It was around this time last that Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize. After 16 years of deadlock, he negotiated a peace deal with neighbouring Eritrea. At home, he introduced far-reaching reforms. Today, he is ordering airstrikes on his own people. Under his watch, Ethiopia is standing on the brink of a civil war. You can add Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the list of Nobel laureates but one who ended up committing or defending unspeakable crimes.&nbsp;

550 rebels have been killed. More than 6,000 people have been forced to flee. With a defiant, power-hungry regional power and a prime minister promising outright victory, conflict in Tigray may soon qualify as a civil war.

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Abiy Ahmed's relationship with regional leadership has always been strained. It reached a tipping point last week. Tigray's ruling party attacked federal troops. In response, Abiy ordered an all-out offensive.

There are reports of heavy fighting in Tigray. But news is becoming increasingly difficult to gather. There is a complete communications blackout. Internet, phone lines and electricity have been cut. Journalists are being arrested.

The government is attempting to control the narrative of this war. A reversal of Abiy's early reforms - that earned him a Nobel Peace Prize.

The prime minister feels he is on the verge of victory. On Monday the scenes in the border town of Dansha reflected his optimism.

"I surrendered to the army because we must not go to war for false reasons. We should be defending our national unity and guarding it. So the young men of Tigray region should not go to war," said a militiaman of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

But not everyone in Tigray shares this feeling. Prime Minister Abiy hails from the Oromo ethnic group. The largest in Ethiopia. Historically, the Oromos and Tigrayans have been rivals. This war may reignite the rivalry.

To the South, another fault-line is opening up. The Amharas. They have a long-standing dispute with Tigray over land. When Abiy announced the war the Amharas gave their full support.

Thousands of Amhara fighters are now deployed in Tigray.

"Our military safeguard our nation and keep us united. While we were living peacefully together they TPLF attacked our defence force. We were hurt by that and our people were killed," said Zeleke Alabachew, local militiaman.

Prime minister Abiy has promised that Ethiopia will not descend into chaos. But the African community is worried. Both, the United Nations and the African Union have called for a ceasefire.

A civil war in Ethiopia could destabilise the whole region. thousands are fleeing to Sudan, forcing the country to reinforce its border. Whether this conflict spirals into a civil war, or not depends on one factor. The people of Tigray. If they shift their loyalty to the federal government, The war could draw to an early close.

It was around this time last that Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize. After 16 years of deadlock, he negotiated a peace deal with neighbouring Eritrea.

It was around this time last that Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed won the Nobel Peace Prize. After 16 years of deadlock, he negotiated a peace deal with neighbouring Eritrea. At home, he introduced far-reaching reforms. Today, he is ordering airstrikes on his own people. Under his watch, Ethiopia is standing on the brink of a civil war. You can add Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to the list of Nobel laureates but one who ended up committing or defending unspeakable crimes. 550 rebels have been killed. More than 6,000 people have been forced to flee. With a defiant, power-hungry regional power and a prime minister promising outright victory, conflict in Tigray may soon qualify as a civil war. Abiy Ahmed's relationship with regional leadership has always been strained. It reached a tipping point last week. Tigray's ruling party attacked federal troops. In response, Abiy ordered an all-out offensive. There are reports of heavy fighting in Tigray. But news is becoming increasingly difficult to gather. There is a complete communications blackout. Internet, phone lines and electricity have been cut. Journalists are being arrested. The government is attempting to control the narrative of this war. A reversal of Abiy's early reforms - that earned him a Nobel Peace Prize. The prime minister feels he is on the verge of victory. On Monday the scenes in the border town of Dansha reflected his optimism. "I surrendered to the army because we must not go to war for false reasons. We should be defending our national unity and guarding it. So the young men of Tigray region should not go to war," said a militiaman of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). But not everyone in Tigray shares this feeling. Prime Minister Abiy hails from the Oromo ethnic group. The largest in Ethiopia. Historically, the Oromos and Tigrayans have been rivals. This war may reignite the rivalry. To the South, another fault-line is opening up. The Amharas. They have a long-standing dispute with Tigray over land. When Abiy announced the war the Amharas gave their full support. Thousands of Amhara fighters are now deployed in Tigray. "Our military safeguard our nation and keep us united. While we were living peacefully together they TPLF attacked our defence force. We were hurt by that and our people were killed," said Zeleke Alabachew, local militiaman. Prime minister Abiy has promised that Ethiopia will not descend into chaos. But the African community is worried. Both, the United Nations and the African Union have called for a ceasefire. A civil war in Ethiopia could destabilise the whole region. thousands are fleeing to Sudan, forcing the country to reinforce its border. Whether this conflict spirals into a civil war, or not depends on one factor. The people of Tigray. If they shift their loyalty to the federal government, The war could draw to an early close.

Will conflict within Ethiopia drag the country into chaos?

President-elect Joe Biden named Ron Klain, a veteran Democratic operative and a decadeslong confidant, to be his White House chief of staff Wednesday evening, the first step toward putting in place his administration’s senior leadership.

Klain, a lawyer with deep experience on Capitol Hill, advising President Barack Obama and in corporate board rooms, served as Biden’s chief of staff when he was vice president and has been seen for months as the likeliest choice to manage his team in the White House. Known for steady nerves, he also has a fierce wit, which he has frequently unleashed on President Donald Trump on Twitter.

He was particularly critical of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, having served as the “Ebola czar” under Obama during an outbreak of the deadly disease in his second term. A video of Klain lecturing Trump about the pandemic was widely seen during the campaign.

In a statement, Biden called Klain an “invaluable” adviser, noting in particular the work they did together during the economic crisis in 2009 and the Ebola outbreak in 2014.

“His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again,” Biden said.

The choice of Klain, 59, who first went to work for Biden in the late 1980s when Biden was a senator from Delaware and Klain was a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, signals that Biden intends to rely on a tight circle of Washington insiders who have been by his side for years.

Advisers have said that the president-elect will announce other top White House staff in the coming days, even as Trump refuses to accept the results of the election, tweeting “WE WILL WIN!” on Wednesday evening.

Biden is not likely to reveal his Cabinet picks until around Thanksgiving, several people close to the transition said.

As a political tactician, Klain is well versed in the levers of power in both the executive and legislative branches of government. But he will quickly come under pressure to assemble a White House staff that extends beyond the moderate members of the Democratic establishment with whom Biden has surrounded himself over four decades in politics.

Even before Biden’s announcement, liberals in the party had already begun demanding that progressives be given a significant voice in the West Wing. And the president-elect will also be pressed to fulfill his campaign pledge to make his administration “look like the country” by tapping people of color, LGBTQ Americans and other minorities to be part of the White House staff.

In a statement, Klain said he looked forward to assembling “a talented and diverse team to work in the White House as we tackle their ambitious agenda for change and seek to heal the divides in our country.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, one of Biden’s liberal rivals for the presidential nomination, praised Klain on Twitter, calling him “a superb choice” and saying that he “understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it.”

Biden made his choice of Klain even as Trump remained defiant in the face of political reality, refusing to concede defeat and insisting that the presidential election was stolen from him four days after news organizations projected that Biden had secured the electoral votes necessary to win.

Trump and his allies — including most Republicans on Capitol Hill — have falsely claimed that the election was tainted by fraudulently cast ballots and a conspiracy by Democrats, poll workers and the news media. The president’s lawyers have filed lawsuits in several states and his operatives are scouring for examples of fraud even as Democratic and Republican election officials in nearly all 50 states say the election was fair.

In the meantime, Biden is moving quickly to demonstrate that the president’s unprecedented behavior will not interfere with the transfer of power that will take place on Jan. 20.

Klain clerked for Justice Byron White at the Supreme Court in the late 1980s and has been a fixture by Biden’s side for much of the past 30 years, serving at one point as the chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Biden led.

Klain was Biden’s top legal adviser on the committee during the racially charged and sexually explicit collision with the Bush administration over the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. Many of Biden’s allies saw his handling of the confirmation — managed in large part by Klain and his team of committee lawyers — as one of the stains on his record in the Senate.

Klain took a detour to serve as Al Gore’s chief of staff while he was vice president and later oversaw Gore’s unsuccessful recount effort in Florida (for which he was portrayed by Kevin Spacey in the HBO film “Recount”).

But Klain has always remained close to Biden. In 2009, he became the vice president’s chief of staff, reprising the role he had played a decade earlier for Gore.

Klain’s experience confronting the Ebola outbreak during the Obama administration was newly relevant this year as the coronavirus pandemic upended American life and became Biden’s central message during the presidential race.

The Biden campaign leaned on Klain’s expertise as it drew a contrast between the way Biden would approach the pandemic and the way Trump did. In March, the campaign released a video of Klain speaking in front of a white board comparing the two approaches that has been viewed more than 4 million times on Twitter. A sequel, again featuring Klain in front of a white board, was posted in July.

In the last few weeks of the campaign, Trump sought to use Klain’s own words against him with a video in which Klain appears to admit that the Obama administration “did every possible thing wrong” during an outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus. Fact checkers concluded that Klain was speaking only about the reliance on a single vaccine, and was taken out of context.

Klain has gone in and out of government over the past several decades, at times practicing as a lawyer and later working with Steve Case, the founder of AOL, in a venture capital investment firm called Revolution. His initial agreement with Case in 2005 included the right to take unpaid leave in September and October every four years to participate in presidential politics.

“He can process a lot of information, focus on the things that matter and balance a lot of balls,” Case said of Klain, calling him “unflappable” and pragmatic when it comes to confronting a challenge: “‘Here’s the problem or the opportunity. Let’s narrow in on what matters and get the right team in place.’”

Case dismissed concerns from some people that Klain was too much of a Washington insider for this moment in history, noting that as an Indiana native, Klain often goes home for the Indianapolis 500.

“He’s been in Washington a long time,” Case said. But he added, “He’s an Indiana guy.”

Over his years mingling among the nation’s top Democratic politicians, Klain has become a specialist in helping presidents win confirmation battles in the Senate. During Obama’s first term, he played a central role in helping win confirmation of Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court.

He also developed a reputation as the Democratic Party’s expert on debate preparation, coaching virtually all of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees during the past two decades. He made little secret of his frustration with sitting presidents — including Obama — complaining that they too often refused to prepare.

A memo for his clients that Klain prepared years ago has become memorialized as the party’s best advice for its candidates. Among the 21 rules that he outlined: No. 10, “Punches are good, counterpunches are better”; No. 13, which says that a candidate can lose a debate at any time but that “you can only win it in the first 30 minutes”; and No. 20, which warns not to say something that does not feel right.

“At that moment remember the advice that some elementary schoolteacher once gave you: ‘If in doubt, don’t,’ ” Klain wrote.

Throughout the 2020 campaign, Klain was a top adviser to Biden and was deeply trusted by a candidate known for maintaining a tight-knit inner circle. He was not especially involved in logistical, day-to-day decisions, but along with Anita Dunn, a senior Biden adviser, he played a central role in guiding Biden’s debate preparations and message.

A number of Biden allies have noted Klain’s experience dealing with economic and health crises during the Obama administration, when the country was reeling from the Great Recession. In the 2016 campaign, Klain helped Hillary Clinton prepare for debates, a task he began working on before Biden announced he would not mount his own presidential bid.

“It’s been a little hard for me to play such a role in the Biden demise — and I am definitely dead to them — but I’m glad to be on Team HRC,” Klain wrote to John D. Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, in an October 2015 email that was later disclosed by WikiLeaks. A week after Klain sent the email, Biden announced he would not run for president in 2016.

Klain was also the inaugural guest on a short-lived podcast that Biden hosted this year, speaking about the pandemic. “I’m going to call on you a lot more,” Biden told him at the end of the episode. “You know, I call on you almost every day for non-pod advice.”

At a Biden virtual fundraiser in June for Indiana donors, former Sen. Joe Donnelly made note of Klain’s work on the Ebola outbreak for the Obama White House.

At the virtual event, Klain, it turned out, was not far out of mind for the former vice president. “As a matter of fact, coincidentally, literally five minutes before I walked into this makeshift studio, I was on the phone with Ron Klain,” Biden said.

President-elect Joe Biden named Ron Klain, a veteran Democratic operative and a decadeslong confidant, to be his White House chief of staff Wednesday evening, the first step toward putting in place his administration’s senior leadership.

President-elect Joe Biden named Ron Klain, a veteran Democratic operative and a decadeslong confidant, to be his White House chief of staff Wednesday evening, the first step toward putting in place his administration’s senior leadership. Klain, a lawyer with deep experience on Capitol Hill, advising President Barack Obama and in corporate board rooms, served as Biden’s chief of staff when he was vice president and has been seen for months as the likeliest choice to manage his team in the White House. Known for steady nerves, he also has a fierce wit, which he has frequently unleashed on President Donald Trump on Twitter. He was particularly critical of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, having served as the “Ebola czar” under Obama during an outbreak of the deadly disease in his second term. A video of Klain lecturing Trump about the pandemic was widely seen during the campaign. In a statement, Biden called Klain an “invaluable” adviser, noting in particular the work they did together during the economic crisis in 2009 and the Ebola outbreak in 2014. “His deep, varied experience and capacity to work with people all across the political spectrum is precisely what I need in a White House chief of staff as we confront this moment of crisis and bring our country together again,” Biden said. The choice of Klain, 59, who first went to work for Biden in the late 1980s when Biden was a senator from Delaware and Klain was a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, signals that Biden intends to rely on a tight circle of Washington insiders who have been by his side for years. Advisers have said that the president-elect will announce other top White House staff in the coming days, even as Trump refuses to accept the results of the election, tweeting “WE WILL WIN!” on Wednesday evening. Biden is not likely to reveal his Cabinet picks until around Thanksgiving, several people close to the transition said. As a political tactician, Klain is well versed in the levers of power in both the executive and legislative branches of government. But he will quickly come under pressure to assemble a White House staff that extends beyond the moderate members of the Democratic establishment with whom Biden has surrounded himself over four decades in politics. Even before Biden’s announcement, liberals in the party had already begun demanding that progressives be given a significant voice in the West Wing. And the president-elect will also be pressed to fulfill his campaign pledge to make his administration “look like the country” by tapping people of color, LGBTQ Americans and other minorities to be part of the White House staff. In a statement, Klain said he looked forward to assembling “a talented and diverse team to work in the White House as we tackle their ambitious agenda for change and seek to heal the divides in our country.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, one of Biden’s liberal rivals for the presidential nomination, praised Klain on Twitter, calling him “a superb choice” and saying that he “understands the magnitude of the health and economic crisis and he has the experience to lead this next administration through it.” Biden made his choice of Klain even as Trump remained defiant in the face of political reality, refusing to concede defeat and insisting that the presidential election was stolen from him four days after news organizations projected that Biden had secured the electoral votes necessary to win. Trump and his allies — including most Republicans on Capitol Hill — have falsely claimed that the election was tainted by fraudulently cast ballots and a conspiracy by Democrats, poll workers and the news media. The president’s lawyers have filed lawsuits in several states and his operatives are scouring for examples of fraud even as Democratic and Republican election officials in nearly all 50 states say the election was fair. In the meantime, Biden is moving quickly to demonstrate that the president’s unprecedented behavior will not interfere with the transfer of power that will take place on Jan. 20. Klain clerked for Justice Byron White at the Supreme Court in the late 1980s and has been a fixture by Biden’s side for much of the past 30 years, serving at one point as the chief counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee, which Biden led. Klain was Biden’s top legal adviser on the committee during the racially charged and sexually explicit collision with the Bush administration over the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court. Many of Biden’s allies saw his handling of the confirmation — managed in large part by Klain and his team of committee lawyers — as one of the stains on his record in the Senate. Klain took a detour to serve as Al Gore’s chief of staff while he was vice president and later oversaw Gore’s unsuccessful recount effort in Florida (for which he was portrayed by Kevin Spacey in the HBO film “Recount”). But Klain has always remained close to Biden. In 2009, he became the vice president’s chief of staff, reprising the role he had played a decade earlier for Gore. Klain’s experience confronting the Ebola outbreak during the Obama administration was newly relevant this year as the coronavirus pandemic upended American life and became Biden’s central message during the presidential race. The Biden campaign leaned on Klain’s expertise as it drew a contrast between the way Biden would approach the pandemic and the way Trump did. In March, the campaign released a video of Klain speaking in front of a white board comparing the two approaches that has been viewed more than 4 million times on Twitter. A sequel, again featuring Klain in front of a white board, was posted in July. In the last few weeks of the campaign, Trump sought to use Klain’s own words against him with a video in which Klain appears to admit that the Obama administration “did every possible thing wrong” during an outbreak of the H1N1 swine flu virus. Fact checkers concluded that Klain was speaking only about the reliance on a single vaccine, and was taken out of context. Klain has gone in and out of government over the past several decades, at times practicing as a lawyer and later working with Steve Case, the founder of AOL, in a venture capital investment firm called Revolution. His initial agreement with Case in 2005 included the right to take unpaid leave in September and October every four years to participate in presidential politics. “He can process a lot of information, focus on the things that matter and balance a lot of balls,” Case said of Klain, calling him “unflappable” and pragmatic when it comes to confronting a challenge: “‘Here’s the problem or the opportunity. Let’s narrow in on what matters and get the right team in place.’” Case dismissed concerns from some people that Klain was too much of a Washington insider for this moment in history, noting that as an Indiana native, Klain often goes home for the Indianapolis 500. “He’s been in Washington a long time,” Case said. But he added, “He’s an Indiana guy.” Over his years mingling among the nation’s top Democratic politicians, Klain has become a specialist in helping presidents win confirmation battles in the Senate. During Obama’s first term, he played a central role in helping win confirmation of Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. He also developed a reputation as the Democratic Party’s expert on debate preparation, coaching virtually all of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential nominees during the past two decades. He made little secret of his frustration with sitting presidents — including Obama — complaining that they too often refused to prepare. A memo for his clients that Klain prepared years ago has become memorialized as the party’s best advice for its candidates. Among the 21 rules that he outlined: No. 10, “Punches are good, counterpunches are better”; No. 13, which says that a candidate can lose a debate at any time but that “you can only win it in the first 30 minutes”; and No. 20, which warns not to say something that does not feel right. “At that moment remember the advice that some elementary schoolteacher once gave you: ‘If in doubt, don’t,’ ” Klain wrote. Throughout the 2020 campaign, Klain was a top adviser to Biden and was deeply trusted by a candidate known for maintaining a tight-knit inner circle. He was not especially involved in logistical, day-to-day decisions, but along with Anita Dunn, a senior Biden adviser, he played a central role in guiding Biden’s debate preparations and message. A number of Biden allies have noted Klain’s experience dealing with economic and health crises during the Obama administration, when the country was reeling from the Great Recession. In the 2016 campaign, Klain helped Hillary Clinton prepare for debates, a task he began working on before Biden announced he would not mount his own presidential bid. “It’s been a little hard for me to play such a role in the Biden demise — and I am definitely dead to them — but I’m glad to be on Team HRC,” Klain wrote to John D. Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman, in an October 2015 email that was later disclosed by WikiLeaks. A week after Klain sent the email, Biden announced he would not run for president in 2016. Klain was also the inaugural guest on a short-lived podcast that Biden hosted this year, speaking about the pandemic. “I’m going to call on you a lot more,” Biden told him at the end of the episode. “You know, I call on you almost every day for non-pod advice.” At a Biden virtual fundraiser in June for Indiana donors, former Sen. Joe Donnelly made note of Klain’s work on the Ebola outbreak for the Obama White House. At the virtual event, Klain, it turned out, was not far out of mind for the former vice president. “As a matter of fact, coincidentally, literally five minutes before I walked into this makeshift studio, I was on the phone with Ron Klain,” Biden said.

Biden Names Ron Klain as White House Chief of Staff

When will we have a Wuhan virus vaccine? A lot has been said this week following the Pfizer announcement. But the speculation discounted the bigger picture. We cannot forget that there are other candidates in the race to get the vaccine too. And most of them already have invoices ready. In other words, governments have pre-ordered vaccines. Those supplies will be delivered first. Before the rest of the world gets a shot. And that changes a lot.

There are 10 vaccine candidates in phase 3 of the trials. Which means that they are being tried on over 100 patients. All of whom are being closely monitored.

Following are the vaccine candidates in the race.

<ul>
	<li>Pfizer and BioNTech's BNT-162</li>
	<li>Oxford, Astrazeneca and Serum Institute of India's AZD-1222</li>
	<li>Russia's Sputnik V</li>
	<li>Bharat Biotech and National Institute of Virology's Covaxin</li>
	<li>Johnson and Johnson's vaccine candidate</li>
	<li>Moderna's MRNA-1273</li>
	<li>Novavax's NVX CoV 2373</li>
	<li>3 vaccine candidates being made in China</li>
</ul>

Out of these vaccines, Pfizer's candidate has shown over 90 per cent effectiveness. Sputnik V &nbsp;has shown &nbsp;92 per cent efficacy. India is among the many countries where Sputnik V is undergoing clinical trials.

Where will these vaccines reach first? The US and Europe will be the first to get Pfizer Inc and BioNTech's shot. The companies have signed an advanced purchase agreement for 100 million doses with the US. With the EU, the agreement is for over 200 million doses. They also have a deal with Japan for 120 million doses. And with UK for 30 million doses.

<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" style="width: 500px;">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Vaccine candidates and sponsors</td>
			<td>Pre-orders</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>BNT-162 (Pfizer, BioNTech)&nbsp;</td>
			<td>US, UK, EU, Japan</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>AZD-1222 (Oxford Uni, Astrazeneca, IQVIA, Serum Institute of India)</td>
			<td>EU, Australia, India</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sputnik V (Gamaleya Institute)</td>
			<td>India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil and others</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Covaxin (Bharat Biotech, National Institute of Virology)</td>
			<td>Talks with 10 countries</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>JNJ-78436735 (Johnson &amp; Johnson)</td>
			<td>EU</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>mRNA-1273 (Moderna)</td>
			<td>US, Japan</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>NVX-CoV2373 (Novavax)</td>
			<td>India</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

&nbsp;

When will we have a Wuhan virus vaccine? A lot has been said this week following the Pfizer announcement. But the speculation discounted the bigger picture. We cannot forget that there are other candidates in the race to get the vaccine too.

When will we have a Wuhan virus vaccine? A lot has been said this week following the Pfizer announcement. But the speculation discounted the bigger picture. We cannot forget that there are other candidates in the race to get the vaccine too. And most of them already have invoices ready. In other words, governments have pre-ordered vaccines. Those supplies will be delivered first. Before the rest of the world gets a shot. And that changes a lot. There are 10 vaccine candidates in phase 3 of the trials. Which means that they are being tried on over 100 patients. All of whom are being closely monitored. Following are the vaccine candidates in the race. Pfizer and BioNTech's BNT-162 Oxford, Astrazeneca and Serum Institute of India's AZD-1222 Russia's Sputnik V Bharat Biotech and National Institute of Virology's Covaxin Johnson and Johnson's vaccine candidate Moderna's MRNA-1273 Novavax's NVX CoV 2373 3 vaccine candidates being made in China Out of these vaccines, Pfizer's candidate has shown over 90 per cent effectiveness. Sputnik V has shown 92 per cent efficacy. India is among the many countries where Sputnik V is undergoing clinical trials. Where will these vaccines reach first? The US and Europe will be the first to get Pfizer Inc and BioNTech's shot. The companies have signed an advanced purchase agreement for 100 million doses with the US. With the EU, the agreement is for over 200 million doses. They also have a deal with Japan for 120 million doses. And with UK for 30 million doses. Vaccine candidates and sponsors Pre-orders BNT-162 (Pfizer, BioNTech) US, UK, EU, Japan AZD-1222 (Oxford Uni, Astrazeneca, IQVIA, Serum Institute of India) EU, Australia, India Sputnik V (Gamaleya Institute) India, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Brazil and others Covaxin (Bharat Biotech, National Institute of Virology) Talks with 10 countries JNJ-78436735 (Johnson & Johnson) EU mRNA-1273 (Moderna) US, Japan NVX-CoV2373 (Novavax) India

When are we getting the vaccine?

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Alleging foul play in the just-concluded Bihar elections 2020, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday demanded recounting of the postal ballot votes in all those constituencies where they were counted at the end. He wondered how could the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) win 15 extra seats with just a wafer-thin margin of just 0.1 per cent votes.&nbsp;

"The NDA got 37.3 per cent of the total votes, while Mahagathbandan (Grand Alliance) got 37.2 per cent. There is a 0.1 per cent difference. If we convert it into votes then it is a 12,270-vote difference. How can they win 15 seats with just around 12,000 extra votes," Yadav asked, adding that many postal ballot votes were cancelled.

"The postal ballot votes are given by service people. Our candidates had asked in writing why many of them were cancelled. On whose order were the postal ballots counted at the end? These must have been recorded and sealed. We demand recounting of postal ballot votes as we were defeated by very fewer margins," he said, quoting the rule for the counting of the postal-ballot votes.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/family-run-parties-biggest-threat-to-indias-democracy-pm-modi-after-bihar-win-342464">Family-run parties biggest threat to India's democracy: PM Modi after Bihar win</a> 
 
"The postal-ballot votes need to be counted first and videography of the whole process needs to be done. You have to satisfy all the candidates," he said.

He went on to question Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of forming the government from the backdoor.&nbsp;

"We lost 20 seats by a wafer-thin margin. In many constituencies, as many as 900 postal ballots were invalidated. I ask the chief minister, who is forming the government from the backdoor, why the postal votes were counted later," he said, adding they would collect proof after the recordings of the vote-counting procedure are out.

In Bihar elections 2020, of the 243 seats, 125 have gone in favour of the ruling coalition NDA, headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and 110 to the rival Grand Alliance. The Rashtriya Janata Dal emerged as the single-largest party in the House with 75 seats.

Alleging foul play in the just-concluded Bihar elections 2020, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday demanded recounting of the postal ballot votes in all those constituencies where they were counted at the end.

Alleging foul play in the just-concluded Bihar elections 2020, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Thursday demanded recounting of the postal ballot votes in all those constituencies where they were counted at the end. He wondered how could the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) win 15 extra seats with just a wafer-thin margin of just 0.1 per cent votes. "The NDA got 37.3 per cent of the total votes, while Mahagathbandan (Grand Alliance) got 37.2 per cent. There is a 0.1 per cent difference. If we convert it into votes then it is a 12,270-vote difference. How can they win 15 seats with just around 12,000 extra votes," Yadav asked, adding that many postal ballot votes were cancelled. "The postal ballot votes are given by service people. Our candidates had asked in writing why many of them were cancelled. On whose order were the postal ballots counted at the end? These must have been recorded and sealed. We demand recounting of postal ballot votes as we were defeated by very fewer margins," he said, quoting the rule for the counting of the postal-ballot votes. Also Read | Family-run parties biggest threat to India's democracy: PM Modi after Bihar win "The postal-ballot votes need to be counted first and videography of the whole process needs to be done. You have to satisfy all the candidates," he said. He went on to question Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, accusing him of forming the government from the backdoor. "We lost 20 seats by a wafer-thin margin. In many constituencies, as many as 900 postal ballots were invalidated. I ask the chief minister, who is forming the government from the backdoor, why the postal votes were counted later," he said, adding they would collect proof after the recordings of the vote-counting procedure are out. In Bihar elections 2020, of the 243 seats, 125 have gone in favour of the ruling coalition NDA, headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and 110 to the rival Grand Alliance. The Rashtriya Janata Dal emerged as the single-largest party in the House with 75 seats.

Bihar Elections: Tejashwi Yadav, leader of single-largest party RJD, demands recount

Alibaba, Tencent and other Chinese tech giants took a heavy hit as their shares tumbled for a second day on Wednesday. The companies lost billions as Beijing's market regulator released draft antitrust rules that gave signals of crackdown on high-flying internet giants. The rules, released on Tuesday (October 10, 2020) outlined steps to prevent 'monopolistic behaviour' in internet companies. This is a marked departure from China's previous approach on antitrust issues. The announcement came on the eve of Singles' Day, the world's biggest shopping festival propelled by Alibaba.

Alibaba shares dropped 9.8 per cent in Hong Kong -- just week after regulator halted a huge IPO for Ant Group, the financial arm of Alibaba. Tencent shares slipped more than seven per cent.

Meanwhile, online shopping platform JD.com plunged more than nine percent, smartphone maker Xiaomi dived more than eight percent and food delivery firm Meituan was 9.7 percent lower.

The losses followed massive drops for the firms on Tuesday.

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Dave Wang, portfolio manager at Nuvest Capital told AFP the authorities' move marks an "inflection point" for the sector.

"The dominance of the big players may have reached a point that is making authorities feel uncomfortable," he said.

"They are looking to reduce this dominance or at least keep it in check."

The guidelines, put out by the State Administration for Market Regulation, take specific aim at internet platforms and issues such as exclusivity clauses that hinder competition.

China's antitrust watchdog is also targeting acts constituting an "abuse of dominant market positions" that could squeeze out smaller rivals -- including unfair pricing, restricting transactions without justifiable reason, or pushing different prices and conditions on customers based on their buying habits.

The move to force business partners to "pick one of two", therefore selling exclusively on one platform, is explicitly cited as a monopolistic practice as well.

China's tech firms are known to have captive ecosystems. Alibaba's Taobao platform, for example, supports payments via its own Alipay rather than Tencent's WeChat Pay.

Beijing has moved to clip the wings of its fast-growing online platforms, most recently halting a planned record-smashing $34 billion IPO of Ant Group -- Alibaba's financial arm.

But Supun Walpola, equity analyst at LightStream Research, noted that even if the new rules affect companies' current operations, it does not "drastically" hit their core business models.

"For instance, given its&nbsp;scale and penetration, I see no reason why Alibaba cannot be successful&nbsp;even without practices&nbsp;like data collaboration, price descrimination or exclusivity clauses," he said.

(With AFP inputs)

Alibaba, Tencent and other Chinese tech giants took a heavy hit as their shares tumbled for a second day on Wednesday. The companies lost billions as Beijing's market regulator released draft antitrust rules that gave signals of crackdown on high-flying internet giants.

Alibaba, Tencent and other Chinese tech giants took a heavy hit as their shares tumbled for a second day on Wednesday. The companies lost billions as Beijing's market regulator released draft antitrust rules that gave signals of crackdown on high-flying internet giants. The rules, released on Tuesday (October 10, 2020) outlined steps to prevent 'monopolistic behaviour' in internet companies. This is a marked departure from China's previous approach on antitrust issues. The announcement came on the eve of Singles' Day, the world's biggest shopping festival propelled by Alibaba. Alibaba shares dropped 9.8 per cent in Hong Kong -- just week after regulator halted a huge IPO for Ant Group, the financial arm of Alibaba. Tencent shares slipped more than seven per cent. Meanwhile, online shopping platform JD.com plunged more than nine percent, smartphone maker Xiaomi dived more than eight percent and food delivery firm Meituan was 9.7 percent lower. The losses followed massive drops for the firms on Tuesday. ALSO READ | Diwali 2020 Muhurat Trading: Here is what you need to know Dave Wang, portfolio manager at Nuvest Capital told AFP the authorities' move marks an "inflection point" for the sector. "The dominance of the big players may have reached a point that is making authorities feel uncomfortable," he said. "They are looking to reduce this dominance or at least keep it in check." The guidelines, put out by the State Administration for Market Regulation, take specific aim at internet platforms and issues such as exclusivity clauses that hinder competition. China's antitrust watchdog is also targeting acts constituting an "abuse of dominant market positions" that could squeeze out smaller rivals -- including unfair pricing, restricting transactions without justifiable reason, or pushing different prices and conditions on customers based on their buying habits. The move to force business partners to "pick one of two", therefore selling exclusively on one platform, is explicitly cited as a monopolistic practice as well. China's tech firms are known to have captive ecosystems. Alibaba's Taobao platform, for example, supports payments via its own Alipay rather than Tencent's WeChat Pay. Beijing has moved to clip the wings of its fast-growing online platforms, most recently halting a planned record-smashing $34 billion IPO of Ant Group -- Alibaba's financial arm. But Supun Walpola, equity analyst at LightStream Research, noted that even if the new rules affect companies' current operations, it does not "drastically" hit their core business models. "For instance, given its scale and penetration, I see no reason why Alibaba cannot be successful even without practices like data collaboration, price descrimination or exclusivity clauses," he said. (With AFP inputs)

Chinese tech giants Alibaba, Tencent stocks heavily hit after draft antitrust rules

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at family-run parties saying they are the biggest threat to the democracy and rued that even a national party had fallen prey to it.

Addressing party workers at a felicitation function after the BJP's victory in Bihar elections and various bypolls, he asserted that the only mantra for his party's victory was "Sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas".

Modi said the poll results in Bihar and other bye-elections across the country have made it clear that people will now support only those who work honestly for development.

"People have decided that development alone will be basis of national politics in 21st century," he said.

Modi also said those who cannot fight the BJP democratically have resorted to murdering the party's workers.

"This killing game cannot work in democracy," he said.

Lauding the people of the country for reposing their faith in the BJP, the prime minister also thanked and praised the Election Commission, security forces and administration for peaceful and successful conduct of elections.

These poll results have broadened the outcome of Lok Sabha elections, the prime minister said referring to BJP's success in polls and bypolls across the country.

"BJP is the only national party in which poor, dalits, deprived see their representation; only BJP understands need of every section, region. The poll results have endorsed the way we have tackled COVID-19 pandemic," he said.

Modi also said that women across the country are the 'Silent voters' which support the BJP across all rural and urban regions.

Amid a festival-like atmosphere with the crowd chanting 'Modi hai to mumkin hai (Modi can make it possible), BJP president J P Nadda earlier said at the event that people of Bihar have put their stamp of approval on Modi's work to deal with COVID-19 and help poor during pandemic.

He also said Bihar has chosen 'vikas raaj' over 'goonda raaj', 'DBT raaj' over 'loot raaj' and LED over lantern: J P Nadda to BJP workers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at family-run parties saying they are the biggest threat to the democracy and rued that even a national party had fallen prey to it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at family-run parties saying they are the biggest threat to the democracy and rued that even a national party had fallen prey to it. Addressing party workers at a felicitation function after the BJP's victory in Bihar elections and various bypolls, he asserted that the only mantra for his party's victory was "Sabka saath, sabka vikas and sabka vishwas". Modi said the poll results in Bihar and other bye-elections across the country have made it clear that people will now support only those who work honestly for development. "People have decided that development alone will be basis of national politics in 21st century," he said. Modi also said those who cannot fight the BJP democratically have resorted to murdering the party's workers. "This killing game cannot work in democracy," he said. Lauding the people of the country for reposing their faith in the BJP, the prime minister also thanked and praised the Election Commission, security forces and administration for peaceful and successful conduct of elections. These poll results have broadened the outcome of Lok Sabha elections, the prime minister said referring to BJP's success in polls and bypolls across the country. "BJP is the only national party in which poor, dalits, deprived see their representation; only BJP understands need of every section, region. The poll results have endorsed the way we have tackled COVID-19 pandemic," he said. Modi also said that women across the country are the 'Silent voters' which support the BJP across all rural and urban regions. Amid a festival-like atmosphere with the crowd chanting 'Modi hai to mumkin hai (Modi can make it possible), BJP president J P Nadda earlier said at the event that people of Bihar have put their stamp of approval on Modi's work to deal with COVID-19 and help poor during pandemic. He also said Bihar has chosen 'vikas raaj' over 'goonda raaj', 'DBT raaj' over 'loot raaj' and LED over lantern: J P Nadda to BJP workers.

Family-run parties biggest threat to India's democracy: PM Modi after Bihar win

Senate Republicans rehashed unproven allegations of corruption and bias at the FBI on Tuesday, attacking the bureau’s former acting director Andrew McCabe during a contentious Judiciary Committee hearing.

The hearing, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of President Donald Trump’s, was a recounting of perceived injustices that the president and his supporters have amplified over the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. They included the botched applications to wiretap former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, the treatment of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and a notorious dossier about purported Trump-Russia links.

Sen. John Cornyn of Texas accused the FBI of going “rogue,” while Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said the bureau had a “culture of corruption and cover-up.” Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri described the investigation as the “biggest scandal in the history of the FBI.”

McCabe repeatedly rejected Republican claims that the FBI’s actions were politically motivated.

“Let me be very clear: We didn’t open a case because we liked one candidate or didn’t like the other one,” he said in his opening statement. “We didn’t open a case because we intended to stage a coup or overthrow the government.”

McCabe, who testified remotely because of the pandemic, acknowledged serious FBI mistakes in the Page wiretap applications, one of which he signed. He said he would not have approved it knowing what he has learned since. “We’re all responsible for the work that went into that FISA,” McCabe said.

A Justice Department inspector general report issued in December found egregious errors and omissions in the applications to wiretap Page in the months after he left the Trump campaign, based on investigators’ suspicions about his ties to Russia.

Republicans pressed McCabe about who at the FBI was to blame for the problems. They wrongly insisted that no one had been held responsible; the inspector general’s report did assign blame, singling out an FBI agent assigned as “primarily responsible for some of the most significant errors and omissions.”

The FBI director, Christopher Wray, has said line-level employees who played a role in the Page wiretap applications were referred to the bureau’s office of professional responsibility, its disciplinary arm.

The inspector general report also found that the FBI had sufficient reason to open the Russia investigation and that investigators acted without political bias in doing so.

Democrats on the committee made clear they had little patience for Graham’s inquiry, believing it was a waste of time as they accused Attorney General William Barr of politicizing the Justice Department.

“This is a last-ditch, desperate undertaking to deal with President Trump’s grievances about that election,” said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., accusing the Republican-led committee of holding another “partisan hearing to advance President Trump’s theories.”

Before the hearing started, Trump took aim at McCabe, a frequent target. “Republicans, don’t let Andrew McCabe continue to get away with totally criminal activity,” the president wrote on Twitter. “What he did should never be allowed to happen to our Country again. FIGHT FOR JUSTICE!”

During the hearing, Graham repeatedly accused the FBI of treating Trump unfairly, saying he should have been warned about Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 election on his behalf.

Graham pointed to a recently declassified document of unverified information that suggested that Russian intelligence had acquired information that Hillary Clinton had approved a plan for her 2016 campaign to “stir up a scandal” against Trump by tying him to the Russian hackers who had broken into Democratic servers.

Though Trump’s allies have promoted the document, other officials rejected its information after evaluating it, including the special counsel, Robert Mueller, and the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee.

McCabe said he had never seen the document before and it was not clear to him that the information alluded to criminal conduct.

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a former federal prosecutor, defended the FBI for not investigating the claim, noting that even information related to a possible Clinton campaign strategy did not amount to a crime but rather to typical politics.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also brought up reports that advisers to President-elect Joe Biden were talking to foreign leaders and compared that to the FBI's scrutiny of Flynn in connection with his December 2016 calls with the Russian ambassador during Trump’s transition.

Cruz demanded to know whether Biden and his team were violating the Logan Act, a 1799 statute that says it is a crime for a private citizen to interfere with diplomatic relations between the United States and foreign governments. Cruz eventually pointed out that the Logan Act is widely considered to be unconstitutional, saying that Biden was therefore not violating it but that it was illegitimate to “go after” Flynn for the same thing.

In a heated exchange with Cruz, who repeatedly cut him off, McCabe said that “there were no discussions of the Logan Act” regarding Flynn, leading Cruz to suggest that he might be committing perjury. But permitted to complete his answer, McCabe clarified that agents opened the counterintelligence investigation into Flynn based on something else — a suspicion that he might be a conduit between the campaign and Russia.

Notes released in connection with the Justice Department’s attempt to drop the prosecution of Flynn, despite his guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, have shown that there were discussions of the Logan Act in 2017.

In addition, on Tuesday a federal judge unsealed a set of search warrants in connection with the Flynn case in response to a news media request. They showed that by September 2017, when the bureau and Mueller’s office sought access to devices and email accounts from the Trump transition, it cited the Logan Act and false statements to a judge.

“The FBI is investigating whether Flynn corresponded with foreign government officials without the authority of the United States, with intent to influence the conduct of foreign governments, in violation of” the Logan Act, “and whether Flynn made materially false statements and omitted material facts to the FBI regarding his communications with those foreign government officials,” it said.

At the end of the hearing, Graham brushed off the complaints by Democrats that his investigation was pointless. “We are going to keep digging,” he said.

Senate Republicans rehashed unproven allegations of corruption and bias at the FBI on Tuesday, attacking the bureau’s former acting director Andrew McCabe during a contentious Judiciary Committee hearing.

Senate Republicans rehashed unproven allegations of corruption and bias at the FBI on Tuesday, attacking the bureau’s former acting director Andrew McCabe during a contentious Judiciary Committee hearing. The hearing, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a close ally of President Donald Trump’s, was a recounting of perceived injustices that the president and his supporters have amplified over the investigation into the 2016 Trump campaign’s ties to Russia. They included the botched applications to wiretap former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page, the treatment of former national security adviser Michael Flynn and a notorious dossier about purported Trump-Russia links. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas accused the FBI of going “rogue,” while Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee said the bureau had a “culture of corruption and cover-up.” Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri described the investigation as the “biggest scandal in the history of the FBI.” McCabe repeatedly rejected Republican claims that the FBI’s actions were politically motivated. “Let me be very clear: We didn’t open a case because we liked one candidate or didn’t like the other one,” he said in his opening statement. “We didn’t open a case because we intended to stage a coup or overthrow the government.” McCabe, who testified remotely because of the pandemic, acknowledged serious FBI mistakes in the Page wiretap applications, one of which he signed. He said he would not have approved it knowing what he has learned since. “We’re all responsible for the work that went into that FISA,” McCabe said. A Justice Department inspector general report issued in December found egregious errors and omissions in the applications to wiretap Page in the months after he left the Trump campaign, based on investigators’ suspicions about his ties to Russia. Republicans pressed McCabe about who at the FBI was to blame for the problems. They wrongly insisted that no one had been held responsible; the inspector general’s report did assign blame, singling out an FBI agent assigned as “primarily responsible for some of the most significant errors and omissions.” The FBI director, Christopher Wray, has said line-level employees who played a role in the Page wiretap applications were referred to the bureau’s office of professional responsibility, its disciplinary arm. The inspector general report also found that the FBI had sufficient reason to open the Russia investigation and that investigators acted without political bias in doing so. Democrats on the committee made clear they had little patience for Graham’s inquiry, believing it was a waste of time as they accused Attorney General William Barr of politicizing the Justice Department. “This is a last-ditch, desperate undertaking to deal with President Trump’s grievances about that election,” said Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., accusing the Republican-led committee of holding another “partisan hearing to advance President Trump’s theories.” Before the hearing started, Trump took aim at McCabe, a frequent target. “Republicans, don’t let Andrew McCabe continue to get away with totally criminal activity,” the president wrote on Twitter. “What he did should never be allowed to happen to our Country again. FIGHT FOR JUSTICE!” During the hearing, Graham repeatedly accused the FBI of treating Trump unfairly, saying he should have been warned about Russian attempts to interfere in the 2016 election on his behalf. Graham pointed to a recently declassified document of unverified information that suggested that Russian intelligence had acquired information that Hillary Clinton had approved a plan for her 2016 campaign to “stir up a scandal” against Trump by tying him to the Russian hackers who had broken into Democratic servers. Though Trump’s allies have promoted the document, other officials rejected its information after evaluating it, including the special counsel, Robert Mueller, and the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee. McCabe said he had never seen the document before and it was not clear to him that the information alluded to criminal conduct. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., a former federal prosecutor, defended the FBI for not investigating the claim, noting that even information related to a possible Clinton campaign strategy did not amount to a crime but rather to typical politics. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also brought up reports that advisers to President-elect Joe Biden were talking to foreign leaders and compared that to the FBI's scrutiny of Flynn in connection with his December 2016 calls with the Russian ambassador during Trump’s transition. Cruz demanded to know whether Biden and his team were violating the Logan Act, a 1799 statute that says it is a crime for a private citizen to interfere with diplomatic relations between the United States and foreign governments. Cruz eventually pointed out that the Logan Act is widely considered to be unconstitutional, saying that Biden was therefore not violating it but that it was illegitimate to “go after” Flynn for the same thing. In a heated exchange with Cruz, who repeatedly cut him off, McCabe said that “there were no discussions of the Logan Act” regarding Flynn, leading Cruz to suggest that he might be committing perjury. But permitted to complete his answer, McCabe clarified that agents opened the counterintelligence investigation into Flynn based on something else — a suspicion that he might be a conduit between the campaign and Russia. Notes released in connection with the Justice Department’s attempt to drop the prosecution of Flynn, despite his guilty plea for lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador, have shown that there were discussions of the Logan Act in 2017. In addition, on Tuesday a federal judge unsealed a set of search warrants in connection with the Flynn case in response to a news media request. They showed that by September 2017, when the bureau and Mueller’s office sought access to devices and email accounts from the Trump transition, it cited the Logan Act and false statements to a judge. “The FBI is investigating whether Flynn corresponded with foreign government officials without the authority of the United States, with intent to influence the conduct of foreign governments, in violation of” the Logan Act, “and whether Flynn made materially false statements and omitted material facts to the FBI regarding his communications with those foreign government officials,” it said. At the end of the hearing, Graham brushed off the complaints by Democrats that his investigation was pointless. “We are going to keep digging,” he said.

McCabe rejects Republican accusations of FBI corruption in Russia inquiry

An explosion took place under a bridge in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday. Spokesperson of Ethiopia's federal police was quoted by Reuters as saying that a man was injured in the blast. The man lost his leg. Cause of the explosion is unknown at the moment.

There is no indication at present that the explosion is related to the ongoing conflict in the country's Tigray region.

Rags were seen lying in a stream near where the blast occurred, and the bridge was closed after the explosion before being reopened by authorities.

One witness at the scene told Reuters that the man had been planting devices when one went off.

Ethiopia is feared to be on the cusp of civil war as the African nation's army is currently engaged in a conflict with forces of Tigray nation.

On Wednesday, Ethiopian air force said&nbsp;it had bombed arms and fuel depots in the northern region of Tigray, as an escalation in fighting prompted thousands more people to seek refuge in neighbouring Sudan.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops and warplanes into the federal state of Tigray last week after a months-long feud with its ruling party, which he accuses of seeking to destabilise the country

(With agency inputs)

An explosion took place under a bridge in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday. Spokesperson of Ethiopia's federal police was quoted by Reuters as saying that a man was injured in the blast.

An explosion took place under a bridge in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday. Spokesperson of Ethiopia's federal police was quoted by Reuters as saying that a man was injured in the blast. The man lost his leg. Cause of the explosion is unknown at the moment. There is no indication at present that the explosion is related to the ongoing conflict in the country's Tigray region. Rags were seen lying in a stream near where the blast occurred, and the bridge was closed after the explosion before being reopened by authorities. One witness at the scene told Reuters that the man had been planting devices when one went off. Ethiopia is feared to be on the cusp of civil war as the African nation's army is currently engaged in a conflict with forces of Tigray nation. On Wednesday, Ethiopian air force said it had bombed arms and fuel depots in the northern region of Tigray, as an escalation in fighting prompted thousands more people to seek refuge in neighbouring Sudan. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops and warplanes into the federal state of Tigray last week after a months-long feud with its ruling party, which he accuses of seeking to destabilise the country (With agency inputs)

Explosion in Ethiopian capital injures one man

Felicien Kabuga, the alleged financier of the horrific Rwandan genocide pleaded not guilty in a United Nations court. He was produced in the court after being on the run for a quarter of the century. Formerly one of Rwanda's richest men, Kabuga allegedly helped set up hate media that urged ethnic Hutus to "kill the Tutsi cockroaches". He also funded militia groups.

Kabuga, now in his 80s, was arrested in France in May. He was then transferred to the court in The Hague in October. He faces charges of a key role in killing of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.&nbsp;

The frail Kabuga sat in a wheelchair behind a glass screen in the courtroom, wearing a coronavirus mask. A court official helped him adjust his headphones. His defence lawyer Emmanuel Altit said Kabuga was "very tired" and "preferred not to speak", when asked by judge Iain Bonomy if the former businessman wanted to enter a plea.&nbsp;

"Given the situation, I would be grateful if you could consider this lack of response as a plea of not guilty on all the counts, under the rules and procedures," Altit told the court.

Kabuga, who until his arrest near Paris was one of the world's most wanted men, had already denied the charges in his court appearances in France.

The Rwandan faces seven counts including genocide, incitement to genocide, extermination and persecution.

The UN court will later decide if he will be transferred to its branch in Tanzania for trial.

Contributed to deaths

The UN says 800,000 people were murdered in a 100-day rampage that began in April 1994 in Rwanda, in scenes of horror that shocked the world.

Kabuga was then an ally of the ruling party in Rwanda. He allegedly helped create the Interahamwe Hutu militia group and the Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), whose broadcasts incited people to murder.

The indictment, read by court official said, "RTLM broadcasts contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of persons identified as Tutsi civilians."

The radio station also identified the hiding places of Tutsis where they were later killed, it said.&nbsp;

He is also accused of helping to buy machetes that were distributed to genocidal groups, and ordering them to kill Tutsis. Kabuga spent years on the run using a succession of false passports, with investigators saying that he had been helped by a network of former Rwandan allies to evade justice.&nbsp;

Following his arrest in a small apartment near Paris, his lawyers argued that Kabuga -- who says he is aged 87 but according to the arrest warrant is 84 -- should face trial in France for health reasons. But France's top court ruled he should be moved to UN custody on a warrant issued in 1997 by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Kabuga was initially to be transferred to the UN court's facility in Arusha, Tanzania, which took over the ICTR's duties when it formally closed in 2015.

But a UN judge ruled he should first be taken to the court's Hague branch for a medical examination, and it was not immediately known when or if Kabuga might be transferred to Arusha.

(With AFP inputs)

Felicien Kabuga, the alleged financier of the horrific Rwandan genocide pleaded not guilty in a United Nations court. He was produced in the court after being on the run for a quarter of the century.

Felicien Kabuga, the alleged financier of the horrific Rwandan genocide pleaded not guilty in a United Nations court. He was produced in the court after being on the run for a quarter of the century. Formerly one of Rwanda's richest men, Kabuga allegedly helped set up hate media that urged ethnic Hutus to "kill the Tutsi cockroaches". He also funded militia groups. Kabuga, now in his 80s, was arrested in France in May. He was then transferred to the court in The Hague in October. He faces charges of a key role in killing of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The frail Kabuga sat in a wheelchair behind a glass screen in the courtroom, wearing a coronavirus mask. A court official helped him adjust his headphones. His defence lawyer Emmanuel Altit said Kabuga was "very tired" and "preferred not to speak", when asked by judge Iain Bonomy if the former businessman wanted to enter a plea. "Given the situation, I would be grateful if you could consider this lack of response as a plea of not guilty on all the counts, under the rules and procedures," Altit told the court. Kabuga, who until his arrest near Paris was one of the world's most wanted men, had already denied the charges in his court appearances in France. The Rwandan faces seven counts including genocide, incitement to genocide, extermination and persecution. The UN court will later decide if he will be transferred to its branch in Tanzania for trial. Contributed to deaths The UN says 800,000 people were murdered in a 100-day rampage that began in April 1994 in Rwanda, in scenes of horror that shocked the world. Kabuga was then an ally of the ruling party in Rwanda. He allegedly helped create the Interahamwe Hutu militia group and the Radio-Television Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM), whose broadcasts incited people to murder. The indictment, read by court official said, "RTLM broadcasts contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of persons identified as Tutsi civilians." The radio station also identified the hiding places of Tutsis where they were later killed, it said. He is also accused of helping to buy machetes that were distributed to genocidal groups, and ordering them to kill Tutsis. Kabuga spent years on the run using a succession of false passports, with investigators saying that he had been helped by a network of former Rwandan allies to evade justice. Following his arrest in a small apartment near Paris, his lawyers argued that Kabuga -- who says he is aged 87 but according to the arrest warrant is 84 -- should face trial in France for health reasons. But France's top court ruled he should be moved to UN custody on a warrant issued in 1997 by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Kabuga was initially to be transferred to the UN court's facility in Arusha, Tanzania, which took over the ICTR's duties when it formally closed in 2015. But a UN judge ruled he should first be taken to the court's Hague branch for a medical examination, and it was not immediately known when or if Kabuga might be transferred to Arusha. (With AFP inputs)

Rwandan genocide 'financier' pleads not guilty before UN

Turkey asked USA to look at human rights violations within its own borders and tackle Islamophobia, racism and hate crimes. The timing of the statement has assumed importance since it has come less than a week before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Istanbul. The statement is being perceived as being emblematic of Turkey's current mood towards the US.

Pompeo will be in Istanbul next Monday. What's interesting is Pompeo will not visit any of Turkey's top officials but will meet Bartholomew I of Constantinople -- the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox world.

The State Department said Pompeo wanted to "discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote our strong stance on religious freedom around the world".

The meeting with the patriarch will come four months after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan converted Istanbul's emblematic Hagia Sophia monument into a mosque.

Pompeo publically criticised the conversion in July.

The Turkish foreign ministry called Pompeo's chosen subject matter for the visit "extremely inappropriate".

"It would be better if the United States looked in the mirror and showed the necessary sensitivity to human rights violations such as racism, Islamophobia and hate crimes in its own country," it said in a statement. 
Relations between Washington and its strategic NATO ally have run hot and cold during Donald Trump's presidency.

Erdogan has cultivated close personal relations with Trump and been able to call him up directly to try and influence specific policy decisions.

But Ankara and Washington have also sparred over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a grave security threat.

Erdogan congratulated Joe Biden with his election victory on Tuesday -- three full days after it was called by US media.

He followed that up by sending a separate message to Trump a few hours later expressing thanks for his "warm friendship" and saying he stood by his side "no matter how the official election result is certified".

Turkey asked USA to look at human rights violations within its own borders and tackle Islamophobia, racism and hate crimes. The timing of the statement has assumed importance since it has come less than a week before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Istanbul.

Turkey asked USA to look at human rights violations within its own borders and tackle Islamophobia, racism and hate crimes. The timing of the statement has assumed importance since it has come less than a week before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Istanbul. The statement is being perceived as being emblematic of Turkey's current mood towards the US. Pompeo will be in Istanbul next Monday. What's interesting is Pompeo will not visit any of Turkey's top officials but will meet Bartholomew I of Constantinople -- the spiritual leader of the Greek Orthodox world. The State Department said Pompeo wanted to "discuss religious issues in Turkey and the region and to promote our strong stance on religious freedom around the world". The meeting with the patriarch will come four months after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan converted Istanbul's emblematic Hagia Sophia monument into a mosque. Pompeo publically criticised the conversion in July. The Turkish foreign ministry called Pompeo's chosen subject matter for the visit "extremely inappropriate". "It would be better if the United States looked in the mirror and showed the necessary sensitivity to human rights violations such as racism, Islamophobia and hate crimes in its own country," it said in a statement. Relations between Washington and its strategic NATO ally have run hot and cold during Donald Trump's presidency. Erdogan has cultivated close personal relations with Trump and been able to call him up directly to try and influence specific policy decisions. But Ankara and Washington have also sparred over US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia that Turkey views as a grave security threat. Erdogan congratulated Joe Biden with his election victory on Tuesday -- three full days after it was called by US media. He followed that up by sending a separate message to Trump a few hours later expressing thanks for his "warm friendship" and saying he stood by his side "no matter how the official election result is certified".

Turkey slams US less than a week before Mike Pompeo's visit

China is failing in Pakistan. Most investors think twice before funding projects in Pakistan. Corruption, terrorism, violence and security concerns make it a deadly destination. But China kept pumping money to lay its debt trap. Now the strategy may be backfiring. China's projects in Pakistan have been stalled. Thanks to rampant corruption and violent attacks. Imran Khan is now facing heat from the opposition. Because his own officials are in the dock.

Imran Khan wants to be known as a crusader against corruption. Whether it was the sharifs or the Bhutto-Zardaris. Khan has been relentless in his crackdown. But he has been selective in his clampdown. Imran khan hasn't gone after the corrupt officials in his own team with the same enthusiasm.

It began with Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa. The pizza general, who still remains the chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Fresh reports now indicate that more dirty hands could be in the mix. Two advisers of Imran Khan are allegedly beneficiaries of government subsidies.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan conducted an enquiry. They found irregularities worth over 1.8 billion dollars of subsidies. They were given to 16 independent power producers. This included Razak Dawood and Nadeem Baber Baber.

The same report accuses two Chinese companies of inflating their costs to set up coal plants. The same kind of corruption that Imran khan promised to put a stop to when he took charge.

In 2018, when Imran Khan assumed office he issued an order. Several CPEC projects were put on hold, allegedly over the suspicion of corruption. But since the inner circle of Imran khan has been named in graft complaints, progress has stalled. Violent attacks on Chinese investments and limits on borrowing have added to Islamabad's troubles.

Almost a month ago, 14 security personnel were killed in Gwadar. The city where china is building the deepest seaport in the world.

The outbreak of Wuhan virus has caused further delays.

The pandemic is hurting Pakistan's plans to build Special Economic Zones with China's help. Reports say Chinese companies are facing production delays.

Managing human and material resources is proving to be a struggle, alongside inflated bills.

The Opposition, faced with a barrage of corruption lawsuits, is now breathing down Imran Khan's neck. They have accused the Prime Minister of not expediting key infrastructure projects with China. Imran Khan is struggling to get things back on track. It won't come as a surprise if Beijing decides to dial Pakistani military for help.

China is failing in Pakistan. Most investors think twice before funding projects in Pakistan. Corruption, terrorism, violence and security concerns make it a deadly destination.

China is failing in Pakistan. Most investors think twice before funding projects in Pakistan. Corruption, terrorism, violence and security concerns make it a deadly destination. But China kept pumping money to lay its debt trap. Now the strategy may be backfiring. China's projects in Pakistan have been stalled. Thanks to rampant corruption and violent attacks. Imran Khan is now facing heat from the opposition. Because his own officials are in the dock. Imran Khan wants to be known as a crusader against corruption. Whether it was the sharifs or the Bhutto-Zardaris. Khan has been relentless in his crackdown. But he has been selective in his clampdown. Imran khan hasn't gone after the corrupt officials in his own team with the same enthusiasm. It began with Lieutenant General Asim Saleem Bajwa. The pizza general, who still remains the chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Fresh reports now indicate that more dirty hands could be in the mix. Two advisers of Imran Khan are allegedly beneficiaries of government subsidies. The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan conducted an enquiry. They found irregularities worth over 1.8 billion dollars of subsidies. They were given to 16 independent power producers. This included Razak Dawood and Nadeem Baber Baber. The same report accuses two Chinese companies of inflating their costs to set up coal plants. The same kind of corruption that Imran khan promised to put a stop to when he took charge. In 2018, when Imran Khan assumed office he issued an order. Several CPEC projects were put on hold, allegedly over the suspicion of corruption. But since the inner circle of Imran khan has been named in graft complaints, progress has stalled. Violent attacks on Chinese investments and limits on borrowing have added to Islamabad's troubles. Almost a month ago, 14 security personnel were killed in Gwadar. The city where china is building the deepest seaport in the world. The outbreak of Wuhan virus has caused further delays. The pandemic is hurting Pakistan's plans to build Special Economic Zones with China's help. Reports say Chinese companies are facing production delays. Managing human and material resources is proving to be a struggle, alongside inflated bills. The Opposition, faced with a barrage of corruption lawsuits, is now breathing down Imran Khan's neck. They have accused the Prime Minister of not expediting key infrastructure projects with China. Imran Khan is struggling to get things back on track. It won't come as a surprise if Beijing decides to dial Pakistani military for help.

Imran Khan struggles to get CPEC projects on track

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Manas Joshi

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