Day: July 14, 2021

Outgoing Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday that Iran is capable of enriching uranium for peaceful purposes to 90 percent purity if necessary.

Speaking during a cabinet meeting, Rouhani stressed that Tehran’s nuclear program is constantly developing by day, according to the state television.

“The Iranian Atomic Energy Agency has the ability to enrich uranium to a purity of up to 90 percent if necessary,” he added.

Talks were launched recently in Vienna to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany, in an effort to return Washington to the deal.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Russian president and the US presidential envoy for climate discussed climate change and the prospects of the Russian-US environmental cooperation in the Arctic, the Kremlin said on Wednesday.

Speaking over phone with US Presidential Envoy John Kerry, President Vladimir Putin “stressed that the Russian Federation attaches great importance to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and stands for a depoliticized and professional dialogue in this area,” Kremlin said in a statement.

Kerry also briefed Putin on the results of his meetings in Moscow regarding climate change, according to the statement.

“In general, it was asserted that the climate problem is one of the areas in which Russia and the US have common interests and similar approaches,” the statement said.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan will embark on a two-day official visit to Uzbekistan on Thursday at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, according to the Foreign Ministry.

In a statement Wednesday, the ministry said that Khan will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and other members of the Cabinet, while a large group of leading Pakistani businessmen will also visit the capital Tashkent with Khan.

Talks between the two leaders will cover the full range of bilateral relations, with a particular focus on trade, economic cooperation, and connectivity, the statement said.

The two leaders will also exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and are expected to sign several agreements and memorandums of understanding aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation in diverse areas.

Khan will also address the first Pakistan-Uzbekistan Business Forum, attended by leading businessmen from both countries.

Leading up to the prime minister’s visit, the two sides will also hold the sixth session of the Joint Inter-Governmental Commission (JIGC) and inaugural session of the Joint Business Council (JBC) on Wednesday in Tashkent.

Khan will also take part in an international conference on “Central and South Asia Regional Connectivity: Challenges and Opportunities.”

The conference will be attended by ministers and high representatives from Central and South Asia as well as other important countries, international organizations, international financial institutions, think-tanks, and scholars.

“Pakistan has deepened its engagement with Central Asia through its ‘Vision Central Asia’ policy, with a focus on five key strands – political, trade and investment, energy and connectivity, security, and defense, and people-to-people exchanges,” said the Foreign Ministry.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The count of administered COVID-19 vaccine shots applied across the world has topped 3.51 billion as of Wednesday, according to Oxford University’s ourworldindata.org.

China, where the outbreak first emerged, ranks first globally with more than 1.4 billion vaccine jabs delivered within the country, according to the available data, and it is followed by India which has applied nearly 387.7 million vaccine jabs.

Meanwhile, over 334.9 million shots have been delivered in the US, and the tally of vaccines in Brazil has topped 117 million.

The vaccination campaigns in Germany (82.2 million), the UK (80.9 million), and Japan (63.6 million) have also continued at speed.

Turkey has so far administered more than 60.3 million vaccine shots, ranking ninth across the world, while over 38.4 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine.

Considering that COVID-19 vaccines are used on individuals with two separate doses, the count of administered vaccines does not mean that the same amount of people have been vaccinated.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Oil prices slipped on Wednesday over demand concerns, as data from China showed a 3% drop in crude imports in the country in the first half of the year.

International benchmark Brent crude was trading at $76.44 per barrel at 0747 GMT for a 0.07% loss after closing Tuesday at $76.49 a barrel.

American benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading at $75.18 a barrel at the same time with a 0.09% decrease after ending the previous session at $75.25 per barrel.

China’s crude imports fell 3% year on year from January to June, showing the first dip since 2013.

The negative data implied a demand decline in China, the world’s largest oil importer, exerting downward price pressure.

However, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its monthly oil report on Tuesday that global oil demand is forecast to increase 3.1% next year to an average of 99.5 million barrels per day (bpd) on the back of more economic activity and expectations that the expansion of vaccination campaigns will prevent a resurgence of COVID-19 cases.

The data from the American Petroleum Institute (API) also supported the IEA’s expectations.

According to the predictions of the API, US crude oil stockpiles are estimated to drop by 4.08 million barrels, compared to the market expectation of a fall of 4.3 million barrels.

A significant drop in inventories indicates an increase in crude demand in the US, assuaging market concerns about dwindling demand.

Official oil stock data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) will be released later on Wednesday.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Nearly a week after the imprisonment of former South African President Jacob Zuma triggered violent protests, community members and local policing forums have started working to protect businesses from being looted.

“We have been here since last night to ensure that this mall is not looted,” Mike Mazibuko, a resident of Soweto township, told Anadolu Agency outside Maponya Mall, the only shopping center that has survived the looting so far.

Mazibuko said they are determined to protect the mall, as it is a source of livelihood for many in the area.

“This business employs hundreds. What will happen to them when it’s razed?” he asked. He said people are using the issue of Zuma’s imprisonment as an excuse to commit crimes, loot, and injure others.

In Mayfair, a suburb of Johannesburg, members of the Somali community sent out to trucks to townships and informal settlements to help their nationals there load goods from their stores and take them to places of safety.

“I offered my truck to transport stock from some shops belonging to my brothers because I knew they would be looted,” Mohammed Jele told Anadolu Agency.

Abdikani Hassan, a resident of Pretoria West, said community members have tightened security in their area though it has not yet been looted.

“We’re on the watch for any eventuality. Youths in the area patrol our streets at night to ensure businesses aren’t broken into,” he said via telephone.

In East Rand, mobs of people gathered near Chris Hani Crossing, the mall in Vosloorus, which was looted Monday, waiting to pick at the remains. Armed private security guards waited, ready to retaliate.

Source: Anadolu Agency

British Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced on Wednesday that two-thirds of Brits have now received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine, as the UK recorded the highest number of cases since mid-January.

Javid tweeted: “Two thirds of adults across the UK have now had two jabs. We have beaten our target by almost a week – this is a huge achievement. Thank you to everyone who has come forward. The vaccine is our wall of defence against the virus.”

Government data released on Wednesday showed that over 46 million Brits have now received their first dose of vaccine, and over 35.1 million Brits their second dose.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted: “Barely 8 months since the first vaccine, 2/3 of UK adults have had both doses. Thank you to everyone coming forward and to those helping others get jabbed. You are the reason we are able to cautiously ease restrictions next week. If you’re over 18, book both your jabs now.”

England will lift almost all coronavirus restrictions on July 19, including mandatory face masks.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Wednesday that face masks will continue to be mandatory on Transport for London (TfL) services after July 19.

This was the date that the British government said face masks would no longer become compulsory in England, but would be encouraged in certain circumstances. The decision, along with the mixed messaging in its communication, was met with widespread opposition.

Khan said: “By keeping face masks mandatory we will give Londoners and visitors the reassurance and confidence to make the most of what our city has to offer, while also protecting our heroic transport workers and those who may be vulnerable and rely on the network to get around our city.

“It’s an extra layer of protection on top of TfL’s world-leading enhanced cleaning regime – and I’m sure Londoners will continue to do the right thing as they have done throughout the pandemic, and continue to wear a face covering on TfL services.”

In Wales, First Minister Mark Drakeford announced that from Saturday current coronavirus restrictions will be relaxed, but masks will still be compulsory on public transport and most indoor public areas.

On Aug. 7, he said restrictions will be relaxed again if cases remain low, but face masks will still be mandatory in most indoor public places and public transport, but not hospitality.

Drakeford said: “We are entering a new phase of the pandemic. Cases of the virus have risen sharply since the Delta variant emerged six weeks ago but, thanks to our fantastic vaccination programme, we are not seeing these translate into large numbers of people falling seriously ill or needing hospital treatment.

“We can be reasonably confident that vaccination has weakened the link between infections and serious illness.

“But there is still a risk that this third wave of the pandemic could cause real harm – either direct harm from the virus or indirect harm from, for example, people having to isolate.”

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced Tuesday that Scotland would also loosen most restrictions from July 19, but that face masks would remain mandatory.

British government data released on Wednesday showed that across the UK over the past 24 hours, there were 42,302 new cases – the highest number since Jan. 15, when the UK recorded 55,761 cases. There were also a further 49 deaths.

Source: Anadolu Agency