IAEA-Iran inspection deal
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says it's becoming increasingly difficult to extend an agreement with Iran on inspection of the country's nuclear sites. During his press conference in Vienna, Rafael Mariano Grossi said the agency will do whatever it deems appropriate to make Iran give the explanations they ask for. Tehran’s decision to limit the IAEA monitoring followed the Iranian parliament’s legislation in December that asked the government to scale back nuclear-related commitments. The measure came in response to the U-S unilateral withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal and its anti-Iran sanctions.
India restriction eased
Authorities in India's capital New Delhi and financial hub Mumbai have begun a gradual easing of restrictions amid a downward trend in coronavirus infections in the country. India witnessed a record surge last month, overwhelming hospitals in major cities. The government managed to flatten the curve with regional restrictions. Total infections now stand closer to 29-million with more than 100,000 new cases over the past 24 hours. The death toll is also nearing 350,000 with over 2,400 new fatalities. Elsewhere in Asia, Taiwan has been dealing with a spike in infections, prompting authorities to extend restrictions for another two weeks. Neighboring Thailand has kicked off a long-awaited mass vaccination campaign amid a third wave of the epidemic. Australia's Victoria State has reported the biggest rise in new cases despite a hard lockdown there.
Pakistan train crash
The death toll rises to 43 in the train collision incident in southern Pakistan as rescuers try to free survivors from the wreckage. Over one-hundred people were also injured in the crash. The incident occurred before dawn on Monday when a passenger train derailed and was hit by an oncoming train. Millat Express had departed from Karachi and was heading for the eastern city of Lahore when it derailed at a remote location in between. Authorities are moving heavy machinery to the site to free up to 20 people, who remain trapped. Train accidents are common in Pakistan due to the poorly maintained signal system and aging tracks. Officials say this is the worst such incident since 2005.