BERLIN, 12 April, 2021(TON): On Sunday, the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi along with his delegates arrived in Berlin on a two-day official visit.

Pakistani Ambassador to Germany, Dr. Muhammad Faisal and senior officials of the German Foreign Ministry and senior embassy officials received the Foreign Minister at the airport.

He will hold meetings with the businessmen and community leaders, the FM said at the Berlin Airport.

 He said that over 100 thousand Pakistanis live in Germany and are playing a very positive role. 

The Foreign Minister said that he want to enhance cooperation in the field of economic diplomacy and exchange of technology for which he will hold talks with the Germen leadership.

He said, tomorrow, he will exchange views with his German Counterpart Heiko Maas on important regional and international issues; besides, meeting with the President of German Parliament Wolfgang Schäuble.

However, it is likely that Pakistan wants to expand parliamentary relations with Germany and tries to further activate already existing friendship between the two countries through this visit.

KABUL, 12 April, 2021 (TON): The Afghani people living in the worn-torn country called on to observe ceasefire in the holy fasting month for Muslims, Ramadan.

First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, at a gathering in the Shamali area outside the capital Kabul on Sunday, called on the Taliban outfit to meet the demand by the Afghan people for cease-fire and reconciliation.

Lawmaker Mohiudin Munsif was quoted by the media as saying, "Taliban should observe ceasefire at least in Ramadan if they want peace.”

A Kabul resident, Noorul Haq Khan said, "The month of Ramadan is the month of peace and brotherhood and therefore I ask the Taliban and the government to observe cease-fire and let the Afghans to live in peace at least in Ramadan.”

However, as it is noticed already, that in war-torn Afghanistan, fighting and violence have been continuing, and in the latest wave, over 50 people including Taliban militants, government security personnel and civilians were killed. Therefore, the people are looking for a halt in the insurgency at least in the special month of fasting.

SEOUL, 12 April, 2021 (TON): In the first trip to Iran in the past 44 years, the South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun arrived in for talks on a range of issues concerning bilateral ties.

The Prime Minister's arrival in Tehran on Sunday came two days after Iran released a South Korean-flagged tanker seized three months ago in the Gulf for violating environmental regulations and marine pollution.

The media reported that during his three-day visit, Chung will meet with President Hassan Rouhani, First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, and former Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani to discuss issues of mutual interest.

 He will also meet with the representatives from South Korean companies in Iran, including Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics.

However, according to Saeed Khatibzadeh, spokesman for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, among the topics for negotiations there would be the issue of illegal restrictions on the Central Bank of Iran's access to its resources in the South Korean banks.

MALE, 12 April, 2021(TON): The government acknowledges the people’s sentiments on the local council elections and its outcome, the press statement issued in Dhivehi by the Maldivian government read.

It added, the government would also move forward with those sentiments in mind. 

According to the statement, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih congratulated all the winners of the local council election and the women's development committee. 

The statement read that the President was hopeful of receiving the full cooperation of all elected officials in order to operate all administrative districts of the nation in a decentralized manner. 

The President called all the elected mayors of the four major cities in the nation and congratulated them on their victory.

MDP candidates in Addu City, Kulhudhuffushi City, and Fuvahmulah City won the elections for mayor.

 Former Housing Minister and opposition candidate Dr. Mohamed Muizzu won the election for Male' City mayor, beating MDP candidate Anas Abdul Sattar with a large majority.

However, the President during the phone call to Dr. Muizzu assured that the government would cooperate in running projects in a decentralized manner. 

COLOMBO, 12 April, 2021 (TON): Discussions were held between the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena and the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B. Teplitz.

With a vision of strengthening and deepening the U.S.-Sri Lanka relations, the Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena met with the US Ambassador Alaina B. Teplitz on 9 April, 2021 and reviewed bilateral engagements.

The Foreign Ministry said that the FM Gunawardena briefed the U.S. Ambassador on the various positive developments taking place in the country.

They also discussed ways to enhance bilateral co-operation including through development assistance.

However, the Foreign Ministry noted that there are few areas that involve the U.S. assistance and support on a priority basis, and that include the climate change, green energy and information technology.

KABUL, 12 April, 2021 (TON): The Afghan forces made an insurgent attack unsuccessful on the outskirts of Kunduz city.

The media cited the provincial spokesman, a group of Taliban militants stormed police checkpoints in Ibrahim Khil area on Sunday morning, triggering a gun battle which lasted for a couple of hours.

However, three militants and two policemen were killed in the fighting and four policemen and five militants were also injured in the faceoff, the spokesman confirmed.

NARAYANGANJ, 12 April, 2021 (TON): Two security officials suffered burn injuries after a gas pipe caught fire on the seventh floor of a multi-storey building in Narayanganj city on Sunday midnight.

The victims have been identified as Manik Mia, 32, and Md Ujjal, 35.

The guards went into a room on the seventh floor of the building around Sunday midnight to smoke, and an explosion occurred immediately after they lit a fire, said the locals.

Fire service personnel reached at the spot in no while.  

Fire service officer Arefin said, gas had accumulated in the room following a pipe leak which led to the explosion.

However, according to the deputy assistant director of the district Fire Service and Civil Defense Abdullah Al Arefin, they are receiving treatment at the Sheikh Hasina National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery in Dhaka.

MANILA, 12 April, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the Philippines and the U.S. will start their annual joint military exercise dubbed the "Balikatan”, the army chief in Manila said.

This year's drills will only involve 1,700 troops, 700 from the U.S. and 1,000 from the Southeast Asian nation, said Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, the chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

"Some portions of the exercises will be virtual but we also have minimal physical contact. There will also be actual field training exercises but not as big as those done in the previous years," he said.

The drills will be officially open on Monday at the AFP's main headquarters in the capital, said the official.

However, unlike in previous opening ceremonies, he said Monday's event will be closed to the public and the media as part of the safety precautions due to the pandemic and the rest of the drills will also be closed for coverage.

TEHRAN, 11 April 2021, (TON): The Iranian parliament has filed charges against President Hassan Rouhani. The Washington has extensively funded a faction which led to tug of war between hardliners and moderates in the country.

The deputies accuse him of having disregarded laws passed by parliament. and190 out of 235 lawmakers present in the session voted in favour. Analysts are linking the incident with Washington attempt to renew nuclear negotiations in Vienna, which is not possible till the time hardliners are in the power. It is alledged that President Rouhani distanced the country from its ideological goals with pro-Western policies and the 2015 Vienna nuclear agreement.

If we recall, in March this year, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country was prepared to take steps to live up to measures in the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers as soon as the United States lifts economic sanctions on Iran. Also in a meeting with Irish Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney, Rouhani has said, “Iran is ready to immediately take compensatory measures based on the nuclear deal and fulfill its commitments just after the US illegal sanctions are lifted and it abandons its policy of threats and pressure.”

RWANDA, 11 April 2021, (TON): Rwanda was officially handed over the report of the Commission on France's role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The report was received by Rwanda's President Paul Kagame on 9 April. The report seems much biased and have only highlighted the massacre of Tutsi and not the Hutu, who were demographically reduced to minority. The reports has exposed French shameful role in genocide of innocent Rwanda’s Muslim but generally it has been projected as if only Christian were targeted by French-backed Rawanda Government forces.

The team of experts and researchers was commissioned in 2019 by French President Emmanuel Macron to probe the then French government's role in the 1994 genocide in which millions people were brutally massacred. This report proved direct role of France in Genocide Rwanda between 1990 and 1994 that led to demographic change against the Muslims and massacre of both Muslims and Christians.

In 1994, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda was established by the United Nations to prosecute people who were responsible in the genocide. At the 2005 World Summit, as an attempt to prevent similar atrocities from happening again, Heads of States and Governments adopted the responsibility to protect. This commitment was intended to protect people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, and their incitement. A memorial ceremony will be held on 16 April at the UN Headquarters in New York.