Datasets:

ILSUM

/

ILSUM-1.0

like 3

aa3109a356df548e250d279cc53899f1

Joe Biden delivers an update on COVID- response and vaccination program in South Court Auditorium on White House campus in Washington.President Joe Biden on Thursday signed into law a bill raising the nation’s debt limit until early December, delaying the prospect of an unprecedented federal default that would cause economic disaster.The House passed the $480 billion increase in the country’s borrowing ceiling on Tuesday, after the Senate approved it on a party-line vote last week. The eventual approval came after a protracted standoff with Senate Republicans, who derailed initial Democratic efforts with filibusters, delays that require 60 votes to halt.Ultimately, a handful of Senate Republicans agreed to join Democrats and voted to end GOP delays and move to a final vote on the legislation, but Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said Republicans will offer no support for another increase in December.Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had warned that the U.S. would hit its borrowing limit Monday, an unprecedented situation that she and others cautioned could lead to economic catastrophe for a nation still reeling from a global pandemic. Routine government payments to Social Security beneficiaries, disabled veterans and active-duty military personnel would potentially be delayed, and the economic fallout in the U.S. could ripple through global markets.The passage of the short-term debt ceiling increase ensures that, for now, the US will continue to meet its obligations. But it sets up another potential cliff at the end of the year- at a time when lawmakers will also be working to pass a federal funding bill to avert a government shutdown.Republicans have said Democrats should use a budgetary maneuver to pass an increase in the debt limit without Republican support, like the process Democrats are using for Biden’s massive climate change and social safety net plan. But Democrats have resisted that option. The clash between the two parties leaves Congress without a clear solution to avert the next default deadline in December, but the White House has emphasized it is still pursuing a bipartisan increase.Lawmakers from both parties have used the debt ceiling votes as leverage for other priorities. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi threatened to vote against raising the debt ceiling when President Donald Trump was in office, saying she had no intention of supporting lifting the debt ceiling to enable Republicans to give another tax break to the rich. And Republicans in 2011 managed to coerce President Barack Obama into accepting about $2 trillion in deficit cuts as a condition for increasing the debt limit — though lawmakers later rolled back some of those cuts. /* .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_9160784383 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_dta64jlq/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_dta64jlq_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "PM Modi meets Joe Biden in White House, discussion on issues like COVID-19 and climate change", "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": "497", "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_9160784383 = ''; jwsetup_9160784383(); function jwsetup_9160784383() { jwvidplayer_9160784383 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_9160784383").setup(jwconfig_9160784383); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_9160784383, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_dta64jlq\", ns_st_pr=\"PM Modi meets Joe Biden in White House, discussion on issues like COVID-19 and climate change\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"PM Modi meets Joe Biden in White House, discussion on issues like COVID-19 and climate change\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"PM Modi meets Joe Biden in White House, discussion on issues like COVID-19 and climate change\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-09-25\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-09-25\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_dta64jlq/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_9160784383.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_9160784383.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_9160784383.stop(); jwvidplayer_9160784383.remove(); jwvidplayer_9160784383 = ''; jwsetup_9160784383(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_9160784383.stop(); jwvidplayer_9160784383.remove(); jwvidplayer_9160784383 = ''; jwsetup_9160784383(); return; }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9160784383.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }  

Joe Biden signs debt limit hike, but December standoff looms

Ultimately, a handful of Senate Republicans agreed to join Democrats and voted to end GOP delays and move to a final vote on the legislation, but Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has said Republicans will offer no support for another increase in December.

7415d5ca7379efeeb299f37349f07379

Pakistan private schools’ association launches anti-Malala documentaryPakistan’s private schools' association on Monday launched a documentary on Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai for her controversial views on Islam, marriage and her pursuit of the Western agenda.Malala, who turned 24 on Monday, was the co-recipient of the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle against the suppression of children and young people and for the right of all children to education. Having received the prize at the age of 17, Malala is the youngest Nobel laureate. She shared the prize with Kailash Satyarthi, a children's rights activist from India.Addressing a press conference at his office in Gulberg here the All-Pakistan Private Schools Federation president Kashif Mirza said: “Through this documentary film -- I am not Malala – we will tell 20 million students in 200,000 private schools across the country about her controversial views on Islam, marriage, pursuing of Western agenda."“The idea behind this is we want to expose Malala among the youth as it does not get impressed by her so-called story of struggle for women rights,” Mirza said.He said Malala had advocated "partnership" that is adultery in Islam.“Marriage is a sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) and partnership is adultery,” he said.'I am not Malala's Day' is also observed on July 12 in private schools as lectures and seminars are held to expose her western agenda to students.Mirza said Malala has categorically rejected the institution of marriage and suggested that 'partnership' is better than getting married.“Malala has attacked the institution of marriage and family structure by advocating that people should live in sin…No one can justify Muslims living together without marriage as it is strongly condemned in Islam,” he said.Similarly, Mirza said in her book “I am Malala”, the Nobel Peace winner book has highly controversial material in it which is contrary to the teachings of Islam, Quranic injunctions, ideology of Islam and Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the Pakistan Army.“This book is written at the behest of western forces that used Malala for their ulterior motives. Malala has declared Islam and Pak army as ‘militant’ in her controversial book. She also criticised Quranic verses about two women's testimony to be equal to that of a man and also about the four witnesses in rape case,” he said.Mirza said a group photo with writer Tasleema Nasreen and strong ties with an Indian for Nobel award are enough to explain Malala's designs.Mirza alleged her blog in BBC under the name "Gul Makai" was written by someone else as she could not even read or write by then.“Malala's father Ziauddin had admitted in a TV programme that her blog was written by BBC correspondent Abdul Hai Kakar and the book 'I am Malala' was written by Christina Lamb,” he said. ALSO READ: 'Slip of tongue': Pak minister on Imran Khan's 'Osama bin Laden a martyr' comment

Pakistan private schools’ association launches anti-Malala documentary

Having received the prize at the age of 17, Malala is the youngest Nobel laureate. She shared the prize with Kailash Satyarthi, a children's rights activist from India.

b373cc8e8a562714d31c2c9c81185e32

Prime Minister Hasina has suggested abolishing the quota system for government jobs altogether.Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has decided to scrap the reseveration system in government services after thousands of students marched across the country in protest against a controversial policy of setting aside jobs for special groups. In Dhaka, mobs of students blockaded major roads, bringing traffic to a standstill. Police were deployed to the Dhaka University where clashes in recent days left more than 100 students injured by tear gas and rubber bullets.Related Stories Bangladesh minister praises PM Modi, says Pakistan hatching a conspiracy with Rohingya terror groupsBangladeshi blogger held for anti-Islamic Facebook postMyanmar government denies report of Rohingya mass graves Former Bangladesh PM gets five-year jail term in corruption casePrime Minister Hasina has suggested abolishing the quota system for government jobs altogether. "The quota system will be abolished as the students do not want it," she said in a statement in parliament.   An apparently annoyed premier added that, "they have demonstrated enough protests, now let them return home". She said classes and examinations were suspended at all universities while the protests exposed ordinary people to worst sufferings which "they don't deserve". The premier, however, said the government could make special arrangements for jobs for the people with disabilities and the backward ethnic minority ones.   The students began the protests on Sunday against discriminatory quotas for government jobs, leaving scores of people injured at the Dhaka University.   A group of protestors broke into the vice-chancellor's campus residence, forcing his panicked family to go into hiding. The premier, however, said those who attacked the vice-chancellor's house were not "eligible to be students" and promised to punish the guilty. Media reports suggested the protests saw several government websites including those of the Bangabhaban presidential palace and the premier's office temporarily hacked. The pages were replaced with a page that showed messages related to the quota reform along with a picture of the ongoing protest. The protectors grew in numbers today with chanting mobs of students' blocking major roads turning buses and private cars to a standstill throughout the day in Dhaka while police in riot gears kept a vigil from distance. Thousands of people were seen walking down miles, leaving the buses and cars in the capital. The students in the southeastern port city of Chittagong blocked a railway track while they also caused disruptions in the major cities of Khulna, Barisal, Kushtia, Comilla and Mymensingh demanding the share of top government positions set aside for minority groups and the disabled be reduced significantly. According to police, more than 5,000 protesters rallied at the Dhaka University campus alone while the private universities joined the public ones across the country to mount pressure on the government to abolish the system, meant for freedom fighters decedents, ethnic minority groups and women. But the protests also drew a number of girl students demanding they be made eligible to compete for the public services on merit basis. "They (girls) said that they will get job through (appearing) examinations . . . it's a good word and I'm very happy . . . as they don't want quota, what is the necessity of it, Hasina said.The protests continued despite earlier government pledges to review the quota system as a section of students rejected the proposal demanding an instant government announcement.

Bangladesh ends reservation system in govt jobs amid mounting protests

The premier, however, said the government could make special arrangements for jobs for the people with disabilities and the backward ethnic minority ones.

5d2bf7bd02c448ee6c3eb762a5618df9

Richard Ratcliffe, husband of detained charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.  The hunger-striking husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who has been detained for more than five years in Iran, said talks on Thursday between British and Iranian officials appeared to have made little, if any, progress on securing her release.Richard Ratcliffe, who has been on hunger strike for 19 days outside the Foreign Office in central London in an effort to ratchet up pressure on the British government, said he was nearing the end of it “as a strategy.”Ratcliffe was speaking after he met with James Cleverly, a British foreign minister, to hear details of his talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani.“If I’m honest, quite a depressing meeting,” Ratcliffe said of his meeting with Cleverly. “I had hoped there would have been some kind of a breakthrough and recognition in the meeting with Iran- maybe that will be happening away from us but I don’t have any hopes.”Ratcliffe began his demonstration last month after his wife lost her latest appeal in Iran. He has been sleeping in a tent outside the Foreign Office’s main entrance in an effort to pressure the British government to secure the release of his wife and other detained dual British-Iranian nationals.“I think there’s a basic medical limit on how long you do a hunger strike for,” Ratcliffe said. “I made a promise to Nazanin, I made a promise to my family, mum in particular, and to the family doctors, that I won’t take it too far.”Zaghari-Ratcliffe served four years in prison and one under house arrest after being taken into custody at Tehran’s airport in April 2016 and convicted of plotting the overthrow of Iran’s government, a charge that she, her supporters and rights groups deny.In May, she was sentenced to an additional year in prison on charges of spreading “propaganda against the system” for having participated in a protest outside the Iranian Embassy in London in 2009- a decision upheld this month by an appeals court. The verdict includes a one-year travel ban, meaning she wouldn’t be able to leave Iran until 2023.Zaghari-Ratcliffe was employed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of the news agency, and was arrested as she was returning home to Britain after visiting family. Rights groups accuse Iran of holding dual-nationals as bargaining chips for money or influence in negotiations with the West, something Tehran denies.Ratcliffe said his wife is being used as “leverage” by Tehran, specifically with regard to the U.K.’s failure to pay an outstanding 400 million-pound ($540 million) debt to Iran.“We asked about the debt and they wouldn’t talk about it, I mean really clammed up,” he said.Ratcliffe said Cleverly wanted to emphasize that the meeting with the Iranian delegation had been “cordial.”“But you know we’re still stuck in the same status quo,” he said. “I don’t feel they’ve given a clear enough message to Iran that hostage-taking is wrong. I don’t think there are any consequences to Iran at present for its continuing taking hostages of British citizens and using them.”The Foreign Office said British officials had pressed Iran to “urgently” release Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other detained dual U.K.-Iranian nationals during the meeting with Kani.It said British officials “continue to work hard to secure the release of all those British nationals unfairly detained in Iran.”

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe: Hunger-striking husband says 'no hope' after UK-Iran talks

Richard Ratcliffe was speaking after he met with James Cleverly, a British foreign minister, to hear details of his talks with Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani.

ad813a26bf884d40d0a143efe45be03e

3 girls killed, 1 badly injured in California hit-and-runAuthorities on Tuesday were looking for a hit-and-run driver who killed three young girls — two of them wheelchairs — and left a fourth with life-threatening injuries as they walked along a Southern California desert highway.Willow Sanchez, 11, Daytona Bronas, 12, and Sandra Mizer, 13, all of Lucerne Valley, were struck shortly before 10:30 p.m.Saturday as they walked on Camp Rock Road and were struck by a white Chevrolet Silverado that drifted onto the shoulder of the road and struck them from behind, the California Highway Patrol said.The crash occurred on a stretch of road in the Mojave Desert community in San Bernardino County.“My baby's gone. I can't have her no more,” Sandra's grandmother, Tammy Midkiff, told KNBC-TV.Natalie Cole, 14, was hospitalized in critical condition. “Her leg was amputated in the accident, all her other limbs are shattered and her liver is bleeding, her kidneys are struggling,” her mother, Sherrie Orndorff, told the station.“You got our of your vehicle, looked at those dead and dying girls on the ground, and you ran," Orndoff said of the people in the truck.Orndoff, who was Willow's big sister, said the youngsters had been spending the night at her house and decided to go for a stroll.The driver and passenger in the truck stopped after the collision and used a flashlight to see who they had hit before running off without calling 911, leaving the truck, witnesses told family members, according to KNBC-TV.

3 girls killed, 1 badly injured in California hit-and-run

Authorities on Tuesday were looking for a hit-and-run driver who killed three young girls — two of them wheelchairs — and left a fourth with life-threatening injuries as they walked along a Southern California desert highway.

9d40325363fedd398772e89e7cd2b20d

Sputnik Light Covid vaccine shows 78.6-83.7% efficacy among elderly: RDIFThe Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia's sovereign wealth fund) on Wednesday announced that the Russian Sputnik Light coronavirus vaccine demonstrates 78.6-83.7 per cent efficacy among the elderly, according to real-world data collected by the Ministry of Health of the Buenos Aires province (Argentina).According to the data from over 186,000 people aged 60-79, more than 40,000 of whom received a shot of Sputnik Light (first dose of Sputnik V) as part of the mass-scale civil vaccination program, the infection rate between 21st and 40th day from the date of receiving the first dose was only 0.446 per cent.At the same time, the infection rate among the non-vaccinated adult population was 2.74 per cent for a comparable period, according to an official release.The following formula was used to calculate the vaccine's efficacy: "Adjusted data weighted by age, gender and a number of other parameters among groups of vaccinated and non-vaccinated subjects demonstrated comparable efficacy of the Russian vaccine - 78.6 per cent."Positive official data of vaccination with single-dose Sputnik Light confirms the great efficacy of the vaccine and its potential for being used during the vaccination campaign in Argentina.Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said: "The publication of independent data in Buenos Aires province confirms high efficacy of the Russian vaccine for senior citizens who are in a high-risk group. An efficacy level of near 83.7 per cent is higher than that of many two-dose vaccines.""As the report of the Ministry of Health of the province has demonstrated, vaccination with Sputnik Light (the first component of the Sputnik V vaccine) can significantly reduce the number of infections and hospitalizations. We plan to continue cooperating with colleagues in Argentina for further data on the use of the Russian vaccine," Dmitriev added.According to the release, the efficacy of Sputnik Light is 79.4 per cent based on the analysis of data on the coronavirus infection rate among those in Russia vaccinated with the single-dose vaccine from December 5, 2020, to April 15, 2021.It further said Sputnik V uses two different vectors for the two shots in a course of vaccination, providing immunity with a longer duration than vaccines using the same delivery mechanism for both shots.The safety, efficacy, and lack of negative long-term effects of adenoviral vaccines have been proven by more than 250 clinical studies over two decades, the release added. (With ANI inputs)ALSO READ: ​WHO approves emergency use of China's CoronaVac vaccine

Sputnik Light Covid vaccine shows 78.6-83.7% efficacy among elderly: RDIF

According to the data from over 186,000 people aged 60-79, more than 40,000 of whom received a shot of Sputnik Light (first dose of Sputnik V) as part of the mass-scale civil vaccination program, the infection rate between 21st and 40th day from the date of receiving the first dose was only 0.446 per cent.

853df7811f776a52a80784cd34576ed3

Afghan women determined to vote in presidential pollsFearing that a Taliban-like fundamentalist government may return, many women in Afghanistan are determined to vote in the upcoming presidential polls to defend their hard-won rights enshrined since the collapse of the Islamist regime in 2001.Activist Muqadasa Ahmadzai, 25, was a child when the Taliban ruled the country for five years from 1996. She works for women in Nangarhar, one of the most dangerous provinces where the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) insurgent groups dominate vast territories, Efe news reported on Saturday."Today women are teachers, doctors, pilots, they have the right to drive, take part in elections, and advocate for their civil and fundamental rights," Ahmadzai told Efe news, explaining the progress made in the past 18 years.In contrast, she said, under the Taliban regime "women were killed, flogged in public for not wearing burqa, schools abandoned and hospitals destroyed"."Although women still have challenges, the progress we have made is significant," she said.After starting almost from scratch, women now occupy 27 per cent of civil service posts, and dozens of them hold senior positions in the government as Ministers or Ambassadors in the country where 39 per cent of over 9 million school students are girls.Ahmadzai has asked women to mobilize through democratic means, especially during the elections set for September 28."To protect their achievements and defend their rights, women need to take an active part in upcoming elections and should elect a president who can truly defend their rights against the Taliban in the peace talks," said the activist.There are 18 candidates in the fray, including incumbent President Ashraf Ghani, who is seeking a second term, his CEO Abdullah Abdullah, former insurgent leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and former intelligence chief Hanif Atmar.Out of the 9.6 million registered voters, only 3.3 million, or 34.5 percent, are women, despite the efforts by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to increase female participation."Women's participation in urban areas is good, but due to family and cultural restrictions, insecurity, and lack of awareness, the number goes down as we move from cities to rural and remote areas," Abdul Aziz Ibrahimi, IEC spokesperson, told Efe news.Meanwhile for women like Lina Faiz, the Taliban's threats were not enough to deter them from exercising their democratic right."Taliban threats should not stop us. We should use ballots against the Taliban's bullets," Faiz said.ALSO READ | Taliban attack third Afghan provincial capital in a week; two civilians killedALSO READ | India backs peace deal which will not leave space for terrorists in Afghanistan: Foreign SecretaryALSO READ | Afghanistan: 3 injured in blast outside Pakistan Consulate General in Jalalabad 

Afghan women determined to vote in presidential polls

Activist Muqadasa Ahmadzai, 25, was a child when the Taliban ruled the country for five years from 1996. She works for women in Nangarhar, one of the most dangerous provinces where the Taliban and the Islamic State (IS) insurgent groups dominate vast territories, Efe news reported on Saturday.

84a4a03350a0685e947bfbf73cfb63d7

Taliban face hurdles while implementing law, order in AfghanistanThe Taliban have taken over Afghanistan but the affiliates of Islamic State-Khorasan, Syria and Iraq-based terrorist groups have emerged as a big problem to the public safety of the Taliban-controlled country.The Taliban has failed to contain the terrorists, who have incited a number of attacks in the country since the collapse of the Ghani government in Afghanistan, The Washington Post reported.These attacks also included two bombings of Shiite mosques that recently took place within a week in Kandahar and Kunduz that killed scores of worshipers.The situation has raised questions upon the Taliban's capability to take down ISIS-K cells in Kabul and other urban areas, The Washington Post reported.Not just the terrorists from other groups but internal members of the Taliban are also undisciplined and have been committing brutal crimes after the group's takeover.As a recent example of this, the members of the Taliban have executed suspected kidnappers and hung their bodies in public view. Videos of Taliban fighters whipping alleged criminals have also emerged on social media, The Washington Post reported.The Taliban are also showing signs of their previous regime in which they used to undertake brutal methods in implementing 'order' in the country.Meanwhile, the Taliban after the siege of Afghanistan is trying to deliver a moderate image to the world in an attempt to gain international confidence but experts say that the scenes at the Kabul airport were proof that the terrorist group has returned with the same radical and violence mindset.Violence was an integral trait of the Taliban even in their previous term. The so-called transfer of power exercised in Kabul without any bloodshed, was nothing but a part of 'good image plan', Inside Over reported.As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan once again after 20 years, experts also believe that Afghan women are most likely to face an uncertain future under the terrorist group regime.(With ANI inputs)ALSO READ: Taliban behead a member of Afghan women's volleyball team

Taliban face hurdles while implementing law, order in Afghanistan

The situation has raised questions upon the Taliban's capability to take down ISIS-K cells in Kabul and other urban areas, The Washington Post reported.

7bc0a6b54f2bf179fe39101208293976

Here are the live updates of Sushma Swaraj's UN General Assembly speech India's Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday addressed the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. On Friday, speaking at the SAARC meeting on the sidelines of UNGA, Swaraj said that an environment of peace and security in South Asia is essential for cooperation and economic development. She also added that the number of incidents endangering South Asia are on the rise and terrorism remains the single-largest threat to peace and stability in the geopolitical region, and the world.Highlights of Sushma Swaraj's speech:07:58 pm: Sushma Swaraj concludes her speech07: 56 pm: The United Nations must accept that it needs fundamental reform. Reform cannot be cosmetic. We need change the institution’s head and heart to make both compatible to contemporary reality. Reform must begin today; tomorrow could be too late: Sushma07:54 pm: In 1996, India proposed a draft document on CCIT at the United Nations. Till today, that draft has remained a draft, because we cannot agree on a common language. On the one hand, we want to fight terrorism; on the other, we cannot define it: Sushma07: 52 pm: Last year, Pakistan’s representative, using right to reply, displayed some photographs as “proof” of “human rights violations” by India. The photographs turned out to be from another country. Similar false accusations have become part of its standard rhetoric: Sushma07:50 pm: Who can be a greater transgressor of human rights than a terrorist? Those who take innocent human lives in pursuit of war by other means are defenders of inhuman behavior, not of human rights. Pakistan glorifies killers; it refuses to see the blood of innocents: Sushma07:45 pm: We are accused of sabotaging the process of talks. This is a complete lie. We believe that talks are only rational means to resolve the most complex of disputes. Talks with Pakistan have begun many times. If they stopped, it was only because of their behavior: Sushma07:44 pm: In our case, terrorism is bred not in some faraway land, but across our border. Our neighbour’s expertise is not restricted to spawning grounds for terrorism; it is also an expert in trying to mask malevolence with verbal duplicity.7:42 pm: World's biggest financial inclusion scheme 'Jan Dhan Yojana' has been started in India. Under this scheme, bank accounts of 32,61,00,000 people have been opened. These people hadn't even seen the doors of banks: Sushma07: 40 pm: Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has initiated unprecedented economic and social transformation that will help India achieve its SDG goals much before time.07:38 pm: India stands shoulder to shoulder with Indonesia in this hour of crisis: Sushma07: 37 pm: Sushma Swaraj offers condolences to the victims of Tsunami in Indonesia07:35 pm: Sushma Swaraj begins her speech at UNGA

Sushma Swaraj at UN General Assembly 2018: 'UN Security Council reforms should be initiated at the earliest'

On Friday, speaking at the SAARC meeting on the sidelines of UNGA, Swaraj said that an environment of peace and security in South Asia is essential for cooperation and economic development.

f6f47ab6398f924f2d4779e724d66305

With Pakistan launching a crackdown on seminaries and health facilities run by him, Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed has said he will challenge the government's "illegal" action in the court of law, saying that it has been taken to “please India and US”.Under pressure to act against banned groups, Pakistan took control of a seminary and four dispensaries run by Saeed-linked Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF)."After detaining me for 10 months without any legal ground, the government has now issued a notification regarding taking over our schools, dispensaries, ambulances and other assets. It will hamper our relief operations in Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh, Azad Kashmir and northern areas," Saeed said after the government's action.According to the interior ministry notification, a copy of which available with PTI, "the federal government is pleased to direct that requisite actions with regard to freezing and taking over of assets (movable, immovable and human resource) associated with JuD and FIF shall be taken in pursuance of Ordinance No II of 2018."The notification issuance date is February 10.Punjab provincial law minister Rana Sanaullah has also said that on the interior ministry's directions, Hafiz Saeed and his charities have been banned to operate in Pakistan and the government have already started taking over all the facilities, offices, schools, dispensaries and seminaries that belong to the JuD and FIF.In a message to his workers, Saeed appealed for calm and asked them not to give any violent reaction to the government action against their charities."This is the most difficult time but the workers must remain peaceful. The rulers are acting like more loyal than a king. India never bothered to implement UN resolutions on Kashmir but our rulers have got passed the president ordinance to take action against patriotic organisations like JuD and FIF," he said.Saeed said the Pakistani government is "taking extreme action against us" to please America and India."We will fight our case in court against this illegal action," said Saeed, who heads the charity JuD, believed to be a front for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group.Pakistan has come under intense pressure to rein in terror groups after US President Donald Trump accused the country of harbouring terrorists and suspended nearly $2 billion in security assistance to it.(With PTI inputs)

Pakistan govt taking 'illegal' action to 'please India and US', will move court: Hafiz Saeed

Under pressure to act against banned groups, Pakistan took control of a seminary and four dispensaries run by Saeed-linked Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FIF).

01270cc569ff30f6bfdae28dd9749aac

Twitter down, thousands of users experience widespread outageTwitter reportedly went down on Saturday early morning for many users as thousands of people reporting problems viewing and sending tweets on the social network site,  according to outage monitoring website DownDetector. Some users were not able to tweet, check timelines and others can't log in or use the app.An error message on Twitter said, “Something went wrong. Try again.” In the Twitter app, an error message said, “Tweets aren’t loading right now.”Twitter’s support team said in a message posted at 6.21 a.m, “Tweets may not be loading for some of you. We’re working on fixing a problem and you’ll be back on the timeline soon.”According to DownDetector,  the website that keeps an eye on various online services, user reports of problems at Twitter spiked just before 5:30 am IST. More than 50,000 people had reported issues as of 5:33 am IST, according to DownDetector, jumping to over 81,000 by 5:44 am IST. ALSO READ: Pakistan bans WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter: Here's why

Twitter down, thousands of users experience widespread outage

An error message on Twitter said, “Something went wrong. Try again.” In the Twitter app, an error message said, “Tweets aren’t loading right now.”

800649767709c4920168d809a9dc07e5

3 bodies recovered from Meghalaya coal mine accident siteThe Indian Navy, which was able to pull out three bodies from a flooded mine in Meghalaya using a sophisticated machine in 2019, on Sunday joined operations to rescue five miners trapped for 14 days in another such illegal coal mine in the state, an official said. The water level in the mine at Umpleng in East Jaintia Hills district, which was decreasing for the past few days due to dewatering exercise, has gone up again following rain affecting rescue operation.Armed with remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and handheld sonar, the team of Navy personnel arrived at Khliehriat, the district headquarters, on Saturday night and have built camps at the accident site.During the day, the Navy personnel completed an exercise to ascertain the depth of the water level inside the mine, district deputy commissioner E Kharmalki said.The Indian Navy personnel will use their ROV on Monday to explore the depth of the cave, the official said.Around 60 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and various state agencies are waiting for the water level to come down to about 10 meters in the 152-metre deep pit, as that is the maximum level in which they can work.Using the ROV, a team of the Indian Navy personnel had managed to locate three bodies weeks after the shaft of another mine at Lumthari in the same district was filled with water from a river on December 13, 2018.The unmanned ROV was sent down the flooded rat-hole coal mine to determine visibility inside it.At least five people have been identified by the district administration - four from Assam and one from Tripura- who got stuck somewhere inside the rat-hole mine at Umpleng, about 20 km from Khliehriat, after it was flooded following a dynamite explosion on May 30.Hazardous rat-hole coal mining is not permitted in Meghalaya after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) banned it in 2014.A deep vertical shaft is dug till coal seams are found in the rat-hole mining. Once the seams are found, coal is taken out through small holes along the horizontal line of the coal seams.Six co-workers of the trapped miners escaped the tragedy as they were outside the mine at the time of the incident and they have been escorted to their homes in Assam.The police arrested the owner of the coal mine, Shining Langstang, and charged him with violation of the NGT order banning unscientific mining and transportation of coal.The 'Sordar' (mine manager) is on the run and a lookout notice has been issued since he was the one who brought migrant workers from Assam and Tripura to work in the illegal mine, a senior police officer said.Based on the account of the survivors, an FIR was registered.(With PTI inputs)

3 bodies recovered from Meghalaya coal mine accident site; Indian Navy joins rescue ops

Around 60 personnel of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and various state agencies are waiting for the water level to come down to about 10 meters in the 152-meter deep pit, as that is the maximum level in which they can work.

bdd013ce61776373e319ae7bfd187482

Latest News Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for $50 million for stifling her 2020 US presidential campaign

Tulsi Gabbard sues Google for USD 50 million for stifling her 2020 US Presidential campaign

Tulsi Gabbard, the Democratic presidential candidate and the first Hindu member of the US Congress, has sued Google for at least USD 50 million for the tech giant's "discriminatory actions" against her 2020 election campaign and stifling her free speech rights.

03cf75bea0d7115d56f3788a086cf276

Exapts disappointed as repatriation flight from Doha to Kerala capital is cancelled (Representative image)For 180 odd Keralites who reached Doha airport on Sunday morning eager to return home it turned out to be a disappointing day with the Air India Express repatriation flight being cancelled and rescheduled as permission for landing in the Qatar capital was not given. The flight, which was to have left from the Karipur Airport in Kozhikode to airlift the passengers from Doha and bring them here, had not been given landing permission from the Interior Ministry of Qatar following which it has been cancelled, Thiruvananthapuram District Collector K Gopalakrishnan said."It has been re-scheduled for Tuesday. We are in regular contact with the Indian embassy," he told reporters here.All the 181 passengers, including 15 pregnant women and children,had already reached the Doha airport by 11 am to take the flight as they were directed.According to Revathy, a passenger, who was booked on the cancelled flight, said it was disappointing that after the long wait they could not take the flight.Only after relatives of some passengers from Kerala called them and enquired, Doha airport officials told them that the flight had been cancelled,she told a television channel. India has started the repatriation of its citizens stranded in various countries, especially expatriates from Kerala in Gulf nations, since Friday and around 1,500 people have already arrived in the state by air and sea route.In anticipation of the arrival of the flight, the airport and district authorities here conducted third mock drill on Sunday morning and completed all preparations to receive the passengers from Qatar, returning home after being stranded there due to the coronavirus lockdown.The collector said they had not received details, as of now, on why the landing permission had not been received.The flight was to have left from Kozhikode airport around 1.30 pm to Doha and reach the state capital at 10.45 pm.Meanwhile, Congress MP Adoor Prakash shot off a letter to Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri stating that the last minute cancellation of the flight was "disappointing"."The reason for last minute moment cancellation of this flight is not clear. It is very disappointing for our citizens including, pregnant women and those who require immediate treatment" stranded in Qatar," Prakash said in the letter.He also wanted immediate steps for operation of the flight from Doha without further delay.

Exapts disappointed as repatriation flight from Doha to Kerala capital is cancelled

For 180 odd Keralites who reached Doha airport on Sunday morning eager to return home it turned out to be a disappointing day with the Air IndiaExpress repatriation flight being cancelled and rescheduled as permission for landing in the Qatar capital was not given.

e452f7e04706c8ade5e6bfe814905d0a

China wants joint front with India against US' 'ugly' trade warChina and India will have to jointly stand up to counter US "ugly" unilateralist and protectionist trade policies to promote a fair and just economic order, Beijings newly-appointed envoy Sun Weidong to New Delhi has said.Sun, who is headed to New Delhi on Saturday to take charge of his office, spoke to the Indian media in Beijing on a range of issues ranging from border dispute to trade deficit and US' trade war to the forthcoming informal summit between President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sun, who is China's one of the finest diplomats and an expert on South Asia, said this second informal summit between Xi and Modi later this year will take the Sino-Indian relations to a new height. The envoy suggested India and China make a joint front against the US that has taken on both the countries on the trade front. "There has been a change that is unseen in this century. Like I just mentioned the ugly path of unilateralism and protectionism has now affected the growth and stability of the world economy," Sun said."This will surely have an impact on the emerging markets and the developing countries because it also based on the international order that relies on that," Sun added. "In this changing world, China and India have all the reasons to work together to safeguard our common interests and promote a more fair and open international economic order. Also to realise our mutual and common interests, it is very important."China and the US have been engaged in the world's biggest trade war, slapping tariffs worth billions of dollars on each other's products. Washington triggered it last year, claiming Beijing's business practices are unfair, a charge denied by the Chinese government. Experts say India could be Washington's next target after the US ended preferential trade status that had allowed Indian goods to enter America without duties. India retaliated by slapping additional duties on US products which American President Donald Trump described as "unacceptable." Some experts say US' trade offensive could bring regional rivals India and China together take on Washington temporarily. In his interaction at Chinese foreign ministry, Sun' tone suggested that."China and India are the only two emerging markets and developing countries in the world that have a population of over one billion. "So while upholding our legitimate rights and interests, we have to shoulder our historical responsibility in terms of safeguarding peace, stability, and prosperity for the world as well as injecting positive energy and stabilizing that. "So specifically speaking we should stick to multilateralism and defend the international system with the UN at the core and try to promote multilateralism in the world order and try to make it more democratic.""We also have to try to resolve dispute and issues through political dialogue. We also need to advance the WTO reforms and through promoting trade and investment liberalization, we also need to build an open world economy that is beneficial to the developing countries." Also Read | China, India should not allow any individual case to disrupt bilateral ties: EnvoyAlso Read | China’s Tiangong-2 space station comes down crashing on earth. Here's what just happened

China wants joint front with India against US' 'ugly' trade war

Sun, who is headed to New Delhi on Saturday to take charge of his office, spoke to the Indian media in Beijing on a range of issues ranging from border dispute to trade deficit and US' trade war to the forthcoming informal summit between President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

743a8e9e2eee7d0e21e25a20b6c8701d

Representative ImageAt least 15 people died as a boat carrying 130 Rohingya refugees capsized near Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.  American news agency CNN has quoted Captain Waseem Maqsood, a Coast Guard commander in Bangladesh, as saying that 71 people were rescued alive. As per local media reports, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, the Rohingyas travelling in ths boat were those trying to enter Malaysia illegally. He said that they used to live outside the camps.According to Dhaka Tribune reports, Bangladesh has been hosting over 1 million Rohingya Refugees in camps in Cox Bazar. 

Boat carrying Rohingya refugees capsizes in Bay of Bengal; 15 lives lost

At least 15 people died as a boat carrying 130 Rohingya refugees capsized near Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday.

47460d0da63b79d1f81295b3025d0708

A protestor shouts slogans outside parliament during a countrywide strike in ColomboA curfew has been imposed in entire Sri Lanka with immediate effect after clashes outside President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office left 23 wounded, said officials. Pro-government groups had attacked protestors outside the President's office, leading to the curfew.  In the violence, a ruling party MP had also died, reported news agency AFP. The violence occurred following reports that Mahinda Rajapaksa may offer to stand down as Prime Minister, as pressure mounted on the embattled government led by his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to form an interim administration to overcome the worst economic crisis facing the country.Curfew was imposed islandwide with immediate effect until further notice, a police spokesperson was quoted as saying by the local media.A military contingent was deployed to the protest site to assist law enforcement after clashes between pro-government and protestors at MynaGoGama and GotaGoGama protest sites left 78 people injured.Sri Lanka is currently in the throes of unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9 seeking resignation of President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.The Rajapaksa brothers - President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda - have so far defied calls for their resignation.Meanwhile, President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda have appealed to the people to exercise restraint and remember that violence only begets violence, saying the economic crisis needs an economic solution which his government is committed to resolving."Strongly condemn the violent acts taking place by those inciting & participating, irrespective of political allegiances. Violence won’t solve the current problems. I request all citizens to remain calm & exercise restraint. I urge everyone to work together in solving this crisis,” the President said in a tweet.The Prime Minister also urged the people to exercise restraint."While emotions are running high in #lka, I urge our general public to exercise restraint & remember that violence only begets violence. The economic crisis we're in needs an economic solution which this administration is committed to resolving,” Mahinda tweeted.Mahinda, 76, who is under intense pressure from within his own Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) ranks to resign, was earlier gathering his supporters to apply counterpressure not to stand down."I am so used to seeing protests and agitations, nothing would deter me. I am experienced enough to face any situation," Rajapaksa said.A tense situation prevailed as a group of supporters of Prime Minister Mahinda attacked the protesters outside the 'MainaGoGama', a protest site near Temple Trees, the official residence of the Prime Minister, Daily Mirror, an online news platform, reported.The tents opposite Temple Trees were dismantled by a mob, Lanka First, a leading news network, reported.Police used water cannons to disperse the unruly SLPP protestors who are at the Galle Face green protest site, Hiru News website reported. At least 23 people were injured in the violence.The police formed a human chain to prevent the protesters from entering GotaGoGama. However, the mob pushed their way past the police human chain and attacked GotaGoGama. Opposition leader of the Samagi Jana Balavegaya Sajith Premadasa visited the protest site to assess the situation.The Opposition sources said a group had also attacked Premadasa and his colleagues as he arrived at the presidential secretariat protest site.It accused Mahinda Rajapaksa of instigating his supporters. The 'MainaGoGama' protest site was set up demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. Peaceful protesters had been camped here for 31 days, demanding the resignation of the president.Hundreds of supporters of the Prime Minister have been brought in buses while some others marched to the Temple Trees to show support to the premier against the call for his resignation, the Colombo Page newspaper reported. The demonstrators insisted that Rajapaksa remain in office and not resign.In a special Cabinet meeting on Friday, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared a state of emergency with effect from Friday midnight. This is the second time that an emergency was declared in Sri Lanka in just over a month as the island nation was in the grip of the worst economic crisis. Also Read | Sri Lanka economic crisis: PM Mahinda Rajapaksa may offer resignation today(agencies inputs)

Sri Lanka crisis: Nationwide curfew clamped after fresh clashes; army deployed in Colombo

Curfew was imposed islandwide with immediate effect until further notice, a police spokesperson was quoted as saying by the local media. A military contingent was deployed to the protest site to assist law enforcement.

ac7bf2dd77f2bdfb58dc2ae07948854c

Breaking news LIVE: Top Headlines This HourThe total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 21.6 million, including more than 768,000 fatalities. More than 14,321,000 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. On Tuesday, Russia became the first country to register the world's first coronavirus vaccine. President Vladimir Putin himself endorsed the vaccine and said that the vaccine was safe to use and that one of his daughters had already been vaccinated.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: August 16, 2020 | As it happened

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

6c4d9959d74df6149dd85764c11fbfa3

Nawaz Sharif The Lahore High Court on Monday directed the federal government to file a reply on October 22 in a petition seeking action against ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif under treason charges. Sharif had claimed that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack belonged to Pakistan.Former Pakistan premiers Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, along with prominent journalist for Dawn newspaper Cyril Almeida, appeared before the full bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday.Almeida is also a respondent in the case being heard by a three-member bench headed by Justice Mazahar Ali Naqvi.The court also ordered Sharif, Abbasi and Almeida to submit written replies to the court by the next hearing.It inquired Deputy Attorney General Mian Tariq about the action the government had taken with respect to Article 6 (treason) in this case."Taking action under Article 6 is the government's job...what has it done so far?" Justice Jahangir, a member of the bench, asked.The court also ordered Almeida's name be removed from no-fly list (exit control list) and withdrew his non-bailable warrants.The petition was filed by Amina Malik, a civil society activist, against Sharif for his interview to Dawn in May last year in which he had said that those involved in the 2008 Mumbai attack case actually belonged to Pakistan.The petitioner said the "anti-state" statement of Sharif — a three-time prime minister — could be used against Pakistan by its enemies.She said a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) was held to discuss the "misleading" statement of the disqualified premier and later the then prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi met Sharif and conveyed to him the concerns of the military leadership on his statement."The act of Abbasi was also a clear violation of his oath as he was bound not to allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct," she said.Contending that Sharif had betrayed the nation, the petition stated that a treason case should be instituted against him for giving the controversial interview and allowing it to go on air.The hearing has been adjourned until October 22.Sharif, who was recently released from jail after receiving bail in the Avenfield case, had been absent from previous hearings as he had been receiving condolences over the death of his wife Kulsoom.Earlier, Almeida had been put on 'Exit Control List' (ECL) after he wrote a front-page story about a rift between Pakistan's civilian and military leaderships over militant groups that operate from Pakistan but engage in war against India and Afghanistan.The ECL is a system of border control maintained by Pakistan government under an ordinance which allows it to bar people whose names appear on the list from leaving the country.The Foreign Office had vehemently rejected the report and termed it "speculative".( With inputs from PTI )

Pak ex-PMs Nawaz, Abbasi appear before Lahore Court in treason case linked to Mumbai attack

Former Pakistan premiers Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, along with prominent journalist for Dawn newspaper Cyril Almeida, appeared before the full bench of the Lahore High Court on Monday.

e8cf5264735a477443543f955ad032b1

The Trump administration is accelerating its transfer of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem with a plan to have the facility ready by 2019, senior officials have said, despite insisting last month that the move would not happen until the end of President Donald Trumps term.To expedite the move, the US will not build a new structure, but will instead convert an existing consular building in the Arnona neighbourhood of West Jerusalem into the new US mission, the New York Times reported citing officials.That plan will reduce the cost of the project and allow US Ambassador David M. Friedman and his staff to move to Jerusalem as early as next year.Friedman had reportedly pressed to move the US Embassy in 2018, according to the Times. But Secretary of State Rex Tillerson lobbied Trump on Thursday for more time to upgrade the consular building's security. The Arnona building is relatively new, though it would need to be secured to allow the Ambassador conduct classified operations, according to the daily.After Trump announced in December that the US would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the State Department estimated that it would take years to complete the move.That timetable, however, was based on the assumption that a new Embassy building would be constructed. Trump, a former property developer, has taken a personal interest in the location and cost of embassies. This month, he said on Twitter that he had cancelled a planned visit to London out of pique that the previous Barack Obama administration had sold "the best located and finest embassy in London for ‘peanuts', only to build a new one in an off location for $1.2 billion".

US presses to relocate embassy to Jerusalem by 2019

To expedite the move, the US will not build a new structure, but will instead convert an existing consular building in the Arnona neighbourhood of West Jerusalem into the new US mission, the New York Times reported citing officials.

1505251d26bdaf9bc0b78622333a6e6d

A health worker in a protective suit runs past oxygen cylinders in a makeshift emergency unit at Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, Monday, Jan. 11, 2021South Africa will close border posts with neighbouring countries for entry and departure as cases surge due to the new coronavirus variant, President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced. In a national broadcast on Monday evening, Ramaphosa scotched widespread speculation that there would be a move to Level 4 restrictions due to the rising infections and deaths, especially as people return home and to work following the festive season. He said the current Level 3 would continue until it was deemed safe to remove some of the restrictions, such as the ban on sale and movement of alcohol and a prohibition on public gatherings, except for funerals with strict protocols observed.There were 339 more coronavirus deaths overnight across the country."The coronavirus storm is far fiercer and much more destructive than anything we have known before. We are now in the centre of that storm," Ramaphosa said. "We do not know how much longer it will last or how much worse it will get, but we know what we need to do to weather this storm and to survive.""It's necessary to keep the alert level 3 measures in place until we have passed the peak of new infections and we are certain that the rate of transmission has fallen enough to allow us to safely ease the current restrictions," he said.The president elucidated the decision on the border closure following severe congestion at border posts with neighbouring countries, especially Zimbabwe and Mozambique, as thousands of people tried to re-enter South Africa in the past fortnight."This (congestion) has exposed many people to infection as they wait to be processed, and it has been difficult to ensure that the health requirements for entry into South Africa are met. Many people are arriving without proof of COVID-19 tests," Ramaphosa said."To reduce congestion and the high risk of transmission, the cabinet has decided that the 20 land ports of entry that are currently open will be closed until 15th February for general entry and departure."Ramaphosa, however, listed the exemptions, such as transporting fuel and cargo, emergency medical attention for a life-threatening condition, return to South Africa by its citizens or others with valid visas and departure of foreign nationals.On the call by teacher unions not to reopen schools on January 27, Ramaphosa said various stakeholders were discussing the matter and would make a decision in the next few days.The unions have said many teachers had succumbed to the virus already and the risk in this second wave to returning teachers and learners was too great as they could carry the new variant of the virus back to their families."We need to act with a common purpose, understanding that what we each do is important for ourselves, for our families, our communities and our society," the president said, underscoring the need to wear masks, and follow maintaining social distancing and others protocols. (Except for the headline, Indiatvnews.com has not edited the copy)

South Africa closes borders as new coronavirus variant cases surge

The South African president elucidated the decision on the border closure following severe congestion at border posts with neighbouring countries, especially Zimbabwe and Mozambique, as thousands of people tried to re-enter South Africa in the past fortnight.

e54242a44612c06c48385b3755dab7f6

US sees major rise in deaths after Trump endorses bleach, disinfectant poisoning as COVID-19 treatmentThe American Association of Poison Control Center (AAPCC) has released the latest figures that show a substantial spike in deaths in the country due to accidental poisoning caused by the intake of bleach, household cleaners and other disinfectants over the past two months. This spike has been followed by US President Donald Trump's comments suggesting Americans could inject disinfectants to cure themselves of coronavirus. As per the official figures, the deaths due to household disinfectants in the months January and February 2020 increased by 5% and 17% respectively while the months of March and April have seen an astronomical rise of 93% and 121%. Trump, in a Coronavirus Task Force briefing on April 23, had made a suggestion that coronavirus appears to weaken quickly when exposed to sunlight and heat, and that bleach and isopropyl alcohol, when used on surfaces, could kill the virus within minutes. Trump then went on to say that based on these 'assumptions' injection of these disinfectants should be considered as a means of treating coronavirus in USA. “I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning. Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs,” Trump said.

US deaths due to poisoning rise after Trump endorses bleach, disinfectant as COVID-19 treatment

The American Association of Poison Control Center (AAPCC) has released the latest figures that show a substantial spike in deaths in the country due to accidental poisoning caused by the intake of bleach, household cleaners and other disinfectants over the past two months. This spike has been followed by US President Donald Trump's comments suggesting Americans could inject disinfectants to cure themselves of coronavirus.

a75228277eb4bea938542d1e8529e412

Russia Ukraine War LIVE UpdatesThe ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine entered its Day 6 today. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high level meeting today, after which it was announced that 26 flights will be sent over the next 3 days from India, wherein Indians from Ukraine will be evacuated. Apart from this, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the European Parliament, shortly after which the Parliament recommended including Ukraine into the European Union. Russian forces stepped up their attacks on crowded urban areas Tuesday, bombarding the central square in Ukraine’s second-biggest city and Kyiv’s main TV tower in what the country’s president called a blatant campaign of terror. “Nobody will forgive. Nobody will forget,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy vowed after the bloodshed on the square in Kharkiv.Ukrainian authorities said five people were killed in the attack on the TV tower, which is a couple of miles from central Kyiv and a short walk from numerous apartment buildings. A TV control room and a power substation were hit, and at least some Ukrainian channels briefly stopped broadcasting, officials said. Zelenskyy’s office also reported a powerful missile attack on the site of the Babyn Yar Holocaust memorial, near the tower.

Russia Ukraine War Updates: PM Modi talks to Presidents of France, Poland, European Council

Russia is attacking Ukraine on several fronts, but its advance has been slowed by Ukrainian resistance. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has killed many civillians.

d3ec55fa2135ccfcc4aab7d96287c7b8

Pakistan's Supreme Court today dismissed the objections raised by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's son against members of a team investigating the Sharif family's overseas businesses in connection with the Panama Papers case. Hussain Nawaz had pleaded the apex court urging it to remove two members of the six-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) the court had appointed in April to investigate corruption allegations against members of the Sharif family. A three-member special bench heard the Hussain's plea in which he had said that two members - Bilal Rasool of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and Amer Aziz of the State Bank of Pakistan - should be removed as members of the JIT, allegeing that they were not impartial. He had said the presence of these two members may affect the fairness and impartiality of the JIT and its findings. Hussain's counsel, Khawaja Haris, had alleged before the bench that the two members have been "abusive", Dawn reported. Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, who headed the bench, dismissed the accusation and ordered the JIT to continue its probe. Khan also said the two members were experts in white-collar crime. "We will not change any member of the JIT, nor will we prevent someone from doing their work," the judge remarked, drawing attention to the fact that a special bench of the Supreme Court has appointed the six members of the JIT. "Whether it is the prime minister or an ordinary citizen, nobody is above the law," he added. The JIT has submitted an initial report before the apex court on May 22 and was told to complete the probe in 60 days. It has to submit a fortnightly progress report to the court. The case against the Sharifs is for alleged money laundering in the 90s when he twice served as prime minister. The JIT was formed as a result of the case filed last year after the names of his children appeared in the leaked Panama Papers, which documented the offshore dealings of many of the world's rich and powerful. Prime Minister Sharif has denied any wrongdoing. Meanwhile at the hearing today, Federal Investigation Agency's Additional Director Gen Wajid Zia, who heads the JIT, told the Supreme Court that Qatari royal Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber Al-Thani has not appeared before the investigating team. Two letters signed by the Qatari royal have been presented before the court by the Sharifs to establish the legitimate money trail for the London apartments, that are at the heart of the corruption allegation. Justice Khan said that if the Qatari royal did not appear before the JIT, his letters would be thrown out.

Pak SC rejects objections raised by Nawaz Sharif's son against JIT members

The JIT was formed as a result of the case filed last year after the names of his children appeared in the leaked Panama Papers, which documented the offshore dealings of many of the world's rich and powerful.

c2c700c1c8218216b50189abe6d12aff

US Mass Shooting: Two shooting incidents in 24 hours leave USA shocked; 29 dead It took just 30 seconds in Ohio and zero bullets in Texas for officers to stop two mass shooters this weekend, but not before 29 people were killed and about 50 injured in less than 24 hours.Officers gunned down the Ohio shooter at the doorstep of a bar-turned-hiding place in the middle of Dayton’s nightclub district, and arrested the El Paso shooter as hundreds fled a crowded shopping center. Though the two attacks staggered a nation accustomed to gun violence, the bigger shock may have been that the death toll wasn’t worse.In the Texas border city of El Paso, a gunman opened fire Saturday morning in a shopping area packed with thousands of people during the busy back-to-school season. The attack killed 20 and wounded more than two dozen, many of them critically.Hours later in Dayton, Ohio, a gunman wearing body armor and carrying extra magazines opened fire in a popular nightlife area, killing nine and injuring at least 26 people.The attacks came less than a week after a 19-year-old gunman killed three people and injured 13 others at the popular Gilroy Garlic Festival in California before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.The El Paso shooting was being investigated as a possible hate crime as authorities worked to confirm whether a racist, anti-immigrant screed posted online shortly beforehand was written by the man arrested. The border city is home to 680,000 people, many of them Latino.El Paso authorities offered few details about the assault, but Police Chief Greg Allen described the scene as “horrific” and said many of the 26 people who were hurt had life-threatening injuries.In Dayton, the bloodshed was likely limited by the swift police response. Officers patrolling the area took just 30 seconds to stop the shooting, which unfolded around 1 a.m. on the streets of the downtown Oregon District, Mayor Nan Whaley said.Video released by police shows 24-year-old Connor Betts being shot down by officers, just steps away from entering a bar filled with hiding patrons.Had police not responded so quickly, “hundreds of people in the Oregon District could be dead today,” Whaley said.Betts’ 22-year-old sister, Megan Betts, was among those killed in Dayton.Authorities identified the El Paso suspect as 21-year-old Patrick Crusius from Allen, a Dallas suburb which is a nearly 10-hour drive from El Paso.El Paso Mayor Dee Margo said he knew the shooter was not from his city.“It’s not what we’re about,” the mayor said at a news conference with Gov. Greg Abbott and the police chief.President Donald Trump denounced both shootings, saying “hate has no place in our country.” Addressing reporters in Morristown, New Jersey, the president said Sunday that “we’re going to take care” of the problem. He said he’s been speaking to the attorney general, the FBI director and members of Congress and will make an additional statement Monday.Trump also pointed to a mental illness problem in the U.S., calling the shooters “really very seriously mentally ill.”Democratic presidential candidate and former Texas congressman Beto O’Rourke, who is from El Paso and was at a candidate forum Saturday in Las Vegas, appeared shaken after receiving news of the shooting in his hometown.He said he heard early reports that the shooter might have had a military-style weapon, saying we need to “keep that (expletive) on the battlefield. Do not bring it into our communities.”The shootings were the 21st and 22nd mass killings of 2019 in the U.S., according to the AP/USA Today/Northeastern University mass murder database that tracks homicides where four or more people killed — not including the offender. Including the two latest attacks, 125 people had been killed in the 2019 shootings.ALSO READ | US: Nine killed in Ohio in second mass shooting incident in 24 hours

US Mass Shooting: Two shooting incidents in 24 hours leave USA shocked; 29 dead

In the Texas border city of El Paso, a gunman opened fire Saturday morning in a shopping area packed with thousands of people during the busy back-to-school season, killing 20 and injuring more than two dozen, many of them critically.

957219183b6b601616855250d63cdf52

Italy's death toll due to COVID-19 reaches 20,465Italy has so far reported a total of 20,465 deaths due to novel coronavirus. According to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department, the total number of infections, fatalities and recoveries have so far touched 159,516 in the country. Addressing a televised press conference on Monday, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli explained that there were 566 new fatalities, compared with 431 registered on Sunday, reported Xinhua news agency.Active infections increased by 1,363 from Sunday to a tally of 103,616.Meanwhile, there were 1,224 new recoveries, bringing the total of recoveries to 35,435 since the pandemic broke out in the northern regions on February 21.Of those infected, 28,023 people are currently hospitalized, 176 more from the previous day; 3,260 are in intensive care, down by 83; and 72,333, or about 70 per cent, are isolated at home.It was the tenth consecutive day that the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care units showed a decreasing trend, according to Borrelli.(With IANS inputs)Also Read | COVID-19 death toll in Italy nears 20,000; over 2,000 new cases in 24 hours​Also Read | Italy extends nationwide coronavirus lockdown until May 3

With 566 new fatalities, Italy's death toll due to COVID-19 reaches 20,465

Addressing a televised press conference on Monday, Civil Protection Department Chief Angelo Borrelli explained that there were 566 new fatalities, compared with 431 registered on Sunday, reported Xinhua news agency.

f287bbc2c86da4694089fb12ac8f6a03

Observance of Diwali in US important reminder of religious liberty: Donald TrumpSending Diwali greetings to Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, President Donald Trump on Friday said that the observance of the festival of lights throughout America is an important reminder of the significance of the country's core tenets - religious liberty.A day earlier, Trump celebrated Diwali in the Oval Office with a small group of Indian-Americans. The event was closed for press."The observance of Diwali throughout America is an important reminder of the significance of one of our Nation's core tenets - religious liberty," Trump said in a statement ahead of the Diwali celebrations in India, the US and across the world."My Administration will continue to defend the rights enshrined in our Constitution that enable people of all faiths to worship according to their beliefs and conscience,” he said."As Diwali commences, Melania and I wish those observing the Festival of Lights a blessed and happy celebration," said the US President.For many Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and Buddhists in the US and around the globe, this sacred period is an opportunity to commemorate the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance, he said."Throughout this holy time, members of these faiths engage in prayer, light diyas and lanterns, and partake in traditional feasts and other festivities with friends and family,” Trump said. Diwali is being celebrated in India on October 27 this year.

Observance of Diwali in US important reminder of religious liberty: Donald Trump

Sending Diwali greetings to Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists, President Donald Trump on Friday said that the observance of the festival of lights throughout America is an important reminder of the significance of the country's core tenets - religious liberty.

c9672610767ce6e9c7e847b459df7781

Expressing deep concern over his successor's decision to pull out of the Paris climate pact, former US president Barack Obama has said that by doing so, the Trump Administration has joined a small handful of nations that reject the future. "The nations that remain in the Paris Agreement will be the nations that reap the benefits in jobs and industries created. I believe the United States of America should be at the front of the pack," Obama said in a statement here."But even in the absence of American leadership; even as this Administration joins a small handful of nations that reject the future; I'm confident that our states, cities, and businesses will step up and do even more to lead the way, and help protect for future generations the one planet we've got," he said. "A year and a half ago, the world came together in Paris around the first-ever global agreement to set the world on a low-carbon course and protect the world we leave to our children," said the former US president. He said it was steady, principled American leadership on the world stage that made that achievement possible. It was bold American ambition that encouraged dozens of other nations to set their sights higher as well, he said. "And what made that leadership and ambition possible was America's private innovation and public investment in growing industries like wind and solar - industries that created some of the fastest new streams of good-paying jobs in recent years, and contributed to the longest streak of job creation in our history," Obama said. "Simply put, the private sector already chose a low- carbon future. And for the nations that committed themselves to that future, the Paris Agreement opened the floodgates for businesses, scientists, and engineers to unleash high-tech, low-carbon investment and innovation on an unprecedented scale," Obama said in his statement in which he did not directly name the US president. Jen Psaki, the former White House Communication Director said the announcement is devastating. "For the eight years I worked at the White House and the State Department under president Obama, we had a simple rule: When we made a promise as a nation -- one that nearly every other government in the world stood behind, one that was popular with both businesses and citizens, and one that safeguarded a prosperous future for our children -- we kept it," Psaki said. "This administration is taking the opposite path. Any way you slice it, pulling out of Paris is the wrong move. It's bad for jobs, as clean energy jobs are growing 12 times faster than the overall economy. "It's bad for our relationship with the rest of the world. It's bad for our health and safety, our national security, our air, and our water," she said and asked fellow Americans to oppose such a move. "Thanks to Paris, united worldwide progress on climate change isn't theoretical anymore. Nearly every other country in the world is formally on board, with plans to make serious cuts in carbon pollution in the coming decades. "So are businesses like Apple. Even oil companies like Exxon understand the importance of the Paris agreement and that climate change must be addressed," Psaki said. "So here's our chance to join them -- to make this a short, ugly bump on an otherwise long road of global cooperation and progress. To let the world know that, even if this administration doesn't yet recognise it, we as citizens won't go silent on climate change," Psaki said.

Trump Admin has joined a handful of nations that reject the future: Barack Obama

Former US president Barack Obama has said that by pulling out of the Paris climate pact, Trump Administration has joined a small handful of nations that reject the future.

387cd60368a5586da7929bc6856d920e

Hundreds of people gather near an evacuation control checkpoint during ongoing evacuations at Hamid Karzai International Airport, in KabulThe Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), which has claimed responsibility for the horrific Kabul attack, is a "clever creation" of notorious Pakistan intelligence agency--ISI--to deny responsibility for the recent spiralling crisis in Afghanistan, said an Armenian think tank. In a piece in Mirror-Spectator, Armenian Network State said that the experts believe that Pakistan created ISKP by planting Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives in leadership positions in the outfit."ISKP is a clever ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence, of Pakistan] creation to help in ensuring deniability to the Pakistani intelligence agency as Pakistan was being blamed for whatever was being done by the Taliban," the think tank said."The Pakistani project in Afghanistan has nearly succeeded with one Pakistani proxy Taliban becoming a 'good boy' and another Pakistan proxy ISKP becoming a 'bad boy'. The latest attack on Kabul airport is indicative of the fact that ISI's operation has been launched in full swing," it added.On Thursday, a suicide bomber and multiple ISIS-K gunmen killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 169 Afghan civilians in the attack at the Kabul airport.Soon after the attack, ISKP came forward to claim the responsibility. A commander of the ISKP named Amaq issued a statement on its Telegram channel wherein he claimed that a suicide bomber, Abdul Rahman al-Logari, managed to reach near a group of US soldiers, translators, and collaborators and detonated his explosives.Pakistan's ISI is coordinating the joint efforts of the Taliban, ISKP, and LeT to provide support to the Taliban through the game of good and bad boys, with LeT being the major player, the think tank said citing experts.The think tank noted that 'Emir' or the chief of ISKP, Mawlawi Abdullah is a Pakistani citizen and had confessed about his connections with Lashkar-e-Taiba when the Afghan NDS arrested him for attacking a Gurdwara in Kabul and butchering 27 members from the Sikh minority community.After being detained, Aslam Farooqui was replaced by Maulvi Mohammed as the new chief of the outfit. Similar to Farooqui, Maulvi Mohammad was also trained by the ISI and was associated with the LeT.According to a report of Long War Journal, an independent watchdog on Afghanistan, "a number of Pakistani groups are known to operate inside Afghanistan and fight alongside the Taliban, and top leaders of Pakistani terror groups have been killed inside Afghanistan. Additionally, a number of Pakistanis are known to fight in the ranks of the Islamic State's Khorasan Province (ISKP)."Following the attacks, President Joe Biden, who is facing an intense backlash in the US over the Kabul airport attack, vowed to retaliate and "not forgive" the perpetrators. It would be interesting to see whether he holds the source of the attack, the ISI, accountable or just gives it the cold shoulder. (With inputs from ANI)Also Read | US airstrike targets Islamic State 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_5525487137 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_e6i0c1d1/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_e6i0c1d1_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Kabul airport serial blasts: Death toll rises to 170", "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": "1636", "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_5525487137 = ''; jwsetup_5525487137(); function jwsetup_5525487137() { jwvidplayer_5525487137 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_5525487137").setup(jwconfig_5525487137); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_5525487137, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_e6i0c1d1\", ns_st_pr=\"Kabul airport serial blasts: Death toll rises to 170\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Kabul airport serial blasts: Death toll rises to 170\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Kabul airport serial blasts: Death toll rises to 170\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-08-27\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-08-27\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_e6i0c1d1/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_5525487137.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_5525487137.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_5525487137.stop(); jwvidplayer_5525487137.remove(); jwvidplayer_5525487137 = ''; jwsetup_5525487137(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_5525487137.stop(); jwvidplayer_5525487137.remove(); jwvidplayer_5525487137 = ''; jwsetup_5525487137(); return; }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5525487137.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

ISKP 'clever creation' of Pak intelligence agency to shed responsibility of Afghan crisis: Think tank

On Thursday, a suicide bomber and multiple ISIS-K gunmen killed 13 US service members and at least 169 Afghan civilians in the attack at the Kabul airport.

756d0e3fe42618585cfa6ede77c660fb

Vice-President Venkaiyyah Naidu with President of Comoros, Azali Assoumani India will extend a Line of Credit of USD 20 million to Comoros for strengthening bilateral defence and maritime cooperation, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu announced on Friday.Addressing the parliament of Comoros at Moroni, the capital of the island nation after holding bilateral talks with President Azali Assoumani, Naidu said even as political stability and peaceful transition takes place in Comoros, terrorism has, time and again, threatened to derail this process."Terrorist groups threaten peace and stability and render state institutions vulnerable. Piracy and maritime threats as well as cross border transnational crimes, including cyber crimes, have only added new dimensions to the problem," he said."As a country which continues to be a victim of cross border terrorism, India is willing and ready to partner with Comoros, and supplement Comoros efforts, to neutralise these threats, particularly in the maritime domain," he added.He said that India will be extending a Line of Credit of USD 20 million to Comoros on strengthening bilateral defence and maritime cooperation. He said as Indian Ocean countries, our maritime security is interlinked."Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi has articulated a coherent Indian vision for a collaborative security architecture in the Indian Ocean, which can ensure security and economic growth for all in the littoral countries of this region," he said.He said India and Comoros share a common ocean, a common struggle against colonialism and a common endeavour to improve the quality of life of our peoples."Our countries have successfully fought colonialism and achieved independence. It is indeed an emotional moment for me to come to Comoros today as India and the world remembers Mahatma Gandhi, the iconic Indian leader who galvanized the people of the country and garnered world wide support for the cause of Indian independence," he said.Mahatma Gandhi, whose 150th Birth Anniversary is being celebrated across the globe this year, has left behind a lasting legacy of peace and non-violence for the entire humanity, the vice president said."It was Mahatma Gandhi who said on the eve of India’s independence 'India’s freedom will remain incomplete so long as Africa remains in bondage," he said."In many ways, our own struggle against colonialism helped in reinforcing our shared principles and values and helped to redefine our existence as free nations. For example, our principled stand against apartheid in South Africa came out of our quest for equality, dignity and justice for all people, particularly in the African continent," he said.The relationship between India and Africa has been growing stronger with each passing year, Naidu said."It is, therefore, not a mere coincidence that our President, Prime Minister and myself have visited 32 African countries in the last five and half years," Naidu said.He said that India's support to Africa as well as its Lines of Credit and Buyers Credit Scheme have been driven by its requirements and your priorities."I am happy to note that India has provided for a Line of Credit to Comoros of USD 41.6 million for setting up of 18 MW power plant in Moroni," he said.He congratulated Comoros President Assoumani on his decision to sign the International Solar Alliance Framework Agreement and help us take bold steps collectively towards a sustainable and cleaner world. We look forward to working with your country to take up solar projects for the benefit of your people."Our partnership under the International Solar Alliance can help us lights thousands of home in sustainable manner and provide access to energy to people in the remotest corner," he said."Our economic ties are strong and I am sure they can be stronger. Our trade with Comoros now stands at USD 47.11 million for 2018-19. The potential for trade between India and Comoros is vast. India would like to become a valuable partner in the economic development of Comoros," he said.Given the growth of tourism all over the world, India has made it easier for Comorians to travel to India by expanding our Electronic Tourist Visa scheme to them, he said."I would like to share with this august House that Festival of India will be celebrated this year and next year in Comoros which will greatly enhance cultural exchanges between our two countries," Naidu said."We share a common ocean and a common future. As the Comorian saying goes ... "one who makes the extra effort will benefit”. Let both our countries make that extra effort and accelerate development," Naidu said."New waves of nationalism and protectionist trends are making us question the effectiveness of multilateral institutions."To legislate in such changing times demands even greater awareness and acumen from Parliamentarians. Parliamentarians have an opportunity, and constitutional responsibility, to play a significant role in supporting and monitoring implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," he said.India remains committed to work with Comoros to meet the aspirations of your people in accordance with the principles of South-South Cooperation," he said.He concluded his address with two quotations, one from Comoros' national anthem, and another from an ancient Indian text.

India extends USD 20 million Line of Credit to Comoros

India will extend a Line of Credit of USD 20 million to Comoros for strengthening bilateral defence and maritime cooperation, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu announced on Friday.

ec24295aaf6e1f64676acdc54c99b003

The stabbings in the Finnish city of Turku that left two people dead and eight injured are being treated as acts of terror, police said on Saturday."The incidents were initially investigated as murders, but in the light of further information received during the night, the offences now include murders with terrorist intent and their attempts," police officials said, adding that ‘officers carried out a number of raids overnight’.The attacker, who was shot in the leg by police and taken into custody, was an 18-year-old Moroccan. Police said that his identity was known but it was not released.The stabbings occurred on Friday in the Puutori-Market Square area. The two persons killed in the attack were both Finnish. An Italian national and two Swedish citizens were among the eight people injured, the police said.Kent Svensson, 44, of Sweden said he witnessed a man with "a huge white knife" running and stabbing people in his path."It was really horrible. We were sitting on a terrace just next to the square and this woman just screamed like hell and this guy was standing in front of her with a huge knife just stabbing people," he said.The Finnish government condemned the stabbings and flags were lowered in Finland, which has no past experience of jihadist attacks.

Finland stabbings a terror attack, says police

The stabbings occurred on Friday in the Puutori-Market Square area. The two persons killed in the attack were both Finnish.

7dc9a04c3f4131e3ac664e4e14390182

European Parliament accepts Ukraine's application for EU membershipOne day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applied for Ukraine's membership to the European Union (EU), the European Parliament today accepted the request. The development came soon after Zelensky's address to the Parliament.As per Nexta TV, Kyiv Independent, EU has agreed to make Ukraine a member.Zelensky today received a standing ovation at the European Parliament, soon after his address was over. His address came amid tensions in Ukraine, but he said that the people of Ukraine are strong. "We're fighting for our land & our freedom despite the fact that all our cities are now blocked. Nobody is going to break us, we're strong, we're Ukrainians." he said.On Monday, Zelensky had signed the application for Ukraine to become a part of the European Union. The move came right after Ukraine and Russia held talks in Belarus. 

European Parliament accepts Ukraine's application for EU membership

Zelensky today received a standing ovation at the European Parliament, soon after his address was over. His address came amid tensions in Ukraine, but he said that the people of Ukraine are strong.

c3993da200fa56c8579a77e4a56425c4

US President Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump has made 8,158 false or misleading claims since taking office, a media report said on Monday, a day after he completed two years of his presidency.The president averaged nearly 5.9 false or misleading claims a day in his first year in office. But he hit nearly 16.5 a day in his second year, almost triple the pace, The Washington Post reported.Related Stories Trump proposes extending DACA in exchange for border wall fundingDemocrats aren’t buying Trump’s shutdown-ending ‘compromise’Second Trump-Kim summit likely to be held in Vietnam; Ho Chi Minh City among other possible venues The paper quoted The Fact Checker’s database—that analyses, categorises and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president—for its report.According to the Fact Checker’s database, Trump has made 8,158 “false or misleading claims” since taking office. That includes an astonishing 6000-plus such claims in the president’s second year, the paper said.The president completed two years in office on Sunday.In the first 100 days, the president made 492 unsupported claims. He managed to top that number just in the first three weeks of 2019. In October, as he was barnstorming the country in advance of the mid-term elections, he made more than 1200 false or misleading claims, it said.The biggest source of misleading claims is immigration, with a tally that has grown with the addition of 300 immigration claims in the past three weeks, for a total of 1,433, the report said. “We started this project as part of our coverage of the president’s first 100 days, largely because we could not possibly keep up with the pace and volume of the president’s misstatements,” the paper said. Claims about foreign policy (900) and trade (854) rank second and third, followed by claims about the economy (790) and jobs (755). But there’s also a grab-bag category of “miscellaneous” (899), which includes misleading attacks on the media or people the president perceives as enemies, the report said.There were only 82 days—or about 11 per cent of the time—on which we recorded no claims. These were often days when the president golfed, it said.But there were also 74 days, or about 10 per cent of his presidency, in which Trump made more than 30 claims. These were often days when he held campaign-style rallies, riffing without much of a script, the report said. Trump has made many misleading claims about the investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 election, claiming 192 times a variation of the statement that it was a hoax perpetuated by Democrats, it said.

US President Donald Trump made over 8,000 false or misleading claims since taking office: Report

The paper quoted The Fact Checker’s database—that analyses, categorises and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president—for its report.

d569a373ad8a4d80bb4e544a999cedf9

Bad news for US visa seekers. These new rules pose threat to half of applicantsThe Trump administration is going to move forward with one of its most aggressive steps yet to cut legal immigration in half by denying visas and permanent residency to hundreds of thousands of people for being too poor.Federal law already requires those seeking to become permanent residents or gain legal status to prove they will not be a burden to the U.S. - a "public charge," in government speak - but the new rules detail a broader range of programs that could disqualify them. The long-anticipated rule, a part of the dramatic overhaul of the country's immigration, takes effect on October 15. It would reject applicants for temporary or permanent visas if they fail to meet high enough income standards, or if they receive public assistance such as Medicaid, food stamps, welfare, public housing. They don’t apply to U.S. citizens, though immigrants related to the citizens may be subject to them.Trump is trying to move the U.S. toward a system that focuses on immigrants’ skills instead of emphasizing the reunification of families.Under the new rules, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will now weigh whether applicants have received public assistance along with other factors such as education, income and health to determine whether to grant legal status.Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of Citizenship and Immigration Services, said the rule change will ensure those who come to the country don’t become a burden, though they pay taxes.“We want to see people coming to this country who are self-sufficient,” Cuccinelli said. “That’s a core principle of the American dream. It’s deeply embedded in our history, and particularly our history related to legal immigration.”Migrants make up a small percentage of those who get public benefits. In fact, many are ineligible for such benefits because of their immigration status.Immigrant rights groups strongly criticized the changes, warning the rules would scare immigrants away from asking for needed help. And they voiced concern the rules give officials too much authority to decide whether someone is likely to need public assistance in the future.The Los Angeles-based National Immigration Law Center said it would file a lawsuit, calling the new rules an attempt to redefine the legal immigration system “in order to disenfranchise communities of color and favor the wealthy.”And David Skorton, president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges said, “The consequences of this action will be to potentially exacerbate illnesses and increase the costs of care when their condition becomes too severe to ignore,”“This change will worsen existing health inequities and disparities, cause further harm to many underserved and vulnerable populations and increase costs to the health care system overall, which will affect all patients,” he said in a statement.Cuccinelli defended the move, insisting the administration was not rejecting long-held American values.Pressed on the Emma Lazarus poem emblazoned below the Statue of Liberty that reads: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” he told reporters at the White House: “I’m certainly not prepared to take anything down off the Statue of Liberty.”A new Pew Research Center survey released Monday found the American public is broadly critical of the administration’s handling of the wave of migrants at the southern border, with nearly two-thirds of Americans — 65% — saying the federal government is doing a very bad or somewhat bad job. The survey found broad support for developing a pathway to legal status for immigrants living in the country illegally.On average, 544,000 people apply for green cards every year, with about 382,000 falling into categories that would be subject to the new review, according to the government. Guidelines in use since 1999 refer to a “public charge” as someone primarily dependent on cash assistance, income maintenance or government support.Under the new rules, the Department of Homeland Security has redefined a public charge as someone who is “more likely than not” to receive public benefits for more than 12 months within a 36-month period. If someone uses two benefits, that is counted as two months. And the definition has been broadened to include Medicaid, housing assistance and food assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.Following publication of the proposed rules last fall, the Homeland Security Department received 266,000 public comments, more than triple the average number. It made a series of amendments to the final rules as a result.For example, women who are pregnant and on Medicaid or who need public assistance will not be subject to the new rules during pregnancy or for 60 days after giving birth. The Medicare Part D low-income subsidy also won’t be considered a public benefit. And benefits received by children until the age of 21 won’t be considered. Nor will emergency medical assistance, school lunch programs, foster care or adoption, student loans and mortgages, food pantries, homeless shelters or disaster relief.Active U.S. military members are also exempt, as are refugees and asylum seekers. And the rules will not be applied retroactively, officials said.Green card hopefuls will be required to submit three years of federal tax returns in addition to a history of employment. If immigrants have private health insurance, that will weigh heavily in their favor.According to an Associated Press analysis of census data, low-income immigrants who are not citizens use Medicaid, food aid, cash assistance and Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, at a lower rate than comparable low-income native-born adults.Non-citizen immigrants represent 6.5% of those participating in Medicaid and 8.8% of those receiving food assistance.The new public assistance threshold, taken together with higher requirements for education, work skills and health, will make it more difficult for immigrants to qualify for green cards, advocates say.“Without a single change in the law by Congress, the Trump public charge rules mean many more U.S. citizens are being and will be denied the opportunity to live together in the U.S. with their spouses, children and parents,” said Ur Jaddou, a former Citizenship and Immigration Services chief counsel who is now director of the DHS Watch run by an immigrant advocacy group. “These are not just small changes. They are big changes with enormous consequences for U.S. citizens.”Also Read: US green card just got a lot more expensive for Indian investorsAlso Read: Four Indian-Americans arrested in US for H1B visa fraudAlso Read: Sharing Facebook ID mandatory for US VISA: Everything you need to know(With AP inputs)

Bad news for US visa seekers. These new rules pose threat to half of applicants

The Trump administration is going to move forward with one of its most aggressive steps yet to cut legal immigration in half by denying visas and permanent residency to hundreds of thousands of people for being too poor.

9ce126b029f3527424f3924a588723ce

As the tense environment continues to reel between India and China in the Sikkim sector, Beijing’s state-run media today called for Sikkim’s separation from the south Asian country. An editorial in the Global Times said that China should strongly consider ‘fuelling’ pro-independence movement in Sikkim which borders the east Asian nation. The editorial, in fact, said that this was the only way to make ‘India pay for its provocations’. "In the past, China was wary of India playing the Dalai Lama card, but this card is already overplayed and will exert no additional effect on the Tibet question. But if Beijing adjusts its stance on India-sensitive issues, it could be a powerful card to deal with New Delhi.""As long as there are voices in Chinese society supporting Sikkim's independence, the voices will spread and fuel pro-independence appeals in Sikkim," it reads.“China needs to end New Delhi's regional hegemony which is swelling to a tipping point,” the Chinese Communist Party-run newspaper said. “Supporting Sikkim's independence will be a powerful card to deal with New Delhi.”The daily even suggested that China should rally the world for the abolition of ‘unfair’ treaties on sovereignty and defence that New Delhi has allegedly ‘forced’ Bhutan to sign."Although China recognized India's annexation of Sikkim in 2003, it can readjust its stance on the matter. There are those in Sikkim that cherish its history as a separate state, and they are sensitive to how the outside world views the Sikkim issue," it said.The editorial also accused India of having ‘brutally cracked down’ on Sikkim's ‘revolts over sovereignty’ in the 60s and 70s. "New Delhi deposed the king of Sikkim in 1975 and manipulated the country's Parliament into a referendum to make Sikkim a state of India."“India's annexation of Sikkim is like a nightmare haunting Bhutan,” the state-backed publication said.The article further blamed India for not allowing Bhutan to establish diplomatic ties with China."India has startling control and oppression over Bhutan, and as a result, Bhutan has not established diplomatic ties with its neighbour China or any other permanent member of the UN Security Council. Through unequal treaties, India has severely jeopardized Bhutan's diplomatic sovereignty and controls its national defence," the editorial said, adding that “China needs to make more efforts to establishing diplomatic ties with the Buddhist kingdom”."New Delhi's regional hegemony is boldly shown by the border face-off this time. Using the excuse of 'helping Bhutan protect its sovereignty,' India brazenly obstructs China's road construction in Chinese territory," it added.India and China have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for the past 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party came to build a road. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it as part of its Donglang region. China and Bhutan are engaged in talks over the resolution of the area. Bhutan, however, has no diplomatic ties with China and it is supported militarily and diplomatically by India. On the standoff, the Ministry of External Affairs had said India was "deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India".

Doka la standoff: Chinese state-run media says Beijing ‘should fuel pro-independence movement in Sikkim’

India and China have been engaged in a standoff in the Dokalam area near the Bhutan trijunction for the past 19 days after a Chinese Army's construction party came to build a road.

79bd6673cf950c44dddd58a1ef6df8e3

US President President Donald Trump on Friday left on a nine-day maiden overseas trip during which he will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy."Getting ready for my big foreign trip. Will be strongly protecting American interests - that's what I like to do!" Trump told his nearly 30 million followers on Tweeter hours before he boarded Air Force One along with his top officials and a battery of White House reporters from Joint Andrews Air Force Base.In Saudi Arabia, the first stop of his trip, Trump will address leaders from more than 50 Muslim countries. President Trump is to call for unity in the fight against radicalism in the Muslim world, casting the challenge as a "battle between good and evil" and urging Arab leaders to "drive out the terrorists from your places of worship," according to a draft of the speech obtained by The Associated Press.Abandoning some of the harsh anti-Muslim rhetoric of his presidential campaign, the draft of the speech, slated to be delivered in Saudi Arabia on Sunday, envisions new partnerships with America's traditional allies in the Middle East.   It notably refrains from mentioning democracy and human rights — topics Arab leaders often view as U.S. moralizing — in favor of the more limited goals of peace and stability."We are not here to lecture — to tell other peoples how to live, what to do or who to be. We are here instead to offer partnership in building a better future for us all," the document said.The trip is a key test of the president's diplomatic skills and a chance to add substance to a foreign policy he has described broadly as "America First."Two different sources provided the AP with copies of the draft of his remarks, billed as a marquee speech of the trip.One version, obtained late Thursday, included edits with comments from an administration official, indicating it was still a work in progress.The White House confirmed the draft was authentic, but cautioned the president had not yet signed off on the final product."The president has not seen this draft," White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. "This is one of five drafts that have been written by various people. He continues to take input and is writing a final version."Trump's campaign was marked by his anti-Islamic rhetoric and his administration has twice tried to impose a travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries. "I think Islam hates us," he said at one point.The draft of the speech includes no mention of "radical Islamic terrorism" — a phrase that candidate Trump regularly criticized opponent Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama for shying away from. His speech calls terrorism a widespread problem plaguing everyone who loves peace.He positions himself as an "emissary for the American people, to deliver a message of friendship and hope," according to the draft."This is not a battle between different faiths, different sects or different civilizations. This is a battle between those who seek to obliterate human life and those who seek to protect it," the text reads. "This is a battle between good and evil."Trump may seem an unlikely messenger to deliver an olive branch to the Muslim world.Only a week after taking office, he signed an executive order to ban immigrants from seven countries — Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen — from entering the United States, a decision that sparked widespread protests at the nation's airports and demonstrations outside the White House. That ban was blocked in federal court, prompting the administration to sign a second one.The second version, which dropped Iraq from the list, is also blocked in court, though Trump has said the measure is needed for the nation's security. As a campaigner, he called for a "total and complete shutdown" of the entry of Muslims to the United States "until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on," insisting that a sizable segment of the Muslim population has "great hatred toward Americans."His Saudi speech is aimed at the nations represented at an Arab and Muslim leaders' summit.Trump intends to condemn Syria's President Bashar Assad for committing "unspeakable crimes against humanity" and Iran for contributing to spiraling violence in Syria. "All nations of conscience in the Middle East must work together to roll back Iran's destabilizing influence, restore a more stable balance of power in the region, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and responsible government they deserve," the draft reads.Iran and Syria were not invited to the summit, and they are not part of a regional military alliance that Saudi Arabia is establishing to fight terrorism. The kingdom backs efforts to topple the Syrian government, which counts Iran and Russia as its closest allies.White House officials have said they consider Trump's visit, and his keynote address, a counterweight to President Obama's debut speech to the Muslim world in 2009 in Cairo.Obama called for understanding and acknowledged some of America's missteps in the region. That speech was denounced by many Republicans and criticized by a number of the United States' Middle East allies, including Israel, as being a sort of apology. Obama aides have continued to defend it.Administration officials believe Trump's decision to begin his trip in Saudi Arabia sends a powerful message to the kingdom: the strained ties that marked U.S.-Saudi relations under Obama are over.Unlike the Obama administration, which distanced itself from authoritarian leaders and took a moral stance against the human rights violations that in many cases fueled resentment and extremism, Trump is focusing on deal-making. Only in the case of Iran does his speech advocate for the "longest-suffering" people who are subject "to their leaders' reckless attempts to dominate their neighbors."By contrast, Trump hails America's friendship with Saudi Arabia, which "stretches back many decades, and covers numerous dimensions." It is a markedly different message from his campaign tweet that said "Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays."(With agency inputs)

On his first foreign trip, Donald Trump likely to ask Muslims to 'drive out terrorists from your places of worship'

US President President Donald Trump on Friday left on a nine-day maiden overseas trip during which he will visit Saudi Arabia, Israel, Vatican, Belgium and Italy.

e30ad485d7713903c1fc00ef821d0566

Nawaz SharifA medical board which examined Nawaz Sharif on Monday recommended the immediate shifting of the jailed former Pakistan prime minister to a hospital but the PML-N supremo insisted that the required medical facilities should be provided to him in the jail itself, according to a media report. Sharif, 68, and his daughter Maryam, 44, are serving jail terms of 10 years and 7 years respectively in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London. Related Stories Pakistan: Sharif, his daughter to remain in jail until elections as court adjourns hearing on their appealsPakistan: Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz unlikely to be shifted to guest housePakistan: Former PM Nawaz Sharif on verge of kidney failure, likely to be transferred from Adiala jailA four-member team of doctors from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) comprising cardiologist Dr Naeem Malik, Medical Specialist Dr. Shaji Siddiqui, neurologist Dr Sohail Tanvir and Dr Mashood examined Sharif, sources said. Sharif has multiple health issues like heart problems, hypertension and diabetes. He already underwent open heart surgery in London in 2016. Citing family sources, Urdu langauge daily 'Jang' said the medical board has recommended to immediately shift Sharif to hospital, but he insisted that the required medical facilities should be provided to him in the jail itself. The doctors in their report said that oppressive heat and dehydration caused by sweating were cause of Sharif's illness. They said his condition aggravated due lack of sleep and delay in provision of treatment. They found excessive Urea in his blood and warned that it can affect the kidneys. More tests will be performed on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain expressed concerns at Sharif's health conditions and asked the government to ensure his treatment. In a phone call to Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk, the President "expressed concerns" at the health condition of Sharif and asked him to "ensure complete treatment of the former prime minister", according to a statement issued by the President House. Sharif's family and the party also voiced concerns at the reports about his health complications. His younger brother and PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif said that he had already raised the issue of poor jail condition in a letter addressed to the Punjab government and asked for provision of facilities to the former premier. PML-N leader Pervaiz Rashid also expressed concerns at Sharif's health and demanded that he should be provided complete medical care. Earlier, a team of doctors from Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology (RIC), headed by its Chief Executive Major General (retd) Dr Azhar Mehmood Kayani, visited the prison and compiled a report after carrying out a detailed medical check-up, the Express Tribune reported. Although his personal physician Dr Adnan had seen him twice in recent days, the jail administration called doctors from RIC to be sure of what had happened. The team spent about one-and-a-half hour inspecting his condition. According to the RIC medical team, his body's water levels are very low, which has made his heartbeat erratic now. The amount of urea in his blood has also become very high, which could even lead to kidney failure, the report said. They had recommended to shift Sharif to hospital immediately. Sharif had complained about his health on Saturday. The Punjab Prisons sources told Daily Express that they are waiting for the Punjab home department's orders about shifting Sharif to the hospital.  Caretaker provincial ministers Shaukat Javed and Ahmed Waqas Riaz confirmed that Sharif's medical tests suggested he had kidney issues. The caretaker government is in touch with jail authorities and Sharif is getting better medical facilities, they added. Meanwhile, Barrister Zafrullah Khan of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz has filed a petition with the Supreme Court to declare residences of Sharif and his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Muhammad Safdar as sub-jails.

Pakistan: Former PM Nawaz Sharif demands medical facilites in Adiala jail

Sharif, 68, and his daughter Maryam, 44, are serving jail terms of 10 years and 7 years respectively in Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, after an accountability court convicted them on July 6 over the family's ownership of four luxury flats in London.

cb1fd183bd1deb4d6b3b9775d46be24b

The flag of India displayed on the facade of the ADNOC building UAE In an extraordinary gesture, the UAE government lit up the iconic ADNOC building here on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Council of Ministers to symbolise the close bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two nations. The flags of India and the UAE and portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were displayed on the facade of the iconic building.   Related Stories Modi Sarkar 2.0 formation: As it happenedPM Modi swearing in ceremony: List of high profile guestsModi to meet those selected for ministerial berths before swearing-inModi Calling Modi 2.0 team: List of politicians set to be part of Union CabinetThe Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates. India's energy security is a top priority for the UAE with ADNOC being the only foreign oil and gas company, to date, to invest in India's strategic petroleum reserves programme. ADNOC is also a stakeholder in one of India's largest refinery and petrochemical complexes, which will be constructed at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Khaleej Times reported.Strategic energy co-operation between the UAE and India was bolstered in March 2019, when an Indian consortium of two companies was awarded the exploration rights for an onshore block in Abu Dhabi's debut competitive block bid round. In addition, an Indian consortium of three companies was awarded a 10 per cent participating interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession in February 2018, it said.Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, told WAM, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates, that since the visit of prime minister Modi to UAE in August 2015, the two nations have seen a real transformation in our bilateral ties. "The close friendship that has blossomed over the last four years between our Prime Minister and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is well-known. The whole world can see it today in this unique celebration of the re-election of the Prime Minister for a fresh five year term. The ADNOC tower behind us is beautifully lit up and adorned with the flags of India and UAE and visuals of the two leaders," he said."But beyond the symbolism of these images is also the clear direction that the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince have provided to diplomats like us to make the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership a truly vibrant example of what we can achieve when we work together," Suri said.Over the last two years, Suri said bilateral ties have evolved from a simple buyer-seller relationship to a multi-faceted partnership that has led to our first strategic petroleum reserve, our first oil concessions in the Gulf and the agreement to work together in our West coast mega-refinery project."So, as the Prime Minister starts his second term in office, there is tremendous sense of optimism for India-UAE ties. We now have the opportunity to build upon the strong platform that we have created over the last four years, and to make the coming period a truly Golden Era in our relationship," he said. "An extraordinary gesture! the UAE government lit up the iconic ADNOC building in #AbuDhabi on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of PM @narendramodi and Council of Ministers," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Abu Dhabi tower lights up to mark Modi's swearing-in

The flags of India and the UAE and portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were displayed on the facade of the iconic building.

d184889de9053166f7d5021b4c66790d

A procession of vehicles drive past photos of Detroit victims of COVID-19, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020 on Belle Isle in Detroit. Families have a chance to take one last public look at their lost loved ones in the nation's first citywide memorial to honor victims of the pandemic. Mourners will join 14 consecutive funeral processions to drive past nearly 900 large poster-sized photos of their loved ones staked around the island. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)A Detroit island park was transformed Monday into a drive-thru COVID-19 victims memorial as policy makers across the U.S. moved forward with plans to reopen schools and public spaces.Hearses led processions around Belle Isle Park in the Detroit River, where more than 900 large photos of local coronavirus victims provided by relatives were turned into posters and staked into the ground.As the death toll continued to rise around the world, officials announced plans to bring children back to school in Rhode Island, allow diners back inside New Jersey restaurants and let fans watch football inside an Iowa college stadium.New COVID-19 cases were linked to travelers on vacation in Europe and the head of the World Health Organization cautioned against opening societies too quickly. Nearly 1,000 inmates at a Tennessee prison tested positive.More than 847,000 people worldwide have perished from the virus and more than 25.3 million have contracted it, according to Johns Hopkins University — figures experts say understate the true toll due to limited testing, missed mild cases and other factors.DETROIT COVID VICTIMSThe pictures in the Detroit park showed those who died of COVID-19 during better times: Darrin Adams at his college graduation; Daniel Aldape catching a fish; Shirley Frank with an Elvis impersonator; and Veronica Davis crossing the finish line at a race.They had “dreams and plans and a story,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said at the park. “They weren’t finished yet.”Detroit’s director of arts and culture, Rochelle Riley, said officials hope the memorial will “wake people up to the devastating effect of the pandemic” and also “bring some peace to families whose loved ones didn’t have the funerals they deserved.”LABOR DAYDr. Anthony Fauci, the U.S. government’s top infectious disease expert, said Labor Day weekend will be key in determining whether the U.S. gets a “running start” at containing the coronavirus this fall.Fauci said Monday he has a “great deal of faith in the American people” to wash their hands, practice social distancing, wear masks, avoid crowds, and congregate outside during the weekend celebrations.He said it’s important to avoid a surge in coronavirus cases like those seen after the Memorial Day and July 4th holidays.COLLEGE FOOTBALLPresident Donald Trump’s new pandemic adviser, Dr. Scott Atlas said he believes college football should be played this year even though many universities have canceled all fall sports.Atlas, appearing with Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Monday in Tallahassee, said stadiums have plenty of room for distancing.“The communities of college towns depend on these activities,” Atlas said.Iowa State said it will allow about 25,000 season-ticket holders to attend that team’s opener in Ames against Louisiana-Lafayette on Sept. 12 , despite rising COVID-19 numbers in Iowa.Iowa State Athletic director Jamie Pollard told fans in a letter that they will be required to wear face coverings and that tailgating will be banned. Pollard asked that fans respect others’ wishes for distancing.The decision came as Iowa continues to struggle with the virus spreading in several counties.BACK TO SCHOOLIn Rhode Island, all but two public school districts have been given the go-ahead to resume in-person classes when schools reopen in two weeks.Only Providence and the Providence suburb of Central Falls did not meet metrics required for reopening. The two cities have had the state’s highest coronavirus infection rates.Gov. Gina Raimondo said reopening schools is not risk-free but that she expects children will return to the classroom.COLLEGE CLOSINGIn Northern California, California State University, Chico has switched to online the limited number of in-person classes it was offering. The move came after at least 30 people tested positive for the coronavirus three days after the fall semester started.University President Gayle Hutchinson said students in campus housing must leave by the weekend.RESTAURANTS OPENINGIn New Jersey, indoor dining with limited capacity will resume at restaurants Friday, Gov. Phil Murphy announced.Restaurants will be allowed 25% capacity under the new rules, which includes maintaining social distancing between tables.WOMEN’S RIGHTSThe United Nations chief said the pandemic has deepened inequality between men and women and reversed “decades of limited and fragile progress on gender equality and women’s rights.”Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said during a virtual town hall meeting on Monday that 70 to 90 per cent of healthcare workers are women but only 30 percent have decision-making roles,He also said the pandemic has also impacted physical and mental health, education, and employment.“Today, millions of teenage girls around the world are out of school, and there are alarming reports of an increase in teenage pregnancies in some countries,” he said. “We know from the Ebola outbreak in West Africa that when teenage girls leave school, they may never return.”TENNESSEE PRISON OUTBREAKNearly 1,000 inmates at a Tennessee prison have tested positive for COVID-19, corrections officials said.Officials tested 1,410 inmates at South Central Correctional Facility late last week after several inmates and staff began showed symptons, the Tennessee Department of Correction said in a statement.As of late Monday afternoon, 974 of the inmates had tested positive while another 189 results were pending for the prisoners housed at the lockup run by private prison company Corecivic, the statement said.FEDERAL PRISON VISITSThe federal Bureau of Prisons will begin allowing inmates to have visitors again in October, nearly seven months after visits were suspended at the 122 federal prisons across the U.S., according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press.The visitation plan — detailed in a memo to senior bureau officials on Monday — instructed wardens to “immediately begin developing local procedures to reinstate social visiting.”Social visiting is scheduled to begin no later than Oct. 3. Physical contact will be prohibited, according to the memo.Inmates and visitors would be required to wear face coverings and visitors would have their temperatures taken and would be questioned about whether they have shown any coronavirus-related symptoms.EUROPE VACATION INFECTIONSBritish authorities said 16 coronavirus cases have been linked to a flight that brought U.K. tourists back from Greece. All people who were aboard have been told to isolate themselves for two weeks.Public Health Wales said it was contacting nearly 200 people who were on the Tui flight from the Greek island of Zante to Cardiff, Wales, last Tuesday.Gwen Lowe of Public Health Wales said 30 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed over the last week among people who returned from Zante on several flights and that the number is expected to rise.In Italy, the popular holiday destination of Sardinia had experienced a handful or fewer cases for weeks. But with clusters of infections linked to crowded discos or holiday-goers’ parties on the Mediterranean island, Sardinia registered 79 new infections on Monday.

Detroit turns island park into COVID-19 memorial garden

A Detroit island park was transformed Monday into a drive-thru COVID-19 victims memorial as policy makers across the U.S. moved forward with plans to reopen schools and public spaces.

ea4418ae36a6873f0ac291c65cec4e5b

Imran Khan says Biden faced 'unfair criticism' over Afghanistan withdrawalUS President Joe Biden's decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan was defended by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as he said that Biden faced "unfair criticism" over the move and it was the "most sensible thing" to do.  In an interview given to Russia Today on Friday, Khan said: "There was so much unfair criticism of President Biden, and what he did was the most sensible thing to do."Earlier in an interview with CNN, Khan had said that Joe Biden is a "busy man" when he was asked that did he receive any call from the US President.On Saturday, Khan informed that his government has started negotiations with the Taliban to form an inclusive government in Afghanistan.Khan's remarks came following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting held in Dushanbe, where SCO members thoroughly discussed issues associated with Afghanistan."After long meetings in Dushanbe with leaders of Afghanistan's neighbors, especially with Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon, I have begun negotiations with the Taliban for the inclusion of the Tajik, Hazara and Uzbek communities in the Afghan government for an inclusive government," Prime Minister Imran Khan said in a tweet.Regarding Afghanistan, Khan said that there will be "far-reaching consequences in terms of the refugees". He also denied that Islamabad helped the Taliban in the fight against the US forces, Dawn reported on Friday."If we believe this is the case, it means Pakistan is stronger than the US and the whole of the Europeans." /* .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_9035962702 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_bax62a6x/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_bax62a6x_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Joe Biden addresses the nation after US troops leave Kabul | 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": "464", "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_9035962702 = ''; jwsetup_9035962702(); function jwsetup_9035962702() { jwvidplayer_9035962702 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_9035962702").setup(jwconfig_9035962702); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_9035962702, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_bax62a6x\", ns_st_pr=\"Joe Biden addresses the nation after US troops leave Kabul | Watch\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Joe Biden addresses the nation after US troops leave Kabul | Watch\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Joe Biden addresses the nation after US troops leave Kabul | Watch\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-09-01\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-09-01\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_bax62a6x/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_9035962702.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_9035962702.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_9035962702.stop(); jwvidplayer_9035962702.remove(); jwvidplayer_9035962702 = ''; jwsetup_9035962702(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_9035962702.stop(); jwvidplayer_9035962702.remove(); jwvidplayer_9035962702 = ''; jwsetup_9035962702(); return; }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_9035962702.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Imran Khan says Biden faced 'unfair criticism' over Afghanistan withdrawal

Earlier in an interview with CNN, Khan had said that Joe Biden is a "busy man" when he was asked that did he receive any call from the US President.

5a5c4c963697a35502b5afaeef96e951

An armed man stands at the Independent Square (Maidan) in the center of Kyiv, UkrainThe US Department of State on Wednesday (local time) said that they have not seen any verified report of Ukraine using Indian students as human shields. These activities are commonly used in Russian disinformation, it said. The statement by the US Department of State came after the Russian Embassy in India had claimed that Indian students have been taken hostage by Ukrainian security forces to use them as a human shield."We have seen no verified reports of these incidents, and these types of reports about using civilians as human shields are commonly used in Russian disinformation," a US Department of State spokesperson said. In a tweet, Russia in India had said, "According to the latest information, these students are actually taken hostage by the Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a human shield and in every possible way prevent them from leaving for Russia. Responsibility, in this case, lies entirely with the Kyiv authorities."However, Ukraine has reacted to Russia's allegations and said that "Russians had taken hostage students from India, Pakistan, China and other countries"."We called on the Russian Federation to immediately cease its hostilities in Kharkiv and Sumy so that they can arrange the evacuation of the civilian population, including foreign students, to safer Ukrainian cities"," said Ukraine's Foreign Ministry in a statement.Ukraine demanded Moscow allow the opening of a humanitarian corridor to other Ukrainian cities."We urgently call on the governments of India, Pakistan, China and other counties whose students have become hostages of the Russian armed aggression in Kharkiv and Sumy, to demand from Moscow that it allows the opening of a humanitarian corridor to other Ukrainian cities," the statement said.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine earlier today launched an emergency hotline for foreign students wishing to leave Ukraine because of the Russian invasion, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said."We have established an emergency hotline for African, Asian and other students wishing to leave Ukraine because of Russia's invasion. +380934185684. We are working intensively to ensure their safety and speed up their passage. Russia must stop its aggression which affects us all," Kuleba said on Twitter on Wednesday.Meanwhile, Russian Envoy to UN Vasily Nebenzya has repeatedly said that nationalists in Ukraine are using civilians as human shields.(With inputs from ANI)Also Read | UNGA adopts resolution that strongly deplored Russia's aggression against Ukraine 

No verified reports of Indian students taken hostage, being used as human shield by Ukraine: US Dept of State

In a tweet, Russia in India had said, "According to the latest information, these students are actually taken hostage by the Ukrainian security forces, who use them as a human shield."

2f9def0bd8d3417e9e9c65e57e0fd36a

Contamination forces over 2mn pounds of chicken products recall in USMore than 2 million pounds of chicken products were recalled in eight US states over contamination fears. Approximately 2,071,397 pounds of Simmons Prepared Foods poultry products were part of the recall, Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service announced on Thursday, adding saying they were shipped to retailers in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.The agency said that the problem was discovered by Simmons during further processing and urged the public to throw out or return the products, reports Xinhua news agency."There has been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider," the agency warned.The Arizona-based Simmons Prepared Foods also issued a statement, saying the company recalled "fresh and frozen chicken products due to the potential to contain extraneous material, specifically metal".ALSO READ: Senators urged to remove country cap on Green CardALSO READ: Protesters forcibly cut female Bolivia Mayor's hair

Contamination forces over 2mn pounds of chicken products recall in US

"There has been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of these products. Anyone concerned about an injury or illness should contact a healthcare provider," Xinhua news agency warned.

76f94e04c7da49491b27ce3d818ad020

Nepal PM blames India for coronavirus spread, says people coming 'without proper checking'Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday said his country’s fatality due to the coronavirus is less in comparison to other countries of South Asia. Oli blamed India for the rise in coronavirus cases, saying people were coming into the country from across the border without proper checks.“Fatality in Nepal is less in comparison to other countries of South Asia. Those coming from India are coming in without proper checking which has contributed to the further spread of COVID-19,” he said.India on Monday recorded 6,977 new coronavirus cases – the biggest single-day jump in figures so far. With this, the total number of cases reached 1,38,845 and the toll rose to 4,021 after 154 new fatalities. Nepal, which has extended its nationwide lockdown till June 2 to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, is among the nations that has the least number of cases of the deadly COVID-19 with four deaths.

Nepal PM blames India for coronavirus spread, says people coming 'without proper checking'

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli blamed India for the rise in coronavirus cases, saying people were coming into the country from across the border without proper checks.

a1c598f8fd00a13f5210a848de11a156

Will interact with the Taliban irrespective of the evolving situation, and their specific actions: RussiaRussia will interact with the Taliban "irrespective of the evolving situation and their specific actions" in Afghanistan, Moscow's envoy to the UN said on Monday, asserting that the militant group has already sought to bring public order and confirmed security guarantees for civilians and for the foreign diplomatic mission staff."According to our report, the Taliban has already sought to bring public order and have also confirmed security guarantees for civilians and for the foreign diplomatic mission staff," Russia’s Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia told the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan, convened for the second time in just over 10 days under India's current UNSC Presidency for August."We trust that in the current circumstances, the security of diplomatic staff and the UN presence in Afghanistan will be insured and their institutions will enjoy immunity," he said."As regards our future official steps, official steps regarding the Taliban, we will interact with them, irrespective of the evolving situation, and their specific actions," Nebenzia said.The brutal war in Afghanistan reached a watershed moment on Sunday when the Taliban insurgents closed in on Kabul before entering the city and taking over the presidential palace, forcing embattled President Ashraf Ghani to join fellow citizens and foreigners to flee the country.The Russian envoy, however, voiced concern by the ongoing presence of terrorist threats in Afghanistan, including ISIL-K (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant – Khorasan Province) whose "terrorist activities are likely to spill across Afghanistan's borders and thus will threaten the security of neighbouring countries in Central Asia."“Terrorism is inextricably linked to the drugs problem. The deteriorating situation in Afghanistan over recent months has led to a sharp worsening in the humanitarian situation,” he said, adding that the numerous reports about the number of internally displaced persons and the flows of refugees across the country's border are of concern.“It creates an additional burden for neighbouring states, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran and Pakistan. Not to mention the risk of fighters infiltrating the region inter-alia by pretending to be refugees.” He said Moscow is in regular contact with all five Central Asian countries, both bilaterally and through regional organisations such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation."We still want to see a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan, and the subsequent stabilisation of the country and its post conflict recovery. We're convinced that an end to the years-long, bloody war and having national reconciliation would benefit all the people of Afghanistan, its regional neighbours, and the world as a whole," he said.He said Moscow is closely following the fast changing situation in Afghanistan."As soon as the withdrawal of foreign forces was announced, we all heard worrying reports about an uptick in violence and the number of victims. Furthermore, we've seen major Afghan cities fall without much resistance,” he said, adding that since the last discussion in the Council, just 10 days have passed.“However, the situation in the country of that time has changed beyond recognition. Today, all of our eyes are on Kabul, which yesterday was quickly abandoned by the country's leader, ordinary Afghans and also a part of the diplomatic corps."It is clear that such a sharp turn-about took everyone by surprise. This involved those who very recently made public pronouncements about the degree of military preparedness of the Afghan law enforcement structures, who were prepared and trained over the past 20 years," he said, making a reference to the US. Noting that there is no point in panicking, Nebenzia said the “main point is that a widespread bloodbath among civilians has been avoided.“We urge all Afghan parties to refrain from hostilities and to foster a settlement peacefully.” Nebenzia said Moscow believes that the main power players or the international community must help Afghanistan and must pool their efforts.“And this is to assist Afghanistan achieve national reconciliation. The Troika - Russia, China and Pakistan - has been actively engaged in this. We believe that an important role could be played by Iran as well here," he said. He noted that in the current circumstances, the Russian Embassy in Kabul is continuing to operate normally.

Will interact with the Taliban irrespective of the evolving situation, and their specific actions: Russia

​Russia will interact with the Taliban "irrespective of the evolving situation and their specific actions" in Afghanistan, Moscow's envoy to the UN said on Monday, asserting that the militant group has already sought to bring public order and confirmed security guarantees for civilians and for the foreign diplomatic mission staff.

a6e2b8ef775e556cc6851fe931fa0e60

British police said that they have arrested an 18-year-old man in connection with the London subway attack. According to the police, the man has been arrested by Kent police in the port area of Dover on the English Channel.Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Neil Basu said that it's a 'significant arrest'. He said the investigation is ongoing and the terror threat level remains at 'critical'.Related Stories London Parsons Green Tube terror attack blast was IED detonation, claims Scotland YardVideo: Explosion at London subway station, 20 injured Donald Trump calls Theresa May after London terror attack; pledges support 29 injured in London Tube train attack, Islamic State claims responsibility'Critical' threat level means a government task force, that includes the security services, believes another attack may be imminent. Prime Minister Theresa May said raising the threat level to its highest point was a 'proportionate and sensible step'. Police called on the public to be vigilant.The man is being held for questioning under the Terrorism Act. He has not been charged or identified.A bomb partially exploded on a London subway train at Parsons Green station Friday morning, leaving 29 people wounded, including those with burns and injuries from an ensuing stampede.Meanwhile, Transport for London said that the Parsons Green station in southwest London station had reopened at 1:30 am on Saturday, more than 17 hours after the explosion.British authorities increased the country’s terror threat level to “critical,” meaning they think another attack may be imminent. British soldiers are being deployed across the country at public sites to assist police.

London Tube train terror attack: British Police arrest 18-year-old man; threat level remains ‘critical’

British authorities increased the country’s terror threat level to “critical,” meaning they think another attack may be imminent. British soldiers are being deployed across the country at public sites to assist police.

3874944c5666c1838fc7b89cd0e92040

The Pakistan government on Saturday launched a cracked down on protesters from hardline religious groups in Islamabad seeking resignation of Law Minister Zahid Hamid. The crackdown left at least 10 dead and more than 250 injured.The government had to call in the army to restore law and order situation in Islamabad. However, the crackdown was suspended by the government late night.Related Stories 1 cop killed, 150 injured as Pakistan cracks down on Islamist protests, TV channels go off airIs Pakistan heading towards military coup after Hafiz Saeed’s release?According to reports, the army will be deployed in various parts of the city to secure main offices of the judiciary, Parliament House, Presidency, PM House, foreign missions, foreign office and other crucial installations.The decision to call in army was taken after a violent clash between police and protesting people. The Interior Ministry did not specify when the troops would be deployed, and no soldiers were visible on the streets late Saturday.The government acted under article 245 of the Constitution to deploy the army to control the situation. The development came hours after Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa spoke to Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi over the telephone and discussed the security situation.The government also ordered suspension of private TV channels and blocked popular social media sites.Supporters of an Islamist group have been camped out at a key intersection outside the capital for the last 20 days, and the protest has triggered similar demonstrations across the country.The supporters of the Tehreek-i-Labaik Ya Rasool Allah party are demanding the resignation of a Law Minister over an omitted reference to the prophet in a parliamentary bill. The minister, Zahid Hamid, apologized for the omission — a phrase saying that Muhammad is the last prophet in Islam — saying it was a clerical error that was later corrected.But protest leaders were adamant and refused to clear the intersection unless the law minister resigned.Protestors said that the action undermined Islamic beliefs and linked it to blasphemy. Saturday’s action came after a court ordered an end to the protest because it was disrupting daily life.Smoke rises as Pakistani police officers fire tear gas shell to disperse protesters during a clash in IslamabadInterior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, meanwhile, said that the government had shown patience in dealing with the protesters.“The administration is taking action under court order but still we are open for talks with them,” he said, referring to the protesters. Ahsan said that some among the protesters wanted to create chaos and destabilization in the country.Some protesters who escaped the operation later gathered at a main street in Rawalpindi blocking it and suspending traffic by throwing stones at moving vehicles.In Karachi, groups gathered at three crucial venues blocking streets in protest against the police action in Islamabad. When police used tear gas to disperse them amid the traffic rush hours, protesters threw stones wounding 20 people, including two journalists.Protesters also took to the streets in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Khanewal, Layyah, Vihari, Dera Ghazi Khan and others cities in Punjab province and in the northwestern city of Peshawar, as well as in southern city of Hyderabad, to show solidarity with the Islamabad protesters.Pakistani protesters gather next to burning police vehicles after setting on fire them during a clash in IslamabadIn Lahore, an unruly mob torched a vehicle and damaged others with stoning and staged sit-ins at four key areas in the city.Malik Mohammad Ahmed, the spokesman for Punjab government, said enraged protesters in Rawalpindi attacked the residence of the former interior minister, Chaudhry Nisar, damaging the main gate. He added that they wounded lawmaker Javed Latif in Shaikhupura, hitting him in the head with a stone, and that a furious crowd attacked Law Minister Zahid Hamid’s villa in Pasroor, ransacking the place. /* .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_1692737829 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://static.indiatvnews.com/ins-web/images/lazy-big.jpg", "title": "India TV Video", "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_1692737829 = ''; jwsetup_1692737829(); function jwsetup_1692737829() { jwvidplayer_1692737829 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_1692737829").setup(jwconfig_1692737829); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_1692737829, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"\", ns_st_pr=\"India TV Video\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"India TV Video\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"India TV Video\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"1970-01-01\", ns_st_tdt=\"1970-01-01\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_1692737829.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_1692737829.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_1692737829.stop(); jwvidplayer_1692737829.remove(); jwvidplayer_1692737829 = ''; jwsetup_1692737829(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_1692737829.stop(); jwvidplayer_1692737829.remove(); jwvidplayer_1692737829 = ''; jwsetup_1692737829(); return; }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_1692737829.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Anti-blasphemy protests: Clashes spread across Pakistan, 10 killed, over 250 injured; Army summoned

According to reports, the army will be deployed in various parts of the city to secure main offices of the judiciary, Parliament House, Presidency, PM House, foreign missions, foreign office and other crucial installations.

32e0c893726cf3dc773ae9704ba14595

Japan issues 3rd coronavirus emergency in Tokyo, Osaka areaJapan declared a third state of emergency for Tokyo and three western prefectures on Friday amid skepticism it will be enough to curb a rapid coronavirus resurgence just three months ahead of the Olympics.Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the emergency for Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo from April 25 through May 11.The step is largely intended to be “short and intensive” to stop people from traveling and spreading the virus during Japan’s “Golden Week” holidays from late April through the first week of May, Suga said. He is due to explain the measures at a news conference later Friday as he seeks the public's understanding.ALSO READ | Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga cancels India visit amid rising COVID-19 casesJapan’s third state of emergency since the pandemic began comes only a month after an earlier emergency ended in the Tokyo area. For days, experts and local leaders said ongoing semi-emergency measures have failed and tougher steps are urgently needed.Past emergency measures, issued a year ago and then in January, were toothless and authorized only non-mandatory requests. The government in February toughened a law on anti-virus measures to allow authorities to issue binding orders for nonessential businesses to shorten their hours or close, in exchange for compensation for those who comply and penalties for violators.The measures this time are to include shutdown orders for bars, department stores, malls, theme parks, theaters and museums. Restaurants that do not serve alcohol and public transportation services are asked to close early. Schools will stay open, but universities are asked to return to online classes.Mask-wearing, staying home and other measures for the general public remain non-mandatory requests, and experts worry if they will be followed.Japan, which has had about half a million cases and 10,000 deaths, has not enforced lockdowns. But people are becoming impatient and less cooperative and have largely ignored the ongoing measures as the infections accelerated.Osaka, the epicenter of the latest resurgence, has since April 5 been under semi-emergency status, which was expanded to 10 areas including Tokyo, a step promoted by Suga’s government as an alternative to a state of emergency with less economic damage.Osaka Gov. Hirofumi Yoshimura, who on Tuesday requested the emergency, said the semi-emergency measures were not working and hospitals were overflowing with patients.The virus surge, fueled by a new, more contagious variant detected earlier in Britain, has spread rapidly across the country.The government has also been slow in rolling out vaccinations, leaving the population largely unprotected before the Olympics begin on July 23.The May 11 end of the emergency, just ahead of an expected visit by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Back, triggered speculation that the government is prioritizing the Olympic schedule over people’s health.Suga has been reluctant to hurt the already pandemic-damaged economy and faced criticism for being slow to take virus measures.Japan’s inoculation campaign lags behind many countries, with imported vaccines in short supply while its attempts to develop its own vaccines are still in the early stages. Inoculations started in mid-February but progress has been slow amid shortages of vaccines and healthcare workers.The rapid increase in patients flooding hospitals has raised concerns of a further staff shortage and delay in vaccinations.ALSO READ | Covid 'red list' travel ban begins as UK tracks 55 more Indian variant casesALSO READ | Americans advised to avoid all travels to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Maldives

Japan issues 3rd coronavirus emergency in Tokyo, Osaka area

Japan declared a third state of emergency for Tokyo and three western prefectures on Friday amid skepticism it will be enough to curb a rapid coronavirus resurgence just three months ahead of the Olympics.

91897ad4e6efd4bf5744bc8328271b50

Iraq military: Many feared dead in terrorist attack in northAn attack on a funeral procession in northern Iraq has claimed a number of victims, Iraq’s military said in a statement Friday. The military said the “terrorist” attack in the province of Salahaddin resulted in a “number of victims” but did not provide specific figures.An Iraqi security official said eight people had been killed, among them police and civilians, and that armed militants had opened fire on the crowd.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the attack had been perpetrated by the Islamic State group. The death toll could not be immediately confirmed. The military said it will provide details once an investigation is complete.Northern Iraq has been a hotspot for IS activity since their territorial defeat in 2017 by Iraqi security forces with assistance from the U.S.-led coalition. Iraqi forces routinely carry out anti-IS operations in the rugged mountainous northern region and the deserts of western Iraq where they are known to be holed up.IS attacks have abated in recent years but continue in these areas where security forces are often the target of ambushes, raids and IEDs.At times, IS has managed to launch attacks in the capital. At least 30 people were killed last week in a suicide bombing in the Baghdad suburb of Sadr City. The attack was claimed by IS.ALSO READ: Evacuation flight brings 200 Afghans to US

Iraq military: Many feared dead in terrorist attack in north

An Iraqi security official said eight people had been killed, among them police and civilians, and that armed militants had opened fire on the crowd.

a23b9f6fe217968a2fd344e739929b0b

 The White House said on Monday evening that if China goes through with its promise to retaliate against the US tariffs announced last week, Washington will impose new tariffs.Further escalating the ongoing trade war with China, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened to impose tariffs on an additional $200 billion worth of Chinese goods.The White House said on Monday evening that if China goes through with its promise to retaliate against the US tariffs announced last week, Washington will impose new tariffs.Related Stories US-China agreement on cybertheft a first step to real progressIndia to suffer due to US-China trade war, says AssochamTrump in China: US President to be accorded 'state visit-plus' welcomeIn a statement, Trump said he had US Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer, to draw up a list of $200 billion in Chinese products that will be hit with tariffs of 10 per cent if China refuses his demands to narrow the yawning American trade deficit and change its industrial policies.The Chinese Commerce Ministry reacted quickly to Trump's announcement, calling it "blackmail" and accused the US of "extreme pressure and extortionist behaviour". It warned it would "strike back hard"."If the US loses its senses and publishes a new list, China will be forced to take comprehensive measures that are both strong in quantity and gravity and will fight back," it read on Tuesday.The vow of retaliation was reiterated by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang. "We don't want a trade war, yet we are not afraid of a trade war," he said.The escalating conflict between the world's two largest economies has rattled markets and companies, which fear disruption to their global supply chains. Stock markets in Asia fell sharply on Tuesday, with Shanghai faring the worst, down 3.8 per cent. European markets also suffered, trading more than 1 per cent lower.Trump insists that China has been unfairly benefiting from a trade imbalance with the US for years.The tariffs, which the US government said were punishment for intellectual property theft, will be enacted in two waves. More than 800 exports, about $34 billion worth, will be subject to tariffs starting July 6. Another 280 or so still need to undergo a public comment period, and will take effect later, CNN reported."Further action must be taken to encourage China to change its unfair practices, open its market to US goods, and accept a more balanced trade relationship with the United States," Trump said.The Trump administration on June 15 said that it will impose a 25 per cent tariff on $50 billion of Chinese exports. China, claiming the US had "launched a trade war", retaliated immediately, outlining its own tariffs on US goods worth $50 billion, including agricultural goods, cars and marine products.However, none of the tariffs announced by the US on Monday will take effect until industries and consumers have a chance to make their views known in a 60-day public comment period.The tariffs if implemented would dramatically expand the goods facing trade measures to a range of consumer items, forcing Americans to pay more for smartphones, computers, toys, and televisions among other products.

US-China trade war: President Donald Trump threatens to impose additional $200 bn tariffs on Chinese imports

The escalating conflict between the world's two largest economies has rattled markets and companies, which fear disruption to their global supply chains.

5dcf02b19b6601a24ba3f616da865689

 The 56 km-long Tuen Ma Line has 27 stations and connects Tuen Mun to Wu Kai Sha of the New TerritoriesTuen Ma Line, the longest railway line in Hong Kong, will fully open on Sunday, running through the eastern and western New Territories and Kowloon.   Chief Executive Carrie Lam officiated a ceremony celebrating the opening of Tuen Ma Line on Saturday, saying it was another major transport infrastructure completed by the current government, reports Xinhua news agency.The city government will continue to improve Hong Kong's railway network to make it more convenient for the public to travel, she added. The 56 km-long Tuen Ma Line has 27 stations and connects Tuen Mun to Wu Kai Sha of the New Territories, making Hong Kong's railway network more comprehensive. Tuen Ma Line Phase 1 was opened on February 14, 2020. One of the challenges in the construction of Tuen Ma Line was heritage conservation. A large number of relics were found when Sung Wong Toi Station was being built. The government decided to conserve most of the important relics and display the archaeological finds in the concourse of the station.

Hong Kong's longest railway line to open fully

The 56 km-long Tuen Ma Line has 27 stations and connects Tuen Mun to Wu Kai Sha of the New Territories, making Hong Kong's railway network more comprehensive. Tuen Ma Line Phase 1 was opened on February 14, 2020

72fa5dae1eca4dcfdf96880b499963dc

French IT consultant, Amelie Desroziers, 25, goes jogging for her daily one hour exercise during a nationwide confinement to counter the Covid-19, in Paris, Tuesday, April 7, 2020. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)The coronavirus pandemic continued its rampage in France with 541 additional deaths in hospitals in the last 24 hours, bringing the toll in sanitary establishments to 7,632, Director General of Health Jerome Salomon said.Due to technical problems, health authorities were unable to update human losses registered in care establishments for the elderly on Wednesday, maintaining the count at 3,237, he added, Xinhua news agency reported.It means that the total official toll from the coronavirus now stands at 10,869, and it is likely incomplete. France reported its first COVID-19 death, an 80-year-old tourist from China, on February 14.Salomon also said at the daily conference that there were now 7,148 people in intensive care, an increase of 17 from the day earlier, the lowest daily increase recorded in weeks, which offered the French health system a much-needed relief.Since the start of the epidemic, the number of people who have recovered is increasing every day, the official noted. In total, 21,254 patients in France have recovered."Tension is barely easing in some regions, but remains very strong in others, such as (the north-central French region of) Ile-de-France," Salomon said, warning that "COVID-19 pandemic is still very active.""Staying at home is acting against the virus," he added, calling confinement as "the most efficient weapon against the spread of the virus.""You are the major actors in this fight. All together we have slowed down this deadly pandemic, and we will curb it further," he stressed.France decided on March 17 to put its 67 million residents into lockdown to curb the spread of the virus. The measures have been extended until April 15.On Wednesday evening, the French presidency announced that the confinement will be extended again and President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation next Monday to declare further measures to fight the coronavirus.

Coronavirus fatalities in France rise by 541 to 7,632

The coronavirus pandemic continued its rampage in France with 541 additional deaths in hospitals in the last 24 hours, bringing the toll in sanitary establishments to 7,632, Director General of Health Jerome Salomon said.

d00ad650cc29692ea724dc7b1c8890fd

China is 'greatest threat' to US, says FBI directorFederal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray has said that acts of espionage and theft by China's government pose the "greatest long-term threat" to the future of the US. Speaking to the Hudson Institute in Washington, Wray described a multi-pronged disruption campaign. the BBC reported on Wednesday.He said China had begun targeting Chinese nationals living abroad, coercing their return, and was working to compromise US coronavirus research."The stakes could not be higher," Wray said, adding: "China is engaged in a whole-of-state effort to become the world's only superpower by any means necessary," he added.In a nearly hour-long speech on Tuesday, the FBI Director outlined a stark picture of Chinese interference, a far-reaching campaign of economic espionage, data and monetary theft and illegal political activities, using bribery and blackmail to influence US policy."We've now reached a point where the FBI is now opening a new China-related counterintelligence case every 10 hours," Wray said. "Of the nearly 5,000 active counterintelligence cases currently underway across the country, almost half are related to China."He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had spearheaded a programme called "Fox Hunt", geared at Chinese nationals living abroad seen as threats to the Chinese government."We're talking about political rivals, dissidents, and critics seeking to expose China's extensive human rights violations," he said. "The Chinese government wants to force them to return to China, and China's tactics to accomplish that are shocking."He continued: "When it couldn't locate one Fox Hunt target, the Chinese government sent an emissary to visit the target's family here in the United States. The message they said to pass on? The target had two options: return to China promptly, or commit suicide."This is not the first time FBI Director Christopher Wray categorised China as a "top intelligence threat" for the US, but on Tuesday he ramped up the criticism by focussing on Beijing's "whole-of-state effort" to become the world's only superpower.It clearly signals that Washington now sees Beijing not only as an aggressive adversary, but also an ambitious contender for global leadership.Since the Covid-19 outbreak in the US, the Donald Trump administration has unleashed anger over China from its initial response to coronavirus, economic espionage to Hong Kong's new national security law.Wray's remarks are among a series of hard-hitting speeches by senior US officials on the topic.The Trump administration says it's now time to wake up from the 40 years of policy failures with regard to China, while critics see this as an attempt to deflect attention from the president own failures in office and to increase his chances of winning re-election.

China is 'greatest threat' to US, says FBI director

In a nearly hour-long speech on Tuesday, the FBI Director outlined a stark picture of Chinese interference, a far-reaching campaign of economic espionage, data and monetary theft and illegal political activities, using bribery and blackmail to influence US policy.

c211bfd1ca82315b5e0f4e57e6e2dd0a

US President Donald J. Trump hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at the White House on June 26 for an official visit to Washington, D.C.In marking 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and the United States, the leaders resolved to expand and deepen the strategic partnership between the countries and advance common objectives. Above all, these objectives include combatting terrorist threats, promoting stability across the Indo-Pacific region, increasing free and fair trade, and strengthening energy linkages. President Trump and Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that, together, the United States and India will provide strong leadership to address global challenges and build prosperity for their citizens in the decades to come. As responsible stewards in the Indo-Pacific region, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed that a close partnership between the United States and India is central to peace and stability in the region. Recognizing the significant progress achieved in these endeavors, the leaders agreed to take further measures to strengthen their partnership. In accordance with the tenets outlined in the U.N. Charter, they committed to a set of common principles for the region, according to which sovereignty and international law are respected and every country can prosper. To this end, the leaders: reiterate the importance of respecting freedom of navigation, overflight, and commerce throughout the region;call upon all nations to resolve territorial and maritime disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law;support bolstering regional economic connectivity through the transparent development of infrastructure and the use of responsible debt financing practices, while ensuring respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, the rule of law, and the environment; andcall on other nations in the region to adhere to these principles. President Trump welcomed further Indian contributions to promote Afghanistan’s democracy, stability, prosperity, and security. Recognizing the importance of their respective strategic partnerships with Afghanistan, the leaders committed to continue close consultations and cooperation in support of Afghanistan’s future.In accord with India’s Think West policy, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi resolved to increase cooperation, enhance diplomatic consultations, and increase tangible collaboration with partners in the Middle East. The leaders strongly condemned continued provocations by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), emphasizing that its destabilizing pursuit of nuclear and ballistic missile programs poses a grave threat to regional security and global peace. The leaders called on DPRK to strictly abide by its international obligations and commitments. The leaders pledged to work together to counter the DPRK’s weapons of mass destruction programs, including by holding accountable all parties that support these programs. The Leaders stressed that terrorism is a global scourge that must be fought and terrorist safe havens rooted out in every part of the world. They resolved that India and the United States will fight together against this grave challenge to humanity. They committed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats from groups including Al-Qa’ida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, D-Company, and their affiliates. India appreciated the United States designation of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leader as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist as evidence of the commitment of the United States to end terror in all its forms. In this spirit, the leaders welcomed a new consultation mechanism on domestic and international terrorist designations listing proposals. The leaders called on Pakistan to ensure that its territory is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries. They further called on Pakistan to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot, and other cross-border terrorist attacks perpetrated by Pakistan-based groups. The leaders announced increased cooperation to prevent terrorist travel and to disrupt global recruitment efforts by expanding intelligence-sharing and operational-level counterterrorism cooperation. They welcomed commencement of the exchange of information on known and suspected terrorists for travel screening. They further resolved to strengthen information exchange on plans, movements and linkages of terrorist groups and their leaders, as well as on raising and moving of funds by terrorist groups. The leaders also affirmed their support for a U.N. Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism that will advance and strengthen the framework for global cooperation and reinforce the message that no cause or grievance justifies terrorism. They also pledged to work together to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems and to deny access to such weapons by terrorists and non-state actors.President Trump and Prime Minister Modi pledged to deepen defense and security cooperation, building on the United States’ recognition of India as a Major Defense Partner. The United States and India look forward to working together on advanced defense equipment and technology at a level commensurate with that of the closest allies and partners of the United States. Reflecting the partnership, the United States has offered for India’s consideration the sale of Sea Guardian Unmanned Aerial Systems, which would enhance India’s capabilities and promote shared security interests. Resolving to expand their maritime security cooperation, the leaders announced their intention to build on the implementation of their "White Shipping” data sharing arrangement, which enhances collaboration on maritime domain awareness. President Trump welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s strong support for the United States to join as an Observer in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium. Noting the importance of the upcoming MALABAR naval exercise, the leaders determined to expand their engagements on shared maritime objectives and to explore new exercises. As global nonproliferation partners, the United States expressed strong support for India’s early membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Wassenaar Arrangement, and the Australia Group. President Trump reaffirmed the support of the United States for India’s permanent membership on a reformed U.N. Security Council. The leaders committed that the United States and India -- leading engines of growth in the global economy -- should intensify their economic cooperation to make their nations stronger and their citizens more prosperous. Noting that extensive economic and tax reforms launched in their respective countries will unlock immense economic opportunities for both countries, the leaders committed to further expanding and balancing the trade relationship and to removing obstacles to growth and jobs creation. They also resolved to pursue increased commercial engagement in a manner that advances the principles of free and fair trade. To this end, the United States and India plan to undertake a comprehensive review of trade relations with the goal of expediting regulatory processes; ensuring that technology and innovation are appropriately fostered, valued, and protected; and increasing market access in areas such as agriculture, information technology, and manufactured goods and services. President Trump and Prime Minister Modi further committed to strengthening cooperation to address excess capacity in industrial sectors. They called on their teams to find creative ways to improve bilateral trade. Surveying United States-India energy ties and the two countries’ respective energy strategies, the leaders affirmed the continued importance of their Strategic Energy Partnership and of leveraging new opportunities to elevate cooperation to enhance global energy security. The leaders called for a rational approach that balances environment and climate policy, global economic development, and energy security needs. President Trump affirmed that the United States continues to remove barriers to energy development and investment in the United States and to U.S. energy exports so that more natural gas, clean coal, and renewable resources and technologies are available to fuel India’s economic growth and inclusive development. Prime Minister Modi and President Trump looked forward to conclusion of contractual agreements between Westinghouse Electric Company and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India for six nuclear reactors in India and also related project financing. Both leaders welcomed upcoming visits between India and the United States that will expand energy and innovation linkages across the energy sector and deepen cooperation, including on more efficient fossil fuel technologies, smart grids, and energy storage. They supported financing of energy projects, including clean coal projects, by Multilateral Development Banks to promote universal access to affordable and reliable energy.Recognizing that we are in an increasingly digital world, the leaders agreed to intensify the mutually beneficial partnership to fully harness their innovation capabilities to solve global developmental challenges. As global partners, the United States and India resolved to further strengthen their collaboration in health, space, oceans, and other areas of science and technology. The leaders also agreed to strengthen their cooperation to address the growing threats and challenges from malicious cyber activity and committed to work together to promote an open, interoperable, secure, and reliable cyberspace environment that supports innovation, economic growth, and commerce.Applauding the entrepreneurship and innovation of Indians and Indian-Americans that have directly benefitted both nations, President Trump welcomed India’s formal entry into the International Expedited Traveler Initiative (Global Entry program) in order to facilitate closer business and educational ties between the citizens of India and the United States. President Trump gladly accepted Prime Minister Modi’s invitation to visit India. They look forward to working together in a spirit of friendship in the years to come.

Modi-Trump talks: India, US joint statement – Prosperity through partnership

US President Donald J. Trump hosted Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at the White House on June 26 for an official visit to Washington, D.C

977fdaa788a6a7443f868e68629d78c2

US President Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump has defended his administration’s decision to give temporary exemptions to eight countries, including India and China, from the ban on Iranian oil imports and pointed out that it was done so to keep global oil prices down.On Monday, the United States imposed “the toughest ever” sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime’s “behaviour”. Related Stories Iran offers crude oil to private sector to counter US sanctionsEnough supply of petroleum for countries to cut oil import from Iran: Donald TrumpWill continue to engage with US and other stakeholders: MEA on Trump administration's sanctions against IranThe Trump administration-imposed sanctions on Iran’s banking and energy sectors and reinstated penalties for countries and companies in Europe, Asia and elsewhere that do not halt Iranian oil imports.However, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that eight countries—India, China, Italy, Greece, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Turkey—were temporarily allowed to continue buying Iranian oil as they showed “significant reduction” in oil purchase from the Persian Gulf country.“We have the toughest sanctions ever imposed. But on oil, we want to go a little bit slow because I don’t want to drive the oil prices in the world up,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington on Monday before leaving on a campaign trail for the mid-term polls.He, however, emphasised that his effort to keep the oil prices down has nothing to do with Iran.When asked about his decision to give temporary exemptions to eight countries from the ban on Iranian oil imports, Trump said, “I’m not looking to be a great hero and bring it down to zero immediately. I could get the Iran oil down to zero immediately, but it would cause a shock to the market. I don’t want to lift oil prices.”“If you notice, oil prices are going down very substantially, despite the fact that already half of their capacity is gone. But I don’t want to do that,” he said.“I saw some people saying, ‘Oh, why aren’t you tougher on that?’ Well, the sanctions are very tough and I don’t want to lift the oil prices worldwide by clamping down 100 per cent. It will be gradual,” the US president said.However, the Democratic Party leadership criticized Trump for giving exemptions to some of the major Iranian oil importers.House Democratic Whip Steny H Hoyer said, “Rather than achieving its stated goal of eliminating Iran’s oil exports altogether, the administration has issued ‘exemptions’ for major Iranian oil importers, allowing Iran to earn billions of dollars from oil sale.”“These exemptions are premised on significant reductions of Iranian oil imports by countries such as China and Turkey when there is minimal evidence of such reductions. This waters down the integrity of sanctions and communicates to the rest of the world that others do not have to abide by the US restrictions,” he said.Hoyer alleged that by “tearing” up the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Trump administration has isolated the United States and undermined the multilateral efforts to curb Iran’s “dangerous” behaviour.Congressman Adam Schiff, the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee, said by reinstating sanctions without justification, Trump is pitting the United States against European allies and increasing its reliance on Saudi Arabia at a time when that country is “implicated in a plot to assassinate” on foreign soil a journalist and its outspoken critic.“The downside risks to this policy are manifold – it could cause Iran to restart its nuclear enrichment efforts, bringing us closer to a military confrontation,” he said.Schiff said, “The Trump administration’s unilateral re-imposition of these sanctions will also accelerate efforts to facilitate transactions through alternative financial channels that are not reachable by the US sanctions and into which we will have limited visibility.”US National Security Advisor John Bolton claimed that the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran failed to permanently block all paths to an Iranian nuclear bomb.“Further, its negotiators failed to secure any restrictions on Iran’s other destabilizing activities, including the regime’s ballistic missile development and proliferation,” he told a New York audience.President Donald Trump had in May pulled the US out of the landmark Iran nuclear deal, an Obama-era accord which he has repeatedly criticised as “disastrous”. Democratic Senator Tom Udall, who is also a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said, “Led by people like John Bolton, who believe that we should bomb Iran, I fear the Trump administration is marching toward another catastrophic war in the Middle East.” “This administration’s reckless withdrawal from the JCPOA has squandered our best opportunity to prevent a nuclear Iran, moving us closer to a military conflict that the American people don’t want – all while undercutting our most importance alliances abroad,” he said.But Senator Bob Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Trump administration deserves credit for re-imposing sanctions and dramatically reducing Iran’s oil exports and revenues.Imposing maximal economic pressure on Iran is vital for getting Tehran back to the table, he said.(With PTI inputs)

‘Exemptions to keep global oil prices down’: Trump defends waiver to 8 countries including India from ban on Iranian oil imports

On Monday, the United States imposed “the toughest ever” sanctions on a defiant Iran aimed at altering the Iranian regime’s “behaviour”.

94f7c3d65043a8dc8b5a00d0039c4a09

Flames blocked escape for 34 divers on California boatIt’s not known what started the fire early Monday aboard the Conception, which carried scuba diving enthusiasts on a three-day excursion. It spread rapidly and flames blocked both exits out of the lower deck, where passengers and one crew member were sleeping in tight quarters, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said.Flames roared through a boat of sleeping scuba divers so quickly that it appears none of the 34 people below deck could escape, authorities said Tuesday as they ended their search without finding anyone who was missing still alive from the Labor Day tragedy off the Southern California coast.The captain and four crew members awake on the upper decks jumped off the front of the vessel, swam to an inflatable boat at the back and steered it to a ship anchored nearby. Authorities have interviewed them but haven’t said what efforts they made to help the 34 people trapped aboard before abandoning ship.Twenty bodies have been pulled from the sunken vessel that had been anchored close to the shore of Santa Cruz Island, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) off the coast and northwest of Los Angeles. Four to six other bodies have been spotted underwater, and divers are looking for the remaining people who are missing.Among those believed to be dead are five members of one family and the marine biologist leading the diving tour.“We’re sensitive to the fact that families have gathered today, some from outside of the area, to bring their loved ones home,” Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Mark Hartwig told reporters. Those families “will rely on us to do everything in our power to find out happened aboard that vessel in the last moments of these family members’ lives. That’s our commitment.”DNA will be needed to identify all the victims, and authorities will be using the same rapid analysis tool that identified victims of the deadly wildfire that devastated the Northern California town of Paradise last year, the sheriff said.ALSO READ: California boat fire: Search for survivors on diving boat called off as 34 presumed deadALSO READ: At least 25 confirmed dead in boat fire in CaliforniaALSO READ: Dozens feared dead in California dive-boat fireWATCH|  /* .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_7498282978 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_65ucrqf5_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_65ucrqf5_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Coast Guard video shows US dive boat on fire", "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_7498282978 = ''; jwsetup_7498282978(); function jwsetup_7498282978() { jwvidplayer_7498282978 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_7498282978").setup(jwconfig_7498282978); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_7498282978, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_65ucrqf5\", ns_st_pr=\"Coast Guard video shows US dive boat on fire\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Coast Guard video shows US dive boat on fire\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Coast Guard video shows US dive boat on fire\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2019-09-04\", ns_st_tdt=\"2019-09-04\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_65ucrqf5_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_7498282978.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_7498282978.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_7498282978.stop(); jwvidplayer_7498282978.remove(); jwvidplayer_7498282978 = ''; jwsetup_7498282978(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_7498282978.stop(); jwvidplayer_7498282978.remove(); jwvidplayer_7498282978 = ''; jwsetup_7498282978(); return; }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7498282978.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Video: Flames blocked escape for 34 divers on California boat; Coast Guard releases footage

Flames roared through a boat of sleeping scuba divers so quickly that it appears none of the 34 people below deck could escape, authorities said Tuesday as they ended their search without finding anyone who was missing still alive from the Labor Day tragedy off the Southern California coast.

144c555259312a8c3c10dbfe43d0dd5f

north koreaNorth Korea has released a Japanese citizen held in custody for allegedly violating its law, saying that the decision was made "on the principle of humanitarianism", its state-run media reported.Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday night confirmed the release of Tomoyuki Sugimoto, a Japanese who had been under investigation for an unspecified crime, reports Yonhap News Agency. He was "kept under control by a relevant institution to be inquired into his crime against the law of North Korea", the KCNA said in an English dispatch."The relevant institution of North Korea decided to leniently condone him and expel him from North Korea on the principle of humanitarianism," it added. The North's media outlet did not provide detailed information about the crime he allegedly committed and from when he had been kept in custody.Japanese media speculate that the man might be a 39-year-old video creator that they reported in mid-August to have been arrested in North Korea. The man is presumed to have been sent to China either by train or airplane. The Japanese government is said to be working to confirm where he is now.Japan has stepped up its demand for North Korea to resolve the issue of its people kidnapped by Pyongyang decades ago.The North has claimed the issue was already resolved, while demanding Japan to apologise for its colonial-era atrocities and make appropriate compensation for the crimes.

North Korea releases Japanese citizen on 'humanitarian' grounds

Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday night confirmed the release of Tomoyuki Sugimoto, a Japanese who had been under investigation for an unspecified crime.

d04fa785550308fb8987fc9e778c7239

Four explosions rock Kabul; 2 security personnel killed, 6 injuredFour explosions rocked Kabul on Saturday, killing two security forces members and injuring six others, Tolo News reported. The blasts, which occurred within three hours, caused panic among the people who have been witnessing similar incidents nearly every day over the last few weeks, Tolo News reported.The first explosion happened at around 7:02 am (local time) on Saturday morning in the Chaman-e-Hozoori area in Kabul's PD8, leaving no casualties, according to police. The incident was a magnetic improvised explosive device (IED) blast, police said.The second explosion took place in the west of Kabul at around 7:05 am in which a magnetic IED blast targeted a vehicle carrying a senior official from the VIP protection unit, police said.According to police, two police force members were wounded in the blast.The third explosion that occurred in the Deh Sabz area in the east of Kabul, was a roadside bomb blast, targetting a police vehicle in which three security force members were wounded, police said.The fourth blast happened in the Deh Bori area in the west of Kabul at around 9:05 am in which a police vehicle was targeted, police said.Photos on social media show that some houses and shops have been damaged in the explosion in the Deh Bori area.The increase in blasts and violence in various parts of the country come amidst peace efforts. (With ANI inputs)

2 security personnel killed, 6 others injured as serial blasts rock Kabul

Photos on social media show that some houses and shops have been damaged in the explosion in the Deh Bori area.

ac8539e4619a18f7a3251153320aa905

Indian youth found murdered in Canada, community members suspect hate crimeA 23-year-old Indian was found murdered at an apartment in Truro town of Canada’s Nova Scotia province, with community members suspecting it a racially- motivated hate crime, according to media reports.David MacNeil of the Truro Police Service said a 911 call from 494 Robie St at 2 am on Sunday brought officers to the apartment building, where they found a man with life-threatening injuries, CBC Canada reported.MacNeil confirmed the victim was Prabhjot Singh Katri who later died of his injuries. Singh worked for Layton's taxi as well as one or two restaurants in Truro.Police are treating the death as a homicide, the report said. A man was arrested in connection with the murder but was later released."We executed several search warrants on the weekend and we did have a person of interest that was arrested shortly after. However, they have since been released from our custody without charges related to this homicide at this time," MacNeil said."That man remains a person of interest," he said. MacNeil said he met with the victim's family, friends, and members of the local Indian-Canadian community Sunday night to express his condolences.Singh came to Canada from India in 2017 to study."Singh was a hard-working young man with a bright future and this is an absolutely senseless loss of life," MacNeil said. "The community is outraged by this."A GoFundMe has been set up in an effort to send Singh's body to India, CTV News reported. Singh's friends are worried that the attack was a racially motivated hate crime, the report said. Jatinder Kumardeep said Singh was "an innocent guy coming back from his job. He drives a taxi."Kumardeep said he has not slept since his friend died. Kumardeep said there are few international students in Truro, so most get to know each other. They both come from Punjab, India, and so bonded in Nova Scotia. "We feel very unsafe," he said."We are also people. Brown people also matter. We are giving our everything to this country," he said. "Why is this happening to us?" Agampal Singh said his friend was a good person. "Nothing was robbed. Even his phone was in his pocket," Singh said. "We don't have any idea why this happened."His friend had no enemies, he said. "He was a very innocent guy. Never had bad company, never smoked, never drank, he didn't touch drugs. He had only a few friends here," Agampal said."He didn't talk with people he didn't know. I think it might be a hate crime." "We are coming to this country for a good future," he said. "We are not safe. I can't even sleep." MacNeil, however, said, "Contrary to social media, we have no information on the motive that we're releasing at this point in time," "We don't believe there is any ongoing threat to the public," he added, without offering the reasons behind that assessment.He did not say if the police think the attack was random, or that the attacker targeted Singh. MacNeil said the investigation was ongoing. The crime scene at the apartment building has been released. Police did not release the victim's name, nor provide information on any suspects. 

Indian youth found murdered in Canada, community members suspect hate crime

Police are treating the death as a homicide. A man was arrested in connection with the murder but was later released.

f627168793db119a0f1314ebe33b9dd8

Breaking News October 18The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 39 million, including more than 1,114,547 fatalities. More than 29,884,019 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 18, 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.

f80742888ea16b10cac15d0290adfb2b

Afghans inspect damage of Ahmadi family house after US drone strike in Kabul.It felt like hell itself had opened up, said Ramal Ahmadi, who was watching cartoons with his nephew when a U.S. drone slammed into his family’s courtyard where just moments before there had been a noisy celebration to greet the family’s oldest brother.The last thing Ahmadi remembers was the sound of his brother’s car horn announcing his arrival and the squealing of the children. He says his mind “is not right” since that day.Sunday’s U.S. drone strike killed 10 members of his family, six of them children, Ahmadi said.Senior U.S. military officials said the drone strike hit an Islamic State target and weakened the extremists’ ability to further disrupt the final phase of the U.S. withdrawal and evacuation of thousands of people from Afghanistan. Three days before the drone strike, an IS suicide bomber had attacked a crowded gate at Kabul airport, killing 13 U.S. service members and 169 Afghans.Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Wednesday that at least one of those killed in the drone strike was an Islamic State “facilitator.”White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged the reports of civilian casualties on Thursday and said they were being investigated. Previously, American officials have noted that subsequent explosions resulted from the destruction of the vehicle and may have caused additional casualties.But an enraged Ahmadi family is demanding proof — and disputes that the car was carrying explosives.“They have to give us answers. Is our blood so worthless, we don’t even get an explanation?” Ahmadi asked.Analysts warned that the risk of civilian casualties during drone strikes will only grow, now that the U.S. no longer has on-the-ground intelligence.Inside the courtyard of the family home, Emal, another Ahmadi brother, recently picked through the twisted ruins of the devastated hulk of the Toyota Corolla. Inside was a blood-soaked child’s shirt.He said some family members, including children, were in the car when it was hit. He contended that if there had been a bomb in the vehicle there would be far more damage to the courtyard and house. He pointed to two undamaged gas cylinders tucked away in a corner of the courtyard.“If the car was filled with explosives like the Americans say, why didn’t these cylinders explode,” asked Emal. He also pointed to a shoddily constructed brick wall nearby the gutted car. “How could the wall still be standing if this car had been full of explosives?”But American officials, including some who watched the strike in real-time on video feeds, said the U.S. had been watching the car for several hours and saw people loading explosives into the trunk.The compound in Kabul’s Khoja Boghra neighborhood was home to four Ahmadi brothers and their families — 25 people in all. The roads that weave through the middle-class neighborhood pass homes hidden behind high walls and gates.For the Ahmadis, the accusation that their family was involved with the Islamic State group is a devastating one.“If you have proof I say ‘go ahead kill me’ but show me the proof,” said Emal, whose 3-year old daughter Malika was among the dead.Their oldest brother, Zamarai, and a nephew Nasir Haideri — both of whom were killed in the strike — had worked for U.S. government-allied firms and had applied for special immigrant visas granted to Afghans with such ties to the U.S. They were being processed at the time of the strike.Emal said 30-year-old Nasir, who was to have been married just days after the strike, had dreamed of going to America.The surviving brothers showed the commendation letters the relatives had included in their submissions for the visas.Emal, who has also applied for one of the visas, said he struggled to understand why the family compound was struck. “They have such high technology they can see an ant on the ground, but they couldn’t see a yard full of children?” he asked.Milley said Sunday’s strike was based on good intelligence, including a review of video. “We monitored that through various means and all of the engagement criteria were being met,” he said. “We went through the same level of rigor that we’ve done for years and we took a strike.”Psaki pushed back against the idea that a lack of solid on-the-ground intelligence is hampering the United States. She said that there are many countries where the U.S. has no military presence on the ground, “but we can still prevent terrorist groups from metastasizing and posing threats.”But Douglas London, who served as the CIA’s counterterrorism chief overseeing the region before retiring in 2019, said the strike and resulting deaths “really illustrates our handicap by having no presence on the ground to collect the best quality and most timely intelligence.”Not having U.S. or long-trained Afghan partner forces on the ground also foreclosed other possibilities, like potentially stopping the car before it entered a crowded residential area, he said.“A strike in a congested area would have been the last choice we would have made,” said London, author of the forthcoming book, “The Recruiter: Spying and the Lost Art of American Intelligence.” /* .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_8155103700 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_yx9nhq0f/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_yx9nhq0f_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport", "height": "440px", "width": "100%", "aspectratio": "16:9", "autostart": false, "controls": true, "mute": false, "volume": 25, "floating": false, "sharing": { "code": "", "sites": [ "facebook", "twitter", "email" ] }, "stretching": "exactfit", "primary": "html5", "hlshtml": true, "sharing_link": "", "duration": "419", "advertising": { "client": "vast", "autoplayadsmuted": true, "skipoffset": 5, "cuetext": "", "skipmessage": "Skip ad in xx", "skiptext": "SKIP", "preloadAds": true, "schedule": [ { "offset": "pre", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PreRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" }, { "offset": "50%", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_MidRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=" }, { "offset": "post", "tag": "https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?iu=/8323530/Eng_Video_Desktop_PostRoll&description_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.indiatvnews.com&tfcd=0&npa=0&sz=640x480&gdfp_req=1&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&env=vp&impl=s&correlator=", "type": "linear" } ] } }; var jwvidplayer_8155103700 = ''; jwsetup_8155103700(); function jwsetup_8155103700() { jwvidplayer_8155103700 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_8155103700").setup(jwconfig_8155103700); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_8155103700, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_yx9nhq0f\", ns_st_pr=\"Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Afghanistan: US drone strike kills suicide bombers targeting Kabul airport\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-08-29\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-08-29\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/08/0_yx9nhq0f/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_8155103700.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_8155103700.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_8155103700.stop(); jwvidplayer_8155103700.remove(); jwvidplayer_8155103700 = ''; jwsetup_8155103700(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_8155103700.stop(); jwvidplayer_8155103700.remove(); jwvidplayer_8155103700 = ''; jwsetup_8155103700(); return; }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_8155103700.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

US defends strike that Afghan family says killed innocents

The last thing Ahmadi remembers was the sound of his brother’s car horn announcing his arrival and the squealing of the children. He says his mind “is not right” since that day.

bd43133282842a79faf6da22cf549ed4

Hong Kong police draw guns, water cannons; 36 arrested in latest protestHong Kong police drew their guns and fired a warning shot Sunday night after protesters attacked officers with sticks and rods, and brought out water cannon trucks for the first time, an escalation in the summerlong protests that have shaken the city’s government and residents.The day’s main showdown took place on a major drag in the outlying Tsuen Wan district following a protest march that ended in a nearby park. While a large crowd rallied in the park, a group of hard-line protesters took over a main street, strewing bamboo poles on the pavement and lining up orange and white traffic barriers and cones to obstruct police.After hoisting warning flags, police used tear gas to try to disperse the crowd. Protesters responded by throwing bricks and gasoline bombs toward the police. The result was a surreal scene of small fires and scattered paving bricks on the street between the two sides, rising clouds of tear gas and green and blue laser lights pointed by the protesters at the police.The protesters eventually decided to abandon their position. Two water cannon trucks and a phalanx of police vehicles with flashing lights joined riot police on foot as they advanced up the street. They met little resistance. Television footage showed a water cannon being fired once, but perhaps more as a test, as it didn’t appear to reach the retreating protesters.Officers pulled their guns after a group of remaining protesters chased them down a street with sticks and rods, calling them “gangsters.” The officers held up their shields to defend themselves as they retreated. Police said that one officer fell to the ground and six drew their pistols after they were surrounded, with one firing the warning shot.Some protesters said they’re resorting to violence because the government has not responded to their peaceful demonstrations.“The escalation you’re seeing now is just a product of our government’s indifference toward the people of Hong Kong,” said Rory Wong, who was at the showdown after the march.One neighborhood resident, Dong Wong, complained about the tear gas.“I live on the 15th floor and I can even smell it at home,” he said. “I have four dogs, sneezing, sneezing all day. ... The protesters didn’t do anything, they just blocked the road to protect themselves.”Police said they arrested 36 people, including a 12-year-old, for offenses such as unlawful assembly, possession of an offensive weapon and assaulting police officers.Earlier Sunday, tens of thousands of umbrella-carrying protesters marched in the rain. Many filled Tsuen Wan Park, the endpoint of the rally, chanting, “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.The march in Hong Kong’s New Territories started near the Kwai Fong train station, which has become a focal point for protesters after police used tear gas there earlier this month. Police with riot gear could be seen moving into position along the march route.Protesters have taken to the semiautonomous Chinese territory’s streets for more than two months. Their demands include democratic elections and an investigation into police use of force to quell the protests.A large group clashed with police on Saturday after a march in the Kowloon Bay neighborhood, building barricades and setting fires in the streets. Police said they arrested 29 people for various offenses, including unlawful assembly, possession of offensive weapons and assaulting police officers.The clashes, while not as prolonged or violent as some earlier ones, ended a brief lull in the violence. The protests, which began in early June, had turned largely peaceful the previous weekend, after weeks of escalating violence.In nearby Macao, another Chinese territory, a pro-Beijing committee chose a businessman as the gambling hub’s next leader with little of the controversy surrounding the government in Hong Kong.Ho Iat-seng, running unopposed, will succeed current leader Chui Sai-on in December. Asked about the protests in Hong Kong, the 62-year-old Ho said they would end eventually, like a major typhoon.Protesters in Hong Kong have demanded that the city’s leader, Carrie Lam, also chosen by a pro-Beijing committee, step down, though that demand has evolved into a broader call for fully democratic elections.

Hong Kong police draw guns, water cannons; 36 arrested in latest protest

The day’s main showdown took place on a major drag in the outlying Tsuen Wan district following a protest march that ended in a nearby park. While a large crowd rallied in the park, a group of hard-line protesters took over a main street, strewing bamboo poles on the pavement and lining up orange and white traffic barriers and cones to obstruct police.

cfd5065b63f58376cb0ca7cd855127af

The Lakhta Centre tower under construction, the headquarters of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom, is silhouetted against the sunset in St. Petersburg, Russia, on April 15, 2018. Russia has been fulfilling its long-term contracts to supply gas to Europe, but it's been selling less on the spot market and hasn't been filling the storage containers it owns in Europe, experts say. Fears are rising about what would happen to Europe's energy supply if Russia were to invade Ukraine and then shut off natural gas exports in retaliation for US and European sanctions. The tensions show the risk of Europe's reliance on Russia for energy, which supplies about a third of the continent's natural gas. And Europe's stockpile is already low. While the US has pledged to help by boosting exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, there's only so much it can produce at once.It leaves Europe in a potential crisis, with its gas already sapped by a cold winter last year, a summer with little renewable energy generation and Russia delivering less than usual. Prices have skyrocketed, squeezing households and businesses. Here's what to know about Europe's energy supply if tensions boil over into war and Russia is hit with sanctions: Will Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe? No one knows for sure, but a complete shutoff is seen as unlikely because it would be mutually destructive. Russian officials have not signalled they would consider cutting supplies in the case of new sanctions. Moscow relies on energy exports, and though it just signed a gas deal with China, Europe is a key source of revenue.Image Source : APA man carries a scythe while passing by a symbolic monument to mark Gazprom's Yamal pipeline, which carries Russian gas to Europe, in Slonim, Belarus, June 21, 2010. Fears are rising about what would happen to Europe’s energy supply if Russia were to invade Ukraine and then shut off its natural gas in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions.A man carries a scythe while passing by a symbolic monument to mark Gazprom's Yamal pipeline, which carries Russian gas to Europe, in Slonim, Belarus, June 21, 2010. Fears are rising about what would happen to Europe’s energy supply if Russia were to invade Ukraine and then shut off its natural gas in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions.Europe is likewise dependent on Russia, so any Western sanctions would likely avoid directly targeting Russian energy supplies. More likely, experts say, would be Russia withholding gas sent through pipelines crossing Ukraine. Russia pumped 175 billion cubic meters of gas into Europe last year, nearly a quarter of it through those pipelines, according to S&P Global Platts. That would leave pipelines under the Baltic Sea and through Poland still operating. “I think in the event of even a less severe Russian attack against Ukraine, the Russians are almost certain to cut off gas transiting Ukraine on the way to Germany,” said former US diplomat Dan Fried, who as State Department coordinator for sanctions policy helped craft 2014 measures against Russia when it invaded and annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.Russia could then offer to make up the lost gas if Germany approves the new Nord Stream 2 pipeline, whose operators may potentially face US sanctions even though a recent vote to that effect failed. German officials also have said blocking the operation of the pipeline would be “on the table” if there's an invasion. Interrupting gas supplies beyond the Ukrainian pipelines is less likely: “If they push it too far, they're going to make a breach with Europe irreparable, and they have to sell the oil and gas someplace,” Fried said.Image Source : APA flare burns natural gas at an oil well Aug. 26, 2021, in Watford City, N.D. Consumers of natural gas are facing the prospect of much higher heating bills this winter. The U.S. has pledged to help maintain Europe's energy supply by boosting exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, if Russia were to invade Ukraine and reduce its gas shipments to the European Union. A flare burns natural gas at an oil well Aug. 26, 2021, in Watford City, N.D. Consumers of natural gas are facing the prospect of much higher heating bills this winter. The U.S. has pledged to help maintain Europe's energy supply by boosting exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, if Russia were to invade Ukraine and reduce its gas shipments to the European Union. What can the US do? It's a major gas producer and already is sending record levels of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, by ship worldwide. It could only help Europe a little. “We're talking about small increases to the size of US exports, whereas the hole that Europe would need to fill if Russia backed away or if Europe cut Russia off would be much larger than that,” said Ross Wyeno, lead analyst for Americas LNG at S&P. The Biden administration has been talking with gas producers worldwide about whether they can boost output and ship to Europe, and it has been working to identify supplies of natural gas from North Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the US. The administration also is talking with buyers about holding off.“Is there some other country that was planning to get an LNG shipment that doesn't need it and could give it to Europe?” said Amy Myers Jaffe, managing director of the Climate Policy Lab at Tufts University, mentioning Brazil or countries in Asia. Over the past month, two-thirds of American LNG exports went to Europe. Some ships filled with LNG were heading to Asia but turned around to go to Europe because buyers there offered to pay higher prices, S&P said. Is there enough liquefied gas worldwide to solve the problem?Image Source : APA nun and visitor try to stay warm near a wood-burning stove in a monastery near the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. Fears are rising about what would happen to Europe’s energy supply if Russia were to invade Ukraine and then shut off its natural gas in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions.A nun and visitor try to stay warm near a wood-burning stove in a monastery near the Bulgarian capital Sofia, Friday, Jan. 9, 2009. Fears are rising about what would happen to Europe’s energy supply if Russia were to invade Ukraine and then shut off its natural gas in retaliation for U.S. and European sanctions.Not in the event of a full cutoff, and it can't be increased overnight. Export terminals cost billions of dollars to build and are working at capacity in the US. Even if all Europe's LNG import facilities were operating at capacity, the amount of gas would only be about two-thirds of what Russia sends via pipelines, Jaffe said. And there could be challenges distributing the LNG to parts of Europe that have fewer pipeline connections. If Russia stopped sending just the gas that goes through Ukraine, it would take the equivalent of about 1.27 shiploads of additional LNG per day to replace that supply, said Luke Cottell, senior LNG analyst at S&P. Russia also could reroute some of that gas through other pipelines, reducing the need for additional LNG to about a half-shipload per day, he said.Is Russia Already Supplying less gas? Russia has been fulfilling its long-term contracts to supply gas to Europe, but it's been selling less on the spot market and hasn't been filling the storage containers it owns in Europe, experts say. “It's already happened. It's not theoretical,” Jaffe said. Russian cutbacks to spot gas supplies have contributed to sharply higher natural gas prices in Europe. They went as high as 166 euros ($190) per megawatt-hour in December, more than eight times their level at the start of 2021. Prices have fallen to under 80 euros per kilowatt hour as more LNG arrives. But consumers are feeling the crunch in higher electric and gas bills. European governments are rolling out subsidies and tax breaks to ease the financial stress on households. Is there an impact in the US?Image Source : AP An oil tanker 'Trident Hope' unloads its fright in the oil port of Wilhelmshaven, northern Germany, on Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The U.S. has pledged to help maintain Europe's energy supply by boosting exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, if Russia were to invade Ukraine and reduce its gas shipments to the European Union.An oil tanker 'Trident Hope' unloads its fright in the oil port of Wilhelmshaven, northern Germany, on Tuesday, June 10, 2008. The U.S. has pledged to help maintain Europe's energy supply by boosting exports of liquefied natural gas, or LNG, if Russia were to invade Ukraine and reduce its gas shipments to the European Union.As the US ramped up LNG exports, domestic prices of natural gas also rose. More than 10 per cent of the gas produced in the US last year was exported, said Clark Williams-Derry, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. US gas prices spiked by more than 30 per cent in the last week of January, primarily because of an approaching winter storm in New England, Williams-Derry said. But prices also were affected by tighter US supplies amid uncertainty over Russia, he said. “Russia is disturbing European gas markets, with the US talking about exporting basically the next Berlin airlift' for natural gas to Europe,'' he said.If the US pushes for increased LNG exports, prices at home would likely rise, Williams-Derry added. Ten Democratic senators, led by Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Angus King of Maine, recently urged the Energy Department to study the effect of higher exports on domestic prices and pause approvals of proposed terminals. They said they understood “geopolitical factors” give rise to sending more gas. “However, the administration must also consider the potential increase in cost to American families,'' the senators said.Also Read | Russia-Ukraine conflict: Moscow sends long-range nuclear-capable bombers on patrol over BelarusAlso Read | NATO says Russian buildup in Belarus is biggest in 30 yearsAlso Read | Russia-Ukraine crisis: What to know amid the fears of a war

EXPLAINER: What happens to Europe's energy if Russia acts?

Russian officials have not signalled they would consider cutting supplies in the case of new sanctions. Moscow relies on energy exports, and although it just signed a gas deal with China, Europe is a key source of revenue. Europe is likewise dependent on Russia, so any Western sanctions would likely avoid directly targeting Russian energy supplies.

18f65ef94aefe5515a54f6f61510dc40

An angry mob torched local government buildings, shops and homes and set fire to cars and motorbikes on several roadsAt least 20 people were killed Monday, including three shot by police, in violent protests by hundreds of people sparked by rumors that a teacher insulted an indigenous student in Indonesia’s restive Papua province, officials said.An angry mob torched local government buildings, shops and homes and set fire to cars and motorbikes on several roads leading to the district chief’s office in Wamena city, said Papua police chief Rudolf Alberth Rodja.Papua military spokesman Eko Daryanto said at least 16 civilians, including 13 from other Indonesian provinces, were killed in Wamena, mostly after being trapped in burning houses or shops.He said at least one soldier and three civilians died in another protest in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province.About 65 civilians were injured in Wamena and five police officers were critically injured in Jayapura, he said.Television video showed orange flames and black smoke billowing from burning buildings in Wamena.Rodja said the protest was triggered by rumors that a high school teacher in Wamena who is not from Papua called an indigenous Papuan student a “monkey” last week.He said a police investigation did not find any evidence of racism against the student, and that false rumors have been spreading among students in other schools and native communities.“We believe this false information was intentionally designed to create riots,” Rodja told reporters in Jayapura, the capital of Papua province. “This is a hoax and I call on people in Papua not to be provoked by untrue news.”Papua police spokesman Ahmad Musthofa Kamal said students from another school in Wamena who refused to join the protest brawled with another group of students.Video circulated on the internet showed dozens of people, many armed with machetes, standing in front of their shops and homes to protect them from the angry mob.Joko Harjani, an airport official, said the protest forced authorities to close the city’s airport until the situation returns to normal.The protest came days after Indonesian authorities managed to get the province under control after weeks of violent demonstrations by thousands of people in Papua and West Papua provinces against alleged racism toward Papuans. At least one Indonesian soldier and four civilians were killed in that violence.The previous protests were triggered by videos circulated on the internet showing security forces calling Papuan university students “monkeys” and “dogs” in East Java’s Surabaya city when they stormed a dormitory where Papuan students were staying after a torn Indonesian flag was found in a sewer.The videos prompted hundreds of Papuan students who study in other Indonesian provinces to return home and force a local state university to accommodate them.Daryanto said a mob of angry students attacked a soldier and several police officers in Jayapura with machetes and rocks, forcing security forces to respond with gunfire, killing three civilians. The soldier died on the way to a hospital. At least five police officers were in critical condition.Conflicts between indigenous Papuans and Indonesian security forces are common in the impoverished Papua region, a former Dutch colony in the western part of New Guinea that is ethnically and culturally distinct from much of Indonesia.Papua was incorporated into Indonesia in 1969 after a U.N.-sponsored ballot that was widely seen as a sham. Since then, a low-level insurgency has simmered in the mineral-rich region, which is divided into two provinces, Papua and West Papua.In recent years, some Papua students, including some who study in other provinces, have become vocal in calling for self-determination for their region.ALSO READ | Indonesia blames 737 MAX design for Lion Air crashALSO READ | Indonesia set to pass law criminalising sex outside of marriageALSO READ | Two high-intensity earthquakes rattle Indonesia within an hour

20 killed, 70 hurt in protests in Indonesia’s Papua province

An angry mob torched local government buildings, shops and homes and set fire to cars and motorbikes on several roads leading to the district chief’s office in Wamena city, said Papua police chief Rudolf Alberth Rodja.

5d518b73399471f5213a325a691f52f2

Pakistan caretaker Prime Minister Imran Khan.Pakistan Supreme Court will resume hearing on Wednesday on dissolving the national assembly by President and the dismissal of a no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Earlier in the day, Pakistan's Supreme Court adjourned the proceedings and promised to give a 'reasonable order' in the case that will decide the future of the country.Meanwhile, Imran Khan today targeted his political opponents, accusing them of conspiring against his government at the best of their foreign masters, in an apparent reference to the US.Addressing the party workers at the Governor’s House, Khan also chided his own party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, lawmakers who joined hands with the opposition for what he claimed after taking ‘crores of rupees’."If an enemy country buys 23 to 30 people (lawmakers) with PRs10 to 15 bn it can send an elected government home. If today India decides to topple a government in Pakistan it can do so with just PRs10 to 15bn,” he said.Visibly angry over those party men who ditched at this juncture, Khan called them "traitors" and urged his party workers to teach them a lesson in the coming election."A big conspiracy is made against my government internationally and our traitors joined them (outsiders). We have filed a reference against the defectors in the Supreme Court and they should go to jail,” he said.He claimed that a “major foreign plan” was made for a regime change in Pakistan in which these traitors joined them (foreign hands).“Most of the people who supported the conspiracy against my government were not aware of it with only those at the top having the knowledge,” he said.Khan said that in the forthcoming election the people will bury the politics of these three stooges (PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, PPP co-chair Asif Zardari and JUI-F leader Maualna Fazlur Rehman) for good.The premier also admitted that he and his party made mistakes in the past for which a "high price" was paid."In next election, we will give priority to ideological workers,” he said, adding that “today is a defining moment in the country and the people should support him to make it independent.”He also asked the party workers to hold peaceful demonstrations across the country on a daily basis to send a message to the US and its cohorts here that this is a nation with conscience and will allow any conspiracy to succeed.(With inputs from PTI)ALSO READ | Imran Khan paying price for being “disobedient” to America, says RussiaALSO READ | Funny Imran Khan memes go viral as Pakistan’s political drama soars high, netizens have a field day

Pakistan political crisis: SC to resume hearing today, promises to give 'reasonable order'

Imran Khan today targeted his political opponents, accusing them of conspiring against his government at the best of their foreign masters, in an apparent reference to the US.

ba9e2f6366b90a0854d85899ff56d0c0

Russia-Ukraine War: President Zelenskyy orders general mobilization, says 137 Ukrainians killed so farUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said 137 civilians and military personnel have been killed so far in the Russian invasion of his country. He called them "heroes" in a video address released early Friday in which he also said hundreds more have been wounded.Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also signed a decree on Thursday ordering general mobilization in the wake of Russia's military operation. He said that it is to be carried out within 90 days. Zelenskyy says that despite Russia's claim it is attacking only military targets, civilian sites also have been struck. In his words: "They're killing people and turning peaceful cities into military targets. It's foul and will never be forgiven."The president said all border guards on Zmiinyi island in the Odesa region were killed on Thursday. Ukraine's border guard service earlier in the day reported that the island was taken by the Russians. Moreover, US President Joe Biden, while addressing the nation on the situation in Ukraine, condemned Russia for launching the military strike on Thursday and announced "new strong sanctions and limitations" on Russia.The sanctions include limiting Russia's ability to do business in dollars, euros, pounds, and yen to be part of the global economy, stopping the ability to finance and grow the Russian military, and impairing Russia's ability to compete in a high-tech 21st-century economy. ALSO READ | ​Russia Ukraine war: Biden hits Moscow with new sanctions, says Putin 'chose' war

Russia-Ukraine War: Ukraine's President says ‘left alone’ to fight Moscow; 137 killed so far

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy also signed a decree on Thursday ordering general mobilization in the wake of Russia's military operation. He said that it is to be carried out within 90 days.

463097f343f56ab5fbc7d8d8cfc1bfe6

World reacts to news of Iran General Qasem Suleimani killingPresident Donald Trump ordered an airstrike at Baghdad International Airport that killed Qasem Soleimani, a key Iranian military commander, in a "decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad" that was intended to deter "future Iranian attack plans," the Pentagon confirmed. Soleimani -- the head of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force unit -- and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis -- the deputy head of the Iran-backed Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) -- were among those killed in the attack early Friday morning local time, according to a statement from the PMF, which said the pair "were martyred by an American strike."Here are some reactions to the killing of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani, head of the elite Quds Force, in a U.S. air strike on his convoy at Baghdad airport:ALSO READ | General Qasem Soleimani killed: News headlines across the globeAlso Read | Baghdad airport attack: Iran's Qasem Soleimani killed on Trump's order, says PentagonAlso Read | Who was General Qasem Soleimani, Iran's Revolutionary Guards commander killed in US strike​Also Read | Top Obama aide: Soleimani death frightening moment​Also Read | "Harsh revenge awaits 'criminals' who killed Soleimani," says Iran Supreme Leader /* .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_6610822150 = { "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_6610822150 = ''; jwsetup_6610822150(); function jwsetup_6610822150() { jwvidplayer_6610822150 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_6610822150").setup(jwconfig_6610822150); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_6610822150, { 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_6610822150.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_6610822150.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_6610822150.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_6610822150.stop(); jwvidplayer_6610822150.remove(); jwvidplayer_6610822150 = ''; jwsetup_6610822150(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_6610822150.stop(); jwvidplayer_6610822150.remove(); jwvidplayer_6610822150 = ''; jwsetup_6610822150(); return; }); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6610822150.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }  

World reacts to news of Iran General Qasem Soleimani killing

President Donald Trump ordered an airstrike at Baghdad International Airport that killed Qasem Soleimani, a key Iranian military commander, in a "decisive defensive action to protect US personnel abroad" that was intended to deter "future Iranian attack plans," the Pentagon confirmed. Here is how the world is reacting to the news of Suleimani's killing

b622951fc4fd020c0fbd5cf3c6676e3a

Twitter suspends fake accounts posing as Black Trump supportersTwitter has disabled several accounts posing as Black supporters of US President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign for breaking its rules against platform manipulation.According to a report in The Washington Post on Wednesday, Clemson University social media researcher Darren Linvill tracked and found more than two dozen similar accounts, many of them using identical language in their tweets."Several had tens of thousands of followers and all but one have now been suspended," the report said.The network of more than two dozen similar accounts generated more than 265,000 retweets or other amplifying "mentions" on Twitter.Many of the accounts used profile pictures of Black men taken from news reports or other sources."Several of the accounts claimed to be from members of groups with pro-Trump leanings, including veterans, police officers, steelworkers, businessmen and avid Christians".Twitter spokesperson Trenton Kennedy said Twitter took down some of the network identified by Linvill."Our teams are working diligently to investigate this activity and will take action in line with the Twitter Rules if Tweets are found to be in violation," Kennedy said in a statement.The network of fake accounts claiming to represent Black Trump supporters became increasingly active in the past two months."Researchers call fake accounts featuring supposed Black users ‘digital blackface,' a reference to the now-disgraced tactic of White people darkening their faces for film or musical performances intended to mimic African Americans," the report mentioned.

Twitter suspends fake accounts posing as Black Trump supporters

​Twitter has disabled several accounts posing as Black supporters of US President Donald Trump and his re-election campaign for breaking its rules against platform manipulation.

19e07c06e30c2d53768aa4b0d34f1957

Rescuers search for victims in the aftermath of the collapse of a two-story restaurant in Xiangfen county in northern China's Shanxi province.Rescue efforts ended at a two-story restaurant in a northern China village that collapsed during an 80th birthday celebration for a resident, leaving 29 dead, authorities said Sunday. The Ministry of Emergency Management said another 28 people were injured, seven of them seriously, when the building suddenly crumbled on Saturday. A total of 57 people were brought out alive, the ministry said.There was no immediate word on what caused the collapse or on the fate of the birthday guest and other celebrants.Hundreds of rescue workers using sniffer dogs, cranes and high-tech sensors had searched the rubble, lifting slabs of concrete in hopes of freeing survivors.The official China Daily newspaper said the building collapsed at 9:40 a.m. on Saturday. It said the Cabinet’s Work Safety Commission would oversee the investigation into the accident’s cause.While China has seen major improvements in industrial safety, building standards are sometimes ignored, particularly in rural areas such as Shanxi province’s Xiangfen county, about 630 kilometers (400 miles) southwest of Beijing, where the restaurant was located.The region lies in the heart of China’s coal country, where thousands of miners have died in explosions, collapses and floods over past years.

China restaurant collapses during birthday party, killing 29

Hundreds of rescue workers using sniffer dogs, cranes and high-tech sensors had searched the rubble, lifting slabs of concrete in hopes of freeing survivors.

5ea615ac03e73f8edd3718bd33f5cdbb

Pakistan is examining a proposal for a DGMO-level meeting with India, which last happened in December 2013, to reduce tension along the Line of Control and the Working Boundary through fresh confidence-building measures, according to a media report. The report comes a day after Pakistan said four of its soldiers died and five others injured in cross-border firing by India across the LoC. The Indian Army, however, said seven Pakistani soldiers were killed in its retaliatory firing. A Pakistan defence ministry official in a meeting yesterday told the Senate defence committee that a "fresh proposal of DGMOs' (Director Generals of Military Operations) meeting is being considered," the Dawn newspaper reported.The official also briefed the senators about the latest trends in Indian ceasefire violations, it said. According to the report, one of the confidence-building measures being considered for the planned meeting of DGMOs is "calibre reduction" of the arms being used at the LoC. Pakistan-India DGMOs have a frequent hotline contact, but they last met face to face four years ago at Wagah, a village which serves as a transit terminal between Lahore and Amritsar. The December 24, 2013 Wagah meeting had taken place after a break of 14 years. That meeting too was held to discuss ways to ensure peace along the LoC and the Working Boundary. Meanwhile, a resolution adopted by the Senate committee through consensus condemned Indian Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat's statement about "calling nuclear bluff of Pakistan" as "stupidity and provocative". They termed it a "war-like" proclamation, the report said.

Pakistan examining proposal for DGMO-level talks with India to curb tension, says report

Pakistan-India DGMOs have a frequent hotline contact, but they last met face to face four years ago at Wagah, a village which serves as a transit terminal between Lahore and Amritsar.

eff333df944031474bcafcbfb2c5a8da

23 killed in road accident in PakistanAt least 23 people were killed when a passenger bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a deep ravine in northern Pakistan on Monday, authorities said. The bus was on its way from Rawalpindi to Skardu when it fell into the ravine at Roundu near Gilgit, according to Faizullah Firaq, the spokesperson of the Gilgit Baltistan government.Firaq said 25 passengers were onboard the vehicle when the accident occurred, adding that the cause of the mishap was not known.At least 23 passengers died in the accident, Ghulam Murtaza, Assistant Commissioner of Roundu tehsil, said.Of the 23 deaths, three succumbed to their injuries in a hospital in Skardu, he said.Eight bodies have been recovered, he said, adding that Pakistan Army helicopters are carrying out operations to retrieve the remaining bodies.Gilgit Baltistan Governor Raja Jalal Hussain Maqpoon expressed grief over the tragedy and instructed the authorities to speed up the rescue operations.Road accidents are common in Pakistan. Most of them are caused due to reckless driving and bad roads.In September, at least 27 people, including 10 Pakistan Army soldiers, were killed and more than 15 wounded when a passenger bus rammed into a mountain in Babusar Pass which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Gilgit Baltistan.

23 killed in road accident in Pakistan

At least 23 people were killed when a passenger bus veered off a mountain road and plunged into a deep ravine in northern Pakistan on Monday. The bus was on its way from Rawalpindi to Skardu when it fell into the ravine at Roundu near Gilgit.

3cb2a80044ad0587556e38f7b1efa35d

Closed pumps are seen on the forecourt of a petrol station which has run out of fuel after an outbreak of panic buying in Manchester.The British government put dozens of soldiers on standby Monday to help easy fuel supply problems caused by a shortage of truck drivers, a situation that has spurred panic buying of gasoline across the country.As unions called for emergency workers to be given priority for fuel supplies, the government said it was placing British army tanker drivers in “a state of readiness in order to be deployed if required to deliver fuel to where it is needed most.” Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said Britain had “strong supplies of fuel.” “However, we are aware of supply chain issues at fuel station forecourts and are taking steps to ease these as a matter of priority,” he said.Long lines of vehicles have formed at many gas stations around Britain since Friday, causing spillover traffic jams on busy roads. Tempers have frayed as some drivers waited for hours.The Petrol Retailers Association, which represents almost 5,500 independent outlets, said Sunday that about two-thirds of its members had run out of fuel, as the truck driver shortage set off rounds of gas panic-buying.The Conservative government insisted blamed the problems on consumer behavior. “The only reason we don’t have petrol on the forecourts is that people are buying petrol they don’t need,” said Environment Secretary George Eustice.Major fuel firms, including BP, Shell and Esso, said in a joint statement that they expected demand for gas to “return to its normal levels in the coming days.” “We would encourage people to buy fuel as they usually would,” the statement said. But critics urged the government to get fuel flowing so the shortage does not have damaging spillover effects on health care, police operations and other crucial sectors.Dr. Chaand Nagpaul at the British Medical Association said health care workers and other essential services staff should be “given priority access to fuel so they can continue their crucial work and guarantee care to patients.”Christina McAnea, general secretary of the Unison trade union, urged the government to use its emergency powers to designate gas stations for key workers. “Ambulance crews, nurses, care workers, teaching assistants, police staff and other key workers mustn’t be left stranded or forced to queue for hours simply to get to a pump,” she said.The haulage industry says the U.K. is short as many as 100,000 truckers, due to a perfect storm of factors including the coronavirus pandemic, an aging workforce and an exodus of foreign workers following Britain’s departure from the European Union last year. Post-Brexit immigration rules mean EU citizens can no longer live and work visa-free in Britain, as they could when the U.K. was a member of the bloc.US, Germany face shortage of truck driversSeveral other countries, including the United States and Germany, also are experiencing a shortage of truck drivers, but the problem has been especially visible in Britain, where it has contributed to empty supermarket shelves and shuttered gas pumps.Roland McKibbin, an electrician in London, said he has had to cancel jobs because he couldn’t get gas. “No fuel means I can’t drive, which means I can’t get to jobs with my tools,” he said. “So, basically, the panic-buying idiots have lost me income and directly taken food off the table for my wife and 5-year-old son, because I can’t wire people’s houses from home.”In an effort to ease the gas crunch, the government said it was temporarily suspending competition laws so fuel firms can share information and target areas where supplies are running low. It is also bringing in military driving examiners to help clear a backlog of new truckers awaiting tests. And, after weeks of mounting pressure over shortages, the U.K.’s Conservative government announced Saturday that it will issue 5,000 emergency visas to foreign truck drivers to help prevent a Christmas without turkey or toys for many British families.But that falls far short of the number needed, and critics also said the 3-month visas were too short to entice European truck drivers.Ruby McGregor-Smith, president of the Confederation of British Industry, said the visas were “the equivalent of throwing a thimble of water on a bonfire.”Radu Dinescu, general secretary of the National Union of Road Transporters in Romania, said Romanian drivers — who worked in the U.K. in large numbers before Brexit — now “prefer EU stability.” Romania is a member of the EU and Dinescu said its drivers can earn high salaries working in France or Germany.“The U.K. seems to be experiencing a paradox … British citizens do not want to practice the job of truck driver, while at the same time they do not want other non-U.K. citizens to come to do this job,” he told The Associated Press.Olaf Scholz, leader of Germany’s Social Democrats, the party that came first in the country’s election on Sunday, also linked Britain’s worker shortages to Brexit.“The free movement of labor is part of the European Union, and we worked very hard to convince the British to not leave the union,” he said. “Now they decided different, and I hope they will manage the problems coming from that.”

UK fuel crisis: Government readies soldiers to help ease shortages at pumps

The British government put dozens of soldiers on standby Monday to help easy fuel supply problems caused by a shortage of truck drivers, a situation that has spurred panic buying of gasoline across the country.

d6cfa6ebc56214eee878cd3180c92a53

Seriously looking to end birthright citizenship: Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he is "seriously looking" at ending the right of citizenship for America-born children of non-citizens."We are looking at birthright citizenship very seriously. It's frankly ridiculous,” Trump said responding to a question on the birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to those born in the US."Birthright citizenship where you have a baby on our land, you walk over the border, have a baby, congratulations, the baby is now a US citizen. We're looking at it very, very seriously," Trump said.During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump had said that he will end the birthright citizenship. The 14th Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees birthright citizenship and states: "All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." ALSO READ: Trump: No complete withdrawal from Afghanistan ALSO READ: Trump wants Russia to rejoin G-7 group

Seriously looking to end birthright citizenship: Donald Trump

"We are looking at birthright citizenship very seriously. It's frankly ridiculous,” Trump said responding to a question on the birthright citizenship, which grants automatic citizenship to those born in the US.

c6bf1396072807dffc87e8f682014b9f

US President Joe BidenUS President Joe Biden has said that the first virtual summit of the Quad leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, went very well and everyone seemed to like it a great deal. Known as the "Quadrilateral Security Dialogue,” the Quad grouping comprises the US, India, Australia and Japan. The representatives for the four-member nations have met periodically since its establishment in 2007.Biden on Friday opened the first Quad Leaders’ Summit held virtually and attended by Prime Minister Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga."It (Quad summit) went very well. Everyone seemed to like it a great deal," Biden told reporters on Sunday in his first reaction on last week’s Quad summit involving leaders from Australia, India and Japan.In his address to Quad leaders on Friday, Biden had said that it was going to be a vital arena for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. He also described Quad as a new mechanism to enhance cooperation and raise mutual ambition as they address accelerating climate change."We know our commitments...Our region is governed by international law, committed to all the universal values and free from coercion but I am optimistic about our prospect,” he said, in an apparent reference to China which is flexing its muscles in the region."The Quad is going to be a vital arena of cooperation in the Indo Pacific and I look forward to working closely with all of you in the coming years,” Biden told Quad leaders.The four countries plan to establish a series of working groups that will focus on climate change; critical and emerging technologies, including working to set technology standards and norms and jointly developing some of the critical technologies of the future, officials said.In a joint op-ed in The Washington Post on Saturday, the four leaders asserted that all countries should be able to make their own political choices, free from coercion."To strengthen our quest for a region that is open and free, we have agreed to partner to address the challenges presented by new technologies and collaborate to set the norms and standards that govern the innovations of the future,” they wrote.The Quad summit, among other things, finalised a landmark initiative under which huge investments will be made in India to create additional production capacities to roll out a billion coronavirus vaccine doses by 2022 for exports to the Indo-Pacific region, seen as a significant step to counter China's expanding vaccine diplomacy."We will combine our scientific ingenuity, financing, formidable productive capacity and long history of global-health partnership to surge the supply of life-saving vaccines, in close collaboration with multilateral organisations including the WHO and Covax Facility," they wrote.Emphasising that the Quad nations' foundations of democracy and a commitment to engagement unite them, the four leaders concluded saying, "We know we can provide for the safety and prosperity of our people at home by confronting global crises together, with purpose? and resolve.”"We summon from tragedy the strength and resilience to unify and overcome. And we recommit ourselves, once again, to an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, secure and prosperous," they said.The evolving situation in the Indo-Pacific region in the wake of China's increasing military muscle-flexing has become a major talking point among leading global powers. The US has been favouring making Quad a security architecture to check China's growing assertiveness.China is engaged in hotly contested territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas. Beijing has also made substantial progress in militarising its man-made islands in the past few years.Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea. But Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims. In the East China Sea, China has territorial disputes with Japan.Both maritime areas in the South and East China seas are rich in minerals, oil and other natural resources and are also vital to global trade.In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence.The four leaders are scheduled to meet in person later this year. ALSO READ | Great to see you: US President Biden to PM Modi at Quad summit

Quad summit went very well, says President Biden

US President Joe Biden has said that the first virtual summit of the Quad leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, went very well and everyone seemed to like it a great deal.

b55b1849ce161662b955e467f35b8bb6

US seconds India's plan for patent waivers on Covid-19 vaccinesThe Biden administration on Wednesday joined calls for more sharing of the technology behind COVID-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic, a shift that puts the U.S. alongside many in the developing world who want rich countries to do more to get doses to the needy.United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced the government’s position, amid World Trade Organization talks about a possible temporary waiver of its protections that would allow more manufacturers to produce the life-saving vaccines.“The Administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for COVID-19 vaccines,” Tai said in a statement.She cautioned that it would take time to reach the required global “consensus” to waive the protections under WTO rules, and U.S. officials said it would not have an immediate effect on the global supply of COVID-19 shots.Tai’s announcement came hours after WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spoke to a closed-door meeting of ambassadors from developing and developed countries that have been wrangling over the issue, but agree on the need for wider access to COVID-19 treatments.The WTO’s General Council took up the issue of a temporary waiver for intellectual property protections on COVID-19 vaccines and other tools, which South Africa and India first proposed in October. The idea has gained support among some progressive lawmakers in the West.More than 100 countries have come out in support of the proposal, and a group of 110 members of Congress — all fellow Democrats of Biden — sent him a letter last month that called on him to support the waiver.Opponents — especially from industry — say a waiver would be no panacea. They insist that production of coronavirus vaccines is complex and can’t be ramped up by easing intellectual property. They also say lifting protections could hurt future innovation.Stephen Ubl, president and CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, said the U.S. decision “will sow confusion between public and private partners, further weaken already strained supply chains and foster the proliferation of counterfeit vaccines.”Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, chief executive of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization trade group, said in a statement that the decision will undermine incentives to develop vaccines and treatments for future pandemics.“Handing needy countries a recipe book without the ingredients, safeguards, and sizable workforce needed will not help people waiting for the vaccine,” she said.Pfizer declined to comment on Biden’s announcement, as did Johnson & Johnson, which developed a one-dose vaccine meant to ease vaccination campaigns in poor and rural areas. Moderna and AstraZeneca didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment. The companies have made some efforts to provide vaccine doses to poor countries at prices well below what they’re charging wealthy nations.For instance, Johnson & Johnson agreed last week to provide up to 220 million doses of its vaccine to the African Union’s 55 member states, starting in this year’s third quarter, and agreed in December to provide up to 500 million vaccines through 2022 for low-income countries via Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance.Shares of Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson — huge companies with many lucrative products — fell less than 1% on the news. But Moderna, whose vaccine is the company’s only product, fell 6.2% in late-afternoon trading before gaining back two-thirds of a percent in after-hours trading.It remained unclear how some countries in Europe, which have influential pharmaceutical industries and had previously shared U.S. reservations about the waiver, would respond.WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said a panel on intellectual property at the trade body was expected to take up the waiver proposal again at a “tentative” meeting later this month, before a formal meeting June 8-9. That means any final deal could be weeks away at best.Authors of the proposal have been revising it in hopes of making it more palatable.Okonjo-Iweala, in remarks posted on the WTO website, said it was “incumbent on us to move quickly to put the revised text on the table, but also to begin and undertake text-based negotiations.”“I am firmly convinced that once we can sit down with an actual text in front of us, we shall find a pragmatic way forward” that is “acceptable to all sides,” she said.Co-sponsors of the idea were shuttling between different diplomatic missions to make their case, according to a Geneva trade official who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. A deadlock persists, and opposing sides remain far apart, the official said.The argument, part of a long-running debate about intellectual property protections, centers on lifting patents, copyrights and protections for industrial design and confidential information to help expand the production and deployment of vaccines during supply shortages. The aim is to suspend the rules for several years, just long enough to beat down the pandemic.The issue has become more pressing with a surge in cases in India, the world’s second-most populous country and a key producer of vaccines — including one for COVID-19 that relies on technology from Oxford University and British-Swedish pharmaceutical maker AstraZeneca.Michael Yee, a Jefferies Group biotech analyst, wrote to investors that the key access issues for developing countries aren’t patents or price, but an inadequate supply of the materials needed and the know-how to produce the vaccines and keep quality high — which one of Johnson & Johnson’s contract manufacturers in the U.S. failed to do, ruining millions of doses.“Manufacturing supplies, raw materials, vials, stoppers, and other key materials are in limited supply for 2021,” and may still be next year and beyond, Yee wrote. That’s partly because it takes time to make all those components, and Moderna and Pfizer have commitments to buy them “from major suppliers in huge bulk over the foreseeable future.”He added that Pfizer previously sought authorization to sell its vaccine to India, which rejected its application and asked that additional studies be run. The U.S., European Union and many other countries have given that emergency authorization.Proponents, including WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, note that such waivers are part of the WTO toolbox and insist there’s no better time to use them than during the once-in-a-century pandemic that has taken 3.2 million lives, infected more than 437 million people and devastated economies, according to Johns Hopkins University.“This is a monumental moment in the fight against COVID-19,” Tedros said in Wednesday statement. He said the U.S. commitment “to support the waiver of IP protections on vaccines is a powerful example of American leadership to address global health challenges.”READ MORE: Canada approves Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12-15READ MORE: UK pledges to invest 29.3 million pound to fast-track Covid-variant vaccines /* .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_4663515936 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/05/0_a0hryix7/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_a0hryix7_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Many states facing shortage of vaccine | Watch ground report ", "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": "669", "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_4663515936 = ''; jwsetup_4663515936(); function jwsetup_4663515936() { jwvidplayer_4663515936 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_4663515936").setup(jwconfig_4663515936); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_4663515936, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_a0hryix7\", ns_st_pr=\"Many states facing shortage of vaccine | Watch ground report\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Many states facing shortage of vaccine | Watch ground report\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Many states facing shortage of vaccine | Watch ground report\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-05-04\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-05-04\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/05/0_a0hryix7/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_4663515936.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_4663515936.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_4663515936.stop(); jwvidplayer_4663515936.remove(); jwvidplayer_4663515936 = ''; jwsetup_4663515936(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_4663515936.stop(); jwvidplayer_4663515936.remove(); jwvidplayer_4663515936 = ''; jwsetup_4663515936(); return; }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_4663515936.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

US seconds India's plan for patent waivers on Covid-19 vaccines

The US has joined calls for more sharing of the technology behind Covid-19 vaccines to help speed the end of the pandemic.

6f8a712bb3760db2c0db729b0c2ed9e8

Taliban leader Mullah OmarThe Taliban's elusive one-eyed leader Mullah Omar lived within walking distance of US bases in Afghanistan for years and never hid in Pakistan as believed by Washington, a new book has claimed.Dutch journalist Bette Dam's "The Secret Life of Mullah Omar" claims that American troops once even searched the house where Mullah Omar was hiding but failed to find a secret room built for him, the Guardian reported.Related Stories Taliban being utilised as hedge against India: US CommanderTalks with Taliban should be held without preconditions, says Army Chief Rawat'Significant progress' on talks with Taliban, says US envoyDam, who has been reporting from Afghanistan since 2006, worked on the biography for more than five years and also interviewed Taliban members. It was published in Dutch in February and will be available in English soon.According to the book, Mullah Omar never hid in Pakistan as believed by the US and instead lived in hiding three miles from a major US Forward Operating Base in his home province of Zabul in Afghanistan.The BBC says that Dam managed to speak to Jabbar Omari, the man who effectively became Mullah Omar's bodyguard when he went into hiding after the ousting of the Taliban regime in 2001.Omari hid the Taliban leader until his death from illness in 2013, the report quoted Dam as saying.Soon after the fall of the Taliban, Mullah Omar -- on whose head the US placed a $10 million bounty after the 9/11 terror attacks -- hid in secret rooms in a house close to a base, the book said.US forces even searched the accommodation on one occasion, but failed to find his hiding place, it added.He later moved to a second building just three miles from another US base, home to about 1,000 troops, Dam said, adding that Mullah Omar regularly listened to the BBC's Pashto language service, but rarely commented on news of the outside world, even when he learned about the death of Osama Bin Laden.The book says that Mullah Omar rarely went outside, except to take the sun in winter and would often hide in the irrigation tunnels as US planes flew over or troops passed by. "It was very dangerous for us there," Omari told Dam. "Sometimes there was only a table width between us and the foreign military."The book said that as disillusionment grew over corruption within the Afghan government and civilian casualties caused by its US backers, Mullah Omar started to receive gifts of food and clothes from the villagers.According to Dam, Omari said that Mullah Omar would go for days barely talking, his only interaction being with his guard and cook. Mullah Omar had an old Nokia mobile phone, without a SIM card, that he used for recording himself chanting verses from the Quran, the book says.Despite claims by the militants, Omar could not run the Taliban group from his hiding places. However, he is said to have approved the Taliban office in the Gulf state of Qatar, where US officials have been talking with Taliban leaders in a bid to end the long war in Afghanistan, the BBC said.The book claims that Mullah Omar signed control of the Taliban over to his Defence Minister Mullah Obaidullah in December 2001. Mullah Omar died on April 23, 2013, and was buried without a coffin in a featureless grave, Dam said.

Fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar lived close to US bases, claims new book

Dutch journalist Bette Dam's "The Secret Life of Mullah Omar" claims that American troops once even searched the house where Mullah Omar was hiding but failed to find a secret room built for him, the Guardian reported.

f291a8bead98b399eaa312530b1e8b54

PM Modi, flanked by Trump, on Monday categorically rejected any scope for third party mediation on Kashmir, saying it was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.The White House on Monday claimed helping reduce India-Pakistan tension was one of the five big takeaways from the just-concluded G7 Summit.United States President Donald Trump returned home from the Group of Seven Summit held in the French city of Biarritz from August 24 and 26.In its daily round-up for Monday, the White House said, "The five big takeaways are: a message of unity, security a billion-dollar trade deal, promoting the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), developing stronger trade with Europe and helping to reduce India-Pakistan tension.""In his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, President Trump reaffirmed the need for dialogue between India and Pakistan and also worked to build on the great economic relations between our nations," it said.PM Modi, flanked by Trump, on Monday categorically rejected any scope for third party mediation on Kashmir, saying it was a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan, and "we don't want to trouble any third country" -- a position that was immediately backed by the American leader who had recently offered to mediate.In a tweet, the White House said during the meeting with Modi, Trump also acknowledged India's role as a critical partner in Afghanistan. The accompanying two photos released by the White House reflected a jubilant mood in the meeting room in France and the handshake between the two leaders.Trump and First Lady Melania Trump returned home late Monday night after attending the G7 Summit."Trump met with world leaders to strengthen our alliances, secure better trade deals, and -- as always -- keep the interests of the American people front and centre on the global stage," the White House said. During the summit, Trump worked with American allies to chart a course toward even more prosperity both here at home and around the world, the White House said.According to the White House, Trump and President Emmanuel Macron of the host nation, over the weekend, worked together to achieve progress on a number of fronts, including global security, fair trade practices, and better economic opportunity for all."I want to thank you very much, Mr President, for the incredible job you did. This is a truly successful G7," Trump said."One of the biggest wins from the summit was President Trump's announcement of locking in a trade agreement with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan. The deal secures market access for a number of American agricultural goods, and Japan has agreed to purchase large sums of our farmers' corn," it said.With Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau by his side, Trump talked about the importance of expanding America's trading partnership with its neighbours by passing the USMCA.With both Canada and Mexico having essentially finalized the new deal, which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Trump noted that it's time for US lawmakers to do the same."Our farmers love it, the unions love it, the workers love it, manufacturers love it... hopefully that'll be put to a vote very soon," he said.While meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Trump discussed how best to meet global and regional security challenges and previewed even better trade relations to come with Germany and the European Union, the White House said.Germany is "a great trading partner," he said. "And we probably think we're going to be upping the trade over a very short period of time," the US President added.

Helping reduce Indo-Pak tension one of five takeaways from G7 Summit: White House

United States President Donald Trump returned home from the Group of Seven Summit held in the French city of Biarritz from August 24 and 26.

fb6eb3fee07d0c630f69d57c5088da00

In this livestream frame grab from video provided by NYPD News, Mayor Eric Adams, foreground, with city law officials, speaks at a news conference inside a subway station after a woman was pushed to her death in front of a subway train at the Times Square station, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in New York.A woman was pushed to her death in front of a subway train at the Times Square station Saturday, police said, a little more than a week after the mayor and governor announced plans to boost subway policing and outreach to homeless people in New York City’s streets and trains. The man believed responsible fled the scene but turned himself into transit police a short time later, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said at a news conference with Mayor Eric Adams at the station. The 40-year-old victim, identified as Michelle Alyssa Go of New York, was waiting for a southbound R train around 9:40 a.m. when she was apparently shoved, according to police.“This incident was unprovoked, and the victim does not appear to have had any interaction with the subject,” Sewell said. A second woman told police the man had approached her minutes earlier and she feared he would push her onto the tracks.“He approaches her and he gets in her space. She gets very, very alarmed,” Assistant Chief Jason Wilcox said, describing the earlier encounter. “She tries to move away from him and he gets close to her, and she feels that he was about to physically push her onto the train. As she’s walking away she witnesses the crime where he pushes our other victim in front of the train.” Police on Saturday night identified the suspect as 61-year-old Simon Martial. Martial, who police said is homeless, was charged with second-degree murder. It was not immediately known whether he had an attorney who could comment.Wilcox said Martial has a criminal history and has been on parole. “He does have in the past three emotionally disturbed encounters with us that we have documented,” he said.Subway conditions and safety have become a worry for many New Yorkers during the pandemic. Although police statistics show major felonies in the subways have dropped over the past two years, so has ridership, making it difficult to compare.And some recent attacks have gotten public attention and raised alarms. In September, three transit employees were assaulted in separate incidents on one day. Several riders were slashed and assaulted by a group of attackers on a train in lower Manhattan in May, and four separate stabbings — two of them fatal — happened within a few hours on a single subway line in February.In recent months there have been several instances of people being stabbed, assaulted or shoved onto the tracks at stations in the Bronx, Brooklyn and at Times Square.Saturday’s attack against Go, who was of Asian descent, also raised concerns amid a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes in New York and around the country. Police officials said the killing, including whether it was a hate crime, was under investigation, but noted that the first woman Martial allegedly approached was not Asian. Martial is Black.“This latest attack causing the death of an Asian American woman in the Times Square subway station is particularly horrifying for our community,” Margaret Fung, executive director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund, said. She said the community was still mourning the Dec. 31 death of Yao Pan Ma, a Chinese immigrant who was attacked in April while collecting cans in East Harlem.“These attacks have left Asian Americans across the city and across the country feeling vulnerable and they must stop,” Fung said in a statement.Adams, who has been mayor for two weeks, has noted that a perception of danger could drive more people to eschew the subway, complicating the city’s economic recovery as it tries to draw people back to offices, tourist attractions and more.“We want to continue to highlight how imperative it is that people receive the right mental health services, particularly on our subway system,” the mayor said Saturday. “To lose a New Yorker in this fashion will only continue to elevate the fears of individuals not using our subway system.”“Our recovery is dependent on the public safety in this city and in the subway system,” Adams said.Under his predecessor, Bill de Blasio, the city repeatedly said it was deploying more police to subways after attacks last year and pressure from transit officials. The agency that runs the subway system, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, sped up work to install security cameras in all 472 subway stations citywide, finishing that project in September.However, the city also has repeatedly faced complaints in recent years about heavy-handed policing in subways. Protests erupted, for example, after police were seen on bystander video handcuffing a woman they said was selling churros without a license at subway stations in 2019 and punching a Black teenager during a brawl on a subway platform that same year.Six police officers were assigned to the station Saturday, authorities said.Joining Adams last week to discuss the state of the subways, Gov. Kathy Hochul said she was planning to put together five teams of social workers and medical professionals to help the city guide people living on streets and subways to shelter, housing and services. Both Hochul and Adams are Democrats.

Woman killed as unknown man throws her in front of subway train in New York

The 40-year-old victim, identified as Michelle Alyssa Go of New York, was waiting for a southbound R train around 9:40 a.m. when she was apparently shoved, according to police.

7c72f58dd7c1e54586dcc408a7e68c83

Drones target northern Iraqi airport after 2 month lullExplosives-laden drones targeted Irbil international airport in northern Iraq late Saturday where U.S.-led coalition troops are stationed with no reports of casualties, according to security forces and officials in Kurdish-run region. Kurdistan’s Counter-Terrorism Service said at least two drones carrying explosives targeted the airport in a statement. It said the attack did not lead to any casualties. Lawk Ghafuri, spokesman for the semi-autonomous northern region, said the explosives struck outside of the airport and dismissed reports the attack had impacted flights. He said the airport remained open and an investigation was ongoing by Kurdish authorities. The attack is the first following a two month lull in drone and rocket attacks to target the U.S. presence in Baghdad and military bases across Iraq. On July 8, rockets landed in and around the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which houses the U.S. Embassy. It caused material damage but no casualties. Until recently the attacks were a frequent occurrence. The U.S. has blamed Iran-backed militias for attacks. More recently, the attacks have become more sophisticated, with militants using drones instead of Katyusha rockets. U.S. forces will end their combat mission in Iraq by the end of this year, but will continue to train and advise the Iraqi military. There are currently 2,500 US troops in Iraq helping local forces counter what remains of the Islamic State group. ALSO READ: Taliban flag waves over Afghanistan presidential palace on 9/11 attack anniversaryExplosives-laden drones targeted Irbil international airport in northern Iraq late Saturday where U.S.-led coalition troops are stationed with no reports of casualties, according to security forces and officials in Kurdish-run region.Kurdistan’s Counter-Terrorism Service said at least two drones carrying explosives targeted the airport in a statement. It said the attack did not lead to any casualties.Lawk Ghafuri, spokesman for the semi-autonomous northern region, said the explosives struck outside of the airport and dismissed reports the attack had impacted flights. He said the airport remained open and an investigation was ongoing by Kurdish authorities.The attack is the first following a two month lull in drone and rocket attacks to target the U.S. presence in Baghdad and military bases across Iraq. On July 8, rockets landed in and around the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which houses the U.S. Embassy. It caused material damage but no casualties.Until recently the attacks were a frequent occurrence. The U.S. has blamed Iran-backed militias for attacks. More recently, the attacks have become more sophisticated, with militants using drones instead of Katyusha rockets.U.S. forces will end their combat mission in Iraq by the end of this year, but will continue to train and advise the Iraqi military. There are currently 2,500 US troops in Iraq helping local forces counter what remains of the Islamic State group.

Drones target northern Iraqi airport after 2 month lull

Kurdistan’s Counter-Terrorism Service said at least two drones carrying explosives targeted the airport in a statement. It said the attack did not lead to any casualties.

b7766c0bcf41068c99d2b76286598cc5

Flights delayed by smoke from Australian bushfiresFifty flights in and out of the Melbourne airport were disrupted on Wednesday due to dense smoke arising from the Australian bushfire that has reduced visibility and created dangerous conditions.Smoke drifting across from bushfires in Victoria State's East Gippsland region forced traffic controllers to close one of the airports runways, leading to the cancellation of 50 domestic flights, reported Xinhua news agency.A spokesperson for the airport told Xinhua that delays were likely to continue well into the afternoon and passengers should check for updates."We would expect some of the delays to continue into the evening and possibly again tomorrow," they said.It is the second day of significantly reduced air quality for Melbourne after some flights were affected on Tuesday.Qualifying sessions for the Australian Open were also affected by the hazardous smog, with matches postponed and at least one athlete suffering health concerns while playing.The weather was expected to turn late on Wednesday with thunderstorms predicted to bring rain to the state's central districts clearing the air."Extensive smoke haze lingers across Victoria on this morning, though much clearer conditions expected in Melbourne on Thursday after the arrival of a (southerly) change," a spokesperson for the Bureau of Meteorology posted online.

Flights delayed by smoke from Australian bushfires

Fifty flights in and out of the Melbourne airport were disrupted on Wednesday due to dense smoke arising from the Australian bushfire that has reduced visibility and created dangerous conditions.

92a3e33c5ecb220e7ae4be9d5e6a0c65

Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA)Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), on Sunday called for ensuring that Covid-19 vaccines are accessible to all people. "More than ever, we must work together; as our hopes turn to vaccines for Covid-19, we must extend the same compassion and spirit of cooperation. We must ensure that decisions are not driven only by profit, or narrow national concerns, but by a need to protect all people, everywhere," the UNGA President said in a video message for the International Human Solidarity Day, which falls on December 20."These must be vaccines for all, fairly and equitably accessible in all countries," Bozkir noted.Recalling that in April of this year, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in New York City, "hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people, would stand on their balconies and cheer each day for the essential workers who were putting themselves on the line for the benefit of others," the UNGA President said that "the same occurred in other cities around the world.""In Italy, news emerged of people performing music on their balconies. World-renowned tenor, Andrea Bocelli, performed to an empty cathedral while millions watched online," he continued."Scenes such as these were seen the world over, as humankind came together to a degree that they never had before. The sense of shared grief, desperation, anxiety and hope spread from country to country, from community to community, and created a sense of human solidarity against a common challenge," added Bozkir."We need that sense of human solidarity now, as much as we ever did," he stressed.The UNGA president underscored that the Covid-19 pandemic has not been conquered yet and "millions continue to be infected and the economic impacts affect billions", the Xinhua news agency reported."As we celebrate Human Solidarity Day, during what has been one of the most challenging years of our existence, let us continue to lean into this sense of one global community, one humanity, together," said the veteran diplomat from Turkey.The International Human Solidarity Day, observed on Dec. 20, is an international annual unity day of the United Nations and its member states introduced by the General Assembly during the 2005 world summit. It was established on Dec. 22, 2005, by Resolution 60/209. Its main goal is to recognize the universal values of poor by making the associated countries aware of reducing poverty and to formulate its countermeasures as signed by the independent states.ALSO READ | First Coronavirus vaccine shot likely in January, says Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan

UNGA chief calls for ensuring Covid-19 vaccines accessible to all

Volkan Bozkir, President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), on Sunday called for ensuring that Covid-19 vaccines are accessible to all people.

9f13c2a9f73a0c1dad8277d35493090f

97,000 children test positive for coronavirus two weeks after US schools re-open.At least 97,000 children tested positive for coronavirus in just two weeks after schools in the United States reopened amid the pandemic, stated American Academy of Pediatrics report. Meanwhile, nearly 100,000 children tested positive in the US in the last two weeks of July. Meanwhile, in the same month, at least 25 kids have died in the US due to COVID-19, contradicting the belief that children are less susceptible to the coronavirus.As per the report, the country reported 5 million cases of coronavirus between July 16 to 30. Out of these COVID patients, 3,38,000 were children. During this period, as many as 1,62,000 fatalities were reported. Amidst coronavirus scare among kids, school administration and the authorities are trying hard to make in-person schooling possible with the minimal transmission of the deadly contagious virus.Vanderbilt University's Dr. Tina Hartert told CBS that the increased COVID testing of children will help determine what role they play in transmission. Hartert is leading a government-funded study that saw DIY testing kits sent to some 2,000 families."The kits are shipped to the families, they are taught how to collect these samples, and then the samples are sent back by the families to a central repository," she said.

Close to 1 lakh children test positive for coronavirus after schools reopen in US

At least 97,000 children tested positive for COVID-19 in just two weeks after schools in the United States reopened amid the pandemic, stated American Academy of Pediatrics report.

db6ad2df9af1b159042b01eb3460058f

Ladakh Faceoff: The 1993, 1996 and 2013 border agreements as violated by China As many as 20 Indian Army personnel including a colonel were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Monday night, the biggest military confrontation in over five decades that has significantly escalated the already volatile border standoff in the region. The Army initially said on Tuesday that an officer and two soldiers were killed. But in a late evening statement, it revised the figure to 20 saying 17 others who "were critically injured in the line of duty and exposed to sub-zero temperatures at the standoff location succumbed to their injuries."Government sources said the Chinese side too suffered "proportionate casualties" but chose not to speculate on the number. It is the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while over 300 Chinese army personnel were killed in the confrontation. The casualties take both sides into uncharted territory at a time when the government’s attention is focused on fighting the COVID-19 crisis that appears to be ballooning by the day.China through its military action at Galwan in Ladakh has violated three key bilateral agreements -- 1993, 1996 and 2013. All these agreements have been central to maintaining peace and tranquility on the disputed Line of Actual Control. “No activities of either side shall overstep the line of actual control. In case personnel of one side cross the Line of Actual Control, upon being cautioned by the other side, they shall immediately pull back to their own side of the Line of Actual Control. When necessary, the two sides shall jointly check and determine the segments of the Line of Actual Control where they have different views as to its alignment.”After 3 years, both sides had made it clear that their troops shall exercise self-restraint in the case of a faceoff. Breaching the agreement, the Chinese side did not show self-restraint, which was evident from the injuries sustained by the Indian soldiers during the clashes. At present, the clashes led to the martyrdom of 20 Indian soldiers. "If the border personnel of the two sides come in a face-to-face situation due to differences on the alignment of the line of actual control or any other reason, they shall exercise self-restraint and take all necessary steps to avoid an escalation of the situation. Both sides shall also enter into immediate consultations through diplomatic and/or other available channels to review the situation and prevent any escalation of tension."The agreement, also for the first time in India-China rules of engagement, makes it clear that “neither side shall open fire or conduct blast operations within 2 km of the Line of Actual Control”. This is what led to a practice, where troops on both sides, never brandished weapons at each other and at most, indulged in a physical jostle. “The two sides agree that they shall not follow or tail patrols of the other side in areas where there is no common understanding of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas.”China’s track record on adhering to agreed CBMs and protocols on the LAC has been poor in the past few years. Having agreed to establish a hotline between the two military headquarters in 2013, the Chinese side scuttled the proposal by saying its embassy in Delhi should be notified first in case the Indian side wanted to make a call. Then, there were differences on encryption codes and translation arrangements. As a result, a hotline is still to be operationalized despite positive noises from the Indian side. Also Read | India-China LAC Face-off: Timeline of all contentionAlso Read | Harvard study says India holds conventional edge over China. Check Details /* .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_6347901645 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_k00ebtf6_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_k00ebtf6_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Aaj Ki Baat: How a road in Ladakh has become bone of contention between India and China", "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": "5040", "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_6347901645 = ''; jwsetup_6347901645(); function jwsetup_6347901645() { jwvidplayer_6347901645 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_6347901645").setup(jwconfig_6347901645); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_6347901645, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_k00ebtf6\", ns_st_pr=\"Aaj Ki Baat: How a road in Ladakh has become bone of contention between India and China\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Aaj Ki Baat: How a road in Ladakh has become bone of contention between India and China\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Aaj Ki Baat: How a road in Ladakh has become bone of contention between India and China\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2020-06-17\", ns_st_tdt=\"2020-06-17\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_k00ebtf6_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_6347901645.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_6347901645.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_6347901645.stop(); jwvidplayer_6347901645.remove(); jwvidplayer_6347901645 = ''; jwsetup_6347901645(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_6347901645.stop(); jwvidplayer_6347901645.remove(); jwvidplayer_6347901645 = ''; jwsetup_6347901645(); return; }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6347901645.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Ladakh Faceoff: The 1993, 1996 and 2013 border agreements as violated by China

India-China faceoff: Government sources said the Chinese side too suffered "proportionate casualties" but chose not to speculate on the number. It is the biggest confrontation between the two militaries after their 1967 clashes in Nathu La when India lost around 80 soldiers while over 300 Chinese army personnel were killed in the confrontation.

43fb1df3967417692c39856a85409aed

United States records 1,514 coronavirus deaths in the past 24 hoursWith the continuous rise in the number of coronavirus positive cases, the United States has recorded 1,514 deaths due to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. The data was revealed by Johns Hopkins University. With the new fatalities, the total death toll in the United States has now reached 22,105. Meanwhile, a top American health official on Sunday said the coronavirus outbreak is very close to its peak in the US. The deadly virus, to which medical science so far has not been able to find either a vaccine or a successful therapeutic solution, has killed over 20,000 Americans and infected more than 5.3 lakh, the highest in the world. "The models do show that we are very close to the peak. So I think that information is accurate. This has been a very fast-moving outbreak," Dr Stephen Hahn, Commissioner of US Food and Drug Administration told ABC News. He was responding to a question on the latest models, which are projecting that the US peak in terms of daily deaths would likely be Sunday. Asserting that public safety and the welfare of Americans has to come first, Dr Hahn said this has been the constant message from the president, the vice president and within the White House Task Force on coronavirus. "That has to ultimately drive these decisions. "There are obviously other considerations. I have heard from friends and colleagues around the world that people really do want to get back to a more normal life than what we've had in the last several weeks, but we have got to get the data as they come in. We have to look at what we know about this illness, what's happened in other countries and put them into the situation, into the plan moving forward," Dr Hahn said. Responding to a question on the possibility of reopening the country by May 1, a day after the social distancing measure ends on April 30, the FDA commissioner said it is a target. "We're hopeful about that target, but I think it's too early to be able to tell that. We see light at the end of the tunnel... We see the incredible resiliency of the American people with respect to social distancing, hand washing and all of those mitigation factors. So, that gives me great hope.""But I think it's just too early for us to say whether May 1 is that date. But more to come on that as we learn more information, and as our planning proceeds," Dr Hahn said. According to him, there are a lot of factors that will go into this. One, is the geographic location, the number of tests the number of people infected. "If you look at the testing where it is right now, the strategic approach has been to focus that testing in the hotspot areas, where if people come forward and are sick, as many as 30 to 40 per cent test positive, whereas in other areas where there aren't a lot of sick people and some rural areas, it's less than five per cent. "So our strategy moving forward for opening up the country has to take all of those factors into account. And yes, further ramping up testing, both diagnostic as well as the antibody tests will really be necessary as we move beyond May and into the summer months and then into the fall," Dr Hahn added. Also Read | Iran reports over 1,600 new COVID-19 cases; death toll at 4,474Also Read | Easter storms sweep South, killing at least 6 in Mississippi

US reports 1,514 coronavirus fatalities in 24 hours; total death toll at 22,105

The deadly coronavirus, to which medical science so far has not been able to find either a vaccine or a successful therapeutic solution, has killed over 20,000 Americans and infected more than 5.3 lakh, the highest in the world.

240528357fddf5b5e7c3ee0452de4b78

Trump's China tariffs to increase cost of Bible, upsets religious groupsThe trade war that Donald Trump has initiated with China by imposing massive tariffs on the Chinese products has upset one of his core support bases, the influential church community, that fears the US President's import duties would increase the cost of the Bible in America.The US and China have been locked in a bruising trade war since Trump imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium items from China in March last year, a move that sparked fears of a global trade war.Trump has already imposed 25 per cent tariffs on USD 250 billion in Chinese imports and China has retaliated with tariffs on US goods.In response, China imposed tit-for-tat tariffs on billions of dollars worth of American imports.The church community is up in arm against President Trump as his import duties on Chinese products will increase in the United States the cost of the holy Bible, which is significantly imported from China.According to Congressman Josh Harder, more than half of the Bibles produced in the world originate from China."The recently proposed tariffs on an additional USD 300 billion in Chinese goods, including printed materials, could have significant negative effects on our religious groups, churches, schools, ministries, and nonprofit organisations," Harder said."More than half of the Bibles printed in the world originate in China due to the unique paper and technologies required," he said.Unless the Bibles are excluded from the tariffs, churches, religious schools and other organisations would be forced to pay more for the scripture, he said."I don't think the president planned to add an extra tax on Bibles, but that's the practical effect these tariffs would have, and that would make connecting with scripture more difficult for our Christian communities," Harder said."We need all of these trade wars to end, but in the meantime, we can't allow our congregations to become collateral damage," he added, after he wrote a letter to Trump.The Congressman urged the President to exempt the Bibles printed in China from import duty.In the letter dated June 25, the Congressman from California expressed his concern regarding tariffs on printed books which would amount to a "Bible tax".If printed books, including the Bibles, are not removed from the list of products that could be impacted by tariffs, consumers and religious groups will be forced to pay higher prices for their Bibles, Harder said."While I do not believe this was an intended policy aim, the outcome would be harmful to our religious communities who rely on these sacred texts. I respectfully request that you reconsider the proposed tariffs for books and Bibles," the Congressman said.Christian publishers and Bibles societies in the US depend on the capacity and expertise of printers in China to help supply the 20 million Bibles bought each year by Americans, said Stan Jantz, president of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association."A Bible tax would mean fewer Bibles at much higher prices would be available to people who depend on the Bible for their daily spiritual nourishment," Jantz said.A 25 percent tariff imposed on Bibles would cause a hardship for many publishers, Jantz said."There will be significant damage to Bible accessibility if Bibles and books are not excluded from the tariffs. Some believe such a tariff would place a practical limitation on religious freedom. For sure we know that competitive options for printing Bibles outside of China are limited, especially if the current average price of a Bible is to be maintained," he said.According to Mark Schoenwald, president of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, the Trump administration was unaware of the potential negative impact these proposed tariffs would have on the publishing industry generally, and that it never intended to impose a "Bible Tax" on consumers and religious organisations.HarperCollins owns Thomas Nelson and Zondervan, two of the largest Bible producers in the United States."If printed books, including the Bibles are not removed from the fourth list of products from China to be subject to tariffs and the tariffs go into effect, publishers will reduce investment in their businesses, consumers and religious organisations will face higher prices, and churches, schools, ministries, and nonprofit organisations will have fewer resources to educate others and connect them with the Holy Bible," Schoenwald said in a statement.One of the most critical issues facing the book publishing industry is the strong possibility that a tariff of up to 25 per cent will be placed on goods imported from China, including books and the Bibles.As such Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA) has expressed its concerns to the United States Trade Representative (USTR).Books and the Bibles should be exempted from the Chinese tariff, he argued in a testimony before the USTR this week.Schoenwald and ECPA board member Paul Hendrickson, general manager of Hendrickson Publishers also gave testimonies.The ECPA said a large number of Bibles — well over 50 per cent - were printed in China.While there are some domestic Bible options available, the US printers comparable to China on price and quality do not have the capacity to meet the current demand. The same can be said for four-colour books printed in China. 

Trump's China tariffs to increase cost of Bible, upsets religious groups

The US and China have been locked in a bruising trade war since Trump imposed heavy tariffs on imported steel and aluminium items from China in March last year, a move that sparked fears of a global trade war.

e4fe247957f4bfb3a5b2b33d2472aaa7

UK PM under pressure to sack top aide for coronavirus lockdown breachBritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to sack his top aide after reports that he breached the coronavirus stay-at-home lockdown rules by travelling to his parents’ home. Dominic Cummings, who is Johnson’s Chief Strategy Adviser at No. 10 Downing Street, had developed coronavirus symptoms around the same time the UK prime minister tested positive for the deadly virus at the end of March. According to UK media reports, he and his wife travelled from London over 260 miles to his parents' home in Durham, north-east England, during that time.In a statement, Downing Street on Saturday said Cummings believed he "behaved reasonably and legally" and that his actions were in line with the coronavirus guidelines.The government’s strict social distancing rules in place at the time called on people not to travel as part of measures to contain the spread of COVID-19. And, the advice for anyone with coronavirus symptoms remains to self-isolate at home and not leave – even for essential supplies – for seven days.A member of the public is understood to have seen Cummings and made a complaint to the local Durham police, a joint investigation by the ‘Guardian’ and ‘Mirror’ newspapers revealed.“On Tuesday, March 31, our officers were made aware of reports that an individual had travelled from London to Durham and was present at an address in the city,” a spokesperson for Durham Constabulary said.“Officers made contact with the owners of that address who confirmed that the individual in question was present and was self-isolating in part of the house. In line with national policing guidance, officers explained to the family the guidelines around self-isolation and reiterated the appropriate advice around essential travel,” the spokesperson said.Opposition parties demanded a "clear explanation" from Downing Street for Cummings' actions."Owing to his wife being infected with suspected coronavirus and the high likelihood that he would himself become unwell, it was essential for Dominic Cummings to ensure his young child could be properly cared for,” a Downing Street spokesperson said."His sister and nieces had volunteered to help so he went to a house near to but separate from his extended family in case their help was needed. His sister shopped for the family and left everything outside. At no stage was he or his family spoken to by the police about this matter, as is being reported,” the spokesperson said.Durham Police and Crime Commissioner Steve White, however, branded the move “unwise”."Given the whole ethos of the guidance and regulations which were designed to reduce the spread, regardless of reason, by travelling to County Durham when known to be infected was most unwise,” White said."To beat this crisis we need to be selfless as millions have been. The response by the people of Durham has been exemplary which makes this most frustrating and concerning," he said.The Opposition Labour Party called for more answers at the daily COVID-19 briefing held every evening at 10 Downing Street."The public have made extraordinary sacrifices during this pandemic and the lockdown. It cannot be one rule for those who set them and another for the British people," a Labour statement said.The Scottish National Party's Leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, said Cummings' position was "untenable" and that the UK Prime Minister has "serious questions" to answer about the reports."Dominic Cummings has to do the right thing, and if he doesn't resign, Boris Johnson should sack him and he should do that this morning," Blackford told the BBC.“When you have a situation that at the highest level of government that [lockdown] rules aren't being followed then I think people expect action to be taken," he said.A source close to Cummings denied a breach of the coronavirus rules, saying the couple needed childcare help and that they had stayed in a separate building at the property in Durham.The latest revelations follow other high-profile figures in the UK having to resign after breaches of the pandemic lockdown, including Scotland's former Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood and leading scientist Neil Ferguson.Dr Calderwood resigned in April after making two trips to her second home during the coronavirus lockdown and Prof. Ferguson quit as a government scientific adviser on coronavirus after it was reported that a woman he was in a relationship with visited his home soon after he had coronavirus symptoms.

UK PM under pressure to sack top aide for coronavirus lockdown breach

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is under pressure to sack his top aide after reports that he breached the coronavirus stay-at-home lockdown rules by travelling to his parents’ home.

de97be9eb0d52934d36ddac55847f500

Truck bomb in Somalia’s capital kills at least 73 peopleA truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia’s capital Saturday morning, killing at least 73 people, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Mogadishu in recent memory, and witnesses said its force reminded them of the devastating 2017 bombing that killed hundreds of people.The toll could rise as scores of people were rushed to hospitals, government spokesman Ismail Mukhtar told The Associated Press. Dr. Mohamed Yusuf, director of Madina hospital, said they had received 73 bodies. Abdiqadir Abdirahman, director of the Aamin Ambulance service, counted more than 50 wounded.Most of those killed were university and other students returning to class, Mayor Omar Mohamud Mohamed said at the scene. Police said two Turkish nationals were dead.Capt. Mohamed Hussein said the blast targeted a tax collection center during the morning rush hour as Somalia returned to work after its weekend. A large black plume of smoke rose above the capital.Images from the scene showed the mangled frames of vehicles and bodies lying on the ground. At a hospital, families and friends picked through dozens of bodies.“I saw many dead bodies lying on the ground,” witness Mohamed Abdi Hakim said. “Some of those dead were police officers, but most of them were students.”There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. The al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab often carries out such attacks. The extremist group was pushed out of Mogadishu several years ago but continues to target high-profile areas such as checkpoints and hotels in the seaside city.The extremist group is now able to make its own explosives, its “weapon of choice,” United Nations experts monitoring sanctions on Somalia said earlier this year. The group had previously relied on military-grade explosives captured during assaults on an African Union peacekeeping force.Al-Shabab was blamed for the truck bombing in Mogadishu in October 2017 that killed more than 500 people. The group never claimed responsibility for the blast that led to widespread public outrage. Some analysts said al-Shabab didn’t dare claim credit as its strategy of trying to sway public opinion by exposing government weakness had badly backfired.“This explosion is similar like the one ... in 2017. This one occurred just a few steps away from where I am and it knocked me on the ground from its force. I have never seen such a explosion in my entire life,” said witness Abdurrahman Yusuf.The latest attack again raises concern about the readiness of Somali forces to take over responsibility for the Horn of Africa country’s security in the coming months from the AU force.Al-Shabab, the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes since President Donald Trump took office, controls parts of Somalia’s southern and central regions. It funds itself with a “taxation” system that experts describe as extortion of businesses and travelers that brings in millions of dollars a year.ALSO READ | Afghanistan: 7 killed, 7 injured in a car bomb blast in Kabul

Truck bomb in Somalia’s capital kills at least 73 people

A truck bomb exploded at a busy security checkpoint in Somalia’s capital Saturday morning, killing at least 73 people, authorities said. It was one of the deadliest attacks in Mogadishu in recent memory, and witnesses said its force reminded them of the devastating 2017 bombing that killed hundreds of people.

68966b3464b024665fe19c5f7173363e

Turkish forces advance in Syria as US troops come under fireTurkish forces faced fierce resistance from U.S.-allied Syrian Kurdish fighters on the third day of Ankara’s offensive in northern Syria as casualties mounted, international criticism of the campaign intensified and estimates put the number of those who fled the violence at 100,000. In a complicating twist, Washington said its troops also came under fire from NATO ally Turkey.No U.S. troops were hurt in Friday’s explosion at the small U.S. outpost, and the artillery strike marked the first time a coalition base was in the line of fire since Turkey’s offensive began.U.S. officials said the Americans have vacated the post on a hill outside the town of Kobane, and added that a large base in the town was not affected by the shelling. The officials spoke anonymously because they were discussing an ongoing military operation.Turkey said the U.S. was not targeted and its forces were returning fire from Kurdish fighters about half a mile from the U.S. outpost. The Turkish Defense Ministry said it ended the strike after communicating with the U.S.Navy Capt. Brook DeWalt, a Pentagon spokesman, says the explosion came within a few hundred meters of the area where U.S. troops were.The artillery strike so close to American forces showed the unpredictable nature of the conflict days after U.S. President Donald Trump cleared the way for Turkey’s air and ground invasion, pulling back U.S. forces from the area and saying he wanted to stop getting involved with “endless wars.”The decision drew swift bipartisan criticism that he was endangering regional stability and risking the lives of Syrian Kurdish allies who brought down the Islamic State group in Syria.Earlier, Turkey said it captured more Kurdish-held villages in the border region, while a hospital in a Syrian town was abandoned and a camp of 4,000 displaced residents about 12 kilometers (7 miles) from the frontier was evacuated after artillery shells landed nearby.Reflecting international fears that Turkey’s offensive could revive the Islamic State group, two car bombs exploded outside a restaurant in the Kurdish-controlled urban center of Qamishli, killing three people, and the extremists claimed responsibility. The city also was heavily shelled by Turkish forces.Turkish shelling hit a prison holding IS militants in Qamishli, Syrian Kurdish officials said. They shared a video Friday showing a shell landing in the courtyard of what appears to be a prison facility. Seconds later, a handful of men open doors and seem to be trying to leave.Kurdish fighters waged intense battles against advancing Turkish troops that sought to take control of two major towns along the Turkish-Syrian border, a war monitor said.The U.N. estimated the number of displaced at 100,000 since Wednesday, saying that markets, schools and clinics also were closed. Aid agencies have warned of a humanitarian crisis, with nearly a half-million people at risk in northeastern Syria.On Sunday, Trump cleared the way for Turkey’s air and ground invasion after he announced his decision to pull American troops from their positions near the border, drawing swift bipartisan criticism that he was endangering regional stability and risking the lives of Syrian Kurdish allies who brought down IS in Syria.Trump had said at the time that the estimated 1,000 U.S. troops were not in harm’s way from the Turkish offensive. Rami Abdurrahman, head of the war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the U.S. base was on a hill near the Kurdish-held town of Kobani, which had come under heavy Turkish fire.U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Washington is not abandoning its Syrian Kurdish allies and pushed back hard for NATO-ally Turkey not to launch the operation. He said U.S. troops are still working with Kurdish fighters.Despite the criticism, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country “will not take a step back” from its offensive.“We will never stop this step. We will not stop no matter what anyone says,” he said in a speech Friday.Plumes of black smoke billowed Friday from the Syrian border town of Tal Abyad as Turkey continued bombarding the area. The Turkish Defense Ministry said the operation was progressing successfully.Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish fighters to be terrorists linked to a Kurdish insurgency inside Turkey and says the offensive is a counterterrorism operation necessary for its own national security.The Turkish Defense Ministry said four of its soldiers have been killed since Wednesday, with three wounded. Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said 342 “terrorists” — Ankara’s term for Syrian Kurdish militiamen — have been killed so far. The figure could not be independently verified.The Kurdish-led force said 22 of its fighters were killed since Wednesday.The Kurdish militia has fired dozens of mortars into Turkey in the past two days, including Akcakale, according to officials in two provinces on the Turkish side. They said at least 17 civilians were killed in the shelling, including a 9-month-old boy and three girls under 15.Mourners in Akcakale carried the coffin of the slain boy, Mohammed Omar Saar, as many shouted, “Damn the PKK!” referring to the Kurdish insurgent group in Turkey linked to Syrian Kurdish fighters. The PKK is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and other countries.One attack hit the town of Suruc, and a child in the town of Ceylanpinar died of his wounds Thursday night, the Anadolu Agency reported.On the Syrian side, seven civilians have been killed since Wednesday, activists said.Russian President Vladimir Putin said he doubted the Turkish army has enough resources to take control of prison camps in the region housing Islamic State detainees, and he fears the captured fighters “could just run away,” leading to a revival of the militant group.“We have to be aware of this and mobilize the resources of our intelligence to undercut this emerging tangible threat,” Putin said during a visit to Turkmenistan.The Syrian Kurdish forces had been holding more than 10,000 IS members, but they said they are being forced to abandon some of those positions to fight the Turkish invasion.Separately, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg urged Ankara to exercise restraint, although he acknowledged what he said was Turkey’s legitimate security concerns about the Syrian Kurdish fighters.In a news conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Stoltenberg also expressed concern that the offensive could jeopardize gains made against IS. Cavusoglu said Turkey expected solidarity from its allies.“It is not enough to say you understand Turkey’s legitimate concerns; we want to see this solidarity in a clear way,” he said.The White House also put Turkey on notice it could face new “powerful sanctions” and said the U.S. will “shut down the Turkish economy” if Ankara goes too far. It didn’t elaborate.Trump has expressed a desire to pull troops out of the Middle East, saying earlier this week he didn’t want America involved in endless wars in the region. Still, U.S. officials said Friday they were deploying dozens more fighting jets and additional air defense to Saudi Arabia to defend it against Iran.The Turkish operation aims to create a corridor of control along Turkey’s border that clears out the Syrian Kurdish fighters. Such a “safe zone” would end the Kurds’ autonomy in the area and put much of their population under Turkish control. Ankara wants to settle 2 million Syrian refugees, mainly Arabs, in the zone.Syrian Kurdish authorities said they were evacuating about 4,000 people in the Mabrouka camp, west of Ras al-Ayn, because of artillery fire. Aid groups say there was no direct hit on the camp, located 12 kilometers, or 7 miles, from the border.Doctors Without Borders said the fighting forced it to shut down a hospital it supports in the border town of Tal Abyad serving more than 200,000 people because most of the residents had to leave, including the medical staff and their relatives.The group said aid groups had to suspend or limit operations in the al-Hol camp, home to more than 70,000 women and children located 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Turkish border, as well as the Ain Eissa camp.Also Read: Court rules against Trump admin's rule on immigrantsAlso Read: US to deploy additional 3,000 troops to Saudi Arabia

Turkish forces advance in Syria as US troops come under fire

No U.S. troops were hurt in Friday’s explosion at the small U.S. outpost, and the artillery strike marked the first time a coalition base was in the line of fire since Turkey’s offensive began.

535e52245779f844b5388e35a8ec0298

A view of crash site near Swiss AlpsAll 20 passengers on board were killed after a tourist plane crashed into a mountainside in southeast Switzerland."The police have the sad certainty that the 20 people aboard perished," police spokeswoman Anita Senti told media.There were 11 men and nine women aboard, including an Austrian couple and their son, she said.The Junker JU52 HB-HOT aircraft, built in Germany in 1939 and now a collectors' item, crashed into Piz Segnas, a 3,000-metre (10,000-foot) peak in the east of the country on Saturday.The crash occurred at 2,540 metres on the mountain's western flank, Senti said."The plane turned 180 degrees to the south and fell to the ground like a stone," the witness said, adding that the debris was scattered over "a very small area," indicating an explosion was unlikely to have been the cause of the crash.Police said earlier that five helicopters were involved in a search and rescue mission and the airspace over the crash site was to remain closed until late Sunday.The aircraft belongs to JU-Air, a company with links to the Swiss air force, the ATS news agency reported.JU-Air said on its website that it was "deeply saddened" and its "thoughts were with the passengers, the crew and families and friends of the victims". The company's flight operations were suspended, it said.In another Swiss plane crash on Saturday, a tourist plane carrying a couple and two young children crashed in a forest in the Nidwald canton and immediately burst into flames. No survivors have been found.Meanwhile, Swiss officials said that they’re not aware of any distress call from an old-time prop plane that crashed in the Swiss Alps before it went down, killing 20 people. They also expect the investigation into the cause of the crash to be “relatively complex.”Daniel Knecht of the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board said the plane appears to have hit the ground near-vertically and at high speed in Saturday’s crash.Speaking at a news conference Sunday in the Alpine resort of Flims, near the crash site, Knecht said the vintage plane presumably didn’t have the crash-resistant cockpit voice and data recorders that more modern aircraft have.He said officials have essentially ruled out a collision with another aircraft or hitting an obstacle such as a wire. He also says there’s no indication of foul play or that the aircraft lost parts or broke up before the crash.(With agency inputs) 

Tourist plane crashes in Swiss Alps, all 20 passengers on board killed

The Junker JU52 HB-HOT aircraft, built in Germany in 1939 and now a collectors' item, crashed into Piz Segnas, a 3,000-metre (10,000-foot) peak in the east of the country on Saturday.

91e576f0156d5947f518d5e7b76259c9

Continuing with its hawkish approach towards India, the state-run Chinese media today alleged that rising Hindu nationalism has ‘kidnapped’ India’s China policy and warned that it could lead the two countries to war.An article in Global Times said that Narendra Modi stormed to power taking advantage of the rising Hindu nationalism but added that it has brought India under control of conservatives which has hampered reforms.The article alleged that the proponents of  Hindu nationalism are demanding the government to pursue tougher foreign policy especially towards China and Pakistan. However, it reminded India that it is weaker compared to China and warned that New Delhi will jeopardise its own interests if it gets swayed by rising nationalism.“India is weaker than China in terms of national strength, but its strategists and politicians have shown no wisdom in preventing India's China policy from being kidnapped by rising nationalism. This will put India's own interests in jeopardy. India should be careful and not let religious nationalism push the two countries into war,” the article said.Referring to India’s debacle in  1962 war, the article said that the defeat inflicted lingering pain on India and has made it suspicious of Chinese strategy. “China's development is seen as a misfortune to India. The faster China grows, the more fearful they are,” the article added. Referring to the border standoff between the armies of the two countries in Doklam area, the article accused India of provoking China by first crossing the border and then by not withdrawing troops despite requests made by China. The article accused India of harbouring deep suspicions toward China and considering it as a rival and a potential enemy.“India harbours deep strategic suspicion toward China. It considers China as a rival and a potential enemy. For a long time, it has hyped that China is pursuing what is called the ‘String of Pearls’ to encircle India. Despite China's goodwill in inviting India to join the Belt and Road initiative, India insists on interpreting the project as a part of China's strategic containment and encirclement of it,” the article said. The article also berated Modi government for its failure in curbing what it called  “Hindu nationalistic violence” against Muslims after coming to power in 2014.

Rising Hindu nationalism ‘kidnapped’ India’s China policy, pushing New Delhi into war with Beijing: Chinese media

The article said that Narendra Modi stormed to power taking advantage of the rising Hindu nationalism but added that it has brought India under control of conservatives which has hampered reforms.

42612649a0b748380ceac98b7b7a1805

In this Aug. 13, 2019, file photo, students walk past the statue of John Harvard in Harvard Yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, urged the nation's richest colleges, including Harvard, to reject federal funding that was allotted to them in the government's multi-trillion dollar coronavirus rescue package. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)Harvard University announced Wednesday it will turn down $8.7 million in federal coronavirus relief, a day after President Donald Trump excoriated the wealthy Ivy League school over taxpayer money it stood to receive. It followed similar actions at Stanford and Princeton universities, which said they will too will reject millions of dollars in federal funding amid growing scrutiny of wealthy colleges. Officials at Harvard said the school still faces significant financial challenges due to the pandemic but will refuse the money over concerns that “intense focus by politicians” will undermine the relief program created by Congress.“While we understand any reallocation of these resources is a matter for the Department of Education, we hope that special consideration will be given to Massachusetts institutions that are struggling to serve their communities and meet the needs of their students through these difficult and challenging times,” Harvard said in a statement.Trump later thanked Harvard and Stanford at a White House press conference, saying he was pleased the schools turned down the funding.“They stopped it,” he said. “They’re not accepting the money and that’s great. So I want to thank Harvard. I want to thank Stanford.”Congress is offering $14 billion to the nation’s colleges and universities as part of a $2.2 trillion rescue package. Schools were allotted varying sums based on their size and the number of students they teach from poorer backgrounds.But Trump said Tuesday that Harvard “shouldn’t be taking” its share because it has such deep financial reserves. It echoed concerns from other critics, including some alumni, who said Harvard doesn’t need the money and can rely on its nearly $40 billion endowment.Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday said other rich schools should reject the funding. Affluent schools that do not primarily serve low-income students “do not need or deserve additional taxpayer funds,” she said in a statement.“Schools with large endowments should not apply for funds so more can be given to students who need support the most. It’s also important for Congress to change the law to make sure no more taxpayer funds go to elite, wealthy institutions,” she said.Only hours later, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he was introducing legislation to block colleges from receiving coronavirus relief if they have endowments topping $10 billion. Under the proposal, those schools could access federal relief only after they spend a large share of their own money — an amount 10 times the size of their federal allotment — on direct aid for students.About a dozen U.S. schools have endowments large enough to be affected by the proposal.The higher education funding was meant to help colleges and students facing financial losses triggered by the pandemic. If colleges accept the funding, they’re required to spend at least half on direct grants for students. Harvard had previously committed to spending its entire share on students, and on Wednesday said it is “fully committed to providing the financial support that it has promised to its students.”Stanford, which has an endowment of nearly $28 billion, said it told the Education Department on Monday it would refuse $7.4 million allocated in the package. The school said it wanted to free the funding to be directed to smaller colleges that now face an “existential threat” because of the pandemic. Stanford says it’s still “fully committed” to providing financial relief to students.Officials at Princeton said they will reject $2.4 million in aid, but not because of the pressure from DeVos. The school said it made the decision after the Education Department issued new guidelines forbidding the funding from going to students in the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program for immigrants who were brought to the country illegally. The school, which has a $26 billion endowment, said the rules were inconsistent with Princeton’s values.Harvard also said the “evolving guidance” around the funding factored into its decision.More than 300 colleges were granted larger shares than Harvard, including some that also rank among the nation’s wealthiest. The University of Southern California, which had an endowment of $5.7 billion last year, was allotted nearly $20 million. Columbia University, with an endowment of $11 billion, was allotted nearly $13 million.Major public universities received many of the largest shares, including Arizona State University, which was granted $63.5 million, and the Pennsylvania State University system, with $55 million.Wealthy colleges are facing new pressure to reject the funding amid a similar outcry over major companies that received emergency aid meant for small businesses. The Shake Shack burger empire said it would return a $10 million loan after facing public anger.But some of the richest colleges still plan to take the funding. Cornell University, with a $7.3 billion endowment, says it plans to accept $12.8 million in relief and use it entirely on student grants. The University of Southern California said its $5.7 billion endowment is “substantially smaller than that of our peers” and noted that 1 in 5 of its undergraduates receive federal Pell grants for low-income students.“We desperately need these emergency funds and will drive 100% of them toward supporting our students who are experiencing financial hardships,” the school said Wednesday.Other affluent universities contacted by The Associated Press, including Duke and Columbia universities, said they have yet to make decisions on the funding.Scores of colleges say they have taken heavy hits as they refund money to students for housing after campuses closed last month. Many more are losing millions in ticket sales after sports seasons were cut short, and some have lost big shares of their endowments amid swings in the stock market.Some colleges have starting to furlough employees to avoid deeper layoffs later, and some small colleges have had to shut down permanently amid financial crisis.Terry Hartle, a senior vice president with the American Council on Education, an association of college presidents, said Congress did not exclude any type of institution when it created the formula used to distribute funding. Instead, lawmakers said all colleges qualified to receive federal education funding were eligible for the relief.“All schools means all schools: barber colleges, dance schools, community colleges, publicly traded for-profit schools and elite universities,” said Terry Hartle, the group’s senior vice president. “Congress could have but did not exclude any category of institution.”

Under pressure, Harvard University says it will reject US relief aid

Harvard University announced Wednesday it will turn down $8.7 million in federal coronavirus relief, a day after President Donald Trump excoriated the wealthy Ivy League school over taxpayer money it stood to receive.

4cf6ab299f427da48b77653e2fd37704

People watch a TV screen showing a news report about the COVID-19 outbreak in North KoreaNorth Korea reported 15 new death from "fever" in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally of the deaths in the country to 42 in just three days, media reported on Sunday. The country registered more than 296,000 new patients, totalling more than 820,000 people sick. On Thursday, North Korea announced the first wave of COVID-19 cases in the country, as several citizens tested positive for the Omicron. An "unfamiliar fever" has been spreading in the country since late April, media reports said. On Friday, North Korea reported the first coronavirus deaths.  At least six persons were confirmed dead yesterday in the country.According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), top officials, including the country's leader Kim Jong Un, held a crisis politburo meeting to discuss the outbreak and announced they would implement a "maximum emergency" virus control system.Quoting Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader, the state-run KCNA news agency said that the country is facing the biggest challenge since the foundation of the republic over the spread of COVID-19.According to KCNA, Kim said that the country must focus on implementing the anti-coronavirus measures and boost them to stop the spread of the disease, Sputnik News Agency reported on Saturday.With this North Korea's coronavirus-free claim has come to an end, reported the Yonhap News Agency.Reportedly in a meeting conducted to discuss North Korea's "most critical emergency" antivirus system that had been "firmly maintained" for more than two years, Kim pledged that the "unexpected crisis" shall be overcome. He further instructed all the officials to block every possibility to stop the spread of the virus.Further, the North Korean leader ordered stricter vigilance along the borders on all fronts, the air, and sea to prevent a "safety vacuum" in the national defence of the country, reported the Yonhap News Agency. In addition, North Korean authorities stated that samples that were collected from patients suffering from fever indicated that they were identical to the omicron variant.However, North Korea asserted that it has aimed to manage and also prevent the spread of the virus. It has further mentioned that it will provide treatment to the omicron-detected patients to "root out the source of transmission in the shortest period possible" the country's state media reported.(With inputs from ANI)Also Read | North Korea confirms its first ever COVID-19 case; Kim Jong Un orders nationwide lockdown

Omicron smashes North Korea's 'safety vacuum', 8,20,000 cases reported

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), top officials, including the country's leader Kim Jong Un, held a crisis politburo meeting to discuss the outbreak and announced they would implement a "maximum emergency" virus control system.

5e885623f0f701ca4f7a7bb7c19b4546

Nepal has banned solo climbers from scaling its mountains, including Mount Everest, in an attempt to reduce accidents and make mountaineering safer.The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak, the BBC reported on Saturday citing a Nepal Tourism Board official.Related Stories Thrill-seeking couple gets married at the top of Mt. Everest! Check the stunning pictures here Ian Toothill, a British man becomes first cancer patient to summit Mount Everest! Pune police couple, who lied about climbing Mount Everest, dismissed from force Nepal rejects India's offer to jointly re-measure height of Mount Everest The official said the law had been revised to make mountaineering safer and to curb deaths on Nepal's mountains. The death toll so far this season stands at six, including 85-year-old Min Bahadur Sherchan, who died in a bid to reclaim his title as the world's oldest person to reach the top. The report said that a record number of climbers tried to climb Everest this year.World-renowned Swiss climber Ueli Steck, who was known as the "Swiss Machine", also died during a solo climb to a peak neighbouring Everest.Foreign climbers will have to be accompanied by a guide, according to the new regulations. The new rule also will help create more job opportunities for Nepali mountain guides, said officials.The Nepal government's decision to ban double amputees and visually impaired climbers was criticised by some, the report said.Aspiring Everest climber Hari Budha Magar, who lost both his legs when he was deployed in Afghanistan, called the move "discriminatory" and an "injustice" in a Facebook post."I will be climbing Mt. Everest whatever the cabinet decides. Nothing Is Impossible," he said.Nearly 300 people have died on Mount Everest since the first ascent to the peak was made in 1953. It is estimated that more than 200 bodies are still lying on the mountain, the Kathmandu Post reported. Mountaineers on Everest die for a number of reasons -- more than 20 per cent are killed due to exposure or acute mountain sickness.

Nepal bans solo climbing on Mount Everest

The new safety regulations also prohibit double amputee and blind climbers from attempting to reach the summit of the world's highest peak, the BBC reported on Saturday citing a Nepal Tourism Board official.

6ed20fbcd19986a915e5c51c5daf9adb

Just like fish takes to water, Pakistan has taken to hate speech: India at UNIndia has slammed Pakistan for "spewing venom and false narratives" of monumental proportions in the United Nations, saying it takes to hate speech like fish takes to water and "obfuscates" the international community from the truth as Islamabad yet again raked up the Kashmir issue at the world body. Pakistan consistently rakes up the Kashmir issue at various UN platforms in a bid to internationalise it but has repeatedly failed to get any support.Last week, Islamabad failed in its efforts to get any traction from the membership of the UN Security Council when its 'all-weather ally' China made another pitch to raise the issue in the 15-nation Council. There was consensus among the rest of the Council members that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu, speaking at a session of the General Assembly on 'Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization' on Wednesday, said Pakistan. "indulges in confabulations and obfuscates the international community from the truth" instead of putting an end to the "bellicose and vitriolic diatribe" and taking steps to restore normal ties."Just like a fish takes to water, one delegation has again taken to hate speech. Every time this delegation speaks, it spews venom and false narratives of monumental proportions."It's extremely surprising that a country that has completely decimated its minority population talks about protecting minorities. Pakistan's practice of using false pretenses to distract from addressing the malaise that afflicts it has run its course. Pakistan needs to reflect that there are no takers for its false rhetoric and should get down to the normal business of diplomacy," Naidu said.The Indian diplomat's strong response came after Saad Ahmed Warraich, Counsellor at Pakistan mission to the UN, raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in his remarks during the session, saying no other situation reflects the "abdication" of the UN's responsibility to discharge its responsibilities more than the decades-old Jammu and Kashmir issue.China's latest attempt to raise the Kashmir issue at the UN Security Council on Pakistan's behalf failed last week, with an overwhelming majority of the body expressing the view that it was not the right forum to discuss the bilateral issue between India and Pakistan.It was China's third such attempt to raise the Kashmir issue at the UNSC since August last when the special status granted to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution was scrapped by the government, and the state was bifurcated into two union territories."We once again saw an effort made by one member state of the UN, fail in plain view of all others. We are happy that neither alarmist scenario painted by the representatives of Pakistan nor any of the baseless allegations made repeatedly by representatives of Pakistan in the UN fora were found to be credible today," India's Permenent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said last week."We ae glad that the effort was viewed as a distraction and it was pointed by many friends that bilateral mechanisms are available to raise and address issues that Pakistan may have in its ties with India," Akbaruddin said after the January 15 Council meeting. 

Just like fish takes to water, Pakistan has taken to hate speech: India at UN

Islamabad failed in its efforts to get any traction from the membership of the UN Security Council when its 'all-weather ally' China made another pitch to raise the issue in the 15-nation Council. There was consensus among the rest of the Council members that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.

fc51e88c05bf95f83c6736dcc41faa2b

German medical employees demonstrate testing at a coronavirus test center for public service employees, during a media presentation in Munich, Germany, March 23, 2020 (file photo)Late last year — long before most people had heard of the new coronavirus now sweeping the globe — scientists in Germany sprang into action to develop a test for the virus that was causing an unusual respiratory disease in central China.They had one by mid-January — and labs around the country were ready to start using it just weeks later, around the same time that Europe’s most populous country registered its first case.“It was clear that if the epidemic swept over here from China, then we had to start testing,” said Hendrik Borucki, a spokesman for Bioscientia Healthcare, which operates 19 labs in Germany.That quick work stands in stark contrast to delays and missteps in other countries. Coupled with Germany’s large number of intensive care beds and its early social distancing measures, it could explain one of the most interesting puzzles of the COVID-19 pandemic: Why are people with the virus in Germany currently dying at much lower rates than in neighboring countries?The numbers are remarkable: As confirmed cases in Germany passed 71,000, the death toll Wednesday was 775, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. In contrast, Italy has reported almost 106,000 infections and more than 12,400 deaths, while Spain has more than 102,000 cases with over 9,000 deaths.France has four times as many virus deaths as Germany and Britain has twice as many, even though both countries have fewer reported infections.There may be many factors at play, but experts said early on that fast and widespread testing gave Germany an edge.“The reason why we in Germany have so few deaths at the moment compared to the number of infected can be largely explained by the fact that we are doing an extremely large number of lab diagnoses,” said virologist Dr. Christian Drosten, whose team developed the first test for the new virus at Berlin’s Charité hospital — established over 300 years ago to treat plague victims.He estimated that Germany is now capable of conducting up to 500,000 tests a week.Spain, meanwhile, tests between 105,000 and 140,000 people each week, about 20% to 30% what Germany is capable of. Italy did around 200,000 tests over the past week, but that reflects a significant recent ramp-up.Early access to the test from Drosten’s team is only part of the reason for Germany’s head start. Before the country even registered its first case, authorities agreed the tests would be covered by its universal insurance system, and be available to everyone with symptoms and either recent travel to virus hotspots or close contact with a confirmed case.Still, Germany may not be as much of an anomaly as it seems. The fact that Spain and Italy — which have seen much more intense outbreaks — are doing fewer tests indicates they are missing many mild or asymptomatic cases. That makes their fatality rates look worse than they are. But Germany, too, is likely missing cases, and experts say that all figures worldwide undercount the extent of the pandemic.Limited testing also means the true spread of the virus is hidden in those countries — further fueling the outbreak.For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. But for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness and lead to death.Ensuring those severely ill patients can be treated properly is key to managing the outbreak — and preventing deaths.And there again, Germany has an advantage.Italy had 8.6 intensive care unit beds per 100,000 people before the outbreak, according to the Organization for Cooperation and Economic Development. By comparison, Germany’s most recent available figure is 33.9 per 100,000, or about 28,000 in total, a number the government wants to double.“We are well prepared today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow,” said Dr. Uwe Janssens, who heads Germany’s Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine.Hospitals in the hardest-hit areas of Italy, are now buckling under the weight of treating so many ill patients at once, contributing the country’s death toll — the highest in the world.In the rare position of having beds to spare, German hospitals have taken in dozens of patients from Italy and France. While that will allow German doctors and nurses to learn how to treat severely ill COVID-19 patients, it also reflects a remarkable confidence in the country’s ability to manage its outbreak at a time when many others are shutting their borders.The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s disease control center, has suggested that strong measures imposed almost three weeks ago, including closing schools and restaurants, and later barring more than two people from gathering outside, seem to have slowed the rate of new infections.Experts have bemoaned that many countries took similar steps too late.Scientists advising the British government say major social distancing measures are necessary before there are 0.2 deaths per 100,000 people. According to the, albeit imperfect, data available, Italy imposed its lockdown four days after hitting that threshold but Germany’s came a week before that level was reached.Officials stress Germany is still in an early stage of its outbreak. But Dr. Sebastian Johnston, a professor of respiratory medicine at Imperial College London, said countries that intervene early with aggressive measures should theoretically be able to avoid the tsunami of cases seen in Italy and Spain.“We were lucky to have had a long time to prepare,” said Dr. Susanne Herold, a specialist for lung infections at the university hospital in Giessen. For weeks, her staff has been installing new ICU beds, training in the use of ventilators and planning for an emergency scenario.Amid the cautious optimism, there are those who warn against complacency.Chancellor Angela Merkel — who is herself in isolation after her doctor tested positive — has resisted calls to loosen the lockdown. A top government medical adviser, Lothar Wieler of the Robert Koch Institute, said he wouldn’t rule out Germany’s health system reaching its limit, too.“This is still the calm before the storm,” said Health Minister Jens Spahn.Also read: Germany extends restrictions on public life due to coronavirus by two weeks 

How is Germany pipping other countries in controlling coronavirus?

As confirmed cases in Germany passed 71,000, the death toll Wednesday was 775, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. In contrast, Italy has reported almost 106,000 infections and more than 12,400 deaths

b6205aed9cc7d14753a39d4374d89409

Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and his running mate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., arrive to speak at a news conference at Alexis Dupont High School in Wilmington.Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has asserted that if elected, his administration will stand with India against the threats New Delhi faces from its own region and along its borders and vowed to continue to rely on the Indian-American diaspora, that keeps the two nations together. Last week, Biden scripted history by selecting Indian origin Senator Harris, 55, as his running mate in the US presidential election. Harris, whose father is an African from Jamaica and mother an Indian, is the first-ever Black vice-presidential nominee.Presidential elections in the US will be held on November 3 and the 77-year-old is challenging incumbent Republican President Donald Trump in the polls."Fifteen years ago, I was leading the efforts to approve the historic civil nuclear deal with India.I said that if the US and India became closer friends and partners, then the world will be a safer place," Biden, who was vice-president in the Obama administration, said while addressing the Indian-American community on India's Independence Day.If elected then...: Joe Biden If elected president, Biden said, he will continue to believe this and also continue to stand with India against the threats it faces from its own region and along its borders.Biden said that he will work on expanding two-way trade between the US and India, and take on big global challenges like climate change and global health security.If elected, the Democratic candidate said, he will work to strengthen the democracies where diversity is the mutual strength.On this day, let us "continue to deepen the bond that endures between our nation's and our people,” Biden said.He said that "as President, I'll also continue to rely on the Indian-American diaspora, that keeps our two nations together, as I have throughout my career"."My constituents in Delaware, my staff in the Senate, the Obama administration that had more Indian-Americans than any other administration in the history of this country, and this campaign with Indian Americans at senior levels, which of course includes the top of the heap, our dear friend (Kamala Harris) who will be the first Indian American vice president in the history of the United States of America,” Biden said."We all know she's smart, she's tested, she's prepared.But another thing that makes Kamala so inspiring is her mother's immigrant story to the US that started in India, with pure courage that brought her daughters to this moment. I know the pride you feel. It's your story too," Biden said."For your sacrifices, and your family's courage, you became pillars of our community and our country. You're patriots and the frontlines of this pandemic. In this reckoning of systemic racism, you're making real-real promise that America is a place where people of all races and religions can live together in peace," he said."But I know it's hard. My heart goes out to all those of you who have been the targets in a rise in hate crimes, and the crackdown of legal immigration, including a sudden and harmful action on H-1B visas. That for decades have made America stronger and brought our nation's closer," Biden said.The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise."While it's sometimes may not feel like the US of your dreams, we will overcome and build back better than ever.Like (former President) Barack Obama had asked to me, I'm asking Kamala Harris, to be the last person in the room to ask the tough questions of me, provide counsel, most of all to always represent the belief in possibilities," the former US vice president said.Around 1.3 million Indian-Americans are expected to vote in this year's election, with nearly 200,000 in battleground states like Pennsylvania and 125,000 in Michigan, according to the research firm CRW Strategy.In the 2016 presidential election, 77 per cent of Indian Americans voted for Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton. President Donald Trump has been seeking to win over Indian voters, praising Indian-Americans as business and technology leaders.(With inputs from PTI)ALSO READ | Trump or Biden? Man who accurately called US elections spanning 40 years makes his prediction for 2020ALSO READ | I have more Indians than her... I have more than she does: Donald Trump targets Kamala Harris

Joe Biden election promise says will stand with India in confronting regional threats

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ahead of November 3 elections has said that if he is elected, will stand with India against the threats it faces from its own region and along its borders.

1c6d1661e75de7c61330329a9d2d9885

Two policemen injured in ISIS attack targeting B'desh minister in DhakaTwo policemen were injured in a blast near the car of a Bangladeshi minister in Dhaka, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State (IS) terror group, a media report said on Sunday.The bomb was thrown from the footbridge at the Science Lab intersection Saturday night when the minister was passing through the area, the Daily Star reported, quoting police and eyewitnesses. The minister was unhurt in the attack."Six policemen were in the minister's security team and the minister was going to a programme of Border Guard Bangladesh. We got stuck at the traffic lights at Science Lab intersection. The bomb exploded when I got off (from the escort vehicle) and walked ahead to ask traffic police to clear the way for the minister," the paper quoted injured ASI AB Shahabuddin as saying.Traffic constable Aminul Islam was also injured in the blast.Aminul suffered splinter injuries to his right hand fingers while Shahabuddin had injuries to his legs, one of which had a fracture. They were at Dhaka Medical College Hospital and out of danger, said a doctor."Police are investigating the incident and trying to identify the attacker by scrutinising the CCTV footage," said Asaduzzaman Miah, commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.A CCTV camera installed at a shop nearby did not cover the spot while another one at a mosque was broken, an officer said.Hours after the blast, SITE Intelligence Group, an American company that tracks online activity of white supremacist and jihadist organisations, said the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attacks.Bangladesh has repeatedly denied the presence of the Middle Eastern terror group in the country. However, the ISIS and al-Qaeda in Indian Peninsula have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks.An official, requesting anonymity, told the paper that the bomb was similar to the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) recovered at the capital's Paltan and Khamarbari on July 24."We suspect that the same group who planted the IED’s at Paltan and Khamarbari are behind this attack. But investigation could prove that," the officer said.On May 26, two people, including a woman police officer, were injured after a bomb went off near a police pickup in the Malibagh intersection. On April 29, two traffic police constables and a community traffic policeman were injured in a blast in Gulistan. Investigators had found that CCTV cameras near Paltan, Khamarbari, Gulistan, and Malibagh spots had been damaged days before the bombs went off.ALSO READ: Massive Taliban attack kills dozens in AfghanistanALSO READ: Man plotted NYC knife attack in name of Islamic State, prosecutors sayALSO READ: Apache attack helicopters to be inducted into IAF at Pathankot on September 3

Two policemen injured in ISIS attack targeting B'desh minister in Dhaka

The bomb was thrown from the footbridge at the Science Lab intersection Saturday night when the minister was passing through the area, the Daily Star reported, quoting police and eyewitnesses.

ab1b0ab55452a3cdde4ec446345b814e

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held a meeting with India's envoys to the Gulf nations to discuss a host of issues,External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held a meeting with India's envoys to the Gulf nations to discuss a host of issues, including encouraging speedy resumption of flights to this region and facilitating reuniting families separated by Covid disruption. Jaishankar, who arrived here on his first bilateral visit to the oil-rich Gulf nation early on Thursday, also unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the Indian Embassy in Kuwait in presence of the ambassadors."Chaired a fruitful meeting of Indian Ambassadors in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain today," the external affairs minister tweeted. "Discussions focused on ensuring utmost welfare of the Indian community in respective jurisdictions, facilitating reuniting of families separated by Covid disruption, interceding for early return of Indian talent and skills who left the Gulf during the pandemic, encouraging the speedy resumption of flights to Gulf destinations to help NRIs and strongly push our trade interests that contribute to economic recovery at home," he said in a series of tweets.Jaishankar also exuded confidence that the ambassadors and embassies will deliver on these priorities. Earlier in the day, he held "productive discussions" with his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah on Thursday during which the two sides discussed a range of issues including health, food, education, energy, digital and business cooperation.The two sides also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will give Indian workers greater legal protection in Kuwait. There are over 10 lakh Indians residing in Kuwait. India is amongst the largest trading partners of Kuwait and Kuwait is a major supplier of oil for India.Jaishankar, who is carrying a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, also called on Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah. "Conveyed our felicitations on the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations. Appreciated his commitment to taking our partnership to higher levels. Our historical ties have been reinforced through our joint fight against COVID19," Jaishankar tweeted.His visit comes nearly three months after the two countries decided to establish a joint ministerial commission to formulate a framework to strengthen ties in sectors like energy, trade, investment, manpower and labour and information technology.Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmed visited India in March during which both sides decided to set up the joint commission. The year 2021-22 marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Kuwait.Kuwait has been supporting India in dealing with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic by supplying relief material as well as medical oxygen. Indian Navy ships have brought a large quantity of medical oxygen from Kuwait in the last few weeks.Also Read: 'Victim of deep state conspiracy': Benjamin Netanyahu accuses opponents of betraying votersAlso Read: UK announces to donate 100 million surplus COVID-19 vaccine to world

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar holds meeting with India's envoys to Gulf nations

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held a meeting with India's envoys to the Gulf nations to discuss a host of issues.

ab440abda80ab0a7baf74eab1abda916

US President Donald Trump, who returned to election campaign after testing negative for coronavirus, danced to Village People - YMCA in Florida.With less than a month left for the US Presidential Election night, Donald Trump made a rocking comeback at an election rally in Florida after recovering from coronavirus. Trump, was back on poll campaign after White House Physician Dr Sean Conley in a memorandum issued Monday night said that the President tested negative on consecutive days using the Abbott BinaxNOW antigen card.The President who was present in front of a huge crowd left everyone shocked when he danced to the exit song Village People 'YMCA', leaving the crowd amused.Addressing his supporters, Donald Trump said, "I feel so powerful, I'll walk into that audience. I'll walk in there, I'll kiss everyone in that audience," Trump said in Sanford, Florida adding "I'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women and the -- everybody. I'll just give everybody a big, fat kiss."However, Trump, who just recoverd from coronavirus, did not wear a mask nor many others in the crowd.Speaking to supporters, Trump said, "I am fighting to make sure we eradicate the virus, rebuild the economy and save our country from the radical leftBefore he left for the rally, White House physician Sean Conley said that Trump has tested negative for the novel coronavirus "on consecutive days", in the first public disclosure about the US President's health status."Repeatedly negative antigen tests, taken in context with additional clinical and laboratory data, including viral load, subgenomic RNA, and PCR cycle threshold measurements, as well as ongoing assessment of viral culture date, all indicate a lack of detectable viral replication," Conley wrote in a memo.The memo, however did not specify on which consecutive days Trump had tested negative. During Monday night's rally, the President offered sympathies to the people who have lost loved ones due to Covid-19."I have such respect for people in this country, the way they have handled it. It's been an incredible love fest," The Hill news website quoted Trump as saying."And sympathies from all of us to those people whose family members who have died, whose friends, I have lost friends."Attacking his Democratic rival Joe Biden, Trump said, "He has no strength left. If he wins, the radical left will be running the country."He accused the former Vice President of being controlled by "left-wing extremists" and described him as mentally unfit. Trump is scheduled to campaign in Pennsylvania on Tuesday and Iowa the following day.Monday's rally came after Trump made his first public appearance at a White House event on October 10.(With inputs from IANS)ALSO READ | Trump tests negative for coronavirus, says he feels 'powerful' and wants to 'kiss everyone'ALSO READ | Telangana man who starved and prayed for Donald Trump's recovery dies of cardiac arrest

Donald Trump dances to YMCA during election rally in Florida | Watch

US President Donald Trump, with less than a month left for the Presidential Election night, made a rocking comeback at an election campaign in Florida after recovering from coronavirus. The President who was present in front of a huge crowd left everyone shocked when he danced to the exit song Village People 'YMCA', leaving the crowd amused.

db95102f6dbd6bc61fec15a49443a412

US First Lady tests negative for coronavirus, says Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump has confirmed that his wife and First Lady, Melania Trump has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. "She's fine," the President said on Monday when asked at a news briefing at the White House about the First Lady's condition. "Negative, yes," he added. This is the first time the President has confirmed that his wife was not infected with the disease, reports Xinhua news agency.He himself also tested negative for the virus."The First Lady was tested on the same night as President Trump was tested, out of an abundance of caution. The test was negative," CNN quoted White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham as saying also on Monday.Trump underwent the test on March 13.Some of the others who tested negative for the novel coronavirus in Trump's inner circle were his daughter and senior White House advisor Ivanka Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen Pence.The Trumps and Pences took the tests following their exposure to foreign officials who have tested positive.The COVID-19 caseload in the US is over 41,000, the death toll has topped 540 and New York has become the new epicentre with 99 deaths.

US First Lady tests negative for coronavirus, says Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that his wife and First Lady, Melania Trump has tested negative for the novel coronavirus.

7b758b97ad0ecf728df5fbc937207fcb

This five-inch segment of fossilized jaw, which was discovered in Antarctica in the 1980s, dates from 40 million years ago. (image courtesy: Peter Kloess)Scientists have identified the fossil of a giant bird that lived about 50 million years ago, with wingspans of up to 21 feet that would dwarf today's largest bird, the wandering albatross.The fossils recovered from Antarctica in the 1980s represent the oldest giant members of an extinct group of birds that patrolled the southern oceans.By comparison, today's largest bird, the wandering albatross has a wingspan of 11 and-a-half-foot.Called pelagornithids, the birds filled a niche much like that of today's albatrosses and travelled widely over Earth's oceans for at least 60 million years.Though a much smaller pelagornithid fossil dates from 62 million years ago, one of the newly described fossils -- a 50 million-year-old portion of a bird's foot -- shows that the larger pelagornithids arose just after life rebounded from the mass extinction 65 million years ago, when the relatives of birds, the dinosaurs, went extinct.A second pelagornithid fossil, part of a jaw bone, dates from about 40 million years ago, according to the study published in the journal Scientific Reports."Our fossil discovery, with its estimate of a 5-to-6-metre wingspan -- nearly 20 feet -- shows that birds evolved to a truly gigantic size relatively quickly after the extinction of the dinosaurs and ruled over the oceans for millions of years," said Peter Kloess, a graduate student at the University of California, Berkeley in the US.The last known pelagornithid is from 2.5 million years ago, a time of changing climate as Earth cooled, and the ice ages began, they said.Pelagornithids are known as 'bony-toothed' birds because of the bony projections, or struts, on their jaws that resemble sharp-pointed teeth, though they are not true teeth, like those of humans and other mammals.The bony protrusions were covered by a horny material, keratin, which is like our fingernails, the researchers said.Called pseudoteeth, the struts helped the birds snag squid and fish from the sea as they soared for perhaps weeks at a time over much of Earth's oceans, they said.Large flying animals have periodically appeared on Earth, starting with the pterosaurs that flapped their leathery wings during the dinosaur era and reached wingspans of 33 feet, according to the researchers.The pelagornithids came along to claim the wingspan record in the Cenozoic, after the mass extinction, and lived until about 2.5 million years ago.Around that same time, teratorns, now extinct, ruled the skies, they said.

Fossil of 50-million-year-old giant bird with 21-foot wingspan identified

Scientists have identified the fossil of a giant bird that lived about 50 million years ago, with wingspans of up to 21 feet that would dwarf today's largest bird, the wandering albatross.