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Emergency workers search through debris from a mobile home park, Sunday, May 26, 2019, in El Reno, Ok., following a likely tornado touchdown late Saturday night.  At least two people were killed and several others injured when a tornado tore slammed into the US state of Oklahoma."It's been a serious, serious event here," El Reno Matt White said in a press conference on Sunday. "We have all hands on deck."Search and rescue teams are still combing through the rubble left behind after the tornado hit the city on Saturday, Efe news quoted the Mayor as saying.The injured were transported to hospitals, White said, without providing figures on the number of people hurt.The tornado hit the city at around 10.30 p.m. and moved across El Reno on a southwest to southeast track.Media reports said the deaths occurred at a mobile home park in the small city."It's a tragic scene out there," White said. "People have absolutely lost everything."The tornado levelled a motel and television stations aired video of emergency services personnel digging through the rubble.The Weather Channel, meanwhile, reported that another tornado hit Tulsa, the second-largest city in Oklahoma, causing property damage.PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks power outages across the country, said about 37,000 customers were without electricity on Saturday night in the affected areas.Last week, tornadoes affected several states in the Midwest, killing at least three people in Golden City, Missouri.

Two killed, several injured after tornado rips through Oklahoma

PowerOutage.us, a website that tracks power outages across the country, said about 37,000 customers were without electricity on Saturday night in the affected areas.

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'Her feat has inspired entire world', says PM Modi upon meeting Kamala HarrisPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday extended warm regards for US Vice President Kamala Harris shortly after meeting her during his US visit. He is currently on his seventh visit of the country, where he is slated to attend several important ocassions like the Quad summit, and hold bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden. On his first day in the country, he met with Kamala Harris, at the historic Eisenhower building in Washington D.C."Glad to have met @VP @KamalaHarris. Her feat has inspired the entire world. We talked about multiple subjects that will further cement the India-USA friendship, which is based on shared values and cultural linkages.", Modi tweeted on Friday.PM Modi and Kamala Harris issued a joint statement before they proceeded for a one-on-one talk. Kamala Harris described India as a "very important partner" to the US and welcomed New Delhi's announcement that it will soon resume vaccine export."India and America are natural partners. We have similar values, similar geopolitical interests," Modi said in a joint media appearance with Harris, the first-ever person of Indian origin to be elected as the vice-president of the United States.India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military manoeuvring in the region China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.She said the world is more interconnected and more interdependent than ever before. “And the challenges that we face today have highlighted that fact. COVID-19, climate crisis and the importance of our shared belief in the Indo-Pacific region,” she said.Although she had spoken to several world leaders soon after becoming Vice President, she had a phone conversation with Modi only in June when she discussed President Joe Biden's offer to send vaccines to India from the US stockpile when it suffered a Covid surge. /* .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_6017164043 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_l5dt4hzu/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_l5dt4hzu_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Significance of meeting between PM Modi and Kamala Harris", "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": "2015", "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_6017164043 = ''; jwsetup_6017164043(); function jwsetup_6017164043() { jwvidplayer_6017164043 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_6017164043").setup(jwconfig_6017164043); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_6017164043, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_l5dt4hzu\", ns_st_pr=\"Significance of meeting between PM Modi and Kamala Harris\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Significance of meeting between PM Modi and Kamala Harris\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Significance of meeting between PM Modi and Kamala Harris\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-09-24\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-09-24\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_l5dt4hzu/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_6017164043.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_6017164043.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_6017164043.stop(); jwvidplayer_6017164043.remove(); jwvidplayer_6017164043 = ''; jwsetup_6017164043(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_6017164043.stop(); jwvidplayer_6017164043.remove(); jwvidplayer_6017164043 = ''; jwsetup_6017164043(); return; }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_6017164043.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

'Her feat has inspired entire world', says PM Modi upon meeting Kamala Harris

Kamala Harris described India as a "very important partner" to the US and welcomed New Delhi's announcement that it will soon resume vaccine export.

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China, Nepal should support each other’s core interests: Chinese officialChina and Nepal should firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns, a senior Chinese official said on Wednesday as the two countries held their annual diplomatic consultations.The 13th round of diplomatic consultations between China’s Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui and Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi via video conferencing came amidst Beijing’s deepening political and diplomatic influence in the Himalayan nation, including shoring-up support for pro-China Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli in the backdrop of intra-party feud in the ruling communist party.Luo said that the two sides should focus on implementing the outcomes of last year’s Nepal visit of President Xi Jinping, strengthening cooperation in fighting COVID-19 and jointly building the "One Belt One Road" initiative.A pet project of Xi, the initiative focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe.The two sides should firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns, strengthen coordination in international and regional affairs, and promote greater development of bilateral relations in such areas as connectivity, development assistance, defence, law enforcement and security, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement here.China’s investments under its multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) include the building of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network through Tibet.China’s high-profile projects include the construction of tunnels along the road from Jilong in Tibet to Kathmandu, establishment of a science and technology university in Nepal, development of the three North-South corridors in Nepal -- Koshi, Gandaki and Karnali -- and the Nepal-China electric power cooperation.According to a recent article by Nepal’s ambassador to China Mahendra Bahadur Pandey in Chinese official media, plans are afoot on some of the landmark projects in the areas of infrastructure, industry and education that were agreed to be initiated in Nepal during Xi's visit.Last month for the first-time, China held its first foreign ministers level meeting with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nepal during which they discussed cooperation to contain COVID-19, economic recovery and resumption of the BRI projects.Bairagi said Nepal will continue to firmly adhere to the ‘One-China’ policy and support China's positions on issues concerning Taiwan, Tibet and Hong Kong, the statement added.

China, Nepal should support each other’s core interests: Chinese official

China and Nepal should firmly support each other's core interests and major concerns, a senior Chinese official said on Wednesday as the two countries held their annual diplomatic consultations.

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The Trump administration believes that it is time to try something new other than maintaining strategic patience and offering inducements to Pakistan to prevent it becoming a safe haven for terrorists from where they can attack the US and its allies, a senior official said today.He said the polices followed by the successive US administrations post 9/11 vis-à-vis Pakistan have not worked.Related Stories Donald Trump's pressure on Pakistan may push it closer to China: ReportDonald Trump ‘frustrated’ with Pakistan for supporting terror groups: US NSA McMaster Trump backs proposal to divert US aid to Pakistan for infra projectsTrump admin's outburst forces Pak to blacklist 72 terror groups, including Hafiz Saeed's JuDThe US is committed to not allowing either Pakistan or Afghanistan to become a safe haven for terrorists from where they can attack the US and its allies, said the senior Trump administration official who spoke to a group of reporters on condition of anonymity."These sanctuaries really threaten stability in the region and they continue to fuel the overall terrorism problem that we're facing," he said.Noting that the "previous administrations have tried to exercise what they might call strategic patience or offering inducements like Kerry-Lugar-Berman bill which gave billions of dollars to Pakistan", the official said none of it has worked so far.Terrorists continue to operate freely inside Pakistan and there is a relationship between terrorist organisations and the establishment, he said."This administration believes it's time to try something different. And we believe we owe it to the Americans in harm's way in Afghanistan. We simply can't ignore the sanctuaries if we're going to make progress in Afghanistan," he said, adding that "the president has been clear about his commitment to stabilising Afghanistan".Last week, the Trump administration suspended approximately USD 2 billion in security assistance to Pakistan, resulting in an outrage from Islamabad.The Pakistan Foreign Minister, in an interview to The Wall Street Journal, had said that America was no longer an ally of Pakistan.About President Donald Trump's comprehensive South Asia strategy for regional diplomacy announced in August last year, the official said, "It looked at India-Pakistan relations, encouraging better ties between the two countries and reducing tensions between them".The policy is not about looking at Pakistan through the lens of Afghanistan, but it is about looking at the region and the future of the US, he said."9/11 attacks you know had their roots in this region. We've invested a lot of blood and treasure in Afghanistan. We are committed to not allowing the Taliban to dominate Afghanistan and we are committed to not allowing Afghanistan or Pakistan to become a safe haven from which terrorists can attack the US and its allies," the official said."So, I wouldn't classify it is looking at Pakistan through the Afghanistan lens. I think that's too narrow of a viewpoint. I think this is about the region and the future of the region. And the fact that these continued sanctuaries really threaten stability in the region and they continue to fuel the overall terrorism problem that we're facing," he said.Former Speaker of the US House of Representative, Newt Gingrich, in an interview to AM970 in New York said that Trump has "shocked the elites" by freezing US aid to Pakistan."It has so thoroughly shocked the elites that we actually are going to protect America, and defend America, and that we're actually going to render judgement," he said."If you kick us in the shin, we're not going to pay you," Gingrich said.

'Trump administration trying something new for Pakistan'

The Trump administration believes that it is time to try something new other than maintaining strategic patience and offering inducements to Pakistan to prevent it becoming a safe haven for terrorists.

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Representational PicAn 18-year-old man was killed and two teenage girls were injured in a shooting Thursday in rural eastern Oklahoma, and a woman believed to be the mother of at least one of the victims is in custody, a sheriff said.The shooting was reported around 6.30 am local time at a home in the Nuyaka area, about 35 miles (55 kilometers) southwest of Tulsa. Okmulgee County Sheriff Eddy Rice said at a news conference that the young man was found dead at the scene, one of the girls was in critical condition and the other was stable.Rice said Amy Leann Hall, 38, who is believed to be the biological mother of at least one of the teens, is in custody. She was being held in the Okmulgee County Jail on preliminary charges of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of shooting with intent to kill. Formal charges have not been filed.It was not clear if Hall has a lawyer. "We do not have a motive at this time. We're still investigating this," Rice said.Police have visited the household multiple times, typically for domestic issues, he said. Hall had previously pleaded guilty to a minor larceny charge in 2014.According to online court records, Hall was in the middle of a two-year custody battle with the father of her children. Last month Hall alleged the man, who had been granted partial custody, sent "threatening and inappropriate" text messages to their son. She also alleged he would show up at their home "at all hours of the night." In June 2016, the man claimed that Hall was mentally unstable and was psychologically abusive.The sheriff said authorities don't believe anyone else was involved in the shootings and that there is no threat to the community. Rice told the Tulsa World that Hall left the home after the shooting and was briefly pursued by officers before being taken into custody.Beggs High School Superintendent Brian Terry told The Associated Press that the victims were siblings and students at the school. Terry said the student who died was a senior, while the critically wounded student is a junior. The third victim is a freshman, he said. 

US: 1 teen dead, 2 hurt in Oklahoma shooting; woman in custody

Okmulgee County Sheriff Eddy Rice said at a news conference that the young man was found dead at the scene, one of the girls was in critical condition and the other was stable.

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US records highest sinday-day spike with 2,25,201 Covid-19 casesSetting a new grim record, the US reported 225,201 new Covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours, the highest single-day spike since the onset of the pandemic in the country, currently the worst-hit in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University.The new figure on Friday increased the overall caseload to 14,343,430, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update on Saturday.In the same period, the country also reported 2,506 new fatalities, which increased the total coronavirus death toll to 278,605, according to the CSSE.The two tallies are the highest in the world.Also Read: US imposes visas restrictions on more Chinese citizensThe country on Wednesday had set a world record of single-day case count, as 196,227 new cases were reported and hospitalizations exceeded 100,000 for the first time. 

US records highest single-day spike with 2,25,201 Covid-19 cases

The new figure on Friday increased the overall caseload to 14,343,430, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update on Saturday.

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Pakistan PM Imran Khan, US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra ModiUS President Donald Trump on Monday said he will be meeting the prime ministers of India and Pakistan soon, even as he maintained that tension between the two Asian countries had reduced.While Trump will address Indian-Americans, along with PM Modi, at the "Howdy Modi!" event in Houston on September 22, the American president did not say when or where will he be meeting PM Khan."I'll see Prime Minister Modi and I will -- we'll -- be meeting with (prime ministers of) India and Pakistan," Trump told reporters in response to a question at the White House on Monday.According to Trump's schedule, he could meet the Pakistani Prime Minister on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Session in New York later this month.After addressing a record crowd of more than 50,000 Indian-Americans at the "Howdy Modi!" event , Trump will travel to Ohio and then is expected to fly to New York to attend the Annual General Assembly Sessions of the United Nations.Without mentioning Kashmir, Trump said a "lot of progress has been made in reducing tension" between India and Pakistan.Tension between India and Pakistan escalated after New Delhi revoked Jammu and Kashmir's special status on August 5. Reacting to India's move on Kashmir, Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties with New Delhi and expelled the Indian High Commissioner.Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the Kashmir issue but India has asserted that the abrogation of Article 370 was its "internal matter". New Delhi has also asked Islamabad to accept the reality and stop its anti-India rhetoric.The "Howdy, Modi!" event would the first time that an American president addresses thousands of Indian-Americans at one place in the US.It comes ahead of the 2020 presidential elections in the US in which the influential Indian-American community members are expected to play a greater role. President Trump, a Republican, has already announced his candidature.India's Ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla has called Trump's participation in the "Howdy, Modi!" event "historic" and "unprecedented"."It is reflective of the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation that has developed between India and the US," Shringla told PTI.ALSO READ | Ahead of Houston eve, PM Modi asks public for speech ideasALSO READ | 'Delighted': PM Modi on Donald Trump joining him at 'Howdy, Modi' EventALSO READ | Pakistan may seek US intervention against tough conditions of FATF, IMFWATCH | Trump, PM Modi to address 50000 Indian-Americans at 'Howdy Modi' Event in Houston /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; firstjw = document.getElementsByClassName('jwvidplayer')[0]; cs_jw_script = document.createElement('script'); 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Will meet prime ministers of India, Pakistan soon: Donald Trump

While Trump will address Indian-Americans, along with PM Modi, at the "Howdy Modi!" event in Houston on September 22, the American president did not say when or where will he be meeting Pakistan PM Imran Khan.

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KP Sharma Oli, in his capacity as leader of the largest political party in Nepal's Parliament, was reappointed as Prime Minister after the Opposition parties failed to secure majority.KP Sharma Oli, in his capacity as leader of the largest political party in Nepal's Parliament, was reappointed as Prime Minister on Thursday after the Opposition parties, riddled by factionalism, failed to secure majority seats in the House to form a new government.President Bidya Devi Bhandari has reappointed CPN-UML Chairman Oli, 69, as Prime Minister, after he lost a trust vote in the House of Representatives on Monday.The Office of President in a press statement on Thursday evening said that President Bhandari reappointed Oli as Prime Minister in his capacity as leader of the largest political party in the House of Representatives as per Article 78(3) of the Constitution of Nepal.President Bhandari will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Oli at a ceremony at Shital Niwas on Friday.The president had asked the Opposition parties to come up with the support of majority lawmakers to form a new government by 9 pm Thursday after Oli, lost the vote of confidence in the House on Monday.Oli's appointment came shortly after Office of President said that no two parties or more than two parties came to lay claim to forming coalition  government by the given deadline that expired at 9 PM.Oli will now have to take a vote of confidence at the House within 30 days, failing which, an attempt to form a government under Article 76 (5) would be initiated.Should both the steps fail, the House may face another dissolution and the country will move towards the direction of early elections, The Himalayan Times reported.ALSO READ | Israel-Gaza violence: Immediate de-escalation need of the hour, says India Although Nepali Congress president Sher Bahadur Deuba had received support from CPN Maoist chairman Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda', he could not get support from Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP).JSP's President Upendra Yadav had assured to support Deuba but the party's another president Mahanta Thakur had rejected the idea.Nepali Congress and Maoist Centre have 61 and 49 seats in the lower house. Their combined strength was 110, which is insufficient to win majority vote.At present 136 votes are needed to form a majority government. JSP has 32 seats in the House. If JSP had extended support Deuba would get chance to claim for PM.The UML has 121 seats in the 275 member House. Madhav Nepal faction with 28 MPs had decided not to tender enmasse resignation after caretaker Prime Minister Oli and Nepal had inked a deal on Thursday.Oli withdrew the action taken against four UML leaders including Nepal and assured to address their other demands. If 28 UML MPs had resigned, the total strength of the House would have been reduced to 243.Currently there are 271 valid members in the House. If they had resigned only 122 votes would be sufficient to stake claim for majority government.Earlier, Nepali Congress president Deuba and CPN-Maoist Centre chairman "Prachanda" held a meeting at the former's residence to discuss the formation of the new government.Similarly, caretaker Prime Minister and chairman of ruling CPN-UML Oli and dissident leader of the party Madhav Kumar Nepal held a meeting in an attempt to make the last effort to patch up their differences.Earlier, Baburam Bhattarai, a senior leader of JSP-N, said all parties needed to form a new national coalition government and hold elections in one year.Bhattarai said such a government should not be led by a former prime minister or the current prime minister.Bhattarai said such a government should be run based on a common minimum programme, should resolve the COVID crisis, and ensure economic relief packages, constitution amendment, and truth and reconciliation.Given the parties’ strengths and particularly the factional feuds in the CPN-UML and the Janata Samajbadi, many say the current numbers game is just a futile exercise and that the country, which has had eight different governments in a decade, would sooner or later head towards early polls, the Kathmandu Post reported.After Oli lost the trust vote, the NC, the CPN -MC and the faction of the JSP led by Yadav urged President Bhandari to invoke Article 76 (2) of the Constitution to pave the way for the formation of a new government.It says in cases where no party has a clear majority in the House, the President shall appoint as the prime minister a member of the House who can command the majority with the support of two or more parties in the lower house of Parliament.If two or more political parties failed to give a majority Prime Minister by Thursday evening then the President will invite parties to submit the name of a minority Prime Minister from the largest party as per Article 76 sub-clause 3 of the Constitution.In that case, Oli, whose party has 121 seats in Parliament, may again claim stake as the new prime minister. If Oli is appointed under the Constitution, he also needs to win the vote of confidence within 30 days from the date of the appointment.Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 last year after President Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).Oli's move to dissolve the House sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by his rival 'Prachanda'.In February, the apex court reinstated the dissolved House, in a setback to Oli who was preparing for snap polls.Known for his pro-China stance, Oli had earlier served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016 during which Kathmandu's ties with New Delhi had strained.Nepal's COVID-19 cases reached 431,191 as 8,842 fresh cases were reported in the past 24 hours on Thursday. As many as 214 more deaths were also logged, taking the national toll to 4,466.ALSO READ | Joe Biden speaks to Benjamin Netanyahu, says 'Israel has right to defend itself' 

KP Sharma Oli reappointed as Nepal PM after opposition fails to muster majority

KP Sharma Oli, in his capacity as leader of the largest political party in Nepal's Parliament, was reappointed as Prime Minister on Thursday after the Opposition parties, riddled by factionalism, failed to secure majority seats in the House to form a new government.

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Nepal will have a new president on March 5 in place of the Himalayan nation's first woman president Bidhya Devi Bhandari, according to sources at the country's election commission.While the election for Nepal's new president would be held on March 5, the vice president would be elected on March 16, they said.Related Stories KP Sharma Oli sworn in as Nepal PM for second timeNepal's top Communist leader KP Sharma Oli back at the helm as PMThe Election Commission of Nepal has proposed the dates for the elections after consulting the leaders of major political parties.However, the final date and schedule of the election will be announced after the new Cabinet makes formal decision in this regard, the sources said.Bhandari was elected as the first woman president of Nepal in October, 2015.With the formation of the new Parliament, the tenure of the president expires. The process of electing a new president starts once the new prime minister is appointed.CPN-UML chairperson K P Sharma Oli today became Nepal's Prime Minister for the second time, over two months after his Left alliance routed the ruling Nepali Congress in the country's historic parliamentary polls.Oli had earlier served as the country's prime minister from October 11, 2015 to August 3, 2016.Earlier, former prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba had addressed the nation and submitted his resignation to the president.

Nepal to choose new president on March 5

While the election for Nepal's new president would be held on March 5, the vice president would be elected on March 16.

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US travel ban: Trump allows exemptions for certain H-1B, L-1 visa holdersIn a move that could help Indian IT professionals and those working in the healthcare sector, the US government has announced certain exemptions in H-1B and L-1 travel ban for those continuing employment with the same employer. The exemptions to the June 22 Presidential Proclamation 10052, commonly referred to as the H-1B or L-1 Travel Ban, also includes the family members of the H-1B, L-1 and certain categories of J1 visas.The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.President Donald Trump, in his June proclamation, banned the entry into the US of workers in several key non-immigrant visa categories, including the H-1B, arguing that they eat into American jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.The State Department, which issued the revised travel advisory, on Wednesday said that the exemptions have been given under national interest category.In its advisory, the State Department said that H-1B and L-1 visas can now be issued for employees who are “seeking to resume ongoing employment in the United States in the same position with the same employer and visa classification.”Forcing employers to replace existing employees may cause financial hardship, it said.All those on H-1B visas working in the healthcare sector, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, or to conduct ongoing medical research in an area with a substantial public health benefit (e.g. cancer or communicable disease research) are also exempted from the July 22 travel ban.Notably in the last few weeks, several lawmakers have written to the Secretary of State to exempt the healthcare sector from the travel ban on H-1B, L1 and J1 visas.Further new factors have been set forth to also allow H-1B visas to be issued when at least two of the five indicators are met.First cases the petitioning employer has a continued need for the services or labour to be performed by the H-1B nonimmigrant in the United States. Cases where Labour Condition Applications (LCAs) was approved during or after July 2020 OR if the LCA was approved before July 2020, the consular officer must be able to determine from the visa application the continuing need of the employee with the US employer.But, if an applicant is currently performing or is able to perform the essential functions of the position for the prospective employer remotely from outside the US, this criteria cannot be met, the State Department said.Secondly, the applicant’s proposed job duties or position within the petitioning company indicate the individual will provide significant and unique contributions to an employer meeting a critical infrastructure need.Critical infrastructure sectors are chemical, communications, dams, defense industrial base, emergency services, energy, financial services, food and agriculture, government facilities, healthcare and public health, information technology, nuclear reactors, transportation, and water systems.Third, the wage rate paid to the H-1B applicant meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage rate by at least 15 per cent. When an H-1B applicant will receive a wage that meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage, it suggests that the employee fills an important business need where an American worker is not available, the State Department said.Fourth, the H-1B applicant’s education, training and/or experience demonstrate unusual expertise in the specialty occupation in which the applicant will be employed. For example, an H-1B applicant with a doctorate or professional degree, or many years of relevant work experience, may have such advanced expertise in the relevant occupation as to make it more likely that he or she will perform critically important work for the petitioning employer, it said.And finally, the denial of the visa will cause financial hardship to the US employer.The exemptions for L1 visas are mostly similar to that of the H-1b. L-1A applicants seeking to establish a new office in the United States likely do not fall into this category, unless two of the three criteria are met and the new office will employ, directly or indirectly, five or more US workers, the State Department said.The national interest exemptions are also available to their spouses and depended as well, it said.These includes those on H-4, L-2 and J-2 visas. National interest exceptions are available for those who will accompany or follow to join a principal applicant who is a spouse or parent and who has been granted a national interest exception to the presidential proclamation.(With PTI inputs)

US travel ban: Trump allows exemptions for certain H-1B, L-1 visa holders

In its advisory, the State Department said that H-1B and L-1 visas can now be issued for employees who are “seeking to resume ongoing employment in the United States in the same position with the same employer and visa classification.”

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Hope for early resumption of dialogue between Palestine and Israel: PM ModiPrime Minister Narendra Modi expressed hope for an early resumption of dialogue between Palestine and Israel to move towards a comprehensive and negotiated resolution, as he reiterated India's "strong support" for the Palestinian cause on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people."On the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people, I reiterate India's strong support for the Palestinian cause.I also express our solidarity with the Palestinian people in their efforts to establish a sovereign, independent, viable and United State of Palestine co-existing peacefully with Israel," Modi said in his message.He said as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people is commemorated, "we hope for an early resumption of the dialogue between Palestine and Israel for moving towards a comprehensive and negotiated resolution."Recalling his visit to Palestine last year, Modi said the trip contributed "substantially" to further strengthening the historic ties between India and Palestine. "Our enhanced project assistance and capacity building initiatives will continue to contribute to Palestinian nation building."During Modi's historic visit to Palestine, the two sides had signed agreements worth around USD 50 million that included setting up of a USD 30 million super speciality hospital. Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to make an official visit to Palestine. Modi extended his best wishes to the Palestinian people "in their pursuit of statehood, peace and prosperity."Earlier this month, India announced its pledge to contribute USD 5 million in 2020 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).In 1977, the UN General Assembly had called for the annual observance of November 29 as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will hold a special meeting on Wednesday in the UN Headquarters in observance of the International Day.UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, in his message for the Day, said that resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains one of the most intractable challenges facing the international community. He voiced regret that over the past year, there have been no positive developments, and the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.He said that the intensification of illegal settlements, demolitions of Palestinian homes and the "pervasive suffering in Gaza must stop".The establishment of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law, as stated in relevant Security Council resolutions, he said."These actions threaten to undermine the viability of establishing a Palestinian State based on relevant United Nations resolutions. At the same time, the indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars towards Israeli civilian populations must cease," he said.Israel has built about 140 settlements since its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967. The settlements are widely considered illegal under international law. The US recently said that it no longer believes the Israeli settlements are illegal.Underscoring that there is no viable alternative, Guterres called on Israelis and Palestinians to take steps that will restore faith in the two-State solution.He voiced the commitment of the United Nations to the Palestinian people in striving to achieve their inalienable rights and build a future of peace, justice, security and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis alike.ALSO READ | Pakistan dengue cases nearing 50,000ALSO READ | UK judge seeks clarity on terror charges against Dawood aide Jabir Motiwala

Hope for early resumption of dialogue between Palestine and Israel: PM Modi

He said as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian people is commemorated, "we hope for an early resumption of the dialogue between Palestine and Israel for moving towards a comprehensive and negotiated resolution."

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Christchurch mosque shootings: India pursuing with New Zealand whereabouts of 7 Indians, 2 PIOs 

Christchurch mosque shootings: India pursuing with New Zealand whereabouts of 7 Indians, 2 PIOs

India's High Commission in New Zealand on Saturday said that it has been pursuing with local authorities whereabouts of seven Indians and two Indian-origin persons after the terror attacks on two Christchurch mosques.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will today flag off the foundation stone laying ceremony for the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. It will be a historic event as the temple will not only be the first traditional temple in the Arab world but will also be a massive spiritual ground for people of all faiths to converge and understand the Hindu religion. Here are the 10 things to know about first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi:Related Stories PM Modi arrives in UAE on his 2nd visit to Gulf country PM Modi meets Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; India, UAE sign 5 pacts The temple will be completed by 2020, and open to people of all religious backgrounds. It will be the first traditional Hindu stone temple in the Middle East.It will be hand-carved by Indian temple artisans and assembled in the UAE. The temple is being built by Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a socio-spiritual Hindu organisation set up in 1907 that runs more than 1,100 temples and cultural compounds around the world.The temple will incorporate all aspects and features of a traditional Hindu temple as part of a fully functional, social, cultural and spiritual complex. The Abu Dhabi temple will replicate the BAPS Akshardham temple in New Delhi and the one under construction in New Jersey.Also read: PM Modi to witness foundation stone ceremony for first Hindu temple in Abu DhabiThe temple will be open to people of all beliefs and backgrounds, races and religions, the temple will be a part of the UAE’s mission of happiness and harmony by helping to foster love, tolerance, understanding and peaceful coexistence, the statement said.It will serve the more than 3.3 million Indians residing in and the millions of international tourists annually visiting the UAE through interfaith dialogue, pluralism and universal human values.Expected to be completed by 2020, it will also include a visitors’ centre, prayer halls, exhibitions, learning areas, sports area for children and youths, thematic gardens, water features and a food court, the statement said.The temple is being built near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway and will cover the massive land space of 55,000 square metres.The groundbreaking ceremony will be live-streamed into Dubai Opera House, where Indan community will witness the event en masse. It's going to be tradition meeting technology, an Indian diplomat said.

Ten things to know about first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi

The temple is being built near Al Rahba off the Dubai-Abu Dhabi Sheikh Zayed Highway and will cover the massive land space of 55,000 square metres.

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Coronavirus: 6 Indians stranded at Dubai airport due to travel restrictionsSix Indians have been camping at the Dubai airport for the past five days after they were not allowed to board their connecting flight back home due to travel restrictions placed by India to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a media report.The men flew into Dubai from various European countries on March 18. They were supposed to take the Emirates EK 510 flight to New Delhi later that evening.However, they couldn’t get onto the plane as the same day India imposed a ban on all passengers arriving from Europe, the Gulf News reported on Sunday.Since then, the men are stranded at Terminal 3 of Dubai Aiport.Three of the six passengers hail from Punjab and one each from Rajasthan, Delhi and Himachal Pradesh."We don’t know what to do. We have been sleeping on airport benches...I don’t know how long this stalemate will continue.Initially there were seven of us but one of the passengers flew back to France on Sunday as he was tired of waiting,” the paper quoted Deepak Gupta from Delhi as saying.Ajmer Singh from Himachal Pradesh said he is on the edge of a nervous breakdown.The passengers said they have contacted the Indian consulate for help several times but haven’t heard back from them.Neeraj Agrawal, head of chancery and consul (Press, Information and Culture) at the Indian Consulate in Dubai said they are trying to resolve the issue.“We are aware of the case. Unfortunately, given the current scenario, there is only so much that we can do at this stage. The airport hotels are full so we can’t accommodate them there. We can’t fly them to India either. That said, we are in regular touch with the airlines and local authorities to relieve the plight of stranded men,” said Agarwal.

Coronavirus: 6 Indians stranded at Dubai airport due to travel restrictions

Six Indians have been camping at the Dubai airport for the past five days after they were not allowed to board their connecting flight back home due to travel restrictions placed by India to limit the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a media report.

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UNGA suspends Russia from Human Rights Council after Bucha killings; India abstains voteThe United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday suspended Russia from Human Rights Council.  The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organization’s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes.Russia rejected the suspension, and termed the UNGA's notice as 'illegal'.India has abstained on the resolution with regard to the suspension of the Russian Federation from the Human Rights Council adopted in the UN General Assembly today, said India's Permanent Representative to UN, TS Tirumurti.India added, "We continue to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterate our call for end to all hostilities. When innocent human lives are at stake, diplomacy must prevail as the only viable option. Recent reports of civilian killings in Bucha are deeply disturbing. We have unequivocally condemned these killings and support the call for an independent investigation."The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions, significantly lower than the vote on two resolutions the assembly adopted last month demanding an immediate cease-fire in Ukraine, withdrawal of all Russian troops and protection for civilians. Both of those resolutions were approved by at least 140 nations.Russia is the second country to have its membership rights stripped at the Human Rights Council which was established in 2006. In 2011, the assembly suspended Libya when upheaval in the North African country brought down longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield launched the campaign to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council in the wake of videos and photos of streets in the town of Bucha strewn with corpses of what appeared to be civilians after Russian soldiers retreated. The deaths have sparked global revulsion and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia, which has vehemently denied its troops were responsible.(AP inputs)

UNGA suspends Russia from Human Rights Council after Bucha killings; India abstains vote

The U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the world organization’s leading human rights body over allegations of horrific rights violations by Russian soldiers in Ukraine, which the United States and Ukraine have called tantamount to war crimes.

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Prime Minister Khan in a public rally in Islamabad on March 27 first disclosed about a "letter" and claimed that it contained a threat to the Pakistan government from the US.The US has bluntly rejected Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan's latest allegations of a "foreign conspiracy" plotted in Washington to overthrow his government with the help of the Opposition parties, saying there is "absolutely no truth" to these claims.Khan has been claiming that the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against him was the result of a “foreign conspiracy” because of his independent foreign policy and funds were being channeled from abroad to oust him from power. In an address to the nation on Friday, the 69-year-old prime minister reiterated his allegations that a senior US diplomat threatened regime change in Pakistan.Khan has alleged that Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs in the Department of State was involved in the ‘foreign conspiracy’ to topple his government.Responding to a question on Khan's renewed allegations of the US encouraging the no-confidence vote against his government, deputy state department spokesperson Jalina Porter in a press conference on Friday said, "Let me just say very bluntly there is absolutely no truth to these allegations.""Of course, we continue to follow these developments, and we respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and rule of law. But again, these allegations are absolutely not true," she said.Friday's rebuttal was the third time the US State Department has publicly commented on Khan's allegations. Previously, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that the State Department had dismissed the allegation when it initially broke in late March.On March 31, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said, "We are closely following developments in Pakistan, and we respect, we support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law. But when it comes to those allegations, there is no truth to them."Prime Minister Khan in a public rally in Islamabad on March 27 first disclosed about a "letter" and claimed that it contained a threat to the Pakistan government from the US.On the basis of the letter and the alleged conspiracy plot, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had dismissed the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan on April 3. The deputy speaker’s ruling was struck down by the Supreme Court on Thursday.On Saturday, Pakistan’s Parliament started its crucial session to take up the no-confidence resolution against the defiant prime minister.Earlier this month also, the US had denied reports of any "threat letter" sent to Pakistan on the current political situation in the country.Last week, some Pakistani media outlets reported that the powerful Army has also contradicted Prime Minister Khan’s remarks accusing America of hatching a conspiracy to topple his government, saying there was no evidence of interference in the country’s internal matters.

US bluntly rejects Pak PM Khan's allegations of 'conspiracy' to overthrow his govt

Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been claiming that the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against him was the result of a “foreign conspiracy” because of his independent foreign policy and funds were being channelled from abroad to oust him from power.

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Heathrow delays: Travel chaos after technical failure at London airportFlights are continuing to be disrupted at Heathrow Airport on Monday due to a massive technical failure of the system handling check-in and flight information in all four passenger terminals.At least 58 of the day's arrivals -- equivalent to 9 per cent -- were cancelled on Monday due to a knock-on effect of the problem, which happened on Sunday, according to a media report, adding that a further 30 departing flights were also grounded from the country's busiest airport, the Xinhua news agency reported."Following yesterday's technical issue, Heathrow's systems are stable and the airport is operating as normal. We apologize for the inconvenience this caused our passengers," said a Heathrow spokesman.All the flights affected Monday were operated by British Airways, the largest airline at the airport."The technical issue with Heathrow Airport's systems has now been resolved. But after 10 hours of disruption across all terminals, we do expect to see a knock-on effect to today's short-haul schedule," said a British Airways spokeswoman.The problems compounded the misery for British air passengers after Storm Dennis had caused hundreds of cancellations over the weekend.Meanwhile, easyJet's schedules were also heavily reduced, with flights grounded at airports such as Gatwick, Luton and Bristol, the newspaper said.

Heathrow delays: Travel chaos after technical failure at London airport

Flights are continuing to be disrupted at Heathrow Airport on Monday due to a massive technical failure of the system handling check-in and flight information in all four passenger terminals.

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Indian twin brothers flying home after spending 50 days at Dubai airport (Representational image)A pair of Indian identical twins, stranded at the Dubai airport for nearly 50 days due to the COVID-19-induced international travel lockdown, breathed a huge sigh of relief when they came to know that they are among the first 354 passengers to fly back to India from the UAE on Thursday. The tired and homesick 30-year-old brothers, Jackson and Benson Andrews, have been stranded inside the Dubai International Airport's terminal 3 since March 19 while they were returning from Lisbon, Portugal, the Khaleej Times reported.The twins were among the 177 Indian passengers who will be boarding the second repatriation flight to Kozhikode in Kerala on Thursday, it said. They were among the 19 Indian passengers who were stuck inside the airport for over a month."We received the letter from the consulate on Tuesday. A copy of our flight tickets have been sent to us as well," Jackson told the daily.Press consul at the Indian consulate, Neeraj Aggarwal, said, "Based on the schedule of flights and the destination of passengers, these 19 stranded Indians will all be flying out on priority in the coming week."Originally from Thiruvananthapuram, Benson and Jackson were working in Lisbon when the coronavirus crisis hit. They were transiting through Dubai when India announced a lockdown and suspended all domestic and international flights.On Monday, the Indian government announced plans to begin a phased repatriation of its citizens stranded abroad from May 7. The government also said that Air India will operate 64 flights from May 7 to May 13 to bring back around 15,000 Indian nationals stranded abroad amid the COVID-19-induced lockdown.From the UAE, at least 200,000 Indian citizens have registered on the web portal collecting data of persons wishing to return home."We are Indian citizens and have been working in Portugal for two years now. We decided to leave Lisbon when the situation was getting increasingly bad in Europe," Jackson was quoted as saying.The twins, who work in retail, said they used to live in the outskirts of Lisbon city.The brothers left from Lisbon on March 18 at 12 pm and landed in Dubai at 2 am the following day to take a flight to Thiruvananthapuram."When we went to board the flight, we were told that we needed a 'Ok to board' permission from the airport in India. However, since we were passengers from Europe, we were not granted permission. Only my brother and I were not allowed to board," Jackson said.Though several flights continued to go to India till March 22, the twins remained stranded at the airport."For the first 10 days, we were sleeping on the airport benches. Finally, airport authorities and the consulate arranged hotel rooms for us inside the airport," said Jackson."We have no reason to complain. We were given five-star service here. however, we miss home," he added.Though the brothers are apprehensive about spending 14-days in quarantine in Kozhikode, some 370 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram, Jackson said, "At least we are close to home."

Indian twin brothers flying home after spending 50 days at Dubai airport

The tired and homesick 30-year-old brothers, Jackson and Benson Andrews, have been stranded inside the Dubai International Airport's terminal 3 since March 19 while they were returning from Lisbon, Portugal.

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World News Satellite images show exact compound where Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed US troops carried out a special ops raid in a locked on location in Syria's Idlib district on Saturday and gunned down ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. The raid was carried out in a compound near Barisha village of Idlib. Satellite images released by Maxar Technologies, a space technology company headquartered in Colorado, United States show the compound where Baghdadi breathed his last. US President Donald Trump confirmed Baghdadi's death on Sunday, saying that the world is a much safer place now. Image Source : MAXAR TECHNOLOGIESRaid siteRaid siteAs per reports, the US military think tank was surprised by the presence of the top ISIS chief in Idlib area, considering it is under the control of rival Qaeda groups and is hundreds of miles from the Islamic State's former territory along the border between Syria and Iraq. Baghdadi also found himself a roof far away from the region of Syria recently invaded by Turkish forces. According to reports, the Kurdish intelligence worked closely with US intelligence to locate al-Baghdadi's hideout.At its peak, ISIS ruled a large chunk of land between Syria and Iraq, controlled major cities in the region like Mosul and Raqqa. At one point of time, the Islamic State ruled a territory of the size of Britain and controlled the lives of 12 million people. US-led alliance pushed back ISIS town after town in a bloody war that has been going on for years and has claimed countless lives. Image Source : MAXAR TECHNOLOGIESWorld News Satellite images show exact compound where Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed  World News Satellite images show exact compound where Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed Even without territorial control, the ISIS has carried out major terror attacks around the globe including the 2019 Easter bombings in Sri Lanka. Al-Baghdadi might be gone but several top leaders of ISIS think tank are still alive. Moreover, the group has already named a successor for Baghdadi.Read more about the new ISIS leader Abdullah QardashImage Source : IHS MARKITISIS controlled territory 2015 vs 2019ISIS controlled territory 2015 vs 2019Also Read | Baghdadi died inside a tunnel like a dog, like a coward: TrumpAlso Read | Why Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi, the megalomaniac ISIS leader's death is significant   /* .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_2952688776 = { "file": "https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_uujunvvr_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_uujunvvr_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, confirms US President Donald Trump", "height": "440px", "width": "100%", "aspectratio": "16:9", "autostart": false, "controls": true, "mute": false, "volume": 25, "floating": false, "sharing": { "code": "", "sites": [ "facebook", "twitter", "email" ] }, "stretching": "exactfit", "primary": "html5", "hlshtml": true, "sharing_link": "", "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_2952688776 = ''; jwsetup_2952688776(); function jwsetup_2952688776() { jwvidplayer_2952688776 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_2952688776").setup(jwconfig_2952688776); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_2952688776, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_uujunvvr\", ns_st_pr=\"ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, confirms US President Donald Trump\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, confirms US President Donald Trump\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is dead, confirms US President Donald Trump\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2019-10-28\", ns_st_tdt=\"2019-10-28\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://indiatv-vh.akamaihd.net/i/vod/0_uujunvvr_,20,21,22,.mp4.csmil/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_2952688776.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_2952688776.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_2952688776.stop(); jwvidplayer_2952688776.remove(); jwvidplayer_2952688776 = ''; jwsetup_2952688776(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_2952688776.stop(); jwvidplayer_2952688776.remove(); jwvidplayer_2952688776 = ''; jwsetup_2952688776(); return; }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2952688776.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Satellite images show location where ISIS chief Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed

The raid was carried out in a compound near Barisha village of Idlib. Satellite images show the compound where Baghdadi breathed his last.

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Trade war between US and China escalates In an escalation to the ongoing trade war between the United States and China, the administration of American President Donald Trump introduced new 10 per cent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, which kicked in on Monday. The development has resulted into spanning of thousands of products, including food seasonings, baseball gloves, network routers and industrial machinery parts.In retaliation, China had imposed new taxes of 5 to 10 per cent on $60 billion of US goods such as meat, chemicals, clothes and auto parts.The latest tariffs imposed by the Trump administration applies to over $250 billion of Chinese goods, roughly half the amount the country sells to the US.Thousands of products bought by US consumers, including hundreds of millions of dollars of furniture and electronics imports have been affected by the latest round of tariffs.The US tariffs imposed earlier in the year mostly hit industrial goods.The measures are meant to punish China for what the Trump administration says are unfair trade practices, such as intellectual property theft.Beijing had accused Washington of protectionism and bullying and has rejected the US assertions.It has also fired back with tariffs on American goods worth more than $110 billion.Monday's tariffs are set to increase at the end of the year from 10 to 25 per cent.The US president has also threatened tariffs on another $267 billion of Chinese products, which has halted the new round of negotiations between the two sides.

Trade war: Trump’s 10 per cent tariffs on $200 bn of Chinese goods kicks in

The latest tariffs imposed by the Trump administration applies to over $250 billion of Chinese goods, roughly half the amount the country sells to the US.

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A newlywed couple cancels wedding partyAs couples do all over the world, Darshana Kumara Wijenarayana and his fiance, Pawani Rasanga, spent months planning a grand wedding. And everything was on course for the Sri Lankan couple — until the coronavirus struck the island nation off India’s southern tip, leading to an indefinite lockdown.“By that time, we had made all the arrangements. Clothes, rings and cakes had been ordered. The reception hall was booked. We had planned to invite 250 guests,” Darshana told The Associated Press by phone from his home in Malimbada, a small town about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of the capital Colombo.Image Source : APSri Lankan newlywed couple help poorSri Lankan newlywed couple help poorFamily and friends urged them to postpone their April 27 wedding.Instead, the couple chose to celebrate their love by feeding the poor.Image Source : APSri Lankan newlywed couple help poorSri Lankan newlywed couple help poorThe first COVID-19 patient in Sri Lanka was a Chinese tourist who fell sick in January during her vacation. She was discharged in February.Image Source : APSri Lankan newlywed couple help poorSri Lankan newlywed couple help poorUntil the first week of March, there was little panic about the disease. Then on March 11, the first Sri Lankan — a tour guide — tested positive for the virus, triggering fear and the closure of schools and universities and many businesses.The ongoing curfew has curbed the spread of the virus, but also dealt a severe blow to many who survive on a daily wage.

Sri Lanka: Newlywed couple cancels wedding party, help poor instead

As couples do all over the world, Darshana Kumara Wijenarayana and his fiance, Pawani Rasanga, spent months planning a grand wedding.

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China reports 39 new coronavirus cases (Representative image)China has reported 39 new coronavirus cases, including 35 asymptomatic infections from the first COVID-19 epicentre in Wuhan which is currently testing all of its 11.2 million population to prevent a second wave of infection.China’s National Health Commission (NHC) said on Friday that out of the thirty-nine infections reported on Thursday, 35 were asymptomatic cases. Asymptomatic cases are those who test positive for the COVID-19 but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat.The four other infections included two locally transmitted cases in Jilin province, where a few new clusters came to surface recently.The new cases came as China on Thursday kicked off its truncated annual political season with the commencement of a week-long meeting of the top advisory body, signalling the abatement of the COVID-19 pandemic.The NHC said 365 asymptomatic cases, including 26 from overseas, were still under medical observation.In Wuhan, 284 people with asymptomatic symptoms were under quarantine.The death toll in China remained at 4,634 while the overall confirmed cases increased to 82,971, including 82 patients who were still being treated.

China reports 39 new coronavirus cases

China has reported 39 new coronavirus cases, including 35 asymptomatic infections from the first COVID-19 epicentre in Wuhan which is currently testing all of its 11.2 million population to prevent a second wave of infection.

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US return to 2015 Paris Agreement becomes officialThe US return to the 2015 Paris Agreement became official on Friday, paving the way for climate actions through its domestic and international policies while creating millions of "green" jobs. But what does that mean for global climate action?Climate diplomats and campaigners believe the US will be turning its promises into action by committing to reach net zero emissions by or before 2050 and by reaffirming its pledge to support developing countries with finance.Over the past four years, the action and leadership of US states, cities, and businesses have kept climate goals within reach.During his first month in office, President Joe Biden has directed an aggressive mobilisation of the national government to embed climate throughout its activities.Now leaders from sub-national coalitions will call on the Biden administration to commit to reducing emissions 50 per cent or more by 2030 (from a 2005 baseline) to put the US on a path to net-zero emissions by 2050.Responding to the US returning officially to the Paris pact, France's Climate Change Ambassador and Special Representative for COP21 and CEO of the European Climate Foundation, Laurence Tubiana, said: "It's good to have the US back in the Paris Agreement, but sadly we have no time to celebrate."The climate crisis is deepening and this is the year we need all major polluters to step up and deliver stronger plans to deliver a safe, clean and prosperous future for everyone."The US needs to come to COP26 with a strong commitment: the urgency of the crisis is clear, and this means a new US target of at least 50 per cent GHG cuts on 2005 levels by 2030, ideally more."Noting Americans from across the country over the last four years have continued pushing forward and cutting emissions because they understand that fighting climate change strengthens their economy, Michael Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, said: "They've kept us on track to reach our Paris Agreement commitment, and with a strong partner in the White House, we can exceed it.""We have a lot of work to do, and the more we support cities, states, businesses, and climate leaders across the country, the faster we can make progress. That's the goal of our new coalition, and we're looking forward to working with the new administration to build on the progress we've made and accelerate it in the lead-up to the COP26 climate summit this November."Gonzalo Munoz and Nigel Topping, UN High-Level Climate Champions for Chile's COP25 and the UK's COP26 summits, respectively, said: "We welcome the United States' official rejoining of the Paris Agreement today, a major boost to international climate cooperation en route to COP26."It sets the stage for new commitments by the Biden-Harris administration, building on the dedicated and transformational work from US cities, states, businesses, and investors over the last four years. Their united call through America Is All In alliance for a halving of US emissions by 2030 represents a recommitment to science-based climate policy, and an unprecedented opportunity to unleash innovation, create sustainable jobs, and regenerate nature at a pace and scale we've never seen before.""We look forward to welcoming a new wave of American partners to the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience, and a real commitment to build back a healthier, safer, and more resilient future worldwide after Covid-19," they said in a statement.Green groups too have collectively sighed in relief.They say by reversing former President Donald Trump's decisions, the US, the world's second-largest greenhouse gas emitter, has demonstrated the real leadership and action as demanded by the climate emergency and has shown the world the path it must take to heal the planet.ALSO READ | India not only on track to achieve its Paris Agreement targets, but to exceed them: PM Modi

US return to 2015 Paris Agreement becomes official

The US return to the 2015 Paris Agreement became official on Friday, paving the way for climate actions through its domestic and international policies while creating millions of "green" jobs.

ed5a30ad0abf42f04f57243778c3574b

British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday said the three terrorists responsible for the London attack have been identified and their names would be revealed soon, even as police conducted fresh raids in two more places.In all, seven women and five men aged between 19 and 60 were arrested under the Terrorist Act in Barking on Sunday. A 55-year-old man was later released without charge."All the three terrorists responsible for the Saturday night's terror attack at London Bridge have been identified and their names will released by police as soon as operationally possible," May said, answering questions after her address at the Royal United Services Institute.According to the Scotland Yard, one of the terrorists carried Irish identity card.Seven people died and 48 others injured, 21 of them seriously, in the terror attack, the police said."A number of people have been detained," police said in a statement after two early morning raids in east London.London police chief Cressida Dick told BBC TV that they have seized "a huge amount of forensic material" after going through the van used in the attack "very very carefully"."A very high priority for us is to try to understand whether they were working with anybody else," she said.The first victim of the attack has been named as Canadian national Christine Archibald who worked in a homeless shelter until she moved to Europe to be with her fiance.May referred to the three terror attacks in the UK during the last three months, saying "we cannot deny that the threat from Islamist extremism is one of the gravest we face."She said, "I believe it is right that the UK is engaged in taking on and defeating groups like IS and their like around the world. It is in our own national interest to do so, and it is in the interests of the wider world. But as our efforts to defeat them overseas are ever more successful, they are increasingly seeking to spread their poisonous ideology and to prey on the weak and vulnerable in our own countries, inspiring them to commit acts of terror here at home. They exploit the safe spaces of the internet and social media and they exploit them in the real world too."She said the UK has led the world in developing a strategy for preventing violent extremism, and it has been highly successful. But she admitted "we must do more - much more - to take on and defeat the evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division, and promotes sectarianism...We must deny it the safe spaces it needs to take root and grow."Asserting that Britain will continue to support military action to destroy IS in Iraq and Syria, she said, "working with other democratic governments we will agree ways to regulate cyberspace and prevent the spread of extremism and terrorist planning online."She said that her government would do more to deny this ideology the physical space to breed in the UK. "It means refusing to tolerate extremism of any kind in our country.""This is what we must do if we are to come together as a country and tackle this extremism in our midst - not just violent extremism, but the whole spectrum of extremism, starting with the bigotry and hatred that can so often turn to violence too," the prime minister said.With the Brexit negotiations beginning just 11 days after the June 8 polls, May said, "We have no time to waste. So I offer myself as Prime Minister once more, with a resolute determination to get on with the job of delivering Brexit, confidence that I can get a deal that works for all, and belief that I have the vision, the plan, the will and the experience to fulfil the promise of Brexit and build a better Britain."Answering questions, she said the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan was doing an "excellent job" and US President Donald Trump was wrong in withdrawing from the Paris Climate Deal.

3 terrorists responsible for London attack identified, says PM May

In all, seven women and five men aged between 19 and 60 were arrested under the Terrorist Act in Barking on Sunday. A 55-year-old man was later released without charge.

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Representational ImageNearly three out of every four H-1B visa holders as of October 5 are Indian citizens, an official US report has said.According to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), there were as many as 419,637 foreign nationals working in the US on H-1B visas as on October 5.Of these, 309,986 are Indians, the USCIS said in its report 'H-1B petitions by gender and country of birth fiscal year 2018'.The report reveals a massive gender disparity – only one out of every four H-1B visa holders is female. Of the 419,637 H-1B visa holders, 106,096 (or 25.3 per cent) are females as against 311,997 (or 74.3 per cent males), it said.Gender disparity is wider among Indians.Of the 309,986 Indians on H-1B visas in the US this October, only 63,220 or 20.4 per cent are females while nearly 245,517 Indians on H-1B visas or 80 per cent (79.2 per cent to be precise) are males. As many as 1,249 Indians on H-1B visas have been characterised in the category of missing/others.Indians, who account for 73.9 per cent of the total H-1B visa holders in the US, are followed by a distant Chinese with 47,172 on H-1B visas, accounting for 11.2 per cent of the total foreign nationals on this work visas.But there is not much gender disparity among the Chinese on H-1B visas. According to the report, 21,342 or 45.2 per cent are females and 25,718 or 54.5 per cent are males.After India and China, Canada and South Korea are the only two countries which account for a little over one per cent (1.1 per cent to be precise) each on H-1B visas. After that all other countries constitute less than one per cent of the H-1B visas as of October 5.The Philippines is the only country in top 10 H-1B visa holders wherein there are more females (1712 or 52.7 per cent) on H-1B visas than males (1519 or 46.7 per cent) on H-1B visas. As of October 5, as many as 3,250 professionals from the Philippines were on H-1B visas.The H-1B gender report was released days after the Trump administration came out with its unified fall agenda, in which it said that it plans to make changes in the definition of specialty occupation for the definition of H-1B visas and re-redefining the relationship between employees and employers.The proposed regulations, it said, is aimed at attracting the best and the brightest from across the world, prevent the abuse of H-1B visas which is consentient with the hire American agenda of the Trump administration.The USCIS is also proposing to introduce a pre-registration system for foreign students in the US. Technically it is possible that if 85,000 such students succeed in getting H-1B visas, no overseas applicants could apply. 

Three-fourths of H1B visa holders in 2018 are Indians: US report

Of these, 309,986 are Indians, the USCIS said in its report 'H-1B petitions by gender and country of birth fiscal year 2018'.

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Prince Harry and Meghan get standing ovation in UKBritain's Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle received a resounding standing ovation during one of their final official engagements as frontline royals this week before they step back at the end of this month. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were the guests of honour at the Mountbatten Festival of Music at Royal Albert Hall in London on Saturday when the couple received a particularly long round of applause from the audience as they took their seats in the royal box.Prince Harry, 35, appeared in a Royal Marines officer's red mess jacket, matched by his 38-year-old wife's designer red dress. The music festival brings together world-class musicians, composers and conductors of the Massed Bands of Her Majesty's Royal Marines and Saturday's performance marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the 80th anniversary of the formation of Britain's Commandos. Proceeds from the event go to the Royal Marines Association – the Royal Marines Charity and CLIC Sargent, which supports people with cancer aged under 25 and their families. Earlier, Markle made one of her last official solo visits to a school in Dagenham, east London, on Friday where her message to the 700 young boys and girls was to "speak up for what is right". According to reports, she used her visit to the Robert Clack School to highlight her favourite themes of women's empowerment, social justice and gender equality.According to 'The Sunday Times', the school assembly had been told it would be addressed by a "mystery guest". There were cheers when Meghan appeared and called for "the women of our future" to "believe in themselves" and "really stand in your truth, to stand for what is right, to continue to respect each other".The couple will next join Queen Elizabeth II and the rest of the royal family for the annual Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey on Monday to mark Commonwealth Day. It would be the first time the entire royal family is seen together in public since Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping down from royal duties.They will formally stop representing the Queen from April 1 as they plan to spend a majority of their time in North America. Under the arrangement finalised with Buckingham Palace, their exit plan will be reviewed at the end of a 12-month transition period with the option for the couple to return to the frontline if they change their mind. But meanwhile they have declared plans to start a new financially independent life with their nine-month-old son Archie and focus on charitable projects close their hearts.ALSO READ: COVID-19 cases surge to 36 in United KingdomALSO READ: United Kingdom must leave European Union on Oct 31: Boris Johnson

Prince Harry and Meghan get standing ovation in UK

Britain's Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle received a resounding standing ovation during one of their final official engagements as frontline royals this week before they step back at the end of this month.

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Ahmad Massoud has not left AfghanistanAhmad Massoud, the leader of the Afghan resistance forces, has not left Afghanistan, Iranian news agency FARS reported on Saturday citing a source. According to the source, rumours about Massoud leaving the Central Asian country for Turkey or any other place are false. The resistance leader is said to be in a safe place and in contact with the Panjshir Valley.The source also said that 70 per cent of main streets in Panjshir have been brought under control by the Taliban.Taliban has claimed that they have captured the Afghan province of Panjshir, the last resistance stronghold in the country. Meanwhile, Afghanistan's National Resistance Front (NRF) has denied the claim."In recent days, the Taliban entered Panjshir and now 70 per cent of the main streets and passages are under their control, but the valleys of Panjshir are still under the complete control of the popular forces," Qassem Mohammadi told FNA.The NRF said that the resistance forces are present at all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight.After the fall of Kabul on August 15, Panjshir province remained the only defiant holdout where resistance forces led by Ahamd Masoud, the son of late former Afghan guerrilla commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, were fighting the Taliban.Ahmad Massoud on Monday called for a "national uprising" against the Taliban.In an audio message sent to media, National Resistance Front commander Ahmad Massoud said, "Wherever you are, inside or outside, I call on you to begin a national uprising for the dignity, freedom and prosperity of our country," Aljazeera reported.The geography has witnessed heavy conflict between the warring sides in the past four days and both parties are claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.Panjshir has been the stronghold of the National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud and former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself caretaker president.On Sunday, Massoud said that he was ready to cease fighting and start negotiations if the Taliban abandoned the province.Panjshir was the last Afghan province holding out against the armed group that swept to power last month. Taliban has been facing stiff resistance after pushing deep into the country's holdout in Panjshir Valley.(With ANI inputs)Also Read | Panjshir resistance forces hiding in valleys and caves, say Taliban /* .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_5989538875 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_zyfigzds/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_zyfigzds_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Taliban being backed by Pakistani Army in Panjshir, Fox News reporter claims", "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": "128", "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_5989538875 = ''; jwsetup_5989538875(); function jwsetup_5989538875() { jwvidplayer_5989538875 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_5989538875").setup(jwconfig_5989538875); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_5989538875, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_zyfigzds\", ns_st_pr=\"Taliban being backed by Pakistani Army in Panjshir, Fox News reporter claims\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Taliban being backed by Pakistani Army in Panjshir, Fox News reporter claims\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Taliban being backed by Pakistani Army in Panjshir, Fox News reporter claims\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-09-08\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-09-08\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_zyfigzds/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_5989538875.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_5989538875.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_5989538875.stop(); jwvidplayer_5989538875.remove(); jwvidplayer_5989538875 = ''; jwsetup_5989538875(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_5989538875.stop(); jwvidplayer_5989538875.remove(); jwvidplayer_5989538875 = ''; jwsetup_5989538875(); return; }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_5989538875.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

Ahmad Massoud has not left Afghanistan, is safe and in contact with Panjshir: Report

After the fall of Kabul on August 15, Panjshir province remained the only defiant holdout where resistance forces led by Ahamd Masoud, the son of late former Afghan guerrilla commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, were fighting the Taliban.

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Ukrainian servicemen stand by a destroyed house near the frontline village of Krymske, Luhansk region, in eastern Ukraine, Saturday, Feb. 19, 2022.The Indian embassy in Ukraine has released an advisory for nationals staying in the country, and has asked them to vacate it amid continued tensions with Russia. "In view of continued tensions in Ukraine, all Indian nationals whose stay is not deemed essential and all Indian students are advised to leave Ukraine temporarily. Indian students are advised to also get in touch with respective student contractors for updates on charter flights", the notice read.Earlier, the embassy had released a list of available flights for Indian students in Ukraine, upon receiving several queries. It also asked students not to panic and take the earliest flight to India. "Students are requested not to resort to panic, but book the earliest available and convenient flights to travel to India. At present, Ukrainian International Airlines, Air Arabia, Fly Dubai, Qatar Airways, etc., are operating flights", the embassy in Kyiv said. It also assured that additional flights are being planned from Ukraine to India, including from Ukrainian International Airlines, Air India, etc. Discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine, official sources said. 

Russia Ukraine News: Indian embassy asks citizens in Ukraine to temporarily vacate country

Discussions are underway with civil aviation authorities and various airlines on how to increase the number of flights between India and Ukraine, official sources said.

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US Election 2020: Republicans, Democrats in close fight to control SenateThe battle for control of the Senate tightened Tuesday after Democrats picked up a seat in Colorado, but suffered a setback in Alabama, and Republicans held their own in high-profile races in South Carolina, Texas and Kansas, narrowing the political map.Republicans fought to retain their Senate majority against a surge of Democrats challenging President Donald Trump’s allies. Both parties saw paths to victory, but the Democrats’ were narrowing. With several races still too early to call, and one Georgia contest heading to a January runoff, the final verdict might not be known on election night.Democrats ousted Cory Gardner for John Hickenlooper in Colorado, a must-win seat if Democrats were to wrest the majority. Gardner was among the most endangered incumbents as his state shifted leftward in the Trump era.“It’s time for a different approach,” Hickenlooper said in an live video message posted on Facebook.But several battlegrounds broke for Republicans, including an open seat in Kansas. Rep. Roger Marshall prevailed over Democratic state Sen. Barbara Bollier, a former Republican, who energized Democrats in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.From New England to the Deep South and the Midwest to the Mountain West, Republicans defended seats in states once considered long shots for Democrats. The Trump administration’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis, its economic fallout and the nation’s uneasy mood all seemed to be on the ballot.Trump loomed large over the Senate races as did Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. They swooped into key states, including Iowa, Georgia and Michigan, in the final days of the campaigns. Voters ranked the pandemic and the economy as top concerns, according to AP VoteCast, a national survey of the electorate.Securing the Senate majority will be vital for the winner of the presidency. Senators confirm administration nominees, including the Cabinet, and can propel or stall the White House agenda. With Republicans now controlling the chamber, 53-47, three or four seats will determine party control, depending on who wins the presidency because the vice president can break a tie.In Kentucky, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fended off Democrat Amy McGrath, a former fighter pilot in a costly campaign, but he acknowledged his GOP colleagues face tougher races.“We don’t know which party will control the Senate,” McConnell said from Louisville. “But some things are certain already. We know grave challenges will remain before us, challenges that could not care less about our political polarization. We know our next president will need to unite the country, even as we all continue to bring different ideas and commitments to the table.”White House confidant Lindsey Graham survived the fight of his political life in South Carolina against Democrat Jamie Harrison, whose campaign stunned Washington by drawing more than $100 million in small-scale donations. In Texas, Sen. John Cornyn turned back Democrat MJ Hegar, a former Air Force helicopter pilot, in his hardest-fought election in almost two decades.Republicans flipped the seat in Alabama that Democrat Doug Jones had won in a special election as former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville was elected in the Trump stronghold.In Georgia, two Senate seats were being contested.One already is headed to a Jan. 5 runoff after no candidate reached the 50% threshold to win. GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler will face Democrat Raphael Warnock in a special election for the seat Loeffler was tapped to fill for retired Sen. Johnny Isakson.In the other, GOP Sen. David Perdue, the former business executive Trump calls his favorite senator, tried to stave off Democrat Jon Ossoff, another candidate who has benefited from the “green wave” of campaign donations. It too, is expected to go to a runoff.The Senate will welcome some newcomers as others retire. In Tennessee, Republican Bill Hagerty won the seat held by Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is retiring. Republican Cynthia Lummis, the former congresswoman from Wyoming, won the Senate seat opened by retiring GOP Sen. Mike Enzi.So far, incumbent senators in less competitive races easily won.Several Democrats were reelected, including No. 2 leader Dick Durbin of Illinois, Mark Warner in Virginia and Ed Markey, who survived a primary challenge in Massachusetts. Chris Coons kept the Delaware seat once held by Biden, defeating a Republican who previously promoted the baseless QAnon conspiracy theory.Among Republicans, Cindy Hyde-Smith in Mississippi, Tom Cotton in Arkansas, Ben Sasse in Nebraska, Shelley Moore Capito in West Virginia and James Inhofe in Oklahoma won.Stuck in Washington to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett a week before Election Day, senators quickly fanned out — some alongside the president — for last-ditch tours, often socially distanced in the pandemic, to shore up votes.Republican Sen. Thom Tillis joined Trump’s rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina, on Monday. Tillis has struggled against Cunningham, despite the married challenger’s sexting scandal with a public relations strategist. Cunningham traveled around the state Tuesday, talking to voters in Efland, near Durham.Democrats had more than one route to secure the three or four seats needed to capture the majority, and GOP strategists privately acknowledged that the incumbents will almost certainly suffer defeats in some races. But options were closing for Democrats.In the presidential battleground of Michigan, Republicans have made an aggressive push for John James, a Black Republican businessman, against Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.The Maine race between GOP Sen. Susan Collins and Democrat Sara Gideon was another contest that could push past Election Day if no candidate breaks the 50% threshold.The political landscape is quickly changing from six years ago, when most of these senators last faced voters. It’s a reminder of how sharply the political climate has shifted in the Trump era.In Montana, Republican Sen. Steve Daines was trying to hold off Democrat Steve Bullock, the governor, in a state where Trump was popular.Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst was fighting for a second term against Democrat Theresa Greenfield.And in Alaska, newcomer Al Gross, a doctor, broke state fundraising records in part with viral campaign ads as he took on GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan.

US Election 2020: Republicans, Democrats in close fight to control Senate

Republicans fought to retain their Senate majority against a surge of Democrats challenging President Donald Trump’s allies. Both parties saw paths to victory, but the Democrats’ were narrowing. With several races still too early to call, and one Georgia contest heading to a January runoff, the final verdict might not be known on election night.

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Pak FM Bilawal Bhutto in Guangzhou on maiden visit to China for talks with Wang Yi Pakistan's newly-appointed Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Sunday in the Chinese city of Guangzhou to firm up the all-weather ties between the two countries. This is Bilawal's maiden visit to China after he took over as foreign minister following the fall of the Imran Khan-led government last month.Bilawal meets with the Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang in Guangzhou, Pakistan’s state-run APP news agency tweeted.Their meeting was held in Guangzhou as Beijing is currently under semi-lockdown to contain the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the COVID-19."Landed in Guangzhou on my first bilateral visit. Today also marks the 71st anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between Pakistan and China. Looking forward to meeting Chinese State Councilor & Foreign Minister Wang Yi for in-depth discussions on Pakistan-China relations," Bilawal tweeted.The 33-year-old, whose mother Benazir Bhutto and grandfather Zulfikar Ali Bhutto were former prime ministers, is just back from New York where he held talks with the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and discussed strengthening the US-Pakistan relations which deteriorated during the previous Imran Khan regime.In his interviews with the media after his talks with Blinken, Bilawal ruled out that Pakistan's growing relationship with the US would hurt its ties to Beijing.Bilawal was accompanied by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar and senior officials, Pakistan state-run APP news agency reported earlier.Bhutto Zardari's two-day visit marks the 71st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Pakistan and China.Pakistan-China relationsOn May 21, 1951, Pakistan and China established diplomatic ties almost a year after India.Close ties between Pakistan-China in the last four decades widely believed to be aimed at countering India remained steady despite the periodic political crisis in Pakistan leading to a change of governments including those by the military rulers.In April, Bilawal's predecessor Shah Mehmood Qureshi during his visit to China had announced that Beijing has agreed to roll over USD 4.5 billion debt due to be paid by Pakistan this year.During their talks, Bilawal and Wang will review the entire gamut of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on stronger trade and economic cooperation between Pakistan and China, Pakistan Foreign Office said on Friday.(With inputs from PTI)Also Read | Pakistan, US hold security talks ahead of Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto's visit

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari holds talks with Wang Yi on maiden visit to China

Their meeting has been scheduled to be held in Guangzhou as Beijing is currently under semi-lockdown to contain the fast-spreading Omicron variant of the COVID-19.

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Nawaz Sharif, brother Shehbaz Sharif to leave for London on SundayPakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif will take his brother and former Prime Minister  to London for the latter's medical treatment on Sunday, sources told Geo News.Arrangements have been made at the Harley Street Clinic for the former leader's treatment, the sources said.The Sharif brothers will leave for London on Sunday via a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight.The sources have also claimed that the Sharif family was also talking to a doctor in New York.The development comes after Nawaz Sharif acceded to doctors advice and family's persuasion to go abroad for treatment, days after he was released from a hospital in Lahore.Earlier this week, the former premier was shifted to an intensive care unit (ICU) set up at his Jati Umra residence from the Services Institute of Medical Sciences (SIMS), where he was admitted on October 22 after his personal physician raised an alarm about his deteriorating health, Dawn news reported.During the course of treatment at the Services Hospital, the former premier had suffered an angina attack, besides complaints of bleeding from gums and some other parts, because of his fluctuating platelets.The Islamabad High Court had on October 29 granted bail to Sharif for eight weeks, suspending his seven-year sentence in the Al-Azizia Steel Mills corruption reference on medical grounds.The previous day, he had also secured bail in the Chaudhry Sugar Mills case from the Lahore High Court on the same ground.Also Read: Ailing Nawaz Sharif to fly to UK for treatment: MaryamAlso Read: Nawaz Sharif being given Polonium to die slow death, claims MQM founder Altaf Hussain

Nawaz Sharif, brother Shehbaz Sharif to leave for London on Sunday

The development comes after Nawaz Sharif acceded to doctors advice and family's persuasion to go abroad for treatment, days after he was released from a hospital in Lahore.

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Tesla CEO Elon MuskTesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is planning to leave California and move to Texas that has no state income tax, a move that could save him billions of dollars, the media reported. According to a report in CNBC, several of Musk's close friends and associates say that "Musk has told them he's planning to move to the Lone Star State"."Even the people who know him well and are aware of his general plans to move to Texas say they don't know where exactly he stays when he's there and that he tries to keep those details private," the report said on Friday.In May this year, Musk said he was selling all his houses and listed his California properties too.Musk was granted 101.3 million options, adjusted after a 5-for-1 stock split, this year.In the meantime, Tesla's stock has surged 782 per cent in the past year."As of October, Musk had earned awards currently worth about $20 billion before taxes, based on Thursday's close, a portion of the potential total," the report said.Musk last month surpassed Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to become the second-richest person in the world.The Bloomberg Billionaires Index put the Tesla chief executive with a $127.9 billion fortune above Gates at $127.7 billion for the first time.The 49-year-old entrepreneur has added more than $100 billion to his net worth since January 2020, making him one of the fastest-growing among the world's 500 richest people.The move to Texas makes sense for him as it has no state income tax while California has the highest tax regime in the country.Musk frequently visits Texas where Tesla and his startup Boring Company have operations and also a SpaceX facility that began operations in 2003.ALSO READ | Elon Musk overtakes Bill Gates to become world’s second-richest man. Here's his net worth

Tesla CEO Elon Musk plans to move to Texas from California

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk is planning to leave California and move to Texas that has no state income tax, a move that could save him billions of dollars, the media reported.

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US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis on Thursday said that Washington intends to work with Islamabad to take down terrorists. He also added that this is what a “responsible” nation does. His remarks came in response to questions on Pakistan’s reaction to the Afghan and South Asia Policy announced by US President Donald Trump last Monday.Trump hit out at Pakistan for providing safe havens to terror groups that kill American soldiers in Afghanistan. He also warned Pakistan that it has “much to lose” by harbouring terrorists.   Mattis did not respond to questions on timeline, if any, for Pakistan to take action against terrorists and terrorist groups. “We intend to work with Pakistan in order to take the terrorists down. I think that’s what a responsible nation does,” Mattis said at a media briefing.    His remarks came after the State Department notified to the Congress to place a pause button on USD 255 million foreign military financing for Pakistan.  The Department notified Congress on August 30 of its intent to obligate the amount in 2016 Foreign Military Financing (FMF) for Pakistan. “At the same time, the Department is placing a pause on spending those funds and on allocating them to any specific FMF sales contracts,” a State Department Spokesperson told PTI. “Consistent with our new South Asia strategy, this decision allows us the flexibility to continue reviewing our level of cooperation with Pakistan prior to committing new security assistance resources to projects in Pakistan,” the official said. The Trump administration notified Congress on Wednesday that it was putting USD 255 million in military assistance to Pakistan into the equivalent of an escrow account that Islamabad can only access if it does more to crack down on internal terror networks launching attacks on neighbouring Afghanistan, The New York Times reported. “As this relates to Foreign Military Financing (FMF), before moving forward with funding actual FMF cases, the United States will take into account Pakistan’s efforts to address key US concerns, including the threat posed by the Haqqani Networks and other terrorist groups that enjoy safe haven within Pakistan,” the spokesperson said.  Pakistan has cancelled at least three high profile meetings with senior American officials, including a visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif to the US to meet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Pakistan National Assembly passed a resolution alleging that the recent statements of the US President and his senior officials on Pakistan were hostile and threatening. The US, however, insists that it wants Pakistan to take action against terrorist groups. 

US to work with Pakistan to take down terrorists, says Jim Mattis

His remarks came in response to questions on Pakistan’s reaction to the Afghan and South Asia Policy announced by US President Donald Trump last Monday.

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Breaking News September 8The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 27 million, including more than 896,000 fatalities. More than 19,586,990 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on the coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. IndiaTvNews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe, and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest news on coronavirus, coronavirus vaccine trial updates, photos, video, news, views and top stories from monsoon rains, business, politics, education, science, yoga, and much more in India and worldwide.

Breaking News: September 8, 2020 | As it happened

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

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Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Sunday celebrated a historic victory as preliminary results showed its candidates securing a landslide victory in the parliamentary polls deemed crucial for the island nation.According to the preliminary results from the Elections Commission late Saturday, the MDP won 62 out of the 87 seats in the People's Majlis, reports Efe news.The party secured seats from all three major cities and populous islands. It also took major seats that previously belonged to the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives.In the previous parliamentary elections held in 2009 and 2014, the MDP was unable to secure more than 26 seats. This is the first time in the island nation's history that a single party has secured such a majority in parliament since the advent of multi-party democracy following the new constitution of 2008.Saturday's voting was held without any major complaints and the voter-turnout was at around 78 per cent. Some 264,689 people were eligible to vote.MDP supporters staged a victory rally in the capital Male late Saturday night where President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and former leader Mohamed Nasheed addressed a jubilant crowd.Nasheed, who also won a seat, promised to deliver on his promises."Our biggest job is to ensure that the government of our president continues smoothly and peacefully," he told hundreds of people.Solih, who became President in September as the candidate of a four-party coalition, reiterated his commitment to the coalition."Today's decision by the people is proof that you still stand with the decision made on September 23rd. You have decided never to go back to corruption," he said.The newly-elected parliament will give legal authority to the presidential commissions formed to investigate corruption, abductions and murders, he said."Anyone with the intention to steal the people's money cannot be a part of this government," he said, stressing the role of journalists in blowing the whistle over wrongdoings.Vice President Faisal Naseem and Tourism Minister Ali Waheed from the coalition partner the Jumhooree Party (JP) also attended Saturday night's celebration rally.But JP leader Gasim Ibrahim earlier formed an alliance with the opposition for the parliamentary election and hinted at leaving the coalition government if the MDP won a majority.Gasim has accused the MDP of reneging on a coalition agreement for the four parties to jointly contest the parliamentary polls and accused Nasheed of trying to become the prime minister.The disagreement within the coalition resulted in the JP forming an alliance with the opposition Progressive Party of Maldives and the People's National Congress.

Maldives ruling party celebrates landslide win in parliamentary polls

The ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) on Sunday celebrated a historic victory as preliminary results showed its candidates securing a landslide victory in the parliamentary polls deemed crucial for the island nation.

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15 people drown during temple festival in MyanmarAt least 15 people drowned after being swept away by a tidal wave during a temple festival in Myanmar, local media reported on Sunday. The incident occurred on an island in the southeast part of the country during the annual temple festival, Sputnik news agency reported.The temple in Mon state is built on an island and can be reached on foot via a stone pathway that gets covered by water during high tide, or by boat, the report said.According to the Eleven Media news portal, scores of pilgrims crossing over to the island on foot tried to climb into a nearby boat, causing it to collide with another boat, after which both of them sank and people got carried away by a tidal wave.A total of eight people were saved by the rescue services. They also took out of the water the bodies of 15 victims. The local media report also said that several groups of pilgrims that arrived together to the temple reported some of their friends missing.The military, the police, firefighter brigades, members of the Red Cross and local volunteers are engaged in the ongoing rescue operation in the Mon state, the news said. (With ANI inputs)ALSO READ | Atlanta airport chaos: Person grabs gun in bag, it goes off

15 people drown during temple festival in Myanmar

The temple in Mon state is built on an island and can be reached on foot via a stone pathway

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Saudi security forces foiled a terror plot targeting the Grand Mosque in the Muslim holy city of Mecca, exchanging gunfire with one of the suspects who blew himself up inside a home Friday, injuring six foreign pilgrims, Saudi Arabia's Interior Ministry said. Five people, including a woman, were arrested Friday in security operations in Mecca, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya news website said, citing the security spokesman of the Saudi Interior Ministry, Mansour al-Turki.The Interior Ministry said an attack on the mosque was being planned by three terrorist groups, two based in Mecca and a third in Jeddah.Al-Arabiya said a suicide bomber hiding in a house in the Ajyad al-Masafi neighborhood of Mecca opened fire on security forces and later blew himself up. Five security force members and six other people were injured, the report said.Four of the pilgrims have already been released from hospital, Interior Ministry spokesman General Mansour al-Turki said. The incident took place near the Grand Mosque yesterday, where lakhs of worshippers had gathered for early afternoon prayers on the last Friday of this year's Ramadan.The Grand Mosque houses Islam's holiest site, the cube-shaped Kaaba that Islam's followers pray toward five times a day.Turki told Saudi television that police "foiled the terrorist plan that targeted the security of the Grand Mosque, pilgrims and worshippers." He said that police, in early morning raids, arrested five suspects, including a woman, before surrounding the bomber's location around the Grand Mosque. "Unfortunately he started shooting towards security personnel once he noticed their presence in the area, which led to an exchange of fire before he blew himself up," Turki said. Six pilgrims were injured after the blast partially collapsed the building.Saudi Arabia has faced numerous terror attacks since late 2014, mostly claimed by the Islamic State group. Near the end of Ramadan last year, four security officers died in an explosion close in Medina, close the Prophet's Mosque, Islam's second holiest site. Two other blasts took place in the kingdon on the very same day, one in Jeddah and another in Qatif. A total of seven people were believed killed.This is the first major incident under the interior minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef, who has replaced his uncle Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. As interior minister, Prince Mohammed led the country's counter-terrorism operations for years. He was deposed as Crown Prince and interior minister on Wednesday. King Salman's son Prince Mohammed bin Salman is the new crow prince, the first in line as the heir to the throne.

Suicide bomber planning to target Grand Mosque in Mecca injures six pilgrims, Saudi says major attack foiled

A suicide bomber, planning an attack on Grand Mosque in Mecca, blew himself up inside a home after he was surrounded by police.

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Indian, US bodies ink deal to improve weather and monsoon forecasts.Indian and American bodies have signed an agreement on monsoon data analysis and cooperation to improve weather forecasts in the region. The agreement was signed by India's National Institute of Ocean Technology Director GA Ramadass and the US Assistant Administrator for Research and Acting Chief Scientist Craig McLean of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday.            As a result of this, the two bodies would enhance technical cooperation in the development of the Research Moored Array for African-Asian-Australian Monsoon Analysis and Prediction (RAMA) and the Ocean Moored buoy Network in the northern Indian ocean (OMNI) for improving weather and monsoon forecasts between NOAA and India's Ministry of Earth Sciences.Indian and American bodies have signed an agreement on monsoon data analysis and cooperation to improve weather forecasts in the region. The agreement was signed by India's National Institute of Ocean Technology Director GA Ramadass and the US Assistant Administrator for Research and Acting Chief Scientist Craig McLean of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Monday.The agreement is a follow up to the memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and NOAA last October for Technical Cooperation in Earth Observations and Earth Sciences. The MoU was signed by India's Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Dr Neil A Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Acting Administrator, NOAA. 

Indian and US bodies ink deal to improve weather and monsoon forecasts

The agreement is a follow-up to memorandum of understanding signed between the Ministry of Earth Sciences and NOAA last October for Technical Cooperation in Earth Observations and Earth Sciences.

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Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he intends to name an experienced intelligence officer as the assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs.In a statement issued by the White House, Trump said that Robert Williams, for more than 20 years, "has specialised in South Asia and Afghanistan affairs as an analyst and intelligence officer."According to the statement, Williams, since 2017, has served at the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Washington DC, as associate deputy director for Intelligence and Directorate for Operations, Xinhua news agency reported.Previously, he was the national intelligence officer for South Asia at the National Intelligence Council and defence intelligence officer for South Asia at DIA.Williams has also been an adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service since 2017, and was previously a senior adjunct professorial lecturer at American University's School of International Service from 2013 to 2016.He earned his B.A. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and M.A. at the George Washington University in 1996.The Trump administration unveiled its South Asia strategy last year. However, the strategy has been tested by US continuous strained ties with Pakistan, and the frequent casualties in Afghanistan.Afghan officials said earlier on Wednesday that more than 40 fighters had been killed in clash between government forces and the Taliban in the insurgency-battered nation over the past 24 hours.

Donald Trump names Robert Williams as his point person for South Asia

In a statement issued by the White House, Trump said that Robert Williams, for more than 20 years, "has specialised in South Asia and Afghanistan affairs as an analyst and intelligence officer."

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AstraZeneca Covid volunteer dies, trials to continueClinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University will continue in Brazil despite the death of a volunteer, Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said recently. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, Oxford University said it had carried out a careful assessment of the case in Brazil and found that there were no concerns about the safety of the trial.An independent assessment of the case did not present any concerns, AstraZeneca said.The Wall Street Journal, citing local Brazilian press reports, said the volunteer was a man in his 20s from Rio de Janeiro. It was not immediately clear if the man received the vaccine or had been part of a placebo group.An AstraZeneca spokesperson told Fox News that the company cannot comment on individual cases in an ongoing trial due to regulations.However, they said the company has followed all required review processes."All significant medical events are carefully assessed by trial investigators, an independent safety monitoring committee and the regulatory authorities," the spokesperson said."These assessments have not led to any concerns about continuation of the ongoing study," the spokesperson added.In the US, clinical trials involving AstraZeneca were recently put on hold pending a FDA investigation into a "possible serious adverse event."

AstraZeneca Covid volunteer dies, trials to continue: Report

Clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine being developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and Oxford University will continue in Brazil despite the death of a volunteer, Brazilian health regulator Anvisa said recently.

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France's first known COVID-19 case was in December, reveals ReportA patient diagnosed with pneumonia near Paris on December 27, 2019 actually had the novel coronavirus, the media reported on Tuesday citing his doctor as saying. Yves Cohen, head of emergency medicine at Avicenne and Jean-Verdier hospitals near Paris, told the media that the patient was a 43-year-old man from Bobigny, north-east of Paris, reports the BBC.Cohen said that the patient was exhibiting what later became to be known as the main symptoms of coronavirus, including a dry cough, fever and trouble breathing.He was hospitalised on December 27, 2019, four days before the World Health Organization's China country office was informed of cases of pneumonia of unknown cause being detected in the city of Wuhan.The French patient told French broadcaster BFMTV that he had not travelled before falling sick.Cohen said two of the patient's children had fallen ill but that the wife had not shown any symptoms.But the doctore pointed out that the patient's wife worked at a supermarket near Charles de Gaulle airport and could have come into contact with people who had recently arrived from China."We're wondering whether she was asymptomatic," the BBC quoted Cohen as saying, while he called for the potential link to be investigated further.Until now, the country's first three cases of coronavirus were confirmed on January 24.Of those, two had been to Wuhan, where the pandemic originated also last December, and the third was a close family member.As of Tuesday, France reported 169,583 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 25,204 deaths.

France's first known COVID-19 case was in December, reveals Report

A patient diagnosed with pneumonia near Paris on December 27, 2019 actually had the novel coronavirus, the media reported on Tuesday citing his doctor as saying. Yves Cohen, head of emergency medicine at Avicenne and Jean-Verdier hospitals near Paris, told the media that the patient was a 43-year-old man from Bobigny, north-east of Paris, reports the BBC.

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US President Donald Trump said on Friday he was considering vetoing the newly-passed $1.3 trillion spending bill, a move that likely would lead to a government shutdown, as it does "nothing to address the problem of young undocumented immigrants and does not fully fund a planned border wall".His remarks came just hours after the US Senate voted 65-32 in favour of the spending bill, which had been approved on Thursday in the House of Representatives by a 256-167 vote, the Washington Post reported."I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill based on the fact that the 800,000 plus DACA recipients have been totally abandoned by the Democrats (not even mentioned in Bill) and the BORDER WALL, which is desperately needed for our National Defence, is not fully funded," Trump tweeted.He was referring to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme, which his predecessor Barack Obama created in 2012 to shield more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants called Dreamers from deportation.These individuals are potential beneficiaries of the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (Dream) Act, a bill that had been introduced in Congress in numerous versions over the past 17 years in an effort to provide a citizenship path for individuals who were brought into the US unlawfully before the age of 16.Trump announced an end to the DACA programme last September, saying Obama's executive order was "unlawful" and "unconstitutional" and that he was providing a six-month window for Congress to enact a legislative solution.The spending bill also included $1.6 billion for the start of construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border, a key Trump campaign promise. It is far short of the $25 billion the White House had initially requested.If approved, the bill will fund the government through the end of September, the end of the 2018 fiscal year.Failure to enact the legislation by a midnight Friday deadline would trigger the third government shutdown this year.Conservative members of the House slammed the spending bill before it was passed. "The funding proposal drafted by House and Senate leadership not only forgets the promises we made to the voters -- it outright rejects them," the House Freedom Caucus said in a letter to Trump.It said, among other things, that the $1.5 billion allocated for the border wall would be "minimally effective in delivering not just our promise, but your promise, to build a wall and keep our country secure"."Sanctuary cities also continue to receive federal funds," the letter added, referring to cities such as San Francisco that do not cooperate with federal authorities on deportations and other enforcement actions.Trump's pledges during the campaign to build the wall and end funding for sanctuary cities were highly popular among his base and key factors in his surprise run to the presidency.

Donald Trump threatens to veto newly passed spending bill

Trump's remarks came just hours after the US Senate voted 65-32 in favour of the spending bill, which had been approved on Thursday in the House of Representatives by a 256-167 vote.

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Russian researchers tested coronavirus vaccine on themselves ahead of launch this weekRussia is all set to become the first country in the world to launch an effective coronavirus vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at the Gamaleya institute in Moscow is slated for registration on August 12 after which 'high risk' people like doctors, will be vaccinated this month. Reports coming out of Russia suggest that researchers at the Gamaleya institute including Director Alexander Gintsburg, have tested the vaccine on themselves. Alexander Gintsburg, has said that the vaccines were tested on the researchers prior to the human trials, giving birth to a controversy.This statement by Gintsburg was condemned by the Russian Association of Clinical Research Association (RACRA), which stated that it was a “crude violation of the very foundations of clinical research, Russian law and universally accepted international regulations.”The vaccine has completed all trials and is deemed fit for use by the Russian authorities. Russia plans to launch the vaccine this week and vaccinate doctors as early as this month before launching a mass vaccination campaign later this year. 

Russian researchers tested coronavirus vaccine on themselves ahead of launch this week

Russia is all set to become the first country in the world to launch an effective coronavirus vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine manufactured at the Gamaleya institute in Moscow is slated for registration on August 12 after which 'high risk' people like doctors, will be vaccinated this month. Reports coming out of Russia suggest that researchers at the Gamaleya institute including Director Alexander Gintsburg, have tested the vaccine on themselves.

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Top secret: Joe Biden gets access to President’s Daily BriefJoe Biden got his first look as president-elect at the President’s Daily Brief, a top secret summary of U.S. intelligence and world events — a document former first lady Michelle Obama has called “The Death, Destruction, and Horrible Things Book.” Biden has already had eyes on different iterations of the so-called PDB, which is tailored to the way each president likes to absorb information.More than a decade ago, Biden read President George W. Bush’s PDB during Biden’s transition into the vice presidency. After that, he read President Barack Obama’s PDB for eight years. Now, after a four-year break, he’s reading President Donald Trump’s PDB.“The briefers almost certainly will be asking Biden what he prefers in terms of format and style,” said David Priess, author of “The President’s Book of Secrets,” a history of the PDB. “At a minimum, they’re seeing what seems to resonate most with him so that when they make the book his book, they can tailor it to him.”Obama’s PDB was a 10- to 15-page document tucked in a leather binder, which he found waiting for him on the breakfast table. Later in his presidency, he liked reading the ultra-secret intelligence brief on a secured iPad.“Michelle called it “The Death, Destruction, and Horrible Things Book,” Obama wrote in his recently released book, ”A Promised Land.”“On a given day, I might read about terrorist cells in Somalia or unrest in Iraq or the fact that the Chinese or Russians were developing new weapons systems,” Obama wrote. “Nearly always, there was mention of potential terrorist plots, no matter how vague, thinly sourced, or unactionable — a form of due diligence on the part of the intelligence community, meant to avoid the kind of second-guessing that had transpired after 9/11.”From now until Inauguration Day, Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will be reading the PDB crafted for Trump, who had delayed giving Biden and Harris access to it as he contests the outcome of the election.Trump, who prefers absorbing information in visual ways, likes short texts and graphics.“Trump himself said during his campaign and during the transition in 2016 that he did not like reading long documents — that he preferred bullet points,” said Priess, who has not seen any of Trump’s PDBs. “It probably has charts, tables, graphs — things like that. Not the parody that people make that it’s like a cartoon book ... but something that is more visual. But we don’t know for sure.”The written brief, which Trump doesn’t always read, often is followed by a verbal briefing with an intelligence official, although those oral briefings stopped at least for a time in October. Priess said he didn’t know why they stopped or if they had resumed, but that they stopped at a time when Trump was spending much of his time on the campaign trail.Before Trump authorized Biden to get the PDB as president-elect, Biden was given some intelligence background briefings as a candidate. But they were more general and did not include the nation’s top secrets.The other thing that a president-elect gets is a briefing “on CIA’s covert actions,” former acting CIA director Mike Morell said at an event hosted by the Center for Presidential Transition based in Washington. “It’s important for the president-elect to get this briefing ... because on Inauguration Day, these covert actions will become the new president’s.”In 1961, President John F. Kennedy read his first brief while sitting on the diving board of a swimming pool at his retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. President Lyndon Johnson liked to read his brief in the afternoon. President Richard Nixon relied on his national security adviser Henry Kissinger to peruse the briefs and tell him what he thought the president should know.As the laborious recount of ballots dragged on in 2000, President Bill Clinton decided that then-Gov. George W. Bush should get access to his PDB just in case he was the winner. Bush became was the first incoming president to read it before he was president-elect.Biden is getting the PDB later than usual because of Trump’s ongoing protest of the election results. Trump approved the briefings for Biden last Tuesday, a day after his administration approved the formal transition process to his successor.When Biden walks into the Oval Office, he’ll be inheriting nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran, changing political dynamics in the Middle East, the winding down of America’s presence in Afghanistan and rising competition from China.Biden had access to the PDB in Wilmington, Delaware. Harris received it in a secure room at the Commerce Department, where the presidential transition offices are located.Even Biden, who has decades of experience in foreign policy, could be the victim of an old political adage that no matter how informed he thinks he is, he could learn otherwise from the PDB.Former CIA Director Michael Hayden wrote in his book that revelations and new insight found in the PDB are known as “aw s---” moments. As in: “Aw s---,” he wrote, “wish we hadn’t said that during that campaign stop in Buffalo.”

Top secret: Joe Biden gets access to President’s Daily Brief

Joe Biden got his first look as president-elect at the President’s Daily Brief, a top secret summary of U.S. intelligence and world events — a document former first lady Michelle Obama has called “The Death, Destruction, and Horrible Things Book.”

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China, ASEAN, other Asian nations sign world's biggest trade deal, India withdrew last yearChina and 14 other Asian countries have agreed to form the world's largest free-trade bloc with nearly a third of all economic activity. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, was signed virtually on Sunday on the sidelines of the annual summit of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)."RCEP will soon be ratified by signatory countries and take effect, contributing to the post-COVID pandemic economic recovery," said Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Vietnam, which hosted the ceremony as ASEAN chair, Al Jazeera reported.The report said RECP will take tariffs lower between member countries. It will account for 30 per cent of the global economy, 30 per cent of the global population and reach 2.2 billion consumers, according to Vietnam.In addition to the 10 ASEAN nations, the accord includes China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, but not the US.Officials said the accord leaves the door open for India, which dropped out due to fierce domestic opposition to its market-opening requirements, to rejoin the bloc, Al Jazeera said.The accord is a coup for China, by far the biggest market in the region with more than 1.3 billion people, allowing Beijing to cast itself as a "champion of globalisation and multilateral cooperation" and giving it greater influence over rules governing regional trade, Gareth Leather, senior Asian economist for Capital Economics, said in a report.Al Jazeera said the US is absent from RCEP and the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal that US President Donald Trump pulled out of shortly after taking office. This leaves the world's biggest economy out of two trade groups that span the fastest-growing region on earth.

China, ASEAN, other Asian nations sign world's biggest trade deal, India withdrew last year

China and 14 other Asian countries have agreed to form the world's largest free trade bloc with nearly a third of all economic activity.

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Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed. Amid persisting political chaos and growing influx of protesters from opposition parties towards Islamabad, aiming to bring the capital to a stand still until the fate of Imran Khan is decided through the opposition led No Confidence Voting; the capital braces for what seems like a final showdown by the government and the opposition.Imran Khan's premiership is faced with a massive challenge posed by the opposition alliance, comprising of at least 20 opposition parties, who, after 3 years of sitting in the opposition benches, have now decided to take on Imran Khan and ensure that he is off-thrown his seat as the Prime Minister of the country, through a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly of Pakistan.They now feel confident of ousting Khan after many of the members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (TTP) along with ally political parties, have defected and sided with the opposition parties, injecting confidence into the opposition rank that this time, they will be able to get the golden number of a 172 votes, required to claim majority during the no-confidence voting.With the political temperature hitting boiling point, Pakistan's Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed has hinted towards calling for early elections, which he said may be called immediately after the federal budget for fiscal year 2022-23 is presented.During a press conference, Rasheed said that he had advised Prime Minister Imran Khan to call for elections after the budget, insisting that Khan's popularity had increased in the wake of opposition's no-confidence motion against him."I am asking for early elections after presenting a good budget because this incompetent opposition has allowed us to win again", he said."When the Pakistani nation sees their opposition leaders' faces, they switch channels," he added.Taking a jibe on opposition leader and PML-N leader Shahbaz Sharif, Rasheed said, "this is the same Shahbaz Sharif who says Nawaz Sharif greatly respects Chief of the Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa and the army"."Where did the 'vote ko izzat do' go? The vote has been sold at shops, they have insulted democracy", he added reminding of Nawaz Sharif's statements where he blamed the country's military establishment for ousting him from power.Rasheed also said that the no-confidence voting was likely to take place on the April 3 or April 4, adding that the defected may be promising opposition benches of their support, but on the day of the voting, they will not vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.ALSO READ | Pakistan: 50 ministers go missing as Imran Khan fights for survival on no confidence motionALSO READ | Pak's National Assembly adjourned till March 28 without tabling no-trust motion against Imran Khan

Pakistan may go into early elections, says Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed

Imran Khan's premiership is faced with a massive challenge posed by the opposition alliance, comprising of at least 20 opposition parties who have now decided to take on Imran Khan and ensure that he is off-thrown his seat as the Prime Minister of the country, through a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly of Pakistan.

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China's Wuhan city discharges last COVID-19 patient from hospitalThe last COVID-19 patient in Wuhan has been discharged and the hospitals in the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic in the central Chinese city have no coronavirus cases for the first time after more than three months of arduous battle against the deadly virus that infected over 80,000 people on the mainland, health officials said.China's National Health Commission (NHC) announced on Monday that three new confirmed coronavirus cases, including two from the Chinese returning from abroad and one local transmission were reported on Sunday. The overall death toll stood at 4,633 and no new fatalities were reported on Sunday. The overall confirmed cases in China reached 82,830 by Sunday, including 723 patients still being treated and 77,474 people who had been discharged.Altogether 80 patients were discharged from the hospitals after recovery on Sunday, while the number of severe cases increased by one to 52, the NHC said. Meanwhile, after more than three months of fight against the deadly virus, Wuhan where coronavirus first emerged in December last and became a pandemic, cleared all COVID-19 cases in hospitals on Sunday.The outcome was earned through the hard work of medical workers in Wuhan and those sent from across the country, Mi Feng, a spokesperson for the NHC, was quoted as saying by the state-run Xinhua news agency. This came as a 77-year-old man surnamed Ding tested negative for the second time for coronavirus in the capital city of Hubei Province, the report said.He no longer had clinical symptoms and was able to be discharged, an official with Wuhan Municipal Health Commission said. Sunday's announcement was a new testament that the local spread of COVID-19 in the country has basically been curbed, it said. It was also a milestone for Wuhan. This came five days after its cases dropped to double digits and less than 70 days after daily hospitalised cases peaked at 38,020, Xinhua reported."It is a historic day," said Shang You, a critical care unit doctor in Wuhan. "We have been waiting for this day for so long." As of Sunday, 627 Chinese who has returned from abroad were being treated with 22 in severe condition, the NHC said. Also on Sunday, 25 new asymptomatic cases, including one from abroad, were reported on the mainland.The NHC said 974 suspected asymptomatic cases, including 131 from abroad, were still under medical observation. Asymptomatic cases refer to people who tested positive for the coronavirus but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. They are infectious and pose a risk of spreading to others. The novel coronavirus is believed to have originated in a wet market in Wuhan and first emerged in December before spreading quickly worldwide.Beginning January 23, Wuhan was put under a lockdown that lasted 76 days. In Wuhan, scores of hospitals were designated to treat COVID-19 patients and 16 temporary hospitals were set up, opening up 60,000 hospital beds to meet the surging demand. Over 42,000 medical workers were sent to Hubei from across the country, as well as key medical supplies such as ventilators, protective suits, masks and daily necessities.Since February 18, the cases in Wuhan have been on the decline. As of the end of Saturday, Wuhan had reported a total of 50,333 confirmed cases and 3,869 deaths. The recovery rate has topped 92 per cent. In Hubei, no new confirmed cases have been reported for over 20 days, and the number of remaining cases dropped below 50, the report said.Life is returning to normal. Hubei's work resumption rate of major industrial firms has reached 98.2 percent and most of their workers have got back to work. Schools will soon open. Students in the final year of senior high schools in Hubei are expected to return to classes on May 6, it said. Officials said for the next step Wuhan must keep guarding against imported cases while preventing a resurgence of the outbreak. 

China's Wuhan city discharges last COVID-19 patient from hospital

The last COVID-19 patient in Wuhan has been discharged and the hospitals in the epicentre of the global coronavirus pandemic in the central Chinese city have no coronavirus cases for the first time after more than three months of arduous battle against the deadly virus that infected over 80,000 people on the mainland, health officials said.

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Facebook 'mistakenly' blocked posts calling for Modi to resign Facebook has claimed that it mistakenly blocked posts calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the alleged Covid-19 pandemic mismanagement, saying the company did not hide the posts at the behest of the government.Buzzfeed News first reported that Facebook temporarily hid posts with the hashtag or text #ResignModi because "some content in those posts goes against our Community Standards".The Facebook users who tried to view the hashtag saw a message saying that Facebook was temporarily hiding the posts in order to keep the community safe.In a statement given to The Verge late on Wednesday, Facebook said it has now restored the posts and the hashtag was blocked "by mistake".The company said that the Indian government did not ask to remove the hashtag.Facebook also said that the block was the result of some of the content that used the hashtag, "but did not specify what kind of content".Earlier this week, Twitter pulled down at least 50 tweets at the behest of the Indian government, that criticised the government for the poor handling of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.The data available on Lumen database showed that the micro-blogging platform deleted more than 50 tweets that belonged to people like Revanth Reddy, an MP from Telangana; Moloy Ghatak, a West Bengal state minister; two filmmakers; an actor and others.A Twitter spokesperson said in a statement that when it receives a valid legal request, it reviews it under both the Twitter Rules and local law."If the content violates Twitter's Rules, the content will be removed from the service. In all cases, we notify the account holder directly so they're aware that we've received a legal order pertaining to the account," the company said in a statement.In February, Twitter took a range of enforcement actions against certain Twitter accounts after the Indian government ordered it to take down more than 500 accounts for clear violations of its rules.In another daily record, India reported nearly 3.8 lakh new cases and 3,645 deaths on Wednesday while 14 states and UTs recorded their highest single-day case count.ALSO READ | 'Leave India': US tells its citizens as Covid-19 ravages Southeast Asian country

Facebook 'mistakenly' blocked posts calling for Modi to resign

The Facebook users who tried to view the hashtag saw a message saying that Facebook was temporarily hiding the posts in order to keep the community safe.

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Shahbaz Sharif (right) with brother Nawaz SharifPakistan’s anti-graft body on Friday arrested opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif, for his alleged involvement in a Rs 1,400 crore housing scam, which comes as a latest setback to the embattled Sharif family. Shahbaz is the younger brother of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif and is facing corruption charges in three cases.NAB spokesperson Nawazish Ali Asim on Friday said, “Shahbaz Sharif on Friday appeared before an investigation team of the National Accoun­tability Bureau Lahore. He was arrested after he failed to satisfy the investigator for his alleged role in awarding contracts to his favourite firm in violations of rules in the Ashiana Housing scheme and Punjab Saaf Pani Company.”Related Stories Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif’s brother summoned to appear before Panama Papers probe panel All in the family: With Shahbaz Sharif set to become Pak PM, son likely to succeed him as Punjab CMIt's time to say goodbye to US aid, says Shahbaz SharifAfter Nawaz Sharif’s disqualification by SC, ruling PML-N elects his brother Shahbaz as party’s interim chiefCan't replace Nawaz Sharif as PML-N chief: Shahbaz SharifThe spokesperson further said Shahbaz, President of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will be presented before an accountability court for a physical remand on Saturday.He will be kept in a highly-secured lock-up inside the NAB Lahore office until his appearance in court.According to a report, Shahbaz was detained by NAB officials and his car was sent away. His private staff who accompanied him as security were also asked to leave.The arrest comes a little over a week ahead of the by-polls scheduled for October 14.Shahbaz, a former chief minister of Punjab province, was allegedly involved in the corruption of Rs 14 billion Ashiana Housing project and Rs 4 billion Punjab Saaf Pani Company scams.To plan, design, execute and manage the projects for the provision of safe drinking water, this Saaf Pani Company was established by Shahbaz's previous Punjab government.Shahbaz's son-in-law Ali Imran Yousuf is also facing corruption inquiries in this case. He has fled to the UK and the NAB has written to the interior ministry to bring him back from abroad through Interpol.Reacting to Shahbaz's arrest, the PML-N said that arresting the Leader of the Opposition without seeking the permission of the NA speaker was "against the law".

Pakistan: Nawaz Sharif’s brother Shahbaz arrested in Rs 1,400 cr housing scam

According to a report, Shahbaz was detained by NAB officials and his car was sent away. His private staff who accompanied him as security were also asked to leave.

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US vs Iran: Tweet urging Twitter to suspend Trump's account goes viralAs tension between the US and Iran mount after Tehran fired over a dozen missiles on two US bases in Iraq, a Twitter user's post, addressed to Twitter to suspend the account of US President Donald Trump -- without naming him -- to prevent war, has gone viral.Mohamad Safa wrote on @mhdksafa: "Dear Twitter, now would be a great time to suspend his account before he starts World War 3 using your site...Sincerely,...The rest of the world.#IranAttacksThe post got 855 retweets and 3.5 thousand likes.In reply, one user wrote: "#IranAttacks. You can't possibly call on the emotional side of @Twitter; it's a company; they have basically made money because you got a like.Another tweeted: "He'll move to another app and people will join that app solely to see what he is posting there. That app will use that milage (sic) to bash Twitter for lack of freedom of speech and it'll become as big as Twitter. My point is -- Twitter has a lot to lose in doing so."A user tagged @Twitter and urged: "Don't let the 'president' use your platform for imperialism. DELETE his account. #NoWarWithlran #AnitImperialism.""Wow. Deep. @Twitter for your consideration...," wrote another user."Please Twitter, please," pleaded a Twitter user.Meanwhile, Twitter was abuzz on Wednesday as peaceniks voiced their views against war between the two countries.#IranAttacks trended with 191 thousand tweets and #IranvsUSA with 753 thousand tweets.

US vs Iran: Tweet urging Twitter to suspend Trump's account goes viral

As tension between the US and Iran mount after Tehran fired over a dozen missiles on two US bases in Iraq, a Twitter user's post, addressed to Twitter to suspend the account of US President Donald Trump -- without naming him -- to prevent war, has gone viral.

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Journalist Brent Renaud A U.S. journalist was shot dead the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv said that he and a U.S. colleague were shot after they were stopped at a checkpoint just after a bridge in Irpin, a town near Kyiv, reported news agency AFP.Juan Arredondo told Italian journalist Annalisa Camilli in an interview from the hospital before being taken for surgery that the colleague who was with him was hit in the neck and remained on the ground earlier on Sunday.Camilli told The Associated Press that she was at the hospital when Arredondo arrived and that Arredondo had himself had been wounded, hit in the lower back when stopped at a Russian checkpoint.Arredondo told Camilli he didn’t have further information on the fellow U.S. journalist, whom he identified as Brent Renaud, a friend.He told Camilli they were filming refugees fleeing the area when they were shot at while in a car approaching a checkpoint.The driver turned around but the firing at them continued, Arredondo added.A statement from Kyiv regional police said that Russian troops opened fire on the car, and that one journalist died.Arredondo said that an ambulance brought him to the hospital and that Renaud was “left behind.”(ap inputs)Also Read | Russian invasion enters day 16; Here's how everyday life in Ukraine looks like in the face of war

Russia-Ukraine war: US journalist shot dead near Kyiv

A statement from Kyiv regional police said that Russian troops opened fire on the car and that one journalist died.

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Pakistan team in Bangkok submits answers to FATF's 125 queriesPakistan on Monday submitted detailed answers to 125 questions posed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on moves taken by it to strengthen anti-money laundering and combat financing of terrorism, as Islamabad seeks to move out of the FATF Greylist.The report was submitted by Pakistan's Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar who is heading the 15-member delegation to Bangkok for the FATF negotiations, which will continue till September 13.The Asia Pacific Joint Group of the FATF began its four-day meeting on Monday in Bangkok to review the compliance report of Pakistan, besides other countries.The Financial Action Task Force Asia Pacific Group has sought answers for 125 questions from Pakistan to take the country out of the Greylist.Pakistan's report would be discussed by the Asia Pacific Joint Group on Tuesday.Other members of the Pakistani team include officials of the State Bank of Pakistan, Ministries of Finance and Interior, Federal Investigation Agency, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, Federal Board of Revenue, National Counter Terrorism Authority and the Financial Monitoring Unit.The outcome of the negotiations with the global watchdog for terror financing and money laundering, will decide whether Pakistan continues to feature in the Greylist or is put on the Blacklist, during the FATF meeting in Paris on October 16-18.During the Bangkok negotiations, the FATF will be apprised of measures taken by Pakistan to prevent suspicious transactions and Pakistani officials will be cross-questioned about moves to restrict illegal activities and freeze the assets of proscribed organisations and groups.Pakistan has been under the FATF radar for its complicity with terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) among others. In addition, terrorists like Hafiz Saeed are regularly seen ranting anti-India rhetoric and collecting "donations".On August 22, the Asia-Pacific Group (APG), a regional affiliate of the Financial Action Task Force, had placed Pakistan in the Enhanced Expedited Follow Up List (Blacklist) for its failure to meet standards.In its 22nd Annual Meeting held in Canberra, the APG found that Pakistan was non-compliant on 32 of the 40 compliance parameters of terror financing and money laundering. On 11 effectiveness parameters, Pakistan was adjudged as low on 10.A Pakistani delegation, headed by State Bank of Pakistan Governor Dr Reza Baqir had then briefed the APG on the steps taken for improving Pakistan's Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) framework, as well as the actions for ensuring effective implementation of the FATF action plan.In June, the FATF had given Pakistan four months (till October) to improve its counter-terror financing operations in accordance with the agreed plan.In a statement on its website, the FATF had expressed concern that "not only did Pakistan fail to complete its action plan items by January deadline; it also failed to complete its action plan items due in May, 2019"."The FATF strongly urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its action plan by October, 2019 when the last set of action plan items are set to expire," the FATF statement said. "Otherwise, the FATF will decide the next step at that time for insufficient progress."Pakistan was told to block financial loopholes, terror financing and money laundering by implementing the 27-point action plan.Based out of Paris, the FATF is an inter-governmental body that combats money laundering, terrorist financing and threats to the international financial system. It put Pakistan on its grey list in June 2017 because of deficiencies in the country's anti-money laundering and countering of terror financing regulations.Being on the Greylist doesn't come with any sanctions. However, if Pakistan remains on this list, it faces the risk of being put on the Blacklist.Being on the Blacklist would mean its banking system will be regarded as one with poor controls over Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism standards. Expatriates will find it difficult to send remittances and traders' cost of business will increase because local banks will face higher scrutiny in international payments and foreign banks might not even do business with Pakistani banks.The Pakistan government, too, will struggle to raise funds from international markets if the country is placed on the black list.

Pakistan team in Bangkok submits answers to FATF's 125 queries

​Pakistan on Monday submitted detailed answers to 125 questions posed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on moves taken by it to strengthen anti-money laundering and combat financing of terrorism, as Islamabad seeks to move out of the FATF Greylist.

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'Workplace accident': Paris court after man dies while having sex on business tripA French man died while having sex on a business trip. Terming his death a "workplace accident", a Paris court ruled that the firm should compensate the family of the employee who suffered a heart attack while having sex when he was on a business trip for a railway company, reported Fox News.The man, identified as M Xavier, had travelled to the Loiret region in 2013 for his employer TSO, a railway construction company, where he had sex with a "complete stranger".The man suffered a heart attack while having sex and died, The Local France reported, citing local media. The Court of Appeal of Paris ruled his death a "workplace accident" in May this year, according to a copy of the ruling posted to LinkedIn last week by lawyer Sarah Balluet.The company argued in the court that M Xavier's sexual activity was not a part of work. Also, since the man died in a different hotel than was assigned to him, his death was not a liability of the company.The company said before the ruling that the employee's death "occurred when he had knowingly interrupted his work for a reason solely dictated by his personal interest, independent of his employment" and that because of this, he was no longer on his business trip.The company also went on to add that its employee's death did not have anything to do with his work performance but rather a "sexual act he had with a complete stranger."However, the Paris court argued it did not matter whether an accident during a business trip happens on work or personal time, unless an employer has proof an employee "interrupted his mission" for personal reasons. The court also said that sexual activity "is a matter of everyday life, like taking a shower or a meal."(With ANI inputs)ALSO READ | Government teacher caught having sex in school premises, thrashed by villagers in Tamil NaduALSO READ | Pakistan witnesses 13 per cent rise in HIV cases, dramatic surge among transgenders, sex workers

'Workplace accident': Paris court after man dies while having sex on business trip

The man, identified as M Xavier, had travelled to the Loiret region in 2013 for his employer TSO, a railway construction company, where he had sex with a "complete stranger".

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Some pharmacists may be able to administer a quick COVID-19 test and prescribe the pills all in one visit. They already do this in many states for flu or strep throat.Newly infected COVID-19 patients have two new treatment options that can be taken at home.But that convenience comes with a catch: The pills have to be taken as soon as possible once symptoms appear. The challenge is getting tested, getting a prescription and starting the pills in a short window.U.S. regulators authorized Pfizer's pill, Paxlovid, and Merck's molnupiravir last week. In high-risk patients, both were shown to reduce the chances of hospitalization or death from COVID-19, although Pfizer's was much more effective.A closer look:The antiviral pills aren't for everyone who gets a positive test. The pills are intended for those with mild or moderate COVID-19 who are more likely to become seriously ill. That includes older people and those with other health conditions like heart disease, cancer or diabetes that make them more vulnerable. Both pills were OK'd for adults while Paxlovid is authorized for children ages 12 and older.Merck's molnupiravir is not authorized for children because it might interfere with bone growth. It also isn't recommended for pregnant women because of the potential for birth defects. Pfizer's pill isn't recommended for patients with severe kidney or liver problems. It also may not be the best option for some because it may interact with other prescriptions a patient is taking. Antiviral pills aren't authorized for people hospitalized with COVID-19.The pills have to be started as soon as possible, within five days of the start of symptoms. Cough, headache, fever, the loss of taste or smell, and muscle and body aches are among the more common signs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a website to check your symptoms.Dr. Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease specialist at Duke University Hospital, advises getting a test as soon as you have symptoms of COVID-19. “If you wait until you have started to get breathless, you have already to a large extent missed the window where these drugs will be helpful,” Wolfe said.You'll need a prescription first from a doctor or other authorized health worker. The U.S. government is buying the pills from Merck and Pfizer and providing them for free, but supplies will be limited initially. They'll be shipped to states where they will be available at drugstores, community health centers and other places. Treatment lasts five days.Some pharmacists may be able to administer a quick COVID-19 test and prescribe the pills all in one visit. They already do this in many states for flu or strep throat.The pills are expected to be effective against omicron because they don't target the spike protein where most of the variant's worrisome mutations reside. The two pills work in different ways to prevent the virus from reproducing.Yes, but they aren't as easy to use as a pill: They are given by IV or injection, typically at a hospital or clinic. Three drugs provide virus-fighting antibodies, although laboratory testing suggests the two aren't effective against omicron. British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline's antibody-drug appears to work, and officials say they are working to increase the U.S. supply. The only antiviral drug approved in the U.S., remdesivir, is for people hospitalized with COVID-19.ALSO READ | Pfizer to sell 10 million COVID-19 pills to US for $5.29 billionALSO READ | US clears Merck Covid-19 pill, second to get approval of the regulator after Pfizer   /* .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_3845197460 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/06/0_fvpunthn/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_fvpunthn_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "UK Approves Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine For Children Between 12 To 15-Year-Olds", "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": "209", "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_3845197460 = ''; jwsetup_3845197460(); function jwsetup_3845197460() { jwvidplayer_3845197460 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_3845197460").setup(jwconfig_3845197460); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_3845197460, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_fvpunthn\", ns_st_pr=\"UK Approves Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine For Children Between 12 To 15-Year-Olds\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"UK Approves Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine For Children Between 12 To 15-Year-Olds\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"UK Approves Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Vaccine For Children Between 12 To 15-Year-Olds\", ns_st_ce=\"0\", ns_st_ia=\"0\", ns_st_ddt=\"2021-06-05\", ns_st_tdt=\"2021-06-05\", ns_st_pu=\"IndiaTV News\", ns_st_cu=\"https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/06/0_fvpunthn/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_3845197460.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_3845197460.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_3845197460.stop(); jwvidplayer_3845197460.remove(); jwvidplayer_3845197460 = ''; jwsetup_3845197460(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_3845197460.stop(); jwvidplayer_3845197460.remove(); jwvidplayer_3845197460 = ''; jwsetup_3845197460(); return; }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_3845197460.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }

New easy-to-use Covid-19 pills come with a catch. Here's how

The pills are expected to be effective against omicron because they don't target the spike protein where most of the variant's worrisome mutations reside. The two pills work in different ways to prevent the virus from reproducing.

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Representational imageSri Lanka's Parliament would meet again on Friday, amidst a power struggle set off by President Maithripapala Sirisena's controversial move to sack prime minister Ranil Wickeremesinghe and appoint Mahinda Rajapaksa in his place.The first business on Friday would be to appoint a select committee comprising representatives from all political parties to conduct parliamentary affairs.Both Wickremesinghe and Rajapaksa claim to be the prime ministers. Wickremesinghe says his dismissal is invalid because he still holds a majority in the 225-member Parliament."We should have the majority in the committee with ex-officio members," said Mahinda Smarasinghe, a minister.Rajitha Senaratne, a former minister, said that since ousted prime minister Wickremesinghe's United National Front (UNF) coalition had the majority they should have the most number of representatives.So far President Sirisena's United People's Freedom (UNF) has nominated seven members to the 15-member committee. The Marxist JVP and the main Tamil minority party, TNA have made two nominees each.The committee composition assumes significance due to Speaker Karu Jayasuriya's refusal to recognise the government of Rajapaksa until it proved its majority. Sirisena's party accuses the speaker of being bias towards his political party, the UNP.Last week, Sri Lanka's Parliament witnessed unprecedented violence as lawmakers threw furniture and chilli powder at each other.Sri Lanka is witnessing a political crisis since President Sirisena abruptly sacked Ranil Wickremesinghe on October 26.Sirisena later dissolved Parliament, almost 20 months before its term was to end, and ordered snap election. The Supreme Court overturned Sirisena's decision to dissolve Parliament and halted the preparations for snap polls.Speaker Jayasuriya then ordered a floor test in the 225-member assembly to end the ongoing political crisis, a move which invited the wrath of the government of Rajapaksa.The UNP has already moved two motions of no trust against Rajapaksa and they are to move a third vote again, perhaps Friday. Rajapaksa, however, has refused to step down.On Wednesday, Wickremesinghe's UNP handed Parliament another motion demanding suspension of funds of all ministry secretaries whom they claim had been illegally appointed since October 26.

Sri Lanka Political Crisis: Parliament to meet again on Friday

The first business on Friday would be to appoint a select committee comprising representatives from all political parties to conduct parliamentary affairs.

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Italy govt tries to shore up key economic sectorsThe total death toll due to novel coronavirus has claimed more than 31,300 lives. As of today, Italy's death toll stood at 31,368, bringing the total number of cases, including fatalities and recoveries, so far to 223,096, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department. The number of recoveries rose to 115,288, an increase of 2,747 compared to Wednesday. Nationwide, the number of active infections fell by 2,017 to 76,440, according to the Civil Protection Department, Xinhua news agency reported on Thursday.Of those who tested positive for the coronavirus, 855 are being treated in intensive care, a decrease of 38 compared to Wednesday, and 11,453 people are hospitalized with symptoms, a decrease of 719 over the past 24 hours.The remaining 64,132 people -- or 84 per cent of those who have tested positive -- are in isolation at home without or with only mild symptoms.The Lombardy region whose capital is Milan still had the lion's share of cases (29,956), followed by its neighbours Piedmont (11,891), Emilia-Romagna (6,301) and the Veneto region whose capital is Venice (4,718).In the rest of Italy's 20 regions, case totals ranged from 4,096 in the central Lazio region where Rome is located, to 80 cases in the northern Valle d'Aosta region in the Alps.At a press conference broadcast on Facebook earlier in the day, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Minister Dario Franceschini said that the government's brand-new, 55-billion-euro (almost US $60 billion) Recovery Decree contains 4 billion euros for the tourism industry and 1 billion euros for the cultural sector.The measures include hefty tax, rent and mortgage exemptions for hotels, restaurants, tour operators, travel agencies, seaside establishments, and cultural institutions -- such as theaters and cinemas -- which have lost or stand to lose significant chunks of their revenue due to the pandemic."This proves there is an awareness of the strategic importance of these two sectors in our country," Franceschini said.The biggest package is a 2.4-billion-euro "holiday bonus", allocating 500 euros to families with income of up to 40,000 euros a year for stays in Italian agri-tourism facilities, bed and breakfasts, camp grounds, hotels, and village resorts between July 1 and December 31 this year."This will mean helping families but also injecting liquidity into the reception facilities," the minister said.In addition, Franceschini said his ministry is setting up a 150-million-euro tourism fund to protect the sector from being snapped up by foreign investors."The culture sector has been dramatically impacted -- museums have not seen a single euro of revenue," Franceschini noted as he introduced a 210-million-euro emergency fund for private-sector cultural enterprises and a 100-million-euro fund to partially cover the lost revenues of Italy's 400 state museums."These measures will allow them to cross this desert," Franceschini said.There are also a strategic 100-million-euro fund open to "private entities that want to invest in culture in our country," and 245 million euros to support Italy's film industry.Lastly, said Franceschini, the city of Parma, which is Italian capital of culture "in this unfortunate year 2020" will remain capital of culture in 2021.Italy's museums are set to reopen on May 18.Also on Thursday, Italy's national institute of statistics ISTAT said the pandemic has caused exports and imports to contract by 16.8 per cent in March compared to the previous month."On a yearly basis, the drastic fall of sales on foreign markets of machinery, motor vehicles and leather goods makes up more than half of the drop in exports," ISTAT analysts wrote. "Reduced purchases of motor vehicles, metals, oil, and natural gas make up about 9 percentage points of the drop in imports on an annual basis."The strong contraction of exports on a monthly basis is due to a significant decrease in sales to non-European Union (EU) markets (-18.5 per cent) and to the EU (-15.2 per cent).Exports were down by 4.1 per cent and imports were down by 5.1 per cent in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the preceding quarter. Due to fewer sales to both non-EU (-14.7 per cent) and EU countries (-12.2 per cent), exports plunged 13.5 per cent in March compared to the same period in 2019.The sectors that bucked the trend on a yearly basis in terms of exports were pharmaceuticals (+32.5 per cent) and food, beverages and tobacco (+13.5 per cent).On a yearly basis, the countries that contributed the most to the decrease in Italy's exports were the UK and the OPEC countries, both down 24.3 per cent.Imports also decreased "drastically" year-on-year (-18.1 per cent) in terms of purchases from non-EU countries (-21.7 per cent) as well as EU countries (-15.5 per cent).(With Inputs from IANS)ALSO READ | 102 New York kids diagnosed with rare syndrome possibly linked to COVID-19ALSO READ | North Korea spent estimated $620 million on nuclear weapons in 2019

Italy govt tries to shore up key economic sectors

The total death toll due to novel coronavirus has claimed more than 31,300 lives. As of today, Italy's death toll stood at 31,368, bringing the total number of cases, including fatalities and recoveries, so far to 223,096, according to the latest data released by the country's Civil Protection Department.

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South Korea confirms 100 more COVID-19 cases, 204 overall(Representative image)South Korea on Friday confirmed 100 more cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), raising the total number of infections to 204. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said that of the total patients, 153 were residents in Daegu, about 300 km southeast of the capital Seoul, and its surrounding North Gyeongsang province, reports Xinhua news agency.A total of 144 cases were linked to church services in Daegu. The patients attended the same services. The number of COVID-19 infections rose sharply in just three days, after 20 new cases were reported on Wednesday and 53 more cases reported on Thursday.Since Januray 3, the country has tested more than 16,000 people, among whom 13,016 tested negative for the COVID-19 virus and 3,180 were being checked. Seventeen patients were discharged from quarantine after making full recoveries.Also on Friday, authorities declared Daegu and Cheongdo "special care zones" following the sudden spike. On Thursday, South Korea announced the first COVID-19 death in the country after the virus was detected in a man who died the previous day from pneumonia at a hospital in Cheongdo, where other patients were also infected, reports Efe news.ALSO READ | Now, passengers from Japan, South Korea will also be screened for Coronavirus in India ALSO READ | South Korea reports first death from coronavirus; 2.5 million residents of southern city in lockdown

South Korea confirms 100 more COVID-19 cases, 204 overall

South Korea on Friday confirmed 100 more cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), raising the total number of infections to 204.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “solemnly swore” to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meetingNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un “solemnly swore” to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meeting, acknowledging food shortages and urging officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the U.S.North Korea’s state media released Kim’s comments shortly before President Joe Biden’s special representative for North Korea, Sung Kim, arrived in South Korea on Saturday for talks over stalled nuclear diplomacy with the North.Kim Jong Un had presided over a four-day plenary meeting of the ruling Workers’ Party’s Central Committee, which he summoned to discuss efforts to salvage a dismal economy, hurt by years of mismanagement and U.S.-led sanctions that were made worse by pandemic border closures.As he closed the meetings on Friday, Kim “solemnly swore” on behalf of the Central Committee that the party “will surely break through head-on the difficulties lying in the way of the revolution,” the Korean Central News Agency reported.Kim earlier ordered his government to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation with the United States, which has been urging the North to abandon its nuclear weapons ambitions and return to talks.Kim has threatened to bolster his nuclear deterrent and says the fate of diplomacy and bilateral relations depends on whether Washington abandons what he calls hostile policies.Kim opened the Central Committee plenary on Tuesday by warning of potential food shortages, urging officials to find ways to boost agricultural production because the situation “is now getting tense.” He said the country should brace for extended COVID-19 restrictions, suggesting it would extend border closures and other steps despite the stress on its economy.The economic setbacks have left Kim with nothing to show for his ambitious summitry with former President Donald Trump, which derailed over disagreements in exchanging the lifting of sanctions with the North’s denuclearization steps.U.S. officials have suggested President Joe Biden would adopt a middle ground policy between his predecessors — Trump’s direct dealings with Kim and Barack Obama’s “strategic patience.” But some experts say Washington won’t likely provide the North with meaningful sanctions relief unless it takes concrete denuclearization steps first.During his stay in South Korea, Sung Kim will meet with South Korean senior diplomats and participate in a trilateral meeting that includes Japanese nuclear envoy Takehiro Funakoshi on Monday. His travel emphasizes the importance of three-way cooperation in working toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. State Department said.Also Read: Israel strikes Gaza after Hamas fires incendiary balloonsAlso Read: Indian-origin Justice becomes first person of colour to be nominated to Supreme Court of Canada

North Korean leader swears to overcome economic hardships

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un “solemnly swore” to navigate his country out of deepening economic troubles as he concluded a major ruling party meeting.

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In worst case scenario, 200,000 Americans could die from COVID19: White HouseSending out a dire warning, the White House on Sunday projected America's peak death toll from the coronavirus is likely in two weeks coinciding with Easter weekend and in a worst case scenario, a total of 100,000 to 200,000 Americans could eventually succumb to the virus."It's possible. It's entirely possible that would happen if we don't mitigate. What we're trying to do is to not let that happen," America's top infectious diseases doctor, Anthony Fauci said at a White House briefing in the Rose Garden on Sunday.Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus response co-ordinator, explained that the model which is predicting the 100,000-200,000 death toll number assumes that social distancing is happening at scale."In the model, there's a large confidence interval. In that model, they make full assumption that we continue doing everything that we are doing and even better. We are hoping that the models aren't completely right," Birx said.At the same time, Fauci urged Americans not to get "overly anxious" about the extremes of the models. "Models are as good as the assumptions you put into it," Fauci said.US president Donald Trump said that the grim numbers come from the "most accurate" study so far which landed on his desk Sunday.Trump said, "2.2 million people would have died if we did not do the social distancing and all that. If we could hold that down to a 100,000 - it's a horrible number - we've done a very good job."Trump announced that the US is extending the social distancing guidelines currently in place till April 30.Seeking to reassure Americans, Trump said, "By June 1, we will be well on our way to recovery."By Sunday, the US death toll crossed the 2,300 mark and its caseload, already the world's maximum, rose to more than 135,000.By now, at least 1 in three Americans are under some form of government order to stay home and slow the spread of the virus. Schools have shut, businesses are operating with bare minimum staff and America's neighbourhoods are enveloped in an otherworldly kind of silence.The initial '15 days to slow the spread' guidelines issued by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were announced on March 16. The guidelines are voluntary and many states which have emerged as COVID-19 hotspots have implemented stricter rules for locals.Last week, Trump had talked up the "reopening" of the US economy by Easter Sunday which falls on April 12. Medical professionals reacted with alarm, warning that this timeline would be too soon.Trump backtracked this weekend on a threat to quarantine New York and neighbouring states while the CDC issued a travel advisory urging residents of New York City, New York State, New Jersey and Connecticut to avoid all nonessential travel for 14 days.In New York, which remains the epicenter of the outbreak, Governor Andrew Cuomo is saying that virus is spreading "like fire through dry grass". The White House task force has already warned that the effects of mitigation efforts and social distancing won't be seen at least until the end of the coming week.As Americans hunker down, Fauci has struck a cautiously upbeat tone saying he feels "confident" with all the knowledge now available on the virus. "We will have some sort of therapy, that gives at least a partial if not a very good protection in preventing progression of disease," he said this week. Randomised control trials are how the US is planning to get the best drug as quickly and safely as possible to the people.As the White House task force gets more data from domestic cases, Birx noted that "we're seeing things here that weren't reported from other places."

In worst case scenario, 200,000 Americans could die from COVID19: White House

Sending out a dire warning, the White House on Sunday projected America's peak death toll from the coronavirus is likely in two weeks coinciding with Easter weekend and in a worst case scenario, a total of 100,000 to 200,000 Americans could eventually succumb to the virus.

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Boris Johnson on course for landslide win to become UK PMFormer British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson will win three quarters of the votes in a ballot to choose the UK's next Prime Minister, according to a new opinion poll published by the Times newspaper.The poll result came on Saturday as ballot papers started to arrive at the homes of 160,000 members of the ruling Conservative Party, reports Xinhua news agency.Johnson is going head-to-head with incumbent Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt in the race to succeed outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party. The winner will automatically move into 10 Downing Street as Prime Minister. In the YouGov/Times poll, Johnson is backed by 74 per cent of party members and Hunt 26 per cent.In an interview with the Times, Hunt has called on members to hold off filling in their voting papers until they watch two televised debates next week between the two candidates."The big message I want to give to Conservative Party members is wait to see me and Boris in action on the TV debates. Try before you buy," he said.The Times, in its commentary, says the scale of Hunt's task in turning around the contest is laid bare by their latest survey which indicates that most members of the Conservative Party do not believe Hunt's claim that he is prepared to take Britain out of the European Union (EU) without a deal.Although 90 per cent believe that Johnson will force through a no-deal Brexit, only 27 per cent think that Hunt would, the poll showed.There had been fears Johnson's campaign would be hit by widespread media coverage of a domestic row he had with his girlfriend hours after winning a place in the leadership contest.But the new survey found an overwhelming majority, 77 per cent, think that Johnson's private life is not relevant to whether he would make a good Prime Minister."That finding helps to explain why he has retained a commanding lead despite media coverage of the row," said the Times. Conservative members have until July 22 to post their ballot papers, with the result declared July 23.May will then head to Buckingham Palace to inform Queen Elizabeth II of her resignation as Prime Minister, leaving Downing Street on the same day. Watch this video : PM Modi meets British Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street in London /* .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_7526777716 = { "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_7526777716 = ''; jwsetup_7526777716(); function jwsetup_7526777716() { jwvidplayer_7526777716 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_7526777716").setup(jwconfig_7526777716); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_7526777716, { 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_7526777716.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_7526777716.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_7526777716.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_7526777716.stop(); jwvidplayer_7526777716.remove(); jwvidplayer_7526777716 = ''; jwsetup_7526777716(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_7526777716.stop(); jwvidplayer_7526777716.remove(); jwvidplayer_7526777716 = ''; jwsetup_7526777716(); return; }); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_7526777716.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); } ALSO READ |  Boris Johnson tops first round of poll for British PM  

Boris Johnson on course for landslide win to become UK PM

The poll result came on Saturday as ballot papers started to arrive at the homes of 160,000 members of the ruling Conservative Party.

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Trump's position unshakeable in Senate trial after impeachment"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters," US President Donald Trump had boasted during his campaign for the presidency. That is the test for him in the Senate when he is tried, though only on the less dramatic charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Even if he were to lose a vote or two among his party Senators in the Senate trial, he will still be tweeting from the White House when the trial is done.A supermajority of two-thirds, or 67 votes, will be needed in the 100-member Senate to convict and throw him out of the office and that will require 20 Republicans to cross over. A massive revolt on that scale among the 53 Republicans is unlikely.Trump held on to all the Republicans in the House of Representatives on the impeachment vote and even picked up three Democrat votes.But in the Senate, there are four shaky Republicans, who can vote against him with no consequence to their base and maybe even find Democrats backing them for re-election. Even if they defect, the calculus of voting still backs Trump.Democrats hold 45 Senate seats and the two independents vote with them; one of them, Bernie Sanders, is seeking the party's presidential nomination.Neither of the two impeached Presidents, Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Bill Clinton in 1998, were convicted by the Senate because of the supermajority requirement.There were only 35 votes to convict Johnson, one short of two-thirds in a smaller Senate of 57 members.Clinton did better with 45 votes to convict and 55 not to.Of the Republican fence-sitters, Mitt Romeny ran unsuccessfully against President Barack Obama in 2016 and has been personally insulted by Trump.Lisa Murkowski has been critical of Trump, but has a strong base of supporters in her state, Alaska.Two others, Cory Gardner from Colorado and Susan Collins from Maine, are from states where the Democratic Party is strong and could face challenges in their re-election if seen as too closely identified with Trump.On the Democratic side, three Senators from Republican-leaning states - Joe Manchin from West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona and Doug Jones from Alabama -- face a similar dilemma.Republican defections can, however, affect the way the trial is conducted.A simple majority of 51 votes is required for setting the rules of the trial, which will be presided over by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts.Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell's plans for running the trial could be jeopardised if four of his flock break ranks - and that is the only hitch on the horizon now.However, Democrat Speaker Nancy Pelosi has dropped a big question mark over the proceedings.She has said that she may delay sending to the Senate the Articles of Impeachment as the chargesheet voted by the House is called. The Senate can't start the trial without formally receiving them from her.She told reporters after the impeachment vote that the reason for a possible hold-up was her concern that there was nothing that "looks fair to us" to us in the Senate set up for the trial.McConnell has turned down Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer's demand to call former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and Trump's Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney to testify during the trial.Trump wants to hold a full trial with several witnesses including former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter, and the whistleblower who reported on Trump's call with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.The Bidens' dealings in Ukraine and Trump's request to Zelensky in the phone call to them set off the impeachment process.But McConnell is reported to want a simple, short trial and he and Trump will have to work out their strategy.In the end as the Republican leader in the House, Kevin McCarthy, declared: "Trump will be President today, will be President tomorrow, will be President after the impeachment."But voters will decide next November if he will be when his current term ends.(With IANS inputs)Also Read | Trump becomes third American president to be impeachedAlso Read | How impeachment forever changes Trump’s legacy​ /* .jw-reset-text, .jw-reset{line-height: 2em;}*/ .jw-time-tip .jw-time-chapter{display:none;} if ('' == comscore_jw_loaded || 'undefined' == comscore_jw_loaded || undefined == comscore_jw_loaded) { var comscore_jw_loaded = 1; 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Trump's position unshakeable in Senate trial after impeachment

Trump held on to all the Republicans in the House of Representatives on the impeachment vote and even picked up three Democrat votes. But in the Senate, there are four shaky Republicans, who can vote against him with no consequence to their base and maybe even find Democrats backing them for re-election. Even if they defect, the calculus of voting still backs Trump.

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US company to pay USD 345,000 to resolve H-1B violationsA New Jersey-based staffing company has agreed to pay USD 345,000 to settle allegations that it has violated immigration and employment regulations concerning continuous employment and wage requirements of workers it had brought to the US on H-1B visas. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. H-1B visas are the most sought-after among Indian IT professionals.The US Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Department of Labour and the US Attorney for the District of New Jersey ordered Savantis Solutions to pay USD 345,000 to resolve allegations against H-1B related violations.Savantis, formerly known as Vedicsoft Solutions, has a presence in India as well. The company is involved in consulting, technology and staffing, utilising primarily foreign nationals in the US pursuant to H-1B visas.A probe found that from January 2014 through June 2018 many of Savantis' H-1B workers were not paid the required wage in regular intervals at the required wage rate throughout their period of employment, the ICE said in a statement on Monday.The company also failed to properly pay many of its H-1B workers in conformance with their applications to the federal government and federal regulations, it said.Savantis improperly recruited H-1B workers by having them submit a security deposit prior to submitting their application, the statement said.The USD 345,365 in restitution will be used to pay back wages plus interest to employees and former employees of the company, it said.However, the statement did not mention how many employees were covered by this settlement and how many would receive the pending wages and interest."Savantis cooperated in the investigation of the matter and undertook compliance efforts in response. Pursuant to the agreement, the company is also required to hire an outside law firm to serve as a monitor to ensure ongoing and continued compliance with the relevant rules and regulations for the next three years," the statement said. 

US company to pay USD 345,000 to resolve H-1B violations

A New Jersey-based staffing company has agreed to pay USD 345,000 to settle allegations that it has violated immigration and employment regulations concerning continuous employment and wage requirements of workers it had brought to the US on H-1B visas.

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Canada snubs referendum for Khalistan planned by US-based separatist organisationCanadian government on Saturday said that it will not give recognition to a so-called 'referendum' for a separate Khalistan. A US-based separatist organisation wants to carry out this referendum to demand separate Khalistan. Spokesperson of Canadian Foreign Ministry clarified its stand to news agency ANI.The 'referendum' is scheduled to take place in November this year.Canadian Foreign Ministry said that it respected sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of India and that it would not recognise the referendum.This may be perceived as a diplomatic victory for India and proof that separatist anti-India activities are not finding support globally. Many anti-India elements have established themselves in Europe, North America and elsewhere. These group resort to lobyying and try to drum up anti-India sentiments through various tactics such as propaganda, fake news etc. However, latest statement from Canada is evident of the fact that efforts of such elements are not bearing fruit"I don't call it a referendum because referendum only happens within the geographical limits of any country. Sitting here, we can't do a referendum on the sovereignty of the USA, United Kingdom or any other country. That is not correct," said Punjab DGP (Retd.) Ravi Kant. He was quoted by ANI."Again, the point is the statement by the Canadian government that they will not recognise the `Referendum 2020' by a US-based organisation. This is a big victory for the Government of India's foreign policy which shows that it's paying dividends. The other countries are very much respecting India's sovereignty," he added.It's worth noting that Canada has large number of citizens who speak Punjabi. The language is also one of official languages of Canadian Parliament.

Canada snubs referendum for Khalistan planned by US-based separatist organisation

Canadian government on Saturday said that it will not give recognition to a so-called 'referendum' for a separate Khalistan. A US-based separatist organisation wants to carry out this referendum to demand separate Khalistan.

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Iraqi police and hospital officials say a bombing in southeast Baghdad has killed 11 people.The officials say the attack late on Monday night targeted a popular shopping district and left also 26 civilians injured.All officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.No group claimed responsibility for the attack which comes as Iraqi forces are conducting the last military operations against the Islamic State group in the country.IS has repeatedly claimed responsibility for insurgent-style attacks in Iraq as the extremists have slowly lost territory across the country over the past three years.Last week Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Iraq is poised to declare victory against IS after the group is driven out of the western desert near the Syrian border.

Suicide bombers kill at least 11, injure over 25 at Baghdad market, say police

No group claimed responsibility for the attack which comes as Iraqi forces are conducting the last military operations against the Islamic State group in the country.

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US President Donald TrumpUS President Donald Trump has said that the tariffs imposed by his administration were taking a toll on China's economy, causing the Asian giant's growth rate to slow."China's 2nd Quarter growth is the slowest it has been in more than 27 years. The US tariffs are having a major effect on companies wanting to leave China for non-tariffed countries," Efe news quoted the US President as saying on Twitter on Monday.Trump said the tariffs were not only influencing corporations' decisions on where to set up operations, but also putting pressure on Beijing to reach a trade agreement with Washington."Thousands of companies are leaving. This is why China wants to make a deal with the U.S. and wishes it had not broken the original deal in the first place," Trump said.The US leader touted the revenue generated by the tariffs imposed on imported Chinese goods."In the meantime, we are receiving billions of dollars in tariffs from China, with possibly much more to come. These tariffs are paid for by China devaluing & pumping, not by the U.S. taxpayer!" Trump tweeted.The US President's views on tariffs run counter to those of economists, who argue that the trade levies are, in effect, a tax on consumers because they result in higher prices.The Trump administration, for its part, contends that tariffs can be used as an effective policy tool.Trump's tweets were posted hours after the Chinese government said the gross domestic product (GDP) grew 6.3 per cent in the first half of 2019, or 0.50 percentage points less than in the same period last year.The National Bureau of Statistics said Monday that the GDP grew only 6.2 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter, marking the weakest performance in 27 years and confirming analysts' predictions that the ongoing trade war with the US would cause a slump in domestic demand.China's GDP grew by 6.4 per cent in the first quarter.In late June, Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Japan and agreed to a truce in the trade war, with Washington holding off on imposing new tariffs on China and allowing US companies to sell products to tech giant Huawei.The two leaders agreed during their meeting in Osaka to resume trade negotiations amid Washington's decision to not slap tariffs on all Chinese imports.In May, Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on Chinese imports worth $200 billion in response to the lack of progress in reaching a trade deal with Beijing.China, for its part, retaliated by slapping tariffs on US imports worth $60 billion.Trump later threatened to impose tariffs ranging from 10 per cent to 25 per cent on another $325 billion of Chinese imports, causing concern in financial markets and the business community due to the possible effect on consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of US economic activity.While additional tariffs are off the table, for now, the US will maintain the tariffs imposed on a total of $250 billion in Chinese goods, while Beijing will continue to slap tariffs on US imports totalling $110 billion.In 2018, the US posted a trade deficit of $419 billion with China due, largely, to the fact that US exports to Asia's largest economy totalled just $120 billion, while American imports from China reached $540 billion.ALSO READ | Facebook, Twitter not invited for Trump's social media summit: ReportALSO READ | Trump administration to continue Huawei 5G marketing banALSO READ | 250 migrant children in Texas moved from 'horrific cells' after outcry

US tariffs on China having major effect: Trump

Trump said the tariffs were not only influencing corporations' decisions on where to set up operations, but also putting pressure on Beijing to reach a trade agreement with Washington.

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Hurricane Florence’s uncertain track sows fearHurricane Florence put a corridor of more than 10 million people in the crosshairs Wednesday as the monster storm closed in on the Carolinas, uncertainty over its projected path spreading worry across a widening swath of the Southeast.Faced with new forecasts that showed a more southerly threat, Georgia’s governor joined his counterparts in Virginia and North and South Carolina in declaring a state of emergency, and some residents who had thought they were safely out of range boarded up their homes.The National Hurricane Center’s best guess was that Florence would blow ashore as early as Friday afternoon around the North Carolina-South Carolina line, then push its rainy way westward with a potential for catastrophic inland flooding.Florence’s nighttime winds were down to 110 mph (175 kph) from a high of 140 mph (225 kph), and the Category 3 storm fell to a Category 2, with a further slow weakening expected as the storm nears the coast. But authorities warned it will still be an extremely dangerous hurricane.“Do you want to get hit with a train or do you want to get hit with a cement truck?” said Jeff Byard, an administrator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Tropical storm-force winds extended 195 miles (315 kilometers) from Florence’s center, and hurricane-force winds reached out 70 miles (110 kilometers).The National Weather Service said 5.25 million people live in areas under hurricane warnings or watches, and 4.9 million live in places covered by tropical storm warnings or watches.At the White House, President Donald Trump both touted the government’s readiness and urged people to get out of the way of Florence. “Don’t play games with it. It’s a big one,” he said.As of 11 p.m., the storm was centered 280 miles (455 kilometers) southeast of Wilmington, North Carolina, moving northwest at 17 mph (28 kph). The hurricane center said Florence will approach the coast Friday and linger for a while before rolling ashore.As of Tuesday, more than 1.7 million people in the Carolinas and Virginia were warned to clear out. Airlines had canceled nearly 1,000 flights and counting. Home Depot and Lowe’s activated emergency response centers to get generators, trash bags and bottled water to stores before and after the storm. The two hardware chains said they sent in a total of around 1,100 trucks.Duke Energy, the nation’s No. 2 power company, said Florence could knock out electricity to three-quarters of its 4 million customers in the Carolinas, and outages could last for weeks. Workers are being brought in from the Midwest and Florida to help in the storm’s aftermath, it said.Boarding up his home in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Chris Pennington watched the forecasts and tried to decide when to leave.“In 12 or 18 hours, they may be saying different things all over again,” he said.Computer models of exactly what the storm might do varied, adding to the uncertainty. In contrast to the hurricane center’s official projection, a highly regarded European model had the storm turning southward off the North Carolina coast and coming ashore near the Georgia-South Carolina line.Reacting to the possibility of a more southerly track, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared an emergency but did not immediately order any evacuations.“I ask all Georgians to join me in praying for the safety of our people and all those in the path of Hurricane Florence,” Deal said.The shift in the projected track spread concern to areas that once thought they were relatively safe. In South Carolina, close to the Georgia line, Beaufort County emergency chief Neil Baxley told residents they need to prepare again for the worst just in case.“We’ve had our lessons. Now it might be time for the exam,” he said.In Virginia, where about 245,000 residents were ordered to evacuate low-lying areas, officials urged people to remain away from home despite forecast changes showing Florence’s path largely missing the state.Their entire neighborhood evacuated in Wilmington, North Carolina, David and Janelle Garrigus planned to ride out Florence at their daughter’s one-bedroom apartment in Charlotte. Unsure of what they might find when they return home, the couple went shopping for a recreational vehicle.“We’re just trying to plan for the future here, not having a house for an extended period of time,” David Garrigus said.Melody Rawson evacuated her first-floor apartment in Myrtle Beach and arrived at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia, to camp for free with three other adults, her disabled son, two dogs and a pet bird.“We hope to have something left when we get home,” she said.Forecasters worried the storm’s damage will be all the worse if it lingers on the coast. The trend is “exceptionally bad news,” said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy, since it “smears a landfall out over hundreds of miles of coastline, most notably the storm surge.”With South Carolina’s beach towns more in the bull’s-eye because of the shifting forecast, Ohio vacationers Chris and Nicole Roland put off their departure from North Myrtle Beach to get the maximum amount of time on the sand. Most other beachgoers were long gone.“It’s been really nice,” Nicole Roland said. “Also, a little creepy. You feel like you should have already left.”

Hurricane Florence’s uncertain track sows fear; 10 million in crosshairs

Faced with new forecasts that showed a more southerly threat, Georgia’s governor joined his counterparts in Virginia and North and South Carolina in declaring a state of emergency, and some residents who had thought they were safely out of range boarded up their homes.

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North Korea confirms 2nd test of multiple rocket launcher North Korea said Wednesday leader Kim Jong Un observed the test-launch of a super-large multiple rocket launcher, the latest in a series of weapons tests performed amid stalled diplomacy over the North’s nuclear program.Tuesday’s rocket launcher test was made hours after North Korea said it was willing to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States in late September. While offering talks, North Korea still warned its dealings with the U.S. may end if Washington fails to come to the negotiating table without new acceptable proposals.Some experts said North Korea aims to wrest concessions from the United States once their diplomacy resumes.The North’s Korean Central News Agency said Kim, accompanied by top military and ruling Workers’ Party officials, supervised the two rounds of test-firings at an unidentified place on Tuesday.It was the second known test of a super-large multiple rocket launcher that North Korea says is needed to cope with outside military threats. The first test of the weapon occurred on Aug. 24.Tuesday’s test fulfilled its purpose and allowed authorities to decide “the next-stage orientation to complete the weapon system,” KCNA said. It quoted Kim as saying what remains to be done is “running fire test.”Tuesday’s weapons test was the eighth round of launches by North Korea since late July. Other weapons tested include at least three other newly developed short-range missile and rocket artillery systems that experts say would potentially expand its capabilities to strike targets throughout South Korea. South Korea’s military said the two North Korean projectiles fired Tuesday flew about 330 kilometers (205 miles) in the direction of the waters off the North’s east coast.U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at stripping North Korea of nuclear weapons collapsed after the second summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in Vietnam in February ended without any agreement due to disputes over U.S.-led sanctions on the North. Kim and Trump met again at a Korean border village in late June and agreed to resume talks.The North Korean weapons tested in the past weeks were all short-range, and the country is still keeping its promise not to carry out nuclear and long-range missile tests. This suggests North Korea is trying to maintain the momentum for dialogue with the United States, experts say.ALSO READ | Expectations for talks with US disappearing: N.KoreaALSO READ | South Korea says North Korea has fired more projectiles into seaALSO READ | North Korea fires two more missiles, says South Korea

North Korea confirms 2nd test of multiple rocket launcher

Tuesday’s rocket launcher test was made hours after North Korea said it was willing to resume nuclear negotiations with the United States in late September.

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Pedestrians walk past Pfizer world headquarters in New York. Pfizer announced Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, more results in its ongoing coronavirus vaccine study that suggest the shots are 95% effective a month after the first dose. Pfizer on Friday said it is asking U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and eventually an end to the pandemic -- but not until after a long, hard winter.The action comes days after Pfizer Inc. and its German partner BioNTech announced that its vaccine appears 95% effective at preventing mild to severe COVID-19 disease in a large, ongoing study.The companies said that protection plus a good safety record means the vaccine should qualify for emergency use authorization, something the Food and Drug Administration can grant before the final testing is fully complete. In addition to Friday’s FDA submission, they have already started “rolling” applications in Europe and the U.K. and intend to submit similar information soon.ALSO READ | Pfizer says COVID-19 vaccine 95% effective, to seek emergency-use authorization“Our work to deliver a safe and effective vaccine has never been more urgent,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.With the coronavirus surging around the U.S. and the world, the pressure is on for regulators to make a speedy decision.“Help is on the way,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert said on the eve of Pfizer’s announcement, adding that it’s too early to abandon masks and other protective measures. “We need to actually double down on the public health measures as we’re waiting for that help to come.”Friday’s filing would set off a chain of events as the FDA and its independent advisers debate if the shots are ready. If so, still another government group will have to decide how the initial limited supplies are rationed out to anxiously awaiting Americans.How much vaccine is available and when is a moving target, but initial supplies will be scarce and rationed. About 25 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine may become available in December, 30 million in January and 35 million more in February and March, according to information presented to the National Academy of Medicine this week. Recipients will need two doses, three weeks apart.Not far behind is competitor Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine. Its early data suggests the shots are as strong as Pfizer’s, and that company expects to also seek emergency authorization within weeks.Making the data publicThe public’s first chance to see how strong the evidence really is will come in early December at a public meeting of the FDA’s scientific advisers.So far, what’s known is based only on statements from Pfizer and BioNTech. Of 170 infections detected to date, only eight were among people who’d received the actual vaccine and the rest had gotten a dummy shot. On the safety side, the companies cites results from 38,000 study participants who’ve been tracked for two months after their second dose. That’s a milestone FDA set because historically, vaccine side effects don’t crop up later than that.“We’ll drill down on these data,” said FDA adviser Dr. Paul Offit of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.ALSO READ | US aims to distribute Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine from DecemberThink of it like science on trial. A few days before the meeting, the FDA will release its own internal analysis. That sets the stage for the advisers’ daylong debate about any signs of safety concerns and how the new vaccine technology works before rendering a verdict.They’ll recommend not just whether FDA should allow broader use of the vaccine generally but if so, for whom. For example, is there enough proof the vaccine works as well for older, sicker adults as for younger, healthier people?There’s still no guarantee. “We don’t know what that vote’s going to be,” said former FDA vaccine chief Norman Baylor.Emergency use isn't the same as full approvalIf there’s an emergency green light, “that vaccine is still deemed investigational. It’s not approved yet,” Dr. Marion Gruber, chief of FDA’s vaccine office, told the National Academy of Medicine this week.That means anyone offered an emergency vaccination must get a “fact sheet” describing potential benefits and risks before going through with the shot, she said.There will be a lot of unknowns. For example, the 95% protection rate is based on people who developed symptoms and then were tested for the virus. Can the vaccinated get infected but have no symptoms, able to spread the virus? How long does protection last?That’s why the 44,000-person study needs to keep running -- something difficult considering ethically, participants given dummy shots at some point must be offered real vaccine, complicating the search for answers.ALSO READ | Pfizer, BioNTech vaccine deliveries could start 'before Christmas'And at least for now, pregnant women won’t qualify because they weren’t studied. Pfizer only recently began testing the vaccine in children as young as 12.A decision on Pfizer’s vaccine won’t affect other COVID-19 vaccine candidates in the pipeline, which will be judged separately.Manufacturing Brewing vaccine is more complex than typical drug manufacturing, yet the millionth dose to roll out of Pfizer’s Kalamazoo, Michigan, factory must be the same purity and potency as every dose before and after.That means the FDA decision isn’t just based on study data, but on its determination that the vaccine is being made correctly.The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine -- and Moderna’s shots -- are made with brand-new technology. They don’t contain the actual coronavirus. Instead, they’re made with a piece of genetic code for the “spike” protein that studs the virus.That messenger RNA, or mRNA, instructs the body to make some harmless spike protein, training immune cells to recognize it if the real virus eventually comes along.Getting into people's arms Another government group -- advisers to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- decides who is first in line for scarce doses. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said he hopes that decision can be made at the same time as FDA’s.The Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed has worked with states to line up how many doses they’d need to cover the populations offered vaccine first.Pfizer will ship those supplies as ordered by the states -- only after FDA gives the OK.Company projections of how much it will ship each month are just predictions, Baylor warned.“It’s not like a pizza,” he said. Manufacturing is so complex that “you don’t necessarily end up with what you thought.”

Pfizer seeking emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine in US

Pfizer said Friday it is asking U.S. regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, starting the clock on a process that could bring limited first shots as early as next month and eventually an end to the pandemic -- but not until after a long, hard winter.

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COVID-19: Philippines lifts quarantine for fully vaccinated international travelersThe Philippines has lifted the quarantine requirement for fully vaccinated international travellers arriving more than 40 countries and regions with a low Covid-19 infection rate, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Friday.Roque said the new rule applying to travellers from the countries and regions included in a green list will take effect from Saturday until October 31, reports Xinhua news agency.For fully vaccinated foreign nationals, Roque said a negative RT-PCR swab test will be required to be taken within 72 hours before departure.Upon arrival, the traveller will no longer need to stay in a quarantine facility, but the passenger is urged to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day, he said.For unvaccinated, partially vaccinated, and individuals whose vaccination status cannot be independently verified, and those vaccinated but failed to comply with the test-before-travel requirements, Roque said they need to be isolated in a quarantine facility until the release of a negative RT-PCR test taken on the fifth day.Foreign tourists are still barred from entering the Philippines as part of the border measures when the government imposed lockdown restrictions in March 2020.Only those foreigners granted special visas, including diplomats, were allowed to enter.ALSO READ | Bali reopens to foreign travelers as COVID-19 surge subsides  

COVID-19: Philippines lifts quarantine for fully vaccinated international travelers

Upon arrival, the traveler will no longer need to stay in a quarantine facility, but the passenger is urged to self-monitor for any symptoms until the 14th day, officials said.

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Republican senator John CornynA top US senator on Wednesday said that India was one of the most important strategic partners of the United States. A day after his meeting with the new Indian Envoy to the US, Harsh V Shringla, Republican senator John Cornyn said that the two countries can continue to work together toward advancing common interests on issues like trade and global security. Related Stories Sikh separatists protest in front of Indian Embassy in US, raise 'Khalistan Zindabad' sloganUS President Donald Trump to deliver State of the Union address on Feb 5US: 5 officers injured, 2 suspects killed in Houston shooting Mark Warner from the Democratic Party and Republican senator John Cornyn met the new Indian Envoy to the US, Harsh V Shringla, at the US Capitol. “India remains one of our most important strategic partners,” Cornyn said in a statement on Tuesday, a day after the meeting.Warner and Cornyn are co-chairs of the powerful India Caucus, the only country-specific caucus in the Senate.“I’m glad Senator Warner and I were able to meet with the Ambassador to welcome him to his post and discuss ways in which our two countries can continue to work together toward advancing our common interests on issues like trade and global security,” he said.During the meeting, the senators discussed how to further strengthen the partnership between the two countries.“I appreciate the opportunity to meet Ambassador Shringla to talk about the issues bridging our nations, especially since Virginia is home to one of the largest populations of Indian Americans,” said Warner, who is vice chairman of the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence."The US and India have many shared economic and strategic interests, so I look forward to working with the Ambassador on these matters,” the Virginia senator added. Issues discussed in the meeting included areas of opportunity to deepen the strategic partnership, increasing international exchange programs between the two counties, and the implications of India’s decision to require all payment system providers to store their data exclusively in India. Shringla had presented his credentials to President Donald Trump at the White House on January 12.(With PTI inputs)

India one of most important strategic partners: Top US Senator

A day after his meeting with the new Indian Envoy to the US, Harsh V Shringla, Republican senator John Cornyn said that the two countries can continue to work together toward advancing common interests on issues like trade and global security.

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Indian on Monday sought an immediate suspension of the death sentence awarded to alleged spy Kulbushan Jadhav in Pakistan saying there was a fear that he may be executed even before the decision of the international court."Jadhav has not got the right to get proper legal assistance and the right to consular access. There is an immediate threat to him to be executed even before a decision is passed" by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Deepak Mittal, Indian official, told the court in his opening remarksMittal termed the military court trial of Jadhav as "farcical".Mittal told ICJ President Ronny Abraham, who presided over the proceedings, that India's repeated requests to Pakistan on consular access to Jadhav were denied."India learnt from press reports that the death sentence was awarded to Jadhav on the basis of an alleged confession. Pakistan has not provided the chargesheet, any documents on the case despite repeated requests," Mittal told the court."It is clear that Jadhav has been denied of his right to seek legal counsel. Jadhav's parents have applied for visa to travel to Pakistan which has fallen on deaf ears."V.D. Sharma, a Joint Secretary in the External Affairs Ministry and co-agent, said Pakistan had failed to comply with all its legal obligations by denying consular access to Jadhav ever since he was arrested in March 2016.India is seeking relief in the form of immediate suspension of the death sentence. Jadhav has been accused of espionage by Pakistan.Sharma also urged the court to restrain Pakistan from "giving effect to the sentence awarded by the military court" and to direct it to annul its decision.The day-long hearing, which began on Monday morning, would involve two sessions of an hour-and-a-half each to India and Pakistan to make their cases.Pakistan's session will begin in the afternoon.

Fear Pakistan will execute Jadhav before UN order: India at ICJ

Indian on Monday sought an immediate suspension of the death sentence awarded to alleged spy Kulbushan Jadhav in Pakistan saying there was a fear that he may be executed even before the decision of the international court.

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Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri (SSN 780) departs Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled deployment in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility, Sept. 1, 2021.North Korea has criticized the U.S. decision to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia and warned of unspecified countermeasures if it finds the deal affects the North’s security.State media on Monday published comments from an unidentified North Korean Foreign Ministry official who called the arrangement between U.S., Britain and Australia an “extremely dangerous act” that would destroy the security balance in the Asia-Pacific and trigger a “chain reaction of arms races.”The official said the North was closely examining the deal and would proceed with corresponding actions if it has “even the smallest negative affect on our country’s safety.”U.S. President Joe Biden revealed last week a new alliance including Australia and Britain that would deliver an Australian fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines. Biden has stressed the vessels would be conventionally armed.The announcement triggered an angry reaction from France, which accused Australia of concealing its intentions to back out of a 90 billion Australian dollar ($66 billion) contract for French majority state-owned Naval Group to build 12 conventional diesel-electric submarines.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison blamed the switch on a deteriorating strategic environment in the Indo-Pacific, a clear reference to China’s massive military buildup that has gained pace in recent years.The North Korean official made an apparent reference to the French complaints, saying that the United States was being accused of back-stabbing even by its allies. The official said the North supports the views of China and other countries that the deal would destroy “regional peace and security and the international non-proliferation system and intensify arms races.”“The current situation shows once again that (our) efforts to bolster national defense capabilities based on long-term perspectives should not be eased by even a bit,” the official told the Korean Central News Agency.The North has suspended its testing of nuclear bombs and intercontinental-range ballistic missiles that could hit the U.S. mainland since 2018 when leader Kim Jong Un initiated diplomacy with former President Donald Trump while attempting to leverage his arsenal for badly needed sanctions relief.Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled since the collapse of a second Trump-Kim meeting in 2019, when the Americans rejected North Korean demands for major sanctions relief in exchange for dismantling an aging nuclear facility, which would have amounted to only a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities.While maintaining its self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and ICBM tests, the North has continued testing shorter range weapons threatening U.S. allies South Korea and Japan in an apparent effort to pressure the Biden administration over the stalled diplomacy.The North this month tested a new cruise missile it intends to eventually arm with nuclear warheads and demonstrated a new system for launching ballistic missiles from trains.

North Korea slams US over submarine deal, warns countermeasures

North Korea has continued testing shorter range weapons threatening U.S. allies South Korea and Japan in an apparent effort to pressure the Biden administration over the stalled diplomacy.

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Pakistan's media watchdog today warned TV news channels against airing fake news items picked up from social media, weeks after they carried false reports of the killing of Indian soldiers at the India-China border."Airing fake news on July 17, 2017 regarding the killing of Indian soldiers at India-China border is in violation of several clauses of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as Amendment by the PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007 and Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015," the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said in the notice.It also advised all satellite TV channels to adhere to the code of conduct and avoid airing fake news reports/items picked from social media in order to hold the basic professional standard and their credibility. In case of non-compliance, the matter shall be dealt strictly in accordance with PEMRA laws, it warned.The Pakistani TV news channels had on July 17 run fake news of the killing of at least 158 Indian soldiers at India-China border. Some Urdu language papers had also carried that news from their monitoring desk.India's External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Gopal Baglay termed as "utterly baseless, malicious and mischievous" the report about casualties of Indian soldiers.

Pak's media watchdog warns news channels against airing fake news

Pakistani news channels were today warned by media watchdog not to air fake news. The warning was issued following reports that 158 Indian soldiers were killed at India-China border.

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Facebook blocks 30 accounts for 'meddling' in US mid-termsSocial media-giant Facebook has blocked 30 accounts on its platform and 85 accounts on Instagram ahead of  US mid-term polls for allegedly meddleing the the election process. According to the company, the blocked accounts were suspected of engaging in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" from foreign entities into the US mid-term elections.Related Stories Russia will interfere in US mid-term elections: CIA chief Mike PompeoAt US senate hearing, Mark Zuckerberg says 'will ensure safe elections in India'Trump signs order for sanctions against countries that interfere with US elections Trump accuses China of meddling in US elections in retaliation to additional tariffs Officials at Facebook said that the US law enforcement contacted them about online activity that they recently discovered and which they believe may be linked to foreign entities. "We immediately blocked these accounts and are now investigating them," Facebook said in a blog post late Monday."Almost all the Facebook Pages associated with these accounts appear to be in the French or Russian languages, while the Instagram accounts seem to have mostly been in English -- some were focused on celebrities, others political debate," said Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Cybersecurity Policy at Facebook.American voters are set to cast their ballots on Tuesday in mid-term elections that will determine control of the US Congress and indicate how the country feels about Donald Trump's presidency."Typically, we would be further along with our analysis before announcing anything publicly."But given that we are only one day away from important elections in the US, we wanted to let people know about the actions we've taken and the facts as we know them today," Facebook said.Facebook on October 26 removed 82 Pages, Groups and accounts for what it called "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" that originated in Iran and targeted people in the US and Britain.The people behind these Pages and accounts represented themselves as US citizens, or in a few cases UK citizens -- and they posted about politically charged topics such as race relations, opposition to the US President, and immigration on Facebook and Instagram.Facebook said about 1.02 million accounts followed at least one of these Pages, about 25,000 accounts joined at least one of these Groups, and more than 28,000 accounts followed at least one of these Instagram accounts.In August, the social network removed 600 Pages and accounts originating from Russia and Iran for engaging in "inauthentic behaviour".(WIth inputs from IANS)

Facebook blocks 30 accounts for 'meddling' in US mid-terms

According to the company, the blocked accounts were suspected of engaging in "coordinated inauthentic behaviour" from foreign entities into the US mid-term elections.

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Donald Trump and Melania Trump/File ImageOutgoing US President Donald Trump has lost the big election. But is he about to lose his wife too? Well, at least a former aide has claimed so. Stephanie Wolkoff has claimed that Melania and Donald Trump had a 'transactional marriage' and that the Trumps had separate bedrooms in the White House, according to a report in the Daily Mail. Wolkoff said that Melania was also negotiating a post-nuptial agreement to give the couple's son Barron an equal share of the Trump fortune. Springing in a shocking claim, fellow ex-aide Omarosa Manigault Newman said the couple's 15 year marriage was over, adding that "Melania is counting every minute until he is out of office and she can divorce". "If Melania were to try to pull the ultimate humiliation and leave while he's in office, he would find a way to punish her," she further said. Donald Trump has five children from three wives, and ten grandchildren. According to the report, Trump's prenup agreement with second wife Marla Maples prevents her from publishing any book or giving interviews critical of him. Lawyer Christina Previte, as quoted by the Daily Mail, said it was likely that Melania had agreed to a similar code of silence.In 1977, Trump married Ivana Trump, a Czech-American businesswoman, media personality, fashion designer and model. She is the mother of Donald Trump Jr, Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump. The relationship fell apart in 1992 with their divorce. In 1993, Trump married Marla Mapes, an actress, television personality, film producer and model. They had Tiffany together. The couple separated in May 1997 and finally divorced in June 8, 1999.

Melania 'counting every minute', could divorce Donald Trump anytime after exit from White House

Fellow ex-aide Omarosa Manigault Newman claimed the couple's 15 year marriage was over, adding that "Melania is counting every minute until he is out of office and she can divorce".

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Despite India stating that it was in touch with member countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) over its application for entry into the 48-nation bloc which is currently holding a crucial meeting in the Swiss capital Bern, China has once again said that it will oppose New Delhi’s bid and there is no change in its stance on admission of non-NPT states into the NSG."As for non-NPT countries being admitted to the group, I can tell you there is no change in China's position," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said.The ongoing plenary will conclude today itself. Beijing's expected move at the session in Bern will keep New Delhi waiting for another year.China is the only major country which has been blocking India’s entry into the 48-member bloc. At the NSG plenary session in Seoul last year, China had opposed India's application to enter the group. "I want to point out that the NSG has clear rules on expansion and Seoul plenary made clear mandates on how to deal with this issue. With these rules and mandates, we need to act as they dictate. As for the criteria regarding admitting new members, this plenary meeting in Switzerland will follow mandate of Seoul plenary and uphold principle of decision upon consensus and continue to discuss various dimensions like technical, law, legal and political aspects of non-NPT countries admission to the group,” Geng said.China has made clear in the past that it will oppose India joining the elite group as it is not a signatory to the Non-Nuclear-Proliferation Treaty. Beijing had even argued that if India could be let in, why not its ‘all weather’ ally Pakistan. Other key players such as the US, UK, France, Russia and Germany have openly backed India’s bid. The issue has become a major sticking point in bilateral relations between India and China. After India's application for entry into the elite group in May 2016, Pakistan too had applied with the tacit backing of Beijing. China's opposition has made India's entry into the group difficult as it is guided by the consensus principle. India is not a signatory to the NPT.The NSG is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. 

NSG meet underway in Switzerland, China says ‘it will oppose India's entry’

The NSG is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seek to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.

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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signs European Union membership applicationThe European Union is likely to make a decision on granting Ukraine the status of an EU candidate today. According to media reports, the war-torn nation may join the 27 countries group today itself. EU officials said that the procedure for reviewing Ukraine's application for European Union membership has started and the country may be granted the membership today.Earlier on Monday, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had signed Ukraine's European Union membership application. The application was then handed over to Léglise-Costa, France’s permanent representative to the EU. According to EU procedure, the membership application needs to be submitted to the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Council is currently headed by France."Application is registered. Process has been started," Vsevolod Chentsov, Head of the Mission of Ukraine to the EU and the European Atomic Energy Community, tweeted.According to the Deputy Head of the President's Office, Zelenskyy also signed a joint request with the head of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine and Prime Minister Dmytro Shmygal."I have signed Ukraine's European Union membership application. I am sure that we can achieve this," Zelenskyy said.On Monday morning, Zelenskyy had addressed the European Union regarding Ukraine's accession under a special procedure. Zelenskyy had said, "Ukrainians deserve EU membership."After Russia's invasion, several EU countries called upon the EU to give Ukraine a pathway to membership, and Slovakia proposed a special procedure for Ukraine's accession to the EU.The European Union is a group of 27 countries that acts as one economic unit in the world economy. READ MORE: Satellite photos show much longer convoy of Russian forces approaching KyivREAD MORE: India reiterates call for immediate cessation of violence, end to hostilities

Russia Ukraine War: Ukraine may get the membership of European Union today

EU officials said that the procedure for reviewing Ukraine's application for European Union membership has started and the country may be granted the membership today.

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 The flight suspension was among the most dramatic of many restrictions being imposed by nations around the world as they scramble to slow the omicron variant's spread. Morocco is suspending all incoming air travel from around the world starting Monday for two weeks because of the rapid spread of the new omicron variant, the Foreign Ministry announced Sunday.The ministry tweeted that the decision was taken to “preserve the achievements realized by Morocco in the fight against the pandemic, and to protect the health of citizens.” It noted the spread of omicron in Africa and Europe.Morocco kept its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic, fearing that its health system wouldn't be able to manage the surges of patients seen in nearby Europe.The kingdom in North Africa has had among Africa's highest rates of confirmed infections but also is at the forefront of the continent's vaccination effort, with 66% of its population having received at least one dose.The flight suspension was among the most dramatic of many restrictions being imposed by nations around the world as they scramble to slow the omicron variant's spread. Much remains to be learned about the new variant, but researchers are concerned that it may be more resistant to the protection provided by vaccines. 

'Omicron' fear continues: Morocco bans ALL international flights

Morocco kept its borders closed for months in 2020 because of the pandemic, fearing that its health system wouldn't be able to manage the surges of patients seen in nearby Europe.

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US Warship (Representational image)A US Navy warship recently challenged Chinese territorial claims in the South China Sea when its guided-missile destroyer sailed around the Paracel Islands.According to reports, China did not like this intervention and reacted angrily to Benfold's presence near Paracel Islands in what it claims are its territorial waters.Reports say USS Benfold sailed around Xisha Islands in China. However, the navy called it freedom of navigation operation (FONOP). Paracels are a group of 130 small coral islands and are also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan,  however, they are in Chinese hands for the past 46 years.Amid this, in a statement, US Navy said, "All three claimants require either permission or advance notification before a military vessel engages in 'innocent passage' through the territorial sea. Under international law ... the ships of all states -- including their warships -- enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. The unilateral imposition of any authorization or advance-notification requirement for innocent passage is unlawful," the US Navy statement said.USS Benfold is an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy.Miffed with the US Navy warship around the Paracel Islands, China dispatched naval and air forces to follow and warn off the American warship.In a statement, China said the passage of ship "seriously violated its sovereignty and security and warned that unless Washington ceases such activities it will bear the serious consequences of unforeseen events.ALSO READ | Millions of Chinese locals run out of food, essentials amid harsh lockdown, COVID curbsALSO READ | Russia says Biden's remark on Ukraine is 'destabilising' already tense situation

US Navy sails largest warship through South China Sea, challenges Beijing's territorial claims

Miffed with the US Navy warship around the Paracel Islands, China dispatched naval and air forces to follow and warn off the American warship.

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Ukrainian soldiers of the 103rd Separate Brigade of the Territorial Defense of the Armed Forces, fire their weapons, during a training exercise, at an undisclosed location, near Lviv, western Ukraine, Tuesday, March 29, 2022.  Amid the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, and the Czech Republic on Tuesday expelled 43 Russian diplomats, reported BNO news. The move came not so long after Russia and Ukraine's fresh round of talks in Istanbul earlier today. Belgium has expelled 21, while the Netherlands has expelled 17 Russian diplomats.Belgium expelled the diplomats for activities related to espionage or unlawful influence peddling. The diplomats were given two weeks to leave the country, foreign affairs spokeswoman Elke Pattyn told news agency The Associated Press on Tuesday.On the other hand, the Netherlands termed the presence of Russian diplomats in the country, a “threat to national security.” The foreign ministry says it took the decision on national security grounds. It said that the Russian ambassador was summoned and told the officers, who were accredited as diplomats, are to be removed from the country.Notably, not so long ago, Russia had expelled several American diplomats from the US Embassy in Moscow and had declared them "persona non grata", a State Department spokesperson had said. The development had come days after the US ousted Russian staff at the United Nations.On the peace talks front, Russia and Ukraine have still not reached a common ground. Although, after today's talks in Turkey, Turkey’s foreign minister said that the Russian and Ukrainian negotiators have reached “a consensus and common understanding” on some issues.One of the Ukrainian negotiators even said that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin is possible soon. 

Belgium, Netherlands, others expel 43 Russian diplomats

Belgium expelled the diplomats for activities related to espionage or unlawful influence peddling. The diplomats were given two weeks to leave the country, foreign affairs spokeswoman Elke Pattyn told news agency The Associated Press on Tuesday.

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US President Trump mentions dates for talks with Kim Jong-UnUS President Donald Trump has mentioned three or four possible dates for talks with North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-Un. "We have a decision to be made. We have three and four dates. That includes five locations. That will be narrowed down", President Trump said in an interview.President Trump had previously said that his much-anticipated meeting with Kim Jong-Un would take place in May or early June, within weeks of Friday's historic Inter-Korean Summit.Related Stories End to strained ties? Trump accepts North Korean dictator Kim Jong's offer, will meet him by MayCIA director meets Kim Jong Un: Trump says ‘good relationship’ formed with North KoreaWill walk out if meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un doesn't go well, says Donald Trump 'Talks with North Korea on the table'Earlier on April 17, President Trump had confirmed direct talks between the United States and North Korea. He also confirmed that his CIA chief Mike Pompeo took part in secret talks with Kim Jong-Un.'North wants dialogue with the United States''North willing for holding talks with US''North willing for holding talks with US'In an announcement welcomed by President Trump, North Korean supremo had said that he would halt nuclear tests and inter-continental ballistic missile tests. The declaration was seen by many as a crucial step to tone down tensions between the two warring nations.On April 10, Kim Jong-Un had publicly acknowledged the prospect of talks between the United States and Pyongyang for the first time.If the talks go ahead, it would be the first time that a sitting US President would meet a North Korean leader.

US President Donald Trump mentions three or four dates for talks with North Korea's Kim Jong-Un

"We have a decision to be made. We have three and four dates. That includes five locations. That will be narrowed down", said President Trump.

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Republicans suffer setbacks in US state polls.US President Donald Trump's Republican Party has suffered setbacks in two states, losing the governorship of Kentucky and the legislature in Virginia a year away from the presidential election.Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin lost re-election very narrowly on Tuesday by less than half-a-per cent or about 5,100 votes, but the loss is significant because Trump had won Kentucky in the 2016 presidential election with a 30 per cent lead.The defeat of Bevin, for whom Trump campaigned, was tempered by the victory of Republican candidates in five other state-wide offices like secretary of state and attorney general, though with smaller margins compared to Trump's showing an erosion of Republican support.In Virginia both the upper and lower chambers of the state legislature flipped to the Democrats giving them full control of the government for the first time in many decades. Democrat Governor Ralph Northam was already in office.The Republicans kept the governorship of Mississippi with Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves winning with a six per cent lead, much lower than Trump's 17.8 per cent.New Jersey was a silver lining for Republicans. Complete results were not in by early Wednesday morning but NJ.com reported that the Republicans were set to gain at least four seats. That won't be enough to switch control of the legislature now held by Democrats with a 28-seat margin in the 80-member Assembly.With the presidential election just under a year away, Tuesday's elections showed that Trump's margins of victory in 2016 had been shaved significantly even when his party candidates won.Looking ahead, according to RealClearPolitics, the authoritative aggregator of polls, as of now all the five front-runners for the Democratic Party nomination - Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg - lead Trump by between 4.5 and 10 per cent.Trump in a tweet claimed credit for the five Republican wins in Kentucky and the governorship in Mississippi. He even claimed that he had boosted the votes for Bevin 15 points for whom he had campaigned. He added, "Fake News will blame Trump for Bevin's loss."Democrat Andy Beshar, who defeated Bevin, concentrated on local issues in his campaign and avoided making it a referendum on impeachment.Bevin has not conceded defeat and is expected to contest the results because of the slender margin.In Virginia, the Republican candidates for the state legislature avoided involving Trump in their campaigns unsure of his effect on the electorate.Elections were also held in some other states on Tuesday, but they were referendums or at local level or for individual legislature seats.ALSO READ | Trump taunts Hillary Clinton, says she should enter 2020 presidential raceALSO READ | US President calls impeachment inquiry against him a scam

Republicans suffer setbacks in US state polls

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin lost re-election very narrowly on Tuesday by less than half-a-per cent or about 5,100 votes, but the loss is significant because Trump had won Kentucky in the 2016 presidential election with a 30 per cent lead.

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City Mayor promises to protect Leicester’s Gandhi statueThe Mayor of the city of Leicester has committed to protecting the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the heart of the central England city, as an online petition created to save the under-threat monument attracted over 6,000 signatures.Peter Soulsby confirmed his support for the monument as the city’s “great pride” in his response to a letter from former Indian-origin Leicester East MP Keith Vaz, who has been leading a campaign ever since an online petition called for the statue’s removal last week.“I am delighted to be able to give you an absolute assurance that there is no prospect whatsoever of the council agreeing at any time to the removal of the statue – and certainly not while I am Mayor,” said Soulsby, the Labour leader of the Leicester City Council.“It was a matter of great pride that our city with the generous support of the donors was able to celebrate the life of Bapu who was so inspirational in the creation of modern India and such an example to the rest of the world,” he said.The bronze statue, which captures the leader of the Indian freedom struggle in his characteristic walking stride in the city’s famous Belgrave Road Golden Mile, came into focus with a “Remove the Gandhi Statue in Leicester” online petition last week alleging that Gandhi was a “facist, racist and sexual predator”.A counter petition launched on Change.Org this week, “Save the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Leicester”, has since attracted thousands of signatures in support within days.“The statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Leicester should never be removed as it resembles independence, non-violence and peace,” notes the petition.“Together we need to fight for justice and save the statue of Gandhi,” it adds.The sculpture by Kolkata artist Gautam Pal was unveiled in 2006 following a fundraising drive by Indian charity Samanwaya Pariwar. Vaz, the Goan-origin former Labour MP who was present at the launch, led a socially-distanced silent demonstration in keeping with the coronavirus lockdown rules at the monument last week, which was followed up by another “Leicester stands with Gandhiji” show of support on Friday.Leicester City Council has said all representations would be taken into consideration as part of a wider review of the city’s statues, street and building names, which follows similar initiatives being undertaken by local authorities around the UK in the wake of anti-racism Black Lives Matter protests targeting statues with a dubious slave trade history."In such a culturally-diverse city as Leicester, it's important that we respect the histories of all our communities and understand the context for the historical references that are part of our streetscape and built environment," a council spokesperson said.Statues up and down the UK have become a focal point of protests in recent days, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan ordering covers for sculptures at Parliament Square in the UK capital following graffiti attacks directed at some of the monuments.The Mayor of London’s office confirmed that following discussions with the Metropolitan Police, the Gandhi and South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela's statues at the square are to be uncovered.“Following discussions with the Met, covers on both the Gandhi and Mandela statues are due to be removed before the weekend,” a spokesperson said.The statue of former UK PM Winston Churchill in the same square had already been uncovered on Thursday in time for French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to London. 

City Mayor promises to protect Leicester’s Gandhi statue

The Mayor of the city of Leicester has committed to protecting the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the heart of the central England city, as an online petition created to save the under-threat monument attracted over 6,000 signatures.

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Protesters forcibly cut female Bolivia Mayor's hairThe Mayor of a small town in Bolivia has been attacked by opposition protesters who dragged her through the streets barefoot, covered her in red paint and forcibly cut her hair. Patricia Arce of the governing Mas party was handed over to police in Vinto after several hours, the BBC reported. It is the latest in a series of violent clashes between government supporters and opponents in the wake of controversial presidential elections. At least three people have died so far.A group of anti-government protesters was blocking a bridge in Vinto, a small town in Cochabamba province in central Bolivia, as part of their ongoing demonstrations following the presidential election on 20 October.Rumours spread that two opposition protesters had been killed nearby in clashes with supporters of incumbent President, Evo Morales, prompting an angry group to march to the town hall.The protesters accused Mayor Arce of having bussed in supporters of the President to try and break a blockade they had set up and blamed her for the reported deaths, one of which was later confirmed.Amid shouts of "murderess, murderess" masked men dragged her through the streets barefoot to the bridge. There, they made her kneel down, cut her hair and doused her in red paint. They also forced her to sign a resignation letter.Arce was eventually handed over to the police who took her to a local health centre.Her office was set alight and the windows of the town hall were smashed.The person killed in clashes between supporters and opponents of President Morales was identified as 20-year-old student Limbert Guzmán Vasquez. Doctors said Guzmán Vasquez had a fractured skull which may have been caused by an explosive device.He is the third person to be killed since the clashes between the two sides erupted on 20 October.Bolivia's post-election clashes turn deadly as two are killed.Tension has been running high since election night when the results count was inexplicably paused for 24 hours.The suspension prompted suspicions among supporters of opposition candidate Carlos Mesa that the result had been rigged to allow Morales, who has been in power since 2006 to stay on for another five years.The final result gave Morales just over the 10-percentage-point lead he needed to win outright in the first round of the presidential election.Election observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed their concerns and an audit by the body is currently underway. However, Mesa has rejected the audit arguing that it was agreed without his or his party's input.Morales has accused Mesa of staging a coup d'etat and supporters of each side have squared off in La Paz and other cities.ALSO READ: Trump ordered to pay $2 million for violating US charity lawsALSO READ: US hikes H-1B visa application fee by USD 10​

Protesters forcibly cut female Bolivia Mayor's hair

Election observers from the Organization of American States (OAS) expressed their concerns and an audit by the body is currently underway. However, Mesa has rejected the audit arguing that it was agreed without his or his party's input.

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Still using 'password' and '123456' as pass codes? Read onIf you are still using 'password' and '123456' as your passcodes to access devices, do not blame yourself as inconsistent and misleading advice offered on some of the world's most popular websites could actually be doing more harm than good, according to new research. Password meters are frequently made available to help users secure their personal data against the threats posed by cybercriminals.A study by the University of Plymouth in England assessed the effectiveness of 16 password meters that people are likely to use or encounter on a regular basis.Published in Computer Fraud and Security, the research said there is a clear level of variation in the advice offered across different websites.While some meters do effectively steer users towards more secure account passwords, some will not pick them up when they try to use 'abc123', 'qwertyuiop' and 'iloveyou' -- all listed this week among the worst passwords of 2019.The study tested 16 passwords against the various meters, with 10 of them being ranked among the world's most commonly used passwords (including 'password' and '123456').Of the 10 explicitly weak passwords, only five of them were consistently scored as such by all the password meters, while 'Password1!' performed far better than it should do and was even rated strongly by three of the meters.Over the festive period, hundreds of millions of people will receive technology presents or use their devices to purchase them."The very least they should expect is that their data will be secure and, in the absence of a replacement for passwords, providing them with consistent and informed guidance is key in the quest for better security," suggested Steve Furnell, professor of information security.The main focus was dedicated password meter websites, but the study also sought to assess those embedded in some common online services (including Dropbox and Reddit) and those found as standard on some of our devices.Furnell has previously suggested that global IT giants including Amazon and LinkedIn could be doing far more to raise awareness of the need for better password practices.He has also shown that over the space of a decade, most of the top 10 English-speaking websites had not expanded the password guidance they offer consumers amid the increased threat of global cyber-attacks."What this study shows is that some of the available meters will flag an attempted password as being a potential risk whereas others will deem it acceptable," the authors wrote.Furnell said that while all the attention tends to focus on the replacement of passwords, the fact is that we continue to use them with little or no attempt being made to support users in doing so properly."Credible password meters can have a valuable role to play but misleading meters work against the interest of security and can simply give further advantage to attackers".ALSO READ | Facebook admits storing millions of passwords in readable plain text

Still using 'password' and '123456' as pass codes? Read on

If you are still using 'password' and '123456' as your passcodes to access devices, do not blame yourself as inconsistent and misleading advice offered on some of the world's most popular websites could actually be doing more harm than good, according to new research.

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The ministry also released a series of images purportedly depicting some of the militants killed in the raids, with assault rifles seen next to their bloodied bodies. Egypt on Saturday said that its security forces have killed 40 militants in raids on their hideouts in the Sinai Peninsula and the Greater Cairo area, just hours after a roadside bomb targeted a tourist bus in the capital, killing three Vietnamese tourists and their Egyptian guide.In its statement, the Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, said 10 of the militants were killed when the security forces stormed their hideout in el-Arish, a coastal city in the turbulent north of Sinai, epicenter of a long-running insurgency by Islamists.Another 14 were killed in the Cairo suburb of October 6 and 16 more in a housing project on a highway heading west from Cairo. The statement said the militants were preparing for attacks on government and tourism facilities, army and police personnel, as well as Christian churches.The ministry also released a series of images purportedly depicting some of the militants killed in the raids, with assault rifles seen next to their bloodied bodies.The statement did not say when the raids took place, suggesting that the timing of its release was designed at least in part to show that security forces were scoring successes against militants across the country and staunch potential criticism of their perceived failure to protect tourists.The area where the attack took place — Marioutiyah, near the famed Giza Pyramids — has seen a series of attacks over the past two years, mostly targeting the police. It is also widely suspected of being home to jihadist cells loyal to the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group removed from power by the military in 2013 after its divisive rule lasted one year.Friday night’s attack took place as Egypt’s vital tourism industry was showing encouraging signs of recovery after years in the doldrums because of the political turmoil and violence that followed a 2011 uprising that toppled an autocratic president. The revival of the labor-intensive sector has been warmly welcomed in a country whose economy is struggling to find its footing, with a series of ambitious reforms unleashing wave after wave of steep price rises.The attack is also likely to prompt authorities to further tighten security around tourists and the facilities they frequent — hotels, museums, antiquity sites and bazaars — during the busy holiday season.Security measures already cause long delays at the country’s airports and antiquity sites. Tourist buses routinely get a police escort and Egyptians are generally subjected to even more stringent security checks at tourist facilities.There will likely be stepped up security measures for churches and associated facilities ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations and next month’s Christmas of the Coptic Orthodox Church, the dominant denomination among Egypt’s estimated 10 million Christians.Egypt has battled Islamic militants for years in the Sinai Peninsula in an insurgency that has occasionally spilled over to the mainland, striking minority Christians or tourists. However, Friday’s attack was the first to target foreign tourists in almost two years.Over the past two years, militant attacks against Christians in Egypt — usually targeting churches or buses carrying pilgrims to remote desert monasteries — have killed over a hundred people, prompting authorities to introduce metal detectors and body searches outside churches.In some churches, guards demand to see proof that visitors are Christians, often in the form of the cross tattooed on the right wrist that many Egyptian Christians get in their infancy.Friday’s blast wounded 11 other Vietnamese tourists as well as the Egyptian driver of the bus, which was carrying a total of 15 Vietnamese tourists, according to Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It said that 10 were seriously injured.Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong visited the scene of the attack and Al Haram Hospital, where the victims were being treated, the ministry said. 

Egypt: Police kill 40 militants in crackdown after Giza bus attack

The ministry also released a series of images purportedly depicting some of the militants killed in the raids, with assault rifles seen next to their bloodied bodies.

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US President Joe Biden is sending top American diplomat Daniel Smith as its interim envoy to IndiaUS President Joe Biden is sending top American diplomat Daniel Smith as its interim envoy to India amidst the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country to spearhead close cooperation with it and ensure the two nations continue to advance their shared priorities, including overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic.“Ambassador Daniel Smith, the Director of the Foreign Service Institute who recently served as acting Secretary of State and Acting Deputy Secretary of State, will be departing for New Delhi to serve as Charge d’Affaires, ad interim,” the US State Department announced on Friday.The position of US Ambassador to India is lying vacant since January 20, when Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. The position needs a Senate confirmation. The confirmation process after the nomination generally takes several months.Given the unfolding humanitarian crisis in India, the Biden administration cannot afford not to have its diplomatic post in New Delhi without ahead.India is struggling with a second wave of the pandemic with more than 3,00,000 daily new coronavirus cases being reported in the past few days, and hospitals are reeling under a shortage of medical oxygen and beds.In Smith, the administration is sending someone carrying the highest Foreign Service rank of Career Ambassador.“Smith’s appointment underscores the United States’ strong commitment to our partnership with the Government of India and the Indian people," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said."He will spearhead close cooperation with India to ensure that our countries continue to advance our shared priorities, including overcoming the global pandemic,” Price said.The US stands in solidarity with India, and Smith is committed to working together with India in partnership, said the State Department.Also Read: India-US relationship intensified in first 100 days of Biden administration: Official

Biden sending top diplomat Daniel Smith as interim envoy to India

US President Joe Biden is sending top American diplomat Daniel Smith as its interim envoy to India amidst the unfolding humanitarian crisis in the country

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President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that some “patriotic” individuals may have engaged in hacking but insisted Russia as a country has never done it, and he pledged Thursday to wait out U.S. political battles to forge constructive ties with President Donald Trump.The Russian leader lamented what he described as “Russo-phobic hysteria” in the U.S. that makes it “somewhat inconvenient to work with one another or even to talk,” adding that “someday this will have to stop.”U.S. intelligence agencies have accused Russia of hacking into Democratic Party emails, helping Trump’s election victory, and the congressional and FBI investigations into the Trump campaign’s ties with Russia have shattered Moscow’s hopes for a detente with Washington.Speaking at a meeting with senior editors of leading international news agencies, Putin insisted that “we never engage in that at the state level.”He alleged that some evidence pointing at Russian hackers’ participation in cyberattacks — he didn’t specify which — could have been falsified in an attempt to smear Russia.“I can imagine that some do it deliberately, staging a chain of attacks in such a way as to cast Russia as the origin of such an attack,” Putin said. “Modern technologies allow that to be done quite easily.”Putin added that while the Russian state has never been involved in hacking, it was “theoretically possible” that Russia-West tensions could have prompted some individuals to launch cyberattacks.“Hackers are free people, just like artists who wake up in the morning in a good mood and start painting,” he said. “The hackers are the same. They would wake up, read about something going on in interstate relations and if they feel patriotic, they may try to contribute to the fight against those who speak badly about Russia.”At the same time, Putin argued that hackers, wherever they come from, can’t sway election outcomes because the public opinion isn’t that easy to manipulate.“No hackers can have a radical impact on an election campaign in another country,” adding that “no information can be imprinted in voters’ minds, in the minds of a nation, and influence the final outcome and the final result. No hackers can influence election campaigns in any country of Europe, Asia or America.”The Russian leader said the “Russo-phobic hysteria” in the U.S. is mostly aimed “against the current president of the U.S. to prevent him from working normally.” The goal is, Putin said, is to “establish an atmosphere that is going to prevent us from addressing common issues, say with regard to terrorism.”He said Russia had been encouraged by Trump’s campaign promises to improve Russia-U.S. ties and emphasized that Moscow still hopes to forge a constructive dialogue.“We are patient, we know how to wait and we will wait,” Putin said.The Russian president praised Trump as “a straightforward person, a frank person” and noted that while some see Trump’s lack of political background as a disadvantage, he sees it as beneficial because “he has a fresh set of eyes.”Asked if he could offer any advice to Trump, Putin said it would be “counterproductive” to give advice to a political counterpart and added that “a person like President Trump doesn’t need any advice, especially if it comes to political issues.”Russian meddling was also a concern in France, with Putin publicly expressing his sympathy for President Emmanuel Macron’s rivals in the campaign. Macron’s aides claimed in February that Russian groups were interfering with his campaign, and a document leak hit Macron’s campaign in the final hours of the French race. Moscow has strongly denied all allegations of election meddling.The head of the French government’s cyber security agency, Guillaume Poupard, told The Associated Press on Thursday that it found no trace of a Russian hacking group in its investigations of a hack and document leak that hit Macron’s election campaign. Poupard described the Macron campaign hack as “not very technological” and said “the attack was so generic and simple that it could have been practically anyone.”Asked if Russian hackers could try to shape the outcome of German parliamentary elections later this year, Putin said: “We never engaged in that on a state level, and have no intention of doing so.”He noted that Russia can work constructively with any German leader, adding that he had good ties with German Chancellor Angela Merkel despite some differences.Russia’s relations with the West have been at post-Cold War lows over the Ukrainian crisis. The U.S. and the EU have slapped Moscow with sanctions over its annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and support for a pro-Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine.Putin said that economic restrictions against Russia have had “zero effect,” predicting that the current strain in relations will ease, because “it’s counterproductive and harmful for all.”Touching on tensions in the Pacific, Putin said Russia’s military deployments on a group of Pacific islands also claimed by Japan have been caused by concerns about the U.S. military buildup in the region.The four islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the southern Kurils in Russia, were seized by the former Soviet Union at the end of the World War II, preventing the two countries from signing a peace treaty.Putin said the U.S. will likely continue to build up its missile shield in the region even if North Korea agrees to curb its nuclear and missile programs, in the same way it has continued to develop missile defenses in Europe despite a deal with Iran that curbed its nuclear program in exchange for lifting international sanctions.“We are concerned about our security,” Putin said. “We are thinking about ways to neutralize possible threats at long distance.”

Russia doesn’t hack but patriotic individuals might: Putin

Speaking at a meeting with senior editors of leading international news agencies, Putin insisted that “we never engage in that at the state level.”

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US Supreme Court rejects Trump's lawsuit to overturn presidential election resultsThe US Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit from Texas, which is backed by President Donald Trump, in a bid to overturn the November 3 presidential election results in four battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin."The state of Texas's motion for leave to file a bill of complaint is denied for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution," the highest court wrote in its three-sentence order on Friday."Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections."All other pending motions are dismissed as moot," Xinhua news agency quoted the order as further saying.The ruling is widely seen as a death blow to Trump's efforts to reverse his Democrat rival and President-elect Joe Biden's projected Electoral College victory.The Justices also turned away an appeal from Pennsylvania Republicans on Tuesday.The Supreme Court "decisively and speedily rejected the latest of Donald Trump and his allies' attacks on the democratic process", Biden's spokesman Mike Gwin said in a statement after Friday's order."This is no surprise, dozens of judges, election officials from both parties, and Trump's own Attorney General have dismissed his baseless attempts to deny that he lost the election," Gwin added.Trump's attorney filed a motion on Wednesday with the Supreme Court after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleged that new voting processes in the four key swing states in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic skewed the presidential election results.Over 12 states where Trump won the popular vote, as well as more than 120 Republican lawmakers, filed briefs in support of Texas's action, while about two dozens states and territories that Biden won filed their own briefs in opposition to Texas's complaint.All 50 states and Washington, D.C. have reportedly certified their election results.Electors are scheduled to meet in their state capital cities on December 14 to vote, which will be counted and finalised by the next Congress next month.Biden is projected to win 306 electoral votes, compared with 232 for Trump.To clinch the White House, a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes of the 538 in total.Trump has refused to concede, but dozens of lawsuits challenging the results have been dismissed at the state and federal levels across the country since the hotly-contested election.

US Supreme Court rejects Trump's lawsuit to overturn presidential election results

The ruling is widely seen as a death blow to Trump's efforts to reverse his Democrat rival and President-elect Joe Biden's projected Electoral College victory.

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Iran ready to hold talks with US if it stops bullying and lift sanctions: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani Hassan Rouhani, President of Iran has said that his country was ready to hold talks with the US if Washington lift sanctions imposed on Tehran. Rouhani said, "We are always ready for negotiation. I tell you this hour and this moment to abandon bullying and lift the sanctions and return to logic and wisdom. We are ready." Leader of France, Germany and Britain, European signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement said on Sunday that they were "extremely concerned" about the escalating tension in the Gulf region, which they said is likely to put the accord at risk unless the concerned parties join the same table of talks. Washington unilaterally abandoned the Iran nuclear deal and restarted imposing sanctions on Iran in May 2018. On May 8, Iran stopped implementing some of its commitments under the deal and set a 60-day deadline for the Europeans to help Tehran reap the economic benefits of the deal.On July 7, as the deadline expired, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Tehran was ready to begin enriching uranium beyond the 3.67 per cent level set in the Iran nuclear deal, adding that Tehran would go on gradually abandoning its nuclear commitments every 60 days. On July 8, Iran announced that it had raised the concentration of its enriched uranium to 4.5 per cent from 3.67 purity. Following Tehran's announcement, US Vice President Mike Pence, along with other senior administration officials, vowed to continue to pile up economic pressure on Iran. (With inputs from IANS)

Iran ready to hold talks with US if it stops bullying and lift sanctions: Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

Leader of France, Germany and Britain, European signatories of the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement said on Sunday that they were "extremely concerned" about the escalating tension in the Gulf region, which they said is likely to put the accord at risk unless the concerned parties join the same table of talks.

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Pakistan's ruling party PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif today described US President Donald Trump's remarks against Islamabad as "non-serious" and said a head of state should be mindful of the diplomatic rules of engagement, amidst escalating war of words between the two countries. "A head of state should remember the rules of engagement while addressing a fellow state," Sharif, also the former prime minister, told reporters here. Related Stories 'Won't allow US to scapegoat Pakistan', says Bilawal Bhutto as US blocks USD 255 million military aid After Trump lambasts Pakistan for its 'lies and deceits', China rushes to defend its 'all-weather ally'Opinion | Rajat Sharma on Donald Trump's threat to PakistanPresident Trump willing to end all aid to Pakistan: Nikki HaleyIn a scathing attack, Trump on Monday accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" in return for USD 33 billion aid and said Islamabad has provided "safe haven" to terrorists. Commenting on Trump's remarks, Sharif said the US had no right to taunt Pakistan for providing support in lieu of services as coalition partner because the money released by Washington was not "aid". "A coalition fund should not be called aid. We do not even need such a fund and our support should not be demanded in return," he said. Sharif asked Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to formulate a plan so that Pakistan should never need foreign aid. He also took a swipe at former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for giving support what he termed as selling the honour of the country cheaply. "If a democratic government was in place in Pakistan instead of a dictatorship in 2002, then it would never have sold its expertise to the US. It would neither have sold our expertise, nor our self-respect," he said. Talking about domestic issues, he said certain quarters were making efforts to pave way for the winning of election by blued-eyed politicians. "They are trying to shift the public's views... Block the way for a certain political party, and pave the way for the darling," he said. Sharif uses the word 'darling' for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan. He, however, did not specify for whom 'they' has been used. Sharif also said he would resist any rigging in the polls. "I want to say in crystal clear words today that this country's fate is linked to free and fair elections. Every political party should have equal opportunity to take part in these elections," he said. He warned to reveal what had been happening for the last four years if the propaganda against him was not stopped. "I have been the PM of this country thrice. A lot of facts are in front of me. As a respectable citizen of Pakistan, I would like for us, as a nation, to assess our own situation," he said. Sharif said it was time to look at "ourselves often and ask ourselves why the world does not take us seriously."

Nawaz Sharif describes Donald Trump's remarks as 'non-serious'

In a scathing attack, Trump on Monday accused Pakistan of giving nothing to the US but "lies and deceit" in return for USD 33 billion aid and said Islamabad has provided "safe haven" to terrorists.

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Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen walk to cast their ballots during early voting in Indianapolis.Mike Pence, incumbent Vice President of the United States of America has already casted his vote along with wife Karen in Indianapolis saying it was a "Great honor, great to be back home again. Really great." With 10 days to go until Election day, there has been a record number of early votes cast so far in 2020.    Who is Mike Pence  Michael Richard Pence, a lawyer and politician by profession, is serving since 2017 as Vice President of United States under Trump administration. In his political life so far, Pence served as the 50th governor of Indiana from 2013 to 2017 and served six terms in the US House of Representatives from 2001 to 2013.   Born on June 7, 1959, in Columbus, Indiana, Mike Pence is the younger brother of US representative Greg Pence.   He persude his higher education from Hanover College, securing a law degree from the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law. In the year 2000, Pence was elect4ed to the US House of Representatives, representing Indiana's 2nd and 6th Congressional districts from 2001 and 2013.    In 2012, Pence sought republican nomination for 2012 Indiana gubernatorial election and defeated Indiana House Speaker John R Gregg in the closest gubernatorial election in 50 years.   ALSO READ | COVID-19 vaccine ready, coming within weeks: Trump at final presidential debate with Biden   Mike Pence Vs Kamala Harris | 2020 vice presidential debate The much-awaited vice presidential debate between Mike Pence and Kamala Harris saw the duo sparring on US President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, jobs, China, racial tensions and climate change, less than four week's ahead of the election.Harris, the Democratic Party's vice president nominee described the Trump's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as the "greatest failure of any presidential administration in the history" of America as she opened the vice debate with a sharp attack on Vice President Pence, who leads the president's coronavirus task force.The live debate at The University of Utah in Salt Lake City was a civil one between the two leaders, separated by plexiglass barriers, compared to last week's showdown between President Trump and his Democratic challenger and former vice president Joe Biden, which degenerated into insults and name-calling.During the 90-minute one-off debate before the November 3 presidential election, Harris, 55, and Pence, 61, stuck to their known campaign positions on major topics.

US Election 2020: Who is Mike Pence, Donald Trump's running mate

Mike Pence, incumbent Vice President of the United States of America has already casted his vote along with wife Karen in Indianapolis saying it was a "Great honor, great to be back home again. Really great." With 10 days to go until Election day, there has been a record number of early votes cast so far in 2020.

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Breaking news LIVE: Top Headlines This Hour The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 7.9 million, including more than 435,000 fatalities. More than 4,213,000 patients are reported to have recovered. Follow this breaking news blog for live updates on coronavirus pandemic as it continues to pose a challenge for health workers and scientists who are in a race against time to produce a vaccine/medicine. IndiaTvNews.com brings you the economic fallout of the COVID-19 crisis that has resulted in job losses in millions and changing the way we work. Stay Home, Stay Safe, and Stay Informed as our team of dedicated editors/reporters bring you the latest on coronavirus, advancing monsoon, markets, yoga lessons from Swami Ramdev and much more in our daily breaking news live blog:

BREAKING NEWS: June 16, 2020 | As it happened

The total number of global coronavirus cases has surpassed 8.1 million, including more than 439,000 fatalities. More than 4,213,000 patients are reported to have recovered.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during an exhibition of weapons systems in PyongyangNorth Korea fired a ballistic missile into the sea on Tuesday in a continuation of its recent weapons tests, the South Korean and Japanese militaries said, hours after the U.S. reaffirmed its offer to resume diplomacy on the North’s nuclear weapons program.The South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff didn’t immediately say what kind of ballistic missile it was or how far it flew. Japan’s coast guard issued a maritime safety advisory to ships but didn’t immediately know where the weapon landed.South Korea’s presidential office was planning to hold a national security council meeting to discuss the launch. A strong South Korean response could anger North Korea, which has been accusing Seoul of hypocrisy for criticizing the North’s weapons tests while expanding its own conventional military capabilities.Ending a months-long lull in September, North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests while making conditional peace offers to Seoul, reviving a pattern of pressuring South Korea to try to get what it wants from the United States.Within days, President Joe Biden’s special envoy for North Korea, Sung Kim, is scheduled to hold talks with U.S. allies in Seoul over the prospects of reviving talks with North Korea.Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have stalled for more than two years over disagreements in exchanging the release of crippling U.S.-led sanctions against North Korea and the North’s denuclearization steps.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to strengthen his nuclear deterrent since his diplomatic fallout with then-President Donald Trump.His government has so far rejected the Biden administration’s offers to restart dialogue without preconditions, saying that Washington must first abandon its “hostile policy,” a term the North mainly uses to refer to sanctions and U.S.-South Korea military exercises.But while North Korea is apparently trying to use South Korea’s desire for inter-Korean engagement to extract concessions from Washington, analysts say Seoul has little wiggle room as the Biden administration is intent on keeping sanctions in place until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearization.“The US continues to reach out to Pyongyang to restart dialogue. Our intent remains the same. We harbor no hostile intent toward the DPRK and we are open to meeting without preconditions,” Sung Kim told reporters on Monday, referring to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.“Even as we remain open to dialogue, we also have a responsibility to implement the U.N. Security Council resolutions addressing the DPRK,” he said.Last week, Kim Jong Un reviewed powerful missiles designed to launch nuclear strikes on the U.S. mainland during a military exhibition and vowed to build an “invincible” military to cope with what he called persistent U.S. hostility. Earlier, Kim dismissed U.S. offers for resuming talks without preconditions as a “cunning” attempt to conceal its hostile policy on the North.The country has tested various weapons over the past month, including a new cruise missile that could potentially carry nuclear warheads, a rail-launched ballistic system, a developmental hypersonic missile and a new anti-aircraft missile. The test of the hypersonic missile on Sept. 28 came shortly before North Korean Ambassador Kim Song called for the Biden administration to permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea and the deployment of strategic military assets to the region in his speech to the U.N. General Assembly.The North in recent weeks has also restored communication lines with the South and said it could take further steps to improve bilateral relations if Seoul abandons its “double-dealing attitude” and “hostile viewpoint” over its weapons development.Some outside experts say North Korea aims to pressure South Korea not to criticize its ballistic missile tests, which are banned by U.N. Security Council resolutions, as part of its efforts to win international recognition as a nuclear power.(With inputs from AP)Also Read | North Korea says 4th new test-firing was anti-aircraft missile /* .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_2320969854 = { "file": "https://vod-indiatv.akamaized.net/hls/2021/09/0_kch70zi3/master.m3u8", "image": "https://thumbs.indiatvnews.com/vod/0_kch70zi3_big_thumb.jpg", "title": "Watch North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's new avatar", "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": "184", "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_2320969854 = ''; jwsetup_2320969854(); function jwsetup_2320969854() { jwvidplayer_2320969854 = jwplayer("jwvidplayer_2320969854").setup(jwconfig_2320969854); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('ready', function () { ns_.StreamingAnalytics.JWPlayer(jwvidplayer_2320969854, { publisherId: "20465327", labelmapping: "c2=\"20465327\", c3=\"IndiaTV News\", c4=\"null\", c6=\"null\", ns_st_mp=\"jwplayer\", ns_st_cl=\"0\", ns_st_ci=\"0_kch70zi3\", ns_st_pr=\"Watch North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's new avatar\", ns_st_sn=\"0\", ns_st_en=\"0\", ns_st_ep=\"Watch North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's new avatar\", ns_st_ct=\"null\", ns_st_ge=\"News\", ns_st_st=\"Watch North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's new avatar\", 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_kch70zi3/master.m3u8\", ns_st_ty=\"video\"" }); }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('all', function (r) { if (jwvidplayer_2320969854.getState() == 'error' || jwvidplayer_2320969854.getState() == 'setupError') { jwvidplayer_2320969854.stop(); jwvidplayer_2320969854.remove(); jwvidplayer_2320969854 = ''; jwsetup_2320969854(); return; } }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('error', function (t) { jwvidplayer_2320969854.stop(); jwvidplayer_2320969854.remove(); jwvidplayer_2320969854 = ''; jwsetup_2320969854(); return; }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('mute', function () { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('adPlay', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('adPause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('pause', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('error', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); jwvidplayer_2320969854.on('adBlock', function (event) { ga('send', 'event', 'JW Player Events', 'Errors', event.message); }); }  

North Korea fires ballistic missile into sea in latest test

Ending a monthslong lull in September, North Korea has been ramping up its weapons tests while making conditional peace offers to Seoul.

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Image shows remains of a Philippine military C-130 plane that crashed in Patikul town, Sulu province, southern Philippines on Sunday, July 4, 2021The death toll in the crash of a transport aircraft in Philippines has reached 50, with 49 others injured, officials said Monday. According to the details, the Lockheed C-130 Hercules was carrying 96 mostly combat troops when it overshot the runway while landing Sunday at the Jolo airport in Sulu province. It slammed into a coconut grove beyond the airport and burst into flames in a noontime disaster witnessed by horrified soldiers and villagers.Troops, police and firefighters rescued 49 military personnel, including a few who jumped off the aircraft before it exploded and was gutted by fire. Seven people on the ground were hit by aircraft parts and debris, and three of them died, the military said.The Lockheed C-130 Hercules was one of two refurbished US Air Force aircraft handed over to the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia, as part of military assistance this year.The aircraft earlier had carried two-star Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., his wife and three children from Manila to southern Cagayan de Oro city, where he’s set to become the new military regional commander on Monday.Those who boarded the C-130 in Cagayan de Oro for the flight to Sulu were army troops, many of them newly trained recruits, to be deployed in the battle against Abu Sayyaf militants in the south.Brawner was stunned to learn the plane he’d just flown on had crashed. “We’re very thankful that we were spared but extremely sad that so many lost their lives,” Brawner told The Associated Press.A video taken by troops showed the aircraft landing in clear weather then vanishing beyond the airport. “It vanished, it vanished,” one soldier exclaims. Dark gray smoke later billowed from the crash site in a wooded area as the troops, yell, “It fell, it fell” and let off curses in horror.“They were supposed to join us in our fight against terrorism,” Sulu military commander Maj. Gen. William Gonzales said. Government forces have been battling Abu Sayyaf militants in the predominantly Muslim province of Sulu for decades.It was not immediately clear what caused the crash and investigators were looking for the C-130’s black boxes containing the cockpit voice and flight data recorders.Regional military commander Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said it was unlikely that the aircraft took hostile fire. Military chief of staff Gen. Cirilito Sobejana told reporters Sunday that “the plane missed the runway and it was trying to regain power but failed and crashed.”An air force official told The AP that the Jolo runway is shorter than most others in the country, making it more difficult for pilots to adjust if an aircraft misses the landing spot. The official, who has flown military aircraft to and from Jolo several times, spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to speak publicly.President Rodrigo Duterte expanded the military presence in Sulu to a full division in late 2018, deploying hundreds of additional troops, air force aircraft and other combat equipment after vowing to wipe out Abu Sayyaf. The small but brutal group has been blacklisted by the U.S. and the Philippines as a terrorist organization for ransom kidnappings, bombings and beheadings.Before Sunday, the Philippine air force’s deadliest disaster was a crash in a rice field north of Manila in 1971 that killed 40 military personnel, military historian Jose Custodio said.A recently delivered S-701 Blackhawk helicopter crashed more than a week ago near Clark freeport, a former U.S. airbase, killing all six air force personnel on board.The Philippine government has struggled for years to modernize its military, one of Asia’s least equipped, as it dealt with decades-long Muslim and communist insurgencies and territorial rifts with China and other claimant countries in the South China Sea.(With inputs from AP) 

Death toll in Philippine military’s worst air disaster reaches 50

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules was one of two refurbished U.S. Air Force aircraft handed over to the Philippines, Washington’s oldest treaty ally in Asia, as part of military assistance this year.

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$15B from Gates, French Gates tops 2021 biggest gift list. It was a healthy year for big gifts to charitable causes in 2021, a year that saw one of the largest multi billion-dollar contributions in more than a decade, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally. The power philanthropists Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced in May that they were divorcing and then gave a jaw-dropping $15 billion to their foundation in July. The money will bolster its endowment and support the grant maker’s work in global health, development, policy and advocacy, and U.S. education well into the future. The gift increased the grant maker’s endowment to about $65 billion and is the Gateses’ biggest infusion of money into the foundation since 2000, when they transferred Microsoft stock then valued at $20 million. When they announced this year’s gift, the two philanthropists indicated they planned to continue running the foundation together for the time being but announced through the foundation that if after two years either one of them decides not to work together, then French Gates will resign as co-chair and trustee. Regardless, the philanthropists made clear in two new Giving Pledge letters that they both intend to keep giving big in the years ahead. French Gates wrote that she will continue to support efforts to fight poverty and “advance equality for women and girls and other marginalized groups.” Gates wrote in his Giving Pledge letter that the work of the foundation will continue to be his “top philanthropic priority” and that he plans to increase his giving in other areas like “mitigating climate change and tackling Alzheimer’s.” Nonprofits that focus on those causes are likely to reap big rewards, given that Bill Gates’s net worth is pegged at about $137 billion and Melinda French Gates’s at $6 billion. Meanwhile, Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny’s, $500 million contribution to the University of Oregon tied for second place on the list. The gift will be used to expand the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact and follows a $500 million donation the Knights gave to launch the science campus in 2016. The Knight Campus aims to speed up the process of transforming new scientific discoveries into medical treatments and other developments to improve people’s lives. Phil Knight, whose net worth stands at about $60 billion, earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the university in 1959. The couple have given the university a total of at least $1.6 billion to date. Also tied for No. 2 is a $500 million challenge pledge the financier George Soros made through his Open Society Foundations to Bard College for its endowment. The pledge aims to persuade other donors to back the college’s effort to raise $1 billion over the next five years. College officials announced in April that the pledge had already helped them raise $250 million from other donors. Soros, whose net worth is pegged at $8.6 billion, founded Soros Fund Management, a New York firm that manages hedge funds. Next on the list is a $480 million donation to Northwestern University from Patrick Ryan, founder of Ryan Specialty Group, an insurance services company, and his wife, Shirley. The Ryans, whose net worth stands at close to $8 billion, gave the money to their alma mater for a variety of programs. The money will back education and research efforts in applied microeconomics, business, digital medicine, global health, neuroscience, and translational research programs at the university’s Feinberg School of Medicine. A portion of the gift will also pay for building projects. The Chronicle’s annual top 10 list of the largest gifts announced by individuals or their foundations totaled more than $18.1 billion in 2021. (The 2021 list actually includes 11 donations because of ties.) The contributions on the 2021 list went primarily to well-established institutions. Eight of the 11 gifts are from billionaires whose cumulative wealth totals $426.3 billion. The Chronicle’s annual rankings are based on the 10 biggest publicly announced gifts. The tally does not include contributions of artwork or gifts from anonymous donors. In February, the Chronicle will unveil its annual ranking of the 50 biggest donors, a list based on individuals’ total contributions in 2021 rather than single gifts. The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s Top 10 List of Biggest Gifts:  1. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, and Melinda French Gates, founder of Pivotal Ventures, an investment firm, gave $15 billion to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for endowment 2. (tie) Philip Knight, co-founder of Nike, and his wife, Penny gave $500 million to University of Oregon to expand the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact 2. (tie) George Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management, through his Open Society Foundations gave $500 million to Bard College for endowment 4. Patrick Ryan, founder of Ryan Specialty Group, an insurance services company, and his wife, Shirley gave $480 million to Northwestern University for a variety of programs 5. Denny Sanford, chairman of United National Corporation Sanford Health, gave $350 million to establish a virtual-care hospital 6. Denny Sanford, chairman of United National Corporation Sanford Health, gave $300 million for graduate medical education and to expand a sports complex 7. William Goodwin Jr., a real-estate developer, his wife, Alice, and their late son, Hunter, gave $250 million to establish Break Through Cancer, a foundation that will support cancer research 8. Joe Tsai, co-founder of Alibaba Group, and Clara Wu Tsai, co-owner of professional sports teams, through their Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation, gave $220 million to establish the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, a medical research nonprofit 9. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon gave $200 million to Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum for an education center and museum renovations 10. Gerald Chan, co-founder of Morningside Group, an investment firm, through his Morningside Foundation gave $175 million to University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School for endowment. ALSO READ: Omicron spreading faster than any virus in history: Bill Gates on new COVID variant surgeIt was a healthy year for big gifts to charitable causes in 2021, a year that saw one of the largest multi billion-dollar contributions in more than a decade, according to a Chronicle of Philanthropy tally.The power philanthropists Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates announced in May that they were divorcing and then gave a jaw-dropping $15 billion to their foundation in July. The money will bolster its endowment and support the grant maker’s work in global health, development, policy and advocacy, and U.S. education well into the future.The gift increased the grant maker’s endowment to about $65 billion and is the Gateses’ biggest infusion of money into the foundation since 2000, when they transferred Microsoft stock then valued at $20 million.When they announced this year’s gift, the two philanthropists indicated they planned to continue running the foundation together for the time being but announced through the foundation that if after two years either one of them decides not to work together, then French Gates will resign as co-chair and trustee.Regardless, the philanthropists made clear in two new Giving Pledge letters that they both intend to keep giving big in the years ahead.French Gates wrote that she will continue to support efforts to fight poverty and “advance equality for women and girls and other marginalized groups.” Gates wrote in his Giving Pledge letter that the work of the foundation will continue to be his “top philanthropic priority” and that he plans to increase his giving in other areas like “mitigating climate change and tackling Alzheimer’s.”Nonprofits that focus on those causes are likely to reap big rewards, given that Bill Gates’s net worth is pegged at about $137 billion and Melinda French Gates’s at $6 billion.Meanwhile, Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny’s, $500 million contribution to the University of Oregon tied for second place on the list. The gift will be used to expand the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact and follows a $500 million donation the Knights gave to launch the science campus in 2016. The Knight Campus aims to speed up the process of transforming new scientific discoveries into medical treatments and other developments to improve people’s lives.Phil Knight, whose net worth stands at about $60 billion, earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the university in 1959. The couple have given the university a total of at least $1.6 billion to date.Also tied for No. 2 is a $500 million challenge pledge the financier George Soros made through his Open Society Foundations to Bard College for its endowment. The pledge aims to persuade other donors to back the college’s effort to raise $1 billion over the next five years.College officials announced in April that the pledge had already helped them raise $250 million from other donors. Soros, whose net worth is pegged at $8.6 billion, founded Soros Fund Management, a New York firm that manages hedge funds.Next on the list is a $480 million donation to Northwestern University from Patrick Ryan, founder of Ryan Specialty Group, an insurance services company, and his wife, Shirley. The Ryans, whose net worth stands at close to $8 billion, gave the money to their alma mater for a variety of programs.The money will back education and research efforts in applied microeconomics, business, digital medicine, global health, neuroscience, and translational research programs at the university’s Feinberg School of Medicine. A portion of the gift will also pay for building projects.The Chronicle’s annual top 10 list of the largest gifts announced by individuals or their foundations totaled more than $18.1 billion in 2021. (The 2021 list actually includes 11 donations because of ties.) The contributions on the 2021 list went primarily to well-established institutions. Eight of the 11 gifts are from billionaires whose cumulative wealth totals $426.3 billion.The Chronicle’s annual rankings are based on the 10 biggest publicly announced gifts. The tally does not include contributions of artwork or gifts from anonymous donors. In February, the Chronicle will unveil its annual ranking of the 50 biggest donors, a list based on individuals’ total contributions in 2021 rather than single gifts.1. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, and Melinda French Gates, founder of Pivotal Ventures, an investment firm, gave $15 billion to Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for endowment2. (tie) Philip Knight, co-founder of Nike, and his wife, Penny gave $500 million to University of Oregon to expand the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact2. (tie) George Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management, through his Open Society Foundations gave $500 million to Bard College for endowment4. Patrick Ryan, founder of Ryan Specialty Group, an insurance services company, and his wife, Shirley gave $480 million to Northwestern University for a variety of programs5. Denny Sanford, chairman of United National Corporation Sanford Health, gave $350 million to establish a virtual-care hospital6. Denny Sanford, chairman of United National Corporation Sanford Health, gave $300 million for graduate medical education and to expand a sports complex7. William Goodwin Jr., a real-estate developer, his wife, Alice, and their late son, Hunter, gave $250 million to establish Break Through Cancer, a foundation that will support cancer research8. Joe Tsai, co-founder of Alibaba Group, and Clara Wu Tsai, co-owner of professional sports teams, through their Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation, gave $220 million to establish the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, a medical research nonprofit9. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon gave $200 million to Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum for an education center and museum renovations10. Gerald Chan, co-founder of Morningside Group, an investment firm, through his Morningside Foundation gave $175 million to University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School for endowment.ALSO READ: Did Bill Gates send 'flirtatious, inappropriate' emails to female employee? Microsoft reveals

$15B from Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates tops 2021 biggest gift list

The gift increased grant maker’s endowment to about $65 bn and is the Gateses’ biggest infusion of money into the foundation since 2000, when they transferred Microsoft stock then valued at $20 million.

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Amid ailing economy, Imran Khan to mortgage Islamabad's biggest park to get loanTo overcome Pakistan's ailing economy, Prime Minister Imran Khan is considering mortgaging Islamabad's biggest park to get a loan of around Rs 500 billion. According to a report by Dawn, the proposal to mortgage the F-9 park to get a loan of around Rs 500 billion will be included in the agenda of the next meeting of the federal cabinet, scheduled to be held on Tuesday.The meeting will be held via video conference arranged at the Prime Minister's House and a committee room of the Cabinet Division.The F-9 park, named after Madar-i-Millat Fatima Jinnah, is stretched over 759 acres of land. It is one of the largest covered green areas in Pakistan.Citing reports, Dawn highlighted that this decision has been taken due to the financial issues being faced by the government.This comes amid declining relations of Pakistan with its two biggest sources of foreign remittances and foreign exchange -- Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Last August, Saudi Arabia asked Pakistan to repay early a USD 3 billion soft loan, Islamabad tried to defuse the tensions by quickly dispatching its current army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa.However, Saudi Arabia did not budge from its demand.The UAE, which is Pakistan's second-largest source of foreign remittances, has recently banned issuing work visas for Pakistani workers.Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi's recent visit to the UAE failed to lift the ban, to Islamabad's severe disappointment. (With ANI inputs)

Pakistan shamed! Imran Khan to mortgage Islamabad's biggest park named after Jinnah's sister to get loan

The F-9 park, named after Madar-i-Millat Fatima Jinnah, is stretched over 759 acres of land. It is one of the largest covered green areas in Pakistan.

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Representational imageThe Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has begun consultations with different states and union territories (UTs) to bring back several thousand Indian nationals who have found themselves stranded on foreign shores due to the ongoing travel restrictions in place across the world. Official sources say that most of the Indians stranded overseas are in the Gulf countries, with Japan, Singapore and the European Union (EU) nations also hosting citizens who are looking to get back to the country.The decision in this regard only will be taken after getting the feedback on the preparedness of the states and UTs to receive such people, sources revealed. They say that the authorities are also in touch with Indian missions abroad to review the preparations in place in different countries to fly the stranded citizens back home.Sources say that the process is going to be a particularly challenging one for the authorities.Before the restrictions on international travel and subsequent lockdown came into effect, India had managed to evacuate nearly 2,000 of its nationals stranded in countries such as China, Japan, Italy and Iran among others.Also read: WHO, China reject criticism of rapid body testing kits, caution against their accuracy instead

India begins 'challenging' process to bring back stranded citizens from other countries

The Centre has begun consultations with different states and union territories (UTs) to bring back several thousand Indian nationals who have found themselves stranded on foreign shores due to the ongoing travel restrictions in place across the world

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'Time to show our caring culture': Malaysia host charity event for China's fight against CoronavirusThe state government and local communities of Malaysia's Sabah state on North Borneo hosted a charity event late Tuesday to support China's fight against novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.The "We Love, We Care" fundraiser, organized by the Sabah state government and Chinese associations in the state, took place in the state capital of Kota Kinabalu, the Xinhua news agency reported.Chinese Consul-General to Kota Kinabalu, Liang Caide, who was present at event, expressed appreciation for the people and government of Sabah for their support to China in the current COVID-19 outbreak."The friendship between the China and the state of Sabah will definitely deepen after the outbreak is contained," said Liang, "By then, Sabah will be welcoming more Chinese tourists, exchanges and cooperation between China and the state of Sabah will be even closer for a brighter future of both sides."Speaking at the event, Sabah's chief minister Shafie Apdal said that Malaysia was a friend to China, not only in prosperous times but in times of need as well."We support the government of China and the people of China. This is the world and we are the people. It is time for us to show our Sabahan culture, our caring culture, we want the world community to have compassion across borders. When we care for the people we care for the world. We are sharing the world together," he said.Shafie said the decision to close the state to direct flights from China had been a painful one and had hit the state's tourism sector hard, but explained that the state did not have the facilities to deal with an outbreak.Sabah has been a major tourism attraction for Chinese tourists in recent years due to its resorted beaches, islands, tropical rainforests and diverse culture.Deputy Chief Minister Christina Liew Chin Jin, who is also State Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, stressed that outpouring of support for those affected in China had come from the ordinary people of Sabah.ALSO READ | Coronavirus update: China death toll mounts to 2000, new cases decline for 2nd day

'Time to show our caring culture': Malaysia host charity event for China's fight against Coronavirus

The "We Love, We Care" fundraiser, organized by the Malaysia's Sabah state government and Chinese associations in the state, took place in the state capital of Kota Kinabalu

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Sino-Brazilian surveillance satellite launched in China (representational image)A new Sino-Brazilian surveillance satellite was launched on Friday into orbit from a centre in China, according to the countrys national space agency. The 11.22 a.m. launch of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite-4A (CBER-4A) at Taiyuan centre in Shanxi province is the sixth project between the two to orbit the earth and further cements the relationship with the Latin American and Asian giants, reports Efe news. Brazil's National Institute for Space Research said in a statement that the project guaranteed the continuation of ties with China in terms of university, government and company research.The CBER project is a joint endeavour the two countries began more than 20 years ago and has allowed Brazil and China to capitalize on the surveillance technology market to render satellite imagery of the earth.The last one to be launched was the CBER-4, which entered orbit in 2014 and has since become an important surveillance tool for both countries.The one that took to earth's orbit on Friday is equipped with three defence cameras, two Brazilian and one Chinese.According to Brazil's research institute, the Chinese-Brazilian satellite technologies are similar to those of the most widely used remote surveillance programs in the world, such as Landsat (United States), Resourcesat (India) and Copernicus (European Union).Brazil uses the images of its satellites for its programs to control deforestation in the Amazon and to detect forest fires, among others.The CBER programme, which offers free satellite images to different countries in Latin America and Africa, is considered the largest space cooperation program among developing countries.

Sino-Brazilian surveillance satellite launched in China

A new Sino-Brazilian surveillance satellite was launched on Friday into orbit from a centre in China, according to the countrys national space agency. The 11.22 a.m. launch of the China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite-4A (CBER-4A) at Taiyuan centre in Shanxi province is the sixth project between the two to orbit the earth.