BackMint Lite | Donald Trump, Boris Johnson faces revolt over China ruling & more
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PremiumSyria’s White Helmets, who rescue victims from the rubble of airstrikes, have added making personal protective equipment to their efforts saving lives in areas of the country outside Bashar al-Assad’s control, reports Guardian. The civil defence service’s uniform-making unit has recently pivoted to manufacturing PPE with the help of a £1.17m award from a nonprofit organisation funded by the UK, US, Canadian and Dutch governments. The local facility has already produced more than 2m masks, protective gowns and face shields, and is handling the safe disposal of used PPE for north-west Syria’s vulnerable population of more than 3 million people.
Trump pardons over 70 people
Donald Trump on Wednesday pardoned 73 people, including his former aide Steve Bannon and other allies, just hours before he was due to leave office. The list of those pardoned—as well as 70 others whose sentences were commuted—was released by the White House in a statement during the early hours. Neither Trump nor his relatives were on the list. Bannon had been charged with defrauding people over funds raised to build the Mexico border wall, a flagship Trump policy. He was Trump's campaign manager during the 2016 election, before becoming a senior adviser to the president. Former Trump fund-raiser Elliott Broidy was similarly pardoned, after pleading guilty last year to conspiring to violate foreign lobbying laws. The rapper Lil Wayne, who last month pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and faced 10 years in jail, also made the list.
UK faces revolt over China ruling
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson defeated a rebellion by his own lawmakers after they pressed for British judges to be able to rule if China’s Muslim Uighur minority is suffering genocide. The House of Commons narrowly voted down an amendment to a proposed law on international trade agreements which would have allowed victims to ask the High Court in London to rule on claims of genocide against potential trading partners, including China. The government would have had to consider pulling out of trade deals with the states involved. Lawmakers voted by 319 to 308 to reject the amendment, reflecting the strength of feeling in his Conservative Party about the U.K.’s ties to China. The Chinese Embassy in Washington denounced the U.S. move as a “gross interference in China’s internal affairs and a serious violation of international law and basic norms" of international relations, reports Bloomberg.
Ports review meeting to start today
A three-day ports review meeting will be conducted from today to deliberate on a future action plan, including development of satellite ports by all major ports, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said in a statement on Wednesday. Chairpersons of India's all major ports and senior officials of the ministry will participate in the brainstorming conference to finalise the road map of the 'Maritime Vision 2030', the ministry said in the statement. It added that Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will chair the meeting named 'Chintan Baithak' at Dhordo, Gujarat. The Chintan Baithak includes sessions on exploring new vistas of urban transportation, effective implementation of SAROD-Ports (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes-Ports), and issues related to international arbitrations, reports the Press Trust of India
Tunisia boils for fifth day
Violent clashes erupted for a fifth night between police and protesters in several Tunisian cities, including the capital Tunis and Sidi Bouzid, the cradle of the Arab Spring uprisings, as anger and frustration mount over economic hardship. Earlier in the day, protesters rallied in Tunis, reviving the chant that rang a decade ago in a revolution that ushered in democracy: "The people want the fall of the regime."In Sidi Bouzid, where the 2011 revolution began, witnesses told Reuters that police fired gas to disperse protesters who were raising slogans against rulers and demanding an end to decades of marginalisation. Clashes also broke out in poor areas of Tunis, including Ettadamen and Sijoumi, as hundreds of angry youths burned tires and blocked roads. Daytime protests in recent days demanding jobs, dignity and the release of detainees have been followed by night time violence, with covid-19 restrictions compounding a wider economic malaise.
Lockdown walks cost farmers their crop
Crops are "being damaged nationwide" by lockdown walkers avoiding mud, a rural business organisation has said. The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) said an influx of people "walking over planted crops" was "impacting farmers' businesses", reports BBC. One farmer said there had been a tenfold increase in walkers during lockdown, while another had seen a 5ft path widen to 36ft across. Walking charity Ramblers said people must "stick to marked paths". CLA president Mark Bridgeman said while he did not want to discourage people from using the countryside, "crops are being damaged nationwide" by those avoiding quagmires.He said the organisation, which represents 30,000 rural businesses across England and Wales, advised people to get "a decent pair of wellies... and stick to the route of the footpath". One way of solves this issue, without taking away the joy of walking is to make sure people walk on designated paths in the farm.
Curated by Sohini Sen. Have something to share with us? Write to us at feedback@livemint or tweet to @shohinisen
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