A parody of the Indonesian national anthem posted by a Malaysian Youtuber has left the country fuming.

Tempers flared when the video, named "Indonesia Raya Instrumental (Parody + Lyrics)", in the Malay tongue of the language the two nations share, became a web sensation throughout the end of the week.

It was initially posted fourteen days prior by a record named "MY Asean", which utilized a Malaysian banner as its profile picture.&nbsp;

The video turned the verses of Indonesia's public song of devotion, for instance from "Indonesia my homeland" to "Indonesia my hardship".&nbsp;

Another refrain contained a reference wanting sick for Indonesian President Joko Widodo, while there was additionally a hostile joke on the name of the nation's establishing father, Sukarno, who during the 1960s announced a Ganyang Malaysia, or "Squash Malaysia", crusade following the nation's arrangement.&nbsp;

It additionally changed Indonesia's symbol from the Garuda, a legendary monster winged creature, into a scared chicken, while superimposed in the foundation were photos of a youngster peeing on an Indonesian banner.&nbsp;

The Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur had reported the video to Malaysian police, Indonesia’s foreign ministry said.

Yoshi Iskandar, organiser of data and social culture capacities at Indonesia's international safe haven in Kuala Lumpur, said the Malaysian specialists were all the while researching the issue.&nbsp;

"We appeal to Indonesians to control themselves and regard the examination cycle at present progressing as per the relevant law," Yoshi said.&nbsp;

“The Malaysian government has taken actions, as per Indonesia’s request, including [requesting that YouTube] take down the video,” foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah told This Week in Asia on Monday.

The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta has strongly condemned an alleged provocative act through a video that could affect ties between Malaysia and Indonesia.

In a statement released Sunday night (Dec 27), the embassy confirmed that Malaysian authorities were investigating the video found to be insulting Indonesia, which is said to have been uploaded by a Malaysian.

"If the video is found to be uploaded by a Malaysian citizen, stern action will be taken based on existing laws," the statement said.

The original video, which has been viewed at least 44,000 times, has been taken down and the account deleted, but some YouTube users have reposted the video. One even revived the MY Asean account to “provide the evidence for the [Indonesian] government” when they follow up the matter with their Malaysian counterparts. 
&nbsp;

While the neighbors have a moderately decent respective relationship, their residents are up to speed in an apparently never-ending contention that infrequently explodes over everything from food to culture and sports.&nbsp;

Indonesia and Malaysia have recently quibbled over the beginnings of rendang, a marinated hamburger delicacy; shadow manikins; conventional moves; and even who was first to concoct nasi goreng, or seared rice – a contention that additionally ordinarily includes Singapore.&nbsp;

The contention normally tops during football match-ups or badminton matches between the two nations, when public pride is on the line.&nbsp;

A parody of the Indonesian national anthem posted by a Malaysian Youtuber has left the country fuming. Tempers flared when the video, named "Indonesia Raya Instrumental (Parody + Lyrics)", in the Malay tongue of the language the two nations share, became a web sensation throughout the end of the week.

A parody of the Indonesian national anthem posted by a Malaysian Youtuber has left the country fuming. Tempers flared when the video, named "Indonesia Raya Instrumental (Parody + Lyrics)", in the Malay tongue of the language the two nations share, became a web sensation throughout the end of the week. It was initially posted fourteen days prior by a record named "MY Asean", which utilized a Malaysian banner as its profile picture. The video turned the verses of Indonesia's public song of devotion, for instance from "Indonesia my homeland" to "Indonesia my hardship". Another refrain contained a reference wanting sick for Indonesian President Joko Widodo, while there was additionally a hostile joke on the name of the nation's establishing father, Sukarno, who during the 1960s announced a Ganyang Malaysia, or "Squash Malaysia", crusade following the nation's arrangement. It additionally changed Indonesia's symbol from the Garuda, a legendary monster winged creature, into a scared chicken, while superimposed in the foundation were photos of a youngster peeing on an Indonesian banner. The Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur had reported the video to Malaysian police, Indonesia’s foreign ministry said. Yoshi Iskandar, organiser of data and social culture capacities at Indonesia's international safe haven in Kuala Lumpur, said the Malaysian specialists were all the while researching the issue. "We appeal to Indonesians to control themselves and regard the examination cycle at present progressing as per the relevant law," Yoshi said. “The Malaysian government has taken actions, as per Indonesia’s request, including [requesting that YouTube] take down the video,” foreign ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah told This Week in Asia on Monday. The Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta has strongly condemned an alleged provocative act through a video that could affect ties between Malaysia and Indonesia. In a statement released Sunday night (Dec 27), the embassy confirmed that Malaysian authorities were investigating the video found to be insulting Indonesia, which is said to have been uploaded by a Malaysian. "If the video is found to be uploaded by a Malaysian citizen, stern action will be taken based on existing laws," the statement said. The original video, which has been viewed at least 44,000 times, has been taken down and the account deleted, but some YouTube users have reposted the video. One even revived the MY Asean account to “provide the evidence for the [Indonesian] government” when they follow up the matter with their Malaysian counterparts. While the neighbors have a moderately decent respective relationship, their residents are up to speed in an apparently never-ending contention that infrequently explodes over everything from food to culture and sports. Indonesia and Malaysia have recently quibbled over the beginnings of rendang, a marinated hamburger delicacy; shadow manikins; conventional moves; and even who was first to concoct nasi goreng, or seared rice – a contention that additionally ordinarily includes Singapore. The contention normally tops during football match-ups or badminton matches between the two nations, when public pride is on the line.

Indonesians are fuming at Malaysia for parodying their national anthem

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured&nbsp;the largest and one of the most complete&nbsp;Einstein rings&nbsp;ever discovered in our universe.

Named&nbsp;GAL-CLUS-022058s, the Einstein ring is&nbsp;located in the southern hemisphere constellation of&nbsp;Fornax&nbsp;(the Furnace) and was&nbsp;captured by&nbsp;Hubble Space Telescope.

The object has been nicknamed by astronomers studying this Einstein ring as the "Molten Ring," which alludes to its appearance and host constellation.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/top-10-mind-bending-space-discoveries-and-observations-from-2020-349472" hreflang="en">Top 10 mind-bending space discoveries and observations from 2020</a>

First theorised to exist by Einstein in his general theory of&nbsp;relativity, this object’s unusual shape can be explained by a process called&nbsp;gravitational lensing, which causes light shining from far away to be bent and pulled by the gravity of an object between its source and the observer.

One of the advantages of this lensing effect is that it actually allows scientists to better study the farther away galaxy, which might have been completely invisible otherwise.

In this case, the light from the background galaxy has been distorted into the curve we see by the gravity of the galaxy cluster sitting in front of it.

While this is not the only known example of the phenomenon happening, it is one of the most striking.

The near exact alignment of the background galaxy with the central elliptical galaxy of the cluster, seen in the middle of this image,&nbsp;has warped and magnified the image of the background galaxy into an almost perfect ring. The gravity from other galaxies in the cluster causes additional distortions.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured the largest and one of the most complete Einstein rings ever discovered in our universe. Named GAL-CLUS-022058s, the Einstein ring is located in the southern hemisphere constellation of Fornax (the Furnace) and was captured by Hubble Space Telescope.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has captured the largest and one of the most complete Einstein rings ever discovered in our universe. Named GAL-CLUS-022058s, the Einstein ring is located in the southern hemisphere constellation of Fornax (the Furnace) and was captured by Hubble Space Telescope. The object has been nicknamed by astronomers studying this Einstein ring as the "Molten Ring," which alludes to its appearance and host constellation. Also see: Top 10 mind-bending space discoveries and observations from 2020 First theorised to exist by Einstein in his general theory of relativity, this object’s unusual shape can be explained by a process called gravitational lensing, which causes light shining from far away to be bent and pulled by the gravity of an object between its source and the observer. One of the advantages of this lensing effect is that it actually allows scientists to better study the farther away galaxy, which might have been completely invisible otherwise. In this case, the light from the background galaxy has been distorted into the curve we see by the gravity of the galaxy cluster sitting in front of it. While this is not the only known example of the phenomenon happening, it is one of the most striking. The near exact alignment of the background galaxy with the central elliptical galaxy of the cluster, seen in the middle of this image, has warped and magnified the image of the background galaxy into an almost perfect ring. The gravity from other galaxies in the cluster causes additional distortions.

'Molten ring': NASA captures the largest Einstein rings of the universe

Spain will set up a registry of people who refuse to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus and share it with other European Union member states, although it will not be made public, Health Minister Salvador Illa said Monday.

During an interview with La Sexta television, Illa reiterated that vaccination against the virus, which as in most EU nations began in Spain over the weekend,&nbsp;would not be mandatory.

"What will be done is a registry, which will be shared with our European partners... of those people who have been offered it and have simply rejected it," he said.

"It is not a document which will be made public and it will be done with the utmost respect for data protection," he added, noting that employers or&nbsp;members of the general public&nbsp;would not have access to it.

The proportion of Spaniards unwilling to take a Covid-19 vaccine has plunged to 28 percent in December from 47 percent last month, according to a poll published last month.

The survey by the state-funded CIS research institute found 40.5 percent of respondents are willing to have the jab while 16.2 percent would do so if it is shown to be "reliable".

Spain has been one of Europe's worst-hit countries by the pandemic, with the virus death toll passing the 50,000 mark on Monday, according to the health ministry.

Nearly 1.9 million people have been infected.

The government expects to have between 15 million and 20 million people out of its population of 47 million vaccinated against the virus by June.

"The way to defeat the virus is to vaccinate all of us or the more the better," Illa said.

Spain will set up a registry of people who refuse to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus and share it with other European Union member states, although it will not be made public, Health Minister Salvador Illa said Monday.

Spain will set up a registry of people who refuse to be vaccinated against the new coronavirus and share it with other European Union member states, although it will not be made public, Health Minister Salvador Illa said Monday. During an interview with La Sexta television, Illa reiterated that vaccination against the virus, which as in most EU nations began in Spain over the weekend, would not be mandatory. "What will be done is a registry, which will be shared with our European partners... of those people who have been offered it and have simply rejected it," he said. "It is not a document which will be made public and it will be done with the utmost respect for data protection," he added, noting that employers or members of the general public would not have access to it. The proportion of Spaniards unwilling to take a Covid-19 vaccine has plunged to 28 percent in December from 47 percent last month, according to a poll published last month. The survey by the state-funded CIS research institute found 40.5 percent of respondents are willing to have the jab while 16.2 percent would do so if it is shown to be "reliable". Spain has been one of Europe's worst-hit countries by the pandemic, with the virus death toll passing the 50,000 mark on Monday, according to the health ministry. Nearly 1.9 million people have been infected. The government expects to have between 15 million and 20 million people out of its population of 47 million vaccinated against the virus by June. "The way to defeat the virus is to vaccinate all of us or the more the better," Illa said.

Spain to keep registry of people who refuse coronavirus vaccine

Panic is setting in around the world and lockdowns are making a comeback due to the three mutations of the novel coronavirus.

Hundreds of Britons have fled quarantine in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, with the country's health minister attributing the exodus to an "impossible situation" where authorities moved at short-notice to contain a new variant of the&nbsp;coronavirus.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-tourists-flee-swiss-resort-overnight-to-escape-quarantine-amid-fears-of-new-covid-strain-352845" hreflang="en">British tourists flee Swiss resort overnight to escape quarantine amid fears of new covid strain</a>

On Dec 21, the Swiss government ordered people who had arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since December&nbsp;14 to undergo a 10-day quarantine to prevent the spread of more contagious variants of the&nbsp;coronavirus. It also halted flights before allowing them to resume a few days later so stranded visitors could return home.

Swiss media reported on Sunday that about 200 British citizens left Verbier before the end of their quarantine.

Asked about the run-away tourists, Health Minister Alain Berset told reporters in Basel: "We are aware of that. It is obviously a problem, there was an order to quarantine that has not been respected."

Travellers hustled back to&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;on Monday as the government decided to tighten its borders, banning non-resident foreign nationals from entering the country.

Japan&nbsp;on Saturday said it would temporarily ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering as it tightened its borders following the detection of a new, highly infectious variant of the coronavirus. The latest ban took effect on Monday and will run through January.

Under the new restrictions,&nbsp;Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be allowed to enter but must show proof of a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before departing for&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;and must quarantine for two weeks after arrival.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-steps-up-vaccine-efforts-after-detecting-coronavirus-variant-from-uk-352829" hreflang="en">South Korea steps up vaccine efforts after detecting coronavirus variant from UK</a>

South Korea detected its first case of the variant of coronavirus which was first found in Britain. Now, the government has stepped up efforts to contain further spread of the new variant, with officials vowing to speed up efforts to initiate a vaccination programme.

The new variant of coronavirus is thought to be more transmissible than the original strain and was spotted in three people who had come to South Korea from London on December 22, as per the information given out by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Monday.

After the new strains of coronavirus have been found in several countries, Sweden's government has issued temporary rules to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sweden-imposes-stricter-covid-19-regulations-amid-fear-of-new-variant-352966" hreflang="en">Sweden imposes stricter COVID-19 regulations amid fear of new variant</a>

The new restrictions will bring limitations on the number of people to gather in specific public places and will drop the old general restrictions on public gatherings. The new rules will be imposed from January 10 after the government approves the final draft.

This new law will also enable the government to temporarily shut down several businesses, shopping malls, leisure and entertainment venues and public transports. "Those who violate restrictions that limit access to public places can be sentenced to a monetary fine,"&nbsp;Health Minister Lena Hallengren said in a press conference.

Scientists say the new variant of coronavirus is about 40 per cent-70 per cent&nbsp;more transmissible than the original strain. Several other countries, including Australia, Italy, and the Netherlands say they detected cases of the new strain.

There is no evidence that vaccines currently being deployed - including one made by Pfizer and BioNtech - or other COVID-19 shots in development will not protect against this variant.

British Health Secretary Matt Hancock was the first one to announce the identification of a new variant of coronavirus on December 20. Now, as his government has announced a Tier 4 lockdown in the country, Hancock has justified the move by revealing the extent of danger the new variant poses.

Talking about the new and stricter lockdown in south-eastern England during the Christmas time, Hancock said the decision was needed to control the worsening situation as the new variant was "out of control".

Authorities cautioned that the drop may be due to less testing done over the weekend and the Christmas holiday, and said on Sunday they would be extending social distancing measures until early January.

Panic is setting in around the world and lockdowns are making a comeback due to the three mutations of the novel coronavirus. Hundreds of Britons have fled quarantine in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, with the country's health minister attributing the exodus to an "impossible situation" where authorities moved at short-notice to contain a new variant of the coronavirus.

Panic is setting in around the world and lockdowns are making a comeback due to the three mutations of the novel coronavirus. Hundreds of Britons have fled quarantine in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier, with the country's health minister attributing the exodus to an "impossible situation" where authorities moved at short-notice to contain a new variant of the coronavirus. Also read: British tourists flee Swiss resort overnight to escape quarantine amid fears of new covid strain On Dec 21, the Swiss government ordered people who had arrived from the United Kingdom and South Africa since December 14 to undergo a 10-day quarantine to prevent the spread of more contagious variants of the coronavirus. It also halted flights before allowing them to resume a few days later so stranded visitors could return home. Swiss media reported on Sunday that about 200 British citizens left Verbier before the end of their quarantine. Asked about the run-away tourists, Health Minister Alain Berset told reporters in Basel: "We are aware of that. It is obviously a problem, there was an order to quarantine that has not been respected." Travellers hustled back to Japan on Monday as the government decided to tighten its borders, banning non-resident foreign nationals from entering the country. Japan on Saturday said it would temporarily ban non-resident foreign nationals from entering as it tightened its borders following the detection of a new, highly infectious variant of the coronavirus. The latest ban took effect on Monday and will run through January. Under the new restrictions, Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be allowed to enter but must show proof of a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before departing for Japan and must quarantine for two weeks after arrival. Also read: South Korea steps up vaccine efforts after detecting coronavirus variant from UK South Korea detected its first case of the variant of coronavirus which was first found in Britain. Now, the government has stepped up efforts to contain further spread of the new variant, with officials vowing to speed up efforts to initiate a vaccination programme. The new variant of coronavirus is thought to be more transmissible than the original strain and was spotted in three people who had come to South Korea from London on December 22, as per the information given out by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Monday. After the new strains of coronavirus have been found in several countries, Sweden's government has issued temporary rules to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in the country. Also read: Sweden imposes stricter COVID-19 regulations amid fear of new variant The new restrictions will bring limitations on the number of people to gather in specific public places and will drop the old general restrictions on public gatherings. The new rules will be imposed from January 10 after the government approves the final draft. This new law will also enable the government to temporarily shut down several businesses, shopping malls, leisure and entertainment venues and public transports. "Those who violate restrictions that limit access to public places can be sentenced to a monetary fine," Health Minister Lena Hallengren said in a press conference. Scientists say the new variant of coronavirus is about 40 per cent-70 per cent more transmissible than the original strain. Several other countries, including Australia, Italy, and the Netherlands say they detected cases of the new strain. There is no evidence that vaccines currently being deployed - including one made by Pfizer and BioNtech - or other COVID-19 shots in development will not protect against this variant. British Health Secretary Matt Hancock was the first one to announce the identification of a new variant of coronavirus on December 20. Now, as his government has announced a Tier 4 lockdown in the country, Hancock has justified the move by revealing the extent of danger the new variant poses. Talking about the new and stricter lockdown in south-eastern England during the Christmas time, Hancock said the decision was needed to control the worsening situation as the new variant was "out of control". Authorities cautioned that the drop may be due to less testing done over the weekend and the Christmas holiday, and said on Sunday they would be extending social distancing measures until early January.

Coronavirus mutation tracker: New strain leading to chaos and confusion across the globe

Turkey has&nbsp;passed a new law&nbsp;that would increase government monitoring of civil society groups, which rights groups have warned would violate the freedom of association.

The legislation approved by the Turkish parliament on Sunday permits the interior ministry to appoint NGO officials and halt groups' activities under vague terrorism charges.

It also&nbsp;allows the annual inspection of nongovernmental organizations, ostensibly to combat terrorism financing.&nbsp;The law would also apply to international civil society groups operating in Turkey.&nbsp;

The NGO controls were tacked on to legislation that the government said was needed to comply with a UN resolution on preventing the financing of weapons of mass destruction.

The bill, proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, passed with the votes of the party and its nationalist allies.

Turkey's anti-terrorism laws are broad and have led to the jailing of politicians, journalists, civil society activists, and thousands of others.

Nearly 680 civil society groups signed a declaration against the bill, saying it would limit their ability to raise funds and organize while putting them under ministry pressure. They said the law violates the Turkish Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of association.

''Turkish prosecutors regularly open terrorism investigations into people for peacefully exercising rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association,''&nbsp;Human Rights Watch said in a statement before the vote.

The rights group warned the law would ''widen the scope for the Interior Ministry to restrict the activities of any organization and individuals engaged in them.''

Turkey’s refusal to implement the rulings of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) increases its risk of&nbsp;exacerbating tensions with the EU, which has&nbsp;threatened Ankara with sanctions&nbsp;over its aggressive foreign policy.

Turkey has passed a new law that would increase government monitoring of civil society groups, which rights groups have warned would violate the freedom of association.

Turkey has passed a new law that would increase government monitoring of civil society groups, which rights groups have warned would violate the freedom of association. The legislation approved by the Turkish parliament on Sunday permits the interior ministry to appoint NGO officials and halt groups' activities under vague terrorism charges. It also allows the annual inspection of nongovernmental organizations, ostensibly to combat terrorism financing. The law would also apply to international civil society groups operating in Turkey. The NGO controls were tacked on to legislation that the government said was needed to comply with a UN resolution on preventing the financing of weapons of mass destruction. The bill, proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling party, passed with the votes of the party and its nationalist allies. Turkey's anti-terrorism laws are broad and have led to the jailing of politicians, journalists, civil society activists, and thousands of others. Nearly 680 civil society groups signed a declaration against the bill, saying it would limit their ability to raise funds and organize while putting them under ministry pressure. They said the law violates the Turkish Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of association. ''Turkish prosecutors regularly open terrorism investigations into people for peacefully exercising rights to freedom of expression, assembly, and association,'' Human Rights Watch said in a statement before the vote. The rights group warned the law would ''widen the scope for the Interior Ministry to restrict the activities of any organization and individuals engaged in them.'' Turkey’s refusal to implement the rulings of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) increases its risk of exacerbating tensions with the EU, which has threatened Ankara with sanctions over its aggressive foreign policy.

Turkey passes law to tighten government control over civil society groups

Sailors and crew members of Australian ships carrying coal have been stranded at anchor for nearly five months off the Caofeidian port on the Chinese coastline.

According to commercial tracking data, crews on an estimated 70 ships loaded with seven million to 10 million tons of Australian coal have not been allowed to disembark in China.

China has cited&nbsp;factors such as&nbsp;the coronavirus pandemic and environmental issues behind its decision.

An estimated 1500 seafarers are stranded in Chinese harbours “essentially as pawns of war”, as per&nbsp;Dean Summers from Maritime Union of Australia.

The crews are held hostage to import restrictions imposed on Australian coal as part of its wider geopolitical feud with China. As a result,&nbsp;hundreds of millions of dollars of paid-for coal hanging in the balance.

Companies keen to offload thermal coal to their Chinese buyers have kept the ships at anchor hoping for a resolution, but that option disappeared when China formally banned Australian coal imports, throwing the $14 billion export industry into turmoil.

Onboard the Anastasia are 18 seafarers,16 of them Indian, one Russian and one Filipino&nbsp;-&nbsp;forced to work at sea for far longer than their current anchorage, with crew clocking up to 20 months as ports refuse to let them disembark for fear of spreading contagion.

For as far back as a half year, Virendrasinh Bhosale, a sailor from India, has been caught on a hunk of metal drifting off China's eastern coast.&nbsp;

He is edgy to see his 5-year-old child. "Consistently I long for him and I awaken crying in bed," he said in a statement given to The New York Times.&nbsp;

Bhosale is one of 23 team individuals stuck on board a payload transport, the Jag Anand, off the port of Jingtang in Hebei Province since June. The boat is conveying around 160,000 tons of Australian coal however has not been conceded freedom to empty its load.&nbsp;

Chinese port authorities have informed anchored crews that individuals can only go onshore if a doctor certifies a specific medical emergency.

But according to&nbsp;Gaurav Singh, the navigating officer of the Anastasia,&nbsp;another ship languishing at a Chinese port, Caofeidian, the crew are sick and have injuries that have gone untreated for months.

Singh said in a statement to the Sydney Herald, “We haven’t made any mistakes; we have not committed any crimes. We are getting punished for things we have not done. Why should we suffer for the diplomatic war between the two countries?”

A&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/solidarity_and" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Twitter account</a>&nbsp;documenting the plight of the Anastasia and the Jag Anand has sprung up. Relatives of the men have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.change.org/p/narendra-modi-amit-shah-s-jayshankar-indian-sailors-in-a-floating-prison?utm_source=share_petition&amp;utm_medium=custom_url&amp;recruited_by_id=b8ab2410-f805-11ea-9b9a-ab59dc725ea0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">started a petition</a>&nbsp;to bring them home.

Australia's Resource Minister Keith Pitt said&nbsp;the dispute was mainly “a matter for the companies involved.”&nbsp;

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Simon Birmingham&nbsp;Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in the Morrison Government, said&nbsp;his department was making “representations” to its Chinese counterparts but noted that the Australian exporters had already been paid, meaning the transaction “has predominantly already taken place, from an Australian perspective.”

The stranded vessels fly international flags but are caught in a web of multinational companies, contractors and subcontractors — a tangle of competing interests that complicates the situation.

Last year, according to government statistics, Australia exported nearly $10.4 billion worth of coal to China. Though that coal helps fuel China’s voracious economic needs, deteriorating political ties have choked off one conduit.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Sailors and crew members of Australian ships carrying coal have been stranded at anchor for nearly five months off the Caofeidian port on the Chinese coastline. According to commercial tracking data, crews on an estimated 70 ships loaded with seven million to 10 million tons of Australian coal have not been allowed to disembark in China.

Sailors and crew members of Australian ships carrying coal have been stranded at anchor for nearly five months off the Caofeidian port on the Chinese coastline. According to commercial tracking data, crews on an estimated 70 ships loaded with seven million to 10 million tons of Australian coal have not been allowed to disembark in China. China has cited factors such as the coronavirus pandemic and environmental issues behind its decision. An estimated 1500 seafarers are stranded in Chinese harbours “essentially as pawns of war”, as per Dean Summers from Maritime Union of Australia. The crews are held hostage to import restrictions imposed on Australian coal as part of its wider geopolitical feud with China. As a result, hundreds of millions of dollars of paid-for coal hanging in the balance. Companies keen to offload thermal coal to their Chinese buyers have kept the ships at anchor hoping for a resolution, but that option disappeared when China formally banned Australian coal imports, throwing the $14 billion export industry into turmoil. Onboard the Anastasia are 18 seafarers,16 of them Indian, one Russian and one Filipino - forced to work at sea for far longer than their current anchorage, with crew clocking up to 20 months as ports refuse to let them disembark for fear of spreading contagion. For as far back as a half year, Virendrasinh Bhosale, a sailor from India, has been caught on a hunk of metal drifting off China's eastern coast. He is edgy to see his 5-year-old child. "Consistently I long for him and I awaken crying in bed," he said in a statement given to The New York Times. Bhosale is one of 23 team individuals stuck on board a payload transport, the Jag Anand, off the port of Jingtang in Hebei Province since June. The boat is conveying around 160,000 tons of Australian coal however has not been conceded freedom to empty its load. Chinese port authorities have informed anchored crews that individuals can only go onshore if a doctor certifies a specific medical emergency. But according to Gaurav Singh, the navigating officer of the Anastasia, another ship languishing at a Chinese port, Caofeidian, the crew are sick and have injuries that have gone untreated for months. Singh said in a statement to the Sydney Herald, “We haven’t made any mistakes; we have not committed any crimes. We are getting punished for things we have not done. Why should we suffer for the diplomatic war between the two countries?” A Twitter account documenting the plight of the Anastasia and the Jag Anand has sprung up. Relatives of the men have started a petition to bring them home. Australia's Resource Minister Keith Pitt said the dispute was mainly “a matter for the companies involved.” Meanwhile, Simon Birmingham Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment in the Morrison Government, said his department was making “representations” to its Chinese counterparts but noted that the Australian exporters had already been paid, meaning the transaction “has predominantly already taken place, from an Australian perspective.” The stranded vessels fly international flags but are caught in a web of multinational companies, contractors and subcontractors — a tangle of competing interests that complicates the situation. Last year, according to government statistics, Australia exported nearly $10.4 billion worth of coal to China. Though that coal helps fuel China’s voracious economic needs, deteriorating political ties have choked off one conduit.

'Pawns of war': Sailors, crew members of Australian ships stranded in China

Hobbled by restrictions on his tobacco shop, Ozgur Akbas helped organize a demonstration in Istanbul last month to protest what he called unfair rules imposed on merchants during the pandemic.

“There are many friends who have shut down,” he said in an interview. “And some are on the verge of suicide.”

Turks had been grappling with a falling currency and double-digit inflation for two years when the pandemic hit in March, sharply worsening the country’s deep recession. Nine months in, as a second wave of the virus sweeps through Turkey, there are signs that a significant portion of the population is overwhelmed by debt and increasingly going hungry.

MetroPoll Research, a respected polling organization, found in a recent survey that 25% of respondents said they could not meet their basic needs. Akbas said he sees it daily among his customers.

“People are at the point of explosion,” he said.

For President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who this year had drawn attention at home and abroad with an aggressive foreign policy and military interventions, things suddenly came to a head in November.

The government admitted that it had been understating the extent of Turkey’s coronavirus outbreak by not recording asymptomatic cases, and new data revealed record infection levels in the country.

The Turkish lira has been battered by a record depreciation — down more than 30% against the dollar this year — and foreign exchange reserves have been badly depleted. Along with double-digit inflation, the country now faces a balance of payments crisis, Moody’s Investor Service said recently.

The crisis comes as Erdogan is about to lose a powerful ally when President Donald Trump leaves office next month. Turkey is already facing sanctions from the United States for purchasing a Russian missile defense system and from the European Union for gas drilling in waters claimed by Cyprus. Trump had been instrumental in holding off the sanctions from Washington until this month.

Erdogan was notably slow in congratulating President-elect Joe Biden on his victory. Analysts expect a Biden administration to be tougher on Erdogan’s sliding record on human rights and democratic standards.

To deal with Turkey’s spiraling economy, Erdogan has recently moved with a ruthlessness that is usually carefully hidden from view. He appointed a new head of the Central Bank, and when Erdogan’s finance minister, who is also his son-in-law and heir apparent, resigned in objection, the president surprised many by accepting the resignation and replacing him.

Then the president promised economic and judicial reforms and even floated the possibility of releasing political prisoners — which some in his own party advocate to improve relations with Europe and the United States.

In mid-December, Erdogan announced a new aid package to tide over small businesses and tradesmen for three months. Last weekend he dropped into a bakery to make some purchases in a show of support for merchants.

But critics have described Erdogan’s various maneuvers as too little, too late.

The former finance minister, Berat Albayrak, may have been a convenient scapegoat — little is known of what really went down inside the Presidential Palace — but his dramatic fall from grace and complete disappearance from public life indicate a more serious course correction. It seems the economic crunch and the consequences for Erdogan’s own fate have become paramount concerns.

Mehmet Ali Kulat, who conducts opinion polls for political parties, including for Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, said the president watches opinion polls assiduously.

“What he particularly pays attention to is how things reflect on society,” Kulat said.

Recent opinion polls show that the standing of Erdogan’s A.K. Party has fallen to its lowest point in the 19 years it has been at the helm of Turkish politics, hovering around 30%, according to MetroPoll. That figure suggests that the party’s alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party would fail to secure Erdogan the 50% of the vote needed to win a presidential election.

“The next elections are not a slam dunk,” said Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations. “There is a good chance he will lose unless he either broadens his coalition or manages to appeal to people who voted for the opposition.

“His chances of being reelected are less than 50%,” she said. “So, finally,” she added, the question is, “is he smart enough?”

The MetroPoll survey found that a majority of Erdogan’s own supporters and 63% of respondents overall believe Turkey is headed in a worse, rather than a better, direction.

Those figures are borne out by what aid organizations are seeing on the ground.

Hacer Foggo, founder of the Deep Poverty Network, a group that helps street traders and informal workers, said that in her nearly 20 years of working to alleviate urban poverty in Turkey, she had never seen such distress.

When the first lockdown began in March, she began receiving calls from people begging for help in feeding their families. Street vendors and scrap collectors were particularly badly hit.

“When they say there is no food at home, this means there is no food at their neighbor’s, either,” she said.

Her network has been helping 2,500 families in Istanbul, matching donors with families to help them buy groceries and diapers for children. Her voice cracked as she described a mother who said her baby had gone down a size in diapers.

“A baby should be gaining weight, not getting smaller,” Foggo said. Other women could no longer breastfeed because they lacked food, she said, and more people have been forced to hunt for already scarce food in garbage.

“I am 52 years old, and this is the biggest crisis I have ever seen,” she said.

The economic problems began before the pandemic, she said, but she laid the blame squarely on local and national governments for their lack of strategy for confronting the growing poverty and failing to improve social services.

Indeed, the economic tailspin came after Erdogan tightened his reins on the country, including over the economy, by acquiring sweeping new powers under a new presidential system inaugurated in 2018. International monitors cite those changes as a main reason for their alarm about the country’s economic plunge.

“Turkey’s weak and deteriorating governance is a key credit weakness, which underpinned our decision to downgrade Turkey’s rating by multiple notches since the introduction of the presidential system in mid-2018,” Moody’s said in a report this month.

Akbas, the merchant running the tobacco shop, described two elderly customers who came into his shop in a wealthy part of the capital, Ankara, one day last week as an illustration of how badly skyrocketing inflation has affected people.

One woman asked if she could buy a single egg. The second woman, who was neatly turned out, asked if he had any free bread. Stunned, he filled a bag for her.

“Retirees are in a very bad situation,” he said. “What I am hearing from people is, ‘Enough is enough. We have had it up to our necks. We cannot make money,’ and people aged 70 and 80 are saying they are going to throw themselves in the street.”

Hobbled by restrictions on his tobacco shop, Ozgur Akbas helped organize a demonstration in Istanbul last month to protest what he called unfair rules imposed on merchants during the pandemic.

Hobbled by restrictions on his tobacco shop, Ozgur Akbas helped organize a demonstration in Istanbul last month to protest what he called unfair rules imposed on merchants during the pandemic. “There are many friends who have shut down,” he said in an interview. “And some are on the verge of suicide.” Turks had been grappling with a falling currency and double-digit inflation for two years when the pandemic hit in March, sharply worsening the country’s deep recession. Nine months in, as a second wave of the virus sweeps through Turkey, there are signs that a significant portion of the population is overwhelmed by debt and increasingly going hungry. MetroPoll Research, a respected polling organization, found in a recent survey that 25% of respondents said they could not meet their basic needs. Akbas said he sees it daily among his customers. “People are at the point of explosion,” he said. For President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who this year had drawn attention at home and abroad with an aggressive foreign policy and military interventions, things suddenly came to a head in November. The government admitted that it had been understating the extent of Turkey’s coronavirus outbreak by not recording asymptomatic cases, and new data revealed record infection levels in the country. The Turkish lira has been battered by a record depreciation — down more than 30% against the dollar this year — and foreign exchange reserves have been badly depleted. Along with double-digit inflation, the country now faces a balance of payments crisis, Moody’s Investor Service said recently. The crisis comes as Erdogan is about to lose a powerful ally when President Donald Trump leaves office next month. Turkey is already facing sanctions from the United States for purchasing a Russian missile defense system and from the European Union for gas drilling in waters claimed by Cyprus. Trump had been instrumental in holding off the sanctions from Washington until this month. Erdogan was notably slow in congratulating President-elect Joe Biden on his victory. Analysts expect a Biden administration to be tougher on Erdogan’s sliding record on human rights and democratic standards. To deal with Turkey’s spiraling economy, Erdogan has recently moved with a ruthlessness that is usually carefully hidden from view. He appointed a new head of the Central Bank, and when Erdogan’s finance minister, who is also his son-in-law and heir apparent, resigned in objection, the president surprised many by accepting the resignation and replacing him. Then the president promised economic and judicial reforms and even floated the possibility of releasing political prisoners — which some in his own party advocate to improve relations with Europe and the United States. In mid-December, Erdogan announced a new aid package to tide over small businesses and tradesmen for three months. Last weekend he dropped into a bakery to make some purchases in a show of support for merchants. But critics have described Erdogan’s various maneuvers as too little, too late. The former finance minister, Berat Albayrak, may have been a convenient scapegoat — little is known of what really went down inside the Presidential Palace — but his dramatic fall from grace and complete disappearance from public life indicate a more serious course correction. It seems the economic crunch and the consequences for Erdogan’s own fate have become paramount concerns. Mehmet Ali Kulat, who conducts opinion polls for political parties, including for Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party, said the president watches opinion polls assiduously. “What he particularly pays attention to is how things reflect on society,” Kulat said. Recent opinion polls show that the standing of Erdogan’s A.K. Party has fallen to its lowest point in the 19 years it has been at the helm of Turkish politics, hovering around 30%, according to MetroPoll. That figure suggests that the party’s alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party would fail to secure Erdogan the 50% of the vote needed to win a presidential election. “The next elections are not a slam dunk,” said Asli Aydintasbas, a senior fellow with the European Council on Foreign Relations. “There is a good chance he will lose unless he either broadens his coalition or manages to appeal to people who voted for the opposition. “His chances of being reelected are less than 50%,” she said. “So, finally,” she added, the question is, “is he smart enough?” The MetroPoll survey found that a majority of Erdogan’s own supporters and 63% of respondents overall believe Turkey is headed in a worse, rather than a better, direction. Those figures are borne out by what aid organizations are seeing on the ground. Hacer Foggo, founder of the Deep Poverty Network, a group that helps street traders and informal workers, said that in her nearly 20 years of working to alleviate urban poverty in Turkey, she had never seen such distress. When the first lockdown began in March, she began receiving calls from people begging for help in feeding their families. Street vendors and scrap collectors were particularly badly hit. “When they say there is no food at home, this means there is no food at their neighbor’s, either,” she said. Her network has been helping 2,500 families in Istanbul, matching donors with families to help them buy groceries and diapers for children. Her voice cracked as she described a mother who said her baby had gone down a size in diapers. “A baby should be gaining weight, not getting smaller,” Foggo said. Other women could no longer breastfeed because they lacked food, she said, and more people have been forced to hunt for already scarce food in garbage. “I am 52 years old, and this is the biggest crisis I have ever seen,” she said. The economic problems began before the pandemic, she said, but she laid the blame squarely on local and national governments for their lack of strategy for confronting the growing poverty and failing to improve social services. Indeed, the economic tailspin came after Erdogan tightened his reins on the country, including over the economy, by acquiring sweeping new powers under a new presidential system inaugurated in 2018. International monitors cite those changes as a main reason for their alarm about the country’s economic plunge. “Turkey’s weak and deteriorating governance is a key credit weakness, which underpinned our decision to downgrade Turkey’s rating by multiple notches since the introduction of the presidential system in mid-2018,” Moody’s said in a report this month. Akbas, the merchant running the tobacco shop, described two elderly customers who came into his shop in a wealthy part of the capital, Ankara, one day last week as an illustration of how badly skyrocketing inflation has affected people. One woman asked if she could buy a single egg. The second woman, who was neatly turned out, asked if he had any free bread. Stunned, he filled a bag for her. “Retirees are in a very bad situation,” he said. “What I am hearing from people is, ‘Enough is enough. We have had it up to our necks. We cannot make money,’ and people aged 70 and 80 are saying they are going to throw themselves in the street.”

Battered Turkish economy puts a powerful Erdogan to the test

This has been an ugly year for Italy.

The first wave of the coronavirus took the country by surprise and killed tens of thousands. The second wave somehow took the government by surprise and has killed thousands more. And Italians, desperate for the new vaccine, have struggled to get their hands on simple flu shots or to understand if they will have to be home — and stay home — for the holidays.

To brighten things up as Italians await the vaccine, the government has turned to urban planner and architect Stefano Boeri. Best known for making so-called vertical forests out of Milan skyscrapers, Boeri has sought to help his country with architectural flower power — designing 1,500 pavilions with a primrose theme where the vaccine will be distributed.

“The primrose is the first flower after the winter, it’s something even a child knows,” Boeri said in an interview, calling his vision for the building design “a strong message that everyone can understand.”

Italy has run with the proposal. On Sunday, medical workers received the first vaccinations under posters bearing the country’s official slogan for the program, “With a flower, Italy comes back to life.”

Critics have found the government’s emphasis on Milanese design a little misplaced in a pandemic.

“A clown show,” proclaimed one Italian member of the European Parliament. “Idiots,” offered a prominent commentator. “I don’t want a primrose,” protested a top Italian economist, Carlo Cottarelli. “I want an anti-COVID vaccine!”

But Boeri rejects the cynicism. “Flowers are serious,” he wrote on Twitter, and in the interview he explained why the primrose was the ideal image for Italy’s vaccination program, which kicked off Sunday.

“It’s one thing to go get vaccinated in a container or in a military field hospital and it’s another to go into a luminous space in the form of a flower,” he said.

The project took root about a month ago when Boeri received a call from Domenico Arcuri, Rome’s special commissioner for the coronavirus emergency. Arcuri explained, he said, that although hospitals and empty gyms would be the main vaccination points, there would also be a need for external, temporary pavilions to be created. The program to vaccinate at least 40 million Italians to reach herd immunity would last for at least a year and a half.

Boeri immediately agreed to help.

Like many in northern Italy, he has lost close friends and family to the coronavirus. He said that while the pandemic cast a pall over the year and the country, that made the flashes of generosity and kindness, professionalism and sacrifice shine even brighter.

“The demonstrations of generosity were beautiful,” said Boeri, adding that Italy’s vibrant volunteer sector “at times substituted the lacunae of the state.” It was in that spirit that he and his team, which took no compensation, labored. “It was the least we could do.”

He and Arcuri agreed that they needed a single, coherent image to spread the word and inspire people to roll up their sleeve.

Boeri said he and his team worked furiously over two weeks to come up with something. They sought an image, he said, that could be universally understood as positive “by a 4-year-old or an intellectual in the north or a young migrant.”

He said they excluded antagonistic images that could “promote anxiety,” like a simple graphic of a bar crossing out the spiky virus, but were also careful not to promote the notion that a vaccine would set you free. So they nixed proposals like an image of two young people wrapped in an embrace, or of a mask flying away into the uninfected ether.

When the flower idea emerged, it immediately resonated.

“We began to think that the message had to be so direct that even the pavilions should resemble flowers,” Boeri said.

The next question became which flower to choose, a complicated decision in a country where flowers are often identified with political parties.

“We entered in a madness about the relationship between politics and botany,” he said.

Boeri first thought of a daisy, but then he and his team recalled that it was affiliated with a now-defunct center-left party. They dismissed an Alpine flower, which is the symbol of the nationalist League. They flirted with the idea of the yellow sunflower, but it seemed too close to the bright yellow stars of Italy’s populist Five Star Movement.

But once the primrose entered the picture, it struck them as a no-brainer.

Boeri presented the plan to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the country’s powerful health minister, Roberto Speranza. They expressed their pleasure with the “positivity of the message” and thanked him for his work, he said. But since the primrose comes in many different hues, “we discussed a little bit on the color.”

Conte liked the fuchsia chosen by Boeri, but also thought yellow would be nice, the architect said. Fuchsia was the final choice.

The government will now open bids for construction companies and publicity firms, which could make alterations. But as it stands now, the pavilions are to be built from wood and biodegradable fabric and have airflow, waiting rooms, and light. They are to be inviting hubs of inoculation.

The promotional video for the project shows flowers blooming in thousands of piazzas across the peninsula. Models of the round white pavilions, stamped from above with fuchsia flowers were imagined in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and in Trieste and Naples and elsewhere. The designs looked as if Scooby-Doo had taken a spin through Italy in a giant Mystery Machine van, losing tires along the way.

Boeri said smaller towns would have flower-branded gazebos. In any case, the primrose would mark the spot where vaccines could be found. Some have even proposed that the vaccinated should wear primrose pins to identify themselves.

“The primrose is the symbol of the vaccination,” Boeri said. “Wherever you get vaccinated, there will be a primrose.”

This has been an ugly year for Italy. The first wave of the coronavirus took the country by surprise and killed tens of thousands. The second wave somehow took the government by surprise and has killed thousands more.

This has been an ugly year for Italy. The first wave of the coronavirus took the country by surprise and killed tens of thousands. The second wave somehow took the government by surprise and has killed thousands more. And Italians, desperate for the new vaccine, have struggled to get their hands on simple flu shots or to understand if they will have to be home — and stay home — for the holidays. To brighten things up as Italians await the vaccine, the government has turned to urban planner and architect Stefano Boeri. Best known for making so-called vertical forests out of Milan skyscrapers, Boeri has sought to help his country with architectural flower power — designing 1,500 pavilions with a primrose theme where the vaccine will be distributed. “The primrose is the first flower after the winter, it’s something even a child knows,” Boeri said in an interview, calling his vision for the building design “a strong message that everyone can understand.” Italy has run with the proposal. On Sunday, medical workers received the first vaccinations under posters bearing the country’s official slogan for the program, “With a flower, Italy comes back to life.” Critics have found the government’s emphasis on Milanese design a little misplaced in a pandemic. “A clown show,” proclaimed one Italian member of the European Parliament. “Idiots,” offered a prominent commentator. “I don’t want a primrose,” protested a top Italian economist, Carlo Cottarelli. “I want an anti-COVID vaccine!” But Boeri rejects the cynicism. “Flowers are serious,” he wrote on Twitter, and in the interview he explained why the primrose was the ideal image for Italy’s vaccination program, which kicked off Sunday. “It’s one thing to go get vaccinated in a container or in a military field hospital and it’s another to go into a luminous space in the form of a flower,” he said. The project took root about a month ago when Boeri received a call from Domenico Arcuri, Rome’s special commissioner for the coronavirus emergency. Arcuri explained, he said, that although hospitals and empty gyms would be the main vaccination points, there would also be a need for external, temporary pavilions to be created. The program to vaccinate at least 40 million Italians to reach herd immunity would last for at least a year and a half. Boeri immediately agreed to help. Like many in northern Italy, he has lost close friends and family to the coronavirus. He said that while the pandemic cast a pall over the year and the country, that made the flashes of generosity and kindness, professionalism and sacrifice shine even brighter. “The demonstrations of generosity were beautiful,” said Boeri, adding that Italy’s vibrant volunteer sector “at times substituted the lacunae of the state.” It was in that spirit that he and his team, which took no compensation, labored. “It was the least we could do.” He and Arcuri agreed that they needed a single, coherent image to spread the word and inspire people to roll up their sleeve. Boeri said he and his team worked furiously over two weeks to come up with something. They sought an image, he said, that could be universally understood as positive “by a 4-year-old or an intellectual in the north or a young migrant.” He said they excluded antagonistic images that could “promote anxiety,” like a simple graphic of a bar crossing out the spiky virus, but were also careful not to promote the notion that a vaccine would set you free. So they nixed proposals like an image of two young people wrapped in an embrace, or of a mask flying away into the uninfected ether. When the flower idea emerged, it immediately resonated. “We began to think that the message had to be so direct that even the pavilions should resemble flowers,” Boeri said. The next question became which flower to choose, a complicated decision in a country where flowers are often identified with political parties. “We entered in a madness about the relationship between politics and botany,” he said. Boeri first thought of a daisy, but then he and his team recalled that it was affiliated with a now-defunct center-left party. They dismissed an Alpine flower, which is the symbol of the nationalist League. They flirted with the idea of the yellow sunflower, but it seemed too close to the bright yellow stars of Italy’s populist Five Star Movement. But once the primrose entered the picture, it struck them as a no-brainer. Boeri presented the plan to Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the country’s powerful health minister, Roberto Speranza. They expressed their pleasure with the “positivity of the message” and thanked him for his work, he said. But since the primrose comes in many different hues, “we discussed a little bit on the color.” Conte liked the fuchsia chosen by Boeri, but also thought yellow would be nice, the architect said. Fuchsia was the final choice. The government will now open bids for construction companies and publicity firms, which could make alterations. But as it stands now, the pavilions are to be built from wood and biodegradable fabric and have airflow, waiting rooms, and light. They are to be inviting hubs of inoculation. The promotional video for the project shows flowers blooming in thousands of piazzas across the peninsula. Models of the round white pavilions, stamped from above with fuchsia flowers were imagined in the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, the Piazza del Duomo in Milan, and in Trieste and Naples and elsewhere. The designs looked as if Scooby-Doo had taken a spin through Italy in a giant Mystery Machine van, losing tires along the way. Boeri said smaller towns would have flower-branded gazebos. In any case, the primrose would mark the spot where vaccines could be found. Some have even proposed that the vaccinated should wear primrose pins to identify themselves. “The primrose is the symbol of the vaccination,” Boeri said. “Wherever you get vaccinated, there will be a primrose.”

Italy turns to flower power to help spread vaccine message

Iran on Monday issued a warning to Israel not to cross its "red lines" in the Gulf after reports emerged that the country had deployed a submarine in the region.

Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed the Islamic republic would defend itself against any American military "adventure" in the runup to the January 20 handover of power in Washington.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-accuses-israel-of-killing-nuclear-scientist-vows-revenge-345965">Iran accuses Israel of killing nuclear scientist, vows 'revenge'</a>

The statement came a week after the US Navy announced a nuclear submarine was being deployed to the Gulf, in a new show of force directed at Iran.

Earlier, Israeli media&nbsp;reported that the country's&nbsp;submarine has crossed the Suez Canal also headed for the Gulf, a report that has not been officially confirmed or denied.

Khatibzadeh told an online news conference,&nbsp;"Everyone knows what the Persian Gulf signifies for Iran. Countries&nbsp;very well how high the risk is raised if the red lines of Iran are crossed."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-khamenei-awards-military-medal-to-slain-nuclear-scientist-349483">Iran's Khamenei awards military medal to slain nuclear scientist</a>

Iran has threatened to attack Israel since the assassination of its top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in late November, in a raid blamed on the Jewish state.

In a strikingly similar move to the reported Israeli submarine crossing of the Suez Canal, a US nuclear submarine crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as the anniversary of the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone approached.

"We have sent messages to the US government and our friends in the region (warning) the current US regime not to embark on a new adventure in its final days at the White House," said Khatibzadeh.

He said Iran was not seeking to increase tension and called for "rational people in Washington" to take the same line until President-elect Joe Biden replaces Trump in the White House.

Decades-old tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal.

The arch enemies have twice come to the brink of war since June 2019, especially following the killing of Soleimani.

Iran on Monday issued a warning to Israel not to cross its "red lines" in the Gulf after reports emerged that the country had deployed a submarine in the region.

Iran on Monday issued a warning to Israel not to cross its "red lines" in the Gulf after reports emerged that the country had deployed a submarine in the region. Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed the Islamic republic would defend itself against any American military "adventure" in the runup to the January 20 handover of power in Washington. Also read: Iran accuses Israel of killing nuclear scientist, vows 'revenge' The statement came a week after the US Navy announced a nuclear submarine was being deployed to the Gulf, in a new show of force directed at Iran. Earlier, Israeli media reported that the country's submarine has crossed the Suez Canal also headed for the Gulf, a report that has not been officially confirmed or denied. Khatibzadeh told an online news conference, "Everyone knows what the Persian Gulf signifies for Iran. Countries very well how high the risk is raised if the red lines of Iran are crossed." Also read: Iran's Khamenei awards military medal to slain nuclear scientist Iran has threatened to attack Israel since the assassination of its top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in late November, in a raid blamed on the Jewish state. In a strikingly similar move to the reported Israeli submarine crossing of the Suez Canal, a US nuclear submarine crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as the anniversary of the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone approached. "We have sent messages to the US government and our friends in the region (warning) the current US regime not to embark on a new adventure in its final days at the White House," said Khatibzadeh. He said Iran was not seeking to increase tension and called for "rational people in Washington" to take the same line until President-elect Joe Biden replaces Trump in the White House. Decades-old tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. The arch enemies have twice come to the brink of war since June 2019, especially following the killing of Soleimani.

Iran warns Israel not to cross ‘red lines’ in the Gulf after it deploys submarine

Sri Lanka welcomed its first foreign tourists in nine months Monday even as a new deadlier strain of the coronavirus gripped the island.

A charter flight carrying 185 passengers from Ukraine landed at a little-used airport south of the capital, which has been stricken by a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths.

In less than three months, the official number of coronavirus fatalities in Sri Lanka has risen from 13 to 191, while the number of infections has gone from 3,300 to more than 41,000.

Still, authorities hope the Ukrainian arrivals will be the first of thousands of foreigners to visit -- easing pressure on the tourism-reliant economy that was shut down in March.

The visitors, who had to produce coronavirus-free certificates before departure, were tested again on arrival at Rajapaksa International airport.

They will be confined to their hotels for the duration of their holiday.

"This is a pilot project to test our systems," government spokesman Ramesh Pathirana said, adding that there would be a review after one month.&nbsp;

Sri Lanka's international borders remain closed, with the exception of repatriation flights and charters approved by local health authorities.

But Sri Lanka is also scheduled to host a two-Test cricket tour by England next month.

The moves come despite authorities announcing a deadlier coronavirus strain.

Minister for COVID Disease Control, Sudharshini Fernandopulle, said the strain was more infectious than one which spread in Sri Lanka between January and October.

Sri Lanka welcomed its first foreign tourists in nine months Monday even as a new deadlier strain of the coronavirus gripped the island. A charter flight carrying 185 passengers from Ukraine landed at a little-used airport south of the capital, which has been stricken by a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths.

Sri Lanka welcomed its first foreign tourists in nine months Monday even as a new deadlier strain of the coronavirus gripped the island. A charter flight carrying 185 passengers from Ukraine landed at a little-used airport south of the capital, which has been stricken by a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths. In less than three months, the official number of coronavirus fatalities in Sri Lanka has risen from 13 to 191, while the number of infections has gone from 3,300 to more than 41,000. Still, authorities hope the Ukrainian arrivals will be the first of thousands of foreigners to visit -- easing pressure on the tourism-reliant economy that was shut down in March. The visitors, who had to produce coronavirus-free certificates before departure, were tested again on arrival at Rajapaksa International airport. They will be confined to their hotels for the duration of their holiday. "This is a pilot project to test our systems," government spokesman Ramesh Pathirana said, adding that there would be a review after one month. Sri Lanka's international borders remain closed, with the exception of repatriation flights and charters approved by local health authorities. But Sri Lanka is also scheduled to host a two-Test cricket tour by England next month. The moves come despite authorities announcing a deadlier coronavirus strain. Minister for COVID Disease Control, Sudharshini Fernandopulle, said the strain was more infectious than one which spread in Sri Lanka between January and October.

Sri Lanka welcomes first tourists despite new coronavirus strain

Bangladesh will move the second group of Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, officials said, despite calls by rights groups to stop the relocation on safety grounds.

More than 1,100 Rohingya refugees, members of a Muslim minority who have fled Myanmar, will be moved from a refugee camp near the Myanmar border to Bhasan Char island, two officials with the knowledge of the issue said.

Authorities moved the first batch of more than 1,600 early this month.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/shipped-off-bangladesh-begins-mass-transfer-of-rohingya-refugees-347477">Shipped off: Bangladesh begins mass transfer of Rohingya refugees</a>

"Buses and trucks are ready to carry them and their belongings to Chittagong port today. Tonight, they will stay there. Tomorrow they will be taken by naval ships to the island," one of the officials said on Monday.

The officials declined to be identified as the issue has not been made public.

Humanitarian agencies and rights groups have criticised the relocation, saying the island, hours by boat from the mainland, is flood-prone, vulnerable to frequent cyclones and could be completely submerged during a high tide.

Bangladesh says it is only transferring people who are willing to go and the relocation will ease chronic overcrowding in camps that are home to more than 1 million Rohingya.

Mohammed Shamsud Douza, the deputy government official in charge of refugees, said a 12 km long embankment had been built to protect the island from floods along with housing for 100,000 people. Relocation was voluntary, he said.

"No one is forced to go there," he said, adding that people can live a better life there with greater access to healthcare and education.

But refugees and humanitarian workers say some of the Rohingya had been coerced into going to the island, which emerged from the sea 20 years ago and has never been inhabited.

More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017 following a military-led crackdown that the United Nations has said was executed with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies genocide and says its forces were targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts.

Several attempts to launch a process to repatriate Rohingya to Myanmar have failed because the refugees refused to go back, fearing more violence.

The United Nations has said it has not been allowed to conduct a technical and safety assessment of Bhasan Char and was not involved in the transfer of refugees there.

Bangladesh will move the second group of Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, officials said, despite calls by rights groups to stop the relocation on safety grounds.

Bangladesh will move the second group of Rohingya refugees to a low-lying island in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, officials said, despite calls by rights groups to stop the relocation on safety grounds. More than 1,100 Rohingya refugees, members of a Muslim minority who have fled Myanmar, will be moved from a refugee camp near the Myanmar border to Bhasan Char island, two officials with the knowledge of the issue said. Authorities moved the first batch of more than 1,600 early this month. Also see: Shipped off: Bangladesh begins mass transfer of Rohingya refugees "Buses and trucks are ready to carry them and their belongings to Chittagong port today. Tonight, they will stay there. Tomorrow they will be taken by naval ships to the island," one of the officials said on Monday. The officials declined to be identified as the issue has not been made public. Humanitarian agencies and rights groups have criticised the relocation, saying the island, hours by boat from the mainland, is flood-prone, vulnerable to frequent cyclones and could be completely submerged during a high tide. Bangladesh says it is only transferring people who are willing to go and the relocation will ease chronic overcrowding in camps that are home to more than 1 million Rohingya. Mohammed Shamsud Douza, the deputy government official in charge of refugees, said a 12 km long embankment had been built to protect the island from floods along with housing for 100,000 people. Relocation was voluntary, he said. "No one is forced to go there," he said, adding that people can live a better life there with greater access to healthcare and education. But refugees and humanitarian workers say some of the Rohingya had been coerced into going to the island, which emerged from the sea 20 years ago and has never been inhabited. More than 730,000 Rohingya fled Myanmar in 2017 following a military-led crackdown that the United Nations has said was executed with genocidal intent. Myanmar denies genocide and says its forces were targeting Rohingya militants who attacked police posts. Several attempts to launch a process to repatriate Rohingya to Myanmar have failed because the refugees refused to go back, fearing more violence. The United Nations has said it has not been allowed to conduct a technical and safety assessment of Bhasan Char and was not involved in the transfer of refugees there.

Bangladesh to ship new group of Rohingya refugees to remote island

Union Minister for Road Transport and&nbsp;Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday confirmed that&nbsp;American electric vehicle company Tesla will begin its operations in India in early 2021.

Gadkari said that Elon Musk-led Tesla will initially begin with sales and perhaps venture towards assembly, sales, and manufacturing.

The confirmation comes after a report by ET&nbsp;Auto claimed&nbsp;that Tesla will launch Model 3 in India in June 2021&nbsp;and the bookings for the same will begin from next month. It also said that the company will start deliveries from the end of the first quarter of 2021-22.

“India is going to become a number 1 manufacturing hub for auto in five years,” Gadkari said in a recent interview with 'The Indian Express'&nbsp;

Gadkari, who has been pushing the use of electric cars in India, also added that some companies are working on indigenously producing affordable cars in electric variants although they are not as advanced as Tesla.

In October, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had recommended that the organization will come to India in 2021 while reacting to a tweet from India. "One year from now without a doubt," Musk had answered when a handle called Tesla Club India checked with him about the organization's advancement in India.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Next year for sure
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1311931936261263360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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In 2016, Tesla has gathered $1000 store from intrigued purchasers with regards to India. Be that as it may, those shoppers are as yet hanging tight for their vehicles and some of them had told indianexpress.com they felt let somewhere near the organization.&nbsp;

In 2017, a year after the organization began taking appointments, Musk had said his vehicles could come to India in the late spring, yet later accused FDI standards for the delay.&nbsp;

“Maybe I’m misinformed, but I was told that 30 per cent&nbsp;of parts must be locally sourced and the supply doesn’t yet exist in India to support that,” he had tweeted.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday confirmed that American electric vehicle company Tesla will begin its operations in India in early 2021.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday confirmed that American electric vehicle company Tesla will begin its operations in India in early 2021. Gadkari said that Elon Musk-led Tesla will initially begin with sales and perhaps venture towards assembly, sales, and manufacturing. The confirmation comes after a report by ET Auto claimed that Tesla will launch Model 3 in India in June 2021 and the bookings for the same will begin from next month. It also said that the company will start deliveries from the end of the first quarter of 2021-22. “India is going to become a number 1 manufacturing hub for auto in five years,” Gadkari said in a recent interview with 'The Indian Express' Gadkari, who has been pushing the use of electric cars in India, also added that some companies are working on indigenously producing affordable cars in electric variants although they are not as advanced as Tesla. In October, Tesla CEO Elon Musk had recommended that the organization will come to India in 2021 while reacting to a tweet from India. "One year from now without a doubt," Musk had answered when a handle called Tesla Club India checked with him about the organization's advancement in India. Next year for sure — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 2, 2020 × In 2016, Tesla has gathered $1000 store from intrigued purchasers with regards to India. Be that as it may, those shoppers are as yet hanging tight for their vehicles and some of them had told indianexpress.com they felt let somewhere near the organization. In 2017, a year after the organization began taking appointments, Musk had said his vehicles could come to India in the late spring, yet later accused FDI standards for the delay. “Maybe I’m misinformed, but I was told that 30 per cent of parts must be locally sourced and the supply doesn’t yet exist in India to support that,” he had tweeted.

Tesla to start operation in India in early 2021, confirms Nitin Gadkari

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