Wednesday, December 15th, 2021
German court hands life term to Russian over ‘contract killing’
BERLIN, DEC 15: A court in Germany has sentenced a Russian man to life in prison for shooting dead a Georgian of Chechen ethnicity in a Berlin park two years ago. The court found Vadim Krasikov guilty of gunning down Zelimkhan Khangoshvili at close range in August 2019. Judges said the Russian state had ordered the murder, which it denies. Wednesday’s verdict could damage already strained relations between Germany and Russia. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock described the murder as a serious violation of German law and sovereignty. She said Russian ambassadorRead More
Lithuania’s diplomats leave Beijing
DNA BEIJING: Lithuanian diplomats in China returned to Vilnius for consultations, according to the Foreign Ministry. Vilnius called back its diplomats in response to Beijing’s efforts to downgrade its embassy. Lithuania’s top diplomats in Beijing left for Vilnius on Wednesday amid worsening bilateral relations with Chinaover Lithuania’s decision to develop diplomatic ties with Taiwan. According to a statement on the website of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, the country’s “Charge d’affaires ad interim in China, Audra Ciapiene, returns to Vilnius for consultations.” Reuters reports all 19 Lithuanian Embassy personnel and dependentsRead More
VI Eastern Partnership Summit kicks off
VI Eastern Partnership Summit has started in Brussels. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is taking part in the summit. There was a formal welcome followed by a working session. Also, during the summit, a working dinner is expected. EU representative earlier told reporters that the agenda of the summit includes issues related to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, reforms in the Eastern Partnership countries and the EU’s commitment to the program. The leaders are also expected to discuss the security situation in the region, including on the border with Ukraine,Read More
Govt reduces petrol, diesel prices by Rs5 per litre
ISLAMABAD, DEC 15: The government slashed the prices of petrol and high speed diesel by Rs5 per litre on Wednesday in an effort to provide relief to the people. Shortly before the announcement was made, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill had taken to Twitter to say that the public would soon receive “good news” about petrol prices. According to a handout issued by the Finance Division, the government decided to revise existing prices “in view of the declining price trend of petroleum productsRead More
NCOC decides winter vacation in educational institutions from Jan-end
ISLAMABAD, DEC 15 (DNA) — The National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) has unanimously decided that winter vacation in the educational institutions will be held at the end of January. The NCOC clarified that winter vacation will continue however in the areas still receiving snowfall. The NCOC has consulted and discussed the proposal before taking a decision with all the provinces in the Inter-Provincial Education Ministers Conference. Sources in the NCOC divulged that vaccination drive among schools will also go ahead and there will be no break in it. DuringRead More
United States welcomes initiative launched by Turkey and Armenia to normalize bilateral ties
The United States on Wednesday welcomed the current initiatives by Turkey and Armenia to start discussing steps to normalize relations. “We welcome and strongly support statements by Turkish Foreign Minister @MevlutCavusoglu and @MFAofArmenia on appointing Special Envoys to discuss the process of normalization,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Twitter. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Monday Ankara and Yerevan will appoint special envoys soon to discuss steps to normalize relations. Later, Vahan Hunanyan, a spokesperson for the Armenian Foreign Ministry, welcomed the Turkish foreign minister’s announcement, according to Public Radio of Armenia. “In this regard, we positively assess the statementRead More