DHAKA, 6 April, 2021, (TON): A protest over police enforcement of coronavirus restrictions in rural Bangladesh turned violent when a mob of demonstrators attacked a police station, resulting in at least three people being shot, police and a doctor said. 

The incident took place in the central town of Saltha in the Faridpur district on Monday. According to the police, rumours had spread about a man being injured in police sweep of a market aimed at enforcing health measures to curb the spread of COVID. 

Thousands of villagers took to the streets in anger. A group of them hurled bricks at a police station and vandalised government offices in the town, torching an officer's home and two cars belonging to government officials, police said. 

"Police fired in self-defence after they attacked the police station," a police spokesman said. A second police official, inspector Nur-a-Alam Fakir, confirmed the incident. 

Police did not give any casualty figures, but Abdul Matin, a doctor at the emergency ward of the state-run Faridpur Medical College Hospital, said three people were in critical condition after suffering gunshot wounds. 

Bangladesh on Monday instituted a seven-day nationwide lockdown after coronavirus case numbers reached record highs and fatalities skyrocketed in recent weeks. 

Earlier, tens of thousands of Hefazat supporters staged nationwide demonstrations against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi late last month, which triggered deadly clashes with police. 

BEIJING, 6 April, 2021, (TON): China is holding naval drills involving an aircraft carrier battlegroup near Taiwan.   

China says that the naval drills are aimed at safeguarding Chinese sovereignty, an apparent reference to Beijing's claim to the self-governed island. 

Taiwan has complained of an increase in Chinese military activity near it in recent months, as China steps up efforts to assert its sovereignty over the democratically run island.  

The navy said the exercises involving the Liaoning, one of its two aircraft carriers, are routine and assigned under an annual schedule. China has been steadily increasing its threat to take control of the island militarily with exercises and incursions into the island’s air defense identification zone by Chinese warplanes. 

In a statement issued on late Monday, the navy said more such drills will be held in the future but did not say when the exercises began or how long they would last.  

It said the exercises aim to “assist in improving the ability to safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” terms often interpreted as being directed at Taiwan’s democratically elected government, which has refused to give in to Beijing’s demands that it recognizes the island as part of Chinese territory. 

China operates two aircraft carriers, of which the Liaoning, originally purchased as a hulk from Ukraine, is the first, having been operating in a combat role since at least 2019. 

China and Taiwan have had separate governments since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Beijing has long tried to limit Taiwan's international activities and both have vied for influence in the Pacific region. 

Taiwan is China’s most sensitive territorial issue and a potential military flashpoint. China has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. 

In recent years, tensions have increased and Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to take the island back. 

AMMAN, 6 April, 2021, (TON): Jordan’s former crown Prince Hamzah bin Hussein has signed a letter in which he promised to abide by the traditions and approaches of the ruling Hashemite monarch family, the royal court said in a statement.  

The announcement indicates that a rift within the royal family has come to an end, after what was reported at the weekend as an unprecedented political crisis in the kingdom. 

On Sunday, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister Ayman Safadi revealed details of what he said was a plot to undermine stability in the country, after arrests announced on Saturday. 

Prince Hamzah was among those blamed for supposedly sowing internal division, prompting rumors that a coup may have been attempted. 

According to the Jordanian royal court, the letter read that in light of the events over the "past two days, I put myself at the disposal of His Majesty the King, and I reaffirm that I will always remain committed to the covenant of the ancestors, loyal to their legacy, following in their footsteps, devoted to their path and mission, and to His Majesty the King." 

At the bottom left of the letter, Hamzah -- the oldest son of Jordan's late King Hussein and his American-born wife Queen Noor -- signed off with a note indicating that he is at his uncle Prince Hassan's house. 

Prince Hassan had been appointed by King Abdullah II to deal with the dispute, according to an earlier statement from the Royal Court on Monday, and Hassan also signed the letter. 

Hamzah was initially considered the favorite to succeed his father. However, before King Hussein died of cancer in 1999, he named Abdullah his successor, as Hamzah was seen as too inexperienced and young to become a monarch. 

King Abdullah appointed Hamzah crown prince in 1999 before revoking the title in 2004. 

The US and a growing list of Arab countries have voiced their backing of King Abdullah. 

NEW YORK, 6 April, 2021, (TON): The United States expects indirect talks with Iran that begin on Tuesday about both sides resuming compliance with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal to be "difficult" and does not foresee any early breakthrough. 

Iran and the United States said on Friday they would hold indirect talks in Vienna Tuesday (today) as part of a wider effort to revive the nuclear deal between Tehran and global powers, formally called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). 

Tehran has ruled out face-to-face bilateral discussions. 

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Monday that, "We don't underestimate the scale of the challenges ahead."   

"These are early days. We don't anticipate an early or immediate breakthrough as these discussions, we fully expect, will be difficult," he said.  

US Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley, a veteran of the Clinton and Obama administrations, will lead the US delegation to the talks, he added. 

The Biden administration has maintained the sanctions on Iran it inherited from the Trump administration, saying it wants both sides to resume complying with the JCPOA but that this requires negotiations.   

"Our goal at these talks … is to set the stage for that mutual return to compliance," Price said.   

Iran has laid down a tough line in advance, with its Foreign Ministry saying on Saturday that it wants the United States to lift all sanctions and rejects any "step-by-step" easing of restrictions.   

In 2015, Iran agreed a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with a group of world powers known as the P5+1 - the US, UK, France, China, Russia and Germany. 

It came after years of tension over Iran's alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon. Iran insisted that its nuclear programme was entirely peaceful, but the international community did not believe that. 

European officials expected to act as intermediaries between the U.S. and Iran. Indirect talks are to be held to revive the 2015 pact under which economic sanctions on Iran were eased in return for curbs on Iran's nuclear program to make it harder to develop a nuclear weapon.  

KATHMANDU, 6 April, 2021, (TON):  Nepal’s main opposition party Nepali Congress has initiated a move to topple Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and form an alternative government under its leadership with the support of the CPN-Maoist Centre and other parties. 

The Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress (NC) on Saturday decided to take an initiative to form a new government under its leadership, according to party’s senior leader Prakash Man Singh.  

“The NC will ask Prime Minister Oli to step down and allow formation of a new government,” said Singh and added that “If he does not resign, the NC will move a no-trust motion against him in the House of Representatives and take initiative to form a new government under its leadership to save the democratic achievements of the past.” 

There is very much possibility of regression threatening the democratic republic system hard earned by the people through various movements, as Prime Minister Oli's unconstitutional move has posed a threat to democracy, he added. 

Prime Minister Oli's dissolution of the House of Representatives in December triggered a political crisis in Nepal. However, in a landmark ruling, the apex court in February reinstated the lower house of Parliament. 

The political scenario in the country worsened after the Supreme Court last month nullified CPN-MC's merger with CPN-UML. The two parties had merged in May 2018 to form a unified Nepal Communist Party following the victory of their alliance in the 2017 general elections. 

Nepal politics is taking new turns after the NC decided to seek PM Oli’s resignation and take initiative to form the next government under its leadership. 

Meanwhile, the Standing Committee meeting of the Maoist party which was scheduled to take place on Sunday has been postponed as most of its members are outside Kathmandu. 

DHAKA, 6 April, 2021, (TON): A Bangladesh ferry carrying around 50 passengers collided with a cargo vessel and sank on Sunday in the Shitalakhsya River south of the capital Dhaka, leaving at least 26 people dead and a few still missing, officials said. 

Most of the dead were trapped inside the ferry after it was struck by the hulking cargo ship while crossing a river in central Bangladesh and then capsized, the authorities said. 

The bodies of 21 passengers were recovered from the ferry after an 11-hour salvage operation to pull the vessel from the water, said Golam Sadeq, chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority. 

Mustain Billah, deputy commissioner of the Naryanganj district, east of the capital, Dhaka, said he had opened an investigation into the cause of the collision. He said that the police, the military and the Inland Water Transport Authority were searching for the cargo ship. 

The ferry sank just after it departed from the industrial Narayanganj district about 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Dhaka, to Munshiganj. 

“Most of the bodies were found inside the sunken boat after it was dragged to the bank,” he said, adding a few still could be missing. 

Police and officials said some of the passengers managed to swim ashore. 

Rescuers, including divers from the fire brigade, were searching for survivors on Monday, while salvage operations were hampered by a storm last night. Relatives gathered at the river bank to search for their loved ones. 

The boat was packed with people rushing to leave the city after the government announced a week-long nationwide lockdown from Monday to tackle a spike in Covid-19 cases. 

Hundreds of people have died in accidents on Bangladesh’s rivers in recent decades, a low-lying country that has extensive inland waterways but lax safety standards. 

NEW DELHI, 6 April, 2021, (TON): Indian state refiners will buy 36% less oil from Saudi Arabia in May than normal, according to media reports.  

This comes as a sign of escalating tensions with Riyadh even after the Kingdom supported the idea of boosting output from OPEC and allied producers last week. 

India blames cuts by the Saudis and other oil producers for driving up crude prices as its economy tries to recover from the pandemic. 

According to the three sources mentioned in media reports, State-run refiners have placed orders to buy 9.5 million barrels of Saudi oil in May, compared with the previously planned 10.8 million barrels. The refiners; Indian Oil Corp, Bharat Petroleum Corp, Hindustan Petroleum Corp and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd normally buy 14.8 million barrels of Saudi oil in a month. 

The decision to buy less oil was taken on Monday, within two days of a telephone conversation between Indian oil minister Dharmendra Pradhan and his Saudi counterpart Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman on Saturday. 

On Sunday Saudi Aramco, the state oil company of the Kingdom, raised official selling price, or OSP, of its oil for Asia while cutting it for Europe and American markets. 

Tensions between the two countries further escalated after Abdulaziz last month advised India to use the stocks of crude it bought cheaply during the price slump in 2020. Pradhan termed Abdulaziz’s response as “undiplomatic”. 

Energy relations between India, the world's third biggest oil importer and consumer, and Saudi Arabia have soured as global oil prices spiked. 

In India, refiners are facing a tough cash flow situation, an official at one of the state refiners said. 

Asia accounts for more than 60 percent of world oil demand growth. The pandemic has roiled financial markets, with oil crashing by about 60 percent so far this year on track for its biggest quarterly loss ever. 

NEW DELHI, 6 April, 2021, (TON): Indian Security forces have stepped up to fight against Maoist guerrillas two days after left-wing extremists killed 23 security personnel in the jungles of the central Indian state of Chhattisgarh. 

At least 30 other members of the security forces were wounded in the four-hour gun battle with Maoist rebels that took place in Chhattisgarh state on Saturday, the deadliest ambush of its kind in four years. 

“The operation will be intensified,” said Om Prakash Pal, deputy inspector general of police, who is leading the fight against the rebels in Chhattisgarh. 

In one of the deadliest attacks in years, Naxals, or Maoists, ambushed a combined central and state security agency force as government troops hunted for extremists. 

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said on Monday that the fight against Maoists will be intensified in the coming days. 

While doing a press conference in the Jagdalpur district of the state after paying tributes to the victims he said, “The lives of the security personnel will not be wasted.”  

“In the past five or six years many security camps have been opened in Maoist areas in Chhattisgarh. This attack is a result of their desperation,” he said, adding that “the action against the extremists will take a decisive turn.” 

In 2010, left-wing insurgents killed 76 paramilitary personnel belonging to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the state police force in Chhattisgarh. In 2013, 25 CRPF personnel were gunned down in the Sukma area of the state. 

The Maoists, also known as Naxals, have waged an armed struggle against government forces for decades. They say they are fighting for the poor who have been left behind in India’s economic boom. 

TOKYO, 6 April, 2021, (TON): The Dollar dropped to an almost two-week low versus its peers on Tuesday, moving in tandem with retreating Treasury yields from recent peaks despite signs of a robust U.S. economic recovery. 
The dollar index tumbled at its lowest level since March 25, slipping further in early Asian trading following a 0.4% decline on Monday. The softer turn comes after it hit an almost five-month peak on Wednesday, last week. 
The yen continued to recover from a more than one-year low near 111 per dollar, briefly strengthening back below 109 on Tuesday. The euro extended its rise from a nearly five-month trough close to $1.17 to trade as high as $1.1821.  

The greenback has risen strongly this year, along with Treasury yields.  

The Australian dollar, considered a proxy for risk appetite, edged higher to $0.7657 after rallying 0.8% to start the week. The Reserve Bank of Australia will announce a policy decision later on Tuesday, with no change expected. 

But the dollar’s drop this week even after Friday’s much-stronger-than-expected monthly payrolls data was followed on Monday by the highest reading for services industry activity on record may indicate that much of the bullish outlook is priced in for now. 

According to data and market trackers CoinGecko and Blockfolio, the cryptocurrency market capitalization hit an all-time peak of $2 trillion on Monday, as gains over the last several months attracted demand from both institutional and retail investors. 

KINSHASA, 5 April, 2021 (TON): On Sunday, the Foreign ministers from Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan kicked off negotiations in Kinshasa over a decade-long contested Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, officials said.

President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Félix Tshisekedi who became chairman of the African Union in February, urged the foreign ministers "to launch a new dynamic".

Tshisekedi said,  "The human dimension must be at the heart of these tripartite negotiations."

"I ask you all to make a fresh start, to open one or several windows of hope, to seize every opportunity," he said.

He welcomed the willingness of the participants "to seek African solutions for African problems together".

The people of all three countries have a right to water, food and health, he stressed.

However, Egypt and Sudan this month called on Kinshasa to steer efforts to re-launch negotiations on the contested dam. Meanwhile, the US ambassador to the DR Congo, Mike Hammer, attended the start of the talks, which were set to wrap up on Monday.