Japan PM heads to Washington with China topping agenda

TOKYO, April 15 :  (AFP) - Japan's prime minister heads to Washington on Thursday to become the first foreign leader to hold face-to-face talks with US President Joe Biden, with concerns about China topping the agenda.

Yoshihide Suga will be hoping to renew the all-important alliance with Washington after the Trump era, as well as compare notes on an increasingly assertive Beijing.

The trip comes after two top US officials visited Japan in March, and following a summit of leaders from the Quad alliance -- a grouping of the United States, Japan, Australia and India.

The theme of all the diplomatic activity has been clear: signalling a united front to Beijing at a time of growing concern about its military stance and human rights issues.

In Tokyo, Suga's trip is seen as "a sign that the United States puts top priority on East Asia in its diplomacy," said Kunihiko Miyake, president of Japan's Foreign Policy Institute think-tank.

"It means Washington now shares Japan's concerns about a dramatic change in the strategic environment in East Asia over the past decade," said Miyake, a former foreign ministry official.

Japan has been increasingly vocal about China's maritime expansion and military build-up, publicly protesting the presence of Chinese vessels around disputed islets known as the Senkaku by Tokyo and the Diaoyu by Beijing.

A joint statement from Biden and Suga is expected to restate that the Tokyo-administered islands are protected under the Japan-US security treaty. It could also reference concerns over human rights in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

The two sides may struggle to agree on some other areas, however, said Kyoji Yanagisawa, president of the International Geopolitics Institute Japan, with Tokyo favouring a more cautious tone than Washington.

"The impact of intensifying US-China tension on Japan, a neighbour of China, will be significant in both national security and economic terms," Yanagisawa said.

"Japan needs to think about how it will be able to mediate between the US and China," he told AFP. Recent lower-level talks have called for "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait".

But the Financial Times reported this week that Washington wants a joint statement referencing Taiwan, which would be the first by US and Japanese leaders since 1969.

- Chip supply on agenda -

Japan has considerable concerns about the economic impact of irritating Beijing, its number one trading partner, after recent attempts to improve diplomatic ties.

Tokyo is unlikely to back calls for economic sanctions over human rights violations in China, said Robert Dujarric, an East Asia expert at Temple University, Japan Campus.

"If the United States is positioning itself towards economic sanctions or retaliatory measures against China, there will perhaps be some pressure for Japan to participate, which they won't like," he told AFP.

Miyake said Japan would focus on what it can do with other nations "to nudge China to become a responsible member of the international community".

In a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published ahead of his trip, Suga made no direct reference to China, but said his visit would "demonstrate the leadership of our two countries toward a free and open Indo-Pacific".

Even if Biden and Suga aren't in lockstep on how to tackle China's rights record, there will be other areas for cooperation, including climate change and securing a stable semiconductor supply.

The pair are reportedly considering a deal to help overcome a chip shortage and avoid the problem of centralised production -- particularly in China.

The trip is also a chance for Suga to burnish his credentials domestically, where his approval ratings are under pressure over his government's response to a new wave of coronavirus infections.

He is expected to use the trip to formally invite Biden to attend this summer's pandemic-postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics.RSS

Officials say Olympic cancellation, no fans still an option

TOKYO, April 15 : (AP) - Two officials in Japan's ruling LDP party on Thursday said changes could be coming to the Tokyo Olympics. One suggested they still could be canceled, and the other said even if they proceed, it might be without any fans.

Toshihiro Nikai, the No. 2 and secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, suggested the cancellation only a day after Tokyo reached the 100-days-to-go mark on Wednesday.

He made his comments in a show recorded by Japan’s TBS TV. “If it seems impossible to go on with the games, they must be definitely canceled,” Nikai said. “If there is a surge in infections because of the Olympics, there will be no meaning to having the Olympics.” Asked if a cancellation was still an option, Nikai said: “Of course.”

But he also added: “It is important for Japan to have a successful Olympics. It is a big opportunity. I want to make it a success. We will have many issues to resolve and prepare, and it is important to take care of them one by one.”

Tokyo organizers said they, the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee “are fully focused on hosting the games this summer.” They said Primer Minister Yoshihide Suga “has repeatedly expressed the government's commitment” to holding the Olympics.

COVID-19 cases have been surging across Japan. On Wednesday, Japan's second-largest metropolitan area of Osaka recorded more than 1,100 new cases, its highest total since January. Japan recorded more than 4,000 new cases. The country has attributed 9,500 death to COVID-19, good by world standards but poor by results in Asia.

Taro Kono, the government minister in charge of Japan’s vaccine rollout, said even if the Olympics go on, there may be no fans of any kind in the venues. He said it's likely that the Olympics will have to be held in empty venues, particularly as cases surge across the country.

That means only television cameras and still cameras will be around to record the action, joined by some reporters, judges and match officials.

The delayed Tokyo Olympics are to open in just over three months on July 23, and the Paralympics follow on Aug. 24. Fans from abroad have already been banned. Now even Japanese spectators could be kept away.

“I think the question is how to do the Olympics in a way that is possible in this situation,” Kono said Thursday on a television talk show. “That may mean there will probably be no spectators.”

Kono did not suggest the Olympics would not go ahead, but he said they could be held under only “certain conditions.” “The way these Olympics will be held will be very different from past ones,” he said.

Tokyo organizers have said they expect to announce a decision this month on the number of fans allowed into each venue.

Organizers had expected to receive about $800 million from ticket sales, their third-largest source of income. Any shortfall will have to be made up by Japanese government entities, which are already footing most of the bills.

The official cost for the Olympics is $15.4 billion, but several government audits have suggested it might be twice that much, and all but $6.7 billion is public money.

Biden announces U.S. troops withdrawal from Afghanistan by Sept. 11 to end longest war

WASHINGTON, April 15 : (Xinhua) -- President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that all U.S. troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan before Sept. 11, a decision to end the longest war in American history.

"The United States will begin our final withdrawal, begin it on May 1 of this year," Biden said in his remarks at the White House. "U.S. troops, as well as forces deployed by our NATO allies and operational partners, will be out of Afghanistan before we mark the 20th anniversary of that heinous attack on September 11th."

Biden delivered the address at the Treaty Room, the same place where then President George W. Bush informed the nation that the U.S. military had begun airstrikes against terrorists in Afghanistan nearly two decades ago.

"It is time to end America's longest war. It is time for American troops to come home," he said, noting that the United States has achieved counterterrorism objectives in this war.

In his remarks, Biden made clear that the withdrawal is not subject to any changes of conditions on the ground. "We cannot continue the cycle of extending or expanding our military presence in Afghanistan, hoping to create the ideal conditions for our withdrawal, expecting a different result."

The upcoming Sept. 11 is the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that drew the United States into war in Afghanistan. Biden said that 2,488 U.S. military personnel were killed, and 20,722 have been wounded in the prolonged war.

This latest decision extends the deadline negotiated between the previous administration and the Afghan Taliban last year to pull U.S. troops out of the country on May 1.

The United States and the Taliban signed an agreement in late February 2020, which called for a full withdrawal of foreign forces from Afghanistan by May 2021 if the Taliban meets the conditions of the deal, including severing ties with terrorist groups.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted earlier Wednesday that "if the agreement is breached and foreign forces fail to exit our country on the specified date, problems will certainly be compounded and those whom failed to comply with the agreement will be held liable."

"The Taliban should know that if they attack us as we draw down, we will defend ourselves and our partners with all the tools at our disposal," Biden warned.

Since February last year, the Taliban has held off on attacking U.S. troops in Afghanistan but increasing attacks against Afghan forces. The Biden administration concluded that the Taliban had not met its commitment under the U.S.-Taliban deal for keeping up ties with al-Qaida.

The Biden administration previously suggested that it would be tough to pull a large number of troops and equipment in weeks' time due to logistics reasons.

The Pentagon said that there are roughly 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, but U.S. media recently said the number did not include 1,000 more U.S. special forces in the country. Besides, about 7,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan rely on U.S. logistics and security support.

In the meantime, Biden highlighted that the United States would continue to support the Afghan government and provide assistance to the Afghan military after the withdrawal. "While we will not stay involved in Afghanistan militarily, our diplomatic and humanitarian work will continue."

He also voiced U.S. support for the peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban facilitated by the United Nations.

Biden spoke with Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani earlier in the day. They discussed continued commitment to a strong bilateral partnership following the departure of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, according to a readout issued by the White House. The latest decision has drawn criticism from analysts and lawmakers.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday said in a statement that "Precipitously withdrawing U.S. forces from Afghanistan is a grave mistake. It is retreat in the face of an enemy that has not yet been vanquished and abdication of American leadership."

"Disappointing that Biden admin opted for calendar- rather than conditions-based withdrawal from Afghanistan," Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, tweeted Tuesday.

The expert noted that the withdrawal would come with high costs, including possible terrorism revival, a spike in repression by the Taliban, and damage to U.S. reputation.

"I think that the critics make some valid points," David Gordon, a senior adviser at International Institute for Strategic Studies, told Xinhua.

"But the fact of the matter is that the U.S. has been in Afghanistan for 20 years, the Ghani government has basically refused to compromise with the Taliban, public support for the war in the U.S. was lost quite a while ago, I see the President's move as the least-bad option," he said.

A recent threat assessment report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence offered some grim predictions: "The Taliban is likely to make gains on the battlefield, and the Afghan Government will struggle to hold the Taliban at bay if the collation withdraws support."

Gordon, who served as vice-chair of the U.S. National Intelligence Council under the George W. Bush administration, agreed that the balance of forces in a continuing conflict will shift to favor the Taliban due to the U.S. withdrawal.

"But we will also see Russia, Iran, India, and Pakistan - as neighboring states - each become more actively engaged. While they have differing interests, none will favor a rapid Taliban victory," he said. 

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Over 200,000 new cases take India's COVID-19 tally to over 14 million

NEW DELHI, April 15 :  (Xinhua) -- India's COVID-19 surge continues as over 200,000 (200,739) cases were registered during the past 24 hours, taking the total tally to over 14 million (14,074,564), said the latest data released by the federal health ministry on Thursday.

As many as 1,038 deaths due to the pandemic since Wednesday morning took the death toll to 173,123, added the data.

This is the first time when the single-day spike in COVID-19 cases has surpassed the 200,000 mark ever since the pandemic broke out in the country. For almost 10 days, the number of new cases registered in India in 24 hours had been over 100,000. On Wednesday 184,372 new cases were reported.

There are still 1,471,877 active cases in the country, while 12,429,564 people have been discharged from hospitals after medical treatment.  

India's daily Covid caseload doubles in 10 days to 200,000

NEW DELHI, April 15 : (AFP) - India added a record 200,000 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, official data showed Thursday, as the country's huge second wave accelerates.

The number of new infections in a day has more than doubled since early April, with a cumulative total 14.1 million cases.

India also added 1,038 deaths in the past day, taking the total to almost 175,000, the health ministry data showed, although on a per capita basis India is far behind many other countries.

This week, it overtook Brazil to become the country with the second-highest number of Covid-19 cases -- experts have blamed complacency about the virus and frustration for the surge.

Having let its guard down with mass religious festivals, political rallies and spectators at cricket matches, India is experiencing a ferocious new wave with almost two million fresh cases this month.

After a lockdown a year ago caused widespread misery and one of the sharpest downturns of any major economy, the central government is desperate to avoid a hugely unpopular second shutdown.

But many states are tightening the screws, in particular Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai, which this week introduced tougher restrictions for its 125 million people.

Haiti's FM appointed as interim prime minister

MEXICO CITY, April 15 : (Xinhua) -- Haitian President Jovenel Moise on Wednesday appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs Claude Joseph as interim prime minister, succeeding Joseph Jouthe.

Moise confirmed on Twitter that he accepted Jouthe's resignation, saying it "will make it possible to address the glaring problem of public safety, and to continue the discussions with a view to reaching the necessary consensus for the political and institutional stability of our country."

Jouthe's departure came as Haiti was grappling with a high crime rate brought by surging kidnappings and murders, especially in the capital Port-au-Prince.

The United Nations Security Council has voiced deep concern about the political and several other protracted crises in Haiti, urging stakeholders to set aside their differences and to prepare for free, fair, transparent and credible presidential elections later in 2021.

The Caribbean country has been mired in a prolonged political impasse, yet the opposition refused to carry out dialogue with the government, saying it only demands the ousting of Moise and the establishment of a two-year transitional government.  

Brazil's COVID-19 death toll tops 360,000

SAO PAULO, April 15 : (Xinhua) -- Brazil's COVID-19 death toll has risen to 361,884 after 3,459 new deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health reported on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the country registered 73,513 new cases, bringing the national tally to 13,673,507, the ministry said.

Sao Paulo, the most populous state in Brazil, has also been the hardest hit by the virus with 2,686,031 cases and 85,475 deaths.

Starting its vaccination process on Jan. 17, Brazil has so far vaccinated 32.15 million people.

Brazil has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, and many states in the country have reported an overloading of their healthcare systems.  

India approves Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine: manufacturer

NEW DELHI, April 13,  (AFP) - India has authorised Russia's Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, a leading local drugmaker said Tuesday, in a boost for the nation's inoculation drive as virus cases mount.

"We are very pleased to obtain the emergency use authorisation for Sputnik V in India," Dr Reddy's Laboratories co-chairman and managing director G.V. Prasad said in a statement.

The South Asian nation of 1.3 billion people has been battling a huge surge in virus cases in recent weeks that has prompted night curfews and a clampdown on movement and activities.

India on Monday reported more than 161,000 new cases -- the seventh-consecutive day that more than 100,000 infections have been recorded.

Sputnik V, backed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), already has production agreements in India to produce 852 million doses.

RDIF chief executive Kirill Dmitriev said in a statement that the approval was a "major milestone" after "extensive cooperation" on clinical trials of the shot in India.

India, home to the world's biggest vaccine manufacturer, kicked off its inoculation drive in mid-January and has administered more than 10.8 million shots so far.

But the government's ambitious goal of vaccinating 300 million people by the end of July has been hit by reports of stock shortages in some states and vaccine hesitancy.

The government has also slowed its export of jabs due to the rise in cases.

Cryptocurrencies: a $2.0-trillion market

By Joseph SOTINEL

LONDON, April 13, 2021 (AFP) - The cryptocurrency market has grown exponentially in 2021 and is now worth a staggering $2.0 trillion as it increasingly attracts interest from big names on Wall Street.As digital currency exchange Coinbase prepares to list Tuesday in New York, AFP takes a look at a sector built from scratch just 12 years ago.

- Bitcoin -

On October 31, 2008, in the wake of the financial crisis, one or more anonymous people, hidden behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, published the founding white paper of bitcoin.

The goal was to create a means of payment, the security of which would not be overseen by a central bank or financial organisations, but instead regulated by software with rules almost impossible to alter. 

While anybody can "mine" for new bitcoins, to do so requires giant data centres -- leading to platforms such as Coinbase providing a way of trading in cryptocurrencies.

Banks and payment services such as Paypal allow transactions in certain digital currencies.

Almost 18.7 million bitcoins have been created since the first block of 50 in early 2009. 

A limit of 21 million bitcoins has been set by Nakamoto. 

- An investment -

Despite bitcoin's volatility and limitations as a means of payment, it is being seen as a store of value to rival and even one day potentially surpass gold as a haven investment in the face of high inflation for example.

In Nigeria, where the naira currency has shed 50 percent of its value against the dollar in recent years, it is claimed that a third of inhabitants have used cryptocurrencies.

After bitcoin's value crashed in 2018 it rebounded, and has smashed records since late last year -- rocketing from around $12,000 in October to more than $60,000 a month ago.

Against this backdrop, central banks and market regulators warn about the volatility's impact -- especially on small investors who risk suffering big losses.

But it is clear that some individuals and companies have made huge gains from bitcoin, while major central banks are working on their own potential digital-currency projects.

Electric car giant Tesla has invested $1.5 billion in bitcoin and in March began accepting the currency as payment.

Tesla's multi-billionaire chief executive Elon Musk has used social media to espouse the merits of cryptocurrencies, helping to lift interest and prices.

- Other cryptocurrencies -

Numerous cryptocurrencies seek to compete with, or complement, bitcoin. 

Number two in the market is ethereum, which this week hit an all-time high above $2,000.

The cryptocurrency market as a whole is worth more than $2.0 trillion, according to specialist site Coinmarketcap, which lists more than 9,000 different cryptocurrencies.

Some are known as "stablecoins" as their value is tied to a traditional asset such as the dollar, helping to avoid the volatility shown by bitcoin.

Meanwhile with bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies minted by solving puzzles using powerful computers that consume enormous amounts of electricity, environmental concerns cast a further shadow.

WHO urges ban on sale of live wild mammals in food markets

GENEVA, April 13, (AFP) - The World Health Organization on Tuesday called for a halt to the sale of live wild mammals in food markets to prevent the emergence of new diseases.

The WHO said that while traditional markets play a central role in providing food and livelihoods for large populations, banning the sale of live wild mammals could protect the health of market workers and shoppers alike.

It said some of the earliest known cases of Covid-19 had a link to a wholesale traditional food market in Wuhan in China, with many of the initial patients stall owners, market employees or regular visitors to the market.

The interim guidance was drawn up alongside the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

"The guidance calls on countries to suspend the sale of captured live wild mammals in food markets as an emergency measure," the WHO said.

"Animals, particularly wild animals, are the source of more than 70 percent of all emerging infectious diseases in humans, many of which are caused by novel viruses. Wild mammals, in particular, pose a risk for the emergence of new diseases," it said.

"Traditional markets, where live animals are held, slaughtered and dressed, pose a particular risk for pathogen transmission to workers and customers alike," said the guidance.

It also called on governments to close sections of food markets selling live wild mammals unless adequate risk assessments were in place.

China's imports pick up further, exports strong in March

BEIJING, April 13,  (AFP) - China's imports and exports boomed again in March, data showed Tuesday, reaffirming the recovery in the world's number-two economy continues apace and demand picks up in key overseas markets as they emerge from last year's crisis.

The readings highlight the impact of vaccines and the easing of containment measures are having, with expectations for further improvement over the next few months.

Imports soared a forecast-busting 38.1 percent on-year as the country's army of consumers increasingly return to some form of normality after last year's virus crisis forced businesses to shut and people to stay at home.

The figure was a huge increase from the 22.2 percent rise seen in January and February and is the biggest hike since February 2017.

Exports rose 30.6 percent, well off the 38 percent increase tipped in a Bloomberg forecast but still among the highest readings since early 2018. Overseas shipments jumped more than 60 percent in January-February.

The outsized increases are down to the fact that they are compared with a low base level from last year, when the pandemic was at its height in China and spreading elsewhere.

China's overall trade surplus was $13.8 billion, the customs data showed, while its trade surplus with the United States was $21.4 billion, up about 40 percent on-year.

The US trade surplus was a key point of contention during the trade war with former US President Donald Trump.

Indecisive Peru presidential vote amid deadly Covid-19 surge

LIMA, April 12, (AFP) - Ballots were being counted Sunday in Peruvian presidential elections destined for a run-off with no candidate able to fire up the crisis-weary nation, during its deadliest week of the Covid-19 pandemic to date.

Some 25 million people were eligible to vote -- which is mandatory -- the day after Peru reported its highest-ever daily toll in the pandemic.

With 16 percent of votes counted by early Monday, far-left labor unionist Pedro Castillo took a surprise lead among 18 candidates with 15.7 percent -- much higher than polls had predicted but far short of the 51 percent required to avoid a run-off scheduled for June 6.

In second place was rightist economist Hernando de Soto with 14.4 percent, said the ONPE electoral office.

The two candidates with the most votes will contest the second round.

Almost a third of voters had declared themselves undecided ahead of what Ipsos Peru chief Alfredo Torres said was the country's "most fragmented election" ever.

Many said they turned out, despite fear of infection, merely to avoid the fine of 88 sol (about $24) for not voting.

"We are afraid of getting infected, because this pandemic is terrible, but at the same time I have to vote," Nancy Retamozo, 58, told AFP while queuing at a school in a Lima suburb.

- Pandemic record -

Peruvian authorities on Saturday reported 384 fatalities in 24 hours -- the third daily record in a week -- bringing the overall toll to more than 54,600 in the country of 33 million people.

More than 11,200 new daily cases were reported, adding to another 1.6 million to date.

On Sunday evening, the authorities announced the latest daily death toll of 234.

Peru's government had decided to press ahead with elections as South America battles a surge in infections fueled by new virus variants believed to be more contagious.

Six of Peru's 18 presidential candidates, including Castillo, have contracted the virus.

Thousands of polling stations were open for 12 hours from 7:00 am (1200 GMT) -- four hours longer than usual as authorities sought to prevent voters amassing.

- 'Unfair' -

As some Peruvians lined up to vote Sunday, others queued for oxygen refills for ill relatives battling coronavirus infection.

"It is unfair, because instead of being there in the voting queue, we had to get up at daybreak to fetch oxygen," Micaela Lizama, 38, told AFP in Lima.

Mario Tinoco, 52, said he was willing to risk the fine for not voting because "I have to get oxygen, that is the main thing for me."

Despite the pandemic outlook, election campaigning had continued until Thursday, with candidates drawing hundreds of followers to often boisterous rallies.

- 'No suitable candidate' -

The early count showed ultra-conservative celibate Catholic Rafael Lopez Aliaga in third place, followed by corruption-accused populist Keiko Fujimori, who was lagging by fewer than four percentage points behind frontrunner Castillo.

"I don't want to vote, because there is no suitable candidate, but I am more afraid of radicals entering the government," one voter, 51-year-old Johnny Samaniego told AFP in Lima on Sunday.

Also in the running were center-right Yonhy Lescano, leftist anthropologist Veronika Mendoza, and former football goalkeeper George Forsyth, who had also contracted Covid-19.

Counting all the votes will take a while still, and the official announcement on the final two candidates may only come in early May, Peru's National Jury of Elections said.

- Recession and upheaval -

The uncertain outcome had the markets worried, and the Peruvian sol plunged to a record low 3.8 to the US dollar last month, adding to the future president's full in-tray.

Peru has been in recession since the second quarter of last year after coronavirus lockdowns shuttered businesses and crippled the all-important tourism sector.

Its economy contracted more than 11 percent in 2020, four million people lost their jobs and another five million dropped into poverty.

The country has also been convulsed by political upheaval driven by claims of corruption at the highest echelons.

Whoever wins will be Peru's fifth president in three years, after three fell within days of each other in November 2020 amid protests that left two people dead and hundreds injured.

Peruvians also voted for 130 members of Congress.

Over 47 killed in 24 hours as Yemen's fighting in Marib intensifies

ADEN, Yemen, April 11 (Xinhua) -- More than 47 people were killed in Yemen's oil-rich province of Marib over the past 24 hours as fighting continued to intensify in the conflict-battered Arab country, a local government official told Xinhua.

   The government forces engaged in violent armed confrontations with scores of the Houthi militia who were desperately attempting to militarily advance towards the city of Marib, the local source said on condition of anonymity.

    He said that "the Houthis simultaneously carried out large military operations and shelling attacks against key government-controlled villages located around the city of Marib."

   He confirmed that the Houthis' military operations against Marib continued despite the intensified airstrikes launched by the Saudi-led Arab coalition to support Yemen's government forces on-ground.

  More than 27 Houthi fighters and about 20 soldiers of the government forces were killed during the past 24 hours in Marib's fighting, he added.

   Earlier in the day, both warring sides continued exchanging heavy artillery shelling outside Marib, causing an unknown number of deaths and injuries.

   Another source close to the country's pro-government forces confirmed to Xinhua that a number of military vehicles belonging to the Houthi militia were completely destroyed following the artillery shelling.

    In cooperation with local tribesmen, the government forces succeeded in aborting more than 15 armed attacks against the densely populated city of Marib.

   On Saturday, scores of Yemeni people were killed and many others were injured as non-stop fighting struck various areas of the war-torn Arab country.

   According to local government officials, the most ferocious fighting occurred between the government forces and the Houthi rebels over the control of the country's oil-rich province of Marib.

    Fighting continues heating up as regional and international powers are still making efforts to end the long-lasting bloody conflict and achieving permanent peace in the impoverished Arab country.

  Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

   The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni military conflict in March 2015 to support Hadi's government. 

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India's COVID-19 deaths surpass 170,000 mark

NEW DELHI, April 12 (Xinhua) -- With 904 deaths in the past 24 hours, India's total death toll due to the COVID-19 pandemic surpassed the 170,000 mark to reach 170,179, according to the latest data released by the federal government Monday.

   Besides, 168,912 new cases took the total tally to 13,527,717.

    While the figure of new daily COVID-19 cases is highest ever in the country so far, the deaths reported on Monday is the highest in a single day this year.

   This is the seventh time within this month and the sixth consecutive day when more than 100,000 new COVID-19 cases were reported in India.

   There are still 1,201,009 active cases in the country, while 12,156,529 people have been discharged so far from hospitals after medical treatment.

   There was an increase of 92,922 active cases during the previous 24 hours, the highest this year so far.

    The number of daily active cases has been on the rise over the past few days, as another wave of COVID-19 looms large in India.

   In January the number of daily cases in the country had come down to below-10,000. As many as 9,102 new cases were reported on Jan. 25-26, which was the lowest in the previous 237 days. Prior to that the lowest number of daily new cases were 9,304 registered on June 4, 2020.

   So far over (104,528,565 people have been vaccinated across the country since the nationwide vaccination drive was kicked off on Jan. 16.

  Meanwhile, the federal government has ramped up COVID-19 testing facilities across the country, as over 257 million tests have been conducted so far.

   As many as 257,806,986 tests were conducted till Sunday, out of which 1,180,136 tests were conducted on Sunday alone, said the latest data issued by the Indian Council of Medical Research on Monday.

  The national capital Delhi, which has been one of the most COVID-19 affected places in the country, witnessed over 10,774 new cases and 48 deaths through Sunday.

   So far as many as 11,283 people have died in the national capital due to COVID-19, confirmed the Delhi's health department.  Enditem

S. Korean PM arrives in Tehran for talks on ties

   TEHRAN, April 11 (Xinhua) -- South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun arrived here on Sunday for talks on a host of issues concerning bilateral ties, official IRNA news agency reported.

  During his three-day stay in Tehran, Chung will meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani to discuss issues of mutual interest.

   He will also meet with the representatives from South Korean companies in Iran, including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, according to the report.

   Among the topics for negotiations, there would be the issue of "illegal" restrictions on the Central Bank of Iran's access to its resources in the South Korean banks, Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said earlier.

   The prime minister's visit comes following the recent release of an oil tanker of South Korea, which had been seized by the Islamic republic for "polluting" the Persian Gulf waters with chemicals.  

Russians celebrate 60 years since historic Gagarin spaceflight

 MOSCOW, April 12,  (AFP) - Russia on Monday celebrated the 60th anniversary of the legendary flight that made Yuri Gagarin the first man in space, a major source of national pride for millions of his countrymen.

Russia's space industry has struggled in recent years and been hit by a series of mishaps, but the sending of the first human into space on April 12, 1961 remains a crowning achievement of the Soviet space programme.

President Vladimir Putin was to travel Monday to the southern city of Engels on the banks of the Volga River, to the site of the cosmonaut's landing where a memorial stands to honour the historic flight.

The day of Gagarin's flight is celebrated every year in Russia as Cosmonautics Day, and this year authorities are pulling out all the stops to mark the 60th anniversary, with museum exhibitions, round-the-clock television coverage and events across the country.

For Moscow commuters, Monday morning started with a broadcast on the Metro of the original report by state news agency TASS about the launch, followed by Gagarin's legendary words -- "Poekhali!" (Let's go) -- as his Vostok spacecraft lifted off.

In a message from the International Space Station, the four Russian cosmonauts on board saluted "all earthlings" and hailed their compatriot's accomplishment.

"Gagarin's legendary 108-minute flight became an example of heroism for his successors, including us," said cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky.

Vostok took off carrying the 27-year-old Gagarin from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, then part of the Soviet Union.

The flight lasted just 108 minutes, the time it took to complete one loop around the Earth, before returning to home soil.

The now-rusty Vostok capsule is on display at Moscow's Museum of Cosmonautics where a new exhibition dedicated to Gagarin is set to open on Tuesday.

- 'Name that everyone knows' -

Visitors will be shown documents, photos and personal belongings, some dating back to Gagarin's childhood and school years.

"This is probably the only surname that everyone knows, from four-year-old children to people over 80," Vyacheslav Klimentov, a historian and the museum's deputy director of research, told AFP.

"Gagarin's feat... bonds all Russians together."

On Friday, a Russian Soyuz spacecraft honouring the anniversary of Gagarin's flight blasted off from the Baikonur cosmodrome to deliver two Russians and a US astronaut to the ISS.

Gagarin's flight remains a symbol of the country's dominance in space during the Soviet era. Four years before Gagarin, the USSR had become the first country to send a satellite into orbit, called Sputnik.

But the anniversary also comes at a difficult time for Russia's space industry, which has suffered a number of setbacks in recent years, from corruption scandals to lost spacecraft to an aborted take-off during a manned mission in 2018.

Russia's ageing Soyuz rockets are reliable and allow Moscow to remain relevant in the modern space industry, but the country is struggling to innovate and keep up with other key players.

In a major blow, Russia last year lost its monopoly for manned ISS launches after reusable rockets from Elon Musk's Space X, carrying NASA astronauts, successfully docked at the space station.

In a video message released on Monday, the head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency, Dmitry Rogozin, stressed that the USSR sent a man into space despite having lost "colossal resources" during World War II.

Rogozin has set a series of ambitious goals for Roscosmos in recent years, despite funding cuts to the space programme.

He said Monday that Russia was "on the cusp of very important changes" that will see next-generation spacecraft and lunar missions.

"We believe in our space, in Russian space," he said.

Iran atomic agency says nuclear facility hit by act of 'terrorism'

 TEHRAN, April 11, 2021 (AFP) - Iran's atomic energy organisation said Sunday the Natanz nuclear facility was hit by a terrorist act, hours after it said an "accident" had caused a power failure there.

The episode came a day after the Islamic republic said it had started up advanced uranium enrichment centrifuges at the site, in a breach of its commitments under a troubled 2015 deal with world powers.

Ali Akbar Salehi, the head of the Iran Atomic Energy Organisation (IAEO), condemned a "futile" act, while urging the international community to "confront this anti-nuclear terrorism", in a statement carried by state television.

The attack was carried out by "opponents of the country's industrial and political progress, who aim to prevent development of a thriving nuclear industry," he said, without specifying what country or entity might be behind the alleged sabotage.

IAEO spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi had earlier reported an accident at the enrichment facility caused by a "power failure". No one was injured and there was no radioactive release, the official Fars news agency reported, citing the spokesman.

Kamalvandi said there had been "an accident in part of the electrical circuit of the enrichment facility" at the Natanz complex near Tehran.

"The causes of the accident are under investigation and more details will be released later," he added, before the later statement put out by the agency's chief.

He did not say whether power was cut only in the enrichment facility or across other installations at the site.

- 'Sabotage' -

Malek Chariati, spokesman for the Iranian parliament's energy commission, took to Twitter to allege sabotage.

"This incident, coming (the day after) National Nuclear Technology Day, as Iran endeavours to press the West into lifting sanctions, is strongly suspected to be sabotage or infiltration," Chariati said.

Iran's President Hassan Rouhani had on Saturday inaugurated a cascade of centrifuges for enriching uranium and two test cascades at Natanz, in a ceremony broadcast by state television.

An Israeli public broadcast journalist, Amichai Stein, said on Twitter "the assessment is that the fault" at Natanz is the "result of an Israeli cyber operation", without elaborating or providing evidence to corroborate his claim.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said later Sunday that "the struggle against Iran and its proxies and the Iranian armament efforts is a huge mission".

"The situation that exists today will not necessarily be the situation that will exist tomorrow," he added, without elaborating.

Netanyahu made the remarks during an event involving intelligence service Mossad and the army for Israel's independence anniversary.

Iran's president had on Saturday also inaugurated a replacement factory at Natanz, after an explosion at a facility making advanced centrifuges there last July.

Iranian authorities likewise blamed the July incident on "sabotage" by "terrorists", but have not released the results of their investigation into it.

- Nuclear deal talks -

The equipment inaugurated Saturday enables quicker enrichment of uranium and in higher quantities, to levels that violate Iran's commitments under the 2015 nuclear deal it agreed with the five permanent United Nations Security Council powers, plus Germany.

The administration of then-US president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from this multilateral nuclear accord in 2018 and re-imposed biting sanctions on Iran.

Iran later responded by progressively rolling back its own commitments under the agreement.

Trump's successor Joe Biden has said he is prepared to return to the deal, arguing it had -- until Washington's withdrawal -- been successful in dramatically scaling back Iran's nuclear activities.

Iran's latest move to step up uranium enrichment follows an opening round of talks in Vienna Tuesday with representatives of the remaining parties to the nuclear deal on bringing the US back into it.

The talks are focused not only on lifting the crippling economic sanctions Trump reimposed, but also on bringing Iran back into compliance.

Iran's nemesis Israel has always been implacably opposed to the 2015 accord.

In November last year, Iran's top nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was killed by machine gun fire while travelling on a highway outside Tehran.Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards said a satellite-controlled gun with "artificial intelligence" was used in the attack, which Tehran blamed on Israel.Uranium enrichment can produce the fuel for a nuclear reactor, or in highly extended form, the fissile core of an atomic warhead. It is one of the most sensitive nuclear activities carried out by Iran.Rouhani had again underlined at Saturday's ceremony that Tehran's nuclear programme is solely for "peaceful" purposes.

Alibaba shares soar as it plays down hit from record $2.78 bn fine

BEIJING, April 12, (AFP) - Shares in tech giant Alibaba climbed more than six percent Monday as the ecommerce titan reassured investors that a record $2.78 billion antitrust fine imposed by China would have little impact on its operations.

However, concerns that officials had not finished with a crackdown on the sector weighed on big-name firms including Tencent and JD.com.

Regulators slammed the tech giant with the penalty on Saturday after a months-long probe concluded it had been abusing its dominant market position.

But in a conference call to investors on Monday, Alibaba's board put a positive spin on the regulatory blow saying it appeared to be the end of the investigation, with chairman Daniel Zhang saying the fine would not have a "negative impact" on business operations.

The sanction comes as the government cracks down on major Chinese tech platforms -- and Alibaba in particular -- over allegations of anti-competitive behaviour and misuse of consumer data.

"We had good guidance on some of the specific issues under the anti-monopoly law and I would say that we are pleased that we are able to put this matter behind us," company vice-chair Joe Tsai added.

Alibaba will introduce measures to lower entry barriers and business costs faced by merchants on its shopping platform.

The firm's stock price jumped nearly nine percent to as high as HK$237.60 in Hong Kong on Monday morning before easing back marginally to close up 6.5 percent.

But other tech firms took a hit with Tencent down one percent, JD.com losing two percent and NetEase one percent lower.

"Alibaba's stock has rallied as the fine wasn't as bad as it could have been," said OANDA's Jeffrey Halley. "However, it is the thought that counts, and investors seem concerned that Alibaba will not be the last China tech giant in the fine firing line."

Alibaba has faced special scrutiny after co-founder Jack Ma publicly criticised Chinese regulators in October as being stuck in the past after they expressed growing concern over the push into online lending, wealth management and insurance products by Alibaba's online-payments arm, Ant Group.

"We have continuous communication with the regulators," Zhang said, adding that the group will "fully comply" with the requirements.

The probe, which began in December, centred on Alibaba's practice of forbidding merchants who wish to sell their wares on its popular online marketplaces from simultaneously offering them on rival e-commerce sites, the State Administration for Market Regulation said on imposing the fine Saturday.

Lina Choi from Moody's Investors Service warned that the required changes will "likely limit Alibaba's revenue growth" in the future and hinder attempts to grab more market share.

"Investments to retain merchants and upgrade products and services will also reduce its profit margins," she said.

E-commerce giants Alibaba and JD.com, along with messaging-and-gaming colossus Tencent, became hugely profitable on the back of growing Chinese digital lifestyles and government restrictions on major US competitors in the domestic market.

But their success has drawn the scrutiny of Beijing as the platforms amassed hundreds of millions of regular users.

Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi hit with new criminal charge

YANGON, April 12, (AFP) - Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was hit with a fresh criminal charge on Monday, her lawyer said.

"She has been charged in six cases altogether -- five charges in Naypyidaw and one in Yangon," Min Min Soe told AFP, saying the latest charge was under the country's natural disaster management law.

----

YANGON, April 12, (AFP) - Myanmar's ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi was hit with a fresh criminal charge on Monday, her lawyer said.

"She has been charged in six cases altogether -- five charges in Naypyidaw and one in Yangon," Min Min Soe told AFP, saying the latest charge was under the country's natural disaster management law.

----

United Arab Emirates names 2 new astronauts, including woman

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates,April 11 : (AP) - The United Arab Emirates named the next two astronauts in its space program Saturday, including the country's first female astronaut. 

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai who also serves as the autocratically ruled country's prime minister and vice president, named the two astronauts on Twitter. 

He identified Noura al-Matroushi as the UAE's first female astronaut, with her male counterpart as Mohammed al-Mulla. 

A later government promotional video described al-Matroushi, born in 1993, as an engineer at the Abu Dhabi-based National Petroleum Construction Co. Al-Mulla, born in 1988, serves as a pilot with Dubai police and heads their training division, the government said. 

The two had been selected among more than 4,000 applicants in the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula that's also home to Abu Dhabi. 

The two will undergo training at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. If al-Matroushi ends up going on a mission, she could become the first Arab woman in space, the UAE government said. 

Anousheh Raissyan, an Iranian-American telecommunications entrepreneur and millionaire from Dallas, became the first Muslim woman and first Iranian in space when she traveled as a self-funded civilian to the International Space Station in 2006. She reportedly paid $20 million to travel there as a tourist.

The first Muslim in space was Saudi Prince Sultan bin Salman, who joined the crew of the shuttle Discovery in 1985.

In 2019, Maj. Hazzaa al-Mansoori became the UAE's first astronaut in space, spending an eight-day mission aboard the International Space Station. 

The Emirates has had other recent successes in its space program. This February, the UAE put its Amal, or Hope, satellite in orbit around Mars, a first for the Arab world. In 2024, the country hopes to put an unmanned spacecraft on the moon. 

The UAE also has set the ambitious goal of building a human colony on Mars by 2117.RSS

Prince Philip's funeral to be held on April 17

London [UK], April 11 : (ANI): The funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh will be held at Windsor on April 17, with no public access nor public procession beforehand, a Buckingham Palace spokesman said Saturday.

The event is to be a "ceremonial royal funeral", rather than a state funeral, which "very much reflects the duke's wishes", a palace spokesman said, according to Xinhua. A national minute's silence will be observed as the funeral begins at 15:00 BST at St. George's Chapel at Windsor.

Members of the public will not be allowed to attend as the proceedings have been scaled down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funeral will be shown live on television.

Given the current pandemic restriction which allows only 30 mourners to attend, the event will be reduced in scale. At this moment, there is no confirmation yet on the rest of the guest list.

"In line with government guidelines and public health measures, there will be no public processions and the duke's funeral will take place entirely within the grounds of Windsor Castle," the palace spokesman said, as quoted by Xinhua.

The Queen has approved the prime minister's recommendation that there be eight days of national mourning, to end on the day of the duke's funeral, the palace said.

During the national mourning time, union flags will remain at half-mast but the Royal Standard, which is flown when the Queen is in residence at one of the royal palaces, will be at full mast.

The Royal Family will observe two weeks of mourning and royal engagements will continue, with mourning bands worn where appropriate.

Xinhua citing Sky News reported that Prince Harry will be travelling from his home in the United States to attend, although his pregnant wife Meghan has been advised by doctors not to travel.

Earlier Saturday, gun salutes have been fired across Britain on land and at sea in memory of the duke who passed away on Friday at the age of 99.

The royal family website has asked people not to leave flowers and tributes at royal residences. The website encourages members of the public to consider making a donation to a charity instead of leaving floral tributes.

Prince Philip was born on the Greek island of Corfu on June 10, 1921. He married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, five years before she became Queen, and was the longest-serving royal consort in British history. The couple had four children, eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. (ANI)

Explosions in two Somalia cities kill at least 5

MOGADISHU, Somalia,April 11 : (AP) - A suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside a cafe in Somalia's city of Baidoa on Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding more than six others, police said. 

The bomber was targeting the Bay region governor, Ali Wardhere, who was outside the Suez Cafeteria, officials reported. The governor escaped the explosion unharmed, according to the official government news agency, SONNA, which reported that at least two of his bodyguards, who were also policemen, were among the wounded. 

“The explosion which was heard all around the town of Baidoa has terrorized the people and had created a momentary confusion,” said Amin Maddey, who witnessed the explosion and spoke to The Associated Press by telephone. 

The al-Qaida linked group al-Shabab has claimed the responsibility through a report they published on their website and radio Andalus which advocates for their jihadist campaigns. 

“The target was a convoy accompanying Mr. Ali Wardhere, the governor of Bay region, which was hit hard,” the al-Shabab statement said, “three of Ali Wardhere’s bodyguards have died in the attack and the target which was Ali Wardhere himself got wounded,” added the statement.

The police have cordoned off the area for investigation as many bystanders gathered around to check whether their family members or friends are among the victims.

Meanwhile, another explosion went off in the Huriwa district of Mogadishu Saturday, killing one government soldier and wounding a bystander, police said. 

It is not known whether the two explosions in Baidoa and Mogadishu are related. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing in Mogadishu. 

The people of Somalia are seeing major security lapses as leaders remain in deadlock over the political situation after elections were delayed earlier this year. 

“The meeting between the federal government and the federal member states has ended in total failure,” said the Minister of Information, Osman Abokor Dubbe, who blamed the two leaders of Puntland and Jubbaland for that failure. 

However, both leaders of Puntland and Jubbaland have denied reports of a failed meeting. There have been fears that the al-Qaida-linked group would be emboldened by Somalia’s current political crisis as President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed is under pressure to step aside.