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US President Donald Trump vows to pursue citizenship census questionThe Donald Trump administration will continue to pursue a way of adding a citizenship question to the census, lawyers said in court filings. But administration lawyers failed to provide any legal justification for the census question by a court deadline, the BBC reported.Related Stories US lawmakers seek information from Trump administration on sale of satellites to Chinese firmsTrump administration to continue Huawei 5G marketing banDalai Lama is 'deeply sorry' for woman successor 'should be attractive' remarkThe Supreme Court rejected the initial rationale for adding the question to the 2020 census as "contrived".The question is a controversial because critics believe it will discourage immigrants from taking part.They say that lower participation by immigrants could lead to an undercount of populations in Democratic districts, benefiting President Donald Trump's Republican Party and altering how congressional seats are allocated and billions of dollars of federal funds distributed in those districts.The Trump administration said it wanted to ask about citizenship to better enforce a law that protects the voting rights of minorities, but the Supreme Court dismissed that justification.It appeared settled when government lawyers indicated they had dropped the question, and officials began printing the census without it.That reportedly infuriated President Trump, who announced that his administration would pursue the issue.But a deadline of 14:00 (18:00 GMT) on Friday set by a Maryland district judge came and went, with no clear indication from the administration on how they planned to add the citizenship question.Government lawyers said only that the justice and commerce departments had been "instructed to examine whether there is a path forward".President Trump said on Friday an executive order was among the options he was considering to force the question on to the census."We have four or five ways we can do it," Trump told reporters, suggesting the administration could "maybe do an addendum" after getting a positive decision.But legal experts say executive orders could not override Supreme Court decisions.US media reported that the administration was considering using separate federal records to try to gather information about undocumented immigrants.Also Read | 2020 census won't have citizenship question: Trump administrationWatch | US President Donald Trump steps into North Korean territory /* .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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US President Donald Trump vows to pursue citizenship census question

The Donald Trump administration will continue to pursue a way of adding a citizenship question to the census, lawyers said in court filings. But administration lawyers failed to provide any legal justification for the census question by a court deadline, the BBC reported.

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Between 6,000-6,500 Pakistani terrorists in Afghanistan: UN reportAn estimated 6,000-6,500 Pakistani terrorists are in neighbouring Afghanistan, most of them with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, posing a threat to both the countries, a UN report has said. The 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities said that the terror group al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) operates under the Taliban umbrella from Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan.“The group reportedly has between 150 and 200 members from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan. The current leader of AQIS is Osama Mahmood…, who succeeded the late Asim Umar. “AQIS is reportedly planning retaliation operations in the region to avenge the death of its former leader,” it said.The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a “large terrorist group present in Afghanistan”, has claimed responsibility for various high-profile attacks in Pakistan and has facilitated others by Jamaat-ul-Ahrar and Lahskhar-e-Islam, the report said.It said that many former TTP militants have joined Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant - Khorasan (ISIL-K) and member states expect that the group and its various splinter groups will align themselves with ISIL-K.“The total number of Pakistani foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, posing a threat to both countries, is estimated at between 6,000 and 6,500, most of them with TTP,” it said, adding that a number of other terrorist groups are active in Afghanistan, most operating under the umbrella of the Taliban but some aligned with ISIL-K. According to the member states, al-Qaida is covertly active in 12 Afghan provinces and its leader Aiman al-Zawahiri remains based in the country.The monitoring team estimates the total number of al-Qaida fighters in Afghanistan at between 400 and 600. “The leadership maintains a close contact with the Haqqani Network. In February 2020, al-Zawahiri met with Yahya Haqqani, the primary Haqqani Network contact with al-Qaida since mid-2009, to discuss the ongoing cooperation,” it said.The monitoring team also estimates the current ISIL-K membership in Afghanistan at 2,200. The leader is sheikh Matiullah Kamahwal, previously the head of ISIL-K in Kunar. The leadership also includes Syrian national Abu Said Mohammad al-Khorasani and sheikh Abdul Tahir. The team was informed that two senior ISIL commanders, Abu Qutaibah and Abu Hajar al-Iraqi, have arrived in Afghanistan from the Middle East.The report said that ISIL-K continues to suffer losses in Kunar province, to where it moved from Nangarhar at the end of 2019. In April and May, the Afghan special forces conducted a series of countrywide operations that led to the arrest of the group’s leaders, including Aslam Farooqi (also known as Abdullah Orokzai), the head of ISIL-K, his predecessor Zia ul-Haq (also known as Abu Omar Khorasani) and other senior members.According to some member states, ISIL-K is seeking to pursue “a global agenda” by implementing the ISIL core’s leadership approach, which considers Afghan territory a base for spreading terrorist influence across the wider region. “Although in territorial retreat, ISIL-K remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks in various parts of the country, including Kabul,” the report said, adding that the group also aims to attract Taliban fighters who oppose the agreement with the US.In case of further military pressure on ISIL-K in Kunar, the group is expected to retreat to Badakhshan and other northern provinces, it said. The monitoring team was informed that ISIL-K also works with networks of supporters in the Maldives.On April, 15 2020, five government speedboats were damaged in an arson attack at Mahibadhoo Harbour on Ariatholhu Dhekunuburi, which ISIL claimed as its first attack in the Maldives. According to the member state information, the attack was a retaliation against the government investigations into extremism and drug trafficking.“The attack was covered extensively in ISIL media networks in South Asia, with the al-Naba claim of responsibility also translated into Dhivehi. Member states remain concerned about the radicalisation and recruitment in the Maldives,” the report added. 

Between 6,000-6,500 Pakistani terrorists in Afghanistan: UN report

An estimated 6,000-6,500 Pakistani terrorists are in neighbouring Afghanistan, most of them with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, posing a threat to both the countries, a UN report has said

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U.S. President Donald Trump promised to end “war games” with South Korea, calling them provocative, after meeting North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12, 2018. His announcement appeared to catch both South Korea and the Pentagon by surprise. President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend major U.S. military exercises in South Korea could weaken allied defences, depending on the length and scope of the hiatus. But the potential for diplomatic damage seems even greater.The United States, South Korea and Japan were making a public display of solidarity Thursday over the outcome of Trump’s summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. But analysts and former officials with experience in U.S.-Asia policy were shaken by Trump’s failure to inform the Asian allies — or even the Pentagon — before mothballing the military manoeuvres.Related Stories Seoul: N. Korea to release detained South Korean studentChina urges to restart Six Party TalksChina's military build-up in South China Sea designed to intimidate neighbours: US Defence Secy Mattis US offers 'unique' security guarantees to North Korea if it accepts complete denuclearisation “Those exercises are critically important because they are deterrence,” said Chuck Hagel, a former defence secretary in the Obama administration. He welcomed Trump’s willingness to talk to Kim but worried that the president has underestimated the complications he has introduced for the Pentagon by suspending the military drills.“You don’t just shut them on and off like a water faucet,” he said.The exercises in question go well beyond routine training, which apparently is unaffected by Trump’s decision. Large-scale exercises are done to ensure that evolving tactics, procedures and plans can be carried out smoothly and that U.S. and South Korean forces are in sync. They also are a means of showing allied solidarity, which is part of the psychology of deterring enemy attack.The U.S. has stationed combat troops in South Korea since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice and no peace treaty. The more than 28,000 U.S. forces serve as a military tripwire against North Korean aggression. The next major exercise with South Korea is known as Ulchi Freedom Guardian; last year’s version was held for 11 days in August and involved about 17,500 U.S. troops.The U.S. has insisted these kinds of drills are defensive measures to demonstrate U.S. and South Korean preparedness to respond promptly to any aggression by the North. But when Trump announced his decision to halt them, he characterized them as “provocative” and as “war games.”“Those are literally the North Korean and Chinese talking points,” said Christine Wormuth, the Pentagon’s top policy official from 2014 to 2016.In further explaining his reasons for suspending major exercises, Trump said they “cost a fortune,” though even the Pentagon, which foots the bill for U.S. participation in all such manoeuvres, has been unable to say what they cost.Defence Secretary Jim Mattis’ office on Wednesday sent out a request to military commands for cost estimates for the main military exercises held on and around the Korean Peninsula, according to officials who spoke about the request on condition of anonymity to discuss internal communications. In the past, some estimates for smaller exercises have been about $2 million, while some larger ones have cost $15 million or more - all relatively minor expenses for a department with a budget now exceeding $700 billion.On Thursday, the Pentagon issued a brief statement saying Mattis had discussed the summit outcome with his South Korean counterpart, including they can work together to “fulfill the president’s guidance” on military exercises.Michael Green, who was Asia director on the National Security Council staff during the George W. Bush administration, said the likely damage from suspending drills is multiplied by Trump’s failure to inform South Korean and Japanese officials in advance and his focus on cost-savings. This was then compounded, in Green’s view, by Trump’s dubious assertion on Twitter that North Korea no longer poses a nuclear threat.“The No. 1 problem with this, geopolitically, is that it suggests to our allies that we are just incompetent, that we don’t recognize the threat,” Green said. Harry Harris, the retired Navy admiral and former commander of U.S. forces throughout the Pacific, said Thursday he believes the North’s nuclear weapons still pose a threat, but he endorsed Trump’s decision to suspend U.S. military exercises.“We should give major exercises a pause to see if Kim Jong Un is serious about his part of the negotiations,” Harris said at a Senate hearing to consider his nomination to be U.S. ambassador in Seoul. Harris said the suspension of drills provides “breathing space” for progress in negotiating North Korea’s nuclear disarmament.Without mentioning that South Korea and Japan were not consulted before Trump suspended drills, Harris said such decisions should not be taken unilaterally.Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the suspension of drills a mistake, a bad negotiating tactic and a move that undermines U.S. security.“We must not impose upon ourselves the burden of providing so-called ‘good faith’ concessions as the price for continued dialogue,” the Arizona Republican said in a statement.Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, briefed his South Korean, Japanese and Chinese counterparts on the Singapore summit. At a news conference in Seoul, Pompeo said “staying closely aligned with our allies ... will be critical” to success with North Korean denuclearization, but he had nothing to say about the suspension of military drills.The White House has said that the manoeuvres were suspended “in a show of good faith,” for as long as productive negotiations with the North continue, and that “regular readiness training and training exchanges” will continue. The Pentagon, however, has remained silent on what Trump meant and hasn’t confirmed it will cancel or postpone the Ulchi Freedom Guardian exercise.When Ulchi Freedom Guardian was announced last year, the U.S. military called it a “computer-simulated defensive exercise designed to enhance readiness.” Also participating were troops from nations that contributed forces during the 1950-53 Korean War, including Australia, Britain, Canada and Colombia.In Wormuth’s view, Trump’s stated concern about the cost of such exercises, combined with his talk of eventually bringing all U.S. troops home from South Korea, is likely to create doubt in Seoul and Tokyo about American steadfastness.“This is going to further erode people’s confidence in our staying power,” she said.

Trump’s halt of ‘war games’ could weaken defences in Korea

The United States, South Korea and Japan were making a public display of solidarity Thursday over the outcome of Trump’s summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un.

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Workers recovered 55 bodies on Thursday to bring the death toll to 60 so far, as per official Nigerian authorities confirmed that at least 60 people have died in a boat accident on the Niger River and that 83 missing passengers are also feared dead. The boat with more than 160 passengers, including many children and women, sank after hitting an object and breaking up Wednesday while traveling along Nigeria’s largest river in Kebbi state, in the northwestern part of the country.Emergency workers continued recovery efforts Friday. Bodies were carried from the team’s boat near the river bank to a waiting ambulance. Workers recovered 55 bodies on Thursday to bring the death toll to 60 so far, according to Sani Dododo, chairman of the Kebbi State Emergency Management Agency.“We hope to recover more bodies Friday,” he said, adding that he fears the 83 passengers still missing might not be found alive. Twenty-two passengers were rescued shortly after the accident, but no other person has been rescued alive since then. Among the dead was a baby less than one year old.Recovery efforts are slow because the river is currently high and moving swiftly, making conditions dangerous for the divers and workers in boats, Dododo said. It was unclear what caused the boat to break up as it was traveling from Nigeria’s Niger state to the town of Wara in Kebbi state.Boat accidents are common in Nigeria, especially on the Niger River, with causes including overloading, the bad state of many boats, and debris underwater that the vessels often hit.

Boat accident on Nigerian river kills 60, more feared dead

The boat with more than 160 passengers, including many children and women, sank after hitting an object and breaking up Wednesday while traveling along Nigeria’s largest river in Kebbi state, in the northwestern part of the country

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US body on religious freedom condemns lynching of Muslim man in JharkhandThe US Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on Wednesday strongly condemned the lynching of a Muslim man in Jharkhand and called on the government to take concrete actions to prevent this kind of violence and intimidation.Tabrez Ansari, 24, was allegedly tied to a pole and thrashed with sticks by a mob at Dhatkidih village in Jharkhand's Seraikela Kharsawan district last Wednesday on the suspicion of theft. The newly-married man was purportedly seen in a video being forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hanuman". He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.Related Stories Jharkhand lynching: Tabrez's father was also killed by mob 15 years agoPM Modi breaks silence on Jharkhand mob attack: Pained, but wrong to call entire state a lynching hub Jharkhand lynching: Tabrez Ansari was given poisonous water, claims relative"We condemn in the strongest terms this brutal murder, in which the perpetrators reportedly forced Ansari to say Hindu chants as they beat him for hours," USCIRF chairman Tony Perkins said."We call on the Indian government to take concrete actions that will prevent this kind of violence and intimidation by a thorough investigation of Ansari's murder as well as the local police's handling of the case,” he said, adding, "Lack of accountability will only encourage those who believe they can target religious minorities with impunity." In its recent annual report, the USCIRF again placed India on its Tier 2 for engaging in or tolerating religious freedom violations that meet at least one of the elements of the "systematic, ongoing, egregious" standard used to designate "countries of particular concern", or CPCs, under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA).The report details numerous concerns in Jharkhand, including its anti-conversion law and mob violence against religious minorities. In 2018, USCIRF released a special report on limitations on religious minorities in South Asia, including in India. Watch Video: Muslim man succumbs to injuries days after he was assaulted for ‘theft’ in Jharkhand /* .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_4279654948 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_5f3hi721_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_5f3hi721_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Muslim man succumbs to injuries days after he was assaulted for ‘theft’ in Jharkhand", "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_4279654948 = ''; jwsetup_4279654948(); function jwsetup_4279654948() { jwvidplayer_4279654948 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_4279654948").setup(jwconfig_4279654948); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_4279654948, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_5f3hi721\", ns_st_pr=\"Muslim man succumbs to injuries days after he was assaulted for ‘theft’ in Jharkhand\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Muslim man succumbs to injuries days after he was assaulted for ‘theft’ in Jharkhand\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Muslim man succumbs to injuries days after he was assaulted for ‘theft’ in Jharkhand\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2019-06-24\", ns_st_tdt=\"2019-06-24\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_5f3hi721_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_4279654948.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_4279654948.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_4279654948.stop(); jwvidplayer_4279654948.remove(); jwvidplayer_4279654948 = ''; jwsetup_4279654948(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_4279654948.stop(); jwvidplayer_4279654948.remove(); jwvidplayer_4279654948 = ''; jwsetup_4279654948(); return; }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4279654948.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

US body on religious freedom condemns lynching of Muslim man in Jharkhand

Tabrez Ansari, 24, was allegedly tied to a pole and thrashed with sticks by a mob at Dhatkidih village in Jharkhand's Seraikela Kharsawan district last Wednesday on the suspicion of theft. The newly-married man was purportedly seen in a video being forced to chant "Jai Shri Ram" and "Jai Hanuman". He succumbed to his injuries on Saturday.

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BCG vaccine safe, does not lead to increased risk of COVID-19 symptoms, scientists sayScientists have compared volunteers who had received the BCG vaccine -- originally made against tuberculosis -- with those who did not, and have found that the immunised individuals "did not get sick more often, or become more seriously ill" during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The study, published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine, evaluated a group of healthy volunteers who received the BCG vaccine in the five years before the ongoing pandemic, and compared their immune system function to that of healthy volunteers who were not administered the shots.According to the scientists, including those from Radboud University in the Netherlands, the Bacille Calmette-Guerin or BCG vaccine was originally intended to treat tuberculosis, but was later proven to provide a long-lasting, general boost to the immune system.The current study determined if there was an effect of this vaccine on the symptoms attributable to infection with the novel coronavirus.It showed that those who received the vaccine did not have more symptoms, did not get sick more often, or become more seriously ill, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands."What the comparison between the groups shows is that at least those who received the vaccine did not get sick more often or become more seriously ill. It therefore does not hurt to vaccinate people with BCG," the scientists noted in a statement.The researchers noted that the country reported a lower number of sick people in the period March-May 2020 among the BCG-vaccinated group, with lower incidence of extreme fatigue among the vaccinated individuals.However, they also cautioned that the study had limitations which prevent conclusions from being drawn regarding the benefit of the BCG vaccine against COVID-19."It is very important to confirm that someone who has been vaccinated with BCG does not experience any increased symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although we see less sickness in the people who have had the BCG vaccination, only the ongoing prospective BCG vaccination studies can determine whether this vaccination can help against COVID-19", said study co-author Mihai Netea from Radbound University.The scientists believe clinical randomised trials evaluating the BCG vaccine's effects against COVID-19 -- currently underway in several parts of the world -- can answer this question.

BCG vaccine safe, does not lead to increased risk of COVID-19 symptoms, scientists say

The current study determined if there was an effect of this vaccine on the symptoms attributable to infection with the novel coronavirus.

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Wuhan hospitals clear all COVID-19 casesThe number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province where the coronavirus pandemic originated last December, has dropped to zero, a health official said on Sunday. The result was achieved with the hard efforts of medical workers in Wuhan and those who were dispatched to assist the city in the fight against the virus from across the country, said Mi Feng, a spokesperson for China's National Health Commission, at a press conference in Beijing.he last patient in serious condition in Wuhan was cured Friday, reducing the number of such patients in the city to zero, reports Xinhua news agency.In Hubei province, the number of existing COVID-19 cases has dropped below 50 for the first time.No new confirmed cases of the disease have been reported for over 20 days in the province.Also on Sunday, the National Health Commission reported that there were 12 active COVID-19 cases in the city of Wuhan.Health authorities said that, until Sunday midnight, 11 people had been discharged after overcoming the infection in Wuhan, making the total number of "active" infections both in the city and throughout Hubei 12, reports Efe news.China reported 11 new cases in the last 24 hours, five of which were imported.Of the remaining six cases, "local" infections, five were diagnosed in the province of Heilongjiang, where an outbreak of travellers from Russia has been detected in recent days, forcing a border closure.The other was in the province of Guangzhou.It is also the 11th consecutive day in which no fatalities were registered, so the total number of deaths remains at 4,632, among the 82,827 officially diagnosed cases in China since the start of the pandemic.

Wuhan hospitals clear all COVID-19 cases

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province where the coronavirus pandemic originated last December, has dropped to zero, a health official said on Sunday.

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An official says a visiting Myanmar minister has told Bangladesh's president that Myanmar is ready to take back Rohingya Muslims who fled violence there.Presidential spokesman Joynal Abedin said Friday that Myanmars Home Minister Kyaw Swe told President Abdul Hamid in Dhaka that Myanmar was ready to take back Rohingya under a deal signed by the countries late last year.Abedin also quoted the minister as saying that Myanmar will implement the recommendations by a commission led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.Kyaw Swe is scheduled to meet his Bangladeshi counterpart Friday to discuss further.Some 700,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since late August when Myanmars military launched a security crackdown thats been widely criticized as amounting to ethnic cleansing.

Bangladesh: Myanmar says its ready to take back Rohingya Muslims

Some 700,000 Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since late August when Myanmars military launched a security crackdown thats been widely criticized as amounting to ethnic cleansing.

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UK set to move to second phase in fighting coronavirusThe British government is set to move to "delay" phase, the second in Britain's four-step move, in responding to the coronavirus by closing schools, cancelling major sporting events and making people work from home, British media reported.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to chair an emergency Cobra committee meeting on Thursday, at which he is expected to declare that Britain will switch from trying to contain COVID-19 to delay its spread, Xinhua reported citing the British media.The reports came after a total of eight people died in the UK from the disease, while two Britons were dead abroad.Two persons died in the UK diagnosed with the virus on Wednesday, the day when the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic.Nadine Dorries, who played a role in drawing up legislation to tackle the coronavirus, fell ill on Friday last week and has had coronavirus diagnosed on Tuesday evening after she met hundreds of people in parliament in the past week.Over the weekend the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus jumped first to 209 on Saturday and then to 273 on Sunday, suggesting the virus is now widely circulating within the UK.The four-step strategy includes efforts to contain, delay, research and mitigate in the government's response to the spreading coronavirus.This initial phase, contain, was designed to rapidly identify anyone who had the virus and to quickly get them to a specialist infectious disease unit where they would be quarantined to prevent the virus from spreading.If the virus runs unchecked it could infect tens of thousands of people, a significant minority of whom could become severely ill at the same time and overwhelm the British National Health System (NHS), which does not have enough critical care beds for everyone who may need them.So the delay strategy is designed to soften that peak and push it into the spring and summer months when the disease may also be less able to spread in the warmer weather.It's at this stage when the government will consider measures such as closing schools, postponing or cancelling large gatherings like football matches and concerts and encouraging people to work from home.This is what officials call "social distancing." People are to be told to limit their interactions with each other, stay at home more, reconsider visits to elderly relatives, and so on. All to stop the virus spreading.The third crucial phase, research, has in many ways already started and will run concurrently alongside others is the research aspect of the outbreak.This final phase of the government's strategy to mitigate the virus will be effectively triggered once the disease is widespread and unable to be stopped or even slowed.At that stage and faced with huge numbers of the population, as much as 80 percent, infected, the emphasis will shift to saving as many lives as possible and maintaining public order and the continuation of public services.At this stage the NHS, local councils, police, fire brigades and so on will activate what are called their business continuity plans.Hospitals will cancel operations and in extreme cases doctors will be forced to ration care to those most likely to benefit. Police may not respond to some crimes and the British Army could be brought onto the streets.British Health secretary Matt Hancock has been clear that decisions will be made based on the scientific advice the government is given with the aim being to minimize the societal and economic disruption, subject to keeping people safe. ALSO READ | Corporate debt loads a rising risk as coronavirus hits economy

UK set to move to second phase in fighting coronavirus

The British government is set to move to "delay" phase, the second in Britain's four-step move, in responding to the coronavirus by closing schools, cancelling major sporting events and making people work from home, British media reported.

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President Donald Trump assailed North Korea as a “problem and menace” Saturday as he met with Asian allies on the sidelines of an international summit to build consensus on next steps after the North’s recent test-launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile.“Something has to be done about it,” Trump said as he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. In a separate meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said the two were tackling “the problem and menace of North Korea.”Abe, speaking through a translator, noted that the security situation in the Asia Pacific region has become “increasingly severe” due to North Korea’s push to develop its ballistic missile and nuclear program. Abe said he wanted to “demonstrate the robust partnership as well as the bonds” between Japan and the U.S. on the issue.North Korea’s successful test launch of an ICBM was a major milestone in its long-term effort to build a missile that could carry a nuclear warhead to attack the United States.The extensive slate of meetings with Abe, Xi, British Prime Minister Theresa May and others came on the final day of the annual Group of 20 summit, which has been marked by violent demonstrations by anti-globalization activists.North Korea has been a major topic of discussion, and the White House said earlier that the U.S., South Korea and Japan were pressing for additional measures against North Korea to demonstrate the “serious consequences” for its latest provocations.The three nations have been calling for “early adoption” of a new U.N. Security Council resolution and additional sanctions to demonstrate to Pyongyang the consequences of its actions.Bringing China on board is a key part of the plan. The White House has tried to pressure Beijing to rein in the North, a major trading partner, to halt Kim Jong Un’s development of nuclear weapons before they have the ability to threaten the U.S. homeland.The administration wants China to fully enforce international sanctions intended to starve Pyongyang of revenue for its nuclear and missile programs. But Trump has been frustrated by the amount of progress.Earlier in the week, he vented on Twitter that trade between China and North Korea had grown nearly 40 percent at the start of 2017. “So much for China working with us - but we had to give it a try!”Trump officials said later that the president hadn’t given up on the relationship.Trade was also a key part of the discussions. The Trump administration is investigating the possibility of putting new barriers on steel imports based on national security considerations, a move that could target China, which has flooded international markets with cheap steel exports.Meeting with May, the British leader, Trump pointed to their “special relationship,” and said the two countries were working on a trade agreement.May was the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House and he told her he would soon “be going to London” once details were worked out. Independent trade negotiations between the two countries are a possibility as Britain exits the European Union — a move Trump has supported.Earlier, Trump said Saturday he had a “tremendous meeting” with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, his first comments on the high-profile talks with the Russian leader. Trump raised the issue of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections and discussed plans for a cease-fire agreement in Syria.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump and Putin had a “robust and lengthy” discussion about Russian election interference but Putin denied any involvement. His Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, said Trump had accepted Putin’s assurances that Russia didn’t meddle in the U.S. election — a characterization that the U.S. disputed.“I think the president is rightly focused on how do we move forward from something that may be an intractable disagreement at this point,” said Tillerson, who took part in the meeting along with Lavrov.Russian officials sought to address the conflicting accounts. Asked about the discrepancies on Saturday, Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov joked, “Trust Lavrov. I don’t work for Tillerson.”Trump also joined a women’s entrepreneurial finance event, a project spearheaded by his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump.Ivanka Trump and the World Bank rolled out a new fund that aims to help female entrepreners access capital, financing and other support. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said the Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative fund had so far raised $325 million from various governments.Trump lauded his daughter’s efforts to help female entrepreneurs, joking that “if she weren’t my daughter, it would be so much easier for her.”Trump planned to return to Washington on Saturday evening after the conclusion of the annual G-20 meetings. He won’t be stateside for long: The president is scheduled to return to Europe next week to attend Bastille Day celebrations in Paris.

Donald Trump labels North Korea a ‘problem and menace’ at G20 Summit

In a separate meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said the two were tackling “the problem and menace of North Korea.”

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Gates Foundation to felicitate PM Modi with global awardThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be awarding the Global Gatekeepers Award to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership in India's achievement sanitation, the organisation has announced."Modi is receiving an award at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the progress India is making in improving sanitation, as part of its drive toward achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals," the Foundation said in a statement to IANS on Wednesday."Sanitation is a key factor in improving the health and well-being of millions of people, especially women and children," it added.Modi is being recognised by the foundation in New York on September 24 for the Swachh Bharat Mission of which the constructions of toilets is a key element.Also Read | PM Modi, Trump to meet twice in US next week

Gates Foundation to felicitate PM Modi with global award

"Modi is receiving an award at the Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the progress India is making in improving sanitation, as part of its drive toward achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals," the Foundation said in a statement to IANS on Wednesday.

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The tip, the raid, the reveal: The takedown of al-BaghdadiThe helicopters flew low and fast into the night, ferrying U.S. special forces to a compound where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was hiding in Syria. Half a world away, President Donald Trump watched the raid in real time via a video link as troops blasted into the hideout and sent the most-wanted militant running the last steps of his life.The daring raid was the culmination of years of steady intelligence-gathering work — and 48 hours of hurry-up planning once Washington got word that al-Baghdadi would be at a compound in northwestern Syria.The night unfolded with methodical precision and unexpected turns. This reconstruction is based on the first-blush accounts of Trump and other administration officials eager to share the details of how the U.S. snared its top target, as well observations from startled villagers who had no idea al-Baghdadi was in their midst.Image Source : APBy Saturday morning, the administration at last had “actionable intelligence” it could exploit.By Saturday morning, the administration at last had “actionable intelligence” it could exploit.Events developed quickly once the White House learned on Thursday there was “a high probability” that al-Baghdadi would be at an Idlib province compound.By Friday, Trump had military options on his desk.By Saturday morning, the administration at last had “actionable intelligence” it could exploit.There was no hint of that interior drama as Trump headed to Camp David on Friday night to celebrate the 10th wedding anniversary of daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner. Then he was off to Virginia on a brisk fall Saturday for a round at one of his golf courses.He teed off with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, in town for the World Series, and Sens. Lindsey Graham and David Perdue.Trump got back to the White House at 4:18 p.m. By 5 p.m., he was in a suit in the Situation Room in the basement of the West Wing to monitor the raid. They named it after Kayla Mueller, an American humanitarian worker abused and killed by al-Baghdadi.The rest of Washington had its focus on Game 4 of the World Series about to get underway a few miles away at Nationals Park.Image Source : APThe tip, the raid, the reveal: The takedown of al-BaghdadiThe tip, the raid, the reveal: The takedown of al-BaghdadiMoments after the White House team had gathered, U.S. aircraft, mostly twin-rotor CH-47 helicopters, took off from Al-Asad air base in western Iraq.Within hours, al-Baghdadi was dead.The first inkling that something was afoot came when villagers saw helicopters swooping low on the horizon.“We went out in the balcony to see and they started shooting, with automatic rifles. So we went inside and hid,” said an unidentified villager. Next came a large explosion — Trump said soldiers blasted a hole in the side of a building because they feared the entrance might have been booby-trapped. Al-Baghdadi fled into a network of underground bunkers and tunnels that snaked through the compound.The stout, bearded militant leader wore a suicide vest and dragged along three children as he fled from the American troops.Trump, happy to play up the drama, said that as U.S. troops and their dogs closed in, the militant went “whimpering and crying and screaming all the way” to his death.“He reached the end of the tunnel, as our dogs chased him down,” Trump said. “He ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children.”Al-Baghdadi’s body was mutilated in the blast, and the tunnel caved in on him. To get to his corpse, troops had to dig through debris.“There wasn’t much left,” Trump said, “but there are still substantial pieces that they brought back.”That’s when the military raid turned into a forensics operation — and the special forces had come prepared.They had brought along samples of al-Baghdadi’s DNA.The soldiers who conducted the raid thought the man who fled looked like al-Baghdadi, but that wasn’t enough. Various accounts had heralded his death in the past, only for him to surface yet again.This time there could be no doubt.Lab technicians conducted an onsite DNA test to make sure and within 15 minutes of his death, positively identified the target.“It was him,” Trump said.Al-Baghdadi’s body wasn’t all they retrieved.Trump said U.S. troops remained in the compound for about two hours after al-Baghdadi’s death and recovered highly sensitive material about the Islamic State group, including information about its future plans.After the American troops retreated, U.S. fighter jets fired six rockets at the house, leveling it.Trump was so excited he couldn’t contain himself.He hinted of the successful military operation late Saturday by tweeting obliquely that “something very big has just happened!” White House spokesman Hogan Gidley announced the president would make a “major statement” Sunday morning.That sent reporters in Washington and the Middle East scrambling, and news organizations soon confirmed that U.S. forces believed they had killed America’s most-wanted man.It was a measure of the strained atmosphere in Washington that two top Democrats — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Adam Schiff, who heads the House intelligence committee — didn’t get a heads-up from Trump about the operation.Trump didn’t trust them to keep it secret.“Washington is a leaking machine,” Trump said. In this case, he said, “there were no leaks, no nothing. The only people that knew were the few people that I dealt with.”Image Source : APDonald Trump chose the Diplomatic Room to make his big announcementDonald Trump chose the Diplomatic Room to make his big announcementTrump chose the Diplomatic Room to make his big announcement on Sunday.In announcing al-Baghdadi’s death, he leaned into comparing the successful operation with the 2011 mission to kill 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.While bin Laden orchestrated the deadliest militant attack in U.S. history, the killing of al-Baghdadi — who helped the IS group at its height control more than 34,000 square miles of territory in Iraq and Syria — was “the biggest there is,” Trump said.Reveling in the moment, Trump spent more than 45 minutes speaking and taking questions about the raid.By late Sunday afternoon, Trump’s reelection campaign was ready to turn the raid into political capital. It sent a text to supporters that said, “Trump has brought the #1 terrorist leader to justice-he’s KEEPING AMERICA SAFE.”Also Read: Great day for America, says US leaders after Baghdadi's deathAlso Read: Baghdadi's death major victory in mission of defeating ISIS: US Defense SecretaryWatch | ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in US raid /* .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_4530788590 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_q7rr3f20_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_q7rr3f20_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in US raid", "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_4530788590 = ''; jwsetup_4530788590(); function jwsetup_4530788590() { jwvidplayer_4530788590 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_4530788590").setup(jwconfig_4530788590); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_4530788590, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_q7rr3f20\", ns_st_pr=\"ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in US raid\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in US raid\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi killed in US raid\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2019-10-27\", ns_st_tdt=\"2019-10-27\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_q7rr3f20_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_4530788590.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_4530788590.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_4530788590.stop(); jwvidplayer_4530788590.remove(); jwvidplayer_4530788590 = ''; jwsetup_4530788590(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_4530788590.stop(); jwvidplayer_4530788590.remove(); jwvidplayer_4530788590 = ''; jwsetup_4530788590(); return; }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4530788590.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

The tip, the raid, the reveal: The takedown of al-Baghdadi

The daring raid was the culmination of years of steady intelligence-gathering work — and 48 hours of hurry-up planning once Washington got word that al-Baghdadi would be at a compound in northwestern Syria.

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Afghans inspect damage to Ahmadi family house after a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan.The U.S. Defense Department said Friday that it is committed to offering condolence payments to relatives of the 10 people who were killed in an errant U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, in August. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said in a statement that the Defense Department was also working with the State Department to help surviving family members relocate to the United States.Kirby said the matter arose in a meeting Thursday between Dr Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defence for policy, and Dr Steven Kwon, founder and president of the nonprofit group Nutrition & Education International.“Dr Kahl reiterated Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s commitment to the families, including offering ex gratia condolence payments,” Kirby said. He did not say how much money would be offered.On Aug. 29, a U.S. Hellfire missile struck a car driven by Zemerai Ahmadi, who had just pulled into the driveway of the Ahmadi family compound. In all, 10 members of the family, including seven children, were killed in the strike.Weeks later, Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, called the strike a “tragic mistake” and said innocent civilians were indeed killed in the attack.During the meeting Thursday, Kwon told Kahl that Ahmadi had worked with NEI for many years, “providing care and lifesaving assistance for people facing high mortality rates in Afghanistan,” according to Kirby.The U.S. military initially defended the strike, saying it had targeted an Islamic State group’s “facilitator” and disrupted the militants’ ability to carry out attacks during the chaotic final stage of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops from Afghanistan.Discrepancies between the military’s portrayal of the strike and findings on the ground quickly emerged. The Associated Press and other news organizations reported that the driver of the targeted vehicle was a longtime employee at a U.S. humanitarian organization. There were no signs of a large secondary blast, despite the Pentagon’s assertion that the vehicle contained explosives.The drone strike followed a devastating suicide bombing by an Islamic State offshoot that killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. military personnel at one of the gates to the Kabul airport in late August.Last month, McKenzie said the United States was considering making reparation payments to the family of the drone strike victims. /* .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_1331691606 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_yx9nhq0f/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_yx9nhq0f_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport", "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": "419", "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_1331691606 = ''; jwsetup_1331691606(); function jwsetup_1331691606() { jwvidplayer_1331691606 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_1331691606").setup(jwconfig_1331691606); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_1331691606, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_yx9nhq0f\", ns_st_pr=\"Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-08-29\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-08-29\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_yx9nhq0f/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_1331691606.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_1331691606.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_1331691606.stop(); jwvidplayer_1331691606.remove(); jwvidplayer_1331691606 = ''; jwsetup_1331691606(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_1331691606.stop(); jwvidplayer_1331691606.remove(); jwvidplayer_1331691606 = ''; jwsetup_1331691606(); return; }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1331691606.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

US vows to pay relatives of Afghans killed in drone strike

On Aug. 29, a U.S. Hellfire missile struck a car driven by Zemerai Ahmadi, who had just pulled into the driveway of the Ahmadi family compound. In all, 10 members of the family, including seven children, were killed in the strike.

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Mureed Abbas, the newsanchor who was shot dead .A Pakistani news anchor was shot dead on Tusday in Karachi.Mureed Abbas, who worked for Bol News channel, was gunned down during a fight over a personal dispute in Karachi’s Khayaban-e-Bukhari area on Tuesday night, police said, citing initial details. DIG South Sharjeel Kharal said that friends of the deceased informed the police that he had a monetary dispute with someone whose identity police had withheld. He added that a friend of the anchorperson, Khizar Hayat, also received two bullets in the same incident. Hayat was shifted to a private hospital but he succumbed to his wounds. Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre (JPMC) Executive Director Seemin Jamali confirmed that Abbas had been brought dead to the hospital. She said that the anchorperson sustained multiple bullet wounds on chest and abdomen. (PTI inputs) 

Pakistani news anchor shot dead outside cafe in Karachi

Pakistani news anchor Mureed Abbas was shot dead outside cafe in Karachi. The police is suspecting personal enmity at this point.

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A large image that has an X mark on the face of Commander in chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, also chairman of the State Administrative Council, lies on a road as anti-coup protesters gather outside the Hledan Centre in Yangon, Myanmar, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. Daily mass street demonstrations in Myanmar are on their second week, with neither protesters nor the military government they seek to unseat showing any signs of backing down from confrontations.Sightings of armored personnel carriers in Myanmar’s biggest city and leaked orders of an impending internet shutdown raised political tensions late Sunday, after vast numbers of people around the country flouted orders against demonstrations to protest the military’s seizure of power.Public concern has already been heightened for the past few nights by what many charge is the military’s manipulation of criminals released from prison to carry out nighttime violence and instill panic.The military seized power on Feb. 1, detaining the country’s elected leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, and members of her government and preventing recently elected lawmakers from opening a new session of Parliament.The junta, led by Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, said it was forced to step in because the government failed to properly investigate allegations of fraud in last year’s election, which Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party won in a landslide. The state election commission refuted that contention, saying there is no evidence to support it.There was no official word about why armored personnel carriers traversed the streets of Yangon in broad daylight Sunday, making their way through busy traffic. As night fell, there were videos and other reports on social media of the movement of other military vehicles.An order that appears to be from the Ministry of Transport and Communications told mobile phone service providers to shut down internet connections from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday. It circulated widely on social media, as did a notice said to be from service provider Oredoo Myanmar containing the same details.Previous leaks of government orders to limit internet access have proven accurate, and the U.S. Embassy issued a caution to American citizens about the military movements and possible internet shutdown. The authorities have previously sought with mixed success to block social networks, and also shut off access to the internet for about a day.Monday holds the prospect of two flashpoints for the political standoff.Suu Kyi remains under house arrest, but a remand order holding her on a minor charge of possessing unregistered imported walkie-talkies expires Monday and a court in the capital, Naypyitaw, is supposed to take action on her case. Her freedom is a major demand of the protest movement.Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer asked by Suu Kyi’s party to represent her, said he was uncertain if she would have a court appearance Monday, and it could be delayed by a day. He has not been able to make contact with Suu Kyi.There is also the possibility that a young woman who was shot during a demonstration last week, also in Naypyitaw, will be declared legally dead. She has been on life support in a hospital in the capital, and unofficial memorial services were held for her Sunday at protests in Yangon and Mandalay, the country’s two biggest cities.Large demonstrations were also held in Naypyitaw and far-flung corners of the country dominated by ethnic minorities.Resistance also took place in cyberspace, as a group calling itself BrotherHood of Myanmar Hackers defaced the government’s Myanmar Digital News website, replacing content on its home page with words and pictures against the military takeover.Protesters in Yangon again rallied outside the Chinese and U.S. embassies. They accuse Beijing of propping up the military regime and applaud Washington’s actions sanctioning the military.“The civil disobedience movement and demonstrations show that the people of Myanmar want democracy. We stand with them,” said a statement Saturday on the U.S. Embassy’s Twitter account.Other protesters carried signs urging people to boycott businesses linked to the military.Eight days of street demonstrations are estimated to have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to the streets despite the threat of six months’ imprisonment for violating an order banning gatherings of five or more people. The same order imposes an 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. curfew.Sunday’s activism took place after the ruling junta issued a new order suspending several basic civil liberties.The order, issued late Saturday and published Sunday in state newspapers, suspends provisions in an existing law on security and privacy protection, allowing the authorities to carry out searches and make arrests without court warrants.It also allows the interception of electronic and other communications without a warrant and permits the detention of detainees for more than 24 hours without court permission.Civil servants have been very active in the protests, and social media postings on Sunday indicated that state railway workers have joined them, with some unconfirmed claims that they have gone on strike.The public at large has been alarmed since the government last week declared an amnesty that led to the release of more than 23,000 convicts. There are many claims on social media that some have been recruited by the authorities to carry out violent activities at night in residential areas to spread panic, especially by setting fires. Some areas have responded by setting up their own neighborhood watch groups.The truth of the allegations about government-directed thugs is difficult to verify, even with videos claiming to show their activities. There is historical precedent, as the military released convicts to carry out violence and cause chaos in 1988 during a failed popular uprising against a military dictatorship.People have also been rattled by police raids carried out during curfew hours to seize individuals seen as opposed to the coup. In several cases, nearby residents rushed to the scene in such numbers that security forces abandoned their attempts to haul in their targets.The independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners says 384 people have been detained since the coup, with 360 still being held.Detainees have included political leaders, government officials, civil servants, activists and student leaders. Medical personnel have been singled out because their community initiated the civil disobedience campaign against the military takeover and remains in its vanguard.READ MORE: Joe Biden imposes sanctions on Myanmar military leaders over coup

Myanmar rattled by army movements, expected internet cutoff

​Sightings of armored personnel carriers in Myanmar’s biggest city and leaked orders of an impending internet shutdown raised political tensions late Sunday, after vast numbers of people around the country flouted orders against demonstrations to protest the military’s seizure of power.

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President Donald Trump holds up a copy of the New York Post as speaks before signing an executive order aimed at curbing protections for social media giants, in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) A day after Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey slammed Donald Trump, the US President on Friday signed an executive order challenging lawsuit protections that have served as a bedrock for the unrestricted speech on the internet. Announced with fanfare, the president’s action yet appeared to be more about politics than substance. He aims to rally supporters after he lashed out at Twitter for applying fact checks to two of his tweets.Trump said the fact checks were “editorial decisions” by Twitter amounting to political activism and that such actions should cost social media companies their liability protection for what is posted on their platforms.Trump, who personally relies heavily on Twitter to verbally flog his foes, has long accused the tech giants in liberal-leaning Silicon Valley of targeting conservatives by fact-checking them or removing their posts. “We’re fed up with it,” Trump said, claiming his order would uphold freedom of speech.Technology industry groups disagreed, saying it would stifle innovation and speech on the internet. And the U.S. Chamber of Commerce objected, “Regardless of the circumstances that led up to this, this is not how public policy is made in the United States.”The executive order directs executive branch agencies to ask independent rule-making agencies including the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Trade Commission to study whether they can place new regulations on the companies — though experts express doubts much can be done without an act of Congress.FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement: “This debate is an important one. The Federal Communications Commission will carefully review any petition for rulemaking filed by the Department of Commerce.”Companies like Twitter and Facebook are granted liability protection under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act because they are treated as “platforms,” rather than “publishers,” which can face lawsuits over content.A similar executive order was previously considered by the administration but shelved over concerns it couldn’t pass legal muster and that it violated conservative principles on deregulation and free speech.“They’ve had unchecked power to censor, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter virtually any form of communication between private citizens or large public audiences,” Trump said of social media companies as he prepared to sign the order. “There is no precedent in American history for so small a number of corporations to control so large a sphere of human interaction.”Trump and his campaign reacted after Twitter added a warning phrase to two Trump tweets that called mail-in ballots “fraudulent” and predicted “mail boxes will be robbed.” Under the tweets, there’s now a link reading “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” that guides users to a page with fact checks and news stories about Trump’s unsubstantiated claims.Trump accused Twitter of interfering in the 2020 presidential election” and declared “as president, I will not allow this to happen.” His campaign manager, Brad Parscale, said Twitter’s “clear political bias” had led the campaign to pull “all our advertising from Twitter months ago.” In fact, Twitter has banned political advertising since last November.Late Wednesday, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey tweeted, “We’ll continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally.”On the other hand, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told Fox News his platform has “a different policy, I think, than Twitter on this.”“I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online,” he said.The president’s critics, meanwhile, scolded the platforms for allowing him to put forth false or misleading information that could confuse voters.Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat and advocate for internet freedoms, said Trump was “desperately trying to steal for himself the power of the courts and Congress. ... All for the ability to spread unfiltered lies.”Trump’s proposal has multiple, serious legal problems and is unlikely to survive a challenge, according to Matt Schruers, president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a Washington-based organization that represents computer and internet companies.It would also seem to be an assault on the same online freedom that enabled social media platforms to flourish in the first place — and made them such an effective microphone for Trump and other politicians.“The irony that is lost here is that if these protections were to go away social media services would be far more aggressive in moderating content and terminating accounts,” Schruers said. “Our vibrant public sphere of discussion would devolve into nothing more than preapproved soundbites.”House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was “outrageous” that while Twitter had put a fact-check tag on Trump’s tweets asserting massive mail-in election fraud, it had not removed his tweets repeating a debunked conspiracy theory that a TV news host had murdered an aide years ago.The president and fellow conservatives have been claiming, for years, that Silicon Valley tech companies are biased against them. But there is no evidence for this — and while the executives and many employees of Twitter, Facebook and Google may lean liberal, the companies have stressed they have no business interest in favoring one political party over the other.The trouble began in 2016, two years after Facebook launched a section called “trending,” using editors to curate popular news stories. Zuckerberg met with prominent right-wing leaders at the time in an attempt at damage control, and in 2018, Facebook shut down the “trending” section,.In August 2018, Trump accused Google of biased searches and warned the company to “be careful.” Google pushed back sharply, saying Trump’s claim simply wasn’t so, and experts suggested his comments showed a misunderstanding of how search engines work.Last year, Trump again blasted social media companies after Facebook banned a slew of extremist figures including conspiracy peddler Alex Jones from its site and from Instagram.Meanwhile, the companies are gearing up to combat misinformation around the November elections. Twitter and Facebook have begun rolling out dozens of new rules to avoid a repeat of the false postings about the candidates and the voting process that marred the 2016 election.The coronavirus pandemic has further escalated the platforms’ response, leading them to take actions against politicians — a move they’ve long resisted — who make misleading claims about the virus.Last month, Twitter began a “Get the Facts” label to direct social media users to news articles from trusted outlets next to tweets containing misleading or disputed information about the virus.As the White House claimed that Trump was the subject of a fact check but Chinese disinformation about the coronavirus was not, Twitter moved Thursday to add a warning to a March tweet from a Chinese government spokesman falsely claiming the U.S. military spread the virus.Even as he and his supporters complain of bias on the platform, Trump has used Twitter to build a potent and vocal online following. The president’s account currently has more than 80 million followers.Trump’s success on social media suggests that his proposal may be more about politics than an actual interest in regulation, according to Rutgers University media professor John Pavlik, who studies the impact of technology on society and government.Pavlik said that by trying to intimidate the platforms now, he’s seeking to control how the 2020 campaign plays out online and “about appealing to his base.”(With inputs from AP)

Trump vs Twitter: US president signs executive order to punish social media cos for their content

A day after Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey slammed Donald Trump, the US President on Friday signed an executive order challenging lawsuit protections that have served as a bedrock for the unrestricted speech on the internet.

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Man donates kidney to girlfriend's mom; month later she dumps him, marries someone else As not every love story has a fairy-tale ending, some also take unfortunate turn. In a heartbreaking incident, a man was dumped by his girlfriend for another man - weeks after he donated his kidney to her mother. According to The Sun, Uziel Martinez from Baja California, Mexico, was left by his girlfriend within a month after he donated his kidney to her mother. "I donated a kidney to her mother, she left me and got married a month later," he said.Uziel, who is a teacher, in a TikTok video, said that he donated his kidney to save the life of his girlfriend's mother. A month after the operation, the girlfriend dumped him and married someone else. The TikTok video has been watched over 16 million times to date.The video was made in response to a trend in which men recounted their worst experiences with exes. Many people have offered their sympathy to him in the comments section of the video.Netizens showered support for Uziel, with one saying, "Don’t look so sad, she lost a great gentleman. Keep moving forward and find the perfect woman who appreciates you."After the video went viral, Uziel insisted that he was over with the breakup. Uziel, on the other hand, stated that despite the split, he and his ex are still on good terms. In another video, he said, "Actually I’m fine, I’m fine emotionally, I think so is she. I have nothing against her, we are on good terms." He added that they are not friends but they don't hate each other.Uziel urged other people not to make the same mistake in their relationships. Adding some humour, he said, “We have only two kidneys, but as of now, I have only one kidney left and I can’t feel it."ALSO READ | 'Meri shaadi kyu ki bhagwaan' screams woman during paragliding, hilarious video goes viral

Man donates kidney to girlfriend's mom; month later she dumps him, marries someone else

Uziel, who is a teacher, in a TikTok video, said that he donated his kidney to save the life of his girlfriend's mother. A month after the operation, the girlfriend dumped him and married someone else.

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Ambulances are parked to transport patients with mild symptoms of the coronavirus in Daegu, South Korea, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. China's coronavirus caseload continued to wane Tuesday even as the epidemic took a firmer hold beyond Asia.With the total number of cases of the deadly Coronavirus 89,500 globally, in order to protect themselves people are staying away from sporting events, museums, concert halls and beaches as the novel rapidly spreads across the world. The virus, now known as COVID-19, has already infected over 89,500 people globally and has caused more than 3,000 deaths.Image Source : AP Louvre Museum in Paris, France, was shut down on March 1, 2020, with workers who guard its trove of artworks fearful of being contaminated by the museum's flow of visitors from around the world.Louvre Museum in Paris, France, was shut down on March 1, 2020, with workers who guard its trove of artworks fearful of being contaminated by the museum's flow of visitors from around the world.Image Source : AP In this picture, only a few passengers can be seen at a train station in Tokyo, JapanIn this picture, only a few passengers can be seen at a train station in Tokyo, JapanImage Source : AP Coronavirus fear has caused a drop in tourism and other commerce around the world. In this picture, sun beds lie empty at La Caleta beach in the Canary island of Tenerife, SpainCoronavirus fear has caused a drop in tourism and other commerce around the world. In this picture, sun beds lie empty at La Caleta beach in the Canary island of Tenerife, SpainImage Source : AP Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Italy, the bustling city of Milan has resembled more of a ghost town, as workers are staying at home and tourism dwindles there, and in other parts of Italy. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in northern Italy, the bustling city of Milan has resembled more of a ghost town, as workers are staying at home and tourism dwindles there, and in other parts of Italy. Image Source : AP Stadium seats are empty during a pro volleyball V-league game in Seoul, South Korea on February 27, 2020. The volleyball game was held without spectators to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Stadium seats are empty during a pro volleyball V-league game in Seoul, South Korea on February 27, 2020. The volleyball game was held without spectators to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Image Source : AP A lift operator inside an elevator dedicated for people suspected to be infected with the novel coronavirus at the Government Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, IndiaA lift operator inside an elevator dedicated for people suspected to be infected with the novel coronavirus at the Government Gandhi Hospital in Hyderabad, IndiaALSO READ | Coronvirus scare: Shortage of surgical, N95 masks in Delhi-NCR makes situation worrisome 

In Photos: As Coronavirus cases shoot up, tourist spots, stadiums and museums eerily empty

With the total number of cases of the deadly Coronavirus 89,500 globally, in order to protect themselves people are staying away from sporting events, museums, concert halls and beaches as the novel rapidly spreads across the world. The virus, now known as COVID-19, has already infected over 89,500 people globally and has caused more than 3,000 deaths.

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No delay in investigations into Beirut's explosions, says Lebanese PresidentLebanese President Michel Aoun said that there is no delay in investigations into the explosions that rocked Beirut on August 4, the National News Agency reported."We need time to find out the truth because there exist many assumptions and possibilities; we should be very accurate in considering each assumption," Aoun said, adding that he understands people's anger and he shares with them the same feelings.Two huge explosions rocked Port of Beirut on August 4, shaking buildings all over Lebanon's capital, while killing at least 177 people and wounding 6,000.Primary information reveals that ammonium nitrate stored since 2014 in warehouse No. 12 at Port of Beirut may have caused the explosions.

No delay in investigations into Beirut's explosions, says Lebanese President

Lebanese President Michel Aoun said that there is no delay in investigations into the explosions that rocked Beirut on August 4, the National News Agency reported.

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Donald Trump's first wife Ivana claimed last week that she was the "first lady" because of her status as the President’s first wife. Ivana, in a TV interview ahead of the release of her memoir, "Raising Trump", said she was "basically first Trump wife, I'm first lady".Donald Trump's current wife Melania retorted with a statement of her own, slamming Ivana as "attention-seeking and self-serving noise".Stephanie Grisham, spokeswoman for Melania, said in a statement that the current wife of the President has made a home him and their son Barron at the White House."She loves living in Washington, DC and is honoured by her role as First Lady of the United States," Grisham said. "She plans to use her title and role to help children, not sell books. There is clearly no substance to this statement from an ex. Unfortunately only attention seeking and self-serving noise."During an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" on Monday, Ivana boasted of having a direct line to the White House which she uses to talk to the President about once every 14 days. She added that she doesn't use the direct line to the White House because Melania Trump is there."I have the direct number to White House but I don't really want to call him there because Melania is there and I don't really want to cause any kind of jealousy or something like that because I'm basically first Trump wife, OK? I'm first lady, OK?" she told ABC, laughing.Ivana, a Czech-American businesswoman, and Donald Trump divorced in 1992 after 15 years following his tabloid affair with TV personality Marla Maples.  Trump's public affair with Maples spawned the infamous "Best Sex I've Ever Had" headline in the New York Post in 1990. After divorcing his first wife, Trump married Maples in 1993.She is the mother of the President's three eldest children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, does not refer to Maples, by name in her book, which comes out Tuesday, only calling her "showgirl".Ivana writes in "Raising Trump" that she knew her marriage was over soon after a day in December 1989."Donald during the divorce was brutal. He took the divorce as a business deal and he cannot lose, he has to win," Ivana Trump said during the ABC interview, adding that they were now "friends".In the book, Ivana writes glowingly about her marriage to Trump and her prominent role at the Trump Organization. 

Who is the US 'first lady'? Melania Trump battles it out with Ivana

Donald Trump's current wife Melania responded Ivana's 'I am first lady' comment with a statement of her own calling her 'attention-seeking and self-serving noise'.

7d1c3788bc75bbbad45ead7d2c97cbca

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and US President Donald TrumpPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday spoke with US President Donald Trump on the telephone about the Kashmir situation."The Prime Minister presented Pakistan's stance to US President Trump. The Prime Minister was engaging with world leaders and spoke to President Trump on the situation in the region, especially in occupied Kashmir," Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a televised address."Pakistan's reservations on the danger to peace in the region were conveyed," he added.Tensions have escalated between New Delhi and Islamabad following India's decision to revoke Article 370 of its Constitution which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir. According to Qureshi, Khan had spoken with four of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in Kashmir."Pakistan had presented its stance to the Prime Minister of Britain, President Trump, Foreign Minister of Russia. We have had direct contact with four of the five P-5 members. They are aware of Pakistan's stance. We are trying to have Prime Minister Imran Khan speak to the President of France," Qureshi added. The conversation between Khan and Trump came ahead of the UNSC's behind-closed-doors meeting on Kashmir. Despite intense lobbying, Islamabad was dealt a diplomatic setback with the UNSC declining to hold a formal session on the issue with its participation, and instead scheduling a closed-door consultation on "India/Pakistan" at China's insistence.Pakistan had asked for a full-fledged meeting of the Council at which it could speak on New Delhi's decision to revoke special status to Jammu and Kashmir and about alleged human rights abuses in the region.The format of the Council meeting as a closed-door consultation would preclude non-members participating and the proceedings would be secret, without official written records or access to the media or being broadcast. Qureshi said that Khan and Trump also discussed the situation in Afghanistan and decided to stay in touch consistently."The role we have played is for the betterment of the region, Pakistan and Afghanistan. We will continue to take such steps," said Qureshi. ALSO READ | Congress leaders say JKPCC chief Mir put under house arrestALSO READ | Pakistan's Punjab province to name 36 roads, 5 parks after KashmirALSO READ | London Mayor slammed online over violent Kashmir protests

Imran, Trump discuss Kashmir issue on phone

Tensions have escalated between New Delhi and Islamabad following India's decision to revoke Article 370 of its Constitution which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

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Pakistan rejects US report on religious freedom US' move to place Pakistan on a list of countries violating religious freedoms was termed as 'unilateral and arbitrary' by the Imran Khan-led country on Tuesday. The US has re-designated Pakistan and China among seven other countries that are of particular concern for violation of religious freedom, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday. Pakistan and China along with Myanmar, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan were placed in the list for having engaged in or tolerated “systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom."The move was, however, condemned by the Foreign Office, which said it was not only detached from the ground realities of Pakistan but also raised questions about the credibility and transparency of the entire exercise.“The designation is reflective of selective targeting of countries and thus unlikely to be helpful to the professed cause of advancing religious freedom,” it said.The Foreign Office said Pakistan is a multi-religious and pluralistic country where people of all faiths enjoy religious freedom under constitutional protections and concerted efforts were made to ensure that all citizens of Pakistan profess and practice their religion in full freedom.It said Pakistan was also engaged with the international community, including the US for a better understanding of religious freedom issues and regretted that constructive engagement was overlooked.Pakistan also said that challenges to religious freedom were a global concern and only cooperative efforts could help address them.The FO said Pakistan also raised concerns over the growing trend of Islamophobia in many Western countries including the US. “Working together in an environment of trust and understanding is the best way forward in realizing the objective of promoting and protecting religious freedom,” it said.Also Read | Citizenship Amendment Act will help us: Pakistani Hindu refugee thanks PM ModiAlso Read | Pakistan objects to its mention in Indo-US joint statement​

Unilateral and arbitrary: Pakistan rejects US report on religious freedom

The Foreign Office said Pakistan is a multi-religious and pluralistic country where people of all faiths enjoy religious freedom under constitutional protections and concerted efforts were made to ensure that all citizens of Pakistan profess and practice their religion in full freedom.

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Dawood Ibrahim's aide Jabir Moti was held on blackmail, drugs charges: Met PoliceUnderworld don Dawood Ibrahim's key aide, Jabir Moti, was arrested by Scotland Yard's Extradition Unit on suspicion of conspiracy to commit blackmail, import illegal drugs and money laundering in the US, the Metropolitan Police said today.Jabir Motiwala, a Pakistani national, was arrested by the Met Police at a hotel in Paddington area of London last Friday. He was produced at Westminster Magistrates' Court in the city the same day, where he was remanded in custody to appear again on Tuesday.Related Stories Centre to take over underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s Mumbai properties In major breakthrough, London Police detains Dawood Ibrahim's close aide "A man was arrested by the Met's Extradition Unit at a hotel in the Paddington area on Friday, 17 August, in relation to an allegation of conspiracy to commit blackmail, import class A drugs and money laundering in the USA," a statement by the Met Police said today."A warrant had been issued by Westminster Magistrates' Court," the statement said on the arrest of Motiwala, aka Jabir Moti and Jabir Siddiq.He is believed to be the right-hand man of Ibrahim, managing his investments in the UK, UAE and around the world.  Moti, reportedly in the UK on a 10-year visa, has been described as the financial manager of Dawood Ibrahim – the key accused in the Mumbai serial bomb blasts in 1993.According to UK Companies House records, Moti is registered as the director of a company named Mac World Trading Limited under the name Jabir Siddiq since May 2012. The correspondence address for the company is in the Grove Park Avenue area of east London and Moti's nationality and country of residence is listed as Pakistan.However, as per the account filing history for the company, Mac World Trading Ltd was dissolved in September 2014 via a "compulsory strike-off" action by UK authorities."The registrar of companies gives notice that, unless cause is shown to the contrary, at the expiration of three months from the above date the name of Mac World Trading Limited will be struck off the register and the company will be dissolved," states a Companies House notice dated May 20, 2014, following which it seems the company was struck off.The notice warned that upon dissolution "all property and rights vested in, or held in trust for, the company are deemed to be bona vacantia (ownerless property), and accordingly will belong to the crown".Curiously, under the "nature of business" section of the company's filing history, it states "to be provided on next annual return", leaving the details of Moti's UK business interests a mystery.Meanwhile, Ibrahim remains on the UK government's recently-updated financial sanctions list. Financial sanctions in force in the UK could apply to individuals, entities and governments who may be resident in the UK or abroad. The measures include prohibiting the transfer of funds to a sanctioned country and freezing the assets of a government, the corporate entities and residents of the target country to targeted asset freezes on individuals or entities.The UK Treasury department's 'Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK', updated on August 16, records Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar as the only "Indian" on its annually updated asset freeze list.

Dawood Ibrahim's aide Jabir Moti was held on blackmail, drugs charges: Met Police

Jabir Motiwala, a Pakistani national, was arrested by the Met Police at a hotel in Paddington area of London last Friday. He was produced at Westminster Magistrates' Court in the city the same day, where he was remanded in custody to appear again on Tuesday.

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India in touch with Gibraltar port for release of 24 IndiansIndia is in close touch with the Gibraltar port authorities for the release of 24 Indians on board the Grace 1 Iranian oil tanker seized in the Strait of Gibraltar by British marines last month.Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said: "We are pursuing the matter very closely with the Gibraltar port authorities and the shipping company."He said the Indian crew were calm and composed and were in touch with their family members.A three-member team from the Indian High Commission met the 24 Indians on board Grace 1 on July 24 and told them the government will take the necessary steps for their release and repatriation.The Iranian super tanker Grace 1, said to be carrying 2.1 million barrels of light crude oil, was seized on July 4 in the Strait of Gibraltar as it was suspected of carrying oil to war-torn Syria in violation of EU sanctions.On July 19, Gibraltar's Supreme Court extended the period of detention of Grace 1, and set a new hearing for August 15, the government of the British Overseas Territory said in a statement.On the 18 Indians on board British-flagged Stena Impero that was detained by Iran in retaliation, he said that an Indian team had met the Indian crew members on July 25, and found them to be in good health. "They have sufficient store of food and medicines, and they have spoken with their families. We are in close touch with Tehran, and are trying to see how early we can secure their release."ALSO READ | Indian spy arrested from Punjab province, claims Pakistan; investigation underwayALSO READ | Nepali teen electrocuted while playing game on mobile phoneALSO READ | Singapore police probes online rap video for alleged racism

India in touch with Gibraltar port for release of 24 Indians

The Iranian supertanker Grace 1, said to be carrying 2.1 million barrels of light crude oil, was seized on July 4 in the Strait of Gibraltar as it was suspected of carrying oil to war-torn Syria in violation of EU sanctions.

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Hurricane (Representative Image)A powerful and rare hurricane-like storm is set to hit the eastern Mediterranean this weekend.The hybrid storm, often called a "Medicane" (Mediterranean + hurricane) has features similar to hurricanes and typhoons, CNN reported on Friday.According to a study published in 2011, only about one or two "Medicanes" occur per year. These powerful storms usually happen during the months of September and October, when sea surface temperatures in the Mediterranean are still quite warm, although they can occur at any time of year.The current storm triggered flash flooding across Tunisia and Libya over the past few days before moving north over the Mediterranean towards Europe.Over the sea, the storm is likely to pick up more tropical-like features normally associated with hurricanes, such as gale-force winds and even an eye in its centre.The system is expected to move slowly over the island of Crete and southern Greece on Saturday before picking up speed and heading into western Turkey on Sunday.Areas of Greece and Turkey will be hit with heavy rains and very strong winds.The Medicane will likely get absorbed into the upper-level jet stream and will not linger over southeastern Europe, which will limit the amount of flooding from the storm.

'Medicane'- Rare, hurricane-like storm likely to make a fall in Europe

The hybrid storm, often called a "Medicane" (Mediterranean + hurricane) has features similar to hurricanes and typhoons, CNN reported on Friday.

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FILE - Mickey and Minnie Mouse perform during a parade as they pass by the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney WorldVaccinated visitors at Walt Disney World in Florida will now no longer require to wear masks. The new rule will come into effect this week, the theme park resort announced on Tuesday (local time). In a statement, Disney World said face coverings will be optional for fully-vaccinated visitors in all indoor and outdoor locations.However, there will be one exception to the new rule -- face masks still will be needed for visitors aged 2 and older on enclosed transportation, such as the resort’s monorail, buses and the resort’s sky gondola.The change in mask policy takes effect starting Thursday, Disney World officials said on the resort’s website.Current guidelines require all visitors to wear masks in all indoor locations, regardless of their vaccination status.After the new guidelines go into effect Thursday, unvaccinated visitors still will need to continue wearing masks in all indoor locations, according to Disney.(With inputs from AP)Also Read | Should you wear a cloth mask, or an N95 to avoid Omicron? US health experts answer 

Disney World lifts face mask mandates for vaccinated visitors, but with an exception

Current guidelines at Disney World require all visitors to wear masks in all indoor locations, regardless of their vaccination status.

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President Donald Trump waves as he boards Marine One in Washington.President Donald Trump has said that United States will donate ventilators to India and will also cooperate on vaccine development for coronavirus. Speaking to reporters, Donald Trump said, "We are sending a lot of ventilators to India, I spoke to Prime Minister Modi. We are sending quite a few ventilators to India. We have a tremendous supply of ventilators.""India has been so great, your PM has been a very good friend of mine. We are working with India too, we have a tremendous Indian population in the US and many of the people you are talking about are working on the vaccine too, great scientists and researchers," Trump said. Trump was responding to the Indian-American community's appreciation of his fight against the coronavirus. This is the first time that a president has recognised the scientific and research talent of the Indian-American community.A large number of scientists are engaged in cutting edge research in various aspects of medical science, including at the National Institute of Health, universities, research institutes and bio-pharma startups.There are an estimated 4 million Indian-Americans in the United States, of which about 2.5 million are potential voters in the 2020 presidential elections this November.Earlier, when coronavirus cases were on peak in the United States, India assured US for Hydroxychloroquine stock. A consignment from India was sent to the United States after the country demanded at the time when COVID-19 cases peaked.ALSO READ | Coronavirus worldwide cases cross 4.6 million; death toll at 308,450ALSO READ | Top cigarette maker claims to have developed coronavirus vaccine, says it's ready for human trials /* .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_1488225642 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_ausc186m_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_ausc186m_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "US to have coronavirus vaccine by 'end of this year': AFP news agency: Trump", "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": "179", "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_1488225642 = ''; jwsetup_1488225642(); function jwsetup_1488225642() { jwvidplayer_1488225642 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_1488225642").setup(jwconfig_1488225642); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_1488225642, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_ausc186m\", ns_st_pr=\"US to have coronavirus vaccine by 'end of this year': AFP news agency: Trump\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"US to have coronavirus vaccine by 'end of this year': AFP news agency: Trump\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"US to have coronavirus vaccine by 'end of this year': AFP news agency: Trump\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2020-05-04\", ns_st_tdt=\"2020-05-04\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_ausc186m_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_1488225642.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_1488225642.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_1488225642.stop(); jwvidplayer_1488225642.remove(); jwvidplayer_1488225642 = ''; jwsetup_1488225642(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_1488225642.stop(); jwvidplayer_1488225642.remove(); jwvidplayer_1488225642 = ''; jwsetup_1488225642(); return; }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1488225642.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); } ​

US to donate ventilators to India, cooperate on COVID-19 vaccine development: Trump

President Donald Trump has said that the United States will donate ventilators to India and will also cooperate on vaccine development for coronavirus.

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Chinese President Xi JinpingChinese President Xi Jinping expressed shock over China jet plane Boeing 737 crash, with 132 people on-board including crew members and has ordered a probe into incident, AFP quoted Chinese media. The plane crashed in southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.The local authorities are trying to locate the exact crash site using maps.At present, there are unknown casualties. Boeing 737 passenger plane of China Eastern Airlines had taken off from Kunming and was en route to Guangzhou when it crashed. The crash caused a fire on the mountains.There were a total of 132 people onboard including 123 passengers and 9 crew members, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.Rescuers have been assembled and are approaching the site.ALSO READ | Boeing 737 carrying 132 people crashes in China's Guangxi region | WATCH

China plane crash: President Jinping 'shocked' over Boeing 737 disaster, orders probe

Boeing 737 was carrying 132 people onboard including 123 passengers and 9 crew members, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

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Claiming army's support, Imran vows not to resignA defiant Imran Khan has vowed not to step down as Pakistan Prime Minister despite the Opposition mounting pressure on him and dismissed the next week's planned mega sit-in as agenda-driven, saying it has sent a wave of joy in India even as he claimed that the army backs him.The Azadi March in Islamabad on October 31 will be led by Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman. All major Opposition parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Peoples Party of former president Asif Ali Zardari have announced their support.Fazl has demanded Khan's resignation, alleging that the election held in July, 2018 was rigged to help his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Geo News reported that Khan's, in a meeting with journalists and analysts, said he sees a conspiracy behind Fazl's protest which he said is driven by a certain agenda.There is no question of my resignation and I will not resign. Dharna is agenda based, and it has foreign support, he was quoted as saying in the report. Khan was of the view that the JUI-F's plan to protest has sent a wave of joy in India. I don't understand what Maulana's (Fazl) problem is. I don't understand the agenda of the opposition," he said, adding that inflation and unemployment remain a big problem which his government is trying to resolve.He alleged the Azadi March was backed by foreign elements. Let me be very clear that I will not resign on the Opposition's demand, the premier said. Khan said at first India was against the 'maulanas' but now the Indians were celebrating the idea of Fazl's protest. Look at how the Indian media is celebrating Maulana Fazl's protest, he said.Khan said the Pakistan Army stands behind him and it fully supports the government agenda, the News International reported. The civil-military relations are based on trust and both enjoy this trust on each other, the premier said, adding that he will never leave the country. Khan said the protest will damage the Kashmir cause as attention will be diverted from the lockdown in the Valley."We must think who will benefit from all of this," he said. Khan said when he had staged a massive sit-in against then prime minister Nawaz Sharif's regime in August 2014, he had evidence of election rigging in four constituencies. We came out on the streets after exhausting all possible options … which platform Maulana has used (to address his grievances) before coming out on streets?" he askedALSO READ| Pak govt denotifies prosecution team in Musharraf caseALSO READ| Motormouth Pakistan minister Sheikh Rashid threatens India of a nuclear war

Claiming army's support, Imran vows not to resign

The Azadi March in Islamabad on October 31 will be led by Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Fazlur Rehman. All major Opposition parties including the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz of jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistan Peoples Party of former president Asif Ali Zardari have announced their support

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People wear face masks as they walk, in Regent Street in London.The World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday urged countries around the world not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new omicron variant.WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions.“Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods,” Moeti said in a statement. “If restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and should be scientifically based, according to the International Health Regulations, which is a legally binding instrument of international law recognized by over 190 nations.”Moeti praised South Africa for following international health regulations and informing WHO as soon as its national laboratory identified the omicron variant.“The speed and transparency of the South African and Botswana governments in informing the world of the new variant is to be commended,” said Moeti. “WHO stands with African countries which had the courage to boldly share life-saving public health information, helping protect the world against the spread of COVID-19.”South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called the restrictions “completely unjustified.”“The prohibition of travel is not informed by science, nor will it be effective in preventing the spread of this variant,” said in a speech Sunday evening.“The only thing the prohibition on travel will do is to further damage the economies of the affected countries, and undermine the ability to respond to, and also to recover from, the pandemic.”Cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus popped up in countries on opposite sides of the world Sunday and many governments rushed to close their borders even as scientists cautioned that it’s not clear if the new variant is more alarming than other versions of the virus.While investigations continue into the omicron variant, WHO recommends that all countries “take a risk-based and scientific approach and put in place measures which can limit its possible spread.”Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, emphasized that there is no data yet that suggests the new variant causes more serious illness than previous COVID-19 variants.“I do think it’s more contagious, when you look at how rapidly it spread through multiple districts in South Africa,” Collins said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”Israel decided to bar entry to foreigners, and Morocco said it would suspend all incoming flights for two weeks starting Monday — among the most drastic of a growing raft of travel curbs being imposed as nations scrambled to slow the variant’s spread. Scientists in several places — from Hong Kong to Europe — have confirmed its presence. The Netherlands reported 13 omicron cases on Sunday, and Australia found two.The U.S. plans to ban travel from South Africa and seven other southern African countries starting Monday.“With the omicron variant now detected in several regions of the world, putting in place travel bans that target Africa attacks global solidarity,” said Moeti. “COVID-19 constantly exploits our divisions. We will only get the better of the virus if we work together for solutions.”WHO said it scaling up its support for genomic sequencing in Africa so sequencing laboratories have access to adequate human resources and testing reagents to work at full capacity. WHO also said is ready to offer additional help, reinforcing COVID-19 responses including surveillance, treatment, infection prevention and community engagement in southern African countries, it said.ALSO READ: 'Not yet clear' if Omicron more transmissible, causes severe disease: WHOALSO READ: WHO asks countries in South-East Asia region to be vigilant against 'Omicron' variant

WHO criticizes travel bans on southern African countries

WHO’s regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions.

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Sri Lanka's face veil ban takes effect under new regulation after Easter bombings

Sri Lanka's face veil ban takes effect under new regulation after Easter bombings

Muslim women in Sri Lanka will not be allowed to wear any form of face veils in public from Monday under new regulations announced by President Maithripala Sirisena who used emergency powers in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings.

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Kamala HarrisIndian-origin presidential hopeful Kamala Harris’ town hall on CNN with an average of 1.957 million viewers got the network its highest ratings ever for such an event with an individual election candidate, according to the network.Harris, 54, who was elected to the Senate in 2016, announced her run for presidency last week. She has been voted on top of the list of Democratic leaders aspiring to defeat President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.Related Stories History made, five Indian Americans take oath as members of CongressUS senator Kamala Harris tops Foreign Policy magazine’s 2017 list of ’50 Leading Global Thinkers’First Indian-American Senator Kamala Harris announces her 2020 US presidential bidHarris, the second African-American woman elected to the US Senate, has drawn comparisons to Barack Obama since early in her political career.CNN announced Tuesday that the broadcast was the most-watched cable news single candidate election town hall, according to Nielsen data.The live event on Monday averaged 1.957 million viewers, a figure far greater than CNN’s previous four town halls, which attracted an average audience of 1.119 million each, the network said in a statement.Monday night’s CNN Town Hall with Harris was the most watched cable news single candidate election town hall ever, the news network said in a statement.The town hall averaged 712,000 among adults 25-54 from 10-11pm, easily topping all cable news competition.CNN was also number one in prime time in the demos, it said. In the townhall, Harris reflected on her various policy issues, responding to questions from the audience.Moderated by CNN anchor Jake Tapper, the Town Hall with Kamala Harris propelled CNN to 945,000 total day live starts across digital platforms on Monday.The California Senator is hoping to capitalize on high early fundraising numbers and enthusiasm from the base before the Democratic primary field.

Kamala Harris’ CNN town hall sets viewership record

Harris, 54, who was elected to the Senate in 2016, announced her run for presidency last week. She has been voted on top of the list of Democratic leaders aspiring to defeat President Donald Trump in the November 2020 election.

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17-year-old arrested after 2 killed during unrest in KenoshaA white, 17-year-old police admirer was arrested Wednesday after two people were shot to death during a third straight night of protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake.Kyle Rittenhouse, of Antioch, Illinois, about 15 miles from Kenosha, was taken into custody in Illinois on suspicion of first-degree intentional homicide in the attack Tuesday that was largely captured on cellphone video. The shooting left a third person wounded.“I just killed somebody,” the gunman, carrying a semi-automatic rifle, could be heard saying at one point during the rampage that erupted just before midnight in the city of 100,000 people midway between Milwaukee and Chicago.In the wake of the killings, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers authorized the deployment of 500 members of the National Guard to Kenosha, doubling the number of troops. The governor’s office said he is working with other states to bring in additional National Guard members and law officers. Authorities also announced a 7 p.m. curfew, an hour earlier than the night before. Even so, protesters were out Wednesday, night after the curfew.“A senseless tragedy like this cannot happen again,” the governor, a Democrat, said in a statement. “I again ask those who choose to exercise their First Amendment rights please do so peacefully and safely, as so many did last night. I also ask the individuals who are not there to exercise those rights to please stay home and let local first responders, law enforcement and members of the Wisconsin National Guard do their jobs.”In Washington, the Justice Department said it is sending in more than 200 federal agents from the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in response to the unrest. The White House said up to 2,000 National Guard troops would be made available.And in Orlando, Florida, the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks didn’t take the floor for their playoff game against the Magic. It was later announced that all three NBA playoff games scheduled for Wednesday were postponed, with players around the league choosing to boycott in their strongest statement yet against racial injustice.The dead were identified only as a 26-year-old Silver Lake, Wisconsin, resident and a 36-year-old from Kenosha. The wounded person, a 36-year-old from West Allis, Wisconsin, was expected to survive, police said.“We were all chanting ‘Black lives matter’ at the gas station and then we heard, boom, boom, and I told my friend, `‘That’s not fireworks,’” 19-year-old protester Devin Scott told the Chicago Tribune. “And then this guy with this huge gun runs by us in the middle of the street and people are yelling, ‘He shot someone! He shot someone!’ And everyone is trying to fight the guy, chasing him and then he started shooting again.”Scott said he cradled a victim in his arms, and a woman started performing CPR, but “I don’t think he made it.”According to witness accounts and video footage, police apparently let the gunman walk past them and leave the scene with a rifle over his shoulder and his hands in the air as members of the crowd were yelling for him to be arrested because he had shot people.As for how the gunman managed to slip away, Sheriff David Beth described a chaotic, high-stress scene, with lots of radio traffic and people screaming, chanting and running — conditions he said can cause “tunnel vision” among law officers.Rittenhouse was assigned a public defender in Illinois for a hearing Friday on his transfer to Wisconsin. The public defender’s office had no comment. Under Wisconsin law, anyone 17 or older is treated as an adult in the criminal justice system.Much of Rittenhouse’s Facebook page is devoted to praising law enforcement, with references to Blue Lives Matter, a movement that supports police. He also can be seen holding an assault rifle.Other photographs include those of badges of various law enforcement agencies, including the Chicago Police Department. All of the badges have a black line across them — something police officers typically do with black tape when an officer is killed in the line of duty.In a photograph posted by his mother, he is wearing what appears to be a blue law enforcement uniform as well as the kind of brimmed hat that state troopers wear.The sheriff told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that militia members or armed vigilantes had been patrolling Kenosha’s streets in recent nights, but he did not know if the gunman was among them. However, video taken before the shooting shows police tossing bottled water from an armored vehicle to what appear to be armed civilians walking the streets. And one of them appears to be the gunman.“We appreciate you being here,” an officer is heard saying to the group over a loudspeaker.Before the shooting, the conservative website The Daily Caller conducted a video interview with the suspected gunman in front of a boarded-up business.“So people are getting injured, and our job is to protect this business,” the young man said. “And part of my job is to also help people. If there is somebody hurt, I’m running into harm’s way. That’s why I have my rifle -- because I can protect myself, obviously. But I also have my med kit.”Sam Dirks, 22, from Milwaukee, said he had seen the gunman earlier in the evening, and he was yelling at some of the protesters. “He was definitely very agitated. He was pacing around, just pointing his gun in general. Not necessarily at anyone specifically,” Dirks said.Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, who is Black, said in an interview with the news program “Democracy Now!” that the shootings were not surprising and that white militias have been ignored for too long.“How many times across this country do you see armed gunmen, protesting, walking into state Capitols, and everybody just thinks it’s OK?” Barnes said. “People treat that like it’s some kind of normal activity that people are walking around with assault rifles.”In Wisconsin, it is legal for people 18 and over to openly carry a gun, with no license required.Witness accounts and video indicate the shootings took place in two stages: The gunman first shot someone at a car lot, then jogged away, fell in the street, and opened fire again as members of the crowd closed in on him.A witness, Julio Rosas, 24, said that when the gunman stumbled, “two people jumped onto him and there was a struggle for control of his rifle. At that point during the struggle, he just began to fire multiple rounds, and that dispersed people near him.”“The rifle was being jerked around in all directions while it was being fired,” Rosas said.Blake, 29, was shot in the back seven times on Sunday as he leaned into his SUV, three of his children seated inside. Kenosha police have said little about what happened other than that they were responding to a domestic dispute.On Wednesday, three days after the shooting, state authorities identified the officer who shot Blake as Rusten Sheskey, a seven-year veteran of the Kenosha Police Department. Sheskey shot Blake while holding onto his shirt after officers first unsuccessfully used a Taser, the Wisconsin Justice Department said.State agents later recovered a knife from the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle, authorities said.No charges were announced, and state officials continue to investigate.On Tuesday, Ben Crump, the lawyer for Blake’s family, said it would “take a miracle” for Blake to walk again. He called for the officer who opened fire to be arrested and for the others involved to lose their jobs.The shooting was captured on cellphone video and ignited new protests in the U.S. three months after the death of George Floyd under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer touched off a nationwide reckoning over racial injustice.Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden posted a video saying he had spoken with Blake’s parents and other family members.“What I saw on that video makes me sick,” Biden said. “Once again, a Black man, Jacob Blake, has been shot by the police in broad daylight, with the whole world watching.”

17-year-old arrested after 2 killed during unrest in Kenosha

A white, 17-year-old police admirer was arrested Wednesday after two people were shot to death during a third straight night of protests in Kenosha over the police shooting of a Black man, Jacob Blake.

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As he set to cement his power removing two term limit, Chinese President Xi Jinping plans to appoint four Vice Premiers to work on popular programmes like poverty relief, environmental protection and improving economy which would enhance his image at home.Speculation about the appointment of four Vice Premiers came as China today commenced its well-choreographed annual parliament which was expected to endorse the ruling the Communist Party of China (CPC) proposal to amend the Constitution removing the two-term rule for President and Vice President.Related Stories Chinese President Xi Jinping meets British PM May, calls for better tiesXi Jinping says improving China-Lanka ties have his 'high attention'Communist Party of China proposes to remove two-term limit for Jinping, move will allow him to stay beyond 2022China now has two Vice Premiers.The proposal sparked off speculation that Xi who is on course to become modern China's Emperor, wielding unquestionable power exercised by the party founder, Mao Zedong in the heydays of revolution is working on populist agenda which would contribute to his public image.In the course of next two weeks the China Peoples Political Consultative Conference, (CPPCC) an advisory body and the National Peoples Congress, (NPC) would meet to clear a broad agenda.The CPPCC spokesman Wang Guoqing kicked off the political season today with a nationally televised press conference in which he took selected questions mostly from the Chinese official media on issues like poverty alleviation, US plans to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium etc.Conspicuous by their absence was any questions on removal of the two term limit for President and Vice President which made headlines at home and abroad.The NPC often referred as rubber stand Parliament for its routine endorsement of the CPC proposals is set to meet from March 5 with the presentation of work report by Premier Li Keqiang.During the next two weeks, various Ministers including Foreign Minister Wang Yi would address the media. The season will end with the press conference by Li.This may be the last tenure for several Ministers as the CPC has already finalised new set of Ministers and officials as they have completed five-year terms. There will be a complete makeover of the government.The seven-member all powerful Standing Committee of the CPC, which rules the country is also set for a change as barring Xi and Li the rest have retired. A new Standing Committee had been elected last by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the CPC.Hong Kong-based the 'South China Morning Post' has reported that that Xi has identified four CPC officials -- Hu Chunhua, Han Zheng, Liu He and He Lifeng, for the post of vice premiers who are likely to be put in charge of the Chinese President's top three priorities of poverty relief, evironmental protection, the control of economic risks. 

China kicks off parliament season to ratify move to remove term limit for Xi Jinping

The seven-member all powerful Standing Committee of the CPC, which rules the country is also set for a change as barring Xi and Li the rest have retired. A new Standing Committee had been elected last by the once-in-a-five-year Congress of the CPC.

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Twitter, Facebook, YouTube to remove false claims about COVID-19 vaccinations Twitter said on Wednesday that it will begin removing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations from its site. It listed among posts that will removed as those including false claims that the virus is not real, debunked claims about the effects of receiving the vaccine and baseless claims that suggest that immunizations are used to harm or control people.Twitter said in a blog post that it will start enforcing the new policy next week. If people send tweets in violation of the rules, they will be required to delete them before they are able to tweet again. Before the offending tweet is removed, Twitter will hide it from view.Twitter said that starting early next year, it may also label tweets that advance “unsubstantiated rumors, disputed claims, as well as incomplete or out-of-context information about vaccines” but that may not merit a removal under the new rules.ALSO READ | Quarter of world may not have access to COVID-19 vaccine until 2022, study warnsThe new policy comes as the U.S. is beginning to roll out COVID-19 vaccinations in the largest immunization campaign in the country’s history. Vaccinations in other countries are also under way.This while large swaths of people are hesitant about immunizations, and anti-vaccination groups and individuals peddle conspiracies on social media.Facebook and YouTube have also announced they will remove misinformation about the vaccines."Given the recent news that COVID-19 vaccines will soon be rolling out around the world, over the coming weeks we will start removing false claims about these vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts on Facebook and Instagram. For example, we will remove false claims that COVID-19 vaccines contain microchips or anything else that isn't on the official vaccine ingredient list," Facebook had said in a statement.The number of people who have died from the coronavirus in the U.S. passed a staggering 300,000 on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University, with about 2,400 people now dying per day on average.(With AP inputs)ALSO READ | Development, distribution of COVID-19 vaccine Pfizer in such short time span a 'miracle'

Twitter, Facebook, YouTube to remove false claims about COVID-19 vaccinations

Twitter said on Wednesday that it will begin removing misinformation about COVID-19 vaccinations from its site. It listed among posts that will removed as those including false claims that the virus is not real, debunked claims about the effects of receiving the vaccine and baseless claims that suggest that immunizations are used to harm or control people.

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UN Secretary General Antonio GuterresUN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday said that he will make a call for renewed commitment to a rules-based order ahead of the high-level General Assembly Session next week.The 73rd session of the UN General Assembly commenced on September 18 under the leadership of GA President María Fernanda Espinosa, the former minister of foreign affairs of Ecuador.Related Stories Naxalites using children to fight in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand: UNIran may be defying UN on missiles, OK on nukes: UN chief tells Security Council UN chief rules out mediation on Kashmir; asks India, Pak to resolve issues through talksUN chief expresses full support for US-Japan dialogue with North KoreaThe world body's annual high-level segment – formally known as the 'General Debate' – begins on September 25, where every country's leader gets to address the world.US President Donald Trump will deliver his second address to the world body on the morning of September 25, after speeches by Guterres and Brazil. India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will address the global organization on September 29."The presence of 84 Heads of State and 44 Heads of Government is eloquent proof of the confidence of the international community in the United Nations," Guterres said on Friday in a press conference ahead of the commencement of the high-level week.He expressed concern that just at a time when the world needs multilateralism the most, it is under attack from many different directions. Guterres added that he will use his meetings and other opportunities next week to "press for renewed commitment to a rules-based global order and to the United Nations".Highlighting pressing peace and security challenges that will be the focus during the high-level week, Guterres said he had appealed to avert a full-scale military operation in Syria's Idlib province.Welcoming the recent agreement between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey and President Vladimir Putin of Russia to create a demilitarised buffer zone in Idlib region, he said if properly implemented, this could save three million civilians – including one million children – from catastrophe."I call on all the parties to implement the agreement with a strong commitment to the protection of civilians, and to ensure humanitarian access, adhere to international humanitarian law and work urgently for greater progress in the Geneva process, in particular supporting my Special Envoy in the creation of a constitutional committee," he said.On Yemen, Guterres said civilians continue to bear the brunt of the war in the country, including from air strikes by the coalition forces and ground fighting by all parties. In addition, missiles continued to be fired by Houthi forces into Saudi Arabia. "We are all aware of the difficulties being encountered by my Special Envoy in his tireless efforts to create conditions for dialogue and for a political process. I call on all sides to engage seriously – and I call on their supporters to avoid steps that fuel the fighting," he said.The busy agenda of the UNGA high-level week will cover the full spectrum of international issues, including sustainable development, climate change, peace and security, human rights, public health concerns and gender equality.The 73rd session will include a high-level meeting on Financing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development on September 24; an event to renew international commitment and Action for Peacekeeping a day later on the 25th; a high-level side event on Violence Against LGBTI Individuals, also on September 25; a high-level event on Ending Tuberculosis on the 26th, a series of humanitarian-themed events, including the Yemen and South Sudan responses, and many more.When asked about Myanmar, Guterres said it is "not acceptable" to have Reuters journalists in jail for doing their work. "It is my deep belief that that should not happen, and I hope that the government will be able to provide a pardon to release them as quickly as possible," he said. Responding to a question on Afghanistan, he said while the way for peace is difficult, he strongly believes that dialogue is necessary between the Afghan government and the Taliban."And I hope that the circumstances will allow for that dialogue to take place and for that dialogue to be successful. I know it's complex. I know it's difficult, but it's also the only way possible to then be able to more effectively combat terrorist organisations that operate in the country." Outlining the three key meetings he will convene in the days ahead, Guterres said he will launch a new strategy called "Youth2030" on September 24 as well as an initiative named "Generation Unlimited".The UN Chief would also launch a strategy to mobilize financing for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development."I often speak about a surge in diplomacy. Our world also needs a surge in investment in the Sustainable Development Goals. It is important that all developed countries meet the commitments they made in the Addis Ababa Action Agenda," he said.Guterres said a key focus for him next week will also be gender parity at the United Nations and ensuring zero tolerance for sexual harassment.On September 24, the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit will take place, and member states are expected to adopt a political declaration which was drafted throughout the year.The text declares 2019-2028 the "Nelson Mandela Decade of Peace". 

UN Chief Antonio Guterres calls for fresh commitment to rules-based global order ahead of General Assembly Session

The world body's annual high-level segment – formally known as the 'General Debate' – begins on September 25, where every country's leader gets to address the world.

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On his day-long visit to the Netherlands, the last stop in his three-nation tour that also included Portugal and the US, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked the Indian diaspora in The Hague, “Do you want India's Prime Minister in your pocket?”. His question was in reference to the NaMo mobile app, which he has often described as “an exclusive opportunity to connect with the PM”. He urged the Indian-origin members in Netherlands to download the app. “I will be there on it (the app) all the time and you can have me in your pocket,” he said to the Indian diaspora.With PM Modi asking this question to the Indian diaspora in The Hague, he once again highlighted the importance his administration gives to the technology-driven development. “Can you live without your mobile for just one hour? You find it difficult, don't you? So don't you think India's poor and those who live in rural areas should also have mobiles,” he asked. Modi said the Netherlands is the 5th largest investment partner globally and in the last three years it has emerged as the 3rd largest source of FDI for the country.He also thanked the key European nation for backing India's Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) membership. "Because of your support India got the membership of the MTCR," Modi said. India joined the MTCR as a full member last year. MTCR membership enables India to buy high-end missile technology and also enhances its joint ventures with Russia.   

‘Do you want Prime Minister in your pocket?’ PM Modi asks Indian diaspora in Netherlands

On his day-long visit to the Netherlands, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday asked the Indian diaspora in The Hague, “Do you want India's Prime Minister in your pocket?”

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Thousands of people displaced in Sri Lanka's north, east provinces due to torrential rainOver 10,000 thousand people have been displaced while several others affected due to the floods caused by torrential rains in the Tamil dominated Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka has been receiving torrential rains for couple of weeks, with the situation being severe in the Northern and Eastern provinces, the Colombo Page reported on Sunday.In the Eastern province over 79,000 people have been affected by the floods and 2,507 people from 798 families have been displaced, the paper reported, citing the data released by the Disaster Management Centre."Similarly, in five districts of the Northern province 64,448 people have been affected by the floods while 8,478 people from 2,611 families have been displaced. They are accommodated at 56 shelters," the paper reported.The government has allocated 1.7 million Sri Lankan Rupees for the provision of cooked meals to the displaced people at shelters and dry rations to the people temporarily staying with friends and relatives.Northern province's District Secretariat has requested 16.6 million Sri Lankan Rupees from the Disaster Management Center to provide relief to all those affected by the floods and inclement weather, the report said.Sri Lanka's Department of Meteorology has said that various parts of the island nation will witness a showery condition in the coming days, and has urged the people to take adequate precautions to minimise the damages."Due to a low level atmospheric disturbance in the southeast of Sri Lanka prevailing showery condition over the island particularly in the Eastern, Uva, North-Central and Northern provinces is likely to enhance further from Sunday night," the department said in a statement."Showers or thundershowers will occur in most parts of the island," the statement said.ALSO READ | Netanyahu calls for direct PM election amidst deadlockALSO READ | Israel launches airstrikes on Gaza in response to rocket fire

Thousands of people displaced in Sri Lanka's north, east provinces due to torrential rain

In the Eastern province over 79,000 people have been affected by the floods and 2,507 people from 798 families have been displaced, the paper reported, citing the data released by the Disaster Management Centre.

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Trump hints at some announcement at 'Howdy Modi!'US President Donald Trump has hinted that there “could be” some announcement by him at the mega “Howdy Modi!” event in Houston on Sunday, where he would join Prime Minister Narendra Modi in addressing the 50,000-strong Indian diaspora.The White House on Monday announced that Trump would join Modi at the mega Houston rally on September 22 as a "special gesture" by the US President to underscore the special bond between the two countries.It is for the first time that Trump and Modi would share a stage together. The event is the third meeting between the two leaders in three months, after the G-20 summit in Japan in June and the G-7 summit in France last month.“Could be. I have a very good relationship with Prime Minister Modi,” Trump told reporters on Wednesday aboard Air Force One on his way back from California to Washington DC. He did not elaborate.He was responding to a question if there would be any announcement when he goes to Houston for the rally with the Indian leader.According to media reports, officials of the two countries are trying to finalise a trade deal before Prime Minister Modi and Trump meet in Houston.Trade tensions between India and the US have been rising with Trump complaining that tariffs imposed by New Delhi on American products were "no longer acceptable".The US in June terminated India's designation as a beneficiary developing country under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) programme. India imposed retaliatory tariffs on 28 US products including almonds and apples from June 5, after the Trump administration revoked its preferential trade privileges.Reacting to a record number of 50,000 Indian-Americans registering for the event, Trump said the crowd for the event has now become bigger after it was announced that he would be going there.“He (Modi) has got a big crowd coming and I guess the crowd just got a lot bigger because they just announced – he asked, would I go, and I will go,” Trump said.After the Houston event, Trump would travel to Ohio for an event with the visiting Australian Prime Minister. “Then we're stopping in Ohio on the way back and then I guess we do the United Nations the following week,” the US President said.Trump also said that he has a great relationship with both India and Pakistan. Modi will be visiting the US from September 21-27 for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). It is his first US trip after winning a second term as prime minister in May.The two leaders are again scheduled to meet later in the week in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) session.

Donald Trump hints at some announcement at 'Howdy Modi!' event in Houston

US President Donald Trump has hinted that there “could be” some announcement by him at the mega “Howdy Modi!” event in Houston on Sunday, where he would join Prime Minister Narendra Modi in addressing the 50,000-strong Indian diaspora.

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Sri Lankan police investigating blast siteNine suicide bombers, including a woman, were involved in the massive Easter Sunday bombings, a top police officer said Wednesday.Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Sunday.The state minister of defence Ruwan Wijewardena said the multiple bomb attacks were carried out not by the National Tawheed Jamath (NTJ) but by its splinter group.Sri Lanka's government had earlier blamed the blasts on the NTJ.Wijewardena told reporters that the members of the group had differences and the final attack was carried out by a group that left the main NTJ.The Islamic State terror group has claimed the attack, although it did not provide direct evidence of its involvement.Wijewardena said there was no evidence at present whether the splinter group had any foreign connections.Out of the nine suicide bombers, eight have been identified by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said.The ninth bomber was confirmed as the wife of one of the suicide bombers, he said.He said the death toll has jumped to 359 on Wednesday, up from a previous count of 321 people. Nearly 500 people have been injured in the attack.Ten Indian nationals have been confirmed dead.Sixty people have been arrested for possible links to the multiple attacks carried out on Easter Sunday. Of them, 32 are in custody with the CID. All of those arrested are of Sri Lankan nationality, Gunasekara said.State defense minister Wijewardene said the majority of Sunday's suicide bombers were from well-heeled families. They were also well-educated, including at least university graduate who had studied abroad."Most of them are well-educated, and come from maybe middle- or upper-middle-class. So they are financially quite independent and their families are quite stable financially," he said.Wijewardene said, "We believe that one of the suicide bombers studied in the UK and maybe later on did his post-graduate in Australia, before coming back to settle in Sri Lanka."The number of foreign nationals who have been identified as killed is 34. Additionally, 14 foreign nationals are unaccounted for at present, and could be among the unidentified victims at the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer's mortuary, officials said.Sixteen foreign nationals injured in the attacks are receiving treatment at the Colombo National Hospital and private hospitals in Colombo while others have been treated and discharged.An attack on a fourth hotel on Sunday was foiled, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Tuesday. He also warned that more militants and explosives could still be "out there" following the attack.The country remains tense with police still looking for suspects and possible further explosives.But Wickremesinghe said the attacks "could not have been done just locally"."There had been training given and a coordination which we are not seeing earlier," he said.A state of emergency remains in effect to prevent further attacks. The emergency powers allow the security forces to crackdown in law and order breaches by sudden searches of property, arrests and detention of people indefinitely.Speaking in parliament the former commander of the Army, Field Martial Sarath Fonseka said removing the police chief Pujith Jayasundera was not answer to the security lapse which had led to the attacks. The government had demanded Jayasundera's resignation.President Maithripala Sirisena in an address to the nation on Tuesday said that he would effect a shuffle in the security establishment within 24 hours. It was expected that he would call for the resignation of Jayasundera.

9 suicide bombers, including woman were part of Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka: police

Suicide bombers, believed to be members of local Islamist extremist group, carried out a series of devastating blasts that tore through churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Sunday.

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Police in the Swiss capital city of Bern said on Friday that some suspicious items were found inside the Church of the Holy Spirit, which is located just outside the train station's main entrance.The train station area in the town has been closed for about five hours as a result of "a bomb threat", Xinhua quoted the police as saying.Related Stories Searches on at New Delhi Railway station after bomb threat Bomb threats rock Japan as US President Donald Trump holds talks in Tokyo: ReportGoAir plane lands under bomb threat in Kolkata, declared hoaxBomb threat at Delhi’s Khan Market, search operation underway "We are currently on the mission to close the area due to a bomb threat. We have arrested a person and are clarifying the situation," police said on Twitter.The latest information from the police indicated that the arrested man was a 21-year-old Afghan man who threatened to detonate "a bomb" on Friday afternoon.According to a police statement, two unknown components linked by cable have been neutralised and have been taken for further analysis, which police said would take more time.So far, it is unknown whether the objects found presented a real danger.

Train station area in Swiss city closed after bomb threat, one arrested

"We are currently on the mission to close the area due to a bomb threat. We have arrested a person and are clarifying the situation," police said on Twitter.

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Workers race against time to complete Kartarpur Sahib corridorConstruction of around 4.2 km-long corridor is targeted to be completed by October 31, a week before the celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.The gurdwara is located in Narowal district of Pakistan's Punjab province, near Dera Baba Nanak town in Punjab's Gurdaspur district. It is a highly revered Sikh shrine where Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev spent 18 years of his life and is his final resting place.About 60 per cent work of the four-lane highway with service lanes on both sides has been completed, an official told IANS.ALSO READ: India meets Pakistan for second round of talks on Kartarpur corridor; security, infrastructure discussedThe corridor is intended to enable 5,000 Indian pilgrims to pay their obeisance daily at the revered Sikh shrineProject implementation is "progressing with speed", the official said.The entire corridor would cost approximately Rs 500 crore.Sixty-two acres of land have been acquired in Punjab for the project at the rate of Rs 42 lakh per acre. Besides, civil works of Rs 90 crore are also under progress.Fifty acres of additional land is also being acquired for the construction of an Integrated Check Post by the Land Port Authority of India."Of the eight culverts proposed on the corridor, seven have been completed," he said.Devotees, especially the Sikhs, have been demanding for over 70 years a visa-free "khule darshan" (free obeisance facility) at the gurdwara for all faiths, from India and overseas, all seven days a week.The proposal to open the corridor first mooted 20 years back, saw progress last year when Pakistan agreed to go ahead with it. Subsequently, foundation stones were laid for the project on Indian and Pakistan sides in November last year.ALSO READ: Experts from India, Pak to meet on July 14 to discuss modalities of Kartarpur corridor: FOOn the Indian side, the foundation stone was laid by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu and Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on November 26.On the Pakistani side, the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army Chief Qamar Javed Bajwa on November 28.The two countries have also held a series of discussions on modalities for operationalising the project. The last one was held on July 14, when an agreement was reached on almost all issues.For India, there is a concern over the possible flooding of the Dera Baba Nanak and adjoining areas on the Indian side as a result of earth-filled embankment road or a causeway that is proposed to be built by Pakistan on their side.Officials said the Indian delegation, at the last meeting, shared detailed flood analysis with Pakistan to underscore these concerns. And Pakistan agreed to build a bridge at the earliest.Keeping in view the heavy movement of pilgrims, all approach roads to Dera Baba Nanak from Batala, Fatehgarh Churian and Ramdas are also being upgraded, a senior state government official said.According to him, three technical meetings between both the sides were held to streamline priorities over the corridor laying. ALSO READ: US welcomes Kartarpur corridor constructionWATCH VIDEO: Kartarpur Corridor : India requested Pakistan that 5,000 pilgrims be allowed to visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib everyday​ /* .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'; 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Workers race against time to complete Kartarpur Sahib corridor

Racing against time, workers are doing three shifts a day to complete the Indian part of the Kartarpur Sahib corridor that will enable pilgrims from here to visit the revered Sikh shrine in Pakistan. Construction of around 4.2 km-long corridors is targeted to be completed by October 31, a week before the celebrations to mark the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

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Security guard stabs 40 children, teachers in China's primary school (Representational image)A security guard stabbed about 40 students and staff members of primary school in China's Guangxi province on Thursday. Knife attacks by disgruntled people have been taking place in different parts of China in the past few years.The attackers targeted mainly kindergarten and primary schools besides public transport to vent their anger, as reported by China Daily. Three of the injured are in serious condition, state-run CGTN TV reported. The man has been detained by the police and the injured have been sent to a hospital, it said.The incident happened on Thursday at 8.30 am, at Wangfu Town Central Primary School in Wuzhou city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.A press release on the incident released by the Wangfu Town government said the alleged attacker was a school security guard 50-year-old Li Xiaomin, Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.The press release said "around 40 people" were hurt, including three severely injured – the school’s principal, another security guard and a student.It said eight ambulances were sent to the scene, and all the wounded were sent to the Wuzhou city hospital and the town's health centres for treatment.A video by Xiaoxiang Morning News showed doctors and nurses attending to at least 10 students with bandages on their head and bodies, and helping them to leave the school building.At least one student had to be carried out by adults and some students were treated with a drip. There was a long queue of anxious parents waiting in front of the Wangfu government clinic.One parent requested anonymity and said many of the injured pupils were from the preschool class, aged around six. “Around 8.30am, I heard loud screams and cries from the school as I live nearby. I rushed to school and saw some pupils run out,” the Post report quoted a parent.“A bystander told me a man with a knife is attacking the school. I rushed in to get my boy out. Fortunately, my son was just a bit shaken but not hurt,” he said. The suspected attacker has been detained by local police for questioning. Knife attacks by disgruntled people have been taking place in different parts of China in the past few years.The attackers targeted mainly kindergarten and primary schools besides public transport to vent their anger.In September last year, eight students of a primary school in central China were killed and two others injured in a brutal knife attack carried out by a man, released recently from jail.(With inputs from agencies)

Security guard stabs 40 children, teachers in China's primary school

A security guard stabbed about 40 students and staff members of primary school in China's Guangxi province on Thursday. Knife attacks by disgruntled people have been taking place in different parts of China in the past few years.

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US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his Qatar counterpart Khalid al-Attiyah signed a letter of agreement for a $12-billion (approx. Rs 77,000 crore) sale of US-manufactured F-15 fighters in Washington, the Pentagon said. "Qatar and the United States have solidified their military cooperation by having fought together side by side for many years now in an effort to eradicate terrorism and promote a future of dignity and prosperity," al-Attiyah said in a statement.The deal comes amid a simmering crisis in the Gulf after Qatar's neighbours accused it of supporting terrorism and cut diplomatic ties.The U.S. military announced a similar $21.1 billion deal in November for 72 F-15QA fighter jets for Qatar in the waning days of the Obama administration. It wasn't immediately clear if the two deals were one in the same. Qatari officials did not immediately respond to questions Thursday, though a State Department official connected the two sales.The signing comes as Mattis has offered his support to Qatar in the past. Mattis formerly oversaw the U.S. military's Central Command, whose forward operating base is at the vast al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar. That base serves an important role in managing the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, as well as war in Afghanistan.The State Department official, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss an internal matter publicly, said the sale will take years to complete.Meanwhile, the USS Chinook, a coastal patrol ship, and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Baranof both were in Doha on Thursday, said Cmdr. Bill Urban of the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. He called the trip a "routine port visit," though Qatar's state-run news agency described the presence as being part of a "joint exercise" with the Qatari navy."U.S. 5th Fleet ships conduct similar port visits throughout the region as part of our normal operations," Urban told the AP.The crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors, all U.S. allies, has put America in a delicate situation. Mattis has described Qatar as "moving in the right direction," while U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said called for Arab Gulf nations to remain united.Trump, meanwhile, repeatedly has accused Qatar of funding terrorist groups, one of the main allegations levied by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain when they initially cut diplomatic ties on June 5.Qatar long has been trying to secure its relations with the U.S., whether through hosting the American military base or an office for the Taliban, said David B. Roberts, an assistant professor at King's College London who recently wrote the book "Qatar: Securing the Global Ambitions of a City-State."The recent mixed message from the Trump administration, however, has it working even harder, he said."Qatar long has wanted to make itself a particularly important ally for America where it can," Roberts said. "It has been a bit of a pain at times in other things ... but the American angle has often been very important."The crisis has seen Saudi Arabia cut off its land border with Qatar, the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.After an initial run on grocery stores by nervous residents, Qatar has organized dairy shipments from Turkey while Shiite power Iran also has begun shipping in food. Qatar's ties with Iran, with whom it shares a major offshore natural gas field, is another criticism of the Arab countries.Doha also has begun running cargo shipments from ports in Oman after seeing its sea routes to the UAE's major ports cut off. But its cutoff air travel routes remain problematic.Typically, Qatar Airways flights West flew over Saudi Arabia. But with that airspace now closed off, the airline is flying longer routes over Iran and Turkey. Its regional feeder flights in Saudi Arabia and the UAE also have been cut off.Qatar has filed complaints to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N. agency, calling the Arab nations' refusal to let it fly through their airspace illegal. In a statement, the organization said it would host ministers and senior officials from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain on Thursday."For now, we are working to bring these states together towards a solution which satisfies both their current regional concerns and the global needs and expectations of passengers and shippers," the statement said.However, it remains unclear how the organization that doesn't issue binding rules could force the Arab nations to reopen their airspace to Qatar."If I was betting now, I would suggest this is going to go on for a very long time," Roberts said of the crisis.  

Amid crisis, Qatar finds US support with Rs 77,000 cr deal for F-15 fighter jets

US Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and his Qatar counterpart Khalid al-Attiyah signed a letter of agreement for a $12-billion (approx. Rs 77,000 crore) sale of US-manufactured F-15 fighters in Washington

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Pak military, ISI installed 'puppet govt' of Imran Khan: Nawaz SharifPakistan's former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has accused the military and the intelligence agency of being behind his ouster as premier and installing their "puppet government" by bringing Imran Khan into power.Sharif was addressing the first power show of the alliance of 11 opposition parties -- Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) -- in Gujranwala, some 80 km from Lahore, late on Friday night via video link from London.On September 20, the opposition parties announced the formation of the PDM and launch of a three-phased anti-government movement under an “action plan” starting with countrywide public meetings, protest demonstrations and rallies before a “decisive long march” towards Islamabad in January 2021 to oust the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government.Targeting the military leadership, Sharif told the gathering: "(Army chief) Gen Qamar Javed Bjwa ended my government. He rigged 2018 elections and imposed incapable Imran Khan on the nation. Gen. Bajwa is a direct culprit and he will have to give an answer to this."Bajwa is directly responsible for the miseries and sufferings of the people by imposing an inept PTI government, the Pakistani Muslim League (Nawaz) chief alleged.He also accused the Inter-Services Intelligence of being behind the fall of his government and said the entire episode happened with the help of ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed."You (Hammed) will have to answer this too," he said, accusing the military and the ISI of "installing" their "puppet government by bringing Imran Khan into power"."I ask the people present in the rally, don't be afraid to mention the name who imposed this incapable Imran on us," the three-time prime minister said. Referring to the military, 70-year-old Sharif said, "You can label me a traitor if you want, seize my properties, file false cases against me but I will continue to speak for my people.""They call us traitors...this is not new...PML-N's mandate was stolen and a nalayak (incapable) and puppet Imran Khan was brought into power," he said. The PML-N chief, currently out on bail, is facing multiple corruption charges. The Islamabad High Court had allowed him to go to London for medical treatment in November last year.This is not the first time that Sahrif has gone after the military leadership. During the opposition's multiparty conference last month, he had bitterly criticised the army, saying there was “a state above the state in the country”. However, he had refrained from naming anyone.Since his anti-army rant, the PTI government has banned the media to broadcast his speeches.Friday's event was the first power show of the PDM since its formation last month with an objective to oust the "selected" PTI government. The PDM's struggle against the Imran Khan government is widely perceived as being anti-army.The opposition managed to pull a huge crowd at the cricket stadium that was full to its capacity.Sharif also questioned why the violators of Constitution don't get any punishment, while an elected prime minister is not allowed to complete his tenure.  Sharif became the prime minister in the politically unstable Pakistan for a record three times, but every time he was forced to quit in the middle of his term.The former premier also said there is "a state above a state" in Pakistan and questioned, "Who is responsible for the two governments in this country?"The PML-N leader, however, made it clear that he was not against the army but some individuals who violated the Constitution."I salute my army men who sacrifice their lives for the country," he said.During the event, PDM president Maualana Fazlur Rehman declared that the PTI government would be sent packing by December in the wake of the opposition's movement.PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sharif's daughter Maryam Nawaz also addressed the event. The next rally of the PDM is on Sunday in Karachi.The Opposition leaders had announced that they would use all political and democratic options, including no-confidence motions and mass resignations from Parliament to seek "the selected" prime minister's resignation.The Opposition parties have accused the powerful army of rigging the 2018 elections that brought Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf party to power.The Oppostion parties are openly opposing the military’s interference in politics and elections for the first time in the recent history of the country.Sharif has been living in London since November last year after he was allowed by the courts and the government to go there for a period of eight weeks for medical treatment. But he did not come back, while his lawyers told the court that he was still recovering.The Islamabad High Court through newspaper advertisements has asked Sharif to appear before it by November 24 to avoid being declared a "proclaimed offender". 

Pak military, ISI installed 'puppet govt' of Imran Khan: Nawaz Sharif

​Pakistan's former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has accused the military and the intelligence agency of being behind his ouster as premier and installing their "puppet government" by bringing Imran Khan into power.

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Two German Eurofighter jets collide in midair, pilot dies. (Representative Image) Two Eurofighter jets crashed midair in northern Germany on Monday, killing one of the pilots, according to the German air force.The unarmed warplanes were on an "air combat mission" when they collided near the Laage military base in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the airforce's Team Luftwaffe said on Twitter.Related Stories David Cameron renews offer of Eurofighter jets for IndiaEurofighter crashes at Spanish military airfieldEurofighters Escort Indian President's Special AircraftThe airforce later tweeted that one pilot had been found dead, while the other pilot, who survived, is being treated by emergency services after safely ejecting from the jet, the CNN reported.The local police said in a statement that the surviving pilot landed in the canopy of a tree, 66 feet from the ground.Two parachutes were seen over the lake area of Silz and Jabel, a police spokeswoman said.A third Eurofighter jet was also on the mission and its pilot reported two parachutes at the scene, an official said.

Two German Eurofighter jets collide midair, pilot dies

The unarmed warplanes were on an "air combat mission" when they collided near the Laage military base in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the airforce's Team Luftwaffe said on Twitter.

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China today said it has successfully tested a new guided missile in the Bohai Sea near the tense Korean peninsula to raise the operational capability of its armed forces and "effectively respond to threats" to national security. The People's Liberation Army Rocket (Missile) Force tested the new missile in the Bohai based on annual training programme, the defence ministry said in a brief statement. The missile was designed to "raise operational capability" of the armed forces to "effectively respond to threats" to national security, it said, adding that the test had "achieved an expected result." However, the statement did not specify when the missile was tested. It just said the test was carried out recently. The ministry has not released any further information about the missile, state-run CGTN reported today. The Bohai Sea is a body of water off the coasts of Tianjin municipality, Shandong, Hebei and Liaoning provinces. The test was carried amid China's vociferous protests over US deployment of THAAD interceptor missiles in South Korea, whose powerful radars could see through most part of China including its missile development programme. THAAD's deployment in South Korea has infuriated China, which fears it will weaken its own ballistic missile capabilities and says it upsets the regional security balance. The THAAD system is designed to intercept and destroy short and medium-range ballistic missiles during their final phase of flight. The US said the THAAD deployment was aimed at countering any missile attack by North Korea against South Korea, Japan and US itself. China has vowed appropriate response for THAAD missile batteries. China also said its troops carried out exercises close the North Korean border as US President Donald Trump stepped up pressure on the North Korean leader Kim-Jong-un to scale back the nuclear and missile programme. China, an acknowledged missile power, has several short, medium and long range missiles. Its Dong Feng 31 (DF-31) is the longest with a range of 11,700 kms. In 2015, China for the first time demonstrated a whole range of long, medium and short range missiles during a military parade. It included Dongfeng-21D missile, the anti-ship ballistic missile described as the "carrier killer". It had caused concern among US defence officials as it reportedly has the ability to blow up aircraft carriers from a distance of about 1,500 km to 1,700 kms.

China tests new guided missile in Bohai Sea

The People's Liberation Army Rocket (Missile) Force tested the new missile in the Bohai based on annual training programme, the defence ministry said in a brief statement.

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As Amazon taps $800 billion grocery industry, check out their new supermarket with no cashiersGlobal e-commerce giant Amazon is serious about shaking the $800 billion grocery industry. In its latest initiative, Amazon has done away with cashiers in one of their new supermarkets. Amazon is opening a supermarket where shoppers can grab milk or eggs and walk out without waiting in a checkout line or even without opening their wallets. At the new store, which opened Tuesday in Amazon’s hometown of Seattle, shoppers scan a smartphone app to enter the store. Cameras and sensors track what’s taken off shelves. Items are charged to an Amazon account after leaving.“I love the convenience of literally grabbing and going” said Art Kuniyuki, a payroll and benefits manager from Seattle, who spent $15 on Barilla pasta, Dove chocolate and other groceries shortly after the store opened.Called Amazon Go Grocery, the new store is an expansion of its 2-year-old chain of 25 Amazon Go convenience stores. It’s 10,400 square feet — more than five times the size of the convenience stores — and stocks much more beyond the sodas and sandwiches found at Amazon Go.Image Source : APAs Amazon taps 0 billion grocery industry, check out their new supermarket with no cashiersAs Amazon taps 0 billion grocery industry, check out their new supermarket with no cashiersCameron Janes, who helps oversee Amazon’s physical stores, said the technology had to be tweaked to account for how people squeeze tomatoes to test for ripeness or rummage through avocados to find just the right one. Nothing at the store is weighed. One blood orange goes for 53 cents; a banana is 19 cents.Amazon is not new to groceries. It made a splash in 2017 when it bought Whole Foods and its 500 stores. It’s also been expanding its online grocery delivery service. But it’s still far behind rival Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer, which has more than 4,700 stores. Walmart’s online grocery service has also been popular with customers, who buy online and then drive to a store to pick up their order.Amazon also plans to open another type of grocery store in Los Angeles sometime this year, but the company said it won’t use the cashier-less technology at that location and has kept other details under wraps. The company declined to say if it plans to open more Amazon Go Grocery stores, and said there are no plans to bring the technology to Whole Foods stores.Much of the fruits and vegetables come from the same suppliers at Whole Foods, Janes said. And it has products from the Whole Foods store brand 365, such as organic oatmeal and bagged baby carrots. But it also sells Oreos, Cheez-Its and other stuff banned from the natural grocer.Families can shop together with just one phone scanning everyone in. Anything they grab and leave the store with will be added to the tab of the person who signed them in. But shoppers shouldn’t help out a stranger reaching for the top shelf: Amazon warns that grabbing an item for someone else means you’ll be charged for it if they walk out with it.Hoping to catch up to Amazon, other retailers and startups are racing to bring similar cashier-less technology to stores. Earlier this month, 7-Eleven said it is testing a cashier-less store for employees inside its offices in Irving, Texas.Image Source : APAs Amazon taps 0 billion grocery industry, check out their new supermarket with no cashiersAs Amazon taps 0 billion grocery industry, check out their new supermarket with no cashiersBut cashier-less stores have come under scrutiny from lawmakers and advocates who say they discriminate against low-income people who may not have a credit card or bank account. Amazon has since let customers pay with cash at its convenience stores, and the company said shoppers can do the same at the grocery store by alerting a worker to let them in through the turnstile.The stores also eliminates the job of cashiers. Janes declined to say exactly how many people the store employs, only saying it is “several dozen.” Workers greet customers and walk around aisles restocking shelves. One employee stands by the alcohol section to check IDs of shoppers who want wine or beer.While cashier-less stores remove the annoyance of waiting in line to pay, it also kills some joys of the supermarket. There’s no one to bag groceries. Instead, Amazon gives out reusable bags so shoppers can fill them as they shop. And there’s no deli counter, butcher or fishmonger. Instead, sliced ham, steaks and salmon fillets are already packaged and found in refrigerated shelves.“Just walk out technology is kind of cool, in theory,” said David Bishop, a partner at retail consultancy Brick Meets Click, but he said shoppers decide where to shop based on other factors besides how quickly they can get in and out of the store.Bishop said those who want thinly sliced ham may skip Amazon Go Grocery and walk two blocks away to the Kroger-owned QFC supermarket, which is about five times the size.Still, Bishop said, it’s hard for the grocery industry to ignore Amazon, which has the cash and technology to experiment with groceries. “They’re not giving up,” he said of Amazon.(With Inputs from Associated Press) 

As Amazon taps $800 billion grocery industry, check out their new supermarket with no cashiers

Global e-commerce giant Amazon is serious about shaking the $800 billion grocery industry. In its latest initiative, Amazon has done away with cashiers in one of their new supermarkets. Amazon is opening a supermarket where shoppers can grab milk or eggs and walk out without waiting in a checkout line or even without opening their wallets.

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5.4-magnitude earthquake jolts PakistanAn earthquake measuring 5.4 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday, the country's National Seismic Monitoring Centre said.According to the centre, the quake's epicentre was located 38 km northeast of provincial capital of Quetta and its focal depth was determined as 10 km, reports Xinhua news agency.The temblor struck at 7.56 a.m. with a longitude of 67.34 east and latitude of 30.35 north, the centre said.Besides Quetta, the strong tremors were also felt in different areas of the province including Mastung, Killa Abdullah and Pishin districts, local media reported.Speaking to Xinhua, Director General of Pakistan Meteorological Department Muhammad Riaz said that it was a shallow earthquake and may cause losses if the epicentre is located in a populated area, which is being checked.Police sources from Quetta said that the impact of the quake in the district and adjoining areas are being checked.Pakistan has a bad history of serious earthquakes, as it is located at one of the most earthquake-prone areas with high vulnerability to earthquakes.

5.4-magnitude earthquake jolts Pakistan

An earthquake measuring 5.4 magnitude on the Richter scale jolted Pakistan's Balochistan province on Saturday, the country's National Seismic Monitoring Centre said.

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Sheikh Mohamed, who is also the Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was elected by the UAE's Federal Supreme Council. Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was on Saturday elected as the new President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).The 61-year-old will be the country's third president, after succeeding Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who passed away on Friday at the age of 73, reports Khaleej Times.Sheikh Mohamed, who is also the Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was elected by the UAE's Federal Supreme Council.He will hold office for a five-year term before being eligible for re-election.Read More | UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan passes away

Mohamed bin Zayed is UAE's new President

The 61-year-old will be the country's third president, after succeeding Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who passed away on Friday at the age of 73, reports Khaleej Times.

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US to ship first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week: White HouseThe US will be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week, President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a conference call, the White House said. Trump spoke with Modi on Tuesday and "the two leaders discussed the G-7 (summit), the COVID-19 response, and regional security issues", it said."The president was happy to announce that the United States would be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week,” the White House said in a readout of the call.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi in a series of tweets said that he had a warm and productive conversation with his “friend” Trump. “We discussed his plans for the US Presidency of G-7, the COVID-19 pandemic, and many other issues,” he said. “The richness and depth of India-US consultations will remain an important pillar of the post-COVID global architecture,” Modi tweeted.Trump spoke about the US presidency of the Group of seven, and conveyed his desire to expand the ambit of the grouping beyond the existing membership, to include other important countries including India. “In this context, he extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to attend the next G-7 Summit to be held in USA,” said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in a statement.Modi commended Trump for his creative and far-sighted approach, acknowledging the fact that such an expanded forum would be in keeping with the emerging realities of the post-COVID world. Prime Minister Modi said that India would be happy to work with the US and other countries to ensure the success of the proposed Summit, the PMO said.Expressing concern regarding the ongoing civil disturbances in the US, Modi conveyed his best wishes for an early resolution of the situation. “The two leaders also exchanged views on other topical issues, such as the COVID-19 situation in the two countries, the situation on the India-China border, and the need for reforms in the World Health Organisation,” the PMO said.During the call, Trump warmly recalled his visit to India in February this year. “Modi said that the visit had been memorable and historic on many accounts, and had also added new dynamism to the bilateral relationship,” the statement said.“The exceptional warmth and candour of the conversation reflected the special nature of the Indo-US ties, as well as the friendship and mutual esteem between both leaders,” the PMO statement added. 

US to ship first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week: White House

The US will be ready to ship the first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week, President Donald Trump told Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a conference call

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Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed said on Saturday that the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan will most likely be held on April 3 or 4, indicating yet another delay in the motion, Friday Times reported.Although the no-confidence motion was on the agenda of Friday's National Assembly session, Speaker Asad Qaiser had adjourned the session until Monday.Leader of the Opposition, Shehbaz Sharif, then wrote to Qaiser in which he criticised his handling of the no-confidence motion and alleged that the Speaker had failed to fulfil his constitutional obligations by delaying the no-confidence vote.Rasheed maintained that the Opposition had actually played into the hands of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, whose popularity he claimed has increased since the no-confidence motion was moved. He also termed the opposition as 'fools' for helping Prime Minister Imran Khan gain more support.Answering further questions, Rasheed said that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA, Jam Abdul Karim, would be arrested upon his return to Pakistan from Dubai. Karim has been named in a murder cases in Sindh, but he is currently out of the country.ALSO READ | 'Pak PM Imran Khan, his wife received bribes worth PKR 6 billion,' alleges PML-N leader Maryam NawazALSO READ | Imran Khan to step down as Pakistan PM? 'PMO' dropped from his YouTube channel

No-confidence vote against Imran Khan likely be held on April 3, 4: Pakistan Minister

Although the no-confidence motion was on the agenda of Friday's National Assembly session, Speaker Asad Qaiser had adjourned the session until Monday.

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Joe Biden condemns Russia for ‘unjustified attack’ The world will hold Russia accountable for the death and destruction due to the "unprovoked" and "unjustified" attack on Ukraine and the US and its allies will respond in a "united and decisive" way, President Joe Biden has warned, as his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday announced a special military operation in eastern Ukraine.President Putin, in a televised address, announced a military operation in Ukraine, claiming it is intended to protect civilians.Reacting to Putin's move, Biden said his Russian counterpart has chosen a "premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering"."Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable," he said.In a late Wednesday night statement, Biden said the prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine as they suffer an "unprovoked" and "unjustified" attack by Russian military forces.The president said he will be monitoring the situation in Ukraine from the White House and will continue to get regular updates from his national security team."Tomorrow, I will meet with my G7 counterparts in the morning and then speak to the American people to announce the further consequences the United States and our Allies and partners will impose on Russia for this needless act of aggression against Ukraine and global peace and security," he said."We will also coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance. Tonight, Jill and I are praying for the brave and proud people of Ukraine," Biden said.Putin said Russia's move came in response to threats emanating from Ukraine. He also warned other countries that if they attempted to interfere with the Russian military operation they would see consequences they have never seen.ALSO READ: Russia Ukraine News LIVE Updates: Vladimir Putin announces military operation in UkraineALSO READ: Ukraine shuts airports to civilian flights, warns of airspace danger amid confrontation with Russia

Russia-Ukraine news: Joe Biden condemns Russia for ‘unjustified attack’

Biden says he plans to speak to the American people Thursday after a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders. More sanctions against Russia are expected to be announced Thursday.

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A man watches news channels broadcast a live address to the nation by Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Thursday, March 31, 2022.Pakistan summoned a senior US diplomat here and lodged a strong protest over America's alleged "interference" in its internal affairs, according to media reports on Friday.The US State Department on Thursday firmly rejected embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks over Washington's role in an alleged foreign conspiracy to oust him from power.In a live address to the nation, 69-year-old Khan discussed a 'threat letter' and termed it as part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy. He named the US as the country behind the threat letter in what appeared to be a slip of tongue.Dunya News quoted sources as saying that the US diplomat was summoned by the Foreign Office (FO) over a 'threatening letter' that warned of dire consequences if the Opposition's no-confidence motion against Khan failed. The step was taken after a decision by Pakistan's National Security Council (NSC) on Thursday.The Foreign Office also handed over a letter of protest to the US diplomat over the language used by a foreign official during a formal communication. The US diplomat has been told that "interference in Pakistan's internal affairs is unacceptable", the report said.The NSC decided to issue the strong demarche to the 'country' that, in an interaction, expressed displeasure at Pakistan's policy on Ukraine and subsequently Pakistan's Ambassador to the US Masood Khan sent a letter to the Foreign Office on the issue.Prime Minister Khan linked the letter with the no-confidence motion against him by the Opposition in the National Assembly. The National Assembly is scheduled to vote on the no-trust motion on Sunday.Khan's address came at a critical juncture of his political career when he lost majority after defection from his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. Two of his allied parties also withdrew their support and joined the ranks of the Opposition.The US has asserted that it did not send any letter to Pakistan on the current political situation in the country as it sought to refute allegations of America's involvement in the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan-led government.Khan met President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin on February 24, the day the Russian leader ordered a "special military operation" against Ukraine. Khan also became the first Pakistani premier to visit Russia in 23 years after former premier Nawaz Sharif travelled to Moscow in 1999. 

Pakistan summons US diplomat, lodges protest over 'interference' in internal affairs

The US State Department on Thursday firmly rejected embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks over Washington's role in an alleged foreign conspiracy to oust him from power.

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A spectator wears a mask as smoke haze shrouds Melbourne during an Australian Open practice session at Melbourne Park in Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2020. Smoke haze and poor air quality caused by wildfires temporarily suspended practice sessions for the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Tuesday, but qualifying began later in the morning in "very poor" conditions and amid complaints by at least one player who was forced to forfeit her match.The air quality in Melbourne deteriorated to the "worst in the world" on Tuesday as smoke from the massive bushfires engulfed Australia's second biggest city with authorities issuing health warnings advising people to stay indoors and take precautionary measures. The raging Australian bushfires, one of the worst in its history, has killed at least 26 people, burned over 10 million hectares of land, destroyed over 2,000 homes and pushed many species towards extinction. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology has forecast rains through the week, bringing some relief to the bushfire affected communities and the firefighters.According to report in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), widespread rainfall is expected for the east coast of the country, including the firegrounds, starting Tuesday and lasting into the weekend.Melbourne's air quality went down overnight to "hazardous" due to bushfire smoke as the smoke from Victoria state engulfed it. 16 fires were still burning and 1.4 million hectares have been destroyed across Victoria.It is the second biggest city in Australia after Sydney with a population of over 4.2 million."I think overnight for Melbourne it did reach the worst in the world," Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton said.Sutton said warmer temperatures would help lift "particulate matter" that had resulted in the poor air quality.He warned that people might experience a worsening cough and a dry nose and throat."For those vulnerable groups - over 65s, under 15s, pregnant women and people with existing lung/heart disease or diabetes - we are saying avoid exposure to the smoke by staying indoors and limiting physical activity," he said.While heart and respiratory patients were being told to keep safe, the healthy were being warned to stay inside.The ABC report said several outdoor suburban swimming pools were shut down and horse races at Werribee suburb were also cancelled.Australian Open organisers also temporarily suspended qualifying matches and player practice sessions for Tuesday morning.According to the Environmental Protection Authority's AirWatch website, the air quality in Melbourne was "very poor'' and visibility down to 900 metres in some parts of inner Melbourne on Tuesday.The entire state was choking under a blanket of bushfire smoke, including Geelong town, the Latrobe Valley, Central Victoria, Gippsland and the North Central regions, considered to have "hazardous" air quality at 7 am (local time).In Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD), the smoke was measured at "hazardous" levels between 12 am and 4 am (local time).Sutton said people in East Gippsland and the state's north-east, where poor to hazardous air quality is likely to remain for some time, should try to let fresh air into their homes when possible."When conditions are good … that's the time to open doors and windows to air your house, to get the smoke out and then when the air quality's poor, close doors and windows, stay inside, minimise your activity," he said.The bushfires this summer season has destroyed over 10 million hectares of land across the country, while over 8.4 million hectares have been destroyed in North South Wales alone.With 30 per cent of their habitat already been destroyed in the devastating bushfires, Koalas -- the herbivorous marsupial animal native to Australia -- have become a big focus for the Australian government.The ongoing blaze is also believed to have killed approximately half of the Koala population in the Kangaroo Island, described as Australia's Galapagos Islands. 

Melbourne's air quality 'worst in the world', authorities issue health warnings

The raging Australian bushfires, one of the worst in its history, has killed at least 26 people, burned over 10 million hectares of land, destroyed over 2,000 homes and pushed many species towards extinction.

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'Everything will be Okay': ISI chief during visit to Afghanistan. Pakistan's powerful intelligence chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed, who dashed to Kabul on an unannounced visit amidst efforts by the Taliban to finalise a government in Afghanistan, on Saturday expressed confidence that "everything will be okay" in the war-weary country.A delegation of senior Pakistani officials led by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director-General Lieutenant General Hameed arrived in Kabul to conduct discussions with the incoming Taliban government, the Pakistan Observer newspaper reported.In a short video clip circulated in the media, Hameed is seen trying to respond to questions by a journalist who first asked: “Will you be meeting senior people in the Taliban?”“No, I’m not clear…” the ISI chief said and looked towards Pakistan ambassador to Kabul Mansour Ahmad Khan, who was standing by his side, to respond to the question.But before Khan said anything, the journalist posed another question.“What do you hope is going to happen now in Afghanistan?" he was asked.“I have just landed…,” Hameed said and once again looked towards Khan who quipped: “We are working for peace and stability in Afghanistan.”At this Hameed smiled and said: “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.”Hameed's visit to Afghanistan comes as pressure is mounting on the Taliban to form an inclusive government acceptable to the international community. Earlier, Pakistan Observer newspaper reported that the ISI chief was expected to meet the Taliban leaders and commanders.“Issues relating to Pak-Afghan security, economy, and other matters will be taken up with the Taliban leadership,” the report said, quoting sources.It is the first high-level visit of any Pakistani official to Afghanistan since the Taliban took over of Kabul on August 15, in a move that surprised both their foes and friends.Since then, the Taliban have been trying to form a government but so far have held back the announcement.The Taliban have postponed the formation of a new government in Afghanistan for next week, their spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said on Saturday, as the insurgent group struggles to give shape to a broad-based and inclusive administration acceptable to the international community.This is the second time that the Taliban have delayed the formation of the new government in Kabul since their toppling of the US-backed Afghanistan government. The insurgent group was expected to announce the formation of the new government led by its co-founder Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar on Friday, but later postponed it by a day to Saturday.According to the Express Tribune, Hameed will also meet Pakistan's envoy in Kabul to discuss the matter of repatriation and transit through Pakistan of foreign nationals and Afghans fleeing Taliban rule."The issue of pending requests from countries and international organisations for the repatriation/transit through Pakistan and the need to determine the mechanism through which Pakistan could allow these, in coordination with the ground authorities in Afghanistan will be discussed during the meeting with the Taliban officials,” it said, quoting sources.The intelligence chief will spend a day in the Afghan capital, the Geo News reported. Border management is another important issue that will come under discussion during the visit of Hameed, it said.Pakistan was often accused by the Afghanistan government of giving the Taliban military aid, a charge denied by Islamabad.Hameed's visit to Kabul came as Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa met with British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab earlier in the day and said that Pakistan will assist in the formation of an inclusive administration in Afghanistan.Raab arrived in Islamabad on Thursday night to meet top Pakistani leadership and discuss the Afghanistan situation. /* .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_8911981694 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_zmpme8mf/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_zmpme8mf_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Afghan women protest near presidential palace in Kabul, want say in govt formation", "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": "1500", "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_8911981694 = ''; jwsetup_8911981694(); function jwsetup_8911981694() { jwvidplayer_8911981694 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_8911981694").setup(jwconfig_8911981694); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_8911981694, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_zmpme8mf\", ns_st_pr=\"Afghan women protest near presidential palace in Kabul, want say in govt formation\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Afghan women protest near presidential palace in Kabul, want say in govt formation\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Afghan women protest near presidential palace in Kabul, want say in govt formation\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-09-04\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-09-04\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_zmpme8mf/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_8911981694.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_8911981694.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_8911981694.stop(); jwvidplayer_8911981694.remove(); jwvidplayer_8911981694 = ''; jwsetup_8911981694(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_8911981694.stop(); jwvidplayer_8911981694.remove(); jwvidplayer_8911981694 = ''; jwsetup_8911981694(); return; }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8911981694.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

'Everything will be Okay': ISI chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed during visit to Afghanistan

A delegation of senior Pakistani officials led by ISI DG Lieutenant Gen Hameed arrived in Kabul to conduct discussions with the incoming Taliban govt, the Pakistan Observer newspaper reported.

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Breaking News June 14, 2020 | As it happenedWhile India battled the coronavirus epidemic, a shocking news emerged from Mumbai where Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide at his Bandra home. Reason for Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide is not yet known:

Breaking News June 14, 2020 | As it happened

While India battled the coronavirus epidemic, a shocking news emerged from Mumbai where Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide at his Bandra home. Reason for Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide is not yet known:

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PM Modi with Sri Lankan President Maithripala SirisenaPrime Minister Narendra Modi today had a positive exchange of views with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on strengthening development cooperation and other areas of bilateral ties.The two leaders met in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, on the sidelines of the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.Related Stories Union Minister VK Singh condemns attacks in northeastPM seeks strong cooperation from BIMSTEC to counter terrorism‘If Pakistan blocks regional initiatives in SAARC, there is BIMSTEC’, warns IndiaBIMSTEC and more: How Modi govt is neutralising China’s influence in the region "Cementing cooperation with a valued neighbour and close friend. President @MaithripalaS and PM @narendramodi meet on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Kathmandu," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted."Good and positive exchange of views on strengthening development cooperation and other areas of bilateral relationship," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted after the meeting. The BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal. The grouping accounts for 22 per cent of the global population.

PM Modi meets Sri Lankan president in Nepal, discusses bilateral cooperation

The two leaders met in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, on the sidelines of the 4th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit.

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China and Pakistan today took swipes at President Donald Trump's newly unveiled Afghanistan policy as they called for new talks with the Taliban to resolve the 16-year conflict in the land-locked nation.Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who met Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif here, announced that both the countries along with Afghanistan will hold a new series of three-way talks later this year in Beijing to push forward settlement negotiations with the Taliban.Related Stories Full text of BRICS Xiamen Joint Declaration 2017: Pak-based terror groups named for first time China skirts Masood Azhar issue after BRICS declaration names Jaish-e-MohammadBRICS declaration: Naming of Jaish, Lashkar a big setback for Pakistan'Good brother' Pakistan has 'done its best' to counter terrorism, says ChinaThe development comes almost a fortnight after the US announced to double down on its military campaign and issued the sternest warning to Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists and sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in the war-ravaged country.Asif said that Pakistan believes the crisis in war-torn nation can’t be solved through military and called for a political solution to settle the issue."It's our firm view that there is no military solution in Afghanistan, the focus should be on a politically negotiated settlement. China is playing a very constructive role in this regard," Asif said.Asif was reaction to US officials remark this week that USD 225 million in military aid for Pakistan have been suspended while about 3,500 additional troops will head to Afghanistan to reverse the Taliban's battleground advances and gain leverage in negotiations.Pakistan has repeatedly rejected US accusations that it is abetting groups like the Taliban-linked Haqqani Network, a position that China has backed."The government and people of Pakistan have made huge sacrifices in the fight against terror for everyone to see and the international community should recognize that," Wang said.The two Ministers also mentioned that ties between the two all-weather allies have grown even closer.The meeting comes close on the heels of China handing Pakistan an unexpected diplomatic setback at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen when all the five permanent members – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, declared the Pakistan-based militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad as terrorist organizations, in a move that was praised by New Delhi and Washington. 

China, Pakistan take swipes at Trump's Afghan policy; to hold three-way talks later this year

The development comes almost a fortnight after the US announced to double down on its military campaign and issued the sternest warning to Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists.

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Pakistan on Saturday again summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner J.P. Singh to condemn "unprovoked ceasefire violations" by India, which it said had killed five civilians and injured 22 others over the past three days.The Foreign Ministry said Indian forces continued firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border on Saturday, which killed an elderly civilian and injured two girls."The number of casualties at international border has also risen due to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing by the Indian forces. Four more innocent civilians were killed, while 20 were injured on January 18 and 19," the statement added.On Friday too, the Indian Deputy High Commissioner had been summoned by the Foreign Office to protest the deaths of a civilian and injuries to nine others in cross-border firing.Pakistan and India had declared ceasefire along the LoC and International Border in 2003. Both, however, routinely accuse each other of violating the ceasefire.

Pakistan summons Indian Deputy HC over cross-border firing

Pak Foreign Ministry said Indian forces continued firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border on Saturday, which killed an elderly civilian and injured two girls.

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Never been so close to getting rid of North Korean nuclear weapons, says Donald TrumpPresident Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States has never been so close to getting to geting rid of North Korean nuclear weapons, adding that his planned summit with Kim Jong Un will go ahead.Addressing the media during a joint news conference at the Rose Garden, with the visiting Nigerian President Muhammudu Buhari, President Trump said, "The United States has never been closer to potentially having something happen with respect to the Korean peninsula that can get rid of the nuclear weapons, can create so many good things, so many positive things, and peace and safety for the world.President Trump added that he is considering holding his summit with Kim Jong-Un at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) with South Korea rather than in a third-party country because of the potential to have a great 'celebration'. "There's something that I like about it, because you're actually there -- if things work out, there's a great celebration to be had on the site, not in a third party country. So we are looking at the possibility of doing it in that location," said the President.The president's announcement came after his aides had focussed for weeks on arranging the much-anticipated meeting outside the Korean peninsula. President Trump also disclosed that Singapore was a leading option, but said that he was intrigued by the idea of holding talks at the DMZ.Praising Kim for his recent statements on the suspension of nuclear missile tests, President Trump said," Kim Jong Un, who has been very open and very straightforward so far -- I can only say, again, so far. But he's talking about getting rid of the site, which was their big site. He's talking about no research, no launching of ballistic missiles, no nuclear testing. And he has lived up to that for a long period of time, a longer period of time than anybody has seen."Trump also expressed confidence that the summit will be a success. However, striking a balance between optimism and scepticism regarding the upcoming summit, President Trump said, "If it's not a success, I will respectfully leave. It's very simple".Meanwhile, Nigerian President Buhari congratulated the leaders of the North and South on their historic summit and applauded them for the positive commitment they have made towards the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula. President Buhari also praised Trump for his role in negotiating the peace efforts in the region."President Trump deserves a great deal of credit for his statesmanly role in transforming so dramatically the course of events in that region," he said."The much-anticipated summit between Trump and Kim Jong-Un is slated to take place in either May or early June.(With PTI inputs)

Never been so close to getting rid of North Korean nuclear weapons, says Donald Trump

President Trump added that he is considering holding his summit with Kim Jong-Un at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) with South Korea rather than in a third-party country because of the potential to have a great 'celebration'.

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One-third of Pakistan's criminal cases are of domestic violenceIn the case of Pakistan, which ranks sixth on the list of the most dangerous countries for women, it is not possible to change gendered social norms regarding domestic violence by only focusing on legal reform, according to a recent report published in the Journal of International Womens Studies."Women are subjected to violence that includes acid attacks, female genital mutilation, child marriage, forced marriage and female infanticide," said the report titled 'Not accepting abuse as the norm: local forms of institutional reform to improve reporting on domestic violence in Punjab' that is co-authored by Maryam Tanwir, Shailaja Fennell, Hafsah Rehman Lak and Salman Sufi.The report looks at reforms in the Punjab province of Pakistan, where legal structural obstacles and discriminatory gender norms prevent women from accessing justice, reports Dawn news.According to the report, despite the high number of cases relating to domestic violence that is more than one third of all criminal cases, the conviction rate for violence against women is a mere one to 2.5 per cent of all registered cases."This dismally low conviction rate has been a further sense of distress for the victims, as some resorted to extreme measures such as setting themselves on fire to bring attention to their neglected cases," it added.According to Sufi, who introduced the Punjab Protection of Women Against Violence Act 2016 and South Asia's first Violence Against Women Centre, this was an evaluation-based design institutional intervention, a mixed-methods research using qualitative insights and desk review was done, reported Dawn news."We conducted a two-year multi-stakeholder analysis of the existing case-flow process by examining the procedures involved in the registration of cases. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, comprising an analysis of the following sources of government data collected by different provincial agencies," he told Dawn news.This model, according to Sufi, will ease access to justice, allow for refuge, and the wearing of the tracker by the male assaulter will start a chain of shame in a severely gendered society."Through our extensive research, we identified the prime reasons which resulted in a low conviction rate of gender-based violence crimes. These include: disconnected evidence collection; lack of sensitisation to gender-based violence issues; passing of moral judgments; and absenteeism of relevant personnel. Multan Violence Against Women Centre (VAWC) has inbuilt institutional reform aspects to address all these," he said.ALSO READ | Kartarpur Corridor: United Akali Dal, Ex-Khalistan force chief slams Pakistan for $20 service chargeALSO READ | Sarfaraz Ahmed appeals ICC to do more to return international cricket to PakistanALSO READ | Economy weak, but not army: Pakistan Rail Minister to India

One-third of Pakistan's criminal cases are of domestic violence

According to the report, despite the high number of cases relating to domestic violence that is more than one-third of all criminal cases, the conviction rate for violence against women is a mere one to 2.5 per cent of all registered cases.

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Horrific! Taliban killing Afghan comedian Nazar Mohammad sends shock waves around world Afghanistan’s Taliban took responsibility this week for the killing of a comic in the country's south, raising the specter of revenge killings as the U.S and NATO put the final touches on their departure.A video of two men slapping and abusing Nazar Mohammad, better known as Khasha Zwan, spread widely on social media. He was later killed, shot multiple times. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged that the two men were Taliban. The men have been arrested and will be tried, Mujahid said. He alleged that the comic, from the southern part of Kandahar province, was also a member of the Afghan National Police and had been implicated in the torture and killing of Taliban. Mujahid said the Taliban should have arrested the comic and brought him before a Taliban court, instead of killing him.Mohammad was not a TV personality but would post his routines on TikTok. He was known for crude jokes, funny songs, poking fun at himself, and often making fun of topics thrown at him from fans.The brutality of the killing heightened fears of revenge attacks. It also undermined the Taliban's assurances that no harm would come to people who worked for the government, with the U.S. military or with U.S. organizations.Hundreds of people are reportedly being held by Taliban in areas they have overrun. Schools have been burned and reports have emerged of restrictions being imposed on women akin to those imposed when the insurgents last ruled Afghanistan. Back then, they had denied girls access to schools, and barred women from working.In an interview last week with The Associated Press, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the group's commanders have orders not to interfere with civilians, or impose restrictions in newly captured areas. He said that when complaints of wrongdoings arise they are investigated.However, Patricia Gossman of Human Rights Watch says that revenge killings have been committed by all sides during Afghanistan's decades of war.“The war--all 43 years of it--has a revenge-driven dynamic,” she said in an interview on Tuesday. “Revenge for past wrongs, including terrible atrocities, committed by one side or the other has been a mobilizing factor for all the various armed forces."For example, in 2001 when the U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban and many surrendered, hundreds were packed into containers by troops loyal to warlord Rashid Dostum, with dozens suffocating in the brutally hot sun. Others who returned home after the Taliban defeat were often singled out for extortion by government officials.Reports have also since surfaced of U.S.-allied warlords calling in American airstrikes on supposed Taliban, or al-Qaida targets that turned out to involve personal vendettas, not extremists.“Each new horror — understandably — brings new outrage," Gossman said. "With no hope for any other kind of justice, this is likely to continue... and every side is far too blind to the fact that this sense of outrage and horror at wrongs done is shared."The fear of revenge has driven as many as 18,000 Afghans who worked for the U.S. military to apply for Special Immigration Visas to the United States. In Washington and in NATO capitals there is a growing demand to evacuate Afghans who worked with the military.The U.S. has promised it will move quickly on thousands of special visa requests. Gossman pressed for investigations into alleged atrocities.“The U.N. should be much more engaged in investigating these atrocities, as Afghan and international human rights groups have called for, and has happened in other countries,” she said.

Horrific! Taliban killing Afghan comedian Nazar Mohammad sends shock waves around world

A video of two men slapping and abusing Nazar Mohammad, better known as Khasha Zwan, spread widely on social media. He was later killed, shot multiple times. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged that the two men were Taliban.

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United States President Donald TrumpUnited States President Donald Trump has ordered his top officials to begin the process to raise tariffs on almost all the imports from China, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Friday.This amounts to about USD300 billion. This is in addition to the Chinese imports worth USD200 billion on which Trump increased the import duty from 10 percent to 25 percent, beginning Friday."Earlier today, at the direction of the President, the United States increased the level of tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on approximately $200 billion worth of Chinese imports," Lighthizer said."The President also ordered us to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China, which are valued at approximately USD300 billion," he said.The process for public notice and comment will be published shortly in the Federal Register. "The details will be on the USTR website on Monday as we begin the process prior to a final decision on these tariffs," Lighthizer said.Expected to escalate trade war between US and China, the latest Trump move came as the Chinese Vice Premier concluded his two days of trade talks with the US team led by Lighthizer. In a series of tweets, Trump described the talks as candid and constructive, but indicated taking a tough approach against massive imbalance of trade with China."Over the course of the past two days, the United States and China have held candid and constructive conversations on the status of the trade relationship between both countries," he said."The relationship between President Xi and myself remains a very strong one, and conversations into the future will continue," he added."In the meantime, the United States has imposed Tariffs on China, which may or may not be removed depending on what happens with respect to future negotiations!" Trump said.Tariffs will bring in "far more" wealth to the United States than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. "Also, much easier & quicker to do. Our Farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!" he said in another tweet."If we bought 15 Billion Dollars of Agriculture from our Farmers, far more than China buys now, we would have more than 85 Billion Dollars left over for new Infrastructure, Healthcare, or anything else. China would greatly slow down, and we would automatically speed up!" Trump said.Referring to his latest direction, Trump said that the process has begun to place additional Tariffs at 25 percent on the remaining 325 Billion Dollars. "The US only sells China approximately 100 Billion Dollars of goods and products, a very big imbalance," he said."With the over 100 Billion Dollars in Tariffs that we take in, we will buy agricultural products from our Great Farmers, in larger amounts than China ever did, and ship it to poor & starving countries in the form of humanitarian assistance. In the meantime, we will continue to negotiate with China in the hopes that they do not again try to redo deal!" said the US President.Trump said he is in no rush to conclude trade talks with China."Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner - there is absolutely no need to rush - as Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25 percent on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods & products. These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S....," he said."We have lost 500 Billion Dollars a year, for many years, on Crazy Trade with China. NO MORE!" Trump said. 

Donald Trump orders raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China

This amounts to about USD300 billion. This is in addition to the Chinese imports worth USD200 billion on which Trump increased the import duty from 10 percent to 25 percent, beginning Friday.

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WHO warns of counterfeit Covid vaccinesThe World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said it was concerned about the potential criminal exploitation of the huge unmet global demand for Covid-19 vaccines, warned against counterfeit vaccines, and urged people to stick to government-run vaccination programs.According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, several ministries of health, national regulatory authorities and public procurement organizations across the world had received suspicious offers to supply Covid-19 vaccines, Xinhua news agency reported.The WHO is "aware of vaccines being diverted and reintroduced into the supply chain, with no guarantee that cold chain has been maintained," he said, adding that counterfeit vaccines have been sold on the internet, primarily on the dark web. There have also been reports of "criminal groups" reusing empty vaccine vials.Also on Friday, the WHO issued an alert for a counterfeit Covid-19 vaccine identified as BNT162b2, which was detected in Mexico in February.The product was supplied and administered to patients outside authorized vaccination programs, may still be in circulation in the region and continue to be offered to patients outside authorized vaccination programs, the WHO said.The genuine BNT162b2 Covid-19 vaccine is indicated for active immunization to prevent Covid-19 in individuals older than 16."Falsified Covid-19 vaccines pose a serious risk to global public health and place an additional burden on vulnerable populations and health systems. It is important to identify and remove these from circulation," the WHO warned in a statement.Tedros urged the public not to buy vaccines outside government-run vaccination programmes, and to report any suspicious sale of vaccines to the national authorities, who will report it to the WHO.ALSO READ | 53,476 new Covid-19 cases: India records biggest single-day jump in more than 5 months

WHO warns of counterfeit Covid vaccines

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said it was concerned about the potential criminal exploitation of the huge unmet global demand for Covid-19 vaccines, warned against counterfeit vaccines and urged people to stick to government-run vaccination programs.

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Biden announces plan to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in officeUS President-elect Joe Biden has announced an ambitious goal of inoculating 100 million Americans with COVID-19 vaccines in the first 100 days of his administration, noting that the vaccine rollout in the country, the worst hit by the pandemic, has been a "dismal failure." Ahead of his inauguration on January 20, Biden on Friday held a briefing with his team on addressing the major health crisis that has engulfed the nation for nearly a year now.The US is the worst-affected country in the world with more than 23,523,000 COVID-19 infections and 391,955 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus tracker.During his election campaign, Biden, a Democrat, made tackling COVID-19 and the economic hardships it had put on Americans a core pitch to voters.“The vaccine rollout in the United States has been a dismal failure thus far and in today's briefing we discussed five things, five things we will do in an attempt to turn things around, five things to turn frustration into motivation, five things to help us meet our goal of 100 million shots by the end of our first 100 days in office. Some wonder if we are reaching too far for that goal. Is it achievable? It's a legitimate question to ask,” Biden told reporters in Wilmington, Delaware.“Let me be clear; I am convinced we can get it done, and this is the time to set big goals to pursue them with courage and conviction because the health of the nation is literally at stake. First, we will immediately work with states to open up vaccinations to more priority groups,” he said.Biden said that the process of establishing priority groups is driven by science, but the problem is the implementation has been too rigid and confusing.“If you were to ask most people today, they couldn't tell you who exactly is getting vaccinated. What they do know is there are tens of millions of doses of vaccine sitting unused in freezers around the country while people who want and need the vaccine can't get it,” he said.Exuding confidence, Biden said that his administration will fix the problem by encouraging states to allow more people to get vaccinated beyond healthcare workers and move through those groups as quickly as they think they can. That includes anyone 65 years or older, a population that has accounted for over 80 per cent of the deaths to date.“We also have to continue vaccinating frontline essential workers like educators, first responders, grocery store workers, et cetera. It won't mean that everyone in this group will get vaccinated immediately as the supply is not where it needs to be, but it will mean that vaccines become available--as they become available, it will reach more people who need them, will reach out and get the vaccine used,” he asserted.Secondly, more vaccination sites would be added.“That is where we are going to harness the full resources of the federal government to establish thousands of community vaccination centres. On my first day in office, I will instruct the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, to be again setting up the first of these centres. By the end of our first month in office we will have 100 federally supported centres across the nation that will ultimately vaccinate millions of people,” he said.Within the first month, the administration is going to deploy mobile clinics moving from community to community that will partner with community health centres and local primary-care doctors to offer vaccines to hard-hit and hard-to-reach communities in cities, small towns and in rural communities. And to staff up these centres, the US will mobilise thousands of clinical and non-clinical professionals."The third change we are going to make is we are going to fully activate the pharmaceutic--the pharmacies across the country to get the vaccination to more arms as quickly as possible."Millions of Americans now turn to their local pharmacies every day for their medicines, flu shots, and much more. We are going to immediately start a new major effort working directly with both independent and chain pharmacies to get Americans vaccinated," he said.This programme will expand beyond access in neighbourhoods across the country so that people can make an appointment and get shot, conveniently show up at a particular time and get it done quickly, he said.Biden said his administration is going to use the full strength of the federal government to ramp up supply of the vaccines.Biden said he will use the Defense Production Act to work with private industry to accelerate the making of materials needed to supply and administer the vaccine from the tubes and syringe--and syringes to protective equipment.He alleged that the outgoing Trump administration's policy of holding back close to half the supply of the vaccines available did not make sense.“Our administration will release the vast majority of the vaccines when they're available so more people can get vaccinated weekly while still retaining a small reserve for any unseen shortage or delays,” he said.He said his administration will always be "honest and transparent about where we stand, both the good news as well as the bad. We're going to make sure state and local officials know how much supply they'll be getting and when they can expect to get it so they can plan.""Right now, we're hearing that they can't plan because they don't know how much supply of vaccines they can expect at what time frame. That stops when we're in office,” Biden said.ALSO READ | 'Vaccinationalism' is self-defeating, says UN chief as global COVID deaths cross 2 million /* .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_9410168552 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/01/0_xb9yl0ri/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_xb9yl0ri_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "PM Modi launches nation-wide vaccination drive against COVID-19, via video conference", "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": "221", "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_9410168552 = ''; jwsetup_9410168552(); function jwsetup_9410168552() { jwvidplayer_9410168552 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_9410168552").setup(jwconfig_9410168552); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_9410168552, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_xb9yl0ri\", ns_st_pr=\"PM Modi launches nation-wide vaccination drive against COVID-19, via video conference\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"PM Modi launches nation-wide vaccination drive against COVID-19, via video conference\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"PM Modi launches nation-wide vaccination drive against COVID-19, via video conference\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-01-16\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-01-16\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/01/0_xb9yl0ri/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_9410168552.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_9410168552.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_9410168552.stop(); jwvidplayer_9410168552.remove(); jwvidplayer_9410168552 = ''; jwsetup_9410168552(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_9410168552.stop(); jwvidplayer_9410168552.remove(); jwvidplayer_9410168552 = ''; jwsetup_9410168552(); return; }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9410168552.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Biden announces plan to vaccinate 100 million Americans in his first 100 days in office

US President-elect Joe Biden has announced an ambitious goal of inoculating 100 million Americans with COVID-19 vaccines in the first 100 days of his administration, noting that the vaccine rollout in the country, the worst hit by the pandemic, has been a "dismal failure."

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Donald TrumpGeo-political tensions between the US and Iran on top of a slowing global economy have forced the investors to bet on safer assets, driving the gold prices to over 6-year high.Demand for the precious metal gained momentum last week when the US Federal Reserve signaled it would cut interest rate in the future Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets in the 2019.The US Fed's dovish stance weakened the dollar, making the gold cheaper."Gold continued its unabated rally, with prices reaching a six-year high as a weaker dollar on rate cuts hopes, lingering trade worries and simmering US-Iran tensions boosted the appeal of the precious metal as a safe haven asset," a report by Kedia Advisors said on Tuesday.At multi-commodity exchange (MCX) (19.48 IST), gold contract expiry in August was trading Rs 370 or 1.07 per cent higher at Rs 3,4811 per 10 gram after touching a intra-day high of Rs 34,893.Gold was trading a little over $1,430 per troy ounce in the futures market."Gold has emerged as clear winner scaling to multi-year highs, amid a flurry of geo-political events and likelihood of feeble global economy," said Jagannadham Thunuguntla, Sr. VP and Head of Research (Wealth), Centrum Broking Limited.The precious metal is extending gains for the sixth day and is up 10 per cent so far in June over mounting US-Iran geopolitical risks, analysts noted.ALSO READ | Donald Trump to meet Narendra Modi, Xi Jinping on sidelines of G-20 summit in Japan | Top points ALSO READ | 'She is not my type': Donald Trump on sexual assault accusation  

Gold at over 6-year high on geo-political tensions between US and Iran

Geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran on top of a slowing global economy have forced the investors to bet on safer assets, driving the gold prices to over 6-year high.

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More than 100 Rohingya refugees have drowned in shipwrecks and boat capsizes as they fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh, according to a UN official.Stephane Dujarric, the chief UN spokesman, on Friday said that the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has received reports of some 30 improvised rafts, carrying more than 1,000 people arrived in Bangladesh from Myanmar, reports Xinhua news.Unable to pay to cross over to Bangladesh, the spokesman said refugees "are building rafts from whatever materials they can get their hands on" to make the four-hour trip across the Naf River.Recent arrivals told UNHCR that they had been "waiting for more than a month in desperate conditions" on the shores of Myanmar, according to Dujarric.The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported approximately 620,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Myanmar for Bangladesh since August 25."The refugees are mostly living in makeshift settlements without adequate infrastructure or services," Dujarric said.Dujarric pointed out that the Rohingya Refugee Crisis Response Plan has received nearly $140 million, just under one-third of what is actually needed. 

Over 100 Rohingya killed fleeing Myanmar in two months: UN

More than 100 Rohingya refugees have drowned in shipwrecks and boat capsizes as they fled from Myanmar to Bangladesh, a UN official said.

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Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today accused Iran of actively involved in terrorism against his country."The General Security Service, with the assistance of the IDF, exposed and foiled a terrorist network in Judea and Samaria that operated under the auspices and on behalf of Iranian intelligence,” Netanyahu said.Related Stories US alert to possible human rights violations in Iran: Donald TrumpIran protests: Khamenei blames 'enemies' as toll climbs to 22 White House asks Iran to respect citizens' right to protest The Jewish nation’s Prime Minister was reacting to the revelations that the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) uncovered an Iranian backed terror network that originated in South Africa.Netanyahu noted that this is “not the first time this has happened”. “Iranians are trying in different ways to harm Israel. I am happy that the Shin Bet and our security forces are succeeding in thwarting them,” he said.Iran is engaged in terror against Israel not only by assisting terrorist movements such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, but also in trying to organize terrorist activities inside Israel and citizens, he added.Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu had in a video message rejected reports of his backhand role in recent protests. Ridiculing Tehran’s claim that foreign players were behind the agitations, he praised the protesters who are seeking ‘freedom and justice’.“When this regime finally falls, and one day it will, Iranians and Israelis will be great friends once again,” the PM said.“The accusation that Israel was involved into stirring Iranian protests are false and laughable,” he added.Iranian President Hassan Rouhani had been blaming the US and Israel for provoking demonstrations in the country.

Iran involved in terrorism against Israel, says Benjamin Netanyahu; rubbishes involvement in Iranian affairs

Benjamin Netanyahu said that Iran is engaged in terror against Israel not only by assisting terrorist movements such as Hamas, Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad, but also in trying to organize terrorist activities inside Israel and citizens.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel/File ImageChancellor Angela Merkel has announced the suspension of German arms sales to Saudi Arabia, saying they cannot be undertaken in the current circumstances, a reference to the death of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi who disappeared on October 2 and whom Riyadh has admitted died inside its consulate in Istanbul."Regarding weapons exports, these cannot take place at this time," said Merkel in Berlin after meeting with top officials from her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).Merkel earlier had condemned Khashoggi's death in a joint communique with her Social Democratic Foreign Minister, Heiko Maas.The German leader emphasized that the evolving explanations given to date by Riyadh for the journalist's death were insufficient, adding that Berlin will undertake to coordinate with its partners to adopt a common position vis-a-vis the Saudi government.In the joint statement with Maas, Merkel had "categorically" condemned Khashoggi's death, which the Saudi government claims - implausibly, in the opinion of many analysts - occurred in its Istanbul consulate on October 2 during a "fight" that got out of hand."We expect transparency on the part of Saudi Arabia with regard to the circumstances of the death. Those responsible must be called to account," the two officials said in their communique.Maas, meanwhile, said in remarks to Germany's Channel 1 that after Khashoggi's death there was no basis for approving future arms exports to the Middle Eastern kingdom.Although Maas had criticized Berlin's arms sales to Saudi Arabia in recent months, weapons exports are within the purview of Germany's Economy Ministry, not the Foreign Ministry.After Khashoggi's disappearance and once his death was finally confirmed, Maas - along with many top international officials and a number of German and international businessmen - cancelled his participation in an economic conference in Riyadh.

Jamal Khashoggi death: 'Weapon exports cannot take place at this time', Chancellor Angela Merkel announces suspension of German arms sales to Saudi Arabia

"Regarding weapons exports, these cannot take place at this time," said Merkel in Berlin after meeting with top officials from her party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).

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China's 2nd aircraft carrier begins sea trials to test weapons, equipmentChina's second aircraft carrier, which is the country's first domestically-built carrier, is conducting sea trials and training to test its equipment and weapons, the Chinese military said.The ship named Shandong is carrying out sea trials as per an annual plan that includes training subjects, Defence spokesman Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang was quoted as saying by the official media on Friday.Ren said the training is aimed at testing the performance of the aircraft carrier's weapons and equipment, improving the training level of such warships and honing the capabilities of personnel to fulfil missions.Shandong is reportedly conducting testing and training missions in Yellow Sea as China’s Maritime Safety Administration on Friday prohibited the entry into a vast area till June 2, state-run Global Times reported.The ship has been actively conducting real combat-oriented training since its commissioning in December 2019."Troops on the aircraft carrier need to form independent comprehensive combat capability and integrate into the combat group system as soon as possible," Li Yongxuan, executive officer of the Shandong, said on CCTV news."We will do our best to make our aircraft carrier capable of fight and win," Li said.The Shandong was commissioned by the People's Liberation Army Navy on December 17 at a naval base in Sanya in south China's Hainan province, after which it sailed back to the Dalian shipyard in late December for maintenance.China currently has one aircraft carrier, Liaoning, a refit of the Soviet-era ship which was commissioned in 2012. It is being largely used for training especially to test the carrier fighter jet J-15 which has been specifically developed to operate from the decks of the aircraft carriers.Official media reports said Shandong with a displacement of around 40,000-60,000 tonnes is bigger than Liaoning and could house 36 fighter jets compared to 24 by Liaoning besides helicopters.Even while Shandong is undergoing sea trials, official media reports say China is building a third carrier which is projected to be even bigger with a displacement of 80,000 tonnes.Media reports earlier displayed satellite photos stating that China has established a huge aircraft carrier factory in Shanghai to produce several huge ships.China plans to acquire about five to six aircraft carriers in the coming years, according to reports in the official media.Beijing-based naval expert Li Jie told the paper that the training mission of Shandong will likely test if every adjustment is working well, noting that it is now laying the foundation for forming initial operational capability.As it built more aircraft carriers, China, which already has a base at Djibouti in the Indian Ocean, is stepping up its presence in India’s backyard.China has acquired the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka as a debt swap for 99 years though Sri Lankan officials say it will not be used for military purposes.China is also developing the strategically-located Gwadar port in Pakistan.In a major rejig of its military doctrine, China since 2013 stepped up the development of the navy with massive budget. It included building several aircraft carriers besides submarines, frigates and assault ships as part of its efforts to expand its global influence.China's this year's defence budget will be around 1.27 trillion yuan (about USD 179 billion) against last year’s 177.61 billion. It was approved by the just-concluded session of legislature, the National People's Congress.Shandong would be deployed in the South China Sea, an earlier report in the Global Times said.According to the Chinese naval officials, Shandong’s presence in the South China Sea could be a deterrent for repeated forays by the US naval ships to assert freedom of navigation in the area.China claims almost all of the South China Sea. However, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counter claims.Shandong’s commissioning marked China’s entry into an age of double carriers. It will enrich the Navy’s tactical and strategic choices in time, space and sheer power, the daily quoted Chinese experts as saying.

China's 2nd aircraft carrier begins sea trials to test weapons, equipment

China's second aircraft carrier, which is the country's first domestically-built carrier, is conducting sea trials and training to test its equipment and weapons, the Chinese military said.

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Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad FaisalIndia has no role in Afghanistan, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson said on Thursday, asserting that Islamabad played a key role in arranging direct talks between the Taliban and the US to find a peaceful solution to the longstanding Afghan problem.Speaking at the weekly briefing, Mohammad Faisal said Pakistan always maintained that the solution to the conflict in Afghanistan lies in an Afghan-led and Afghan owned peace process."In pursuance of that (policy), we have facilitated direct talks between the US and the Taliban," he said.He said Pakistan was convinced that an intra-Afghan dialogue will lead to peace and stability in the war-torn country."In our view, intra-Afghan dialogue is crucial for success and sustainability of peace process in Afghanistan. Pakistan will continue to support and facilitate Afghan peace process in good faith and as part of a shared responsibility," he said.Responding to a question on India's role in the country, Faisal said "India has no role in Afghanistan".Faisal's remarks contradict Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi's earlier statement in which he acknowledged that India had stakes in Afghanistan and its cooperation was necessary for the peace process."Some meetings have taken place (among key stakeholders) for establishment of peace in Afghanistan. India also has stakes in Afghanistan and its cooperation will also be needed," Qureshi said last month.India has been a key stakeholder in the peace and reconciliation process in Afghanistan and has committed aid worth USD 3 billion to the war-ravaged country.Faisal said Prime Minister Imran Khan will visit Qatar on an official invitation on January 21 and will meet the Amir and Prime Minister of Qatar."Issues of mutual interest will be discussed during the visit. The Prime Minister will discuss the import of manpower by Qatar from Pakistan," he said.Faisal said President of the UN General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espionosa will visit Pakistan from January 18 to 22, which is her first to any country in the Asia-Pacific region after her election.During her visit, Espionosa will call on the President and the Prime Minister. The Foreign Minister will also hold a meeting with the visiting dignitary, he said.Faisal said Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will visit Pakistan next month and the dates were being worked out. He said both sides were busy to finalise agreements to be signed during his trip.

India has 'no role' in Afghanistan: Pakistan Foreign Office

India has no role in Afghanistan, the Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson said on Thursday, asserting that Islamabad played a key role in arranging direct talks between the Taliban and the US to find a peaceful solution to the longstanding Afghan problem.

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Nawaz Sharif, her daughter Maryam Nawaz at London's Heathrow aiport before leaving for Lahore. (Photo/ANI)Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter  Maryam Nawaz have left London for Lahore to face an imminent arrest back home The father-daughter duo was convicted by an accountability court last week to 11 years, eight years in jail respectively. Sharif and Maryam took a flight to Lahore via Abu Dhabi from London's Heathrow Airport. In an emotional post on the micro-blogging website Twitter before leaving London, Maryam Nawaz said," Told my kids to be brave in the face of oppression. But kids will still be kids. Goodbyes are hard, even for the grownups." Related Stories WATCH: Mob attacks Nawaz Sharif's house in London, hurls abuses at ex-Pak PMNawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz put on exit control list Pakistan: Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam to be arrested at Lahore airport, says ministerMeanwhile, a heavy security arrangement has been made at the airport where a large number of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and supporters are expected to gather to express solidarity with the two top party leaders when they are arrested by National Accountability Bureau (NAB). According to reports, NAB has arranged two helicopters to ferry Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz from the airport. Sources said the two are expected to be directly moved to Adiala prison in Rawalpindi.Deputy Inspector General Operations Shahzad Akbar said 10,000 police officers will be deployed across Lahore to "maintain law and order". The Anti-Riot Unit have been put on alert, and the Dolphin Squad and the Police Response Unit have been deployed in sensitive areas of the city.The dramatic return by Sharif before the 25 July national election follows a two-year corruption scandal that engulfed Pakistani politics after the leak of the so-called Panama Papers showed his family used offshore accounts to buy high-end London apartments. The former premier was disqualified from the top job by the Supreme Court last July, his third ousting since the 1990s.Watch: Ex-Pak PM Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam to be arrested today  /* .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_3910702641 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_gmkumb54_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_gmkumb54_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Ex-Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif likely to return to country today. 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Ex-Pak PM Nawaz Sharif, daughter Maryam leave London for Lahore to face imminent arrest

A heavy security arrangement has been made at Lahore Airport where a large number of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) workers and supporters are expected to gather to express solidarity with the two top party leaders.

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Israel to start human trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidate 'Brilife' towards Oct-endIsrael has named its COVID-19 vaccine candidate 'Brilife' and its human trials will begin by October-end, according to an official press release. The prospective vaccine is being developed by the Israel Institute of Biological Research (IIBR) that was established in 1952 as part of the Israel Defence Forces' Science Corps, and later became a civilian organisation.Israel had claimed in August that it already has the vaccine against the coronavirus "in hand" but it has to go through regulatory processes that would begin with human trials following the autumn holidays.Defence Minister Benny Gantz on Monday visited the IIBR and described the process of beginning of human trials as a "very significant moment" and "source of national pride" that can bring great news for Israel and the rest of the world.Gantz was briefed on relevant details related to the vaccine's production and the anticipated timetable."We are at a very significant moment. The staff has done fantastic work … If the process is successful, it will be huge news for the state of Israel and maybe for the world. I'd like to thank the entire staff of researchers and administrators at the IIBR. You are a source of national pride," the defence minister said.IIBR Director Shmuel Shapira, during the minister's visit, unveiled the name of the prospective vaccine. 'Brilife' is a combination of the Hebrew word "Bri" (health) and "il" (the internet country code for Israel) and "life"."We set out nine months ago on February 2, and we are entering the final round at the end of October. The vaccine has a trade name "Brilife", health, 'il' for the state of Israel, and life. We thank the minister of defence for his support, and we will continue to work for the health of the citizens of Israel, as well as for the Israeli economy and society", Shapira said.The IIBR chief, during Gantz previous visit in August to the institute, had announced that "there is an excellent vaccine, but there are regulatory processes that the vaccine needs to go through ... We will start safety and efficacy trials after the autumn holidays, but the product is in hand".The press release did not specify as to how long the human trials are likely to take and by when the vaccine would be ready for use.In May, Israel announced that the IIBR, mandated to develop a vaccine for the coronavirus, had made a "significant breakthrough" by wrapping up the development phase of the antibody and moving to patent and mass produce the potential treatment.Earlier in March, Israeli daily Ha'aretz, quoting medical sources, had reported that scientists at the institute had made a significant breakthrough in understanding the biological mechanism and qualities of the virus, including better diagnostic capability, production of antibodies for those who already have the virus and development of a vaccine.The IIBR is technically under the supervision of the Prime Minister's Office, but works in close communication with the defence ministry. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is said to have asked the institute in February to devote resources to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. 

Israel to start human trials of COVID-19 vaccine candidate 'Brilife' towards Oct-end

The prospective vaccine is being developed by the Israel Institute of Biological Research (IIBR) that was established in 1952 as part of the Israel Defence Forces' Science Corps, and later became a civilian organisation.

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Image for representationA programme funded by NASA in the US has produced a series of videos about famous archaeological sites and institutions in India along with lesson plans in Hindi to teach the language internationally in the context of science and technology.The videos focus on scientific innovations at various sites like Amer Fort palace and Hawa Mahal in Jaipur, the rust-resistant Iron Pillar of Delhi, UNESCO Heritage site Qutub Minar, the Chand Bawri step well and headquarters of the Jaipur Foot, a prosthetic given free to impoverished amputees in 80 countries across the world.Related Stories NASA to launch twin satellites to study signal disruption from spaceNASA's Spitzer Space Telescope to switch off in 2020NASA's Mars 2020 rover to explore ancient lifeThe NASA-funded programme STARTALK, which makes it a priority issue for national security to expand the teaching and learning of Hindi, Arabic, Chinese and other world languages, made a USD 90,000 grant to Ved Chaudhary, director of the project.The programme is supplemented by funding from Chaudhary's New Jersey-based foundation Educators’ Society for Heritage of India.The programme is administered by the National Foreign Language Centre at the University of Maryland. “This was a unique experience. I never knew I was going to have so much fun doing my research," Alok Kumar, principal investigator in the project, said.Supported by research studies, Kumar said, context is crucial in learning new languages. Each video, designed for learners from middle school through college, employs a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) perspective "to provide interesting and incredibly rich context to create learning experiences that can push learners to the advanced level of Hindi."Kumar, professor of physics at State University of New York, has published several books on ancient Hindu science, mathematics and medicine. "I met a number of high-quality individuals who have made a profound impact on my life," he said.The University of Maryland said that science-based innovations are abound in the sites Kumar chose.With no air conditioning in 1799, a Hindu architect designed the honeycomb-patterned Hawa Mahal as a "Palace of Breezes," taking advantage of what is known as the "Venturi effect," Kumar said, adding that air enters narrow passages of the building, increasing the speed of flow and producing natural cooling.The nearly 24-foot-tall Iron Pillar of Delhi, built in the year 402, is a testament to the skill of Hindu metal smiths who processed phosphorus-rich iron that, instead of corroding, creates an even, protective layer that has withstood centuries of monsoons and scorching summer heat, the university said.

NASA funds programme to produce videos to teach Hindi through Indian scientific innovations

The NASA-funded programme STARTALK, which makes it a priority issue for national security to expand the teaching and learning of Hindi, Arabic, Chinese and other world languages, made a USD 90,000 grant to Ved Chaudhary, director of the project.

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Gautam Bambawale- File picIndia’s envoy to China Gautam Bambawale on Wednesday said that New Delhi and Beijing will work out their differences to ensure that they progress and prosper together.Bambawale’s statement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit this week.Related Stories Amidst fears of growing debt load, China proposes equity financing to tackle crisisChina 'intimidating, coercing' neighbours in South China Sea: US Defence Secretary James MattisChina welcomes PM Modi's remarks on bilateral ties at Shangri-La DialogueThis is going to be PM Modi’s second meeting with President Xi Jinping in less than two months. “Of course, there are certain differences between us, but we will work at the differences to ensure the two countries will progress and prosper together. We are not going to be going away from each other or apart from each other. We are going to do this together,” the Indian envoy told China’s state-run CCTV. The informal summit between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi in April at the Chinese city of Wuhan was an “effort by the leaders of India and China, two large countries with huge populations, to talk to each other, understand each other to promote cooperation between the two countries”, Bambawale said. “Most importantly, it (summit) was a strategic communication between the leaders of the two countries. As a result of their discussion in Wuhan, the two leaders have arrived at a certain consensus: the first and most important consensus is India and China are partners in progress and economic development: the second most important consensus is that there are many more commonalities between India and China than differences,” the envoy said. “They will work together on these commonalities,” he added. On the success of Indian films in China and promotion of people-to-people contacts, the envoy said India and China should have more people-to-people exchanges. One of the ways to that is through movies. “We are happy to see that Bollywood movies are becoming popular. The important point is by seeing the movies Chinese people will come to understand India better. By understanding India better there will be more mutual trust between people of India and Chin,” he said. “Similarly, we want to see more Chinese movies also so that we can understand China better,” he added.(With PTI inputs)

New Delhi, Beijing to work out differences for ensuring mutual progress and prosperity: Indian envoy Gautam Bambawale

Bambawale’s statement comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit this week.

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Relations between India, China post Wuhan summitThere had been a "perceptible improvement" in bilateral ties between India and China following the Wuhan Summit, concurred Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, as they held discussions on a wide range of global and regional issues during their meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Buenosaires.Leaders of both the nations, during their fourth meet, discussed joint efforts to further enhance mutual trust and friendship between the two giant neighbours.Related Stories Worry for India as Chinese mobile signals hold sway in NEChina distributes millions of controversial maps to troopsChina to accord priority to strategic ties with Pakistan: XiWorld needs common development of China, India: XiXi Jinping elected Chinese presidentXi vows to pursue 'China dream' of becoming major global powerThe two leaders have met twice after their informal summit in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late April.Modi told Xi that he was looking forward to host him for an informal summit next year, as he asserted that the Wuhan meet was a milestone in the Sino-India ties."Such initiatives are helpful in maintaining the momentum," Modi said, adding that there "have been two review meetings -- in Qingdao and in Johannesburg".Relations between the two nations have made huge strides over the last one year, he said.The relations between the two neighbours were strained last year following a 73-day standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector of the border.The chill between the two sides later improved resulting in an informal summit between Modi and Xi at Wuhan where the two leaders decided to issue "strategic guidance" to their militaries to strengthen communications to build trust and understanding, a move aimed at avoiding a Doklam-like situation in the future.Modi said Friday's meeting will strengthen further the partnership between the two nations."Today's meeting will be important in providing a direction in terms of strengthening our relations," he said."I express my heartiest thanks to you (President Xi) for taking out time for this meeting," the prime minister said.Modi later tweeted, "Had a wonderful meeting with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in Argentina. The talks revolved around a wide range of bilateral and global subjects. Our regular interactions have added significant strength to India-China ties."Later, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters that the two leaders said that there had been a perceptible improvement in bilateral relations."Both of them had a very detailed review of what they agreed to in Wuhan and how it was progressed. Both of them said that progress has been made on the economic side," he said.President Xi referred to enhanced imports of rice and sugar from India, spoke of possibility of greater import of soyameal and rapeseed. He also expressed the hope that India would import more agricultural products from China, Gokhale said.The president also indicated that in the pharmaceutical sector there would be greater trade between the two sides, he said."On the political side, they welcomed the visit of the Chinese defence minister, of the holding of the counter-terrorism military exercise next week in India and the recently concluded special representative talks."Both leaders (said) that there had been a positive improvement in border management along the India-China border areas following the Wuhan summit," the foreign secretary said.Modi and Xi also said they were looking forward to the first meeting of the high-level mechanism on people-to-people exchanges in New Delhi in December. "Both sides also specifically mentioned that the first bilateral cooperation that had begun in Afghanistan which is the training of Afghan diplomats, had been successful and that they were looking for further such opportunities," Gokhale said."Both leaders felt that as a result of the Wuhan Summit and the meetings taking place after that, strategic communication had been enhanced between them, trust had been built between them. There was a personal relationship and both sides were optimistic that 2018 was a good year but 2019 would be an even better year," the foreign secretary said, describing the meeting as "very successful".During the meeting, Xi told Modi that many important consensus reached on the development of China-India relations are being implemented and the ties are steadily improving, according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Beijing.Referring to the talks between the Special Representatives on the boundary as well as defence and various other delegations, he said the two sides should work together to build an open world economy and make globalisation more open, inclusive, balanced and beneficial to all, it said."We should oppose protectionism and unilateralism, uphold the core values and basic principles of the World Trade Organisation (WTO)," Xi said.His call for joint action came ahead of his meeting with US President Donald Trump, who has asked China to cut down the USD 375 billion trade deficit in their bilateral trade and slapped additional tariffs on over USD 250 billion Chinese exports to US.China too retaliated sparking a trade war between the two countries.Xi said it is necessary for India and China to deepen pragmatic cooperation, expand bilateral trade, strengthen cooperation in investment, medical and health, poverty reduction, environmental protection, disaster prevention and reduction, and expand people-to-people and cultural exchanges.(With PTI inputs)

Modi, Xi perceive ‘perceptible improvement’ in bilateral ties between India, China post Wuhan summit

The relations between India and China were strained last year following a 73-day standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector of the border.

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Syrian government forces now control all the towns and villages on the eastern side of Daraa province, including the villages of Nuaima and Saida, which sits 10 kilometers ahead of the Naseeb crossing and links the eastern and western sides of Daraa.Syrian soldiers fanned out across towns and villages in southern Syria on Saturday, celebrating the recapture of the main border crossing with Jordan by raising portraits of President Bashar Assad and tearing down rebel flags.Troops captured the Naseeb border crossing a day earlier following a crushing two-week military offensive, after rebels announced they had reached an agreement with Russian mediators to end the violence in the southern province of Daraa and surrender the crossing.Related Stories US attack on Syria: UNSC opens meeting at Russia's request to discuss military strikes carried out in SyriaAttack on Syria an act of aggression, says PutinSituation escalates in Middle East, Iran and Israel exchange dozens of rockets overnightSome flashed victory signs and pumped fists in the air as they chanted pro-Assad slogans. One officer said that troops have taken up positions along the border with Jordan and are blocking illegal crossing points.“We have ended their existence,” he said of the rebels. “They have no future anymore, God willing.”The crossing was once a bustling and vital artery through which Syria exported goods to Jordan and from there on to oil-rich Gulf countries. Rebels seized it in 2015, severing that lifeline and disrupting a key overland trade route also for Jordan.Heavy white smoke rose from a smoldering match factory in the free zone next to the crossing. Government buildings also bore the marks of fighting and shelling. Some were partially burned, windows were broken and looting appeared to have been pervasive.Russian military police were seen taking up positions on both sides of the border.Syrian government forces now control all the towns and villages on the eastern side of Daraa province, including the villages of Nuaima and Saida, which sits 10 kilometers ahead of the Naseeb crossing and links the eastern and western sides of Daraa.In one village, Saida, there were few residents two days after Syrian soldiers captured it from the rebels. Broken glass littered streets lined with bombed out houses.“They (rebels) destroyed the town, God will punish them,” said a 50-year-old villager who returned to check on her home.The recapture of Naseeb in Daraa marks the return of Assad’s forces to the province where the uprising against him began seven years ago, following successive military victories across most of the country with the help of powerful allies Russia and Iran.Weakened by a crushing government offensive backed by Russia and abandoned by their U.S. allies, rebels in southern Syria found themselves compelled to accept yet another humiliating surrender deal that would see opposition fighters transported by buses to areas held by rebels in the country’s north.The rebels in southern Syria once received significant backing and support from the U.S. that has and all but dried up over the past few years. Although the U.S. government negotiated a de-escalation agreement for southern Syria last year, it has remained silent as Assad’s forces marched onto Daraa in the past two weeks in a crushing assault that displaced more than 330,000 people.State-run news agency SANA said the army deployed at the crossing after combing and clearing it of the remnants of “terrorist groups.” It said Syrian army units have also established control over the town of Nuaima in the past 24 hours.The government’s offensive to retake Daraa and the nearby Quneitra region on the frontier near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights began on June 19, and is now expected to turn more forcefully toward retaking Quneitra, potentially setting up a clash between Israel and Hezbollah and Iran unless they agree to stay away from the area as Israel demands.The assault has forced hundreds of thousands to flee toward the sealed Jordanian border and the frontier near the Golan in one of the largest displacements in the seven-year Syrian conflict. Dozens have been killed.Meanwhile on Saturday, some 400 displaced people who had been living in Lebanon near the northeastern border town of Arsal returned home to war-torn Syria. They drove back using private vehicles, including trucks and tractors piled high with mattresses and belongings.They are the second batch of refugees from the Arsal area to return to Syria in a repatriation organized by the Lebanese General Security, which describes it as a voluntary return. The first group of 400 headed back to Syria a week ago.Around 3,000 in total are set to return in coming weeks, most of them to the Qalamoun region near the border with Lebanon.Lebanon hosts around 1 million registered Syrians — roughly a quarter of Lebanon’s population — and officials have said that the country can no longer afford the strain on its fragile economy.UN officials and rights groups have expressed concern over the organized repatriations, calling them premature as violence is ongoing amid a government crackdown in Syria.(With AP inputs)

Syria: Army personnel celebrates recapture of Jordan border crossing

Troops captured the Naseeb border crossing a day earlier following a crushing two-week military offensive, after rebels announced they had reached an agreement with Russian mediators to end the violence in the southern province of Daraa and surrender the crossing.

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The trainee pilot was flying on autopilot from Port Augusta to Parafield.A trainee pilot flew unconscious for about 40 minutes through controlled airspace above Adelaide airport in Australia after he skipped breakfast on the morning of the flight.The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has released its report into the "serious incident", which took place on March 9 and involved an aircraft from flight school Flight Training Adelaide.The ATSB said that the trainee pilot hadn't slept much the night before the flight and had only consumed a chocolate bar, an energy drink and some water. He was flying a solo navigation flight from Port Augusta Airport in South Australia to Parafield Airport outside Adelaide when the incident happened."Prior to the flight, the pilot had suffered from a restless night of sleep and was recovering from a mild cold," the ATSB stated.Around 40 minutes into the journey, while flying at 5,500 feet, he got a headache and engaged the autopilot, Australia's ABC News reported on Friday.The Diamond DA40 aircraft entered Adelaide's controlled airspace without clearance about 11 a.m. Air-Traffic Control made multiple attempts to contact the pilot but were unsuccessful, said the ATSB.Another plane nearby then spotted the aircraft, which was then flying over southwest of Adelaide, and reported that the pilot had regained consciousness.The pilot then returned to Parafield Airport under the other aircraft's escort.Following the incident, Flight Training Adelaide told the ATSB it would implement several "safety actions", including requiring students to log their "hours of sleep in the previous 24 and 48 hours (and) the time when their last meal was consumed and the type of meal".The training school also committed to providing better guidance to students "regarding sleep patterns" and conduct a safety briefing "with more emphasis on fatigue management".

'Asleep' pilot flies plane for 40 mins from Port Augusta to Adelaide

The ATSB said that the trainee pilot hadn't slept much the night before the flight and had only consumed a chocolate bar, an energy drink and some water. He was flying a solo navigation flight from Port Augusta Airport in South Australia to Parafield Airport outside Adelaide when the incident happened.

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Sikhs third most targeted religious group in US after Jews, MuslimsAn annual report released by the FBI on Tuesday suggested Sikhs are the third most commonly targeted religious group after Jews and Muslims in the US. The data comes after nearly 60 incidents of hate crimes were reported to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2018. A total of 7,120 hate crimes were reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies around the country last year, slightly down from 7,175 in 2017, the FBI said, adding that this involved 8,496 offenses.The largest number of hate crimes based on religion were reported against Jews (835), followed by Muslims (188) and Sikhs (60). According to the FBI report, 91 hate crimes were reported against other religions, including 12 against Hindus and ten anti-Buddhist crimes.Of the 4,047 hate crimes based on ethnicity, the maximum 1943 hate crime incidents were against anti-Black or African Americans, followed by anti-White (762) and anti-Hispanic or Latino (485).The FBI reports as many as 148 hate crimes against Asians in 2018, while those against Arabs were 82, anti-American Indian or Alaska Native (194).The Sikh Coalition in a statement said it is "disheartening" that hate crimes remain systematically "under-reported" across the United States.According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, Americans experience an average of 250,000 hate crimes per year; this latest FBI data, by contrast, only managed to document 7,120 incidents, with less than 13 per cent of law enforcement affirmatively providing reports of hate crimes, it said."While hate crimes remained relatively steady nationally, reported anti-Sikh hate crimes rose by 200 percent since 2017, making Sikhs the third most commonly targeted religious group in the dataset," it said.“At the end of the day, this data simply isn’t giving us the accurate information we need to effectively counteract hate against targeted communities,” said Sim J. Singh, Sikh Coalition senior manager of Policy and Advocacy.“It’s past time for action. Congress must pass the next generation of common-sense legislation that equips law enforcement to better identify and track hate incidents," he said. Also Read | Resolutions introduced in US Congress to recognize Sikhs' contributionAlso Read | America's first turbaned Sikh police officer shot dead in texas​

Sikhs third most targetted community in US after Jews, Muslims: FBI report

According to the Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics, Americans experience an average of 250,000 hate crimes per year; this latest FBI data, by contrast, only managed to document 7,120 incidents, with less than 13 per cent of law enforcement affirmatively providing reports of hate crimes, it said.

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A woman passes a fence outside Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery adorned with tributes to victims of COVID-19, Thursday, May 28, 2020, in New York.Coronavirus worldwide cases have crossed 5.9-million mark taking positive patients toll to 5,904,285 with 3,61,996 deaths while 2,579,506 have recovered, according to Worldometer figures. United States, Spain, Russia, UK, Germany, Brazil, Italy, France are among the worst-hit countries having maximum cases of coronavirus and the numbers are increasing every day.The United States continues to remain the worst-hit country with positive cases toll at 1,768,461 including 103,330 deaths. Following US, is Brazil with second-most maximum number of coronavirus cases 2,50,561 including 26,764 deaths and Italy with 3,79,051 cases including 4,142 deaths. The coronavirus crisis threw at least 2.1 million Americans out of work last week despite the gradual reopening of businesses around the country, stoking fears Thursday that the scourge is doing deep and potentially long-lasting damage to the U.S. economy. Amid a few glimmers of hope, most of the latest economic news from around the globe was likewise grim, as some of the world’s most populous countries continued to report rising infections and deaths. 

Coronavirus worldwide cases cross 5.9 million mark; death toll at 3,61,996

Coronavirus worldwide cases have crossed 5.9-million mark taking positive patients toll to 5,904,285 with 3,61,996 deaths while 2,579,506 have recovered, according to Worldometer figures.

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The Pentagon has expressed concern over two Chinese fighter jets intercepting a United States Navy plane over the East China Sea on Monday which forced the pilot of the  EP-3 surveillance plane to take evasive action to avoid possible collision.The Pentagon has termed the action of Chinese fighter jets as “unsafe”.The  Pentagon spokesman, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, said two Chinese J-10 fighters intercepted the U.S. plane Sunday in international airspace between the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea, in an area he described as west of the Korean peninsula.Davis said one of the Chinese planes approached at a high rate of speed from beneath the American plane, then slowed and pulled up, prompting the EP-3 pilot to take evasive action. He called the Chinese pilot's action unsafe."This is uncharacteristic of the normal safe behavior we see from the Chinese military," Davis said. "There are intercepts that occur in international airspace regularly, and the vast majority of them are conducted in a safe manner. This was the exception, not the norm."Navy Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for U.S. Pacific Fleet in Hawaii, said the American plane was on a routine mission."While we are still investigating the incident, initial reports from the U.S. aircrew characterized the intercept as unsafe," Knight said in an email response to questions. "The issue is being addressed with China through appropriate diplomatic and military channels."(With AP inputs)

Chinese fighter jets intercept US Navy plane over East China Sea, Pentagon terms it ‘unsafe’

The Pentagon spokesman said one of the Chinese planes approached at a high rate of speed from beneath the American plane, then slowed and pulled up, prompting the EP-3 pilot to take evasive action.

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Russia throws its weight behind India on Kashmir issueRussia on Wednesday called withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status as sovereign decision and internal matter of India and pitched for resolving outstanding issues between New Delhi and Islamabad through dialogue.Russian envoy Nikolay Kudashev said India's decision on Jammu and Kashmir was in accordance with the country's Constitution and Moscow is totally backing its close ally on the issue."India's decision (on Jammu and Kashmir) is a sovereign decision which is as per its Constitution. Our position on the issue is totally identical to India's position," he said during a press conference.The Russian envoy said India and Pakistan should resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue and on the basis of Simla agreement and Lahore declaration.Deputy Chief of Russian Embassy Roman Babushkin said Russia had taken a position during the closed-door consultations in UN Security Council on Kashmir on August 16 that it was India's internal matter. "We were of the view that India and Pakistan should resolve their issues bilaterally," he said.Babushkin said Russia has no role to play in disputes between India and Pakistan unless both the countries seek mediation in resolving their issues. Earlier this month, India scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and divided the state into two union territories.

Russia throws its weight behind India on Kashmir issue

Russian envoy Nikolay Kudashev said India's decision on Jammu and Kashmir was in accordance with the country's Constitution and Moscow is totally backing its close ally on the issue.

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 Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate from Gujranwala's PP-53 constituency, Nasir Cheema, was ruled ineligible to contest the July 25 elections after he was found to have violated the electoral code of conduct issued by the commissionPakistan's election commission on Monday disqualified a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate who used the pictures of Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and Chief Justice Saqib Nisar in his campaign advertisements and posters, according to a media report.Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate from Gujranwala's PP-53 constituency, Nasir Cheema, was ruled ineligible to contest the July 25 elections after he was found to have violated the electoral code of conduct issued by the commission, Dawn reported.Related Stories PoK: Imran Khan’s party seeks Pakistani Army chief’s intervention in ‘pre-poll rigging’ in the stateImran Khan’s PTI to sue Nawaz Sharif for ‘taking funds’ from Osama Bin Laden Pakistani political parties get foreign funds: PTIThe election authorities had quizzed Cheema over the controversial posters last week and asked him to submit a reply explaining as to why he should not be disallowed from contesting the polls."Are they related to you? What is the army chief's and chief justice's link to the elections? On what basis did you put up their pictures?" an infuriated Chief Election Commissioner Sardar Mohammad Raza Khan had asked Cheema.Cheema, along with his lawyer Gohar Ali Khan, appeared before a five-member bench headed by CEC Khan and submitted a reply on Monday, the paper said.His lawyer initially was of the stance that the photos of General Bajwa and Chief Justice Nisar had been edited onto the posters, which he said did not belong to his client's electoral campaign, the paper reported.He said the posters in question were put up in solidarity with Supreme Court judge Justice Ijazul Ahsan after unknown gunmen opened fire on his residence in April.But Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, an election commission member from Sindh, questioned whether Justice Ahsan's photo was on the said poster (it only featured the chief justice's photo).CEC Khan reminded the counsel that Cheema had admitted in the last hearing that the posters had been printed before the election schedule was issued, the paper said."Do the army and judiciary need your sympathy?" he asked the candidate.Cheema's lawyer then argued that the posters were put up before the election commission issued the code of conduct.After hearing all arguments, the election commission bench ruled Cheema disqualified from the electoral race for using photos of two heads of institutions on the posters.

Pakistan: Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate disqualified for using photos of Chief Justice, Army Chief on posters

Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate from Gujranwala's PP-53 constituency, Nasir Cheema, was ruled ineligible to contest the July 25 elections after he was found to have violated the electoral code of conduct issued by the commission, Dawn reported.

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President Donald Trump said Sunday that “it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia” after his lengthy meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Germany. But he is still avoiding the question of whether he accepts Putin’s denial that Russia was responsible for meddling in the 2016 election.Speaking in a series of tweets the morning after returning from a world leaders’ summit in Germany, Trump said he “strongly pressed” Putin twice over Russian meddling during their meeting Friday.Trump said that Putin “vehemently denied” the conclusions of American intelligence agencies that Russian hackers and propagandists tried to sway the election in Trump’s favor. But Trump would not say whether he believed Putin, tweeting only that he’s “already given my opinion.”Trump has said he thinks Russia probably hacked the emails of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton staffers, but that “other people and/or countries” were likely involved as well. He said ahead of the meeting that, “Nobody knows for sure.”Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov first told reporters in Germany on Friday that Trump had accepted Putin’s assurances that Russia hadn’t meddled — an assertion Putin repeated Saturday after the Group of 20 summit. Putin said he left the meeting thinking that Trump had believed his in-person denials.“He asked questions, I replied. It seemed to me that he was satisfied with the answers,” Putin said.Secretary of State Rex Tillerson did not answer directly when asked Sunday if Trump had accepted Putin’s denial, but told reporters in Ukraine that Trump’s conversation with Putin on election interference went “about the way we expected.” Tillerson was the only other American official in the room.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin also declined to say whether Trump accepted Putin’s denial. “Why would President Trump broadcast exactly what he said in the meeting? Strategically that makes no sense,” Mnuchin said. “He’s made it very clear how he feels. He’s made it very clear that he addressed it straight on.”But White House chief of staff Reince Priebus took issue with Putin’s characterization.“The president absolutely didn’t believe the denial of President Putin,” Priebus said. He said Trump had spent a “large part of the meeting on the subject,” but wanted to move onto other subjects.He and other administration officials said Trump did not want Russian interference in last year’s election to prevent him from working with Putin’s government on other issues, including the civil war in Syria.“You know, the past, I don’t know if we will ever come to an agreement, obviously with our Russian counterparts on that. I think the important thing is how do we assure that this doesn’t happen again,” Tillerson said.Tillerson said that, “In all candidness, we did not expect an answer other than the one we received” from Russia.“Everybody knows that Russia meddled in our elections,” added Nikki Haley, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “This is Russia trying to save face.”But in a show of U.S.-Russian cooperation, officials announced during the trip that the two sides had brokered a cease-fire in southern Syria that went into effect Sunday. Trump tweeted that the deal “will save lives.”The two sides also agreed to create what Trump described in a tweet as “an impenetrable Cyber Security unit” to ensure that “election hacking, & many other negative things, will be guarded.”However, the idea drew widespread ridicule and Trump sent out another tweet Sunday night in which he seemed to back off: “The fact that President Putin and I discussed a Cyber Security unit doesn’t mean I think it can happen. It can’t-but a ceasefire can,& did!”Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina was among critics of the task force on Twitter and Sunday morning news shows.“It’s not the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard, but it’s pretty close,” Graham said, adding that, when it comes to Russia, the president has “a blind spot.”“And to forgive and forget when it comes to Putin regarding cyberattacks is to empower Putin and that’s exactly what he’s doing,” he added.Another Senate Republican, Marco Rubio of Florida, said on Twitter that “partnering with Putin on a ‘Cyber Security Unit’ is akin to partnering with Assad on a ’Chemical Weapons Unit.’” Rubio was referring to Syrian President Bashar Assad and his regime’s use of chemical weapons against its own citizens.”Former Defense Secretary Ash Carter equated the move to “like the guy who robbed your house proposing a working group on burglary.”And Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House intelligence committee, said that expecting Russia to be a credible partner in any cybersecurity initiative “would be dangerously naive for this country.”“If that’s our best election defense, we might as well just mail our ballot boxes to Moscow,” he said.Haley, however, defended the move, arguing that working with Russia on cybersecurity “doesn’t mean we ever trust Russia. We can’t trust Russia and we won’t ever trust Russia. But you keep those that you don’t trust closer so that you can always keep an eye on ’em and keep them in check.”Trump also tweeted Sunday that sanctions against Russia were not discussed at his meeting with Putin, seemingly contradicting comments made by Tillerson in Germany. Tillerson told reporters that the president had taken “note of actions that have been discussed by the Congress” in the meeting. Congress has been pushing to increase sanctions on Russia and make them harder for Trump to lift.Haley and Schiff spoke on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Mnuchin on ABC’s “The Week,” Priebus on “Fox News Sunday,” and Graham on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

US must work with Russia, move past election issues, says Trump

President Donald Trump said Sunday that “it is time to move forward in working constructively with Russia” after his lengthy meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Germany

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France's coronavirus death toll tops 26,000With 243 people losing their lives to the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, France saw its pandemic toll rise to 26,230, while the numbers of people hospitalized and admitted into intensive care continued to decline. To date, a total of 16,497 people have died in hospitals and 9,733 in nursing homes and other communal living institutions, said the Ministry of Health in a press release on Friday, Xinhua news agency reported.The pressure on hospitals continued to ease as the number of patients listed in serious condition fell to 2,868 from 2,961 on Thursday. A total of 22,724 people are now hospitalized with the virus, a decrease of 484 within one day.Across the country, 138,421 cases of COVID-19 infection have been confirmed, 642 more than on Thursday. Since the start of the pandemic, 55,782 people have recovered from the virus.After another weekend in lockdown, French people will gradually start to resume their "normal" life from Monday with some shops and schools reopening.

France's coronavirus death toll tops 26,000

With 243 people losing their lives to the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, France saw its pandemic toll rise to 26,230, while the numbers of people hospitalized and admitted into intensive care continued to decline.

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Britain's Prince CharlesBritain's Prince Charles on Wednesday made an impassioned plea as he backed an emergency appeal launched by his charity, British Asian Trust, and urged people to help India as it copes with a "horrific" second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 72-year-old heir to the British throne spoke of his "great love" for India, where he has paid several visits, and said that those suffering the effects of this pandemic in the country are in his "thoughts and prayers"."For well over a year the pandemic has had a devastating impact on so many of us around the world. This week, I have been deeply saddened by the tragic images we have all seen as COVID-19 takes its horrific toll in India," read a statement by Prince Charles, released by Clarence House."With support from the Indian diaspora, the British Asian Trust has launched an emergency appeal for India to channel this desire to do something about this terrible situation and help save lives. Many members of the diaspora, and others including businesses, trusts and foundations, have already come together behind this appeal. I do hope that even more of us might be able to provide support to help those in India in their time of need," he said."Like many others, I have a great love for India and have enjoyed many wonderful visits to the country. Indian aid and ingenuity has been a support to other countries throughout this immensely difficult time. As India has helped others, so now must we help India,” he said, adding that "we will win this battle" together.The British Asian Trust, founded by Prince Charles, had launched an emergency appeal entitled "Oxygen For India" to help meet the urgent needs of overrun hospitals in India.ALSO READ | COVID 19: Britain sends ventilator, oxygen, other medical equipment to IndiaThe appeal is being supported by the British International Doctors Association (BIDA) who have partnered with the British Asian Trust to help raise funds, with a target of raising GBP 100,000."We have seen the terrible impact of the pandemic worldwide but the devastation in India currently is one of the worst points of the last 12 months," said Hitan Mehta, Executive Director of the British Asian Trust."The astronomical numbers of COVID-19 cases and deaths in India are frightening and we fear there is still a peak to come. What we can do now is provide essential support as quickly as possible to help those most in need. Our 'Oxygen For India' emergency appeal has been set up to provide vital supplies and equipment to save lives. We simply cannot stand by and do nothing," he said.The appeal says a donation of GBP 50 will provide oxygen for 40 patients struggling to breathe, GBP 450 will provide low-flow oxygen concentrator to help 900 patients and an GBP-830 donation will provide high-flow oxygen concentrator to help 550 of the most seriously ill patients.All funds raised by the "Oxygen For India" emergency appeal will go towards providing as many oxygen concentrators to hospitals as quickly as possible.Oxygen concentrators are alternate devices to oxygen cylinders – while cylinders contain a finite amount of oxygen supply, a concentrator continually recycles oxygen from the air and delivers it to the patient, it explains.Many British Indian Trust Ambassadors, including actors Sanjeev Bhaskar, Meera Syal and Nitin Ganatra and cricketer Isa Guha, have been vocal about the launch of the appeal across social media."Devastating scenes in India where people are dying in the streets due to COVID-19, please take a look at the British Asian Trust's emergency appeal. Please share. #OxygenForIndia Please give generously," said Ganatra, in his Twitter appeal.India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals in several states reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.India saw a record single-day rise of 3,60,960 coronavirus cases, which pushed the total tally to 1,79,97,267, while the death toll crossed two lakh following 3,293 fresh fatalities, the health ministry said on Wednesday.The death toll stands at 2,01,187, it said. ALSO READ | How the world has extended a helping hand to India amid Covid tsunami

As India helped others, so must we in their time of need, says Prince Charles in COVID-aid appeal

Britain's Prince Charles on Wednesday made an impassioned plea as he backed an emergency appeal launched by his charity, British Asian Trust, and urged people to help India as it copes with a "horrific" second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Nigeria lifts its ban on Twitter after 7 months.  The Nigerian government has lifted its ban on Twitter in the West African country, seven months after the country’s more than 200 million people were shut out of the social media network. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari directed that Twitter’s operations will resume in the country on Thursday, according to the director-general of the country’s National Information Technology Development Agency. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said that was only after Twitter agreed to meet some conditions, including opening an office in Nigeria. Nigeria suspended Twitter’s operation on June 4, citing “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.” The action triggered criticisms as it came shortly after the social media network deleted a post by Buhari in which he threatened to treat separatists “in the language they will understand.” “Our action is a deliberate attempt to recalibrate our relationship with Twitter to achieve the maximum mutual benefits for our nation without jeopardizing the justified interests of the company. Our engagement has been very respectful, cordial, and successful,” Abdullahi said in a statement. A spokesperson for Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In addition to registering in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2022, Abdullahi said Twitter has also agreed to other conditions including appointing a designated country representative, complying with tax obligations and acting “with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built.” ALSO READ: 11 killed, over 200 inmates escape after prison attack in NigeriaThe Nigerian government has lifted its ban on Twitter in the West African country, seven months after the country’s more than 200 million people were shut out of the social media network.Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari directed that Twitter’s operations will resume in the country on Thursday, according to the director-general of the country’s National Information Technology Development Agency. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said that was only after Twitter agreed to meet some conditions, including opening an office in Nigeria.Nigeria suspended Twitter’s operation on June 4, citing “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.” The action triggered criticisms as it came shortly after the social media network deleted a post by Buhari in which he threatened to treat separatists “in the language they will understand.”“Our action is a deliberate attempt to recalibrate our relationship with Twitter to achieve the maximum mutual benefits for our nation without jeopardizing the justified interests of the company. Our engagement has been very respectful, cordial, and successful,” Abdullahi said in a statement.A spokesperson for Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.In addition to registering in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2022, Abdullahi said Twitter has also agreed to other conditions including appointing a designated country representative, complying with tax obligations and acting “with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built.”ALSO READ: 18 villagers shot dead at mosque in Nigeria; attackers at large

Nigeria lifts its ban on Twitter after seven months

Nigeria suspended Twitter’s operation on June 4, citing “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

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Bilawal Bhutto tests coronavirus positive with mild symptoms, in self-isolationPPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced on Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. "I have tested positive for COVID-19 and am self isolating with mild symptoms," tweeted the PPP chairman. He said that he will continue working from home, adding that he will address the PPP foundation day gathering via a video link. "Wear a mask everyone, see you on the other side," he added.On Tuesday, the PPP Chairman went into self-isolation after his political secretary Jameel Soomro tested positive for coroanvirus.

Bilawal Bhutto tests coronavirus positive with mild symptoms, in self-isolation

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari announced on Thursday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus. "I have tested positive for COVID-19 and am self isolating with mild symptoms," tweeted the PPP chairman

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Trump signs massive measure funding government, COVID reliefEnding days of drama over his refusal to accept the bipartisan deal that will deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and avert a federal government shutdown, US President Donald Trump on Sunday signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package. The massive bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems and an increase in food stamp benefits.Trump announced the signing in a statement Sunday night that spoke of his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief for including only $600 checks to most Americans instead of the $2,000 that his fellow Republicans rejected. He also complained about what he considered unnecessary spending by the government at large. However, Trump’s eleventh-hour objections created turmoil because lawmakers had thought he was supportive of the bill, which had been negotiated for months with White House input.“I will sign the Omnibus and Covid package with a strong message that makes clear to Congress that wasteful items need to be removed,” Trump said in the statement.While the president insisted he would send Congress “a redlined version” with items to be removed under the rescission process, those are merely suggestions to Congress. The bill, as signed, would not necessarily be changed.Lawmakers now have breathing room to continue debating whether the relief checks should be as large as the president has demanded. The Democratic-led House supports the larger checks and is set to vote on the issue Monday, but it’s expected to be ignored by the Republican-held Senate where spending faces opposition.Republicans and Democrats swiftly welcomed Trump’s decision to sign the bill into law.“The compromise bill is not perfect, but it will do an enormous amount of good for struggling Kentuckians and Americans across the country who need help now,” said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. “I thank the President for signing this relief into law.”Democrats are promising more aid to come once President-elect Joe Biden takes office, but Republicans are signaling a wait-and-see approach.In the face of growing economic hardship, spreading disease and a looming shutdown, lawmakers on Sunday had urged Trump to sign the legislation immediately, then have Congress follow up with additional aid. Aside from unemployment benefits and relief payments to families, money for vaccine distribution, businesses, cash-starved public transit systems and more is on the line. Protections against evictions also hung in the balance.“What the president is doing right now is unbelievably cruel,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “So many people are hurting. ... It is really insane and this president has got to finally ... do the right thing for the American people and stop worrying about his ego.”Republican Sen. Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania said he understood that Trump “wants to be remembered for advocating for big checks, but the danger is he’ll be remembered for chaos and misery and erratic behavior if he allows this to expire.”Toomey added: “So I think the best thing to do, as I said, sign this and then make the case for the subsequent legislation.”The same point was echoed by Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican who’s criticized Trump’s pandemic response and his efforts to undo the election results. “I just gave up guessing what he might do next,” he said.Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois said too much is at stake for Trump to “play this old switcheroo game.”“I don’t get the point,” he said. “I don’t understand what’s being done, why unless it’s just to create chaos and show the power and be upset because you lost the election.”Washington had been reeling since Trump turned on the deal. Fingers pointed at administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, as lawmakers tried to understand whether they were misled about Trump’s position.“Now to be put in a lurch, after the president’s own person negotiated something that the president doesn’t want, it’s just — it’s surprising,” Kinzinger said.(With AP inputs)

Donald Trump signs massive USD 900 billion COVID relief bill

Trump announced the signing in a statement Sunday night that spoke of his frustrations with the COVID-19 relief for including only $600 checks to most Americans instead of the $2,000 that his fellow Republicans rejected.

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India has “misgivings” about Russia’s limited contacts with the Taliban as a “legitimate political force” in Afghanistan, a joint report by an Indian and a Russian think tank has said. The report also said that India was concerned over China’s reported nuclear ties with Pakistan and, according to the Indian view, the cooperation violates China’s commitments as a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).    The report prepared by Russian International Affairs Council and Vivekananda International Foundation to mark the 70th year of Indo-Russia ties, examines various facets of the time-tested relations between the two countries besides delving into key geopolitical issues. “As regards Afghanistan, although Russia and India do not differ much in their views on the situation in the country, India has misgivings about Russia’s limited contacts with Taliban as a ‘legitimate political force’ in Afghanistan,” it said. Referring to defence cooperation, the report said the Russian side has raised the issue of “lengthy bureaucratic procedures” in India related to tendering for military equipment and contract negotiations, which can take longer than delivery time frames themselves.  “More frank exchanges between the two sides are required to redress some structural issues in the relationship and to agree on mutually beneficial terms of long-standing deals in future,” it said, adding joint development and manufacture of defence platform is a reliable option to transfer of technology. The report found that in the near future, Russia’s share in the Indian market may decrease, although it will retain its leadership in absolute terms. Despite the US emerging as the biggest supplier of defence hardware to India in the recent years, the country continues to be heavily dependent on Russia as almost 70 per cent of its defence equipment is still based on Soviet era platforms, according to the report. It said in India’s view China’s expansion into Eurasia is a counter to the US pivot towards the Asia-Pacific, apart from creating markets for its excess capacity in certain sectors “China’s military and nuclear cooperation with Pakistan continues to be of serious concern to India. This includes civil nuclear cooperation that in Indian view violates China’s commitments as an NSG member,” it said.    The report said Russia’s military ties with Pakistan is a new development that India has noted with concern. For its part, Russia has concerns regarding India’s growing ties with the US. It said despite the privileged political partnership between the two countries, trade and economic ties remain the weakest part of the relations. In 1989 and 1990, Russia’s share in India’s foreign trade was 16 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. In 1994, it dwindled to 2 per cent and in 2015-2016 it further came down to 0.96 per cent, said the report. Cooperation in oil and gas industry is extremely promising, as Russian on-shore technology is considered one of the most advanced in the world, it said.  The report said India could consider investing in hydrocarbon exploration in the Arctic.

India thinks China’s nuclear cooperation with Pakistan violates its NSG commitment: Report

The report said that India was concerned over China’s reported nuclear ties with Pakistan and, according to the Indian view, the cooperation violates China’s commitments as a member of NSG.

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The US wishes to sit down and hold dialogue with North Korea, but only if the Communist nation gives up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said.Days after North Korea on Sunday launched its second intercontinental ballistic missile in a month, Tillerson on Tuesday said Washington was "responding to an unacceptable threat to the US".The official said at a press conference here that the US was not Pyongyang's "enemy". "We hope that at some point they will begin to understand that and we would like to sit and have a dialogue with them."He reiterated the US does not "seek a reunification of the peninsula"."We do not seek regime change... We do not seek an excuse to send our military north of the 38th parallel," Tillerson said, speaking to North Korea directly.The missile launched by North Korea travelled about 1,000 km before splashing down into the sea, Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said in a statement.North Korea said the test-firing aimed to "finally confirm the overall technological specifications of the weapon system of Hwasong-14 capable of carrying large-sized heavy nuclear warhead, including its maximum range".A willingness to talk if North Korea agrees to pursue denuclearisation was also Obama administration policy, though it was never successful in getting Pyongyang to the table.Tillerson is travelling to Asia this week, where he will continue his drive to increase "peaceful pressure on the regime in North Korea to have them develop a willingness to sit and talk to us and others".But he made it clear that there was no possibility of talks if North Korea did not abandon its nuclear programme.He said China has a particular role to play, as it accounts for 90 per cent of trade with the Communist nation.Trump had emphasized that point as he courted Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit and pressured Beijing to use its influence on Pyongyang.Trump had recently expressed disappointment that Beijing had not applied as much pressure as he would like or caused a change in North Korea's behaviour.Arguing that China sees eye-to-eye with the US about the threat posed by Pyongyang's aggressive weapons development, Tillerson said: "We don't blame the Chinese for the situation in North Korea.""But we do believe China has a unique and special relationship," he added. "We continue to call upon them to use that influence with North Korea to create the conditions where we can have a productive dialogue."

US willing to talk to North Korea, says Rex Tillerson

Days after North Korea launched its second intercontinental ballistic missile in a month, Tillerson on Tuesday said Washington was "responding to an unacceptable threat to the US".

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Photo for representation . (File Photo/AP)A car ploughed into several students in front a primary school in China's northeast Liaoning province, killing five of them and injuring 18 others, state media reported.The injured students of No 2 primary school in Jianchang county, Huludao city have been taken to hospitals, China Daily reported.Related Stories Differences between India, China should not become disputes: Nirmala SitharamanTop India, China officials hold defence, security meet, agree to enhance military exchanges and interactionsPak received ‘big’ package of aid from China, not to reveal amount under instructions from President Xi: Imran KhanThe number of casualties was yet to be determined though initial reports claimed that five people have been killed. The driver is under police detention, the report said.The daily's website carried pictures of several people lying on the road and police detaining the driver.The cause of the incident was under investigation.Attacks on general public, specially students including the kindergarten children by the disgruntled people, were on the rise in different parts of China. 

Car ploughs into students in China; 5 killed, several injured

Attacks on general public, specially students including the kindergarten children by the disgruntled people, were on the rise in different parts of China.

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Mounted police officers patrol along a deserted Regent Street in London, as the country is in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. Experts in the UK have warned that the economy could shrink by up to 35% as a knock on effect of the lockdown. The highly contagious COVID-19 coronavirus has impacted on nations around the globe, many imposing self isolation and exercising social distancing when people move from their homes.Amid an ongoing second Covid-19 wave, a new four-week lockdown in England came into force on Thursday, under which people will have to stay at home, while non-essential shops, pubs and gyms will remain closed. The lockdown came into effect after MPs on Wednesday voted in its favour by 516 to 39, a majority of 477, the BBC reported. It will replace the three tiers of regional restrictions that were previously in place across England.On December 2, MPs will again vote on the next steps needed to tackle the virus before the lockdown comes to an end.Under the new rules, households are banned from mixing indoors or in private gardens, unless in a support bubble.All non-essential retailers, leisure and entertainment venues will be shut, with pubs and restaurants will be closed except for takeaways.In a warning, Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council, said that those responsible for the most "egregious" breaches of the rules would face stiff fines.Unlike the first lockdown in March, schools, universities, and nurseries will remain open, and people will be able to meet another person who they do not live with in an outdoor public place such as a park or beach.During a debate in the House of Commons before the vote, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the second lockdown was "not something any of us wanted to do" but "I am not prepared to take the risk with the lives of British people", the BBC rpeorted."While it pains me to call for such restrictions on lives, liberty and business I have no doubt that these restrictions represent the best and safest path for our country," he told MPs.Johnson insisted the lockdown will expire automatically on December 2 and he hopes "very much" to "get this country going again" in the run up to Christmas.On Thursday, Chancellor Rishi Sunak will address the House of Commons during which he will outline what economic support will be available to businesses and jobs during the lockdown.On Wednesday, the UK reported 492 news coronavirus deaths, the highest daily figure since May 19, and 25,177 confirmed cases.With the new tallies, the UK's overall caseload and death toll stood at 1,102,305 and 47,832, respectively.(With IANS inputs)

England begins 4-week lockdown to curb spread of coronavirus

Amid an ongoing second Covid-19 wave, a new four-week lockdown in England came into force on Thursday, under which people will have to stay at home, while non-essential shops, pubs and gyms will remain closed.

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Trump to make Mar-a-Lago estate his permanent home after leaving White HouseDonald Trump will make his massive Mar-a-Lago estate on an island off the coast of Palm Beach in Florida his permanent home as his presidency comes to an end, according to media reports. Moving trucks were seen arriving at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach as he embraces his final day in the White House, The New York Post reported.Trump is reportedly planning to fly to Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday morning - hours before President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.Trump has spent a significant amount of time at Mar-a-Lago, dubbed the “Winter White House”, throughout his four-year presidency.The president also changed his legal residence from Trump Tower in New York City to Mar-a-Lago in September 2019.The 74-year-old longtime New Yorker purchased the mansion in 1985 for USD 10 million and turned it into a private club, which has become his winter home during the last four years.ALSO READ | Trump’s exit: President leaves office with legacy of chaosThe 20-acre estate inspired by a Moorish-Mediterranean structure, now with 128 rooms, was built in 1927 by Post cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.The massive property features direct views of the Atlantic Ocean and is open to people who purchase a membership at the club.The property includes a 20,000-square-foot ballroom, five clay tennis courts and a waterfront pool.Trump holds private quarters on the property in a separate, closed-off area. It has been labelled the second-largest mansion in the sunshine state of Florida.Forbes estimated the value of the estate at around USD 160 million following extensive renovations and the exclusivity of the location.However, according to US media reports, neighbours are questioning whether it can become his permanent home.Nearby Palm Beach residents recently sent a letter to town leaders, citing a 1993 agreement they say prohibits anyone from living permanently on the property because it is a social club, cbsnews.com reported. ALSO READ | I pray for Joe Biden's success in keeping America safe: Trump in farewell messageALSO READ | Trump Baby Blimp added to collection at Museum of London

Trump to make Mar-a-Lago estate his permanent home after leaving White House

Moving trucks were seen arriving at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach as he embraces his final day in the White House, The New York Post reported.

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An injured anti-government protester is attended to by others during a clash with police in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. Thousands of black-clad protesters marched in central Hong Kong as part of multiple pro-democracy rallies Tuesday urging China's Communist Party to "return power to the people" as the party celebrated its 70th year of rule. (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe )Hong Kong police shot a protester at close range, leaving him bleeding from his shoulder and howling on the ground, in a fearsome escalation of anti-government demonstrations that spread across the semi-autonomous Chinese territory on Tuesday. Tens of thousands marched in a day of rage as Communist leaders in Beijing celebrated 70 years in power.The protester was shot by an officer who opened fire with his revolver, a police official said, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information. While officers have previously fired warning shots in the air on multiple occasions during Hong Kong's monthslong anti-government protests, this is the first time a protester is known to have been shot.Video of the shooting that spread quickly on social media appeared to show the officer opening fire as the protester came at him with a baton, striking the officer's shooting arm.Taken by the City University Student Union, it showed a dozen black-clad protesters hurling objects at a group of riot police and closing in on the lone officer who pointed his revolver and opened fire on the protester who collapsed on the street, bleeding from below his left shoulder.As another protester rushed in to try to drag away the injured protester and was tackled by an officer, a gasoline bomb landed in the middle of the group of officers in an explosion of flames.The South China Morning Post reported that the protester, a 17-year-old student, was taken to a hospital and was undergoing surgery. The shooting marked a dramatic escalation in violence in a city already on edge which saw fierce clashes between pro-democracy protesters and police spreading to multiple areas.Riot police fired numerous volleys of tear gas in at least six locations and used water cannons in the business district as protesters turned streets into battlefields to spoil the Oct. 1 anniversary of Communist rule.A security clampdown in the city to thwart violence that would embarrass Chinese President Xi Jinping failed to deter the protests, including a massive march in the city center.Organizers said at least 100,000 people marched along a broad city thoroughfare in defiance of a police ban, chanting anti-China slogans and some carrying Chinese flags defaced with a black cross. Police didn't provide an estimate of the turnout."They are squeezing our necks so we don't breathe the air of freedom," said King Chan, a 57-year-old homemaker who came out to protest with her husband.Many demonstrators tossed wads of fake "hell" bank notes usually used at funerals into the air. "The leaders who won't listen to our voice, this is for them," said marcher Ray Luk.Thousands of people confronted police in multiple locations across the city, the largest number of simultaneous protests since the unrest began in early June over a now-shelved extradition bill that activists say was an example of how Hong Kong's freedoms and citizen rights are being eroded.The movement has since snowballed into an anti-Chinese campaign with demands for direct elections for the city's leaders and police accountability. The smell of stinging tear gas and smoke from street fires started by protesters engulfed the Wan Chai, Wong Tai Sin, Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Tsuen Wan and Tsim Sha Tsui areas. Protesters hurled gasoline bombs, bricks and other objects at police, who responded with volleys of tear gas.Protesters used umbrellas as shields and threw tear gas canisters back at police. Police said protesters used corrosive fluid in Tuen Mun, injuring officers and some reporters.In Wong Tai Sin, a gasoline bomb that protesters hurled at police exploded near motorcycles parked along a pavement, creating a large blaze that was put out by firefighters. Some protesters placed an emergency water hose down a subway station to try to flood it.A water cannon truck sprayed blue water, used to identify protesters, to disperse crowds from advancing to government offices in the city. Scores of police officers also stood guard near the Beijing's liaison office as the battles continued across the territory."Today we are out to tell the Communist Party that Hong Kong people have nothing to celebrate," said activist Lee Cheuk-yan as he led the downtown march. "We are mourning that in 70 years of Communist Party rule, the democratic rights of people in Hong Kong and China are being denied. We will continue to fight."Activists carried banners saying, "End dictatorial rule, return power to the people."Dressed in a black T-shirt and dark jeans, 40-year-old Bob Wong said his clothing expressed "mourning" over "the death of Hong Kong's future."The popular LIHKG online chat forum used by protesters was inaccessible on cellphones, a move believed to have been made to prevent communication by protesters. More than two dozen subway stations and many shopping malls across the city were shut.The protests contrasted with Beijing's anniversary festivities marked with a colorful parade and display of new missile technology. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, who is in Beijing for the ceremony, smiled as a Hong Kong float passed by.In the morning as the city's government marked the anniversary with a solemn ceremony, police used pepper spray to break up a brief scuffle between Beijing supporters and a small group of pro-democracy protesters.Hong Kong Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung told hundreds of guests at a reception that the city has become "unrecognizable" due to the violence.Cheung said Beijing fully supports the "one country, two systems" framework that gives Hong Kong freedoms and rights not enjoyed on the mainland.The system was implemented when the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Hong Kong police shoot 17-year-old protester in chest

Hong Kong police shot a protester at close range, leaving him bleeding from his shoulder and howling on the ground, in a fearsome escalation of anti-government demonstrations that spread across the semi-autonomous Chinese territory on Tuesday.

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has confirmed party chief Imran Khan's marriage to his spiritual guide Bushra Maneka, thus ending weeks of speculation about the union.Khan, a cricketer turned politician, married Bushra Bibi (also known as Pinki Pir) in a simple ceremony held in Lahore yesterday, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet.Related Stories Imran Khan denies rumours of secret wedding, says only proposed marriage to to Bushra Maneka Exclusive | Pak's Reham Khan on Imran Khan's ‘third marriage’: 'There is a difference between marrying and discharging responsibilities'He said the marriage ceremony was held at Maneka's brother's residence in Lahore. PTI Central Executive Committee member Mufti Muhammad Saeed performed the 'nikah'."Marriage is the combination of two hearts and two souls which join each on this special day of wedding. I wish a very happy and blessed married life to Imran Khan," Chaudhry said."The valima ceremony will also be held in a simple manner in a few days," he said.The PTI's media wing released pictures of the marriage ceremony in which Khan is seen wearing shalwar kameez and black jacket while the bride is decked in red suit with woolen shawl.None of Imran's sisters was present in the ceremony triggering rumours that Khan had not taken them into confidence about his third marriage.Khan's previous two marriages ended in divorce. His first marriage was with Jemima Goldsmith, daughter of a British billionaire, in 1995, which lasted nine years. Khan has two sons from her. His second marriage with TV anchor Reham Khan in 2015 ended after a brief 10 months.Earlier, Khan had rejected the reports that he had contracted his marriage with Maneka on January 1 in Lahore's Defence residence of his 'new' brother-in-law.A source in the party said Khan was under immense pressure from the PTI to disclose his third marriage after a humiliating defeat in Punjab's Lodhran district last week."The PTI leadership was of the view that strong rumours about his third marriage had played a role in the defeat of the party’s strong man Jahangir Tareen's son at the hands of a candidate of ruling PML-N," he said."Khan was advised to disclose his marriage as early as possible because the general elections are not far away and the PTI may suffer more politically if this news was broken just before the polls," he said.Maneka is in her late 40s and has five children from her first marriage. She is a resident of Pakpatan district, some 250 km from Lahore, which is known for the shrine of Baba Farid Ganj Shakar.According to a source, Khan had started visiting her over a year ago to seek spiritual advice."He got closer to her when some of political predictions she made about his party came true. Later, both developed some 'intimacy' and finally Bushra took divorce from her husband and contracted marriage with Imran early last month," the source said. Last month, Khan had admitted that he had proposed marriage to Maneka."I would like to reiterate that every time I met her, with family and alone, she has been in purdah (veil). My interest in her lies in the fact that I have not seen or met anyone with her level of spirituality. I only sent the proposal for marriage after she divorced her husband," said Khan.

Pakistan's Imran Khan ties knot to 'spiritual adviser' in third marriage

Imran Khan, a cricketer turned politician, married Bushra Bibi (also known as Pinki Pir) in a simple ceremony held in Lahore yesterday, PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet.

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A security team patrols in front of the White House as preparations continue ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington.Donald Trump will walk out of the White House and board Marine One for the last time as president Wednesday morning, leaving behind a legacy of chaos and tumult and a nation bitterly divided.Four years after standing on stage at his own inauguration and painting a dire picture of “American carnage,” Trump departs the office twice impeached, with millions more out of work and 400,000 dead from the coronavirus. Republicans under his watch lost the presidency and both chambers of Congress. He will be forever remembered for the final major act of his presidency: inciting an insurrection at the Capitol that left five dead, including a Capitol Police officer, and horrified the nation.Trump will be the first president in modern history to boycott his successor’s inauguration as he continues to stew about his loss and privately maintains the election that President-elect Joe Biden fairly won was stolen from him. Republican officials in several critical states, members of his own administration and a wide swath of judges, including those appointed by Trump, have rejected those arguments.Still, Trump has refused to participate in any of the symbolic passing-of-the-torch traditions surrounding the peaceful transition of power, including inviting the Bidens over for a get-to-know-you visit.By the time Biden is sworn in, Trump will already have landed at his private Mar-a-Lago club in West Palm Beach, Florida, to face an uncertain future — but not before giving himself a grand military sendoff, complete with a red carpet, a military band and a 21-gun salute.Guests have been invited, but it is unclear how many will attend. Even Vice President Mike Pence plans to skip the event, citing the logistical challenges of getting from the airbase to the inauguration ceremonies. Washington has been transformed into a security fortress, with thousands of National Guard troops, fencing and checkpoints to try to stave off further violence.Aides had urged Trump to spend his final days in office trying to salvage his legacy by highlighting his administration’s achievements — passing tax cuts, scaling back federal regulations, normalizing relations in the Middle East. But Trump largely refused, taking a single trip to the Texas border and releasing a video in which he pledged to his supporters that “the movement we started is only just beginning.”Trump will retire to Florida with a small group of former White House aides as he charts a political future that looks very different now than just two weeks ago.Before the Capitol riot, Trump had been expected to remain his party’s de facto leader, wielding enormous power as he served as a kingmaker and mulled a 2024 presidential run. But now he appears more powerless than ever — shunned by so many in his party, impeached twice, denied the Twitter bullhorn he had intended to use as his weapon and even facing the prospect that, if he is convicted in his Senate trial, he could be barred from seeking a second term.For now, Trump remains angry and embarrassed, consumed with rage and grievance. He spent the week after the election sinking deeper and deeper into a world of conspiracy, and those who have spoken with him say he continues to believe he won in November. He continues to lash out at Republicans for perceived disloyalty and has threatened, both publicly and privately, to spend the coming years backing primary challenges against those he feels betrayed him.Some expect him to eventually turn completely on the Republican Party, perhaps by flirting with a run as a third-party candidate as an act of revenge.For all the chaos and drama and bending the world to his will, Trump ended his term as he began it: largely alone. The Republican Party he co-opted finally appeared to have had enough after Trump’s supporters violently stormed the Capitol, hunting for lawmakers who refused to go along with Trump’s unconstitutional efforts to overturn the results of a democratic election.But although Washington may have had enough, Trump retains his grip on the Republican base, with the support of millions of loyal voters, along with allies still helming the Republican National Committee and many state party organizations.The city he leaves will not miss him. Trump rarely left the confines of the White House, except to visit his own hotel. He and his wife never once ate dinner at any other local restaurant; never ventured out to shop in its stores or see the sites. When he did leave, it was almost always to one of his properties: his golf course in Virginia, his golf course in New Jersey, his private club and a nearby golf course in Palm Beach, Florida.The city overwhelmingly supported Biden, with 93% of the vote. Trump received just 5.4% of the vote — or fewer than 18,600 ballots — not enough to fill the Washington Capitals hockey arena.

Trump’s exit: President leaves office with legacy of chaos

Trump will be the first president in modern history to boycott his successor’s inauguration as he continues to stew about his loss and privately maintains the election that President-elect Joe Biden fairly won was stolen from him.

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British Prime Minister Boris JohnsonBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a wave of public and political outrage on Tuesday over allegations that he and his staff flouted coronavirus lockdown rules by holding a garden party in 2020 while Britons were barred by law from mingling outside the home.Opposition politicians called for a police investigation after broadcaster ITV published a leaked email invitation to “socially distanced drinks” in the garden of the prime minister’s Downing Street office and residence in May 2020. The email from the prime minister’s private secretary, Martin Reynolds, was sent to dozens of people and urged attendees to “bring your own booze.”The event was scheduled for May 20, 2020 — the same day the government at a televised news conference reminded people they could only meet up with one person outside their household. London’s Metropolitan Police force also published reminders about the rules that day.The police force said Tuesday it was “in contact with” the government over the party claims, which follow allegations of several other rule-breaking gatherings in Downing Street during the pandemic.The opposition Labour Party demanded that Johnson answer questions about the allegations in Parliament — but the government sent a junior minister, Michael Ellis, to face lawmakers instead. Ellis apologized “for the upset that these allegations have caused” but said he could not comment further because an investigation was underway.Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said Johnson’s “absence speaks volumes.” “He can run but he can’t hide,” she said. During Britain’s first lockdown, which began in March 2020 and lasted for more than two months, gatherings were banned with a few exceptions, including work and funerals. Millions of people were cut off from friends and family and even barred from visiting dying relatives in hospitals.On the day of the garden party, 268 people with the coronavirus died in Britain, according to official figures, bringing total deaths to more than 36,000. The total now stands at over 150,000, the highest toll in Europe after Russia.Lyndsay Jackson, whose mother died of COVID-19 in May 2020, said the government showed “contempt for ordinary people and for the difficulties we were all facing.”“I wasn’t able to be with her when she died, I wasn’t able to hold her hand. … I couldn’t even hug my brother after the funeral,” said Jackson, a member of the group COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice. She told Sky News that Johnson was “beneath contempt.”Johnson’s Conservative government has repeatedly been accused of flouting the rules it imposed on others during the pandemic, which brought the most severe restrictions on Britons’ individual freedoms since World War II.The latest claims will be investigated by senior civil servant Sue Gray who was appointed by the government to look into earlier allegations that staff in Johnson’s office flouted coronavirus rules with lockdown-breaching Christmas parties in 2020.Johnson has insisted he personally broke no rules, but British media reported Tuesday that the prime minister and his wife Carrie Johnson attended the May 2020 garden gathering.Health Minister Edward Argar said he understood why people would be “upset and angry,” but said he would not “pre-judge” the outcome of Gray’s inquiry.But Labour lawmaker Ed Miliband said the allegations were “incredibly damning” and said Johnson must explain whether he attended the party. “How can he lead the country through these difficult times, get people to follow public health advice, if he has so flagrantly breached the rules?” Miliband said on BBC radio.Worryingly for Johnson, it was not just opposition politicians expressing anger. The latest claims added fuel to growing concern inside the governing Conservatives about the prime minister’s leadership.The right-of-center party picked Johnson as a leader in 2019 for his upbeat manner and popular touch, a choice that appeared vindicated when he led the Tories to a big election win in December 2019.But the pandemic has shaken his authority. Support for Johnson is being eroded by discontent over social restrictions — which some Conservatives view as draconian — and disquiet about his judgment after a slew of financial and ethical misconduct allegations. Ruth Davidson, former leader of the Conservatives in Scotland, said many people would “never forgive” the “utterly indefensible” garden party. “It just makes a mockery of this idea that we were doing a national endeavor to keep each other safe,” she said.

UK PM sparks outrage over allegations of flouting Covid lockdown rules at 'garden party'

The event was scheduled for May 20, 2020 — the same day the government at a televised news conference reminded people they could only meet up with one person outside their household.

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Man injures 8 with ax in Sweden before being shot, arrestedA man armed with an ax attacked and injured eight people in a southern Swedish town Wednesday before being shot and arrested, police said. Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said a possible terrorist motive was being investigated. “In the light of what has emerged so far in the police investigation, prosecutors have initiated a preliminary investigation into terrorist crimes,” he said but didn’t elaborate. Shortly after his statement, investigators at a police press conference said they had started a preliminary investigation into attempted murder, with details “that make us investigate any terrorist motives.” “But at the moment I cannot go into details,” regional police chief Malena Grann said. Police said the man in his 20s attacked people in the small town of Vetlanda, about 190 kilometers (118 miles) southeast of Goteborg, Sweden’s second largest city. His motive was not immediately known. The man was shot by police, who said the condition of those attacked and of the perpetrator was not immediately known. Officials did not provide the identity of the suspect, who was taken to hospital. Local police chief Jonas Lindell said “it seems that the injuries are not life-threatening” but could not give further details. The events took place in downtown Vetlanda with police saying they got calls just after 1400 GMT about a man assaulting people with an ax. Police also said that there are five crime scenes in this town of roughly 13,000. Lofven condemned “this terrible act,” and added that Sweden’s domestic security agency SAPO was also working on the case. ”They continuously assess whether there are reasons to take security-enhancing measures and are prepared to do so if necessary,” he said in a statement. ALSO READ: Rockets hit Iraq airbase hosting US troopsA man armed with an ax attacked and injured eight people in a southern Swedish town Wednesday before being shot and arrested, police said.Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said a possible terrorist motive was being investigated.“In the light of what has emerged so far in the police investigation, prosecutors have initiated a preliminary investigation into terrorist crimes,” he said but didn’t elaborate.Shortly after his statement, investigators at a police press conference said they had started a preliminary investigation into attempted murder, with details “that make us investigate any terrorist motives.”“But at the moment I cannot go into details,” regional police chief Malena Grann said.Police said the man in his 20s attacked people in the small town of Vetlanda, about 190 kilometers (118 miles) southeast of Goteborg, Sweden’s second largest city. His motive was not immediately known.The man was shot by police, who said the condition of those attacked and of the perpetrator was not immediately known. Officials did not provide the identity of the suspect, who was taken to hospital.Local police chief Jonas Lindell said “it seems that the injuries are not life-threatening” but could not give further details.The events took place in downtown Vetlanda with police saying they got calls just after 1400 GMT about a man assaulting people with an ax. Police also said that there are five crime scenes in this town of roughly 13,000.Lofven condemned “this terrible act,” and added that Sweden’s domestic security agency SAPO was also working on the case.”They continuously assess whether there are reasons to take security-enhancing measures and are prepared to do so if necessary,” he said in a statement. 

Man injures 8 with ax in Sweden before being shot, arrested

Police said the man in his 20s attacked people in the small town of Vetlanda, about 190 kilometers (118 miles) southeast of Goteborg, Sweden’s second largest city. His motive was not immediately known.