World

Oslo, June 2 (IANS) Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, has said that he is working hard to ensure Sweden's accession to the alliance is completed as soon as possible, and that he will soon travel to Turkey to facilitate the process.

He made the remarks on Thursday at a press conference after the conclusion of a two-day informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Oslo, Norway's capital. The meeting was also attended by Sweden's foreign minister, but Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was notably absent.

Stoltenberg welcomed Sweden's new anti-terrorism laws that entered into force on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"That shows that Sweden has delivered on what they committed to do under the Trilateral Memorandum concluded last year in Madrid (by Finland, Sweden and Turkey)," he said.

In March, Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan agreed to ask his country's Parliament to vote on Finland's NATO membership bid, but delayed that of Sweden, arguing that Turkey still expected Sweden to extradite 120 members of what it considers terrorist groups before his country approaches the Swedish membership bid "positively".

Stoltenberg called the informal meeting of foreign ministers an "opportunity to discuss key issues as we prepare for our summit in Vilnius (Lithuania) in July".

"(At the summit) we will take decisions to further strengthen our deterrence and defence. We will agree a new Defense Investment Pledge, with two per cent of GDP spent on defence as the minimum," he said.

He told reporters that the foreign ministers also discussed upgrading the existing NATO-Ukraine Commission to a new NATO-Ukraine Council.

--IANS
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Aden (Yemen), June 2 (IANS) Yemen urged international society to fund a UN plan to prevent a huge oil tanker moored off in the Red Sea from a catastrophic oil spill.

The country's state-run Saba news agency reported on Thursday that the urgent call was made by Yemen's permanent representative to the UN, Abdullah Al-Saadi, during a session of the UN's General Assembly held on Wednesday.

In a statement, Al-Saadi said that the Yemeni side alone had been unable to address the oil spill threat and other environmental risks posed by the decaying FSO Safer due to depleted government resources during the eight-year civil war, calling for international financial support for the underfunded UN plan.

FSO Safer is a floating oil storage and offloading vessel that is moored in the Red Sea north of the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah in Yemen, Xinhua news agency reported.

Carrying 1.1 million barrel of oil, the tanker has not undergone necessary maintenance due to the Yemeni war, posing a severe risk of an imminent and catastrophic oil spill.

On Tuesday, the engineering ship "Ndeavor" sailing from Djibouti arrived at the location of the deteriorating oil tanker, the UN office in Yemen confirmed in a statement.

It said that the ship would start working soon to make the super oil tanker safer before the crude oil extraction process begins.

The UN said in March that it had purchased a super oil tanker, named "Nautica," to offload the more than one-million-barrel crude oil on FSO Safer.

In April, the UN said it had received firm commitments for $95 million for the FSO Safer rescue plan, adding it still needs another $34 million to continue the project.

--IANS
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Belgrade, May 27 (IANS) In front of tens of thousands of supporters at a rally in Belgrade, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced he will resign from the leadership of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) on Saturday, to promote national unity at a time of crisis.

The Friday night rally brought together government officials, leaders of ruling parties in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary, as well as public figures and celebrities who came to express their support for the policy adopted by the Serbian president to overcome the crisis created by two mass killings at the beginning of May, reports Xinhua news agency.

"This is the last evening that I am addressing you as the president of SNS, tomorrow someone else will take over my, your, our Serbian Progressive Party, of which I will remain a faithful and loyal member," Vucic said, ahead of Saturday's party leadership meeting to be held in the city of Kragujevac.

In response to two separate shootings that claimed 18 lives, mostly of young people and children, and left dozens injured, thousands of protesters took to the streets over the past two weeks to demand social and political changes.

In his speech, Vucic invited the opposition and protesters to participate in a dialogue and table their proposals, but stressed that there could be no change of government between elections.

He said that he would establish a new political organisation "Movement for People and State" by the end of June, to improve the country's unity and political capacity to overcome "the next two or three years of crisis that will prove decisive for Serbia's future".

The president's speech received a warm welcome from the participants of the rally, who were enduring the rain for hours.

Vucic was elected as president of the SNS in 2012, and in 2017 he won his first mandate as president of Serbia.

Last year, he was re-elected for a fresh five-year term.

--IANS
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Helsinki, May 27 (IANS) Housing prices in Finland are expected to have the biggest drop this year since 1993, according to a housing market review conducted by Hypo, a credit institution specialising in the sector.

High interest rates, a big supply of new apartments, and a decline in demand caused by economic uncertainty have all contributed to the downward trend, Hypo said in a statement on Friday, adding that a similar trend was last observed 30 years ago, reports Xinhua news agency.

In 2023, the number of property transactions will decrease by one-third compared to 2022 and by one-fifth compared to 2019, the last pre-Covid year, the report said.

"High inflation and prolonged interest rate pressure will affect the current year's price development more than was estimated at the beginning of the year," said Hypo's economist, Juho Keskinen, in the statement.

The report expects housing prices to fall by an average of seven percent across the country through 2023 and by 8 per cent in the Greater Helsinki area.

On the positive side, Hypo predicts housing prices to start rising moderately towards the end of the year, depending on changes on the demand side.

"The situation is expected to change next year when less new apartments will be built, the interest rates should stabilize, and demand is predicted to grow," Keskinen said.

--IANS
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Cairo, May 27 (IANS) As the most populous Arab country with about 105 million people, Egypt is stepping up population-control efforts, trying to make it an asset, rather than a liability.

Titled Diagnosing the Population Situation in Egypt and Improving Population Characteristics, a session held called for promoting a roadmap to control the population growth that poses a huge burden on the country's resources and budget, reports Xinhua news agency.

As part of the National Dialogue that began on May 3, this session was also attended by various groups from the government and society.

"We do need to activate and finance the National Population and Development Strategy (2015-2030) that works on enhancing family planning, empowering women, promoting the welfare of youth and teenagers, improving education, and advancing media and social communication," said Talat Abdel-Gawad, a member of the Board of Trustees of the dialogue.

Cognizant of the overpopulation threats to national security, Abdel-Gawad affirmed the necessity to establish three laws to curb school evasion, child marriage, and child labour.

Neveen Ebeid, another participant in the session, pointed out that economic factors, such as funding problems, hinder the strategies of family planning.

Ebeid said health survey failed to nail down the targeted places of high and low births in the past few decades, highlighting the need for the National Council of Population to be directly affiliated with the Egyptian Presidency.

Ahmad Ashour, a housing expert, agreed that overpopulation is the main obstacle to development plans, predicting that Egypt will see a population explosion in the coming decades along with worse health and physical conditions.

Meanwhile, Neven Othman, a member of the National Council for Childhood and Motherhood, considered the population growth a grant of human resources if it is matched by economic growth and good investment, calling for maximizing the roles of civil society and private sector through an independent mechanism to follow up and evaluate official strategies.

In the past few years, Egypt has been working on solutions to curb overpopulation.

In March, the government said it will pay married women aged between 21 and 45 with no more than two children an annual incentive of 1,000 Egyptian pounds ($32.3). They will receive the total amount when they turn 45.

In February 2022, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi launched a national family development project to tackle the health, education, social, cultural, and economic aspects of overpopulation.

By the end of 2020, Egypt had adopted a comprehensive strategy that provided free sustainable means of birth control, setting up an appropriate mechanism to reach every woman in Egypt and positive incentives to control the population growth.

Amro Hassan, the former secretary-general of the National Population Council, told Xinhua in an interview that handling overpopulation is a priority for the government which needs political willingness, a disciplined institutional framework, a strategy, and funding to make the plan successful.

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Kiev, May 27 (IANS) Ukraine is seeking to fix its perspective of joining the NATO during the alliance's upcoming summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July, top government offical Andriy Yermak said.

"Our expectations from the summit in Vilnius boil down to two key priorities: fixing in one form or another the absence of alternatives to the fact that we are on the path to NATO membership, and before joining the alliance, obtaining security guarantees," Yermak was quoted as saying by the presidential press service.

Currently, Ukraine is holding talks with partner countries over the form of security guarantees, which will be in place before the country joins NATO, Xinhua news agency reported citing the official as saying.

The Ukrainian government is aware that the country could become a member of the alliance only when "the security situation allows", Yermak emphasized.

The Vilnius NATO summit is slated for July 11-12.

NATO recognized Ukraine as its Enhanced Opportunities Partner in 2020.

--IANS
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By Arul Louis
New York, May 27 (IANS) A bill to make Diwali a federal holiday has been introduced by Grace Meng, a Democrat member of the House of Representatives.


"My Diwali Day Act is one step toward educating all Americans on the importance of this day, and celebrating the full face of American diversity," Meng said on Friday.

"Diwali is one of the most important days of the year for billions of people across the globe," she said

"America's strength is derived from the diverse experiences, cultures and communities that make up this nation."

Broadening its appeal, the text of the bill says: "Millions of Americans, both religious and secular, celebrate Diwali, which is also called the 'Festival of Lights'."

The bill has been sponsored by 14 members of the House -- 13 Democrats and a Republican -- and shows wide wide support.

The sponsors even include Ilhan Omar and Pramila Jayapal, who are caustic critics of the Indian government and what they call "Hindutva".

If the Diwali Day Act is adopted by Congress, it would become the 12th federal holiday, and only the second religious holiday after Christmas.

The bill was introduced on May 15 and forwarded the same day to the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, which will have to approve it for it to go before the House.

It will also have to be approved by the Senate before going to the president for the final stage of adoption as law.

"Establishing a federal holiday for Diwali, and the day off it would provide, would allow families and friends to celebrate together, and demonstrate that the government values the diverse cultural makeup of the nation," Meng's office said.

The announcement was made as May, the Asian American Pacific Islander Month was drawing to a close, with the endorsement of several Hindu, Sikh, Dalit Rights, Indo-Caribbean and pan-Asian community and professional organisations.

"The recognition of Diwali as a federal holiday would be an affirmative step in celebrating/recognizing the diversity of our nation," said John C. Yang, President of Asian Americans Advancing Justice.

Together with Meng "we are showing that Diwali is an American holidaya, said Jennifer Rajkumar, a member of the New York State Assembly.

"To the over 4 million Americans who celebrate Diwali, your government sees you and hears you," she said.

After a campaign by her and Meng, New York City has made Diwali a school holiday from this year.

Meng represents a constituency in New York with a large Asian population.

Gregg Orton, Executive Director of the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans, welcomed the introduction of Meng's legislation.

He said: "The official recognition of Diwali allows for the acknowledgement and celebration of individuals in the Hindu, Sikh, Jain, and Buddhist faiths. Our communities deserve to be seen and celebrated, and the passage of this act empowers several South Asian and Southeast Asian communities in practising and embracing their religious heritage."

Sim J Singh Attariwala, a senior official of The Sikh Coalition, said: "By embracing these celebrations, we not only include and integrate communities but also strengthen the bonds of our multicultural society, making America a more vibrant and compassionate nation for all."

A significant acknowledgement of Diwali was made by the US Postal Service which introduced a Diwali stamp with the image of a diya or lamp in 2016.

According to the draft, the bill will have the House acknowledge that "Diwali signifies the victory of good over evil and unfairness, and knowledge over ignorance".

"Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is an auspicious day celebrated by many South and Southeast Asian communities as well as religious groups including the Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, and Jain communities."

The bill specifies that Diwali floats according to the "Vedic lunar calendar". Observed on falls on the 15th day of the eighth month or the New Moon Day in the month of Kartika".

Juneteenth commemorating the end of slavery was the last federal holiday adopted after approval by Congress and being signed into law by President Biden in 2021.

Diwali coincides with the Bandi Chhor Divas (the Day of Liberation), Kali Puja, and Tihar, it says.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)

--IANS
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Khartoum, May 27 (IANS) Sudan's acting Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim Yassin has called on retired soldiers and whoever is able to carry arms to report to the nearest army base amidst the ongoing conflict.

"We call on all pensioners of the armed forces, including officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers and all those who are able to carry arms, to go to the nearest military base to get armed," Yassin said in a statement, adding that the move was intended to enable those people to defend themselves.

The statement stressed the Sudanese Army's commitment to the humanitarian truce based on the moral responsibility to protect civilians and humanitarian aid, and accused the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of continuing its violations of the truce.

The statement described the clashes with the RSF as a "cities war" which has no time limits, stressing the Sudanese Army's ability to defeat the remnants of the rebel force.

On Friday, Saudi Arabia and the US announced that Sudan's warring parties -- the army and RSF -- are complying better with a seven-day ceasefire agreement signed on May 20 in Jeddah.

According to the agreement, which was brokered by Saudi Arabia and the Us and entered into force on Monday, the warring parties shall guarantee civilians' freedom of movement throughout the country and protect them from violence, harassment, recruitment, or other abuses, as well as refrain from any violations of international human rights law.

The parties shall also provide security guarantees for safe and unhindered access for humanitarian agencies.

Meanwhile, the Sudanese Doctors Union, a non-governmental body, announced that the armed clashes which broke out on April 15 have so far killed 865 people and injured 3,634 others.

In its latest update on the situation in Sudan, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that the conflict has forced more than 1.36 million people to flee their homes, including nearly 320,000 who have escaped to neighbouring countries.

--IANS
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New York, May 27 (IANS) Two US Congresswomen have introduced a bill to make it easier for the Department of Veteran Affairs to hire foreign employees on H1-B visas when they cannot find a suitable applicant in the country.

Introduced by Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Delia Ramirez on Thursday, the Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act, will help address the healthcare provider shortage in the US by allowing immigrant health workers, who are H1-B visa holders, to offer the services that the veterans need.

The bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs and State Veterans Homes as cap exempt institutions for the purposes of the H1-B visa program.

"We have a duty to uphold our commitment to our veterans, who are being affected by the health worker shortage in our nation. We can address this shortage with the immigrants in our communities who are ready and want to work, but face so many hurdles to do so," said Congresswoman Ramirez, member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

The Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act was developed after the Detroit VA Medical Center nearly had to close their clinic -- which provides life-saving care to more than 90 local veterans -- earlier this year due to hiring difficulties imposed by the H1-B visa cap.

Representative Tlaib's intervention was able to prevent the clinic's closure, and this bill is designed to ensure such a situation does not arise again in the future, a statement released by the Congresswoman's office said.

"Our veterans deserve high-quality health care, and our district knows firsthand the importance of providing access to care, especially mental health services for veterans who need it most," said Congresswoman Tlaib.

"I am proud to introduce this legislation to expand healthcare providers for our veterans by welcoming healthcare professionals who are immigrants to care for them, and I will continue to ensure that our veterans are not forgotten when they return home," she said.

This legislation is endorsed by The Veterans For Peace Save Our VA National Project and The American Immigration Lawyers Association.

--IANS
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Seoul, May 27 (IANS) A passenger who opened a door of an Asiana Airlines plane just before landing at an airport in South Korea told police that he felt suffocated and wanted to get off the aircraft quickly, police officials said on Saturday.

On Friday, police detained the man on suspicions of pulling the lever after the plane's door suddenly opened about 213 metres above ground right before it landed at Daegu International Airport, 237 km southeast of Seoul, reports Yonhap News Agency.

During questioning, the man told officials that he had been under a lot of stress after losing his job recently and that he opened the door because he wanted to get off quickly after feeling suffocated, according to police officials.

Police plan to request for an arrest warrant for the man for allegedly violating the aviation security law after additional questioning.

None of the 194 people aboard the plane fell out or were hurt in Friday's incident, but 12 panicked passengers showed symptoms of breathing difficulty and some of them were taken to a hospital.

The plane was on its way to Daegu after departing from the southern holiday island of Jeju.

--IANS
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