WASHINGTON, 18 April 2022, (TON): Largely unnoticed in the New York Times report of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s separate phone calls with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin is a notably pregnant statement by Ibrahim Kalin, a chief adviser and spokesman for Erdogan.

Kalin said “even though we fully reject the Russian war on Ukraine, the Russian case must be heard, “because after this war, there will have to be a new security architecture established between Russia and the Western bloc.”

What would the new security architecture be? The implication is that some credit must be accorded to a larger Russian sphere of influence.

This is not the view of the United States, and it is not the view of NATO. The Alliance has no intention of rewarding Putin, in language or action, for his brutal attempt to drag Ukraine into the Russian embrace.

However, NATO now must do more than focus on how it is helping the Ukrainians and defending every inch of NATO territory. Now it must say what it requires for European security beyond the end of the current war.

BRUSSELS, 18 April 2022, (TON): Ihor Zhovkva, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s office, said “Ukraine has completed a questionnaire which will form a starting point for the European Union to decide on membership for Kyiv.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen handed the questionnaire to Zelensky during her visit to Kyiv on April 8th, pledging a speedier start to Ukraine’s bid to become a member of the EU following Russia’s invasion of the country.

Zhovkva told the Ukrainian public broadcaster “today, I can say that the document has been completed by the Ukrainian side.”

He added “the European Commission will need to issue a recommendation on Ukraine’s compliance with the necessary membership criteria.”

“We expect the recommendation, to be positive, and then the ball will be on the side of the EU member states.”

MOSCOW, 18 April 2022, (TON): Russia’s defense ministry said Sunday it struck a military plant outside Kyiv, as Moscow intensifies its attacks on the Ukrainian capital.

The ministry said in a statement “during the night, high-precision, air-launched missiles destroyed an ammunitions factory near the settlement of Brovary, Kyiv region.”

The mayor of Brovary Igor Sapozhko said “some infrastructure objects were hit in the early hours of Sunday morning.”

An AFP journalist in Brovary did not witness any signs of destruction, smoke or fire.

RIYADH, 18 April 2022, (TON): The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and the UN University for Peace signed a wide-ranging cooperation program.

The supervisor general of KSrelief, Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, and the permanent observer of UN University for Peace, David Fernández Puyana, signed the program in Riyadh.

The deal will establish a new cooperation and partnership framework between the two sides in the educational and training programs, building capacity, preparing studies and research in humanitarian work.

During their meeting, Al-Rabeeah and Puyana also discussed issues related to humanitarian and relief affairs and the means to enhance them.

KABUL, 18 April 2022, (TON): The Ministry of Education said “in cooperation with the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), a literacy program is being planned for citizens.”

Officials said “the negotiations over the finalization of the plan are underway.”

Aziz Ahmad Riyan, a spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said “we are planning to discuss its educational mechanism in the near future.”

Karima Rahimyar was working as a home teacher around 22 years ago, in the first era of the Islamic Emirate’s government in 1990s. Rahimyar said that she had female students.

The girls were not allowed to go to school in the Islamic Emirate’s first government.

Rahimyar said “teachers were struggling with severe challenges then.”

She said “we didn’t have a phone in the past. The community leader appointed a woman to gather the girls for my class and she would bring the girls to my residence. Some girls would come on time themselves.”

NEW DELHI, 18 April 2022, (TON): Police said in a tweet “Indian police arrested 14 people in connection with violent clashes between Hindus and Muslims during a Hindu religious procession in New Delhi.”

Six police officers and several others were injured during scuffles that marred the procession at a festival in Jahangirpuri, a suburban section of New Delhi.

The police said “remaining rioters are being identified for strict legal action.”

There were no reported deaths from the incident.

In recent weeks, religious clashes have broken out between the majority Hindu and minority Muslim communities during religious processions in several parts of the country.

The rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party has emboldened hardline Hindu religious groups in recent years to take up causes that they say defend their faith, although his party has denied any rise in communal tensions during Modi's reign.

KABUL, 18 April 2022, (TON): The Islamic Emirate said “tension between Afghanistan and its neighbors will not benefit anyone.”

Bilal Karimi, the deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, called on the world, especially neighboring countries, to resolve tension through diplomacy and peace with Kabul.

Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate said “when the situation between Afghanistan and the neighboring countries is tense, it is natural that it does not bring good consequences, but the policy of the Islamic Emirate is to have good interactions with countries, especially neighbors, and our first choice is to solve the issues through diplomatic channels and dialogue.”

In recent weeks, the current government in Afghanistan has faced incidents with neighboring countries Iran and Pakistan.

Political analysts believe that the continuing tensions between neighboring countries and Afghanistan will negatively affect their interaction with the Islamic Emirate.

KABUL, 18 April 2022, (TON): Foreign ministry announced “the situation of Afghan refugees has become better since negotiations were conducted between the Islamic Emirate and Iranian officials.”

Earlier, the Iran Foreign Ministry announced that it had suspended its consulate services after the Afghans staged protests in reaction to the report of Afghans' mistreatment by Iran. 

Meanwhile, a number of Afghans based in France held a gathering to protest the Afghans' misconduct in Iran. 

They called on humanitarian organization to address the problems of Afghan refugees in Iran. 

Shah Rasul Oriakhail, a protestor said “we Afghans gathered here to raise our voice to the international community. We really love peace. We are oppressed people. Why are they oppressing us. There have been various oppressions in Iran.” 

This comes as the Islamic Emirate said that the situation of the Afghan refugees in Iran has become better since it held talks with Iran's ambassador in Kabul. 

NEW DELHI, 18 April 2022, (TON): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to travel to India next week to discuss trade and security with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has taken a neutral stance on Russia's war in Ukraine.

Johnson said in a statement before the visit, his first to India as British leader "as we face threats to our peace and prosperity from autocratic states, it is vital that democracies and friends stick together.”

Britain and India hold divergent views on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While London has imposed economic sanctions on Moscow and supplied weapons to Kyiv, Modi's government has not openly condemned the Kremlin or backed a UN Security Council vote that deplored Moscow's aggression against its neighbour.

India said “Russia is a long-term friend and an essential pillar of its foreign policy, and it relies on a strategic partnership with Moscow for its national security.”

Johnson said “the visit on April 21-22 would focus on what he said were the things that really matter to the people of both our nations- from job creation and economic growth, to energy security and defence.”

DHAKA, 18 April 2022, (TON): The European Union said “the absence of updated and reliable data of beneficiaries was one of the challenges for the delivery of pro-poor, inclusive and shock responsive social assistance and social insurance interventions in Bangladesh.”

Hans Lambrecht, Head of Cooperation, delegation of the EU said “data are a fundamental asset, which needs to be placed in the hand of the government of Bangladesh to ensure that the social security interventions reach the people in need.”

He was speaking at the workshop on the ‘Lifecycle-Based Social Protection Systems in Bangladesh’ arranged by the Cabinet Division with the technical support of the European Union Technical Assistance to Support Social Security in Bangladesh at a city hotel.

The EU is ready to support the Bangladesh government to accelerate this essential reform, he said during the workshop, according to a press release on the day.

Another speaker said “individuals faced different risks and vulnerabilities in a typical life cycle, ranging from early birth to old age.”