Amid a row over a proposed tax on electronic transactions, a rough fight breaks out between the lawmakers. The Finance Minister argues that the levy would widen the tax net.

Ghana Parliament Brawl: Fight breaks out on the Parliament floor over proposed tax on e-Transactions

In a wrenchingly familiar cycle of tracking first cases, pointing fingers and banning travel, nations worldwide reacted Monday to the omicron variant of the coronavirus in the piecemeal fashion that has defined&nbsp;and hobbled&nbsp;the pandemic response all along.

As here-we-go-again fear and resignation gripped much of the world, the World Health Organization warned that the risk posed by the heavily mutated variant was “very high.” But operating once again in a vacuum of evidence, governments chose approaches that differed between continents, between neighbouring countries, and even between cities within those countries.

Little is known about omicron beyond its large number of mutations; it will be weeks, at least, before scientists can say with confidence whether it is more contagious&nbsp;early evidence suggests it is&nbsp;whether it causes more serious illness, and how it responds to vaccines.

In China, which had been increasingly alone in sealing itself off as it sought to eradicate the virus, a newspaper controlled by the Communist Party gloated about democracies that are now following suit as Japan, Australia and other countries gave up flirting with a return to normalcy and slammed their borders shut to the world. The West, it said, had hoarded vaccines at the expense of poorer regions, and was now paying a price for its selfishness.

In the United States, federal officials called Monday on vaccinated people to get booster shots. President Joe Biden sought to reassure Americans, saying that the new variant is “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic” and that his administration is already working with vaccine manufacturers to modify vaccines, should that prove necessary.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-is-cause-for-concern-not-a-cause-for-panic-biden-432876">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant is 'cause for concern, not a cause for panic': Biden</a>

“We’re throwing everything we have at this virus, tracking it from every angle,” the president said in an appearance at the White House.

In southern Africa, where scientists first identified omicron amid a largely unvaccinated population, leaders deplored the travel bans as ruinous and counterproductive to tracking the virus, saying they could discourage transparency about outbreaks. African officials also noted that because of the inequity in distribution of vaccines, the continent faces this latest variant with little to no protection.

But with vaccine deliveries to Africa becoming more reliable, some states looked to a vaccine mandate to curb the spread of the coronavirus. On Sunday, Ghana’s government announced that government employees, health care workers and staff and students at most schools must be vaccinated by Jan. 22.

Europe which has acted in unusual concert in barring travel from southern Africa, is speeding up booster shots in the hope that they will work against omicron, and adjusting or reconsidering a hodgepodge of social-distancing measures, even in restriction-resistant countries such as Britain.

“The lack of a consistent and coherent global approach has resulted in a splintered and disjointed response, breeding misunderstanding, misinformation and mistrust,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization director.

The WHO convened a three-day special session to discuss a treaty that would ensure prompt sharing of data and technology and equitable access to vaccines. The European Union has pushed for the agreement to be legally binding, but the United States has balked.

The very proposal underlined that two years into a devastating pandemic that has killed millions, devastated national economies and robbed many of the world’s children of nearly two years of formative experiences, there is still no global plan for getting out of it.

As the largely vaccinated West clings to initial reports that omicron may cause milder illness and may be susceptible to vaccines, entire swaths of Africa remain essentially unvaccinated. Some nations, like South Africa, have sufficient doses but have struggled to distribute them. Others lack the freezers, logistical infrastructure and medical personnel to inoculate their populations.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fauci-defends-travel-ban-due-to-new-variant-omicron-says-it-is-necessary-and-justified-432668">Also read |&nbsp;Fauci defends travel ban due to new variant omicron, says it is necessary and justified</a>

That has given the virus plenty of time and bodies in which to multiply and mutate.

The travel bans are intended to buy time as scientists determine whether the mutations in the new variant will allow it to dodge existing vaccines. But they also seemed to suggest that core lessons from the early phase of the pandemic must be learned again: An infection discovered somewhere is likely everywhere or may be soon enough&nbsp;and a single case detected means many more undetected.

On Monday, Portugal reported 13 omicron cases, all tied to a single soccer team and Scotland reported six, while the numbers in South Africa continued to soar.

Experts warned that the variant will reach every part of the world, if it hasn’t already.

The leaders of the world’s top powers insisted that they understood this, but their assurances also had a strong whiff of geopolitics.

President Xi Jinping of China offered 1 billion doses of COVID vaccine to Africa, on top of nearly 200 million that Beijing has already shipped to the continent, during an address to a conference in Senegal by video link.

The Global Times, a Chinese tabloid controlled by the Communist Party, boasted of China’s success in thwarting virus transmission, and said the West was now paying the price for its selfish policies. “Western countries control most of the resources needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” it read. “But they have failed to curb the spread of the virus and have exposed more and more developing countries to the virus.”

Biden said the United States had sent more free vaccines abroad than all other countries in the world combined. “Now we need the rest of the world to step up as well,” he said.

European health ministers seemed to agree.

“The identification of the omicron variant in the southern part of Africa confirms the urgency to do more to vaccinate the population of the most fragile countries,” Italy’s health minister, Roberto Speranza, said at a virtual meeting of health ministers representing seven of the world’s wealthiest large democracies.

He called on those countries to help administer vaccines. “It is not enough to donate doses,” Speranza said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-praises-south-africa-for-quick-transparent-reporting-of-new-covid-variant-omicron-432491">Also read |&nbsp;US praises South Africa for quick, transparent reporting of new Covid variant Omicron</a>

Within a few days of seeing evidence of a new variant, South African scientists, who run the continent’s most advanced genomic sequencing labs, had identified it. Last Wednesday, they made their findings public.

After other parts of the world, including the United States and the European Union, responded with travel bans on southern Africa, South African officials protested that their country was being punished for its speed and transparency.

Responses to the coronavirus have been as varied as the nations that are threatened by it.

Israel, the first nation to block travel in response to omicron, granted its intelligence service temporary permission to monitor the phone data of people with confirmed cases of the variant.

In Italy, which has kept infections low with some of the most stringent rules in Europe, the country’s conference of mayors urged the government to impose a national outdoor mask mandate from Dec. 6 until Jan. 15, as crowds gather to shop for and celebrate Christmas.

Even Britain, which has taken a lax approach to mask wearing and other social-distancing measures, has stepped up its response in the face of omicron. The country introduced new mask mandates and new travel restrictions and appeared to soften its opposition to vaccine passports and requiring masks in restaurants. And Britain’s vaccine advisory board announced Monday that it is suggesting an expansion of the country’s booster program.

In Germany, already hard hit by the latest pandemic wave, fear of the omicron variant was palpable.

“It feels different from the first bits of information we got about the delta variant,” said Christian Drosten, a prominent German virus expert, describing himself as “pretty worried.”

On Monday, the German government announced that Angela Merkel, state governors and Olaf Scholz, who is to succeed Merkel as chancellor next week, had moved up a planned meeting about potential lockdown measures by nine days.

“We need to buy time,” said Karl Lauterbach, a member of the parliament and public health expert who is considered a strong candidate to be the new German government’s health minister, said on Twitter. “Nothing is worse than a new variant into an ongoing wave.”

Pauline Londeix, a prominent French advocate for broader access to medicines and transparent drug policies, told France Inter radio Monday that variants would continue to emerge unless richer countries shared more vaccines. “We need a much more systemic approach,” she said.

The European Commission on Monday urged member states not to impose additional travel restrictions on their citizens.

In contrast to Europe’s patchwork of regulations, China has had a more consistent and plainer policy: It is essentially sealed off as it pursues a “zero COVID” strategy.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-variant-in-australia-two-passengers-from-south-africa-test-positive-for-new-covid-strain-432478">Also read |&nbsp;Omicron variant in Australia: Two passengers from South Africa test positive for new COVID strain</a>

China has steadfastly kept a high wall against visitors from the rest of the world. Foreign residents and visa holders are allowed in only under limited circumstances, leading to concerns by some within the business world that COVID restrictions were leaving the country increasingly isolated.

Visitors must submit to two-week quarantines upon arrival and face potential limits on their movement after that. Movements are tracked via monitoring smartphone apps, which display color codes that can signal whether a person has traveled from or through an area with recent infections, triggering instructions to remain in one place.

In other parts of Asia, people are less focused on eradicating the virus than just surviving it.

“This news is terrifying,” said Gurinder Singh, 57, in New Delhi, who worried about his shop going under. “If this virus spreads in India, the government will shut the country again, and we will be forced to beg.”

In a wrenchingly familiar cycle of tracking first cases, pointing fingers and banning travel, nations worldwide reacted Monday to the omicron variant of the coronavirus in the piecemeal fashion that has defined and hobbled the pandemic response all along.

In a wrenchingly familiar cycle of tracking first cases, pointing fingers and banning travel, nations worldwide reacted Monday to the omicron variant of the coronavirus in the piecemeal fashion that has defined and hobbled the pandemic response all along. As here-we-go-again fear and resignation gripped much of the world, the World Health Organization warned that the risk posed by the heavily mutated variant was “very high.” But operating once again in a vacuum of evidence, governments chose approaches that differed between continents, between neighbouring countries, and even between cities within those countries. Little is known about omicron beyond its large number of mutations; it will be weeks, at least, before scientists can say with confidence whether it is more contagious early evidence suggests it is whether it causes more serious illness, and how it responds to vaccines. In China, which had been increasingly alone in sealing itself off as it sought to eradicate the virus, a newspaper controlled by the Communist Party gloated about democracies that are now following suit as Japan, Australia and other countries gave up flirting with a return to normalcy and slammed their borders shut to the world. The West, it said, had hoarded vaccines at the expense of poorer regions, and was now paying a price for its selfishness. In the United States, federal officials called Monday on vaccinated people to get booster shots. President Joe Biden sought to reassure Americans, saying that the new variant is “a cause for concern, not a cause for panic” and that his administration is already working with vaccine manufacturers to modify vaccines, should that prove necessary. Also read | Omicron variant is 'cause for concern, not a cause for panic': Biden “We’re throwing everything we have at this virus, tracking it from every angle,” the president said in an appearance at the White House. In southern Africa, where scientists first identified omicron amid a largely unvaccinated population, leaders deplored the travel bans as ruinous and counterproductive to tracking the virus, saying they could discourage transparency about outbreaks. African officials also noted that because of the inequity in distribution of vaccines, the continent faces this latest variant with little to no protection. But with vaccine deliveries to Africa becoming more reliable, some states looked to a vaccine mandate to curb the spread of the coronavirus. On Sunday, Ghana’s government announced that government employees, health care workers and staff and students at most schools must be vaccinated by Jan. 22. Europe which has acted in unusual concert in barring travel from southern Africa, is speeding up booster shots in the hope that they will work against omicron, and adjusting or reconsidering a hodgepodge of social-distancing measures, even in restriction-resistant countries such as Britain. “The lack of a consistent and coherent global approach has resulted in a splintered and disjointed response, breeding misunderstanding, misinformation and mistrust,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization director. The WHO convened a three-day special session to discuss a treaty that would ensure prompt sharing of data and technology and equitable access to vaccines. The European Union has pushed for the agreement to be legally binding, but the United States has balked. The very proposal underlined that two years into a devastating pandemic that has killed millions, devastated national economies and robbed many of the world’s children of nearly two years of formative experiences, there is still no global plan for getting out of it. As the largely vaccinated West clings to initial reports that omicron may cause milder illness and may be susceptible to vaccines, entire swaths of Africa remain essentially unvaccinated. Some nations, like South Africa, have sufficient doses but have struggled to distribute them. Others lack the freezers, logistical infrastructure and medical personnel to inoculate their populations. Also read | Fauci defends travel ban due to new variant omicron, says it is necessary and justified That has given the virus plenty of time and bodies in which to multiply and mutate. The travel bans are intended to buy time as scientists determine whether the mutations in the new variant will allow it to dodge existing vaccines. But they also seemed to suggest that core lessons from the early phase of the pandemic must be learned again: An infection discovered somewhere is likely everywhere or may be soon enough and a single case detected means many more undetected. On Monday, Portugal reported 13 omicron cases, all tied to a single soccer team and Scotland reported six, while the numbers in South Africa continued to soar. Experts warned that the variant will reach every part of the world, if it hasn’t already. The leaders of the world’s top powers insisted that they understood this, but their assurances also had a strong whiff of geopolitics. President Xi Jinping of China offered 1 billion doses of COVID vaccine to Africa, on top of nearly 200 million that Beijing has already shipped to the continent, during an address to a conference in Senegal by video link. The Global Times, a Chinese tabloid controlled by the Communist Party, boasted of China’s success in thwarting virus transmission, and said the West was now paying the price for its selfish policies. “Western countries control most of the resources needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic,” it read. “But they have failed to curb the spread of the virus and have exposed more and more developing countries to the virus.” Biden said the United States had sent more free vaccines abroad than all other countries in the world combined. “Now we need the rest of the world to step up as well,” he said. European health ministers seemed to agree. “The identification of the omicron variant in the southern part of Africa confirms the urgency to do more to vaccinate the population of the most fragile countries,” Italy’s health minister, Roberto Speranza, said at a virtual meeting of health ministers representing seven of the world’s wealthiest large democracies. He called on those countries to help administer vaccines. “It is not enough to donate doses,” Speranza said. Also read | US praises South Africa for quick, transparent reporting of new Covid variant Omicron Within a few days of seeing evidence of a new variant, South African scientists, who run the continent’s most advanced genomic sequencing labs, had identified it. Last Wednesday, they made their findings public. After other parts of the world, including the United States and the European Union, responded with travel bans on southern Africa, South African officials protested that their country was being punished for its speed and transparency. Responses to the coronavirus have been as varied as the nations that are threatened by it. Israel, the first nation to block travel in response to omicron, granted its intelligence service temporary permission to monitor the phone data of people with confirmed cases of the variant. In Italy, which has kept infections low with some of the most stringent rules in Europe, the country’s conference of mayors urged the government to impose a national outdoor mask mandate from Dec. 6 until Jan. 15, as crowds gather to shop for and celebrate Christmas. Even Britain, which has taken a lax approach to mask wearing and other social-distancing measures, has stepped up its response in the face of omicron. The country introduced new mask mandates and new travel restrictions and appeared to soften its opposition to vaccine passports and requiring masks in restaurants. And Britain’s vaccine advisory board announced Monday that it is suggesting an expansion of the country’s booster program. In Germany, already hard hit by the latest pandemic wave, fear of the omicron variant was palpable. “It feels different from the first bits of information we got about the delta variant,” said Christian Drosten, a prominent German virus expert, describing himself as “pretty worried.” On Monday, the German government announced that Angela Merkel, state governors and Olaf Scholz, who is to succeed Merkel as chancellor next week, had moved up a planned meeting about potential lockdown measures by nine days. “We need to buy time,” said Karl Lauterbach, a member of the parliament and public health expert who is considered a strong candidate to be the new German government’s health minister, said on Twitter. “Nothing is worse than a new variant into an ongoing wave.” Pauline Londeix, a prominent French advocate for broader access to medicines and transparent drug policies, told France Inter radio Monday that variants would continue to emerge unless richer countries shared more vaccines. “We need a much more systemic approach,” she said. The European Commission on Monday urged member states not to impose additional travel restrictions on their citizens. In contrast to Europe’s patchwork of regulations, China has had a more consistent and plainer policy: It is essentially sealed off as it pursues a “zero COVID” strategy. Also read | Omicron variant in Australia: Two passengers from South Africa test positive for new COVID strain China has steadfastly kept a high wall against visitors from the rest of the world. Foreign residents and visa holders are allowed in only under limited circumstances, leading to concerns by some within the business world that COVID restrictions were leaving the country increasingly isolated. Visitors must submit to two-week quarantines upon arrival and face potential limits on their movement after that. Movements are tracked via monitoring smartphone apps, which display color codes that can signal whether a person has traveled from or through an area with recent infections, triggering instructions to remain in one place. In other parts of Asia, people are less focused on eradicating the virus than just surviving it. “This news is terrifying,” said Gurinder Singh, 57, in New Delhi, who worried about his shop going under. “If this virus spreads in India, the government will shut the country again, and we will be forced to beg.”

Fragmented reactions hinder global fight against Omicron variant

What would you do if a fight breaks next to you but you have a beer in hand? A hockey fan believes enjoying her beer is more important.<o:p></o:p>

Images of a woman enjoying her beer while a violent brawl broke near her in the stands of a hockey game have gone viral.

<o:p></o:p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Still enjoying a drink with an all out brawl happening in her lap. Hockey fans are built different <a href="https://twitter.com/spittinchiclets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@spittinchiclets</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ac7weLELd6">pic.twitter.com/Ac7weLELd6</a>
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/barstoolsports/status/1449064864249524224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

During the Seattle Kraken's second-ever match in the NHL, a violent brawl broke out in the stands among spectators. While two groups of people started abusing and hitting each other in the stands, the woman was pictured calmly enjoying her drink.<o:p></o:p>

As two Hockey teams clashed on the rink, spectators, too, clashed against each other in the stands. Series of blows started flowing as the match started heating up.<o:p></o:p>

When two different groups of people started fighting, supporters of the two teams started coming to help the two groups. The fight, which started between two people, quickly escalated and the fight became a bigger deal.<o:p></o:p>

People were seen beating each other violently and several people even fell due to the fight.<o:p></o:p>

The pictured woman, however, decided she had found her zen zone in her drink. While people pushed and beat each other around her, the woman kept sipping her beverage.

<o:p></o:p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
She puttin that thing away too <a href="https://t.co/XqUqkaJeuZ">https://t.co/XqUqkaJeuZ</a>
— Papa Willy (@ol_dirty_bubba) <a href="https://twitter.com/ol_dirty_bubba/status/1449220606822469633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This old lady’s gold 😂 <a href="https://t.co/1GVeoHJqcS">https://t.co/1GVeoHJqcS</a>
— Ryan Hale 🎧 (@ryanhalevisual) <a href="https://twitter.com/ryanhalevisual/status/1449107945711718406?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Definition of minding my own business <a href="https://t.co/17uq0BuWrp">https://t.co/17uq0BuWrp</a>
— Franco’s daddy’s first cousin (@JD_NC_704) <a href="https://twitter.com/JD_NC_704/status/1449106577458438146?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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That Black Lady Is Me 😂😂😂😂 <a href="https://t.co/yyI4I3WgvD">https://t.co/yyI4I3WgvD</a>
— 183rd Don (@UpTownReece) <a href="https://twitter.com/UpTownReece/status/1449366035673534467?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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this is the definition of black folks minding they business <a href="https://t.co/GKGBdeYX5z">https://t.co/GKGBdeYX5z</a>
— Ken (@SosaStuntin) <a href="https://twitter.com/SosaStuntin/status/1449085274311385088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

What would you do if a fight breaks next to you but you have a beer in hand? A hockey fan believes enjoying her beer is more important. Images of a woman enjoying her beer while a violent brawl broke near her in the stands of a hockey game have gone viral.

What would you do if a fight breaks next to you but you have a beer in hand? A hockey fan believes enjoying her beer is more important. Images of a woman enjoying her beer while a violent brawl broke near her in the stands of a hockey game have gone viral. Still enjoying a drink with an all out brawl happening in her lap. Hockey fans are built different @spittinchiclets pic.twitter.com/Ac7weLELd6 — Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) October 15, 2021 × During the Seattle Kraken's second-ever match in the NHL, a violent brawl broke out in the stands among spectators. While two groups of people started abusing and hitting each other in the stands, the woman was pictured calmly enjoying her drink. As two Hockey teams clashed on the rink, spectators, too, clashed against each other in the stands. Series of blows started flowing as the match started heating up. When two different groups of people started fighting, supporters of the two teams started coming to help the two groups. The fight, which started between two people, quickly escalated and the fight became a bigger deal. People were seen beating each other violently and several people even fell due to the fight. The pictured woman, however, decided she had found her zen zone in her drink. While people pushed and beat each other around her, the woman kept sipping her beverage. She puttin that thing away too https://t.co/XqUqkaJeuZ — Papa Willy (@ol_dirty_bubba) October 16, 2021 × This old lady’s gold 😂 https://t.co/1GVeoHJqcS — Ryan Hale 🎧 (@ryanhalevisual) October 15, 2021 × Definition of minding my own business https://t.co/17uq0BuWrp — Franco’s daddy’s first cousin (@JD_NC_704) October 15, 2021 × That Black Lady Is Me 😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/yyI4I3WgvD — 183rd Don (@UpTownReece) October 16, 2021 × this is the definition of black folks minding they business https://t.co/GKGBdeYX5z — Ken (@SosaStuntin) October 15, 2021 ×

Watch: Woman enjoys her drink as people around her get into violent fight

In this lush strip of land — walled off from potential invaders by high mountain peaks and narrow, ambush-prone passes — former mujahedeen fighters and Afghan commandos regrouped in the days after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government, vowing to fight to the last man.

With its history of resistance and its reputation for impenetrability, the Panjshir Valley seemed an ideal place for a determined force of renegades to base an insurgency against the Taliban.

By Sept. 6, however, the Taliban claimed to have captured the entire province of Panjshir, a momentous victory in a region that repelled numerous Soviet offensives in the 1980s and had remained beyond the Taliban’s control during its rule from 1996 to 2001.

On Tuesday, The New York Times traveled to the valley for the first time since the Taliban’s lightning offensive led to their seizure of power in Afghanistan last month. On the sides of the road, posters of fallen resistance fighters from previous wars had been torn down.

The usually busy traffic had been replaced with wandering cattle, and the silence was punctured only by Islamic chants blaring occasionally from speakers on the few Taliban trucks.

A spokesperson for the National Resistance Front maintained that the fight was far from over.

"Our forces are stationed throughout the valley," the spokesperson, Ali Maisam Nazary, said via WhatsApp. "The Soviets also claimed victory when they would enter Panjshir and see no fighting for days or weeks. But the mujahedeen in the ’80s would wait and then attack at the right time."

But in a journey through 40 miles of the province and the provincial capital, Bazarak, it became clear that combat had largely ceased, at least for now, and what resistance remained seemed confined to mountainous areas practically inaccessible by foot or by vehicle. Most of the residents had fled before the fighting. Those who stayed behind were struggling with spiking market prices and a lack of food.

During those weeks of fighting and even after, reports of the Taliban committing human rights abuses against captured resistance fighters and civilians circulated on social media. Yet the accounts of door-to-door search and seizures as well as public executions, all of which the Taliban denied, were impossible to verify or debunk.

Electricity and cellphone towers were cut, leaving an information vacuum that quickly filled with opposing narratives and claims of massacres, ethnic cleansing and false charges. A widely shared video claiming Pakistani drones were operating over the valley turned out to be graphics from a video game. Another video showed wads of cash and pieces of gold found by the Taliban at a house supposedly belonging to Amrullah Saleh, the former Afghan vice president. This report was denied by some Taliban officials, while others said it was true.

Patricia Gossman, associate director for Human Rights Watch Asia, said her organization has been tracking numerous claims of atrocities but has struggled to confirm them. "There is an avalanche of unverified information on social media, but what is needed is a credible investigation of the claims of summary executions and other abuses," Gossman said. "There is no other way to establish the truth and press for accountability."

Earlier this week, Basir Abdul, who spent 40 years living in Germany exporting cars to Afghanistan and the Middle East, made his way home through the Panjshir Valley, which he found largely deserted.

"Everyone goes ‘Taliban, Taliban,’ " he said, "So I said to myself, ‘I have to see this.’ "

Upon arriving at his house, Abdul, 58, assessed the damage: a few shattered windows and signs of intruders who had slept in the rooms. Someone had left behind a pair of combat boots and an orange scarf hanging from a branch.

"I am not sure if this was the work of the Taliban or thieves," he said, "but people broke in while I was gone."

Outside, Abdul scanned the horizon. His property sat in clear view of the tomb of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the renowned mujahedeen leader of the Northern Resistance who was assassinated by al-Qaida operatives 20 years ago.

"The valley seems quiet," Abdul said.

Not far down the road, a group of Taliban fighters was packing up their pickup trucks, still bearing the emblems of the now-fallen Afghan security forces. "The fight has ended in Panjshir," said the unit commander, Sabawoon, who goes by only one name. "There will be peace now. Those who laid down their weapons, we welcomed, and those who fought, things did not end well for them."

His unit of 200 hailed from northern Afghanistan. They fought their way into Panjshir from neighboring Baghlan province and made it to Bazarak last week.

Sabawoon said that his men were headed to Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, where they would provide security.

Along the main road south of Bazarak, signs of heavy fighting were scarce. Some buildings had broken windows or the odd bullet mark, but structural damage was hard to find. About a half-dozen wrecked military vehicles dotted the road.

A surgical and maternity hospital in the valley received 60 to 70 people with conflict-related injuries in recent weeks, said Dr. Gina Portella, medical division coordinator for Emergency NGO, an Italian nonprofit that runs the facility.

"We had prepared for a mass casualty situation before the clashes started here," Portella said. "Because many civilians left the valley in advance, the numbers stayed relatively low."

On the side of the main road, Talibs formed a human chain and unloaded metal cans of ammunition from the parked trucks. Mortars, rockets, cartridges of various calibers and anti-personnel land mines recovered from decades-old weapons’ caches piled up around a rusting Soviet armored personnel carrier.

Farther along the winding road, deep in the side valley of Dara-e Hazara, a blockade spanned the road, manned by armed fighters with thick Panjshiri accents. One of them explained they belonged to units that served under the previous government and that while they were no longer resisting, they had not yet surrendered.

He said that Qari Qudratullah, the new provincial governor, was meeting with elders to discuss a peaceful handover.

A Taliban military commission official, Mullah Hafiz Osman, later confirmed this was true, while Nazary denied the claim.

Behind the Panjshiri fighters flew the green, white and black flag of the Northern Alliance, repurposed to signify the National Resistance Front, which is led by Ahmad Massoud, son of Ahmad Shad Massoud, the leader assassinated in 2001. But villagers said that the Taliban had long been active in the valley, and that their takeover had been negotiated by some of the residents.

Outside the tomb of the elder Massoud, a young Talib, far from his home in Helmand province in the south, performed his evening prayers.

Days earlier, photos of the destroyed tomb, in a dramatic hilltop mausoleum overlooking the valley, appeared on social media alongside accusations that the Taliban had ransacked the place. "This wasn’t our work," one of the Taliban guards said. "Civilians broke in and smashed the glass."

The site had since been repaired by the Taliban and was now in its original state. A group of guards stood around the tomb, and as evening fell, they stretched a green shroud over it and closed the doors for the night.

Outside the valley, those who had fled wondered if they would ever be able to return.

When the Taliban first entered Panjshir, Sahar, 17, and her family barricaded themselves at home, thinking the resistance would eventually chase the Talibs away. But the fighting steadily drew closer.

Neighbors started to flee, said Sahar, whose last name is being withheld to protect her identity. Her uncle and cousin were stopped at a Taliban checkpoint near the village, she said, where they were beaten and ordered to turn over their weapons and the names of resistance fighters.

Last week, the family escaped through the mountains. They walked for five days, through remote valleys and over mountain ridges. Sahar fainted three times from dehydration, she said, and her mother had blisters and swollen feet. Her father, who is diabetic, nearly collapsed.

Eventually, they hitched a ride to Kabul, the country’s capital, where they had relatives with whom they are now living.

"We don’t know what will happen," Sahar said by phone from Kabul. "We may never be able to get back."

In this lush strip of land — walled off from potential invaders by high mountain peaks and narrow, ambush-prone passes — former mujahedeen fighters and Afghan commandos regrouped in the days after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government, vowing to fight to the last man.

In this lush strip of land — walled off from potential invaders by high mountain peaks and narrow, ambush-prone passes — former mujahedeen fighters and Afghan commandos regrouped in the days after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government, vowing to fight to the last man. With its history of resistance and its reputation for impenetrability, the Panjshir Valley seemed an ideal place for a determined force of renegades to base an insurgency against the Taliban. By Sept. 6, however, the Taliban claimed to have captured the entire province of Panjshir, a momentous victory in a region that repelled numerous Soviet offensives in the 1980s and had remained beyond the Taliban’s control during its rule from 1996 to 2001. On Tuesday, The New York Times traveled to the valley for the first time since the Taliban’s lightning offensive led to their seizure of power in Afghanistan last month. On the sides of the road, posters of fallen resistance fighters from previous wars had been torn down. The usually busy traffic had been replaced with wandering cattle, and the silence was punctured only by Islamic chants blaring occasionally from speakers on the few Taliban trucks. A spokesperson for the National Resistance Front maintained that the fight was far from over. "Our forces are stationed throughout the valley," the spokesperson, Ali Maisam Nazary, said via WhatsApp. "The Soviets also claimed victory when they would enter Panjshir and see no fighting for days or weeks. But the mujahedeen in the ’80s would wait and then attack at the right time." But in a journey through 40 miles of the province and the provincial capital, Bazarak, it became clear that combat had largely ceased, at least for now, and what resistance remained seemed confined to mountainous areas practically inaccessible by foot or by vehicle. Most of the residents had fled before the fighting. Those who stayed behind were struggling with spiking market prices and a lack of food. During those weeks of fighting and even after, reports of the Taliban committing human rights abuses against captured resistance fighters and civilians circulated on social media. Yet the accounts of door-to-door search and seizures as well as public executions, all of which the Taliban denied, were impossible to verify or debunk. Electricity and cellphone towers were cut, leaving an information vacuum that quickly filled with opposing narratives and claims of massacres, ethnic cleansing and false charges. A widely shared video claiming Pakistani drones were operating over the valley turned out to be graphics from a video game. Another video showed wads of cash and pieces of gold found by the Taliban at a house supposedly belonging to Amrullah Saleh, the former Afghan vice president. This report was denied by some Taliban officials, while others said it was true. Patricia Gossman, associate director for Human Rights Watch Asia, said her organization has been tracking numerous claims of atrocities but has struggled to confirm them. "There is an avalanche of unverified information on social media, but what is needed is a credible investigation of the claims of summary executions and other abuses," Gossman said. "There is no other way to establish the truth and press for accountability." Earlier this week, Basir Abdul, who spent 40 years living in Germany exporting cars to Afghanistan and the Middle East, made his way home through the Panjshir Valley, which he found largely deserted. "Everyone goes ‘Taliban, Taliban,’ " he said, "So I said to myself, ‘I have to see this.’ " Upon arriving at his house, Abdul, 58, assessed the damage: a few shattered windows and signs of intruders who had slept in the rooms. Someone had left behind a pair of combat boots and an orange scarf hanging from a branch. "I am not sure if this was the work of the Taliban or thieves," he said, "but people broke in while I was gone." Outside, Abdul scanned the horizon. His property sat in clear view of the tomb of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the renowned mujahedeen leader of the Northern Resistance who was assassinated by al-Qaida operatives 20 years ago. "The valley seems quiet," Abdul said. Not far down the road, a group of Taliban fighters was packing up their pickup trucks, still bearing the emblems of the now-fallen Afghan security forces. "The fight has ended in Panjshir," said the unit commander, Sabawoon, who goes by only one name. "There will be peace now. Those who laid down their weapons, we welcomed, and those who fought, things did not end well for them." His unit of 200 hailed from northern Afghanistan. They fought their way into Panjshir from neighboring Baghlan province and made it to Bazarak last week. Sabawoon said that his men were headed to Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, where they would provide security. Along the main road south of Bazarak, signs of heavy fighting were scarce. Some buildings had broken windows or the odd bullet mark, but structural damage was hard to find. About a half-dozen wrecked military vehicles dotted the road. A surgical and maternity hospital in the valley received 60 to 70 people with conflict-related injuries in recent weeks, said Dr. Gina Portella, medical division coordinator for Emergency NGO, an Italian nonprofit that runs the facility. "We had prepared for a mass casualty situation before the clashes started here," Portella said. "Because many civilians left the valley in advance, the numbers stayed relatively low." On the side of the main road, Talibs formed a human chain and unloaded metal cans of ammunition from the parked trucks. Mortars, rockets, cartridges of various calibers and anti-personnel land mines recovered from decades-old weapons’ caches piled up around a rusting Soviet armored personnel carrier. Farther along the winding road, deep in the side valley of Dara-e Hazara, a blockade spanned the road, manned by armed fighters with thick Panjshiri accents. One of them explained they belonged to units that served under the previous government and that while they were no longer resisting, they had not yet surrendered. He said that Qari Qudratullah, the new provincial governor, was meeting with elders to discuss a peaceful handover. A Taliban military commission official, Mullah Hafiz Osman, later confirmed this was true, while Nazary denied the claim. Behind the Panjshiri fighters flew the green, white and black flag of the Northern Alliance, repurposed to signify the National Resistance Front, which is led by Ahmad Massoud, son of Ahmad Shad Massoud, the leader assassinated in 2001. But villagers said that the Taliban had long been active in the valley, and that their takeover had been negotiated by some of the residents. Outside the tomb of the elder Massoud, a young Talib, far from his home in Helmand province in the south, performed his evening prayers. Days earlier, photos of the destroyed tomb, in a dramatic hilltop mausoleum overlooking the valley, appeared on social media alongside accusations that the Taliban had ransacked the place. "This wasn’t our work," one of the Taliban guards said. "Civilians broke in and smashed the glass." The site had since been repaired by the Taliban and was now in its original state. A group of guards stood around the tomb, and as evening fell, they stretched a green shroud over it and closed the doors for the night. Outside the valley, those who had fled wondered if they would ever be able to return. When the Taliban first entered Panjshir, Sahar, 17, and her family barricaded themselves at home, thinking the resistance would eventually chase the Talibs away. But the fighting steadily drew closer. Neighbors started to flee, said Sahar, whose last name is being withheld to protect her identity. Her uncle and cousin were stopped at a Taliban checkpoint near the village, she said, where they were beaten and ordered to turn over their weapons and the names of resistance fighters. Last week, the family escaped through the mountains. They walked for five days, through remote valleys and over mountain ridges. Sahar fainted three times from dehydration, she said, and her mother had blisters and swollen feet. Her father, who is diabetic, nearly collapsed. Eventually, they hitched a ride to Kabul, the country’s capital, where they had relatives with whom they are now living. "We don’t know what will happen," Sahar said by phone from Kabul. "We may never be able to get back."

In Panjshir, few signs of an active resistance, or any fight at all

On Wednesday, lawmakers clashed in Armenia's parliament, throwing objects across the floor and grappling with one another.

According to the TASS news agency, chaos broke out after a ruling party lawmaker referred to some former defence ministers as "traitors".

Since last year's war in which Azeri forces drove ethnic Armenian forces out of swathes of Nagorno-Karabakh, where they have controlled the territory since the 1990s, political tensions&nbsp;within the country have soared.

Footage of the incident shows lawmakers throwing water bottles at each other&nbsp;as security officers poured&nbsp;onto the floor of the house to quell the disturbance. Parliament was forced to recess after the incident.

Watch the video here:

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A mass brawl broke out at today's meeting of the Armenian parliament, and deputies threw bottles at each other. 
 
The reason for the incident was that former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan was called a "traitor" in a speech by MP Ayk Sargsyan from the "Civil Contract" faction. <a href="https://t.co/rXTk06hwad">pic.twitter.com/rXTk06hwad</a>
— Turan Gafarli (@ATuranQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATuranQ/status/1430437786566512643?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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After Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party won the summer elections, the current parliament convened for the first time earlier this month.

Reportedly, in two days, three brawls have broken out in Armenia's parliament, with the assembly disrupted by waves of violence among members.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Wednesday, lawmakers clashed in Armenia's parliament, throwing objects across the floor and grappling with one another. According to the TASS news agency, chaos broke out after a ruling party lawmaker referred to some former defence ministers as "traitors".

On Wednesday, lawmakers clashed in Armenia's parliament, throwing objects across the floor and grappling with one another. According to the TASS news agency, chaos broke out after a ruling party lawmaker referred to some former defence ministers as "traitors". Since last year's war in which Azeri forces drove ethnic Armenian forces out of swathes of Nagorno-Karabakh, where they have controlled the territory since the 1990s, political tensions within the country have soared. Footage of the incident shows lawmakers throwing water bottles at each other as security officers poured onto the floor of the house to quell the disturbance. Parliament was forced to recess after the incident. Watch the video here: A mass brawl broke out at today's meeting of the Armenian parliament, and deputies threw bottles at each other. The reason for the incident was that former Defense Minister Seyran Ohanyan was called a "traitor" in a speech by MP Ayk Sargsyan from the "Civil Contract" faction. pic.twitter.com/rXTk06hwad — Turan Gafarli (@ATuranQ) August 25, 2021 × After Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party won the summer elections, the current parliament convened for the first time earlier this month. Reportedly, in two days, three brawls have broken out in Armenia's parliament, with the assembly disrupted by waves of violence among members. (With inputs from agencies)

Lawmakers throw bottles at each other, as brawl breaks out in Armenian parliament

As the negotiations for the&nbsp;transition process are underway, Taliban have announced that it will not&nbsp;enter Kabul for now.&nbsp;In a statement, it said as it is a largely and densely populated city, it wants to enter peacefully and&nbsp;not fight in Kabul.&nbsp;

“Since the capital Kabul is a large and densely populated city, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate do not intend to enter the city by force or war, but rather to enter Kabul peacefully. Negotiations are underway to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely, without compromising the lives, property and honor of anyone, and without compromising the lives of Kabulis,” the statement read.&nbsp;

The Taliban has&nbsp;instructed all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul&nbsp;and not try to enter the city.&nbsp;

The group said it&nbsp;wants a government that is acceptable to everyone. It was declared by the&nbsp;Islamic Emirate&nbsp;of Afghanistan, which the group calls its government.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Praise be to God that with the help of God Almighty and the broad support of our people, all parts of the country have come under the control of the Islamic Emirate,” it said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The statement also said, “We reiterate that the Islamic Emirate does not intend to take revenge on anyone, all those who have served in the military and civilian sectors in the Kabul administration are forgiven and safe, no one will be retaliated against. All should stay in their own country, in their own place and home, and not try to leave the country.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

As the negotiations for the transition process are underway, Taliban have announced that it will not enter Kabul for now. In a statement, it said as it is a largely and densely populated city, it wants to enter peacefully and not fight in Kabul.

As the negotiations for the transition process are underway, Taliban have announced that it will not enter Kabul for now. In a statement, it said as it is a largely and densely populated city, it wants to enter peacefully and not fight in Kabul. “Since the capital Kabul is a large and densely populated city, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate do not intend to enter the city by force or war, but rather to enter Kabul peacefully. Negotiations are underway to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely, without compromising the lives, property and honor of anyone, and without compromising the lives of Kabulis,” the statement read. The Taliban has instructed all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul and not try to enter the city. The group said it wants a government that is acceptable to everyone. It was declared by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, which the group calls its government. “Praise be to God that with the help of God Almighty and the broad support of our people, all parts of the country have come under the control of the Islamic Emirate,” it said. The statement also said, “We reiterate that the Islamic Emirate does not intend to take revenge on anyone, all those who have served in the military and civilian sectors in the Kabul administration are forgiven and safe, no one will be retaliated against. All should stay in their own country, in their own place and home, and not try to leave the country.” (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban declare not to enter Kabul for now, wait for transition

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US&nbsp;President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic. 
 
The leaders, struggling to tame outbreaks exacerbated by the Delta variant of coronavirus, said they would encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies 'on mutually agreed terms' as the region prepared for future health shocks. 
 
"The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies," the leaders said in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting chaired by New Zealand. 
 
"We will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines," they said. 
 
The APEC leaders met virtually to discuss collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. 
 
New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it would chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held. 
 
"Our discussions moved us beyond vaccine nationalism. Now we are focusing on all aspects of contributing to the global vaccination effort — making vaccines, sharing vaccines and using vaccines," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the meeting. She said the leaders agreed this will not be the world`s last pandemic and that preparedness was critical. 
 
The meeting highlights growing concerns around COVID-19, which is raging in the region as countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Australia face new waves of infections.

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic.

Leaders of the Asia-Pacific trade group APEC, including US President Joe Biden, Russia's Vladimir Putin, and China's Xi Jinping, pledged on Friday to work to expand sharing and manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to fight the global pandemic. The leaders, struggling to tame outbreaks exacerbated by the Delta variant of coronavirus, said they would encourage the voluntary transfer of vaccine production technologies 'on mutually agreed terms' as the region prepared for future health shocks. "The pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on our region’s people and economies," the leaders said in a joint statement issued after a virtual meeting chaired by New Zealand. "We will only overcome this health emergency by accelerating equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured, and affordable COVID-19 vaccines," they said. The APEC leaders met virtually to discuss collective actions to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impacts. New Zealand, the revolving Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation host, said this week it would chair the extraordinary meeting ahead of a formal gathering in November, the first time such an additional meeting has been held. "Our discussions moved us beyond vaccine nationalism. Now we are focusing on all aspects of contributing to the global vaccination effort — making vaccines, sharing vaccines and using vaccines," New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said after the meeting. She said the leaders agreed this will not be the world`s last pandemic and that preparedness was critical. The meeting highlights growing concerns around COVID-19, which is raging in the region as countries including Indonesia, Thailand and Australia face new waves of infections.

World leaders pledge to redouble pandemic fight at special APEC meeting

Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions. 
 
The case marks the latest development in a long-running battle between Europe's $1 trillion creative industry and online platforms, with the former seeking compensation or action from the latter for unauthorised works that are uploaded. 
 
YouTube found itself in the dock after Frank Peterson, a music producer, sued the company and Google in Germany over the uploading to YouTube by users in 2008 of several phonograms to which he holds the rights. 
 
In a second case, publishing group Elsevier took legal action against file-hosting service Cyando in Germany after its users uploaded several Elsevier works on its platform Uploaded in 2013 without its approval. 
 
A German court subsequently sought advice from the EU Court of Justice, which ruled on both cases on Tuesday. 
 
"As currently stands, operators of online platforms do not, in principle, themselves make a communication to the public of copyright-protected content illegally posted online by users of those platforms," the EU Court of Justice said. 
 
"However, those operators do make such a communication in breach of copyright where they contribute, beyond merely making those platforms available, to giving access to such content to the public," judges said. 
 
The cases are C-682/18 YouTube and C-683/18 Cyando.

Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions.

Europe's top court on Tuesday said that Google's YouTube and other online platforms are not liable for copyright-infringing works uploaded by users onto their platforms under certain conditions. The case marks the latest development in a long-running battle between Europe's $1 trillion creative industry and online platforms, with the former seeking compensation or action from the latter for unauthorised works that are uploaded. YouTube found itself in the dock after Frank Peterson, a music producer, sued the company and Google in Germany over the uploading to YouTube by users in 2008 of several phonograms to which he holds the rights. In a second case, publishing group Elsevier took legal action against file-hosting service Cyando in Germany after its users uploaded several Elsevier works on its platform Uploaded in 2013 without its approval. A German court subsequently sought advice from the EU Court of Justice, which ruled on both cases on Tuesday. "As currently stands, operators of online platforms do not, in principle, themselves make a communication to the public of copyright-protected content illegally posted online by users of those platforms," the EU Court of Justice said. "However, those operators do make such a communication in breach of copyright where they contribute, beyond merely making those platforms available, to giving access to such content to the public," judges said. The cases are C-682/18 YouTube and C-683/18 Cyando.

EU top court hands win to YouTube in user copyright fight

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday declared a state of siege over the worsening violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu that has killed hundreds this year and displaced more than 1.5 million. &nbsp;

A surge in attacks by armed militias and inter-communal violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have killed over 300 people since the start of the year as government troops and UN peacekeepers struggle to stabilise the mineral-rich territory. &nbsp;

Announcing Tshisekedi's decision, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said, "The objective is to swiftly end the insecurity which is killing our fellow citizens in that part of the country on a daily basis."&nbsp;

He did not say what steps would be taken next under the state of siege in the two affected regions.&nbsp;

On Friday armed police in North Kivu’s regional hub of Beni dispersed students, who were staging an eight-day sit-in at the town hall to draw attention to the worsening security situation. Several students were wounded and others were arrested, according to a witness.&nbsp;

A Ugandan insurgent faction active in eastern Congo since the 1990s called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is believed to be responsible for much of the recent bloodshed. &nbsp;

It has committed a spate of brutal reprisal attacks on civilians since the army began operations against it in late 2019, killing around 850 people last year, according to UN figures.&nbsp;

The violence has fuelled a humanitarian crisis with more than 1.6 million people displaced in Ituri out of a total population of 5.7 million people, UNICEF said in April. Some 2.8 million people there are in need of some form of emergency assistance, it said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday declared a state of siege over the worsening violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu that has killed hundreds this year and displaced more than 1.

Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi on Friday declared a state of siege over the worsening violence in the eastern provinces of Ituri and North Kivu that has killed hundreds this year and displaced more than 1.5 million. A surge in attacks by armed militias and inter-communal violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo have killed over 300 people since the start of the year as government troops and UN peacekeepers struggle to stabilise the mineral-rich territory. Announcing Tshisekedi's decision, government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said, "The objective is to swiftly end the insecurity which is killing our fellow citizens in that part of the country on a daily basis." He did not say what steps would be taken next under the state of siege in the two affected regions. On Friday armed police in North Kivu’s regional hub of Beni dispersed students, who were staging an eight-day sit-in at the town hall to draw attention to the worsening security situation. Several students were wounded and others were arrested, according to a witness. A Ugandan insurgent faction active in eastern Congo since the 1990s called the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is believed to be responsible for much of the recent bloodshed. It has committed a spate of brutal reprisal attacks on civilians since the army began operations against it in late 2019, killing around 850 people last year, according to UN figures. The violence has fuelled a humanitarian crisis with more than 1.6 million people displaced in Ituri out of a total population of 5.7 million people, UNICEF said in April. Some 2.8 million people there are in need of some form of emergency assistance, it said. (With inputs from agencies)

Congo declares state of siege over eastern bloodshed 

Albanians are voting in parliamentary elections on Sunday amid the virus pandemic and a bitter rivalry between the two largest political parties.&nbsp;

Some 3.6 million eligible voters, including Albanians overseas, will elect 140 lawmakers among some 1,800 candidates from 12 political parties or coalitions and those running independently. &nbsp;

No early or postal voting is allowed and people infected with COVID-19 cannot vote.&nbsp;

Following approval of electoral reforms last year, a new voters' electronic identification, a partial depoliticising of the electoral commission and a pilot project on full digitalisation of the voting and counting process are being applied. &nbsp;

The hope is that post-communist Albania's 10th parliamentary election will be free and fair. To date, voting always has been marred by irregularities.&nbsp;

Preliminary turnout at 11 am was 16.67 per cent.&nbsp;

Albania, which has a population of 2.8 million and has been a NATO member since 2009, is looking forward to launching full membership negotiations with the European Union later this year. Sunday's vote is considered as a key milestone on that path.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Edi Rama of the governing Socialists, who are seeking their third consecutive mandate, wants to turn Albania into a 'champion' in tourism, energy, agriculture and digital projects.&nbsp;

Pre-election survey polls showed Rama's left-wing Socialist Party likely to place first.&nbsp;

Lulzim Basha of the Democratic Party accuses the government of corruption and links to organised crime, and pledges lower taxes, higher salaries and more social financial support.&nbsp;

Confrontations between supporters of the two main parties culminated on Wednesday in central Elbasan city, where a leading activist of the Socialist Party died. &nbsp;

Police said the victim was shot, allegedly by a member of the opposition Democratic Party, during an argument.&nbsp;

Though officially impartial, President Ilir Meta has turned into a firebrand government opponent, accusing Rama of concentrating all legislative, administrative and judicial powers in his hands and running a 'kleptocratic regime' that has bungled pandemic response and delayed the country's EU integration.&nbsp;

Political leaders cast their ballots on Sunday morning and called on the people to vote. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, also an Albanian citizen, also voted.&nbsp;

"For the Constitution, for the republic, for democracy, for Albania in Europe,” said President Ilir Meta as he cast his ballot, among the first when the polling station opened.&nbsp;

Scores of foreign observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Western embassies are closely watching Sunday's polls.&nbsp;

"We hope that every Albanian citizen goes and votes, free of fear, free of interference," said US Ambassador Yuri Kim at a polling station in northern Shkodra. "This is your day."&nbsp;

Albania has seen a significant fall in daily coronavirus cases in the past week despite political rallies around the country. More than 400,000 people have received their jabs.&nbsp;

An overnight curfew has been enforced with restrictions on gatherings and mandatory mask-wearing.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Albanians are voting in parliamentary elections on Sunday amid the virus pandemic and a bitter rivalry between the two largest political parties. Some 3.6 million eligible voters, including Albanians overseas, will elect 140 lawmakers among some 1,800 candidates from 12 political parties or coalitions and those running independently.

Albanians are voting in parliamentary elections on Sunday amid the virus pandemic and a bitter rivalry between the two largest political parties. Some 3.6 million eligible voters, including Albanians overseas, will elect 140 lawmakers among some 1,800 candidates from 12 political parties or coalitions and those running independently. No early or postal voting is allowed and people infected with COVID-19 cannot vote. Following approval of electoral reforms last year, a new voters' electronic identification, a partial depoliticising of the electoral commission and a pilot project on full digitalisation of the voting and counting process are being applied. The hope is that post-communist Albania's 10th parliamentary election will be free and fair. To date, voting always has been marred by irregularities. Preliminary turnout at 11 am was 16.67 per cent. Albania, which has a population of 2.8 million and has been a NATO member since 2009, is looking forward to launching full membership negotiations with the European Union later this year. Sunday's vote is considered as a key milestone on that path. Prime Minister Edi Rama of the governing Socialists, who are seeking their third consecutive mandate, wants to turn Albania into a 'champion' in tourism, energy, agriculture and digital projects. Pre-election survey polls showed Rama's left-wing Socialist Party likely to place first. Lulzim Basha of the Democratic Party accuses the government of corruption and links to organised crime, and pledges lower taxes, higher salaries and more social financial support. Confrontations between supporters of the two main parties culminated on Wednesday in central Elbasan city, where a leading activist of the Socialist Party died. Police said the victim was shot, allegedly by a member of the opposition Democratic Party, during an argument. Though officially impartial, President Ilir Meta has turned into a firebrand government opponent, accusing Rama of concentrating all legislative, administrative and judicial powers in his hands and running a 'kleptocratic regime' that has bungled pandemic response and delayed the country's EU integration. Political leaders cast their ballots on Sunday morning and called on the people to vote. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, also an Albanian citizen, also voted. "For the Constitution, for the republic, for democracy, for Albania in Europe,” said President Ilir Meta as he cast his ballot, among the first when the polling station opened. Scores of foreign observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Western embassies are closely watching Sunday's polls. "We hope that every Albanian citizen goes and votes, free of fear, free of interference," said US Ambassador Yuri Kim at a polling station in northern Shkodra. "This is your day." Albania has seen a significant fall in daily coronavirus cases in the past week despite political rallies around the country. More than 400,000 people have received their jabs. An overnight curfew has been enforced with restrictions on gatherings and mandatory mask-wearing. (With inputs from agencies)

Albanians vote in election after a bitter political fight 

India’s vaccines can fight off the double mutation, but the numbers are still rising. India set a double record on Tuesday with almost 300,000 new cases and more than 2,000 deaths in 24 hours.&nbsp;

There were 825,000 cases reported globally and 300,000 of them came from India, almost 36% of the global caseload. So, what's India's exit route here?&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-made-in-india-vaccine-neutralises-deadly-mutations-379131/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Simple, vaccines. On May 1, India will begin vaccinating all adults, but are we ready for this phase? &nbsp;

State governments can buy Covishield at Rs 400 per dose, which is around five US dollars. Private hospitals will have to pay Rs 600 per dose, which is around eight US dollars.&nbsp;

Vaccine makers will divide their output in two parts, one half goes to the central govt and the second half will be sold to states and in the open market. So, hospitals and state govts can buy directly and distribute any way they like.&nbsp;

Either sell or give the shots for free. If you are 45 plus, you can still get vaccinated free of cost but only at government facilities. If you are in the 18 to 45 category, you will have to visit a private hospital. They will charge you more than Rs 600, which depends on where the government caps the price. And these are the prices for Covishield. Bharat Biotech and Sputnik are yet to announce their rates. Chances are they will be somewhere between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000 per dose. Somewhere in the 10 US dollar range.&nbsp;

India is also expanding capacity as the government has granted 610 million dollars to the two vaccine makers, Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech. Bharat Biotech is expanding output to 700 million doses per year, which means around 60 million shots of Covaxin per month.&nbsp;

Covaxin's biggest market is still India, but it is being studied around the world including in the US and Europe. &nbsp;

Serum Institute is producing 70 million doses of Covishield per week and with additional funds, they are hoping to produce 100 million doses by the end of May. And if everything goes to plan, Sputnik shipments should also start arriving by then.&nbsp;

Two doses of a vaccine, that's the accepted norm, but if you have recovered from the coronavirus, you may need only one shot. &nbsp;

According to a new study, recovered patients could do with a single shot to build immunity as the body remembers the virus and one shot may be enough to jolt that memory.&nbsp;

In February, Israel recommended a single shot for recovered patients and so far, their rollout has been flawless. &nbsp;

The hysteria about the vaccine side effects is cooling down as people have started realising that side effects are rare, but natural. &nbsp;

Johnson and Johnson jab has got a clean chit from the European Union. They have listed blood clots as a rare side effect. So, the benefits continue to outweigh the risks.&nbsp;

Most European countries have resumed use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine. Mexico's president took the jab on live television. Confidence in AstraZeneca is slowly building up, but in the United States, women are reporting an unusual side effect. They are complaining of heavier and off-cycle periods after getting the jab. Vaccines are known to disrupt menstrual cycles. So, your body will course-correct itself in time. &nbsp;

States are accusing each other of looting oxygen cylinders. In the national capital, three hospitals were down to just a few hours of oxygen and in the middle of this shortage, some states are hoarding. So, the central government has stepped in. It is planning to restructure oxygen allocation to states.&nbsp;

India has enough capacity for this crisis but there are too many bottlenecks. Like there may be oxygen, but not enough cryogenic tankers to transport it, and there is a limit to what these new oxygen trains can do.&nbsp;

Mistakes like in Nashik, where oxygen started leaking while oxygen tankers were filling up the local hospital's stock, should not happen as 22 patients died because they couldn't get oxygen. &nbsp;

India’s vaccines can fight off the double mutation, but the numbers are still rising. India set a double record on Tuesday with almost 300,000 new cases and more than 2,000 deaths in 24 hours.

India’s vaccines can fight off the double mutation, but the numbers are still rising. India set a double record on Tuesday with almost 300,000 new cases and more than 2,000 deaths in 24 hours. There were 825,000 cases reported globally and 300,000 of them came from India, almost 36% of the global caseload. So, what's India's exit route here? Simple, vaccines. On May 1, India will begin vaccinating all adults, but are we ready for this phase? State governments can buy Covishield at Rs 400 per dose, which is around five US dollars. Private hospitals will have to pay Rs 600 per dose, which is around eight US dollars. Vaccine makers will divide their output in two parts, one half goes to the central govt and the second half will be sold to states and in the open market. So, hospitals and state govts can buy directly and distribute any way they like. Either sell or give the shots for free. If you are 45 plus, you can still get vaccinated free of cost but only at government facilities. If you are in the 18 to 45 category, you will have to visit a private hospital. They will charge you more than Rs 600, which depends on where the government caps the price. And these are the prices for Covishield. Bharat Biotech and Sputnik are yet to announce their rates. Chances are they will be somewhere between Rs 700 and Rs 1,000 per dose. Somewhere in the 10 US dollar range. India is also expanding capacity as the government has granted 610 million dollars to the two vaccine makers, Serum Institute and Bharat Biotech. Bharat Biotech is expanding output to 700 million doses per year, which means around 60 million shots of Covaxin per month. Covaxin's biggest market is still India, but it is being studied around the world including in the US and Europe. Serum Institute is producing 70 million doses of Covishield per week and with additional funds, they are hoping to produce 100 million doses by the end of May. And if everything goes to plan, Sputnik shipments should also start arriving by then. Two doses of a vaccine, that's the accepted norm, but if you have recovered from the coronavirus, you may need only one shot. According to a new study, recovered patients could do with a single shot to build immunity as the body remembers the virus and one shot may be enough to jolt that memory. In February, Israel recommended a single shot for recovered patients and so far, their rollout has been flawless. The hysteria about the vaccine side effects is cooling down as people have started realising that side effects are rare, but natural. Johnson and Johnson jab has got a clean chit from the European Union. They have listed blood clots as a rare side effect. So, the benefits continue to outweigh the risks. Most European countries have resumed use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine. Mexico's president took the jab on live television. Confidence in AstraZeneca is slowly building up, but in the United States, women are reporting an unusual side effect. They are complaining of heavier and off-cycle periods after getting the jab. Vaccines are known to disrupt menstrual cycles. So, your body will course-correct itself in time. States are accusing each other of looting oxygen cylinders. In the national capital, three hospitals were down to just a few hours of oxygen and in the middle of this shortage, some states are hoarding. So, the central government has stepped in. It is planning to restructure oxygen allocation to states. India has enough capacity for this crisis but there are too many bottlenecks. Like there may be oxygen, but not enough cryogenic tankers to transport it, and there is a limit to what these new oxygen trains can do. Mistakes like in Nashik, where oxygen started leaking while oxygen tankers were filling up the local hospital's stock, should not happen as 22 patients died because they couldn't get oxygen.

Vaccines only hope as India’s fight with Covid-19 gets intense  

Namibia's High Court on Monday ruled against a gay couple battling to obtain travel documents for their twin daughters, born to a surrogate in South Africa, after authorities refused to do so on the basis the infants were not citizens.&nbsp;

Namibian Phillip Luhl and his Mexican husband Guillermo Delgado had already been fighting for citizenship for their two-year-old son when the twins, born in March, were refused the documents required to enter Namibia. Namibian authorities say Luhl must prove a genetic link to the children.&nbsp;

In an urgent application to the court, the fathers asked the judge to compel the home affairs ministry to issue the documents to bring their new daughters home.&nbsp;

Judge Thomas Masuku refused, however, saying such an order would be 'judicial overreach'. &nbsp;

Namibia's legal system does not recognise same-sex marriages and criminalises sexual contact between men, though the law is seldom, if ever, enforced.&nbsp;

The Ministry of Home Affairs said no one was immediately available to comment on the ruling on Monday. &nbsp;

Luhl said that the couple would have to study the ruling before deciding on the next steps. &nbsp;

"(It's an) unexpected judgment and, on a personal level, quite a big blow to us," he said, adding it was evidence of resistance at all levels in Namibia on progress towards equal rights. &nbsp;

While the South African surrogacy process requires a genetic link, the couple argue that requiring evidence of a genetic link to obtain citizenship has no basis in law and was discriminatory, because both fathers are legal parents. &nbsp;

Monday's ruling means the family will remain separated, with Luhl in South Africa with the twins and Delgado in Namibia with the couple’s son, while a judgment in their larger citizenship case is pending. &nbsp;

Human Rights lawyer Norman Tjombe, who was not involved in the case, said the judgment was a blatant violation of the rights of the children and reflected the government's stance on same-sex marriage. &nbsp;

"Had the children being born from a heterosexual marriage, no questions would have been asked about the paternity," he said, adding the children were entitled to citizenship by descent like any other child born outside the country to a Namibian parent.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Namibia's High Court on Monday ruled against a gay couple battling to obtain travel documents for their twin daughters, born to a surrogate in South Africa, after authorities refused to do so on the basis the infants were not citizens.

Namibia's High Court on Monday ruled against a gay couple battling to obtain travel documents for their twin daughters, born to a surrogate in South Africa, after authorities refused to do so on the basis the infants were not citizens. Namibian Phillip Luhl and his Mexican husband Guillermo Delgado had already been fighting for citizenship for their two-year-old son when the twins, born in March, were refused the documents required to enter Namibia. Namibian authorities say Luhl must prove a genetic link to the children. In an urgent application to the court, the fathers asked the judge to compel the home affairs ministry to issue the documents to bring their new daughters home. Judge Thomas Masuku refused, however, saying such an order would be 'judicial overreach'. Namibia's legal system does not recognise same-sex marriages and criminalises sexual contact between men, though the law is seldom, if ever, enforced. The Ministry of Home Affairs said no one was immediately available to comment on the ruling on Monday. Luhl said that the couple would have to study the ruling before deciding on the next steps. "(It's an) unexpected judgment and, on a personal level, quite a big blow to us," he said, adding it was evidence of resistance at all levels in Namibia on progress towards equal rights. While the South African surrogacy process requires a genetic link, the couple argue that requiring evidence of a genetic link to obtain citizenship has no basis in law and was discriminatory, because both fathers are legal parents. Monday's ruling means the family will remain separated, with Luhl in South Africa with the twins and Delgado in Namibia with the couple’s son, while a judgment in their larger citizenship case is pending. Human Rights lawyer Norman Tjombe, who was not involved in the case, said the judgment was a blatant violation of the rights of the children and reflected the government's stance on same-sex marriage. "Had the children being born from a heterosexual marriage, no questions would have been asked about the paternity," he said, adding the children were entitled to citizenship by descent like any other child born outside the country to a Namibian parent. (With inputs from agencies)

Court rules against gay couple in fight to take newborns home in Namibia 

While technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help the world deal with dangerous climate and environmental change, fake news on social media about global warming and biodiversity loss has emerged as a barrier in the climate change mitigation efforts, a group of scientists has warned.&nbsp;

The report, published in Ambio, a journal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, concludes that inequality and environmental challenges are deeply linked. Reducing inequality will increase trust within societies.&nbsp;

Trust is essential for governments to make long-term decisions, the report argues. Social media and access to reliable knowledge is also highlighted as a barrier to progress.&nbsp;

"As the pressure of human activities accelerates on Earth, so too does the hope that technologies such as artificial intelligence will be able to help us deal with dangerous climate and environmental change," said Co-author Victor Galaz, Deputy Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre.&nbsp;

"That will only happen however, if we act forcefully in ways that redirects the direction of technological change towards planetary stewardship and responsible innovation."&nbsp;

Human actions are threatening the resilience and stability of Earth's biosphere -- the wafer-thin veil around Earth where life thrives, according to the report published for the first Nobel Prize Summit, a digital gathering to be held in April to discuss the state of the planet in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

"In a single human lifetime, largely since the 1950s, we have grossly simplified the biosphere, a system that has evolved over 3.8 billion years. Now just a few plants and animals dominate the land and oceans," said lead author Carl Folke, Director of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics and Chair of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University.&nbsp;

"Our actions are making the biosphere more fragile, less resilient and more prone to shocks than before."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

While technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help the world deal with dangerous climate and environmental change, fake news on social media about global warming and biodiversity loss has emerged as a barrier in the climate change mitigation efforts, a group of scientists has warned.

While technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help the world deal with dangerous climate and environmental change, fake news on social media about global warming and biodiversity loss has emerged as a barrier in the climate change mitigation efforts, a group of scientists has warned. The report, published in Ambio, a journal of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, concludes that inequality and environmental challenges are deeply linked. Reducing inequality will increase trust within societies. Trust is essential for governments to make long-term decisions, the report argues. Social media and access to reliable knowledge is also highlighted as a barrier to progress. "As the pressure of human activities accelerates on Earth, so too does the hope that technologies such as artificial intelligence will be able to help us deal with dangerous climate and environmental change," said Co-author Victor Galaz, Deputy Director of the Stockholm Resilience Centre. "That will only happen however, if we act forcefully in ways that redirects the direction of technological change towards planetary stewardship and responsible innovation." Human actions are threatening the resilience and stability of Earth's biosphere -- the wafer-thin veil around Earth where life thrives, according to the report published for the first Nobel Prize Summit, a digital gathering to be held in April to discuss the state of the planet in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. "In a single human lifetime, largely since the 1950s, we have grossly simplified the biosphere, a system that has evolved over 3.8 billion years. Now just a few plants and animals dominate the land and oceans," said lead author Carl Folke, Director of the Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics and Chair of the Stockholm Resilience Centre at Stockholm University. "Our actions are making the biosphere more fragile, less resilient and more prone to shocks than before." (With inputs from agencies)

Fake news on social media barrier hampering climate fight 

Brazil's left-wing leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged his followers to continue "the fight" Sunday evening at his first major rally since his release from prison a week ago.

"The fight isn't over," the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-brazil-newly-freed-lula-sets-up-clash-with-bolsonaros-right-wing-261094">former president</a> chanted to several tens of thousands of cheering supporters in the northeastern city of Recife.

"After seeing so many people mobilize across the country, I want to say: 'The fight is not over.' The fight cannot end because we still want more," Lula said, referring to the thousands of left-wing activists who mobilized across Brazil during his 580-day incarceration.

"The 'Free Lula' campaign must become something even bigger!" he added, as the crowd welcomed him with cries of, "Lula, warrior for the Brazilian people!"

Lula, who held presidential office from 2003-2010, was arrested in April 2018 for corruption, though he said he was innocent. He was sentenced to 8 years and 10 months in prison.

The 74-year-old was released on November 8 in a politically sensitive Supreme Court ruling that could free thousands of convicts.

On Sunday, he returned to Recife, the capital of his home state Pernambuco, to take part in a music festival organized in his honor.

Though he claimed multiple times he didn't want to discuss politics during a music festival, Lula viciously attacked his political rival, right-wing President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bolsonaro-asks-brazilians-not-to-give-ammunition-to-lula-261036">Jair Bolsonaro</a>, during his speech.

"You can be sure that every minute of the rest of my life will be devoted to freeing our country from this gang of militiamen who have seized it," he said, referring to the Bolsonaro family's suspected links with paramilitary groups.

Lula has already given three public speeches since his release from prison, but the one in Recife was the first time he had spoken to such a large crowd.

Brazil's left-wing leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged his followers to continue "the fight" Sunday evening at his first major rally since his release from prison a week ago.

Brazil's left-wing leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva urged his followers to continue "the fight" Sunday evening at his first major rally since his release from prison a week ago. "The fight isn't over," the former president chanted to several tens of thousands of cheering supporters in the northeastern city of Recife. "After seeing so many people mobilize across the country, I want to say: 'The fight is not over.' The fight cannot end because we still want more," Lula said, referring to the thousands of left-wing activists who mobilized across Brazil during his 580-day incarceration. "The 'Free Lula' campaign must become something even bigger!" he added, as the crowd welcomed him with cries of, "Lula, warrior for the Brazilian people!" Lula, who held presidential office from 2003-2010, was arrested in April 2018 for corruption, though he said he was innocent. He was sentenced to 8 years and 10 months in prison. The 74-year-old was released on November 8 in a politically sensitive Supreme Court ruling that could free thousands of convicts. On Sunday, he returned to Recife, the capital of his home state Pernambuco, to take part in a music festival organized in his honor. Though he claimed multiple times he didn't want to discuss politics during a music festival, Lula viciously attacked his political rival, right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro, during his speech. "You can be sure that every minute of the rest of my life will be devoted to freeing our country from this gang of militiamen who have seized it," he said, referring to the Bolsonaro family's suspected links with paramilitary groups. Lula has already given three public speeches since his release from prison, but the one in Recife was the first time he had spoken to such a large crowd.

Brazil's recently freed former president Lula urges supporters to continue 'the fight'

At least three policemen have been injured in a fight that took place in the police headquarters of the northern <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-afghanistan-elections-both-camps-claim-victory-253147">Afghan</a> province of Baghlan, Sputnik reported.

According to the provincial council chief, Safdar Mohseni, the confrontation took place on Wednesday at around 6:30 pm&nbsp;local time between Amin Akkhail, the local police chief of the province's capital; provincial police chief Niaz Mohammad Niazai; the deputy chairman of the provincial council, Shams-ul-Haq Barakzai; and another officer.

The injured men were rushed to a hospital, Baghlan Health Director Abdul Halim said.

According to a source quoted by Sputnik, Akkhail has fired from his post seven months ago when he was accused of having stolen equipment and food from his place of work.

Akkhail, who has the support of several local lawmakers, has been trying to get reinstated, but the provincial police chief and council have barred him from doing so but while the investigation is ongoing.

At least three policemen have been injured in a fight that took place in the police headquarters of the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, Sputnik reported. According to the provincial council chief, Safdar Mohseni, the confrontation took place on Wednesday at around 6:30 pm local time between Amin Akkhail, the local police chief of the province's capital; provincial police chief Niaz Mohammad Niazai; the deputy chairman of the provincial council, Shams-ul-Haq Barakzai; and another officer.

At least three policemen have been injured in a fight that took place in the police headquarters of the northern Afghan province of Baghlan, Sputnik reported. According to the provincial council chief, Safdar Mohseni, the confrontation took place on Wednesday at around 6:30 pm local time between Amin Akkhail, the local police chief of the province's capital; provincial police chief Niaz Mohammad Niazai; the deputy chairman of the provincial council, Shams-ul-Haq Barakzai; and another officer. The injured men were rushed to a hospital, Baghlan Health Director Abdul Halim said. According to a source quoted by Sputnik, Akkhail has fired from his post seven months ago when he was accused of having stolen equipment and food from his place of work. Akkhail, who has the support of several local lawmakers, has been trying to get reinstated, but the provincial police chief and council have barred him from doing so but while the investigation is ongoing.

Afghanistan: Three policemen wounded in fight at police headquarters

An attempt by South Korea to create artificial rain to tackle <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cpcb-mulling-using-artificial-rain-in-delhi-to-tackle-pollution-after-diwali-175908">air pollution</a> much blame on neighbouring China has failed, the government said Monday, as it struggles to address what has become an urgent public concern.

Many South Koreans blamed China when pollution surged for three days earlier this month, and on Friday the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) sent an aircraft to seed clouds with silver iodide in the hope of promoting rain.

The intention was for the rain to douse airborne particles and pollutants known as "fine dust" in South Korea.&nbsp;

However, an initial analysis of the experiment has been disappointing, KMA said in a preliminary report issued Monday.

While a weak, misty rain was detected for several minutes, the agency said, "there was no observation of significant precipitation".

"Aside from its success or failure, the test was an opportunity to accumulate the necessary technology for faster commercialisation of cloud seeding," it added.

A full report is expected to be released later next month.

Air quality in South Korea is generally better than in China, which is more frequently affected by choking bouts of filthy air.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week advised his officials to handle the issue as a "natural disaster" as he urged cooperation with Beijing, addressing "great public concerns about fine dust coming from China".

Beijing is also trying to tackle the scourge, which causes widespread public anger, and a recent study found urban levels of PM2.5 — the tiny airborne particles considered most harmful to health — had been cut by almost a third on average over four years.

But they remain far above World Health Organization norms, and pollution levels in Korea sometimes spike as the prevailing winds blow PM2.5 particulates across the sea between the two countries.

China, which according to the International Energy Agency uses coal to generate around three quarters of its energy, is regarded as the world's biggest polluter.

Last year, South Korea shut down five ageing coal-fired power plants in air quality.

An attempt by South Korea to create artificial rain to tackle air pollution much blame on neighbouring China has failed, the government said Monday, as it struggles to address what has become an urgent public concern.

An attempt by South Korea to create artificial rain to tackle air pollution much blame on neighbouring China has failed, the government said Monday, as it struggles to address what has become an urgent public concern. Many South Koreans blamed China when pollution surged for three days earlier this month, and on Friday the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) sent an aircraft to seed clouds with silver iodide in the hope of promoting rain. The intention was for the rain to douse airborne particles and pollutants known as "fine dust" in South Korea. However, an initial analysis of the experiment has been disappointing, KMA said in a preliminary report issued Monday. While a weak, misty rain was detected for several minutes, the agency said, "there was no observation of significant precipitation". "Aside from its success or failure, the test was an opportunity to accumulate the necessary technology for faster commercialisation of cloud seeding," it added. A full report is expected to be released later next month. Air quality in South Korea is generally better than in China, which is more frequently affected by choking bouts of filthy air. South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week advised his officials to handle the issue as a "natural disaster" as he urged cooperation with Beijing, addressing "great public concerns about fine dust coming from China". Beijing is also trying to tackle the scourge, which causes widespread public anger, and a recent study found urban levels of PM2.5 — the tiny airborne particles considered most harmful to health — had been cut by almost a third on average over four years. But they remain far above World Health Organization norms, and pollution levels in Korea sometimes spike as the prevailing winds blow PM2.5 particulates across the sea between the two countries. China, which according to the International Energy Agency uses coal to generate around three quarters of its energy, is regarded as the world's biggest polluter. Last year, South Korea shut down five ageing coal-fired power plants in air quality.

South Korea makes first attempt at fighting 'Chinese' pollution, fails

High stakes at Deontay Wilder/Tyson Fury news conference

A brawl at a Sikh temple in the United States' Indianapolis left four people with minor injuries.

"Police and health teams responded on Sunday to a verbal and physical fight involving about 150 people at the Gurdwara Sikh temple in the city just south of Indianapolis" the Fox News quoted Matthew Fillenwarth Assistant Police Chief of Greenwood as saying.

As per reports, police and medics responded today to a verbal and physical fight involving about 150 people at the Gurdwara in the city just south of Indianapolis.

Reports said that the altercation began as there was a change of leadership within the temple that he says happens every two years. Fillenwarth says it's believed that there was a worship service going on when the fight broke out.

Dispatchers said reports indicated that more than 100 people were involved in the fight and that at least three or four people suffered minor injuries.&nbsp;

Whether any weapons were recovered from the scene was unclear.

The police are reviewing the surveillance video from the temple to know the exact sequence of events.

The altercation began as there was a change of leadership within the temple which happens every two years

A brawl at a Sikh temple in the United States' Indianapolis left four people with minor injuries. "Police and health teams responded on Sunday to a verbal and physical fight involving about 150 people at the Gurdwara Sikh temple in the city just south of Indianapolis" the Fox News quoted Matthew Fillenwarth Assistant Police Chief of Greenwood as saying. As per reports, police and medics responded today to a verbal and physical fight involving about 150 people at the Gurdwara in the city just south of Indianapolis. Reports said that the altercation began as there was a change of leadership within the temple that he says happens every two years. Fillenwarth says it's believed that there was a worship service going on when the fight broke out. Dispatchers said reports indicated that more than 100 people were involved in the fight and that at least three or four people suffered minor injuries. Whether any weapons were recovered from the scene was unclear. The police are reviewing the surveillance video from the temple to know the exact sequence of events.

Four injured in brawl at US gurudwara

Mosquitoes on board flights are becoming a major hassle for passengers.&nbsp;

India's premier passenger airline IndiGo today offloaded a passenger for "unruly behaviour" after he reportedly <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/passenger-complains-about-mosquitoes-indigo-offloads-him-for-unruly-behaviour-129496">complained about mosquitoes</a> on board.&nbsp;

And now a video went viral where passengers of a Jet Airways flight were seen swatting mosquitoes on board in Lucknow airport.&nbsp;

The video was shot on April 8 where passengers can be seen sitting in discomfort between a swarm of mosquitoes.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> A video shot by a passenger at Lucknow airport on a Jet Airways flight shows passengers swatting mosquitoes (8.4.18) <a href="https://t.co/vVh3LbrMJk">pic.twitter.com/vVh3LbrMJk</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/983576403881885696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Jet Airways have taken cognisance of the video and have ordered for review. “We have taken this up with our cabin appearance team for review. We sincerely regret the inconvenience,” said Jet Airways in a statement.&nbsp;

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We have taken this up with our cabin appearance team for review. We sincerely regret the inconvenience: Jet Airways statement on passengers seen swatting mosquitoes on a jet flight at Lucknow airport <a href="https://t.co/BqQN0CTQGA">pic.twitter.com/BqQN0CTQGA</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/983581602277183488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, the IndiGo staff said that the passenger who got offloaded,&nbsp;Saurabh Rai, used words such as "hijack" and was "aggressive while using threatening language."

The flight 6E 541 was scheduled to take off from Lucknow on way to Bengaluru on Tuesday morning.

Here's what Twitterati had to say:&nbsp;

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Airlines are on track to become just like railways
— Winger (@vaz_paz) <a href="https://twitter.com/vaz_paz/status/983580943154724864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/jetairways?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jetairways</a> needs Jet Mosquito Coil ? <a href="https://t.co/yDDRPiiEYP">pic.twitter.com/yDDRPiiEYP</a>
— Amar (@amartadi) <a href="https://twitter.com/amartadi/status/983578078478680064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Hey! Give them a break! The crew were busy chasing the dogs out of the plane!
— Sarwagna (@Sarwagna_Ananta) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sarwagna_Ananta/status/983585230828154881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Mosquitoes on board flights are becoming a major hassle for passengers

Mosquitoes on board flights are becoming a major hassle for passengers. India's premier passenger airline IndiGo today offloaded a passenger for "unruly behaviour" after he reportedly complained about mosquitoes on board. And now a video went viral where passengers of a Jet Airways flight were seen swatting mosquitoes on board in Lucknow airport. The video was shot on April 8 where passengers can be seen sitting in discomfort between a swarm of mosquitoes. #WATCH A video shot by a passenger at Lucknow airport on a Jet Airways flight shows passengers swatting mosquitoes (8.4.18) pic.twitter.com/vVh3LbrMJk — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 10, 2018 × Jet Airways have taken cognisance of the video and have ordered for review. “We have taken this up with our cabin appearance team for review. We sincerely regret the inconvenience,” said Jet Airways in a statement. We have taken this up with our cabin appearance team for review. We sincerely regret the inconvenience: Jet Airways statement on passengers seen swatting mosquitoes on a jet flight at Lucknow airport pic.twitter.com/BqQN0CTQGA — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 10, 2018 × Meanwhile, the IndiGo staff said that the passenger who got offloaded, Saurabh Rai, used words such as "hijack" and was "aggressive while using threatening language." The flight 6E 541 was scheduled to take off from Lucknow on way to Bengaluru on Tuesday morning. Here's what Twitterati had to say: Airlines are on track to become just like railways — Winger (@vaz_paz) April 10, 2018 × @jetairways needs Jet Mosquito Coil ? pic.twitter.com/yDDRPiiEYP — Amar (@amartadi) April 10, 2018 × Hey! Give them a break! The crew were busy chasing the dogs out of the plane! — Sarwagna (@Sarwagna_Ananta) April 10, 2018 ×

Jet Airways expresses regret after mosquito video goes viral

MMA fighter Conor McGregor switched to the boxing ring to make one of the richest professional fights in history possible and now Floyd Mayweather hints he might return the favour.

Mayweather, who hasn&#39;t fought since knocking out McGregor in that boxing match last year, teased fans Friday night by posting a picture on his Twitter page of himself wearing mixed martial arts gloves and standing in a UFC cage.

&quot;Billion Dollar Man,&quot; Mayweather said in the tweet.

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Billion Dollar Man <a href="https://t.co/8Vv4y1QpFK">pic.twitter.com/8Vv4y1QpFK</a>
&mdash; Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) <a href="https://twitter.com/FloydMayweather/status/959597170813845505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Mayweather and McGregor&#39;s cross-combat fight in August failed to live up to the hype in the ring as veteran Mayweather easily outpunched the inexperienced McGregor, but it did well at the box office.

The contest generated 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in North America, trailing only Mayweather&#39;s 2015 world title boxing match with Filipino Manny Pacquiao that generated 4.6 million buys and earned $600 million.&nbsp;

It is the second time this week Mayweather has teased his fans with the idea. Earlier this week he posted a video on Twitter and Instagram of himself shadow boxing in a cage.

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Come at the king, you best not miss... <a href="https://t.co/uHx4SJngHx">pic.twitter.com/uHx4SJngHx</a>
&mdash; Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) <a href="https://twitter.com/FloydMayweather/status/958856343925882880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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He said, &quot;Come at the king, you best not miss...&quot;

Mayweather&#39;s August fight with the Irishman was supposed to be his last as it secured his perfect 50-0 record. But the American has retired several times only to negotiate &quot;comeback&quot; fights for bigger paydays.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Floyd Mayweather has teased fans by posting a picture on social media of himself wearing mixed martial arts gloves and standing in a UFC cage

MMA fighter Conor McGregor switched to the boxing ring to make one of the richest professional fights in history possible and now Floyd Mayweather hints he might return the favour. Mayweather, who hasn't fought since knocking out McGregor in that boxing match last year, teased fans Friday night by posting a picture on his Twitter page of himself wearing mixed martial arts gloves and standing in a UFC cage. "Billion Dollar Man," Mayweather said in the tweet. Billion Dollar Man pic.twitter.com/8Vv4y1QpFK — Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 3, 2018 × Mayweather and McGregor's cross-combat fight in August failed to live up to the hype in the ring as veteran Mayweather easily outpunched the inexperienced McGregor, but it did well at the box office. The contest generated 4.3 million pay-per-view buys in North America, trailing only Mayweather's 2015 world title boxing match with Filipino Manny Pacquiao that generated 4.6 million buys and earned $600 million. It is the second time this week Mayweather has teased his fans with the idea. Earlier this week he posted a video on Twitter and Instagram of himself shadow boxing in a cage. Come at the king, you best not miss... pic.twitter.com/uHx4SJngHx — Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) February 1, 2018 × He said, "Come at the king, you best not miss..." Mayweather's August fight with the Irishman was supposed to be his last as it secured his perfect 50-0 record. But the American has retired several times only to negotiate "comeback" fights for bigger paydays.

Boxing: Mayweather drops another hint at MMA fight

At least five people were shot and dozens were left injured during a mass brawl between 100 Eritreans and about 30 Afghans in the French port city of Calais.&nbsp;

The brawl happened between rival gangs of migrants from Afghanistan and Eritrea &ldquo;armed with sticks and stones&rdquo; near Calais Hospital on Thursday afternoon.&nbsp;

Four Eritrean youths aged 16-18 who were shot during the brawl are in a critical condition and have been rushed to a local hospital for surgery. The fifth man was taken to Lille as he suffered severe injuries.&nbsp;

As per reports, at least 13 others have been wounded after they were beaten up with iron bars.&nbsp;

The fight, which lasted almost two hours, reportedly began when an Afghan migrant fired shots. Soon after, over a 100 Eritreans charged over 20 Afghans in a town called Marck.&nbsp;

&ldquo;Police intervened to protect the Afghan migrants faced with 150 to 200 Eritrean migrants,&rdquo; the local prefecture said, adding that security reinforcements were being deployed in the area.

The clashes come as tension continues to surround Calais, which remains home to hundreds of migrants despite the closure of the infamous Jungle camp in October 2016.

The notorious Jungle camp in Calais, once home to some 10,000 people hoping to make it to Britain, was demolished in 2016, but hundreds of migrants remain in the port city seeking to stow away on England-bound trucks.

A judicial source equated Thursday&rsquo;s unrest with that 2015 when the camp was created.

Those left in the area, most of them young Africans and Afghan men, have been living rough in the woods and clash regularly with police, who clear their encampments and stop them from setting up roadblocks in a bid to slow passing trucks.

Grim living conditions have led to regular confrontations between migrants of different nationalities, and five people were shot in a fight between rival Afghan groups last November.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb tweeted he would be heading to the area by helicopter and could stay overnight.

&ldquo;After today&rsquo;s serious incidents I shall be heading for Calais tonight to take stock of the situation with the perfect, the mayor and local players,&rdquo; including police, Collomb tweeted.

The brawl happened between rival gangs of migrants from Afghanistan and Eritrea “armed with sticks and stones” near Calais Hospital on Thursday afternoon

At least five people were shot and dozens were left injured during a mass brawl between 100 Eritreans and about 30 Afghans in the French port city of Calais. The brawl happened between rival gangs of migrants from Afghanistan and Eritrea “armed with sticks and stones” near Calais Hospital on Thursday afternoon. Four Eritrean youths aged 16-18 who were shot during the brawl are in a critical condition and have been rushed to a local hospital for surgery. The fifth man was taken to Lille as he suffered severe injuries. As per reports, at least 13 others have been wounded after they were beaten up with iron bars. The fight, which lasted almost two hours, reportedly began when an Afghan migrant fired shots. Soon after, over a 100 Eritreans charged over 20 Afghans in a town called Marck. “Police intervened to protect the Afghan migrants faced with 150 to 200 Eritrean migrants,” the local prefecture said, adding that security reinforcements were being deployed in the area. The clashes come as tension continues to surround Calais, which remains home to hundreds of migrants despite the closure of the infamous Jungle camp in October 2016. The notorious Jungle camp in Calais, once home to some 10,000 people hoping to make it to Britain, was demolished in 2016, but hundreds of migrants remain in the port city seeking to stow away on England-bound trucks. A judicial source equated Thursday’s unrest with that 2015 when the camp was created. Those left in the area, most of them young Africans and Afghan men, have been living rough in the woods and clash regularly with police, who clear their encampments and stop them from setting up roadblocks in a bid to slow passing trucks. Grim living conditions have led to regular confrontations between migrants of different nationalities, and five people were shot in a fight between rival Afghan groups last November. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb tweeted he would be heading to the area by helicopter and could stay overnight. “After today’s serious incidents I shall be heading for Calais tonight to take stock of the situation with the perfect, the mayor and local players,” including police, Collomb tweeted.

France: Eritreans, Afghans brawl in Calais, several injured

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. 
 
Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). 
 
Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. 
 
The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. 
 
Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said.&nbsp; 
 
(Reuters) 
 
&nbsp;

They scuffle in Lille despite UEFA warning that they will be disqualified if they do so

A small group of Russian and English fans briefly scuffled in Lille in the early hours of Wednesday (June 15) morning, after bars and pubs closed in the northern French city where thousands of supporters continue to arrive for the Euro 2016 soccer tournament. Lille is seen as the next potential Euro 2016 trouble spot as Russia play Slovakia there on Wednesday. England fans are also congregating there ahead of their match against Wales in nearby Lens on Thursday (June 16). Both teams have been threatened with expulsion from the competition if the violence seen in Marseille last week is repeated. The brief skirmish between the Russian and English fans was broken up by police. Authorities in Lille and Lens have ordered alcohol bans running from Tuesday (June 14) to Friday (June 17), officials said. (Reuters)

Never mind the warning, Russia and England fans go at it again

The powerful Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)&nbsp;league UFC said Monday that&nbsp;it is being bought for $4 billion by a combination of the sports and arts talent group WME-IMG backed by private equity groups.

The 23-year-old Ultimate Fighting Championship group, which has led the rise of the popularity of mixed martial arts against flagging interest in traditional boxing, said the move will help boost the global growth of the organisation and the sport.

WME-IMG, which represents and promotes artists, athletes and sports brands, will take over as operating partner, after having represented UFC for several years.

The Fertitta Brothers, casino operators who bought UFC in 2001 for $2 million, will remain minority partners and UFC president Dana White will keep his position.

In May, White denied reports that the organisation was up for sale.

&quot;We&#39;re now committed to pursuing new opportunities for UFC and its talented athletes to ensure the sport&#39;s continued growth and success on a global scale,&quot; said WME-IMG co-chief executives Ariel Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell in a statement.

Helped by stars like Ronda Rousey and some 500 fighters under contract, UFC has grown to dominate the MMA world, with 40 live events annually and some of the largest pay-per-view events broadcast worldwide.

The takeover came three months after New York became the last US state to legalise live mixed martial arts fights, opening a lucrative market to UFC and its competitors.

UFC is planning a live fight event at Madison Square Garden, the storied location of legendary boxing prize fights over the past century, on November 12. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The Fertitta Brothers, casino operators who bought UFC in 2001 for $2 million, will remain minority partners

The powerful Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) league UFC said Monday that it is being bought for $4 billion by a combination of the sports and arts talent group WME-IMG backed by private equity groups. The 23-year-old Ultimate Fighting Championship group, which has led the rise of the popularity of mixed martial arts against flagging interest in traditional boxing, said the move will help boost the global growth of the organisation and the sport. WME-IMG, which represents and promotes artists, athletes and sports brands, will take over as operating partner, after having represented UFC for several years. The Fertitta Brothers, casino operators who bought UFC in 2001 for $2 million, will remain minority partners and UFC president Dana White will keep his position. In May, White denied reports that the organisation was up for sale. "We're now committed to pursuing new opportunities for UFC and its talented athletes to ensure the sport's continued growth and success on a global scale," said WME-IMG co-chief executives Ariel Emanuel and Patrick Whitesell in a statement. Helped by stars like Ronda Rousey and some 500 fighters under contract, UFC has grown to dominate the MMA world, with 40 live events annually and some of the largest pay-per-view events broadcast worldwide. The takeover came three months after New York became the last US state to legalise live mixed martial arts fights, opening a lucrative market to UFC and its competitors. UFC is planning a live fight event at Madison Square Garden, the storied location of legendary boxing prize fights over the past century, on November 12. (AFP)

UFC sold to WME-IMG, pvt equity groups for $4 billion

At least 34 Libyan pro-government forces were killed and 100 wounded in clashes with Islamic State (IS) group jihadists as they prepared for a final assault on the jihadist stronghold of Sirte. 
 
It was one of bloodiest days since forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) launched an offensive in May to retake Sirte from IS. 
 
The fighting came as 29 people were killed and dozens wounded further west in the town of Garabulli when a blast ripped through an arms depot after militiamen and armed residents clashed yesterday. 
 
The fall of Sirte would be a major blow to IS, which has faced a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq where local forces and a US-led coalition are pressing an offensive against their positions. 
 
A statement by the GNA said yesterday&#39;s fighting took place in several parts of Sirte, where jihadists are pinned down in pockets of the coastal city. 
 
Speaking from the western city of Misrata, the source said the death toll had risen from 18 to 34, with the number of wounded increasing from 70 to 100. 
 
It was one of the heaviest tolls since the pro-GNA forces launched an offensive in May to dislodge IS from Sirte -- hometown of ousted and slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi which IS seized in June last year. 
 
The GNA forces earlier said &quot;dozens&quot; of IS fighters had been killed within 24 hours. 
 
They also announced their &quot;intelligence network is in full swing in preparation for the decisive battle&quot; against IS fighters in the city, after repelling multiple counter-attacks. 
 
The statement said fighters were targeting IS-held areas of Sirte with heavy artillery while loyalist aircraft were carrying out sorties every day to strike IS or carry out reconnaissance missions. 
 
IS fighters &quot;are besieged in a small area of Sirte and although they have sought to break out our forces have repelled all attempts&quot;, the statement said. 
 
It said that the jihadists had barricaded themselves in residential buildings and deployed snipers and explosive devices to fend off pro-GNA forces. 
 
IS has hit back with a string of suicide car bombings in a bid to defend their stronghold on the Mediterranean coast. 
 
Around 200 loyalist troops have been killed and hundreds wounded since the start of the offensive to capture Sirte, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli. 
 
An unknown number of jihadists have been killed. 
 
Libya has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Kadhafi, with rival militias fighting for control of its cities and oil wealth. 
 
In Garabulli near the Libyan capital, armed residents stormed an arms depot after clashing with a militia from the western city of Misrata, which owned the weapons store.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

One of the bloodiest days in months as IS tries to maintain hold on key Libyan city, Sirte

At least 34 Libyan pro-government forces were killed and 100 wounded in clashes with Islamic State (IS) group jihadists as they prepared for a final assault on the jihadist stronghold of Sirte. It was one of bloodiest days since forces loyal to the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) launched an offensive in May to retake Sirte from IS. The fighting came as 29 people were killed and dozens wounded further west in the town of Garabulli when a blast ripped through an arms depot after militiamen and armed residents clashed yesterday. The fall of Sirte would be a major blow to IS, which has faced a series of setbacks in Syria and Iraq where local forces and a US-led coalition are pressing an offensive against their positions. A statement by the GNA said yesterday's fighting took place in several parts of Sirte, where jihadists are pinned down in pockets of the coastal city. Speaking from the western city of Misrata, the source said the death toll had risen from 18 to 34, with the number of wounded increasing from 70 to 100. It was one of the heaviest tolls since the pro-GNA forces launched an offensive in May to dislodge IS from Sirte -- hometown of ousted and slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi which IS seized in June last year. The GNA forces earlier said "dozens" of IS fighters had been killed within 24 hours. They also announced their "intelligence network is in full swing in preparation for the decisive battle" against IS fighters in the city, after repelling multiple counter-attacks. The statement said fighters were targeting IS-held areas of Sirte with heavy artillery while loyalist aircraft were carrying out sorties every day to strike IS or carry out reconnaissance missions. IS fighters "are besieged in a small area of Sirte and although they have sought to break out our forces have repelled all attempts", the statement said. It said that the jihadists had barricaded themselves in residential buildings and deployed snipers and explosive devices to fend off pro-GNA forces. IS has hit back with a string of suicide car bombings in a bid to defend their stronghold on the Mediterranean coast. Around 200 loyalist troops have been killed and hundreds wounded since the start of the offensive to capture Sirte, 450 kilometres (280 miles) east of Tripoli. An unknown number of jihadists have been killed. Libya has been awash with weapons since the 2011 uprising that toppled and killed Kadhafi, with rival militias fighting for control of its cities and oil wealth. In Garabulli near the Libyan capital, armed residents stormed an arms depot after clashing with a militia from the western city of Misrata, which owned the weapons store. (AFP)

At least 34 Tripoli troops dead, 100 injured in fight against Islamic State

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
One in three Americans will suffer type 2 diabetes by 2050. These superfoods can save us <a href="https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw">https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw</a>
&mdash; Salon.com (@Salon) <a href="https://twitter.com/Salon/status/736464526636371968">May 28, 2016</a></blockquote>

<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>Drugmakers are renewing efforts to develop medicines to fight emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but creating new classes of drugs on the scale needed is unlikely to happen without new financial incentives to make the effort worth the investment, companies and industry experts said. 
 
 
dna &rlm;@dna 3m3 minutes ago WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus

American military researchers on Thursday announced the first U.S. case of a patient with an infection found to be resistant to the antibiotic colistin, the drug often held in reserve for when all else fails.

That put a spotlight on the urgent need for new medicines that can combat what health officials have called &quot;nightmare bacteria.&quot;

Drugmakers on Friday acknowledged that in the absence of a new way of compensating them, it simply does not make economic sense to pour serious resources into work on new antibiotics.

&quot;The return on investment based on the current commercial model is not really commensurate with the amount of effort you have to put into it,&quot; said David Payne, who heads GlaxoSmithKline PLC&#39;s (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GSK.L">GSK.L</a>) antibiotics drug group.

Other pharmaceutical companies expressed a similar sentiment.

In January, some 80 drugmakers and diagnostics companies, including Pfizer Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PFE.N">PFE.N</a>), Merck &amp; Co (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MRK.N">MRK.N</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=JNJ.N">JNJ.N</a>) and Glaxo, signed a declaration calling for cooperation among governments and companies to create incentives to revitalize research and development of new antibiotics.

It proposed a new business model in which profit would not be linked to higher sales. For example, governments and health organizations could offer lump-sum rewards for development of a successful new antibiotic. A British government panel suggested this month that drug companies be offered up to $1.5 billion for successful development of a new antibiotic.

In the United States alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes 2 million serious infections and 23,000 deaths annually, according to U.S. health officials.

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<h5>Drug companies can&#39;t make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs</h5>
</blockquote>
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<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a an="" case="" class="twitter popup" drugs="" economic="" for="" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Drug companies can" in="" investing="" make="" superbug="" t="">&nbsp;</a></div>
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Unrestrained overuse of current antibiotics by doctors and hospitals, often when they are not needed, and widespread antibiotic use in food livestock have contributed to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But in recent years, major drugmakers have poured most of their research dollars into highly profitable medicines to fight cancer, rare diseases and hepatitis C. These drugs not only command high prices, they also are typically used far longer than antibiotics.

And the companies, which have come under intense criticism in recent months for continually raising prices on popular drugs, say it costs about as much to develop a new antibiotic as it does to bring to market new cancer drugs that can command more than $100,000 a year per patient.

&quot;Drug companies can&#39;t make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs,&quot; said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan&#39;s Ross School of Business.

Gordon said governments and foundations need to get more involved in research and funding to spearhead efforts to combat the problem.

To critics who argue that U.S. companies have enormous cash reserves that could be used to address a public health crisis, drugmakers say they have a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximize profits.

&nbsp;

ON THE R&amp;D FRONT LINES

One reason companies are calling for alternative compensation is that aggressive sales and use of new antibiotics could help create ever more dangerous bacteria that develop resistance to the new medicines.

Glaxo and Merck are among the large pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotics they hope can beat back resistant bugs, while Pfizer is working on vaccines aimed at reducing the need for their use.

Industry experts said small, lesser-known companies with promising approaches to tackling resistant superbugs included: Entasis Therapeutics, an AstraZeneca PLC spinoff, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=TTPH.O">TTPH.O</a>); and Achaogen Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AKAO.O">AKAO.O</a>).

&quot;We believe plazomicin, our lead drug in late-stage development, has the potential to play an important role in treating this dreaded superbug,&quot; Achaogen Chief Executive Kenneth Hillan said.

Allan Coukell, an antibiotics expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts nonprofit research and policy organization, said what is needed is a wave of new drugs based on new chemistry or that work in new ways.

&quot;Most of what&#39;s being developed are variations on drugs that we&#39;ve had for decades,&quot; Coukell said.

Pew has outlined what its calls a scientific roadmap to create a body of work around new drug discovery that companies and academic researchers could draw upon to help jumpstart the process of finding new antibiotics.

Glaxo said its experimental antibiotic gepotidacin, in midstage testing, belongs to an entirely new class of antibacterials.

&quot;Based on that, we&#39;re predicting it would work against infections that could be caused by bacteria that are resistant to available antibiotics,&quot; Payne said.

Other companies with late-stage studies underway for antibiotics include: Cempra Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CEMP.O">CEMP.O</a>), whose drug was recently validated in a Japanese trial; Medicines Co (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MDCO.O">MDCO.O</a>); and Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PRTK.O">PRTK.O</a>). J&amp;J is also putting money into battling antibiotic resistance.

&quot;If there is a bright side, it is that the world policymakers and health leaders have focused on this issue like never before,&quot; Coukell said. &quot;But we&#39;ve got a long way to go.&quot;

&nbsp;

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot, Caroline Humer and Ransdell Pierson in New York and Natalie Grover and Amrutha Penumundi in Bangaluru; Editing by Eric Effron and Will Dunham)

Major drug companies seek enormous government subsidy to combat fatal bacteria they helped create

One in three Americans will suffer type 2 diabetes by 2050. These superfoods can save us https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw — Salon.com (@Salon) May 28, 2016 Drugmakers are renewing efforts to develop medicines to fight emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but creating new classes of drugs on the scale needed is unlikely to happen without new financial incentives to make the effort worth the investment, companies and industry experts said. dna ‏@dna 3m3 minutes ago WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus American military researchers on Thursday announced the first U.S. case of a patient with an infection found to be resistant to the antibiotic colistin, the drug often held in reserve for when all else fails. That put a spotlight on the urgent need for new medicines that can combat what health officials have called "nightmare bacteria." Drugmakers on Friday acknowledged that in the absence of a new way of compensating them, it simply does not make economic sense to pour serious resources into work on new antibiotics. "The return on investment based on the current commercial model is not really commensurate with the amount of effort you have to put into it," said David Payne, who heads GlaxoSmithKline PLC's (GSK.L) antibiotics drug group. Other pharmaceutical companies expressed a similar sentiment. In January, some 80 drugmakers and diagnostics companies, including Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), Merck & Co (MRK.N), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and Glaxo, signed a declaration calling for cooperation among governments and companies to create incentives to revitalize research and development of new antibiotics. It proposed a new business model in which profit would not be linked to higher sales. For example, governments and health organizations could offer lump-sum rewards for development of a successful new antibiotic. A British government panel suggested this month that drug companies be offered up to $1.5 billion for successful development of a new antibiotic. In the United States alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes 2 million serious infections and 23,000 deaths annually, according to U.S. health officials. Drug companies can't make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs Unrestrained overuse of current antibiotics by doctors and hospitals, often when they are not needed, and widespread antibiotic use in food livestock have contributed to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But in recent years, major drugmakers have poured most of their research dollars into highly profitable medicines to fight cancer, rare diseases and hepatitis C. These drugs not only command high prices, they also are typically used far longer than antibiotics. And the companies, which have come under intense criticism in recent months for continually raising prices on popular drugs, say it costs about as much to develop a new antibiotic as it does to bring to market new cancer drugs that can command more than $100,000 a year per patient. "Drug companies can't make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs," said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. Gordon said governments and foundations need to get more involved in research and funding to spearhead efforts to combat the problem. To critics who argue that U.S. companies have enormous cash reserves that could be used to address a public health crisis, drugmakers say they have a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximize profits. ON THE R&D FRONT LINES One reason companies are calling for alternative compensation is that aggressive sales and use of new antibiotics could help create ever more dangerous bacteria that develop resistance to the new medicines. Glaxo and Merck are among the large pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotics they hope can beat back resistant bugs, while Pfizer is working on vaccines aimed at reducing the need for their use. Industry experts said small, lesser-known companies with promising approaches to tackling resistant superbugs included: Entasis Therapeutics, an AstraZeneca PLC spinoff, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc (TTPH.O); and Achaogen Inc (AKAO.O). "We believe plazomicin, our lead drug in late-stage development, has the potential to play an important role in treating this dreaded superbug," Achaogen Chief Executive Kenneth Hillan said. Allan Coukell, an antibiotics expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts nonprofit research and policy organization, said what is needed is a wave of new drugs based on new chemistry or that work in new ways. "Most of what's being developed are variations on drugs that we've had for decades," Coukell said. Pew has outlined what its calls a scientific roadmap to create a body of work around new drug discovery that companies and academic researchers could draw upon to help jumpstart the process of finding new antibiotics. Glaxo said its experimental antibiotic gepotidacin, in midstage testing, belongs to an entirely new class of antibacterials. "Based on that, we're predicting it would work against infections that could be caused by bacteria that are resistant to available antibiotics," Payne said. Other companies with late-stage studies underway for antibiotics include: Cempra Inc (CEMP.O), whose drug was recently validated in a Japanese trial; Medicines Co (MDCO.O); and Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc (PRTK.O). J&J is also putting money into battling antibiotic resistance. "If there is a bright side, it is that the world policymakers and health leaders have focused on this issue like never before," Coukell said. "But we've got a long way to go." (Reporting by Bill Berkrot, Caroline Humer and Ransdell Pierson in New York and Natalie Grover and Amrutha Penumundi in Bangaluru; Editing by Eric Effron and Will Dunham)

Major drug companies claim it doesn't make economic sense to fight nightmare bacteria

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