Karnataka Governor, CM stress importance of performing yoga
Bengaluru: Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday stressed the importance of practicing yoga regularly, as the International day of Yoga saw people in the state celebrating it in a low key manner, with COVID-19 restrictions in place.
Schools, parks, clubs and playgrounds in Bengaluru wore a deserted look, unlike in previous years, as people did not congregate there due to the restrictions. The Governor and Chief Minister greeted the people on the day.
Sharing images of the Governor performing solo Yoga, the Raj Bhavan, in a press release, quoted him urging people to perform it regularly to boost immunity and improve mental, physical and emotional health.
"Honourable Governor wishes happy sixth International Yoga Day 21 st June, 2020 to the people of Karnataka State and appealed to practice 'Yoga at home, Yoga with family'," a press release said.
It said the staff practiced yoga on the lawns of the Raj Bhavan at 6 am. In his tweet, Yediyurappa said Yoga is a gift from India to the world, which was handed down to us by our ancestors.
"We have to preserve Yoga and also need to practice it regularly to celebrate a strong, healthy and meaningful life", he said.
Many ministers and government officials shared images of them performing Yoga. State ministers B C Patil and S T Somashekar performed yoga together at a lawn and shared the videos and images.
The Pantanjali Yoga Kendra members performed Yoga on the Parakala Math premises in Mysuru, maintaining social distancing.
The Karnataka unit of BJP celebrated the day at the basement of the party office, where the state BJP chief Nalin Kumar Kateel and other office bearers performed it.
Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi, who represents Dharwad Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka, too shared his photographs and Yoga Day message on Twitter, saying it helps in boosting immunity and is the most effective way to combat COVID-19.
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Pakistan ‘relaying messages’ between Iran and US for peace in West Asia: official
Lahore (PTI): Pakistan is relaying messages between Iran and the US with the aim to help de-escalate the West Asia conflict, a top government official said on Wednesday.
"We are trying to broker US-Iran peace talks and have also offered Islamabad as a venue for the purpose. But it will be possible if Iran agrees to sit at the table with America," a top official in the Shehbaz Sharif administration said on the condition of anonymity.
"At the moment, Pakistan is relaying messages between the US and Iran. Islamabad not only handed over the 15-point proposal of the US to Iran but also Tehran's demands to the Trump administration to ink a peace deal," he said.
The 15-point proposal outlines strict conditions targeting Iran’s nuclear and regional policies in exchange for major sanctions relief, he added.
Under the proposal, Iran would be required to fully dismantle its nuclear programme and commit never to pursuing nuclear weapons. All enriched nuclear material would be transferred to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) within an agreed timeframe.
Key nuclear facilities, including the Natanz Nuclear Facility, Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre and Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, would be decommissioned and destroyed under the plan. The IAEA would also be granted full access to all aspects of Iran’s nuclear programme, he said, speaking about the proposal.
The proposal further calls on Iran to cease funding, directing and arming allied groups across the region, a longstanding point of contention with both Washington and Israel, he added.
In a move aimed at safeguarding global energy supplies, the plan ensures that the Strait of Hormuz will remain open as a free maritime route, preventing any disruption to international shipping.
As a final decision on Iran’s missile programme has been deferred, the proposal says any future arrangement would impose limits on the range and number of missiles, restricting their use to defensive purposes only.
In return, the United States is prepared to lift all sanctions on Iran and support the development of a civilian nuclear programme, including assistance at the Bushehr facility, the official informed.
The proposal also includes removing the so-called “snapback” mechanism, which allows for the automatic reimposition of United Nations sanctions.
The Iranian regime has hardened its stance and is seeking significant concessions from the United States if mediation efforts lead to serious negotiations, he said.
"In any talks with the US, Iran would not only demand an end to the war but concessions that are likely red lines for President Trump —guarantees against future military action, compensation for wartime losses and formal control of the Strait of Hormuz," the official said and added Iran would also refuse to negotiate any limitations to its ballistic missile programme.
Iran’s president earlier warned that stability in the region is possible only through cooperation and respect for the will of the nations.
“Today we are witnessing the awakening of the people in many countries around the world,” Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X, claiming that people of Pakistan, Turkiye, Iraq, Lebanon, Egypt, and Arab countries are loudly expressing their rejection of the US, Israel and their crimes.
He said that Iran has also outlined a set of key counter-conditions in response to the 15-point proposal.
Iran has demanded the lifting of US-imposed economic sanctions. It rejected calls for a total halt to uranium enrichment, insisting that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and falls within its sovereign rights, he added.
Another major sticking point is Iran’s defence and missile programme, which Iranian officials describe as essential for national security.
Tehran has refused to accept any proposal that would limit its missile capabilities or weaken its regional deterrence posture.
Iran is also seeking binding guarantees from Washington to ensure that any future agreement will not be abandoned unilaterally, as happened in the past, he added.
Iranian leaders have stressed the need for assurances against military escalation or regime-change efforts.
Iran also wants no presence of US forces in the Gulf and control over strategic waterways, the official added.
