Month: January 2021

Categories
-Top News EU News

Greece detects 1st case of SA Covid variant

The patient who tested positive for this strain is an official with the Greek Orthodox Christian Church, said Nikos Hardalias, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management…reports Asian Lite News

Greek authorities announced that the first case of the mutated coronavirus strain detected in South Africa was diagnosed in Thessaloniki city in northern Greece.

The patient who tested positive for this strain is an official with the Greek Orthodox Christian Church, said Nikos Hardalias, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

“We are conducting sweeping screening tests, with molecular tests and rapid tests, in the wider area… There is no reason to panic,” he told Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of the National Public Health Organization (EODY), called on citizens to take all precautions and comply with instructions given by experts.

EODY announced on Sunday that 107 cases of the mutated strain first identified in Britain have been recorded in Greece following analysis of samples taken in the period of January 12 to January 27, bringing the total cases of such strain to 173 in the country.

Greece has been under a nationwide lockdown since November 7. On Friday it was further extended till February 8.

On Sunday EODY announced 484 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, taking the tally since the start of the pandemic in Greece last winter to 156,957.

EODY also confirmed another 17 deaths, bringing the toll to 5,796.

As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in some countries with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.

Meanwhile, 236 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide — 63 of them in clinical trials — in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on January 26.

Also read:UK Police launch probe in asylum centre blaze

Categories
-Top News ASEAN News Asia News

Suu Kyi arrested, military takes control of Myanmar

Besides Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were also detained by the military earlier in the day….reports Asian Lite News

The Myanmar military on Monday detained government leaders including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, after which the government declared a state of emergency which will last one year.

The emergency declaration signed by First Vice President U Myint Swe, who is serving as the Acting President, was announced on the military-owned Myawady TV, reports Xinhua news agency.

The state power will be handed over to Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Min Aung Hlaing, according to the declaration.

Besides Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint, other senior officials of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD) were also detained by the military earlier in the day.

“I received internal reports about our state counsellor and president being taken by the military. As far as I was informed, Shan State’s Planning and Finance Minister U Soe Nyunt Lwin, Kayah state’s NLD chairman Thaung Htay and some NLD representatives of the Ayeyarwady region’s Parliament have been detained,” Myo Nyunt, spokesperson of the NLD, told Xinhua.

“Two members of the Central Executive Committee of the party were taken and I am also waiting to be detained as I was informed by our members that my turn will come shortly,” he said.

The state-run Radio and Television (MRTV) is also no longer working, the channel announced on its social media page.

Telecommunications in capital city of Nay Pyi Taw and some other regions and states are also being cut off.

The coup comes after tensions escalated between the civilian government and the military following the disputed November 2020 general elections.

In the election, Suu Kyi’s NLD won enough seats to form a government, the BBC reported.

But the army has insisted that the vote was fraudulent.

The newly-elected lower house of parliament was due to convene for the first time on Monday but the military was calling for a postponement.

Myanmar was ruled by the military until democratic reforms began in 2011.

Also read:Myanmar extends Int’l flight ban

Categories
-Top News Sport

Modi hails Team India

“This month, we got good news from the cricket pitch. After initial hiccups, the Indian team bounced back strongly and won the Test series in Australia. Our team’s hard work and teamwork was inspiring,”said Modi…reports Asian Lite News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday once again praised the Indian men’s cricket team for their recent Test series win against Australia, saying that the team’s hard work and teamwork is inspiring.

“This month, we got good news from the cricket pitch. After initial hiccups, the Indian team bounced back strongly and won the Test series in Australia. Our team’s hard work and teamwork was inspiring,” Modi said during his monthly ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on their part, has expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his appreciation and tweeted: “Thank you Shri Narendra Modi for your appreciation and words of encouragement. Team India will do everything possible to keep the Tricolour flying high.”

The Indian team, after facing an embarrassing loss in the first Test in Adelaide where they were bowled out for their lowest Test score of 36, came back strongly in the next three matches to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy in an emphatic manner. The series saw Indian team register their first win at the Gabba in Brisbane — a venue where Australia last suffered a defeat in 1988.

Earlier, addressing the 18th Convocation of Tezpur University in Assam, Modi had on January 22 said the Team India’s victory is highly inspirational for the youth of the country.

“Indian team faced a lot of challenges in the recent tour of Australia. They suffered crushing defeat yet recovered equally fast and won the next match. The players showed determination despite injuries. They took the challenge head on and looked for fresh solutions instead of getting frustrated by difficult conditions,” Modi had said.

“There were inexperienced players but their morale was high and they grabbed the opportunity given to them. They overpowered a better team with their talent and temperament,” he added.

Before that, after the three-wicket win in the last Test in Brisbane on January 19, the Prime Minister had congratulated the Ajinkya Rahane-led side and tweeted: “We are all overjoyed at the success of the Indian cricket team in Australia. Their remarkable energy and passion was visible throughout. So was their stellar intent, remarkable grit and determination. Congratulations to the team! Best wishes for your future endeavours.”

The Indian cricket team will next take on England in a four-Test home series beginning February 5 in Chennai.

Also read:‘Bairstow will join England squad after 1st Test’

Categories
India News

Maoists set vehicles on fire in MP

Balaghat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Tiwari told the media that the Maoists are suspected to be involved in the incident and the police are carrying out search operations to nab them…reports Asian Lite News

Nearly a dozen Maoists set three vehicles on fire in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh which were involved in construction work on a road as 10 to 12 Maoists were reportedly involved in the incident on Sunday.

According to official information, road construction work is on between Devbareilly-Malkua in Lanji police station area and this work is being undertaken by a Raipur contractor. On Sunday morning, the Maoists set ablaze a truck and two tractors as well as threatened an employee of the company.

Balaghat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Tiwari told the media that the Maoists are suspected to be involved in the incident and the police are carrying out search operations to nab them.

Also read: Pak General confesses China’s role in crushing Baloch movement

Categories
-Top News USA

US makes masks mandatory in public transport

The CDC measure will requires the wearing of masks at bus terminals, airports, train stations, subway stops, taxis and also while using ride-hailing services….reports Asian Lite News

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an order which will make wearing of masks on planes and other public transportation mandatory across the country in a latest attempt to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The order is set to come into effect on Monday night, The Hill news website reported on Saturday.

The CDC measure will requires the wearing of masks at bus terminals, airports, train stations, subway stops, taxis and also while using ride-hailing services.

“People must wear masks that cover both the mouth and nose when awaiting, boarding, traveling on, or disembarking public conveyances. People must also wear masks when entering or on the premises of a transportation hub in the US,” The Hill news website quoted the CDC as saying in a statement.

Failure to wear the masks in the designated spaces will result in a violation of federal law.

A day after his inauguration, President Joe Biden on January 21 issued an executive orderdirecting federal agencies to “immediately take action” to mandate the use of masks in airports, trains, intercity bus services and public maritime vessels such as ferries.

The CDC order comes as the US continues to see thousands of new cases of the coronavirus each day, as well as deaths.

In its latest update on Sunday morning, the Johns Hopkins University revealed that the overall caseload and death toll in the US, currently the worst-hit country in the world stood at 26,067,807 and 439,420, respectively.

Also read:‘New strains may drive up US Covid death toll’

Categories
Afghanistan Asia News

EU calls for ‘end to Afghan violence’

The second round of intra-Afghan talks after more than three weeks of break resumed on January 6 without significant progress…reports Asian Lite News

The European Unions (EU) special envoy to Afghanistan, Roland Kobia, has called for an immediate end to violence in the war-torn country, followed by a ceasefire.

Taking to Twitter on Saturday, Kobia said: “If some parties don’t like the term «ceasefire», call it truce, cessation of hostilities, moratorium, silent period. Whatever the semantics until it stops rivers of Afghan blood. You have an opportunity with new US administration to show you -really- want peace. Now”.

Without naming anyone or party, he stated there is a good opportunity with the new US administration of President Joe Biden, but political parties in Afghanistan have to demonstrate how much they are intended to have a prolonged peace, Khaama Press reported.

Violent incidents mostly in the shape of target killing has been on rise over the past couple of months amid the tough and slow peace dialogue between negotiating teams of the Afghan government and Taliban group in Doha.

The second round of intra-Afghan talks after more than three weeks of break resumed on January 6 without significant progress, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to local media reports, no official dialogue has been held between the two sides over the past 10 days.

Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said last week that he had instructed the government negotiating team to focus on ceasefire and violence reduction to make the talks succeed.

However, the Taliban has demanded the resignation of the Afghan president from power as precondition for ceasefire and making peace.

A member of Taliban negotiating team Sher Mohammad Abas Stanikzai, according to media reports, has said that the armed group was ready “to make peace if Ashraf Ghani resigns” from power.

President Ghani has rejected the demand, saying that he is not the obstacle to peace rather he is a champion for peace in Afghanistan.

Also read:Pak General confesses China’s role in crushing Baloch movement

Categories
USA

Vaccinated Democratic lawmaker tests Covid 19 positive

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it takes “a few weeks” for the body to build immunity after vaccination….reports Asian Lite News

Stephen Lynch, a Democratic lawmaker from Massachusetts, has tested positive for Covid-19 after he was vaccinated against the virus earlier this month, the media reported.

In a report published on Saturday, The Hill news website said that Lynch had received a second dose of Pfizer and BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine and has tested negative before attending the inauguration ceremony for President Joe Biden on January 20.

“This afternoon US Representative Stephen F. Lynch received a positive test result for Covid-19 after a staff member in the Congressman’s Boston office had tested positive earlier in the week,” Molly Rose Tarpey, a spokesperson for the lawmaker, said in a statement on Saturday.

Tarpey said that Lynch plans to isolate and will vote by proxy over the coming week, the news outlet reported.

He remains asymptomatic.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it takes “a few weeks” for the body to build immunity after vaccination.

This means that a person could be exposed just before or right after the jab and still get infected

Also read:‘New strains may drive up US Covid death toll’

Categories
UK News

UK Police launch probe in asylum centre blaze

Home Secretary Priti Patel has issued a statement to slam the “appalling” damage….reports Asian Lite News

Police in the UK have launched an investigation into a fire which broke out at a barracks in Kent, southeastern England, where the government is holding hundreds of asylum seekers, according to a media report.

Asylum seekers have been temporarily moved from the barracks following the blaze on Friday afternoon, which was also recently the site of a major outbreak of coronavirus, Xinhua news agency quoted the Evening Standard newspaper as saying in a report on Saturday.

Video footage from the scene at the barracks showed heavy smoke and flames on Friday afternoon amid the sound of alarms, said the newspaper.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has issued a statement to slam the “appalling” damage.

According to the police, there have been no reported injuries and enquiries remain ongoing to determine the cause of the fire and establish whether any offences have been committed.

There have been reports of suicide attempts at the barracks and more than 18,000 people signed a petition to shut the site down amid concerns over conditions inside, said the newspaper.

The military site has been used to house about 400 asylum seekers since September last year, despite concerns over conditions.

Fears for their welfare escalated this week after 120 people are believed to have tested positive for Covid-19, said the newspaper.

Also read:‘Some curbs to remain in UK until pandemic ends’

Categories
-Top News Asia News

Lebanon to feed 50,000 families in Tripoli

This past week, Tripoli witnessed four consecutive days of violent protests leaving hundreds of people injured…reports Asian Lite News

Lebanese Caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that the government will secure food aid for over 50,000 families in Tripoli, the country’s largest northern city which is currently facing tough circumstances.

“We will also work to secure other kinds of support as fast as possible,” Diab said on Saturday.

This past week, Tripoli witnessed four consecutive days of violent protests leaving hundreds of people injured, Xinhua news agency reported.

Demonstrators took to the street in the city to protest against the Covid-19 lockdown measures which led to increased poverty amid absence of support.

The January 26 protests in Tripoli led to the injury of 76 people and the arrest of five others.

Also read:Macron voices support for Lebanon in difficult times

Categories
Asia News

Vietnam Prez to swear in as communist party chief

The election took place at the first meeting of the newly-elected 13th CPVCC on Sunday morning during the ongoing 13th CPV National Congress scheduled to run through February 1…reports Asian Lite News

The 13th Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee (CPVCC) on Sunday re-elected incumbent President Nguyen Phu Trong as the its general secretary for a third term.

The election took place at the first meeting of the newly-elected 13th CPVCC on Sunday morning during the ongoing 13th CPV National Congress scheduled to run through February 1, Xinhua news agency.

The CPVCC’s politburo, secretariat, inspection commission and head of the inspection commission were also elected at the meeting.

A total of 1,587 delegates representing over 5.1 million CPV members are attending the congress which kicked off on January 25.

A press release made public earlier on Saturday read that the congress had agreed on adjusting the agenda of the political event, which will now conclude on February 1, one day earlier than in the original program.

Also read:‘New strains may drive up US Covid death toll’