NEW DELHI, 05 December 2021, (TON): The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farm unions, formed a five-member committee to hold talks with the Centre.

Addressing a press briefing, the protesting farmers have said that they will not move from protest sites till the government withdraws cases registered against them during stir against farm laws.

Farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said "SKM has formed a 5-member committee to talk to the government. It'll be the authorised body to talk to the government. The committee will have Balbir Singh Rajewal, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Charuni, Yudhvir Singh & Ashok Dhawale.”

He added "the next meeting has now been fixed for December 7 with the next two days kept for the government to respond to it and work along with the 5-member committee to resolve the pending issues to its logical conclusion.”

The central government has passed a Bill in Parliament to repeal three contentious farm laws, which triggered a year of protest by farmers at Delhi's border points.

Repeal of farm laws was one of the main demands of thousands of farmer protesters. But the stalemate continues as other demands of farmers such as legal guarantee on MSP, compensation to families of farmers who died during the movement and withdrawal of cases against them are still to be met.

NEW DELHI, 05 December 2021, (TON): The signing of bilateral agreements between the Russian Federation and India in the fields of defense, space, transport, science and technology, education and other spheres is expected during the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India on December 6.

Russian Ambassador to India Nikolai Kudashev announced this to Russian journalists in New Delhi.

The head of the diplomatic mission said “we should expect to reach agreements in such areas as interconnectedness and transport, science and technology, space, military and military-technical cooperation, culture, education. This is not a complete list.”

Kudashev added “with regard to such a traditionally sensitive area of our relations as military-technical ties, then we can expect movement forward.”

He noted that Moscow and New Delhi are moving from supplier-buyer relations to joint production, joint development and joint development of new promising weapons.

The Russian ambassador noted the importance of the upcoming meeting of the leaders of the two countries.

DHAKA, 05 December 2021, (TON): Bangladesh High Commissioner to Maldives Mohammad Nazmul Hasan said “the bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Maldives is better than ever.”

Talking to journalists at the Bangladesh High Commission office in the Hulhumale area of the Maldives in the evening, he also said that discussions were underway with the Maldivian government to regularize the illegal Bangladeshis.

"There are about 100,000 Bangladeshi workers. Of them, 50,000 workers are illegal."

“About 100 Bangladeshis are in jail for various crimes including drug and child abuse. The process of sending 30 of them to Bangladesh is underway."

He said “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina may visit the Maldives this month.”

During the premier’s visit, the development of trade between the two countries, the regularization of Bangladeshi irregular expatriates, and some other economic issues will get priority.

DHAKA, 05 December 2021, (TON): President Abdul Hamid urged world leaders to work for ending discriminations based on race, faith, colour, religion and ethnicity and ensuring equal opportunities for all.

He highlighted how global inequities and injustices are the real threats to international peace.

He said "we must end discriminations based on race, faith, colour, religion and ethnicity, and ensure equal opportunities for all.”

President Hamid made the call while inaugurating the World Peace Conference 2021 that has brought together global thinkers, writers, poets, singers and political personalities, aiming to promote a culture of peace and tolerance, reports UNB.

He said “a fair international system is also essential for all peoples of the world. We shouldn’t forget that we live in a shared planet and we’ve shared responsibilities, too.”

Hamid said “Bangladesh believes that peace around the world is the best guarantee for our national security following the constitutional obligations.”

He added "we’ll continue our efforts to resolve conflicts through peaceful means and promote peace across the globe.”

DHAKA, 04 December 2021, (TON): Saudi ambassador to Bangladesh Issa bin Youssef Al-Duhailan visited the proposed Islamic Arabic Institute on the campus of Islamic Arabic University at Ghatarchar and Madhyarchar mouza in Keraniganj upazila of Dhaka district.

A press release said “Islamic Arabic University vice-chancellor Muhammad Ahsan Ullah received him with heartfelt greetings.”

Mohammad Javed Patwari, Bangladesh ambassador to Saudi Arabia, SM Ehsan Kabir, treasurer, Islamic Arabic University, Md Iqbal Hossain Khan, director general, West Asia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Md Shahidul Islam, deputy commissioner of Dhaka, Mollah Mohammad Anisuzzaman, deputy secretary, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, and Keraniganj upazila chairman Shahin Ahmed were present on the occasion.

ISLAMABAD, 04 December 2021, (TON): Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations Munir Akram has given Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi’s letter highlighting the human rights violations in Indian-held Kashmir to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) President Abdou Abarry.

Ambassador Akram called on the UN official to convey to him the federal minister’s letter that has a message about the grim humanitarian violations being allowed by the Indian government in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Taking to social media, Akram said, “Today, I personally conveyed letter from my FM H.E Shah Mahmood Qureshi to H.E. Abdou Abarry,President UNSC, expressing Pakistan’s deep concern over grave violations of human rights in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir & the accompanying threat to int’l peace & security.”

WARSAW (RIA Novosti): According to a joint statement by the heads of state released “the presidents of Lithuania , Poland and Ukraine Gitanas Nauseda , A-ndrzej Duda and Volodymyr Zelen-skiy have called for new sanctions against Russia.”

The statement is timed to the 30th anniversary of the recognition of Ukraine’s independence by Poland and Lithuania.

The presidents called on the international community “to strengthen sanctions against the Russian Federation in connection with its ongoing aggression against Ukraine” and “once again called on the Kremlin to de-escalate the situation by withdrawing its troops from the Ukrainian borders and temporarily occupied territories.”

The parties also stressed that the relationship of a real strategic partnership between the countries “has successfully stood the test of time and continue to strengthen” and reaffirmed their commitment to further develop the strategic partnership between Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland based on common values and interests.

Reaffirmed their clear commitment to further expand their cooperation on a wide range of issues, such as security, defense, economy, energy and others, including within the framework of the Lublin Triangle format.

The Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Poland reaffirm their full support for Ukraine’s membership in the EU and NATO; expressed mutual support and solidarity in connection with the migration crisis artificially created and organized by Minsk on the Lithuanian-Belarusian and Polish-Belarusian borders, and declared their determination to join forces to counter this crisis.

BRUSSELS: The Council of Europe has decided to provide Ukraine with funds within the framework of the European Fund for Peace.

The country’s Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said “the money was allocated to strengthen the defense capabilities of Ukraine.”

The minister wrote “the EU Council decided to provide Ukraine with € 31 million to strengthen its defense capabilities within the framework of the European Peace Fund. We highly appreciate this step, which once again testified to the strategic nature of relations between Ukraine and the EU.”

Kuleba specified that the financial package, in particular, will include the provision of material and technical assistance for the development and strengthening of the potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Such assistance, the minister added, will affect four areas – medicine, engineering capabilities and measures for mine clearance, mobility and logistics, and cyber security.

The statement on the website of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said “it is expected that the implementation of these directions will begin in the near future,”

TRIPOLI (AFP): A Libyan court reinstated Seif al-Islam Kadhafi, son of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, as a candidate in next month’s presidential election, the latest twist in an increasingly shaky transition.

Seif al-Islam had emerged in July after years in the shadows, telling media that he was planning a political comeback to “restore the lost unity” of Libya, a decade after it was plunged into chaos by the 2011 NATO-backed revolt that overthrew and killed his father.

He had been the first heavyweight candidate to register for the election, part of a UN-brokered process aimed at bringing peace to the North African nation.

But the electoral commission last month rejected his application, pointing to articles of the electoral law stipulating that candidates “must not have been sentenced for a dishonourable crime” and must present a clean criminal record.

The government in Tripoli said that Seif al-Islam had lodged an appeal in the southern city of Sebha, but last week a “group of outlaws” launched an “odious” attack on the court, forcing it to shut hours before the hearing.

LONDON: The Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei to Downing Street.

The leaders praised the strength of the UK-Brunei relationship, as exemplified by the UK-Brunei Garrison Agreement and the visit of the UK’s Carrier Strike Group to Brunei in October. They looked forward to the inaugural UK-Brunei Strategic Dialogue, taking place next week.

The Prime Minister thanked the Sultan for his support, as Chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, for the UK becoming a Dialogue Partner of the group this year.

The Prime Minister said that the UK’s new partnership with ASEAN, alongside the inaugural deployment of the Carrier Strike Group to the region and our application to join the CPTPP trade agreement, were all part of our increased commitment to the Indo-Pacific, a region of vital importance.