Impacting morale of Pak employees, Lahore Metro pays more to its Chinese staff

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Lahore [Pakistan], November 6 (ANI): The Chinese staff selected by the Punjab Mass Transit Authority for Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) venture is getting gigantic pay rates in contrast with their Pakistani representatives, The News International detailed.

The immense difference in the compensations is affecting the resolve of the Pakistani staff, who are likewise given an alternate evaluation framework than the Chinese. Furthermore, even as the Chinese staff is being paid in Yuan, local people are getting their pay rates in Pakistani rupees (PKR).

"On Wednesday, the estimation of 1 CNY against 1 PKR was equivalent to Rs 24.02. As per the information of the pay rates of 93 Chinese working at the OLMT venture, the Chinese staff is generously compensated. In the event that the compensations of Pakistani authorities taking a shot at the equivalent/identical seats are contrasted and those of Chinese staff, the Pakistan representatives are getting simple peanuts. As indicated by information, a Chinese-inception vice president chief/CFO/chief with grade L2 is being paid 136,000 CNY every month which is equivalent to over Rs 3.26 million. There were three positions and all were loaded up with Chinese. No Pakistani was recruited on this assignment," The News International expressed.

While a Chinese authority presented on the DGM rank gets 83,000 CNY every month, comparable to more than Rs 1.9 million every month, Pakistani authority Umer Chishti, who holds the situation of DGM Equipment and Maintenance, get simply Rs 625,000 every month.

The News further revealed that upwards of 43 individuals of Chinese root were enrolled on the spaces of experts/train administrators and every individual is being paid 47,500 CNY, equivalent to over Rs 1.13 million.

Notwithstanding, a privately enrolled train administrator/train group gets just Rs 60,000.

Giving another case of the difference in compensations, The News International said while 12 individuals of Chinese starting point dealing with the space of train dispatcher/train group are getting 57,000 CNY each, equivalent to Rs 1.36m, the privately selected representatives chipping away at the OLMT venture are getting a lot of lower pay rates.

The Pakistani workers have requested a compensation climb from the administration keeping in see the compensation of their Chinese partners.

In the interim, Uzair Shah, General Manager (activities) of Punjab Mass Transit Authority, has been cited as saying that the confidence of Pakistanis working at OLMT would not be down in the event that they contrasted their pay rates and their neighborhood partners. He added that the correlation in pay rates between the Chinese and Pakistani workers can't be made. (ANI)

US-China tensions will remain even if Biden joins Paris climate pact, say observers

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Beijing [China], November 6 (ANI): Chinese observers say that Washington and Beijing have more challenges to overcome even if they work together on the climate change issue, even as US Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has said that he will immediately rejoin the Paris climate pact if elected as the president.

Even though the relationship between the US and China might improve on the climate change issue if Biden fulfills his promise, Shi Yinhong, an expert on US affairs at Renmin University in Beijing, stated that both sides would have other challenges to deal with, reports Echo Xie for South China Morning Post.

"China and the US could seek cooperation on areas such as climate change, non-proliferation, global health, and civilian cybersecurity in principle, but the results would be limited," he said.

Li Shuo, a senior global policy adviser for Greenpeace East Asia in Beijing, said that even though there were uncertainties about how both countries might work together on climate change, it was unlikely they would be able to rekindle the relationship they had in 2015.

"The variables include how the US designs its China policy and what are their priorities...But the situation is different from 2015 and that close cooperation model will be hard to copy," SCMP quoted Shuo.

Li further opined that if Biden did rejoin the pact, the US would have to submit its nationally determined contributions, which are its individual climate plans, in 2021, which could be challenging because of the 'scale of damage caused by the Trump administration over the past four years'.

"We shouldn't think we can finally take a breath as the tense relationship and confrontation between China and the Trump administration are paused....We should not be too optimistic," said Pang Zhongying, a professor of international relations at Ocean University.

Biden had made the pledge on Twitter on Wednesday, the day the US formally left the accord reached in the French capital in 2015.

"Today, the Trump Administration officially left the Paris Climate Agreement. And in exactly 77 days, a Biden Administration will rejoin it," he said.

The deal, involving almost 200 countries, aims to keep global warming under 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels this century while pursuing ways to reduce it to 1.5 degrees, according to SCMP. (ANI)

Over 100 people arrested from anti-lockdown protests in London

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Moscow [Russia], November 6 (ANI/Sputnik): The Metropolitan Police said 104 members of the convention against the Covid connected lockdown in London had been captured over the penetrate of limitations.

Many individuals assembled on Thursday in focal London to communicate their dissent against the harder limitations that came into power in the United Kingdom.

"Officials policing exhibits in focal London on Thursday, November 5 have so far made 104 captures. Shows occurred regardless of new public limitations that have been acquainted with limit the spread of Coronavirus. When groups started assembling, officials made quick move to guide individuals to return home, captures were made as individuals neglected to follow the bearing of officials. Most of captures were for breaks of the Coronavirus guidelines," police said in an assertion on late Thursday.

Officer Jane Connors has censured the penetrates of the Covid limitations by the dissenters.

"Our primary need tonight has been to protect Londoners. We are eight months into this public pandemic and in all honesty, there can be no reason for individuals to perilously break guidelines which are there to forestall additionally spread of Coronavirus," Connors said.

The authority added that the quantity of captured individuals was probably going to additional expansion.

The World Health Organization pronounced the COVID-19 episode a pandemic on March 11. Until now, more than 48.5 million individuals have been contaminated with the Covid around the world, with over 1.23 million fatalities, as per Johns Hopkins University.

The United Kingdom has affirmed more than 1.12 million Covid cases up until now, with more than 48,000 fatalities. (ANI/Sputnik)

Vietnam wary of new Chinese legislation allowing weapons use

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Hanoi [Vietnam], November 6 (ANI): Vietnam's foreign ministry has expressed concern regarding Chinese legislation, which would allow Beijing's coast guard to use weapons in waters which it considers being under its jurisdiction, reported NHK World.

At a news conference on Thursday, a deputy spokesperson for Vietnam's foreign ministry mentioned the names of the islands in the South China Sea that are claimed by both countries.

The spokesperson said that Vietnam's claims on the areas are based on historical grounds.

The official further added that Vietnam supports the position that all disputes must be peacefully resolved in accordance with international law.

According to NHK World, the draft legislation released by China on Wednesday would allow China's coast guard to use arms in waters China considers to be under its jurisdiction if foreign ships conduct operations there that Beijing deems illegal, and if foreign vessels defy orders to stop.

The draft also calls for measures to safeguard artificial islands and facilities. The provision is believed to be referring to islands China has been militarising in the South China Sea.

In April, a Vietnamese fishing boat sank near the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea. While Vietnam alleged that the ship was rammed and sunk by a Chinese maritime surveillance vessel, China maintained that the vessel was fishing illegally in the area and refused to leave.

At the same time, Vietnam had also lodged a protest against China's announcement of the establishment of two new administrative districts, Paracel Islands and the Spratly Islands, in the South China Sea.

China claims most of the sea, often invoking its so-called nine-dash line to justify its alleged historic rights to the key waterway, which is also contested by the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei. It rejected a 2016 UN-backed tribunal's ruling that its claims were without legal basis. (ANI)

Beijing's rising assertiveness against counter claimants in the East and South Sea has resulted in unprecedented agreement across the Indian-Pacific. (ANI)

PTI govt allies express dissent over issues at Imran Khan's luncheon

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday invited his government's allies to a luncheon, where the coalition partners expressed dissent over some issues, informed sources.

The coalition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), other political parties of Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), were relentless in pushing their complaints, and Khan eventually had to make concessions and agree to address their grievances in the near term, reported The News.

Sources informed that the allies had expressed reservations over the non-provision of development funds and lack of development projects in their constituencies. They had also protested against the unresolved issues of the people belonging to the constituencies.

Dr Fehmida Mirza, the Minister for Inter-provincial coordination, regretted that neither the federal government nor the Sindh government had undertaken any mega projects or development works in Sindh.

"The people of Sindh are being treated like stepchildren," said Dr Mirza, urging the Prime Minister to pay attention to their problems.

The PML-F also expressed reservations over the neglect felt by the people of Sindh, according to The News.

"We are your allies, but the government does nothing to prove it," complained Pir Pagara.

The coalition members also targeted the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP)-led Sindh government, alleging that the bureaucracy of Sindh was running federal projects according to the PPP's own whims and wishes.

"The Sindh government is deliberately ignoring our constituencies," the MQM-P leaders lamented, requesting the PTI-led (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) regime to consult the coalition parties over federal projects.

After hearing the protests and reservations by the allies, Khan assured that the coalition parties would 'see implementation soon', according to The News.

"All the promises we made to the allies will be fulfilled," he added.

The Prime Minister also slammed the Opposition, alleging that they were 'hell-bent on harming Pakistan."

He also claimed that his party would win the elections on the basis of their performance in the next two and a half years.

This comes amid a tense political situation in Pakistan, with a pro-democracy coalition organised in Punjab, Sindh, and Balochistan in October by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) which is gathering support amongst the masses.

The campaign to topple Khan's government had brought the tabooed topic of military intervention up for discussion. (ANI)

COVID-19 pandemic is the most catastrophic event after WWII: Shringla

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla

New Delhi [India], November 6 (ANI): The ongoing coronavirus pandemic is the most catastrophic event after the Second World War, said Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla on Thursday, adding that it was inevitable that the people were going to experience a different world in the post-pandemic era.

While speaking on the topic 'Leveraging Strategic Autonomy in a Turbulent World; at the Diamond Jubilee Seminar of the National Defence College, Shringla said: "The COVID-19 pandemic is the most catastrophic event after the 2nd World War. It is therefore inevitable that we will experience a different world in the post-pandemic era. We are in the midst of trying to cope with the new reality of going virtual in our day to day life. At the international level, it has uncovered the vulnerabilities of nations and showed us the real manifestation of the practice of international relations."

He said that while there was a strong intent to cooperate, the need to retain 'strategic autonomy' was greater, and the last few months had been an attempt to deal with the domestic situation and look for ways to cooperate.

The Foreign Secretary further mentioned that the global economic fallout of the pandemic was going to be a challenge in times to come.

"As we saw during the 2008 global recession, economic setbacks of this magnitude require a carefully deliberated approach. The breakdown of the global supply chains has, perhaps for the first time, led us to think and explore alternative possibilities. India's view has been to look at this challenge not as a constraint but as an opportunity for our economy as well as for rebalancing in the international system," he added.

Shringla also highlighted India's 'proactive domestic response' in dealing with the pandemic, giving details about the expansion of capacity in the healthcare sector, also channelling of India's public resources to the critical sector for the development of hospitals, emergency rooms, provision of equipment and supplies and training of healthcare professionals, and the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan and its stimulus packages introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"India has played a leading role in initiating and encouraging global conversations on evolving a coordinated response to the pandemic. Further, living up to the teaching of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the whole world is one family), India played an instrumental role in enhancing global health security by ensuring the supply of essential medicines even while meeting its own domestic requirements," he said.

"We provided medical supplies, in the form of essential drugs, test kits, protection gear, etc. to over 150 countries, and are extending medical assistance under grants-in-aid to over 80 countries; we sent rapid response medical teams to help Maldives, Kuwait, Mauritius, and Comoros deal with the pandemic; and we dispatched naval assets to deliver COVID related assistance to Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles. We have also successfully brought back over 1.8 million Indian nationals stranded abroad due to COVID-19 pandemic under the Vande Bharat Mission," added the Foreign Secretary.

In his address, Shringla talked about various topics, including India's global engagements, its membership of the UN Security Council next year, its position as a 'net security provider' in the extended neighbourhood among others. (ANI)

US Elections 2020: Trump campaign files lawsuit against Philadelphia election officials

US President Donald Trump

Washington [US], November 6 (ANI): US President Donald Trump's election campaign on Thursday filed a new lawsuit against Philadelphia elections officials for allegedly violating their due process rights by blocking the observation of ballots in the city.

However, the complaint does not seem to include any details about how and why canvassing might have been blocked, reported CNN.

This is a new claim in federal court alleging violations of constitutional instead of state law. There is a 5:30 pm hearing scheduled.

Earlier, Trump's election campaign had filed a lawsuit to stop ballot counting in Michigan and Pennsylvania and to prevent the counting of absentee ballots in Georgia that it claims arrived after the deadline on Election Day.

The USA Today reported that the announcements of the Pennsylvania and Michigan lawsuits came shortly before Biden was projected on Wednesday afternoon to win Michigan. (ANI)