MOSCOW, 15April, 2021 (TON): Russia seeks to establish year-round navigation along the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic, said the Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.

At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Russian Geographical Society Putin said via video link, "In the coming years, movement along the Northern Sea Route may become year-round, bearing in mind the consequences of possible climate change."

Russia's ongoing efforts to construct "the world's most powerful" nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet E, Putin mentioned.

The Arctic is a region where the effects of climate change are most obvious; however, the study of the region is in the interests of all mankind.

KABUL, 15 April, 2021 (TON): The complete withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan in light of the current circumstances poses the threat of a civil war, Speaker of Afghanistan’s parliament, Mir Rahman Rahmani, and some other members of the lower house said on Wednesday.

Rahmani said, “The withdrawal of these forces is a desire of the Afghan people, but at the moment, the conditions have not been made for this to happen, there is a possibility of the return of civil war and this will change Afghanistan into a hub of international terrorism.”

“The US has a responsibility to its people, they saw that it is difficult to work with these people (Afghans), so they decided to leave,” said MP Ziauddin Aryayeenezhad.

Meanwhile, Mirwais Nab Afghan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs thanked the US for its assistance over the past two decades and said that the withdrawal of foreign forces will not pose threats to Afghanistan.

However, some other lawmakers viewed the main goals of the U.S. war in Afghanistan was to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and to create good governance, which they said has not been achieved, meanwhile accused the US of betraying the Afghan people by giving enormous concessions to the Taliban.

MALE, 15 April, 2021 (TON): The Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid has departed to India on an official visit. 

The visit would be from 15-16 April, said the Foreign Ministry.

During the visit, Foreign Minister Shahid will meet with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar where multilateral and bilateral discussions will take place. 

However, the visit will increase bonds between the two close nations as the discussions would also be held on a number of infrastructure development projects run by India in the Maldives. 

Already it is noted that India is currently funding numerous projects in the Maldives including projects funded through the Line of Credit between the two nations and also it has helped the Maldives through the pandemic.

NEW DELHI/COLOMBO, 15 April, 2021 (TON): The Indian Ministry of Science and Technology announced on Wednesday that governments of India and Sri Lanka have decided to support scientists of the two countries to undertake joint research on nine projects in various fields.

In August 2019, the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and the State Ministry of Skills Development, Vocational Education, Research & Innovation of Sri Lanka had launched a joint call for proposals for research.

The research areas included; Food Technology, Plant base medicines, Metrology, Space Research & Applications, Robotics & Automation, Industrial Electronics, (vii) Renewable Energy, Waste Management, Information and Communication Technology, and any other project with national relevance (with Justifications), according to the Department of Science and Technology.

The departments have jointly decided to support 09 projects and 03 workshop proposals based on scientific merit, complementarities of the project objectives, scientific strengths of the project coordinators, national priorities and availability of budget.

However, the cooperation between India and Sri Lanka resulted for the call for proposals in science and technology dating back to 2008, and a total of 193 common proposals were received in response to the joint call for which the deadline was 28 February, 2020.

ATHENS, 14 April, 2021 (TON); Marking the maritime zones in the Mediterranean, Greece and Libya have agreed to hold talks, Prime Minister Mitsotakis said on Wednesday.

The PM remarked after a meeting with the president of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Menfi.

“The two leaders agreed on the immediate resumption of talks between Greece and Libya on the delimitation of the maritime zones,” said Mitsotakis in a statement after the meeting.

However, the ties between the two were soured by the Tripoli government signing a 2019 maritime boundary agreement with Greece’s Mediterranean rival Turkey, therefore, it seems that Greece aimed to reset relations with Libya.

BRUSSELS, 14 April, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken asserted that this was time for NATO allies to withdraw from Afghanistan.

According to him, the alliance would work on an adaptation phase after Washington announced plans to end America’s longest war after two decades.

Blinken remarked at the NATO headquarters, “I am here to work closely with our allies, with the (NATO) secretary-general, on the principle that we have established from the start: In together, adapt together and out together.”

 However, according to the sources, during a video conference the NATO foreign and defense ministers will discuss their plans later on Wednesday.

DUBAI, 14 April, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, an Israeli firm owned commercial vessel was attacked off the coast of the UAE in the Gulf waters.

Israel’s top rated media channel cited the unnamed Israeli officials as blaming arch-foe Iran for the assault, which it described as a missile strike.

The media said that there were no casualties and the ship continued on its course.

The incident comes a day after Tehran accused Israel of sabotaging a nuclear site, and after Iran and the United States began indirect talks in Vienna on ways to revive world powers’ 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran.

Officials in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and Israel’s Defense Ministry declined comment on the incident.

However, a spokesman for Israel’s Transportation Ministry said he was aware of the reports but could not confirm them.

Meanwhile, there was no immediate confirmation from the UAE.

MOGADISHU, 14 April, 2021 (TON): A controversial law extending the President’s mandate for another two years has been signed by the Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi.

This move came despite threats of sanctions from the international community.

The media said, “The president, better known by his nickname Farmajo, had signed into law the special resolution guiding the elections of the country after it was unanimously passed by parliament.”

On Monday, Somalia’s lower house of parliament voted to extend the president’s mandate which expired in February after months of deadlock over the holding of elections in the fragile nation.
However, the speaker of the Senate criticized the move and called it unconstitutional, and the resolution was not put before the upper house, which would normally be required, before being signed into law.

Also, the United States and European Union have condemned the move by Somalia’s parliament to extend the terms of the president and members of parliament by two years amid concern it could deepen divides in the country.

COLOMBO, 14 April, 2021 (TON): Afghanistan and Sri Lanka continue to grow and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in all areas as a part of multifaceted relationship between the two.

Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Colombo M. Ashraf Haidari said, the South Asian nation looks forward to increased people-to-people ties with Sri Lanka.

The ambassador in his message wished all Sri Lankans a very Happy and Prosperous Sinhala and Tamil New Year, and invited the Sri Lankans to consider visiting Afghanistan in the New Year, both for business and investment, as well as for tourism.

He said, “On behalf of the Government and people of Afghanistan, I wish all Sri Lankans at home and abroad a very Happy and Prosperous Sinhala and Tamil New Year. May the New Year bring Sri Lanka continued peace, progress in all sectors of sustainable development, as well as a swift recovery from the impact of pandemic.”

Meanwhile, the two nations’ friendship and multifaceted relationship have continued growing and deepening in all areas of mutually beneficial cooperation after signing of the major cooperation MoU between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries.

However, Afghanistan looks forward to increased people-to-people ties between the two countries, as the country warmly welcomed all Sri Lankans to consider visiting Afghanistan in the New Year, both for business and investment, as well as for tourism.

CAIRO, 14 April, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, in a collision of a bus and a truck on a desert highway in Upper Egypt killed 20 people and injured 3, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The provincial governor's office said in a statement, the bus from Cairo collided with a truck loaded with cement, which was stopping due to a malfunction, in the province of Assiut, about 370 km south of the capital.

The bus was burned out within minutes, and the bodies and the injured were removed from it with difficulty, it added.

However, the health ministry said that thirty-six ambulances reached at the scene.

Whereas, reckless driving and the poor condition of roads are responsible for many crashes in Egypt and this one also counts in it.