thursday.Almost exactly one year ago, President Donald Trump addressed the nation to mark the WHO’s declaration of a global pandemic. He announced travel restrictions and called for Americans to practice good hygiene but displayed little alarm about the forthcoming catastrophe. Trump, it was later revealed, acknowledged that he had been deliberately “playing down” the threat of the virus.For Biden, who has promised to level with the American public after an alternate reality of Trump’s virus talk, the imperative is to strike the correct balance “between optimism and grief,” said Princeton history professor and presidential scholar Julian Zelizer.“Generally, the country likes optimism, and at this particular moment they’re desperate for optimism, but you can’t risk a ‘Mission Accomplished’ moment,’” he said, warning against any premature declaration that the threat has been vanquished.ALSO READ | First Quad Summit: PM Modi to meet Joe Biden, Japanese PM Suga virtually for first time

Biden signs $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill; sets May 1 target to inoculate all adults

Biden was marking one year since the onset of the pandemic that has killed more than 530,000 Americans and disrupted the lives of countless more.

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Fire burns in the hollow of an old-growth redwood tree in Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Calif., Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. The CZU Lightning Complex wildfire tore through the park but most of the redwoods, some as old as 2,000 years, were still standing. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)When a massive wildfire swept through California’s oldest state park last week it was feared many trees in a grove of old-growth redwoods, some of them 2,000 years old and among the tallest living things on Earth, may finally have succumbed.But an Associated Press reporter and photographer hiked the renowned Redwood Trail at Big Basin Redwoods State Park on Monday and confirmed most of the ancient redwoods had withstood the blaze. Among the survivors is one dubbed Mother of the Forest.“That is such good news, I can’t tell you how much that gives me peace of mind,” said Laura McLendon, conservation director for the Sempervirens Fund, an environmental group dedicated to the protection of redwoods and their habitats.Redwood forests are meant to burn, she said, so reports earlier this week that the state park was “gone” were misleading.The historic park headquarters is gone, as are many small buildings and campground infrastructure that went up in flames as fire swept through the park about 45 miles (72 kilometers) south of San Francisco.“But the forest is not gone,” McLendon said. “It will regrow. Every old growth redwood I’ve ever seen, in Big Basin and other parks, has fire scars on them. They’ve been through multiple fires, possibly worse than this.”When forest fires, windstorms and lightning hit redwood trees, those that don’t topple can resprout. Mother of the Forest, for example, used to be 329 feet tall (100 meters), the tallest tree in the park. After the top broke off in a storm, a new trunk sprouted where the old growth had been.Trees that fall feed the forest floor, and become nurse trees from which new redwoods grow. Forest critters, from banana slugs to insects, thrive under logs.On Monday, Steller’s jays searched for insects around the park’s partially burned outdoor amphitheater and woodpeckers could be heard hammering on trees. Occasionally a thundering crash echoed through the valley as large branches or burning trees fell.When Big Basin opened in 1902 it marked the genesis of redwood conservation. The park now receives about 250,000 visitors a year from around the world, and millions have walked the Redwood Trail.The park only recently reopened after COVID-19 related closures and now is closed because of the fire. The road in is blocked by several large trees that fell across it, some waist-high, some still on fire.While there is a great deal of work to be done rebuilding campgrounds, clearing trails and managing damaged madrones, oaks and firs, Big Basin will recover, McLendon said.“The forest, in some ways, is resetting,” she said.State Parks District Superintendent Chris Spohrer said he was pleased to know the redwoods had survived. He said an assessment team had only been able to check buildings so far, and that he hopes they can inspect the trees in the coming days.“The reason those trees are so old is because they are really resilient,” he said.

Redwoods survive wildfire at California’s oldest state park

When a massive wildfire swept through California’s oldest state park last week it was feared many trees in a grove of old-growth redwoods, some of them 2,000 years old and among the tallest living things on Earth, may finally have succumbed.

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This photo provided by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office shows a fan at a vineyard in Santa Rosa, Calif. where a man was found Tuesday, June 8Authorities rescued a man who said he had been trapped for two days inside a large fan at a Northern California vineyard.The man was discovered Tuesday by a deputy responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked near the winery in Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.The deputy saw a hat on a piece of farming equipment and then found the man stuck inside the shaft of a vineyard fan. Firefighters rescued him.Image Source : APThis photo provided by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office shows a man who was found Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at a vineyard in Santa Rosa by a sheriff's deputy responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked in the areaThis photo provided by the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office shows a man who was found Tuesday, June 8, 2021 at a vineyard in Santa Rosa by a sheriff's deputy responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked in the area“The man indicated he liked to take pictures of the engines of old farm equipment,” the statement said. “After a thorough investigation, which revealed the farm equipment wasn’t antique and the man had far more methamphetamine than camera equipment, the motivation to climb into the fan shaft remains a total mystery.”The 38-year-old man required medical treatment but is expected to make a full recovery, the office said.The man will be charged with trespassing and drug possession, as well as violations of a probation case, the statement said.Vineyard fans are used to circulate air across vines to keep grapes from freezing during colder months. (Except for the headline, Indiatvnews.com has not edited the copy)

California man rescued days after being stuck inside giant fan at vineyard

The man was discovered Tuesday by a deputy responding to a call about a suspicious vehicle parked near the winery in Santa Rosa, the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

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The final phase of ending America's “forever war” in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last US and NATO troops by the end of summer.  The final phase of ending America's “forever war” in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last US and NATO troops by the end of summer.President Joe Biden had set May 1 as the official start of the withdrawal of the remaining forces — about 2,500-3,500 U.S. troops and about 7,000 NATO soldiers. Even before Saturday, the herculean task of packing up had begun.The military has been taking inventory, deciding what is shipped back to the US, what is handed to the Afghan security forces, and what is sold as junk in Afghanistan's markets. In recent weeks, the military has been flying out equipment on massive C-17 cargo planes.The US is estimated to have spent more than USD 2 trillion in Afghanistan in the past two decades, according to the Costs of War project at Brown University, which documents the hidden costs of the US military engagement.Defense Department officials and diplomats told The Associated Press the withdrawal has involved closing smaller bases over the last year. They said that since Biden announced the end-of-summer withdrawal date in mid-April, only roughly 60 military personnel had left the country.The US and its NATO allies went into Afghanistan together on October 7, 2001, to hunt the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks who lived under the protection of the country's Taliban rulers. Two months later, the Taliban had been defeated and al-Qaida fighters and their leader, Osama bin Laden, were on the run.In his withdrawal announcement last month, Biden said the initial mission was accomplished a decade ago when U.S. Navy SEALS killed bin Laden in his hideout in neighboring Pakistan.Since then, al-Qaida has been degraded, while the terrorist threat has “metastasized” into a global phenomenon that is not contained by keeping thousands of troops in one country, he said.Until now the US and NATO have received no promises from the Taliban that they won't attack troops during the pullout. In a response to AP questions, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the Taliban leadership was still mulling over its strategy.The insurgent group continues to accuse Washington of breaching the deal it signed with Biden's predecessor more than a year ago. In that deal, the U.S. said it would have all troops out by May 1.Violence has spiked in Afghanistan since the February 2020 deal was signed. Peace talks between the Taliban and Afghan government, which were part of the deal, quickly bogged down. On Friday, a truck bomb in eastern Logar province killed 21 people, many of them police and students.Afghans have paid the highest price since 2001, with 47,245 civilians killed, according to the Costs of War project. Millions more have been displaced inside Afghanistan or have fled to Pakistan, Iran, and Europe.Afghanistan's security forces are expected to come under increasing pressure from the Taliban after the withdrawal if no peace agreement is reached in the interim, according to Afghan watchers.Since the start of the war, they have taken heavy losses, with estimates ranging from 66,000 to 69,000 Afghan troops killed. The Afghan military has been battered by corruption. The US and NATO pay USD 4 billion a year to sustain the force.Some 300,000 Afghan troops are on the books, although the actual number is believed to be lower. Commanders have been found to inflate the numbers to collect paychecks of so-called “ghost soldiers,” according to the US watchdog monitoring Washington's spending in Afghanistan.Last year was the only year US and NATO troops did not suffer a loss. The Defense Department says 2,442 US troops have been killed and 20,666 wounded since 2001. It is estimated that over 3,800 U.S. private security contractors have been killed. The Pentagon does not track their deaths.The conflict also has killed 1,144 personnel from NATO countries. The Taliban, meanwhile, are at their strongest since being ousted in 2001. While mapping their gains and territorial holds is difficult, they are believed to hold sway or outright control over nearly half of Afghanistan.“We are telling the departing Americans ... you fought a meaningless war and paid a cost for that and we also offered huge sacrifices for our liberation,” Shaheen told the AP on Friday.Striking a more conciliatory tone, he added: “If you ... open a new chapter of helping Afghans in reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country, the Afghans will appreciate that.”In announcing the departure, Biden said waiting for ideal conditions to leave would consign America to an indefinite stay.In the Afghan capital and throughout the country, there is a growing fear that chaos will follow the departure of the last foreign troops. After billions of dollars and decades of war, many Afghans wonder whether it was worth it. Also Read: US to deploy additional forces to Afghanistan as withdrawal underway

Formal start of final phase of Afghan pullout by US, NATO

The final phase of ending America's “forever war” in Afghanistan after 20 years formally began Saturday, with the withdrawal of the last US and NATO troops by the end of summer.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in the Kazakh capital of Astana on a two-day visit to attend the 17th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.During the summit, India and Pakistan will be inducted as full members of the bloc, in the first ever expansion since its inception in 2001. Six central Asian countries namely China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan are the permanent members of the forum.India's entry into the China-dominated grouping is seen as a major milestone as it is expected to increase the group's heft in regional geo-politics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue. Experts say India's inclusion may even bring down Beijing's overarching influence over the SCO. The Prime Minister will address the SCO Summit tomorrow and is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping amid growing differences between the two countries over a host of issues, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and India's Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) membership bid. If the meeting takes place, then it would be the first between the two leaders after India boycotted the high-profile Belt and Road Forum held in Beijing last month in which 29 world leaders took part. India abstained from the Summit to highlight its concerns over the CPEC which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). There is also speculation about a possible meeting between Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to ease the growing tension between the two neighbours. However, India has been maintaining that there was neither any request from the Pakistani side nor any such proposal from the Indian side for a Modi-Sharif meeting. President Xi arrived here yesterday while Prime Minister Sharif reached the Kazakh capital today. The Indian Prime Minister is also expected to meet a number of other foreign leaders, including Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev. "I look forward to deepening India's association with the SCO which will help us in economic, connectivity and counter-terrorism cooperation, among other things," Prime Minister Modi said ahead of his visit here. The SCO had set the ball rolling to make India a member of the bloc during its summit in Ufa, Russia, in July, 2015, when administrative hurdles were cleared to grant membership to India and Pakistan. SCO Secretary-General Rashid Alimov said entry of India and Pakistan will enhance the SCO's influence in dealing with pressing challenges and promoting trade and investment in the region. Inclusion of India and Pakistan into the SCO would mean addition of another 1.45 billion people which would make the grouping cover around 40 per cent of the global population. The SCO was founded at a Summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the Presidents of Russia, China, Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. India, Iran and Pakistan were admitted as observers at the 2005 Astana Summit. The Tashkent SCO Summit in June 2010 had lifted the moratorium on new membership, paving the way for the expansion of the grouping. India feels as an SCO member, it will be able to play a major role in addressing the threat of terrorism in the region. India is also keen on deepening its security-related cooperation with the SCO and its Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure (RATS) which specifically deals with issues relating to security and defence. India has been an observer at the SCO since 2005 and has generally participated in the ministerial-level meetings of the grouping which focus mainly on security and economic cooperation in the Eurasian region. Russia had been favouring permanent SCO membership for India while China pushed for induction of Pakistan. With PTI Inputs

PM Modi arrives in Astana ahead of India’s induction as permanent member of SCO

India's entry into the China-dominated grouping is seen as a major milestone as it is expected to increase the group's heft in regional geo-politics and trade negotiations besides giving it a pan-Asian hue.

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Trains crash in southern EgyptTwo trains crashed Friday in southern Egypt, killing at least 32 people and injuring 165, authorities said in the latest of a series of deadly accidents on the country's troubled railways. Someone apparently activated the emergency brakes on the passenger train, and it was rear-ended by another train, causing two cars to derail and flip on their side, Egypt's Railway Authorities said, although Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly later added that no cause has been determined.The passenger train was headed to the Mediterranean port of Alexandria, north of Cairo, rail officials said.Video showed twisted piles of metal with passengers covered with dust trapped inside – some bleeding and others unconscious. Bystanders removed the dead and laid them on the ground nearby.One passenger was heard shouting on the video, “Help us! People are dying!” A female passenger appeared to be upside down, squeezed under the seats, and was crying, ”Get me out, boy!”More than 100 ambulances were sent to the scene in the province of Sohag, about 440 kilometers (270 miles) south of Cairo, Health Minister Hala Zayed said, and the injured were taken to four hospitals. Injuries included broken bones, cuts and bruises.Two planes carrying a total of 52 doctors, mostly surgeons, were sent to Sohag, she added at a news conference in the province, accompanied by Madbouly, who added that a military plane would bring those needing special surgery to Cairo.Chief Prosecutor Hamada el-Sawy was on the scene to investigate the crash, he said.“The (railway) service has been neglected for decades to an extent that made it quite outdated and extremely dangerous,“ Madbouly told reporters.“We have spent billions to upgrade the railway but we still have a long way to go in order to complete all the required work.”The government will pay the equivalent of $6,400 in compensation to each family that had a relative killed, Madbouly said, while the injured will get between $1,280 to $2,560, depending on how badly they were hurt.President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said he was monitoring the situation and that those responsible would receive “a deterrent punishment.”“The pain that tears our hearts today cannot but make us more determined to end this type of disasters,” he wrote on his Facebook page.Egypt's rail system has a history of badly maintained equipment and mismanagement, and official figures said there were 1,793 train accidents in 2017.In 2018, a passenger train derailed near the southern city of Aswan, injuring at least six people and prompting authorities to fire the chief of the country's railways.The same year, el-Sissi said the government needed about 250 billion Egyptian pounds ($14.1 billion) to overhaul the rail system. Those remarks came a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people.A year earlier, two passenger trains collided just outside Alexandria, killing 43. In 2016, at least 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo.Egypt's deadliest train crash was in 2002, when over 300 people were killed after a fire broke out in a train traveling from Cairo to southern Egypt. ALSO READ | Egypt announces new archaeological discovery

Trains crash in southern Egypt, killing at least 32

Two trains crashed Friday in southern Egypt, killing at least 32 people and injuring 165, authorities said in the latest of a series of deadly accidents on the country's troubled railways.

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7.5 magnitude earthquake off Alaska prompts tsunami fears, fleeingWailing sirens prompted residents to seek higher ground in communities along Alaska’s southern coast after a reported 7.5 magnitude earthquake that shook buildings triggered a tsunami warning Monday.The quake was centered near Sand Point, a city of about 900 people off the Alaska Peninsula where wave levels hit 2 feet, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center. The warning was downgraded to an advisory just over two hours after the quake.Patrick Mayer, superintendent of the Aleutians East Borough School District, said parents picked up children from Sand Point School, which also served an evacuation point. He said a school bus also was sent to a fish processing facility to bring workers to the school. “We’re on very high ground,” he said. Mayer wasn’t aware of any structural damage and said officials planned to reopen school normally on Tuesday.The quake struck in the North Pacific Ocean just before 1 p.m. It was centered about 67 miles (118 kilometers) southeast of Sand Point, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center. The community is about 800 miles (1,288 km) southwest of Anchorage. The quake was recorded at a depth of 19 miles (30 kilometers).The National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, said the tsunami warning was in effect for roughly 950 miles (1,529 kilometers), from 40 miles (64 kilometers) southeast of Homer to Unimak Pass, about 80 miles (129 km) northeast of Unalaska.The quake was widely felt in communities along the southern coast, including Sand Point, Chignik, Unalaska and the Kenai Peninsula, according to the Alaska Earthquake Center, which said a magnitude 5.2 aftershock was reported 11 minutes later, centered roughly in the same area.Sand Point School, with 130 students, is the only school in the community, Mayer said, but he said the four other schools in the district felt the quake to varying degrees. The closest school is 90 miles away, he said.Some schools in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District were evacuating to higher ground, the district said on Twitter.Public safety officials in King Cove sent out an alert urging residents in the coastal area to move inland to higher ground.The size of the quake was originally reported to have been a magnitude of 7.4, but has been revised to a 7.5, said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey. He said an earthquake of this size, in this area, is not a surprise.“This is an area where the Pacific Plate is subducting underneath the North American Plate. And because of that, the Pacific Plate actually goes underneath the North American Plate, where it melts,” Caruso said, noting that’s why there are volcanoes in the region. “And so we commonly have large, magnitude 7 earthquakes in that area.”Unalaska officials sent out a message saying the city is just outside the warning zone and they aren’t ordering evacuations right now. Unalaska public safety officials earlier Monday had sent out a release saying they would be conducting tests of the community’s tsunami warning sirens.“It was a pretty good shaker here,” said David Adams, co-manager of Marine View Bed and Breakfast in Sand Point. “We’re doing OK.” He said all guests were accounted for and “the structure itself is sound.”“You could see the water kind of shaking and shimmering during the quake,” he said. “Our truck was swaying big time.” He didn’t take any photos or video: “It just kind of happened all of a sudden.”

7.5 magnitude earthquake off Alaska prompts tsunami fears, fleeing

The quake was centered near Sand Point, a city of about 900 people off the Alaska Peninsula where wave levels hit 2 feet, according to the National Tsunami Warning Center. The warning was downgraded to an advisory just over two hours after the quake.

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Leaders of the G7 pose for a group photo at the Carbis Bay Hotel in Carbis Bay in Cornwall.Leaders of the world's largest economies unveiled an infrastructure plan Saturday for the developing world to compete with China's global initiatives, but they were searching for a consensus on how to forcefully call out Beijing over human rights abuses.Citing China for its forced labour practices is part of President Joe Biden's campaign to persuade fellow democratic leaders to present a more unified front to compete economically with Beijing. But while they agreed to work toward competing against China, there was less unity on how adversarial a public position the group should take.Canada, the United Kingdom and France largely endorsed Biden's position, while Germany, Italy and the European Union showed more hesitancy during Saturday's first session of the Group of Seven summit, according to two senior Biden administration officials. The officials who briefed reporters was not authorized to publicly discuss the private meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity.The communique that summarizes the meeting's commitments was still being written and its contents would not be clear until its release upon Sunday's summit conclusion. But White House officials said late Saturday that they believed that, in some form, China could be called out for “non-market policies and human rights abuses.”In his first summit as president, Biden made a point of carving out one-on-one-time with the leaders, bouncing from French president Emmanuel Macron to German chancellor Angela Merkel to Italian prime minister Mario Draghi, a day after meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as if to personally try to ward off memories of the chaos that his predecessor would often bring to these gatherings.Macron told Biden that collaboration was needed on a range of issues and told the American president that “it's great to have a U.S. president part of the club and very willing to cooperate.”Relations between the allies had become strained during the four years of Donald Trump's presidency and his “America first” foreign policy.Merkel, for her part, downplayed differences on China and the Nord Stream 2 pipeline which would transport natural gas from Russia to Germany, bypassing Ukraine.“The atmosphere is very cooperative, it is characterized by mutual interest," Merkel said. "There are very good, constructive and very vivid discussions in the sense that one wants to work together.”White House officials have said Biden wants the leaders of the G-7 nations — the U.S., Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Italy — to speak in a single voice against forced labour practices targeting China's Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities.Biden hopes the denunciation will be part of a joint statement to be released Sunday when the summit ends, but some European allies are reluctant to split so forcefully with Beijing.China had become one of the more compelling sublots of the wealthy nations' summit, their first since 2019. Last year's gathering was canceled because of COVID-19, and recovery from the pandemic is dominating this year's discussions, with leaders expected to commit to sharing at least 1 billion vaccine shots with struggling countries.The allies also took the first steps in presenting an infrastructure proposal called “Build Back Better for the World,” a name echoing Biden's campaign slogan. The plan calls for spending hundreds of billions of dollars in collaboration with the private sector while adhering to climate standards and labor practices.It's designed to compete with China's trillion-dollar “Belt and Road Initiative,” which has launched a network of projects and maritime lanes that snake around large portions of the world, primarily Asia and Africa. Critics say China's projects often create massive debt and expose nations to undue influence by Beijing.Britain also wants the world's democracies to become less reliant on the Asian economic giant. The U.K. government said Saturday's discussions would tackle “how we can shape the global system to deliver for our people in support of our values,” including by diversifying supply chains that currently heavily depend on China.Not every European power has viewed China in as harsh a light as Biden, who has painted the rivalry with China as the defining competition for the 21st century. But there are some signs that Europe is willing to impose greater scrutiny.Before Biden took office in January, the European Commission announced it had come to terms with Beijing on a deal meant to provide Europe and China with greater access to each other's markets. The Biden administration had hoped to have consultations on the pact.But the deal has been put on hold, and the European Union in March announced sanctions targeting four Chinese officials involved with human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Beijing responded with penalties on several members of the European Parliament and other Europeans critical of the Chinese Communist Party.Biden administration officials see an opportunity to take concrete action to speak out against China's reliance on forced labour as an “affront to human dignity."While calling out China in the G-7 communique would not create any immediate penalties for Beijing, one senior administration official said the action would send a message that the leaders were serious about defending human rights and working together to eradicate the use of forced labor.An estimated 1 million people or more — most of them Uyghurs — have been confined in reeducation camps in China's western Xinjiang region in recent years, according to researchers. Chinese authorities have been accused of imposing forced labor, systematic forced birth control, torture and separating children from incarcerated parents. Beijing rejects allegations that it is committing crimes.Johnson, the summit host, also welcomed the leaders from “guest nations" South Korea, Australia and South Africa, as well as the head of the United Nations, to the summit to “intensify cooperation between the world's democratic and technologically advanced nations.” The leaders planned to attend a barbecue Saturday night, complete with toasted marshmallows, hot buttered rum and a performance by a sea shanty troupe.READ MORE: 'One Earth, one health': PM Modi seeks G7 support for patent waiver on Covid vaccinesREAD MORE: 'Doing this to save lives, end pandemic': G-7 nations pledge 1 billion vaccine doses for world /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); cs_jw_script.src = 'https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/internal-c2/plugins/streamingtag_plugin_jwplayer.js'; firstjw.parentNode.insertBefore(cs_jw_script, firstjw.nextSibling); } var jwconfig_3998071649 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/06/0_pwsle6pu/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_pwsle6pu_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "'One Earth, one health,' PM Modi's message to G7 summit", "height": "440px", "width": "100%", "aspectratio": "16:9", "autostart": false, "controls": true, "mute": false, "volume": 25, "floating": false, "sharing": { "code": "", "sites": [ "facebook", "twitter", "email" ] }, "stretching": "exactfit", "primary": "html5", "hlshtml": true, "sharing_link": "", "duration": "217", "advertising": { "client": "vast", "autoplayadsmuted": true, "skipoffset": 5, "cuetext": "", "skipmessage": "Skip ad in xx", "skiptext": "SKIP", "preloadAds": true, "schedule": [ { "offset": "pre", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PreRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" }, { "offset": "50%", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_MidRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=" }, { "offset": "post", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PostRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" } ] } }; var jwvidplayer_3998071649 = ''; jwsetup_3998071649(); function jwsetup_3998071649() { jwvidplayer_3998071649 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_3998071649").setup(jwconfig_3998071649); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_3998071649, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_pwsle6pu\", ns_st_pr=\"'One Earth, one health,' PM Modi's message to G7 summit\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"'One Earth, one health,' PM Modi's message to G7 summit\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"'One Earth, one health,' PM Modi's message to G7 summit\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-06-13\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-06-13\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/06/0_pwsle6pu/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_3998071649.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_3998071649.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_3998071649.stop(); jwvidplayer_3998071649.remove(); jwvidplayer_3998071649 = ''; jwsetup_3998071649(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_3998071649.stop(); jwvidplayer_3998071649.remove(); jwvidplayer_3998071649 = ''; jwsetup_3998071649(); return; }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3998071649.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Joe Biden urges G7 leaders to call out and compete with China

Relations between the US and Chinahad become strained during the four years of Donald Trump's presidency and his “America first” foreign policy.

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A 56-year-old great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an accused in a six-million rand fraud and forgery case, has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Durban court.A 56-year-old great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an accused in a six-million rand fraud and forgery case, has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Durban court. Ashish Lata Ramgobin was found guilty by the court on Monday. She was accused of defrauding businessman SR Maharaj after he advanced R6.2 million to her for allegedly clearing import and Customs duties for a non-existent consignment from India. He was promised a share of profits.Lata Ramgobin, who is the daughter of noted rights activists Ela Gandhi and late Mewa Ramgobind, was also refused leave to appeal both the conviction and the sentence by the Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court. When trial in the case against Lata Ramgobin started in 2015, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had said that she allegedly provided forged invoices and documents to convince potential investors that three containers of linen were being shipped in from India.At that time, Lata Ramgobin was released on a bail of 50,000 rand. On Monday, the court during the hearing was informed that Lata Ramgobin had met Maharaj, director of the New Africa Alliance Footwear Distributors, in August 2015. The company imports and manufactures and sells clothing, linen and footwear.Maharaj’s company also provides finance to other companies on a profit-share basis. Lata Ramgobin had told Maharaj that she had imported three containers of linen for the South African Hospital Group NetCare."She said she was experiencing financial difficulties to pay for import costs and customs and she needed the money to clear the goods at the harbour,” NPA spokesperson Natasha Kara said on Monday."She advised him (Maharaj) that she needed R6.2 million. To convince him, she showed him what she claimed was a signed purchase order for the goods. Later that month, she sent him what seemed to be a NetCare invoice and delivery note as proof that the goods were delivered and payment was imminent," she said.Lata Ramgobin “further sent him confirmation from NetCare’s bank account that payment had been made”, Kara said. Because of Ramgobin’s family credentials and NetCare documents, Maharaj had entered into a written agreement with her for the loan. However, after Maharaj found out that the documents were forged and NetCare had no arrangements with Lata Ramgobin, he laid criminal charges.Ramgobin was founder and executive director of the Participative Development Initiative at the NGO International Centre for Non-Violence, where she described herself as “an activist with focus on environmental, societal and political interests.”A number of other descendants of Mahatma Gandhi are human rights activists and among them are Lata Ramgobin’s cousins Kirti Menon, the late Satish Dhupelia, and Uma Dhupelia-Mesthrie.Ramgobin’s mother Ela Gandhi in particular has been internationally recognised for her efforts, including national honours from both India and South Africa.Also Read: World Bank approves USD 500mn program to help boost India's MSME sector 

Mahatma Gandhi's great-grandaughter sentenced to 7 years in jail in South Africa

A 56-year-old great-granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, who was an accused in a six-million rand fraud and forgery case, has been sentenced to seven years in jail by a Durban court.

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FILE - In this Thursday, April 2, 2020 handout photo provided by 10 Downing Street, Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson claps outside 11 Downing Street to salute local heroes during Thursday's nationwide Clap for Carers NHS initiative to applaud workers fighting the coronavirus pandemic, in London. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been admitted to a hospital with the coronavirus. Johnson’s office says he is being admitted for tests because he still has symptoms 10 days after testing positive for the virus. (Pippa Fowles/10 Downing Street via AP, File)British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to a hospital Sunday for tests, his office said, because he is still suffering symptoms, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19. Johnson’s office said the admission to an undisclosed London hospital came on the advice of his doctor and was not an emergency. The prime minister’s Downing St. office said it was a “precautionary step” and Johnson remains in charge of the government.Johnson, 55, has been quarantined in his Downing St. residence since being diagnosed with COVID-19 on March 26 — the first known head of government to fall ill with the virus.Johnson has continued to preside at daily meetings on Britain’s response to the outbreak and has released several video messages during his 10 days in isolation.In a message Friday, a flushed and red-eyed Johnson said he said he was feeling better but still had a fever.The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most people, but for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia and lead to death.U.S. President Donald Trump offered encouragement to Johnson as he opened a White House briefing on the pandemic Sunday. ”All Americans are praying for him,” Trump said.Johnson has received medical advice remotely during his illness, but going to a hospital means doctors can see him in person.Dr. Rupert Beale, a group leader of the cell biology of infection lab at the Francis Crick Institute for biomedical studies, said doctors would likely “be monitoring important vital signs such as oxygen saturations,” as well as performing blood tests, assessing Johnson’s organ function and possibly performing a CT scan on his chest to assess his lungs.Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been designated to take over if Johnson becomes incapacitated, is set to lead the government’s coronavirus meeting Monday.Johnson’s fiancee, Carrie Symonds, 32, revealed Saturday that she spent a week in bed with coronavirus symptoms, though she wasn’t tested. Symonds, who is pregnant, said she was now “on the mend.” She has not been staying with the prime minister in Downing St. since his diagnosis.The government said Sunday that almost 48,000 people have been confirmed to have COVID-19 in the U.K., and 4,934 have died.Johnson replaced Theresa May as Conservative prime minister in July and won a resounding election victory in December on a promise to complete Britain’s exit from the European Union. But Brexit, which became official Jan. 31, has been overshadowed by the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the globe.Johnson’s government was slower than those in some European countries to impose restrictions on daily life in response to the pandemic, leading his critics to accuse him of complacency. He imposed an effective nationwide lockdown March 23, but his government remains under huge pressure to boost the country’s number of hospital beds and ventilators and to expand testing for the virus.London has been the center of the outbreak in the U.K., and politicians and civil servants have been hit hard. Several other members of Johnson’s government have also tested positive for the virus, including Health Secretary Matt Hancock and junior Health Minister Nadine Dorries. Both have recovered.News of Johnson’s admission to hospital came an hour after Queen Elizabeth II made a rare televised address to the nation, in which she urged Britons to remain “united and resolute” in the fight against the virus.“We will succeed — and that success will belong to every one of us,” the 93-year-old monarch said, drawing parallels to the struggle of World War II.“We should take comfort that while we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again,” she said.ALSO READ | COVID-19 Crisis in Westminster: UK PM Boris Johnson, Health Secretary test coronavirus positive /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); cs_jw_script.src = 'https://sb.scorecardresearch.com/internal-c2/plugins/streamingtag_plugin_jwplayer.js'; firstjw.parentNode.insertBefore(cs_jw_script, firstjw.nextSibling); } var jwconfig_7178160601 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_7ftt2ypt_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_7ftt2ypt_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "UK PM Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19", "height": "440px", "width": "100%", "aspectratio": "16:9", "autostart": false, "controls": true, "mute": false, "volume": 25, "floating": false, "sharing": { "code": "", "sites": [ "facebook", "twitter", "email" ] }, "stretching": "exactfit", "primary": "html5", "hlshtml": true, "sharing_link": "", "advertising": { "client": "vast", "autoplayadsmuted": true, "skipoffset": 5, "cuetext": "", "skipmessage": "Skip ad in xx", "skiptext": "SKIP", "preloadAds": true, "schedule": [ { "offset": "pre", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PreRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" }, { "offset": "50%", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_MidRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=" }, { "offset": "post", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PostRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" } ] } }; var jwvidplayer_7178160601 = ''; jwsetup_7178160601(); function jwsetup_7178160601() { jwvidplayer_7178160601 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_7178160601").setup(jwconfig_7178160601); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_7178160601, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_7ftt2ypt\", ns_st_pr=\"UK PM Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"UK PM Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"UK PM Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2020-03-27\", ns_st_tdt=\"2020-03-27\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_7ftt2ypt_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_7178160601.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_7178160601.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_7178160601.stop(); jwvidplayer_7178160601.remove(); jwvidplayer_7178160601 = ''; jwsetup_7178160601(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_7178160601.stop(); jwvidplayer_7178160601.remove(); jwvidplayer_7178160601 = ''; jwsetup_7178160601(); return; }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7178160601.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); } ​

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to a hospital Sunday for tests, his office said, because he is still suffering symptoms, 10 days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

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VP Kamala Harris calls on Vietnam to join US opposing China ‘bullying’.The United States will provide an additional 1 million coronavirus vaccine doses to Vietnam, Vice President Kamala Harris announced Wednesday, offering additional aid to a country currently grappling with a fresh coronavirus surge and stubbornly low vaccination rates.Harris, speaking at the top of a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, said that the doses would begin to arrive within the next 24 hours. That brings the total vaccine donation to Vietnam to 6 million doses from the US.The new coronavirus aid is part of a wide-ranging set of announcements on new partnerships and support for Vietnam delivered to coincide with Harris’ visit to the nation, during her week-long swing through Southeast Asia. The trip, which included a visit to Singapore earlier in the week, is aimed at strengthening US relationships in the Indo-Pacific region to counter Chinese influence there.During her meeting with Vietnamese President Ngyuen Xuan Phuc, Harris also expressed support for sending an additional U.S. Coast Guard cutter to Vietnam, to help defend its security interests in the South China Sea, and issued a sharp critique of Beijing’s incursions in the disputed waterway.“We need to find ways to pressure and raise the pressure, frankly, on Beijing to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and to challenge its bullying and excessive maritime claims,” she said, adding that the U.S. would “maintain a strong presence in the South China Sea” to challenge China.And she embraced elevating the relationship with Vietnam from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership, a diplomatic designation that would reflect the deepening relationship between the two former foes.Her comments follow sharp words towards Beijing during a speech in Singapore Tuesday, where she said their actions in the South China Sea amount to “coercion” and “intimidation.”On Wednesday in Vietnam, Harris also said that the U.S. supports sending the country an additional U.S. Coast Guard cutter, to help defend its security interests in the South China Sea. And she embraced elevating the relationship with Vietnam from a comprehensive partnership to a strategic partnership, a diplomatic designation that would reflect the deepening relationship between the two former foes.They’re the latest moves by the Biden administration to strengthen its alliances in the Indo-Pacific region in an effort to counter China’s influence. Harris’ trip there, which included a stop in Singapore earlier this week, is aimed at broadening U.S. engagement with both nations and affirming the U.S. commitment to the region.Harris, who is the first U.S. vice president to visit Vietnam, told the nation’s president that “our relationship has come a long way in a quarter of a century.”She also announced the launch of a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Southeast Asia regional office. The new CDC office will be one of four regional offices globally, and it’s focused on collaborating with regional governments on research and training to deal with and prevent global health crisis.The announcement comes as Vietnam is grappling with record high coronavirus infections in Vietnam driven by the delta variant and stubbornly low vaccination rates in the country. The surge in cases prompted a recent lockdown in Ho Chi Minh City, the nation’s business hub and the epicenter of the latest outbreak.In the afternoon, Harris will join a health security event with the health ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations group and Papua New Guinea, where she’ll speak more about the launch of the CDC center.But even as Harris hopes to keep her focus squarely on those key agenda items in Vietnam, her visit will be shadowed by a recent security scare in Vietnam and the ongoing developments in the U.S. exit from Afghanistan.Harris’ flight to Vietnam was delayed for hours Tuesday afternoon after the vice president’s office was made aware of an investigation into two possible cases of the so-called Havana Syndrome in Hanoi, according to administration officials. The Havana Syndrome is the name for a rash of mysterious health incidents first reported by American diplomats and other government employees in the Cuban capital beginning in 2016.Harris has yet to comment publicly on the developments, but they’ll weigh heavily on officials while she participates in a lease signing for the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, with embassy staff attending.And her swing through Vietnam is certain to draw some unwanted comparisons between the humiliating withdrawal of U.S. troops in 1975 and the tumultuous effort this week to evacuate Americans and allies from Afghanistan.U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, a Tennessee Republican and a former U.S. ambassador to Japan, noted that those images are unavoidable for many Americans as Harris stops in the country.“She’s going to have a challenge from a domestic public relations standpoint, because everyone in America right now is associating the images that they’re seeing on TV with the collapse of Kabul, with the images of Americans being lifted from the rooftop of our embassy in Saigon,” he said.Hagerty also said that Harris will need to reassure the Vietnamese that America remains a “beacon of liberty and freedom in the world” and a “strong partner” in the region.But Gregory Poling, a senior fellow for Asia at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggested that Vietnam could offer the vice president an opportunity to offer a more optimistic vision for what a relationship with a former foe can become.“Simply by being there and engaging in this process, it shows the remarkable progress in the rapprochement between the US and Vietnam,” Poling said. “It’s possibly marginally good for them to show that- who in 1975 would believe that this is where the U.S. economic relationship would be?” 

VP Kamala Harris calls on Vietnam to join US opposing China ‘bullying’

Harris, speaking at the top of a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, said that the doses would begin to arrive within the next 24 hours.

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Is it safe to form a COVID-19 “support bubble” with friends?Is it safe to form a COVID-19 “support bubble” with friends? Yes, if done correctly.Support bubbles, also known as quarantine pods, may help fend off loneliness and anxiety after months of social distancing. The idea, which originated in New Zealand, calls for two people or households to agree to socialize in person only with each other to limit the risk of infection.Experts say don’t do it unless everyone agrees to follow social distancing guidelines while outside the bubble.“You are now swimming in the same pool with not just that person, but all the people those people are interacting with,” said Dr. Aaron Milstone at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.Support bubbles are already catching on in the U.S. with reopenings underway. And earlier this month, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that adults living alone or single parents can form support bubbles with another household. Members of a bubble can meet, indoors or out, without remaining two meters (6 ½ feet) apart.It’s too soon to know whether the strategy will work on a broad scale. But a recent study indicated that bubbles with more limited contacts worked better to flatten the curve of infection compared with other strategies, such as limiting contact to one’s neighborhood.“I don’t think we can promise people complete safety when they have face-to-face contact with others outside their household,” said study co-author Per Block of Oxford University.But he said limiting interactions to one other family poses a much smaller risk than resuming previous socializing habits.

Is it safe to form a COVID-19 “support bubble” with friends?

Support bubbles, also known as quarantine pods, may help fend off loneliness and anxiety after months of social distancing. The idea, which originated in New Zealand, calls for two people or households to agree to socialize in person only with each other to limit the risk of infection.

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Afghanistan: 9 killed in Kabul explosionAt least nine people killed and 15 others injured after an explosion rocked Kabul on Sunday, police in the Afghan capital confirmed. The explosion took place in the city's Spin Kalay square in Police District 5 (PD5), reports Khaama Press.Ferdaws Faramarz, deputy spokesman of the Interior Ministry, said three vehicles caught fire at the location of the blast, but the cause remains unclear.The explosion targeted the vehicle of Haji Khan Mohammad Wardak, a member of parliament from Kabul.Wardak survived the attack.No group or individual has immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.Kabul has witnessed a series of attacks in recent weeks.On December 15, Mahbubullah Muhibi, a senior Afghan official, and his office assistant were killed following an explosion after an improvised sticky bomb attached to his vehicle was detonated near the city's Makroryan-e-Char locality.Two days before, at least two people were killed and two others injured in a bomb blast that targeted the vehicle of MP Mohammad Tawfiq Wahdat near Hotel-e-Parwan in Police District 15.Wahdat was not in the vehicle at the time of the blast.On December 12, at least one person was killed and two others were injured after 10 rockets were fired into different parts of Kabul city.On November 21, at least 23 rockets were fired on different parts of the city that killed eight civilians.ALSO READ | Afghanistan: 3 dead, 11 injured after 14 rockets land on Kabul city

Afghanistan: 9 killed in Kabul explosion

At least nine people killed and 15 others injured after an explosion rocked Kabul on Sunday, police in the Afghan capital confirmed.

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The Trump administration on Sunday defended the use of "Indo-Pacific" phrase instead of "Asia Pacific", saying it captures the importance of the rise of India with which the US has strong and growing ties."We have strong and growing ties with India. We talk about 'Indo-Pacific' in part because that phrase captures the importance of India's rise," a senior White House official told reporters in Tokyo, as US President Donald Trump touched down in Japan, kicking off a marathon Asia tour.Related Stories Donald Trump to stay an extra day in Philippines to attend EAS SummitNorth Korea, trade, golf on President Donald Trump’s agenda in JapanIn Pics: On eve of Asia trip, President Donald Trump pays visit to Pearl HarborFacing tumult at home, Donald Trump sets out on lengthy Asia tripUS President Donald Trump praises ‘crucial ally’ Japan as he kicks off 5-nation Asia tripDuring the tour spread over 12 days, Trump will also be visiting South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines."It (Indo-Pacific) captures the importance of the maritime free commons that allow our security and our prosperity to continue," said the official, while responding to queries on the increasing use of the phrase "Indo-Pacific" by the Trump administration, its talk about free and open trade in the region and how the Chinese should regard that.And the strategy is "certainly" not to contain China. "Containment, certainly not," the White House official said on condition of anonymity.The official said America's security and prosperity depends on the US maintaining access for free flow of commerce to this region, because it is a Pacific nation."A free and open Indo-Pacific speaks to that vision, that we want to see the continued stability. We want to reaffirm our commitment to the continued stability of this region, allowing for freedom of navigation, allowing for the marketplace and free markets, really, to drive the prosperity of this region," the official said.With Trump on his maiden visit to the region, the official said the US is looking at ways that it can signal and follow through on this centuries-old commitment."It's not just an accident of the World War II that the United States is in this region the way that have longstanding alliances, security treaties with five countries in the region and very close security and economic partnerships with others," the official asserted,To a question on talks about a strategic dialogue between India, Japan, Australia and the US, the official said this is not about containing China."On the question of cooperation between allies and partners, the US is always talking very closely, from the leader level all the way down to our close allies, Australia and Japan. That is longstanding," the official said.Neither the US nor Australia or Japan have a security alliance with India, the official said, adding: "India is an increasingly important security partner, no doubt. It's natural that they should be, given that they are really, sort of, conceptually the western edge of the Indo-Pacific region; the United States making up the eastern edge of that."The official noted that the region encompasses half of the world's people, more than a third of the world's economy. Eventually, it's going to be pretty soon half of the world's economy. And this is a region that includes China, Japan, the Korean Peninsula, Northeast Asia. It includes Oceania, with US's partner, New Zealand and Pacific Islands, and its longstanding ally, Australia, in the south."India to the west; the United States the east," the official said.

'Indo-Pacific' over 'Asia-Pacific' reflects importance of India's rise: US official

During the Asia tour spread over 12 days, US President Donald Trump will be visiting Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

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FILE - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi participates in the ASEAN-Japan summit in NonthaburA court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi of corruption and sentenced her to five years in prison Wednesday in the first of several corruption cases against her.Suu Kyi, who was ousted by an army takeover last year, had denied the allegation that she had accepted gold and hundreds of thousands of dollars given her as a bribe by a top political colleague.Her supporters and independent legal experts consider her prosecution an unjust move to discredit Suu Kyi and legitimize the military’s seizure of power while keeping the 76-year-old elected leader from returning to an active role in politics.She has already been sentenced to six years imprisonment in other cases and faces 10 more corruption charges. The maximum punishment under the Anti-Corruption Act is 15 years in prison and a fine. Convictions in the other cases could bring sentences of more than 100 years in prison in total for a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who already spent years in detention for defying the military rule.News of Wednesday’s verdict came from a legal official who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to release such information. Suu Kyi’s trial in the capital Naypyitaw was closed to the media, diplomats and spectators, and her lawyers were barred from speaking to the press.Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won a landslide victory in the 2020 general election, but lawmakers were not allowed to take their seats when the army seized power on Feb. 1, 2021, arresting Suu Kyi and many senior colleagues in her party and government. The army claimed it acted because there had been massive electoral fraud, but independent election observers didn’t find any major irregularities.The takeover was met with large nonviolent protests nationwide, which security forces quashed with lethal force that has so far led to the deaths of almost 1,800 civilians, according to a watchdog group, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.As repression escalated, armed resistance against the military government grew, and some U.N. experts now characterize the country as being in a state of civil war.Suu Kyi has not been seen or allowed to speak in public since she was detained and is being held in an undisclosed location. However, at last week’s final hearing in the case, she appeared to be in good health and asked her supporters to “stay united,” said a legal official familiar with the proceedings who asked not to be named because he is not authorized to release information.In earlier cases, Suu Kyi was sentenced to six years imprisonment on convictions of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions and sedition.In the case decided Wednesday, she was accused of receiving $600,000 and seven gold bars in 2017-18 from Phyo Min Thein, the former chief minister of Yangon, the country’s biggest city and a senior member of her political party. Her lawyers, before they were served with gag orders late last year, said she rejected all his testimony against her as “absurd.”The nine other cases currently being tried under the Anti-Corruption Act include several related to the purchase and rental of a helicopter by one of her former Cabinet ministers. Violations of the law carry a maximum penalty for each offense of 15 years in prison and a fine.Suu Kyi is also charged with diverting money meant as charitable donations to build a residence, and with misusing her position to obtain rental properties at lower-than-market prices for a foundation named after her mother. The state Anti-Corruption Commission has declared that several of her alleged actions deprived the state of revenue it would otherwise have earned.Another corruption charge alleging that she accepted a bribe has not yet gone to trial.Suu Kyi is also being tried on a charge of violating the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years, and on a charge alleging election fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of three years.Also Read | A timeline of Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi's political life

Myanmar court sentences Suu Kyi to 5 years for corruption

In the case decided Wednesday, Suu Kyi was accused of receiving $600,000 and seven gold bars in 2017-18 from Phyo Min Thein, the former chief minister of Yangon

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A wave of bloodshed swept Venezuela as troops cracked down on violent protests against elections to choose the members of a powerful assembly that President Nicolas Maduro has tasked with writing a new constitution.Protesters attacked polling stations and barricaded streets around the country, drawing a bloody response from security forces, who opened fire with live ammunition in some cases.At least 10 people were killed, prompting the United States to threaten further "strong and swift" sanctions on Maduro's government. Senior opposition leader Henrique Capriles called on Venezuelans to continue defying the deeply unpopular Maduro with new protests against the election and the "massacre" he said accompanied it. "We do not recognize this fraudulent process," he said at the close of voting, calling for nationwide marches Monday and a mass protest in Caracas Wednesday, the day the new "Constituent Assembly" is due to be installed. Maduro has decreed a ban on protests during and after the vote, threatening prison terms of up to 10 years. The socialist president is gambling his four-year rule on the 545-member assembly, which will be empowered to dissolve the opposition-controlled congress and rewrite the constitution. But the unrest fueled fears that his insistence on convening the assembly -- despite months of demonstrations and fierce international criticism -- would only plunge the country deeper into chaos. Prosecutors said 10 people were killed in violence around the vote, bringing the death toll in four months of protests to some 120 people. Those killed included a candidate for the new assembly, a regional opposition leader, two teenage protesters and a soldier in the western state of Tachira, which saw some of the worst violence. In eastern Caracas, seven police were wounded when an improvised explosive targeted their motorcycle convoy.National guard troops used armored vehicles, rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters blocking roads in the west of the capital. Soldiers also violently moved against protesters in the second city of Maracaibo, in the west, and Puerto Ordaz in the east. The opposition had called for a boycott and mass demonstrations against the election, which it condemned as a bid to install a dictatorship. "This constituent assembly is being born in a bloodbath. It is born illegitimate," said Nicmer Evans, a prominent socialist turned Maduro critic, alleging widespread irregularities. Maduro kicked off voting by casting his ballot in a west Caracas polling station. "I'm the first voter in the country. I ask God for his blessings so the people can freely exercise their democratic right to vote," he said. He was accompanied by his wife, Cilia Flores, a candidate for the new assembly. He got a technological snub when he scanned his ID card at the polling station and the screen spit out the words,"This person does not exist or the ID was canceled." 

10 killed as protests against Venezuela assembly election turn violent

A wave of bloodshed swept Venezuela as troops cracked down on violent protests against elections to choose the members of a powerful assembly that President Nicolas Maduro has tasked with writing a new constitution

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Aruna MIllerIndian-American civil engineer Aruna Miller, seeking to enter the House of Representatives, is confident of winning from Maryland which has an all-male congressional delegation.Miller, who came to the US in 1972 at the age of seven, is vying to enter the House of Representatives — the lower chamber of the US Congress — from a Maryland suburb of Washington DC. Miller is pitted against party colleague David Trone in the Democratic party for the sixth Congressional District of Maryland primary.If elected, the 53-year-old Hyderabad-born hopeful would be the second Indian-American woman to enter the House after Pramila Jayapal from Washington State.Days ahead of the crucial Maryland Democratic primary, Miller exuded confidence that her surging support from the people of the sixth Congressional district would be dissuaded by the money power, and help her get on the November Congressional ballot and finally enter the House next January.With the retirement of Senator Barbara Mikulski – the longest-serving woman in the Senate history. Maryland lost its female voices in Congress in 2017. “The race is an opportunity for Democrats to elect a woman to Maryland’s all-male congressional delegation,” reported the Washington Post.A civil engineer by profession, Miller, who speaks fluent Telugu, came to the US in 1972 when she was seven. Known for her great legislative skills, she was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 2010.“I think the rhetoric that’s happening at the national level about immigrants being demonised and marginalised… this resonates with a lot of people because many of us have come here as immigrants to this great nation. Diversity is not our problem. It’s our promise,” Miller told PTI.“I think that’s what spurred a lot of people to wake up and say, wow, I need to take an active role in what’s happening in our country,” said Miller. She has received tremendous support from Indian-Americans in Maryland and across the nation.Latest figures, as released by the Federal Election Commission, indicate that she has raised more than USD 1.36 million for the Democratic primary. “The first thing, or one of the most important things to be able to do if I got elected to the US Congress, is to make sure we fix the broken immigration system right now.“We need to have a pathway to citizenship. And this is for undocumented immigrants that are here, working hard, try to make ends meet and playing a part in our economy,” she said.Forty per cent of the undocumented immigrants that are in this country are ones that have overstayed their visas, whether it’s H-1B visa, student visa, and they’re living in the shadows right now. All they want to do is to contribute to this great country, she said.“We need to have a pathway to citizenship. We need to make sure that those on H-1B visas are not on 15-20 years (wait for green card), where they become an indentured servant to the companies that they work at. We need to have a more streamlined process on how they can get their green card and become a citizen as well,” she said.Miller, a great advocate for strong India-US ties, accompanied the then Maryland governor to India as a Maryland State delegate. “It is critical that the largest democracy and the oldest democracy have a strong bond together. I’ll continue to work on that,” Miller said.Early this month, she was endorsed by ‘Desis for Progress’, an organisation of progressive South Asians who are striving to create a better community. 

Aruna Miller in race to become 2nd Indian-American woman to enter US House of Representatives

If elected, the 53-year-old Hyderabad-born hopeful would be the second Indian-American woman to enter the House after Pramila Jayapal from Washington State.

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Pakistan and Afghanistan flagsPakistan has asked Afghanistan to guard against playing into the hands of India, amid tensions in the region.Citing officials, The Nation reported that several senior Pakistani officers had reminded Afghanistan of their country's role in maintaining peace in the war-torn nation, and that thousands of Afghan refugees had taken shelter in Pakistan."We believe India is misguiding Afghanistan, told Afghanistan to ensure peace along the border. We would not tolerate cross-border attacks," said an official.Another Pakistani official reportedly told Afghanistan to not mistake its "softness" as "weakness", and Pakistan had the right to reply back.Recently, three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one injured, in firing during the construction of a wall along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.ALSO READ | ALSO READ | ALSO READ | 

Islamabad cautions Kabul on leaning on India

Recently, three Pakistani soldiers were killed and one injured, in firing during the construction of a wall along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

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Pfizer COVID vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours: TrumpPfizer's COVID-19 vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours, US President Donald Trump has said. This comes after the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use across the country. "The first vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours," Trump said while adding that the pandemic came from China but ended "right here in America".In a video shared on Twitter, Trump said, "Today our nation has achieved a medical miracle -- we have delivered a safe and effective vaccine in just nine months. This is one of the greatest scientific accomplishments in history. It will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all."Trump said that he was proud to say that he has "made sure that this vaccine would be free to all Americans." He further said that his administration has already begun shipping the vaccine to every state and zip code in the country."When the ChinaVirus invaded our shores, I promised that we would produce a vaccine in record time before the end of the year. They said it couldn't be done but with today's announcement (by the FDA), we have achieved that goal," he said.Trump further went on to add that the US is the first country in the world to produce "a verifiable, safe and effective vaccine"."Today's achievement is a reminder of America's unlimited potential when we have the will and courage to pursue ambitious goals. The vaccine will vanquish the virus and return back to normal. The pandemic may have begun in China but we are ending it right here in America," he added.On the FDA's decision, Trump said that he "was thrilled" about Pfizer being approved adding that the administration (Trump's) had given "Pfizer and other companies, a great deal of money."Trump went on to thank the "brilliant" scientists, technicians, doctors and workers 'who made this all possible'."Pfizer and Moderna have announced their vaccines are approximately 95 percent effective, far exceeding expectations. These vaccines are also very safe. American citizens also participated in clinical trials that were far larger than normal and had no serious side effects," he said."The governors will decide where the vaccine will go in their state and who will get them first. We want our senior citizens, healthcare workers and first responders to be first in line -- this would quickly and dramatically reduce deaths and hospitialisations," he added.The US Food and Drug Administration authorized Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Friday for the prevention of coronavirus disease in individuals 16 years of age and older.To date, more than 70.1 million people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, with over 1.59 million fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.The United States remains the worst-hit nations, with more than 15.8 million confirmed cases and over 294,000 fatalities. 

Pfizer COVID vaccine will be administered in less than 24 hours, says Trump

Trump said that he was proud to say that he has "made sure that this vaccine would be free to all Americans." He further said that his administration has already begun shipping the vaccine to every state and zip code in the country.

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Iran student leader says he regrets 1979 US Embassy attackHis revolutionary fervor diminished by the years that have also turned his dark brown hair white, one of the Iranian student leaders of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover says he now regrets the seizure of the diplomatic compound and the 444-day hostage crisis that followed.Speaking to The Associated Press ahead of Monday’s 40th anniversary of the attack, Ebrahim Asgharzadeh acknowledged that the repercussions of the crisis still reverberate as tensions remain high between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.Asgharzadeh cautioned others against following in his footsteps, despite the takeover becoming enshrined in hard-line mythology. He also disputed a revisionist history now being offered by supporters of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard that they directed the attack, insisting all the blame rested with the Islamist students who let the crisis spin out of control. “Like Jesus Christ, I bear all the sins on my shoulders,” Asgharzadeh said.At the time, what led to the 1979 takeover remained obscure to Americans who for months could only watch in horror as TV newscasts showed Iranian protests at the embassy. Popular anger against the U.S. was rooted in the 1953 CIA-engineered coup that toppled Iran’s elected prime minister and cemented the power of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.The shah, dying from cancer, fled Iran in February 1979, paving the way for its Islamic Revolution. But for months, Iran faced widespread unrest ranging from separatist attacks, worker revolts and internal power struggles. Police reported for work but not for duty, allowing chaos like Marxist students briefly seizing the U.S. Embassy.In this power vacuum, then-President Jimmy Carter allowed the shah to seek medical treatment in New York. That lit the fuse for the Nov. 4, 1979, takeover, though at first the Islamist students argued over which embassy to seize. A student leader named Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who later became president in 2005, argued they should seize the Soviet Embassy compound in Tehran as leftists had caused political chaos.But the students settled on the U.S. Embassy, hoping to pressure Carter to send the shah back to Iran to stand trial on corruption charges. Asgharzadeh, then a 23-year-old engineering student, remembers friends going to Tehran’s Grand Bazaar to buy a bolt cutter, a popular tool used by criminals, and the salesman saying: “You do not look like thieves! You certainly want to open up the U.S. Embassy door with it!” “The society was ready for it to happen. Everything happened so fast,” Asgharzadeh said. “We cut off the chains on the embassy’s gate. Some of us climbed up the walls and we occupied the embassy compound very fast.”Like other former students, Asgharzadeh said the plan had been simply to stage a sit-in. But the situation soon spun out of their control. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the long-exiled Shiite cleric whose return to Iran sparked the revolution, gave his support to the takeover. He would use that popular angler to expand the Islamists’ power.“We, the students, take responsibility for the first 48 hours of the takeover,” Asgharzadeh said. “Later, it was out of our hands since the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and the establishment supported it.”He added: “Our plan was one of students, unprofessional and temporary.”As time went on, it slowly dawned on the naive students that Americans as a whole wouldn’t join their revolution. While a rescue attempt by the U.S. military would fail and Carter would lose to Ronald Reagan amid the crisis, the U.S. as whole expressed worry about the hostages by displaying yellow ribbons and counting the days of their captivity.As the months passed, things only got worse. Asgharzadeh said he thought it would end once the shah left America or later with his death in Egypt in July 1980. It didn’t.“A few months after the takeover, it appeared to be turning into a rotten fruit hanging down from a tree and no one had the courage to take it down and resolve the matter,” he said. “There was a lot of public opinion support behind the move in the society. The society felt it had slapped America, a superpower, on the mouth and people believed that the takeover proved to America that their democratic revolution had been stabilized.”It hadn’t, though. The eight-year Iran-Iraq War would break out during the crisis. The hostage crisis and later the war boosted the position of hard-liners who sought strict implementation of their version of Islamic beliefs.Seizing or attacking diplomatic posts remains a tactic of Iranian hard-liners to this day. A mob stormed the British Embassy in Tehran in 2011, while another attacked diplomatic posts of Saudi Arabia in 2016, which led to diplomatic ties being cut between Tehran and Riyadh.However, Asgharzadeh denied that Iran’s then-nascent Revolutionary Guard directed the U.S. Embassy takeover, although he said it was informed before the attack over fears that security forces would storm the compound and retake it. Many at the time believed the shah would launch a coup, like in 1953, to regain power.“In a very limited way, we informed one of the Guard’s units and they accepted to protect the embassy from outside,” Asgharzadeh said. “The claim (by hard-liners) on the Guard’s role lacks credit. I am the main narrator of the incident and I am still alive.”In the years since, Asgharzadeh has become a reformist politician and served prison time for his views. He has argued that Iran should work toward improving ties with the U.S., a difficult task amid President Donald Trump’s maximalist campaign against Tehran.“It is too difficult to say when the relations between Tehran and Washington can be restored,” Asgharzadeh said. “I do not see any prospect.”

Iran student leader says he regrets 1979 US Embassy attack

His revolutionary fervor diminished by the years that have also turned his dark brown hair white, one of the Iranian student leaders of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover says he now regrets the seizure of the diplomatic compound and the 444-day hostage crisis that followed.

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Piccadilly Circus, UKA film depicting the life of Mahatma Gandhi was projected on to the screens at Piccadilly Circus in London on Tuesday, marking the launch of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations for the Father of the Nation.The 'Bapu@150' film, commissioned by the High Commission of India in London, flashed the teachings of Gandhi around non-violence and satyagraha on to the iconic screens in central London, with tourists and passers-by stopping to capture images. The hour-long screening incorporated Gandhi’s well-known sayings such as “Be the change that you wish to see” and “Poverty is the worst form of violence” and was accompanied by graphic imagery depicting the leader of the Indian National Movement in his characteristic khadi outfit and spectacles."This marks the launch of a series of celebrations for the 150th birth anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi in the UK," the Indian High Commission said.The screening was preceded by an annual gathering to mark Gandhi Jayanti, celebrated as the International Day of Non-Violence, at the famous Gandhi statue at Tavistock Square in London on Tuesday morning. The event, also organised by the Indian High Commission along with community organisations such as India League, Gita Foundation and National Association of Patidar Samaj, brought together members of the Indian diaspora for floral tributes and chanting of Gandhi’s favourite bhajans. The group then undertook a "peace march" to the relatively newer Gandhi statue at Parliament Square in London, which was unveiled in 2015.The 149th birth anniversary of Gandhi, which marks the beginning of the year-long celebrations of his 150th birth anniversary, was chosen by UK-based Rising Star Entertainment for the release of the first glimpse into 'The Gandhi Murder', a new period film that delves into the political events leading up to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The international film project, set for release on January 30 next year to coincide with Gandhi's death anniversary, questions the narrative behind the killing of the freedom fighter by Right-wing nationalist Nathuram Godse."The film, based on true events, follows three senior police officers in different parts of India, who, well aware of the intelligence that Gandhi's life in under threat, must take key decisions that would eventually either save the Mahatma, or the country,” the filmmakers explain.The film, co-directed by Algerian filmmaker Karim Traidia and writer Pankaj Sehgal, stars a host of Hollywood actors and also marks the final on-screen appearance of Indian actor Om Puri, who passed away last year.

UK marks Gandhi Jayanti with iconic screening of 'Bapu@150' film at Piccadilly Circus

The 'Bapu@150' film, commissioned by the High Commission of India in London, flashed the teachings of Gandhi around non-violence and satyagraha on to the iconic screens in central London, with tourists and passers-by stopping to capture images.

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New Zealand volcano eruption on White Island leaves 5 dead, tourists missingA volcanic island in New Zealand erupted Monday in a tower of ash and steam while dozens of tourists were exploring the moon-like surface, killing five people and leaving many more missing. Police said the site was still too dangerous hours later for rescuers to search for the missing. Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said the number of missing was in the double digits but he couldn’t confirm an exact number. He said there were fewer than 50 people on the island when it erupted and 23 had been taken off, including the five dead.Image Source : APDeadly volcano rocks New Zealand: 5 killed, tourists missing Deadly volcano rocks New Zealand: 5 killed, tourists missing Tims said experts had told them the island remained unstable but search and rescue teams wanted to get back as quickly as they could. He said there had been no contact with any of those who were missing.He said both New Zealanders and overseas tourists were among those who were dead, missing or injured. He said most of the 18 who survived were injured and some had suffered severe burns.Some of those involved were tourists from the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship Ovation of the Seas.“A number of our guests were touring the island today,” the company said. “We will offer all possible assistance to our guests and local authorities. Please keep all those affected in your prayers.”The cruise ship, which had left from Sydney last week, was scheduled to sail to the capital Wellington on Monday night but the company said it would instead remain in the Tauranga port overnight until it learned more on the situation.“My god,” wrote Michael Schade on Twitter as he posted video of the eruption. “My family and I had gotten off it 20 minutes before, were waiting at our boat about to leave when we saw it. Boat ride home tending to people our boat rescued was indescribable.”His video showed a wall of ash and steam around the island and a helicopter badly damaged and covered in ash. He said one woman was badly injured but seemed “strong” by the end.White Island sits about 50 kilometers (30 miles) offshore from mainland New Zealand. Already people are questioning why tourists were still able to visit the island after scientists recently noted an uptick in volcanic activity.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern traveled to the region late Monday. She said the incident was “very significant.”“All our thoughts are with those affected,” she said.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he’d offered Ardern his support.“Australians have been caught up in this terrible event and we are working to determine their wellbeing,” Morrison wrote on Twitter.Brad Scott, a volcanologist with research group GNS Science, said the eruption sent a plume of steam and ash about 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) into the air. He said it had also affected the whole of the White Island crater floor.The GeoNet agency, which monitors volcanoes and earthquakes in New Zealand, raised the alert level on White Island from one to two on Nov. 18, noting an increase in the amount of sulfur dioxide gas, which originates from magma deep in the volcano. It also said at the time that over the previous weeks, the volcanic tremor had increased from weak to moderate strength.Scott said the alert level was often raised and then later dropped again without any eruption. He said there hadn’t been any major incidents with tourists visiting the island in the past, although there had been some close calls.Scott said it was not for him to say whether the island was safe enough to host tourists immediately before Monday’s eruption.Ardern said the focus remained on the search and rescue mission for now and questions about whether tourists should be visiting would be addressed later.GeoNet at first raised its alert level to four, on a scale where five represents a major eruption. It later dropped the alert level back down to three. Scott said that was because the eruption wasn’t sustained beyond the initial blast.“In the scheme of things, for volcanic eruptions, it is not large,” said Ken Gledhill from GeoNet. “But if you were close to that, it is not good.”White Island is northeast of the town of Tauranga on North Island, one of New Zealand’s two main islands. Experts say it’s New Zealand’s most active cone volcano and about 70% of the volcano lies under the sea.Twelve people were killed on the island in 1914 when it was being mined for sulfur. Part of a crater wall collapsed and a landslide destroyed the miners’ village and the mine itself.The remains of buildings from another mining enterprise in the 1920s are now a tourist attraction, according to GeoNet. The island became a private scenic reserve in 1953, and daily tours allow more than 10,000 people to visit the volcano every year.The island is also known by the indigenous Maori name Whakaari.

Deadly volcano rocks New Zealand: 5 killed, tourists missing

At least five people were killed after the White Island or the Whakaari volcano in New Zealand erupted on Monday. The toll islikely to increase as a number of people were still unaccounted.

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Coronavirus outbreak: Face mask ads banned for misleading claimsAdvertisements by two companies making false claims about using face masks to prevent the spread of coronavirus have been banned. According to a report with the BBC, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of Britain ruled the claims made by the two ad agencies were in breach of its code. The adverts were "misleading, irresponsible and likely to cause fear without justifiable reason", it said. Officials have urged more hand-washing to delay the spread of the virus.The rulings were made against adverts by Easy Shopping 4 Home Ltd, which appeared on the Amazon website, and adverts by Novads OU for its Oxybreath Pro mask, which appeared on the Scottish Sun website via the Taboola network and other sites.One of the Oxybreath Pro adverts stated: "It would be an understatement to say that there is a growing sense of panic."The best advice I've heard is to stay calm and take practical measures to protect yourself. One of the best ways to protect yourself is to get a high-quality face mask that can protect you from viruses, bacteria, and other air pollutants."The ASA said the adverts were "misleading" because the claims went against official advice.A spokesman said Public Health England informed the ASA "that they do not recommend the use of face masks as a means of protection from coronavirus"."We understood there was very little evidence of widespread benefit from their use outside of clinical settings," the ASA said in a statement.They added that "prolonged use of masks was likely to reduce compliance with good universal hygiene behaviours" to help stop the spread of infectious diseases, like frequent hand-washing.Stephen Powis, NHS medical director, said: "Callous firms looking to maximise profits by pushing products that fly in the face of official advice is outright dangerous and has rightly been banned."He called for "responsible" firms to "play their part" in tackling the outbreak, by planning how employees could work from home, encouraging hygiene measures and urging anyone with concerns to seek further information on NHS 111 online.The number of coronavirus cases in the UK rose from 39 to 51 on Tuesday, with more than 90,000 infected globally in more than 50 countries.(With inputs from IANS)Also Read | Coronavirus outbreak: Odisha government issues list do's and don'tsAlso Read | Coronavirus scare: PM Modi to skip Holi Milan event as experts advise against mass gatherings

Coronavirus outbreak: Face mask ads banned for misleading claims

The number of coronavirus cases in the UK rose from 39 to 51 on Tuesday, with more than 90,000 infected globally in more than 50 countries.

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Activists attend a candlelight vigil against the impending execution of Nagaenthran K. Dharmalingam, sentenced to death for trafficking heroin into Singapore, outside the Singaporean embassy in Kuala LumpurA Singapore court on Tuesday stayed the execution of a 33-year-old Indian-origin Malaysian man, convicted for drug trafficking after he tested positive for COVID-19.Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam was to be hanged at Changi Prison for drug trafficking on Wednesday. Singapore's High Court on Monday suspended his scheduled execution until an appeal is heard during an online hearing.Dharmalingam, who has been on death row for 11 years, was ushered in briefly into the dock at the Court of Appeal for the hearing of a last-ditch appeal against his death sentence, Channel News Asia reported. However, he was later taken away, and a judge informed the court that Nagaenthran had tested positive for COVID-19.Justice Andrew Phang, who appeared with fellow judges Judith Prakash and Kannan Ramesh, said, "this is rather unexpected". He said the court was of the view that it was not appropriate to proceed, "given the circumstances". "The execution is scheduled for tomorrow," said Justice Phang."... If the applicant has been afflicted by COVID-19 ... it's our view that the execution cannot take place anyway," the judge said. The prosecution said they only just heard of the development and needed to take instructions. "I think here, we have to use logic, common sense, and humanity," said Justice Phang. He adjourned the hearing to a date yet to be fixed and issued a stay of the execution until proceedings are concluded.Lawyer M Ravi had taken up Nagaenthran's case at the eleventh hour, ahead of his scheduled hanging on Wednesday. His court application on Monday for a judicial review of the case on grounds of Nagaenthran's purported mental disability was dismissed, but the judge granted a temporary stay of his execution until after Ravi appealed against the dismissal.The case was fast-tracked and the appeal set to be heard in the highest court on Tuesday afternoon, with a packed courtroom including foreign media and local activists.Ravi was seen hugging a fellow counsel after the stay of execution was announced, according to a Channel News Asia report. No other details of when Nagaenthran tested positive for COVID-19 were given, according to the Channel.Nagaenthran was sentenced to death in 2010 for importing 42.72g of heroin into Singapore in 2009 in a bundle strapped to his thigh. He failed in his appeals to the High Court in 2011, to the Apex Court in 2019, and in his petition to the president for clemency.The case drew international attention as Nagaenthran's impending execution neared, with an online petition against his death sentence drawing about 70,000 signatures as of Tuesday, and coverage by international media.Malaysia's prime minister wrote to his Singapore counterpart on the matter, and human rights groups, as well as Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, also weighed in on the issue.

Singapore court stays execution of Malaysian Indian after he tests COVID-19 positive

Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, who is convicted for drug trafficking was to be hanged at Changi Prison for drug trafficking on Wednesday. Singapore's High Court on Monday suspended his scheduled execution until an appeal is heard during an online hearing.

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Between 2002 to 2020, playing on the "war on terror" narrative, Pakistan elicited around $ 33 billion in US assistance.The situation in Afghanistan today has the global community concerned and anxious about developments in the region and the likely negative fall-out of the same.Analysts have been digging up assessments of varying nature on the likely course the situation in Afghanistan would take in the coming days. There is a high degree of uncertainty on the manner in which the government would ensure a safe and secure Afghanistan.In such situations, there is a tendency for the global community to forget those responsible for creating such crises outsmarting all stakeholders. In the case of Afghanistan, finding the true perpetrators of the creation of today's Afghanistan is the big question.Pakistan has been quick enough to portray itself as the lone player left in the field to deal with the Afghan mess while the US abandoned the complex situation in the country. Pakistan has also been building on the sympathy narrative that it remains at the forefront of defending the world from the spread of terrorism - a line it intends to sustain in order to win the support of the larger international community. It projects itself as the savior of the world by being on the frontline of the war against terrorism and calibrating the Taliban to ensure peace and stability.While Pakistan does not want to be seen as associated with the Taliban, at the same time it has no choice but to portray its linkages with the Taliban so as to uphold the mantle of ensuring security in Afghanistan.The fact, however, remains that Pakistan has been solely responsible for creating the prevailing volatile situation in Afghanistan over the years as part of its policy of seeking strategic depth in Afghanistan. It has consistently indulged in extending support to US operations in Afghanistan while, at the same time, remaining deeply involved with the Taliban.This duplicitous game of Pakistan was well known to the US from the very beginning but the US was focused on their targets on the ground in Afghanistan to which they could not gain access without the assistance of Pakistan.Ironically, while Pakistan played along with the Americans in Afghanistan to ensure a constant flow of aid and other forms of support, at the same time, they provided resources and logistical support base for the Taliban.Pakistan has also mastered well the art of psychological warfare as one saw a flurry of activities involving Pakistani officials and ministers feverishly engaging critical foreign contacts soon after the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban, ostensibly to ensure that there is no adverse fallout of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan impacting Pakistan's international image.In fact, on the contrary, Pakistan went on a PR overdrive all across using their Ambassadors and critical contacts abroad to project themselves as being left in the lurch and having to defend itself and the world against any volatile situation being created in Afghanistan. They would thus vie for aid and assistance from international organizations and western countries building on this narrative.A number of American politicians have rightly claimed that the war in Afghanistan would have ended long ago if Pakistan denied safe havens to the Taliban.While sheltering and hosting the Taliban, Pakistan has ignored the fact that with a strong radical Islamic undercurrent prevailing in the country and political instability being endemic, the possibility of hardcore radical elements supported by the Taliban taking over the reins of the country in Islamabad cannot be ruled out.The Central Asian state of Tajikistan went through a 5 year period of civil war from 1992 to 1997 due to the involvement of Taliban cadres in the internal political conflict in Tajikistan.Strengthening the hands of the Taliban could lead to the possibility of radical groups in Pakistan taking over control of the government and eventually, nuclear weapons. While this may or may not become a reality, but Pakistan has also been using this narrative to put the fear among western nations to draw support in the form of resources and financial aid.Then-President Pervez Musharraf was able to convince the larger global community that Al Qaeda was a threat to Pakistan's stability. From time to time, Pakistan's security officials have also played the narrative that hijacking Pakistan's nuclear weapons by terrorists were their worst nightmare. The terror-nuclear axis has thus been played well by Pakistan.Over a period of time, Pakistan has thus managed to successfully play this manipulative game attracting significant assistance from the West. Between 2002 to 2020, playing on the "war on terror" narrative, Pakistan elicited around $ 33 billion in US assistance.Steve Cole, in his book "Directorate S", describes the Coalition Support Funds (CSF) - essentially reimbursements to Pakistan - as "legal bribery" of the general. A US Committee heard the story of how Pakistan presented bills for $70 million on road and bunker construction without any evidence that it was ever done, $19,000 for use of each naval vehicle, and $55 million spent for the maintenance of helicopters which remained in total disrepair.A lot of that went into various pockets. At the institutional level, CSF funds were used to buy conventional weapons for use against India, with the State Department classifying even the F-16 as counter-terrorism weaponry.On a separate note, a number of incidents have taken place with Pakistani nationals carrying out attacks in different locations across the world but this never led to pressure from the international community on the Pakistani administration because of the inter-dependability of aid and security.As far as use of dubious means and tactics used by Pakistan is concerned, one cannot forget how Pakistan managed to create its nuclear weapons through covert channels. Pakistani nuclear scientist A.Q. Khan even catered uranium centrifuge to Iran besides training Iranian scientists in multiple areas.While the world today tries to deal with the Iranian nuclear program, which poses a threat to the West, Pakistan's complicity in critical contribution towards the project seems to have gone unnoticed.Pakistan has thus escaped strong retribution due ironically to its own instability, with terrorists becoming the currency of exchange and barter. Its nuclear weapons have also been turned into a source of currency, while it used all the blackmail and double-dealing to back one apparent ally at the expense of another, and all of this for more than 20 years.The US military and security establishment is well aware of the extent to which Pakistan has been responsible for causing damage to the US military in Afghanistan and intentionally bringing a bad name to the US compelling it to withdraw fast from Afghanistan.One cannot forget the shock of 9/11 when US officials threatened to bomb Pakistan back into the "stone age" and which led to Pakistani Army "advisors" speedily exiting Afghanistan. The part of the war did actually end in a week. It restarted again, as the US turned to Iraq, and left the war to Pakistan.

Pakistan's duplicitous strategy in Afghanistan and elsewhere

While Pakistan played along with the Americans in Afghanistan to ensure the constant flow of aid and other forms of support, at the same time, they provided resources and logistical support base for the Taliban.

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UK in early stages of third Covid wave: ScientistThe UK is in the early stages of a third wave of Covid-19, a scientist advising the UK government said, media reports said on Monday. The B1617 variant, which was first detected in India in October 2020, had fuelled "exponential growth" and is responsible for at least three-quarters of cases in the UK, Ravi Gupta, a professor at the University of Cambridge, was quoted as saying by the BBC."Of course the number of cases is relatively low at the moment -- all waves start with low numbers of cases that grumble in the background and then become explosive, so the key here is that what we are seeing here is the signs of an early wave," Gupta told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.However, he said the number of people who have been vaccinated in the UK meant this wave would probably take longer to emerge than the previous ones."There may be a false sense of security for some time, and that's our concern," he noted, suggesting that ending Covid restrictions in the UK on June 21 should be postponed.It should be delayed "by a few weeks while we gather more intelligence", said Gupta, a member of the UK government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag).The concern was echoed by other experts who said that the B1617 variant could "pick up speed and become a big problem" in the UK as the country further eases lockdown measures.The UK's fight against coronavirus could turn bad "very, very quickly" unless the government acts cautiously on easing lockdown further, Xinhua news agency quoted Tim Gowers from the University of Cambridge telling the Guardian on Saturday.Anthony Harnden, the deputy chair of the UK's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), also warned that the B1617 variant is "clearly more transmissible"."We need to be reassured that we're in a very different position now in that we've got a highly vaccinated population and we just need to continue moving at speed," he told the BBC on Saturday."We do know that with this particular variant, you do need two doses to offer complete protection, and so we're very, very keen to make sure that all those, particularly higher risk groups, over 50 years of age and those with underlying illness, receive their second vaccination as soon as feasible," Harnden said.The final stage of the government's roadmap for lifting lockdown, which would remove all limits on how many people you can meet - either indoors or outdoors, is due no earlier than June 21.On Sunday, the UK reported more than 3,000 new Covid infections for a fifth day in a row. Prior to this, the UK had not surpassed that number since April 12, the BBC report said.

UK in early stages of third Covid wave: Scientist

The UK is in the early stages of a third wave of Covid-19, a scientist advising the UK government said, media reports said on Monday.

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Trump to join Modi in Houston to address 50K Indian-Americans, says White House US President Donald Trump will join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Houston's mega "Howdy, Modi!" event on September 22, the White House said on Sunday.Reflecting on the new bonhomie in the India-US ties under the Trump administration, this is for the first time in recent history that the leaders of the two largest democracies would be addressing a joint rally anywhere in the world.More than 50,000 Indian-Americans from across the US have registered for the September 22 mega "Howdy, Modi! Shared Dreams, Bright Futures" event to be held at the sprawling NRG Stadium in Houston."Howdy", short for 'How do you do?', is a friendly greeting commonly used in southwestern United States.In a statement, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said, "It (Modi-Trump joint rally) will be a great opportunity to emphasize the strong ties between the people of the United States and India, to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the world's oldest and largest democracies, and to discuss ways to deepen their energy and trade relationship."This would also be the first time that an American president would be addressing thousands of Indian-Americans at one place in the US.Indian ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla called Trump's participation in the "Howdy, Modi!" event "historic" and "unprecedented"."It is reflective of the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that has developed between India and the US," Shringla told PTI."This is unprecedented and historic and is reflective of the close ties of friendship and cooperation between India and the US," the ambassador said, welcoming the White House announcement.He said it was reflective of the people-to-people contact that provides the "organic" linkage between the two countries.The ambassador said the two leaders addressing the event sets a bold precedent, which he added was unconventional and unique."It would be quite a historic meeting with Prime Minister Modi and President Trump jointly addressing over 50,000 Indian-Americans, mainly US citizens," Shringla said.White House officials told PTI that a request was made by Prime Minister Modi to President Trump when the two met in France last month on the sidelines of the G-7 summit.While India is not part of the G-7 countries, Modi was invited as a special guest by French President Emanuel Macron for the summit.Trump, who enjoys a great chemistry and friendship with Modi, "immediately accepted" the invitation to join him in Houston and directed his officials and secret service, officials said.This would be the third meeting between the two leaders this year. 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#HowdyModi: Trump to join PM Modi in Houston to address 50,000 Indian-Americans

Reflecting on the new bonhomie in the India-US ties under the Trump administration, this is for the first time in recent history that the leaders of the two largest democracies would be addressing a joint rally anywhere in the world.

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Five migrants are dead and more than 50 are missing after smugglers forced them from a boat off the coast of Yemen in the second such drowning in two days, the U.N. migration agency said Thursday. The International Organization for Migration's statement came less than a day after it said up to 50 migrants from Ethiopia and Somalia were "deliberately drowned" by a smuggler in a separate boat off Yemen.Up to 180 migrants were forced from the boat Thursday morning, the IOM said."We have the five bodies for sure ... but we believe that there are certainly more than 50 who are still in the sea," Laurent de Boeck, the IOM's chief of mission in Yemen, told The Associated Press.The narrow waters between the Horn of Africa and Yemen have been a popular migration route despite Yemen's conflict. Migrants, most of them Ethiopians, try to make their way to oil-rich Gulf countries."They are not aware at all that there is a war. Sometimes they don't even believe us when we explain it to them," de Boeck said. Just by making land they feel "they are halfway to wealthy."In the first drownings on Wednesday, a smuggler forced more than 120 migrants into the sea as they approached Yemen's coast, the IOM said. Its staffers found the shallow graves of 29 migrants on a beach in Shabwa during a routine patrol. At least 22 migrants remained missing.The passengers' average age was around 16, the IOM said."The survivors told our colleagues on the beach that the smuggler pushed them to the sea when he saw some 'authority types' near the coast," de Boeck said Wednesday. "They also told us that the smuggler has already returned to Somalia to continue his business and pick up more migrants to bring to Yemen on the same route."De Boeck called the suffering of migrants on the route enormous, especially during the current windy season on the Indian Ocean. "Too many young people pay smugglers with the false hope of a better future," he said.The IOM says about 55,000 migrants have left Horn of Africa nations for Yemen since January, with most from Somalia and Ethiopia as they flee drought and unrest at home. Many leave from points in Djibouti, with some departing from Somalia. A third of them are estimated to be women."Some are coming for the third time. They didn't succeed, they went back home, but the parents didn't agree with the fact that they didn't succeed so they send them back. And they have no choice," de Boeck told the AP. "They are between 12 and 25 years old."Migrants travelling from Djibouti pay about $150, while migrants travelling from northern Somalia pay between $200 and $250 because the route to Yemen is longer.De Boeck expressed regret that the European Union is more focused on the migration routes on the Mediterranean, which also have proven to be deadly as smugglers set flimsy boats packed with migrants adrift toward Europe."They have forgotten us a little bit," de Boeck said.In Ethiopia, people expressed their outrage on social media over the drownings."This is an unprecedented level of cruelty," wrote one Facebook user, Behailu Talegeta.Despite the fighting in Yemen, African migrants continue to arrive in the country where there is no central authority to prevent them from traveling onward. The migrants are vulnerable to abuse by armed trafficking rings, many of them believed to be connected to the armed groups involved in the war.Yemen's conflict itself is a deadly risk. In March, Somalia's government blamed the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen for an attack on a boat that killed at least 42 Somali refugees off Yemen's coast.More than 111,500 migrants landed on Yemen's shores last year, up from around 100,000 the year before, according to the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat, a grouping of international agencies that monitors migration in the area.

5 dead, over 50 missing after 180 migrants thrown off boat near Yemen

The UN migration agency today said 5 migrants are dead and more than 50 are missing after smugglers forced them from a boat off the coast of Yemen.

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Britain and Canada today agreed to launch a new alliance aimed at encouraging countries to phase out the use of coal as part of efforts to curb climate change.The Global Alliance to Power Past Coal was unveiled on Thursday at an international climate meeting in Bonn, Germany.Related Stories India ready to work above and beyond Paris climate deal, says Sushma SwarajSyria joins Paris climate agreement, US stands aloneUS cities, states defy President Trump, still back Paris climate dealWhile coal-fuelled power stations are considered one of the biggest sources of carbon dioxide that’s heating up the Earth’s atmosphere, countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and the United States are planning to expand its use in the coming years.Even Germany and Poland, hosts of climate talks this year and next, are holding onto coal for the foreseeable future.The new anti-coal alliance is expected to include Finland, France, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand and several U.S. states committed to the Paris climate accord.

Climate change: UK, Canada launch alliance to phase out coal

Even Germany and Poland, hosts of climate talks this year and next, are holding onto coal for the foreseeable future.

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China reports 17 new coronavirus cases, toll reaches 82,886China has reported 17 new coronavirus cases, including 16 asymptomatic ones in the COVID-19 epicentre Hubei province, health officials said on Friday. China's National Health Commission (NHC) said that one locally transmitted confirmed COVID-19 case was reported in Jilin Province on Thursday. Sixteen new asymptomatic cases were reported in the Hubei province, taking the total number of such infections in the country to 845. All such cases are under medical observation.With these new asymptomatic cases, total number of such infections in the province reached to 629, it said.Asymptomatic cases refer to people who are COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. However, they pose a risk of spreading the disease to others.Hubei province, which has a population of over 56 million, was kept under lockdown from January 23 to contain the virus. The provincial capital Wuhan's lockdown was lifted on April 8 after which the city of 11 million people limped back to normal. Hubei has not reported any confirmed COVID-19 case for the last 34 days, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.As of Thursday, there were no existing confirmed COVID-19 cases in the province, local health commission said.The province has reported 68,128 confirmed COVID-19 cases in total, including 50,333 in Wuhan.The death toll in China due to the virus remained at 4,633 China as no new fatalities were reported on Thursday, while the country has so far recorded 82,886 confirmed cases, NHC said, adding that 219 people are still undergoing treatment in hospitals.ALSO READ | China either made a terrible mistake or probably it was incompetence: Trump on COVID-19 outbreakALSO READ | COVID-19: Death toll in France cross 25,900-mark; 178 fatalities in 24 hours

China reports 17 new coronavirus cases, toll reaches 82,886

China has reported 17 new coronavirus cases, including 16 asymptomatic ones in the COVID-19 epicentre Hubei province, health officials said on Friday.

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FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.  (Photo for represenation)Pakistan has decided to stop financing of terrorist groups like of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its affiliates, Da'esh (ISIS), Al Qaeda, Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the Haqqani Network and persons affiliated with the Taliban, according to a report in Express Tribune. The newspaper has quoted sources in the ministry of finance in Pakistan. Pakistan has submitted a comprehensive 26-point action plan to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to avoid being blacklisted by it, the report says further. Related Stories India slams Pakistan's 'selective approach' in tackling terror groupsTrump releases his first National Security Strategy, asks Pak to take 'decisive action' against terror groupsThe FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. Pakistan has been under FATF'S 'grey list', and scrambling in recent months to avoid being added to a list of countries deemed non-compliant with anti-money laundering and terrorist financing regulations by the FATF.If Pakistan gets blacklisted by FATF, it could hurt its economy, which is already under strain. Discussion started on Tuesday at the FATF plenary in Paris on Pakistan's 26-point action plan spanning over a period of 15 months, the Express Tribune reported. A formal announcement about Pakistan's status is expected on Friday. This is for the first time that all 26 actions have been published in detail, the report said. The plan requires Pakistani authorities to proactively cooperate with counterpart bilateral agencies to choke financing for terror groups. The sources said that the plan was quite ambitious and added that the country was committed to proving to the world that it was ready to go an extra mile to curb money laundering, despite its reservations that the plan was politically motivated. Pakistan will have to deliver on the first goal by January next year and complete all the 26 actions by September 2019, the sources said. In February 2018, the FATF approved the nomination of Pakistan for monitoring under its International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) commonly known as 'Grey List'. If the FATF endorses the 26-point Action Plan, it will formally place Pakistan on the grey list. In case the FATF rejects the plan, Pakistan will be on the FATF's Public Statement, being called the Blacklist. The sources said that nine commitments in the plan are about concerns regarding the UNSC resolutions, eight commitments to address concerns regarding terrorism financing prosecution, four are about curbing currency movement across the border and five relate to improvement in the supervision mechanisms of banks and companies. By January, Pakistan will start proactively initiating financial inquiries of terrorist groups and their members. By September 2019, Pakistan will address the key concern of identifying and investigating the widest range of terrorism financing activities like the collection, movement or use of funds by September next year, according to the plan. It will give special focus to curb cash smuggling, narcotics trafficking, misuse of non-profit organisations, particularly funding of the terrorist groups including Da'ish, Al Qaeda, JuD, Faleh-e-Insaniat Foundation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jesh-e-Mohammad, Haqqani Network and persons affiliated with the Taliban. By May, Pakistan will show that terrorism financing prosecutions successfully result in effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions against natural and legal persons convicted of terrorism financing offences. It will also proactively provide international cooperation in cases of targeting, investigating and prosecuting terrorism financing cases. The sources said that Pakistan has committed that by January 2019 it will demonstrate that terrorism financing risks are properly identified, assessed and understood by the State Bank of Pakistan and the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. Pakistan has committed that within six months it will make sure that the nature of risks of cash couriers being used for terrorism financing are fully understood and taken care of. By January next year, Pakistan will publish updated lists of persons and entities proscribed under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the UN-designated entities. The sources said that Pakistan will also show that facilities and services owned or controlled by designated persons and entities are deprived of their resources and their usage. (With inputs from PTI)

Pakistan decides to stop financing of terror groups Hafiz Saeed-led's JuD, Lashkar, JeM, Da'esh, Haqqani Network to avoid being blacklisted by FATF

Pakistan has submitted a comprehensive 26-point action plan to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to avoid being blacklisted by it, a report said.

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Benazir Bhutto- File picIn a new development in Benazir Bhutto assassination case, Ikramullah, one of Pakistan’s most-wanted terrorists and named as the second suicide bomber of a cell that assassinated the former Pakistani Prime Minister in 2007 has appeared in a Taliban video denying his involvement.According to a BBC report, in his first public statement on the case, Ikramullah appears in a video produced by a splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban which was obtained by the BBC. It is believed to have been filmed in eastern Afghanistan, where the militants are based. Related Stories Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for former PM Benazir Bhutto's assassination Rajiv Gandhi, Benazir Bhutto were ready to resolve Kashmir issue amicably: ZardariDescribed as a “senior figure” in his group, Ikramullah repeatedly states in the video he was neither “involved” nor “aware of” the plot to kill Bhutto. 54-year-old Bhutto was assassinated in a bomb-and-gun attack on her car in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, as she left an election rally. Ikramullah, who was then about 16 years old, is believed to have been a back-up Tehreek-e-Taliban-Pakistan suicide bomber, who was meant to detonate his explosive vest if the first attacker did not succeed. He is on a Pakistani list of most-wanted terror suspects, and has been named in court as the second suicide bomber. But officials say he walked away after the other bomber blew himself up, killing Pakistan’s first woman premier and at least 20 others at an election rally in Rawalpindi in 2007. Senator Rehman Malik, a former interior minister who was a close friend of Bhutto’s, said that he believed Ikramullah was “totally lying”, and that other suspects had named him in court as the second bomber. Until recently Ikramullah was openly and proudly claiming his involvement. But last year he was attacked by other rival Islamists in Afghanistan, and his family received threats from the Pakistani security services, the report said.As a result, it is believed, he was advised by his group’s leaders to make a video denying his involvement, it said. Bhutto was elected as prime minister in 1988 and 1993. After a period in exile she returned to Pakistan in 2007 to campaign for elections. Five alleged militants charged with involvement in the plot were last year acquitted, but remain in detention pending an appeal. The leader of the Pakistani Taliban at the time, Baitullah Mehsud - who died in US strike in 2009 - denied that the group was responsible. Earlier this year, a book published by the Pakistani Taliban’s main faction on the history of the group acknowledged that despite earlier denials they had indeed carried out the attack, and again named Ikramullah as the second suicide bomber. According to a recent book, ‘From British Raj to American Imperialism’, Bhutto was targeted by the militants because she was planning “to target the mujahideen” and create a government sympathetic to “American interests.” The book was written by Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, who was named recently as the new head of the main Pakistani Taliban. The group’s previous leader Mullah Fazlullah was killed earlier this month in a drone strike. The video in which Ikramullah features is produced by a splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban rather than the main group. No mention of the book is made in the video, the report said. However, the commander of the splinter group, Shehryar, says attempts “to link Ikramullah to the killing of Benazir is the work of the infidel media and apostates”.  Former Interior Minister Malik said that Ikramullah was “the only living person” with inside information on the Bhutto case, as the majority of other militants linked to it have since been killed. Shehryar also claims in the video that the Pakistani Taliban were not involved in the attack, and blames it on the country’s then-ruler Pervez Musharraf and the intelligence services. Musharraf has been declared a “proclaimed offender” after being charged with “abetment and conspiracy to murder” in relation to Bhutto’s death, but not appearing in court. He is currently in self-imposed exile in Dubai. He has always denied any involvement in Bhutto’s death or having deliberately not provided her with adequate security.  A 2010 report by the United Nations described the initial police investigation into Bhutto’s assassination as a “whitewash”.(With PTI inputs)

Most wanted Pak Taliban terrorist Ikramullah resurfaces to deny role in Benazir Bhutto’s assassination: Report

54-year-old Bhutto was assassinated in a bomb-and-gun attack on her car in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007, as she left an election rally.

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Coronavirus: US alleges WHO becoming tool of 'Chinese propaganda', says it has lost its credibilityThe World Health Organization has become a tool of the "Chinese propaganda", the Trump administration has alleged, asserting that the global health agency has lost all its credibility during the ongoing coronavirus crisis. US President Donald Trump recently announced he would put a hold on America''s funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), accusing the UN health body of becoming "China-centric" during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.The United States is the largest contributor to the Geneva-headquartered world body."The problem with the WHO is that they''ve lost all credibility during this crisis," US National Security Advisor Robert O''Brien said on Tuesday."It''s not like the WHO has been a highly-credible organization for many years. The United States spends over half a billion dollars on the WHO. China spends about USD 40 million dollars on the WHO, about one-tenth of what the US spends, and yet the WHO has become a tool of Chinese propaganda," he alleged.O''Brien said that on January 14, the WHO assured the US that there was no human to human transmission of the COVID-19, that well into the public health crisis in China, that turned out to be utterly false.In February, the WHO criticized travel restrictions that were being placed on travel from China and other hotspots, not just by the US, but by other countries, he said."That turned out to be totally improper advice, and has been rejected by the public health professionals," he noted.On March 11, the WHO came out with non-medical advice and said that the Communist Party of China''s reaction to the virus has been an "amazing achievement" in containing it. And of now, the virus is in at least 184 countries, he said."So if that''s an amazing achievement, I don''t know what is. So we''ve got a real credibility problem with the WHO," he said.The United States is working with friends and allies to see if it can be reformed, he said."But one thing we will do, even though we''ve suspended funding, we''re going to make sure that the taxpayer dollars of hard-working Americans that they want to see help our friends and partners and folks around the world who need it, we''re going to make sure those dollars get delivered directly to countries, directly to the non-governmental organizations, the Red Cross, places that are fighting this disease on the front line," O''Brien said."Unfortunately, the WHO has just lost credibility at this point, and you know, instead of stopping, when you hit rock bottom, you stop digging. But the WHO today, apparently, is going to keep digging," he said.The COVID-19 has claimed more than 45,000 lives and infected over 824,000 people in the US. Globally, the virus has killed 177,445 people and infected over 2.5 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

Coronavirus: US alleges WHO becoming tool of 'Chinese propaganda', says it has lost its credibility

The World Health Organization has become a tool of the "Chinese propaganda", the Trump administration has alleged, asserting that the global health agency has lost all its credibility during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

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Coronaviurus: 29 foreigners infected by in China, says official (Image for representation)Twenty-nine foreign nationals in China were infected with the novel coronavirus and 18 of them have recovered, a Chinese official said on Thursday. Ding Xiangyang, deputy secretary-general of the State Council, told the media in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, that 18 of the 27 patients have been discharged from hospitals. Nine are in quarantine and receiving treatment at hospitals, and two others died due to infection, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Ding as saying.He, however, did not disclose the nationalities of the patients.An elderly American and a Japanese national died due to the virus in Wuhan, the capital of the worst-hit Hubei province. Earlier, four Pakistanis contracted the disease. Chinese officials said three of them had recovered and discharged from the hospitals.Chinese officials on Thursday said that the death toll from the coronavirus has climbed to 2,118 with the death of 114 more people on Wednesday, while the overall confirmed cases increased to 74,576.Most of the casualties are from Hubei and its capital Wuhan.As the virus fears grew, India announced plans to operate a third special flight to airlift about 100 Indians who are still in Hubei province. India so far evacuated 647 Indians and seven Maldivians from the virus-hit Wuhan city early this month.A number of countries including US, UK, Japan Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal have evacuated hundreds of their nationals while about 800 to 1,000 Pakistanis are still in the area.

Coronaviurus: 29 foreigners infected by in China, says official

Twenty-nine foreign nationals in China were infected with the novel coronavirus and 18 of them have recovered, a Chinese official said on Thursday. Ding Xiangyang, deputy secretary-general of the State Council, told the media in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, that 18 of the 27 patients have been discharged from hospitals.