Pope Francis said on Monday that he decided to visit Iraq despite a rise in COVID-19 cases after much prayer and contemplation and suggested God would protect those who came to see him from the virus.

Speaking to reporters on the plane returning from his trip, Francis also said he realised that some conservative Catholics would see his meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, as "one step from heresy" but that sometimes it was necessary to take a risk in inter-religious relations.

The 84-year-old Francis, speaking while standing for about 50 minutes, said the trip, his first foreign visit in 16 months, had left him much more fatigued than previous ones.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/historic-iraq-visit-of-pope-francis-all-you-need-to-know-368915/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But he said he felt "reborn" after "feeling like I was imprisoned" by coronavirus restrictions. He added that "84 years do not come without baggage" and that he could not say if he would make fewer trips in the future.

While mask and social distancing regulations were respected at some indoor papal gatherings, where participation was limited, thousands of mostly young people attended a Mass at Erbil stadium on Sunday night and most were not abiding by the rules.

The pope has often urged people to respect the guidelines of local authorities and the Vatican said before the trip they were confident that Iraqi officials would be able to make people follow the rules.

A reporter asked if he worried that people who came to see him could get sick and possibly even die.

"Trips cook slowly overtime in my conscience. And this (the virus threat) is one of the things that most made me think 'perhaps, perhaps'," Francis said.

"I thought about it a lot, I prayed a lot over this. And in the end, I took the decision freely. It came from within and I said 'the one who allows me to decide this way will look after the people'," he said, apparently referring to God.

"That is how I made the decision, after prayer and after awareness of the risks," he said.

"Great sage"

One of the most significant moments of the trip was the pope's meeting on Saturday in the holy city of Najaf with the 90-year-old Sistani, one of the most influential figures in Shi'ite Islam, both within Iraq and beyond.

"Sometimes you just have to take a risk," he said of the meeting.

"There are some critics who say that the pope is not courageous, but reckless, that he is doing things against Catholic doctrine that are one step away from heresy," he said.

Throughout his papacy, conservatives have criticised his opening to the Muslim world, including the signing in 2019 of a joint document on inter-religious fraternity during a visit to Abu Dhabi. That visit was the first by a pope to the Arabian peninsula, home of Islam's most sacred sites.

"These are risks but these decision are always taken in prayer," he said, adding that he found Sistani to be "a great sage, a man of God", and that the meeting "did my soul good".

On Sunday morning in Mosul, Francis heard Muslim and Christian residents in the ruined city tell of their lives under Islamic State, which occupied it from 2014 to 2017.

He told reporters the visit to Mosul, where he sat surrounded by the wreckage of buildings, dangling concrete staircases, and cratered ancient churches, had left him shocked by the "unbelievable cruelty" that took place.

Francis said he badly wanted to make a visit to Lebanon as soon as possible to show solidarity with the people of all religions suffering there.

Pope Francis said on Monday that he decided to visit Iraq despite a rise in COVID-19 cases after much prayer and contemplation and suggested God would protect those who came to see him from the virus.

Pope Francis said on Monday that he decided to visit Iraq despite a rise in COVID-19 cases after much prayer and contemplation and suggested God would protect those who came to see him from the virus. Speaking to reporters on the plane returning from his trip, Francis also said he realised that some conservative Catholics would see his meeting with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, as "one step from heresy" but that sometimes it was necessary to take a risk in inter-religious relations. The 84-year-old Francis, speaking while standing for about 50 minutes, said the trip, his first foreign visit in 16 months, had left him much more fatigued than previous ones. But he said he felt "reborn" after "feeling like I was imprisoned" by coronavirus restrictions. He added that "84 years do not come without baggage" and that he could not say if he would make fewer trips in the future. While mask and social distancing regulations were respected at some indoor papal gatherings, where participation was limited, thousands of mostly young people attended a Mass at Erbil stadium on Sunday night and most were not abiding by the rules. The pope has often urged people to respect the guidelines of local authorities and the Vatican said before the trip they were confident that Iraqi officials would be able to make people follow the rules. A reporter asked if he worried that people who came to see him could get sick and possibly even die. "Trips cook slowly overtime in my conscience. And this (the virus threat) is one of the things that most made me think 'perhaps, perhaps'," Francis said. "I thought about it a lot, I prayed a lot over this. And in the end, I took the decision freely. It came from within and I said 'the one who allows me to decide this way will look after the people'," he said, apparently referring to God. "That is how I made the decision, after prayer and after awareness of the risks," he said. "Great sage" One of the most significant moments of the trip was the pope's meeting on Saturday in the holy city of Najaf with the 90-year-old Sistani, one of the most influential figures in Shi'ite Islam, both within Iraq and beyond. "Sometimes you just have to take a risk," he said of the meeting. "There are some critics who say that the pope is not courageous, but reckless, that he is doing things against Catholic doctrine that are one step away from heresy," he said. Throughout his papacy, conservatives have criticised his opening to the Muslim world, including the signing in 2019 of a joint document on inter-religious fraternity during a visit to Abu Dhabi. That visit was the first by a pope to the Arabian peninsula, home of Islam's most sacred sites. "These are risks but these decision are always taken in prayer," he said, adding that he found Sistani to be "a great sage, a man of God", and that the meeting "did my soul good". On Sunday morning in Mosul, Francis heard Muslim and Christian residents in the ruined city tell of their lives under Islamic State, which occupied it from 2014 to 2017. He told reporters the visit to Mosul, where he sat surrounded by the wreckage of buildings, dangling concrete staircases, and cratered ancient churches, had left him shocked by the "unbelievable cruelty" that took place. Francis said he badly wanted to make a visit to Lebanon as soon as possible to show solidarity with the people of all religions suffering there.

Pope defends Iraqi trip despite COVID-19 risk, says God will provide

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday expressed his "highest admiration" for Queen Elizabeth II after an explosive interview by her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.

"I've always had the highest admiration for the queen and the unifying role she plays in our country and across the Commonwealth," Johnson told reporters, declining to comment further when asked about Meghan's comments on racism and mental anguish.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/explosive-interview-meghan-harry-tell-all-on-british-royal-family-368926/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain's royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son's skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that will send shockwaves through the monarchy.

The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self-harm after pleading for help but getting none.

Meghan&nbsp;said her son Archie, now aged one, had been denied the title of prince because there were concerns within the royal family "about how dark his skin might be when he's born".

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-oprah-winfrey-states-queen-and-prince-philip-did-not-speculate-about-meghans-babys-skin-colour-368933">Oprah states Queen did not speculate about Meghan's baby's skin colour</a>

The allegation came as Britain has in recent months faced a reckoning over racism and its colonial past, fueled in part by the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and around the world.

However,&nbsp;Oprah clarified that neither the Queen nor her husband Prince Philip were part of conversations expressing concern over how dark the skin of their great-grandson, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie.

The two-hour sit-down with Oprah Winfrey by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was the most startling since Harry's late mother Princess Diana made her own bombshell revelations in 1995, and triggered similar questions about the ability of Queen Elizabeth II's family to weather the storm.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday expressed his "highest admiration" for Queen Elizabeth II after an explosive interview by her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday expressed his "highest admiration" for Queen Elizabeth II after an explosive interview by her grandson Prince Harry and his wife Meghan. "I've always had the highest admiration for the queen and the unifying role she plays in our country and across the Commonwealth," Johnson told reporters, declining to comment further when asked about Meghan's comments on racism and mental anguish. Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain's royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son's skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that will send shockwaves through the monarchy. The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self-harm after pleading for help but getting none. Meghan said her son Archie, now aged one, had been denied the title of prince because there were concerns within the royal family "about how dark his skin might be when he's born". Also read: Oprah states Queen did not speculate about Meghan's baby's skin colour The allegation came as Britain has in recent months faced a reckoning over racism and its colonial past, fueled in part by the Black Lives Matter protests in the US and around the world. However, Oprah clarified that neither the Queen nor her husband Prince Philip were part of conversations expressing concern over how dark the skin of their great-grandson, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie. The two-hour sit-down with Oprah Winfrey by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was the most startling since Harry's late mother Princess Diana made her own bombshell revelations in 1995, and triggered similar questions about the ability of Queen Elizabeth II's family to weather the storm.

Boris Johnson expresses 'highest admiration' for queen after Harry-Meghan interview

MacKenzie&nbsp;Scott, the billionaire philanthropist and the former wife of Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos, has remarried.

The marriage to Dan Jewett, a Seattle science teacher, was mentioned in a post on the website for the philanthropic organization The Giving Pledge, in which Jewett said he would be signing on to&nbsp;Scott's commitment to give away most of her wealth.

Scott is the world's 22nd-richest person worth some $53 billion, according to Forbes. Her 2019 divorce from Bezos after 25 years of marriage left her with a 4% stake in Amazon.

The 50-year-old&nbsp;unlocked a staggering sum of nearly $6 billion in charitable gifts last year, and unlike many other large donors did not attach any restrictions or even naming rights requirements.

That followed donations of $1.7 billion last year to causes including racial equality, LGBTQ rights, public health and climate change.

She enlisted a team of advisors to help identify organizations to aid those suffering from the economic toll of the pandemic, focusing on those working to combat hunger, poverty and racial inequity.

While her ex-husband Bezos has donated $10 billion to fight climate change,&nbsp;the largest charitable gift of 2020 and additional amounts to other causes, his giving has been slower and proportionately smaller, given that his fortune is worth more than three times hers.

The former couple could offer a major boost to philanthropy in the US, which represented some $450 billion in donations from Americans in 2019.

The approach has shaken up the philanthropic world, not only with the size of her gifts, but without the limits and accounting requirements of many large foundations or donors.

"I join with the kindest and most thoughtful person I know in making this pledge, grateful for the exceptional privilege it will be to partner in giving away assets with the potential to do so much good when shared," Jewett said in the post.

The Giving Pledge campaign was set up in 2010 by US&nbsp;business tycoon Warren Buffett together with by Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda to encourage the world's super-rich to give away most of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

MacKenzie Scott, the billionaire philanthropist and the former wife of Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos, has remarried. The marriage to Dan Jewett, a Seattle science teacher, was mentioned in a post on the website for the philanthropic organization The Giving Pledge, in which Jewett said he would be signing on to Scott's commitment to give away most of her wealth.

MacKenzie Scott, the billionaire philanthropist and the former wife of Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff Bezos, has remarried. The marriage to Dan Jewett, a Seattle science teacher, was mentioned in a post on the website for the philanthropic organization The Giving Pledge, in which Jewett said he would be signing on to Scott's commitment to give away most of her wealth. Scott is the world's 22nd-richest person worth some $53 billion, according to Forbes. Her 2019 divorce from Bezos after 25 years of marriage left her with a 4% stake in Amazon. The 50-year-old unlocked a staggering sum of nearly $6 billion in charitable gifts last year, and unlike many other large donors did not attach any restrictions or even naming rights requirements. That followed donations of $1.7 billion last year to causes including racial equality, LGBTQ rights, public health and climate change. She enlisted a team of advisors to help identify organizations to aid those suffering from the economic toll of the pandemic, focusing on those working to combat hunger, poverty and racial inequity. While her ex-husband Bezos has donated $10 billion to fight climate change, the largest charitable gift of 2020 and additional amounts to other causes, his giving has been slower and proportionately smaller, given that his fortune is worth more than three times hers. The former couple could offer a major boost to philanthropy in the US, which represented some $450 billion in donations from Americans in 2019. The approach has shaken up the philanthropic world, not only with the size of her gifts, but without the limits and accounting requirements of many large foundations or donors. "I join with the kindest and most thoughtful person I know in making this pledge, grateful for the exceptional privilege it will be to partner in giving away assets with the potential to do so much good when shared," Jewett said in the post. The Giving Pledge campaign was set up in 2010 by US business tycoon Warren Buffett together with by Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda to encourage the world's super-rich to give away most of their wealth to philanthropic causes.

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott ties knot with science teacher

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has defended the use of "lethal force" during police raids on Sunday that left at least nine activists dead as catholic leaders joined the condemnation of the killings.

Human Rights groups are outraged over the deaths of what they said were legitimate activists under the guise of counter-insurgency operations, which came two days after Duterte told security forces they could kill rebels if they were holding a gun and to "ignore human rights".

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rights-groups-call-for-investigation-into-killings-of-philippine-activists-368657">Rights groups call for investigation into killings of Philippine activists</a>

"The president's 'kill, kill, kill' order is legal because it was directed at armed rebels," his spokesman Harry Roque said in a briefing, adding the government would still investigate the incident.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, an influential church group, in a statement denounced the use of what it called unnecessary force and violence during "Bloody Sunday".

On Sunday, Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, head of an anti-rebel task force, told Reuters the raids were "legitimate law enforcement operations", and authorities had search warrants for firearms and explosives.

Activists said the raids were reminiscent of police operations in which thousands of people have been killed as part of Duterte's signature war on drugs, in which police said all of the victims were armed and had resisted arrest.

Among those killed was a coordinator of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, a left-wing group that has called for an end to "red-tagging", the practice of labelling opponents communists or terrorists to justify targeting them, which dates back to the the rule of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

Human Rights Watch said the government's counter-insurgency campaign no longer makes a distinction between armed rebels and non-combatant activists, labour leaders, and rights defenders.

Since coming to power in 2016, Duterte has seen his efforts to forge peace with Maoist rebels derailed repeatedly, prompting frequent outbursts and threats to wipe them out.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has defended the use of "lethal force" during police raids on Sunday that left at least nine activists dead as catholic leaders joined the condemnation of the killings.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has defended the use of "lethal force" during police raids on Sunday that left at least nine activists dead as catholic leaders joined the condemnation of the killings. Human Rights groups are outraged over the deaths of what they said were legitimate activists under the guise of counter-insurgency operations, which came two days after Duterte told security forces they could kill rebels if they were holding a gun and to "ignore human rights". Also read| Rights groups call for investigation into killings of Philippine activists "The president's 'kill, kill, kill' order is legal because it was directed at armed rebels," his spokesman Harry Roque said in a briefing, adding the government would still investigate the incident. The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, an influential church group, in a statement denounced the use of what it called unnecessary force and violence during "Bloody Sunday". On Sunday, Lieutenant General Antonio Parlade, head of an anti-rebel task force, told Reuters the raids were "legitimate law enforcement operations", and authorities had search warrants for firearms and explosives. Activists said the raids were reminiscent of police operations in which thousands of people have been killed as part of Duterte's signature war on drugs, in which police said all of the victims were armed and had resisted arrest. Among those killed was a coordinator of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, a left-wing group that has called for an end to "red-tagging", the practice of labelling opponents communists or terrorists to justify targeting them, which dates back to the the rule of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. Human Rights Watch said the government's counter-insurgency campaign no longer makes a distinction between armed rebels and non-combatant activists, labour leaders, and rights defenders. Since coming to power in 2016, Duterte has seen his efforts to forge peace with Maoist rebels derailed repeatedly, prompting frequent outbursts and threats to wipe them out.

'Finish off communists': Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte orders to kill rebels

Alphabet Inc's&nbsp;Google has unveiled a&nbsp;$25 million global grant to non-profits and social enterprises globally, including in India, that are working on empowering girls and women.

The company, which has committed support of one million rural women entrepreneurs in India, also stated that its Internet Saathi digital literacy training programme has benefitted over 30 million women across the country.

Google's&nbsp;new Impact Challenge, a philanthropic initiative was unveiled on International Women`s Day by the company's CEO&nbsp;Sundar Pichai.

Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the technology giant, is aimed at addressing systemic barriers and inequities so that women have access to economic equality, the opportunity to build financial independence, and pursue entrepreneurism, said Google chief executive Sundar Pichai at a virtual event.

"We are announcing a new commitment to allow 1 million women in the rural villages to become entrepreneurs, through business tutorials, tools, and mentorship," he added.

"In India, in the past few years, we have invested more than USD 40 million alongside the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the non-profits who are doing amazing work. We announced another million-dollar initiative building on that work, in particular, to help to acquire&nbsp;digital skills to those who are most vulnerable, including women," Jacquelline Fuller, Vice President at Google and President of Google.Org, said in a virtual briefing.

She added that one of the first initiatives under that effort is led by the NASSCOM Foundation, wherein the organisation is getting a $500,000 grant from Google.Org to support one lakh women agricultural workers.

"Whatever these teams need, we are going to be alongside them and help carry out their vision," said Jacquelline Fuller, President of Google.org, at the event.

The company said it will accept applications from teams worldwide until April 9.

Fuller also announced that Google.org is going to invest an additional $1 million to help underserved women in India. Even as India is the world`s second-largest internet market, women make up a small percentage of online users in the country.

Five years ago, Google launched a program called `Internet Saathi` to bring internet literacy to women in rural parts of India. The company said the program, for which it collaborated with Indian conglomerate Tata, significantly helped improve women`s participation on the Indian internet.

Four of 10 internet users in rural India are now women, said Google, up from one in 10 in 2015. The company, citing its own research, said the Internet Saathi program benefited more than 30 million women in India and that it`s now concluding the program to focus on other efforts to continue this mission.

Sapna Chadha, Senior Country Marketing Director at Google India and Southeast Asia, said based on learnings from the Internet Saathi program, the company has launched the Women Will web platform that will be complemented by community support, mentorship and accelerator programmes for rural women entrepreneurs.

Alphabet Inc's Google has unveiled a $25 million global grant to non-profits and social enterprises globally, including in India, that are working on empowering girls and women.

Alphabet Inc's Google has unveiled a $25 million global grant to non-profits and social enterprises globally, including in India, that are working on empowering girls and women. The company, which has committed support of one million rural women entrepreneurs in India, also stated that its Internet Saathi digital literacy training programme has benefitted over 30 million women across the country. Google's new Impact Challenge, a philanthropic initiative was unveiled on International Women`s Day by the company's CEO Sundar Pichai. Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the technology giant, is aimed at addressing systemic barriers and inequities so that women have access to economic equality, the opportunity to build financial independence, and pursue entrepreneurism, said Google chief executive Sundar Pichai at a virtual event. "We are announcing a new commitment to allow 1 million women in the rural villages to become entrepreneurs, through business tutorials, tools, and mentorship," he added. "In India, in the past few years, we have invested more than USD 40 million alongside the entrepreneurs, the innovators, the non-profits who are doing amazing work. We announced another million-dollar initiative building on that work, in particular, to help to acquire digital skills to those who are most vulnerable, including women," Jacquelline Fuller, Vice President at Google and President of Google.Org, said in a virtual briefing. She added that one of the first initiatives under that effort is led by the NASSCOM Foundation, wherein the organisation is getting a $500,000 grant from Google.Org to support one lakh women agricultural workers. "Whatever these teams need, we are going to be alongside them and help carry out their vision," said Jacquelline Fuller, President of Google.org, at the event. The company said it will accept applications from teams worldwide until April 9. Fuller also announced that Google.org is going to invest an additional $1 million to help underserved women in India. Even as India is the world`s second-largest internet market, women make up a small percentage of online users in the country. Five years ago, Google launched a program called `Internet Saathi` to bring internet literacy to women in rural parts of India. The company said the program, for which it collaborated with Indian conglomerate Tata, significantly helped improve women`s participation on the Indian internet. Four of 10 internet users in rural India are now women, said Google, up from one in 10 in 2015. The company, citing its own research, said the Internet Saathi program benefited more than 30 million women in India and that it`s now concluding the program to focus on other efforts to continue this mission. Sapna Chadha, Senior Country Marketing Director at Google India and Southeast Asia, said based on learnings from the Internet Saathi program, the company has launched the Women Will web platform that will be complemented by community support, mentorship and accelerator programmes for rural women entrepreneurs.

Google to provide $25 million to social enterprises working on women empowerment

Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Sunday it had restored diplomatic ties with&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;after four years of boycott led by Saudi Arabia and joined by other Arab countries.

Saudi Arabia and its allies had agreed at a summit in January to end the political row which led to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cutting trade, travel and diplomatic ties with&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;in mid-2017. Yemen's Saudi-backed government had followed suit.

Qatar&nbsp;denied their accusations that it supports terrorism.

The foreign minister had met his&nbsp;Qatari counterpart in Doha on Sunday, according to the Yemeni foreign ministry. An agreement was reached to restore ties, it said in a statement, and published an image of the Yemeni flag being raised at the embassy in Doha.

A statement by the&nbsp;Qatari foreign ministry said the two ministers reviewed bilateral relations but did not mention restoration of ties. The&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;government media office did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment.

Qatar&nbsp;Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani during the meeting underlined the need for a political solution to end the six-year war in Yemen, the statement said.

Qatar&nbsp;was initially part of a Saudi-led military alliance fighting in the war, but was kicked out in 2017 after the Arab boycott.

Since the January agreement, air and travel links have resumed between&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;and the four states. Cairo restored diplomatic relations that month and Riyadh said it would do so.

Fellow Gulf Arab state Kuwait last month hosted bilateral talks with&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;and Egypt, and with&nbsp;Qatar&nbsp;and the UAE, aimed at resolving individual differences.

Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Sunday it had restored diplomatic ties with Qatar after four years of boycott led by Saudi Arabia and joined by other Arab countries.

Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Sunday it had restored diplomatic ties with Qatar after four years of boycott led by Saudi Arabia and joined by other Arab countries. Saudi Arabia and its allies had agreed at a summit in January to end the political row which led to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cutting trade, travel and diplomatic ties with Qatar in mid-2017. Yemen's Saudi-backed government had followed suit. Qatar denied their accusations that it supports terrorism. The foreign minister had met his Qatari counterpart in Doha on Sunday, according to the Yemeni foreign ministry. An agreement was reached to restore ties, it said in a statement, and published an image of the Yemeni flag being raised at the embassy in Doha. A statement by the Qatari foreign ministry said the two ministers reviewed bilateral relations but did not mention restoration of ties. The Qatar government media office did not immediately respond to a Reuters' request for comment. Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani during the meeting underlined the need for a political solution to end the six-year war in Yemen, the statement said. Qatar was initially part of a Saudi-led military alliance fighting in the war, but was kicked out in 2017 after the Arab boycott. Since the January agreement, air and travel links have resumed between Qatar and the four states. Cairo restored diplomatic relations that month and Riyadh said it would do so. Fellow Gulf Arab state Kuwait last month hosted bilateral talks with Qatar and Egypt, and with Qatar and the UAE, aimed at resolving individual differences.

Saudi-backed Yemeni government restores ties with Qatar

The Australian government&nbsp;has suspended its defence cooperation with Myanmar and is redirecting humanitarian aid because of the military takeover of the government and ongoing detention of an Australian citizen.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday that Australian diplomats only had access to economic policy adviser Sean Turnell twice since he was detained in early February.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/myanmar-update-trade-union-arm-up-pressure-on-the-military-junta-368815/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We will prioritise the most pressing humanitarian and emerging needs and seek to ensure our humanitarian engagement is with and through non-government organisations, not with government or government-related entities," Payne said.

Australia had previously imposed sanctions including an arms embargo and sanctions targeting several individuals. These sanctions would continue to be reviewed, Payne said.

Australia&nbsp;bilateral defence ties with Myanmar's military are restricted to non-combat areas such as English language training.

Canberra will also continue to demand the immediate release of Sean Turnell, an economist and adviser to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, authorities said. Turnell has been detained with limited consular access since the Feb. 1 coup that overthrew Myanmar's elected government.

Hundreds of people gathered in&nbsp;Australia's largest city of Sydney over the weekend urging the&nbsp;Australian government to take a strong stance against the coup.

The Southeast Asian country has been plunged in turmoil after the army took over control of the country and detained elected leaders, with daily protests that the United Nations said had killed more than 50 people.

"We continue to strongly urge the Myanmar security forces to exercise restraint and refrain from violence against civilians," Payne said.

Myanmar's major trade unions have called on members to shut down the economy from Monday, as the country on Sunday witnessed one of the biggest days of protest.

The Australian government has suspended its defence cooperation with Myanmar and is redirecting humanitarian aid because of the military takeover of the government and ongoing detention of an Australian citizen.

The Australian government has suspended its defence cooperation with Myanmar and is redirecting humanitarian aid because of the military takeover of the government and ongoing detention of an Australian citizen. Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday that Australian diplomats only had access to economic policy adviser Sean Turnell twice since he was detained in early February. "We will prioritise the most pressing humanitarian and emerging needs and seek to ensure our humanitarian engagement is with and through non-government organisations, not with government or government-related entities," Payne said. Australia had previously imposed sanctions including an arms embargo and sanctions targeting several individuals. These sanctions would continue to be reviewed, Payne said. Australia bilateral defence ties with Myanmar's military are restricted to non-combat areas such as English language training. Canberra will also continue to demand the immediate release of Sean Turnell, an economist and adviser to deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi, authorities said. Turnell has been detained with limited consular access since the Feb. 1 coup that overthrew Myanmar's elected government. Hundreds of people gathered in Australia's largest city of Sydney over the weekend urging the Australian government to take a strong stance against the coup. The Southeast Asian country has been plunged in turmoil after the army took over control of the country and detained elected leaders, with daily protests that the United Nations said had killed more than 50 people. "We continue to strongly urge the Myanmar security forces to exercise restraint and refrain from violence against civilians," Payne said. Myanmar's major trade unions have called on members to shut down the economy from Monday, as the country on Sunday witnessed one of the biggest days of protest.

Australia suspends defence ties with Myanmar over military coup

Oil prices climbed above $70 a barrel for the first time since the start of the coronavirus crisis, after the US&nbsp;Senate passed a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package and a Yemeni group attacked Saudi Arabia's oil industry.

Benchmark Brent climbed as high as $71.38 a barrel in early Asian trade, its highest since January&nbsp;8, 2020. By 1110 GMT, it was trading up 12 cents or 0.2 per cent&nbsp;at $69.48, still hovering around its highest level in more than a year.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemens-houthi-rebels-target-saudi-arabias-aramco-oil-facilities-368713" hreflang="en">Yemen's Houthi rebels target Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil facilities</a>

US&nbsp;West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 14 cents or 0.2 per cent&nbsp;at $66.23 after touching $67.98 a barrel, its highest since October 2018.

Brent and WTI prices have climbed for four consecutive sessions.

The US&nbsp;Senate passed on Saturday President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, lifting prospects for the economy and fuel demand that has been pummelled by the pandemic.

Adding support, Houthi forces in Yemen fired drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia, including a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura that is vital to petroleum exports. Riyadh said there were no casualties or loss of property.

"This suggests that we could see further upside in the market in the near-term, particularly as the market probably now needs to be pricing in some sort of risk premium, with these attacks picking up in frequency," ING analysts said in a report.

Prices have been buoyant since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and their oil-producing allies, known as OPEC+, agreed last week on broadly sticking with output cuts despite rising crude prices.

Oil prices climbed above $70 a barrel for the first time since the start of the coronavirus crisis, after the US Senate passed a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package and a Yemeni group attacked Saudi Arabia's oil industry.

Oil prices climbed above $70 a barrel for the first time since the start of the coronavirus crisis, after the US Senate passed a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus package and a Yemeni group attacked Saudi Arabia's oil industry. Benchmark Brent climbed as high as $71.38 a barrel in early Asian trade, its highest since January 8, 2020. By 1110 GMT, it was trading up 12 cents or 0.2 per cent at $69.48, still hovering around its highest level in more than a year. Also read| Yemen's Houthi rebels target Saudi Arabia's Aramco oil facilities US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 14 cents or 0.2 per cent at $66.23 after touching $67.98 a barrel, its highest since October 2018. Brent and WTI prices have climbed for four consecutive sessions. The US Senate passed on Saturday President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan, lifting prospects for the economy and fuel demand that has been pummelled by the pandemic. Adding support, Houthi forces in Yemen fired drones and missiles at Saudi Arabia, including a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura that is vital to petroleum exports. Riyadh said there were no casualties or loss of property. "This suggests that we could see further upside in the market in the near-term, particularly as the market probably now needs to be pricing in some sort of risk premium, with these attacks picking up in frequency," ING analysts said in a report. Prices have been buoyant since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Russia and their oil-producing allies, known as OPEC+, agreed last week on broadly sticking with output cuts despite rising crude prices.

Brent hits $70 for first time since pandemic began after Saudi attack

Hong Kong leader&nbsp;Carrie&nbsp;Lam&nbsp;said on Monday&nbsp;praised China's plan to ensure only "patriots" remain in politics, denying the move was a purge of the opposition.

China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), is expected to approve on Thursday&nbsp;a resolution that will reduce democratic representation in Hong Kong institutions and vet any candidates for "patriotism".

The measures will tweak the size and composition of Hong Kong's legislature and the committee selecting the chief executive further in favour of pro-Beijing figures. The electoral committee will also be given powers to select many of the legislators.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/beijing-plans-passage-to-south-asia-through-nepal-and-tibet-368506/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Speaking for the first time since returning from Beijing, where she attended the NPC opening last week,&nbsp;Lam&nbsp;said the changes "logically" mean that a vote for the Legislative Council needs to take place after an election for the members of the electoral committee, currently scheduled for December.

However, she&nbsp;ruled out any need to consult the public on the changes, as they were decreed by Beijing.

The vote was initially scheduled for September&nbsp;2020 but delayed for at least a year, with the government citing the coronavirus.

With any public office holders now set to be vetted for their "patriotism", political parties disbanding, democratic politicians either in jail or in exile, and institutions stacked with pro-Beijing figures by design, it is unclear what room there will be left in the city for any opposition.

Critics say the radical overhaul of the city's already limited democratic system will demolish what remains of the pro-democracy opposition and ensure only loyalists remain, an argument that Lam rejected on Monday.

"The improvements to the electoral system are not designed to favour someone, it is designed to ensure that whoever is administering Hong Kong is patriotic," Lam, a pro-Beijing appointee, told reporters after returning from the gathering in Beijing.

"The decision is timely, necessary, lawful and constitutional, and the central authorities' leadership and decision-making power are unquestionable."

Authoritarian China promised Hong Kong would keep a degree of autonomy and certain freedoms when it reverted from British colonial rule in 1997.

The city has a partially elected legislature and China also promised to one day grant residents universal suffrage.&nbsp;

Critics had for years complained freedoms were being steadily eroded. Beijing then ramped up the dismantling of the financial hub's democratic pillars in response to huge and sometimes violent democracy rallies that paralysed the city throughout 2019.

Hong Kong was poised to hold direct elections for half the city legislature's seats last summer but delayed the polls for a year, citing the coronavirus.

On Monday, Lam hinted a further delay was likely given the sweeping changes Beijing is planning.

"We are not able to tell you now whether the September election can proceed as scheduled," she said, adding the priority was to implement whatever changes Beijing decides on first.

She said her government would launch an "intensive" drive to explain the changes.

But she said there was no need for a "so-called extensive public consultation", arguing the transformation of Hong Kong's political system was "urgent" and was being spearheaded by the central government.

Hong Kong has never been a democracy -- something that has fuelled protests and resentment in the territory towards Beijing.

But it maintained a measure of choice, allowing a vocal opposition to contest certain local elections and maintain a minority presence.

When Hong Kongers were allowed to vote, they tended to return high counts for candidates advocating greater democracy.

In recent years authorities have ramped up the disqualification of politicians either sitting in the city's semi-elected legislature or standing as candidates, based on their political views.

Beijing also imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong last year, snuffing out protest and clobbering the pro-democracy opposition.

Many of the city's most prominent democracy campaigners have since been arrested, jailed or fled overseas.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Monday praised China's plan to ensure only "patriots" remain in politics, denying the move was a purge of the opposition. China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), is expected to approve on Thursday a resolution that will reduce democratic representation in Hong Kong institutions and vet any candidates for "patriotism".

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Monday praised China's plan to ensure only "patriots" remain in politics, denying the move was a purge of the opposition. China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), is expected to approve on Thursday a resolution that will reduce democratic representation in Hong Kong institutions and vet any candidates for "patriotism". The measures will tweak the size and composition of Hong Kong's legislature and the committee selecting the chief executive further in favour of pro-Beijing figures. The electoral committee will also be given powers to select many of the legislators. Speaking for the first time since returning from Beijing, where she attended the NPC opening last week, Lam said the changes "logically" mean that a vote for the Legislative Council needs to take place after an election for the members of the electoral committee, currently scheduled for December. However, she ruled out any need to consult the public on the changes, as they were decreed by Beijing. The vote was initially scheduled for September 2020 but delayed for at least a year, with the government citing the coronavirus. With any public office holders now set to be vetted for their "patriotism", political parties disbanding, democratic politicians either in jail or in exile, and institutions stacked with pro-Beijing figures by design, it is unclear what room there will be left in the city for any opposition. Critics say the radical overhaul of the city's already limited democratic system will demolish what remains of the pro-democracy opposition and ensure only loyalists remain, an argument that Lam rejected on Monday. "The improvements to the electoral system are not designed to favour someone, it is designed to ensure that whoever is administering Hong Kong is patriotic," Lam, a pro-Beijing appointee, told reporters after returning from the gathering in Beijing. "The decision is timely, necessary, lawful and constitutional, and the central authorities' leadership and decision-making power are unquestionable." Authoritarian China promised Hong Kong would keep a degree of autonomy and certain freedoms when it reverted from British colonial rule in 1997. The city has a partially elected legislature and China also promised to one day grant residents universal suffrage. Critics had for years complained freedoms were being steadily eroded. Beijing then ramped up the dismantling of the financial hub's democratic pillars in response to huge and sometimes violent democracy rallies that paralysed the city throughout 2019. Hong Kong was poised to hold direct elections for half the city legislature's seats last summer but delayed the polls for a year, citing the coronavirus. On Monday, Lam hinted a further delay was likely given the sweeping changes Beijing is planning. "We are not able to tell you now whether the September election can proceed as scheduled," she said, adding the priority was to implement whatever changes Beijing decides on first. She said her government would launch an "intensive" drive to explain the changes. But she said there was no need for a "so-called extensive public consultation", arguing the transformation of Hong Kong's political system was "urgent" and was being spearheaded by the central government. Hong Kong has never been a democracy -- something that has fuelled protests and resentment in the territory towards Beijing. But it maintained a measure of choice, allowing a vocal opposition to contest certain local elections and maintain a minority presence. When Hong Kongers were allowed to vote, they tended to return high counts for candidates advocating greater democracy. In recent years authorities have ramped up the disqualification of politicians either sitting in the city's semi-elected legislature or standing as candidates, based on their political views. Beijing also imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong last year, snuffing out protest and clobbering the pro-democracy opposition. Many of the city's most prominent democracy campaigners have since been arrested, jailed or fled overseas.

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam praises China's plan to install 'patriots'

How olive farmers in Turkey are fighting to protect land from coal lobby

Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet that can be instrumental in the hunt for traces of life beyond the solar system, as per a new study.

The&nbsp;study, published in the prestigious journal Science&nbsp;discovered a new planet outside our solar system, an exoplanet, which turns out to be an ideal candidate to seek an atmosphere there, and in fine, perhaps, traces of life around a star other than our Sun.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-confirm-existence-of-an-earth-size-exoplanet-303296">Astronomers confirm existence of an Earth-size exoplanet</a>

"The end of the road is finding biomarkers or biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets, which is signs of life on habitable Earth-like planets," said Jose Caballero, an astronomer at Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia and one of the co-authors of the study.

About 4,000 exoplanets have been discovered during the past 25 years and some have been found to have an atmosphere.

But these are "gaseous planets or icy planets," Caballero said, and planets the size of Earth have not been investigated yet.

The latest discovery opens up the possibility for researchers to study an exoplanet that is "rocky in nature, like the Earth," he said.

The name of the exoplanet is Gliese 486b and it is "only" 26 light-years away.&nbsp;

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/chain-of-resonance-six-alien-planets-with-rhythmic-movement-are-locked-in-a-rare-orbital-dance-362329">'Chain of resonance': Six alien planets with rhythmic movement are locked in a rare orbital dance</a>

It is about 30 per cent larger than Earth but with a mass 2.8 times that of our planet and is located in what is called a habitable zone around a star.

To identify it, researchers used two methods: "transit photometry" -- slight variations in a star's brightness as a planet passes in front of it -- and "Doppler radial velocity," which measures the "wobbling" of stars from the gravitational pull of orbiting planets.

'Have to start with something'&nbsp;

Since Gliese 486b is very near its star, Gliese 486, it takes only slightly less than 1.5 days to complete an orbit around it.

"We surveyed about 350 small red-dwarf stars for signs of low-mass planets," said Trifon Trifonov, a researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and the lead author of the study involving contributions from five continents.

Trifonov said Gliese 486b is not habitable with temperatures ranging around 430 degrees Celsius.

"The proximity to the red dwarf Gliese 486 heats the planet significantly, making its landscape hot and dry, interspersed with volcanos and glowing lava rivers," Trifonov said.

At the same time, Caballero said "if our planet has an atmosphere, then any planet at wider separation (from its star), and with roughly the same planet characteristics... will also have an atmosphere."

If it doesn't have an atmosphere then the other planets in the orbit will not be habitable either.

"We have to start with something," Caballero said.

Trifonov said Gliese 486b is a "remarkable discovery, which will likely become the 'Rosetta Stone' for atmospheric investigations of rocky exoplanets."

He is anxiously awaiting the deployment later this year of the James Webb Space Telescope.

It should allow researchers to tell no earlier than three years from now whether the exoplanet has an atmosphere and its composition.

And eventually, in a couple of decades, to tell whether there are any traces of life, Caballero said

Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet that can be instrumental in the hunt for traces of life beyond the solar system, as per a new study. The study, published in the prestigious journal Science discovered a new planet outside our solar system, an exoplanet, which turns out to be an ideal candidate to seek an atmosphere there, and in fine, perhaps, traces of life around a star other than our Sun.

Astronomers have discovered a new exoplanet that can be instrumental in the hunt for traces of life beyond the solar system, as per a new study. The study, published in the prestigious journal Science discovered a new planet outside our solar system, an exoplanet, which turns out to be an ideal candidate to seek an atmosphere there, and in fine, perhaps, traces of life around a star other than our Sun. Also read| Astronomers confirm existence of an Earth-size exoplanet "The end of the road is finding biomarkers or biosignatures in the atmospheres of exoplanets, which is signs of life on habitable Earth-like planets," said Jose Caballero, an astronomer at Spain's Centro de Astrobiologia and one of the co-authors of the study. About 4,000 exoplanets have been discovered during the past 25 years and some have been found to have an atmosphere. But these are "gaseous planets or icy planets," Caballero said, and planets the size of Earth have not been investigated yet. The latest discovery opens up the possibility for researchers to study an exoplanet that is "rocky in nature, like the Earth," he said. The name of the exoplanet is Gliese 486b and it is "only" 26 light-years away. Also read| 'Chain of resonance': Six alien planets with rhythmic movement are locked in a rare orbital dance It is about 30 per cent larger than Earth but with a mass 2.8 times that of our planet and is located in what is called a habitable zone around a star. To identify it, researchers used two methods: "transit photometry" -- slight variations in a star's brightness as a planet passes in front of it -- and "Doppler radial velocity," which measures the "wobbling" of stars from the gravitational pull of orbiting planets. 'Have to start with something' Since Gliese 486b is very near its star, Gliese 486, it takes only slightly less than 1.5 days to complete an orbit around it. "We surveyed about 350 small red-dwarf stars for signs of low-mass planets," said Trifon Trifonov, a researcher with the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy and the lead author of the study involving contributions from five continents. Trifonov said Gliese 486b is not habitable with temperatures ranging around 430 degrees Celsius. "The proximity to the red dwarf Gliese 486 heats the planet significantly, making its landscape hot and dry, interspersed with volcanos and glowing lava rivers," Trifonov said. At the same time, Caballero said "if our planet has an atmosphere, then any planet at wider separation (from its star), and with roughly the same planet characteristics... will also have an atmosphere." If it doesn't have an atmosphere then the other planets in the orbit will not be habitable either. "We have to start with something," Caballero said. Trifonov said Gliese 486b is a "remarkable discovery, which will likely become the 'Rosetta Stone' for atmospheric investigations of rocky exoplanets." He is anxiously awaiting the deployment later this year of the James Webb Space Telescope. It should allow researchers to tell no earlier than three years from now whether the exoplanet has an atmosphere and its composition. And eventually, in a couple of decades, to tell whether there are any traces of life, Caballero said

Astronomers discover new exoplanet instrumental in hunt for traces of life beyond solar system

A temporary US&nbsp;ban on exports of critical raw materials could limit the production of coronavirus vaccines by companies such as the&nbsp;Serum&nbsp;Institute of India (SII), its chief executive said in a World Bank panel discussion on Thursday.

SII, the world's biggest vaccine maker, has licensed the AstraZeneca/Oxford University product and will soon start bulk-manufacturing the Novavax shot.

"There are a lot of bags, filters and critical items that manufacturers need," Adar Poonawalla said. "The Novavax vaccine, which we are a major manufacturer of, needs these items from the U.S."

He said the recent invocation of the U.S. Defence Production Act to preserve vaccine raw materials for its own companies went against the global goal of sharing vaccines equitably.

The White House said this week it had used the act to help drugmaker Merck &amp; Co produce Johnson &amp; Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.

"This really needs to be looked at because if they are talking about building capacity all over the world, the sharing of these critical raw materials, which just can't be replaced in a matter of six months or a year,&nbsp;is going to become a critical limiting factor," Poonawalla said.

India's Biological E has tied up with J&amp;J to potentially contract manufacture up to 600 million doses of its vaccine per year. They have signed an initial deal but production volumes have not been agreed upon.

A temporary US ban on exports of critical raw materials could limit the production of coronavirus vaccines by companies such as the Serum Institute of India (SII), its chief executive said in a World Bank panel discussion on Thursday.

A temporary US ban on exports of critical raw materials could limit the production of coronavirus vaccines by companies such as the Serum Institute of India (SII), its chief executive said in a World Bank panel discussion on Thursday. SII, the world's biggest vaccine maker, has licensed the AstraZeneca/Oxford University product and will soon start bulk-manufacturing the Novavax shot. "There are a lot of bags, filters and critical items that manufacturers need," Adar Poonawalla said. "The Novavax vaccine, which we are a major manufacturer of, needs these items from the U.S." He said the recent invocation of the U.S. Defence Production Act to preserve vaccine raw materials for its own companies went against the global goal of sharing vaccines equitably. The White House said this week it had used the act to help drugmaker Merck & Co produce Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine. "This really needs to be looked at because if they are talking about building capacity all over the world, the sharing of these critical raw materials, which just can't be replaced in a matter of six months or a year, is going to become a critical limiting factor," Poonawalla said. India's Biological E has tied up with J&J to potentially contract manufacture up to 600 million doses of its vaccine per year. They have signed an initial deal but production volumes have not been agreed upon.

Indian vaccine giant SII warns of supply hit from US raw materials export ban

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