A new campaign front on COVID

It is difficult to overstate how much this debate has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, from President Donald Trump’s hospitalization with the disease to the last-minute skirmish between the Biden and Trump camps over whether Pence — who has interacted with White House advisers who have since tested positive for the coronavirus — should stand behind a protective plexiglass screen.

Pence, as the head of White House task force on the coronavirus, will presumably be pressed to account for the faltering White House response to a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. Since returning from the hospital, Trump has sought to recast the entire discussion on the pandemic, arguing that the virus is in fact not that serious and that Americans should continue to live their lives.

Will Pence carry Trump’s argument to Harris and the American public Wednesday night? Many polls suggest that it defies the fears of most Americans struggling to navigate the pandemic.

Pence is also likely to be pressed to defend Trump’s actions since his illness was diagnosed — leaving the hospital against the counsel of many medical professionals, minimizing the threat of the virus and dramatically removing his mask when he returned to the White House. The president has offered himself as evidence that COVID-19 can be beaten; does Pence agree with that?

For Pence, it’s not simply a matter of embracing an argument that the president thinks might help him win reelection. This is almost certainly Trump’s last campaign. At 61, Pence is looking at continuing his career in politics. How he handles those questions could end up defining him for a long time.

How does Harris finesse attacking Trump?

Vice-presidential candidates have only two things to accomplish in a debate: Defend the person at the top of your ticket. And attack the person at the top of the opposition ticket.

But that basic rule of thumb got a little more tricky for Harris. With Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and him just being back at the White House after three nights in a hospital, harsh attacks against an ailing president might be politically unwise. The Biden campaign pulled down its negative advertising attacking Trump as soon as he disclosed his diagnosis. Joe Biden has stepped carefully in talking about the president.

Harris, a former prosecutor and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has established her credentials as a tough interrogator with her questioning of officials like William Barr, the attorney general. She knows how to make a case. But can she attack Trump’s handling of the virus — which has come to define his presidency — without veering toward an overly personal attack on a president battling a potentially lethal disease?

It means threading a needle. Harris was an inconsistent debater during the Democratic primary — she had some good moments, and some not-so-good moments before she dropped out. She has never stepped onto this prominent a stage.

How does Harris handle going off script?

Harris, most often remembered for her “that little girl was me” debate moment with Biden during the primary, is talented at delivering the slashing-when-prepared debate lines. That is, after all, the same skill set that she developed as a prosecutor and that elevated her during Senate committee hearings to star status among Democrats as she bore in on Republican witnesses.

To that end, Harris arrived in Salt Lake City last Friday — the same day Trump was checked into the hospital — to begin her on-the-ground debate preparations. Karen Dunn, who readied Sen. Tim Kaine to debate against Pence four years ago, is leading those efforts, which have also included Rohini Kosoglu, Symone Sanders and Liz Allen. Pete Buttigieg, who has played the role of Pence in Harris’ preparations, was spotted in town as well.

But debates are not set pieces and Harris will have to defend not just her own record but also Biden’s — and no candidate can be prepared for every eventuality, no matter how many index cards she studies, especially in 2020.

“This time it will be about requiring some level of knowledge — if not mastery — of Joe’s record, the Vice President Mike Pence’s record, Trump’s record and then of course defending my own record,” Harris said on Hillary Clinton’s podcast last week. “So that’s different.’’

Notably, Biden has undertaken some public rehearsals for his debates, including two televised town halls. Harris has been mostly cloistered since joining the ticket. The debate will be, by far, the most freewheeling exchanges of her time as vice-presidential candidate.

How race and gender play

Clinton, the only woman to serve as a major-party presidential nominee, warned Harris, in so many words, about the corrosive role that sexism will play onstage.

“You should also be prepared for the slights, the efforts to diminish you, you personally, you as a woman, who is about to be our next vice president,” Clinton said on her podcast. “So I do think there will be a lot of maneuvering on the other side to try to put you in a box.”

Academic studies have shown that women face different barriers in terms of public perception, and Harris is not just a woman but also the first woman of color on a major-party ticket.

Jennifer Lawless, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia who has studied gender dynamics, said that women generally had to show they were capable of standing up to “being bullied” but that Harris faced an extra hurdle.

“Because she is also a woman of color, she also has to walk that ‘Don’t look too angry’ line,” Lawless said. “These are cliché. But they’re cliché because they’re true.”

The mild-mannered Pence is unlikely to bully or even directly broach any gendered lines the way Trump might. But the impact of audience perception remains.

For months, the Trump campaign has tried to raise doubts about Biden’s fitness while attempting to cast Harris as its true foil, the real — and more liberal — power center in a potential Biden White House.

“She symbolizes everything that ‘Make America Great Again’ wants to push back on by virtue of being a Black woman,” Lawless said.

Attack or defend?

In 2016, Pence had a clear three-step strategy every time his vice-presidential rival, Kaine, attacked Trump. He offered a quick defense of Trump (Step 1); moved quickly to talk about the aspirations of a Trump presidency (Step 2); and swung into an attack on the Democrats (Step 3).

But striking the balance between attack and defend could be a particular challenge for Pence this time.

For one thing, after four years, there’s more to defend. This would have been a much different debate nine months ago, when Pence could have talked about the humming economy, job growth and a generally confident electorate. Now, Pence is going to be talking about the pandemic, the failure of Congress and the White House to come up with a stimulus plan and an economy that has gone off the rails.

For another, Trump has not had much luck attacking Biden; the former vice president has proved an elusive target, certainly when compared with Clinton. Perhaps Pence will have more success.

But he has a third task as well: attacking Harris. Trump’s efforts at portraying Harris as a stalking horse for more liberal policies, who would be the power behind a Biden presidency, has resonated with the right. But those voters were already with Trump. The task for Pence is to make them resonate with any remaining undecided voters.

A preview of 2024?

Almost every vice-presidential debate is about two elections at once: the current one and the one that will follow — because so many vice presidents, and vice-presidential candidates, eventually run for president. (A quick recent list: John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore and, of course, Biden.)

This faceoff is especially significant because of how soon Pence and Harris could be leading their parties, given the ages of Trump (74) and Biden (77) and the specter of the coronavirus, from which Trump continues to recover.

Biden has already talked about himself as a “bridge” to the next generation of Democratic leaders. If he wins, he will be enabling Harris to cross that bridge as the first among equals among Democrats vying for that leadership mantle.

Trump has evinced no interest in transitioning out of power or the spotlight, but Pence is widely believed to have presidential ambitions of his own. The former governor of Indiana has treated his vice presidency mostly as an exercise — often a difficult one — to maintain zero political daylight between himself and Trump. But plenty of other Republicans are already circling around the 2024 election and seeking the mantle of Trumpism; Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has been building his profile, and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley was recently in New Hampshire.

A new campaign front on COVID It is difficult to overstate how much this debate has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, from President Donald Trump’s hospitalization with the disease to the last-minute skirmish between the Biden and Trump camps over whether Pence — who has interacted with White House advisers who have since tested positive for the coronavirus — should stand behind a protective plexiglass screen.

A new campaign front on COVID It is difficult to overstate how much this debate has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, from President Donald Trump’s hospitalization with the disease to the last-minute skirmish between the Biden and Trump camps over whether Pence — who has interacted with White House advisers who have since tested positive for the coronavirus — should stand behind a protective plexiglass screen. Pence, as the head of White House task force on the coronavirus, will presumably be pressed to account for the faltering White House response to a pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States. Since returning from the hospital, Trump has sought to recast the entire discussion on the pandemic, arguing that the virus is in fact not that serious and that Americans should continue to live their lives. Will Pence carry Trump’s argument to Harris and the American public Wednesday night? Many polls suggest that it defies the fears of most Americans struggling to navigate the pandemic. Pence is also likely to be pressed to defend Trump’s actions since his illness was diagnosed — leaving the hospital against the counsel of many medical professionals, minimizing the threat of the virus and dramatically removing his mask when he returned to the White House. The president has offered himself as evidence that COVID-19 can be beaten; does Pence agree with that? For Pence, it’s not simply a matter of embracing an argument that the president thinks might help him win reelection. This is almost certainly Trump’s last campaign. At 61, Pence is looking at continuing his career in politics. How he handles those questions could end up defining him for a long time. How does Harris finesse attacking Trump? Vice-presidential candidates have only two things to accomplish in a debate: Defend the person at the top of your ticket. And attack the person at the top of the opposition ticket. But that basic rule of thumb got a little more tricky for Harris. With Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and him just being back at the White House after three nights in a hospital, harsh attacks against an ailing president might be politically unwise. The Biden campaign pulled down its negative advertising attacking Trump as soon as he disclosed his diagnosis. Joe Biden has stepped carefully in talking about the president. Harris, a former prosecutor and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has established her credentials as a tough interrogator with her questioning of officials like William Barr, the attorney general. She knows how to make a case. But can she attack Trump’s handling of the virus — which has come to define his presidency — without veering toward an overly personal attack on a president battling a potentially lethal disease? It means threading a needle. Harris was an inconsistent debater during the Democratic primary — she had some good moments, and some not-so-good moments before she dropped out. She has never stepped onto this prominent a stage. How does Harris handle going off script? Harris, most often remembered for her “that little girl was me” debate moment with Biden during the primary, is talented at delivering the slashing-when-prepared debate lines. That is, after all, the same skill set that she developed as a prosecutor and that elevated her during Senate committee hearings to star status among Democrats as she bore in on Republican witnesses. To that end, Harris arrived in Salt Lake City last Friday — the same day Trump was checked into the hospital — to begin her on-the-ground debate preparations. Karen Dunn, who readied Sen. Tim Kaine to debate against Pence four years ago, is leading those efforts, which have also included Rohini Kosoglu, Symone Sanders and Liz Allen. Pete Buttigieg, who has played the role of Pence in Harris’ preparations, was spotted in town as well. But debates are not set pieces and Harris will have to defend not just her own record but also Biden’s — and no candidate can be prepared for every eventuality, no matter how many index cards she studies, especially in 2020. “This time it will be about requiring some level of knowledge — if not mastery — of Joe’s record, the Vice President Mike Pence’s record, Trump’s record and then of course defending my own record,” Harris said on Hillary Clinton’s podcast last week. “So that’s different.’’ Notably, Biden has undertaken some public rehearsals for his debates, including two televised town halls. Harris has been mostly cloistered since joining the ticket. The debate will be, by far, the most freewheeling exchanges of her time as vice-presidential candidate. How race and gender play Clinton, the only woman to serve as a major-party presidential nominee, warned Harris, in so many words, about the corrosive role that sexism will play onstage. “You should also be prepared for the slights, the efforts to diminish you, you personally, you as a woman, who is about to be our next vice president,” Clinton said on her podcast. “So I do think there will be a lot of maneuvering on the other side to try to put you in a box.” Academic studies have shown that women face different barriers in terms of public perception, and Harris is not just a woman but also the first woman of color on a major-party ticket. Jennifer Lawless, a professor of politics at the University of Virginia who has studied gender dynamics, said that women generally had to show they were capable of standing up to “being bullied” but that Harris faced an extra hurdle. “Because she is also a woman of color, she also has to walk that ‘Don’t look too angry’ line,” Lawless said. “These are cliché. But they’re cliché because they’re true.” The mild-mannered Pence is unlikely to bully or even directly broach any gendered lines the way Trump might. But the impact of audience perception remains. For months, the Trump campaign has tried to raise doubts about Biden’s fitness while attempting to cast Harris as its true foil, the real — and more liberal — power center in a potential Biden White House. “She symbolizes everything that ‘Make America Great Again’ wants to push back on by virtue of being a Black woman,” Lawless said. Attack or defend? In 2016, Pence had a clear three-step strategy every time his vice-presidential rival, Kaine, attacked Trump. He offered a quick defense of Trump (Step 1); moved quickly to talk about the aspirations of a Trump presidency (Step 2); and swung into an attack on the Democrats (Step 3). But striking the balance between attack and defend could be a particular challenge for Pence this time. For one thing, after four years, there’s more to defend. This would have been a much different debate nine months ago, when Pence could have talked about the humming economy, job growth and a generally confident electorate. Now, Pence is going to be talking about the pandemic, the failure of Congress and the White House to come up with a stimulus plan and an economy that has gone off the rails. For another, Trump has not had much luck attacking Biden; the former vice president has proved an elusive target, certainly when compared with Clinton. Perhaps Pence will have more success. But he has a third task as well: attacking Harris. Trump’s efforts at portraying Harris as a stalking horse for more liberal policies, who would be the power behind a Biden presidency, has resonated with the right. But those voters were already with Trump. The task for Pence is to make them resonate with any remaining undecided voters. A preview of 2024? Almost every vice-presidential debate is about two elections at once: the current one and the one that will follow — because so many vice presidents, and vice-presidential candidates, eventually run for president. (A quick recent list: John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, George H.W. Bush, Al Gore and, of course, Biden.) This faceoff is especially significant because of how soon Pence and Harris could be leading their parties, given the ages of Trump (74) and Biden (77) and the specter of the coronavirus, from which Trump continues to recover. Biden has already talked about himself as a “bridge” to the next generation of Democratic leaders. If he wins, he will be enabling Harris to cross that bridge as the first among equals among Democrats vying for that leadership mantle. Trump has evinced no interest in transitioning out of power or the spotlight, but Pence is widely believed to have presidential ambitions of his own. The former governor of Indiana has treated his vice presidency mostly as an exercise — often a difficult one — to maintain zero political daylight between himself and Trump. But plenty of other Republicans are already circling around the 2024 election and seeking the mantle of Trumpism; Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas has been building his profile, and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley was recently in New Hampshire.

Kamala Harris and Mike Pence debate: What to watch for

The wealth of the world's&nbsp;billionaires has reached a new high amid the coronavirus crisis according to a latest report by Swiss bank&nbsp;a report by UBS.

The report found that&nbsp;billionaires did ''extremely well'' as a rally in stock prices and gains in technology and healthcare helped the wealth of the world's richest break the $10 trillion mark.

It covered over 2,000&nbsp;billionaires representing some 98 per cent&nbsp;of the cohort's total wealth. The report states&nbsp;billionaire&nbsp;wealth grew by more than a quarter during the early months of the pandemic to reach $10.2 trillion in July, breaking the previous record of $8.9 trillion at the end of 2019.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-coronavirus-pandemic-billionaires-get-richer-as-americans-lose-jobs-303714">Amid coronavirus pandemic, billionaires get richer as Americans lose jobs</a>

According to the&nbsp;UBS and PwC database,&nbsp;25 years ago&nbsp;billionaire&nbsp;wealth stood at just over $1 trillion, but there has been&nbsp;five- to ten-fold rise over the period of time.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-why-do-the-british-love-fugitive-billionaires-327089/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Between April 7 and July 31 this year,&nbsp;billionaires across every industry covered by the study saw their wealth rise by double digits, with&nbsp;billionaires in the technology, healthcare and industrial sectors leading the pack with 36 per cent to 44&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;gains.

The pandemic accelerated a trend of technology and healthcare entrepreneurs, and other business innovators, pulling ahead of their ultra-rich peers.

From 2018 through July 2020, tech&nbsp;billionaires saw their wealth rise 42.5&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to $1.8 trillion, the report found, while&nbsp;billionaires deriving their fortune from healthcare similarly saw their wealth rise 50.3&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;during the period to $658.6 billion.

Just over 200 of those&nbsp;billionaires publicly committed some $7.2 billion to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, the study found, noting that&nbsp;billionaire&nbsp;donations to combat the medical crisis as well as the societal and economic turmoil it caused were likely actually higher.

The wealth of the world's billionaires has reached a new high amid the coronavirus crisis according to a latest report by Swiss bank a report by UBS. The report found that billionaires did ''extremely well'' as a rally in stock prices and gains in technology and healthcare helped the wealth of the world's richest break the $10 trillion mark.

The wealth of the world's billionaires has reached a new high amid the coronavirus crisis according to a latest report by Swiss bank a report by UBS. The report found that billionaires did ''extremely well'' as a rally in stock prices and gains in technology and healthcare helped the wealth of the world's richest break the $10 trillion mark. It covered over 2,000 billionaires representing some 98 per cent of the cohort's total wealth. The report states billionaire wealth grew by more than a quarter during the early months of the pandemic to reach $10.2 trillion in July, breaking the previous record of $8.9 trillion at the end of 2019. Also read: Amid coronavirus pandemic, billionaires get richer as Americans lose jobs According to the UBS and PwC database, 25 years ago billionaire wealth stood at just over $1 trillion, but there has been five- to ten-fold rise over the period of time. Between April 7 and July 31 this year, billionaires across every industry covered by the study saw their wealth rise by double digits, with billionaires in the technology, healthcare and industrial sectors leading the pack with 36 per cent to 44 per cent gains. The pandemic accelerated a trend of technology and healthcare entrepreneurs, and other business innovators, pulling ahead of their ultra-rich peers. From 2018 through July 2020, tech billionaires saw their wealth rise 42.5 per cent to $1.8 trillion, the report found, while billionaires deriving their fortune from healthcare similarly saw their wealth rise 50.3 per cent during the period to $658.6 billion. Just over 200 of those billionaires publicly committed some $7.2 billion to help tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, the study found, noting that billionaire donations to combat the medical crisis as well as the societal and economic turmoil it caused were likely actually higher.

Wealth of billionaires rises to $10.2 trillion amid coronavirus crisis

October 07 in history: Formation of world's oldest operating airline and more

A cross-regional group of 39 United Nations member countries issued a stinging public rebuke on Tuesday of the Chinese government’s widespread human rights violations especially in Xinjiang and Tibet,&nbsp;and expressed grave concern at the impact of its new national security law on human rights in Hong Kong.

The United States, many European countries, Japan and others called on China to allow ''unfettered access''&nbsp;to Xinjiang for independent observers including UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet and to urgently refrain from detaining Uighurs and members of other minorities.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/we-know-upto-3-million-uighurs-are-suffering-in-concentration-camps-says-dolkun-isa-president-world-uighur-congress-to-wion-323402">We know upto 3 million Uighurs are suffering in concentration camps, says Dolkun Isa, President World Uighur Congress to WION&nbsp;</a>

The 39 countries also urged China in a joint statement read at a meeting of the General Assembly's human rights committee, to ''uphold autonomy, rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, and to respect the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary.''

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/china-confirms-death-of-uighur-man-death-due-to-pneumonia-and-tuberculosis-world-news-332556/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the recent developments in Hong Kong,” German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen said in a statement on behalf of the group to the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee. “We call on China to respect human rights.”

Supporters of the German-led statement includes Britain, Canada, the United States, many European Union member states, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Haiti, Honduras, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.

The joint statement endorses an unprecedented appeal from 50 UN human rights experts for the creation of a UN mechanism for monitoring human rights in China. A recent global civil society appeal from over 400 organisations echoed the experts’ call.

The rival statements spotlight tensions between China and the West over human rights. Those tensions have escalated especially between the United States and China, and include other issues including responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic, trade, and Beijing's actions in the South China Sea.

A cross-regional group of 39 United Nations member countries issued a stinging public rebuke on Tuesday of the Chinese government’s widespread human rights violations especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, and expressed grave concern at the impact of its new national security law on human rights in Hong Kong.

A cross-regional group of 39 United Nations member countries issued a stinging public rebuke on Tuesday of the Chinese government’s widespread human rights violations especially in Xinjiang and Tibet, and expressed grave concern at the impact of its new national security law on human rights in Hong Kong. The United States, many European countries, Japan and others called on China to allow ''unfettered access'' to Xinjiang for independent observers including UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet and to urgently refrain from detaining Uighurs and members of other minorities. Also read: We know upto 3 million Uighurs are suffering in concentration camps, says Dolkun Isa, President World Uighur Congress to WION The 39 countries also urged China in a joint statement read at a meeting of the General Assembly's human rights committee, to ''uphold autonomy, rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, and to respect the independence of the Hong Kong judiciary.'' “We are gravely concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the recent developments in Hong Kong,” German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen said in a statement on behalf of the group to the UN General Assembly’s Third Committee. “We call on China to respect human rights.” Supporters of the German-led statement includes Britain, Canada, the United States, many European Union member states, Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Haiti, Honduras, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. The joint statement endorses an unprecedented appeal from 50 UN human rights experts for the creation of a UN mechanism for monitoring human rights in China. A recent global civil society appeal from over 400 organisations echoed the experts’ call. The rival statements spotlight tensions between China and the West over human rights. Those tensions have escalated especially between the United States and China, and include other issues including responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic, trade, and Beijing's actions in the South China Sea.

Around 40 nations rebuke China's human rights policies in Xinjiang, Tibet

The Kremlin on Tuesday warned that&nbsp;Nagorno-Karabakh can become ''a launch pad for Islamist militants'' if the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict continues.

Moscow expressed alarm after the deadliest fighting in more than 25 years between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces entered a tenth&nbsp;day.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/armenia-and-azerbaijan-a-decades-long-bloody-rivalry-330840">Armenia and Azerbaijan: A decades-long bloody rivalry</a>

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for fighting to stop and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voiced "serious concern about the unprecedented escalation" in a phone call with Iran's foreign minister,

Turkey behind 'war'

Earlier,&nbsp;Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said&nbsp;Turkey's "full support" motivated its ally Azerbaijan to reignite fighting in the disputed&nbsp;Nagorno-Karabakh&nbsp;region.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/armenia-azerbaijan-conflict-turkey-sends-syrians-to-fight-proxy-war-gravitas-333004/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"While it is true that the leadership of Azerbaijan has been actively promoting bellicose rhetoric for the last 15 years, now the decision to unleash a war was motivated by Turkey's full support," the 45-year-old premier said. "Without Turkey's active engagement this war would have not begun," he added.

He stressed that the latest fighting is "not simply a new escalation of the Karabakh conflict," a territorial decades-old dispute over the majority ethnic Armenian mountainous region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim Turkic country that is a close ally of Turkey.

The current conflict has seen the "active engagement of terrorist groups from the Middle East in the conflict zone," Pashinyan said, describing the role of Armenian forces as a "counter-terrorism operation."

Turkey has been accused of deploying fighters from Syria to support Azerbaijan in Karabakh. French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that "jihadists" had arrived in the region, accusing Turkey of crossing a "red line".

Armenia also accuses Turkish forces of fighting directly in the region, and Pashinyan said Turkey's F-16 fighter jets were "actively engaged" in the conflict.

Turkey has denied this and no firm evidence has been presented.

The Kremlin on Tuesday warned that Nagorno-Karabakh can become ''a launch pad for Islamist militants'' if the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict continues. Moscow expressed alarm after the deadliest fighting in more than 25 years between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces entered a tenth day.

The Kremlin on Tuesday warned that Nagorno-Karabakh can become ''a launch pad for Islamist militants'' if the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict continues. Moscow expressed alarm after the deadliest fighting in more than 25 years between ethnic Armenian and Azeri forces entered a tenth day. Also see: Armenia and Azerbaijan: A decades-long bloody rivalry Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called for fighting to stop and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voiced "serious concern about the unprecedented escalation" in a phone call with Iran's foreign minister, Turkey behind 'war' Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Turkey's "full support" motivated its ally Azerbaijan to reignite fighting in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. "While it is true that the leadership of Azerbaijan has been actively promoting bellicose rhetoric for the last 15 years, now the decision to unleash a war was motivated by Turkey's full support," the 45-year-old premier said. "Without Turkey's active engagement this war would have not begun," he added. He stressed that the latest fighting is "not simply a new escalation of the Karabakh conflict," a territorial decades-old dispute over the majority ethnic Armenian mountainous region between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a mainly Muslim Turkic country that is a close ally of Turkey. The current conflict has seen the "active engagement of terrorist groups from the Middle East in the conflict zone," Pashinyan said, describing the role of Armenian forces as a "counter-terrorism operation." Turkey has been accused of deploying fighters from Syria to support Azerbaijan in Karabakh. French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that "jihadists" had arrived in the region, accusing Turkey of crossing a "red line". Armenia also accuses Turkish forces of fighting directly in the region, and Pashinyan said Turkey's F-16 fighter jets were "actively engaged" in the conflict. Turkey has denied this and no firm evidence has been presented.

Russia warns Nagorno-Karabakh risks becoming Islamist militant stronghold

Here's who has tested positive and negative in Trump's circle

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the next&nbsp;debate&nbsp;with US President Donald Trump should not take place if Trump is still infected with coronavirus.

Biden told reporters after a campaign stop near the Civil War battlefield site in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that&nbsp;"If he still has COVID, we shouldn’t have a debate."

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/heres-who-has-tested-positive-and-negative-in-trumps-circle-332571">Here's who has tested positive and negative in Trump's circle</a>

However, he added that the&nbsp;October&nbsp;15 debate in Miami should only be staged under strict health guidelines and called the coronavirus outbreak that has hit Trump and a wave of other White House officials "a very serious problem."

After days of conflicting messages from doctors and aides about his condition, Trump&nbsp;returned to the White House on Monday after three nights at a hospital. His doctor said on Tuesday that Trump reported no COVID-19 symptoms and was doing "extremely well."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-doing-extremely-well-no-covid-symptoms-white-house-physician-333003" hreflang="en">Trump doing extremely well, no COVID symptoms: White House physician</a>

The Republican president announced early Friday, two days after his first debate with Biden in Cleveland,&nbsp;that he had tested positive for the virus.&nbsp;

While the&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say people who test positive for the virus should stay home for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear, while people who become severely ill might need to stay home for up to 20 days.

Trump has given no indication he would bow out due to his health, saying in a tweet that he is "looking forward" to the next debate.

Vice President Mike Pence and Biden's running mate, US&nbsp;Senator Kamala Harris, will hold their scheduled debate on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the next debate with US President Donald Trump should not take place if Trump is still infected with coronavirus.

US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Tuesday said that the next debate with US President Donald Trump should not take place if Trump is still infected with coronavirus. Biden told reporters after a campaign stop near the Civil War battlefield site in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, that "If he still has COVID, we shouldn’t have a debate." Also see: Here's who has tested positive and negative in Trump's circle However, he added that the October 15 debate in Miami should only be staged under strict health guidelines and called the coronavirus outbreak that has hit Trump and a wave of other White House officials "a very serious problem." After days of conflicting messages from doctors and aides about his condition, Trump returned to the White House on Monday after three nights at a hospital. His doctor said on Tuesday that Trump reported no COVID-19 symptoms and was doing "extremely well." Also read: Trump doing extremely well, no COVID symptoms: White House physician The Republican president announced early Friday, two days after his first debate with Biden in Cleveland, that he had tested positive for the virus. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines say people who test positive for the virus should stay home for at least 10 days after symptoms first appear, while people who become severely ill might need to stay home for up to 20 days. Trump has given no indication he would bow out due to his health, saying in a tweet that he is "looking forward" to the next debate. Vice President Mike Pence and Biden's running mate, US Senator Kamala Harris, will hold their scheduled debate on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.

US election 2020: Biden says next presidential debate should be called off

The federal cabinet of Pakistan is divided over the issue of an FIR registered against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, blaming him for criminal conspiracy over his recent "provocative speeches" that were made from London, reported Geo News.

According to sources, during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, two federal ministers and a special assistant suggested that the FIR registered against Nawaz "should reach its logical conclusion".

"However, Prime Minister Imran Khan and other members of the cabinet remained adamant that the government was not in favour of exacting political revenge on the opposition," quoted Geo News.

The other ministers, according to sources, were of the opinion that the FIR against Nawaz should be dismissed. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Sharif in the case of criminal conspiracy for the "provocative speeches" he made in London to "defame Pakistan`s institutions".

Earlier this month, Pakistan failed to execute a non-bailable arrest warrant against Sharif, who was granted permission to fly abroad to get medical treatment in November last year.

For nearly one month, the Pakistan government made several attempts to get Sharif`s arrest warrant signed. Last week, the IHC had slammed Sharif over his failure to appear before the court after he was granted permission to fly abroad for medical treatment.

The Prime Minister had tasked relevant authorities to bring back Sharif at the earliest. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting where the Prime Minister also issued the directive to pursue the matter vigorously.

Last month, the IHC came down heavily on the Imran Khan-led government for allowing Sharif to go abroad without informing the court and it was up to the dispensation to take steps for ensuring the latter`s return to the country.&nbsp;

The federal cabinet of Pakistan is divided over the issue of an FIR registered against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, blaming him for criminal conspiracy over his recent "provocative speeches" that were made from London, reported Geo News.

The federal cabinet of Pakistan is divided over the issue of an FIR registered against former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, blaming him for criminal conspiracy over his recent "provocative speeches" that were made from London, reported Geo News. According to sources, during a meeting of the federal cabinet on Tuesday, two federal ministers and a special assistant suggested that the FIR registered against Nawaz "should reach its logical conclusion". "However, Prime Minister Imran Khan and other members of the cabinet remained adamant that the government was not in favour of exacting political revenge on the opposition," quoted Geo News. The other ministers, according to sources, were of the opinion that the FIR against Nawaz should be dismissed. A First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against Sharif in the case of criminal conspiracy for the "provocative speeches" he made in London to "defame Pakistan`s institutions". Earlier this month, Pakistan failed to execute a non-bailable arrest warrant against Sharif, who was granted permission to fly abroad to get medical treatment in November last year. For nearly one month, the Pakistan government made several attempts to get Sharif`s arrest warrant signed. Last week, the IHC had slammed Sharif over his failure to appear before the court after he was granted permission to fly abroad for medical treatment. The Prime Minister had tasked relevant authorities to bring back Sharif at the earliest. The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting where the Prime Minister also issued the directive to pursue the matter vigorously. Last month, the IHC came down heavily on the Imran Khan-led government for allowing Sharif to go abroad without informing the court and it was up to the dispensation to take steps for ensuring the latter`s return to the country.

Pak's Federal cabinet divided over FIR against Nawaz Sharif

Facebook Inc and&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;took action on posts from US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Tuesday for violating their rules against coronavirus misinformation by suggesting that COVID-19 was just like the flu.

Facebook took the post down but not before it was shared about 26,000 times, data from the company's metric tool CrowdTangle showed.

"We remove incorrect information about the severity of COVID-19," a company spokesman said.

The world's largest social media company, which exempts politicians from its third-party fact-checking program, has rarely taken action against posts from the Republican US&nbsp;president.

Twitter&nbsp;disabled retweets on a similar tweet from Trump on Tuesday and added a warning label that said it broke its rules on "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19" but that it might be in the public interest for it to remain accessible.

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During the 2019-2020 influenza season, the flu was associated with 22,000 deaths in the United States, according to estimates from the US&nbsp;Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Since the first case of the novel coronavirus was recorded in the United States at the beginning of this year, more than 210,000 people in the country have died of the disease caused by the virus, the world's highest death toll.

On Monday, Trump told Americans "to get out there" and not fear COVID-19 as he returned to the White House after a three-night stay in a military hospital outside Washington where he was treated for COVID-19.

"Silicon Valley and the mainstream media have consistently used their platforms to fearmonger and censor President Trump to serve their own agenda, even now during this critical moment in the fight against coronavirus," Trump campaign spokeswoman Courtney Parella said.

Twitter, which has been using labels to flag tweets with misinformation - including from the president - told Reuters it is currently trying to respond more quickly and more overtly.

Facebook removed a Trump post for coronavirus misinformation for the first time in August. The post included a video in which the president falsely claimed that children were "almost immune" to COVID-19.

Facebook Inc and Twitter took action on posts from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for violating their rules against coronavirus misinformation by suggesting that COVID-19 was just like the flu.

Facebook Inc and Twitter took action on posts from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday for violating their rules against coronavirus misinformation by suggesting that COVID-19 was just like the flu. Facebook took the post down but not before it was shared about 26,000 times, data from the company's metric tool CrowdTangle showed. "We remove incorrect information about the severity of COVID-19," a company spokesman said. The world's largest social media company, which exempts politicians from its third-party fact-checking program, has rarely taken action against posts from the Republican US president. Twitter disabled retweets on a similar tweet from Trump on Tuesday and added a warning label that said it broke its rules on "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19" but that it might be in the public interest for it to remain accessible. During the 2019-2020 influenza season, the flu was associated with 22,000 deaths in the United States, according to estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since the first case of the novel coronavirus was recorded in the United States at the beginning of this year, more than 210,000 people in the country have died of the disease caused by the virus, the world's highest death toll. On Monday, Trump told Americans "to get out there" and not fear COVID-19 as he returned to the White House after a three-night stay in a military hospital outside Washington where he was treated for COVID-19. "Silicon Valley and the mainstream media have consistently used their platforms to fearmonger and censor President Trump to serve their own agenda, even now during this critical moment in the fight against coronavirus," Trump campaign spokeswoman Courtney Parella said. Twitter, which has been using labels to flag tweets with misinformation - including from the president - told Reuters it is currently trying to respond more quickly and more overtly. Facebook removed a Trump post for coronavirus misinformation for the first time in August. The post included a video in which the president falsely claimed that children were "almost immune" to COVID-19.

Trump's misleading COVID-19 posts deleted by Facebook and hidden by Twitter

Northern&nbsp;Cyprus&nbsp;said on Tuesday&nbsp;it will reopen&nbsp;the coastal section of the long-fenced-off disputed town of Varosha, a Turkish Cypriot leader announced Tuesday ahead of elections at the weekend.

The move has been condemned by Greek Cypriots and is likely to conjure up memories of the 1974 Turkish invasion that partitioned the island.

It&nbsp;could weigh on Turkey's dispute with European Union members&nbsp;Cyprus&nbsp;and Greece over territorial rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. Tensions had eased after Ankara and Athens agreed to resume talks, but&nbsp;Cyprus, a close ally of the Greece, promptly condemned the move to partially reopen the abandoned resort and said it would file a recourse to the United Nations Security Council.

The internationally-recognised government of the divided Mediterranean island swiftly condemned the decision as a "pre-election stunt" and said it would lodge protests to the UN Security Council and European Union.

Speaking after a meeting in Ankara with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Cypriot premier Ersin Tatar told reporters that "the coast will open to the public from Thursday morning".

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc was "very concerned" about the announcement concerning Varosha -- part of the wider Famagusta area -- and stressed the "urgency of restoring confidence and not of creating greater divisions."

The Turkish army has kept Varosha fenced off since its Greek Cypriot residents fled when it invaded northern&nbsp;Cyprus&nbsp;in 1974 in response to an Athens-engineered coup attempting to unite the island with Greece.

Backed by Ankara, right-winger Tatar is running in Sunday's presidential election in northern&nbsp;Cyprus&nbsp;against the incumbent, Mustafa Akinci, seen as a pro-reunification moderate.

Turkey, the only country that recognises the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern&nbsp;Cyprus&nbsp;(TRNC), has long planned to open Varosha.

Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed Tatar's announcement as a "courageous decision".

"We hope Varosha will entirely open. We are ready to give any support to TRNC officials on this issue," Erdogan said.

"It is an undisputed fact that Varosha is a Turkish Cypriot territory. The decision about it rests with the Turkish Cypriot authorities," he added.

In northern Nicosia, an angry Akinci said the Varosha announcement made in Ankara amounted to "interference in our elections" and a "disgrace for our democracy".

Cyprus&nbsp;government spokesman Kyriakos Kousios said it "strongly condemns the decision of occupier Turkey and its applauder Ersin Tatar to extend entry to the Varosha coast".

It was "a pre-election stunt created in Ankara, on the eve of an election for a new Turkish Cypriot leader", he said.

"This provocative and illegal action by Turkey will be denounced to the UN Security Council, EU and all international forums."

The Security Council has passed several resolutions calling for UN administration of Varosha and for its original Greek Cypriot residents to return.

In Brussels, EU enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi warned Tuesday that the Varosha announcement "does not help de-escalation in the region".

Borrell said that the "events will cause increased tensions and risk complicating the efforts to resume talks on the settlement of the&nbsp;Cyprus&nbsp;issue."

Northern Cyprus said on Tuesday it will reopen the coastal section of the long-fenced-off disputed town of Varosha, a Turkish Cypriot leader announced Tuesday ahead of elections at the weekend.

Northern Cyprus said on Tuesday it will reopen the coastal section of the long-fenced-off disputed town of Varosha, a Turkish Cypriot leader announced Tuesday ahead of elections at the weekend. The move has been condemned by Greek Cypriots and is likely to conjure up memories of the 1974 Turkish invasion that partitioned the island. It could weigh on Turkey's dispute with European Union members Cyprus and Greece over territorial rights in the Eastern Mediterranean. Tensions had eased after Ankara and Athens agreed to resume talks, but Cyprus, a close ally of the Greece, promptly condemned the move to partially reopen the abandoned resort and said it would file a recourse to the United Nations Security Council. The internationally-recognised government of the divided Mediterranean island swiftly condemned the decision as a "pre-election stunt" and said it would lodge protests to the UN Security Council and European Union. Speaking after a meeting in Ankara with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Cypriot premier Ersin Tatar told reporters that "the coast will open to the public from Thursday morning". EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc was "very concerned" about the announcement concerning Varosha -- part of the wider Famagusta area -- and stressed the "urgency of restoring confidence and not of creating greater divisions." The Turkish army has kept Varosha fenced off since its Greek Cypriot residents fled when it invaded northern Cyprus in 1974 in response to an Athens-engineered coup attempting to unite the island with Greece. Backed by Ankara, right-winger Tatar is running in Sunday's presidential election in northern Cyprus against the incumbent, Mustafa Akinci, seen as a pro-reunification moderate. Turkey, the only country that recognises the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), has long planned to open Varosha. Erdogan on Tuesday welcomed Tatar's announcement as a "courageous decision". "We hope Varosha will entirely open. We are ready to give any support to TRNC officials on this issue," Erdogan said. "It is an undisputed fact that Varosha is a Turkish Cypriot territory. The decision about it rests with the Turkish Cypriot authorities," he added. In northern Nicosia, an angry Akinci said the Varosha announcement made in Ankara amounted to "interference in our elections" and a "disgrace for our democracy". Cyprus government spokesman Kyriakos Kousios said it "strongly condemns the decision of occupier Turkey and its applauder Ersin Tatar to extend entry to the Varosha coast". It was "a pre-election stunt created in Ankara, on the eve of an election for a new Turkish Cypriot leader", he said. "This provocative and illegal action by Turkey will be denounced to the UN Security Council, EU and all international forums." The Security Council has passed several resolutions calling for UN administration of Varosha and for its original Greek Cypriot residents to return. In Brussels, EU enlargement commissioner Oliver Varhelyi warned Tuesday that the Varosha announcement "does not help de-escalation in the region". Borrell said that the "events will cause increased tensions and risk complicating the efforts to resume talks on the settlement of the Cyprus issue."

North Cyprus to reopen disputed 'ghost town' with Turkish backing

A senior North Korean diplomat who disappeared from Italy in late 2018 has been living secretly in South Korea since July of last year, a member of the intelligence committee of the South Korean Parliament and the South’s news media said Wednesday.

The diplomat, Jo Song Gil, then 48, was North Korea’s acting ambassador to Rome when he and his wife disappeared days before he was scheduled to return home to Pyongyang in November 2018. His whereabouts had since remained a mystery, prompting speculation that he had become one of the most senior diplomats to desert the totalitarian North.

The revelation about Jo could further aggravate North-South relations, which have been in a downward spiral for months after the North blew up a jointly run liaison office and its troops killed a South Korean government official during a sea patrol.

Diplomats’ defections are a sensitive issue for Pyongyang because they are often interpreted in the outside world as a possible sign of fraying loyalty among the privileged​ class. They also raise the possibility that the South Korean autho​rities could glean a wealth of information, especially about smuggling and other illicit ways in which North Korean diplomats earn foreign currency in violation of United Nations sanctions.

Ha Tae-keung, a member of the main opposition party in South Korea, said on Facebook on Wednesday that Jo had arrived in the South 15 months ago and remained under government protection. ​ Ha is a senior member of the intelligence committee of the South’s National Assembly​ and often briefs the news media ​on closed-door parliamentary reports from the country’s National Intelligence Service.

Ha went public with his revelation hours after JTBC, a South Korean cable channel, reported that Jo had defected to ​the ​South. JTBC cited anonymous intelligence sources as confirming Jo’s defection, and other South Korean news outlets followed up with similar stories​.

The National Intelligence Service said Wednesday that it “will not confirm” the news report​s​ or Ha’s statement. The agency has ​often used such a stock phrase when it wants to keep secret the defection of a prominent North Korean for fear of consequences in inter-Korean relations ​or to help protect the defector’s relatives in the North.

If his defection is confirmed, Jo will be the most senior North Korean government official to flee to the South since H​w​ang Jang Yop, a former secretary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, defected to Seoul through the South Korean Embassy in Beijing in 1997. ​

The last senior North Korean diplomat to defect to the South was Thae Yong Ho, a minister in the North Korean Embassy in London, ​who​ f​led to Seoul in 2016 with his wife and two sons.

Over the years, some prominent North Koreans like Hwang and Thae have led public lives after their defections to the South. But many others have wanted to keep their defections secret to protect their relatives in the North, and the South Korean intelligence authorities have abided by their wishes. When its diplomats are posted abroad, North Korea requires them to leave some of their children in the North in order to discourage defections.

Jo and his wife lived with their daughter in Rome. But when they escaped, they could not bring the daughter with them. Italy later said that the daughter had been taken home by the North Korean authorities.

After Jo disappeared from Italy, Thae, who defected with his wife and all his children, issued an open letter appealing to the acting ambassador to defect to South Korea. But after Jo’s daughter was taken to the North, Thae said it would be extremely difficult for Jo to settle in the South.

“His daughter would suffer a more severe retaliatory punishment if he chose to defect to South Korea” rather than to other countries, Thae told reporters last year. “He may have to remain silent and keep his whereabouts secret to protect his daughter.”

On Wednesday, Thae, now a lawmaker affiliated with the main opposition party in South Korea, issued a statement worrying that the revelation in the news media of Jo’s whereabouts would further jeopardize the fate of Jo’s daughter in the North.

It remains unclear exactly why Jo decided to flee North Korea. He was posted in Rome in May 2015. He served as the North’s acting ambassador after Italy expelled the ambassador, Mun Jong Nam, in 2017 in protest​ over the North’s sixth nuclear test​.

Jo’s disappearance was kept secret until a South Korean newspaper reported last year that he was seeking asylum in the West. South Korean lawmakers later briefed by the National Intelligence Service confirmed his disappearance. ​In August of last year, the spy agency told lawmakers in ​Seoul that Jo was safe “somewhere” outside Italy.

North Korea has yet to comment on Jo’s case.

More than 30,000 North Koreans have defected to the South since the mid-1990s. The North typically calls them “human scum” and “traitors,” or claims that they were kidnapped by the South Korean spy agency.

North Korea diplomats are usually children of elite families. ​ Jo’s father and father-in-law both had been ambassadors, Thae said.

A senior North Korean diplomat who disappeared from Italy in late 2018 has been living secretly in South Korea since July of last year, a member of the intelligence committee of the South Korean Parliament and the South’s news media said Wednesday.

A senior North Korean diplomat who disappeared from Italy in late 2018 has been living secretly in South Korea since July of last year, a member of the intelligence committee of the South Korean Parliament and the South’s news media said Wednesday. The diplomat, Jo Song Gil, then 48, was North Korea’s acting ambassador to Rome when he and his wife disappeared days before he was scheduled to return home to Pyongyang in November 2018. His whereabouts had since remained a mystery, prompting speculation that he had become one of the most senior diplomats to desert the totalitarian North. The revelation about Jo could further aggravate North-South relations, which have been in a downward spiral for months after the North blew up a jointly run liaison office and its troops killed a South Korean government official during a sea patrol. Diplomats’ defections are a sensitive issue for Pyongyang because they are often interpreted in the outside world as a possible sign of fraying loyalty among the privileged class. They also raise the possibility that the South Korean authorities could glean a wealth of information, especially about smuggling and other illicit ways in which North Korean diplomats earn foreign currency in violation of United Nations sanctions. Ha Tae-keung, a member of the main opposition party in South Korea, said on Facebook on Wednesday that Jo had arrived in the South 15 months ago and remained under government protection. Ha is a senior member of the intelligence committee of the South’s National Assembly and often briefs the news media on closed-door parliamentary reports from the country’s National Intelligence Service. Ha went public with his revelation hours after JTBC, a South Korean cable channel, reported that Jo had defected to the South. JTBC cited anonymous intelligence sources as confirming Jo’s defection, and other South Korean news outlets followed up with similar stories. The National Intelligence Service said Wednesday that it “will not confirm” the news reports or Ha’s statement. The agency has often used such a stock phrase when it wants to keep secret the defection of a prominent North Korean for fear of consequences in inter-Korean relations or to help protect the defector’s relatives in the North. If his defection is confirmed, Jo will be the most senior North Korean government official to flee to the South since Hwang Jang Yop, a former secretary of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, defected to Seoul through the South Korean Embassy in Beijing in 1997. The last senior North Korean diplomat to defect to the South was Thae Yong Ho, a minister in the North Korean Embassy in London, who fled to Seoul in 2016 with his wife and two sons. Over the years, some prominent North Koreans like Hwang and Thae have led public lives after their defections to the South. But many others have wanted to keep their defections secret to protect their relatives in the North, and the South Korean intelligence authorities have abided by their wishes. When its diplomats are posted abroad, North Korea requires them to leave some of their children in the North in order to discourage defections. Jo and his wife lived with their daughter in Rome. But when they escaped, they could not bring the daughter with them. Italy later said that the daughter had been taken home by the North Korean authorities. After Jo disappeared from Italy, Thae, who defected with his wife and all his children, issued an open letter appealing to the acting ambassador to defect to South Korea. But after Jo’s daughter was taken to the North, Thae said it would be extremely difficult for Jo to settle in the South. “His daughter would suffer a more severe retaliatory punishment if he chose to defect to South Korea” rather than to other countries, Thae told reporters last year. “He may have to remain silent and keep his whereabouts secret to protect his daughter.” On Wednesday, Thae, now a lawmaker affiliated with the main opposition party in South Korea, issued a statement worrying that the revelation in the news media of Jo’s whereabouts would further jeopardize the fate of Jo’s daughter in the North. It remains unclear exactly why Jo decided to flee North Korea. He was posted in Rome in May 2015. He served as the North’s acting ambassador after Italy expelled the ambassador, Mun Jong Nam, in 2017 in protest over the North’s sixth nuclear test. Jo’s disappearance was kept secret until a South Korean newspaper reported last year that he was seeking asylum in the West. South Korean lawmakers later briefed by the National Intelligence Service confirmed his disappearance. In August of last year, the spy agency told lawmakers in Seoul that Jo was safe “somewhere” outside Italy. North Korea has yet to comment on Jo’s case. More than 30,000 North Koreans have defected to the South since the mid-1990s. The North typically calls them “human scum” and “traitors,” or claims that they were kidnapped by the South Korean spy agency. North Korea diplomats are usually children of elite families. Jo’s father and father-in-law both had been ambassadors, Thae said.

North Korean diplomat, missing since 2018, is in Seoul, lawmaker says

Taliban&nbsp;and Afghan government-backed negotiators have agreed on a broad code of conduct to advance the intra-Afghan peace talks in Qatar, even as key differences between the two warring sides remain, three official sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

Efforts to resolve disagreements over Islamic jurisprudence and whether a US-Taliban&nbsp;accord reached in February on a US&nbsp;troop withdrawal would serve as the basis of the peace talks will continue on the sidelines of the main negotiations, two sources said.

The progress was achieved with the help of US&nbsp;officials, as the two sides drew up 19 ground rules that their negotiators should observe during talks, the sources said.

"Firming up code of conduct was extremely crucial as it proves that both sides are willing to continue talks even as we see that violence has not reduced on the ground," said one senior Western diplomat on conditions of anonymity.

Nader Nadery, a senior government negotiator, told Reuters that issues still need to be ironed out.

"The discussion over the rules and procedures is not yet completed and there are issues that need to be further finalised and therefore more work needs to be done," said Nadery.

After Reuters reported that the parties had set ground rules, the Afghan government negotiating team tweeted that the Reuters report was "incorrect", without elaborating.

When asked about the tweet, a senior official involved in the talks on the government side said officials objected to any implication that a formal agreement had been reached, but did not deny some ground rules had been set.

The sources involved in the peace process said the latest progress came during a trip on Monday by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Qatar's capital Doha.

Ghani held talks there with Qatari leaders as well as US&nbsp;Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the commander of US&nbsp;and NATO troops in Afghanistan, General Austin Miller.

The intra-Afghan talks follow-up on a landmark deal signed between the United States and the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;in February.

Under the deal, foreign forces will leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counter-terrorism guarantees from the&nbsp;Taliban, which agreed to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula with the Afghan government.

Diplomats had told Reuters that the talks got off to a difficult start, with disagreements over how the Hanafi Islamic code could be used to guide negotiations and on whether the deal signed between the United States and the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;in February should be the basis for the talks, as demanded by the&nbsp;Taliban.

The three sources said the delegations were putting those differences to one side to move forward and agree on an agenda, but would work on resolving these issues during negotiations.

"The ground rules will serve as a foundation as both sides are making an effort to prevent a collapse," said a second senior official in Doha overseeing the talks.

A ceasefire is a top priority for the Afghan officials and the western diplomats who are facilitating these talks.

While the talks have been taking place in Qatar's capital Doha, scores of Afghan soldiers and&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;fighters have been killed in clashes. Dozens of civilians have also died in recent weeks.

Some analysts say the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;is unlikely to agree a comprehensive ceasefire yet, since violence and clashes with Afghan forces give insurgents leverage at the negotiation table.

Taliban and Afghan government-backed negotiators have agreed on a broad code of conduct to advance the intra-Afghan peace talks in Qatar, even as key differences between the two warring sides remain, three official sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

Taliban and Afghan government-backed negotiators have agreed on a broad code of conduct to advance the intra-Afghan peace talks in Qatar, even as key differences between the two warring sides remain, three official sources told Reuters on Tuesday. Efforts to resolve disagreements over Islamic jurisprudence and whether a US-Taliban accord reached in February on a US troop withdrawal would serve as the basis of the peace talks will continue on the sidelines of the main negotiations, two sources said. The progress was achieved with the help of US officials, as the two sides drew up 19 ground rules that their negotiators should observe during talks, the sources said. "Firming up code of conduct was extremely crucial as it proves that both sides are willing to continue talks even as we see that violence has not reduced on the ground," said one senior Western diplomat on conditions of anonymity. Nader Nadery, a senior government negotiator, told Reuters that issues still need to be ironed out. "The discussion over the rules and procedures is not yet completed and there are issues that need to be further finalised and therefore more work needs to be done," said Nadery. After Reuters reported that the parties had set ground rules, the Afghan government negotiating team tweeted that the Reuters report was "incorrect", without elaborating. When asked about the tweet, a senior official involved in the talks on the government side said officials objected to any implication that a formal agreement had been reached, but did not deny some ground rules had been set. The sources involved in the peace process said the latest progress came during a trip on Monday by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Qatar's capital Doha. Ghani held talks there with Qatari leaders as well as US Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and the commander of US and NATO troops in Afghanistan, General Austin Miller. The intra-Afghan talks follow-up on a landmark deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February. Under the deal, foreign forces will leave Afghanistan by May 2021 in exchange for counter-terrorism guarantees from the Taliban, which agreed to negotiate a permanent cease-fire and a power-sharing formula with the Afghan government. Diplomats had told Reuters that the talks got off to a difficult start, with disagreements over how the Hanafi Islamic code could be used to guide negotiations and on whether the deal signed between the United States and the Taliban in February should be the basis for the talks, as demanded by the Taliban. The three sources said the delegations were putting those differences to one side to move forward and agree on an agenda, but would work on resolving these issues during negotiations. "The ground rules will serve as a foundation as both sides are making an effort to prevent a collapse," said a second senior official in Doha overseeing the talks. A ceasefire is a top priority for the Afghan officials and the western diplomats who are facilitating these talks. While the talks have been taking place in Qatar's capital Doha, scores of Afghan soldiers and Taliban fighters have been killed in clashes. Dozens of civilians have also died in recent weeks. Some analysts say the Taliban is unlikely to agree a comprehensive ceasefire yet, since violence and clashes with Afghan forces give insurgents leverage at the negotiation table.

Taliban, Afghan negotiators set ground rules to safeguard peace talks: Sources

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