TRIPOLI, 30 August 2022, (TON): Flights resumed and shops re-opened in Libya’s capital Tripoli after clashes between backers of rival governments killed at least 32 people and sparked fears of major new conflict.

Armed groups had exchanged fire that damaged several hospitals and set buildings on fire starting on Friday evening, the worst fighting in the Libyan capital since a landmark 2020 ceasefire.

A cautious calm had set in by Saturday evening and the health ministry said on Sunday morning that 32 people had been killed and 159 wounded during the clashes.

BOGOTA, 30 August 2022, (TON): Venezuela and Colombia restored full diplomatic relations after a three-year break, as a new leftist government in Bogota takes shape.

A new Colombian ambassador, Armando Benedetti, arrived in Caracas and said “relations with Venezuela should never have been severed. We are brothers and an imaginary line cannot separate us.”

He was welcomed by deputy foreign minister Rander Pena Ramirez, who tweeted that “our historical ties summon us to work together for the happiness of our peoples.”

Colombia’s new leftist president, Gustavo Petro, and Venezuela’s socialist president Nicolas Maduro announced on August 11 that they planned to restore diplomatic relations that were severed in 2019.

AL-MUKALLA, 30 August 2022, (TON): The internationally recognized government of Yemen accused the Houthis of attempting to tighten their siege on the southern city of Taiz by launching a deadly attack on the only road connecting it with other cities, as it reiterated its calls for the UN Yemen envoy and the international community to exert serious pressure on the militia to stop the attacks.

The government said that 10 of its soldiers had died and seven others had been wounded during the past 24 hours while pushing back a new ground and artillery attack from the Houthis against army personnel at the western entrance to the city.

The government said “this is a flagrant challenge to all initiatives and endeavors aimed at ending the war and achieving peace, undermines efforts to extend and expand the humanitarian truce, and seeks to impose the siege on the city of Taiz, which has already been besieged for seven years.”

Houthis shelled troops manning Al-Dhabab Road before advancing on the ground to seize control of it and ultimately tighten their siege of Taiz.

BRUSSELS, 30 August 2022, (TON): EU foreign ministers are to discuss this week an appeal led by Ukraine to ban Russian tourists from visiting Europe.

The idea, to be studied in a two-day meeting starting Tuesday in Prague, has divided EU nations, with some wholeheartedly agreeing with it while others resist, fearing it would shut the door on dissident Russians fleeing their homeland.

Some EU countries neighboring Russia have already moved to bar or limit visas to Russians, but no EU-wide ban is as yet in place.

In February, the European Union restricted visas in certain categories for Russians linked to the Kremlin, including for officials, diplomatic passport holders and company bosses. But tourist visas were still permitted.

DUBAI, 30 August 2022, (TON): The UAE’s Ministry of Defense has started operating an air bridge to transport humanitarian aid to Pakistan, Emirates News Agency reported.

The relief aid includes shelter materials and food and medicine parcels for those affected by unprecedented torrential rains and floods in the Asian country.

Tens of millions of people across swathes of Pakistan are battling the worst monsoon floods in a decade.

The move comes after the UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan issued a directive to provide various forms of support to the people of Pakistan.

The UAE’s ambassador to Pakistan Hamad Obaid Ibrahim Salem Al-Zaabi said the first Emirati plane loaded with aid flew out to Pakistan, and that it would be followed by a number of other planes carrying aid over the coming days.

By Ermeya Afshain

“The nuclear menace is once again on the rise. A complete ban on nuclear testing is an essential step in preventing the qualitative and quantitative improvement of nuclear weapons and in achieving nuclear disarmament.”

António Guterres

Over 2,000 nuclear weapons tests have taken performed since the first one on July 16, 1945. Early nuclear testing did not give any thought to the catastrophic repercussions on human life, let alone the risks posed by nuclear fallout from atmospheric tests. The horrifying and catastrophic results of nuclear weapons testing have been revealed to us by history and hindsight, particularly when controlled experiments go wrong and in light of the significantly more potent and lethal nuclear weapons that are currently in existence.

Resolution 64/35 was overwhelmingly approved by the UN General Assembly on 2 December 2009, designating 29 August as the International Day against Nuclear Tests. In order to achieve the objective of a nuclear-weapons-free world, the resolution calls for raising awareness and educating people "about the impacts of nuclear weapon test explosions or any other nuclear explosions and the need for their discontinuation." The Republic of Kazakhstan, along with a sizable number of sponsors and cosponsors, proposed the resolution in an effort to commemorate the shutdown of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site on August 29, 1991.

The first International Day against Nuclear Tests was observed in 2010. Every year after that, different events like symposia, conferences, exhibits, competitions, publications, lectures, media broadcasts, and other efforts have been planned around the globe to mark the day.

Since its founding, numerous bilateral and international governmental developments as well as significant civil society activities have contributed to the advancement of the prohibition of nuclear testing.

Furthermore, the General Assembly declared September 26 to be the "International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons," which is dedicated to furthering the goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons through the mobilisation of international efforts. The General Assembly was "convinced that nuclear disarmament and the total elimination of nuclear weapons are the only absolute guarantee against the use or threat of nuclear weapons." In September 2014, the first International Day for the Complete Elimination of Nuclear Weapons was observed. The International Day against Nuclear Tests has helped to create a global climate that fervently supports a world free of nuclear weapons, together with other activities and events.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty of 1996 is the international agreement to halt all nuclear testing (CTBT). Sadly, this has not yet come into effect.

The prohibition against testing is an example of a policy that supports both disarmament and non-proliferation goals, as the Secretary-General acknowledged in his disarmament plan "Securing our Common Future," which was unveiled on May 24, 2018. The CTBT slows down the arms race by limiting the development of sophisticated new types of nuclear weapons. Additionally, it acts as a significant normative barrier to deter future States from trying to create, produce, and then acquire nuclear weapons in defiance of their non-proliferation pledges.

To achieve the CTBT's entry into force and to maintain its position in the international system, every effort must be done. In light of this, the Secretary-General makes an appeal to those remaining States whose ratifications are necessary for the CTBT to enter into force to make a commitment to sign the Treaty as soon as possible, if they haven't already, and to hasten the end of their ratification procedures.

The UN envisions a time when all nuclear weapons will be gone. As the world works to promote peace and security, it is necessary to mark International Day against Nuclear Tests.

The main mechanism for eradicating nuclear weapons testing is the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September 1996. To date, 185 countries have signed the treaty and 170 have ratified it. For the Treaty to enter into Force, it must be ratified by those States with significant nuclear capabilities.

Although the world community as a whole agrees that nuclear weapons tests represent a life-threatening risk, there is still some lingering concern about the possibility of covert nuclear weapons testing. Nuclear weapons' reliability may be in peril if they cannot be tested, which is another worry. But throughout time, improvements in science and technology have greatly increased our ability to keep an eye on compliance controls and identify the spread of nuclear weapons. The CTBT Organization (CTBTO) Preparatory Commission's Provisional Technical Secretariat was responsible for developing and initiating these activities and tracking systems. Despite the treaty's stalling entry-into-force, an increasingly active public advocacy campaign, including activities and events held on the International Day against Nuclear Tests, is putting pressure on the ruling class to ratify the agreement in order to eventually end nuclear weapons testing.

The CTBTO Preparatory Commission and the 170 States that have ratified the Treaty are adamant about it coming into effect. With approximately 90% of States already included in the CTBTO's International Monitoring System, there is certainty that no nuclear explosion will go undetected. The complete abolition of nuclear weapons, however, can prevent a nuclear conflict or nuclear terrorism threat better than anything else. Nuclear explosions must be permanently stopped in order to stop the development of nuclear weapons.

By Saneem Afshain

Lately, China is progressively bringing Bangladesh into its debt-trap as it is already the major supplier of arms to Bangladesh. There is a propaganda that Bangladesh may be next to prey in China's debt-trap after Sri Lanka. As Dhaka acquired a substantial amount of military hardware from China which includes two Submarines, Missiles, guns, frigates and fighter aircraft, many countries in the region become jealous. Media systematic propaganda campaign reflects if Bangladesh is facing problems in the acquired arms, especially type 053H3 Frigates and K-8W fighter aircraft have developed snags.

In a search for rapid progress and development, Bangladesh China has initiating infrastructure projects. Four Chinese state-owned firms expressed their eagerness to build the Metro Rail Network in a recent affair along with a 'Smart City' on the land in Chittagong with their own funds in return for which the Chinese firms demanded a share of the incomes from the 'Smart City' after selling off the plots.

Last month, Bangladesh became the latest country in Asia to approach the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for funds because the economy is under stress due to swelling commodity prices after Russia-Ukraine war which weighed down heavily on the country’s foreign reserves. Bangladesh is also a participant in China’s BRI and currently, Dhaka owes about USD 4 billion, or 6 per cent of its total foreign debt, to Beijing.

As Chinese companies will build the Metro Rail in Chittagong with their own funds. After the completion of the project, Chinese technicians have given assurance that they will continue to stay in Chittagong for the maintenance of the Metro. As China will also handle the maintenance work to the Metro Rail Service as per the agreeement.

Actually, it is an attempt by China to strengthen their footsteps in Bangladesh, especially in Chittagong sea port which is strategically a significant place. The main aim of China to save Chittagong Sea port from foreign invasion, which is the main port of Bangladesh from where entire Bangladesh export and import takes place.

China is gradually bringing development in Bangladesh as beside major supplier of arms to Bangladesh, China has undertaken various projects. In the armament sector, Dhaka acquired a sizable amount of military hardware from China which includes two Submarines, Missiles, guns, frigates and fighter aircraft and the type 053H3 Frigates and K-8W fighter aircraft.

Bangladesh had procured the FM-90 (Chinese HQ-7A) system from China. The system is important for the Bangladesh Air Force's plans of setting up an Integrated Air Defense system.  Some of the pro-India Bangladesh Naval officers are against purchasing ships and other equipment from China as they do not want Chinese to counter Indians in Bangladesh.

Bangladesh Navy planned to build ships in Chittagong Dry Dock and like many other countries, China is also showing interest in the project. In this respect, the Bangladesh also sent their officers and personnel to China for training.

In a systematic Indian false media campaign It has also been alleged that China does not supply spare parts while supplying arms and ammunition and for the maintenance of the defense hardware, Chinese technicians will charge huge maintenance charges. Chinese projects in Bangladesh demonstrate the Chinese increasing influence in this South Asia country. This has created balance of power in the region.

DHAKA, 30 August 2022, (TON): UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change, Ian Fry, will visit Bangladesh from September 4 to 15.

This is the first official visit by the UN official, an international environmental law and policy expert, since he took office on May 1 this year.

During the visit, he will assess how the adverse impact of climate change affects the human rights of communities in vulnerable situations.

The special rapporteur will focus on loss and damage incurred due to climate change and extreme weather.

NEW DELHI, 30 August 2022, (TON): Four more Congress leaders, including former deputy speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Gulam Hyder Malik, and a dozen prominent workers of the Apni Party resigned from their respective parties on Monday in support of veteran politician Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Mr Azad, a former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, ended his five-decade association with the Congress on Friday, saying the party was comprehensively destroyed and lashing out at Rahul Gandhi for demolishing its entire consultative mechanism.

Mr Malik, a former Congress MLA from Kathua's Bani, and two former MLCs, Subash Gupta from Kathua and Sham Lal Bhagat from Doda, separately forwarded their resignation letters to the party high-command.

DHAKA, 30 August 2022, (TON): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday summoned Myanmar Ambassador to Bangladesh Aung Kyaw Moe and lodged a strong protest against Myanmar’s mortar shells inside Bangladesh territory a day earlier.

Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told reporters "we have lodged a strong protest with Myanmar so that such incidents do not happen again. We have also strongly condemned the incident.”

He said “a note verbale was handed over to the ambassador.”