“Prime Minister Oli along with his wife Radhika Shakya received the vaccine at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu,” said Oli’s Personal Secretariat…reports Asian Lite News
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli received his first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine as the government began the second phase of inoculation against the disease in the Himalayan country.
“Prime Minister Oli along with his wife Radhika Shakya received the vaccine at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu,” Oli’s Personal Secretariat said in a statement on Sunday.
Among the other government officials were also vaccinated on Sunday were Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali and Industry Minister Lekh Raj Bhatta, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
विश्वव्यापी कोरोना महामारी विरूद्द दोस्रो चरणको खोप अभियानको आज मैले त्रिवि शिक्षण अस्पताल, महाराजगञ्जमा खोप लगाएर शुभारम्भ गरेको छु । यस अभियानमा सहभागी हुन म सबै दिदीबहिनी तथा दाजुभाइहरूलाई आह्वान गर्न चाहन्छु।https://t.co/dr2fZWh2rP
According to the Health Ministry, it is vaccinating the people aged above 65 years in the second phase.
Official data showed there are 1.7 million people aged above 65 years in the country.
The Ministry said Nepal currently has over 1.8 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine after the 348,000 from the COVAX Facility, an international initiative co-led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, arrived on Sunday.
Nepal started its vaccination drive against Covid-19 on January 27 and a total of 429,705 people in the priority groups including health workers, sanitisation workers, journalists and employees at diplomatic offices received shots in the first phase.
The spokesperson said that the proposed agreement contained “a negotiated meaningful increase in host nation support contributions from the Republic of Korea,” without providing further details….reports Asian Lite News
The US and South Korea reached an agreement on defence cost-sharing with increased contribution from South Korea, US State Department said.
“We are pleased that US and Republic of Korea negotiators have reached consensus on a proposed text of a Special Measures Agreement (SMA) that will strengthen our Alliance and our shared defence,” said a State Department spokesperson on Sunday.
The spokesperson said that the proposed agreement contained “a negotiated meaningful increase in host nation support contributions from the Republic of Korea,” without providing further details.
The two sides are pursuing the final steps needed to conclude the agreement for signature and entry into force, according to the spokesperson.
The 10th SMA reached in March 2019 expired at the end of that year. The United States and South Korea held multiple rounds of negotiations on the 11th SMA, but they failed to reach an agreement following the former US administration demanded a sharp increase in Seoul’s contribution.
Since 1991, South Korea has shared the upkeep cost for US soldiers, including costs for South Korean civilians hired by the US Forces Korea (USFK), construction of military installations, and logistics support.
Currently, about 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea.
Nepal’s ruling Communist party has politically split into two factions after Prime Minister Oli dissolved the House on December 20 and announced snap polls…reports Asian Lite News
The rival faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka ‘Prachanda’ on Friday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli from the post latest by Sunday or get ready to face a no-confidence motion in the Parliament.
Nepal’s ruling Communist party has politically split into two factions after Prime Minister Oli dissolved the House on December 20 and announced snap polls. Later, the Supreme Court overturned Oli’s decision on February 24 and instructed the government to summon the House within 13 days of its verdict.
The two factions led by Oli and Prachanda have been staking claims to the Nepal Communist Party, with both saying they have a majority of members in the Central Committee as well as in the Parliamentary Party.
The infighting between the two factions of the Nepal Communist Party turned nasty after both sides removed top leaders from each other’s factions, thus splitting the party politically.
Later on January 24, Prachanda faction ousted Oli as a general member of the party. On Thursday, the Prachanda faction wrote to the Parliament Secretariat, urging it not to recognise Oli as the Parliamentary party leader.
As per the directive of the Supreme Court, the government has summoned the House session for Sunday.
A Parliamentary party meeting of the Prachanda-led faction on Friday decided to seek Oli’s resignation or face a no-confidence motion, Prachanda said after the meeting.
“If Oli does not resign from the post, the coming days will be difficult for him. We demanded his resignation as soon as the Supreme Court reinstated the House, but he refused to step down. Today, the majority of the parliamentarians have elected me as the parliamentary party leader. This means Oli is in minority in the party. If he does not resign, we will bring the no-confidence motion against him. We are forced to bring the no-confidence motion due to Oli’s behaviour,” said Prachanda.
But the Prachanda camp does not have the required numbers — 173 — to oust Oli through a no-confidence motion. The faction needs support from other parties like the Nepali Congress, the primary opposition in the house.
Nepali Congress has received offer for the post of Prime Minister from both the Oli and the Prachanda faction, but it has not yet decided as to whom to support.
The Prachanda-led faction has already offered the post of Prime Minister to Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. But Deuba has been insisting that his party will not support any faction until the ruling party technically splits and divides into two political outfits.
The parliamentary party meeting also removed Oli and installed Prachanda as the party’s parliamentary party leader. However, Oli has been claiming that he will face the Parliament and the no-confidence motion.
Oli lacks the quorum in the party, Prachanda said in the meeting, adding that they have majority parliamentarians against Oli in the party.
Theydiscussed means to develop bilateral relations at various levels and praised the efforts to enhance security and stability of the region….reports Asian Lite News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LjKz0_rYD8
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani have called for enhancing security and stability of the region.
A statement by the Prime Minister’s media office said he received a phone call from Rouhani on Saturday, during which they discussed means to develop bilateral relations at various levels and praised the efforts to enhance security and stability of the region.
The two leaders called on “all actors in the region to enhance calm through wisdom in dealing with regional crises and challenges”, the statement said.
They also agreed that “dialogue is the only way to solve conflicts and crises in the region”.
Rouhani also “condemned all activities committed by some groups that disturb the security of Iraq”, the statement said, referring to the recent rocket attacks targeting military bases, as well as the US embassy in Baghdad.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Iraq-US relations have been strained since January 3, 2020, when an American drone struck a convoy near the Baghdad airport.
The strike killed Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, deputy chief of Iraq’s paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces.
US troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battles against the Islamic State, mainly providing training and advise.
“The two countries reiterate rejection of any approach seeking a fait accompli on and control of the Blue Nile through unilateral measures that do not observe the rights and interests of the two downstream countries,” said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi…reports Asian Lite News
Sudan and Egypt have voiced rejection to a “fait accompli” approach to the issue of the disputed Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile river.
“The two countries reiterate rejection of any approach seeking a fait accompli on and control of the Blue Nile through unilateral measures that do not observe the rights and interests of the two downstream countries,” said Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday.
His remarks came following his talks with Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Abdel Fattah al-Burhan here.
Egypt and Sudan also “stress the need to return to serious and effective negotiations to reach a fair, balanced and legally binding agreement regarding the filling and operation of the GERD as soon as possible”, he added.
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25, 2019 (Xinhua) — Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi attends a luncheon hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the Heads of Delegation to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Muzi/IANS)
Sisi and al-Burhan reviewed the possibility of relaunching negotiation through formation of an international quartet committee of the African Union, the US, European Union and the UN as the mediator.
Sisi arrived in Khartoum earlier on Saturday for a one-day visit to Sudan.
The Egyptian leader also met Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and Deputy Chairman of Sudan’s Sovereign Council Mohamed Hamdan Daqlu.
While Egypt is concerned that the dam might affect its share of the Nile waters, Sudan has also raised similar concerns over the dam.
Over the past few years, tripartite talks on the rules of filling and operating the Ethiopian dam have been fruitless, including those hosted by the US and recently by the African Union.
Israel is among the top world leaders in Covid vaccinations per capita.
As part of the decision taken on Saturday, the ban on the entry of Israelis to the country has been cancelled, but no more than 3,000 will be allowed per day….reports Asian Lite News
The Israeli cabinet has approved the third phase exit plan from the full lockdown imposed in the country on December 27, 2020, the Prime Minister’s Office and the Health and Transport Ministries said in a joint statement.
As part of the decision taken on Saturday, the ban on the entry of Israelis to the country has been cancelled, but no more than 3,000 will be allowed per day.
The requirement to quarantine in designated hotels, upon returning from abroad, was also cancelled and will be replaced by home quarantine with increased enforcement by the Israel Police.
Meanwhile, the restriction on gatherings in open spaces will be eased to 50 people at most, instead of 20.
Twenty people will be allowed to gather indoors instead of 10.
The requirement to question or measure temperatures at the entrance to public or commercial places was also cancelled.
Regarding the education system, students in grades 7-10 will return to classes on Sunday, in cities and towns with a low morbidity rate and high rate of vaccinations.
The decision also includes the reopening of restaurants under restrictions, with indoor seating for vaccination certificate holders only.
Culture events will also resume, with restrictions of 500 people at most in closed spaces and 750 in open areas.
These limitations will also apply to sporting events, except for arenas and stadiums with over 10,000 seats, where double numbers of fans will be allowed.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday secured a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, dashing the opposition’s hopes to challenge the legitimacy of the incumbent government.
Of the required 172 votes to win the confidence vote, Khan received a majority of 178 during the special Assembly session, reports Dawn news.
While announcing the result, Speaker Asad Qaiser said that eight years ago, Khan had been elected to the post with 176 votes, and “today, he has secured 178 votes”.
Khan sought the vote of confidence in a televised address to the nation on Thursday after witnessing the shocking defeat of a ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate in the Senate polls held on Monday.
The premier announced the decision after some of his party members in the Senate voted for Yousaf Raza Gilani, the joint opposition’s nominee for Islamabad, over the PTI’s Abdul Hafeez Sheikh.
Khan slammed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for failing to hold fair and transparent Senate elections, accusing them for allegedly protecting those who made money by holding Senate elections through secret ballot.
Saturday’s session began at 12.15 p.m.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi tabled the resolution on which voting was held.
Meanwhile, dozens of PTI supporters have gathered outside the Parliament Lodges, holding up banners and chanting slogans in support of the Prime Minister.
During a meeting a day ahead of the session, 175 out of 179 government lawmakers assured Khan that they would give him the vote of confidence, said the Dawn news report.
The political war in Nepal is never ending. In its latest, a parliamentary party meeting of the Prachanda-led faction has threatened a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Oli, reports Asian Lite News
The rival faction of the ruling Nepal Communist Party led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal aka ‘Prachanda’ on Friday demanded the resignation of Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli from the post latest by Sunday or get ready to face a no-confidence motion in the Parliament.
Nepal’s ruling Communist party has politically split into two factions after Prime Minister Oli dissolved the House on December 20 and announced snap polls. Later, the Supreme Court overturned Oli’s decision on February 24 and instructed the government to summon the House within 13 days of its verdict.
The two factions led by Oli and Prachanda have been staking claims to the Nepal Communist Party, with both saying they have a majority of members in the Central Committee as well as in the Parliamentary Party.
The infighting between the two factions of the Nepal Communist Party turned nasty after both sides removed top leaders from each other’s factions, thus splitting the party politically.
Later on January 24, Prachanda faction ousted Oli as a general member of the party. On Thursday, the Prachanda faction wrote to the Parliament Secretariat, urging it not to recognise Oli as the Parliamentary party leader.
Former Prime minister of Nepal Pushpa Kamal Dahal. (File Photo: IANS)
As per the directive of the Supreme Court, the government has summoned the House session for Sunday.
A Parliamentary party meeting of the Prachanda-led faction on Friday decided to seek Oli’s resignation or face a no-confidence motion, Prachanda said after the meeting.
“If Oli does not resign from the post, the coming days will be difficult for him. We demanded his resignation as soon as the Supreme Court reinstated the House, but he refused to step down. Today, the majority of the parliamentarians have elected me as the parliamentary party leader. This means Oli is in minority in the party. If he does not resign, we will bring the no-confidence motion against him. We are forced to bring the no-confidence motion due to Oli’s behaviour,” said Prachanda.
But the Prachanda camp does not have the required numbers — 173 — to oust Oli through a no-confidence motion. The faction needs support from other parties like the Nepali Congress, the primary opposition in the house.
Nepali Congress has received offer for the post of Prime Minister from both the Oli and the Prachanda faction, but it has not yet decided as to whom to support.
The Prachanda-led faction has already offered the post of Prime Minister to Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba. But Deuba has been insisting that his party will not support any faction until the ruling party technically splits and divides into two political outfits.
The parliamentary party meeting also removed Oli and installed Prachanda as the party’s parliamentary party leader. However, Oli has been claiming that he will face the Parliament and the no-confidence motion.
Oli lacks the quorum in the party, Prachanda said in the meeting, adding that they have majority parliamentarians against Oli in the party.
Both sides of the NCP, which has 173 lawmakers in the House of Representatives, are claiming that they have more than 100 lawmakers on their side.
150 Conservative and Labour BAME councillors join forces to call out misinformation and encourage the communities to take up of the Covid vaccine … reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
A group of 150 councillors, from both Conservative and Labour Parties, have joined forces to sign an open letter to their communities encouraging them to take the vaccine alongside social media videos seen over a million times on social media.
Cllr Gurjit Kaur Bains (Cons, Gravesham)
Signatories to the open letter include black and ethnic minority councillors from across the country including Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Medway from diverse backgrounds including from the British Indian, Muslim and Black communities.
Coronavirus has disproportionately had an impact on minority ethnic communities, in addition these communities have been subject to misleading information around the vaccine. The campaign seeks to encourage people not only to take the vaccine but also to have important conversations with loved ones and relatives about getting the protection they need from the virus.
Cllr Gurjit Kaur Bains (Cons, Gravesham) and Cllr Paulette Hamilton (Lab, Birmingham City) have come together to encourage black and ethnic minority councillors from across the country to play their part in fighting misinformation and urging people to take the vaccine when asked to do so.
The campaign has received the backing of the Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Leader of the Opposition Keir Starmer as well as Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi MP. Videos from councillors produced as part of the campaign have been seen over one million times.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson
“As elected councillors we understand our communities and throughout this pandemic have been helping to provide support to our most vulnerable,” said Cllr Gurjit Kaur Bains. “This initiative is cross party because we all have a duty to protect our communities and fight misinformation. The message is clear, the vaccine is safe, it will protect you and your family.
“We all have a role to play so I urge everyone to have conversations with their own friends and families about the importance of taking the vaccine. Let’s work together and fight this virus.”
“The vaccine not only protects the individual it protects their families, loved ones and the wider community. The vaccine is our way collectively as a nation to beat this deadly virus; do not let misinformation put you or your loved ones at risk,” said Cllr Paulette Hamilton. “I understand the concerns people may have so please do speak to your GP or local Public Health officers to get more advice. It is our duty as elected councillors to encourage our communities to take the vaccine and this is why I am supporting this cross party campaign.”
The vaccine doses were donated by China earlier last month to help the country fight against the Covid-19 pandemic…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan on Friday approved the emergency use of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine for people over 60 years of age, a statement by the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan allowed all registered healthcare workers with the national institute of medical sciences who are above 60 years old to get themselves vaccinated from designated vaccine centres, an NCOC statement read.
It is phase two of the vaccination process in Pakistan, Xinhua news agency reported.
In phase one, the country inoculated the Sinopharm vaccine to its frontline medical staff.
The vaccine doses were donated by China earlier last month to help the country fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Pakistan has so far registered 587,014 coronavirus cases, with 13,128 deaths.
