VIENNA, 08 March 2022, (TON): IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi called to prevent a nuclear incident in Ukraine.

“I repeat my call and let it be heard loud and clear we must prevent a nuclear incident in Ukraine.

Grossi said “let’s not hide behind all or nothing at all decisions.”

He emphasized “we see what is happening on the ground in Ukr-aine. This time, if a nuclear accident occurs, it will not be a tsunami caused by mother nature. It will be the result of human failure to act when we knew we could and knew we should.”

Grossi expressed concern about the situation at the Zaporozhye NPP.

The head of the IAEA said “Russian forces now control the management of the plant and the approval of technical decisions made by Ukrainian operators. This is an unsafe way to operate a nuclear power plant.”

The IAEA will host an international conference on nuclear law April 25-29, said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, speaking before the IAEA Board of Governors.

RIYADH, 08 March 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman met Iraqi Defense Minister Juma Inad Al-Jubouri.

Prince Khalid tweeted “he met with Al-Jubouri on behalf of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.”

He added “the meeting discussed bilateral relations, cooperation and coordination in the defense field, and a number of regional and international issues of common interest.”

Prince Khalid visited Qatar on Monday and discussed joint defense cooperation with the country's emir.

RIYADH, 08 March 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia will host a major medical conference of scientific and technical experts from around the world.

Organized by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the virtual meeting of the Global Harmonization Working Party’s general secretariat and related specialist groups was expected to be attended by more than 32 representatives of the nonprofit organization’s member states.

Ali Al-Dalaan, the body’s chairman and executive vice president of the SFDA’s medical devices sector, will chair the gathering.

The GHWP aims to study and recommend ways to harmonize medical device regulations, requirements, procedures, and standards.

America, represented by the US Food and Drug Administration, will participate for the first time as a full member, in addition to the Inter-American Coalition for Regulatory Convergence for Medical Technology Sector, which includes countries such as Brazil, Canada, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, and Chile.

KABUL, 08 March 2022, (TON): Underlining the need for more humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, the food-assistance branch of the United Nations, has once again raised concern about the growing multifold crisis in the country.

World Food Programme tweeted "WFP funds are running dry but the economic crisis continues. Nearly no family can access enough to eat and humanitarian needs may reach levels we cannot meet.”

Margot Van Der Velden, Director of Emergencies, who is working in Kandahar said it is a "very desperate situation that we see here."

She said "23 million people in Afghanistan are facing an acute food insecurity situation. As per a January survey, 95 per cent of the household don't have enough food.”

As the world's attention shifts to the conflict and displacement crisis in Ukraine, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) last week had called on the world to not neglect Afghanistan.

KABUL, 08 March 2022, (TON): European Union’s special representative for Afghanistan Tomas Niklasson has expressed hope about the ongoing humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and called it positive.

Tomas Niklasson has said that reopening schools and universities for Afghan girls are good news and a positive step for the future of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the special representative urges the de facto authorities in Kabul to make efforts for gaining internal legitimization.

Niklasson said “De facto authorities in Kabul have allowed girls and boys in Afghanistan to get educated and have reopened schools and universities for them. There are hopes about the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan to get better.”

KABUL, 08 March 2022, (TON): The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said “Afghanistan’s acting Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi has met with Tariq Ali Bakheet, special envoy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for Afghanistan.”

During their meeting held, Muttaqi and Bakheet discussed the efforts made by the OIC concerning the implementation of a resolution by an OIC extraordinary session held in December 2021 in Islamabad, Pakistan, the ministry said in a statement.

According to the statement “the two sides also discussed the legal process of the humanitarian trust fund for Afghanistan set up by the OIC, humanitarian and development assistance, as well as the positive developments in Afghanistan.”

Bakheet was quoted in the statement “the OIC supports Afghanistan and cares about the needs of Afghan people, so the OIC reopened its office in Kabul and resumed its operation in Afghanistan.”

NEW DELHI, 08 March 2022, (TON): Under 'Operation Ganga' to evacuate Indian citizens from Ukraine, 1,314 Indians have been airlifted yesterday by seven special civilian flights.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation “with this more than 17,400 Indians have been brought back since the special flights began on February 22, 2022.”

The number of Indians airlifted by 73 special civilian flights goes up to 15,206. The IAF had earlier flown 10 sorties to bring back 2,056 passengers, as part of Operation Ganga.

Among the special civilian flights on Monday, four have landed in New Delhi while two reached Mumbai. There were five flights from Budapest, and one each from Bucharest and Suceava.

Two special civilian flights are expected to operate from Suceava, bringing in more than 400 Indians back home.

NEW DELHI, 08 March 2022, (TON): Britain said that India's stance on the Russia-Ukraine conflict was the result of its dependence on Russia and therefore the way forward would be to ensure closer economic and defence ties between India and the UK.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss was asked about India's stance during a hearing of the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, the influential cross-party panel responsible for examining the administration and policy of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The minister confirmed that she had spoken to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to encourage a stand against Russian actions in Ukraine.

Truss said "I have spoken to my counterpart, Minister Jaishankar, and encouraged India to stand against Russia and made it very clear that we see this as a violation of sovereignty, that every country that believes in freedom and democracy should absolutely abhor.”

DHAKA, 08 March 2022, (TON): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his commitment to work with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to further strengthen India-Bangladesh ties.

A statement issued by the Office of Indian Prime Minister said “he made the commitment when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Security Affairs Adviser Maj Gen (Retd.) Tarique Ahmed Siddique called on PM Modi here.”

During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi commended the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in ensuring all round development of Bangladesh when he also fondly recalled his visit to Bangladesh in March, 2021.

The Indian Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

DHAKA, 08 March 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in the United Arab Emirates on a five-day official visit to the country.

Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim told media "a VVIP flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG-1301) carrying the prime minister and her entourage members landed at the Abu Dhabi International Airport at 7:25pm.

Bangladesh Ambassador to the UAE Md Abu Zafar received the prime minister at the airport.

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi MP, Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmad MP, Prime Minister's Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser Salman F Rahman and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira are accompanying the prime minister.

During her stay in the UAE, the premier is scheduled to visit the Dubai Exhibition Centre (DEC) and join a high-level panel discussion on the occasion of the International Women's Day.