Rajapaksa secretly fled to the Maldives first with the intervention of former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and then to Singapore…reports Asian Lite News
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka’s former President who fled the country after anti-government protesters stormed his official residence on July 13, will return to the crisis-hit island nation on Saturday.
Following months of street protests over the country’s worst-ever economic crisis that led to the acute shortage of basic essentials like food, fuel, medicine and cooking gas, Rajapaska, who came to power with a thumping Sinhala Buddhist majority votes in November 2019, announced his resignation two-and-a-half years before the end of his term.
Rajapaksa secretly fled to the Maldives first with the intervention of former Maldivian President Mohamed Nasheed and then to Singapore.
Following the intervention of the Sri Lankan government, Rajapaksa who holds a diplomatic passport, flew to Thailand where he was allowed a 90-day stay.
Rajapaksa’s initial attempt to flee to the US where his son lives with his family, had failed after Washington refused to provide a visa.
A former duel citizen, Rajapaksa had to give up the US citizenship in order to run in the 2019 presidential election.
“The President should not have left the country but he could have given up the presidency while living in Sri Lanka,” Jagath Kumara, an MP from Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party, told the media on Friday while welcoming the return of the former leader.
“He is a citizen of this country and nobody can take the law into his or her hand,” the MP said when he was asked about the safety of the former President.
Incumbent President Ranil Wickremesinghe had earlier stated that it was not safe for Rajapaksa to return to the country.
The changed tourist visa policy was part of a decree signed by the Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb to “make it quicker and easier to visit Saudi Arabia”…reports Asian Lite News
Saudi Arabia has announced an amendment to its tourist visa policy for residents of other Arab countries and the US, UK and the European Union (EU).
Under the policy, residents of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, along with their close relatives and domestic workers, can now apply for an e-visa online, reports Xinhua news agency.
Meanwhile, residents of or holders of a tourist or business visa to the US, UK and the EU will be able to get a visa on arrival, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Tourism.
The changed tourist visa policy was part of a decree signed by the Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb to “make it quicker and easier to visit Saudi Arabia”, the Ministry said.
In the past few years, Saudi Arabia has taken a series of steps to develop various sectors of the economy, including tourism, to diversify the state revenues and reduce its dependence on oil sales.
While most tourism in Saudi Arabia still largely involves religious pilgrimages, a number of ancient ruins, areas include the Hijaz and Sarawat Mountains, and Red Sea diving also attract travellers.
This comes as the new rapporteur, Elizabeth Salmon, visited Seoul on her first trip since assuming office last month…reports Asian Lite News
Pyongyang has accused the newly appointed UN special rapporteur on North Korean human rights of being a “puppet of the US” and making “unpardonable reckless remarks” against the regime, media reported.
This comes as the new rapporteur, Elizabeth Salmon, visited Seoul on her first trip since assuming office last month.
Salmon, a Peruvian professor of international law, has had a series of meetings with South Korean officials and civic group members to discuss the situation in the North since arriving earlier this week, AFP reported.
“We had already made clear our principled stand that we neither recognize nor deal with any ‘special rapporteur’ who is merely a puppet of the US,” said an unnamed spokesman for North Korea’s foreign ministry in an English statement carried by the official KCNA.
According to AFP report, the spokesman said the rapporteur’s activities were cover for an American smear campaign against the North, accusing Salmon of daring to make “unpardonable reckless remarks encroaching upon our inviolable system and sovereign rights.”
US officials told Nvidia that the requirement was due to a potential risk of the products being used by, or diverted to, a “military end user,” ..reports Asian Lite News
The US government has ordered graphics chip giant Nvidia and semiconductor manufacturer AMD not to sell their artificial intelligence (AI) chips to China over national security concerns.
In a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nvidia said the Joe Biden administration told the company “about a new license requirement for future exports to China, including Hong Kong, to reduce the risk that the products may be used by the Chinese military”.
US officials told Nvidia that the requirement was due to a potential risk of the products being used by, or diverted to, a “military end user,” CNN reported.
Nvidia shares fell 6.5 per cent in extended trading on Wednesday after the news came out.
China and us flag. (Photo:Xinhua/IANS)
The company expects the move will cost it $400 million in potential sales in China in the current quarter. The new restrictions will hamper the sale of Nvidia’s A100 and forthcoming H100 integrated circuits, and any systems that include them, to China.
“We are working with our customers in China to satisfy their planned or future purchases with alternative products and may seek licenses where replacements aren’t sufficient,” a Nvidia spokesperson was quoted as saying.
AMD told CNN Business it had also been given new requirements by the US Department of Commerce that will hit shipments of its “MI250 integrated circuits to China”.
“At this time, we do not believe that shipments of MI100 integrated circuits are impacted by the new requirements. We do not currently believe it is a material impact on our business,” said AMD.
The restrictions also extend to Russia but both the US-based companies do not ship any products to Russia.
Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo tweeted on Thursday that China leads the world in AI patent filing, “and US’s restriction on AI chip sales would secure the US lead in the AI area”.
“It is worth noting whether Chinese clients will directly/indirectly place rush orders to increase inventory to reduce the potential risk from US gov’s possible expansion of sales restrictions. If so, that might benefit supply chain utilization rates in the short term,” he mentioned.
Kuo said that the impact of the sales restriction on suppliers such as TSMC is limited, but investors worry that the US government “may expand restrictions on more chips which could affect more server-related or other products” and this “uncertainty could be a structural risk for the semiconductor sector”.
The Iranian Foreign Minister recently demanded “a stronger text” from the US over its guarantees of lifting sanctions in order to reach an agreement to revive the nuclear deal…reports Asian Lite News
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran has sent a “constructive” response to Washington’s proposals aimed at reviving 2015 nuclear deal, which prompted a less positive impression from United States.
“The text that was sent (by Iran) has a constructive approach aimed at finalizing the negotiations,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB on Friday, news agency Reuters reported.
But the US State Department said the response was “not constructive.”
“We can confirm that we have received Iran’s response through the EU,” a spokesperson said. “We are studying it and will respond through the EU, but unfortunately it is not constructive.”
“Some gaps have closed in recent weeks but others remain,” said Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for White House National Security Council.
The Iranian Foreign Minister recently demanded “a stronger text” from the US over its guarantees of lifting sanctions in order to reach an agreement to revive the nuclear deal.
“Regarding lifting sanctions, we recently received the latest text from the American side, and my colleagues are carefully reviewing the text,” Amir-Abdollahian said on Wednesday during his joint press conference with his Russian counterpart in Moscow.
“If America acts realistically and strengthens the existing text, an agreement will be within reach,” the Minister said.
The Iranian top diplomat also demanded the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) refrain from “political behaviour,” noting Iran won’t accept any continued accusation made by IAEA when all the parties return to the nuclear deal.
Earlier, EU foreign policy Josep Borrell said in Prague that he was sure negotiations to restore the nuclear agreement with Iran could soon be successfully concluded.
“To me it’s clear that there is a common ground, that we have an agreement that takes into account, I think, everyone’s concerns,” he said in a press conference on Wednesday after a meeting of EU Foreign Ministers.
Efforts are underway to revive the 2015 Vienna agreement to set controls on Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. Tehran insists its nuclear research activities are solely for civilian use, dpa news agency reported.
The initial deal was struck in 2015, but fell apart a few years later during the US presidency of Donald Trump, who pulled out of the deal. EU negotiators have said a new version of the deal has been worked out and is only awaiting a yes or no from both sides.
Borrell recently circulated compromise proposals for an agreement text among Iran and United States’ negotiators, describing the response he received from both sides as reasonable.
“I am hoping that in the coming days we are not going to lose this momentum and we can close the deal,” the EU official said.
Supporters surrounding the person appear shocked at what is happening amid the commotion in the Recoleta neighborhood of Argentina’s capital…reports Asian Lite News
A man was detained Thursday night after he aimed a handgun at point-blank range toward Argentine Vice President Cristina Fernández in what President Alberto Fernández called a homicide attempt.
“A man pointed a firearm at her head and pulled the trigger,” the president said in a national broadcast. He said the gun didn’t fire.
The president shortly after video from the scene broadcast on local television channels showed Fernández exiting her vehicle surrounded by supporters outside her home when a man could be seen extending his hand with what looked like a pistol. The vice president ducked.
The man, who had not been identified, was detained seconds into the incident.
Supporters surrounding the person appear shocked at what is happening amid the commotion in the Recoleta neighborhood of Argentina’s capital.
“A person who was identified by those who were close to him who had a gun was detained by (the vice president’s) security personnel,” Security Minister Aníbal Fernández told local cable news channel C5N.
The minister said he wanted to be careful in providing details until the investigation learned more.
Unverified video posted on social media shows the pistol almost touched Fernández’s face.
Government officials were quick to describe the incident as an assassination attempt.
“When hate and violence are imposed over the debate of ideas, societies are destroyed and generate situations like the one seen today: an assassination attempt,” Economy Minister Sergio Massa said.
Ministers in President Alberto Fernández’s government issued a news release saying they “energetically condemn the attempted homicide” of the vice president. “What happened tonight is of extreme gravity and threatens democracy, institutions and the rule of law,” reads the release.
Former President Mauricio Macri also repudiated the attack. “This very serious event demands an immediate and profound clarification by the judiciary and security forces,” Macri wrote on Twitter.
Supporters of the vice president have been gathering in the streets surrounding her home since last week, when a prosecutor called for a 12-year sentence for Fernández in a case involving alleged corruption in public works.
Tensions have been running high in the upper class Recoleta neighborhood since the weekend, when the vice president’s supporters clashed with police in the streets surrounding her apartment amid an effort by law enforcement officers to clear the area.
Fernández, who is not related to the current president, served as president herself in 2007-2015.
Biden accused lawmakers and others devoted to the Make America Great Again agenda led by Trump as willing to overturn democratic elections, ignore the Constitution and “determined to take this country backwards” …reports Asian Lite News
President Joe Biden charged Republican allies of Donald Trump with undermining the country’s democracy and urged voters on Thursday to reject extremism ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Biden accused lawmakers and others devoted to the Make America Great Again (MAGA) agenda led by Trump as willing to overturn democratic elections, ignore the Constitution and “determined to take this country backwards” to a time without rights to abortion, privacy, contraception or same-sex marriage.
“Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic,” Biden said. “As I stand here tonight, equality and democracy are under assault. We do ourselves no favor to pretend otherwise.”
The prime-time speech in Philadelphia, the birthplace of American democracy, marked a sharp turn for Biden as midterm congressional elections approach.
Aides say the president is increasingly concerned about anti-democratic trends in the Republican Party, and sees a need to jump into this year’s election fight and recast the stakes of his own 2024 re-election bid.
After spending much of 2022 trying to combat high inflation at home and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and enduring two bouts of COVID-19 over the summer, Biden has in recent days repeatedly lashed out at Trump-aligned Republicans.
His remarks on Thursday denouncing political violence and urging bipartisan compromise came after speeches in recent days where he condemned MAGA philosophy as “semi-fascism” and assailed Republican threats against the FBI after a search of Trump’s Florida home as “sickening.”
House of Representatives Republican leader Kevin McCarthy on Thursday accused Biden of ignoring crime and inflation to criticize his fellow citizens.
“Instead of trying to bring our country together to solve these challenges, President Biden has chosen to divide, demean and disparage his fellow Americans,” McCarthy said in Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania. “Why? Simply because they disagree with his policies.”
A Democratic fundraiser said donors are closely watching Biden’s performance over the next few months to gauge whether to back him in a 2024 presidential run.
Some have already decided that Biden, 79, should step aside to make way for fresh leadership, while others want to see if he can lead the party effectively.
“If we can pull it off and retain the Senate, then there will be enough voices saying he has earned it and pave the way for re-election,” said a senior Democratic official. “If we don’t, the overwhelming sentiment will be ‘Pass the torch.’”
Biden spoke in Philadelphia from behind bullet-proof glass and within earshot of chanting Trump-supporting protesters. He made his remarks at a venue meant to signal the historical significance of his appeal, near Independence Hall, where the U.S. Declaration of Independence and Constitution were adopted.
Some historians and legal scholars have cast the stakes in starker terms than Biden’s political future, saying free elections and commitment to the rule of law hang in the balance.
They say losing Congress would not only make Biden a lame-duck president, but also turn over control of certifying the results of the next presidential election to Trump sympathizers, some of whom never accepted Biden’s 2020 victory and who have pledged to overhaul voting systems.
Biden alluded to the concerns, saying “I will not stand by and watch elections in this country be stolen by people who simply refuse to accept that they lost.”
The speech echoed Biden’s signature 2020 campaign pledge to restore the “soul of the nation” and, by implication, purge the values associated with Trump. In the nearly two years since Biden was elected, Republican voters have mostly backed candidates aligned with the former president; more than half say they believe Trump rightfully won the election.
Confronted by threats after Trump’s loss, one in five election workers polled this year said they may quit before the next presidential election.
The minister reiterated the UAE’s dedication to environmental protection and climate action through a whole-of-nation and all-inclusive approach to enhance ecological prosperity….reports Asian Lite News
Mariam bint Mohammed Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and the Environment, participated in the Joint Environment and Climate Ministers’ Meeting as part of the G20 Summit, hosted under the presidency of the Republic of Indonesia.
At the event, Almheiri highlighted the importance of demonstrating solidarity by forging meaningful regional and global partnerships to tackle environmental and climate challenges proactively and systematically rather than reactively, to reverse the severe trends of biodiversity loss, pollution, ecosystem deterioration, and land degradation.
She said, “Nature is our greatest ally in the fight against climate and environmental challenges, and our responsibility is to protect it and ensure we pass on an inhabitable world to future generations. The window for action to avert worst-case scenarios is narrowing. We need to move from pledges to concrete and ambitious actions. The only way to succeed is by joining forces and working together harmoniously.
“On this journey, we must adopt an all-inclusive participatory approach to effectively drive climate ambition by enabling youth and women to be integral to setting up national policies and action plans.”
She pointed out that the outcomes of the G-20 meeting will be further pushed at the G-20 Summit in October in Indonesia, and the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27), set to run in November in Egypt. These milestones will shape the processes of COP28 in 2023, which will feature the first global stocktake of the Paris Agreement.
The minister reiterated the UAE’s dedication to environmental protection and climate action through a whole-of-nation and all-inclusive approach to enhance ecological prosperity. She also stressed the UAE’s commitment to working with all countries through the G-20 framework to foster equitable, sustainable development worldwide.
At the meeting, participating countries endorsed the Joint G-20 Environment and Climate Ministers Communiqué that outlines core priorities to address pressing challenges, including driving more sustainable recovery, stepping up land- and sea-based actions to support environmental protection and climate objectives, and increasing resource mobilisation to achieve these goals.
The UAE is one of four guest countries, alongside Spain, Netherlands, and Singapore, invited by Indonesia to participate in the G-20 Summit in October 2022 in Bali.
Peruvian-Canadians Chris and Patricia Diaz, who were the first visitors to Alif, spent a month in the UAE during Expo 2020 Dubai, but didn’t manage to experience all the pavilions and attractions….reports Asian Lite News
Expo City Dubai welcomed its first visitors on Thursday with guests enjoying an early look at two of its popular attractions ahead of the official opening on 1st October.
Fans of Expo 2020 Dubai – the first ever World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia – marked the start of Expo City Dubai’s journey by visiting Alif – The Mobility Pavilion and Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion.
Peruvian-Canadians Chris and Patricia Diaz, who were the first visitors to Alif, spent a month in the UAE during Expo 2020 Dubai, but didn’t manage to experience all the pavilions and attractions. They were delighted to be back.
Patricia said, “Alif is one of the pavilions we were unable to visit because it was so busy.”
Chris said “We heard great things about Alif and were captivated by the outside, so we knew that the inside had to be wonderful too. It’s a really insightful experience and a great way to remind us of the huge efforts made by the human race – and how the UAE has participated in all of this – as well as of the special times we are living in. I think it gave us a good opportunity to see that there is a lot more to come in the future.”
Filipino family Virgilo, Majin and June Pearl Hicasio, were the first to arrive at Terra. Virgilo, a Dubai resident, was excited to bring his wife and daughter to Terra as part of their Dubai vacation.
Virgilo said, “I was able to visit most of the pavilions during Expo 2020 Dubai – around 190 of them – but this is the first time for my family, so we are very happy to be here.”
Terra – a world-class example of sustainable best practice in action – inspires visitors to revaluate their relationship with the environment with an immersive journey through the ocean and forest. Alif transports inquisitive explorers through time and across new horizons to discover how mobility has driven human progress throughout history and enabled our ever-growing desire to break new frontiers.
They also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern….reports Asian Lite News
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has received a phone call from Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran.
During the conversation, the two sides discussed the bilateral relations and ways to push them forward and enhance them in the common interest of the two neighbouring countries and the region.
They also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual concern.
Sheikh Abdullah underscored the UAE’s keenness to enhance cooperation with the neighbouring countries in a way that will consolidate the pillars of security and stability in the region and achieve the aspiration of their people for development and prosperity.
In the recently concluded Jeddah Security and Development Summit, the leaders renewed their call on Iran to fully cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and with countries in the region to keep the Arab Gulf region free from weapons of mass destruction, and to preserve security and stability regionally and globally.
Meanwhile, in April, Dr Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to President, affirmed UAE’s keenness to build bridges of dialogue and cooperation with all its neighbours, including Iran and Turkey, to promote regional security and stability.
Gargash underscored the UAE “will always resort to diplomacy, negotiation, and economic cooperation”. He said under the current changes in the region, it is necessary to manage matters peacefully with countries that have different policies and views, by working on the common grounds and putting differences aside.
“For example, Iran is a neighbour and therefore we endeavour to establish the best relations with it. We see that Turkey is a partner in our joint endeavour to prosperity and we continue to support the prospects of the Abraham Accords,” he said.
He said change is undoubtedly a constant feature of the world, talking about change necessarily involves discussing the international order.
