The US-mediated meeting between officials from both sides held at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Wednesday…Reports Asian Lite News
Lebanon and Israel hold the first round of talks over their maritime border that runs through potentially oil- and gas-rich Mediterranean waters after decades of conflict,
The US-mediated meeting between officials from both sides held at the headquarters of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) on Wednesday.
This will be followed by talks on demarcating the land border. David Schenker, US undersecretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, will preside over the inaugural session of the maritime talks, according to the State Department. Beirut insists that these talks “have nothing to do with normalization” of ties with Israel.
On the eve of the meeting, Lebanese President Michel Aoun reviewed preparations for it and met with Jan Kubis, UN special coordinator for Lebanon.
The United States has demanded that Turkey pull back an energy research ship that it has sent back to waters contested with Greece, calling the move a “calculated provocation.”
In a strongly worded statement, the State Department said the US “deplores” the decision by Turkey that came just after tensions with Greece had subsided, reports Arab News.
“We urge Turkey to end this calculated provocation and immediately begin exploratory talks with Greece,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said in a statement.
“Turkey’s announcement unilaterally raises tensions in the region and deliberately complicates the resumption of crucial exploratory talks between our NATO allies Greece and Turkey,” she said.
Turkey’s Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Donmez on Monday announced the return to its seismic survey vessel, the Oruc Reis, to the Eastern Mediterranean Sea to resume its activities.
Turkish seismic vessel Oruc Reis.
Donmez said on his Twitter account that the vessel raised the anchor to “take the X-ray of the Mediterranean” following the completion of its maintenance works, reports Xinhua news agency.
Last month, Turkey withdrew Oruc Reis from its activity area to a port in Antalya province for its monthly maintenance and supplies.
European Union countries have been trying to mediate between Turkey and Greece over their conflicting demands.
Turkey says that Greece’s maritime territory claims in the region, based on small islands near the Turkish coast, are in defiance of the international law.
Greece and Turkey are both NATO members, but have a history of border disputes and competing claims over maritime rights.
Although by a smaller margin, China won despite its human rights record, especially its treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority, and the opposition of several countries and human rights groups…reports Arul Louis
The United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva. (File Photo: UN/IANS)
Pakistan and Nepal have been re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council, while China won a seat by the smallest margin showing a drastic drop in standing.
In Tuesday’s voting at the General Assembly China received only 139 votes compared to the 180 it received in 2016, the last time it was elected to the Council and its tally of votes was the lowest of the 15 countries elected.
Human Rights Watch’s UN Director Louis Charbonneau tweeted that it “shows more states are disturbed by China’s abysmal rights record.”
Saudi Arabia was defeated in the elections for the four seats up for vote to represent Asian and Pacific countries getting only 90 votes, seven shy of the 97 required for election.
Its popularity also showed a drastic fall because it had won 152 votes in 2016 when it was last elected to the Council.
Russia, which was defeated in 2016 by two votes having received only 112, made a comeback getting 158 votes, although technically it ran unopposed this time for one of the two East Europe seats. Ukraine, its regional adversary, ran unopposed for the other seat.
Pakistan got 169 votes in the election held by secret paper ballot with COVID-19 precautions, and Nepal 150.
The two South Asian countries are members of the council with their current terms ending on December 31 and will now serve for three more years.
Uzbekistan was the fourth country elected from the Asia Pacific region with 169 votes.
India and Bangladesh are also a member of the council last elected in 2018 to the term starting in 2019 and running out at the end of next year.
France, Britain, Cuba and Mexico were among the 15 countries elected on Tuesday to represent other regions at the 47-member council based in Geneva.
Saudi Arabia’s defeat was a surprise and although its human rights record has been criticised, it is considered to have broad support having received 152 votes in 2016 when it was last elected.
Chinese President Xi Jinping
Although by a smaller margin, China won despite its human rights record, especially its treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority, and the opposition of several countries and human rights groups.
The critics cite the resolution set up in 2006, which said, “Human Rights Council members shall uphold the highest standards in the promotion of human rights.”
A group of 39 countries led by Germany issued a strong criticism of China last week at the UN.
The statement said they were “gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the recent developments in Hong Kong.”
Early estimates indicate that up to 140,000 people may have been impacted by the damage…Asian Lite News Reports
The UN and its humanitarian partners have coordinated with authorities in Syria to develop a contingency response plan after wildfires have killed three people and displaced as many as 25,000 others.
In a statement on Monday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said that 79 others were also hospitalised due to the wildfires in the coastal regions of Latakia and Tartous and Homs, Xinhua news agency reported.
Early estimates indicate that up to 140,000 people may have been impacted by the damage.
“Our colleagues at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs are coordinating with authorities and humanitarian partners to help develop a contingency response plan,” Dujarric said.
At least 156 wildfires were reported in the three governorates, with significant spread reported across several areas on October 9 and 10, he said.
Local authorities reported on Sunday that all the fires had been contained but the risk of reignition remains in some areas
The office told the court that the “special state of emergency” will expire on Tuesday midnight…Asian Lite News Reports
The Israeli government has announced that it will not extend a coronavirus “special state of emergency” that limits public protests amid the ongoing three-week complete nationwide lockdown.
The statement was made by the Israeli State Attorney’s Office, in a document filed to the Supreme Court on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.
The office told the court that the “special state of emergency” will expire on Tuesday midnight.
The government “will not extend” the restrictions, it added.
Earlier on Monday, the Health Ministry said in a statement that it will not ask to renew the restrictions on rallies.
Jerusalem, Sept. 12, 2020 (Xinhua) — People wearing face masks are seen in Jerusalem’s Old City amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Sept. 11, 2020. Israel’s Ministry of Health reported 3,038 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, bringing the total number in the country to 148,564. (Photo by Muammar Awad/Xinhua/IANS)
The move came after the Movement for Quality Government in Israel and other civil rights groups petitioned the Supreme Court in a bid to cancel the restrictions on protests.
Israel has been under a nationwide lockdown following a resurgence of new confirmed cases.
The lockdown is expected to end on Wednesday.
On September 30, the Knesset (parliament) passed a law that allows the government to limit participation in demonstrations within 1,000 metres from the participants’ homes.
The law was widely seen in Israel as a measure to halt the weekly rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday nights.
Netanyahu, the longest serving Israeli premier, is facing a criminal trial over three charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust in three separate cases.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua/IANS)
The Iranian Judiciary’s High Council for Human Rights has urged the world to oppose US embargoes barring the Islamic Republic’s access to medical and humanitarian supplies.
“The enforcement and intensification of unjust, illegal and inhumane embargoes by the US regime have not only caused problems for Iran’s normal economic, financial and banking relations, but also made purchase of medicines, diagnostic kits and laboratory equipment practically impossible,” Xinhua news agency quoted the Council as saying.
It said Washington had already embarked on committing “crimes against humanity” by unilaterally withdrawing in 2018 from the 2015 international nuclear deal and since then imposing “the toughest embargoes against the Iranian nation”.
The situation has further aggravated after the US imposed unilateral sanctions on 18 semi-public and private banks on October 8 “with the goal of creating obstacles on the way of access to food, medicine and humanitarian equipment”.
It added that such sanctions clearly violated the fundamental right of Iranians, dealing a new blow to human rights and international laws.
The Council also denied claims by the US government that the embargoes exclude humanitarian items, pointing out that the sanctions on financial institutions have disrupted payments related to the import of those items.
It urged other governments and international organisations to prevent a further erosion of human rights caused by the US.
The UK is part of a US-led international coalition tasked with helping the Iraqi security forces in the fight against the Islamic State militants…Reports Asian Lite News
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has confirmed that Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is expected to pay an official visit to the UK.
In a statement on Sunday, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said he received the British Ambassador to Iraq, Stephen Hickey, in his office and the two discussed al-Kadhimi’s visit, The Baghdad Post newspaper reported.
The statement however, did not provide any other detains, including the date of the visit.
“They also touched on developments of issues of common interests in the region and the world,” it said.
Hussein added the Iraqi government has taken security measures to provide a suitable environment for the work of all diplomatic missions in Baghdad.
Unidentified militant groups frequently fire mortar rounds on Iraqi military bases housing US-led coalition forces as well as the American embassy in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, where the main Iraqi government offices and some foreign embassies are located.
The UK is part of a US-led international coalition tasked with helping the Iraqi security forces in the fight against the Islamic State militants by carrying out airstrikes against their positions in Iraq and Syria as well as providing military equipment and training for Iraqi forces.
(161201) -- ALANYA, Dec. 1, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) shakes hands with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu during a joint news conference in Alanya, Turkey, on Dec. 1, 2016. Neither Syria nor Russia attacked Turkish soldiers in northern Syria on Nov. 24, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Mert Macit) (zy)
Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue active mediation efforts aimed at achieving a settlement in the disputed region, taking into account the provisions of the Moscow statement…Reports Asian Lite News
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu held a telephone conversation during which they discussed the situation in the the conflict-ridden Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“During the conversation, the sides exchanged views on the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone developing after the trilateral talks in Moscow on October 9-10,” Xinhua news agency quoted the Russian Foreign Ministry as saying in a statement on Sunday.
The need was noted for the strict implementation of all provisions of the joint statement of Russian, Azerbaijani, and Armenian foreign ministers on October 10, it said.
Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow’s readiness to continue active mediation efforts aimed at achieving a settlement in the disputed region, taking into account the provisions of the Moscow statement, the statement added.
The development came two days day after a ceasefire was enforced in the region following trilateral negotiations between Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia that lasted for over two hours in Moscow.
But on Sunday, Azerbaijan, which is openly backed by Turkey, accused Armenia of violating the ceasefire by attacking its second largest city of Ganja and inflicting civilian casualties.
However, the Armenian Defence Ministry denied the allegation, saying that it was false information.
People wearing masks walk in downtown Tehran, Iran
Iran announced on Sunday its highest single-day death toll from the coronavirus with 251 confirmed dead, reports Arab News.
Health Ministry spokesperson Sima Sadat Lari said this pushes the total confirmed death toll to 28,544, making it the hardest-hit country in the region.
A further 3,822 new cases were confirmed over the past 24 hour-period, raising total nationwide recorded cases to 5,00,075. Nearly 4,509 patients are in critical condition, the report added.
Meanwhile, a separate report by Tasnim news agency said the country’s vice president in charge of budget and planning, Mohammad Bagher Nobakht, had also tested positive for the coronavirus.
There has been no progress in the Afghanistan peace negotiations in Doha as formal meetings between the two sides comprising representatives of the Kabul government and Taliban, have remained suspended for the past 10 days.
Despite recent diplomatic efforts, the two sides were yet to reach a conclusion about the procedural rules intended to kick start the direct peace negotiations aimed at ending the decades-long war in Afghanistan, TOLO News reported on Saturday.
Since the intra-Afghan talks were formally launched on September 12, two sides have agreed on 18 out of 20 articles for the procedural rules.
But two main articles – religious basis for the talks and connection of the US-Taliban deal with the negotiations – remain unsolved.
Intra-Afghan talks in Doha.
The Taliban has not made an official comment about the resumption of the talks, but the government team has said that the negotiation will continue until the two sides reach a settlement.
This comes days after US special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad said he expects the Afghan peace process to be concluded in months, not years.
On Saturday, Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, said that an early withdrawal of international troops from Afghanistan will have some impacts on the ongoing peace process and the country’s situation, TOLO News reported.
But he also said that Afghans should be ready for any type of conditions and that they should work for their future together.
