World

Sydney, May 23 (IANS) Visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that a new consulate will be opened soon in Brisbane and thanked his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as 'Little India'.

"Friends, now that I am here with you, I want to make an announcement. The long-standing demand of the Indian community in Brisbane will now be fulfilled by opening up a new Indian consulate soon," Modi said addressing the 20,000-plus strong Indian community gathered at the Qudos Bank Arena Stadium.

He also thanked his Albanese for renaming Harris Park in Sydney as 'Little India'. "Thank you my friend Anthony," Modi told Albanese as the latter made the announcement to declare Harris Park as 'Little India' at the community event.

"I had the opportunity to welcome the Prime Minister @AlboMP ji on the Indian soil in Ahmedabad. Today he joined me in unveiling the foundation stone of 'Little India' here: PM @narendramodi," Prime Minister Modi tweeted earlier.

Home to many popular Indian eateries and retailers, Harris Park is informally referred to as 'Little India' with 45 per cent of its 5,043 residents tracing their roots to India.

The diaspora community in the western Sydney suburb had renewed calls to officially declare their area as 'Little India'.

The Indian business owners had first proposed officially naming the area Little India in 2015, believing that the title would benefit them.

As per the Australian government's website, Harris Park has a significant population of Indians and is widely known as an exceptional spot for Indian gastronomy and Indian-run small and mid-sized enterprises.

--IANS
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New Delhi, May 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday landed in Japan's Hiroshima city to participate in the G7 Summit where he will also be having bilateral meetings with various world leaders.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said: "Landed in Hiroshima to join the G7 Summit proceedings. Will also be having bilateral meetings with various world leaders."

He also attached the photographs of his arrival in Hiroshima.

Modi on Friday embarked on a six-day visit to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia to attend three key multilateral summits, including that of the G7.

While leaving for Hiroshima, the Prime Minister in a statement said: "I will leave for Hiroshima, Japan to attend the G7 Summit under the Japanese Presidency at the invitation of Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister of Japan."

He said it will be a pleasure to meet his Japanese counterpart again after his recent visit to India for the India-Japan Summit.

"My presence in this G7 Summit is particularly meaningful as India holds the G20 Presidency this year. I look forward to exchanging views with the G7 countries and other invited partners on challenges that the world faces and the need to collectively address them. I would also be holding bilateral meetings with some of the leaders attending the Hiroshima G7 Summit," the Prime Minister said.

Modi said that from Japan, he will be visiting Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

"This will be my first visit, as also the first ever visit by any Indian Prime Minister, to Papua New Guinea. I will host on May 22 the 3rd Summit of the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC III Summit) jointly with James Marape, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea. I am grateful that all 14 Pacific Island Countries (PIC) have accepted the invitation to attend this important Summit."

He said: "FIPIC had been launched during my visit to Fiji in 2014, and I look forward to engaging with the PIC Leaders on issues that bring us together, such as climate change and sustainable development, capacity building and training, health and well-being, infrastructure and economic development.

"Apart from the FIPIC engagements, I look forward to my bilateral interactions with Papua New Guinea Governor General Sir Bob Dadae, Prime Minister Marape and some of the other PIC Leaders participating in the Summit," the Prime Minister said.

Commenting on his visit to Australia, the Prime Minister said: "I will be travelling to Sydney, Australia at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. I look forward to our bilateral meeting, which will be an opportunity to take stock of our bilateral ties and follow up on our first India-Australia Annual Summit held in New Delhi in March this year."

He will also interact with Australian CEOs and business leaders, and meet the Indian community in Sydney at a special event.

--IANS
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Geneva, May 19 (IANS) The World Health Organization (WHO) Covid vaccine composition advisory group has recommended that vaccine makers drop the ancestral strain and switch to a monovalent (single-strain) vaccine that contains an XBB.1 descendant lineage such as XBB.1.5.

As of May 2023, XBB.1 descendent lineages predominate SARS-CoV-2 circulation globally.

The WHO's Technical Advisory Group on Covid-19 Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC) said the current vaccines continue to provide substantial protection against severe illness and death, but new formulations are needed to protect against symptomatic disease.

They recommended a switch to a monovalent vaccine because the index virus no longer circulates in people, it prompts -- at best -- very low levels of antibodies against current strains, it reduces the concentration of the new target antigen, and it may induce immune imprinting.

"In order to improve protection, in particular against symptomatic disease, new formulations of Covid-19 vaccines should aim to induce antibody responses that neutralise XBB descendent lineages," the WHO TAG-CO-VAC said in a statement.

They noted that XBB descendant lineages, including XBB.1.5 and XBB.1.16, are highly immune-evasive, with XBB.1.5 as one of the variants with the highest magnitude of immune escape from neutralising antibodies.

They acknowledged, however, that vaccine efficacy estimates against circulating strains are limited, with some studies showing efficacy similar to BA.5 and others showing reduced efficacy against XBB.1 lineages.

Studies involving blood samples of people who had two to four mRNA vaccine doses showed substantially lower neutralisation against XBB.1 lineages.

Preclinical data on XBB.1 candidate vaccines, shared confidentially by vaccine makers, showed a higher neutralising antibody response to current subvariants compared with currently approved vaccines.

Meanwhile, in its weekly epidemiological update, the UN health body said that globally nearly 2.6 million new cases and over 17 000 deaths were reported in the last 28 days, a decrease of 14 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively.

The situation is mixed at regional levels, with increases in reported cases seen in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions and increases in deaths in South-East Asia.

As of May 14, over 766 million confirmed cases and over 6.9 million deaths have been reported globally.

--IANS
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Beirut, May 17 (IANS) The Lebanese Energy Minister Walid Fayyad has said that Iraq agreed to increase the volume of heavy fuel oil exported annually to Lebanon by 50 per cent to 1.5 million metric ton.

Fayyad added on Tuesday in a statement that Iraq agreed to secure all of Lebanon's needs of oil derivatives to operate power plants and ensure additional power supply during the summer, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iraq also agreed to provide Lebanon with two million metric ton of crude annually. Lebanon received payment facilities for this deal for six months from the date of receipt "without incurring any financial interests and at a price that takes competitive international prices into account," the Minister said.

Since July 2021, Lebanon has been importing heavy fuel oil from Iraq to generate electricity from power plants, securing a daily power supply of about four hours, according to an agreement between the two parties.

Under the deal, Iraq provided the Lebanese government with fuel in exchange for healthcare services for Iraqi citizens. Lebanon then swaps the heavy fuel oil for gas oil that can be used at its power stations.

Lebanon has been suffering from an unprecedented financial crisis amid a shortage of foreign reserves needed to import gas oil to operate power plants, leading to power rationing for about 20 hours daily, with most people relying on private generators and solar energy.

--IANS
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Lahore, May 16 (IANS) The miscreants involved in vandalism on May 9 in Pakistan following the arrest of former Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan include doctors and engineers too, media reports said.

During a press conference held by the police in Lahore, it was revealed that over 1,700 individuals involved in acts of arson and vandalism have been arrested following the arrest of Imran Khan, Samaa TV reported.

Some 38 cases have been registered, with Imran Khan being named as the accused in approximately 80 per cent of these cases, the report said.

Pakistan Punjab Police DIG (Operations) Kamran Adil disclosed that even professionals such as doctors and engineers were among the rioters and troublemakers.

He said the vandals entered the Jinnah House using three different routes.

The PTI Tiger Force, along with the local party leadership, played a role in mobilising people for the violence, he added, Samaa TV reported.

Adil said that the anarchy was created as part of a conspiracy which was executed according to a well-planned strategy.

The officer claimed that despite the tense situation, no deaths were reported.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday while expressing dismay over the recent events unfolding since May 9, deeming them a disgraceful episode for Pakistan, emphasised that strict action should be taken against the culprits involved in orchestrating acts of arson, creating unrest, and inciting riots, ensuring their arrest and subsequent legal proceedings.

An important meeting of the National Security Committee took place under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister, which was attended by General Asim Munir, the Chief of Army Staff, heads of the armed forces, Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Azam Khan, Chief Minister of Punjab Syed Mohsin Naqvi, and several other high-ranking civil and military officials.

During the meeting, Sharif expressed his concerns regarding the incidents that occurred at the GHQ and Mianwali Air Base, Samaa TV reported.

--IANS
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New York, May 13 (IANS) Daniel Penny, a white US Marine veteran, surrenders to police in New York City on Friday morning over his fatal choking of a homeless black man, Jordan Neely, aboard a local subway train.

Penny is expected to be arraigned in the Manhattan Criminal Court on Friday afternoon, Xinhua news agency reported, citing local media.

On the day of Neely's death on May 1, New York police had questioned Penny but released him, triggering widespread protests and debates across the city and beyond.

After a medical examiner determined on May 3 that Neely had died from homicide, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg launched an investigation into the case.

A spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office said on Thursday that Penny would be arrested on charge of manslaughter in the second degree.

--IANS
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Seoul, May 12 (IANS) South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday received the diplomatic credentials of 11 newly-appointed foreign ambassadors to South Korea.

They are ambassadors from Canada, Iran, Denmark, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Congo, Sudan, Guatemala, Laos and Georgia, Yonhap news agency reported.

--IANS
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Seoul, May 12 (IANS) US Ambassador Philip Goldberg called on Friday for South Korea to "keep speaking out" against Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stressing the importance of the two allies working together on global issues.

Goldberg made the remark during a lecture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, after tensions flared between South Korea and Russia last month following President Yoon Suk Yeol's suggestion of a shift in South Korea's policy of providing only non-lethal aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia, Yonhap news agency reported.

"We need you to work with us to find solutions to the climate crisis. We need you to continue standing up for our shared democratic values, such as respect for human rights," he said.

"And we need you to keep speaking out against atrocities, like Russia's war in Ukraine."

In an interview with Reuters, Yoon said it might be difficult for South Korea to insist only on providing humanitarian or financial assistance if Ukraine comes under a large-scale attack on civilians.

Russia has since warned that supplying military aid to Ukraine would mean Seoul "becoming involved in the conflict to a certain extent" and would represent "an openly hostile anti-Russian move".

"The world has watched in horror as Russia embarked on a senseless war of aggression in violation of international law, killing tens of thousands, destroying civilian infrastructure and wreaking havoc on the global economy," Goldberg said.

"I want to praise the South Korea government for helping Ukraine's vast humanitarian needs and for implementing sanctions on Russia to make sure they pay a price for this pointless destruction," he added.

The Ambassador also reaffirmed the US security commitment to South Korea is firm.

"There should be no doubt that our commitment to South Korea's defence is ironclad, as it has been for the past 70 years," he said.

Goldberg denounced North Korea's destabilising actions, such as missile launches, saying Pyongyang is using its scarce resources to develop weapons of mass destruction, rather than caring for its people.

Still, he said diplomacy is the "only viable way to achieve a safe and stable Korean Peninsula free of nuclear weapons".

The envoy also spoke at length about the recent summit between Yoon and US President Joe Biden, saying the two leaders "looked a lot like old college friends".

"To ensure we are ready to stand against any threat, our presidents announced a new forum to discuss the full range of our combined defensive capabilities, including nuclear, conventional and missile defence," he said, referring to the Washington Declaration adopted at the White House summit.

--IANS
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Islamabad, May 12 (IANS) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Friday claimed that he was hit on the head with batons as Rangers personnel arrested him in the Al-Qadir Trust case earlier this week, local media reported.

During a conversation with media personnel in the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the former prime minister reportedly showed swelling and wounds on the back of his head, alleging that he was hit during his arrest. He continued that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officials had treated the injury.

The PTI chairman was in IHC for the hearing of his bail plea in the Al-Qadir Trust case as per the Supreme Court's order.

He said that NAB's treatment toward him was "alright" and reiterated that he was hit on the head with a baton during his arrest, The Express Tribune reported.

When asked about the violent protests that began following his arrest on May 9, Khan questioned how he could stop everything that was happening and said that he had warned earlier that there would be a "reaction" if he was arrested.

"How can I be held responsible, when I was in (NAB's) custody?" he asked, adding that he had stated before the SC that whatever happened during the protests "did not go well".

Khan maintained that "When the Rangers arrested me, I said: this is my country, my people. Be peaceful".

The deposed prime minister said that he has filed for bail pleas in dozens of cases against him but he will "not resist arrest", The Express Tribune reported.

--IANS
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By Arul Louis
New York, May 10 (IANS) The federal jury verdict ordering former US President Donald Trump to pay $5 million in damages to a woman who accused him of rape clouds his election bid with rumblings against him in his own party.


In the civil trial, the jury on Tuesday found he sexually abused the woman and defamed her while not accepting her claim he raped her and awarded her damages.

Being a civil case, Trump does not face prison time but for the first time a court has established a claim of Trump abusing women - an allegation made by several women against him.

Former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, who is challenging Trump for the Republican Party's presidential nomination, said "a cavalier and arrogant contempt for the rule of law can backfire" and the verdict should be taken seriously.

Republican Senator Bill Cassidy said the verdict raises concerns about Trump.

He asked: "He's been found to be civilly liable, how could it do anything else but create a concern?"

E. Jean Carroll, 79, a magazine columnist, brought the case against Trump, who she said had raped her decades ago and defamed her by saying the allegation was a "hoax".

The case was filed in 2019 while Trump was still president and in the midst of his re-election campaign.

He increased his votes in the election next year although he lost to President Joe Biden.

The latest opinion poll by ABC News and The Washington Post taken before the verdict showed him six percentage points ahead of Biden.

Whether he can hold the lead will depend on how the independent voters view the verdict.

Senator John Cornyn, who is from Texas where Trump has a strong base said that he did not think Trump would win the election next year.

But he added: "People who support President Trump, support President Trump. People who don't support President Trump, don't support him, and I don't think this will have any impact" on those with fixed stances.

Many Republicans will not publicly criticise him because of Trump's hold on the party base.

Even a challenger for the Republican nomination, Vivek Ramaswamy, dismissed the verdict as an "establishment" reaction to their "chief political allergen".

Trump is facing a criminal case brought by a local prosecutor in New York accusing him of falsifying business records to cover up payments made to a woman who claimed to have had an affair with him.

If convicted in that case, he could be sentenced to prison time, although that would not bar him from running for election under the US Constitution.

In a post on Truth Social media, Trump characteristically called the civil case verdict a "continuing of the greatest witchhunt of all time" and said he would appeal.

On Tuesday night he is set to face voters in a town hall-style meeting hosted live by CNN in New Hampshire, traditionally the first state to hold the primaries - the intra-party election to select the candidate.

CNN said that he will be fielding questions from an audience of party members and undecided voters and there will be no restrictions on questions he can be asked.

Trump, who is busy campaigning for his presidential run, did not take the witness stand to contest Carrolla¿s case.

Several women have accused him of rape and sex abuse, but the thrice-married Trump who once revelled in the image of a playboy has not faced criminal charges.

A damning piece of evidence introduced against him related to a video of him using an obscenity and saying, "When you're a star, they let you do it. You can do anything, grab 'em by the (genitals)."

During a deposition -- testimony and cross-examination outside a court to speed up the trial -- he defended the statement saying that "historically that is true" when asked about it by Carroll's lawyer.

A video of his statement made during the cross-examination was shown to the jury, a citizens' panel made up of three women and six men, which gave the verdict in less than three hours of deliberations after eight days of the trial.

Carroll herself took the stand at the trial as did two other women who said that they had been abused by Trump, one of them while on a plane.

"I'm here because Donald Trump raped me," Carroll told the jury and gave a graphic description of Trump abusing her with his fingers before raping her.

She said that the encounter took place in the lingerie section of the department store when he approached her on the pretext of trying to find a gift for a woman friend but did not remember when exactly it happened.

He banged her head on the wall of a fitting room before the attack, she said.

Carroll first made the accusations public while the presidential race was heating up in 2019 in a magazine excerpt ahead of the publication of her book, "What Do We Need Men For"? in which she wrote about the assault more than two decades after the attack.

Trump's lawyer Joe Tacopina questioned Carroll's credibility, saying that she did not report the attack to the police, didn't remember the day it took place and brought it up decades later.

Two friends of Carroll testified that she had told them about the assault around the time it took place.

Lisa Birnbach said that she told her about the assault minutes after it happened but declined her offer to accompany her to make a police complaint.

There was a large crowd of demonstrators outside the courthouse denouncing his treatment of women when the verdict came down.

Trump, who has been impeached twice by the House of Representatives is caught in a web of legal issues.

The first former president to face criminal charges, Trump was arrested and produced in court last month in the payment of hush money criminal case but was released pending the trial that could take place early next year.

Trump has not disputed that he had paid off the porn film actress Stormy Daniels who claimed to have had an affair with him.

The payoff made before the 2016 election is not illegal, but claiming it as legal fees to a lawyer in accounts could amount to a criminal offence with a prison term.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James has filed a civil case over his and his adult children's business practices.

A state prosecutor in Georgia is looking into allegations that Trump interfered in the election results and a federal special counsel is examining if he had a role in the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress by his supporters.

Federal prosecutors are also investigating his handling of classified documents that he took from the White House when he left office.

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

--IANS
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