The US would seek a five-year extension of an expiring arms control treaty between Washington and Moscow, according to reports on Thursday.
Citing US officials, multiple media outlets reported that the Joe Biden administration would seek a full five-year extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), which expires on February 5, Xinhua news agency reported.
Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Biden would extend the treaty.
Antony Blinken
“I know that he does intend to seek an extension, and we have to make a decision as President about what duration we would seek,” Blinken said during his confirmation hearing at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The New START can be extended by a maximum of five years with the consent of the two countries. The treaty, which stipulates limits to the numbers of deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems, is the last remaining nuclear arms control pact in force between the two nuclear superpowers.
Joe Biden
The former Trump administration tried to conclude a shorter extension of the treaty last year after rounds of negotiation with Russia, but the two sides failed to finalize a formal agreement.
The Covid-19 vaccines that India has granted to Nepal arrived in Kathmandu on Thursday.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal handed over the vaccines to Health Minister Hridesh Tripathi at a function held at the Kathmandu airport.
The consignment of the ‘Made in India’ Covid vaccines took off for Nepal this morning.
In a tweet, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said: “Nepal receives Indian vaccines. Putting neighbours first, putting people first! #VaccineMaitri.”
India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative will provided vaccines to its neighbouring countries.
As part of the programme, India had sent the Covid-19 vaccines to Bhutan and Maldives on Wednesday.
India has granted 1 million doses of vaccine against the coronavirus, Nepalese Health Minister Tripathi said at a joint press meet, where Indian Ambassador to Nepal Kwatra was also present.
Nepal is planning to inoculate health and other frontline workers first.
2mn Doses Arrive Dhaka
Two million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine made by the Serum Institute of India arrived in Dhaka on Thursday as a gift from New Delhi.
The Air India charter flight 1232 from Mumbai carrying the consignment landed at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 11.20 a.m. on Thursday.
In a tweet, Indian Minister of External Affars S Jaishankar said: “Touchdown in Dhaka.
#VaccineMaitri reaffirms the highest priority accorded by India to relations with Bangladesh.”
The vaccines which came as a gift will be handed over at a formal ceremony at State Guesthouse Padma on Thursday afternoon.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen, Health Minister Zahid Maleque, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam, High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami and other high government officials will be in attendance.
The Serum Institute of India has produced the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and drug maker AstraZeneca.
On January 8, Bangladesh approved the procurement of 30 million doses of Covishield vaccine from India.
“So, there would be plenty of vaccines in the country, we’re quite assured now. We can start the vaccination programme ahead of the schedule,” Momen told IANS.
Momen added that more countries including Russia and China, were interested in providing vaccines.
An agreement was signed in November 2020 between the Bangladesh government and the Serum Institute of India through which Beximco will avail 30 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
In the initial six months of the first phase, Beximco will procure five million vaccine doses per month.
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. (File Photo: IANS)
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan. (File Photo: IANS)
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, during a visit to Wana, announced that 3G/4G internet services will become operational in Waziristan from Wednesday.
The premier made the remarks while addressing a cheque distribution ceremony for the successful applicants of the Kamyab Jawan Loan Scheme and the Youth Internship Scheme, the Dawn reported.
“I know that 3G and 4G is important for education and development… this was a huge demand of the youth, one that was justified,” he said, as participants of the ceremony cheered.
The Prime Minister went on to explain that “security issues” were a major reason in the delay behind providing 3G/4G internet services.
“(India) is trying its best to spread terror in Pakistan. We know of their efforts to spread chaos in Balochistan… we have all the knowledge. Even in Waziristan, they are trying to instigate the youth against Pakistan. So that is why there was a problem regarding 3G/4G services which terrorists could also use.”
“But I spoke to my security agencies…we agreed that we need to be cognisant of terrorists using this facility. Despite this, we also thought that it is the need of our young people and that is why this service will become operational from today.”
The Prime Minister stated that approximately 70 per cent of the population lived below the poverty line in Waziristan. “That is why we have the Ehsaas programme, the aim of which is to uplift those living below the poverty line by giving them cash stipends and scholarships.”
He assured the people of Waziristan that the government was fully committed towards working for their welfare. “Whoever you voted for, it doesn’t make a difference to us. We will try to uplift this area and provide whatever facilities we can,” he said, adding that the government was working on bringing an “olive revolution” in the area.
“This is the best area for growing olive trees. We have carried out a survey and will start planting trees next month which we will hand over to the people.”
He said that people’s income will increase drastically due to the olive trees, resulting in them not having to travel abroad for jobs.
He began address by giving a message to the people of Waziristan. “The philosophy of my government is that we focus on uplifting those people and areas that have been left behind. No one is here to ask for votes or to make promises that are made during election campaigns.”
He said that by receiving technical education, young people can uplift their families and the country. “So first education and then employment is the biggest challenge.” He said that the ‘war on terror’ had caused the most damage in Waziristan.
“The Kamyab Jawan programme, under which we distributed cheques today, is just the beginning. We will try our best to focus our energies here and in Balochistan.”
He added that the government will try to help the youth as much as possible in finding employment opportunities.
PM Imran said that he was aware of the “passion” of the people, acknowledging that it was a tough task to merge these areas with Pakistan. “Time will prove that this was an excellent decision for the future of the people of the region.”
He said that the demands of the people mostly concerned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister and governor. “That is why I have asked them to be here today. For sure, most of your demands are valid and legitimate.”
Ahead of a change in the US administration, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that the country cannot be ignored and strongly believes that no administration can ignore the country.
The Foreign Minister, while speaking to Geo TV, said that a new world is being established out of which new priorities are coming forward. He added that Pakistan and the incoming US administration have a lot of “commonalties”.
“Challenges will be there. I’m not saying they won’t be there. We have to face the facts, but I believe Pakistan has a lot to offer,” said Qureshi, adding that Pakistan is an important country of the region.
“Pakistan cannot be ignored and I do think that that no administration will ignore Pakistan,” said Qureshi.
Joe Biden
To a question about what Pakistan expects, Qureshi said the people being nominated by President-elect Joe Biden are those who know about Pakistan. He also shared that he had the opportunity to work with them when the Democrats were in power last.
“They understand the region very well,” remarked Qureshi.
The foreign minister told the hosts that Biden, during his time as a senator, was a “well-respected” member of the foreign relations committee.
“He has a very clear opinion about Pakistan and South Asia,” said Qureshi. He also mentioned that Pakistan and the US have a convergence of interest in Afghanistan.
“There are many areas where the Imran Khan government and Biden government have a common interest,” said Pakistan’s top diplomat. He shared the examples of climate change and the COVAX initiative. The foreign minister, when asked about US-India ties, said that the incoming administration will help Pakistan in providing relief to the people in occupied Kashmir.
“There is one silver lining which is that this administration has a clear point of view on human rights,” said Qureshi while mentioning the “deteriorating” human rights situation in occupied Kashmir.
The foreign minister said that Pakistan is expecting the incoming administration to help Islamabad in “providing relief” to the Kashmiris from the military siege in occupied Kashmir.
Russia recorded 21,734 more Covid-19 cases over the past 24 hours, down from 22,857 a day earlier, the country’s coronavirus response centre said on Tuesday.
The national tally has thus increased to 3,612,800 with 66,623 deaths and 3,002,026 recoveries, the centre said, Xinhua news agency reported.
Moscow reported 3,115 new cases, raising the Russian capital’s caseload to 898,442, while the country’s second largest city St. Petersburg registered a bigger number of 3,281 new infections, totalling 304,045.
Moscow, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) — Russian President Vladimir Putin (Sputnik via Xinhua/IANS)
More than 97.3 million Covid-19 tests have been conducted across the country.
Russia will carry out mass vaccinations for the entire population from this week. Those from high-risk groups have been receiving the jab since early December.
The NHC has sent two medical experts from Shandong to Qixia to guide in the preparation of emergency medical aid….reports Asian Lite News
China’s National Health Commission (NHC) on Tuesday sent an expert team to Qixia in Shandong province to guide and assist the rescue mission for the trapped gold mine workers.
The team consists of five medical experts from leading hospitals in Beijing, Xinhua news agency quoted the Commission as saying.
The NHC has sent two medical experts from Shandong to Qixia to guide in the preparation of emergency medical aid.
The blast took place on January 10, and 22 workers are trapped underground.
Tuesday’s development comes after the trapped miners sent a note on Sunday, saying that 12 workers were still alive, while the state of the other 10 was unknown.
In a related development, China’s National Mine Safety Administration has ordered a comprehensive inspection of the country’s non-coal mines to forestall major accidents.
According to a directive issued by the administration, the campaign will last till the end of March, with efforts focusing on preventing the occurrence of severe accidents including collapses in mined-out areas and explosions.
In recent years, the workplace safety situation of mines in China has been steadily improving.
But the sector still faces safety risks given the huge number of scattered mines, many of which are small and ill-equipped, according to an official with the safety watchdog.
At present, there are 32,000 non-coal mines in the country, 86.4 per cent of which are small.
Most of these mines are backward in technology and equipment, with undertrained staff and poor safety management, the official said.
The Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan (DRAP) has approved a Covid-19 vaccine by China’s Sinopharm for emergency use amid an unabated resurgence in the country.
A handout by DRAP on its official website late Monday said that Sinopharm, one of the two vaccines approved by the authority, has been given emergency use authorization after evaluating its safety and quality, Xinhua news agency reported.
The handout added that the authorization will be reviewed every quarter keeping in view further data regarding safety, efficacy and quality.
Meanwhile, another vaccine manufactured by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca was been given the authorization earlier, the handout said.
Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, the country’s Minister for Science and Technology, told Xinhua earlier that the Sinopharm vaccine has been approved for procurement by a cabinet committee for its safety and affordability.
Imran Khan
Pakistan reported 1,920 new coronavirus infections and 46 deaths in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases to 521,211 with 10,997 fatalities.
Dujarric expressed hope that the US decision will be reversed as soon as possible, given that President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on Wednesday…reports Asian Lite News
The UN has continued to express concerns over the consequences of the US designation of the Houthi militia in Yemen as a terrorist organisation, a spokesman said here.
“In Yemen, the UN continues to be deeply concerned that the Us Foreign Terrorist Organization designation of the Houthis will push Yemen into a large-scale famine. Given the dangerous situation right now with the risk of famine, the policy should be reversed,” Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Monday.
Details on planned licenses for aid agencies have not been published yet, although the designation is to take force on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.
Given this uncertainty, the UN is expecting major disruptions to the world’s largest aid operation just as famine starts to take hold in the country, Dujarric said.
Even if licenses come through for aid agencies, these will not address the main problem, which relates to commercial imports, noted the spokesman.
Nearly all of Yemen’s food, medicine, fuel and everything else is brought in by commercial importers.
Military vehicles seen deployed in Aden, Yemen. (File Photo)
The long-standing UN Security Council position is that commercial imports to Yemen must be protected and must continue to flow through all ports in the country, he noted.
The UN will also have to review the potential consequences of the US designation for the Safer tanker mission, he said, referring to the planned UN mission to inspect and repair the derelict oil tanker moored at a seaport controlled by the Houthi.
The world organisation has been saying for months that the floating oil storage vessel was in imminent danger of leaking some or all of the more than 1 million barrels of oil on board.
Dujarric expressed hope that the US decision will be reversed as soon as possible, given that President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in on Wednesday.
DHAMAR PROVINCE, Sept. 1, 2019 (Xinhua) — Local Red Crescent medics search to rescue victims following airstrikes on a prison in central Dhamar province, Yemen, Sept. 1, 2019. At least 50 prisoners of war were killed when the Saudi-led coalition launched a series of airstrikes overnight on a prison in Yemen’s central province of Dhamar, the Houthi-controlled health ministry said in a statement early Sunday morning. (Photo by Mohammed Mohammed/Xinhua/IANS)
On January 11, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US will designate Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a foreign terrorist organisation.
According to figures released by the UN in December 2020, more than 230,000 Yemenis have died in the six-year-old war, mostly because of a lack of food, health services and infrastructure.
The Houthi militia has intensified attacks on the Yemeni government-held cities in the past year that killed and injured hundreds of people, according to the government of the war-torn country.
Yemen has been mired in civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebels seized control of northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict in 2015 to support Hadi’s government.
The two sides on Monday discussed “the Afghan peace process and NATO’s continued support for Afghanistan Defense and Security forces.”…reports Asian Lite News
Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held a phone conversation during which they discussed the peace talks between the Kabul government and the Taliban, an official statement said here on Tuesday.
The two sides on Monday discussed “the Afghan peace process and NATO’s continued support for Afghanistan Defense and Security forces”, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement issued by Ghani’s office as saying.
“NATO remains committed to supporting the Afghan Defense and Security forces and continues its mission to train, advise and assist the forces,” the statement quoted Stoltenberg as saying.
The development comes as the second round began on January 5 after a three-week break.
This round will focus on a ceasefire and reduction in violence in the war-torn country, TOLO News reported.
The peace negotiations, which formally kicked-off in September 2020, witnessed a breakthrough last month after the two sides agreed on procedural rules for the talks.
They also confirmed to have exchanged their lists about the agenda of the peace talks.
The decision was taken in accordance with a section of the agreement which says that both parties may suspend the implementation of the deal for reasons of public health fears…reports Asian Lite News
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has temporarily suspended a visa-exemption deal with the Jewish state, citing coronavirus fears.
In a statement on Monday, Ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said that the UAE government has notified its Israeli counterparts that the implementation of the agreement has been suspended until July 1 “in the wake of efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus”, Xinhua news agency reported.
The decision was taken in accordance with a section of the agreement which says that both parties may suspend the implementation of the deal for reasons of public health fears, according to Haiat.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the UAE has implemented similar moves to restrict arrivals from other countries as well, including India, Pakistan, and some other European nations.
According to the Ministry, the visa waivers were supposed to take effect by February 13.
They were a key part of the Israeli-UAE normalisation deal signed in September 15, 2020.
The announcement came a day after Israel’s cabinet decided to make it mandatory for all arrivals from the UAE to stay in quarantine AT a “coronavirus motel” run by the military for a period of 10-14 days.
