KABUL, 04 April 2022, (TON): Refugees and Repatriation Department of Kabul with financial assistance of Adventist Development and Relief Agency have donated cash to 660 displaced families in Kabul city.

Already, the families have surveyed and registered by ADRA organization and Refugees and Repatriation Department of Kabul.

Each family have received 25610 Afghanis with the presence of Hamid Akbari General Director of ADRA organization in Afghanistan.

NEW DELHI, 04 April 2022, (TON): A senior diplomat said “India will be rushing five additional consignments of fuel, food and medicines to its crisis-hit South Asian neighbour Sri Lanka till May.”

India's High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Gopal Bagley told media “as part of a line of US$ one billion-credit signed between the two countries, the first consignment of rice from India is expected to reach Sri Lanka soon.”

He said "these facilities, negotiated and concluded within a matter of weeks, have proved to be the lifeline for the people of Sri Lanka at a time when financing of imports by Sri Lanka is difficult due to the balance of payment situation.”

Since January this year, India has extended to Sri Lanka more than 2.5 billion US dollars, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Bagley said “four consignments totalling over 150,000 tonnes of aviation fuel, diesel and petrol reached Sri Lanka since the two countries signed a line of credit of US$ 500 million in February.”

DHAKA, 04 April 2022, (TON): Prime minister Sheikh Hasina asked the government officials to ensure services for the people, saying Bangladesh became independent to change their fate.

She said “Officials should always keep in mind that people are never deprived of getting services because the independence of the country has been attained for changing their destiny.”

The prime minister said this while addressing the certificate distribution and closing ceremony of 121, 122 and 123 law and administration courses at BCS Administration Academy in the capital’s Shahbagh area.

She joined the function virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban in Dhaka.

DHAKA, 04 April 2022, (TON): The West Zone of Bangladesh Railway is getting 40 new locomotive engines aimed at improving the standard of passenger services through infusing dynamism into railway services.

Chief mechanical engineer of the zone Kudrat-E-Khuda said the engines will be procured from the US.

Sixteen of those have already reached the country in two lots and the remaining 24 will be brought in three phases.

There are air-conditioning facilities for the loco-masters in the modern locomotives besides cameras on both front and back sides which will help them to drive the train comfortably and safely.

He said “we have already received four engines and trial operation of those in different routes is going on at Ishwardi junction.”

He added that normal operation will start after successful completion of the trial operation as soon as possible.

ISLAMABAD, 3 April 2022 (TON): The President of Pakistan, on the advise of Prime Minister and under Article 58 has dissoved the National Assembly on 3 April 2022. The Article provides, “The President shall dissolve the National Assembly if so advised by the Prime Minister; and the National Assembly shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty-eight hours after the Prime Minister has so advised”. A caretaker government will soon be setup and election date would be announced within 90 days specified time in the Constitution.
The combined opposition, led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had submitted the no-confidence motion against Khan on 8 March 2022, contending that the prime minister has lost the trust of the majority of lawmakers.
Under the Article 58 explanation “reference to a Prime Minister against whom a notice of a resolution for a vote of no-confidence has been given in the National Assembly but has not been voted upon or against whom such a resolution has been passed or who is continuing in office after his resignation or after the dissolution of the National Assembly.
Statement of Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Ahmed Khan Naizi said, “I have sent advice to the president to dissolve the assemblies and call for fresh elections.” The deputy speaker has rejected the opposition’s no-trust motion against the government, which was at the behest of the foreign power. In a statement, he said, “Let the people decide who do they want in power. It’s not the authority of the foreign power to decide that”.
Meanwhile, the opposition has decided to approach Supreme Court of Pakistan. Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandyal directed court officials to receive the opposition’s petitions even on Sunday, a public holiday.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a media and PR wing of the Pakistan Armed Forces Director General, Major General Iftikhar Babar, the army spokesman, said the institution “has nothing to do with whatever happened.”  The security situation in the country is tense but under control.

BRUSSELS, 03 April 2022, (TON): Top EU officials warned China s leader Xi Jinping at a virtual summit that any attempt to aid Russia s war in Ukraine could hurt business ties between the two economic superpowers.

The EU and US worry “Beijing s failure to condemn the invasion means it could be willing to help the Kremlin sidestep the impact of sanctions or even supply hardware to aid the war effort.”

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said “no European citizen would understand any support to Russia s ability to wage war. Moreover, it would lead to a major reputational damage for China here in Europe.”

“The business sector is watching very closely the events and evaluating how countries are positioning themselves. This is a question of trust, of reliability and of course of decisions on long-term investments.”

Von der Leyen insisted “China has an influence on Russia and therefore we expect China to take its responsibility to end this war and that Russia comes back to a peaceful negotiations solution.”

RIYADH, 03 April 2022, (TON): Saudi Shoura Council member Dr. Ibrahim bin Mahmoud Al-Nahhas held an online meeting with the chief of the mission for relations with the Arabian Peninsula in the European Parliament, Hana Neuman.

Several members of the Shoura Council, representatives, and other councils of Gulf Cooperation Council countries discussed the repercussions of the war in Ukraine on European-Gulf relations.

Al-Nahhas said “the Kingdom is carefully following developments in Ukraine following its invasion by Russia in February.”

He underlined the Kingdom’s support for all international efforts aimed at resolving the crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.

NEW YORK, 03 April 2022, (TON): UN envoy to Yemen said “Yemen’s warring sides have accepted a two-month truce, starting with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.”

The envoy, Hans Grundberg, announced the agreement from Amman, Jordan, after meeting separately with both sides in the country’s brutal civil war in recent days.

He said that he hoped the truce would be renewed after two months.

The agreement comes after a significant escalation in recent weeks that saw Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim several attacks across the country’s borders, targeting the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “he hoped the truce would pave the way toward peace” but added “we know that these agreements are always fragile.”

The truce is to start, the first day of Ramadan, and will also allow for shipments of fuel to arrive in the Yemen’s key port city of Hodeida and for passenger flights to resume from the airport in the capital, Sanaa.

UN spokesperson Farhan Haq said the warring sides agreed to halt all offensive military, air, ground and maritime operations inside Yemen and across its borders..

LONDON, 03 April 2022, (TON): British police said “they had arrested 83 people in Essex, east of London, in the space of 48 hours as climate change protesters blockaded oil terminals.”

Hundreds of activists from groups Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil started blocking oil terminals across Britain, with some climbing on top of oil tankers as part of their campaign to force the government to speed decarbonization efforts.

Essex police said in a statement “63 people were arrested on Friday following protests at three locations. It said a further 20 were arrested.”

The police said the people were arrested on suspicion of a variety of offenses.

Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Nolan said “our officers are continuing to work in exceptionally challenging circumstances with a view to bringing these protests to a safe and swift conclusion.”

LONDON, 03 April 2022, (TON): On his recent visit to the city Alister Jack met businesses to talk about improving transport links between Northern Ireland and the rest of United Kingdom.

On a two-day trip, Mr Jack met Stena Line, logistics companies, transport firms, and businesses who transport goods between Belfast and Scotland.

The poor state of the roads on the Scottish side of the ferry link, in particular the A77 and A75, is an issue highlighted by Sir Peter Hendy in his recent Union Connectivity Review

Sir Peter was clear that strengthened transport connections between all parts of the UK are vital to maximise economic growth and jobs.

He advocated the creation of ‘UKNET’ a strategic transport network spanning the entire United Kingdom. Upgraded roads in South West Scotland would be a key part of that network.