World News

Kyiv: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kicked off the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival with his virtual address and launched a veiled attack on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as the war between both countries entered day 83. Opening Cannes Film Festival, Zelenskyy urged future filmmakers to celebrate the satire on fascism and not remain silent and hailed Charlie Chaplin's satire on Adolf Hitler. Zelenskyy quoted Chaplin's final speech in&nbsp;The Great Dictator, which was released in 1940, in the early days of World War II, and said, "The hate of men will pass, and dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the people."He made an appeal to the world of the cinema saying, "It's necessary for cinema not to be silent." The Ukrainian President said, "We need a new Chaplin who will demonstrate that the cinema of our time is not silent." Moreover, he requested that cinema must always be "on the side of freedom".He made these remarks, after tributes and musical numbers, in a live satellite video address to the audience who had gathered for the premiere of Michel Hazanavicius' zombie comedy&nbsp;Final Cut. The Ukrainian president was dressed in his signature olive green shirt. The hall reverberated with a thunderous standing ovation as Zelenskyy spoke at length about the connection between cinema and reality. He referenced films like Francis Ford Coppola's&nbsp;Apocalypse Now&nbsp;and Charlie Chaplin's&nbsp;The Great Dictator&nbsp;as not unlike Ukraine's present circumstances. Several films from prominent Ukrainian filmmakers, including Sergei Loznitsa's documentary&nbsp;The Natural History of Destruction&nbsp;are set to screen at Cannes. Footage shot by Lithuanian filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravicius before he was killed in Mariupol in April will also be shown by his fiancee, Hanna Bilobrova. Even&nbsp;Final Cut, the latest film from&nbsp;The Artist&nbsp;filmmaker Hazanavicius, was renamed from its original title,&nbsp;Z, after Ukrainian protesters noted that the letter Z to some symbolizes support for Russia's war in Ukraine, as per the media portal. The 75th Cannes Film Festival started on Tuesday, May 17 and will go on till May 28.—ANI

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kicked off the 75th edition of the , Cannes Film Festival with his virtual address and launched a veiled attack on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as the war between both countries entered day 83.

Dictators will die, says Zelenskyy at Cannes 2022

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy kicked off the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival with his virtual address and launched a veiled attack on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin as the war between both countries entered day 83.

Europe

Washington: US President Joe Biden on Monday thanked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for his country's moral leadership in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the two held talks at the White House on Monday about the ongoing conflict. Mitsotakis was in Washington to mark a COVID-delayed commemoration of the bicentennial of the start of the Greek War of Independence, a more than eight-year-long struggle that led to the ouster of the Ottoman Empire. He will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday.But the celebratory moment was shadowed by the most significant fighting on the continent since World War II, and as Biden seeks to keep the West unified as it pressures Russia to end the war. Biden praised Greece for showing moral clarity by quickly imposing sanctions against Russia following the February 24 invasion, providing Kyiv with military assistance and taking in Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict.We're helping Ukrainians say no to Russian aggression," Biden said. "And we're saying no to tyranny, to the idea that autocracies will outpace democracies in the 21st century, because that's what is at stake here in my view. As Europe looks to wean itself off Russian energy, Mitsotakis has pushed the idea of Greece becoming an energy hub that can bring gas, as well as renewable energies, produced in southwest Asia, the Middle East and Africa to eastern Europe. "Greece plans to play an important role as a gateway for electricity produced from cheap, renewable sources," Mitsotakis said.A new Greece-to-Bulgaria pipeline built during the COVID-19 pandemic, tested and due to start commercial operation in June is slated to bring large volumes of gas flow between the two countries in both directions to generate electricity, fuel industry, and heat homes.The new pipeline connection, called the Gas Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria, will give Bulgaria access to ports in neighbouring Greece that are importing liquefied natural gas, or LNG, and also will bring gas from Azerbaijan through a new pipeline system that ends in Italy. Russia announced last month it was cutting off natural gas exports to Bulgaria and Poland over the countries' refusal to pay in rubles. Greece, a fellow NATO nation, last week formally extended its bilateral military agreement with the United States for five years, replacing an annual review of the deal that grants the US military access to three bases in mainland Greece as well as the American naval presence on the island of Crete. Mitsotakis has expressed support for Finland and Sweden seeking membership in the NATO defence alliance, a development welcomed by much of the 30-nation group with the notable exception of Turkey, which remains locked in a decades-old dispute with Greece on sea boundaries and mineral rights in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday again voiced some objections to accepting Finland and Sweden, accusing the two countries of supporting Kurdish militants and others whom Turkey considers to be terrorists. Neither country has an open, clear stance against terrorist organisations, Erdogan said at a joint news conference with the visiting Algerian president. We cannot say yes' to those who impose sanctions on Turkey, on joining NATO, which is a security organisation.Mitsotakis, in an appearance on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Monday, expressed optimism that Turkey, in the end, won't hold up Finland and Sweden's bid to join NATO and addressed speculation that Erdogan might use the moment to win concessions from the Biden administration on weapons sales or other matters. This is not really the right time to use a NATO membership (application) by these two countries to bargain" for other issues, he said. In addition to his address to Congress, Mitsotakis is scheduled Tuesday to be honoured at a luncheon hosted by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and will meet with members of the Congressional Caucus on Hellenic Issues and members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.—PTI

US President Joe Biden on Monday thanked Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for his country's moral leadership in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the two held talks at the White House on Monday about the ongoing conflict.

Biden praises Greece for leadership after Russia invasion

London: The UK government has said it strongly supports the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as Sweden and Finland confirmed their intention to apply for membership of the military alliance, in a historic shift of foreign policy stance in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said on Monday evening that the two Nordic countries should be integrated into NATO, which operates on a collective defence basis under which an attack against any one ally is considered as an attack against all allies. The UK strongly supports applications for NATO membership from Finland and Sweden. They should be integrated into the alliance as soon as possible; their accession will strengthen the collective security of Europe, said Truss.We look forward to working with them as new NATO Allies and stand ready to offer them our every assistance during the accession process. Our mutual security declarations signed with Sweden and Finland last week by the Prime Minister [Boris Johnson] demonstrate our steadfast and unequivocal commitment to both countries during this process and beyond, she said. During his visit to Stockholm and Helsinki last week, Prime minister Johnson signed bilateral declarations with Sweden and Finland committing to further deepen defence and security partnerships with both countries in the lead up to their full-fledged NATO membership.Downing Street said the declarations marked a step-change in defence and security, intensifying intelligence sharing, accelerating joint military training, exercising and deployments, and bolstering security across all three countries and northern Europe. Sweden and Finland have been NATO partners for many years and have taken part in some of the alliance's tough operations. They also make a major contribution to security in the Baltic region, Northern Europe and the rest of the Euro-Atlantic area. While there was less appetite for a full membership in the past, there is now greater political consensus within the countries to be included formally within the military alliance. It is in response to what is seen as Russia's aggressive stance towards Ukraine, a move that has shaken up European countries in the neighbourhood.NATO's current 30-strong membership includes the UK, the US, Canada and many European nations. Russian President Vladimir Putin sees the expansion of the alliance as a security threat and has warned of "consequences". Putin has previously told Finland it would be a "mistake" to join NATO, which was founded in 1949 to counter the threat from the Soviet Union. He has also indicated Ukraine's intention to join the alliance as one of the reasons behind the current ongoing conflict. Sweden has been historically neutral since the Second World War II and Finland, which shares a border with Russia, has stayed away so far to avoid antagonising Putin.—PTI

The UK government has said it strongly supports the expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) as Sweden and Finland confirmed their intention to apply for membership of the military alliance, in a historic shift of foreign policy stance in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

UK strongly supports Sweden, Finland joining NATO

Canberra: Australia's largest supermarket chain, Woolworths, announced on Tuesday that will transition its stores in one state to 100 per cent green energy, a trial run for going fully green nationwide by 2025. The retailer announced that from July all of its operations would flip the switch to carbon neutrality in South Australia, reports Xinhua news agency. "This is the way the world is moving. Private capital is now leading the charge in backing clean energy, which presents a big opportunity for South Australian jobs," said South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas.Woolworths Group CEO Brad Banducci said the state-wide transition would be the first step in the leap to all the stores across the nation converting to green energy by 2025. "South Australia has helped lead the transition to renewable energy in Australia, combining solar, wind and batteries to enable us to make this leap forward in our mission to be powered entirely by renewable sources by 2025," said Banducci.The transition of 87 stores would be made possible by the Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park, which as the largest wind and solar hybrid project in the Southern Hemisphere has 50 wind turbines and 250,000 solar panels. The project produces on 900 MW of renewable energy each year, enough to power an estimated 180,000 households. Following the transition in July, the chain is poised to gradually replace existing traditional energy contracts across the country, which will convert an estimated 1 per cent of Australia's total energy going green. "We're proud to be making tangible changes today that will create a better tomorrow for generations to come and we look forward to building on this in other states over the next three years," added Banducci. The supermarket has also pledged to transition its entire supply chain to net positivity by at least 2050.—IANS

Australia's largest supermarket chain, Woolworths, announced on Tuesday that will transition its stores in one state to 100 per cent green energy, a trial run for going fully green nationwide by 2025.

Australia’s largest supermarket chain to transition to 100% green energy

Colombo: A no-confidence motion tabled by the Opposition against Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was defeated in Parliament on Tuesday, in a comfortable win for the embattled President amidst nationwide protests demanding his resignation due to the country's worst-ever economic crisis. The motion by Opposition Tamil National Alliance MP M A Sumanthiran to suspend Parliament's standing orders in order to debate an expression of displeasure over President Rajapaksa was defeated with 119 MPs voting against it, the Economy Next newspaper reported. Only 68 MPs voted in favour of the motion, it said, giving the 72-year-old President a comfortable victory. With the motion, the Opposition sought to demonstrate how nationwide calls for President Rajapaksa's resignation are reflected in the country's legislature, the report said. The main Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Lakshman Kiriella had supported the motion.According to SJB MP Harsha de Silva, among those who voted against the motion was Sri Lanka's newly-elected Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. Human rights lawyer Bhavani Fonseka tweeted after the vote that the motion's defeat exposed MPs who protect President Rajapaksa. On Tuesday, Parliament met for the first time after the appointment of new Prime Minister Wickremesinghe, as the country looks to undertake major constitutional reforms amid the worst economic crisis.Sumanthiran, who moved the motion, wanted the standing orders suspended to carry on with the debate. The government, however, objected to suspending the standing orders. The Speaker then ordered a vote on the question of suspending the standing orders. The government won the vote and forced the adjournment motion moved on the violence suffered by the ruling party politicians since May 9. The police on Monday said that some 78 ruling party politicians had suffered damage to properties. The Opposition said the motion of displeasure could be moved on Friday. Sri Lanka is witnessing an unprecedented economic crisis.The Rajapaksa government had taken some arbitrary decisions like banning chemical fertiliser imports in favour of organic farming and resisting turning to the International Monetary Fund which led to the country's worst economic crisis since its independence from Britain in 1948.A crippling shortage of foreign reserves has led to long queues for fuel, cooking gas and other essentials while power cuts and soaring food prices heaped misery on the people. The economic uncertainty also triggered a political crisis in Sri Lanka and a demand for the resignation of the powerful Rajapaksas. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sacked his Cabinet and appointed a younger Cabinet as a response to the demand for his resignation. A continuous protest opposite his secretariat has now gone on for well over a month. On May 9, Gotabaya Rajapaksa's elder brother Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned as the prime minister to make way for the president to appoint an interim all political party government. Wickremesinghe was appointed the country's new prime minister on Thursday.—PTI

A no-confidence motion tabled by the Opposition against Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was defeated in Parliament on Tuesday, in a comfortable win for the embattled President amidst nationwide protests demanding his resignation due to the country's worst-ever economic crisis.

Lankan Parl defeats no-trust motion against Gotabaya

South Asia

Peshawar: Two terrorists were killed in an operation by security forces in Pakistan's northwest tribal district bordering Afghanistan, the Army said in a statement on Tuesday. Both of them were members of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).Security forces and terrorists exchanged fire last night in the Boya area of North Waziristan district during which the two militants, identified as Rasheed alias Jabir and Abdul Salam alias Chamtoo, were killed, the statement said. Weapons and ammunition were recovered from the killed militants, it said, adding that the two had been actively involved in terrorist activities in the area.—PTI

Two terrorists were killed in an operation by security forces in Pakistan's northwest tribal district bordering Afghanistan, the Army said in a statement on Tuesday.

2 terrorists killed in Pak's tribal district bordering Afghanistan

Colombo: Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed selling off the state-owned Sri Lankan Airlines as part of efforts to stabilise the island nation's finances amid the ongoing economic crisis. In a televised address to the nation on Monday night, Wickremesinghe said: "I propose to privatise Sri Lankan Airlines which is incurring extensive losses. The loss for the year 2020-2021 alone amounts to 45 billion LKR ($129.5 million). By March 31, 2021, the total loss was at 372 billion LKR. "Even if we privatise Sri Lankan Airlines, this is a loss that we must bear. You must be aware that this is a loss that must be borne even by the poor people of this country who have never stepped on an airplane."As the country is facing the worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, the Prime Minister said that the "next couple of months will be the most difficult ones in the lives of all citizens and the country must prepare to make some sacrifices and face the challenges of this period", reports Daily Mirror. He said the country, which also witnessed bouts of massive violence last week which led to the killing of nine people and the resignation of former Prime Mahinda Rajapaksa, urgently needs $75 million of foreign currency in the next few days to pay for essential imports.As the country is also facing a severe fuel shortage, Wickremesinghe, who assumed office on May 12, said that at the moment, "we only have petrol stocks for a single day". "Due to the diesel shipment that arrived yesterday (Sunday), the lack of diesel will be resolved to some extent. Under the Indian credit line, two more diesel shipments are due to arrive on May 18 and June 1. In addition, two petrol shipments are expected on May 18 and 28." Wickremesinghe said the country's central bank would have to print money to help meet the government's wage bill and other commitments. "Against my own wishes, I am compelled to permit printing money in order to pay state-sector employees and to pay for essential goods and services. However, we must remember that printing money leads to the depreciation of the rupee," he said.The island nation's economy has been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, rising energy prices, and populist tax cuts. A chronic shortage of foreign currency and soaring inflation had led to a severe shortage of medicines, fuel and other essentials. In recent weeks, there have been large, violent, protests against President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his family.—IANS

 Sri Lanka's new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has proposed selling off the state-owned Sri Lankan Airlines as part of efforts to stabilise the island nation's finances amid the ongoing economic crisis.

Ranil proposes selling off flag carrier

Colombo: Sri Lanka’s Parliament on Tuesday elected ruling party lawmaker Ajith Rajapaksa as its deputy speaker following a heated exchange between parliamentarians over his election. He was elected following a secret ballot conducted in Parliament, which met for the first time since the resignation of the former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and the swearing in of the new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.Ajith, from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party, secured 109 votes and the main Opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya nominee Rohini Kavirathna received 78 votes, Sri Lankan media reported. Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena said 23 votes were rejected. Several lawmakers spoke against the vote, claiming it was a waste of parliament’s valuable time. Some ruling party lawmakers and the independent group, including the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) urged the SJB and the government to reach a consensus and propose one name. However, both sides failed to reach a consensus.A heated exchange took place between the Opposition, the government and the Speaker. The Speaker later informed the House that if there is no consensus then he has no choice but to go for a vote. Both Mahinda Rajapaksa and his son Namal were absent while Basil Rajapaksa and Shasheendra Rajapaksa the other members of the Rajapaksa family were present in Parliament.—PTI

Sri Lanka’s Parliament on Tuesday elected ruling party lawmaker Ajith Rajapaksa as its deputy speaker following a heated exchange between parliamentarians over his election.

Sri Lanka’s Parliament elects ruling party lawmaker as its deputy speaker

Washington: A presidential advisory commission has unanimously voted to recommend US President Joe Biden to process all applications for green cards or permanent residency within six months, a proposal if adopted is likely to bring cheers to the hundreds and thousands of Indian-Americans, including those waiting for it for decades.A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently in the US. Indian IT professionals, most of whom are highly skilled and come to the US mainly on the H-1B work visas, are the worst sufferers of the current immigration system which imposes a seven per cent per country quota on allotment of the coveted Green Card or permanent legal residency.The recommendations of the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (PACAANHPI) are to be sent to the White House now for approval.If adopted, it is likely to bring cheers to the hundreds and thousands of Indian-Americans and those waiting, some even for decades, for a Green Card. A proposal on the issue was moved by eminent Indian-American community leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria during the meeting of the PACAANHPI, during which all its 25 commissioners unanimously approved it. The proceedings of the meeting here in the national capital were webcast live last week.To reduce the pending Green Card backlog, the advisory commission recommended the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to review their processes, systems and policies and establish new internal cycle time goals by streamlining processes, removing redundant steps if any, automating any manual approvals, improving their internal dashboards and reporting system and enhancing policies. The recommendations aim to reduce the cycle time for processing all forms related to family-based Green Card applications, DACA renewals and all other Green Card applications within six months and issue adjudicate decisions within six months of applications received by it.The commission recommended National Visa Center (NVC) State Department facility to hire additional officers to increase their capacity to process Green Card applications interviews by 100 per cent in three months from August 2022, and to increase Green Card Card applications visa interviews and adjudicate decisions by 150 per cent up from capacity of 32,439 in April 2022 -- by April 2023. Thereafter Green Card visa interviews and visa processing timeline should be a maximum of six months, it said.Aimed at making it easier for the immigrants to stay and work in the country, the commission recommended that the USCIS should review requests for work permits, travel documents and temporary status extensions or changes within three months and adjudicate decisions. Only 65,452 family preference green cards were issued in fiscal 2021 out of the annual 226,000 green cards available, leaving hundreds of thousands of green cards unused (with many likely to be permanently wasted in the future) and keeping many more families needlessly separated.There were 421,358 pending interviews in April compared to 436,700 in March, said the policy paper by Bhutoria. Noting that while the US population has grown substantially in recent decades, the immigration system has not changed to keep pace, he said.The annual levels of immigration were established in the early 1990s and have remained largely unchanged since then, he said. To make matters worse, the method used to calculate the annual number of employment-and-family-based immigration is deeply flawed, and has led to family-based immigration levels being set at their absolute minimum every year for the past 20 years, while hundreds of thousands of green cards for family members go wasted, never used by any individuals when they could be used to reunite families instead, Bhutoria said.The extraordinary wait time for a Green Card to be available causes significant hardship for American families forced to wait decades to reunite with their loved ones, even though those individuals are already qualified to immigrate right now. "Family separation takes a terrible emotional toll on families, and it imposes clear logistical, economic, and emotional hardships on families, and the growing nature of the backlogs makes the process uncertain and future planning impossible, he said. Among other things, the commission also recommended the USCIS to expand premium processing to additional employment-based Green Card applications, all work permit petitions, and temporary immigration status extension requests, allowing applicants to pay USD 2,500 to have their cases adjudicated within 45 days in a phased approach.—PTI

A presidential advisory commission has unanimously voted to recommend US President Joe Biden to process all applications for green cards or permanent residency within six months, a proposal if adopted is likely to bring cheers to the hundreds and thousands of Indian-Americans, including those waiting for it for decades.

Process all Green Cards within 6 months, Presidential commission votes

America

Washington: US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya will travel to India and Nepal this week to deepen cooperation on human rights and democratic governance goals with the two nations, the state department has announced. Zeya, the under secretary for civilian security, democracy and human rights and an India-American, is expected to visit Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh during her visit to India. Dharamsala is home to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government-in-exile. ”Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights and US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues Uzra Zeya will travel May 17-22 to India and Nepal to deepen cooperation on human rights and democratic governance goals, and to advance humanitarian priorities,” the state department said on Monday. ”She will also discuss partnering with India and Nepal during this Year of Action for the Summit for Democracy. The delegation will include USAID Deputy Assistant Administrator for Asia Anjali Kaur,” it added. It will be the first high-level contact between the US and the Tibetan leadership after Joe Biden became president in January last year.In New Delhi, people familiar with the development said last month that Zeya will hold talks with the Dalai Lama and other senior leaders of the Tibetan government in exile in Dharamsala, signalling the Biden administration's commitment to the Tibetan cause. Last month, Tibetan exile leader Penpa Tsering paid a visit to Washington D.C. and met Zeya. Tsering -- the elected head of Tibet's India-based exile government the Central Tibetan Administration -- had also met House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other congressional leaders. China considers the 14th Dalai Lama as a political exile who has attempted to split Tibet from China under the guise of religion. According to the people cited above, key issues relating to the Tibetan cause are likely to figure in the talks. As the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues, Zeya has been coordinating the Biden administration's policies, programmes and projects relating to the Tibetan cause. Zeya was sworn-in as the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on July 14 last year. On December 20, she was concurrently appointed as the US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues. The US has been consistently supporting the Tibetan cause notwithstanding China's strong objection. In 2020, the US came out with legislation reaffirming the absolute right of Tibetan people to choose a successor to the Dalai Lama and the preservation of Tibet's environment.After the US Congress passed the legislation, China had accused Washington of meddling in its internal affairs. China has been insisting that the selection of the next Dalai Lama has to be decided within Chinese territory and that it has to have a say in the matter. The issue of a successor to the 14th Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile in Dharamsala since 1959, gained traction as he turned 86 in July last year. Blinken had met a representative of the Dalai Lama during his visit to New Delhi last year.—PTI

US Special Coordinator for Tibetan issues Uzra Zeya will travel to India and Nepal this week to deepen cooperation on human rights and democratic governance goals with the two nations, the state department has announced.

US special representative for Tibet Uzra Zeya to visit India, Nepal this week

Minsk: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday urged other members of a Russian-dominated military alliance to stand united, and accused the West of hoping to prolong the conflict in Ukraine to try to weaken Russia as much as possible. Lukashenko, speaking at a summit of the leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Moscow, said "hellish sanctions" against his country and Russia could have been avoided if the group had spoken with one voice. "Without a united front, the collective West will build up pressure on the post-Soviet space," Lukashenko said in televised opening remarks, addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.—REUTERS

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Monday urged other members of a Russian-dominated military alliance to stand united, and accused the West of hoping to prolong the conflict in Ukraine to try to weaken Russia as much as possible.

Lukashenko urges Russia-led CSTO military alliance to unite against West

Lviv: Ukraine's military command said in early hours on Tuesday that the mission to defend the besieged Azovstal steel plant by "the heroes of our time" in the strategic southern port of Mariupol is over and pledged to rescue servicemen still trapped inside. "The 'Mariupol' garrison has fulfilled its combat mission," the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said in a statement. "The supreme military command ordered the commanders of the units stationed at Azovstal to save the lives of the personnel... Defenders of Mariupol are the heroes of our time."A total of 53 injured servicemen were evacuated to a hospital in Novoazovsk, east of Mariupol, on Monday and a further 211 were taken to another point, Ukraine's deputy defence minister said. Five buses and an armoured personnel carrier carrying the servicemen arrived late on Monday in Novoazovsk, and some of the evacuees were carried out on stretchers into a hospital, a Reuters witness said. Novoazovsk is now under the control of Russia-backed separatists who have held parts of eastern Ukraine since 2014.Since Russia launched its invasion in February, Mariupol's devastation has become a symbol both of Ukraine's ability to withstand Russia's invasion and of Russia's willingness to devastate Ukrainian cities that hold out. Azovstal's last defenders had been holding out for weeks in bunkers and tunnels built deep underground to withstand nuclear war. Civilians were evacuated from inside the plant, one of the largest metallurgical facilities in Europe, earlier this month. "Efforts to rescue defenders who remain on the territory of Azovstal continue," the military said. There has been no immediate response from Moscow authorities to the developments in Azovstal. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, in his nightly video address, called Monday a "difficult" day. "Ukraine needs Ukrainian heroes alive. This is our principle. I think that every reasonable person will understand these words," Zelenskiy said. "The work continues to bring the boys home, and this work needs delicacy. And time."—REUTERS

Ukraine's military command said in early hours on Tuesday that the mission to defend the besieged Azovstal steel plant by "the heroes of our time" in the strategic southern port of Mariupol is over and pledged to rescue servicemen still trapped inside.

Ukraine ends mission to defend Azovstal steel plant

New York: The quick acceptance of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's aggression puts a spotlight on Europe's “double standard” for migrants, standing against its nonwelcome for people fleeing violence in Africa, the Mideast and elsewhere, the head of the world's largest humanitarian network said Monday.Francesco Rocca, president of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said he doesn't think “there is any difference'' between someone fleeing eastern Ukraine's Donbas region and someone escaping the Boko Haram extremist group in Nigeria. “Those who are fleeing violence, those who are seeking protection, should be treated equally,” said Rocca, whose organisation operates in more than 192 countries with almost 15 million volunteers.Speaking at a news conference, he said there is “a moral imperative” to help people escaping violence and upheavals, and “the political, public and humanitarian response to the Ukraine crisis has shown what is possible when humanity and dignity comes first, when there is global solidarity.” “We hoped that the Ukrainian crisis would have been a turning point in the European migration policies,” Rocca said. “But unfortunately, this was not the case.” He said the 27-member European Union still has different approaches to migration at its eastern border from Ukraine and its southern border on the Mediterranean. The war, which Russia insists on calling a “special military operation,” has prompted one of the worst humanitarian crises in Europe since World War II.Since Russia invaded on February 24, more than 6 million people have fled Ukraine, with Poland absorbing more than 3.3 million and over 900,000 going to Romania, 605,000 to Hungary, 463,000 to Moldova and, 421,000 to Slovakia, according to the UN refugee agency. By contrast, Rocca said, migrants, refugees and asylum seekers trying to get to Europe are still dying, facing abuse and struggling to access essential services. Over 48,000 migrants have died or disappeared since 2014 while travelling at sea, and the deadliest route is that taken by migrants across the central Mediterranean to Europe, with at least 19,000 such deaths, he said. Those who arrive, mainly in Italy, Greece and Spain, are often put in camps and face long waits for their asylum claims to be heard.“In Europe there is a big heart and soul, because the community in Europe were able to open their arms, receiving millions in a few days of Ukrainians,” Rocca said. “So, they lie about the threat that is coming from the Mediterranean Sea, when it comes about a few thousands of people.” He said that “ethnicity and nationality should not be a deciding factor to saving life.” “There is a double standard,” Rocca said. “This is evident. It is in our eyes, and we cannot deny it when it comes about seeking protection.” Rocca was at UN headquarters for the first review of the July 2018 global compact to promote safe and orderly migration and reduce human smuggling and trafficking. It was the first global document to tackle the migration issue and was signed by more than 190 nations. US President Donald Trump's administration boycotted the negotiations. While progress has been made on the compact, mainly when it comes to Ukrainians, Rocca said there is still “a long road” to realise the compact's vision and commitments. He said many migrants' lives have been lost due to the failure of governments to change their policies to ensure safe and dignified migration. “Governments have the right to set migration policies and to manage their borders,” he said. “They are obliged to do so in a way that prevents suffering and death.”—PTI

The quick acceptance of Ukrainians fleeing Russia's aggression puts a spotlight on Europe's “double standard” for migrants, standing against its nonwelcome for people fleeing violence in Africa, the Mideast and elsewhere, the head of the world's largest humanitarian network said Monday.

Europe accused of 'double standard' on Ukrainian refugees

Beijing: Chinese nationals teaching Mandarin in different parts of Pakistan have left for home after being called back by Beijing following the recent deadly attacks targeting them, an official of the Karachi University said on Monday. Their departure came weeks after a burqa-clad Baloch woman suicide bomber struck a van inside Pakistan's prestigious University of Karachi, killing three Chinese teachers, including the head of the department, and their local driver, in the latest targeted attack against Chinese citizens in the country's financial capital. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army linked Majeed Brigade claimed responsibility for the attack on the teachers that took place on April 26 near China-built Confucius Institute -- a non-profit institute teaching Chinese language to local pupils -- in the university. An official at the University of Karachi said that the Chinese teachers who were teaching at the Confucius Institute on the campus left for home on Sunday.”There were other Chinese teachers working at different campuses in the country and they left yesterday,” he said.Director of the Confucius Institute at the Karachi University, Dr Nasir Uddin, said that the departure of the Chinese teachers was a big setback for the students learning Mandarin. ”We have around 500 students enrolled at the institute and we are now considering having online classes for them so that their term is completed,” he said.He said that the teachers at the different Confucius Institutes in the country have been called back by their government. Nasir Uddin said that the Confucius Institute is a non-profit educational set-up which aims to teach Mandarin, deepen international understanding of the language, and Chinese culture, and promote people-to-people exchanges between China and Pakistan. The BLA suicide bomb attack on April 26 had killed the head of the institute, Huang Guiping, and two other Chinese teachers, Chen Sai and Ding Mupeng, while their local driver Khalid Nawaz also died in the blast. The Chinese government in the past reacted strongly to attacks on its nationals working in Pakistan. The BLA opposes Chinese investment in Pakistan, especially in the restive Balochistan, saying local people do not benefit.Balochistan, bordering Iran and Afghanistan, is home to a long-running violent insurgency. Baloch insurgent groups have previously carried out several attacks targeting the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects. This was not the first time Chinese nationals have been the target of terror attacks in Karachi, which is Pakistan's biggest city and economic hub. In July last year, masked armed men on a motorcycle opened fire on a vehicle carrying two Chinese nationals in Karachi in which one of them was critically wounded. In the same month, nearly a dozen Chinese engineers were killed when a bus carrying construction workers was "attacked" in northwest Pakistan. In November 2018, Baloch militants had attacked the Chinese consulate in Karachi but failed to break through the security barrier with three of them killed on the spot.Thousands of Chinese personnel are working in Pakistan on a host of projects being carried out under the aegis of the CPEC.—PTI

Chinese nationals teaching Mandarin in different parts of Pakistan have left for home after being called back by Beijing following the recent deadly attacks targeting them, an official of the Karachi University said on Monday.

China calls back Mandarin teachers from Pakistan as attacks spike

Far East

Brussels: Germany will oppose European Union plans to include nuclear energy as a sustainable investment in its "taxonomy" policy for labelling green investments, the government said on Monday.Brussels is seeking approval from EU countries and European Parliament for its plan to label gas and nuclear as climate-friendly investments, which has split opinion among states who disagree on the fuels' green credentials. Germany, the EU's biggest economy, is among those planning to reject it when countries come to vote on the plan in the coming weeks. "The Federal Government has expressed its opposition to the taxonomy rules on nuclear power. This 'no' is an important political signal that makes clear: Nuclear energy is not sustainable and should therefore not be part of the taxonomy," Germany's environment ministry and its economy and climate ministry said in a statement. "Accordingly, the Federal Government would vote for the Council to object to the EU Commission's delegated legal act," the ministries said.To reject the rules, 20 of the EU's 27 countries must oppose it - a high threshold seen as unlikely to be reached. Germany's stance could also steer opinion in the European Parliament, however, where a majority of the assembly's 705 lawmakers could block the gas and nuclear rules in a July vote. The EU's sustainable finance taxonomy was designed to provide a "gold standard" for green investing, by limiting which investments can be labelled climate-friendly to only those that truly protect the planet. Nuclear energy generation is CO2-free, but produces radioactive waste. Separately, Austria and Luxembourg have threatened legal action over the plan to label nuclear investments as green. The plan to label gas as climate-friendly has faced criticism from countries including Spain, although some countries had lobbied hard for the taxonomy to incentivise gas investments to help them phase out coal. Gas emits less CO2 than coal when burned, but is also associated with leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas.—REUTERS

Germany will oppose European Union plans to include nuclear energy as a sustainable investment in its "taxonomy" policy for labelling green investments, the government said on Monday.

Germany to reject EU green investment label for nuclear power

Colombo: Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced that over 600 families have been affected by floods and landslides as heavy rain prevails in the island nation. A total of 2,290 people from 585 families were affected in the southern district of Ratnapura, while 62 from 16 families were affected in the Kalutara district in Western Province, Xinhua news agency quoted the DMC as saying. Eighty-two houses were partially damaged due to floods and winds, the DMC added, warning those living near rivers and mountains have to be vigilant of possible floods and landslides. Heavy rains have been reported in some parts of the country in the last few days, the DMC said.—IANS

Sri Lanka's Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced that over 600 families have been affected by floods and landslides as heavy rain prevails in the island nation.

Over 600 families in SL affected by floods, landslides

Lumbini: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba are holding bilateral talks at Lumbini on Monday, with the two leaders set to discuss expanded cooperation in multiple areas, including hydropower, development and connectivity. PM Modi arrived in Lumbini this morning on an official visit.On arrival at Lumbini, Prime Minister was warmly received by the Nepal PM, his spouse Arzu Deuba, and several Ministers from the Government of Nepal.Both the leaders participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of a Centre of Buddhist Culture and Heritage in Lumbini, on the auspicious occasion of Buddha Jayanti. Prior to this, PM Modi visited the Maya Devi Temple. He was accompanied by PM Deuba and his spouse Arzu Rana Deuba.The PMs paid their respects at the Marker Stone inside the temple premises, which pinpoints the exact birth spot of Lord Buddha. They attended the pooja conducted as per Buddhist rituals. The two Prime Ministers also lit lamps near the Ashoka Pillar located adjacent to the temple.Thereafter, the two Prime Ministers watered the Bodhi tree sapling from Bodh Gaya which was gifted by PM Modi to Lumbini in 2014 and also signed the temple’s visitor’s book. As Prime Minister, this is his fifth visit to Nepal and first to Lumbini.—ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Nepalese counterpart Sher Bahadur Deuba are holding bilateral talks at Lumbini on Monday, with the two leaders set to discuss expanded cooperation in multiple areas, including hydropower, development and connectivity.

Modi, Deuba hold bilateral talks at Lumbini

Sanaa: A senior official of Yemeni armed forces survived a car bombing in the country's southern port city of Aden, a security source said. "The convoy of General Ali Saleh Hassan, chief of the Joint Military Operations Authority, was struck by a car bomb while passing through the main road in Aden's district of Al-Mualla," the source told Xinhua news agency.Based on initial information, the attack occurred around Sunday noon when a parked booby-trapped car exploded and targeted Saleh's convoy, he said. He confirmed that Saleh survived the car bombing attack unharmed, and no casualties were reported among his bodyguards. Local residents confirmed to Xinhua that the blast sent a column of thick smoke into the sky and caused panic and damage to nearby vehicles. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast so far, but local security sources blamed terror groups for being behind the incident.Considered Yemen's temporary capital city, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015. Local authorities are trying to maintain security and stability in Aden. However, sporadic bombing incidents and drive-by shooting attacks still occur in the strategic Yemeni port city. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014, when the Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the internationally-recognized government out of the capital Sanaa.—IANS

A senior official of Yemeni armed forces survived a car bombing in the country's southern port city of Aden, a security source said.

Yemeni military official survives car bombing

Middle East

Islamabad: Pakistan’s former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has warned that former Prime Minister Imran Khan is arrested, the country will turn into Sri Lanka which is currently undergoing its worst economic crisis.Rasheed said that the incumbent coalition government had become directionless and was unable to handle the situation, Geo News reported. “The government should call Nawaz Sharif back now.” Rasheed said that if Khan is arrested, the PTI has already devised a strategy to deal with the situation, adding that the country would plunge into a political crisis and would witness a Sri Lanka-like situation.Taking a jibe a the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), a coalition of parties that successfully toppled the PTI-led government through a motion of no-confidence, Rasheed said that Khan had become the nation’s hero despite his ouster, Geo News reported. Later on, while addressing a rally in Faisalabad, Rasheed said that the country is soon going to become a defaulter, therefore, state institutions should intervene. “Shehbaz Sharif, you should address the nation and declare whether you’re going to go to the International Monetary Fund or not,” he said, adding that the country has fallen short of $6 billion within a month.—IANS

Pakistan’s former Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed has warned that former Prime Minister Imran Khan is arrested, the country will turn into Sri Lanka which is currently undergoing its worst economic crisis.

 Pak will turn into SL if Imran is arrested: Ex-Minister

Ramallah: &nbsp;A Palestinian man died of injuries he sustained during an Israeli raid last week in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, medics have confirmed.Dawoud Zubeidi was shot during the raid on the Jenin refugee camp on May 13, reports Xinhua news agency. The next day, Zubeidi’s family said they were informed by Israeli authorities that their son was under custody despite his critical health condition.He was moved to Rambam Hospital in the northern Israeli city of Haifa after a critical deterioration in his health condition resulting from the gunfire injury where he died on Sunday. Dawoud is the brother of Zakaria Zubeidi, one of the six Palestinian prisoners who escaped from a high-security prison in Israel’s Gilboa in September 2021. The six were recaptured a few days later. The Ministry of Health in Ramallah said that at least 13 Palestinians were wounded in the May 13 clashes in Jenin and the nearby village of Burqin in the northern West Bank.On May 14, an Israeli soldier died after being wounded in the raid, according to the Israeli media. The Israeli army has been carrying out frequent raids on the city of Jenin and its refugee camp to hunt Palestinian militants. On May 11, Al-Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed amid an Israeli raid in the West Bank.Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians stopped in 2014 following deep disputes on Israeli settlements and establishing a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.—IANS

A Palestinian man died of injuries he sustained during an Israeli raid last week in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, medics have confirmed.