FARUKH SHEHZAD

BAKU

Trend's interview with Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva

Recently, the Armenian side has been making statements, claiming that Azerbaijan allegedly does not fulfill its obligations under paragraph 8 of the Trilateral Statement of November 10, and also requires the exchange of prisoners of war. At times, officials from other countries also raise this issue...

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan responded to the completely groundless statements of the Armenian side and its patrons in connection with the issue you mentioned, and I want to reiterate that the Republic of Azerbaijan remains committed to the obligations specified in the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020 [between Azerbaijan, Armenia, Russia] and takes appropriate steps to fully implement them.

This issue has been repeatedly commented on at the highest level. It should be noted that the Azerbaijani side, having shown particular sensitivity in the exchange of prisoners of war, in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 8 of the trilateral statement of November 10, returned to the opposite side a total of 71 Armenian citizens, including 43 military and 28 civilians taken prisoner during the war.

Regarding the question about of "62 people" raised by the Armenian side, as you know, the members of this sabotage-terrorist group, sent by Armenia to the territory of Azerbaijan after the signing of the trilateral statement and intercepted as a result of the counter-terrorist operation of the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, in no case can be considered prisoners of war. As a result of terrorist acts committed by the detained group, four Azerbaijani servicemen became martyrs and one civilian was seriously injured. Currently, this issue is being investigated.

As you know, the letter addressed by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and circulated as a document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council contains detailed information on this.

Besides, I would like to say that the Azerbaijani side, adhering to the terms of the statement, creates the necessary conditions for the search and collection of the bodies of Armenian servicemen in liberated territories of Azerbaijan, as well as, together with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and Russian peacekeepers, provides assistance to the Armenian side. To date, 1,274 bodies that were found in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan have been handed over to Armenia.

Inflating the topic of exchange of prisoners of war amid all these facts, at the same time, the absence of international discussions on Armenia's refusal to provide a map of mined territories in violation of the norms of international humanitarian law indicates the existence of double standards. Since the end of hostilities to this day in the liberated territories, 18 people - 12 civilians and 6 servicemen - were blown up on mines. Moreover, 62 servicemen and 9 civilians received bodily injuries of varying severity.

The abovementioned facts clearly show that the Azerbaijani side, unlike Armenia, which, avoiding fulfilling its obligations in all possible ways, is committed to the obligations arising from the November 10 statement and is interested in ensuring peace in the region,

Recently, the Armenian Foreign Ministry issued a statement regarding the sending of personnel of the Armenian Armed Forces for military service to the territory of Azerbaijan. What measures are being taken to prevent such violations by the Armenian side?

As previously reported, international media - agencies operating in Armenia, including independent media, reported that after the signing of a joint statement between Azerbaijan and Armenia on November 10, 2020, which provides for the cessation of all hostilities, the personnel of the Armenian Armed Forces are involved in military activities in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan by deception or coercion, which caused protests both among the military and their families.

I would like to note that the deployment of Armenian servicemen in any form in the internationally recognized territories of Azerbaijan without their consent is an open violation of the norms and principles of international law, territorial integrity and inviolability of international borders, as well as the provisions of other international documents, of which Armenia itself is a supporter. Azerbaijan will not allow such illegal actions in its sovereign territories, and all necessary measures will be taken to prevent them.

On February 22, 2021, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, sent appeals with the attachment of relevant evidence to the UN, OSCE, NATO and Council of Europe secretaries, including the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, OSCE Chairman-in-Office, UN High Commissioner on human rights with a call to take measures within their competence regarding Armenia's failure to fulfill its obligations in accordance with international law and the tripartite statement, as well as to stop the deployment of its Armed Forces by Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan and any actions and statements that impede the implementation of the tripartite statement.

Besides these appeals, we will continue to work through diplomatic channels to inform the international community about the illegal actions of the Armenian side.

I would like to stress once again that to ensure peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable economic development in the region, there is no other alternative than Armenia's full and honest fulfillment of all its obligations arising from international law, as well as joint statements of November 10, 2020 and January 11, 2021.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY en.trend.az

-------------------------

Regardless of the motives, genre or context, such comments directly affect territorial integrity of Ukraine, diplomats believe.

KYIV, MAR 4: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has summoned the head of the Slovak embassy in Ukraine to issue a protest over what Ukraine was politically incorrect statements by the Slovak Prime Minister, Igor Matovic, suggesting "exchanging" the Zakarpattia [Transcarpathia] region in Ukraine for the access to the Russian vaccine.

"Regardless of the motives, genre or context, the comments by the head of the Slovak government that directly affect the territorial integrity of Ukraine are categorically unacceptable, and negatively affect the friendly and good-neighborly atmosphere of Ukrainian-Slovak relations," the MFA said in a commentary released Wednesday, March 3.

The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that such "jokes" are especially offensive to the Ukrainian people in the current conditions of Russian aggression and the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, as well as part of the Ukrainian Donbas, by Russia.

Besides, Ukrainian diplomats add, the inappropriate comments by the head of the Slovak government are discordant with Slovakia's consistent position in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.

"The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry demands an official apology from the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Igor Matovic, for the politcally incorrect comments," MFA Ukraine said.

Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Mushka for his part has also delivered a corresponding demarche at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

Matovic "joke": Background

Speaking on the air of Slovakia's Radio Express, the host asked Matovic what he had promised Russia in exchange for the supply of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine.

Matovic immediately answered: "Transcarpathian [Zakarpattia] Ukraine", before claiming he had not in fact promised anything, at the same time stressing the need for his country to be covered with vaccines.

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that the comment by Matovic spoils Ukraine-Slovakia relations.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY unian.info

---------------

• Mystery flights will depart from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne

CANBERRA, MAR 4: Flight to nowhere? Check. Flight to somewhere? Check. Flight to who knows where? That’s next.

The importance of protein is no secret to the world. It is the foundation for a healthy body. It is one significant nutrient that not only contributes in maintaining healthy bones and muscles, but also helps in overall growth and development. Hence, experts around the world time and again stress upon the importance of including good amount of protein in our everyday diet, especially among women. This helps reduce the bone density loss that comes with ageing. 

A new study further recommends that plant-based protein has a better effect on women's health than the other ones. According to the new research, postmenopausal women, who ate high levels of plant protein had lower risk of premature death, heart-related diseases et al, when compared to women who included lesser amount of plant-protein in their diet. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Benefits Of Plant Protein

KARACHI, MAR 4: The Pakistan Cricket Board announced on Thursday that the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 6 has been delayed "with immediate effect" after seven people participating in the tournament tested positive for Covid-19.

The PCB said the decision had been taken out of consideration for the health and wellbeing of all participants in the tournament.

"Following a meeting with the team owners and considering the health and wellbeing of all participants is paramount, the Pakistan Cricket Board has decided to postpone the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 with immediate effect. The decision was made after seven cases were reported in the competition, which had started on 20 February," the cricket body said in a press release.

The PCB will concentrate on "safe and secure passage" for the participants and is set to arrange repeat PCR tests, vaccines, and isolation facilities for the six franchises.

Addressing a press conference later in the day, PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said today was a "very challenging day" for the PCB, stakeholders and fans of cricket.

He said the SOPs for PSL 6 were decided after the successful staging of two Test series, a national T20 tournament, as well as the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. "It was a great disappointment for us that we found ourselves in a situation where neither us nor others are able to provide what we need to provide and that is the full protection for players," he added.

Khan said the Board and franchise owners had also considered the option of halting the matches for five days "until we were able to make sense of what was going on and see whether we could move forward".

But "there was a strong consensus that it was untenable to continue and based on the fact that it was outside of ours and others' reasonable areas, because of what had taken place," he added.

After seven players tested positive, Khan said, there was a concern that the virus would spread among other participants of the league. "That for us became a prime concern and was a huge concern for the franchises, hence we made the decision to postpone the event," he added, saying the PCB will be looking at other time windows and it hoped to complete the event before the end of the year.

Khan said cricket authorities were currently "carefully and slowly exiting players from our environment so that we can safely get them out" and they can travel to their destinations.

The PCB CEO acknowledged that the bio-secure bubble could not be maintained as it should have been but said the situation should not result in a "blame game". "This is a collective effort that we all had a responsibility to police and self-police that environment; unfortunately we weren't able to do it effectively enough hence we find ourselves in this situation today," he stressed.

He noted that biosecurity was a matter of "trust" and major decisions became inevitable when "players are affected and players start to lose confidence".

"Building trust again is going to take some time [and] some effort but we are determined to learn from the mistakes that were made. Hopefully everybody will learn from the mistakes that were made to make sure that this kind of thing doesn't happen again," he said.

The PCB confirmed earlier in the day that three additional players from two different teams had tested positive for the coronavirus, adding they will now undergo self-isolation for 10 days.

The players had been tested in the afternoon after they showed symptoms, according to the statement. They had not been part of the sides that played in yesterday’s PSL 6 double-header that featured Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators vs Multan Sultans.

A day earlier, the PCB decided to offer Sars-coronavirus vaccine doses to all participants of PSL 6, becoming the first cricket board to do so.

The decision was made in the line with the PCB’s duty of care policy and to ensure all participants of the league remain safe and healthy during the event, which was set to conclude on March 22.

Earlier this week, Islamabad United's Fawad Ahmed became the first player in the tournament to test positive. United's match with Quetta Gladiators, scheduled to be held on March 1, was postponed as a result while other players were tested.

The PCB had later announced the test results of both Quetta Gladiators and Islamabad United squads had returned negative.

However, the very next day, two more overseas cricketers and a local backroom staff member also tested positive.

Ticket refunds

Meanwhile, Faizan Aslam, the CEO of 'Bookme.pk', which had partnered with the PSL for ticketing, said that the process of refunds would also be carried out through the online portal.

According to Aslam, fans would be able to claim their refunds through the portal and that the funds would be deposited into their online or mobile banking accounts. He added that it could take up to a week to process the refunds.

----------------------------------------------------

COURTESY DAWN NEWS

---------------

The country has made exports of vaccines a priority, in the form of donations and commercial deals

But the focus may shift to upping the pace of inoculation domestically, with under 4 per cent of its people having had a jab

BEIJING, MAR 4: As poorer countries struggle to get access to Covid-19 vaccines, some of the earliest jabs to arrive in parts of Asia, Africa and Latin America have been free and supplied by China. The question is whether Beijing can keep exporting doses when it has hundreds of millions of its own people to vaccinate.

Flights carrying donated vaccines from China have touched down in Bolivia, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Iraq, Pakistan, Cambodia and Laos, among others, in recent weeks as Beijing has sought to back up a promise that Chinese vaccines would be a “global public good”.

Critics have pegged the donations as more an effort to win diplomatic points and future business opportunities than vaccine aid, a characterisation flatly rejected by the Chinese government. Regardless of motive, China has made export of doses a priority, with countries receiving shipments of donations typically ranging from 50,000 to 600,000 jabs.

That is in addition to tens of millions of ready-made doses and raw materials already shipped overseas via commercial deals with Chinese vaccine makers.

Now, the focus may be shifting as China appears set to ramp up vaccinations at home. The country’s leading respiratory disease expert Zhong Nanshan this week said China aimed to vaccinate 40 per cent of its 1.4 billion population by the end of July, according to a Reuters report.

So far, about 52 million people in China – less than 4 per cent – had received a jab, Zhong said on Monday at an event hosted by the Brookings Institution in Washington and Beijing’s Tsinghua University.

Meeting the 40 per cent target would require a massive increase in daily vaccinations and public willingness to take the jabs, but experts say it is unlikely to curb China’s ambitions as a global supplier of doses, now a cornerstone of its pandemic foreign policy response.

“From the very beginning, [China] was hoping to make both ends meet: pursuing vaccine diplomacy while trying to meet the demands of the domestic population,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.

There had been questions about whether China had the production capacity to meet both needs, but Zhong’s statement suggests this is no longer considered a serious challenge, Huang said.

Nicholas Thomas, an associate professor in health security at City University of Hong Kong, said there may be leeway in the 40 per cent target given by Zhong. For example, Zhong suggested it could include people who have received one dose of a two-dose vaccine, which would mean “the target is achievable without compromising China’s international commitments”, Thomas said.

China’s vaccine makers have pledged more than half a billion doses to governments overseas, according to the Duke Global Health Innovation Centre in the US. This includes doses in the form of raw materials that can be used in vaccine production overseas, easing the strain on China’s factories.

Annual production capacity in China could be raised to close to 4 billion doses a year in combined output, according to Tao Lina, a vaccine expert and former immunologist at the Shanghai Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Four vaccines have been authorised for public use, including two last week.

One is a single-shot vaccine by CanSino Biologics, which the company says can reach an annual production capacity of 500 million doses this year and is considered a significant boost to China’s vaccine arsenal.

But even with capacity ramping up, expanding the vaccination programme in China poses challenges.

Shanghai-based infectious disease expert Zhang Wenhong, speaking alongside Zhong at this week’s event, said that even if 10 million people were vaccinated each day, it would take roughly seven months to vaccinate 70 per cent of China’s population. In the meantime, the country would be threatened by imported cases, he said.

“China’s current strategy is to promote the establishment of a global immune barrier in an internationally coordinated framework, like by Covax or the World Health Organization [WHO]; meanwhile we will ensure that our own vaccination strategy is gradually improved,” Zhang said. The Covax Facility is the WHO-led scheme designed to ensure fair global distribution of vaccines.

Covax last week began delivering hundreds of thousands of doses, which is set to significantly shift the global vaccine landscape and outpace aid to poorer countries from any one country. It also poses another supply allocation question for Beijing, analysts say.

“Chinese strategists may be torn between the rhetorical call to support multilateral institutions, such as Covax, and the desire to garner direct political benefits from bilateral efforts,” Drew Thompson, a visiting senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore, said.

China joined the Covax initiative in October, and last month pledged 10 million doses to the facility, which aims to distribute at least 2 billion doses this year. It has not contributed to a mechanism that pays for doses for poorer countries.

But to be included in the facility or sell doses to it, Chinese vaccines must pass WHO vetting on safety and effectiveness. Decisions on two vaccines, from Sinovac and Sinopharm, could be made this month, according to the WHO.

Approvals by the WHO would bolster the global credibility of the Chinese vaccines, which have faced some scepticism after the makers shared less data on the results of phase 3 trials than Western vaccine makers.

Thomas, of Hong Kong’s CityU, said that barring major changes in domestic inoculation plans, he expected China to continue its vaccine export strategy, sending doses overseas through Covax, direct deals and aid.

“However, the provision of vaccines needs to be more sustained if it is to realise the health diplomacy benefits for both China and the recipient country,” he said.

------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY scmp.com
---------------------

ISLAMABAD, MAR 4: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday lashed out at the PDM for "making a mockery of democracy", while also calling out the ECP for "protecting those who made money by holding Senate elections through secret ballot".

The premier made these remarks in an address to the nation where he explained the political situation in the country that emerged after Wednesday's Senate elections in which the opposition managed to stage an upset.

"It is important to talk about it and explain it, because the problems in our country can be understood through the kind of election that happened," the premier said at the start of his address.

He said when the PTI took part in the Senate elections six years ago, he realised that "money is used" in the polls for the upper house. This was not a new phenomenon, he said, but had been going on for the last 30-40 years.

"The one who becomes a senator and wants to become one uses money and who do they buy? Members of parliament.

"So I was surprised when I came to know and since then I started a campaign that what joke is happening with our democracy? What kind of democracy is this?" he said, noting that the country's leadership emerged from the Senate elections and the parliament, and the prime minister and cabinet members were chosen from among lawmakers.

"So I was surprised that when you're spending money, a senator becomes a senator by giving bribes, and on the other side [are] those MPs who are selling their conscience and voting after taking money, then what kind of democracy is this? Since then I started my campaign and I said since then that there should be open ballot."

In the 2018 Senate elections, Imran said he came to know that 20 PTI lawmakers had sold their votes after taking money.

"We expelled the 20 members but then I saw that it wasn't just me saying this, but the two main parties that signed the Charter of Democracy — the PML-N and PPP — had agreed that there should be open ballot because money is exchanged in the Senate elections," he added, saying PML-N leaders later also issued similar statements.

In view of the above, the premier said, the PTI presented a bill in the parliament seeking open ballot for the Senate polls. "Then we saw it wasn't happening and the parties which had said that there should be open ballot didn't support us. We then went to the Supreme Court and a whole case was heard in the SC. [During the hearings,] judges repeatedly asked about money being exchanged, and during that a video came out of MPs taking money ahead of the 2018 Senate elections, so no one had any doubt," he said.

He noted that while the matter was being heard in the apex court, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) opposed open ballot, while the SC repeatedly said that it was the ECP's responsibility to conduct honest and transparent elections.

"All the parties of the PDM (Pakistan Democratic Movement) then united and said together that there should be secret ballot when they all said in the past that there should be open ballot.

"Now I ask all of you, what in your opinion was the reason [for their stance]?" Prime Minister Imran asked the nation. "These parties wanted an open ballot before, then why did they all now push for secret ballot?"

He said the opposition had termed open ballot against the Constitution and democracy but asked: "Was it not against the Constitution when they signed the Charter of Democracy? They had placed a bill in the Senate and said at that time that there should be open ballot."

Prime Minister Imran said ever since his government was formed, "all these corrupt people in the old political parties" feared that he would move forward on the corruption cases against them since he had run his election campaign on the agenda to eliminate corruption.

Radio Pakistan earlier quoted the Prime Minister's Office as saying that the premier was "likely to take the nation into confidence on the prevailing political situation in the country".

After staging an upset in the Senate elections, the opposition parties have managed to retain their majority in the upper house of parliament and are now hopeful of getting the top offices of chairman and deputy chairman for which elections through secret balloting will be held on March 12.

As expected, a hung Senate emerged on 37 seats of the upper house of parliament as the opposition and the ruling alliances now have 53 and 47 members, respectively, in the (now) 100-member Senate.

Hours after the ruling coalition’s candidate Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh suffered defeat at the hands of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)'s joint candidate Yousuf Raza Gilani in a major upset, the government announced that Prime Minister Imran would seek a vote of confidence afresh from the National Assembly.

Rejected votes played a significant role in the upset with Gilani securing 169 votes as against 164 bagged by Shaikh, with the number of rejected votes exceeding the margin of victory.

---------------------------------------------------

COURTESY DAWN NEWS

-------------

Under the Sea

Time to turn Disney-version The Little Mermaid’s “Under the Sea” ballad into a reality.

Michelin-star rated restaurant Under is located in Lindesnes Municipality, one of Norway’s southernmost counties.

The incredible dining space sits five and a half meters below the surface – and it’s the first of its kind in Europe.

Since its opening in March 2019, Under remains the largest submerged restaurant in the world.

Fantastic food to match the ambiance

Lindesnes Municipality boasts a diverse marine life and landscape. This richness is reflected in Under’s gastronomic offer, as the restaurant uses only fresh, usually local ingredients free of any preservatives and artificial flavorings.

As a guest, you can be treated to a seasonal menu – featuring a little bit of everything. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage pairings are also available, with prices ranging from 850 to 2,250 NOK.

Seafood on the menu includes local crab, lobster, and other crustaceans, and numerous types of clams.

The restaurant also features a plethora of fresh sea ingredients you won’t find in any other eateries. Think sea arrow grass, sea rocket, and sea kale.

On the land-loving food side, Under provides a delightful, locally sourced array including wild berries, mushrooms, seabirds, and sheep.

Experience

The restaurant aims for not only culinary excellence but informative insight into marine biology as well. It offers guests a total nautical package.

Through the restaurant’s unique location, chefs and guests gain a better understanding of the food on our plates, how it got there, and the sea, in general.

Architecture

It’s not easy to build a fully functioning restaurant underwater. That’s why a team of expert architects invested their best efforts to create one of the best around.

The concrete exterior and interior of Under help the restaurant withstand fierce water pressure and erosion – plus, they look neat! Under’s floor-to-ceiling windows offer a glimpse of what it’s like to live underwater, with surroundings of aquatic flora and fauna that are unlike anything on land.

As you slip away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life and enter the restaurant grounds, you’re greeted with a pristine, wooden foyer. Vibrant oak counteracts the dark concrete interior within. Upon entry to the dining area, a handful of chairs are dashed around enough tables to seat up to 100 guests, with a dramatic backdrop of the ocean straight ahead.

If you’re an adrenaline lover, visit when the weather is stormy – you’ll get to see up the tumultuous waves close and personal. On nicer days, you’ll be able to view sun rays dancing across the water.

Eventually (far into the future, we hope!), the Under team will allow the restaurant to succumb to the forces of mother nature, turning into an artificial reef that will house many aquatic animals in need of a home.  

---------------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

---------------

OSLO, MAR 4: After a cold start to the weekend all over the country, snow lovers will be able to experience fresh snow both in Oslo and on the mountain tops in Bergen.

This weekend will be characterized by snow showers that are heading north. The temperature will be so low that most of the precipitation will come down as snow. 

“The showers on Friday will go from Stad and all the way north to Finnmark… You will occasionally get a break, and possible glimpses of the sun,” on-duty meteorologist Eldbjørg Moxnes at the Meteorological Institute told news bureau NTB.

North wind

Moxnes says there will be north winds all over the country at the beginning of the weekend. Outside the stretch from Møre og Romsdal to Finnmark, the weather will be nice. Sunday is a bit uncertain, but it looks like it will snow in Oslo.

“I’m a little unsure about Sunday – whether there could be some snow or rain in Oslo. So winter is not quite over yet. It will return, and on Tuesday-Wednesday next week, there will be more precipitation,” Eldbjørg Moxnes noted.

A lot of snow

On Friday, areas north of Stad will see a lot of precipitation. Down towards the coast, people should expect sleet and rain.

“The location of the low pressure in the north is uncertain. Therefore, it is difficult to say anything about how the wind strength will be from Trondheim and north to Finnmark,” Moxnes added.

On Saturday, there will be precipitation in Western Norway, south of Stad as well. In Møre- og Romsdal and Trøndelag there will be strong westerly winds.

“In the Bergen area, precipitation will come as rain along the coast. But in the higher areas, up to 200 meters only, there will be snow. Østafjells will be sheltered throughout the weekend. The fine weather there will continue, but it will be colder,” the meteorologist noted.

Sunday will otherwise offer a little less snow than Saturday. Scattered showers will also come from Western Norway and the north on Sunday. 

In addition, the temperatures will drop.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

COURTESY norwaytoday

---------------