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House Speaker directs Nepal Government to update on situation of its citizens in Afghanistan

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Kathmandu, ANI — With concerns growing across the world about the recent alarming situation in Afghanistan after its capital Kabul fell to the Taliban, Nepal House Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota directed the government to update the Parliament about the situation of Nepal’s citizens in the war-torn nation.
Addressing a parliamentary meeting on Monday, House Speaker Sapkota directed the government to appraise about plans of evacuation and situation on the ground in the next session of parliament.
“The latest unfolding in Afghanistan has dragged the attention of House of Representatives as well as mine personally in regards to the situation of Nepali nationals present there. Ensuring the safety of Nepali citizens and their successful repatriation along with an update about the situation there, is hereby directed to Government, to inform the house in next house session,” Sapkota said.
The ruling of House Speaker to the government comes after Sher Bahadur Deuba-led administration decided to evacuate Nepal nationals from Afghanistan soon. A Cabinet meeting held earlier this morning took a decision to this effect.
“The government has decided to evacuate Nepal nationals living there soon. Concerned authorities have been directed to act accordingly. Also, the government has expressed serious concern over the recent political development there,” Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, Spokesperson for the government told ANI over the phone.
Karki didn’t state how Nepali nationals would be evacuated and when the government plans to execute it.
Furthermore, the government of Nepal is still struggling to find the exact number of Nepali nationals currently present in the war-torn nation which now has been run over by Taliban forces.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, there are about 1,500 Nepali in Afghanistan. Nepalis nationals are deployed in UN missions and embassies of different countries.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Employment in the last five years has given a work permit to 6637 nationals for Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who took over the post a month ago took onto Twitter this morning promising patronage to all Nepali citizens in Afghanistan waiting for the rescue.
Assuring of necessary coordination with the concerned authorities to make rescue arrangements for all Nepali nationals, PM Deuba said that the government has already taken cognizance of the issue.
“Necessary coordination and guardianship are the responsibility of the government for the Nepalis waiting for the safe rescue,” the PM tweeted.
Nepal has sought help from various countries and the United Nations for the rescue and safety of its nationals working at various diplomatic missions and international organisations as the crisis continues to unfold in Afghanistan.
In a press statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has requested Nepali nationals currently in Afghanistan to get in contact and have written to foreign countries to help to evacuate them.
“Nepal has also sent letters to the US, UK, Canada, Germany, European Union, Japan and the United Nations to keep Nepali nationals working with various diplomatic missions and international organizations in Kabul in safe places and help their repatriation home,” the Foreign Ministry statement read.
Many expatriates in Afghanistan have been returning to their home countries or elsewhere since the Taliban have taken over the Afghan President’s office. Governments of many countries have been airlifting their citizens in Afghanistan.

Bhutan’s COVID-19 vaccination success a “beacon of hope” for South Asia

Posted on by SAT News Desk
By: Rezwan
The Kingdom of Bhutan, the tiny South Asian country in the Eastern Himalayas, has pulled off a rare feat: as of the end of July 2021, it had managed to administer two doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 90% of its adult population.

Compared with other countries in South Asia—such as India, Pakistan and Bangladesh—which are struggling to source vaccines and inoculate their massive populations, Bhutan has the advantage of a small population of only 780,910. The country has also managed the COVID-19 pandemic well compared to its neighbours and even helped Nepal by sending them 230,000 vaccines from its excess stock.

Bhutan’s sound management of the pandemic despite limited resources is already being applauded as a “success story” and a “beacon of hope” for other countries in the region.

Bhutan’s first case of COVID-19 was reported on March 6, 2020, when a US tourist tested positive. The country immediately put in place strict measures, including tracing 300 possible contacts of the tourist and quarantining them. The country banned tourists, closed schools and public institutions, postponed international conferences and took additional measures to prevent local transmission in high-risk areas.

The democratic government engaged in campaigns asking citizens to wear face masks, wash their hands, and practice physical distancing. Even the much-revered King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck trekked by foot and on horseback to remote locations to oversee various mitigation measures, as journalist Tenzing Lamsang noted on Twitter in June:

Bhutan had only around 350 doctors and 3,000 health workers when the pandemic started, and so far it has engaged around 30,000 citizen volunteers to help with different COVID-19 prevention measures.

A US$19 million relief fund provided some respite for more than 34,000 Bhutanese whose livelihoods were affected by the pandemic restrictions, and a country-wide registry for vulnerable citizens facilitated the provision of care packages to more than 51,000 Bhutanese over the age of 60.

The results have been exemplary, as the numbers attest: as of August 15, 2021, Bhutan has recordedonly three deaths from COVID-19 and there are currently 32 active cases out of a total of 2,566 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Bhutan’s vaccination drive

Bhutan received a donation of 150,000 AstraZenecaCovishield vaccines from India in January 2021, and 400,000 more in March 2021. In April 2021, the country made headlines when it completed administering the first dose of the vaccine to over 85% of its 548,000 eligible adults (over 18 years old) in just one week.

But the country faced vaccine shortages after India banned the export of COVID-19 vaccines in late March. Reportedly, the deadline to give the second dose of AstraZeneca was within 12 weeks to 16 weeks of the first dose.

Bhutan engaged in diplomatic efforts to get vaccines from other sources, and in June, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering announced that the country was ready to mix and match COVID-19 vaccine doses to complete the vaccination of its population.

On July 12, 2021, the first batch of 500,000 Modernavaccines from the United States through the COVAXprogram arrived in Bhutan. The country also receivedmore than 350,000 AstraZeneca shots from Bulgaria, Croatia and Denmark, and 50,000 Sinopharm doses from China in July 2021.

The program to administer the second dose of the vaccine started on July 20, 2021. Within a week, almost 90% of the adult population had received two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine. As of August 12, 69% of the total population had received at least one dose and around 61% of the total population had received two doses. The authorities were also citizens to offer citizens a choice between the Moderna and AstraZeneca shots. Bhutanese journalist Namgay Zam reported on Twitter that the campaign received a favourable response:

Another factor in Bhutan’s successful vaccination campaign was the use of the Bhutan Vaccine System (BVS) developed by the country’s Ministry of Health with support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP). The digital system features an online registration system that generates vaccination schedules, monitors stocks, and produces real-time reports and vaccine certificates.

Bhutan’s high altitude, the remoteness of some of its mountain villages, and its extreme weather make delivering vaccines across the country challenging. Namgay Zam observed that reaching those vaccination centers in remote locations was an amazing feat by the health workers:

The vaccination of children aged 12-17 commenced in Bhutan on July 29. Health Minister Dechen Wangmo tweeted:

Bhutan helps Nepal

After the success of inoculations in the country, Bhutan donated 230,000 shots of AstraZeneca vaccines to its neighbour Nepal, which had earlier sought vaccine support from Bhutan after learning about its excess stock. Only around 16% per cent of Nepal’s 29 million residents has received the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and only around 10% have been fully vaccinated.

Chhedup Sangay, a government employee from Bhutan, tweeted his approval of the donation:

Journalist Namgay Zam posted a reminder that:

The success of the vaccination drive prompted Bhutan to reconsider opening for tourists. The country resumed issuing tourist visas from August 5, 2021, though the mandatory 21-days quarantine is still in effect.

( From : Globalvoices)

Afghanistan: Taliban victory inevitable despite the trillions the US poured in

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Natasha Lindstaedt, University of Essex

In less than a week, the Taliban has captured nearly a dozen key cities in Afghanistan. With the departure of US forces, it is poised to take over the country from the embattled Afghan government.

Over the past 20 years, the US has poured trillions of dollars into Afghanistan to oust the Taliban, an effort that was clearly unsuccessful. But a look at the country’s strategic geographic location and the politics of the region (including support for the Taliban) tells us that this outcome was inevitable.

Afghanistan is strategically located between central and south Asia – a region rich in oil and natural gas. It has also struggled with efforts by different Afghanistan-based ethnic groups to create ancestral homelands. The Pashtun population (and to a lesser extent the Baluch population) are particularly implicated in this.

For these and other reasons, Afghanistan has long faced constant meddling from the Soviet Union/Russia, UK, the US, Iran, Saudi Arabia, India and of course, Pakistan.

Pakistan

Afghanistan’s relationship with Pakistan has been fraught with tension ever since the former was recognised as a sovereign state in 1919.

When Pakistan gained its independence in 1947, Afghanistan was the sole country to vote against its formation in the United Nations. Some of the tension emanated from Afghanistan’s refusal to recognise the Durand Line – the hastily drawn 1,600 mile border that cut across thousands of Pashtun tribes in 1893.

Fearing calls from Pashtuns in both countries to create a national homeland that would cut through North Pakistan, Pakistan has long sought to turn Afghanistan into an Islamic client state – supporting an Islamic identity (over a Pashtun one) in Afghanistan to gain strategic depth against India.

Pakistan helped to empower the Taliban in 1994 and has been Afghanistan’s most involved neighbour. Through its top intelligence agency the ISI, it has bankrolled Taliban operations, recruited manpower to serve in Taliban armies and helped to plan and arm offensives. It has also occasionally been involved in direct combat support. The ISI’s support for the Taliban was rooted in its aim to erase Pashtun nationalism. But in doing so it may have created a bigger problem for Pakistan, as Taliban rule has led to an exodus of Afghan citizens into Pakistan.

Nevertheless, according to the Afghan government, there are elements within Pakistan’s government, namely the ISI, that still support the Taliban, and ongoing instability in Afghanistan. Furthermore, Pakistan does not have a good relationship with other groups in Afghanistan, so it has little choice but to support the Taliban.

For Pakistan’s government, a worst-case scenario is a protracted conflict, which could lead to another large spillover of refugees into Pakistan.

Iran

Iran’s relationship with Afghanistan, which borders it to the east, is also complicated by regional dynamics and its relationship with the US. As a Shia country, Iran has had long ideological differences with the Taliban. In the 1990s, it sought to make alliances, including with the US, to counter the threat from the Taliban.

But two decades later, US relations with Iran are at an all-time low, affecting Iran’s stance on how to deal with the Taliban. Iran has mostly been hedging its bets — supporting both the Afghan government and the Taliban to keep them divided. And improved relations with Qatar – home to the Taliban’s political office – have also helped Iran’s relationship with the Taliban.

Russia and China

Russia is mostly concerned with preventing instability at its border with Afghanistan, and with keeping Afghanistan free of US influence. Since the 1990s Moscow has been developing relations with different groups in Afghanistan, including the Taliban, despite misgivings about the Taliban’s possible support for terror groups.

These relations intensified after the emergence of Islamic State in 2015. In the fight to defeat IS in Afghanistan, Russia saw the Taliban’s interests coincide with its own.

Reports surfaced that Russia was arming the Afghan Taliban and directly undermining US efforts there, even paying bounties to kill US and allied soldiers. US intelligence has since expressed low confidence in the bounty claims.

China, meanwhile, has always maintained cordial relations with the Taliban. China’s main concern is with extending its influence westward to gain strategic depth against India and the US.

New alliances

For the moment, the rise of the Taliban has not translated into a rise in terrorist activity from groups like al-Qaeda against Afghanistan’s neighbours – a concern of the US pulling out of the region. Sensing the inevitability of the Taliban’s ascension, opportunistic alliances have formed with almost all of Afghanistan’s neighbours with the Taliban, except for India.

India has been mostly reluctant to engage with the Taliban, but recently initiated contact, supported by Qatar. However, New Delhi has also made clear it will not support a violent overthrow of Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital – not yet controlled by the Taliban.

Currently, the beleaguered Afghan government claims that its neighbours are being too sanguine about the Taliban, its ability to reform and whether it will help Afghanistan achieve stability. Senior Afghan officials have warned that a Taliban victory will result in a consolidation of power of various terrorist groups if the Taliban allows them to set up a base to launch attacks.

More important than the Taliban’s hospitality is its willingness to allow terror groups to engage freely in organised crime – Afghanistan an attractive location for this as well.

The Taliban’s resurgence has created an acute humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan alongside terrible human rights abuses. Amid the chaos, the prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has accused the US of leaving behind a “mess”.

And yet, while many may criticise US President Joe Biden for pulling forces out, there is little likelihood, given all these regional forces at work, that the US could ever have achieved stability in Afghanistan – no matter how long it stayed.
( From : The Conversation)

China rejects WHO calls for new COVID-19 origins probe

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Beijing —- China on Friday rejected the World Health Organization’s (WHO) calls to launch a new investigation into the origins of COVID-19.

Beijing insisted it supported “scientific” over “political” efforts to find out how the virus started.

Pressure is once more mounting on Beijing to consider a fresh probe into the origins of a pandemic which has killed more than 4 million people and paralyzed economies worldwide since it first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

A WHO team of international experts went to Wuhan in January 2021 to produce a first phase report, which was written in conjunction with their Chinese counterparts. It failed to find a conclusive position on how the virus began.

On Thursday, the WHO urged China to share raw data from the earliest COVID-19 cases to revive its probe into the origins of the disease.

China hit back, repeating its position that the initial investigation was enough and that calls for further data were motivated by politics instead of scientific inquiry.

“We oppose political tracing … and abandoning the joint report” issued after the WHO expert team’s Wuhan visit in January, vice foreign minister Ma Zhaoxu told reporters. “We support scientific tracing.”

That report said the virus jumping from bats to humans via an intermediate animal was the most probable scenario, while a leak from the Wuhan virology labs was “extremely unlikely.” The experts visited markets in Wuhan that had sold live animals, and recommended further study of the farms that supplied the market.

Ma rejected suggestions of new lines of investigation.

“The conclusions and recommendations of WHO and China joint report were recognized by the international community and the scientific community,” he said.

“Future global traceability work should and can only be further carried out on the basis of this report, rather than starting a new one.”

The search for where the virus came from has become a diplomatic issue that has fueled China’s deteriorating relations with the U.S. and many American allies. The U.S. and others say that China has not been transparent about what happened in the early days of the pandemic.

Numerous public health experts have also called for an independent examination of COVID-19’s origins, arguing WHO does not have the political clout to conduct such a forensic analysis and that the U.N. agency has failed after more than a year to extract critical details from China.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of WHO, acknowledged last month that there had been a “premature push” after the first phase of the study to rule out the theory that the virus might have escaped from a Chinese government lab in Wuhan, the city where the disease was first detected in late 2019.

Many experts don’t think a lab leak is the likely cause. The question is whether the possibility is so remote that it should be dropped, or whether it merits further study. (Agencies)

Afghanistan spinning out of control, says UN Secy General Guterres

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Kabul — Taliban insurgents have ground in Afghanistan on Friday, getting hold of the second-and third-largest cities as Western embassies prepared to send in troops to help evacuate staff from the capital city, Kabul.

The capture of Kandahar in the south and Herat in the west after days of clashes is a devastating setback for the government as the Taliban advances turn into a rout. “The city looks like a front line, a ghost town,” provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi said over the telephone from Herat, a city of about 600,000 people near the border with Iran. “Families have either left or are hiding in their homes.”

Kandahar, the economic hub of the south, was under Taliban control, a government official said.
The defeats have fuelled concern that the US-backed government could fall into the hands of insurgents within weeks as international forces complete their withdrawal after 20 years of war.

“The situation has all the hallmarks of a humanitarian catastrophe,” the UN World Food Program’s Thomson Phiri told a briefing, adding the agency was concerned about a “larger tide of hunger”.

The fighting has also raised fears of a refugee crisis and a rollback of gains in human rights. Some 400,000 civilians have been forced from their homes since the beginning of the year, 250,000 of them since May, a UN official said.

Under the Taliban’s 1996-2001 rule, women could not work, girls were not allowed to attend school, and women had to cover their face and be accompanied by a male relative if they wanted to venture out of their homes. In early July, Taliban fighters ordered nine women to stop working in a bank.

Of Afghanistan’s major cities, the government still holds Mazar-i-Sharif in the north and Jalalabad, near the Pakistani border in the east, in addition to Kabul.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on the Taliban to immediately halt their offensive in Afghanistan, warning that “Afghanistan is spinning out of control”.

“The message from the international community to those on the warpath must be clear: seizing power through military force is a losing proposition. That can only lead to prolonged civil war or to the complete isolation of Afghanistan,” Guterres told reporters.

He also said he was “deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists”.

Embassy personnel decisions

With security rapidly deteriorating, the United States planned to send about 3,000 extra troops within 48 hours to help evacuate personnel from the US Embassy in Kabul.

Britain said it would deploy about 600 troops to help its citizens leave. Canada is also sending forces to help evacuate its embassy. Denmark and Norway said they will temporarily close their embassies in Kabul. Sweden said it will reduce its embassy staff, while Germany said it will do so to the “absolute minimum”.

The Dutch government said on Friday it may have to close its embassy in Kabul and was working quickly to bring back some of its local Afghan staff in light of the collapsing security situation. Aid groups said they were also getting their people out.

Finland’s foreign minister Pekka Haavisto told a press conference that parliament ruled on Friday the country could “take in up to 130 Afghans who have worked in the service of Finland, the EU and NATO along with their families” because of “the quickly weakening security situation”.
Spain’s foreign ministry announced that the country will evacuate Spanish nationals and the Afghan staffers who have worked “side-by-side” with its diplomatic and military presence in Afghanistan.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance would keep its civilian diplomatic presence in Afghanistan as it tries to support the Afghan government and security forces in the face of the Taliban’s offensive.

“Our aim remains to support the Afghan government and security forces as much as possible. The security of our personnel is paramount. NATO will maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul, and continue to adjust as necessary,” Stoltenberg said Friday, in a statement following a meeting of NATO envoys.

The UN said Friday it is evaluating the security situation in Afghanistan on “an hour-by-hour basis” and moving some staff to the capital, but is not evacuating anyone from the country.
The world body had “a very light footprint” in some areas taken by the Taliban, UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters. It has about 3,000 national staff and about 300 international on the ground in Afghanistan.

US intelligence assessments concluded this week that the Taliban could isolate Kabul within 30 days and take it over in 90. The Taliban also captured the towns of Lashkar Gah in the south and Qala-e-Naw in the northwest, security officers said. Firuz Koh, capital of central Ghor province, was handed over without a fight, officials said.

The militants, fighting to defeat the government and impose their strict version of Islamic rule, have taken control of 14 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals since August 6.

After seizing Herat, the insurgents detained veteran commander Mohammad Ismail Khan, an official said, adding that they had promised not to harm him and other captured officials.

Biden’s decision

The speed of the offensive, as US-led foreign forces prepare to complete their withdrawal by the end of this month, has sparked recriminations over President Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw US troops, 20 years after they ousted the Taliban following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

Biden said this week he did not regret his decision, noting Washington has spent more than $1 trillion in America’s longest war and lost thousands of troops.

(Agencies)

MP Virendra Sharma visits Gurkha veterans, calls for pension parity

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London – A veteran Labour Party MP, Virendra Sharma, has showed his strong support to the Gurkha community in their fight for equal pension rights.

Mr. Sharma visited the hunger strikers outside of 10 Downing Street on Friday and the Ministry of Defence, and expressed his solidarity.

The hunger strikers, led by prominent campaigner Gyanrai Rai, are calling for pension equality with other British Army veterans. The Gurkha Pension Scheme is designed for retirement in Nepal, where the cost of living is lower than in the United Kingdom, but many Gurkhas have chosen to retire in the UK.

As a result, many Gurkha veterans have experienced poverty and financial difficulty in retirement, despite their lengthy years of service and sacrifice in the UK armed forces. Campaigners have been fighting for justice for over two decades and while the previous Government made some concessions, Gurkha veterans are yet to be given full pension equality.

MP Sharma, who is also the Chair of All-Party Parliamentary Group, organised a cross-party letter to the Prime Minister, urging his intervention in this issue.

The letter, which has since been signed by dozens of parliamentarians, calls on the Government to find “a solution that leaves Gurkha veterans feeling valued, and their service recognised. Currently that is not the case.”

“We write to ask you to meet Gyanraj Rai, Dhan Bahadur Gurung, and Pushpa Ghale Rana to discuss their concerns and the concerns of the thousands of veterans and tens of thousands that support their campaign”.

They have been demanding that governments of Nepal and the UK constitute a dialogue committee and also fix date and venue of the dialogue to address their long-running grievances. They have been saying that Gurkhas, who retired from the British Army prior to 1997, receive just one-third of the army pension their British comrades get.

“Gurkhas are truly an elite fighting force held in high esteem by the British Army and the public. Veterans such as Gyanraj and others have given everything for the defence and security of this country. Yet, what reward is there for their tremendous sacrifice?,” Mr Sharma asked.

The Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary Ben Wallace must engage with the Gurkhas outside Downing Street, which could well save the lives of those on hunger strike. They must do the right thing and give the Gurkhas the pension equality they rightfully deserve,” he added.

Principal Solicitor of Everest Law Solicitors, Raju Thapa, and other community leaders accompanied MP Sharma during the visit.

Conflict in different parts of Afghanistan in the last week has driven tens of thousands of people away from home: UN

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UNITED NATIONS  — Conflict in different parts of Afghanistan in the last week has driven tens of thousands of people away from their homes, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Wednesday.

The office said they are part of the nearly 390,000 people displaced by hostilities this year, with a massive spike since May. Many of the displaced fled to Kabul and other large cities.

Most of the displaced in the capital city are staying with families and friends, with a growing number camping in the open, facing increased vulnerability, it said. More than 5,800 internally displaced persons arriving in Kabul between July 1 and Aug. 5 needed food, household items, water and sanitation support and other assistance.

Ten humanitarian teams on Wednesday assessed the needs of people staying outside in parks and other open spaces and identified an additional 4,522 displaced persons lacking shelter, food, sanitation and drinking water, OCHA said. A temporary health clinic and mobile health teams provided health services.

“Despite a worsening security situation, humanitarian agencies are staying and delivering to people in need, reaching 7.8 million people in the first six months of this year,” OCHA said. “Some 156 non-governmental organizations and UN agencies have delivered assistance throughout Afghanistan.”

While the humanitarians said they intend to stay despite increasing hostilities to deliver relief, it depends on staff safety, bureaucratic hurdles and raising additional funds.

The 1.3 billion U.S. dollars Humanitarian Response Fund for Afghanistan is just 38 percent funded, leaving an almost 800 million dollar shortfall.

(Xinhua)

SAARC nations for technology use to fight climate crisis in fisheries

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Dhaka — The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries pitched for adoption of technologies to reduce the impact of climate crisis on fisheries and acquaculture, and sought regional cooperation for cross-learning.

A consultative meeting of fishery scientists representing India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan held by SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) has felt the urgent need for implementing strategies such as introduction of climate-friendly technologies in fisheries and aquaculture as well as measures for sustainable utilisation of the resources.

In the meeting, India stressed the need for applying artificial intelligence, bio-informatics, genetic and biotechnological tools, etc, in frontier areas of research to improve aquaculture and fisheries sector.

“The member countries have demanded for regional cooperation among the nations and a platform for cross-learning and knowledge sharing to check the fallouts in the best possible way in the time of climate change,” Md. Baktear Hossain, Director of the SAC said in a statement.

In marine fisheries, the need for capacity building for exploitation of deep sea resources was raised by India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, scarcity of quality seeds and shortage of other input materials were the major gaps faced by the member countries in inland aquaculture, he said.

“Based on the discussions in the meeting, the SAC has come up with a set of recommendations to address such issues. Technical collaboration for knowledge sharing and capacity building among the SAARC countries and setting up of regional networks for seed bank and germplasm transfer are some of the suggestions, he added.

In the meeting, the experts voiced concern over dwindling marine catch and aquaculture production, environmental disruption in aquatic ecosystems and its rippling effect on livelihood of the stakeholders owing to climate change and associated developments.

They suggested that technologies of seaweed farming and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA), including cage fish farming could be adopted to reduce the impacts of the crisis to a certain extent, it added.

The sector could use ‘green fishing vessels’ with built-in design features for energy saving and fuel saving technologies to reduce carbon emission, they added.

Grinson George, Senior Programme Specialist with the SAC said: There are scientific gaps inhibiting the implementation of rules and regulations for sustainable management of fisheries and aquaculture.

“Some possible solutions can be looked upon in satellite remote sensing, numerical modelling, stakeholder perception, prioritisation of spatial sensitivity to ecosystems and many more with right interference from the stakeholders,” he added.

Referring to the existing disparity in socio-economic standards of the stakeholders, the SAARC body recommended for promoting discussions and cross-learning on strengthening ‘social-safety-nets’ with emphasis on ensuring socio-economic security of the stakeholders, and policies, laws and regulations harmonising between environment conservation and livelihood development.

Establishment of referral laboratories for aquatic animal health management, a centre of excellence in aquaculture and fisheries in the region and e-repository for information sharing were also listed in the recommendations.

Marine pollution, increased fuel prices, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, increasing length of value chain, resource crunch and lack of adequate infrastructure are some of the other major issues raised in the meeting by representatives of member countries.

SAARC Agriculture Centre is the first regional Centre established by the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. ( Agencies )

Nepal recorded a total of 3,260 new cases of coronavirus infection in the past 24 hours

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Kathmandu — According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 2,473 persons tested positive for COVID-19 through the RT-PCR method while 787 tested positive through the Antigen method.

According to the Ministry, 811 persons in Kathmandu, 192 in Lalitpur, and 130 in Bhaktapur have been tested positive for COVID-19, making the Kathmandu valley’s fresh coronavirus cases 1,133 in the past 24 hours.

According to the Ministry, 32 people have succumbed to COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, 2,294 persons have returned home after a complete health recovery from COVID-19.

At least 40 people are feared trapped under debris in a huge landslide in the northern India

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London—  At least 40 people are feared trapped under debris in a huge landslide in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh.

Falling boulders have buried a truck, a passenger bus and other vehicles, according to local reports. Police and local officials have begun rescue efforts, said Jairam Thakur, chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.

There have been several deadly landslides in India in recent months during unusually heavy monsoon. It’s still unclear what caused Wednesday’s landslide – it happened on a highway in the Kinnaur district, BBC reported.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police teams have been dispatched to help with rescue efforts and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also been put on alert.

Nine people were killed last month in Himachal Pradesh when falling rocks hit their vehicle. At least 136 people died in landslides in the western state of Maharashtra recently after heavy rains flooded hundreds of villages and swept away homes.

  • BBC

SAARC Secretary-General is in India to explore the means to strengthen regional cooperation

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New Delhi  — Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, the Secretary-General of the SAARC is undertaking a week-long visit to India from Sunday to explore ways to deepen regional cooperation including in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.

The Secretary-General of SAARC has met External Affairs Minister of India Dr. S. Jaishankar during his week-long visit to India on Tuesday.

The visit has been initiated from Sunday to explore the means to strengthen regional cooperation including COVID-19 management.

Posting on Twitter, Dr. Jaishankar stated, nice to welcome back E. R. Weerakoon, the 14th SAARC Secretary-General.

Earlier, Union Minister Rajkumar Ranjan Singh met Esala Ruwan Weerakoon. In a tweet, MEA Spokesman Arindam Bagchi said, Ranjan received Weerakoon, who is on his customary introductory visit to India.

People familiar with the agenda of Weerakoon’s visit said boosting regional cooperation under the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), including in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, will figure in his talks with Indian officials.

The SAARC is a regional grouping comprising Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The SAARC leaders, under India’s initiative, held a virtual meeting in March last year to work on a common strategy to effectively deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2016 SAARC Summit was to be held in Islamabad however  India expressed its inability to participate in the summit due to “prevailing circumstances on that year”.

Thousands flee as Taliban eye full control of northern Afghanistan

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KABUL, AFP —  The Taliban were in control of six Afghan provincial capitals on Tuesday after a blitz across the north that forced tens of thousands of people to flee their homes for the relative safety of Kabul and other centers.
The insurgents now have their eyes on Mazar-i-Sharif, the biggest city in the north, whose fall would signal the total collapse of government control in a region that has traditionally been anti-Taliban.
Government forces are also battling the hard-line Islamists in Kandahar and Helmand, the southern Pashto-speaking provinces from where the Taliban draw their strength.
The United States — due to complete a troop withdrawal at the end of the month and end its longest war — has all but left the battlefield. However, its special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been sent to Qatar to try and convince the Taliban to accept a cease-fire.
Khalilzad “will press the Taliban to stop their military offensive,” the State Department said, and “help formulate a joint international response to the rapidly deteriorating situation.”
Officials from Afghanistan’s most vested neighbors — Pakistan, China and Iran — would also attend meetings there.
But Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said it was down to the Afghan government and its forces to turn the tide, saying there was “not much” the United States could do to help.
Michael Kugelman, at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, doubted Washington had the means to anything.
“I fear that the Taliban (are) just so strong and the Afghan military is so beleaguered right now, it’s going to be hard to find some type of momentum-changer from the US,” he said.
The Taliban have appeared largely indifferent to peace overtures, and seem intent on a military victory to crown a return to power after their ouster 20 years ago in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
As fighting raged, tens of thousands of people were on the move inside the country, with families fleeing newly captured Taliban cities with tales of brutal treatment at the hands of the insurgents.
“The Taliban are beating and looting,” said Rahima, now camped out with hundreds of families at a park in the capital Kabul after fleeing Sheberghan province.
“If there is a young girl or a widow in a family, they forcibly take them. We fled to protect our honor.”
“We are so exhausted,” added Farid, an evacuee from Kunduz who did not want to be further identified.
In the northern city of Kunduz that was captured by the Taliban over the weekend, residents said shops had begun to reopen in the center as insurgents focused their attention on government forces who had retreated to the airport.
“People are opening their shops and businesses, but you can still see fear in their eyes,” said shopkeeper Habibullah.
Another resident, living close to the airport, said there has been heavy fighting for days.
“The Taliban are hiding in people’s houses in the area and government forces are bombing them,” said Haseeb, who only gave his first name.
“From the window of my house, I can see women, children and men all leaving. Some of them are barefoot… some are pulling crying children with them.
The Taliban earned notoriety during their first stint in power from 1996-2001 for introducing a harsh interpretation of Islamic rule that barred girls from education and women from work.
Crimes were punished by public floggings or executions, while a host of activities — from playing music to non-religious TV — were also banned.
They have given little indication of how they would rule if they take power again, apart from to say it would be according to the Qur’an, and opponents fear losing hard-won rights.
Following the capture of Aibak on Monday, the insurgents have now overrun five provincial capitals in the north, sparking fears the government has lost its grip on the region.
They have also taken Zaranj, the capital of Nimroz province, in the southwest.
On Monday, the Taliban said they were moving in on Mazar-i-Sharif — the largest city in the north and a linchpin for the government’s control of the region — after capturing Sheberghan to its west, and Kunduz and Taloqan to its east.
But Fawad Aman, spokesman for the ministry of defense, said Afghan forces had the upper hand there.
“Great success,” he tweeted.

Asia-Pacific countries witness rocketing COVID-19 cases

Posted on by SAT News Desk

HONG KONG — Asia-Pacific countries kept witnessing rocketing COVID-19 cases as India’s total tally neared 32 million on Tuesday.

India’s total tally rose to 31,998,158 as 28,204 new cases were registered during the past 24 hours across the country, showed the federal health ministry’s latest data.

Besides, as many as 373 deaths due to the pandemic were reported since Monday morning, taking the total death toll to 428,682.

There are still 388,508 active cases in the country with a fall of 13,680 during the past 24 hours.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Indonesia rose by 32,081 within one day to 3,718,821, with the death toll adding by 2,048 to 110,619, the Health Ministry said.

According to the ministry, 41,486 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of patients recovering from COVID-19 to 3,171,147.

Malaysia reported another 19,991 new infections, the health ministry said, bringing the national total to 1,299,767.

Health Ministry Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a press statement that all the new cases are local transmissions.

Another 201 more deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 11,162.

The Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH) reported 8,560 new infections, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the Southeast Asian country to 1,676,156.

The death toll climbed to 29,220 after 92 more patients died from the disease, the DOH added, attributing the caseload to lower laboratory output over the weekend.

The government is ramping up the vaccination as it races against the spread of the highly infectious Delta coronavirus variant driving the spike of cases in the country.

Pakistan on Monday added 3,884 new cases into its overall tally of infections, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Tuesday.

The NCOC, a department leading Pakistan’s campaign against the pandemic, said the country’s total cases rose to 1,075,504, including 967,073 recoveries.

The number of active cases rose to 84,427, including 4,530 critical patients.

According to the NCOC, the pandemic killed 86 people on Monday, increasing the overall death toll to 24,004.

South Korea reported 1,540 more cases, raising the total number of infections to 213,987.

Of the new cases, 356 were Seoul residents and 398 were people residing in Gyeonggi province.

The virus spread also raged in the non-metropolitan area. The number of newly infected people in the non-capital region was 658, or 44.6 percent of the total local transmission.

Sixty-four cases were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 12,475.

Nine more deaths were confirmed, leaving the death toll at 2,134.

  • Xinhua

Manchester Museum to temporarily close for the final stage of transformation

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London — Manchester Museum, part of the University of Manchester, has reached the final phase of its ambitious transformation project and it will temporarily close its doors so construction work can take place.

The museum will be closed to the public from 29 Augustuntil late 2022 when it will emerge as a museum for the 21st century.

hello future will include a beautiful two-storey extension and new galleries including a large Exhibition Hall, Belonging Gallery, the Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery, and the South Asia Gallery.

The South Asia Gallery, a partnership gallery with the British Museum, will be the first ever permanent exhibition space in the UK dedicated to exploring the stories, experiences and contributions of South Asian communities.

The museum will also gain an impressive new entrance, shop, café, and inclusive visitor facilities that are fully accessible.

hello future is a £13.5million project supported using public funding by Arts Council England and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The University of Manchester, and the generosity of numerous philanthropic supporters.

The museum’s opening hours will be extended until 9pmon 26 and 27 August to give more people the chance toexperience the collections before doors close – learn about fascinating fossils, take a selfie with Stan the T-rex, enjoy immersive sound installations and much more. There will also be special performances to mark the occasion. Visitors are encouraged to pre-book tickets.

Manchester Museum’s Director Esme Ward said:

“hello future is a hugely important project that aims to build understanding between cultures and create a more sustainable world. Once complete, visitors will experience exhibitions that tell new, powerful stories and engage with big ideas.

“We are excited to have reached the final stage of our transformation and I want to reassure our visitors that although our doors will temporarily close, we are still here for you. Manchester Museum exists beyond a building. Throughout the closure, we will be holding pop-up events and outreach programmes, and our collections are all available to explore online.

“We look forward to opening the doors to hello future in 2022 and welcoming visitors to a bigger, more imaginative and even more inclusive museum.”

For more information and to book tickets for Manchester Museum’s programme of summer events, Forces of Nature, visit www.mmfromhome.com.

 

Over 100 global celebrities uniting to support virtual fundraiser campaign “WE FOR INDIA”

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London, UK / Mumbai, India —  Over 100 major stars and icons from the world of film, music, comedy, and sports, will join a unique three-hour virtual fundraiser, We For India: Saving Lives, Protecting Livelihoods, to broadcast on Facebook on India’s Independence Day, Sunday 15th August 2021 at 7:30 PM IST / 3:00pm BST / 10:00am EDT.

The digital event bids to unlock philanthropic donations upwards of USD 3.5 Million from worldwide donors to be allocated to post Covid-19 pandemic missions and provide vital preventative measures against future waves.

The celebrity guests (full list below) will unite to express solidarity and support for saving lives and livelihoods in India after the devastation caused by the second wave of the pandemic. All proceeds from the mega event will be utilised by GiveIndia, India’s largest and most trusted giving platform, to provide both humanitarian aid and to strengthen the medical infrastructure. The event acts as a unique opportunity to use the power of entertainment to inspire, empower, and mobilise global public support to donate funds in real-time and address the significantsocial-economic impact of the pandemic.

We For India will feature engaging content, including video messages of support from A-List stars, stand-up comedy and musical performances, interactions with frontline heroes, immersive fitness challenges, hilarious games, and more,streamed to homes as the world joins hands in solidarity and unity with the people of India. Some of the prominent international names confirmed to support the broadcast include:

Music sensations such as worldwide superstar Ed Sheeran, iconic singer, songwriter, and activist Annie Lennox alongside her daughter and fellow musician Lola Lennoxwho will give an exclusive, original performance, lead singer and founding member of Rolling Stones Mick Jagger, twice Academy Award winner A.R.Rahman, superstar and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Nancy Ajram, multiple GRAMMY-winning composer, producer, arranger, guitarist and Co-founder of CHIC, Nile Rodgers, sensational music group and family affair – Sister Sledge ft. Sledgendary who will perform a medley of super hit songs and a preview of their upcoming track amongst others

Indian film stars including megastar Ajay Devgn, renowned actor and Sacred Games lead star Saif Ali Khan, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador Farhan Akhtar, star of Oscar and BAFTA nominated film The White TigerRajkummar Rao who hosts the event, UNEP Goodwill Ambassador & UN Secretary-General’s Advocate for SDG Dia Mirza, Indian filmmaker Karan Johar and more
Other entertainers such as best-selling author, purpose-podcast producer, and award-winning storyteller Jay Shetty, leading Africa origin actress Ini Dima-Okojie, and television personality Dina Shihabi, and several others

Proceeds from the event will be utilized to provide critical facilities such as oxygen concentrators, cylinders, ventilators, and essential medicines as well as ICU units. Funds will also go towards supporting the staffing of vaccination centers. Funds will also be mobilized to support long-term public recovery and rebuild livelihoods such as those thrust into poverty due to a decline in earnings and complete loss of income. Humanitarian efforts in the form of meal and ration kits will be provided to the rural and urban families hit financially by the pandemic. Cash relief will be provided to families who have lost an immediate member.

With its focus on not only saving lives but protecting livelihoods, We For India is an initiative conceptualised by global social impact enterprise The World We Want. It is produced in partnership with leading media and entertainment company Reliance Entertainment. Funds will be generated and further allocated across post Covid-19 relevant causes by GiveIndia, India’s most trusted online donation platform.

Industry–wide support for producing the fundraiser was providedby Amar Ujala, Bling Entertainment, CAA Foundation, Collective Artists Network, D’Artist Talent Ventures, Dharma Cornerstone Agency, Eros International, Exceed, Jio Saavan, Matrix, Merchant Records, Mukta Arts and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Saregama, Shemaroo Entertainment, Sony Music, Tips International, T-Series, Universal Music Group, UTV Music, UTV Software Communication, Warner Music, YRF Talent, Zee Music Company.

 

The global videothon will be live on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Facebookindiapp) on Sunday, August 15 at 7:30 PM IST / 3:00pm BST / 10:00am EDT and provides an opportunity for viewers to also donate in real time to this worthy cause.

Active Donation Link: https://bit.ly/WeForIndia

List of Artists / Individuals participating in the ‘WE FOR INDIA’ concert in Alphabetical Order:

Ajay Devgn • A.R. Rahman • Adah Sharma • Aditi Rao Hydari • Ajit Mohan • Akkineni  Nagarjuna • Alaya F • Amit Mishra • Amit Tandon • Ananya Panday • Ankur Tewari • Annie Lennox • Arjun Kapoor • Arjun Mathur • Atul Satija • Bickram Ghosh • Dia Mirza •Dina Shihabi • Divyenndu Sharma • Dr. Ankesh Sahetya • Dr. Himanshu Mehta • Dr. Sanjay Arora • Dr. TanuSinghal • Ed Sheeran • Farah Khan • Farhan Akhtar • Guru Randhawa • Harmeet Singh • Harrdy Sandhu • Hrishitaa Bhatt • Imtiaz Ali  • Ini Dima-Okojie • JaavedJaaferi • Javed Akhtar • Jay Shetty • JeeveshuAhluwalia • Johnny Lever •  Kabir Khan • KalkiKoechlin  • Kanika Kapoor • Karan Johar • Karan Wahi•  Kirti Kulhari • Lisa Mishra •Lola Lennox • Mahesh Bhupathi • Malaika Arora • Manish Malhotra • ManjariFadnnis • Manmeet Singh • Meezaan • Mick Jagger • Mira Kapoor • Mithoon • Nakuul Mehta  • Nancy Ajram  • Nikhita Gandhi • Nile Rodgers  • NushrrattBharuccha • Parampara Tandon • Parineeti Chopra • Prabhudeva • Pragya Jaiswal • Prakriti Kakar • Pratik Gandhi • Prosenjit Chatterjee • Purab Kohli • R. Madhavan • Rahul Bose • Rajkumar Hirani • Rajkummar Rao • Rakul Preet Singh • RannvijaySingha • Remo D’Souza • Ribhu Dasgupta • Rohit Saraf • Sachet Tandon • Saif Ali Khan • Salim Merchant •

Sanjana Sanghi • Sanya Malhotra • Sapan Verma • Saqib Saleem • Sara Ali Khan • Shankar Mahadevan • Shantanu Moitra • Sharad Kelkar • Shekhar Ravjiani • Shibasish Sarkar • Shilpa Rao • Shilpa Shetty Kundra • Shreyas Talpade • Siddhant Chaturvedi • Siddhanth Kapoor • Sidharth Malhotra • Sister Sledge ft Sledgendary • Sonakshi Sinha • Sonu Sood • Steven Spielberg • Sukriti Kakar • Sulaiman Merchant • Swanand Kirkire • Tanya Maniktala • Tisca Chopra • Tusshar Kapoor • Usha Uthup • Varun Sharma • Vidya Balan • Vikram Bhatt • Vikramaditya Motwane • Vishal Dadlani.

https://youtu.be/2rZdwTvOmdk

 

UK High Court grants Nirav Modi permission to appeal on depression, suicide risk grounds

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London — A High Court judge in London on Monday granted fugitive diamond merchant Nirav Modi permission to appeal against a magistrates’ court order in favour of extradition to India to face charges of fraud and money laundering before the Indian courts on mental health and human rights grounds.

Justice Martin Chamberlain delivered his verdict remotely under COVID-19 rules to conclude that the arguments presented by the 50-year-old diamond merchant’s legal team concerning his “severe depression” and “high risk of suicide” were arguable at a substantial hearing.

He also noted that the adequacy of the measures capable of preventing “successful suicide attempts” at Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, where Nirav Modi is to be detained upon extradition, also fall within the arguable ambit.

“At this stage, the question for me is simply whether the appellant’s case on these grounds is reasonably arguable. In my judgment, it is. I will grant permission to appeal on Grounds 3 and 4,” Justice Chamberlain’s ruling notes. Grounds 3 and 4 relate to Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR), or the right to life, liberty and security, and Section 91 of the UK’s Criminal Justice Act 2003 related to fitness to plead.

The judge noted that the arguments made under both grounds overlap in this case as they both rely principally on the appellant, Nirav Modi’s mental ill health.

“I will not restrict the basis on which those grounds can be argued, though it seems to me that there should be a particular focus on whether the judge was wrong to reach the conclusion he did, given the evidence as to the severity of the appellant’s [Nirav Modi’s] depression, the high risk of suicide and the adequacy of any measures capable of preventing successful suicide attempts in Arthur Road prison,” the ruling notes. – PTI