The team of scientists and engineers behind NASA’s Curiosity rover has named a hill along the rover’s path on Mars in honour of recently deceased mission scientist Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez.

A craggy hump that stretches 120 meters tall, ‘Rafael Navarro Mountain’ is located on Mount Sharp in northwest Gale Crater, NASA said on Monday.

Navarro-Gonzalez died on January 28 from complications related to Covid-19.&nbsp;

A leading astrobiologist in Mexico, he was a co-investigator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), a portable chemistry lab aboard Curiosity that has been sniffing out the chemical makeup of Martian soil, rocks, and air.&nbsp;

As such, he helped lead the team that identified ancient organic compounds on Mars; his many accomplishments also included identifying the role of volcanic lightning in the origin of life on Earth.&nbsp;

Navarro-Gonzalez was a researcher at Nuclear Sciences Institute at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City.

"We are truly honoured to have a prominent hill named after our dad; it’s his and our dream come true to see this happen," wrote Navarro-Gonzalez’s children, Rafael and Karina Navarro Aceves, in a statement to NASA.&nbsp;

Rafael Navarro Mountain sits at a major geological transition in Gale Crater from a clay-rich region to one that is rich in sulfate minerals.&nbsp;

Analysing sulfate minerals may help scientists better understand the major shift in the Martian climate from wetter to drier conditions, according to Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The team of scientists and engineers behind NASA’s Curiosity rover has named a hill along the rover’s path on Mars in honour of recently deceased mission scientist Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez.

The team of scientists and engineers behind NASA’s Curiosity rover has named a hill along the rover’s path on Mars in honour of recently deceased mission scientist Rafael Navarro-Gonzalez. A craggy hump that stretches 120 meters tall, ‘Rafael Navarro Mountain’ is located on Mount Sharp in northwest Gale Crater, NASA said on Monday. Navarro-Gonzalez died on January 28 from complications related to Covid-19. A leading astrobiologist in Mexico, he was a co-investigator on the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM), a portable chemistry lab aboard Curiosity that has been sniffing out the chemical makeup of Martian soil, rocks, and air. As such, he helped lead the team that identified ancient organic compounds on Mars; his many accomplishments also included identifying the role of volcanic lightning in the origin of life on Earth. Navarro-Gonzalez was a researcher at Nuclear Sciences Institute at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City. "We are truly honoured to have a prominent hill named after our dad; it’s his and our dream come true to see this happen," wrote Navarro-Gonzalez’s children, Rafael and Karina Navarro Aceves, in a statement to NASA. Rafael Navarro Mountain sits at a major geological transition in Gale Crater from a clay-rich region to one that is rich in sulfate minerals. Analysing sulfate minerals may help scientists better understand the major shift in the Martian climate from wetter to drier conditions, according to Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity’s project scientist based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s Curiosity rover team names Martian hill after deceased scientist

Maintaining a healthy body weight and increasing HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol levels can help lower the risk of Covid-19 infections, claim researchers in a new study.

Previous studies showed that people with Type-2 diabetes and a high body mass index are at a greater risk of experiencing hospitalisations and other severe complications related to Covid-19.

However, the new research from the University of Maryland in the US has identified certain lifestyle factors like body weight and cholesterol as new risk factors for Covid-19.

"Our findings point to some healthy measures people can take to help potentially lower their risk of Covid-19 infection," said Charles Hong, Professor of medicine at the University’s School of Medicine.

"Controlling body weight is very important during this time, and measures to increase HDL levels like regular exercise and a diet rich in monounsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil and avocados might be helpful too," Hong noted.

The team found that people, who were Covid positive, were more likely to be obese or have Type-2 diabetes. They were also at greater risk of getting symptomatic infection in the first place, the researchers claimed.

On the other hand, those who tested negative were more likely to have high levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and be at a healthy weight with a normal body mass index (BMI), revealed the study published in the journal PLoS ONE.

"Certain baseline cardiometabolic factors appear to either protect a person from Covid-19 infection while others make a person more vulnerable to infection," Hong said.

"But this study wasn’t designed to determine what factors actually cause Covid-19 infections. These are statistical associations that point to the importance of a healthy functioning immune system for protecting against Covid-19 infection," Hong added.

For the study, the team used data from the UK Biobank of 5,00,000 British volunteers over age 40. Health factors were compared between those who tested positive for Covid-19 and those who tested negative.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Maintaining a healthy body weight and increasing HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol levels can help lower the risk of Covid-19 infections, claim researchers in a new study.

Maintaining a healthy body weight and increasing HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol levels can help lower the risk of Covid-19 infections, claim researchers in a new study. Previous studies showed that people with Type-2 diabetes and a high body mass index are at a greater risk of experiencing hospitalisations and other severe complications related to Covid-19. However, the new research from the University of Maryland in the US has identified certain lifestyle factors like body weight and cholesterol as new risk factors for Covid-19. "Our findings point to some healthy measures people can take to help potentially lower their risk of Covid-19 infection," said Charles Hong, Professor of medicine at the University’s School of Medicine. "Controlling body weight is very important during this time, and measures to increase HDL levels like regular exercise and a diet rich in monounsaturated fats like extra virgin olive oil and avocados might be helpful too," Hong noted. The team found that people, who were Covid positive, were more likely to be obese or have Type-2 diabetes. They were also at greater risk of getting symptomatic infection in the first place, the researchers claimed. On the other hand, those who tested negative were more likely to have high levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol and be at a healthy weight with a normal body mass index (BMI), revealed the study published in the journal PLoS ONE. "Certain baseline cardiometabolic factors appear to either protect a person from Covid-19 infection while others make a person more vulnerable to infection," Hong said. "But this study wasn’t designed to determine what factors actually cause Covid-19 infections. These are statistical associations that point to the importance of a healthy functioning immune system for protecting against Covid-19 infection," Hong added. For the study, the team used data from the UK Biobank of 5,00,000 British volunteers over age 40. Health factors were compared between those who tested positive for Covid-19 and those who tested negative. (With inputs from agencies)

Body weight, 'bad' cholesterol new risk factors for coronavirus

Iran and the United States will begin indirect talks in Vienna on Tuesday aimed at bringing both countries back into full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago.&nbsp;

Iran has steadily overstepped the accord’s limits on its nuclear programme in response to Washington’s withdrawal from the accord in 2018 and its reimposition of sanctions that have crippled the Islamic Republic’s economy.&nbsp;

While Tehran has repeatedly rebuffed ‘direct and indirect negotiations’ with its old foe, Washington said on Monday it expected the talks to be difficult. Both Tehran and Washington did not foresee any early breakthrough.

"We are not optimistic nor pessimistic about the outcome of this meeting now, but we are confident that we are on the right track, and if America’s will, seriousness and honesty is proven, it could be a good sign for a better future for this agreement and ultimately its full implementation," Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters.

US and Iranian officials will begin indirect talks in the Austrian capital, where the pact was originally reached in 2015, later on Tuesday. Officials from Britain, France and Germany, are expected to act as intermediaries. Russia and China, the other parties to the 2015 pact, will also attend.

A Western diplomat said on Friday that a shuttle-diplomacy approach would be adopted. The diplomat said France would be the main interlocutor for both sides.

According to diplomats, the remaining parties to the deal will first meet at a Viennese hotel for preparatory talks. The US delegation, headed by special envoy Rob Malley, will be based in a nearby hotel.&nbsp;

Adding fresh doubt to chances of a breakthrough, an Iranian official said, "Our agenda during the meeting will be removal of all US sanctions against Iran ... as our supreme leader has said repeatedly, anything less than that will not be accepted by Tehran."&nbsp;

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, has opposed any gradual easing of sanctions.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran and the United States will begin indirect talks in Vienna on Tuesday aimed at bringing both countries back into full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago.

Iran and the United States will begin indirect talks in Vienna on Tuesday aimed at bringing both countries back into full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago. Iran has steadily overstepped the accord’s limits on its nuclear programme in response to Washington’s withdrawal from the accord in 2018 and its reimposition of sanctions that have crippled the Islamic Republic’s economy. While Tehran has repeatedly rebuffed ‘direct and indirect negotiations’ with its old foe, Washington said on Monday it expected the talks to be difficult. Both Tehran and Washington did not foresee any early breakthrough. "We are not optimistic nor pessimistic about the outcome of this meeting now, but we are confident that we are on the right track, and if America’s will, seriousness and honesty is proven, it could be a good sign for a better future for this agreement and ultimately its full implementation," Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei told reporters. US and Iranian officials will begin indirect talks in the Austrian capital, where the pact was originally reached in 2015, later on Tuesday. Officials from Britain, France and Germany, are expected to act as intermediaries. Russia and China, the other parties to the 2015 pact, will also attend. A Western diplomat said on Friday that a shuttle-diplomacy approach would be adopted. The diplomat said France would be the main interlocutor for both sides. According to diplomats, the remaining parties to the deal will first meet at a Viennese hotel for preparatory talks. The US delegation, headed by special envoy Rob Malley, will be based in a nearby hotel. Adding fresh doubt to chances of a breakthrough, an Iranian official said, "Our agenda during the meeting will be removal of all US sanctions against Iran ... as our supreme leader has said repeatedly, anything less than that will not be accepted by Tehran." Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final say on all state matters, has opposed any gradual easing of sanctions. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran, US begin indirect talks to bring nuclear deal to life

India and Russia are discussing the possibility of ‘additional’ production of Russian military equipment in India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference on Tuesday while on a visit to New Delhi.

Lavrov and India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar&nbsp;assessed ‘positively’ the economic cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow and noted new opportunities in the Russian far east during the discussion.&nbsp;

In a joint appearance with Lavrov, Jaishankar said they both talked about connectivity, including the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor.

Earlier in the day, Lavrov, who is on a two-day visit, held delegation-level talks with Jaishankar. Much of the discussion between the two ministers covered the preparations for President Vladimir Putin’s visit for the annual summit to be held in India later this year.&nbsp;

"Our bilateral cooperation remains energetic and forward-looking. We talked about the longstanding partnership in the nuclear space and defence sectors. We assess positively our economic cooperation noting new opportunities in the Russian far east. We spoke of connectivity including the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor," Jaishankar said.

"We also found an appetite for greater investment in each other by both the countries. Russian support for our Gaganyaan programme has progressed for which deeply appreciate. Our defence requirement in the past year was expeditiously addressed," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

India and Russia are discussing the possibility of ‘additional’ production of Russian military equipment in India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference on Tuesday while on a visit to New Delhi.

India and Russia are discussing the possibility of ‘additional’ production of Russian military equipment in India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at a news conference on Tuesday while on a visit to New Delhi. Lavrov and India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar assessed ‘positively’ the economic cooperation between New Delhi and Moscow and noted new opportunities in the Russian far east during the discussion. In a joint appearance with Lavrov, Jaishankar said they both talked about connectivity, including the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor. Earlier in the day, Lavrov, who is on a two-day visit, held delegation-level talks with Jaishankar. Much of the discussion between the two ministers covered the preparations for President Vladimir Putin’s visit for the annual summit to be held in India later this year. "Our bilateral cooperation remains energetic and forward-looking. We talked about the longstanding partnership in the nuclear space and defence sectors. We assess positively our economic cooperation noting new opportunities in the Russian far east. We spoke of connectivity including the International North-South Transport Corridor and Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor," Jaishankar said. "We also found an appetite for greater investment in each other by both the countries. Russian support for our Gaganyaan programme has progressed for which deeply appreciate. Our defence requirement in the past year was expeditiously addressed," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

India, Russia discussing Moscow’s military manufacturing in India: Lavrov

Myanmar’s pro-democracy protesters sprayed red paint on roads in Yangon on Tuesday in a reminder to the junta that it had blood on its hands as the crisis created by a military coup in the Southeast Asian nation dragged on with no end in sight.

Several groups called for a boycott of next week’s Thingyan Water Festival, which marks the Buddhist new year. Leaflets calling for the ban, distributed in Yangon, said it would be a sign of compassion for the families of those killed.

About 570 people have been killed during two months of unrest since the February 1 coup, and security forces have arrested close to 3,500 people, with about four-fifths of them still in detention, advocacy group the Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said on Tuesday.

Demonstrators woke early in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, to spray and splash pavements, roads and bus shelters with red paint in protest at a sweeping crackdown by security forces that has caused weeks of international outrage.&nbsp;

"The blood has not dried," said one message in red.

Another daubed across a bus shelter implored rank-and-file soldiers not to be exploited by kleptocratic generals clinging onto power.&nbsp;

"Don’t kill people just for a small salary as low as the cost of dog food," it said in a message that went onto accuse junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, of stealing from people.&nbsp;

Anger has swept Myanmar in the past two months over the return of a military government and an abrupt end to a brief era of democratic and economic reform and international integration that was absent under the military’s oppressive 1962-2011 rule.&nbsp;

Some protesters have called their movement a ‘spring revolution’, characterised by street marches, quirky acts of non-violent rebellion and civil disobedience campaigns aimed at crippling the government apparatus.

Another protest scheduled for Wednesday has called for the burning of Chinese-made goods. Many protesters are opposed to China because it is seen as supporting the junta.

"The state of people now is that it doesn’t matter who called for what kind of protest, people are always ready to follow," Khin Sandar, an activist and a protest organiser, said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar’s pro-democracy protesters sprayed red paint on roads in Yangon on Tuesday in a reminder to the junta that it had blood on its hands as the crisis created by a military coup in the Southeast Asian nation dragged on with no end in sight.

Myanmar’s pro-democracy protesters sprayed red paint on roads in Yangon on Tuesday in a reminder to the junta that it had blood on its hands as the crisis created by a military coup in the Southeast Asian nation dragged on with no end in sight. Several groups called for a boycott of next week’s Thingyan Water Festival, which marks the Buddhist new year. Leaflets calling for the ban, distributed in Yangon, said it would be a sign of compassion for the families of those killed. About 570 people have been killed during two months of unrest since the February 1 coup, and security forces have arrested close to 3,500 people, with about four-fifths of them still in detention, advocacy group the Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said on Tuesday. Demonstrators woke early in Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, to spray and splash pavements, roads and bus shelters with red paint in protest at a sweeping crackdown by security forces that has caused weeks of international outrage. "The blood has not dried," said one message in red. Another daubed across a bus shelter implored rank-and-file soldiers not to be exploited by kleptocratic generals clinging onto power. "Don’t kill people just for a small salary as low as the cost of dog food," it said in a message that went onto accuse junta leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, of stealing from people. Anger has swept Myanmar in the past two months over the return of a military government and an abrupt end to a brief era of democratic and economic reform and international integration that was absent under the military’s oppressive 1962-2011 rule. Some protesters have called their movement a ‘spring revolution’, characterised by street marches, quirky acts of non-violent rebellion and civil disobedience campaigns aimed at crippling the government apparatus. Another protest scheduled for Wednesday has called for the burning of Chinese-made goods. Many protesters are opposed to China because it is seen as supporting the junta. "The state of people now is that it doesn’t matter who called for what kind of protest, people are always ready to follow," Khin Sandar, an activist and a protest organiser, said. (With inputs from agencies)

Myanmar protesters paint Yangon in red, call for Water Festival’s boycott

U.S. diplomats are trying to build on parts of the peace deal made with the Taliban last year, specifically the classified portions that outlined what military actions — on both sides — were supposed to be prohibited under the signed agreement, according to American, Afghan and Taliban officials.

The negotiations, which have been quietly underway for months, have morphed into the Biden administration’s last-ditch diplomatic effort to achieve a reduction in violence, which could enable the United States to still exit the country should broader peace talks fail to yield progress in the coming weeks.

If these discussions and the separate talks between the Afghan government and Taliban falter, the United States will likely find itself with thousands of troops in Afghanistan beyond May 1. That is the deadline by which all U.S. military forces are meant to withdraw from the country under the 2020 agreement with the Taliban and would come at a time when the insurgent group likely will have begun its spring offensive against the beleaguered Afghan security forces.

Both of these conditions would almost certainly set back any progress made in the past months toward a political settlement, despite both the Trump and the Biden administrations’ fervent attempts to end the U.S.’ longest-running war.

“Time is really running out for the Biden administration,” said Asfandyar Mir, an analyst at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. “If there is no breakthrough in the next two to three weeks, Biden will have scored his first major foreign policy failure.”

The proposed agreement specific to two annexes of the 2020 deal, which were deemed classified by the Trump administration, is intended to stave off an insurgent victory on the battlefield during the peace talks by limiting Taliban military operations against Afghan forces, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the negotiations. In return, the United States would push for the release of all Taliban prisoners still imprisoned by the Afghan government and the lifting of United Nations sanctions against the Taliban — two goals outlined in the original deal.

These new negotiations, which exclude representatives from the Afghan government, are being carried out amid a contentious logjam between the Taliban and the Afghans, despite pressure from international and regional actors on both sides to commit to some form of a path forward.

With May 1 just a few weeks away, there is a growing sense of urgency and uncertainty looming over all sides.

The United States currently has around 3,500 troops in the country, alongside thousands of contractors and international forces still on the ground. Withdrawing those forces and all their equipment by May 1 is, at this point, almost logistically impossible, experts and officials said.

The U.S.’ unilateral negotiations with the Taliban have drawn ire from Afghan negotiators, who see the side discussions as a distraction from the broader peace talks. Even if the United States and the Taliban reach a deal to reduce violence, it is not likely to result in a full cease-fire, said one of the Afghan government negotiators, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Specifically, the United States is pushing for three months of reduced violence and has been for some time — though U.S. diplomats hope that timeline could be extended.

But in recent months, the Taliban submitted their own proposal, first reported by Tolo News, with requests that were not fully accepted by the U.S. negotiators and included severe restrictions on U.S. air power.

Many of the delays in securing a new deal to reduce violence stem from the original February 2020 agreement.

That deal loosely called for the Taliban to stop suicide attacks and large-scale offensives in exchange for the U.S. forces scaling back drone strikes and raids, among other types of military assaults. But both sides interpreted those terms differently, officials said, and both have accused one another of violating the deal. The Taliban are also supposed to cut ties with al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, but the U.S. intelligence community has seen little movement toward that goal.

Under the current arrangement, U.S. forces can defend their Afghan allies if they are being attacked, but the Taliban said U.S. airstrikes have been carried out against their fighters who were not attacking Afghan forces.

Digital spreadsheets maintained by the Taliban and viewed by The New York Times detail hundreds of purported U.S. violations. They record in detail the group’s wounded and killed, along with civilian casualties and property damage. However, the Taliban often do not distinguish between offensive operations carried out by Afghan security forces from those by U.S. forces, and several of the events the Times was able to independently verify from June 2020 did not involve U.S. troops.

The new terms for a reduction in violence have been a serious point of contention during the past several months, during meetings frequently held at the Sharq Village and Spa, a luxurious resort in Doha, Qatar.

Meetings between U.S. officials and the Taliban in Doha — including with high-level officials like then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in November and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, in December — attempted to scale back Taliban attacks and stop the bloody assassination campaign wreaking havoc across the country but made little headway.

With time running out, the Biden administration is hoping for more success, though these discussions continue to hit roadblocks.

Negotiations between the Afghans and the Taliban, which began in September, have practically come to a halt as the insurgent group has remained reluctant to discuss any future government or power-sharing deal while the United States remains noncommittal about whether it will withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1.

The Biden administration’s recent push for talks in Turkey could be promising, officials and experts said, but the Taliban have yet to agree to attend.

The insurgent group thinks Biden’s negotiators are manipulating the proposed agreement to reduce violence by asking for “extreme” measures, such as halting the use of roadside bombs and pausing attacks on checkpoints, according to people close to the negotiations.

Taliban negotiators say they believe the U.S.' requests equate to a cease-fire, while U.S. military officials say that if certain parameters are not clearly outlined, then the Taliban will shift their tactics to exploit any loopholes they can find — like they have done in the past.

Some of the more striking episodes happened in the past week when CIA-backed militia forces were accused of killing more than a dozen civilians in a Taliban-controlled village in Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan.

In retaliation, the Taliban authorized their fighters to attack the U.S. military and CIA base there and publicly took responsibility for the rocket attack that followed: a first for the insurgent group since it has mostly stopped, or refused to acknowledge, attacks against U.S. bases and troops, per the terms of the 2020 deal.

Some Taliban officials believe the CIA-backed forces should be disbanded and their operations stopped if the insurgent group agrees to any further reduction in violence, according to people close to the negotiations, but it is unclear if the insurgent group has raised those concerns directly. Regardless, any such request is likely to fall on deaf ears, as the U.S. military and intelligence community views these forces as some of the Afghans’ most effective, despite the litany of human rights abuses leveled against them.

The Khost incident highlights the difficulty of reaching an understanding when it comes to decreasing the intensity of the war, and the need for an international third-party monitoring body, such as the United Nations, in any future cease-fires or agreements to reduce violence, experts said.

It is unlikely the United States and Taliban will reach a new deal before May 1, analysts say, unless U.S. officials are willing to make serious concessions to prevent a violent offensive this spring, one that seems to already have started given the series of large attacks and assassinations by the Taliban in recent days.

Some experts have criticized the U.S.’ narrow focus on a short-term reduction of violence as a distraction from the larger effort of reaching a political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

“I am hard-pressed to see what payoff there’s been for the amount of effort that has been put into trying to get limited violence reduction front-loaded in the peace process,” said Laurel Miller, a former top State Department official who worked on Afghanistan and Pakistan diplomacy under the previous two administrations. “It might be helpful for political optics in covering for an American withdrawal. But what’s going to make this stick afterward if there isn’t a real settlement? Nothing.”

U.S. diplomats are trying to build on parts of the peace deal made with the Taliban last year, specifically the classified portions that outlined what military actions — on both sides — were supposed to be prohibited under the signed agreement, according to American, Afghan and Taliban officials.

U.S. diplomats are trying to build on parts of the peace deal made with the Taliban last year, specifically the classified portions that outlined what military actions — on both sides — were supposed to be prohibited under the signed agreement, according to American, Afghan and Taliban officials. The negotiations, which have been quietly underway for months, have morphed into the Biden administration’s last-ditch diplomatic effort to achieve a reduction in violence, which could enable the United States to still exit the country should broader peace talks fail to yield progress in the coming weeks. If these discussions and the separate talks between the Afghan government and Taliban falter, the United States will likely find itself with thousands of troops in Afghanistan beyond May 1. That is the deadline by which all U.S. military forces are meant to withdraw from the country under the 2020 agreement with the Taliban and would come at a time when the insurgent group likely will have begun its spring offensive against the beleaguered Afghan security forces. Both of these conditions would almost certainly set back any progress made in the past months toward a political settlement, despite both the Trump and the Biden administrations’ fervent attempts to end the U.S.’ longest-running war. “Time is really running out for the Biden administration,” said Asfandyar Mir, an analyst at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University. “If there is no breakthrough in the next two to three weeks, Biden will have scored his first major foreign policy failure.” The proposed agreement specific to two annexes of the 2020 deal, which were deemed classified by the Trump administration, is intended to stave off an insurgent victory on the battlefield during the peace talks by limiting Taliban military operations against Afghan forces, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the negotiations. In return, the United States would push for the release of all Taliban prisoners still imprisoned by the Afghan government and the lifting of United Nations sanctions against the Taliban — two goals outlined in the original deal. These new negotiations, which exclude representatives from the Afghan government, are being carried out amid a contentious logjam between the Taliban and the Afghans, despite pressure from international and regional actors on both sides to commit to some form of a path forward. With May 1 just a few weeks away, there is a growing sense of urgency and uncertainty looming over all sides. The United States currently has around 3,500 troops in the country, alongside thousands of contractors and international forces still on the ground. Withdrawing those forces and all their equipment by May 1 is, at this point, almost logistically impossible, experts and officials said. The U.S.’ unilateral negotiations with the Taliban have drawn ire from Afghan negotiators, who see the side discussions as a distraction from the broader peace talks. Even if the United States and the Taliban reach a deal to reduce violence, it is not likely to result in a full cease-fire, said one of the Afghan government negotiators, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. Specifically, the United States is pushing for three months of reduced violence and has been for some time — though U.S. diplomats hope that timeline could be extended. But in recent months, the Taliban submitted their own proposal, first reported by Tolo News, with requests that were not fully accepted by the U.S. negotiators and included severe restrictions on U.S. air power. Many of the delays in securing a new deal to reduce violence stem from the original February 2020 agreement. That deal loosely called for the Taliban to stop suicide attacks and large-scale offensives in exchange for the U.S. forces scaling back drone strikes and raids, among other types of military assaults. But both sides interpreted those terms differently, officials said, and both have accused one another of violating the deal. The Taliban are also supposed to cut ties with al-Qaida and other terrorist groups, but the U.S. intelligence community has seen little movement toward that goal. Under the current arrangement, U.S. forces can defend their Afghan allies if they are being attacked, but the Taliban said U.S. airstrikes have been carried out against their fighters who were not attacking Afghan forces. Digital spreadsheets maintained by the Taliban and viewed by The New York Times detail hundreds of purported U.S. violations. They record in detail the group’s wounded and killed, along with civilian casualties and property damage. However, the Taliban often do not distinguish between offensive operations carried out by Afghan security forces from those by U.S. forces, and several of the events the Times was able to independently verify from June 2020 did not involve U.S. troops. The new terms for a reduction in violence have been a serious point of contention during the past several months, during meetings frequently held at the Sharq Village and Spa, a luxurious resort in Doha, Qatar. Meetings between U.S. officials and the Taliban in Doha — including with high-level officials like then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in November and the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, in December — attempted to scale back Taliban attacks and stop the bloody assassination campaign wreaking havoc across the country but made little headway. With time running out, the Biden administration is hoping for more success, though these discussions continue to hit roadblocks. Negotiations between the Afghans and the Taliban, which began in September, have practically come to a halt as the insurgent group has remained reluctant to discuss any future government or power-sharing deal while the United States remains noncommittal about whether it will withdraw from Afghanistan by May 1. The Biden administration’s recent push for talks in Turkey could be promising, officials and experts said, but the Taliban have yet to agree to attend. The insurgent group thinks Biden’s negotiators are manipulating the proposed agreement to reduce violence by asking for “extreme” measures, such as halting the use of roadside bombs and pausing attacks on checkpoints, according to people close to the negotiations. Taliban negotiators say they believe the U.S.' requests equate to a cease-fire, while U.S. military officials say that if certain parameters are not clearly outlined, then the Taliban will shift their tactics to exploit any loopholes they can find — like they have done in the past. Some of the more striking episodes happened in the past week when CIA-backed militia forces were accused of killing more than a dozen civilians in a Taliban-controlled village in Khost province in southeastern Afghanistan. In retaliation, the Taliban authorized their fighters to attack the U.S. military and CIA base there and publicly took responsibility for the rocket attack that followed: a first for the insurgent group since it has mostly stopped, or refused to acknowledge, attacks against U.S. bases and troops, per the terms of the 2020 deal. Some Taliban officials believe the CIA-backed forces should be disbanded and their operations stopped if the insurgent group agrees to any further reduction in violence, according to people close to the negotiations, but it is unclear if the insurgent group has raised those concerns directly. Regardless, any such request is likely to fall on deaf ears, as the U.S. military and intelligence community views these forces as some of the Afghans’ most effective, despite the litany of human rights abuses leveled against them. The Khost incident highlights the difficulty of reaching an understanding when it comes to decreasing the intensity of the war, and the need for an international third-party monitoring body, such as the United Nations, in any future cease-fires or agreements to reduce violence, experts said. It is unlikely the United States and Taliban will reach a new deal before May 1, analysts say, unless U.S. officials are willing to make serious concessions to prevent a violent offensive this spring, one that seems to already have started given the series of large attacks and assassinations by the Taliban in recent days. Some experts have criticized the U.S.’ narrow focus on a short-term reduction of violence as a distraction from the larger effort of reaching a political settlement between the Afghan government and the Taliban. “I am hard-pressed to see what payoff there’s been for the amount of effort that has been put into trying to get limited violence reduction front-loaded in the peace process,” said Laurel Miller, a former top State Department official who worked on Afghanistan and Pakistan diplomacy under the previous two administrations. “It might be helpful for political optics in covering for an American withdrawal. But what’s going to make this stick afterward if there isn’t a real settlement? Nothing.”

U.S. looks to build on secret portions of Taliban deal to reduce violence

Iran has arrested an ‘Israeli spy’ and a number of other people, who were in contact with foreign intelligence services, Iranian state media reported on Monday, without giving the nationality of those arrested.

"An Israeli spy has been arrested in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province ... also other spies, who were in contact with several countries’ intelligence services have been arrested as well," it quoted an Intelligence Ministry official as saying.&nbsp;

Israeli officials did not immediately comment on the report.

The Islamic Republic does not recognise Israel and has accused it of being behind acts of sabotage and assassinations of nuclear scientists.

An Iranian convicted of spying for US and Israeli intelligence was executed in 2020.&nbsp;

Iran has blamed Israel for last year’s killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was seen by Western intelligence services as the mastermind of a covert Iranian nuclear weapons programme.&nbsp;

Tehran has denied seeking to build a nuclear arsenal. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the killing.

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran has arrested an ‘Israeli spy’ and a number of other people, who were in contact with foreign intelligence services, Iranian state media reported on Monday, without giving the nationality of those arrested.

Iran has arrested an ‘Israeli spy’ and a number of other people, who were in contact with foreign intelligence services, Iranian state media reported on Monday, without giving the nationality of those arrested. "An Israeli spy has been arrested in Iran’s East Azerbaijan province ... also other spies, who were in contact with several countries’ intelligence services have been arrested as well," it quoted an Intelligence Ministry official as saying. Israeli officials did not immediately comment on the report. The Islamic Republic does not recognise Israel and has accused it of being behind acts of sabotage and assassinations of nuclear scientists. An Iranian convicted of spying for US and Israeli intelligence was executed in 2020. Iran has blamed Israel for last year’s killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was seen by Western intelligence services as the mastermind of a covert Iranian nuclear weapons programme. Tehran has denied seeking to build a nuclear arsenal. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for the killing. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran arrests 'Israeli spy', others in touch with foreign intelligence: Report

LG has decided to walk away from its smartphone business. It's the end of an era. Many features that we take for granted in our smartphones were actually pioneered by LG.

They rolled out the first capacitive touch screen. They introduced us to slow motion video recording, but with a dwindling market share and mounting losses, they had no option but to shut shop.

Wacky displays, ultra-wide cameras, gesture controls, LG did it all.

And they did it, way ahead of their rivals.

Apple can't stop bragging about its stainless-steel frames. For LG, that's old news because they did it in 2015.&nbsp;

When Sony and Apple were toggling their screen brightness in 2014, LG unveiled quad high definition, four times standard HD, etc. LG had managed to conjure magic into its screens.

Everyone wanted to own one. By 2013, it was the world's third largest smartphone maker.

But then, things went south. The market was becoming more competitive. Apple and Samsung were making durable phones. Devices suited to our multi-tasking lives. LG just couldn't keep up. Its phones struggled with hardware and software issues. Users grew tired of staring at the buffering bezel. They abandoned LG. In the last 6 years, losses mounted.

LG bled around 4.5 billion dollars in this period. They were shipping 28 million phones compared to Samsung's 256 million. It was time to call it a day. LG first tried to sell its smartphone business. No luck, nobody wanted to bet on a sinking ship. So instead, they shut shop. Leaving behind an industry, it helped build. But we haven't heard the last of LG. Not by a long shot. They still own a thriving consumer appliances business. They are the second best-selling TV brand in the world.

The company plans to focus more on robotics and artificial intelligence. It's a bold new era for the Korean giant but LG's fall is a commentary on our times. The markets change every fortnight. Consumer taste depends on the next advertisement they watch. Market domination isn't absolute anymore. It's a game of musical chairs.

The smartphone industry is known to be a giant slayer. Companies that were perceived to be too big to fall have been shunned to the market fringes. Remember Nokia and Motorola?

Pioneers reduced to paupers. Loyal customers are an overrated concept. More than loyal today's customer are wily. They swapped out Yahoo for Gmail and Orkut for Facebook.

In the 90s and 2000s, blockbuster video ruled the video rental space, games, movies. They had it all.

In 2010, blockbuster filed for bankruptcy. They'd missed the digital bus. In 2000, blockbuster turned down an offer from what was back then a little-known business, Netflix.

Then there was polaroid, pioneers of instant photography. They basked in their initial success while DSLRs scooped away their customers.

The airline industry is another giant slayer. Big guns like Pan Am and Concorde revolutionised flying but they soon fell into ruin.

Remember the first rule of business. The customer is always right. Today, their message is clearer than ever. Innovate or die. LG's bag of neat tricks couldn't hide their slow processors in this highly competitive world. The only constant is change.

LG has decided to walk away from its smartphone business. It's the end of an era. Many features that we take for granted in our smartphones were actually pioneered by LG.

LG has decided to walk away from its smartphone business. It's the end of an era. Many features that we take for granted in our smartphones were actually pioneered by LG. They rolled out the first capacitive touch screen. They introduced us to slow motion video recording, but with a dwindling market share and mounting losses, they had no option but to shut shop. Wacky displays, ultra-wide cameras, gesture controls, LG did it all. And they did it, way ahead of their rivals. Apple can't stop bragging about its stainless-steel frames. For LG, that's old news because they did it in 2015. When Sony and Apple were toggling their screen brightness in 2014, LG unveiled quad high definition, four times standard HD, etc. LG had managed to conjure magic into its screens. Everyone wanted to own one. By 2013, it was the world's third largest smartphone maker. But then, things went south. The market was becoming more competitive. Apple and Samsung were making durable phones. Devices suited to our multi-tasking lives. LG just couldn't keep up. Its phones struggled with hardware and software issues. Users grew tired of staring at the buffering bezel. They abandoned LG. In the last 6 years, losses mounted. LG bled around 4.5 billion dollars in this period. They were shipping 28 million phones compared to Samsung's 256 million. It was time to call it a day. LG first tried to sell its smartphone business. No luck, nobody wanted to bet on a sinking ship. So instead, they shut shop. Leaving behind an industry, it helped build. But we haven't heard the last of LG. Not by a long shot. They still own a thriving consumer appliances business. They are the second best-selling TV brand in the world. The company plans to focus more on robotics and artificial intelligence. It's a bold new era for the Korean giant but LG's fall is a commentary on our times. The markets change every fortnight. Consumer taste depends on the next advertisement they watch. Market domination isn't absolute anymore. It's a game of musical chairs. The smartphone industry is known to be a giant slayer. Companies that were perceived to be too big to fall have been shunned to the market fringes. Remember Nokia and Motorola? Pioneers reduced to paupers. Loyal customers are an overrated concept. More than loyal today's customer are wily. They swapped out Yahoo for Gmail and Orkut for Facebook. In the 90s and 2000s, blockbuster video ruled the video rental space, games, movies. They had it all. In 2010, blockbuster filed for bankruptcy. They'd missed the digital bus. In 2000, blockbuster turned down an offer from what was back then a little-known business, Netflix. Then there was polaroid, pioneers of instant photography. They basked in their initial success while DSLRs scooped away their customers. The airline industry is another giant slayer. Big guns like Pan Am and Concorde revolutionised flying but they soon fell into ruin. Remember the first rule of business. The customer is always right. Today, their message is clearer than ever. Innovate or die. LG's bag of neat tricks couldn't hide their slow processors in this highly competitive world. The only constant is change.

Bidding goodbye to nostalgic LG smartphones 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused dozens of retired admirals of eyeing a ‘political coup’ by attacking his plans for a canal linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

Police have detained 10 of the former navy commanders and ordered four others to turn themselves in after they published an open letter critical of the proposed Canal Istanbul over the weekend.

Turkey's post-Ottoman history is littered with putsches by a military that views itself as the last guarantor of secularism in the mostly Muslim country.

Erdogan's fury was directed at a letter published by 104 former admirals over the weekend urging him to abide by the terms of the 1936 Montreux Convention.

The treaty is aimed at demilitarising the Black Sea by setting strict rules on warships' passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits.

But Erdogan's plan to build a new 45-kilometre (28-mile) shipping lane running to the west of the Bosphorus leaves open the question of whether the old treaty will apply to the proposed canal.

The retired admirals said the 1936 treaty ‘best protects Turkish interests’.

Erdogan told them on Monday that ‘the duty of retired admirals, 104 of whom come together, is not to publish declarations that hint at a political coup’.

"In a country whose past is filled with coups, (another) attempt by a group of retired admirals can never be accepted," he said after chairing a meeting with his top aides.

(With inputs from agencies)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused dozens of retired admirals of eyeing a ‘political coup’ by attacking his plans for a canal linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused dozens of retired admirals of eyeing a ‘political coup’ by attacking his plans for a canal linking the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Police have detained 10 of the former navy commanders and ordered four others to turn themselves in after they published an open letter critical of the proposed Canal Istanbul over the weekend. Turkey's post-Ottoman history is littered with putsches by a military that views itself as the last guarantor of secularism in the mostly Muslim country. Erdogan's fury was directed at a letter published by 104 former admirals over the weekend urging him to abide by the terms of the 1936 Montreux Convention. The treaty is aimed at demilitarising the Black Sea by setting strict rules on warships' passage through the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits. But Erdogan's plan to build a new 45-kilometre (28-mile) shipping lane running to the west of the Bosphorus leaves open the question of whether the old treaty will apply to the proposed canal. The retired admirals said the 1936 treaty ‘best protects Turkish interests’. Erdogan told them on Monday that ‘the duty of retired admirals, 104 of whom come together, is not to publish declarations that hint at a political coup’. "In a country whose past is filled with coups, (another) attempt by a group of retired admirals can never be accepted," he said after chairing a meeting with his top aides. (With inputs from agencies)

Turkish President accuses former admirals of 'political coup'

On Monday, Dubai Ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum announced the Emirates Development Bank is allocating 30 billion dirhams ($8.17 billion) to support companies regarded as a priority for the UAE economy.

According to a statement carried by WAM, the programme will benefit about 13,500 companies in industrial sectors, in turn creating 25,000 jobs.

Launched to support the UAE’s “Operation 300bn,” this 10-year strategy looks to expand the country’s industrial output, raising its contribution to GDP to 300 billion dirhams by 2031.

Sultan Al-Jaber, chairman, EDB, said, “The new EDB strategy will help accelerate industrial development and the adoption of advanced technology through dedicated financing programmes and will also provide dedicated investment funds that will support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs.”&nbsp;

“EDB will prioritise creating partnerships with UAE banks to give small and medium-sized industrial companies access to financial services, and in increasing its direct financing by 73 per cent in 2021 for priority sectors,” added UAE minister.&nbsp;

The bank is also set to launch a one billion dirhams investment fund for start-ups and SMEs in 2022.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Monday, Dubai Ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum announced the Emirates Development Bank is allocating 30 billion dirhams ($8.17 billion) to support companies regarded as a priority for the UAE economy.

On Monday, Dubai Ruler Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum announced the Emirates Development Bank is allocating 30 billion dirhams ($8.17 billion) to support companies regarded as a priority for the UAE economy. According to a statement carried by WAM, the programme will benefit about 13,500 companies in industrial sectors, in turn creating 25,000 jobs. Launched to support the UAE’s “Operation 300bn,” this 10-year strategy looks to expand the country’s industrial output, raising its contribution to GDP to 300 billion dirhams by 2031. Sultan Al-Jaber, chairman, EDB, said, “The new EDB strategy will help accelerate industrial development and the adoption of advanced technology through dedicated financing programmes and will also provide dedicated investment funds that will support entrepreneurs, start-ups and SMEs.” “EDB will prioritise creating partnerships with UAE banks to give small and medium-sized industrial companies access to financial services, and in increasing its direct financing by 73 per cent in 2021 for priority sectors,” added UAE minister. The bank is also set to launch a one billion dirhams investment fund for start-ups and SMEs in 2022. (With inputs from agencies)

UAE announces $8.2bn stimulus for industrial sector

Singapore blogger Leong Sze Hian’s lawyer said he raised money from fellow citizens to cover damages awarded to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a defamation trial.

On March 24, Singapore’s high court ordered Leong to pay S$133,000 (US$98,800) to Lee for posting a link to a Malaysian news website that alleged the city-state’s leader had helped launder Malaysia Development Berhad funds.

Lim Tean, Leong’s attorney posted on Facebook on Monday that since then, around 2,000 people donated to a crowdfunding campaign on social media to raise the amount. Lim said, “A new Singaporean has emerged.”

“Every citizen can now have the confidence that their fellow men will be their shield and bulwark against those who attempt to suppress their speech,” added Tean.

The Office of the prime minister declined to comment.

The Singaporean leader was personally cross-examined in court during the trial in October, and his lawyers said, the accusations are false and baseless. In the trial, Lee said it was his right to defend himself and he called it a ‘grave attack’ on his integrity and reputation.

In his defence, Leong denied he was being malicious. Although he removed Facebook post, the court documents show he didn’t comply with the demand sent by Lee’s lawyers to make a public apology.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Singapore blogger Leong Sze Hian’s lawyer said he raised money from fellow citizens to cover damages awarded to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a defamation trial.

Singapore blogger Leong Sze Hian’s lawyer said he raised money from fellow citizens to cover damages awarded to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a defamation trial. On March 24, Singapore’s high court ordered Leong to pay S$133,000 (US$98,800) to Lee for posting a link to a Malaysian news website that alleged the city-state’s leader had helped launder Malaysia Development Berhad funds. Lim Tean, Leong’s attorney posted on Facebook on Monday that since then, around 2,000 people donated to a crowdfunding campaign on social media to raise the amount. Lim said, “A new Singaporean has emerged.” “Every citizen can now have the confidence that their fellow men will be their shield and bulwark against those who attempt to suppress their speech,” added Tean. The Office of the prime minister declined to comment. The Singaporean leader was personally cross-examined in court during the trial in October, and his lawyers said, the accusations are false and baseless. In the trial, Lee said it was his right to defend himself and he called it a ‘grave attack’ on his integrity and reputation. In his defence, Leong denied he was being malicious. Although he removed Facebook post, the court documents show he didn’t comply with the demand sent by Lee’s lawyers to make a public apology. (With inputs from agencies)

Singapore blogger crowdfunds S$133,000 for PM Loong’s defamation award

Personal details such as phone numbers of around 6.1 million (61 lakh) Indians on Facebook have allegedly been leaked online and posted on hacking forums, according to a cybersecurity executive.

According to Alon Gal, co-founder and chief technical officer of cybersecurity firm Hudson Rock, personal data of 533 million Facebook users globally - including names, phone numbers and other details - was allegedly leaked online and posted for free on hacking forums.&nbsp;

"All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked," Gal has said in a tweet flagging the issue.&nbsp;

A list of countries that was shared in the tweet, showed that information of 6.1 million users from India, 32.3 million from the US, 11.5 million from the UK and 7.3 million from Australia, was part of the leaked data.&nbsp;

When contacted, a Facebook company spokesperson said, "This is old data that was previously reported on in 2019. We found and fixed this issue in August 2019".&nbsp;

Gal said in early 2020, a vulnerability, which enabled seeing the phone number linked to every Facebook account, was exploited, creating a database containing the information of 533 million users across all countries.&nbsp;

He added that details include phone number, Facebook ID and full name and "bad actors will certainly use the information for social engineering, scamming, hacking and marketing".&nbsp;

In the past too, Facebook - which had 2.80 billion monthly active users (MUAs) as of December 31, 2020, has faced challenges around data security.&nbsp;

In March 2018, Facebook data of over 5.62 lakh Indians was allegedly compromised as UK-based Cambridge Analytica had accessed information of about 87 million users globally. India is among the biggest markets for Facebook and its group companies, WhatsApp and Instagram. According to government data, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 41 crore Facebook users, and 21 crore users of Instagram.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Personal details such as phone numbers of around 6.1 million (61 lakh) Indians on Facebook have allegedly been leaked online and posted on hacking forums, according to a cybersecurity executive.

Personal details such as phone numbers of around 6.1 million (61 lakh) Indians on Facebook have allegedly been leaked online and posted on hacking forums, according to a cybersecurity executive. According to Alon Gal, co-founder and chief technical officer of cybersecurity firm Hudson Rock, personal data of 533 million Facebook users globally - including names, phone numbers and other details - was allegedly leaked online and posted for free on hacking forums. "All 533,000,000 Facebook records were just leaked for free. This means that if you have a Facebook account, it is extremely likely the phone number used for the account was leaked," Gal has said in a tweet flagging the issue. A list of countries that was shared in the tweet, showed that information of 6.1 million users from India, 32.3 million from the US, 11.5 million from the UK and 7.3 million from Australia, was part of the leaked data. When contacted, a Facebook company spokesperson said, "This is old data that was previously reported on in 2019. We found and fixed this issue in August 2019". Gal said in early 2020, a vulnerability, which enabled seeing the phone number linked to every Facebook account, was exploited, creating a database containing the information of 533 million users across all countries. He added that details include phone number, Facebook ID and full name and "bad actors will certainly use the information for social engineering, scamming, hacking and marketing". In the past too, Facebook - which had 2.80 billion monthly active users (MUAs) as of December 31, 2020, has faced challenges around data security. In March 2018, Facebook data of over 5.62 lakh Indians was allegedly compromised as UK-based Cambridge Analytica had accessed information of about 87 million users globally. India is among the biggest markets for Facebook and its group companies, WhatsApp and Instagram. According to government data, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 41 crore Facebook users, and 21 crore users of Instagram. (With inputs from agencies)

India’s 6.1 mn Facebook users’ personal details leaked online 

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Gandharv Walia

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