NEW DELHI, 16 April, 2021 (TON): On Friday, the Supreme Court on Friday issued directions for speedy disposal of cheque bounce cases

The top court also recommended the Centre to amend the law to allow one trial in multiple cheques, if transactions involved are the same.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao, B.R. Gavai, A.S. Bopanna and S.Ravindra Bhat, asked the Centre to make suitable amendments in the Negotiable Instruments Act.

The top court directed all the High Courts to issue guidelines for trial courts for speedy disposal of cheque bounce cases.

However, the bench said the evidence in cheque bounce cases can now be tendered by filing affidavits, and there would not be any requirement to physically examine the witnesses.

ROME, 16 April, 2021 (TON): Additional borrowing worth 40 billion euros ($47 billion) has been passed by the Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s to finance a new package of measures to help businesses and households hit by the pandemic.

On Thursday, the package was signed off separately in a cabinet meeting, along with the Economic and Financial Document (DEF) 2021.

According to DEF, the new stimulus will push the country’s budget deficit target to 11.8 per cent of the GDP this year from a previous 8.8 per cent projected, and the public debt to 159.8 percent.

However, the move was in line with that of other European Union (EU) such as Germany in March, and with the recommendations of the IMF, which on Wednesday called on euro-zone countries to boost their spending to help their economies cope with the effects of the lockdowns and other restrictions.

COLOMBO, 16 April, 2021 (TON): The activities of the parties that are presently going through the court proceedings due to conflicts within the party, have been temporarily suspended by the Election Commission.

Chairman of the Election Commission Attorney-at-Law Nimal Punchihewa stated that six such parties have been identified so far.

Due to the legal issues that have arisen in the face of several candidates contesting for the posts of secretaries and chairmen of those parties, those parties have resorted to legal action to resolve the relevant issues.

However, accordingly, these parties will not have the opportunity to contest elections until the relevant legal proceedings are completed.

BRUSSELS, 16 April, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, the lawmakers of the European Parliament voted in favor of EU-UK trade deal.

The trade and foreign affairs committees, two key committees in the European Parliament, gave their seal of approval by 108 votes in favor.

However, one against and four abstentions, and recommended that the parliament's plenary approves the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

EU and UK negotiators agreed on the terms of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement on 24 December, 2020. To minimize disruption, the agreement has been provisionally applied since 1 January, 2021 and will lapse on 30 April.

Meanwhile, a date for a final vote to ratify the deal has not yet been set.

KATHMANDU, 16 April, 2021 (TON): The construction work of the Dharan-Chatara-Sindhuli-Hetauda road, a stretch of the proposed Madan Bhandari Highway, is in its final stage.

Around 95 percent of road construction works and around 92 percent of bridge construction works have been completed so far, said Niranjan Thapa, an engineer at the road project.

Thapa said, “The construction of the road and all the bridges will be completed by mid-September.”

The government plans to construct the Madan Bhandari Highway from Shantinagar in Jhapa district to Rupal in Dadeldhura district through the Chure region.

However, the construction of the highway, which is being developed as an alternative to the East-West Highway, is to be completed in the next nine years.

RAMALLAH, 16 April, 2021 (TON): The European Union (EU) has called on Israel not to obstruct the upcoming Palestinian elections.

On Thursday, Sven Kuhn von Burgsdorff, the EU representative in Palestine, said that the bloc continues its contact with the Israeli government to allow the legislative elections to be held in the Palestinian territories without interruption or obstacles.

 During a meeting in Ramallah with Azzam al-Ahmad, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Burgsdorff made the remarks.

Within the coming days, the EU will intensify its efforts with all parties concerned, including Israel, on holding the elections, ending internal Palestinian division and establishing the Palestinian state, said the official.

In January, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced the 2021 general elections will include the legislative elections on 22 May, the presidential elections on 31 July, and the elections of the Palestinian National Council, the highest decision-making body of the PLO, on 31August.

KABUL, 16 April, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul.

The visit affirmed United States’ continued commitment to Afghanistan.

Secretary Blinken made clear that the United States stands with Afghanistan and its people in support of a peaceful and prosperous future.  

The discussion on sharing investment in Afghanistan and the importance of preserving the gains of the last twenty years, especially in building a strong civil society and protecting the rights of women and girls were discussed between the two leaders.

Moreover, strategies to counter terrorism in Afghanistan were also emphasized with special focus on barring other terrorist groups to operate in the region.

KABUL, 16 April, 2021 (TON): Afghan government denied preventing aircraft carrying a Pakistani parliamentary delegation from landing in Kabul.

On 8 April Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser left for the Afghan capital with a nine-member delegation on the invitation of the chairman of Afghanistan’s lower house, Mir Rahman Rahmani.

The visit was viewed to hold wide-ranging discussions, including on Afghan peace and cross-border trade.

His plane was turned back as it was about to descend to Kabul airport over what was reported to be a security threat.

However, the incident led to outrage among Afghan members of parliament, who summoned the chiefs of the country’s security establishment, including the interior minister, for a briefing on the matter.

MALE, 16 April, 2021 (TON):The master plan developed for the suburb of Hulhumale' in the Maldives won the annual Honorable Mention Award in Landscape Architecture/Urban Planning award of The Architecture Master Prize handed out by The Architecture Master Prize (AMP). 

The Hulhumale plan aims to develop a sustainable planning framework for climate adaptation and livability to solve the problem of sea-level rise and overloaded living in the Maldives. 

However, the Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) is an international architecture awards program to advance the appreciation and exposure of quality architectural design worldwide and has been handed out since 1985. 

ANKARA, 16 April, 2021 (TON): The Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu assured that Turkey believes that its issues with Greece can be resolved through constructive dialogue between the two neighbors and allies.

At a joint press conference with his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias said Cavusoglu, Fait accompli and provocative rhetoric should be avoided in relations between Turkey and Greece.

After months of tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean last year between the two countries, the Greek minister visited Turkey's capital Ankara.

Cavusoglu stated, "We want to continue this dialogue without preconditions. As two neighbors, as allies, we want to develop our relations with Greece in every field.”

He added, "Today we discussed what we can do to improve relations in the coming period."

On the other hand, Dendias, agreed that the communications channels between the two countries should remain open.

He stated, "Our primary goal is to establish peaceful coexistence based on international law."

However, it was emphasized that seeking solutions to bilateral problems through third parties is not the right approach and that Greece and Turkey can create a positive agenda in the field of economy.