The Canadian police have secured the capital city Ottawa with fences as the city workers cleaned up trash and snow ploughs cleared streets on Sunday (February 20).&nbsp;

After a couple of days of tense standoffs and use of force by Canadian police, the three-week-long demonstrations in Ottawa ended.

Ottawa's Interim Police Chief Steve Bell told reporters: "We promised earlier this week that we would clear our streets and give them back to our residents."&nbsp;

"We promised that we would return our city to a state of normalcy. With every hour, we are getting closer to that goal," Bell further added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraines-sovereignty-and-territorial-integrity-must-be-protected-china-454860">Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be protected: China</a>

Protesters used hundreds of trucks and vehicles to paralyse the Canadian capital by parking and camping on the streets since January 28.&nbsp;

The protest even prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke rarely used emergency powers.&nbsp;

During the tense standoff, police reportedly made over 191 arrests. Police said that over 76 vehicles had been towed.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-joe-biden-to-meet-russian-counterpart-vladimir-putin-till-he-halts-ukraine-invasion-454912">US President Joe Biden to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin till he halts Ukraine invasion</a>

Ottawa's Interim Police Chief also said: "City crews are clearing and ploughing the affected areas. At this time, checkpoints remain throughout the city."&nbsp;

"We ask residents to respect these checkpoints and the officers who are working there. We continue to advise unlawful protesters that they must leave the area immediately or they may face arrest," he added.&nbsp;

He further informed that those arrested so far face 389 different criminal charges, including obstructing police, disobeying a court order, assault, mischief, possessing a weapon and assaulting a police officer.&nbsp;

The demonstrations started as the protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers. However, the blockade turned into a demonstration against Trudeau and the government.&nbsp;

Reports have mentioned that the last few protesters stayed late into Saturday night but it was fizzled as a deep freeze gripped the city.&nbsp;

On Saturday (February 19), police also used force such as batons and pepper spray when&nbsp;they attempted to remove the demonstrators.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Canada truckers protest: Cops continue crackdown with baton, pepper spray

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The Canadian police have secured the capital city Ottawa with fences as the city workers cleaned up trash and snow ploughs cleared streets on Sunday (February 20).

The Canadian police have secured the capital city Ottawa with fences as the city workers cleaned up trash and snow ploughs cleared streets on Sunday (February 20). After a couple of days of tense standoffs and use of force by Canadian police, the three-week-long demonstrations in Ottawa ended. Ottawa's Interim Police Chief Steve Bell told reporters: "We promised earlier this week that we would clear our streets and give them back to our residents." "We promised that we would return our city to a state of normalcy. With every hour, we are getting closer to that goal," Bell further added. ALSO READ | Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be protected: China Protesters used hundreds of trucks and vehicles to paralyse the Canadian capital by parking and camping on the streets since January 28. The protest even prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to invoke rarely used emergency powers. During the tense standoff, police reportedly made over 191 arrests. Police said that over 76 vehicles had been towed. ALSO READ | US President Joe Biden to meet Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin till he halts Ukraine invasion Ottawa's Interim Police Chief also said: "City crews are clearing and ploughing the affected areas. At this time, checkpoints remain throughout the city." "We ask residents to respect these checkpoints and the officers who are working there. We continue to advise unlawful protesters that they must leave the area immediately or they may face arrest," he added. He further informed that those arrested so far face 389 different criminal charges, including obstructing police, disobeying a court order, assault, mischief, possessing a weapon and assaulting a police officer. The demonstrations started as the protesters initially wanted an end to cross-border COVID-19 vaccine mandates for truck drivers. However, the blockade turned into a demonstration against Trudeau and the government. Reports have mentioned that the last few protesters stayed late into Saturday night but it was fizzled as a deep freeze gripped the city. On Saturday (February 19), police also used force such as batons and pepper spray when they attempted to remove the demonstrators. WATCH | Canada truckers protest: Cops continue crackdown with baton, pepper spray ×

Canadian police secure capital as weeks-long anti-vaccine protest appears to end

The government of Nepal has made a change in the laws related to the marriage of Indian women to Nepalese citizens.&nbsp;

The open border between India and Nepal results in hundreds of marriages of Indian women to locals of Nepal every year.&nbsp;

However, the process of getting citizenship after the marriage was cumbersome as one had to make rounds of the court to make a marriage certificate.&nbsp;

Important to note that the previous government of Nepal had curtailed the political and social rights of Indian women.&nbsp;

Apart from that, the Indian women married to a Nepali citizen had to make a strict law like waiting for seven years to get a certificate of citizenship.&nbsp;

However, after much opposition, the seven-year law had to be withdrawn. Now the Deuwa government of Nepal has made another law for Indian women marrying in Nepal.&nbsp;

Turmoil in Nepal

Meanwhile, the South Asian nation's is facing turmoil as police in Kathmandu fired teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters opposed to a US-funded infrastructure programme that was presented in parliament for ratification on Sunday, witnesses and officials in Nepal's capital said.&nbsp;

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a US government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund a 300-kilometre&nbsp;electricity transmission line and a road improvement project in Nepal.&nbsp;

Government officials said the grant will not have to be repaid and has no conditions attached, but opponents say the agreement would undermine Nepal's laws and sovereignty as lawmakers would have insufficient oversight of the board directing the infrastructure project.&nbsp;

The government of Nepal has made a change in the laws related to the marriage of Indian women to Nepalese citizens. The open border between India and Nepal results in hundreds of marriages of Indian women to locals of Nepal every year.

The government of Nepal has made a change in the laws related to the marriage of Indian women to Nepalese citizens. The open border between India and Nepal results in hundreds of marriages of Indian women to locals of Nepal every year. However, the process of getting citizenship after the marriage was cumbersome as one had to make rounds of the court to make a marriage certificate. Important to note that the previous government of Nepal had curtailed the political and social rights of Indian women. Apart from that, the Indian women married to a Nepali citizen had to make a strict law like waiting for seven years to get a certificate of citizenship. However, after much opposition, the seven-year law had to be withdrawn. Now the Deuwa government of Nepal has made another law for Indian women marrying in Nepal. Turmoil in Nepal Meanwhile, the South Asian nation's is facing turmoil as police in Kathmandu fired teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters opposed to a US-funded infrastructure programme that was presented in parliament for ratification on Sunday, witnesses and officials in Nepal's capital said. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a US government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund a 300-kilometre electricity transmission line and a road improvement project in Nepal. Government officials said the grant will not have to be repaid and has no conditions attached, but opponents say the agreement would undermine Nepal's laws and sovereignty as lawmakers would have insufficient oversight of the board directing the infrastructure project.

Indian women married in Nepal will no longer have to go to court as government changes law

International Mother Language Day, which is a national holiday in Bangladesh, is observed worldwide annually on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism.

International Mother Language Day, which is a national holiday in Bangladesh, is observed worldwide annually on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. At the 1999 UNESCO General Conference, the idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was approved and it has been marked throughout the world since 2000. The initiative was taken by Bangladesh. This year's theme is - "Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities". The theme aims to discuss the potential role of technology in order to advance multilingual education. ALSO READ | How a Chilean indigenous language vanishes as last native speaker dies "UNESCO believes in the importance of cultural and linguistic diversity for sustainable societies. It is within its mandate for peace that it works to preserve the differences in cultures and languages that foster tolerance and respect for others" - UNESCO Linguistic diversity has been threatened languages are disappearing over the course of time. Recently, an indigenous language from South America's extreme south has all but vanished after the death of its last living speaker and guardian of its ancestral culture. UNESCO states that globally 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. "Every two weeks a language disappears taking with it an entire cultural and intellectual heritage. At least 43% of the estimated 6000 languages spoken in the world are endangered," as per the United Nations. Here are some of the facts about Indian mother languages: 1) There are 121 languages in India -The 22 languages specified in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India are given in Part A. -Rest are specified in the Eighth Schedule (numbering 99) are given in Part B. 2) There are 270 mother tongues. -Hindi is the mother language of more than 520 million people and it is one of the most popular languages in India. -Sanskrit is the language of 24,821 people only. -In India, English comes under the category of non-scheduled languages i.e not specified in the eighth schedule. History of International Mother's Day On February 21 in 1952, Pakistan declared Urdu as the national language of the country. A move that didn't go well with the people from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). They came out on the streets to protest against the decision by the Pakistan government. Police used force as they fired on protestors which lead to many deaths and injured. On January 9 in 1998, Rafiqul Islam and Abdus Salam, Bengalis living in Vancouver, Canada wrote a letter to Kofi Annan, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations. In the letter, they asked the UN to save the world's languages from extinction by declaring an International Mother Language Day. The date February 21 was proposed by Rafiq to commemorate the 1952 killings in Dhaka during the Language Movement. In 1999, February 21 was declared International Mother Language Day by UNESCO. In 2022, the US general assembly welcomed the decision. In 2007, the UNGA called upon member states "to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world". This year's theme is - "Using technology for multilingual learning: Challenges and opportunities". The theme aims to discuss the potential role of technology in order to advance multilingual education.

History and significance of International Mother Language Day 2022: Some facts about Indian mother languages

India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian held productive talks on Monday (February 21).&nbsp;

Both the ministers discussed bilateral cooperations and Indo-Pacific at lengths. They also discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis situation. "Arrived in Paris. Held wide-ranging and productive talks with FM Jean-Yves Le Drian," Jaishankar wrote on his Twitter. &nbsp;

He added, "Discussions on bilateral cooperation, Ukraine situation, Indo-Pacific and JCPOA reflected our deep trust &amp; global partnership. Look forward to participating in EU Ministerial Forum on Indo- Pacific."&nbsp;

On Sunday, Jaishankar began his three-day visit to France and he will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).&nbsp;

The Indian external affairs minister is set to attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on February 22. The forum is crucial from the perspective of India as it will happen amid Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.&nbsp;

This visit comes after Jaishankar participated in the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 in Germany, where he held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world.&nbsp;

The border tensions have deteriorated as Russia has placed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;France proposes Ukraine summit; Biden, Putin to de-escalate tensions

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(With inputs from agencies)

India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian held productive talks on Monday (February 21). Both the ministers discussed bilateral cooperations and Indo-Pacific at lengths.

India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian held productive talks on Monday (February 21). Both the ministers discussed bilateral cooperations and Indo-Pacific at lengths. They also discussed the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis situation. "Arrived in Paris. Held wide-ranging and productive talks with FM Jean-Yves Le Drian," Jaishankar wrote on his Twitter. He added, "Discussions on bilateral cooperation, Ukraine situation, Indo-Pacific and JCPOA reflected our deep trust & global partnership. Look forward to participating in EU Ministerial Forum on Indo- Pacific." On Sunday, Jaishankar began his three-day visit to France and he will also give an address at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI). The Indian external affairs minister is set to attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific on February 22. The forum is crucial from the perspective of India as it will happen amid Chinese assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. This visit comes after Jaishankar participated in the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 in Germany, where he held a series of meeting with ministers from Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world. The border tensions have deteriorated as Russia has placed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated. WATCH | France proposes Ukraine summit; Biden, Putin to de-escalate tensions × (With inputs from agencies)

Indian and French foreign ministers discuss Russia-Ukraine situation, Indo-Pacific and JCPOA

A cavalcade of big rigs rumbled into the Canadian capital, blocked major streets, drew thousands of supporters, enraged residents and captured the attention of a shocked nation for three weeks. Now they’re gone, leaving Canadians to grapple with some high stakes questions about their country’s political future.

Was the occupation an aberration, or was it the beginning of a more fundamental shift in the country’s political landscape? Did their chaotic blockade alienate the public so much that the movement has no shot at a future, or did it form the base for a lasting political organization?

“There is a worry, and it’s been expressed in all kinds of ways, that this protest movement will become something much more significant and much more sustained,” said Wesley Wark, a senior fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian public policy group. “It was given terrific oxygen to spread its message.”

The moment is uniquely tied to the pandemic: Protesters demanded an end to all government pandemic measures. But it is also part of a broader trend.

Social media was a driving force behind street protests of the past decade or so, uniting multitudes in occupations from Zuccotti Park in New York to Gezi Park in Istanbul. But research has shown that such movements often have a tough time converting their energy into real change.

By Sunday afternoon, streets in Ottawa that had been clogged with trucks, makeshift canteens and noisy protesters were largely empty except for police vehicles. A swath of downtown had been fenced off. A protester compound that had occupied a baseball stadium’s parking lot had been cleared — although about two dozen heavy trucks and a cluster of other vehicles reconvened about 100 kilometers outside the city.

During their three-week occupation, much about the protests alienated Canadians. At a border blockade in Alberta, police seized a large cache of weapons and charged four protesters with conspiring to murder police officers.

But demonstrators also saw much of the disruption they caused as a tactical victory.

One contingent in Windsor, Ontario, blocked a key bridge between Canada and the United States for a week, forcing auto plants to scale back production and disrupting about $300 million a day in trade.

From the beginning, they caught law enforcement flat-footed. Some truckers said in interviews that they were surprised at being allowed to stay in the first place, and the city’s police chief resigned in response to the public anger over the sluggish pace at which authorities moved to dislodge them.

The breakup of the demonstration came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has cast himself as a champion of human rights, invoked an emergency measure that gave the police the ability to seize the protesters’ vehicles and allowed banks to freeze their accounts. Trudeau’s decision prompted legal action to quash the order from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which called it “unconstitutional.”

The leader of the Conservative Party, Erin O’Toole, had tilted increasingly toward the center, but was forced out and temporarily replaced by a full-throated supporter of the protests. And Doug Ford, Ontario’s premier, lifted the proof of vaccination requirement and capacity limits for businesses slightly earlier than planned.

Neither move was directly tied to the occupation — Ford explicitly said he was not responding to protesters’ demands but to the public health trends — but both were celebrated as wins by the occupiers.

Perhaps most consequentially, under the eye of ubiquitous television cameras and livestreaming cellphones, the protests dominated the airwaves for weeks and generated conversation about coronavirus restrictions.

“The big lesson in all of this is everybody’s learned that we’re not actually powerless,” B.J. Dichter, an official spokesperson for the convoy, said in an online discussion among supporters last week. Much has “happened as a result of all these people coming together,” he said.

But the demonstrators haven’t actually channeled the energy built up over weeks into a clear political force, experts said.

Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party of Canada, a right-wing group that has no seats in Parliament, showed up to the protests — but he didn’t attract much more attention than any other speaker.

And although there were pockets of sympathy for the protesters’ frustration with pandemic rules, the bulk of Canadians resented their tactics and wanted them to go home, surveys show. In Ottawa, residents were angry that the authorities took so long to act.

“This thing was a truly fringe movement that got lucky, in my view, in terms of failures of policing,” Wark said. “I think this has been an extraordinary moment and flash in the pan.”

There were elements of right-wing extremism tied to the protests around the country, where Confederate, QAnon and Trump flags had cropped up. Conspiracy theorists could be found milling about Parliament, too: people who believed big Pharma created the coronavirus in order to make money on vaccines or that QR codes allow the government to police our thoughts.

But the protests drew in thousands of people on some weekends, many of them just frustrated Canadians who didn’t want to be forced to get a vaccine or were just fed up with the pandemic and its restrictions. The majority of the more than $8 million donated to the truckers through GiveSendGo came from Canada, a data leak showed.

Trucker after trucker said this was his or her first protest. Michael Johnson, 53, parked his fire-engine-red truck in front of Parliament after his son suggested they drive in with the convoy. He stayed there until the very end.

“When we turned our headlights toward Ottawa, I don’t think any of us knew what we were driving into,” Johnson said. “I didn’t realize how bad it was until I got here.”

Johnson never got vaccinated and didn’t have to — hauling scrap metal around northern Ontario doesn’t require crossing the border. And he said he recently became a supporter of the right-wing People’s Party of Canada. But he believes the coronavirus is real and when people knocked on the door of his cab to talk about conspiracy theories, he refused to engage.

“That’s not why I’m here,” he said. “It’s a distraction.”

Every 10 minutes or so, someone stopped by to drop off money, give him a hug, or thank him.

Johnson has heard stories of people who lost their jobs because they don’t want to get vaccinated. His cab is plastered with appreciation letters from people who have told him that the movement made them feel, for once, that they weren’t crazy or alone.

“Telling people you either get this or you lose your jobs or you can’t go to places — it’s segregation,” Johnson said.

Carmen Celestini, a postdoctoral fellow at the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, said that kind of protester, “the genuine people who are anti-vaccine,” has been overlooked throughout the occupation.

“Their voices have been ignored in much of this,” Celestini said, adding that, “because we keep shoving that underneath name-calling and not engaging, it’s going to fester.”

Johnson’s truck is the most valuable thing that he owns, and it is his livelihood. The risk of losing it left him anxious. When the police started closing in, his uncle and aunt begged him to go home.

“The realization of what I might lose from all this,” he said, “that’s scary.” There was a part of him that wanted the stakeout to just end. But he refused to pack up early.

“I’m too far in now,” he said, “If we show fear, everyone else will lose momentum.”

On Saturday, police finally reached his door. A man walked up to shake his hand through the window one more time. Johnson walked out with his hands in the air, surrendering himself and his truck to the authorities. A crush of supporters let out a cheer. “We love you,” several people yelled.

Johnson was forced out of the protest along with everyone else gathered in front of Parliament. But he vowed to keep fighting.

“Now,” he said, “they’ve woken me up.”

A cavalcade of big rigs rumbled into the Canadian capital, blocked major streets, drew thousands of supporters, enraged residents and captured the attention of a shocked nation for three weeks.

A cavalcade of big rigs rumbled into the Canadian capital, blocked major streets, drew thousands of supporters, enraged residents and captured the attention of a shocked nation for three weeks. Now they’re gone, leaving Canadians to grapple with some high stakes questions about their country’s political future. Was the occupation an aberration, or was it the beginning of a more fundamental shift in the country’s political landscape? Did their chaotic blockade alienate the public so much that the movement has no shot at a future, or did it form the base for a lasting political organization? “There is a worry, and it’s been expressed in all kinds of ways, that this protest movement will become something much more significant and much more sustained,” said Wesley Wark, a senior fellow at the Center for International Governance Innovation, a Canadian public policy group. “It was given terrific oxygen to spread its message.” The moment is uniquely tied to the pandemic: Protesters demanded an end to all government pandemic measures. But it is also part of a broader trend. Social media was a driving force behind street protests of the past decade or so, uniting multitudes in occupations from Zuccotti Park in New York to Gezi Park in Istanbul. But research has shown that such movements often have a tough time converting their energy into real change. By Sunday afternoon, streets in Ottawa that had been clogged with trucks, makeshift canteens and noisy protesters were largely empty except for police vehicles. A swath of downtown had been fenced off. A protester compound that had occupied a baseball stadium’s parking lot had been cleared — although about two dozen heavy trucks and a cluster of other vehicles reconvened about 100 kilometers outside the city. During their three-week occupation, much about the protests alienated Canadians. At a border blockade in Alberta, police seized a large cache of weapons and charged four protesters with conspiring to murder police officers. But demonstrators also saw much of the disruption they caused as a tactical victory. One contingent in Windsor, Ontario, blocked a key bridge between Canada and the United States for a week, forcing auto plants to scale back production and disrupting about $300 million a day in trade. From the beginning, they caught law enforcement flat-footed. Some truckers said in interviews that they were surprised at being allowed to stay in the first place, and the city’s police chief resigned in response to the public anger over the sluggish pace at which authorities moved to dislodge them. The breakup of the demonstration came after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has cast himself as a champion of human rights, invoked an emergency measure that gave the police the ability to seize the protesters’ vehicles and allowed banks to freeze their accounts. Trudeau’s decision prompted legal action to quash the order from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, which called it “unconstitutional.” The leader of the Conservative Party, Erin O’Toole, had tilted increasingly toward the center, but was forced out and temporarily replaced by a full-throated supporter of the protests. And Doug Ford, Ontario’s premier, lifted the proof of vaccination requirement and capacity limits for businesses slightly earlier than planned. Neither move was directly tied to the occupation — Ford explicitly said he was not responding to protesters’ demands but to the public health trends — but both were celebrated as wins by the occupiers. Perhaps most consequentially, under the eye of ubiquitous television cameras and livestreaming cellphones, the protests dominated the airwaves for weeks and generated conversation about coronavirus restrictions. “The big lesson in all of this is everybody’s learned that we’re not actually powerless,” B.J. Dichter, an official spokesperson for the convoy, said in an online discussion among supporters last week. Much has “happened as a result of all these people coming together,” he said. But the demonstrators haven’t actually channeled the energy built up over weeks into a clear political force, experts said. Maxime Bernier, the leader of the People’s Party of Canada, a right-wing group that has no seats in Parliament, showed up to the protests — but he didn’t attract much more attention than any other speaker. And although there were pockets of sympathy for the protesters’ frustration with pandemic rules, the bulk of Canadians resented their tactics and wanted them to go home, surveys show. In Ottawa, residents were angry that the authorities took so long to act. “This thing was a truly fringe movement that got lucky, in my view, in terms of failures of policing,” Wark said. “I think this has been an extraordinary moment and flash in the pan.” There were elements of right-wing extremism tied to the protests around the country, where Confederate, QAnon and Trump flags had cropped up. Conspiracy theorists could be found milling about Parliament, too: people who believed big Pharma created the coronavirus in order to make money on vaccines or that QR codes allow the government to police our thoughts. But the protests drew in thousands of people on some weekends, many of them just frustrated Canadians who didn’t want to be forced to get a vaccine or were just fed up with the pandemic and its restrictions. The majority of the more than $8 million donated to the truckers through GiveSendGo came from Canada, a data leak showed. Trucker after trucker said this was his or her first protest. Michael Johnson, 53, parked his fire-engine-red truck in front of Parliament after his son suggested they drive in with the convoy. He stayed there until the very end. “When we turned our headlights toward Ottawa, I don’t think any of us knew what we were driving into,” Johnson said. “I didn’t realize how bad it was until I got here.” Johnson never got vaccinated and didn’t have to — hauling scrap metal around northern Ontario doesn’t require crossing the border. And he said he recently became a supporter of the right-wing People’s Party of Canada. But he believes the coronavirus is real and when people knocked on the door of his cab to talk about conspiracy theories, he refused to engage. “That’s not why I’m here,” he said. “It’s a distraction.” Every 10 minutes or so, someone stopped by to drop off money, give him a hug, or thank him. Johnson has heard stories of people who lost their jobs because they don’t want to get vaccinated. His cab is plastered with appreciation letters from people who have told him that the movement made them feel, for once, that they weren’t crazy or alone. “Telling people you either get this or you lose your jobs or you can’t go to places — it’s segregation,” Johnson said. Carmen Celestini, a postdoctoral fellow at the Disinformation Project at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, said that kind of protester, “the genuine people who are anti-vaccine,” has been overlooked throughout the occupation. “Their voices have been ignored in much of this,” Celestini said, adding that, “because we keep shoving that underneath name-calling and not engaging, it’s going to fester.” Johnson’s truck is the most valuable thing that he owns, and it is his livelihood. The risk of losing it left him anxious. When the police started closing in, his uncle and aunt begged him to go home. “The realization of what I might lose from all this,” he said, “that’s scary.” There was a part of him that wanted the stakeout to just end. But he refused to pack up early. “I’m too far in now,” he said, “If we show fear, everyone else will lose momentum.” On Saturday, police finally reached his door. A man walked up to shake his hand through the window one more time. Johnson walked out with his hands in the air, surrendering himself and his truck to the authorities. A crush of supporters let out a cheer. “We love you,” several people yelled. Johnson was forced out of the protest along with everyone else gathered in front of Parliament. But he vowed to keep fighting. “Now,” he said, “they’ve woken me up.”

After trucker protest, Canada grapples with a question: Was it a blip, or something bigger?

Indian politician Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister of the country's northern state Bihar, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment on Monday (February 21) in a multi-million dollar Doranda treasury scam, the fifth fodder scam case.&nbsp;

A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Ranchi also imposed a fine of Rs 6 million on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader.&nbsp;

The popular politician was along with other accused people was pronounced guilty by an Indian court on February 15.&nbsp;

CBI counsel BMP Singh told news agency PTI: "Lalu Prasad has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment while a penalty of Rs 60 lakh has also been imposed on him."&nbsp;

"Apart from Prasad, five years imprisonment each was announced by the Court for five convicts, four years each for 32 convicts and three years each for three convicts," Singh added.&nbsp;

In the Rs 1.39 billion fodder scam case, which is the fifth case related to the scam, an FIR was lodged in the Doranda police station in 1996. CBI later took over the case for investigation.&nbsp;

Previously, Lalu was found guilty of a fodder scam in four cases. He is serving a sentence of 27.5 years of imprisonment.

The 75-year-old appeared in the court virtually as he is in judicial custody and is admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) owing to poor health conditions.&nbsp;

In case, a total of 170 were accused of corruption. However, in the years-long probe and judicial trials, 55 have died. On the other hand, seven became witnesses and two confessed to the crime. Six are still absconding.&nbsp;

During the hearing of the case in the CBI special court, 575 people testified on behalf of the prosecution, while 35 were from the defendants. The probe agency produced 15 documents in the case.

In the scam, large sums of money were illegally withdrawn in the name of transporting animals and arranging fodder for them in Bihar's animal husbandry department. The animals included bull, buffalo, cow, goat and sheep.&nbsp;

The documents submitted by the department regarding the transportation were found to be fake. The vehicle numbers shown in the documents were of scooters, mopeds and motorcycles.

The cases occurred during the period of 1990-1996. The Bihar CAG had sent the information about the graft to the government time and again, but the government did not pay heed to it.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian politician Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister of the country's northern state Bihar, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment on Monday (February 21) in a multi-million dollar Doranda treasury scam, the fifth fodder scam case.

Indian politician Lalu Prasad Yadav, former chief minister of the country's northern state Bihar, was sentenced to five years of imprisonment on Monday (February 21) in a multi-million dollar Doranda treasury scam, the fifth fodder scam case. A special court of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Ranchi also imposed a fine of Rs 6 million on the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader. The popular politician was along with other accused people was pronounced guilty by an Indian court on February 15. CBI counsel BMP Singh told news agency PTI: "Lalu Prasad has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment while a penalty of Rs 60 lakh has also been imposed on him." "Apart from Prasad, five years imprisonment each was announced by the Court for five convicts, four years each for 32 convicts and three years each for three convicts," Singh added. In the Rs 1.39 billion fodder scam case, which is the fifth case related to the scam, an FIR was lodged in the Doranda police station in 1996. CBI later took over the case for investigation. Previously, Lalu was found guilty of a fodder scam in four cases. He is serving a sentence of 27.5 years of imprisonment. The 75-year-old appeared in the court virtually as he is in judicial custody and is admitted to the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) owing to poor health conditions. In case, a total of 170 were accused of corruption. However, in the years-long probe and judicial trials, 55 have died. On the other hand, seven became witnesses and two confessed to the crime. Six are still absconding. During the hearing of the case in the CBI special court, 575 people testified on behalf of the prosecution, while 35 were from the defendants. The probe agency produced 15 documents in the case. In the scam, large sums of money were illegally withdrawn in the name of transporting animals and arranging fodder for them in Bihar's animal husbandry department. The animals included bull, buffalo, cow, goat and sheep. The documents submitted by the department regarding the transportation were found to be fake. The vehicle numbers shown in the documents were of scooters, mopeds and motorcycles. The cases occurred during the period of 1990-1996. The Bihar CAG had sent the information about the graft to the government time and again, but the government did not pay heed to it. (With inputs from agencies)

CBI court sentences Indian politician Lalu Prasad to five years in prison in fodder scam case

British Prime Minister Boris&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;is set Monday to announce an end to all pandemic&nbsp;legal&nbsp;curbs&nbsp;in England, insisting it is time to move on despite political opposition and unease from the UN's health agency.

Two years after&nbsp;Covid-19 sparked the worst health crisis in generations,&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;will address parliament to outline his plan, pressing ahead despite news on Sunday that Queen Elizabeth II had tested positive for the first time.

However, he stands accused by opposition parties of seeking to distract public attention, with his premiership in peril as police investigate a series of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-planning-biggest-war-since-1945-says-boris-johnson-454778">Russia planning biggest war since 1945, says Boris Johnson</a>

"Today (Monday) will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with&nbsp;Covid,"&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;said in a Downing Street statement.

"The pandemic is not over, but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others."

Under the "living with&nbsp;Covid"&nbsp;plan, the government says it intends this week to end a&nbsp;legal&nbsp;requirement for people to self-isolate when infected with the coronavirus.

It says local authorities will be required to manage further outbreaks with pre-existing&nbsp;legal&nbsp;powers, and is expected to phase out free&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;testing for the general public.

The NHS Confederation, which represents senior managers in the state-run National Health Service, said internal polling showed a large majority of its members were opposed to ending self-isolation and free tests.

Matthew Taylor, the confederation's chief executive, acknowledged that the government's mass vaccination programme and the emergence of new&nbsp;Covid&nbsp;treatments offered "real hope".

"But the government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat has disappeared entirely," he said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-says-threat-to-taiwan-if-west-does-not-support-ukraine-454634">Boris Johnson says threat to Taiwan if West does not support Ukraine</a>

'Very unwise indeed'

David Nabarro, a World Health Organization special envoy for&nbsp;Covid, said that scrapping the law on self-isolation was "really very unwise indeed".&nbsp;

While the&nbsp;UK&nbsp;has suffered one of the world's worst per-capita death tolls in the pandemic, it remains a country with "an enviable record for public health expertise", the British official told BBC radio on Saturday.

"I really do worry that Britain is taking a line that is against the public health consensus -- that other countries, other leaders will say if Britain is doing it, why can't we, and this will create a bit of a domino effect around the world," Nabarro added.

In the&nbsp;UK's devolved system, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own health policies and are largely staying more cautious than&nbsp;Johnson's intentions for England.

The opposition Labour party said that ending free testing was akin to substituting "your best defender" with 10 minutes to go of a football match.

"Boris&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door," Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting said.

Watch |&nbsp;Covid, Ukraine...Is PM Boris Johnson using crisis to stem unpopularity?

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/covid-ukraineis-pm-boris-johnson-using-crisis-to-stem-unpopularity-455002/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Downing Street confirmed on Friday that&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;had submitted a written response to police questions about parties held over the past two years, as detectives probe whether attendees violated strict social distancing and virus prevention rules in place at the time.

He stonewalled questions about the "partygate" affair in a weekend BBC interview, and declined to say if he would resign if he is fined by the police.

But&nbsp;Johnson&nbsp;insisted that despite the apparent party breaches by himself and his staff, the public would still follow guidance to self-isolate when necessary, even without a&nbsp;legal&nbsp;mandate.

"Look at the evidence, look at what the British people have done," he said, referring to general compliance with the rules since the pandemic struck early in 2020.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set Monday to announce an end to all pandemic legal curbs in England, insisting it is time to move on despite political opposition and unease from the UN's health agency.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set Monday to announce an end to all pandemic legal curbs in England, insisting it is time to move on despite political opposition and unease from the UN's health agency. Two years after Covid-19 sparked the worst health crisis in generations, Johnson will address parliament to outline his plan, pressing ahead despite news on Sunday that Queen Elizabeth II had tested positive for the first time. However, he stands accused by opposition parties of seeking to distract public attention, with his premiership in peril as police investigate a series of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street. Also read | Russia planning biggest war since 1945, says Boris Johnson "Today (Monday) will mark a moment of pride after one of the most difficult periods in our country's history as we begin to learn to live with Covid," Johnson said in a Downing Street statement. "The pandemic is not over, but thanks to the incredible vaccine rollout we are now one step closer towards a return to normality and finally giving people back their freedoms while continuing to protect ourselves and others." Under the "living with Covid" plan, the government says it intends this week to end a legal requirement for people to self-isolate when infected with the coronavirus. It says local authorities will be required to manage further outbreaks with pre-existing legal powers, and is expected to phase out free Covid testing for the general public. The NHS Confederation, which represents senior managers in the state-run National Health Service, said internal polling showed a large majority of its members were opposed to ending self-isolation and free tests. Matthew Taylor, the confederation's chief executive, acknowledged that the government's mass vaccination programme and the emergence of new Covid treatments offered "real hope". "But the government cannot wave a magic wand and pretend the threat has disappeared entirely," he said. Also read | Boris Johnson says threat to Taiwan if West does not support Ukraine 'Very unwise indeed' David Nabarro, a World Health Organization special envoy for Covid, said that scrapping the law on self-isolation was "really very unwise indeed". While the UK has suffered one of the world's worst per-capita death tolls in the pandemic, it remains a country with "an enviable record for public health expertise", the British official told BBC radio on Saturday. "I really do worry that Britain is taking a line that is against the public health consensus -- that other countries, other leaders will say if Britain is doing it, why can't we, and this will create a bit of a domino effect around the world," Nabarro added. In the UK's devolved system, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland set their own health policies and are largely staying more cautious than Johnson's intentions for England. The opposition Labour party said that ending free testing was akin to substituting "your best defender" with 10 minutes to go of a football match. "Boris Johnson is declaring victory before the war is over, in an attempt to distract from the police knocking at his door," Labour's health spokesman Wes Streeting said. Watch | Covid, Ukraine...Is PM Boris Johnson using crisis to stem unpopularity? Downing Street confirmed on Friday that Johnson had submitted a written response to police questions about parties held over the past two years, as detectives probe whether attendees violated strict social distancing and virus prevention rules in place at the time. He stonewalled questions about the "partygate" affair in a weekend BBC interview, and declined to say if he would resign if he is fined by the police. But Johnson insisted that despite the apparent party breaches by himself and his staff, the public would still follow guidance to self-isolate when necessary, even without a legal mandate. "Look at the evidence, look at what the British people have done," he said, referring to general compliance with the rules since the pandemic struck early in 2020.

UK: Boris Johnson to scrap all COVID-19 legal curbs as criticism mounts

India and France have agreed on a Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance with the aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, based on the rule of law.

This agreement came during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's three-day visit to France. The scope of the roadmap will encompass maritime trade, the naval industry, fisheries, marine technology and scientific research, integrated coastal management, marine eco-tourism, inland waterways, and cooperation between competent administrations on civil maritime issues.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/s-jaishankar-begins-3-day-visit-to-france-to-attend-eu-ministerial-forum-for-cooperation-in-indo-pacific-454895">S. Jaishankar begins 3-day visit to France to attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in Indo-Pacific</a>

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said that both nations plan to organise an annual bilateral dialogue on the blue economy and ocean governance to exchange views on their priorities, share their best practices and support ongoing and future cooperation.

"India and France intend to make blue economy a driver of progress of their respective societies while respecting the environment and coastal and marine biodiversity," the MEA said in a joint document.

India and France underscored that fisheries are a vital economic sector and play a decisive role in food security and livelihood security, particularly for coastal populations.

They also highlighted that demographic, economic and societal factors have led to an increased global demand for marine products and growing stress on global fish stocks.

According to the statement, India and France will make the blue economy a priority in the development of their economic exchanges.

"They will facilitate contacts between economic actors, business heads organisations, technopoles and maritime clusters of the two countries, cross investments, as well as visa issuance to entrepreneurs active in the blue economy," the MEA said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/eam-jaishankar-to-visit-munich-paris-india-australia-france-fms-trilateral-on-anvil-452012">EAM Jaishankar to visit Munich, Paris; India, Australia, France FMs trilateral on anvil</a>

Earlier today, Jaishankar held wide-ranging and productive talks in Paris with France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and both sides discussed cooperation, the Ukraine situation and Indo-Pacific.Jaishankar on Sunday began his visit to France.

He will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, amid China`s assertiveness in the region, on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council.

India and France have agreed on a Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance with the aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, based on the rule of law.

India and France have agreed on a Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance with the aim to contribute to scientific knowledge and ocean conservation and ensure that the ocean remains a global common, based on the rule of law. This agreement came during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's three-day visit to France. The scope of the roadmap will encompass maritime trade, the naval industry, fisheries, marine technology and scientific research, integrated coastal management, marine eco-tourism, inland waterways, and cooperation between competent administrations on civil maritime issues. Also read | S. Jaishankar begins 3-day visit to France to attend EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in Indo-Pacific The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement said that both nations plan to organise an annual bilateral dialogue on the blue economy and ocean governance to exchange views on their priorities, share their best practices and support ongoing and future cooperation. "India and France intend to make blue economy a driver of progress of their respective societies while respecting the environment and coastal and marine biodiversity," the MEA said in a joint document. India and France underscored that fisheries are a vital economic sector and play a decisive role in food security and livelihood security, particularly for coastal populations. They also highlighted that demographic, economic and societal factors have led to an increased global demand for marine products and growing stress on global fish stocks. According to the statement, India and France will make the blue economy a priority in the development of their economic exchanges. "They will facilitate contacts between economic actors, business heads organisations, technopoles and maritime clusters of the two countries, cross investments, as well as visa issuance to entrepreneurs active in the blue economy," the MEA said. Also read | EAM Jaishankar to visit Munich, Paris; India, Australia, France FMs trilateral on anvil Earlier today, Jaishankar held wide-ranging and productive talks in Paris with France Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and both sides discussed cooperation, the Ukraine situation and Indo-Pacific.Jaishankar on Sunday began his visit to France. He will attend the EU Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, amid China`s assertiveness in the region, on February 22, an initiative of the French Presidency of the European Council.

India and France agree on Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance

Israeli&nbsp;Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that a U.S.-Iranian&nbsp;deal&nbsp;taking shape to revive&nbsp;Iran's 2015&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;agreement with world powers is weaker than the original arrangement and&nbsp;would&nbsp;lead to a more violent&nbsp;Middle&nbsp;East.

The 2015&nbsp;deal&nbsp;limited&nbsp;Iran’s enrichment of uranium to make it harder for Tehran to develop material for&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;weapons, in return for a lifting of international sanctions against Tehran.

But it has eroded since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States and reimposed far-reaching sanctions on&nbsp;Iran.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-sees-iran-nuclear-deal-shortly-warns-it-may-be-weaker-naftali-bennett-454791">Israel sees Iran nuclear deal 'shortly,' warns it may be 'weaker': Naftali Bennett</a>

"The emerging&nbsp;deal, as it seems, is highly likely to create a more violent, more volatile&nbsp;Middle&nbsp;East," Bennett said in a speech in Jerusalem to Jewish American leaders.

The aim of the&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;talks in Vienna is to return to the original bargain of lifting sanctions against&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;in exchange for restrictions on its&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;activities that extend the time it&nbsp;would&nbsp;need to produce enough enriched uranium for an atomic bomb if it chose to.

Iran&nbsp;says&nbsp;its&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;ambitions are peaceful.

Bennett said the biggest problem in current negotiations was the possibility of the shorter timeline - two and a half years - before&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;could freely operate advanced centrifuges, since the original timeline may not be extended.

"Israel will not accept&nbsp;Iran&nbsp;as a&nbsp;nuclear&nbsp;threshold state," he said, reiterating a long-standing position, at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "Israel will always maintain its freedom of action to defend itself."

Watch |&nbsp;Israel PM Naftali Bennett slams emerging Nuclear Deal

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&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that a U.S.-Iranian deal taking shape to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers is weaker than the original arrangement and would lead to a more violent Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Sunday that a U.S.-Iranian deal taking shape to revive Iran's 2015 nuclear agreement with world powers is weaker than the original arrangement and would lead to a more violent Middle East. The 2015 deal limited Iran’s enrichment of uranium to make it harder for Tehran to develop material for nuclear weapons, in return for a lifting of international sanctions against Tehran. But it has eroded since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump withdrew the United States and reimposed far-reaching sanctions on Iran. Also read | Israel sees Iran nuclear deal 'shortly,' warns it may be 'weaker': Naftali Bennett "The emerging deal, as it seems, is highly likely to create a more violent, more volatile Middle East," Bennett said in a speech in Jerusalem to Jewish American leaders. The aim of the nuclear talks in Vienna is to return to the original bargain of lifting sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities that extend the time it would need to produce enough enriched uranium for an atomic bomb if it chose to. Iran says its nuclear ambitions are peaceful. Bennett said the biggest problem in current negotiations was the possibility of the shorter timeline - two and a half years - before Iran could freely operate advanced centrifuges, since the original timeline may not be extended. "Israel will not accept Iran as a nuclear threshold state," he said, reiterating a long-standing position, at the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. "Israel will always maintain its freedom of action to defend itself." Watch | Israel PM Naftali Bennett slams emerging Nuclear Deal

Israeli PM says revived Iran nuclear deal would mean a 'more violent' Middle East

Amid rising Russia and Ukraine tensions, a&nbsp;blast was heard early on Monday in the centre of the city of&nbsp;Donetsk, which is held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Reuters reported citing a witness.&nbsp;

So far, the origin of the blast was unclear.

As per reports, people evacuated from the Moscow-backed breakaway region of Donetsk wait for trains in the southwestern Russian town of Taganrog, to move deeper into the country.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/did-russia-give-orders-to-attack-ukraine-us-media-cites-intel-inputs-that-were-apparently-known-to-biden-454927">Did Russia give orders to 'attack' Ukraine? US media cites intel inputs that were apparently known to Biden</a>

It is important to note that the Moscow-backed separatists have accused Ukraine of planning an offensive into their enclave, and ordered a general mobilisation.&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine. The news about the crucial summit was revealed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who held a telephonic conversation with the Russian leader on Sunday (February 20).&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Kremlin on Monday (February 21) said that it is "premature" to organise the Biden-Putin summit over Ukraine.

"It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that no "concrete plans" had been put in place for a meeting.&nbsp;

Russia has placed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated.&nbsp;

US official told reporters Friday, insisting on anonymity that "forty to fifty per cent (of those troops) are in an attack position. They have uncoiled in tactical assembly in the last 48 hours".&nbsp;

Reports have also quoted a US official, who on Sunday said that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Explosions heard in Ukraine's Donetsk, OSCE calls for security meet to discuss de-escalation

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Amid rising Russia and Ukraine tensions, a blast was heard early on Monday in the centre of the city of Donetsk, which is held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Reuters reported citing a witness.

Amid rising Russia and Ukraine tensions, a blast was heard early on Monday in the centre of the city of Donetsk, which is held by Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, Reuters reported citing a witness. So far, the origin of the blast was unclear. As per reports, people evacuated from the Moscow-backed breakaway region of Donetsk wait for trains in the southwestern Russian town of Taganrog, to move deeper into the country. ALSO READ | Did Russia give orders to 'attack' Ukraine? US media cites intel inputs that were apparently known to Biden It is important to note that the Moscow-backed separatists have accused Ukraine of planning an offensive into their enclave, and ordered a general mobilisation. US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed in principle to a summit over Ukraine. The news about the crucial summit was revealed by French President Emmanuel Macron, who held a telephonic conversation with the Russian leader on Sunday (February 20). Meanwhile, Kremlin on Monday (February 21) said that it is "premature" to organise the Biden-Putin summit over Ukraine. "It's premature to talk about any specific plans for organising any kind of summits," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that no "concrete plans" had been put in place for a meeting. Russia has placed more than 150,000 troops near Ukraine's borders in recent weeks, the United States and Western allies have estimated. US official told reporters Friday, insisting on anonymity that "forty to fifty per cent (of those troops) are in an attack position. They have uncoiled in tactical assembly in the last 48 hours". Reports have also quoted a US official, who on Sunday said that Biden's assertion that Putin has made the decision to roll Russian forces into Ukraine was based on intelligence that Russian front-line commanders have been given orders to begin final preparations for an attack. WATCH | Explosions heard in Ukraine's Donetsk, OSCE calls for security meet to discuss de-escalation ×

Ukraine crisis: Explosion reportedly hits Donetsk airport area; Kremlin says Biden-Putin summit 'premature'

New&nbsp;Zealand will lift COVID-19 vaccine&nbsp;mandates&nbsp;and social distancing measures&nbsp;after&nbsp;the&nbsp;Omicron&nbsp;peak has passed, Prime Minister Jacinda&nbsp;Ardern&nbsp;said on Monday, as protesters occupying the parliament grounds again clashed with police.

Inspired by truckers' demonstrations in Canada, thousands of protesters have blocked streets near the parliament in the capital Wellington for two weeks with trucks, cars and motorcycles, piling pressure on the government to scrap vaccine&nbsp;mandates.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/remote-but-connected-new-zealands-jacinda-ardern-talks-about-covid-climate-change-and-peace-at-unga-415736">'Remote, but connected': New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern talks about Covid, climate change and peace at UNGA</a>

Ardern&nbsp;refused to set a hard date, but said there would be a narrowing of vaccine requirements after Omicron reaches a peak, which is expected in mid to late March.

"We all want to go back to the way life was. And we will, I suspect sooner than you think,"&nbsp;Ardern&nbsp;said at a weekly&nbsp;news conference.

"But when that happens, it will be because easing restrictions won't compromise the lives of thousands of people – not because you demanded it," she said, addressing protestors.

The demonstrations began as a stand against the vaccine&nbsp;mandates&nbsp;but have since spread to become a wider movement against&nbsp;Ardern&nbsp;and her government.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-covid-pill-from-merck-showed-more-promise-in-reducing-the-risk-of-hospitalisation-454773">A Covid pill from Merck showed more promise in reducing the risk of hospitalisation</a>

On Monday, eight people were arrested for disorderly behaviour and obstruction, with human waste thrown over some police officers.

New&nbsp;Zealand has reported about 16,000 cases of COVID-19 and 53 deaths since the pandemic began, relatively low by global standards, but an&nbsp;Omicron-fuelled outbreak has pushed the current seven-day average of&nbsp;new&nbsp;infections to more than 1,600 cases daily.

About 94% of eligible people are vaccinated, with shots mandatory for some staff in front-line jobs.

The parliament stand off is testing&nbsp;Ardern, who garnered plaudits for keeping the country virtually virus-free over the last two years but is facing criticism for continuing strict restrictions and delaying order reopening plans.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-justin-trudeaus-government-fires-a-woman-for-donating-100-to-protesters-454906">Canada: Justin Trudeau's government fires a woman for donating $100 to protesters</a>

"What we are seeing outside parliament, and the reaction to it, is the culmination of underlying issues that have been rumbling along in our communities for some time," main opposition National Party leader Christopher Luxon said on Monday, calling for vaccine&nbsp;mandates&nbsp;to be phased out and borders reopened.

"It's driven by Covid and vaccine&nbsp;mandates, yes, but the frustrations shared by many Kiwis are also driven by a Government that seems to be stalling," he said.

New Zealand will lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates and social distancing measures after the Omicron peak has passed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday, as protesters occupying the parliament grounds again clashed with police.

New Zealand will lift COVID-19 vaccine mandates and social distancing measures after the Omicron peak has passed, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday, as protesters occupying the parliament grounds again clashed with police. Inspired by truckers' demonstrations in Canada, thousands of protesters have blocked streets near the parliament in the capital Wellington for two weeks with trucks, cars and motorcycles, piling pressure on the government to scrap vaccine mandates. Also read | 'Remote, but connected': New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern talks about Covid, climate change and peace at UNGA Ardern refused to set a hard date, but said there would be a narrowing of vaccine requirements after Omicron reaches a peak, which is expected in mid to late March. "We all want to go back to the way life was. And we will, I suspect sooner than you think," Ardern said at a weekly news conference. "But when that happens, it will be because easing restrictions won't compromise the lives of thousands of people – not because you demanded it," she said, addressing protestors. The demonstrations began as a stand against the vaccine mandates but have since spread to become a wider movement against Ardern and her government. Also read | A Covid pill from Merck showed more promise in reducing the risk of hospitalisation On Monday, eight people were arrested for disorderly behaviour and obstruction, with human waste thrown over some police officers. New Zealand has reported about 16,000 cases of COVID-19 and 53 deaths since the pandemic began, relatively low by global standards, but an Omicron-fuelled outbreak has pushed the current seven-day average of new infections to more than 1,600 cases daily. About 94% of eligible people are vaccinated, with shots mandatory for some staff in front-line jobs. The parliament stand off is testing Ardern, who garnered plaudits for keeping the country virtually virus-free over the last two years but is facing criticism for continuing strict restrictions and delaying order reopening plans. Also read | Canada: Justin Trudeau's government fires a woman for donating $100 to protesters "What we are seeing outside parliament, and the reaction to it, is the culmination of underlying issues that have been rumbling along in our communities for some time," main opposition National Party leader Christopher Luxon said on Monday, calling for vaccine mandates to be phased out and borders reopened. "It's driven by Covid and vaccine mandates, yes, but the frustrations shared by many Kiwis are also driven by a Government that seems to be stalling," he said.

COVID-19: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern signals mandates will ease after Omicron peaks

A veteran Turkish political&nbsp;leader&nbsp;who has struggled for years to have President Tayyip Erdogan voted out of office says it is "very clear" that his dream is drawing nearer, even as doubts remain about whether he will be the main&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;candidate at presidential elections set for 2023.

In an interview, Kemal Kilicdaroglu,&nbsp;leader&nbsp;of the main&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;Republican People's Party (CHP), confidently predicted victory at the polls as Turkey suffers economic hardships brought on by&nbsp;Erdogan's&nbsp;unorthodox monetary policies.

The comments reinforce expectations Kilicdaroglu, 73, will be the presidential candidate of a six-party alliance in elections due by June 2023, though polls show several other&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;figures winning more support.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-says-turkey-continuing-positive-dialogue-with-saudi-arabia-media-453778">Erdogan says Turkey continuing 'positive dialogue' with Saudi Arabia</a>

"Of course, five party&nbsp;leaders pronouncing me as candidate would be an honour. It also means they have trust," he told Reuters in his office on the 12th floor of the CHP's headquarters on the outskirts of Ankara.

The six anti-Erdogan party&nbsp;leaders would discuss their candidate later, but first need to agree on economic, social and other policies for their joint platform. It is "very obvious and very clear" that whoever they choose will become president, he said.

Kilicdaroglu said he saw no reason for&nbsp;Turkey's&nbsp;purchase of Russian S-400 missiles that caused a rift with Washington. He also said he would overhaul the central bank's&nbsp;leadership if elected.

A former economist and civil servant who lacks the president's fiery charisma, Kilicdaroglu has lingered in&nbsp;Erdogan's&nbsp;shadow&nbsp;as the CHP, which he has chaired since 2010, suffered repeated defeats.&nbsp;

Erdogan's&nbsp;favourite target, he has stoically absorbed near-daily criticism and even scorns&nbsp;from&nbsp;the man who has dominated the country for nearly two decades.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/leukemia-patient-from-turkey-tests-covid-positive-78-times-in-over-a-year-453642">Leukemia patient from Turkey tests Covid positive 78 times in over a year</a>

Yet Kilicdaroglu and other critics of the country's authoritarian and Islamist drift sense their time may have come.

Erdogan's&nbsp;polls have slid to multi-year lows after his unorthodox interest rate cuts sparked a currency crisis late last year, which in turn sent living costs soaring and deepened poverty, especially among the president's working-class base.

The&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;bloc includes nationalists, liberals and conservatives - though not parliament's third-biggest party, the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party.

Can Selcuki of Istanbul-based pollster Turkiye Raporu said Kilicdaroglu has grown "bolder and more aggressive", showing his determination to be the bloc's candidate.

But he remains the "weakest nominee" of the&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;hopefuls and unless his support grows, Selcuki predicted he could still pull out before the vote.

Bespectacled and low-key, Kilicdaroglu earned the nickname "Gandhi Kemal" for his style, and for strategies such as his vow this month not to pay electricity bills in protest at price hikes in the face of near 50% inflation.

CHP parliamentarian Utku Cakirozer said Kilicdaroglu's ability to build alliances was key to broadening the&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;platform. "He is open to building bridges with different parts of society," he said.

Though the&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;bloc has not named a presidential candidate, surveys by Metropoll show Kilicdaroglu is far less popular, at 28.5%, than three other possible names and than Erdogan himself, who 37.9% said they preferred in December.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/erdogan-reiterates-turkeys-determination-to-support-ukraines-territorial-integrity-450943">Erdogan reiterates Turkey's determination to support Ukraine's territorial integrity</a>

Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, both of the CHP, had popularity of 60.4% and 50.7% respectively, while IYI Party&nbsp;leader&nbsp;and alliance bloc member Meral Aksener had 38.5%. A previous Metropoll survey showed Kilicdaroglu was the only potential candidate whom Erdogan would beat.

"These surveys are of no importance for today," Kilicdaroglu said, adding that Yavas and Imamoglu would continue running the country's two biggest cities.

Soaring prices recently - including 50% increases for electricity and 55% for food - have pushed more Turks into poverty.

The central bank is widely seen to have bowed to Erdogan after he replaced its monetary policy committee with like-minded members. Asked whether he would replace the committee to give it independence, Kilicdaroglu said: "We would do exactly that."

RUSSIAN S-400S, SYRIA

Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 land-to-air defences badly strained U.S. relations, prompting Washington to sanction&nbsp;Turkey's&nbsp;defence industries and oust it&nbsp;from&nbsp;an F-35 production scheme.

"Who will we use the S-400s for? We haven't received the answer to this question yet," Kilicdaroglu said. "A large amount of money was paid, and they are currently waiting in storage."

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: How Erdogan is pushing Turkey towards an implosion

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-how-erdogan-is-pushing-turkey-towards-an-implosion-423981/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Erdogan has said Turkey is keeping the missiles despite U.S. objections and the possibility of selling them.

Turkey will send home the millions of Syrian refugees it hosts and re-establish diplomatic ties with President Bashar al-Assad if the&nbsp;opposition&nbsp;alliance wins the elections, Kilicdaroglu said.

"If needed the United Nations needs to get involved, a 100% guarantee should be received&nbsp;from&nbsp;Assad. That guarantee needs to be tied to international accords, that he will not attack them, that their material and life security will be preserved," he said.

A veteran Turkish political leader who has struggled for years to have President Tayyip Erdogan voted out of office says it is "very clear" that his dream is drawing nearer, even as doubts remain about whether he will be the main opposition candidate at presidential elections set for 2023.

A veteran Turkish political leader who has struggled for years to have President Tayyip Erdogan voted out of office says it is "very clear" that his dream is drawing nearer, even as doubts remain about whether he will be the main opposition candidate at presidential elections set for 2023. In an interview, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), confidently predicted victory at the polls as Turkey suffers economic hardships brought on by Erdogan's unorthodox monetary policies. The comments reinforce expectations Kilicdaroglu, 73, will be the presidential candidate of a six-party alliance in elections due by June 2023, though polls show several other opposition figures winning more support. Also read | Erdogan says Turkey continuing 'positive dialogue' with Saudi Arabia "Of course, five party leaders pronouncing me as candidate would be an honour. It also means they have trust," he told Reuters in his office on the 12th floor of the CHP's headquarters on the outskirts of Ankara. The six anti-Erdogan party leaders would discuss their candidate later, but first need to agree on economic, social and other policies for their joint platform. It is "very obvious and very clear" that whoever they choose will become president, he said. Kilicdaroglu said he saw no reason for Turkey's purchase of Russian S-400 missiles that caused a rift with Washington. He also said he would overhaul the central bank's leadership if elected. A former economist and civil servant who lacks the president's fiery charisma, Kilicdaroglu has lingered in Erdogan's shadow as the CHP, which he has chaired since 2010, suffered repeated defeats. Erdogan's favourite target, he has stoically absorbed near-daily criticism and even scorns from the man who has dominated the country for nearly two decades. Also read | Leukemia patient from Turkey tests Covid positive 78 times in over a year Yet Kilicdaroglu and other critics of the country's authoritarian and Islamist drift sense their time may have come. Erdogan's polls have slid to multi-year lows after his unorthodox interest rate cuts sparked a currency crisis late last year, which in turn sent living costs soaring and deepened poverty, especially among the president's working-class base. The opposition bloc includes nationalists, liberals and conservatives - though not parliament's third-biggest party, the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party. Can Selcuki of Istanbul-based pollster Turkiye Raporu said Kilicdaroglu has grown "bolder and more aggressive", showing his determination to be the bloc's candidate. But he remains the "weakest nominee" of the opposition hopefuls and unless his support grows, Selcuki predicted he could still pull out before the vote. Bespectacled and low-key, Kilicdaroglu earned the nickname "Gandhi Kemal" for his style, and for strategies such as his vow this month not to pay electricity bills in protest at price hikes in the face of near 50% inflation. CHP parliamentarian Utku Cakirozer said Kilicdaroglu's ability to build alliances was key to broadening the opposition platform. "He is open to building bridges with different parts of society," he said. Though the opposition bloc has not named a presidential candidate, surveys by Metropoll show Kilicdaroglu is far less popular, at 28.5%, than three other possible names and than Erdogan himself, who 37.9% said they preferred in December. Also read | Erdogan reiterates Turkey's determination to support Ukraine's territorial integrity Ankara Mayor Mansur Yavas and Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, both of the CHP, had popularity of 60.4% and 50.7% respectively, while IYI Party leader and alliance bloc member Meral Aksener had 38.5%. A previous Metropoll survey showed Kilicdaroglu was the only potential candidate whom Erdogan would beat. "These surveys are of no importance for today," Kilicdaroglu said, adding that Yavas and Imamoglu would continue running the country's two biggest cities. Soaring prices recently - including 50% increases for electricity and 55% for food - have pushed more Turks into poverty. The central bank is widely seen to have bowed to Erdogan after he replaced its monetary policy committee with like-minded members. Asked whether he would replace the committee to give it independence, Kilicdaroglu said: "We would do exactly that." RUSSIAN S-400S, SYRIA Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 land-to-air defences badly strained U.S. relations, prompting Washington to sanction Turkey's defence industries and oust it from an F-35 production scheme. "Who will we use the S-400s for? We haven't received the answer to this question yet," Kilicdaroglu said. "A large amount of money was paid, and they are currently waiting in storage." Watch | Gravitas: How Erdogan is pushing Turkey towards an implosion Erdogan has said Turkey is keeping the missiles despite U.S. objections and the possibility of selling them. Turkey will send home the millions of Syrian refugees it hosts and re-establish diplomatic ties with President Bashar al-Assad if the opposition alliance wins the elections, Kilicdaroglu said. "If needed the United Nations needs to get involved, a 100% guarantee should be received from Assad. That guarantee needs to be tied to international accords, that he will not attack them, that their material and life security will be preserved," he said.

Turkey's opposition leader looks to emerge from Tayyip Erdogan's shadow

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Srishti Sisodia

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