Taiwan will continue to play its role as a member of the international community and ensure regional peace and stability, President Tsai Ing-wen told a visiting delegation of French senators on Thursday amid escalating tensions with China.

The four senators, lead by former defence minister Alain Richard, arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday, despite the strong objections of China which views the island as its own territory and is always angered by visits of foreign officials.

The visit by the senators comes after four straight days, beginning last Friday, of massed Chinese air force missions into Taiwan's air defence zone, moves met with concern by Washington and its allies.

Speaking to the senators at the presidential office, Tsai thanked France for its concern about the situation in the Taiwan Strait and support for its international participation.

"We will continue to fulfil our responsibilities as members of the international community to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. We also hope to make more contributions to the world along with France," she added.

Richard, head of the French Senate's Taiwan Friendship Group, was the country's defence minister from 1997 to 2002 under President Jacques Chirac. Richard has visited Taiwan twice before, in 2015 and 2018.

Tsai said Taiwan was "very moved" Richard decided to come, despite what she described as "pressure" - a reference to China.

In March, the Chinese embassy in Paris warned against lawmakers meeting Taiwanese officials, prompting a rebuff from the French foreign ministry, which said French senators are free to meet whomever they wish when they travel.

Tsai did not directly mention the recent Chinese air force activities.

The senators are not the only senior foreign visitors in Taiwan at the moment.

Later on Thursday, Tsai will meet the visiting former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott.

Neither France nor Australia have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, like most countries.

Taiwan has been keen to bolster its ties with other democracies as China steps up its pressure campaign, trying to force the island to accept Chinese sovereignty.

Taiwan's government has denounced China's moves, and says it will defend the island`s freedom and democracy, and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

Taiwan will continue to play its role as a member of the international community and ensure regional peace and stability, President Tsai Ing-wen told a visiting delegation of French senators on Thursday amid escalating tensions with China.

Taiwan will continue to play its role as a member of the international community and ensure regional peace and stability, President Tsai Ing-wen told a visiting delegation of French senators on Thursday amid escalating tensions with China. The four senators, lead by former defence minister Alain Richard, arrived in Taiwan on Wednesday, despite the strong objections of China which views the island as its own territory and is always angered by visits of foreign officials. The visit by the senators comes after four straight days, beginning last Friday, of massed Chinese air force missions into Taiwan's air defence zone, moves met with concern by Washington and its allies. Speaking to the senators at the presidential office, Tsai thanked France for its concern about the situation in the Taiwan Strait and support for its international participation. "We will continue to fulfil our responsibilities as members of the international community to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. We also hope to make more contributions to the world along with France," she added. Richard, head of the French Senate's Taiwan Friendship Group, was the country's defence minister from 1997 to 2002 under President Jacques Chirac. Richard has visited Taiwan twice before, in 2015 and 2018. Tsai said Taiwan was "very moved" Richard decided to come, despite what she described as "pressure" - a reference to China. In March, the Chinese embassy in Paris warned against lawmakers meeting Taiwanese officials, prompting a rebuff from the French foreign ministry, which said French senators are free to meet whomever they wish when they travel. Tsai did not directly mention the recent Chinese air force activities. The senators are not the only senior foreign visitors in Taiwan at the moment. Later on Thursday, Tsai will meet the visiting former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott. Neither France nor Australia have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, like most countries. Taiwan has been keen to bolster its ties with other democracies as China steps up its pressure campaign, trying to force the island to accept Chinese sovereignty. Taiwan's government has denounced China's moves, and says it will defend the island`s freedom and democracy, and that only Taiwan's people can decide their future.

Taiwan will ensure regional peace, president tells French senators

Australia's largest city will emerge from a 106-day lockdown on Monday, as Sydney authorities confirmed coronavirus vaccination targets had been met.

Stay-at-home orders will be lifted for the Harbour City's five-million-plus people now that 70 percent of state residents over 16 have been double jabbed.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is now very, very close," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday, hailing the reopening announcement.

From Monday, pubs, restaurants and shops will throw open their shutters and welcome back the fully vaccinated.

Five-kilometre travel restrictions will also be lifted, although state and international borders will remain closed for now.

The reopening -- described by many as "freedom day" - is both "exciting" and "nerve-racking" according to Alyce Murphy, general manager of The Carrington, a Sydney pub now hustling to get staff and deliveries back on site.

"Obviously going from doing nothing for months, and then the prospect of having a few weeks to get the venue there was a little bit daunting," she said.

Murphy tried to fill the almost four-month lockdown with activities such as painting and gardening. But like millions of Australians, she "also just sat on the couch and watched TV a lot".

Lockdown Under&nbsp;

Australia has been spared the worst of the pandemic -- recording 1,379 deaths in a population of around 26 million.

But for the last 18 months, under-vaccinated Australian cities have endured several gruelling lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus.

Jobs have been lost, kids have missed being at school for a large portion of the academic year, and restrictions have sparked a string of mostly small but noisy protests and a flood of online misinformation.

There is growing evidence that locked-down Australians have been drinking more and existing mental conditions have worsened, according to a recent report by the country's Mental Health Think Tank.

In recent months, Australia's repeated imposition of restrictions and efforts -- now abandoned -- to reach "Covid Zero" have brought it international attention.&nbsp;

The conservative-run country has become an unlikely lightning rod for the American right keen to vent against vaccine mandates and lockdowns everywhere.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis -- whose state has recorded 55,000-plus deaths in a population slightly smaller than Australia -- even suggested breaking off diplomatic relations.

"It's not a free country at all," he said. "Is Australia freer than communist China right now? I don't know."

Thousands of Australian residents have also chafed at the restrictions, and some have voted with their feet.

The country's population has shrunk for the first time since World War I, as expatriates returned home in droves.

That has hit the hospitality and retail sectors which report staff shortages and logistics bottlenecks at warehouses that could make reopening difficult.

'Critical time'

Some medical experts are also concerned that New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, may be reopening too soon.

The government's own health advice from the Doherty Institute recommended widespread reopening when vaccination rates reached 80 percent rather than the current 70 percent.

The Australian Medical Association warned Thursday that infections will rise with reopening and underfunded hospitals risk being overwhelmed.

"New South Wales must not be reckless at this critical time," the group's president Omar Khorshid said.

"That would cost more lives, cause more suffering, and put the economies of New South Wales and the nation at risk." &nbsp;

But recently installed state premier Dominic Perrottet was adamant about the reopening.

On Thursday, he brought forward the date for most schools to resume and said masks would not be needed in offices.&nbsp;

Both measures are designed to get people back to work.

Australia's largest city will emerge from a 106-day lockdown on Monday, as Sydney authorities confirmed coronavirus vaccination targets had been met. Stay-at-home orders will be lifted for the Harbour City's five-million-plus people now that 70 percent of state residents over 16 have been double jabbed.

Australia's largest city will emerge from a 106-day lockdown on Monday, as Sydney authorities confirmed coronavirus vaccination targets had been met. Stay-at-home orders will be lifted for the Harbour City's five-million-plus people now that 70 percent of state residents over 16 have been double jabbed. "The light at the end of the tunnel is now very, very close," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Thursday, hailing the reopening announcement. From Monday, pubs, restaurants and shops will throw open their shutters and welcome back the fully vaccinated. Five-kilometre travel restrictions will also be lifted, although state and international borders will remain closed for now. The reopening -- described by many as "freedom day" - is both "exciting" and "nerve-racking" according to Alyce Murphy, general manager of The Carrington, a Sydney pub now hustling to get staff and deliveries back on site. "Obviously going from doing nothing for months, and then the prospect of having a few weeks to get the venue there was a little bit daunting," she said. Murphy tried to fill the almost four-month lockdown with activities such as painting and gardening. But like millions of Australians, she "also just sat on the couch and watched TV a lot". Lockdown Under Australia has been spared the worst of the pandemic -- recording 1,379 deaths in a population of around 26 million. But for the last 18 months, under-vaccinated Australian cities have endured several gruelling lockdowns to limit the spread of the virus. Jobs have been lost, kids have missed being at school for a large portion of the academic year, and restrictions have sparked a string of mostly small but noisy protests and a flood of online misinformation. There is growing evidence that locked-down Australians have been drinking more and existing mental conditions have worsened, according to a recent report by the country's Mental Health Think Tank. In recent months, Australia's repeated imposition of restrictions and efforts -- now abandoned -- to reach "Covid Zero" have brought it international attention. The conservative-run country has become an unlikely lightning rod for the American right keen to vent against vaccine mandates and lockdowns everywhere. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis -- whose state has recorded 55,000-plus deaths in a population slightly smaller than Australia -- even suggested breaking off diplomatic relations. "It's not a free country at all," he said. "Is Australia freer than communist China right now? I don't know." Thousands of Australian residents have also chafed at the restrictions, and some have voted with their feet. The country's population has shrunk for the first time since World War I, as expatriates returned home in droves. That has hit the hospitality and retail sectors which report staff shortages and logistics bottlenecks at warehouses that could make reopening difficult. 'Critical time' Some medical experts are also concerned that New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital, may be reopening too soon. The government's own health advice from the Doherty Institute recommended widespread reopening when vaccination rates reached 80 percent rather than the current 70 percent. The Australian Medical Association warned Thursday that infections will rise with reopening and underfunded hospitals risk being overwhelmed. "New South Wales must not be reckless at this critical time," the group's president Omar Khorshid said. "That would cost more lives, cause more suffering, and put the economies of New South Wales and the nation at risk." But recently installed state premier Dominic Perrottet was adamant about the reopening. On Thursday, he brought forward the date for most schools to resume and said masks would not be needed in offices. Both measures are designed to get people back to work.

Sydney readies for 'freedom day' after long virus lockdown

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has slammed the US for vetoing Venezuela`s access to $5 billion in International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Drawing Rights.

"The International Monetary Fund refuses to give our people the $5 billion dollars that correspond to our country to fight the pandemic. The reason: the express veto of the US against Venezuela," said Rodriguez.

In a teleconference speech to the Un Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Rodriguez added the US has "blocked" Venezuela's foreign trade through sanctions, otherwise known as "unilateral coercive measures", reports Xinhua news agency.

"We have been the target of more than 430 unilateral coercive measures that have blocked our foreign and private trade, against all legal principles of sovereign immunity," said the Vice President.

In the oil sector alone, the sanctions have led to losses of more than $63 billion, leading to "a drastic 99 per cent reduction in revenue" for Venezuela, said Rodriguez.

"These measures are crimes against humanity and violate the international system of guarantee of human rights," she said.

Rodriguez formally issued a "request for UNCTAD to group, quantify and analySe the macroeconomic impacts of unilateral coercive measures" on Venezuela.

Despite Washington's economic "attacks", the South American nation "is making progress in the recovery of its economic equilibrium, through progressive openness in foreign trade" and in the investment sector, she said.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has slammed the US for vetoing Venezuela`s access to $5 billion in International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Drawing Rights.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has slammed the US for vetoing Venezuela`s access to $5 billion in International Monetary Fund (IMF) Special Drawing Rights. "The International Monetary Fund refuses to give our people the $5 billion dollars that correspond to our country to fight the pandemic. The reason: the express veto of the US against Venezuela," said Rodriguez. In a teleconference speech to the Un Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Rodriguez added the US has "blocked" Venezuela's foreign trade through sanctions, otherwise known as "unilateral coercive measures", reports Xinhua news agency. "We have been the target of more than 430 unilateral coercive measures that have blocked our foreign and private trade, against all legal principles of sovereign immunity," said the Vice President. In the oil sector alone, the sanctions have led to losses of more than $63 billion, leading to "a drastic 99 per cent reduction in revenue" for Venezuela, said Rodriguez. "These measures are crimes against humanity and violate the international system of guarantee of human rights," she said. Rodriguez formally issued a "request for UNCTAD to group, quantify and analySe the macroeconomic impacts of unilateral coercive measures" on Venezuela. Despite Washington's economic "attacks", the South American nation "is making progress in the recovery of its economic equilibrium, through progressive openness in foreign trade" and in the investment sector, she said.

Venezuela slams US veto of access to IMF resources

A vicious cycle linking the depletion of natural resources with violent conflict may have gone past the point of no return in parts of the world and is likely to be exacerbated by climate change, a report said on Thursday.

Food insecurity, lack of water and the impact of natural disasters, combined with high population growth, are stoking conflict and displacing people in vulnerable areas, the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) think-tank said.

IEP uses data from the United Nations and other sources to predict the countries and regions most at risk in its "Ecological Threat Register".

Serge Stroobants, IEP director for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa said the report identified 30 "hotspot" countries - home to 1.26 billion people - as facing most risks.

This is based on three criteria relating to scarcity of resources, and five focusing on disasters including floods, droughts and rising temperatures.

"We don't even need climate change to see potential system collapse, just the impact of those eight ecological threats can lead to this - of course climate change is reinforcing it," Stroobants said.

Afghanistan gets the worst score on the report, which says its ongoing conflict has damaged its ability to cope with risks to water and food supplies, climate change, and alternating floods and droughts.

Conflict in turn leads to further resource degradation, according to the findings.

Six seminars including governments, military institutions and development groups last year returned the message that "it is unlikely that the international community will reverse the vicious cycles in some parts of the world", IEP said.

This is particularly the case in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, which has seen more and worsening conflicts over the last decade, it said.

"With tensions already escalating, it can only be expected that climate change will have an amplifying effect on many of these issues," the report said.

A vicious cycle linking the depletion of natural resources with violent conflict may have gone past the point of no return in parts of the world and is likely to be exacerbated by climate change, a report said on Thursday.

A vicious cycle linking the depletion of natural resources with violent conflict may have gone past the point of no return in parts of the world and is likely to be exacerbated by climate change, a report said on Thursday. Food insecurity, lack of water and the impact of natural disasters, combined with high population growth, are stoking conflict and displacing people in vulnerable areas, the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) think-tank said. IEP uses data from the United Nations and other sources to predict the countries and regions most at risk in its "Ecological Threat Register". Serge Stroobants, IEP director for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa said the report identified 30 "hotspot" countries - home to 1.26 billion people - as facing most risks. This is based on three criteria relating to scarcity of resources, and five focusing on disasters including floods, droughts and rising temperatures. "We don't even need climate change to see potential system collapse, just the impact of those eight ecological threats can lead to this - of course climate change is reinforcing it," Stroobants said. Afghanistan gets the worst score on the report, which says its ongoing conflict has damaged its ability to cope with risks to water and food supplies, climate change, and alternating floods and droughts. Conflict in turn leads to further resource degradation, according to the findings. Six seminars including governments, military institutions and development groups last year returned the message that "it is unlikely that the international community will reverse the vicious cycles in some parts of the world", IEP said. This is particularly the case in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, which has seen more and worsening conflicts over the last decade, it said. "With tensions already escalating, it can only be expected that climate change will have an amplifying effect on many of these issues," the report said.

Climate change set to worsen resource degradation, conflict, report says

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is sending COVID-19 aid for North Korea through China's border port of Dalian, despite few signs North Korea has eased strict border lockdowns to keep the virus out.

In its latest weekly report for South and East Asia, which covers the period to the end of September, the WHO said it had begun shipments through Dalian port in China, which is near the border with North Korea.

"To support DPR Korea with essential COVID-19 medical supplies, WHO started the shipment through Dalian port, China for strategic stockpiling and further dispatch to DPR Korea," the agency said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name.

The WHO did not elaborate on whether the aid had actually reached North Korea, and a spokesperson for the agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

North Korea imposed tough restrictions when the coronavirus pandemic began last year, sealing its borders and other measures in what it saw as a matter of national survival.

It had tested at least 40,700 people for the coronavirus with no positive results as of Sept. 23, the WHO reported.

Officials in South Korea and the United States have cast doubts on North Korea`s claim to have never had a coronavirus case but no signs of major outbreaks have been confirmed.

An official for South Korea's unification ministry, which handles relations with the North, told the Yonhap news agency that while Chinese customs data showed that maritime shipping routes between North Korea and China appeared to be opening, signs of movement of goods through land routes between the two countries had not been detected.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is sending COVID-19 aid for North Korea through China's border port of Dalian, despite few signs North Korea has eased strict border lockdowns to keep the virus out.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is sending COVID-19 aid for North Korea through China's border port of Dalian, despite few signs North Korea has eased strict border lockdowns to keep the virus out. In its latest weekly report for South and East Asia, which covers the period to the end of September, the WHO said it had begun shipments through Dalian port in China, which is near the border with North Korea. "To support DPR Korea with essential COVID-19 medical supplies, WHO started the shipment through Dalian port, China for strategic stockpiling and further dispatch to DPR Korea," the agency said, referring to North Korea by the initials of its official name. The WHO did not elaborate on whether the aid had actually reached North Korea, and a spokesperson for the agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment. North Korea imposed tough restrictions when the coronavirus pandemic began last year, sealing its borders and other measures in what it saw as a matter of national survival. It had tested at least 40,700 people for the coronavirus with no positive results as of Sept. 23, the WHO reported. Officials in South Korea and the United States have cast doubts on North Korea`s claim to have never had a coronavirus case but no signs of major outbreaks have been confirmed. An official for South Korea's unification ministry, which handles relations with the North, told the Yonhap news agency that while Chinese customs data showed that maritime shipping routes between North Korea and China appeared to be opening, signs of movement of goods through land routes between the two countries had not been detected.

WHO is sending COVID-19 aid for North Korea

Senate Democrats and Republicans neared agreement as they met into the early morning hours Thursday to temporarily pull the nation from the brink of a debt default. The deal would punt their showdown on raising the federal borrowing limit to December after Republicans bowed to pressure to stave off immediate fiscal calamity.

With the threat of a default as little as 12 days off, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, made a tactical retreat Wednesday and announced that Republicans would allow Democrats to vote on a short-term extension. He did not, however, lift his blockade of a longer-term increase in the debt cap, demanding anew that Democrats eventually use a complicated and time-consuming budget procedure known as reconciliation to lift it into next year or beyond.

Democrats declared the offer at least a temporary victory, even as they said they would never capitulate to McConnell’s longer-term demand. Senators met late into the night to try to iron out the details, though Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, adjourned the Senate for the day shortly after midnight Thursday without a firm agreement.

“We’re making good progress — we’re not there yet, but I hope we can come to agreement tomorrow morning,” Schumer said.

Democrats said they would move forward with a vote as early as Thursday, then quickly pivot to negotiating a multitrillion-dollar measure to address climate change, expand the social safety net and raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations.

“Around here, two months is a lifetime,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee, who hailed McConnell’s offer as “very good news.”

“There would have been a global economic collapse if in fact the wealthiest nation on earth did not pay its debts,” Sanders said. “We’re going to pay our debts. We have two months to figure it out.”

For all the self-congratulations, the agreement, if nailed down, resolved little beyond the immediate timetable. It would set up yet another consequential deadline for December, when Congress is already facing a hard date by which it must fund the government. Democrats also hope to complete their push to enact President Joe Biden’s ambitious domestic agenda before then.

“We are willing to take this offer in order to stave off fiscal ruin,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “But we are all beside ourselves that the only thing Republicans are willing to do is prevent disaster for three months and put us right back in this position.”

They did so after weeks of intransigence on the debt ceiling and in the face of mounting pressure from the Biden administration, Wall Street and politically powerful interest groups. For a week, Biden has been emphasizing the stakes of failing to quickly raise the debt ceiling, and he has ratcheted up those efforts in recent days, in public remarks and during a meeting with finance executives at the White House on Wednesday.

Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers issued a report Wednesday morning laying out in detail the grim consequences of a default, and declaring, “If Congress fails to act, it could take decades for the United States to fully recover.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also sounded the alarm with a statement warning that a debt ceiling breach would “seriously harm our service members and their families” by calling into question whether troops, Pentagon staff or defense contractors would be paid.

And in a letter to lawmakers circulated by the White House, AARP, a powerful lobbying group for seniors, cautioned that millions of older Americans could go without Social Security or Medicare benefits if the cap were not raised.

McConnell’s proposal offered a way to defuse criticism that his party was acting recklessly by blocking Democrats from even taking up a bill to raise the debt ceiling until December 2022. It also put off, for the time being, the prospect that Democrats might change the filibuster rules to allow themselves to go around Republicans and raise the debt ceiling unilaterally. It was that possibility, some GOP senators said Wednesday, that had motivated McConnell to seek a deal.

The offer also confronted Democrats with the prospect of a politically uncomfortable vote that some of them had wanted to avoid. McConnell demanded that they specify a dollar amount by which they would raise the debt cap, not simply suspend it until a certain date, potentially opening politically vulnerable Democrats to campaign ads attacking them for endorsing large amounts of spending.

“This will moot Democrats’ excuses about the time crunch they created and give the unified Democratic government more than enough time to pass stand-alone debt limit legislation through reconciliation,” McConnell said in a statement.

Even if the deal comes together, Democrats face three difficult choices for what to do in December when the new debt deadline cap would be reached. They could bow to McConnell’s demand and pass the long-term debt increase on their own through a time-consuming process that could bog them down and allow Republicans ample opportunities to tag them as big spenders.

Another option would be to move to change the Senate’s filibuster rules and allow a simple majority vote to raise the debt ceiling. Or, they could keep hoping that Republicans eventually fold under pressure, as they appeared to — at least temporarily — Wednesday.

McConnell’s offer was intended to counter Democrats’ argument that they did not have enough time to go through the multistep process of using budget rules to raise the debt limit. But his move may have been driven just as much by the threat of eliminating the filibuster.

Carving out an exception to the filibuster rules, which effectively require 60 votes to move forward with most legislation, has been done before to confirm judicial and executive branch nominees. But doing so unilaterally to raise the debt ceiling would be a step toward ending the practice for all policy matters and instituting straight majority rule.

The move has long been resisted by institutionalists and centrists in both parties — including two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — although some leading Democrats argue the debt ceiling crisis could change minds.

“Nothing changed,” Manchin told reporters Wednesday.

Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, the No. 4 Republican, warned that if Democrats changed the filibuster rule, “they’ll permanently change the Senate, permanently change the relationships that still matter in the Senate, and institute the idea that 50 of you plus a vice president of your party can always do whatever you want to do.

“I don’t think that’s healthy for the country,” he added. “It certainly wouldn’t be healthy for the Senate.”

Praying for Republicans to fold was an even riskier play for Democrats, given the stakes. If, for the first time, the U.S. government could not meet its obligations to international lenders, its role as the world economy’s safe-harbor investment would be called into question. Interest rates would most likely rise sharply, and global financial institutions would begin searching for new vehicles to store money, where it would not be subject to the whims of partisan politics.

“We’re not asking them to blink; we’re asking them to be the slightest bit reasonable,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said of Republican leaders. “The political gain of this strikes me as low. The loss to the country strikes me as extraordinarily high.”

Republican obstruction on the borrowing limit forced Democrats last week to strip a debt ceiling increase from a must-pass spending bill to avert a government shutdown. And McConnell refused to allow Democrats to unilaterally move to a vote.

“Democratic leaders haven’t wanted solutions,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “They’ve wanted to turn their failure into everybody else’s crisis, playing risky games with our economy, using manufactured drama to bully their own members, indulging petty politics instead of governing.”

Top Democrats have since dropped their insistence that Republicans join them in bipartisan support for raising the statutory cap on the government’s ability to borrow to meet its financial obligations. They, in turn, want McConnell to honor his demand that Democrats lift the ceiling alone — either by granting consent to move to a vote or by providing 10 Republican votes to break the filibuster.

“We’ve already presented Republicans numerous opportunities to do what they say they want, including by offering a simple majority vote so Democrats can suspend the debt ceiling on our own as Republicans have asked,” Schumer said Wednesday. “But each time, Republicans have chosen obstruction.”

While top Republicans have said most of their members would privately support allowing Democrats to move forward on their own, they have been unwilling to vote publicly that way, and any single senator can object and force a vote.

McConnell has asserted in recent days that even if he wanted to, he had no way of corralling every Republican to allow a debt ceiling increase to move forward. But his offer Wednesday indicated that he could prevail on all 50 Republicans to agree to allow such a vote — if it was only for a short period of time.

Yet the political risks of doing so were immediately evident. Former President Donald Trump slammed the Senate leader in a statement Wednesday, suggesting that Republicans should continue blocking any debt limit increase.

“Looks like Mitch McConnell is folding to the Democrats, again,” Trump wrote. “He’s got all the cards with the debt ceiling.”

Democrats have repeatedly noted they joined with Republicans to raise the debt cap during Trump’s presidency with little drama, and that most of the debt they are now seeking to repay was incurred by policies he signed into law.

And while they united in opposition to debt ceiling increases under President George W. Bush, Democrats allowed Republicans to do the increases on their own, without filibusters. Republicans say they are using the tactic now because Democrats are pushing forward with their efforts to unilaterally pass a multitrillion-dollar climate change and social safety net bill that would be paid for by tax increases aimed at the rich and businesses.

On Wednesday, McConnell suggested that Republicans might drop their debt limit obstruction if Democrats gave up on their top legislative priority.

“If Democrats abandon their efforts to ram through another historically reckless taxing and spending spree that will hurt families and help China,” McConnell wrote, “a more traditional bipartisan governing conversation could be possible.”

Senate Democrats and Republicans neared agreement as they met into the early morning hours Thursday to temporarily pull the nation from the brink of a debt default.

Senate Democrats and Republicans neared agreement as they met into the early morning hours Thursday to temporarily pull the nation from the brink of a debt default. The deal would punt their showdown on raising the federal borrowing limit to December after Republicans bowed to pressure to stave off immediate fiscal calamity. With the threat of a default as little as 12 days off, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the minority leader, made a tactical retreat Wednesday and announced that Republicans would allow Democrats to vote on a short-term extension. He did not, however, lift his blockade of a longer-term increase in the debt cap, demanding anew that Democrats eventually use a complicated and time-consuming budget procedure known as reconciliation to lift it into next year or beyond. Democrats declared the offer at least a temporary victory, even as they said they would never capitulate to McConnell’s longer-term demand. Senators met late into the night to try to iron out the details, though Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, adjourned the Senate for the day shortly after midnight Thursday without a firm agreement. “We’re making good progress — we’re not there yet, but I hope we can come to agreement tomorrow morning,” Schumer said. Democrats said they would move forward with a vote as early as Thursday, then quickly pivot to negotiating a multitrillion-dollar measure to address climate change, expand the social safety net and raise taxes on the wealthy and corporations. “Around here, two months is a lifetime,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee, who hailed McConnell’s offer as “very good news.” “There would have been a global economic collapse if in fact the wealthiest nation on earth did not pay its debts,” Sanders said. “We’re going to pay our debts. We have two months to figure it out.” For all the self-congratulations, the agreement, if nailed down, resolved little beyond the immediate timetable. It would set up yet another consequential deadline for December, when Congress is already facing a hard date by which it must fund the government. Democrats also hope to complete their push to enact President Joe Biden’s ambitious domestic agenda before then. “We are willing to take this offer in order to stave off fiscal ruin,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn. “But we are all beside ourselves that the only thing Republicans are willing to do is prevent disaster for three months and put us right back in this position.” They did so after weeks of intransigence on the debt ceiling and in the face of mounting pressure from the Biden administration, Wall Street and politically powerful interest groups. For a week, Biden has been emphasizing the stakes of failing to quickly raise the debt ceiling, and he has ratcheted up those efforts in recent days, in public remarks and during a meeting with finance executives at the White House on Wednesday. Biden’s Council of Economic Advisers issued a report Wednesday morning laying out in detail the grim consequences of a default, and declaring, “If Congress fails to act, it could take decades for the United States to fully recover.” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also sounded the alarm with a statement warning that a debt ceiling breach would “seriously harm our service members and their families” by calling into question whether troops, Pentagon staff or defense contractors would be paid. And in a letter to lawmakers circulated by the White House, AARP, a powerful lobbying group for seniors, cautioned that millions of older Americans could go without Social Security or Medicare benefits if the cap were not raised. McConnell’s proposal offered a way to defuse criticism that his party was acting recklessly by blocking Democrats from even taking up a bill to raise the debt ceiling until December 2022. It also put off, for the time being, the prospect that Democrats might change the filibuster rules to allow themselves to go around Republicans and raise the debt ceiling unilaterally. It was that possibility, some GOP senators said Wednesday, that had motivated McConnell to seek a deal. The offer also confronted Democrats with the prospect of a politically uncomfortable vote that some of them had wanted to avoid. McConnell demanded that they specify a dollar amount by which they would raise the debt cap, not simply suspend it until a certain date, potentially opening politically vulnerable Democrats to campaign ads attacking them for endorsing large amounts of spending. “This will moot Democrats’ excuses about the time crunch they created and give the unified Democratic government more than enough time to pass stand-alone debt limit legislation through reconciliation,” McConnell said in a statement. Even if the deal comes together, Democrats face three difficult choices for what to do in December when the new debt deadline cap would be reached. They could bow to McConnell’s demand and pass the long-term debt increase on their own through a time-consuming process that could bog them down and allow Republicans ample opportunities to tag them as big spenders. Another option would be to move to change the Senate’s filibuster rules and allow a simple majority vote to raise the debt ceiling. Or, they could keep hoping that Republicans eventually fold under pressure, as they appeared to — at least temporarily — Wednesday. McConnell’s offer was intended to counter Democrats’ argument that they did not have enough time to go through the multistep process of using budget rules to raise the debt limit. But his move may have been driven just as much by the threat of eliminating the filibuster. Carving out an exception to the filibuster rules, which effectively require 60 votes to move forward with most legislation, has been done before to confirm judicial and executive branch nominees. But doing so unilaterally to raise the debt ceiling would be a step toward ending the practice for all policy matters and instituting straight majority rule. The move has long been resisted by institutionalists and centrists in both parties — including two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — although some leading Democrats argue the debt ceiling crisis could change minds. “Nothing changed,” Manchin told reporters Wednesday. Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, the No. 4 Republican, warned that if Democrats changed the filibuster rule, “they’ll permanently change the Senate, permanently change the relationships that still matter in the Senate, and institute the idea that 50 of you plus a vice president of your party can always do whatever you want to do. “I don’t think that’s healthy for the country,” he added. “It certainly wouldn’t be healthy for the Senate.” Praying for Republicans to fold was an even riskier play for Democrats, given the stakes. If, for the first time, the U.S. government could not meet its obligations to international lenders, its role as the world economy’s safe-harbor investment would be called into question. Interest rates would most likely rise sharply, and global financial institutions would begin searching for new vehicles to store money, where it would not be subject to the whims of partisan politics. “We’re not asking them to blink; we’re asking them to be the slightest bit reasonable,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said of Republican leaders. “The political gain of this strikes me as low. The loss to the country strikes me as extraordinarily high.” Republican obstruction on the borrowing limit forced Democrats last week to strip a debt ceiling increase from a must-pass spending bill to avert a government shutdown. And McConnell refused to allow Democrats to unilaterally move to a vote. “Democratic leaders haven’t wanted solutions,” McConnell said on the Senate floor Wednesday. “They’ve wanted to turn their failure into everybody else’s crisis, playing risky games with our economy, using manufactured drama to bully their own members, indulging petty politics instead of governing.” Top Democrats have since dropped their insistence that Republicans join them in bipartisan support for raising the statutory cap on the government’s ability to borrow to meet its financial obligations. They, in turn, want McConnell to honor his demand that Democrats lift the ceiling alone — either by granting consent to move to a vote or by providing 10 Republican votes to break the filibuster. “We’ve already presented Republicans numerous opportunities to do what they say they want, including by offering a simple majority vote so Democrats can suspend the debt ceiling on our own as Republicans have asked,” Schumer said Wednesday. “But each time, Republicans have chosen obstruction.” While top Republicans have said most of their members would privately support allowing Democrats to move forward on their own, they have been unwilling to vote publicly that way, and any single senator can object and force a vote. McConnell has asserted in recent days that even if he wanted to, he had no way of corralling every Republican to allow a debt ceiling increase to move forward. But his offer Wednesday indicated that he could prevail on all 50 Republicans to agree to allow such a vote — if it was only for a short period of time. Yet the political risks of doing so were immediately evident. Former President Donald Trump slammed the Senate leader in a statement Wednesday, suggesting that Republicans should continue blocking any debt limit increase. “Looks like Mitch McConnell is folding to the Democrats, again,” Trump wrote. “He’s got all the cards with the debt ceiling.” Democrats have repeatedly noted they joined with Republicans to raise the debt cap during Trump’s presidency with little drama, and that most of the debt they are now seeking to repay was incurred by policies he signed into law. And while they united in opposition to debt ceiling increases under President George W. Bush, Democrats allowed Republicans to do the increases on their own, without filibusters. Republicans say they are using the tactic now because Democrats are pushing forward with their efforts to unilaterally pass a multitrillion-dollar climate change and social safety net bill that would be paid for by tax increases aimed at the rich and businesses. On Wednesday, McConnell suggested that Republicans might drop their debt limit obstruction if Democrats gave up on their top legislative priority. “If Democrats abandon their efforts to ram through another historically reckless taxing and spending spree that will hurt families and help China,” McConnell wrote, “a more traditional bipartisan governing conversation could be possible.”

Senate nears agreement to stave off debt crisis until December

The vaccines have helped the global community in its fight against Covid pandemic. The vaccines boost immune response and train the immune system to fight the infection. There has always been apprehension about how long this effect lasts. Now, two separate studies have said that the immune response after receiving Pfizer Covid vaccine wanes in several months. However, protection against severe infection, hospitalisation and death remains strong.

The studies were conducted in Israel and Qatar.

In Israeli study covered 4800 health workers. It was found that antibody levels waned rapidly after two doses of the vaccine. Men, persons aged 60 and above and those with immunosuppression were found to be susceptible to such an effect.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/covid-19-delta-variant-increases-the-risk-of-death-by-133-per-cent-418711">COVID-19: &nbsp;Delta variant increases the risk of death by 133 per cent</a>

Researchers have said that neutralising antibody levels in years after vaccines against measles mumps and rubella decreased at the rate of 5 to 10 per cent each year.

But the antibody levels decreased rapidly in months after receiving Pfizer vaccine.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/malaria-parasite-found-to-undergo-mutations-evading-detection-417757">Malaria parasite found to undergo mutations evading detection</a>

The second study carried out in Qatar analysed infections among highly vaccinated people. People in Qatar mostly got Pfizer vaccine. The researcher found that waning of the efect of the vaccine was prominently seen after fourth. Howeever, the researchers found that the protection from hospitalisation and death remained above 90 per cent.

The vaccines have helped the global community in its fight against Covid pandemic. The vaccines boost immune response and train the immune system to fight the infection.

The vaccines have helped the global community in its fight against Covid pandemic. The vaccines boost immune response and train the immune system to fight the infection. There has always been apprehension about how long this effect lasts. Now, two separate studies have said that the immune response after receiving Pfizer Covid vaccine wanes in several months. However, protection against severe infection, hospitalisation and death remains strong. The studies were conducted in Israel and Qatar. In Israeli study covered 4800 health workers. It was found that antibody levels waned rapidly after two doses of the vaccine. Men, persons aged 60 and above and those with immunosuppression were found to be susceptible to such an effect. Also Read | COVID-19: Delta variant increases the risk of death by 133 per cent Researchers have said that neutralising antibody levels in years after vaccines against measles mumps and rubella decreased at the rate of 5 to 10 per cent each year. But the antibody levels decreased rapidly in months after receiving Pfizer vaccine. Also Read | Malaria parasite found to undergo mutations evading detection The second study carried out in Qatar analysed infections among highly vaccinated people. People in Qatar mostly got Pfizer vaccine. The researcher found that waning of the efect of the vaccine was prominently seen after fourth. Howeever, the researchers found that the protection from hospitalisation and death remained above 90 per cent.

Covid immune response after Pfizer vaccine wanes in months, say studies

October 7 in history: Afghan war starts, world's oldest airline established, more

A black and white Taliban flag flies over the blown-up statue of a revered Hazara chief at the entrance to Bamiyan in central Afghanistan.

Since the radical Islamists swept to power seven weeks ago they have repeatedly promised a more moderate, inclusive brand of rule than during their last stint, when minorities were brutally persecuted.

But members of the Hazara community here don't believe them.

"Everyone is terrified," says Najwa, a 26-year-old local journalist now out of work.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/military-bases-turn-into-small-cities-as-afghans-wait-months-for-homes-in-us-417873">Military bases turn into small cities as Afghans wait months for homes in US</a>

"It is impossible to believe them. For the Hazaras, and especially for us women, there is no more hope."

She and other Hazaras fled into the mountains when they first heard the Taliban were coming, but a week later they returned.

As a member of the Bamiyan Film Academy, Najwa could have been evacuated to France like many of her peers but, hidden in the wilderness, she missed a vital call.

"And now it is too late," she says.

- 'Abductions, murders' -

Afghanistan's new rulers have declared a general amnesty and promised reform.

But fears abound that they will repeat the brutal repression of minorities and women seen during their former reign from 1996 to 2001.

"We know that there have been abductions, murders," Najwa says.

The Hazara, who make up as much as a fifth of Afghanistan's around 38 million people, have been persecuted in the country for centuries.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/women-teachers-face-uncertain-future-after-taliban-bans-them-from-schools-417874">Women teachers face uncertain future after Taliban bans them from schools</a>

They have suffered massacres during the rule of several Afghan governments in recent decades, but especially under the Taliban -- Sunni hardliners who see the mainly Shiite ethnic minority as heretics.

The Islamists have carried out several mass killings of Hazaras, including in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998, where Human Rights Watch says at least 2,000 mainly Hazara civilians were executed.

While nothing on that scale has been reported since the Taliban takeover on August 15, an Amnesty International investigation published this week found Taliban forces had killed 13 Hazaras, including nine surrendering former government soldiers, in Daykundi province on August 30, in what "appear to be war crimes".&nbsp;

- 'Not enemies' -

But Musa Nasrat, Bamiyan's acting governor and new chief of police, insists Hazaras have nothing to fear.

"It is true that in the beginning, people were afraid," he tells AFP, claiming that all those who initially fled had returned.

"We told them: 'Return to your normal life. We are here to protect you'," he says, insisting that "we are not enemies of the Shiites."

The Taliban's enemy, he says, was "the corrupt government" of ousted president Ashraf Ghani.

But now, "we have won. Peace will rein."

In a bid to reassure the Hazaras, the new rulers have made a Shiite, Mahdi Mujahid, the intelligence chief in Bamiyan province.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nearly-1000-taliban-militants-rally-in-kabul-to-show-power-and-unity-417860">Nearly 1,000 Taliban militants rally in Kabul to show power and unity</a>

"My community has nothing to fear," he said, in his first statement on the job.

But more than words will be needed to calm the community's fears.

"We cannot trust them," says Abdul Danesh Yar, a 33-year-old private school principal.

"Our country's history is full of massacres and deportations of Hazaras."

Yar, like so many others here, says he feels betrayed by the United States and its allies over their hasty withdrawal in August after 20 years of fighting.

"We believed in their values, and they abandoned us," he says, adding that he would leave if he could, "for the future of my children."

The Taliban, he argues, "will never change." &nbsp;&nbsp;

- 'No one believes them' -

The Taliban's return to power has been a particular shock in Bamiyan, home to the famous giant, ancient Buddha statues that the Islamist group dynamited when it was last in power two decades ago.

The provincial capital was among the cities that received the most international assistance in the two decades that followed the Taliban's ouster.

Women here outnumbered men at the university, and they did sports like cycling and volleyball.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-say-islamic-state-cell-destroyed-after-mosque-attack-418068">Taliban say Islamic State cell destroyed after mosque attack</a>

Bamiyan also boasted the first woman governor in the country, Habiba Sarabi, who ruled here from 2005 to 2013. Today she lives in exile in Turkey.

"For now, they have not done bad things," says Abdulhaq Shafad, a 41-year-old local poet and member of a newly-created committee aimed at "solving problems" with the Taliban.

But he warns that the situation could quickly deteriorate if countries begin recognising the Taliban leadership.

"The future is unpredictable," he warns.

At the entrance to the city, Rajabali Sahebzadah's potato fields are a stone's throw from the ruins of the statue commemorating Abdul Ali Mazari, a Hazara leader and prominent anti-Taliban fighter anointed as a martyr long after he died in Taliban captivity in 1995.

It was blown up three days after the former insurgents seized control of Afghanistan, leaving a scattering of white rubble.

The Taliban have denied destroying the statue, the 25-year-old farmer says. "No one believes them." 
&nbsp;

A black and white Taliban flag flies over the blown-up statue of a revered Hazara chief at the entrance to Bamiyan in central Afghanistan. Since the radical Islamists swept to power seven weeks ago they have repeatedly promised a more moderate, inclusive brand of rule than during their last stint, when minorities were brutally persecuted.

A black and white Taliban flag flies over the blown-up statue of a revered Hazara chief at the entrance to Bamiyan in central Afghanistan. Since the radical Islamists swept to power seven weeks ago they have repeatedly promised a more moderate, inclusive brand of rule than during their last stint, when minorities were brutally persecuted. But members of the Hazara community here don't believe them. "Everyone is terrified," says Najwa, a 26-year-old local journalist now out of work. Also Read | Military bases turn into small cities as Afghans wait months for homes in US "It is impossible to believe them. For the Hazaras, and especially for us women, there is no more hope." She and other Hazaras fled into the mountains when they first heard the Taliban were coming, but a week later they returned. As a member of the Bamiyan Film Academy, Najwa could have been evacuated to France like many of her peers but, hidden in the wilderness, she missed a vital call. "And now it is too late," she says. - 'Abductions, murders' - Afghanistan's new rulers have declared a general amnesty and promised reform. But fears abound that they will repeat the brutal repression of minorities and women seen during their former reign from 1996 to 2001. "We know that there have been abductions, murders," Najwa says. The Hazara, who make up as much as a fifth of Afghanistan's around 38 million people, have been persecuted in the country for centuries. Also Read | Women teachers face uncertain future after Taliban bans them from schools They have suffered massacres during the rule of several Afghan governments in recent decades, but especially under the Taliban -- Sunni hardliners who see the mainly Shiite ethnic minority as heretics. The Islamists have carried out several mass killings of Hazaras, including in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif in 1998, where Human Rights Watch says at least 2,000 mainly Hazara civilians were executed. While nothing on that scale has been reported since the Taliban takeover on August 15, an Amnesty International investigation published this week found Taliban forces had killed 13 Hazaras, including nine surrendering former government soldiers, in Daykundi province on August 30, in what "appear to be war crimes". - 'Not enemies' - But Musa Nasrat, Bamiyan's acting governor and new chief of police, insists Hazaras have nothing to fear. "It is true that in the beginning, people were afraid," he tells AFP, claiming that all those who initially fled had returned. "We told them: 'Return to your normal life. We are here to protect you'," he says, insisting that "we are not enemies of the Shiites." The Taliban's enemy, he says, was "the corrupt government" of ousted president Ashraf Ghani. But now, "we have won. Peace will rein." In a bid to reassure the Hazaras, the new rulers have made a Shiite, Mahdi Mujahid, the intelligence chief in Bamiyan province. Also Read | Nearly 1,000 Taliban militants rally in Kabul to show power and unity "My community has nothing to fear," he said, in his first statement on the job. But more than words will be needed to calm the community's fears. "We cannot trust them," says Abdul Danesh Yar, a 33-year-old private school principal. "Our country's history is full of massacres and deportations of Hazaras." Yar, like so many others here, says he feels betrayed by the United States and its allies over their hasty withdrawal in August after 20 years of fighting. "We believed in their values, and they abandoned us," he says, adding that he would leave if he could, "for the future of my children." The Taliban, he argues, "will never change." - 'No one believes them' - The Taliban's return to power has been a particular shock in Bamiyan, home to the famous giant, ancient Buddha statues that the Islamist group dynamited when it was last in power two decades ago. The provincial capital was among the cities that received the most international assistance in the two decades that followed the Taliban's ouster. Women here outnumbered men at the university, and they did sports like cycling and volleyball. Also Read | Taliban say Islamic State cell destroyed after mosque attack Bamiyan also boasted the first woman governor in the country, Habiba Sarabi, who ruled here from 2005 to 2013. Today she lives in exile in Turkey. "For now, they have not done bad things," says Abdulhaq Shafad, a 41-year-old local poet and member of a newly-created committee aimed at "solving problems" with the Taliban. But he warns that the situation could quickly deteriorate if countries begin recognising the Taliban leadership. "The future is unpredictable," he warns. At the entrance to the city, Rajabali Sahebzadah's potato fields are a stone's throw from the ruins of the statue commemorating Abdul Ali Mazari, a Hazara leader and prominent anti-Taliban fighter anointed as a martyr long after he died in Taliban captivity in 1995. It was blown up three days after the former insurgents seized control of Afghanistan, leaving a scattering of white rubble. The Taliban have denied destroying the statue, the 25-year-old farmer says. "No one believes them."

'No more hope': Afghan Hazaras live in fear under Taliban rule

India based former prime minister of Afghanistan Ahmad shah Ahmadzai is on his way to Kabul via Pakistan on medical grounds. Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai was the acting prime minister of Afghanistan in the Mujahid era, from 1995-1996 under the President Burhanuddin Rabbani. He left the country when Taliban took over of Kabul in 1996 and had been living in exile till the fall of Taliban in 2001.

Musa Ahmadzai, his son, confirmed that his father is leaving and will pass through Wagah border and will reach Afghanistan via Pakistan. He also spoke about the health of his father. They will be using Torkham border crossing to cross over to Afghanistan. Ahmadzai who was in the Afghan govt during the 1992-1996 period in various capacities, also stood for elections in 2004 in Afghanistan. In a post-communist Afghanistan, Ahmadzai was a close associate of President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

India has given him clearance for his travel via Wagah, while Pakistan issued a transit visa. Interestingly, Islamabad received request for transit visa for Ahmadzai and his son from Taliban's deputy minister of education. Travel to Afghanistan is difficult currently as air travel is yet to be restarted at full capacity. For any Afghan living in India, easiest way is by land via Pakistan.

The Pakistani high commission in Delhi has given transit visa to several Afghan nationals in past few weeks, including relatives of those Afghans who want to send back mortal remains to home country. Estimates put the figure from 20 to 50 Pakistani transit visas to Afghan nationals in Delhi.

Since Taliban takeover of Kabul on August 15, many Afghans have left the country fearing for their lives. Over 200 Afghans, mostly from minority Hindu and Sikh communities have come to India. These include two Afghan Sikh MPs--Anarkali Kaur and Narendra Singh Kalsa.

India based former prime minister of Afghanistan Ahmad shah Ahmadzai is on his way to Kabul via Pakistan on medical grounds. Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai was the acting prime minister of Afghanistan in the Mujahid era, from 1995-1996 under the President Burhanuddin Rabbani.

India based former prime minister of Afghanistan Ahmad shah Ahmadzai is on his way to Kabul via Pakistan on medical grounds. Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai was the acting prime minister of Afghanistan in the Mujahid era, from 1995-1996 under the President Burhanuddin Rabbani. He left the country when Taliban took over of Kabul in 1996 and had been living in exile till the fall of Taliban in 2001. Musa Ahmadzai, his son, confirmed that his father is leaving and will pass through Wagah border and will reach Afghanistan via Pakistan. He also spoke about the health of his father. They will be using Torkham border crossing to cross over to Afghanistan. Ahmadzai who was in the Afghan govt during the 1992-1996 period in various capacities, also stood for elections in 2004 in Afghanistan. In a post-communist Afghanistan, Ahmadzai was a close associate of President Burhanuddin Rabbani. India has given him clearance for his travel via Wagah, while Pakistan issued a transit visa. Interestingly, Islamabad received request for transit visa for Ahmadzai and his son from Taliban's deputy minister of education. Travel to Afghanistan is difficult currently as air travel is yet to be restarted at full capacity. For any Afghan living in India, easiest way is by land via Pakistan. The Pakistani high commission in Delhi has given transit visa to several Afghan nationals in past few weeks, including relatives of those Afghans who want to send back mortal remains to home country. Estimates put the figure from 20 to 50 Pakistani transit visas to Afghan nationals in Delhi. Since Taliban takeover of Kabul on August 15, many Afghans have left the country fearing for their lives. Over 200 Afghans, mostly from minority Hindu and Sikh communities have come to India. These include two Afghan Sikh MPs--Anarkali Kaur and Narendra Singh Kalsa.

India-based ex-PM of Afghanistan on way to Kabul via Pakistan

A rogue asteroid hitting Earth to end human civilisation as we know it is very much possible. Last time such an asteroid hit Earth, it eliminated more than half of life on the planet and ended the reign of dinosaurs. To avoid such a fate, space agencies around the worl keep a close watch at out planetary surroundings.

If an asteroid slated to hit Earth is detected, one of the strategies is to fire nuclear warheads to disintegrate it before it makes contact with Earth.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/winds-on-jupiter-are-speeding-up-and-no-one-knows-why-416727">Winds on Jupiter are speeding up and no one knows why</a>

However, this approach needs careful calculations. Smallest of the mistakes would mean that we will just be splitting one asteroid into two or more parts. This means that instead of just one impact, we would get several at different locations of Earth. Hence this approach draws criticism.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-has-captured-image-of-eye-in-the-sky-418294">NASA has captured image of 'eye in the sky'</a>

However, researchers have now concluded in a study that such an approach is safe. For this, they created computer models that analysed effect of 1-megaton-yield nuclear bomb on a 100-meter wide asteroid.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-long-rainy-spell-induced-by-volcanism-helped-dinosaurs-become-huge-418394">A long rainy spell induced by volcanism helped dinosaurs become huge</a>

Five different asteroid orbits were analysed and the researchers concluded that if we could hit the asteroid two months before impact, it is possible to reduce the debris to just 0.1 per cent of the total mass of the asteroid. If we could hit it six months before impact, researchers say that the debris can be reduced to 1 per cent of the total mass.

The study has been published in journal Acta Astronautica.

A rogue asteroid hitting Earth to end human civilisation as we know it is very much possible. Last time such an asteroid hit Earth, it eliminated more than half of life on the planet and ended the reign of dinosaurs.

A rogue asteroid hitting Earth to end human civilisation as we know it is very much possible. Last time such an asteroid hit Earth, it eliminated more than half of life on the planet and ended the reign of dinosaurs. To avoid such a fate, space agencies around the worl keep a close watch at out planetary surroundings. If an asteroid slated to hit Earth is detected, one of the strategies is to fire nuclear warheads to disintegrate it before it makes contact with Earth. Also Read | Winds on Jupiter are speeding up and no one knows why However, this approach needs careful calculations. Smallest of the mistakes would mean that we will just be splitting one asteroid into two or more parts. This means that instead of just one impact, we would get several at different locations of Earth. Hence this approach draws criticism. Also Read | NASA has captured image of 'eye in the sky' However, researchers have now concluded in a study that such an approach is safe. For this, they created computer models that analysed effect of 1-megaton-yield nuclear bomb on a 100-meter wide asteroid. Also Read | A long rainy spell induced by volcanism helped dinosaurs become huge Five different asteroid orbits were analysed and the researchers concluded that if we could hit the asteroid two months before impact, it is possible to reduce the debris to just 0.1 per cent of the total mass of the asteroid. If we could hit it six months before impact, researchers say that the debris can be reduced to 1 per cent of the total mass. The study has been published in journal Acta Astronautica.

Nuking a rogue asteroid is a safe strategy for Earth after all, says study

A shallow earthquake in southern Pakistan in early hours of Thursday killed 24&nbsp;people and seriously injured about&nbsp; 300. Magnitude of the earthquake was 5.7. The death toll is feared to rise.

Many of the victims died when roofs and walls collapsed. Health workers treated the injured with the help of torches after electricity failed.

women and children were among the dead, Suhail Anwar Hashmi, a senior provincial government official, told AFP.

The remote mountainous city of Harnai in Balochistan was the worst hit.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter hours after the tragedy.

"I have ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis for the Harnai, Balochistan, earthquake victims &amp; for an immediate assessment of the damage for timely relief &amp; compensation. My condolences &amp; prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones.," he tweeted.

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I have ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis for the Harnai, Balochistan, earthquake victims &amp; for an immediate assessment of the damage for timely relief &amp; compensation. My condolences &amp; prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1445999017062699011?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A military helicopter was used to transport critically injured to hospital.

The quake caused electricity to fail in the region, with health staff working without lights in a poorly equipped government hospital.

"We were operating without electricity with the help of torches and mobile flashlights," Zahoor Tarin, a senior official at the government-run Harnai hospital told AFP.&nbsp;

"Most of the injured came with fractured limbs. Dozens of people were sent back after first aid while some 40 people who were critically injured have been sent to Quetta in ambulances," he added.

The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 5.7 and struck around 3am at a depth of around 20 kilometres (12 miles).&nbsp;

The earthquake was also felt in Balochistan's provincial capital Quetta.

Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes.

(With inputs from agencies)

A shallow earthquake in southern Pakistan in early hours of Thursday killed 24 people and seriously injured about 300. Magnitude of the earthquake was 5.7. The death toll is feared to rise.

A shallow earthquake in southern Pakistan in early hours of Thursday killed 24 people and seriously injured about 300. Magnitude of the earthquake was 5.7. The death toll is feared to rise. Many of the victims died when roofs and walls collapsed. Health workers treated the injured with the help of torches after electricity failed. women and children were among the dead, Suhail Anwar Hashmi, a senior provincial government official, told AFP. The remote mountainous city of Harnai in Balochistan was the worst hit. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter hours after the tragedy. "I have ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis for the Harnai, Balochistan, earthquake victims & for an immediate assessment of the damage for timely relief & compensation. My condolences & prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones.," he tweeted. I have ordered immediate assistance on an emergency basis for the Harnai, Balochistan, earthquake victims & for an immediate assessment of the damage for timely relief & compensation. My condolences & prayers go to the families who lost their loved ones. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 7, 2021 × A military helicopter was used to transport critically injured to hospital. The quake caused electricity to fail in the region, with health staff working without lights in a poorly equipped government hospital. "We were operating without electricity with the help of torches and mobile flashlights," Zahoor Tarin, a senior official at the government-run Harnai hospital told AFP. "Most of the injured came with fractured limbs. Dozens of people were sent back after first aid while some 40 people who were critically injured have been sent to Quetta in ambulances," he added. The US Geological Survey said the quake had a magnitude of 5.7 and struck around 3am at a depth of around 20 kilometres (12 miles). The earthquake was also felt in Balochistan's provincial capital Quetta. Pakistan straddles the boundary where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, making the country susceptible to earthquakes. (With inputs from agencies)

Earthquake in southern Pakistan kills 24, hundreds injured

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