THIMPHU, 24 March, 2021 (TON): Despite the company extending the deadline by 45 days that expired on Monday, Pemi Dejung Kuenphan private limited (PDKPL) in Samdrupjongkhar missed the deadline to supply earthmoving equipment (EMEs) to the State Mining Corporation limited (SMCL).

As per the schedule, PDKPL was supposed to take over the coal extraction works at Tshophangma mines in Samdrupcholing from 1 April, if the required EMEs were supplied within the deadline.

PDKPL’s chairman, Arjun Chamlagai, said that they immediately ordered the EMEs from TCD pvt ltd and paid Nu 20 million (M) advance and applied for a Nu 126.53M loan to Royal Insurance Corporation of Bhutan limited (RICBL) for the remaining payment.

As per the reports, the company has also collected more than Nu 30.67M from over 4,000 shareholders in the community so far.

“The EMEs were supposed to reach on March 18 and 19, but TCD couldn’t deliver as it didn’t get a letter of credit (LC) from the bank,” he said.

Since the EMEs have reached Kolkata in India, the chairman said. “PDKPL is ready to start the mining works as soon as we receive the EMEs from the supplier.”

Arjun Chamlagai said that TCD on 21 March had written to the SMCL for a time extension saying, “We’ve mortgaged our property worth Nu 60M as a small help for the betterment of thousands of people in Samdrupcholing. We might also need a few more days from the date of LC to bring in those EMEs.”

However, a shareholder, Sonam Wangdi, highlighted that they could not ask for additional time extension as they were worried about losing the mining works.

WASHINGTON, 24 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the Embassy of Nepal in Washington DC issued a press release concerning the increasing violence against the people of Asian origin in the U.S.

In the statement, the embassy also expressed concern over the recent shooting in Atlanta in which eight people lost their lives.

The mission also mentioned that it had followed the recent case of assault against a Nepali Uber driver in San Francisco while thanking the American people and the law enforcement agencies for bringing the culprits to book.

​​​​Furthermore, it has condemned all kinds of violence and discrimination against any racial group, and expressed faith that justice will be delivered soon.

Meanwhile, the embassy also urged Nepal nationals to live in the U.S. peacefully, abide by the laws of the land and respect the American culture for the embassy stressed that Nepalis are at heart, peace-loving people and values like diversity, tolerance, mutual respect, and harmony are at the core Nepalis as the citizens and as a nation.

GENEVA, 24 March, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet received a mandate to gather crime evidence during Sri Lanka’s long civil war that ended in 2009 with the defeat of the separatist Tamil Tigers causing massive civilian deaths.

In the 26-year conflict, the United Nations believes 80,000-100,000 people died.

The upsurge demanded of the rebels to seek carving out a separate state for the Tamil minority.

The organization, however, has accused both sides of war crimes.

In the final months, the army pinned the Tigers into a tiny strip of northeastern coast where the government says the rebels kept thousands of civilians as human shields, thus the death toll got worsen.

A rights lawyer involved in a civil prosecution against Sri Lanka's current President Gotabaya Rajapaksa for alleged war crimes, Yasmin Sooka said, "It is hugely significant for victims."

"It really is recognition that at the domestic level, processes have failed and there is no real hope that victims will access justice," she added.

However, the UNHRC adopted a resolution led by the Britain that gave the Bachelet's office new staff, powers and a $2.8 million budget to look at Sri Lanka's war with a view to future prosecutions. Twenty-two votes were in favor and 11 against that included China and Pakistan, and 14 denied voting including neighboring India.

DHAKA, 24 March, 2021 (TON): In the backdrop of Indian PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Bangladesh for the double celebrations, activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) have clashed with leftist students at Dhaka University.

On Tuesday afternoon, least 20 people, including journalists, were injured in the clashes at Soparjito Swadhinata Chattar near the TSC, witnessed said.

In the morning, the members of BCL, the ruling Awami League’s student wing, gathered in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture on the campus to resist a program announced by Chhatra Federation that had plans to burn Modi’s sculpture.

Ahead of his visit, the students have been demonstrating against Modi, demanding he be barred from entering Bangladesh due to his government’s policy towards minority groups.  

In a failed attempt to demonstrate in front of Raju Memorial Sculpture, the Chhatra Federation followers gathered at Sanjeeb Chattar of the TSC. .

When the leftist students started burning Modi’s photo, the BCL activists tried to disperse them that triggered a running battle between the two.

However, more than 20 leaders and activists of the leftist student groups were taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment of their injuries, according to the reports.

ANKARA, 23 March, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the Turkish authorities arrested at least 150 suspected supporters of U.S. based Islamic cleric Fethullah Gulen, including soldiers on active duty, over their links to the failed 2016 coup.

The media reported, police and gendarmerie were searching for 34 other suspects in 53 towns and cities.

The suspects include 123 active duty soldiers from the land, air, naval and gendarmerie forces.

Thirty-eight others are former cadets, who were purged following a failed coup by a faction in the military on 15 July, 2016.

However, Turkey sees Gulen's movement as a terrorist group and has jailed thousands over alleged links to the cleric.

KABUL, 23 March, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, an avalanche swept away a house in Afghanistan’s Badakhshan province, left two casualties and others injured.

The official said, the incident took place early morning in the Sangich village of the mountainous Shakai district, killing a father and a son and injuring two others from the same family.

However, the Badakhshan and the neighbouring Takhar, Kunduz and Baghlan provinces have witnessed rains and snow over the past couple of days.

BEIJING, 23 March, 2021 (TON): Amid criticism and western sanctions over alleged human rights violations, the foreign ministers of China and Russia displayed unity at their meeting on Tuesday.
Wang Yi and Sergei Lavrov at their initial meeting in the southern Chinese city of Nanning on Monday accused the U.S. of interference in other countries’ affairs and urged it to rejoin the Iran nuclear agreement.

Russia and China both have maintained close relations with Tehran.
On Tuesday, Wang sharply criticized coordinated sanctions brought by the European Union, Britain, Canada and the United States against Chinese officials over human rights abuses in China’s far western Xinjiang region.

“Countries should stand together to oppose all forms of unilateral sanctions,” Wang said.

“These measures will not be embraced by the international community,” he added.
China and Russia were rivals for leadership of the communist world during the Cold War but have built a strong relationship in recent years based on opposition to the U.S-led liberal order and cooperation in military affairs, technology and trade in natural resources.

Russia has been under Western sanctions for years over its seizure of the Crimea, support for separatists in western Ukraine and attacks on government critics.
China and the US held contentious talks in Hawaii last week while US-Russia relations took a severe hit on Thursday after Putin shot back at Biden’s comments.

RIYADH, 23 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held a meeting with his Bosnia and Herzegovinian counterpart Bisera Turkovic in Riyadh.

During the meeting, they also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern and ways to cope with the pandemic.

Saudi Foreign Ministry said, “They discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them in a way that serves their common interests.”
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir also held talks with Turkovic during her visit.
Prince Faisal bin Farhan expressed readiness for Saudi Arabia to help Bosnia and Herzegovina in the coping with the pandemic.

NEW DELHI, 23 March, 2021 (TON): On a visit to India, Afghan Minister of foreign affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar met his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar.

In the wide ranging talks on Monday, the focus was on the peace process in Afghanistan that is making efforts to build regional and international consensus on the peace talks.

Key issues, including strengthening security cooperation, regional connectivity and trade and investments were also discussed during the meeting between Jaishankar and Atmar.

Jaishankar tweeted, “Welcome FM M Haneef Atmar of Afghanistan. Detailed conversation on the peace process and also exchanged views on our bilateral cooperation and development partnership.”

“Arrived in beautiful & historic city of Delhi for a 3-day working visit,” Atmar said on Twitter.

The Afghan foreign ministry affirmed the purpose of Atmar’s visit to India is to discuss bilateral relations, strengthen regional and international consensus on the Afghan peace process, and enhance cooperation in security, economic, political and cultural spheres.

However, besides holding talks with Jaishankar, Atmar is scheduled to meet a number of high-ranking Indian government officials, including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

BRUSSELS, 23 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the European Union imposed sanctions on Eritrea for alleged human rights violations, including extra-judicial killings, torture, enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests.

The EU did not give further details on the sanctions but this month the United Nations accused Eritrean troops of operating in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region and there are reports that suggest they were responsible for atrocities.

After the foreign ministers of the 27-nation bloc agreed to the measures, EU said, "The National Security Office is responsible for serious human rights violations in Eritrea, in particular arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances of persons and torture."

On the other hand, Eritrea's foreign ministry said, "The EU has no legal or moral prerogative for its decision and has merely invoked trumped-up charges to harass Eritrea for other ulterior motives."

However, the sanctions will mean asset freezes in the European Union and individuals and entities in the bloc cannot make funds available to those listed.