Cairo, 10 March, 2021 (TON): While announcing the establishment of a new state, President of Egypt Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi stated that inauguration of the New Administrative Capital (NAC) and the relocation of the government's headquarters to the new city will marked.

He said it in a symposium on Tuesday, aimed to honor the late armed forces personnel.  

"There will be a birth of a new state by inaugurating the new capital," the President said, reiterating that the inauguration will mark a declaration of a new republic later this year if there is no delay due to pandemic.

Being built some 45 km east of the current capital Cairo since 2015 on an area of 714 square km, the new capital is planned to accommodate 6.5 million people.

It will also be home to most government buildings including the cabinet headquarters and ministries, in addition to Parliament, and is expected to accommodate in the first stage from 40,000 to 50,000 government employees that are planned to be increased to 100,000 three years after inauguration.

The government also expects the NAC to create around 2 million job opportunities.

It is hoped that the trial operations of the government buildings in the new capital city will start in August, sources said.

NEW DELHI, 10 March, 2020, (TON): India is mulling a new national strategy to strengthen the country’s cyber security amid allegations on Chinese intrusions that may have possibly affected operations at a key stock exchange and supply of electricity in the country’s commercial capital.

Former Lieutenant General Rajesh Pant, India’s National Cyber Security Coordinator said in an interview that “the plan will coordinate responses across ministries including Home Affairs, Information Technology, Defense and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre in case of an attack and set audit procedures.”

“It will be approved by the cabinet committee on security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi” he said.

Authorities are investigating a series of recent suspected cyber intrusions which could have led to a power outage in Mumbai, crippled systems at banks and caused a glitch at the country’s premier National Stock Exchange, he said.

The new strategy will lay down protocols for prevention and audit to secure the government’s digitally connected water, health and education systems that are all being treated as critical infrastructure, he said. Infrastructure like nuclear, power and aviation will be considered supercritical.

Chinese linked cyber hackers targeted state and centre power distribution organisations in mid-2020 during the peak of India China standoff in Ladakh, a US security research firm said.

According to cyber intelligence firm Cyfirma, a Chinese state-backed hacking group has in recent weeks targeted the IT systems of two Indian vaccine makers whose coronavirus shots are being used in the country's immunization campaign. 

Rivals China and India have both sold or gifted COVID-19 shots to many countries. India produces more than 60% of all vaccines sold in the world.

Goldman Sachs-backed Cyfirma, based in Singapore and Tokyo, said Chinese hacking group APT10, also known as Stone Panda, had identified gaps and vulnerabilities in the IT infrastructure and supply chain software of Bharat Biotech and the Serum Institute of India (SII), the world's largest vaccine maker.

TRIPOLI, 10 March, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the Libyan PM-designate Abdel Hamid Dbeibah condemned the fierce campaign that aimed at destroying the country.

The campaign he referred was presumably the suspicion of corruption in the process that led him to this designation.

While speaking to the deputies at a meeting in Sirte calling on them to unify for Libya he said, “It is a plot and a campaign led by those who want to destroy our country, who want to occupy it, we have no choice but to come to an agreement." 

According to a UN Committee Experts report, the inter-Libyan dialogue sponsored by the UN and which led to the appointment of Mr. Dbeibah was tainted by corruption.

It is due to be submitted formally to the 15 members of the UN-SC by the mid of March.

The report is not revealed to the public however the excerpts have already caused an outcry in Libya.

Mr. Abdel had already defended the "integrity" of the process.

"My first objective was to choose people I would be able to work with, no matter where they came from. They "must be able to work for all Libyans," he said while defending the composition of his government.

On the other hand, the Libyan lawmakers began consultations on Monday aiming at confirming the new government appointed that would lead the country towards a sound and democratic elections by the end of this year.

NEW DELHI, 10 March, 2020, (TON): Dozens of Myanmar nationals have gathered at the border with India waiting to join about 50 who have already crossed the frontier to flee the country’s coup turmoil, Indian officials said on Saturday.

Myanmar authorities have meanwhile asked India to send back eight police who crossed the border seeking refuge after refusing to carry out orders ‘to uphold friendly relations’ between the two countries.

48 Myanmar nationals, including the eight police, have entered India’s northeastern state of Mizoram, a senior officer in the Assam Rifles paramilitary force said.

Around 100 people from Myanmar, mostly policemen and their families, have crossed over a porous border into India since the protests began, according to a senior Indian official. Several have taken shelter in Mizoram’s Champhai district bordering Myanmar.

On February 1, Myanmar's military detained State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint in the country's first coup since 1988, bringing an end to a decade of civilian rule.

The Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy had won a landslide in a general election in November. But the military has claimed the election was marred by fraud.

Myanmar has been gripped by mass protests and strikes after the military coup last month.

Security forces have taken a hard line against the demonstrations and at least 55 deaths have been reported.

NEW DELHI, 10 March, 2020, (TON): India plans to buy 30 armed drones from the U.S. to boost its sea and land defenses as tensions persist with neighbors China and Pakistan, according to officials with knowledge of the matter.

India will approve next month the $3 billion purchase of 30 MQ-9B Predator drones manufactured by San Diego-based General Atomics, the officials said, according to media report.  

Drones India has now can only be used for surveillance and reconnaissance, the deal will add to India’s military capabilities.  

The MQ-9B drone can fly for about 48 hours and carry a payload of about 1,700 kilograms (3,700 pounds). It will give the Indian Navy the ability to better monitor Chinese warships in the southern Indian Ocean, and equip the army to engage targets along the disputed India-Pakistan border in the Himalayas.

India is emerging as a strategic defense partner for the U.S., particularly in countering Chinese influence in the Indian Ocean and some areas of Southeast Asia.

Spokespeople from India’s Defense Ministry, General Atomics and Pentagon officials didn’t respond to requests for comment.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to visit India this month, according to local media, while President Joe Biden will soon join counterparts from India, Japan and Australia in the first-ever meeting of the “Quad” bloc. The leaders will meet virtually on March 12, according to an announcement posted on the Indian government’s website, which said they would discuss issues including supply chains, maritime security and climate change.

India is shaping its policy according to the perspective of U.S., who view rise of China as a threat to its dominance and national interest. Where China and U.S are competitors, U.S. is using India as its strategic opportunity in Indo-Pacific region.

NEW YORK, 10 March, 2020, (TON): The head of the United Nations mission in Sudan on Tuesday warned against ignoring economic hardships that are posing a risk to stability in the Northeast African country.

"We cannot ignore, though, that economic hardships are posing a risk to Sudan's stability," head of United Nations Integrated Transitional Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), Volker Perthes, said in his first briefing to the Security Council's videoconference briefing on the mission.

“Economic hardships compounded by 304 per cent inflation, large trade and fiscal deficits, high unemployment and poverty are posing a risk to Sudan’s stability.  Further, 13.4 million people, one quarter of the population are projected to require humanitarian assistance, including 2.5 million internally displaced persons,” said the German diplomat, who was appointed by the secretary-general as his new special representative for Sudan and head of UNITAMS.

Recalling that Sudan hosts 1 million refugees, including 70,000 recent arrivals from Ethiopia he said that “the need for sustained financial and economic support to Sudan cannot be overstated.”

"I therefore urge the international community to step up their assistance to Sudan," Perthes added.

The official said that the protection of civilians, meanwhile, remains a top UNITAMS priority, especially as inter-communal clashes in El Geneina, West Darfur, in January left 165 people dead and over 100,000 displaced.  “Peace will only be sustainable if the root causes and ramifications of the conflicts are addressed,” he observed.

"During my team's recent visit to Darfur, displaced men and women expressed their fears of further violence and insecurity, including gender-based violence," Perthes added.

Sudan’s recession deepened in 2020, as the usual challenges were compounded by a health crisis, as well as a locust infestation and floods that hit agricultural production. The country is expected to recover only with great difficulty from this situation, recording very weak growth in 2021. Private consumption, which represents 70% of GDP, fell in 2020 (-8.3%) and will continue to decline in 2021, as galloping inflation and internal conflicts disrupt the ability of households to maintain income levels.

NAYPYITAW, 9 March, 2021 (TON): The detention of the Australian financial adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi Myanmar’s coup detained leader had led to the discovery of secret financial information, Min Aung Hlaing Myanmar junta leader said on Monday.

Sean Turnell was detained on 6 February five days after the coup-led arrest of the elected leader Suu Kyi, and his native Australia is calling for his release.

Junta leader said, “An attempt to flee the country by the former government’s foreign economic adviser, Sean Turnell, was stopped in time and secret state financial information was found through him.”

The leader added to his words that the Union-level ministers are taking legal actions in relation to the issue to reach a solution.

The reports also stated that there are five media companies in Myanmar, whose licenses have been canceled for they were actively covering the protests and demonstrations.  

DUBAI, 9 March, 2021 (TON): The license issued to operate the second unit of the Barakah nuclear power plant in Abu Dhabi’s Al-Dhafra region has been announced by UAE on Tuesday.

The reports said that the Nawah Energy Company, responsible for operating units one to four of the power plant got the authority to operate the second unit over the next 60 years.

“Today’s announcement represents a milestone in the UAE’s journey and realization of the vision of the wise leadership. It is considered a strategic achievement that culminates in the efforts exerted over the past 13 years,” Permanent Representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the UAE Hamad Al-Kaabi said.

Review of the design of the nuclear plant, a geographical and demographic analysis of its location, the cooling and safety systems of the nuclear reactor, security measures, emergency preparedness procedures, radioactive waste management, and other technical aspects were included in the 5-year extensive evaluation process.

Most importantly, the Nawah Energy Company’s readiness in making available the essential procedures and measures were also reviewed.

CAIRO, 9 March, 2021 (TON): Foreign Minister of Egypt Sameh Shoukry says, the country hopes to continue talks soon with Ethiopia over the Grand Renaissance Dam (GRD) in order to reach an agreement.

The agreement seeks to serve the interests of the three parties involved in the dispute, i.e. Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia.  

Shoukry said that his country has been conversing with Ethiopia over the GRD that Egypt fears will significantly cut its crucial water supplies from River Nile.

Shoukry cited, no talks on the matter were made outside the framework of the African Union (AU).

As the two sides, Egypt and Sudan voiced concern about the threats posed by the dam, that if Ethiopia disagreed to sign the agreement it would affect their water share.

DAKAR, 9 March, 2021 (TON): Senegal’s famous opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, called the supporters on Monday for much larger protests, however, urged non-violence after the days of deadly clashes in the West African state.

On Monday, Sonko was bailed out but protests took place in the capital Dakar.

At least five people have been killed in clashes between security forces and opposition supporters, who allege that the rape charge is designed to smear Sonko.

President Macky Sall also called for calm, appealing in an address to the nation for protesters to avoid confrontation.

Speaking in Dakar after his release, the opposition leader said, "the revolution has already started and nobody can stop it".

He also urged Senegalese people to keep demonstrating, adding that protests should be much larger but also peaceful.

It is noteworthy that Senegal has been rocked by its worst unrest in years, which began after Sonko was arrested last week.