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Mr. Kishida said the stringent border controls have helped slow the variant?s spread and ?bought time? to prepare for an imminent surge.Japan had few cases until late December, but infections have since shot up to thousands a day.Last week, Mr. Kishida placed three prefectures where infections apparently spread from U.S. military bases ? Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima ? under a pre-emergency status in which eateries were requested to shorten service hours.But the rollout of booster vaccines, which started with medical workers in December, has been slow. As of Friday, only 0.6% of Japan?s population has received a third shot, prompting experts to urge the government to speed up doses for elderly people.Health Minister Shigeyuki Goto on Tuesday attributed the delay to preparations by local municipalities, rather than shortages of imported vaccines.Mr. Kishida said government and municipal mass vaccination centres will be set up to speed the booster shots.A further upsurge in cases is feared following the New Year holidays and a three-day weekend, a time for travelling and parties for many Japanese.On Monday, Tokyo reported 871 new COVID-19 cases, an eight-fold increase from a week earlier. Nationwide, Japan reported 6,438 new cases for an accumulated total of about 1.77 million, including about 18,400 deaths.Experts say a majority of the cases are now caused by omicron.Mr. Kishida noted that there still are many ?unknowns? about omicron, but it could be milder and less fatal than previous variants. That could mean that more patients will stay at home. The government has been working to reinforce remote monitoring and medical care by community doctors, Mr. Kishida said.?We will respond flexibly to new findings,? Mr. Kishida said. ?What?s important is to protect people?s lives.? Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev nominated Alikhan Smailov for Prime Minister on January 11, and the lower house of parliament swiftly voted him in during a session broadcast live on state television.Kazakh security forces have detained 9,900 people over the unrest, Kazakhstan's interior ministry said on January 11.European Parliament President David Sassoli has died, his spokesperson Roberto Cuillo said in a tweet on January 11.Sassoli (65) passed away at 1.15 a.m. on January 11 in Italy, where he was hospitalised, Mr. Cuillo added.Sassoli had been hospitalised in Italy since December 26 due to a "serious complication" related to his immune system, his office had said on January 10.Sassoli, was first elected at the European Parliament in 2009. He won another term in 2014 and served as the Parliament?s Vice President. He had decided not to run for re-election when lawmakers vote to appoint their new president later this month.The European Parliament, headquartered in in Strasbourg, France, represents the 450 million citizens of the European Unoin and refers to itself as ?the heart of European democracy.? It is one of the seven branches of the EU and has more than 700 members directly elected by its member nations.India and the U.S. have had a number of persistent challenges in their bilateral trade relationship, including in agricultural trade.?India?s agreement to allow U.S. pork imports for the first time is great news for U.S. producers and for Indian consumers,? U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai said via a statement on Monday in Washington.Ms. Tai had met Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to renew the TPF. ?This new opportunity marks the culmination of nearly two decades of work to gain market access for U.S. pork to India ? and it signals positive movement in U.S.-India trade relations,? U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the joint statement with Ms. Tai. No date for the resumption of imports was provided, with Mr. Vilsack saying that the two governments would resume them ? as soon as possible.? The U.S. is the world?s third largest pork producer and the second largest exporter, according to U.S. government estimates. Five U.S. college graduateshave sued 16 major U.S. universities including Yale, Columbia and the University of Chicago, accusing them of colluding to limit financial aid to undergraduate students in violation of antitrust laws.The plaintiffs are seeking class-action status, saying the collusion has limited price competition and caused 1,70,000 financial aid recipients to be overcharged hundreds of millions of dollars over two decades.The 16 schools are members of the 568 Presidents Group, a consortium of colleges that discuss common financial aid principles."Elite, private universities like defendants are gatekeepers to the American Dream," the plaintiffs wrote. "Defendants' misconduct is therefore particularly egregious because it has narrowed a critical pathway to upward mobility."Yale and Columbia did not respond to requests for comment on January 10. A University of Chicago spokesperson declined to comment. A message sent to a website for the 568 President's Group was not immediately acknowledged.Tuition increases at private U.S. universities have outpaced inflation in recent decades, according to the College Board.Undergraduate tuition at Yale and Columbia for the current academic year is $59,950 and $60,514, respectively, excluding room and board, according to the schools' websites.The lawsuit filed in Chicago federal court seeks unspecified triple damages for financial aid recipients who have attended the schools since 2003, as well as for their parents.Many schools offer financial aid based on family income, known as need-based aid.Universities in the 568 Presidents Group say they are need-blind, meaning they do not consider financial aid in admissions decisions. North Korea fired what may be a ballistic missile on Tuesday, January 11, 2022, the Japanese coast guard said, the second apparent launch in less than a week after leader Kim Jong Un urged the military to make more military advances.South Korea's military also confirmed the launch of an "unidentified projectile," without elaborating.Last week North Korea said it fired a "hypersonic missile" that successfully hit a target on Wednesday.The test launched by nuclear-armed North Korea underscored Kim Jong Un's New Year's vow to bolster the military to counter an unstable international situation amid stalled talks with South Korea and the United States.Earlier the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had indicated that South Block was observing the ground situation in Central Asian country, specially as it hosts many Indian students and professionals.The reference to ?early stabilisation? shows that India is watching the Kazakh developments from the point of view of Republic Day celebrations later this month, when the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is expected to participate along with leaders of four other Central Asian Republics.Nineteen people were killed, including nine children, and dozens were injured from an apartment building fire in The Bronx borough of New York City on Sunday, according to city officials.New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed 19 people had died from the blaze that broke out around 11 a.m. in a 19-floor apartment building.Earlier, officials said 32 people had been hospitalised with life-threatening injuries and some 60 people were injured in total.?We?ve lost 19 of our neighbours today. It?s a tragedy beyond measure. Join me in praying for those we lost,? Mr. Adams wrote on Twitter.The blaze was still under investigation, the city?s fire department commissioner Daniel Nigro said.Mr. Nigro said the smoke had spread to every floor of the building, likely because the door to the apartment where it started was left open, and that victims had suffered from smoke inhalation. ?Members found victims on every floor in stairwells and were taking them out in cardiac and respiratory arrest,? he said.Kazakhstan?s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Monday that his country had defeated an attempted coup d?etat during historic violence last week, and insisted that Russian-led troops called in to help quell the unrest would go home ?soon?.During a video-conference of leaders from several ex-Soviet countries in a military alliance that sent in the troops, his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin confirmed they would leave as soon as their mission ended.The Central Asian country has been left reeling in the wake of the worst violence in its recent history, but life in Kazakhstan?s largest city Almaty appeared to be returning to normal on Monday, with Internet coverage restored as the nation observed a day of mourning for dozens killed in the clashes.?As of January 10, 7,939 people have been detained,? the Interior Ministry said in a statement.Mr. Tokayev told the video-conference that ?armed militants? had used the backdrop of protests to try to seize power.?The main goal was obvious: the undermining of the constitutional order, the destruction of government institutions and the seizure of power. It was an attempted coup d?etat,? Mr. Tokayev said.The Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) has deployed just over 2,000 troops and 250 pieces of military hardware, the Kazakh leader said, vowing that the detachment would leave the country ?soon?.Some have voiced concerns that Moscow could leverage the mission to shore up its influence in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan, with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning last week that ?once Russians are in your house, it?s sometimes very difficult to get them to leave?.No ?third party? should interfere in China-Sri Lanka ties, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said, during his recent 24-hour visit to Colombo, while also proposing a forum for Indian Ocean island nations. The resident Chinese envoy also conveyed the same to a select group of Sri Lankan journalists following the visit, though official statements from the Sri Lankan side made no mention of either ?third party? interference or resuming FTA talks. During Mr. Wang?s visit, China had agreed to extend yuan 800 million for partnerships in the health sector and technical cooperation besides supporting construction of low-cost housing in Colombo. Another aspect of Mr. Wang?s bilateral discussions, not captured in local statements or media, was his proposal for a ?forum on the development of Indian Ocean island countries? to build consensus and synergy and promote common development. Mr. Wang, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry, told the Sri Lankan leadership: ?During my visit to several Indian Ocean island countries this time, I feel that all island countries share similar experiences and common needs, with similar natural endowment and development goals, and have favourable conditions and full potential for strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation,? while proposing the forum that sounded similar to Prime Minister Narendra Modi?s SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative. Two former Israeli Prime Ministers faced off in a Tel Aviv courtroom as Benjamin Netanyahu?s defamation suit against Ehud Olmert got under way on January 10.Mr. Netanyahu, his wife and son appeared in the Tel Aviv Magistrate?s court for the opening of their case against Mr. Olmert, Mr. Netanyahu?s predecessor as Israel?s Prime Minister.Mr. Netanyahu had threatened to sue Mr. Olmert for remarks he made last year, during the aftermath of the 2021 Israeli Parliamentary elections and while Mr. Netanyahu refused to step down while on trial for fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes.In an interview with an Israeli news site last April, Mr. Olmert levelled criticism at Mr. Netanyahu and said ?what is irreparable is the mental illness of the Prime Minister, his wife and his son.? The Netanyahus have sued Mr. Olmert, seeking nearly $2,70,000 in damages, according to Hebrew press reports.Neither Mr. Netanyahu nor Mr. Olmert spoke at the courthouse.Mr. Olmert preceded Mr. Netanyahu as Israel?s Prime Minister, but resigned in 2008 before he was formally indicted on corruption charges. Mr. Olmert was convicted of fraud in 2014 and served most of a 27-month prison sentence. Sri Lanka has launched a luxury train service connecting the country?s Tamil-dominated Jaffna district to the capital city Colombo with the help of a Line of Credit offered by India, in another significant landmark in bilateral ties. The intercity rail service with all facilities was launched on Sunday for passengers travelling from Colombo?s Mount Lavinia suburb to Jaffna?s Kankesanthurai port suburb in the north, covering a distance of approximately 386 kms. India?s High Commission in Colombo termed it ?another significant landmark in India-Sri Lanka ties?. ?Powering the railway infrastructure forward!! The train service launched today to the Northern Province highlights 2 key pillars of India's development partnership with Sri Lanka - infrastructure development and country-wide focus,? it said on Twitter. India had provided AC Diesel Multiple Units (AC DMUs) under the loan facility. Sri Lanka?s Minister of Transport Pavithra Wanniarachchi, who undertook the inaugural ride, was welcomed by India?s Deputy High Commissioner Vinod K. Jacob at the Colombo Fort Station during the inaugural ceremony. ?Hon'ble Minister @pavithrawannia1 inaugurated the AC Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) supplied by @RITESLimited under an Indian credit line & launched the train service from Mt.Lavinia to KKS. She undertook the inaugural ride & was welcomed at the #Colombo #Fort Station by Deputy High Commissioner,? the Indian Mission said in a tweet. ?This train service will facilitate people-to-people exchange and will lay emphasis on mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries,? Mr. Jacob said. The train service will criss-cross the island nation, connecting Colombo with Kankesanthurai on the northern tip of the Jaffna Peninsula, which has a Tamil-majority population.Ms. Wanniarachchi thanked the Indian Government for its continued support to Sri Lanka in tackling the ongoing pandemic. The supply of air-conditioned diesel multiple units is just one of the many railway projects being undertaken by India in Sri Lanka, the Indian High Commission said, adding that there are also other ongoing projects, which include supply of passenger coaches under an Indian Line of Credit. India's total development portfolio in Sri Lanka is over $3.5 billion, of which around $570 million are purely grant projects, the Indian Mission said in a statement. Modernisation of railways and creation of new railway infrastructure have been important sectors of focus under the Indian Government's development portfolio in Sri Lanka, in line with the priority of the government and people of Sri Lanka, it added. Britain?s Secretary of State for International Trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan will launch Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations during a visit to New Delhi starting on January 12, the U.K. government has said.The schedule for the two-day visit to India will include bilateral talks between Ms. Trevelyan and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday, the Department for International Trade (DIT) said on Sunday.Ms. Trevelyan and Mr. Goyal are expected to discuss a range of issues, including green trade and the removal of market access barriers for both U.K. and Indian businesses, DIT said.Both Ministers are then expected to confirm the launch of official negotiations on a new U.K.-India FTA.?The U.K. and India are already close friends and trading partners and building on that strong relationship is a priority for 2022,? said Ms. Trevelyan.?I will be using my visit to drive forward an ambitious trade agenda which represents the U.K.?s Indo-Pacific tilt in action and shows how we are seizing global opportunities as an independent trading nation,? she said.?This is just the start of a five-star year of U.K. trade, forging closer economic partnerships around the globe and negotiating deals that work for businesses, families and consumers in every part of the U.K.,? she added.On Thursday, the U.K. Minister will join Mr. Goyal to co-host the 15th U.K.-India Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) to review how businesses in both countries are benefiting from existing market access commitments under the U.K.-India Enhanced Trade Partnership agreed last May by Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi.The DIT said the U.K. Trade Secretary is expected to meet several Cabinet Ministers to discuss closer bilateral cooperation, including External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav.?This highlights the ongoing wider strategic importance of the U.K.-India bilateral relationship which extends beyond trade,? the DIT said.On Wednesday, Ms. Trevelyan will meet staff at the New Delhi site of British manufacturing firm JCB to talk about how manufacturing and engineering firms could hugely benefit from the U.K.-India trade deal. The company is dubbed a U.K. ?export success story?, having been in India for over 40 years and employing over 5,000 people in country.Later that day, the U.K. Minister will also attend a Defence Industry roundtable hosted alongside Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar to promote future U.K.-India defence collaboration and strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.According to latest DIT figures, total trade in goods and services between the U.K. and India was GBP 23.3 billion in 2019, making India the U.K.?s 15th largest trading partner. Indian investment in the U.K. supports 95,000 jobs across the country, with 15,000 new jobs created by Indian investment in the last three years.A trade deal could help increase this further and will play a key role in our ambition to double trade with India by 2030, the U.K. government said.It added: ?India is one of the world?s biggest and fastest growing economies and a bold new deal would put U.K. businesses at the front of the queue to export to India?s growing middle class of a quarter of a billion consumers.??India is set to become the world?s third biggest economy by 2050, with a bigger population than the U.S. and EU combined.? The numbers are small, but the major port of Tianjin may be facing China's first local outbreak of omicron of any size, less than a month before the Winter Olympics open in nearby Beijing.State broadcaster CCTV said the government has divided Tianjin and its 14 million residents into three levels of restrictions, starting with lockdown areas where people are not allowed to leave their homes at all. In control areas, each household is allowed to have one family member leave to buy groceries every other day, while in prevention areas, people must remain inside their immediate neighborhoods.Buses and trains from Tianjin to Beijing have been suspended and people are being told not to leave the city unless they have pressing business.The city began mass testing of all its residents on January 9 after a cluster of 20 children and adults tested positive for COVID-19, including at least two with the omicron variant. Another 20 people tested positive on January 9, bringing the total to 40. Officials said earlier that the virus has been circulating so the number of cases could rise.China has stepped up its strict zero tolerance strategy in the runup to the Olympics, which open February 4. The Chinese capital is 115 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Tianjin and many people regularly travel back and forth by car or on a high-speed rail link that takes less than one hour.Elsewhere, millions of people are being confined to their homes in Xi?an and Yuzhou, two cities that are farther away but have larger outbreaks traced to the delta variant. Residents of Xi'an have been under lockdown for more than two weeks, but the number of new cases in the city of 13 million fell to just 15 on January 10 in a sign that restrictions could soon be lifted. Yuzhou is a city of about 1.1 million people in neighboring Henan province.Another 60 cases were reported on January 10 in Henan, two of them of the omicron variant, found in the city of Anyang and apparently brought from Tianjin by a college student on December 28, state media outlet The Paper reported. The provincial capital of Zhengzhou has been conducting mass testing and closed its schools. Another 24 cases were reported in the city on January 10. The first two cases confirmed in Tianjin were a 10-year-old girl and a 29-year-old woman working at an after-school center. Both were infected by the omicron variant. In subsequent testing of close contacts, 18 others tested positive and 767 tested negative as of the night of January 8.Those infected include 15 students from 8 to 13 years old, the after-school center staff member and four parents. The citywide testing is to be completed over two days. Tianjin has also closed some subway stations on two lines to try to prevent further spread.China had reported about a dozen omicron cases previously, most among people who had arrived from abroad and were isolated. In one case in mid-December, the infection was not detected until after the person had completed two weeks of quarantine, and it spread to a few close contacts in the southern city of Guangzhou.Suu Kyi was convicted last month on two other charges and given a four-year prison sentence, which was then halved by the head of the military-installed government.The cases are among about a dozen brought against the 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate since the army seized power last February, ousting her elected government and arresting top members of her National League for Democracy party.If found guilty of all the charges, she could be sentenced to more than 100 years in prison.Suu Kyi?s supporters and independent analysts say the charges against her are contrived to legitimize the military?s seizure of power and prevent her from returning to politics.Monday's verdict in the court in the capital, Naypyitaw, was conveyed by a legal official who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities, who have restricted the release of information about Suu Kyi?s trials.He said she was sentenced to two years in prison under the Export-Import Law for importing the walkie-talkies and one year under the Telecommunications Law for possessing them. The sentences are to be served concurrently. She also received a two-year sentence under the Natural Disaster Management Law for allegedly violating coronavirus rules while campaigning.Suu Kyi was convicted last month on two other charges ? incitement and breaching COVID-19 restrictions ? and sentenced to four years? imprisonment. Hours after that sentence was issued, the head of the military-installed government, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, reduced it by half.Suu Kyi?s party won a landslide victory in a 2020 general election, but the military claimed there was widespread electoral fraud, an assertion that independent poll watchers doubt.Since her first guilty verdict, Suu Kyi has been attending court hearings in prison clothes ? a white top and a brown longyi skirt provided by the authorities. She is being held by the military at an unknown location, where state television reported last month she would serve her sentence.The hearings are closed to the media and spectators and the prosecutors do not comment. Her lawyers, who had been a source of information on the proceedings, were served with gag orders in October.The military-installed government has not allowed any outside party to meet with Suu Kyi since it seized power, despite international pressure for talks including her that could ease the country?s violent political crisis.It would not allow a special envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Myanmar is a member, to meet her. The refusal received a rare rebuke from fellow members, who barred Min Aung Hlaing from attending its annual summit meeting.Even Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who took over as the regional group?s chair for this year and advocates engagement with the ruling generals, failed to meet her last week when he became the first head of government to visit Myanmar since the army?s takeover.The military?s seizure of power was quickly met by nonviolent nationwide demonstrations, which security forces quashed with deadly force, killing over 1,400 civilians, according to a detailed list compiled by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.Peaceful protests have continued, but amid the severe crackdown, an armed resistance has also grown, to the point that U.N. experts have warned the country could be sliding into civil war.?Throwing a plethora of criminal charges at Aung San Suu Kyi ... reeks more of desperation than confidence,? said Mark Farmaner, director of Burma Campaign UK, a democracy promotion group.He said in an email interview after her first convictions that the military ?massively miscalculated? in thinking that it could prevent protests by arresting Suu Kyi, her fellow party members and veteran independent political activists.?A new mass movement was born which doesn?t depend on a single leader. There are hundreds of small groups organizing and resisting in different ways, from peaceful protest, boycotts and armed resistance,? Mr. Farmaner said. ?Even with more than 7,000 people arrested since the coup, three times the average number detained under the previous military dictatorship, the military have been unable to suppress dissent.?Suu Kyi was charged right after the military?s takeover with having improperly imported the walkie-talkies, which served as the initial justification for her continued detention. A second charge of illegally possessing the radios was filed the following month.The radios were seized from the entrance gate of her residence and the barracks of her bodyguards during a search on Feb. 1, the day she was arrested.Suu Kyi?s lawyers argued that the radios were not in her personal possession and were legitimately used to help provide for her security, but the court declined to dismiss the charges.She was charged with two counts of violating coronavirus restrictions during campaigning for the 2020 election. She was found guilty on the first count last month.She is also being tried by the same court on five counts of corruption. The maximum penalty for each count is 15 years in prison and a fine. A sixth corruption charge against her and ousted President Win Myint in connection with granting permits to rent and buy a helicopter has not yet gone to trial.In separate proceedings, she is accused of violating the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years.Additional charges were also added by Myanmar?s election commission against Suu Kyi and 15 other politicians in November for alleged fraud in the 2020 election. The charges by the military-appointed Union Election Commission could result in Suu Kyi?s party being dissolved and unable to participate in a new election the military has promised will take place within two years of its takeover.Bob Saget, the actor-comedian known for his role as beloved single dad Danny Tanner on the sitcom ?Full House? and as the wisecracking host of ?America?s Funniest Home Videos,? has died, according to authorities in Florida. He was 65-years-old.The Orange County, Florida, sheriff's office was called Sunday about an ?unresponsive man? in a hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, according to a sheriff's statement on Twitter.?The man was identified as Robert Saget" and death was pronounced at the scene, the statement said, adding that detectives found ?no signs of foul play or drug use in this case.Saget was in Florida as part of his ?I Don't Do Negative Comedy Tour,? according to his Twitter feed.Fellow comedians and friends praised Saget not only for his wit, but his kindness.?I am broken. I am gutted. I am in complete and utter shock. I will never ever have another friend like him,? wrote John Stamos, who co-starred with Saget on ?Full House. ?I love you so much Bobby.?Norman Lear, who called Saget a close friend, wrote the comedian ?was as lovely a human as he was funny. And to my mind, he was hilarious.??In often a ruthless business he was historically not just hilarious but more importantly one of the kindest human beings I ever met in my career,? actor Richard Lewis wrote on Twitter.Saget's publicist didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.Saget, also the long-time host of ?America?s Funniest Home Videos," played squeaky clean Danny Tanner, a widower and father to three young girls, on ?Full House,? the ABC sitcom that also brought fame to the Olsen twins when it debuted 1987.Saget the stand-up showed his flip side with what become a much-talked-about cameo in the 2005 documentary ?The Aristocrats? ? in which 100 comics riffed on the world?s dirtiest joke ? that revealed his notoriously filthy sense of humor.Nineteen people were killed, including nine children, and dozens were injured from an apartment building fire in The Bronx borough of New York City on Sunday, January 9, 2022, according to city officials.New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed 19 people had died from the blaze that broke out around 11 a.m. in a 19-floor apartment building.Earlier on Sunday, officials said 32 people had been hospitalised with life-threatening injuries and some 60 people were injured in total."We've lost 19 of our neighbours today. It's a tragedy beyond measure. Join me in praying for those we lost, especially the 9innocent young lives that were cut short," Mr. Adams wrote on Twitter.A Reuters photographer at the scene on Sunday saw emergency responders performing CPR on at least eight people in front of the building. Fire-fighters with hose lines were working to push smoke out of the building, and one of them was seen breaking a window on an upper floor to release the fumes.The blaze was still under investigation, the city's fire department commissioner Daniel Nigro told reporters at a news briefing.Mr. Nigro said the smoke had spread to every floor of the building, likely because the door to the apartment where it started was left open, and that victims had suffered from significant smoke inhalation."Members found victims on every floor in stairwells and were taking them out in cardiac and respiratory arrest," he said.Some 200 fire-fighters helped put out the blaze, and some ran out of oxygen in their tanks but pushed through anyway to rescue people from the building, Mr. Adams told CNN on Sunday.This was the second major deadly fire in a residential complex in the U.S. this week after twelve people, including eight children, were killed early on Wednesday when flames swept through a public housing apartment building in Philadelphia."I am horrified by the devastating fire in the Bronx today. My heart is with the loved ones of all those we?ve tragically lost, all of those impacted and with our heroic @FDNYfire-fighters," New York Governor Kathy Hochul tweeted on Sunday.Colombo Sri Lanka on Sunday, January 22, 2022 launched an inter-city train service, using the Diesel Multiple Units procured from India, highlighting two key pillars of New Delhi's development partnership with the island nation ? infrastructure development and country-wide focus. The train service will criss-cross the island nation, connecting the capital city of Colombo with Kankesanthurai on the northern tip of the Jaffna Peninsula, which has a Tamil-majority population.?Powering Sri Lanka railway infrastructure forward!! The train service launched today to the Northern Province highlights 2 key pillars of Flag of India's development partnership with #lka - infrastructure development and country-wide focus,? the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka tweeted. The launch ceremony was attended by Sri Lankan Transport Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi and India?s Deputy High Commissioner Vinod K Jacob.?Another significant landmark in India-Sri Lanka ties! Hon'ble Minister @pavithrawannia1 inaugurated the AC Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) supplied by @RITESLimited under an Indian credit line & launched the train service from Mt.Lavinia to KKS. She undertook the inaugural ride&was welcomed,? the Indian mission said in another tweet.?This train service will facilitate people-to-people exchange and will lay emphasis on mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries,? Jacob said. Wanniarachchi thanked the Indian government for its continued support to Sri Lanka in tackling the ongoing pandemic. Army rescuers on Sunday cleared routes around a Pakistan hill town sheltering thousands of tourists after 22 people died in vehicles trapped by heavy snow.The resort town of Murree, around 70 kilometres northeast of Islamabad, was inundated with tourists last week.But a blizzard from Friday onwards felled trees and blocked narrow roads leading in and out of the town, which clings to steep hills and valleys at an altitude of 2,300 metres.The Taliban have arrested a popular university professor and outspoken critic of successive Afghan governments, including the new rulers in Kabul, the group?s spokesman said on Sunday.Zabihullah Mujahid said in a tweet that professor Faizuallah Jalal was being held by the Taliban?s intelligence arm. The group accused the professor of ?nonsense remarks on social media, which were provoking people against the government.?In the capital of Kabul, a small group of women protested Mr. Jalal?s detention. They chanted: ?Talking is not a crime, professor Jalal is not a criminal.? The arrest of a prominent political activist was certain to complicate the country?s humanitarian aid efforts.It also reinforced fears that the Taliban are imposing the same harsh and repressive rule as their last stint in power.In a tweet early on Sunday, Mr. Jalal?s daughter Hasina Jalal pleaded for her father?s release. ?As I confirm the disturbing news. I ask for the immediate release of my father Professor Faizuallah Jalal,? she tweeted.TOLO TV, Afghanistan?s largest station on which Mr. Jalal was a frequent commentator, tweeted that Mr. Jalal was arrested ?reportedly for making allegations against government departments, a security source said.?Russia ruled out on Sunday any concession at talks with the United States on soaring tensions over Ukraine, as Moscow, facing strong pressure to pull back troops, seeks a wide-ranging new security arrangement with the West.Russia?s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies ahead of his talks in Geneva the Kremlin was ?disappointed? with signals coming from Washington and from Brussels, where NATO and the European Union are based.The high-level discussions kick off a week of diplomacy in which Russia will meet with NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), as the United States tries to assure European allies they will not be sidelined. The Kremlin is insisting NATO must never grant membership to ex-Soviet Ukraine, which is pushing to join.The United States, to be represented by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, agreed to talks even though it made plain that many of Moscow?s proposals are non-starters.Originally scheduled to start on Monday, Ms. Sherman is now due to have a working dinner with Mr. Ryabkov on Sunday evening, a State Department spokesperson said. Russia?s Foreign Ministry posted footage of Mr. Ryabkov?s plane arriving in Geneva.?We will not agree to any concession. That is completely excluded,? Mr. Ryabkov said before departing. ?We are disappointed with the signals coming in the last few days from Washington but also from Brussels.?Russian President Vladimir Putin met his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden in Geneva in June and agreed on regular ?stability? talks between Ms. Sherman and Mr. Ryabkov.In two phone calls to Mr. Putin, Mr. Biden has warned of severe consequences if Russia invades Ukraine. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that Washington would also send more troops to eastern NATO members such as Poland and the Baltic states if Russia invaded Ukraine.Europeans have showed solidarity, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell visiting the frontline in Ukraine.?Whatever the solution, Europe has to be involved,? EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said.?It is very likely that we will encounter the reticence of our U.S. and NATO colleagues to really perceive what we need,? Mr. Ryabkov said on Sunday.NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, meeting Foreign Ministers of the alliance on Friday, said there remained real risks of a Russian invasion.But John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, described the Russian troop build-up as a ?gigantic bluff? by Mr. Putin to seek a negotiated agreement.?They are trying to see if the Biden administration or Europe will blink,? said Mr. Herbst, now at the Atlantic Council think tank. ?As long as the Biden administration remains at least as strong as it is now,? he said, ?it probably is enough to keep Putin from striking large into Ukraine, but I don?t rule out something smaller.?Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Sunday that Japan and the U.S. have reached ?a basic agreement? on banning the U.S. military from leaving its base grounds, amid growing worries about a sharp rise in coronavirus cases.Mr. Kishida said American soldiers will stay on base ?except when absolutely necessary,? which presumably means for emergencies or other security reasons. Details of the deal are still being worked out, he said.New daily COVID-19 cases have surged recently in what medical experts call ?the sixth wave.? New cases jumped above 8,000 on Saturday, a four-month record. The spike has been blamed on the U.S. military because the case increases are most pronounced in areas near the bases. Japan asked the U.S. for cooperation in keeping its military personnel on base last week.A spokesman for U.S. Forces in Japan was not immediately available for comment on Mr. Kishida?s latest remarks. Okinawa, a southwestern group of islands that houses most of the 55,000 U.S. troops, is among the three prefectures where new restrictions to curb the spread of infections kicked in Sunday.Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said on Sunday he had tendered his resignation, in an internal power struggle within the ruling right-wing conservatives on their candidate for presidential elections in 2023.Mr. Christodoulides, appointed in March 2018, has long been viewed as harbouring presidential ambitions, causing friction within his own Democratic Rally party. On Friday, party leader Averof Neohytou, who is seeking his party?s nomination in the presidential race, urged Mr. Christodoulides to clarify his intentions.In a statement, Mr. Christodoulides said he would be ?interested? in the presidential election next year but that he was not yet ready to take a definitive decision.?I will make an announcement when I take my final decisions,? Mr. Christodoulides said.The Rally party is to start the nomination process for its candidate on Monday. Mr. Christodoulides?s silence on persistent rumours he has been eyeing the presidency caused disquiet in the Rally party?s ranks that his potentially independent bid could be divisive.Mr. Christodoulides said his resignation would take effect on January 11. He said he had submitted his resignation to Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades ?some days ago? and it was accepted on January 7.A fire swept through a Rohingya refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh on Sunday, destroying hundreds of homes, according to officials and witnesses, though there were no immediate reports of casualties.The blaze hit Camp 16 in Cox's Bazar, a border district where than a million Rohingya refugees live, with most having fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.Mohammed Shamsud Douza, a Bangladesh government official in charge of refugees, said emergency workers had brought the fire under control. The cause of the blaze has not been established,he added."Everything is gone. Many are without homes," said Abu Taher, a Rohingya refugee.Another blaze tore through a COVID-19 treatment centre for refugees in another refugee camp in the district last Sunday,causing no casualties.A devastating fire March swept through the world?s biggest refugee settlement in Cox's Bazar, killing at least 15 refugees and burned down more than 10,000 shanties.Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Sunday sought Chinese assistance to restructure the debt owed by the island nation to the Asian giant.?The President pointed out that it would be a great relief to the country if the attention could be paid on restructuring the debt repayments as a solution to the economic crisis that has arisen in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic,? the Presidential Media Division said in a statement on Mr. Gotabaya?s meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Colombo. Mr. Wang concluded his five-nation tour of littoral countries in the Indian Ocean Region, with a one-day visit to Colombo on Sunday, following a visit to the Maldives.Sri Lanka owes China over $5 billion, amounting to about 10 % of the country?s total foreign debt. Mr. Gotabaya?s request to Beijing to restructure it comes during an unprecedented economic meltdown in Sri Lanka, with the country?s foreign reserves rapidly declining following the devastating impact of the pandemic on its crucial export and tourism sectors over the last two years.In November, Sri Lanka?s foreign reserves stood at $1.6 billion, triggering widespread concern about how Colombo might pay its high imports bill, especially when the Sri Lankan rupee has considerably weakened.Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa made a similar request to New Delhi in February 2020 for a debt moratorium, but there has been no response since. ?If India agrees to postpone debt by three years, we can convince others too,? Mr. Mahinda then told The Hindu in New Delhi.New Delhi is also yet to respond to more recent requests from Colombo for emergency Lines of Credit for import of food, fuel and medicines, and a currency swap to boost reserves, although External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has assured Colombo of support ?in difficult times?.?Greeted FM G.L. Peiris of Sri Lanka in the New Year. A reliable friend, India will support Sri Lanka in these difficult times. Agreed to remain in close touch,? Mr. Jaishankar said in a tweet recently.While it remains to be seen when and how much assistance comes Colombo?s way in the coming weeks, the country must prepare to meet its daunting foreign debt obligations for 2022, totalling over $7 billion, including bond repayments of $500 million in January and $1 billion in July.Besides requesting China to help Sri Lanka attract Chinese tourists, President Gotabaya said that if a concessional trade credit scheme could be initiated for imports from China, it would enable industries to operate smoothly. China is Sri Lanka?s largest partner for imports, with 22 % of the island nation?s imports originating from China.Foreign Minister Wang also met PM Mahinda for talks. ?Had a very pleasant meeting with the Foreign Min of #China. Discussions centered around the logistics of facilitating the return of the many #lka med students to China. Also discussed were a host of issues inc Tourism, investments, #COVID19SL relief & post Covid preparedness,? Mr. Mahinda tweeted. China on January 9 scampered to test 14 million residents of Tianjin as the port city near the capital has set off alarm bells ahead of the next month?s Beijing Winter Olympics by reporting a cluster of COVID-19 cases, including two with the dreaded Omicron variant.Thousands of people commute between Tianjin and Beijing as it takes hardly 30 minutes by the high-speed train.Officials said that Tianjin, a municipality that neighbours Beijing, has decided to start a citywide nucleic acid testing after 20 people tested positive for COVID-19.The infections were reported on January 7 and 8 in Jinnan district and the gene sequencing found the first two locally-transmitted confirmed cases were infected with the Omicron variant, the municipal headquarters for COVID-19 prevention and control said on Sunday.Tianjin was the first Chinese city to report a few cases of Omicron in mid-December but not much was heard of its spread since then while major spike in cases was reported from the tourist city of Xian and a few other cities, prompting officials to resort to mass testing.Besides the two Omicron cases, 18 other infections in Tianjin are mainly students and their family members related to a day-care centre and a primary school where the first two cases were reported, Gu Qing, director of the municipal health commission, said at a press conference.This prompted the local officials to resort to mass testing of all the 14 million people before its spread to Beijing as the capital city is set to host the much-advertised Winter Olympics from February 4.The coronavirus has spread for at least three generations in the latest resurgence, and more cases may emerge, said Zhang Ying, Deputy Director of the Tianjin city?s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.The citywide nucleic acid testing is expected to be completed in 24 hours in four districts on Sunday and in 12 other districts on Monday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.The residents will not be given a green health code until receiving a negative test result, the headquarters said.Meanwhile, the country?s National Health Commission (NHC) reported 165 COVID-19 cases, including 92 locally-transmitted ones.Of the new local cases, 56 were reported in Henan, 30 in Shaanxi, three in Tianjin, two in Zhejiang and one in Guangdong, the commission said.It also reported 73 new imported cases in 12 provincial-level regions.In all, 3,392 patients are still receiving treatment, of whom 26 were in severe condition, it said.The rising number of cases is a cause of concern as China is poised to hold the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in a few weeks? time.The Beijing Winter Olympics, the 24th edition of the showpiece that started way back in 1924, will be held from February 4 to 20.
