COLOMBO, 24 April, 2021 (TON): The state banking system should be kept strong said the Prime Minister and Finance Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.

On Friday, during a lengthy discussion with officials of the Progressive Bank Employees Union at the Prime Minister's Office, the PM made the remarks.

Minister SM Chandrasena, State Minister Ajith Nivard Cabraal, Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Chaminda Kularatne, Coordinating Secretary to the Prime Minister Jayantha Ratnayake, Chairman of the Progressive Bank Employees’ Union Nishantha Samarasinghe and Chief Secretary AK Bandara were also present.

The meeting was held to strengthen the state banking sector in the face of current challenges and to find solutions to the problems of the employees.

However, the members of the Progressive Bank Employees’ Union expressed appreciation to the Prime Minister for returning the pension of the officers of People's Bank, Bank of Ceylon and National Savings Bank, which had been suspended since 1996.

RIYADH, 24 April, 2021 (TON): On Friday, Saudi Arabia announced to ban the import of fruits and vegetables from Lebanon because the Kingdom said shipments are being used to smuggle drugs. 

The Saudi Arabian Interior Ministry said, products, especially vegetables and fruits, are being used by drug traffickers to smuggle drugs into Saudi Arabia’s territory.

The ban, which will take effect on Sunday, will remain until Lebanese authorities provide sufficient and reliable guarantees that necessary measures have been taken to prevent smuggling.

To assess the necessity of similar restrictions on other products from Lebanon, shipments of other products will also be closely monitored, the ministry added.

It instructed security services to do their utmost to prevent smuggling activities by tightening security at border gates in light of laws criminalizing smuggling and drug use.

However, the Lebanese Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement that Saudi Arabia informed Lebanon about the decision.

BUCHAREST, 24 April, 2021 (TON): A trilateral meeting of the foreign ministers of Poland, Romania and Turkey has been held to discuss the security matters.

The meeting also included a special meeting with their counterparts in Georgia and Ukraine.

According to the media, during the trilateral meeting, issues related to the security situation in the Eastern Neighborhood, as well as the preparation of the NATO Summit on 14 June, 2021, were discussed.  

The three foreign ministers agreed to continue close coordination in areas of common interest in the future, especially in consolidating NATO's deterrence and defense stance.

Their focus was on the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea region, as well as strengthening resilience and support for partners in the region, especially for Ukraine and Georgia.

However, for the first time for the trilateral format launched some ten years ago, there was also a special working session with the participation of partners - the foreign ministers of Georgia, David Zalkaliani, and of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba.

ATLANTIC OCEAN, 23 April, 2021 (TON): A boat packed with migrants has been found turned turtle in the Mediterranean Sea, 10 dead bodies found floating near the capsized rubber boat.

The boat was believed to have been carrying 130 people, the French humanitarian organization SOS Mediterranean said.

On Friday, the spokesman for SOS Mediterranean Sea said, another wooden boat was still missing with about 40 migrants aboard.

On Wednesday, the civil hotline Alarm Phone had reported three boats were in distress, prompting SOS Mediterranean to launch a search "in very rough seas, with up to 6-metre waves", the non-government organization said.

When Ocean Viking arrived on the scene it did not find any survivors but there were ten bodies in the water nearby.

However, as it is known already that conflict-ridden Libya is a major route for migrants seeking to reach Europe that has caused more than 350 deaths in the Central Mediterranean.

KATHMANDU, 23 April, 2021 (TON): A nineteen-member Standing Committee has been formed by CPN-UML chair KP Sharma Oli including the party vice-chair Bamdev Gautam.

Oli, however, has not included even a single leader from the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction in the Standing Committee.

However, Oli has given space in the committee to those who came from the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre).

After a series of talks at the upscale hotel in Kathmandu during which the two sides denied to move from their word, Oli came up with his move.

The members of the committee include Ishwar Pokhrel, Shankar Pokhrel, Pradeep Gyawali, Satya Narayan Mandal, Subas Chandra Nembang, Bishnu Poudel, Bishnu Rimal, Chhabilal Bishwokarma, Raghubir Mahaseth, Kiran Gurung, Prithvi Subba Gurung, Pushpa Raj Kandel and Keshav Badal.

The other four are Ram Bahadur Thapa, Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Lekhraj Bhatta and Mani Thapa, former Maoist Centre leaders.

Bijay Subba, a UML leader, member of the national convention organizing committee said, “Today’s meeting of the party’ 10th national convention organizing committee has formed a 19-member Standing Committee.”

Similarly, in 2014, the ninth national convention of the UML had elected the 15-member Standing Committee. Madhav Nepal and yet another leader was added to the committee, making it a 17-strong committee. Later, five more members were added.

COLOMBO, 23 April, 2021 (TON): [Pledge to completely halt the import of chemical fertilizers in the near future has been made by the Sri Lankan President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Thursday.

At a meeting with the heads of state corporations and statutory boards at the President’s House in Fort on Thursday afternoon, the President made the comments.

The President said, although high yields can be obtained by using chemical fertilizers, the damage to lives caused by pollution of lakes, canals and groundwater cannot be offset by that profit.

He stated, “Health officials point out that the effects of chemical fertilizers have led to a number of non-communicable diseases, including kidney disease. The cost of treatment and the impact on lives is high. In order to produce a healthy and productive citizen, the government must guarantee the right of the people to a non-toxic diet and agriculture in the country will be directed to use organic fertilizers for this purpose.”

The President said all parties should intervene to increase the production of organic fertilizer in the country.

However, plans will be made to replace the fertilizer subsidy with organic fertilizer as $ 400 million is spent annually on fertilizer imports could be used to uplift the lives of the people.

KABUL/WASHINGTON, 23 April, 2021 (TON): The Afghan military will collapse after the United States and international troops leave Afghanistan, said Gen. Kenneth McKenzie in charge of U.S. forces in the Middle East on Thursday.

The officer’s remarks came after U.S. President Joe Biden announced on April 14 that he will withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by 11 September this year.

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, McKenzie, head of US Central Command said, “I am concerned about the ability of the Afghan military to hold on after we leave, the ability of the Afghan Air Force to fly, in particular, after we remove the support for those aircraft.”

He said that Afghan forces have gotten used to the support from the U.S. and other nations’ militaries over several years.

Later at the Pentagon, the official asserted that the U.S. President consulted with him and other top military brass before the commander-in-chief made the call to pull the troops.

However, he viewed that the U.S. has helped the Afghan military by supporting in the most direct forms in recent years, such as American and coalition soldiers side by side with them on the ground, moreover, most importantly American assistance to the Afghan military has come in the form of intelligence and fire support.

MOSCOW, 23 April, 2021 (TON): While addressing the Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change, the Russian President Putin said via a video link on Thursday that the fight against climate change requires united efforts of the entire international community.

The President said, "We believe that universal agreements reached under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) form a solid legal basis for international cooperation to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Putin considers Russia is fulfilling its international obligations in this area with full responsibility.

He certainly referred primarily to the implementation of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.

He stressed on the significance to develop broad and effective international cooperation in calculating and monitoring emissions of all types of harmful substances into the atmosphere.

However, he advised the interested countries to cooperate in the scientific research, invest together in important climate projects, and engage in the development of low-carbon technologies.

THIMPHU, 23 April, 2021 (TON): According to the Sustainable Hydropower Development Policy 2021 launched on Thursday, the government will explore trilateral regional, sub-regional, regional cooperation in developing hydropower projects in the country.

The project will be part of the regional, sub-regional and trilateral energy framework.

The policy is aimed at providing greater market access for electricity from Bhutan.

The policy, however, does not abandon the inter-governmental (IG) model wherein the development partner will be responsible for the financing of the project.

The government can also develop hydropower projects on its own.

All the hydropower projects will be developed will full ownership of the government. The government, however, will encourage the private sector to venture into hydropower-related ancillary businesses and services.

MALE, 23 April, 2021 (TON): A decision to develop mixed-use-residential buildings in two areas of the capital city has been made by the Fahi Dhiriulhun Corporation (FDC).

Alongside the decision, this has opened the opportunity for interested parties to submit proposals.

FDC said in an announcement that the opportunity to submit proposals is open for both local and foreign companies interested in the projects.

Project A is the 231,073.78 square foot Block 307. The plot area is 18,946. The maximum height is 14 floors. While, Project B is the 173,229.56 square foot Block 319. The plot area is 14,288. The maximum height is 14 floors.

The bid security for each project is MVR 500,000 for local companies and USD 100,000 for foreign companies.

However, the deadline for submission of proposals is 16 June.