Taiwan's defence ministry accused China on Saturday of threatening aviation safety and waging psychological warfare on the island's people with a recent spate of balloons spotted near or over the island, days before key Taiwanese elections. The potential for China to use balloons for spying became a global issue in February when the United States shot down what it said was a Chinese surveillance balloon. China said the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted astray. Taiwan is on high alert for Chinese military and political activity ahead of the Jan. 13 presidential and parliamentary elections. It says China is exerting military and economic pressure in an attempt to interfere in the elections. China views the island as its own territory, a claim Taiwan's government rejects. Since last month Taiwan's defence ministry has reported several instances of Chinese balloons flying over the sensitive Taiwan Strait. It has said over the past week some balloons had flown over Taiwan island near major air bases. In a statement on Saturday, the ministry said the balloons were a "serious threat" to international aviation safety given their flight paths. "We also express our condemnation of the Chinese communists' disregard for aviation safety and its disregard for the safety of passengers on cross-Taiwan Strait and international flights," it said. The ministry said its analysis was that the balloons were part of China's "grey zone" tactics against Taiwan "in an attempt to use cognitive warfare to affect the morale of our people". This was stronger than Taiwan's previous assertions that the balloons appeared to be mostly for weather monitoring, driven by prevailing winds at this time of year. China's Taiwan Affairs Office referred Reuters to previous comments stating that Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was "hyping up the threat from the mainland as the election approaches" and inciting confrontation. China's defence ministry declined to comment on the balloons at a monthly news conference in December. Taiwan Vice President Lai Ching-te, the DPP's presidential candidate, told a campaign event on Saturday that China was using its warships, warplanes and fake news to "divide Taiwan". "I urge you all with your sacred votes to tell the world that Taiwan will not surrender to an authoritarian regime but will continue to choose democracy and freedom," Lai said, according to his campaign team. STRONGER WORDING In a separate statement on Saturday, Taiwan's defence ministry said that during the previous 24 hours it had detected two more Chinese balloons, one of which briefly flew over the far northern tip of the island. Taiwan has complained for four years of stepped-up Chinese military action such as fighter jets regularly flying over the strait as part of a "grey zone" strategy attempting to wear down Taiwan with offensive actions that stop short of full-blown conflict. The United States, Taiwan's most important international backer and arms supplier, has watched with alarm as tensions over the semiconductor powerhouse island have risen. Asked about the balloons at a news conference in Washington on Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said he could not comment. "We obviously support the democracy and the democratic institutions of Taiwan, and we want to see free, fair, open, transparent elections there." he said. "And we're certainly mindful that outside actors could try to interfere." China says the Taiwan government's repeated accusations of election interference are "dirty tricks" aimed at boosting the chances of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party, which Beijing detests, calling them separatists. A Western security source, speaking on condition of anonymity as they were not authorised to speak to the media, said China was sending a very simple pre-election message to Taiwan with the balloons. "We are watching you closely and you can't hide," the source said.

Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA) & The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA) Sign mmemorandum of understanding (MoU). Denmark and Bangladesh further strengthen their partnership with signing of a MoU to create new collaboration for food safety and sustainable food production.  Denmark and Bangladesh have had a long standing partnership and a mutual desire to continue cooperation in the food and agricultural sector for the benefit of both countries, as established in the “Sustainable and Green Framework Engagement” between the two nations. The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Food, in the presence of Mr. Md. Ismiel Hossain ndc, Secretary, Ministry of Food; Mr. Md. Abdul Kayowm Sarker, Chairman, Bangladesh Food Safety Authority and Mr. Anders Karlsen, Chargé d-Affaires a.i. at the Embassy of Denmark in Dhaka, and Ms Maria Knudsen, Sector Counsellor at the Embassy, solidifying the commitment of both countries to continue their close cooperation in the food and agricultural sector and collaborate on vital matters related to food safety management and sustainable food production. The MoU aims to foster a strategic sector cooperation and enhance scientific, technical, and regulatory collaboration within food safety and sustainable food productions between two trusted and amicable nations. Through this partnership, both countries seek to collaborate on multiple initiatives that leverage their unique expertise, technologies, and resources to deliver innovative solutions for safe food and sustainable agriculture practices.  The Secretary of Ministry of Food Mr. Md. Ismiel Hossain ndc stated, “The MoU signing is really a great milestone in the journey of ensuring food safety in Bangladesh.  This collaboration marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to enhance food safety standards and regulatory practices in Bangladesh.”  Mr. Md. Abdul Kayowm Sarker, the Chairman of Bangladesh Food Safety Authority said, “As we strive to safeguard the health and well-being of our citizens, this collaboration will enable us to adopt best practices, learn from international experiences, and implement evidence-based strategies to address the evolving challenges in the food safety landscape. Our joint efforts will undoubtedly result in safer food for our consumers and further bolster our reputation in the global food market.”  “Denmark and Bangladesh have had a close relationship throughout the last 50 years. We are happy to take this relationship an important step further with this MoU, with an in-depth collaboration to create a more sustainable and safe food production” said Mr. Karlsen. By creating collaboration between governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society organizations, the primary focus is to ensure food safety as a critical step to addressing the challenges of food loss and waste while implementing measures to enhance overall resource efficiency in agricultural, livestock, and fisheries production. Ms. Maria Stein Knudsen, Sector Counselor for Food and Agriculture at the Danish Embassy, also present during the signing said “Bangladesh and Denmark are both two proud agriculture and food-producing countries. We are facing a global challenge ensuring safe and nutritious food, while also creating a more sustainable production. Denmark and the DVFA look forward to working together with BFSA on reaching these goals for food safety and sustainability.” 

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the country's main airline is once again in hot waters as the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) froze its account on the basis of non-payment of more than Rs 2 billion in taxes, according to ARY News.  In January last year, the FBR had frozen 53 bank accounts of the PIA after it was found to be a tax defaulter of Rs 26 billion. However, those bank accounts were restored after PIA assured them of early clearance of the taxes.  According to sources, PIA owed about Rs 2.8 billion to the FBR in taxes. However, the airline claims its dues amount to around Rs 1.3 bn, reported Dawn. Moreover, Pakistan State Oil (PSO) also denied providing fuel for three PIA aircraft which interrupted the scheduled flights including PK-309 Islamabad-Karachi, PK-330 Karachi-Multan and PK-739 Multan-Jeddah, reported ARY News.   The spokesperson of PIA said that they are contacting FBR on the government level for the restoration of the accounts, ARY News reported.  He further said that the bank account closure will not affect the PIA's flight operations.   However last week, according to The News International, PIA reached a point where it needed money from the national fund to operate for even one day. The government was thinking of bringing in specialists to draw a time-bound restructuring plan through shadow management in light of the total accumulated losses, which have exceeded PKR 600 billion.  Additionally, the officials wondered how long a PIA that is operating at a loss would continue to operate and added that first and foremost, leaks needed to be sealed, a reorganization plan needed to be created with deadlines, and the major functions needed to be gradually privatized. Earlier, the board of directors of the country's main airline PIA failed to make a decision on employees' pay raise due to financial hardships, according to ARY News.  Moreover, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) team will arrive in Pakistan for a physical audit in September.  Source: ANI

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tightened restrictions on firearms access by decree Friday. The executive order reverses his predecessor Jair Bolsonaro's regulations that expanded gun ownership in the country. Lula's decree reduces the number of guns civilians can possess for personal safety from four to two, and reduces the allowed ammunition for each gun from 200 rounds to 50. It asks civilians for documentation to prove their need for guns and bars them from owning 9 mm pistols, restricting them to members of the police and military. 'We will continue to fight for fewer weapons,' says Lula "It's one thing for the regular citizen to have a gun at home for his protection, as a guarantee, because some people think this is safety. Let them have it," Lula said Friday. "But we cannot allow gun arsenals to be in people's hands," Lula said. "We will continue to fight for fewer weapons in our country. Only the police and the army must be well-armed," he added. The right to bear arms is not a constitutional guarantee in Brazil as it is in the United States, though Bolsonaro, a far right politician, greatly loosed restrictions during his time in office between 2019 and 2022. Tens of thousands applied for gun permits during Bolsonaro years The number of gun permits issued during Bolsonaro's presidency sharply increased to 2.9 million in a country of 214 million, according to Instituto Sou da Paz, a non-profit that monitors public security. The high numbers of new guns did not lead to a feared rise in violent crime, as the country has one of the world's highest homicide rates. The number of homicides during Bolsonaro's last year in office, in 2022, was at about 47,500 and roughly even with the 2019 rate, a report released by the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety (FBSP) on Thursday said. Lula's government is encouraging citizens to sell firearms not allowed under new rules before the end of the year. If people don't, their guns will be confiscated by police.

India advocated for humanitarian food assistance and partnerships that will help create robust policy innovations by way of food safety nets and resilient livelihoods, contributing towards global peace. India’s permanent representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj listed out four steps to solve global food insecurity and said that as G20 Chair New Delhi’s efforts are aimed to address the “current challenges of food and energy security” and ensuring the humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities are served without delay. “We welcome the extension of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. As the Chair of the G-20 this year, India’s efforts are also aimed to address the current challenges to food and energy security and ensure that humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities are served without delay,” Kamboj said while addressing United Nations Security Council’s open debate. Earlier, she said that the level of food insecurity has indeed reached alarming proportions. It is projected that the number of people who will be food insecure, this year, would be double the number in 2020. The ongoing conflicts in many parts of the world, including in Ukraine and Afghanistan in our neighbourhood, have only exacerbated the crisis. Listing out the steps, Kamboj said, “One collective and common solution through dialogue and diplomacy is the need of the hour. We support the efforts of the Secretary-General to find ways to address the challenge of global food insecurity.” These remarks came at the UNSC open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict on the theme “Ensuring the security and dignity of civilians in conflict: addressing food insecurity and protecting essential services” Kamboj stated that all countries need to avoid linking humanitarian assistance with political issues. She also said that India has provided critical humanitarian assistance, in the particular supply of food grains, to countries facing conflicts including Ukraine, Afghanistan, Yemen and Myanmar. India’s permanent representative to the UN pointed to the third point and said that the armed conflicts and terrorism, combined with extreme weather, crop pests, food price volatility, exclusion and economic shocks, can devastate any fragile economy, leading to food insecurity and an increased threat of famine capacity. “Four it is imperative for all of us to adequately appreciate the importance of equity, affordability and accessibility when it comes to food grains. Open markets should not become an argument to perpetuate inequity which would only discriminate against the global south,” Kamboj said. “Finally, confronted with growing challenges throughout the world world, India will never be found wanting in extending a helping hand to those who may be in distress. We will continue to walk the talk when it comes to assisting our partners in need,” she added. Global hunger is on the rise, driven by the climate crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic shocks, conflicts, poverty, and inequality. Millions are living in hunger and many more do not have access to adequate food. Amid the global food crisis, India has emerged as the friend in need of a number of food-insecure countries fulfilling its notion of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. In the past decades, India has transformed from requiring assistance to providing aid to several countries.

The producers of the movie have been fined for "serious" safety breaches, which led to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins last year. Actor Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Producers of the Western movie "Rust" agreed to pay a civil fine of $100,000 for "serious" workplace safety breaches, which led to the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Last year, New Mexico's worker safety bureau had levied its maximum fine against Rust Movie Productions. "RMP violated workplace safety laws by exposing employees to being struck by discharged rounds or projectiles when firearms were used on the set," the state's Occupational Health and Safety Bureau (OHSB) said in a statement. Under the settlement, RMP's fine marked the largest workplace safety penalty in over a decade in New Mexico but was reduced from an original citation of $136,793, the OHSB said. Baldwin charged with involuntary manslaughter Actor Alec Baldwin was handling a vintage Colt .45 revolver when a projectile was discharged. It killed Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Souza was standing behind Hutchins at the time. Baldwin has repeatedly said he was told by the crew that the gun was not loaded and previously insisted he did not pull the trigger, though FBI firearms experts have said this is not possible. Film industry weapons supervisor Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who worked on the "Rust" set, made a court appearance on Friday, where she criticized the film's producers for failing to provide enough time for firearms training. She has also been charged with involuntary manslaughter. Her lawyer said she would be pleading not guilty. She had earlier told the OHSB that Baldwin's lack of knowledge and "poor form" using a revolver may have led to the accidental discharge that killed Hutchins. Baldwin said he cocked the revolver but never pulled the trigger and it was the job of Gutierrez-Reed and other weapons professionals to ensure it was unloaded. He is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter, to which he pleaded not guilty on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday expressed his "great concern" about the safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, and conveyed his hope that its all-weather partner will provide a reliable and safe environment for Chinese institutions in the country. President Xi conveyed this concern when he met with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on his official visit to China at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing today. "President Xi expressed his great concern about the safety of Chinese nationals in Pakistan, and conveyed his hope that Pakistan will provide a reliable and safe environment for Chinese institutions and personnel working on cooperation projects there," the official statement from the Chinese said. This follows the recent surge in targeted attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan by ethnic rebel groups. In the wake of increasing attacks, Beijing has expressed concerns about the inadequate security measures by Islamabad. After the Karachi university bombing in April this year, the Pakistani media reports said the Shehbaz Sharif government has decided to bear the security costs of almost all Chinese projects. In a joint statement today, both sides also expressed their strong determination to counter all threats and designs against CPEC and China-Pakistan friendship. "Pakistan reaffirmed its commitment to the safety and security of all Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan. The Chinese side appreciated Pakistan's strong determination and vigorous measures in this regard," the statement read. During his meeting with Xi, Shehbaz Sharif congratulated Xi on the successful conclusion of the 20th CPC National Congress. "He lauded the central role of the CPC and its leadership in promoting China's development, prosperity and national rejuvenation," the statement read. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to further strengthen and deepen the "All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership" and enhance practical cooperation in all areas. The two sides also exchanged views on bilateral relations, as well as, the regional situation and international political landscape. "The two sides agreed on the importance of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership amidst the emerging global challenges. The meetings were marked by traditional warmth, mutual strategic trust and commonality of views," the statement read. In the joint statement, the two sides also raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir. "The Pakistani side briefed the Chinese side on the situation in Jammu & Kashmir. The Chinese side reiterated that the Kashmir issue was a dispute left from history that should be properly and peacefully resolved based on the UN Charter, relevant UN Security Council resolutions and bilateral agreements," the statement added. Source: Business Standard

The new gun law will "save a lot of lives," US President Joe Biden said after signing off on the reform. But he warned there was still plenty of work to be done.US President Joe Biden on Saturday signed the first major federal gun reform law in three decades, hailing the new legislation as monumental in view of the huge political divisions over gun control that prevail in the country. His signing of the gun safety bill comes just days after the Supreme Court ruled that the US Constitution protected the right for people to carry handguns in public for self-defense. It also comes a month after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Texas claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers. It was the 27th school shooting to cause death or injury in the US this year, according to the data gathered by Education Week newspaper. What does the new law stipulate? The new gun safety legislation, which was passed with both Democrat and Republican support, includes enhanced background checks for younger buyers, allowing access to information on significant crimes they may have committed. It also has provisions for giving federal money to states that introduce red flag laws, i.e. laws that allow courts to temporarily remove weapons from those considered a threat. In addition, it has stipulations aimed at curbing illegal gun sales, placing stricter penalties on traffickers and those who purchase guns on behalf of others. The law will also restrict gun sales to people convicted of domestic violence in the context of any continuing intimate relationships. Under current law, a person is only barred from purchasing a gun if they are convicted of domestic violence while married to, living with or if they have a child with the victim. However, the law does not ban sales of assault-style rifles or high-capacity magazines, which Biden called for earlier this month. Mandatory background checks on all gun purchases, a measure that Biden and Democrats had hoped to include in the bill, was also lacking. Biden: I’m never going to give up  At the signing, Biden said, While this bill doesn’t do everything I want, it does include actions I’ve long called for that are going to save lives. When it seems impossible to get anything done in Washington, we are doing something consequential, he added. I know there’s much more work to do and I’m never going to give up. The United States has the highest rates of gun ownership and mass shootings among the world’s wealthy nations. On Thursday, the Supreme Court rejected as unconstitutional New York state’s limits, introduced in 1913, on carrying concealed handguns in public. It is expected that the judges 6-3 decision could ultimately allow more people to legally carry guns on the streets of New York and other large cities such as Los Angeles and Boston.  

India has appointed robust security and intelligence grid to ensure the safety of the minority communities in Srinagar, informed the Ministry of Home Affairs of the state.   In his written reply in Rajya Sabha to a question by Congress MP Naranbhai J Rathwa on steps being taken to protect the Minority Community in Srinagar, Rai said, “A robust security and intelligence grid is in place to ensure the safety of minority community in Srinagar.” “In addition to group security in the form of static guards, day and night area domination and patrolling is being carried out in the areas where the minorities reside besides proactive operations against militants,” he added. He further informed Rajya Sabha that people from Hindu and Sikh communities are leaving Srinagar due to safety. He said that in October 2021, approximately 115 Kashmiri Pandit families, mostly women and children, living in Kashmir have moved to the Jammu region. “These are the families government employees, many of whom, move to Jammu in winter as part of the movement of officials and the winter vacation in education institutions,” he added The union minister said that an ex gratia of Rs 1 lakh is paid to the Next of the Kins (NoKs) of civilians killed in militancy-related violence under the existing scheme of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.   Source: ANI  

China's COVID-19 prevention and control efforts have turned the tide of the battle against the epidemic, but the country has pledged to continue the fight until complete victory. The effectiveness of China's playbook is drawing more and more worldwide attention. Wuhan in the early days of the outbreak By January 20, a total of 224 COVID-19 cases had been reported, 198 of which were in Wuhan City. Three days later, the city was placed on lockdown to contain the spread of the disease. "The Chinese people are now fighting a very serious battle against the epidemic," Chinese President Xi Jinping told visiting World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on January 28, adding that people's safety and health always come first, and thus the prevention and control of the virus are the country's most important tasks. United as one in Wuhan The country mobilized all of its resources to stem the spread of the virus, with the Chinese people showing great commitment to collective action in the face of the common threat. The first batch of medics from outside Hubei Province was assigned to help Wuhan on January 24 and 450 military medics also arrived the same night. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force also arranged 30 transport aircraft to carry out delivery missions. So far, 346 medical teams composed of 42,000 people have been sent to Hubei Province. The PLA has also dispatched more than 4,000 medics. It's all about speed. Huoshenshan Hospital, Leishenshan Hospital, 46 designated facilities and 14 temporary hospitals with over 13,400 beds have been put into use during a short time. Community-based prevention and control played a critical role during the tough war. In Wuhan, about 40,000 government officials, staff members and Communist Party of China (CPC) members were assigned to work in more than 3,000 communities and 7,000 residential areas. Wuhan will win, Hubei will win, and China will win The war is tough and difficult. Over 3,000 medics in Hubei Province were infected with COVID-19 and some even laid down their lives. Luckily, China's epidemic prevention and control situation continues to improve, recording major breakthroughs. As of Thursday, March 13, 21 provincial-level regions and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps had seen no new indigenous cases for more than 14 days, while six provincial-level regions had reported no new indigenous cases for more than a week. "You are all wearing protective suits and masks. I can't see your faces, but you are the most adorable people in my heart!" President Xi told medics during a visit to Wuhan on March 10 and encouraged them by saying, "Wuhan will win, Hubei will win, and China will win!" Source: CGTN AH