DHAKA, 16 April, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the Nialco Alloys Small and Medium Enterprise or SME sector for public listing.

SEC said, the firm will raise Tk 75 million capita from the stock market by selling 7.5 million shares at Tk 10 each.

The regulator said Nialco’s listing is not traditional initial public offering (IPO), meaning not all general investors can buy the shares of the firms.

Only eligible and institutional investors can invest in SME shares, which are considered risky.

Under the SME Board, Bangladeshi and foreign individuals with investment more than Tk 10 million as per market price can invest in the shares.

However, it is expected that the approval will make the path easier for SME firms to expand business through public listing.

WASHINGTON, 16 April, 2021 (TON): In retaliation for election-meddling and Moscow-linked hacking, the U.S. has launched diplomatic and financial offensives against Russian officials and businesses.

On Thursday, the White House said, the move included the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats from the U.S. and imposed sanctions on several organizations and individuals.

The U.S. government also cited Russia's continued occupation of Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine seven years ago, and for reportedly offering bounties to militants in Afghanistan who killed U.S. troops.

According to the reports, the U.S. banks will also be barred from trading in fresh Russian state debt starting on 14 June.

Besides, among the expelled diplomats are five employees of Russian intelligence services.

However, despite the fresh sanctions, according to the U.S. President, the U.S. does not seek to escalate tensions with Russia.

COLOMBO, 16 April, 2021 (TON): The National Chamber of Exporters of Sri Lanka (NCE) and Sri Lanka Embassy in Washington D.C. are to be in partnership in an effort to better inform Sri Lankan exporters regarding the evolving trends in the U.S. market and strategies that could help navigate and overcome challenges.

In a recently held webinar, over 40 Sri Lankan registered exporters, engaged with 10 selected business Entrepreneurs identified by the Embassy, following its State level interactions of the recently constituted Overseas Sri Lankans (OSL) Network.

During the webinar, it was agreed to conduct sector specific dialogues, where the Sri Lankan exporters will be provided with the opportunity to engage in discussion with the business community of the particular sector, and a separate event is proposed as a dialogue to enhance long term trade related relationships such as partnerships, Franchise and Investment opportunities between the two countries.

However, the focus was also on the prospects for collaboration between the NCE and the re-activated U.S.-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce. Meanwhile, the role of the chamber was highlighted that they proposed to play in the future in the furtherance of two-way trade and investment between the U.S. and Sri Lanka.

ISLAMABAD, 16 April, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, a top official Javed Khattak asserted that the special economic zone (SEZ) being constructed in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will create over 200,000 job opportunities for the locals.

The Rashakai SEZ in the province is prioritized as a special economic park spreading over an area of about 1,000 acres near the provincial capital of Peshawar, said the Chief Executive Officer of the state-owned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Economic Zones Development and Management Company, Javed Khattak told the media on Thursday.

The SEZ, a milestone of the implementation of industrial cooperation under the CPEC framework, will become an important trade hub, Khattak said.

The CPEC is a flagship $62 billion project of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) that aims to connect Asia, Africa and Europe through a vast network of highways, rail lines and sea lanes.

However, the official said that the SEZ will have pharmaceuticals, textile, food and beverages, steel and various engineering related industries, and online applications for it are open.

BEIJING, 15 April, 2021 (TON): on Wednesday, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that China has lodged solemn representations with the United States over the U.S. government sending a delegation to the Taiwan region.

While commenting on the U.S. President Joe Biden sending a delegation of former U.S. officials to Taiwan, the spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks at a press briefing.

The visit of the delegation is scheduled from Wednesday to Friday.

Reiterating China's firm opposition to any form of official contact between the United States and Taiwan, Zhao noted that this position is consistent and clear.

However, China urged the United States side to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, immediately stop any form of official contacts between the United States and Taiwan.

MADINAH, 15 April, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the President of the Islamic University of Madinah, Dr. Mamdouh bin Saud bin Thunayan, received Malaysian Minister of Religious Affairs Dr. Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

According to the sources, the two reviewed the university’s third strategic plan during the meeting.

However, according to the university’s third strategic plan included three pillars, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the sustainable development.

BEIJING, 15 April, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the Chinese President Xi Jinping received the credentials of new ambassadors to China from 29 countries at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Siddharth Chatterjee, the new United Nations resident coordinator in China, submitted a letter of appointment.

Xi took a group photo with the envoys and delivered a speech. He asked them to convey his good wishes to the leaders of their countries.

Xi said, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and it is also the first year for China to implement its 14th Five-Year Plan and embark on a new journey to fully building a modern socialist country, Xi said.

However, China stands ready to work with other countries to firmly support multilateralism, safeguard the international system with the United Nations as the core and the international order based on international laws, staunchly safeguard the multilateral trade system, firmly advance the construction of the global governance system, and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind, according to Xi.

GENEVA, 15 April, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the UN human rights experts urged Uganda to immediately stop the brutal crackdown on the political opposition.

The crackdown began in the lead-up to January's general elections that intensified after the disputed vote.

The experts said, "We are particularly alarmed by the reports of widespread and continued repression against opposition leaders and their supporters."

"More than 50 people have been killed as a result of the brutal policing methods, including the use of live ammunition fired without warning, and at least 20 others have lost their lives in incidents linked to the electoral context."

Veteran ruler Yoweri Museveni was declared winner of the election in which the campaigning period was dominated by episodes of violence and a bloody crackdown on opposition rallies.

They urged Kampala to investigate and prosecute all human rights violations, including allegations of extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearance, torture and ill treatment.

However, human rights organizations have documented dozens of missing people in the East African country.

KABUL, 15 April, 2021 (TON): Amid reports on President Joe Biden’s expected delay in 1 May troop withdrawal; on Wednesday, the Taliban asserted that they would no longer participate in peace talks for Afghanistan until all US-led troops withdrew from the country.

Dr. Mohammad Naeem, the group’s Qatar-based spokesman said, “This is our stance: until all foreign forces completely withdraw from our homeland, the Islamic Emirate (the name of the Taliban’s government) will not participate in any conference that shall make a decision on Afghanistan.”

The Taliban had also warned Washington of consequences if it decided to extend the deadline for withdrawal.

However, in recent months, President Ashraf Ghani’s government urged Biden to withdraw troops on a condition-based agreement but not before the Taliban agreed to a ceasefire. 

DUBAI, 15 April, 2021 (TON): The Gulf state is mediating between India and Pakistan to help the decade-long rivals reach a healthy and functional relationship, the United Arab Emirates’ envoy to Washington confirmed.

While speaking at a virtual discussion with Stanford University’s Hoover Institution on Wednesday, Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba said, “The UAE played a role in bringing Kashmir escalation down and created a ceasefire, hopefully ultimately leading to restoring diplomats and getting the relationship back to a healthy level.”

“They might not sort of become best friends but at least we want to get it to a level where it’s functional, where it’s operational, where they are speaking to each other,” he said.

Ties between India and Pakistan have been frozen since a suicide bombing of an Indian military convoy in Kashmir in 2019 traced to Pakistan-based militants that led to India sending warplanes to Pakistan.

Later that year, India’s prime minister withdrew Indian-ruled Kashmir’s autonomy in order to tighten his grip over the territory, provoking outrage in Pakistan and the downgrading of diplomatic ties and suspension of bilateral trade.

However, Otaiba also stressed that Pakistan should play a helpful role in Afghanistan, where the United States plans to start withdrawing U.S. troops on 1 May to end America’s longest war.