KHARTOUM, 08 September 2021, (TON): The UN denied claims that refugee camps in Sudan were being used by Ethiopian rebels as a bolthole after Ethiopian officials said fighters had been caught with refugee ID cards.

Tens of thousands of Ethiopian refugees have streamed across the border into Sudan since war broke out 10 months ago in Ethiopia's northernmost Tigray region, exacerbating tensions between the two Horn of Africa neighbours.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent troops into Tigray to topple the regional ruling party, the Tigray People's Liberation Front, saying the move came in response to TPLF attacks on army camps.

Although the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner vowed a swift victory, the war has dragged on and spread into the neighbouring Afar and Amhara regions.

In recent days, Ethiopian officials have said TPLF fighters recently crossed from Sudan to Ethiopia carrying IDs issued by the UN refugee agency UNHCR.

KABUL, 08 September 2021, (TON): The Taliban have rejected allegations that Pakistan had been interfering in the internal affairs of Afghanistan, saying the group “acted with complete freedom”.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said while addressing a press conference in Kabul “the interference of Pakistan is a rumour that has been spread about for 20 years... we don’t allow interference.”

Mujahid added that the group acted with “complete freedom” and defeated those countries which “had been occupying” Afghanistan.

He added “from the outset, we fought for the sake of Islam and this country.”

The top spokesperson said that certain elements are trying to create rifts between Afghanistan and Pakistan. “We have sacrificed for the defence and for the people of this country and will not allow any interference.”

A day earlier, Zabihullah Mujahid had reiterated that Pakistan’s concerns on various issues were justified and the group would address those concerns.

TEL AVIV, 08 September 2021, (TON): Military plans dealing with Iran’s nuclear programme have been “greatly accelerated”, Israel’s military chief warned, as questions on the ability to revive a landmark accord limiting Tehran’s weapons development continue to grow.

Preparations for possible action against Iran are being intensified, Chief of General Staff Aviv Kohavi said in an interview “a significant chunk of the boost to the defence budget, as was recently agreed, was intended for this purpose.”

Kohavi told media “it’s a very complicated job with much more intelligence, much more operational capabilities, much more armaments. We’re working on all these things.”

He also said “efforts were under way throughout the Middle East to check Iran’s allies.”

KABUL, 08 September 2021, (TON): Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Tuesday announced 33 members of the "acting" government, saying that it will be led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund while the group's co-founder Abdul Ghani Baradar will be the deputy Afghan leader.

Key figures in the interim govt:

Prime Minister: Mohammad Hasan Akhund

Deputy Prime Minister: Abdul Ghani Baradar

Interior Minister: Sirjauddin Haqqani

Foreign Minister: Amir Khan Muttaqi

Deputy Foreign Minister: Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai

Defence Minister: Mullah Yaqoob

Finance Minister: Mullah Hidayatullah

Deputy Culture and Information Minister: Zabihullah Mujahid

Army Chief: Fasihuddin Badakhshani

Taliban's deputy leader Sirajuddin Haqqani will be the acting interior minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi will be the acting foreign minister, political chief Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai will be the acting deputy foreign minister and Mullah Yaqoob will be the acting defence minister, he announced during a press conference in Kabul.

Mujahid himself will be the deputy culture and information minister, Fasihuddin Badakhshani will be the army chief, and Mullah Hidayatullah will be the finance minister.

KATHMANDU, 08 September 2021, (TON): Four hydroelectricity projects operating in Myagdi, Mustang, and Parbat have halted power production after a transmission tower collapsed. The transmission tower at Chuwa of Kushma Municipality-8, Parbat district has fallen down, leading to disruption in the supply of a total of 70.6 megawatts of electricity from two power plants from Myagdi and one each from Parbat and Mustang.

The Number 4 tower of the 132 KV transmission line connecting the powerhouse of the Modikhola-1 Hydroelectricity Project with the Modi sub-station had collapsed due to the flood and landslide that occurred last Friday.

Upendra Gautam, Managing Director of United Modi, the promoter of the 10-megawatt-capacity Modi-1 Hydroelectricity Project, said that the rest of the hydropower projects connected to the national transmission grid via the Modi sub-station have been affected due to this.

It is said soil and debris have been deposited in the 500 metres long canal of the Modi-1 project. Its dam has also been damaged due to the flooding.

Along with Modi-1, the 42 megawatts capacity Mistrikhola hydroelectricity project at Narchyang, Annapurna Rural Municipality-4, and the five megawatts capacity Ghalemdikhola project in Myagdi district, as well as the 13.6 megawatts capacity Thapakhola Hydropower Project at Tukuche in Mustang, have stopped production.

VIENNA, 08 September 2021, (TON): The IAEA said in a report that its monitoring tasks in Iran had been “seriously undermined” after Tehran suspended some of the UN agency’s inspections of the country’s nuclear activities.

In February Iran suspended some IAEA inspections in response to the United States’ refusal to lift sanctions on Iran.

“Since 23 February 2021 the Agency’s verification and monitoring activities have been seriously undermined as a result of Iran’s decision to stop the implementation of its nuclear-related commitments” under the 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in its report.

It added “Iran has boosted its stocks of uranium enriched above the percentage allowed in the 2015 deal.”

NEW DELHI, 08 September 2021, (TON): A delegation from the Defence Services Command and Staff College, Batalanda now on a study visit to India, called on the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to India Milinda Moragoda at the High Commission in New Delhi.

The delegation which was led by Major Gen. Lasith Herath also included Capt. (SLN) Buddhika Liyanagamage, Lt. Col. Waruna Ponnamperuma, as well as student officers Wing Cdr. Pradeep Fernando, Cdr. Danushka Wijesinghe and Major Didula Amarasekara representing the tri-forces. The High Commission’s Defence Advisor Commodore Thushara Karunatunga also attended the meeting.

The Indian government has initiated a visit by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces to New Delhi aimed at strengthening defence cooperation with specific focus on industrial expertise. After a gap of over seven years, the Sri Lankan delegation to New Delhi comprises 39 officers of all three Service Headquarters while also getting familiarised with the routine of tri-service field formations. During this study visit the team will spend two weeks in Delhi, Pune and Mumbai.

OTTAWA, 08 September 2021, (TON): Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, seeking a third term in office in snap elections later this month, has repeatedly faced off against angry protesters on the campaign trail. And now, one has even thrown stones at him.

The incident happened as the Liberal Party leader was leaving an event at a microbrewery in London, a city southwest of Toronto in Ontario province. Someone in the crowd threw what appeared to be a handful of gravel at the prime minister, TV images showed.

Trudeau, members of his security detail and journalists were reportedly struck. No one was injured.

The incident drew condemnation from Trudeau's main rival, Conservative leader Erin O'Toole, and New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh.

WASHINGTON, 08 September 2021, (TON): Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar.  Together with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Secretary Austin thanked His Highness Al Thani for Qatar’s extraordinary support in facilitating the safe transit of U.S. citizens and Afghans and other individuals at risk from Afghanistan.

They also affirmed the strength of the U.S.-Qatar strategic partnership and discussed a range of other issues related to regional security and stability. 

Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken met with Qatar Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, Qatar. 

Secretary Austin and Secretary Blinken thanked the two leaders for the wide range of support Qatar provided during airlift operations, as well as for Qatar’s hospitality in continuing to host U.S. forces in Qatar.

DHAKA, 08 September 2021, (TON): UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has stressed on a coordinated international response on Afghanistan aimed at safeguarding regional stability, as he held a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen.

Momen, who is on a visit to The Netherlands now, held the meeting on a virtual platform as his scheduled in-person meeting with Raab in London was not held on September 2 as the latter had to fly to Qatar for talks on Afghanistan.

The Taliban, after taking control of Afghanistan on August 15, are now in the process of forming a government, but a humanitarian catastrophe was already approaching amid millions of displaced people and a food crisis looming large.

During the meeting with Foreign Minister Momen, Raab discussed the strong relationship between the UK and Bangladesh.

He congratulated Bangladesh on its golden jubilee of independence and welcomed the last 50 years of UK-Bangladesh relations, while reiterating UK's support for the action Bangladesh has taken on climate change in the run up to COP26 and beyond, especially the country's transition away from coal to clean and renewable energy.

He pressed for Bangladesh to commit to a 2050 net zero target.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab conveyed the UK's appreciation to Bangladesh for hosting the Rohingya refugees, while reaffirming the UK's continued support to ensure dignified lives for the refugees in Bangladesh, to enable the Rohingya to return home to Rakhine state, and to maintain pressure on Myanmar.