Turkey surpassed European countries in Covid- 19 vaccinations.
Turkey began the nationwide vaccination drive on January 14 with the inoculation of healthcare workers and the elderly….reports Asian Lite News
Turkey on Wednesday began inoculating teachers against coronavirus as part of the ongoing massive vaccine drive.
Turkish Education Minister Ziya Selcuk got the first jab in the Black Sea province of Corum during a live broadcast.
Selcuk said that a list of 1.26 million school personnel was earlier submitted to the Health ministry and their names are now in the vaccination appointment system.
Last week, the second semester started with in-person classes in village primary schools across the country. All other primary schools and 8th and 12th grades are expected to begin face-to-face education on March.
Yüz yüze eğitimin başladığı köy okullarımızda görevli öğretmenlerimizin aşılanmasına başlandı. İlk aşıyı Bakan arkadaşım Sayın Ziya Selçuk oldu. Daha güvenli bir eğitim ortamı için birlikte gayret etmeye devam edeceğiz.
Change of strategies loom for Middle East as GCC calls for participation in Iran nuke deals
Hajraf made the demand during his meeting with the Ambassadors of the European Union in Riyadh on Tuesday, citing that the Iranian nuclear talks are related to regional security and stability….reports Asian Lite News
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General, Nayef Al-Hajraf has called for the participation of GCC countries in any talks on Iran’s nuclear deal.
Hajraf made the demand during his meeting with the Ambassadors of the European Union in Riyadh on Tuesday, citing that the Iranian nuclear talks are related to regional security and stability.
The administration of the United States’ President Joe Biden has signalled to Iran its willingness to return to talks to revive the nuclear deal former President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018.
The Malaysian High Court on February 23 granted a temporary stay on the deportation of 1,200 Myanmar nationals in custody to allow judicial review
Rights organisations say the group includes some ethnic minorities which have suffered persecution in Myanmar….reports Asian Lite News
Malaysia has departed around 1,086 Myanmar citizens back to their country ,denying court’s order and human rights group’s appeals to suspend the process.
Rights organisations say the group includes some ethnic minorities which have suffered persecution in Myanmar.
They say that sending them back to Myanmar, which is in the midst of a coup, could put them at even greater risk.
But Malaysia has said those being sent back committed immigration offences, and are not the asylum seekers.
“All of those returned had agreed to be sent back voluntarily without being forced by any party,” Khairul Dzaimee Daud, Malaysia’s Director-General of Immigration, said in a statement.
KENYATAAN MEDIA JABATAN IMIGRESEN MALAYSIA 11 REJAB 1442 HIJRAH / 23 FEBRUARI 2021
Daud added that those being repatriated did not include Rohingya refugees or asylum-seekers, echoing an earlier statement by Malaysia that it would not deport those registered with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
However, authorities have blocked the UNHCR from accessing immigration detention centres in Malaysia for more than a year, according to reports – which means the UN is unable to confirm Daud’s statement.
“Before sending anyone back to a situation where they could face persecution, the Malaysia government should… ensure that UNHCR has access to detention centres… so the international community can be assured that it is not sending people into harm’s way,” said rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The UNHCR also added that at least six people registered with the organisation were among the deportees, according to an news agency report.
Rights groups also said that asylum seekers from the minority Chin and Kachin communities, who are fleeing persecution, are among those being deported.
Phil Robertson, Deputy Asia Director for HRW, told that Malaysia had “sent them back into the hands of a military junta known for persecuting those who flee the country for political reasons”.
Robertson also called on the immigration department to “end its blockade of UNHCR”.
The migrants were deported on three Myanmar navy ships from a Malaysian military airbase late on Tuesday, after arriving on packed trucks and buses.
This is despite the Kuala Lumpur High Court earlier issuing a stay to put the deportation on hold pending a hearing on Wednesday.
Authorities had earlier said 1,200 detainees were set to be deported – it is not clear why this number eventually decreased.
Refugees in the Kutupalong Rohingya Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in July, 2018. (Photo: UN/IANS)
Myanmar: the turbulent home
Myanmar is currently seeing some of its biggest protests in years against a military coup.
Military leaders overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government and have placed her under house arrest, charging her with possessing illegal walkie-talkies and violating the country’s Natural Disaster Law.
Protesters are demanding an end to the military’s rule and want San Suu Kyi’s release, along with senior members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.’
The group has warned its members that anyone who makes such an attempt will be removed from their assignments and their group will be dissolved…reports Asian Lite News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reBGxflllD0
Taliban has directed its fighters and members to avoid harbouring foreign nationals and not to permit them to join their ranks .
The decision came up amid doubts over the group’s commitment to cut their ties with the Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
“All heads and Mujahedeen are directed to avoid the arbitrary move to bring in foreign nationals into their ranks or harbour them,” the Taliban said in a statement, a copy of which was seen by TOLO news on Tuesday.
The group has warned its members that anyone who makes such an attempt will be removed from their assignments and their group will be dissolved, while “it will be referred to the military affairs commission for further punishment.”
The Taliban has been under criticism by the Afghan and the US officials for keeping their ties with the terrorist groups, particularly the Al-Qaeda.
Afghanistan’s killing fields: Taliban and its mentors have blood on their hands
The Taliban has however, denied its relations with the Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.
“We believe that the top leadership of Al-Qaeda is still under Taliban protection,” a UN official, Edmund Fitton-Brown, said earlier this month.
According to the UN monitoring team’s report in January, there are 200 to 500 Al-Qaeda members across about 11 Afghan provinces.
The Taliban has committed in the Doha agreement to cut their ties with Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. The group has also vowed to reduce violence. However, Afghan and US officials have said that violence remains “too high” in the country despite the ongoing efforts for peace.
The Taliban’s move comes as the peace negotiators of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban met in Doha after 36 days on Monday evening in which they agreed to continue their meetings on the agenda of the talks.
Imran’s visit opens new chapter in the history of Pak-Lanka ties
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunwardena has said that Imran Khan’s visit will help strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation….reports Asian Lite News
Defence and security cooperation to end the menace of terrorism are of equal importance to both Pakistan and Sri Lanka, said Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
He said that Pakistan has offered Sri Lanka a credit line of $15 million in this regard.
The Foreign Minister along with the Prime Minister Imran Khan are on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunwardena has said that Imran Khan’s visit will help strengthen bilateral ties and cooperation.
Later, Qureshi addressed the media over Imran Khan’s visit to the Sri Lanka.
Pleased to arrive in Colombo with PM @ImranKhanPTI for his maiden visit to Sri Lanka. 🇵🇰 and 🇱🇰 share a close relationship, working together at the bilat level and int’l & regional forums. During this visit all areas of cooperation between 🇵🇰 🇱🇰 will be discussed & strengthened. pic.twitter.com/K5iIAbWaVc
Qureshi said Pakistan is standing side by side with Sri Lanka as a partner for the development of human resources, security cooperation, fighting terrorism, development and prosperity.
Qureshi said Pakistan has transformed its geo-political priorities into geo-economic priorities.
He said views were exchanged on enhancement of bilateral trade and investment with Sri Lanka.
We have decided to give 100 scholarships to Sri Lankan students in top medical institutes of Pakistan, Qureshi said.
During his two-day visit to Sri Lanka, Imran Khan has said that the country could strengthen its connectivity up to the Central Asian States by benefiting from the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project.
It's a pleasure to be back in Sri Lanka again. My earlier two visits were on cricket tours in '75 & '86 where I witnessed the evolution of Sri Lankan cricket. Today I enjoyed the welcoming hospitality of Sri Lankan PM @PresRajapaksa.
Addressing a joint press conference with his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa here after holding one-on-one and delegation-level talks, he said: “My visit is aimed at strengthening the bilateral relationship with Sri Lanka, especially trade and economic ties through enhanced connectivity.”
The Prime Ministers of both the countries also reaffirmed their resolve to work together across a broad range of areas during extensive consultations held at the Temple Trees.
The one-on-one meeting between the two prime ministers was followed by delegation-level talks between the two sides.
Sri Lanka has ordered 13.5 million Oxford AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines in addition to the 500,000 doses gifted by India, and the country may not use Chinese vaccines in the second phase of immunisation, a government spokesman has said.
Ramesh Pathirana, who is also the Minister of Plantations, said Sri Lanka is likely to go only with the AstraZeneca vaccines for the second phase of vaccination as the Chinese and Russian vaccines are not ready yet.
“The Chinese vaccine has not submitted the papers relating to phase three trials, said Pathirana.
For the first round of vaccinations, the government has placed an order for 10 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine from the Serum Institute of India at a cost of $52.5 million and a further 3.5 million doses directly from AstraZeneca Institute of UK under the Covax programme, the spokesman said.
India gifted 500,000 doses of the same vaccine which kicked off Sri Lanka’s vaccine rollout in late January.
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa thanked India last month for its generosity after he received 500,000 doses of Covishield vaccine donated by the country under the ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy.
The government will be directed by the best medical advice on when the second dose should be given, Pathirana said, adding that although initially it was believed that the booster jab should be given after four weeks.
The boat has a satphone and the crew confirmed to humanitarian group ‘Arakan Project’ the presence of 65 Rohingya women and girls, five children below the age of 2 and 20 men….reports Subir Bhaumik
A boat carrying 90 Rohingya refugees and three Bangladesh crewmen drifted into India’s territorial waters on Monday, with calls for immediate rescue mounting from UN agencies and humanitarian groups.
The boat has a satphone and the crew confirmed to humanitarian group ‘Arakan Project’ the presence of 65 Rohingya women and girls, five children below the age of 2 and 20 men.
“Since the boat’s engines stopped functioning six days ago, it has been drifting towards India’s Andaman islands from its course.
“The Rohingyas boarded the boat south of the Bangladesh seaside town of Cox’s Bazar on 11th February and was headed towards Southeast Asia when its engines broke down,” Chris Lewa, director of the Thailand-based “Arakan Project” told this writer.
Lewa, who has long association with the Rohingyas through her humanitarian project to provide relief of the hapless refugees often stranded in hostile host countries or at sea, said eight of these 90 refugees have already died.
“They have no drinking water or food left, so they are drinking sea water in desperation. That is why some of them are collapsing.
“Only the Indian navy or coast guards in Andamans can save them,” said Chris Lewa, adding her organisation have informed the UNHCR and the Western embassies in Dhaka about the “huge humanitarian crisis” over the boat people.
She said the boat’s crew have said they have seen Indian naval patrol crafts near the area.
But Indian navy sources said they were “trying to ascertain the identity of a boat that seems to have drifted into Indian waters off the Andaman coast”.
They promised details later.
So Lewa said she was considering a direct appeal to the Indian government, especially the Indian Navy and coast guards deployed in Andamans to intervene.
Refugees in the Kutupalong Rohingya Refugee Camp in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in July, 2018. (Photo: UN/IANS)
“Indian coast guard patrols have traced the Rohingya boat 40 km east of Rangat in the Andamans. They should save the inmates by taking them to safe shelter with food, water and medical treatment,” said Chris Lewa.
The exact coordinates of the boat at 10.30 a.m. Indian time on Monday was shared when the ‘Arakan Project’ managed to reach the crew of the boat.
“They told me that three onboard the boat died on Saturday and five on Monday — all victims suffered from acute diarrhoea after consuming sea water,” said Chris Lewa.
UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had appealed for immediate rescue of the Rohingya refugees on this boat.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees or UNHCR says it received reports of an “unconfirmed number of Rohingya refugees aboard a vessel in distress as of the evening of Saturday 20th February”.
It urged the countries in the area, meaning India, Bangladesh and Myanmar to begin an immediate search.
“Saving lives must be the priority,” said Indrika Ratwatte, the director of the UNHCR Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific said in a statement.
Despite all the global efforts, North Korea is back on square one. The Supreme Leader is more interested in creating missiles than finding solutions for hunger. Humanitarian aid efforts in the North have been severely hampered due to Pyongyang’s tightened border controls put in place since early last year, though it has claimed to be coronavirus-free….reports Asian Lite News
Due to the strict Covid-19 curbs and restriction on imports by the authority, the World Food Programme (WFP) warns suspending its operations in North Korea in 2021.
The UN aid agency has been facing challenges in deploying its staff in the North, with its stringent monitoring activities being curtailed for a prolonged period of time.
“Pandemic-related restrictions do not ease and food imports, international staff deployments and physical monitoring access remain curtailed for a prolonged period,” the WFP said in statement.
“WFP will opportunistically use windows in which food imports are allowed to replenish and optimize in-country stocks and mitigate against import delays. However, there is a significant residual risk that, should food imports not be possible, operations will cease in 2021,” it added.
Humanitarian aid efforts in the North have been severely hampered due to Pyongyang’s tightened border controls put in place since early last year, though it has claimed to be coronavirus-free.
North Korea has rejected outside help on worries that any inbound shipments could bring about an outbreak of the highly contagious disease.
Border closures coupled with damage to farming areas inflicted by back-to-back typhoons and flooding last summer have raised concerns over worsening food shortages in the impoverished state.
North Korea is believed to be faced with a food shortage of about 1.2 million to 1.3 million tons this year. The unification minister earlier said that the ministry is exploring various ways to provide food and fertilizers to North Korea in humanitarian assistance.
The war-ravaged Asian country is on the brink of collapse. But, it is fighting back with the help of neighbours like India. Afghan security force members, journalists and doctors received the jabs in the first round of vaccine drive….reports Asian Lite News
Afghanistan officially kicked off its Covid-19 vaccination drive on Tuesday at an event held at the Presidential Palace.
Afghan president Ashraf Ghani took part in the event along with officials from the Health Ministry.
Afghan security force members, journalists and doctors received the jabs in the first round of vaccine drive.
President Ghani said at the event that the first stage of the vaccination in Afghanistan will start with 500,000 doses, adding that “efforts are underway to cover 40 per cent of the population in the second round.”
Recently, Afghanistan received 500,000 doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine from India. The vaccines were produced by the Serum Institute of India.
Afghanistan has had 55,646 reported Covid-19 cases and 2,435 deaths from the disease, according to the health ministry.
Previously, the Afghan health officials said that the government wants to vaccinate 20 per cent of the country’s population within the next six months, and donor countries and organisations have pledged $112 million.
So far, Covid-19 vaccines have been implemented in at least 50 countries.
The selected prime minister of Pakistan Imran is trying to lure Lanka to the Chinese fold. This is his maiden visit to Sri Lanka after assuming office of prime minister…reports Asian Lite News, the best newspaper from London
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDP1e0Jf458
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan embarked on a two-day official visit to Sri Lanka on Tuesday on the invitation of Sri Lankan prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
This is his maiden visit to Sri Lanka after assuming office of prime minister . Khan would be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including members of the cabinet and senior officials.
“The PM’s programme includes meetings with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. The PM will also lead the delegation-level talks, covering all areas of cooperation between the two countries including trade and investment, health and education, agriculture and science & technology, defence and security, and culture and tourism. Besides bilateral matters, views will be exchanged on key regional and international issues,” Pakistan Foreign Office’s statement said.
If further said that the reconstitution of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Parliamentary Friendship Association will be also announced to promote parliamentary exchanges between the two countries.
“PM Imran will also participate in a joint ‘Trade and Investment Conference’ aimed at promoting trade and investment between the two countries,” the statement said.
