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Myanmar deaths toll rises

Five more protesters were confirmed killed during a shoot out in Mandalay on Sunday…reports Asian Lite News

More casualties have been reported in Myanmar as demonstrators returned to the streets to protest against the February 1 military takeover of the country.

Media portal Mizzima News and witnesses said four people were killed on Monday, as the military continues to crack down on the continued protest movement.

“They are not only killing the protesters against the coup. They are also killing the civilians everywhere,” Kyi Soe Win, a 45-year-old protester who joined the demonstration in Mandalay, told dpa news agency.

“We are protesting in our township today, but our family is not safe at our home. The military are real terrorists,” Kyi Soe Win said.

Another five protesters were reported killed during shooting in Mandalay on Sunday, according to news portal Myanmar Now.

Military forces were tearing down the anti-coup protesters’ defence lines, including barricades made out of sand bags.

Also read:violence spikes against Chinese properties in Myanmar

Over 250 people have been killed since the beginning of the protests and about 2,665 arrested, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a non-profit organisation.

Demonstrators are demanding the release of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in the February 1 coup, as well as a return of the democratically-elected government.

The European Union’s Foreign Ministers on Monday agreed to impose sanctions on 11 individuals involved in the coup and repression of demonstrators.

Myanmar protestors flood streets in Mandalay despite army crack down

Ten of the targeted people belong to the highest ranks of the military, including its commander-in-chief, Min Aung Hlaing, and his deputy, Soe Win.

The US government also imposed sanctions on two additional members of the military junta in Myanmar, according to the Treasury Department.

The sanctions affect police chief and deputy home minister Than Hlaing and general Aung Soe, who commands special military forces.

Washington has already imposed strict export restrictions and sanctions on around a dozen members of Myanmar’s military leadership since the coup, including two adult children of commander Min Aung Hlaing.

Also read:More Myanmar towns under martial law

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Israel to seal West Bank, Gaza crossings

Israeli soldiers stand guard at a security checkpoint close to the border with Lebanon, near the northern Israeli town of Metula(IANS)

The closure started at midnight between Monday and Tuesday, and will be lifted after the elections overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday…reports Asian Lite News

The Israeli military has said that a one-day closure will be imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip ahead of the country’s fourth parliamentary elections in two years.

The closure started at midnight between Monday and Tuesday, and will be lifted after the elections overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, Xinhua news agency quoted a military spokesperson as saying in a statement.

During the closure, all the crossings between Israel and the Palestinian territories will be closed, except for humanitarian cases and medical emergencies, according to the statement.

West Bank(IANS)

Also read:Israel allows int’l flights

The spokesperson said another closure is expected to be imposed on the Palestinians from March 26 until April 3, in the wake of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Israel usually imposes closures on the West Bank and Gaza during Jewish holidays, citing security reasons.

The country’s fourth parliamentary elections in two years will be held on Tuesday.

Also read:‘Israel’s skewed measures won’t bring peace’

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Pak FM Qureshi to join Heart of Asia meeting

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi

The Heart of Asia process facilitates a platform for regional ties with Afghanistan at its centre and with the recognition by the participants that a secure and stable Afghanistan is vital to the bringing peace to the region….reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi will attend the Heart of Asia meeting, which will also see the participation of his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar, a media report said on Tuesday.

The meeting will take place in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the Dawn news report said.

The Heart of Asia process provides a platform for regional cooperation with Afghanistan at its centre and with the recognition by the participants that a secure and stable Afghanistan is vital to the prosperity of the region.

The process involves 15 participating countries, 17 supporting countries and 12 regional and international organisations.

This development comes a week after Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa asked India “to bury the past and move forward” while saying the military was ready to enter talks to resolve “all our outstanding issues”.

Bajwa’s comments came following Prime Minister Imran Khan call for a resolution on Kashmir, which he described as “the one issue that holds us back”.

If Qureshi and Jaishankar meet in Dushanbe it would be the first meeting between the two top officials, the Dawn news report said.

Also read:Pak gets 2nd batch of Chinese vaccines

In May 2019, Qureshi met the then Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during an informal interaction in Bishkek on the sidelines of an SCO meeting.

According to the report, Pakistani officials have not yet commented on the Qureshi-Jaishankar meeting but did not rule out a possibility.

“In view of the events taking place around us, we cannot say it’s impossible,” the Dawn news report quoted one of the officials as saying.

Also read:‘UAE secretly mediates for Indo-Pak peace’

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UN chief Guterres upset over anti-Asian violence

Guterres voiced his full support for the victims and families, and expressed solidarity with all those facing racism and other assaults on their human rights…reports Asian Lite News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed profound concerns over the rise in violence against Asians and people of Asian descent during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The world has witnessed horrific deadly attacks, verbal and physical harassment, bullying in schools, workplace discrimination, incitement to hatred in the media and on social media platforms, and incendiary language by those in positions of power, Xinhua news agency quoted Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres, as saying in a statement on Monday.

In some countries, Asian women have been specifically targeted for attack, adding misogyny to the toxic mix of hatred, the statement said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
Also read:Biden denounces anti-Asian attacks

Thousands of incidents across the past year have perpetuated a centuries-long history of intolerance, stereotyping, scapegoating, exploitation and abuse, it added.

The Secretary-General expressed his full support for the victims and families, and stood in solidarity with all those facing racism and other assaults on their human rights.

A protester holds a placard during a protest against Asian hate(IANS)

“This moment of challenge for all must be a time to uphold dignity for all,” the UN chief said.

The statement comes almost a week after after multiple shootings in and around the US city of Atlanta that killed eight people, among whom six were Asian women.

Also read:Putin invites Biden to virtual talks

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Malaysia ousts N.Korean diplomats

Muhyiddin Yassin.

“This action is a reminder that Malaysia shall never tolerate any attempt to meddle in our internal affairs and judiciary, disrespect our governance system,said Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein ..reports Asian Lite News

Malaysia has expelled all diplomats of the North Korean Embassy here in response to the latter’s decision to sever diplomatic ties after Kuala Lumpur extradited a Pyongyang national to the US over money laundering charges.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said: “Malaysia has today expelled all diplomats of the Embassy of North Korea in Kuala Lumpur in keeping with the decision for all diplomatic staff and their dependents to leave within 48 hours.

“The expulsion has been carried out in conformity with Article 9 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. The government of Malaysia took this action in response to North Korea’s unilateral and utterly irresponsible decision to sever diplomatic ties with Malaysia.

“This action is a reminder that Malaysia shall never tolerate any attempt to meddle in our internal affairs and judiciary, disrespect our governance system, and constantly create unnecessary tensions in defiance of the rules-based international order.”

Vehicles carrying the North Korean diplomatic staff and their families were seen leaving their embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday morning and headed to the airport, reports Xinhua news agency.

Before leaving the embassy, Charge d’Affairs Kim Yu Song told the media that by extraditing a North Korean citizen to the US, the Malaysian authority had destroyed the entire foundation of bilateral relations.

Also read:Brunei, Malaysia border to stay closed

Mun Chol-myong, the Malaysia-based North Korean businessman, was accused of supplying prohibited luxury items from Singapore to Pyongyang and laundering funds through shell companies in violation of UN sanctions.

Last week, Malaysia’s top court ruled that he can be extradited to Washington, rejecting his appeal challenging the extradition request from the US.

He was detained in May 2019.

In a report on March 19, Pyongyang’s official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said: “On March 17, the Malaysian authority committed an unpardonable crime, in the end, of forcibly delivering the innocent citizen of the North Korea to the US by having charged him with ‘criminal’.

“With regard to the grave situation that has prevailed, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hereby announces total severance of the diplomatic relations with Malaysia which committed a super-large hostile act in subservience to the US pressure.”

Malaysia’s Foreign Ministry stressed that the extradition of the North Korean national was conducted in accordance with the principles of justice, rule of law and independence of judiciary.

Also read:N.Korea breaks ties with Malaysia

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EU sanctions China over Uighur abuses

The last time the EU imposed punitive measures on Beijing for human rights violations was after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989…reports Asian Lite News

The European Union (EU) is sanctioning China for human rights abuses against the Uighur ethnic minority, an informed source from the 27-member bloc said on Monday.

The source told dpa news agency that the decision came following an agreement from the bloc’s Foreign Ministers.

The last time the EU imposed punitive measures on Beijing for human rights violations was after the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

The names of the targets for measures like EU asset freezes or travel bans are due to be officially published shortly, the final step that implements sanctions, according to the source.

In the last few years, hundreds of Uighurs, Kazakhs and Huis have testified about being held in internment camps as part of what observers say is a government campaign to forcibly assimilate ethnic minorities.

Also read:EU nations seek solidarity over migration

According to the Chinese government, the camps, estimated to have held more than 1 million people since 2017, are “vocational education centres” to eradicate extremism and terrorism.

Also on Monday, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said the Eu is set to sanction 11 individuals involved in the Myanmar military coup, as well as for the repression of the demonstrators in the country.

The EU Foreign Ministers are holding a meeting here during which they are also likely to sanction several individuals and entities from North Korea, Russia, Libya, Eritrea and South Sudan on the basis of that instrument.

Aside from endorsing sanctions, the ministers are expected to discuss the politically sensitive issues of Turkey and Russia, attempting to hash out their strategic positions to both countries.

Also read:EU leaders summit turns digital

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US Defence Secy visits Ghani

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin meets Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul(IANS)

Austin landed in Kabul on Sunday for his maiden visit, following his two-day trip to New Delhi….reports Asian Lite News

In an unannounced visit to Afghanistan, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin met President Ashraf Ghani during which they both expressed concerns over the increase of violence in the war-torn country, according to authorities in Kabul.

Austin arrived in Kabul on Sunday, following his two-day trip to New Delhi.

In a tweet on Sunday evening, Austin said: “I’m very grateful for my time with President Ashraf Ghani today. I came to Afghanistan to listen and learn. This visit has been very helpful for me, and it will inform my participation in the review we are undergoing here with POTUS (US President Joe Biden).”

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin (Photo: @SecDef/Twitter)

In a statement issued after the meeting, the Afghan Presidential Palace said that Austin is expected to meet other senior high ranking officials during his stay in Kabul, TOLO News reported.

“Ghani and the Defence Secretary stressed that enduring and just peace is the main solution for the current situation in Afghanistan,” the Palace said.

The statement added that Austin stressed the US is supporting Afghanistan in this respect.

Austin’s trip comes as the US is reviewing the Doha agreement, which the country had signed with the Taliban in February 2020, while also keeping all options on the table when it comes to the May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan.

In a report last week, NBC News had said that President Biden is considering keeping US troops in Afghanistan until November, rather than withdrawing them by the May deadline, TOLO News reported.

But there has been no official comment on this development.

Also read:Covid mutant cases in US at 6,000

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Nepal President embarks on visit to B’desh

Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari(IANS)

Bangladesh is hosting the 10-day special programme to celebrate the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and also 50 years of the country’s independence…reports Asian Lite News

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFovN-grES4

Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari on Monday left for Bangladesh on a two-day state visit, during which she will attend a special programme in Dhaka and meet others senior leaders from the region.

Bangladesh is hosting the 10-day special programme to celebrate the birth centenary of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and also 50 years of the country’s independence. The celebrations began on March 17.

According to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bhandari will attend the celebrations in Dhaka and on the occasion she deliver a statement on the theme, “Nepal-Bangladesh Relations and Bangabandhu’s Birth Centenary”.

Bidhya Devi Bhandari(Wikipedia)

She will also hold talks her Bangladeshi counterpart Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban, the Presidential Palace in the capital city.

Nepal’s Minister for Communications and Information Technology Parbat Gurung, also the government spokesperson, said the countries will sign three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).

An array of subjects like cultural relations, tourism sector, and pesticides on agriculture and livestock between Nepal and Bangladesh would be discussed, he added.

Also read:Bangladesh thanks India for providing vaccines

Likewise, linking Nepal with ports in Bangladesh through railway and transportation would also be on Bhandari’s agency.

“There is the hope that the subject of initiatives taken by Bangladesh on purchasing power from Nepal will be discussed,” Gurung said.

The government of Bangladesh has provided Nepal transit facility through the Kakadbhitta-Phulbari-Banglabandh via India roadway as well as at the Chittagong and Mongla seaports.

It has also made available an additional �rail corridor’ for the operation of a freight train from Rohanpur-Singhabad to Nepal via India, and it has opened the way for the Himalayan nation to use the Mongla harbour as an option to the Kolkata port.

Since Mongla port is nearer to Kolkata, it will help expand bilateral trade at a comparatively lesser cost for Nepal.

Also read:Nepal gives emergency nod to India’s Covaxin

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Russia’s US envoy returns to Moscow

Anatoly Antonov during an interview with Xinhua in Moscow, Russia

Russia recalled its top US envoy after President Joe Biden said in an interview that Russia will “pay a price” for its alleged interference in the 2020 American election….reports Asian Lite News

The Russian Embassy in Washington confirmed that the country’s Ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov has returned to Moscow for consultations after he was recalled late last week.

“Russian Ambassador Anatoly Antonov is on his way to Moscow to participate in consultations on rectifying Russia-US relations,” Xinhua news agency quoted the Embassy as saying in a Facebook post on Saturday.

The Embassy also posted two pictures along with the post, one showing Antonov, in a black jacket, at an airport and the other, an airplane, which appeared to be the one the Ambassador would fly in, with a Russian flag on the outside surface of the cockpit.

Antonov flew from New York, as there is no direct flight between Washington and Moscow amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

He will arrive in Moscow on Sunday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin

Russia recalled its top envoy in the US after President Joe Biden said in an ABC News interview on March 17 that Russia will “pay a price” for its alleged interference in the 2020 American election.

A US intelligence report released the previous day directly accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a wide-ranging influence operation to interfere in the election, intending to hurt Biden’s campaign.

In the ABC News interview, Biden also agreed with the interviewer’s claim that Putin was “a killer”.

Responding directly to Biden’s remarks, Putin said on March 18: “I would say to him: I wish you good health. I say that without irony or joking.

Also read:KIM TO BIDEN: WE WILL MATCH YOUR ACTIONS, FRIENDLY OR HOSTILE

“I would like to offer President Biden (the opportunity) to continue our discussion, but on condition that we’ll do so what is called live, online. Without anything pre-recorded, in an open and direct discussion.

“It seems to me, it would be interesting both for the Russian people and for the US people, as well as for many other countries.”

Joe Biden

Asked by reporters whether Biden regretted the “killer” statement, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a press briefing on March 18: “Nope. The President gave a direct answer to a direct question.”

She added Washington still wishes to develop its relationship with Moscow.

But, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said: “The current US administration never ceases to surprise us with its absurd public statements.

“It’s not just about the unseemly attacks against Russia’s top officials, but also the absurd accusations of Russia’s interference in last year’s presidential election in the US.”

Also read:Putin invites Biden to virtual talks

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Imran contracts Covid 19 after jab

Pakistan is using the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm against Covid-19 pandemic. Recently a batch of 5,00,000 doses was received in Pakistan from China…report Asianlite News.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination confirmed the development on Saturday.

Sultan said that the 68-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician has quarantined himself at home.

“PM Imran Khan has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self isolating at home,” Sultan said in a tweet.

Pakistan is using the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm against Covid-19 pandemic. Recently a batch of 5,00,000 doses was received in Pakistan from China.

The vaccination drive in Pakistan is currently underway for senior citizens.

Modi wishes for a speedy recovery

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday wished speedy recovery to his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan, who has tested positive for the novel coronavirus or Covid-19 pandemic.

As the news came out that the 68-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician had quarantined himself at home, the Prime Minister took to Twitter to wish him a speedy recovery from the deadly disease.

“Best wishes to Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI for a speedy recovery from Covid-19,” Modi tweeted.

Khan tested positive for Covid-19 two days after receiving his first vaccine dose, government officials said on Saturday.

Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Pakistan Prime Minister on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination confirmed the development.

Pakistan is using the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm against Covid-19 pandemic. Recently a batch of 5,00,000 doses was received in Pakistan from China.

People wearing face masks walk on a road in Rawalpindi of Pakistan’s Punjab province

The vaccination drive in Pakistan is currently underway for senior citizens.

Khan’s positive test comes at a time when Pakistan is seeing a steep rise in coronavirus infections.

As per the Pakistan Health Department, 3,876 people have been tested positive in the last 24 hours in the country “the highest number of daily infections since early July”, taking the total number of infections in the country past 620,000. There were also 42 more deaths, taking the total to 13,799.

Also Read-Imran takes Chinese vaccine

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