WASHINGTON, 23 July 2021, (TON): The United States House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to authorize 8,000 additional special visas for Afghans who served the US during the occupation of Afghanistan now coming to an end after 20 years.

The bill, which now goes to the US Senate, would expand special visa eligibility to families of Afghans who were killed working for the US and for employees of non-governmental organisations.

The Taliban is threatening to take over Afghanistan after US and NATO forces leave at the end of August and have won battlefield advances across half the country, seizing local districts and key border crossings amid slow peace talks.

In “Operation Allies Refuge”, the US government is planning to evacuate as many as 20,000 Afghan interpreters, contractors and security personnel with their families to the US, beginning with about 2,500 Afghans who are to be flown to Fort Lee, a US Army base in the state of Virginia. Thousands more are being lined up for evacuation to US bases in third countries as their immigration applications are processed.

The House bill was sponsored by Representative Jason Crow, a Democrat and former US Army Ranger who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and drew broad support from both Democrats and Republicans, passing on a vote of 407 to 16.

A coalition of more than 20 US news organizations sent letters to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and members of Congress asking for safe passage out of Afghanistan for Afghans who have been working with US media as journalists, interpreters, and support staff.

NAYPYITAW, 23 July 2021, (TON): Myanmar’s military rulers are again seeking to replace the country’s ambassador to the United Nations, who opposed their February 1 ouster of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and takeover of the government.

Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin says in a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that he has appointed Aung Thurein, who left the military this year after 26 years, as Myanmar's U.N. ambassador. A copy of the letter was obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

Lwin said in an accompanying letter that Kyaw Moe Tun, Myanmar's currently recognized U.N. ambassador "has been terminated on Feb. 27, 2021, due to abuses of his assigned duty and mandate."

In a dramatic speech to a General Assembly meeting on Myanmar on February 26, weeks after the military takeover,  Tun appealed for “the strongest possible action from the international community” to restore democracy to the country. He also urged all countries to strongly condemn the coup, refuse to recognize the military regime, and ask the military leaders to respect the November 2020 elections won by Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party.

Tun said in a speech that drew loud applause from diplomats in the assembly chamber “we will continue to fight for a government which is of the people, by the people, for the people.”

The military's previous attempt to oust Tun failed and there has been no reported action on the foreign minister's letter, which is dated May 12.

KABUL, 23 July 2021, (TON): At least 19 security force members, including three public uprising force members, were killed in a new spate of fighting between Afghan security forces and the Taliban in the past 24 hours, security sources said on Thursday. This follows a relative calm reported across the country during the first and second day of Eid.

The sources said that there are reports that the security forces have left Marjah and Garmsir districts in southern Helmand province. The Taliban are now controlling these districts.

Karim Ata, a member of Parliament from Helmand said “this is a tactical move, the security forces were relocated to Lashkargah city due to some problems in restarting operations there.”

According to the sources, there is heavy fighting taking place between the Afghan security forces and the Taliban in the Ghazi Abad district of Kunar province.

Afghan security authorities have said that security forces during this period killed “60 Taliban fighters” in various parts of the country.

Battles have been reported in Helmand, Kapisa, Kunduz, Takhar, Badakhshan, Logar, Kandahar and Jawzjan provinces.

Mir Haidar Afzali, the head of Parliament’s defense commission said “fighting occurred between the local commanders and the Taliban in the Dara-e-Farakhsha area in Nejrab district of Kapisa, the Taliban sustained heavy casualties as a result, we also had three martyrs from the local forces.”

KATHMANDU, 23 July 2021, (TON): Ambassador of Japan to Nepal, Kikuta Yutaka, paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, at the prime minister’s official residence in Baluwatar.

During the meeting, Ambassador Kikuta congratulated Prime Minister Deuba for his appointment and the successful vote of confidence at the Parliament.

The ambassador handed the congratulatory letter from Suga Yoshihide, Prime Minister of Japan to PM Deuba on the occasion. Prime Minister Deuba expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Suga for his wishes.

Prime Minister Deuba and Ambassador Kikuta shared their views on bilateral relations between the two countries as the year 2022 commemorates the 120th anniversary of student-exchanges, and also on the post-COVID social and economic development of Nepal.

MALE, 23 July 2021, (TON): A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between India and Maldives for cooperation in exchange of pre-arrival information for the facilitation of trade and customs control on goods.

Chairman of Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) of India M. Ajit Kumar signed the MoU on behalf of India. Commissioner General of Maldives Customs Service Abdulla Shareef signed on behalf of Maldives.

This MoU will provide a framework for the exchange of pre-arrival information contained in customs documents submitted at the time of export  to effectively reduce the time consumed by Customs in their procedures and optimize forms and methods of customs control on goods.

The data exchange will also enhance the overall efficiency of customs administrations on both sides and deliver significant benefits in terms of better facilitation of trade, security of the supply chain and revenue collection.

In a statement, Maldives Customs detailed that the healthy bilateral ties maintained between India and Maldives under the leadership of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have significantly paved the way to strengthen trade and commercial ties between the two countries.

In this regard, they highlight the commencement of direct cargo services between the countries in September 2020, that led India to become the second-largest trade partner of the Maldives in last year. This is a three-rank improvement compared to its rank as the fifth in 2019.

KHARTOUM, 22 July 2021, (TON): Two years after the Sudanese revolution, hundreds of thousands of people have been internally displaced as violence in Darfur continues. Many hoped a hard-earned peace agreement would put an end to the decades-old conflict, but the region's bloody legacy continues.

Thirty-five-year-old Khamisa Juma Ishag Abaker is perched on a pile of rubble that was once her home.

Dressed in a floral print fabric that covers her from head to toe, she sifts through the dust to uncover an old bottle of perfume and dinnerware gifted to her but now broken - remnants of her old life.

"My house had a garden and a door. I could lie down in the shade. I could cook for my children."

It's her first time returning to Krinding - a settlement for displaced people - after clashes in January left tens of thousands of people homeless and hundreds dead.

They burnt all the houses. We tried to flee into the street, but they shot my brother. He fell and when he tried to stand up, they shot him again - they killed him in front of me. I've cried so much, my eyes can barely see now."

Now living in cramped conditions in a school classroom in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, she is struggling to take care of her ailing parents and her children.

"We don't have money. We don't even have beds, pillows, or blankets… I don't have anything. I just stare and do nothing."

COLOMBO, 22 July 2021, (TON): Newly appointed Ambassador of Viet Nam to Sri Lanka Ho Thi Thanh Truc called on Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena at the Foreign Ministry, on 15 July, 2021.

Welcoming the Viet Nam Ambassador to Sri Lanka Truc, Minister Gunawardena thanked the continuous support extended to Sri Lanka by Viet Nam in all multilateral fora.

The Minister Gunawardena took note of projects that contribute to further strengthening of Sri Lanka – Viet Nam bilateral relations, in particular, areas of agriculture, fisheries and defence. Minister Gunawardena further said that both countries have much potential to enhance and promote collaboration, through the available mechanism, in the latter- mentioned areas, including politics, economy, investment, trade, science-technology, culture and education.

Ambassador Truc, taking note of the important milestone of the 51st Sri Lanka - Viet Nam relations this year took note of the importance of rejuvenating the political relations through the established parliamentary friendship group.

Foreign Minister Gunawardena emphasized the strong bonds of friendship that exist between the two countries.

Foreign Minister Gunawardena, making a special reference to the support that Sri Lanka has extended to Viet Nam in the post-independence era that based on the fundamentals of the non-aligned principals expressed that he hopes to build excellent cooperation between the two countries in potential areas.

LONDON, 22 July 2021, (TON): Muslim teachers at a school in southeast England are excited to celebrate Eid Al-Adha but because of a school policy, it is going to cost them.

Staff at Arbour Vale School in Slough were forced to take unpaid leave to observe the second most important festival in the Islamic calendar this week, British newspaper Metro reported.

The teachers are allowed only one paid day off to celebrate non-Christian religious festivals as most use it for Eid Al-Fitr, the celebration that comes after Ramadan.

The teachers are fighting against the rule, but have to do it carefully as the school has also introduced a strict new policy forbidding teachers from speaking to the media.

One teacher told media “I feel very strongly about this and I am going to speak up.”

It is not about the pay; it is about the principle. But they do not want to understand and they do not want to know. If anybody puts anything on social media then it is either a disciplinary or they are sacked.

Anthony Bardos, the GMB union branch secretary for Slough, said being forced to work on Eid was comparable to being made to work on Christmas Day. Bardos said he has represented some workers who were denied leave completely.

Not allowing teachers to speak to the media has only agitated the situation.

“They are trying to gag the staff so they cannot talk about this issue or any other issue and it is really disgusting,” Bardos said. “This is something we are really going to be pushing strongly for.”

KATHMANDU, 22 July 2021, (TON): Nepali job-seekers aspiring to work in Israel will soon be able to file their applications as the two countries are in the final leg of preparations for hiring Nepali migrants.

Nepal and Israel had signed an understanding in September last year to export Nepali workers to Israel. After inking the deal, both countries also signed the Implementation Protocol in January to put the agreement into action.

Now, nearly ten months after signing the agreement, Israel is likely to start taking in workers soon as the Nepali authorities have been waiting to receive demands for Nepali workers, possibly this week.

According to Krishna Prasad Dawadi, director-general of the Department of Foreign Employment, the government agency mandated to manage labour migration including Nepali workers’ departure to Israel under the new pact, Israel is likely to send demand letters very soon.

Dawadi told “we have completed the preparations on our part for implementing the deal and requested the Israeli authorities to start sending demand letters.”

According to Dawadi, as soon as a demand letter is received, the department will issue a public notice asking aspirant candidates to submit their applications.

DAMASCUS, 22 July 2021, (TON): Russian military said that Syria’s air defense forces shot down seven out of eight missiles launched by Israeli warplanes during a raid that targeted the Syrian province of Aleppo.

Rear Adm. Vadim Kulit, the head of the Russian military’s Reconciliation Center in Syria, said that four Israeli F-16 fighter jets targeted facilities southeast of Aleppo in Monday’s strike.

Kulit said “seven of eight missiles launched by the Israeli fighter jets were downed by Syrian air defense units that used Russia-supplied air defense systems Pantsyr-S and Buk-M2.”

One missile damaged the building of a scientific research center in Safira, he said. A Syrian military official previously said in remarks carried by the state news agency SANA that Israel carried out an aerial attack in the Aleppo province late.

He said that Syrian air defenses shot down most of the missiles in the attack that occurred just before midnight.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor that has activists on the ground in Syria, said the Israeli strikes targeted weapons depots that belong to Iranian-backed militia operating in Aleppo’s Safira region.

The group said “the strikes were followed by loud explosions. The weapons depots were located inside Syrian military posts.”