Month: December 2021

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Arab News News World

Palestine Prez warns Israel not to undermine the vision of the two-state solution

Palestine Prez

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has warned Israel not to undermine the vision of the two-state solution, which is backed by the international community…reports Asian Lite News

“Undermining the two-state solution would motivate the central council of Palestine Liberation Organisation to take decisive decisions,” Abbas said in a televised speech on Monday.

According to Israeli media, the warning came just days after Israel approved the construction of 372 settlement units in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Xinhua news agency reported.

Palestine Prez warns Israel not to undermine the vision of the two-state solution

The Palestinians “won’t accept the continuation of the (Israeli) occupation of the land and the Palestinian people forever,” he added.

“The Palestinian side is still extending its hands to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in accordance with the two-state solution and the international resolution under the auspices of the international Quartet,” Abbas said.

ALSO READ: Palestine welcomes Belgium’s decision to label Israeli settlements’ products

“Persistent violations of the rights of Palestinians along with the expansion of settlements risk eroding the prospect of a two-state solution,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday, while addressing a meeting marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.

Direct peace talks between Israel and Palestine came to a halt in late March 2014, following deep differences on issues related to Jewish settlements and the recognition of a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.

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-Top News UK News

UK’s booster jabs likely by Jan-end

“Temporary vaccine centers will be popping up like Christmas trees”, adding that some 400 military personnel and the “jabs army of volunteers” will also help with the rollout, said Johnson…reports Asian Lite News

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that everyone above 18 years of age will be offered a booster vaccine by the end of January and another lockdown is “extremely unlikely”.

Speaking at a Downing Street news briefing on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said the rollout of booster programme will go in age order, and that there will be more than 1,500 community pharmacy sites in England offering the jabs.

“Temporary vaccine centers will be popping up like Christmas trees”, adding that some 400 military personnel and the “jabs army of volunteers” will also help with the rollout, Johnson said.

A further eight cases of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant have been identified in England, bringing the total number of confirmed cases of the SARS-CoV-2 variant known as B.1.1.529 in Britain to 22, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Xinhua news agency reported.

The UKHSA said it is acting to get scientific information available as quickly as possible in order to inform the right balance of interventions to prevent transmission of the new variant and protect lives.

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid told the news conference that authorities are looking to establish any link to South Africa in the new England cases, but added we have to be “realistic” and there is “likely to be community transmission” of the new variant.

Britain registered 39,716 new Covid-19 infections, bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 10,228,772, according to official figures released Tuesday.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a vial of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine Covid-19 candidate vaccine, known as AZD1222, at Wockhardt’s pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Wrexham, North Wales. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street

The country also reported a further 159 coronavirus-related deaths. The total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Britain now stands at 144,969. These figures only include the deaths of people who died within 28 days of their first positive test.

More than 88 per cent of people aged 12 and above in Britain have received their first dose of vaccine and more than 80 per cent have received both the doses, according to the latest figures.

More than 31 per cent have received booster jabs, or the third dose of anti-coronavirus vaccine.

To restore normalcy, countries such as Britain, China, Germany, Russia and the US have been racing against time to roll out Covid vaccines.

ALSO READ: Omicron fear grips UK as tally rises

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Films Lite Blogs

‘83’ on unforgettable moments of Indian Cricket

Actress Deepika Padukone, who is essaying the role of Kapil’s wife Romi Dev too makes several appearances in the trailer…reports Asian Lite News.

The trailer for Ranveer Singh-starrer ’83’ is finally unveiled bringing alive one of the most unforgettable moments of Indian cricket.

Ranveer stars as former star cricketer Kapil Dev in the film, which tells the story of how the Indian cricket team, “a team that no one believed in”, brought the World Cup home in 1983 after beating the champions, West Indies in a match.

The over-three-minute-long trailer started with the Indian team faltering on the field. Ranveer as Kapil declares at the press conference that they are ‘here to win’.

Acclaimed actor Pankaj Tripathi plays the then-manager of the team PR Man Singh, is seen telling Kapil, “35 saal pehle hum log aazaadi jeete, magar izzat jeetna baaki hai, kaptaan (We won independence 35 years ago but we are yet to win respect, captain).”

The latter half of the trailer showcases how the Indian team makes an impactful comeback, with Kapil hitting back-to-back sixes, smashing dressing room windows, glasses and windscreens of cars.

Actress Deepika Padukone, who is essaying the role of Kapil’s wife Romi Dev too makes several appearances in the trailer.

Other actors such as Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Addinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa and R.Badree too make appearances in the trailer.

Directed by Kabir Khan, 83 is one of the most anticipated films of the year.

Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films present 83, a Kabir Khan Films Production. Reliance Entertainment and PVR Pictures release.

’83’ is slated to release on December 24 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. Also, in 3D.

ALSO READ-Ekta joins Ropso to launch EK brand

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COVID-19 World

Global Covid caseload tops 262.73 mn

Global Covid caseload tops 262.73 mn

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 262.73 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 5.21 million and vaccination to over 7.99 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University…reports Asian Lite News

In its latest update on Wednesday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 262,735,124 and 5,214,928 respectively. And the total number of vaccine doses administered was 7,992,506,676.

Global Covid caseload tops 262.73 mn

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 48,554,890 and 780,140, respectively according to the CSSE.

The second worst hit country in terms of cases is India (34,587,822 infections and 468,980 deaths), followed by Brazil (22,094,459 infections and 614,681 deaths).

ALSO READ: Global Covid caseload tops 262.14 mn

The other worst countries with over 5 million cases are the UK (10,285,745), Russia (9,468,640), Turkey (8,797,558), France (7,778,575), Iran (6,117,445), Germany (5,881,432), Argentina (5,330,748), Spain (5,164,184) and Colombia (5,069,644), the CSSE figures showed.

Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are Mexico (293,950), Russia (269,900), Peru (201,144), the UK (145,414), Indonesia (143,830), Italy (133,828), Iran (129,830), Colombia (128,528), France (120,112) and Argentina (116,589).

Categories
Arab News Saudi Arabia World

Saudi-led led airstrikes launched on Houthi-controlled military camps

Saudi-led led airstrikes launched on Houthi-controlled military camps

Warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes on military camps controlled by the Houthi militia in Yemeni capital Sanaa…reports Asian Lite News

The Houthi-controlled Saba news agency said that the airstrikes hit the al-Daylami base, which is adjacent to Sanaa International Airport, and the armored first division camp, which is surrounded by residential neighbourhoods. Both camps are located in the northern part of Sanaa.

Saudi-led led airstrikes launched on Houthi-controlled military camps

Powerful explosions were heard across the capital following the airstrikes on Tuesday early morning, Xinhua news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV cited a statement from the coalition as saying that the airstrikes targeted depots and workshops for storing and assembling ballistic missiles in both camps in Sanaa.

ALSO READ: Two people killed in Saudi-led airstrikes on Sanaa

The Iran-backed Houthi militia has recently intensified cross-border missile and drone attacks against Saudi cities. In February, the Yemeni rebel group began a major offensive against the Saudi-backed Yemeni government army to capture the oil-rich province of Marib in central Yemen.

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COVID-19 News World

Antonio: Global vaccination plan only way to stop pandemic

Global vaccination plan only way to stop pandemic UN Chief

For the Secretary General, it was recent reforms that enabled the world body to adjust and respond quickly…reports Asian Lite News

“As a result, more than 90 per cent of host governments have indicated that the UN today is more relevant to their country’s development needs when compared to three years ago,” he said.

On the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement, the UN Chief added that “we must intensify our efforts in this Decade of Action to deliver the sustainable development goals. This is vital to achieving a fair globalisation, boosting economic growth and preventing conflict.”

Antonio Guterres

Noting that the outcome of COP26 in Glasgow was the bare minimum required to keep the 1.5-degree promise of Paris alive, Guterres said that he counts on the leadership of the G77 and China over the coming year “to increase ambition and push for that ambition not only on mitigation, but on adaptation — a basic need for so many countries — on finance, and on loss and damage, where we still have such a long way to go.”

ALSO READ: Antonio violations of Palestinians rights threaten two-state solution

“We need a quantum leap in unity and solidarity to make collective decisions on the global challenges we face, from the climate crisis to our suicidal war on nature, unsustainable levels of inequality, and the unchecked development of new technologies,” he said.

Categories
-Top News China

Chinese debt trap: Lanka going Ugandan way

Lankan former Army Commander alleged that it has been made a slave of one camp and also have worked to achieve political and military ambitions of another state, and thereby let the country lose it’s integrity and sovereignty.,,,reports Asian Lite News

Sarath Fonseka, Sri Lanka’s former Army Commander and Presidential candidate, has warned that Sri Lanka which has fallen into Chinas debt trap would end up like Uganda, which had to give away their only international airport to China.

Fonseka, who led Sri Lanka’s three-decade long civil war against Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels to victory in 2009, said this in a Facebook post titled “Sri Lanka is being engulfed in Chinese debt trap that destroyed Uganda”.

Drawing a parallel between Uganda’s airport and Chinese-funded new airport built in Hambantota in southern Sri Lanka, he added that going beyond the country’s foreign diplomacy, it has been made a slave of one camp and also have worked to achieve political and military ambitions of another state, and thereby let the country lose it’s integrity and sovereignty.

ALSO READ: Rogue fertiliser ship from China flouts orders, returns to Sri Lanka

“Just as what happened during the Rajapaksa’s regime, the corrupt political leaders of Uganda, ignoring the national plan and priorities, had gone on with the constructions with commercial loans at high interest rates that attract commissions,” alleged Field Marshal Fonseka.

“Instead of developing the Colombo Harbour, Hambantota Harbour which was not so important project, is now owned by China and it is being used as a naval corridor in the centre of the Indian Ocean,” the former military leader said.

“Hambantota Harbour is being looked at as a Chinese Naval base by India, the US and other Quad countries. This is a serious threat to Sri Lanka’s security. We would be able to see the result of these idiotic decisions during the definite power struggle in the region within next 60 to 80 months.”

The opposition MP, Fonseka, who said with the way how Chinese Ambassador is being reacted like a “mad man for the dirt ship”, the future is very clear and we have to rectify this situation in the future.

ALSO READ: Navies of India, Lanka, Maldives conduct trilateral operations

ALSO READ: Dragon’s trap choke Lanka

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-Top News UAE News World

Sheikh Abdullah, Iranian FM discuss ties

Abdullah-bin-Zayed-

The parties tackled the latest regional and global developments of mutual concern…reports Asian Lite News

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, received a phone call from Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran.

During the conversation, they discussed bilateral relations and cooperation and ways to enhance them to advance the interests of their countries.

Hossein-Amir-Abdollahian

Last week, Dr. Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, met with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Ali Bagheri Kani as part of his visit to the UAE.

During the meeting, they discussed ties between the UAE and Iran. The two sides emphasised the importance of enhancing relations based on good neighbourliness and mutual respect within the framework of the joint interests, working to achieve more stability and prosperity in the region, and developing economic relations and experiences between the two neighbouring countries.

The parties tackled the latest regional and global developments of mutual concern.

Vienna talks

Western parties to the 2015 nuclear agreement have accepted to give priority to the sanctions issue in the Vienna talks, Iranian top negotiator has said.

“Addressing the situation of the iniquitous and illegal sanctions must be the first priority issue in the agenda of the Joint Commission, and this was agreed at this meeting,” Ali Bagheri Kani added in remarks to Iran’s state TV, regarding the first day of the renewed negotiations in Austria’s capital.

Therefore, he said, a workgroup focused on the sanctions would meet on Tuesday morning, Xinhua news agency reported.

Concerning the prospects of the negotiations, he added that “many” of Iran’s counterparts welcomed the country’s viewpoints on the need for guarantees that the US will not reimpose again sanctions on Iran that are supposed to be lifted under the 2015 agreement, and that Washington will not quit the deal as it did in 2018 under former President Donald Trump.

The Iranian diplomat described Monday’s meetings as “constructive and useful,” and praised the Chinese and Russian representatives’ support for Iran’s stances.

European representatives, he said, acknowledged in their remarks that the main cause of the present situation is the US withdrawal from the agreement, and therefore Washington should be the first to take action in order to revive the deal.

ALSO READ: EU, Russia, Iran optimistic after resumption of nuclear talks

Concerning the six previous rounds of talks, Bagheri Kani added that all parties in Monday’s meeting admitted the principle that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” and therefore any of the preliminary outcomes drafted between April and June could be reviewed.

Iran and the remaining parties to the 2015 nuclear deal, with indirect involvement of the US, resumed the talks on Monday, after nearly six months of hiatus.

Categories
News UAE News World

OPEC marks 5th anniversary of landmark ‘Vienna Agreement’

OPEC marks 5th anniversary of landmark ‘Vienna Agreement’

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) on Tuesday marked the 5th anniversary of the historic ‘Vienna Agreement’ reached at the 171st Meeting of the OPEC Conference held on 30 November 2016 in Vienna, Austria…reports Asian Lite News

The milestone meeting built on the successful ‘Algiers Accord’, reached in Algiers, Algeria, on 28 September 2016 at the 170th (Extraordinary) Meeting of the OPEC Conference and paved the way for the historic Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) between OPEC Member Countries and leading non-OPEC oil producing nations to work together in the interest of sustainable oil market stability.

OPEC marks 5th anniversary of landmark ‘Vienna Agreement’

The Conference saw OPEC Member Countries reinforce their joint efforts to overcome a then-unprecedented oil market downturn, reduce inventory overhang, particularly in the OECD region, and revive the necessary investment to support energy security and market stability in the short, medium and long terms.

In recalling the momentous meeting, OPEC Secretary General, Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, stated: “The volatility seen in the oil market in 2016 was unprecedented for many; however, there was a strong consensus that the way forward requires collaboration, leadership and extensive diplomacy – some of the key characteristics that have underpinned the Organisation’s work since its founding 61 years ago.

“The ‘Vienna Agreement’ constitutes an historic moment in the history of the oil industry, as well as in international cooperation and multilateralism, as it led to the institutionalization of a global framework that not only helped the oil industry immediately, but also years later when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in 2020 and caused a severe oil market contraction.”

Five years ago, on the last day of November, OPEC Members called on non-OPEC oil-producing nations to join an initiative to cooperate on a regular basis to support oil market stability, highlighting the key role that non-OPEC producers can play in achieving this all-important objective. They additionally adopted oil production adjustments and established a high-level ministerial monitoring committee to review the implementation of these decisions.

ALSO READ: FCSC documents UAE’s economic advancement over 50 years

These efforts were carried out to help restore stability in the global oil market for the benefit of all producers, consumers and investors, as well as the global economy. They additionally underpinned the Organization’s views on the importance of multilateralism, international cooperation and dialogue.

Categories
COVID-19 UAE News World

UAE ranks first on Bloomberg’s Covid Resilience Ranking

UAE flag

The UAE has risen to the top of Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking, proving once more its mettle in ensuring the safety of its residents and managing crises…reports Asian Lite News

In an article published today, Bloomberg noted that the UAE outperformed Europe in terms of containing the pandemic, naming it as the best place to be with the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Dubai

The article went on to describe the UAE as “one of the most-consistent performers”, with daily cases staying below a hundred a day since mid-October, deaths being rare and the vaccination rate reaching over 200 doses per 100 people.

The COVID Resilience Ranking is a monthly snapshot of where the virus is being handled most effectively with the least social and economic upheaval.

ALSO READ: UAE offers booster jab for all amid Omicron scare