NEW YORK, 08 April 2022, (TON): The United Nations General Assembly suspended Russia from the UN Human Rights Council over reports of gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights by invading Russian troops in Ukraine.

The US-led push garnered 93 votes in favor, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained.

A two-thirds majority of voting members, abstentions do not count, was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council.

Suspensions are rare. Libya was suspended in 2011 because of violence against protesters by forces loyal to then-leader Muammar Qaddafi.

The resolution adopted by the 193-member General Assembly draft expresses grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia.

Russia had warned countries that a yes vote or abstention will be viewed as an unfriendly gesture with consequences for bilateral ties, according to a note seen by Reuters.

RABAT, 08 April 2022, (TON): Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is set to meet Moroccan King Mohammed VI during a two-day visit to Rabat that seeks to mark an easing of diplomatic tensions centred on Morocco’s disputed region of Western Sahara.

Spain’s government has called Thursday’s meeting an opportunity to open a new stage in ties with Morocco based on mutual respect, but also to discuss “restraint from any unilateral action to honour the importance of all that we share and to avoid future crises”.

Relations between the two countries separated by the Strait of Gibraltar were severely frayed last April.

Morocco was angered by Spain allowing the leader of the pro-independence movement for Western Sahara to receive medical treatment for pandemic at a Spanish hospital on request by Morocco’s neighbour Algeria, an ally of pro-independence Sahrawis.

Morocco responded by loosening its border controls around Spain’s North Africa enclave of Ceuta, provoking the unauthorised crossing of thousands of young Moroccans and migrants from other African countries.

The mood did not improve until last month, when Sanchez took the surprising decision to alter Spain’s longstanding position on Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony.

BRUSSELS, 08 April 2022, (TON): Armenia and Azerbaijan are preparing for peace talks, their officials said “after a recent flare-up in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in Brussels for rare talks mediated by the European Council President Charles Michel.”

Foreign ministry in Yerevan said in a statement “meeting came after a flare-up in Nagorno-Karabakh on March 25 that allegedly saw Azerbaijan capture a strategic village in the area under the Russian peacekeepers’ responsibility, killing three Armenian separatist troops.”

It stated that during the meeting, the two leaders “ordered foreign ministers to begin preparatory work for peace talks between the two countries.

The ministry said “an agreement was reached during the meeting to set up a bilateral commission on the issues of delimitation of the Armenian-Azerbaijan border, which will be in charge of ensuring security and stability along the frontier.”

It added “the future peace treaty would be based “on the basic principles proposed earlier by Azerbaijan.”

The European Union said Michel “noted both President Aliyev’s and Prime Minister Pashinyan’s stated desire to move rapidly towards a peace agreement between their countries.

LONDON, 08 April 2022, (TON): The UK’s new energy security strategy, announced “puts new nuclear build at the heart of a package of measures designed to improve energy security, provide affordable energy and deliver a net-zero energy mix that will help tackle climate change.”

Commenting on the new strategy, Sama Bilbaoy León, Director General of World Nuclear Association, said that governments across the world should be following the UK’s example and setting out policies that put nuclear as an essential and substantial component of their long term energy strategies.

The UK strategy will see the approval of up to eight new reactors by 2030, with more new build following that so that nuclear energy will be supplying 25% of the UK’s electricity needs in 2050 in a fully decarbonized generation mix.

The energy security stra-tegy also sets out plans to develop small modular reactors and advanced reactors that will have applications beyond electricity production.

Sama commented “nuclear is unique among the low-carbon energy te-chnologies in that it can provide the high temperature heat that will help de-carbonize the industry sector.”

HANOI, 08 April 2022, (TON): Vietnam demands that China respect its sovereignty in the South China Sea and calls on the Chinese side to immediately stop conducting military exercises that violate Vietnam’s sovereign rights to the Spratly archipelago and the Paracel Islands.

This was stated at a briefing by Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Thu Hang, answering a question about Hanoi’s reaction to China’s military exercises in the South China Sea from March 19 to April 9.

According to her “Vietnam asked the Chinese side to stop these actions, which violate the exclusive economic zone of Vietnam, defined in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”

The deputy director of the information and press department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam said “we urge to exercise restraint and not to take actions to aggravate the situation, to contribute to maintaining peace, security and stability in the East Sea.”

BRUSSELS, 08 April 2022, (TON): Western countries are exploring the possibility of expanding the range of weapons transferred to Ukraine as part of military assistance.

This was announced by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at a press conference in Brussels.

Blinken said “we ourselves, the United States, and collectively with partners in more than 30 countries, provide Ukraine with weapons and systems that, in our opinion, it can most effectively use.”

He said “we will not allow anything to prevent Ukrainians from getting what they necessary and what we think can be effective, so we are now looking across the board, not only about what we have provided and continue to provide, but also whether there are additional systems that could change situation that we can provide them with.”

Before his meeting with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, he said “what you heard today from all of our allies and partners from the Asia-Pacific region as well was a tremendous sense of solidarity in support of Ukraine against Russia’s outrageous aggression.”

KABUL, 08 April 2022, (TON): Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said “it has provided food assistance to 3,000 needy families in Kabul with the cooperation of China.”

Officials at the ministry said “the aid was distributed fairly to the families based on a survey conducted by the ministry.”

Arsalan Kharoti, deputy Minister of Refugees and Repatriations said “the aid has reached the deserving people. We thank China and ask them to continue their aid and increase the amount of their aid.”

Meanwhile, China says it has delivered 3,800 tons of food aid to Afghanistan in the past eight months.

China's special adviser to Afghanistan said “this round of aid that has reached Afghanistan so far is our aid this year, with 3,800 tons delivered and the rest is coming soon.”

The needy families praised the distribution of the aid, but say it is not sufficient.

Abdul Bari, a person in need said “I am the breadwinner of a family of 12 members. I am a worker.”

KABUL, 08 April 2022, (TON): The meeting of the economic commission, chaired by the first deputy prime minister, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, tasked the Foreign Ministry to give a definite time by which a Kabul airport contract would be signed.

A statement released by the office of the first deputy prime minister said “Qatari companies are currently running the technical affairs of the airport but there has been no contract.”

Afghanistan Air Aviation Authority denied the reports which suggested the presence of Qatari forces at the Kabul airport.

Ghulam Jailani Waf, deputy Minister of Transportation and Aviation said “there was no military exercise. We have a fire and rescue team to act in case any incident happens.”

Earlier, video circulated on social media showing the presence of Qatari forces at Kabul airport.

Analysts gave various opinions about the contract of Kabul airport with foreign companies.

NEW DELHI, 08 April 2022, (TON): India said “its 2+2 dialogue with the US next week will provide an opportunity to exchange views on important regional and global developments and how both sides can work together to address common interests and concerns.”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will hold the talks with US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on April 11 in Washington.

The unfolding situation in Ukraine is expected to be discussed in the fourth edition of the dialogue.

Arindam Bagchi, the Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), formally announced the date of the dialogue at a media briefing.

He said "dialogue would enable both sides to undertake a comprehensive review of cross-cutting issues in the India-US bilateral agenda related to foreign policy, defence and security with the objective of providing strategic guidance and vision for further consolidating the relationship.”

Bagchi said "the 2+2 Dialogue will also provide an opportunity to exchange views about important regional and global developments and how we can work together to address issues of common interest and concern.”

NEW DELHI, 08 April 2022, (TON): The UN General Assembly voted on a draft resolution seeking to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council, a move initiated by America after harrowing photos emerged of corpses strewn across streets of Ukraine, with Washington terming Moscow’s participation in the top human rights body as a farce.

The UN General Assembly has suspended Russia from Human Rights Council. However, India abstained from a draft resolution to suspend Russia from UNHRC over the Ukraine crisis.

UNGA needed to vote in favour by two-thirds to remove Russia from the Human Rights Council.

The US-led push garnered 93 votes in favour, while 24 countries voted no and 58 countries abstained. A two-thirds majority of voting members, abstentions do not count - was needed to suspend Russia from the 47-member council.

Russia’s current membership on the Council ends in December 2023.