Afghanistan is trying to inoculate millions of children against polio after pandemic lockdowns stalled the effort to eradicate the crippling disease. But the recent killing of three vaccinators points to the dangers facing the campaign as turmoil grows in the country.

The three women were gunned down in two separate attacks on March 30 as they carried out door-to-door vaccinations in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

It was the first time that vaccination workers have been killed in a decade of door-to-door inoculations against the children's disease in Afghanistan.

Such attacks have been more common in neighbouring Pakistan, where at least 70 vaccinators and security personnel connected to vaccination campaigns have been killed since 2011.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, and both have seen a disturbing increase in cases in recent years. In Afghanistan, 56 new cases were reported in 2020, the highest number since 2011, when 80 cases were registered.

Adela Mohammadi, a 21-year-old vaccinator worker in Kabul, said her parents didn't want her to go out to do inoculations on the day after the three women were killed in Jalalabad. 
''I went, but with a lot of worry,''&nbsp;she told The Associated Press. ''I was thinking what if someone was waiting for us and suddenly started shooting at us.''

''But at the end of the day, I love my job.&nbsp;I serve my people, especially children,''&nbsp;she said. ''Such attacks can't stop us from what we are doing.''

In Pakistan, officials have struggled to overcome deep public suspicion over vaccines particularly since the US used a fake vaccination campaign to unearth the hideout of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Hard-line clerics and militants have stoked the fears by depicting polio vaccinations as a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children.

In Afghanistan, some have also been suspicious of vaccinations, but that rarely if ever translated into violence. The new killings appear to reflect the disturbing rise in chaos in the past year, when the country has seen increasing targeted killings, sometimes of professionals or civil society figures, sometimes just seemingly at random.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for some of the violence. But the perpetrators of many attacks remain unknown, including the killings of the vaccination workers.

The violence adds a new worry as Afghanistan struggles to stamp out a disease that has largely been eliminated around the world. In children, polio can cause partial paralysis. Since 2010, the country has been carrying out regular inoculation campaigns in which workers go door to door, giving the vaccine to children. Most of the workers are women, since they can get better access to mothers and children.

Last year, authorities had to call off four planned inoculation rounds because of lockdowns against the coronavirus pandemic, though they did manage to conduct two rounds.

Authorities say nearly 10 million children are now in need of vaccination against polio. Of those, authorities are unable to reach some 3 million children living in areas under the control of Taliban insurgents. One round of inoculations was carried out earlier this year, and a second was launched March 29.&nbsp;and continued despite the killings the next day.

During the four-day second round, more than 6 million children were vaccinated, according to Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastagir Nazari.

In Afghanistan's deeply conservative society, traumatized by decades of war, some are suspicious, viewing inoculations as a Western trick.

Mohammadi has been participating in door-to-door campaigns the past three years. She works in somewhat better educated parts of the capital, and most families she approaches allow their children to be given a dose. Public worries over the coronavirus and eagerness for treatment have made some more open to polio vaccinations, she said.

Still, she regularly faces sometimes angry resistance from some families who claim vaccines are forbidden by religion or harm children. ?There are families who don't even open their gates for us, they just shout, if we don't leave, they will come out and beat us,? she said.

The continued impact of polio can be seen at the International Committee of the Red Cross' Orthopedic Program in Afghanistan. It mainly provides artificial legs to the many wounded in war or by roadside bombs or mines. But it also offers services to anyone with mobility issues ? including people affected by polio.

In 2020, nearly 5,000 polio patients received treatment at the program, including physiotherapy, medical equipment and orthopedic devices. 
Maiwa Gul, 35, a polio patient from eastern Khost province, was at the center on a recent day getting repairs to the leg prostheses that he needs to walk.

He urged that all children be vaccinated. ''Otherwise, they will eventually be in my position, needing someone to help them," he said.

Merjan Rasekh, head of public awareness at the Health Ministry's Polio Eradication Program, said the killing of the three vaccinators was ''painful.''

If this situation continues, it would definitely have a negative impact on the morale of our health workers,''&nbsp;he said.

But the young women at the forefront of the vaccination drive said it must continue.

''If we are afraid and don't go out to vaccinate, our children and all of us will face problems,''&nbsp;said 22-year-old Shabana Maani.

Afghanistan is trying to inoculate millions of children against polio after pandemic lockdowns stalled the effort to eradicate the crippling disease. But the recent killing of three vaccinators points to the dangers facing the campaign as turmoil grows in the country.

Afghanistan is trying to inoculate millions of children against polio after pandemic lockdowns stalled the effort to eradicate the crippling disease. But the recent killing of three vaccinators points to the dangers facing the campaign as turmoil grows in the country. The three women were gunned down in two separate attacks on March 30 as they carried out door-to-door vaccinations in the eastern city of Jalalabad. It was the first time that vaccination workers have been killed in a decade of door-to-door inoculations against the children's disease in Afghanistan. Such attacks have been more common in neighbouring Pakistan, where at least 70 vaccinators and security personnel connected to vaccination campaigns have been killed since 2011. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic, and both have seen a disturbing increase in cases in recent years. In Afghanistan, 56 new cases were reported in 2020, the highest number since 2011, when 80 cases were registered. Adela Mohammadi, a 21-year-old vaccinator worker in Kabul, said her parents didn't want her to go out to do inoculations on the day after the three women were killed in Jalalabad. ''I went, but with a lot of worry,'' she told The Associated Press. ''I was thinking what if someone was waiting for us and suddenly started shooting at us.'' ''But at the end of the day, I love my job. I serve my people, especially children,'' she said. ''Such attacks can't stop us from what we are doing.'' In Pakistan, officials have struggled to overcome deep public suspicion over vaccines particularly since the US used a fake vaccination campaign to unearth the hideout of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Hard-line clerics and militants have stoked the fears by depicting polio vaccinations as a Western plot to sterilize Muslim children. In Afghanistan, some have also been suspicious of vaccinations, but that rarely if ever translated into violence. The new killings appear to reflect the disturbing rise in chaos in the past year, when the country has seen increasing targeted killings, sometimes of professionals or civil society figures, sometimes just seemingly at random. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for some of the violence. But the perpetrators of many attacks remain unknown, including the killings of the vaccination workers. The violence adds a new worry as Afghanistan struggles to stamp out a disease that has largely been eliminated around the world. In children, polio can cause partial paralysis. Since 2010, the country has been carrying out regular inoculation campaigns in which workers go door to door, giving the vaccine to children. Most of the workers are women, since they can get better access to mothers and children. Last year, authorities had to call off four planned inoculation rounds because of lockdowns against the coronavirus pandemic, though they did manage to conduct two rounds. Authorities say nearly 10 million children are now in need of vaccination against polio. Of those, authorities are unable to reach some 3 million children living in areas under the control of Taliban insurgents. One round of inoculations was carried out earlier this year, and a second was launched March 29. and continued despite the killings the next day. During the four-day second round, more than 6 million children were vaccinated, according to Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastagir Nazari. In Afghanistan's deeply conservative society, traumatized by decades of war, some are suspicious, viewing inoculations as a Western trick. Mohammadi has been participating in door-to-door campaigns the past three years. She works in somewhat better educated parts of the capital, and most families she approaches allow their children to be given a dose. Public worries over the coronavirus and eagerness for treatment have made some more open to polio vaccinations, she said. Still, she regularly faces sometimes angry resistance from some families who claim vaccines are forbidden by religion or harm children. ?There are families who don't even open their gates for us, they just shout, if we don't leave, they will come out and beat us,? she said. The continued impact of polio can be seen at the International Committee of the Red Cross' Orthopedic Program in Afghanistan. It mainly provides artificial legs to the many wounded in war or by roadside bombs or mines. But it also offers services to anyone with mobility issues ? including people affected by polio. In 2020, nearly 5,000 polio patients received treatment at the program, including physiotherapy, medical equipment and orthopedic devices. Maiwa Gul, 35, a polio patient from eastern Khost province, was at the center on a recent day getting repairs to the leg prostheses that he needs to walk. He urged that all children be vaccinated. ''Otherwise, they will eventually be in my position, needing someone to help them," he said. Merjan Rasekh, head of public awareness at the Health Ministry's Polio Eradication Program, said the killing of the three vaccinators was ''painful.'' If this situation continues, it would definitely have a negative impact on the morale of our health workers,'' he said. But the young women at the forefront of the vaccination drive said it must continue. ''If we are afraid and don't go out to vaccinate, our children and all of us will face problems,'' said 22-year-old Shabana Maani.

Afghanistan working to stem polio rise amid violence, pandemic

Direct human alterations to natural aquatic ecosystems can increase methane emissions, a new study has found.

Atmospheric methane has tripled since pre-industrial times. It traps heat far more effectively than carbon dioxide and accounts for 25 per cent of atmospheric warming to date. And much of that methane is coming from aquatic ecosystems, with human activities contributing to the emissions levels, a new paper published in Nature Geoscience has found.

The global contribution and importance of aquatic ecosystems as methane emitters has been underestimated, says Judith Rosentreter, postdoctoral associate at the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) who led the study with a team of 14 researchers worldwide.

The study authors reviewed methane fluxes from 15 major natural, human-made, and human-impacted aquatic ecosystems and wetlands, including inland, coastal, and oceanic systems. They found that when methane emissions are combined from these aquatic ecosystems, they are potentially a larger source of methane than direct anthropogenic methane sources, such as agriculture or fossil fuel combustion.

Aquatic ecosystems and wetlands contribute at least as much as half of the total methane emissions budget.

"An accurate accounting of the sources of methane from aquatic ecosystems, and if they are impacted by human activities, is important to understanding atmospheric methane concentrations,''&nbsp;says Peter Raymond, professor of ecosystem ecology who co-authored the study.

One issue that stood out is how humans have impacted methane emissions from aquatic sources.

"Anything human-driven or human-impacted had much higher fluxes than more natural sites,''&nbsp;says Rosentreter, a Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies Hutchinson Fellow.

Globally, rice cultivation releases more methane per year than all coastal wetlands, the continental shelf, and open ocean combined. Fertilizer runoff causes nutrient-rich lakes and reservoirs to release methane.

Coastal aquaculture farms have methane fluxes per area that are 7-430 times higher than from non-converted coastal habitats, such as mangrove forests, salt marshes or seagrasses. But the study notes that there are opportunities to reduce human-impacted emissions with the right management techniques.

"The intense methane emissions from aquatic ecosystems offer opportunities for intervention providing potential quick wins in reducing greenhouse emissions, provided the much large role per molecule emitted of methane compared to carbon dioxide,''&nbsp;says study co-author Carlos M. Duarte, professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.

Fluctuating between flooded and non-flooded conditions in aquaculture farms and rice paddies; restoring tidal flow in degraded coastal wetlands; and reducing nutrient and organic matter in freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers can all help reduce emissions, the study notes.

"Reducing methane emissions from aquatic systems will be an important part of stabilising the Earth's temperature,''&nbsp;says co-author Bradley Eyre Director, Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry at Southern Cross University in Australia.

Bringing awareness to the number of methane emissions coming from aquaculture and other water systems can help inform new monitoring and measurements that identify where and how methane emissions are being produced and change over time."With this awareness is also the possibility of helping to keep our waters cleaner," Rosentreter says.

Direct human alterations to natural aquatic ecosystems can increase methane emissions, a new study has found. Atmospheric methane has tripled since pre-industrial times.

Direct human alterations to natural aquatic ecosystems can increase methane emissions, a new study has found. Atmospheric methane has tripled since pre-industrial times. It traps heat far more effectively than carbon dioxide and accounts for 25 per cent of atmospheric warming to date. And much of that methane is coming from aquatic ecosystems, with human activities contributing to the emissions levels, a new paper published in Nature Geoscience has found. The global contribution and importance of aquatic ecosystems as methane emitters has been underestimated, says Judith Rosentreter, postdoctoral associate at the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) who led the study with a team of 14 researchers worldwide. The study authors reviewed methane fluxes from 15 major natural, human-made, and human-impacted aquatic ecosystems and wetlands, including inland, coastal, and oceanic systems. They found that when methane emissions are combined from these aquatic ecosystems, they are potentially a larger source of methane than direct anthropogenic methane sources, such as agriculture or fossil fuel combustion. Aquatic ecosystems and wetlands contribute at least as much as half of the total methane emissions budget. "An accurate accounting of the sources of methane from aquatic ecosystems, and if they are impacted by human activities, is important to understanding atmospheric methane concentrations,'' says Peter Raymond, professor of ecosystem ecology who co-authored the study. One issue that stood out is how humans have impacted methane emissions from aquatic sources. "Anything human-driven or human-impacted had much higher fluxes than more natural sites,'' says Rosentreter, a Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies Hutchinson Fellow. Globally, rice cultivation releases more methane per year than all coastal wetlands, the continental shelf, and open ocean combined. Fertilizer runoff causes nutrient-rich lakes and reservoirs to release methane. Coastal aquaculture farms have methane fluxes per area that are 7-430 times higher than from non-converted coastal habitats, such as mangrove forests, salt marshes or seagrasses. But the study notes that there are opportunities to reduce human-impacted emissions with the right management techniques. "The intense methane emissions from aquatic ecosystems offer opportunities for intervention providing potential quick wins in reducing greenhouse emissions, provided the much large role per molecule emitted of methane compared to carbon dioxide,'' says study co-author Carlos M. Duarte, professor at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. Fluctuating between flooded and non-flooded conditions in aquaculture farms and rice paddies; restoring tidal flow in degraded coastal wetlands; and reducing nutrient and organic matter in freshwater lakes, reservoirs, and rivers can all help reduce emissions, the study notes. "Reducing methane emissions from aquatic systems will be an important part of stabilising the Earth's temperature,'' says co-author Bradley Eyre Director, Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry at Southern Cross University in Australia. Bringing awareness to the number of methane emissions coming from aquaculture and other water systems can help inform new monitoring and measurements that identify where and how methane emissions are being produced and change over time."With this awareness is also the possibility of helping to keep our waters cleaner," Rosentreter says.

Aquatic ecosystems source of half of global methane emissions: Study

Puerto Rico’s governor announced Wednesday that officials will start vaccinating all those 16 and older beginning Monday, prompting celebrations across a US&nbsp;territory facing a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Currently, only people 50 years and older as well as anyone 35 to 49 with chronic health conditions are authorised to receive a vaccine. More than 1 million vaccines have been administered since inoculations on the island of 3.2 million began in December.

“We continue to face a terrible pandemic, along with the entire world, and its consequences have been enormous,” said Gov. Pedro Pierluisi.

During his first state of the territory address, Pierluisi also announced he would implement more stringent measures to fight a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. A curfew that has remained in place for more than a year was expanded again and will run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Friday. In addition, businesses will be forced to close by 9 p.m., two hours earlier than currently allowed.

“Unfortunately, as in many other jurisdictions, we are seeing a dangerous spike in COVID cases that has caused a rise in hospitalizations and deaths,” he said.

Pierluisi also announced that his administration would assign $20 million to establish a genomics surveillance program in the island’s Health Department to help officials monitor coronavirus variants and possible mutations. He said he also will set aside $1.5 million to create a digital vaccine passport, adding that people’s personal information would be protected. Details on the proposed passport were not immediately available.

The upcoming changes come as Puerto Rico reports more than 199,000 confirmed and suspected cases and more than 2,000 deaths.

Pierluisi praised the US&nbsp;government for treating Puerto Rico fairly as he announced the island is slated to receive millions of additional dollars in federal funds to help those affected by the pandemic.

At least $50 million would go to the restaurant and bar industry, which has been hit hard by ongoing restrictions to fight the coronavirus. Bars in Puerto Rico have not been allowed to reopen for more than a year. Another $50 million would go to help clinics and private hospitals, and the same amount would be set aside for agricultural workers.

Pierluisi also announced that $250 million would be distributed as part of a special payment to first responders, nurses, medical technicians and others in the health sector who have put their lives at risk.

During the roughly hourlong address, Pierluisi made numerous other pledges, including securing statehood for Puerto Rico, improving potable water service to needy communities and building a new hospital in the nearby island of Vieques after Hurricane Maria in 2017 damaged the former one, which remains shuttered.

Those pledges were dismissed by legislators of the main opposition Popular Democratic Party, who noted that Puerto Rico has been mired in a serious economic crisis for more than a decade and one deepened by hurricanes, a string of recent earthquakes and the pandemic as it tries to restructure a portion of its more than $70 billion public debt load.

“He offered a message of dreams while the island lives a nightmare,” said José Luis Dalmau, president of Puerto Rico’s Senate.

Pierluisi also stressed he would not cancel a contract to privatize the transmission and distribution of power currently run by Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority. The contract has come under increased scrutiny amid concerns including what would happen to the thousands of government employees who work there.

Puerto Rico Rep. Rafael Hernández, also of the opposition Popular Democratic Party, said he was disappointed by that pronouncement and said he had hoped the governor would postpone the contract to study it more closely.

&nbsp;

Puerto Rico’s governor announced Wednesday that officials will start vaccinating all those 16 and older beginning Monday, prompting celebrations across a US territory facing a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Puerto Rico’s governor announced Wednesday that officials will start vaccinating all those 16 and older beginning Monday, prompting celebrations across a US territory facing a spike in COVID-19 cases. Currently, only people 50 years and older as well as anyone 35 to 49 with chronic health conditions are authorised to receive a vaccine. More than 1 million vaccines have been administered since inoculations on the island of 3.2 million began in December. “We continue to face a terrible pandemic, along with the entire world, and its consequences have been enormous,” said Gov. Pedro Pierluisi. During his first state of the territory address, Pierluisi also announced he would implement more stringent measures to fight a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. A curfew that has remained in place for more than a year was expanded again and will run from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Friday. In addition, businesses will be forced to close by 9 p.m., two hours earlier than currently allowed. “Unfortunately, as in many other jurisdictions, we are seeing a dangerous spike in COVID cases that has caused a rise in hospitalizations and deaths,” he said. Pierluisi also announced that his administration would assign $20 million to establish a genomics surveillance program in the island’s Health Department to help officials monitor coronavirus variants and possible mutations. He said he also will set aside $1.5 million to create a digital vaccine passport, adding that people’s personal information would be protected. Details on the proposed passport were not immediately available. The upcoming changes come as Puerto Rico reports more than 199,000 confirmed and suspected cases and more than 2,000 deaths. Pierluisi praised the US government for treating Puerto Rico fairly as he announced the island is slated to receive millions of additional dollars in federal funds to help those affected by the pandemic. At least $50 million would go to the restaurant and bar industry, which has been hit hard by ongoing restrictions to fight the coronavirus. Bars in Puerto Rico have not been allowed to reopen for more than a year. Another $50 million would go to help clinics and private hospitals, and the same amount would be set aside for agricultural workers. Pierluisi also announced that $250 million would be distributed as part of a special payment to first responders, nurses, medical technicians and others in the health sector who have put their lives at risk. During the roughly hourlong address, Pierluisi made numerous other pledges, including securing statehood for Puerto Rico, improving potable water service to needy communities and building a new hospital in the nearby island of Vieques after Hurricane Maria in 2017 damaged the former one, which remains shuttered. Those pledges were dismissed by legislators of the main opposition Popular Democratic Party, who noted that Puerto Rico has been mired in a serious economic crisis for more than a decade and one deepened by hurricanes, a string of recent earthquakes and the pandemic as it tries to restructure a portion of its more than $70 billion public debt load. “He offered a message of dreams while the island lives a nightmare,” said José Luis Dalmau, president of Puerto Rico’s Senate. Pierluisi also stressed he would not cancel a contract to privatize the transmission and distribution of power currently run by Puerto Rico’s Electric Power Authority. The contract has come under increased scrutiny amid concerns including what would happen to the thousands of government employees who work there. Puerto Rico Rep. Rafael Hernández, also of the opposition Popular Democratic Party, said he was disappointed by that pronouncement and said he had hoped the governor would postpone the contract to study it more closely.

Puerto Rico to open vaccination for people aged above 16 years

Hong Kong Democracy activist Nathan Law said on Wednesday he had been granted asylum in Britain after fleeing the semi-autonomous territory&nbsp;following the introduction of sweeping Chinese security laws.

The 27-year-old former Hong Kong lawmaker and student activist fled to the UK in July 2020 in the weeks after the National Security Law, opposed by pro-democracy protesters, was imposed.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-tycoon-jimmy-lai-among-three-pleading-guilty-to-illegal-assembly-375867" hreflang="en">Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai among three pleading guilty to illegal assembly</a>

Law wrote on Twitter that he had been granted asylum in the UK after several interviews over a period of four months.

"The fact that I am wanted under the National Security Law shows that I am exposed to severe political persecution and am unlikely to return to Hong Kong without risk," he wrote.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
1. After several interviews in 4 months, the Home Office has informed me that my asylum application is approved. The fact that I am wanted under the National Security Law shows that I am exposed to severe political persecution and am unlikely to return to Hong Kong without risk.
— Nathan Law 羅冠聰 (@nathanlawkc) <a href="https://twitter.com/nathanlawkc/status/1379799064657727490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The activist highlighted the plight of other asylum seekers in the UK from Hong Kong who might not have the same weight of evidence behind their claims.

"I hope that my case can help the Home Office understand more about the complicated situation in Hong Kong.&nbsp;

"To free more protesters from Beijing’s authoritarian oppression, the Home Office could consider more comprehensive evidence," he added.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
3. Thus, I hope that my case can help the Home Office understand more about the complicated situation in Hong Kong. To free more protestors from Beijing’s authoritarian oppression, the Home Office could consider more comprehensive evidence when coping with Hong Kong cases.
— Nathan Law 羅冠聰 (@nathanlawkc) <a href="https://twitter.com/nathanlawkc/status/1379799070814916608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Law's fate and the fate of potentially millions of Hong Kongers who Britain has offered a route to escape China's crackdown, has become a point of bitter diplomatic contention between Beijing and London, which ceded the former colonial territory in 1997.

Ramping up sweeteners to lure&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;residents, Britain on Thursday (April 8) pledged 43 million pounds ($59 million) to help them find jobs, houses and schools under the initiative allowing millions to resettle.

Britain has accused China of multiple breaches of an agreement that saw the semi-autonomous city handed back to China in 1997. It says China's security law and moves to disqualify pro-democracy legislators have undermined&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong's high degree of autonomy.

London estimates that over 300,000&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;residents could emigrate over the next five years, and Bank of America expects&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;residents moving to Britain could trigger capital outflows of $36 billion in 2021.

China said earlier this year it will not recognise the British National (Overseas) passport for Hong Kongers because of a new visa scheme introduced in January offering a pathway to full UK citizenship for those who want to leave the territory.

Beijing and London have in recent weeks also disagreed over Chinese sanctions against four UK entities and nine individuals including lawmakers that have spoken out in defence of China's Uyghur Muslim minority.

Last year, Britain protested at jail terms handed to three leading activists from the pro-democracy party Demosisto, which Law cofounded.&nbsp;

The party disbanded on the same day China's new security legislation was imposed in Hong Kong.

In exile, Law has continued to champion the cause of pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong on social media.

Last month he hit out at mass trials of activists in Hong Kong saying that they showed that&nbsp;"the Chinese Communist party nakedly abuses its powers and uses the courts to demonstrate that power".

(With inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

Hong Kong Democracy activist Nathan Law said on Wednesday he had been granted asylum in Britain after fleeing the semi-autonomous territory following the introduction of sweeping Chinese security laws.

Hong Kong Democracy activist Nathan Law said on Wednesday he had been granted asylum in Britain after fleeing the semi-autonomous territory following the introduction of sweeping Chinese security laws. The 27-year-old former Hong Kong lawmaker and student activist fled to the UK in July 2020 in the weeks after the National Security Law, opposed by pro-democracy protesters, was imposed. Also read| Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai among three pleading guilty to illegal assembly Law wrote on Twitter that he had been granted asylum in the UK after several interviews over a period of four months. "The fact that I am wanted under the National Security Law shows that I am exposed to severe political persecution and am unlikely to return to Hong Kong without risk," he wrote. 1. After several interviews in 4 months, the Home Office has informed me that my asylum application is approved. The fact that I am wanted under the National Security Law shows that I am exposed to severe political persecution and am unlikely to return to Hong Kong without risk. — Nathan Law 羅冠聰 (@nathanlawkc) April 7, 2021 × The activist highlighted the plight of other asylum seekers in the UK from Hong Kong who might not have the same weight of evidence behind their claims. "I hope that my case can help the Home Office understand more about the complicated situation in Hong Kong. "To free more protesters from Beijing’s authoritarian oppression, the Home Office could consider more comprehensive evidence," he added. 3. Thus, I hope that my case can help the Home Office understand more about the complicated situation in Hong Kong. To free more protestors from Beijing’s authoritarian oppression, the Home Office could consider more comprehensive evidence when coping with Hong Kong cases. — Nathan Law 羅冠聰 (@nathanlawkc) April 7, 2021 × Law's fate and the fate of potentially millions of Hong Kongers who Britain has offered a route to escape China's crackdown, has become a point of bitter diplomatic contention between Beijing and London, which ceded the former colonial territory in 1997. Ramping up sweeteners to lure Hong Kong residents, Britain on Thursday (April 8) pledged 43 million pounds ($59 million) to help them find jobs, houses and schools under the initiative allowing millions to resettle. Britain has accused China of multiple breaches of an agreement that saw the semi-autonomous city handed back to China in 1997. It says China's security law and moves to disqualify pro-democracy legislators have undermined Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy. London estimates that over 300,000 Hong Kong residents could emigrate over the next five years, and Bank of America expects Hong Kong residents moving to Britain could trigger capital outflows of $36 billion in 2021. China said earlier this year it will not recognise the British National (Overseas) passport for Hong Kongers because of a new visa scheme introduced in January offering a pathway to full UK citizenship for those who want to leave the territory. Beijing and London have in recent weeks also disagreed over Chinese sanctions against four UK entities and nine individuals including lawmakers that have spoken out in defence of China's Uyghur Muslim minority. Last year, Britain protested at jail terms handed to three leading activists from the pro-democracy party Demosisto, which Law cofounded. The party disbanded on the same day China's new security legislation was imposed in Hong Kong. In exile, Law has continued to champion the cause of pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong on social media. Last month he hit out at mass trials of activists in Hong Kong saying that they showed that "the Chinese Communist party nakedly abuses its powers and uses the courts to demonstrate that power". (With inputs from agencies)

UK grants asylum to Hong Kong democracy activist Nathan Law

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday warned Ethiopia of the risk of conflict over its giant dam on the Blue Nile after talks involving the two countries and Sudan ended without progress.

Ethiopia is pinning its hopes of economic development and power generation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which&nbsp;Egypt&nbsp;fears will imperil its supply from the Nile. Sudan is also concerned about the impact on its own water flows.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-nile-dam-talks-fail-again-375968/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Delegations from the three governments met earlier this week in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo but failed to bridge their differences.

Sisi, speaking at the opening of a new government complex, said Sudan and&nbsp;Egypt&nbsp;were coordinating on the issue and that "cooperation and agreement are much better than anything else".

Referring to past regional conflicts, he said: "We have witnessed the costs of any confrontation."

"I am telling our brothers in Ethiopia, let's not reach the point where you touch a drop of&nbsp;Egypt's water, because all options are open," he said.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/dispute-about-ethiopias-controversial-nile-dam-315672">Dispute about Ethiopia's controversial Nile dam</a>

Ethiopia's water minister Seleshi Bekele told Reuters he had no comment on Sisi's statement.

"We are not utilizing water generated from&nbsp;Egypt&nbsp;or Sudan as water doesn't flow upstream to Ethiopia," he said.

"We are utilizing water from Ethiopia for our dire need following equitable and reasonable utilization without causing significant harm to our neighbours.‮"‬

Egypt&nbsp;and Sudan, in statements after the Kinshasa meeting, accused Ethiopia of intransigence on restarting negotiations in advance of a second filling of the dam this summer.

Ethiopia said on Tuesday it could not enter into an agreement that infringed on its rights to utilize the Nile.

Sudan's state news agency SUNA reported that the Khartoum government, which is also locked in a border dispute with Ethiopia, had asked that Ethiopian peacekeepers present in the south of the country with a United Nations mission be replaced.

"There is a path of political escalation and all options are open to Sudan according to international law," including resorting to the U.N. Security Council, Sudanese irrigation minister Yasser Abbas told a news conference in Khartoum on Wednesday.

Sudan and&nbsp;Egypt&nbsp;had proposed including the European Union, the United States and United Nations as mediators as an addition to current African Union facilitation of the talks. Both countries said Ethiopia rejected the proposal during the meeting, which Seleshi said was part of an attempt to cause delay, according to state news agency FANA.

Last week, Sisi said there would be "inconceivable instability in the region" if&nbsp;Egypt's water supply were affected by the dam.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday warned Ethiopia of the risk of conflict over its giant dam on the Blue Nile after talks involving the two countries and Sudan ended without progress.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday warned Ethiopia of the risk of conflict over its giant dam on the Blue Nile after talks involving the two countries and Sudan ended without progress. Ethiopia is pinning its hopes of economic development and power generation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Egypt fears will imperil its supply from the Nile. Sudan is also concerned about the impact on its own water flows. Delegations from the three governments met earlier this week in Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo but failed to bridge their differences. Sisi, speaking at the opening of a new government complex, said Sudan and Egypt were coordinating on the issue and that "cooperation and agreement are much better than anything else". Referring to past regional conflicts, he said: "We have witnessed the costs of any confrontation." "I am telling our brothers in Ethiopia, let's not reach the point where you touch a drop of Egypt's water, because all options are open," he said. Also see| Dispute about Ethiopia's controversial Nile dam Ethiopia's water minister Seleshi Bekele told Reuters he had no comment on Sisi's statement. "We are not utilizing water generated from Egypt or Sudan as water doesn't flow upstream to Ethiopia," he said. "We are utilizing water from Ethiopia for our dire need following equitable and reasonable utilization without causing significant harm to our neighbours.‮"‬ Egypt and Sudan, in statements after the Kinshasa meeting, accused Ethiopia of intransigence on restarting negotiations in advance of a second filling of the dam this summer. Ethiopia said on Tuesday it could not enter into an agreement that infringed on its rights to utilize the Nile. Sudan's state news agency SUNA reported that the Khartoum government, which is also locked in a border dispute with Ethiopia, had asked that Ethiopian peacekeepers present in the south of the country with a United Nations mission be replaced. "There is a path of political escalation and all options are open to Sudan according to international law," including resorting to the U.N. Security Council, Sudanese irrigation minister Yasser Abbas told a news conference in Khartoum on Wednesday. Sudan and Egypt had proposed including the European Union, the United States and United Nations as mediators as an addition to current African Union facilitation of the talks. Both countries said Ethiopia rejected the proposal during the meeting, which Seleshi said was part of an attempt to cause delay, according to state news agency FANA. Last week, Sisi said there would be "inconceivable instability in the region" if Egypt's water supply were affected by the dam.

‘All options open’: Egypt's Sisi warns of potential for conflict over Ethiopian dam

A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone.

Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Jody Stiger appeared as a prosecution witness at Chauvin's murder trial, offering testimony intended to show that the defendant disregarded his training during his deadly arrest of the 46-year-old Black man last May.

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Stiger told jurors that Floyd posed no immediate threat and was not actively resisting when Chauvin used deadly force on him by pinning his neck to the ground for more than nine minutes.

"My opinion was that no force was reasonable in that position," Stiger testified. "The pressure ... caused by the body weight could cause positional asphyxia and could cause death."

Floyd's death, captured on video widely viewed on social media, prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities across the United States and around the world.

Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges, arguing that he was following the training he had received in his 19 years on the police force. Three other officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting murder and will stand trial later this year.

Chauvin and the three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. They were fired the day after the incident.

Stiger, who has reviewed 2,500 cases in which police used force, resumed his testimony after first appearing on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked him to describe several photographs showing officers restraining Floyd. Stiger testified that it appeared Chauvin's use of force was excessive.

"He was handcuffed, not attempting to resist, not attempting to assault officers, kick, punch of that nature," Stiger said of Floyd.

Stiger testified that Chauvin squeezed Floyd's hand to get him to comply with the officer's orders while he was handcuffed in the prone position and that Floyd did not appear to have an opportunity to comply.

"At that point, it was just pain," Stiger said.

'Has to be proportional'

Questioned by defense lawyer Eric Nelson, Stiger agreed that a police officer needed to take into account various factors during a fluid situation when considering using force.

"It has to be proportional," Stiger said. "You are constantly reassessing during the time frame."

Stiger also agreed with Nelson that Chauvin came upon a situation in which a suspect was actively resisting officers who were trying to put him into a police squad car as people in a crowd yelled insults at them, posing a "potential threat."

Nelson showed Stiger photographs taken at different times of the incident showing Chauvin with his knee on Floyd. Nelson asked Stiger whether he agreed that Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's shoulder blades rather than his neck.

"It appears to be more above the shoulder blades than on the shoulder blades," Stiger testified, not agreeing with Nelson.

Prosecutors then called three Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators, including Senior Special Agent James Reyerson, an expert on the use of force and the lead investigator in the case.

Part of Reyerson's testimony involved the investigation of the police squad car and Floyd's Mercedes Benz vehicle.

Reyerson testified that six months after the incident, Chauvin's lawyers re-examined the police car and found what was later determined to be pills that had Floyd's DNA on them. During its opening statement in the trial, Chauvin's defense team said the pills contained methamphetamine with fentanyl.

Reyerson agreed with Nelson that it sounded on one video of the incident as if Floyd said he "ate too many drugs." But during more questioning later from the prosecution, Reyerson agreed that it sounded as if Floyd said: "I ain't do no drugs."

Later in the day, McKenzie Anderson, a forensic scientist with the bureau, took the stand to describe collecting pills from the vehicles over the course of the investigation, including whole and partial tablets from the police squad car.

She testified that Floyd's blood was found in the back of the squad car and that pills found in the vehicle had saliva that matched Floyd's DNA.

(With inputs from Agencies)

A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone.

A national expert in the proper use of force by police testified on Wednesday that former Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin had no need to kneel on the neck of George Floyd once he was handcuffed and prone. Los Angeles Police Department Sergeant Jody Stiger appeared as a prosecution witness at Chauvin's murder trial, offering testimony intended to show that the defendant disregarded his training during his deadly arrest of the 46-year-old Black man last May. Stiger told jurors that Floyd posed no immediate threat and was not actively resisting when Chauvin used deadly force on him by pinning his neck to the ground for more than nine minutes. "My opinion was that no force was reasonable in that position," Stiger testified. "The pressure ... caused by the body weight could cause positional asphyxia and could cause death." Floyd's death, captured on video widely viewed on social media, prompted protests against racism and police brutality in many cities across the United States and around the world. Chauvin, who is white, has pleaded not guilty to murder and manslaughter charges, arguing that he was following the training he had received in his 19 years on the police force. Three other officers on the scene have been charged with aiding and abetting murder and will stand trial later this year. Chauvin and the three other officers were attempting to arrest Floyd on suspicion of using a fake $20 bill to buy cigarettes at a food store. They were fired the day after the incident. Stiger, who has reviewed 2,500 cases in which police used force, resumed his testimony after first appearing on Tuesday. Prosecutor Steve Schleicher asked him to describe several photographs showing officers restraining Floyd. Stiger testified that it appeared Chauvin's use of force was excessive. "He was handcuffed, not attempting to resist, not attempting to assault officers, kick, punch of that nature," Stiger said of Floyd. Stiger testified that Chauvin squeezed Floyd's hand to get him to comply with the officer's orders while he was handcuffed in the prone position and that Floyd did not appear to have an opportunity to comply. "At that point, it was just pain," Stiger said. 'Has to be proportional' Questioned by defense lawyer Eric Nelson, Stiger agreed that a police officer needed to take into account various factors during a fluid situation when considering using force. "It has to be proportional," Stiger said. "You are constantly reassessing during the time frame." Stiger also agreed with Nelson that Chauvin came upon a situation in which a suspect was actively resisting officers who were trying to put him into a police squad car as people in a crowd yelled insults at them, posing a "potential threat." Nelson showed Stiger photographs taken at different times of the incident showing Chauvin with his knee on Floyd. Nelson asked Stiger whether he agreed that Chauvin's knee was on Floyd's shoulder blades rather than his neck. "It appears to be more above the shoulder blades than on the shoulder blades," Stiger testified, not agreeing with Nelson. Prosecutors then called three Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension investigators, including Senior Special Agent James Reyerson, an expert on the use of force and the lead investigator in the case. Part of Reyerson's testimony involved the investigation of the police squad car and Floyd's Mercedes Benz vehicle. Reyerson testified that six months after the incident, Chauvin's lawyers re-examined the police car and found what was later determined to be pills that had Floyd's DNA on them. During its opening statement in the trial, Chauvin's defense team said the pills contained methamphetamine with fentanyl. Reyerson agreed with Nelson that it sounded on one video of the incident as if Floyd said he "ate too many drugs." But during more questioning later from the prosecution, Reyerson agreed that it sounded as if Floyd said: "I ain't do no drugs." Later in the day, McKenzie Anderson, a forensic scientist with the bureau, took the stand to describe collecting pills from the vehicles over the course of the investigation, including whole and partial tablets from the police squad car. She testified that Floyd's blood was found in the back of the squad car and that pills found in the vehicle had saliva that matched Floyd's DNA. (With inputs from Agencies)

George Floyd trial: Expert testifies Chauvin had no need to use force

The European Union's top officials met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, weeks after Erdogan took conciliatory steps and EU leaders agreed to increase trade and improve cooperation with Turkey on migration.

The visit is part of a relaunch of relations approved by EU leaders in March, after Turkey moved to calm a dispute over hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Ankara's change in stance on the eastern Mediterranean, but said the relationship between the bloc and aspiring member Turkey was still fragile, in part over human rights.

Turkey hosts some four million refugees, mostly Syrian, and has repeatedly accused the EU of not honouring its promises as per a 2016 migrant deal, under which it curbed migrant flows to Europe in exchange for financial aid.

Turkey is formally a candidate for EU membership, but its bid to join the 27-nation bloc has been at a standstill.

Von der Leyen also emphasised that Turkey must respect the rule of law and implement rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, voicing alarm over Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, aimed to protect women's rights, and other issues.

The visit by von der Leyen and Michel follows an EU summit last month at which the bloc said work could begin on deeper trade ties and on providing more money for refugees in Turkey, in a sign of improving ties after&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;took a constructive tone following months of tensions.

At the summit, the EU also warned Ankara of sanctions if it restarts energy exploration in disputed Mediterranean waters and voiced concern over Turkey's human rights record.

Both the EU and the United States have criticised a case to close Turkey's third biggest party, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

A row between Turkey and EU members Greece and Cyprus over energy resources and jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean has strained ties between the bloc and Ankara. Tensions flared in August when Turkish and Greek navy frigates escorted vessels exploring for hydrocarbons in disputed waters.

The European Union backs Athens, while Ankara has accused the bloc of bias.

Michel said the EU welcomed and supported the resumption of talks between Ankara and Athens over the decades-old dispute.

At last month's summit, the EU opened the door to begin modernising a Customs Union as Ankara has demanded. This would bring EU candidate Turkey into the internal market of the world's largest trading bloc and allow unhindered flow of goods and services.

While citing it as a strategic goal,&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;has downplayed EU membership in recent years amid increasing criticism from the bloc toward Ankara's foreign policy and human rights record, and the threat of EU sanctions.

The EU chiefs, who last held in-person talks with&nbsp;Erdogan&nbsp;a year ago, said they would cooperate with Ankara in three areas if the de-escalation continues, including improving economic ties, a formula to support refugees in Turkey, and ways to increase mobility

The European Union's top officials met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, weeks after Erdogan took conciliatory steps and EU leaders agreed to increase trade and improve cooperation with Turkey on migration.

The European Union's top officials met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on Tuesday, weeks after Erdogan took conciliatory steps and EU leaders agreed to increase trade and improve cooperation with Turkey on migration. The visit is part of a relaunch of relations approved by EU leaders in March, after Turkey moved to calm a dispute over hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed Ankara's change in stance on the eastern Mediterranean, but said the relationship between the bloc and aspiring member Turkey was still fragile, in part over human rights. Turkey hosts some four million refugees, mostly Syrian, and has repeatedly accused the EU of not honouring its promises as per a 2016 migrant deal, under which it curbed migrant flows to Europe in exchange for financial aid. Turkey is formally a candidate for EU membership, but its bid to join the 27-nation bloc has been at a standstill. Von der Leyen also emphasised that Turkey must respect the rule of law and implement rulings by the European Court of Human Rights, voicing alarm over Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, aimed to protect women's rights, and other issues. The visit by von der Leyen and Michel follows an EU summit last month at which the bloc said work could begin on deeper trade ties and on providing more money for refugees in Turkey, in a sign of improving ties after Erdogan took a constructive tone following months of tensions. At the summit, the EU also warned Ankara of sanctions if it restarts energy exploration in disputed Mediterranean waters and voiced concern over Turkey's human rights record. Both the EU and the United States have criticised a case to close Turkey's third biggest party, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). A row between Turkey and EU members Greece and Cyprus over energy resources and jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean has strained ties between the bloc and Ankara. Tensions flared in August when Turkish and Greek navy frigates escorted vessels exploring for hydrocarbons in disputed waters. The European Union backs Athens, while Ankara has accused the bloc of bias. Michel said the EU welcomed and supported the resumption of talks between Ankara and Athens over the decades-old dispute. At last month's summit, the EU opened the door to begin modernising a Customs Union as Ankara has demanded. This would bring EU candidate Turkey into the internal market of the world's largest trading bloc and allow unhindered flow of goods and services. While citing it as a strategic goal, Erdogan has downplayed EU membership in recent years amid increasing criticism from the bloc toward Ankara's foreign policy and human rights record, and the threat of EU sanctions. The EU chiefs, who last held in-person talks with Erdogan a year ago, said they would cooperate with Ankara in three areas if the de-escalation continues, including improving economic ties, a formula to support refugees in Turkey, and ways to increase mobility

EU leaders meet Turkey's Erdogan for talks on migration, trade

A top public health official&nbsp;said young people are driving the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases, as the increasing rate of vaccination in older Americans prevents the most serious cases among seniors.

Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cited the increasing spread of variants as well as a rise in youth sports and extracurricular activities as factors contributing to the steady increase in cases over the last four weeks.

But Walensky pointed to positive developments among seniors, who are the most vulnerable age group. Senior virus deaths have fallen to their lowest level since the early fall. More than 75 per cent of those age 65 or older nationally have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 55 per cent are fully vaccinated.

''What we're seeing is both a decrease in emergency department visits as well as hospitalisations associated with that demographic,''&nbsp;she said Monday.

More than 23 per cent of all adults in the US are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Hundreds of people, mostly teenagers and students, gathered in the park in central Brussels last week&nbsp;despite&nbsp;Belgium's COVID-19 lockdown.

Ten people were arrested after police, many in riot gear and some on horseback, dispersed the would-be revellers beside a lake in the Bois de la Cambrepark, local media said.

The gathering took place in the same park where tear gas and water cannons were used on Thursday (April 1) to disperse crowds gathered for an event that began as an April Fool's joke on Facebook.

Around 2,000 people showed up towards the end of a warm and sunny day to attend "La Boum" (the party), local police said, even though the organisers had revealed days earlier that their invitation on social media was a hoax. Local media put the number of people at about 5,000.

Belgium&nbsp;entered a third COVID-19 lockdown last weekend, with groups limited to four people meeting outside, but this week's sunny weather saw thousands coming out to the park.

European countries scrambled on Monday to tamp down a surge in COVID-19 cases and ramp up vaccinations, hoping to spare hospitals from becoming overwhelmed by the pandemic's latest deadly wave of infections.

The rush of coronavirus patients has been relentless for hospitals in Poland, where daily new infections hit records of over 35,000 on two recent days and the government ordered new restrictions to prevent large gatherings over the long Easter weekend. France's health minister warned that the number of intensive care unit patients could match levels from a year ago.

But in a sign of the disparities from one country to the next, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that barbers, gyms, and outdoor bar and restaurant patios would be able to open next week after the country reported progress with vaccines and its recent lockdown.

Meanwhile, the US vaccination campaign kept accelerating, with 40 per cent of the nation's adult population receiving at least one dose.

On Sunday, coronavirus patients filled almost all of the 120 beds at the County Hospital of Bochnia, 40 kilometres&nbsp;(25 miles) east of the southern city of Krakow. One patient, 82-year-old Edward Szumanski, voiced concern that some people still refuse to see the virus that has killed over 2.8 million people worldwide as a threat. About 55,000 of those deaths have occurred in Poland.

''The disease is certainly there, and it is very serious. Those who have not been through it, those who do not have it in their family, may be deluding themselves, but the reality is different,''&nbsp;he said.

The more contagious and more aggressive virus variant identified in Britain is fueling much of the increase in Europe. Meanwhile, voters in many countries are angry at the European Union's strategy but also at their own governments' handling of the pandemic and the failure to prevent repeated spikes in infections.

France's health minister, Olivier Veran, warned Monday that the number of COVID-19 patients in the country's intensive care units might match the level of the first crisis a year ago.

Speaking on TF1 television, he said the country could approach the ICU saturation levels of April 2020, when French ICUs held more than 7,000 virus patients, many of whom were in temporary facilities because demand far outstripped the country's pre-pandemic ICU capacity.

Veran expressed hope that France's new infections could peak this week thanks to new partial lockdown measures. After long resisting calls for a new lockdown, the French government closed schools and shuttered all non-essential stores nationwide and imposed travel restrictions for four weeks.

''We will manage,''&nbsp;Veran said.

The British government announced Monday that all adults and children will be able to have routine coronavirus tests twice a week as a way to stamp out new outbreaks. The tests are being introduced as Johnson announces the next steps in the country's road map out of its three-month lockdown.

Britain has recorded almost 127,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe. But both infections and deaths have fallen sharply during the lockdown and since the start of a vaccination campaign that so far has given a first dose to more than 31 million people, or 6 in 10 adults.

Authorities in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, introduced tighter lockdown restrictions following a recent spike in virus cases. All schools in the city of 3 million people will be closed for the next two weeks, and only people with special passes will be allowed on public transport.

 
''The hospitals are almost full. The situation is difficult,''&nbsp;Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Elsewhere, North Macedonia has delayed mass immunization amid vaccine shortages as its hospitals fill up following record new COVID-19 infections and deaths last week.

In Greece, which is struggling to emerge from a deep recession, most retail stores were allowed to reopen Monday despite an ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections. Lockdown measures have been in force since early November, although shops opened briefly around the Christmas season.

The prolonged closures piled pressure on the economy.

Serbia also has eased measures against the coronavirus despite high numbers of infections and a slowdown in vaccinations. The government on Monday allowed bars and restaurants to serve guests outside at reduced capacity and with respect of social distancing rules.

A top public health official said young people are driving the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases, as the increasing rate of vaccination in older Americans prevents the most serious cases among seniors.

A top public health official said young people are driving the latest uptick in COVID-19 cases, as the increasing rate of vaccination in older Americans prevents the most serious cases among seniors. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cited the increasing spread of variants as well as a rise in youth sports and extracurricular activities as factors contributing to the steady increase in cases over the last four weeks. But Walensky pointed to positive developments among seniors, who are the most vulnerable age group. Senior virus deaths have fallen to their lowest level since the early fall. More than 75 per cent of those age 65 or older nationally have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and nearly 55 per cent are fully vaccinated. ''What we're seeing is both a decrease in emergency department visits as well as hospitalisations associated with that demographic,'' she said Monday. More than 23 per cent of all adults in the US are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. Hundreds of people, mostly teenagers and students, gathered in the park in central Brussels last week despite Belgium's COVID-19 lockdown. Ten people were arrested after police, many in riot gear and some on horseback, dispersed the would-be revellers beside a lake in the Bois de la Cambrepark, local media said. The gathering took place in the same park where tear gas and water cannons were used on Thursday (April 1) to disperse crowds gathered for an event that began as an April Fool's joke on Facebook. Around 2,000 people showed up towards the end of a warm and sunny day to attend "La Boum" (the party), local police said, even though the organisers had revealed days earlier that their invitation on social media was a hoax. Local media put the number of people at about 5,000. Belgium entered a third COVID-19 lockdown last weekend, with groups limited to four people meeting outside, but this week's sunny weather saw thousands coming out to the park. European countries scrambled on Monday to tamp down a surge in COVID-19 cases and ramp up vaccinations, hoping to spare hospitals from becoming overwhelmed by the pandemic's latest deadly wave of infections. The rush of coronavirus patients has been relentless for hospitals in Poland, where daily new infections hit records of over 35,000 on two recent days and the government ordered new restrictions to prevent large gatherings over the long Easter weekend. France's health minister warned that the number of intensive care unit patients could match levels from a year ago. But in a sign of the disparities from one country to the next, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that barbers, gyms, and outdoor bar and restaurant patios would be able to open next week after the country reported progress with vaccines and its recent lockdown. Meanwhile, the US vaccination campaign kept accelerating, with 40 per cent of the nation's adult population receiving at least one dose. On Sunday, coronavirus patients filled almost all of the 120 beds at the County Hospital of Bochnia, 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the southern city of Krakow. One patient, 82-year-old Edward Szumanski, voiced concern that some people still refuse to see the virus that has killed over 2.8 million people worldwide as a threat. About 55,000 of those deaths have occurred in Poland. ''The disease is certainly there, and it is very serious. Those who have not been through it, those who do not have it in their family, may be deluding themselves, but the reality is different,'' he said. The more contagious and more aggressive virus variant identified in Britain is fueling much of the increase in Europe. Meanwhile, voters in many countries are angry at the European Union's strategy but also at their own governments' handling of the pandemic and the failure to prevent repeated spikes in infections. France's health minister, Olivier Veran, warned Monday that the number of COVID-19 patients in the country's intensive care units might match the level of the first crisis a year ago. Speaking on TF1 television, he said the country could approach the ICU saturation levels of April 2020, when French ICUs held more than 7,000 virus patients, many of whom were in temporary facilities because demand far outstripped the country's pre-pandemic ICU capacity. Veran expressed hope that France's new infections could peak this week thanks to new partial lockdown measures. After long resisting calls for a new lockdown, the French government closed schools and shuttered all non-essential stores nationwide and imposed travel restrictions for four weeks. ''We will manage,'' Veran said. The British government announced Monday that all adults and children will be able to have routine coronavirus tests twice a week as a way to stamp out new outbreaks. The tests are being introduced as Johnson announces the next steps in the country's road map out of its three-month lockdown. Britain has recorded almost 127,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest toll in Europe. But both infections and deaths have fallen sharply during the lockdown and since the start of a vaccination campaign that so far has given a first dose to more than 31 million people, or 6 in 10 adults. Authorities in Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, introduced tighter lockdown restrictions following a recent spike in virus cases. All schools in the city of 3 million people will be closed for the next two weeks, and only people with special passes will be allowed on public transport. ''The hospitals are almost full. The situation is difficult,'' Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Elsewhere, North Macedonia has delayed mass immunization amid vaccine shortages as its hospitals fill up following record new COVID-19 infections and deaths last week. In Greece, which is struggling to emerge from a deep recession, most retail stores were allowed to reopen Monday despite an ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections. Lockdown measures have been in force since early November, although shops opened briefly around the Christmas season. The prolonged closures piled pressure on the economy. Serbia also has eased measures against the coronavirus despite high numbers of infections and a slowdown in vaccinations. The government on Monday allowed bars and restaurants to serve guests outside at reduced capacity and with respect of social distancing rules.

CDC says young people are driving pandemic surge

Britain&nbsp;should not give Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to under 30s where possible,&nbsp;Britain's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said on Wednesday, due to a very rare side effect of blood clots in the brain.

The change to the country's so far highly successful Covid-19 vaccine programme comes after the medicines regulator reviewed data following dozens of blood clot incidents among people who had received the shot.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ema-says-benefit-risk-remains-positive-for-astrazeneca-jab-375936" hreflang="en">EMA says 'benefit-risk remains positive' for AstraZeneca jab</a>

Wei Shen Lim, COVID-19 Chair for JCVI, said that based on the available data and evidence, the committee has advised that it is preferable for adults aged under 30 with no underlying conditions to be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine where available.

He said that for younger people, where the risks of hospitalisation were much lower, the risk/benefit calculation of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot meant other vaccines were preferable.

People should continue to have a second dose of the AstraZeneca shot if they had received a first dose, he added during a briefing on the vaccine.

The JCVI advises the UK government on its immunisation strategy, which has seen nearly 37 million Covid-19 vaccine doses delivered -- around 20 million of twhich have been AstraZeneca jabs.

England's deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam described the new advice as "a course correction" in the jabs drive.

"There's no question about that, but it is in a sense, in medicine, quite normal for physicians to alter their preferences for how patients are treated over time it's happened with vaccines," he said.

The 169 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), as of April 4, compared to the 34 million doses of the shot administered in the European Economic Area, said Sabine Straus, chair of the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) safety committee.

It came after&nbsp;Britain's MHRA medicine regulator identified a possible side-effect from the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca involving rare brain blood clotting.

Chief executive June Raine said that the benefits of the shot outweighed the risks for the vast majority, echoing an update from Europe's medicine regulator also made on Wednesday.

Europe's and&nbsp;Britain's medicine regulators have both previously said that there is no increased risk of blood clots in general from the shot developed by Oxford and AstraZeneca.

However, both have been investigating small numbers of reports of a brain blood clots, know as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), that have occurred in combination with unusually low blood platelet levels after people have been given the shot.

Britain should not give Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to under 30s where possible, Britain's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said on Wednesday, due to a very rare side effect of blood clots in the brain.

Britain should not give Oxford/AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine to under 30s where possible, Britain's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said on Wednesday, due to a very rare side effect of blood clots in the brain. The change to the country's so far highly successful Covid-19 vaccine programme comes after the medicines regulator reviewed data following dozens of blood clot incidents among people who had received the shot. Also read| EMA says 'benefit-risk remains positive' for AstraZeneca jab Wei Shen Lim, COVID-19 Chair for JCVI, said that based on the available data and evidence, the committee has advised that it is preferable for adults aged under 30 with no underlying conditions to be offered an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine where available. He said that for younger people, where the risks of hospitalisation were much lower, the risk/benefit calculation of the Oxford/AstraZeneca shot meant other vaccines were preferable. People should continue to have a second dose of the AstraZeneca shot if they had received a first dose, he added during a briefing on the vaccine. The JCVI advises the UK government on its immunisation strategy, which has seen nearly 37 million Covid-19 vaccine doses delivered -- around 20 million of twhich have been AstraZeneca jabs. England's deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam described the new advice as "a course correction" in the jabs drive. "There's no question about that, but it is in a sense, in medicine, quite normal for physicians to alter their preferences for how patients are treated over time it's happened with vaccines," he said. The 169 cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), as of April 4, compared to the 34 million doses of the shot administered in the European Economic Area, said Sabine Straus, chair of the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) safety committee. It came after Britain's MHRA medicine regulator identified a possible side-effect from the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca involving rare brain blood clotting. Chief executive June Raine said that the benefits of the shot outweighed the risks for the vast majority, echoing an update from Europe's medicine regulator also made on Wednesday. Europe's and Britain's medicine regulators have both previously said that there is no increased risk of blood clots in general from the shot developed by Oxford and AstraZeneca. However, both have been investigating small numbers of reports of a brain blood clots, know as cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), that have occurred in combination with unusually low blood platelet levels after people have been given the shot.

Britain advises alternative to Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for under-30s

Myanmar troops fired at anti-coup protesters on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding several, media said, as a series of small blasts hit the commercial capital Yangon and a Chinese-owned factory was set on fire.

The country's military ruler said the civil disobedience movement was "destroying" Myanmar.

More than 580 people have been killed, according to an activist group, in the turmoil in Myanmar since a February&nbsp;1 coup that ended a brief period of civilian-led democracy. Nationwide protests and strikes have persisted since then despite the military's use of lethal force to quell the opposition.

Security forces opened fire on Wednesday on protesters in the northwestern town of Kale as they demanded the restoration of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government, domestic media said.

A resident of the area and the Myanmar Now news outlet said 11 people were killed and several wounded.

Reuters could not independently verify the toll.

Two protesters were killed in the town of Bago near Yangon, Myanmar Now said.

At least seven small explosions were heard in Yangon, including at government buildings, a military hospital and a shopping mall, residents said. There were no casualties and no claims of responsibility.

The U.S. Embassy in Yangon said it had received reports of "handmade 'sound bombs,' or fireworks meant to create noise and cause minimal damage".

A fire broke out in the Chinese-owned JOC Garment Factory in Yangon on Wednesday, the Fire Department said. There were no reports of casualties and no details on the extent of damage.

In another Yangon neighbourhood, activists set fire to the Chinese flag, according to pictures posted on Facebook.

China is viewed as being supportive of the military junta and last month arson attacks were made on 32 Chinese-invested factories in Yangon.

Details of the blasts and the fire were difficult to obtain because of the junta's curbs on broadband internet and mobile data services.

A spokesman for the junta could not be reached for comment.

'DESTROY THE COUNTRY'

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the junta, said in a statement on Wednesday the civil disobedience movement, or CDM, had halted the working of hospitals, schools, roads, offices and factories.

"Although protests are staged in neighbouring countries and the international community, they do not destroy businesses," he said. "CDM is an activity to destroy the country."

According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) advocacy group, 581 people, including dozens of children, have been shot dead by troops and police in almost daily unrest since the coup, and security forces have arrested close to 3,500 people, with 2,750 still detained.

Among those detained are Suu Kyi and leading figures in her National League for Democracy party, which won an election in November that was anulled by the coup.

The mostly youth-led anti-coup movement's ability to organise campaigns and share information via social media and instant messaging has been hamstrung by the internet curbs.

"Myanmar has been subject to a stepwise collapse into the information abyss since February," Alp Toker, founder of internet blockage observatory NetBlocks, told Reuters.

"Communications are now severely limited and available only to the few."

With print media also halted, protesters have sought other ways to get their message across, producing their own A4-sized daily news pamphlets that are shared digitally and printed for distribution among the public.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab discussed how Britain and the international community could support a Southeast Asian effort to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said after meeting him in Jakarta.

Indonesia is among several Southeast Asian countries leading a push for high-level talks on Myanmar.

Thailand, Myanmar's neighbour and which has close military ties with the junta, said on Wednesday it did not agree with the violence but the problem had to be addressed carefully.

"We cannot really do what we want because we have shared borders and we need to live and rely on each other on many areas," said Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who had himself seized power in a 2014 coup when army chief, before taking on his current civilian role in 2019.

Fitch Solutions said in a report on Wednesday that targeted Western sanctions alone were unlikely to succeed in restoring democracy. It predicted in the medium-term a violent revolution pitting the military against an armed opposition comprised of members of the anti-coup movement and ethnic militias.

Fitch said Myanmar was heading towards being a failed state.

"The escalating violence on civilians and ethnic militias show that the Tatmadaw (military) is increasingly losing control of the country," it said, adding that the vast majority of people backed Suu Kyi's ousted government.

Myanmar troops fired at anti-coup protesters on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding several, media said, as a series of small blasts hit the commercial capital Yangon and a Chinese-owned factory was set on fire.

Myanmar troops fired at anti-coup protesters on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding several, media said, as a series of small blasts hit the commercial capital Yangon and a Chinese-owned factory was set on fire. The country's military ruler said the civil disobedience movement was "destroying" Myanmar. More than 580 people have been killed, according to an activist group, in the turmoil in Myanmar since a February 1 coup that ended a brief period of civilian-led democracy. Nationwide protests and strikes have persisted since then despite the military's use of lethal force to quell the opposition. Security forces opened fire on Wednesday on protesters in the northwestern town of Kale as they demanded the restoration of Aung San Suu Kyi's civilian government, domestic media said. A resident of the area and the Myanmar Now news outlet said 11 people were killed and several wounded. Reuters could not independently verify the toll. Two protesters were killed in the town of Bago near Yangon, Myanmar Now said. At least seven small explosions were heard in Yangon, including at government buildings, a military hospital and a shopping mall, residents said. There were no casualties and no claims of responsibility. The U.S. Embassy in Yangon said it had received reports of "handmade 'sound bombs,' or fireworks meant to create noise and cause minimal damage". A fire broke out in the Chinese-owned JOC Garment Factory in Yangon on Wednesday, the Fire Department said. There were no reports of casualties and no details on the extent of damage. In another Yangon neighbourhood, activists set fire to the Chinese flag, according to pictures posted on Facebook. China is viewed as being supportive of the military junta and last month arson attacks were made on 32 Chinese-invested factories in Yangon. Details of the blasts and the fire were difficult to obtain because of the junta's curbs on broadband internet and mobile data services. A spokesman for the junta could not be reached for comment. 'DESTROY THE COUNTRY' Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the junta, said in a statement on Wednesday the civil disobedience movement, or CDM, had halted the working of hospitals, schools, roads, offices and factories. "Although protests are staged in neighbouring countries and the international community, they do not destroy businesses," he said. "CDM is an activity to destroy the country." According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) advocacy group, 581 people, including dozens of children, have been shot dead by troops and police in almost daily unrest since the coup, and security forces have arrested close to 3,500 people, with 2,750 still detained. Among those detained are Suu Kyi and leading figures in her National League for Democracy party, which won an election in November that was anulled by the coup. The mostly youth-led anti-coup movement's ability to organise campaigns and share information via social media and instant messaging has been hamstrung by the internet curbs. "Myanmar has been subject to a stepwise collapse into the information abyss since February," Alp Toker, founder of internet blockage observatory NetBlocks, told Reuters. "Communications are now severely limited and available only to the few." With print media also halted, protesters have sought other ways to get their message across, producing their own A4-sized daily news pamphlets that are shared digitally and printed for distribution among the public. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab discussed how Britain and the international community could support a Southeast Asian effort to resolve the crisis in Myanmar, Indonesia's Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi said after meeting him in Jakarta. Indonesia is among several Southeast Asian countries leading a push for high-level talks on Myanmar. Thailand, Myanmar's neighbour and which has close military ties with the junta, said on Wednesday it did not agree with the violence but the problem had to be addressed carefully. "We cannot really do what we want because we have shared borders and we need to live and rely on each other on many areas," said Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who had himself seized power in a 2014 coup when army chief, before taking on his current civilian role in 2019. Fitch Solutions said in a report on Wednesday that targeted Western sanctions alone were unlikely to succeed in restoring democracy. It predicted in the medium-term a violent revolution pitting the military against an armed opposition comprised of members of the anti-coup movement and ethnic militias. Fitch said Myanmar was heading towards being a failed state. "The escalating violence on civilians and ethnic militias show that the Tatmadaw (military) is increasingly losing control of the country," it said, adding that the vast majority of people backed Suu Kyi's ousted government.

Myanmar security forces kill 13 protesters; small blasts hit Yangon

Ethiopia on Tuesday accused Egypt and Sudan of obstructing talks on its contested dam on the&nbsp;Nile, which ended with recriminations and little progress.

The Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi, as the current chair of the African Union, hosted the talks in the latest bid to ease decade-long tensions over the waters of the world's longest river.

Ethiopia's construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), set to be Africa's largest hydroelectric project, is seen by both downstream countries as a threat to their own water supply.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/dispute-about-ethiopias-controversial-nile-dam-315672">Dispute about Ethiopia's controversial Nile dam</a>

Ethiopia's foreign ministry, in a statement posted on Twitter, said the meeting failed "due to Egypt and Sudan's rigid stance to make the negotiation and the outcome a tool to affirm their self-claimed water share and foreclose Ethiopia's share."

Ethiopia said talks centred on the role of observers to the mediation -- South Africa, the United States and the European Union. Egypt and Sudan want them to have the same role as the AU, which Ethiopia said it does not accept.

"The two countries followed an approach which seeks to undermine the AU-led process," said the statement, adding that Egypt and Sudan had sought to stall and "obstruct the process" by rejecting the draft communique.

The final text, read by DRC foreign minister Marie Tumba Nzeza, simply noted that the meeting had taken place, listed its participants and thanked Tshisekedi for his work.

Ethiopia said it would continue with the second stage of filling the dam's reservoir as scheduled during the upcoming rainy season. The country announced last July it had met its first year filling target, infuriating Egypt and Sudan.

Sudan's foreign minister, Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, told reporters Tuesday that Ethiopia "threatens the people of the&nbsp;Nile&nbsp;basin, and Sudan directly".

"We hope that President Tshisekedi's judgement will be able to end... these interminable and insufficient negotiations in which the Ethiopian side places everyone before a fait accompli, in a way that clearly violates international law and the principles of good neighbourliness," she said.

'The first step'&nbsp;

Ethiopia says power produced by the GERD will be vital to meet the development needs of its 110 million people.

But the two countries downstream fear their lifeline could be threatened.

"We are talking about taking into account all 250 million souls who live in the three countries and their interests," said al-Mahdi.

The head of a team of DRC experts, David Tshishiku, insisted that the Kinshasa talks were simply the beginning of Tshisekedi's efforts to mediate the tricky dispute.

The negotiations were "the first step, on which President Tshisekedi will set out alternatives and working approaches," he told reporters.

Al-Mahdi warned that "without a new programme (for discussions), Ethiopia has an open road to place the people of the region and the entire African continent in danger".

'Unimaginable instability'

The US ambassador in Kinshasa, Mike Hammer, met during the night on Monday for three hours with the delegation chiefs of the three countries in a bid to push matters forward.

Egypt has said the Kinshasa talks are the last chance to reach an agreement, after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said last week that the region faces "unimaginable stability" over the project.

"Nobody will be permitted to take a single drop of Egypt's water," he said.

Egypt, which depends on the&nbsp;Nile&nbsp;for about 97 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees the dam as an existential threat.

Sudan, also downstream, fears its own dams will be compromised if Ethiopia proceeds with filling the GERD before a deal is reached.

Ethiopia said in its statement that it expected the meeting to resume around the third week of April.

Ethiopia on Tuesday accused Egypt and Sudan of obstructing talks on its contested dam on the Nile, which ended with recriminations and little progress. The Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi, as the current chair of the African Union, hosted the talks in the latest bid to ease decade-long tensions over the waters of the world's longest river.

Ethiopia on Tuesday accused Egypt and Sudan of obstructing talks on its contested dam on the Nile, which ended with recriminations and little progress. The Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi, as the current chair of the African Union, hosted the talks in the latest bid to ease decade-long tensions over the waters of the world's longest river. Ethiopia's construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), set to be Africa's largest hydroelectric project, is seen by both downstream countries as a threat to their own water supply. Also see| Dispute about Ethiopia's controversial Nile dam Ethiopia's foreign ministry, in a statement posted on Twitter, said the meeting failed "due to Egypt and Sudan's rigid stance to make the negotiation and the outcome a tool to affirm their self-claimed water share and foreclose Ethiopia's share." Ethiopia said talks centred on the role of observers to the mediation -- South Africa, the United States and the European Union. Egypt and Sudan want them to have the same role as the AU, which Ethiopia said it does not accept. "The two countries followed an approach which seeks to undermine the AU-led process," said the statement, adding that Egypt and Sudan had sought to stall and "obstruct the process" by rejecting the draft communique. The final text, read by DRC foreign minister Marie Tumba Nzeza, simply noted that the meeting had taken place, listed its participants and thanked Tshisekedi for his work. Ethiopia said it would continue with the second stage of filling the dam's reservoir as scheduled during the upcoming rainy season. The country announced last July it had met its first year filling target, infuriating Egypt and Sudan. Sudan's foreign minister, Mariam al-Sadiq al-Mahdi, told reporters Tuesday that Ethiopia "threatens the people of the Nile basin, and Sudan directly". "We hope that President Tshisekedi's judgement will be able to end... these interminable and insufficient negotiations in which the Ethiopian side places everyone before a fait accompli, in a way that clearly violates international law and the principles of good neighbourliness," she said. 'The first step' Ethiopia says power produced by the GERD will be vital to meet the development needs of its 110 million people. But the two countries downstream fear their lifeline could be threatened. "We are talking about taking into account all 250 million souls who live in the three countries and their interests," said al-Mahdi. The head of a team of DRC experts, David Tshishiku, insisted that the Kinshasa talks were simply the beginning of Tshisekedi's efforts to mediate the tricky dispute. The negotiations were "the first step, on which President Tshisekedi will set out alternatives and working approaches," he told reporters. Al-Mahdi warned that "without a new programme (for discussions), Ethiopia has an open road to place the people of the region and the entire African continent in danger". 'Unimaginable instability' The US ambassador in Kinshasa, Mike Hammer, met during the night on Monday for three hours with the delegation chiefs of the three countries in a bid to push matters forward. Egypt has said the Kinshasa talks are the last chance to reach an agreement, after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said last week that the region faces "unimaginable stability" over the project. "Nobody will be permitted to take a single drop of Egypt's water," he said. Egypt, which depends on the Nile for about 97 percent of its irrigation and drinking water, sees the dam as an existential threat. Sudan, also downstream, fears its own dams will be compromised if Ethiopia proceeds with filling the GERD before a deal is reached. Ethiopia said in its statement that it expected the meeting to resume around the third week of April.

Nile countries trade blame as dam talks end without breakthrough

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