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Fury as Delhi luxury hotel booked as COVID hospital for court staff

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Authorities in Delhi ordered a luxury hotel to be converted into a COVID-19 health facility for the exclusive use of high court judges and their families, drawing outrage in a city that has no hospital beds or life-saving oxygen for hundreds of people.

The local government said in a public notice on Monday night that it had received a request from the Delhi High Court because of the rapid rise in coronavirus infections and had reserved 100 rooms at the Ashoka Hotel for the higher judiciary.

The Delhi High court denied it had sought such treatment, and said it would quash the order unless the government modifies it.

“When did we ask for a 100-bed facility at a five-star hotel? We had only said if a judicial officer or a judge or their family is infected, they should get hospital admission,” the high court said.

The notice from the Delhi government had said a top city hospital would run the facility.

“Its unthinkable that we as an institution will want any preferential treatment”, the Delhi High Court said.

The court’s comments came on the heels of criticism by lawyers and citizens.

Jaiveer Shergill, a lawyer and spokesman of the main opposition Congress party, said the government decision flew in the face of the right to equality enshrined in the constitution and the court itself must reject the special treatment.

“For sake of justice, integrity and faith in the judicial system, Delhi’s high Court must quash the order,” he said.

The Indian capital is one of the worst-affected cites in the country’s explosive second wave, with every third person tested for the virus found to be positive.

Hospitals are turning away patients because they don’t have beds or oxygen to keep them alive. The city is reporting an average of one death every four minutes.

Judges have not been listed as front-line workers and most courts are operating virtually.

“The Delhi high court would do well to decline the Ashoka Hotel offer, or cancel it if they ordered it themselves,” said Aakar Patel, a political commentator and former head of Amnesty International India.

“We cannot have open discrimination practiced by those charged with preventing it.”

One government source said rooms were always kept aside for top public figures, including senior judges, at Delhi’s premier state-run All India Institute for Medical Sciences, and reserving a hotel was a case of panic and over-reach.

Others mocked the choice of the state-run Ashoka to take care of the judges and suggested they consider more opulent hotels in the capital.

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Turkey invites IEA’s commerce minister to Antalya Diplomacy Forum

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Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, met on Thursday with Sadin Ayyıldız, Chargé d’Affaires of the Turkish Embassy in Kabul. During the meeting, Ayyıldız invited the Minister of Industry and Commerce to participate in Turkey’s Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry, the meeting also emphasized the economic, trade, and historical relations between Kabul and Ankara, as well as the export of Afghan goods to Turkey.

The two sides discussed increasing trade volume between the two countries, strengthening economic relations, facilitating and enhancing commercial activities, cooperation in road transport along various routes, activating the Lapis Lazuli Corridor, and regional cooperation.

Azizi, while thanking Turkey for inviting the Islamic Emirate to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, introduced the Ministry’s technical team to ensure better coordination and planning.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum is an international conference held annually in Turkey, aimed at examining global challenges and finding joint solutions through dialogue and diplomacy. It hosts representatives from more than 100 countries, including presidents, leaders, high-ranking officials, international organizations, analysts, and media from various countries.

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Afghan, Malaysian PMs discuss situation between Kabul and Islamabad

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Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate, in a telephone conversation initiated by Mohammad Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, discussed regional developments, particularly the recent situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said in a statement that Hassan Akhund stated during the call that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s principled position is clear and that it believes in resolving issues through mutual understanding and cooperation.

Hassan Akhund added that during Eid al-Fitr, at the request of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Qatar, the Islamic Emirate demonstrated its goodwill by respecting a pause in defensive operations.

He stated that violence benefits no party and that actions that increase tensions should be avoided, emphasizing that wisdom and rationality must guide efforts to resolve problems.

He also expressed concern over rising regional tensions following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

The Malaysian Prime Minister also expressed concern about the regional situation and hoped that the temporary halt in hostilities between Afghanistan and Pakistan would continue, and that existing problems could be resolved through sincere negotiations and understanding.

He added that Malaysia aims to play a positive role in facilitating understanding between both parties.

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Iranian naval commander Alireza Tangsiri killed in airstrike, says Israel

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Israel’s defence minister says that an Israeli air strike has killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards’ navy.

The killing was carried out “last night, in a precise and lethal operation” and targeted other “senior officers of the naval command”, said Israel Katz, in a video statement.

“The man who was directly responsible for the terrorist operation of mining and blocking the Strait of Hormuz to shipping was blown up and eliminated,” he claimed.

Since the start of the joint US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, Israel has announced the assassination of several top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republic ‘s powerful security chief, Ali Larijani.

Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, reporting from Tehran, said there was no official Iranian confirmation yet of Tangsiri’s killing.

“But if it’s true it’s going to be another major blow for a country that has already experienced a lot of military commanders being killed” since the war began, he said.

The head of the Basij paramilitary forces, Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, and Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib were also assassinated in Israeli attacks.

Moreover, in recent days, Israeli forces have carried out several strikes targeting the naval assets of Iran.

Last week, Israeli airstrikes hit several Iranian naval ships in the Caspian Sea, including ones equipped with missile systems, support vessels, and patrol craft.

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