LUANDA, 14 April, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the former Angolan minister Manuel Rabelais was sentenced to 14 years in prison on corruption charges.

The jailed minister has become the second ex-minister put behind bars since Joao Lourenço took power in 2017.

The Angolan president succeeded Jose Eduardo dos Santos.

A massive anti-corruption campaign was launched by Lourenco against those close to his predecessor, including his children was launched shortly after his election.

President Dos Santos had appointed close friends and family members to key positions during his corruption-ridden reign.

Manuel Rabelais, a former communications minister under the previous regime, was arrested in October 2020 and convicted by the Luanda Supreme Court of money laundering and misappropriation of public funds.

However, via a marketing company he ran, he was found guilty of embezzling 98 million euros between 2016 and 2017.

COLOMBO, 14 April, 2021 (TON): The Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister General Wei Fenghe is scheduled to pay a visit to Sri Lanka later the month of April, according to the Foreign Ministry sources.

General Wei is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and other senior government officials during the visit.

Following the October’s visit of senior Chinese diplomat, Yang Jiechi, this is the second-highest visit to be undertaken by a Chinese official to Sri Lanka.

However, the final dates of General Wei's arrival are yet to be received but the visit is confirmed to take place after the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

RIYADH, 14 April, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the Saudi Railways Co. (SAR) launched its SAR Pioneers Program.

The program aims to develop the capabilities of fresh Saudi male and female graduates wishing to join the company.

This kind of program seeks to attract local talent in various disciplines and provide them training, said Abdul Rahman Turkistani, director of human resources and support services.

However, the company will start evaluation of applicants on 29 April and following the final selection of candidates, training will begin in August.

KATHMANDU, 14 April, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in his address to the nation on the occasion of Nepali New Year, he mentioned the achievements and work of his government.

He said, “There were many assumptions regarding the disease from the beginning. However, the government’s priority was to save the lives of people. Schools, industries, even if they were closed for some time could run in the future if we can save people.”

He added, "Keeping that in mind, the government worked to control the spread of the virus and because of our good policies we didn’t fail.”

Oli's address comes amid fears of a second wave of virus transmissions, and more children are being affected this time, causing concern among doctors and public health experts.

Oli, however, said the past year must be viewed as a year of success despite it being mired by the pandemic.

“We were able to gain good agriculture growth and the government tried to bring back balance in the trade deficit and were able to close the deficit gap to some extent last year,” said Oli.

Nepal’s economy though is on the road to recovery now, it took a massive beating last year due to the pandemic and saw a negative growth, he said.

However, the Central Bureau of Statistics said last month that in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year 2019-20, ending mid-July, the country’s economic growth rate, or output of the gross domestic product, plunged 15.4 percent compared to the same period in 2018-19, which resulted in a year-on-year negative growth rate of 1.99 percent.

THIMPHU, 14 April, 2021 (TON): As part of the “Million Trees Project” launched in the capital of Bhutan, about 60 households of Kawang gewog in Thimphu received 150 fruit trees.

It is a five-year project between Bhutan Ecological Society (BES) and Bhutan Foundation.

The project between the two aims to promote ecologically fecund and economically productive landscapes which can also serve as community carbon banks.

The director of BES, Pem Lama said, “By cultivating high-value trees in lands that have been left fallow, the project will help improve livelihoods of communities while nurturing the environment.”

She added, “It could generate annual and long-term income for rural farmers and serve as community carbon banks.”

However, according to the BES official, Bhutan has a tiny landholding from which many are left fallow. And this project could help in the proper use of fallow land across the country by introducing a concept similar to agro-forestry.

It is expected that the project will nurture over a million high-value trees like plums, pears, walnuts, and peaches in all dzongkhags.

Naypyidaw, 14 April 2021. (TON): Nepali human rights group organized demonstration in front of United Nations offices in the Capital against Myanmar government’s use of excessive force on protesters

The demonstrator demanded from the UN to take necessary steps to end the use of force on pro-democracy protesters. They asked the United Nations take effective steps against Myanmar’s military junta government’s use of excessive force on pro-democracy protesters.

As per the details, the demonstrations were organised by Human Rights and Peace Society Nepal outside the UN House in Pulchowk, who displayed banners and placards in which they urged the international body to take effective steps to end Myanmar military’s crackdown on democracy protests.

Myanmar’s military took control of the country on 1 February 2021, under the provision of constitution as under Myanmar’s 2008 constitution, the president can hand power to the military commander in cases of emergency. But it  brought into action the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party.

JEDDAH, 14 April, 2021 (TON): 176 citizens and expatriates, including government ministry employees have been detained for being allegedly involved in corruption.

those arrested include employees of the defense, interior, national guard, finance, health, justice, municipal, rural affairs and housing, education, transport, information, and human resources and social development ministries, as well as workers from Saudi Customs, the General Authority of the Red Crescent and the National Water Co., said the Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha).

The authority called on Saudis to report suspicious activities involving financial or administrative corruption by contacting the toll free number 980, the email @nazaha.gov.sa or the fax number 0114420057.

However, Nazaha has continued to ramp up crackdowns on corruption, fraud and bribery in the Kingdom over the past year and have arrested many corrupts for forgery etc.

BEIJING, 14 April, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, during a virtual dialogue with the U.S. business leaders, the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang welcomed the active participation of the U.S. companies and around the world in its reform and opening-up, as well as its modernization process.

Li made the remarks during a virtual dialogue with U.S. business leaders, with board chairmen and CEOs from the U.S.-China Business Council and over 20 U.S. multinational companies in attendance.

Li said, "The essence of economic and trade relations between China and the U.S. is mutual benefit," adding that such a relationship benefits the two peoples as well as world peace, stability, development and prosperity.

"Problems that occur in cooperation should be resolved through cooperation," said Li, adding that decoupling does no good to either side and will hurt the world.

He called upon the two sides to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state.

He urged to uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation, respecting each other's core interests and major concerns, enhancing dialogue and communication, expanding practical cooperation and properly handling differences.

However, Li expressed the hope that China and the U.S. can meet each other half-way, promote cooperation by making a bigger pie of common interests and safeguard the safety and stability of the industrial and supply chains.

It is likely, that promoting the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. relations is the common aspiration of both peoples as well as the international community.

DHAKA, 14 April, 2021 (TON): While addressing the nation on the eve of the Bangla New Year on Tuesday, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured people of government support amid the pandemic and urged them to follow the health rules and restrictions imposed to curb the pandemic.

The prime minister remarked, “You don’t need to be anxious. The government is always by your side.”

Hasina referred to the government efforts while giving the people courage to tackle the situation. It has allocated cash aid to over 12.44 million poor families after the second wave of hit Bangladesh.

The lockdown was needed to save lives, she said, noting that many other countries had to take similar measures.

The government is careful so that the economy does not break down due to the restrictions to save lives, she said.

However, the government initiated several steps that include increasing government spending with the focus on creation of jobs, implementing stimulus package to save jobs and help entrepreneurs compete, expanding social safety net to help people engaged in informal sectors, and boosting cash flow while keeping inflation on check.

COLOMBO, 14 April, 2021 (TON): Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that uses lunch sheets and ten million lunch sheets are used daily in the country, said the Sri Lankan Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera.

He said it while participating in a sapling distribution ceremony held in the Angunakolapelessa area.

He noted that the people of the country are not yet aware of the environmental damage caused by plastic pollution and said stricter rules will be implemented in the future to reduce the use of plastic bags and lunch sheets.

He noted that the country should be thankful for the effort rendered by Roshan Abeysundera, a Leading Aircraftman of Sri Lanka Air Force.

Abeysundera swam across the Palk Straits in a record time, giving the message to the country not to release polythene and plastic into the ocean.