World

16 bodies recovered from Tara Air plane crash site in Nepal

31-May-2022 452

Kathmandu, May 30 (PTI) At least 16 bodies were recovered from the wreckage site of the Tara Air plane that crashed in Nepal's mountainous Mustang district on Sunday with 22 people on board, including four Indians, minutes after taking off from the tourist city of Pokhara, authorities said on Monday.

The turboprop Twin Otter 9N-AET plane belonging to Tara Air went missing on Sunday morning in the mountainous region of Nepal. The Canadian-built plane, flying from the city of Pokhara to the popular tourist town Jomsom in central Nepal, was carrying four Indian nationals, two Germans and 13 Nepali passengers, besides a three-member Nepali crew.

In a statement, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) said 16 bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of the ill-fated plane in the country's Mustang district on Monday.

"According to the information received from the crash site, the bodies of 16 people have been recovered and are yet to be identified," it said.

It said that the plane had crashed at Thasang-2 in Mustang district at the height of 14,500 feet.

Inda Singh, who was on his way to clear a blocked road, found out that the plane had crashed. He said the plane was found in a completely damaged condition, MyRepublica newspaper reported.

"All the passengers on the aircraft are found dead, he was quoted as saying by the paper. "The dead bodies are intact and the faces of all victims are recognisable."

Singh said that there is a problem in collecting the bodies as they are in a nearby ditch.

He said there was no fire on the aircraft. The aircraft could have met with an accident after hitting a cliff nearby.

Search and rescue teams from Nepal Army, Air Dynasty, Kailash Helicopter and Fishtail Air Helicopter and other rescue workers have been deployed at the crash site. The 9N-AJR Helicopter of Fishtail Air was the first to land at the crash site and confirmed it at 8:10 am today, according to the CAAN.

The airline's passengers list identified four Indians as Ashok Kumar Tripathy, his wife Vaibhavi Bandekar (Tripathy) and their children Dhanush and Ritika. The family was based in Thane city near Mumbai.

Pieces of the wreckage of the aircraft were found after nearly 20 hours since the plane went missing, the Nepal Army said on Monday.

"The search and rescue troops have physically located the plane crash site. Details will be followed, Nepal Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Narayan Silwal earlier tweeted.

Crash site: Sanosware, Thasang-2, Mustang, he tweeted along with a picture of what appears to be the wreckage of the aircraft. Lt Mangal Shrestha, a police inspector and a guide have already reached the site, he said.

"Other rescue team members from different agencies are trying to reach the sites using small helicopters. Every possible means to reach the site is being considered," Brig Gen. Silwal said.

The plane took off at 9:55 am from Pokhara and lost contact with air control about 12 minutes later at 10:07am, according to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Sudarshan Bartaula, a spokesperson of Tara Air, said: As the bodies have been scattered over a 100-metre radius from the main impact point, the search and rescue team is collecting them."

The plane slammed into the mountain breaking into pieces, said Bartaula.

The impact has blown the bodies all over the hill, he said.

The photo posted on the social media site shows the tail and one wing of the aircraft remain intact.

The helicopter dropped three rescuers-from Nepal Army, Nepal Police and a high altitude rescue guide-early in the morning.

As the area can accommodate only one chopper at the crash site, it is shuttling the rescuers, said Bartaula.

The search was suspended on Sunday because of bad weather and failing light.

Nepal, home to eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Everest, has a record of air accidents.

In 2016, all 23 people aboard were killed when a plane of the same airline flying the same route crashed after takeoff.

In March 2018, a US-Bangla Air crash occurred at the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 51 people on board.

A Sita Air flight crashed in September 2012 while making an emergency landing at the Tribhuvan International Airport, killing 19 people.

A plane flying from Pokhara to Jomsom crashed near Jomsom airport on May 14, 2012, killing 15 people.

Tara Air is the newest and biggest airline service provider in the Nepalese mountains, according to the airline website. It started its business in 2009 with the mission of helping develop rural Nepal.

Pak-based terror group JeM, LeT maintain training camps in Afghanistan: UN report

30-May-2022 318

United Nations, May 30 (PTI) Pakistan-based terror groups such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, led by 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed, maintain their training camps in some provinces of Afghanistan and some of them are directly under the Taliban control, according to a UN report

The 13th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team cites a UN Member State as saying that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Deobandi group ideologically closer to the Taliban ?maintains eight training camps in Nangarhar, three of which are directly under Taliban control.?

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti, in his capacity as Chair of the Taliban Sanctions Committee, also known as the 1988 Sanctions Committee, transmitted the report to be "brought to the attention of the members of the Security Council and issued as a document of the Council."

The report said that Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Deobandi group led by Masood Azhar, is ideologically closer to the Taliban. Qari Ramazan is the newly appointed head of JeM in Afghanistan

It added that Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is described in the previous Monitoring Team reports as having provided finance and training expertise to Taliban operations

?Within Afghanistan, according to one Member State, it is led by Mawlawi Yousuf,? the report said, adding that in October 2021, according to one Member State, another LeT leader, Mawlawi Assadullah, met with Taliban Deputy Interior Minister Noor Jalil

The same Member State reported that in January 2022, a Taliban delegation visited a training camp used by LeT in the Haska Mena district of Nangarhar

"The group was said to maintain three camps in Kunar and Nangarhar. Previous LeT members have included Aslam Farooqi and Ejaz Ahmad Ahangar (a.k.a. Abu Usman al-Kashmiri), both of whom joined ISIL-K,? the report said

Another Member State said that there was no evidence of the presence of JeM and LeT in the region as a consequence of effective security operations targeting them, according to the report

The report further said that the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) constitutes the largest component of foreign terrorist fighters in Afghanistan, with their number estimated to be several thousand

Other groups include the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Jamaat Ansarullah and the LeT, with each numbering in the few hundreds

It said the TTP, led by Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud, has ?arguably benefitted? most of all the foreign extremist groups in Afghanistan from the Taliban takeover. It has conducted numerous attacks and operations in Pakistan

The TTP also continues to exist as a stand-alone force, rather than feeling pressure to merge its fighters into Afghan Taliban units, as is the prospect for most foreign terrorist fighters. The group is estimated to consist of 3,000 to 4,000 armed fighters located along the east and southeast Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas, the report said

According to one Member State, control of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations gives the Haqqani Network further points of contact with the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, it said

?Sirajuddin Haqqani has reportedly been relied upon more than anyone else in the de facto administration to act as an intermediary between TTP and Pakistan. Haqqani mediations have not led to a sustainable ceasefire, but are a further indication of Sirajuddin's central role within the Taliban as a mediator and figure of authority among rank-and-file of TTP and other mainly Pashtun groups in eastern Afghanistan,? the report said

?The Haqqani Network is still regarded as having the closest links to al-Qaeda?The group continues to be the trusted partner for local facilitation of safe havens and support for the al-Qaeda core, including by maintaining ties with so-called ?legacy al-Qaeda': those who long ago established relations with the late Jalaluddin Haqqani and to whom the Haqqanis feel indebted for supporting them and the Taliban,? the report said

The report noted that following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August last year, the Haqqani Network ?moved quickly? to secure control of certain key portfolios and ministries: interior, intelligence, passports and migration. ?Prominent de facto ministerial positions secured by the Haqqani Network include those occupied by de facto Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and de facto Minister for Refugees Khalil Ahmed Haqqani,? it said

?Responsibilities associated with these roles appear carefully chosen, as the ministries encompass the issuing of identity cards, passports and the monitoring of persons entering and exiting the country

?The Haqqani Network has also become the best militarily equipped faction and controls a number of armed formations, including the elite Badri 313 Battalion. The Haqqani Network now largely controls security in Afghanistan, including the security of the capital, Kabul,? the report said

The 11th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team had said that among those groups posing a security threat, Afghan officials highlighted Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, groups on which the Monitoring Team has written in the previous reports

It had been said that the presence of these groups is centred in the eastern provinces of Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan, where they operate under the umbrella of the Afghan Taliban

The 11th report had added that according to Afghan interlocutors, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayyiba facilitated the trafficking of terrorist fighters into Afghanistan, who act as advisers, trainers and specialists in improvised explosive devices

Both groups were responsible for carrying out targeted assassinations against government officials and others. Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed were stated to have approximately 800 and 200 armed fighters, respectively, co-located with Taliban forces in Mohmand Darah, Dur Baba and Sherzad districts of Nangarhar Province, the report said

Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan also maintains a presence in Lal Pura District, near the border area of Mohmand Darah, Pakistan. In Kunar Province, Lashkar-e-Taiba retains a further 220 fighters and Jaish-e-Mohammed has a further 30, all of whom are dispersed within Taliban forces, it added.

PM Modi discusses defence manufacturing, trade, technology with Japanese PM Kishida in Tokyo

25-May-2022 315

Tokyo, (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida here and the two leaders undertook a comprehensive stocktaking of the entire framework of the bilateral partnership to carry forward cooperation in diverse areas, including defence manufacturing in India and trade and technology.

Prime Minister Modi, who is here for the second in-person Quad summit, held a bilateral meeting with Kishida during which they underscored the importance of maintaining the momentum of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries.

Both leaders undertook a comprehensive stocktaking of the entire framework of bilateral partnership to carry forward our cooperation in diverse areas, including in the field of defence manufacturing in India, skill development, partnership, trade and technology partnership cooperation, including for resilient supply chains in the region, and other areas, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said in a media briefing.

This is Prime Minister Modi's fifth visit to Japan since becoming Prime Minister and his second meeting with his Japanese counterpart Kishida, he said.

Prime Minister Kishida invited Prime Minister Modi to visit Japan later this year for the annual summit, the Foreign Secretary said.

In fact, during the summit, both Prime Ministers underscored the importance of maintaining the momentum of regular high level exchanges between the two countries, he added.

Prime Minister Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and Australia's newly-elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday attended the second in-person Quad summit which took place under the shadow of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The summit also took place at a time when the relations between China and the Quad member countries have become tense, with Beijing increasingly challenging democratic values and resorting to coercive trade practices.

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.

In March last year, President Biden hosted the first-ever summit of the Quad leaders in the virtual format that was followed by an in-person summit in Washington in September. The Quad leaders also held a virtual meeting in March.

Australia will host the next Quad summit in 2023.

In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amidst China's growing military presence in the strategic region.

India, Japan are 'natural partners', PM Modi tells Indian community in Tokyo

24-May-2022 330

Tokyo, (PTI) India and Japan are "natural partners" and Japanese investments have played an important role in India's development journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he underlined that the global community is witnessing an extraordinary scale and speed of infrastructure and capacity development in the country.

Addressing the Indian community here on the first day of his two-day visit to Tokyo, Modi also said that India's relationship with Japan is one of strength, respect and common resolve for the world.

"India and Japan are natural partners. Japan has played an important role in India's development journey, said Modi, who is visiting Tokyo at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. Modi and Kishida will be holding bilateral talks here on Tuesday.

Modi said that Japan is an important partner in building infrastructure and manufacturing capacity in India. He cited Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, dedicated freight corridors- as examples of India-Japan cooperation.

He said India's relationship with Japan is that of Buddha, of knowledge, of meditation.

"Today's world needs to follow the path shown by Gautam Buddha. This is the only way to save humanity from the challenges like violence, anarchy, terrorism and climate change," Modi said in his over 35-minute-long speech.

Modi said that in the last two years, the way global chain supply was disrupted, the entire supply chain was questionable.

"To avert such a situation in future, we are moving ahead with the resolution of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'. Our resolution of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' is not only for India, this is also a very big investment for stable and sustained global chain supply," Modi said.

Noting that India has always found a solution no matter how big the problem is, Modi said that during coronavirus pandemic, there was an atmosphere of uncertainty, but even in that situation, India supplied 'Made in India' vaccines to crores of its citizens and also sent it to more than 100 countries.

"We are working towards strengthening the healthcare infrastructure in India," Modi said, adding that wellness centres are being developed to take healthcare to all corners of the country.

He said India is moving forward to fight the global challenge of Climate Change. "We have committed to become 'net zero' by 2070," he said.

"India is leading the climate change negotiations. From declaring the target of becoming Net-Zero till 2070 to initiating the International Solar Alliance, India is serious about working on a 'green future'," he added.

He said India has set the target of fulfilling 50% of its energy needs through non-fossil capacity by 2030.

"Today the world witnesses the extraordinary scale and speed of India's infrastructure and capacity development," the prime minister said.

He said that the digital revolution in India ensured that the banking system worked efficiently and effectively even during the COVID pandemic. India accounts for 40% of all digital transactions in the world, Modi said.

"As we complete 75 years of independence, India is working on the roadmap for the next 25 years," he said.

"In the last 8 years, we have made our democracy strong and resilient. It is serving as one of the strongest pillars of progress," Modi said.

India today has a people led government in the true sense. This has become a key reason in strengthening democracy in India, Modi said.

"We are working towards building a system that is not only inclusive but caters to a leakage proof governance to fulfil the aspirations of every citizen," he said.

"Today, India is optimistic about a tech-led, science-led, innovation-led and talent-led future," he said.

"Swami Vivekananda once said every Indian should visit Japan once in their life. Today, I will say, every Japanese should visit India once in their life," Modi said as he urged everyone to join and take forward the campaign of 'Bharat Chalo, Bharat se Judho'.

Modi thanked the Indian community in Japan for their warm reception.

"Whenever I visit Japan, I witness your affection. Many of you have settled in Japan for years and assimilated Japanese culture. Still, the dedication toward Indian culture and language is ever-growing," Modi told the Indian diaspora amid chats of slogans 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

Prime Minister Modi is in Japan on a two-day visit to attend a summit of the Quad leaders at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. He will also hold separate bilateral meetings with the Quad leaders on the sidelines of the summit.

Besides Modi, the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24 will be attended by US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida and Australian prime minister-elect Anthony Albanese

women’s education rights and said that it is the responsibility of the government to provide a safe education : Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub

23-May-2022 464

Speaking at the same gathering, another Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub criticized the economic sanctions on Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.

Kabul : (AGENCY)Taliban’s senior leader Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai came out in support of women’s education rights and said that it is the responsibility of the government to provide a safe education to them in the country.

Addressing a gathering to mark the death anniversary of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, a former Islamic Emirate leader, Stanikzai said that women should be provided with their rights based on Afghan culture and Islamic values, Tolo News reported. “Women can’t even ask for their inheritance. They are deprived of the right to education. Where will women learn Shariah’s lessons? Women make up half of Afghanistan’s population,” he said.

Stanikzai was critical of the small budget for development in economic sectors and also said that due to the economic challenges, people were forced to leave the country.

“We don’t have a chair in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), we don’t have a chair in the United Nations and we don’t have a political office in Europe,” he said.

Speaking at the same gathering, another Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub criticized the economic sanctions on Afghanistan, reported Tolo News.

“They imposed economic sanctions on Afghanistan and made a plot against us in Afghanistan,” he said.

The Taliban’s decision to ban female students above grade six from going to school has drawn widespread criticism at the national and international levels.

Further, the Taliban regime which took over Kabul in August last year has curtailed women’s rights and freedoms, with women largely excluded from the workforce due to the economic crisis and restrictions.

Musk mentioned that the CEO publicly refused to show proof of less than 5 per cent of bots

18-May-2022 354

Musk mentioned that the CEO publicly refused to show proof of less than 5 per cent of bots

Tech billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday said that the $44 billion Twitter deal "cannot move forward" until the micro-blogging site's CEO Parag Agrawal proves the bot numbers.

In a series of tweets, Musk mentioned that the CEO publicly refused to show proof of less than 5 per cent of bots.

"20 per cent fake/spam accounts, while 4 times what Twitter claims, could be much higher. My offer was based on Twitter's SEC filings being accurate," Musk wrote.

"Yesterday, Twitter's CEO publicly refused to show proof of less than 5 per cent. This deal cannot move forward until he does," he added.

Musk, at a conference in Miami, said that Twitter could have at least four times more fake accounts than what has been revealed in its filing.

On Monday, Musk attacked Agrawal after the Twitter CEO went into finer details on how the micro-blogging platform is fighting spam and fake accounts.

The Tesla CEO even showed an emoji depicting a "pile of poo" to Agrawal on his Twitter thread.

"Our actual internal estimates for the last four quarters were all well under 5 per cent - based on the methodology outlined above. The error margins on our estimates give us confidence in our public statements each quarter," said Agrawal.

"Unfortunately, we don't believe that this specific estimation can be performed externally, given the critical need to use both public and private information (which we can't share). Externally, it's not even possible to know which accounts are counted as mDAUs on any given day," he added.

Musk then replied on his Twitter thread: "So how do advertisers know what they are getting for their money? This is fundamental to the financial health of Twitter."

AGENCY IN PUT

Iran serious in Vienna talks, but not trusting ‘enemy’: Nuclear negotiator

16-May-2022 364

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator in the Vienna talks Ali Bagheri Kani speaks to reporters after a meeting of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) Joint Commission in Vienna, Austria, on Dec. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Chen/ians)

Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator has stressed that although the Islamic republic is serious concerning the Vienna talks, it is determined not to trust “the enemy”, according to Iran’s Foreign Ministry.

Ali Bagheri Kani, who is also Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, made the remarks on the sidelines of the 26th International Oil, Gas, Refining and Petrochemical Exhibition, titled Iran Oil Show, in Tehran on Sunday.

“Iran is serious in the process of the Vienna talks and fulfilment of its international commitments, including those pertaining to the removal of the sanctions, to the same extent that it is determined to refrain from trusting the enemy and relying on foreigners for protection from the coercive measures,” he said.

The diplomat added that “revolutionary wisdom” says that Iran must use all its diplomatic capacities to safeguard its national interests, Xinhua news agency reported.

He gave the assurance that the Iranian Foreign Ministry will use all international capacities for “neutralising the sanctions” in addition to making all-out diplomatic efforts aimed at the “maximum removal” of the US sanctions.

Bagheri Kani emphasised that the strategic policy of “neutralising the sanctions”, coupled with the smart initiative of lifting the embargoes, has foiled enemy’s plots to stop Iran’s development.

Iran has turned “the art of bypassing the sanctions” into “the knowledge of neutralising the sanctions,” he said, adding at present, other sanctioned countries seek to use the Islamic republic’s knowledge and experience.

Iran signed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with the world powers in July 2015, accepting to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of the sanctions on Tehran.

However, former US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the agreement in May 2018 and reimposed Washington’s unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting Iran to reduce some of its nuclear commitments under the agreement in retaliation.

Since April 2021, several rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining JCPOA parties to revive the deal.

Iran insists on obtaining guarantees that the succeeding US governments would not drop the deal again and calls for lifting the sanctions in a verifiable manner.

North Korea is facing the biggest challenge since the foundation of the republic over the spread of COVID-19

14-May-2022 381

North Korea is facing the biggest challenge since the foundation of the republic over the spread of COVID-19, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said, as quoted by the state-run KCNA news agency.

According to KCNA, Kim said that the country must focus on implementing the anti-coronavirus measures and boost them to stop the spread of the disease, Sputnik News Agency reported on Saturday.

The country has reported 17,400 new COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections to 520,000, according to the KCNA news agency.

Notably, 21 new fatalities were also reported due to the coronavirus cases, according to Sputnik News Agency.

North Korea reported the first coronavirus deaths on Friday. At least six persons were confirmed dead yesterday in the country.

On Thursday, the country announced a “major national emergency” after reporting its first case of COVID-19 Omicron variant and put in place a “maximum emergency” virus control system with leader Kim Jong Un vowing to “eliminate” the virus.

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

With this North Korea’s coronavirus-free claim has come to an end, reported the Yonhap News Agency.

Reportedly in a meeting conducted to discuss North Korea’s “most critical emergency” antivirus system that had been “firmly maintained” for more than two years, Kim pledged that the “unexpected crisis” shall be overcome. He further instructed all the officials to block every possibility to stop the spread of the virus.

Further, the North Korean leader ordered stricter vigilance along the borders on all fronts, the air, and sea to prevent a “safety vacuum” in the national defence of the country, reported the Yonhap News Agency. In addition, North Korean authorities stated that samples that were collected from patients suffering from fever indicated that they were identical to the omicron variant.

However, North Korea asserted that it has aimed to manage and also prevent the spread of the virus. It has further mentioned that it will provide treatment to the omicron-detected patients to “root out the source of transmission in the shortest period possible” the country’s state media reported.

AGENCY

Sri Lanka: New PM Ranil Wickremesinghe looks forward to closer ties with India

13-May-2022 733

Colombo (PTI ): Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has said he looks forward to closer ties with India during his term and thanked India for its economic assistance to the country as it tackles the worst economic crisis since independence.

Wickremesinghe, 73, was sworn-in as Sri Lanka's 26th prime minister on Thursday to stabilise the country's debt-ridden economy and end the political turmoil.

"I want a closer relationship and I want to thank Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi," Wickremesinghe said, referring to the Indian economic assistance to his country.

His remarks came during a religious ceremony held here last night after he took the oath.

India has committed more than USD 3 billion to debt-ridden Sri Lanka in loans, credit lines and credit swaps since January this year.

India on Thursday said it looked forward to working with the new Sri Lankan government formed in accordance with the democratic processes and New Delhi's commitment to the people of the island nation will continue.

The 73-year-old United National Party (UNP) leader took over as the prime minister as the country was without a government since Monday when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's elder brother and prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned after violence erupted following an attack on the anti-government protesters by his supporters.

The attack triggered widespread violence against Rajapaksa loyalists, leaving nine people dead and wounding over 200 others.

Wickremesinghe said his focus was limited to tackling the economic crisis.

"I want to settle this problem to ensure the supply of petrol, diesel and electricity to the people," Wickremesinghe said.

Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

"I will do the job that I have undertaken to do".

Asked if he could sustain his premiership in the 225-member Parliament since he only has only one seat, he said: "I will prove the majority when it comes to that".

Referring to the islandwide protests, Wickremesinghe said the main protest near president Gotabaya Rajapaksa's secretariat for over a month now would be allowed to continue.

"I will talk to them (protesters) if they are willing," he said.

Asked if he feared protest demanding him to quit, he said he would face them.

"If I can undertake the job to handle the economic crisis, I will handle that too," he said.

Wickremesinghe was appointed the Prime Minister as the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) party and the third-largest party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) attached tough conditions, such as the resignation of President Rajapaksa, to lead the interim government.

Wickremesinghe heads the interim government in which all political parties are to be stakeholders for a limited period before facilitating a parliamentary election.

Members of the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), a section of the main Opposition SJB and several other parties have expressed their support to show a majority for Wickremesinghe in Parliament, sources said.

However, several factions opposed the move to appoint Wickremesinghe as the new Prime Minister.

The JVP and the Tamil National Alliance claimed that his appointment was unconstitutional.

The veteran politician is seen as being close to the Rajapaksa clan. But he does not currently command much support from the Opposition or among the public. It remains to be seen if he can prove his majority in the 225-member Parliament.

"We will allow him space," Weerasumana Weerasinghe of the Communist Party said.

Former President Maithripala Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party party said its central committee would meet this morning to make a decision.

The trade union cum political party for the plantation community of Indian-origin, Ceylon Workers' Congress, said they would support Wickremesinghe.

Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis has provoked widespread protests calling for political reform and the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. On April 1, President Rajapaksa imposed a state of emergency, lifting it five days later. The government reimposed a state of emergency on May 6 after police fired teargas and arrested students protesting near parliament, which was adjourned until May 17.

Although the protests have been overwhelmingly peaceful, the police fatally shot a protester on April 19, and on several occasions have used teargas and water cannons against protesters. The authorities have made numerous arrests and repeatedly imposed curfews.

The political crisis was triggered in late March when people hurt by long hours of power cuts and essential shortages took to the streets demanding the resignation of the government.

President Rajapaksa sacked his cabinet and appointed a younger cabinet as a response to the demand for resignation. A continuous protest opposite his secretariat has now gone on for well over a month.

On Monday, his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as the prime minister to make way for the president to appoint an interim all political party government.

Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday after supporters of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked

13-May-2022 546

Colombo : anti-government protesters in Colombo this week, according to a media report on Thursday.

Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday after supporters of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country's worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power.

Over 200 people have also been injured in the violence in Colombo and other cities.

Sri Lanka prisons have launched an investigation on the allegations raised claiming that a group of inmates from the Watareka Open Prison Camp were used to attack protestors in Colombo recently, Commissioner General of Prisons Thushara Upuldeniya was quoted as saying by the News First website.

Footage posted on social media following the attack on peaceful protests showed locals detaining a group of men who later claimed that they were prisoners from the Watareka Open Prison Camp, the report added.

It was observed that the pants worn by the group of detained men were identical to those worn by people who were among the group that attacked peaceful protests on Monday in Colombo.

The Commissioner-General of Prisons said that the men were not wearing prison fatigues, but were wearing a uniform provided to them by the institutions that employed their services.

The Commissioner-General of Prisons, and another officer will be present at the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka on Thursday for an inquiry over the matter.

Several people sustained injuries as the supporters from the ruling SLPP, armed with poles and other objects, attacked 'GotaGoGama' protesters in Galle Face.

The mob destroyed several tents and other structures erected at Galle Face and also attacked some of the demonstrators, demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned as Sri Lankan Prime Minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital.

The violence saw arson attacks on the homes of several politicians, including the ancestral home of the Rajapaksas in Hambantota.

AGENCY

SAARC Journalists Forum condemns shooting death of Al Jazeera journalist

12-May-2022 423

Our voice': Friends react to Al Jazeera journalist's killing | Media News | Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera journalist Shirin Abu Akleh was shot in the head by Israeli forces while on duty in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.

He was killed while covering an Israeli operation in the city of Jenin.

The SAARC Journalists Forum has strongly condemned the incident. Let the killing and torture of journalists be stopped all over the world.

Raju Lama

President

Md Abdur Rahman

General Secretary

SAARC Journalist Forum.

The Egyptian army has killed 14 terrorists during armed clashes and military operations in North Sinai Governorate.

12-May-2022 235

The Egyptian army has killed 14 terrorists during armed clashes and military operations in North Sinai Governorate.

The Egyptian armed forces confirmed in a statement that seven terrorists were killed in clashes with law enforcement forces when they attempted to attack a security outpost in North Sinai, Xinhua news agency reported.

The terrorists’ automatic rifles, hand grenades and wireless communication devices were seized, according to the statement.

Another seven terrorists were killed in an air raid in North Sinai on the same day, according to the statement.

The anti-terror operations came after 11 Egyptian troops were killed and five others wounded on May 7 in clashes with terrorists in western Sinai.

Through a decade of fighting terrorism in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt has managed to minimize terrorist activities in the peninsula.

The terrorists in Sinai are mostly loyal to the Islamic State group.

AGENCY IN PUT

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns

11-May-2022 281

Colombo : (PTI) Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned on Monday, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters outside embattled President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's office, leaving at least 78 people injured and prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy army troops in the capital.

At least two Cabinet ministers have also announced their resignations.

Prime Minister Mahinda, 76, sent his resignation letter to the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa after violent scenes were witnessed in Colombo.

The violence occurred as pressure mounted on the embattled government led by his younger brother and President Gotabaya to form an interim administration to overcome the worst economic crisis facing the country.

Sri Lanka is currently in the throes of unprecedented economic turmoil since its independence from Britain in 1948. The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

Thousands of demonstrators have hit the streets across Sri Lanka since April 9 seeking resignation of President Gotabaya and Prime Minister Mahinda, as the government ran out of money for vital imports; prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed and there are acute shortages in fuel, medicines and electricity supply.

Call Pence or Trump? It’s decision time for January 6 panel

10-May-2022 288

Washington, May 9:The House committee investigating the January 6 insurrection has interviewed nearly 1,000 people. But the nine-member panel has yet to talk to the two most prominent players in that day’s events — former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence.

As the investigation winds down and the panel plans a series of hearings in June, members of the committee are debating whether to call the two men, whose conflict over whether to certify Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential election win was at the centre of the attack.

Trump pressured Pence for days, if not weeks, to use his ceremonial role presiding over the January 6 count to try to block or delay Biden’s certification. Pence refused to do so, and rioters who broke into the building that day called for his hanging.

There are reasons to call either or both of them. The committee wants to be as thorough as possible, and critics are sure to pounce if they don’t even try. But some lawmakers on the panel have argued that they’ve obtained all the information they need without Trump and Pence.

Nearly a year into their wide-ranging investigation into the worst attack on the Capitol in more than two centuries, the House committee has interviewed hundreds of witnesses and received more than 100,000 pages of documents.

Interviews have been conducted out of the public eye in obscure federal office buildings and private Zoom sessions.

The Democratic chairman, Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, said in early April that the committee has been able to validate a lot of the statements attributed to Trump and Pence without their testimony.

He said at that time there was “no effort on the part of the committee” to call Pence, though there have been discussions since then about potentially doing so.

Speaking about Pence, Thompson said the panel had “initially thought it would be important” to call him, but “there are a lot of things on that day we know — we know the people who tried to get him to change his mind about the count and all of that, so what is it we need?”

A lot of the people they are interviewing, Thompson added, “are people we didn’t have on the original list.”

The panel, comprised of seven Democrats and two Republicans, has said that the evidence it has compiled is enough to link Trump to a federal crime.

Much of the evidence the committee has released so far has come from White House aides and staff — including little-known witnesses like Cassidy Hutchinson, a former special assistant in the Trump White House, and Greg Jacob, who served as Pence’s chief counsel in the vice president’s office.

The panel also has thousands of texts from Trump’s final chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and has talked to two of the former president’s children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., who were with their father the day of the attack.

Among hundreds of others, the committee has also interviewed former White House aide Jared Kushner, Ivanka’s husband, former communications director Alyssa Farah and multiple Pence aides, including his chief of staff, Marc Short, and his national security adviser, Keith Kellogg.

Former White House press secretaries Kayleigh McEnany and Stephanie Grisham have also appeared, as has former senior policy adviser Stephen Miller.

There are still questions that Trump and Pence could answer, including what they talked about the morning of January 6, when Trump made his final plea for Pence to overturn the election when he presided over the Electoral College count in Congress.

Lawmakers have been able to document most of Trump’s end of the call but not what Pence said in response.

In the hours after Trump and Pence spoke, the vice president issued a statement saying he did not have the power to object to the counting of electoral votes.

But the president did not relent, and went on to publicly pressure Pence at his massive rally in front of the White House and then on Twitter even after his supporters had broken into the Capitol.

Still, it is unlikely that the two former leaders would speak about the conversation to the committee — and it’s unclear if they would cooperate at all.

While Pence has yet to comment on the committee’s work, Trump would certainly be a hostile witness. He has fought the investigation in court, demonised the committee on TV and tried to assert executive privilege over White House papers and any conversations he had with his aides — demands that would certainly apply to his morning call with Pence.

In addition, calling a former president or vice president to testify in a congressional investigation is a rare, if not unprecedented, move that could face major legal hurdles and backfire politically.

The January 6 committee has given only a glimpse of what it has found, mostly in court filings where excerpts of transcripts have been used.

A recent filing from the committee revealed portions of interviews with Hutchinson that took place in February and March of this year. That testimony provided new evidence about the involvement of GOP lawmakers in Trump’s effort to overturn the 2020 election, including a meeting at the White House in which attorneys for the president advised that putting up an alternate slate of electors declaring Trump the winner was not “legally sound”. (AP)

Hyderabad honour killing case,(AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on condemned the incident

07-May-2022 668

Hyderabad honour killing case, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday condemned the incident that took place in Saroornagar in Telangana and termed it as a "criminal act" as per constitution and Islam.

Addressing the public in Telangana's Hyderabad on Friday, Asaduddin Owaisi said, "We condemn the (honour killing) incident that took place in Saroornagar. The woman willingly decided to get married. Her brother doesn't have any right to kill her husband. It's a criminal act as per constitution & the worst crime as per Islam."

"This incident is being given another colour since yesterday. Didn't the Police here arrest the accused immediately? They have arrested him. We do not stand with the murderers," he added.

A 25-year old Hindu man was brutally killed in public view by his Muslim wife's brother and another person in a case of suspected honour killing, with the incident sending shock waves after the gory murder that was caught on camera went viral.

The incident happened on Wednesday night at Saroornagar when the victim, B Nagaraju, a Dalit was travelling on a motorbike with his wife and was confronted by his attackers -- Syed Mobin Ahmed and Mohammed Masood Ahmed -- who came on a scooter, stopped the couple on the road and attacked the man in full public view with an iron rod before stabbing him with a knife, killing him on the spot, police said. Both persons have been arrested.

Police had said Syed Mobin Ahmed was opposed to his sister's relationship with Nagaraju, and had even warned her against it.

( Agencies)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that Twitter will focus deeply on hardcore software engineering

07-May-2022 286

IANS

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that Twitter will focus deeply on hardcore software engineering, design, and more, following the completion of the acquisition of the micro-blogging site.

The Tesla CEO also mentioned that he strongly believes that all managers in a technical area “must be technically excellent”.

“If Twitter acquisition completes, the company will be super focused on hardcore software engineering, design, infosec and server hardware,” Musk tweeted late Friday.

“I strongly believe that all managers in a technical area must be technically excellent. Managers in software must write great software or it is like being a cavalry captain who cannot ride a horse!”

He tagged an article from Fortune, along with one of his tweets that said “Job interest in Twitter skyrocketed more than 250 per cent since Musk moved to take over”.

Meanwhile, CNBC’s David Faber, who first broke the news about Jack Dorsey stepping down as Twitter CEO, has now claimed that Musk will be the temporary CEO of the company for a few months.

According to the report, Musk has detailed the plans in presentations to possible funders for the $44 billion takeover deal of Twitter.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has been leading the micro-blogging platform since November, after taking over the helm from Dorsey.

Elon Musk is likely to take over as a temporary CEO of Twitter the media reported on Thursday.

06-May-2022 529

Elon Musk is likely to take over as a temporary CEO of Twitter when the $44 billion takeover deal is through, the media reported on Thursday.

According to a CNBC report, Musk has detailed the plans in presentations to possible funders for the takeover.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has been leading the micro-blogging platform since November, after taking over the helm from Jack Dorsey.

CNBC’s David Faber, who first broke the news about Dorsey stepping down as Twitter CEO, has now claimed that Musk will be the temporary CEO at the company for a few months.

A fresh US SEC filing on Thursday also revealed that Musk has secured nearly $7.14 billion in equity commitments from friends and other investors to acquire Twitter.

Musk received $1 billion from Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and $5 million from Honeycomb Asset Management, which invested in his SpaceX company, the report mentioned.

Twitter stock jumped nearly 3 per cent after the latest news, while Tesla’s shares went down more than 4 per cent.

Amid fear of mass exodus from Twitter, employees last week grilled Agrawal about their uncertain future once Musk takes over.

In a town hall meeting on Friday, the employees demanded answers from Agrawal as to how the company is planning to handle an “anticipated mass exodus prompted by Musk”.

Agrawal replied that he believes “the future Twitter organisation will continue to care about its impact on the world and its customers”.

Twitter under Agrawal fears that Musk’s ‘free speech’ agenda can hurt its $4.5 billion a year advertising business.

Advertisers are having nightmares as free speech can hamper their prospects on the platform as their brand’s name may appear alongside hate speech and abusive or dangerous content without moderation.

Nearly 26 activist organisations and NGOs have signed a letter to Twitter advertisers, asking them to boycott the platform if Musk makes content moderation changes.

The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that rescue helicopters found nine of the 26 people from a tour boat missing in the frigid waters

24-Apr-2022 964

AP | NEWS AGENCY

Tokyo :The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that rescue helicopters found nine of the 26 people from a tour boat missing in the frigid waters of northern Japan since the day before, but their conditions are unknown.

Rescuers intensified their search earlier Sunday and found four people near the tip of Shiretoko Peninsula and five more people in the same area a few hours later, but the coast guard said it could not confirm whether they were rescued alive.

NHK public television said they were unconscious.

The coast guard said all nine people were found in the area near the tip of the peninsula north of where the boat sent a distress call on Saturday.

The location is known as a difficult place to maneuver boats because of its rocky coastline.

The same tour boat had an accident there last year.

Footage on NHK showed one of the rescued people arriving on a helicopter and being transferred to an ambulance on a stretcher, while rescuers held up blue plastic shields for privacy.

An orange-colored, square-shaped lifesaving float with the boat's name on it was also seen on the rocky coast.

The boat carrying 24 passengers, including two children, and two crew members went missing after sending a distress call, saying it took on water and was beginning to sink.

The first report of Sunday's rescue came after nearly 19 hours of intense search involving six patrol boats, several aircraft and divers.

The coast guard said the search continued through the night and has since expanded, with local fishing and tour boats joining the efforts, while the Self Defense Force dispatched a destroyer and three planes.

The 19-ton Kazu 1 made an emergency call early Saturday afternoon, saying the ship's bow had flooded and that it was beginning to sink and tilt, while travelling off the western coast of Shiretoko Peninsula on the northern island of Hokkaido, the coast guard said.

The tour boat has since lost contact, according to the coast guard. Seventeen people are still missing.

The coast guard said the operator told them that everyone on the boat was wearing a life vest.

Average April sea temperatures in Shiretoko National Park are just above freezing.

An official for the vessel's operator, Shiretoko Pleasure Cruise, said he could not comment because he had to respond to calls from worried families of the passengers.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who was attending a two-day summit in Kumamoto in southern Japan, canceled his programme for the second day and returned to Tokyo.

He told reporters in the early hours of Sunday that he instructed officials “to do everything they can for the rescue.”

The cause of the accident is still under investigation, but experts suspect the boat ran aground and was damaged in rough seas in an area known for strong currents and a rocky coastline.

High waves and strong winds were observed in the area around noon, according to a local fisheries cooperative.

Japanese media reports said fishing boats had returned to port before noon because of the bad weather.

NHK said there was a warning for high waves of up to 3 metres.

A tour boat crew belonging to another operator told NHK that he warned of rough seas when he spotted the Kazu 1 crew and told them not to go.

He said the same boat went aground last year and suffered a crack on its bow.

The coast guard confirmed that the same boat went aground in the area last June, though nobody was injured in that accident.

Yoshihiko Yamada, a Tokai University marine science professor, said the boat was likely to have run aground after it was tossed around in high waves and damaged, flooded and probably sank.

A tour boat of that size usually does not carry a life boat, and passengers possibly could not escape a rapidly sinking vessel with its windows likely closed to shield them from strong winds.

In an interview with TBS television, Yamada said there was also a slight possibility the boat could have been hit by a whale.

The cold temperature and strong wind could cause hypothermia and put the passengers in severe conditions for survival, according to Jun Abe, vice chairman of the Society of Water Rescue and Survival Research.

“It's a very severe condition especially when they are wet,” Abe told TBS.

According to the operator's website, the tour takes around three hours and offers scenic views of the western coast of the peninsula and includes potential sightings of animals such as whales, dolphins and brown bears.

The national park is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous as the southernmost region to see drifting sea ice.

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World

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women’s education rights and said that it is the responsibility of the government to provide a safe education : Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub

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North Korea is facing the biggest challenge since the foundation of the republic over the spread of COVID-19

Sri Lanka: New PM Ranil Wickremesinghe looks forward to closer ties with India

Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday after supporters of former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked

SAARC Journalists Forum condemns shooting death of Al Jazeera journalist

The Egyptian army has killed 14 terrorists during armed clashes and military operations in North Sinai Governorate.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa resigns

Call Pence or Trump? It’s decision time for January 6 panel

Hyderabad honour killing case,(AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on condemned the incident

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has revealed that Twitter will focus deeply on hardcore software engineering

Elon Musk is likely to take over as a temporary CEO of Twitter the media reported on Thursday.

The Japanese Coast Guard said Sunday that rescue helicopters found nine of the 26 people from a tour boat missing in the frigid waters

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