ISLAMABAD, 10 July 2021, (TON): Pakistan assured the US that it would remain a reliable partner for peace in Afghanistan, as there was a fundamental convergence between the two countries on the need for a peaceful settlement in the war-torn country.

According to the Foreign Office, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken by telephone and discussed bilateral relations and important developments in the region, including the situation in Afghanistan and efforts for a political settlement there.

It added “the foreign minister and the Secretary of State stressed the need for the two sides to continue close coordination and cooperation to ensure meaningful progress in the peace process.”

The statement said “the two sides also exchanged views on regional connectivity and other key issues.”

During the telephone call, initiated by Blinken, Qureshi highlighted the steps Pakistan had taken in support of the Afghan peace process, stressing that there was a fundamental convergence between Pakistan and the United States on the need for a peaceful settlement in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Office said “for its part, Pakistan will remain a reliable partner for peace in Afghanistan.”

The Foreign Office quoted Qureshi as telling Blinken. He underscored that securing peace in Afghanistan was a shared responsibility of all stakeholders inside Afghanistan as well as key regional and international players.

KATHMANDU, 10 July 2021, (TON): Heavy rainfall in several districts across the country for the past 24 hours left at least seven people dead and many injured across the country.

The monsoon-related disasters also caused massive damage to homes and properties.

Three people were killed in a landslide at Jamir village in Naugad Rural Municipality-3 of Darchula district in Sudurpaschim Province.

According to the District Police Office, the victims perished in the landslide at Sitoli Jamir Khola area.

Narendra Bahadur Chand, information officer of the District Police Office, said Kharkhola Hydropower Project was also swept away by the rain-swollen Kharkhola stream.

Prem Singh Thagunna, a local resident of Khar, said “incessant rainfall has increased the water levels in Sitolibagad, Okhaldhar, Gundharu and Jamir streams. Wooden bridges and foot trails have been swept away.”

A landslide in Jamir also swept away a suspension bridge, which connects Wards 1, 2 and 3 of Naugad Rural Municipality.

Thagunna said “at least six settlements are at risk of landslides.”

PARIS, 10 July 2021, (TON): At the 97th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Damascus was accused of using chemical weapons in Sarakib in retaliation for the downed Russian plane, these accusations are absurd and do not stand up to criticism, Alexander Shulgin, Russia’s permanent representative to the organization told media.

The 97th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was held in The Hague on July 6-9.

Shulgin said “during the last session of the Executive Council, the GRI (investigation and identification grouped.) Presented another portion of its developments, now on the incident in Syrian Sarakib in 2018. The indictments against Damascus did not come as a surprise to anyone.”

According to him, the attributes themselves in the document admit that in fact there was no tactical benefit from the use of chemical weapons for the Syrian government forces.

The Permanent Representative noted that “this does not bother them at all, the order has been received, and generous donations from Western donors are pouring in, so we need to work them out,”

Russia and the Syrian government have repeatedly accused the OPCW of biased investigations into incidents in the Arab republic and questioned the conclusions drawn by the technical secretariat.

NAYPYITAW, 10 July 2021, (TON): A state-backed Myanmar power company warned its customers their electricity supplies could be disrupted if they continue refusing to pay their bills as part of a boycott that has hit the junta in the coffers.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since a February coup that ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her government, with hundreds dead in a brutal crackdown and a mass anti-junta strike crippling the economy.

Thousands of civil servants have walked out in protest, leaving schools, universities and hospitals empty and the State Administration Council, as the junta calls itself, struggling to issue bills or collect taxes.

It said said that for the benefits of the people, you are requested to cooperate and help to regularly pay monthly fees."

It added that, without money from its customers, production and supply of electricity would be affected.

Not everyone took the warning seriously.

Wrote another “return the power to the elected government and it will get back to normal."

WASHINGTON, 10 July 2021, (TON): President Biden spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to take action to disrupt criminal groups operating in Russia that are behind recent ransomware attacks in the United States.

According to a White House readout “Biden also warned that the U.S. would take any necessary action to defend its people and its critical infrastructure in the face of this continuing challenge.”

The conversation came after a ransomware attack last week on software company Kaseya impacted up to 1,500 companies, many of which were vulnerable small businesses in the U.S. Cybersecurity experts have attributed the group to the Russian-based “Revil” cyber criminal group. However the Biden administration has not yet formally attributed the attack.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a press briefing that the U.S. government does not have new information suggesting the Russian government directed recent ransomware attacks but added.“

MALE, 10 July 2021, (TON): The Maldives has been removed from the ‘Human Rights Priority Countries’ list compiled by the United Kingdom which names countries that the UK is particularly concerned about over human rights issues.

This list contains 30 countries that the UK has expressed concern over with respect to the human rights situation in these countries, highlighting that the countries need to put in more effort to ensure human rights for their citizens.

The UK is a country that takes the human rights situation of other nations into account when establishing diplomatic and economic ties.

Subsequent to the removal of the Maldives from the list, the Foreign Ministry of the Maldives has stated that this will pave the way to further advance diplomatic relations between both nations. The Ministry also noted that the promotion of human rights and its advancement is a key pillar of President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s foreign policy.

The Foreign Ministry also added that Maldives’ advancement in the field of human rights has also been recognized and noted by the Secretary-General of United Nations António Guterres and the High Commissioner for Human Rights of UN, Michele Bachelet.

MOSCOW, 10 July 2021, (TON): The United States continues to grossly violate human rights both within the country and abroad, according to the report of the Russian Foreign Ministry on the situation with human rights in individual countries.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a document posted on the website “the United States continues to grossly violate human rights both within the country and abroad, including through illegal unilateral coercive measures (sanctions), the most egregious example of which is the imposed and ongoing (despite numerous UN General Assembly resolutions ) blockade of Cuba.”

“However, this does not prevent them from positioning themselves as a“ world standard ”in the field of protecting fundamental freedoms. Even non-governmental organizations loyal to Washington admit that the state of affairs in the human rights sphere is getting worse here every year. the country continues to be ignored by the authorities.”

The report said “instead, Washington seeks violations anywhere but at home.”

Russian Foreign Ministry said that the situation with freedom of the media in the United States remains extremely ambiguous, in fact sliding into complete degradation.

NEW DELHI, 10 July 2021, (TON): Expressing concern at the “direction of events in Afghanistan”, Jaishankar referred to India’s stated policy of not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

India stressed the need for a legitimate government in Afghanistan and a reduction in violence, saying the situation in the war-torn country has implications for regional security and stability.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar articulated India’s position during a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow against the backdrop of efforts by the Taliban to project itself as a key player following a campaign of targeted assassinations and attacks on crucial districts.

Jaishankar said “violence cannot be the solution for the situation in Afghanistan. And at the end of the day, who governs Afghanistan has a legitimacy aspect to it. I think that is something which cannot and should not be ignored.”

Expressing concern at the “direction of events in Afghanistan”, Jaishankar referred to India’s stated policy of not interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.

WASHINGTON, 10 July 2021, (TON): The Pentagon’s top spokesperson acknowledged a “deteriorating security situation” in Afghanistan amid claims from the Taliban that the insurgent group now controls a large majority of the country.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said “what we have seen is a deteriorating security situation on the ground, no question about that, that the Taliban continues to take district centers, we are seeing them continue to advance on district centers around the country, and it is concerning.”

Kirby’s comment came after the Taliban claimed to now control 85 percent of Afghanistan.

The assertion was made by a Taliban negotiator during a news conference in Moscow, where a senior Taliban delegation was visiting this week to offer reassurances the insurgents’ recent gains will not threaten Russia or its Central Asian allies.

Kirby told media “he was not in a position to quantify or to validate, the Taliban’s claims on how much territory it controls.”

Kirby added that claiming territory or claiming ground doesn’t mean you can sustain that or keep it over time.

DHAKA, 10 July 2021, (TON): The massive fire in a food processing factory in Narayanganj has left at least 52 people killed with dozens of workers still missing.

Firefighters recovered 49 charred bodies from the burning factory building of Hashem Food Ltd, a concern of Sajeeb Group, taking the death toll to 52.

Three deaths were reported in the immediate aftermath of the fire at the six-storey factory building at the Kornogop area of Bhulta in the district’s Rupganj upazila.

Over 50 other workers were also injured after jumping off the building immediately after the fire broke out.

Fire and smoke coming out of the Shezan juice factory in Narayanganj which left at least 52 people dead.

It took 18 fire-fighting units from Narayanganj and Dhaka almost 24 hours to tame the blazes. Fire service said that they managed to douse the flames around 5:30pm, while the search and rescue operation continued amid smoke still brewing off the fourth and fifth floors of the building.

Fire officials said “the 49 bodies were recovered from the fourth floor of the building where most of the workers took shelter.”