Italy expelled two Russian diplomats on Wednesday after police said they had arrested an Italian navy captain caught passing documents to a Russian official in return for money at a clandestine meeting.&nbsp;

The Italian, a captain of a frigate, and the Russian, a military official accredited at the embassy, were accused of 'serious crimes tied to spying and state security' after their meeting on Tuesday night, Italian Carabinieri police said.&nbsp;

The suspects were not identified.&nbsp;

Italy immediately summoned the Russian ambassador Sergey Razov and expelled two Russian officials believed to be involved in what Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio called an 'extremely grave matter'.&nbsp;

The Italian navy captain was taken into custody. Officials did not say whether the Russian army official, who had met him was one of the two, who were expelled.

Meanwhile, Britain on Wednesday said it 'stands in solidarity'&nbsp;with Italy over its expulsion of two Russian officials accused over a spy scandal, calling Moscow's actions 'malign and destabilising'.

"The UK stands in solidarity with Italy and its actions today, exposing and taking action against Russia's malign and destabilising activity that is designed to undermine our NATO ally," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote on Twitter.

Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a Russian lawmaker as saying Moscow would reciprocate for the expulsions, standard practice in such cases.&nbsp;

However, statements from Moscow suggested Russia was keen to play down the incident. The Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying that it regretted the expulsions, but that they did not threaten bilateral relations.&nbsp;

Earlier, the Kremlin said it did not have information about the circumstances of the case but hoped the two countries would maintain positive and constructive ties.&nbsp;

The incident was the latest in a series of spying accusations in recent months against Russians in European countries. Bulgaria expelled Russian officials on suspicion of spying in March, and the Netherlands did so in December.&nbsp;

NATO documents were among the files that the Italian passed to the Russian official, Ansa news agency said, raising potential security worries for other members of the Western military alliance.&nbsp;

The arrests were ordered by Rome prosecutors following a long investigation carried out by the Italian intelligence with the support of the military, the police force said.&nbsp;

Police did not specify where the arrests had taken place. No further comment would be made until a magistrate approves the arrest, they said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Italy expelled two Russian diplomats on Wednesday after police said they had arrested an Italian navy captain caught passing documents to a Russian official in return for money at a clandestine meeting.

Italy expelled two Russian diplomats on Wednesday after police said they had arrested an Italian navy captain caught passing documents to a Russian official in return for money at a clandestine meeting. The Italian, a captain of a frigate, and the Russian, a military official accredited at the embassy, were accused of 'serious crimes tied to spying and state security' after their meeting on Tuesday night, Italian Carabinieri police said. The suspects were not identified. Italy immediately summoned the Russian ambassador Sergey Razov and expelled two Russian officials believed to be involved in what Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio called an 'extremely grave matter'. The Italian navy captain was taken into custody. Officials did not say whether the Russian army official, who had met him was one of the two, who were expelled. Meanwhile, Britain on Wednesday said it 'stands in solidarity' with Italy over its expulsion of two Russian officials accused over a spy scandal, calling Moscow's actions 'malign and destabilising'. "The UK stands in solidarity with Italy and its actions today, exposing and taking action against Russia's malign and destabilising activity that is designed to undermine our NATO ally," Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab wrote on Twitter. Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a Russian lawmaker as saying Moscow would reciprocate for the expulsions, standard practice in such cases. However, statements from Moscow suggested Russia was keen to play down the incident. The Russian Foreign Ministry was quoted as saying that it regretted the expulsions, but that they did not threaten bilateral relations. Earlier, the Kremlin said it did not have information about the circumstances of the case but hoped the two countries would maintain positive and constructive ties. The incident was the latest in a series of spying accusations in recent months against Russians in European countries. Bulgaria expelled Russian officials on suspicion of spying in March, and the Netherlands did so in December. NATO documents were among the files that the Italian passed to the Russian official, Ansa news agency said, raising potential security worries for other members of the Western military alliance. The arrests were ordered by Rome prosecutors following a long investigation carried out by the Italian intelligence with the support of the military, the police force said. Police did not specify where the arrests had taken place. No further comment would be made until a magistrate approves the arrest, they said. (With inputs from agencies)

Italy expels two Russian diplomats, arrests navy captain for spying  

After&nbsp;seven&nbsp;days of dredging and tugging,&nbsp;it's green light at the Suez Canal.&nbsp;The massive container ship&nbsp;'Ever Given'&nbsp;is floating again.&nbsp;It's good news for Egypt and for the global economy,&nbsp;but it has also been a learning curve.&nbsp;

One ship was able to freeze global trade.&nbsp;One blocked canal spurred a run on the oil market.&nbsp;

The rear of the ship was re-floated but the front remained firmly stuck.&nbsp;Multiple tug boats were working overtime&nbsp;but it was Sunday's high tide that proved to be a game changer.&nbsp;Officials said the next 24 to 48 hours would be crucial&nbsp;and they were right.&nbsp;Thanks to some&nbsp;favourable&nbsp;tide and some more tugging, the vessel was back in deep waters.&nbsp;

It has been taken to a location outside the canal for inspection&nbsp;and&nbsp;more importantly, trade has resumed&nbsp;as hard as it was to dislodge the ship.&nbsp;The mission is only half done.&nbsp;The tailback at the Suez Canal is massive.&nbsp;Every second lost is worth its weight in thousands of dollars.&nbsp;425 ships were stuck at both ends of the canal.&nbsp;Egypt is planning to keep the Suez open 24x7 to clear the backlog.&nbsp;

Even then it could be days before traffic eases&nbsp;but here's another problem.&nbsp;These vessels were not sailing to the Suez Canal.&nbsp;They were sailing through it,&nbsp;so when they reach&nbsp;port&nbsp;another hold-up could be on the cards.&nbsp;

For&nbsp;seven&nbsp;days,&nbsp;the&nbsp;'Ever Given'&nbsp;held up cargo, both commercial and humanitarian.&nbsp;The estimated cost of this hold-up?&nbsp;9.6 billion dollars every day&nbsp;and for Egypt,&nbsp;this was a national crisis.&nbsp;

The country normally earns between 12 and 14 million dollars from the canal&nbsp;every day.&nbsp;

Last week,&nbsp;this income disappeared.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;the canal workers were rightly over-joyed.&nbsp;They found their own unique way to celebrate&nbsp;by sounding the foghorns in their tug boats.&nbsp;The coast is clear quite literally this time.&nbsp;At the end of the day,&nbsp;modern technology and human ingenuity pulled through&nbsp;but not before a stern test.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The&nbsp;'Ever Given'&nbsp;is a big ship.&nbsp;It weighs 200,000&nbsp;tonnes&nbsp;and is 400-metre-long&nbsp;and as high as the empire state building.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;the obvious question is&nbsp;what was a ship this size doing in the&nbsp;Suez&nbsp;Canal?&nbsp;

This is an artificial waterway.&nbsp;The canal is more than 150-year-old.&nbsp;Recently,&nbsp;it has undergone many upgrades.&nbsp;So theoretically,&nbsp;it should have been smooth sailing for the&nbsp;'Ever Given'&nbsp;but it wasn't.&nbsp;

The ship's owners say strong winds pushed the vessel ashore&nbsp;but canal authorities suspect human error,&nbsp;there is an investigation underway.&nbsp;So,&nbsp;we should have the answers soon&nbsp;but should a gust of wind be able to topple the world economy?&nbsp;

It's not exactly the sign of a robust system.&nbsp;The Suez Canal is too big and important for its own good. Fifty ships sail through it every day.&nbsp;

In 2020,&nbsp;a total of 19,000 vessels used it,&nbsp;ferrying 1.17 billion&nbsp;tonnes&nbsp;of cargo.&nbsp;The canal services 12% of global trade.&nbsp;The bigger they are, the harder they fall.&nbsp;This time,&nbsp;it was a multi-billion dollar&nbsp;fall.&nbsp;

So,&nbsp;what are the alternatives?&nbsp;

Right now,&nbsp;there isn't any,&nbsp;the Suez Canal saves time, cost and fuel.&nbsp;It shortens the voyage from Europe to Asia by around a week.&nbsp;That's like dog years in global trade.&nbsp;The alternative is to sail around the&nbsp;African&nbsp;continent.&nbsp;Experts agree that in this day and age,&nbsp;it is simply not feasible.&nbsp;The Suez Canal has been blocked before&nbsp;in 2004.&nbsp;It was shut for&nbsp;three&nbsp;days&nbsp;for&nbsp;same reason.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

An oil tanker,&nbsp;Tropic Brilliance,&nbsp;was stuck&nbsp;but it wasn't a billion dollar traffic jam.&nbsp;Because back then, the stakes weren't this high.&nbsp;Today,&nbsp;we&nbsp;are living in the age of containers.&nbsp;Ships&nbsp;are&nbsp;bigger than our tallest monuments.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It pays to operate these mammoth vessels.&nbsp;In one trip,&nbsp;you can transport goods worth millions of dollars.&nbsp;The&nbsp;'Ever Given',&nbsp;for example,&nbsp;was carrying&nbsp;one&nbsp;billion&nbsp;dollars worth&nbsp;of goods.&nbsp;

It's a system set-up for mishaps like this one.&nbsp;The ship may have moved but this story is far from over.&nbsp;The oil traders are watching closely.&nbsp;Exporters are weighing their options&nbsp;and wait till insurance companies get the bill.&nbsp;The Suez Canal is not just any other waterway.&nbsp;It is steeped in history,&nbsp;not just economic but political as well.&nbsp;

The last time,&nbsp;there was a Suez crisis was more than half a century back.&nbsp;The world we live in was shaped by that crisis.&nbsp;This one may not be as significant&nbsp;but it raises crucial questions about the world economy.&nbsp;

After seven days of dredging and tugging, it's green light at the Suez Canal. The massive container ship 'Ever Given' is floating again. It's good news for Egypt and for the global economy, but it has also been a learning curve.

After seven days of dredging and tugging, it's green light at the Suez Canal. The massive container ship 'Ever Given' is floating again. It's good news for Egypt and for the global economy, but it has also been a learning curve. One ship was able to freeze global trade. One blocked canal spurred a run on the oil market. The rear of the ship was re-floated but the front remained firmly stuck. Multiple tug boats were working overtime but it was Sunday's high tide that proved to be a game changer. Officials said the next 24 to 48 hours would be crucial and they were right. Thanks to some favourable tide and some more tugging, the vessel was back in deep waters. It has been taken to a location outside the canal for inspection and more importantly, trade has resumed as hard as it was to dislodge the ship. The mission is only half done. The tailback at the Suez Canal is massive. Every second lost is worth its weight in thousands of dollars. 425 ships were stuck at both ends of the canal. Egypt is planning to keep the Suez open 24x7 to clear the backlog. Even then it could be days before traffic eases but here's another problem. These vessels were not sailing to the Suez Canal. They were sailing through it, so when they reach port another hold-up could be on the cards. For seven days, the 'Ever Given' held up cargo, both commercial and humanitarian. The estimated cost of this hold-up? 9.6 billion dollars every day and for Egypt, this was a national crisis. The country normally earns between 12 and 14 million dollars from the canal every day. Last week, this income disappeared. So, the canal workers were rightly over-joyed. They found their own unique way to celebrate by sounding the foghorns in their tug boats. The coast is clear quite literally this time. At the end of the day, modern technology and human ingenuity pulled through but not before a stern test. The 'Ever Given' is a big ship. It weighs 200,000 tonnes and is 400-metre-long and as high as the empire state building. So, the obvious question is what was a ship this size doing in the Suez Canal? This is an artificial waterway. The canal is more than 150-year-old. Recently, it has undergone many upgrades. So theoretically, it should have been smooth sailing for the 'Ever Given' but it wasn't. The ship's owners say strong winds pushed the vessel ashore but canal authorities suspect human error, there is an investigation underway. So, we should have the answers soon but should a gust of wind be able to topple the world economy? It's not exactly the sign of a robust system. The Suez Canal is too big and important for its own good. Fifty ships sail through it every day. In 2020, a total of 19,000 vessels used it, ferrying 1.17 billion tonnes of cargo. The canal services 12% of global trade. The bigger they are, the harder they fall. This time, it was a multi-billion dollar fall. So, what are the alternatives? Right now, there isn't any, the Suez Canal saves time, cost and fuel. It shortens the voyage from Europe to Asia by around a week. That's like dog years in global trade. The alternative is to sail around the African continent. Experts agree that in this day and age, it is simply not feasible. The Suez Canal has been blocked before in 2004. It was shut for three days for same reason. An oil tanker, Tropic Brilliance, was stuck but it wasn't a billion dollar traffic jam. Because back then, the stakes weren't this high. Today, we are living in the age of containers. Ships are bigger than our tallest monuments. It pays to operate these mammoth vessels. In one trip, you can transport goods worth millions of dollars. The 'Ever Given', for example, was carrying one billion dollars worth of goods. It's a system set-up for mishaps like this one. The ship may have moved but this story is far from over. The oil traders are watching closely. Exporters are weighing their options and wait till insurance companies get the bill. The Suez Canal is not just any other waterway. It is steeped in history, not just economic but political as well. The last time, there was a Suez crisis was more than half a century back. The world we live in was shaped by that crisis. This one may not be as significant but it raises crucial questions about the world economy.

'Ever Given' floats again but backlog at Suez Canal continues  

The Taliban’s swagger is unmistakable. From the recent bellicose speech of their deputy leader, boasting of “conquests,” to sneering references to the “foreign masters” of the “illegitimate” Kabul government, to the Taliban’s own website tally of “puppets” killed — Afghan soldiers — they are promoting a bold message:

We have already won the war.

And that belief, grounded in military and political reality, is shaping Afghanistan’s volatile present. On the eve of talks in Turkey next month over the country’s future, it is the elephant in the room: the half-acknowledged truth that the Taliban have the upper hand and are thus showing little outward interest in compromise, or of going along with the dominant American idea, power-sharing.

While the Taliban’s current rhetoric is also propaganda, the grim sense of Taliban supremacy is dictating the response of a desperate Afghan government and influencing Afghanistan’s anxious foreign interlocutors. It contributes to the abandonment of dozens of checkpoints and falling morale among the Afghan security forces, already hammered by a “not sustainable” casualty rate of perhaps 3,000 a month, a senior Western diplomat in Kabul said.

The group doesn’t hide its pride at having compelled its principal adversary for 20 years, the United States, to negotiate with the Taliban and, last year, to sign an agreement to completely withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. In exchange, the Taliban agreed to stop attacking foreign forces and to sever ties with international terrorist groups such as al-Qaida.

The Biden administration has yet to definitively say whether it will meet that deadline, just weeks away.

“No mujahed ever thought that one day we would face such an improved state, or that we will crush the arrogance of the rebellious emperors, and force them to admit their defeat at our hands,” the Taliban’s deputy leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, said in a recent speech. “Fortunately, today, we and you are experiencing better circumstances.”

Nearly every day, the Taliban’s website features reports of purported defections to its side, though the details are likely exaggerated, just as both the Taliban and the Afghan government exaggerate each other’s casualties. “59 enemy personnel switch sides to Islamic Emirate,” read one recent headline.

Having outlasted the all-powerful Americans, the rest is child’s play, in the Taliban’s view. The game is essentially over.

“They think they have beaten the Americans, so they can beat the other Afghan forces as well, and get control over the country,” said Jawed Kohistani, an Afghan analyst and former security official in Kabul.

The Taliban, who governed most of the country from 1996 to 2001, are not interested in true sharing-power, Kohistani said. “They are planning to restore their Islamic emirate,” he added, “and they will punish all those involved in corruption and land grabbing.”

Antonio Giustozzi, a leading Taliban expert, disputed the idea that the Taliban are necessarily bent on reimposing a similarly hard-line Islamic regime. “As long as they can get to power through a political agreement, between establishing the emirate and democracy, there are options,” he said. “The aim would be to become the dominant power.”

The Taliban know that Afghanistan, an aid-dependent state, 80% of whose expenditures are funded from international donors, cannot afford the isolation of that era, analysts say.

Just as the Taliban have become increasingly sophisticated in their use of social media, online propaganda and a pugnacious English-language website — though they still often ban smartphones in areas they control — so has their language evolved to reflect the current moment.

With the decisive shift in their military fortunes, their words have become assertive and victorious, a posture that would have been impossible a mere three years ago, analysts say.

The corollary to such posturing is the Afghan government’s insistence that it expects a deadly endgame with the insurgency. Government officials rarely claim that &lt;em&gt;they &lt;/em&gt;and not the Taliban are the victors, because they can’t. Evidence of Taliban ascendancy, in the insurgents’ steady offensive in the countryside, their systematic encroachment on cities and their overrunning of military bases, is too prevalent.

U.S. negotiators are pushing ideas of compromise and power-sharing, but government officials are largely resistant to them — in part because any interim government would most likely require Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, to step down. He has steadfastly refused to even consider it.

Instead, the government employs back-to-the-wall language indicating that the bloody struggle will only intensify. Earlier this month, a senior official told reporters inside the intensively guarded presidential palace complex that a compromise, coalition government — recently proposed to both sides by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. peace envoy — would merely be used by the Taliban as a “Trojan horse” for the seizure of power.

It was “totally unrealistic” to think the insurgents would agree to it, “knowing their psychology,” the official said. “I am not promising a better situation in the future. But we will continue fighting.”

Ghani sounded a largely pessimistic note in remarks to the Aspen Institute in January. “In their eschatology, Afghanistan is the place where the final battle takes place,” he said of the Taliban.

We “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” he said.

The Ghani administration’s bleak outlook also reflects the insurgent group’s territorial gains. In December, nearly 200 checkpoints in Kandahar, the Taliban’s historic stronghold, were abandoned by Afghan security forces, according to the U.S. government’s Afghanistan watchdog.

“I think they are 90% right,” said Giustozzi, of the insurgent group’s claims of victory. “Clearly the war has been lost. Clearly things have gone in the wrong direction. Things have worsened under Ghani. The trend is in their favor.”

Some analysts caution that while the Taliban may think they have won, other armed actors in the Afghan equation will make a forced takeover difficult. That was the experience 25 years ago, when the Taliban were forced to battle warlords principally in the north and east, and failed to gain total control over the entire country.

A militia in central Afghanistan led by Abdul Ghani Alipur, a local warlord, has already inflamed hostility with the government in recent months. And longtime power brokers in the country’s west and north have rallied fighters to defend against the Taliban, if necessary.

Meanwhile, the Taliban rely on fear to keep local populations in rural areas quiescent. An effective tool is the insurgents’ hidden network of ad hoc underground prisons where torture and punishment are meted out to those suspected of working for, or with, the government.

But the Taliban are also viewed by some as being less corrupt than Afghan officials. The group’s judges adjudicate civil and property disputes, perhaps more efficiently than the government’s faltering institutions.

In some areas under Taliban control, they have permitted schools for girls to continue operating, Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, pointed out in a recent paper — though, he notes, this may be driven more by political imperative than a softening of ideology.

Elsewhere, the Taliban’s increasingly confident messaging has penetrated deep into its rank-and-file, in large part because events have borne it out.

People said that it is not possible to fire on U.S. forces,” said Muslim Mohabat, a former Taliban fighter from Watapor District in Kunar province. “They would say the barrel of the rifle would bend if you open fire on them, but we attacked them, and nothing happened.”

“Then we kept attacking them and forced them to leave the valley,” said Mohabat, who fought in some of the most violent battles of the war with the United States.

In the insurgents’ view, their advances will inexorably lead to the end of the Kabul government.

“On the battlefield there is a sense that, ‘We’re stronger than ever,’ ’’ said Ashley Jackson, a Taliban expert at the Overseas Development Institute. “Power-sharing and democracy, these are anathema to their political culture.”

The Taliban’s swagger is unmistakable. From the recent bellicose speech of their deputy leader, boasting of “conquests,” to sneering references to the “foreign masters” of the “illegitimate” Kabul government, to the Taliban’s own website tally of “puppets” killed — Afghan soldiers — they are promoting a bold message: We have already won the war.

The Taliban’s swagger is unmistakable. From the recent bellicose speech of their deputy leader, boasting of “conquests,” to sneering references to the “foreign masters” of the “illegitimate” Kabul government, to the Taliban’s own website tally of “puppets” killed — Afghan soldiers — they are promoting a bold message: We have already won the war. And that belief, grounded in military and political reality, is shaping Afghanistan’s volatile present. On the eve of talks in Turkey next month over the country’s future, it is the elephant in the room: the half-acknowledged truth that the Taliban have the upper hand and are thus showing little outward interest in compromise, or of going along with the dominant American idea, power-sharing. While the Taliban’s current rhetoric is also propaganda, the grim sense of Taliban supremacy is dictating the response of a desperate Afghan government and influencing Afghanistan’s anxious foreign interlocutors. It contributes to the abandonment of dozens of checkpoints and falling morale among the Afghan security forces, already hammered by a “not sustainable” casualty rate of perhaps 3,000 a month, a senior Western diplomat in Kabul said. The group doesn’t hide its pride at having compelled its principal adversary for 20 years, the United States, to negotiate with the Taliban and, last year, to sign an agreement to completely withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan by May 1, 2021. In exchange, the Taliban agreed to stop attacking foreign forces and to sever ties with international terrorist groups such as al-Qaida. The Biden administration has yet to definitively say whether it will meet that deadline, just weeks away. “No mujahed ever thought that one day we would face such an improved state, or that we will crush the arrogance of the rebellious emperors, and force them to admit their defeat at our hands,” the Taliban’s deputy leader, Sirajuddin Haqqani, said in a recent speech. “Fortunately, today, we and you are experiencing better circumstances.” Nearly every day, the Taliban’s website features reports of purported defections to its side, though the details are likely exaggerated, just as both the Taliban and the Afghan government exaggerate each other’s casualties. “59 enemy personnel switch sides to Islamic Emirate,” read one recent headline. Having outlasted the all-powerful Americans, the rest is child’s play, in the Taliban’s view. The game is essentially over. “They think they have beaten the Americans, so they can beat the other Afghan forces as well, and get control over the country,” said Jawed Kohistani, an Afghan analyst and former security official in Kabul. The Taliban, who governed most of the country from 1996 to 2001, are not interested in true sharing-power, Kohistani said. “They are planning to restore their Islamic emirate,” he added, “and they will punish all those involved in corruption and land grabbing.” Antonio Giustozzi, a leading Taliban expert, disputed the idea that the Taliban are necessarily bent on reimposing a similarly hard-line Islamic regime. “As long as they can get to power through a political agreement, between establishing the emirate and democracy, there are options,” he said. “The aim would be to become the dominant power.” The Taliban know that Afghanistan, an aid-dependent state, 80% of whose expenditures are funded from international donors, cannot afford the isolation of that era, analysts say. Just as the Taliban have become increasingly sophisticated in their use of social media, online propaganda and a pugnacious English-language website — though they still often ban smartphones in areas they control — so has their language evolved to reflect the current moment. With the decisive shift in their military fortunes, their words have become assertive and victorious, a posture that would have been impossible a mere three years ago, analysts say. The corollary to such posturing is the Afghan government’s insistence that it expects a deadly endgame with the insurgency. Government officials rarely claim that they and not the Taliban are the victors, because they can’t. Evidence of Taliban ascendancy, in the insurgents’ steady offensive in the countryside, their systematic encroachment on cities and their overrunning of military bases, is too prevalent. U.S. negotiators are pushing ideas of compromise and power-sharing, but government officials are largely resistant to them — in part because any interim government would most likely require Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani, to step down. He has steadfastly refused to even consider it. Instead, the government employs back-to-the-wall language indicating that the bloody struggle will only intensify. Earlier this month, a senior official told reporters inside the intensively guarded presidential palace complex that a compromise, coalition government — recently proposed to both sides by Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. peace envoy — would merely be used by the Taliban as a “Trojan horse” for the seizure of power. It was “totally unrealistic” to think the insurgents would agree to it, “knowing their psychology,” the official said. “I am not promising a better situation in the future. But we will continue fighting.” Ghani sounded a largely pessimistic note in remarks to the Aspen Institute in January. “In their eschatology, Afghanistan is the place where the final battle takes place,” he said of the Taliban. We “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” he said. The Ghani administration’s bleak outlook also reflects the insurgent group’s territorial gains. In December, nearly 200 checkpoints in Kandahar, the Taliban’s historic stronghold, were abandoned by Afghan security forces, according to the U.S. government’s Afghanistan watchdog. “I think they are 90% right,” said Giustozzi, of the insurgent group’s claims of victory. “Clearly the war has been lost. Clearly things have gone in the wrong direction. Things have worsened under Ghani. The trend is in their favor.” Some analysts caution that while the Taliban may think they have won, other armed actors in the Afghan equation will make a forced takeover difficult. That was the experience 25 years ago, when the Taliban were forced to battle warlords principally in the north and east, and failed to gain total control over the entire country. A militia in central Afghanistan led by Abdul Ghani Alipur, a local warlord, has already inflamed hostility with the government in recent months. And longtime power brokers in the country’s west and north have rallied fighters to defend against the Taliban, if necessary. Meanwhile, the Taliban rely on fear to keep local populations in rural areas quiescent. An effective tool is the insurgents’ hidden network of ad hoc underground prisons where torture and punishment are meted out to those suspected of working for, or with, the government. But the Taliban are also viewed by some as being less corrupt than Afghan officials. The group’s judges adjudicate civil and property disputes, perhaps more efficiently than the government’s faltering institutions. In some areas under Taliban control, they have permitted schools for girls to continue operating, Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network, pointed out in a recent paper — though, he notes, this may be driven more by political imperative than a softening of ideology. Elsewhere, the Taliban’s increasingly confident messaging has penetrated deep into its rank-and-file, in large part because events have borne it out. People said that it is not possible to fire on U.S. forces,” said Muslim Mohabat, a former Taliban fighter from Watapor District in Kunar province. “They would say the barrel of the rifle would bend if you open fire on them, but we attacked them, and nothing happened.” “Then we kept attacking them and forced them to leave the valley,” said Mohabat, who fought in some of the most violent battles of the war with the United States. In the insurgents’ view, their advances will inexorably lead to the end of the Kabul government. “On the battlefield there is a sense that, ‘We’re stronger than ever,’ ’’ said Ashley Jackson, a Taliban expert at the Overseas Development Institute. “Power-sharing and democracy, these are anathema to their political culture.”

The Taliban think they have already won, peace deal or not

The commanders of Brazil's army, navy and air force will be replaced, the defence ministry said Tuesday, a day after President Jair Bolsonaro overhauled his cabinet with six substitutions, including a new defence minister.

"The decision was communicated in a meeting on Tuesday with incoming defence minister (Walter Souza) Braga Netto and outgoing minister Fernando Azevedo," it said in a brief statement that did not give a reason for their departure.

Amid a slide in his popularity, President Jair Bolsonaro had earlier shaken up the Cabinet, including replacing Brazil's foreign minister,&nbsp;who was widely&nbsp;criticised&nbsp;for an anti-globalism stance and accused by some of aggravating the pandemic by alienating vaccine suppliers.&nbsp;

Bolsonaro tweeted&nbsp;on&nbsp;Monday that he was shifting three other Cabinet ministers to new posts,&nbsp;chief of staff,&nbsp;defence&nbsp;minister and attorney general,&nbsp;and naming a new justice and public security minister and a new government secretary.&nbsp;

But the biggest change was moving&nbsp;Ernesto Araújo&nbsp;out as foreign minister.&nbsp;Ernesto Araújo&nbsp;had most recently been under fire for comments and actions that critics said impeded faster access to coronavirus vaccines as the coronavirus batters Brazil.&nbsp;

It was just the latest Cabinet turmoil for the embattled Bolsonaro. The president in mid-March replaced the health minister, whose tenure coincided with most of Brazil's 314,000 Covid-19 deaths and became the target of fierce criticism. In February, Bolsonaro tapped a retired army general to take over state-run oil behemoth Petrobras, seeking to appeal to his constituency of truck drivers,&nbsp;who had threatened to strike over fuel price increases.&nbsp;

Araújo&nbsp;was subjected to a nearly five-hour Senate hearing last week to defend his ministry's actions during the pandemic. Center-right Sen Tasso&nbsp;Jereissati&nbsp;told the minister that he no longer had the standing to remain in the post and that his exit would end the help end the crisis.&nbsp;

Maurício Santoro, professor of political science and international relations at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, said the Senate attacks on&nbsp;Araújo&nbsp;became too overpowering for Bolsonaro to withstand.&nbsp;

"The vaccine issue was the spark that lit the fire,"&nbsp;Santoro said.&nbsp;"The general context is&nbsp;Araújo&nbsp;failed in all the most important tasks he had to do as a minister. Brazil is facing bad political dialogue with its biggest trade partners,&nbsp;China, the US, the EU and Argentina,&nbsp;all for different reasons.&nbsp;

The new foreign minister is Carlos&nbsp;França, who like&nbsp;Araújo&nbsp;is a career diplomat. But unlike&nbsp;Araújo,&nbsp;França&nbsp;isn't a follower of far-right ideologue Olavo de Carvalho, the newspaper O Globo reported. He is an adviser to Bolsonaro and former ceremonial chief at the presidential palace and is considered to be pragmatic rather than ideological.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The commanders of Brazil's army, navy and air force will be replaced, the defence ministry said Tuesday, a day after President Jair Bolsonaro overhauled his cabinet with six substitutions, including a new defence minister.

The commanders of Brazil's army, navy and air force will be replaced, the defence ministry said Tuesday, a day after President Jair Bolsonaro overhauled his cabinet with six substitutions, including a new defence minister. "The decision was communicated in a meeting on Tuesday with incoming defence minister (Walter Souza) Braga Netto and outgoing minister Fernando Azevedo," it said in a brief statement that did not give a reason for their departure. Amid a slide in his popularity, President Jair Bolsonaro had earlier shaken up the Cabinet, including replacing Brazil's foreign minister, who was widely criticised for an anti-globalism stance and accused by some of aggravating the pandemic by alienating vaccine suppliers. Bolsonaro tweeted on Monday that he was shifting three other Cabinet ministers to new posts, chief of staff, defence minister and attorney general, and naming a new justice and public security minister and a new government secretary. But the biggest change was moving Ernesto Araújo out as foreign minister. Ernesto Araújo had most recently been under fire for comments and actions that critics said impeded faster access to coronavirus vaccines as the coronavirus batters Brazil. It was just the latest Cabinet turmoil for the embattled Bolsonaro. The president in mid-March replaced the health minister, whose tenure coincided with most of Brazil's 314,000 Covid-19 deaths and became the target of fierce criticism. In February, Bolsonaro tapped a retired army general to take over state-run oil behemoth Petrobras, seeking to appeal to his constituency of truck drivers, who had threatened to strike over fuel price increases. Araújo was subjected to a nearly five-hour Senate hearing last week to defend his ministry's actions during the pandemic. Center-right Sen Tasso Jereissati told the minister that he no longer had the standing to remain in the post and that his exit would end the help end the crisis. Maurício Santoro, professor of political science and international relations at the University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, said the Senate attacks on Araújo became too overpowering for Bolsonaro to withstand. "The vaccine issue was the spark that lit the fire," Santoro said. "The general context is Araújo failed in all the most important tasks he had to do as a minister. Brazil is facing bad political dialogue with its biggest trade partners, China, the US, the EU and Argentina, all for different reasons. The new foreign minister is Carlos França, who like Araújo is a career diplomat. But unlike Araújo, França isn't a follower of far-right ideologue Olavo de Carvalho, the newspaper O Globo reported. He is an adviser to Bolsonaro and former ceremonial chief at the presidential palace and is considered to be pragmatic rather than ideological. (With inputs from agencies)

Military chiefs exit in new turmoil for Bolsonaro after Cabinet shake-up

The president of the Pacific island nation of Palau was visiting Taiwan on Tuesday along with the US Ambassador to his country, a show of solidarity as China increases diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan.&nbsp;

Palau President Surangel Whipps said during a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen that he and his delegation 'feel like home when we are here'.&nbsp;

In her welcoming statement, Tsai noted Whipps was the first foreign leader to visit Taiwan since the beginning of the pandemic and said a travel bubble established between the two sides would be a model for safe two-way travel that has been closely watched not just by our own people but also by the entire world.&nbsp;

China has banned its citizens from visiting Palau, but Taiwan has responded by introducing a travel bubble between the two that will allow visitors to avoid being quarantined.&nbsp;

The presence on the trip of the US Ambassador to Palau, John Hennessey-Niland, was a further sign of Washington's support for Taiwan, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations between the two.&nbsp;

China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under Beijing's control by force if deemed necessary and it has worked to internationally isolate the island.&nbsp;

Taiwan has just 15 formal diplomatic allies but operates a network of trade offices around the world that act as de-facto embassies, including in the United States, Japan and most other major nations.&nbsp;

China has blocked Taiwan's participation in international organisations including the United Nations and sought to scupper the island's relationships with other countries by threatening to withdraw its own diplomatic presence and economic support.&nbsp;

In Beijing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying repeated China's opposition to formal exchanges between Taiwan and the US.&nbsp;

"We hope the US will pay great attention to China's concerns and act prudently on the issue of Taiwan so as to avoid further damage to China-US Relations," Hua told reporters at a daily briefing.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The president of the Pacific island nation of Palau was visiting Taiwan on Tuesday along with the US Ambassador to his country, a show of solidarity as China increases diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan.

The president of the Pacific island nation of Palau was visiting Taiwan on Tuesday along with the US Ambassador to his country, a show of solidarity as China increases diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan. Palau President Surangel Whipps said during a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen that he and his delegation 'feel like home when we are here'. In her welcoming statement, Tsai noted Whipps was the first foreign leader to visit Taiwan since the beginning of the pandemic and said a travel bubble established between the two sides would be a model for safe two-way travel that has been closely watched not just by our own people but also by the entire world. China has banned its citizens from visiting Palau, but Taiwan has responded by introducing a travel bubble between the two that will allow visitors to avoid being quarantined. The presence on the trip of the US Ambassador to Palau, John Hennessey-Niland, was a further sign of Washington's support for Taiwan, despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations between the two. China claims Taiwan as its own territory to be brought under Beijing's control by force if deemed necessary and it has worked to internationally isolate the island. Taiwan has just 15 formal diplomatic allies but operates a network of trade offices around the world that act as de-facto embassies, including in the United States, Japan and most other major nations. China has blocked Taiwan's participation in international organisations including the United Nations and sought to scupper the island's relationships with other countries by threatening to withdraw its own diplomatic presence and economic support. In Beijing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying repeated China's opposition to formal exchanges between Taiwan and the US. "We hope the US will pay great attention to China's concerns and act prudently on the issue of Taiwan so as to avoid further damage to China-US Relations," Hua told reporters at a daily briefing. (With inputs from agencies)

Palau president visits Taiwan despite Chinese pressure 

In response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter, Pakistan's PM Imran Khan has written back thanking for the latter's greetings on Pakistan Day. &nbsp;

Khan said, "The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India. We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular the Jammu &amp; Kashmir dispute."&nbsp;

The PM also talked about the importance of creation of an enabling environment for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue.&nbsp;

Prime Minister also looked to elaborate on the importance of the day by saying, "The people of Pakistan commemorate this Day by paying tribute to the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers in envisioning an independent, sovereign state where they could live in freedom and realize their full potential." &nbsp;

Prime Minister Imran Khan also took the opportunity to convey best wishes for the people of India in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

Earlier, Modi wrote a letter to Khan to extend greetings to the people of that country on the occasion of Pakistan Day.&nbsp;

He also said, "As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. For this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative." &nbsp;

Government sources said it is a routine letter sent every year.&nbsp;

Modi also conveyed his best wishes to Khan and the people of Pakistan in dealing with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

There have been indications of positive movement in ties between India and Pakistan.&nbsp;

Last month, the Indian and Pakistani armies recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Recently, a delegation of Pakistani officials arrived in India for a meeting of the permanent Indus commission. It is the first such dialogue in over two-and-a-half years.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter, Pakistan's PM Imran Khan has written back thanking for the latter's greetings on Pakistan Day. Khan said, "The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India.

In response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter, Pakistan's PM Imran Khan has written back thanking for the latter's greetings on Pakistan Day. Khan said, "The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India. We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular the Jammu & Kashmir dispute." The PM also talked about the importance of creation of an enabling environment for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue. Prime Minister also looked to elaborate on the importance of the day by saying, "The people of Pakistan commemorate this Day by paying tribute to the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers in envisioning an independent, sovereign state where they could live in freedom and realize their full potential." Prime Minister Imran Khan also took the opportunity to convey best wishes for the people of India in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier, Modi wrote a letter to Khan to extend greetings to the people of that country on the occasion of Pakistan Day. He also said, "As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. For this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative." Government sources said it is a routine letter sent every year. Modi also conveyed his best wishes to Khan and the people of Pakistan in dealing with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. There have been indications of positive movement in ties between India and Pakistan. Last month, the Indian and Pakistani armies recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Recently, a delegation of Pakistani officials arrived in India for a meeting of the permanent Indus commission. It is the first such dialogue in over two-and-a-half years. (With inputs from agencies)

Letter diplomacy? Imran Khan writes back to PM Modi conveying gratitude

China has sharply reduced the number of directly elected seats in Hong Kong's legislature in a setback for the territory's already beleaguered democracy movement.&nbsp;

The changes were announced on Tuesday after a two-day meeting of China's top legislature.&nbsp;

In the new make-up, the legislature will be expanded to 90 seats, and only 20 will be elected by the public. Currently, half of the 70-seat legislature, 35 seats, are directly elected.&nbsp;

The move is part of a two-phase effort to reign in political protest and opposition in Hong Kong, which is part of China but has had a more liberal political system as a former British colony. China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong last year and is following up this year with a revamp of the electoral process.&nbsp;

The crackdown comes in the wake of months of pro-democracy protests in 2019 that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets and turned violent as the government resisted protester demands.&nbsp;

China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, amended Hong Kong's constitution to pave the way for the changes. The Hong Kong government is now tasked with revising its electoral laws and holding an election.&nbsp;

In the current 70-member legislature, voters elect half the members and the other half are chosen by constituencies representing various professions and interest groups. Many of the constituencies lean pro-Beijing, ensuring that wing a majority in the legislature.&nbsp;

The new body will have 20 elected members, 30 chosen by the constituencies and 40 by an Election Committee, which also has and will continue to choose the city's leader. The committee, which will be expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members, is dominated by supporters of the central government in Beijing.&nbsp;

A separate committee will also be established to review the qualifications of candidates for office in Hong Kong to ensure the city is governed by 'patriots', in the language of the central government.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

China has sharply reduced the number of directly elected seats in Hong Kong's legislature in a setback for the territory's already beleaguered democracy movement.

China has sharply reduced the number of directly elected seats in Hong Kong's legislature in a setback for the territory's already beleaguered democracy movement. The changes were announced on Tuesday after a two-day meeting of China's top legislature. In the new make-up, the legislature will be expanded to 90 seats, and only 20 will be elected by the public. Currently, half of the 70-seat legislature, 35 seats, are directly elected. The move is part of a two-phase effort to reign in political protest and opposition in Hong Kong, which is part of China but has had a more liberal political system as a former British colony. China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong last year and is following up this year with a revamp of the electoral process. The crackdown comes in the wake of months of pro-democracy protests in 2019 that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets and turned violent as the government resisted protester demands. China's top legislature, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, amended Hong Kong's constitution to pave the way for the changes. The Hong Kong government is now tasked with revising its electoral laws and holding an election. In the current 70-member legislature, voters elect half the members and the other half are chosen by constituencies representing various professions and interest groups. Many of the constituencies lean pro-Beijing, ensuring that wing a majority in the legislature. The new body will have 20 elected members, 30 chosen by the constituencies and 40 by an Election Committee, which also has and will continue to choose the city's leader. The committee, which will be expanded from 1,200 to 1,500 members, is dominated by supporters of the central government in Beijing. A separate committee will also be established to review the qualifications of candidates for office in Hong Kong to ensure the city is governed by 'patriots', in the language of the central government. (With inputs from agencies)

China sharply reduces elected seats in Hong Kong legislature to 20 from 35 

A 15.81 carat Sakura diamond, the largest of its kind to ever appear for sale, will go under the hammer at Christie's upcoming Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels Live Auction on May 23, the auction house announced on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Estimated at 25 million USD to 38 million USD, the 'fancy vivid purple pink internally flawless' diamond will be the star highlight of the sale.&nbsp;

It is the diamond's exceptional rarity, extraordinary optical transparency, brilliant colour, and enormous size that make it an immensely important, and eternal masterpiece of nature.&nbsp;

"As fewer than 10 per cent of pink diamonds weigh more than one-fifth of a carat, this fancy vivid purple-pink diamond is of an unprecedented size of 15.81 carats, which is the largest of its kind (Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink) to be offered at any auction," a Christie's statement noted.&nbsp;

It added that the lot fell in the exclusive group of the four per cent of pink diamonds that possess a colour deep enough to qualify as 'fancy vivid'.&nbsp;

"This magnificent gem is graded 'fancy vivid' for its perfect display of strong saturation and remarkable pink hue with a secondary colour of purple, resembling the fascinating colour of cherry blossoms appropriately coinciding with spring," the auction house said.&nbsp;

Christie's has previously offered on auction several of the largest and the rarest pink diamonds, including the Winston Pink Legacy sold in Geneva in 2018 that still holds the auction record per carat for any pink diamond.&nbsp;

"This season we are very honoured to continue this fine tradition by presenting 'The Sakura Diamond' in Hong Kong."&nbsp;

"This exceptionally rare and magnificent wonder of nature represents a unique expression of identity and mesmerising beauty through its enthralling purple pink hue, that will undoubtedly capture the hearts of discerning connoisseurs and collectors worldwide," said Vickie Sek, Chairman, Department of Jewellery, Christie's Asia Pacific. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A 15.81 carat Sakura diamond, the largest of its kind to ever appear for sale, will go under the hammer at Christie's upcoming Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels Live Auction on May 23, the auction house announced on Tuesday.

A 15.81 carat Sakura diamond, the largest of its kind to ever appear for sale, will go under the hammer at Christie's upcoming Hong Kong Magnificent Jewels Live Auction on May 23, the auction house announced on Tuesday. Estimated at 25 million USD to 38 million USD, the 'fancy vivid purple pink internally flawless' diamond will be the star highlight of the sale. It is the diamond's exceptional rarity, extraordinary optical transparency, brilliant colour, and enormous size that make it an immensely important, and eternal masterpiece of nature. "As fewer than 10 per cent of pink diamonds weigh more than one-fifth of a carat, this fancy vivid purple-pink diamond is of an unprecedented size of 15.81 carats, which is the largest of its kind (Fancy Vivid Purple-Pink) to be offered at any auction," a Christie's statement noted. It added that the lot fell in the exclusive group of the four per cent of pink diamonds that possess a colour deep enough to qualify as 'fancy vivid'. "This magnificent gem is graded 'fancy vivid' for its perfect display of strong saturation and remarkable pink hue with a secondary colour of purple, resembling the fascinating colour of cherry blossoms appropriately coinciding with spring," the auction house said. Christie's has previously offered on auction several of the largest and the rarest pink diamonds, including the Winston Pink Legacy sold in Geneva in 2018 that still holds the auction record per carat for any pink diamond. "This season we are very honoured to continue this fine tradition by presenting 'The Sakura Diamond' in Hong Kong." "This exceptionally rare and magnificent wonder of nature represents a unique expression of identity and mesmerising beauty through its enthralling purple pink hue, that will undoubtedly capture the hearts of discerning connoisseurs and collectors worldwide," said Vickie Sek, Chairman, Department of Jewellery, Christie's Asia Pacific. (With inputs from agencies)

Largest purple-pink diamond ever to go on sale at Christie's Hong Kong auction 

Experts on Tuesday boarded the massive container ship that had blocked Egypt's vital Suez Canal and disrupted global trade for nearly a week, seeking answers to a single question that could mean billions of dollars in legal implications: What went wrong?&nbsp;

As convoys of ships again began travelling in this artery linking East and West through the Mediterranean and Red Seas, hundreds more idled waiting for their turn in process that will take days. Egyptian government officials, insurers, shippers and others similarly waited for more details about what caused the skyscraper-sized Ever Given to become wedged across the canal's southern single-lane on March 23.&nbsp;

When blame gets assigned, it could turn into years of litigation over the costs of repairing the ship, fixing the canal and reimbursing those, who saw their cargo shipments disrupted. And with the vessel being owned by a Japanese firm, operated by a Taiwanese shipper, flagged in Panama and now stuck in Egypt, matters quickly become an international morass.&nbsp;

"This ship is a multinational conglomeration," said Capt John Konrad, the founder and CEO of the shipping news website gcaptain.Com.&nbsp;

Experts boarded the Ever Given as it idled on Tuesday in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake, just north of the site where it previously blocked the canal. A senior canal pilot, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to journalists, said that experts were looking for signs of damage and trying to determine the cause of the vessel's grounding.&nbsp;

As of Tuesday morning, more than 300 vessels carrying everything from crude oil to cattle were waiting on both ends of the Suez Canal and in the Great Bitter Lake for permission to continue sailing to their destinations, canal service provider Leth Agencies said.&nbsp;

The ship's owner, the Japanese firm Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., said Tuesday that it would be part of the investigation along with other parties, though it did not identify them by name. It also refused to discuss possible causes of the incident, including the ship's speed and the high winds that buffeted it during a sandstorm, saying it cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. Initial reports also suggested a 'blackout' struck the vessel, something denied by the ship's technical manager.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Experts on Tuesday boarded the massive container ship that had blocked Egypt's vital Suez Canal and disrupted global trade for nearly a week, seeking answers to a single question that could mean billions of dollars in legal implications: What went wrong?

Experts on Tuesday boarded the massive container ship that had blocked Egypt's vital Suez Canal and disrupted global trade for nearly a week, seeking answers to a single question that could mean billions of dollars in legal implications: What went wrong? As convoys of ships again began travelling in this artery linking East and West through the Mediterranean and Red Seas, hundreds more idled waiting for their turn in process that will take days. Egyptian government officials, insurers, shippers and others similarly waited for more details about what caused the skyscraper-sized Ever Given to become wedged across the canal's southern single-lane on March 23. When blame gets assigned, it could turn into years of litigation over the costs of repairing the ship, fixing the canal and reimbursing those, who saw their cargo shipments disrupted. And with the vessel being owned by a Japanese firm, operated by a Taiwanese shipper, flagged in Panama and now stuck in Egypt, matters quickly become an international morass. "This ship is a multinational conglomeration," said Capt John Konrad, the founder and CEO of the shipping news website gcaptain.Com. Experts boarded the Ever Given as it idled on Tuesday in Egypt's Great Bitter Lake, just north of the site where it previously blocked the canal. A senior canal pilot, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to journalists, said that experts were looking for signs of damage and trying to determine the cause of the vessel's grounding. As of Tuesday morning, more than 300 vessels carrying everything from crude oil to cattle were waiting on both ends of the Suez Canal and in the Great Bitter Lake for permission to continue sailing to their destinations, canal service provider Leth Agencies said. The ship's owner, the Japanese firm Shoei Kisen Kaisha Ltd., said Tuesday that it would be part of the investigation along with other parties, though it did not identify them by name. It also refused to discuss possible causes of the incident, including the ship's speed and the high winds that buffeted it during a sandstorm, saying it cannot comment on an ongoing investigation. Initial reports also suggested a 'blackout' struck the vessel, something denied by the ship's technical manager. (With inputs from agencies)

Probe into Suez Canal blockage begins 

A federal minister in Pakistan found himself in hot waters on Tuesday after video clips showing his family getting shots of coronavirus vaccine surfaced online, creating a stir as netizens accused him of 'jumping the queue' and demanded an apology from him.&nbsp;

The clips showed a nurse giving vaccine jabs to family members of Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema, which seems to be a clear violation of government policy regarding Covid-19 vaccination.&nbsp;

Cheema belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), which is an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).&nbsp;

Pakistan's vaccination drive began on February 2 starting with frontline workers followed by general health workers and people over 60 years of age. The government expanded it to people above the age of 50 from Tuesday.&nbsp;

Eligible people register themselves by sending an SMS to a designated phone number and get a message about the date and place of vaccination.&nbsp;

The people in the video clips were seen flashing the thumbs-up sign after getting the shots. Former model and television host, Iffat Omar, was also shown in one of the videos.&nbsp;

The videos were shared on the Instagram account of one of Cheema's relatives but the account is no longer active and apparently has been deactivated after backlash on social media.&nbsp;

The video clips stirred up a storm on social media as netizens and journalists called out the minister for&nbsp;'jumping the queue'.&nbsp;

"I expect and demand an apology from Cheema. First, he along with his family did an immoral thing, and then he had the audacity to lie about it calling it a trial shot," said journalist Mehr Tarar.&nbsp;

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shehbaz Gill took a shot at television host Iffat Omar, who often posted videos critical of the government.&nbsp;

"These fake liberals are liberal to the extent of swearing. They have no morals or shame. They portray themselves as law-abiding citizens but their actions show otherwise," Gill tweeted.&nbsp;

Cheema, in a statement, denied using his political influence to get his family members vaccinated and claimed that the teams from the University of Health Sciences came to his home to administer a booster shot of a trial vaccine, adding that it had done the same before.&nbsp;

However, the university rejected it by saying that all trials of the vaccines had already ended.&nbsp;

“No&nbsp;trial vaccination is going on as we are now following up the trials' results which will go on for months,"&nbsp;said Mohammad Asif, University's Director, Media.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A federal minister in Pakistan found himself in hot waters on Tuesday after video clips showing his family getting shots of coronavirus vaccine surfaced online, creating a stir as netizens accused him of 'jumping the queue' and demanded an apology from him.

A federal minister in Pakistan found himself in hot waters on Tuesday after video clips showing his family getting shots of coronavirus vaccine surfaced online, creating a stir as netizens accused him of 'jumping the queue' and demanded an apology from him. The clips showed a nurse giving vaccine jabs to family members of Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema, which seems to be a clear violation of government policy regarding Covid-19 vaccination. Cheema belongs to the Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), which is an ally of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). Pakistan's vaccination drive began on February 2 starting with frontline workers followed by general health workers and people over 60 years of age. The government expanded it to people above the age of 50 from Tuesday. Eligible people register themselves by sending an SMS to a designated phone number and get a message about the date and place of vaccination. The people in the video clips were seen flashing the thumbs-up sign after getting the shots. Former model and television host, Iffat Omar, was also shown in one of the videos. The videos were shared on the Instagram account of one of Cheema's relatives but the account is no longer active and apparently has been deactivated after backlash on social media. The video clips stirred up a storm on social media as netizens and journalists called out the minister for 'jumping the queue'. "I expect and demand an apology from Cheema. First, he along with his family did an immoral thing, and then he had the audacity to lie about it calling it a trial shot," said journalist Mehr Tarar. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Political Communication Shehbaz Gill took a shot at television host Iffat Omar, who often posted videos critical of the government. "These fake liberals are liberal to the extent of swearing. They have no morals or shame. They portray themselves as law-abiding citizens but their actions show otherwise," Gill tweeted. Cheema, in a statement, denied using his political influence to get his family members vaccinated and claimed that the teams from the University of Health Sciences came to his home to administer a booster shot of a trial vaccine, adding that it had done the same before. However, the university rejected it by saying that all trials of the vaccines had already ended. “No trial vaccination is going on as we are now following up the trials' results which will go on for months," said Mohammad Asif, University's Director, Media. (With inputs from agencies)

Jumping queue? Pak minister creates stir for getting family vaccinated against Covid-19 

Opening statements begin in Derek Chauvin trial for George Floyd's death

The Australian Parliament has been hit by a series of sexual abuse and misconduct charges. A former staffer claims she was raped in the office of then defence minister. A whistleblower claims some government staff and legislators had created a group to swap pictures and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament building. What exactly is happening in Australia? &nbsp;

Australian Parliament has a sickening work culture. A govt staff was caught on camera masturbating inside the Parliament building. Reports have emerged of a Facebook group, where staff share images and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament. &nbsp;

A whistleblower recently shared the videos. He or she also claimed that govt staff and legislators have &nbsp;been using the parliament's prayer room for sex. Sex workers are being brought into the building and female employees are being harassed in the parliament. &nbsp;

One victim went public last month. She claimed she was raped by a senior official in the office of Australia's then-defence minister Linda Reynolds. &nbsp;

Brittany Higgins, speaking on rape allegations, said, "I was raped inside Parliament house by a colleague and for so long it felt like the people around me only cared because of where it happened or what it might mean for them. It was so confusing because these people were my idols. I had dedicated my life to them."&nbsp;

The former defence minister called her a lying cow. The biggest headline maker was Australia's Attorney General Christian Porter. He was revealed of having raped a 16-year-old girl some 33 years ago. The victim took her own life in 2020 reportedly after being denied justice.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's handling of the sexual allegations did not help. His approval ratings tanked while public anger against his govt rose.&nbsp;

A protester, said, "Well, I am sick of it, I'm absolutely sick of listening to sexual assault on the TV and nothing has been done about it."&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Australian Prime Minister is now trying to extinguish the fire. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said, "Changes, I'm announcing today will once again provide the strongest ever female representation in an Australian government cabinet." &nbsp;&nbsp;

A cabinet reshuffle is Morrison's way of safeguarding his seat. Both the tainted cabinet members have been removed from office. A women-centric task force has been announced and also what Morrisson calls the strongest ever female representation. &nbsp;

Scott Morrison said, "Women taking up as they must, as they should, as I very much want them to do and as they are so keen to do so."&nbsp;

All of this is just an eyewash. Christian Porter may no longer be the attorney general but he is being reassigned to the ministry to industry and as for Lynda Reynolds, she will become the govt services minister. &nbsp;

If this is not an insult to the victim and if this is not an insult to the system of justice. What is? &nbsp;

The Australian Parliament has been hit by a series of sexual abuse and misconduct charges. A former staffer claims she was raped in the office of then defence minister.

The Australian Parliament has been hit by a series of sexual abuse and misconduct charges. A former staffer claims she was raped in the office of then defence minister. A whistleblower claims some government staff and legislators had created a group to swap pictures and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament building. What exactly is happening in Australia? Australian Parliament has a sickening work culture. A govt staff was caught on camera masturbating inside the Parliament building. Reports have emerged of a Facebook group, where staff share images and videos of sexual acts performed in the parliament. A whistleblower recently shared the videos. He or she also claimed that govt staff and legislators have been using the parliament's prayer room for sex. Sex workers are being brought into the building and female employees are being harassed in the parliament. One victim went public last month. She claimed she was raped by a senior official in the office of Australia's then-defence minister Linda Reynolds. Brittany Higgins, speaking on rape allegations, said, "I was raped inside Parliament house by a colleague and for so long it felt like the people around me only cared because of where it happened or what it might mean for them. It was so confusing because these people were my idols. I had dedicated my life to them." The former defence minister called her a lying cow. The biggest headline maker was Australia's Attorney General Christian Porter. He was revealed of having raped a 16-year-old girl some 33 years ago. The victim took her own life in 2020 reportedly after being denied justice. Prime Minister Scott Morrison's handling of the sexual allegations did not help. His approval ratings tanked while public anger against his govt rose. A protester, said, "Well, I am sick of it, I'm absolutely sick of listening to sexual assault on the TV and nothing has been done about it." The Australian Prime Minister is now trying to extinguish the fire. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, said, "Changes, I'm announcing today will once again provide the strongest ever female representation in an Australian government cabinet." A cabinet reshuffle is Morrison's way of safeguarding his seat. Both the tainted cabinet members have been removed from office. A women-centric task force has been announced and also what Morrisson calls the strongest ever female representation. Scott Morrison said, "Women taking up as they must, as they should, as I very much want them to do and as they are so keen to do so." All of this is just an eyewash. Christian Porter may no longer be the attorney general but he is being reassigned to the ministry to industry and as for Lynda Reynolds, she will become the govt services minister. If this is not an insult to the victim and if this is not an insult to the system of justice. What is?

Australian Parliament sex scandal: Is cabinet reshuffle an eyewash? 

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