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The man who killed 58 people and injured at least 515 others at a Las Vegas concert was a retiree with no criminal history in the Nevada county where he lived, police said Monday.The brother of Stephen Paddock, 64, said he’s “completely dumbfounded” by the shooting at a country music concert Sunday night, the deadliest in modern U.S. history. Eric Paddock told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper that he can’t understand what happened.Stephen Paddock had no connection to an international terrorist group, the FBI said Monday. The announcement from Aaron Rouse, special agent in charge in Las Vegas, comes after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack without providing evidence.Nevada authorities say they believe Paddock acted alone and no motive was yet known.Paddock owned a single-family home in Sun City Mesquite, a retirement community along the Nevada-Arizona border, Mesquite Police Chief Troy Tanner said.He lived there with a 62-year-old woman, police said. Authorities said they don’t believe she was involved and was out of the country at the time of the shooting but they wanted to speak to her when she returned.Heavily armed police searched the home early Monday, hours after Paddock killed himself in a room at Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino where police believe he opened fire on a crowd of 22,000 people.Paddock bought the one-story, three-bedroom home about 80 miles north of Las Vegas in 2015 for about $370,000, according to property records that list him as a single man.Authorities in Texas say he lived in a Dallas suburb from 2009 to 2012. Public records indicate Paddock may have lived in Mesquite, Texas, for longer, but police Lt. Brian Parrish said his department’s review shows the approximately three-year period.A preliminary review of police records don’t indicate that authorities had any contact with him but police are still investigating, Parrish said.

Las Vegas shooting: 64-year-old attacker was retired, had no criminal record

The man who killed 58 people and injured at least 515 others at a Las Vegas concert was a retiree with no criminal history in the Nevada county where he lived

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 The number of people who were missing or believed to be buried under the debris were 683 and 152 respectively. Nearly 2,000 bodies have been recovered from Indonesia's disaster-ravaged Palu city, an official said Monday, as the search for victims ended at a hotel destroyed in the powerful earthquake and tsunami.The death toll from the twin disaster on Sulawesi island that erased whole suburbs in Palu has reached 1,944, said local military spokesman M.Thohir. He added that the death toll is expected to rise as the the officials have not recrived orders to halt the search for bodies.Related Stories Indonesia tsunami death toll rises to 1,234, may go further upIndonesia tsunami: Before and after pics depict scale of disaster that claimed 1,234 lives'I saw waves come and sweep out everything': Horror difficult to erase for Indonesians as toll tops 1,400 | In PicsIndonesia earthquake-tsunami: Over 5,000 people feared missing after deadly catastrophe A spokesman for the Joint Task Force for Central Sulawesi province said a total of 2,549 people were still in hospitals for medical treatment after the disasters hit the province on September 28, reports Xinhua news agency.The number of people who were missing or believed to be buried under the debris were 683 and 152 respectively, he said.The National Disaster Management Agency said most bodies were retrieved from Palu, the provincial capital, followed by the districts of Donggala, Sigi, Parigi Mountong and a district of Pasang Kayu in nearby West Sulawesi province."The search for the victims is expected to be completed on Thursday," an official said.The quakes and tsunami have forced a total of 62,359 Indonesians to flee their homes and take shelter in makeshift tents and under tarpaulins at 147 evacuation centres, he added.Powerful and shallow quakes of 6.0, 7.4 and 6.1 magnitude that triggered a tsunami devastated the province on September 28, with the hardest-hit area in Palu and adjoining Donggala district.The tsunami, which followed the quakes with the height of 0.5 to 3 meters, ravaged coastal areas near the Talisa beach in Palu and Donggala district, according to the meteorology and geophysics agency.Meanwhile, more than 5,000 people are believed to be missing from two-hard hit areas in Indonesian city of Palu less than a week after it was devastated by a deadly earthquake and tsunami.Hopes of finding anyone alive have faded and the search for survivors amid the wreckage has turned to gathering and accounting for the dead.The disaster agency said the official search for the unaccounted would continue until October 11 at which point they would be listed as missing, presumed dead.The Red Cross said on Monday it had treated more than 1,800 people at clinics and administered first aid to a similar number in the immediate disaster zone.Indonesia sits along the world's most tectonically active region, and its 260 million people are vulnerable to earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions.  

Indonesia earthquake-tsunami: Death toll nears 2,000, more bodies recovered after deadly catastrophe

A spokesman for the Joint Task Force for Central Sulawesi province said a total of 2,549 people were still in hospitals for medical treatment after the disasters hit the province on September 28, reports Xinhua news agency.

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Mons. Filippo Iannone speaks during a press conference to illustrate changes in the Church's Canon law, at the Vatican, Tuesday, June 1, 2021Pope Francis has changed church law to explicitly criminalise the sexual abuse of adults by priests who abuse their authority, and to say that laypeople who hold church office can be sanctioned for similar sex crimes. The new provisions, released Tuesday after 14 years of study, were contained in the revised criminal law section of the Vatican’s Code of Canon Law, the in-house legal system that covers the 1.3 billion-strong Catholic Church.The most significant changes are contained in two articles, 1395 and 1398, which aim to address major shortcomings in the church’s handling of sexual abuse. The law recognises that adults, too, can be victimised by priests who abuse their authority over them, and said that laypeople in church offices, such as school principals or parish economists, can be punished for abusing minors as well as adults.The Vatican also criminalised the “grooming” of minors or vulnerable adults by priests to compel them to engage in pornography. It’s the first time church law has officially recognised as criminal the method used by sexual predators to build relationships with their victims to then sexually exploit them.The law also removes much of the discretion that had long allowed bishops and religious superiors to ignore or cover up abuse, making clear they can be held responsible for omissions and negligence in failing to properly investigate and sanction errant priests.A bishop can be removed from office for “culpable negligence” or if he fails to report sex crimes to church authorities, though there is no punishment foreseen in the church law if he fails to report the crime to police, the law says.Ever since the 1983 Code was first issued, lawyers and bishops have complained it was completely inadequate to deal with the sexual abuse of minors, since it required time-consuming trials. Victims and their advocates, meanwhile, argued it left too much discretion in the hands of bishops who had an interest in covering up for their priests.The Vatican issued piecemeal changes over the years to address the problems and loopholes, most significantly requiring all cases to be sent to the Holy See for review and allowing for a more streamlined administrative process to defrock a priest if the evidence against him was overwhelming.More recently, Francis passed new laws to punish bishops and religious superiors who failed to protect their flocks. The new criminal code incorporates those changes and goes beyond them, while also recognizing accused priests are presumed innocent until proven otherwise.According the new law, priests who engage in sexual acts with anyone — not just a minor or someone who lacks the use of reason — can be defrocked if they used “force, threats or abuse of his authority” to engage in sexual acts.Monsignor Juan Ignacio Arrieta, secretary of the Vatican’s legal office, said that could cover any rank-and-file member of the church who is sexually abused by a priest if it can be shown that the priest used force or abused his authority.That provision is contained in a section detailing violations of the priest’s obligation to remain celibate. Another section of the law concerns priestly crimes against the dignity of others, including sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults.The law doesn’t explicitly define which adults are covered, saying only an adult who “habitually has an imperfect use of reason” or for “whom the law recognizes equal protection.”The Vatican has long considered any sexual relations between a priest and an adult as sinful but consensual, believing that adults are able to offer or refuse consent purely by the nature of their age. But amid the #MeToo movement and scandals of seminarians and nuns being sexually abused by their superiors, the Vatican has come to realize that adults can be victimized too if there is a power imbalance in the relationship.That dynamic was most clearly recognized in the scandal over ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington. Even though the Vatican knew for years he slept with his seminarians, McCarrick was only put on trial after someone came forward saying he had abused him as a youth. Francis eventually defrocked him in 2019.In a novelty aimed at addressing sex crimes committed by laypeople who hold church offices, founders of lay religious movements or even parish accountants and administrators, the new law says laypeople can be similarly punished if they abuse their authority to engage in sexual crimes.Since these laypeople can’t be defrocked, penalties include losing their jobs, paying fines or being removed from their communities.The need for such a provision was made clear in the scandal involving Luis Figari, the lay founder of the Peru-based Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a conservative movement that has 20,000 members and chapters throughout South America and the U.S.An independent investigation concluded Figari was a paranoid narcissist obsessed with sex and watching his underlings endure pain and humiliation. But the Vatican and local church dithered for years on how to sanction him, ultimately deciding to remove him from Peru and isolate him from the community.The new law takes effect on December 8.

Vatican law criminalises abuse of adults by priests, laity

The law recognises that adults, too, can be victimised by priests who abuse their authority over them, and said that laypeople in church offices, such as school principals or parish economists, can be punished for abusing minors as well as adults

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New COVID variant detected in France not a threat yet: WHO. The new Covid-19 variant called B.1.640, which was detected by French researchers and is probably of Cameroonian origin, is not "circulating widely at the moment" and has so far been identified in less than 1 per cent of the samples sequenced in France, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.The strain is also known as the 'IHU' variant because it was first identified by academics at the IHU Mediterranee Infection institute in Marseille, France, reports Xinhua news agency.At a press briefing on Thursday, Maria van Kerkhove, technical lead for the WHO's Health Emergencies Program, said that the variant was first detected in September 2021 in a number of countries.Following internal discussions, the WHO classified it as a "variant under monitoring" (VUM) in November 2021.According to the WHO's definition, a VUM is SARS-CoV-2 variant with genetic changes that are suspected to affect virus characteristics, which may pose a future risk, but evidence of phenotypic or epidemiological impact is currently unclear, thus requiring enhanced monitoring and repeat assessment pending new evidence.Van Kerkhove explained that since the B.1.640 variant has many mutations, the WHO classified it as a VUM is to raise the public's awareness.She reiterated that current Covid-19 vaccines do work against all variants that are circulating and are highly effective against preventing severe diseases and death."I think that's really important for the public to know, when it is your turn, get vaccinated because it's really critical," she said.Katherine O'Brien, director of the WHO's Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals Department, said that B.1.640 is not a variant that is increasing in prevalence but is a small fraction of the strains that are circulating.  /* .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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}); jwvidplayer_2238487940.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); } ALSO READ: France allows some COVID infected medics to keep workingALSO READ: New Covid variant 'IHU' identified in France, has 46 mutations

COVID pandemic: New variant detected in France not a threat yet, says WHO

The strain is also known as the 'IHU' variant because it was first identified by academics at the IHU Mediterranee Infection institute in Marseille, France, reports Xinhua news agency.

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Breaking News November 20The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 57 million, including 1,364,800 fatalities. As many as 39,696,750 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 LIVE: November 20, 2020 | Highlights

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

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FILEChina has upgraded the protection of the pangolin, believed to be the intermediate host of the coronavirus, to that of the first-class protected animals on par with the endangered species like giant pandas.Pangolin meat is viewed as a delicacy in China and its scales are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicines to promote lactation and cure impotence resulting in the massive poaching of the mammal.The pangolin is also believed to be the world's most trafficked mammal. About one million pangolins are estimated to have been poached in the last decade, and 20 tonnes of pangolins and their parts are trafficked internationally every year, according to the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC.After initially suspecting the snake and the bat for the COVID-19, Chinese scientists believe that the pangolin may be an intermediate host of the novel coronavirus to humans.The contagion, which has turned into a pandemic resulting in the worst global health crisis, was believed to have been spread from Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, the virus’ first epicentre which was subsequently closed.This weekend, China announced to upgrade all species of the pangolin from second-class to first-class protected animals considering their rapidly decreasing numbers due to overhunting and habitat destruction, state-run Global Times reported on Saturday.Other first-class protected animals include giant pandas, Tibetan antelopes and red-crowned cranes.The country’s animal protection authority said it will work more to protect and rescue the species with measures which include improving their habitat, cracking down on poaching and trafficking as well as setting up a protection research centre and gene bank for the pangolin.At present, all the eight existing pangolin species in the world have been listed as endangered species in their respective countries and regions, Sun Quanhui, a scientist from the World Animal Protection, told Global Times on Friday.Chinese pangolins were widely distributed in 17 provinces in the south of the Yangtze river. However, a national survey in 2003 showed that the number of Chinese pangolins dropped to about 64,000, and their living area reduced to 11 provinces, the Xinhua news agency reported.China banned pangolin hunting from the wild in 2007 and in August 2018, it stopped commercial imports of the pangolin and pangolin products completely. However, their number kept decreasing due to the continuous habitat destruction and insufficient punishment on eating pangolins, the Global Times report said.In February, China's top legislature passed a decision amid the COVID-19 pandemic to thoroughly ban the illegal wildlife hunting trade and eliminate bad habits of eating wild animals, which was seen as an important move to crackdown on wildlife poaching, including pangolin.The upgradation of protection to the pangolin drew mixed reactions on the Chinese social media.“Please let go of the pangolins, humans have so many things to eat already," a Sina Weibo user wrote."It won't help if we do not completely ban its use in medicine," another one said.Sun suggested to remove the pangolin from the Chinese Pharmacopoeia and strengthen the protection of wild animals used in medicine.“There is no scientific evidence in modern medicine to show that pangolin scales have certain therapeutic or health benefits," he said, adding that a large number of herbs and synthetic products can replace the effects of wild animals used in medicine.Expanding the population through artificial breeding is not an effective way and there are rare successful cases worldwide, Sun said.“Based on our practice in giant panda protection, protecting habitats, cracking down on poaching and reducing consumption are the most effective ways to protect pangolins," he said.Sun also called for an international cooperation as the illegal trade of the pangolin has surged in the recent years.

China accords highest level of protection to pangolins after COVID-19

China has upgraded the protection of the pangolin, believed to be the intermediate host of the coronavirus, to that of the first-class protected animals on par with the endangered species like giant pandas.

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Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz on Monday said that Islamabad will not enter into any dialogue with India that excludes Kashmir. Sartaj Aziz further said that Islamabad wants to settle all contentious issues through “result-oriented” talks. “Indian belligerent posturing and their desire to conduct dialogue on their own terms ie without Kashmir, will never be acceptable,” Aziz said.Sartaj Aziz made the statement after briefing a 20-member delegation of ‘Kashmir Journalist Forum’ from PoK at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said UN chief Antonio Guterres has expressed his concern over tension between India and Pakistan, called for a dialogue and offered to play role to help resolve Kashmir issue. Aziz said India’s refusal to accept the role of the UN or good offices of the other leaders for reducing tension between India and Pakistan by resolving the Kashmir issue reflects “Indian desperation to hide its crimes against humanity” in the valley. “Pakistan wants to settle all contentious issues, particularly the Kashmir dispute with India through a sustained and result-oriented dialogue,” he said.  He asked the UN, OIC and Human Rights Organisations to step up efforts to stop the “bloodshed of Kashmiris” and ensure early implementation of UNSC Resolutions.    Aziz said that protest in Kashmir has now entered a “critical phase” and the “Indian propaganda of down-playing” the Kashmir issue is also being defeated.  “If there is nothing wrong then why there are over 700,000 fully armed Indian forces stationed? Why the entire media has been blocked?” he asked.(With PTI inputs)

No dialogue with India without Kashmir on agenda, says Sartaj Aziz

“Indian belligerent posturing and their desire to conduct dialogue on their own terms ie without Kashmir, will never be acceptable,” Aziz said.

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Pakistan Human Rights officials display report in Islamabad.An independent Pakistani watchdog criticized the country’s human rights record over the past year in a new report released Monday, saying the nation has failed to make progress on a myriad of issues, ranging from forced disappearances, to women’s rights and protection of religious minorities.The damning report card issued by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says people continue to disappear in Pakistan, sometimes because they criticize the country’s powerful military or because they advocate better relations with neighboring India.Related Stories Pakistan: 8-year-old girl raped, burnt alive in Punjab24-year-old pregnant Pakistani singer shot dead for refusing to stand up while performingPakistan: Class 6 boy dies during 'face-slapping' game in Punjab province The controversial blasphemy law continues to be misused, especially against dissidents, with cases in which mere accusations that someone committed blasphemy lead to deadly mob violence, it said.While deaths directly linked to acts of terrorism declined in 2017, the report says attacks against the country’s minorities were on the rise.The 296-page report was dedicated to one of the commission’s founders, Asma Jahangir, whose death in February generated worldwide outpouring of grief and accolades for the 66-year-old activist who was fierce in her commitment to human rights.“We have lost a human rights giant,” U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said following Jahangir’s death. “She was a tireless advocate for inalienable rights of all people and for equality - whether in her capacity as a Pakistani lawyer in the domestic justice system, as a global civil society activist, or as a Special Rapporteur ... Asma will not be forgotten.”Monday’s report also took aim at religious bigotry in Pakistan and the government’s refusal to push back against religious zealots, fearing a backlash.“Freedom of expression and freedom of association is under attack, except for those who carry the religious banner,” commission spokesman I.A. Rehman said at the release of the report, which accused Pakistani authorities of ignoring “intolerance and extremism.”Religious conservative organizations continue to resist laws aimed at curbing violence against women, laws giving greater rights to women and removing legal restrictions on social exchanges between sexes, which remain segregated in many parts of Pakistani society, it said.Still, there was legal progress in other areas, it noted, describing as a “landmark development” a new law in the country’s largest province, Punjab, which accepts marriage licenses within the Sikh community at the local level, giving the unions protection under the law.But religious minorities in Pakistan continued to be a target of extremists, it said, citing attacks on Shiites, Christians falsely accuse of blasphemy and also on Ahmedis, a sect reviled by mainstream Muslims as heretics. Ahmedis are not allowed under Pakistan’s constitution to call themselves Muslims.“In a year when freedom of thought, conscience and religion continued to be stifled, incitement to hatred and bigotry increased, and tolerance receded even further,” said the report.On Sunday in Quetta, the capital of southwestern Baluchistan province, gunmen attacked Christian worshippers as they left Sunday services, killing two. Five other worshippers were wounded, two seriously.Last year was a troubling year for activists, journalists and bloggers who challenged Pakistan’s military. Several were detained, including five bloggers who subsequently fled the country after their release. From exile, some of them said their captors were agents of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI. The agency routinely refuses to comment on accusations it is behind the disappearances. The bloggers were also threatened with charges of blasphemy.In December, Raza Mehmood Khan, an activist who worked with schoolchildren on both sides of the border to foster better relations was picked up by several men believed to be from the ISI after leaving a meeting that criticized religious extremism.In recent weeks, Pakistan’s Geo Television has been forced off the air in much of the country. Many activists have blamed this on the military, which took umbrage when the outlet criticized the country’s security institutions.Last year, a government-mandated commission on enforced disappearances received 868 new cases, more than in two previous years, the report said. The commission located 555 of the disappeared but the remaining 313 are still missing.“Journalists and bloggers continue to sustain threats, attacks and abductions and blasphemy law serves to coerce people into silence,” the report said. 

People continue to disappear in Pakistan for criticizing military: Pak watchdog

The damning report card issued by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan says people continue to disappear in Pakistan, sometimes because they criticize the country’s powerful military or because they advocate better relations with neighboring India.

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United States and North Korea hold secret, direct talks to prepare for Donald Trump-Kim Jong-un meetingThe US and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between American President Donald Trump and Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong-un, according to administration officials.Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo and a team at the CIA have been working through intelligence back-channels to make preparations for the summit scheduled to be held in May, the officials told CNN late Saturday. Related Stories UN chief denounces N Korea's 'provocative' rocket launchDonald Trump claims 'nobody has been tougher' on Russia than himAmerican and North Korean intelligence officials have spoken several times and have even met in a third country, with a focus on nailing down a location for the talks.Although the North Korean regime has not publicly declared its invitation by Kim to meet Trump, which was conveyed last month by a South Korean envoy, several officials have said that North Korea has since acknowledged Trump's acceptance, and Pyongyang has reaffirmed that its leader was willing to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.According to the officials, the North Koreans are pushing to hold the meeting in Pyongyang, although it was unclear whether the White House would be willing. The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar has also been raised as a possible location, the officials told CNN.The talks were laying the groundwork for a meeting between Pompeo and his North Korea counterpart, the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, in advance of the leaders' summit. Once a location is agreed upon the officials said that the date will be set and the agenda discussed in greater detail.Last week, Trump told associates that he was looking forward to the summit, which he agreed to on the spot when presented the invitation from Kim. Last month, a New York Times report said that the CIA was taking the lead in preparing for the Trump-Kim summit.State Department officials -- Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton and deputy special representative for North Korean policy Mark Lambert -- continue to communicate with the North Koreans though their mission to the UN, discussions which are referred to as the "New York channel".

United States and North Korea hold secret, direct talks to prepare for Donald Trump-Kim Jong-un meeting

American and North Korean intelligence officials have spoken several times and have even met in a third country, with a focus on nailing down a location for the talks.

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The deadly bombings that targetted churches and hotels, most of them in Colombo, claimed the lives of 310 people and injured over 500 others.Father and two brothers of the suspected mastermind, Zahran Hashim, of Easter Sunday attacks in Sri Lanka were killed in a gun battle on Friday, according to reports.Mohamed Hashim, along with his two sons -- Zainee Hashim, Rilwan Hashim, seen in a video circulating on social media calling for an all-out war against non-believers, were among the 15 killed in a gun battle with the military on the east coast on Friday.Zahran Hashim’s brother-in-law, Niyaz Sharif, is the suspected ringleader of the Easter bombings.Sri Lanka has been on high alert since the attacks on Easter Sunday, with nearly 10,000 soldiers deployed across the island to carry out searches and hunt down members of two local Islamist groups believed to have carried out the attack.The deadly bombings that targetted churches and hotels, most of them in Colombo, claimed the lives of 310 people and injured over 500 others, in the bloodiest attacks in Sri Lanka since the civil war ended a decade ago.

Sri Lanka bombings: Father, two brothers of suspected mastermind killed in gun battle

Mohamed Hashim, along with his two sons -- Zainee Hashim, Rilwan Hashim, seen in a video circulating on social media calling for an all-out war against non-believers, were among the 15 killed in a gun battle with the military on the east coast on Friday.

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Coronavirus cases force Bangladesh to scale down 'Mujib Year' festivitiesBangladesh has decided to postpone the birth centenary celebrations of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hours after three coronavirus cases were detected in the country, according to media reports on Monday. The year-long celebrations were scheduled to open amid massive festivities at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka on March 17 and were expected to be attended by several foreign dignitaries including Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, the inauguration programme will be held in a scaled-down manner, and foreign guests may not be in attendance, The Daily Star reported. The grand inaugural ceremony of the “Mujib Borsho,” or Mujib Year, which was scheduled to be held at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka on March 17 — and kickoff the year-long celebrations — will now be held at a later date, Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury was quoted as saying by the the Dhaka Tribune. Kamal, chief coordinator of the national committee to implement Mujib Year celebrations, said on Sunday that all other programmes will be organised avoiding massive public gatherings. "The re-scheduled programmes will be declared tomorrow (Monday) after a meeting of the committee," Kamal, a former principal secretary to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, was quoted as saying by the Daily Star. Bangladesh on Sunday reported three cases of coronavirus. Two persons brought the disease from Italy, infecting the third one on their return home, officials said. The infections, the first reported cases in the country, have come four days after Dhaka restricted entry of the people from major coronavirus-prone countries without a virus-free medical certificate.ALSO READ | COVID-19: Saudi Arabia suspends schools, universitiesALSO READ | Iraq confirms 2 deaths, 6 new cases of COVID-19

Coronavirus cases force Bangladesh to scale down 'Mujib Year' festivities

Bangladesh has decided to postpone the birth centenary celebrations of its founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, hours after three coronavirus cases were detected in the country

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Russian election officials on Monday formally barred Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny from running for president, prompting calls from him for a boycott of next year’s vote.The Central Election Commission decided unanimously that the anti-corruption crusader isn’t eligible to run.Related Stories Russia: Vladimir Putin to seek re-election as an independentRussian presidential election slated for March 18, Putin eyes fourth termRussian opposition leader Alexei Navalny enters Presidential race against PutinNavalny is implicitly barred from running for office because of a conviction in a fraud case which has been viewed as political retribution. He could have run if he was given a special dispensation or if his conviction was cancelled.Incumbent Vladimir Putin is running for a fourth term in office and is widely expected to win the March 18 election.Over the past year, Navalny has mounted a grassroots campaign which reached out to the most remote corners of Putin’s heartland.Navalny is the most serious challenger that Putin has faced in all his years in power, and the court cases against him have been viewed as a tool to keep him from running for office.In a pre-recorded messaged that was released minutes after the Election Commission handed down the decision, Navalny called on his supporters to boycott the vote.“The procedure that we’re invited to take part is not an election,” he said. “Only Putin and the candidates he has hand-picked are taking part in it.”“Going to the polls right now is to vote for lies and corruption.”Central Election Commission chief Ella Pamfilova told Navalny ahead of its vote to bar him that “maybe we would be interested if you were running,” but said the conviction doesn’t allow the commission to put him on the ballot.Speaking before the vote, Navalny told the commission that their decision to bar him would be a vote “not against me, but against 16,000 people who have nominated me, against 200,000.

Russian officials bar Navalny from running for president

Navalny is implicitly barred from running for office because of a conviction in a fraud case which has been viewed as political retribution.

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An underwater-launched missile lifts off in the waters off North Korea's eastern coastal town of Wonsan.  North Korea confirmed Thursday it tested a new submarine-launched ballistic missile, calling it a “significant achievement” in its efforts to contain external threats and bolster its military power.The test-firing Wednesday was North Korea’s first of a submarine-launched missile in three years and came ahead of a weekend resumption of nuclear diplomacy with the United States. Some experts say North Korea wants to show to the U.S. what would happen if diplomacy fails again.The Korean Central News Agency said the test of the Pukguksong-3 missile in the waters off its east coast was successful and “ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces’ threat to (North Korea) and further bolstering its military muscle for self-defense.”Image Source : APAn underwater-launched missile lifts off in the waters off North Korea's eastern coastal town of Wonsan.   An underwater-launched missile lifts off in the waters off North Korea's eastern coastal town of Wonsan.  It didn’t say which outside forces threaten its security. But North Korea has previously said it was forced to develop nuclear-armed missiles to cope with U.S. military threats.North Korean and U.S. officials are to meet on Saturday to restart diplomacy on how to end the North Korean nuclear crisis. That diplomacy largely remains stalemated after the February breakdown of a second summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam.North Korea has recently warned its dealings with the United States may end if it fails to come up with new proposals to salvage the nuclear diplomacy by December.KCNA said the missile was launched in a vertical mode and that its test had no adverse impact on the security of neighboring countries. It said Kim sent “warm congratulations” to the national defense scientific research units involved in the test-firing.The KCNA report didn’t elaborate on whether the missile was fired from a submarine, a barge or other underwater launch platform.Pukguksong, or Polaris, is a solid-fuel missile in the North’s weapons arsenal. The country first test-launched a Pukguksong-1 missile from an underwater platform in 2016, and Kim said at the time his military had gained “perfect nuclear-attack capability.” A year later, the North test-launched a Pukguksong-2, a land-based variant of the missile.North Korea having an ability to fire a missile from a submarine is a threat to the United States and its allies because such launches are harder to detect early enough to respond. The use of solid fuel also increases a weapon’s mobility.After Wednesday’s launch, the U.S. State Department called on North Korea “to refrain from provocations, abide by their obligations under U.N. Security Council resolutions, and remain engaged in substantive and sustained negotiations to do their part to ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and achieve denuclearization.”Also Read: North Korea test fires several short-range missiles ahead of US talksAlso Read: North Korea confirms 2nd test of multiple rocket launcher

North Korea successfully test-fired new submarine-launched ballistic missile

The Korean Central News Agency said the test of the Pukguksong-3 missile in the waters off its east coast was successful and “ushered in a new phase in containing the outside forces’ threat to (North Korea) and further bolstering its military muscle for self-defense.”

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Prime Minister Imran Khan meets President Xi Jinping at Great Hall of the People.China President Xi Jinping has called for de-escalation of tension between Pakistan and India, saying it was hoping the two nations would meet halfway.Tension between India and Pakistan escalated following the Pulwama terror attack by a JeM suicide bomber on February 14. Over 40 CRPF personnel were killed in the terror attack. India, consequently, launched an airstrike on Pakistan's Balakot -- with Pakistan maintaining no terror hideout was destroyed in the aftermath.Related Stories Imran Khan moots launching of joint projects among BRI countries to combat climate changeChina removes BRI map showing entire J-K, Arunachal as part of IndiaPresident Xi met visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Pakistan and China Investment Forum in Beijing on April 28, and said that both nations could meet each other halfway and promote stabilisation and improvement in their relations.Xi also confirmed China's firm support to Pakistan to further the bilateral ties between the all-weather allies."Pakistan is China's all-weather strategic cooperative partner. China and Pakistan are 'iron friends' and have always firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests," Xi said.China takes Pakistan as a priority in its diplomacy, he said."No matter how international and regional situations change, China firmly supports Pakistan in safeguarding its sovereignty and national dignity, choosing its own development path suited to its national conditions, combating terrorist and extremist forces, striving for a sound external security environment, and playing a constructive role in international and regional affairs," Xi said.He said major progress had been made in bilateral cooperation in the construction of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), especially in areas of finance, trade and other aspects."In the next stage, China and Pakistan should make more efforts to advance the all-weather strategic cooperation," Xi said.He called on both sides to deepen high-level contacts and mutual support, strengthen strategic communication and promote high-quality cooperation in production capacity, infrastructure construction, people's livelihood and trade within the framework of the BRI.Pakistan Prime Minister Khan expressed hope that the relations between the two neighbours would improve after the Lok Sabha election."We want to build a civilized relationship with our Eastern neighbour and there is a possibility that if we can resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue, things can improve," he was quoted by state-run Radio Pakistan as saying.He further said the CPEC had played an important role in Pakistan's economic development and the improvement of people's lives.“Pakistan is willing to consolidate its traditional friendship with China, deepen pragmatic cooperation and enhance communication and coordination with China in multilateral affairs,” Khan was quoted as saying in the statement.Imran Khan arrived in China on April 25 and attended China's 2nd Belt and Road Forum (BRF) held on April 26-27.India skipped the meeting for the second time, protesting over the CPEC which is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).Imran Khan's meeting with Xi took place when China is under pressure at the United Nations over its repeated attempts to block efforts to declare Pakistan-based JeM leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.Last month, China put a technical hold on a resolution put forth by the US, the UK and France at the UN's 1267 counter terrorism committee to declare Azhar as a global terrorist.The US later took the issue to the UN Security Council (UNSC) in a bid to pressure China to take a public stance on Azhar's issue instead of just putting up blocks at the 1267 committee.China had expressed its firm opposition to the issue being taken to the UNSC, saying that the matter headed for settlement and blamed the US for scuttling it.

China calls for de-escalation of India-Pakistan tension, hopes they would meet halfway

President Xi Jinping met visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Pakistan and China Investment Forum in Beijing on April 28, and said that both nations could meet each other halfway and promote stabilisation and improvement in their relations.

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Nawaz Sharif being given Polonium to die slow death, claims MQM founder Altaf HussainAltaf Hussain, the founder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), makes a sensational claim that former Pakistani Prime Minister has been given polonium on Wednesday. Hussain stated that famed Palestinian President Yasser Arafat died in a similar way in 2004. Hussain took to Twitter and said: "Lower platelet count in Nawaj Sharif's body! A known fact is that 'Polonium' (radioactive element) is used to eliminate enemies. It acts as a slow poison and destroys platelets. Only specialised radioactive laboratories can verify it. International laboratory must examine it."Meanwhile, Hussain posted a research article-- "Polonium-A Perfect Poison'-- on his Twitter handle after various Twitter users questioned the validity of his claim.He tweeted: "Dear Students & Followers! Here is my research article on 'Polonium-A Perfect Poison" in reply to questions put up by people about my 2nd November 2019 tweet regarding #Polonium. I tried my level best to give answers on this important subject. Please read it thoroughly."Interestingly, Hussain also explained about Polonium and the symptoms and treatment of its poisoning. Radiations from Polonium destroys DNA and can lead to cancer. Its carcinogenic properties can lead to lung cancer if inhaled. On Wednesday, Nawaz Sharif was discharged from the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS) and was shifted to his residence. On October 22, Sharif was admitted to SIMS after his health conditions worsened drastically due to "critically" low platelet counts. 

Nawaz Sharif being given Polonium to die slow death, claims MQM founder Altaf Hussain

Altaf Hussain, the founder of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), makes a sensational claim that former Pakistani Prime Minister has been given polonium on Wednesday. Hussain stated that famed Palestinian President Yasser Arafat died in a similar way in 2004.

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At least 14 people were killed and 30 others injured when an over-speeding passenger van collided head-on with a bus in the Mustang area of Balochistan province today, police and hospital authorities said.Police and rescue officials said that the death toll could rise as the condition of at least six injured was said to be serious.The driver of the passenger van lost control due to over-speeding and collided with the bus coming from opposite direction, a local police officer, Samad Khan said.A doctor at the Civil Hospital in Quetta confirmed that 14 people have died while 30 others were injured.Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi expressed grief and deep sorrow over the loss of lives in the accident. According to figures from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, around 4500 people die every year due to poor enforcement of safety laws by traffic police. 

14 dead, 30 injured in bus-van collision in Pakistan’s Balochistan

Police and rescue officials said that the death toll could rise as the condition of at least six injured was said to be serious.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Anatoly Chubais in the Novo-Ogaryovo residence in Moscow, Nov. 7, 2016. Russian President Vladimir Putin's aide Anatoly Chubais has resigned and left the country while citing his opposition to the former's war in Ukraine. Chubais (66), who is considered to be the architect of Russia's post-Soviet economic reforms, was one of the high-profile leaders associated with the Russian government.According to sources cited by news agency Reuters, Chubais does not intend to return to Russia.Chubais served as Putin's special representative for ties with international organisations. He was appointed to the post in 2020. Prior to this, he had served as the Chairman of the Executive Board of state technology firm Rusnano. He had also served as former President Boris Yeltsin's chief of staff in the late 90s.Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24 after Putin announced a special military operation to demilitarize the neighbour.Ukraine's ambition to join NATO -- an intergovernmental military alliance of 30 countries including the US, is believed to be one of the factors that led Putin to order a military operation in Ukraine last month.Since February 28, Ukrainian and Russian delegations have held three rounds of in-person negotiations in Belarus to seek a possible end to the war. The two sides started their fourth round of negotiations via video link on March 14.So far, no significant progress has been made in the negotiation process.

Russia Ukraine war: Vladimir Putin's top advisor Anatoly Chubais resigns, leaves country

Anatoly Chubais (66), who is considered to be the architect of Russia's post-Soviet economic reforms, was one of the high-profile leaders associated with the Russian government.

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Pakistan today freed 145 Indian fishermen, held for allegedly fishing in its territorial waters, as a goodwill gesture amidst a war of words between Islamabad and New Delhi on the circumstances in which a recent meeting between Kulbhushan Jadhav and his family took place. They were released following last week's announcement by Foreign Office spokesman Dr Mohammad Faisal that 291 Indian fishermen would be released in two phases till January 8. Related Stories Pakistan releases 68 Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture13 Tamil Nadu fishermen arrested by Sri Lankan Navy Over 500 Indians, mostly fishermen, languishing in Pakistani jails: reportThe fishermen were taken amid tight security to Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, from where they will be sent to Lahore, a police official said. "They will be handed over to Indian officials at Wagah border crossing," the official said. The remaining 146 fishermen are expected to be released and repatriated on January 8. Those released were also given gifts and cash prizes by Edhi Foundation charity, which traditionally helps in repatriation of Indian fishermen. Fishermen from Pakistan and India are frequently detained for illegally fishing in each other's territorial waters since the Arabian Sea does not have a clearly defined marine border and the wooden boats lack the technology to avoid being drifting away.

Pakistan releases 145 Indian fishermen as goodwill gesture

The fishermen were taken amid tight security to Karachi Cantonment Railway Station, from where they will be sent to Lahore, a police official said.

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Trump signs defence authorization billUS President Donald Trump on Monday signed the $716 billion National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) into law. The bill for the fiscal year 2019 was named after Republican Senator John Mccain, a former Republican presidential nominee and one of Trump's leading critics within the party, Xinhua reported.The US president made a speech before his signature at Fort Drum, a northern New York military base, but didn't mention the ailing senator's name.The bill provides about $616.9 billion for the base Pentagon budget, $21.9 billion for nuclear weapons and $69 billion in war funding.It also authorises a 2.6 per cent pay raise for members of the military, boosts the ranks of the US military services by 15,600 active troops and approves the purchase of 13 new Navy warships and 77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets.The bill was passed 87 to 10 in the Senate on August 1 after being approved by the House.Every year, the House and Senate come together to pass the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorizes the policies under which funding will be set by the appropriations committees.

Trump signs $716 billionn defence authorisation bill

The bill provides nearly $616.9 billion for the base Pentagon budget, $21.9 billion for nuclear weapons and $69 billion in war funding.

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US House Democrats release first impeachment probe transcripts US House Democrats have released the first two transcripts from the closed-door interviews in an impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine.The move marks a new public phase of the inquiry, which has been a closed-door affair so far.The transcripts are interviews with former US Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch and top State Department official Michael McKinley, Xinhua reported."As we move towards this new public phase of the impeachment inquiry, the American public will begin to see for themselves the evidence that the committees have collected," the chairs of the House Intelligence, Foreign Affairs and Oversight and Reform committees said in a joint statement on Monday."With each new interview, we learn more about the President's attempt to manipulate the levers of power to his personal political benefit," the statement said."The transcripts of interviews with Ambassadors Yovanovitch and McKinley demonstrate clearly how President Trump approved the removal of a highly respected and effective diplomat based on public falsehoods and smears against Ambassador Yovanovitch's character and her work in support of long-held US foreign policy anti-corruption goals," the statement added.Republicans have called for the immediate release of all the transcripts, instead of a select few, since the inquiry started in late September.The US President is accused of abusing his power by using a military aid to pressure his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to open investigations into Democratic presidential hopeful Joe Biden.\ALSO READ: US begins formal withdrawal from Paris climate dealALSO READ: US House votes to authorise impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump​

US House Democrats release first impeachment probe transcripts

"The transcripts of interviews with Ambassadors Yovanovitch and McKinley demonstrate clearly how President Trump approved the removal of a highly respected and effective diplomat based on public falsehoods and smears against Ambassador Yovanovitch's character and her work in support of long-held US foreign policy anti-corruption goals," the statement added.

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PIA sacks 74 more employees for fake degrees and other malpracticesPakistan International Airlines (PIA) has sacked 74 more employees for having fake degrees, engaging in drug smuggling and for poor performance, according to a media report. Of the 74 employees sacked by the national carrier last month, 27 were dismissed for fake degrees, 31 for unauthorised measures, six for not following rules, four for damaging property, one for involvement in drug trafficking and three for stealing government records, PIA officials told the Express Tribune newspaper.Another two employees were removed for 'illegal activities'.Apart from the sacked personnel, four employees were demoted, and 11 others were penalised for various disciplinary issues, the report said.Now, the number of employees sacked in the airline in the last three months stands at 177, according to the report.The PIA has taken up a so-called 'cleaning up' exercise of its staff following Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan's probe report into the May 22 Karachi plane crash.The domestic flight from Lahore to Karachi crashed in a residential area near the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi.The aviation minister's probe report blamed the pilots and the air traffic control for the tragedy that killed 97 people. The report called for wholesale changes in the operations of the airline. 

PIA sacks 74 more employees for fake degrees and other malpractices

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has sacked 74 more employees for having fake degrees, engaging in drug smuggling and for poor performance, according to a media report.

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Pak exporting terror, stifling women’s voices for narrow political gains: India at UNSCIndia lashed out at Pakistan for raising the issue of women's rights in Kashmir in the UN Security Council, saying the country represents a system that has been exporting terrorism and "regressive" extremist ideologies and "stifling" women’s voices for narrow political gains. India's strong response came after Pakistan’s outgoing UN envoy Maleeha Lodhi commented on the situation in Kashmir, revocation of Article 370 and women’s rights in the Valley during the debate on October 29.“As everyone today focuses on collective action, one delegation rhetorically regurgitates about women’s rights in my country,” First Secretary in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Paulomi Tripathi said Monday at a Security Council open debate on Women, Peace and Security.Without naming Pakistan, Tripathi said the delegation “represents a system that has been exporting terrorism and regressive extremist ideologies, and stifling women’s voices for narrow political gains. This has devastated lives of generations of women and their families, in our region and beyond.”Alluding to Islamabad’s habit of raking up the Kashmir issue at various UN forums and committees, Tripathi said the country habitually makes baseless allegations without any relevance to the agenda under consideration and this has “become a staple for this delegation.”She referred to Lodhi’s comments on Jammu and Kashmir during the October 29 debate as well as during a previous debate on the ‘Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question’.Asserting that India firmly rejects the baseless allegations, Tripathi said “the Council has not paid attention to such deceitful narratives in the past, and we are confident that the Council will continue to do so, to ensure that its agenda is not used as a ploy for furthering territorial ambitions.”In her remarks to the debate, Tripathi underscored that violence against women and girls perpetrated by terrorists remain rampant and subjugation of women in public and in private spheres continue across situations that are on the agenda of the Council.“It is important that the Council strives to effectively integrate women, peace and security considerations into sanctions regimes, including by listing terrorist entities involved in violence against women in armed conflicts,” she said.Further, Tripathi highlighted the positive impacts of greater participation of women in UN peacekeeping but voiced concern that women make up only 4.2 per cent of military personnel in UN peacekeeping missions.“We ought to encourage participation of all women units to achieve the set targets in this regard,” she said.Tripathi pointed out that a trend in which in order to accommodate those who cannot fulfill the commitments of providing all women units to peacekeeping missions, mixed units are being given preference by diluting the policy frameworks."If this continues, we possibly cannot achieve the set targets,” she said as she added that India remains committed to increasing the number of women peacekeepers and has deployed a Female Engagement Team in UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) earlier this year.ALSO READ: Pakistan among 10 worst countries in terms of internet freedomALSO READ: UK court to hear Nirav Modi’s new bail application

Pak exporting terror, stifling women’s voices for narrow political gains: India at UNSC

Tripathi pointed out that a trend in which in order to accommodate those who cannot fulfill the commitments of providing all women units to peacekeeping missions, mixed units are being given preference by diluting the policy frameworks.

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Gunpowder, firearms, and various combustible materials were used by the Hefazat-e-Islam militants, claims lawmakerGunpowder, firearms, and various combustible materials were used by the Hefazat-e-Islam militants that carried out violence in Bangladesh's Brahmanbaria from March 26 to March 29 centering on the golden jubilee of Bangladesh's independence, and two-day visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh, a lawmaker mentioned in his complaint.The complaint also said that the militant leaders had issued a statement through their Facebook page 'Jamia Islamia Younusia' and organized huge propaganda against the plaintiff RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, MP, and impose the responsibility of violence on him.The plaintiff mentioned, the leaders and workers of Hefazat carried out propaganda to tarnish his reputation in the country and abroad.On Saturday evening, the lawyer of RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury MP, Chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on civil aviation and tourism ministry, and the lawmaker of the central Brahmanbaria filed a case against the militant outfit Hefazat-e-Islam's Brahmanbaria district president Sajidur Rahman and general secretary Mubarak Ullah accusing violence.On behalf of Chowdhury, his lawyer and legal secretary of Brahmanbaria city Awami League Advocate Mamun filed the case at Sadar Police Station of the district.In addition to the two main accused in the case, 12 others have been named. They are Ashraful Hossain Tapu, Borhan Uddin Qasemi, Maulana Ershad Ullah, Junaid Qasemi, Maulana Noman Al Taj, Suleiman Mollah, Maulana Enamul Huque, Abdul Huq. Besides, one and a half more unidentified people have been accused of violence, sabotage, and massacre in Brahmanbaria for 3 days.In the details of the case, Chowdhury said that Hefazat-e-Islam carried out infernal violence in Brahmanbaria from March 26 to March 29.District branch leaders and workers of the militant outfit used various combustible materials including firearms and gunpowder to set fire and vandalisedvandelise the central library, Railway station, Anandmoyi Kali Temple, Shahid Dhirandranath Dutta square, vandalizing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibor Rahman's Mural and set fire on Awami League office, the government establishments, land office and police station in Brahmanbaria.Muhammad Shahjahan Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Brahmanbaria Sadar police station confirmed the matter to IANS and said the case has been submitted. The next step will be taken as the direction of the higher authority.Meanwhile, a rape case has been filed against top militant Mamunul Huque by Jannat Ara Jharna under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act of the country. Mamunul was the mastermind of breaking the relationship with her husband, added Jharna. 

Gunpowder, firearms used by Hefazat-e-Islam militants in Bangladesh violence in March, says lawmaker

Gunpowder, firearms, and various combustible materials were used by the Hefazat-e-Islam militants that carried out violence in Bangladesh's Brahmanbaria from March 26 to March 29

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The Indonesian government today banned Hizbut Tahrir, an organization that wants to establish a global caliphate, under a new presidential decree criticized as draconian by rights groups.Hizbut’s legal status had been revoked to protect national unity, said Freddy Haris, a director-general at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.The decree signed last week by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo gives the government almost unfettered power to ban organizations deemed against the constitution and the official state ideology known as Pancasila, which enshrines democracy and social justice. Rights groups say the decree undermines the right to freedom of association and governments could easily abuse its power. But mainstream Muslim groups have supported it. Haris said Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia listed Pancasila as an ideology of the organization in its articles of association “but in fact on the ground their activities were against Pancasila and the soul of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.”The measures follow months of sectarian tensions in the world’s most populous Muslim nation that shook the government and undermined Indonesia’s reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.Hizbut Tahrir, along with groups such as the violent Islamic Defenders Front, was behind a series of massive protests against the Jakarta governor, a minority Christian and Jokowi ally who was accused of blaspheming Islam. He subsequently lost a bid for re-election to a Muslim candidate and was imprisoned for two years for blasphemy despite prosecutors downgrading the charge to a lesser offense.Hizbut, already banned or circumscribed in some countries, is estimated to have tens of thousands of members in Indonesia.About 2,000 people from Islamic groups protested against the decree in Jakarta on Tuesday, denouncing the government as repressive and tyrannical, and another protest is planned for Wednesday.Jokowi’s top security minister announced in May that the government planned to ban Hizbut but facing the prospect of a lengthy legal battle, Jokowi opted to sidestep courts with the controversial decree.Separately, Rizieq Shihab, the leader of the Islamic Defenders Front, which gained a national platform for its hard-line views during the Jakarta protests, has fled Indonesia during a police investigation into alleged violations of Indonesia’s anti-pornography law, which his supporters say are trumped up charges.

Indonesia bans Hizbut group that seeks global caliphate

Hizbut’s legal status had been revoked to protect national unity, said Freddy Haris, a director-general at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.

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COVID-19 is a vascular disease, not respiratory, says studyCovid-19 is not a respiratory illness, as widely accepted, but a vascular one, claims a study.The study, led by the University of California-San Diego, could explain blood clots in some Covid patients and other issues like "Covid feet", which are not typical symptoms of a respiratory illness, Euronews reported.The findings, published in the journal Circulation Research, showed how the virus attacks the vascular or circulatory system. The S protein of the virus, the spike that forms the crown, attacks the receptor ACE2, damaging the mitochondria that generate the energy of the cells, thus damaging the endothelium, which lines the blood vessel.This is something that has already been observed, but what wasn't previously known is the exact mechanism and role of the S protein. This protein is replicated by all of the currently available vaccines, the team said.For the study, the team created a pseudovirus for the study, which only had the S protein but not the rest of the virus, to show in the lab that this protein is enough by itself to cause disease.The effects on the respiratory system are a consequence of the inflammation of the vascular tissue in the lungs. "A lot of people think of it as a respiratory disease, but it's really a vascular disease," Uri Manor, assistant research professor, at the varsity was quoted as saying."That could explain why some people have strokes, and why some people have issues in other parts of the body. The commonality between them is that they all have vascular underpinnings," Manor added.According to Professor Rafael Manez Mendiluce, head of intensive care at Bellvitge University Hospital in Spain, the vascular problem could be related to the inflammatory response of the patient's immune system.

COVID-19 is a vascular disease, not respiratory, says study

The study, led by the University of California-San Diego, could explain blood clots in some Covid patients and other issues like "Covid feet", which are not typical symptoms of a respiratory illness, Euronews reported.

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President Trump is seen on a network monitor after his pre-recorded farewell speech was released, inside the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. In his farewell video message, outgoing US President Donald Trump said that now more than ever, Americans must unify around their shared values and rise above partisan rancour to forge their common destiny. Trump also prayed for the success of Joe Biden in keeping America safe and prosperous and extended his best wishes. Trump, in a pre-recorded video message released by the White House on Tuesday, said to serve as the President has been an honour beyond description. “Thank you for this extraordinary privilege. And that’s what it is -- a great privilege and a great honour,” he said.“This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous. We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck -- a very important word,” Trump said on the eve of his departure from the White House for his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.Wednesday afternoon, he would be succeeded by Joe Bide as the 46th President of the United States. Trump has announced that he will not attend the inauguration of his successor.Indian-origin Kamala Harris would be sworn in as the Vice President of the US. Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence would be present during the inaugural ceremony at the Capitol Hill, facing the majestic National Mall.In his video that lasted a little less than 20 minutes, Trump addressed the storming of the US Capitol by his supporters on January 6, which is considered as one of the darkest days in the history of American democracy and sought unity from his fellow Americans.“All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated. Now, more than ever, we must unify around our shared values and rise above the partisan rancour, and forge our common destiny,” Trump said.Listing out some of the key accomplishments of the US government from January 20, 2017, to January 20, 2021, Trump said his administration achieved more than anyone thought possible.“Nobody thought we could even come close,” he said as he referred to the largest package of tax cuts, slapping tariffs on China, achieving energy independence and development of a COVID-19 vaccine in a record short span of time.“We restored American strength at home and American leadership abroad. The world respects us again. Please don’t lose that respect,” Trump said, adding that his administration revitalized US alliances and rallied the nations of the world to stand up to China like never before.He further said as a result of "our bold diplomacy and principled realism", the US achieved a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East. "Nobody believed it could happen. The Abraham Accords opened the doors to a future of peace and harmony, not violence and bloodshed. It is the dawn of a new Middle East, and we are bringing our soldiers home,” he said.He also asserted that he was "especially proud to be the first President in decades who has started no new wars”.Trump, 74, said as he leaves the White House after four years, he has been reflecting on the dangers that threaten the priceless inheritance all Americans share.“As the world’s most powerful nation, America faces constant threats and challenges from abroad. But the greatest danger we face is a loss of confidence in ourselves, a loss of confidence in our national greatness. A nation is only as strong as its spirit. We are only as dynamic as our pride. We are only as vibrant as the faith that beats in the hearts of our people,” he said.Trump said the key to national greatness lies in sustaining and instilling the shared national identity. That means focusing on what Americans have in common -- the heritage they all share.“At the centre of this heritage is also a robust belief in free expression, free speech, and open debate. Only if we forget who we are, and how we got here, could we ever allow political censorship and blacklisting to take place in America. It’s not even thinkable. Shutting down free and open debate violates our core values and most enduring traditions,” he said.Trump, in the aftermath of the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, has been banned by the majority of the social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. He has described this as an assault on free speech.“In America, we don’t insist on absolute conformity or enforce rigid orthodoxies and punitive speech codes. We just don’t do that. America is not a timid nation of tame souls who need to be sheltered and protected from those with whom we disagree. That’s not who we are. It will never be who we are,” he said on Tuesday on the eve of his departure.Trump in his farewell speech indicated that he might be out of the White House, but he will continue to have an active public life.“Now, as I prepare to hand power over to a new administration at noon on Wednesday, I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning. There’s never been anything like it. The belief that a nation must serve its citizens will not dwindle but instead only grow stronger by the day,” Trump said.“I go from this majestic place with a loyal and joyful heart, an optimistic spirit, and a supreme confidence that for our country and for our children, the best is yet to come,” he said.

I pray for Joe Biden's success in keeping America safe: Trump in farewell message

Trump in his farewell speech indicated that he might be out of the White House, but he will continue to have an active public life.

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People inspect the the rubble of the Yazegi residential building that was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike, in Gaza City.The Israeli military unleashed a wave of heavy airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Monday, saying it destroyed 15 kilometers (nine miles) of militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders.Residents of Gaza awakened by the overnight barrage described it as the heaviest since the war began a week ago, and even more powerful than a wave of airstrikes in Gaza City the day before that left 42 dead and flattened three buildings. That earlier attack was the deadliest in the current round of hostilities between Israel and Gaza’s Hamas rulers.There was no immediate word on the casualties from the latest strikes. A three-story building in Gaza City was heavily damaged, but residents said the military warned them 10 minutes before the strike and everyone cleared out. They said many of the airstrikes hit nearby farmland.Gaza’s mayor, Yahya Sarraj, told Al-Jazeera TV that the strikes had caused extensive damage to roads and other infrastructure. “If the aggression continues we expect conditions to become worse,” he said.The U.N. has warned that the territory’s sole power station is at risk of running out of fuel, and Sarraj said Gaza was also low on spare parts. Gaza already experiences daily power outages for between eight and 12 hours and tap water is undrinkable. Mohammed Thabet, a spokesman for the the territory’s electricity distribution company, said it has fuel to supply Gaza with electricity for two or a three days. Airstrikes have damaged supply lines and the company’s staff cannot reach areas that were hit because of continued Israeli shelling, he added.The war broke out last Monday, when the Hamas militant group fired long-range rockets at Jerusalem after weeks of clashes in the holy city between Palestinian protesters and Israeli police. The protests were focused on the heavy-handed policing of a flashpoint sacred site during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.Since then, the Israeli military has launched hundreds of airstrikes that it says are targeting Hamas’ militant infrastructure. Palestinian militants in Gaza have fired more than 3,100 rockets into Israel.At least 198 Palestinians have been killed in the strikes, including 58 children and 35 women, with 1,300 people wounded, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Eight people in Israel have been killed in rocket attacks launched from Gaza, including a 5-year-old boy and a soldier.“I have not seen this level of destruction through my 14 years of work,” said Samir al-Khatib, an emergency rescue official in Gaza. “Not even in the 2014 war,” he added, referring to the most destructive of the previous three wars fought between Israel and Hamas.The military said it struck nine houses in different parts of northern Gaza that belonged to “high-ranking commanders” in Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has controlled the territory since seizing power from rival Palestinian forces in 2007.In recent days, Israel has targeted the homes of a number of senior Hamas leaders, including Yehiyeh Sinwar, the top leader inside Gaza. The group’s leadership goes underground when the fighting begins, and it’s unlikely any were at home at the time of the strikes.Hamas and the Islamic Jihad militant group say at least 20 of their fighters have been killed, while Israel says the number is much higher and has released the names of and photos of more than two dozen militant commanders it says were “eliminated.”The military said it struck 35 “terror targets” as well as the tunnels, which it says are part of an elaborate system it refers to as the “Metro,” used by fighters to take cover from airstrikes.Despite international efforts at a cease-fire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel’s attacks were continuing at “full-force” and would “take time.“ Israel “wants to levy a heavy price” on the Hamas militant group.Hamas’ top leader Ismail Haniyeh, who is based abroad, said the group has been contacted by the U.S., Russia, Egypt and Qatar as part of cease-fire efforts but “will not accept a solution that is not up to the sacrifices of the Palestinian people.”In an interview with the Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar, he blamed the war on Israel’s actions in Jerusalem and boasted that the rockets were “paralyzing the usurping entity (Israel) by imposing a curfew on its citizens and closing its airports and ports.”Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said his government is working to “urgently” end the violence, in his first comments since the war broke out. Egypt, which borders Gaza and Israel, has played a central role in the cease-fires brokered after previous rounds of fighting.An Egyptian diplomat said the efforts were focusing on two issues — a halt in all attacks from both sides and halting Israeli policies in the contested city of Jerusalem that helped spark the fighting. These include police raids against Palestinian protesters in and around the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the planned evictions of Palestinians by Jewish settlers in east Jerusalem.The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was talking about confidential diplomatic discussions, said mediators were counting on the Biden administration to put pressure on Israel to stop its offensive and there were expectations for action in the coming 48 hours.Israel’s airstrikes have leveled a number of Gaza City’s tallest buildings, which Israel alleges contained Hamas military infrastructure. Among them was the building housing The Associated Press Gaza office and those of other media outlets. The Israeli military alerted staff and residents before the strike, and all were able to evacuate the building safely.Sally Buzbee, the AP’s executive editor, has called for an independent investigation into the airstrike.Netanyahu alleged that Hamas military intelligence was operating inside the building and said Sunday any evidence would be shared through intelligence channels. Neither the White House nor the State Department would say if any had been seen.The AP had operated from the building for 15 years, including through three previous wars between Israel and Hamas. The news agency’s cameras, operating from its top floor office and roof terrace, offered 24-hour live shots as militant rockets arched toward Israel and Israeli airstrikes hammered the city and its surroundings.AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt released a statement after Saturday’s attack saying he was “shocked and horrified” that Israel targeted the building. He said the AP had “no indication Hamas was in the building or active in the building.”“This is something we actively check to the best of our ability,” he said. “We would never knowingly put our journalists at risk.”ALSO READ: Israeli warplanes stage heavier strikes across Gaza City; explosions heard for 10 minutesALSO READ: Israel kills 42 in Gaza as Netanyahu warns war will go on /* .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_5000452675 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/05/0_qp61ojig/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_qp61ojig_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "VIDEO: Israel strikes Gaza amid Hamas rocket barrage", "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": "89", "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_5000452675 = ''; jwsetup_5000452675(); function jwsetup_5000452675() { jwvidplayer_5000452675 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_5000452675").setup(jwconfig_5000452675); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_5000452675, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_qp61ojig\", ns_st_pr=\"VIDEO: Israel strikes Gaza amid Hamas rocket barrage\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"VIDEO: Israel strikes Gaza amid Hamas rocket barrage\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"VIDEO: Israel strikes Gaza amid Hamas rocket barrage\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-05-12\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-05-12\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/05/0_qp61ojig/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_5000452675.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_5000452675.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_5000452675.stop(); jwvidplayer_5000452675.remove(); jwvidplayer_5000452675 = ''; jwsetup_5000452675(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_5000452675.stop(); jwvidplayer_5000452675.remove(); jwvidplayer_5000452675 = ''; jwsetup_5000452675(); return; }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5000452675.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Israel says Gaza tunnels destroyed in heavy airstrikes

The Israeli military unleashed a wave of heavy airstrikes on the Gaza Strip early Monday, saying it destroyed 15 kilometers (nine miles) of militant tunnels and the homes of nine Hamas commanders.

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6 killed as furious gunbattle erupts in New Jersey streetsSix people, including a police officer and three bystanders, were killed in a furious gunbattle that filled the streets of Jersey City with the sound of heavy fire for hours on Tuesday, authorities said. The deceased also included two gunmen, Jersey City Police Chief Michael Kelly said. The gunfire erupted near a cemetery and the shooting continued at a kosher supermarket about a mile away, where five more bodies were found. Two other officers were injured in the incident, but were later released from the hospital, authorities said.The bullets started flying early in the afternoon in the city of about 270,000 people, situated across the Hudson River from New York City. The gunmen then traveled to another part of the city in a stolen rental van and engaged police in a lengthy shootout.Inside the grocery store, police found the bodies of who they were believed were the two gunmen and three other people who apparently happened to be there when the assailants rushed in, authorities said. Police said they were confident the bystanders were shot by the gunmen and not by police.The kosher grocery is a central fixture in a growing community of Orthodox Jews who have been moving to Jersey City in recent years. Authorities were unable to say why the gunmen went there.The names of the victims inside the store were not immediately released.City Public Safety Director James Shea said that authorities believe the bloodshed was not an act of terrorism but that it was still under investigation.The shooting spread fear through the neighborhood and the nearby Sacred Heart School was put on lockdown as a precaution.SWAT teams, state police and federal agents converged on the scene and police blocked off the area, which in addition to the school and supermarket included a hair salon and other shops. Dozens of bystanders pressed against the police barrier to capture the action on their cellphones, some whooping when bursts of fire could be heard.Video shot by residents recorded loud volleys of gunfire reverberating along one of the city’s main streets and showed a long line of law enforcement officers pointing guns as they advanced, yelling to bystanders, “Clear the street! Get out of the way!”Police also removed what they described as a possible “incendiary device” from the rental vehicle and sent it for examination by a bomb squad. The results of that examination were not available Tuesday evening.Also Read | Three killed in firing incident in PakistanAlso Read | Shootout at US Navy Florida Base: Shooter killed, another dead, 11 hurt /* .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_6337005452 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_a04cxsjd_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_a04cxsjd_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "6 dead in New Jersey gunbattle, including police officer", "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_6337005452 = ''; jwsetup_6337005452(); function jwsetup_6337005452() { jwvidplayer_6337005452 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_6337005452").setup(jwconfig_6337005452); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_6337005452, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_a04cxsjd\", ns_st_pr=\"6 dead in New Jersey gunbattle, including police officer\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"6 dead in New Jersey gunbattle, including police officer\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"6 dead in New Jersey gunbattle, including police officer\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2019-12-11\", ns_st_tdt=\"2019-12-11\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_a04cxsjd_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_6337005452.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_6337005452.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_6337005452.stop(); jwvidplayer_6337005452.remove(); jwvidplayer_6337005452 = ''; jwsetup_6337005452(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_6337005452.stop(); jwvidplayer_6337005452.remove(); jwvidplayer_6337005452 = ''; jwsetup_6337005452(); return; }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6337005452.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); } ​  

6 killed as gunbattle erupts on New Jersey streets; heavy firing heard

The bullets started flying early in the afternoon in the city of about 270,000 people, situated across the Hudson River from New York City. The gunmen then traveled to another part of the city in a stolen rental van and engaged police in a lengthy shootout.

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A man wearing a face mask passes by a screen displaying precautions against the coronavirus at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, April 19, 2020. South Korea's prime minister says the country will maintain much of its social distancing guidelines until May 5 but will relax some limitsSouth Korea on Sunday reported eight new coronavirus cases, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,661, with the daily increase falling to a single digit for the first time in about two months.The figure for the cases, detected on Saturday, marked another decrease from a day earlier when the number of new infections reached 18, Yonhap News Agency quoted the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) as saying.Of the eight new cases, five were detected from arrivals from foreign countries.The total number of such cases reached 998, taking up around 9 per cent of the overall infections.After reporting the first case on January 20, the number of daily new cases in the country stayed in the single digits through February 18.The number of South Korea's daily new cases had reached a peak of 909 on February 29.The nation's death toll rose by two to 234 on Sunday, according to the KCDC.

Single digit new COVID-19 cases reported in South Korea for the first time in 2 months

South Korea on Sunday reported eight new coronavirus cases, bringing the nation's total infections to 10,661, with the daily increase falling to a single digit for the first time in about two months.

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Pakistan resumes international flight operationsPakistan has resumed its international flight operations after the government eased some of the restrictions imposed to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, according to a notification issued by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). "As per decision of the Federal Government, the outbound international flights (scheduled, non scheduled and charter flights) operation has been allowed with effect from 11.59 p.m., tonight," The Express Tribunes quoted spokesperson Aviation Division Abdul Sattar Khokhar as saying on Friday.In a statement, the spokesperson added that both national and foreign airlines will be allowed to operate from all international airports of Pakistan except Gwadar and Turbat."SOPs for outbound international flights have already been issued according to which airlines will be required to follow the SOPs of the destination country."Keeping in view the current situation, the statement said that congestion at airports will not be allowed and planes will be disinfected.The country had resumed partial domestic flight operations on May 16.In March, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspended all international flights in the wake of the novel coronavirus.A month later, the government extended the suspension of international and domestic flight operations till April 30 in line with the national strategy to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.However, during that period, PIA resumed its relief flights to repatriate stranded Pakistani nationals.(With IANS inputs)Also Read | Rs 30 million found in wreckage of crashed Pakistan International Airlines' aircraft that killed 97Also Read | India trashes Pakistan's objection to commencement of construction of Ram temple​

Pakistan resumes international flight operations with guidelines

In March, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) suspended all international flights in the wake of the novel coronavirus. A month later, the government extended the suspension of international and domestic flight operations till April 30 in line with the national strategy to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.

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Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Tuesday said the strong relationship and cooperation will continue with China in various fields.Abbasi was talking to Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing who called on him at the Prime Minister's Office, the office said in a statement."Deepening the strong bonds of friendship and multi-sector cooperation between Pakistan and China would continue with great fervour as ever before," the statement quoted Abbasi as saying.He also emphasised upon expanding people-to-people contacts and collaboration in various areas, ranging from trade and commerce to education and culture.Ambassador Yao, who has served as the Chinese envoy to Afghanistan, was appointed as the new Chinese ambassador to Pakistan in November 2017.

Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi vows to boost cooperation with China

Abbasi was talking to Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing who called on him at the Prime Minister's Office, the office said in a statement.

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Taliban says over 150 people have been killed in flooding in northeastern Afghanistan. (Representational image)The Taliban say that 150 people have died in flooding in Afghanistan’s mountainous northeastern Nuristan province.Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid offered little information Thursday about the deaths a day earlier.The spokesman for the provincial governor, Mohammad Sayed Mohmand, said water had inundated the village of Terdesh, destroying at least 100 homes.Mohmand said he had received reports of 60 dead but said the death toll is likely much higher.Nuristan is a mountainous region and the Taliban control large swaths of the province. Mohmand said dozens of families fled the flooding to the neighboring Kunar region.The Nuristan government is appealing to the Taliban to allow rescue teams into their area to offer help, he added.ALSO READ | Orange alert issued in Rajasthan, IMD forecasts heavy rainfallTaliban control or hold sway in roughly half of Afghanistan. Since the announced withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from the country, the insurgent force has swept through dozens of districts.It’s not clear how well equipped the Taliban are to deal with emergencies in areas under their control, which are mostly rural areas.ALSO READ | Maharashtra floods: Death toll rises to 209 as heavy rains wreak havoc in large parts of state /* .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_1724700325 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/07/0_9bhi6dz9/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_9bhi6dz9_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Ground Report | Scenes of destruction after flash floods in Dharamshala's Kangra", "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": "712", "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_1724700325 = ''; jwsetup_1724700325(); function jwsetup_1724700325() { jwvidplayer_1724700325 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_1724700325").setup(jwconfig_1724700325); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_1724700325, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_9bhi6dz9\", ns_st_pr=\"Ground Report | Scenes of destruction after flash floods in Dharamshala's Kangra\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Ground Report | Scenes of destruction after flash floods in Dharamshala's Kangra\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Ground Report | Scenes of destruction after flash floods in Dharamshala's Kangra\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-07-13\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-07-13\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/07/0_9bhi6dz9/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_1724700325.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_1724700325.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_1724700325.stop(); jwvidplayer_1724700325.remove(); jwvidplayer_1724700325 = ''; jwsetup_1724700325(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_1724700325.stop(); jwvidplayer_1724700325.remove(); jwvidplayer_1724700325 = ''; jwsetup_1724700325(); return; }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1724700325.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

150 killed after floods in Afghanistan’s mountainous Nuristan province, says Taliban

The spokesman for the provincial governor, Mohammad Sayed Mohmand, said water had inundated the village of Terdesh, destroying at least 100 homes.

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Representational imageAt least 21 Afghan soldiers, police personnel and 15 Taliban militants have been killed in clashes in Badghis province as fighting rages in the country, officials said on Monday.In one incident, three Army soldiers, 11 Afghan Local Police (ALP) personnel and 15 militants were killed after the security forces fought back scores of armed militants who stormed security checkpoints in Qadis district on Sunday night, Abdul Aziz Baig, an official of Provincial Council, told Xinhua news agency.The government established the ALP or community police in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where the Army and police have limited presence. In similar clashes in Gandab, an area in Ab Kamari district, seven ALP policemen were killed and nine others wounded while casualties were also reflected on the side of militants, the official said. The province, 555 km northwest of Kabul, has been the scene of heavy clashes between security forces and militants for long. The violence has been on the rise as Afghan security forces struggle against a surge in attacks by anti-government fighters since the drawdown of foreign forces four years ago.

21 Afghan security forces, 15 militants killed in clashes

The government established the ALP or community police in 2010 to protect villages and districts around the country where the Army and police have limited presence.

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My daughter, son think a lot of India and so do I, says TrumpThe First Family of the United States is in love with India, US President Donald Trump indicated as he noted that both his daughter Ivanka and son Donald Trump Jr along with Kimberly Guilfoyle think a lot about India and so does he.“I know India and I understood those young people (Kimberly, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka) that you mentioned. They're very good young people. And I know their relationship to India is very good and so is mine,” Trump told reporters at the White House.The president, who describes himself as the best friend ever of India and Indian Americans in the White House, was responding to a question about the role the three important members of his family are going to play this election cycle along with respect to the Indian American community.“Would Kimberly, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump, who are very popular among Indian Americans, would be campaigning on your behalf among the Indian Americans with your views on India-US relationship?” the president was asked.“I appreciate the nice sentiments. They think (Kimberley, Don Jr and Ivanka) a lot of India and so do I. And think a lot of your prime minister (Narendra Modi),” Trump said in response to the question. In the 2016 elections, the Trump family had reached out to the Indian American community, particularly in the battleground states of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Florida where both Ivanka, and Donald Trump Jr along with his other son Eric and daughter-in-law Lara Trump held meetings with the community members and visited Hindu temples.Ivanka, was the first member of the Trump family to make a trip to India after Trump came to power. She led a high-powered US delegation to the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in India in 2017.Ivanka, frequently tweets about issues related to India. Having a star appeal in India, Ivanka is also special advisor to the president. Donald Trump Jr, who is heading the re-election campaign, has also made trips to India. Last December he held a special book-launch event for Indian American community in Long Island. “A Key Advantage in Battleground States Could Secure 2020 for Trump,” Don Jr said in a tweet last month.He along with his girlfriend Kimberley, who is national chair of Trump Victory Finance Committee, have been instrumental in the campaign maintaining a close relationship with Indian American community. The two quite often tweet about the key role that the Indian American community can play in the battle ground states.On India's independence day on August 15, Donald Trump Jr had tweeted: "Sending Best Wishes to India on its Independence Day." “Grateful for all my friends there and my Indian-American friends here.” "Congratulations to India who is celebrating their 74th Independence Day and to all those Indian-Americans who now call the USA home. The bond between our countries is stronger than it has ever been as we share a deep appreciation for family, peace, and prosperity," Kimberly said in tweet greeting India on its Independence Day.“America enjoys a great relationship with India and our campaign enjoys great support from Indian Americans!,” she said about a fortnight ago releasing the first video commercial of the Trump Campaign targeting Indian Americans. Titled “Four More Years”, the 107 second video starts with the iconic footage of Modi and Trump walking hand in hand at the NRG Stadium in Houston during his visit to the US last year wherein the leaders of the two largest democracies of the world made their joint address before a strong crowd of Indian Americans numbering more than 50,000.Amidst cheering of thousands of his supporters in the US, Modi is seen as saying that Trump “needs no introduction” and that “his name comes up in almost every conversation.” He is the president of the United States of America “Mr Donald Trump,” the prime minister says at the start of the video, that has been conceptualised by Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee.It is well known that Modi is highly popular among Indian Americans. His star appeal has attracted record crowd, hitherto unknown for a foreign leader, on the American soil. Starting with his address at the Madison Square Garden in 2015 and then in the Silicon Valley two years later, both attracting more than 20,000 people, Modi is perhaps the only foreign leader in recent memory to have addressed such huge rallies in the US. His “Howdy Modi” address in Houston last September was attended by a record 50,000 people. Trump made a solo trip to Houston to join him in the addressing the historic rally.While Modi introduces Trump to the crowd whom he addressed as “my family”, the second part of the commercial has clips form Trump’s historic address in Ahmedabad this February.“America loves India. America respects India. And America will always be faithful and loyal friend to the Indian people,” Trump is seen as saying in the commercial in which he praises the contribution of four million Indian Americans. “They are truly spectacular people,” the president said. 

My daughter, son think a lot of India and so do I, says Trump

The First Family of the United States is in love with India, US President Donald Trump indicated as he noted that both his daughter Ivanka and son Donald Trump Jr along with Kimberly Guilfoyle think a lot about India and so does he.

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Hours after US President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang that any threat would be met with “fire and fury like the world has never seen”, North Korea said on Wednesday it is considering plans for a missile attack on the US Pacific territory of Guam.The heightened tensions between the two nations rattled global financial markets and prompted warnings from US officials and analysts not to engage in rhetorical slanging matches with North Korea. Pyongyang said it's "now carefully examining the operational plan for making an enveloping fire at the areas around Guam with medium-to-long-range strategic ballistic rocket Hwasong-12," according to the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The plan will be finalised "and will be put into practice in a multi-concurrent and consecutive way any moment once Kim Jong Un, supreme commander of the nuclear force of the DPRK, makes a decision," it added.  The threat came after Trump warned North Korea on Tuesday that he would respond to any threats "with fire and fury like the world has never seen," following reports that Pyongyang has developed miniaturized nuclear warheads that can be mounted on a ballistic missile."North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," Trump said to reporters at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, Efe reported."He has been very threatening, beyond a normal statement," Trump said regarding North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. "As I said they will be met with fire, fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before."Trump did not elaborate on his point and made no other specific remarks, but his comments come shortly after the daily Washington Post reported data from a new report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency about North Korea.According to this DIA report, which was finalized last month, North Korea has managed to produce a miniaturized nuclear warhead that can be placed onto one of its ballistic missiles.The document obtained by the Washington daily said that the intelligence community found that North Korea has produced nuclear arms that it can deliver many thousands of miles via ICBMs.In addition, Pyongyang on Tuesday threatened to take serious action following the imposition of sanctions last Saturday by the UN Security Council, a measure North Korea called "illegal" and a "terrorist act."The UN sanctions come in response to the first intercontinental ballistic missile test in North Korea's history on July 4, a test that was a milestone and was followed by the launching of a second ICBM on July 28.

After Trumps's 'fire and fury' warning, North Korea threatens missile strike on Guam

Hours after US President Donald Trump warned Pyongyang that any threat would be met with “fire and fury like the world has never seen”, North Korea said on Wednesday it is considering plans for a missile attack on the US Pacific territory of Guam

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Iran President Hassan RouhaniIranian President Hassan Rouhani on Tuesday warned the United States that no crude will be exported from the Persian Gulf if Iranian oil sales were blocked.Accusing the United States of trying to push India away from Iran, Rouhani asserted that Washington cannot stop Tehran from exporting oil. Related Stories Iran offers crude oil to private sector to counter US sanctionsEnough supply of petroleum for countries to cut oil import from Iran: Donald TrumpWill continue to engage with US and other stakeholders: MEA on Trump administration's sanctions against IranUS sanctions on Iran: India examining details of exemptions from punitive measures, says MEAThe Iranain President also vowed to expand his country’s relationship with neighbours, the Muslim countries and the world.The US has re-imposed its unilateral sanctions on Iran, including an oil embargo, after withdrawing in May from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers earlier in defiance of international objections.Washington had initially vowed to reduce Iran’s oil sales to “zero”, but later backed down and granted waivers to almost all of Tehran’s major crude buyers.“The US should know (this) that we sell and will sell our oil and it will not be able to block Iran’s oil exports. And it should also know that if it attempts to stop Iran’s oil (sales) someday, no oil will be exported from the Persian Gulf,” Rouhani said during a speech in Semnan province’s Shahroud city.“We will expand our relationship with neighbours, the Muslim countries and the world,” Rouhani was quoted as saying by Press TV. He added that the US was trying to push Europe, China and India away from Iran and “spread Iranophobia in the region”.Rouhani said that “Washington always suffered defeat in its several hostile plots against Iran”.He added that all countries “condemned Washington’s sanctions on Tehran, the US was defeated in the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague” over the issue.The Iranian leader also took an aim at Tel Aviv, saying that “the US and Israel cannot tolerate the existence of a powerful Tehran” and added that his country would never bow to them.(With IANS inputs)

No oil will be exported from Persian Gulf if Iranian sales blocked, President Hassan Rouhani warns US

The US has re-imposed its unilateral sanctions on Iran, including an oil embargo, after withdrawing in May from the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Tehran and major world powers earlier in defiance of international objections.

076be44a1489139ba81148b7167d55c2

India, US, Israel collaborating in 5G network: OfficialIndia, Israel and the United States have begun collaboration in developmental area, and in next generation of emerging technologies, including a transparent, open, reliable and secure 5G communication network, a top official has said.The branching out of this trilateral initiative in development and technological arena is a result of the people-to-people collaboration, in particular those by Indian diaspora in the US and Israel, that was initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his historic visit to Israel three years ago in July 2017, community leaders said.A collaboration in 5G is a just tip of the iceberg and a first step, according to US Agency for International Development (USAID) Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick."Because we''ll collaborate in science and research and development in coming up with the next generations of technologies, things that the likes of you and the rest of us on the phone can''t even imagine what they might be. But by partnering by officially, affirming the importance of this relationship, we''ll advance it," Glick told PTI in an interview after the US-India-Israel forum featuring discussions on strategic, tech and development/water cooperation held last week."We are thrilled to work with these partners to solve the world''s development challenges," she said in her keynote address to the virtual US-India-Israel summit that focused on trilateral partnerships in the strategic, technology and development arenas.The summit was also addressed by Israeli Ambassador to India Ron Malka and his counterpart Sanjeev Singla."One area we''ve been cooperating on is digital leadership and innovation, particularly in next generation 5G technology," Glick said."In July, I chaired a roundtable discussion with several like-minded donors on 5G and digital development. To me, it was extremely important that India and Israel be part of that conversation. And the discussion was richer because of their contributions," she said.Silicon Valley, Bangaluru and Tel Aviv have all earned reputations as leading, innovative technology hubs, and rightfully so, according to Glick."So it''s only right that our three nations play a key role in delivering the promise of 5G in a way that is open, interoperable, reliable, and secure," she stressed. "We cannot allow any nation to dominate this technology or use it to dominate other nations."When Israel. the US and India collaborate in defence, much of that collaboration and discussion is done in closed rooms, because the topics are highly sensitive, the official said."When we''re talking about development cooperation, we''re talking about transparent and open activities that can make all three countries extremely proud about the way that they impact the lives of people all over the world," Glick told PTI.Javier Piedra, deputy assistant administrator of the Bureau for Asia at USAID, said that in the case of India and Israel, they had a "peer-to-peer relationship", always looking to see how they might advance their respective activities cooperatively so that they might leverage common goals, resources, and comparative advantages in pursuit of self-reliance globally."Moreover, we continue to set the stage to further international development trilaterally, wherever possible," he said."Our partnerships with Israel and India, given our peer-to-peer relationship, exemplifies the importance of working together on issues related to water, water management and security," Piedra told PTI.M R Rangaswami from Indiaspora, who presented the tech-triangle (Silicon Valley-Tel Aviv and Bangalore) concept to Modi in Israel in 2017, said the beauty of this model was because technology was a commonality in the three things, all kinds of "incredible things" had come out of it.Dr Bharat Barai, an Indian-American from Chicago, said the people-to-people relationship, business, science and technology among the three countries would not only strengthen the ties, but also help in developmental activities in the third-world countries.Nissim Reuben, assistant director, Asia Pacific Institute (API) at the American Jewish Committee, said a strong, prosperous, vibrant and resilient Indian economy was a top priority for many countries, especially the US and Israel.To achieve that goal, India needs to continuously update its agro, water & wastewater management techniques, an area where Mashav Development Agency of Israel could play a key role with support of the USAID.AJC, Indiaspora, GIJRI & the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) will jointly advocate for this expansion of this US-Israel-India developmental partnership, he said."We hope to be able to advocate the setting up of US-Israeli joint centres of excellence in health in India similar to the 29 centres of agro-tech excellence set up by Mashav in India."Skill development, innovation and entrepreneurship, water and renewable energy cooperation will be other areas of trilateral cooperation advocacy by our four organisations in the US," Reuben said. 

India, US, Israel collaborating in 5G network: Official

India, Israel and the United States have begun collaboration in developmental area, and in next generation of emerging technologies, including a transparent, open, reliable and secure 5G communication network, a top official has said.

ce24a1b382b35a1991d7f7d327a9cf8b

A woman gets a shot of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine. (Representational image)A team of scientists has identified an anti-malarial drug, mefloquine, that is effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing Covid-19.The team from Tokyo University of Science and others mathematically modelled the effectiveness of mefloquine to predict its potential real-world impact, if applied to treat Covid-19.Shorten "time-till-virus-elimination" by 6.1 daysThey found that mefloquine could reduce the overall viral load in affected patients to under 7 per cent and shorten the "time-till-virus-elimination" by 6.1 days. Their findings are published in Frontiers in Microbiology.To identify drugs with higher antiviral potency than existing antivirals, the team first screened approved anti-parasitic/anti-protozoal drugs.They found that mefloquine had the highest anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity among the tested compounds. Upon testing it against other quinoline derivatives, such as hydrochloroquine, in a cell line mimicking the cell-based environments of human lung cells, they found it to be better.Mefloquine readily reduced viral RNA levels"In our cell assays, mefloquine readily reduced the viral RNA levels when applied at the viral entry phase but showed no activity during virus-cell attachment. This shows that mefloquine is effective on SARS-COV-2 entry into cells after attachment on cell surface," said lead scientist Koichi Watashi, from the varsity.ALSO READ | Centre rushes teams to 6 States for COVID-19 control and containment measures To bolster mefloquine's antiviral activity, the scientists looked into the possibility of combining it with a drug that inhibits the replication step of SARS-CoV-2: Nelfinavir.Interestingly, they observed that the two drugs acted in "synergy" and the drug combination showed greater antiviral activity than either showed alone, without being toxic to the cells in the cell lines themselves.While the study must be succeeded by clinical trials, "the world can hope that mefloquine becomes a drug used to effectively treat patients with Covid-19," the researchers noted.ALSO READ | World Asteroid Day: All you need to know about Asteroids, its history and relevance /* .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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Japanese scientists repurpose anti-malarial drug to fight Covid

The team from Tokyo University of Science and others mathematically modelled the effectiveness of mefloquine to predict its potential real-world impact, if applied to treat Covid-19.

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Nus Ghani, a Indian-origin parliamentarian in the UK, on Thursday became the first female Muslim minister to speak from the British Parliament dispatch box.Ms Ghani, born in Birmingham to parents who migrated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was cheered by her colleagues as she addressed the House of Commons as a junior minister in the Department for Transport."Made my debut as @transportgovuk Minister and made a bit of history as the first female Muslim Minister to speak from the House of Commons dispatch box," she tweeted soon after her first Commons outing in her new role.Also Read: Indian-origin doctor jailed for 12 years in UK for sexually assaulting four women patientsDispatch box is the designated place where ministers stand and speak from in the Commons.The 45-year-old was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Department for Transport by British Prime Minister Theresa May as part of her New Year reshuffle last week.The Conservative Party MP from Wealden was also given the assistant government whip in the reshuffle to oversee party discipline."The roles are both exciting and challenging opportunities... Transport is a subject on which I have campaigned passionately since being elected as the MP for Wealden. Alongside my ministerial duties, I will continue to be a strong voice for Wealden and deliver for my constituents," Ghani had said in a statement.The minister in charge of her department, transport secretary Chris Grayling, said Ms Ghani's promotion proved the Tories "were a party of opportunity"."We're the party to provide...the first Muslim woman minister to speak from the government dispatch box - the member for Wealden. I congratulate her - I'm very proud to sit alongside her," he said.Ms Ghani worked for charities such as Age UK and Breakthrough Breast Cancer as well as the BBC World Service before first standing as a Conservative Party candidate in Birmingham in the 2010 general election.In 2015, she became the first Conservative party Muslim female candidate to be elected to Parliament.After the June 2017 snap election, she made history after she repeated her oath of allegiance to Queen Elizabeth II in Urdu when she was sworn into Parliament."My motivation is simple. My parents are incredibly proud that I have been elected to serve as MP and I wanted to honour my mother by speaking in a language she understands and my mother tongue," she had said at the time.

UK: Indian-origin MP becomes first female Muslim minister to address British Parliament

Nus Ghani, born in Birmingham to parents who migrated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was cheered by her colleagues as she addressed the House of Commons.

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Physical distancing, face mask use could help avoid second COVID-19 wave: StudyPhysical distancing and other interventions such as the use of face masks and hand hygiene may help prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections, and remove the need for future lockdowns, according to a modelling study. The findings, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, also show that, in countries that have not yet reached the peak of active cases, lockdowns must remain in place for at least 60 days and deconfinement must be gradual in order to decrease the risk of second waves.The researchers from Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in Spain noted that several countries that initially imposed strict lockdown measures to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2 are in the process of lifting them.However, how and when to ease the restrictions is a difficult decision -- a delicate balance between the need to reactivate the economy and the risk of a second wave of infections that could overwhelm healthcare systems, they said."The problem is that assessing this risk is difficult, given the lack of reliable information on the actual number of people infected or the extent of immunity developed among the population," explained Xavier Rodo, head of ISGlobal's Climate and Health programme.In the latest study, the team present projections based on a model that divides the population into seven groups: susceptible, quarantined, exposed, infectious not detected, reported infectious and confined, recovered and death.It also allows to simulate both the degree of population confinement and the different post-confinement strategies."Our model is different because it considers the return of confined people to the susceptible population to estimate the effect of deconfinement, and it includes people's behaviours and risk perception as modulating factors," Rodo said."This model can be particularly useful for countries where the peak of cases has not yet been reached, such as those in the Southern hemisphere. It would allow to evaluate control policies and minimise the number of cases and fatalities caused by the virus," said study co-author and ISGlobal researcher Leonardo Lopez.The researchers noted that the use of face masks, hand hygiene and 'shelter in place' mandates have already demonstrated benefits.The aim of the latest study was to quantitatively evaluate their relevance as containment strategies.The results clearly show that the length of the first confinement will affect the timing and magnitude of subsequent waves, and that gradual deconfinement strategies always result in a lower number of infections and deaths, when compared to a very fast deconfinement process, the researchers said.The results show that, even in countries that do not have the resources to test and trace all cases and contacts, social empowerment through the use of masks, hand hygiene and social distancing, is key to stopping viral transmission, they said.Simulations also show that loss of immunity to the virus will have significant effects on the spacing between epidemic waves, according to the researchers.If immunity has a long duration -- one year instead of a few months -- then the time between the epidemic waves will double, they said.The model considered total lockdowns and used data available until May 25, but did not take into account a possible effect of temperatures on viral transmission.

Physical distancing, face mask use could help avoid second COVID-19 wave: Study

Physical distancing and other interventions such as the use of face masks and hand hygiene may help prevent a second wave of COVID-19 infections, and remove the need for future lockdowns, according to a modelling study

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Pakistan hikes prices of gas In a first shock of the new government in Pakistan, the gas prices of the country will be hiked by up to a whopping 143 per cent from next month. The move was taken to recover Rs 94 billion from the consumers, in effect slashing consumer subsidies that were a fiscal drag on the government's budget.Announcing the decision by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) on Monday, the minister for petroleum said, “the ECC allowed raise in the gas prices for domestic consumers in the range of 10 per cent for the lowest slab consumers to 143 per cent for the highest slab domestic consumers.”The state gas companies were running in deficit and it was not possible for the government to continue with the existing price system, the minister said.The prices will be implemented in the gas bills of October and will help the cash-starved government to recover Rs 94 billion from consumers.As many as 9.4 million domestic users will be affected by the decision, as nearly 3.6 million of them fall in the lowest income slab, while other 2.63 million in the second lowest income group.With an increase in the prices of fertiliser, manufacturing units, electricity generation, cement and Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), the gas prices for commercial and industrial consumers will increase from 30 per cent to 57 per cent.Pakistan has one of the lowest prices of piped gas.Half of the piped gas is currently being used by the domestic consumers on the SNGPL pipeline, while 24 per cent is being used by the SSGC consumers.

Pakistan: Imran Khan government hikes gas prices by up to 143 per cent

The price will be implemented in the gas bills of October and will help the cash-starved government to recover Rs 94 billion from consumers.

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Global warming will lead to river ice cover decline: StudyThe annual river ice cover will decline by about six days for every one degree Celsius increase in global temperatures, posing economic and environmental consequences, according to a study. The research, published in the journal Nature, is the first to look at the future of river ice on a global scale."We used more than 400,000 satellite images taken over 34 years to measure which rivers seasonally freeze over worldwide, which is about 56 percent of all large rivers," said Xiao Yang, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel) in the US."We detected widespread declines in monthly river ice coverage. And the predicted trend of future ice loss is likely to lead to economic challenges for people and industries along these rivers, and shifting seasonal patterns in greenhouse gas emissions from the ice-affected rivers," Yang said in a statement.The team also looked at changes to river ice cover in the past and modeled predicted changes for the future.Comparing river ice cover from 2008-2018 and 1984-1994, the team found a monthly global decline ranging from 0.3 to 4.3 percentage points.The greatest declines were found in the Tibetan Plateau, eastern Europe, and Alaska."The observed decline in river ice is likely to continue with predicted global warming," the researchers found.For the future, the team compared expected river ice cover through 2009-2029 and 2080-2100.Findings showed monthly declines in the Northern Hemisphere ranging from 9-15 percent in the winter months and 12-68 percent during the spring and fall.The Rocky Mountains, northeastern US, eastern Europe, and Tibetan Plateau are expected to take the heaviest impact, the researchers said."Ultimately, what this study shows is the power of combining massive amounts of satellite imagery with climate models to help better project how our planet will change," said UNC-Chapel Hill Associate Professor Tamlin Pavelsky. Also Read: US warship sails through Taiwan strait amid China tensions

Global warming will lead to river ice cover decline: Study

"We used more than 400,000 satellite images taken over 34 years to measure which rivers seasonally freeze over worldwide, which is about 56 percent of all large rivers," said Xiao Yang, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel) in the US.

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This July 10, 2018 file photo shows a sign that reads "Families Belong Together" on a fence outside the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Wash. Immigrant rights groups want U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release detainees at its Washington state jail who are at high risk from the coronavirus. In a letter sent to ICE late Monday, March 9, 2020, the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and Columbia Legal Services said ICE should release on parole any detainees who are older than 60, pregnant, or who have underlying conditions such as a weakened immune system or heart or lung disease. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)Elsy was on the phone in an immigration detention center when guards showed up with face masks and forms to sign. The asylum-seeker from El Salvador and others had resorted to tearing their T-shirts into face coverings after a woman in their unit tested positive for COVID-19. But the guards would not give out the masks until the detainees signed the forms, which said they could not hold the private prison company running the detention center in San Diego liable if they got the coronavirus, according to Elsy and two other detainees, including one who read the form to The Associated Press over the phone.When they refused Friday, the guards took away the masks, said Elsy, who spoke on condition that her last name be withheld for fear of retribution.While U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has started to lower the number of detainees to reduce the risk of people getting sick, those held in immigration jails and their advocates say there’s not enough protective gear, cleaning supplies or space to allow for social distancing. They fear the number of coronavirus cases will sharply rise in the coming weeks as it has in jails and prisons nationwide.The Otay Mesa Detention Center, where Elsy is held, jumped from one confirmed case last week to 12. There are 72 detainees in 12 states who tested positive and hundreds of others under quarantine.Detainees in at least four states say they have been denied masks, even as the White House has urged face coverings in public.Private prison company CoreCivic, which operates Otay Mesa, denied that masks were withheld unless detainees signed waivers. Spokeswoman Amanda Gilchrist said Monday that detainees were given an “acknowledgment form” that a mask alone could not protect them from the virus.“It was not the intent of the previous form to require detainees to relinquish all rights related to COVID-19,” Gilchrist said, adding that the company has stopped using it. “Detainees are only required to initial documentation evidencing they were issued a mask.”While jails and prisons are releasing some non-violent offenders, ICE says it has freed 160 people so far and instructed field offices to review the cases of people over 60 or those with certain medical conditions.The number of people in ICE detention now totals 33,800, down from about 37,000 a few weeks ago. Though the Trump administration has effectively shut down new asylum claims during the pandemic, it’s still holding people who were apprehended months or years earlier for civil violations, including over 5,800 people who passed government asylum screenings.Opponents argue that ICE could release thousands of people who aren’t accused of a crime, have cleared asylum screenings or won their cases but are being detained while the government appeals.“Immigrant detainees do not need to be in a detention center in order to be monitored by ICE,” said Margaret Cargioli, managing attorney at the Immigrant Defenders Law Center. “This pandemic can only be adequately managed if everyone is healthy and everyone is in a safe environment.”Andrew Arthur of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors restricting immigration, argued that detainees have constant access to medical care and that ICE and prison companies have an interest in limiting the spread of the virus because “they want to continue that business of detention.”A central problem is access to protective equipment, which even medical workers have struggled to get. ICE did not respond to questions about masks.“The officers have masks and we don’t,” a woman detained at the Montgomery Processing Center north of Houston said in a video posted by the advocacy group RAICES Action. Another woman in the video holds a sign in Spanish saying she’s pregnant and fears for her baby’s life.In Louisiana, which has become a hot spot for cases and where more than 6,000 immigration detainees are held mostly in rural jails, an asylum-seeker said he and others confined to their unit in the Pine Prairie jail pleaded for masks and more cleaning supplies. More than 50 men sleep on bunk beds.“We don’t have any social distance within us,” said the detainee from Cameroon who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “We are just living by the grace of God.”Four immigration jails in Louisiana, including Pine Prairie, have confirmed cases of COVID-19.In Florida, some detainees said in a complaint filed by immigrant rights groups that they had been denied masks and gloves, even when they tried to buy them in the commissary.“I sleep on a bunk bed and am surrounded by multiple other bunk beds, all occupied by inmates. It is not possible to stay six feet away from cellmates,” Juan Carlos Alfaro Garcia, 39, said in the complaint.At Otay Mesa in San Diego, a detainee from El Salvador who asked to be identified only by his first name, Jose, for fear of retribution, said jail guards had searched his cell and touched his belongings without wearing masks or gloves.“They put the virus in here,” Jose said. “The only way we can get the virus is because they brought the virus.”Elsy, who is seeking asylum because she said she was persecuted for her sexual orientation in El Salvador, still doesn’t have a jail-issued mask. Meanwhile, she says a guard threatened to write up her and others for tearing T-shirts to use as face coverings.“The fear of all this makes me think that we won’t be out of here alive, but dead,” she said.

Detained immigrants plead for masks, protection from coronavirus

Elsy was on the phone in an immigration detention center when guards showed up with face masks and forms to sign.The asylum-seeker from El Salvador and others had resorted to tearing their T-shirts into face coverings after a woman in their unit tested positive for COVID-19.

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Extreme cold weather kills over 100 in Pakistan The death toll due to the extreme cold weather conditions in Pakistan has increased to over 100, according to authorities. Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) recorded the highest number of casualties at 74, while 56 others were injured, Dawn news said in a report, adding that 88 houses have been completely destroyed.Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Muzaffarabad on Wednesday, where he received a briefing from the PoK Chief Secretary regarding the damages incurred due to the heavy snowfall, avalanches, landslides and other rain-related incidents in the region as well as the relief efforts undertaken.PoK authorities have said that the toll could increase as some areas in the Neelum Valley were still inaccessible due to heavy snowfall, while weather officials forecast another spell of snowfall beginning on Friday.The other victims were reported from Balochistan (20) and at least seven from Sialkot and other districts of Punjab over the past few days. Two more deaths were reported in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB). Rain-related incidents also led to the closure of major roads and highways in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, PoK and Balochistan.ALSO READ | 50 people die as cold spell continues in Bangladesh

Extreme cold weather kills over 100 in Pakistan

The death toll due to the extreme cold weather conditions in Pakistan has increased to over 100, according to authorities. Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) recorded the highest number of casualties at 74, while 56 others were injured, Dawn news said in a report, adding that 88 houses have been completely destroyed.

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US: Federal mandate takes vaccine decision off employers’ handsLarger U.S. businesses now won’t have to decide whether to require their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Doing so is now federal policy.President Joe Biden announced sweeping new orders Thursday that will require employers with more than 100 workers to mandate immunizations or offer weekly testing. The new rules could affect as many as 100 million Americans, although it’s not clear how many of those people are currently unvaccinated.Large swaths of the private sector have already stepped in to mandate shots for at least some of their employees. But Biden said Thursday that “many of us are frustrated with the nearly 80 million Americans who are not fully vaccinated.”The U.S. is still struggling to curb the surging delta variant of the coronavirus, which is killing thousands each week and jeopardizing the nation’s economic recovery.Per Biden’s order, the millions who work as employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government won’t have the option to get tested instead of taking the vaccine. The order also requires large companies to provide paid time off for vaccination.The Associated Press reached out to a wide range of companies on Thursday. Many didn’t have immediate responses while others noted that they already require vaccinations. Walmart, the nation’s largest private employer, was one of the first major companies to mandate vaccines for some of its workers. Walmart said in late July that it was requiring that all workers at its headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, as well as its managers who travel within the U.S.; be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 4.But the vaccine mandate excluded frontline workers such as cashiers, who according to the company have a lower vaccination rate than management.CVS Health said in late August it will require certain employees who interact with patients to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the end of October. That includes nurses, care managers and pharmacists.Airlines, meanwhile, have tried to reassure customers about the safety of flying during a pandemic, and have pushed steps such as mandatory masking before they were required by the government.United Airlines announced last month that it would require employees to be vaccinated. The airline said Wednesday that workers who don’t comply will be placed on leave Oct. 2 and will be terminated unless they can demonstrate a medical or religious reason for not getting vaccinated. The airline says more than half its workers who weren’t vaccinated have gotten the shots since the company announced the requirement.Other airlines have encouraged workers to get the shots but haven’t required it, although Delta Air Lines plans to hit unvaccinated workers on its health plan with a $200 monthly surcharge starting in November. Delta’s chief health officer said the prospect of that fee has led about 20% of the airline’s unvaccinated workers to get shots.The tech industry has largely been at the forefront of vaccine requirements, making the sector in general a likely supporter of Biden’s policy on the issue. In late July, Google became one of the first major U.S. employers to decide all its workers needed to be vaccinated before returning to the office. Facebook quickly adopted a similar policy a few hours after Google took its hard stand on vaccines.Google left it an open question whether the minority of employees who will still be allowed to work remotely will be required to get vaccinated to remain on its payroll. The Mountain View, California, company employs more than 130,000 workers worldwide, with a significant number based in the U.S. The heaviest concentrations are in the San Francisco Bay area and New York.Apple, which employs both tech workers in its offices and tens of thousands of workers in its retail stores throughout the world, has been encouraging people to get vaccinated without announcing a formal mandate. The Cupertino, California, company didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about Biden’s vaccine order.General Motors stopped short of endorsing Biden’s requirements, but said in a statement that it supports vaccines.“We are strongly encouraging our employees to get vaccinated given the broad availability of safe and highly efficacious vaccines, which data consistently show is the best way to protect yourself and those around you,” the automaker said.Half of American workers are in favor of vaccine requirements at their workplaces, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Such mandates have already been gaining traction following the Food and Drug Administration’s full approval of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are available under emergency authorization, but haven’t been formally approved.About 59% of remote workers said they favor vaccine requirements in their own workplaces, compared with 47% of those who are currently working in person. About one-quarter of workers — in person and remote — said they are opposed.More than 177 million Americans are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, but confirmed cases of the virus have shot up in recent weeks. They’ve now reached an average of about 140,000 cases per day. On average, about 1,000 Americans dying from the virus daily, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Some businesses and workers are likely to challenge the orders in court, but many more companies will “appreciate having the cover,” said Dorit Reiss, a professor at the University of California Hastings College of the Law who has studied vaccine mandates for nearly a decade.“It helps them increase vaccine rates and they can blame the government,” she said. “Vaccine mandates work because for most people, even if they have a position against it, it’s not strong enough to sacrifice their jobs.”Those who don’t work for federal contractors and are afraid of the vaccine can choose weekly testing instead, but Reiss said many people who are simply hesitant are more likely to get immunized.“The testing is sufficiently burdensome that most of them would prefer just to be vaccinated,” she said.

US: Federal mandate takes vaccine decision off employers’ hands

President Joe Biden announced sweeping new orders Thursday that will require employers with more than 100 workers to mandate immunizations or offer weekly testing.

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India urges UK museum to return ancient idol 'stolen' from Tamil Nadu templeIndia has made a formal request for a 15th century bronze idol believed to be stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu and found its way to a UK museum through auction. The statue of Saint Tirumankai Alvar was acquired by the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford from Sotheby's auction house in 1967 from the collection of a collector named J R Belmont (1886-1981).The museum says that it was alerted to the origins of the ancient statue by an independent researcher in November last year, following which it alerted the Indian High Commission."Research in the photo archives of the IFP-EFEO (Institut Francais de Pondichery and the Ecole francaise d'Extreme-Orient) appears to show the same bronze in the temple of Shri Soundarrajaperumal Kovil in Tamil Nadu in 1957," a statement from the Ashmolean Museum said on Monday."The Ashmolean was informed that the bronze is one of a number of bronzes in collections in Europe and the United States identified by this researcher through the IFP-EFEO archive," the statement said.Although there was no claim against the object, the museum officially brought the matter to the attention of the Indian High Commission on December 16 last year, requesting further information, including possible police records, that would help them establish the work's provenance."We were open to holding further discussions around the possible repatriation of the sculpture," the museum said.Indian High Commissioner in the UK Ruchi Ghanashyam acknowledged the "proactive" move of the museum soon after and the matter was forwarded to the Indian authorities for follow up, with a formal request for the restitution of the idol sent to the museum earlier this month."In our request, we have stated that the police report furnished by the idol wing unambiguously shows that the original idol as is found in the IFP archives has been stolen and replaced with a fake one and that the stolen idol is the same one that is presently with the Ashmolean," said Rahul Nangare, First Secretary (Trade) at the Indian High Commission in London."After we provided them the police report along with the formal request for restitution, Ashmolean have informed that they are now carrying out further due diligence with an official from Ashmolean also scheduled to visit India shortly. We have requested them to expedite the same so that the final decision is taken at the earliest," he said.The museum, which holds some of the world's most famous art and archaeology artefacts, says it acquired the statue in "good faith" in 1967."We currently have no indication of how the bronze entered his [Belmont] collection and we are continuing to investigate with the support of the Indian High Commission," the museum said.There have been a number of instances of stolen Indian artefacts being restored from the UK to India, most recently in August last year when a limestone carved relief sculpture, originating from Andhra Pradesh, and a "Navaneetha Krishna" bronze sculpture originating from 17th century Tamil Nadu, were handed over to the Indian High Commissioner to the UK following a joint US-UK investigation involving Scotland Yard's Art and Antiques Unit.Also Read: National Museum drops non-veg dishes from menu of food event due to 'sentimental' reasons

India urges UK museum to return ancient idol 'stolen' from Tamil Nadu temple

India has made a formal request for a 15th century bronze idol believed to be stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu and found its way to a UK museum through auction.

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Anti-abortion demonstrators pray and protest outside of a Whole Women's Health of North TexasThe Biden administration on Friday urged a federal judge to block the nation’s most restrictive abortion law, which has banned most abortions in Texas since early September and sent women racing to get care beyond the borders of the second-most populous state.But even if the law is put on hold, abortion services in Texas may not instantly resume because doctors still fear that they could be sued without a more permanent legal decision.That worry underscores the durability of Senate Bill 8, which has already withstood a wave of challenges. U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman of Austin, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, presided over a nearly three-hour hearing but did not say when he will rule.The law bans abortions once cardiac activity is detected, which is usually around six weeks, before some women know they are pregnant. To enforce the law, Texas deputized private citizens to file lawsuits against violators and has entitled them to at least $10,000 in damages if successful.The Biden administration says Texas has waged an attack on a woman’s constitutional right to abortion.“A state may not ban abortions at six weeks. Texas knew this, but it wanted a six-week ban anyway, so the state resorted to an unprecedented scheme of vigilante justice that was designed to scare abortion providers and others who might help women exercise their constitutional rights,” Justice Department attorney Brian Netter told the court.So far, abortion providers trying to block the Texas law have been rejected at every turn. That makes the lawsuit filed by the Justice Department their best chance yet to deliver the first legal blow to the GOP-engineered restrictions, which were signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in May and took effect Sept. 1.Amy Hagstrom Miller, president of Whole Woman’s Health, said some of the 17 physicians at her four clinics are ready to resume normal abortion services if the law is put on hold. Preparations began this week when some doctors gave patients found to have cardiac activity information to comply with another restriction — requiring a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion — so that they would be ready to be called back.“It’s not the hundreds of people we’ve had to turn away,” Hagstrom Miller said in an interview. “But there is a significant group of people who have said, ‘Please, let me do whatever I can. Keep me on a list, and call me if you get an injunction.’”But the majority of her physicians, Hagstrom Miller said, remain wary and fear lawsuits absent a permanent court ruling. Clinic staff are also worried. “Of course, we understand that,” she said.Abortion providers say their fears have become reality in the short time the law has been in effect. Planned Parenthood says the number of patients at its Texas clinics decreased nearly 80% in the two weeks after the law took effect.Some providers have described Texas clinics that are now in danger of closing while neighboring states struggle to keep up with a surge of patients who must drive hundreds of miles. Other women, they say, are being forced to carry pregnancies to term.“This is not some kind of vigilante scheme,” said Will Thompson, defending the law for the Texas Attorney General’s Office. “This is a scheme that uses the normal, lawful process of justice in Texas.”If the Justice Department prevails, Texas officials would likely seek a swift reversal from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which previously allowed the restrictions to take effect.The Texas law is just one that has set up the biggest test of abortion rights in the U.S. in decades, and it is part of a broader push by Republicans nationwide to impose new restrictions on abortion.

Biden administration urges judge to block Texas abortion law

The Texas law is just one that has set up the biggest test of abortion rights in the U.S. in decades, and it is part of a broader push by Republicans nationwide to impose new restrictions on abortion.

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Representative imageThe threat of the new coronavirus spreading from a person not exhibiting any symptoms is very real, it came to light during a press briefing by the US President’s Task Force on the Novel Coronavirus, in Washington on Friday. Alex Azar, Secretary of Health and Human Services with the US government and the chairman of the task force, brought to media’s attention the case of a woman as he remarked upon the “unknown” aspects of the virus.“It was not clear whether an asymptomatic person could transmit it to someone while they were asymptomatic. Now we know from a recent lab report in Germany that that is absolutely the case,” said Anthony Fauci, the Director of US-based National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, who was also present at the press briefing.Dr Robert Redfield, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, informed journalists that the virus, epicentred in Wuhan, has spread to more than 23 countries and has infected at least 132 persons.“This also includes 12 individuals who have been confirmed in six countries who did not travel to China,” Dr Redfield warned during his briefing.Another unknown about the new coronavirus is its ability to regenerate itself in healed patients, it was revealed during the press briefing. The claim has been backed by findings in the New England Journal of Medicine, reported having been signed by 17 doctors. The insightful study was published on Jan 30.The journal cites the case of a 33-year-old German businessman who developed a temperature, accompanied by sore throat, chills and myalgias on Jan 24. The patient started feeling better in subsequent days and returned to work on Jan 27, as per the case report.The report notes that the German businessman had been in contact with his Chinese business partner on Jan 20 and 21, who is said to have tested positive for coronavirus on her way back to China on Jan 26.The German businessman, who remained afebrile, later tested positive for the virus, after his nasopharyngeal swab and sputum samples were collected. He, however, remained unaffected by coronavirus, indicating that the virus can stay within oneself without infecting the person.“The fact that asymptomatic persons are potential sources of 2019-nCoV infection may warrant a reassessment of transmission dynamics of the current outbreak,” states the journal.“In this context, the detection of 2019-nCoV and a high sputum viral load in a convalescent patient arouse concern about prolonged shedding of the virus after recovery,” the study adds.

Warning: Coronavirus may resurface in healed patients, spread from unaffected persons

The threat of the new coronavirus spreading from a person not exhibiting any symptoms is very real, as is the danger of it regenerating itself in healed persons

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Former ISI chief Faiz Hameed can become Pak Army head with Imran Khan's supportFaiz Hameed, who was removed as the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence and appointed as the Peshawar Corps Commander, can become the Pakistan Army head with the support of Prime Minister Imran Khan.Hameed is said to have been handling military and diplomatic roles and also fighting Imran Khan's political opponents, particularly the family of exiled three-time prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, reported Islam Khabar.Earlier, Hameed was on a high profile visit to Kabul last month to patch up differences between the so-called moderate Taliban, mainly those who negotiated the February 2020 Doha Pact and the field commanders whose military push brought the group to power on August 15.He ensured that Sirajuddin Haqqani, son of Jalaluddin Haqqani (head of the Haqqani Network that worked at the ISI's behest and was on the UN's list of terrorists) was appointed Interior Minister and at least two other Haqqanis got key positions in the interim government.Hameed is reputed to have piloted the Taliban through the Doha talks and on the battlefield across Afghanistan, sending thousands of irregular fighters and military planners to help the Taliban.It is reported that the current Army Chief, Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa saw Hameed out and probably felt he was growing too big for his boots, reported Islam Khabar. Moreover, as new Peshawar corps commander Hameed is overseeing the Kabul developments where the Taliban are still at loggerheads.Even more important is that the post brings Hameed in line for the top job when it falls vacant when Bajwa, already on an extension, finally retires in 2022, reported Islam Khabar.Reports are that Bajwa may seek one more extension but even if that does not happen, Imran Khan, who formally 'selects' the Army Chief and the ISI chief from the panels submitted to him, would want to have his say, before he goes for national elections in the summer of 2023.Although officially announced by the Army Headquarters, Hameed's appointment has yet to receive approval from the Prime Minister's Office.Najam Sethi said in his editorial in The Friday Times (October 8), "Although the transfer was on the cards -- because his subsequent professional ambition depended on commanding a Corps - it was also known that Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to hang on to his ISI coattails for as long as possible. Perhaps this is why there is a buzz about the delay in issuing the notification. Has Imran Khan changed his mind for some reason? Was there some misunderstanding between COAS and PM that has led to this confusion? If this is not sorted out quickly, we could face some serious turbulence," reported Islam Khabar.Sethi observes, "it is now speculated that the new DGISI, Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, will not be inclined to follow too closely in the political footsteps of his predecessor for two reasons: one, he is General Bajwa's nominee rather than the prime minister's even though the appointment is supposed to originate in the PM's office; two, the army chief means to direct the ISI to pursue his own objectives and priorities rather than those of the prime minister or General Faiz himself."Moreover, Imran Khan was mentored by Hamid Gul, former head of Pakistan's ISI, known as the "godfather of the Taliban", when he left cricket to join politics, to develop sympathy for the terrorist groups. He opposed military action against them to such an extent that Musharraf had nicknamed him "Taleban Khan." Khan also benefited immensely when the ISI sought to confront Nawaz Sharif in 2014.Over the years, DG, ISI is involved in key decisions with India, Afghanistan, on the Kashmir issue, on nuclear weapons and the US. In recent years, this has been extended to China and Saudi Arabia, both countries that exercise immense influence in Pakistan. The openly unstated task of DG, ISI has been to nurture and deploy terrorists, reported Islam Khabar.

Former ISI chief Faiz Hameed can become Pak Army head with Imran Khan's support

Hameed is said to have been handling military and diplomatic roles and also fighting Imran Khan's political opponents, particularly the family of exiled three-time prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, reported Islam Khabar.

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Easter blasts: Death toll down from 359 to 253 as Sri Lanka cites 'calculation error'

Easter blasts: Death toll down from 359 to 253 as Sri Lanka cites 'calculation error'

Sri Lanka's Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando resigned over his failure to prevent the Easter terror attacks even as the health ministry Thursday night sharply revised the death toll downward to 253, saying the previous figure of 359 was due to a "calculation error".

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Coronavirus outbreak: Wuhan to convert gym, exhibition centre into temporary hospitalsThe Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the fast-spreading coronavirus outbreak, has planned to convert three existing venues, including a gymnasium and an exhibition centre, into hospitals to receive more patients as the death toll in the Asian giant due to the disease increased to 425. The Hongshan Gymnasium, Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Centre and a cultural building complex dubbed "Wuhan Livingroom" will be turned into hospitals with a total of 3,400 beds, Xinhua news agency reported citing officials as saying.The sites, located in the districts of Jianghan, Wuchang and Dongxihu, will take in patients with mild symptoms caused by the coronavirus.The hospitals will serve as temporary medical sites with functions of emergency treatment and clinical testing.Conversion work started late Monday, and by Tuesday morning, hundreds of beds were already in place, the officials said.Meanwhile, the newly-built Huoshenshan hospital, one of two planned makeshift hospitals in Wuhan, began accepting patients on Tuesday.The Huoshenshan hospital was completed on Sunday after 10-days of construction.Local TV reports said that 1,400 Chinese army medical staff, some with experience of infectious diseases, were being transferred to the Huoshenshan.The second hospital at Leishenshan is due to be completed on Wednesday.As of Tuesday, the toll in China rose to 425, with 20,438 infected cases.The National Health Commission said that 221,015 close contacts had been traced, adding that among them, 12,755 were discharged on Monday, with 171,329 others were still under medical observation.Also Read | Can deadly coronavirus be treated with cow urine/cowdung?Also Read | Coronavirus in India: 8 people with deadly corona-virus like symptoms admitted in Cuttack hospital​

Coronavirus outbreak: Wuhan to convert gym, exhibition centre into temporary hospitals

The newly-built Huoshenshan hospital, one of two planned makeshift hospitals in Wuhan, began accepting patients on Tuesday. The Huoshenshan hospital was completed on Sunday after 10-days of construction.

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Breaking News December 8The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 67 million, including 1,550,169 fatalities. As many as 47,007,284 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 December 8 | Highlights

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

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Sometimes, she helped look after her great-grandchildren. Komuxerik is known as a "longevity town", with many elderly persons aged above 90. Alimihan Seyiti, the oldest person in China, has passed away at the age of 135 in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, local authorities said on Saturday. Hailing from Komuxerik Township of Shule county in Kashgar prefecture, Seyiti was born on June 25, 1886, according to the county's publicity department.In 2013, she topped the list of the country's oldest living persons issued by the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Xinhua news agency reported. She had a very simple and regular daily life until death. She always ate on time and enjoyed basking in the sun in her yard.Sometimes, she helped look after her great-grandchildren. Komuxerik is known as a "longevity town", with many elderly persons aged above 90.The improvement of health services has partly contributed to their longevity. The local government has provided contracted doctor service, free annual physical checks, and monthly advanced age subsidies for the elderly aged above 60. /* .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_7715325254 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/12/0_osin8jwd/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_osin8jwd_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "UP Election 2022: Robert Vadra calls Priyanka Gandhi a leader of change | Exclusive", "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": "721", "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_7715325254 = ''; jwsetup_7715325254(); function jwsetup_7715325254() { jwvidplayer_7715325254 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_7715325254").setup(jwconfig_7715325254); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_7715325254, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_osin8jwd\", ns_st_pr=\"UP Election 2022: Robert Vadra calls Priyanka Gandhi a leader of change | Exclusive\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"UP Election 2022: Robert Vadra calls Priyanka Gandhi a leader of change | Exclusive\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"UP Election 2022: Robert Vadra calls Priyanka Gandhi a leader of change | Exclusive\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-12-18\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-12-18\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/12/0_osin8jwd/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_7715325254.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_7715325254.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_7715325254.stop(); jwvidplayer_7715325254.remove(); jwvidplayer_7715325254 = ''; jwsetup_7715325254(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_7715325254.stop(); jwvidplayer_7715325254.remove(); jwvidplayer_7715325254 = ''; jwsetup_7715325254(); return; }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7715325254.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

China's oldest person dies at 135

In 2013, she topped the list of the country's oldest living persons issued by the China Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Xinhua news agency reported.

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PM Narendra Modi arrives in JapanPrime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Japan on Saturday, where he will attend the 13th India-Japan annual summit with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe. Progress in ties between the two countries will be reviewed in the two-day summit beginning Sunday and will deepen strategic dimension of the bilateral relationship.The prime minister took to social media and confirmed his landing in Tokyo.Related Stories India to open a High Commission in Rwanda: PM Narendra Modi Indians abroad are ‘rashtradoots’: PM Modi in RwandaPM Modi speaks of India's rise under his government on 72nd Independence Day Rule of law supreme: PM Narendra Modi on rape casesPM Narendra Modi expresses grief on passing away of Kofi AnnanPM Modi interacts with Varanasi BJP workers via NaMo app, asks people to avoid spreading 'dirt' on social mediaPM Modi pays tribute to former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on his 114th birth anniversaryPM Modi may announce measures to boost MSME sector on November 2"Landed in Tokyo. I am confident this visit will add new vigour to the strong friendship between India and Japan," Modi said in a tweet.Before departing for Japan, in a statement on Friday, Modi described India and Japan as a "winning combination" and said the island nation was New Delhi's most trusted partner in its economic and technological modernisation.India's partnership with Japan was of great substance and purpose, he said."We have a special strategic and global partnership. Our ties with Japan, both economic and strategic, stand completely transformed in recent years. It is today a partnership of great substance and purpose. It rests on the strong pillars of India's Act East Policy, and our shared vision and commitment to a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific," he said.Modi said it will be his 12th meeting with Abe since he first visited Japan as prime minister in September 2014. He said, as democracies, the two countries shared values and seek peace and prosperity for all."Our complementarities make India and Japan a winning combination. Japan today is one of the most trusted partners in India's economic and technological modernisations and one of the top investors in India," he pointed out.The PM said projects such as Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail and Dedicated Freight Corridors reflect the high level and "strength of our economic engagement". "Japan is also at the forefront of engaging in our national initiatives, such as 'Make in India', 'Skill India', 'Digital India', 'Start Up India'... Japanese investors have faith in India's economic future, which is marked with myriad opportunities," Modi said.

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Japan; tweets ‘visit will add new vigour between two countries’

Before departing for Japan, in a statement on Friday, Modi described India and Japan as a "winning combination" and said the island nation was New Delhi's most trusted partner in its economic and technological modernisation.

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ImageUN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed grief over the loss of life, injuries and damage caused by a tsunami that hit the coast on Indonesia's Sunda Strait.The Secretary-General extended his condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Indonesia. He wished a speedy recovery to the injured, his office said on Sunday in a statement, Xinhua reported.Related Stories Indonesia Lion Air jet crash: Data recovered from flight recorder of ill-fated Boeing 737 MAXLion Air passenger Jet Crash: Body of Bhavye Suneja, pilot of Indonesian flight JT-610 identifiedIndonesia tsunami: Authorities confirm 222 deaths, over 800 injuredThe UN stands ready to support the ongoing government-led rescue and relief efforts, it said. The tsunami, triggered by a volcano eruption, has killed 281 people, while 1000 others were injured and 28 people missing, media reports had quoted Indonesia's national disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho as saying on Sunday.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday expressed sorrow over the loss of lives in Indonesia due to tsunami and said India is ready to assist its maritime neighbour in relief work."Saddened by the loss of lives and destruction in Indonesia caused by tsunami ... Condolences to the bereaved families ... India is ready to assist our maritime neighbour and friend in relief work," the PM tweeted.The deadly tsunami struck in the dark, without warning. The death toll could increase once authorities hear from all stricken areas.It was the second deadly tsunami to hit Indonesia this year, but the one that killed more than 2,500 people on the island of Sulawesi on Sept. 28 was accompanied by a powerful earthquake that gave residents a brief warning before the waves struck.WATCH VIDEO: (With inputs from agencies)

Indonesia tsunami | Death toll reaches 281; more than 1,000 people injured

It was the second deadly tsunami to hit Indonesia this year, but the one that killed more than 2,500 people on the island of Sulawesi on Sept. 28 was accompanied by a powerful earthquake that gave residents a brief warning before the waves struck.

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The joint exercise titled Peaceful Mission 2018 being conducted by the Central Military Commission of Russia involve tactical level operations in an international counter insurgency or counter terrorism environment.China on Monday welcomed the first-time participation of the militaries of India and Pakistan in the mega counter-terror drill of the Beijing-based Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). It said that participation of the two South-Asian neighbours would enhance dialogue and cooperation dialogue and cooperation both bilaterally and within multilateral mechanisms to maintain regional peace and stability.The one-week long anti-terror drill which began on August 22 is aimed at expanding cooperation among the member countries to deal with the growing menace of terrorism and extremism. The joint exercise titled Peaceful Mission 2018 being conducted by the Central Military Commission of Russia involve tactical level operations in an international counter insurgency or counter terrorism environment under the SCO Charter. Both India and Pakistan are participating in the drill for the first time since becoming full members of the SCO in June 2017. Speaking to media, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said; "We welcome India and Pakistan’s joint participation in this counter-terrorism exercise under the SCO framework". "These two countries are important ones in South Asia," she said, adding that stable relationship between the two countries is "significant to the peace and development of the region and the whole world.""We sincerely hope that they could enhance their dialogue and cooperation both bilaterally and within multilateral mechanisms like the SCO, work together to improve their ties and jointly maintain regional peace and stability," she stated.The Indian contingent of 200 personnel is primarily composed of troops from infantry and affiliated arms and services along with the Indian Air Force.Chinese military experts also welcomed the participation of India and Pakistan in the counter-terrorism drill.The previous SCO counter-terrorism drills were mainly limited to the Central Asian nations. But due to the entry of India and Pakistan, the SCO's counter-terrorism mission has expanded to South Asia, Li Wei, a counter-terrorism expert at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations in Beijing, told state-run Global Times. "The effective counter-terrorism cooperation among SCO countries has greatly undermined terrorist groups in Central Asia in recent years, and it's expected that this effective cooperation will also boost stability in South Asia, a region facing a more complicated counter-terrorism situation with a variety of active terrorist groups," Li said. Sun Zhuangzhi, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said Peace Mission 2018 will also greatly improve military and political mutual trust among SCO countries, especially between India and Pakistan. "It's a rare opportunity for Pakistan and India, which have long been involved in military conflict, to enhance military exchanges and trust. This could improve regional stability," Sun said. Li said future counter-terrorism drills among SCO countries have to come up with new drills on targeting terrorist groups in South Asia. He suggested that the SCO further expand to include Afghanistan, which is currently an observer country, to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in South Asia. The SCO was established in Shanghai in 2001, with China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as founding members.It expanded to include India and Pakistan in 2017. 

China welcomes first time participation of India, Pakistan in SCO counter-terror drill, says it would enhance ties between two countries

The one-week long anti-terror drill which began on August 22 is aimed at expanding cooperation among the member countries to deal with the growing menace of terrorism and extremism.

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US President Donald Trump called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his re-election, leading to fresh criticism of his muted tone towards Moscow amid an ongoing probe into Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election.In a telephonic conversation on Tuesday, Trump did not raise with Putin the "lopsided" nature of his victory, Russia's meddling in the US presidential polls or Moscow's role in a nerve agent attack on a former Russian spy and his daughter in the UK, the Washington Post reported.The President described his conversation with Putin as a "very good call" and said they talked on a range of topics including arms control and the security situations in Syria and North Korea. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that the case of poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK was not discussed."We'll probably be meeting in the not-too-distant future," Trump said of Putin, though Sanders emphasized that nothing was planned.Two officials familiar with the briefing material given to the President acknowledged that they included instructions not to congratulate Putin. It was not clear whether Trump read the notes, administration officials said. Trump, who initiated the call, opened it with the congratulations for Putin, one person familiar with the conversation said.The President's failure to raise Moscow's alleged poisoning of the former spy in Britain in the phone call drew a rebuke from Senator John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who wrote on Twitter: "An American President does not lead the Free World by congratulating dictators on winning sham elections. "And by doing so with Vladimir Putin, President Trump insulted every Russian citizen who was denied the right to vote in a free and fair election."Trump is not the first Commander-in-Chief to call Putin to congratulate him on winning re-election. Former President Barack Obama called the Russian leader in 2012 and, according to a White House readout, congratulated him on winning his last re-election campaign.Trump and Putin last met in Vietnam during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. The two did not hold a formal meeting, but they did informally talk a number of times during the two-day summit. The talks, while brief, looked friendly.

Donald Trump congratulates Vladimir Putin on re-election, gets slammed

Trump described his conversation with Putin as a "very good call" and said they talked on a range of topics including arms control and the security situations in Syria and North Korea.

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Free, open internet 'under attack' in countries: Google's Sundar Pichai warns The free and open internet is under attack around the world, Google CEO Sundar Pichai has warned, asserting that many countries are restricting the flow of information and the model is often taken for granted.In an in-depth interview with the BBC at the Google headquarters at Silicon Valley in California, the tech boss covered a wide range of topics, including the threat to free and open internet and also narrowed down on two developments that he feels will further revolutionise the world over the next quarter of a century as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.Pichai, 49, who was born in Tamil Nadu and grew up in Chennai, has said India is deeply rooted in him and a big part of who he is. “I’m an American citizen but India is deeply within me. So it’s a big part of who I am, he said, when asked about his roots.Pichai also addressed the controversies around tax, privacy and data. He argued artificial intelligence was more profound than fire, electricity or the internet. I view it [artificial intelligence] as the most profound technology that humanity will ever develop and work on. You know, if you think about fire or electricity or the internet, it’s like that. But I think even more profound," said Pichai, the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet.Pichai, the chief executive of one of the most complex, warned the free and open internet is under attack in countries around, the report said, adding that he said many countries are restricting the flow of information, and the model is often taken for granted. When asked about whether the Chinese model of the internet based on surveillance is in the ascendant, Pichai said the free and open internet “is being attacked". While he didn’t refer to China directly, he said: “None of our major products and services are available in China." On the controversial issue of tax, he said: We are one of the world’s largest taxpayers, if you look at on an average over the last decade, we have paid over 20 per cent in taxes.We do pay the majority of our share of taxes in the US, where we originate and where our products are developed. I think there are good conversations and we support the global OECD conversations figuring out what is the right way to allocate taxes, this is beyond a single company to solve, he said. He was also asked about his own personal tech habits and encouraged everyone to adopt two-factor authentication when it comes to passwords to ensure multiple protections and admitted he is constantly changing his phone to test out new technology.Pichai is universally regarded as an exceptionally kind, thoughtful, and caring leader, the report said.ALSO READ: Committed to comply with local laws, work constructively with govts: Sundar Pichai

Free, open internet 'under attack' in countries: Google's Sundar Pichai warns

When asked about whether the Chinese model of the internet based on surveillance is in the ascendant, Pichai said the free and open internet “is being attacked".

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Will invite Putin to G7 in 2020, says TrumpUS President Donald Trump has said he would invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to the summit of the Group of Seven in 2020."I would certainly invite him," Trump told the closing press conference of the G7 summit on Monday at the French seaside resort Biarritz, Xinhua news agency reported.He added he is not sure whether Putin, "a proud man" in his term, would accept the invitation.Trump demands that Russia be readmitted to the group despite the disagreement of other leaders. The G8 format (the US, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and Russia) had been in place from 1998-2014. It was then reduced to G7 due to disagreements with Russia regarding the events in Crimea and Ukraine.The US takes over the rotating presidency of G7 in 2020. Trump said the next summit might be in Miami, Florida.

Will invite Putin to G7 in 2020, says Trump

"I would certainly invite him," Trump told the closing press conference of the G7 summit on Monday at the French seaside resort Biarritz, Xinhua news agency reported.

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US President Donald TrumpUS Congressman Justin Amash became the first Republican to call for Donald Trump's impeachment, saying that the President committed "impeachable conduct" and accused Attorney General William Barr of intentionally misleading the public.The Michigan Representative's comments on Saturday recommending Congress pursue obstruction of justice charges against Trump were the first instance of a sitting Republican in Congress calling for the President's impeachment, CNN reported.Amash is a rare Republican critic of Trump and previously said the President's conduct in pressuring then-FBI Director James Comey could merit impeachment. In a series of tweets on Saturday, Amash said he believed "few members of Congress even read" Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report and that the report itself established "multiple examples" of Trump committing obstruction of justice."Contrary to Barr's portrayal, Mueller's report reveals that President Trump engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behaviour that meet the threshold for impeachment," Amash tweeted.Amash said he made his conclusions "only after having read Mueller's redacted report carefully and completely, having read or watched pertinent statements and testimony, and having discussed this matter with my staff, who thoroughly reviewed materials and provided me with further analysis".He said Barr misled the public in a range of venues regarding the Mueller report, a charge Democrats and others have made repeatedly that the attorney general has disputed."Barr's misrepresentations are significant but often subtle, frequently taking the form of sleight-of-hand qualifications or logical fallacies, which he hopes people will not notice," Amash added.While many Democrats have called for impeachment proceedings against Trump, many Republican members have agreed with the President's assertions about the Mueller report and defended his conduct, CNN reported. Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib, also of Michigan, responded to Amash's Twitter thread later Saturday and invited him to join her impeachment resolution.".@justinamash come find me in 1628 Longworth. I've got an impeachment investigation resolution you're going to want to cosponsor," Tlaib tweeted.

Justin Amash becomes first Republican to say Trump should be impeached

The Michigan Representative's comments on Saturday recommending Congress pursue obstruction of justice charges against Trump were the first instance of a sitting Republican in Congress calling for the President's impeachment, reports CNN.

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"We paid a heavy price for seeing this historic moment in Afghanistan," Mullah Hasan said on Wednesday, a day after the hardline Islamic insurgents unveiled an interim Cabinet after seizing power in Kabul. Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund has appealed to former officials of past governments to return to the country and assured them "full protection", saying the period of bloodbath is over and they face a humongous task to rebuild the war-ravaged nation."We paid a heavy price for seeing this historic moment in Afghanistan," Mullah Hasan said on Wednesday, a day after the hardline Islamic insurgents unveiled an interim Cabinet after seizing power in Kabul."We appeal to the officials of past governments to return to their country as we will give them full protection of their lives. We are faced with the huge task of rebuilding and reconstruction of war-ravaged Afghanistan," he said.He said that the period of the bloodbath was over in Afghanistan and reiterated the Taliban’s promise of amnesty for anyone who has worked alongside the previous governments following the US-led invasion in 2001, Al-Jazeera news channel reported.The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August, ousting the previous elected leadership which was backed by the West. The interim Cabinet is consists of high-profile members of the insurgent group.Citing a Taliban spokesman, TOLO news reported that the new government will be led by the insurgent group’s chief Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada. The spokesman did not disclose Mullah Hibatullah’s designation in the interim government or his role in state affairs.At least 14 members of the Taliban's interim government are on the UN Security Council's terrorism blacklist, including acting Prime Minister Mullah Hasan and his both deputies. Specially designated global terrorist Sirajuddin Haqqani, who carries a reward of USD 10 million US bounty on his head, is the acting interior minister.The 33-member interim Cabinet includes four of the five leaders known as the "Taliban Five" who were once held at the Guantanamo Bay prison.The Afghan Cabinet members are expected to take oath on September 11, the day marking the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. However, the Taliban leaders said it is not final.Meanwhile, former Afghan prime minister and Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar have announced unconditional support to the interim government of Afghanistan led by the Taliban.Citing former officials of the Taliban, Khaama news said that they believe that the interim cabinet will last for six months and then the official cabinet will be announced.It also said that the Taliban officials and technical teams from Qatar and Turkey are busy working in Hamid Karzai International Airport and the airport will be fully ready for international flights in the next three days.

Afghanistan's acting PM appeals to past govt officials to return; assures 'full protection'

Afghanistan's acting Prime Minister Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund said that the period of the bloodbath was over in Afghanistan and reiterated the Taliban’s promise of amnesty for anyone who has worked alongside the previous governments following the US-led invasion in 2001.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, listens during a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron after their talks Monday, Feb. 7, 2022 in Moscow.French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Moscow would not further escalate the Ukraine crisis. Macron also said it would take time to find a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions, which represent the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War. His remarks on a visit to Kyiv came as the Kremlin denied reports that he and Putin struck a deal on de-escalating the crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “in the current situation, Moscow and Paris can’t be reaching any deals.” Macron met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion. Moscow has massed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, but insists it has no plans to attack. The Kremlin wants guarantees from the West that NATO will not accept Ukraine and other former Soviet nations as members, that it halt weapon deployments there and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe- demands the U.S. and NATO reject as nonstarters. At a news conference after meeting Zelenskyy, Macron said Putin told him during their more than five-hour session Monday that “he won’t be initiating an escalation. I think it is important.” According to the French president, Putin also said there won’t be any Russian “permanent (military) base” or “deployment” in Belarus, where Russia had sent a large number of troops for war games. Peskov said withdrawing Russian troops from Belarus after the maneuvers was the plan all along. Zelenskyy said he would welcome concrete steps from Putin for de-escalation, adding he didn’t “trust words in general.” Macron also sought to temper expectations. “Let’s not be naive,” he said. “Since the beginning of the crisis, France hasn’t been inclined to exaggerate, but at the same time, I don’t believe this crisis can be settled in a few hours, through discussions” Zelenskyy called his talks with Macron “very fruitful.” “We have a common view with President Macron on threats and challenges to the security of Ukraine, of the whole of Europe, of the world in general,” Zelenskyy said. ALSO READ: US airborne infantry troops in Poland amid Russia Ukraine tensionFrench President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin told him that Moscow would not further escalate the Ukraine crisis.Macron also said it would take time to find a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions, which represent the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.His remarks on a visit to Kyiv came as the Kremlin denied reports that he and Putin struck a deal on de-escalating the crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “in the current situation, Moscow and Paris can’t be reaching any deals.”Macron met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion. Moscow has massed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, but insists it has no plans to attack.The Kremlin wants guarantees from the West that NATO will not accept Ukraine and other former Soviet nations as members, that it halt weapon deployments there and roll back its forces from Eastern Europe- demands the U.S. and NATO reject as nonstarters.At a news conference after meeting Zelenskyy, Macron said Putin told him during their more than five-hour session Monday that “he won’t be initiating an escalation. I think it is important.”According to the French president, Putin also said there won’t be any Russian “permanent (military) base” or “deployment” in Belarus, where Russia had sent a large number of troops for war games.Peskov said withdrawing Russian troops from Belarus after the maneuvers was the plan all along.Zelenskyy said he would welcome concrete steps from Putin for de-escalation, adding he didn’t “trust words in general.”Macron also sought to temper expectations.“Let’s not be naive,” he said. “Since the beginning of the crisis, France hasn’t been inclined to exaggerate, but at the same time, I don’t believe this crisis can be settled in a few hours, through discussions”Zelenskyy called his talks with Macron “very fruitful.”“We have a common view with President Macron on threats and challenges to the security of Ukraine, of the whole of Europe, of the world in general,” Zelenskyy said.ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine conflict: Moscow sends long-range nuclear-capable bombers on patrol over Belarus

Vladimir Putin told me that Russia won’t escalate Ukraine crisis: French President Emmanuel Macron

Macron also said it would take time to find a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions, which represent the biggest security crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

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Bangladesh top court removes 'virgin' word from marriage certificatesWomen in Bangladesh are no longer required to declare if they are virgins on marriage registration forms, the country's top court has said in a landmark ruling after rights groups challenged the "humiliating and discriminatory" term.The country's high court ordered that "virgin" be replaced with "unmarried". The other two options on the form -- "widow" and "divorced" -- remain unchanged.Women's rights groups, who had argued the word "virgin" was humiliating and discriminatory, welcomed Sunday's verdict, the BBC reported on Tuesday.Separately, the court said grooms now also must declare their marital status.Marriage laws in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh have been criticized by women's rights groups as restrictive.The court said the Bengali word "kumari" must be removed from marriage registration forms. The word is used to describe unmarried women, but it can also mean "virgin".Lawyers for the groups who filed the case in 2014 had successfully argued that the marriage forms were humiliating and breached women's privacy.On Sunday, the court said the Bengali word "obibahita", which unambiguously means "an unmarried woman" - must be used from now on instead of "kumari".The changes are expected to come into force in a few months when the full court verdict is officially published."It is a landmark verdict," said Aynun Nahar Siddiqua, a lawyer involved in the case. She said she hoped the ruling would help advance women's rights in Bangladesh.ALSO READ: Indian delegation in Bangladesh for strengthening bilateral tiesALSO READ: Bangladesh: debate over exodus of religious minorities resurfaces during NGO head and Trump meet

Bangladesh top court removes 'virgin' word from marriage certificates

Women in Bangladesh are no longer required to declare if they are virgins on marriage registration forms, the country's top court has said in a landmark ruling after rights groups challenged the "humiliating and discriminatory" term.

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Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed  Pakistan plans to shift the students of Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed’s Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) to the government-run schools after an international terror financing watchdog raised objection over allocation of Rs 180 crore for these institutions.A senior government official told PTI on Tuesday that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had objected the Pakistani government’s allocation of Rs 180 crore for running the JuD and FIF schools across the country.Related Stories Jamaat-ud-Dawah's second in-command, Abdur Rehman Makki arrested Pakistan authorities arrest 3 JuD members on charges of terror financing in Punjab province"The government could not satisfy the FATF about running a good number of seminaries and schools of JuD and FIF after taking over their control in March. Therefore, the Imran Khan administration is seriously considering shifting the students of these seminaries and schools to the government-run institutions," he said.The official said the FATF was apprehensive of the Pakistani government's move to allocate such a huge sum of money for the JuD and the FIF institutions."It (FATF) suspected that the government might not be able to dissociate the JuD and the FIF activists associated with these institutions,” he said.A source in the Punjab government told PTI that the JuD and the FIF activists are somehow associated with their educational institutions the government has taken over.He said these activists are waiting for “appropriate time” to take back their positions. The government has also taken over the JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke and stopped Saeed from entering there.In first week of March apparently on the international pressure after the deadly Pulwama attack in Jammu and Kashmir, the Pakistani government sealed or took over administrative control of several establishments run by the proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), the JuD and the FIF.The government initiated action against these organisations after notifying a 2019 order of the United Nations Security Council that provides a legal basis for freezing or seizure of properties owned by individuals and organisations designated by the council as terrorists.The order was issued to meet the requirements of the FATF regarding the implementation of designation of persons and entities under the UNSC resolutions.Pakistan, despite making some progress in overcoming the shortcomings in its counter-terrorism financing and anti-money laundering regimes, continues to remain under the cloud at the global illicit financing watchdog.After failing to adequately convince the FATF, Pakistan is required to complete actions before its next deadline.  

Pakistan plans to shift students of Jamaat-ud-Dawa schools to govt-run institutions

A senior government official told PTI on Tuesday that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) had objected the Pakistani government’s allocation of Rs 180 crore for running the JuD and FIF schools across the country.

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Pakistan fines Turkish Airlines for violating SOPsThe Pakistan government has imposed a fine of 100,000 PKR on Turkish Airlines for violating standard operating procedures (SOPs) enforced against the Covid-19 pandemic. On Thursday, the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) directed the Turkish flag carrier to submit a compliance report within a week, reports Dawn news.Pakistan has advised all airline operators, engaged in operation to and from the country, have to ensure strict compliance with the government's directives, which state that travellers from Category-B countries shall be required to provide proof of a negative RT-PCR test conducted not more than 96 hours prior to the commencement of travel, failing which the airline shall not issue the boarding pass.Thursday's development came after Turkish Airlines transported a passenger from a Category-B country Mali to Istanbul for onward journey to Lahore on October 15 without proof of a negative RT-PCR test despite a warning issued by the CAA on Octobr 13 to refrain from transport of such passengers, thw CAA said in a statement.The Pakistani passenger has been left stranded at Istanbul airport since October 15, without any intimation to CAA, it added.This is the second case of SOPs violation by an international airline while transporting passengers to Pakistan, Dawn news reported.On October 16, Qatar Airways was fined 100,000 PKR for violating the SOPs.

Pakistan fines Turkish Airlines for violating SOPs

The Pakistan government has imposed a fine of 100,000 PKR on Turkish Airlines for violating standard operating procedures (SOPs) enforced against the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Istanbul goes under COVID-19 lockdownTurkish authorities imposed a lockdown in the country's biggest city of Istanbul with a population of 16 million, in line with the government's measures to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. On Sunday, several on-duty officials, press members, and police forces were seen patrolling the city's usually most crowded spots, while avenues, streets, and district centres were all deserted. Taking advantage of the curfew, city workers carried out several asphalt paving works on some streets and highways, the Istanbul municipality said.Numerous teams were in the field during the lockdown by following the social distancing rule and wearing facial masks, the statement added.President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said the government would continue to impose curfews on 31 provinces on weekends until the end of May.Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that it extended the travel restrictions for 31 provinces until Monday midnight.The government will decide whether to continue the limitation at a cabinet meeting, which will be chaired by the President on Tuesday, it added.According to Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin, the government would also consider easing the curfew for elderly people at the age of 65 and over.Turkey, which took over Iran as the worst-hit country in the Middle East in terms of cases, has reported 126,045 COVID-19 infections, while the death toll stood at 3,397. (With IANS inputs)Also Read | Turkey registers 110,130 coronavirus cases, death toll at 2,805Also Read | Iran closer to COVID-19 containment, Turkey may become worst-hit in Middle East 

Istanbul goes under COVID-19 lockdown; travel restrictions placed for 31 provinces

Coronavirus in Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said the government would continue to impose curfews on 31 provinces on weekends until the end of May. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that it extended the travel restrictions for 31 provinces until Monday midnight.

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China wary of cremating coronavirus victimsAmid the rising death toll due to the deadly Coronavirus, China on Saturday ordered that funerals of victims succumbing to coronavirus must be low-key in nature, according to a statement by the country's National Health Commission, as reported by multiple news organisations.The bodies should be cremated at designated funeral homes near their location, they cannot be transported between regions and cannot be preserved by burial or other means, said the trial guidelines issued by the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security.Funeral traditions such as farewell ceremonies are prohibited and bodies must be disinfected and placed by medical workers into a sealed bag, which thereafter cannot be opened, reports Efe news.Funeral homes must also send personnel and special vehicles to deliver the bodies according to the designated route, the guidelines said.Also on Sunday, the Philippines registered the first death outside of China - a 44-year-old Chinese man who had travelled from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak.Among the China cases confirmed, 444 people are in critical condition while 1,118 are in serious condition, but 85 people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the number of people who have recovered to 328. There remains a total of 19,544 suspected cases in the country.Although more than 99 per cent of the cases are in China, the virus has spread to at least 23 countries and the World Health Organization has declared an international emergency in the face of the rapid spread of the virus.Meanwhile, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, the Chinese government has also reported a significant outbreak of H5N1 bird flu on a farm in Hunan province, bordering Hubei.In the outbreak on a farm in Shuangqing district of Shaoyang citye, 4,500 chickens have died out of 7,850, according to a statement released on Saturday night by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.Local authorities have slaughtered 17,828 poultry after the outbreak, which at the moment has not infected people.The H5N1 virus causes severe respiratory disease in birds and is contagious to humans, usually who have had prolonged contact with infected birds. According to the World Health Organization, it is possible, but difficult and unusual, to transmit from person to person.Bird flu has a high mortality rate of 60 per cent, compared to that of SARS (another coronavirus, with 10 per cent) or the new coronavirus (so far, about 2 per cent).(With inputs from IANS)ALSO READ | Only one swab sample enough for coronavirus testing: WHO

China wary of cremating coronavirus victims, orders funerals must be low-profile

China on Sunday banned funerals, burials and farewell ceremonies for the victims of the novel coronavirus in an effort to control the outbreak as the death toll rose to 304 in the country.

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Two-thirds of US adults disapprove of Trump's COVID-19 handlingTwo-thirds of American adults, or 67 per cent, said they disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus, the highest level of dissatisfaction with his response to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to a poll released.Only 33 per cent said that they approved of Trump's performance, the latest ABC-Ipsos poll found on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.Support from Trump's Republican base also went down, with approval of the president's pandemic performance going from 90 per cent to 78 per cent.The president's approval among independents landed at 26 per cent in the survey, a sharp drop from 40 per cent in mid-June.The poll was conducted July 8-9, surveying 711 adults with a margin of error of 4.1 percentage points.The pandemic has killed more than 130,000 people and infected over 3.1 million in the country, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Two-thirds of US adults disapprove of Trump's COVID-19 handling

Two-thirds of American adults, or 67 per cent, said they disapprove of President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus, the highest level of dissatisfaction with his response to COVID-19 since the pandemic began, according to a poll released.

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Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Zaki ur Rahman LakhviMumbai attack mastermind and Lakshar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was on Saturday arrested in Pakistan on terror financing charges, an official said.Lakhvi, who was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD).However, the CTD did not mention his place of arrest."Following an intelligence-based operation conducted by the CTD Punjab, proscribed organisation LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was arrested on charges of terrorism financing,” it said. ALSO READ | Masood Azhar, Hafiz Saeed, Dawood Ibrahim and Lakhvi declared terrorists under new anti-terror law, MHA says

Mumbai attack mastermind and LeT operations commander Lakhvi arrested in Pakistan: Official

Mumbai attack mastermind and Lakshar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was on Saturday arrested in Pakistan on terror financing charges, an official said.

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Gokhale, Pompeo agree Pakistan must take action against terror groupsForeign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday where India and the US agreed that Pakistan must take "concerted action" to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and deny safe haven to all terror groups on its soil. This was the highest level meeting between the two countries after the Pulwama terror attack that escalated Indo-Pak tensions.During the meeting, Gokhale and Pompeo agreed that those who support or abet terrorism in any form should be held accountable, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.Related Stories Mike Pompeo’s meeting with North Korean envoy delayedMumbai terror attack: US announces USD 5 million reward for information on 26/11 perpetratorsRussia dismisses US claim of violating landmark arms treatyPompeo says he will meet with Saudi crown princeMike Pompeo calls for ending Gulf dispute during Qatar visitPompeo describes Kashmir as long-standing battle, says US trying to find common ground between India, PakistanUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discusses Indo-Pak situation with British NSAGokhale arrived in the US on Sunday for the bilateral Foreign Office Consultation and Strategic Security Dialogue with his American counterparts, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale and Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Andrea Thompson.Pompeo was directly in touch with the leadership of India and Pakistan and monitored the developments after the Pulwama attack to ensure that the security situation in the South Asia region did not deteriorate.Gokhale and Pompeo expressed satisfaction over the significant progress and the quality of the India-US Strategic Partnership since Pompeo's visit to India in September 2018 for the first ever Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue.The foreign secretary conveyed the appreciation to the US Government and to Pompeo personally for the firm support that India received from the US in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.Secretary Pompeo expressed his understanding of India's concerns regarding cross-border terrorism."They agreed that Pakistan needs to take concerted action to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure and to deny safe haven to all terrorist groups in its territory. They also agreed that those who support or abet terrorism in any form should be held accountable," the statement said.State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino said that in the meeting Pompeo affirmed that the US stands with the people and government of India in the fight against terrorism.They discussed the importance of bringing those responsible for the attack to justice and the urgency of Pakistan taking meaningful action against terrorist groups operating on its soil, Palladino said.They noted the strength of Indo-US partnership and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation, including on counter-terrorism.Gokhale and Pompeo also discussed other issues of mutual interest including Afghanistan and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, US-India defence cooperation, and the growing US-India economic partnership, including joint efforts to expand bilateral trade in a balanced and reciprocal manner.In response to Pompeo's reference to bilateral trade matters, the foreign secretary underscored the significant reduction in trade deficit in the last three years and conveyed India's willingness to remain engaged with the US for a meaningful and mutually acceptable package on trade issues.The trade deficit between India and the US has decreased by nearly seven per cent to USD 1.6 billion in 2018 as compared to the previous year, according to the latest official figures.President Donald Trump recently notified Congress of his "intent to terminate" trade benefits for India and Turkey under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) eligibility criteria.India recorded a decrease in the deficit from USD 22.9 billion in 2017 to USD 21.3 billion in 2018, according to the figures revealed by the Bureau of Economy Analysis.The talks between Gokhale and Pompeo are considered significant in view of the escalated tension between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of India's preemptive air strike on the largest terrorist training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot in Pakistan and the subsequent developments.Ahead of talks between Gokhale and Pompeo, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke to US National Security Advisor John Bolton over phone and briefed him about the measures taken by Islamabad to de-escalate tensions with India following the Pulwama terror attack.Tensions between India and Pakistan flared up after a suicide bomber of the Pakistan-based JeM terror group killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Kashmir's Pulwama district.India has provided a dossier to Pakistan, detailing the role of JeM in the Pulwama terror attack. India has also said that Pakistan has failed to take any credible action against JeM and other terrorist organisations, which continue to operate with impunity from Pakistan.Palladino, during his bi-weekly news conference last Tuesday, said Pompeo played an "essential role" in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.Protocol-wise, it is quite unusual for Pompeo to meet Gokhale, but over the last few years, the US Secretary of State has met the Foreign Secretary, including his predecessor S Jaishankar.The foreign office consultation and strategic security dialogue with the US are regular high-level dialogue mechanisms to review bilateral relations, exchange views on major foreign policy and security-related developments and coordinate respective positions on issues of common interest. Gokhale's visit comes as India intensifies its efforts to declare Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar a global terrorist by the UN Security Council.Last month, the US, the UK and France made a fresh bid at the UN to ban Azhar. JeM is already a UN-designated terrorist organisation. 

Pakistan must take action to dismantle, deny safe haven to terror groups: Gokhale, Pompeo agree during meet

The foreign secretary conveyed the appreciation to the US Government and to Pompeo personally for the firm support that India received from the US in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.

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A suicide attacker blew himself up at a funeral in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday, killing at least 15 mourners and wounding another 14, officials said, capping a deadly year for civilians.  There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Taliban and Islamic State militants have stepped up assaults in recent months, with ordinary Afghans bearing the brunt of the violence. Related Stories Suicide bomb attack near Afghanistan's intelligence agency in Kabul claims eight lives Osama bin Laden was shifted to Afghanistan to supervise plot to assassinate Bhutto: ReportAt least 40 dead, several injured as multiple blasts hit Kabul“The death toll of the attack targeting a funeral ceremony in Behsud district of Nangarhar has increased to 15,” Nangarhar governor spokesman Attaullah Khogyani told AFP.  Another 14 were wounded. All the casualties were civilians. An earlier statement from the governor’s office said 12 people had been killed in the attack near the provincial capital Jalalabad. The bomber struck during the funeral ceremony for a former governor of Haska Mina district who died recently of natural causes, the statement said. Provincial health director Najib Kamawal confirmed the toll. Photos posted on Twitter and Facebook purportedly of the scene showed pools of blood, clothes and shoes scattered on the ground. Other photos showed bodies lying in blood and a plume of black smoke rising into the sky. Terrified mourners, mostly elderly men, could be seen running from the scene.   While the Taliban is still responsible for the majority of attacks and casualties across Afghanistan, IS militants have been on a rampage this month.  The incident in Nangarhar, a restive province bordering Pakistan and a stronghold for IS, comes days after the group claimed an assault on a Shiite cultural centre in Kabul that left 41 people dead and more than 80 wounded.  That followed a Christmas Day attack, also claimed by IS, near an Afghan intelligence agency compound in the Afghan capital that left six civilians dead. On December 18 militants from the group stormed an intelligence training compound in Kabul, triggering an intense gunfight with police, two of whom were wounded.  The Middle Eastern jihadist outfit has gained ground in Afghanistan since it first appeared in the region in 2015, and has scaled up its attacks in Kabul and elsewhere, including on security installations and the country’s Shiite minority.  The latest news comes at the end of a particularly deadly year for Afghans, with the number of civilian casualties on track to be one of the highest on record since the US invasion in 2001. More than 8,000 civilians were killed or wounded in conflict-related violence in the first nine months of this year, according to data compiled by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. Last year’s civilian casualty toll of 11,418 was the highest for a single year since the UN began systematically documenting civilian deaths and injuries in 2009.

15 dead in suicide attack on Afghan funeral; 8,000 civilians killed in terror-related incidents in 2017

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but Taliban and Islamic State militants have stepped up assaults in recent months, with ordinary Afghans bearing the brunt of the violence.

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In a bid to counter China's increasing influence, India, Australia, the United States and Japan are reportedly mulling over establishing a joint regional infrastructure scheme as an alternative to Belt and Road Initiative.According to an unnamed US official quoted in the Australian Financial Review the plan involving the four regional partners was still "nascent" and "won’t be ripe enough to be announced" during Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s visit to the United States later this week.Related Stories China’s One Belt One Road raises serious 'sovereignty' issues for India: Jaitley US backs India on One Belt One Road, says it crosses 'disputed territory'Russia pitches for India's participation in China's One Belt One Road initiativeThe official said, however, that the project was on the agenda for Turnbull’s talks with US President Donald Trump during that trip and was being seriously discussed. The source added that the preferred terminology was to call the plan an "alternative" to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, rather than a "rival".Representatives for Turnbull, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and Trade Minister Steven Ciobo did not immediately respond to requests for comment made by Reuters.Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, asked at a news conference about the report of four-way cooperation, said Japan, the United States, Australia, and Japan, Australia and India regularly exchanged views on issues of common interest."It is not the case that this is to counter China’s Belt and Road," he said.Japan, meanwhile, plans to use its official development assistance (ODA) to promote a broader "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" including "high-quality infrastructure", according to a summary draft of its 2017 white paper on ODA. The Indo-Pacific strategy has been endorsed by Washington and is also seen as a counter to the Belt and Road Initiative.China’s Belt and Road plan is a vehicle for the Asian country to take a greater role on the international stage by funding and building global transport and trade links in more than 60 countries.Xi has heavily promoted the initiative, inviting world leaders to Beijing last May for an inaugural summit at which he pledged $124 billion in funding for the plan, and enshrining it into the ruling Communist Party’s constitution in October.Local Chinese governments as well as state and private firms have rushed to offer support by investing overseas and making loans.In January, Beijing outlined its ambitions to extend the initiative to the Arctic by developing shipping lanes opened up by global warming, forming a "Polar Silk Road".The United States, Japan, India and Australia have recently revived four-way talks to deepen security cooperation and coordinate alternatives for regional infrastructure financing to that offered by China.The so-called Quad to discuss and cooperate on security first met as an initiative a decade ago - much to the annoyance of China, which saw it as an attempt by regional democracies to contain its advances. The quartet held talks in Manila on the sidelines of the November Asean and East Asia Summits.

India, US, Australia and Japan planning to build alternative to China's OBOR: Report

The United States, Japan, India and Australia have recently revived four-way talks to deepen security cooperation and coordinate alternatives for regional infrastructure financing to that offered by China.

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Persons above 50 years with pre-existing conditions most vulnerable to COVID-19: White House doctorThose above 50 years with pre-existing medical conditions are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, an analysis of the mortality data from Europe and China by a leading American doctor in the White House Coronavirus Task Force has revealed. "In the mortality data that has been provided to us there has been no child under 15 that has succumbed to the virus in Europe," White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr Deborah Birx told reporters at a news conference here."So, we see that there is less severity in children and so that should be reassuring to the moms and dads out there," Dr Brix said. "To generation Z and to my millennial colleagues who have been really at the forefront of many of these responses less than 1 per cent of all of the mortality is less than 50 and so this is I think also a very important point," she said.That doesn't mean that individuals will have severe disease so still 99 per cent of all of the mortality coming out of Europe in general is over 50 and with pre-existing conditions, she added. The pre-existing condition piece still holds in and only with the majority of the mortality having three or more pre-existing conditions, the White House official said.According to Dr Brix, ministers of health from around the world have been sending them their data despite the fight that they are in themselves particularly their European counterparts. "They continue to send us primarily their mortality data which is really very critical because when you are in the midst of this level of fight that many of the European countries are following mortality data will give you the best and site right now on how the epidemic is proceeding in those countries because they really can't be testing at the level to really understand the depth and breadth of their new cases," she said.While the analysis of the data is reassuring, she said, it does not change the need to continue to protect the elderly and in order to protect the elderly they all need to continue to do the President Donald Trump's directives and guidance for the next week of the 15 day challenge. According to US Vice President Mike Pence, so far 313,000 tests have been completed with test results delivered to Americans. Of these more than 41,000 have contracted coronavirus, he added. The number of tests is expected to increase significantly in the coming days, he said."We also will be issuing today new health and human services guidance to direct all commercial labs to prioritise testing for hospitalised patients and that guidance is going out tonight. We also reminded the governors today that all state laboratories, all hospital laboratories are now required by law to report the results of coronavirus test to the CDC," he added.Americans, he said, are now eight days into the president's 15 days to slow the spread. The American people are rising to the challenge, Pence said. "But in the days to remain between now and the end of the 15 days, we're going to need every American to take this seriously. Listen to your state and local health authorities where there may be additional and stronger guidance in areas where the coronavirus spread has been more severe," he said. 

Persons above 50 years with pre-existing conditions most vulnerable to COVID-19: White House doctor

Those above 50 years with pre-existing medical conditions are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, an analysis of the mortality data from Europe and China by a leading American doctor in the White House Coronavirus Task Force has revealed.

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Donald Trump on Kim Jong Un's health: Have a very good idea about statusUS President Donald Trump said he has a "very good idea" about the status of Kim Jong Un but he can''t talk about it now, amid rumours about the ill health of the North Korean leader.“I can''t tell you exactly - yes, I do have a very good idea but I can''t talk about it now. I just wish him well,” Trump told reporters at a White House news conference Monday.There have been unconfirmed reports that Kim is not in good health. The rumours began after he missed the April 15 commemoration of the 108th birthday of his grandfather, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. North Korea has not dispelled the rumours of ill health of its ruler.“I have had a very good relationship with Kim Jong Un. If I weren''t president you would be... You would have been in war with Korea. You would have been in war with North Korea if I wasn''t president that I can tell you. He expected that. That I can tell you,” he said.“I hope he''s fine. I do know how he''s doing relatively speaking. We will see… You will probably be hearing in the not-too-distant future,” Trump, who met Kim at least twice to persuade him to give up his nuclear weapons, said.Reports cited satellite images to say that a train likely belonging to Kim has been parked at his compound on the country''s east coast for a week.

Donald Trump on Kim Jong Un's health: Have a very good idea about status

US President Donald Trump said he has a "very good idea" about the status of Kim Jong Un but he can't talk about it now, amid rumours about the ill health of the North Korean leader.

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Houses submerged in water following heavy rainfall in JapanAt least 100 people have died or have been presumed dead after heavy rains, floods and mudslides struck western Japan, the Japanese government said. Heavy rainfall hammered southern Japan for the third day, which prompted new disaster warnings on Kyushu and Shikoku islands on Sunday.  Cleanup efforts and searches for the missing are underway in the southwestern region, where several days of heavy rainfall has resulted in flooding and landslides.The Japanese government confirmed that 92 people are missing, mostly in the southern area of Hiroshima prefecture. Nearly 40 helicopters are out on rescue missions."Rescue efforts are a battle with time," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told reporters. "The rescue teams are doing their utmost." The Japan Meteorological Agency said three hours of rainfall in one area in Kochi prefecture reached an accumulated 26.3 centimeters (10.4 inches), the highest since such records started in 1976.Authorities warned that the landslides could strike even after rain subsides, as the calamity worsened in decades. Kochi prefecture issued landslide warnings almost over the entire island.Also Read | 50 people dead, a dozen missing due to floods in JapanAn emergency office has been set up by the Japanese government, which is designed for crises such as major earthquakes.People in Japan are pleading for help through social media. The rivers throughout the hard-hit areas have swelled. Police, firefighters and other disaster relief have been sent to places.

100 dead due to heavy rains, mudslides in western Japan

Searches for the missing people are underway in the southwestern region, where several days of heavy rainfall has resulted in flooding and landslides.

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 A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the USUrging American lawmakers to pass a legislation that ends the archaic per country quota for legal permanent residency in the US, a group of frontline Indian-American healthcare professionals, stuck in the 150-plus-year Green Card backlog, held a peaceful demonstration in front of the Capitol. A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently in the country.In a joint statement on Monday, the Indian-American doctors said that they are in a 150-plus-year Green Card backlog due to archaic country caps that allows no nation to get more than seven per cent of employment-based green cards. “India is a land of a billion plus people but the number of green cards it gets is the same as a country as small as Iceland. There is no cap on H-1B visa though and Indians make 50 per cent of the H-1B work force. This discrepancy between H-1B and green cards has created an inhuman backlog that is adversely affecting our professional and personal lives,” they said.Indian IT professionals, most of whom are highly skilled and come to the US mainly on the H-1B work visas, are the worst sufferers of the current immigration system which imposes a seven per cent per country quota on allotment of the coveted Green Card or permanent legal residency. The protesters said that the fairness bill removes country caps and allots green cards as a first come first serve basis. It passed in the House of Representatives by 365 votes in 2019 and its Senate equivalent S386 passed the Senate in 2020. Now the bill is back to the House as a modified version.They urged Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren to bring it to vote as a bipartisan solution to end the suffering of skilled professionals. “The Green Card backlog is taking a toll on the frontline health care workers and their families. They are living in fear and anxiety,” Dr Namita Dhiman, a child and adolescent psychiatrist said. “US President Joe Biden should end the Green Card backlog by allowing USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to utilise unused green cards from the past years for the frontline healthcare workers in the backlog,” she said.“COVID-19 has been brutal to frontline healthcare workers and the green card backlog makes it miserable. This is leading to serious mental health issues in this group,” Dhiman added. Baltimore-based Dr Santanu Samanta, a radiation oncologist, said he feels threatened about the consequences to his family and his job, if there is no change brought in the Green Card system.

Indian-American frontline healthcare professionals in Green Card backlog hold protest at US Capitol

In a joint statement on Monday, the Indian-American doctors said that they are in a 150-plus-year Green Card backlog due to archaic country caps that allows no nation to get more than seven per cent of employment-based green cards

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North Korea today condemned the latest United Nations sanctions imposed in response to its weapons programmes, saying it would not negotiate over nuclear arms while threatened by the United States. The sanctions passed at the weekend were a "violent violation of our sovereignty", Pyongyang said in a statement carried by its official Korean Central News Agency. "We will not put our self-defensive nuclear deterrent on the negotiating table" while it faced threats from Washington, it said, "and will never take a single step back from strengthening our nuclear might". The United Nations Security Council at the weekend passed a new set of sanctions against Pyongyang over its weapons programmes, including bans on the export of coal, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore as well as fish and seafood from the impoverished state. The measures were approved unanimously -- including by China, the North's sole major ally and economic lifeline, and Russia. Tension has been running high since the nuclear-armed North staged two successful ICBM tests last month, sparking global alarm over its rapidly-advancing weapons capability. Pyongyang threatened to make the US -- which drafted the latest sanctions package -- "pay the price for its crime... thousands of times"."If the US... believes that it would remain safe because its mainland is an ocean away from us, nothing would be a bigger misjudgment than that," it said. Other nations that "collaborated with the US" to support the resolution would also be "held accountable", it added.

North Korea condemns UN sanctions, says no negotiations over nuclear arms

North Korea today condemned the latest United Nations sanctions imposed in response to its weapons programmes, saying it would not negotiate over nuclear arms while threatened by the United States

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Christian Michel Christian Michel, the British wanted by Indian investigative agencies in the Rs 3,600 crore AgustaWestland VVIP choppers deal case, was reportedly taken to the Dubai International Airport on Tuesday, where he would take a flight to India. The Court of Cassation had in November upheld a lower court order which said that Michel could be extradited.Related Stories Last minute tweaking in specifications brought AgustaWestland into fray: CBI HC revokes stay on invoking Rs 3 crore bank guarantee of AgustaWestlandAgustaWestland chopper scam: Italian court acquits two former Leonardo executivesMichel, 54, was taken to the Dubai International Airport on Tuesday, where he would take a flight to India, the Khaleej Times reported.India officially made the request to the Gulf nation in 2017 for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).The ED, in its chargesheet filed against Michel in June 2016, had alleged that he received ?EUR 30 million (about Rs 225 crore) from AgustaWestland.The money was nothing but “kickbacks” paid by the firm to execute the 12 helicopter deal in favour of the firm in “guise of” genuine transactions for performing multiple work contracts in the country, according to the chargesheet.Michel is one of the three middlemen being probed in the case, besides Guido Haschke and Carlo Gerosa, by the ED and the CBI. Both the agencies have notified an Interpol red corner notice (RCN) against him after the court issued a non-bailable warrant against him.The ED investigation found that remittances made by Michel through his Dubai-based firm Global Services to a media firm he floated in Delhi, along with two Indians, were made from the funds which he got from AgustaWestland through “criminal activity” and corruption being done in the chopper deal that led to the subsequent generation of proceeds of crime.Michel denies the charges.On January 1, 2014, India scrapped the contract with Italy-based Finmeccanica’s British subsidiary AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 VVIP choppers to the IAF over alleged breach of contractual obligations and charges of paying kickbacks to the tune of Rs 423 crore by it for securing the deal.The CBI has alleged there was an estimated loss of Euro 398.21 million (approximately Rs 2,666 crore) to the exchequer in the deal that was signed on February 8, 2010 for the supply of VVIP choppers worth Euro 556.262 million.

AgustaWestland chopper scam: Christian Michel taken to Dubai airport for flight to India

India officially made the request to the Gulf nation in 2017 for his extradition, based on the criminal investigations conducted in the case by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

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US proposes not to issue business visas for H-1B speciality occupationsThe US State Department in a federal notification Wednesday proposed to make changes to its existing visa regulations under which foreign professionals, which would fall under H-1B, would not be issued a temporary visa for business, as has been widely prevalent currently. If finalized, this proposal will eliminate any misconception that the "B-1 in lieu of H policy" provides an alternative avenue for foreign professionals to enter the US to perform skilled labour that allows, and potentially even encourages them and their employers to circumvent the restrictions and requirements relating to the H nonimmigrant classification established by the Congress to protect US workers, the State Department said.The move is likely to impact a lot of Indian companies who send their technology professionals on B-1 visas for a short stay to complete the jobs on site in the US.On December 17, 2019, the California Attorney General announced a USD 800,000 settlement against Infosys Limited to resolve allegations that approximately 500 Infosys employees worked in California on Infosys-sponsored B-1 visas rather than H-1B visas, the State Department said."The proposed changes and the resulting transparency would reduce the impact of foreign labour on the US workforce of aliens performing activities in a specialty occupation without the procedural protections attendant to the H-1B classification," it said.In its federal notification issued on Wednesday, the State Department said US architecture firm seeking protection from rising labour costs in the country might believe it could lay off its US architects and contract for the same professional architectural services to be provided by a foreign architecture firm.If the foreign firm sought H-1B visas for its architects, it would be required to pay the prevailing wage for architects in the area of intended employment in the United States, presumably the same wage the US architects had been paid, and meet the other requirements enacted by the Congress to protect US workers.But under the B-1 in lieu of H policy, the foreign architects could ostensibly seek B-1 visas and travel to the US to fill a temporary need for architecture services, so long as they retained a residence in the foreign country and continued to receive a salary, perhaps significantly lower than what is customary for US architects, dispersed abroad by the foreign firm (or under the auspices of a foreign parent or subsidiary), the State Department said.Under the Department's guidance, visas could be issued for multiple architects planning temporary work in the United States, in certain situations. However, a foreign employer may succeed in undermining US immigration law and policy by rotating architects between the US and the foreign country to effectively fill the position of one US architect at a significantly lower cost, the notification said."If the architects who intended to perform skilled labour were "of distinguished merit and ability... seeking to perform (temporary architectural services) of an exceptional nature requiring such merit and ability, one might argue the current regulatory language suggests this type of labour is a permissible basis for B-1 nonimmigrant visa issuance," the State Department said.This potential outcome is harmful to US workers and contrary to policies of the Trump Administration, it said.The State Department said the application process for a B-1 visa does not include similar procedural requirements to protect US workers like that of H-1B visas.Also, the fees for the B-1 visas are far less than that of H-1B visas. While the Congress required H-1B employers to pay significant fees to fund assistance to the US workforce as well as prevention and detection of fraud related to skilled labour, employers are not required to pay comparable fees to employ skilled workers under the B-1 in lieu of H policy, it said.According to the notification, the State Department estimates that this proposal will affect no more than 6,000 to 8,000 foreign workers per year, specifically aliens intending to provide services in a specialty occupation in the US.As per its estimate, up to 28 per cent of the approximately 8,000 annual B-1 visa issuances under the B-1 in lieu of H policy were to foreign workers who applied for a visa to perform services in a specialty occupation for a small entity in the US.(With PTI inputs)

US proposes changes to H-1B visa regulations; likely to impact Indian companies

In a federal notification on Wednesday, the US State Department has proposed to make changes to its existing H-1B visa regulations. If the changes are implemented, foreign professionals, which would fall under H-1B, would not be issued a temporary visa for business.

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Brazilian President Bolsonaro again tests positive for coronavirusBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed that he has once again tested positive for the novel coronavirus, roughly a week after he contracted the virus."We hope that in the next few days, they will give me a new test and, everything will be fine so that we can return to normal activity," Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying in a live Facebook broadcast on Wednesday.Bolsonaro, who repeatedly played down the risks posed by the virus which he termed "a little flu" and asserting that he would not be seriously affected by it, said he would get tested again in a few days.In a statement, the communication secretariat of the presidency said that Bolsonaro was currently staying at the Alvorada Palace in Brasilia, "and continues to be accompanied by the medical team".According to the statement, the latest test was carried out on Tuesday morning and the result came out at night.On July 7, Bolsonaro announced that after developing a fever and general discomfort, he tested positive for COVID-19 at the Brazilian Armed Forces Hospital.Bolsonaro is 65 years old, making him part of an age group experts consider to be at high risk for developing complications from the disease.Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world at 1,966,748 and 75,366, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.Despite the rising numbers, Bolsonaro has argued that regional lockdowns werehaving a more damaging effect than the virus itself, and accused the media of spreading panic and paranoia.

Brazilian President Bolsonaro again tests positive for coronavirus

Bolsonaro, who repeatedly played down the risks posed by the virus which he termed "a little flu" and asserting that he would not be seriously affected by it, said he would get tested again in a few days.

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Taliban guns down boy attending wedding in KabulThe Taliban fighters shot and killed a boy who was attending an engagement function in Kabul, Khaama Press reported. The boy, Faisal, in his 20s was shot by a Taliban fighter. Eyewitnesses and his uncle of whom the slain Faisal was attending the wedding function said, they were directed to stop for check post and they did but were shot at in the next one."We were returning from my engagement function and were directed to stop in a check post of the Taliban in Quwa-e-Markaz. We stopped and were searched by the Taliban and then they allowed us to go, when we went there were four other Taliban who started shooting and shot killed Faisal," said Faisal's uncle, according to the report.Spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior Affairs Saeed Khostai confirmed the incident and added that two culprits have been arrested and are under investigation."The people were asked to stop to a check post and the Mujahideen started shooting at Faisal who was wounded and then succumbed to his wounds in hospital. Two people have been arrested in connection to the incident," said Khostai.People have been asking the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to properly train their fighters and give them proper uniforms in order to be recognized and avoid incidents as such in the future.ALSO READ: Taliban bans forced marriages of women in AfghanistanALSO READ: Taliban torture Afghan man to death for critical Facebook post

Taliban guns down boy attending wedding in Kabul

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Interior Affairs Saeed Khostai confirmed the incident and added that two culprits have been arrested and are under investigation.

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Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has said that no US combat troops will stay in the country after the fight against the Islamic State is concluded.Haider al-Abadi remarks came in a statement on Friday morning following a report that talks are ongoing between Iraq and the US on maintaining American forces in the Islamic country.Al-Abadi said that the American troops will be advisers who will help Iraq’s security forces maintain ‘full readiness’ for any future security challenges.Iraqi forces are struggling to retake the last remaining Mosul neighbourhoods ISIS holds in the city’s western half, but even after a territorial victory, Iraqi and US-led coalition officials have warned of the potential for ISIS to carry our insurgent attacks in government held territory.

No US troops to stay in Iraq after fight against ISIS concludes, says PM

Al-Abadi said that the American troops will be advisers who will help Iraq’s security forces maintain ‘full readiness’ for any future security challenges.

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Narcissists believe countries would be better run by strong leadersAccording to a study, narcissists believe that countries would be better run by strong leaders or the military and are more likely to not support democracies. They tend to feel entitled and superior to others, which results in lower tolerance of diverse political opinions, researchers from the University of Kent in the UK said. People who take a positive, non-defensive self-view and trust others are more likely to show support for democracy, the study said.The study, published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, consisted of two parts that analysed the relationship between different types of self-evaluation -- narcissism and self-esteem -- and support for democracy in the US and Poland.Related Stories One must learn to tolerate in a democracy: SCPM inaugurates BJP headquarter, highlights party's 'democratic' approach towards alliesIndia calls for restoration of democracy in Maldives, hopes for end of emergency todayDemocracy allows debate, not monologues: Sonia GandhiFree press makes for a stronger democracy: PM Modi on World Press Freedom dayDemocracy relapses a lot: Shatrughan SinhaThe team set out to understand the psychological mechanisms driving support for democracy.They built on previous research which demonstrated that basic personality traits can predict broader opinions about the organisation of the social world."The jury is out on whether the new generations are becoming more narcissistic than previous ones, but it is important to monitor how societal changes can affect the self," said Aleksandra Cichocka, from University of Kent in the UK."We need to make sure we are not fostering feelings of entitlement or expectations of special treatment," said Cichocka."In the end, these processes may have important implications for our social and political attitudes," she said.(With PTI inputs)

Narcissists believe countries would be better run by strong leaders or military: Study

The study, published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, consisted of two parts that analysed the relationship between different types of self-evaluation.

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Police have declared a "major incident" after reports of an explosion in Leicester in Britain.Emergency services were called on Sunday to reports of a blast in the Hinckley Road area in Leicester. They were conducting a search and rescue operation at the scene, BBC reported.Related Stories Gujarat: 4 killed, 9 injured in blast at a chemical plant in Vadodara Boiler blast in Haryana's Panipat kills 2, at least 6 injuredRajasthan: 9 killed, 18 injured in gas cylinder blast at wedding ceremony Carlisle Street and part of Hinckley Road have been closed and police are asking people to avoid the area.Six fire engines were at the scene, Leicestershire Police said. Pictures showed flames rising from a building.A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "This is a search and rescue at the moment. It is unknown if people are injured or trapped."The affected property was a two-floor building with a loft conversion that had suffered a "pancake collapse", she said.Alpana Marwaha, who lives nearby, told the BBC: "I heard a bang and the house shook. We could see the flames."You can still see the smoke coming, and the emergency services. There are few shops there and it is surrounded by houses," she added.She said that it was worrying being so close to the explosion and she hoped the authorities would determine its cause.Pictures and video shared on social media appeared to show a shop engulfed in flames and the blaze visible from a distance.

Police alert triggered in Britain's Leicester after massive explosion flattens house

A Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said: "This is a search and rescue at the moment. It is unknown if people are injured or trapped."

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Indian-origin woman sentenced for smuggling hundreds of illegal 'aliens' into USA 51-year old Indian-origin woman was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and ordered to forfeit more than USD 7 million for her role in smuggling hundreds of undocumented people, primarily from India, into the US in exchange for fees ranging from approximately USD 28,000 to USD 60,000 per person.In June last year, Hema Patel pleaded guilty to alien smuggling for financial gain by fraudulently bonding illegal aliens from immigration custody and causing their release into the United States. Patel, a bail bondswoman, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment for her role in smuggling hundreds of illegal aliens into the United States. Patel was also ordered to forfeit her residence in Texas, two hotels, USD 7.2 million in bail bonds, USD 400,000 in cash and 11 gold bars, among other assets, the US Immigration and Custom Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York said."In a classic example of how criminal networks exploit loopholes in our nation’s immigration system to make a profit while threatening the national security of the United States, Hema Patel and her human smuggling co-conspirators manufactured fraudulent bond documents to secure the release of undocumented aliens that were smuggled through the southwest border by an international criminal network," HSI Special Agent-in-Charge Angel Melendez said. United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard Donoghue said Patel, for her personal financial gain, arranged to have hundreds of aliens smuggled into the United States, completely by-passing the visa application and eligibility requirements. "She will now pay the price for placing the safety and security of the residents of our communities at risk. Border security is a top priority of the Department of Justice," Donoghue said. From April 2015 through October 2016, Patel and her co-conspirators executed a scheme to bring undocumented aliens, primarily from India, into the United States in exchange for "fees" ranging from approximately USD 28,000 to USD 60,000 per person. Patel and her co-conspirators paid middlemen, or "coyotes", to arrange the logistics of the aliens' travel, either a northern route through Canada, or a southern route through Mexico. When the aliens were stopped and taken into custody by law enforcement officers at the US border, they called Patel, who then prepared fraudulent bond documents on their behalf, including documents listing fictitious names and addresses indicating where and with whom the aliens would reside while their cases were pending. These documents and the bail bonds were then filed in United States Immigration Courts, and the aliens were released into the community. Patel used two of her hotels in Texas to temporarily harbour some of the aliens. In November 2016, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Patel’s Texas residence, seizing thousands of fraudulent alien bonding records. A year later, Patel’s co-defendant Chandresh Kumar Patel pleaded guilty to smuggling aliens for financial gain for his role in the scheme as an alien trafficker and financial broker. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement agents recovered $80,000 from his Queens residence. Chandresh Kumar Patel was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment last year.ALSO READ: Aliens could destroy life on Earth with just a ‘killer message’, says research

Indian-origin woman sentenced for smuggling hundreds of illegal 'aliens' into US

A 51-year old Indian-origin woman was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and ordered to forfeit more than USD 7 million for her role in smuggling hundreds of undocumented people, primarily from India, into the US in exchange for fees ranging from approximately USD 28,000 to USD 60,000 per person.

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India said today that it remains committed on the issue of climate change "as per its own values and requirements", days after the US announced its decision to pull out of the landmark Paris agreement.External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay said that the focus of the Indian government is on International Solar Alliance (ISA) and other methods of renewable energy. Arvind Panagariya, sherpa for India at the G20 Summit, said at the same media briefing that India would need "more time" to process completely to clean fuel.He said that the US position on climate change "remained different" from that of other countries as it wants inclusion of fossil fuel. "Our stand has been very clear that what we are committed on climate change as per our own values and more importantly in terms of our own requirements," Baglay said when asked about the key takeaway for India on climate change at the Summit.Baglay said solar energy and other renewables are the areas that have been in focus of Prime minister Narendra Modi's conversation with other global leaders at the Summit.Panagariya said that India would need "more time" to process completely to clean fuel. Speaking on the issue of the US' stance on climate change, he said that "there were differences but nobody was isolated, though Europeans had much stronger position"."India's position remains that we need more time to process completely to clean fuel. US position on climate change remains different from that of other countries and it wants inclusion of fossil fuel," Panagariya said.Prime Minister Modi, while speaking at the meeting of BRICS leaders, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit yesterday had said that it was "mandatory" to implement the consensus of the Paris agreement on climate change. He had asserted that India will implement the accord in "letter and spirit".President Donald Trump had recently announced that the US will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, saying the deal agreed by more than 190 nations unfairly benefited countries like India and China. The objective of the Paris Agreement is to prevent an increase in global average temperature and keep it well below 2°C.The Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015, by 195 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), replacing its predecessor Kyoto Protocol. It was finally ratified on November 4, 2016. 

Committed to climate change as per own requirements: India

The Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015, by 195 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), replacing its predecessor Kyoto Protocol. It was finally ratified on November 4, 2016.

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Dr. Allison Arwady, Commissioner, Chicago Department of Public Health, center, speaks at a news conference Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, in Chicago, where it was announced that the first U.S. case of person-to-person spread of the new virus from China involves the man married to the Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from a trip to Wuhan, China. Joining Arwady from left are, Dr. Terry Mason, Cook County Department of Public Health Chief Operating Officer and Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.For the first time in the U.S., the new virus from China has spread from one person to another, health officials said Thursday. The latest case — the sixth in the country — is the husband of a Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from the epicenter of an outbreak in China. There have been previous cases in China and elsewhere of the virus spreading between people in a household or workplace.The other five U.S. cases are travelers who developed the respiratory illness after returning to the U.S. from China. The latest patient had not been in China.The Chicago woman came back from the central China city of Wuhan on Jan. 13, then last week went to a hospital with symptoms and was diagnosed with the viral illness. She and her husband, both in their 60s, are hospitalized. Neither have been identified.The man began feeling sick Tuesday and was put in isolation that day. Tests confirming that he was infected came back Wednesday night, Illinois health officials said at a Chicago press conference.Twenty-one people, including health care workers, who may have had close contact with the man are being monitored, the officials said. But they were quick to try to ease any concerns that the case may signal the start of local outbreak.“The risk to the general public remains low. This person-to-person spread was between two very close contacts, a husband and wife,” said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health.The man generally relies on his car to get around, had not been on any public trains in the Chicago area and had not attended any large gatherings, officials said.The virus can cause fever, coughing, wheezing and pneumonia. Health officials think it spreads mainly from droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes, similar to how the flu spreads.Experts have said they expected additional U.S. cases, and that at least some limited spread of the disease in the country was likely.“We anticipated this,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert. “The kind of contact that you have in a household is very close and very prolonged. That’s the kind of circumstance where we would anticipate a virus such as this could be transmitted.”The quick detection and isolation of the new patient shows, “The system is working,” said Schaffner, adding that he does not expect the virus to become widespread in the country.The new virus is a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past. The new virus has sickened thousands, mostly in China, and killed about 170.Older people, and those with other health conditions, are believed to be at greater risk for severe illness from the virus. The new patient has a health condition, but health officials did not say what it is.An international outbreak caused by the virus first emerged last month in China. Doctors there began seeing the new virus in people who got sick after spending time at a wholesale food market in Wuhan. Officials said the virus probably initially spread from animals to people, as did SARS and MERS.The other U.S. cases are in Arizona, Southern California and Washington state, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Also Read | Tibet reports first confirmed case of coronavirus

US reports 1st case of person-to-person spread of new virus

For the first time in the U.S., the new virus from China has spread from one person to another, health officials said Thursday. The latest case — the sixth in the country — is the husband of a Chicago woman who got sick from the virus after she returned from the epicenter of an outbreak in China. There have been previous cases in China and elsewhere of the virus spreading between people in a household or workplace.

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Officers with bomb-sniffing dogs look over the area after a shooting on a subway train Tuesday, April. 12, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Multiple people were shot and injured Tuesday at a subway station in New York City during a morning rush hour attack.The New York Police Department (NYPD) after Tuesday's rush hour shooting at Brooklyn subway station decribed the suspect as a Black male, 5'5" tall, with heavy build, who is still on the run. The suspect was wearing a green construction-type vest and gray hooded sweatshirt.At least 16 people have been injured, 10 shot and 5 are in critical but stable condition after Tuesday morning shooting when people were leaving for work.Addressing a presser, NYPD said, "No one currently with life-threatening injuries. The incident is not being investigated as act of terrorism at this time. No known explosive devices on NYC subway trains."The Police are seeking a man with a gas mask and an orange construction vest who had been wearing a dark blue outfit that appeared to resemble that of a transit worker, a senior law enforcement official said.Speaking on the matter, New York Governor Kathy Hochul  said, "No more mass shootings, no more disrupting lives...It has to end and it has to end now... We are sick and tired of reading headlines about crime."ALSO READ | New York-Brooklyn subway shooting: What we know so farALSO READ | New York: At least 10 people shot at Brooklyn subway station, unexploded devices found

New York police hunt for black male 5'5" tall with heavy build, suspect in Brooklyn subway shooting

The police is seeking a man with a gas mask and an orange construction vest who shot at least 10 people while several others were injured in the New York's Brooklyn subway shooting.

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US President Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump has exuded confidence of reaching a fair trade deal with China, warning further tariffs might follow if the deal did not materialise.Trump is scheduled to meet the Chinese President Xi Jinping in Argentina on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit on November 30 and December 1."We've had very good discussions with China. We're getting much closer to doing something. They very much want to make a deal. As you know, their economy went way down since we've been doing this skirmish," Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday, a day after he spoke over phone with Xi."I think we'll make a deal with China. And I think it'll be a very fair deal for everybody, but it will a good deal for the United States," he said.The president added that he would have a dinner with Xi at the G20 summit, wherein they would be discussing the issue.Trump sounded very optimistic about having a trade deal with China, or else, he warned, he was ready to impose a trade tariff of 25 per cent on another USD 267 billion worth of Chinese products. "They've been hit very hard. Their economy has been very, very bad."Meanwhile in an interview, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China was the most important long-term strategic challenge for the US."We've talked about trade. We need that to be fair and reciprocal with them. But just this week, we indicted 10 Chinese for stealing intellectual property. It's been going on in previous administrations for decades. This is really important to American business and protecting the human capital, the talented work of American people, and national security," he said.( With inputs from PTI )

US will reach fair trade deal with China, says Donald Trump

"I think we'll make a deal with China. And I think it'll be a very fair deal for everybody, but it will a good deal for the United States," he said.

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A UN special rapporteur on human rights has urged the Security Council to take decisive action to resolve the crisis in Myanmar's Rakhine state, noting that the crisis "reaches beyond Myanmar's borders"."The crisis in Rakhine state has not only been decades in the making, but has for some time gone beyond Myanmar's borders. For a very long time now this issue has not been simply a domestic affair," Yanghee Lee said.Related Stories Rohingyas a major security concern, says Bangladesh; wants India to take more initiativesThousands more Rohingya Muslims cross border into BangladeshRohingya crisis: 'Return of 'displaced persons' will only restore normalcy in Myanmar'"It has been cultivated for decades in the minds of the Myanmar people that the Rohingyas are not indigenous to the country and therefore have no rights whatsoever to which they can apparently claim," she said in her report to the Third Committee, the UN General Assembly's main body dealing with human rights and social and humanitarian issues.In particular, the special rapporteur stressed that given the gravity of the situation, it was uncertain how long it might take for the government to establish conditions for the safe and dignified return of the Rohingyas and to ensure they can rebuild their lives.Furthermore, she noted that while the plight of the Rohingyas remained her main concern, the country had numerous other human rights challenges, including consistent reports of religious intolerance against Christians and Muslims across Myanmar.It was unclear whether Myanmar's peace process had advanced since the signing of the nationwide ceasefire agreement two years ago, said Lee, noting that all those responsible for human rights violations must be held accountable and that this should begin with full access for the UN Human Rights Council's fact-finding mission.The special rapporteur also urged the government to publicly embrace all the communities which make up the population of Myanmar and use its majority in Parliament to strike down all discriminatory laws, to show that all groups in Myanmar have equal rights."I have in the past commended Myanmar's flourishing, widening democratic space. However, it seems to me that national legislation is effectively resulting in the criminalization of legitimate expression," said Lee, calling on the government to press ahead with constitutional reform "to allow for proper operation of the rule of law".Furthermore, the reform of laws that contravene human rights standards should be prioritized, she added.On August 25, a Rohingya militia allegedly attacked three police posts in Rakhine state and sparked the government's return of attacks against the local villages. The exchanges of fire have caused hundreds of thousands to flee into neighbouring Bangladesh.UN special rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country's situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

Crisis in Rakhine reaches beyond Myanmar's borders: UN expert

On August 25, a Rohingya militia allegedly attacked three police posts in Rakhine state and sparked the government's return of attacks against the local villages.

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US President Donald TrumpThe US has ruled out giving any exemption from its punitive sanctions to countries, including India, for buying oil from Iran, saying America's maximum pressure campaign was working and the Trump administration remains "unwavering" in its tough policy on Tehran.US President Trump last month refused to give waivers to countries like India from buying oil from Iran, in an attempt to reduce Iran's oil exports to zero.Related Stories There will be no war: Iran Foreign MinisterIf Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran, says Donald TrumpIndia stopped purchasing Iranian oil after US waivers expired: EnvoyThe US on Tuesday reiterated its position at a news conference here after media reports from New Delhi, quoting unnamed government officials, said that India was looking at ways to resume oil imports from Iran despite the US sanctions.Last week, India's Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla said India had stopped buying oil from Iran after May 2 when the US ended its waivers that allowed the top buyers of Iranian oil, including India, to continue their imports for six months.The State Department said there was no change in its policy on Iranian sanctions."The Secretary (of State) has been very clear since April 22nd that we are going to zero," Spokesperson of the State Department Morgan Ortagus told reporters during an off-camera news conference."We have stated that there are no new exemptions after May 2 as it relates to importing Iranian oil. The US position there remains quite firm," she said in response to a question.The US reimposed sanctions on Iran in November after pulling out of a 2015 nuclear accord between Tehran and six other world powers. Ortagus said the American sanctions on Iran were working."Our sanctions are working and I think that you've heard the Secretary Brian Hook and myself go through a litany of ways in which we know that the sanctions are quite effective for Iran," she said.Noting that the economic sanctions and the maximum pressure campaign will remain in place, the spokesperson said that the both President Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have said they will be willing to talk to the Iranian regime."But until then, we remain unwavering and unflinching in our sanctions campaign and our maximum pressure campaign. That's been our policy; that remains our policy. And it's not just about a nuclear weapon. It's about Iran's support of terrorism in the region, their malign behaviour throughout the region," she said.The US has been pretty overt in its signalling to the Iranians, and its willingness to talk, she said."The maximum pressure campaign, economic sanctions remain on the table. If they would like to take a serious look at the 12 points that the Secretary laid out over a year ago, we'll be ready to talk about that. The President and the Secretary mean that sincerely," Ortagus said.The United States has been talking to its European partners as well over the issue, she said."One of the main things that we will continue to talk to our European partners and allies is the imminent threat from Iran that is faced in the region," she said.As of late April, India dropped its dependency on Iranian oil from about 2.5 million tonnes a month to 1 million tonnes a month, Shringla said last week. "We do understand that this has been a priority for the US administration, although it comes at a cost to us because we really need to find alternative sources of energy," Shringla said.India has stopped importing oil from both Iran and Venezuela, he said.Noting that the US did talk of trying to maintain price stability, Shringla said in the short term, there has been reduced price stability. Iran earlier used to supply 10 per cent of India's oil needs.After coming to power, Trump withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal last year and has imposed stringent sanctions against what he describes as the "authoritarian" Iranian regime.The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat. Last month, the US designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity. 

US rules out sanction exemptions to countries from Iranian oil import

The US is seeking to ramp up pressure on Iran to counter what the White House perceives to be a potential threat. Last month, the US designated Iran's Revolutionary Guard a foreign terrorist organisation, the first time the designation has been applied to a government entity.

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Representational imageA gang of five fraudsters, including an Indian-origin accountant, who ran a fake Bangladeshi visa scam and falsely claimed nearly 13 million pounds in tax repayments have been sentenced to a total of 31 years in jail by a UK court.Jalpa Trivedi, 41, was found guilty for facilitating the accounting side of the fraud and was jailed for three years.London-based Bangladeshi origin law student Abul Kalam Muhammad Rezaul Karim was the ringleader in the organised crime group. The 42-year-old man set up 79 bogus companies and created fake documentation used by Bangladeshi nationals in fraudulent visa applications, Southwark Crown Court in London was told during a trial that ended last week.The fraudsters also used the companies to fraudulently reclaim tax repayments from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) over a six-year period, with 172,000 pounds being paid out and potentially could have amounted to as much as 13-million pounds if the fraud had not been undetected. An investigation into their wrongdoing was the "longest ever undertaken" by the UK's Immigration Enforcement's Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) team.Judge Martin Griffith said: "The purpose was to fool the Home Office into granting visas and it worked. Eighteen people were granted visas based on false figures. Of those, three were allowed to become naturalised British citizens, and two given indefinite leave to remain."All five fraudsters were found guilty of conspiracy to defraud by making false applications under the Tier-1 visa category between December 31, 2008 and February 27, 2013.Karim was sentenced to ten-and-a-half years, his brother-in-law Enamul Karim, 34, was sentenced to nine years and four months and Kazi Borkot Ullah, 39, was sentenced to five years and 10 months behind bars. All three were absent in court after absconding in July and arrest warrants have been issued for their arrest.Ullah's lawyer told the court he had "no idea where he is, in this country, Bangladesh or anywhere else".Mohammed Tamij Uddin, 47, was jailed for two years and six months respectively.Prosecutor Julian Christopher told the court their offending was on an "industrial scale".As part of the immigration scam, the five defendants charged some clients on temporary visas wanting to remain in the UK a minimum of 700 pounds in cash for their fraudulent immigration services.The fraud was uncovered in 2011 when the UK Home Office identified a suspicious pattern in a series of points-based applications for Tier 1 general and entrepreneur visas. Both routes had a significant financial requirement, with applicants earning points based either on previous earnings or by demonstrating they had access to a minimum of 50,000 pounds to invest in UK business.The gang claimed their clients were employees as part of their tax and immigration fraud – creating fake payslips and providing false information on hundreds of applications to ensure eligibility for a Tier 1 visa.They transferred money into clients' bank accounts to make them appear well-paid employees. The money was paid back to the fraudsters the following month and, between 2008 and 2013, millions were laundered through the bank accounts as a result.

Indian-origin accountant among 5 fraudsters jailed for visa scam in UK

Jalpa Trivedi, 41, was found guilty for facilitating the accounting side of the fraud and was jailed for three years.

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29 Turkish soldiers killed in northeast Syria air strikeAn air strike by Syrian government forces killed 29 Turkish soldiers in northeast Syria, a Turkish official said Friday, marking the largest death toll for Turkey in a single day since it first intervened in Syria in 2016. The deaths were a serious escalation in the direct conflict between Turkish and Russia-backed Syrian forces that has been waged since early February.Rahmi Dogan, the governor of Turkey’s Hatay province bordering Syria’s Idlib region, said 29 troops were killed and others were seriously wounded in the attack late Thursday. He said 39 injured were being treated in Turkish hospitals.Three Turkish soldiers killed earlier Thursday in Idlib. At least 50 have now been killed in Idlib since the start of February.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was holding an emergency security meeting in Ankara, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevult Cavusoglu spoke to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg by telephone.Erdogan’s spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, who plays a senior role in foreign affairs, also spoke to U.S. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.The airstrike came after a Russian delegation spent two days in Ankara for talks with Turkish officials on the situation in Idlib, where a Syrian government offensive has sent hundreds of thousands of civilians fleeing towards the Turkish border.The offensive has also engulfed many of the 12 military observation posts Turkey has in Idlib.Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan’s communications director, said “all known” Syrian government targets were under attack by Turkish air and land forces in response to the deaths.Turkish television news channels aired black-and-white footage of airstrikes on Syrian targets.Omer Celik, spokesman for Erdogan’s ruling party, said NATO should stand by Turkey’s side. Ankara recently called for U.S. Patriot missiles to be deployed to defend its forces in Syria.In a message seemingly aimed at Europe, he added: “Our refugee policy is the same but there’s a situation there, we’re no longer able to hold refugees.”Turkey hosts some 3.6 million Syrians and under a 2016 deal with the European Union agreed to step up efforts to halt the flow of refugees to Europe. Since then Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to “open the gates” in several disputes with European states.Angry crowds gathered outside the Russian consulate in Istanbul, Anadolu said. Standing in front of a line of riot police and a water cannon, they chanted “Murderer Russia, murderer Putin.”The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 34 Turkish soldiers were killed in airstrikes on Idlib on Thursday. It said the attacks occurred in an area between the villages of al-Bara and Baliun near the Jabal al-Zawiya region in the southern Idlib countryside. The Britain-based Observatory monitors the Syria war through a network of activists on the ground.The airstrike came after Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters retook a strategic northwestern town from government forces on Thursday, opposition activists said, cutting a key highway just days after the government reopened it for the first time since 2012.Despite losing the town of Saraqeb, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s forces made major gains to the south. Assad now controls almost the entire southern part of Idlib province after capturing more than 20 villages Thursday, state media and opposition activists said. It’s part of a weekslong campaign backed by Russian air power into Syria’s last rebel stronghold.Violence in Idlib province also left three more Turkish soldiers dead, according to Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, raising the number of Turkish troops killed in Syria this month to 21. Thousands of Turkish soldiers are deployed inside rebel-controlled areas of Idlib province, which is dominated by al-Qaida-linked militants.Turkey’s U.N. Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioglu told the Security Council on Thursday that Turkey was committed to upholding a fragile cease-fire agreement that Turkey and Russia reached on Idlib in 2018.The Syrian government troops’ “deliberate attacks on our forces has been a turning point. We are now determined more than ever to preserve Idlib’s de-escalation status.”Syria’s Defense Ministry said insurgents were using Turkey-supplied portable surface-to-air missiles to attack Syrian and Russian aircraft. It did not elaborate. Earlier this month, Turkish-backed opposition fighters shot down two helicopter gunships belonging to the Syrian military.The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitoring group, said opposition fighters seized the town of Saraqeb after intense bombardment by Turkish troops. Turkey and Russia support opposite sides in Syria’s brutal civil war, with Ankara backing the opposition and Moscow backing Assad.Saraqeb’s loss is a big setback for Assad. It sits on the strategic M5 highway linking the northern city of Aleppo with the capital, Damascus. Syrian troops recaptured the last rebel-controlled section of the M5 earlier this month. Officials had hailed the reopening of the motorway as a major victory in the nine-year conflict.The Syrian government’s military campaign to recapture Idlib province has triggered a humanitarian catastrophe and the war’s largest single wave of displacement. According to the United Nations, almost 950,000 civilians have been displaced since early December, and more than 300 have been killed. Most have fled farther north to safer areas near the Turkish border, overwhelming camps already crowded with refugees in cold winter weather.From inside Saraqeb, activist Taher al-Omar said the town is now under opposition control. He posted a video with a fighter saying the government forces “ran away like rats.”The Observatory said more than 60 fighters were killed on both sides since Wednesday, adding that government forces launched a counteroffensive later Thursday under the cover of Russian airstrikes to try retake the town.Syrian state media reported intense clashes near Saraqeb, saying insurgents sent suicide car bombs and that Turkish forces bombarded the area. It said a small group of insurgents reached the highway to score a “propaganda stunt,” adding that “Syrian troops are dealing with them.”State TV later Thursday confirmed that insurgents have cut the highway, adding that fighting is ongoing in the area.The Observatory also reported on the more than 20 villages captured Thursday by the government. It added that Syrian troops have now besieged another Turkish observation post in an area known as Sheer Maghar.The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media said government forces advancing from northern parts of Hama province met Thursday with forces moving from southern Idlib, bringing wide areas under Syrian army control.If government forces now turn north, they can eventually reach another major highway known as the M4 that links Syria’s coastal region with the country’s west. Assad has vowed to retake all of Syria.Assad’s forces have captured dozens of villages over the past few days, including major rebel strongholds.However, Erdogan said Thursday that, “The situation in Idlib has turned in our favor.” Speaking at the opening of a political academy in the capital, Ankara, he said the Syrian government had sustained “huge” losses.ALSO READ | Israel launches airstrikes on Syrian airbase in HomsALSO READ | Syrian troops gain territory in push to control key highway

29 Turkish soldiers killed in northeast Syria air strike

An airstrike by Syrian government forces killed 29 Turkish soldiers in northeast Syria, a Turkish official said Friday, marking the largest death toll for Turkey in a single day since it first intervened in Syria in 2016.

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UK resumes arms sales to Riyadh amid Saudi-Yemen conflict (Representational image)The UK government has decided to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia despite concerns that the arms could be used to commit human rights abuses and war crimes in Yemen.The government has said that possible war crimes committed by Saudi Arabia are "isolated incidents".This comes just a day after the UK sanctioned Saud al-Qahtani, a close aide to the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, over the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.The UK's new Magnitsky sanctions target individuals accused of human rights abuses around the world.Liz Truss, International Trade Secretary said: "While some credible incidents of concern related to Saudi forces' conduct had been classified as 'possible' breaches of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the British government viewed these as 'isolated incidents'."The incidents which have been assessed to be possible violations of IHL occurred at different times, in different circumstances and for different reasons."The undertaking that my predecessor gave to the Court � that we would not grant any new licences for the export of arms or military equipment to Saudi Arabia for possible use in Yemen � falls away."Yemen has been a target of the Saudi-led coalition since 2015 when Riyadh started bombing the Shia Houthis, who control large swathes of territory and are fighting an internationally recognised government.Branding the UK government's approach as "deeply cynical", human rights groups around the world said the policy was "almost beyond comprehension".Eighty per cent of the Yemenis are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance and more than 100,000 lives have been lost in the conflict.The Unicef has said "the crisis is of cataclysmic proportions".Since 2015, when the bombing of Yemen by Saudi Arabia started, the has issued export licences worth 5.3 billion pounds, including 2.5 billion pounds of licences related to bombs, missiles and other types of ordinance.

UK resumes arms sales to Riyadh amid Saudi-Yemen conflict

The UK government has decided to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia despite concerns that the arms could be used to commit human rights abuses and war crimes in Yemen.

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Typhoon Hagibis hits JapanA heavy downpour and strong winds pounded Tokyo and surrounding areas on Saturday as a powerful typhoon forecast to be Japan’s worst in six decades made landfall southwest of Tokyo, with streets, beaches and train stations deserted.Store shelves were bare after people stocked up on water and food ahead of Typhoon Hagibis. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of dangerously heavy rainfall in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, including Gunma, Saitama and Kanagawa, and later expanded the area to include Fukushima and Miyagi to the north.An earthquake shook the area drenched by the rainfall shortly before the typhoon made landfall in Shizuoka prefecture on Saturday evening. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 5.3 quake was centered in the ocean off the coast of Chiba, near Tokyo, and was fairly deep, at 59.5 kilometers (37 miles). Deep quakes tend to cause less damage than shallow ones.“Be ready for rainfall of the kind that you have never experienced,” said meteorological agency official Yasushi Kajihara, adding that areas usually safe from disasters may prove vulnerable.“Take all measures necessary to save your life,” he said.Kajihara said people who live near rivers should take shelter on the second floor or higher of any sturdy building if an officially designated evacuation center wasn’t easily accessible. He also expressed fears that disaster may have already struck in some areas.Hagibis, which means “speed” in Filipino, was advancing north-northwestward with maximum sustained winds of 144 kilometers (90 miles) per hour on Saturday evening, according to the meteorological agency. It was traveling toward Tokyo and northern Japan at a speed of 35 kph (22 mph).The storm brought heavy rainfall in wide areas of Japan all day ahead of its landfall, including in Shizuoka and Mie prefectures, southwest of Tokyo, as well as Chiba to the north, which saw power outages and damaged homes in a typhoon last month.Under gloomy skies, a tornado ripped through Chiba on Saturday, overturning a car in the city of Ichihara and killing a man inside the vehicle, city official Tatsuya Sakamaki said. Five people were injured when the tornado ripped through a house. Their injuries were not life-threatening, Sakamaki said.Public broadcaster NHK put the storm’s toll at one dead, four missing and 51 injured in 19 prefectures.The heavy rain caused rivers to swell, flipped anchored boats and whipped up sea waters in a dangerous surge along the coast, flooding some residential neighborhoods and leaving people to wade in ankle-deep waters and cars floating.In Shizuoka, one of two men who went missing in the Nishikawa River was rescued, Gotemba city official Fumihiko Katsumata said. Firefighters said the two men were working at a river canal to try to control overflowing when they were swept away.Yusuke Ikegaya, a Shizuoka resident who evacuated ahead of the storm, said he was surprised that the nearby river was about to overflow in the morning, hours before the typhoon made landfall.“In the 28 years of my life, this is the first time I’ve had to evacuate even before a typhoon has landed,” he said.Authorities also warned of mudslides, common in mountainous Japan.Shiroyama dam in Kanagawa prefecture, also southwest of Tokyo, and three other dams may release some of their waters, which were nearing limits, NHK reported. An overflooded dam is likely to cause greater damage, and so releasing some water gradually is a standard emergency measure.Rugby World Cup matches, concerts and other events in the area were canceled, while flights were grounded and train services halted. Authorities acted quickly, with warnings issued earlier in the week, including urging people to stay indoors.Some 17,000 police and military troops were called up, standing ready for rescue operations.Residents taped up their apartment windows to prevent them from shattering. TV talks shows showed footage of household items like a slipper bashing through glass when hurled by winds.Evacuation advisories were issued for risk areas, including Shimoda city, west of Tokyo. Dozens of evacuation centers were set up in coastal towns, and people rested on gymnasium floors, saying they hoped their homes were still there after the storm passed.The typhoon disrupted a three-day weekend in Japan that includes Sports Day on Monday. Qualifying for a Formula One auto race in Suzuka was pushed to Sunday. The Defense Ministry cut a three-day annual navy review to a single day on Monday.All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines grounded most domestic and international flights at the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya airports. Central Japan Railway Co. canceled bullet-train service between Tokyo and Osaka except for several early Saturday trains connecting Nagoya and Osaka. Tokyo Disneyland was closed, while Ginza department stores and smaller shops throughout Tokyo were shuttered.A typhoon that hit the Tokyo region in 1958 left more than 1,200 people dead and half a million houses flooded.ALSO READ | Super typhoon Hagibis to hit Japan today; flights, trains cancelledALSO READ | Japan braces for Super Typhoon Hagibis' landfall

Heavy rain, winds lash Tokyo as powerful typhoon Hagibis hits Japan

Store shelves were bare after people stocked up on water and food ahead of Typhoon Hagibis. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned of dangerously heavy rainfall in Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, including Gunma, Saitama and Kanagawa, and later expanded the area to include Fukushima and Miyagi to the north.

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President Donald Trump stands on the balcony outside of the Blue Room as returns to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, in Washington, after leaving Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, in Bethesda, Md. Trump announced he tested positive for COVID-19 on Oct. 2.  President Donald Trump, said to be making progress in his recovery from COVID-19, tweeted his eagerness to return to the campaign trail Tuesday even as the outbreak that has killed more than 210,000 Americans reached ever more widely into the upper echelons of the U.S. government.As Trump convalesced out of sight in the White House, the administration defended the protections it has put in place to protect the staff working there to treat and support him. Trump again publicly played down the virus on Twitter after his return from a three-day hospitalization, though even more aides tested positive, including one of his closest advisers, Stephen Miller.In one significant national coronavirus action, Trump declared there would be no action before the election on economic-stimulus legislation — an announcement that came not long after the Federal Reserve chairman said such help was essential for recovery with the nation reeling from the human and economic cost of the pandemic. Stocks fell on the White House news.As for Trump’s own recovery, his doctor, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, said in a letter that the president had a “restful” Monday night at the White House and “reports no symptoms.”Meanwhile, Trump was grappling with next political steps exactly four weeks from Election Day. Anxious to project strength, Trump, who is still contagious with the virus, tweeted Tuesday that he was planning to attend next week’s debate with Democrat Joe Biden in Miami and “It will be great!”Biden, for his part, said he and Trump “shouldn’t have a debate” as long as the president remains COVID positive.Biden told reporters in Pennsylvania that he was “looking forward to being able to debate him” but said “we’re going to have to follow very strict guidelines.”Elsewhere in the government, the scope of the outbreak was still being uncovered. On Tuesday, the nation’s top military leaders including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and the vice chairman, Gen. John Hyten, were in quarantine after exposure to Adm. Charles W. Ray, the vice commandant of the Coast Guard.It was not known how Ray contracted the virus, but he attended an event for military families at the White House on Sept. 27. The Coast Guard said in a statement that Ray felt mild symptoms over the weekend and was tested on Monday.Also testing positive Tuesday was Miller, a top policy adviser and Trump speechwriter, who has been an architect of the president’s restrictive immigration measures.” Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, who serves as communications director to Vice President Mike Pence, had the virus earlier this year. She had been in Salt Lake City with Pence where he is preparing to debate Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, but she left as soon as she found out about her husband’s diagnosis, officials said. She tested negative on Tuesday.Trump on Monday made clear that he has little intention of abiding by best containment practices when he removed his mask before entering the White House after his discharge from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Waiting aides were visible when he entered the Blue Room without a face covering.Trump’s attitude alarmed infectious disease experts. And it suggested his own illness had not caused him to rethink his often-cavalier attitude toward the disease, which has also infected the first lady and more than a dozen White House aides and associates. Republican Sen. Susan Collins said Tuesday, “When I saw him on the balcony of the White House, taking off his mask, I couldn’t help but think that he sent the wrong signal, given that he’s infected with COVID-19 and that there are many people in his immediate circle who have the virus,.”Trump, for his part, falsely suggested that the virus was akin to the seasonal flu.“Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu,” he tweeted. “Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”In fact, COVID-19 has already proven to be a more potent killer, particularly among older populations, than seasonal flu, and has shown indications of having long-term impacts on the health of younger people it infects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that influenza has resulted in far fewer yearly deaths than Trump said — between 12,000 and 61,000 annually since 2010.Trump was working out of makeshift office space on the ground floor of the White House residence, in close proximity to the White House Medical Unit’s office suite, with only a few aides granted a face-to-face audience. The West Wing was largely vacant, as a number of Trump’s aides were either sick or quarantining after exposure to people infected with the virus, or otherwise working remotely as a precaution.First lady Melania Trump was isolating upstairs in the White House. On Tuesday, her office released a memo outlining extensive health and safety precautions that have been put in place in the executive residence, including adopting hospital-grade disinfection policies, encouraging “maximum teleworking” and installing additional sanitization and filtration systems. Residence staff in direct contact with the first family are tested daily and support staff are tested every 48 hours. And since the president and Mrs. Trump tested positive, staff have been wearing ”full PPE.”Despite Trump’s upbeat talk about the disease, his own treatment has been far from typical, as his doctors rushed him onto experimental antiviral drugs and prescribed an aggressive course of steroids that would be unavailable to the average patient. On Tuesday he was to receive his final dose of the antiviral drug remdesivir. It was not known whether he was still being administered the powerful steroid dexamethasone, which was prescribed Saturday after he suffered a second drop in his blood oxygen levels in as many days.Dr. Conley said Monday that because of Trump’s unusual level of treatment so early after discovery of his illness he was in “uncharted territory,” adding that Trump would not be fully “out of the woods” for another week.The coronavirus can be unpredictable, and Conley has noted it can become more dangerous as the body responds. Days seven through ten can be “the most critical in determining the likely course of this illness,” he said over the weekend.There were also lingering questions about potential long-term effects to the president — and even when he first came down with the virus. Conley has repeatedly declined to share results of medical scans of Trump’s lungs, saying he was not at liberty to discuss the information because Trump did not waive doctor-patient confidentiality on the subject.

Trump reports ‘no symptoms,’ returns to downplaying coronavirus

President Donald Trump, said to be making progress in his recovery from COVID-19, tweeted his eagerness to return to the campaign trail Tuesday even as the outbreak that has killed more than 210,000 Americans reached ever more widely into the upper echelons of the U.S. government.

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Pilgrims walk around the Kabba at the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia announced Saturday this year’s hajj pilgrimage will be limited to no more than 60,000 people, all of them from within the kingdom, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.The announcement by the kingdom comes after it ran an incredibly pared-down pilgrimage last year over the virus, but still allowed a small number of the faithful to take part in the annual ceremony.A statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted the kingdom’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry making the announcement. It said this year’s hajj, which will begin in mid-July, will be limited to those ages 18 to 65. Those taking part must be vaccinated as well, the ministry said.“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is honored to host pilgrims every year, confirms that this arrangement comes out of its constant concern for the health, safety and security of pilgrims as well as the safety of their countries,” the statement said.In last year’s hajj, as few as 1,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia were selected to take part in the hajj. Two-thirds were foreign residents from among the 160 different nationalities that would have normally been represented at the hajj. One-third were Saudi security personnel and medical staff.Each year, up to 2 million Muslims perform the hajj, a physically demanding and often costly pilgrimage that draws the faithful from around the world. The hajj, required of all able-bodied Muslims to perform once in their lifetime, is seen as a chance to wipe clean past sins and bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims.The kingdom’s Al Saud ruling family stakes its legitimacy in this oil-rich nation on overseeing and protecting the hajj sites. Ensuring the hajj happens has been a priority for them.Disease outbreaks have always been a concern surrounding the hajj. Pilgrims fought off a malaria outbreak in 632, cholera in 1821 killed an estimated 20,000, and another cholera outbreak in 1865 killed 15,000 before spreading worldwide.More recently, Saudi Arabia faced danger from a different coronavirus, one that causes the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. The kingdom increased its public health measures during the hajj in 2012 and 2013, urging the sick and the elderly not to take part.In recent years, Saudi officials also instituted bans on pilgrims coming from countries affected by the Ebola virus.Saudi Arabia had closed its borders for months to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus. Since the start of the pandemic, the kingdom has reported over 462,000 cases of the virus with 7,500 deaths. It has administered some 15.4 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, according to the World Health Organization. The kingdom is home to over 30 million people.ALSO READ | Saudi Arabia eases travel ban for vaccinated citizensALSO READ | COVID-19: Saudi Arabia issues new guidelines for Umrah pilgrims

Saudi Arabia says hajj to be limited to 60,000 in kingdom

A statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted the kingdom’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry making the announcement. It said this year’s hajj, which will begin in mid-July, will be limited to those ages 18 to 65.

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UNSC allows Hafiz Saeed to withdraw money from his bank account for basic expensesMumbai attack mastermind and banned JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has been allowed by an anti-terror committee of the UN Security Council to withdraw money from his bank account for basic expenses on Pakistan's request.Saeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) is the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Taiba which is responsible for carrying out the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.He was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. According to UN provisions, all states are required to freeze the funds and other financial assets or economic resources of designated individuals. The resolution also provides for states to sanction basic expenses of the designated individuals if there is no-objection over it.The 1267 Committee, which deals with terror groups like the Islamic State, the al-Qaeda and associated individuals and organisations, said that it approved Pakistan's request after no objections were placed before it by the set deadline of August 15, 2019."The Chair has the honour to refer to his draft letter to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan communicating the Committee's decision with respect to the intention of the Pakistani authorities to authorise certain expenditures to the benefit of Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, Haji Muhammad Ashraf and Zafar Iqbal, to cover basic expenses as specified in the note verbale of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan pursuant to paragraph 81 (a) of resolution 2368 (2017)," said a note issued by the committee."The Chair wishes to inform the members that no objections were placed by the set deadline of 15 August 2019 for the consideration of the draft letter. Consequently, the letter is approved and the Chair will instruct the Secretariat to dispatch it," the note added.Saeed, a UN-designated terrorist whom the US has placed a USD 10 million bounty on, was arrested on July 17 this year in a terror-financing case in Pakistan. He is lodged at the Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail in high security.The US Department of the Treasury has designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, and the US, since 2012, has offered a USD 10 million reward for information that brings Saeed to justice. /* .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_4722919974 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_q0vvn21y_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_q0vvn21y_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Pak approaches UNSC to allow release of monthly expenses for terrorist Hafiz Saeed", "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_4722919974 = ''; jwsetup_4722919974(); function jwsetup_4722919974() { jwvidplayer_4722919974 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_4722919974").setup(jwconfig_4722919974); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_4722919974, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_q0vvn21y\", ns_st_pr=\"Pak approaches UNSC to allow release of monthly expenses for terrorist Hafiz Saeed\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Pak approaches UNSC to allow release of monthly expenses for terrorist Hafiz Saeed\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Pak approaches UNSC to allow release of monthly expenses for terrorist Hafiz Saeed\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2019-09-26\", ns_st_tdt=\"2019-09-26\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_q0vvn21y_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_4722919974.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_4722919974.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_4722919974.stop(); jwvidplayer_4722919974.remove(); jwvidplayer_4722919974 = ''; jwsetup_4722919974(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_4722919974.stop(); jwvidplayer_4722919974.remove(); jwvidplayer_4722919974 = ''; jwsetup_4722919974(); return; }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4722919974.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

UNSC allows Hafiz Saeed to withdraw money from his bank account for basic expenses after Pakistan's request

Mumbai attack mastermind and banned JuD chief Hafiz Saeed has been allowed by an anti-terror committee of the UN Security Council to withdraw money from his bank account for basic expenses on Pakistan's request.

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Prominent Indian-Americans among 1,100 officials, business leaders endorsing Biden-HarrisAs the race to the White House enters its final lap, over 1,100 prominent members of the Asian-American community, including Indian-American elected officials, artists, business and community leaders have endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris. The list of the Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) endorsing Biden for President and Harris for Vice President includes prominent Indian-Americans who are serving as elected officials as well as those from the fields of healthcare, business and arts.The 1,100 signatories represent AAPI leaders from all backgrounds and ethnicities across the country, and build on the previous list of 250 AAPI endorsers that was released in July 2020.“Never before has the AAPI community banded together with such unity and excitement in a presidential election,” said Democratic National Committee (DNC) AAPI Caucus Chair Bel Leong-Hong, who organised the list.“We are made up of almost 20 different ethnic groups, yet are united in our resounding support for Biden and Harris to lead our country and world out of the mess (President Donald) Trump has created.”Leong-Hong said the people in the list come from all walks of life with different languages, culture and heritage, “but we share the same hopes and dreams for a better future.”The list of more than 1,100 supporters includes prominent members of the Democratic Party, including the DNC and the AAPIs for Biden Coalition, which is made up of more than 14 affinity groups, including South Asians for Biden.Among the prominent Indian-origin endorsers are Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Ami Bera, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, Former Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia in US Department of State Nisha Desai Biswal, Chair of Maryland Democratic Party AAPI Leadership Council Devang Shah, Chair of Democratic Asian Americans of Virginia (DAAV) Praveen Meyyan, Assemblymember Ash Kalra of California State Assembly.Candidate for US House of Representatives Sri Kulkarni, Former CEO of Democratic National Committee Seema Nanda, Chair of Howard County, Maryland Democratic Party AAPI Caucus Dhaval Shah, Vice-Chair of Fairfax County, Virginia Democratic Committee Manisha Singh, Chair of Monmouth County, New Jersey Democrats South Asian Caucus Ritesh Shah are also in the list.It also includes former Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor in the Office of the US Surgeon General Parag Mehta and community leaders India Heritage Group Founder Parag Parikh, President of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin Jay Bhandari and Co-founder and Board Chair, Desis for Progress Nisha Ramachandran.Meanwhile, the Biden campaign on Saturday released a star-studded video of prominent AAPI personalities voicing their support for Biden and Harris, urging Americans to vote for “everything that matters.”The 60-second video features Indian-American television host and author Padma Lakshmi, who urges people to “vote for our children" and actor and producer Mindy Kaling, who says “it’s going to take all of us.”The celebrities join Harris in saying: “When we vote, things change. When we vote, we win.”The video features actor Aasif Mandvi, actors Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, George Takei, Kumail Nanjiani and Lucy Liu among others.“We may have our feet in two cultures but America is our home,” the video says.Dennis Cheng, a senior advisor for the Biden campaign, was quoted by The New York Times as saying, “We’re extremely proud of our micro-targeted messaging and individualised outreach to the AAPI community, so that we not only feel represented in the campaign but also empowered and inspired to be a part of it.

Prominent Indian-Americans among 1,100 officials, business leaders endorsing Biden-Harris

Over 1,100 prominent members of the Asian-American community, including Indian-American elected officials, artists, business and community leaders have endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris ahead of the US elections.

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Dubai's busy airport sees passenger traffic drop 40% in 2021.Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest airport for international travel, handled some 40% less passenger traffic in the first half of 2021, compared to the same period last year, its chief executive said Wednesday.The decline came as more contagious coronavirus variants cut off the hub's biggest source markets and continued to clobber the global aviation industry.However, CEO Paul Griffiths remains optimistic for the crucial east-west transit point as authorities gradually re-open Dubai's key routes to the Indian subcontinent and Britain.The 10.6 million passengers that passed through the airport over the past six months “is still very positive," Griffiths told The Associated Press.“I think coupled with the restrictions easing that we're now seeing, (it) will bode very well for a satisfactory end to the year.”The airport, which saw 86.4 million people squeeze through before the pandemic hit in 2019, has held the title of the world's busiest since it beat out London's Heathrow seven years ago. It even kept the crown as the virus turned the world's biggest airports into massive voids. But the once-teeming terminals still have a long way to go before seeing pre-pandemic passenger levels.The hopes stoked by the United Arab Emirates' speedy vaccination campaign took a hit as the delta variant emerged, prompting familiar border closures and capacity cuts, and hurting the mammoth airport, hub of long-haul carrier Emirates. Dubai World Central, the Gulf city's second airport that went out of use for commercial flights during the pandemic, appears to be a parking lot for Emirates' iconic fleet of double-decker Airbus A380s.Although the UAE recently lifted an entry ban on India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, which are home to most of the vast foreign workforce in the federation, stringent vaccination requirements still bar many from boarding flights to the country.“All of those South Asian markets are incredibly important to Dubai, they're a very important transit opportunity, of course, as people go to all parts of northern Europe," said Griffiths.“It's very important we get those traffic flows back.”There are reasons to expect a rebound, Griffiths added. One of the airport's two main terminals, mothballed amid the pandemic, returned to use last month to prepare for an influx of holiday-makers escaping wintry weather and attending the World Expo in October.And after months of frustration and confusion, the UK last week removed the UAE from its “red list” that ordered all travelers to quarantine for 10 days in costly, government-approved hotels. The upgrade to “amber” elicited a strong sigh of relief throughout the federation of seven sheikhdoms, home to some 120,000 British expats.London was ranked as the top destination city for Dubai's airport in 2020, with 1.15 million customers.Griffiths declined to put a number on the financial hit, but said the “loss of traffic (to the UK) has had a very, very significant impact on the economy of both countries.” So thrilled was Emirates about the flight resumption that the airline plopped a woman on the pinnacle of the tallest tower on the planet, Burj Khalifa, and filmed her raising placards that implored Brits to fly Emirates.The stakes are indeed high for Dubai, where the economy thrives not on oil, like in other Gulf Arab sheikhdoms, but on travel and tourism. Emirates remains the linchpin of the wider empire known as “Dubai Inc.,” an interlocking series of businesses owned by the city-state.There are signs of looming uncertainty, with the airport yet to hire back any of the 5,000 employees it furloughed during the devastation of the pandemic last year. But when asked whether Dubai Airport would hold onto its title- one of many prized superlatives in the extravagant emirate home to the world's tallest building and biggest mall- Griffiths didn't miss a beat.“I have no doubt in my mind,” he said. “We're gearing up to expect a huge surge in volume. /* .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_9941954382 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/04/0_a07d64vd/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_a07d64vd_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "IAF airlifts nine cryogenic oxygen containers from Dubai, Singapore", "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": "34", "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_9941954382 = ''; jwsetup_9941954382(); function jwsetup_9941954382() { jwvidplayer_9941954382 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_9941954382").setup(jwconfig_9941954382); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_9941954382, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_a07d64vd\", ns_st_pr=\"IAF airlifts nine cryogenic oxygen containers from Dubai, Singapore\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"IAF airlifts nine cryogenic oxygen containers from Dubai, Singapore\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"IAF airlifts nine cryogenic oxygen containers from Dubai, Singapore\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-04-28\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-04-28\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/04/0_a07d64vd/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_9941954382.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_9941954382.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_9941954382.stop(); jwvidplayer_9941954382.remove(); jwvidplayer_9941954382 = ''; jwsetup_9941954382(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_9941954382.stop(); jwvidplayer_9941954382.remove(); jwvidplayer_9941954382 = ''; jwsetup_9941954382(); return; }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9941954382.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Dubai's busy airport sees passenger traffic drop 40% in 2021

The decline came as more contagious coronavirus variants cut off the hub's biggest source markets and continued to clobber the global aviation industry.