At least three people died when an Iranian tanker was attacked off Syria's coast Saturday, in the first assault of its kind since the war started a decade ago, a war monitor said.

"At least three Syrians were killed, including two members of the crew" in the attack that sparked a fire, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.&nbsp;

It was not clear who carried out the attack, the war monitor said. "We don't know if this was an Israeli attack," Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that "the Iranian tanker came from Iran and was not far from Banias port".

It was also not clear if a&nbsp;drone&nbsp;or a missile was used in the attack, the Observatory said.

State news agency SANA, quoting the oil ministry, said the fire erupted after "what was believed to be an attack by a&nbsp;drone&nbsp;from the direction of Lebanese waters". The flames were later extinguished.

In a report published last month that cited US and Middle East officials, the Wall Street Journal said Israel had targeted at least a dozen vessels bound for Syria and mostly carrying Iranian oil since late 2019.

Hundreds of Israeli air strikes have also struck Syria since the war began in 2011, mostly targeting Damascus regime allies from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and Syrian government troops.

The Banias oil refinery is located in the regime-controlled coastal province of Tartus.&nbsp;"It's the first such attack on an oil tanker, but the Banias terminal has been targeted in the past," Abdel Rahman said.

Early last year, Damascus said divers had planted explosives on offshore pipelines of the Banias refinery, but the damage had not halted operations.&nbsp;And in February 2020, four oil and gas sites in the central province of Homs were attacked by armed drones, sparking fires and causing material damage.

Nuclear facility&nbsp;

Saturday's attack comes after a Syrian officer was killed and three soldiers wounded Thursday in strikes launched by Israel, after a missile was fired towards a secretive nuclear site in the Jewish state.

The Israeli army said at the time that a surface-to-air missile had been fired from Syria toward the southern Negev desert, where the Dimona nuclear reactor is located.

The exchange of fire came less than two weeks after Iran accused Israel of "terrorism" following an explosion at the Islamic republic's Natanz nuclear facility.

Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East, and is widely believed to possess its sole nuclear arsenal.&nbsp;It has never disclosed its atomic arsenal, but foreign experts say the Jewish state has between 100 to 300 nuclear warheads.&nbsp;

There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage on the Israeli side.

Israel has long sought to prevent bitter foe Iran from establishing itself in war-torn Syria.

Before Syria's war, the country enjoyed relative energy autonomy, but production has plummeted during the war, pushing the government to rely on importing hydrocarbons.

Western sanctions on oil shipping, as well as US punitive measures against Iran, have complicated these imports.

Pre-war production was 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in Syria.

But it stood at just 89,000 bpd in 2020, Syria's oil minister said in February, of which up to 80,000 came from Kurdish areas outside government control.

At least three people died when an Iranian tanker was attacked off Syria's coast Saturday, in the first assault of its kind since the war started a decade ago, a war monitor said.

At least three people died when an Iranian tanker was attacked off Syria's coast Saturday, in the first assault of its kind since the war started a decade ago, a war monitor said. "At least three Syrians were killed, including two members of the crew" in the attack that sparked a fire, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. It was not clear who carried out the attack, the war monitor said. "We don't know if this was an Israeli attack," Abdel Rahman told AFP, adding that "the Iranian tanker came from Iran and was not far from Banias port". It was also not clear if a drone or a missile was used in the attack, the Observatory said. State news agency SANA, quoting the oil ministry, said the fire erupted after "what was believed to be an attack by a drone from the direction of Lebanese waters". The flames were later extinguished. In a report published last month that cited US and Middle East officials, the Wall Street Journal said Israel had targeted at least a dozen vessels bound for Syria and mostly carrying Iranian oil since late 2019. Hundreds of Israeli air strikes have also struck Syria since the war began in 2011, mostly targeting Damascus regime allies from Iran and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement and Syrian government troops. The Banias oil refinery is located in the regime-controlled coastal province of Tartus. "It's the first such attack on an oil tanker, but the Banias terminal has been targeted in the past," Abdel Rahman said. Early last year, Damascus said divers had planted explosives on offshore pipelines of the Banias refinery, but the damage had not halted operations. And in February 2020, four oil and gas sites in the central province of Homs were attacked by armed drones, sparking fires and causing material damage. Nuclear facility Saturday's attack comes after a Syrian officer was killed and three soldiers wounded Thursday in strikes launched by Israel, after a missile was fired towards a secretive nuclear site in the Jewish state. The Israeli army said at the time that a surface-to-air missile had been fired from Syria toward the southern Negev desert, where the Dimona nuclear reactor is located. The exchange of fire came less than two weeks after Iran accused Israel of "terrorism" following an explosion at the Islamic republic's Natanz nuclear facility. Israel is considered the leading military power in the Middle East, and is widely believed to possess its sole nuclear arsenal. It has never disclosed its atomic arsenal, but foreign experts say the Jewish state has between 100 to 300 nuclear warheads. There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage on the Israeli side. Israel has long sought to prevent bitter foe Iran from establishing itself in war-torn Syria. Before Syria's war, the country enjoyed relative energy autonomy, but production has plummeted during the war, pushing the government to rely on importing hydrocarbons. Western sanctions on oil shipping, as well as US punitive measures against Iran, have complicated these imports. Pre-war production was 400,000 barrels per day (bpd) in Syria. But it stood at just 89,000 bpd in 2020, Syria's oil minister said in February, of which up to 80,000 came from Kurdish areas outside government control.

Iranian Oil tanker off Syria coast hit in suspected drone attack, three Syrians killed

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended lockdown in the national capital by a week due to the massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the city.

"We had imposed a 6-day lockdown in Delhi. The lockdown is being extended to next Monday (May 3) till 5 am," said the Chief Minister while addressing the press conference on Sunday.

The national capital has recorded the highest single-day toll with 24,103 cases of coronavirus for the city since the outbreak of the pandemic.Kejriwal had last week announced a week-long complete `lockdown` from April 19, 10 pm till April 26 at 5 am.

Prior to that, the Delhi government had announced a weekend curfew in the national capital from 10 pm on April 16 till 6 am on April 19, and the closure of malls, gymnasiums and auditoriums till April 30 amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.Delhi on Saturday reported 24,103 new COVID-19 cases and 357 deaths, the highest single-day toll for the city since the outbreak of the pandemic.&nbsp;

This is the third successive day the national capital has seen the highest daily fatalities due to coronavirus.The city now has 93,080 active cases.

A Delhi Health Department bulletin said the total coronavirus cases count in the city has gone up to 10,04,782 and death toll has gone up to 13,898.The positivity rate in Delhi is 32.27 per cent and the case fatality rate is 1.38 per cent. A total of 22,695 patients also recovered from the disease taking the total number of recoveries to 897,805.&nbsp;

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended lockdown in the national capital by a week due to the massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the city. "We had imposed a 6-day lockdown in Delhi.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal extended lockdown in the national capital by a week due to the massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the city. "We had imposed a 6-day lockdown in Delhi. The lockdown is being extended to next Monday (May 3) till 5 am," said the Chief Minister while addressing the press conference on Sunday. The national capital has recorded the highest single-day toll with 24,103 cases of coronavirus for the city since the outbreak of the pandemic.Kejriwal had last week announced a week-long complete `lockdown` from April 19, 10 pm till April 26 at 5 am. Prior to that, the Delhi government had announced a weekend curfew in the national capital from 10 pm on April 16 till 6 am on April 19, and the closure of malls, gymnasiums and auditoriums till April 30 amid the surge in COVID-19 cases.Delhi on Saturday reported 24,103 new COVID-19 cases and 357 deaths, the highest single-day toll for the city since the outbreak of the pandemic. This is the third successive day the national capital has seen the highest daily fatalities due to coronavirus.The city now has 93,080 active cases. A Delhi Health Department bulletin said the total coronavirus cases count in the city has gone up to 10,04,782 and death toll has gone up to 13,898.The positivity rate in Delhi is 32.27 per cent and the case fatality rate is 1.38 per cent. A total of 22,695 patients also recovered from the disease taking the total number of recoveries to 897,805.

Lockdown in Delhi extended by a week amid COVID-19 spike

A record single-day rise of 346,786 coronavirus cases pushed India's tally of infection to 16,610,481, while active cases crossed the 25-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

The death toll rose to 189,544 with a record 2,624 more fatalities in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed. 
With a steady increase, active cases in the country reached 25,52,940 and comprise 15.37 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 83.49 per cent.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 13,867,997, while the case fatality rate has dropped to 1.14 per cent, the data stated.

India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 2 million&nbsp;mark on August 7, 3 million&nbsp;on August 23 last year, 4 million&nbsp;on September 5 and 5 million&nbsp;on September 16. It went past 6 million&nbsp;on September 28, 7 million&nbsp;on October 11, crossed 8 million&nbsp;on October 29, 9 million&nbsp;on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19.

India crossed the grim milestone of a total of 1.5 million&nbsp;COVID-19 on April 19 this year.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 27,61,99,222 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till April 23 with 1753,569 of them being examined on Friday.

A record single-day rise of 346,786 coronavirus cases pushed India's tally of infection to 16,610,481, while active cases crossed the 25-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.

A record single-day rise of 346,786 coronavirus cases pushed India's tally of infection to 16,610,481, while active cases crossed the 25-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll rose to 189,544 with a record 2,624 more fatalities in a day, the data updated at 8 am showed. With a steady increase, active cases in the country reached 25,52,940 and comprise 15.37 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate has further dropped to 83.49 per cent. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease rose to 13,867,997, while the case fatality rate has dropped to 1.14 per cent, the data stated. India's COVID-19 tally had crossed the 2 million mark on August 7, 3 million on August 23 last year, 4 million on September 5 and 5 million on September 16. It went past 6 million on September 28, 7 million on October 11, crossed 8 million on October 29, 9 million on November 20 and surpassed the one-crore mark on December 19. India crossed the grim milestone of a total of 1.5 million COVID-19 on April 19 this year. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 27,61,99,222 samples have been tested for COVID-19 till April 23 with 1753,569 of them being examined on Friday.

India witnesses record 346,786 COVID-19 cases, 2,624 deaths in a day

Regulators in the US have given a go-ahead for a restart to use Johnson &amp; Johnson Covid vaccine. The use was halted due to blood clotting fears. In other news, hopes for the crew of Indonesian submarine are dwindling as Oxygen in the submarine is understood to have run out. Read this and more in our morning news brief.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-regulators-approve-restarting-use-of-johnson-johnson-covid-vaccine-379615">US regulators approve restarting use of Johnson &amp; Johnson Covid vaccine</a>

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Pause on the use of these vaccines was proposed on April 14 due to blood clotting fears

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indonesia-dwindling-oxygen-fades-hopes-for-submarine-crew-379624">Indonesia: Dwindling Oxygen fades hopes for submarine crew</a>

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The submarine -- one of five in Indonesia's fleet -- disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/brazil-cuts-environment-budget-a-day-after-us-climate-summit-379616">Brazil cuts environment budget a day after US climate summit</a>

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During the climate summit organised by US President Joe Biden, Bolsonaro promised to double the budget for environment enforcement and to end illegal deforestation by 2030

Japan announces COVID emergency in Tokyo

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Regulators in the US have given a go-ahead for a restart to use Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine. The use was halted due to blood clotting fears. In other news, hopes for the crew of Indonesian submarine are dwindling as Oxygen in the submarine is understood to have run out.

Regulators in the US have given a go-ahead for a restart to use Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine. The use was halted due to blood clotting fears. In other news, hopes for the crew of Indonesian submarine are dwindling as Oxygen in the submarine is understood to have run out. Read this and more in our morning news brief. US regulators approve restarting use of Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine Pause on the use of these vaccines was proposed on April 14 due to blood clotting fears Indonesia: Dwindling Oxygen fades hopes for submarine crew The submarine -- one of five in Indonesia's fleet -- disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island Brazil cuts environment budget a day after US climate summit During the climate summit organised by US President Joe Biden, Bolsonaro promised to double the budget for environment enforcement and to end illegal deforestation by 2030 Japan announces COVID emergency in Tokyo ×

Morning news brief: J&J vaccine in US, Indonesia submarine update, and more

Chances of rescuing crew of mission Indonesian submarine appeared bleak on Saturday with the submarine's Oxygen reserves believed to have run out. Hundreds of military personnel have taken part so far in the hunt for KRI Nanggala 402 which disappeared on Wednesday during live torpedo training exercise off the Indonesian holiday island.

The authorities say that German-built submarine was equipped with enough Oxygen to last for three days after losing power.

The deadline passed early Saturday

The submarine -- one of five in Indonesia's fleet -- disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island.

Despite hopes for a miracle, an oil spill spotted where the submarine is thought to have submerged pointed to possible fuel-tank damage, fanning fears of a deadly disaster.

There are concerns of the submarine having broken apart as it sank.&nbsp;

The vessel was scheduled to conduct the training exercises when it asked for permission to dive. It lost contact shortly after.

Authorities have not offered possible explanations for the submarine's sudden disappearance or commented on questions about whether the decades-old vessel was overloaded.

Neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia as well as the United States and Australia were among nations helping in the hunt with nearly two dozen warships deployed to scour a search zone covering about 10 square nautical miles (34 square kilometres).

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Chances of rescuing crew of mission Indonesian submarine appeared bleak on Saturday with the submarine's Oxygen reserves believed to have run out. Hundreds of military personnel have taken part so far in the hunt for KRI Nanggala 402 which disappeared on Wednesday during live torpedo training exercise off the Indonesian holiday island.

Chances of rescuing crew of mission Indonesian submarine appeared bleak on Saturday with the submarine's Oxygen reserves believed to have run out. Hundreds of military personnel have taken part so far in the hunt for KRI Nanggala 402 which disappeared on Wednesday during live torpedo training exercise off the Indonesian holiday island. The authorities say that German-built submarine was equipped with enough Oxygen to last for three days after losing power. The deadline passed early Saturday The submarine -- one of five in Indonesia's fleet -- disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island. Despite hopes for a miracle, an oil spill spotted where the submarine is thought to have submerged pointed to possible fuel-tank damage, fanning fears of a deadly disaster. There are concerns of the submarine having broken apart as it sank. The vessel was scheduled to conduct the training exercises when it asked for permission to dive. It lost contact shortly after. Authorities have not offered possible explanations for the submarine's sudden disappearance or commented on questions about whether the decades-old vessel was overloaded. Neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia as well as the United States and Australia were among nations helping in the hunt with nearly two dozen warships deployed to scour a search zone covering about 10 square nautical miles (34 square kilometres). (With inputs from agencies)

Indonesia: Dwindling Oxygen fades hopes for submarine crew

US health regulators said on Friday that use of Johnson &amp; Johnson Covid vaccine could restart. The rollout of the vaccine was paused due to worries over blood clotting. A pause on the use of the vaccine was proposed on April 14.

An expert panel has now recommended lifting the pause because the shots benefits exceeded possible dangers.

"We have concluded that the known and potential benefits of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older," said Janet Woodcock, head of Food and Drug Administration in a joint statement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC head Rochelle Walensky said "exceptionally rare events" of clotting were identified, adding that regulators will continue to monitor the rollout of the vaccines.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/use-of-single-dose-jj-covid-19-vaccine-begins-in-european-union-379485">Use of single-dose J&amp;J COVID-19 vaccine begins in European Union</a>

According to data presented Friday, of 3.9 million women who got the Johnson &amp; Johnson shot, 15 developed serious blood clots and three died.

The majority of the confirmed cases, 13 of the 15, were aged under 50 years old. There were no reported cases among men.

Europe's medicine regulator has already said on Tuesday that blood clotting should be listed as "very rare side effect of J&amp;J coronavirus vaccine.

(With inputs from agencies)

US health regulators said on Friday that use of Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine could restart. The rollout of the vaccine was paused due to worries over blood clotting.

US health regulators said on Friday that use of Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine could restart. The rollout of the vaccine was paused due to worries over blood clotting. A pause on the use of the vaccine was proposed on April 14. An expert panel has now recommended lifting the pause because the shots benefits exceeded possible dangers. "We have concluded that the known and potential benefits of the Janssen Covid-19 vaccine outweigh its known and potential risks in individuals 18 years of age and older," said Janet Woodcock, head of Food and Drug Administration in a joint statement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC head Rochelle Walensky said "exceptionally rare events" of clotting were identified, adding that regulators will continue to monitor the rollout of the vaccines. Also Read | Use of single-dose J&J COVID-19 vaccine begins in European Union According to data presented Friday, of 3.9 million women who got the Johnson & Johnson shot, 15 developed serious blood clots and three died. The majority of the confirmed cases, 13 of the 15, were aged under 50 years old. There were no reported cases among men. Europe's medicine regulator has already said on Tuesday that blood clotting should be listed as "very rare side effect of J&J coronavirus vaccine. (With inputs from agencies)

US regulators approve restarting use of Johnson & Johnson Covid vaccine

Thousands of Armenians on Saturday visited hilltop memorial in capital Yerevan to mark 106th anniversary of massacre of Armenians during WWI vy Ottoman Turks. US President Joe Biden is expected to designate this massacre a genocide. This move is likely to rile Turkey, the modern state having the legacy of the Ottoman Empire.

Armenians have long sought to have the killings of up to 1.5 million of their kin as the Ottoman Empire was collapsing internationally recognised as genocide.

The claim is rejected by Turkey but finds support from many countries across the world.

Yerevan has also demanded financial compensation from Ankara and the restoration of property rights for the descendants of those killed in the 1915-1918 massacres.

Turkey denies the killings' genocidal nature, arguing that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many&nbsp; 
Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops.

Anger against Turkey simmered among Armenians as crowds of people carrying candles and flowers joined Saturday the annual procession to remember the victims of the massacres, which Armenians call Meds Yeghern -- the Great Crime.

'Old wound bleeds'

Armenia is traumatised by last year's defeat in a war with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, in which Ankara backed its ally Baku.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the war -- that erupted in September and ended six weeks later with a Russian brokered ceasefire -- "the Azeri-Turkish aggression which sought to annihilate the Armenian trace" in Karabakh.

"Turkey's expansionist foreign policy, and the territorial aspirations towards Armenia are the evidence of the revival of their genocidal ideology," he said in a statement.

"Armenophobia is in the essence of Pan-Turkism, and today we can see its most disgusting manifestations in Azerbaijan as fostered by the authorities of that country."

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Thousands of Armenians on Saturday visited hilltop memorial in capital Yerevan to mark 106th anniversary of massacre of Armenians during WWI vy Ottoman Turks. US President Joe Biden is expected to designate this massacre a genocide.

Thousands of Armenians on Saturday visited hilltop memorial in capital Yerevan to mark 106th anniversary of massacre of Armenians during WWI vy Ottoman Turks. US President Joe Biden is expected to designate this massacre a genocide. This move is likely to rile Turkey, the modern state having the legacy of the Ottoman Empire. Armenians have long sought to have the killings of up to 1.5 million of their kin as the Ottoman Empire was collapsing internationally recognised as genocide. The claim is rejected by Turkey but finds support from many countries across the world. Yerevan has also demanded financial compensation from Ankara and the restoration of property rights for the descendants of those killed in the 1915-1918 massacres. Turkey denies the killings' genocidal nature, arguing that 300,000 to 500,000 Armenians and at least as many Turks died in civil strife when Armenians rose up against their Ottoman rulers and sided with invading Russian troops. Anger against Turkey simmered among Armenians as crowds of people carrying candles and flowers joined Saturday the annual procession to remember the victims of the massacres, which Armenians call Meds Yeghern -- the Great Crime. 'Old wound bleeds' Armenia is traumatised by last year's defeat in a war with Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, in which Ankara backed its ally Baku. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan called the war -- that erupted in September and ended six weeks later with a Russian brokered ceasefire -- "the Azeri-Turkish aggression which sought to annihilate the Armenian trace" in Karabakh. "Turkey's expansionist foreign policy, and the territorial aspirations towards Armenia are the evidence of the revival of their genocidal ideology," he said in a statement. "Armenophobia is in the essence of Pan-Turkism, and today we can see its most disgusting manifestations in Azerbaijan as fostered by the authorities of that country." (With inputs from agencies)

Armenians commemorate WWI massacres by Ottoman Turks

French energy group EDF on Friday said it had filed a binding offer to help build the world's biggest nuclear power plant in India. The project has been blocked for years by nuclear events and local opposition. The binding agreement is about supply of engineeering studies and equipment to build six, third-generation EPR reactors in Jaitapur, western India.

Once finished, the facility would provide 10 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, roughly enough for 70 million households.

Construction is expected to take 15 years, but the site should be able to start generating electricity before its completion.

Finalisation of the contract was expected "in the coming months", an EDF statement said.

EDF, which is in exclusive talks with Indian officials, would not build the power plant itself, but would provide the nuclear reactors in a deal that includes US partner GE Steam Power.

The state-owned PSU Nuclear Power Corporation of India controls the national nuclear energy sector, and the EDF offer was submitted to the country's nuclear operator NPCIL.

Although no financial details have been released, the contract is estimated to be worth in the tens of billions of euros (dollars).

It faced opposition however from local inhabitants since the idea was first floated around 20 years ago, and was delayed after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan.&nbsp;

But Xavier Ursat, head of EDF's nuclear division, told AFP that the company estimates that the site's&nbsp; 
"geological conditions are excellent and fully comparable to what we find in a country such as France."

India already has several agreements for exchange of nuclear technologies and expertise with countries like US, France, Russia and Japan.

Russia –- India's traditional ally -– supplies nuclear fuel and has built reactors in the country, for example.

At present, there are 22 functioning nuclear reactors in India, most of them pressurized heavy water reactors, providing about three percent of the country's power.

(With inputs from agencies)

French energy group EDF on Friday said it had filed a binding offer to help build the world's biggest nuclear power plant in India. The project has been blocked for years by nuclear events and local opposition.

French energy group EDF on Friday said it had filed a binding offer to help build the world's biggest nuclear power plant in India. The project has been blocked for years by nuclear events and local opposition. The binding agreement is about supply of engineeering studies and equipment to build six, third-generation EPR reactors in Jaitapur, western India. Once finished, the facility would provide 10 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, roughly enough for 70 million households. Construction is expected to take 15 years, but the site should be able to start generating electricity before its completion. Finalisation of the contract was expected "in the coming months", an EDF statement said. EDF, which is in exclusive talks with Indian officials, would not build the power plant itself, but would provide the nuclear reactors in a deal that includes US partner GE Steam Power. The state-owned PSU Nuclear Power Corporation of India controls the national nuclear energy sector, and the EDF offer was submitted to the country's nuclear operator NPCIL. Although no financial details have been released, the contract is estimated to be worth in the tens of billions of euros (dollars). It faced opposition however from local inhabitants since the idea was first floated around 20 years ago, and was delayed after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan. But Xavier Ursat, head of EDF's nuclear division, told AFP that the company estimates that the site's "geological conditions are excellent and fully comparable to what we find in a country such as France." India already has several agreements for exchange of nuclear technologies and expertise with countries like US, France, Russia and Japan. Russia –- India's traditional ally -– supplies nuclear fuel and has built reactors in the country, for example. At present, there are 22 functioning nuclear reactors in India, most of them pressurized heavy water reactors, providing about three percent of the country's power. (With inputs from agencies)

India one step closer to building world's biggest nuclear plant: EDF

Iran's Fireign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarid will visit Iraq and Qatar on Sunday, his ministry announced on Saturday. This development came amid reports of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia being brokered by Iraq. The talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Iraqi capital earlier this month were aimed at restoring relations between the two countries that were severed five years ago.

The talks were at the level of officials and not ministers.

Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied the reports saying only that it has "always welcomed" dialogue with Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has flatly denied them.

Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Zarif's visits to Qatar and Iraq are "in the framework of developing bilateral ties (and) regional and trans-regional talks."

The Baghdad talks, brokered by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi, remained secret until the Financial Times reported last weekend that a first meeting had been held on April 9, with another planned for shortly after.

An Iraqi government official confirmed the meeting to AFP, while a Western diplomat said he was "briefed in advance that talks would happen" with the "purpose to help broker a better relationship between Iran and Saudi and decrease tensions".

The meetings came amid talks in Vienna between Iran and major powers on the mechanics of a US return to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by president Donald Trump.

The talks must also address Iran's own return to full compliance with the deal, after it suspended its implementation of several key provisions in protest at Trump's reimposition of sweeping economic sanctions. 
Tehran has rejected calls by Riyadh to be involved in the nuclear negotiations, but has repeatedly stated its readiness to conduct a regional dialogue.

Tehran and Riyadh are on opposing sides in conflicts from Syria to Yemen and have had strained relations since the kingdom cut diplomatic ties in 2016.

Some Gulf states have followed Saudi Arabia in taking a tough line on Iran.

But Qatar has maintained warm relations despite the appeals of Saudi Arabia and its allies, which cited it as one of the reasons for imposing a blockade on the gas-rich emirate in 2017.

That rift now appears to have healed after Qatar was invited to a meeting in Saudi Arabia in January at which it was brought back into the regional fold. 
&nbsp;

Iran's Fireign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarid will visit Iraq and Qatar on Sunday, his ministry announced on Saturday. This development came amid reports of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia being brokered by Iraq.

Iran's Fireign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarid will visit Iraq and Qatar on Sunday, his ministry announced on Saturday. This development came amid reports of talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia being brokered by Iraq. The talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia in Iraqi capital earlier this month were aimed at restoring relations between the two countries that were severed five years ago. The talks were at the level of officials and not ministers. Tehran has neither confirmed nor denied the reports saying only that it has "always welcomed" dialogue with Saudi Arabia. Riyadh has flatly denied them. Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said Zarif's visits to Qatar and Iraq are "in the framework of developing bilateral ties (and) regional and trans-regional talks." The Baghdad talks, brokered by Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi, remained secret until the Financial Times reported last weekend that a first meeting had been held on April 9, with another planned for shortly after. An Iraqi government official confirmed the meeting to AFP, while a Western diplomat said he was "briefed in advance that talks would happen" with the "purpose to help broker a better relationship between Iran and Saudi and decrease tensions". The meetings came amid talks in Vienna between Iran and major powers on the mechanics of a US return to a landmark 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by president Donald Trump. The talks must also address Iran's own return to full compliance with the deal, after it suspended its implementation of several key provisions in protest at Trump's reimposition of sweeping economic sanctions. Tehran has rejected calls by Riyadh to be involved in the nuclear negotiations, but has repeatedly stated its readiness to conduct a regional dialogue. Tehran and Riyadh are on opposing sides in conflicts from Syria to Yemen and have had strained relations since the kingdom cut diplomatic ties in 2016. Some Gulf states have followed Saudi Arabia in taking a tough line on Iran. But Qatar has maintained warm relations despite the appeals of Saudi Arabia and its allies, which cited it as one of the reasons for imposing a blockade on the gas-rich emirate in 2017. That rift now appears to have healed after Qatar was invited to a meeting in Saudi Arabia in January at which it was brought back into the regional fold.

Zarif to visit Iraq and Qatar on Sunday

Indonesian navy said on Saturday that the submarine that disappeared off Bali with 53 aborad had sunk. The navy said that it had recovered the debris. The debris included components and items from inside the vessel. The submarine and its crew of 53 had gone missing and a frantic search was on.

"With authentic evidence believed to be from the KRI Nanggala, we have raised the status from submiss to subsunk," Navy chief Yudo Margono told reporters. He added that that the retrieved items could not have come from another vessel.

"Over the past few days we've recovered debris and items from the last location that the submarine was diving," he said.

"(The items) would not have come outside the submarine if there was no external pressure or without damage to its torpedo launcher."

Hopes of rescuing KRI Nanggala 402 submarine crew alive had dimmed on Saturday as Oxygen reserves in the submarine were thought to have run out.

The authorities say that German-built submarine was equipped with enough Oxygen to last for three days after losing power.

The submarine -- one of five in Indonesia's fleet -- disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island.

There were concerns of the submarine having broken apart as it sank

The vessel was scheduled to conduct the training exercises when it asked for permission to dive. It lost contact shortly after.

Neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia as well as the United States and Australia were among nations helping in the hunt with nearly two dozen warships deployed to scour a search zone covering about 10 square nautical miles (34 square kilometres).

(With inputs from agencies)

Indonesian navy said on Saturday that the submarine that disappeared off Bali with 53 aborad had sunk. The navy said that it had recovered the debris. The debris included components and items from inside the vessel.

Indonesian navy said on Saturday that the submarine that disappeared off Bali with 53 aborad had sunk. The navy said that it had recovered the debris. The debris included components and items from inside the vessel. The submarine and its crew of 53 had gone missing and a frantic search was on. "With authentic evidence believed to be from the KRI Nanggala, we have raised the status from submiss to subsunk," Navy chief Yudo Margono told reporters. He added that that the retrieved items could not have come from another vessel. "Over the past few days we've recovered debris and items from the last location that the submarine was diving," he said. "(The items) would not have come outside the submarine if there was no external pressure or without damage to its torpedo launcher." Hopes of rescuing KRI Nanggala 402 submarine crew alive had dimmed on Saturday as Oxygen reserves in the submarine were thought to have run out. The authorities say that German-built submarine was equipped with enough Oxygen to last for three days after losing power. The submarine -- one of five in Indonesia's fleet -- disappeared early Wednesday during live torpedo training exercises off the Indonesian holiday island. There were concerns of the submarine having broken apart as it sank The vessel was scheduled to conduct the training exercises when it asked for permission to dive. It lost contact shortly after. Neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia as well as the United States and Australia were among nations helping in the hunt with nearly two dozen warships deployed to scour a search zone covering about 10 square nautical miles (34 square kilometres). (With inputs from agencies)

Indonesia: Missing submarine has sunk, says country's navy

Pushing against the proposed Intellectual Property (IP) waiver for Covid vaccines, Pharma companies are saying that removing IP protections from Covid-19 vaccines or pressuring companies into technology sharing will not speed up production of the jabs. The companies claimed such a measure would even slow down the vaccine production.

Supporters of the measure&nbsp;to do away with IP rights say that this can enable more countries to produce the vaccines thereby increasing accessibility.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose country is co-leading a push at the World Trade Organization to exempt Covid-19 vaccines from IP rights, insisted Friday the jabs were "a public good and must be recognised as such".

"We call on the pharmaceutical industry to directly transfer this technology free of intellectual property barriers to low and middle-income countries," he told an event hosted by the World Health Organization.&nbsp;

"Let us together challenge vaccine nationalism and show that protecting intellectual property rights does not come at the expense of human lives."

Although vaccine makers have previously voiced commitment to co-operate for boost in production, industry representatives insisted on Friday that IP waivers and forced technology sharing was the wrong way to go.

An IP waiver "wouldn't give us the tools to produce more doses of vaccines", Thomas Cueni, head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), told reporters.

He pointed out that around 275 manufacturing deals, including on technology transfer among staunch competitors, had helped the industry go from zero to one billion Covid-19 vaccine doses already produced, with the goal of 10 billion doses by the end of the year.

Industry players said though that that target hinged not on IP restrictions or broader technology transfers, but on resolving serious challenges, linked to trade barriers and export restrictions, hindering the movement of vaccine components and the vaccines themselves.

"Vaccine manufacturing is not just about patents," said Sai Prasad, head of quality operations at Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech and president of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers' Network (DCVMN).

(With inputs from agencies)

Pushing against the proposed Intellectual Property (IP) waiver for Covid vaccines, Pharma companies are saying that removing IP protections from Covid-19 vaccines or pressuring companies into technology sharing will not speed up production of the jabs.

Pushing against the proposed Intellectual Property (IP) waiver for Covid vaccines, Pharma companies are saying that removing IP protections from Covid-19 vaccines or pressuring companies into technology sharing will not speed up production of the jabs. The companies claimed such a measure would even slow down the vaccine production. Supporters of the measure to do away with IP rights say that this can enable more countries to produce the vaccines thereby increasing accessibility. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, whose country is co-leading a push at the World Trade Organization to exempt Covid-19 vaccines from IP rights, insisted Friday the jabs were "a public good and must be recognised as such". "We call on the pharmaceutical industry to directly transfer this technology free of intellectual property barriers to low and middle-income countries," he told an event hosted by the World Health Organization. "Let us together challenge vaccine nationalism and show that protecting intellectual property rights does not come at the expense of human lives." Although vaccine makers have previously voiced commitment to co-operate for boost in production, industry representatives insisted on Friday that IP waivers and forced technology sharing was the wrong way to go. An IP waiver "wouldn't give us the tools to produce more doses of vaccines", Thomas Cueni, head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), told reporters. He pointed out that around 275 manufacturing deals, including on technology transfer among staunch competitors, had helped the industry go from zero to one billion Covid-19 vaccine doses already produced, with the goal of 10 billion doses by the end of the year. Industry players said though that that target hinged not on IP restrictions or broader technology transfers, but on resolving serious challenges, linked to trade barriers and export restrictions, hindering the movement of vaccine components and the vaccines themselves. "Vaccine manufacturing is not just about patents," said Sai Prasad, head of quality operations at Indian vaccine maker Bharat Biotech and president of the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers' Network (DCVMN). (With inputs from agencies)

Vaccine makers oppose IP waiver, say manufacturing hurdles slowing rollout

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies tumbled on Friday due to concern that US President Joe Biden's plan to raise tax for the rich would curb investments in digital assets. Bitcoin, the most popular currency fell below USD 50,000 mark for the first time since March and slumped to USD 47,555.

News reports on Thursday said the Biden administration is planning a raft of proposed changes to the U.S. tax code, including a plan to nearly double taxes on capital gains to 39.6% for people earning more than $1 million.

Other cryptocurrencies felt the heat of the negative sentiment too. Ether and XRP fell 3.5 per cent and 6.7 per cent respectively. while dogecoin, created as a joke for early crypto adopters and which had surged about 8,000% this year prior to this latest setback, was down 20% at $0.21, according to price and data tracker CoinGecko.&nbsp;

"With a high growth rate in the bitcoin price, crypto holders that have accrued gains will be subjected to this tax increment," said Nick Spanos, founder at Bitcoin Center NYC. He sees bitcoin dropping further in the coming days.

Bitcoin is on track for an 11.3% loss on the week, its worst weekly showing since late February. On the year, however, it was still up 72%.

But while social media lit up with posts about the plan hurting cryptocurrencies, and individual investors complaining about losses, some traders and analysts said declines are likely to be temporary.

"I don't think Biden's taxes plans will have a big impact on bitcoin," said Ruud Feltkamp, CEO at automated crypto trading bot Cryptohopper. "Bitcoin has only gone up for a long time, it is only natural to see a consolidation. Traders are simply cashing in on winnings."

Others also remained bullish on bitcoin's long term prospects, but noted it might take time before prices start increasing again.

"Investors will see the price drop across the crypto market as an opportunity to widen their portfolio by averaging up their investment outlay and buying new altcoins," said Don Guo, chief executive officer at Broctagon Fintech Group. He added that for bitcoin, investors will see it as an opportunity to buy bitcoin at a lower price.

(With inputs from agencies)

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies tumbled on Friday due to concern that US President Joe Biden's plan to raise tax for the rich would curb investments in digital assets.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies tumbled on Friday due to concern that US President Joe Biden's plan to raise tax for the rich would curb investments in digital assets. Bitcoin, the most popular currency fell below USD 50,000 mark for the first time since March and slumped to USD 47,555. News reports on Thursday said the Biden administration is planning a raft of proposed changes to the U.S. tax code, including a plan to nearly double taxes on capital gains to 39.6% for people earning more than $1 million. Other cryptocurrencies felt the heat of the negative sentiment too. Ether and XRP fell 3.5 per cent and 6.7 per cent respectively. while dogecoin, created as a joke for early crypto adopters and which had surged about 8,000% this year prior to this latest setback, was down 20% at $0.21, according to price and data tracker CoinGecko. "With a high growth rate in the bitcoin price, crypto holders that have accrued gains will be subjected to this tax increment," said Nick Spanos, founder at Bitcoin Center NYC. He sees bitcoin dropping further in the coming days. Bitcoin is on track for an 11.3% loss on the week, its worst weekly showing since late February. On the year, however, it was still up 72%. But while social media lit up with posts about the plan hurting cryptocurrencies, and individual investors complaining about losses, some traders and analysts said declines are likely to be temporary. "I don't think Biden's taxes plans will have a big impact on bitcoin," said Ruud Feltkamp, CEO at automated crypto trading bot Cryptohopper. "Bitcoin has only gone up for a long time, it is only natural to see a consolidation. Traders are simply cashing in on winnings." Others also remained bullish on bitcoin's long term prospects, but noted it might take time before prices start increasing again. "Investors will see the price drop across the crypto market as an opportunity to widen their portfolio by averaging up their investment outlay and buying new altcoins," said Don Guo, chief executive officer at Broctagon Fintech Group. He added that for bitcoin, investors will see it as an opportunity to buy bitcoin at a lower price. (With inputs from agencies)

Bitcoin, other cryptocurrencies tumble over Biden tax plan fears

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