Sanjhi Soch buero :Queen Elizabeth II said on Thursday that her coronavirus jab “didn’t hurt at all” and urged those wary of receiving the vaccine to “think about other people”.

The 94-year-old monarch was vaccinated along with her husband Prince Philip in January, telling health officials leading the rollout in a video call that she now felt “protected”.

“It was very quick, and I’ve had lots of letters from people who have been very surprised by how easy it was to get the vaccine. And the jab –- it didn’t hurt at all,” she said.

Once you’ve had the vaccine you have a feeling of, you know, you’re protected, which is I think very important. “It is obviously difficult for people if they’ve never had a vaccine… but they ought to think about other people rather than themselves.”

More than 18 million people across Britain have now been jabbed as part of the vaccination drive that is seen as crucial in tackling one of the world’s worst outbreaks, which has claimed more than 122,000 lives.

The Queen called the disease a “plague” and praised the “remarkable” speed of the vaccination programme rollout.

Her eldest son and heir, Prince Charles, 72, who contracted a mild dose of Covid-19 last year, has also received his jab, as has his second wife, Camilla, 73.

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Sanjhi Soch buero :The United States on Thursday carried out an airstrike in Syria against a structure belonging to what it said were Iran-backed militia, two officials told Reuters, an apparent response to rocket attacks against US targets in Iraq.

While the strike could be the first retaliatory moves by the United States following last week’s attacks, the move appeared to be limited in scope, potentially lowering the risk of escalation.

Also a decision to strike only in Syria and not in Iraq would give the Iraqi government some breathing room as it carries out its own investigation of a Feb. 15 attack that wounded Americans.

The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the strike was approved by President Joe Biden. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

One official said the strike was in response to the recent rocket attacks in Iraq.

It was not immediately clear what damage was caused and if there were any casualties from the US strike.

Retaliatory US military strikes have occurred a number of times in the past few years.

The rocket attacks on US positions in Iraq were carried out as Washington and Tehran are looking for a way to return to the 2015 nuclear deal abandoned by former US President Donald Trump.

In the Feb. 15 attack, rockets hit the US military base housed at Erbil International Airport in the Kurdish-run region killing one non-American contractor and injuring a number of American contractors and a US service member. Another salvo struck a base hosting US forces north of Baghdad days later hurting at least one contractor.

Rockets hit Baghdad’s Green Zone on Monday which houses the US embassy and other diplomatic missions.

Earlier this week, the Kataib Hezbollah group, one of the main Iran-aligned Iraqi militia group, denied any role in recent rocket attacks against US targets in Iraq.

Some Western and Iraqi officials say the attacks, often claimed by little-known groups, are being carried out by militants with links to Kataib Hezbollah as a way for Iranian allies to harass US forces without being held accountable.

Since late 2019, the United States carried out high-profile strikes against the Kataib Hezbollah militia group in Iraq and Syria in response to sometimes deadly rocket attacks against US-led forces.

Under the Trump administration, the escalator back-and-forth stoked tensions, culminating in the US killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani and a retaliatory Iranian ballistic missile attack against US forces in Iraq last year.

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Sanjhi Soch buero :UN experts urged India to immediately release a British middleman extradited from the UAE over a helicopter deal, in a complex case with suspected links to the foiled flight of Dubai’s Sheikha Latifa.

The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) found that Christian Michel, who has been held in India since December 2018 after being extradited from the United Arab Emirates, was being detained arbitrarily, according to conclusions seen Thursday by AFP.

The WGAD raised concerns that Michel’s extradition “was a de facto swap” for India’s capture and return of a high-profile detainee to Dubai in March 2018, without providing more details.

But sources familiar with the case noted that Sheikha Latifa — the daughter of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, the UAE’s vice president and prime minister — attempted to flee her homeland that same month.

She fled on a boat that was intercepted by commandos off the coast of India, according to her companions and the UK-based group Detained in Dubai.

The UN panel said that as well as his release, Michel should be accorded the right to compensation and reparations from India and the UAE.

The experts also called for an independent full investigation and action to be taken against those responsible for the violation of Michel’s rights.

The WGAD did not respond when contacted by AFP.

Michel, born in 1961, was working in the UAE as a middleman and as an external consultant for a subsidiary of the Anglo-Italian firm AgustaWestland, itself a subsidiary of aerospace and defence group Finmeccanica.

He was accused of arranging kickbacks to Indian officials to secure a deal for the company to supply New Delhi with 12 helicopters for 556 million euros ($677 million) in 2010.

India cancelled the deal in January 2014 amid allegations that the company paid bribes to win the contract.

In January 2018, an Italian court acquitted the former chief of Finmeccanica of false accounting and corruption charges.

The experts ruled that the deprivation of Michel’s liberty “lacks a legal basis”, and that “the violations of the right to a fair trial and due process are of such gravity as to give Mr. Michel’s deprivation of liberty an arbitrary character”.

The group, made up of five independent experts, has no power to compel states to follow its rulings, but its decisions carry reputational weight.

The experts voiced concern at the allegation, which it said neither government had denied, that UAE approved Michel’s extradition as “a de facto swap for India’s capture and return of a high profile detainee to Dubai reportedly authorised by the Indian prime minister months earlier in March 2018”.

The experts said the appropriate remedy would be for India “to release Mr. Michel immediately and for both governments to accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law”.

It urged both countries to ensure a “full and independent investigation” into the circumstances surrounding the deprivation of Michel’s liberty and to take “appropriate measures against those responsible for the violation of his rights”.

The WGAD wrote to India and the UAE in May 2020, putting to them allegations about Michel’s extradition and treatment.

New Delhi replied in June insisting that Michel’s arrest and subsequent custody were above board, the group said.

Contacted by AFP, lawyers for Michel and his family urged India and the UAE to implement the working group’s recommendations and called on Britain to intervene to secure his repatriation.

Francois Zimeray said: “No state should allow such methods, against any notion of justice and dignity.

“India and the UAE will be held accountable.”

His colleague Toby Cadman said: “The procedure followed in Christian’s case can only be described as a flagrant denial of justice and a circumvention of the rule of law.”

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Sanjhi Soch buero :There is no evidence that race played a role in the US Capitol Police’s failure to bolster security before the January 6 insurrection, the department’s top official told Congress on Thursday, as lawmakers sound the alarm over the threat posed by White supremacy and domestic terrorism.

Appearing before a House appropriations subcommittee, acting US Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman faced a tough grilling from its members over the security failures that led to a slow response to the deadly riot, with Democratic Rep. Katherine Clark asking her, “Do you believe (White supremacy) played a role in the discrepancy between the intelligence received, the assessment of the likelihood of violence, and the preparation that left our officers, really, at the mercy of the mob?”

“So, as the first Black and female chief of this department, I take any allegation of inequitable policing extremely seriously,” Pittman replied. “With that said, I have no evidence whatsoever that suggests that there was any discrepancy based on our security posture and as it relates to making enhancements or not based upon race.”

The comments from Pittman, who took over the department following last month’s riot, come as lawmakers begin to investigate the attack and the government’s failure to both prepare adequately for it and respond to it in real-time. Many lawmakers and law enforcement experts have said police may have taken the threats more seriously, and responded more aggressively, if the crowd was comprised of Black rioters, instead of the scores of White people who actually participated in it.

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Sanjhi Soch buero :The status quo on the face of it is deceptive. Pakistan was on the grey list, it remains there, but in fiercely contested negotiations over a hotly debated space. On the face of it, again, and deceptively, again, Pakistan is reported to have made progress now on 24 of the 27 steps it was required to take by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

As it stands, the three steps not taken could be those that would matter most to take. And in asking Pakistan to take those steps now, the FATF has pointed to what it has not done.

The glass is not quite 24/27 full. In noting such fraction of it that is full, the FATF words itself rather cautiously.

The FATF says that Pakistan law enforcement agencies are now identifying and investigating violations, and demonstrating enforcement. They are also working to prevent raising and moving of funds by designated persons. Some movement forward acknowledged here, but more by way of intention than necessarily action. Not a categorical clean chit certainly, not even on all supposedly done.

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Sanjhi Soch buero :Germany said it expected to receive 16 million doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in the second quarter, the health ministry said.

That could represent a shortfall from the company’s commitments to deliver about twice that number of doses to Germany in that quarter, according to the leaked contract with the EU.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that delivery volumes to the European Union were expected to be at half the level AstraZeneca had contracted to supply in the second quarter.

Germany’s 16 million doses are in line with this possible shortfall, because the country was expected to receive about 34 million shots of the 180 million AstraZeneca agreed to supply the EU in the second quarter, according to a German health ministry internal document seen by Reuters and the leaked contract between AstraZeneca and the EU.

Germany said it expected to receive 16 million doses of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine in the second quarter, the health ministry said.

That could represent a shortfall from the company’s commitments to deliver about twice that number of doses to Germany in that quarter, according to the leaked contract with the EU.

Reuters reported on Tuesday that delivery volumes to the European Union were expected to be at half the level AstraZeneca had contracted to supply in the second quarter.

Germany’s 16 million doses are in line with this possible shortfall, because the country was expected to receive about 34 million shots of the 180 million AstraZeneca agreed to supply the EU in the second quarter, according to a German health ministry internal document seen by Reuters and the leaked contract between AstraZeneca and the EU.

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Sanjhi Soch buero :Former Vice President Mike Pence told a group of conservative lawmakers on Tuesday that he maintains a close personal friendship with former President Donald Trump, while noting that he plans to launch a political organization that will defend their administration’s record over the past four years.

Rep. Jim Banks, an Indiana Republican who chairs the conservative Republican Study Committee, told CNN that a group of members met at Pence’s transition office in the Washington area on Tuesday afternoon, talking about the way forward for their party while also touting the accomplishments of the past.

CNN reported Monday that Pence and Trump have spoken twice since the inauguration last month, according to a knowledgeable source who described their relationship as “amicable.”

Banks said that he expected Pence — who declined an invitation to speak at this week’s Conservative Political Action Conference meeting in Florida — to be more visible in the months to come.

“He’ll be launching an organization defending the successful Trump-Pence record of the last four years,” Banks said.

Pence, who once chaired the Republican Study Committee when he was a member of the House, told the lawmakers that the current political dynamic is akin to 2009, when Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress and the White House.

“He talked about how in 2009, the new Democrat President, Democrat House, Democrat Senate — how similar that moment was to this moment,” Banks said. “A massive spending deal Democrats pushed in 2009 that overreached, every single [House] Republican voted against in 2009. That sure looks like the $1.9 trillion bill that’s on the floor this week.”

Banks added: “The more Democrats overreach, the more likely we are going to have a 2010 type midterm to win back the majority. He sort of senses the similarity in that moment to this moment.”

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Sanjhi Soch buero :Anumber of Pakistani military personnel have been penalised for negligence over the escape of a high-profile former Pakistani Taliban figure from custody, an armed services spokesman said on Wednesday.

Liaqat Ali, the former public face of the militant Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and better known by his pseudonym Ehsanullah Ehsan, escaped last year three years after he handed himself in to the military.

He said those penalised were military personnel but did not give details including the number or identity of whose who were prosecuted. The military’s media wing denied that any of those penalised had any involvement or collusion with Ehsan during the escape, saying it was a case of negligence.

Ehsan was TTP’s spokesman for nearly a decade, issuing statements and holding press conferences in the group’s stronghold near the Afghan border. He proclaimed TTP’s responsibility for deadly bombings and attacks, including the 2012 shooting of education activist Malala Yousafzai.

A government statement last year confirming the escape said had said Ehsan evaded custody during a counter-terror operation in which he was accompanying soldiers to find Taliban leaders, as he had agreed to do after his surrender.

Ehsan has issued statements through various Twitter accounts since his escape and has said on social media that he is abroad.

Iftikhar, the military spokesman, said that his tweet this month was via a fake account and that Ehsan’s location was not confirmed, but efforts were underway to recapture him.

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Sanjhi Soch buero :Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that Kashmir is the only dispute with India and it can only be resolved through dialogue. Addressing the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Trade and Investment Conference which he co-chaired with his counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa in Colombo, Khan said that he offered India an opportunity to hold peace talks on being elected as prime minister in 2018 but nothing came to pass.

“Our only dispute is Kashmir and it can only be resolved through dialogue,” he said. Earlier this month, India said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

“Immediately when I came into power, I approached our neighbour India and explained to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the way forward for the subcontinent is to resolve our differences through dialogue,” Khan said. “I didn’t succeed but I am optimistic that eventually sense will prevail. The only way the subcontinent can tackle poverty is by improving trade relations,” he added.India has said that the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility. “Our position is well-known. India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said. “The onus is on Pakistan for creating such an environment.” Ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country. Subsequent attacks, including one on Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.The relationship dipped further after India’s war planes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist training camp deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The relations deteriorated after India in August 2019 announced withdrawing special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories.

Khan, who is the first head of state to visit Sri Lanka since the COVID-19 pandemic, said political stability in the region – by maintaining good relations with neighbouring countries – ensured a business-friendly environment that resulted in the people’s overall development. The Sri Lankan Muslim leaders were allowed to meet Khan after the opportunity was denied to them initially.

Rauff Hakeem, the leader of the main Muslim party – Sri Lanka Muslim Congress – said that they had a pleasant and fruitful discussion with Khan. He said the Pakistani prime minister had expressed confidence in the ability of the Muslim leaders to achieve communal harmony in the island nation. Khan was under pressure from local Muslim leaders to raise the issue of forced cremations of Muslim COVID-19 victims. Sri Lanka had adopted a policy of allowing only cremations citing health issues despite opposition from the Muslim community and international rights groups who were insisting on respecting the Islamic religious rite of burials.

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Sanjhi Soch buero :AChinese court has ordered a man to pay his former wife 50,000 yuan ($7,700) as compensation for housework she did during their five-year marriage, state media reported on Wednesday.

Under a landmark civil code that seeks to better protect the rights of individuals, spouses can seek compensation from their partners in a divorce if they have shouldered more responsibilities – including housework.

He must also pay 2,000 yuan a month to support their child, with other assets such as property to be divided equally.

The award of compensation for housework sparked debate on Chinese social media, with many netizens saying the amount was too little.

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