KATHMANDU, 12 September 2021, (TON): Newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Prabhuram Sharma has outlined vision, priorities and work plan after assuming leadership of the Nepal Army (NA) at a program organized at NA Headquarters.

Addressing the program, he urged the NA ranks to remain prepared to protect and promote national interests through effective discharge of constitutional duties. He said he would seek to develop the NA as a timely, transformative, capable, dynamic and effective organization keeping in mind existing and potential challenges.

He also unveiled a policy to raise the living standards of NA personnel and dependents through expanded welfare work.

He said that the military textbooks would be reviewed while formulating and validating the national military strategy in line with the national defense policy. He said the successful implementation of 3 Plus 1 Command would be carried out on the basis of these policies, strategies and texts.

He also elaborated on expanding and improving access to education and health services within the organization.

He said that special initiative would be taken to complete the construction of Kathmandu-Terai Expressway, a project of national pride, within the stipulated time.

The COAS announced that the NA would be developed as a reliable and credible institution by increasing its qualitative participation in the United Nations Mission.

KATHMANDU, 12 September 2021, (TON): A government-led border dispute study team has reached Humla for field study relating to the Chinese border despite China’s denial that there is no border dispute with Nepal.

According to sources, a team of officials led by Jaya Prasad Acharya, an undersecretary at the Ministry of Home Affairs, has reached Simkot, Jumla.

Acharya’s team is scheduled to hold discussions with the people’s representatives, political parties, local administration and civil society in Simkot.

The team will leave for Lapcha on September 13.

The committee will study about all the 15 border posts in Humla section of Nepal-China border.

The government had formed a study committee from the cabinet meeting saying that China had crossed the border.

MALE, 12 September 2021, (TON): Male’ City Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has departed on a seven-day official visit to Turkey.

According to Male’ City Council, Muizzu, during his visit to Turkey, will meet with the mayors of Turkish cities in order to reinforce ties and seek assistance to develop Male’ City.

He is accompanied on the visit by Male’ City Council’s Management Consultant Hassan Zareer and Senior Council Executive Ahmed Shareef.

Male’ City Council has been conducting a number of initiates to address longstanding issues facing the congested Maldivian capital, including building parking zones across the city to ease traffic.

The council is also conducting a streetscaping project to redevelop the roads of Male’ City in collaboration with Road Development Corporation (RDC).

KINSHASA, 11 September 2021, (TON): The UN refugee agency said “more than 1,200 civilians have been killed in the restive DR Congo provinces of Ituri and North Kivu so far this year and millions of people now need humanitarian aid in the eastern region.”

Democratic Republic of Congo authorities declared a state of siege in May, an exceptional measure aimed at ending the reign of terror by armed groups operating in the region, most notably the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

UN refugee agency spokesman Boris Cheshirkov told reporters in Geneva “the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners, recorded more than 1,200 civilian deaths and 1,100 rapes this year" in the two most affected provinces of North Kivu and Ituri.”

"Attacks attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) armed group have increased in brutality since late 2020, and the frequency of killings of civilians has not abated despite the state of siege," the UN refugee agency added.

UN sources said that last weekend rebels shot or hacked to death at least 30 people in a new massacre in Ituri.

KABUL, 11 September 2021, (TON): An estimated 200 foreigners, including Americans, left Afghanistan on a commercial flight out of Kabul with the cooperation of the Taliban, the first such large-scale departure since U.S. forces completed their frantic withdrawal over a week ago.

The Qatar Airways flight to Doha marked a breakthrough in the bumpy coordination between the U.S. and Afghanistan’s new rulers. A dayslong standoff over charter planes at another airport has left hundreds of mostly Afghan people stranded, waiting for Taliban permission to leave.

The official said “a senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to talk to the media, said the Taliban’s foreign minister and deputy prime minister helped facilitate the flight. Americans, U.S. green card holders and other nationalities, including Germans, Hungarians and Canadians, were aboard.”

Qatari envoy Mutlaq bin Majed al-Qahtani said another 200 passengers will leave Afghanistan on Friday.

GAZA, 11 September 2021, (TON): Palestinians across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are gathering for a day of rage on Friday in support of the six Palestinian prisoners, who escaped from an Israeli prison, heeding the call of Hamas and other Palestinian resistance groups.

They are also protesting against the punitive measures that the Israeli jail authorities have imposed on imprisoned members of the Islamic Jihad, another group active in the Gaza Strip, in the wake of a brazen escape from one of the country’s most secure prisons.

Several relatives of the escaped prisoners have been arrested, including three people on Friday morning, as part of an Israeli manhunt to capture them.

The six men tunnelled out of the high-security Gilboa jail on Monday, triggering celebration and solidarity protests in the Palestinian territories. Israeli forces were on their second-highest level of alert on Friday, below declaring a state of emergency, prepared for protests in the occupied Palestinian territories and possible riots within Israeli jails.

More than 100 Palestinian protesters moved towards the valley below the illegal Israeli settlement of Evyatar which is constructed on agricultural land expropriated from the villagers. On the hill above, groups of Israeli soldiers monitored youths who burned tyres and threw stones. Periodically, drones flew over the young men, dropping tear gas on them, while others buzzed close above taking pictures.

ISLAMABAD, 11 September 2021, (TON): Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa reiterated Pakistan's commitment to peace in Afghanistan, stressing constructive engagement and humanitarian support in the neighbouring country.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated “Gen Bajwa's remarks came as he chaired the 243rd Corps Commanders Conference (CCC).”

In a series of tweets from the DG ISPR's official account the military's media wing reported that the participants took comprehensive review of global, regional and domestic security environment. Forum was apprised on prevalent situation in Afghanistan, especially security along Pak-Afghan Border and effective safeguards in place against various threats.

The ISPR added that the COAS expressed satisfaction over the efficacy of the comprehensive border management regime due to which Pakistan’s borders and internal security remained intact amid a crisis-like situation in the region.

The communique said "the COAS concluded that the designs of external and internal forces inimical to peace and stability in Pakistan shall be thwarted at all costs."

The ISPR added that the "COAS appreciated Army’s support and role towards the overall evacuation & transit related effort under taken in support of evacuation of foreign and Afghan populace from Afghanistan to other countries."

Reiterating Pakistan’s firm commitment to peace, the COAS said “constructive engagement and sustained humanitarian support for Afghanistan by world community is imperative for enduring peace and stability."

BEIRUT, 11 September 2021, (TON): Lebanon’s new Prime Minister Najib Mikati pledged Friday to do everything in his power to halt the country’s dramatic economic collapse, urging fractious politicians to work together after a new government was announced, the first in over a year.

Holding back tears, Mikati, one of the richest men in the country, spoke about Lebanese mothers who cannot feed their children, and students whose parents can no longer afford to send them to school.

“The situation is difficult but not impossible to deal with if we cooperate,” Mikati told reporters at the presidential palace, where the new government was announced.

The agreement breaks a 13-month deadlock that saw the country slide deeper into financial chaos and poverty over the past year.

Lebanon has been without a fully empowered government since the catastrophic Aug. 4, 2020 explosion at Beirut port, which forced the resignation of then Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s government.

Rival political groups had been locked in disagreement over the make-up of a new government since then, hastening the country’s economic meltdown.

The new Cabinet of 24 ministers headed by Mikati, a billionaire businessman, was announced by the president’s office, and later by the Secretary-General of the Council of Ministers, Mahmoud Makkieh. Ministers were handpicked by the same politicians who have ruled the country for the past decades, blamed by many for corruption and mismanagement leading to the country’s current crisis.

BERLIN, 11 September 2021, (TON): Germany, France and Poland are in favor of dialogue with Russia in areas of mutual interest. This is stated in the joint statement of the foreign ministers of the three countries, Heiko Maas, Jean-Yves Le Drian and Zbigniew Rau, circulated on Friday following the meeting on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Weimar Triangle.

The document said “we continue to call for selective dialogue and cooperation [with Russia] in areas of mutual interest.”

At the same time, it expresses concern “about Russia’s disrespect for the international order,” and also asserts that “Russia’s actions continue to undermine Euro-Atlantic security.”

The ministers also expressed their commitment to supporting civil society in the Russian Federation and expressed concern over what they believed to be the deteriorating human rights situation in Russia.

Regarding the settlement of the conflict in Ukraine, Maas, Le Drian and Rau stated the absence of “an alternative to the implementation of the Minsk agreements.” The three countries are ready “to continue supporting the Normandy format, as well as negotiations within the framework of the OSCE Trilateral Contact Group.” In addition, the ministers announced their support for the so-called Crimean platform. At the same time, they called for further efforts to implement reforms in Ukraine.

COLOMBO, 11 September 2021, (TON): Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris has sought greater economic cooperation with Iran, including enhanced bilateral trade, investment and the possibilities of cooperation in new sectors, such as tourism and energy.

The Minister made this request when the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Hashem Ashjazadeh called on him at the Foreign Ministry.

In his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Peiris highlighted the long standing friendly relations between Sri Lanka and Iran which have a proud legacy of two ancient and great civilizations.

In recent years, the bilateral relations have been reinvigorated by the exchange of high level visits that have contributed to closer cooperation and coordination, both at the bilateral level as well as in the international arena.

The Foreign Minister conveyed the Sri Lanka Government's appreciation for the steadfast support extended by the Islamic Republic Iran during the Human Rights Council sessions held in Geneva and at other multilateral fora.