USA India Covid Today Hold Update Chances of Beating Republicans Rajbari

 Arizona's Democratic Senator Mark Kelly aims to win reelection in November as Republicans see his previously comfortably red seat as a key race to win in their bid to regain control of Congress' upper chamber—with polls currently showing an advantage for the incumbent.

Kelly managed to flip a longtime GOP-held seat blue for Democrats in a special election in 2020. The seat was previously held by Martha McSally, a Republican who was appointed to serve Arizona in the Senate until the special election for the remainder of deceased GOP Senator John McCain's term.

Kelly won in that race by a margin of 2.4 percent. The retired NASA astronaut won the support of 51.2 percent of Arizona voters, compared to 48.8 percent that backed McSally. Prior to the Democratic senator's victory, the Arizona seat had been held by Republicans since 1969. The 2020 election also saw President Joe Biden become the first Democratic presidential candidate to win in the southwestern state since 1996.

 

As Arizona's primary won't be held until August 2, it's still unclear whom Kelly will face off against in November. The leading GOP contenders are Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich, businessman Jim Lamon and venture capitalist Blake Masters. Former President Donald Trump officially threw his weight behind Masters on Thursday, endorsing his candidacy in the Republican primary. But recent polls show Masters in third place among the GOP hopefuls.

 

Arizona's Democratic Senator Mark Kelly aims to win reelection in November as Republicans see his previously comfortably red seat as a key race to win in their bid to regain control of Congress' upper chamber—with polls currently showing an advantage for the incumbent. Above, Kelly leads a personal tour through the U.S. Capitol on May 25 in Washington, D.C.CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES

The latest survey data shows Kelly well-positioned against all three of the top Republican contenders. Blueprint Polling found the Democratic incumbent leading all of his potential GOP rivals by double-digit margins.

 

Kelly performs best against Brnovich, with a lead of 17 points. The incumbent senator has the support of 50 percent of likely voters while Arizona's attorney general is backed by just 33 percent. The results are about the same when Kelly is pitted against Masters, with an identical lead of 17 points. However, the Democrat is only backed by 49 percent of likely voters in that matchup compared to the Trump-backed candidate's 32 percent.

Lamon does slightly better against Kelly. The Republican hopeful is supported by 34 percent in the matchup and the incumbent Democrat has the backing of 48 percent—a difference of 14 points in favor of Kelly. The poll surveyed 608 respondents and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.

In a previous poll conducted by Data for Progress in January, Kelly appeared to be in a much closer race with Brnovich. The Democrat incumbent had the support of 49 percent of likely voters compared to 47 percent who backed the GOP hopeful—a lead of just 2 points for Kelly. The poll included 1,469 likely voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

That survey did not ask respondents about Kelly versus the other two leading Republicans. However, it did show that the Democrat's favorability with Arizonians was underwater. In total, 49 percent of likely voters in the southwestern state held an unfavorable view of their senator. Just 46 percent held a favorable view. Moreover, more than a third (36 percent) said they held a "very unfavorable" view of Kelly compared to only 30 percent who said they held a "very favorable" opinion of him.

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Another January poll carried out by OH Predictive Insights showed Kelly leading when pitted against a generic Republican opponent. That survey found that 42 percent of Arizona's registered voters would back the Democrat's reelection. Meanwhile, 38 percent said they would vote for his GOP challenger. There were 855 registered voters included in the poll with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.

With a little more than five months until the midterm election, and with the Republican challenger still unknown, a lot could change between now and November. Overall, the data suggests Kelly is favored to win reelection, but considering Arizona's historic Republican lean and his relatively narrow victory in 2020, the race will likely be close and could swing back in favor of the GOP. Even with Arizona going for Biden and Kelly in 2020, political news and polling analysis site FiveThirtyEight's assessment shows that the southwestern state continues to have a 7.6 percent partisan lean in favor of Republicans.

Iranian security forces on Friday arrested a young man following an assault on a top provincial cleric in the central city of Isfahan, Iranian media reported. The cleric appeared unharmed in a video broadcast after the attack.

According to the semiofficial Fars news agency, the unidentified man accosted prayer leader Yousef Tababaeinejad as he was talking with some worshipers after Friday prayers and attempted to stab him in the neck with a “sharp metal object."

The report said mosque guards quickly detained the him and added that the case is under investigation.

A video on Iranian media later showed Tababaeinejad speaking to a reporter afterward and saying the assailant seemed to be a young man, in his 20s.

Such attacks are uncommon in Iran though in the early 1980s, clerics were targeted by armed opposition groups, mostly during or after Friday prayers. Over the past months, there have been chants against clerics during protest gatherings in Iran over price hikes and the slashing of subsidies by the government.

In early April, a stabbing attack in the revered Imam Reza shrine in the northeastern city of Mashhad killed three clerics — a rare act of violence at the major pilgrimage site for Shiite Muslims.

Tababaeinejad, a hard-line cleric appointed by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is known as a vocal opponent of social media and music, saying they are part of the West's software war against Islamic beliefs.

Princess Anne visited Edinburgh Zoo on the second day of celebrations to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Street parties were also held across the country to honour the first monarch to reach the milestone.

On Thursday the festivities got under way with a Royal gun salute at Edinburgh Castle, before beacons were lit across the country.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon led tributes in Scotland and hailed the Queen's "selfless commitment to duty".

The Queen was also praised for "staying the course" as royals joined dignitaries at a thanksgiving service for the Platinum Jubilee at St Paul's Cathedral.

 

Referring to her love of horse racing, Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell said the 96-year-old monarch was "still in the saddle", even though she was not able to attend.

Biden told reporters that he does not yet have direct plans to make a trip to Saudi Arabia but if he does it would be to try to advance Middle East peace prospects.

Sources familiar with the process say Biden is planning a trip to Saudi Arabia in conjunction with a trip to Europe and Israel in late June.

As recently as Wednesday, the White House said Biden still felt bin 

PABNA BANGLADESH act to cool rising Indo-Pacific temperatures Natore News

 The temperature in the Indo-Pacific region is rising, not only because of global warming but more because of the increasing tensions between the United States and China. Their rivalry is no longer confined to the exchange of harsh words. Both are actively seeking to build alliances, expand their sphere of influence and beef up military strength.

Indonesia, like all other countries in the region, is caught up in this rivalry between the two superpowers, but unlike most of them, it has managed to stay unaligned with either camp. This affords Indonesia the space and opportunity to help cool down tensions.

Now more than ever, Indonesia should use every power and leverage available at its disposal to conduct more aggressive diplomacy to preserve peace in the Indo-Pacific region.

We should not underestimate our credentials as peacemakers but neither should we overrate ourselves. Indonesia is the fourth-largest country in the world and the largest member of ASEAN, and President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is this year’s president of the Group of 20 world’s wealthiest nations.

Without the economic means and military power, these credentials may not be enough for Indonesia to prevail over the two superpowers to tell them to deescalate tensions, but this should not stop President Jokowi and his diplomatic machinery from trying.

The question is, if not Indonesia, who else has the capacity to stop the current cold war from shifting into a hot war? Most countries in the region that could make a difference are already aligning themselves with the US.

This is not the time to finger-point at who began the escalation. Statements and actions by both sides have contributed to the tensions, and unless restrained, they can only get worse.

ohammad Younes Menfi, Head of the Presidential Council of Libya sent a letter to President Ilham Aliyev, Trend reports.

“Your Excellency,

It is my pleasure to extend to you and the friendly people of Azerbaijan my best wishes on the occasion of the national holiday of your country- the Independence Day.

On this remarkable day, I wish the people of Azerbaijan peace, progress and prosperity.

Please accept Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest esteem and consideration,” the letter said.

Egils Levits, President of the Republic of Latvia also sent a congratulatory letter.

“Your Excellency,

On the occasion of the celebration of the National Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I extend my most sincere congratulations along with wishes for long years of peace and prosperity for Azerbaijan and its people.

It is my firm belief that the well-established cooperation between Latvia and Azerbaijan will continue to develop and strengthen in the years to come. It is in the long-term interest of our nations to further intensify our political, economic and cultural dialogue.

Today, when Russia’s aggression in Ukraine has shaken the peace and stability in the region, we need to stand in unity to protect the shared values and principles, and the very basis of the international order based on the Charter of the United Nations.

I am confident that through working together we will ensure that our people thrive in peace and security.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration along with the best wishes of health and strength to you and the people of Azerbaijan,” the letter said.

Jose Daniel Ortega Saavedra, President of the Republic of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo, Vice-president of the Republic of Nicaragua also congratulated President Ilham Aliyev.

“Dear brother,

On the special occasion of commemorating the 104th anniversary of the Independence Day, this coming 28 May, we wish to express on behalf of the People and Government of Reconciliation and National Unity of the Republic of Nicaragua, and on our own behalf, our warmest congratulations to you and to the people and government of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

On this historic and memorable date, we accompany the people of Azerbaijan in celebrating the victories of self-determination, national sovereignty and independence and we reiterate the unwavering determination of the people and government of Nicaragua, to continue working together with the people and government of Azerbaijan, in building a world of peace, solidarity and cooperation, with a multipolar, fair and equitable world order in which the fundamental principles of international law are respected.

From our always blessed and always free Nicaragua receive our fraternal embrace with the love and respect of the Nicaraguan families,” the letter said.

Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, President of the Republic of Maldives sent a letter on the occasion to President Ilham Aliyev.

“Excellency,

On the happy occasion of the Independence Day of Azerbaijan, the government and the people of the Maldives join me in extending warm greetings and sincere good wishes to your Excellency, the government and the people of Azerbaijan.

Let me also extend, Excellency, my personal best wishes for your good health and happiness, and for further progress and prosperity of the people of Azerbaijan,” the letter said.

Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica congratulated President Ilham Aliyev.

“On behalf of the government and people of Jamaica, I extend warm congratulations to the government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan as you celebrate the 104th anniversary of the Independence Day.

Jamaica values greatly the relations, which we have enjoyed since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1995, and looks forward to increased opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the years to come.

Please accept, Excellency, my very best wishes for the continued peace and prosperity of the government and people of the Republic of Azerbaijan,” the letter said.

Ilir Meta, President of the Republic of Albania also extended congratulations to President Ilham Aliyev.

“Your Excellency,

I cherish the special pleasure to convey, also on behalf of the Albanian people the sincere and wholehearted wishes to you and to the Azerbaijani people as well.

On this important day for your country and people, I have the pleasure to point out the very good level of the progress of the excellent and friendly relations between our two countries and peoples, and also to express my conviction that these bilateral relations and cooperation will continue to further grow and strengthen in the future thanks to our joint willingness and engagement.

In an unusual attack on Pakistan's powerful military, ousted prime minister Imran Khan has admitted that his government was a "weak one" which was "blackmailed from everywhere" as the power was not with him and "everyone knows where that is".

Khan was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.

In an interview to Bol News on Wednesday, Khan was asked to recall the events of the night of the no-confidence vote against him, who was issuing orders and who had impeded the cases against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief said his government had been "weak" when it came to power and had to seek coalition partners, adding that if the same situation were to arise again, he would opt for re-elections and seek a majority government or none at all.

"Our hands were tied. We were blackmailed from everywhere. Power wasn't with us. Everyone knows where the power lies in Pakistan so we had to rely on them," the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said, without elaborating any further who he was referring to.

Khan, who came to power in 2018, reportedly with the backing of the military, is the only Pakistani prime minister to be ousted in a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He was replaced by PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif.

He said it was imperative for the country to have a "strong army" due to the threat posed by the enemies but said there was also the need to strike a "balance" between having a strong army and a strong government.

"We relied on them all the time. They did a lot of good things too but they didn't do many things that should've been done. They have the power because they control institutions such as NAB (National Accountability Bureau), which wasn't in our control," he said.

The former prime minister said while his government had the responsibility, it did not have all the power and the authority.

The Pakistan Army, which has ruled the coup-prone country for more than half of its 73 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy. However, the army has continuously denied its involvement in politics.

According to experts, Khan, who was ousted on April 10 after the National Assembly passed a no-confidence motion against him, had apparently lost support of the Army after he refused to endorse the appointment of Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum as the ISI spy agency chief last year. Finally, he agreed but it soured his ties with the Army.

During the interview, Khan said, "No management works if I have responsibility but have no complete power and authority. A system works only when responsibility and authority are in one place."

The PTI chief said the current political situation was a problem for the country as well as the establishment. "If the establishment doesn't make the right decisions then I can assure in writing that (before everyone else) they and the army will be destroyed because of what will become of the country if it goes bankrupt," he said.

"Pakistan is going towards a default. If that happens then which institution will be (the worst) hit? The army. After it is hit, what concession will be taken from us? Denuclearisation," Khan said.

Khan said that if Pakistan were to lose its nuclear deterrent capability, it would be fragmented into three pieces. "If the right decisions aren't made at this time then the country is going towards suicide," he warned.

Prodded further to share his thoughts on the night of the no-confidence vote, Imran declined to go into details and said: "History never forgives anyone. Things come out. If you ask me, I won't go into details, but when history will be written then it'll be counted as such a night in which Pakistan and its institutions were damaged a lot.

Natore Pabna full transparency’ over Champions Jahidul Islam Dhaka Bd 2022

 President Emmanuel Macron urged the French government on Wednesday to investigate with “full transparency” the chaos at this weekend’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid, as the interior minister came under increasing pressure over the police’s handling.

Natore Pabna full transparency’ over Champions Jahidul Islam Dhaka Bd 2022

 

PAKISTAN prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has invited Turkish businesses to invest in his country, saying Islamabad “sincerely” seeks to strengthen bilateral ties with Ankara.

The mayhem outside the Stade de France stadium ahead of the match, which saw thousands of Liverpool supporters with tickets struggle to enter and police respond with tear gas, raised questions over the capacity of Paris to host the Olympic Games in 2024.

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin has faced growing criticism and accusations of lying after he blamed the chaos on massive ticket scams.

‘At the moment we’re not getting what we payed for and it’s a disgrace. I do a lot of travelling and I have to say my experience with security people is always positive. They’re focused, mature about what they do and methodical.’

Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

While a listener named Anne blasted the Dublin Airport controversy as she admitted she has no plans of travelling anytime soon.

She explained: ‘I think it’s absolutely shocking and as someone said there “it’s like putting cattle into holding pen before they went to the mart”…

‘I used to believe before all this COVID thing that I was a terrific traveller, travelled all over the world. I wouldn’t dream of travelling at the moment due to the conditions.’

Twitter users flocked to have their say on the Liveline debate, where one woman asked ‘can you imagine asking elderly people to stand in a tent’.

Islamabad and Ankara should achieve an ambitious bilateral trade target of $5 billion which was “difficult but not impossible”, Shehbaz, who came to power amid rising inflation and depleting forex reserves in his country, said.

“Your active participation in investments in Pakistan is highly appreciated. And above all your participation in humanitarian projects in Pakistan is very well-known. Today, we are here to seriously engage ourselves with you because you are very serious-minded business people, and your achievements are outstanding and a shining example for all of us,” he said.

“We genuinely and sincerely want to work with the Turkey Business fraternity to transform our brotherhood into promoting our bilateral trade, investment and culture,” the south Asian country’s information and broadcasting minister Marriyum Aurangzeb quoted the prime minister as saying.

Sharif’s invitation to Turkish investors comes as Pakistan is buckling under crippling debt and a falling currency.

Pakistan foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had visited its weather ally China recently as Islamabad sought to address its economic headwinds, complicated by the rising fuel costs and a delayed IFM help.

Government spokeswoman Olivia Gregoire said that the matter had been briefly discussed at Wednesday’s regular cabinet meeting chaired by Macron, who has yet to comment publicly.

“What the president wants… is that light is shone on what really happened, in full transparency, and very quickly,” she told reporters, while emphasising Darmanin had Macron’s “full confidence”.

She said Macron also expected action from the government to ensure that this “never happens again”.

“Simply put, could we have done things better, could it have been better managed? Yes,” she acknowledged. “Were there wounded, a tragedy? No. Can we improve things for future sporting events? Certainly.”

She confirmed that 2,700 supporters had been unable to watch the match due to the chaos.

“The president of the republic and all his government are sad and sorry for these people who lost out.”

Despite the public professions of support, French media reports said that Macron was privately furious with Darmanin, 39, a high-flying right-winger.

The Canard Enchaine satirical weekly said that Macron had told Darmanin that what happened was a “heavy blow for France”.

“We can say that he was furious,” BFM TV cited a source close to Macron as saying.

“The minister of the interior was expressly asked to step up and stop insisting that we were not to blame,” the source added.

The Egyptian president has called for EU support for his country’s position on the ‘existential’ Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam as the two sides look to step up political and economic relations against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al Sisi told EU enlargement commissioner Olivér Várhelyi that the fate of the dam was an ‘existential issue’ for Egypt and its people and requested the bloc’s support during a meeting in Cairo on Wednesday (1 June).

The dam across the River Nile in northern Ethiopia is set to generate 5.15 gigawatts of electricity, making the dam the largest hydroelectric power plant in Africa, and one of the largest in the world when completed. However, its implications for the water supply to Egypt and Sudan are vast. In 2020, Ethiopia began filling the dam’s reservoir without the consent of its two neighbours.

Negotiations over the dam, particularly over the distribution of water and energy supplies, between Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan mediated at different stages by the United States and the African Union, with the EU as an observer, have been stalled for years.

The European Commission views Egypt as a strategically important country in both the Maghreb region and Africa, and its importance in terms of energy policy and wider geopolitics has increased following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The two sides are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Israel in the coming weeks to export natural gas to EU countries, Israel’s energy minister confirmed on Monday.

The Israeli gas will go through pipelines from Israel to Egypt, and then be shipped to Europe, she said.

In April, Italian energy company Eni signed a deal with Egypt’s EGAS that will see Egypt expanding gas exports to Europe to three billion cubic metres of liquified natural gas from 2022. The European Commission is expected to launch official talks with gas-producing nations in Africa in the coming days.

“Egypt is the link between the Arab and European worlds, and the axis of maintaining security and stability in the Middle East and the African continent,” said Várhelyi, in a statement following his meeting with al Sisi.

However, Egypt has been hit by the aftershocks of the war in Ukraine. One of the largest importers of wheat from Ukraine, it has been allocated €100 million from a €225 million EU fund to support North African countries facing wheat supply shortages, although EU leaders indicated at the European Council summit this week that this fund’s scope and resources will be increased.

This week, Polish President Andrzej Duda has also been courting al Sisi’s support on his first-ever official visit to Egypt with a view to importing liquefied gas from Egypt to Poland.

Mr Dalton said prior to appearing to the Oireachtas Transport Committee: ‘Passengers that arrive too early for their flights will be asked to wait in a dedicated passenger holding area with special consideration being given to those passengers who require special assistance and those Important Flyers travelling with autism.’

Bad weather cover, seating and toilets will all be provided in the holding area ‘as quickly as possible’, with Mr Dalton adding the ‘trialling of this system’ will take place over the June bank holiday weekend.

Joe Duffy’s Liveline on Wednesday afternoon was full of angry listeners having their say on the announcement.

COVid Update Bonpara Asserts Ukraine's Aim Is To Reoccupy Rasel Vai 2023

  

 

As the ongoing war in Eastern Europe transcended 3 months with Russian forces relentlessly invading Ukrainian cities and the EU announcing an embargo on more than two-thirds of Moscow's oil imports, the raging conflict continues to stir a global response. On Tuesday, during an interview with the US broadcaster Newsmax, embattled President Zelenskyy stated that Ukrainian troops aim to reoccupy the entire territory and that Kyiv also does not care about Russia's plans. During the interview, Zelenskyy also added that he would not order the use of advanced missile systems as expected from the United States to attack neighbouring Russia. 

This came after US President Joe Biden had announced that the country was deploying an advanced rocket system to Ukraine to strike key targets. According to reports, the weapons provided by America are High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), which can destroy the target even from a distance of 80 kilometres. Notably, these weapons were provided to the war-hit nation to hit a target inside Russia.

Pro-Ukrainian hacktivists obtained data from numerous Russian organizations, including its military.

"Major websites of Russian governmental and public institutions have been temporarily taken down, using tools rapidly created at the start of the war by pro-Ukrainian cyber activists that have enabled anyone with a minimum knowledge of cybertech to take part in cyberattacks," Dmytro Dubov, Head of the Information Security and Cybersecurity Department of the National Institute for Strategic Studies in Kyiv, writes.

In his latest analysis of the Russo-Ukrainian war in the cyber realm, he listed five challenges to Russia's cybersecurity and cyberwar capabilities.

"Unless addressed, these challenges will degrade Russia's ability to compete in the highly dynamic sphere of cyberspace – even as the war in Ukraine has shown the extent of its failures to deliver effects in this domain, too," Dubov said.

1. Shortage of specialists. Due to the increasing number of cyberattacks against Russia, the country's best specialists have to focus on defense, decreasing their offensive potential. Russia, facing a massive scope of cyberattacks, needs to allocate its resources and investigate what was taken from them and how far the hackers got in.

 

2. Limited awareness of cybersecurity. The cyberattack on the Russian Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) is a prominent example of the lack of awareness of the need for strong cybersecurity. It was forced to switch to pen and paper after losing 65TB of data.

"Successful cyberattacks on the websites of the Russian government, president, public and security services, and central bank have shown that despite attention to, and public funding of, cybersecurity, the abilities of Russian cybersecurity specialists tend to be limited," Dubov writes.

3. Weak operational skills of mid-level specialists. Dubov claims that Russian hackers have failed to show their supposed mastery in this active cyber confrontation. "Russia's responses in the current cyber conflict have been poorly thought out, and its cyberattacks against Ukraine have been partly supported by data gathered by Russian intelligence agencies through traditional means such as human espionage."

 

4. Withdrawal of foreign expertise. Nearly 40 cybersecurity companies have announced their withdrawal from the Russian market and have suspended service for Russian clients.

This presents long-term challenges, as many software or hardware solutions cannot be replaced by Russian-owned technologies (according to local specialists, replacement may require 6 to 12 months.)

Russia is now on a quest to create a sovereign internet. The Kremlin has actively endorsed any initiative to develop domestic digital services in place of Western competitors.

"A Presidential Decree of 30 March 2022 required all purchases of foreign software for Russian CIFs to be suspended from 31 March and prohibited the use of foreign software from 1 January 2025. Further, by the end of September 2022, the Russian government must develop a plan to replace foreign-made radio, electronic, and telecommunication devices with Russian ones," Dubov writes, doubting this is even possible to achieve.

"In any event, a ban on importing technologies will be a sham, as it will only make the existing practice of purchasing Chinese products and replacing ‘made in China’ labels with ‘from Russian manufacturers’ even more widespread," he added.

5. Brain drain. This March, a Concord group company associated with an oligarch close to Putin, Yevgeny Prigozhin, urged the government to draft a law to make it harder for IT specialists to travel abroad.

"Both the Russian Ministry of Digital Development and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later denied this, and the information was deleted. State Duma member Alexander Khinshtein suggested establishing 'IT- joints,' similar to the Soviet-era semi- prisons where sentenced specialists worked on R&D projects, supervised by the security service. It seems that this was not a serious proposal, but as many Russian IT specialists have been arrested recently, it may have been a trial balloon intended to test the idea and to mentally prepare the Russian public," Dubov said.

Ukraine's aim is to reoccupy entire territory: Zelenskyy

“Look, we’re not planning to attack Russia, we’re not interested in the Russian Federation, we’re not fighting on their territory,” Zelensky told Newsmax, reported The Moscow Times.

At a time when Ukraine is already fighting a tough battle with the Russian forces, the multiple rocket launchers deployed by the Ukrainian forces represent an important upgrade in the war strategy. According to the official, the Himars are the centrepiece of a $700 million package provided to the war-ravaged country. The military aid provided by the United States to Ukraine also includes air surveillance radars, more Javelin short-range anti-tank rockets, more artillery ammunition, helicopters, vehicles, and spare parts. 

READ | Russia-Ukraine war: Ukraine increases military expenditures by $8.3 billion

The announcement also put a stop to ongoing speculation that Himars were going to Ukraine following continuous pleas from the Ukrainian military. With this development, it has become clear that the US is firmly standing with Ukraine while not taking a step forward to be seen as a direct belligerent. Notably, the new weapons will come from a recently announced fund of $40 billion, out of which the Biden administration has already sent $4.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine since the start of the war.

READ | Russia ready to hold negotiations with Ukraine to restore peace, says Upper house speaker

Russia-Ukraine war

Ever since Kremlin leader Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, hostilities between both nations have led to several thousand deaths and massive destruction in the war-torn nation. Reports have emerged that the situation in the Eastern part of Ukraine is 'difficult'. "The situation on the Eastern Front is currently difficult due to the lack of necessary weapons, but Ukraine will liberate its territories, focusing on the effectiveness of hostilities and the maximum preservation of people's lives," Zelenskyy said on Tuesda

Areport by global policy think tank Rand Corporation said that US’ five main allies in Asia - Japan, South Korea, Australia, Thailand and the Philippines - are unlikely to agree to host US’ ground-based intermediate-range missiles.

The intermediate-range missiles are central to US strategy to infiltrate China’s defenses if it invades Taiwan in near future.

Senior political scientist Jeffrey Hornung who authored the paper pointed out that there is a small chance that Australia and Japan could host the ground-based intermediate-range missiles (GBIRMs), while adding that neither the Philippines or Thailand would give a nod to such an arrangement.

It also points out that the US, once bound by the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, does not have any GBIRMs in its arsenal compared to 1,250 ground-based intermediate-range missiles that Beijing has.

The European Union has added its voice to the cautiously positive international reaction to Sunday's announcement of the lifting of the State of Emergency, and pledge to release detainees, by Sudan's Sovereignty Council.

The State of Emergency, which came into effect following the October 25 military coup and was underpinned by the dissolution of the transitional cabinet, initiated nationwide anti-coup protests that have rocked Sudan ever since.

The Sovereignty Council says that they hope this decision will provide "a fruitful and meaningful dialogue that achieves stability during the transitional period".

In a statement via the spokesperson in Brussels, the EU welcomes the announced lifting of the State of Emergency throughout the country and the release of detainees "as commendable first steps in creating the much needed conducive environment for dialogue".

 

The EU also welcomes the decision to allow the Al Jazeera Live channel to resume its operations in Sudan. The Sudanese Ministry of Information and Culture withdrew the license of Al Jazeera Live in January.

'The EU calls upon all parties to engage actively and constructively in the dialogue efforts... '

"Time is of the essence for Sudan's efforts to find an inclusive and sustainable way out of the current crisis, which is severely affecting the population," the EU statement says. "We therefore call upon authorities to continue their efforts to create a truly conducive environment for dialogue, by completing the release of those who were detained since 25 October last, ensuring due process to those detainees who face criminal charges against them, and effectively ending the violence against peaceful demonstrators, allowing them to enjoy their basic human rights of assembly and expression."

 

 

The statement underlines: "It is crucial for alleged violations of human rights to be investigated and for perpetrators to be held to account. The EU calls upon all parties to engage actively and constructively in the dialogue efforts, facilitated by the trilateral mechanism of UNITAMS, AU, and IGAD*. They have our full support," the statement concludes.

Pabna Dhaka Bangladesh plan for Ukraine is dormant Natore Bonpara 2023

 Italy isn’t exactly known as an international diplomatic heavyweight. Generally speaking, the Italians like to work through the European Union on major diplomatic initiatives, not go their own way.

The war in Ukraine, however, is of such consequence to the European security architecture that Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has submitted a four-point peace plan to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He hopes it will eventually gain traction if and when end-of-war negotiations resume.

The details of Italy’s peace plan are tucked away somewhere in the Italian Foreign Ministry, but the broad outlines have been reported by the Wall Street Journal. According to the plan, the first step involves a ceasefire between Russian and Ukrainian forces and the demilitarization of the front line. The second stage would involve a more general discussion about adopting neutrality for Ukraine, which would foreclose NATO membership for Kyiv but simultaneously provide the Ukrainians with international security guarantees. Third, the status of Crimea and the Donbas would be tackled. If reports are true, both areas would remain a part of Ukraine but essentially be autonomous territories running their own affairs. Finally, a more comprehensive security arrangement between Europe and Russia would be arranged, in conjunction with a phased withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine.

The Italians have managed to bring Russia and Ukraine together — both hate the draft peace proposal. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov waved it away as an unserious bid by a man, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, more concerned with elevating his political profile than serving as a statesman. Ukraine hasn’t commented on the proposal directly, but given its refusal to consider concessions that would allow Putin to brag about a win, it doesn’t take a genius to assume their opposition. Last week, Oleksiy Arestovych, one of Zelensky’s senior advisers, lambasted those in Europe who were urging the Ukrainians to give goodies to the Russians in order to end the war. "No one is going to trade a gram of our sovereignty or a millimeter of our territory,” Arestovych said. "Our children are dying, soldiers are being blown apart by shells, and they tell us to sacrifice territory. Get lost. It's never going to happen."

The Italian plan, of course, doesn’t go as far as to ask the Ukrainians to sacrifice chunks of territory to placate the Russians. Realistically, it’s difficult to see any Ukrainian president even considering such things. The Ukrainians don’t trust a word the Russians say, and Kyiv is highly concerned Putin would merely pocket the concessions and use any cessation of hostilities as an opportunity to rearm his forces for a bigger offensive sometime in the future. Given the number of times Russian troops have violated evacuation agreements near Mariupol during the fighting there, it’s not hard to see why the Zelensky administration is opposed to a land-for-peace deal.

Unfortunately, Zelensky may not have much of a choice as time goes on. While the Ukrainians continue to kill a lot of Russian troops and turn a lot of Russian military equipment into steel carcasses — a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on May 26 that Russia has lost 1,000 tanks, 350 artillery cannons, 50 helicopters, and three dozen warplanes over the course of the three-month war — Ukrainian officials aren’t disputing Russia’s recent gains. The last several days have been brutal for the Ukrainian defenders in Severodonetsk, with Russian troops nearly surrounding the city and Russian artillery strikes pounding the remaining transportation routes available for reinforcements and resupply. Russian officials, confident of their control in Ukraine’s southeast, are talking about the eventual reunification of the area with Russia proper.

If the trend lines continue (who knows if they will), the Ukrainian government will have to contemplate whether their position of putting all of their eggs in the military basket remains the right strategy. It will be an emotionally fraught debate, indeed.

The Supreme Court is heading into the final weeks of a term that may reveal the full impact of its newly dominant conservative bloc.

The justices have 33 remaining cases to be decided by the end of June or the first week in July. The issues include abortion, guns, religion and climate change.

In years past, the end-of-term rush often featured a mix of conservative and liberal rulings. But since Justice Amy Coney Barrett replaced the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the wins for liberals have been few. During most of this term’s arguments, the main question was whether the conservatives would rule narrowly or broadly.

Here are the most significant questions to be decided:

Abortion and Roe: Should Roe vs. Wade be overruled and states be given the authority to outlaw most or all abortions?

Last year, the court agreed to hear Mississippi’s appeal of a law that would limit legal abortions to 15 weeks of a pregnancy. But the state’s attorneys said the court should go further and overturn the right to abortion established in

A draft opinion leaked in early May indicated five justices were prepared to do just that. If so, it would be one of the most significant reversals of a constitutional right in the court’s history. (Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization)

Guns and right to carry: Do lawful gun owners have a right to carry a loaded firearm with them when they leave home, or may states limit “concealed carry” permits to those who show they have a special need to be armed?

Most states allow gun owners to carry their weapons, but New York, California and six other “blue” states restrict these permits. Gun rights advocates sued to challenge New York’s law, and urged the court to rule the 2nd Amendment protects the right to “bear arms” in public. (New York State Rifle & Pistol Assn. vs. Bruen)

 

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Religious schools: Do students enrolled in religious schools have an equal right to public funds if their state funds other private schools?

Maine has small towns with no high school, so it provides tuition aid for students to attend other schools — public or private — but not religious schools.

The court’s conservatives will likely rule that refusing to pay tuition for students in church schools in such cases amounts to unconstitutional discrimination against religion. If so, the ruling could open the door for those who want to include religious options among big-city charter schools, which are privately run but publicly funded. (Carson vs. Makin)

EPA and climate change: Can the Environmental Protection Agency require states to reduce the carbon pollution that is warming the globe by moving away from coal-fired power plants and shifting toward natural gas, wind turbines and solar energy?

The Obama administration proposed such an ambitious plan, but it was blocked by the high court in 2016 and set aside later by the Trump administration. Now, West Virginia and 18 other coal states want the court to rule that the EPA and the Biden administration lack broad regulatory authority to fight climate change. (West Virginia vs. EPA)

Praying football coach: Does a high school football coach have a free-speech right to kneel and pray on the 50-yard line, or may the school forbid teachers and other employees from conducting such prayers?

Since the 1960s, the court has told public schools they may not promote group prayers based on the principle of church-state separation.

But the court’s conservatives are skeptical of that idea, and they are likely to rule for a former football coach in Bremerton, Wash., whose prayers drew crowds of students. (Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District)

Migrants at border: Can the Biden administration admit and then release tens of thousands of migrants from Central America who arrive at the southern border seeking asylum, or must they either be detained in the U.S. or remain in Mexico while their claims work their way through the immigration courts?

President Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy was denounced as inhumane, but when President Biden moved to revoke it, Texas state lawyers won rulings that blocked the reversal.

At issue are two parts of the immigration laws. One says asylum-seekers “shall be detained” and a second says they may be released on bond on a “case-by-case basis” if they are judged likely to appear for their hearing. (Biden vs. Texas)

Police and Miranda warnings: Can a police officer be sued for questioning a suspect without giving them Miranda warnings and pressuring them to confess to a crime?

In 1966, Chief Justice Earl Warren said police who stop and question suspects must warn them of the right to “remain silent” and to speak with a lawyer. If no warnings are given, an incriminating statement may be not used in court.

But sometimes, police officers ignore the Miranda warnings and question a suspect to learn about evidence or the details of a crime.

Online Dhaka Update boss rues political party Noakhali Covid Update 2021

 director general Martha Chizuma says Malawi’s political party funding system has given rise to “advance capture”.

Speaking at the two-day Dynamic Leaders and Gatekeepers Forum (DLGF) in Lilongwe yesterday, the ACB head said political parties are captured in advance by those who provide the funding such that, once in power, parties feel obliged to extend the favour to those donors and this is a cause for worry.

Chizuma: Corruption is a sin

She said most people who provide funding to political parties do so with an interest to benefit from public resources through the backdoor.

Said Chizuma: “The citizenry should take interest in those who provide support to political parties, which includes materials such as T-shirts and cloths, especially during campaign period.”

The forum attracted a diverse audience, ranging from businesspersons, public officials and political leaders who included Leader of Opposition Kondwani Nankhumwa and Kamuzu Chibambo, who is one of the leaders in the Tonse Alliance.

In her presentation, Chizuma wondered why corruption is rampant in Malawi when almost 80 percent of the population claims to be Christian.

Mzikamanda: It is a timely discussion

“Corruption is a sin but why is it so rampant when almost 80 percent of the population is Christian?” she wondered.

One of the participants at the forum, Krishna Achuthan, who is Nation Publications Limited (NPL) director, described Chizuma as a “woman of substance” who deserves support.

Achuthan, while heaping praise on Chizuma for her courage and passion to fight corruption, asked if there is hope to eliminate graft in the country.

In her response Chizuma said there is hope and her approach is to deal with the current corruption before focusing on old cases.

She said: “We are dealing with both cases—new and old corruption cases. We have to balance. We are also dealing with new cases which have the deterrent effect which is crucial to bringing down corruption cases. With this approach, I believe, we will get there. There is hope, we will get there.”

Chizuma also stressed that there is need to depoliticise the fight against corruption because the effects of corruption affect all citizens.

“If DPP leaders commit corruption even DPP followers suffer. The same thing with Tonse Alliance. Thus, we should get to a place where regardless of our political parties we should all hate corruption,” she said.

The ACB head added that despite losing trust in many people, she has hope that corruption will be dealt with in the country.

She said what keeps her going against a strong force bent to bring her down is her “faith in God”.

Said Chizuma: “I still have a deep belief that God has a specific purpose for this country and it shall be fulfilled. What hurts me is that some of the people hurting this country are those who have benefitted from this country.

“I am a beneficiary of this country. My education has been sponsored by government through scholarships. And after all these benefits should I really abuse my position?”

Chizuma is publicly considered an Anti-Corruption Crusader.

When President Lazarus Chakwera appointed Chizuma as ACB director general in April last year, the Public Appointments Committee of Parliament rejected the move, but later bowed to public pressure and confirmed her in the position.

During the last press conference, President Chakwera stressed that he opted for Chizuma because she is a fighter.

Besides Chizuma, other speakers at the conference included Chief Justice Rezine Mzikamanda, who gave a keynote address, and DLGF founder Pastor Zacc Kawalala of Word Alive Ministries.

Reacting to Chizuma’s presentation on political party financing, Nankhumwa, who is also Democratic Progressive Party vice-president (South), said he agreed with Chizuma on the need to strengthen the law for political parties to disclose for their sources of funding.

“It was a wonderful presentation and I agree with her suggested solution that we need to make some amendments to the current law to improve on transparency in political party financing. It is true we have the law, but we need to strengthen it,” he said.

In his address during the opening of the forum on Friday night, Mzikamanda said turbulent times require transformative leadership; hence, the DLGF is timely as it will give participants an opportunity to reflect on how Malawi can surmount the current challenges, which include Covid-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war impacts.

• The Reconcilation Commission tasked with contacting renowned Afghan figures starts functioning
• The commission’s operational strategy lacks clearity: Some politicans
• The Reconciliation Commission could be a good opportunity for talks and empowerment of acting government: Richard Bennett
• This commission is a disgrace to political figures: The Afghanistan National Resistance and Solvation Council
• No one could threaten the people of Afghanistan in the name of resistance or any other pretexts: Mujahid
• A grand meeting of renowned figures would be convened for the resolution of problems
• A grand meeting would have a positive outcome when all Afghans see themselves representated: Experts
• Any change in Afghanistan should be led by the people: 7-way meeting
• The strategy for face covering (hijab) sparked positive and negative reactions
• Twenty-one people were killed and 38 others injured in Afghanistan last week.

Casualties:

Twenty-one people were killed and 38 others injured, excluding casualties from natural disasters, in Afghanistan last week.

According to reports, six people were killed and 18 others injured in a bomb blast inside a mosque in Kabul last week.

Ten people were killed and 15 others injured in seprate blasts in northern Balkh province. Daesh claimed responsibility for the Balkh attacks.

Last week, two pople were wounded in a mortar shell blast in Uruzgan and Kandahar provinces. Two people were killed in security forces’ firing on a wedding procession in Nangarhar province.

A man was killed in Maidan Wardak province last week when one person was injured in Kabul.

Reports said unknown gunmen killed a woman in Faryab last week while security force killed three kidnappers during a raid in Parwan province.

During the previous week, 17 people had been killed and 16 others injured in Afghanistan.

Before the regime change last year, hundreds of people were killed and injured on a weekly basis in Afghanistan.

Reconcilation Commission

Some renowned Afghan figures and polticans in the past government had fled the country after the regime change. But the caretaker government approved in March the formation of a ‘Commission to Contact Afghan Figures in Foreign Countries for Reconcilaiton. Last week, this commission officillly started functioning by announcing its operational strategy.

The commission said it would pave the way for the return of all political and military Afghan personalities from foreigncountrie. After their return, nobody will hve the right of their arrest or detention.

Some political commentators welcomed the formation of the Reocncilaiton Commission. However, they said the strategy regarding the political future of these personalies lacked clarity and the gvenrment should provide more details in this regrd.

Last week, UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Afghanistan Richard Bennett said the formation of the ‘Commission to Contact Afghan Politicla Figures in Foreign Countreis was an opportunity for talks and empowermentof the incumbent government

But the Afghanistan National Resistance and Solvation Council, in its first meeting in Turkey, opposed the Reconciliation Commission and asked the government to explore honest ways of resolving the conflict through an interim administration and elections. Key figures in the past government such as Abdul Rab Rasoul Sayyaf, Atta Mohmmad Noor, Abdul Rashid Dostum, Haji Mohaqiq and Mir Rahman Rahmani are part of this council.

Earlier, the Solvation Council had asked the caretaker government for talks and if dialogue did not work, they could choose military action.

But Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said no one would be allowed to threaten the people of Afghanistan in the name of resistance or on any other pretext.

He, however, explained the individuals involved in corruption for years had no place in the government and if they opted for military action, the authorities would move against them.

Grand meeting

According to a government source, a strategy was being devised to convene a grand meeting of renowned Afghan figures. Individuals from different parts of the country would be invited to the meeting.

Some experts said onvening of the grand meeting would a positive step if all Afghans saw themselves represented.

Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) leader Gulbadin Hekmatyar stressed the need for a grand national council with clear support from the masses to take the country out of the current political crisis.

Hekmatyar believed the implementation of the caretaker government’s strategy for reconciliation with its opponents was weak and difficult to enforce.

But the National Resistance and Solvation Council has termed convening of the grand meeting a symbolic move. In a statement, the council said the proposed gathering and return of Afghan perosnalities to the country was a disgrace to them and to the wisdom of society.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other top officials discussed revising stringent anti-epidemic restrictions during a meeting Sunday, state media reported, as they maintained a widely disputed claim that the country’s first COVID-19 outbreak is slowing.

The discussion at the North’s Politburo meeting suggests it will soon relax a set of draconian curbs imposed after its admission of the omicron outbreak this month out of concern about its food and economic situations.

 

Kim and other Politburo members “made a positive evaluation of the pandemic situation being controlled and improved across the country,” the official Korean Central News Agency said.

They also “examined the issue of effectively and quickly coordinating and enforcing the anti-epidemic regulations and guidelines given the current stable anti-epidemic situation,” KCNA said.

On Sunday, North Korea reported 89,500 more patients with fever symptoms, taking the country’s total to 3.4 million. It didn’t say whether there were additional deaths. The country’s latest death toll reported Friday was 69, setting its mortality rate at 0.002%, an extremely low count that no other country, including advanced economies, has reported in the fight against COVID-19.

Many outside experts say North Korea is clearly understating its fatality rate to prevent any political damage to Kim at home. They say North Korea should have suffered many more deaths because its 26 million people are largely unvaccinated against COVID-19 and it lacks the capacity to treat patients with critical conditions. Others suspect North Korea might have exaggerated its earlier fever cases to try to strengthen its internal control of its population.

Since its May 12 admission of the omicron outbreak, North Korea has only been announcing the number of patients with feverish symptoms daily, but not those with COVID-19, apparently because of a shortage of test kits to confirm coronavirus cases in large numbers.

But many outside health experts view most of the reported fever cases as COVID-19, saying North Korean authorities would know how to distinguish the symptoms from fevers caused by other prevalent infectious diseases.

The outbreak has forced North Korea to impose a nationwide lockdown, isolate all work and residential units from one another and ban region-to-region movements. The country still allows key agricultural, construction and other industrial activities, but the toughened restrictions have triggered worries about its food insecurity and a fragile economy already hit hard by pandemic-caused border shutdowns.

Some observers say North Korea will likely soon declare victory over COVID-19 and credit it to Kim’s leadership.

Yang Un-chul, an analyst at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea, said the North’s recently elevated restrictions must be dealing a serious blow to its coal, agricultural and other labor-intensive industrial sectors. But he said those difficulties won’t likely develop to a level that threatens Kim’s grip on power, as the COVID-19 outbreak and strengthened curbs have given him a chance to boost his control of his people.

The State Department stated Thursday that the US is “deeply disturbed” by the Iraqi Parliament’s passage of the legislation and noted that “in addition to jeopardizing freedom of expression and promoting an environment of anti-Semitism, this legislation stands in stark contrast to progress Iraq’s neighbors have made by building bridges and normalizing relations with Israel, creating new opportunities for people throughout the region.”

The US will “continue to be a strong and unwavering partner in supporting Israel, including as it expands ties with its neighbors in the pursuit of greater peace and prosperity for all,” the State Department stated.

Iraq has officially been at war with Israel since 1948.

The United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain shortly after it, announced in August 2020 the normalization of relations with Israel.

Sudan was next to announce the normalization of relations with Israel in October, Israel’s third peace treaty in two months.

Morocco was the fourth country to join the Abraham Accords with Israel. The two countries announced the normalization of relations in December 2020.

The Abraham Accords, the first pact between an Arab country and Israel in 25 years, is expected to lead to similar agreements with other Arab countries, possibly Oman or Saudi Arabia.