NEW DELHI, 04 August 2021, (TON): At least 15 people have died, and lakhs of people were rendered homeless or marooned, as the flood situation in six districts of West Bengal aggravated, triggering a slugfest between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the opposition BJP over the release of excess water by the DVC.

officials said “around three lakh people got displaced after heavy rain in the last few days, followed by discharge of water from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) dams, inundated major parts of the districts of Purba Bardhaman, Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur, Hooghly, Howrah and South 24 Parganas.”

The DVC, since July 31, has released 5.43 lakh cusec of water till Tuesday evening. Seven people died and 2.5 lakh have been affected by the flood.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who keeps a tab on the relief and rescue operations and has sent ministers to the affected areas, is likely to conduct an aerial survey of Howrah and Hooghly districts to take stock of the situation.

She will later conduct an administrative meeting, officials said.

An official said "we are collecting the details of all 15 people who have lost their lives due to the flood. Some deaths are due to electrocution, snake bite, wall collapse. We are waiting for a final report from district administrations."

Several areas in the six affected districts are reeling under flood, with people struggling to wade through waist-deep water.

DHAKA, 04 August 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina handed over newly-constructed flats to 300 low-income families as they were living in slums, enabling them to avail civic amenities.

She handed over the allocation papers of the new flats, in three 14-storey buildings, on rental basis.

The programme was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. The prime minister joined it from her official residence Gono Bhaban.

The flats have all the facilities of a modern urban residence like lift, generator, solar power, wide walkways, power substations, open spaces and beautification through illumination.

The daily rent for every 672-sqft flat, with a drawing room, one kitchen and separate bathrooms, has been fixed at Tk 150, while the monthly rent is Tk 4,500.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works implemented the project at Mirpur 11 in the capital with its own financing. This is the first phase of relocating slum residents to better housing.

Two more such buildings are under construction which will be completed by December and the flats will be allocated on priority basis among the families of the project area, which was a slum before implementation of the project.

BAGHDAD, 04 August 2021, (TON): According to Iraqi officials “the United States has begun returning more than 17,000 ancient artefacts looted and smuggled out of Iraq following its invasion in 2003.”

The Iraqi culture and foreign ministries said US authorities had reached an agreement with the government in Baghdad to return treasures seized from dealers and museums in the US, including a 3,500-year-old clay tablet bearing part of the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Minister of Culture Hassan Nadhim told media “the US government seized some of the artefacts and sent them to the [Iraqi] embassy. The Gilgamesh tablet, the important one, will be returned to Iraq in the next month after legal procedures are finalized.”

Tens of thousands of antiquities disappeared from Iraq after the 2003 invasion that overthrew leader Saddam Hussein.

US authorities seized the Gilgamesh tablet in 2019 after it was smuggled, auctioned and sold to an art dealer in the state of Oklahoma and displayed at a museum in Washington, DC, the Department of Justice said. A court ordered its forfeiture last month.

ISLAMABAD, 04 August 2021, (TON): The Saudi government has released 28 more Pakistanis who had been languishing in the jails of Saudi Arabia for petty crimes.

The inmates reached Lahore  from Dammam today on the Pakistan International Airline's flight 9246.

Pakistan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bilal Akbar has been striving for the release of Pakistanis detained in minor cases at the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib further reiterated the return of the Pakistani prisoners in a tweet.

Farrukh wrote on his Twitter handle a day ago “due to the special efforts of PM Imran, more Pakistanis imprisoned in Saudi Arabia have been released and will arrive at the Lahore International Airport at 6am.”

The minister stated that the released prisoners would now be able to live a happy life with their families.

ISLAMABAD, 04 August 2021, (TON): Lt-Gen (retd) Asim Saleem Bajwa has stepped down from the post of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Authority chairman.

He said in a tweet from his official handle “I bow my head before Allah Almighty for giving me an opportunity to raise & steer the important institution of CPEC Authority as one window for all CPEC projects, charting the future direction. Wouldn’t have been possible without full confidence and support of the PM & his Govt.”

He also expressed best wishes for Kahlid Mansoor, who has been appoineted as the Special Assistant to PM for CPEC affairs by the PTI government.

Bajwa wrote “Khalid Mansoor sb is fully equipped to take it forward. CPEC is life line for Pakistan, it will transform us into a progressive and fully developed country InshaAllah.”

Federal Minister for Planning Asad Umar thanked Bajwa for his services in moving CPEC forward and playing a vital role in broadening the scope of the multi-billion dollar project.

Minister said in a tweet “His dedication and commitment was a source of great strength and support.”

KABUL, 04 August 2021, (TON): The United Nations has called on Afghanistan’s warring parties to do more to protect civilians, warning that the impact of indiscriminate gunfire and air raids will be catastrophic. The Taliban ground offensive and Afghan forces’ air raids are causing the most harm, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) noted in a series of tweets.

UNAMA posted, referring to the Afghan National Army “Taliban ground offensive & ANA air strikes causing most harm”

“Deep concerns about indiscriminate shooting & damage to/occupation of health facilities & civilian homes.”

Since the start of the withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan in May, the Taliban has intensified its attacks, making significant territorial gains, especially in rural areas of Afghanistan.

 Media reporters said “Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, is witnessing its heaviest fighting in recent days and that Taliban fighters are in the heart of the city. The battle for Lashkar Gah is well underway at the moment.”

“There is fighting around the governor’s compound, around the police headquarters, around the prison, around the key buildings in the centre of the city and the gunfire we are told is pretty much non-stop as the intense fighting continues.”

Bays, citing the Afghan health ministry, said “at least 38 people have died in the past three days and 156 others wounded in Lashkar Gah.”

DHAKA, 04 August 2021, (TON): The World Bank reviews its refugee policy framework every three years before mobilizing funds under the International Development Assistance window.

The international lender recently solicited input on its current policy review from 16 refugee-hosting nations, including Bangladesh.

The Rohingyas' freedom of movement, birth certificate, educational benefits, and work opportunities were all mentioned in the World Bank letter to the Economic Relations Division (ERD).

In reply to that letter, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said “Dhaka defines Rohingyas as forcibly displaced Myanmar citizens, not refugees.”

the minister told journalists in Dhaka "Bangladesh prioritizes their repatriation. They will go back."

On Tuesday, the World Bank addressed its position on Rohingya repatriation, its Refugee Policy Review, and other issues in the form of a question-and-answer session.

KABUL, 04 August 2021, (TON): Powerful blasts followed by sporadic gunfire hit Afghanistan’s capital Kabul near the city’s heavily fortified “Green Zone”, an area home to government buildings and foreign embassies.

A senior security official said “the first blast, which struck just after 8pm local time (15:30 GMT), appeared to have been caused by a car bomb and the target was the acting defence minister’s home and the adjoining residence of a member of parliament.”

After Tuesday’s bomb attack, acting Defence Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said “no harm was caused to him and his family members but some of his security guards were injured.”

Interior Ministry spokesman Mirwais Stanekzai said “gunmen entered the area after the first explosion.”

Stanekzai said “three attackers were killed by security personnel and a clean-up operation was being conducted by police. All roads leading to the minister’s house and guesthouse were closed.”

Less than two hours after the car bomb detonated, another loud blast followed by rapid gunfire again shook Kabul, in what appeared to be the same area of the city.

Hundreds of residents in the area were moved to safety, said Ferdaws Faramarz, spokesman for the Kabul police chief. He said that security personnel were searching house to house should more attackers be hiding in the area.

“At least 10 people were wounded and were taken to hospitals in the capital” Dastgir Nazari, Health Ministry spokesman, said.

NEW DELHI, 03 August 2021, (TON): Government sources said that ending the stalemate in border talks that lasted nearly six months, India and China have agreed in principle to disengage at a key patrol point in eastern Ladakh even though other friction areas remain in the region.

The agreement on PP17A was reached during the 12th round of Corps Commander-level talks Saturday. The meeting, which was part of a series of measures to resolve the 15-month standoff in Ladakh, was held on the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo border.

Sources said China has agreed to step back from PP17A, also known as the Gogra Post, but is not inclined to move back from PP15 or the Hot Springs area.

An official said “modalities are being worked out. But on PP17A, there is an agreement to disengage. On PP15, China continues to insist that it is holding its own side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).”

They said “the proposals are with the government, and details of how the troops will move are being discussed, sources said. The movement is expected to start within the next couple of days.”

BAGHDAD, 03 August 2021, (TON): Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi said his government launched the signal to start the administrative and executive mechanisms for its economic reform program.

Al-Kadhimi said “the ‘White Paper’ is a strategy for a modern, prosperous, productive Iraq that invests its enormous potential and human energies, combats corruption and stops waste.”

The implementation phase of the White Paper for Economic Reform, which sets out a clear roadmap to reform the Iraqi economy, began in February and included “putting in place governance, oversight, monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure that the reform process is administrated and managed effectively.”