Did the United States develop a plan to capture the Venezuelan President? Nicolas Maduro is now moving the ICJ against Donald Trump - after the capture of an alleged US mercenary. Watch WION's ground report from Venezuela.

Nicolas Maduro blames Donald Trump for incursion | WION Ground Report

Minorities are being hit harder by COVID-19. In United States 58% deaths in counties with more black residents. Watch report.

US: 58% deaths in counties with more black residents

As part of the mission 'Vande Bharat' which has been intitiated by the Indian government to bring back all Indian citizens stranded in other countries due to coronavirus COVID-19 lockdown, over 1,000 people will be evacuated today.

Over 1,000 people to be evacuated on day 2 of India's Vande Bharat Mission

The former President of the United Nations Security Council has said "differences over the role of the World Health Organization" has "stalled" any outcomes over COVID resolution at the core UN body. Speaking exclusively to our Principal Diplomatic Correspondent Sidhant Sibal from New York, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations José Singer Weisinger said that "Security Council can’t remain silent" and "cannot remain inactive towards the response." While the first case of COVID was first reported China's Wuhan in December, it was only during the Presidency of the Dominican Republic in April that it was formally discussed.

José Singer: UNSC can’t remain inactive towards the response

Did the United States develop a plan to capture the Venezuelan President? Nicolas Maduro is now moving the ICJ against Donald Trump - after the capture of an alleged US mercenary. WION's Palki Sharma gets the story.

Gravitas: Did the U.S. plan a coup in Venezuela?

Nearly a fifth of young children in the United States are not getting enough to eat since the coronavirus pandemic erupted, according to research out Wednesday highlighting the broader health impact of the crisis.

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Air India has announced that it will resume bookings for evacuation flights for people who wish to travel to London, Singapore and select destinations in the US.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FlyAI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FlyAI</a> : Important Update for passengers regarding evacuation flights from India. Please visit <a href="https://t.co/FOAixDQ0Qo">https://t.co/FOAixDQ0Qo</a> for details. <a href="https://t.co/O23kcKLVlU">pic.twitter.com/O23kcKLVlU</a>
— Air India (@airindiain) <a href="https://twitter.com/airindiain/status/1258084784389017600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The flights will operate from May 08 to May 14. These flights are specifically for people who are stranded and wish to be evacuated. These outgoing flights will have certain rules in place.

Air India will only be allowing the eligible passengers to board the flight. The eligibility will depend on the nationality status with respect to the destination countries, i.e., the passenger should either hold a green card/permanent residency or a one-year valid visa.

The passengers will have to go through thermal screening, compulsorily wear face masks and follow all protocols of social distancing at all times.

The entire cost of the travel will be borne by the passenger. In addition to this, if the passenger is quarantined or deported, he/she will have to bear the entire cost for that too.

The bookings can be made through Air India's official website.

Air India has announced that it will resume bookings for evacuation flights for people who wish to travel to London, Singapore and select destinations in the US.

Air India has announced that it will resume bookings for evacuation flights for people who wish to travel to London, Singapore and select destinations in the US. #FlyAI : Important Update for passengers regarding evacuation flights from India. Please visit https://t.co/FOAixDQ0Qo for details. pic.twitter.com/O23kcKLVlU — Air India (@airindiain) May 6, 2020 × The flights will operate from May 08 to May 14. These flights are specifically for people who are stranded and wish to be evacuated. These outgoing flights will have certain rules in place. Air India will only be allowing the eligible passengers to board the flight. The eligibility will depend on the nationality status with respect to the destination countries, i.e., the passenger should either hold a green card/permanent residency or a one-year valid visa. The passengers will have to go through thermal screening, compulsorily wear face masks and follow all protocols of social distancing at all times. The entire cost of the travel will be borne by the passenger. In addition to this, if the passenger is quarantined or deported, he/she will have to bear the entire cost for that too. The bookings can be made through Air India's official website.

Air India starts bookings for London, Singapore and the US

As COVID-19 pandemic hits supply and demand in the world, the US private employers laid off a record 20.236 million workers in April. Watch this video to know more.

US: 20.2 million private sectors workers laid off in April

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday renewed his aggressive criticism of China, blaming it for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people from the coronavirus and demanding again that it share information about the outbreak.

Mike Pompeo: China could have prevented thousands of deaths

Venezuelan state television broadcast on Wednesday (May 6) a video of captured American Luke Denman, in which he said he was instructed to seize control of Caracas' airport and bring in a plane to fly President Nicolas Maduro to the United States.

Venezuela state TV airs confession video of alleged American mercenary

Professor Bing Liu was a Chinese-born researcher on American soil. He was studying cellular mechanisms of the coronavirus and he was apparently close to making 'significant findings'. However, he is now dead.

The 37-year-old researcher was found murdered at his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/live-and-let-die-blasts-as-trump-tours-mask-factory-without-wearing-one-297011">Also read:&nbsp;'Live and Let Die' blasts as Trump tours mask factory, without wearing one</a>

The incident took place at around noon on Saturday, May 02. He&nbsp;was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck&nbsp;and torso. His home in the suburbs of Ross township in Pittsburgh was in ruins.

Investigators have been quick to call this an outcome of a love triangle feud, a lengthy dispute which apparently included Hao Gu.

Hao Gu is&nbsp;a 46-year old software engineer and has been identified as the murderer. As per reports, after opening fire on Professor Liu, Hao Gu turned the gun on himself. He, too,&nbsp;was found dead in a car parked just 100 yards away.

It is being called a case of murder-suicide, but investigators have failed to offer additional details about how the two men knew each other.

Here's the twist in the tail. Professor Bing Liu was working at the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Centre. The organisation has issued a statement on his death.

"Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings towards understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie sars-cov-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications," the statement read.

The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the largest newspaper in the city, reported on the 4th of May&nbsp;that Bing Liu's neighbours did not hear any sounds of gunshots on the day of his death, and that a formal ruling by the county medical examiner on the cause of Liu's death is still pending.

The question that now arises is:&nbsp;was it really a murder over a love triangle? Or the outcome of some conspiracy?&nbsp;Are there more secrets hidden in the dark?

These questions have taken America by storm.

Professor Bing Liu was a Chinese-born researcher on American soil. He was studying cellular mechanisms of the coronavirus and he was apparently close to making 'significant findings'.

Professor Bing Liu was a Chinese-born researcher on American soil. He was studying cellular mechanisms of the coronavirus and he was apparently close to making 'significant findings'. However, he is now dead. The 37-year-old researcher was found murdered at his home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Also read: 'Live and Let Die' blasts as Trump tours mask factory, without wearing one The incident took place at around noon on Saturday, May 02. He was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck and torso. His home in the suburbs of Ross township in Pittsburgh was in ruins. Investigators have been quick to call this an outcome of a love triangle feud, a lengthy dispute which apparently included Hao Gu. Hao Gu is a 46-year old software engineer and has been identified as the murderer. As per reports, after opening fire on Professor Liu, Hao Gu turned the gun on himself. He, too, was found dead in a car parked just 100 yards away. It is being called a case of murder-suicide, but investigators have failed to offer additional details about how the two men knew each other. Here's the twist in the tail. Professor Bing Liu was working at the University of Pittsburgh's Medical Centre. The organisation has issued a statement on his death. "Bing was on the verge of making very significant findings towards understanding the cellular mechanisms that underlie sars-cov-2 infection and the cellular basis of the following complications," the statement read. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the largest newspaper in the city, reported on the 4th of May that Bing Liu's neighbours did not hear any sounds of gunshots on the day of his death, and that a formal ruling by the county medical examiner on the cause of Liu's death is still pending. The question that now arises is: was it really a murder over a love triangle? Or the outcome of some conspiracy? Are there more secrets hidden in the dark? These questions have taken America by storm.

Love triangle or conspiracy? Questions around Professor Bing Liu's death remain unanswered

US President Donald Trump has described the coronavirus pandemic as the "worst attack" ever on the United States. Renewing his criticism of China on Wednesday over the global coronavirus pandemic and said it has been worse for the United States than Pearl Harbor and 9/11.

Donald Trump: Coronavirus pandemic 'worse' than Pearl Harbor, 9/11

Air India's first repatriation flight took off from Kochi for Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. The flight will be bringing back Indian nationals to the country soon.

Air India Express IX419 is being used for the biggest repatriation operation of the Indian government to bring back the&nbsp;Indian nationals stranded in the Gulf countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/operation-samudra-setu-ins-jalashwa-set-to-evacuate-stranded-indians-from-maldives-297209">Also read:&nbsp;Operation Samudra Setu: INS Jalashwa set to evacuate stranded Indians from Maldives</a>

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1st flight with 175 stranded Indians from abroad will land in Kochi from Abu Dhabi at around 2140 hrs. The second flight will also be to Kerala, having 175 stranded Indians. 
 
Location of pic: India's operation room, Dubai<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COVID?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COVID</a> <a href="https://t.co/jbaDRQ31de">https://t.co/jbaDRQ31de</a> <a href="https://t.co/ARJTc71i3u">pic.twitter.com/ARJTc71i3u</a>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1258342149373952001?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The first flight will land in Kerala&nbsp;around 9:40pm. The Kochi flight is bringing back 175 Indian nationals from Abu Dhabi.&nbsp;The second flight will also bring 175 stranded Indians from Dubai to Kozhikode, and will land around 10:30pm.

Air India will continue the rescue operation for Indians stranded in&nbsp;Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Muscat, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Malaysia, Philippines, UAE, Bangladesh, the US and the UK.

However, the focus remains on the Gulf countries, where around 3 lakh people are stranded, according to reports.

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Repatriation of Indian nationals begins from UAE<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Covid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Covid</a> <a href="https://t.co/rrbouSfDfo">https://t.co/rrbouSfDfo</a> <a href="https://t.co/rKCuADft7E">pic.twitter.com/rKCuADft7E</a>
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) <a href="https://twitter.com/sidhant/status/1258360615246200832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/shramik-trains-over-163-run-so-far-more-than-160-lakh-migrants-ferried-297207">Also read:&nbsp;Shramik Trains: Over 163 run so far, more than 1.60 lakh migrants ferried</a>

Around 14,600 citizens are expected to be brought back to the country in 64 flights within the first week of the operation.

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United Arab Emirates: 177 Indians, including 4 infants have boarded their flight from Abu Dhabi for Kochi, Kerala. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VandeBharatMission?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VandeBharatMission</a> <a href="https://t.co/8d5a4OrYO9">pic.twitter.com/8d5a4OrYO9</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1258382635497209859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 7, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Around 60 pilots and 120 cabin crew members are providing their services in the&nbsp;operation. All the staff members and the workers have been asked to practice precaution and wear PPE suits during the flight.

Before take-off, passengers will be provided with two face masks, one 100ml sanitiser bottle, a snack box and a bottle of water at their respective seats. &nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

Air India's first repatriation flight took off from Kochi for Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. The flight will be bringing back Indian nationals to the country soon.

Air India's first repatriation flight took off from Kochi for Abu Dhabi on Thursday afternoon. The flight will be bringing back Indian nationals to the country soon. Air India Express IX419 is being used for the biggest repatriation operation of the Indian government to bring back the Indian nationals stranded in the Gulf countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Also read: Operation Samudra Setu: INS Jalashwa set to evacuate stranded Indians from Maldives 1st flight with 175 stranded Indians from abroad will land in Kochi from Abu Dhabi at around 2140 hrs. The second flight will also be to Kerala, having 175 stranded Indians. Location of pic: India's operation room, Dubai#COVID https://t.co/jbaDRQ31de pic.twitter.com/ARJTc71i3u — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 7, 2020 × The first flight will land in Kerala around 9:40pm. The Kochi flight is bringing back 175 Indian nationals from Abu Dhabi. The second flight will also bring 175 stranded Indians from Dubai to Kozhikode, and will land around 10:30pm. Air India will continue the rescue operation for Indians stranded in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, Muscat, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Malaysia, Philippines, UAE, Bangladesh, the US and the UK. However, the focus remains on the Gulf countries, where around 3 lakh people are stranded, according to reports. Repatriation of Indian nationals begins from UAE#Covid https://t.co/rrbouSfDfo pic.twitter.com/rKCuADft7E — Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) May 7, 2020 × Also read: Shramik Trains: Over 163 run so far, more than 1.60 lakh migrants ferried Around 14,600 citizens are expected to be brought back to the country in 64 flights within the first week of the operation. United Arab Emirates: 177 Indians, including 4 infants have boarded their flight from Abu Dhabi for Kochi, Kerala. #VandeBharatMission pic.twitter.com/8d5a4OrYO9 — ANI (@ANI) May 7, 2020 × Around 60 pilots and 120 cabin crew members are providing their services in the operation. All the staff members and the workers have been asked to practice precaution and wear PPE suits during the flight. Before take-off, passengers will be provided with two face masks, one 100ml sanitiser bottle, a snack box and a bottle of water at their respective seats. (With inputs from ANI)

India's biggest repatriation operation begins; Air India flight to land in Kochi tonight

Uber Technologies Inc will cut about 3,700 full-time jobs and Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi will forgo his base salary for the remainder of the year, the company said on Wednesday.

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The White House coronavirus task force will wind down as the country moves into a second phase that focuses on the aftermath of the outbreak.

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Gravitas: Is a 'medical cartel' controlling coronavirus supplies in the US?

The United States faces a stark choice in the Middle East if it continues its maximum pressure campaign against Iran: confront the Islamic republic militarily or withdraw from the region.

Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute in Washington and a former head of the National Iranian American Council, recently drew that harsh conclusion. No doubt, Parsi may be correct in the ultimate analysis. US-Iranian tensions could easily spin out of control into an all-out war that neither Iran nor the United States wants.

There are, however, lots of shades of grey that separate long-standing tit-for-tat attacks on US targets – primarily in Iraq, occasional Iranian harassment of US naval vessels in the Gulf, and sporadic US responses, from all-out war.

The United States and Iran have been engaged in tit-for-tat with varying degrees of intensity for years and so far have avoided an uncontrolled escalation despite incidents such as the 1988 downing of Iran Air flight 655, that killed 274 people, and the targeted assassination earlier this year of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.

Leaving aside potential black and grey swans, a more likely scenario is that a US desire to reduce its commitment to Gulf states, increased Gulf doubts about US reliability as a regional security guarantor, and a new world in which Gulf and Western states struggle to come to grips with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, create an environment more conducive to a multilateral security arrangement. One that would reduce the risk of war, even if multilateralism globally seems to be on the retreat.

US President Donald Trump’s threat in early April to cut off military sales to Saudi Arabia, if the kingdom did not bury the hatchet in its oil price war with Russia – sparking the collapse of oil markets, is an inevitable epic battle for market share.

More immediately, it drove the message home in Riyadh that US security guarantees were conditional and reinforced Saudi perceptions that the United States was getting disproportionately more out of its close ties to the kingdom than Saudi Arabia.

The Trump administration, in a little-noticed sign of the times, put Saudi Arabia in late April on a priority watch list for violations of intellectual property rights because of its pirating of sports broadcasting rights owned by Qatar’s beIN television franchise. The listing threatened to complicate Saudi Arabia’s already controversial bid to acquire English soccer club Newcastle United.

It is still too early to assess the geopolitical impact of the global economic downturn. Depressed demand and pricing for oil and gas could enable China to diversify its sourcing and potentially reduce its dependence on the Middle East, a volatile region with heightened security risks. China imported 31 per cent more oil from Russia last month while its intake of Saudi crude slipped by 1.8 per cent compared to March 2019.

At the same time, low oil prices that make US production commercially less viable could temporarily increase Washington’s interest in Gulf security.

Fundamentally, and irrespective of what scenario plays out, little will change. The US will still want to reduce its exposure to the Middle East. For its part, China will still need to secure oil and gas supplies as well as its investments and significant diaspora community in the region while seeking to avoid being sucked into intractable regional conflicts.

By the same token, the gradual revival of economic life, including a probable phased revitalisation of supply chains and international travel, combined with a need to rethink migrant worker housing and create local employment, could alter Middle Eastern perspectives of China’s way of doing business.

China’s Belt-and-Road projects often have a China-wins-twice aspect to them that may have always been problematic but have become even more so in a post-pandemic economic environment. China-funded projects rely by and large on Chinese labour and materials supply rather than local sourcing.

The People’s Republic’s “China First” approach extends beyond economics and commerce. In an environment in which the United States is an irreplaceable but unreliable partner, Gulf states may look differently at Chinese hesitancy to co-shoulder responsibility for regional security with the risk of having to involve itself in multiple conflicts it has so far been able to stay aloof from.

The coronavirus pandemic constitutes a watershed that will colour Middle Eastern attitudes towards all of the region’s foremost external players: the United States, China, and Russia. Prior to the crisis, Russia, the weakest of the three, was playing a weak economic hand well, but may find that more difficult going forward.

Gulf states are likely to conclude that assertive go-it-alone policies are risky and only work in specific circumstances where big powers are either part of the ploy or look the other way. Though such were easier to pursue in a stable economic environment in which their oil and gas revenue base appeared secure.

The United Arab Emirates appears to have read the writing on the wall. It began a year ago to hedge its bets by reaching out to Iran in a bid to ensure that it would not become a theatre of war if US-Iranian tensions were to spin out of control. Still, that has not stopped its support for rebel forces in Libya led by renegade Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar in violation of an international arms embargo.

Trump’s threat of a cut-off in military sales to Saudi Arabia should have driven the point home. Yet, financially and economically weakened, less able to play big powers off against one another, and deprived of any viable alternative options, the kingdom and other Gulf states may find that a multilateral security arrangement that incorporates rather than replaces the United States’ regional defence umbrella is the only security straw they can hold on to.

Nevertheless, in eventually attempting to negotiate a new arrangement, they may also find that they no longer have the kind of leverage they had prior to a pandemic that in many ways has pulled the rug from beneath them.

&nbsp;(First published <a href="https://insidearabia.com/gulf-security-arab-gulf-states-have-no-good-options/">on Inside Arabia</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The United States faces a stark choice in the Middle East if it continues its maximum pressure campaign against Iran: confront the Islamic republic militarily or withdraw from the region.

The United States faces a stark choice in the Middle East if it continues its maximum pressure campaign against Iran: confront the Islamic republic militarily or withdraw from the region. Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute in Washington and a former head of the National Iranian American Council, recently drew that harsh conclusion. No doubt, Parsi may be correct in the ultimate analysis. US-Iranian tensions could easily spin out of control into an all-out war that neither Iran nor the United States wants. There are, however, lots of shades of grey that separate long-standing tit-for-tat attacks on US targets – primarily in Iraq, occasional Iranian harassment of US naval vessels in the Gulf, and sporadic US responses, from all-out war. The United States and Iran have been engaged in tit-for-tat with varying degrees of intensity for years and so far have avoided an uncontrolled escalation despite incidents such as the 1988 downing of Iran Air flight 655, that killed 274 people, and the targeted assassination earlier this year of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. Leaving aside potential black and grey swans, a more likely scenario is that a US desire to reduce its commitment to Gulf states, increased Gulf doubts about US reliability as a regional security guarantor, and a new world in which Gulf and Western states struggle to come to grips with the economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, create an environment more conducive to a multilateral security arrangement. One that would reduce the risk of war, even if multilateralism globally seems to be on the retreat. US President Donald Trump’s threat in early April to cut off military sales to Saudi Arabia, if the kingdom did not bury the hatchet in its oil price war with Russia – sparking the collapse of oil markets, is an inevitable epic battle for market share. More immediately, it drove the message home in Riyadh that US security guarantees were conditional and reinforced Saudi perceptions that the United States was getting disproportionately more out of its close ties to the kingdom than Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration, in a little-noticed sign of the times, put Saudi Arabia in late April on a priority watch list for violations of intellectual property rights because of its pirating of sports broadcasting rights owned by Qatar’s beIN television franchise. The listing threatened to complicate Saudi Arabia’s already controversial bid to acquire English soccer club Newcastle United. It is still too early to assess the geopolitical impact of the global economic downturn. Depressed demand and pricing for oil and gas could enable China to diversify its sourcing and potentially reduce its dependence on the Middle East, a volatile region with heightened security risks. China imported 31 per cent more oil from Russia last month while its intake of Saudi crude slipped by 1.8 per cent compared to March 2019. At the same time, low oil prices that make US production commercially less viable could temporarily increase Washington’s interest in Gulf security. Fundamentally, and irrespective of what scenario plays out, little will change. The US will still want to reduce its exposure to the Middle East. For its part, China will still need to secure oil and gas supplies as well as its investments and significant diaspora community in the region while seeking to avoid being sucked into intractable regional conflicts. By the same token, the gradual revival of economic life, including a probable phased revitalisation of supply chains and international travel, combined with a need to rethink migrant worker housing and create local employment, could alter Middle Eastern perspectives of China’s way of doing business. China’s Belt-and-Road projects often have a China-wins-twice aspect to them that may have always been problematic but have become even more so in a post-pandemic economic environment. China-funded projects rely by and large on Chinese labour and materials supply rather than local sourcing. The People’s Republic’s “China First” approach extends beyond economics and commerce. In an environment in which the United States is an irreplaceable but unreliable partner, Gulf states may look differently at Chinese hesitancy to co-shoulder responsibility for regional security with the risk of having to involve itself in multiple conflicts it has so far been able to stay aloof from. The coronavirus pandemic constitutes a watershed that will colour Middle Eastern attitudes towards all of the region’s foremost external players: the United States, China, and Russia. Prior to the crisis, Russia, the weakest of the three, was playing a weak economic hand well, but may find that more difficult going forward. Gulf states are likely to conclude that assertive go-it-alone policies are risky and only work in specific circumstances where big powers are either part of the ploy or look the other way. Though such were easier to pursue in a stable economic environment in which their oil and gas revenue base appeared secure. The United Arab Emirates appears to have read the writing on the wall. It began a year ago to hedge its bets by reaching out to Iran in a bid to ensure that it would not become a theatre of war if US-Iranian tensions were to spin out of control. Still, that has not stopped its support for rebel forces in Libya led by renegade Field Marshall Khalifa Haftar in violation of an international arms embargo. Trump’s threat of a cut-off in military sales to Saudi Arabia should have driven the point home. Yet, financially and economically weakened, less able to play big powers off against one another, and deprived of any viable alternative options, the kingdom and other Gulf states may find that a multilateral security arrangement that incorporates rather than replaces the United States’ regional defence umbrella is the only security straw they can hold on to. Nevertheless, in eventually attempting to negotiate a new arrangement, they may also find that they no longer have the kind of leverage they had prior to a pandemic that in many ways has pulled the rug from beneath them. (First published on Inside Arabia) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Coronavirus will reshape security and political landscape of Middle East

Angered by the forced closures, the protesters in the United States ignored social distancing guidelines and took to the streets. Watch this report to know more.

US: People take to streets to protest prolonged shutdown

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The US military called on the parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to settle the disagreements through political means and threatened with retaliatory actions if the Taliban militants did not reduce the scale of violence, Col. Sonny Leggett, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, said on Saturday.

Leggett sent a two-page letter to the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, posted on Twitter. According to the US side, all parties must embark on the path of a "political solution" to the conflict, urging Afghans to sit down and start discussing the country`s future.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jammu-and-kashmir-colonel-major-killed-in-kupwara-encounter-296332">Also read:&nbsp;Jammu and Kashmir: Colonel, major killed in Kupwara encounter</a>

"Reducing violence is an absolute necessity--and this is up to the leaders of all military forces-- [Afghan National Security Forces] ANDSF, Taliban fighters and, yes, the Coalition. Attacks generate attacks, while restraint produces restraint. All sides must choose restraint to prevent more killing and violence," Leggett wrote on Twitter.

The Taliban spokesman responded to the call on his social media account, saying that the path to resolution of the conflict "lies in the implementation of the agreement concluded in Doha." He also called upon Washington not to "harm the current state of things".

On February 29, the US and the Taliban inked a peace agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha, according to which an intra-Afghan negotiation was scheduled to begin on March 10. The talks, however, failed to begin due to disagreements between Kabul and the Taliban, in particular on the subject of the prisoner exchange.&nbsp;

The US military called on the parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to settle the disagreements through political means and threatened with retaliatory actions if the Taliban militants did not reduce the scale of violence, Col.

The US military called on the parties to the conflict in Afghanistan to settle the disagreements through political means and threatened with retaliatory actions if the Taliban militants did not reduce the scale of violence, Col. Sonny Leggett, spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan, said on Saturday. Leggett sent a two-page letter to the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, posted on Twitter. According to the US side, all parties must embark on the path of a "political solution" to the conflict, urging Afghans to sit down and start discussing the country`s future. Also read: Jammu and Kashmir: Colonel, major killed in Kupwara encounter "Reducing violence is an absolute necessity--and this is up to the leaders of all military forces-- [Afghan National Security Forces] ANDSF, Taliban fighters and, yes, the Coalition. Attacks generate attacks, while restraint produces restraint. All sides must choose restraint to prevent more killing and violence," Leggett wrote on Twitter. The Taliban spokesman responded to the call on his social media account, saying that the path to resolution of the conflict "lies in the implementation of the agreement concluded in Doha." He also called upon Washington not to "harm the current state of things". On February 29, the US and the Taliban inked a peace agreement in the Qatari capital of Doha, according to which an intra-Afghan negotiation was scheduled to begin on March 10. The talks, however, failed to begin due to disagreements between Kabul and the Taliban, in particular on the subject of the prisoner exchange.

US threatens Taliban with retaliatory actions if violence in Afghanistan continues

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