MINSK, 03 July 2021, (TON): President Alexander Lukashenko says it is part of an attempt by outside powers to overthrow his authoritarian regime.

Mr Lukashenko claimed, without providing proof that his security services had uncovered a foreign-backed terrorist sleeper cells plotting to oust him from power.

He said "they have crossed the line. We cannot forgive them.”

He alleged the weapons were being shipped to terrorist cells funded by Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine and the US.

Mr Lukashenko said, at a ceremony marking the country's 30 years of independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union "a huge amount of weapons is coming from Ukraine to Belarus. That's why I ordered border-security forces to fully close the border with Ukraine."

NEW DELHI, 03 July 2021, (TON): In the wake of threats from drones and cross-border tunnels, the BSF launched an initiative to dig into a pool of 500 Indian companies to find solutions to these border security challenges.

In collaboration with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the BSF launched BSF Hi-tech Undertaking for Maximising Innovation (BHUMI) to find appropriate systems to detect and destroy drones and tunnels with help from Indian companies. BSF said the initiative was part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission and would require Indian Startups & premier institutions to develop cost-effective indigenous solutions for border management.

The initiative was launched at a function organised at BSF headquarters by force DG Rakesh Asthana and MeitY Secretary Ajay Sawhney.

A BSF statement said “one of the main challenges BSF presently faces is the detection of cross-border underground tunnels along the western borders that have serious implications for our national security. It is high time that concerted result-oriented efforts are made to address this issue of cross-border underground tunnels with innovative technological solutions. Further, there is also an urgent requirement to develop Anti-Drone Technology to stop the menace of drones being used for narco-terrorism & attacks on vital installations.”

ADDIS ABABA, 03 July 2021, (TON): Members of the UN Security Council, in its first public meeting on the crisis, warned that as many as 33,000 children were severely malnourished.

Officials said that a further 1.8m people were on the brink of famine as a result of the eight-month conflict.

They also warned of further clashes despite the declaration of a ceasefire.

The Ethiopian government, which has been fighting regional forces in Tigray, declared a unilateral ceasefire.

However, rebels vowed to drive their enemies from the region and there have been reports of sporadic clashes as pressure builds internationally for all sides in the conflict to pull back.

The fighting between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and government forces has already left thousands of people dead and more than two million people have been displaced.

All sides in the conflict have been accused of carrying out mass killings and human rights violations.

According to the New York Times “several thousand captured Ethiopian soldiers were paraded through the streets of the Tigrayan regional capital Mekelle.”

On Friday, the UN's acting humanitarian aid chief told members of the Security Council at a meeting in New York that the situation in Tigray had deteriorated dramatically in recent weeks.

ISLAMABAD, 03 July 2021, (TON): The Foreign Office dismissed allegations by India’s External Affairs Ministry regarding a drone being spotted over the Indian High Commission in Islamabad as patently false.

The statement came after the Indian foreign ministry claimed that a drone was sighted over the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on June 26.

Indian media quoted the Indian Ministry of External Affairs as saying in a statement "this has been taken up officially with Pakistan. We expect Pakistan to investigate the incident and prevent recurrence of such breach of security."

Responding to the claims, FO spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri said “we have seen the Indian MEA’s statement and reports in certain sections of the Indian media alleging a drone flying over the premises of the Indian High Commission in Islamabad.”

He said these "preposterous claims were contrary to the facts and no proof whatsoever has been shared with Pakistan to substantiate these allegations.”

Chaudhri pointed out that “this propaganda campaign by India was happening at a time when evidence gathered in the recent Lahore blast was largely pointing to external forces with a history of perpetrating state-sponsored terrorism against Pakistan”.

Pakistan rejects these patently false allegations and diversionary Indian tactics and will continue to stand by the people of [Indian-occupied Kashmir] in their just struggle for the right to self-determination, as enshrined in the UNSC resolutions.

WASHINGTON, 03 July 2021, (TON): President Joe Biden celebrated new U.S. citizens at an event at the White House, the same day his administration rolled out a government-wide strategy to encourage more immigrants to become citizens.

Biden said in the East Room, thanking the 21 naturalized Americans for choosing the United States as their home, “it’s dreams of immigrants like you that built America and continued to inject new energy, new vitality, new strength.”

He said “we’ve seen that most clearly during this pandemic, with immigrants as frontline workers and as scientists and researchers on the front lines of finding vaccines.”

Under the plan released by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), U.S. border authorities could be asked to hand out information about naturalization to permanent residents entering at ports of entry.

The strategy of encouraging citizenship, called for by Biden in a February executive order, stands in contrast to former President Donald Trump’s attempts to reduce both legal and illegal immigration into the United States.

Another USCIS proposal suggests that the U.S. Postal Service create new stamps that highlight contributions of naturalized citizens and celebrate citizenship more broadly.

KATHMANDU, 03 July 2021, (TON): Floods and landslides caused by heavy rainfall inflicted loss of lives and property in several places of the country.

Police said “in Chitwan, at least two persons died while three others went missing in separate incidents of floods and landslides. A woman died after being struck by lightning.”

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Surya Thapa “a landslide at Rapti Municipality-12 swept away two houses and an animal shed.

Thapa said “a body was recovered while three persons have gone missing in the landslide.”

A 52-year-old man died after being buried in a landslide at Kalika Municipality-11 in Chitwan district.

According to the District Police Office in Chitwan, transportation along the Narayangadh-Muglin road section was disrupted for hours as landslides blocked the road at Panchkilo area and Kerabari.

Transportation services resumed after the debris was cleared late in the afternoon.

Floods in various streams, including Kayar Khola, Ladari Khola and Pampa Khola, inundated settlements and farmlands in the eastern part of the district. The flooded Kayar Khola entered the premises of Baba LPG plant at Belsi in Khairahani Municipality-1 and caused damage.

Bimal Kalakheti, the director at the plant said “Many gas cylinders were swept away and the flood damaged machines as well.”

Floods in the Ladari Khola swept away a motorable bridge at Khairahani-3. According to Mayor Lalmani Chaudhary “the 30-metre long bridge connecting the rural areas was swept away while several houses were inundated.”

In Sindhuli, two persons died in floods and landslides in the past two days. A man went missing after being swept away by a flooded Labdaha stream on Wednesday evening. His body was recovered near Sisneri on Thursday, said police.

A landslide buried a house in the Ashram of Ram Bahadur Bamjan at Paire of Kamalamai-8, killing one person. The victim was taking shelter in the Ashram.

In Tanahun, two persons died in a landslide at Tamung, Ward 3 of Bandipur. According to the District Police Office “the landslide, which cascaded down a hill above the settlement, swept away a house where they were sleeping.”

Khadka Bahadur Thapa said “three individuals, who were buried in the landslide, were rescue.”

TRIPOLI, 03 July 2021, (TON): Deputy of the United Nations mission in Libya said “U.N.-sponsored talks aimed at paving the way for elections in Libya in late December failed to find common ground.”

Raisedon Zenenga, assistant secretary-general and mission coordinator of the U.N. Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), called on participants to pursue the effort, describing the talks as heated debate marked by threats of walk outs.

Zenenga told the closing session “the people of Libya will certainly feel let down as they still aspire to the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights in presidential and parliamentary elections on 24 December.”

He said “this does not bode well for the credibility and future relevance of the LPDF (Libyan Political Dialogue Forum). I encourage you to continue to consult among yourselves to pursue a workable compromise and cement what unites you.”

The elections would be a critical step in international efforts to bring stability to Libya, which has been in turmoil since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.

MALE, 03 July 2021, (TON): Maldives National Defense Force (MNDF) has increased security measures at the High Commission of India and the Embassy of China situated in the Maldives.

According to a statement released by the Foreign Ministry “security measures were increased by MNDF due to threats to the Indian High Commission made on social media in addition to plans to protest in front of the Chinese Embassy, upon the request of both missions with the Ministry.

The Ministry detailed that the hostility towards diplomat missions had increased due to false articles and tweets publicized by the local media outlet ‘Dhiyares’ regarding both diplomatic missions. They also highlighted that they have been frequently noticing local media outlets publicizing false information regarding foreign diplomats, envoys and officials of the foreign missions.

The Ministry further stressed that such actions could strain the long-standing diplomatic relations established between the Maldives and other countries. Moreover, it would create hostility amongst local people towards friendly nations.

The Ministry added “Furthermore this would adversely affect the reputation of the Maldives in the international community in addition to business opportunities and tourism industry.”

NAYPYITAW, 03 July 2021, (TON): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged Myanmar’s military to release Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint now.

A UN spokesperson said “a day after thousands of other detainees were freed five months since the coup.”

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army took power and overthrew Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.

Eri Kaneko, associate spokesperson for Guterres, said “we reiterate our call for the immediate release of all of those who are arbitrarily detained, and that includes President Win Myint and State councilor Aung San Suu Kyi.”

Myanmar freed more than 2,000 detainees, among them journalists and others who the military said had been held on incitement charges for taking part in protests, local media reported.

KATHMANDU, 03 July 2021, (TON): The student union affiliated with the opposition alliance in Nepal has continued to stage demonstrations to protest against the dissolution of Parliament. The protestors burnt an effigy of caretaker Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli near the Parliament.

The student union has been on road since May, after the dissolution of Parliament for the second time in less than a year. They have been engaging in scuffles with Police as they stage demonstrations.

A protest leader said “KP Sharma Oli, who has a mindset of the autocratic ruler, has been ruling nation by issuing ordinances, dissolve parliament where people`s representation use to be and working on the basis of whims and own wills."

The opposition student alliance also has vowed to continue their protest in the coming days. They have called on for a torch march for Saturday throughout the nation against the incumbent protest. During the protest, protestors chanted slogans against Oli as well as sitting President Bidhya Devi Bhandari demanding to scrap the unconstitutional move.