Multicultural News Australia March 2023

Australia assisting Solomon Islands fight against climate change

Five Mediterranean countries call for more EU solidarity on migration

Valletta, March 5 (IANS)

Australia is assisting the Solomon Islands in its fight against the impacts of climate change. At the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders’ Retreat, Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that Australia, in partnership

with the Pacific Meteorological Council, will support the Weather Ready Pacific initiative.

This is a Pacific led initiative, endorsed by PIF leaders, to enhance early warning systems and climate resilience. Australia is contributing AUD30 million to

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Women deeply under-represented in govt leadership roles: UN report

increased overall, Xinhua news agency reported.

However, women are still deeply under-represented in government leadership roles, and remain a minority as heads of state and government, according to the report.

Geneva, March 8 (IANS)

More women than ever hold political decision-making posts worldwide but gender parity is still far off, according to a report jointly released by the InterParliamentary Union (IPU) and the UN Women.

The report, presenting the latest rankings and regional distribution of women in executive positions and national parliaments as of January 1 of this year, showed the number of women in political leadership roles has

At the very start of this year, 11.3 per cent of countries have women heads of state (monarchy-based systems excluded), and 9.8 per cent have women heads of government. These represent an increase from a decade ago, when figures stood at 5.3 per cent and 7.3 per cent respectively.

According to the report, only 13 countries, mostly in Europe, have gender-equal cabinets, with 50 per cent or more women cabinet members serving as ministers.

Nine countries have no woman

Oak Creek shooting: Sikh motorcyclist to ride against hate

Interior ministers of five EU Mediterranean countries has called for more EU solidarity on migration and more efforts to prevent irregular migration. At the end of the so-called “Med 5” ministerial-level meeting held in Malta’s capital Valletta on Friday and Saturday, ministers of Malta, Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus signed a joint declaration. The meeting was held just days after a deadly migrant shipwreck off Italy. At least 64 migrants died on February 26 when their boat hit rocks near the coast of

the southern Italian region of Calabria, Xinhua news agency reported.

The five ministers agreed that more work needs to be done at a European level to address the root causes of migration and prevent irregular migration, according to the joint declaration released by the Maltese Ministry for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality.

They reaffirmed their position on the need to “strike a balance between (EU) Member States’ responsibilities on the one hand and the need for solidarity on the other,” the joint declaration said.

They also called for more efforts for “the establishment of a permanent and mandatory solidarity mechanism that factors the real needs of frontline Member States and ensures that these needs are fully met through the solidarity contributions”.

Australia boosting agriculture in Bangladesh

ACIAR.

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New York, March 4 (IANS) An Indian-American Sikh is undertaking a 2,700-mile motorcycle ride to mark the 11th anniversary of a 2012 attack on a Gurdwara in Wisconsin that left seven people from his community dead.

Gurdeep Singh Saggu, 37, along with Motorcycle Club USA, has planned the week-long ride to Oak Creek Gurdwara to raise

awareness about their culture and faith, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The ride that would end on August 5 in Oak Creek, will pass through states like Arizona, where a Sikh man, mistaken for a Muslim, was killed in a hate crime four days after 9/11.

Earlier, Saggu, who is a

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Agriculture is a significant part of the economies of both Australia and Bangladesh. Australia’s Commission for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) accompanied by Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

visited Bangladesh recently to hear from project partners and communities about the impact of 25 years of ACIAR’s collaboration with Bangladesh.

The delegation, supported by the Australian High Commission in Dhaka, visited project sites in Barisal, Khulna and Jessore. Local farmers told the Commissioners how they have benefitted from agricultural research projects funded by

The Australian High Commissioner (HC) to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer welcomed the delegates, including Chair Fiona Simson and ACIAR CEO Professor Andrew Campbell, to Bangladesh. Agriculture plays a crucial role in supporting communities and contributing to economic growth in both Australia and Bangladesh.

King Charles to be anointed with animal-cruelty free oil

London, March 4 (IANS) The oil which will be used to anoint King Charles III during his coronation on May 6 will not not include any ingredients from animals, the media reported on Saturday.

The “chrism oil” for the coronation was consecrated on Friday by the Patriarch of Jerusalem and the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, built on the site where it is believed Jesus Christ died and was buried, reports the BBC.

This was carried out in one of the city’s holiest Christian sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Previous versions have included civet oil, from the glands of the small mammals, and ambergris from the intestines of whales. There had been concerns about animal cruelty and the need to

protect wildlife and the latest formula for the holy oil for King Charles’s coronation will be animal free.

The new oil includes olive oil scented with a mix of essential oils, sesame, rose, jasmine, cinnamon, neroli and benzoin, with orange blossom also added. It also has a royal family significance, partly using olives grown on the Mount of Olives at the Monastery of Mary Magdalene, which is where the King’s grandmother, Princess Alice, is buried.

Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, welcomed the use of oil from the Mount of Olives, a site outside Jerusalem with many biblical connections, the BBC reported.

“This demonstrates the deep historic link between the

coronation, the Bible and the Holy Land,” said the archbishop. “From ancient kings through to the present day, monarchs have been anointed with oil from this sacred place.”

King Charles III’s coronation will take place on May 6 at Westminster Abbey in London. During the ceremony, the King will be crowned alongside Camilla, the Queen Consort.

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Australian HC, experts discuss opportunities for B’desh ICT sector

Australian HC to Canada hosts International Women’s Day breakfast

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Australian High Commissioner (HC) to Bangladesh Jeremy Bruer joined State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, President of BASIS Russell T Ahmed and the ambassadors of Denmark and the European Union on stage for a panel discussion at the BASIS Softexpo 2023.

Chief Editor of The Daily Star Mahfuz Anam moderated an engaging conversation exploring opportunities for developing Bangladesh’s dynamic ICT sector and enhancing trade, including with Australia. Highlighting the importance of the digital economy for

both the countries, the High Commissioner said, “The digital economy is growing rapidly in size and importance for both our economies and Australia is helping Bangladesh build a skilled ICT workforce. Australia’s Monash College Australia and UTS College offer diplomas in business and IT through local providers, opening up pathways for advanced studies at these universities. We will continue to work with the Bangladesh Government and industry groups, such as BASIS, to support more opportunities for engagement with Australian tech companies.”

EU-Australia trade agreement

Australian High Commissioner (HC) to Canada Scott Ryan hosted an International Women’s Day breakfast and discussion on the theme ‘Cracking the Code: Innovation for a Gender Equal Future’ at Australia House, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Australia is committed to the use of education, innovation and technology in ways that promote equality and inclusion, and progress the rights, health and security of all women and girls. The speakers on the occasion were Andrea Johnston (ADM,

EUVP invites young leaders to visit Europe

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The European Union Visitors Program (EUVP) invites young, promising leaders from countries outside the European Union to visit Europe to gain a first-hand appreciation

of the EU’s institutions, policies, values, and people to increase mutual understanding between professionals from non-EU countries and their EU counterparts. It will be an opportunity to

the EU.

Canada CG attends Blak& Deadly First Nations Gala

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22 working groups and sub-groups of European Commission and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade negotiators met in Canberra recently to discuss a comprehensive EU-Australia trade agreement. The groups made some good progress and provisionally concluded on maritime services, telecommunication services, and competition. The groups also discussed the revised offers on services and investment, trade in goods and government procurement.

The teams agreed to ramp up follow-up discussions in the coming weeks to make sure that both sides would continue making steady progress ahead of the next 15th round of negotiations, which is planned for April 2023 in Brussels.

The groups are committed to finalising a high-quality, ambitious and balanced trade deal by 2023, a deal that will help achieve the EU’s ambitious net-zero goals. This agreement would also facilitate access to critical raw materials.

Consul General (CG) for Canada in Australia André-François Giroux

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Innovation Canada), Wendy Hadwen (Deputy Chief of Strategic Policy, Planning and Partnerships – Communications Security Establishment) and

Jennifer Flanagan (President & CEO – Actua) who delivered powerful speeches and personal reflections.

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attended the Blak& Deadly First Nations Gala recently as part of Sydney WorldPride 2023 at the iconic Sydney Opera House.

Along with incredible talent performing during the evening, Canadian Jeremy Dutcher was a crowd favourite.

connect with a network of young professionals and learn more about

The last date for submission of applications is March 25, 2023.

Indian Minister praises the Sacred India Gallery

CG of India, Perth meets Suzlon Energy representatives

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The Sacred India Gallery hosted Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan and Indian

Consul General Amarjeet Singh

Takhi, for a VIP tour during the minister’s visit to Australia recently.

Muraleedharanpraised the efforts being made by the Sacred

India team to showcase spiritual India among the Western Australian community.He also praised the organization’s work so as to further cross-cultural understanding and inclusion.

Henna tattoo, sari wearing skill & handloom workshop organized

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Recently, Consul General of India, Perth Amarjeet Singh Takhimet representatives of Suzlon Energy - TejjasParmar, CEOInternational Business of Suzlon Energy Australia Pty Ltd & Dr. V. BapeshwarRao, President - India Business of Suzlon Energy Ltd,

India, together with N. Ramani, Director of PujaaDhree Green Power Ltd, and Dilawar Singh, CEO, Sun Brilliance Pty Ltd. Suzlon is India’s leading renewable energy company with footprints in 17 countries so as to provide wind turbines, with concept-to-commissioning model.

My Vision Youth Project organized

Recently, young people from Multicultural Australia’s My Vision Youth Project (MYVP) enjoyed a fun and educational day at the Tallebudjera Creek on the Gold Coast.

The project was organized in partnership with Surf Life Saving Queensland. The project was an opportunity for the participating youth to learn water safety skills along with their friends.

Australian volunteer to collaborate with Pacific Island countries

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Three workshops - henna tattoo; how to wear a sari; and handloom workshop were hosted February18at the National Multicultural Festival held recently. The Festival was organized at Glebe Park, Canberra.

During the media launch saw Minister Tara Cheyne MLA learning the art of wearing a sari as part of the demonstration. Later, Chief Minister of Australian Capital Territory Andrew Barr also participated in the Sari weaving demonstration at the National Multicultural

Festival.

Expert weaver from India

Melanie Wratten, an Australian volunteer, will be based in Suva as part of the Australian Volunteers Program. She previously worked as a volunteer in Vanuatu. Melanie will spend a year volunteering as a Data Research Officer with the PacificCommunity-SPC Clinical

Services Program team. She will collaborate with Pacific Island countries and their partners to investigate regional opportunities and clinical service solutions.

Melanie hopes to broaden her professional network and contribute to a better health system in Fiji and the Pacific.

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SrinuGuda was present on the occasion.

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Australia to spend FJ$15.2 million on Fiji infrastructure

Australia

assisting hearing care in Fiji

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Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong - Senator for SA, announced in Nadi recently that Australia will invest an additional FJ$15.2 million in climate-resilient infrastructure in Fiji. This funding will help rebuild nine schools in Vanua Levu damaged by Tropical Cyclone Yasa and Tropical Cyclone Ana in 2020 and 2021, bringing Australia’s total support for cyclone recovery in Vanua Levu to FJ$43.3 million.

The reconstruction will help Fiji’s economic recovery, using only Fijian companies

and suppliers, and providing jobs to Fijians from affected communities. Women are directly benefiting through opportunities to earn incomes by weaving and painting school buildings, and through the construction of school canteens, leading to ongoing women-led micro-businesses.

The design and construction of these school buildings will be a blueprint for climate-resilient infrastructure in the Pacific. The schools will be environmentally sustainable, use renewable energy and locally sourced materials, and will be Category 5 Cyclone Certified.

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To mark the World Hearing Day 2023, Australia recognizes the endeavors of Frank Hilton Organization

Fiji (FHO) for making ear and hearing care accessible to Fijian children.

The Australian government supports FHO, in collaboration

with the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Fiji and the Ministry of Education Fiji , to provide audiology services in Suva and Ba, screen infants at CWM for hearing impairments and train educators in techniques for working with children who are deaf or hard of hearing. FHO has a dedicated team at the Audiology Department that provides hearing screening, diagnosis and rehabilitation for children of all ages. Currently, the FHO Audiology Department provides the only infant screening service in the country, among other services.

Australia’s Dy HC addresses Fiji govt’sSLF

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Australia’s Deputy High Commissioner (Dy HC) Paul Wilson addressed the Fiji Government’s 2023 Senior Leadership Forum (SLF), alongside the Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Civil ServiceParmesh Chand. The forum provided frameworks

and techniques to senior Fiji government leaders to help them manage transitions at the organizational, program and personal levels. It also looked at the elements essential for successful government transformation and change initiatives.

Australia, like Fiji, believes strong and effective public institutions

are critical to improving the lives of our citizens. Australia is ready to collaborate with Fiji to support this opportunity for senior leaders to engage with one another as they work to build a public service that is indeed service driven.

14 bilateral contributors receive top honours at 2023 IABCA Award ceremony

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The ever-expanding areas of cooperation

and growing cultural relations between Australia and India are due to the painstaking endeavours of many entities, besides initiatives taken at the respective governmental levels.

The India Australia Business & Community Alliance (IABCA ) is one such organization that has been relentless pursuing the ways and means to concretize Australia and India ties elevating it to the next level of understanding and people-to-people connections.

That business relations underlie many endeavours in diverse arenas of human activities has been well comprehended and appreciated. The fruits of the growing bilateral relations across fields must percolate to individuals achievers of excellence is also well appreciated. Moreover, the footprints of an entity that is into eliciting and recognizing excellence across human endeavours, must reach out beyond the confines of local interests and become global in outlook in contemporary times characterized by dynamic business ecosystems and diverse interests.

In such a complex backdrop full of potentialities and opportunities, the IABCA

decided to kick-start a new era of engagements by first celebrating a decade of relentless engagement by endeavouring to spread its wings globally through its inaugural ‘IABCA India Showcase’, a celebration which had the support and blessings of both governments. The festivities were organized from 13 to 17 February.

It was a 12-month long endeavour during which the IABCA offered an apt platform for the confluence of 400 key influencers and bilateral leaders from across the two nations.

The ‘Meeting of Minds’, as it was appropriately consisted of the two high-profile events in the form of the IABCA Global Leaders Forum and the Awards Ceremony, and the environment was that of the Taj Palace, New Delhi. The occasion was an opportune moment to connect entrepreneurs, innovators and disruptors from across Australia and India.

During the inaugural launch of IABCA India Immersion Week, High Commissioner of Australia to India, Barry O’Farrell, who was attending the celebrations said, “I welcome IABCA’s decision to expand its scope and showcase the amazing depth of our bilateral business and community links in Mumbai and New Delhi. Congratulations to

all the IABCA 2023 Finalists.”

The IABCA Global Leaders Forum was an apt platform to discuss issues of mutual interest and areas of opportunity for both the countries. But before that an understanding of what India is and stands for would have been most appropriate given the significance of the occasion. Therefore the organizers initiated two separate panel discussions that sought to understand the Australia India relationship across bilateral partnerships and its significance. The keynote speech was delivered by Vice Chairman of Suzlon Group Girish Tanti. Following the Global Leaders Forum, the IABCA awards ceremony was organized. There were as many as 14 awardees across trade and investment, who were awarded for their bilateral contributions.

Highlights of the 2023 IABCA Award Winners and High Commended:

IABCA Young Professional of the Year - Khushaal Vyas, Western Sydney University, Justice Clinic

IABCA Business Leader of the Year - Jay Hira, Cyber Transformation

IABCA Managing Director of the Year - Dr Raj Khillan, Healthcare Awareness Society of Australia; the Highly Commended Certificate - Jonah Stephen

Jeremiah, Carisma Solutions Private Limited

The IABCA Community Services Excellence Award

(Individual)- ‘Little India Harris Park Business Association (LIHPBA)’; and Rengarajan

Chidambaranathan, Rotary Club of Granville

The IABCA Community Services

Excellence Award (Organisation)

- ‘IT Girls Work Experience Program’, Tata Consultancy Services Limited

The IABCA Businesswoman of the Year - Priyanka Berani, Healthy Smiles Dental Group; and the Highly Commended Certificate - Esha Oberoi, Afea Care Services

The IABCA Australia India Impact Award (Individual)Vinod Daniel, India Vision Institute

The IACBA Australia India Impact Award (Organisation)

- KAS Group Asia (KGA); the Highly Commended Certificate

- Gaura Travel

The Australia India Science, Research & Development Award (Individual) - Dr Sonu Bhaskar, Global Health Neurology Lab; the Highly Commended Certificate - Prof Suresh Kumar Bhargava, Research & Innovation, Research Partnerships (India), Director for CAMIC, Dean, STEM College, RMIT University, Melbourne

The Excellence in Innovation Award - ‘The Avolution’; the Highly Commended Certificate

- Alluvium

The ‘Excellence in Trade &

Investment’ Award - Flavourtech Ltd

The ‘Excellence in Partnerships Award’ - Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) & Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, India

The SME of the Year AwardCoral Heatlhcare

The Lifetime Achievement Award - Ambassador Harinder Sidhu, former High Commissioner for Australia to India and current High Commissioner for Australia to New Zealand

Applauding the IABCA inaugural India biennial decision, Author, Australia Economic Strategy Report, Former Ambassador and Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, Anil Wadhwa said, “The India Australia Business and Community Alliance is just ten years old, however, it has effectively taken centre stage in the Australia India relationship as a leading platform that connects businesses, people and institutions in both countries with an ease and comfort that no other institution can. Through its web of initiatives aimed at forging connections which are vital for sustaining the bilateral relationship between the two countries, IABCA initiatives and awards are much sought after and heavily subscribed. This year IABCA will showcase this power of connections in India in 2023 - the program is much welcomed in New Delhi and in Mumbai.”

Mexico gets back two lost cultural objects

Queensland Rail employeeKamanzi Patrickhonoured

Australian Minister for the Arts Tony Burke MP handed over two cultural objects, seized by the Australian Border Force, back to Mexico, recently. The ex-voto painting of a mining accident and the Mixtec copper bowl will return where they belong: to the Mexican people. Both Mexico and Australia are committed to fight illicit trafficking of cultural goods and will continue to collaborate to protect and preserve our national heritages.

Ways to boost citizen engagement, social accountability discussed

Kamanzi Patrick, a graduate of Multicultural Australia’s Work and Welcome program, has been recognised as one ofQueensland Rail’s Best Employees. As a porter, whether he’s assisting people with disability safely disembark or assuring a hurried person that another train is coming soon, he makes sure that travellers feel safe, welcome, and supported when they leave or arrive at the station. Referring to his manner of working, Kamanzi said, “This is one of my dream jobs. I’m very

passionate about it. When I go home after work, I am [just as] happy as when I left for work. The people we helped that day felt safe, and that really makes me happy.”

Australia-Papua New Guinea Economic Partnership thrives in digital field

strengthening citizen engagement and social accountability. This was part of the Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council’s inaugural Social Accountability Summit supported by the PNG-Australia partnership. The summit focused on initiating discussions amongst innovators and practitioners working in the social accountability space, to increase the demand for accountability in the management of public resources.

Over time, this will contribute to improved governance, enhanced development outcomes and stronger citizen empowerment.

Dee-AndraBetabete, 23, a young graduate from the University of Papua New Guinea, is now five months into her first job as a monitoring, evaluation, research and learning (MERL) officer working under the Australia-Papua New Guinea Economic Partnership (APEP).

Dee-Andra has a degree in Political Science and experience working short part-time engagements with NGOs in conducting surveys, data entry and collection and basic enumeration roles. “Every job, big or small, has pearls of wisdom you can get from and skills that

you may think is not important but one day this little job will get you places you never imagined,” said Dee-Andra.

Since working with the APEP program, Dee-Andra has been learning about the latest digital tools and software used to capture, store, and analyse data in the monitoring and evaluation space.

“My ambition for working with APEP is to learn as much as I can about MERL and from all the other experienced colleagues I work with. I want to build my skills and knowledge and that is my goal to achieve working with APEP,” said Dee-Andra.

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IKey representatives from the governments of Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia, the

private sector and civil society gathered in Port Moresby recently to discuss their work and how they can contribute to

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Oak Creek shooting: Sikh motorcyclist to ride against hate

Makan and Music in May

On Saturday 13th May, 2023, the Scout Hall in Annerley will come alive with Malaysian Makan and live music as the Multicultural Social Network of Queensland hosts is first get-together since Covid came to town.

to reconnect with old friends and business acquaintances.

supervisor at a shipping company, hesitated to leave his family for the fear that they could be attacked for their religion.

He had dealt with a co-worker in the past who accused him of belonging to a terrorist group due to his beard and turban, The Los Angeles Times reported. His ten year-old son Akaaldeep, who was bullied at school because of his turban and came home crying every day, begged him to stay home.

But after Akaaldeep heard an FBI agent at Stockton Sikh Temple prayer hall recount how a white man strode into a Sikh temple shooting innocent people, he hugged his father, saying, “Daddy, now I want you to go.”

Hugging his son in the prayer hall, Saggu then told himself: “I have to do this,” The Los Angeles Times reported.

On August 5, 2012, the Sikh community of Oak Creek came under attack when white supremacist Wade Page stormed a Gurdwara in Wisconsin and gunned down six worshippers, before shooting himself dead.

A seventh person who was severely paralysed died from his injuries in 2020.

There are more than 100,000 Punjabis living in California and as many as 500,000 nationwide, the report said.

Sikhs have long been victims of hate and racial crimes in the US, and things took a turn for worse

after September 11 attacks when they were mistaken for Muslims due to their long beards.

Balbir Singh Sodhi, a 49 year-old Sikh businessman was the first victim of a hate crime linked to 9/11.

According to recent statistics revealed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a total of 1,005 hate crimes related to religion were reported in 2021 in the US with Sikhs being the most targeted religious groups.

The largest categories of religion-based crime included anti-Jewish incidents at 31.9 per cent followed by anti-Sikh incidents at 21.3 per cent, the FBI revealed.

Body and Soul Music and Events is assisting with co-ordinating this event, together with the caterer, Anthea Soliano-Currier of Heritage Park. A delicious three course Malaysian-themed buffet will be on offer and you can thereafter dance the calories off to the great beats of Body and Soul Duo (some of you may know them from the Singapore Club of Queensland’s recent New Year’s event at the Landmark Hotel in Sunnybank. All are welcome to what’s sure to be a colourful event bringing together people from all ethnicities and it will double as a chance

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‘I have organised many events professionally, and I’m delighted to be able to bring this event to the members of MSNQ and the wider public, as a way of celebrating life and coming out the other end of a challenging Covid tunnel!’, said organiser, Sandra Beynon of Body and Soul Music and Events.

‘I live in Annerley, so I’m excited to be hosting an event so close to home,’ she said.

Unfortunately, President of the MSNQ, Carl Wu, will be overseas on personal business but he roundly welcomed the opportunity for members to re-connect, and to host an open event to welcome all.

Tickets are limited, so book early to avoid disappointment. Invite your friends, family, neighbours, co-workers - anybody!

Women deeply under-represented in govt leadership roles: UN report

cabinet member heading any ministry. The report also showed that men continue to dominate policy areas such as economy, defense, justice and home affairs portfolios. Women only comprise 12 per cent of cabinet ministers leading defence and local government portfolios, 11 per cent in energy, natural resource fuels and mining portfolios, and 8 per cent in transport portfolios.

“We’re witnessing ongoing progress in the number of women in politics this year,

which is encouraging. However, we still have a long way to go to reach gender equality when we see the current rates of growth,” said IPU Secretary General Martin Chungong.

Solomon’s Christian Care Centre gets new kitchen

New agricultural research and office facilitiesopen at Bougainville

of the Christian Care Centre new kitchen. To complement the kitchen’s opening, the Australian High Commission provided care packages for the Centre which included rice, soap, and children’s toys. The Centre, led by Sister Rosa and her team, provides victims of violence with both shelter and safe housing and connecting them to critical services like legal and medical assistance. Australia is committed to supporting victims and survivors of domestic and gender-based violence.

Australia assisting Solomon Islands in hosting 2023 Pacific Games

MCNA desk

Australia is working in partnership with Solomon Islands to support the hosting of the 2023 Pacific Games and prepare Honiara City for the historic and exciting event. In this regard

Solomon Islands’ Prime Minister Sogavarehonoured the Australian High Commission to Solomon Islands to be at the launch of the Safe and Green Games Strategy. Australia is supporting Solomon Islands for the Safe and Green Games Strategy through a AUD600,000 partnership with South Pacific Regional Environment Programme to make the Games plastic-free; and AUD100,000 partnership with the Community Access and Urban Services Enhancement (CAUSE) program to upgrade Honiara’s public facilities ahead of the Games. Australia’s support for the strategy is in addition to AUD17 million partnership with Solomon Islands National Hosting Authority (NHA) which includes refurbishing school dorms to

be athlete accommodation the construction of a water sports park; provision of training equipment for athletes and key expert advisors; Australian Volunteers Program working with the Solomon Islands National Institute of Sport - SINIS to develop Solomon Islands athletes; and Australian Federal Police and Defence Australia under the Solomons’ International Assistance Force (SIAF) working with the RSIPF to ensure a safe games. The whole of society strategy has 4 pillars, namely beautification and Greening of Honiara; ensuring Games Critical Services are addressed; provision of General Games Support; and Games Awareness, Governance, Coordination, and Communication.

ANCP project aims to reverse deforestation in Zambia

in Zambia as in Zambia, rural communities depend on forests for their livelihoods. The ANCP project aims to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation in ways that build resilience to climate change and increase livelihood options for rural households in the Central and Eastern provinces of Zambia. A pre-launch and sensitization workshop was organized in Lusaka, learning more about World Vision Australia’s inclusive and sustainable approaches to addressing the impacts of climate change, poverty and hunger.

The Autonomous Region of Bougainville and its Department of Primary Industries opened a new agricultural research and office facilities.The opening of a new Bougainville Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (BACRA) laboratory will enable Bougainville to conduct quality testing of its agricultural commodities, beginning with cocoa, supported by ACIAR’s cocoa research. The Australian Centre for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) has long running research partnership

with the Autonomous Region of Bougainville and its Department of Primary Industries.

Bougainville Cocoa Project Coordinator, James Butubu, said the ACIAR project, supported by Australia and New Zealand through the Bougainville Partnership, has successfully run the Bougainville Chocolate Festival, established and improved infrastructure, mini-chocolate laboratories, and field facilities.

BACRA is set up to regulate, grow, promote and market Bougainville’s main agricultural commodities including cocoa, coconut, coffee and spices.

Forging strong Australia-SL relations through education

KandebanBalendran is a success story of AustraliaSri Lanka of burgeoning Australia-Sri Lanka relations based on opportunities in education in Australia for international students. “Australia and Victoria University have provided me with the right tools for my personal and professional development, and the ability to contribute to the community”, says

By building on his Australian study experience and applying his learning to the work he does in Sri Lanka, Kandee exemplifies the ongoing commitment and the enduring ties between Australia and Sri Lanka.

He recognisesAustralia as a country of opportunities, underpinned by its diversity and commitment towards excellence and innovation.

Caritas Australia helping farming communities in Zimbabwe

Caritas Australia and their implementing partners are doing work to assist the communities surrounding Gokwe. Through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) Caritas Australia is supporting local partners to implement projects focused on capacity building in conservation farming, strengthening community resilience to climate change, livestock management, and access to clean water, gender equality and improving child protection.

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Victoria University alumnus KandebanBalendran

(ANCP) World Vision Australia is working with local partners to implement a new project

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The Australian NGO Cooperation Program

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Australian and New Zealand Defence Force

members from the Solomons International Assistance Force celebrated the opening

Treaty of Rarotonga commemorated

Ayurveda conference organized

On March 5, 2023, on the occasion of the International Day for Disarmament and NonProliferation Awareness, Australia reaffirmed its commitment to the Treaty of Rarotonga. The Treaty of Rarotonga was

designed by Pacific countries, for the Pacific, the Treaty entered into force in 1986 and continues to serve the region well. The treaty bans the use, testing, and possession of nuclear weapons within the borders of the zone.

Holi celebrated

An Ayurveda conference”Lifestyle disorder and Ayurvedic Nutrition”

was organized by Vibrant Ayurveda, in association with Australasian Association of Ayurveda and AYUSH

Cell Australia on the Gold Coast on25 February. Team FICQ attended the conference.

FICQ organizes dialogue of community representatives

On 11 February team FICQ invited community leaders from member organisations, multi-faith

leaders, representatives from the Queensland Police Services, Home Affairs and Hon Consul of India, Brisbane ArchanaSingh to create a dialogue and bring

people, organisations and the community together to build on the positivity for the wellbeing of the community.

Milton Dick and FICQ team discuss Australia-India relationship

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The Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland, Australia (FICQ) hosted chai with Federal Member for Oxley and Speaker of the House of RepresentativesMilton Dick MP. Dick shared insights on funding, bilateral relationships between India and Australia,

Federal Parliament functioning and initiatives and finally a Q&A session with the Indian community leaders from member organisations.

Team FICQ unveiled the poster for 25th Anniversary celebrations and Diwali at King George Square, Brisbane. This was second CHAI with event FICQ hosted and there will be more in

the near future.

Speaker of the Australian House of Representative Milton Dick MP had an engaging conversation with the team FICQ. The discussions were focused on the important relationship between Australia and India, and policy affecting Indian communities in Australia.

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Information

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The Indian Cultural & Sports Club Inc.Brisbanecelebrated Holi

recently. Team FICQ was also invited for the colourful and joyful Holi celebrations at Brisbane Holi - Festival of Colours 2023.

Australia assisting Solomon Islands fight against climate change

kick-start Weather Ready Pacific. The Weather Ready Pacific initiative will help strengthen Australia’s existing partnership with the Solomon Islands government on climate and disaster resilience.

Minister Penny Wong said that it was an honour to represent Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the Pacific Islands Forum Retreat and hear from leaders from across our Blue

Japanese emperor’s birthday celebrated

Pacific Continent. Speaking about Retreat, Penny Wong said, “I appreciated their invaluable insights on issues critical to our region’s future, including climate change and security. It was wonderful to welcome Kiribati back to the PIF. The themes of this Forum were reflection, renewal and celebration,” she said. She added, “Together we can build a strong, united

and prosperous Blue Pacific region. A united PIF is central to ensuring we live in a region that is peaceful, prosperous and resilient. At the retreat we worked together in the ‘Pacific Way’ - through dialogue, respect and consensus. We thank Fiji and Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka for the wise leadership as Chair of the PIF.”

Record number of US exhibitors at AVALON 23 Airshow

MCNA Newsdesk

Ambassador Yamagami and guests from many fields with important contributions to Australia and Japan relations celebrated the Emperor’s Birthday recently in

style, with the best of Japanese food, culture, business, and technology on show.

The Emperor’s Birthday is celebrated in Japan on February 23, and only changes when a new emperor is crowned.

US Dept of the Interior Secy Deb Haaland visits Australia

Deb Haaland gave a keynote address in Western Australia hosted by Perth USAsia Centre Addressing the gathering she said, “The U.S. shares important partnerships and responsibility to care for the ocean and the communities who rely on it. Like many Indigenous communities around the globe, my ancestors used their knowledge to manage and escape drought, to feed their families, to care for the earth, and to coexist with the land, water, and wildlife that sustained them.”

MCNA Newsdesk

US Ambassador to Australia

Caroline Kennedy officially opened the U.S. Pavilion at AVALON 2023 - Australian International Airshow. This year, a record number of U.S. exhibitors showcased cutting

edge aerospace and defense innovation and technology at the show.

Ambassador Kennedy also met with Australian and U.S. defense personnel, joining them for a closer look at some of the aircraft, including an F-22, Apache,

and Blackhawk helicopter. The Australian International Airshow, also called the Avalon Airshow, is a large air show held biennially at Avalon Airport, between Melbourne and Geelong in Victoria. This year it was organized from March 3-5, 2023.

Australian HC team discusses Australia-Nigeria relations

MCNA Newsdesk

MCNA Newsdesk

US Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Australia recently. While in Australia, she met with communities and organizations to discuss the importance of Indigenous knowledge, collaborative conservation and international partnerships in fighting the climate crisis.

Later she wrote on Facebook, “During my keynote at the Perth USAsia Centre, I reflected on the need to include Indigenous knowledge in conservation efforts so that we can leave a livable planet to future generations.”

Haaland visited Perth, Uluru and Canberra during her Australia visit.

The Australian High Commission (HC) team in Nigeria had a discussion with Assistant Director Jomomoh from the Asia Pacific Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeriaon a range of issues of mutual importance for a strong bilateral relationship between Australia and Nigeria.

Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country, with a population of more than 210 million. More than 21 million people live in Lagos, Africa’s largest city, which was the country’s capital until the seat of government moved to Abuja in 1991. It has one of Africa’s largest economies, though it faces security and

development challenges

Nigeria is also a member of the Commonwealth, African Union,

and the Economic Community of West African States.

Grants program announced for small businesses in Queensland

Milton Dick and FICQ team discuss Australia-India relationship

MCNA Newsdesk

The Minister for Employment Small

Business Di Farmer has announced the opening of the Inaugural Regional Networker Grants program. The Regional Networker Grant aims to ensure more Queensland small businesses are supported in building strong networks relevant to their local industry, community and region.

Grants of up to $2000 are available to chambers of commerce, small business organizations, industry associations and regional local councils to host regional networking events during this year’s Queensland Small Business Month as part of the Queensland Government’s inaugural Regional Networker Grants program. The funding

round opened on 2 March and will close on 13 March 2023 with successful applicants to be advised by early April 2023.

Some of the key features of the Grants program are as follows: Queensland Small Business Month in May 2023 is the ideal time to network and build long term connections to “Love your Local” small businesses.

Grants of up to $2000 are available to chambers of commerce, small business organizations, industry associations and regional local councils to host regional networking events during this year’s Queensland Small Business Month as part of the Queensland Governments inaugural Regional Networker Grants program is now open for applications

Australia-Japan Society ACT member Eriko Priorhonoured

MCNA Newsdesk

The Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland, Australia (FICQ) hosted chai with Federal Member for Oxley and Speaker of the House of RepresentativesMilton Dick MP. Dick shared insights on funding, bilateral relationships between India and Australia, Federal Parliament functioning and initiatives and finally a Q&A

session with the Indian community leaders from member organisations.

Team FICQ unveiled the poster for 25th Anniversary celebrations and Diwali at King George Square, Brisbane. This was second CHAI with event FICQ hosted and there will be more in the near future.

Speaker of the Australian House of Representative Milton Dick MP had an engaging conversation

with the team FICQ. The discussions were focused on the important relationship between Australia and India, and policy affecting Indian communities in Australia.

About the discussions Dick wrote on Facebook, “It’s always great to get community leaders from a range of different organizations together, to discuss the best way that I can represent their communities.”

Plaque unveiled to remember Eureka Stockade rebel John Joseph

MCNA Newsdesk

Ambassador of Japan to Australia Shingo

Yamagamipresented the Order of the Sacred Treasure, Silver Rays to Eriko Prior Eriko was awarded for her contributions to the Japan-Australia relationship in her former roles

as a locally engaged staff (LES) at the embassy and committee member of the Australia-Japan Society ACT.

Having worked at the Embassy for more than 20 years, Eriko is the first former LES in Australia to receive this award.

MCNA Newsdesk

Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, U.S. Consulate Melbourne Consul General Kathleen Lively and Melbourne filmmaker SantillaChingaipe unveiled a plaque to remember African-American Eureka Stockade rebel John Joseph, in Bendigo, Victoria, recently. Joseph was arrested for protesting government licensing fees, tried for high treason in Melbourne, acquitted by a jury and carried shoulder high through the 10,000-strong crowd cheering outside the courtroom. He died in 1858 and lies here in

an unmarked grave. It was an opportunity to acknowledge his life and contribution to both our histories, especially as part of Black History Month.

Remembering him Ambassador Kennedysaid, “His story is one for our time too as we face this history. We can ask ourselves who is missing from today’s narrative and what is our responsibility to make sure they are included.”

On the occasion SantillaChingaipesaid,“The triumph of his legacy is that on days like today, we can correct the historical record to say that John Joseph was treated unjustly

and his life should be understood within the context of the times that he lived in. While it doesn’t change the circumstances of his experiences while he was living, it’s my hope that this ceremony enables his spirit to rest easy,” “This ceremony is the culmination of that long overdue recognition. In the United States, February is Black History Month, and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate Black Americans and their contributions to both the U.S. and Australia than this,” Consul General Kathleen Lively said.

New Zealand taskforce targets cyclone recovery, climate resilience

affected communities are at the center of the decision making and that local voices are fed back to the government through the taskforce,” Finance Minister Grant Robertson said on Wednesday.

Wellington, March 1 (IANS)

New Zealand has established a taskforce to ensure a speedy recovery and reconstruction of the areas affected by Cyclone Gabrielle and January floods.

The Terms of Reference for the Cyclone Gabrielle Recovery Taskforce have been approved by the cabinet, with the primary purpose to align locally led recovery plans with the work of government agencies and the private sector, reports Xinhua news agency.

“Our response will ensure

The taskforce will also oversee specialist groups of experts who will advise the government on what is required for the recovery and how to improve resilience to climate change and severe weather in the future, Robertson said.

The taskforce membership includes representatives from business, local government, communities and unions. There are also expert sub-groups for insurance and banking, utilities and telecommunications, as well as infrastructure, construction and roading.

The taskforce, which covers all regions affected by the January

and February floods and cyclone, will advise ministers on the prioritization and sequencing of needs for each region and provide assurance that those needs are being met, Robertson said.

“Its initial focus will be on the immediate recovery but it will also lead on planning for future resilience, which will become its greater focus over time,” he said, adding climate resilience will be a core objective of the recovery.

“This is the biggest natural disaster seen (in New Zealand) this century with a considerable scale of damage,” Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said of Cyclone Gabrielle which killed 11 people in the North Island. New Zealand’s resilience is being tested like never before, Hipkins said last month after the disaster. “Lives have been turned upside down.

All schools closed as Fiji braces more rain, flooding

Kevin lies to the far South of Fiji and is gradually moving southeast, reports Xinhua news agency.

Meanwhile, the associated active trough of low pressure with cloud and rain continues to affect the Fiji islands, according to local media.

Suva, March 6 (IANS) All schools in Fiji were closed on Monday as a heavy rain warning is in force and some parts of the western side of the main island Viti Levu remain flooded.

The category 4 tropical cyclone

A flash flood warning is now in force for low-lying areas, small streams and flood-prone areas adjacent to Rakiraki, Nasivi and Ba Rivers, and areas from Sigatoka to Rakiraki.

Parents and guardians are advised to keep track of the weather news, as teachers and

Sikhs begin langar service as cyclone Gabrielle batters NZ

Wellington, Feb 27 (IANS) Weeks after cyclone Gabrielle hit New Zealand leaving at least 11 dead and displacing thousands, the Sikh community has cooked and delivered more than 7,000 meals so far to those in need.

When Gabrielle hit the island’s northern region on February 12, and power went out, the Sikh community in Hastings swung into action knowing there were going to be a lot of people without food.

“My first thought was that people need food so why not cook in large quantities,” Sukhdeep Singh, a volunteer, told NZ Herald.

He then made his way to the Eastbourne St gurdwara in Hastings, where he cooked meals along with a team of young volunteers and priests. The team cooked and delivered more than 600 meals that day.

students are advised to stay at home and keep safe.

With some areas experiencing flooding from overnight, particularly in the west, more heavy rain is expected to affect parts of the country from Monday afternoon, said the Fiji Meteorological office.

Fiji’s second largest island of Vanua Levu will experience heavy rain from Monday night, according to the office. Possible impacts include flooding of towns, roads, Irish crossing and bridges in low-lying areas and flood plains.

Fire danger rises in Aus state amid severe weather conditions

grass fires, reports Xinhua news agency.

Total fire bans are now in place for multiple regions across NSW, with three bushfires and one grass fire still yet to be contained, including two at emergency warning levels.

“Our main focus was delivering to the evacuation centres for the first three to fours days, then we started the rest of Hawkes bay,” he told NZ Herald. For the next three days, the

community worked on identifying the locations to distribute warm meals free of cost to people affected.

Sukhdeep Singh and his team spent a lot of time coordinating with Civil Defence centres to help with supplies like rice, lentils and food containers.

The Hastings temple along with Havelock’s Guru Ravidass temple managed to bring out 1,000 meals combined every day in order to meet high demand for food.

“Both temples are doing a service to the community during these challenging times.

Rooftop solar set to surpass coal as Australia’s largest power generator

Canberra, March 1 (IANS)

Rooftop solar is set to overtake coal as Australia’s most prominent source of power, according to a new report published on Wednesday.

Sydney, March 6 (IANS) Hot, windy and mostly dry weather conditions over the eastern and northern parts of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) have led to rising fire dangers from Monday through Wednesday.

NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) said that as of 6.30 p.m. on Monday, there were 38 bush and

Firefighters and aircraft are working in difficult conditions in the state’s central west, where numerous fires are burning, said NSW RFS.

According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), maximum temperatures are forecast to spike six to 12 degrees centigrade above average across eastern parts of NSW.

The eastern parts of the state are also likely to see dry thunderstorms on Monday, with the potential for lightning

to spark new fires due to a lack of rainfall, while northeast NSW may be affected by severe thunderstorms with damaging winds in the next two days.

“These conditions are being driven by hot and dry continental west-north-westerly winds, bringing the high temperatures to eastern NSW including Sydney,” said the BOM.

“It is not unusual to experience heatwaves during early autumn as the weather transitions from the warmer months of summer to the cold of winter.”

The weather bureau is reminding residents that some hot weather can still occur even though the heatwave is likely to peak on Tuesday before easing throughout NSW on Wednesday and Thursday.

The report, published by solar consultancy firm SunWiz, revealed the generation capacity of small-scale solar systems on households and business roofs has surpassed 20,000 megawatts (MW), or 20 gigawatts (GW), reports xINHUA NEWS AGENCY. It forecast that when the 2,000 MW Liddell coal plant is closed by energy giant AGL in April, rooftop solar will become Australia’s biggest electricity source for the first time. There are more than 3.4 million rooftop solar systems in Australia, with 300,000 being installed every year.

“When the Liddell coal-fired power station closes in April 2023, rooftop solar alone will generate more power than the remaining coal-fired power stations operating across the country, making rooftop solar the largest power generator,” Warwick Johnston, Managing Director of SunWiz, told the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

“This is an immense amount that has been made possible due to millions of Australian households and businesses and supported by Australia’s thriving solar industry.”

In the northeastern state of Queensland, 82 per cent of dwellings deemed suitable for the technology have solar panels, more than double the world-leading national rate.

It took Australia 11 years to reach its first 10,000 MW of solar generation capacity and just four years for the second 10,000 MW, the report said.

It forecast that total installations will add 3,000 MW in 2023 and exceed 3,200 MW in 2024.

New Zealand Sikhs take boss to human rights panel over racial abuse

action nor gave any apology after racial abuse by a manager in the company, stuff.co.nz reported.

Singh said he resigned in November 2022 after his new manager told him “all Sikhs are terrorists”.

Nandpuri added that the manager overheard a discussion with a colleague and chimed in to say “Is that why your Punjab is f****d? Is that why you guys are going backwards?”, the website reported.

Watson that he intends to take legal advice, she shouted: “Do you want to ruin my business?”, and asked him to file a complaint in writing to her.

According to the report, she also told him that he shouldn’t “dictate her business”, when he asked how he could keep working under the manager.

Wellington, March 3 (IANS) Two Indian Sikh tow truck drivers in New Zealand are taking their former boss to the Human Rights Commission over “all Sikhs are terrorists” and other racial abuses, which were hurled

at them by a manager in the company.

Raminder Singh and Sumit Nandpuri said Pam Watson, owner and managing director of Southern Districts Towing in Auckland, neither took any

Nandpuri, who had worked with the company for over five years, said it was the fifth incident of racism he had experienced there, and he quit because he felt their complaints were not taken seriously.

Nandpuri said when he told

At a meeting with Watson and her deputy, Singh said he was asked if he had discussed the Queen’s death and whether it would mean an extra day’s leave.

Days after the meeting, Watson wrote to them that she had conducted a “thorough investigation and review of this matter” and had “taken appropriate action to prevent this matter from occurring again”, the stuff.

co.nz reported.

She did not divulge what action had been taken and told them both that the incident has to be kept confidential.

Watson did not give any apology and the manager continued to work for the company.

Singh said that both he and Nandpuri were made to feel like criminals.

“This outcome is like a slap in the face... It has hurt me mentally and emotionally,” Singh told stuff.co.nz.

The Human Rights Commission will hold a mediation hearing in March.

In case a conclusion is not reached, the complaint will then be referred to the Human Rights Review Tribunal.

Vanuatu reels from twin cyclones, earthquakes

Port Vila, March 3 (IANS)

The Pacific nation of Vanuatu on Friday declared a state of emergency as it reels from two earthquakes and two cyclones.

The 6.5 and 5.4 magnitude quakes struck on Friday, just a day after Cyclone Judy swept through the islands.

The category four storm caused damage and flooding across the country, but no casualties have been reported yet. Locals are now bracing for another major tropical storm

-- Cyclone Kevin -- set to make

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landfall on Friday.

According to Radio New Zealand, Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau said that the state of emergency, which took effect from Thursday night, will allow the islands most affected by Judy to receive help immediately.

Tropical cyclone Judy has caused extensive damage to Vanuatu, uprooting trees and cutting off telecommunication in parts of the nation, including the capital city of Port Vila, reports Xinhua news agency. While people are still cleaning

up after Judy, it is reported that tropical cyclone Kevin will bring more destruction, and warnings have already been issued for strong winds, heavy rainfall and rough swells.

The severe weather has triggered suspension of both domestic and international flights while ships, boats and small fishing rafts are advised not to go out to sea. Some essential services like the banks will be temporarily closed on Friday.

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Japanese Covid antiviral can shorten positive-test time post infection

energy or tiredness about a day earlier, compared with those in the control group.

Those who took the pill also tested negative for Covid about 29 hours earlier than did those who took a placebo.

about Shionogi’s claim and are critical of the design of the clinical trial of ensitrelvir, Nature reported. They point out that the trial was not specifically intended to investigate the risk of long Covid.

Tokyo, March 7 (IANS) A Covid antiviral developed by Japanese researchers can shorten the symptoms as well as the number of days one can test positive post infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, according to the trial data.

The oral antiviral drug ensitrelvir was co-developed by Hokkaido University and pharma company Shionogi. The trial tested its efficacy to accelerate recovery on about 1,200 people, Nature reported.

The oral 125-milligram ensitrelvir pills helped clear a stuffy or runny nose, sore throat, cough, feeling hot or feverish and low

The results were presented at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) in Washington. It has not been peer reviewed yet.

Further, according to the drug’s manufacturer Shionogi, the trial also showed that ensitrelvir has the potential to prevent long Covid. People who took the antiviral had 14 per cent risk of developing long Covid. Those who did not take the drug had a 26 per cent risk of developing long Covid conditions. No drug has been conclusively shown to reduce the risk of long Covid. Only preliminary evidence hints that Pfizer’s Paxlovid might have this effect.

Scientists, however, are sceptical

It’s unclear whether Shionogi’s definition of long Covid was determined before the trial began, physician Eric Topol, director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in San Diego, California was quoted as saying. Because this was an exploratory phase of the study, it’s not possible to make any strong conclusions, he added.

According to Simon Portsmouth, head of clinical development at Shionogi in Florham Park, New Jersey, the company could not specify the plan for analysing long Covid data ahead of time because long Covid was less clearly defined in the past than now.

Covid most likely originated from Chinese lab: FBI chief

New York, March 5 (IANS) The Covid-19 pandemic impacted just about every part of people’s lives and increased rates and severity of depression irrespective of whether they were infected or not, a new study has revealed. Quarantining, social distancing, societal disruptions and an ever-shifting, uncertain landscape of rules and restrictions and variants created stress and isolation that impacted the mental health of millions.

In a study of nearly 136,000 patients from Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, researchers found that depressive symptoms and severity of depression was significant among all patients in the study, regardless of whether they were infected with Covid-19 or not.

help patients in this moment, and protect their future health,” May added.

Researchers found that depression symptoms rose significantly during the pandemic, with more than half of all patients reporting some degree of clinically-relevant depressive symptoms. They also found that before the pandemic, about 45 per cent of patients reported some degree of depression.

Washington, March 1 (IANS)

Christopher Wray, Director of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has said that the Covid-19 pandemic “most likely” originated from a “Chinese government-controlled lab” in Wuhan city.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Wray said: “The FBI has for quite some time now assessed that the origins of the pandemic are most likely a potential lab incident in Wuhan... Here you are talking about a potential leak from a Chinese government-controlled lab.

“I will just make the observation that the Chinese government, it seems to me, has been doing its

best to try to thwart and obfuscate the work here, the work that we’re doing, the work that our US government and close foreign partners are doing. And that’s unfortunate for everybody.” He went to say that the FBI has specialists who focus on “the dangers of biological threats, which include things like novel viruses like Covid, and the concerns that they (are) in the wrong hands (of) some bad guys, a hostile nation state, a terrorist, a criminal”.

Some studies in the past have suggested that the virus made the leap from animals to humans in Wuhan, possibly at the city’s seafood and wildlife market, reports the BBC.

The market is a 40-minute drive from a world-leading virus laboratory, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which conducted research into coronaviruses. But China has denied the lab leak theory.

The FBI chief further told Fox News that the Chinese government has been trying to block investigative work into the

origins of the coronavirus. Wray’s comments come after the US Department of Energy had recently assessed that the Covid-19 pandemic was likely caused by an accidental lab leak in China.

The National Intelligence Council as well as four other government agencies assess at “low confidence” that Covid-19 originated as a result of natural transmission from an infected animal, but the CIA and other government agencies remain undecided.

On Monday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that President Joe Biden supports “a whole-of-government effort” to discover how Covid began.

But he added that US still lacks a clear consensus as to what happened.

“We’re just not there yet. If we have something that is ready to be briefed to the American people and the Congress, we will do that,” the BBC quoted Kirby as saying.

Erratic sleep pattern may raise your risk of heart attack: Study

sleep each night,” said Donald M. Lloyd-Jones, Professor at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

“Getting a good night’s sleep every night is vital to cardiovascular health. Adults should aim for an average of 7-9 hours, and babies and kids need more depending on their age.”

New York, March 6 (IANS)

Losing sleep anytime can be a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, finds a study that stressed on the importance of maintaining a consistent sleep pattern.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows that falling asleep at different times or sleeping an inconsistent number of hours each night, even variations of more than two hours a night within the same week, were tied to developing hardened arteries, known as atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is the cholesterol plaque in the walls of arteries, causing obstruction of blood flow.

“Unfortunately, we know that as many as 1 in 3 people do not get their recommended amount of

According to Lloyd-Jones, the amount of sleep and quality of sleep are important, and both can have significant impacts on cardiovascular health, as well as overall health. In addition to increasing risk for cardiovascular conditions like heart attack and stroke, lack of sleep may also put people at risk of things like depression, cognitive decline, and obesity.

On the other hand, people who get adequate sleep manage other health factors better as well, such as weight, blood sugar and blood pressure, Lloyd-Jones said.

Lloyd-Jones notes that making even small changes in daily habits can make a big difference in sleep quality.

Getting to sleep can be tricky for some people, however, sleep supplements should be used

sparingly, and only under the advice of a health care clinician.

It’s also very important to consider the possibility of a sleep disorder like sleep apnea or insomnia.

These conditions can increase a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke and should be treated appropriately to improve the quality and duration of sleep, as well as overall health.

“While it may take a while to make falling asleep and staying asleep a habit, taking the time to develop and then stick with a good, natural bedtime routine is important,” Lloyd-Jones said.

“When first starting out, don’t lie in bed tossing and turning if you’re restless. Get up and try a few things to soothe your mind, maybe write out a to-do list for the next day, read a few pages of a good book or do some yoga stretches.

“Just make one small change at a time, adding a new one every week or so until you find what works best for you. Soon you’ll be sleeping soundly through the night and waking up refreshed each morning, knowing you’re being good to yourself and to your heart.”

“It didn’t matter if a patient was positive or negative for the virus. We found increased rates of depression and depression severity across the board,” said Heidi T. May, cardiovascular epidemiologist at Intermountain Health and principal investigator of the study. As poor mental health can impact chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, “screening for and treating mental health is a critical part of any overall patient care process right now. Doing so will both

New York, March 6 (IANS) The first drug designed for lowering cholesterol levels among people with statin-intolerance has shown to reduce serious cardiovascular events, according to a global study of nearly 14,000 patients. Statins have been the standard first-line treatment for the prevention of cardiovascular disease that works by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. However, in some people, it causes side effects such as muscle pain or leads to bad interactions with other medications, and these people then refuse to follow the treatment.

Researchers, from Cleveland Clinic in the US, led a clinical trial to show that the statin-intolerant patients who used bempedoic acid not only had a decrease in lowered low-density lipoproetin (LDL) or bad cholesterol but also had reduced heart attacks and coronary procedures. Approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Bempedoic acid is made by the US pharmaceutical company Esperion Therapeutics (which also funded the study). It is sold under the brand name Nexletol.

Bempedoic acid differs from statins by not activating until it reaches the liver. This limits the drug’s effects on muscle, or other tissues or organs, reducing the likelihood of side effects reported with statins.

“Until now, there have not been any drugs designed specifically for statin-intolerant patients,” said lead author Steven E. Nissen, chief academic officer of the Heart Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

“While statins remain the cornerstone of risk reduction

Starting in 2021, that changed to 55 per cent of patients showing at least some degree of depression.

“We know depression is a risk factor for chronic disease, so given these findings, it’s really important to mitigate some of the effects of depression so these patients can lead healthier and happier lives right now, and in the future,” said Dr May.

The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 2023 scientific session in the state of New Orleans on Saturday.

in patients with elevated LDL cholesterol, this is a major step forward for a population who need statins but suffer troublesome side-effects,” he added. The findings were presented at the American College of Cardiology’s 72nd Annual Scientific Session in New Orleans and also published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study enrolled 13,970 statin-intolerant patients between December 2016 and August 2019 in 32 countries.

All participants had LDL-c levels of 100 mg/dL or higher and either a previous cardiac event or other risk factors for heart disease. Participants were randomly assigned to take 180 mg of bempedoic acid or a placebo daily and followed for an average of over three years.

The results showed that bempedoic acid treatment reduced the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, stroke or coronary revascularizations (a procedure to open blocked arteries) by 13 per cent.

Bempedoic acid also reduced heart attacks by 23 per cent and coronary revascularisations by 19 per cent.

Researchers noted that the 20-25 per cent reduction in LDL cholesterol reported for bempedoic acid is less than the 40-50 per cent reductions typically achieved with statins.

Pandemic spiked depression severity whether people were infected or not

Statin alternative shown to lower cholesterol, improve heart health

South Africa to host BRICS summit in late Aug

media about the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.

This year’s summit will be held under the theme: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism,” according to the Minister.

Johannesburg, March 3 (IANS)

South Africa will host the BRICS Summit in Gauteng province on August 22-24, said Minister

in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele.

Gungubele made the remarks on Thursday while briefing the

Floods raise cholera risk even as cases decline in Africa: WHO

The BRICS consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. South Africa assumed BRICS chairship on January 1, 2023, taking over from China.

Somali forces kill over 200 al-Shabab fighters

capital of Somalia.

The Minister also said the security forces in their efforts to strengthen the security of the capital, had arrested three al-Shabab terrorists who were plotting acts against security.

Brazzaville (Congo), March 2 (IANS) As weekly cholera cases in the affected African countries decline, heavy flooding due to seasonal rains and tropical cyclones in southern Africa are raising the risk of the disease spreading and threatening to undermine outbreak control efforts, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday.

Newly-confirmed cholera cases fell to 2,880 in the week that ended Sunday, a 37 per cent decline compared with the week before when 4,584 cases were recorded, Xinhua news agency reported.

Mogadishu, March 2 (IANS) Somali security forces have killed more than 200 al-Shabab fighters, including senior leaders, in a three-day operation carried out in the central and southern parts of the country, a government official said.

Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism Daud Aweis on Wednesday said the security forces have also liberated new areas in Hirshabelle, Galmudug and Jubaland states, where they killed a large number of extremists.

Aweis added the forces backed by international partners

have successfully operated in several frontlines, like Banadir, Hirshabelle, South West, Jubaland, and Galmudug states to flush out the militants who have engaged the government forces in near-daily attacks, Xinhua news agency reported.

“The Somali National Army has captured caves where the Kharijites (al-Shabab) were hiding in areas located in Hirshabelle. This means that the war tactics of the Kharijites are coming to an end and that they are being targeted wherever they try to hide,” he told a weekly news briefing in Mogadishu, the

Aweis said the UN Security Council has welcomed the progress made by the government in the war against al-Shabab in the country as well as the progress made in maintaining good relationships and cooperation between the government and the Federal member states.

The government forces have intensified their attacks against al-Shabab since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud declared an all-out war against the militants last year.

The President has vowed that the military operations to flush out al-Shabab militants from their strongholds will be intensified to stop extortion of the Somali people and the spread of propaganda, intimidation and extremism in Somalia.

Nigerian ruling party candidate wins presidential election

With over 8.79 million ballots, Tinubu secured the highest number of the total votes cast during the disputed election, Xinhua news agency quoted Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, as saying.

The 70-year-old president-elect defeated his closest rival, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

country’s history, with Tinubu losing Lagos, his stronghold in the country’s southwest region, to Obi.

Tinubu, who served as a former Lagos State governor and senator, had been eyeing the presidency for years to build a strong political structure with a vast network of supporters nationwide.

The number of deaths remained nearly unchanged, declining marginally from 82 to 81 in the same period. Twelve African countries are currently reporting cases, with South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe the latest to detect cholera, said the WHO Regional Office for Africa in a statement.

In southern Africa, cholera outbreaks are occurring amid seasonal rains and tropical storms that have caused heavy flooding, notably in Malawi, which is now experiencing its worst-ever cholera outbreak aggravated by the heavy rainfall, warned the WHO.

“Countries have stepped up cholera control measures and early indications are promising. However, the heavy flooding and cyclonic events in parts of southern Africa risk fuelling the spread of the disease,” said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa.

“We’re reinforcing our support to countries to increase disease detection capacity, providing medical supplies and stepping up readiness in regions at risk of flooding.”

In Madagascar, which last reported cholera in 2000, recent cyclones, particularly Cyclone Cheneso that hit the country in January, have caused widespread flooding, some of which is subsiding slowly. The floods have led to an upsurge in malaria cases and increased the risk of cholera outbreaks. More than 470,000 people do not have access to health services after Tropical Cheneso destroyed at least 77 health facilities. In the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Freddy that swept through the island on Feb. 21, more than 116,000 people have been affected and nearly 29,000 houses flooded or damaged in seven of the country’s 23 regions. To support the cholera response, the WHO has deployed 80 experts to the affected countries. Over the past two months, the WHO has shipped 455 tonnes of critical cholera supplies to Malawi and Mozambique. The supplies have also been delivered to Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia to bolster outbreak preparedness and response.

The ongoing cholera outbreaks in Africa are being exacerbated by extreme climatic events and conflicts that have increased vulnerabilities, as people are forced to flee their homes and grapple with precarious living conditions.

Kenya loses 2.61 mn livestock to drought

Abuja, March 1 (IANS) Bola

Tinubu from Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress party has won the country’s presidential election, the lectoral body announced on Wednesday.

Abubakar got over 6.98 million votes and was closely trailed by Peter Obi, candidate of the Labor Party, who secured about 6.1 million votes.

The election was one of the most hotly contested in the

He campaigned for the presidency under the slogan: “It’s my turn”.

Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari will step down after two terms in office, marked by economic stagnation and growing insecurity around the country.

IOM warns of drought-induced impact in Horn of Africa

drought will continue in 2023 in the Horn of Africa region, leaving communities in urgent need of assistance, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nairobi, March 2 (IANS) Kenya has lost some 2.61 million livestock to drought in the past months as the crisis worsens in arid and semi-arid areas, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) said in a report on Thursday.

Addis Ababa, Feb 28 (IANS) The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has warned of the impact of the drought in the Horn of Africa region.

“Following a historic fifth consecutive failed rainy season in the Horn of Africa, more than 36 million people have been affected by the drought in the region, of which more than two

million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of life-saving assistance,” the IOM said in its latest East and Horn of Africa Drought Response Situation Report issued late Monday.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) last week warned that catastrophic consequences of the multi-year

According to a new seasonal forecast, below-normal rainfall is expected in most parts of the region over the next three months, the WMO said in a statement issued last Wednesday. “Should this happen, it would be an unprecedented sixth poor season for the worst hit countries -- Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.”

The WMO said the current drought began with the poor performance of the OctoberDecember 2020 rains and has since deepened with all four subsequent seasons also performing poorly. A persistent La Nina event has had a key influence.

The NDMA said the number is about 5 per cent of all the animals in arid and semi-arid areas, which totaled 52.8 million, Xinhua news agency reported. The most affected animals that have died due to starvation in two worst-hit counties, namely Marsabit and Kajiado, were sheep and cattle, said the NDMA in its February update on the crisis.

“The drought situation continued to worsen in 22 out of the 23 arid counties. This is attributed to the poor performance of the 2022 short rains coupled with four consecutive failed rainfall seasons,” the NDMA said.

According to the agency, pasture in the arid areas is completely depleted, worsened by high temperatures.

Kenya has ramped up drought mitigation responses, with Rebecca Miano, the cabinet secretary for the Ministry of East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development, noting that the government has released 2 billion Kenyan shillings (about $15.68 million) to secure relief food distribution.

Kenya is one of the countries in the Horn of Africa region that has been hit harder by the worst drought in about 30 years, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, with up to 5 million citizens facing starvation. The other two affected Horn of Africa countries are Somalia and Ethiopia.

Xi holds talks with Belarusian President

S.Korea offers compensation for victims of Japan’s wartime forced labour

Beijing, March 1 (IANS) Chinese

President Xi Jinping held talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko here on Wednesday.

Xi had said in Samarkand in September last year that he and Lukashenko jointly announced upgrading bilateral relations to an all-weather comprehensive

strategic partnership, injecting strong impetus into bilateral cooperation in various fields, Xinhua news agency reported. For China, this year marks the beginning of the full implementation of the guiding principles laid down at the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. China’s high-quality development and modernisation process will bring new opportunities to other countries including Belarus, Xi said.

Hailing the unbreakable ChinaBelarus friendship, Xi stressed that the two sides should further enhance political mutual trust and remain each other’s good friends and partners.

He said China highly appreciates Belarus’s firm support for

China’s justified position on issues related to Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, and on human rights.

The two sides should firmly support each other’s choice of development path, support each other in safeguarding respective core interests, oppose external interference in internal affairs, and protect their sovereignty and political security, Xi said. The two presidents agreed to expand economic and trade cooperation, do a good job in building the China-Belarus Industrial Park, and focus on the joint building of the Belt and Road to advance cooperation in connectivity projects such as the China-Europe Railway Express service.

S.Korea eases travel advisories for Spain, Tunisia to lowest level

guidelines, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The level 2 alert, which also affected Mauritius, Andorra, Jordan and Namibia, was lowered one notch to level 1, according to the Ministry.

It also eased travel advisories for Peru, Papua New Guinea and four other countries down a notch to level 2, reports Yonhap News Agency.

Seoul, March 7 (IANS) The South Korean government has eased travel advisories for six

countries, including Spain and Tunisia, to the lowest level in line with its latest Covid-19

The Ministry said it decided to keep in place the current special travel advisories for 11 other nations, including Russia, South Africa and Mexico.

Japan’s unemployment rate drops to 2.4% in Jan

Seoul, March 6 (IANS) The South Korean government on Monday formally proposed compensating more than a dozen victims of Japan’s wartime forced labour through a Seoul-backed public foundation, instead of direct payment from responsible Japanese firms.

The proposal announced by Foreign Minister Park Jin is intended to resolve the issue of compensating 15 Koreans who won legal battles against two Japanese firms accused of mobilising them for hard labour during World War II, reports Yonhap News Agency.

In 2018, South Korea’s Supreme Court ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and Nippon Steel Corp. to pay them compensation.

in grants to Seoul.

Still, victims and supporting civic groups have strongly protested the plan floated earlier during a public hearing.

Tokyo has maintained that all reparation issues related to Japan’s 1910-45 colonisation of Korea were settled in a 1965 deal to normalise bilateral diplomatic ties.

Tokyo, March 3 (IANS) Japan’s unemployment rate dropped in January from a month earlier, the

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said in a report on Friday.

According to the Ministry, the unemployment rate stood at 2.4 per cent in the recording month, down from 2.5 per cent a month earlier. Separately, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said on Friday the job availability ratio stood at 1.35, down 0.1 point from a month earlier. The ratio equates to there being 135 available jobs for every 100 people seeking work.

Chinese factories boom while Japan’s manufacturing activity shrinks

balancing reopening as Covid restrictions ease against rising costs of everything from energy to workers’ wages, the BBC reported.

China’s manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI) rose to 52.6 from 50.1 in January, according to China’s National Bureau of Statistics. It was the highest monthly reading since April 2012.

Beijing, March 1 (IANS)

Manufacturers in Asia’s two biggest economies are performing very differently after the Covid-19 pandemic, a media report said.

Factory activity in China expanded last month at the fastest pace in more than a decade, the BBC report said citing official figures. However, in Japan manufacturing activity shrank in February at the fastest pace in over two years.

Firms around the world are

PMIs are a measure of economic trends which provide businesses, central banks, governments and investors important information about current and future business conditions.

The PMI is shown as a number from 0 to 100. A reading above 50 shows expansion in activity compared to the previous month.

A number below 50 indicates contraction.

The further the figure is away from 50 the greater the amount of change.

China’s much better-than-expected performance came after the strict coronavirus measures

in the world’s second largest economy were eased late last year, the BBC reported. The country saw one of its worst years in nearly half a century in 2022 due to widespread lockdowns and outbreaks of Covid-19. Meanwhile, in Japan a private manufacturing PMI fell to 47.7 in February from January’s 48.9, marking the fastest fall since September 2020.

The data underscored the major issues faced by businesses in the country -- which is the world’s third largest economy -- including a global slowdown, the soaring cost of raw materials and calls for firms to raise wages for their workers to help ease a cost of living crisis, the BBC reported. The figures came a day after Japanese government data showed the country’s factories, notably car makers and computer chip producers, cut output in January at the fastest rate in eight months.

Under President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration scheme, the Foundation for Victims of Forced Mobilization, affiliated with the Interior Ministry, will collect “voluntary” donations from the private sector.

It also plans to use the foundation, created in 2014, to compensate other plaintiffs who win pending cases.

The government is expected to seek donations from South Korean companies that benefited from a 1965 bilateral treaty, such as steelmaker POSCO, under which Tokyo offered $300 million

The neighbouring countries held several rounds of official talks on the thorny matter over the past several months in line with the conservative Yoon administration’s push for strengthening the trilateral security partnership with the US and Japan to counter North Korea’s military threats. The two sides have tentatively agreed to create a “future youth fund” to sponsor scholarships for students, an informed source said.

Meanwhile, Seoul’s top diplomat expressed hope in a statement that the two nations will honour a 1998 joint declaration adopted by then President Kim Dae-jung and then Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi.

In the declaration, the two leaders called for overcoming the past and building new relations, with Obuchi expressing remorse for the “horrendous damage and pain” Japan’s colonial rule inflicted on the Korean people.

S.Korean Prez calls Japan ‘partner’ in tackling economic, security challenges

Seoul, March 1 (IANS) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday called Japan a “partner” in tackling security and economic challenges as he marked the anniversary of the nation’s 1919 independence movement against Japanese colonial rule.

Yoon made the remark in his first address marking the March 1 Independence Movement at the Memorial Hall of Yu Gwan-sun in Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported.

“Now, a century after the March 1 Independence Movement, Japan has transformed from a militaristic aggressor of the past into a partner that shares the same universal values with us,” he said.

“Today Korea and Japan cooperate on issues of security and economy. We also work together to cope with global challenges.” Yoon also emphasized the

importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan.

“The trilateral cooperation among the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan has become more important than ever to overcome the security crises, including North Korea’s growing nuclear threats and the global polycrisis,” he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.

India records over 300 mn cases of malware attack daily: Report Pakistan inflation hits all-time high

common malware delivery approach. This method involves attackers gaining access to victims’ systems while browsing online and getting them to download malicious payloads,” said Vishak Raman, Vice President of Sales, India, SAARC and Southeast Asia Fortinet.

to maximise their existing investments and knowledge in attack efforts.

New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS) India recorded a total virus count of 37,697,022, which was over 4,18,000 viruses per day in Q4 of 2022, a new report showed on Monday.

According to the cybersecurity company Fortinet, India alone accounted for 5.81 per cent of the global virus count deducted in the previous quarter.

“In the second half of 2022, drive-by compromise topped the list across India as the most

“To protect against these advanced persistent cybercrime tactics, organisations need to focus on enabling machine learning-driven coordinated and actionable threat intelligence in real-time across all security devices to detect suspicious actions and initiate coordinated mitigation across the extended attack surface,” he added.

Moreover, the report said that, bad actors always seek

Botnet and malware code reuse are efficient, cost-effective ways for criminals to build upon successful attack vectors while making iterative changes, and fine-tuning their attacks to sidestep detection.

The total count of Botnets in India was 204,554,825, which was over 2.2 million Bots every day in Q4 2022. India accounted for 4.72 per cent of the Botnets deducted globally in the last quarter, the report mentioned.

Mirai and Gh0st RAT bots continue to be popular in India, yet out of the top five, only RotaJakiro is from the current decade.

Vote for Awami League to continue development efforts: B’desh PM

Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina reiterated her appeal to the countrymen to vote for her party’s election symbol “Boat” to continue the current government’s endeavours to ensure the country’s overall development.

Dhaka, March 1 (IANS)

Bangladesh Prime Minister and

Announcing the date of the next national election during a grand rally at Helipad Ground in Kishoreganj, she said: “The next national election will be held in December next or January, 2024. I urge you to again vote for the ‘Boat’ and bring Awami League to power and thus give another scope to

serve you.”

“Bangladesh has turned around in the last 14 years and has achieved dignity by transforming into a developing nation... Bangladesh has appeared as the role model for the development,” she added.

Mentioning that the BNP was formed illegally by Ziaur Rahman, a military dictator who grabbed power violating the county’s constitution, Hasina said, “They (BNP) can give nothing to the people rather can torture and loot them.”

Karachi, March 1 (IANS)

Pakistan’s annual inflation, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), soared to a record high of 31.55 per cent in February, compared to 27.6 per cent in the previous month, driven by massive increases in food and transport prices, local media reported.

According to Arif Habib Corporation, this is the highest-ever CPI increase based on data available from July 1965, Dawn reported.

In February, 2022, inflation clocked in at 12.2 per cent.

According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), inflation in urban and rural areas increased to 28.82 per cent and 35.56 per cent year-on-year respectively. On a month-on-month basis, inflation rose 4.32 per cent.

except one.

The inflation figure is higher than the Ministry of Finance’s forecast of 30 per cent.

The CPI-based inflation on a year-on-year basis will be 28-30pc in coming months, said the ministry in its monthly economic update & outlook for February, adding that the recent political and economic uncertainties were pushing up inflationary expectations.

The ministry expects inflation to remain high due to the uncertain political and economic environment, pass-through of currency depreciation, rise in energy prices and increase in administered prices in February, Dawn reported. Although the State Bank of Pakistan has been enacting contractionary monetary policy, the inflationary expectation would take some time to settle.

Pak expects $1.3 bn in financing from China’s ICBC in coming days to clear the “ambiguity” amid the current scenario, Dawn reported.

Islamabad, March 3 (IANS)

Pakistan’s Finance Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that the country is expecting $1.3 billion in financing from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd (ICBC) in the coming days to help shore up its foreign exchange reserves, media reports said.

Addressing a press conference on the country’s prevailing economic situation here, Dar said he is holding the presser

“All our formalities with the ICBC are complete as of last night. We returned them $1.3 billion in the last few months... They are giving it back and have renewed this facility,” Dar said, adding that it is possible that $500 million will come in the next few days -- by Monday or Tuesday -- and a further $500 million within 10 days, Dawn reported.

The minister said all the documentation work for the process has been completed.

On whether the country would default, Dar said: “We have never defaulted and we won’t now. Yes, we were in a precarious situation and are going

through it currently.”

He said the current government had made a “principled decision” whether to save the state or its own politics around the time of last year’s vote of no confidence against Imran Khan, Dawn reported.

Dar said the state’s interest was prioritised over political interests at the time, adding that it was the “right decision”.

He also criticised PTI chief Imran Khan, calling on him to reflect on his own past and his government’s performance. “They keep going on and on about default [but] their ministers called their provincial finance ministers that ‘you don’t allow the IMF matter to be resolved’,” Dar added.

World Bank assures support to SL’s development reform programme

risks, maintaining stability and confidence in the banking sector, restructuring and decentralisation, reducing policy uncertainty and increasing the competitiveness of the economy, mobilising private capital and competition in the broadband market, strengthening the social security institution, delivery system and targeting were discussed at length,” the PMD stated.

Consumer prices have risen sharply over the past several months, with annual inflation staying above 20 per cent since June last year, Dawn reported. In February, the increase in inflation was driven by a double-digit rise in all sub-indices

The Centre, in liaison with provincial governments, is closely monitoring the demand-supply gap of essential items and taking necessary measures to stabilise their prices, the report added.

B’desh: Homes torched, shops vandalised in anti-Ahmadiyya protests

Colombo, March 1 (IANS)

The World Bank assured its support to development reform programme of Sri Lanka, which is going through its worst-ever economic crisis in the history.

The World Bank’s Vice President in charge of the South Asia region, Martin Raiser who met President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday assured to provide technical assistance in drafting laws for development policy operations, and to provide further guidance and necessary

support regarding the use of international media and welfare benefits.

The World Bank Development Policy Operational Program was fully investigated and the President and World Bank representatives gave their views on its progress, President Media Division (PMD) said on Tuesday.

“Improving financial supervision and credit management, improving tax administration, reducing sovereign-financial sector linkages and systemic

World Bank representative included Country Director Faris H. Hadad-Zervos, Country Manager Chiyo Kanda, International Finance Corporation Sri Lanka and Maldives Manager Alejandro Alvarez de la Campa and Country Advisor Husam Abu Daga, while Sri Lankan delegation included Finance Ministry Secretary, Mahinda Siriwardena and Central Bank Governor Nandalal Weerasinghe.

Dhaka, March 3 (IANS)

Hundreds of members Islamist organisations carried out arson attacks on homes and vandalised shops during protests against an event announced by the Ahmadiyya community in Panchagarh district in northern Bangladesh.

The agitators blocked the Dhaka-Panchagarh highway and attacked Ahmadiya people as well as the police. Several people, including three policemen, were injured in the attacks.

The police had beefed up security in the area in the wake of the protest call given by the agitators after the Ahmadiyya community announced a threeday ‘Jalsa Salana’, a religious gathering of the minority Muslim community.

Militant leaders and members of various Islamist organisations led the protest but were stopped by the police in front of the Jama Masjid along the highway at the Chowrangi

junction of the district.

The militants torched a traffic police box at Dhakkamara in Panchagarh. Police and Border Guard Bangladesh vehicles were also damaged in the attacks by the Islamists.

More than 100 houses and shops belonging to the Ahmadiyya community members were torched and vandalised during the attack.

Abdul Latif Mia, chief of Panchagarh Sadar police station, told IANS that the attack began after the Islamists started throwing brickbats at the law enforcers.

As tension mounted, shop owners pulled down their shutters across the town. The militants also burnt tyres on some roads.

S.M. Sirajul Huda, Superintendent of Police in the northern district, said the law enforcers were trying their best to bring the situation under control.

UK security services missed chance to stop 2017 Manchester bombing: Inquiry

the attack”, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying. Former reports by Saunders have found “serious shortcomings” and missed opportunities by security services to prevent the “devastating impact” of the bombing.

The first of three reports published by the public inquiry, which began in September 2020, has levelled criticism at British Transport Police, the arena operators, and their contracted security providers.

London, March 3 (IANS) A “significant” opportunity to prevent the 2017 Manchester Arena attack that killed 22 people was missed by the UK security services, a public inquiry has revealed.

“The reasons for this significant missed opportunity included a failure by a Security Service

officer to act swiftly enough,” said inquiry chairman John Saunders.

Although it is impossible to definitively prove that the attack could have been stopped, “there was a realistic possibility that actionable intelligence could have been obtained which might have led to actions preventing

An Islamist extremist suicide bomber detonated a homemade bomb as people were leaving the Manchester Arena after a concert by the singer Ariane Grande on May 22, 2017.

It was the worst terror attack in Britain since the London bombings in 2005, in which 52 people died.

UK, EU reach new post-Brexit deal for N. Ireland

such as supermarkets and restaurants as well as wholesalers will no longer need hundreds of certificates for every lorry, Sunak told reporters.

“This means we have removed any sense of a border in the Irish Sea,” he said.

London, Feb 28 (IANS) The UK and the European Union (EU) have concluded a new post-Brexit trade arrangement for Northern Ireland.

The agreement - dubbed the ‘Windsor Framework’ - was struck over the Northern Ireland Protocol, aiming to ease the trading issues created by the Protocol.

After months of negotiations, the deal was announced by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after their meeting in Windsor near London on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

“I’m pleased to report that we have now made a decisive breakthrough,” Sunak said at a joint press conference with von der Leyen. “Together, we have changed the original Protocol and are today announcing the new Windsor Framework.”

He said the agreement delivers the smooth flow of trade within the UK, as goods destined for Northern Ireland will travel through a new Green Lane, with a separate Red Lane for goods at risk of moving on into the EU.

In the Green Lane, burdensome customs bureaucracy will be scrapped, meaning food retailers

The two sides have also amended the legal text of the Protocol to ensure the country can make critical value-added tax and excise changes for the whole of the UK, “for example on alcohol duty, meaning our reforms to cut the cost of a pint in the pub will now apply in Northern Ireland.” With a settlement on medicines, moreover, drugs approved for use by the UK’s medicine regulator will be automatically available in every pharmacy and hospital in Northern Ireland.

A new so-called “Stormont Brake” was also introduced. It will allow the elected Northern Ireland Assembly to stop EU goods laws that would have “significant and lasting effects on everyday lives.” When pulled, “the UK government will have a veto,” the Prime Minister said. “This gives Northern Ireland a powerful safeguard,” he said. Many had called for Stormont, or the Northern Ireland Assembly, to have a say over these laws, he noted. “But the Stormont Brake goes further and means that Stormont can in fact stop them from applying in Northern Ireland.”

Sunak called the Windsor Framework a “turning point” for the people of Northern Ireland, saying it fixes the practical problems they face and preserves the balance of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.

Noting that this year will mark the 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement, von der Leyen said the new Windsor Framework is here to benefit people in Northern Ireland and support all communities celebrating peace on the island of Ireland.

“We were both genuinely committed to finding a practical solution for people and for all communities in Northern Ireland,” the EU chief said. “This new Framework will allow us to begin a new chapter.”

Signed in 1998 following three decades of conflict, the landmark Belfast Agreement established a power-sharing system of government, including an Executive and Assembly. It underpins Northern Ireland’s peace, constitutional settlement and institutions.

A lengthy dispute over the Northern Ireland Protocol has recently posed a threat. Under the protocol, Northern Ireland was part of the British customs territory but subject to the EU’s customs code, value-added tax rules and single market rules for goods. However, a de facto Irish Sea border was thus created between the British mainland and Northern Ireland, meaning goods transported to and from Northern Ireland were subject to border controls.

Northern Ireland’s pro-Brexit Democratic Unionist Party has demanded the removal or replacement of the protocol as a precondition for it to sit in the assembly and form a devolved government.

Germany

to face severe economic losses due to climate change: Study

Berlin, March 7 (IANS) Germany is set to lose up to 900 billion euros by 2050 due to climate change related damages to its economy, according to a study published the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV). Even the best-case scenario calculating with only a moderate rise in temperatures forecasts losses of around 280 billion euros in the same period, reports Xinhua news agency.

In addition to financially measurable effects, there will be “numerous health impairments, deaths from heat waves and flooding, a strain on ecosystems, a loss of biodiversity, and a reduction in quality of life”, the Ministries said.

“Climate change is already having severe economic consequences today,” parliamentary state secretary Stefan Wenzel said.

“Every euro invested in climate protection reduces the economic costs that could arise in the future as a result of extreme events.”

Hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters inflicted damages worth $270 billion worldwide in 2022, according to recent figures by German reinsurer Munich Re. Although the figure was less than that in 2021, the trends in recent years had shown a steady increase in such damages, the company said.

“Climate change is taking

an increasing toll,” Thomas Blunck, member of the board of management of Munich Re, said in a statement.

According to Blunck, the damages in 2022 were mainly caused by events that were more intense or were occurring more frequently than in earlier years. On Monday, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina called on the government to speed up the transformation of the country’s energy system to help achieve the Paris climate targets both in Germany and Europe.

“It is also important to come up with the technologies that make this possible worldwide,” it said. Germany aims to be climate neutral by 2045, partly by increasing the share of renewable energy sources in gross electricity consumption from around 44 per cent in 2022 to at least 80 per cent by 2030.

The energy transition in Europe’s largest economy is “not progressing fast enough”, a study published in February by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) and the consulting firm Ernst and Young has found.

Finnish Parliament approves accession to NATO

Helsinki, March 2 (IANS) The Finnish parliament has approved legislation allowing the country to join the NATO. As many as 184 members of parliament voted in favour, with seven against and one abstention.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto will sign the legislation “as soon as possible,” he said on Wednesday.

In May 2022, the Finnish parliament accepted an application to join NATO with a majority of 188 to eight, Xinhua news agency reported.

So far, 28 NATO member countries have ratified Finnish membership, with Turkey and Hungary still pending.

The Finnish parliament wanted to finalise the domestic vote before the upcoming parliamentary elections, said national broadcaster Yle.

Wednesday’s vote was also required in the parliament as MP Markku Mustajarvi, of the Left League, has submitted an initiative against NATO membership.

Mustajarvi said Finland is not

setting enough conditions to join, for example regarding the placement of nuclear weapons in Finland, the Finnish daily Helsingin Sanomat reported.

“I consider the biggest problem with NATO membership to be ... that Finland accepts NATO’s nuclear weapons policy, and at the same time effectively renounces its non-nuclear status,” said MP Johannes Yrttiaho who supported Mustajarvi’s concern.

Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said in the parliament that the decision on the NATO Act does not change Finland’s position, or legislation on nuclear weapons. Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen also added: “We are not trying to bring them to Finland, and no one is trying to force them here either.”

Germany to face severe economic losses due to climate change: Study

In addition to financially measurable effects, there will be “numerous health impairments, deaths from heat waves and flooding, a strain on ecosystems, a loss of biodiversity, and a reduction in quality of life”, the Ministries said.

“Climate change is already having severe economic consequences today,” parliamentary state secretary Stefan Wenzel said.

Berlin, March 7 (IANS) Germany

is set to lose up to 900 billion euros by 2050 due to climate change related damages to its economy, according to a study published the Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Ministry for the Environment, Nature

Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV).

Even the best-case scenario calculating with only a moderate rise in temperatures forecasts losses of around 280 billion euros in the same period, reports Xinhua news agency.

“Every euro invested in climate protection reduces the economic costs that could arise in the future as a result of extreme events.”

Hurricanes, floods, and other natural disasters inflicted damages worth $270 billion worldwide in 2022, according to recent figures by German

reinsurer Munich Re. Although the figure was less than that in 2021, the trends in recent years had shown a steady increase in such damages, the company said.

“Climate change is taking an increasing toll,” Thomas Blunck, member of the board of management of Munich Re, said in a statement.

According to Blunck, the damages in 2022 were mainly caused by events that were more intense or were occurring more frequently than in earlier years.

On Monday, the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina called on the government to speed up the transformation of the country’s energy system to help achieve the Paris climate targets both in

Germany and Europe.

“It is also important to come up with the technologies that make this possible worldwide,” it said. Germany aims to be climate neutral by 2045, partly by increasing the share of renewable energy sources in gross electricity consumption from around 44 per cent in 2022 to at least 80 per cent by 2030.

The energy transition in Europe’s largest economy is “not progressing fast enough”, a study published in February by the German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) and the consulting firm Ernst and Young has found. In particular, the roll-out of renewable energy technologies was still proceeding “far too slowly”.

Denmark generates record amount of green energy in 2022

Copenhagen, March 3 (IANS)

Solar panels and wind turbines generated a “new green record” of 21.2 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity in Denmark in 2022, 22 per cent more than in 2021, the Confederation of Danish Industry’s (DI) Energy Department said.

“In Denmark, solar cells and wind turbines have never produced as much electricity as

in 2022,” Troels Ranis, industry director at DI Energy, said in a statement.

Citing data from the Danish Energy Agency, DI said that wind turbines produced 19 TWh of electricity in 2022 and solar photovoltaics 2.2 TWh, reports Xinhua news agency.

In 2021, 17.3 TWh were generated by solar and wind combined.

“Not only do wind turbines and

solar cells produce cheap and green electricity for consumers in Denmark, they also contribute to the green transition in Europe. It’s a win-win,” Ranis said. He said that Denmark exported more energy and imported less in 2022 than a year earlier.

According to DI Energy, the industry generated enough “green electricity” for 5.3 million

households in 2022, up from nearly one million in 2021. “It gives hope for the future. But if we are to have enough green power to supply the increased consumption by 2030, it requires a fivefold increase of the current electricity generation from renewable energy sources,” Ranis said.

US Treasury Secy visits Kiev, announces $1.2bn additional aid to Ukraine

Ukraine.

Upon her arrival in the capital city on Monday, Yellen said her visit is “to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine, discuss ways we can continue our support, including through economic assistance, and pay tribute to the bravery of the Ukrainian people a year after Russia’s unprovoked invasion”.

the transfer of an additional amount of over $1.2 billion.

Kiev, Feb 28 (IANS) During her surprise visit to Kiev, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

announced the transfer of an additional amount of over $1.2 billion in economic assistance to

In her announcement, she said that the US is proud to be Ukraine’s largest bilateral donor and to date, Washington has provided close to $50 billion in security, economic, and humanitarian assistance to the war-torn nation.

“Today, I am proud to announce

That’s the first tranche of about $10 billion in direct budget support that the US will provide in the coming months,” she was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Treasury Department. Later in her remarks with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky that the country’s “fight is our fight, for our shared values of democracy, the right to self-determination, and for an international order that advances peace and prosperity”.

“We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes,” she added. On his part, Zelensky said that

the “US has been powerfully supporting us since the first days of this war not only with weapons, but also on the financial front. We really appreciate it”.

“Thank you for systematic steps to increase sanctions pressure on the aggressor state. It is necessary to further strengthen sanctions to deprive Russia of the ability to finance the war,” he added.

Yellen also held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

The Treasury Secretary’s trip comes on the heels of President Joe Biden’s trip to Kiev last week.

Putin signs law to suspend Russia’s participation in arms treaty with US

Putin has signed a law officially suspending his country’s participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with the US. The law came into force immediately after the signing on Tuesday and the decision to resume Russia’s participation in the treaty is up to the head of state, reports Xinhua news agency.

Moscow, March 1 (IANS)

Russian President Vladimir

In his annual State of the Nation to the Federal Assembly on February 21, Putin said Russia was suspending its participation

in, rather than withdrawing from, the New START treaty. He also pointed out the combined strike potential of NATO as Britain and France also have nuclear arsenals that pose a threat to Russia.

A day later, a bill on the New START treaty suspension was unanimously adopted by Russia’s parliament and then sent to Putin for his final approval.

The New START, the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty in force between the

two nuclear superpowers, was signed in 2010 and took effect on February 5, 2011.

The Treaty stipulates that seven years after its entry into force, each party should have no more than a total of 700 deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) and strategic bombers, as well as no more than 1,550 warheads on deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs and strategic bombers, and a total of 800 deployed and non-deployed ICBM launchers,

SLBM launchers and strategic bombers.

On February 3, 2021, the two nations exchanged notes on the completion of internal procedures necessary for the agreement on extending the term of the treaty for five years to take effect.

On August 8, 2022, Russia informed the US it was temporary pausing New START inspections of its facilities in the wake of the sanctions imposed on Moscow in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden’s largest n-reactor to be taken off-grid due to damage

Stockholm, March 1 (IANS)

The largest nuclear reactor in Sweden will be taken off the grid for eight days due to a damaged fuel rod.

Unit 3 at the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant in the southeast of the country will be disconnected from the grid on March 3, Xinhua news agency quoted the Swedish Dagens Nyheter (DN) newspaper as saying in a report.

One of the country’s other five nuclear reactors is also down

due to repairs.

“It is unfortunate, but the damaged fuel rod has to be dealt with and it cannot wait,” Desiree Liljevall, head of communications at nuclear power operator OKG, told DN. When the same reactor was taken off the grid for nine days last December due to a faulty generator, the price of electricity soared in Sweden, DN reported.

“If it gets cold, we will have to rely on imports,” Erik Ek,

strategic operations manager at national grid operator Svenska Kraftnat, told DN about the potential implications of the scheduled stoppage.

Nuclear power accounts for approximately 30 per cent of the electricity produced in the country, according to the Swedish Energy Agency. Following the decommissioning of four reactors between 2017 and 2020, six reactors remain at three sites.

Philippines’ inflation rate slows to 8.6% in Feb

Vietnam steps up fight against wildlife trafficking

Manila, March 7 (IANS)

Year-on-year inflation in the Philippines slowed to 8.6 per cent in February 2023 from 8.7 per cent in January after rising for five months straight as the price increase of certain food commodities and energy eased, official figures revealed on Tuesday.

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Tuesday that the inflation rate in February 2022 was lower at 3 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.

The average inflation rate for the first two months of this year stood at 8.6 per cent.

“Among the 13 commodity

groups, the transport was the sole driver of the downtrend of the overall inflation during the month, recording a 9 per cent inflation rate in February 2023 from 11.1 per cent inflation in January 2023,” PSA head Dennis Mapa told a news conference. In contrast, he said nine commodity groups showed higher inflation rates, including food and non-alcoholic beverages at 10.8 per cent and alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 11 per cent.

Meanwhile, Mapa said the core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items in the headline inflation, rose to 7.8 per cent in February 2023 from 7.4 per cent in January 2023.

In February 2022, core inflation was lower at 1.9 per cent.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said energy and food inflation remained the top contributors to inflation in February, accounting for 1 and 0.9 percentage points (ppt), respectively, followed by restaurant services contributing 0.8 ppt and house rentals with 0.7 ppt.

Meanwhile, he added public transport contributed 0.6 ppt. Balisacan stressed the need to “rethink” the government strategies to combat rising food prices. He said that domestic, supply-side constraints primarily drive the country’s current high inflation.

“Agricultural imports were ill-timed, and food supplies have been inadequate. The solution is to get to the root of the problem, including fixing the bottlenecks along all segments of the agricultural value chain,” Balisacan added.

In January 2023, inflation rose to 8.7 per cent from 8.1 per cent in December 2022, going beyond the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s inflation forecast of 7.5 to 8.3 per cent and private sector economists’ median estimate of 7.6 per cent.

The continued increase was mainly due to food supply constraints and higher utility rates.

The BSP forecasts that inflation will remain above target in the near term. However, it expects inflation to slow to 3.1 per cent in 2024.

Southeast Asia’s largest wind power plant to be built in Laos

Monsoon Wind Power Project will be the largest wind power plant in Southeast Asia and the first in Laos, according to a report released by the ADB on Friday.

Vientiane, March 4 (IANS) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Monsoon Wind Power Company Limited have signed a $692.55-million loan agreement to build a wind power plant in Laos.

Comprising 133 wind turbines with a capacity of 600 MW, the

The wind power plant will be constructed in southern Laos’ Sekong and Attapeu provinces. Electricity generated by the plant will be sold to the state-owned Electricity of Vietnam (EVN), Xinhua news agency reported. Cross-border power supply has been a pillar of Laos’ economic growth. Harnessing the landlocked country’s untapped wind resources can provide energy diversification as the seasonality of the wind resource is countercyclical to the rainy season, which supports the Lao hydropower generation.

The project will give a significant boost to decarbonisation and green growth. It will reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 748,867 ton of carbon dioxide, according to the ADB report.

“Developing economies in Asia and the Pacific face shortfalls in climate investments that are needed to clear a pathway to green growth,” the report quoted ADB Private Sector Operations Department Director General Suzanne Gaboury as saying.

“The financing from ADB and its partners will help unlock the Laos’ untapped wind resources, providing a basis for a transition to clean energy and green growth that will have lasting benefits for the economy,” the report said.

Vo Van Thuong elected as Vietnam’s new President

appointed first secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in 2007.

In 2011, he was elected as a member of the CPV Central Committee and then appointed secretary of the Quang Ngai Provincial Party Committee from August 2011 to April 2014.

The Politburo then appointed him as standing deputy secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Municipal Party Committee term 2015-2020.

Hanoi, March 7 (IANS) Vietnam has enhanced efforts against illegal wildlife trade and its impact on biodiversity, through a wide range of measures from raising public awareness to strengthening law enforcement including increased penalties for offenders, local media reported on Tuesday.

The Vietnamese government has made law enforcement an urgent priority by improving the legal and regulatory framework, boosting law enforcement capacity, and facilitating coordination between enforcement agencies, said Do Quang Tung, director of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s endangered wildlife conservation project.

The Southeast Asian country has refined its criminal laws on the exploitation and trading of wildlife with clearer and stricter policies, reports Xinhua news agency.

Criminals convicted of breaking laws of protecting endangered species will face up to 15 years in prison and be fined up to 15 billion Vietnamese dong ($630,000).

The amended penal code, applying to transporting, storing, selling wildlife products from rhinos, elephants, tigers, pangolins, bears and other endangered animals, has sent a strong message to the public that wildlife trafficking is now severely punished, said Tung.

ASEM promotes peace, development, multilateralism: Cambodian FM

Phnom Penh, March 1 (IANS) Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn said on Wednesday that the biennial Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) has contributed to promoting peace, security, connectivity, development and multilateralism in both continents.

In a message to mark the ASEM Day, Sokhonn said over the past 27 years, the initiative has grown into a significant forum with its mission of maintaining peace and security as well as promoting connectivity and development for the two continents, reports Xinhua news agency. “It has also served as a high-profile forum for advancing dialogues to enhance multilateralism, in the spirit of consensus, mutual interest and respect, to address inter-regional issues and global challenges,” he said.

Sokhonn urged ASEM to provide its decades-long leadership to

mobilise joint actions to deepen its cooperation to pursue more sustainable solutions so that the two continents could maintain their course to secure a more resilient future for the next generations to come.

“Cambodia attaches great importance to ASEM as the relevant multilateral platform of dialogue and reaffirms her readiness and proactive engagement to work and collaborate with all its members and stakeholders to achieve the noble goals of peace and prosperity as set out by our ASEM leaders, and to bring back a renewed vitality into the ASEM process,” he said.

Lebanon support group gravely concerned no President elected for 4 months

Beirut, March 3 (IANS) The International Support Group for Lebanon (ISG) is concerned the country’s political leadership has failed for four months to elect a President, a UN spokesman said.

“It is gravely concerned about the ramifications of a prolonged presidential vacuum,” said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres. Representatives from the UN, key countries and regional organisations comprise the ISG, reports Xinhua news agency.

(UNIFIL) convoy, which killed an Irish peacekeeper, Sean Rooney. He said the ISG expects the perpetrators to be brought to justice.

Hanoi, March 2 (IANS) Vo

Van Thuong, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), was elected as the new President on Thursday.

The country’s top legislature convened a special meeting and elected Thuong as the new president with an approval rate of 98.38 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

In a statement, Thuong vowed to be absolutely loyal to the nation, the people and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and to work hard to fulfil the duty assigned by the Communist Party of Vietnam, the state and the people. =He will serve until the present

term ends in 2026.

Thuong, who was born in December 1970, is the youngest among members of the Politburo of the CPV.

In his official biography, Mekong Delta’s Vinh Long province is listed as his hometown.

He has an M.A. in Philosophy and an advanced degree in political theory from the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.

Thuong started his political career in 1993, working on student and youth affairs, and became secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City’s Communist Youth Union in 2003.

He was elected as an alternate member of the CPV Central Committee in 2006 and was

Thuong was re-elected to the CPV Central Committee in 2016 and became a member of the Politburo for the first time.

In 2021, he was elected as a member of the CPV Central Committee for the third time and became a member of the Politburo for the second time. He was also assigned to serve as permanent member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat.

On January 17, Nguyen Xuan Phuc resigned as President for personal reasons, with his memberships at the Politburo and the 13th CPV Central Committee being removed. The next day, the National Assembly appointed Vo Thi Anh Xuan, who was elected as Vice President in 2021, as the acting president.

“The group urged the political leadership and members of parliament to assume their responsibilities, act in line with the Constitution, and uphold the Taif Agreement by electing a new President without delay,” Dujarric said.

The spokesman said the group strongly condemned the December attack against a UN Interim Force in Lebanon

Lebanon’s state commissioner to the military court, Judge Fadi Akiki, charged in January one man with Rooney’s murder and six others with destroying a UNIFIL vehicle.

The UNIFIL has been operating in southern Lebanon since 1978 to monitor the withdrawal of Israeli forces and ensure peace and security along the IsraelLebanon border.

Myanmar’s trade with ASEAN countries tops $10.3 bn in 9 months till Dec

Yangon, March 3 (IANS) The value of Myanmar’s trade with the ASEAN countries surpassed $10.3 billion in the nine months till December of the 2022-2023 fiscal year beginning April, according to the country’s Ministry of Commerce.

The Ministry reported on Thursday that imports surpassed

exports, with exports reaching more than $3.538 billion and imports valued at more than $6.77 billion, Xinhua news agency reported.

Major ASEAN trade partners of Myanmar include Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

US big businesses support President Biden’s price cuts in rare gesture

prices.

The White House strategists have pushed for a momentum for a much broader economic agenda tailored to deliver what Biden often terms “that little bit of breathing room for the cash strapped families”.

Washington, March 7

(IANS)

Corporate America has, in an unusual and rare gesture, cast aside its “profit for business” capitalist outlook and come out in support of President Joe Biden’s campaign against high consumer prices, especially since his powerful pleas to reduce costs in his State of the Union address.

Just weeks after Biden used the State of the Union address to call for crackdowns on insulin prices - which he had reduced to $35 a dose in his inflation reduction act last year - and “junk fees”, Corporate America, a handful to start with, has started heeding to his appeal to ease the consumer pain, media reports said. Voluntary steps are being taken by them to lower patients’ medical bills and make it easier for families to fly together, media outlet Politico reported. Corporate support is expected to hand over to Biden an unexpected surprise of wins before he announces his re-election bid for 2024, which would largely hinge on his deft handling of the economy, threatening to go into recession with the series of Fed’s interest hikes to contain inflation and contain elevated consumer

“The President has made clear for over a year now that top priority is bringing down costs for folks,” said Bharat Ramamurti, deputy director of the National Economic Council and one of the officials spear-heading the junk fee initiative. “The fact he’s willing to sharply call out certain behaviour and highlight it is encouraging these corporations - at least some of them - to come along with us,” he was quoted by the media as saying.

Corporates have made changes that can best be described as modest, resulting more from corporate calculations than due to any political pressures.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly plans to reduce insulin prices at $35 a month for privately insured patients, a step in line with what Democrats imposed on Medicare as part of last year’s Inflation Reduction Act. But the discounts will only apply to its older products, and the changes are unlikely to affect the company’s bottom line, reports said.

Falling in line were three major airlines - United, American and Frontier - who are eliminating extra fees often charged to parents to sit alongside their children on flights, a practice Biden slammed last month as akin to treating kids “like a piece of luggage”.

However, the airlines are retaining the slew of other seat

and baggage charges that make up the industry norm.

The corporate moves, however modest, have sparked off celebrations in the West Wing, where the President’s aides believe pressure will now ramp up on competitors to follow suit, providing Biden with a tangible achievement ahead of 2024.

Democrats have been targeting high pharma prices of products as surveys revealed drug affordability was the biggest worry for voters on both sides of the aisle. White House economic aides, who are scrambling Biden’s “junk fee” agenda, have zeroed in on surprise fees that not only affect broader economic competition but are simply the most likely to drive Americans crazy, reports said.

“I do a lot of polling, and it’s rare to see policies that have this much universal consensus,” said Danielle Deiseroth, the interim Executive Director at Data for Progress. The progressive think tank published a survey post the State of the Union address pegging voter support for banning such fees - like those tied to concert ticket purchases, hotel stays and seating families together on airplanes - at nearly 80 per cent. “Saving people money transcends party lines,” she said.

\Biden is for a comprehensive legislation to lock in those price restrictions across the board. The White House has vowed to renew its pursuit of a universal insulin price cap, after Republican opposition forced it out of the IRA. Biden then pitched his vision for a “Junk Fee Prevention Act” during the

UN chief names new envoy for Haiti

served for 10 years as the general manager and legal representative for Air France in Ecuador.

State of the Union address. White House aides are impressing on Democratic lawmakers to turn the idea into actual legislation. Will the proposal gain much traction is the question as a Republican-controlled House staunchly opposes the administration’s economic agenda. That prompted Biden officials to wrest concessions out of individual corporations using a combination of public pressure and lighter-touch coaxing behind the scenes, Politico reported. The White House initiated this approach during its first responder approach to Covid-19. Sweeping new regulations like requiring employers to give workers paid time off to get vaccinated, while simultaneously encouraging companies in private to get out ahead by instituting their own similar policies - and showering praise on them when they did was part of the White House strategy with corporations.

“If we could find a company that was willing to take the first step, then that was always an opening to bring other companies along,” said Zach Butterworth, who until recently served as the White House’s liaison to the business community. The goal was to create a pervasive sense within the private sector that “if you weren’t taking these steps, you were outside the mainstream”. The White House strategy has met with varying degrees of success; for every industry-wide pact it secured on initiatives, such as discounted broadband internet access, it faced resistance from others like lowering gas prices, where oil

companies effectively rejected Biden’s threats to rein in what he criticised as “war profiteering”. The airlines became family-friendly after the Department of Transportation told them it planned to publish a table showing which carriers charged parents extra to sit with their young kids. Eli Lilly is slashing insulin prices even as a sustained scrutiny is on over the drug’s cost as policy makers want drug delivery at more affordable prices to the population.

Despite the companies’ profit motives, Biden has gone out of the way to applaud them, hoping it will convince competitors to do the same, drop prices, in addition to getting that vital public relations boost.

“The thing we can always withhold is that praise,” a senior White House official said. “Part of the benefit for the company is they get a pat on the head from the government.” Response has been very lukewarm within corporate board rooms. Though others may follow suit, analysts said, it’s far from signalling a sea change in industry behaviour.

Umer Raffat, an analyst who covers the drug industry for investment bank Evercore ISI, provided a blunt assessment of Eli Lilly’s price cuts: “Not a needle mover for them.”

“What this is really about is trying to impose price caps - and that didn’t work very well in the early 1970s, it’s not going to work very well today,” said Neil Bradley, chief policy officer at the US Chamber of Commerce. “This isn’t a junk fee agenda; this is a government price control agenda that’s trying to be rebranded.”

Visitors can continue applying for work permits inside Canada

Toronto, March 2 (IANS)

United Nations, March 3 (IANS)

UN Secretary-General Antonio

Guterres has appointed Maria Isabel Salvador of Ecuador as his new special representative for Haiti.

Salvador, who will also serve as head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti, is succeeding Helen La Lime of the US “to whom the Secretary-General is deeply

grateful for her important contribution and service to Haiti”, Stephane Dujarric, Guterres’ spokesman, told reporters. “Salvador brings to this position over 25 years of experience in managerial, advisory, political and diplomatic functions,”

Xinhua news agency quoted the spokesman as saying.

In the private sector, Salvador

She is currently the director of external relations at Universidad de Las Americas (UDLA) in Ecuador, a post she has held since 2015, according to Dujarric. Addressing a UN Security Council open briefing on Haiti in January, La Lime said the Caribbean nation was facing protracted security and humanitarian crisis.

Gang-related violence in Haiti has reached levels not seen in decades, with murders and kidnappings increasing for a fourth consecutive year, La Lime then said, adding that close to five million people were facing conditions of acute hunger across the country.

Mexican President to launch anti-inflation, pro-trade plan with LatAm nations

Mexican President Andres

Manuel Lopez Obrador said he will introduce a plan to curb inflation and support trade with other Latin American countries.

During his daily press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, the President said the scheme called for lifting tariffs and other measures to promote trade in foodstuffs and other goods, reports Xinhua news agency.

Mexico City, March 3 (IANS)

Lopez Obrador said he has already discussed the joint strategy with his counterparts from

Argentina (Alberto Fernandez), Brazil (Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva), Colombia (Gustavo Petro) and Cuba (Miguel Diaz-Canel).

Lopez Obrador said he will hold a virtual conference on April 5 to further discuss the plan with his Latin American counterparts and talk face-to-face with several officials.

He also announced that the scheme will be gradually expanded to incorporate other regional countries, including Bolivia, Chile and Honduras.

Foreign nationals who are in Canada as visitors and who receive a valid job offer will be able to apply for and receive a work permit without having to leave the country, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced.

The move, an extension of a Covid-era temporary public policy that was set to expire today, has now been extended by two years, until February 28, 2025.

Visitors applying under this public policy who held a work permit within the last 12 months will also continue to be able to request interim work authorization to begin working for their new employer more quickly.

Prior to this temporary policy change, those applying to work in Canada would typically need to apply for their initial work permit before they came to Canada.

If they were already in Canada with visitor status when they were approved for a work permit, they would need to leave the country to be issued their work permit. With this policy in place, leaving Canada isn’t necessary.

Those looking to benefit from this temporary public policy must have valid status in Canada as a visitor on the day they apply, and have a job offer that is supported by a labour market impact assessment (LMIA) or an LMIA-exempt offer of

employment.

An LMIA is an application that an employer makes to Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to evaluate if hiring foreign workers will have a positive, neutral or negative impact on the Canadian economy. If ESDC deems the impact is negative, the employer will not be eligible to hire foreign nationals, according to CIC News.

Under the policy, applicants must also submit an application for an employer-specific work permit no later than February 28, 2025.

IRCC said that continuing this policy makes visitors an option for employers in Canada, many of whom are facing significant labour shortages during a period of economic expansion. There was an overall decrease in the number of vacancies to 848,000 from over one million, according to Statistics Canada data from December 2022. However, key sectors like healthcare, food and social assistance still need more employees to fill in-demand positions.

Iran vows to continue efforts for nuke talks’ conclusion

the stalled nuclear talks.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian made the remarks on Tuesday in an address to a commemoration ceremony, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website. He stressed that reaching an agreement in the talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal in line with the national interests is among the “inherent responsibilities” of the Iranian diplomatic apparatus.

Tehran, March 8 (IANS) Iran has vowed to stick to the path of diplomacy and negotiation as it continues to seek a conclusion to

He added Iran has explicitly told the US and other Western parties that high on its agenda are observing red lines, safeguarding

national interests, and achieving an agreement to which all parties would be committed.

Amir Abdollahian said Iran will never leave the negotiating table, nor will it back down from its red lines even under the toughest circumstances.

Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The US, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its sanctions on Tehran.

South Sudan secures $114.8 mn from IMF in emergency financing

and the fiscal deficit has increased.

Iran plans to launch satellites in cooperation with Russia: Media

Tehran, March 6 (IANS) Iran plans to launch two homegrown satellites into space in cooperation with Russia in December 2023, Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) reported.

Juba, March 3 (IANS) The IMF has approved $114.8 million in emergency financing to support South Sudan, a government official confirmed.

South Sudanese Minister of Finance and Planning, Dier Tong Ngor said on Thursday that the disbursement will help the country address food insecurity while maintaining social and growth-enhancing spending,

Xinhua news agency reported. Tong told journalists in Juba, South Sudan’s capital, that his Ministry acknowledged that factors such as years of heavy floods and Covid-19 have enormously impacted economic activity in the country, real GDP has severely contracted, inflation and exchange rate of the South Sudanese pound against other currencies have deteriorated,

He noted that the new financing will enhance the foreign reserves position for the central bank to intervene in the market to meet any gaps in the foreign exchange market, stabilise the local currency, and reduce prices of basic commodities in the market. And South Sudan will remain closely engaged with the IMF, and their discussions will continue with the IMF under the Staff-Monitored Program, which aims to provide a strong anchor for macroeconomic policies, further catalysing donor support, the Minister said.

According to the IMF, a combination of flooding and the rising price of staples have exposed 8.3 million of the country’s people to acute food insecurity.

Tunisia denies deportation of immigrants from sub-Saharan nations by force

for the voluntary return of illegal residents in Tunisia to their countries have been registered”, adding that applications are examined in full compliance with the legal procedures.

It stressed that foreign nationals have equal access to protection in Tunisia and there was no discrimination.

Tunis, March 3 (IANS) Tunisia denied that it had deported immigrants from sub-Saharan African countries by force, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

“Following allegations concerning the forced deportation of

a number of immigrants from the brotherly sub-Saharan African countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that none of the citizens from those diaspora has been expelled by force,” Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. The Ministry said “some requests

During a meeting of the Superior Council for National Security on February 21, President Kais Saied spoke of the illegal immigration of people from sub-Saharan African countries to Tunisia and the means to deal with it.

Saied considered the current situation “not normal”, calling for an end to this phenomenon.

IAEA chief to visit Iran for high-level talks

said that Grossi’s visit to Tehran comes at the invitation of Iran’s government, adding that he will hold a press conference upon his return to Vienna on Saturday. The announcement came after recent reports that Iran has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels of about 84 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency.

Vienna, March 3 (IANS)

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General

Rafael Grossi will travel to Tehran for high-level meetings at the invitation of Iran’s government, the Vienna-based agency announced.

In a tweet on Thursday, the IAEA

On February 19, Bloomberg cited two senior diplomats as claiming that IAEA inspectors in Iran had detected uranium enriched to levels “just below that needed for a nuclear weapon”.

Iranian authorities have however, rejected the report.

Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, on Wednesday said that his country and the IAEA had discussed and finalized a number

Kowsar and Hodhod, built by an Iranian consortium of knowledge-based companies, are planned to be sent into an orbit 500 km above the Earth’s surface by a foreign launch vehicle, said the report on Sunday. Kowsar is an observation satellite with an imaging resolution of 3.5 metre per pixel, which can be used for agricultural purposes, surveying and demarcation. The satellite has an orbital lifespan of two years, Xinhua news agency reported. The Hodhod satellite has uses in the area of the Internet of Things as well as agriculture, transportation and crisis management scenarios, according to the

report.

Citing Hossein Shahrabi, Head of the Kowsar Space Consortium, ISNA reported that the contract for the launch of the satellites has been signed. ISNA reported in February 2022 that the Kowsar satellite had reached the testing and assembly stage after two years of development efforts by the consortium.

Landmine explosions kill 55 in Syria since beginning of 2023

Damascus, March 3 (IANS) Landmine explosions in Syria have killed 55 people since the beginning of 2023, a war monitor reported. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the death toll includes two women and 18 children killed by the explosions of landmines that were undiscovered in previously rebel-held areas or battle zones. The death toll also includes five people who were killed on Thursday in the Salamiyeh area in the central province of Hama, it added.

As many as 118 people, including 28 children and four women, were wounded by the landmine explosions during the same period, said the UK-based watchdog group. The country’s official news agency SANA reported that the five victims were truffle collectors

and were looking for the pricey fungus when a landmine left by the Islamic State (IS) terrorists exploded, Xinhua news agency reported.

Many of the landmine victims were farmers or workers collecting truffles in the desert region, who have become a target for IS militants.

In February, IS killed 64 truffle collectors in the desert region of eastern Syria.

Palestine condemns Israeli PM’s visit to West Bank settlement

Ramallah, March 3 (IANS)

Palestine has condemned the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the Israeli settlement of Har Brakha near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

of issues at the level of experts and claimed that there had been no “deviation” from the country’s peaceful nuclear activities. Eslami added that during his stay in Tehran, Grossi will discuss safeguards issues and the closure of the case.

In recent months, the IAEA has criticized Iran for its lack of cooperation with the agency.

In November last year, the IAEA’s Board of Governors passed a resolution proposed by the US, Britain, France and Germany that called on Iran to collaborate with the agency’s investigators regarding the alleged “traces of uranium” at a number of its “undeclared” sites.

Iran has repeatedly rejected such allegations and insisted on the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Thursday said in a press statement that “the provocative visit of Netanyahu into the West Bank and the hostile statements and stances he made are rejected and condemned”.

A statement issued by Netanyahu’s office said that he and his wife Sara arrived in the settlement to condole the family of the two Israelis who were killed in a shooting attack carried out by Palestinians in the town of Hawara, south of Nablus on Sunday.

On Sunday, a Palestinian gunman opened fire at a vehicle of two Israelis in Hawara and killed them. In response, Israeli settlers attacked the town and burned dozens of cars and homes, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry added, “Netanyahu’s visit has no legitimate or legal characteristic, contrary to the rules of international law, UN resolutions, and the signed agreements.”

It said that “the visit reveals the true face of the Israeli government and its Prime Minister, who leads a government of settlements and settlers and sabotages the opportunity to revive the peace process”.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s visit comes amid tensions between the Palestinians and Israelis since January 1.

Israel took control of the West Bank in 1967 and established dozens of settlements on it. The settlement issue is one of the most prominent aspects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and one of the main reasons for suspending the last direct peace negotiations between the two sides in 2014.

6 Palestinians killed in Israeli raid targeting suspect for killing Israelis

two Israeli settlers outside the town of Hawara in the northern West Bank on February 26. The attack prompted hundreds of Israeli settlers to go on a rampage in Hawara and other nearby towns, torching Palestinian houses, cars, and shops.

Netanyahu on Tuesday praised the Israeli forces, while vowing to continue to pursue Palestinian assailants who attack Israelis.

“Whoever hurts us -- his blood on his head,” he said.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Presidential Spokesman Nabil

Jerusalem, March 8 (IANS) At least six Palestinians were killed in the West Bank in an Israeli raid aimed at arresting a suspect involved in the killing of two Israeli brothers the previous week, Palestinian and Israeli officials said.

In a video statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Palestinian suspect was killed during the raid on Tuesday in the refugee camp of Jenin in the northern West Bank, Xinhua news agency reported. The Palestinian Health Ministry stated in a press release that six individuals were killed by gunshots, and at least 16

others were wounded during a gunbattle between Palestinians and Israeli troops in Jenin.

Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, said in a statement that the Israeli troops surrounded a building where the suspect, identified as 49-year-old Abdel Fattah Hussein Kharousha, and other militants were hiding.

The troops fired shoulder-launched missiles at the building. Video footage on social media showed large clouds of smoke emerging from a building in Jenin.

The Israeli authorities said Kharousha, a member of the Palestinian armed group and movement of Hamas, shot dead

2 killed, 16 injured after train derails in Egypt

Abu Rudeineh condemned the Israeli raid in a statement, saying that the “crime committed by the occupation forces reaffirms the Israeli government’s intention to thwart all regional and international efforts aimed at stopping all unilateral actions.”

The raid is the latest in a series of Israeli military operations in the West Bank to arrest Palestinians suspected of killing Israelis. The Israeli-Palestinian tension has been escalating since the start of this year, leading to the killing of more than 70 Palestinians and 13 Israelis amid a vicious circle of violence.

5 people killed in bomb attack in Iraq

Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala, a local security source has said.

Baghdad, March 7 (IANS) Five people were killed and four wounded in a bomb attack in

Major Alaa al-Saadi from the Diyala police told Xinhua news agency that a roadside bomb planted by unidentified armed men detonated on Monday evening near a civilian car outside the town of Maqdadiyah, 100 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Iraqi security forces sealed off the area and launched an investigation into the incident. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.

Sporadic attacks still haunt Iraq despite an improvement in the security situation after the defeat of the extremist militants of the Islamic State (IS) group across the country in 2017.

EU inks deals to support Morocco’s development

on social protection, facilitate the country’s green transition, public administration reform, migration management and its citizens’ access to financial services, it added.

Cairo, March 8 (IANS) At least two people were killed and 16 others injured after a train derailed in Qalyub, a city in the Qalyubia Governorate about 23 km north of Egypt’s capital Cairo.

Egypt’s Health Ministry said that 10 of the 16 injured people were receiving medical treatment at the Qalyub Specialist Hospital, adding that their injuries were not life-threatening, Xinhua news agency reported. The other six injured people were released after suffering minor injuries and bruises. Meanwhile, Egyptian National Railways said in a statement that the train went through the “closed semaphore” at the Qalyub Train Station and headed toward a blocked railway before

colliding with the protection at the end of the railway.

As a result, the locomotive and the first carriage were derailed, the statement said, adding the Egyptian Transportation Ministry formed a committee to investigate the accident. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Public Prosecutor also ordered an investigation into the Qalyub train collision.

Egypt’s railway system has long been troubled by poorly maintained equipment and poor administration, which frequently results in train derailments and crashes. At least 32 people were killed in a train collision in 2021 in Tahta, a city in southern Egypt. Later that year, a train derailed in Qalyubia, killing 11 people.

Jordan’s king urges restoring calm in Palestinian territories

Amman, March 6 (IANS)

King Abdullah II of Jordan has underlined the need to de-escalate and restore calm in the Palestinian territories, as well as cease any unilateral measures that undermine stability and peace prospects.

He made the remarks on Sunday at a meeting in Amman with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin.

Rabat, March 3 (IANS) The European Union (EU) and Morocco signed five agreements with a total value of 498 million euros ($526 millions) to support Morocco’s development, the Ministry of Finance here said in a statement.

The agreements were signed by

the European Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi and Moroccan Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget Fouzi Lekjaa, Xinhua news agency reported citing the statement as saying.

Varhelyi arrived in Rabat on Wednesday for a three-day visit that aimed at strengthening the strategic and multiform partnership between Rabat and Brussels, according to a statement by the EU.

The visit is part of the implementation of the Joint Political Declaration, which was adopted in June 2019 and aimed at giving a new impetus to advance EU’s relations with its southern neighbour, the statement said.

During the meeting, the king urged stepping up efforts to create a political horizon that would pave the way towards relaunching Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, to reach just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, according to a statement by the Royal Hashemite Court.

The king stressed the importance

of establishing an independent, sovereign and viable Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967, lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, Xinhua news agency reported. Discussions also covered the latest regional developments, efforts to reach political solutions to crises in the region, and regional and international efforts to counter terrorism within a holistic approach.

Egyptian Prez announces measures to contain price hikes

Israel discovers 2,500-yr-old inscription of Persian king

Jerusalem, March 2 (IANS) A rare 2,500-year-old inscription, bearing the name of the Persian king Darius the Great, was found in southern Israel, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) said.

The inscription, which was found by visitors at the ancient major fortified city of Lachish, appears

The funds will be used to strengthen Morocco’s programs on a potsherd and reads “Year 24 of Darius,” in the Aramaic language.

It is the first discovery of an inscription bearing Darius the Great’s name in ancient Israel, the IAA noted on Wednesday. The inscription may have been an administrative note, written

by a storeroom official, similar to a receipt for goods or for their dispatching, providing evidence for the Persian royal administration at Lachish in the Achaemenid period, it added.

During his long reign, between 522 and 486 BC, the Persian Achaemenid Empire expanded, reaching its greatest extent under his son Ahasuerus, Xinhua news agency reported.

The pottery shard was found in the area of a Persian elaborate administrative structure, where taxes for the Persian king’s treasuries were collected and dispatched.

According to the IAA, the building covered a large area and comprised halls and courtyards with a majestic columned portico entrance in Persian style.

Cairo, March 3 (IANS) Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has announced a package of measures to cushion the impact of soaring prices.

The measures included raising minimum wage for government employees to 3,500 Egyptian pounds ($114) from 2,700 pounds and pensions by 15 per cent, al-Sisi said in a televised address to the nation.

The new decisions, which will be enforced on April 1, seeks to “alleviate the effect of the global economic circumstances”, the President said.

He said the Russia-Ukraine war has affected the global economy, which is yet to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, adding “Egypt, like other countries, was affected by the rise in energy and food prices due to the disruption of the global supply chain”.

Al-Sisi’s remarks came a few hours after a hike in fuel prices

came into effect.

Rashad Abdo, a Cairo-based Egyptian economist, told Xinhua that those measures are important to ease people’s burdens amid the current inflation, yet are still not enough. He urged the government to monitor the private sector, which raises prices due to lack of governmental supervision. According to official statistics, Egypt’s annual inflation reached 26.5 per cent in January, the highest in five years.

Meet India’s famous herpetologist who discovered 50 frog species

By Punita Maheshwari

New Delhi, March 1 (IANS) For Dr Sonali Garg, frogs are not just amphibians that leap out during monsoons or when you are near a lake. As she puts it, it is her calling. As a girl, Sonali came across as a person who was fond of nature and environment. She was drawn to books, research and studies.

An above average student in Class 10, Science and Mathematics were her subjects of interest for further studies. It led her to take up BSc Zoology (Honours) course in Hans Raj College, Delhi University, in 2008. While at college, she honed her interest in biodiversity, which concentrated more into frogs and later helped her become India’s first woman researcher to discover 50 new frog species. Sonali did extensive field expeditions in remote forests of the Western Ghats, Northeast India, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during her decade-long research. Outside India, her scientific forays extended

into Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Thailand. This not only made her a familiar name among frog researchers in the country, but also helped her bag the Edward O Wilson Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship from Harvard University. Through it, Sonali will further her quest for the discovery of earth’s animal species. Her field expeditions did come with self-explorations, life lessons and some adventures. As a frog scientist, not just most, but all of her fieldwork happened during the night in the heavy forests.

“When you are in remote areas for field work, dynamics are different,” she acknowledges.

“There is a certain way the villagers around the forest are used to seeing a woman and when someone in field work clothing goes into the forest, there are certain challenges to beat that mentality. So, you dress accordingly (cover up as much as you can; if need be, wear traditional clothes) and more importantly try to look past that, do your job and do it well,” she adds.

All-round support Sonali emphasises that her journey has been fruitful, all thanks to her colleagues, who played an important role in providing an atmosphere that promotes equality and safety.

“As we travel around places that are mostly remote, it is imperative that those around me understand the concepts of safety. I was fortunate in finding a team that never made me feel like I am a woman doing a man’s

job... Your own sense of safety and passion also plays a role in promoting such an atmosphere,” she confirms.

“Apart from humans, a jungle rulebook is one of its kind. It is as risky for a man as for a woman,” she adds.

Even her family, while being as supportive as she puts it, had natural concerns each time she went on an expansive expedition.

“There have been times when I had discussions with my mother on the safety parameters of my job. I remember telling her that I could easily be injured staying in Delhi as I could be in a jungle,” she shares.

“I would rather be killed or injured by an elephant in a jungle than die in a road accident in Delhi,” she says, highlighting her determination to do the job she has chosen.

What helped her gain more trust from her family was her habit of sharing stories of work with them. “I think when they saw the spark in my eyes, I had even more unwavering support from them,” she says.

Sonali’s mother Raj Bala, a businesswoman, is all praise for her. “Even as a school student, she wished to do something big in her future career. As parents, we decided to always provide for her in every possible way... When someone posed a question about marriage, she used to reply that I have married her off to studies, and it will happen if/when it is supposed to happen,” Bala quips.

“Now that she is in Harvard, I am absolutely proud of her achievements. I tell her to live life to the

Canada sets new green standards for major contracts

aquatic life.

Agra Feb 27 (IANS) The vanishing ghats of the Yamuna were cleaned and the river bed was made litter-free by scores of volunteers of the Nirankari Mission in Agra.

The dry and polluted river, without any fresh water, continues to remain a major threat to the Mughal monuments along its banks. River activists said the state and the successive Union governments showed no sense of urgency to desilt and dredge the river to revive it and support its

New

The volunteers, men, women, and children armed with gloves, spades, baskets and tractor trolleys, spent several hours picking up the garbage, mostly used polythene, plastic waste, and leather cuttings. Several tonnes of litter were cleared and transported to the municipal dump yards, the organisers said. The action started early at the Etmauddaula viewpoint park, Balkeshwar Ghat, Hathi Ghat, Poiya Ghat and Kailash under the supervision of the Mission’s zonal chief Kanta Mahendru.

“Our hearts should be clean and also our surroundings, the rivers, the wells, and ponds,” she said. Over the years, Yamuna has been reduced to a vast ‘sewage canal’ as all the freshwater is consumed by Haryana and Delhi.

“What flows down the river

as it enters Uttar Pradesh is a combination of sewer, industrial effluents, and discharges from the drains. In Agra alone, more than a hundred drains open into the river, though the Supreme Court and the NGT have directed the local authorities to divert or tap the drains,” lamented environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya.

Agra’s drinking water problem has been largely solved by the 130 km long pipeline from Bulandshahar district, which brings 150 cusecs of Ganga water. Ten cusecs of water go to Mathura while Agra gets 140 cusecs.

But the Yamuna is crucial to Agra, not only as it’s the city’s lifeline, but also to sustain monuments like Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Etmauddaula, Ram Bagh, etc.

fullest; you have done enough for the family and home, do the rest for the society and make the country proud,” Bala adds. Her neighbour Santosh Jhanwar is equally proud of her. “I have seen Sonali grow up. She has always been sincere and studious, besides being well behaved. She always has an eye on her career. She truly deserved the biodiversity fellowship from Harvard University,” said Jhanwar, a homemaker. Extensive research Frogs play an important role in biodiversity. The insect-eating species is irreplaceable as their sensitive nature quickly indicates environmental hazards in both water and surroundings. They are also an important source of medicine, including highly potent painkillers.

Sonali took her PhD from the Department of Environmental Studies of University of Delhi. Subsequently, she continued to work as a Research Associate sponsored by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Government of India. Her outstanding discoveries include a new genus and species of mysterious frog, the details of which will be published in international platforms such as BBC and National Geographic. Sonali has described three new genera and resolved numerous century-old taxonomic puzzles. Her research largely focuses on unravelling the unique diversity of frogs, besides studying their evolutionary relationships using DNA, and biogeography to

decipher patterns of historical and present-day distributions. Among many, Mysticellus, Mysterious Narrow-mouthed frog is a new genus from India discovered by Sonali.

In addition, the Microhylid frog from Indonesia (Microhyla Sriwijaya) has been described by her along with Indonesian scientists.

At Harvard, Sonali will work at the Museum of Comparative Zoology (MCZ), in affiliation with the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology.

Established in 1859, the MCZ is a centre for research and education focused on the comparative relationships of animal life. With frog population diminishing, bio-scientists like Sonali play a major role in taking the research forward. Her adaptive nature, fearlessness and time management skills accurately complement her attitude towards work and interest in her field subject. The Bombay Natural History Society recognised her contributions to the amphibian research and conservation by conferring her with the JC Daniel Young Conservation Leader Award in 2019.

“This is a niche field. Such exposures help people learn about the behind-the-scenes stories in conservation fieldwork. Bioscientists in the country should get due recognition,” Sonali sums up.

(This piece was originally published by Rukhmabai Initiatives, an endeavour by 101Reporters to make Indian STEM more inclusive)

World’s first ‘bamboo crash barrier’ installed on Maha highway

Nagpur, March 4 (IANS) In a unique achievement, the world’s first 200-metre long bamboo crash barrier has come up on the Vani-Warora Highway in Vidarbha region of eastern Maharashtra, officials said here on Saturday.

The bamboo crash barrier in Nagpur has been christened as ‘Bahu Balli’ and underwent rigorous testing at various government-run institutions on different parameters.

These included tests at the National Automotive Test Tracks in Pithampur, Indore, it secured the Class 1 in the Fire Rating Test conducted at the Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee, and has been given accreditation by the Indian Road Congress.

‘Bahubali’ is born out of the

Bambusa Balcooa bamboo species - which grows in West Bengal and north-east - that has been treated with creosote oil and coated with recycled high density polyethylene (HDPE). The recycling value of the bamboo crash barrier is stated as 50-70 per cent compared with 30-50 per cent for steel barriers. The achievement has been described as remarkable for the bamboo sector and the country as a whole as this crash barrier offers a perfect alternative to steel.

liquid nitrogen spray may help astronauts clean stubborn moon dust

spacesuits, performing better than any techniques that have been investigated previously. The researchers reported their work in the journal Acta Astronautica.

During the six crewed Apollo missions to the moon in the 1960s and early 1970s, astronauts used a brush to try to remove the dust from their spacesuits, but it did not work very well.

cause lung damage similar to that of Black Lung Disease.

New York, March 1 (IANS) US researchers have developed a novel liquid nitrogen spray that can remove almost all of the simulated moon dust from a space suit, potentially solving what is a significant challenge for future moon-landing astronauts.

Moon dust is electrostatically

charged, abrasive and gets everywhere, making it a very difficult substance to deal with.

The sprayer, developed by Washington State University researchers, removed more than 98 per cent of moon dust simulant in a vacuum environment with minimal damage to

The abrasive and tiny dust particles can get into engines and electronics. They also got into the spacesuits, destroying their seals and making some of the expensive suits unusable. Astronauts also suffered from “lunar hay fever,” and researchers think that a longer exposure to the dust could

“It posed a lot of problems that affected the missions as well as the astronauts once they returned home,” said Ian Wells, from WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering. The new spray comes even as NASA Artemis mission aims to land the first woman and first person of colour on the moon in 2025 with the hope of eventually setting up a base camp there for further planetary exploration.

The team demonstrated their technology that uses the Leidenfrost Effect to clean the space suits. The effect can be seen when one pours cold water on a hot frying pan, where it beads up and moves across the

pan. Spray the very cold liquid nitrogen at a warmer dust-covered material, and the dust particles bead up and float away on the nitrogen vapour.

The team tested their cleaning method under normal atmospheric conditions and in a vacuum that is more similar to outer space with the sprayer performing better in the vacuum atmosphere.

The liquid nitrogen spray was also much gentler on spacesuit materials than other cleaning methods. While a brush caused damage to the spacesuit material after just one brushing, the liquid nitrogen spray took 75 cycles before damage occurred.

OUR TAKE

Encouraging multiculturalism only solution to a global world

Multiculturalism is now the buzzword across the world. Although there are conservatives around who do not consider a multicultural society to be a good idea, the world order currently is aligned towards multiculturalism. In fact nationalism and nation-states have come a long way and within a nation multiculturalism is encouraged and is now regarded as essential. In this context Australia of today is an epitome of multicultural ethos as is characterized by the multicultural composition of its people. Moreover, the country has put in place strong immigration policies, prohibits discrimination, and like democracies across the world it adheres to the principle of equality before the law of all persons. The various cultural policies have been devised that promote cultural diversity.

The 2011 census report shows that 26% of the Australian population was born overseas and an additional 20% had at least one parent born overseas. Aboriginal Australians comprise nearly 2.5% of the population. These numbers are a pointer to a strong democracy that Australia is allowing for a population from diverse communities across the world to come to Australia and contribute to the rich heritage of this country. The earlier White Australia Policy borne out of an erroneous logic that diverse

Ukraine-Russia military conflict: Can there be a universally acceptable mediation?

By D. C. Pathak

communities and cultures would lead to weakening of social cohesion was not tenable for long and was dismantled after World War II by bringing about various changes to the immigration policy of the Australian government. Internationally, even a cursory appreciation of the modern history of different countries would suggest that they have not been comfortable with the influx of diverse communities to their respective nations. Populations from one country to another have crossed their borders mostly as refugees and in search of work as migrant labor. At a time when monarchs reigned in Europe and other parts of the world, people from diverse cultures and communities lived in states which were not built on the basis of distinctness of nations; states were built on the basis of annexation, subjugation and oppression of people belonging to different nationalities. When a common historical legacy bound people together in one state, with common challenges facing them, they came together to form the modern nation-states. It was more of a political arrangement with the advent of democratic principles and their implementation. Multiculturalism was perceived at that point of time as a danger to a nation’s unity and integrity. In a highly complex world dominated by economic considerations and technological supremacy, specialization rather than mere self-reliance in every product and service has been recognized.

G20 Foreign Ministers’ meet a mixed bag

International politics and diplomacy is as complex as it gets and this has once again been showcased at the G20 Foreign Ministers Meet in New Delhi recently. Of course, this was expected given the fact that a year-long Ukraine war could not draw nations closer to work together for a negotiated settlement of the conflict. Hence, no joint communiqué was issued after the G20 Foreign Ministers Meet in Delhi. India, as G20 president, had to issue only a chair summary.

That Ukraine war is a dangerous festering wound for the international community which ought not to be ignored seems to have been considered rather irresponsibly by the representatives of people from different countries towards whom the entire world looks on with expectation to douse the fire of war and conflict. Despite the Indian Prime Minister’s appeal to rise above “differences” and take prudent decisions for the welfare of humankind, the leaders of the world seem to be oblivious of the responsibility history has given them. The end of the Cold War era has done mighty little and the polarization along political and ideological lines still continues. Russia is not prepared to forget the disintegration of the erstwhile USSR, and the US and Russia relations are again at an

The Ukraine-Russia military confrontation has stretched longer than expected largely because the plan of Russian President Vladimir Putin to establish a protective presence in the eastern provinces of Ukraine for the Russian-speaking population there through a quick military operation went awry because of the determined move of US-NATO combine to pump in war material in the hands of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on a big scale.

Russia might not have been deterred by the thought of Western sanctions as it had become familiar with them ever since it had annexed Crimea in 2014 following an armed revolt led by Islamic fundamentalists there who apparently enjoyed the US support. Presently, the US-led West is keeping up aid and military support to Ukraine in a ‘proxy’ mode, believing that for Russia the war was inflicting costs that might become overbearing, that the world opinion was gravitating in favour of peaceful negotiation between the two warring sides and that certainly an escalation into a nuclear dimension would be totally unacceptable for the international community.

It is not going unnoticed by observers that Zelensky was taking to an aggressive jargonall on the strength of US support though - setting demands like immediate withdrawal of Russian troops and talking of an ultimate Russian defeat. Coming from a leader in his precarious situation this was understandable. There is little doubt however, that the world favours an honourable peace pact between Russia and Ukraine.

the name of using tactical missiles with that special capability. India’s balanced approach has already been hailed by the world. It can be surmised that both the US and Russia would welcome any role India could play in bringing about a ceasefire - the US and India would not like Russia to be pushed into the Chinese camp deepening the revival of the Cold War. Any meaningful success of such an intervention would be a feather in India’s cap during the G20 Presidency.

India’s NSA has been in touch with Russia and Ukraine at the highest levels and under his guidance, a track-2 team could quietly get into the act - an official engagement would be vulnerable to fault-finding in case the progress was not perfect. The team comprising a senior diplomat and a strategic expert chosen by NSCS, could possibly start consultations for peace and explore with the help of its counterparts from Russia and Ukraine, the possibility of evolving a framework of guidelines for negotiations.

The fundamental point is that the negotiating team must consider concerns and sensitivities of both sides. When the Cold War ended with the success of the anti-Soviet armed campaign in Afghanistan- a battle run on the war cry of Jehad- that resulted in the dismemberment of the USSR and literally the demise of International Communism, the cause of global peace for the future, would have been served better if the newly freed East European countries and the Central Asian Republics were encouraged to have peaceful relations with the residual state of Russia.

European Union saw Russia as a source of threat but Trump who welcomed the British on ‘getting their country back’ through Brexit, seemingly treated Russia as another European country and thought it could be handled according to what would be in the best American interests. Negotiators working for peace in the present would have to start with an acknowledgement that both Russia and Ukraine had security concerns that needed to be kept in view and that the matter was largely about two adjoining countries with different philosophies of governance, respecting each other and striking an arrangement for living in peace as neighbours. It would help if Ukraine declared that it is a democratic country run by a political executive elected on the basis of ‘one man one vote’ without any distinction of race, region or gender. Russian-speaking people of its eastern region would have an added confidence and feel they were on the same footing as the rest of the population.

It is also - as a good starterdesirable for Ukraine to explicitly indicate that left to itself it would not seek membership of NATO.

all-time low. China’s aggressive stance in the pacific and particularly towards Taiwan and India are a danger to world peace and stability.

Russia and China opposed two paragraphs of the chair summary, which referred to the Ukraine conflict and were lifted from last year’s G20 Bali Declaration. It is noteworthy that the two countries had opposed the same paragraphs that had appeared in the chair summary after the meeting of G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Bengaluru recently. Both documents had a footnote saying “Paragraphs 3 and 4 of this document, as taken from the G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration… were agreed to by all member countries except Russia and China”. Briefly stated, paragraph three condemned the war in Ukraine and its impact on the global economy, paragraph four urged countries to uphold the UN Charter on international law. The Ukraine war has led the world towards economic hardships, particularly due to the energy crisis owing to sanctions imposed on Russia. Moreover, if the war drags on, there is always the danger of it spilling over to other parts of Europe. And if NATO countries are dragged into this war directly against Russia, other countries, especially China will try to flex their muscles.

India became the voice of sanity as Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached out to both Putin and Zelensky - he was the world’s first leader to do that - and called for peace negotiations. His pithy reminder later that ‘this is not a time for war’ has swung international opinion in favour of a cessation of armed hostilities.

India maintained a non-partisan approach to the conflict and abstained from US-sponsored anti-Russia resolutions at the UN. What is noteworthy, however, is that India retained a bilateral friendship with the US and the UK, as well as the leading European powers like France and Germany.

A situation has arisen where any initiative for bringing a halt to the Ukraine-Russia military conflict that has prolonged without creating any definite advantage for either side would receive a global endorsement.

Ukraine is bearing the losses and yet seeking a further upgradation of the US armament support while President Putin might be aware that Russia was running into an image problem as a ‘big power’ that could not score a decisive ‘victory’ over a smaller neighbour.

Putin can not be serious about injecting a ‘nuclear dimension’ in

NATO could be maintaining oversight on these regions but without getting into direct military involvement with the neighbours of Russia.

Former US President Donald Trump struck a certain equation with Vladimir Putin despite the history of the ‘Crimean war’ but the relationship between the US and Russia soured as President Biden renewed emphasis on America’s special bonds with NATO and apparently, looked upon Russia as an adversary at par with China. The Democrats, it may be mentioned, had returned to power amidst widespread resentment over the alleged interference by Russia in the US Presidential election designed to favour Trump.

The neighbours of Russia left on their own should have concentrated on building themselves as democratic regimes willing to deal with that country on merit - with such help as the international community could possibly extend to them.

Annexation of the adjoining Crimea by Russia in 2014 - following the rise of the anti-Russia revolt led by Islamic militants there - had predictably marked the beginning of a constant decline of West-Russia relations. In the environment set by that event countries like Ukraine were nearly sucked into the NATO orbit for their self-defence.

A ceasefire has to mark the launch of tripartite negotiations between the teams of Ukraine, Russia and the mediators and logically also to a scaling down of the Western supply of arms and ammunition to Ukraine.

It would be necessary to let the two warring countries express their concerns and misgivings in the present and for the future. The more open they are about these the easier it would be for the negotiators to work around them and establish a reasonable level of acceptance and lasting assurance on both sides.

The intervention of the US-led West on the side of Ukraine was justifiable up to a point but not the strategy of running a proxy war through that country in the hope of weakening Russia - particularly when this was happening at the cost of a friendly Ukraine.

The real challenge for the negotiators would be to do the groundwork for facilitating a Peace Pact between Russia and Ukraine that will create certain checks and balances to the satisfaction of the international community, and see to it that an arrangement both sides could trust would be created - embracing Crimea’s status too - and bring in the democratic world as a whole for possible assistance in completing that groundwork. The pact will have to envisage global funding for the reconstruction of Ukraine - with Russia also making a symbolic contribution in keeping with its status as the much bigger power, in the bilateral conflict.

China’s He Xianghong breaks men’s 35km race walk Asian record

two hours, 22 minutes and 55 seconds, reports Xinhua news agency.

His winning mark not only shattered his own national record of 2:24:45, but also beat the Asian record of 2:23:15 set by Japan’s Masatora Kawano at the Oregon worlds, and is 19 seconds faster than Italian world champion Massimo Stano’s winning mark in Eugene.

I even trained with 20km race walkers to improve speed. The victory today is the reward for all the hard work during the winter.”

Huangshan, Anhui, March 4 (IANS) Chinese race walker He Xianghong dominated the men’s 35km race at the opening leg of the Chinese National Race Walk Grand Prix, improving the Asian record by 20 seconds here on Saturday.

The 24-year-old He, who

finished fifth at the Oregon World Athletics Championships in Eugene, built up a comfortable sole lead soon after the start. He maintained a fast and steady pace throughout the race and kept extending the gap to the chasers, wrapping up the overwhelming victory in

“My goal for the race is to achieve a world-best performance,” said ambitious He, who represents the Chongqing team. “The last 5km used to be my weak point. Last year at the World Championships my pace slowed down in the last 5km. I knew I was not strong enough at that time. In the winter training, I mainly worked on my speed.

Wang Qin of Shanxi finished second in 2:26:10, followed by Zhaxi Yangben from Qinghai, husband of Olympic champion Qieyang Shijie, in 2:29:36. In the women’s 35km race, unheralded Bai Xueying stunned a deep field as she rallied to claim the victory with a personal best of 2:40:59, just 22 seconds shy of the Asian record set by Qieyang in Eugene last year. The 22-year-old Bai started her powerful surge from a remote fourth place with 10km to go. When she overtook Qieyang in the penultimate loop to finally gain the leading position, the

unguarded race favorite even took her for a lapped chaser. Lagging behind Bai by one minute, Qieyang had to settle for second place in 2:41:59. Her Qinghai teammate Li Maocuo, the 50km silver medalist at the 2019 worlds in Doha, finished third in 2:42:39.

The Grand Prix in Huangshan also served as one of the qualifying events for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest and the Asian Games in Hangzhou. The top three finishers in both the men’s and women’s races all met the entry standard for the 2023 worlds.

The World Athletics Race Walking Tour event in Dudince, Slovakia on March 25 will be another qualifying event for China’s 35km race walkers.

Ind vs Aus: Indore pitch for third Test rated ‘poor’ by ICC, handed three demerit points

ICC expressing the concerns of the match officials and after consulting with captains of both teams. Following the assessment, the venue has received three demerit points.

Following the assessment, the venue has received three demerit points. The report has been forwarded to the BCCI, who now have 14 days if they wish to appeal against the sanction.

awarded to venues whose pitches are rated by the match referees as below average, while three and five demerit points are given to venues whose pitches are marked as poor and unfit, respectively. When a venue collects five demerit points (or crosses that threshold), it will be suspended from hosting any international cricket for a period of 12 months.

Dubai, March 3 (IANS) The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced that the pitch for the third Test of the ICC World Test Championship series between India and

Australia at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore has been rated as “poor” under its Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process. ICC Match Referee Chris Broad submitted his report to the

“The pitch, which was very dry, did not provide a balance between bat and ball, favouring spinners from the start. The fifth ball of the match broke through the pitch surface and continued to occasionally break the surface providing little or no seam movement and there was excessive and uneven bounce throughout the match,” said Broad in an ICC media release. Notably, one demerit point is

A venue is suspended from staging any international cricket for 24 months when it reaches the threshold of 10 demerit points.

Spinners from both teams enjoyed great help from the Indore surface that was conducive to spin right from the start on day one, which saw 14 wickets fall. Out of the 31 wickets that fell during the whole match, 26 were scalped by the spinners while only four wickets went to pacers.

One was run-out. The action in the BorderGavaskar series now moves to Ahmedabad with India leading 2-1. Australia punched their ticket to the World Test Championship final with the win in Indore and India have a chance to do the same if they win the final Test. In case they fail to do so, they will need a favour from reigning WTC Champions New Zealand, who need to avoid a whitewash at the hands of Sri Lanka. As thing stands, Sri Lanka can pip India in the second spot only if they whitewash the Black Caps 2-0 away from home in the twomatch series that commences on March 9. Any other result will mean that Australia will face India in the WTC Final in Oval on June 7.

Legends League Cricket Masters: India Maharajas, World Giants, Asia Lions announce coaches

of Indian cricket during the LLC Masters and will witness them compete against the biggest stars from the international game.

“I am really looking forward to exchanging innovative ideas and coaching philosophies with all of them as veterans of the game. I am confident they still have that quality in them as they showcase the skills that made them the icons they are today. After a couple of practise sessions, I am sure all of them will be raring to go.”

New Delhi, March 3 (IANS)

India Maharajas, World Giants and Asia Lions, the teams that will participate in the Legends League Cricket Masters, on Friday announced coaches that will guide the three teams.

Lance Klusener, Lalchand Rajput and Dav Whatmore will coach the three teams in the LLC Masters, which will see legends of international cricket turn back the clock and put on an extravaganza on the field, is scheduled to be played from March 10 to 20 at the Asian Town Cricket Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Lance Klusener, one of the most versatile and accomplished all-rounders in international cricket, has been appointed as the coach of the India Maharajas for the 2023 LLC Masters. The South African great will have stars such as Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth, and Robin Uthappa at his disposal during the tournament, with more icons set to be added to their roster. While talking about the 10-day tournament in Doha, Klusener said, “I extremely appreciate that I have got the opportunity to work with such immense icons

The World Giants, on the other hand, have appointed one of the most distinguished opening batsmen of the domestic circuit in India, Lalchand Rajput, as the coach for the LLC Masters.

Known for his managerial stint with the Indian Men’s Cricket team during the historic 2007 Twenty20 World Cup win in South Africa; the former Zimbabwe, Afghanistan, and Mumbai Indians coach will be working with stars of international cricket such as Brett Lee, Jacques Kallis, Chris Gayle, and Shane Watson to name a few that are part of the World Giants squad.

Lalchand Rajput, with elation,

said, “I am not only excited to work with greats such as Aaron Finch, Brett Lee, Chris Gayle, Shane Watson, and so many more, but I am also eagerly looking forward to the great moments I will get to share with them. We have some fantastic personalities on our roster, and to get to interact with them one-on-one is an amazing opportunity as a coach too, as I understand the processes behind the scenes they have deployed over their illustrious careers. I am sure watching them play together and compete with other global icons of cricket will make me extremely nostalgic.”

Whatmore, the former Australian batter, has the most coaching experience of the three and will lead the Asia Lions for the LLC Masters 2023.

Whatmore began his career with the Sri Lanka National Team in 1995. Since then, he has gone on to lead the Bangladesh National Cricket Team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Pakistan National Cricket Team, and in his last stint, the Zimbabwe National Cricket Team. He will get a chance to reconnect with a lot of his former players that are part

of the Asia Lions squad, such as Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ulHaq, and Dilhara Fernando, to name a few.

Commenting on his appointment, Whatmore said, “It is a pleasure to be part of such an interesting and unique tournament. The league has presented me with a chance to work with a lot of icons of international cricket that I have worked with very closely in the past, and getting to interact with them again will surely bring back some fond memories. Our team is going to be extremely competitive in the league, and I am certain they will showcase their star quality on the pitch as they entertain fans in the stadiums and in their homes. I also can’t wait to take in the electric atmosphere at the venue in Doha.”

The Legends League Cricket Masters will begin with a match between the India Maharajas and the Asia Lions on March 10. It will allow the spectators to witness one of world cricket’s greatest match-ups as cricketing greats from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan will share the same field to get the tournament up and running.

World Athletics sets to take significant steps towards gender equity in 2023

representation on the World Athletics Council, including at least one female vice president.

Paris,

The global governing body of athletics has announced a package plan to further improve gender equity in the sport in 2023, setting the goal to have 40 per cent female

According to the blueprint released on its website in celebration of International Women’s Day, World Athletics will take a significant number of new steps towards gender equity, which also includes the target of 40% female participants taking its online courses as part of a learning pipeline for future sports administrators, reports Xinhua news agency.

World Athletics also pledged to expand its research into the representation of female athletes across various media channels.

“I am immensely proud that

World Athletics is once again leading the way for gender equity in sport. It was an important part of the reforms we introduced in 2016,” said Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics. “In today’s world, it is not enough to provide equal opportunity, we must provide equity. In order to achieve true equity in our sport, it is important that we offer our female athletes, administrators, and officials the tools and environment they need to be empowered to pursue careers at all levels of athleticsbe it by setting quotas for female representation on our Council, or providing more flexible learning and development

opportunities that better suit women’s commitments - we are absolutely dedicated to making our sport equitable and representative for all.”

World Athletics plans to increase the number of women on its Council from eight members currently to a minimum of 10 members, including at least one female vice president, at the Council elections in August 2023.

“World Athletics has been sparing no effort to improve gender equity in the sport in recent years, encouraging all our partners and stakeholders to join our campaigns and make new commitments to close the gender gap in athletics,” said Wang

Nan, one of the female Council members of World Athletics.

“We encourage member federations to send more female athletes and coaches to the World Championships and Olympic Games and provide the learning pathway for them to be better prepared to stand up to the occasions,” she added, “As for the Chinese Athletics Association (CAA), we will actively echo the calling of World Athletics to make our own contribution in improving gender equity in the sport,” said Wang, who is also CAA vice president.

Aiden Markram appointed new captain of South Africa men’s T20I team for West Indies serie

“I would like to congratulate Aiden on his appointment as captain of the Proteas T20I team. Leadership is extremely familiar to him having successfully led on so many levels. He is a player that inspires confidence and he has all the qualities to succeed in the role.”

following an impressive One-Day Cup campaign which saw the left-hander finish the leading run-scorer with 452 runs at an average of 64,57, including two hundreds and as many fifties.

Johannesburg, March 6 (IANS) Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Monday announced that right-handed batter Aiden Markram has been appointed the new T20I captain ahead of the series against the West Indies. Markram, 28, takes over from Temba Bavuma, who stepped down as T20I captain last month. Markram had previously led South Africa to the 2014 U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy in the UAE and more recently, he led Sunrisers Eastern Cape to the inaugural SA20 title. Markram had also captained South Africa in five ODIs against India in 2018 when Faf du Plessis was unavailable due to injury. He will also be captaining Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2023 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“We have no doubt will help take South Africa to the next level. At the same time, we would like to thank Temba for filling the position so aptly over the past two years. He has done a commendable job during this period and now has a new role to fulfil within the national set-up,” said Enoch Nkwe, Director of Cricket, in an official statement. Other notable selections for the T20I series include all-rounders

Bjorn Fortuin and Sisanda Magala, with Bavuma being left out. For the ODI series against the West Indies, South Africa have rested several core whiteball players for the first two ODIs and will return for the third match.

Fast-bowling pair of Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada have also been given a much-needed break for the series. Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee, batter Tony de Zorzi and batter Tristan Stubbs have earned their maiden ODI call-ups.

Batter Ryan Rickelton makes his return to the ODI setup

“This is a squad that is high on confidence after beating one of the best white-ball teams in the world, England, in their most recent series. We have introduced a few new faces to the 50-over squad.”

“I am personally excited to see how the likes of Tony de Zorzi gets on in the ODI team, the same with Gerald Coetzee, following debuts for both of them during the ongoing Test series. Both are players that have the potential to play a huge role in the future of the national team along with Tristan Stubbs, who has already made such a significant mark in the T20I arena.”

“I am also excited to have Aiden take the reigns as T20I captain as he is very familiar with the setup and works well with those around him. He is a player that leads from the front and we have no doubt he will take this team to the next level in the years ahead,” added Rob Walter, head coach. On the coaching front, JP Duminy has been appointed the full-time white-ball batting coach of South Africa. Duminy, who earned 280 white-ball caps for the Proteas, recently

Kylian Mbappe becomes PSG’s all-time top scorer

record. Just playing here is a privilege. I have progressed a lot as a player, and changed a lot. I was a young player, talented maybe but still young, and I have learned a lot of things here, as a man too,” an elated Mbappe told French TV channel Canal Plus after becoming the club’s all-time top scorer.

Mbappe, who was the top scorer at the recent World Cup in Qatar, scored his record-breaking goal while wearing the captain’s armband after skipper Marquinhos had earlier come off injured.

coached the Paarl Royals in the SA20 league and the Paarl Rocks provincial team this year. Former South Africa all-rounder Rory Kleinveldt joins the whiteball tour against West Indies as the bowling coach, with Wandile Gwavu taking charge of the fielding department. CSA added the appointment of permanent bowling and fielding coaches will be announced at a later date.

“JP has been a great servant of South African cricket over the years and to have him on board as a coach adds immense value for two reasons. He is a developing coach and his experience as a player, so we look forward to having him on board.”

“Rory is another man that has played the game for a number of years and having him join us bodes well for the bowling group. I would also like to welcome Wandile on board. He is a proven coach as we saw with the success he brought to the DP World Lions. By the same token, I want to thank the Lions for availing Wandile to assist his country with the tour,” added Nkwe. South Africa’s squad for 1st and 2nd ODI against West Indies: Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton,

Andile Phehlukwayo, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams and Rassie van der Dussen.

South Africa squad for 3rd ODI: Temba Bavuma (captain), Gerald Coetzee, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tristan Stubbs, Lizaad Williams, Rassie van der Dussen.

South Africa T20I squad against West Indies: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Bjorn Fortuin, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Sisanda Magala, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Rilee Rossouw, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs.

Schedule:

March 16: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London

March 18: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London

March 21: 3rd ODI at JB Marks

Oval, Potchefstroom

March 25: 1st T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion

March 26: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion

March 28: 3rd T20I at the Wanderers, Johannesburg

Ethiopian runners claim five out of six podium places at Tokyo Marathon

Paris, March 5 (IANS) Kylian

Mbappe became Paris SaintGermain’s all-time top scorer when he scored his record 201st goal for the club in an entertaining 4-2 win over Nantes in Ligue 1, here.

The 24-year-old celebrated his landmark feat in ecstatic fashion and was handed a trophy by the

club after the game in an on-field presentation on Saturday.

Mbappe got his 201st goal in 247 games since signing for PSG from AS Monaco in August 2017 as he overtook the capital side’s previous record marksman, Edinson Cavani.

“I never put pressure on myself.

I knew I was going to beat the

“I play to make history and I have always said I wanted to make history in France, in the capital of my country, in my city, and I am doing that. It’s magnificent, but there is still a lot to be done,” he said.

Since joining PSG in 2017, Mbappe has won four Ligue 1 titles and topped the division’s scoring charts for each of the past four seasons.

The footballer scored a hat-trick in December’s World Cup final against Argentina, which France lost on penalties after a 3-3 draw.

Tokyo, March 5 (IANS) Ethiopian runners stole the highlights of the 2023 Tokyo Marathon here on Sunday, winning five out of six podium places.

Deso Gelmisa, who broke the Paris Marathon record last year, outsprinted compatriot Mohamed Esa by one second to win the men’s race in 2:05:22. Their teammate Tsegaya Getachew finished third in 2:05:25.

Canada’s Cam Levins, who was fifth in 2:05:22, beating the 21-year-old North American

record by two seconds. The previous mark was set by Khalid Khannouchi of the United States in the 2002 London Marathon, a Xinhua report said.

The Ethiopians also took the second and third places in the women’s race, which was won by Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru in 2:16:28.

Tsehay Gemechu finished second in 2:16:56 and Ashete Bekere was third in 2:19:11. Worknesh Edesa, also of Ethiopia, finished fourth in 2:20:13.

March 8 (IANS)

Hollywood filmmaker Kevin Taft wants to take fitness tips from NTR Jr

The Hollywood filmmaker was in awe of the actor for performing epic stunts like riding the motorcycle while juggling and commanding a pack of wild animals and roaring back at the tiger.

“It had me bouncing in my seat, cheering at the screen and desperately wanted to share the experience with my friends. With one of the most engaging and electrifying performances to grace the silver screen. I rose, I roared and if I don’t get the name NTR Jr’s personal trainer, I revolt.”

Michael B. Jordan, Jonathan Majors plan to make more films together

Jr’s physique and mentioned how he was “Bouncing in his seat” after watching NTR Jr’s performance as Komaram Bheem.

Up next, NTR Jr will be seen in NTR 30 by Janatha Garage director Koratala Siva. He will also be working with KGF director Prashanth Neel on NTR31.

Willem Dafoe made Emma Stone slap him 20 times while filming ‘And’

to be there.

“That’s what you want from actors,” Lanthimos said about Dafoe being on set even when he’s not in the shot. “To want to be part of it in any way.”

“There’s this instinct to perform that many actors have - the ‘look at me, look at me!’ kind of performer,” Stone added.

“He’s the opposite of that. Maybe it’s changed through the years. A lot of actors I bond with have been doing this for a long time, and you know they’ve gone from ‘I’ to ‘We’.”

Los Angeles, March 3 (IANS)

Actress Emma Stone, who hasn’t acted in a film since 2021, that will soon change thanks to two new collaborations with her ‘The Favourite’ director Yorgos Lanthimos.

The first is ‘Poor Things’, a Frankenstein-inspired story in which Stone plays a woman whose brain gets replaced by that of her unborn child, and the second is “And,” plot details for which remain under wraps. In both films, Stone stars

opposite Willem Dafoe. But it was only ‘And’ that required Stone to slap Dafoe across the face 20 times.

In a new Dafoe profile published by The New York Times, it’s revealed that Dafoe asked to be slapped repeatedly for a scene in which he does not even appear on camera.

Stone slaps Dafoe’s character, who is off camera in the shot. But that didn’t stop Dafoe from wanting to be present on set even though he wasn’t required

‘Poor Things’ will most likely arrive in theatres ahead of ‘And’. Both films have the backing of Searchlight Pictures, which previously released Lanthimos’

‘The Favourite’ in 2018 to the tune of $95 million worldwide and 10 Academy Award nominations, including best picture.

Stone earned a nomination in the supporting actress category for her work on ‘The Favourite’, while Olivia Colman won the best actress prize. Dafoe next stars in Focus Features’ thriller ‘Inside’, opening in theatres on March 17.

Keanu Reeves recounts how new terms came up during ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’ shoot

like gun-fu, and car-fu, just to describe them.”

“We’ve created a wonderful playground to explore what you can do with this character. Over the course of these chapters, we’ve been able to continue to surprise and to world-build and innovate with John Wick.”

‘Creed 3’ stars Jonathan Majors and Michael B. Jordan love working with each other and would like to explore opportunities for more films together. The two stars are basking in the success of their latest movie ‘Creed 3’ and had such a good time working on the projectwhich Michael also directed, as well as starring in as Adonis Creed - they hope to develop an enduring partnership, reports Female First UK. Asked if they’ll work together again, Michael told the ‘New York Times’ newspaper: “We plan on it.” Jonathan, who plays series newcomer Damian Anderson, quipped: “De Niro and Pacino.” Michael then said: “We’re excited about that, and I have those conversations with him. Acting is such a solo journey, where you’re

fighting for your place on that call sheet for such a long time.”

“So when you’ve got somebody that doesn’t care as much about that stuff, it’s like, ‘Let’s go. How much damage can we do together?’”

Jonathan replied: “All of it.”

As per Female First UK, Michael admitted that he put pressure on himself as first-time director, including when it came to pitching Jonathan for the role. He said: “I was all in my head, like, ‘OK, what are the things I would want to hear? This dude can do a million different things right now. What’s going to make him take a chance on this actor-director who hasn’t directed (anything)?’ I knew I had to be truthful about what this project means to me and I wanted to make sure he knew.”

After making his Dracula debut in ‘Renfield’, Nicolas

Cage looks for a bigger bite

Los Angeles, March 1 (IANS

Hollywood actor Nicolas Cage is making his ‘Dracula’ debut in Universal Pictures’ upcoming horror comedy ‘Renfield’, and is already chomping at the bit to play the iconic bloodsucker in an expanded capacity.

Cage’s Dracula in ‘Renfield’ is a supporting role, as the film’s protagonist is the vampire’s long-suffering servant. The Oscar winner spoke to Total Film magazine about eyeing another Dracula project where he can better explore the psyche of the vampire, reports ‘Variety’. “You know, there are some minor moments here where you get to see some of the pathos in Dracula’s eyes,” Cage said. “That made me think that maybe one day I might like to try for a whole movie where you’re really understanding the psyche of the character. I didn’t really have the time to delve into that here.”

Cage said that he accepted the role of Dracula as a challenge to himself since he was already a big fan of interpretations of the character by Christopher Lee, Frank Langella, Bela Lugosi and

Gary Oldman.

“I also kind of always knew I had to do it at some point,” Cage said of playing Dracula.

“I went back to Christopher Lee, in terms of his manner of speaking, but that was really only a starting point. I knew Christopher. I did a small scene with him in aSeason of the Witch,’ and I liked him very much.”

“We had a lot of nice conversations, and he reminded me quite a bit of my father, August. So from then on, my dad sort of became the main inspiration for me.”

Mumbai, March 3 (IANS) Actor Keanu Reeves has shared the experience of working with director Chad Stahelski in ‘John Wick: Chapter 4’. He said: “Working with this core team of creatives who have been responsible for the visionary look and building the world of the John Wick films has been such an honour. Working with Chad on that vision, plus the story

and action, has been a pleasure. His take on the way action and dramatic storytelling must go hand in hand, is aligned to my taste.”

The actor further added while sharing his experience of shooting with Chad: “It’s been great to have a creative collaborator to put me in dramatic positions and action situations, where we had to come up with new terms,

Directed by Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 4 will feature old and new cast members, including Donnie Yen as Caine, Bill Skarsgard as Marquis, Laurence Fishburne as Bowery King, Rina Sawayama as Akira, Ian McShane as Winston, Shamier Anderson as Tracker, Hiroyuki Sanada as Shimazu, Clancy Brown as The Harbinger, Lance Reddick as Charon, and Scott Adkins as Killa.

Lionsgate and PVR Pictures will release John Wick: Chapter 4 in theatres on March 24 in India. This is a direct sequel to the 2019 film John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum and will be the longest film in the Keanu Reeves series.

Chris Pine

reveals what was said in unaired ‘spit-gate’ incident with Harry Styles

Los Angeles, March 2 (IANS Hollywood star Chris Pine has doubled down on claims former ‘One Direction’ singer Harry Styles didn’t spit on him at the Venice Film Festival and has finally revealed what was actually said at the time.

Speculation was rife after a clip from the event went viral which appeared to show the former 1D man, 29, send a big ball of spit in the 42-year-old’s direction as he took his seat.

Footage shared by a number of fans showed a dapper-looking Harry in a blue suit and light blue shirt with a huge collar make his way to his assigned seat while the audience applauded.

As he did so, Pine, who was wearing a light brown suit jacket, beige trousers and a bow tie, clapped his co-star before suddenly stopping after Harry prepared to take his seat, reports mirror.co.uk.

Some fans believed his look of disbelief at the time - which was followed by a look of stunned laughter - was due to an unsavoury act of alleged spitting by the singer-turned-actor.

But Pine has once again rebuffed these claims, and went as far as

calling Harry a “very, very kind guy”.

“I had no idea what happened,” Chris recalled in a recent chat with Esquire. “She (his publicist) showed me the thing, and it does look, indeed, like Harry’s spitting on me. He didn’t spit on me.”

Opening up further on the moment, Chris finally revealed what was actually said at the time in a bid to bring an end to all the speculation that had since followed.

He continued: “I think what he said is he leaned down and I think he said, ‘It’s just words isn’t it?’

Los Angeles, March 1 (IANS

During the recent HCA awards in LA Hollywood filmmaker Kevin Taft praised Indian actor NTR

Michael B. Jordan honoured with Hollywood Walk of Fame star

continued.

“I realised that he hadn’t been a lead on a television show or in a movie yet and I said, ‘Man, we got to change that.’ But I had no idea how much we would have a chance to change that.”

Los Angeles, March 2 (IANS

Actor Michael B. Jordan received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The ‘Creed III’ director and star was honoured with loving speeches from frequent and recent collaborators Ryan Coogler and Jonathan Majors, who showered Jordan with praise as they reflected on his journey throughout the years. He admitted that he’s overwhelmed by the moment, reports etonline.com.

“My emotions are actually all over the place, I’m seeing so many people that I want to kind of get to and hug and connect with and show my appreciation,” Jordan said, beaming.

“I want to give the love right back, you know? But then I’m also just taking a moment to just to be like, ‘Damn. OK, wow, that happened. Im here!’”

“I didn’t think it would hit me this much, but as it all started to come together and we start to see it and reality starts to set in, the importance (and) the weight of the moment... you really realise it,” he added, saying that he couldn’t imagine anything that would top the moment.

Although he noted that only his upcoming box office opening “comes somewhere in the

ballpark.”

Looking back on his career, Jordan shared that if he could talk to his younger self who was just starting out, he’d advise him to “stay optimistic, stay faithful, stay true to yourself (and) always keep a full, kind heart. The universe will make your wildest dreams come true.”

During Wednesday’s ceremony, Coogler recalled his first meeting with Jordan for 2013’s Fruitvale Station, Coogler shared that Jordan had been his first pick for the leading role of Oscar Grant, without having met him in person yet.

“I had just seen him work in film and television around that time but I didn’t know what type of person he was. I wanted to make sure we had good chemistry (and) we would be able to work together, to relate over the few months of shooting,” Coogler told the audience.

“We met at a Starbucks not too far from Universal Studios... We sat down right there in the lobby and we talked about our families, about our hopes, our dreams, why he got into the business... and I remember thinking, ‘Man, I hope this dude wants to do this movie because it feels like he’s going places, man,’” he

Coogler described Jordan as having a “worker’s approach,” describing how the Black Panther actor gets “straight to” whatever he’s handed, whether it be emotional or physical. This was especially tested for the first Creed film, in which Coogler laughingly admitted he was “so happy” they didn’t “kill him” with all the physical work.

“And then it came time for Black Panther (and we) got to work with our incredible brother, Chadwick (Boseman), who I feel is smiling on us right now,” Coogler added of the late Marvel star who died at the age of 43 after a four-year battle with colon cancer.

“Getting to watch them battle every day, I knew I was looking at something special. I felt like I was looking at, like, Denzel (Washington) and Will (Smith) or Wesley (Snipes) in their prime and in the same movie in a way that we never got to see them. I felt like the luckiest director on the planet every day on that set.” Finishing his speech, Coogler said “it’s been a ride of a lifetime” working beside Jordan and “watching him blossom into the phenomenal global icon that he is.

“Knowing that our relationship may be a blueprint for more relationships for the next part that’s coming up -- it’s exhilarating (and) it’s humbling,” he added.

“I’m thankful for your family, bro. They’ve become our family.

I’m thankful for your dreams, they’ve become our dreams as well... I’m proud of you, man.” Majors likened Jordan’s road

Christina Aguilera says social media has changed landscape for performers

you do, you’re going to have people that hate on you.”

“The bigger you are and the more successful, unfortunately, that comes with more hate or more scrutiny. And I’m a very sensitive person, but I’m also very tough at the end of the day.”

Aguilera said that social media has changed the landscape for up-and-coming stars. The ‘Genie in a Bottle’ hitmaker is also conscious of how it might influence her own children.

The pop singer, who has Max, 15, and Summer, eight, explained: “Social media wasn’t around when I was coming up, and now I feel bad for people that don’t want to be in the business and just look at comments. My daughter’s not there yet with looking or posting yet, but I’m very conscious of the day when these things happen.”

“The re-release of ‘Beautiful’ video was about being mindful of what we’re teaching our kids. I always try to impose individuality, doing what she feels is right for her. Even when she goes to pick out her clothes and she’s like, ‘I just don’t know what to wear.’ I’m like, ‘Wear what you like. It doesn’t matter at the end of the day. You’re going to have an amazing day and you’re going to feel amazing. It’s just clothes.’

to success to that of the hero Hercules, saying, “Michael, to me, represents a mythical character. I don’t think it’s an act of luck or an act of chance that so many people see him as Adonis (and) that he was cast as Adonis. He has taken this story and pushed it forward... I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”

“In my time with Mike -- I like to say I’m new to the party -- I’ve seen him fight in many rounds in many things,” Majors continued.

“Sometimes it’s his body giving out in the day of shooting and him looking at me in the eye and saying, ‘Let’s go, let’s continue.’ When it’s hot, we’re tired, his empathetic agility is being pushed to its Nth degree. He’s gotta deal with my crazy a**, everybody pulling on him, and I’m giving him hell in (the ring), but he’s dealing with it with a mythic effort, with a god-like integrity.”

Recalling his time on set, Majors said, “I watched my brother deal with many things... I watched him stand up straight and smile and be grateful and keep his heart open when folks are coming, when the haters coming -- and the haters come, bro -- I watched him move with integrity each and every round... I watched this man, this movie star, drive to the hood and sit in a Motel 6 with me at 4 o’clock in the afternoon on a Tuesday and we don’t know each other. That’s a champion heart.”

“It breaks my heart with so much joy and satisfaction to call you my friend, brother,” the Magazine Dreams star finished. “I see that look in your eyes, we’ve all witnessed it, that’s what this moment is. Today, brother, you go from man to god. You sit among Olympians. I honor you, I love you and we are all so proud to call you our son, our brother,

but chiefly, I am extremely honoured to call you my friend. No man on the planet I know deserves it more. I love you to the moon and back.”

The film picks up four years after the events of Creed II, finding Adonis (Jordan) and his wife, Bianca (Tessa Thompson), comfortably successful in their life as they happily raise their daughter, Amara (Mila DavisKent) -- who was born in the previous installment -- in Los Angeles.

Amid this bliss, things take a turn after Adonis is surprised by the arrival of an old friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian (Majors).

“It feels good, it feels like people are getting the work, you know? They understand what we’re trying to say, what we are doing and it feels good to be understood a little bit,” the star previously told ET. “Especially when it doesn’t always happen this way, not even in the third installment. I just didn’t have expectations of the love for what it was, but we use that as fuel and we just try to be truthful and tell the best story we could.”

“(The directing) interest sparks back (to) Fruitville Station when I first kind of saw a guy, up close and personal, that looked like me, directing, commanding the set,” Jordan shares, adding that although Coogler -- who directed the first Creed and remained as executive producer for both sequels -- was filming Black Panther: Wakanda Forever while he was filming Creed III, the veteran director readily made himself available for any “911 phone calls.”

Stil, Jordan says Coogler wanted to allow him the space to “let me do my thing” and make his mark on the franchise that has become so personal to him.

Ghostface sightings on streets orchestrated by ‘Scream VI’ team prompt 911 calls

Los Angeles, March 3 (IANS

According to the sheriff’s office and representatives from Visit Sonoma, whose webcams captured footage of the sighting, the individual was there for at least one hour, standing eerily still in the rain before slowly walking toward a lamppost and prowling through a crosswalk.

“The phone lines blew up, and there were tons and tons of calls from concerned citizens,” Robert Dillion, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, told SFGATE on Thursday.

“It took a number of resources to field all of the phone calls that came in,” reports aceshowbiz. com.

Dillion said that deputies visited the scene and made contact with the individual, who told them that they had been hired by Paramount Pictures to promote the upcoming slasher film. The individual, whose identity was not revealed to the public, left shortly after and was not charged with any crimes.

“Thank you for everyone’s concern, it’s been addressed,” police said, quelling any fears.

Dillion said his multiple attempts to reach out to Paramount have not received a response yet.

Sonoma is the stand-in for the franchise’s fictional town of Woodsboro, where most of the

films in the “Scream” franchise are set. An individual dressing as Ghostface has also been spotted in New Orleans and St. Louis. Meanwhile, Ghostface’s official Twitter account has joined in the fun by tweeting: “I was just minding my business” and “I’m watching you” in response to creepy webcams photos that have been capturing his sightings around the country.

Paramount previously pulled a similar stunt with ‘Smile’. The studio hired actors to sit behind home plate while flashing unsettling grins at televised MLB games. ‘Scream VI’ will hit theatres across the nation on March 10.

Los Angeles, March 3 (IANS) Singer Christina Aguilera is a “very sensitive person.” She’s learned how to deal with the scrutiny that’s come her way.

She told Allure magazine: “I’ve grown up in this business. I started performing at six or seven and then I broke when I was a teenager. No matter what