The United States has called on Russia to release about 200 opposition activists, who were detained in Moscow on Saturday. About 200 opposition activists were detained in Moscow on Saturday, according to a statement from Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs. &nbsp;

The detentions are the latest in a series of crackdowns sustained by members of the opposition following Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny's arrest and imprisonment.&nbsp;

Taking to Twitter, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an end to the 'persecution of independent voices'.&nbsp;

"Today, the Russian government detained almost 200 municipal leaders and politicians, including political activists Vladimir Kara-Murza and Yuliya Galyamina, on dubious grounds. We call for an end to the persecution of independent voices," Blinken wrote in a tweet.&nbsp;

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Today, the Russian government detained almost 200 municipal leaders and politicians, including political activists Vladimir Kara-Murza and Yuliya Galyamina, on dubious grounds. We call for an end to the persecution of independent voices.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecBlinken/status/1370888353256726529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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CNN reported that on Saturday, municipal deputies from Russia's regions gathered in the Russian capital to discuss parliamentary and local elections, which are scheduled for September, at a forum held by United Democrats, a project aimed at supporting competitive election, according to their website.&nbsp;

On February 2, a Moscow court substituted Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny's suspended sentence in corruption case with a real prison term of 3.5 years for multiple violations of his probation terms. &nbsp;

A Moscow city court reinstated the ruling but reduced the sentence to 2.5 years. For months, opposition activists have been met with a harsh show of force, demonstrated most clearly on January 31, when over 5,000 people were detained during nationwide protests in 85 cities in support of Navalny. &nbsp;

The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that 'checks are being conducted' on the activists detained on Saturday, and that 'a decision will be undertaken in compliance with the law'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United States has called on Russia to release about 200 opposition activists, who were detained in Moscow on Saturday. About 200 opposition activists were detained in Moscow on Saturday, according to a statement from Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The United States has called on Russia to release about 200 opposition activists, who were detained in Moscow on Saturday. About 200 opposition activists were detained in Moscow on Saturday, according to a statement from Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs. The detentions are the latest in a series of crackdowns sustained by members of the opposition following Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny's arrest and imprisonment. Taking to Twitter, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for an end to the 'persecution of independent voices'. "Today, the Russian government detained almost 200 municipal leaders and politicians, including political activists Vladimir Kara-Murza and Yuliya Galyamina, on dubious grounds. We call for an end to the persecution of independent voices," Blinken wrote in a tweet. Today, the Russian government detained almost 200 municipal leaders and politicians, including political activists Vladimir Kara-Murza and Yuliya Galyamina, on dubious grounds. We call for an end to the persecution of independent voices. — Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 14, 2021 × CNN reported that on Saturday, municipal deputies from Russia's regions gathered in the Russian capital to discuss parliamentary and local elections, which are scheduled for September, at a forum held by United Democrats, a project aimed at supporting competitive election, according to their website. On February 2, a Moscow court substituted Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny's suspended sentence in corruption case with a real prison term of 3.5 years for multiple violations of his probation terms. A Moscow city court reinstated the ruling but reduced the sentence to 2.5 years. For months, opposition activists have been met with a harsh show of force, demonstrated most clearly on January 31, when over 5,000 people were detained during nationwide protests in 85 cities in support of Navalny. The Ministry of Internal Affairs said that 'checks are being conducted' on the activists detained on Saturday, and that 'a decision will be undertaken in compliance with the law'. (With inputs from agencies)

US calls on Russia to end persecution of independent voices  

Sri Lanka has asked retail giant Amazon to take down bikinis, briefs and doormats featuring the nation's lion flag from its site, authorities said on Sunday, two days after it protested against the China-made products.&nbsp;

The country is highly sensitive to what it sees as any misuse of its national flag, as well as Buddhist symbols. &nbsp;

Sri Lanka said it had lodged a formal protest with the online retailer and asked Chinese authorities to ensure an end to the manufacture and sale of similar products.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Srilanka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Srilanka</a> Government Should Ban <a href="https://twitter.com/amazon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@amazon</a> in Our County! 
 
Online e-Commerce platform, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Amazon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Amazon</a> is continued to advertise Sri Lankan flag printed products from doormats to bikinis and men’s underwear.<a href="https://twitter.com/SrilankaPMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SrilankaPMO</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PresRajapaksa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PresRajapaksa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GotabayaR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GotabayaR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RajapaksaNamal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RajapaksaNamal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DCRGunawardena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DCRGunawardena</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MFA_SriLanka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MFA_SriLanka</a> <a href="https://t.co/fcRvbzUwDj">pic.twitter.com/fcRvbzUwDj</a>
— News Journal 🔺 (@NewsJournalLK) <a href="https://twitter.com/NewsJournalLK/status/1371075080990519297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

"The company, which marketed the product on Amazon, was requested by letter from the embassy to immediately cease selling the doormats and any such products, misusing the Sri Lanka flag," the Sri Lankan embassy in China said in a statement.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka's embassy in Washington said it had also taken up the issue, and complained to the US government over what it called a 'violation of intellectual property rights' of the South Asian nation.&nbsp;

However, two days after Sri Lanka's intervention, dozens of retailers were still selling the flag-themed items.&nbsp;

Several Chinese vendors on Amazon were offering the non-slip doormat at prices ranging from $10 to $24, and the lion-printed briefs and bikini from $9.20 to $17.30.&nbsp;

"This is how the Chinese see Sri Lanka," said one Facebook user.&nbsp;

Another suggested the doormat was a forewarning of how future relations might play out in light of Sri Lanka's huge debt to China: "Maybe it's the sign (of how) they gonna treat us when we fail to pay their loans."&nbsp;

"If we are unable to pay our debts, they will print our flag on toilet paper for sure," wrote another on Facebook.&nbsp;

In 2010, Sri Lanka prevented US rap star Akon from visiting the country over one of his music videos, which featured scantily clad women dancing in front of a Buddha statue.&nbsp;

In 2002, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ordered police and customs to seize CDs of Buddha Bar lounge music.&nbsp;

Two years ago, a Muslim woman was arrested for wearing a dress with prints of a ship's steering wheel, which police mistook for Dharma Chakra, a Buddhist symbol.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Sri Lanka has asked retail giant Amazon to take down bikinis, briefs and doormats featuring the nation's lion flag from its site, authorities said on Sunday, two days after it protested against the China-made products.

Sri Lanka has asked retail giant Amazon to take down bikinis, briefs and doormats featuring the nation's lion flag from its site, authorities said on Sunday, two days after it protested against the China-made products. The country is highly sensitive to what it sees as any misuse of its national flag, as well as Buddhist symbols. Sri Lanka said it had lodged a formal protest with the online retailer and asked Chinese authorities to ensure an end to the manufacture and sale of similar products. #Srilanka Government Should Ban @amazon in Our County! Online e-Commerce platform, #Amazon is continued to advertise Sri Lankan flag printed products from doormats to bikinis and men’s underwear.@SrilankaPMO @PresRajapaksa @GotabayaR @RajapaksaNamal @DCRGunawardena @MFA_SriLanka pic.twitter.com/fcRvbzUwDj — News Journal 🔺 (@NewsJournalLK) March 14, 2021 × "The company, which marketed the product on Amazon, was requested by letter from the embassy to immediately cease selling the doormats and any such products, misusing the Sri Lanka flag," the Sri Lankan embassy in China said in a statement. Sri Lanka's embassy in Washington said it had also taken up the issue, and complained to the US government over what it called a 'violation of intellectual property rights' of the South Asian nation. However, two days after Sri Lanka's intervention, dozens of retailers were still selling the flag-themed items. Several Chinese vendors on Amazon were offering the non-slip doormat at prices ranging from $10 to $24, and the lion-printed briefs and bikini from $9.20 to $17.30. "This is how the Chinese see Sri Lanka," said one Facebook user. Another suggested the doormat was a forewarning of how future relations might play out in light of Sri Lanka's huge debt to China: "Maybe it's the sign (of how) they gonna treat us when we fail to pay their loans." "If we are unable to pay our debts, they will print our flag on toilet paper for sure," wrote another on Facebook. In 2010, Sri Lanka prevented US rap star Akon from visiting the country over one of his music videos, which featured scantily clad women dancing in front of a Buddha statue. In 2002, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ordered police and customs to seize CDs of Buddha Bar lounge music. Two years ago, a Muslim woman was arrested for wearing a dress with prints of a ship's steering wheel, which police mistook for Dharma Chakra, a Buddhist symbol. (With inputs from agencies)

Sri Lanka tells Amazon to remove bikinis, doormats featuring its lion flag 

Some 77,000 chickens will be culled in the Japanese prefecture of Tochigi due to a new outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu, Japanese media reported on Saturday.&nbsp;

According to the news, a quarantine zone was established within a three-kilometre (1.9 miles) radius from the affected farm and a ban on the export of eggs and poultry products was introduced within a 10-kilometre range.&nbsp;

In January, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that the new outbreak of avian influenza, which started in November, has broken all records in terms of the number of chickens culled in one season. &nbsp;

Seventeen out of Japan's 47 prefectures were affected by the outbreak. Bird flu outbreaks have also been detected in the prefectures of Chiba, Kagawa, Fukuoka, Hyogo, Miyazaki, Hiroshima, Nara, Oita, Wakayama, Okayama, Shiga, Kochi, Tokushima, Gifu, Kagoshima, Toyama and Ibaraki. &nbsp;

According to the Ministry for Agriculture, some 9.7 million domestic birds have already been exterminated to prevent the spread of the disease. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Some 77,000 chickens will be culled in the Japanese prefecture of Tochigi due to a new outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu, Japanese media reported on Saturday.

Some 77,000 chickens will be culled in the Japanese prefecture of Tochigi due to a new outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu, Japanese media reported on Saturday. According to the news, a quarantine zone was established within a three-kilometre (1.9 miles) radius from the affected farm and a ban on the export of eggs and poultry products was introduced within a 10-kilometre range. In January, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that the new outbreak of avian influenza, which started in November, has broken all records in terms of the number of chickens culled in one season. Seventeen out of Japan's 47 prefectures were affected by the outbreak. Bird flu outbreaks have also been detected in the prefectures of Chiba, Kagawa, Fukuoka, Hyogo, Miyazaki, Hiroshima, Nara, Oita, Wakayama, Okayama, Shiga, Kochi, Tokushima, Gifu, Kagoshima, Toyama and Ibaraki. According to the Ministry for Agriculture, some 9.7 million domestic birds have already been exterminated to prevent the spread of the disease. (With inputs from agencies)

Japan to cull 77,000 chickens over new bird flu outbreak in Tochigi 

People with high levels of emotional intelligence are less likely to be susceptible to 'fake news', a new study suggests.&nbsp;

The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, indicates that those who identified the types of news correctly were most likely to score highly in the EQ tests.&nbsp;

"Fake news on social media is now a matter of considerable public and governmental concern," said researcher Tony Anderson from the University of Strathclyde in the UK.&nbsp;

"Research on dealing with this issue is still in its infancy but recent studies have started to focus on the psychological factors which might make some individuals less susceptible to fake news," Anderson added.&nbsp;

For the study, the research team invited nearly 100 participants to read a series of news items on social media and to ascertain whether they were real or fictitious, briefly describing the reasons for their answers.&nbsp;

They were also asked to complete a test to determine their levels of emotional intelligence (EQ or emotional quotient) and were asked a number of questions when considering the veracity of each news item.&nbsp;

Participants were presented with real and fabricated news stories on issues including health, crime, wealth inequality and the environment.&nbsp;

Fictitious items featured aspects including emotive language, brief information and a lack of attributed sources.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

People with high levels of emotional intelligence are less likely to be susceptible to 'fake news', a new study suggests. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, indicates that those who identified the types of news correctly were most likely to score highly in the EQ tests.

People with high levels of emotional intelligence are less likely to be susceptible to 'fake news', a new study suggests. The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, indicates that those who identified the types of news correctly were most likely to score highly in the EQ tests. "Fake news on social media is now a matter of considerable public and governmental concern," said researcher Tony Anderson from the University of Strathclyde in the UK. "Research on dealing with this issue is still in its infancy but recent studies have started to focus on the psychological factors which might make some individuals less susceptible to fake news," Anderson added. For the study, the research team invited nearly 100 participants to read a series of news items on social media and to ascertain whether they were real or fictitious, briefly describing the reasons for their answers. They were also asked to complete a test to determine their levels of emotional intelligence (EQ or emotional quotient) and were asked a number of questions when considering the veracity of each news item. Participants were presented with real and fabricated news stories on issues including health, crime, wealth inequality and the environment. Fictitious items featured aspects including emotive language, brief information and a lack of attributed sources. (With inputs from agencies)

High EQ can help to identify fake news 

A 60-year-old former leader of Islamic organisation Jamaat-e-Islami has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly promoting extremism in the country, police announced on Saturday.&nbsp;

Rasheed Hajjul Akbar, who headed the Jamaat-e-Islami organisation for 24 years until last September 2019, was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) from Dematagoda area on Friday, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said.&nbsp;

He was publishing articles in a magazine published by the Jamaat-e-Islami organisation to promote Wahhabism and Jihadist ideology in Sri Lanka, the police spokesman said.&nbsp;

The arrest came as an investigation panel on the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings had called for banning Wahhabism in the island nation as it inspires Muslim religious extremism.&nbsp;

On April 21, 2019, nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500 on the Easter Sunday.&nbsp;

The blasts targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo, and a church in the eastern town of Batticaloa when the Easter Sunday mass was in progress.&nbsp;

Early this week, Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament that around 676 people had been arrested over the 2019 attack and 66 more are being held under detention.&nbsp;

The panel report had also called for the banning of the majority Buddhist extremist outfit Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) which the report contended had encouraged Muslim extremism.&nbsp;

The panel's finding that former president Maithripala Sirisena and the then police top brass be criminally tried for failure to heed to prior intelligence warnings and failure to take preventive action has caused a political storm.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A 60-year-old former leader of Islamic organisation Jamaat-e-Islami has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly promoting extremism in the country, police announced on Saturday.

A 60-year-old former leader of Islamic organisation Jamaat-e-Islami has been arrested in Sri Lanka for allegedly promoting extremism in the country, police announced on Saturday. Rasheed Hajjul Akbar, who headed the Jamaat-e-Islami organisation for 24 years until last September 2019, was arrested by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) from Dematagoda area on Friday, Police Spokesman DIG Ajith Rohana said. He was publishing articles in a magazine published by the Jamaat-e-Islami organisation to promote Wahhabism and Jihadist ideology in Sri Lanka, the police spokesman said. The arrest came as an investigation panel on the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings had called for banning Wahhabism in the island nation as it inspires Muslim religious extremism. On April 21, 2019, nine suicide bombers belonging to the local Islamist extremist group National Thawheed Jamaat (NTJ) carried out a series of blasts that tore through three churches and as many luxury hotels in Sri Lanka, killing 270 people, including 11 Indians, and injuring over 500 on the Easter Sunday. The blasts targeted St Anthony's Church in Colombo, St Sebastian's Church in the western coastal town of Negombo, and a church in the eastern town of Batticaloa when the Easter Sunday mass was in progress. Early this week, Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekera told Parliament that around 676 people had been arrested over the 2019 attack and 66 more are being held under detention. The panel report had also called for the banning of the majority Buddhist extremist outfit Bodu Bala Sena (BBS) which the report contended had encouraged Muslim extremism. The panel's finding that former president Maithripala Sirisena and the then police top brass be criminally tried for failure to heed to prior intelligence warnings and failure to take preventive action has caused a political storm. (With inputs from agencies)

Ex-Jamaat-e-Islami leader held in Sri Lanka for promoting Islamic extremism 

Nepal's CPN (Maoist Centre) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on Saturday recalled its ministers from the Cabinet led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and directed all its leaders nominated at the CPN-UML Central Committee to make their positions clear within 24 hours, intensifying the rift between the two factions.&nbsp;

Among the ministers called back are Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Minister for Water Supply Mani Chandra Thapa, Urban Development Minister Prabhu Shah, Minister for Youth and Sports Dawa Lama Tamang and Minister for Labour Gauri Shankar Chaudhary, the Kathmandu Post reported.&nbsp;

The decision was taken by the standing committee meeting of the CPN-MC held this morning at Paris Danda, the Centre's party office here.&nbsp;

"Our Standing Committee meeting has decided to call back all our ministers in the federal government and told the leaders nominated by UML to make their position clear within 24 hours," Devendra Poudel, a Standing Committee member, was quoted as saying by the daily.&nbsp;

"We will begin action against those failing to abide by the party's decisions, he said.&nbsp;

As per the legal provision, lawmakers will lose their seats in the upper house and the lower house of Parliament if they choose to leave the party or their party decides to expel them from the party.&nbsp;

On Friday, the Central Committee meeting of the CPN (UML) led by Prime Minister Oli had nominated 23 leaders of Maoist Centre, including the ministers to the party's central committee which the faction opposing him has said is against the norms of the party.&nbsp;

Since the Supreme Court invalidated the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) merger and revived its constituents CPN-UML and Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Centre) on Sunday last, Oli has been keeping at bay the faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal that had opposed him and tightening his hold on the party by relieving leaders close to Nepal from party positions, the daily said.&nbsp;

Nepal's Election Commission on Tuesday asked the CPN (UML) led by Oli and the CPN (Maoist Center) led by Prachanda to come up with a new name and election symbol of the party if they decide to merge their parties again after the Supreme Court quashed the 2018 unification of the two parties.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Nepal's CPN (Maoist Centre) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on Saturday recalled its ministers from the Cabinet led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and directed all its leaders nominated at the CPN-UML Central Committee to make their positions clear within 24 hours, intensifying the rift between the two factions.

Nepal's CPN (Maoist Centre) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda on Saturday recalled its ministers from the Cabinet led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and directed all its leaders nominated at the CPN-UML Central Committee to make their positions clear within 24 hours, intensifying the rift between the two factions. Among the ministers called back are Minister for Home Affairs Ram Bahadur Thapa, Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Minister for Water Supply Mani Chandra Thapa, Urban Development Minister Prabhu Shah, Minister for Youth and Sports Dawa Lama Tamang and Minister for Labour Gauri Shankar Chaudhary, the Kathmandu Post reported. The decision was taken by the standing committee meeting of the CPN-MC held this morning at Paris Danda, the Centre's party office here. "Our Standing Committee meeting has decided to call back all our ministers in the federal government and told the leaders nominated by UML to make their position clear within 24 hours," Devendra Poudel, a Standing Committee member, was quoted as saying by the daily. "We will begin action against those failing to abide by the party's decisions, he said. As per the legal provision, lawmakers will lose their seats in the upper house and the lower house of Parliament if they choose to leave the party or their party decides to expel them from the party. On Friday, the Central Committee meeting of the CPN (UML) led by Prime Minister Oli had nominated 23 leaders of Maoist Centre, including the ministers to the party's central committee which the faction opposing him has said is against the norms of the party. Since the Supreme Court invalidated the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) merger and revived its constituents CPN-UML and Nepal Communist Party (Maoist Centre) on Sunday last, Oli has been keeping at bay the faction led by Madhav Kumar Nepal that had opposed him and tightening his hold on the party by relieving leaders close to Nepal from party positions, the daily said. Nepal's Election Commission on Tuesday asked the CPN (UML) led by Oli and the CPN (Maoist Center) led by Prachanda to come up with a new name and election symbol of the party if they decide to merge their parties again after the Supreme Court quashed the 2018 unification of the two parties. (With inputs from agencies)

Prachanda-led Maoist Centre recalls its ministers from Oli's Cabinet 

A top Pakistani university has expelled two students for hugging and proposing on campus, after a video of the incident went viral on social media.&nbsp;

A special disciplinary committee of the University of Lahore held a meeting on Friday and summoned the two students but they failed to appear.&nbsp;

The committee then decided to expel the boy and the girl and banned them from entering any of the university's campuses.&nbsp;According to the University of Lahore, the two students were involved in gross misconduct and violation of university rules.&nbsp;The students in question were summoned before the committee but failed to appear. Thus, in pursuance of Section 9 of the General Discipline and Code of Conduct on the Campus, the committee has decided to expel the two students for violating the varsity's rules and regulations and serious infraction of the code of conduct. Furthermore, as per Section 16, they are debarred from entering the premises of University of Lahore and all its sub-campuses," read a statement from the University of Lahore.&nbsp;

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University of Lahore WTF...........🙂 <a href="https://t.co/PiCt5FD78Q">pic.twitter.com/PiCt5FD78Q</a>
— NنDEEM (@Nadeem_M7) <a href="https://twitter.com/Nadeem_M7/status/1370009639660761089?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The video of the proposal took Twitter by storm, it was one of the top trends on social media last Thursday when the incident took place.&nbsp;The viral footage shows the girl with her right knee bent on the ground, holding a bouquet of roses, proposing to the boy, who then takes the flowers and pulls the girl for a hug. Nearby students are seen cheering them along.&nbsp;

As the footage went viral, the university took notice of it.&nbsp;

Expulsion of the couple drew mixed reactions on the internet. A social media user posted the picture of Indian film legend Amitabh Bachchan from the movie 'Mohabbatein' where he played a college principal, who was against romance in college.&nbsp;

"Presenting to you, the Principal of the University of Lahore," read the caption with a photograph of Bachchan.&nbsp;

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University of Lahore administration purportedly expelled Hadiqa and Shehryar from university for publicly going for marriage proposal &amp; momentary display of affection. University says both students violated code of conduct and committed gross misconduct in the university. <a href="https://t.co/MDIVJ4Mk9U">pic.twitter.com/MDIVJ4Mk9U</a>
— Zahid Gishkori (@ZahidGishkori) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZahidGishkori/status/1370444536099446784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Slain prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto's daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari termed the university action ridiculous.&nbsp;

Former cricketer Wasim Akram's wife Shaniera Akram said in a tweet: Apply all the rules you want but you can't expel love! It's in our hearts, it's the best part about being young and it what makes life worth living! You learn more about love than you can ever learn at an institution.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

A top Pakistani university has expelled two students for hugging and proposing on campus, after a video of the incident went viral on social media. A special disciplinary committee of the University of Lahore held a meeting on Friday and summoned the two students but they failed to appear.

A top Pakistani university has expelled two students for hugging and proposing on campus, after a video of the incident went viral on social media. A special disciplinary committee of the University of Lahore held a meeting on Friday and summoned the two students but they failed to appear. The committee then decided to expel the boy and the girl and banned them from entering any of the university's campuses. According to the University of Lahore, the two students were involved in gross misconduct and violation of university rules. The students in question were summoned before the committee but failed to appear. Thus, in pursuance of Section 9 of the General Discipline and Code of Conduct on the Campus, the committee has decided to expel the two students for violating the varsity's rules and regulations and serious infraction of the code of conduct. Furthermore, as per Section 16, they are debarred from entering the premises of University of Lahore and all its sub-campuses," read a statement from the University of Lahore. University of Lahore WTF...........🙂 pic.twitter.com/PiCt5FD78Q — NنDEEM (@Nadeem_M7) March 11, 2021 × The video of the proposal took Twitter by storm, it was one of the top trends on social media last Thursday when the incident took place. The viral footage shows the girl with her right knee bent on the ground, holding a bouquet of roses, proposing to the boy, who then takes the flowers and pulls the girl for a hug. Nearby students are seen cheering them along. As the footage went viral, the university took notice of it. Expulsion of the couple drew mixed reactions on the internet. A social media user posted the picture of Indian film legend Amitabh Bachchan from the movie 'Mohabbatein' where he played a college principal, who was against romance in college. "Presenting to you, the Principal of the University of Lahore," read the caption with a photograph of Bachchan. University of Lahore administration purportedly expelled Hadiqa and Shehryar from university for publicly going for marriage proposal & momentary display of affection. University says both students violated code of conduct and committed gross misconduct in the university. pic.twitter.com/MDIVJ4Mk9U — Zahid Gishkori (@ZahidGishkori) March 12, 2021 × Slain prime minister of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto's daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto-Zardari termed the university action ridiculous. Former cricketer Wasim Akram's wife Shaniera Akram said in a tweet: Apply all the rules you want but you can't expel love! It's in our hearts, it's the best part about being young and it what makes life worth living! You learn more about love than you can ever learn at an institution. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Social media erupts as Pak varsity expels students for 'hugging' on campus 

Russian police detained around 200 people at a meeting of independent and opposition politicians in Moscow on Saturday, accusing them of links to an 'undesirable organisation', a monitoring group and a TV station said.&nbsp;

The detentions come amid a crackdown on anti-Kremlin sentiment, following the arrest and imprisonment of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who returned to Russia in January after recovering from a nerve agent poisoning in Siberia.&nbsp;

The forum, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, was a gathering of municipal deputies from all over the country, Andrei Pivovarov, the event's organiser and executive director of Open Russia, a British-based group founded by exiled former oil tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, told radio station Echo Moskvy.&nbsp;

As the forum got underway, police entered the building and began detaining attendees and taking them to police vans waiting outside, video footage from TV Rain and Russian news agencies showed.&nbsp;

The Moscow branch of Russia's interior ministry said around 200 people had been detained and that an investigation was underway.

Police said those detained were not following the appropriate anti-coronavirus health measures even though footage showed most of them wearing masks. They said some of those attending the forum had links to an 'undesirable organisation'.

"A significant portion of participants lacked personal protective equipment," the police said. "Members of an organisation whose activities are considered undesirable on Russian territory were among the participants."

OVD-Info, which monitors the detention of political protesters and activists, published a list of more than 170 people, it said had been detained.&nbsp;

"The finale of the short forum was very symbolic: deputies in police vans and masked police twisting people's arms," one detainee, opposition politician Ilya Yashin, wrote on Facebook.

"But no one promised us freedom on a silver platter. Russia will still be free."

Vladimir Kara-Murza, vice-president of the Free Russia Foundation, a Washington-based non-profit organisation, shared a picture from the inside of a police van after he was detained.

TV Rain said Yevgeny Roizman, the former mayor of Yekaterinburg, and Moscow city councillor Yulia Galyamina were also detained.&nbsp;Open Russia is one of more than 30 groups that Moscow has labelled as undesirable and banned under a law adopted in 2015.

Rights advocates say the laws on 'undesirable' organisations and 'foreign agents' can be used to pressure and target civil society members. Russia denies that and says the laws are needed to protect its national security from outside meddling.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Russian police detained around 200 people at a meeting of independent and opposition politicians in Moscow on Saturday, accusing them of links to an 'undesirable organisation', a monitoring group and a TV station said.

Russian police detained around 200 people at a meeting of independent and opposition politicians in Moscow on Saturday, accusing them of links to an 'undesirable organisation', a monitoring group and a TV station said. The detentions come amid a crackdown on anti-Kremlin sentiment, following the arrest and imprisonment of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who returned to Russia in January after recovering from a nerve agent poisoning in Siberia. The forum, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, was a gathering of municipal deputies from all over the country, Andrei Pivovarov, the event's organiser and executive director of Open Russia, a British-based group founded by exiled former oil tycoon and Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, told radio station Echo Moskvy. As the forum got underway, police entered the building and began detaining attendees and taking them to police vans waiting outside, video footage from TV Rain and Russian news agencies showed. The Moscow branch of Russia's interior ministry said around 200 people had been detained and that an investigation was underway. Police said those detained were not following the appropriate anti-coronavirus health measures even though footage showed most of them wearing masks. They said some of those attending the forum had links to an 'undesirable organisation'. "A significant portion of participants lacked personal protective equipment," the police said. "Members of an organisation whose activities are considered undesirable on Russian territory were among the participants." OVD-Info, which monitors the detention of political protesters and activists, published a list of more than 170 people, it said had been detained. "The finale of the short forum was very symbolic: deputies in police vans and masked police twisting people's arms," one detainee, opposition politician Ilya Yashin, wrote on Facebook. "But no one promised us freedom on a silver platter. Russia will still be free." Vladimir Kara-Murza, vice-president of the Free Russia Foundation, a Washington-based non-profit organisation, shared a picture from the inside of a police van after he was detained. TV Rain said Yevgeny Roizman, the former mayor of Yekaterinburg, and Moscow city councillor Yulia Galyamina were also detained. Open Russia is one of more than 30 groups that Moscow has labelled as undesirable and banned under a law adopted in 2015. Rights advocates say the laws on 'undesirable' organisations and 'foreign agents' can be used to pressure and target civil society members. Russia denies that and says the laws are needed to protect its national security from outside meddling. (With inputs from agencies)

Russia detains around 200 people, including opposition figures  

Jordan's health minister resigned on Saturday after six people died following an oxygen outage in a hospital treating coronavirus patients and police were deployed to hold back angry relatives, state media said.

The oxygen failure earlier on Saturday hit intensive care, maternity, and coronavirus wards in the new Salt government hospital west of the capital Amman.

A government spokesman said Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh asked Health Minister Nathir Obeidat to resign over the accident for which Obeidat had earlier said he carried 'moral responsibility'.

Obeidat said initial investigations showed the six deaths were caused by a one-hour disruption in oxygen to the wards and that prosecutors were handling the case. 
Jordan's King Abdullah also later visited the hospital.

Jordan is facing a spike in Covid-19 infections attributed mainly to the fast transmission of the British variant of the virus. It announced last week stricter measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 and reimposed a full lockdown on Fridays.

The country reported 8,300 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, the highest daily death toll since the pandemic first surfaced in the kingdom a year ago.

Jordan, with a population of around 10 million, has recorded 385,533 cases of Covid-19 and 5,224 deaths.

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Jordan's health minister resigned on Saturday after six people died following an oxygen outage in a hospital treating coronavirus patients and police were deployed to hold back angry relatives, state media said.

Jordan's health minister resigned on Saturday after six people died following an oxygen outage in a hospital treating coronavirus patients and police were deployed to hold back angry relatives, state media said. The oxygen failure earlier on Saturday hit intensive care, maternity, and coronavirus wards in the new Salt government hospital west of the capital Amman. A government spokesman said Prime Minister Bisher al Khasawneh asked Health Minister Nathir Obeidat to resign over the accident for which Obeidat had earlier said he carried 'moral responsibility'. Obeidat said initial investigations showed the six deaths were caused by a one-hour disruption in oxygen to the wards and that prosecutors were handling the case. Jordan's King Abdullah also later visited the hospital. Jordan is facing a spike in Covid-19 infections attributed mainly to the fast transmission of the British variant of the virus. It announced last week stricter measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 and reimposed a full lockdown on Fridays. The country reported 8,300 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday, the highest daily death toll since the pandemic first surfaced in the kingdom a year ago. Jordan, with a population of around 10 million, has recorded 385,533 cases of Covid-19 and 5,224 deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Jordan health minister resigns after oxygen outage kills six patients

The Afghan government said on Saturday it would participate in two separate US- and Russian-backed peace conferences in the coming weeks.&nbsp;

The Russian-backed conference is scheduled for March 18, while the US-sponsored one will take place in Turkey next month, officials said.&nbsp;

Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the insurgent Taliban in Qatar's capital Doha have largely stalled.&nbsp;

"The Afghan government will take part in both the Moscow and Turkey conferences," Hamdullah Mohib, the country's national security council advisor told reporters in Kabul.&nbsp;

Mohammed Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban, said it had received an invitation from Moscow, but had not yet decided whether to attend or not. The Taliban has not made any comment about the proposed meeting in Turkey.&nbsp;

It comes at a crunch time for the peace process as a May 1 deadline for foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan looms and the United States reviews its military commitments.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a letter to President Ashraf Ghani earlier this month made a new urgent push for a United Nations-led peace effort and asked Turkey to host a senior-level meeting of 'both sides in the coming weeks to finalise a peace agreement'.&nbsp;

Blinken wrote to Afghan leaders that the United States is 'considering the full withdrawal of forces by May 1 as we consider other options'.&nbsp;

Russia plans to hold a conference on Afghanistan in Moscow on March 18 and has invited several regional players, including Afghan government and politicians to jumpstart the peace process as Washington's diplomacy ramps up.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Afghan government said on Saturday it would participate in two separate US- and Russian-backed peace conferences in the coming weeks. The Russian-backed conference is scheduled for March 18, while the US-sponsored one will take place in Turkey next month, officials said.

The Afghan government said on Saturday it would participate in two separate US- and Russian-backed peace conferences in the coming weeks. The Russian-backed conference is scheduled for March 18, while the US-sponsored one will take place in Turkey next month, officials said. Peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the insurgent Taliban in Qatar's capital Doha have largely stalled. "The Afghan government will take part in both the Moscow and Turkey conferences," Hamdullah Mohib, the country's national security council advisor told reporters in Kabul. Mohammed Naeem, a spokesman for the Taliban, said it had received an invitation from Moscow, but had not yet decided whether to attend or not. The Taliban has not made any comment about the proposed meeting in Turkey. It comes at a crunch time for the peace process as a May 1 deadline for foreign troops to withdraw from Afghanistan looms and the United States reviews its military commitments. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a letter to President Ashraf Ghani earlier this month made a new urgent push for a United Nations-led peace effort and asked Turkey to host a senior-level meeting of 'both sides in the coming weeks to finalise a peace agreement'. Blinken wrote to Afghan leaders that the United States is 'considering the full withdrawal of forces by May 1 as we consider other options'. Russia plans to hold a conference on Afghanistan in Moscow on March 18 and has invited several regional players, including Afghan government and politicians to jumpstart the peace process as Washington's diplomacy ramps up. (With inputs from agencies)

Afghan government to attend both US, Russia-backed peace conferences 

Ethiopia on Saturday rejected US allegations that there has been ethnic cleansing in Tigray, pushing back against the latest criticism of its military operation in its northern region by the new administration in Washington.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, he wanted to see Eritrean forces and those from the Amhara region replaced in Tigray by security forces that will respect human rights and not 'commit acts of ethnic cleansing'.&nbsp;

"(The accusation) is a completely unfounded and spurious verdict against the Ethiopian government," the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday.&nbsp;

"Nothing during or after the end of the main law enforcement operation in Tigray can be identified or defined by any standards as a targeted, intentional ethnic cleansing against anyone in the region," it said. "The Ethiopian government vehemently opposes such accusations."&nbsp;

Ethiopia's federal army ousted the former regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), from the capital Mekelle in November, after what it said was a surprise assault on its forces in the region bordering Eritrea.&nbsp;

The government has said that most fighting has ceased but has acknowledged, there are still isolated incidents of shooting.&nbsp;

Ethiopia and Eritrea have denied the involvement of Eritrean troops in the fighting alongside Ethiopian forces, although dozens of witnesses, diplomats and an Ethiopian general have reported their presence.&nbsp;

Thousands of people have died following the fighting, hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes and there are shortages of food, water and medicine in Tigray, a region of more than five million people.&nbsp;

Ethiopia's foreign ministry said it was ready to work with international human rights experts to conduct investigations on allegations of abuses.&nbsp;

"The Ethiopian government has demonstrated its readiness to engage positively and constructively with all the relevant regional and international stakeholders in responding to the serious allegations of human rights abuses and crimes," it said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Ethiopia on Saturday rejected US allegations that there has been ethnic cleansing in Tigray, pushing back against the latest criticism of its military operation in its northern region by the new administration in Washington.

Ethiopia on Saturday rejected US allegations that there has been ethnic cleansing in Tigray, pushing back against the latest criticism of its military operation in its northern region by the new administration in Washington. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, he wanted to see Eritrean forces and those from the Amhara region replaced in Tigray by security forces that will respect human rights and not 'commit acts of ethnic cleansing'. "(The accusation) is a completely unfounded and spurious verdict against the Ethiopian government," the ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement on Saturday. "Nothing during or after the end of the main law enforcement operation in Tigray can be identified or defined by any standards as a targeted, intentional ethnic cleansing against anyone in the region," it said. "The Ethiopian government vehemently opposes such accusations." Ethiopia's federal army ousted the former regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), from the capital Mekelle in November, after what it said was a surprise assault on its forces in the region bordering Eritrea. The government has said that most fighting has ceased but has acknowledged, there are still isolated incidents of shooting. Ethiopia and Eritrea have denied the involvement of Eritrean troops in the fighting alongside Ethiopian forces, although dozens of witnesses, diplomats and an Ethiopian general have reported their presence. Thousands of people have died following the fighting, hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes and there are shortages of food, water and medicine in Tigray, a region of more than five million people. Ethiopia's foreign ministry said it was ready to work with international human rights experts to conduct investigations on allegations of abuses. "The Ethiopian government has demonstrated its readiness to engage positively and constructively with all the relevant regional and international stakeholders in responding to the serious allegations of human rights abuses and crimes," it said. (With inputs from agencies)

Ethiopia rejects US allegations of ethnic cleansing in Tigray 

Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa reached the port of Antsiranana, Madagascar on Friday with an Indian naval training team on-board.&nbsp;

The Indian naval training team will be deployed in Madagascar for capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces for two weeks.&nbsp;

"INS Jalashwa reaches the port of Antsiranana, Madagascar with a five-member @indiannavytraining team to help capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces for two weeks," Indian ambassador Abhay Kumar wrote in a tweet.&nbsp;

India and Madagascar share wide cooperation in defence sector. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Defence Cooperation was signed between India and Madagascar in March 2018 during the visit of the President to Madagascar and several bilateral cooperation projects in the area of defence are under discussions between the two countries.&nbsp;

A four-member delegation led by Major General Leon Jean Richard Rakotonirina, Minister of National Defence, Republic of Madagascar visited India from February 3 to 5 to participate in the Aero India 2021 and IOR Defence Ministers Conclave at Bengaluru.&nbsp;

INS Jalashwa will leave for Comoros to deliver 1,000 metric tonnes of rice and then, will head to the Port of Ehoala in Madagascar to deliver a consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice and 100,000 tablets of HCQ to help Madagascar in dealing with the drought situation in South Madagascar.&nbsp;

The supplies of food assistance and support for capacity building to Madagascar is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of SAGAR - Security and Growth for all in the Region and India's time-tested role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa reached the port of Antsiranana, Madagascar on Friday with an Indian naval training team on-board. The Indian naval training team will be deployed in Madagascar for capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces for two weeks.

Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa reached the port of Antsiranana, Madagascar on Friday with an Indian naval training team on-board. The Indian naval training team will be deployed in Madagascar for capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces for two weeks. "INS Jalashwa reaches the port of Antsiranana, Madagascar with a five-member @indiannavytraining team to help capacity building and training of the Malagasy Special Forces for two weeks," Indian ambassador Abhay Kumar wrote in a tweet. India and Madagascar share wide cooperation in defence sector. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Defence Cooperation was signed between India and Madagascar in March 2018 during the visit of the President to Madagascar and several bilateral cooperation projects in the area of defence are under discussions between the two countries. A four-member delegation led by Major General Leon Jean Richard Rakotonirina, Minister of National Defence, Republic of Madagascar visited India from February 3 to 5 to participate in the Aero India 2021 and IOR Defence Ministers Conclave at Bengaluru. INS Jalashwa will leave for Comoros to deliver 1,000 metric tonnes of rice and then, will head to the Port of Ehoala in Madagascar to deliver a consignment of 1,000 metric tonnes of rice and 100,000 tablets of HCQ to help Madagascar in dealing with the drought situation in South Madagascar. The supplies of food assistance and support for capacity building to Madagascar is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of SAGAR - Security and Growth for all in the Region and India's time-tested role as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region. (With inputs from agencies)

INS Jalashwa arrives at Antsiranana port, Madagascar with naval training team 

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