ISTANBUL, 15 April, 2021 (TON); The Turkish Foreign Minister said on Thursday, a Turkish delegation will visit Egypt next month as part of Ankara’s efforts to mend ties.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said, “Egypt invited a delegation from Turkey. The delegation will go in early May.”

 “We will discuss openly how to normalize relations,” he added.

The first delegation talks would be at the level of deputy foreign ministers, ahead of a contact between the ministers, the minister said.

After the 2013 overthrow of President Muhammad Mursi, Turkey and Egypt froze ties.

That year, both countries expelled each others’ ambassadors and Cairo had then declared the Turkish envoy persona non grata.

However, Turkish officials said Ankara had established the first diplomatic contacts with Cairo since 2013 as part of wider efforts to repair relations with other Middle Eastern rivals.

CHIBOK, 15 April, 2021 (TON): In the memory of seven years old abduction of hundreds of school girls, the parents and relatives gather for prayers at the Chibok School.

Several more mass kidnappings of schoolchildren have occurred in northern Nigeria since Chibok, resulting in hundreds of schools being shut in a region where the literacy rate and school enrolment are already very low.

On 14 April, 2014, the rebel group Boko Haram gunmen seized 276 girls aged between 12 and 17 from the Government Girls Secondary School in the remote town of Chibok in Borno state.

The rights group Amnesty International stated, "Although most escaped or were later released, more than 100 girls remain in captivity." 

However, there have been at least five mass abductions of schoolchildren in northern Nigeria since December, and the threat of further attacks has led to the closure of about 600 schools in the region, the rights group said.

KATHMANDU, 15 April, 2021 (TON): About 24 international non-governmental organizations are to leave operating in Nepal.

The organizations have requested for termination of the general agreement signed with the Social Welfare Council.

A significant number of them have applied for termination of the general agreement with the council citing fund crunch while some of them want to exit Nepal after completing their tasks related to post-earthquake reconstruction and recovery, said the council that regulates both domestic and international non-governmental organizations in Nepal.

According to the council, most of the foreign NGOs that had entered the country to help the post-earthquake recovery have already left.

However, the foreign NGOS are in the process of wrap-up evaluation whose report should be submitted to the council, while some are in the process of management of the goods and other property before departure.

DHAKA, 15 April 2021 (TON): The doctor fined Tk 3,000 for violating the pandemic protocol has been exempted from paying the sum.

Nazmul Haque, a doctor working at Square Hospital’s COVID unit was fined on the first day of the lockdown on his way to work.

The incident went viral with criticism on the social media.

Mohammad Jahangir Hossain, joint commissioner of traffic police said, "The authorities decided to waive the Tk 3,000 fine considering the overall situation."

On Wednesday, Nazmul was travelling to the hospital from his village in Munshiganj after his father was diagnosed with the corona-virus.

According to the doctor’s verdict, the police stopped him at a checkpoint near the High Court and fined him even after he showed his ID card.

Hours later, the traffic police waived the fine.

ISLAMABAD, 15 April, 2021 (TON): Following the nationwide anti-France protests, the French embassy in Pakistan on Thursday advised all French nationals and companies to temporarily leave the country.

The embassy said, "Due to the serious threats to French interests in Pakistan, French nationals and French companies are advised to temporarily leave the country."

"The departures will be carried out by existing commercial airlines," it added.

Nevertheless, anti-French sentiment has been brewing for several months in Pakistan, however, in the recent protests, two police officers dead and over 100 injured.

SOFIA, 15 April, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, the Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov resigned from his coalition government after the parliamentary election earlier this month.

During the first session, Mika Saykova, the Interim President of the newly elected Parliament made the announcement.

However, the resignation of the nationalist government, which has been in office since 2017, was to be routinely approved by MPs.

Moreover, during the summer protests in 2020, thousands of protesters had demanded the PM’s resignation over corruption allegations.

NEW DELHI, 15 April, 2021 (TON): The Chief of the Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Thursday, India is concerned about a vacuum developing in Afghanistan following the proposed withdrawal of United States and NATO forces from the country.

He said disruptors step into the space created by the withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan.

The officer denied naming the countries that could be disruptors.

However, the U.S. President Joe Biden has called to withdraw the U.S. troops starting from 1 May in attempt to end America’s longest war.

CANBERRA, 15 April, 2021 (TON): Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australian troops would leave the country by September.

Mr. Morrison said the 80 remaining troops would be withdrawn in line with the withdrawal of US troops as announced by President Joe Biden.

Mr Morrison said, "The loss is great, the sacrifice immense, the bravery and courage things we can speak of, but not know of personally."

"Many more were wounded, some physically, others mentally and we'll be dealing with the scars, both mental and physical, of their service for many, many years."

However, more than 39,000 Australians were deployed and 41 of them were killed during the decades-long conflict.

Australian forces first entered Afghanistan in October 2001 in support of US troops who were deployed in the wake of the terrorist attacks on 11 September, 2001.

THIMPHU, 15 April, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Gyaltsuen have arrived in Thimphu after having concluded a Royal tour of the eastern dzongkhags.

Their Majesties were accompanied by Their Royal Highnesses Gyalsey Jigme Namgyel and Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck.

The Royal tour from 26 March to 13 April, covered Bumthang, Mongar, Pemagatshel, Tashigang, Trashiyangtse, and Lhuentse. This was His Royal Highness Gyalsey Ugyen Wangchuck’s first visit to the east.

When Their Majesties were in Trashigang, the people there also offered Ku Sung Thukten Mendrel in honor of Their Royal Highnesses’ first visit to the dzongkhag.

His Majesty also visited Gyalpozhing College of Information and Technology, Sherubtse College, and several schools of the east, and met with faculty and students.

However, their Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses were accompanied by Her Majesty the Gyalyum Tshering Yangdoen Wangchuck, His Royal Highness Gyaltshab Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and Ashi Yeatso Lhamo.

BENGALURU, 15 April, 2021 (TON): In order to promote bilateral relations in science and technology, the French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, will be in Bengaluru on Thursday, an official said on Wednesday.

A French consulate official in a statement, “On his day-long visit to the city, Le Drian will announce contribution of France to India's human space flight programme 'Gaganyaan' at the human space flight centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the city."

"In the space cooperation over the decades, France and India worked on many missions, including the operational climate research satellites," said the official.

Le Drian will also visit Bangalore Life Sciences cluster, with National Centre for Biological Sciences, the Centre for cellular and molecular platforms and the Institute of Stem cell science and regenerative medicine.

However, it is clearly noted that France is also keen to strengthen dialogue with India on emerging space security issues.