Pakistan has administered only one COVID-19 vaccine jab per 100 people while the vaccination drive is picking up pace in other countries.&nbsp;

Citing April 28 data of doses per 100 people by Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford, The News International reported that Seychelles was at the top with 127 doses, Israel second with 116, while UAE is at third place with 107 doses per hundred 100 persons.

The Maldives has administered 73 doses per hundred people, China 17, India 11, Nepal 7.2, Bangladesh 5.2, Sri Lanka 4.2, Iran 1.1, Pakistan 1 and Afghanistan 0.6, reported The News International.

More than 1.08 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, equal to 14 doses for every 100 people. According to the data, as many as 83 per cent of shots that have gone into arms worldwide have been administered in high and upper-middle-income countries. Only 0.2 per cent of doses have been administered in low-income countries.&nbsp;

A vaccinated person refers to someone who has received at least one dose of a vaccine, and a fully vaccinated person has received all required doses of a vaccine. For the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, a person who is "fully vaccinated" has received two doses.&nbsp;

While vaccine doses remain relatively scarce globally, most countries have focused their early vaccination efforts on priority groups like the clinically vulnerable; people in their 60s, 70s and older; and front-line workers, like doctors and nurses.&nbsp;

There is also a striking divide between continents. Africa has the lowest vaccination rate of any continent, with some countries yet to start mass vaccination campaigns, reported the data.&nbsp;

Less wealthy countries are relying on a vaccine-sharing arrangement called Covax, which aims to provide two billion doses by the end of the year, reported The News International.

Pakistan has administered only one COVID-19 vaccine jab per 100 people while the vaccination drive is picking up pace in other countries. Citing April 28 data of doses per 100 people by Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford, The News International reported that Seychelles was at the top with 127 doses, Israel second with 116, while UAE is at third place with 107 doses per hundred 100 persons.

Pakistan has administered only one COVID-19 vaccine jab per 100 people while the vaccination drive is picking up pace in other countries. Citing April 28 data of doses per 100 people by Our World in Data project at the University of Oxford, The News International reported that Seychelles was at the top with 127 doses, Israel second with 116, while UAE is at third place with 107 doses per hundred 100 persons. The Maldives has administered 73 doses per hundred people, China 17, India 11, Nepal 7.2, Bangladesh 5.2, Sri Lanka 4.2, Iran 1.1, Pakistan 1 and Afghanistan 0.6, reported The News International. More than 1.08 billion vaccine doses have been administered worldwide, equal to 14 doses for every 100 people. According to the data, as many as 83 per cent of shots that have gone into arms worldwide have been administered in high and upper-middle-income countries. Only 0.2 per cent of doses have been administered in low-income countries. A vaccinated person refers to someone who has received at least one dose of a vaccine, and a fully vaccinated person has received all required doses of a vaccine. For the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, a person who is "fully vaccinated" has received two doses. While vaccine doses remain relatively scarce globally, most countries have focused their early vaccination efforts on priority groups like the clinically vulnerable; people in their 60s, 70s and older; and front-line workers, like doctors and nurses. There is also a striking divide between continents. Africa has the lowest vaccination rate of any continent, with some countries yet to start mass vaccination campaigns, reported the data. Less wealthy countries are relying on a vaccine-sharing arrangement called Covax, which aims to provide two billion doses by the end of the year, reported The News International.

Pakistan administers only one COVID-19 vaccine jab per 100 people: Data

Differences between New Zealand and its top trading partner China are becoming harder to reconcile as Beijing's role in the world grows and changes, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.&nbsp;

The comments come as New Zealand faces pressure from some elements among Western allies over its reluctance to use the Five Eyes intelligence and security alliance to criticise Beijing. &nbsp;

In a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland, Ardern said there are things on which China and New Zealand "do not, cannot, and will not agree", but added these differences need not define their relationship.&nbsp;

"It will not have escaped the attention of anyone here that as China's role in the world grows and changes, the differences between our systems – and the interests and values that shape those systems – are becoming harder to reconcile," Ardern said.&nbsp;

"This is a challenge that we, and many other countries across the Indo-Pacific region, but also in Europe and other regions, are also grappling with," she added.&nbsp;

In comments that sparked some reaction among Western allies, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said last month, she was uncomfortable expanding the role of Five Eyes, which includes Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.&nbsp;

"This speech appears to be crafted to deflect surprisingly sharp and severe criticism from commentators after Mahuta's remarks last month," said Geoffrey Miller, international analyst at the political website Democracy Project.&nbsp;

However, the comments do not change New Zealand's overall shift to a more China-friendly, or at least more neutral position, he said.&nbsp;

"Ardern and Mahuta are selling the new stance as New Zealand advancing an ‘independent foreign policy’ that is not loyal to any major bloc," he added.&nbsp;

China, which takes almost one-third of New Zealand's exports, has accused the Five Eyes of ganging up on it by issuing statements on Hong Kong and the treatment of ethnic Muslim Uyhgurs in Xinjiang.&nbsp;

New Zealand's parliament on Tuesday is set to look at a motion put forward by a smaller party to declare the situation in Xinjiang as a genocide. &nbsp;

Ardern said New Zealand would continue to speak about these issues individually as well as through its partners, noting that managing the relationship with China is not always going to be easy.&nbsp;

China's Ambassador to New Zealand, Wu Xi, who also spoke at the event warned that Hong Kong and Xinjiang related issues were China's internal affairs. &nbsp;

"We hope that the New Zealand side could hold an objective and a just a position, abide by international law and not interfere in China's internal affairs so as to maintain the sound development of our bilateral relations," she said in her speech.&nbsp;

Beijing is engaged in a diplomatic row with Australia and has imposed trade restrictions after Canberra lobbied for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus. China denies the curbs are reprisals, saying reduced imports of Australian products are the result of buyers' own decisions.&nbsp;

Over the weekend, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said China had recently acted "more aggressively abroad" and was behaving "increasingly in adversarial ways."&nbsp;

When asked if New Zealand would risk trade punishment with China, as did Australia, to uphold values, Ardern said, "It would be a concern to anyone in New Zealand if the consideration was 'Do we speak on this or are we too worried of economic impacts?'"&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Differences between New Zealand and its top trading partner China are becoming harder to reconcile as Beijing's role in the world grows and changes, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday.

Differences between New Zealand and its top trading partner China are becoming harder to reconcile as Beijing's role in the world grows and changes, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said on Monday. The comments come as New Zealand faces pressure from some elements among Western allies over its reluctance to use the Five Eyes intelligence and security alliance to criticise Beijing. In a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland, Ardern said there are things on which China and New Zealand "do not, cannot, and will not agree", but added these differences need not define their relationship. "It will not have escaped the attention of anyone here that as China's role in the world grows and changes, the differences between our systems – and the interests and values that shape those systems – are becoming harder to reconcile," Ardern said. "This is a challenge that we, and many other countries across the Indo-Pacific region, but also in Europe and other regions, are also grappling with," she added. In comments that sparked some reaction among Western allies, Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta said last month, she was uncomfortable expanding the role of Five Eyes, which includes Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States. "This speech appears to be crafted to deflect surprisingly sharp and severe criticism from commentators after Mahuta's remarks last month," said Geoffrey Miller, international analyst at the political website Democracy Project. However, the comments do not change New Zealand's overall shift to a more China-friendly, or at least more neutral position, he said. "Ardern and Mahuta are selling the new stance as New Zealand advancing an ‘independent foreign policy’ that is not loyal to any major bloc," he added. China, which takes almost one-third of New Zealand's exports, has accused the Five Eyes of ganging up on it by issuing statements on Hong Kong and the treatment of ethnic Muslim Uyhgurs in Xinjiang. New Zealand's parliament on Tuesday is set to look at a motion put forward by a smaller party to declare the situation in Xinjiang as a genocide. Ardern said New Zealand would continue to speak about these issues individually as well as through its partners, noting that managing the relationship with China is not always going to be easy. China's Ambassador to New Zealand, Wu Xi, who also spoke at the event warned that Hong Kong and Xinjiang related issues were China's internal affairs. "We hope that the New Zealand side could hold an objective and a just a position, abide by international law and not interfere in China's internal affairs so as to maintain the sound development of our bilateral relations," she said in her speech. Beijing is engaged in a diplomatic row with Australia and has imposed trade restrictions after Canberra lobbied for an international inquiry into the source of the coronavirus. China denies the curbs are reprisals, saying reduced imports of Australian products are the result of buyers' own decisions. Over the weekend, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said China had recently acted "more aggressively abroad" and was behaving "increasingly in adversarial ways." When asked if New Zealand would risk trade punishment with China, as did Australia, to uphold values, Ardern said, "It would be a concern to anyone in New Zealand if the consideration was 'Do we speak on this or are we too worried of economic impacts?'" (With inputs from agencies)

New Zealand's Ardern says differences with China becoming harder to reconcile 

It's going to be a tough call for Japan to make a second cancellation or risking a super spreader but that's what this pandemic is all about. While making tough calls, some leaders have thrived under the pressure, while others panicked. &nbsp;

The most crucial toss-up was between lockdowns and jobs. There is science to back both. Lockdowns act as circuit breakers as they flatten the curve and give governments breathing space. Last year, most countries used lockdowns to build their health systems. It has come in handy now during the second wave. On the flip side, lockdowns kill jobs. That's a fact as happened with daily wagers, gig workers and others.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-boris-johnson-let-the-bodies-pile-high-380948/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

They don't have job security. The moment businesses shut down, they are unemployed. So, that's the choice for most leaders. Life versus livelihood and it's not as simple as it sounds. Many people will tell you that livelihood comes second but chances are these people have secure jobs. Striking this delicate balance is tough but it's important to make this decision with compassion. Something British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apparently failed to do. &nbsp;

This story is from October 2020. Britain was dealing with a new wave of infections. So, Johnson chaired a meeting to discuss a second lockdown. He grudgingly agreed to it but this is what he supposedly said after the meeting. "No more lockdowns. Let the bodies pile high in their thousands." The prime minister used some colourful language in his remarks. Boris Johnson would have rather presided over a bloodbath than impose a third lockdown, and, for the record, he did end up ordering a third lockdown. That's what saved Britain from complete collapse. &nbsp;

Leaders have resigned over far less in Britain, but Boris Johnson is not going down without a fight. He has denied making these remarks. The prime minister says he would rather focus on making the lockdowns work. For a man of many words, Johnson had very little to say about these reports.&nbsp;

Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, said, “No, but again, I think the important thing people want us to get on and do, as a government, is to make sure that the lockdowns work and they have, and I really pay tribute to the people of this country, this whole country, that have really pulled together and working with the vaccination programme, we've got the disease under control.”&nbsp;

Johnson has also deployed his ministers to defend him. Senior Minister Michael Gove says he was in the room for all pandemic meetings. He says he never heard language of this sort from the prime minister. &nbsp;

&nbsp;Gove&nbsp;said, “The prime minister made a decision in that meeting to trigger a second lockdown; he made a subsequent decision to trigger a third lockdown. This is a prime minister, who was in hospital himself, in intensive care. The idea that he would say any such thing I find incredible. I was in that room, I never heard language of that kind.”&nbsp;

Only a public inquiry can get to the bottom of this, but one thing is certain. This wouldn't be Boris Johnson's first outrageous remark. When the coronavirus first came to Britain, he couldn't care less. Johnson made it a point to shake hands with everyone and then last month, he dropped another gem and said greed and capitalism helped Britain vaccinate effectively. He later called it a joke.

So, these new remarks are not beyond the British Prime Minister but it's his word against the British media's.

Letting bodies pile up is not a strategy, it is a death sentence. And unlike what many people think, this is not a toss-up between mass deaths and mass unemployment. There can be a middle ground. &nbsp;

In fact, the United Kingdom is a great example of this. They are running a massive furlough scheme through the pandemic. Millions of gig workers are out of work, but they are still getting paid. So, despite three lockdowns, there is no mass joblessness. &nbsp;

Just six days back, Britain reported a dip in its unemployment rate. So, you can have the best of both worlds but in some countries, things haven't panned out so well. Look at Brazil. President Jair Bolsonaro thinks lockdowns are deadlier than the virus and his countrymen are paying for it.&nbsp;

Same in the United States. Donald Trump resisted lockdowns throughout 2020. As a result, more than 500,000 Americans are dead. The bottom line is, lockdowns work but the tradeoff depends on how you manage it. Our lockdowns have also evolved since last year. We now have local lockdowns, mini lockdowns, and night curfews. So, the bitter pill is not as bitter anymore. &nbsp;

This doesn't make the choice any easier for leaders, but that's the job. No government has been perfect during this pandemic, their letups have cost lives, but it's important to be honest and compassionate about it. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It's going to be a tough call for Japan to make a second cancellation or risking a super spreader but that's what this pandemic is all about. While making tough calls, some leaders have thrived under the pressure, while others panicked.

It's going to be a tough call for Japan to make a second cancellation or risking a super spreader but that's what this pandemic is all about. While making tough calls, some leaders have thrived under the pressure, while others panicked. The most crucial toss-up was between lockdowns and jobs. There is science to back both. Lockdowns act as circuit breakers as they flatten the curve and give governments breathing space. Last year, most countries used lockdowns to build their health systems. It has come in handy now during the second wave. On the flip side, lockdowns kill jobs. That's a fact as happened with daily wagers, gig workers and others. They don't have job security. The moment businesses shut down, they are unemployed. So, that's the choice for most leaders. Life versus livelihood and it's not as simple as it sounds. Many people will tell you that livelihood comes second but chances are these people have secure jobs. Striking this delicate balance is tough but it's important to make this decision with compassion. Something British Prime Minister Boris Johnson apparently failed to do. This story is from October 2020. Britain was dealing with a new wave of infections. So, Johnson chaired a meeting to discuss a second lockdown. He grudgingly agreed to it but this is what he supposedly said after the meeting. "No more lockdowns. Let the bodies pile high in their thousands." The prime minister used some colourful language in his remarks. Boris Johnson would have rather presided over a bloodbath than impose a third lockdown, and, for the record, he did end up ordering a third lockdown. That's what saved Britain from complete collapse. Leaders have resigned over far less in Britain, but Boris Johnson is not going down without a fight. He has denied making these remarks. The prime minister says he would rather focus on making the lockdowns work. For a man of many words, Johnson had very little to say about these reports. Boris Johnson, British Prime Minister, said, “No, but again, I think the important thing people want us to get on and do, as a government, is to make sure that the lockdowns work and they have, and I really pay tribute to the people of this country, this whole country, that have really pulled together and working with the vaccination programme, we've got the disease under control.” Johnson has also deployed his ministers to defend him. Senior Minister Michael Gove says he was in the room for all pandemic meetings. He says he never heard language of this sort from the prime minister. Gove said, “The prime minister made a decision in that meeting to trigger a second lockdown; he made a subsequent decision to trigger a third lockdown. This is a prime minister, who was in hospital himself, in intensive care. The idea that he would say any such thing I find incredible. I was in that room, I never heard language of that kind.” Only a public inquiry can get to the bottom of this, but one thing is certain. This wouldn't be Boris Johnson's first outrageous remark. When the coronavirus first came to Britain, he couldn't care less. Johnson made it a point to shake hands with everyone and then last month, he dropped another gem and said greed and capitalism helped Britain vaccinate effectively. He later called it a joke. So, these new remarks are not beyond the British Prime Minister but it's his word against the British media's. Letting bodies pile up is not a strategy, it is a death sentence. And unlike what many people think, this is not a toss-up between mass deaths and mass unemployment. There can be a middle ground. In fact, the United Kingdom is a great example of this. They are running a massive furlough scheme through the pandemic. Millions of gig workers are out of work, but they are still getting paid. So, despite three lockdowns, there is no mass joblessness. Just six days back, Britain reported a dip in its unemployment rate. So, you can have the best of both worlds but in some countries, things haven't panned out so well. Look at Brazil. President Jair Bolsonaro thinks lockdowns are deadlier than the virus and his countrymen are paying for it. Same in the United States. Donald Trump resisted lockdowns throughout 2020. As a result, more than 500,000 Americans are dead. The bottom line is, lockdowns work but the tradeoff depends on how you manage it. Our lockdowns have also evolved since last year. We now have local lockdowns, mini lockdowns, and night curfews. So, the bitter pill is not as bitter anymore. This doesn't make the choice any easier for leaders, but that's the job. No government has been perfect during this pandemic, their letups have cost lives, but it's important to be honest and compassionate about it.

COVID-19: UK PM’s ‘let the bodies pile high’ comment creates uproar

The Libyan government postponed the prime minister's first visit to the east of the country late on Sunday, hours after an advance security team was turned back from Benghazi airport, a source told AFP.&nbsp;

A cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday in the city would also have marked national unity government leader Abdulhamid Dbeibah's first trip to Libya's east, a bastion of military strongman Khalifa Hafter. &nbsp;

But on Sunday a spokesperson said preparations were underway to arrange another date, without giving a reason for the postponement.&nbsp;

The announcement came several hours after a government security team was turned away by local authorities at Benghazi airport, forcing them to get back on their plane and return to the capital Tripoli, a local security source told AFP. &nbsp;

Dbeibah was selected earlier this year through an UN-backed inter-Libyan dialogue to lead the country to national elections in December 2021.&nbsp;

Libya has been mired in chaos since dictator Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising.&nbsp;

Dbeibah's government replaced two rival administrations based in Tripoli and the country's east, the latter loyal to Hafter, whose forces tried but failed to seize the capital in a 2019-20 offensive.&nbsp;

The rival authorities have given their backing to the new administration, adding to tentative hopes that Libya can exit a decade of crisis.&nbsp;

Dbeibah had previously announced his intention to hold cabinet meetings in different cities across the country, most notably in Benghazi, Libya's second city and one of Hafter's strongholds. &nbsp;

The Libyan government postponed the prime minister's first visit to the east of the country late on Sunday, hours after an advance security team was turned back from Benghazi airport, a source told AFP.

The Libyan government postponed the prime minister's first visit to the east of the country late on Sunday, hours after an advance security team was turned back from Benghazi airport, a source told AFP. A cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday in the city would also have marked national unity government leader Abdulhamid Dbeibah's first trip to Libya's east, a bastion of military strongman Khalifa Hafter. But on Sunday a spokesperson said preparations were underway to arrange another date, without giving a reason for the postponement. The announcement came several hours after a government security team was turned away by local authorities at Benghazi airport, forcing them to get back on their plane and return to the capital Tripoli, a local security source told AFP. Dbeibah was selected earlier this year through an UN-backed inter-Libyan dialogue to lead the country to national elections in December 2021. Libya has been mired in chaos since dictator Moamer Kadhafi was deposed and killed in a 2011 NATO-backed uprising. Dbeibah's government replaced two rival administrations based in Tripoli and the country's east, the latter loyal to Hafter, whose forces tried but failed to seize the capital in a 2019-20 offensive. The rival authorities have given their backing to the new administration, adding to tentative hopes that Libya can exit a decade of crisis. Dbeibah had previously announced his intention to hold cabinet meetings in different cities across the country, most notably in Benghazi, Libya's second city and one of Hafter's strongholds.

Libya PM trip to country's east postponed after security team turned back 

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday inaugurated the newly-constructed historic Dharahara tower that collapsed in a powerful earthquake in 2015, a day before the disaster's sixth anniversary.&nbsp;

The 19th-century, 11-storey tower, a major tourist attraction, was among the buildings, which collapsed in the 7.8-magnitude quake that hit the country on April 25, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring about 22,000 others.&nbsp;

Oli inaugurated the new 22-storey, 84-meter white tower, that was built two and a half centuries ago as per the orders of then Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, by showering flowers from the top-floor balcony and declaring it open to the general public.&nbsp;

The newly-built tower provides a spectacular panoramic view of the Kathmandu city.&nbsp;

The old tower had a spiral staircase and was built by using mud, bricks and wood, while the new structure is made of concrete, iron and cement.&nbsp;

The tower had already been rebuilt once, after a 1934 earthquake and is part of a huge national reconstruction programme.&nbsp;

In December 2019, Oli laid the foundation stone of the new tower that has been built in the same architectural style as the old one but with a larger diameter and by using modern technology.&nbsp;

The new tower also has two elevators along with the traditional stairs leading up to the top floor. A garden, museum, colorful fountain, an exhibition hall, underground parking and shopping complex would also be built on its premises.&nbsp;

Its estimated cost is Nepali Rupees 3.5 billion. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday inaugurated the newly-constructed historic Dharahara tower that collapsed in a powerful earthquake in 2015, a day before the disaster's sixth anniversary.

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday inaugurated the newly-constructed historic Dharahara tower that collapsed in a powerful earthquake in 2015, a day before the disaster's sixth anniversary. The 19th-century, 11-storey tower, a major tourist attraction, was among the buildings, which collapsed in the 7.8-magnitude quake that hit the country on April 25, killing nearly 9,000 people and injuring about 22,000 others. Oli inaugurated the new 22-storey, 84-meter white tower, that was built two and a half centuries ago as per the orders of then Queen Lalit Tripura Sundari, by showering flowers from the top-floor balcony and declaring it open to the general public. The newly-built tower provides a spectacular panoramic view of the Kathmandu city. The old tower had a spiral staircase and was built by using mud, bricks and wood, while the new structure is made of concrete, iron and cement. The tower had already been rebuilt once, after a 1934 earthquake and is part of a huge national reconstruction programme. In December 2019, Oli laid the foundation stone of the new tower that has been built in the same architectural style as the old one but with a larger diameter and by using modern technology. The new tower also has two elevators along with the traditional stairs leading up to the top floor. A garden, museum, colorful fountain, an exhibition hall, underground parking and shopping complex would also be built on its premises. Its estimated cost is Nepali Rupees 3.5 billion. (With inputs from agencies)

PM Oli reopens Nepal's historic quake-hit Dharahara tower 

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed solidarity with the people of India battling the deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together".&nbsp;

A record single-day rise of 3,46,786 coronavirus cases pushed India's tally of infection to 1,66,10,481, while active cases crossed the 25-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday.&nbsp;

The death toll rose to 1,89,544 with a record 2,624 more fatalities in a day, according to the data.&nbsp;

In a tweet, Khan said: "Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood and the world".&nbsp;

"I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together," he said on Twitter.&nbsp;

His tweet came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed support to the people of India in the wake of a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the country and extended his sympathies to the affected families.&nbsp;

Qureshi said the COVID-19 crisis is yet another reminder that humanitarian issues require responses beyond political consideration.&nbsp;

"We express our support to the people of India in the wake of the current wave of #COVID19 infections that has hit our region hard. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the affected families in #India," Qureshi tweeted.&nbsp;

Pakistan continues to work with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries to foster cooperation to tackle the pandemic, he said.&nbsp;

Pakistan has reported 157 coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest since last year, while the new number of cases recorded were 5,908, the health ministry said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also expressed similar sentiments for the people of India.&nbsp;

"In these difficult times our prayers are with people of #India may God be kind and may these difficult times get over soon. #coronavirus," he tweeted.&nbsp;

The tweets from the Pakistani leaders came amidst some signs of rapprochement in the relations between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed solidarity with the people of India battling the deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together".

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday expressed solidarity with the people of India battling the deadly wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying, "We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together". A record single-day rise of 3,46,786 coronavirus cases pushed India's tally of infection to 1,66,10,481, while active cases crossed the 25-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Saturday. The death toll rose to 1,89,544 with a record 2,624 more fatalities in a day, according to the data. In a tweet, Khan said: "Our prayers for a speedy recovery go to all those suffering from the pandemic in our neighbourhood and the world". "I want to express our solidarity with the people of India as they battle a dangerous wave of COVID-19. We must fight this global challenge confronting humanity together," he said on Twitter. His tweet came after Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi expressed support to the people of India in the wake of a massive surge in COVID-19 cases in the country and extended his sympathies to the affected families. Qureshi said the COVID-19 crisis is yet another reminder that humanitarian issues require responses beyond political consideration. "We express our support to the people of India in the wake of the current wave of #COVID19 infections that has hit our region hard. On behalf of the people of Pakistan, I extend our heartfelt sympathies to the affected families in #India," Qureshi tweeted. Pakistan continues to work with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries to foster cooperation to tackle the pandemic, he said. Pakistan has reported 157 coronavirus deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest since last year, while the new number of cases recorded were 5,908, the health ministry said on Saturday. Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also expressed similar sentiments for the people of India. "In these difficult times our prayers are with people of #India may God be kind and may these difficult times get over soon. #coronavirus," he tweeted. The tweets from the Pakistani leaders came amidst some signs of rapprochement in the relations between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan PM expresses solidarity with India over COVID-19 crisis  

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent a ritual offering on Wednesday to the controversial Yasukuni shrine that honours war dead, including perpetrators of the country's World War II atrocities on its neighbours.&nbsp;

South Korea expressed 'deep disappointment' at Suga's offering to the shrine to mark a spring festival, while China also protested the move.&nbsp;

The Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo honours some 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, who perished in the country's wars since the late 19th century.&nbsp;

But it also honours senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes, and has frequently been a source of sour relations with countries that suffered from Japan's military atrocities, particularly China and South Korea.&nbsp;

Suga's predecessor Shinzo Abe, who stepped down last year for health reasons, visited the shrine in person on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The prime minister sent a sacred tree but was not expected to visit the shrine.&nbsp;

South Korea's foreign ministry expressed 'deep disappointment and regret' over Suga's tribute and urged Japan's leaders to 'face history squarely and humbly and truly reflect on the past'.&nbsp;

"Japan should keep in mind that is the basis of a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship."&nbsp;

Chinese foreign affairs ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also urged Japan to 'draw a clear line with militarism and take concrete measures to earn the trust of its Asian neighbours and the international community'.&nbsp;

"We firmly oppose Japanese politicians' erroneous practices."&nbsp;

A 2013 visit to the shrine by then-prime minister Abe sparked outcry from Beijing and Seoul, as well as a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.&nbsp;

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent a ritual offering on Wednesday to the controversial Yasukuni shrine that honours war dead, including perpetrators of the country's World War II atrocities on its neighbours.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga sent a ritual offering on Wednesday to the controversial Yasukuni shrine that honours war dead, including perpetrators of the country's World War II atrocities on its neighbours. South Korea expressed 'deep disappointment' at Suga's offering to the shrine to mark a spring festival, while China also protested the move. The Yasukuni shrine in Tokyo honours some 2.5 million war dead, mostly Japanese, who perished in the country's wars since the late 19th century. But it also honours senior military and political figures convicted of war crimes, and has frequently been a source of sour relations with countries that suffered from Japan's military atrocities, particularly China and South Korea. Suga's predecessor Shinzo Abe, who stepped down last year for health reasons, visited the shrine in person on Wednesday. The prime minister sent a sacred tree but was not expected to visit the shrine. South Korea's foreign ministry expressed 'deep disappointment and regret' over Suga's tribute and urged Japan's leaders to 'face history squarely and humbly and truly reflect on the past'. "Japan should keep in mind that is the basis of a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship." Chinese foreign affairs ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin also urged Japan to 'draw a clear line with militarism and take concrete measures to earn the trust of its Asian neighbours and the international community'. "We firmly oppose Japanese politicians' erroneous practices." A 2013 visit to the shrine by then-prime minister Abe sparked outcry from Beijing and Seoul, as well as a rare diplomatic rebuke from close ally the United States.

Japan PM sends offering to controversial shrine honouring war dead 

Hundreds of hardline Islamists have been arrested by Bangladesh police over the past week, officials said on Sunday, after deadly protests against the visit of India's leader.&nbsp;

At least 13 protesters died during the days-long demonstrations in late March over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit.&nbsp;

The protests across several districts in Bangladesh were mostly led by the hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam.&nbsp;

Police said Mamunul Haque, 47, the firebrand joint secretary of Hefazat, was detained on Sunday after a top Islamic seminary in the capital Dhaka was raided.&nbsp;

"He was arrested over charges of violence by Hefazat-e-Islam," police spokesman Ifetkharul Islam said.&nbsp;

Haque was the seventh senior leader from Hefazat to be arrested this week, police said.&nbsp;

The leaders were expected to be charged with the outbreak of violence during the anti-Modi protests and demonstrations in 2013 that left nearly 50 people dead.&nbsp;

A further 298 Hefazat supporters and activists were arrested in the eastern rural district of Brahmanbaria where anti-Modi demonstrations were also held, police said on Sunday.&nbsp;

"We arrested them by identifying them through video footage," Brahmanbaria police's deputy chief, Mohammad Roish Uddin, said. &nbsp;

Hefazat spokesman Jakaria Noman Foyezi said that 23 leaders of his organisation had been detained by police.&nbsp;

He called police claims against them 'false and fabricated'.&nbsp;

Hefazat, which was found in 2010, is Bangladesh's largest hardline Islamist outfit.&nbsp;

The group draws its support from millions of students and teachers in thousands of the Muslim-majority madrasas. &nbsp;

A 2013 rally in Dhaka by thousands of Hefazat supporters demanding a blasphemy law ended in unrest and dozens of deaths.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Hundreds of hardline Islamists have been arrested by Bangladesh police over the past week, officials said on Sunday, after deadly protests against the visit of India's leader.

Hundreds of hardline Islamists have been arrested by Bangladesh police over the past week, officials said on Sunday, after deadly protests against the visit of India's leader. At least 13 protesters died during the days-long demonstrations in late March over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. The protests across several districts in Bangladesh were mostly led by the hardline Islamist group Hefazat-e-Islam. Police said Mamunul Haque, 47, the firebrand joint secretary of Hefazat, was detained on Sunday after a top Islamic seminary in the capital Dhaka was raided. "He was arrested over charges of violence by Hefazat-e-Islam," police spokesman Ifetkharul Islam said. Haque was the seventh senior leader from Hefazat to be arrested this week, police said. The leaders were expected to be charged with the outbreak of violence during the anti-Modi protests and demonstrations in 2013 that left nearly 50 people dead. A further 298 Hefazat supporters and activists were arrested in the eastern rural district of Brahmanbaria where anti-Modi demonstrations were also held, police said on Sunday. "We arrested them by identifying them through video footage," Brahmanbaria police's deputy chief, Mohammad Roish Uddin, said. Hefazat spokesman Jakaria Noman Foyezi said that 23 leaders of his organisation had been detained by police. He called police claims against them 'false and fabricated'. Hefazat, which was found in 2010, is Bangladesh's largest hardline Islamist outfit. The group draws its support from millions of students and teachers in thousands of the Muslim-majority madrasas. A 2013 rally in Dhaka by thousands of Hefazat supporters demanding a blasphemy law ended in unrest and dozens of deaths. (With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh cracks down on Islamist hardliners after protests against Indian PM 

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a year after she was released from jail temporarily amidst the pandemic, according to media reports.&nbsp;

The 75-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief's samples were sent to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, for testing on Saturday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted Public Relations Officer, Health Ministry, Maidul Islam Prodhan as saying.&nbsp;

"It came back as positive today [Sunday], which has been updated on the database of the Directorate of Health Services," he told Dhaka Tribune.&nbsp;

The newspaper reported that one of Zia's relatives, who had met her last week, had later tested positive for the coronavirus.&nbsp;

"That is why madam's [Zia] family took steps for her COVID-19 test, though she has no major symptoms," a source close to the family told the Dhaka Tribune.&nbsp;

However, BNP leaders failed to confirm Zia's diagnosis.&nbsp;

Speaking to The Daily Star, Sayrul Kabir Khan, member of BNP press wing, said, "After talking to Khaleda Zia's physician Dr Mamun, I came to know that it was a regular health check-up. We have no information about the positive COVID-19 test report."&nbsp;

Zia has served thrice as the premier of Bangladesh since 1991. Her party suffered a miserable defeat in the 2018 elections bagging only six seats in the 300-seat parliament.&nbsp;

Her conviction on "moral turpitude" charges de-barred her from contesting the polls.&nbsp;

Zia is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018.&nbsp;

She was sent to jail by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006.&nbsp;

Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP.&nbsp;

She was convicted in another corruption case later the same year, though her party claims both cases are politically motivated. &nbsp;

In March 2020, Zia was released from jail for six months on condition that she would stay at home, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Last month, the Bangladesh government extended the suspension of the sentence for a second time by six months.&nbsp;

The coronavirus has claimed 9,661 lives, along with 678,937 confirmed cases, in Bangladesh so far.&nbsp;

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a year after she was released from jail temporarily amidst the pandemic, according to media reports.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, a year after she was released from jail temporarily amidst the pandemic, according to media reports. The 75-year-old Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief's samples were sent to the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, for testing on Saturday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper quoted Public Relations Officer, Health Ministry, Maidul Islam Prodhan as saying. "It came back as positive today [Sunday], which has been updated on the database of the Directorate of Health Services," he told Dhaka Tribune. The newspaper reported that one of Zia's relatives, who had met her last week, had later tested positive for the coronavirus. "That is why madam's [Zia] family took steps for her COVID-19 test, though she has no major symptoms," a source close to the family told the Dhaka Tribune. However, BNP leaders failed to confirm Zia's diagnosis. Speaking to The Daily Star, Sayrul Kabir Khan, member of BNP press wing, said, "After talking to Khaleda Zia's physician Dr Mamun, I came to know that it was a regular health check-up. We have no information about the positive COVID-19 test report." Zia has served thrice as the premier of Bangladesh since 1991. Her party suffered a miserable defeat in the 2018 elections bagging only six seats in the 300-seat parliament. Her conviction on "moral turpitude" charges de-barred her from contesting the polls. Zia is serving a 17-year prison term in two graft cases since February 8, 2018. She was sent to jail by a local court on charges of embezzling foreign donations meant for an orphanage, named after her slain husband and president Ziaur Rehman, during her premiership between 2001 and 2006. Rehman, a military ruler-turned-politician, was the founder of the BNP. She was convicted in another corruption case later the same year, though her party claims both cases are politically motivated. In March 2020, Zia was released from jail for six months on condition that she would stay at home, amid the coronavirus outbreak. Last month, the Bangladesh government extended the suspension of the sentence for a second time by six months. The coronavirus has claimed 9,661 lives, along with 678,937 confirmed cases, in Bangladesh so far.

Former Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia tests positive for Covid-19 

India and Japan are planning to hold a '2+2' format meeting of foreign and defence ministers in Tokyo later this month, Japanese media reported. &nbsp;

According to NHK, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo are due to attend the meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.&nbsp;

This will the second such meeting between the two countries as the inaugural meeting of the India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) was held on November 30, 2019, in New Delhi.&nbsp;

According to Asia Nikkei, this comes as China ramps up its activities in the disputed East and South China Seas. &nbsp;

Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is also making arrangements to visit India. The ministers are expected to discuss ways to cooperate more closely on defence. &nbsp;

Japan and India signed an agreement last year to allow the Self-Defence Forces and the Indian military to provide each other with food and fuel. &nbsp;

The NHK, in a report, said that the Japanese government is increasingly looking to India as an ally that shares basic values and can help work toward a free and open Indo-Pacific as China continues to assert itself across the region. Both India and Japan time and again have asserted that they are committed to efforts to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. &nbsp;

Last month, the leaders of the Quad alliance, India, the US, Japan and Australia had underscored the importance of a 'free and open' Indo-Pacific region during the group's first-ever leaders' summit.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Quad has now come of age and will serve as an important pillar in ensuring the stability of the Indo-Pacific region.&nbsp;

The Asia-Pacific region features several territorial disputes in the South China and East China seas, which involve Brunei, China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

India and Japan are planning to hold a '2+2' format meeting of foreign and defence ministers in Tokyo later this month, Japanese media reported. According to NHK, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo are due to attend the meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

India and Japan are planning to hold a '2+2' format meeting of foreign and defence ministers in Tokyo later this month, Japanese media reported. According to NHK, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu and Defence Minister Kishi Nobuo are due to attend the meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. This will the second such meeting between the two countries as the inaugural meeting of the India-Japan Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2) was held on November 30, 2019, in New Delhi. According to Asia Nikkei, this comes as China ramps up its activities in the disputed East and South China Seas. Meanwhile, Japan's Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is also making arrangements to visit India. The ministers are expected to discuss ways to cooperate more closely on defence. Japan and India signed an agreement last year to allow the Self-Defence Forces and the Indian military to provide each other with food and fuel. The NHK, in a report, said that the Japanese government is increasingly looking to India as an ally that shares basic values and can help work toward a free and open Indo-Pacific as China continues to assert itself across the region. Both India and Japan time and again have asserted that they are committed to efforts to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. Last month, the leaders of the Quad alliance, India, the US, Japan and Australia had underscored the importance of a 'free and open' Indo-Pacific region during the group's first-ever leaders' summit. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Quad has now come of age and will serve as an important pillar in ensuring the stability of the Indo-Pacific region. The Asia-Pacific region features several territorial disputes in the South China and East China seas, which involve Brunei, China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. (With inputs from agencies)

India, Japan to hold 2+2 talks amid China's aggressive moves  

Singapore blogger Leong Sze Hian’s lawyer said he raised money from fellow citizens to cover damages awarded to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a defamation trial.

On March 24, Singapore’s high court ordered Leong to pay S$133,000 (US$98,800) to Lee for posting a link to a Malaysian news website that alleged the city-state’s leader had helped launder Malaysia Development Berhad funds.

Lim Tean, Leong’s attorney posted on Facebook on Monday that since then, around 2,000 people donated to a crowdfunding campaign on social media to raise the amount. Lim said, “A new Singaporean has emerged.”

“Every citizen can now have the confidence that their fellow men will be their shield and bulwark against those who attempt to suppress their speech,” added Tean.

The Office of the prime minister declined to comment.

The Singaporean leader was personally cross-examined in court during the trial in October, and his lawyers said, the accusations are false and baseless. In the trial, Lee said it was his right to defend himself and he called it a ‘grave attack’ on his integrity and reputation.

In his defence, Leong denied he was being malicious. Although he removed Facebook post, the court documents show he didn’t comply with the demand sent by Lee’s lawyers to make a public apology.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Singapore blogger Leong Sze Hian’s lawyer said he raised money from fellow citizens to cover damages awarded to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a defamation trial.

Singapore blogger Leong Sze Hian’s lawyer said he raised money from fellow citizens to cover damages awarded to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a defamation trial. On March 24, Singapore’s high court ordered Leong to pay S$133,000 (US$98,800) to Lee for posting a link to a Malaysian news website that alleged the city-state’s leader had helped launder Malaysia Development Berhad funds. Lim Tean, Leong’s attorney posted on Facebook on Monday that since then, around 2,000 people donated to a crowdfunding campaign on social media to raise the amount. Lim said, “A new Singaporean has emerged.” “Every citizen can now have the confidence that their fellow men will be their shield and bulwark against those who attempt to suppress their speech,” added Tean. The Office of the prime minister declined to comment. The Singaporean leader was personally cross-examined in court during the trial in October, and his lawyers said, the accusations are false and baseless. In the trial, Lee said it was his right to defend himself and he called it a ‘grave attack’ on his integrity and reputation. In his defence, Leong denied he was being malicious. Although he removed Facebook post, the court documents show he didn’t comply with the demand sent by Lee’s lawyers to make a public apology. (With inputs from agencies)

Singapore blogger crowdfunds S$133,000 for PM Loong’s defamation award

Bulgaria’s long-serving Prime Minister Boyko Borissov won a national election on Sunday, exit polls showed, and he is now likely to face complex coalition talks to secure another four-year mandate in the European Union’s poorest member state.

Exit polls showed Borissov’s centre-right GERB will be the largest party in parliament, winning around 25% of the vote, compared with the 33.5% it won four years ago.&nbsp;

After a decade of dominating Bulgarian politics, Borissov has few natural coalition partners in a fragmented legislature, with most groupings rejecting direct cooperation with GERB.

Weeks of talks, or even another election, cannot be ruled out, meaning Bulgaria may have difficulty tapping the EU’s 750 billion euro ($884 billion) Recovery Fund aimed at helping rebuild economies across the bloc after the coronavirus pandemic.

A former fireman and bodyguard, Borissov, 61, sought to showcase his successes in modernising Bulgaria’s creaking infrastructure in a low-key campaign after massive anti-graft rallies last summer eroded his popularity.

Complicating his coalition-building options is the emergence of the anti-establishment There is Such a People party of popular TV host and singer Slavi Trifonov, which came in second according to a Gallup International poll on 17.1%.&nbsp;

A poll by Alpha Research put Trifonov third on 15.2% and the opposition Socialists second with 17.6%. Gallup found GERB had won 25%, while Alpha research put it slightly higher at 25.7%

Trifonov, 54, whose concerts peppered with patriotic songs have attracted thousands, has ruled out governing with either GERB or the Socialists.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Bulgaria’s long-serving Prime Minister Boyko Borissov won a national election on Sunday, exit polls showed, and he is now likely to face complex coalition talks to secure another four-year mandate in the European Union’s poorest member state.

Bulgaria’s long-serving Prime Minister Boyko Borissov won a national election on Sunday, exit polls showed, and he is now likely to face complex coalition talks to secure another four-year mandate in the European Union’s poorest member state. Exit polls showed Borissov’s centre-right GERB will be the largest party in parliament, winning around 25% of the vote, compared with the 33.5% it won four years ago. After a decade of dominating Bulgarian politics, Borissov has few natural coalition partners in a fragmented legislature, with most groupings rejecting direct cooperation with GERB. Weeks of talks, or even another election, cannot be ruled out, meaning Bulgaria may have difficulty tapping the EU’s 750 billion euro ($884 billion) Recovery Fund aimed at helping rebuild economies across the bloc after the coronavirus pandemic. A former fireman and bodyguard, Borissov, 61, sought to showcase his successes in modernising Bulgaria’s creaking infrastructure in a low-key campaign after massive anti-graft rallies last summer eroded his popularity. Complicating his coalition-building options is the emergence of the anti-establishment There is Such a People party of popular TV host and singer Slavi Trifonov, which came in second according to a Gallup International poll on 17.1%. A poll by Alpha Research put Trifonov third on 15.2% and the opposition Socialists second with 17.6%. Gallup found GERB had won 25%, while Alpha research put it slightly higher at 25.7% Trifonov, 54, whose concerts peppered with patriotic songs have attracted thousands, has ruled out governing with either GERB or the Socialists. (With inputs from agencies)

Bulgaria's GERB party of PM Borissov wins national vote, tough talks ahead

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s prospects of forming a new government waned on Saturday as a coalition partner seen as vital for securing a parliamentary majority ruled out joining a new administration led by him.

This threw already stalled talks about forming a new government further into disarray, setting them back by weeks if not months and making it virtually impossible to predict the outcome.

Rutte, 54, had narrowly survived a no-confidence vote on Friday after parliament passed a motion disapproving of his behaviour during government formation talks following last month’s election.

But ChristenUnie leader Gert Jan Segers, in an interview with newspaper Nederlands Dagblad, said: "We don’t want to return to ‘business as usual’. We cannot be part of a fourth Rutte government".

ChristenUnie has been one of four parties in the government led by Rutte’s conservative VVD party since 2017.

Parliament will next week appoint an independent official tasked with mapping out ways to get the government formation process moving again.

But the two parties seen as indispensable for the VVD, the Christian Democrats and pro-European Union D66, filed the motion of disapproval on Friday and made it clear it would be very hard for Rutte to return to the negotiating table.

Rutte, who has been in office since 2010 and is often an influential figure in the European Union, was the decisive winner in the national elections two weeks ago.

But he only narrowly survived the no-confidence vote, which accused him of having not spoken the truth about suggestions he made over the possible future of a critical lawmaker from another party.&nbsp;

All the parties outside his coalition voted to have him removed immediately.&nbsp;That seemed to have left the current coalition as the only viable option for Rutte to form his fourth consecutive government, until Segers’ move on Saturday blocked that path.

"Without support of the ChristenUnie a fourth Rutte Cabinet seems unthinkable", political scientist Tom Louwerse said on Twitter.

"The best scenario might be for Rutte to not be involved in the formation of a new government, but stay on as caretaker Prime Minister until there is a new administration."

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s prospects of forming a new government waned on Saturday as a coalition partner seen as vital for securing a parliamentary majority ruled out joining a new administration led by him.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s prospects of forming a new government waned on Saturday as a coalition partner seen as vital for securing a parliamentary majority ruled out joining a new administration led by him. This threw already stalled talks about forming a new government further into disarray, setting them back by weeks if not months and making it virtually impossible to predict the outcome. Rutte, 54, had narrowly survived a no-confidence vote on Friday after parliament passed a motion disapproving of his behaviour during government formation talks following last month’s election. But ChristenUnie leader Gert Jan Segers, in an interview with newspaper Nederlands Dagblad, said: "We don’t want to return to ‘business as usual’. We cannot be part of a fourth Rutte government". ChristenUnie has been one of four parties in the government led by Rutte’s conservative VVD party since 2017. Parliament will next week appoint an independent official tasked with mapping out ways to get the government formation process moving again. But the two parties seen as indispensable for the VVD, the Christian Democrats and pro-European Union D66, filed the motion of disapproval on Friday and made it clear it would be very hard for Rutte to return to the negotiating table. Rutte, who has been in office since 2010 and is often an influential figure in the European Union, was the decisive winner in the national elections two weeks ago. But he only narrowly survived the no-confidence vote, which accused him of having not spoken the truth about suggestions he made over the possible future of a critical lawmaker from another party. All the parties outside his coalition voted to have him removed immediately. That seemed to have left the current coalition as the only viable option for Rutte to form his fourth consecutive government, until Segers’ move on Saturday blocked that path. "Without support of the ChristenUnie a fourth Rutte Cabinet seems unthinkable", political scientist Tom Louwerse said on Twitter. "The best scenario might be for Rutte to not be involved in the formation of a new government, but stay on as caretaker Prime Minister until there is a new administration." (With inputs from agencies)

Dutch PM's prospects of forming new government wane as coalition partner quits

Prime Minister Narendra Modi added much&nbsp;lustre&nbsp;to the ongoing birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence on his Dhaka visit (March 26-27). His bilateral talks on a wide range of issues with the top Bangladesh leadership, visit to a couple of Hindu temples, meeting with a cross section of politicians and minority leaders, and homage to father of the nation, Mujibur Rahman at&nbsp;Tungipara&nbsp;were well received. Similarly, awarding the Gandhi Peace prize posthumously to Bangabandhu was an outstanding gesture. Modi’s powerful and emotional rhetoric in praise of Sheikh Mujib and India’s relations with Bangladesh augured very well as Indo-BD ties were placed on a new pedestal by the historic recent trip by the Indian Prime Minister and Bangladesh exuded immense warmth and enthusiasm on the&nbsp;visit.&nbsp;

However,&nbsp;madarsa&nbsp;inspired fundamentalist religious outfit,&nbsp;Hefazat-e-Islam displayed while flexing its muscles by&nbsp;organising&nbsp;anti-Modi protest demonstrations in Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh airing its ire on the Bangladesh government for having invited the Indian PM,&nbsp;who was alleged to have carried out discriminatory policies against the Muslims of India. Law enforcing agencies in Bangladesh used force to keep the protesting&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;cadres at bay. Closer to PM Modi’s departure to India, the elite Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) [equivalent to the Border Security Force (BSF) of India] was also deployed in Dhaka to maintain tranquil arising out of the&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;acts of vandalism and destruction of public property. That shows the seriousness and gravity of the prevailing emerging situation, then. It was indeed threatening.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Coincidentally, or otherwise,&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;led well planned and orchestrated violence engulfed parts of Dhaka, Narayanganj,&nbsp;Sunamgunj,&nbsp;Habigunj, Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet and&nbsp;Munshigunj. Police stations were set alight, police officers in uniform targeted and worse,&nbsp;in many cases,&nbsp;Hindu temples were desecrated and in some places of worship, ornaments of the deity were allegedly looted. This instilled a sense of insecurity amongst the Hindu minority feeling terribly unsafe by the onslaught of the communal forces. In Brahmanbaria, the renowned Ustad Allauddin Khan music academy came under violent attack. Ustad Allauddin Khan, the legendary maestro, and father of Annapurna Devi and sarod player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan belonged to this&nbsp;city who later established the&nbsp;Maihar&nbsp;gharana in India. The assault on the academy named after the famous musician, shows to what extent the religious extremists can go to harm the hapless.&nbsp;

Amid these unfortunate unfolding of violent happenings, it becomes imperative to quickly examine how&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;e Islam got emboldened to go on such a violent spree when the government was at its feet to foil any protests? How could&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;be able to&nbsp;organise&nbsp;such&nbsp;large&nbsp;scale&nbsp;demonstrations in places other than the port city Chittagong which is its principal bastion? What are the internal and external forces which lent moral and material support to the protestors? These questions need to be answered sooner than later.&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;led violence cost more than scores of lives and wanton vandalism of property. Worryingly, violent attacks on the Hindu temples and defiling of the idols need to shake up the establishment more so as the country celebrates the twin occasions of Mujib centenary and 50 years of independence.&nbsp;

Minority communities have legitimate expectations from the Hasina-led government in place in Dhaka. She is seen as&nbsp;the&nbsp;saviour&nbsp;and protector of the minority. That trust merits to be maintained with no cushion for any deficit. Also, there has been a public perception that&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;was close to the ruling dispensation and enjoyed its patronage. In the year 2013, many liberals and bloggers were hacked to death.&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;was reportedly complicit in the killings. Subsequently, this outfit was extra vocal in removal of statues from the Supreme Court describing their presence as un-Islamic. Their demand was met giving rise to speculations that the government was accommodative to&nbsp;Hefazat&nbsp;diktats.&nbsp;During and after the Modi visit, they have raised their ugly head, again.&nbsp;

In the light of these developments, it’s equally important for the intelligence and security agencies to ascertain the source(s) of funding to such&nbsp;destabilising&nbsp;communalists’ inspired agitation. If any extraneous and hostile forces are involved, they ought to be exposed to prevent recurrences of such&nbsp;unsavoury&nbsp;incidents bringing embarrassment to a regime thought to be progressive. Further, we know Jamaat e Islami (JeI)&nbsp;stands de franchised but the elements remain and possibly alive and kicking.&nbsp;They, by deduction, may have infiltrated into&nbsp;Hefazat.&nbsp;Many&nbsp;Jamaatis&nbsp;who had collaborated with Pakistani occupation forces in 1971, had been hanged to death after trials by a tribunal. The communal forces fifty years ago had connived with the then West Pakistan army. It’s a sad commentary that when the country is&nbsp;celebrating today its half a century of&nbsp;independence,&nbsp;the same very forces are now attempting to undermine the spirit of liberation and supreme sacrifice of the millions of proud&nbsp;Bangalis. It’s time for harsher measures to contain the menace. The space being vulnerable, political opposition like the BNP may also like to fish in the troubled waters trying to&nbsp;capitalise&nbsp;on the developments. Prime Minister Hasina and her government would do well to act astutely and&nbsp;disallow any breathing space to their political adversary to surface over ground for any revival in active association with&nbsp;zealots.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi added much lustre to the ongoing birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence on his Dhaka visit (March 26-27).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi added much lustre to the ongoing birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden jubilee celebrations of Bangladesh’s independence on his Dhaka visit (March 26-27). His bilateral talks on a wide range of issues with the top Bangladesh leadership, visit to a couple of Hindu temples, meeting with a cross section of politicians and minority leaders, and homage to father of the nation, Mujibur Rahman at Tungipara were well received. Similarly, awarding the Gandhi Peace prize posthumously to Bangabandhu was an outstanding gesture. Modi’s powerful and emotional rhetoric in praise of Sheikh Mujib and India’s relations with Bangladesh augured very well as Indo-BD ties were placed on a new pedestal by the historic recent trip by the Indian Prime Minister and Bangladesh exuded immense warmth and enthusiasm on the visit. However, madarsa inspired fundamentalist religious outfit, Hefazat-e-Islam displayed while flexing its muscles by organising anti-Modi protest demonstrations in Dhaka and other cities of Bangladesh airing its ire on the Bangladesh government for having invited the Indian PM, who was alleged to have carried out discriminatory policies against the Muslims of India. Law enforcing agencies in Bangladesh used force to keep the protesting Hefazat cadres at bay. Closer to PM Modi’s departure to India, the elite Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) [equivalent to the Border Security Force (BSF) of India] was also deployed in Dhaka to maintain tranquil arising out of the Hefazat acts of vandalism and destruction of public property. That shows the seriousness and gravity of the prevailing emerging situation, then. It was indeed threatening. Coincidentally, or otherwise, Hefazat led well planned and orchestrated violence engulfed parts of Dhaka, Narayanganj, Sunamgunj, Habigunj, Chittagong, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet and Munshigunj. Police stations were set alight, police officers in uniform targeted and worse, in many cases, Hindu temples were desecrated and in some places of worship, ornaments of the deity were allegedly looted. This instilled a sense of insecurity amongst the Hindu minority feeling terribly unsafe by the onslaught of the communal forces. In Brahmanbaria, the renowned Ustad Allauddin Khan music academy came under violent attack. Ustad Allauddin Khan, the legendary maestro, and father of Annapurna Devi and sarod player Ustad Ali Akbar Khan belonged to this city who later established the Maihar gharana in India. The assault on the academy named after the famous musician, shows to what extent the religious extremists can go to harm the hapless. Amid these unfortunate unfolding of violent happenings, it becomes imperative to quickly examine how Hefazat e Islam got emboldened to go on such a violent spree when the government was at its feet to foil any protests? How could Hefazat be able to organise such large scale demonstrations in places other than the port city Chittagong which is its principal bastion? What are the internal and external forces which lent moral and material support to the protestors? These questions need to be answered sooner than later. Hefazat led violence cost more than scores of lives and wanton vandalism of property. Worryingly, violent attacks on the Hindu temples and defiling of the idols need to shake up the establishment more so as the country celebrates the twin occasions of Mujib centenary and 50 years of independence. Minority communities have legitimate expectations from the Hasina-led government in place in Dhaka. She is seen as the saviour and protector of the minority. That trust merits to be maintained with no cushion for any deficit. Also, there has been a public perception that Hefazat was close to the ruling dispensation and enjoyed its patronage. In the year 2013, many liberals and bloggers were hacked to death. Hefazat was reportedly complicit in the killings. Subsequently, this outfit was extra vocal in removal of statues from the Supreme Court describing their presence as un-Islamic. Their demand was met giving rise to speculations that the government was accommodative to Hefazat diktats. During and after the Modi visit, they have raised their ugly head, again. In the light of these developments, it’s equally important for the intelligence and security agencies to ascertain the source(s) of funding to such destabilising communalists’ inspired agitation. If any extraneous and hostile forces are involved, they ought to be exposed to prevent recurrences of such unsavoury incidents bringing embarrassment to a regime thought to be progressive. Further, we know Jamaat e Islami (JeI) stands de franchised but the elements remain and possibly alive and kicking. They, by deduction, may have infiltrated into Hefazat. Many Jamaatis who had collaborated with Pakistani occupation forces in 1971, had been hanged to death after trials by a tribunal. The communal forces fifty years ago had connived with the then West Pakistan army. It’s a sad commentary that when the country is celebrating today its half a century of independence, the same very forces are now attempting to undermine the spirit of liberation and supreme sacrifice of the millions of proud Bangalis. It’s time for harsher measures to contain the menace. The space being vulnerable, political opposition like the BNP may also like to fish in the troubled waters trying to capitalise on the developments. Prime Minister Hasina and her government would do well to act astutely and disallow any breathing space to their political adversary to surface over ground for any revival in active association with zealots. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

﻿Shameful violence in aftermath of PM Modi’s Dhaka visit 

In response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter, Pakistan's PM Imran Khan has written back thanking for the latter's greetings on Pakistan Day. &nbsp;

Khan said, "The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India. We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular the Jammu &amp; Kashmir dispute."&nbsp;

The PM also talked about the importance of creation of an enabling environment for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue.&nbsp;

Prime Minister also looked to elaborate on the importance of the day by saying, "The people of Pakistan commemorate this Day by paying tribute to the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers in envisioning an independent, sovereign state where they could live in freedom and realize their full potential." &nbsp;

Prime Minister Imran Khan also took the opportunity to convey best wishes for the people of India in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

Earlier, Modi wrote a letter to Khan to extend greetings to the people of that country on the occasion of Pakistan Day.&nbsp;

He also said, "As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. For this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative." &nbsp;

Government sources said it is a routine letter sent every year.&nbsp;

Modi also conveyed his best wishes to Khan and the people of Pakistan in dealing with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

There have been indications of positive movement in ties between India and Pakistan.&nbsp;

Last month, the Indian and Pakistani armies recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir.&nbsp;

Recently, a delegation of Pakistani officials arrived in India for a meeting of the permanent Indus commission. It is the first such dialogue in over two-and-a-half years.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter, Pakistan's PM Imran Khan has written back thanking for the latter's greetings on Pakistan Day. Khan said, "The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India.

In response to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter, Pakistan's PM Imran Khan has written back thanking for the latter's greetings on Pakistan Day. Khan said, "The people of Pakistan also desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours, including India. We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular the Jammu & Kashmir dispute." The PM also talked about the importance of creation of an enabling environment for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue. Prime Minister also looked to elaborate on the importance of the day by saying, "The people of Pakistan commemorate this Day by paying tribute to the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers in envisioning an independent, sovereign state where they could live in freedom and realize their full potential." Prime Minister Imran Khan also took the opportunity to convey best wishes for the people of India in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Earlier, Modi wrote a letter to Khan to extend greetings to the people of that country on the occasion of Pakistan Day. He also said, "As a neighbouring country, India desires cordial relations with the people of Pakistan. For this, an environment of trust, devoid of terror and hostility, is imperative." Government sources said it is a routine letter sent every year. Modi also conveyed his best wishes to Khan and the people of Pakistan in dealing with the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. There have been indications of positive movement in ties between India and Pakistan. Last month, the Indian and Pakistani armies recommitted themselves to the 2003 ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Recently, a delegation of Pakistani officials arrived in India for a meeting of the permanent Indus commission. It is the first such dialogue in over two-and-a-half years. (With inputs from agencies)

Letter diplomacy? Imran Khan writes back to PM Modi conveying gratitude

Armenia's embattled prime minister on Sunday confirmed that he will step down from the post in April in order to allow for an early parliamentary election.&nbsp;

Nikol Pashinyan has faced weeks of protests calling for his ouster in the wake of Armenia's defeat in last year's war with Azerbaijan.&nbsp;

In a move to defuse the political crisis, Pashinyan two weeks ago announced that an early election would be held on June 20. Under Armenian law, such elections can be held after a premier resigns and the parliament fails twice to choose a new one.&nbsp;

"I will resign in April, not to leave power, but to hold early parliamentary elections. I will continue to act as prime minister and head of the Cabinet," Pashinyan said on Sunday in a meeting with residents of the village of Aragats. He didn't give a specific date for stepping down.&nbsp;

Armenia has been gripped by political tensions after suffering a humiliating defeat last year in an armed conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory within Azerbaijan that Armenia-backed separatists controlled for more than 25 years.&nbsp;

Pashinyan signed a peace deal in November that ceded parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and large swaths of adjacent Armenian-controlled territory. He defends the move as the only way to have prevented Azerbaijan from taking the entire region.&nbsp;

Pashinyan has retained significant public backing despite the defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, with thousands rallying in his support to counter the opposition-led pressure for his resignation.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Armenia's embattled prime minister on Sunday confirmed that he will step down from the post in April in order to allow for an early parliamentary election. Nikol Pashinyan has faced weeks of protests calling for his ouster in the wake of Armenia's defeat in last year's war with Azerbaijan.

Armenia's embattled prime minister on Sunday confirmed that he will step down from the post in April in order to allow for an early parliamentary election. Nikol Pashinyan has faced weeks of protests calling for his ouster in the wake of Armenia's defeat in last year's war with Azerbaijan. In a move to defuse the political crisis, Pashinyan two weeks ago announced that an early election would be held on June 20. Under Armenian law, such elections can be held after a premier resigns and the parliament fails twice to choose a new one. "I will resign in April, not to leave power, but to hold early parliamentary elections. I will continue to act as prime minister and head of the Cabinet," Pashinyan said on Sunday in a meeting with residents of the village of Aragats. He didn't give a specific date for stepping down. Armenia has been gripped by political tensions after suffering a humiliating defeat last year in an armed conflict with Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory within Azerbaijan that Armenia-backed separatists controlled for more than 25 years. Pashinyan signed a peace deal in November that ceded parts of Nagorno-Karabakh and large swaths of adjacent Armenian-controlled territory. He defends the move as the only way to have prevented Azerbaijan from taking the entire region. Pashinyan has retained significant public backing despite the defeat in Nagorno-Karabakh, with thousands rallying in his support to counter the opposition-led pressure for his resignation. (With inputs from agencies)

Armenia PM confirms he will step down in April to allow election 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday handed over a representational key of 109 life-saving ambulances to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka.&nbsp;

During the delegation-level meeting, he also handed over a representational item to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of India's gift of 1.2 million Covid vaccine doses.&nbsp;

"Relationship going from strength to strength! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy, developmental cooperation and many more," wrote the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Twitter.&nbsp;

"Reiterating the highest priority India attaches to Bangladesh under India's #NeighbourhoodFirst Policy! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are together for a bilateral meeting," the spokesperson wrote earlier.&nbsp;

Hasina presented a gold and a silver coin released on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to PM Modi. She also handed over a silver coin released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Independence.&nbsp;

Along with that, an exchange of MoUs between India and Bangladesh also took place in the presence of the two leaders. Earlier today, the Prime Minister visited Orakandi Temple and addressed a gathering. "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest," he said. &nbsp;

After delegation-level talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister, who arrived in Bangladesh on Friday, is on a two-day visit to the neighbouring country. He also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. &nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries. &nbsp;

The Prime Minister also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. &nbsp;

After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with several community leaders, including representatives of minorities in Bangladesh, mukhtijoddhas, friends of India and youth icons on the first day of his visit.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora as he marked his first foreign visit since the Covid-19 outbreak. Soon after he arrived in Dhaka, he visited the National Martyrs' Memorial (Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. He also planted a sapling of Arjun tree at the memorial premises and signed the visitor's book in the monument, MEA informed.&nbsp;

PM Modi's visit comes as Bangladesh is celebrating its 50th Independence Day and the centennial birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday handed over a representational key of 109 life-saving ambulances to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. During the delegation-level meeting, he also handed over a representational item to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of India's gift of 1.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday handed over a representational key of 109 life-saving ambulances to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka. During the delegation-level meeting, he also handed over a representational item to Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina as a symbol of India's gift of 1.2 million Covid vaccine doses. "Relationship going from strength to strength! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy, developmental cooperation and many more," wrote the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Twitter. "Reiterating the highest priority India attaches to Bangladesh under India's #NeighbourhoodFirst Policy! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina are together for a bilateral meeting," the spokesperson wrote earlier. Hasina presented a gold and a silver coin released on the occasion of the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to PM Modi. She also handed over a silver coin released on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh's Independence. Along with that, an exchange of MoUs between India and Bangladesh also took place in the presence of the two leaders. Earlier today, the Prime Minister visited Orakandi Temple and addressed a gathering. "Both India and Bangladesh want to see the world progressing through their own progress. Both the nations want to see stability, love, and peace in the world instead of instability, terror and unrest," he said. After delegation-level talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also called on Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid. The Prime Minister, who arrived in Bangladesh on Friday, is on a two-day visit to the neighbouring country. He also offered prayers at the Orakandi Temple located at Kashiani Upazila in the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also offered prayers at the Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. Dedicated to Goddess Kali, Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple is a famous Hindu temple located in Ishwaripur, a village in Shyam Nagar, Upazila of Satkhira. It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths, scattered across India and neighbouring countries. The Prime Minister also informed that the Indian government will undertake the construction work of a multi-purpose community hall at Jeshoreshwari Kali Temple. After that, he paid tribute to Bangladesh's 'Father of the Nation' Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Bangabandhu Mausoleum Complex, Tungipara. He signed the visitors' book and also planted samples at the complex. PM Modi was accompanied by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina during his visit to the complex. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with several community leaders, including representatives of minorities in Bangladesh, mukhtijoddhas, friends of India and youth icons on the first day of his visit. The Prime Minister received a warm welcome from the Indian diaspora as he marked his first foreign visit since the Covid-19 outbreak. Soon after he arrived in Dhaka, he visited the National Martyrs' Memorial (Jatiyo Sriti Shoudho), the National monument of Bangladesh to pay tributes to the valour and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971. He also planted a sapling of Arjun tree at the memorial premises and signed the visitor's book in the monument, MEA informed. PM Modi's visit comes as Bangladesh is celebrating its 50th Independence Day and the centennial birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. (With inputs from agencies)

After exchanging MoUs, PM Modi hands over Covid-19 vaccines to Bangladesh  

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that troops from neighbouring Eritrea entered the northern Tigray region during the five-month-old conflict, the first such acknowledgement after months of denials.&nbsp;

In a parliamentary address, he also acknowledged for the first time that atrocities like rape had been committed during the fighting, and promised perpetrators would be punished.&nbsp;

Fighting erupted in Tigray after forces loyal to the then-governing party there - the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) - attacked army bases across the region overnight and in the early hours of November 4.&nbsp;

The attacks initially overwhelmed the federal military, which later launched a counter-offensive alongside Eritrean soldiers and forces from the neighbouring region of Amhara.&nbsp;

The TPLF, which dominated Ethiopia's government for nearly three decades until Abiy came to power in 2018, has long been an archenemy of Eritrea.&nbsp;

Abiy said Eritrean troops had crossed the border because they were concerned they would be attacked by TPLF forces, but the Eritreans had promised to leave when Ethiopia's military was able to control the border. The TPLF repeatedly fired rockets at Eritrea after the conflict began.&nbsp;

The governments of both Eritrea and Ethiopia repeatedly denied Eritrea's involvement in the war, despite reports from rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Annesty International, which documented the killings of hundreds of civilians by Eritrean soldiers in the holy city of Axum.&nbsp;

The journalists on a trip to Tigray last week saw hundreds of men wearing Eritrean uniforms in buses with Eritrean plates on the main road between the regional capital Mekelle and Shire, and on the main streets of Shire.&nbsp;

Abiy quoted the Eritreans as saying to Ethiopian authorities: "You left the trenches while searching for the enemy in central Tigray. So, while you attacked them, they might come to us. We controlled areas along the border because we have our national security concerns. But if your army can control the trenches, we will leave the next day."&nbsp;

He said the Ethiopian government had also raised accusations of widespread looting and rights abuses by Eritrean soldiers in Tigray.&nbsp;

"The Eritrean government has highly condemned it and said they will be accountable if any of their army participated in this," he said.&nbsp;

Dozens of witnesses in Tigray said that Eritrean soldiers routinely killed civilians, gang-raped and tortured women and looted civilian households and crops. Some provided images of Eritrean trucks loaded with household goods.&nbsp;

Eritrea's minister of information was not immediately available for comment.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that troops from neighbouring Eritrea entered the northern Tigray region during the five-month-old conflict, the first such acknowledgement after months of denials.

Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed for the first time on Tuesday that troops from neighbouring Eritrea entered the northern Tigray region during the five-month-old conflict, the first such acknowledgement after months of denials. In a parliamentary address, he also acknowledged for the first time that atrocities like rape had been committed during the fighting, and promised perpetrators would be punished. Fighting erupted in Tigray after forces loyal to the then-governing party there - the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) - attacked army bases across the region overnight and in the early hours of November 4. The attacks initially overwhelmed the federal military, which later launched a counter-offensive alongside Eritrean soldiers and forces from the neighbouring region of Amhara. The TPLF, which dominated Ethiopia's government for nearly three decades until Abiy came to power in 2018, has long been an archenemy of Eritrea. Abiy said Eritrean troops had crossed the border because they were concerned they would be attacked by TPLF forces, but the Eritreans had promised to leave when Ethiopia's military was able to control the border. The TPLF repeatedly fired rockets at Eritrea after the conflict began. The governments of both Eritrea and Ethiopia repeatedly denied Eritrea's involvement in the war, despite reports from rights groups like Human Rights Watch and Annesty International, which documented the killings of hundreds of civilians by Eritrean soldiers in the holy city of Axum. The journalists on a trip to Tigray last week saw hundreds of men wearing Eritrean uniforms in buses with Eritrean plates on the main road between the regional capital Mekelle and Shire, and on the main streets of Shire. Abiy quoted the Eritreans as saying to Ethiopian authorities: "You left the trenches while searching for the enemy in central Tigray. So, while you attacked them, they might come to us. We controlled areas along the border because we have our national security concerns. But if your army can control the trenches, we will leave the next day." He said the Ethiopian government had also raised accusations of widespread looting and rights abuses by Eritrean soldiers in Tigray. "The Eritrean government has highly condemned it and said they will be accountable if any of their army participated in this," he said. Dozens of witnesses in Tigray said that Eritrean soldiers routinely killed civilians, gang-raped and tortured women and looted civilian households and crops. Some provided images of Eritrean trucks loaded with household goods. Eritrea's minister of information was not immediately available for comment. (With inputs from agencies)

Ethiopian PM confirms Eritrean troops entered Tigray during recent conflict 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory over Covid-19 by making Israel a 'vaccination nation'. Even that may not be enough when voters wearing mandatory masks cast their ballots in an election on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Netanyahu, who turned Israel's world-leading rollout of vaccines into a showcase of his campaign in the country's fourth national poll in two years, gave a measured assessment of his chances after the latest opinion polls pointed to a close race.&nbsp;

"I'm still missing a (parliamentary) seat or two to achieve a stable government," he said on Army Radio on Sunday, in what could have been a strategic bid to rally supporters of his right-wing Likud party to turn out to vote.&nbsp;

Opinion polls showed an uptick for Likud in the campaign's home stretch, giving a Netanyahu-led coalition of conservative and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties around 60 seats, still short of a majority in the 120-member parliament.&nbsp;

But the surveys indicated that a potential, though perhaps unlikely alliance of left-wing, centre and rightist factions, possibly led by Netanyahu's strongest rival in the polls - centrist Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party - is also near 60.&nbsp;

No one party has ever won a parliamentary majority on its own in an Israeli election. In a close contest, election night results may only be a starting point, with backroom coalition talks determining whether 'King Bibi' will still rule.&nbsp;

Gone this time were Netanyahu's giant billboards featuring a handshake with ally Donald Trump, defeated in the US presidential election in November.&nbsp;

And with Democrat Joe Biden in the White House, there was little prospect of US diplomatic moves that could help Netanyahu's election chances.&nbsp;

Israel's longest-serving leader, 71, focused instead on highlighting his role in turning high-tech Israel into what he dubbed a 'vaccination nation'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory over Covid-19 by making Israel a 'vaccination nation'. Even that may not be enough when voters wearing mandatory masks cast their ballots in an election on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed victory over Covid-19 by making Israel a 'vaccination nation'. Even that may not be enough when voters wearing mandatory masks cast their ballots in an election on Tuesday. Netanyahu, who turned Israel's world-leading rollout of vaccines into a showcase of his campaign in the country's fourth national poll in two years, gave a measured assessment of his chances after the latest opinion polls pointed to a close race. "I'm still missing a (parliamentary) seat or two to achieve a stable government," he said on Army Radio on Sunday, in what could have been a strategic bid to rally supporters of his right-wing Likud party to turn out to vote. Opinion polls showed an uptick for Likud in the campaign's home stretch, giving a Netanyahu-led coalition of conservative and ultra-Orthodox Jewish parties around 60 seats, still short of a majority in the 120-member parliament. But the surveys indicated that a potential, though perhaps unlikely alliance of left-wing, centre and rightist factions, possibly led by Netanyahu's strongest rival in the polls - centrist Yair Lapid of the Yesh Atid party - is also near 60. No one party has ever won a parliamentary majority on its own in an Israeli election. In a close contest, election night results may only be a starting point, with backroom coalition talks determining whether 'King Bibi' will still rule. Gone this time were Netanyahu's giant billboards featuring a handshake with ally Donald Trump, defeated in the US presidential election in November. And with Democrat Joe Biden in the White House, there was little prospect of US diplomatic moves that could help Netanyahu's election chances. Israel's longest-serving leader, 71, focused instead on highlighting his role in turning high-tech Israel into what he dubbed a 'vaccination nation'. (With inputs from agencies)

Will 'vaccination nation' Israel vote for Prime Minister Netanyahu? 

Thousands protest against Netanyahu ahead of election in Israel

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged on Sunday to do his utmost to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus ahead of the Olympic torch relay and his upcoming visit to Washington.&nbsp;

Suga was addressing his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's annual convention, just hours ahead of the planned lifting of a virus state of emergency in the Tokyo region.&nbsp;

Suga said after the state of emergency is lifted is 'an extremely important time' for virus prevention.&nbsp;

"We must not put our guards down ... To prevent the infections from rebounding," he said.&nbsp;

Suga on Thursday announced that the months-long emergency measures for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama would end at midnight on Sunday, a move underscoring his government's eagerness to minimise burdens on businesses and keep the economy going, despite concerns raised by experts about the potential for an upsurge.&nbsp;

The lifting of the measure comes just days before the Olympic torch relay starts from Fukushima, northeast of Tokyo and the site of the 2011 nuclear crisis, as a symbol of reconstruction.&nbsp;

Suga renewed his pledge to achieve the Olympics in July as 'a proof of the victory against the coronavirus', after its one-year postponement due to the pandemic. Olympic officials decided on Saturday to bar spectators from abroad.&nbsp;

"We will deliver courage and hope from Japan to the world," Suga said.&nbsp;

Suga also wants to keep the infections low ahead of his planned Washington visit in early April for his first in-person summit with President Joe Biden. He will be the first foreign leader to meet in person, underscoring the importance of the Japan-US Alliance.&nbsp;

Suga, who received the first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine last week, said he looks forward to discussing pandemic measures, as well as cooperation in dealing with China's growing influence in the region.&nbsp;

"We would still face ups and downs, but we will surely find a light ahead of us," Suga said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged on Sunday to do his utmost to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus ahead of the Olympic torch relay and his upcoming visit to Washington.

Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga pledged on Sunday to do his utmost to prevent a resurgence of the coronavirus ahead of the Olympic torch relay and his upcoming visit to Washington. Suga was addressing his ruling Liberal Democratic Party's annual convention, just hours ahead of the planned lifting of a virus state of emergency in the Tokyo region. Suga said after the state of emergency is lifted is 'an extremely important time' for virus prevention. "We must not put our guards down ... To prevent the infections from rebounding," he said. Suga on Thursday announced that the months-long emergency measures for Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama would end at midnight on Sunday, a move underscoring his government's eagerness to minimise burdens on businesses and keep the economy going, despite concerns raised by experts about the potential for an upsurge. The lifting of the measure comes just days before the Olympic torch relay starts from Fukushima, northeast of Tokyo and the site of the 2011 nuclear crisis, as a symbol of reconstruction. Suga renewed his pledge to achieve the Olympics in July as 'a proof of the victory against the coronavirus', after its one-year postponement due to the pandemic. Olympic officials decided on Saturday to bar spectators from abroad. "We will deliver courage and hope from Japan to the world," Suga said. Suga also wants to keep the infections low ahead of his planned Washington visit in early April for his first in-person summit with President Joe Biden. He will be the first foreign leader to meet in person, underscoring the importance of the Japan-US Alliance. Suga, who received the first shot of a Covid-19 vaccine last week, said he looks forward to discussing pandemic measures, as well as cooperation in dealing with China's growing influence in the region. "We would still face ups and downs, but we will surely find a light ahead of us," Suga said. (With inputs from agencies)

Japan PM pledges to prevent coronavirus' resurgence as emergency measures end 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a personality politician. The kind that Britain hasn't known since Winston Churchill and much like Churchill, he is trying to shape the United Kingdom in his image. Look at the blueprint, the integrated defence and security review, that he unveiled while addressing the House of Commons on Tuesday evening.&nbsp;

Boris Johnson announced a sweeping overhaul of Britain's domestic affairs, defence, diplomacy and international priorities. A revamp that reflects the Prime Minister's freewheeling and disruptive personality. It lays out a more activist approach to international relations. &nbsp;

It redirects London's foreign policy towards the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, it also lays out a plan to lift the cap on the number of nuclear warheads that the UK can stockpile and a plan to outlaw any protests that cause serious unease or annoyance. &nbsp;

This blueprint is both consequential and controversial. Team Johnson is billing it as the most wide-ranging re-evaluation of the UK's place in the world since the end of the cold war. How accurate is this assertion?&nbsp;

It's an ambitious new chapter for the United Kingdom on the global stage. The integrated defence and security review promises to make the UK a global force once again but without any old obligations. There are four areas of interest and importance. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The Chinese regime has been recognised as the foremost state-based threat to Britain. Speaking in the House of Commons, Boris Johnson singled out China as a country that will pose great challenges for the free British society, but he was notably cautious and measured in his statement. He also promised to work with China where it is consistent with British values and interests.&nbsp;

The integrated review also sets out a significant foreign policy shift like the tilt to the Indo-Pacific.&nbsp;

This year, the Queen Elizabeth carrier will undertake its first operational deployment in the region. In April, the British Prime Minister will travel to India and he is also looking to build a Quad-like alliance with South-East Asian nations. With the G7 presidency in its hand, the UK has invited India, Australia and South Korea to attend the G7 summit scheduled for June this year.&nbsp;

Some controversial decisions have also been taken like a nuclear stockpile upgrade. Britain is lifting the cap on the number of Trident nuclear warheads, it can stockpile by 40%. This decision will end 30 years of gradual disarmament since the cold war ended. The increased limit from 180 to 260 warheads is largely aimed at building deterrence against hostile states.&nbsp;

Another controversial decision is a proposed law on protest. What kind of protests will be allowed?&nbsp;

Any protest, which is noisy or causes serious annoyance, will be outlawed. Those who indulge in such protests could face up to 10 years in prison. The law will also limit the right to protest outside the British Parliament. It will provide police officers with significantly greater powers to crackdown.&nbsp;

From global priorities to domestic concerns, this is indeed the biggest overhaul of British policy in a generation. Boris Johnson has laid the roadmap for a post-Brexit Britain. Whether he will be able to get the UK to the desired destination remains to be seen. &nbsp;

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a personality politician. The kind that Britain hasn't known since Winston Churchill and much like Churchill, he is trying to shape the United Kingdom in his image.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is a personality politician. The kind that Britain hasn't known since Winston Churchill and much like Churchill, he is trying to shape the United Kingdom in his image. Look at the blueprint, the integrated defence and security review, that he unveiled while addressing the House of Commons on Tuesday evening. Boris Johnson announced a sweeping overhaul of Britain's domestic affairs, defence, diplomacy and international priorities. A revamp that reflects the Prime Minister's freewheeling and disruptive personality. It lays out a more activist approach to international relations. It redirects London's foreign policy towards the Indo-Pacific. At the same time, it also lays out a plan to lift the cap on the number of nuclear warheads that the UK can stockpile and a plan to outlaw any protests that cause serious unease or annoyance. This blueprint is both consequential and controversial. Team Johnson is billing it as the most wide-ranging re-evaluation of the UK's place in the world since the end of the cold war. How accurate is this assertion? It's an ambitious new chapter for the United Kingdom on the global stage. The integrated defence and security review promises to make the UK a global force once again but without any old obligations. There are four areas of interest and importance. The Chinese regime has been recognised as the foremost state-based threat to Britain. Speaking in the House of Commons, Boris Johnson singled out China as a country that will pose great challenges for the free British society, but he was notably cautious and measured in his statement. He also promised to work with China where it is consistent with British values and interests. The integrated review also sets out a significant foreign policy shift like the tilt to the Indo-Pacific. This year, the Queen Elizabeth carrier will undertake its first operational deployment in the region. In April, the British Prime Minister will travel to India and he is also looking to build a Quad-like alliance with South-East Asian nations. With the G7 presidency in its hand, the UK has invited India, Australia and South Korea to attend the G7 summit scheduled for June this year. Some controversial decisions have also been taken like a nuclear stockpile upgrade. Britain is lifting the cap on the number of Trident nuclear warheads, it can stockpile by 40%. This decision will end 30 years of gradual disarmament since the cold war ended. The increased limit from 180 to 260 warheads is largely aimed at building deterrence against hostile states. Another controversial decision is a proposed law on protest. What kind of protests will be allowed? Any protest, which is noisy or causes serious annoyance, will be outlawed. Those who indulge in such protests could face up to 10 years in prison. The law will also limit the right to protest outside the British Parliament. It will provide police officers with significantly greater powers to crackdown. From global priorities to domestic concerns, this is indeed the biggest overhaul of British policy in a generation. Boris Johnson has laid the roadmap for a post-Brexit Britain. Whether he will be able to get the UK to the desired destination remains to be seen.

British Prime Minister unveils integrated defence, security review 

In his first foreign visit since the Brexit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be visiting India on April 26. He announced the visit in the British Parliament.

"I am delighted to announce that I will visit India next month to strengthen our friendship with the world's biggest democracy," he said.

It is expected that Johnson will visit Pune as well. No details are yet known about his schedule in Pune. World's largest vaccine manufacture Serum Institute of India (SII) is based in Pune. SII has been manufacturing Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine Covishield. It has been exported to many countries.

The visit has been in the making for a long time, with Boris Johnson was expected to visit India in January for Indian Republic Day but could not due to outbreak of new strain of COVID in UK.

Johnson's visit comes as UK releases its key foreign policy document that sees India as key to London's "Indo-Pacific tilt". The just-released "Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy" mentioned India over 15 times, calling India an "international actor of growing importance."

The document said, "The UK-India relationship is already strong, but over the next ten years we seek transformation in our cooperation across the full range of our shared interests. India – as the largest democracy in the world".

UK as the chair of G7 grouping, has invited India for the meeting of the grouping in June. Indian PM Modi will be travelling to the country for the summit, which could see its first in-person Quad meeting as well. Both sides are also working on a trade deal.

In his first foreign visit since the Brexit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be visiting India on April 26. He announced the visit in the British Parliament.

In his first foreign visit since the Brexit, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will be visiting India on April 26. He announced the visit in the British Parliament. "I am delighted to announce that I will visit India next month to strengthen our friendship with the world's biggest democracy," he said. It is expected that Johnson will visit Pune as well. No details are yet known about his schedule in Pune. World's largest vaccine manufacture Serum Institute of India (SII) is based in Pune. SII has been manufacturing Oxford-AstraZeneca's COVID vaccine Covishield. It has been exported to many countries. The visit has been in the making for a long time, with Boris Johnson was expected to visit India in January for Indian Republic Day but could not due to outbreak of new strain of COVID in UK. Johnson's visit comes as UK releases its key foreign policy document that sees India as key to London's "Indo-Pacific tilt". The just-released "Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy" mentioned India over 15 times, calling India an "international actor of growing importance." The document said, "The UK-India relationship is already strong, but over the next ten years we seek transformation in our cooperation across the full range of our shared interests. India – as the largest democracy in the world". UK as the chair of G7 grouping, has invited India for the meeting of the grouping in June. Indian PM Modi will be travelling to the country for the summit, which could see its first in-person Quad meeting as well. Both sides are also working on a trade deal.

UK PM Boris Johnson to visit Delhi on April 26, will head to Pune too

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was deterred from flying to the United Arab Emirates through Saudi Arabian airspace last week because of the threat of missile fire from Iranian proxies in Yemen.&nbsp;

Netanyahu, whose comments came on Saturday, had called off a visit to the Emirates last week over a spat with neighbouring Jordan, which had temporarily closed its airspace to the Israeli prime minister's flight.&nbsp;

But rather than bypass Jordanian airspace and take a more southerly route across Saudi skies, Netanyahu told Israel's Channel 13, there were also problems a week ago in the skies of Saudi Arabia, referring to recent missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels.&nbsp;

Netanyahu did not elaborate, nor did he say his plane was targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis.&nbsp;

Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control the capital and much of the country's north, have escalated their cross-border attacks on critical Saudi infrastructure in recent weeks, crashing bomb-laden drones and missiles into the kingdom's Patriot missile batteries and revealing gaps in the country's defenses.&nbsp;

Last week, missiles and drones hit one of the world's largest oil shipping ports and halted air traffic toward the international airport in the port city of Jiddah. While Houthi-claimed attacks on Saudi Arabia rarely cause substantial damage, such strikes have roiled the world economy and raise the risk of a disruption in global oil supplies.&nbsp;

Netanyahu was slated to make the first official visit by an Israeli leader to the United Arab Emirates, half a year after the countries established formal relations. He had hoped to use the audience with the UAE's crown prince to boost his reelection campaign less than two weeks before Israel's March 23 parliamentary elections.&nbsp;

The Prime Minister's Office said it had difficulties coordinating the flight over Jordanian airspace after Jordan's crown prince canceled a visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a sensitive holy site under Jordanian custodianship, due to disagreements over security arrangements.&nbsp;

The prime minister insisted that relations between the two countries were positive, adding that Jordan needs good relations with us no less than we need good relations with Jordan.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was deterred from flying to the United Arab Emirates through Saudi Arabian airspace last week because of the threat of missile fire from Iranian proxies in Yemen.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was deterred from flying to the United Arab Emirates through Saudi Arabian airspace last week because of the threat of missile fire from Iranian proxies in Yemen. Netanyahu, whose comments came on Saturday, had called off a visit to the Emirates last week over a spat with neighbouring Jordan, which had temporarily closed its airspace to the Israeli prime minister's flight. But rather than bypass Jordanian airspace and take a more southerly route across Saudi skies, Netanyahu told Israel's Channel 13, there were also problems a week ago in the skies of Saudi Arabia, referring to recent missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. Netanyahu did not elaborate, nor did he say his plane was targeted by the Iran-backed Houthis. Yemen's Houthi rebels, who control the capital and much of the country's north, have escalated their cross-border attacks on critical Saudi infrastructure in recent weeks, crashing bomb-laden drones and missiles into the kingdom's Patriot missile batteries and revealing gaps in the country's defenses. Last week, missiles and drones hit one of the world's largest oil shipping ports and halted air traffic toward the international airport in the port city of Jiddah. While Houthi-claimed attacks on Saudi Arabia rarely cause substantial damage, such strikes have roiled the world economy and raise the risk of a disruption in global oil supplies. Netanyahu was slated to make the first official visit by an Israeli leader to the United Arab Emirates, half a year after the countries established formal relations. He had hoped to use the audience with the UAE's crown prince to boost his reelection campaign less than two weeks before Israel's March 23 parliamentary elections. The Prime Minister's Office said it had difficulties coordinating the flight over Jordanian airspace after Jordan's crown prince canceled a visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, a sensitive holy site under Jordanian custodianship, due to disagreements over security arrangements. The prime minister insisted that relations between the two countries were positive, adding that Jordan needs good relations with us no less than we need good relations with Jordan. (With inputs from agencies)

Israeli PM avoided Saudi airspace due to Houthi missiles 

After losing the Islamabad seat in the Senate polls, the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan took a vote of confidence in the parliament. He won the vote but remains on a sticky wicket as he is bracing for yet another electoral challenge on March 12 when Pakistan's Senate will vote to elect the chairperson.&nbsp;

The Opposition has united behind one nominee, Yousaf Raza Gilani and since it enjoys the majority in the Senate, it may very well elect him to the post. As for the vote of confidence on Saturday, Khan arrived in Pakistan's national assembly to test his clout to dispel suggestions that he had lost the support of the majority of his lawmakers. So, he took a trust vote and secured 178 votes, six more than what he needed.&nbsp;

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, while announcing the results, said, "Now, I announce the result, 178 members recorded their vote in the favour of resolution, and resolution is passed. Consequently, Imran Khan has obtained the vote of confidence from the national assembly and the command the confidence of the majority of the members of the national assembly as prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan."&nbsp;

So, Khan has won but the fact that he's trying to sell it off as a hard-fought victory is a bit absurd. The result of this vote was a foregone conclusion. Out of the 340 lawmakers in Pakistan's National Assembly, 157 are from his own party PTI, 20 others are from allied parties and there are two independents that support the PTI. Khan had to win the trust vote. This was just a political stunt to divert attention away from the PTI's defeat in Islamabad and to show the control Imran Khan still maintains in the parliament.&nbsp;

Outside the parliament, his goons took care of the rest. Three short videos tell the tale about the dire state of affairs in Pakistani politics.&nbsp;

The first one shows Imran Khan's supporters heckling Opposition leaders. Some of them brought shoes to provoke them and some of them even got into a scuffle with Opposition leaders. In the second video, a shoe is getting tossed at PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal and the third video shows one PTI supporter involved in a physical altercation with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the man in the black waistcoat. He happens to be the former prime minister of Pakistan.&nbsp;

Now, former prime ministers are getting attacked in broad daylight. Forget a vote of confidence, Pakistan needs a vote of conscience and perhaps China feels it can fill that gap.&nbsp;

Chinese representatives in Pakistan are telling people what to do and this is a completely different story. &nbsp;

Zhang Heqing, Beijing's cultural counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, recently tweeted a video of a Chinese girl doing what he called the 'Xinjiang dance'. The caption read, 'Off your hijab, let me see your eyes'. An awful statement to make irrespective of how one views the hijab, it did not go down well with the people of Pakistan. There were a thousand tweets condemning his post. Zhang Heqing had to delete it but it does not change a thing.&nbsp;

Thousands of Uighur women are being subjected to such derogatory treatment on a daily basis as the prime minister of Pakistan feigns total ignorance about the issue. His silence may be keeping China happy but it's not helping Pakistan's economy. Pakistan's debt-GDP ratio has reached 87%, that is 10 per cent more than the ideal ratio. In 2013, this ratio was 63.8% and in 2019, it grew to 86% and now it stands at 87.&nbsp;

Islamabad is borrowing more than it can afford. It is sinking deeper into debt, with no prospects of a decent GDP growth in the coming years. So, Imran Khan may hold as many trust votes as he wants and target as many former prime ministers as he wants and remain silent on the persecution of Muslims elsewhere as he much he likes, it may help him fool the people of Pakistan but he cannot fool the rest of the world.&nbsp;

After losing the Islamabad seat in the Senate polls, the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan took a vote of confidence in the parliament. He won the vote but remains on a sticky wicket as he is bracing for yet another electoral challenge on March 12 when Pakistan's Senate will vote to elect the chairperson.

After losing the Islamabad seat in the Senate polls, the Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan took a vote of confidence in the parliament. He won the vote but remains on a sticky wicket as he is bracing for yet another electoral challenge on March 12 when Pakistan's Senate will vote to elect the chairperson. The Opposition has united behind one nominee, Yousaf Raza Gilani and since it enjoys the majority in the Senate, it may very well elect him to the post. As for the vote of confidence on Saturday, Khan arrived in Pakistan's national assembly to test his clout to dispel suggestions that he had lost the support of the majority of his lawmakers. So, he took a trust vote and secured 178 votes, six more than what he needed. National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, while announcing the results, said, "Now, I announce the result, 178 members recorded their vote in the favour of resolution, and resolution is passed. Consequently, Imran Khan has obtained the vote of confidence from the national assembly and the command the confidence of the majority of the members of the national assembly as prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan." So, Khan has won but the fact that he's trying to sell it off as a hard-fought victory is a bit absurd. The result of this vote was a foregone conclusion. Out of the 340 lawmakers in Pakistan's National Assembly, 157 are from his own party PTI, 20 others are from allied parties and there are two independents that support the PTI. Khan had to win the trust vote. This was just a political stunt to divert attention away from the PTI's defeat in Islamabad and to show the control Imran Khan still maintains in the parliament. Outside the parliament, his goons took care of the rest. Three short videos tell the tale about the dire state of affairs in Pakistani politics. The first one shows Imran Khan's supporters heckling Opposition leaders. Some of them brought shoes to provoke them and some of them even got into a scuffle with Opposition leaders. In the second video, a shoe is getting tossed at PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal and the third video shows one PTI supporter involved in a physical altercation with Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the man in the black waistcoat. He happens to be the former prime minister of Pakistan. Now, former prime ministers are getting attacked in broad daylight. Forget a vote of confidence, Pakistan needs a vote of conscience and perhaps China feels it can fill that gap. Chinese representatives in Pakistan are telling people what to do and this is a completely different story. Zhang Heqing, Beijing's cultural counsellor at the Chinese embassy in Islamabad, recently tweeted a video of a Chinese girl doing what he called the 'Xinjiang dance'. The caption read, 'Off your hijab, let me see your eyes'. An awful statement to make irrespective of how one views the hijab, it did not go down well with the people of Pakistan. There were a thousand tweets condemning his post. Zhang Heqing had to delete it but it does not change a thing. Thousands of Uighur women are being subjected to such derogatory treatment on a daily basis as the prime minister of Pakistan feigns total ignorance about the issue. His silence may be keeping China happy but it's not helping Pakistan's economy. Pakistan's debt-GDP ratio has reached 87%, that is 10 per cent more than the ideal ratio. In 2013, this ratio was 63.8% and in 2019, it grew to 86% and now it stands at 87. Islamabad is borrowing more than it can afford. It is sinking deeper into debt, with no prospects of a decent GDP growth in the coming years. So, Imran Khan may hold as many trust votes as he wants and target as many former prime ministers as he wants and remain silent on the persecution of Muslims elsewhere as he much he likes, it may help him fool the people of Pakistan but he cannot fool the rest of the world.

Pakistani PM's electoral challenges reveal dire state of affairs

The chief of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Sunday rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vote of confidence, terming it without any constitutional or legal validity, and dared him to take trust vote directly from the nation, reported The News International. &nbsp;

Speaking at a press conference, Fazlur said that the vote of confidence is initiated by the President, but the session summoned by the President on Khan's call has no legal or constitutional validity.&nbsp;

"A President sends the motion for the vote of confidence on the knowledge of the dwindling strength of the Prime Minister in the Senate and this does not involve summary by the fake Prime Minister," said the PDM chief."&nbsp;

The PDM does not recognise today's session nor does it recognise the fake Prime Minister," added Fazlur.&nbsp;

He said, "We know, who knocked at the doors of the Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), to ensure they caste vote in favour of Imran Khan." &nbsp;

He also reprimanded Imran's party (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) ruffians attack on the press conference of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders on Saturday where former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator Musadiq Malik, PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb PML-N Sr Vice President Ahsan Iqbal were physically attacked and harassed.&nbsp;

Fazlur termed it shameful, calling it an attack on the entire opposition alliance. Agitated over harassing of the PML-N leaders, Fazl said we can show a stronger reaction against the government. He warned if the PDM retaliated, there will be no space left for PTI leadership to escape. &nbsp;

Fazl said the PTI ruffians attacked decent leaders and dared the prime minister to take trust vote directly from the nation, reported The News International.&nbsp;

Moreover, the PDM chief said it is ironic that Imran Khan talks about the state of Madina, but goes to China to praise their system and in America sings praise for theirs, reported The News International.&nbsp;

Further, Fazlur said that arresting or harassing his party members by (National Accountability Bureau) NAB does not affect him. He warned NAB officials not to harass or victimise the opposition members. &nbsp;

He said the NAB would be abolished by the next elected government. Earlier also the opposition had levelled charges against the NAB of committing grave human rights violations, custodial deaths, and of being used by Khan's government to weaken the PDM. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The chief of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Sunday rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vote of confidence, terming it without any constitutional or legal validity, and dared him to take trust vote directly from the nation, reported The News International.

The chief of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, on Sunday rejected Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vote of confidence, terming it without any constitutional or legal validity, and dared him to take trust vote directly from the nation, reported The News International. Speaking at a press conference, Fazlur said that the vote of confidence is initiated by the President, but the session summoned by the President on Khan's call has no legal or constitutional validity. "A President sends the motion for the vote of confidence on the knowledge of the dwindling strength of the Prime Minister in the Senate and this does not involve summary by the fake Prime Minister," said the PDM chief." The PDM does not recognise today's session nor does it recognise the fake Prime Minister," added Fazlur. He said, "We know, who knocked at the doors of the Members of the National Assembly (MNAs), to ensure they caste vote in favour of Imran Khan." He also reprimanded Imran's party (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) ruffians attack on the press conference of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders on Saturday where former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Senator Musadiq Malik, PML-N Marriyum Aurangzeb PML-N Sr Vice President Ahsan Iqbal were physically attacked and harassed. Fazlur termed it shameful, calling it an attack on the entire opposition alliance. Agitated over harassing of the PML-N leaders, Fazl said we can show a stronger reaction against the government. He warned if the PDM retaliated, there will be no space left for PTI leadership to escape. Fazl said the PTI ruffians attacked decent leaders and dared the prime minister to take trust vote directly from the nation, reported The News International. Moreover, the PDM chief said it is ironic that Imran Khan talks about the state of Madina, but goes to China to praise their system and in America sings praise for theirs, reported The News International. Further, Fazlur said that arresting or harassing his party members by (National Accountability Bureau) NAB does not affect him. He warned NAB officials not to harass or victimise the opposition members. He said the NAB would be abolished by the next elected government. Earlier also the opposition had levelled charges against the NAB of committing grave human rights violations, custodial deaths, and of being used by Khan's government to weaken the PDM. (With inputs from agencies)

PDM chief dares PM Imran Khan to take trust vote from masses 

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab threatened on Saturday to stop performing his duties to pressure politicians to form a new government.&nbsp;

"If seclusion helps with cabinet formation, then I am ready to resort to it, although it goes against my convictions for it disrupts the entire state and is detrimental to the Lebanese," Diab said in a speech.&nbsp;

Diab's cabinet resigned on the back of the August 4 Beirut port explosion that devastated swathes of the capital.&nbsp;

Prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri was nominated in October but has failed to form a new cabinet so far due to political deadlock between him and President Michel Aoun.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and dumpsters across Lebanon recently after the currency tumbled to a new low in a financial meltdown that has fueled poverty.&nbsp;

"We can't bear it anymore...The dollar is going up and they don't care about us. They're still dividing up their gains," Rabih Khaled, who has been unemployed for months, said at one of the protests.&nbsp;

Crushed under a mountain of debt, Lebanon is grappling with a financial crisis that has wiped out jobs, raised warnings of growing hunger and locked people out of their bank deposits.&nbsp;

The collapse of the Lebanese pound, which fell to 10,000 to the dollar on Tuesday, has slashed about 85% of its value in a country relying heavily on imports.&nbsp;

The decline was the last straw for many who have seen prices of consumer goods such as diapers or cereals nearly triple since the crisis erupted.&nbsp;

"They're taking away our dignity. We came down today to say no we have dignity ... We are not insects. They are controlling the dollar for your interests to steal money from the people," 43-year-old Tawfik Marei said.&nbsp;

Protesters shut down a main highway out of the capital Beirut and the airport road. People took to the streets in other cities as well after the cost of scarce dollars hit 10,000 Lebanese pounds on the informal market.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab threatened on Saturday to stop performing his duties to pressure politicians to form a new government. "If seclusion helps with cabinet formation, then I am ready to resort to it, although it goes against my convictions for it disrupts the entire state and is detrimental to the Lebanese," Diab said in a speech.

Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab threatened on Saturday to stop performing his duties to pressure politicians to form a new government. "If seclusion helps with cabinet formation, then I am ready to resort to it, although it goes against my convictions for it disrupts the entire state and is detrimental to the Lebanese," Diab said in a speech. Diab's cabinet resigned on the back of the August 4 Beirut port explosion that devastated swathes of the capital. Prime minister-designate Saad al-Hariri was nominated in October but has failed to form a new cabinet so far due to political deadlock between him and President Michel Aoun. Meanwhile, protesters blocked roads with burning tyres and dumpsters across Lebanon recently after the currency tumbled to a new low in a financial meltdown that has fueled poverty. "We can't bear it anymore...The dollar is going up and they don't care about us. They're still dividing up their gains," Rabih Khaled, who has been unemployed for months, said at one of the protests. Crushed under a mountain of debt, Lebanon is grappling with a financial crisis that has wiped out jobs, raised warnings of growing hunger and locked people out of their bank deposits. The collapse of the Lebanese pound, which fell to 10,000 to the dollar on Tuesday, has slashed about 85% of its value in a country relying heavily on imports. The decline was the last straw for many who have seen prices of consumer goods such as diapers or cereals nearly triple since the crisis erupted. "They're taking away our dignity. We came down today to say no we have dignity ... We are not insects. They are controlling the dollar for your interests to steal money from the people," 43-year-old Tawfik Marei said. Protesters shut down a main highway out of the capital Beirut and the airport road. People took to the streets in other cities as well after the cost of scarce dollars hit 10,000 Lebanese pounds on the informal market. (With inputs from agencies)

Caretaker PM threatens to stop running government in Lebanon 

Pakistan opposition leader Maryam Nawaz said the trust vote secured by Prime Minister Imran Khan in National Assembly has 'no worth' as he had forced lawmakers on gunpoint to vote for him. &nbsp;

Speaking to reporters just after the conclusion of the National Assembly (NA) session, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Maryam said that the government turned the Parliament lodges into a bunker and government members were assigned to each of the 16 MNAs, who had allegedly sold their votes in the Senate polls to ensure their presence for the vote of confidence, Dawn reported. &nbsp;

"What worth does a vote have that you got by telling [MNAs] on gunpoint: 'Give me the vote or I won't spare you'?" she asked. Pakistan Opposition on Saturday rejected the confidence vote cast in favour of the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan during a National Assembly (NA) session, said Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. &nbsp;

Speaking to media in Sukkur just after the NA session concluded, Rehman said that the Constitution clearly stated that the president can summon a session "if he believes that the prime minister does not hold majority", Dawn reported.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Imran Khan won a trust vote in the National Assembly (NA) with his party securing votes above a majority mark in the 342-member lower house of parliament. &nbsp;

Khan decided to take a vote of confidence after finance minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, on Wednesday, faced a drubbing in the Senate election, reinforcing the Opposition to demand the Prime Minister's resignation.&nbsp;

"Here, the session was called over a summary by the fake prime minister. Summary is not involved in summoning such sessions, all of this is a drama," said the JUI-F chief, who is not part of the NA. &nbsp;

"We don't accept today's Assembly session, nor do we accept the confidence vote. This was not a confidence vote. We know which agencies watched the members of the assembly the entire night. [We know] who knocked on the doors of each member to ensure they were present," he added. &nbsp;

Rehman, who is the chief of the opposition alliance PDM, alleged that MNAs were 'forcefully' made to vote for Prime Minister Imran. He urged the premier to 'be courageous and ask the public to cast a vote of confidence [by] conducting a new election'.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Pakistan opposition leader Maryam Nawaz said the trust vote secured by Prime Minister Imran Khan in National Assembly has 'no worth' as he had forced lawmakers on gunpoint to vote for him.

Pakistan opposition leader Maryam Nawaz said the trust vote secured by Prime Minister Imran Khan in National Assembly has 'no worth' as he had forced lawmakers on gunpoint to vote for him. Speaking to reporters just after the conclusion of the National Assembly (NA) session, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) leader Maryam said that the government turned the Parliament lodges into a bunker and government members were assigned to each of the 16 MNAs, who had allegedly sold their votes in the Senate polls to ensure their presence for the vote of confidence, Dawn reported. "What worth does a vote have that you got by telling [MNAs] on gunpoint: 'Give me the vote or I won't spare you'?" she asked. Pakistan Opposition on Saturday rejected the confidence vote cast in favour of the country's Prime Minister Imran Khan during a National Assembly (NA) session, said Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Speaking to media in Sukkur just after the NA session concluded, Rehman said that the Constitution clearly stated that the president can summon a session "if he believes that the prime minister does not hold majority", Dawn reported. Earlier in the day, Imran Khan won a trust vote in the National Assembly (NA) with his party securing votes above a majority mark in the 342-member lower house of parliament. Khan decided to take a vote of confidence after finance minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, on Wednesday, faced a drubbing in the Senate election, reinforcing the Opposition to demand the Prime Minister's resignation. "Here, the session was called over a summary by the fake prime minister. Summary is not involved in summoning such sessions, all of this is a drama," said the JUI-F chief, who is not part of the NA. "We don't accept today's Assembly session, nor do we accept the confidence vote. This was not a confidence vote. We know which agencies watched the members of the assembly the entire night. [We know] who knocked on the doors of each member to ensure they were present," he added. Rehman, who is the chief of the opposition alliance PDM, alleged that MNAs were 'forcefully' made to vote for Prime Minister Imran. He urged the premier to 'be courageous and ask the public to cast a vote of confidence [by] conducting a new election'. (With inputs from agencies)

Trust vote won by Pak PM has 'no worth', says Maryam Nawaz 

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga apologised on Monday following the resignation of a key spokeswoman, who along with other senior bureaucrats were reprimanded for attending expensive dinners hosted by Suga's son.&nbsp;

Makiko Yamada, Cabinet Public Relations Secretary, tendered her resignation from hospital after being admitted for ill health, the government said.&nbsp;

Suga's administration and the 60-year-old spokeswoman faced public criticism after magazine Shukan Bunshun last month reported that Suga's eldest son, Seigo Suga, an executive at a company producing television programmes for satellite broadcaster, paid for expensive dinners for senior bureaucrats.&nbsp;

Japan's National Civil Service Ethics Law prohibits government employees from receiving gifts or entertainment from companies or individuals that could be seen to curry favour.&nbsp;

"I'm very sorry that a member of my family was involved in behaviour resulting in public servants breaching the ethics law, and I apologise deeply to citizens," Suga told parliament. "I deeply regret that it has come to a situation, where people's trust in the administration has been damaged."&nbsp;

Yamada's dinner with Suga's son and other executives at the company, one of several that prompted reprimands for 11 bureaucrats, cost 74,203 yen ($696) per person, according to local media reports.&nbsp;

Yamada admission to hospital meant she missed a Monday parliamentary committee meeting where opposition politicians were expected to question her about her dinner with the younger Suga, which was in 2019 when she was an official at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.&nbsp;

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga apologised on Monday following the resignation of a key spokeswoman, who along with other senior bureaucrats were reprimanded for attending expensive dinners hosted by Suga's son.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga apologised on Monday following the resignation of a key spokeswoman, who along with other senior bureaucrats were reprimanded for attending expensive dinners hosted by Suga's son. Makiko Yamada, Cabinet Public Relations Secretary, tendered her resignation from hospital after being admitted for ill health, the government said. Suga's administration and the 60-year-old spokeswoman faced public criticism after magazine Shukan Bunshun last month reported that Suga's eldest son, Seigo Suga, an executive at a company producing television programmes for satellite broadcaster, paid for expensive dinners for senior bureaucrats. Japan's National Civil Service Ethics Law prohibits government employees from receiving gifts or entertainment from companies or individuals that could be seen to curry favour. "I'm very sorry that a member of my family was involved in behaviour resulting in public servants breaching the ethics law, and I apologise deeply to citizens," Suga told parliament. "I deeply regret that it has come to a situation, where people's trust in the administration has been damaged." Yamada's dinner with Suga's son and other executives at the company, one of several that prompted reprimands for 11 bureaucrats, cost 74,203 yen ($696) per person, according to local media reports. Yamada admission to hospital meant she missed a Monday parliamentary committee meeting where opposition politicians were expected to question her about her dinner with the younger Suga, which was in 2019 when she was an official at the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

Japan PM apologises after spokeswoman resigns over expensive dinners scandal 

Nepal's embattled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will not resign but face a floor test in parliament instead, an associate said on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court rejected his decision to dissolve the legislature and call early elections.

In a landmark ruling, a five-member constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher on Tuesday annulled the Oli government's "unconstitutional" decision to dissolve the 275-member lower house of Parliament. The court also ordered the government to summon the House session within the next 13 days. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/nepal-supreme-court-overturns-prime-minister-kp-sharma-olis-house-dissolution-365693">Also read: Nepal Supreme Court overturns Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's House dissolution</a> 
 
Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP).

Oli's Press Advisor Surya Thapa said the prime minister, who turned 69 this week, intends to implement the verdict of the apex court after facing Parliament that is due to convene within two weeks.

"The Supreme Court's verdict is controversial, however, it should be accepted and implemented. Its effects will be seen in the future as the decision has not provided any solution to the political problems," Thapa said.

He claimed that the apex court's verdict will further fuel instability and pave way for power-play.

"The Prime Minister will face the House of Representatives to implement the verdict but will not tender his resignation as of now," Thapa was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times.

Oli's Chief Advisor Bishnu Rimal, mirroring Thapa's sentiments, said that all will have to accept the court's decision. "However, it provides no solution to existing political complications," Rimal said.

Thapa’s reaction comes amid mounting pressure on the prime minister to step down following the court verdict.

A large section of the Nepalese media welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict that reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives. They hailed the decision, saying it has upheld democratic values and safeguarded the Constitution.

"By passing a judgment, the Supreme Court has once again stood by the people, and reestablished the notion of an independent judiciary,” wrote The Kathmandu Post in its editorial."

"Now the House has been reinstated and the politics will return to Parliament, the problems are not yet over. There are too many players in the House with no one controlling the majority and the risk of the dirty game of horse-trading could start soon," the daily warned.

Naya Patrika daily termed the ruling a “defeat for an autocratic ruler” and a “victory for democracy and a challenge for the future.”

"If both the factions of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) could utilise the opportunity created by the House reinstatement in a constructive way, it would benefit all the party, the cadres and leaders of the party as well as the entire nation," the Annapurna Post said in its editorial.

"One should use conscience so that the country would not plunge into another political crisis and confrontation," it said.

Meanwhile, Vice-president of the CPN Bamdev Gautam, who has so far maintained a balance between Oli and his rivals Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal, has urged the prime minister to step down.

"As the court verdict has proven that the PM's step was unconstitutional, he must resign immediately," Gautam said.

Bhim Rawal, the Sudurpaschim in-charge of the Dahal-Nepal faction of Nepal Communist Party (NCP), has said on Wednesday Oli should apologise to the people.

"KP Sharma Oli should personally apologise to the nation for dissolving the parliament. If he resigns from the post of Prime Minister on moral grounds and asks for forgiveness from NCP, then only can the party become positive towards him," The Himalayan Times quoted Rawal as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)

Nepal's embattled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will not resign but face a floor test in parliament instead, an associate said on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court rejected his decision to dissolve the legislature and call early elections.

Nepal's embattled Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will not resign but face a floor test in parliament instead, an associate said on Wednesday, a day after the Supreme Court rejected his decision to dissolve the legislature and call early elections. In a landmark ruling, a five-member constitutional bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher on Tuesday annulled the Oli government's "unconstitutional" decision to dissolve the 275-member lower house of Parliament. The court also ordered the government to summon the House session within the next 13 days. Also read: Nepal Supreme Court overturns Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's House dissolution Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Oli's Press Advisor Surya Thapa said the prime minister, who turned 69 this week, intends to implement the verdict of the apex court after facing Parliament that is due to convene within two weeks. "The Supreme Court's verdict is controversial, however, it should be accepted and implemented. Its effects will be seen in the future as the decision has not provided any solution to the political problems," Thapa said. He claimed that the apex court's verdict will further fuel instability and pave way for power-play. "The Prime Minister will face the House of Representatives to implement the verdict but will not tender his resignation as of now," Thapa was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times. Oli's Chief Advisor Bishnu Rimal, mirroring Thapa's sentiments, said that all will have to accept the court's decision. "However, it provides no solution to existing political complications," Rimal said. Thapa’s reaction comes amid mounting pressure on the prime minister to step down following the court verdict. A large section of the Nepalese media welcomed the Supreme Court's verdict that reinstated the dissolved House of Representatives. They hailed the decision, saying it has upheld democratic values and safeguarded the Constitution. "By passing a judgment, the Supreme Court has once again stood by the people, and reestablished the notion of an independent judiciary,” wrote The Kathmandu Post in its editorial." "Now the House has been reinstated and the politics will return to Parliament, the problems are not yet over. There are too many players in the House with no one controlling the majority and the risk of the dirty game of horse-trading could start soon," the daily warned. Naya Patrika daily termed the ruling a “defeat for an autocratic ruler” and a “victory for democracy and a challenge for the future.” "If both the factions of the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) could utilise the opportunity created by the House reinstatement in a constructive way, it would benefit all the party, the cadres and leaders of the party as well as the entire nation," the Annapurna Post said in its editorial. "One should use conscience so that the country would not plunge into another political crisis and confrontation," it said. Meanwhile, Vice-president of the CPN Bamdev Gautam, who has so far maintained a balance between Oli and his rivals Prachanda and Madhav Kumar Nepal, has urged the prime minister to step down. "As the court verdict has proven that the PM's step was unconstitutional, he must resign immediately," Gautam said. Bhim Rawal, the Sudurpaschim in-charge of the Dahal-Nepal faction of Nepal Communist Party (NCP), has said on Wednesday Oli should apologise to the people. "KP Sharma Oli should personally apologise to the nation for dissolving the parliament. If he resigns from the post of Prime Minister on moral grounds and asks for forgiveness from NCP, then only can the party become positive towards him," The Himalayan Times quoted Rawal as saying. (With inputs from agencies)

Nepal PM in no mood to resign, prepared to face Parliament: Oli's Press Advisor

A special bench of the Supreme Court of Nepal has reinstated the Lower House of the Parliament which was dissolved by the government of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli in December 2020.&nbsp;

The SC has deemed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's decision to dissolve the House as an unconstitutional move, thereby overturning the decision. With this, the house will be reinstated.

The Constitutional Bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana has directed the government to summon a session of the House of Representatives within 13 days.

Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after Oli, in a surprise move, dissolved the House of Representatives, amidst a tussle for power with his rival Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. His move to dissolve the 275-member House had sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda, also a co-chair of the ruling party.

Oli repeatedly defended his move to dissolve the House of Representatives, saying some leaders of his party were attempting to form a "parallel government".

As many as 13 writ petitions including the one by the ruling Nepal Communist Party's Chief Whip Dev Prasad Gurung were filed at the apex court seeking the restoration of the lower house parliament.

Just some days ago, Prime Minister Oli had warned of an impending protest if it was ordered for the parliament to be reinstated.

(With inputs from agencies)

A special bench of the Supreme Court of Nepal has reinstated the Lower House of the Parliament which was dissolved by the government of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli in December 2020.

A special bench of the Supreme Court of Nepal has reinstated the Lower House of the Parliament which was dissolved by the government of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli in December 2020. The SC has deemed Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's decision to dissolve the House as an unconstitutional move, thereby overturning the decision. With this, the house will be reinstated. The Constitutional Bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana has directed the government to summon a session of the House of Representatives within 13 days. Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after Oli, in a surprise move, dissolved the House of Representatives, amidst a tussle for power with his rival Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda'. His move to dissolve the 275-member House had sparked protests from a large section of the NCP led by Prachanda, also a co-chair of the ruling party. Oli repeatedly defended his move to dissolve the House of Representatives, saying some leaders of his party were attempting to form a "parallel government". As many as 13 writ petitions including the one by the ruling Nepal Communist Party's Chief Whip Dev Prasad Gurung were filed at the apex court seeking the restoration of the lower house parliament. Just some days ago, Prime Minister Oli had warned of an impending protest if it was ordered for the parliament to be reinstated. (With inputs from agencies)

Nepal Supreme Court overturns Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's House dissolution

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