After a wretched and withering year that didn’t so much pass by as scorch through, the guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd arrived as a relief. It’s been a long time since it felt as though Americans had the luxury of thinking about the future we want to live in, as opposed to putting out fires in an endless present. In so many respects, we were due for a little hope.

And yet, amid all that, a dissonant note: Something is still very wrong.

On Instagram, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lamented that “this verdict is not justice. She added: “Frankly, I don’t even think we call it full accountability,” echoing Senator Bernie Sanders on Twitter, where the lodestar of the left said that “the jury’s verdict delivers accountability for Derek Chauvin, but not justice for George Floyd.” So many others — activists, organizers, politicians — shared similar thoughts. Something meaningful had occurred in the conviction of Mr. Chauvin, they agreed, but something incomplete, too.

In a sense, their unease with the outcome of Mr. Chauvin’s trial echoes responses to the conviction of Harvey Weinstein, whose downfall incited the #MeToo movement. At the time, commenters pointed out that Mr. Weinstein’s rape conviction was only “a partial victory” for the movement, “less significant” than it seemed. They were right — not only because in Mr. Weinstein’s case, as in Mr. Floyd’s, the trial had become a metonym for a wider movement with unfinished business, but also because the things he had done, like the things Mr. Chauvin has done, could not be reversed.

It’s a fact so obvious that it bears restating. Mr. Floyd is still dead, was still murdered, remains a person whose life ended abruptly and violently on a street in Minneapolis in broad daylight while bystanders looked on: None of that will ever change. Nor will Mr. Weinstein’s victims receive in recompense the lives, the confidence, the dispositions they had before he violated them. The trouble is that no crime — in fact, no &lt;em&gt;harm&lt;/em&gt; — is ever undone, and no loss affected by moral evil is ever entirely restored.

Agnes Callard, a philosopher at the University of Chicago, observed in a Boston Review forum last year that anger resulting from harm done likewise has no obvious terminus. “Eventually we should move on, we are told, or let it go, or transmute our desire for revenge into a healthier or more respectable feeling,” Ms. Callard wrote. But when do we let go, when do we know it’s time to move on, and what does that mean when emotions — which should not be dismissed as irrelevant to politics — are in play? Or can these feelings issuing from echoing loss be transmuted — and if so, into what, by whom? How do we ever know when it’s time to stop seeking restoration for harm, and do we stop because it’s the right thing to do, or because after a point it’s no use searching for, longing for things that aren’t going to come?

One tragedy of the criminal justice system is that it ought to provide answers to some of those questions. Because eternal retribution all but guarantees perpetual conflict, we have agreed, as a society, that an impartial and (aspirationally) fair system will generate and enforce consequences that exhaust claims to retribution, and close these matters as they arise. That the system is infamously prone to bias and capriciousness undermines its capacity to serve its critical purpose.

But even if it were entirely successful, its punishments would still be arbitrarily chosen (why 10 years for manslaughter, rather than 11 or nine?) and restoration would still be beyond its powers. Still: Despite its deficiencies, we allow it to tell us when a case is closed. It’s all we can do. But what can be done with the harm that these recent reckonings have revealed — not on behalf of institutions or ideologies, but between individual people in daily life?

One consequence of the justice movements of the last several years is that we see things differently now. Difficult interactions appear in a new, unflattering light. We pause to consider the meaning of slights we may have ignored before: Is &lt;em&gt;this &lt;/em&gt;(“No wonder they hired you! Look at you!”) a form of &lt;em&gt;that &lt;/em&gt;(sexism)&lt;em&gt;, &lt;/em&gt;one might wonder, &lt;em&gt;just in miniature? &lt;/em&gt;The answer is bound to be yes at least sometimes, and most likely often.

As we emerge from a string of calamities with the benefit of what we’ve learned, a question worth considering is what we can do about the fact of these interpersonal damages, the sort — a rude remark, a thoughtless comment in company, a revealing gesture — that can’t be adjudicated in court but aren’t meaningless, either; the kind we simply want never to have happened, and short of that, not to happen again. What can be done about all of that suffering?

In one sense, the answer is nothing. Pain lasts, grief lasts, anger lasts. The life you had before loss is never returned to you. There’s a hole in the world, one of the many regrettable results of our human tendency to hurt one another. I look inside myself, where all of those emotions bored holes through my soul. What did I do, when did it stop? In some cases, those feelings ran through the channels they carved in me until they flowed into other reservoirs: the stock of sentiments that drive and inform the work that I do, the stories I choose to tell, the subjects I try to understand. In others, time made me a stranger to the person who was once so wounded. But in others still, I know the feelings were simply pushed away “like a skiff at the shore,” as a poet once put it, “no longer useful.”

Forgiveness doesn’t feel particularly triumphant. It’s a gift no one wants to be in the position to give; it releases a wrongdoer from moral debt — for their own good and the common good, not for the sake of the wronged. And it provides a place for those emotions that circle, vulturelike, around one’s thoughts to finally come to rest, no longer nourished by attention. It’s a strange and wanting gift for a strange and wanting world, and I would never admonish anyone for declining to extend it. God knows, I’ve failed in the practice as often as I’ve succeeded.

But I want to live in a world where it is possible to forgive and to be forgiven. In fact, I think it’s necessary. And I think it emerges not from a place of moral victory, but from the realization of human brokenness, the recognition of things lost that can’t be regained, and the emptiness that holds their place. It’s from these gaps that beautiful things sometimes grow.

After a wretched and withering year that didn’t so much pass by as scorch through, the guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd arrived as a relief.

After a wretched and withering year that didn’t so much pass by as scorch through, the guilty verdict in Derek Chauvin’s trial for the murder of George Floyd arrived as a relief. It’s been a long time since it felt as though Americans had the luxury of thinking about the future we want to live in, as opposed to putting out fires in an endless present. In so many respects, we were due for a little hope. And yet, amid all that, a dissonant note: Something is still very wrong. On Instagram, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lamented that “this verdict is not justice. She added: “Frankly, I don’t even think we call it full accountability,” echoing Senator Bernie Sanders on Twitter, where the lodestar of the left said that “the jury’s verdict delivers accountability for Derek Chauvin, but not justice for George Floyd.” So many others — activists, organizers, politicians — shared similar thoughts. Something meaningful had occurred in the conviction of Mr. Chauvin, they agreed, but something incomplete, too. In a sense, their unease with the outcome of Mr. Chauvin’s trial echoes responses to the conviction of Harvey Weinstein, whose downfall incited the #MeToo movement. At the time, commenters pointed out that Mr. Weinstein’s rape conviction was only “a partial victory” for the movement, “less significant” than it seemed. They were right — not only because in Mr. Weinstein’s case, as in Mr. Floyd’s, the trial had become a metonym for a wider movement with unfinished business, but also because the things he had done, like the things Mr. Chauvin has done, could not be reversed. It’s a fact so obvious that it bears restating. Mr. Floyd is still dead, was still murdered, remains a person whose life ended abruptly and violently on a street in Minneapolis in broad daylight while bystanders looked on: None of that will ever change. Nor will Mr. Weinstein’s victims receive in recompense the lives, the confidence, the dispositions they had before he violated them. The trouble is that no crime — in fact, no harm — is ever undone, and no loss affected by moral evil is ever entirely restored. Agnes Callard, a philosopher at the University of Chicago, observed in a Boston Review forum last year that anger resulting from harm done likewise has no obvious terminus. “Eventually we should move on, we are told, or let it go, or transmute our desire for revenge into a healthier or more respectable feeling,” Ms. Callard wrote. But when do we let go, when do we know it’s time to move on, and what does that mean when emotions — which should not be dismissed as irrelevant to politics — are in play? Or can these feelings issuing from echoing loss be transmuted — and if so, into what, by whom? How do we ever know when it’s time to stop seeking restoration for harm, and do we stop because it’s the right thing to do, or because after a point it’s no use searching for, longing for things that aren’t going to come? One tragedy of the criminal justice system is that it ought to provide answers to some of those questions. Because eternal retribution all but guarantees perpetual conflict, we have agreed, as a society, that an impartial and (aspirationally) fair system will generate and enforce consequences that exhaust claims to retribution, and close these matters as they arise. That the system is infamously prone to bias and capriciousness undermines its capacity to serve its critical purpose. But even if it were entirely successful, its punishments would still be arbitrarily chosen (why 10 years for manslaughter, rather than 11 or nine?) and restoration would still be beyond its powers. Still: Despite its deficiencies, we allow it to tell us when a case is closed. It’s all we can do. But what can be done with the harm that these recent reckonings have revealed — not on behalf of institutions or ideologies, but between individual people in daily life? One consequence of the justice movements of the last several years is that we see things differently now. Difficult interactions appear in a new, unflattering light. We pause to consider the meaning of slights we may have ignored before: Is this (“No wonder they hired you! Look at you!”) a form of that (sexism), one might wonder, just in miniature? The answer is bound to be yes at least sometimes, and most likely often. As we emerge from a string of calamities with the benefit of what we’ve learned, a question worth considering is what we can do about the fact of these interpersonal damages, the sort — a rude remark, a thoughtless comment in company, a revealing gesture — that can’t be adjudicated in court but aren’t meaningless, either; the kind we simply want never to have happened, and short of that, not to happen again. What can be done about all of that suffering? In one sense, the answer is nothing. Pain lasts, grief lasts, anger lasts. The life you had before loss is never returned to you. There’s a hole in the world, one of the many regrettable results of our human tendency to hurt one another. I look inside myself, where all of those emotions bored holes through my soul. What did I do, when did it stop? In some cases, those feelings ran through the channels they carved in me until they flowed into other reservoirs: the stock of sentiments that drive and inform the work that I do, the stories I choose to tell, the subjects I try to understand. In others, time made me a stranger to the person who was once so wounded. But in others still, I know the feelings were simply pushed away “like a skiff at the shore,” as a poet once put it, “no longer useful.” Forgiveness doesn’t feel particularly triumphant. It’s a gift no one wants to be in the position to give; it releases a wrongdoer from moral debt — for their own good and the common good, not for the sake of the wronged. And it provides a place for those emotions that circle, vulturelike, around one’s thoughts to finally come to rest, no longer nourished by attention. It’s a strange and wanting gift for a strange and wanting world, and I would never admonish anyone for declining to extend it. God knows, I’ve failed in the practice as often as I’ve succeeded. But I want to live in a world where it is possible to forgive and to be forgiven. In fact, I think it’s necessary. And I think it emerges not from a place of moral victory, but from the realization of human brokenness, the recognition of things lost that can’t be regained, and the emptiness that holds their place. It’s from these gaps that beautiful things sometimes grow.

Chauvin was convicted. Something is still very wrong

April 25 in history: Construction of Suez Canal officially begins, and more

Firefighter have continued fighting the massive gorse fire on Northern Ireland's Mourne Mountains on third day straight on Sunday (April 25). The multi-agency report involves around 100 firefighters.

Coastguard helicopters helped transport fire crews to remote locations to tackle the fire, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said on their website.

Video shared with Reuters showed the fire burning on the slopes of the Mournes on Saturday morning itself.

As per local media, the blaze started on Friday (April 23) in Slieve Donard. This is the highest of the Mourne mountains

NIFRS has declared the fire a major incident. It has urged the public to stay away.

(With agency inputs)

Firefighter have continued fighting the massive gorse fire on Northern Ireland's Mourne Mountains on third day straight on Sunday (April 25). The multi-agency report involves around 100 firefighters.

Firefighter have continued fighting the massive gorse fire on Northern Ireland's Mourne Mountains on third day straight on Sunday (April 25). The multi-agency report involves around 100 firefighters. Coastguard helicopters helped transport fire crews to remote locations to tackle the fire, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said on their website. Video shared with Reuters showed the fire burning on the slopes of the Mournes on Saturday morning itself. As per local media, the blaze started on Friday (April 23) in Slieve Donard. This is the highest of the Mourne mountains NIFRS has declared the fire a major incident. It has urged the public to stay away. (With agency inputs)

Mountain fire in Northern Ireland rages on third day

A&nbsp;Lebanon-made&nbsp;electric&nbsp;car&nbsp;made its debut Saturday, the first time the Mediterranean country has manufactured an automobile, despite struggling amid a dire economic crisis with frequent power cuts.

The red sports&nbsp;car, named "Quds Rise", using the Arabic name of Jerusalem -- is the project of Lebanese-born Palestinian businessman Jihad Mohammad.&nbsp;It's the "first automobile to be made locally," Mohammad told reporters, at the unveiling in a parking lot south of Beirut.&nbsp;It was built in&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;"from start to finish", he said of the prototype, emblazoned at the front with a golden logo of the Dome of the Rock, the shrine in Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site.&nbsp;The&nbsp;car&nbsp;is to cost $30,000.

Production of up to 10,000 vehicles is hoped to start later this year in&nbsp;Lebanon, with cars to hit the market in a year's time, said Mohammad, the director of&nbsp;Lebanon-based firm EV Electra.

Mohammad, 50, said he set up the company four years ago after years abroad, employing Lebanese and Palestinian engineers among 300 members of staff.&nbsp;He says his long-term goal is to compete on the international market for hybrid and&nbsp;electric&nbsp;cars, as well as to make sales in&nbsp;Lebanon.

But the unveiling comes as&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;struggles amid its worst economic crisis in decades, and imported&nbsp;car&nbsp;sales are at a record low, in part due to capital controls and drastic devaluation on the black market.

'Step in the right direction'?

Dealers sold just 62 new cars in the first two months of 2021, almost 97 per cent less than the same period a year before, figures released by the Association of Automobile Importers in&nbsp;Lebanon&nbsp;showed.

The economic crunch since late 2019 has plunged more than half the population into poverty.&nbsp;But Mohammad said potential Lebanese buyers would be offered the opportunity to pay for half the new&nbsp;electric&nbsp;car&nbsp;in dollars, with the rest paid in Lebanese pounds at an exchange rate better than the black market one, to be paid over five years without interest.

Lebanon&nbsp;also relies on fossil fuels for power generation, already insufficient for a population of around six million who suffer daily power cuts.&nbsp;To power its new&nbsp;electric&nbsp;cars, the firm plans to set up around 100 recharging stations across the country connected to generators.&nbsp;These could then be fuelled by solar and wind power generation, Mohammad said.

Independent energy analyst Jessica Obeid welcomed the innovation, but said the vehicles would only be environmentally friendly if the power sector underwent serious reform.&nbsp;"The energy sector is the biggest contributor to&nbsp;Lebanon's greenhouse gas emissions," and already under pressure due a shortage in dollars to import fuel, she told AFP.

But, she added, "if the&nbsp;electric&nbsp;vehicles have solar charging stations, then this would be a step in the right direction."

A Lebanon-made electric car made its debut Saturday, the first time the Mediterranean country has manufactured an automobile, despite struggling amid a dire economic crisis with frequent power cuts.

A Lebanon-made electric car made its debut Saturday, the first time the Mediterranean country has manufactured an automobile, despite struggling amid a dire economic crisis with frequent power cuts. The red sports car, named "Quds Rise", using the Arabic name of Jerusalem -- is the project of Lebanese-born Palestinian businessman Jihad Mohammad. It's the "first automobile to be made locally," Mohammad told reporters, at the unveiling in a parking lot south of Beirut. It was built in Lebanon "from start to finish", he said of the prototype, emblazoned at the front with a golden logo of the Dome of the Rock, the shrine in Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound, Islam's third holiest site. The car is to cost $30,000. Production of up to 10,000 vehicles is hoped to start later this year in Lebanon, with cars to hit the market in a year's time, said Mohammad, the director of Lebanon-based firm EV Electra. Mohammad, 50, said he set up the company four years ago after years abroad, employing Lebanese and Palestinian engineers among 300 members of staff. He says his long-term goal is to compete on the international market for hybrid and electric cars, as well as to make sales in Lebanon. But the unveiling comes as Lebanon struggles amid its worst economic crisis in decades, and imported car sales are at a record low, in part due to capital controls and drastic devaluation on the black market. 'Step in the right direction'? Dealers sold just 62 new cars in the first two months of 2021, almost 97 per cent less than the same period a year before, figures released by the Association of Automobile Importers in Lebanon showed. The economic crunch since late 2019 has plunged more than half the population into poverty. But Mohammad said potential Lebanese buyers would be offered the opportunity to pay for half the new electric car in dollars, with the rest paid in Lebanese pounds at an exchange rate better than the black market one, to be paid over five years without interest. Lebanon also relies on fossil fuels for power generation, already insufficient for a population of around six million who suffer daily power cuts. To power its new electric cars, the firm plans to set up around 100 recharging stations across the country connected to generators. These could then be fuelled by solar and wind power generation, Mohammad said. Independent energy analyst Jessica Obeid welcomed the innovation, but said the vehicles would only be environmentally friendly if the power sector underwent serious reform. "The energy sector is the biggest contributor to Lebanon's greenhouse gas emissions," and already under pressure due a shortage in dollars to import fuel, she told AFP. But, she added, "if the electric vehicles have solar charging stations, then this would be a step in the right direction."

Lebanon launches first electric car despite crisis

Even as it faces increasingly hostile neighbourhood, China is ramping up its military capabilities. As per a report in Chinese state-owned Global Times, China has developed a stealth-detecting radar.

The reports are describing the radar as one of the 'star products' at the Nanjing exhibition which ends on Saturday. The radar is being touted as being able to detect stealth aircraft, including drones, and low-flying missiles.&nbsp;

The so-called "YLC-48 radar" is portable and can be carried by one soldier, according to the Global Times. The report said that the radar can conduct missions under all-weather conditions, and can be rapidly deployed and withdrawn.

China is traditionally and comparatively has been considered a bit weaker in its naval assets. But recent decades have seen it rapidly developing its naval forces.

China has now deployed its first advanced amphibious assault ship and two other vessels. As per local media, the commissioning ceremony was attended by President Xi Jinping himself.

The Hainan, the Dalian and the Changzheng-18 were placed in active service on Friday. Out of these vessels, the Hainan is China's first type 075 amphibious assault ship. The Dalian is a type 055 destroyer while Changzheng-18 is a nuclear-powered submarine.

Even as it faces increasingly hostile neighbourhood, China is ramping up its military capabilities. As per a report in Chinese state-owned Global Times, China has developed a stealth-detecting radar.

Even as it faces increasingly hostile neighbourhood, China is ramping up its military capabilities. As per a report in Chinese state-owned Global Times, China has developed a stealth-detecting radar. The reports are describing the radar as one of the 'star products' at the Nanjing exhibition which ends on Saturday. The radar is being touted as being able to detect stealth aircraft, including drones, and low-flying missiles. The so-called "YLC-48 radar" is portable and can be carried by one soldier, according to the Global Times. The report said that the radar can conduct missions under all-weather conditions, and can be rapidly deployed and withdrawn. China is traditionally and comparatively has been considered a bit weaker in its naval assets. But recent decades have seen it rapidly developing its naval forces. China has now deployed its first advanced amphibious assault ship and two other vessels. As per local media, the commissioning ceremony was attended by President Xi Jinping himself. The Hainan, the Dalian and the Changzheng-18 were placed in active service on Friday. Out of these vessels, the Hainan is China's first type 075 amphibious assault ship. The Dalian is a type 055 destroyer while Changzheng-18 is a nuclear-powered submarine.

China unveils stealth-detecting radar, adds assault ships to naval fleet

Fire in a coronavirus intensive care unit claimed dozens of lives in Iraq on Sunday. The death toll rose to 82&nbsp;by afternoon. The fire started in the Baghdad hospital due to "a fault in the storage of Oxygen cylinders", as per medical sources quoted by AFP.

According to civil defence, the fire spread quickly as " "the hospital had no fire protection system and false ceilings allowed the flames to spread to highly flammable products"

Iraq's hospitals have been worn down by decades of conflict and poor investment, with shortages in medicines and hospital beds.&nbsp;

The latest fire at the hospital sparked outrage on social media. The prime minister has called for an investigation.

In the middle of the night, as dozens of relatives were at the bedsides of the 30 patients in the intensive care unit at Ibn al-Khatib hospital -- reserved for the most severe Covid-19 cases in Baghdad -- flames spread across multiple floors, another medical source said.

Social media videos showed firefighters fighting the flames as patients and their relatives tried to flee.

"The majority of the victims died because they had to be moved and were taken off ventilators, while the others were suffocated by the smoke," the civil defence said.

It told Iraqi state news its members had "rescued 90 people out of 120 patients and their relatives" at the scene, but could not give an exact number of the dead and wounded.&nbsp;

Medical and security sources told AFP that 23 people had been killed and some fifty others injured in the blaze.&nbsp;

Negligence

The fire -- which according to several sources was caused by negligence, often linked to endemic corruption in Iraq -- immediately sparked anger on social media in the country, with a hashtag demanding the health minister be sacked trending on Twitter. &nbsp;

Baghdad Governor Mohammed Jaber called on the health ministry "to establish a commission of enquiry so that those who did not do their jobs may be brought to justice".

In a statement, the government's human rights commission said the incident was "a crime against patients exhausted by Covid-19 who put their lives in the hands of the health ministry and its institutions and instead of being treated, perished in flames".

The commission called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi to fire Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi and "bring him to justice".&nbsp;

Kadhemi responded by calling for "an immediate investigation with those in charge at the ministry" and demanded that the "hospital director, head of security and the technical maintenance team be sent to the investigators and not be released until those at fault have been brought to justice".

(With inputs from agencies)

Fire in a coronavirus intensive care unit claimed dozens of lives in Iraq on Sunday. The death toll rose to 82 by afternoon. The fire started in the Baghdad hospital due to "a fault in the storage of Oxygen cylinders", as per medical sources quoted by AFP.

Fire in a coronavirus intensive care unit claimed dozens of lives in Iraq on Sunday. The death toll rose to 82 by afternoon. The fire started in the Baghdad hospital due to "a fault in the storage of Oxygen cylinders", as per medical sources quoted by AFP. According to civil defence, the fire spread quickly as " "the hospital had no fire protection system and false ceilings allowed the flames to spread to highly flammable products" Iraq's hospitals have been worn down by decades of conflict and poor investment, with shortages in medicines and hospital beds. The latest fire at the hospital sparked outrage on social media. The prime minister has called for an investigation. In the middle of the night, as dozens of relatives were at the bedsides of the 30 patients in the intensive care unit at Ibn al-Khatib hospital -- reserved for the most severe Covid-19 cases in Baghdad -- flames spread across multiple floors, another medical source said. Social media videos showed firefighters fighting the flames as patients and their relatives tried to flee. "The majority of the victims died because they had to be moved and were taken off ventilators, while the others were suffocated by the smoke," the civil defence said. It told Iraqi state news its members had "rescued 90 people out of 120 patients and their relatives" at the scene, but could not give an exact number of the dead and wounded. Medical and security sources told AFP that 23 people had been killed and some fifty others injured in the blaze. Negligence The fire -- which according to several sources was caused by negligence, often linked to endemic corruption in Iraq -- immediately sparked anger on social media in the country, with a hashtag demanding the health minister be sacked trending on Twitter. Baghdad Governor Mohammed Jaber called on the health ministry "to establish a commission of enquiry so that those who did not do their jobs may be brought to justice". In a statement, the government's human rights commission said the incident was "a crime against patients exhausted by Covid-19 who put their lives in the hands of the health ministry and its institutions and instead of being treated, perished in flames". The commission called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi to fire Health Minister Hassan al-Tamimi and "bring him to justice". Kadhemi responded by calling for "an immediate investigation with those in charge at the ministry" and demanded that the "hospital director, head of security and the technical maintenance team be sent to the investigators and not be released until those at fault have been brought to justice". (With inputs from agencies)

Iraq: Fire at Covid hospital, death toll rises to 82

Myanmar's pro-democracy activists sharply criticised an agreement between the country's junta chief and Southeast Asian leaders to end the nation's violent post-coup crisis and vowed on Sunday to continue their protest campaign.

Some scattered peaceful protests took place in&nbsp;Myanmar's big cities on Sunday, a day after the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Jakarta, Indonesia, reached a consensus to end the turmoil in the country, but gave no timeline.

"Whether it is ASEAN or the U.N., they will only speak from outside saying don’t fight but negotiate and solve the issues. But that doesn’t reflect&nbsp;Myanmar’s ground situation," said Khin Sandar from a protest group called the General Strikes Collaboration Committee.&nbsp;"We will continue the protests.

"We have plans to do so," she told Reuters by phone.

According to a statement from ASEAN chair Brunei, a consensus was reached in Jakarta on five points - ending violence, a constructive dialogue among all parties, a special ASEAN envoy to facilitate the dialogue, acceptance of aid and a visit by the envoy to&nbsp;Myanmar. The five-point consensus did not mention political prisoners, although the chairman's statement said the meeting "heard calls" for their release.

ASEAN leaders had wanted a commitment from Min Aung Hlaing to restrain his security forces, which the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) says have killed 748 people since a mass civil disobedience movement&nbsp;erupted to challenge his Feb. 1 coup against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

AAPP, a&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;activist group, says over 3,300 are in detention.&nbsp;"We realized that whatever the outcome from the ASEAN meeting, it will not reflect what people want," said Wai Aung a protest organiser in Yangon. "We will keep up protests and strikes till the military regime completely fails."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmar-shadow-government-welcomes-asean-call-for-an-end-to-violence-379969">Myanmar shadow government welcomes ASEAN call for an end to violence</a>

'SLAP ON THE FACE'

Several people took to social media to criticise the deal.

"ASEAN's statement is a slap on the face of the people who have been abused, killed and terrorised by the military," said a Facebook user called Mawchi Tun. "We do not need your help with that mindset and approach."

Aaron Htwe, another Facebook user, wrote: "Who will pay the price for the over 700 innocent lives."

Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said it was unfortunate that only the junta chief represented&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;at the meeting.

"Not only were the representatives of the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;people not invited to the Jakarta meeting but they also got left out of the consensus that ASEAN is now patting itself on the back for reaching," he said in a statement.

"The lack of a clear timeline for action, and ASEAN's well known weakness in implementing the decisions and plans that it issues, are real concerns that no one should overlook."

The ASEAN gathering was the first coordinated international effort to ease the crisis in&nbsp;Myanmar, an impoverished country that neighbours China, India and Thailand and has been in turmoil since the coup. Besides the protests, deaths and arrests, a nationwide strike has crippled economic activity.

Myanmar's parallel National Unity Government (NUG), comprised of pro-democracy figures, remnants of Suu Kyi's ousted administration and representatives of armed ethnic groups, said it welcomed the consensus reached but added the junta had to be held to its promises.

"We look forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and to restore our democracy," said Dr. Sasa, spokesman for the NUG.

Besides the junta chief, the leaders of Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei were at the meeting, along with the foreign ministers of Laos, Thailand and the Philippines. The NUG was not invited but spoke privately to some of the participating countries before the meeting.

Myanmar's pro-democracy activists sharply criticised an agreement between the country's junta chief and Southeast Asian leaders to end the nation's violent post-coup crisis and vowed on Sunday to continue their protest campaign.

Myanmar's pro-democracy activists sharply criticised an agreement between the country's junta chief and Southeast Asian leaders to end the nation's violent post-coup crisis and vowed on Sunday to continue their protest campaign. Some scattered peaceful protests took place in Myanmar's big cities on Sunday, a day after the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing in Jakarta, Indonesia, reached a consensus to end the turmoil in the country, but gave no timeline. "Whether it is ASEAN or the U.N., they will only speak from outside saying don’t fight but negotiate and solve the issues. But that doesn’t reflect Myanmar’s ground situation," said Khin Sandar from a protest group called the General Strikes Collaboration Committee. "We will continue the protests. "We have plans to do so," she told Reuters by phone. According to a statement from ASEAN chair Brunei, a consensus was reached in Jakarta on five points - ending violence, a constructive dialogue among all parties, a special ASEAN envoy to facilitate the dialogue, acceptance of aid and a visit by the envoy to Myanmar. The five-point consensus did not mention political prisoners, although the chairman's statement said the meeting "heard calls" for their release. ASEAN leaders had wanted a commitment from Min Aung Hlaing to restrain his security forces, which the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) says have killed 748 people since a mass civil disobedience movement erupted to challenge his Feb. 1 coup against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. AAPP, a Myanmar activist group, says over 3,300 are in detention. "We realized that whatever the outcome from the ASEAN meeting, it will not reflect what people want," said Wai Aung a protest organiser in Yangon. "We will keep up protests and strikes till the military regime completely fails." Also read | Myanmar shadow government welcomes ASEAN call for an end to violence 'SLAP ON THE FACE' Several people took to social media to criticise the deal. "ASEAN's statement is a slap on the face of the people who have been abused, killed and terrorised by the military," said a Facebook user called Mawchi Tun. "We do not need your help with that mindset and approach." Aaron Htwe, another Facebook user, wrote: "Who will pay the price for the over 700 innocent lives." Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said it was unfortunate that only the junta chief represented Myanmar at the meeting. "Not only were the representatives of the Myanmar people not invited to the Jakarta meeting but they also got left out of the consensus that ASEAN is now patting itself on the back for reaching," he said in a statement. "The lack of a clear timeline for action, and ASEAN's well known weakness in implementing the decisions and plans that it issues, are real concerns that no one should overlook." The ASEAN gathering was the first coordinated international effort to ease the crisis in Myanmar, an impoverished country that neighbours China, India and Thailand and has been in turmoil since the coup. Besides the protests, deaths and arrests, a nationwide strike has crippled economic activity. Myanmar's parallel National Unity Government (NUG), comprised of pro-democracy figures, remnants of Suu Kyi's ousted administration and representatives of armed ethnic groups, said it welcomed the consensus reached but added the junta had to be held to its promises. "We look forward to firm action by ASEAN to follow up its decisions and to restore our democracy," said Dr. Sasa, spokesman for the NUG. Besides the junta chief, the leaders of Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei were at the meeting, along with the foreign ministers of Laos, Thailand and the Philippines. The NUG was not invited but spoke privately to some of the participating countries before the meeting.

Myanmar activists slam ASEAN-Junta consensus, vow to continue protests

A man from Mallorca in Spain has been arrested on suspicion of assault for infecting 22 people with Covid. The police said on Saturday that the man continued going to work and gym despite the signs that he had Covid infection.

Police on the Spanish island began investigating at the end of January after an outbreak in the town of Manacor, following reports an employee had "become infected but hidden his illness", a statement said.

The man showed symptoms of infection which concerned his colleagues but he did not want to go home.

At the end of the day, he went for a PCR test but didn't wait for the result, returning the next day to his job and also attending his local gym.&nbsp;

At work, both the manager and staff insisted he go home because he could be infecting everyone, later telling police he had a temperature "of over 40 degrees Celsius" -- more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

But he ignored them and spent the day walking around his workplace, deliberately lowering his mask when he coughed and taunting them by saying: "I'm going to infect you all with coronavirus," police said.&nbsp;

When his PCR result came through at the end of the day, it was positive, causing alarm among his colleagues who were also tested.&nbsp;

Five of them also tested positive, and they in turn infected several of their family members, including three one-year-old babies.&nbsp;

At the gym, three people who had been in direct contact with him were also infected and passed on the virus to family members.&nbsp;

Police said his actions resulted in a total of 22 infections, although none required hospital treatment, with the man arrested on suspicion of assault.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

A man from Mallorca in Spain has been arrested on suspicion of assault for infecting 22 people with Covid. The police said on Saturday that the man continued going to work and gym despite the signs that he had Covid infection.

A man from Mallorca in Spain has been arrested on suspicion of assault for infecting 22 people with Covid. The police said on Saturday that the man continued going to work and gym despite the signs that he had Covid infection. Police on the Spanish island began investigating at the end of January after an outbreak in the town of Manacor, following reports an employee had "become infected but hidden his illness", a statement said. The man showed symptoms of infection which concerned his colleagues but he did not want to go home. At the end of the day, he went for a PCR test but didn't wait for the result, returning the next day to his job and also attending his local gym. At work, both the manager and staff insisted he go home because he could be infecting everyone, later telling police he had a temperature "of over 40 degrees Celsius" -- more than 104 degrees Fahrenheit. But he ignored them and spent the day walking around his workplace, deliberately lowering his mask when he coughed and taunting them by saying: "I'm going to infect you all with coronavirus," police said. When his PCR result came through at the end of the day, it was positive, causing alarm among his colleagues who were also tested. Five of them also tested positive, and they in turn infected several of their family members, including three one-year-old babies. At the gym, three people who had been in direct contact with him were also infected and passed on the virus to family members. Police said his actions resulted in a total of 22 infections, although none required hospital treatment, with the man arrested on suspicion of assault. (With inputs from agencies)

Spain: Man from Mallorca arrested for infecting 22 people with Covid

Pfizer, the US pharma giant, is planning to make a new version of its Covid vaccine that can be stored in standard freezer and comes ready for use. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

The very low-temperature requirement has been found to be limiting the vaccine's distribution.&nbsp;

But Pfizer's chief executive Albert Bourla told AFP in an interview that a new version is in the pipeline and that he was optimistic the vaccine will also prove effective against new virus variants.

Indian variant

Bourla said Pfizer has large amounts of real-world data from some of the variant outbreaks.

"We have already data for the UK one -- I hate using the countries, but people know them like that -- which is very prominent in Israel... efficiency was 97 percent," he said.&nbsp;

"We have data from South Africa, with the South African variant, and overall the efficacy was 100 percent. And also have data from Brazil. And it looks also this is very well controlled."

Pfizer has not yet compiled sufficient data on the efficiency of its vaccine against the so-called Indian variant, the latest to raise concerns that a new wave of infections could overcome the immunisation drive.

But he said he was "optimistic" the vaccine would prove effective, and that the firm's mRNA technology can be adapted to counter new strains.

"The thing that makes me feel more comfortable is that we have developed a process that once a variant becomes a variant of concern, we should be able to have a new vaccine within 100 days," he said.&nbsp;

"It's a tough target, but I am very comfortable that we should be able to do it.&nbsp;

"And because of the effectiveness of this mRNA technology, I believe that variants will not become an issue, we'll be able to control them."

(With inputs from agencies)

Pfizer, the US pharma giant, is planning to make a new version of its Covid vaccine that can be stored in standard freezer and comes ready for use. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius.

Pfizer, the US pharma giant, is planning to make a new version of its Covid vaccine that can be stored in standard freezer and comes ready for use. Currently, the Pfizer vaccine needs to be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius. The very low-temperature requirement has been found to be limiting the vaccine's distribution. But Pfizer's chief executive Albert Bourla told AFP in an interview that a new version is in the pipeline and that he was optimistic the vaccine will also prove effective against new virus variants. Indian variant Bourla said Pfizer has large amounts of real-world data from some of the variant outbreaks. "We have already data for the UK one -- I hate using the countries, but people know them like that -- which is very prominent in Israel... efficiency was 97 percent," he said. "We have data from South Africa, with the South African variant, and overall the efficacy was 100 percent. And also have data from Brazil. And it looks also this is very well controlled." Pfizer has not yet compiled sufficient data on the efficiency of its vaccine against the so-called Indian variant, the latest to raise concerns that a new wave of infections could overcome the immunisation drive. But he said he was "optimistic" the vaccine would prove effective, and that the firm's mRNA technology can be adapted to counter new strains. "The thing that makes me feel more comfortable is that we have developed a process that once a variant becomes a variant of concern, we should be able to have a new vaccine within 100 days," he said. "It's a tough target, but I am very comfortable that we should be able to do it. "And because of the effectiveness of this mRNA technology, I believe that variants will not become an issue, we'll be able to control them." (With inputs from agencies)

New version of Pfizer Covid vaccine won't need ultra-low temperature for storage

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on Sunday. This has formalised a parliamentary vote to be held in June 20. This will be an effort to defuse a protracted political crisis. Pashinyan had faced strong calls to stand down since signing a Russian-brokered peace agreement with Azerbaijan after Armenia's defeat. The peace agreement had ended the war over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"I am resigning from my post as prime minister today" to hold the snap vote on June 20, he said in an announcement broadcast on his Facebook page.

As required by Armenian law, all members of Pashinyan's cabinet handed in the own resignations after his announcement.

Pashinyan said he would continue to fulfil his duties as head of the interim government.

Armenia's humiliating defeat at the hands of Azerbaijan's technologically superior army spurred mass protests in the country.&nbsp;

The tiny Caucasus nation's military, equipped with ageing Soviet-era hardware, struggled to hold ground it had controlled for three decades when clashes broke out against Azerbaijan's better-equipped army in Nagorno-Karabakh in September.

After six weeks of fighting that claimed around 6,000 lives, the peace accord forced Armenia to cede swathes of territory to Azerbaijan.

Pashinyan has insisted he handled the war correctly, saying he had no choice but to agree or see his country's forces suffer even bigger losses and that snap polls were the best way to end the post-war political stalemate.

The 45-year-old former newspaper editor came to power spearheading peaceful protests in 2018 and initially brought a wave of optimism to Armenia.

( 
&nbsp;

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on Sunday. This has formalised a parliamentary vote to be held in June 20. This will be an effort to defuse a protracted political crisis.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigned on Sunday. This has formalised a parliamentary vote to be held in June 20. This will be an effort to defuse a protracted political crisis. Pashinyan had faced strong calls to stand down since signing a Russian-brokered peace agreement with Azerbaijan after Armenia's defeat. The peace agreement had ended the war over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. "I am resigning from my post as prime minister today" to hold the snap vote on June 20, he said in an announcement broadcast on his Facebook page. As required by Armenian law, all members of Pashinyan's cabinet handed in the own resignations after his announcement. Pashinyan said he would continue to fulfil his duties as head of the interim government. Armenia's humiliating defeat at the hands of Azerbaijan's technologically superior army spurred mass protests in the country. The tiny Caucasus nation's military, equipped with ageing Soviet-era hardware, struggled to hold ground it had controlled for three decades when clashes broke out against Azerbaijan's better-equipped army in Nagorno-Karabakh in September. After six weeks of fighting that claimed around 6,000 lives, the peace accord forced Armenia to cede swathes of territory to Azerbaijan. Pashinyan has insisted he handled the war correctly, saying he had no choice but to agree or see his country's forces suffer even bigger losses and that snap polls were the best way to end the post-war political stalemate. The 45-year-old former newspaper editor came to power spearheading peaceful protests in 2018 and initially brought a wave of optimism to Armenia. (

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan resigns

Large-scale protests against England's remaining coronavirus resulted in injuries to eight officers and the arrest of five people, said police in London on Saturday. The demonstrators had gathered in early afternoon and marched along several major arterial roads including main shopping district Oxford Street.

Hundreds then rallied in Hyde Park later following the march, an AFP reporter said, where "small pockets of disorder" broke out, according to London's Metropolitan Police Service.

"Eight officers were injured as they worked to disperse crowds in Hyde Park this evening," it said, adding that missiles including bottles were thrown.&nbsp;

"Two officers were taken to hospital. Thankfully, they are not believed to be seriously injured.

"Five people were arrested for offences including assault on police and are now in custody." 
Britain began to gradually lift Covid-19 restrictions in March after months of restrictions and a successful mass vaccination campaign.&nbsp;

This month, pubs were allowed to serve customers outdoors and non-essentials shop were allowed to open. But a few curbs remained.

Organisers of the protest used online platforms and websites to appeal people to protest the pandemic measures.

Anti-lockdown protests by hundreds or even thousands have occurred sporadically during the pandemic, often resulting in a small number of arrests.&nbsp;

England's latest Covid-19 lockdown measures have been in place since early January, after the UK saw a surge in cases.

Months of restrictions alongside the successful vaccine rollout -- with more than 45 million doses administered -- has seen the situation improve.

Large-scale protests against England's remaining coronavirus resulted in injuries to eight officers and the arrest of five people, said police in London on Saturday.

Large-scale protests against England's remaining coronavirus resulted in injuries to eight officers and the arrest of five people, said police in London on Saturday. The demonstrators had gathered in early afternoon and marched along several major arterial roads including main shopping district Oxford Street. Hundreds then rallied in Hyde Park later following the march, an AFP reporter said, where "small pockets of disorder" broke out, according to London's Metropolitan Police Service. "Eight officers were injured as they worked to disperse crowds in Hyde Park this evening," it said, adding that missiles including bottles were thrown. "Two officers were taken to hospital. Thankfully, they are not believed to be seriously injured. "Five people were arrested for offences including assault on police and are now in custody." Britain began to gradually lift Covid-19 restrictions in March after months of restrictions and a successful mass vaccination campaign. This month, pubs were allowed to serve customers outdoors and non-essentials shop were allowed to open. But a few curbs remained. Organisers of the protest used online platforms and websites to appeal people to protest the pandemic measures. Anti-lockdown protests by hundreds or even thousands have occurred sporadically during the pandemic, often resulting in a small number of arrests. England's latest Covid-19 lockdown measures have been in place since early January, after the UK saw a surge in cases. Months of restrictions alongside the successful vaccine rollout -- with more than 45 million doses administered -- has seen the situation improve.

London: Anti-lockdown protests leads to five arrests, police injuries

Sri&nbsp;Lanka's police arrested a top&nbsp;Muslim&nbsp;legislator Saturday in connection with the 2019&nbsp;Easter&nbsp;Sunday&nbsp;attacks&nbsp;that killed 279 people, as pressure mounted to speed up the investigation.

Detectives took Rishad Bathiudeen,&nbsp;leader&nbsp;of the All Ceylon Makkal Party (ACMP) and a former minister, into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), police spokesman Ajith Rohana said.

Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaaj were arrested in pre-dawn raids on their homes in Colombo. "They were arrested under the PTA based on circumstantial and scientific evidence that they had connections with the suicide bombers who carried out the&nbsp;attacks," Rohana said in a statement.

A lawyer representing the brothers said a presidential inquiry had found no evidence linking them to the bombers and the&nbsp;arrests&nbsp;were a political vendetta.&nbsp;"The&nbsp;arrests&nbsp;are politically motivated," lawyer Rushdhie Habeeb said in a statement, which highlighted how the ACMP had opposed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019 elections.

The&nbsp;arrests&nbsp;came three days after the head of&nbsp;Sri&nbsp;Lanka's Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, accused the government of allowing investigations to stall.&nbsp;Nearly 200 people were arrested within days of the suicide&nbsp;attacks&nbsp;on hotels and churches by local Islamist extremists, but no one has been charged.

Ranjith, who led commemorations on the second anniversary of the&nbsp;Easter&nbsp;attacks&nbsp;on Wednesday, said he was "deeply saddened" by the lack of progress in the investigation.&nbsp;He renewed his call for swift action against the perpetrators and said "political posturing and the need to safeguard alliances" was hindering the probe.

Bathiudeen's party is a member of an opposition coalition, but three of his legislators defected to the government in October to amend the constitution and give Rajapaksa wider powers&nbsp;over&nbsp;the judiciary and legislature.

Sri Lanka's police arrested a top Muslim legislator Saturday in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed 279 people, as pressure mounted to speed up the investigation.

Sri Lanka's police arrested a top Muslim legislator Saturday in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that killed 279 people, as pressure mounted to speed up the investigation. Detectives took Rishad Bathiudeen, leader of the All Ceylon Makkal Party (ACMP) and a former minister, into custody under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), police spokesman Ajith Rohana said. Bathiudeen and his brother Riyaaj were arrested in pre-dawn raids on their homes in Colombo. "They were arrested under the PTA based on circumstantial and scientific evidence that they had connections with the suicide bombers who carried out the attacks," Rohana said in a statement. A lawyer representing the brothers said a presidential inquiry had found no evidence linking them to the bombers and the arrests were a political vendetta. "The arrests are politically motivated," lawyer Rushdhie Habeeb said in a statement, which highlighted how the ACMP had opposed President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2019 elections. The arrests came three days after the head of Sri Lanka's Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, accused the government of allowing investigations to stall. Nearly 200 people were arrested within days of the suicide attacks on hotels and churches by local Islamist extremists, but no one has been charged. Ranjith, who led commemorations on the second anniversary of the Easter attacks on Wednesday, said he was "deeply saddened" by the lack of progress in the investigation. He renewed his call for swift action against the perpetrators and said "political posturing and the need to safeguard alliances" was hindering the probe. Bathiudeen's party is a member of an opposition coalition, but three of his legislators defected to the government in October to amend the constitution and give Rajapaksa wider powers over the judiciary and legislature.

Sri Lanka arrests Muslim leader over Easter attacks

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