Day: July 3, 2021

Bangladesh received its first shipment of 2 million Chinese Sinopharm coronavirus vaccines under commercial procurement, according to its Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

A total of 1.1 million vaccines have arrived while the remainder will arrive later Saturday as vaccines carrying flights left Beijing, according to the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka.

China provided the vaccines as a gift to Dhaka and Bangladesh has started inoculating under a mass vaccination campaign that began in February.

Bangladesh signed a non-disclosure agreement to procure about 10.5 million vaccines from China.

Meanwhile, the first of the two consignments of 2.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine was also received from the US under the COVAX framework, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Minister Dr. A K Abdul Momen and Health Minister Zahid Maleque received the first shipments from 2 million Chinese Sinopharm and 1.2 million doses of Moderna’s vaccine in the presence of US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl Miller and senior officials.

The second consignment of the Moderna vaccine is scheduled to arrive late Saturday. The shipment is part of the US’ recent allocation of 25 million doses to Asian countries.

Maleque told reporters that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would come again in August from the Serum Institute of India (SII).

The South Asian country has an agreement with SII for 30 million doses — 5 million jabs every month from January to June. It has paid for 15 million but received only 7 million. New Delhi has also gifted 3 million doses to Dhaka.

And efforts are being made to bring 100 million doses from various sources by December to ensure the government’s target to inoculate 80% of the population, he added.

Bangladesh, with a population of 165 million, has inoculated just 3% of its population with 5.8 million residents receiving a first dose and 4.2 million a second of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.

The country, currently enforcing a weeklong nationwide lockdown from July 1 because of souring infections and deaths, has recorded nearly 930,042 cases, including a death toll of 14,778, according to official data as of Friday.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkey on Saturday expressed grief over widespread destruction caused by a massive landslide after heavy rains in Japan.

“We share the grief of the friendly people and the government of Japan and convey our wishes for a speedy recovery from the flood and landslide that occurred on July 3 in Atami city, Shizuoka Prefecture, and caused at least 20 people to go missing,” the Foreign Ministry said in statement.

Local media reported on Saturday that 20 people are missing in central Japan after a massive landslide hit Atami city following heavy rainfall.

Videos on social media showed a torrent of black mud sliding down a mountain and passing through the city, destroying several houses on its way towards the sea.

Two bodies were found by the coast guard, the local governor was quoted by the media as saying.

A resident said he heard a “horrible sound” and fled as the landslide destroyed everything in its path.

Atami, a popular hot-spring resort, received more rainfall in the first three days of July than it usually sees in the whole month, causing the massive landslide.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Aryna Sabalenka defeated Maria Camila Osorio Serrano to advance to the fourth round at Wimbledon on Friday.

Sabalenka, ranked No. 2 in the world, made it to the fourth round for the first time after eliminating Osorio Serrano of Colombia in straight sets 6-0, 6-3 in London.

Iga Swiatek, Karolina Pliskova and Elena Rybakina also moved on in the tournament.

In men’s singles action, Andrey Rublev of Russia defeated Fabio Fognini from Italy 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Christian Garin beat Pedro Martinez and Karen Khachanov claimed victory against Frances Tiafoe to move to the next round.

– Djokovic advances to 4th round

The world’s No. 1, Novak Djokovic, beat Denis Kudla in straight sets to qualify for the fourth round.

Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, Marton Fucsovics from Hungary and Denis Shapovalov of Canada also advanced.

In women’s singles, American Madison Keys and Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur moved to round of 16.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Colombia reported 586 new coronavirus deaths Friday as it continues to battle the pandemic.

The additions in the past 24 hours took the nation’s death toll to 107,723, according to data by Health Ministry.

Nationwide infections exceed 4.29 million with 28,005 new cases.

The number of people who won the battle against the virus surged past 3.99 million with an additional 29,577 recoveries.

Among the most affected regions are the capital of Bogota with more than 1.27 million cases and Antioquia province with 650,839 infections.

The number of active cases stands at 183,535 and the intensive care occupancy rate is between 85% and 90%.

More than 18.58 million people have received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and more than 6.93 million have gotten a second dose.

Colombia, with a population of almost 50 million, ranks ninth in the world in number of cases.

Since December 2019, the pandemic has claimed 3.9 million lives in 192 countries and regions, with more than 183 million cases reported, according to US-based Johns Hopkins University.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Istanbul

Source: Anadolu Agency

Poland’s ruling party leader announced a declaration Friday opposing the idea of the bloc being a single state was signed by 10 parties in EU member countries.

“The reason for signing the declaration is the conference on the future of Europe. This conference has unclear objectives and structure,” head of the Law and Justice Party Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in a statement.

The parties, including far-right parties, supported the idea of the EU but opposed the notion of the bloc becoming a single state, he said.

Stressing that the idea of being a single state will cause a deep and lasting crisis, he said the statement is to preserve Europe’s traditions, nations, diversity and wealth, as well as to maintain cooperation, free movement, economic, individual and democratic freedoms.

The declaration was also signed by Spain’s Vox party, Italy’s League party, France’s National Rally.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Libya’s prime minister on Saturday called for conducting Libyan parliamentary and presidential elections on its scheduled time, on Dec. 24.

“We urge all parties and the UN mission to fulfil their responsibilities to let public interest prevail and to agree on a mechanism to ensure conducting elections on time,” Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh wrote on Twitter.

For his part, US special envoy to Libya Richard Norland noted that some Libyan parties within the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF) are trying to hinder the national polls from being held on schedule.

“We have watched the LPDF meetings this week in Geneva closely, including several members who appear to be trying to insert ‘poison pills’ that will ensure elections will not happen,” Norland said in a statement published on Facebook, without specifically naming any figures.

He added that those members sought to hinder the polls “either by prolonging the constitutional process or by creating new conditions that must be met for elections to occur.”

On Friday, the assistant secretary-general and mission coordinator for the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Raisedon Zenenga said the LPDF did not reach common ground on a constitutional basis for parliamentary and presidential elections.

“It is regrettable that, despite all the opportunities, there is still no common ground,” he said.

The meetings began Monday, seeking to build constitutional safeguards acceptable to all sides ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections that aim to consolidate the peace process.

As part of the UN-led dialogue, meetings of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee were held 23 Oct., 2020, in Geneva. As a result of the meetings, a permanent cease-fire agreement was signed between the legitimate Libyan government and delegations affiliated with warlord Gen. Khalifa Haftar.

Within the scope of the political process that started after the cease-fire agreement, the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum decided in November last year that elections will be held in December 2021.

Libyans hope the new unity government will end years of civil war that have engulfed the country since the ouster and killing of strongman Muammar al-Qaddafi in 2011.

* Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara

Source: Anadolu Agency

Turkish security forces said Saturday they arrested at least two suspects for smuggling historical artifacts.

Gendarmerie teams conducted a raid at an address in the Altindag district of Ankara province, according to a statement.

A total of 1,016 coins, a metal horse statue, a ring and two artifacts belonging to the Roman and Byzantine periods were seized.

The historical artifacts were confiscated and will be handed over to the Anatolian Civilizations Museum.

*Writing by Seda Sevencan in Istanbul

Source: Anadolu Agency

Eighty-seven Palestinians were injured Friday when tear gas was thrown at protesters by Israeli forces in the northern occupied West Bank.

Palestinians held demonstrations against illegal Jewish settlements in different parts of the West Bank, especially in Beita in Nablus and the village of Beit Dajan.

Israeli forces intervened and used tear gas and live and rubber bullets. Palestinians responded by throwing stones.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said three people were injured by live bullets and 84 with rubber bullets.

A tear gas canister hit the windshield of a Palestinian ambulance and a health worker inside was injured by broken glass. Two Palestinian volunteer health workers were injured with rubber bullets.

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate that there are about 650,000 settlers in West Bank settlements, including occupied Jerusalem, living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in occupied territories are considered illegal.

Israeli police began allowing settler incursions in 2003, despite repeated condemnations from the Islamic Endowment Department in Jerusalem.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar

Source: Anadolu Agency

Known as the Venice of the East for its pristine waters, the capital of Indian-administered Kashmir, Srinagar, has become a dumping ground for sewage and pollution, including plastic waste, over years of inattentiveness, experts say.

Years of conflict and apathy from officials have left the region’s lakes and streams gasping for breath despite millions of dollars now being spent on their revival.

For July 3 International Plastic Bag Free Day, Anadolu Agency visited these waters and spoke to experts on their degraded condition.

– Anchar Lake

Once famed as a spotless lacustrine habitat in the heart of Srinagar, Anchar Lake is now almost dead, according to experts.

In 1894, the lake covered an area of 19.3 square kilometers (7.5 square miles) but now, due to unabated encroachment and sewage pumping, the lake has shrunken to just 3 square kilometers.

“We’ve killed this lake, there’s no other word to describe it,” said Earth sciences expert Shakeel Rhomsoo, who is the dean of research at the University of Kashmir.

Human greed has left these waterbodies under deep strain, said Rhomsoo, adding that “encroachment, sewage, plastic, biomedical waste, garbage and other filth over the years have gone into these waterbodies without considering the impact they would have on its fauna and flora or even to the ecological balance.”

A 2012 study of the Anchar’s ecology has described the condition of the lake as a “bowl for pollutants,” due to nearby drainage, endangering species in the lake while also increasing the turbidity of its water and producing bad odor.

– Loss of livelihood

No fauna or flora can thrive in polluted waters, said Rhomsoo, explaining that this would hurt the chances of the region’s people earning a livelihood, especially off the fishing sector.

In 2019, Nazir Ahmed, a faculty member of the University of Agricultural Sciences in Kashmir, estimated during a workshop that around 93,000 people in Kashmir are still dependent on the fishing sector, and said it was unclear how long they could make a living in this field.

According to a study in the International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, Kashmir’s waterbodies have suffered extensive pollution, siltation, and encroaching development since 1990. All of this has slowly diminished fish biodiversity.

– Ray of hope

In late February this year, the local Nigeen Lake Conservation Organization took the initiative to clean up the dying lakes of Khusalsar and Gilsar, which had become severely contaminated after over three decades of encroachment.

In three months, the group was able to revive Khusalsar from the brink of its end, the group’s Chairman Manzoor Ahmad Wangnoo told Anadolu Agency.

“The lake had become a cesspool with dead animals, plastic, polythene, weeds, and sewage making up most of it. It was encroached upon from all sides,” Wangnoo said.

During the restoration process, about 20 truckloads of weeds, silt and waste were removed from the water.

“It’s our responsibility to clean these waterbodies. They’re our lifelines, we can’t let them die,” said Wangnoo.

He added that authorities in the region have spent millions of dollars on machinery to revive lakes, but “I tell you as a boatman, we need efforts from all of us to keep our waterbodies clean.”

Source: Anadolu Agency