Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin squeezed the life out of George Floyd when he arrested him in last May, a prosecutor told jurors in his opening statement at Chauvin's trial on murder charges on Monday.&nbsp;

Jerry Blackwell, a prosecutor with the Minnesota attorney general's office, told jurors that officers who wear the Minneapolis police badge pledge to never use 'unnecessary force or violence'.&nbsp;

"You will learn that on May 25, Derek Chauvin betrayed this badge when he used excessive and unreasonable force upon the body of George Floyd," Blackwell said.&nbsp;

He displayed a still image from a bystander's cellphone video of Chauvin, who his white, with his knee on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in handcuffs, saying it showed Chauvin 'grinding and crushing him until the very breath — no, ladies and gentlemen — the very life was squeezed out of him'.&nbsp;

Floyd's death ignited a global protest movement and over the preceding two weeks of jury selection, many jurors told Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill and the lawyers on each side that they recognised the scrutiny their deliberations would come under, not least by those who view the trial as a reckoning for how Black people are policed in the United States.&nbsp;

"It's been a long time coming," a gospel choir sang on Sunday evening at a prayer service attended by Floyd's relatives. "But I know a change is gonna come."&nbsp;

The service was held in a church a few blocks east of the deadly arrest.&nbsp;

Philonise Floyd, a brother of George Floyd, said before the service began that he had faith that prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general's office would see Chauvin convicted.&nbsp;

"The video is the proof," he said.&nbsp;

Chauvin, 45, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, with his lawyers arguing that he followed his training and that the main cause of Floyd's death, which the county examiner ruled a homicide, was a drug overdose. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin squeezed the life out of George Floyd when he arrested him in last May, a prosecutor told jurors in his opening statement at Chauvin's trial on murder charges on Monday.

Former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin squeezed the life out of George Floyd when he arrested him in last May, a prosecutor told jurors in his opening statement at Chauvin's trial on murder charges on Monday. Jerry Blackwell, a prosecutor with the Minnesota attorney general's office, told jurors that officers who wear the Minneapolis police badge pledge to never use 'unnecessary force or violence'. "You will learn that on May 25, Derek Chauvin betrayed this badge when he used excessive and unreasonable force upon the body of George Floyd," Blackwell said. He displayed a still image from a bystander's cellphone video of Chauvin, who his white, with his knee on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man in handcuffs, saying it showed Chauvin 'grinding and crushing him until the very breath — no, ladies and gentlemen — the very life was squeezed out of him'. Floyd's death ignited a global protest movement and over the preceding two weeks of jury selection, many jurors told Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill and the lawyers on each side that they recognised the scrutiny their deliberations would come under, not least by those who view the trial as a reckoning for how Black people are policed in the United States. "It's been a long time coming," a gospel choir sang on Sunday evening at a prayer service attended by Floyd's relatives. "But I know a change is gonna come." The service was held in a church a few blocks east of the deadly arrest. Philonise Floyd, a brother of George Floyd, said before the service began that he had faith that prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general's office would see Chauvin convicted. "The video is the proof," he said. Chauvin, 45, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, with his lawyers arguing that he followed his training and that the main cause of Floyd's death, which the county examiner ruled a homicide, was a drug overdose. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge. (With inputs from agencies)

A 'grinding and crushing' knee on Floyd: Opening statements begin in trial 

A recently married couple with suspected militant links used pressure cooker bombs to blow themselves up outside a Roman Catholic cathedral during Palm Sunday Mass, Indonesian officials said on Monday.&nbsp;

The attack wounded 20 people, including four church guards, and broke windows at the church and nearby buildings in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province.&nbsp;

The couple were married six months ago and police were investigating their house in Makassar, National Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono said.&nbsp;

Police identified them only by their initials, L and his wife, YSF. Neighbors of the couple identified the man as Lukman and his wife as Dewi and said they were between 23 and 26 years old.&nbsp;

The attackers detonated their bombs when they were confronted by guards outside the church.&nbsp;

The pressure cookers contained explosive materials and nails to increase their harm to victims, said Makassar city police chief Witnu Urip Laksana.&nbsp;

Police carried out DNA tests to determine the attackers' identities, Laksana said.&nbsp;

The couple were believed to have been members of Jemaah Anshorut Daulah, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and carried out a series of suicide bombings in Indonesia.&nbsp;

They included a 2016 Starbucks attack in Jakarta which killed four civilians and four militants, an attack on a bus terminal in the capital that killed three police officers and an attack on a church in Kalimantan that killed a 2-year-old girl a year later. Several other children suffered serious burns in the Kalimantan attack.&nbsp;

Indonesia's last major militant attack was in May 2018, when two families carried out suicide bombings on churches in Surabaya, killing a dozen people including two young girls whose parents involved them in one of the attacks. Police said the father was the leader of a local affiliate of Jemaah Anshorut Daulah.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A recently married couple with suspected militant links used pressure cooker bombs to blow themselves up outside a Roman Catholic cathedral during Palm Sunday Mass, Indonesian officials said on Monday.

A recently married couple with suspected militant links used pressure cooker bombs to blow themselves up outside a Roman Catholic cathedral during Palm Sunday Mass, Indonesian officials said on Monday. The attack wounded 20 people, including four church guards, and broke windows at the church and nearby buildings in Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi province. The couple were married six months ago and police were investigating their house in Makassar, National Police spokesperson Argo Yuwono said. Police identified them only by their initials, L and his wife, YSF. Neighbors of the couple identified the man as Lukman and his wife as Dewi and said they were between 23 and 26 years old. The attackers detonated their bombs when they were confronted by guards outside the church. The pressure cookers contained explosive materials and nails to increase their harm to victims, said Makassar city police chief Witnu Urip Laksana. Police carried out DNA tests to determine the attackers' identities, Laksana said. The couple were believed to have been members of Jemaah Anshorut Daulah, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group and carried out a series of suicide bombings in Indonesia. They included a 2016 Starbucks attack in Jakarta which killed four civilians and four militants, an attack on a bus terminal in the capital that killed three police officers and an attack on a church in Kalimantan that killed a 2-year-old girl a year later. Several other children suffered serious burns in the Kalimantan attack. Indonesia's last major militant attack was in May 2018, when two families carried out suicide bombings on churches in Surabaya, killing a dozen people including two young girls whose parents involved them in one of the attacks. Police said the father was the leader of a local affiliate of Jemaah Anshorut Daulah. (With inputs from agencies)

Newlywed militant suspects blamed in Indonesia church attack  

President Joe Biden wants to forge an “alliance of democracies.” China wants to make clear that it has alliances of its own.

Only days after a rancorous encounter with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s foreign minister joined his Russian counterpart last week to denounce Western meddling and sanctions.

He then headed to the Middle East to visit traditional U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as Iran, where he signed a sweeping investment agreement Saturday. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, reached out to Colombia one day and pledged support for North Korea on another.

Although officials denied the timing was intentional, the message clearly was. China hopes to position itself as the main challenger to an international order, led by the United States, that is generally guided by principles of democracy, respect for human rights and adherence to rule of law.

Such a system “does not represent the will of the international community,” China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, told Russia’s, Sergey Lavrov, when they met in the southern Chinese city of Guilin.

In a joint statement, they accused the United States of bullying and interference and urged it to “reflect on the damage it has done to global peace and development in recent years.”

The threat of a U.S.-led coalition challenging China’s authoritarian policies has only bolstered Beijing’s ambition to be a global leader of nations that oppose Washington and its allies. It shows an increasingly confident and unapologetic China, one that not only refutes U.S. criticism of its internal affairs but that presents its own values as a model for others.

“They’re actually trying to build an argument like, ‘We’re the more responsible power. We’re not the spoilers or an axis of evil,’” John Delury, a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, said of China’s strategy.

As result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct if not purely ideological camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure supporters.

Biden made that clear in his first presidential news conference Thursday, presenting a foreign policy based on geopolitical competition between models of governance. He compared Xi to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “who thinks that autocracy is the wave of the future and democracy can’t function” in “an ever-complex world.”

He later called the challenge “a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies.”

China, for its part, argues that it is the United States dividing the world into blocs. Xi set the tone shortly after Biden’s inauguration, telling this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that multilateralism should be based on consensus among many countries, not a view advanced by “one or the few.”

“To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions, and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation,” Xi said.

In pushing back on criticism of its policies in recent days, China has championed the primacy of international organizations like the United Nations, where Beijing’s clout has grown.

Wang noted that more than 80 countries at the U.N. Human Rights Council had expressed support for China’s actions in Xinjiang, the far western region where authorities have detained and interned Uyghur Muslims in a campaign the United States declared a genocide.

As a result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct, if not purely ideological, camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure in supporters. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Wang secured an endorsement of its Xinjiang policies, as well as its quashing of dissent in Hong Kong, from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, though a Saudi statement did not mention Xinjiang.

China’s most striking alignment is with Russia, where Putin has long complained about U.S. hegemony and its use — abuse, in his view — of the global financial system as an instrument of foreign policy.

The Russian foreign minister arrived in China on March 22 railing about U.S. sanctions and saying the world needed to reduce its reliance on the U.S. dollar.

China and Russia have drawn closer especially since Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was met with international outrage and Western penalties. While the possibility of a formal alliance remains remote, the countries’ diplomatic and economic ties have deepened in common cause against the United States. So have strategic ties. The People’s Liberation Army and the Russian military now routinely hold exercises together and have twice conducted joint air patrols along Japan’s coast, most recently in December.

The two countries announced this month that they would build a research station on the moon together, setting the stage for competing space programs, one led by China and the other by the United States.

“The latest steps and gestures by the Biden administration, seen as hostile and insulting by the Russian and Chinese leaders, have predictably pushed Moscow and Beijing even deeper into a mutual embrace,” said Artyom Lukin, a professor of international studies at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia.

Chinese officials, like the Russians, have repeatedly said the United States lacks the standing to criticize other nations. They cite as evidence its military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and accuse it of instigating public protests against governments it opposes.

In his extraordinary confrontation with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, cited racism and police brutality in the United States, along with mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, as evidence of the country’s decline.

China’s State Council released a report on human rights in the United States on Wednesday, using as an epigraph George Floyd’s plea to the police, “I can’t breathe.”

“The United States should lower the tone of democracy and human rights and talk more about cooperation in global affairs,” Yuan Peng, president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a government think tank, wrote the same day.

From that perspective, Xi’s outreach to North Korea and Wang’s visit to Iran could signal China’s interest in working with the United States to resolve disputes over those two countries’ nuclear programs.

Biden’s administration may be open to that. After the Alaska meetings, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned both as potential areas where “our interests intersect” with China’s.

In other areas, a chasm is widening.

Since Biden’s election, China has sought to prevent the United States from forging a united front against it. It appealed to the new administration to resume cooperation after the confrontations of the Trump years. It sealed trade and investment agreements, including one with the European Union, hoping to box out Biden.

It did not work. The first results of Biden’s strategy emerged last week, when the United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union jointly announced sanctions on Chinese officials over Xinjiang. China’s condemnation was swift.

“The era when it was possible to make up a story and concoct lies to wantonly meddle in Chinese domestic affairs is past and will not come back,” Wang said.

China retaliated with sanctions of its own against elected officials and scholars in the European Union and Britain. Similar penalties followed Saturday on Canadians and Americans, including top officials at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government body that held a hearing this month on forced labor in Xinjiang. All affected will be barred from traveling to China or conducting business with Chinese companies or individuals.

Theresa Fallon, director of the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies in Brussels, said China’s sanctions on Europeans were an overreaction that would drive officials into an anti-China camp.

They could also jeopardize China’s investment deal with the European Union, as many of those penalized are members of the European Parliament, whose approval is required. So could new campaigns by Chinese consumers against major Western brands like H&amp;amp;M and Nike.

Until now, many EU nations have not wanted to explicitly choose sides, eschewing the kind of bipolar ideological divisions seen during the Cold War, in part because of deepening economic ties with China.

With each new twist in relations, however, clearer camps are emerging.

“The Chinese mirror all the time,” Fallon said. “They always accuse people of Cold War thinking because I think that’s really, deep down, how they think.”

President Joe Biden wants to forge an “alliance of democracies.” China wants to make clear that it has alliances of its own. Only days after a rancorous encounter with U.

President Joe Biden wants to forge an “alliance of democracies.” China wants to make clear that it has alliances of its own. Only days after a rancorous encounter with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s foreign minister joined his Russian counterpart last week to denounce Western meddling and sanctions. He then headed to the Middle East to visit traditional U.S. allies, including Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as Iran, where he signed a sweeping investment agreement Saturday. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, reached out to Colombia one day and pledged support for North Korea on another. Although officials denied the timing was intentional, the message clearly was. China hopes to position itself as the main challenger to an international order, led by the United States, that is generally guided by principles of democracy, respect for human rights and adherence to rule of law. Such a system “does not represent the will of the international community,” China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, told Russia’s, Sergey Lavrov, when they met in the southern Chinese city of Guilin. In a joint statement, they accused the United States of bullying and interference and urged it to “reflect on the damage it has done to global peace and development in recent years.” The threat of a U.S.-led coalition challenging China’s authoritarian policies has only bolstered Beijing’s ambition to be a global leader of nations that oppose Washington and its allies. It shows an increasingly confident and unapologetic China, one that not only refutes U.S. criticism of its internal affairs but that presents its own values as a model for others. “They’re actually trying to build an argument like, ‘We’re the more responsible power. We’re not the spoilers or an axis of evil,’” John Delury, a professor of Chinese studies at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, said of China’s strategy. As result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct if not purely ideological camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure supporters. Biden made that clear in his first presidential news conference Thursday, presenting a foreign policy based on geopolitical competition between models of governance. He compared Xi to Russian President Vladimir Putin, “who thinks that autocracy is the wave of the future and democracy can’t function” in “an ever-complex world.” He later called the challenge “a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies.” China, for its part, argues that it is the United States dividing the world into blocs. Xi set the tone shortly after Biden’s inauguration, telling this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that multilateralism should be based on consensus among many countries, not a view advanced by “one or the few.” “To build small circles or start a new Cold War, to reject, threaten or intimidate others, to willfully impose decoupling, supply disruption or sanctions, and to create isolation or estrangement will only push the world into division and even confrontation,” Xi said. In pushing back on criticism of its policies in recent days, China has championed the primacy of international organizations like the United Nations, where Beijing’s clout has grown. Wang noted that more than 80 countries at the U.N. Human Rights Council had expressed support for China’s actions in Xinjiang, the far western region where authorities have detained and interned Uyghur Muslims in a campaign the United States declared a genocide. As a result, the world is increasingly dividing into distinct, if not purely ideological, camps, with both China and the United States hoping to lure in supporters. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Wang secured an endorsement of its Xinjiang policies, as well as its quashing of dissent in Hong Kong, from Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, though a Saudi statement did not mention Xinjiang. China’s most striking alignment is with Russia, where Putin has long complained about U.S. hegemony and its use — abuse, in his view — of the global financial system as an instrument of foreign policy. The Russian foreign minister arrived in China on March 22 railing about U.S. sanctions and saying the world needed to reduce its reliance on the U.S. dollar. China and Russia have drawn closer especially since Putin’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 was met with international outrage and Western penalties. While the possibility of a formal alliance remains remote, the countries’ diplomatic and economic ties have deepened in common cause against the United States. So have strategic ties. The People’s Liberation Army and the Russian military now routinely hold exercises together and have twice conducted joint air patrols along Japan’s coast, most recently in December. The two countries announced this month that they would build a research station on the moon together, setting the stage for competing space programs, one led by China and the other by the United States. “The latest steps and gestures by the Biden administration, seen as hostile and insulting by the Russian and Chinese leaders, have predictably pushed Moscow and Beijing even deeper into a mutual embrace,” said Artyom Lukin, a professor of international studies at the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Chinese officials, like the Russians, have repeatedly said the United States lacks the standing to criticize other nations. They cite as evidence its military interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya and accuse it of instigating public protests against governments it opposes. In his extraordinary confrontation with U.S. officials in Alaska, China’s top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, cited racism and police brutality in the United States, along with mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, as evidence of the country’s decline. China’s State Council released a report on human rights in the United States on Wednesday, using as an epigraph George Floyd’s plea to the police, “I can’t breathe.” “The United States should lower the tone of democracy and human rights and talk more about cooperation in global affairs,” Yuan Peng, president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, a government think tank, wrote the same day. From that perspective, Xi’s outreach to North Korea and Wang’s visit to Iran could signal China’s interest in working with the United States to resolve disputes over those two countries’ nuclear programs. Biden’s administration may be open to that. After the Alaska meetings, Secretary of State Antony Blinken mentioned both as potential areas where “our interests intersect” with China’s. In other areas, a chasm is widening. Since Biden’s election, China has sought to prevent the United States from forging a united front against it. It appealed to the new administration to resume cooperation after the confrontations of the Trump years. It sealed trade and investment agreements, including one with the European Union, hoping to box out Biden. It did not work. The first results of Biden’s strategy emerged last week, when the United States, Canada, Britain and the European Union jointly announced sanctions on Chinese officials over Xinjiang. China’s condemnation was swift. “The era when it was possible to make up a story and concoct lies to wantonly meddle in Chinese domestic affairs is past and will not come back,” Wang said. China retaliated with sanctions of its own against elected officials and scholars in the European Union and Britain. Similar penalties followed Saturday on Canadians and Americans, including top officials at the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a government body that held a hearing this month on forced labor in Xinjiang. All affected will be barred from traveling to China or conducting business with Chinese companies or individuals. Theresa Fallon, director of the Center for Russia Europe Asia Studies in Brussels, said China’s sanctions on Europeans were an overreaction that would drive officials into an anti-China camp. They could also jeopardize China’s investment deal with the European Union, as many of those penalized are members of the European Parliament, whose approval is required. So could new campaigns by Chinese consumers against major Western brands like H&amp;M and Nike. Until now, many EU nations have not wanted to explicitly choose sides, eschewing the kind of bipolar ideological divisions seen during the Cold War, in part because of deepening economic ties with China. With each new twist in relations, however, clearer camps are emerging. “The Chinese mirror all the time,” Fallon said. “They always accuse people of Cold War thinking because I think that’s really, deep down, how they think.”

An alliance of autocracies? China wants to lead a new world order.

In yet another case of illegal intrusion by Beijing, two Chinese government vessels entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Monday morning.&nbsp;

Japan Coast Guard officials said that the vessels intruded into Japan's waters off Minamikojima Island around 4 am on Monday, NHK World reported, adding that Japanese officials are warning the ships to leave the waters.&nbsp;

As many as three Chinese government vessels were earlier seen navigating in the contiguous zone, just outside Japan's territorial waters, officials said.&nbsp;

The Japanese broadcaster reported that this is the 11th time this year that official Chinese vessels have entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands.&nbsp;

Japan controls the Senkaku Islands, however, China and Taiwan continue to claim them. Tokyo maintains the islands are an inherent part of its territory as per history and international law. &nbsp;

Earlier, USA's Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, during his first conversation with Japanese counterpart, had renewed USA's commitment to defend Senkaku Islands against Chinese expansionism. Japan and China have a dispute over islands in East China Sea that are called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China.&nbsp;

Austin and Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi confirmed that Article 5 of the US-Japan security treaty, which stipulates US defence obligations to Japan, covers the Senkaku Islands, said Jiji news agency.&nbsp;

The defence ministers also reaffirmed their opposition to any unilateral act that would undermine Japan's right to administer the islands.&nbsp;

Japan has become increasingly concerned about Chinese expansionist manoeuvres in East China Sea including incursions in waters around disputed islands.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In yet another case of illegal intrusion by Beijing, two Chinese government vessels entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Monday morning.

In yet another case of illegal intrusion by Beijing, two Chinese government vessels entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea on Monday morning. Japan Coast Guard officials said that the vessels intruded into Japan's waters off Minamikojima Island around 4 am on Monday, NHK World reported, adding that Japanese officials are warning the ships to leave the waters. As many as three Chinese government vessels were earlier seen navigating in the contiguous zone, just outside Japan's territorial waters, officials said. The Japanese broadcaster reported that this is the 11th time this year that official Chinese vessels have entered Japan's territorial waters off the Senkaku Islands. Japan controls the Senkaku Islands, however, China and Taiwan continue to claim them. Tokyo maintains the islands are an inherent part of its territory as per history and international law. Earlier, USA's Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, during his first conversation with Japanese counterpart, had renewed USA's commitment to defend Senkaku Islands against Chinese expansionism. Japan and China have a dispute over islands in East China Sea that are called Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. Austin and Japanese Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi confirmed that Article 5 of the US-Japan security treaty, which stipulates US defence obligations to Japan, covers the Senkaku Islands, said Jiji news agency. The defence ministers also reaffirmed their opposition to any unilateral act that would undermine Japan's right to administer the islands. Japan has become increasingly concerned about Chinese expansionist manoeuvres in East China Sea including incursions in waters around disputed islands. (With inputs from agencies)

Two Chinese ships enter Japan's territorial waters off Senkaku Islands 

Influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that Lebanon would sink like the Titanic if it could not form a government as he opened a session to approve emergency funds to literally keep the lights on for two more months.&nbsp;

"The whole country is in danger, the whole country is the Titanic," Berri said. "It's time we all woke up because in the end, if the ship sinks, there'll be no one left."&nbsp;

Lebanon is in the throes of a financial crisis that poses the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Without a new government, it cannot implement the reforms required to unlock desperately needed foreign aid.&nbsp;

But prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun have been at loggerheads for months over the makeup of a new cabinet.&nbsp;

Parliament approved a loan of $200 million to pay for fuel for Lebanon's electricity company after a warning by the energy ministry that cash had run out for electricity generation beyond the end of the month.&nbsp;

"This should be enough for electricity for around two months or two-and-a-half," Cesar Abi Khalil, a member of parliament and former energy minister, said.&nbsp;

The Zahrani power plant, one of Lebanon's four main electricity producers, has already had to shut down for lack of fuel.&nbsp;

"Any shutdown in one of these big plants affects power generation negatively," Abi Khalil said. "This means Lebanese make up for it with generators that run on diesel that's 30% more expensive than the fuel that's bought by the electricity company."&nbsp;

Lebanon already lacks power generation capacity and homes and businesses have to cope with power cuts for several hours a day, forcing many to turn to private generators.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that Lebanon would sink like the Titanic if it could not form a government as he opened a session to approve emergency funds to literally keep the lights on for two more months.

Influential parliamentary speaker Nabih Berri said on Monday that Lebanon would sink like the Titanic if it could not form a government as he opened a session to approve emergency funds to literally keep the lights on for two more months. "The whole country is in danger, the whole country is the Titanic," Berri said. "It's time we all woke up because in the end, if the ship sinks, there'll be no one left." Lebanon is in the throes of a financial crisis that poses the biggest threat to its stability since the 1975-1990 civil war. Without a new government, it cannot implement the reforms required to unlock desperately needed foreign aid. But prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun have been at loggerheads for months over the makeup of a new cabinet. Parliament approved a loan of $200 million to pay for fuel for Lebanon's electricity company after a warning by the energy ministry that cash had run out for electricity generation beyond the end of the month. "This should be enough for electricity for around two months or two-and-a-half," Cesar Abi Khalil, a member of parliament and former energy minister, said. The Zahrani power plant, one of Lebanon's four main electricity producers, has already had to shut down for lack of fuel. "Any shutdown in one of these big plants affects power generation negatively," Abi Khalil said. "This means Lebanese make up for it with generators that run on diesel that's 30% more expensive than the fuel that's bought by the electricity company." Lebanon already lacks power generation capacity and homes and businesses have to cope with power cuts for several hours a day, forcing many to turn to private generators. (With inputs from agencies)

Lebanon could sink like Titanic: Parliament speaker  

A jury will gather on Monday to hear whether the deadly arrest of George Floyd, which ignited a global protest movement 10 months ago, amounts to murder as opening arguments commence in the trial of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin.&nbsp;

Over two weeks of jury selection, many jurors told Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill and the lawyers on each side that they recognised the scrutiny their deliberations would come under, not least by those&nbsp;who view the trial as a reckoning for how Black people are policed in the United States.&nbsp;

"It's been a long time coming," a gospel choir sang on Sunday evening at a prayer service attended by Floyd's relatives. "But I know a change is gonna come."&nbsp;

The service was held in a church a few blocks east of where Chauvin, who was white, was caught on a bystander's video, with his knee on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man.&nbsp;

Philonise Floyd, a brother of George Floyd, said before the service began that he had faith that prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general's office would see Chauvin convicted.&nbsp;

"The video is the proof," he said.&nbsp;

Chauvin, 45, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, with his lawyers arguing that he followed his training and that the main cause of Floyd's death, which the county examiner ruled a homicide, was a drug overdose. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge.&nbsp;

Jurors will head to a courtroom in a tower in downtown Minneapolis ringed with concrete barriers, barbed wire and soldiers from the state's National Guard. For blocks around, businesses are closed and windows boarded up, fearing a repeat of the arson and other property damage that occurred after Floyd's death.&nbsp;

Less than three miles away, residents maintain a vigil at the intersection where Chauvin kept his knee on a handcuffed Floyd's neck for about nine minutes as Floyd uses his final breaths to plead for his life. Chauvin and three other officers were arresting Floyd on suspicion of passing a fake $20 bill at the Cup Foods grocery store nearby.&nbsp;

Four sets of barricades block police from coming to the intersection, now called George Floyd Square, which is filled with flowers, posters, murals and other tributes to Floyd.&nbsp;

The jury, including three alternates, is made up of six white women, three white men, three Black men, one Black woman and two multiracial women, according to court records.&nbsp;

"I'm thankful that it is a diverse jury," Paris Stevens, a cousin of Floyd, who works as a nurse in North Carolina, said in a telephone interview. "I'm very anxious because you don't know what's going to happen, but I'm just glad that this process is starting."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A jury will gather on Monday to hear whether the deadly arrest of George Floyd, which ignited a global protest movement 10 months ago, amounts to murder as opening arguments commence in the trial of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin.

A jury will gather on Monday to hear whether the deadly arrest of George Floyd, which ignited a global protest movement 10 months ago, amounts to murder as opening arguments commence in the trial of former Minneapolis policeman Derek Chauvin. Over two weeks of jury selection, many jurors told Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill and the lawyers on each side that they recognised the scrutiny their deliberations would come under, not least by those who view the trial as a reckoning for how Black people are policed in the United States. "It's been a long time coming," a gospel choir sang on Sunday evening at a prayer service attended by Floyd's relatives. "But I know a change is gonna come." The service was held in a church a few blocks east of where Chauvin, who was white, was caught on a bystander's video, with his knee on the neck of Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man. Philonise Floyd, a brother of George Floyd, said before the service began that he had faith that prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general's office would see Chauvin convicted. "The video is the proof," he said. Chauvin, 45, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter, with his lawyers arguing that he followed his training and that the main cause of Floyd's death, which the county examiner ruled a homicide, was a drug overdose. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the most serious charge. Jurors will head to a courtroom in a tower in downtown Minneapolis ringed with concrete barriers, barbed wire and soldiers from the state's National Guard. For blocks around, businesses are closed and windows boarded up, fearing a repeat of the arson and other property damage that occurred after Floyd's death. Less than three miles away, residents maintain a vigil at the intersection where Chauvin kept his knee on a handcuffed Floyd's neck for about nine minutes as Floyd uses his final breaths to plead for his life. Chauvin and three other officers were arresting Floyd on suspicion of passing a fake $20 bill at the Cup Foods grocery store nearby. Four sets of barricades block police from coming to the intersection, now called George Floyd Square, which is filled with flowers, posters, murals and other tributes to Floyd. The jury, including three alternates, is made up of six white women, three white men, three Black men, one Black woman and two multiracial women, according to court records. "I'm thankful that it is a diverse jury," Paris Stevens, a cousin of Floyd, who works as a nurse in North Carolina, said in a telephone interview. "I'm very anxious because you don't know what's going to happen, but I'm just glad that this process is starting." (With inputs from agencies)

George Floyd's death: Jury to hear opening arguments in Derek Chauvin trial  

Thai police on Monday vowed to arrest more people participating in anti-government protests after detaining nearly 100 at a demonstration a day earlier, citing a law restricting gatherings to prevent the spread of coronavirus.&nbsp;

Another protest demanding the release of jailed activists is planned for late Monday afternoon, raising prospects for another confrontation, with activists calling for an end to military dominance of politics and reform of the powerful monarchy.&nbsp;

"We have prepared troops to maintain order," Piya Tavichai, deputy head of the Bangkok police, told reporters.&nbsp;

Piya said 99 people were arrested on Sunday in front of Government House, saying the arrests were necessary under a law forbidding large public gatherings to prevent coronavirus spread.&nbsp;

The mostly student-led movement has taken aim at the military for entrenching its role in civilian politics, especially since Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power in a 2014 coup when he was army chief.&nbsp;

The activists say elections held in 2019 were under rules designed to cement Prayuth's hold on power. Prayuth and his coalition government allies say the vote was free and fair.&nbsp;

Prayuth on Monday told reporters the weekend arrests were justified.&nbsp;

"You have to look at the law. If I don't take action, there will be disruption in traffic. We are just taking back space. There have been many warnings," said Prayuth.&nbsp;

Dozens of people have been detained at protests in recent months under disease control and public order laws, but Sunday's protest represented one of the largest number of arrests at a single rally.&nbsp;

Additionally, at least nine leaders of the movement are jailed pending trial under a law against insulting the Thai monarchy, which carries a maximum 15-year penalty.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Thai police on Monday vowed to arrest more people participating in anti-government protests after detaining nearly 100 at a demonstration a day earlier, citing a law restricting gatherings to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Thai police on Monday vowed to arrest more people participating in anti-government protests after detaining nearly 100 at a demonstration a day earlier, citing a law restricting gatherings to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Another protest demanding the release of jailed activists is planned for late Monday afternoon, raising prospects for another confrontation, with activists calling for an end to military dominance of politics and reform of the powerful monarchy. "We have prepared troops to maintain order," Piya Tavichai, deputy head of the Bangkok police, told reporters. Piya said 99 people were arrested on Sunday in front of Government House, saying the arrests were necessary under a law forbidding large public gatherings to prevent coronavirus spread. The mostly student-led movement has taken aim at the military for entrenching its role in civilian politics, especially since Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha seized power in a 2014 coup when he was army chief. The activists say elections held in 2019 were under rules designed to cement Prayuth's hold on power. Prayuth and his coalition government allies say the vote was free and fair. Prayuth on Monday told reporters the weekend arrests were justified. "You have to look at the law. If I don't take action, there will be disruption in traffic. We are just taking back space. There have been many warnings," said Prayuth. Dozens of people have been detained at protests in recent months under disease control and public order laws, but Sunday's protest represented one of the largest number of arrests at a single rally. Additionally, at least nine leaders of the movement are jailed pending trial under a law against insulting the Thai monarchy, which carries a maximum 15-year penalty. (With inputs from agencies)

After detaining nearly 100, Thai police vow more protest arrests  

The stranding of a container ship in the Suez Canal has created disruptions in the global shipping industry that could take weeks and possibly months to clear, top container shipping lines said.&nbsp;

Around 30% of the world's shipping container volume - including goods like sofas, consumer electronics, apparel and shoes - moves through the 193 km (120 miles) Suez Canal daily. Empty containers, which Asian factories need to ship goods, are also caught up in the backlog.&nbsp;

"Even when the canal gets reopened, the ripple effects on global capacity and equipment are significant," the world's largest container shipping company Maersk said in a customer advisory on Monday.&nbsp;

Maersk has three vessels stuck in the canal and another 29 waiting to enter, it said, adding that it had so far rerouted 15 vessels to sail south of Africa instead.&nbsp;

"Assessing the current backlog of vessels, it could take six days or more for the complete queue to pass," it said.&nbsp;

Switzerland's MSC, the world's number 2 line, said separately on Saturday, the situation was 'going to result in one of the biggest disruptions to global trade in recent years'.&nbsp;

"Unfortunately, even when the canal re-opens for the huge backlog of ships waiting at anchorage, this will lead to a surge in arrivals at certain ports and we may experience fresh congestion problems," Caroline Becquart, Senior Vice President with MSC said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We envisage the second quarter of 2021 being more disrupted than the first three months, and perhaps even more challenging than it was at the end of last year."&nbsp;

Container shipping companies have been struggling for months with disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a surge in demand for retail goods that led to wider logistical bottlenecks around the world.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The stranding of a container ship in the Suez Canal has created disruptions in the global shipping industry that could take weeks and possibly months to clear, top container shipping lines said.

The stranding of a container ship in the Suez Canal has created disruptions in the global shipping industry that could take weeks and possibly months to clear, top container shipping lines said. Around 30% of the world's shipping container volume - including goods like sofas, consumer electronics, apparel and shoes - moves through the 193 km (120 miles) Suez Canal daily. Empty containers, which Asian factories need to ship goods, are also caught up in the backlog. "Even when the canal gets reopened, the ripple effects on global capacity and equipment are significant," the world's largest container shipping company Maersk said in a customer advisory on Monday. Maersk has three vessels stuck in the canal and another 29 waiting to enter, it said, adding that it had so far rerouted 15 vessels to sail south of Africa instead. "Assessing the current backlog of vessels, it could take six days or more for the complete queue to pass," it said. Switzerland's MSC, the world's number 2 line, said separately on Saturday, the situation was 'going to result in one of the biggest disruptions to global trade in recent years'. "Unfortunately, even when the canal re-opens for the huge backlog of ships waiting at anchorage, this will lead to a surge in arrivals at certain ports and we may experience fresh congestion problems," Caroline Becquart, Senior Vice President with MSC said in a statement. "We envisage the second quarter of 2021 being more disrupted than the first three months, and perhaps even more challenging than it was at the end of last year." Container shipping companies have been struggling for months with disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and a surge in demand for retail goods that led to wider logistical bottlenecks around the world. (With inputs from agencies)

Ship backlogs from Suez chaos could take months to clear: Container lines  

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said no meeting has been 'finalised or requested' so far with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Tuesday at Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, according to a media report on Monday.&nbsp;

The participation of both the ministers at the conference has sparked speculation of a possible meeting between the two leaders amidst recent peace overtures from the Pakistan Army.&nbsp;

Qureshi on Sunday told the Dawn newspaper that no meeting (between him and Jaishankar) has been finalised or requested.&nbsp;

When asked about media speculation that India and Pakistan have been quietly negotiating for the full resumption of diplomatic relations, Qureshi said, "No such decision yet".&nbsp;

Jaishankar last week also did not give a specific reply to questions on whether he will meet Qureshi on the sidelines of the conference.&nbsp;

"My scheduling is in progress. So far, I do not think any such meeting (is scheduled)," he said, at the India Economic Conclave in New Delhi on March 26.&nbsp;

While announcing his participation, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Friday said Jaishankar is expected to meet leaders of other participating countries on the sidelines of the 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) ministerial conference.&nbsp;

The last meeting between Qureshi and an Indian external affairs minister took place in May 2019 in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. Late Sushma Swaraj was then holding the portfolio of the external affairs minister.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Foreign Office on Sunday said Qureshi would hold consultations with key regional and international partners on the sidelines of the conference.&nbsp;

India and Pakistan are without high commissioners in each other's capital, New Delhi and Islamabad, respectively, since the relations between the two countries nosedived after India withdrew special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories in August 2019.&nbsp;

On March 18, Pakistan's powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said it was time for India and Pakistan to 'bury the past and move forward'.&nbsp;

India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence and that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility.&nbsp;

The HoA-IP ministerial conference is part of the Istanbul Process, a regional initiative on security and cooperation for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan that was launched on November 2, 2011 in Turkey. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said no meeting has been 'finalised or requested' so far with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Tuesday at Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, according to a media report on Monday.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said no meeting has been 'finalised or requested' so far with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the 'Heart of Asia' conference on Tuesday at Tajikistan's capital Dushanbe, according to a media report on Monday. The participation of both the ministers at the conference has sparked speculation of a possible meeting between the two leaders amidst recent peace overtures from the Pakistan Army. Qureshi on Sunday told the Dawn newspaper that no meeting (between him and Jaishankar) has been finalised or requested. When asked about media speculation that India and Pakistan have been quietly negotiating for the full resumption of diplomatic relations, Qureshi said, "No such decision yet". Jaishankar last week also did not give a specific reply to questions on whether he will meet Qureshi on the sidelines of the conference. "My scheduling is in progress. So far, I do not think any such meeting (is scheduled)," he said, at the India Economic Conclave in New Delhi on March 26. While announcing his participation, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Friday said Jaishankar is expected to meet leaders of other participating countries on the sidelines of the 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) ministerial conference. The last meeting between Qureshi and an Indian external affairs minister took place in May 2019 in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. Late Sushma Swaraj was then holding the portfolio of the external affairs minister. Pakistan's Foreign Office on Sunday said Qureshi would hold consultations with key regional and international partners on the sidelines of the conference. India and Pakistan are without high commissioners in each other's capital, New Delhi and Islamabad, respectively, since the relations between the two countries nosedived after India withdrew special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories in August 2019. On March 18, Pakistan's powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said it was time for India and Pakistan to 'bury the past and move forward'. India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence and that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility. The HoA-IP ministerial conference is part of the Istanbul Process, a regional initiative on security and cooperation for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan that was launched on November 2, 2011 in Turkey. (With inputs from agencies)

Pak Foreign Minister: Meeting with Jaishankar not 'finalised or requested' 

Armenia's embattled prime minister on Sunday confirmed that he will step down from the post in April in order to allow for an early parliamentary election.&nbsp;

Nikol Pashinyan has faced weeks of protests calling for his ouster in the wake of Armenia's defeat in last year's war with Azerbaijan.&nbsp;

In a move to defuse the political crisis, Pashinyan two weeks ago announced that an early election would be held on June 20. Under Armenian law, such elections can be held after a premier resigns and the parliament fails twice to choose a new one.&nbsp;

"I will resign in April, not to leave power, but to hold early parliamentary elections. I will continue to act as prime minister and head of the Cabinet," Pashinyan said on Sunday in a meeting with residents of the village of Aragats. He didn't give a specific date for stepping down.&nbsp;

Armenia has been gripped by political tensions after suffering a humiliating defeat last year in an armed conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory within Azerbaijan that Armenia-backed separatists controlled for more than 25 years.&nbsp;

Pashinyan signed a peace deal in November that ceded parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and large swaths of adjacent Armenian-controlled territory. He defends the move as the only way to have prevented Azerbaijan from taking the entire region.&nbsp;

Pashinyan has retained significant public backing despite the defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, with thousands rallying in his support to counter the opposition-led pressure for his resignation.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Armenia's embattled prime minister on Sunday confirmed that he will step down from the post in April in order to allow for an early parliamentary election. Nikol Pashinyan has faced weeks of protests calling for his ouster in the wake of Armenia's defeat in last year's war with Azerbaijan.

Armenia's embattled prime minister on Sunday confirmed that he will step down from the post in April in order to allow for an early parliamentary election. Nikol Pashinyan has faced weeks of protests calling for his ouster in the wake of Armenia's defeat in last year's war with Azerbaijan. In a move to defuse the political crisis, Pashinyan two weeks ago announced that an early election would be held on June 20. Under Armenian law, such elections can be held after a premier resigns and the parliament fails twice to choose a new one. "I will resign in April, not to leave power, but to hold early parliamentary elections. I will continue to act as prime minister and head of the Cabinet," Pashinyan said on Sunday in a meeting with residents of the village of Aragats. He didn't give a specific date for stepping down. Armenia has been gripped by political tensions after suffering a humiliating defeat last year in an armed conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory within Azerbaijan that Armenia-backed separatists controlled for more than 25 years. Pashinyan signed a peace deal in November that ceded parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and large swaths of adjacent Armenian-controlled territory. He defends the move as the only way to have prevented Azerbaijan from taking the entire region. Pashinyan has retained significant public backing despite the defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, with thousands rallying in his support to counter the opposition-led pressure for his resignation. (With inputs from agencies)

Armenia PM confirms he will step down in April to allow election 

China agreed to invest $400 billion in Iran over 25 years in exchange for a steady supply of oil to fuel its growing economy under a sweeping economic and security agreement signed Saturday.

The deal could deepen China’s influence in the Middle East and undercut U.S. efforts to keep Iran isolated. But it was not immediately clear how much of the agreement can be implemented while the U.S. dispute with Iran over its nuclear program remains unresolved.

President Joe Biden has offered to resume negotiations with Iran over the 2015 nuclear accord that his predecessor, President Donald Trump, abrogated three years after it was signed. American officials say both countries can take synchronized steps to bring Iran into compliance with the terms of the agreement while the U.S. gradually lifts sanctions.

Iran has refused to do so, and China has backed it up, demanding that the United States act first to revive the deal it broke by lifting unilateral sanctions that have suffocated the Iranian economy. China was one of five world powers that, along with the U.S., signed the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.

The foreign ministers of the two countries, Javad Zarif and Wang Yi, signed the agreement during a ceremony at the foreign ministry in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday, according to Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency. That capped a two-day visit by Wang that reflected China’s growing ambition to play a larger role in a region that has been a strategic preoccupation of the United States for decades.

“China firmly supports Iran in safeguarding its state sovereignty and national dignity,” Wang said in his meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the Chinese foreign ministry reported. The United States, Wang said, should immediately rescind its sanctions on Iran and “remove its long arm of jurisdictional measures that have been aimed at China, among others.”

Iran did not make the details of the agreement public before the signing, nor did the Chinese government give specifics. But experts said it was largely unchanged from an 18-page draft obtained last year by The New York Times.

That draft detailed $400 billion of Chinese investments to be made in dozens of fields, including banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, health care and information technology, over the next 25 years. In exchange, China would receive a regular — and, according to an Iranian official and an oil trader, heavily discounted — supply of Iranian oil.

The draft also called for deepening military cooperation, including joint training and exercises, joint research and weapons development and intelligence-sharing.

Iranian officials touted the agreement with Beijing — first proposed by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, during a 2016 visit — as a breakthrough. But it has been met with criticism inside Iran that the government could be giving too much away to China.

Hesamoddin Ashena, a top adviser to Rouhani, called the deal “an example of a successful diplomacy” on Twitter, saying it was a sign of Iran’s power “to participate in coalitions, not to remain in isolation.” He called it “an important decree for long-term cooperation after long negotiations and joint work.”

A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, called the document a “complete road map” of relations for the next quarter-century.

Wang has already visited Iran’s archrival, Saudi Arabia, as well as Turkey, and is scheduled to go to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman in the days ahead. He has said that the region is at a crossroads and offered China’s help in resolving persistent disputes, including over Iran’s nuclear program.

China is even ready to play host to direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, hinting that U.S. dominance in the region has hindered peace and development.

In Iran, opinions about China’s expanding influence have been mixed.

After Xi first proposed the strategic agreement during his visit in 2016, negotiations to complete it moved slowly at first. Iran had just reached its deal with the United States and other nations to ease economic sanctions in exchange for severe restrictions on its nuclear research activities, and European companies began flocking to Iran with investments and offers of joint partnerships to develop gas and oil fields.

Those opportunities evaporated after Trump withdrew the United States from the deal and imposed new sanctions that the Europeans feared could entangle them, forcing Iran to look east.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, ordered a revival of talks with China, appointing a trusted conservative politician and former speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, as a special envoy.

“China is a friend for hard times,” Zarif, the foreign minister, said after signing the deal. “The history of cooperation between two ancient cultures of Iran and China dates back centuries. Signing the cooperation agreement will further strengthen the ties of the two nations.”

Critics have complained that the negotiations lacked transparency and called the deal a sellout of Iran’s resources, comparing it to one-sided agreements that China has made with countries like Sri Lanka.

Supporters of the deal said that Iran had to be pragmatic and recognize China’s growing economic prominence.

“For too long in our strategic alliances, we have put all our eggs in the basket of the West, and it did not yield results,” said Ali Shariati, an economic analyst who until recently was a member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce. “Now, if we shift policy and look at the East, it won’t be so bad.”

It remains to be seen how many of the ambitious projects detailed in the agreement will materialize. If the nuclear agreement collapses entirely, Chinese companies, too, could face secondary sanctions from Washington, an issue that has infuriated China in the past.

The U.S. prosecution of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei includes accusations that the company was furtively trading with Iran in violation of those sanctions.

Chinese officials have emphasized that both Washington and Tehran needed to take steps to resolve the nuclear dispute.

“All the parties can consider an approach of synchronized reciprocity, creating a road map for restoring observance of the agreement,” Wang said in the talks with his Iranian counterpart, Zarif. “There can be efforts to achieve initial gains, creating the conditions for relaunching the whole agreement.”

China agreed to invest $400 billion in Iran over 25 years in exchange for a steady supply of oil to fuel its growing economy under a sweeping economic and security agreement signed Saturday.

China agreed to invest $400 billion in Iran over 25 years in exchange for a steady supply of oil to fuel its growing economy under a sweeping economic and security agreement signed Saturday. The deal could deepen China’s influence in the Middle East and undercut U.S. efforts to keep Iran isolated. But it was not immediately clear how much of the agreement can be implemented while the U.S. dispute with Iran over its nuclear program remains unresolved. President Joe Biden has offered to resume negotiations with Iran over the 2015 nuclear accord that his predecessor, President Donald Trump, abrogated three years after it was signed. American officials say both countries can take synchronized steps to bring Iran into compliance with the terms of the agreement while the U.S. gradually lifts sanctions. Iran has refused to do so, and China has backed it up, demanding that the United States act first to revive the deal it broke by lifting unilateral sanctions that have suffocated the Iranian economy. China was one of five world powers that, along with the U.S., signed the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran. The foreign ministers of the two countries, Javad Zarif and Wang Yi, signed the agreement during a ceremony at the foreign ministry in Tehran, Iran, on Saturday, according to Iran’s semiofficial Fars News Agency. That capped a two-day visit by Wang that reflected China’s growing ambition to play a larger role in a region that has been a strategic preoccupation of the United States for decades. “China firmly supports Iran in safeguarding its state sovereignty and national dignity,” Wang said in his meeting with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, the Chinese foreign ministry reported. The United States, Wang said, should immediately rescind its sanctions on Iran and “remove its long arm of jurisdictional measures that have been aimed at China, among others.” Iran did not make the details of the agreement public before the signing, nor did the Chinese government give specifics. But experts said it was largely unchanged from an 18-page draft obtained last year by The New York Times. That draft detailed $400 billion of Chinese investments to be made in dozens of fields, including banking, telecommunications, ports, railways, health care and information technology, over the next 25 years. In exchange, China would receive a regular — and, according to an Iranian official and an oil trader, heavily discounted — supply of Iranian oil. The draft also called for deepening military cooperation, including joint training and exercises, joint research and weapons development and intelligence-sharing. Iranian officials touted the agreement with Beijing — first proposed by China’s leader, Xi Jinping, during a 2016 visit — as a breakthrough. But it has been met with criticism inside Iran that the government could be giving too much away to China. Hesamoddin Ashena, a top adviser to Rouhani, called the deal “an example of a successful diplomacy” on Twitter, saying it was a sign of Iran’s power “to participate in coalitions, not to remain in isolation.” He called it “an important decree for long-term cooperation after long negotiations and joint work.” A spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, called the document a “complete road map” of relations for the next quarter-century. Wang has already visited Iran’s archrival, Saudi Arabia, as well as Turkey, and is scheduled to go to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Oman in the days ahead. He has said that the region is at a crossroads and offered China’s help in resolving persistent disputes, including over Iran’s nuclear program. China is even ready to play host to direct talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians, hinting that U.S. dominance in the region has hindered peace and development. In Iran, opinions about China’s expanding influence have been mixed. After Xi first proposed the strategic agreement during his visit in 2016, negotiations to complete it moved slowly at first. Iran had just reached its deal with the United States and other nations to ease economic sanctions in exchange for severe restrictions on its nuclear research activities, and European companies began flocking to Iran with investments and offers of joint partnerships to develop gas and oil fields. Those opportunities evaporated after Trump withdrew the United States from the deal and imposed new sanctions that the Europeans feared could entangle them, forcing Iran to look east. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, ordered a revival of talks with China, appointing a trusted conservative politician and former speaker of parliament, Ali Larijani, as a special envoy. “China is a friend for hard times,” Zarif, the foreign minister, said after signing the deal. “The history of cooperation between two ancient cultures of Iran and China dates back centuries. Signing the cooperation agreement will further strengthen the ties of the two nations.” Critics have complained that the negotiations lacked transparency and called the deal a sellout of Iran’s resources, comparing it to one-sided agreements that China has made with countries like Sri Lanka. Supporters of the deal said that Iran had to be pragmatic and recognize China’s growing economic prominence. “For too long in our strategic alliances, we have put all our eggs in the basket of the West, and it did not yield results,” said Ali Shariati, an economic analyst who until recently was a member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce. “Now, if we shift policy and look at the East, it won’t be so bad.” It remains to be seen how many of the ambitious projects detailed in the agreement will materialize. If the nuclear agreement collapses entirely, Chinese companies, too, could face secondary sanctions from Washington, an issue that has infuriated China in the past. The U.S. prosecution of Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei includes accusations that the company was furtively trading with Iran in violation of those sanctions. Chinese officials have emphasized that both Washington and Tehran needed to take steps to resolve the nuclear dispute. “All the parties can consider an approach of synchronized reciprocity, creating a road map for restoring observance of the agreement,” Wang said in the talks with his Iranian counterpart, Zarif. “There can be efforts to achieve initial gains, creating the conditions for relaunching the whole agreement.”

China, with $400 billion Iran deal, could deepen influence in Mideast

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said the recent UNHRC resolution against his country was the doing of local and foreign forces, which do not want Sri Lanka to progress, however, he vowed that his government would not succumb to such pressures.&nbsp;

On last Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution against Sri Lanka's rights record, giving the UN body a mandate to collect evidence of crimes committed during the country's brutal three-decade-long civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).&nbsp;

Speaking at a gathering in the southern rural district of Matara on Sunday, Rajapaksa said, "We will never succumb to (such) pressures (UNHRC resolution); we are a free nation. We will not be a victim of big power rivalry in the Indian Ocean."&nbsp;

The president said the UNHRC resolution was the doing of 'foreign and local forces', which cannot bare to see his government making progress.&nbsp;

Rajapaksa accused the previous government led by Maithripala Sirisena of betraying Sri Lanka's sovereignty by co-sponsoring the UN rights resolution in 2015.&nbsp;

The resolution titled 'Promotion of Reconciliation Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka' was passed despite heavy lobbying by Sri Lanka. India was among 14 countries, which abstained from voting.&nbsp;

India has said its stand on the matter is governed by two considerations: support to the minority Tamils and stability and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

The resolution calls upon the Sri Lankan government to ensure prompt thorough and impartial investigation, if warranted, prosecution of all alleged crimes relating to human rights violations and serious violations of international human rights law during the country's three-decade-long civil war. The Tamil minority has welcomed the resolution.&nbsp;

According to the Lankan government figures, over 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the three-decade brutal war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east, which claimed at least 100,000 lives.&nbsp;

The Tamils alleged that thousands were massacred during the final stages of the war that ended in 2009 when the government forces killed LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran.&nbsp;

The Sri Lankan Army denies the charge, claiming it as a humanitarian operation to rid the Tamils of LTTE's control.&nbsp;

At the end of the civil war, the United Nations accused both sides of atrocities, especially during the conflict's final stages.&nbsp;

International rights groups claim at least 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the final stages of the war, but the Sri Lankan government has disputed the figures.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said the recent UNHRC resolution against his country was the doing of local and foreign forces, which do not want Sri Lanka to progress, however, he vowed that his government would not succumb to such pressures.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Sunday said the recent UNHRC resolution against his country was the doing of local and foreign forces, which do not want Sri Lanka to progress, however, he vowed that his government would not succumb to such pressures. On last Tuesday, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted a resolution against Sri Lanka's rights record, giving the UN body a mandate to collect evidence of crimes committed during the country's brutal three-decade-long civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Speaking at a gathering in the southern rural district of Matara on Sunday, Rajapaksa said, "We will never succumb to (such) pressures (UNHRC resolution); we are a free nation. We will not be a victim of big power rivalry in the Indian Ocean." The president said the UNHRC resolution was the doing of 'foreign and local forces', which cannot bare to see his government making progress. Rajapaksa accused the previous government led by Maithripala Sirisena of betraying Sri Lanka's sovereignty by co-sponsoring the UN rights resolution in 2015. The resolution titled 'Promotion of Reconciliation Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka' was passed despite heavy lobbying by Sri Lanka. India was among 14 countries, which abstained from voting. India has said its stand on the matter is governed by two considerations: support to the minority Tamils and stability and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. The resolution calls upon the Sri Lankan government to ensure prompt thorough and impartial investigation, if warranted, prosecution of all alleged crimes relating to human rights violations and serious violations of international human rights law during the country's three-decade-long civil war. The Tamil minority has welcomed the resolution. According to the Lankan government figures, over 20,000 people are missing due to various conflicts including the three-decade brutal war with Lankan Tamils in the north and east, which claimed at least 100,000 lives. The Tamils alleged that thousands were massacred during the final stages of the war that ended in 2009 when the government forces killed LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran. The Sri Lankan Army denies the charge, claiming it as a humanitarian operation to rid the Tamils of LTTE's control. At the end of the civil war, the United Nations accused both sides of atrocities, especially during the conflict's final stages. International rights groups claim at least 40,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the final stages of the war, but the Sri Lankan government has disputed the figures. (With inputs from agencies)

Sri Lanka will not succumb to UNHRC pressure, says president 

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Gandharv Walia

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