As US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden </a>makes his intentions clear to China in a phone call to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the message from commander-in-chief is; "get moving," else China will eat their "lunch".&nbsp;

"They're going to, if we don't get moving, they are going to eat our lunch," the US president told reporters, as quoted by news agency Reuters.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-president-announces-formation-of-a-pentagon-task-force-to-review-china-strategy-362774/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In his first phone call to Jinping on Wednesday, Biden pressed him on Xinjiang, Hong Kong human rights issues and other trade-related matters.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-says-phone-call-with-china-president-xi-jinping-lasted-two-hours-363001">Biden says phone call with China President Xi Jinping lasted two hours</a>

He "underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan," the White House said after the talks.

The two leaders also talked about the coronavirus pandemic, weapons proliferation and climate change, according to the WH.&nbsp;

Biden in the call said that his priorities are to protect the security, prosperity, health and the way of life of American people and to preserve "a free and open Indo-Pacific."&nbsp;

The remarks on Indo-Pacific came as several countries have raised objections on China's expansionist approach in the region.&nbsp;

"President Biden committed to pursuing practical, results-oriented engagements when it advances the interests of the American people and those of our allies," the WH added.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

As US President Joe Biden makes his intentions clear to China in a phone call to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the message from commander-in-chief is; "get moving," else China will eat their "lunch".

As US President Joe Biden makes his intentions clear to China in a phone call to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, the message from commander-in-chief is; "get moving," else China will eat their "lunch". "They're going to, if we don't get moving, they are going to eat our lunch," the US president told reporters, as quoted by news agency Reuters. Watch | In his first phone call to Jinping on Wednesday, Biden pressed him on Xinjiang, Hong Kong human rights issues and other trade-related matters. Also read | Biden says phone call with China President Xi Jinping lasted two hours He "underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing's coercive and unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan," the White House said after the talks. The two leaders also talked about the coronavirus pandemic, weapons proliferation and climate change, according to the WH. Biden in the call said that his priorities are to protect the security, prosperity, health and the way of life of American people and to preserve "a free and open Indo-Pacific." The remarks on Indo-Pacific came as several countries have raised objections on China's expansionist approach in the region. "President Biden committed to pursuing practical, results-oriented engagements when it advances the interests of the American people and those of our allies," the WH added.

If US won't 'get moving,' China will 'eat our lunch': Joe Biden

A nine-year-old Black girl in a video was found pleading to the cops as a chemical irritant was sprayed on her face and was handcuffed for 16 minutes.&nbsp;

In the video of about 90 minutes of the incident that took place in Rochester, the child can be heard wailing and whimpering and saying that her eyes were burning.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/music-marching-and-now-a-movie-how-a-young-black-artist-is-pushing-for-justice-in-america-362420">Music, marching and now a movie: How a young Black artist is pushing for justice in America</a>

"Officer, please don’t do this to me," the girl said in the video.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-lives-matter-movement-proposed-for-nobel-peace-prize-360299">Black Lives Matter movement proposed for Nobel Peace Prize</a>

The cop responded: "You did it to yourself."&nbsp;

Several times the girl asked the police officer of when the ambulance would come to clean the pepper spray and urged the removal of handcuffs as the liquid was entering her mouth.&nbsp;

"If you stick your head towards the window the cold air is going to feel nice," another cop replied.&nbsp;

"It's burning too bad," she said.&nbsp;

"It's supposed to burn. It's called pepper spray," the officer responded.&nbsp;

The police officers involved in the incident have been suspended for spraying a chemical irritant.&nbsp;

Elba Pope, the mother of the child, said she had called cops during an argument with her spouse, but asked them to call mental health services when she realised that her daughter is facing a meltdown.&nbsp;

The video also showed officers scolding the girl, saying they were losing patience as they struggled in the snow to move the girl in the back of a police vehicle.&nbsp;

A nine-year-old Black girl in a video was found pleading to the cops as a chemical irritant was sprayed on her face and was handcuffed for 16 minutes. In the video of about 90 minutes of the incident that took place in Rochester, the child can be heard wailing and whimpering and saying that her eyes were burning.

A nine-year-old Black girl in a video was found pleading to the cops as a chemical irritant was sprayed on her face and was handcuffed for 16 minutes. In the video of about 90 minutes of the incident that took place in Rochester, the child can be heard wailing and whimpering and saying that her eyes were burning. Also read | Music, marching and now a movie: How a young Black artist is pushing for justice in America "Officer, please don’t do this to me," the girl said in the video. Also read | Black Lives Matter movement proposed for Nobel Peace Prize The cop responded: "You did it to yourself." Several times the girl asked the police officer of when the ambulance would come to clean the pepper spray and urged the removal of handcuffs as the liquid was entering her mouth. "If you stick your head towards the window the cold air is going to feel nice," another cop replied. "It's burning too bad," she said. "It's supposed to burn. It's called pepper spray," the officer responded. The police officers involved in the incident have been suspended for spraying a chemical irritant. Elba Pope, the mother of the child, said she had called cops during an argument with her spouse, but asked them to call mental health services when she realised that her daughter is facing a meltdown. The video also showed officers scolding the girl, saying they were losing patience as they struggled in the snow to move the girl in the back of a police vehicle.

US: Video reveals nine-year-old girl pleading as cops pepper sprayed on her

A one-ton gun smuggled into Iran by Israeli intelligence agency Mossad killed top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a British weekly claimed citing intelligence sources.&nbsp;

A report published by the Jewish Chronicle on Wednesday said that a team of over 20 Israeli and Iranian agents were involved in the assassination after eight months of surveillance.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-who-killed-mohsen-fakhrizadeh-346563/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The intelligence agency mounted the automated gun on a Nissan pickup and that "the bespoke weapon, operated remotely by agents on the ground as they observed the target, was so heavy because it included a bomb that destroyed the evidence after the killing," the world's oldest Jewish newspaper based in London said.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israels-netanyahu-returns-to-court-as-graft-trial-ramps-up-362129">Israel's Netanyahu returns to court as graft trial ramps up</a>

Israeli and Western intelligence agencies long claimed that Fakhrizadeh, 59, was the mastermind of Iran's nuclear programme.&nbsp;

He was gunned down in his car and Iran directed the accusations towards Israel with its foreign minister saying on Twitter that there are "serious indications of (an) Israeli role."

The report added that Iran has "secretly assessed" that a time of six years will be required to find Fakhrizadeh's replacement and his death had "extended the period of time it would take Iran to achieve a bomb from about three-and-a-half months to two years."

Israel again declined to comment on the claims of its involvement following the publication of the report, with a government spokesperson saying: "We never comment on such matters. There has been no change in our position."

A one-ton gun smuggled into Iran by Israeli intelligence agency Mossad killed top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a British weekly claimed citing intelligence sources.

A one-ton gun smuggled into Iran by Israeli intelligence agency Mossad killed top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a British weekly claimed citing intelligence sources. A report published by the Jewish Chronicle on Wednesday said that a team of over 20 Israeli and Iranian agents were involved in the assassination after eight months of surveillance. Watch | The intelligence agency mounted the automated gun on a Nissan pickup and that "the bespoke weapon, operated remotely by agents on the ground as they observed the target, was so heavy because it included a bomb that destroyed the evidence after the killing," the world's oldest Jewish newspaper based in London said. Also read | Israel's Netanyahu returns to court as graft trial ramps up Israeli and Western intelligence agencies long claimed that Fakhrizadeh, 59, was the mastermind of Iran's nuclear programme. He was gunned down in his car and Iran directed the accusations towards Israel with its foreign minister saying on Twitter that there are "serious indications of (an) Israeli role." The report added that Iran has "secretly assessed" that a time of six years will be required to find Fakhrizadeh's replacement and his death had "extended the period of time it would take Iran to achieve a bomb from about three-and-a-half months to two years." Israel again declined to comment on the claims of its involvement following the publication of the report, with a government spokesperson saying: "We never comment on such matters. There has been no change in our position."

One-ton gun smuggled by Israeli intelligence agency killed Iranian scientist Fakhrizadeh: Report

A special investigation report has revealed that police shot dead a one-year-old boy after opening fire on his father's truck in rural Canada.&nbsp;

Ontario's special investigations unit in its first public finding on Thursday said a review of the evidence suggested that the child's death on November 26 was due to police gunfire.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/alicia-keys-mary-j-blige-speak-out-against-police-brutality-in-powerful-video-357735">Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige speak out against police brutality in powerful video</a>

"Upon receipt and review of additional forensic evidence in this case, including the results of the postmortem examination performed on a child, and reports prepared by the Centre of Forensic Sciences of analyses conducted with respect to bloodstains in the pickup truck, the trajectory of shots that struck the truck, and firearms, cartridge cases and projectiles, the SIU can today confirm that the child's death … was the result of being shot by police," the watchdog was quoted as saying by The Guardian.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/black-lives-matter-after-george-floyd-jacob-blake-becomes-next-victim-of-police-brutality-323047">Black Lives Matter: After George Floyd, Jacob Blake becomes next victim of police brutality</a>

For the unversed, the incident began when police responded to a domestic dispute case and were told that the father had kidnapped his one-year-old son and was potentially armed.&nbsp;

As police attempted to stop the father's truck, it collided with a police car and another vehicle.&nbsp;

Three cops then fired on the vehicle, the SIU said.&nbsp;

The child who was sitting in the back seat was pronounced dead at the scene and his 33-year-old father, who was also injured by the bullet, lost his life a week later.&nbsp;

The SIU added that the investigation is being carried on and no charges were laid on Thursday.&nbsp;

"We are all devastated when a child tragically dies," the province's police said after the findings.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A special investigation report has revealed that police shot dead a one-year-old boy after opening fire on his father's truck in rural Canada. Ontario's special investigations unit in its first public finding on Thursday said a review of the evidence suggested that the child's death on November 26 was due to police gunfire.

A special investigation report has revealed that police shot dead a one-year-old boy after opening fire on his father's truck in rural Canada. Ontario's special investigations unit in its first public finding on Thursday said a review of the evidence suggested that the child's death on November 26 was due to police gunfire. Also read | Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige speak out against police brutality in powerful video "Upon receipt and review of additional forensic evidence in this case, including the results of the postmortem examination performed on a child, and reports prepared by the Centre of Forensic Sciences of analyses conducted with respect to bloodstains in the pickup truck, the trajectory of shots that struck the truck, and firearms, cartridge cases and projectiles, the SIU can today confirm that the child's death … was the result of being shot by police," the watchdog was quoted as saying by The Guardian. Also read | Black Lives Matter: After George Floyd, Jacob Blake becomes next victim of police brutality For the unversed, the incident began when police responded to a domestic dispute case and were told that the father had kidnapped his one-year-old son and was potentially armed. As police attempted to stop the father's truck, it collided with a police car and another vehicle. Three cops then fired on the vehicle, the SIU said. The child who was sitting in the back seat was pronounced dead at the scene and his 33-year-old father, who was also injured by the bullet, lost his life a week later. The SIU added that the investigation is being carried on and no charges were laid on Thursday. "We are all devastated when a child tragically dies," the province's police said after the findings.

Canada: Watchdog says one-year-old killed in police firing

The impeachment trial of former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>on Wednesday was focussed around chilling footage of lawmakers running for their lives as rioters rampaged through the halls of the Congress.&nbsp;

Hours of video footage from security cameras, police bodycams was shown of the day when the Congress was to certify <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden's </a>election victory.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-in-senate-democrats-show-unseen-videos-of-attack-on-the-capitol-hill-362757/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The mob was seen violently searching for then-Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/twitter-trump-ban-permanent-no-matter-if-he-runs-for-president-again-362782">Twitter: Trump ban permanent, no matter if he runs for president again</a>

Pence, who was in the Capitol to preside over the certification of Biden's win, was also seen in the video being hurried down to safety by the security personnel, along with his family.&nbsp;

Chants of "hang Mike Pence" can also be heard in the footage.&nbsp;

Top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer is also seen narrowly avoiding the pro-Trump mob.&nbsp;

Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who has often opposed Trump, is being taken by an officer to safety moments before an angry group of rioters entered.&nbsp;

In another segment, rioters were seen vandalising the office of Pelosi and shouting, "Nancy, where are you Nancy?".&nbsp;

"We know from the rioters themselves that if they had found Speaker Pelosi, they would have killed her," impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett, a House delegate from the US Virgin Islands said.&nbsp;

"The vice president, the speaker of the house -- the first and second in line to the presidency -- were... put in danger because president Trump put his own desires, his own need for power, over his duty to the constitution and our democratic process," he added.&nbsp;

Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin said Trump "surrendered" his role as the commander-in-chief and became the "inciter-in-chief of a dangerous insurrection".

 
&nbsp;

The impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday was focussed around chilling footage of lawmakers running for their lives as rioters rampaged through the halls of the Congress.

The impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday was focussed around chilling footage of lawmakers running for their lives as rioters rampaged through the halls of the Congress. Hours of video footage from security cameras, police bodycams was shown of the day when the Congress was to certify Joe Biden's election victory. Watch | The mob was seen violently searching for then-Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Also read | Twitter: Trump ban permanent, no matter if he runs for president again Pence, who was in the Capitol to preside over the certification of Biden's win, was also seen in the video being hurried down to safety by the security personnel, along with his family. Chants of "hang Mike Pence" can also be heard in the footage. Top Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer is also seen narrowly avoiding the pro-Trump mob. Republican Senator Mitt Romney, who has often opposed Trump, is being taken by an officer to safety moments before an angry group of rioters entered. In another segment, rioters were seen vandalising the office of Pelosi and shouting, "Nancy, where are you Nancy?". "We know from the rioters themselves that if they had found Speaker Pelosi, they would have killed her," impeachment manager Stacey Plaskett, a House delegate from the US Virgin Islands said. "The vice president, the speaker of the house -- the first and second in line to the presidency -- were... put in danger because president Trump put his own desires, his own need for power, over his duty to the constitution and our democratic process," he added. Lead impeachment manager Jamie Raskin said Trump "surrendered" his role as the commander-in-chief and became the "inciter-in-chief of a dangerous insurrection".

Trump impeachment trial: Disturbing footage of Capitol Hill violence shown

French nun Sister Andre, who has seen two world wars and survived novel coronavirus, turned 117 on Sunday.&nbsp;

Andre is the world's second-oldest living person and Europe's oldest, according to the Gerontology Research Group.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/spanish-104-year-old-woman-returns-home-after-beating-coronavirus-349941/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Born Lucile Randon on February 11, 1904, the nun was not aware that she contracted Covid-19, the virus which has infected 81 residents of her retirement home in the southeast city of Toulon and killed 10 from that list.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-53-years-wallet-lost-in-antarctica-reaches-91-year-old-owner-361761">After 53 years, wallet lost in Antarctica reaches 91-year-old owner</a>

"I'm told that I got it," the nun told news agency AFP ahead of her birthday.&nbsp;

"I was very tired, it's true, but I didn't realise it."

David Tavella, spokesman for the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home, said the nun had "experienced a triple confinement: in her wheelchair, in her room and without a visit".

"So her birthday, it reinvigorates us," he said.

She said she has not planned anything special for her 117th birthday, but there will be a special mass where a birthday feast of foie gras, capon fillet with porcini mushrooms and Sister Andre's favourite dessert: baked Alaska, washed down with a glass of port will be prepared.&nbsp;

Andre says her favourite food is lobster and is found of wine.&nbsp;

"I drink a small glass of wine every day, Andre said.&nbsp;

On her last birthday, she said her fondest memories when her two brothers returned after the end of the first World War, calling her a "rare" event.&nbsp;

Andre at the age of 26 was baptised after getting converted and joined the Daughters of Charity order of nuns at 41.&nbsp;

When asked of any message to young people, she said: "Be brave and show compassion".

French nun Sister Andre, who has seen two world wars and survived novel coronavirus, turned 117 on Sunday. Andre is the world's second-oldest living person and Europe's oldest, according to the Gerontology Research Group.

French nun Sister Andre, who has seen two world wars and survived novel coronavirus, turned 117 on Sunday. Andre is the world's second-oldest living person and Europe's oldest, according to the Gerontology Research Group. Watch | Born Lucile Randon on February 11, 1904, the nun was not aware that she contracted Covid-19, the virus which has infected 81 residents of her retirement home in the southeast city of Toulon and killed 10 from that list. Also read | After 53 years, wallet lost in Antarctica reaches 91-year-old owner "I'm told that I got it," the nun told news agency AFP ahead of her birthday. "I was very tired, it's true, but I didn't realise it." David Tavella, spokesman for the Sainte-Catherine-Laboure nursing home, said the nun had "experienced a triple confinement: in her wheelchair, in her room and without a visit". "So her birthday, it reinvigorates us," he said. She said she has not planned anything special for her 117th birthday, but there will be a special mass where a birthday feast of foie gras, capon fillet with porcini mushrooms and Sister Andre's favourite dessert: baked Alaska, washed down with a glass of port will be prepared. Andre says her favourite food is lobster and is found of wine. "I drink a small glass of wine every day, Andre said. On her last birthday, she said her fondest memories when her two brothers returned after the end of the first World War, calling her a "rare" event. Andre at the age of 26 was baptised after getting converted and joined the Daughters of Charity order of nuns at 41. When asked of any message to young people, she said: "Be brave and show compassion".

Surviving two world wars and Covid-19: Europe's oldest woman turns 117

Three Cuban nationals stranded on a desert island for about five weeks have been rescued by the US coast guard on an uninhabited Bahamian island.&nbsp;

The US coast guard found two men and a woman who were living in Anguilla Cay for 33 days after their boat capsized.

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pawns-of-war-sailors-crew-members-of-australian-ships-stranded-in-china-353015">'Pawns of war': Sailors, crew members of Australian ships stranded in China</a>

Helicopter pilot Mike Allert told the Miami TV station WPLG that they were alerted by the waving of the flag and a "large cross" that they had put out.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BreakingNews?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BreakingNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/USCG?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@USCG</a> is assisting 3 people who have reportedly been stranded on Anguilla Cay, Bahamas for 33 days. An Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew has dropped a radio, food and water. More to follow.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/D7?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#D7</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ready?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ready</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Relevant?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Relevant</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Responsive?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Responsive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/searchandrescue?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#searchandrescue</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/USCG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#USCG</a> <a href="https://t.co/D263ptTarz">pic.twitter.com/D263ptTarz</a>
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) <a href="https://twitter.com/USCGSoutheast/status/1359177990547120135?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"We were alerted to them by the flags that they actually had in addition to a large cross that they put out there for themselves," Allert said.&nbsp;

The group survived in the island by eating coconuts, conchs and rats, the US coast guard told the Florida Sun Sentinel.&nbsp;

The three people swam to the island after their boat capsized in rough waters.&nbsp;

They were located while the coast guard participated in a routine mission from the Florida Keys.&nbsp;

Allert said after he found the three people, a crew was sent to the island on Monday to provide them with water, food and a radio.&nbsp;

"Being out in those harsh elements for a long period of time, they were very happy to see us," Allert told ABC’s Good Morning America.

After their rescue, the three people were admitted to a medical centre, where no serious injury was detected.&nbsp;

"I cannot recall a time that we saved people who were stranded for over a month on an island. That is a new one for me," a coast guard official said.&nbsp;

Three Cuban nationals stranded on a desert island for about five weeks have been rescued by the US coast guard on an uninhabited Bahamian island. The US coast guard found two men and a woman who were living in Anguilla Cay for 33 days after their boat capsized.

Three Cuban nationals stranded on a desert island for about five weeks have been rescued by the US coast guard on an uninhabited Bahamian island. The US coast guard found two men and a woman who were living in Anguilla Cay for 33 days after their boat capsized. Also read | 'Pawns of war': Sailors, crew members of Australian ships stranded in China Helicopter pilot Mike Allert told the Miami TV station WPLG that they were alerted by the waving of the flag and a "large cross" that they had put out. Watch | #BreakingNews @USCG is assisting 3 people who have reportedly been stranded on Anguilla Cay, Bahamas for 33 days. An Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew has dropped a radio, food and water. More to follow.#D7 #Ready #Relevant #Responsive #searchandrescue #USCG pic.twitter.com/D263ptTarz — USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) February 9, 2021 "We were alerted to them by the flags that they actually had in addition to a large cross that they put out there for themselves," Allert said. The group survived in the island by eating coconuts, conchs and rats, the US coast guard told the Florida Sun Sentinel. The three people swam to the island after their boat capsized in rough waters. They were located while the coast guard participated in a routine mission from the Florida Keys. Allert said after he found the three people, a crew was sent to the island on Monday to provide them with water, food and a radio. "Being out in those harsh elements for a long period of time, they were very happy to see us," Allert told ABC’s Good Morning America. After their rescue, the three people were admitted to a medical centre, where no serious injury was detected. "I cannot recall a time that we saved people who were stranded for over a month on an island. That is a new one for me," a coast guard official said.

Three stranded in desert island for 33 days and surviving on coconuts, rats, rescued

Amid growing pressure domestically and internationally pressure against the military coup in Myanmar and the detention of country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers. In a big development, the US president also spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a phone call for the first time since coming to power.&nbsp;

Click on headlines to read more

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/president-biden-announces-sanctions-against-myanmar-amid-anti-military-protests-362756">President Biden announces sanctions against Myanmar amid anti-military protests</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/11/182208-suu.jpg?itok=QFm1uofm" />

As demonstrators continued their demand to free Aung San Suu Kyi, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-first-phone-call-to-president-xi-biden-asserts-importance-of-indo-pacific-xinjiang-human-rights-abuses-362769">In first phone call to President Xi, Biden asserts importance of Indo-Pacific, Xinjiang human rights abuses</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/11/182220-xi111.jpg?itok=3eZzQe5O" />

US President Joe Biden spoke with &nbsp;President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, the White House said on the occasion of Lunar New Year.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pm-modi-assures-canadas-trudeau-of-covid-vaccine-supplies-362760">PM Modi assures Canada's Trudeau of COVID vaccine supplies</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/11/182217-modi-trudeau.JPG?itok=T_HSEoD7" />

During a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, PM Narendra Modi assured him of coronavirus vaccine supplies. India has already sent vaccines to around 20 countries. It has got requests from developing as well as developed nations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-announces-pentagon-task-force-to-tackle-china-362758">Biden announces Pentagon task force to tackle China</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/07/181686-joe-biden.jpg?itok=eDy93kl6" />

US President Joe Biden has announced the formation of a Pentagon task force to review the country's China strategy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/chinas-army-claims-both-sides-start-withdrawal-along-pangong-lake-no-comment-from-india-362709">China’s army claims both sides start withdrawal along Pangong Lake; no comment from India</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/10/182169-untitled-design-9.jpg?itok=GGMfLPEA" />

The Chinese Defence spokesman on Wednesday said that frontline troops of India and China at the southern and northern banks of the Pangong Lake at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh have started disengagement.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-in-senate-democrats-show-unseen-videos-of-attack-on-the-capitol-hill-362757/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
&nbsp;

Amid growing pressure domestically and internationally pressure against the military coup in Myanmar and the detention of country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers.

Amid growing pressure domestically and internationally pressure against the military coup in Myanmar and the detention of country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers. In a big development, the US president also spoke with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in a phone call for the first time since coming to power. Click on headlines to read more President Biden announces sanctions against Myanmar amid anti-military protests As demonstrators continued their demand to free Aung San Suu Kyi, US President Joe Biden announced sanctions against Myanmar's military rulers. In first phone call to President Xi, Biden asserts importance of Indo-Pacific, Xinjiang human rights abuses US President Joe Biden spoke with President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, the White House said on the occasion of Lunar New Year. PM Modi assures Canada's Trudeau of COVID vaccine supplies During a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, PM Narendra Modi assured him of coronavirus vaccine supplies. India has already sent vaccines to around 20 countries. It has got requests from developing as well as developed nations. Biden announces Pentagon task force to tackle China US President Joe Biden has announced the formation of a Pentagon task force to review the country's China strategy. China’s army claims both sides start withdrawal along Pangong Lake; no comment from India The Chinese Defence spokesman on Wednesday said that frontline troops of India and China at the southern and northern banks of the Pangong Lake at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh have started disengagement. Watch |

Morning news brief: Sanctions against Myanmar, Biden-Xinping talks, and more

Scientists said on Wednesday they had noticed the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere of Mars, thereby making a strong case as to whether the Red Planet once hosted life.&nbsp;

The traces of river channels and ancient valleys hint that liquid water was once present on Mars.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/uae-becomes-fifth-nation-to-successfully-enter-the-orbit-of-mars-362680/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

However, now the water is mostly either buried underground or exist in the planet's ice caps.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/mysterious-mars-landslides-may-be-caused-by-melting-ice-and-salt-under-surface-similar-to-earth-361638">Mysterious Mars landslides may be caused by melting ice and salt under surface, similar to Earth</a>

Some of the water is vapourising in the form of hydrogen leaking from the atmosphere, a new study co-authored by two scientists at Britain's Open University said.&nbsp;

The scientists used an instrument called the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery to found the vapour by analysing light travelling through the Red Planet's atmosphere.&nbsp;

"This fantastic instrument is giving us a never-before-seen view of water isotopes in the atmosphere of Mars as a function of both time and location," Manish Patel, senior lecturer in planetary sciences at the Open University, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

"Measuring water isotopes is a crucial element of understanding how Mars as a planet has lost its water over time, and therefore how the habitability of the planet has changed throughout its history."

&nbsp;

Scientists said on Wednesday they had noticed the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere of Mars, thereby making a strong case as to whether the Red Planet once hosted life.

Scientists said on Wednesday they had noticed the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere of Mars, thereby making a strong case as to whether the Red Planet once hosted life. The traces of river channels and ancient valleys hint that liquid water was once present on Mars. Watch | However, now the water is mostly either buried underground or exist in the planet's ice caps. Also read | Mysterious Mars landslides may be caused by melting ice and salt under surface, similar to Earth Some of the water is vapourising in the form of hydrogen leaking from the atmosphere, a new study co-authored by two scientists at Britain's Open University said. The scientists used an instrument called the Nadir and Occultation for Mars Discovery to found the vapour by analysing light travelling through the Red Planet's atmosphere. "This fantastic instrument is giving us a never-before-seen view of water isotopes in the atmosphere of Mars as a function of both time and location," Manish Patel, senior lecturer in planetary sciences at the Open University, was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. "Measuring water isotopes is a crucial element of understanding how Mars as a planet has lost its water over time, and therefore how the habitability of the planet has changed throughout its history."

Life on Mars? Study gives fresh evidence to back the claim

For months, China resisted allowing World Health Organization experts into the country to trace the origins of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">global pandemic</a>, concerned that such an inquiry could draw attention to the government’s early missteps in handling the outbreak.

After a global uproar, the Chinese government finally relented, allowing a team of 14 scientists to visit laboratories, disease-control centers and live-animal markets over the past 12 days in the city of Wuhan.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-briefing-on-covid-19-origin-laboratory-related-hypothesis-is-highly-unlikely-362535/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But instead of scorn, the WHO experts on Tuesday delivered praise for Chinese officials and endorsed critical parts of their narrative, including some that have been contentious.

The WHO team opened the door to a theory embraced by Chinese officials, saying it was possible the virus might have spread to humans through shipments of frozen food, an idea that has gained little traction with scientists outside China. And the experts pledged to investigate reports that the virus might have been present outside China months before the outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019, a long-standing demand of Chinese officials.

“We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is,” Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virus expert on the WHO team, said at a three-hour news conference in Wuhan, where the experts presented their preliminary findings alongside Chinese scientists.

Some scientists worry that shifting attention to other countries could cause the investigation to lose its focus. Determining what happened in the early days of the outbreak in China is considered critical to avoiding another pandemic.

The team also played down the idea that the virus might have leaked accidentally from a Chinese-run laboratory, a notion that even some skeptical scientists say is worth exploring. This theory is different from a widely discredited one pushed by some Republicans in the United States, which claimed that a lab in China manufactured the virus for use as a bioweapon.

The WHO, by design, is beholden to its member countries and has long struck a diplomatic tone in dealing with the Chinese government, which is notoriously resistant to outside scrutiny. The inquiry is still in its earliest stages — it could take years — and WHO officials have promised a rigorous and transparent examination of data and research by China and other countries.

Still, the findings announced Tuesday gave Beijing a public relations win as it comes under attack from officials in the United States and elsewhere for its initial efforts to conceal the outbreak.

“This is the most authoritative support that China has received in terms of its official narrative,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Huang said the WHO should continue to press China for data and access.

“One visit is not enough time to do a thorough investigation,” he said. “They’re doing all the work within the parameters set by the Chinese government.”

The team did not report major breakthroughs but said it had found important clues. The virus was circulating in Wuhan several weeks before it appeared at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where some of the earliest clusters were initially reported, the experts said. It most likely emerged in bats and spread to humans through another small mammal, though the experts said they have not been able to identify the species.

“All the work that has been done on the virus and trying to identify its origin continue to point toward a natural reservoir,” Peter K. Ben Embarek, a food safety scientist with the WHO who is leading the team of experts, said at the news conference.

Ben Embarek said it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus might have emerged from a laboratory studying bat coronaviruses in Wuhan.

The team last week met with leaders of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which houses a state-of-the-art laboratory, and Ben Embarek said that “it was very unlikely that anything could escape from such a place,” citing safety protocols there.

The WHO experts tried to focus their remarks Tuesday on the scientific aspects of the mission. But the inquiry has often been overshadowed by politics.

Some officials in the United States and other Western countries have cast doubt on the independence of the WHO investigation, arguing that China is seeking to control the outcome. The government repeatedly delayed the visit by WHO experts and sought to limit the scope of their mission. And authorities are firmly in control of research related to the virus in China, raising concerns that they might seek to prevent the release of embarrassing information.

The Chinese government has tried to shift the focus elsewhere, continuing to suggest that the virus may have originated overseas. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, recently suggested that the United States should allow the WHO to send investigators there as part of its inquiry.

Chinese officials heavily promoted the idea that the virus came from abroad at the news conference Tuesday, arguing that the search for the origin of the virus should focus on places outside China.

The investigation will “not be restricted to any location,” said Liang Wannian, who led the team of Chinese scientists assisting in the WHO mission. He said that Chinese researchers had found no evidence that the virus was circulating in China on a wide scale before December 2019.

In Washington, Ned Price, a State Department spokesman, said at a regular news conference that the United States would wait to see the WHO’s report before drawing conclusions about its findings and how transparent Beijing had been with the investigators.

During their visit to Wuhan, the WHO team members said they were trying to steer clear of politics and promised to ask tough questions. While in Wuhan, where they submitted to two weeks of quarantine before beginning field work, they granted interviews to the news media and were photographed getting tested for the coronavirus. They turned to social media to bring more transparency to the visit, posting photos and comments about their talks with Chinese scientists.

The experts repeatedly praised their Chinese counterparts, saying the government had worked in good faith to grant access to important sites, including laboratories and markets. At the news conference Tuesday, the experts were cordial and did not challenge statements by their Chinese hosts.

The team will face pressure in coming months to not only resolve tricky scientific questions but to demonstrate that they are carrying out a fair-minded and tough investigation.

“China’s strategic narrative now is, ‘This has been the China part of the investigation, and we’ve done it, and let’s move on,”’ said Daniel R. Lucey, an infectious-disease specialist at Georgetown University.

Lucey said the experts would need to produce a breakthrough in order to demonstrate credibility.

“If the team doesn’t come up with something of substance,” he added, “there’s also the risk of people saying this was all just a show.”

For months, China resisted allowing World Health Organization experts into the country to trace the origins of the global pandemic, concerned that such an inquiry could draw attention to the government’s early missteps in handling the outbreak.

For months, China resisted allowing World Health Organization experts into the country to trace the origins of the global pandemic, concerned that such an inquiry could draw attention to the government’s early missteps in handling the outbreak. After a global uproar, the Chinese government finally relented, allowing a team of 14 scientists to visit laboratories, disease-control centers and live-animal markets over the past 12 days in the city of Wuhan. Watch | But instead of scorn, the WHO experts on Tuesday delivered praise for Chinese officials and endorsed critical parts of their narrative, including some that have been contentious. The WHO team opened the door to a theory embraced by Chinese officials, saying it was possible the virus might have spread to humans through shipments of frozen food, an idea that has gained little traction with scientists outside China. And the experts pledged to investigate reports that the virus might have been present outside China months before the outbreak in Wuhan in late 2019, a long-standing demand of Chinese officials. “We should really go and search for evidence of earlier circulation wherever that is,” Marion Koopmans, a Dutch virus expert on the WHO team, said at a three-hour news conference in Wuhan, where the experts presented their preliminary findings alongside Chinese scientists. Some scientists worry that shifting attention to other countries could cause the investigation to lose its focus. Determining what happened in the early days of the outbreak in China is considered critical to avoiding another pandemic. The team also played down the idea that the virus might have leaked accidentally from a Chinese-run laboratory, a notion that even some skeptical scientists say is worth exploring. This theory is different from a widely discredited one pushed by some Republicans in the United States, which claimed that a lab in China manufactured the virus for use as a bioweapon. The WHO, by design, is beholden to its member countries and has long struck a diplomatic tone in dealing with the Chinese government, which is notoriously resistant to outside scrutiny. The inquiry is still in its earliest stages — it could take years — and WHO officials have promised a rigorous and transparent examination of data and research by China and other countries. Still, the findings announced Tuesday gave Beijing a public relations win as it comes under attack from officials in the United States and elsewhere for its initial efforts to conceal the outbreak. “This is the most authoritative support that China has received in terms of its official narrative,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations. Huang said the WHO should continue to press China for data and access. “One visit is not enough time to do a thorough investigation,” he said. “They’re doing all the work within the parameters set by the Chinese government.” The team did not report major breakthroughs but said it had found important clues. The virus was circulating in Wuhan several weeks before it appeared at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where some of the earliest clusters were initially reported, the experts said. It most likely emerged in bats and spread to humans through another small mammal, though the experts said they have not been able to identify the species. “All the work that has been done on the virus and trying to identify its origin continue to point toward a natural reservoir,” Peter K. Ben Embarek, a food safety scientist with the WHO who is leading the team of experts, said at the news conference. Ben Embarek said it was “extremely unlikely” that the virus might have emerged from a laboratory studying bat coronaviruses in Wuhan. The team last week met with leaders of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which houses a state-of-the-art laboratory, and Ben Embarek said that “it was very unlikely that anything could escape from such a place,” citing safety protocols there. The WHO experts tried to focus their remarks Tuesday on the scientific aspects of the mission. But the inquiry has often been overshadowed by politics. Some officials in the United States and other Western countries have cast doubt on the independence of the WHO investigation, arguing that China is seeking to control the outcome. The government repeatedly delayed the visit by WHO experts and sought to limit the scope of their mission. And authorities are firmly in control of research related to the virus in China, raising concerns that they might seek to prevent the release of embarrassing information. The Chinese government has tried to shift the focus elsewhere, continuing to suggest that the virus may have originated overseas. The Chinese ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, recently suggested that the United States should allow the WHO to send investigators there as part of its inquiry. Chinese officials heavily promoted the idea that the virus came from abroad at the news conference Tuesday, arguing that the search for the origin of the virus should focus on places outside China. The investigation will “not be restricted to any location,” said Liang Wannian, who led the team of Chinese scientists assisting in the WHO mission. He said that Chinese researchers had found no evidence that the virus was circulating in China on a wide scale before December 2019. In Washington, Ned Price, a State Department spokesman, said at a regular news conference that the United States would wait to see the WHO’s report before drawing conclusions about its findings and how transparent Beijing had been with the investigators. During their visit to Wuhan, the WHO team members said they were trying to steer clear of politics and promised to ask tough questions. While in Wuhan, where they submitted to two weeks of quarantine before beginning field work, they granted interviews to the news media and were photographed getting tested for the coronavirus. They turned to social media to bring more transparency to the visit, posting photos and comments about their talks with Chinese scientists. The experts repeatedly praised their Chinese counterparts, saying the government had worked in good faith to grant access to important sites, including laboratories and markets. At the news conference Tuesday, the experts were cordial and did not challenge statements by their Chinese hosts. The team will face pressure in coming months to not only resolve tricky scientific questions but to demonstrate that they are carrying out a fair-minded and tough investigation. “China’s strategic narrative now is, ‘This has been the China part of the investigation, and we’ve done it, and let’s move on,”’ said Daniel R. Lucey, an infectious-disease specialist at Georgetown University. Lucey said the experts would need to produce a breakthrough in order to demonstrate credibility. “If the team doesn’t come up with something of substance,” he added, “there’s also the risk of people saying this was all just a show.”

China scores a public relations win after WHO mission to Wuhan

After working for years at a recycling center in the Shetland Islands, at the northernmost reaches of the British Isles, Paul Moar is used to helping the public get rid of unwanted items.

But when an older man walked into the recycling center in Lerwick, the capital of the archipelago in the North Atlantic, carrying two large bags heaving with old photograph slides, he quickly realized that this intended trash might be worth keeping.

In the bags, he found a wealth of old pictures of the Shetland Islands taken in the 1960s and ’70s — old farmers shearing sheep by hand, views of dirt roads winding between small stone houses, and fishers rowing small dinghies ashore.

“My jaw hit the ground,” said Moar, a local history buff. “Some of them were these amazing snapshots into island life, and other ones were just scenic photos,” he said. “But I knew I’d stumbled on a little bit of treasure.”

In the days since, Moar has worked on digitizing the 300 images, tracked down the photographer and shared dozens of the pictures online. There, they have proved a sensation for residents of the islands, which have a population of just 22,000 or so, who have helped piece together when they were taken, identified the people in the photographs and shared their own memories of the islands.

In the process, they’ve become an unexpected bright spot in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions that have left people feeling isolated.

“I certainly was in the right place at the right time,” Moar said, adding that the photographs offered a rare, intimate glimpse into everyday life decades ago in an island community.

“I think it’s giving people a little ray of light, you know, at a dark time,” Moar said. “It’s been lovely, not just to save the photos, but to see people enjoying it as much as they have.”

Through a neighbor, Moar reached out to Nick Dymond, the local resident who dropped off the bags and who took the photographs, and with his permission, uploaded a number of the images to a Shetland memories Facebook group.

Overnight, dozens of people were leaving messages and helping to identify the people featured, chiming in with notes on family homes and sharing memories of places they spent time as children.

“That must be 40 years ago when we were so young!” wrote Gillian Okill, after someone tagged her in one of the pictures.

“My dad’s boat on the right, named after me,” Mairi Thomson wrote alongside a photograph of the harbor.

“If only those days were back again,” Frank David Simmons wrote about one image, where he shared memories of farming with limited machinery.

One member of the Facebook group where Moar first shared the images said it was “giving everyone such a boost in these dark times.”

Moar said his own passion for the history of the islands — where his family can trace ancestors back to the 1400s — was what had initially drawn him to save the pictures.

The rugged Shetland Islands sit about 110 miles north of mainland Scotland, some 190 miles west of Norway. More than half of the islands’ residents live within 10 miles of Lerwick, and the rest are scattered in communities across 16 other inhabited islands — though there are around 100 small islands in total in the archipelago.

Dymond, 77, was surprised by the fuss over his old photographs but said in a phone interview that he was happy that others were able to enjoy them.

“I was just doing a clear out,” he said of his decision to take them to the dump. “I had these three large boxes of slides in my very small house for, well, 30 years or close to it.”

Dymond was a prolific photographer who loved to document his travels, including to places such as India, Kenya and Russia, but he said he had never made the switch to digital and no longer had the slide projector to view his old pictures.

“I can’t do anything with them, and I’ve already seen all the things that I’ve taken photographs of,” he said with a chuckle. “But I realized other people are enjoying them.”

Dymond is originally from Bedford, England, but in the 1960s, he made his home on the Shetland Islands. He first moved to Fair Isle, the southernmost island in the group, and in the 1970s, he began leading bird and wildlife tours in the summers. He served as a warden for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, a charity, and later wrote a book on birding in the islands.

Dymond said that viewing the photographs was a journey back into small moments of his life that he had not thought of in some time.

“There’s ones that sort of bring back memories for me in a personal way,” Dymond said of the images. “And it’s a bygone era. Some people won’t know who the people in the photographs are, and they are trying to find out, and there are a few that I don’t know either.”

One of his favorites is a photograph of a farmer kneeling to feed a lamb, taken on the tiny island of Fetlar, which had a population of just 100 during the seven years that Dymond lived there. He recognized the man, Lollie Brown, a neighbor, who died years ago.

“He was just a wonderful man,” he said. “That was a great reminder for me.”

Dymond gave permission for the slides to be donated to the Shetland Museum and Archives, and Moar plans to take them there once the site reopens after coronavirus restrictions ease.

Moar said he hoped they could serve as a reminder of the simplicity of life on the islands.

“Life is slower here,” he said. “But these old photos are certainly a window into a past era where life was, people would say, more real and more tangible.”

After working for years at a recycling center in the Shetland Islands, at the northernmost reaches of the British Isles, Paul Moar is used to helping the public get rid of unwanted items.

After working for years at a recycling center in the Shetland Islands, at the northernmost reaches of the British Isles, Paul Moar is used to helping the public get rid of unwanted items. But when an older man walked into the recycling center in Lerwick, the capital of the archipelago in the North Atlantic, carrying two large bags heaving with old photograph slides, he quickly realized that this intended trash might be worth keeping. In the bags, he found a wealth of old pictures of the Shetland Islands taken in the 1960s and ’70s — old farmers shearing sheep by hand, views of dirt roads winding between small stone houses, and fishers rowing small dinghies ashore. “My jaw hit the ground,” said Moar, a local history buff. “Some of them were these amazing snapshots into island life, and other ones were just scenic photos,” he said. “But I knew I’d stumbled on a little bit of treasure.” In the days since, Moar has worked on digitizing the 300 images, tracked down the photographer and shared dozens of the pictures online. There, they have proved a sensation for residents of the islands, which have a population of just 22,000 or so, who have helped piece together when they were taken, identified the people in the photographs and shared their own memories of the islands. In the process, they’ve become an unexpected bright spot in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and restrictions that have left people feeling isolated. “I certainly was in the right place at the right time,” Moar said, adding that the photographs offered a rare, intimate glimpse into everyday life decades ago in an island community. “I think it’s giving people a little ray of light, you know, at a dark time,” Moar said. “It’s been lovely, not just to save the photos, but to see people enjoying it as much as they have.” Through a neighbor, Moar reached out to Nick Dymond, the local resident who dropped off the bags and who took the photographs, and with his permission, uploaded a number of the images to a Shetland memories Facebook group. Overnight, dozens of people were leaving messages and helping to identify the people featured, chiming in with notes on family homes and sharing memories of places they spent time as children. “That must be 40 years ago when we were so young!” wrote Gillian Okill, after someone tagged her in one of the pictures. “My dad’s boat on the right, named after me,” Mairi Thomson wrote alongside a photograph of the harbor. “If only those days were back again,” Frank David Simmons wrote about one image, where he shared memories of farming with limited machinery. One member of the Facebook group where Moar first shared the images said it was “giving everyone such a boost in these dark times.” Moar said his own passion for the history of the islands — where his family can trace ancestors back to the 1400s — was what had initially drawn him to save the pictures. The rugged Shetland Islands sit about 110 miles north of mainland Scotland, some 190 miles west of Norway. More than half of the islands’ residents live within 10 miles of Lerwick, and the rest are scattered in communities across 16 other inhabited islands — though there are around 100 small islands in total in the archipelago. Dymond, 77, was surprised by the fuss over his old photographs but said in a phone interview that he was happy that others were able to enjoy them. “I was just doing a clear out,” he said of his decision to take them to the dump. “I had these three large boxes of slides in my very small house for, well, 30 years or close to it.” Dymond was a prolific photographer who loved to document his travels, including to places such as India, Kenya and Russia, but he said he had never made the switch to digital and no longer had the slide projector to view his old pictures. “I can’t do anything with them, and I’ve already seen all the things that I’ve taken photographs of,” he said with a chuckle. “But I realized other people are enjoying them.” Dymond is originally from Bedford, England, but in the 1960s, he made his home on the Shetland Islands. He first moved to Fair Isle, the southernmost island in the group, and in the 1970s, he began leading bird and wildlife tours in the summers. He served as a warden for the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, a charity, and later wrote a book on birding in the islands. Dymond said that viewing the photographs was a journey back into small moments of his life that he had not thought of in some time. “There’s ones that sort of bring back memories for me in a personal way,” Dymond said of the images. “And it’s a bygone era. Some people won’t know who the people in the photographs are, and they are trying to find out, and there are a few that I don’t know either.” One of his favorites is a photograph of a farmer kneeling to feed a lamb, taken on the tiny island of Fetlar, which had a population of just 100 during the seven years that Dymond lived there. He recognized the man, Lollie Brown, a neighbor, who died years ago. “He was just a wonderful man,” he said. “That was a great reminder for me.” Dymond gave permission for the slides to be donated to the Shetland Museum and Archives, and Moar plans to take them there once the site reopens after coronavirus restrictions ease. Moar said he hoped they could serve as a reminder of the simplicity of life on the islands. “Life is slower here,” he said. “But these old photos are certainly a window into a past era where life was, people would say, more real and more tangible.”

A glimpse of a bygone life on Scottish islands, plucked from the trash

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday said that the country had defeated a foreign "blitzkrieg" after massive protests and rallies that were held across the country to push the strongman out of power after decades-long rule.&nbsp;

"The blitzkrieg did not succeed, we held on to our country," Lukashenko in a speech at the opening of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly in Minsk said.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ioc-bans-belarus-president-lukashenko-from-olympic-games-348351/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Lukashenko is presiding the People's Assembly which he announced late last year to push for reforms in the wake of huge protests.&nbsp;

Nearly 3,000 delegates that are hand-picked by the government are participating in the assembly, a traditional meeting from the Soviet era.

For the last six months, there has been a brutal crackdown from Belarusian government on dissenters that demand his exit after the controversial presidential election whos credibility is questioned internationally.&nbsp;

He has not hinted on the possible reforms and insisted he will not leave "presidency".

"I will not suddenly give up the presidency," Lukashenko recently said.&nbsp;

"I have nothing other than Belarus. I cling to it and I hold on to it". 
&nbsp;

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday said that the country had defeated a foreign "blitzkrieg" after massive protests and rallies that were held across the country to push the strongman out of power after decades-long rule.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday said that the country had defeated a foreign "blitzkrieg" after massive protests and rallies that were held across the country to push the strongman out of power after decades-long rule. "The blitzkrieg did not succeed, we held on to our country," Lukashenko in a speech at the opening of the All-Belarusian People's Assembly in Minsk said. Watch | Lukashenko is presiding the People's Assembly which he announced late last year to push for reforms in the wake of huge protests. Nearly 3,000 delegates that are hand-picked by the government are participating in the assembly, a traditional meeting from the Soviet era. For the last six months, there has been a brutal crackdown from Belarusian government on dissenters that demand his exit after the controversial presidential election whos credibility is questioned internationally. He has not hinted on the possible reforms and insisted he will not leave "presidency". "I will not suddenly give up the presidency," Lukashenko recently said. "I have nothing other than Belarus. I cling to it and I hold on to it".

Foreign 'blitzkrieg' on Belarus failed: Alexander Lukashenko

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Abhilash Mahajan

Home

Live Tv

Latest

World

India

Business

Entertainment

Sports

Opinions

Videos

Photos

Gravitas

Lifestyle

Science

Tech

Rajasthan News in Hindi: In-depth coverage of Rajasthan Crime, Political News, Education, Rajasthan Weather Update and Latest Rajasthan News on Zee News Rajasthan.