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Eiffel Tower to reopen for public on June 25The Eiffel Tower, one of the most visited sites in Paris, will reopen to the public on June 25 more than three months after shuttering in France’s coronavirus lockdown, AFP reported its operators as saying today.The 10-tonne metal landmark will emerge from its longest closure since World War II with limited visitor numbers at first, and face masks mandatory for all over the age of 11, said the Eiffel Tower website.The website further informed that at first, only visits by the stairs will be available and not by elevator as a means of ensuring a safe distance between people to limit infection risk.“To ensure that ascending and descending visitors do not meet in the stairs, ascent will take place from the East pillar and descent by the West pillar,” added the website, with a limited number of visitors per floor at a time.The top level will remain closed for now, “since the lifts taking visitors from second to top floor are small. It might re-open during the summer.”The statement said ground markings will be put in place to ensure people keep their distance from one another, with “daily cleaning and disinfection of public spaces at the tower.”

Eiffel Tower to reopen for public on June 25

The Eiffel Tower, one of the most visited sites in Paris, will reopen to the public on June 25 more than three months after shuttering in France’s coronavirus lockdown.

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'Kill The Gays': Uganda to resurrect bill that imposes death penalty on homosexuals'Kill the Gays', a law that was nullified five years ago, a law that calls for death penalty against homosexuals, will be re-introduced in the parliament of Uganda in the coming weeks, Simon Lokodo, Ethics and Integrity Minister of Uganda told Thomson Reuters Foundation."Homosexuality is not natural to Ugandans, but there has been a massive recruitment by gay people in schools, and especially among the youth, where they are promoting the falsehood that people are born like that," Lokodo said.He also added, “Our current penal law is limited. It only criminalises the act. We want it made clear that anyone who is even involved in promotion and recruitment has to be criminalised. Those that do grave acts will be given the death sentence.”Lokodo said that the President of Uganda stood by the bill and it will be reintroduced in the Parliament in the coming weeks. The Ethics Minister was also optimistic of the chances of the bill's passing with a two-thirds majority. Uganda's constitutional court had overturned the law because it includes the death penalty, on a technicality back in 2014.With the re-introduction of this bill, Uganda is destined to face widespread international condemnation. When the bill was signed back in 2014, US reduced aid, imposed visa restrictions and cancelled military exercises with Uganda. Other countries who were providing aid to the African nation also stopped. Lokodo also said that Uganda was prepared for any negative international response, “we are ready. We don’t like blackmailing. Much as we know that this is going to irritate our supporters in budget and governance, we can’t just bend our heads and bow before people who want to impose a culture which is foreign to us.”Julian Onziema from Sexual Minorities Uganda, an alliance of LGBT+ expressed the fearful sentiments of the society. “Hundreds of LGBT+ people have been forced to leave the country as refugees and more will follow if this law is enacted. It will criminalise us from even advocated for LGBT+ rights, let alone supporting and protecting sexual minorities,” he said. Also Read | Ugandan medics now tackling Ebola say they lack supplies

'Kill The Gays': Uganda to resurrect bill that imposes death penalty on homosexuals

With the re-introduction of this bill, Uganda is destined to face widespread international condemnation. When the bill was signed back in 2014, US reduced aid, imposed visa restrictions and cancelled military exercises with Uganda. Other countries who were providing aid to the African nation also stopped.

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US to send additional military assets to SyriaThe US would send additional military assets to eastern Syria to enforce control of the oil fields in the region, according to American media reports.Citing a defence official, CNN reported that the US "is committed to reinforcing our position, in coordination with our SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) partners, in northeast Syria with additional military assets to prevent those oil fields from falling back into the hands of IS (Islamic State) or other destabilizing actors", Xinhua news agency reported.USA Today, also citing an American official, reported on Thursday that the Pentagon was preparing to send tanks and armoured vehicles to Syrian oil fields.The deployment of heavy armour to Syria would represent a significant escalation in the fight, requiring a contingent of additional troops to operate and maintain the vehicles, as well as forces to protect their bases, the piece said."We will never let a reconstituted ISIS have those fields," US President Donald Trump tweeted early Thursday.Despite Trump's consistent call for bringing back US troops from Syria, Trump announced in his Wednesday remarks that Washington would still keep a limited military presence in parts of Syria to protect the oil fields.The Washington Post wrote on Monday that roughly 200 troops would remain in the oil-producing area of Syria, with a task to keep oil fields out of the hands of the IS and prevent them from being claimed by the Syrian government.ALSO READ | Syria offensive to resume if Kurds don't withdrawALSO READ | Kurds throw rotten fruits at US troops leaving Syria

US to send additional military assets to Syria

Despite Trump's consistent call for bringing back US troops from Syria, Trump announced in his Wednesday remarks that Washington would still keep a limited military presence in parts of Syria to protect the oil fields.

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Mayor Lori Lightfoot announces the "We Are Not Playing" campaign during a press conference at Soldier Field, Monday morning, April 6, 2020, in Chicago. The city is launching a health campaign focused on the city's black and brown communities, following a media report highlighting the disproportionate number of black residents among those who have died of COVID-19 complications in the city. (Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Chicago Sun-Times via AP)Chicago’s mayor pledged an aggressive public health campaign aimed at the city’s black and brown communities Monday amid alarm that an overwhelming number of African American residents were among the people to die of COVID-19 in early data.Black residents accounted for 72% of deaths from COVID-19 complications in the city and 52% of positive tests for the coronavirus, despite making up only 30% of the city’s population, according to the city’s public health agency.Public health experts in Chicago said the trend was unsurprising to anyone familiar with decades-old barriers to health care in the geographically divided city; residents of the city’s South and West sides historically have poorer access to health care, higher poverty rates and jobs that require them to keep showing up while others are able to work from home.Similar conditions mark other large cities with large black populations that are considered hot spots for the coronavirus, including New York, Detroit, Milwaukee and New Orleans. Figures released Monday by Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services showed African Americans, who make up 14% of the state population, make up about 33% of cases statewide and 41% of deaths.Still, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the disparities in Chicago “take your breath away” and required an immediate response from the city, community activists and healthcare providers.A new team of city and community representatives will focus on contacting residents who are older than 50 and those considered vulnerable to the virus because of other health conditions to share information about prevention and resources for those who do become ill.The city’s transit system will increase monitoring on its buses and add vehicles to lines still being heavily used, and city inspectors will visit grocery or corner stores to enforce social distancing limits there too, she said.“We can’t simply stand by and let this disease wreak havoc in our communities,” Lightfoot said. “Lives are truly at stake.”The city’s public health commissioner also ordered all healthcare providers in the city to collect data on COVID-19 patients’ race and ethnicity, seeking to address existing gaps. The department’s leader, Dr. Allison Arwady, said one-quarter of testing results sent to her agency so far have not included that critical information.A national civil rights group on Monday said that’s a problem across the country and demanded more transparency on race and ethnicity among the COVID-19 testing results, cases and patient outcomes reported by federal health authorities and state health agencies.“Equal access to healthcare is a critical civil rights issue, and during this novel pandemic, the public deserves nothing less than full transparency from this administration and state public health officials,” Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement.Gov. J.B. Pritzker told reporters at his daily COVID-19 briefing that the state is responding to the disease’s impact on minorities by “reopening hospitals that are in those communities” and by targeting “directly into the African American community” social media messages promoting social-distancing.Pritzker was apparently referencing temporarily using three shuttered hospitals in suburban Chicago for bed space, a project he never before linked to any racial demographic and he did not elaborate on how is administration was targeting the community with virus-prevention messages.Democratic members of Congress had previously called on Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar to ensure race and ethnic data is collected by health agencies across the country during the outbreak.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.Detroit, which is about 80% black, has recorded 5,032 confirmed cases with 196 people dead from complications due to the COVID-19 virus.Coronavirus data specific to black residents was not available from the city, but Detroit and its surrounding suburbs account for about 80% of the state’s confirmed cases.“It’s clear that what COVID-19 is doing is exacerbating the racial disparity in health in this country,” said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who led the Detroit Medical Center before taking office.White residents account for about 23% of the confirmed cases in Michigan, and 28% of the deaths, according to state health officials. The race of about 38% of the confirmed cases and 26% of the deaths in Michigan were not known.“Part of what we’re seeing in Detroit is that there’s such a high number of individuals who have those underlying conditions, who have the diabetes and the heart disease, who may have obesity,” Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan’s chief medical executive who previously led Detroit’s health department, said earlier this month.The plan announced in Chicago followed a report by WBEZ Chicago highlighting the disproportionate number of black residents among those who have died of COVID-19 complications in the city.Lightfoot noted that unequal access to health care in Chicago’s black and brown communities has persisted for decades. Medical conditions including diabetes and heart disease also remain more prevalent among black adults in the U.S.Rev. Marshall Hatch, pastor of a Baptist church on Chicago’s West Side, said he wanted to offer a “human face” to the maps and charts surrounding him at Monday’s news conference. Within the last week, Hatch said he lost his oldest sister, a friend of 45 years and a parishioner to complications of COVID-19.“Poverty is not just about quality of life,” he said. “It is about literally life and death.”

Rate of deaths, illness among black residents alarms cities

Chicago’s mayor pledged an aggressive public health campaign aimed at the city’s black and brown communities Monday amid alarm that an overwhelming number of African American residents were among the people to die of COVID-19 in early data.

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British lawmakers approve Brexit bill, UK on course for Jan 31 exitBritain passed a major milestone on the road to Brexit when the House of Commons on Thursday approved a bill authorizing the country's departure from the European Union at the end of the month. Lawmakers voted by 330-231 to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, which sets the terms of Britain's departure from the 28-nation bloc. The comfortable majority won by Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives in an election last month secured the bill's passage despite the opposition of smaller parties. The bill was approved after three days of debate that brought none of the frayed tempers, late-night sessions and knife-edge votes that marked previous rounds of Brexit wrangling over the past year.After passing through Parliament's unelected House of Lords -- which can delay but not overturn the result in the Commons -- the bill should become law in time for the U.K. to leave the EU on the scheduled date of Jan. 31 and become the first nation ever to quit the bloc.. Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay said he welcomed the "constructive scrutiny" of the Lords but hoped the upper house would not try to delay the bill."I have no doubt that their lordships will have heard the resounding message from the British people on the 12th of December," he said.Thursday's vote was a major victory for Johnson, who has made delivering Brexit the key aim of his premiership. Britain voted narrowly to leave the EU in a 2016 referendum. But before the Dec. 12 election, lawmakers repeatedly defeated attempts by both Johnson and predecessor Theresa May to secure backing for their Brexit blueprints.But despite Johnson's repeated promise to "get Brexit done" on Jan. 31, the departure will only mark the start of the first stage of the country's EU exit. Britain and the EU will then launch into negotiations on their future relationship, racing to strike new relationships for trade, security and a host of other areas by the end of 2020."Leaving the EU doesn't mean that we will have got Brexit done," said Paul Blomfield, a Brexit spokesman for the main opposition Labour Party. "We'll have completed the first step, departure, but the difficult stage is yet to come."Top officials in the bloc are already saying that sealing a new deal will be tough.Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said Thursday that Britain's goal of striking a full free trade agreement by the end-of-year deadline that Johnson insists on was unrealistic. "We cannot expect to agree on every aspect of this new partnership," Barnier said, adding "we are ready to do our best in the 11 months."International trade agreements typically take years to complete, but Johnson has ruled out extending a post-Brexit transition period agreed by the two sides beyond the end of 2020, although the EU has offered to prolong it until 2022. That has set off alarm bells among U.K. businesses, which fear Britain could face a "no-deal" Brexit at the start of 2021. Economists say that would disrupt trade with the EU — Britain's biggest trading partner — and plunge the U.K. into recession.Britain and the EU will have to strike deals on everything from trade in goods and services to fishing, aviation, medicines and security. The EU insists there is no way to deal with all these issues in less than a year. British officials have suggested they could carve the negotiations up into chunks, sealing deals one sector at a time.The two sides also have conflicting demands that are likely to complicate negotiations.Johnson says the U.K. is seeking a wide-ranging free trade deal with the bloc, but doesn't want to agree to keep all EU rules and standards. It wants to be free to diverge in order to strike new trade deals around the world.The EU says the U.K. won't get good access to its market unless it agrees to alignment. EU officials worry that Britain plans to cut environmental and employment standards in order to position itself as a low-regulation, low-tax competitor to the bloc.The bloc has stressed the need for a level playing field in the upcoming trade negotiations, meaning that access to the EU market will be linked to U.K. commitments to standards in area including workers' rights and the environment.On Thursday, Barnier added that if Britain wants as much access as possible to the bloc's market, it won't have unfettered freedom to subsidize its industry. He said state aid rules in any future trade deal would be more stringent than with nations like Canada or Japan, simply because of the physical proximity of the departing EU nation. "We will ask necessarily certain conditions on state aid policy in the U.K.," Barnier said."If the U.K. wants an open link with us for the products — zero tariffs, zero quotas — we need to be careful about zero dumping at the same time," he told a conference in Stockholm. As a member state, Britain was bound by strict state aid rules enforced by the powerful European Commission to make sure there is no unfair competition among nations inside the EU's vast single market. Third countries aren't immediately bound by such strictures.Also Read | Brexit coins ordered again for new January 2020 deadlineAlso Read | UK PM Boris Johnson's aide cites IIT-M paper to revamp decision making 

British lawmakers approve Brexit bill, UK on course for January 31 exit

Britain passed a major milestone on the road to Brexit when the House of Commons on Thursday approved a bill authorizing the country's departure from the European Union at the end of the month.

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Sri Lanka's army soldiers and police personnel stand near a vandalized building in Digana, a suburb of Kandy.Facebook staffs will now have to learn Sinhala in Sri Lanka after three-month anti-Muslim riots rocks the country. This step is to ensure to stop the spreading of inflammatory content in the country's local languages.   Social networking sites in Sri Lanka were blocked by authorities in March as provocative posts by Buddhist hardliners fanned religious violence that left three people dead and reduced hundreds of mosques, homes and businesses to ashes in the central Kandy district after a Sinhalese man died in a reported assault by a group of Muslim men following a private dispute.Although the ban was lifted on June 7. President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered on lifting the ban on Facebook after his secretary met with company representatives.However, Facebook was asked to act against the contagion of hate speech that were made on the site.According to some media reports, Facebook spokeswoman Amrit Ahuja has accepted their mistakes and said they were “slow” and were not able to take a step at right time."We did make mistakes and we were slow," she said.Ahuja added that Facebook was committed to hiring more Sinhala speakers, but she didn’t reveal how many were currently employed.Ahuja said Facebook was working with civil society organisations to familiarise its staff with Sinhala insults and racist epithets.Sri Lanka’s telecommunication minister Harin Fernando has also said that Facebook needs more Sinhala speaking staff."This is the problem we are trying to address with Facebook. They need more Sinhala resources", he said.Since the start of the violence in March, two high-level delegations from the company have visited Sri Lanka, where ethnic divisions linger after decades of war, to assure the government of its intent.“The decision to impose an island-wide blackout on Facebook was taken as a last resort to prevent an escalation of violence,” said Fernando.The social networking site was used by Sinhala extremists to recruit rioters to organise their travel to spread violence.Fernando told some media outlets that Facebook users over the country also lodged thousands of complaints over extremist content."It was not something that I liked doing. But if we didn't block Facebook, the violence would have spread out of control," he said.To end the riots the army was given special powers to restore order under the first state of emergency declared in the 21-million-strong nation since the end of the civil war in 2009. 

Facebook staff to learn Sinhala after riots in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s telecommunication minister Harin Fernando has also said that Facebook needs more Sinhala speaking staff to ensure that no such incident happens in the future

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An MQ-9 Reaper is armed with GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided munitions and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The US used this technology to pinpoint Soleimani convoy in Baghdad. (File Photo)The killing of General Qasem Soleimani, a top commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, happened near the busy Baghdad International Airport. The location came as a surprise for many experts simply because of the precision of the attack in Baghdad. The United States drone attack eliminated a target from miles away in the sky. The execution was perfect as there was no collateral damage. Indiatvnews.com takes a look at the MQ-9 Reaper drone, the beautiful machine that helped the United States eliminate one of the most potent foes in the Middle-East.  To start with, MQ-9 Reaper drone has a laser range finder/designator, which precisely designates targets for employment of laser-guided munitions, such as the Guided Bomb Unit-12 Paveway II. It was this technology that the United States used to attack the convoy of Iran General Qasem Soleimani. Soleimani, along with five others, was killed in the drone strike that was authorised by United States President Donald Trump at Baghdad International Airport. The MQ-9 baseline system carries the Multi-Spectral Targeting System, which has a robust suite of visual sensors for targeting. The MTS-B integrates an infrared sensor, color/monochrome daylight TV camera, image-intensified TV camera, laser range finder /designator, and laser illuminator. Aircrews perform a preflight check on an MQ-9 Reaper. The Reaper is larger and more heavily-armed than the MQ-1 Predator and attacks time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision, to destroy or disable those targets. (Courtesy photo)An MQ-9 Reaper is armed with GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided munitions and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The US used this technology to pinpoint Soleimani convoy in Baghdad. (File Photo)MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely piloted aircraft that can be disassembled and loaded into a single container for deployment worldwide. The entire system can be transported in the C-130 Hercules, or larger aircraft. The MQ-9 baseline system carries the Multi-Spectral Targeting System, which has a robust suite of visual sensors for targeting. The MTS-B integrates an infrared sensor, color/monochrome daylight TV camera, image-intensified TV camera, laser range finder /designator, and laser illuminator. Aircrews perform a preflight check on an MQ-9 Reaper. The Reaper is larger and more heavily-armed than the MQ-1 Predator and attacks time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision, to destroy or disable those targets. (Courtesy photo)An MQ-9 Reaper is armed with GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided munitions and AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The US used this technology to pinpoint Soleimani convoy in Baghdad. (File Photo)MQ-9 Reaper is a remotely piloted aircraft that can be disassembled and loaded into a single container for deployment worldwide. The entire system can be transported in the C-130 Hercules, or larger aircraft. The MQ-9 aircraft operates from standard U.S. airfields with clear line-of-sight to the ground data terminal antenna, which provides line-of-sight communications for takeoff and landing. The PPSL provides over-the-horizon communications for the aircraft and sensors.The BackgroundThe MQ-9 Reaper System was proposed by the US Air Force in response to the Department of Defense directive to support initiatives of overseas contingency operations. It is larger and more powerful than the MQ-1 Predator, and is designed to execute time-sensitive targets with persistence and precision, and destroy or disable those targets. The "M" is the DOD designation for multi-role, and "Q" means remotely piloted aircraft system. The "9" indicates it is the ninth in the series of remotely piloted aircraft systems.General characteristics Primary function: find, fix, and finish targets Contractor: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Power plant: Honeywell TPE331-10GD turboprop engine Thrust: 900 shaft horsepower maximum Wingspan: 66 feet (20.1 meters) Length: 36 feet (11 meters) Height: 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) Weight: 4,900 pounds (2,223 kilograms) empty   Maximum takeoff weight: 10,500 pounds (4,760 kilograms)   Fuel capacity: 4,000 pounds (602 gallons) Payload: 3,750 pounds (1,701 kilograms) Speed: cruise speed around 230 mph (200 knots) Range: 1,150 miles (1,000 nautical miles) Ceiling: Up to 50,000 feet (15,240 meters) Armament: combination of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, GBU-12 Paveway II and GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions   Crew (remote): two (pilot and sensor operator)   Unit cost: $64.2 million (includes four aircraft, sensors, GCSs, and Comm.) (fiscal 2006 dollars)  (All data as published by US Air Force)ALSO READ | 'A more dangerous world': Iran General Qasem Soleimani killing triggers global alarm ALSO READ | Hours after Qasem Soleimani’s death, Iran appoints Esmail Qaani as new Quds force chief ALSO READ | Soleimani killed: How America's flamboyant action is different from Mossad-style killingALSO READ | Photo shows General Qasem Soleimani killed in Baghdad attack /* .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_9335674799 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_8f7b1pyg_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_8f7b1pyg_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Iran commander Qasem Soleimani killed in Baghdad airport attack", "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_9335674799 = ''; jwsetup_9335674799(); function jwsetup_9335674799() { jwvidplayer_9335674799 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_9335674799").setup(jwconfig_9335674799); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_9335674799, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_8f7b1pyg\", ns_st_pr=\"Iran commander Qasem Soleimani killed in Baghdad airport attack\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Iran commander Qasem Soleimani killed in Baghdad airport attack\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Iran commander Qasem Soleimani killed in Baghdad airport attack\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2020-01-03\", ns_st_tdt=\"2020-01-03\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_8f7b1pyg_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_9335674799.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_9335674799.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_9335674799.stop(); jwvidplayer_9335674799.remove(); jwvidplayer_9335674799 = ''; jwsetup_9335674799(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_9335674799.stop(); jwvidplayer_9335674799.remove(); jwvidplayer_9335674799 = ''; jwsetup_9335674799(); return; }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9335674799.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

MQ-9 Reaper: An inside look at the drone that US employed to kill Qasem Soleimani

MQ-9 Reaper drone has a laser range finder/designator, which precisely designates targets for employment of laser-guided munitions, such as the Guided Bomb Unit-12 Paveway II. It was this technology that the United States used to attack the convoy of Iran General Qasem Soleimani.

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China asks world to 'respond reasonably' as coronavirus takes 722 lives in mainland; 34,500 infectedThe number of deaths reported due to coronavirus in mainland China notched up to 722 as on Saturday morning. As per latest reports, over 34,500 people have been infected across China while over 2,000 have been discharged from the hospital. In Hubei province, which is considered the epicentre of the disease, the death toll stands at 699. More than 24,000 of those infected are in Hubei province of China. On Friday alone, 2,841 cases were registered in Hubai, majority of them being in provincial capital Wuhan. "As of 24:00 on 7 February 2020, Hubei Province has reported 24,953 cases of pneumonia caused by new coronavirus infection, including 13,603 cases in Wuhan. At present, 19,835 cases are still being treated in the hospital, while 67,802 people are still undergoing medical observation", the regional health committee statement said.Outside China, coronavirus has spread to over 20 countries across the globe. Cases of the new strain of coronavirus have been reported in USA, UK, France, Germany, Russia, Canada, Japan, Philippines etc. Three coronavirus cases have been reported in India as well, all of whom are in Kerala. Cruise ship passengers faced more woe as Japan reported three more cases for a total of 64 on one quarantined vessel and turned away another. President Xi Jinping spoke with President Donald Trump on Friday and urged the U.S. to “respond reasonably” to the outbreak, echoing complaints that some countries are overreacting by restricting Chinese travellers.Following an online uproar over the government’s treatment of Dr. Li Wenliang, the Communist Party struck a conciliatory note, saying it is sending a team to “fully investigate relevant issues raised by the public.”Image Source : APLi, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist, contracted the virus while treating patients, and his death was confirmed early Friday. Li, one of eight medical professionals in Wuhan who tried to warn colleagues and others when the government did not, had said that police forced him to sign a statement admitting he spread falsehoods.Li, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist, contracted the virus while treating patients, and his death was confirmed early Friday. Li, one of eight medical professionals in Wuhan who tried to warn colleagues and others when the government did not, had said that police forced him to sign a statement admitting he spread falsehoods.Li, a 34-year-old ophthalmologist, contracted the virus while treating patients, and his death was confirmed early Friday. Li, one of eight medical professionals in Wuhan who tried to warn colleagues and others when the government did not, had said that police forced him to sign a statement admitting he spread falsehoods.Even the staunchly pro-government Global Times newspaper said the treatment of Li and other whistleblowers was “evidence of local authorities’ incompetence to tackle a contagious and deadly virus.”The episode has raised longstanding complaints that party officials lie about or cover up disease outbreaks, chemical spills, dangerous consumer products or financial frauds. Chinese citizens can be jailed on charges of rumour-mongering or making trouble.Most of the deaths from the virus have been of older people with existing health problems, but disease specialists said Li’s work — eye doctors sit very close to their patients during examinations — may have subjected him to an extra-large dose of the virus that made his illness more severe.Also Read | Ericsson pulls out of MWC 2020 over novel coronavirus outbreak

China asks world to 'respond reasonably' as coronavirus takes 722 lives in mainland; 34,500 infected

The number of deaths reported due to coronavirus in mainland China notched up to 722 as on Saturday morning. As per latest reports, over 34,500 people have been infected across China while over 2,000 have been discharged from the hospital.

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Representational ImageThe aggressive Chinese industrial policies has adversely impacted some of the critical American capabilities and its defense manufacturing base, the Pentagon said in a report.In its report at the direction of the President Donald Trump, the Pentagon said Friday while many companies have established their research and development wing in countries like India and China, the latter is different in its approach. "Many technology-intensive multinational corporations have established R&D facilities in countries like India and China for access to cheap, high skilled labour. As part of its industrial policy aggression, China has forced many American companies to offshore their R&D in exchange for access to the Chinese market," the Pentagon report said.As technical innovation moves abroad, changing rules around intellectual property development will impede US access to the latest manufacturing technologies and decrease overall competitiveness, it said. "At risk is America's loss of leadership in industries of the future such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and robotics. Over the remainder of this century, these emerging industries will help redefine the battlefield," the Pentagon said. According to the Pentagon, China's capture of foreign technologies and intellectual property, particularly the systematic theft of US weapons systems and the illicit and forced transfer of dual-use technology, has eroded the military balance between the US and China.  Such transfers aid China's efforts to gain a qualitative technological advantage over the US across key domains, including naval, air, space, and cyber, it said. "China's aggressive industrial policies have already eliminated some capabilities with critical defense functions, including solar cells for military use, flat-panel aircraft displays, and the processing of rare earth elements," the report said.As such China's actions seriously threaten other capabilities, including machine tools; the production and processing of advanced materials like biomaterials, ceramics, and composites; and the production of printed circuit boards and semiconductors, the report said.The Pentagon said foreign dependency risk arises when domestic industry does not produce the item, or does not produce it in sufficient quantities. China is the single or sole supplier for a number of specialty chemicals used in munitions and missiles.  In many cases, there is no other source or drop-in replacement material and even in cases where that option exists, the time and cost to test and qualify the new material can be prohibitive – especially for larger systems (hundreds of millions of dollars each), it said.According to the report "Assessing and Strengthening the Manufacturing and Defense Industrial Base and Supply Chain Resiliency of the United States" currently, the US industrial base faces an unprecedented set of challenges: sequestration and uncertainty of government spending; the decline of critical markets and suppliers; and unintended consequences of the US government's acquisition behaviour, aggressive industrial policies of competitor nations; and the loss of vital skills in the domestic workforce.The report said increasing globalisation of the supply chain and a diminishing domestic manufacturing sector are combining to create human capital gaps and erosion of American capabilities. STEM knowledge and core trade skills are necessary to ensure the holistic and synergistic health of the defense ecosystem.  It said skill gaps in both areas entail inherent risk, from a decline in production capacity to decreased innovation. 

Aggressive Chinese industrial policy impacting American defense industry, says Pentagon report

In its report at the direction of the President Donald Trump, the Pentagon said Friday while many companies have established their research and development wing in countries like India and China, the latter is different in its approach.

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Magnitude 4.3 earthquake hits Hindukush regionAn earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale hit Hindukush region today. According to the National Center for Seismology, the tremors were felt at 09:50 am.There were no reports of any loss of life or damage to property because of the earthquake.   

Magnitude 4.3 earthquake hits Hindukush region

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale hit Hindukush region today. According to the National Center for Seismology, the tremors were felt at 09:50 am.

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Barry’s flood threat lingers as storm slowly sweeps inlandTropical Depression Barry dumped rain as it slowly swept inland through Gulf Coast states Sunday, sparing New Orleans from a direct hit but stoking fears elsewhere of flooding, tornadoes, and prolonged power outages.Though the system was downgraded to a tropical depression Sunday afternoon and its winds were steadily weakening since it made landfall Saturday in Louisiana, Barry’s rain bands created a flooding and tornado threat stretching from central Louisiana to eastern Mississippi and beyond. Several Louisiana parishes were under flash-flood warnings Sunday night.Far from the storm’s center, tornado warnings were issued Sunday morning in both states, though no serious damage or injuries were reported.On Sunday evening, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said he was “extremely grateful” that Barry had not caused the disastrous floods that had earlier been forecast.“This was a storm that obviously could have played out very, very differently,” he said. “We’re thankful that the worst-case scenario did not happen.”President Donald Trump asked people across the region to keep their guard up, saying on Twitter Sunday: “A big risk of major flooding in large parts of Louisiana and all across the Gulf Coast. Please be very careful!”The mayor of New Orleans says the city is "beyond lucky" after tropical storm Barry failed to cause significant flooding or damage in the city over the weekend. (July 14)Forecasters warned of a continued threat of heavy rains into Monday as the center of the storm trudged inland. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sunday parts of south-central Louisiana could still have rainfall totals of up to 12 inches (30 centimeters), with isolated pockets of 15 inches (38 centimeters).“This rainfall is expected to lead to dangerous, life-threatening flooding,” forecasters wrote in an advisory Sunday.In Mississippi, forecasters said 8 inches (20 centimeters) of rain had fallen in parts of Jasper and Jones counties, with several more inches possible. With torrential rain pounding the state’s Interstate 59 corridor, only the headlights of oncoming cars were visible on the highway, and water flowed like a creek in the median.Barry’s center continued to move through northern Louisiana into Arkansas. The system, which had briefly become a Category 1 hurricane, had its maximum winds fall to 35 mph (56 kph).New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said Sunday the city was “beyond lucky” that rainfall there fell well short of early predictions of a deluge that could overwhelm the city’s pumping systems.“We were spared,” she said at a news conference, while noting the city was ready to help nearby parishes hit harder. In a sign that the city was returning to normal, flights were resuming Sunday at its airport. Restaurants reopened, and people were retrieving their cars from medians and other high ground.About 60,000 customers in Louisiana, 3,300 customers in Mississippi and another 1,200 customers in Arkansas were without power Sunday evening, according to poweroutage.us.Carrie Cuchens, who lost power at her home southeast of Lafayette, said crews were out working to remove trees that fell on power lines. Forecasters say the area, where several parishes were under a flash flood warning, could see 2 inches (5 centimeters) of additional rain on Sunday. Though some yards had pooling water, Cuchens didn’t think her or her neighbors’ homes would flood.“There’s certainly water, certainly a lot of water, and as it continues to rain there’s always that concern,” she said. Another worry is that large trees could topple because of the saturated ground.“If this rain sits on top of us, the ground of course now is already saturated,” she said. “The roots are so saturated that if any wind, or any kind of shift happens, they’re easier to come up out of the ground. It’s not snapping limbs - it’s the whole entire tree. We have 100-year-old trees back here.”To the southeast in Morgan City, Lois and Steve Bergeron spent Sunday cleaning up their lawn, which was littered with debris from trees. They were grateful the damage wasn’t worse.“At least it didn’t hit our house,” she said. And in Mandeville, north of New Orleans along Lake Pontchartrain, Michael Forbes was also picking up limbs and other debris at his home as a drizzle fell. Water got under his house, which is on stilts, but there was no damage and the power never went off.“I’ll take this any day over something like Katrina,” he said Sunday. “This will clear out, we’ll clean up and we’ll go on.”RELATED VIDEO | Heavy rains, floods, cloudbursts cause destruction across India /* .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_1324508676 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_i25rg4eg_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_i25rg4eg_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Heavy rains, floods, cloudbursts cause destruction across India", "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_1324508676 = ''; jwsetup_1324508676(); function jwsetup_1324508676() { jwvidplayer_1324508676 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_1324508676").setup(jwconfig_1324508676); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_1324508676, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_i25rg4eg\", ns_st_pr=\"Heavy rains, floods, cloudbursts cause destruction across India\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Heavy rains, floods, cloudbursts cause destruction across India\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Heavy rains, floods, cloudbursts cause destruction across India\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2019-07-10\", ns_st_tdt=\"2019-07-10\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_i25rg4eg_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_1324508676.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_1324508676.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_1324508676.stop(); jwvidplayer_1324508676.remove(); jwvidplayer_1324508676 = ''; jwsetup_1324508676(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_1324508676.stop(); jwvidplayer_1324508676.remove(); jwvidplayer_1324508676 = ''; jwsetup_1324508676(); return; }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1324508676.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Barry’s flood threat lingers as storm slowly sweeps inland

Though the system was downgraded to a tropical depression Sunday afternoon and its winds were steadily weakening since it made landfall Saturday in Louisiana, Barry’s rain bands created a flooding and tornado threat stretching from central Louisiana to eastern Mississippi and beyond. Several Louisiana parishes were under flash-flood warnings Sunday night.

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Emergency personnel at the scene in Bow where a 20-metre crane collapsed on to a property leaving people trapped inside, in east London, Wednesday July 8, 2020. The London Fire Brigade says a 20-meter crane has collapsed onto a block of apartments under development and two houses in east London. The brigade’s Assistant Commissioner Graham Ellis says urban search and rescue crews are undertaking “a complex rescue operation” and using specialized equipment to search the properties on Wednesday.A 20-meter (65-foot) crane collapsed onto a block of apartments under development and two houses in east London, killing one person and injuring four others, authorities said Wednesday. “Sadly, despite the efforts of emergency services, a fifth person has been found and died at the scene,” the London Ambulance Service said.Four people were treated, including two people taken to the hospital with head injuries. Crews and a team of specialist paramedics who work in hazardous environments were at the scene in the Bow neighborhood. London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Graham Ellis said search-and-rescue crews were using specialized equipment to search the properties as part of “a complex rescue operation” on Wednesday afternoon.“This is a multi-agency response and is likely to be a protracted incident,” Ellis said.

1 killed as crane collapses on block of apartments in London

London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Graham Ellis said search-and-rescue crews were using specialized equipment to search the properties as part of “a complex rescue operation” on Wednesday afternoon.

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Pakistan today claimed that India has denied visas to nearly 200 pilgrims who wanted to visit the country to participate in the death anniversary ceremony of Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya.The Foreign Office said in a statement that "Pakistan regrets the last minute postponement and non-issuance of visas by India" for the visit of 192 devotees to participate in the Urs ceremony (death anniversary) in New Delhi from January 1-8."As a result of this Indian decision, the Pakistani Zaireen (devotees) would be deprived of the opportunity to participate in the Urs, which is of special significance," the statement said.The visit was to take place under the provisions of the 1974 Pakistan-India Protocol on Visits to Religious Shrines and is an annual feature."This is unfortunate and runs counter to the letter and spirit of the 1974 Protocol and objective of people-to-people contacts," it said.The statement said that besides being violative of the bilateral Protocol, and the basic human right to religious freedom, such measures also undermined the efforts aimed at improving the environment, increasing people-to-people contacts and normalising relations between the two countries."It is ironic that this was done on the occasion of Urs of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya who was a symbol of bringing communities closer to each other," the FO added.

192 pilgrims denied visa by India for Nizamuddin's Urs: Pakistan

The Foreign Office said in a statement that "Pakistan regrets the last minute postponement and non-issuance of visas by India" for the visit of 192 devotees to participate in the Urs ceremony (death anniversary) in New Delhi from January 1-8.

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Mexico City metro overpass collapses onto road, 23 dead. An elevated section of the Mexico City metro collapsed and sent a subway car plunging toward a busy boulevard late Monday, killing at least 23 people and injuring about 70, city officials said. Rescuers searched a car left dangling from the overpass for hours for anyone who might be trapped. Those efforts were suspended early Tuesday, however, because of safety concerns for those working near the precariously dangling car. A crane was brought in to help shore it up. “We don’t know if they are alive,” Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said of the people possibly trapped inside the car following one of the deadliest accidents in the city’s subway system, which is among the busiest in the world. Earlier Sheinbaum said someone had been pulled alive from a car that was trapped on the road below. She said 49 of the injured were hospitalized, and that seven were in serious condition and undergoing surgery. “There are unfortunately children among the dead,” Sheinbaum said, without specifying how many. The overpass was about 5 meters (16 feet) above the road in the borough of Tlahuac, but the train ran above a concrete median strip, which apparently lessened the casualties among motorists on the road below. “A support beam gave way” just as the train passed over it, Sheinbaum said. The Mexico City Metro has had at least two serious accidents since its inauguration half a century ago. In March of last year, a collision between two trains at the Tacubaya station left one passenger dead and injured 41 people. In 2015, a train that did not stop on time crashed into another at the Oceania station, injuring 12. Hundreds of police officers and firefighters cordoned off the scene Tuesday as desperate friends and relatives of people believed to be on the train gathered outside the security perimeter. Despite the fact that the coronavirus situation remains serious in Mexico City, they crowded together as they waited for news. Adrián Loa Martínez, 46, said that his mother called him to tell him that his half-brother and sister-in-law were driving when the overpass collapsed and that beam fell onto their car. He said that his sister-in-law was rescued and sent to a hospital, but that his half-brother José Juan Galindo was crushed and he feared he was dead. “He is down there now,” he told journalists pointing toward the site. Gisela Rioja Castro, 43, was looking for her husband, 42-year-old Miguel Ángel Espinoza. She said that her husband always take that train after finishing work at a store, but he never got home and had stopped answering his phone. When she heard what has happened, she immediately feared the worst but has gotten no information from the authorities. “Nobody knows anything,” she said. The collapse occurred on the newest of the Mexico City subway’s lines, Line 12, which stretches far into the city’s south side. Like many of the city’s dozen subway lines, it runs underground through more central areas of the city of 9 million, but then runs on elevated concrete structures on the city’s outskirts. The collapse could represent a major blow for Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, who was Mexico City’s mayor from 2006 to 2012, when Line 12 was built. Allegations about poor design and construction on the subway line emerged soon after Ebrard left office as mayor. The line had to be partly closed in 2013 so tracks could be repaired. Ebrard wrote on Twitter: “What happened today on the Metro is a terrible tragedy.” “Of course, the causes should be investigated and those responsible should be identified,” he wrote. “I repeat that I am entirely at the disposition of authorities to contribute in whatever way is necessary.” It was not clear whether a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in 2017 could have affected the subway line. /* .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_9022152860 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/04/0_q5734w0l/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_q5734w0l_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "1 dies after under construction bridge collapses in Delhi", "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": "151", "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" } ] } }; 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}); } Also Read: 1 dies after under construction bridge collapses in Delhi Also Read: Maharashtra: 3 workers killed, 4 injured as wall collapses at powerloom factory in Thane  An elevated section of the Mexico City metro collapsed and sent a subway car plunging toward a busy boulevard late Monday, killing at least 23 people and injuring about 70, city officials said. Rescuers searched a car left dangling from the overpass for hours for anyone who might be trapped.Those efforts were suspended early Tuesday, however, because of safety concerns for those working near the precariously dangling car. A crane was brought in to help shore it up.“We don’t know if they are alive,” Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said of the people possibly trapped inside the car following one of the deadliest accidents in the city’s subway system, which is among the busiest in the world.Earlier Sheinbaum said someone had been pulled alive from a car that was trapped on the road below. She said 49 of the injured were hospitalized, and that seven were in serious condition and undergoing surgery.“There are unfortunately children among the dead,” Sheinbaum said, without specifying how many.The overpass was about 5 meters (16 feet) above the road in the borough of Tlahuac, but the train ran above a concrete median strip, which apparently lessened the casualties among motorists on the road below.“A support beam gave way” just as the train passed over it, Sheinbaum said.The Mexico City Metro has had at least two serious accidents since its inauguration half a century ago. In March of last year, a collision between two trains at the Tacubaya station left one passenger dead and injured 41 people. In 2015, a train that did not stop on time crashed into another at the Oceania station, injuring 12.Hundreds of police officers and firefighters cordoned off the scene Tuesday as desperate friends and relatives of people believed to be on the train gathered outside the security perimeter. Despite the fact that the coronavirus situation remains serious in Mexico City, they crowded together as they waited for news.Adrián Loa Martínez, 46, said that his mother called him to tell him that his half-brother and sister-in-law were driving when the overpass collapsed and that beam fell onto their car.He said that his sister-in-law was rescued and sent to a hospital, but that his half-brother José Juan Galindo was crushed and he feared he was dead. “He is down there now,” he told journalists pointing toward the site.Gisela Rioja Castro, 43, was looking for her husband, 42-year-old Miguel Ángel Espinoza. She said that her husband always take that train after finishing work at a store, but he never got home and had stopped answering his phone. When she heard what has happened, she immediately feared the worst but has gotten no information from the authorities.“Nobody knows anything,” she said.The collapse occurred on the newest of the Mexico City subway’s lines, Line 12, which stretches far into the city’s south side. Like many of the city’s dozen subway lines, it runs underground through more central areas of the city of 9 million, but then runs on elevated concrete structures on the city’s outskirts.The collapse could represent a major blow for Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, who was Mexico City’s mayor from 2006 to 2012, when Line 12 was built. Allegations about poor design and construction on the subway line emerged soon after Ebrard left office as mayor. The line had to be partly closed in 2013 so tracks could be repaired.Ebrard wrote on Twitter: “What happened today on the Metro is a terrible tragedy.”“Of course, the causes should be investigated and those responsible should be identified,” he wrote. “I repeat that I am entirely at the disposition of authorities to contribute in whatever way is necessary.”It was not clear whether a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in 2017 could have affected the subway line. /* .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_9022152860 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/04/0_q5734w0l/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_q5734w0l_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "1 dies after under construction bridge collapses in Delhi", "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": "151", "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_9022152860 = ''; jwsetup_9022152860(); function jwsetup_9022152860() { jwvidplayer_9022152860 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_9022152860").setup(jwconfig_9022152860); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_9022152860, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_q5734w0l\", ns_st_pr=\"1 dies after under construction bridge collapses in Delhi\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"1 dies after under construction bridge collapses in Delhi\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"1 dies after under construction bridge collapses in Delhi\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-04-06\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-04-06\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/04/0_q5734w0l/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_9022152860.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_9022152860.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_9022152860.stop(); jwvidplayer_9022152860.remove(); jwvidplayer_9022152860 = ''; jwsetup_9022152860(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_9022152860.stop(); jwvidplayer_9022152860.remove(); jwvidplayer_9022152860 = ''; jwsetup_9022152860(); return; }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9022152860.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }  

Mexico City metro overpass collapses onto road, 23 dead

Those efforts were suspended early Tuesday, however, because of safety concerns for those working near the precariously dangling car. A crane was brought in to help shore it up.

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Breaking news LIVE: Top Headlines This HourThe total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 11.5 million, including more than 536,000 fatalities. More than 6,534,000 patients are reported to have recovered while – people have lost their lives so far. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. IndiaTvNews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe, and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news on coronavirus:

Breaking news: July 6, 2020 | As it happened

The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 11.5 million, including more than 536,000 fatalities. More than 6,534,000 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this LIVE blog for latest on coronavirus and its global economic fallout.

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Pakistan to invite Manmohan Singh for Kartarpur Corridor inaugurationPakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Sunday said that Islamabad would like to invite former prime minister Dr. Manmohan Singh for the inauguration of Kartarpur Corridor."We would like to extend an invitation to former Indian PM Manmohan Singh for the inauguration function of Kartarpur Corridor. He also represents the Sikh community. We will also send him a formal invitation," News agency ANI quoted Mehmood Qureshi as saying. Kartarpur Corridor is slated to be inaugurated on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak in November."The Kartarpur corridor inauguration is a big programme and Pakistan is preparing for it in a big way. We have decided to invite India's former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to grace the event... We will send a formal letter to him soon. We are also very happy to receive the Sikh pilgrims who are coming to Kartarpur to celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak," Shah Mahmood Qureshi said in a video message.He further said that Manmohan Singh has the religious faith and is highly respected in Pakistan and that is why Islamabad is inviting him.The four-lane highway connecting the Zero Point of the Kartarpur corridor up to National Highway-354 is being constructed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Besides, a passenger terminal is also under construction.ALSO READ | Sikh delegation meets Modi, thanks him for Kartarpur CorridorALSO READ | Kartarpur Corridor: Pakistan wants to charge $20 from Indian sikh pilgrimsALSO READ | Kartarpur corridor: Punjab CM likens Pak's demand for service charge to 'jaziya'

Pakistan to invite Manmohan Singh for Kartarpur Corridor inauguration

"We would like to extend an invitation to former Indian PM Manmohan Singh for the inauguration function of Kartarpur Corridor. He also represents the Sikh community. We will also send him a formal invitation," News agency ANI quoted Mehmood Qureshi as saying.

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The Pakistani Supreme Court today said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s children may face prosecution for submitting forged documents to the joint investigation team (JIT) probing Panamagate case, The Express Tribune reported.Referring to the Dubai government’s disclosure that the documents of Gulf Steel Mills provided by the Sharif family were forged, Justice  Ijazul Ahsen asked Salman Akram Raja, the counsel for PM’s children, as to why the Sharif family was not explaining how they paid Rs 21 million liability after the selling of Al Azizia Mills in Saudi Arabia and how Rs 63 million was transferred to Hussain Nawaz’s account.“Dubai Customs has no record of transportation of machinery of Gulf Steel Mills from Dubai to Saudi Arabia,” Justice  Ijazul Ahsen was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune. Justice Ijazul Ahsen further pointed out that the Government of Dubai has revealed that the documents of Gulf Steel Mills provided by the Sharif family were forged.Justice Azmat Saeed Sheikh, another judge of the three-judge bench, pointed out that Nawaz Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz has been confirmed as the owner of London flats.“It is not allegation but a matter of fact that Maryam is the beneficial owner of the flats,” he said.

Panamagate case: Nawaz Sharif’s children may face prosecution for submitting forged documents, says Pak SC

The SC judge wondered why the Sharif family was not explaining how they paid Rs 21 million liability after the selling of Al Azizia Mills in Saudi Arabia and how Rs 63 million was transferred to Hussain Nawaz’s account.

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Representational imageThe Nepal government Tuesday withdrew a controversial bill that sought to nationalise private and public trusts meant for running the cultural activities and temple affairs following a week-long intense protests by the ethnic Newar community which feared that it could jeopardise Sanatan Hindu tradition.The K P Sharma Oli-led Communist Party government had tabled the Guthi Bill in Parliament last week to amend the Guthi Act and nationalise both public and private guthis or trusts and regulate all religious sites under a powerful commission.Speaking at a hurriedly called press conference on Tuesday, Minister for Land Management and Cooperatives Padma Kumari Aryal said the government has decided to withdraw the bill, which was registered in the upper house of Parliament last week. The ethnic Newar community members had called a massive protest rally in Kathmandu on Wednesday, demanding withdrawal of the bill, which they claimed had provisions in favour of land mafias and could jeopardise Sanatan Hindu culture and tradition.On Tuesday, lawmakers belonging to Opposition Nepali Congress had obstructed the lower house as the prime minister stepped up to address Parliament, where he was supposed to talk about the bill. The Guthi Bill proposed repressive provisions that would nationalise both private and public guthis, regulate all religious sites and replace the Guthi Sansthan responsible or managing the religious institutions with a powerful commission.For many, the bill was the final straw in the systematic erosion of indigenous Newar culture and rights by the state. Some critics has termed the bill as the Cultural Revolution of the Communist government. The Ministry of Land Management and Cooperatives in a statement said it has decided to withdraw the bill from the National Assembly, citing additional need for discussions with stakeholders concerned regarding the matter.The bill also invited sharp criticism on social media and many satirical remarks regarding the bill have become viral. One such social media posts says: "You (communist leaders) first rented our house in Kathmandu, then snatched our daughters, then taken donation from us and also got our votes during elections and now you are eying at the ancestral properties and land of the Newar communities." Many senior leaders of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal married Newar girls from Kathmandu during their underground political career in the past while fighting for democratic rights. 

Nepal govt withdraws controversial Guthi Bill following intense protests

The bill was the final straw in the systematic erosion of indigenous Newar culture and rights by the state. Some critics have termed the bill as the Cultural Revolution of the Communist government.

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Masood AzharThe Pakistan government in order to de-escalate the tensions with India, has decided to launch a crackdown on terror outfit Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar, according to a top government source while a media report said on Sunday that Islamabad may even withdraw its opposition to the move to list him as global terrorist in the UN Security Council."The government has decided in principle to launch crackdown on the leadership of the JeM (Azhar)," the source said. He said the action against JeM in the country is "expected any time soon"."In order to de-escalate the tensions between India and Pakistan, the Imran Khan government has planned action against the JeM," the source said. "This will be another significant move of the Imran Khan government to de-escalate tensions after handing over the captured Indian pilot to his country," he said.To a question about the Azhar's fate, the official source said he cannot confirm whether he would be put under house-arrest or taken into custody. According to a media report, a security official hinted that Pakistan may withdraw its opposition to the listing of JeM chief as global terrorist by the UN Security Council."The state has to decide whether individual is important or the larger national interest of the country," the official was quoted as saying in the Express Tribune, when asked if Pakistan would no more oppose the UNSC action against Azhar.The US, the UK and France last week moved a fresh proposal in the UN Security Council to designate Pakistan-based JeM chief Azhar as a global terrorist, a listing that will subject him to global travel ban, asset freeze and arms embargo.The Security Council Sanctions Committee will consider within 10 days on the fresh proposal moved by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council.The proposal is the fourth such bid at the UN in the last 10 years to list Azhar as a global terrorist.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday chaired a meeting of the National Security Council.Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale attended the meeting.The meeting comes amid a report that Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar getting killed in the bombardment by Indian Air Force (IAF) on a terror camp in Balakot going viral, but there was no confirmation from any authoritative sources.It also comes after two militants, five security men and a civilian were killed in the 48-hour-long gunfight that ended on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir's border Kupwara district.After the IAF carried out air strikes at a massive JeM camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province early on Tuesday, the tension between the two countries escalated.The air strike came 12 days after a CRPF convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama, in which 40 security personnel were killed. Pakistan-based JeM claimed responsibility for the attack.In response, Pakistani aircraft crossed the Line of Control on Wednesday in an attempt to target India's military installations. While an India MiG-21 was shot down and its pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, captured when he landed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, a Pakistan Air Force F-16 was also shot down.The IAF officer returned to India on Friday, a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced his release as a "gesture of peace".

As pressure grows, Pakistan plans to act against dreaded terrorist Maulana Masood Azhar

The Security Council Sanctions Committee will consider within 10 days on the fresh proposal moved by the three permanent veto-wielding members of the 15-nation Security Council.

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Imran KhanAddressing his first press conference after his party PTI emerged as the single largest party in Pakistan general elections, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan on Thursday said that he is in favour of good relations with India but added that Kashmir was the core issue between the two countries which needed to be resolved at the earliest.Advocating more trade between the two countries, Imran Khan said that it will be beneficial for both the countries. The PTI chief said that he was disappointed to see that the Indian media portrayed him like a Bollywood villain in last few months.Imran further said that he'll not live in PM house and convert Governor Houses into hotels.Imran Khan said that Pakistan is willing to improve its ties with India and pointed out that the blame game between the two neighbours is detrimental to the sub-continent."If they take one step towards us, we will take two, but at least need a start," Imran said after leading his party to victory in the general elections held on July 25.Khan said Kashmir is the "core" issue between the two countries and it should be resolved through talks."I am a person who arguably knows the most people in India because of my days in cricket. We can resolve the poverty crisis in South East Asia. The biggest problem is Kashmir," he said, suggesting that the two sides should come to table to resolve it. "We want to improve our relations with India, if their leadership also wants it. This blame game that whatever goes wrong in Pakistan's Balochistan is because of India and vice versa brings us back to square one," he said."This is not how we will grow, and it is detrimental to the sub-continent," he added.Watch: Imran Khan addresses press conference after his party's electoral success /* .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_3176234059 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_hg8g6kyt_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_hg8g6kyt_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Pakistan Election 2018 | Kashmir core issue between India and Pakistan : Imran Khan", "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" } ] } }; 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}); jwvidplayer_3176234059.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); } Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf emerged as the single largest party in the National Assembly on Thursday with its candidates winning 76 seats and leading in 43 others according to the latest unofficial results and trends in the parliamentary polls, amid rival political parties' claim of "blatant" rigging.Jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 43 seats and was leading in 20 constituencies while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by former president Asif Ali Zardari won 18 seats and its candidates were leading in 19 seats.A single party will need at least 137 of the directly elected seats to be able to form the government on its own.Highlights: Imran Khan's Press Conference # More trade between India and Pakistan will be beneficial for both countries.# Kashmiris are suffering for long. We have to solve Kashmir issue by sitting across the table, If India's leadership is willing then the both of us can solve this issue through dialogue. It will be good for the subcontinent also# Kashmir core issue between India and Pakistan, we need to resolve it# I am one of those Pakistanis that wants good relations with India, if we want to have a poverty free subcontinent then we must have good relations and trade ties# Disappointed with the way Indian media  portrayed me in last few month. They portrayed me like a Bollywood villain.# We want a balanced, mutually-beneficial relationship with US# We'll also learn from China how to tackle corruption# We'll learn poverty alleviation methods from China# We want good relations with neighbours# Pakistan needs peace, stability# We'll correct tax culture in the country. People's tax-money will not be stolen.# I'll convert Governor Houses into hotels# I'll not live in PM's residence# We are witnessing the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan. # The election process was completed successfully despite many terror attacks. I thank our security forces.# We have to take China as an example as to how they developed their country.# I came into politics because I wanted Pakistan to become the country that Jinnah had envisioned. # This has been a historic election. I especially want to thank the people of Balochistan who despite terrorism came out in huge numbers to vote.# We are witnessing the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan.  # We are witnessing the strengthening of democracy in Pakistan. The election process was completed successfully despite many terror attacks. I thank our security forces: Imran Khan,PTI Chief# I thank god that I have got a chance to realise Jinnah's dream of Pakistan: Imran Khan # I thanks Baloch for taking part in electoral process despite terror strikes. # I thank overseas Pakistanis and others also. # My govt will be for the downtrodden # I would be sad if even a dog goes hungry in Pakistan# I thank god, after 22 years of struggle, my prayers have been answered. I have got the chance to fulfill my dream and serve the nation: Imran Khan 

Kashmir core issue between India and Pakistan, I was saddened when Indian media portrayed me like Bollywood villain: Imran Khan

Jailed former prime minister Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) won 43 seats and was leading in 20 constituencies while Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) led by former president Asif Ali Zardari won 18 seats and its candidates were leading in 19 seats.

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3 pilots, 4 crew members of Nepal Airlines test positive for COVID-19Three pilots and four crew members of the Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) have tested positive for COVID-19, an official said on Monday. The NAC has been operating multiple numbers of international flights to bring back home Nepalis stranded in foreign countries. The infected pilots and crew members were part of the evacuation flights, MyRepublica newspaper reported.NAC spokesperson Archana Khadka confirmed the viral infection in three pilots and four crew members, the report said. Nepal has recorded a total of 15,964 coronavirus cases so far.At present, there are 9,118 active coronavirus patients undergoing treatment at different health facilities across the country, the health ministry said. 

3 pilots, 4 crew members of Nepal Airlines test positive for COVID-19

The Nepal Airlines Corporation has been operating multiple numbers of international flights to bring back home Nepalis stranded in foreign countries. The infected pilots and crew members were part of the evacuation flights

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Pakistan condemns suicide attack in Kabul Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned a deadly suicide attack targeting civilians during a wedding ceremony in Afghanistan. More than 60 people were killed and scores wounded in the blast in the Afghan capital late Saturday, the deadliest attack in Kabul in recent months.In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan "condemns terrorism in all its forms and manifestations." "We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of innocent victims," it said."Terrorism is a common threat for the entire region and must be defeated together," the statement added. Afghanistan and Pakistan routinely accuse each other of failing to combat extremists along their long and porous border.

Pakistan condemns suicide attack in Kabul that left more than 60 dead

Pakistan on Sunday strongly condemned a deadly suicide attack targeting civilians during a wedding ceremony in Afghanistan. More than 60 people were killed and scores wounded in the blast in the Afghan capital late Saturday, the deadliest attack in Kabul in recent months.

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Vice President Kamala Harris waves after being sworn in during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the US Capitol in WashingtonVice President Kamala Harris broke the barrier that has kept men at the top ranks of American power for more than two centuries when she took the oath Wednesday to hold the nation’s second-highest office.Harris was sworn in as the first female U.S. vice president — and the first Black woman and person of South Asian descent to hold the position — in front of the U.S. Capitol by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Later, she presided as Senate president for the first time to swear in three new Democratic senators, including her replacement.The moment was steeped in history and significance in more ways than one. She was escorted to the podium by Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman, the officer who single-handedly took on a mob of Trump supporters as they tried to breach the Senate floor during the Capitol insurrection that sought to overturn the election results. Harris was wearing clothes from two young, emerging Black designers — a deep purple dress and coat.After taking the oath of office, a beaming Harris hugged her husband, Douglas Emhoff, and gave President Joe Biden a fist bump.Her rise is historic in any context, another moment when a stubborn boundary falls away, expanding the idea of what’s possible in American politics. But it’s particularly meaningful because Harris is taking office at a moment when Americans are grappling over institutional racism and confronting a pandemic that has disproportionately devastated Black and brown communities.READ MORE: 'We will rise up. This is American aspiration,' says Vice President Kamala HarrisThose close to Harris say she’ll bring an important — and often missing — perspective to the debates on how to overcome the many hurdles facing the new administration.“In many folks’ lifetimes, we experienced a segregated United States,” said Lateefah Simon, a civil rights advocate and longtime Harris friend and mentee. “You will now have a Black woman who will walk into the White House not as a guest but as a second in command of the free world.”Harris — the child of immigrants, a stepmother of two and the wife of a Jewish man — “carries an intersectional story of so many Americans who are never seen and heard.”Her family joined her on stage as she took the oath and later during her procession to her new office building near the White House. She was led by her alma mater Howard University’s marching band and walked while holding the hand of her grandniece and alongside her husband, stepchildren, sister, brother-in-law and nieces.She will address the nation Wednesday evening from the Lincoln Memorial.Harris, 56, moves into the vice presidency just four years after she first came to Washington as a senator from California, where she’d served as attorney general and as San Francisco’s district attorney. She had expected to work with a White House run by Hillary Clinton, but President Donald Trump’s victory quickly scrambled the nation’s capital and set the stage for the rise of a new class of Democratic stars.After Harris’ own presidential bid fizzled, her rise continued when Biden chose her as his running mate last August. Harris had been a close friend of Beau Biden, his elder son and a former Delaware attorney general who died in 2015 of cancer.The inauguration activities included nods to her history-making rise and her personal story.Harris used two Bibles to take the oath, one that belonged to Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the late civil rights icon whom Harris often cites as inspiration, and Regina Shelton, who helped raise Harris during her childhood in the San Francisco Bay Area.After the ceremony, she and Emhoff escorted former Vice President Mike Pence and his wife, Karen Pence, out of the Capitol, a gesture that would normally be performed by the incoming and outgoing presidents, but Trump did not attended the inauguration. Harris, Pence and their spouses spoke for several minutes before the Pences departed.Image Source : APKamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in WashingtonKamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor as her husband Doug Emhoff holds the Bible during the 59th Presidential Inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in WashingtonTo celebrate the occasion, the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the nation’s oldest sorority for Black women, which Harris joined at Howard University, declared Wednesday as Soror Kamala D. Harris Day. Members of the sorority watching the celebrations across the country were clad in pearls, as was Harris, and the sorority’s pink and green colors.“There is a pride I can’t put into words,” said Elizabeth Shelby, a member of the sorority’s Alpha Psi chapter, who watched from her home in Nashville, Tennessee. “It is such a joy to see her rise to this place in our country. It is such a joy to know that she is one of us, that she represents us.”Biden, in his inaugural address, reflected on the 1913 march for women’s suffrage the day before President Woodrow Wilson’s inauguration, during which some marchers were heckled and attacked.“Today, we mark the swearing in of the first woman in American history elected to national office, Vice President Kamala Harris. Don’t tell me things can’t change,” Biden said.As vice president, Harris will expand the definition of who gets to hold power in American politics, said Martha S. Jones, a professor of history at Johns Hopkins University and the author of “Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All.”People who want to understand Harris and connect with her will have to learn what it means to graduate from a historically Black college and university rather than an Ivy League school. They will have to understand Harris’ traditions, like the Hindu celebration of Diwali, Jones said.“Folks are going to have to adapt to her rather than her adapting to them,” Jones said.Her election to the vice presidency should be just the beginning of putting Black women in leadership positions, Jones said, particularly after the role Black women played in organizing and turning out voters in the November election.“We will all learn what happens to the kind of capacities and insights of Black women in politics when those capacities and insights are permitted to lead,” Jones said.READ MORE: Rejoin Paris pact, lift Muslim travel ban and more: Joe Biden reverses Trump policies on day 1 /* .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'); 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Vice President Kamala Devi Harris: A new chapter opens in America's politics

Kamala Harris is the first female US vice president. She moves into the vice presidency just four years after she first came to Washington as a senator from California.

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Authorities said at a news conference that the five people who were rescued were in stable condition in a hospital. Preliminary investigations revealed that the building housed a restaurant, a coffeeshop, a hotel, and several apartments, CCTV reported. Rescuers in central China have pulled out alive five of 23 people trapped in a partially collapsed building, authorities said Saturday, while President Xi Jinping gave instructions to rescue the victims 'at all costs.'The six-story building in the city of Changsha partially collapsed on Friday. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the collapse trapped some 23 people who were in the building. But authorities also said that 39 others who were present around the site of the building when it toppled remain uncontactable, and rescue operations were underway.Authorities said at a news conference that the five people who were rescued were in stable condition in a hospital. Preliminary investigations revealed that the building housed a restaurant, a coffeeshop, a hotel, and several apartments, CCTV reported. The tenants had made structural changes to the premises, and the exact cause of the collapse is still being investigated, the report said.Following an increase in the number of self-built building collapses in recent years, Xi also said that it was necessary to check on such structures to investigate any hidden dangers and fix them in a timely manner to prevent the occurrence of major accidents, according to state-run news agency Xinhua.Photos showed the front of the building largely intact, while the rear section appeared to have collapsed into itself. Poor adherence to safety standards, including the illegal addition of extra floors and failure to use reinforcing iron bars, is often blamed for such disasters.ALSO READ | China to permit 'some' Indian students to return after over 2 yearsALSO READ | China reports first human case of H3N8 bird flu; 4-year-old found infected

5 rescued from building collapse in China, dozens missing

The six-story building in the city of Changsha partially collapsed on Friday. State broadcaster CCTV reported that the collapse trapped some 23 people who were in the building.

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A man hugs his twin boys after they fled the conflict from neighbouring Ukraine at the Romanian-Ukrainian border, in Siret, Romania. Russia-Ukraine War Latest News: President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian nuclear deterrent forces on alert amid tensions with the West over his invasion of Ukraine. Speaking at a meeting with his top officials, Putin asserted on Sunday that leading NATO powers had made “aggressive statements” along with the West imposing hard-hitting financial sanctions against Russia, including the president himself.Putin ordered the Russian defense minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.” Also Read | 'Not afraid, we have to defend our homeland': Ukrainians return from abroad to fight RussiaAlso Read | PM Modi to hold high-level meeting on Russia-Ukraine war 

Russia-Ukraine war: Putin puts Russia's nuclear deterrent forces on alert

Putin ordered the Russian defense minister and the chief of the military's General Staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.”

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COVID-19 situation can worsen in coming days: Imran KhanUrging people to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that the situation in the country due to the pandemic could worsen in the days to come, it was reported on Thursday.Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, Khan said: "It is a misconception that this pandemic is sprea­ding slowly in the country as the number of our deaths has been low so far and it will not spread rapidly; it will become worse in the days to come.""If we don't take preventive measures, the deadly disease will rise in the country like it did in Europe and will create a lot of trouble for us," the Prime Minister said, adding that people had to adopt social distancing by themselves as lockdown was not a solution and the government and police could not keep people in their homes by force.He warned that if people did not do self-social distancing, the deadly virus would spread at a faster rate and put burden on the healthcare system."Pakis­tan cannot afford a complete lockdown, which was imposed in China or Euro­pean countries, and I ask people to take precautionary measures to curb the spread of the virus."As of Thursday, the confirmed number of cases in the country increased to 4,409 with 64 deaths.Punjab province is the worst affected with 2,166 cases, while Sindh has the second highest at 1,128.

COVID-19 situation can worsen in coming days: Imran Khan

Urging people to maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has warned that the situation in the country due to the pandemic could worsen in the days to come, it was reported on Thursday.

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Thousands of people from India, who arrived in the US illegally as children, are fearing deportation after President Donald Trump's decision to repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) programme, a South Asian Advocacy group has said.The number of such people from India, could be more than 20,000, according to an estimate carried out by South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT).US Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced the rescinding of the Deferred Action for Children Arrival (DACA), an Obama-era amnesty programme that granted work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children.The announcement, which was anticipated for the past few days, was greeted with protests from across the country."Over 27,000 Asian Americans, including 5,500 Indians and Pakistanis, have already received DACA. An additional estimated 17,000 individuals from India and 6,000 Pakistan respectively are eligible for DACA, placing India in the top ten countries for DACA eligibility," SAALT said.With the termination of DACA, these individuals could face deportation at the discretion of the administration, it said."The President's decision to terminate DACA puts 800,000 individuals at risk of deportation from the only country they've ever called home. Ending DACA is the latest evidence of this administration's utter lack of commitment to our nation's founding values of equality and fairness," Suman Raghunathan, executive director of SAALT, said."Our current patchwork of immigration policies and programs is broken, and we demand the Congress does its job to craft a commonsense immigration process that creates a road-map to citizenship for aspiring new Americans."This is the only way to align our immigration laws with the values Americans hold dear," she said.In a statement, South Asian Bar Association (SABA) president Rishi Bagga said "DREAMERS" were brought to the US by their parents in hopes of a better life."As children, they did not choose to break the law. Most of these young men and women have never returned to the countries of their birth, and many do not even speak the language of their native countries. Rescinding DACA effectually takes away these young people's right to live in the only country they have ever known," Bagga said.SABA said when the DACA program ends, the 800,000-plus registrants who relied upon the federal government's representations by coming out of the shadows and willingly shared their information with the federal government will be in danger of deportation.In the vast majority of cases, DACA recipients who are gainfully employed in a variety of professions, including as doctors, lawyers, and engineers, will be unable to work legally in the United States.This number includes over 10,000 South Asian DACA recipients, it said.

Thousands of Indian-Americans fear deportation as Donald Trump scraps DACA

Thousands of people from India, who arrived in the US illegally as children, are fearing deportation after President Donald Trump's decision to repeal the DACA

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FILE IMAGEOlivier Dassault, deputy of the Les Republicains (LR) conservative party and son of billionaire industrialist Serge Dassault, was killed in a helicopter crash, President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter."Olivier Dassault loved France. A captain of industry, lawmaker, local elected official, reserve commander in the air force: during his life, he never ceased to serve our country, to value its assets. His sudden death is a great loss," Macron tweeted on Sunday.Aged 69, Olivier Dassault died on Sunday in a helicopter crash in the northern French town of Touques, in the Normandy region, Xinhua news agency reported.The pilot was also killed, reported local radio Europe 1.Olivier Dassault was considered the 361st richest man in the world, worth an estimated 6.3 billion euros ($7.3 billion), according to Forbes.The Dassault family has one of the greatest fortunes in France.Dassault Group owns Dassault Aviation, which builds the Rafale war planes, and also owns Le Figaro newspaper.

French billionaire MP Olivier Dassault dies in helicopter crash

Olivier Dassault, deputy of the Les Republicains (LR) conservative party and son of billionaire industrialist Serge Dassault, was killed in a helicopter crash, President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter.

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Qureshi again writes to UN on Kashmir issuePakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has again written a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council to raise the Kashmir issue. In a series of letters in recent months, the Foreign Minister has consistently updated the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary General António Guterres on the situation in Kashmir, the Foreign Office said.In his latest letter on December 12, Qureshi “apprised the UN Security Council and Secretary General on Indian actions that continue to escalate tensions in an already tense environment in South Asia”.The Foreign Minister urged the UN Security Council to play its rightful role and also reiterated Pakistan’s proposal to strengthen UNMOGIP’s presence in the region.India maintains that the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), established in January 1949, has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).Qureshi also warned that India could launch “false flag” attack to divert world attention from Kashmir. He asked the Security Council to play its rightful role in averting any threats to peace and security in South Asia as well as bringing an immediate end to the suffering of the Kashmiri people.The earlier letter by Qureshi to the President of the UNSC and the Secretary General were written on August 1,6,13 and 26, September 16 and October 31.

Qureshi again writes to UN on Kashmir issue

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has again written a letter to the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Security Council to raise the Kashmir issue. In a series of letters in recent months, the Foreign Minister has consistently updated the United Nations Security Council and the UN Secretary General António Guterres on the situation in Kashmir.

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Mumbai attack mastermind and banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed is a terrorist leader designated by both the United Nations and the United States, the Trump administration said today, hours after a Pakistani court ordered his release from detention. The banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah head, who carries a bounty of USD 10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, has been under detention since January this year. Related Stories Hafiz Saeed's name not on list of 75 terrorists handed over by US, says PakistanPakistani authorities want beefed up security for Hafiz SaeedLahore court orders release of 26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed"The US is aware of media reports that Pakistan (court) ordered release of Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Saeed from house arrest," a State Department spokesperson said when asked about the decision of the Judicial Review Board of Punjab province which refused to extend Saeed's detention. As such, Saeed is all set to be released from house arrest after the expiry of the detention order on Thursday. Responding to a question, the State Department was quick to express its displeasure over the potential release of Saeed from house arrest.  In May 2008, the United States Department of the Treasury designated Saeed as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224, the spokesperson said. "Saeed was also individually designated by the United Nations under UNSCR 1267 (UN Security Council Resolution) in December 2008 following the November 2008 Mumbai attack," the official said. LeT and several of its front organisations, leaders, and operatives remain under both State Department and Treasury Department sanctions, the State Department official noted. "The US reiterates its stance that LeT is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation responsible for the death of hundreds of innocent civilians in terrorist attacks, including a number of American citizens," the spokesperson said. The JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the banned Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) which is responsible for carrying out the Mumbai attack.

Hafiz Saeed is terrorist leader designated by UN and US: Trump administration

The banned Jamaat-ud-Dawah head, who carries a bounty of USD 10 million announced by the US for his role in terror activities, has been under detention since January this year.

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Tensions over China's island-building in the South China Sea may have eased in the past year, but Beijing has kept busy.New satellite imagery shows China has built infrastructure covering 72 acres (28 hectares) in the Spratly and Paracel islands during 2017 to equip its larger outposts to be air and naval bases.The Washington-based Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative closely tracks developments in the South China Sea, where China and several Asian governments have conflicting territorial claims. It said on Thursday there has been construction of hangars, underground storage, missile shelters, radar arrays and other facilities.The activity comes as China joins what are likely to be protracted negotiations with Southeast Asian nations on a "code of conduct" for South China Sea. Tensions with the US on the issue have also eased, despite Washington's criticism of Beijing's conduct.The construction is the follow-up phase to a campaign of land reclamation that was completed by early 2016 in the Spratlys, an island chain where Malaysia, Taiwan, the Philippines, Vietnam and Brunei also have claims. According to the Pentagon, China has added more than 3,200 acres (1,248 hectares) of land to the seven land features it occupies in the area.China also seems to have halted smaller-scale operations to expand islands in the Paracels that lie farther north, the initiative said.The US and others have accused Beijing of further militarizing the region and altering geography to bolster its sweeping claims across the South China Sea. China says the man-made islands in the Spratlys, which are equipped with airstrips and military installations, are mainly for civilian purposes and to boost safety for fishing and maritime trade.Greg Poling, the initiative's director, said China had seized a diplomatic opening after the election of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who adopted a conciliatory stance toward Beijing over their territorial dispute. It's also been less of a focus for President Donald Trump's administration, preoccupied by North Korea's nuclear threat and trade disputes with China."It's gotten off the front pages, but we shouldn't confuse that with a softening in China's pursuit of its goals. They are continuing all the construction they want," Poling said.The most construction has been on Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys, including hangars alongside its 10,000-foot (3,000-meter) airstrip, underground structures likely intended to house munitions or other materiel, hardened shelters for missile platforms, and communication and radar facilities, the initiative said.It also noted that China has deployed new military aircraft at Woody Island in the Paracels. At the end of October, the Chinese military released images of J-11B fighter planes there for drills. In mid-November, Y-8 transport aircraft were spotted on the same island that may be capable of electronic intelligence gathering.Marine Lt. Col. Christopher Logan, a Pentagon spokesman, said Thursday that he could not comment in detail on US assessments of the region but that "further militarization of outposts will only serve to raise tensions and create greater distrust among claimants."The United States does not claim territory in the South China Sea but has declared it has a national interest in ensuring that the territorial disputes there are resolved peacefully in accordance with international law and that freedom of navigation and overflight are guaranteed. China has opposed what it calls US meddling in an Asian dispute.

While focus is on North Korea, Beijing continues South China Sea buildup

New satellite imagery shows China has built infrastructure covering 72 acres (28 hectares) in the Spratly and Paracel islands during 2017 to equip its larger outposts to be air and naval bases.

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Increase in jobs, soaring stock market shows transition of greatness for US has begun: White HouseThe soaring stock market and addition of 2.5 million jobs last month are the evidence that the transition of greatness for the US has officially begun due to its strong policies despite the coronavirus pandemic, a senior US official has said. "The transition to greatness has officially begun. Friday's jobs report was encouraging to say the absolute least," Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary, told reporters at a news conference here as she exuded confidence about the revival of the American economy in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.The US is among the worst affected nations by the deadly coronavirus and till now has reported the deaths of more than 112,000 people and 1,960,642 confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University.The White House statement came as US unemployment rate fell to 13.3 per cent on Friday, registering an increase of 2.5 million jobs, leading President Donald Trump to describe the numbers as an affirmation of the good work his adminstration is doing.The unemployment rate for April was 14.7 per cent, which was the highest since 1948. With the addition of 2.5 million jobs, the monthly rate dropped to 13.3 per cent for May."This was a 10 million swing toward the positive side and, in fact, the greatest number of jobs created in a single month on record. That is extraordinary, 225,000 manufacturing jobs, 464,000 thousand construction jobs, and 1.2 million leisure and hospitality jobs were all added in May,” she said.McEnany said that the stock market is absolutely soaring."We saw with the S&P that it had its greatest 50-day rally in history. The Dow, likewise, is also booming. The markets clearly have confidence in President Trump -- the jobs President who created the hottest economy in modern history once and will do it again,” she asserted.“Why is this happening? Well, it's happening because America has taken note of the fact that we have a President who ushered in the hottest economy in modern history,” McEnany added.Responding to a question, McEnany said that Trump sees the job report as a great stride toward what he ultimately wants, which is this rearing economy that the US had, where paychecks were growing and at the fastest for low-income workers.

Increase in jobs, soaring stock market shows transition of greatness for US has begun: White House

The soaring stock market and addition of 2.5 million jobs last month are the evidence that the transition of greatness for the US has officially begun due to its strong policies despite the coronavirus pandemic, a senior US official has said.

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Residents are wade through flooding cause by Typhoon Rai as they are evacuated to higher grounds in Cagayan de Oro City, southern PhilippinesA powerful typhoon slammed into the southeastern Philippines on Thursday and was blowing across island provinces where nearly 100,000 people have been evacuated from high-risk areas that could be devastated by flash floods, landslides and tidal surges, officials said.Forecasters said Typhoon Rai, which had sustained winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph), blew from the Pacific Ocean into the Siargao Islands. There were no immediate reports of casualties or major damage but military and coast guard rescue personnel were helping residents stranded by fast-rising waters.Disaster-response officials said about 10,000 villages lie in the projected path of the typhoon, which has a 400-kilometer (248-mile)-wide rain band and is one of the strongest to hit the country this year.The Philippine coast guard said it has grounded all vessels, stranding nearly 4,000 passengers and ferry and cargo ship workers in dozens of southern and central ports. Several mostly domestic flights have been canceled and schools and workplaces were shut in the most vulnerable areas.More than 98,000 people have been evacuated to safety, the government's disaster-response agency said. Crowding in evacuation centers was complicating efforts to keep people safely distanced after authorities detected the country’s first infections caused by the omicron variant of the coronavirus. Intensified vaccinations were also halted in provinces likely to experience stormy weather.The Philippines is among the hardest-hit in Southeast Asia by the pandemic, with confirmed infections of more than 2.8 million and more than 50,000 deaths. Quarantine restrictions have been eased and more businesses have been allowed to reopen in recent weeks after an intensified vaccination campaign helped reduce infections to a few hundred from more than 26,000 in September. The detection of the omicron cases this week, however, has set off the alarm and the government renewed calls for people to avoid crowds and get vaccinated immediately.Gov. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar province said he suspended vaccinations in his region of nearly half a million people due to the typhoon. More than 70% of villagers in the province have gotten at least one shot, and Evardone expressed concern because some vaccines stored in Eastern Samar will expire in a few months.Overcrowding is unavoidable, he said, in the limited number of evacuation centers in his province, where more than 32,000 people have been moved to safety.“It’s impossible to observe social distancing, it will really be tough,” Evardone told The Associated Press. “What we do is we cluster evacuees by families. We don’t mix different people in the same place as a precaution.”About 20 storms and typhoons batter the Philippines each year. The archipelago is also located in the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire” region, making it one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world.ALSO READ | Strong typhoon increases in force as it heads toward Taiwan /* .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_5212174138 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/12/0_qkiz5cea/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_qkiz5cea_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Superfast 200: Watch the latest news from India and around the world | December 16, 2021", "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": "1146", "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_5212174138 = ''; jwsetup_5212174138(); function jwsetup_5212174138() { jwvidplayer_5212174138 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_5212174138").setup(jwconfig_5212174138); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_5212174138, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_qkiz5cea\", ns_st_pr=\"Superfast 200: Watch the latest news from India and around the world | December 16, 2021\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Superfast 200: Watch the latest news from India and around the world | December 16, 2021\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Superfast 200: Watch the latest news from India and around the world | December 16, 2021\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-12-16\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-12-16\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/12/0_qkiz5cea/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_5212174138.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_5212174138.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_5212174138.stop(); jwvidplayer_5212174138.remove(); jwvidplayer_5212174138 = ''; jwsetup_5212174138(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_5212174138.stop(); jwvidplayer_5212174138.remove(); jwvidplayer_5212174138 = ''; jwsetup_5212174138(); return; }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5212174138.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); } ​  

Typhoon Rai hits Philippines, nearly 100,000 evacuated

Forecasters said Typhoon Rai, which had sustained winds of 185 kilometers (115 miles) per hour and gusts of up to 230 kph (143 mph), blew from the Pacific Ocean into the Siargao Islands.

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 Donald Trump says he had a ‘tremendous meeting’ with Vladimir PutinAPHamburg: Fresh from his lengthy head-to-head encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump on Saturday was meeting with a long list of world leaders, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and President Xi Jinping of China, as he wraps up his second trip abroad.Trump said he had a “tremendous meeting” with Putin as he sat alongside May for a morning exchange on the sidelines of an international summit in Germany. It marked Trump’s first comments on his high-profile talks with Putin in which he raised the issue of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 elections and discussed plans for a ceasefire agreement in Syria.Trump was expected to focus on talks to counter North Korea’s push for ballistic missile and nuclear programs, address international trade and ways to combat terrorism. The president was holding the meetings at the annual Group of 20 meetings, which have been marked by violent riots in the city between anti-globalization activists and police.Noting his “special relationship” with the British prime minister, the president said he and May were working on a trade agreement that he described as a “very, very big deal, very powerful, great deal for both countries.”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 exists the European Union — a move Trump has supported.Trump’s long list of meetings with world leaders on Saturday included Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Joko Widodo of Indonesia and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore. He also attended a women’s entrepreneurial finance event, a project spearheaded by his daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders also attended.Ivanka Trump and the World Bank rolled out a new fund that aims to help female entrepreneurs 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.During his brief remarks, 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 Group of 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.The European trip to Poland and Germany has centered around the exchange with Putin, Trump’s first in-person meeting as president. But both sides offered differing explanations of what took place.U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Trump and Putin had a “robust and lengthy” discussion about the 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.Democrats seized upon Tillerson’s remarks, saying that it was wrong to suggest the issue of Russia’s role in the election meddling was unresolved. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said it was “disgraceful” and said it was a “grave dereliction of duty” to give “equal credence to the findings of the American Intelligence Community and the assertion by Mr. Putin.”U.S. officials have said Russia tried to hack election systems in 21 states and sway the election for Trump, representing a level of interference in the U.S. political system that security experts said represents a top-level threat.Trump’s meeting with Putin, which was originally scheduled for 35 minutes, wrapped up after more than 2 hours, and focused heavily on a just-announced ceasefire deal for southwestern Syria that was reached by Russia and the United States.While the U.S. and Russia have held conflicting views on Syria in the past, Tillerson said Russia had an interest in seeing the Mideast nation become a stable place.Tillerson said details about the ceasefire still need to be worked out, but Lavrov told reporters that Russian military police will monitor the ceasefire, with a monitoring center set up in Jordan — another party to the deal.Both the Russians and the Americans took pains to describe the meeting as “constructive,” cordial and wide-ranging, covering key topics including cyber security and North Korea.“The two leaders connected very quickly,” Tillerson said. “There was a very clear positive chemistry.” 

Donald Trump says he had a ‘tremendous meeting’ with Vladimir Putin

Both the Russians and the Americans took pains to describe the meeting as “constructive,” cordial and wide-ranging, covering key topics including cyber security and North Korea.

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Uber reports more than 3,000 sexual assaults on 2018 ridesUber, as part of along anticipated safety report, revealed that more than 3,000 sexual assaults were reported during its U.S. rides in 2018. That figure includes 229 rapes across the company’s 1.3 billion rides. The ride-hailing company noted that drivers and riders were both attacked, and that some assaults occurred between riders.The Thursday report, which the company hailed as the first of its kind, provides a rare look into the traffic deaths, murders and reported sexual assaults that took place during billions of annual rides arranged in the U.S. using Uber’s service. It is part of the company’s effort to be more transparent after years of criticism over its safety record.In 2017, the company counted 2,936 reported sexual assaults during 1 billion U.S. trips. Uber bases its numbers on reports from riders and drivers, meaning the actual numbers could be much higher. Sexual assaults commonly go unreported.“I suspect many people will be surprised at how rare these incidents are; others will understandably think they’re still too common,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi tweeted about the report. “Some people will appreciate how much we’ve done on safety; others will say we have more work to do. They will all be right.” Uber’s share price dropped more than 1% in after-hours trading.Uber and competitor Lyft have faced harsh criticism for not doing enough to protect the safety of their riders and drivers. Dozens of women are suing Lyft, claiming the company should have done more to protect them from driver assaults. A Connecticut woman sued Uber last month, claiming she was sexually assaulted by her driver.London refused to renew Uber’s license to operate in the city in November after the company was plagued with safety issues including concerns about impostor drivers. Uber said it will appeal the decision. The companies have both formed partnerships with sexual assault prevention networks and other safety groups, and have touted their background check policies for drivers. But many say they haven’t gone far enough to protect passengers and drivers, who are contract workers for the companies.“Keeping this information in the dark doesn’t make anyone safer,” Uber said in a statement announcing the report. It plans to release its safety report every two years going forward. Lyft said last year it would also release a safety report. A company spokeswoman confirmed Thursday that it “remained committed” to releasing a report, but did not say when.Mike Bomberger, a lawyer representing more than 100 victims of sexual assault in lawsuits against Uber and Lyft, applauded Uber for releasing the numbers. “One of the problems with both of these companies is that they have hidden and have tried to conceal the number of sexual assaults that occur in their vehicles,” he said. In response, an Uber spokesperson pointed to the just-released report. Lyft called Bomberger’s charge “baseless.”Bomberger said he believes 80% to 90% of the assaults in the Uber report could have been prevented by measures such as cameras in the cars recording rides and the companies reporting every assault they learn of to the police. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network said it appreciated Uber’s transparency.“This is an issue that affects every institution in America,” RAINN press secretary Emily Robinson said in a statement. She added that organizations in every industry, including education, should “make a similar effort to track and analyze sexual misconduct within their communities.” The report stated that Uber rides were involved in 97 reported crashes in 2017 and 2018, resulting in 107 deaths. The company said the figure represents about half of the national rate for fatal crashes.Sexual assault in the report is defined broadly into categories including non-consensual kissing of a non-sexual body part, attempted non-consensual sexual penetration, non-consensual touching of a sexual body part, non-consensual kissing of a sexual body part and non-consensual sexual penetration.The company also said Uber rides were involved in nine murders during 2018, and 10 during 2017. Uber noted that the vast majority — 99.9% — of its rides had no reported safety issues.ALSO READ | Pakistan inflation surges to nine-year highALSO READ | This UAE-based Indian kid's eco-robot to be showcased at Dubai Expo 2020

Uber reports more than 3,000 sexual assaults on 2018 rides

The Thursday report, which the company hailed as the first of its kind, provides a rare look into the traffic deaths, murders and reported sexual assaults that took place during billions of annual rides arranged in the U.S. using Uber’s service. It is part of the company’s effort to be more transparent after years of criticism over its safety record.

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Pakistan has decided to appoint its ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the next hearing in Kulbhushan Jadhav case. Jadhav, a former Indian naval officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage. According to a report in The Express Tribune, Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Ashtar Ausaf Ali will be leading Pakistan's legal team at the next hearing of the case on June 8 at the UN court, which stayed Jadhav's execution on May 18.Sources told the paper that the AGP informed the committee that Pakistan would appoint its ad hoc judge for the upcoming hearing and he would himself lead Pakistan's team at the ICJ.The decisions were communicated on Tuesday in an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security - chaired by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, the paper said. The AGP briefed the meeting about the steps Pakistan is taking for its effective defence of the case at the ICJ.In the parliamentary panel's meeting earlier on May 23, the committee had expressed outright dissatisfaction over Pakistan's legal strategy to deal with Jadhav's case at the ICJ. It said the government's "lack of preparation" had resulted in allowing New Delhi to get a provisional stay order against the military court's verdict, the paper quoted sources as saying.(With IANS inputs)

Kulbhushan Jadhav case: Pakistan to appoint ad hoc judge at ICJ for next hearing

Pakistan would appoint its ad hoc judge for the upcoming hearing in Kulbhushan Jadhav case at the ICJ and Attorney General Ashtar Ausaf Ali would himself lead Pakistan's team at the UN court.

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5 shells hit Iraq military base housing US forcesA total of five shells hit a military base housing US forces in Iraq's Nineveh province, the Iraqi army said. The attack took place on Friday night when the shells landed on the al-Qayyara airbase, south of the provincial capital city of Mosul, Xinhua news agency quoted the media office affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, as saying. There were no reports of any casualties or damage.A security source in Mosul told Xinhua that Katyusha rockets landed at the perimeter of the al-Qayyara airbase without causing casualties.The attack came a week after thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Baghdad upon the request of the prominent Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr, in which he called for a scheduled withdrawal of US troops from Iraq through peaceful means.On January 5, Iraq's parliament passed a resolution requiring the government to end the presence of foreign forces in the country.The development came two days after a US drone attack killed Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq's paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces, in Baghdad.Over 5,000 US troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the country's forces in the battles against Islamic State militants.  

5 shells hit Iraq military base housing US forces

The attack came a week after thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Baghdad upon the request of the prominent Shia leader Moqtada al-Sadr, in which he called for a scheduled withdrawal of US troops from Iraq through peaceful means.

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Pakistan's role in enabling Taliban is victory for hardliners: Top US senator.The role of Pakistan in enabling the Taliban is a victory for the hardliners in the country’s government, a top American lawmaker has said, asserting that the unfolding developments in Afghanistan and the role being played by Islamabad in Kabul are not sending a good message to India. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan on Thursday, said multiple US administrations were guilty of ignoring Pakistan’s role in helping the Taliban to regroup, as other US senators expressed concern over the “double dealing” of Islamabad. “India, I know that there was an announcement today there'll be a meeting of the Quad fairly soon, which is a good development, except that the Indo-Pacific region, if you are India, you're looking at this and saying, ‘If the United States allowed Pakistan to unravel their standing," he said. “Because the Pakistani role in all this - and I think multiple administrations are guilty of ignoring it. The Pakistani role in enabling the Taliban is ultimately a victory for those pro-Taliban hardliners in the Pakistani government,” Rubio told Blinken.The role of Pakistan in enabling the Taliban is a victory for the hardliners in the country’s government, a top American lawmaker has said, asserting that the unfolding developments in Afghanistan and the role being played by Islamabad in Kabul are not sending a good message to India.Republican Senator Marco Rubio, during a Congressional hearing on Afghanistan on Thursday, said multiple US administrations were guilty of ignoring Pakistan’s role in helping the Taliban to regroup, as other US senators expressed concern over the “double dealing” of Islamabad.“India, I know that there was an announcement today there'll be a meeting of the Quad fairly soon, which is a good development, except that the Indo-Pacific region, if you are India, you're looking at this and saying, ‘If the United States allowed Pakistan to unravel their standing," he said.“Because the Pakistani role in all this - and I think multiple administrations are guilty of ignoring it.US President Joe Biden would host the first in-person Quad summit on September 24 in Washington which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and Japanese premier Yoshihide Suga.The four leaders would discuss promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, addressing the climate crisis and deepening their ties and advancing practical cooperation on areas like combatting COVID-19, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday.“They (Indians) have to be looking at this and saying if the United States could have, you know, a third-rate power like Pakistan unravel its aims, what chance do they have of confronting China? So, I think this leaves us in a terrible situation,” Rubio said during the Congressional hearing on Afghanistan convened by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.He said that all these years, while the Taliban was suffering casualties, they enjoyed safe haven in Pakistan.“They were able to go there to rest, to refit, to train, to recruit. And so, in summary, even before the withdrawal, we had a terrible status quo. The security forces, a small number of US forces, you know, continued to die,” he said.Senator Mike Rounds said Pakistan was considering the Taliban government as a partner to counter India.Rounds said the Iranian president has openly called this an American military defeat and is considering working with the Taliban.In his remarks, Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke about the “double-dealing by Pakistan” and “providing a safe haven” to the Taliban.Senator James Risch told Blinken that the United States must understand Pakistan's role in this entire matter.Blinken on Monday told angry US lawmakers that the US will look at the role Pakistan played in the last 20 years after the lawmakers expressed outrage over Pakistan’s "duplicitous" part in Afghanistan post 9/11 and demanded that Washington reassess its relationship with Islamabad.The US lawmakers also urged the Biden administration to reassess Pakistan’s status as a major non-NATO ally.The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US was set to complete its troop withdrawal. /* .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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Pakistan's role in enabling Taliban is victory for hardliners: Top US senator Marco Rubio

US President Joe Biden would host the first in-person Quad summit on Sep 24 in Washington which will be attended by PM Modi, PM of Australia Scott Morrison and Japanese premier Yoshihide Suga.

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Nawaz Sharif and MaryamPakistan’s accountability court on Friday convicted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law safdar in Avenfield corruption case, according to local mediaWhile Nawaz Sharif was awarded 10 years in prison with £8 million fine, his daughter Maryam was sentenced to seven years with a £2 million fine. Nawaz’s son-in-law Safdar got one year of imprisonment.Related Stories In damage control mode, Pak Army calls high-level meet to discuss Sharif's confession on Mumbai attackPakistan Army calls 'national security' meet to discuss Nawaz Sharif's 26/11 admission'Will speak the truth': Nawaz Sharif defends his remarks on 26/11 attacks; Pak blames India for delay in caseThe court delivered the verdict after postponing it for four times in the Avenfield corruption case—pertaining to the ownership of four flats in the posh Avenfield House in London. Sharif, 68, is in London attending to his wife Kulsoom Nawaz who was diagnosed with throat cancer last year. The ruling came weeks before the general elections in Pakistan on July 25. Islamabad-based accountability court judge Mohammad Bashir pronounced the verdict behind closed doors. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecution team chief Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi provided details of the judgement. “The court sentenced Sharif to 10 years rigorous imprisonment and fined eight million pounds (over USD 10 million). Maryam was given seven years of rigorous imprisonment and imposed two million pounds (over USD 2.6 million) and her husband Muhammad Safdar was awarded one year rigorous imprisonment,” Abbasi told media outside the court. The court also ordered confiscation of Avenfield apartments in favour of Pakistan. “I congratulate my all prosecution team... It is a victory of the NAB prosecution,” Abbasi said. He also said that the verdict showed that Avenfield apartments were purchased with corruption money and were in ownership of Sharif family since 1993.  After the verdict, Maryam and Safdar were disqualified from contesting elections.   According to media reports, Sharif and Maryam were in their apartment in the Avenfield building in London when the decision was announced. Besides Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Safdar, his sons Hassan and Hussain were also co-accused. The two sons never appeared before the court and were declared as absconders. The judgement runs into over 100 pages. Authorities had deployed a large number of security personnel in and around the Federal Judicial Complex, where the court is located. The roads leading to the complex have also been closed to the general traffic. Three-time prime minister Sharif resigned as Pakistan prime minister last year after the Supreme Court disqualified him from holding public office and ruled that graft cases be filed against the beleaguered leader and his children over the Panama Papers scandal. Sharif and his daughter Maryam have made several trips back and forth from London to attend the hearings and attend to the ailing Kulsoom. The Avenfield case was among the three corruption cases filed against the former premier and his children by the NAB on the Supreme Court’s orders in the Panama Papers case which disqualified Sharif. The Avenfield case hearing lasted for more than nine months and both Sharif and his daughter attended dozens of hearings. During the trial, the NAB presented around 21 witnessed to prove that Sharif family cannot justify the money trail to buy four apartments in Avenfield House, Park Lane, London. It is alleged that the properties were allegedly bought with graft money in 1990s when he served twice as the prime minister. Sharif rejected any wrongdoings and insisted they were bought with the legitimate money. After the conviction, it was not sure if Sharif and Maryam would come back to face rigorous imprisonment. Analysts believe that their return might boost the chances of good showing in elections by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz due to sympathy vote. Sharif’s nemesis Imran Khan of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said even before verdict that Sharif will be sent to jail due to his corruption, as he accused him of using illness of his wife Kulsoom as “emotional blackmail”. “Sharif did not remember his wife while she was under treatment in London and he was holding public meetings across the country,” the cricketer-turned-politician said.  Safdar had said before the judgement that the verdict against the former prime minister will not be accepted by the people of Pakistan. “The conviction of Sharif family in the Avenfield reference will be rejected by the people as they did with the Panama Papers case verdict,” he had said while addressing an election rally in his native Mansehra area.Watch: Ousted Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 10 yrs in jail(With PTI inputs)

Avenfield corruption case: Ousted Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 10 yrs in jail, fined $8 mn; daughter Maryam gets 7 yrs jail

While Nawaz Sharif was awarded 10 years in prison with £8 million fine, his daughter Maryam was sentenced to seven years with a £2 million fine. Nawaz’s son-in-law Safdar got one year of imprisonment.

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Indian-origin woman killed in Australia, body found in suitcaseAn Indian-origin woman dentist in Australia, who went missing under mysterious circumstances, has been found dead. The body of Sydney-based dentist Preethi Reddy has been found dumped in a suitcase with multiple stab wounds in her car. She was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend, who later was killed in an accident, the police said. The suspected Harsh Narde, who was also a dentist and a person of Indian-origin, died after his BMW car collided with a truck on the New England Highway on Monday night, a day after his ex-girlfriend was reported missing, New South Wales Police (NSW) said.Related Stories Indian student killed in Australia after meeting girl through dating site Man surrenders after killing wife, children, mother-in-law in Australia102-yr-old man charged with 'indecent assault' of 94-yr-old woman in AustraliaNew Zealand: Five-month pregnant Indian woman found dead on beachAustralia: Suspicious packages found at Indian consulate, other diplomatic missions in MelbourneAustralia: 32-year-old Indian woman found dead under mysterious circumstances; body recovered from suitcase in carThe head-on collision, around 340 kilometres from where Reddy's body was found, is believed to have been deliberate, they said.That crash, which occurred about 10 PM (local time), is "believed to be a deliberate act," police said.The police said they spoke to Narde, aged in his thirties, as part of the missing persons investigation, before his death. They said the investigation was still in its early stages."I cannot qualify exactly what has happened and I won't put it out there because if we're wrong and it's not substantiated then we're doing a disservice to Preethi and her family," Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate told the ABC News."At this stage we know they met up in Sydney and now we're looking at all the movements between these two," the officer was quoted as saying.According to report, it was understood that Narde was the key suspect in Reddy's murder. Reddy's body which was stabbed numerous times was found in a car parked in Strachan Lane in Kingsford on Tuesday, days after she went missing from Sydney's busiest area under mysterious circumstances.She was last seen waiting in line at McDonald's in George Street on Sunday, the police said. She bought two bottles of water before leaving, walking south towards Market Street, where police said Reddy was staying at a hotel with a man known to her.Reddy was attending a dental conference in St Leonards at the weekend and last spoke to her family at around 11 AM on Sunday.She told them that she would head home after breakfast, and when she failed to return, her family contacted police.The NSW Police described Reddy's disappearance as "out of character" and said there were serious concerns of her welfare.It is thought that Reddy may have gone to Narde's hotel to reaffirm that their relationship was truly over.Friends of Reddy say that after the break-up several years ago, she was very firm that it was over and did not want to see Narde any more.Investigators believe that Narde did not accept that, and had attended the weekend conference purely in order to see her.Reddy's work colleagues said they were "terrified" and had been unable to sleep since her disappearance."It's devastating, and this is completely out of character," dental assistant Chelsea Holmes of Glenbrook Dental Surgery was quoted as saying by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation."We got a call on Monday asking if she had turned up to work … and now we are just hoping and none of us have been able to sleep."I spoke to her last Thursday and it was 'see you next week' and completely normal," she said, adding "Now I am just praying she will be found," Holmes said.The NSW police said they were appealing for information in relation to her whereabouts.Narde had graduated from university in Bangalore in 2009 and was worked at Oasis Smiles Dental in Tamworth. (With inputs from PTI)

Indian-origin woman killed in Australia, body found in suitcase

The body of Sydney-based dentist Preethi Reddy has been found dumped in a suitcase with multiple stab wounds in her car. She was allegedly killed by her ex-boyfriend, who later was killed in an accident, the police said.

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Modi undermined spirit of bilateralism: QureshiPakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi "undermined the spirit of bilateralism" and that India's decision to revoke special status for Jammu and Kashmir was in "clear breach of the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and international laws". Speaking to reporters in the capital, Qureshi said under the Simla agreement, both Pakistan and India were bound to bilaterally resolve the Kashmir dispute."Modi should tell the world whether his measures on August 5 were bilateral or unilateral. It is the Indian Prime Minister who has undermined the spirit of bilateralism," the Minister said, according to Geo News. He added that India's "unilateral action in occupied Kashmir were in clear breach of the UNSC resolutions and international laws".Qureshi said that 14 petitions had been filed in the Indian Supreme Court against the Modi government's decision to revoke the special status for Jammu and Kashmir. "It is a test of the Indian Supreme Court whether it gives the judgment independently or succumbs to Modi's pressure."The Foreign Minister said Prime Minister Imran Khan will be "the voice of the Kashmiri people" before the international community during his address at the UN General Assembly in September.Khan will also hold bilateral meetings and attend other events in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly session, he added. ALSO READ: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi dials UN chief over KashmirALSO READ: 5-judge Constitution bench to hear pleas challenging Article 370 abrogation; Yechury allowed to visit KashmirALSO READ: Supreme Court to hear multiple pleas on Article 370 today

Modi undermined spirit of bilateralism: Qureshi

"Modi should tell the world whether his measures on August 5 were bilateral or unilateral. It is the Indian Prime Minister who has undermined the spirit of bilateralism," the Minister said, according to Geo News.

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ImageThe shadowy leader of the Islamic State group claimed to appear for the first time in five years in a video released by the extremist group's propaganda arm on Monday, acknowledging defeat in the group's last stronghold in Syria but vowing a "long battle" ahead.The man said to be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the video also claimed the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka which killed over 250 people were "part of the revenge" that awaits the West.Related Stories Hyderabad youth arrested for alleged ISIS links, NIA raids 8 locationsISIS claims three militants blown up during raid with security forces in Sri LankaNIA raids three places in Kerala over ISIS links, suspects held for questioningDespite numerous claims about his death in the past few years, al-Baghdadi's whereabouts remain a mystery. Many of his top aides have been killed, mostly by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes. He is among the few senior IS commanders still at large after two years of steady battlefield losses that saw the self-styled "caliphate" shrink from an area the size of Britain to a tiny speck in the Euphrates River valley.The video released by a media outlet run by the extremists, Al-Furqan, shows al-Baghdadi with a bushy grey and red beard, wearing a black robe with a beige vest and seated on the floor with what appears to be an AK-74 rifle propped up next to him. He is speaking with three men seated opposite him whose faces were covered and blotted out.It is his first video appearance since he delivered a sermon at the al-Nuri mosque in the Iraqi city of Mosul in 2014. In that video, he appeared as a black-robed figure with a trimmed black beard to deliver a sermon from the pulpit of the mosque in which he urged Muslims around the world to swear allegiance to the caliphate and obey him as its leader.Since then, he has only released audio messages through the group's media outlets.In the video released Monday, al-Baghdadi acknowledged that IS lost the war in the eastern Syrian village of Baghouz, the group's last sliver of territory, which was captured last month by the U.S.-backed Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The fall of Baghouz marked the militants' territorial defeat and the end of their self-declared Islamic caliphate over parts of Syria and Iraq.Al-Baghdadi said that the battle for Baghouz demonstrated the "barbarism and brutality" of the West and the "courage, steadfastness and resilience of the nation of Islam.""This steadfastness shocked the hearts of the Crusaders in what increased their rage," he added.Referring to the setbacks in battle, he said the "brothers" of the many fallen fighters "will avenge that, as they will not forget as long as they have blood in their veins, and there will be a battle after this one."Al-Baghdadi called specifically on his followers to intensify attacks on France.He made repeated references to current events, including Benjamin Netanyahu winning the elections in Israel and the fall of longtime dictators Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Omar al-Bashir in Algeria and Sudan.Most significantly, he praised the recent attacks in Sri Lanka which he said have "pleased the hearts of Muslims," and said it is "part of the revenge that awaits the Crusaders and their followers."The group has claimed responsibility for the suicide attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka, and investigators are looking into the extent of the extremist group's involvement with the local radicalized Muslims who carried out the suicide bombings.It is unclear when or where the video was filmed. Al-Baghdadi appeared to be in good health, although he spoke slowly and sometimes haltingly in the video.With a $25 million U.S. bounty on his head, al-Baghdadi is the world's most wanted man, responsible for steering his chillingly violent organization into mass slaughter of opponents and directing and inspiring terror attacks across continents and in the heart of Europe.The video appeared to be aimed at boosting the morale. He bragged his group carried out 92 attacks in eight countries to avenge the loss of territory in Syria, citing Sri Lanka, Libya and Saudi Arabia, without offering evidence for his claim.Although largely seen as a symbolic figurehead of the global terror network, al-Baghdadi's capture would be a coveted prize for the various players across both Syria and Iraq.But so far, he has eluded the Americans, Russians, Syrians, Iraqis and Kurds."Our battle today is a war of attrition to harm the enemy, and they should know that jihad will continue until doomsday," al-Baghdadi said.WATCH VIDEO:

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi appears in video for first time in 5 years, refers Lanka bombings as 'revenge'

The man said to be Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in the video also claimed the Easter Day bombings in Sri Lanka which killed over 250 people were "part of the revenge" that awaits the West.

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donald trump accused of putting himself before countryDemocrats accused President Donald Trump of putting himself before the country as they clashed with the ruling Republican party during the impeachment proceedings in a sharply divided US Congress on Monday. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler alleged that Trump is trying to undermine the 2020 election for his own benefit and demands a speedy impeachment process.Nadler argued that President Trump put himself ahead of the interests of the country by allegedly abusing his powers and pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden, his potential challenger in the 2020 election. “President Trump withheld the aid and the meeting in order to pressure a foreign government to do him that favour. President Trump put himself before the country,” Nadler said.The hearing was the first by House Judiciary Committee after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced last week that the House of Representatives - wherein the Democratic party enjoys a majority - will move ahead with its motion to impeach Trump, making him only the third president in American history to face removal by Congress.“When the president got caught, when Congress discovered that the aid had been withheld from Ukraine, the president took extraordinary and unprecedented steps to conceal evidence from Congress and from the American people,” he said. "These facts are not in dispute," Nadler said. “The evidence shows that Trump, the president of the United States, has put himself before his country. He violated his most basic responsibilities to the people; he has broken his oath," he asserted.House Intelligence Committee investigator Daniel Goldman accused Trump of an “unprecedented campaign of obstruction of Congress.” In a tweet, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said that there are five undisputable facts. "One there is no evidence of wrongdoing by Trump. Second, Ukraine said there was no pressure. Third lethal aid to Ukraine wouldn’t exist without Trump. Fourth there’s no obstruction whatsoever and finally this is an unfair and unprecedented impeachment process."In his tweets, Trump reiterated that people should “read the transcripts” of his conversation with the Ukrainian president and that he has done no wrong. “The Do Nothing Democrats are a disgrace!” he said. Describing it as a "shame" impeachment, Republican Congressman Douglas Allen Collins said the institution of Congress as seen today is in danger.“We see chairmen who are issuing subpoenas for personal vendettas. We see committees such as the Judiciary Committee that has held many, many substantive hearings, has been the very centre point of impeachment, being used as a rubber stamp because we get not our marching orders from this committee and what it should be doing but from the speaker and the Intelligence Committee chairmen,” he alleged.“The economy is good. Job creation is up. The military is strong. Our country is safe. And the Judiciary Committee has been relegated to this. Why? Because they have the means, they have the motive, and they have the opportunity,” he said.  “At the end of the day, all this is about is about a clock and a calendar, because they can't get over the fact Donald Trump is president of the United States and they don't have a candidate that they think and beat him. It's all political,” Collins said.“As we have talked about before, this is a show. Unfortunately, today the witness who is supposed to be the star witness chose to take a pass and let his staff answer for him,” said the GOP Congressman.ALSO READ | Pakistani woman dies after being set on fire by husbandALSO READ | Deadly volcano rocks New Zealand: 5 killed, tourists missing

Democrats accuse Trump of putting himself before country

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler alleged that Trump is trying to undermine the 2020 election for his own benefit and demands a speedy impeachment process. Nadler argued that President Trump put himself ahead of the interests of the country by allegedly abusing his powers and pressuring Ukraine to announce an investigation into former vice president Joe Biden, his potential challenger in the 2020 election.

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Top Indian and American officials met in Rhode Island recently and discussed steps to strengthen the maritime bilateral security cooperation.The officials reviewed the implementation of decisions taken at the first day of the scheduled two-day Maritime Security Dialogue."The two sides exchanged views on maritime developments in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region and considered steps to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation," according to a readout of the meeting that ended yesterday. The discussion happened amid tension in the disputed South China Sea, where the Chinese military is increasingly flexing its military might. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (disarmament and international security affairs) Pankaj Sharma while the American delegation was led by David Helvey, the acting assistant secretary of defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs. The next round of the dialogue will take place in India. ( PTI Inputs)

US, Indian officials discuss maritime security in Asia-Pacific

Steps to strengthen the maritime bilateral security cooperation were discussed between the top Indian and American officials recently in the Rhode islands in US.

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The United States has warned North Korea that the prospects of a diplomatic resolution to its provocations is “quickly closing off”. The warning comes amid efforts by Trump administration to identify options for confronting Pyongyang following its unprecedented intercontinental ballistic missile launch.Trump administration is mulling the prospects of punishing countries that trade with North Korea — a threat aimed directly at China, Pyongyang’s biggest benefactor.In a tweet Wednesday morning, Trump questioned why the US should continue what he sees as bad trade deals “with countries that do not help us.”His message was bolstered at the United Nations, where US Ambassador Nikki Haley told an emergency meeting of the Security Council that the Trump administration was eyeing penalties against “any country that does business with this outlaw regime.” She also raised the specter of military action, declaring that the US was prepared to use force if necessary.“Their actions are quickly closing off the possibility of a diplomatic solution,” she said of North Korea’s leaders.Some administration officials are still holding out hope of persuading China to ratchet up economic pressure on Pyongyang, despite Trump’s increasingly pessimistic attitude toward Beijing. Trump, who departed for Europe early Wednesday, is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Germany.Thus far, both China and North Korea have proven to be impervious to Trump’s tough talk and threatening tweets. Pyongyang heightened tensions this week with the test of a missile capable of hitting the U.S., a step officials described as a worrisome escalation by an unpredictable regime and perhaps the most pressing threat facing a new US president with little national security experience.Following the launch, the White House, Treasury Department, State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies accelerated discussions on options for responding to Pyongyang’s nuclear pursuits. The talks center in part on the same bucket of ideas prior administrations have considered, including direct diplomatic negotiations and pre-emptive military action.Haley announced that the US will put forward a new Security Council resolution in the coming days “that raises the international response in a way that is proportionate to North Korea’s escalation.” She offered no details but said that if the council is united, the international community can cut off major sources of hard currency to North Korea, restrict oil to their military and weapons programs, increase air and maritime restrictions, and hold senior officials accountable.South Korea’s president said the world should look at tougher sanctions against North Korea and insisted the problems across his border should be addressed through diplomatic channels.“I think that the North Korean question should be solved by peaceful means,” said President Moon Jae-in, who will also meet Trump at the G-20 gathering.The North Korean threat appears certain to hang over Trump’s European trip, which opens in Poland. Trump is expected to use the trip to try to forge consensus with European Union partners, which could also put more financial pressure on North Korea.As he flew to Warsaw on Air Force One on Wednesday, Trump also spoke by phone about North Korea with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, emphasizing the need for countries to implement Security Council resolutions. The White House said Trump also discussed the need for nations to “stop hosting North Korean guest workers” — an issue Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also mentioned in his response a night earlier to the missile launch.Restricting guest workers is one way the US and other countries could try to reduce North Korea’s access to foreign currency. Some 50,000 to 60,000 North Koreans work abroad, mostly in Russia and China, South Korea’s spy service has said, including at about 130 restaurants North Korea operates overseas. The workers’ mission involves earning money to bring into North Korea.North Korea conducts about 90 percent of its trade through China, giving Beijing enormous sway over the reclusive government. Despite forging a friendly relationship with Xi, Trump has become increasingly dismayed at China’s reluctance to take tougher action against North Korea. He asserted Wednesday that “trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter.”In April, Chinese customs data said total two-way trade between China and North Korea increased 36.8 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year earlier. However, raw data from the first quarter showed that total two-way trade increased by only 7.4 percent. It was unclear why the customs agency reported a higher rate.Anthony Ruggiero, a North Korea expert at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the US could try to prod Beijing to take a tougher line on North Korea by exploiting Chinese banks and other companies’ desire for access to the US dollar.“The administration can give them a choice: Do business with North Korea or have access to the US financial system,” Ruggiero said.The Trump administration signaled its willingness to take that approach last week when it announced it was blacklisting a small Chinese bank over dealings with North Korea.China has long resisted intensifying economic pressure on neighboring North Korea, in part out of fear of the instability that could mount on its doorstep, including the possibility of millions of North Koreans fleeing into China. China has also been concerned that a reunited, democratic Korea — dominated by South Korea — would put a US ally, and possibly US forces, on its border. (With AP inputs)

Diplomatic window is closing off for North Korea, warns US

Trump administration is mulling the prospects of punishing countries that trade with North Korea — a threat aimed directly at China, Pyongyang’s biggest benefactor.

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US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday said that India is emerging as a very important regional strategic partner for the United States that can help modernise Afghanistan both politically and economically. Tillerson’s remarks came after President Donald Trump unveiled the US strategy in Afghanistan which included expanded authorities to target terrorists.  “India is emerging as a very important regional strategic partner with the United States, and has played an important role supporting the Afghan government and in particular supporting their economy,” Tillerson told media persons.   He also praised India’s role in Afghanistan.  “India has provided development assistance. They’ve provided economic assistance. They are hosting an important economic conference in India this next week. All of that is important to stabilising Afghanistan as a nation,” he said.  “Get their economy functioning, stabilise the country so that they can provide more opportunities to their citizens.  These are all elements of what will lead to stability and ultimately a peace agreement,” he said.  Tillerson also warned that the US could consider punishing Pakistan by cutting off its status as a major non-NATO ally if it does not crack down on militants. Tillerson echoed President Donald Trump’s tough rhetoric on Pakistan in his address laying out a new strategy for the war Afghanistan. “We stand ready to help Pakistan address terrorist organisations inside of their country, but they must adopt a different approach themselves,” Tillerson told reporters at a news conference here. His comments came after Trump announced his Afghan policy and the path forward to the US engagement in South Asia, India and Pakistan in particular. “Pakistan and the US historically had very good relationships. But over the last few years, there’s been a real erosion in the confidence between our two governments.   “There’s been an erosion in trust because we have witnessed terrorist organisations being given safe haven inside of Pakistan to plan and carry out attacks against US servicemen, US officials, disrupting peace efforts inside of Afghanistan,” Tillerson said. Responding to a question, the Secretary of State sought the help of India in changing Pakistan’s behaviour.  “It is important that Pakistan begin to think about its ability to contain these groups as well. It’s why, though, we take a regional approach. The US alone is not going to change this dynamic with Pakistan,” he said. “India and Pakistan, they have their own issues that they have to continue to work through. But I think there are areas where perhaps even India can take some steps, a rapprochement on issues with Pakistan to improve the stability within Pakistan and remove some of the reasons why they deal with these unstable elements inside their own country,” Tillerson said. According to the Secretary of State, other regional players have strong interest in Pakistan.  “China has strong interest in Pakistan. Having a stable, secure future Pakistan is in a lot of our interests. They are a nuclear power. We have concerns about their weapons, the security of their weapons. There are many areas in which we believe we should be having very productive dialogue that serves both of our interests and regional interests as well,” Tillerson said.Noting that the new Afghan policy is a regional approach, the Secretary of State said it also included a fairly comprehensive review of the US’ ties with Pakistan and India.  “We see this approach as requiring an integration of all three of those strategies and use Pakistan and India to also bring pressure to bear on the situation in Afghanistan,” he said. Tillerson said that the Trump Administration is adopting conditions-based diplomacy. “We’re going to condition our efforts along with the progress we see being made by the Afghan government who must continue the reform efforts that we’ve been working on for some time, and in particular, much more rigorous efforts around anti-corruption,” he said. Trump, he said, in his speech was clear that this entire effort is intended to put pressure on the Taliban to have the Taliban understand they will not win a battlefield victory.  “We’re going to attack terrorists wherever the live and we have put people on notice that if you’re harbouring and providing safe haven to terrorists, be warned, be forewarned that we’re going to engage with those who are providing safe haven and ask them to change what they’re doing and help us help them,” Tillerson said.  Tillerson also acknowledged that Pakistan?s status as a non-NATO ally is now in question. “We have some leverage that’s been discussed in terms of the amount of aid and military assistance we give them; their status as a non-NATO alliance partner. All of that can be put on the table. But at the end of the day, Pakistan has to decide what is in Pakistan’s best long-term interest from a security standpoint for themselves and for their people,” he said. He said the Taliban and other organisations inside of Pakistan seem to be growing their numbers and their presence to the point that at some point they would become a real threat to the stability of the Pakistani government itself.    “I think they need to be thinking about what is in their best long-term interest and how can we work with them to achieve a safer, more stable Pakistan in the next decades to come as well. I think it really is up to them. They’ve got to ask themselves that question,” Tillerson said.

India emerging as important partner for US, Pakistan could lose ‘Major Non-NATO Ally Status’: Rex Tillerson

Tillerson’s remarks came after President Donald Trump unveiled the US strategy in Afghanistan which included expanded authorities to target terrorists.

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Raja Krishnamoorthi re-elected for second termIn the midterm elections for US Congress, four Indian-American Congressmen were re-elected to the US House of Representatives.Over a dozen other Indian-American candidates won various other races across the country in the highly polarised elections that were held on Tuesday. Related Stories US mid term elections to decide Trump's fateTrump administration exempts India from certain US sanctions for development of Chabahar portUS Midterm Elections 2018: Democrats seize control of House of Representatives, Trump's Republicans retain SenateRaja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian-Americam Congressman, was re-elected for the second term by a comfortable margin of more than 30 percentage points in the eighth Congressional District of Illinois.Dr Ami Bera, the third-term Indian-American lawmaker, was re-elected for a record fourth consecutive time from the seventh Congressional District of California.Unlike the previous three elections, Bera did not had to wait for weeks for recounting of votes. He defeated Andrew Grant of the Republican party by a small five percentage margin.In the Silicon Valley, Indian-American Ro Khanna defeated Ron Cohen of the Republican party with a massive 44 percentage point in the 17th Congressional District of California. “Tonight was a great night for our campaign and for Democrats across the country. I’m grateful to the voters of #CA17 for giving me the opportunity to continue to represent you in Congress. This has been the honour of my life,” Khanna said.“With Democrats in control of the House, we will push for economic and foreign policy populism,” he said.Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, the only Indian-American woman lawmaker in the House of Representatives, defeated her GOP rival Craig Keller by a massive 66 percentage points.“The American people voted to put the Democrats back in control of the US House of Representatives. Now, we are primed to restore the balance of power between the branches of government and push back even more strongly against the Trump administration’s deeply destructive policies. Our communities are sick and tired of the corruption and injustice,” Jayapal said in her victory speech in Seattle.“With new and diverse voices joining our ranks, we are building a movement that truly represents the people of this country,” she said.None of the more than half a dozen new Indian Americans candidates, many of whom caught national attention by giving tough fight to their opponents and outraising them in the fund raisers, could make it to the House of Representatives, which is equivalent to Lok Sabha in the Indian parliament.However, Indian-Americans picked up more seats in the State assemblies.In Wisconsin State, Democratic Josh Kaul created history by becoming the first Indian-American to win the race for Attorney General by defeating incumbent Brad Schimel of the Republican Party.Democratic Nima Kulkarni defeated Joshua Neubert from the GOP to make her maiden entry into the Kentucky Assembly from State District 40. A practicing and recognised lawyer, she owns Indus Law Firm specialising in immigration, employment and business law.Amish Shah made his maiden entry into the Arizona Assembly from State Legislature District 24. So did, Kevin Thomas from the New York Senate District 6 for the New York State Assembly.Mujtaba Mohammed entered the North Carolina State Senate from the Senate District 38. A former staff attorney at the Council for Children’s Rights and assistant public defender, Mohammed defeated Richard Rivette.Incumbent Jay Chaudhuri, an accomplished entrepreneur, was re-elected to North Carolina Senate from the State Senate District 15.Republican Niraj Atani, 27, registered his third consecutive electoral victory from Ohio House 42nd District. He is the youngest Indian-American elected official in the US. He also is the second Indian-American state elected official in Ohio history, and the first Indian-American Republican.In Washington State, Manka Dhingra and Vandana Slatter were re-elected for the State Senate. Among others re-elected at the State level are Sabi Kumar in Tennessee and Ash Kalra (California) and Kumar Bharve from Maryland.Juli Mathew won the Fort Bend City Court at Law No 3 in Texas, K P George won the race for Fort Bend County Judge in Texas and Shalini Bahl-Milne for the Amherst Town Council District 4 in Massachusetts.The emergence of a large number of young Indian-Americans candidates reflects the growing desire of this small ethnic community comprising just one per cent of the US population of 32.57 crores.“It was a good night for Indian American candidates. We re-elected every incumbent, including all four members of the US House of Representatives, and also elected at least six new state legislators, four of whom will be the very first ever elected to that office in Kentucky, New York, Illinois, and Arizona,” Gautam Raghavan from the “Impact” organisation told PTI after the election results were declared.“Perhaps our biggest win of the evening was Josh Kaul winning his campaign for attorney general of Wisconsin, which makes him the only Indian American to serve in statewide office today,” he said. However, none of the dozen other Indian Americans running for the Congress could be win their races.“I know some may be disappointed that we weren’t able to elect any new Members of Congress, but each of them outperformed prior challengers in their districts,” he said.“It’s also worth remembering that most Members of Congress - including Ami Bera, Ro Khanna, and Raja Krishnamoorthi - lost their first campaigns, so we hope to see them on the ballot again in future years,” Raghavan, a former Obama Administration official, said in response to a question. 

US Midterm Elections 2018: 4 Indian-Americans re-elected to House of Representatives, over a dozen win other races

The emergence of a large number of young Indian-Americans candidates reflects the growing desire of this small ethnic community comprising just one per cent of the US population of 32.57 crores.

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After US, UK considering diplomatic boycott of 'Beijing Winter Olympics 2022': Reports.Days after US President Joe Biden's announcement on the boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that he is also considering the same over the alleged human rights violations in China, according to media reports.Russian news agency Sputnik stated, citing media reports, that the UK government is actively discussing the possibility to refrain from sending officials to the Winter Olympics in Beijing, with Foreign Secretary Liz Truss believed to be a supporter of the idea.Citing Times newspaper, Sputnik reported that under one of the considered options, the UK may be represented by the ambassador but not any other official.On Thursday, United States President Joe Biden had said that his administration was considering a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, according to NBC News.Asked about the possibility of the boycott during an Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Biden responded that it was "something we are considering", according to NBC News.The White House usually sends a delegation to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, but this time, under a diplomatic boycott, it would not send the delegation.The diplomatic boycott call has been advocated by top US lawmakers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had called for such a boycott, a move to protest against China's abuses of human rights, said CNN.Responding to it, China said that the politicization of the Olympics will harm the global sports movement in the world.Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian reacted following US President Joe Biden's remarks on the diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Sputnik reported."The 2022 Winter Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games in Beijing are the stages for athletes from all over the world, and they are the real protagonists of the upcoming Games," Zhao Lijian said."Any politicization of sport violates the Olympic spirit and harms the interests of athletes of all countries," the spokesman added. Human rights activists have raised their voices against China's detention of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang province and crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.In March, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union imposed sanctions on four Chinese officials and one entity for alleged human rights violations in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to Sputnik.(With ANI inputs)

After US, United Kingdom considering diplomatic boycott of 'Beijing Winter Olympics 2022': Reports

Citing Times newspaper, Sputnik reported that under one of the considered options, the UK may be represented by the ambassador but not any other official.

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China deliberately provoked India in fresh clash at LAC in Ladakh: US intelligenceThe United States reportedly believes that China's latest incursion into the Indian territory at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh earlier last week was a deliberate provocation. According to American intelligence assessment, Beijing is infuriated with its local commander withdrawing forces when a physical conflict appeared imminent, added the assessment report.On August 31, the Indian Army said the Chinese military had carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30. But, the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops.The Pangong Tso region situated high in the Himalayas is considered to be within India's territorial control.The US believes that Indian forces were better prepared to face the Chinese provocation following the deadly violent standoff in June in the Galwan valley, in which 20 Indian soldiers had lost their lives. However, the assessment did not conclude whether Chinese forces were the first to act in a provocative manner in this case, although the US has chosen to side with India due to China's past provocative behaviour.American intelligence officials and local analysts have questioned the timing of the latest standoff even as China is seeking to cool tensions or it has given the appearance it wishes to do so and improve its relations with India."We are staggered at the timing of the Chinese actions but shouldn't complain either if Beijing shoots itself in the foot," according to the intelligence assessment.Indian officials are slated to meet with their counterparts virtually from the US, Australia and Japan later this month for a summit, which Indian sources say, will likely result in a new intelligence-sharing agreement among the countries."The result of the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue and its Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement will not only equip the Indian armed forces with the vital intelligence it needs to better understand Chinese military positions and movements, but it will serve as an important step in formalizing a partnership with New Delhi that Washington would like to see grow even stronger at China's expense," according to US News and World Report.The US Defence Department said China has prioritised military spending over the last decade to focus on expanding its capabilities to be operated in disputed regions along its border, including India and Bhutan to contested waterways in the East and South China seas."China's leaders use tactics short of armed conflict to pursue China's objectives. China calibrates its coercive activities to fall below the threshold of provoking armed conflict with the US, its allies and partners, or others in the Indo-Pacific region," according to the latest version of the Pentagon's annual Military China Report, which was released on Tuesday.The US intelligence assessment stated that Chinese troops this time were building encampments in contested space, a tactic adopted by both sides to gain a foothold they can expand later into infrastructure to support broader operations in the future.Chinese President Xi Jinping would have known about the latest clashes in advance due to the nature of Chinese military's decision-making. Xi may have created a "cycle of provocations" and does not know how to extract the Chinese Army without appearing to show weak, according to US intelligence officials.Analysts at that time believed Chinese troops did not anticipate the mood of the Indian people following the Galwan valley clash. The Indian government subsequently took action, which included banning several Chinese mobile applications.Talks have been held between the two sides but the outcome has not come out yet. Recently, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi embarked on a five-nation visit in Europe to ease tensions, particularly the growing skepticism of using Chinese telecom major Huawei to help build 5G networks."The timing is puzzling given the upcoming US-India talks and what appeared to be some recent - if not particularly successful - efforts to reduce tensions along the border," Sheena Greitens, associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin's LBJ School of Public Affairs, was quoted as saying by US News and World Report."One effect of the standoff has been to add a sense of urgency to efforts to strengthen US-India ties, especially in terms of defense cooperation. But developments at the 2+2 should not be viewed as a knee-jerk response to this week's flare-up: There is a long-standing interest in the United States in strengthening ties with India in its own right," Greitens said. (With ANI news) 

China deliberately provoked India in fresh clash at LAC in Ladakh: US intelligence

The United States reportedly believes that China's latest incursion into the Indian territory at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh earlier last week was a deliberate provocation.

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Spanish school teacher adopts unique way to teach studentsA teacher in Spanish school adopted a unique way to teach students about human body wearing a anatomy bodysuit with body's internal organs printed on it.The teacher surprised students in a Biology class when she entered the classroom wearing a anatomy bodysuit.Veronic Duque, who holds a teaching experience over 15 years teaches a number of subjects to 3rd graders including science, English, art, social studies and Spanish.Duque was inspired of using this unique way to teach her students when she found the anatomy suit while surfing the internet.Speaking to a local news portal, Duque said that she knows how hard it is for the students to understand and learn about the internal human body, therefore she thought of using this way so that it can help them visualise better.Duque was accompanied by her husband who clicked pictures of her and posted on Twitter following which they went viral, and being lauded for using an innovative way in her teaching.ALSO READ: RBI introduces new prepaid payment card for digital transaction up to Rs 10,000ALSO READ: 12 iconic quotes by Atal Bihari Vajpayee on his 95th birth anniversary /* .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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Viral photo: Spanish school teacher shows up wearing organ bodysuit in Biology class, leaves students stunned

A Spanish school teacher wore a anatomy bodysuit with internal human body party printed on it to teach students in a biology class about human body.

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Representative ImageA British Airways flight landed back in Pakistan on Monday, over a decade after the airline suspended operations in September 2008 in the wake of the deadly Mariott Hotel bombing in Islamabad.A Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying from Heathrow, London, with 240 passengers landed at Islamabad International Airport (IIA) at 9:15am to the jubilation of Pakistan.Related Stories Capacity constraint slows India's air passenger traffic growthSFIO probe likely into Jet Airways' 'fund diversion'Etihad, two others submit financial bid for Jet AirwaysJet Airways' deputy CEO and CFO Amit Agarwal quitsVirgin Atlantic to resume Mumbai-London flight from Oct 27Jet Airways shares soar 15% on Hinduja stake buy buzzFormer Jet Airways promoter Naresh Goyal barred from leaving India, offloaded from London flightBritish PM May calls Modi on poll win, discusses G20, ICC World CupBuddha Air starts its journey from Kolkata AirportAviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Prime Minister's Adviser on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood, Special Assistant on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfi Bukhari and senior officials of the Aviation Division and British High Commission welcomed the passengers.Huge banners displayed at the airport carried welcome messages for the airline and its passengers. Special security arrangements were made on the occasion and additional security personnel were deployed around the airport."Britain's flag carrier is back. The two countries, so close in so many ways, take a step closer," British High Commissioner to Pakistan Thomas Drew said in a statement. "It is of course tribute to the great improvements in the security situation in Pakistan in recent years."British Airways halted services in 2008 in the wake of Mariott suicide bombing that killed more than 50 people in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital. The return of the British Airways was announced last year when June was given the deadline to start flights. Preparation were going since then to make it possible.The British carrier is running three weekly flights from London's Heathrow airport to Islamabad."Return of British Airways is the first step. We will offer and facilitate other airlines to increase international connectivity in Pakistan," Bukhari was quoted as saying by the state-run Radio Pakistan.The same aircraft departed for Heathrow at 11:10am with passengers on board from Islamabad. Also Read: British Airways to fly A350 aircraft to India later this year

British Airways resumes Pakistan flights after a decade

A British Airways flight landed back in Pakistan on Monday, over a decade after the airline suspended operations in September 2008 in the wake of the deadly Mariott Hotel bombing in Islamabad.

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France's coronavirus fatalities up by 531 to nearly 21,000France, which plans to unwind some restriction measures from May 11, registered 531 more COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday as hospitalisation-related figures pursue a slow decline. Hospitals and nursing homes numbers showed that combined deaths caused by the COVID-19 rose to 20,796, up from Monday's 20,265, Director-General of Health Jerome Salomon told a daily briefing on the epidemic, Xinhua reported.The number of new hospitalisations and serious cases continued to slow down, suggesting that the national lockdown has positive effects in containing the respiratory illness.As of Tuesday, 30,106 patients were hospitalised, compared with 30,584 a day before and 30,610 on Sunday. The number of people in intensive care had fallen for the 13th consecutive day to 5,433."The virus spread remains at high level. We should be fully mobilised," stressed Salomon. France has been in lockdown since March 17 to curb the spread of the epidemic.President Emmanuel Macron announced last week that the lockdown will be progressively lifted from May 11. The government will unveil details of the deconfinement plan in coming weeks.

France's coronavirus fatalities up by 531 to nearly 21,000

France, which plans to unwind some restriction measures from May 11, registered 531 more COVID-19 deaths on Tuesday as hospitalisation-related figures pursue a slow decline.

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Trump signs executive order prioritising COVID-19 vaccine for AmericansPresident Donald Trump has signed an executive order that prioritises Americans' access to COVID-19 vaccines before the US potentially begins helping other nations. If necessary, Trump said, he is ready to invoke the Defence Production Act to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines first get to the Americans. The Defence Production Act allows a president to force private manufacturers to ramp up production and give the federal government priority on any orders it places.American companies, he said, were the first to produce a verifiably safe and effective vaccine.“Together, we will defeat the virus, and we will soon end the pandemic, and we will save millions and millions of lives, both in our country and all over the world. And we've already started," Trump said during signing the executive order on Tuesday at a White House event celebrating 'Operation Warp Speed', his administration's effort to produce and distribute safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19.Trump told reporters that his administration provided a total of USD 14 billion to accelerate coronavirus vaccine development and to manufacture all of the top candidates long in advance.As a result of this "unprecedented investment", both Pfizer and Moderna have announced that their vaccines are approximately 95 per cent effective, he said.Pfizer has developed its vaccine outside of 'Operation Warp Speed', but is collaborating with the US government on manufacturing and distribution. The UK on Tuesday began its vaccinations with the first set of people injected with their first of two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab.The deadly virus has so far killed more than 285,000 Americans and some 1.5 million people worldwide.As per the executive order, the Secretary of Health and Human Services is directed to provide priority access to COVID-19 vaccines to Americans."Through this action, Trump is putting the health and safety of Americans, the viability of our economy and the security of our nation first," the White House said.The US has led and will continue to lead the world’s public health and humanitarian response to the COVID-19 pandemic, it said.The Trump administration is prepared to ship COVID-19 vaccine doses to every corner of America within 48 hours of the issuance of an Emergency Use Authorisation by the US Food and Drug Administration, the White House said.Trump said more companies are in the pipeline of the vaccine announcement soon.“We have some companies like Johnson & Johnson and others. They are all coming in, and they're coming in very quickly. We expect to have some news on that very shortly. We have worked very well with the companies, but if for any reason we have any problems, we will be instituting the DefenceProduction Act, and we will make sure that we don't have any problems for very long,” he said.Johnson & Johnson is a one-dose, one-shot vaccine, he said, adding that all the vaccines are showing tremendous promise.Trump said he is hopeful that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will authorise the Pfizer vaccine within days and Moderna vaccine almost immediately thereafter.If these vaccines are authorised, tens of millions of vaccine doses will be available this month. "We will get it distributed very quickly. We have that all set. And hundreds of millions more will quickly follow," he said."Every American who wants the vaccine will be able to get the vaccine," Trump said, asserting that the plan put forward by his administration prioritises the elderly and patients with underlying conditions, as well as healthcare workers and first responders.This will quickly and dramatically reduce deaths and hospitalisations, he noted.“And within a short period of time, I think we want to get back to normal... get back to where we were a little more than nine months ago. We were doing incredibly. And in many respects, we're still doing incredibly with our stock markets and everything else, which are hitting all new highs,” Trump said.The president said his administration has already finalised a partnership with Walgreens and CVS and they will deliver vaccines directly to nursing homes as soon as the states request them to do so.Asserting that the US is more prepared than ever before to confront the COVID-19 pandemic, the White House said the country will soon deliver vaccines that will help defeat the pandemic and help support the global return to prosperity.In just seven months since the President coalesced the full power of the federal government, private sector and scientific community into 'Operation Warp Speed', this once-in-a-generation effort has developed vaccines five times faster than any other vaccine in history, it said.“Without cutting corners in safety or effectiveness, our nation is now on track to receive emergency use authorisation for two lifesaving COVID-19 vaccines by the end of the year," the White House said.Notably, officials from US President-elect Joe Biden's transition team, which will oversee the bulk of the vaccination programme in the US once he takes office on January 20, were not invited to the White House event.When asked why no member from the Biden team was invited, Trump said, “Hopefully the next administration will be the Trump administration, a continuation -- which has led us to the highest stock markets we've ever had, the best employment numbers we've ever had, a rebuilt military.”

Trump signs executive order prioritising COVID-19 vaccine for Americans

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that prioritises Americans' access to COVID-19 vaccines before the US potentially begins helping other nations. If necessary, Trump said, he is ready to invoke the Defence Production Act to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines first get to the Americans.

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At least 50 people, including three Iranian pilgrims, have lost their lives in twin car bomb and gun attacks striking the country’s southern province of Dhi Qar. Jasim al-Khalidi, a senior health official, said more than 87 people had sustained injuries in the attacks, one of which occurred close to a restaurant near the city of Nasiriyah, situated about 370 km southeast of the capital, Baghdad, on Thursday afternoon, Press TV reported. He added that the death toll could rise due to the critical condition of some of the wounded.Iraqi Interior Ministry Spokesman Saad Maan also said a car bomb in the same area targeted a security checkpoint shortly afterwards. Terror group Islamic State claimed responsibility for twin attacks. In a statement released by its propaganda arm Amaq, ISIS said that several suicide bombers had staged the assault on a restaurant and a security checkpoint.According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), a total of 125 Iraqi civilians lost their lives, and 188 others were injured as a result of terrorist attacks and other acts of violence across Iraq in the month of August. The UN mission, however, did not mention the number of Iraqi police forces, who were killed or sustained injuries during last month's acts of violence.A large number of the fatalities were recorded in the capital province of Baghdad, where 45 civilians were killed and 135 others wounded during the same period.Iraqi army and pro-government fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, commonly known as Hashd al-Sha'abi, are engaged in joint operations to win back militant-held areas of the country.Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on August 31 that the northern city of Tal Afar and the entire Nineveh province had been purged of Daesh Takfiri terrorist group.The recapture of Tal Afar was made possible with the help of the Iraqi army, Federal Police, counter-terrorism units, volunteer troops, and Rapid Response Forces, Abadi added.

50 killed in suicide attacks in southern Iraqi province of Dhi Qar, ISIS claims responsibility

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the deadly attacks, but such assaults bear the hallmarks of those carried out by the Islamic State.

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Commercial airlines reroute flights amid US-Iran tensionsCommercial airlines on Wednesday rerouted flights crossing the Middle East to avoid possible danger amid escalating tensions between the United States and Iran. The flight restrictions reflected fears that the conflict between the longtime foes could ratchet up following Iranian ballistic missile strikes Tuesday on two Iraqi bases that house U.S. troops. Those strikes were retaliation for the U.S. killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike near Baghdad last week.Poland's national carrier, PLL LOT, said Saturday — even before Iran's retaliatory strike — that it was changing routes to bypass Iran's airspace.Paris-based Air France and Dutch carrier KLM both said Wednesday they had suspended all flights over Iran and Iraq airspace indefinitely.Australian carrier Qantas said it was altering its London to Perth, Australia, route to avoid Iranian and Iraqi airspace until further notice. The longer route meant that Qantas would have to carry fewer passengers and more fuel to remain in the air for an extra 40 to 50 minutes.Malaysia Airlines said that “due to recent events,” its planes would avoid Iranian airspace.Singapore Airlines also said that its flights to Europe would be re-routed to avoid Iran.The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said it was barring American pilots and carriers from flying in areas of Iraqi, Iranian and some Persian Gulf airspace. The agency warned of the “potential for miscalculation or mis-identification" for civilian aircraft amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran.Such restrictions are often precautionary in nature to prevent civilian aircraft from being confused for ones engaged in armed conflict. The FAA said the restrictions were being issued due to “heightened military activities and increased political tensions in the Middle East, which present an inadvertent risk to U.S. civil aviation operations.”Following the FAA, India's Directorate General of Civil Aviation advised Indian commercial carriers to avoid Iranian, Iraqi and Persian Gulf airspace.German airline Lufthansa said it had canceled its flight from Frankfurt to Tehran on Wednesday and another flight Saturday in Erbil in light of the current situation. Lufthansa subsidiary Austrian Airlines also canceled service to Erbil.Swiss International Air Lines, another Lufthansa subsidiary, also said it was avoiding Iranian and Iraqi airspace for the time being.The Russian aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, issued an official recommendation for all Russian airlines to avoid flying over Iran, Iraq, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman "due to existing risks for the safety of international civil flights."Russia's biggest private airline, S7, said it would reroute its twice-a-week flight from the Siberian city of Novosibirsk to Dubai.Russian carrier Ural Airlines was working up alternative routes for its flights to Bahrain, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah to avoid flying over Iranian airspace, the carrier’s spokeswoman said Wednesday.At least two Kazakh airlines — Air Astana and SCAT — were considering rerouting or canceling their flights over Iran following the crash of a Ukrainian airliner that killed 176 people.The plane had taken off from Imam Khomeini International Airport in the Iranian capital when a fire struck one of its engines, said Qassem Biniaz, a spokesman for Iran's Road and Transportation Ministry.Kazakh officials said that Air Astana, the country’s flagship carrier, “is currently holding a meeting on whether to reroute or ban” flights. SCAT, one of the largest airlines in Kazakhstan, told Russia's Interfax news agency that it was also considering rerouting flights.United Arab Emirates-owned budget airline flydubai said it had canceled a scheduled flight Wednesday from Dubai to Baghdad but was continuing flights to Basra and Najaf.Emirates airline flights between Dubai and Baghdad were canceled.“The safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority and will not be compromised," Emirates said in a statement.Qatar Airways, however, said its flights to Iraq were operating normally. “The safety of our passengers and employees is of the highest importance, and we continue to closely monitor developments in Iraq," the airline said in a statement.And Buta Airways, an Azerbaijani low-cost carrier, said Wednesday it was not planning to suspend or reroute daily flights between Baku, the country's capital, and Tehran.Also Read: Final answer will be to kick all US forces out of region: Iran President RouhaniAlso Read: Mystery surrounds Ukraine plane crash killing 176 onboard, Tehran refuses to handover blackbox

Commercial airlines reroute flights amid US-Iran tensions

The flight restrictions reflected fears that the conflict between the longtime foes could ratchet up following Iranian ballistic missile strikes Tuesday on two Iraqi bases that house U.S. troops.

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Breaking News October 20The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 40 million, including more than 1,12,953 fatalities. More than 30,352,696 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on the coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine.IndiaTvNews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe, and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news on coronavirus, coronavirus vaccine trial updates, photos, video, news, views and top stories from monsoon rains, business, politics, education, science, yoga, and much more in India and worldwide.

Breaking News: October 20, 2020 | Highlights

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

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Russia Ukraine War: Chernobyl, site of world's worst nuclear disaster, captured by Russian forcesThe Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been captured by Russian forces. Ukraine officials said they had lost control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant, scene of the world’s worst nuclear disaster, according to a report in AP.Russian forces took control of the site after a fierce battle with the Ukrainian national guards protecting the decommissioned plant, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a 2,600-square-kilometer (1,000-square-mile) zone of forest surrounding the shuttered plant, lies between the Belarus-Ukraine border and the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian officers fought to defend it, "so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated." He called it a "declaration of war against the whole of Europe." President Zelenskyy had earlier on Thursday said Russian forces were trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear plant. Adviser Podolyak said that after an "absolutely senseless attack" ... it is impossible to say that the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe."It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians. This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today,"  an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said. He warned that Russian authorities could blame Ukraine for damage to the site or stage provocations from there. Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Herashenko warned that any attack on the waste repository could send radioactive dust over "the territory of Ukraine, Belarus and countries of the EU."Meanwhile, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency said it has been informed by Ukraine that “unidentified armed forces” have taken control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear plant, adding that there had been “no casualties or destruction at the industrial site.”IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called for “maximum restraint” to avoid actions that could put Ukraine’s nuclear facilities at risk.“In line with its mandate, the IAEA is closely monitoring developments in Ukraine with a special focus on the safety and security of its nuclear power plants and other nuclear-related facilities,” he said in a statement.The Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the site of the world's worst nuclear accident, is 130 kms north of Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. The warfare at the Chernobyl nuclear plant is still leaking from history's worst nuclear disaster 36 years ago. Reactor No. 4 at the power plant exploded and caught fire deep in the night on April 26, 1986, shattering the building and spewing radioactive material high into the sky.(With Inputs from agencies)ALSO READ | Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine's President says ‘left alone’ to fight Moscow; 137 killed so far

Russia Ukraine War: Chernobyl, site of world's worst nuclear disaster, captured by Russian forces

Russian forces took control of the site after a fierce battle with the Ukrainian national guards protecting the decommissioned plant, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said.

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Donald Trump with Xi JinpingTop American senators and commanders on Tuesday told a Senate panel that China poses the most significant, long-term strategic threat to the United States. Testifying before the Senate's Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing, US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm Philips Davidson said that China represented the greatest “long-term strategic threat to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and to the United States”.Related Stories Trump may not even be a free person in 2020: Democratic Senator Elizabeth WarrenUS shutdown averted, border deal reachedChina wants a deal with US very badly: Donald TrumpDavidson further said that Beijing was working to expand its form of Communist-Socialist ideology through fear and economic pressure in order to bend, break, and replace the existing rules-based international order. “In its place, Beijing seeks to create a new international order led by China and with Chinese characteristics -- an outcome that displaces the stability and peace of the Indo-Pacific that has endured for over 70 years,” he told the Senators.In remarks that they made over Davidson's deposition, the Senators too appeared to be on the same page and asked the US Government to take a strong stand on these issues.“China presents the most significant, long-term strategic threat that this country has faced in many, many years. China's Belt and Road Initiative has left several countries, notably Sri Lanka and Malaysia, severely indebted to China,” said Senator Jack Reed, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee.Beijing, he alleged, often targets corrupt local governments that personally profit from inflated loans that leave their state treasuries bankrupt and beholden to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s administration.“It is an economic initiative with significant national security implications for the United States. Countering Chinese aggression globally requires to rely on our partners and allies to a greater degree in the decades to come,” he said.Davidson told the Senators that the US is working to help ASEAN in this discussion about code of conduct negotiations with China.“China has essentially delivered a draft that dictates to those ASEAN nations when and where and who they would sail with in the South China Sea," he said."Helping them protect the international freedom of the seas and airspace that have been long established in maritime law that the United States and others have fought for over the centuries is quite important,” he added. Senator Tim Kaine said China may seem friendly up front, they may have assets and resources to offer up front, but the terms are overly debt-burdening and nations like Sri Lanka and others have started to appear strained. “Malaysia has canceled projects and basically has criticised China's way of dealing with them as sort of a new form of colonialism,” he said.Admiral Davidson said China is challenging and threatening the rules-based international order.“It's not a regional thing for China. It's a global approach. Anywhere that they can make inroads on that international order, they will take it. They have been moving quite rapidly,” he said.China maneuvers in the information space in a way that undermines everything US does, factually, informationally, everywhere, he told the Senators.“When we all used to read newspapers every Sunday, used to get up and used to have the Parade magazine as a Sunday insert. Throughout the region there is a China daily insert, which is Chinese propaganda appearing in newspapers over more than half the population of the globe. It's quite pernicious,” he said.Senator Dan Sullivan noted that standing next to the then President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden in 2015, Xi Jinping said China does not intend to pursue militarisation of the South China Sea.That was a quote from the president of China next to the president of the United States, he said.“Just a few months ago in January, China's major state-run newspaper, The People's Daily stated that as China's military size and quality improves so does its control of the South China Sea. China is able to send more naval vessels as a response and can take steps like militarizing the island,” he said.Xi Jinping didn't keep his words when he made that statement in the Rose Garden next to President Obama.Davidson agreed.“In the most liberal interpretation of militarizing those islands, China in April 2018 populated those islands with anti-ship cruise missiles, with surface to air missiles and electronic jammers,” he said.“Now they have the weapons, they've got sufficient military cadre and they've stepped up their operations both in the maritime and with bomber sorties and fighter sorties in a way that makes it clear that those islands are to support them militarily,” he added.(With PTI inputs)

Pentagon, US senators call China most significant ‘strategic threat’ to United States

US Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm Philips Davidson said that China represented the greatest “long-term strategic threat to a Free and Open Indo-Pacific and to the United States”.

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Trump bans American investments in Chinese companies that would aid PLAUS President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning Americans from investing in 31 Chinese firms that the administration says are owned or controlled by the Chinese military. The Executive Order, which was signed by Trump on Thursday, prohibits certain purchases involving publicly traded securities or any securities that are derivative of or are designed to provide investment exposure to such securities of any Communist Chinese military company.China is increasingly exploiting US capital to resource and to enable the development and modernisation of its military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses, which continues to allow China to directly threaten the US homeland and US forces overseas, including by developing and deploying weapons of mass destruction, advanced conventional weapons, and malicious cyber-enabled actions against the US and its people, Trump said in his executive order.The order applies to 31 Chinese companies which it says "enable the development and modernisation" of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) and "directly threaten" US security.Smartphone maker Huawei and Hikvision, one of the world's largest manufacturers and suppliers of video surveillance equipment, are among the blacklisted companies, CNN reported.Some of the other companies listed, including China Telecom and China Mobile, trade on the New York Stock Exchange, it said.Noting that key to the development of the Chinese military, intelligence, and other security apparatuses is the country's large, ostensibly private economy, Trump said that through the national strategy of military-civil fusion, China increases the size of the country's military-industrial complex by compelling civilian Chinese companies to support its military and intelligence activities.He said those companies, though remaining ostensibly private and civilian, directly support the Chinese military, intelligence, and security apparatuses and aid in their development and modernisation.At the same time, those companies raise capital by selling securities to US investors that trade on public exchanges both here and abroad, lobbying US index providers and funds to include these securities in market offerings and engaging in other acts to ensure access to US capital. In that way, China exploits US investors to finance the development and modernisation of its military, Trump said.US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien said President Trump has no higher priority than ensuring the security of the Americans.“Many of these companies are publicly traded on stock exchanges around the world, and individual investors in the US can unknowingly provide funds to them through passive institutional investment vehicles such as mutual funds and retirement plans,” he said in a statement.O'Brien said Trump’s action serves to protect American investors from unintentionally providing capital that goes to enhancing the capabilities of the People’s Liberation Army and People’s Republic of China intelligence services, which routinely target American citizens and businesses through cyber operations, and directly threaten the critical infrastructure, economy and military of America and its allies and partners around the world.Republican Senator Marco Rubio welcomed the executive order, saying China exploiting the US capital market is a clear and ongoing risk to the US economy.“The Chinese Communist Party’s exploitation of US capital markets is a clear and ongoing risk to US economic and national security and today’s action by the Trump administration is a welcome start to protecting our markets and investors,” Rubio said."Congress should quickly follow suit by passing my American Financial Markets Integrity and Security Act, which would ban these companies from operating in US capital markets and make clear to the Communist party that they will no longer be able to take advantage of our financial system,” he added.Rubio said importantly, Trump’s order also lays down a clear marker for US policy going forward — we can never put the interests of the Chinese Communist Party and Wall Street above American workers and mom and pop investors.Currently, there are a number of Chinese companies, including over thirty that were identified on lists released in June and August 2020 by the Pentagon, as well as networks of affiliated and subsidiary companies.

Trump bans American investments in Chinese companies that would aid PLA

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning Americans from investing in 31 Chinese firms that the administration says are owned or controlled by the Chinese military.

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Pak's 1st ever metro train service begins commercial operation  Pakistan's first ever metro train service, the Orange Line, has started its commercial operation in Lahore. As an early project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Orange Line was constructed by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd. and China North Industries Corporation and was operated by Guangzhou Metro Group, Norinco International and Daewoo Pakistan Express Bus Service, reports Xinhua news agency.During the five years of construction, the Orange Line created over 7,000 jobs for locals and in the operation and maintenance period, it will create 2,000 employment for locals.At the launch event on Sunday, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said that the Orange Line is the first eco-friendly mass transit project and will provide world-class travel facilities to the people of Lahore.It will lead to green GDP growth, further promote urban development and modernity of the Pakistani eastern megacity and increase economic activities, he added.Addressing the ceremony, Long Dingbin, Chinese consul general in Lahore, said that the Orange Line is another fruitful achievement of the CPEC and it will greatly improve the traffic conditions in Lahore and become a new landmark of the city.He added that the launching of the Orange Line will greatly improve the traffic conditions in Lahore.The Orange Line covers a total of 27 km distance and has 26 stations including 24 elevated stops and two underground stations.Some 27 sets of energy-saving electric trains, each comprising five fully air-conditioned wagons, with the operating speed of 80 km per hour, will provide a comfortable, secure and economical travelling facility to 250,000 passengers daily.

Pakistan's first ever metro train service begins commercial operation

Pakistan's first ever metro train service, the Orange Line, has started its commercial operation in Lahore. As an early project under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Orange Line was constructed by China State Railway Group Co., Ltd.

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Several coronavirus vaccines in phase-3 of clinical trials, no silver bullet: WHOThe World Health Organisation Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus has said that a number of anti-coronavirus vaccine candidates across the world are now in phase-3 of clinical trials and that he is hoping that we will soon have a number of effective vaccines the deadly novel coronavirus which has infected over 18 million people worldwide.“A number of vaccines are now in phase-3 clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment & there might never be,” Dr Tedros said.He further added that the number of coronavirus cases has increased 5 fold and the number of deaths has tripled in the last 3 months.“Number of cases globally has increased more than 5-fold to 17.5 million & the number of deaths has more than tripled to 680,000 since WHO's emergency committee on COVID19 last met 3 months ago,” he added.Initial trial results of several vaccine candidates have showed positive results. In UK, the COVID-19 vaccine jointly manufactured by Oxford University and AstraZeneca is in the final stages of clinical trials and could be available for the general public by late this year of early next year.The Russians seem to be one step further ahead. Reports coming out of Russia suggest that the vaccine created at the Gamaleya institute in Moscow has completed human trials and could be registered as early as August 10-12.In India, human trials of Bharat Biotech manufactured vaccine — COVAXIN — have begun and volunteers are now being administered the under trial vaccine.

Several coronavirus vaccines in phase-3 of clinical trials, no silver bullet: WHO

The World Health Organisation Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus has said that a number of anti-coronavirus vaccine candidates across the world are now in phase-3 of clinical trials and that he is hoping that we will soon have a number of effective vaccines the deadly novel coronavirus which has infected over 18 million people worldwide.

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A syringe is prepared with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a mobile vaccine clinic in Santa AnaNew U.S. studies released Friday show the COVID-19 vaccines remain highly effective against hospitalizations and death even as the extra-contagious delta variant swept the country.One study tracked over 600,000 COVID-19 cases in 13 states from April through mid-July. As delta surged in early summer, those who were unvaccinated were 4.5 times more likely than the fully vaccinated to get infected, over 10 times more likely to be hospitalized and 11 times more likely to die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.“Vaccination works,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC’s director, told a White House briefing Friday. “The bottom line is this: We have the scientific tools we need to turn the corner on this pandemic.”But as earlier data has shown, protection against coronavirus infection is slipping some: It was 91% in the spring but 78% in June and July, the study found.So-called “breakthrough” cases in the fully vaccinated accounted for 14% of hospitalizations and 16% of deaths in June and July, about twice the percentage as earlier in the year.An increase in those percentages isn’t surprising: No one ever said the vaccines were perfect and health experts have warned that as more Americans get vaccinated, they naturally will account for a greater fraction of the cases.Walensky said Friday that well over 90% of people in U.S. hospitals with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.CDC released two other studies Friday that signaled hints of waning protection for older adults. One examined COVID-19 hospitalizations in nine states over the summer and found protection for those 75 and older was 76% compared to 89% for all other adults. And in five Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, protection against COVID-19 hospitalizations was 95% among 18- to 64-year-olds compared to 80% among those 65 and older.It isn’t clear if the changes seen over time are because immunity is waning in people first vaccinated many months ago, that the vaccine isn’t quite as strong against delta -- or that much of the country abandoned masks and other precautions just as delta started spreading.But U.S. health authorities will consider this latest real-world data as they decide if at least some Americans need a booster, and how soon after their last dose. Next week, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will publicly debate Pfizer’s application to offer a third shot.

CDC finds unvaccinated 11 times more likely to die of COVID

It isn’t clear if the changes seen over time are because immunity is waning in people first vaccinated many months ago, that the vaccine isn’t quite as strong against delta -- or that much of the country abandoned masks and other precautions just as delta started spreading.

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This is PM K.P. Oli's first official visit to China after returning to power in February.Chinese President Xi Jinping and Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli discussed about various, including cross-border rail connectivity on Wednesday and said that Beijing is ready to cooperate with Kathmandu under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).Oli had arrived in China on Tuesday on a six-day-visit and met Xi at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.Xi and Oli discussed ways and means to further expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields including through cross border railway connectivity. Xi told Oli that China "stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Nepal in infrastructure connectivity, post-disaster reconstruction, trade and investment under the framework of the BRI"."China appreciates Nepal's resolute adherence to the one-China policy and will support its efforts to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity," Xi said."Beijing supports Nepal's self-selection of social systems and development of roads suited to its national conditions. We must strengthen cooperation in law enforcement capacity building, jointly combat transnational crimes and safeguard the common security of China and Nepal," said the Chinese President.While Oli on his part said that Nepal admired China's development achievements, highly valued its positive role in international affairs and thanked China for its support for the country's development transformation.A pact for co-operation between Nepal Electricity Authority and State Grid Corp of China for a feasibility study of Nepal-China Cross-border Power Grid Interconnection Project was also signed.According to it, the two sides will carry out the feasibility study of 400 kV Kerung-Rasuwagadhi-Galchhi-Ratmate transmission line.The Nepali Prime Minister also inaugurated the 2018 Nepal-China Business Forum' jointly organized by the Embassy of Nepal and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.While inaugurating the forum Oli said Nepal had embarked on a path of peace and political stability following the elections under federal set-up last year and expressed his confidence that Chinese entrepreneurs would invest in his country.Earlier in the day, Oli laid a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes at the Tian'anmen Square. He will hold delegation level talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on Thursday where additional MoUs are expected to be signed.This is Oli's first official visit to China after returning to power in February and the second foreign trip after India.Before their meeting, China and Nepal signed eight agreements worth $2.4 billion. The agreements were signed in a ceremony at the Nepal Embassy in Oli's presence.  The agreements were between the two governments and private sectors where Chinese investors will put money on developing hydroelectricity, water resources, cement factories and fruit cultivation and farming.(with IANS inputs)

Rail connectivity between Nepal, China features in Xi Jinping-KP Oli meeting

Xi and Oli discussed ways and means to further expanding bilateral cooperation in various fields including through cross border railway connectivity.

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Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry admits slapping TV anchor Pakistan Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry got himself surrounded in a controversy after reports of him slapping a TV anchor surfaced. The minister has now admitted to slapping the anchor at a wedding, after the anchor linked Chaudhry with TikTok sensation Hareem Shah. Speaking to a private TV channel, the minister on Sunday said he was a human first before anything else. Earlier, the Minister had slammed the TV anchor Mubasher Lucman, calling him a "sham journalist" in a tweet after reports of the slapping incident went viral on social media."Ministries come and go. I will not tolerate personal attacks … we are all human beings and will react when someone makes such false allegations," he was quoted as saying.Chaudhry retweeted a news article on the altercation with the caption, "People like Mubashir Lucman have nothing to do with journalism … and it's everyone's duty to expose him".A video speculated to be that of Fawad Chaudhry slapping the TV host has surfaced on Twitter.Speaking on Lucman's show, a fellow anchor Rai Saqib Kharal had claimed that there were several ‘indecent videos' of Chaudhry in possession of TikTok star Hareem Shah and he had personally seen them.This is not the first time that the Minister has settled a score with a TV anchor in such a manner.In June last year, Chaudhry had slapped TV host Sami Ibrahim also at a wedding.Meanwhile, Twitter witnessed some 'seriously hilarious' memes and jokes over the incident related to Fawad Chaudhry slapping a TV anchor. Also Read | Pakistan committed to send its first astronaut in space by 2022: Fawad ChaudhryAlso Read | Pak should cut off diplomatic ties with India, says its minister Fawad Chaudhry​

Pak Minister Fawad Chaudhry slaps TV host; Twitter bursts with hilarious memes

This is not the first time that Pakistan Minister Fawad Chaudhry has settled a score with a TV anchor in such a manner. Even earlier, Fawad Chaudhry has been trolled numerous times on Twitter for his statements.

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Pakistan's UN envoy call British PM Boris Johnson 'Foreign Minister'In yet another embarrassment for Pakistan, its permanent representative to the UN Maleeha Lodhi goofed up as she called British Prime Minister Boris Johnson "Foreign Minister" on Twitter. On Monday, Lodhi posted a picture of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan meeting his British counterpart and tweeted, "Prime Minister Imran Khan met British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson this morning."She, however, deleted the tweet after around an hour and posted another picture which captioned, "Sorry typo in the previous tweet. Prime Minister Imran Khan Met British PM this morning".Deleting the tweet, however, was a step too late as the Pakistani Minister was already trolled on Twitter. This is not the first time that Lodhi has caused embarrassment to Pakistan.In 2017, Lodhi held up a photograph of a scarred girl at the United Nations, she said she was offering proof of "brutality" in Kashmir.But the photo turned out to be that of a 17-year-old Palestinian girl, taken in Gaza in 2014 by award-winning photographer Heidi Levine. The teenager had been injured by shrapnel in an Israeli attack.ALSO READ | Pak committed one of the biggest blunders by joining US after 9/11: Imran KhanALSO READ | BIG confession by Imran Khan: Pakistan army and ISI had trained Al QaedaALSO READ | Ready to mediate over Kashmir if India and Pakistan agree: Donald Trump

Now, Pakistan's UN envoy trolled for referring British PM Boris Johnson as 'Foreign Minister'

Even in 2017, Lodhi had held up a photograph of a scarred girl at the United Nations, she said she was offering proof of "brutality" in Kashmir. But the photo turned out to be that of a 17-year-old Palestinian girl, taken in Gaza in 2014 by award-winning photographer Heidi Levine.

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Sharath KoppuA 26-year-old student from Telangana was shot dead at a restaurant at Kansas city in USA, during a suspected robbery attempt. The man was identified by Indian authorities as Sharath Koppu, who was shot by unidenitified persons at  J’s Fish and Chicken Market on Prospect Avenue on Friday evening.“We immediately rendered aid in regard to the injuries. Once the fire department arrived, they transported him to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased,” Capt Lionel Colon of the local police department told The Kansas City Star.Another police officer investigating the case said it could possibly be a case of "attempted robbery" and not hate crime. Koppu, who hailed from Warangal district, was pursuing his masters in software engineering at the University of Missouri and was working part-time at the restaurant in Kansas city. Meanwhile, the Kansas Police announced a reward of USD 10,000 for providing information about the suspect in regard to the robbery and murder of the Indian-origin student.The police also released a CCTV footage on their Twitter handle, where the suspected murderer can be seen."Looking for this suspect in the robbery & murder of 25-y.o. Sharath Kopuu at 5412 Prospect last night. Sharath was from India and is a student at UMKC. $10,000 reward for info leading to charges in this (& every KCMO murder)," the Police tweeted.The victim's cousin told ANI that a group of unidentified miscreants opened fire at a restaurant in Kansas, during which Sharath received five bullet injuries. Although Sharath was immediately shifted to a hospital in the vicinity, his cousin said the victim succumbed to his injuries."My cousin (Sharath Koppu) moved to the USA in January this year, after he received a full scholarship to study at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Last night, we got to know that he was brutally killed by gunshots fired by unknown people around 8 pm (USA time). This is a very sad day for all of us," said the victim's cousin, Sandeep Vemulakonda.Sandeep urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to look into the matter and nab the culprit. He also requested the Indian Embassy in the USA to send Sharath's body to Hyderabad for the last rites.Meanwhile, Swaraj tweeted her condolences and assured of all possible assistance to family. "Kansas incident - My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family. We will follow this up with the Police and provide all assistance to the family," she tweeted.

Indian student from Telangana killed in shooting at Kansas City restaurant in US; family urges Sushma Swaraj to ensure action

The man was identified by Indian authorities as Sharath Koppu, who was shot by unidenitified persons at J’s Fish and Chicken Market on Prospect Avenue on Friday evening.

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street for Prime Minister's Questions, in London, Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2022.  The UK government on Tuesday imposed tough sanctions against five Russian banks and three super-rich oligarchs from the country over President Vladimir Putin’s aggressive action on the Ukraine border. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons that this is the "first tranche” of measures in response to Russian troops moving into two separatist regions of Ukraine.The sanctions target Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank, as well as billionaires Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg as three "very high net worth individuals". All three have been on the US sanctions list for a number of years as associates of Putin. “Any assets they hold in the UK will be frozen, the individuals concerned will be banned from travelling here, and we will prohibit all UK individuals and entities from having any dealings with them,” Johnson told Parliament.“This is the first tranche, the first barrage, of what we are prepared to do: we will hold further sanctions at readiness, to be deployed alongside the United States and the European Union if the situation escalates still further...we should steel ourselves for a protracted crisis. The United Kingdom will meet this challenge side-by-side with our allies, determined that we will not allow Putin to drag our continent back into a Hobbesian state of nature, where aggression pays and might is right,” he said.“And it is precisely because the stakes are so high that Putin’s venture in Ukraine must fail, must ultimately fail and be seen to fail. That will require the perseverance, the unity and the resolve of the entire Western alliance, and Britain will do everything possible to ensure that that unity is maintained,” Johnson added.The UK action follows the recognition of breakaway areas of eastern Ukraine, Donetsk and Luhansk, as independent states by Russia, with troops moving in under the garb of “peacekeeping” duties and Russian tanks and armoured personnel seen rolling in. Johnson categorised this as a flagrant violation of the Minsk peace agreements, which amounts to a “renewed invasion of that country”.“And by denying Ukraine’s legitimacy as a state – and presenting its very existence as a mortal threat to Russia – Putin is establishing the pretext for a full-scale offensive,” Johnson said in his Commons statement. The sanctions received the backing of cross-party support in Parliament, with many MPs calling for further action against Putin. Downing Street said the UK's new sanctions against Russia were part of a "coordinated" approach to the Ukraine crisis together with the US and EU.Earlier on Tuesday, Russia's ambassador to the UK, Andrey Kelin, was also summoned to the UK Foreign Office to register the UK’s formal protest with the Russian Federation over Russia’s “continued undermining” of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. “The UK has urged Russia to explain its recognition of the so-called ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’ and the movement of military forces into Ukraine,” said a spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).“We have summoned the Ambassador today to stress that such actions are a violation of international law. The UK reiterates its unshakeable commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and independence of Ukraine, and insists that Russia immediately withdraw all of its military forces. We made clear to the Russian Ambassador that Russia would pay the price for its actions through further sanctions if it did not withdraw its troops,” the spokesperson said. Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under-Secretary for the FCDO, warned the envoy of the sanctions being imposed and that further measures would follow unless Russia withdraws its troops.Also Read | UN expert criticises China, Russia for alleged arms sales to MyanmarAlso Read | UK Defence Secretary warns about Russian forces moving into Ukraine

UK sanctions 5 Russian banks, 3 oligarchs over Ukraine issue

The sanctions target Rossiya, IS Bank, General Bank, Promsvyazbank and the Black Sea Bank, as well as billionaires Gennady Timchenko, Boris Rotenberg and Igor Rotenberg as three 'very high net worth individuals'.

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The Pentagon said there was one Islamic State suicide bomber, who struck at the Abbey Gate, where desperate Afghans were crowding to try and enter Kabul airport grounds and where U.S. troops were conducting security checks.The Pentagon says it has determined that the attack at the Kabul airport on Thursday involved only one location and not two as was previously reported.The Pentagon said there was one Islamic State suicide bomber, who struck at the Abbey Gate, where desperate Afghans were crowding to try and enter Kabul airport grounds and where U.S. troops were conducting security checks.Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor, the deputy director for regional operations on the Pentagon's Joint Staff, told reporters on Friday that there was no second explosion near the Baron Hotel near the airport.He said the bombing at the Abbey Gate was followed by direct gunfire from north of the gate — part of what the military has called a complex attack.Taylor said they have no more details on the identity of the shooters. Taylor attributed the incorrect initial U.S. report about a second explosion to confusion.ALSO READ | Afghanistan: Khalil Haqqani, Taliban's new head of security in Kabul was designated a 'terrorist' by USIn its claim of responsibility late Thursday, IS said one of its fighters carried out the bombing and posted a purported photo of the bomber, posing with his explosives vest before the attack.Two officials said 169 Afghans died, but a final count might take time amid the confusion.The U.S. said 13 troops were killed in what was the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since August 2011.ALSO READ | Pakistan has reasons to be seriously worried after ISIS-K's Kabul airport serial blastsALSO READ | Vast majority of Indians who wish to return have been evacuated: MEA on Kabul evacuation /* .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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Pentagon says Kabul attack involved 1 site, no second explosion

The Pentagon said there was one Islamic State suicide bomber, who struck at the Abbey Gate, where desperate Afghans were crowding to try and enter Kabul airport grounds and where U.S. troops were conducting security checks.

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General Qamar Javed Bajwa to continue as Pakistan Army chief, says Pak PM Imran KhanA much-relieved Prime Minister Imran on Thursday lauded the Supreme Court for allowing General Qamar Javed Bajwa to continue as Pakistan Army chief for another six months even as he took a jibe at the country's "external enemies" and the "mafias within", saying the verdict must be of "special disappointment" to them. A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa approved a conditional extension in Chief of the Army Staff General Bajwa's tenure for an additional six months.The top court's ruling comes in the nick of time as Gen Bajwa was set to retire at midnight Thursday. Prime Minister Khan had extended Bajwa's tenure through a notification on August 19, but the apex court suspended it on Tuesday, citing irregularities in the manner Gen Bajwa, a close confidant of Khan, was granted a 3-year extension."Today must be a great disappointment to those who expected the country to be destabilised by a clash of institutions," Khan said in a series of tweets soon after the Supreme Court announced its short verdict. "That this did not happen must be of special disappointment to our external enemies & mafias within," Khan said.He did not identify Pakistan's "external enemies" and the "mafias within." However, he said the mafias have stashed their loot abroad and they wanted to protect the ill-gotten wealth by destabilising the country.He also praised Chief Justice Khosa, who had grilled senior officials during the hearing and asked the government to set the house in order. "Also, for the record, I have the greatest respect for CJ Khosa, one of the greatest Jurists produced by Pakistan," Khan said.Khan, who heads the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, claimed that his party was the first one to advocate an independent judiciary and the rule of law, 23 years ago. "In 2007, PTI was in the forefront of the Movement for Independence of the Judiciary & I was jailed for it," the Pakistan prime minister said.In its short order, the Supreme Court directed the Pakistan government to bring necessary legislation within six months' time. The order, read out by Chief Justice Khosa, asked Parliament to introduce legislation for appointment of the Army chief under Article 243.He said the court is observing judicial restraint and leaving the matter to Parliament.ALSO READ | Pakistan SC grants 6 months conditional extension to Army chief General BajwaALSO READ | Ailing Nawaz Sharif to undergo bone marrow test in London

General Qamar Javed Bajwa to continue as Pakistan Army chief, says PM Imran Khan

"Today must be a great disappointment to those who expected the country to be destabilised by a clash of institutions," Khan said in a series of tweets soon after the Supreme Court announced its short verdict. "That this did not happen must be of special disappointment to our external enemies & mafias within," Khan said.

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The United States and Russia are nearing an agreement on Syria for how they hope to resolve the Arab country’s civil war once the Islamic State group is defeated, officials said Thursday.If clinched, the deal was expected to be announced by President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Vietnam on Friday, four U.S. officials said. The United States has been reluctant to schedule a formal meeting for the leaders unless they have a substantive agreement to announce.Related Stories Syrian government behind chemical attack: UN ReportEgypt’s President el-Sissi says Iraq, Syria militants headed to LibyaAfter ISIS collapse, Syria government faces US-backed KurdsBut White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Friday that they won’t hold a formal meeting due to scheduling conflicts on “both sides.” Still, Sanders said it was possible Trump and Putin could have a less formal encounter while in Vietnam.The potential understanding comes as an array of forces are near a final defeat of IS, the extremist group that once controlled vast stretches of both Iraq and Syria. Fighting the group is no longer top priority, shifting the focus back to Syria’s intractable conflict between President Bashar Assad’s government and rebels — and to concerns that foreign powers such as Iran will now dominate the country’s future.The U.S.-Russian agreement being discussed would focus on three elements, officials said: “deconfliction” between the U.S. and Russian militaries, reducing violence in the civil war and reinvigorating U.N.-led peace talks. The officials weren’t authorized to discuss the deliberations and requested anonymity.The U.S. and Russian militaries have maintained a “deconfliction” hotline for years to avoid unintended collisions and even potential confrontations as they each operate in Syria’s crowded skies. A heavy air campaign by Russia has been credited with shoring up the position of Assad, a close ally of Moscow.With IS nearing defeat, the U.S. and Russia are losing their common enemy in Syria and will remain in a proxy battle in which Russia backs Assad and the U.S. lends at least rhetorical support to armed opposition groups fighting the government. That has increased the need for close communication between the two powers about where their forces are operating at any given time, officials said.The agreement also seeks to build on progress in establishing “de-escalation zones” in Syria that have calmed some parts of the country. In July, when Trump held his first meeting with Putin in Germany, the U.S. and Russia announced a deal that included Jordan and established a cease-fire in southwest Syria. The United States has said that cease-fire has largely held and could be replicated elsewhere in the country.A key U.S. concern, shared by close ally Israel, is the presence of Iranian-backed militias in Syria that have exploited the vacuum of power. The United States and Israel have been seeking ways to prevent forces loyal to Iran — Israel’s archenemy — from establishing a permanent presence. One idea hinges on a “buffer zone” along Israel’s border with Syria.A third element of the deal would reaffirm support for the United Nations effort being run out of Geneva to seek a political transition in Syria and resolve the civil war. The United States and Russia have been at odds for years over whether Assad could be allowed to remain in power in a future Syrian government.The U.N. talks, which have come in fits and starts without yielding significant progress, aren’t the only discussions about Syria’s future. Russia, Turkey and Iran have been brokering their own process in Astana, Kazakhstan. The U.S. views those talks warily because of Iran’s involvement, though they’ve led to local cease-fire deals that have reduced violence, too.“We believe that the Geneva process is the right way to go,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Thursday. “Unfortunately, it is a long way off, but we’re getting a little bit closer.”The U.S.-Russia deal may also seek to expand the mandate of a joint “monitoring center” established this year in Amman, Jordan, to watch for cease-fire violations and other developments on the ground. It has focused on southwest Syria, where the cease-fire is in place, but could be used to monitor broader stretches of the country.Although Moscow has sought a formal meeting between Trump and Putin while both are in Vietnam this week, the U.S. hasn’t committed to such a meeting. Washington’s concern is that it would not serve U.S. interests unless there’s progress between the countries to announce — on Syria or something else. Putin’s aides have said a meeting will likely occur Friday and that the time, place and format are being worked out between the governments.“We have been in contact with them, and the view has been if the two leaders are going to meet, is there something sufficiently substantive to talk about that would warrant a formal meeting?” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday in Beijing.

US, Russia nearing agreement on resolving Syrian civil war

The United States has been reluctant to schedule a formal meeting for the leaders unless they have a substantive agreement to announce.

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Woman who gave birth on flight didn't know she was pregnantLavinia “Lavi” Mounga had no idea a baby was coming when she went into labour on a flight from her home in Utah to Honolulu last week. “I just didn't know I was pregnant, and then this guy just came out of nowhere,” Mounga said during a video interview with Hawaii Pacific Health.The baby boy, Raymond Mounga, arrived early at just 29 weeks while mom was traveling to Hawaii for vacation with her family.Dr Dale Glenn, a Hawaii Pacific Health family medicine physician, along with Lani Bamfield, Amanda Beeding and Mimi Ho — neonatal intensive care unit nurses from North Kansas City Hospital — were also on the plane and helped the new mother and baby.“Yeah, just overwhelming and just nice that there was three NICU nurses on the plane and a doctor that were able to help stabilize him and make sure that he was OK," Mounga said.When deciding on a name, Mounga's father suggested "Glenn," in honor of the doctor who helped her during the flight."Names are pretty important in our culture," said Mounga, who is Tongan. "I didn't really want to name him Glenn."Instead she asked Dr Glenn, who gave his adopted children Hawaiian middle names, for a suggestion. He offered “Kaimana,” which is now one of the boy's middle names.The child will have to stay in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit he is full term, about another 10 weeks, Mounga said."The aloha spirit is definitely felt here,” she said about the care she has received in Hawaii. “It's very different from the mainland," Mounga said. “It just feels comforting, and everyone is willing to help.”ALSO READ: Foreign influencers slammed for painting mask on face to enter Bali supermarket; watch video

Woman who gave birth on flight didn't know she was pregnant

The baby boy, Raymond Mounga, arrived early at just 29 weeks while mom was traveling to Hawaii for vacation with her family.

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Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz vice president Maryam Nawaz was questioned by the country's anti-corruption agency officials in connection with the alleged money laundering and income beyond means charges against her and her family, a media report said on Thursday.

Panama Papers: Maryam Nawaz questioned by anti-corruption watchdog in money-laundering case

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) questioned 45-year-old Maryam on Wednesday about her "dubious" transactions in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills (CSM), where she is a major stakeholder, the Dawn newspaper reported.

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Trump's trip demonstrates value US places on ties with India: Pompeo President Donald Trump's just-concluded India trip demonstrated the value the United Stated placed on its ties with New Delhi, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday.Trump's "first official trip to India this week demonstrates the value the US places on the US-India partnership", Pompeo said in a tweet, a day after the president returned from his historic two-day visit to India with stops in Ahmedabad, Agra and New Delhi."Democratic traditions unite us, shared interests bond us, and under the President's leadership our partnership has and will only grow stronger," Pompeo said as he re-tweeted the White House post with remarks by Trump."As we deepen our partnership with India, we remember that our two countries have always been united by shared traditions of democracy and constitutions that protect freedom, individual rights, and the rule of law," Trump said in the White House post that also had four pictures of his meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.In a series of tweets, Acting Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Alice G Wells said an excellent progress was made during the presidential visit to India. "Excellent progress made this week in US India partnership," she said.Trump's trip to India advanced the shared goals and paved the way for further cooperation in key areas such as energy, defence, people-to-people ties and Indo-Pacific coordination, Wells said."We made great strides to advance US-India energy partnership, including taking steps to develop India's strategic petroleum" and providing USD 600 million in US International Development Finance Corporation investment to develop solar and wind energy, she added."We look forward to continued engagement with our great American suppliers of energy products, including" Westing House Nuclear and "our Indian partners for big deals that will power US-India relationship into the new decade and beyond. Private sector partnerships make our economies stronger", Wells said.As the president announced, the US concluded over USD 3 billions in defence sales to provide America's finest military helicopters to the Indian armed forces."We're proud to be India's premier defense partner. Together, we defend our sovereignty and protect a free and open Indo Pacific region for both our peoples," Wells said. People-to-people ties between the two countries were stronger than ever, she asserted."Our Congressional representatives and Parliamentarians will hold an exchange visit for 1st time ever in April. We're working together to support human spaceflight and eager to welcome more Indian higher ed students to the US," Wells said.In another tweet, she said, "Our hearts go out to the families of the deceased and injured in New Delhi. We echo PM @NarendraModi's call for calm and normalcy and urge all parties to maintain peace, refrain from violence, and respect the right of peaceful assembly." 

Trump's trip demonstrates value US places on ties with India: Pompeo

President Donald Trump's just-concluded India trip demonstrated the value the United Stated placed on its ties with New Delhi, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Thursday.

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Magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolts Dushanbe in Tajikistan, strong tremors felt in Kashmir Valley (Representational image)An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter Scale hit 341km ESE (east-southeast) of Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Tuesday. According to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake struck at 7 am. Meanwhile, strong tremors were also felt in Kashmir valley at around 7:03 am. Officials said the moderate-intensity estimated earthquake in Jammu and Kashmir occurred at 7 a.m. on Tuesday which measured 5.8 on the Richter scale."The epicentre of the earthquake was in Tajikistan region and its depth was 100 Kilometres inside the surface of the earth."The co-ordinates of the quake are latitude 37.7 degrees north and longitude 72.3 degrees east."No report of any casualty or damage to property has been received from anywhere so far", officials said.Seismologically, Kashmir is situated in a highly earthquake prone region.Earthquakes have wreaked havoc in Kashmir in the past.On October 8, 2005 an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale killed over 80,000 people on the two sides of the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.(With inputs from ANI)

Magnitude 6.8 earthquake jolts Dushanbe in Tajikistan, strong tremors felt in Kashmir Valley

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter Scale hit 341km ESE (east-southeast) of Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Tuesday.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during a Politburo meeting in Pyongyang.  North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered officials to wage a tougher epidemic prevention campaign in “our style” after he turned down some foreign COVID-19 vaccines offered via the UN- backed immunization program.During a Politburo meeting Thursday, Kim said officials must “bear in mind that tightening epidemic prevention is the task of paramount importance which must not be loosened even a moment,” the official Korean Central News Agency reported Friday.While stressing the need for material and technical means of virus prevention and increasing health workers’ qualifications, Kim also called for “further rounding off our style epidemic prevention system,” KCNA said.Kim previously called for North Koreans to brace for prolonged COVID-19 restrictions, indicating the nation’s borders would stay closed despite worsening economic and food conditions. Since the start of the pandemic, North Korea has used tough quarantines and border closures to prevent outbreaks, though its claim to be entirely virus-free is widely doubted.On Tuesday, UNICEF, which procures and delivers vaccines on behalf of the COVAX distribution program, said North Korea proposed its allotment of about 3 million Sinovac shots be sent to severely affected countries instead. North Korea was also slated to receive AstraZeneca shots through COVAX, but their delivery has been delayed.According to UNICEF, North Korea’s health ministry still said it would continue to communicate with COVAX over future vaccines.Some exports believe North Korea may want other vaccines, while questioning the effectiveness of Sinovac and the rare blood clots seen in some recipients of the AstraZeneca vaccine.The previously allocated 1.9 million AstraZeneca doses would be enough to vaccinate 950,000 people- only about 7.3% of the North’s 26 million people- meaning North Korea would still need much more quantities of vaccine to inoculate its population.Leif-Eric Easley, a professor of international studies at Seoul’s Ewha Womans University, said North Korea is likely angling to receive more effective jabs from COVAX and then strategically allocate them domestically.“Pyongyang appears to have issues with COVAX involving legal responsibility and distribution reporting requirements. So it might procure vaccines from China to deliver to border regions and soldiers while allocating COVAX shots to less sensitive populations,” Easley said.“The Kim regime likely wants the most safe and effective vaccine for the elite, but administering Pfizer would require upgraded cold chain capability in Pyongyang and at least discreet discussions with the United States. The (Johnson & Johnson) option could also be useful to North Korea given that vaccine’s portability and one-shot regimen,” he said.In a recent U.N. report on the North’s human rights situation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asked North Korea to “take all necessary measures, including through international cooperation and assistance, to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for all persons, without discrimination.”He also asked North Korea to form a plan to enable diplomats and aid workers to return to the North and revive humanitarian aid distribution systems as soon as possible in conjunction with its COVID-19 vaccine rollout.After their meeting in Seoul last month, Sung Kim, the top U.S. diplomat on North Korea affairs, and his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk told reporters that they discussed humanitarian cooperation with North Korea in providing anti-virus resources, sanitation and safe water. /* .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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Kim Jong Un orders tougher virus steps after North Korea shuns vaccines

While stressing the need for material, technical means of virus prevention and increasing health workers’ qualifications, Kim also called for “further rounding off our style epidemic prevention system,” KCNA said.

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The team will carry out on-site inspections in order to see the systems and mechanisms put in place while its three members will stay for longer period to review progress on the 10-point action plan agreed with Pakistan.A nine member delegation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), including the group's Asia Pacific Group (APG) arrived in Pakistan for a twelve-day visit on Monday. The team will hold talks with top officials to discuss measures taken by the country to counter money laundering and terror financing after it was added in the 'grey list' for providing financial assistance to terrorists.The team includes experts from British Scotland Yard, US Department of Treasury, Financial Intelligence Unit of Maldives, Indonesian Ministry of Finance, Peoples' Bank of China and Justice Department of Turkey.Related Stories Anti-Money laundering watchdog FATF to formally put Pakistan on grey-list: How it will affect Pak economy Anti-Money laundering watchdog FATF to formally put Pak on grey-listAnti-terror financing watchdog FATF keeps Pakistan on 'grey list'Hope they act now: India after Pakistan put on anti-terror financing watchdog's 'grey list' Pakistan was formally added to the 'grey list' of countries involved in providing monetary assistance to terrorists and related causes after a FATF meeting in Paris in June.Sources in the finance ministry said that "Pakistan has done its homework" and the delegation will be briefed about the measures to curb terror financing through money laundering and illegal remittances.The team will carry out on-site inspections in order to see the systems and mechanisms put in place while its three members will stay for longer period to review progress on the 10-point action plan agreed with Pakistan.The FATF is an inter-governmental body established in 1989 to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system.Pakistan and FATF negotiated a 10-point action plan to be implemented by September 2019 to get out of the grey list.Earlier, a team of FATF visited Islamabad in August to identify deficiencies in Pakistan's anti-money laundering/counter-terror financing laws and mechanisms. During the current visit, the experts will meet officials from ministries of Interior, Finance, Foreign affairs and Law.They are also likely to meet officials of State Bank of Pakistan, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, National Counter-Terrorism Authority, Federal Investigation Agency, Federal Board of Revenue, National Accountability Bureau, Anti-Narcotics Force, Financial Monitoring Unit, Central Directorate of National Savings and provincial counter-terrorism departments.   

FATF team in Pakistan to discuss measures taken by the 'grey-listed' country on money laundering, terror financing

The team will hold talks with top officials to discuss measures taken by the country to counter money laundering and terror financing after it was added in the 'grey list' for providing financial assistance to terrorists.

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Dubai bus accident survivor: Blood, body parts were scattered all aroundThe survivors of the Dubai road accident that killed 17 people, including 12 Indians, said the co-passengers screamed and wailed as they tried to help each other in the blood-splattered bus that rammed into a low-clearance sign.The bus, coming from Oman's capital Muscat to Dubai, was carrying 31 passengers when it crashed into a height barrier that cut the left side of the bus and killed passengers sitting on that side on Thursday evening. It had wrongly entered a road not designated for buses towards Al Rashidiya metro station.Related Stories 'Have not got any proposal': Govt on Kejriwal's promise of free bus, metro rides for womenNoida Police's warning: 'Video or selfie at accident spot will attract penalty'Dubai: 8 Indians killed in bus accidentThe Canadian singer, songwriter's car met with an accident in the Hollywood area of California Eid holidays turn tragic: 12 Indians among 17 dead in Dubai bus accidentGujarat: 9 people dead, 5 injured in accident near Ambaji's Trisulia GhatWith over 540 million commuters, Mumbai Metro completes five years of accident-free serviceNidhin Laji, 29, who belongs to Kerala, survived the accident with a minor scratch on his face."There was blood everywhere. Most people who were sitting on the left side died on the spot," Laji, who was sitting on the right side of the vehicle, was quoted as saying by the Khaleej Times.Recounting the horror of the accident, he said that he heard screams and gasps for breath. "Blood and flesh were all over the seats as the metal plate scythed through the vehicle," he said, adding that he was planning to get down at the metro station when he heard people screaming.Laji slipped through one of the doors as ambulances and police vehicles reached the spot.Explaining further, he said there were two drivers on the bus and they were taking turns to drive. After the accident, all survivors tried to help those in pain. "I began to help a woman who was screaming. She was injured and her husband had died in the accident. I am lucky to survive. But I feel sorry for those who died in the accident," Laji said.Zidan Firoz, who was traveling with his parents, was watching the skyline when the accident happened. The Oman residents were to spend the rest of the Eid holidays in Dubai, the Gulf News reported.Firoz's parents could not survive the tragedy. His father died on the spot. Still shaken by the terrible jolt, he felt his heavily injured mother, Reshma, still breathing and tried to pull her out of the wreckage. She too succumbed to her injuries. For Manisha, who lost her husband Vikram Thakur and cousin Roshni in the accident, it was a narrow escape as she had to cancel her travel due to pending office work, the Khaleej Times reported."I still cannot believe it. I spoke to my husband in the afternoon and he said he was on his way back. I had no idea about the accident until Roshni's brother called me. I then called the police and was told my husband was no more. I rushed to the police station only to find out that even my cousin was dead. I am devastated," she said.After paperwork, Manisha was taken to the Dubai Forensics department where she identified the bodies of her husband and cousin, who died on the spot of the accident. Her Lebanese neighbor was too at the police station to support her."I heard Manisha howling in the apartment and when I checked on her, she told me about the tragic news. I immediately got her with me to the police station," he said.In another corner of the police station, a grief-stricken Anoop waited patiently to get the paperwork done for his colleague Kiran Johnny, a 26-year-old mechanical engineer, who also died in the accident. "He had just started his first job in the UAE about six-eight months back. His parents are in Thrissur, Kerala, and he also has an elder brother in Dubai. His brother is not in the right state of mind to do the repatriation formalities which is why I am here," he said.Johnny, a Dubai resident, had gone to visit his friend in Oman during the Eid break.Deepa Kumar's family is yet to break the news of his death to his wife, who survived along with the couple's four-year-old daughter with minor injuries.“We are waiting for the formalities to be completed to repatriate his mortal remains. Once that is done, we will have to break the news to them and fly them back home,” said one of the relatives.The Dubai Police and Mwasalat, the transport company to which the bus belonged, said in their respective statements that a total of 15 people died on the spot, and 16 were rushed to the hospital. Two more died later, raising the total death toll to 17. Six passengers received treatment for injuries, with one being critically injured. Eight passengers were treated and discharged, the report said.Police officials also revealed that the bus was driving over the speed limit of 40kmph. The left-hand side of the bus roof was completely destroyed in impact, and passengers seated in the right-hand side escaped relatively unhurt. The bus driver, an Omani national, has sustained serious injuries and is presently hospitalised. Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, urged drivers to pay attention while driving. "Sometimes a minor error or negligence during driving leads to serious consequences," he said.

Blood, flesh all over seats; people seated on left died on the spot: Dubai bus accident survivor recounts horror

Dubai bus accident, 17 killed Dubai bus accident, 12 Indians died, bus accident, passengers from the left side of bus killed, Dubai bus accident survivors

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The airliner carrying the 221 Afghans in the special visa program, including 57 children and 15 babies touched down at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC.The first flight evacuating Afghans who worked alongside Americans in Afghanistan brought more than 200 people, including scores of children and babies in arms, to resettlement in the United States on Friday, and President Joe Biden welcomed them home.The evacuation flights, bringing out former interpreters and others who fear retaliation from Afghanistan's Taliban for having worked with American servicemembers and civilians, highlight American uncertainty about how Afghanistan's government and military will fare after the last US combat forces leave that country in the coming weeks.Family members are accompanying the interpreters, translators and others on the flights out.The airliner carrying the 221 Afghans in the special visa program, including 57 children and 15 babies, according to an internal US government document obtained by The Associated Press, touched down at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, just outside Washington, DC, according to the commercial FlightAware tracking service.Biden called the flight "an important milestone as we continue to fulfill our promise to the thousands of Afghan nationals who served shoulder-to-shoulder with American troops and diplomats over the last 20 years in Afghanistan.” He said he wanted to honor the military veterans, diplomats and others in the U.S. who have advocated for the Afghans.“Most of all,” Biden said in a statement, “I want to thank these brave Afghans for standing with the United States, and today, I am proud to say to them: Welcome home.'"Russ Travers, senior deputy homeland security adviser at the National Security Council, told reporters on Thursday as the Afghan families were en route that the flight "represents the fulfillment of the U.S. commitment and honors these Afghans' brave service in helping support our mission in Afghanistan” and “in turn, helping to keep our country safe.”The Biden administration calls the effort Operation Allies Refuge. The operation has broad backing from Republican and Democratic lawmakers and from veterans groups. Supporters cite repeated instances of Taliban forces targeting Afghans who worked with Americans or with the Afghan government.Congress on Thursday overwhelmingly approved legislation that would allow an additional 8,000 visas and USD 500 million in funding for the Afghan visa programme.Biden announced earlier this year the US would end its military role in Afghanistan by Sept 11, honoring a withdrawal agreement struck by former President Donald Trump. Some administration officials have expressed surprise at the extent and speed of Taliban gains of territory in the countryside since then.Biden said that although US troops are leaving Afghanistan, the US we will keep supporting Afghanistan through security assistance to Afghan forces and humanitarian and development aid to the Afghan people.The newly arrived Afghan people will join 70,000 others who have resettled in the United States since 2008 under the special visa program.  Subsequent flights are due to bring more of the roughly 700 applicants who are farthest along in the process of getting visas, having already won approval and cleared security screening.The first arrivals were screened for COVID-19 and received vaccines if they wanted them, said Tracey Jacobson, the US diplomat running the effort.They were expected to stay at Fort Lee, Virginia, for about seven days, completing medical exams and other final steps, Jacobson said. 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Evacuation flight brings 200 Afghans to US

A senior deputy homeland security adviser said that the evacuation flight represents the fulfillment of the U.S. commitment and honors the Afghans' brave service in helping support the U.S.' mission in Afghanistan and in turn, helping to keep the country safe.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday conferred the Padma Shri, the country's fourth largest civilian honour to former Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh in Singapore. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday conferred the Padma Shri, the country's fourth largest civilian honour to former Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh in Singapore. Koh was among 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) receipts of the prestigious award this year.  "Prof Tommy Koh, the former diplomat of Singapore, was handed over the Padma Shri award by Prime Minister Modi in the presence of Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The award was announced in January 2018 on the occasion of silver jubilee of India ASEAN partnership and our Republic Day," said Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson at the Ministry of External Affairs. ALSO READ: PM Modi's South-East Asia tour: India, Singapore agree to deepen economic, defence tiesKoh, 80, has served as Singapore's ambassador to the US and the UN, and as president of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1981 and 1982. He is currently chairman of the board of governors of the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore. ALSO READ: PM Modi to Singapore university students: A technology driven society breaks social barriersKoh was chief negotiator for the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement and was in the team that successfully argued the case for Singapore's claim to Pedra Branca at the International Court of Justice. He is also a key figure in Singapore's semi-official strategic dialogues with Asia's three most powerful nations - China, Japan and India. Beyond diplomacy, Koh has also been a champion of the arts, the environment and civil society, and an outspoken advocate of civic engagement. Koh said he is "very honoured and grateful" to receive the award. 

PM Modi confers Padma Shri to veteran Singaporean diplomat Tommy Koh

Koh, 80, has served as Singapore's ambassador to the US and the UN, and as president of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea in 1981 and 1982.

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Representational image Three suicide bombers attacked a police training centre in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday, triggering a shootout that killed a security personnel and the attackers, police said.Four police personnel were injured in the attack that took place when the policemen were busy taking an examination and the assailants ambushed the main gate of the Police Lines area in Balochistan's Loralai district.However, nobody has claimed responsibility for the attack but Baloch nationalists and Taliban rebels often carry out such strikes against the security forces.The Pakistan Army, in a statement, said that one attacker was killed on the gate while two succeeded to enter the building."The suicide bombers were effectively singled out by the police at the main gate. One suicide bomber was killed by a police guard at the entry point, while two others managed to get inside the premises,” the statement said.“In exchange of fire, one (of the remaining) suicide bomber exploded himself and the other was killed by security forces,” the army said, adding that a police head constable was also killed in the exchange of fire. Soldiers of the Frontier Corps have cordoned the area off, it said.Mohsin Hassan Butt, Balochistan Inspector General of Police, told the media that the attackers were wearing suicide vests.The injured policemen have been shifted to hospital, the Dawn reported.The process of clearing the area has begun and security has been beefed up in and around Loralai in the aftermath of the attack.Condemning the attack, Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Kamal Khan Alyani said, "the police force fought bravely against the terrorists. The swift and effective action taken by the police today shows that our security agencies are well prepared."Loralai has witnessed a rise in terror attacks in the past few months. On January 30, terrorists attacked a police recruitment centre in the area, killing nine policemen and injuring 21 people.On January 1, terrorists attacked the training centre of the Frontier Corps in the cantonment area of Loralai. The armed forces shot dead 4 attackers and 4 security personnel were killed while resisting them at the entrance of the training centre.

Policeman, 3 assailants killed in suicide attack on police training centre in Pakistan

Three suicide bombers attacked a police training centre in Pakistan's restive southwestern Balochistan province on Wednesday, triggering a shootout that killed a security personnel and the attackers.

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Coronavirus: Australia unveils $11.4bn economic stimulus packageThe Australian government on Thursday unveiled an economic stimulus package of AU$17.6 billion ($11.4 billion) to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 amid fears of a recession.In a statement, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the move was "to ensure that we keep Australians in jobs, that we keep businesses in business, and that we ensure the Australian economy is in a position to bounce back strongly on the other side", reports Efe news.The package is aimed at supporting business investment; providing cash flow assistance to small and medium-sized business to stay afloat and keep employees in jobs; targeted support for the most severely affect regions, sectors and communities; and household stimulus payments.Morrison said the plan would affect 3.5 million companies and 6.5 million individuals.Of the total package, some $11 billion will be available before the end of the fiscal year on June 30.A big component of the package includes $700 million to increase the instant asset write off threshold from $30,000 to $150,000 and expanded access to include businesses with an annual turnover of less than $500 million.About $6.7 billion will be available to "Boost Cash Flow for Employers by up to $25,000 with a minimum payment of $2,000 for eligible small and medium-sized businesses".Money will also be available to keep apprentices in work, and $4.8 billion will provide welfare recipients, such as pensioners, veterans and job seekers, with one-off cash payments of $750.The package will also create a $1 billion coronavirus fund to help affected sectors, regions and communities, including the tourism, agriculture and education sectors to cope with the fallout from the new coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global pandemic on Wednesday by the World Health OrganizationThe move is in addition to another $2.4 billion in healthcare funding for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19, which in Australia has killed three people and infected more than 112, the majority of them in Sydney.Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said in a statement that "our plan keeps businesses operating, supports jobs and provides a stimulus to households"."The government has worked hard over the last six and a half years to return the budget to balance so we have the flexibility to respond to the serious economic challenges posed by the Coronavirus."Morrison added that the package is aligned with the actions the government has so far taken."Just as we have acted decisively to protect the health of the Australian people, based on the best evidence and medical advice, our support package responds to the economic challenges presented by this pandemic in a timely, proportionate and targeted way," he said.

Coronavirus: Australia unveils $11.4bn economic stimulus package

The Australian government on Thursday unveiled an economic stimulus package of AU$17.6 billion ($11.4 billion) to help mitigate the impact of COVID-19 amid fears of a recession.

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Doklam stand-offJust days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's informal summit with President Xi Jinping, China on Tuesday said that the Doklam standoff happened due to "lack of mutual trust" between both the nations. Indian and Chinese troops had been locked in a stand-off for over two months last year in the Doklam area near Sikkim before "disengaging" on August 28. The area of the standoff is also claimed by Bhutan. Related Stories PM Modi to visit China on April 27-28 for summit talks with President Xi JinpingSushma Swaraj meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi as India-China hope to improve tiesWorld will hear positive voices against protectionism at Modi-Xi summit: China 'India, China should live like friendly neighbours': Dalai Lama welcomes upcoming Modi-Xi summit meet"The boundary incident that happened (at Doklam) last year someway reflected lack of mutual trust between the two countries," Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou told the media when asked about the Doklam standoff. Asked whether the Doklam standoff and the boundary issue will figure in the talks between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi, Kong said the two leaders decided to hold informal summit "because both the countries attach great importance to each other in external strategy, not because of the boundary question that still remained unresolved, that we need to talk about it during the informal summit". India-China boundary dispute spans to 3,488-km along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Both sides have held 20 rounds of talks between the Special Representatives to resolve it. "Of course, the boundary question is important. Both sides need to work together to create favourable conditions and gradually settle it. Proper settlement of boundary question will help deepen cooperation and deepen mutual understanding and trust between the two countries," Kong said. He said both China and India needs to even make greater efforts to deepen their mutual trust. "At the informal summit, the two leaders will have heart-to-heart discussions on the issues of overarching, long-term and strategic importance to bilateral relations. In terms of some specific differences or sensitive issues, the two sides will stay in touch with each other through relevant channels. In the process of deepening mutual trust, they will gradually find a way to try to settle them," he said.Modi and Jinping are scheduled to hold an "informal summit" in central China's Wuhan city from April 27 to 28 to improve bilateral relations and discuss global issues of mutual concern. Sources said that the summit is not the platform where the two leaders will discuss specific issues like the UN ban on Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group chief Masood Azhar and tick off one by one. A veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has repeatedly blocked India's move to designate Azhar a global terrorist under the Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC. The two leaders will have free-flowing discussions and no agreements were expected to be signed, official sources said. Also there will be few officials present at the informal summit venue. Most of the time the two leaders were expected to interact between themselves with the presence of just translators, official sources added. Modi was expected to arrive in Wuhan in the evening on April 26 and join Xi in the informal summit at a picturesque location the next day. Their meetings were expected to go on till mid-day of April 28 after which the Prime Minister will return, they said. The summit is unprecedented as this is the first-time China is hosting an informal summit spanning about two days, signifying the importance it attaches to the bilateral ties bogged down with a host of issues last year including the Dokalam standoff lasting 73 days. Though there were informal get-togethers organised by Chinese leaders with foreign dignitaries, it was part of state visits. The idea for a such a summit was mooted when Modi and Xi met during the BRICS summit at Xiamen last year in the backdrop of the Dokalam standoff and evolved steadily over the months with high-level meetings starting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Delhi last December.(With PTI inputs)

Ahead of PM Modi's visit, China says 'Doklam standoff happened due to lack of mutual trust'

Indian and Chinese troops had been locked in a stand-off for over two months last year in the Doklam area near Sikkim before "disengaging" on August 28. The area of the standoff is also claimed by Bhutan.

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Mexican firefighters known as "Topos" work in the early morning hours in a search and rescue mission, amid the rubble from last week's 7.2 magnitude earthquake, in Les Cayes, Haiti.Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency said Sunday that the toll from this month’s magnitude 7.2 earthquake has grown to 2,207, with 344 people still missing.The previous figure had been 2,189 on Wednesday. The agency said via Twitter that 12,268 people were injured and nearly 53,000 houses were destroyed by the Aug.- 14 quake.The new toll comes at a time when relief operations are expanding — the U.S.-based aid agency Samaritan’s Purse opened a field hospital Saturday — but authorities are struggling with security at distribution points. Gangs have hijacked aid trucks and desperate crowds have scuffled over bags of food.In the hard-hit city of Les Cayes, meanwhile, some attended outdoor church services on Sunday because sanctuaries had been badly damaged by the quake, which was centered on the impoverished nation’s southwestern peninsula.ALSO READ | Haiti Earthquake: Tensions over aid grow as death toll passes 2,000ALSO READ | 3 reasons why Haiti saw massive devastation in powerful earthquake

Haiti raises earthquake death toll, passes 2,200

The new toll comes at a time when relief operations are expanding — the U.S.-based aid agency Samaritan’s Purse opened a field hospital Saturday — but authorities are struggling with security at distribution points. Gangs have hijacked aid trucks and desperate crowds have scuffled over bags of food.

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At least 20 people were killed in the hours-long siege of a Shiite Muslim mosque in the Afghan capital of Kabul today. Mohammad Salim Rasouli, chief of Kabul’s hospitals, said at least 50 more were wounded, many of them children.The mosque was packed with worshippers attending Friday prayers. Friday is the Muslim sabbath when worshippers usually attend prayers at the mosque.Rasouli said that the death toll could rise because many of the wounded were seriously hurt.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack and called on Islamic clerics around the world to condemn terrorism. He said the extremists have turned to attacking houses of worship because they are being defeated on the battlefield.He vowed that Afghanistan would stay united in the face of these attacks and that terrorism would be defeated.Police said that the hours-long attack at a Shiite Muslim mosque in the Afghan capital Kabul has ended with all four attackers dead. Police official Mohammed Sadique Muradi said two of the attackers blew themselves up and another two were shot by Afghan Security Forces. Worshippers, wounded and dead were being evacuated from the mosque. Muradi said the death toll wasn’t immediately known.The Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for attack. The IS-linked Aamaq news agency carried the claim on its website.In the claim, IS said two of its fighters, seeking martyrdom, carried out the assault. It did not give further details.The attack was the latest by IS to hit the Afghan capital. Last month, the Islamic State group attacked the Iraqi Embassy in Kabul and afterward, issued a warning to all Shiites in Afghanistan, saying IS militants would attack Shiite places of worship.Within days of the embassy attack in Kabul, IS also took responsibility for a brutal suicide assault on a Shiite mosque in western Herat province that killed 32 people.

At least 20 dead in Shiite mosque attack in Kabul, ISIS claims responsibility

The Islamic State group’s affiliate in Afghanistan has claimed responsibility for attack. The IS-linked Aamaq news agency carried the claim on its website.

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The CBI is questioning Vipul Ambani, the Chief Financial Officer of diamantaire Nirav Modi's Fire Star diamond company, officials said here today.They said Vipul Ambani was holding the position for last three to four years. He is understood to be a relative of late Dhirubhai Ambani.Related Stories PNB fraud: Income-Tax Department attaches 9 bank accounts of Mehul Choksi, Gitanjali GemsPNB fraud: Assocham calls for privatising Public Sector BanksPNB fraud: CBI seals bank’s Brady House branch in Mumbai, questions Nirav Modi's stafferThe CBI yesterday started an intensive search operation at the Brady road branch of PNB in Mumbai, which is at the centre of a colossal banking fraud involving billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.The agency continued interrogating two PNB officials and an authorised signatory of Nirav Modi's company, officials said.The probe agency has also started interrogating five more officials, including general manager level officers, taking the total number of officials facing questioning to 11, they said.CBI officials said the agency is continuing the questioning of arrested bank officials -- Gokulnath Shetty (retired) and Manoj Kharat, and the signatory of Nirav Modi's company - besides that of other officials of PNB, to find out the money trail and depth of the alleged scam involving thousands of documents and digital records.The CBI is also examining financial transactions of 18 India-based subsidiaries of the Gitanjali group of companies promoted by Choksi to understand the money trail of funds taken from various banks on the basis of Rs 11,384 crore of guarantees furnished by Punjab National Bank, officials said here.

PNB fraud: CBI quizzes chief financial officer of Nirav Modi's company

The CBI yesterday started an intensive search operation at the Brady road branch of PNB in Mumbai, which is at the centre of a colossal banking fraud involving billionaire jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

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Malala Yousafzai announces marriage with AsserNobel Prize laureate and education activist Malala Yousafzai has announced her marriage on Twitter. The 24-year-old Pakistani human rights campaigner who was shot by the Taliban for daring to want an education posted images on Twitter of her celebration on Tuesday with Asser Malik and her family."Today marks a precious day in my life," Malala wrote. "Asser and I tied the knot to be partners for life. We celebrated a small nikkah ceremony at home in Birmingham with our families. Please send us your prayers. We are excited to walk together for the journey ahead." Yousafzai was targeted by the Taliban for her relentless objections to the group's regressive interpretation of Islam that limits girls' access to education. She was shot while returning home from school in Pakistan's scenic Swat Valley in 2012.She travelled to the English city of Birmingham for medical treatment and her family eventually joined her. She went back to school as soon as she could but kept campaigning for the right to an education for others. She graduated from Oxford in June 2020.Her Twitter feed was flooded with expressions of goodwill. (With inputs from AP)Also Read | Afghanistan: Deeply worried about women, minorities in Afghanistan, says Malala

Malala Yousafzai announces marriage with Asser; posts nikah pictures on Twitter

Yousafzai was targeted by the Taliban for her relentless objections to the group's regressive interpretation of Islam that limits girls' access to education.

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Top cigarette maker claims development of coronavirus vaccine, says it's ready for human trials (Representative Image)London-based British American Tobacco (BAT), which is the world's second-largest manufacturer of cigarettes, has claimed that it has developed a vaccine for the novel coronavirus and that the vaccine is all set to be tried on humans. The company said on Friday that the experimental vaccine that it has come up with has shown promise. "We have committed funds to conduct these clinical trials, which could start as early as late June, pending the responses from relevant health bodies," British American Tobacco said in its statement.The drug that the company is claiming to have manufactured has been synthesized using proteins from tobacco leaves on humans.In April, BAT announced that its biotech subsidiary, Kentucky BioProcessing (KBP), was developing a potential vaccine for COVID-19.Since then, we have been completing pre-clinical testing and are pleased to report the potential vaccine has been shown to produce a positive immune response. As such, the vaccine candidate is now poised to progress to the next stage which will be Phase 1 human clinical trials pending FDA authorisation.We have committed funds to conduct these clinical trials, which could start as early as late June, pending the responses from relevant health bodies. We have also invested in additional equipment to boost our manufacturing capabilities should they be needed.We have submitted our Pre-Investigative New Drug package to the U.S. FDA who have acknowledged its submission whilst our correspondence with other government agencies around the world continues.  We are hopeful to receive further feedback in the coming weeks.BAT is the manufacturer that supplies tobacco to major cigarette brands across the planet including Dunhill and Rothmans. COVID-19 cases worldwide have surged past 4.6 million while the death toll has reached 308,000. In India, over 80,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported while the death toll is nearing in on 3,000.(Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer across the world) 

Top cigarette maker claims to have developed coronavirus vaccine, says it's ready for human trials

London-based British American Tobacco (BAT), which is the world's second largest manufacturer of cigarettes, has claimed that it has developed a vaccine for the novel coronavirus and that the vaccine is all set to be tried on humans. The company said on Friday that the experimental vaccine that it has come up with has shown promise.

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21 Chinese coal miners trapped by underground floodRescuers on Sunday were trying to reach 21 coal miners who were trapped by an underground flood in China's northwest, a state news agency reported.The mine in Hutubi County in the Xinjiang region flooded at about 6:10 pm on Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency said. It said eight people were rescued.China's coal mines are among the world's deadliest, regularly suffering explosions and gas leaks despite repeated safety crackdowns.ALSO READ: US approaching China from position of patience and is not in hurry: White House

21 Chinese coal miners trapped by underground flood

The mine in Hutubi County in the Xinjiang region flooded at about 6:10 pm on Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency said. It said eight people were rescued.

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Taliban fighters display their flag on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan | File PhotoThe Taliban have reportedly manhandled some Indians in Afghanistan. The incident has been reported from near the Taliban airport. According to various reports, the Taliban indulged in a scuffle with several Indians, mainly Hindus and Sikhs, following directions from the ISI. Media reports on Saturday also claimed 210 Indian nationals are still stuck at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan and are in a terrified state. The Taliban have searched the Indian nationals and have checked for their ID cards.IAF plane departs from Kabul with Afghan leaders, Indian citizensMeanwhile, an Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft on Saturday departed from the Kabul airport with some eminent Afghan leaders, including public representatives from the Hindu and Sikh communities, as well as at least 90 Indians on board, sources said. The sources said that the IAF's C-130J transport plane landed in Tajikistan for refuelling and is likely to arrive at the Hindon Air Force Station in Ghaziabad on Saturday evening, they added.Fearing that the Taliban militia may prevent the Afghan public representatives from boarding the IAF flight, the entire plan was kept secret till the aircraft took off from Afghanistan, the sources further said.The IAF aircraft was waiting for the clearance at Kabul airport due to the huge rush as many countries have sent their military planes to evacuate its citizens.This was the second evacuation made by the Indian authorities to bring back stranded citizens and Afghan nationals who wanted to leave the war-torn country after the fall of Kabul to the insurgents on August 15.The first air rescue operation was made on August 17, when an IAF C-17 aircraft brought back 120 Indians, including Ambassador Rudrendra Tandon, the last batch of the Indian embassy staff and ITBP personnel.What former diplomats said on situation in Afghanistan India should keep diplomatic channels open for talks with the Taliban, but move very cautiously towards legitimising it, former diplomat Gautam Mukhopadhyay said on Friday. Speaking at a discussion organised by the Press Club of India, he said, "a false narrative" is being built to project the Taliban as different from what the world saw in Afghanistan two decades ago."We must talk to them. That is diplomacy. We should be very careful in legitimising the Taliban," he said.Mukhopadhyay said the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban will have an "inspirational effect" all across the world."Basically, it is not possible that what the Taliban has done is going to stay and be contained in Afghanistan. It will have ripple effects, demonstration effects and inspirational effects all across," he said.Also Read | Taliban co-founder Baradar to meet jihadi leaders for talks on govt formation in Afghanistan /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; 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_5073305287 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_drz2vcro/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_drz2vcro_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Taliban fighters beat up Indian Hindus near Kabul airport | Watch", "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": "288", "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_5073305287 = ''; jwsetup_5073305287(); function jwsetup_5073305287() { jwvidplayer_5073305287 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_5073305287").setup(jwconfig_5073305287); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_5073305287, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_drz2vcro\", ns_st_pr=\"Taliban fighters beat up Indian Hindus near Kabul airport | Watch\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Taliban fighters beat up Indian Hindus near Kabul airport | Watch\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Taliban fighters beat up Indian Hindus near Kabul airport | Watch\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-08-21\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-08-21\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_drz2vcro/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_5073305287.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_5073305287.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_5073305287.stop(); jwvidplayer_5073305287.remove(); jwvidplayer_5073305287 = ''; jwsetup_5073305287(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_5073305287.stop(); jwvidplayer_5073305287.remove(); jwvidplayer_5073305287 = ''; jwsetup_5073305287(); return; }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5073305287.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Taliban manhandle Indian Hindus, Sikhs on ISI's directions near Kabul airport: Reports

Meanwhile, an Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft on Saturday departed from the Kabul airport with some eminent Afghan leaders, including public representatives from the Hindu and Sikh communities, as well as 85 Indians on board.

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Bangladesh origin tech CEO found dismembered in New York Bangladesh origin tech entrepreneur and CEO has been murdered and his body dismembered in a luxury flat in New York city, according to media reports.Fahim Saleh’s sister found the body on Tuesday afternoon when she went to his $2.5 million-flat to check in on him, CBS, local New York TV channel, reported on Wednesday.His killer may have been interrupted by her as he was cutting up the body with an electric saw.The TV station reported that police said they have a video of her arriving at the apartment and his alleged killer was leaving about the same time after probably being interrupted by her ringing of the bell from the lobby.It said that police are looking into the possibility that a business dispute was behind the killing.According to his LinkedIn profile, he was the founder of Pathao, a Bangladesh-based company valued at $100 million that provides transportation and food delivery and offers a payment system.He also lists himself as the founder and CEO of Gokada, a Nigerian company, which provides delivery service and motorcycle taxi service. It claims investments of $6.9 million.New York Post said that Saleh was born in Saudi Arabia to Bangladeshi parents and grew up in Poughkeepsie in New York state.It quoted unidentified sources as saying that the killing appeared to be a “professional” job and his limbs and head cut with “surgical precision”.The newspaper said that a surveillance video showed a man dressed in black following Saleh into his flat and tasering him after a dispute.

Bangladesh origin tech CEO found dismembered in New York

Fahim Saleh’s sister found the body on Tuesday afternoon when she went to his $2.5 million-flat to check in on him, CBS, local New York TV channel, reported on Wednesday.

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Chinese policemen stand guard at a road barricade in front of the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.The arrival of a special train in Beijing and unusually heavy security at a guesthouse where prominent North Koreans have stayed in the past have raised speculation that Kim Jong Un is making his first visit to China as the North's leader.Kim has summits planned with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in late April and with President Donald Trump by May. While there has been no word of a similar meeting with Chinese leaders, China has been one of North Korea's most important allies even though relations have recently chilled because of Kim's development of nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.A vehicle convoy entered the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Monday evening and a military honour guard and heavy security were seen later. That followed reports from Japanese network NTV and public broadcaster NHK of a special North Korean train arriving in Beijing under unusually heavy security.A spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said she was not aware of the situation and had no further comment. North Korea's state-run media had no reports of a delegation traveling to China.South Korea's presidential office said Tuesday it cannot confirm reports that the train carried Kim nor a separate report that Kim's sister was onboard.South Korean analysts were doubtful the visitor is Kim Jong Un. Since succeeding his father as leader in 2011, Kim has touted an image of his country as diplomatic equal to China and it's unlikely he would sneak into Beijing for his first face-to-face meetings with the Chinese leadership, the experts said. They said it's more likely Kim sent a special envoy, possibly his sister Kim Yo Jong, to appease a traditional ally ahead of his planned meetings with the presidents of South Korea and the United States. The envoy could potentially seek Chinese commitment for future support should North Korea's talks with rivals fall through, said Du Hyeogn Cha, a visiting scholar at Seoul's Asan Institute for Policy Studies."North Korea doesn't want to send a message that China has been pushed to the back as it makes diplomatic approaches to the United States and South Korea," said Cha, saying that the visit could be part of the North's effort to gain leverage in the talks with South Korea and the United States. "If the talks with South Korea and the United States fall through, North Korea will surely try to demonstrate its nuclear weapons and missile capabilities again. The special envoy could discuss this possibility with Chinese officials, asking China not to press too hard with sanctions if that happens."Heavy security was reported at the Friendship Bridge before the train passed from North Korea to China, and there were reports of it passing through several stations on the way from North Korea to Beijing.NTV reported the green and yellow train appeared very similar to the one that former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, Kim Jong Un's late father, took to Beijing in 2011 and has 21 cars.A video that aired on NTV also showed a motorcade of black limousines waiting at the train station and rows of Chinese soldiers marching on what appeared to be a train platform. The video did not show anyone getting off the train.White House spokesman Raj Shah said Monday the U.S. could not confirm reports that Kim was visiting China.Shah reiterated Trump's plans to meet with Kim, saying the U.S.-led international pressure campaign against Pyongyang "has paid dividends and has brought the North Koreans to the table."

China's VIP security raises speculation of North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un visit

A vehicle convoy entered the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on Monday evening and a military honor guard and heavy security were seen later.

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a remote video press conference held on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China's National People's Congress (NPC) in BeijingChina’s Foreign Minister on Monday called Russia Beijing’s “most important strategic partner,” amid its continued refusal to condemn the invasion of Ukraine.Wang Yi said ties with Moscow constituted “one of the most crucial bilateral relationships in the world.”“No matter how perilous the international landscape, we will maintain our strategic focus and promote the development of comprehensive China-Russia partnership in the new era,” Wang told reporters at a news conference on the sidelines of the annual meeting of China’s ceremonial parliament.“The friendship between the two peoples is ironclad,” he added.China has broken with the U.S., Europe and others that have imposed sanctions on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. China says that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations should be respected, but that sanctions create new issues and disrupt the process of a political settlement.Much attention has been paid to a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Feb. 4, after which the sides issued a joint statement affirming “their strong mutual support for the protection of their core interests.”Russia endorsed China’s view of Taiwan as an “inalienable part of China, and opposes any forms of independence of Taiwan,” while China backed Russia in opposing the further enlargement of NATO.Since then, Xi’s government has refused to criticize the attack but tried to distance itself from Putin’s war by calling for dialogue and calling for respect for sovereignty. That prompted suggestions Putin failed to tell the Chinese leader his plans before their statement.Beijing has denounced trade and financial sanctions on Moscow and says Washington is to blame for the conflict.(With inputs from AP)Also Read | Russia declares ceasefire in 4 Ukrainian cities to allow evacuation of civilians

Russia Ukraine War: China maintains Russia its 'most important strategic partner' despite invasion

Much attention has been paid to a meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Feb. 4, after which the sides issued a joint statement affirming “their strong mutual support for the protection of their core interests.”

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An attack by ethnic Rohingya militants in western Myanmar left 12 security personnel and 77 Rohingya Muslims dead in a dramatic escalation of communal violence that has plagued the region, as the United States urged authorities to avoid a response that would inflame the tensions.The office of the country’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said Friday that military and border police responded to the attacks by launching “clearance operations.”Police fought off groups of as many as 100 Rohingya attackers armed with guns, machetes and homemade grenades. The captured weapons were shown in photos posted online by the government.A witness in Maungdaw township in Rakhine state, contacted by phone, said soldiers entered her village at about 10 a.m. Friday, burned homes and property, and shot dead at least 10 people.The witness, who asked to be identified by her nickname, Emmar, because of fear of retribution, said villagers fled in many directions but mostly to a nearby mountain range. She said gunshots and explosions could be heard and smoke could still be seen Friday evening.A militant group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, or ARSA, took responsibility for the Thursday night attacks on more than 25 locations, saying they were in defense of Rohingya communities that had been brutalized by government forces. It issued its statement on Twitter on an account deemed legitimate by advocates of Rohingya rights.Suu Kyi called the attacks “a calculated attempt to undermine the efforts of those seeking to build peace and harmony in Rakhine state.”State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in Washington that as security forces act to prevent further violence and bring the perpetrators to justice, they should respect the rule of law and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.She said the attacks underscored the importance of the government implementing recommendations of a commission chaired by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan, which published its final report on Thursday recommending that the government act quickly to improve economic development and social justice in Rakhine state to resolve violence between Buddhists and the Rohingya.Suu Kyi’s office said on its Facebook page that the attacks were intended to coincide with the release of Annan’s report.The clashes were deadlier than an attack by the militants on three border posts last October that killed nine policemen and set off months of brutal counterinsurgency operations by Myanmar security forces against Rohingya communities in Rakhine state. Human rights groups accused the army of carrying out massive human rights abuses including killing, rape and burning down more than 1,000 homes and other buildings.The army’s abuses fueled further resentment toward the government among the Muslim Rohingya, most of whom are considered by Myanmar’s Buddhist majority to be illegal immigrants from neighboring Bangladesh and are denied citizenship and its rights. ARSA took advantage of the resentment by stepping up recruitment of members.The Rohingya have long faced severe discrimination and were the targets of violence in 2012 that killed hundreds and drove about 140,000 people — predominantly Rohingya — from their homes to camps for the internally displaced, where most remain.According to the United Nations, more than 80,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh since last October’s clashes.Annan also condemned the new attacks, saying “no cause can justify such brutality and senseless killing” and urging the government to exercise restraint and “ensure that innocent civilians are not harmed.”

US urges Myanmar to avoid reprisals after attacks kill 89

The office of the country’s leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, said Friday that military and border police responded to the attacks by launching “clearance operations.”

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Allegations of collusion between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russia have been “invented” by his political foes to undermine his legitimacy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, adding that the reports have undermined the U.S. political system.Speaking at his annual marathon news conference, Putin reaffirmed his firm denial of meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.Related Stories Donald Trump says Vladimir Putin again denied election meddlingDonald Trump and Vladimir Putin spoke by phone, Syria on agenda: White HouseRussian President Vladimir Putin signs foreign agent media lawVladimir Putin declares victory in Syria, announces partial pullout of forces“All of it was invented by people who oppose President Trump to undermine his legitimacy,” he said. “I’m puzzled by that. People who do it are inflicting damage to the domestic political situation, incapacitating the president and showing a lack of respect for voters who cast their ballots for him.”He argued that Russian Ambassador Sergei Kislyak, whose contacts with Trump’s entourage are part of the FBI and Congressional probes into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, was simply performing his routine duties like any other ambassador.Putin also insisted Russia’s state-funded RT TV and Sputnik news agency had a very minor presence in the U.S. media market, adding that the U.S. demand for them to register as foreign agents represented an attack on media freedom. Russia has responded in return, requesting the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to register as foreign agents.Putin noted Trump’s achievements, saying that global markets have demonstrated investors’ confidence in Trump’s economic course.The Russian leader said he and Trump had spoken on a first-name basis during their encounters on the sidelines of two international summits this year and voiced hope that Trump eventually would be able to fulfill his campaign promises to improve ties with Russia.Putin emphasized that the two countries need to cooperate on tackling global challenges. He said Russia, in particular, is ready for “constructive” cooperation on tackling the North Korean standoff.Putin has warned the U.S. not to use force against North Korea, adding that the consequences will be “catastrophic.” He emphasized that Russia opposes Pyongyang’s nuclear bid, but added the U.S. had “provoked” Pyongyang into developing its nuclear and missile programs by spiking a 2005 deal under which North Korea agreed to halt them.Putin said Moscow was encouraged to hear U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s statement about readiness for talks with Pyongyang, hailing it as a “realistic” approach.The Russian leader also voiced concern about the U.S. considering a pullout from key nuclear arms control pacts, adding that Moscow intends to stick to them.He noted that Russia is particularly worried about what he described as U.S. violations of the INF Treaty, a Cold-War era pact banning intermediate range missiles. The U.S. has accused Russia of pact violations — charges that Russia has denied. Putin said the U.S. accusations are part of a “propaganda” campaign to pave the way for the U.S. withdrawal.He emphasized that Russia will “ensure its security without entering an arms race.” Russia’s military spending next year will amount to 2.8 trillion rubles (about $46 billion) compared to the Pentagon’s budget of about $700 billion, he noted.Putin, who declared his re-election bid last week, said he would run as a self-nominated candidate, keeping a distance from the main Kremlin-controlled party, United Russia, whose many members have been dogged by corruption accusations.He said he would welcome political competition but insisted that the opposition should offer a positive program.Answering a question from 36-year-old celebrity TV host Ksenia Sobchak, who is challenging him in the March 18 presidential election, Putin said Thursday that he doesn’t fear political competition but emphasized that the government would protect the country from attempts by radicals to destabilize Russia.Answering Sobchak’s question about opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who declared his intention to run for president but is being kept from entering the campaign by an embezzlement conviction that he calls politically motivated. Without mentioning his name, Putin likened Navalny to former Georgian president turned Ukrainian opposition leader, Mikhail Saakashvili, who has challenged the Ukrainian government with a series of anti-corruption protests.Putin said his government wouldn’t let “people like Saakashvili” plunge Russia into instability like that now in Ukraine.Asked about accusations of state-supported doping that led to Russia being banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Putin alleged that there is a political element behind the claims, which Russia has denied.Putin says Russian doping expert Grigory Rodchenkov — who is under witness protection after fleeing to the United States last year — is “under the control” of the FBI and “American special services.”He suggested U.S. agencies may be giving Rodchenkov unspecified “substances so that he says what’s required.”Putin said the fact that Rodchenkov was appointed to run Moscow’s anti-doping laboratory “was a mistake on the part of those who did it, and I know who did it,” but didn’t name names or say they should be punished.Rodchenkov’s testimony played a key role in International Olympic Committee investigations that led last week to Russian athletes being required to compete under a neutral flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Vladimir Putin reaffirms denial of meddling in 2016 US presidential election

Putin said he and Trump had spoken on a first-name basis during their encounters on the sidelines of two international summits this year and voiced hope that Trump eventually would be able to fulfill his campaign promises to improve ties with Russia.

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China on Friday said it will keep building infrastructure in Doklam and India has no business to comment on construction activity on Chinese territory.Some satellite images purportedly show massive infrastructure build-up in Doklam, as close as 81 meters to the point of face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the disputed plateau last year.Related Stories Watch: Satellite images show full-fledged Chinese military build-up with seven helipads in DoklamWhat is govt doing over China’s occupation on Doklam plateau? asks Congress"I don't know who offers such kind of photos. I don't know the detailed information," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said when asked about the images."You must be quite clear. Donglong (Doklam) always belongs to China and is always under China's effective jurisdiction. There is no dispute in this regard," Lu said."China is exercising its sovereignty in its own territory. It's legitimate and justified. Just as China will not make comments about Indian construction of infrastructure on India's territory, we hope other countries will not make comment on China's construction of infrastructure on its territory," Lu said.India and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-day stand-off at Doklam, which is claimed by Bhutan.The face-off began when the Indian military halted road building by the Chinese at Doka La in the region which is very close to India's highway.Even as both sides resolved the crisis by retreating from the point of face-off in August, news reports suggested that China was busy building infrastructure to fortify its position in the region.

Will keep building infrastructure in Doklam, India should not comment, says China

"I don't know who offers such kind of photos. I don't know the detailed information," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said when asked about the satellite images.

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Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 quake jolts west of Port Hardy, CanadaAn earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted 183km west of Port Hardy, Canada on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said.The epicentre, with a depth of 1.0 km, was initially determined to be at 50.573 degrees north latitude and 130.001 degrees west longitude, Xinhua news agency reported.However, there is no current tsunami warning in effect, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre.

Earthquake of magnitude 6.2 quake jolts west of Port Hardy, Canada

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 jolted 183km west of Port Hardy, Canada on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said. The epicentre, with a depth of 1.0 km, was initially determined to be at 50.573 degrees north latitude and 130.001 degrees west longitude.

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An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 on the Richter scale hit Hindu Kush, AfghanistanAn earthquake of magnitude 4.4 on the Richter scale hit the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan on Sunday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicentre of the earthquake could not be known.There were no immediate reports of any loss of life or damage to property due to the earthquake.Details to follow...

Magnitude 4.4 earthquake hits Afghanistan's Hindu Kush region

An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 on the Richter scale hit Hindu Kush, Afghanistan at 6:09 am today: National Center for Seismology

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Rescuers conduct a search operation at the site of a mudslide at Izusan in Atami, Shizuoka prefecture, southwest of TokyoA gush of mud that swept away homes and cars in a resort town southwest of Tokyo left at least two people dead and about 20 missing, officials said Sunday.Ten people were rescued and as many as 80 homes buried in Atami, where hundreds of firefighters, military troops and three coast guard ships worked from daybreak Saturday to try to reach those believed to be trapped or carried away by the mudslide.The deluge crashed down a mountainside into rows of houses following heavy rains that began several days ago. Bystanders, their gasps of horror audible, caught the scene on cell phone video. Witnesses said they heard a giant roar and then watched helplessly as homes got gobbled up by the muddy waves.The two people confirmed dead, both women, had been swept to the sea and were found by the coast guard, said Tatsushi Ueda, a Shizuoka prefecture official in charge of disaster prevention.Of the 10 who were rescued, one suffered minor injuries. In Atami, 121 people had been evacuated, said Ueda.Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga has set up a task force for the rescue effort.Atami is a quaint seaside resort area in Shizuoka prefecture, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tokyo. The area that was hit by the mudslide, Izusan, includes hot springs, residential areas, shopping streets and a famous shrine.

2 dead, 20 missing after mudslide rips through Japan town

A gush of mud that swept away homes and cars in a resort town southwest of Tokyo left at least two people dead and about 20 missing, officials said Sunday.

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UAE releases 400 Pakistani prisoners in view of coronavirus outbreakAround 400 Pakistani prisoners have been released from jails across the United Arab Emirates in view of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed 28 lives and infected over 4,900 people in the Gulf kingdom so far. The released Pakistanis were jailed for minor offences, the Pakistani Embassy in Abu Dhabi said on Tuesday, adding that the UAE government was arranging special flights to repatriate them.Of the 400 prisoners, 189 people already reached Peshawar on a FlyDubai flight, the Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday. The second flight is expected to land in Faisalabad.All the repatriated prisoners would be kept in isolation till they are tested for COVID-19, Additional Deputy Commissioner Ashfaq Khan told the daily.The decision to release the prisoners follows demonstrations by hundreds of Pakistanis outside the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai last week, demanding they be sent back home.Around 25,000 Pakistanis have requested repatriation from the UAE in recent weeks. Many have lost jobs and closed businesses due to the coronavirus outbreak.Similarly, 25,000 Indians are stranded in various parts of the globe, including the UAE.However, the Supreme Court of India has ruled that stranded expatriates cannot be flown back home till May 3, when the coronavirus lockdown ends in the country.The coronavirus which originated in China’s Wuhan city in December last year has claimed 28 lives and infected 4,933 people in the UAE.Across the world, the virus has killed over 126,000 people with nearly 2 million positive cases so far. ALSO READ | Indian couple in UAE donates late daughter's kidney to boyALSO READ | Coronavirus Pandemic: Indigo to cut number of flights to UAE; customers assured of refund

UAE releases 400 Pakistani prisoners in view of coronavirus outbreak

Around 400 Pakistani prisoners have been released from jails across the United Arab Emirates in view of the coronavirus pandemic, which has claimed 28 lives and infected over 4,900 people in the Gulf kingdom so far.

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Breaking news The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 3.5 million, including more than 248,000 fatalities. More than 1,135,000 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. Indiatvnews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news on coronavirus:

Coronavirus Updates: April 4, 2020 | As it happened

The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 3.5 million, including more than 248,000 fatalities. More than 1,135,000 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this LIVE blog for latest on coronavirus and its global economic fallout.