KATHMANDU, 6 May, 2021 (TON): Nepal's embattled Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli-led government on Wednesday lost majority support in the House of Representatives after the CPN (Maoist Center) led by Pushpakamal Dahal "Prachanda" officially withdrew support to it.

CPN-Maoist Center on Wednesday submitted letter informing the Parliament Secretariat that it no more part of the government led by Prime Minister Oli.

"Central committee at its meeting has decided to withdraw support to incumbent government under KP Sharma Oli's leadership. We have informed the Parliament Secretariat about it too," spokesperson CPN Narayan Kaji Shrestha.

With withdrawal of support, the Oli led government now has lost its majority in the lower house less than a week before vote-of-confidence which was announced earlier this week.

Nepali President Bidhya Devi Bhandari earlier this week summoned special session of lower house where Oli is scheduled to take vote of confidence.

Maoist Center, The third largest party in the parliament has 49 lawmakers including House Speaker Agni Sapkota. Since the ruling CPN-UML has a total 121 lawmakers, Prime Minister Oli is short of minimum 15 lawmakers from the majority mark.

Out of 275 seats, the second largest party in lower house, Nepali Congress has 63 and CPN- Maoist Center has 49 seats after 4 of the MP's representing the party were "exempted".

COLOMBO, 6 May, 2021 (TON): The Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka (CAASL) has decided to suspend all Indian passengers entering the country with immediate effect, CAASL Additional Director General P. A. Jayakantha said. 

He said this is with the view to prevent COVID virus entering the country from the Indian subcontinent. 

Accordingly, the restrictions were applied following Health Guidelines received by the Health ministry until the next evaluation, Mr. Jayakantha said. 

He said the notice issued on May 5 to all airlines preventing disembarking passengers. 

Due to the prevailing COVID-19 dangerous situation in India, many countries have imposed restrictions on Indian passengers. 

SRINAGAR, 6 May, 2021 (TON): In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism martyred three Kashmiri youth in South Kashmir’s Shopian district. 

During an ongoing cordon and search operation in Jan Mohalla area of the district, the youth were killed. The operation was jointly launched by the personnel of Indian Army, paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force and police. 

Meanwhile, Indian intelligence agencies showed that one of their agents namely Tausif Ahmad has surrendered before the Indian security forces. Tausif Ahmad was feed to share story that he is a newly recruited terrorist and was trained across LoC. The operation is aimed as an attempt to malign Pakistan in state sponsored terrorism.

The occupation authorities have suspended internet service in the district. The media persons are also not being allowed to enter the area, the eyewitness said. 

The security forces launched intensive house-to-house searches in the region and dozens of Kashmiri youth have been killed in these cordon and search operations by Indian troops.  
 

QUETTA, 06 May 2021 (TON): Four Frontier Corps soldiers were martyred while six others were injured when unidentified terrorists ambushed them during a fencing activity at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The injured soldiers were evacuated to the Combined Military Hospital, Quetta.

Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) confirmed the incident and said that the troops were moving for fencing activity along the border in the Manzakai sector in Balochistan's Zhob when terrorists from Afghanistan ambushed them.

In April a car bomb exploded at a luxury hotel in the city of Quetta near the office of a sensitive organization in which four people were killed. Tablian denied any responsibility but foreign media published unfounded reports about Taliban's involvement. In Afghanistan unidentified terrorists are killing Afghan forces and civilian to give impression if Taliban are involved. Taliban claims that why they should get involve in terrorism when successful peace talks have achieved desired objective.

SRINAGAR, 6 May, 2021 (TON): In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, prominent pro-freedom senior APHC leader and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Jammu and Kashmir Chairman Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai has died at the age of 77 in Indian custody in Jammu. 

Booked under draconian Public Safety Act, Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was shifted to Udhampur Jail in Jammu on July 12, 2020. His condition deteriorated in jail, but was not given timely access to doctor and was only shifted, yesterday, to a hospital in Jammu where he died. 

Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was suffering from multiple diseases and was not provided with any treatment during his incarceration. His family members were kept unaware of his health condition.  

All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), an amalgam of pro-freedom groups in the region, accused authorities of not taking his health condition seriously.  

“Despite repeated appeals to release political prisoners lodged in various jails on humanitarian grounds in view of the devastating Covid catastrophe, authorities are playing with their lives,” the statement said. 

APHC Working Vice Chairman Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar in a statement issued in Srinagar blamed the criminal negligence of the Modi government for the death of Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai in custody. He termed it as the ruthless behavior of the Indian Imperialism towards the pro-freedom Kashmiri leaders, imprisoned in solitude in various jails of India without medical facilities. They said that the regime is directly responsible for his death in custody. 

Sehrai was a long-time deputy of Syed Ali Gilani, and was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami. 

Muhammad Ashraf Sehrai was a staunch freedom fighter and had allowed his son Junaid Sehrai to join the ranks of armed struggle. Junaid was martyred on May 19, 2020 in Srinagar. 

India jailed thousands of Kashmiris, including prominent resistance leaders, as part of its massive crackdown in the wake of the removal of the Himalayan region’s limited autonomy on August 5, 2019. India’s only Muslim region is now directly ruled by the country’s home ministry. 

COLOMBO, 6 May, 2021 (TON): Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was elected as the Chairman of the Asian Development Bank Board of Governors for the year 2021/2022 at the 54th Annual General Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held virtually on May 5th. 

The Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, as the Minister of Finance, currently serves as the Governor of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for Sri Lanka. 

During the meeting, Rajapaksa said, "Our region has faced many crises, but Asia is also known for its resilience. Therefore, it is not surprising that our region is leading the growth story of the world, even during the current pandemic."  

He further added that "emerging Asia" had a responsibility to lead the world and must ensure sustainable practices that will make the environment resilient to climate change. 

"Our policy solutions must be environmentally and socially sustainable. We must preserve our way of life for future generations. The need now is to collectively cooperate in addressing our common issues," Rajapaksa said. 

In addition, he said countries must reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and he believed the ADB must lead the way in supporting member countries to make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. 

"We also believe the ADB must extend support to emerging Asia to have smarter, eco-sustainable cities. It should be a new approach to ensure that access to resources is better managed," he said. 

He also said countries must focus more on women empowerment and recognize the crucial role that women play in creating a just and equitable society. 

The ADB Governors of Austria and Mongolia were elected Deputy Governors of the Asian Development Bank at this meeting. Sri Lanka will host the 55th annual meeting of the ADB Board of Governors next year in Colombo. 

SRINAGAR, 06 May 2021 (TON): President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Volkan Bozkir planned visit to India later this month has been postponed due to an unexpected surge in COVID-19 cases in India. He, however, has encouraged India and Pakistan to resolve the issue of Kashmir “through peaceful means”.

President UNGA during a press conference said that he supports dialogue and diplomacy, recalling the 1972 Simla Agreement between the two countries, which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means in accordance with the UN Charter.”

He clarified that the position of the United Nations on Jammu and Kashmir is governed by the UN Charter and applicable Security Council resolutions.

Volkan Bozkir, who is a Turkish diplomat and politician, serving as the President of the United Nations General Assembly since 2020, will be travelling to Bangladesh and Pakistan later this month on the invitation of the respective governments. However, his visit to India has been postposed amid situation of COVID-19.

JERUSALEM, 5 May, 2021 (TON): The military wing leader Mohammed Deif of the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, warned Israel will pay heavy price if attacks against Palestinian residents in occupied East Jerusalem continue. 

“The Qassam Brigades will not stand idly by in the face of attacks on the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood,” Mohammed Deif, the brigade's commander, said in a written statement on Tuesday night.   

“They will pay a heavy price if the aggression against our people in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood does not stop immediately,” he said, adding they are closely following developments. 

Deif, who has been on Israel’s wanted list for years, praised the “steadfast people” in Sheikh Jarrah, who are facing imminent forced displacement from their homes. 

The neighborhood was raided by Israeli forces for the second night on Tuesday. The residents and solidarity protesters were sprayed with skunk water, a chemically enhanced type of sewage water, and were physically assaulted. Several Palestinians were arrested.  

Gaza, with a population of more than 2 million, is governed by the Hamas movement but the enclave remains under a strict Israeli land, air and naval blockade. 

NAYPYIDAW, 5 May, 2021 (TON): Local monitoring rights group released the death toll as security forces waged an increasing deadly campaign against anti-coup protesters. 

Myanmar military forces have killed six more people, taking the death toll since protests began against the military coup on February 1st to 769, according to a local monitoring group. 

According to the latest report released late on Tuesday it said, the military detained 3,677 people, with 83 of them being convicted, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. 

People in Mandalay, Yangon, and other cities continued to protest against the dictatorship, while students from various educational institutions launched a "do not go to school and drop out" campaign against the military rule,  

According to the statement, junta soldiers raided houses of protesting leaders in Aung Pan village of Yezakyo township, Magway region, took valuables, and threatened the entire village with similar action if they joined the protesters. 

“ASEAN, in particular, needs to exert stronger pressure on Burma, the international community needs to enforce powerful action,” the group said. “Delayed responses will result in even more casualties and suffering for civilians.” 

Myanmar has been gripped by mass protests and strikes after the military coup last month. Security forces have taken a hard line against the demonstrations. 

DHAKA, 5 May, 2021 (TON): At least 160 Bangladeshi migrants who were stranded in Libya returned home on Wednesday under a UN arrangement. 

A chartered flight arranged by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) brought them to the international airport in the capital Dhaka, said Sariful Islam, the agency's spokesman. 

The International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nation’s (UN) migration agency has facilitated the safe return of Bangladeshi migrants through its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) program.  

IOM assisted with the safe return of these migrants in coordination with the Embassy of Bangladesh in Libya, said a press release, adding that the body of one Bangladeshi national who died in Libya was also repatriated on this flight. 

Prior to departure, the returnees underwent health checks, were offered pre-departure transportation assistance, counselling services and screened for underlying protection vulnerabilities by IOM.  

Given the current Covid-19 situation, all returnees were also provided with personal protective equipment (PPE) and took a Covid-test (PCR) prior to departure. 

Government and IOM officials and staff in Dhaka provided food, health screenings, psychosocial support, information and cash assistance for onward travel from the airport to home. 

The returnees will each receive a reintegration grant from IOM.  

The Bangladesh government has since been working with IOM to gradually bring back the Bangladeshis stranded in Libya. A total of 1,379 migrants have so far flown home from Libya on nine chartered flights.