NEW DELHI, 28 May 2021, (TON): Indian has introduced new social media rules that are designed to prevent abuse and misuse of platforms but offer users a robust forum for grievance redressal.

Indian Information & Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad clarified on Thursday said that WhatsApp users have nothing to fear about new social media rules, that are designed to offer users a robust forum for grievance redressal. He said, "Ordinary users of WhatsApp have nothing to fear about the new Rules. Its entire objective is to find out who started the message that led to commissioning of specific crimes mentioned in the Rules."

The new IT rules require the social media companies to set up an India-based grievance redressal officer, compliance officer and nodal officer "so that millions of users of social media who have a grievance get a forum for its redressal", he said.

The government announced new rules on 25 February 2021 that invited a lot of criticism. Indian government defended its new digital rules, saying the requirement of messaging platforms like WhatsApp to disclose origin of flagged messages does not violate privacy, and went on to seek a compliance report from large social media firms.

Non-compliance with rules would result in these platforms losing their intermediary status that provides them immunity from liabilities over any third-party data hosted by them. In other words, they could be liable for criminal action in case of complaints.

PARIS, 28 May 2021, (TON): French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in the capital, Kigali on 27 May 2021, to hold talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. During his visit he delivered a speech in which French President took responsibility for the 1994 genocide of Muslims in the central African country.

Macron highlighted how France role but admitted only to a level that France had failed the 800,000 victims of the genocide.  He said, France “was not an accomplice” in the genocide but ended up siding with Rwanda's “genocidal regime" and bore an “overwhelming responsibility” in the slide toward the massacres.

Speaking at the genocide memorial in the capital, Kigali,  where some 250,000 victims of the mass killings are buried, French President  said, “France has a role, a history and a political responsibility in Rwanda. It has a duty: That of looking history in the face and recognizing the suffering that it inflicted on the Rwandan people by favouring silence over the examination of truth for too long.” 

The acceptance of involvement provided trial in the International Court of Justice as French forces are still occupant force in Mali and many other African countries. 

ISLAMABAD, 27 May 2021, (TON): At the invitation of government of Pakistan, UNGA President Volkan Bozkir arrived in Islamabad on a three-day visit.

On his arrival at the airport, he was received by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UN representative in Islamabad and Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Yurdakul. n the occasion, Volkan Bozkir also planted a sapling at the office of foreign ministry under the plantation drive.

Volkan Bozkir said on Twitter “After an important and fruitful official visit to Bangladesh, I arrived in Islamabad for my official visit to Pakistan. I look forward to my important meetings in Islamabad”.

The Foreign Office said in a statement that during his stay in the federal capital, the General Assembly president will have detailed talks with the foreign minister and call on the leadership. He will also deliver a talk on the importance of multilateralism.

KABUL, 27 May 2021, (TON): The Taliban warned the departing US military against setting up bases in the region. The remarks come amid speculation the United States, as it withdraws the last of its soldiers from Afghanistan, will want a nearby locale from which to launch strikes against militant targets.
The warning also comes during stepped-up efforts to jump-start stalled peace talks between the government and the Taliban, possibly in Turkey.
Pakistan and the Middle Eastern State of Qatar have been pressing the Taliban to attend talks in Turkey. The Taliban refused to take part in UN-sponsored talks in Turkey last month.
President Joe Biden said in a speech “Washington would hold the Taliban and the government to its commitments to ensure Afghanistan could not again be used as a staging arena to attack the American homeland or its allies”.
Biden further added “We will not take our eye off the terrorist threat,”.
Besides airlifting its supplies, the United States is also moving equipment out of Afghanistan through Central Asia and Pakistan.
In their statement, the Taliban also warned against neighbouring countries allowing its territory to be used as a staging area for America.

NEW DELHI, 27 May 2021, (TON): Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president and senior Minister Jayant Patil demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged scam involving the supply of defective ventilators to Marathwada region in Maharashtra under PM Cares Fund.

In a development that came after the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court took serious perception of the alleged irregularities in the supply of ventilators under PM Cares Fund. The Court asked the Centre to let it know as to what action was being taken against the vendor.

Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court directed the Centre to inform the court about the action being taken against the supplier.

“This issue needs to be investigated end to end. Questions have arisen about the process of procurement of these ventilators. Why wasn’t the proper QC mechanism followed?” the NCP minister asked with vested interests behind it should be immediately identified, Patil tweeted as he demanded an inquiry into the scam.

KABUL, 27 May 2021, (TON): Uzbekistan-Afghanistan started business forum in Termez. More than 70 representatives of business circles, governors and officials from several provinces of Afghanistan arrived in Uzbekistan for the business forum.

Production and export potential of all districts of Surkhandarya, Tashkent, Fergana, Namangan, Andizhan, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, Navoi regions and Tashkent is demonstrated.

The bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan reached almost $234.6 million for 4 months. Export grew by 9.1% and totaled $234 million.

COLOMBO, 27 May 2021, (TON): State Minister of Money, Capital Markets and State Enterprise Reforms Ajith Nivard Cabraal yesterday issued a statement dismissing allegations that his support to Port City is connected to his son being employed by the project company CHEC Port City Ltd.

In an official statement he said, “Since of late, there has been a massive mud-slinging effort against me and my family carried out in an organised manner by a group of persons. At present, that group is claiming that my son Chatura Cabraal is employed by the Company which is carrying out the construction work of the Colombo Port City, thereby insinuating that I have supported the new Colombo Port City Commission Law, due to that ‘connection,”

He said, “Chatura (35) is qualified engineer who has graduated from a US University in 2010, and has been employed by this Company since 2016. He secured this employment on his own merit, without any political or personal influence, and that is obvious by the fact that in 2016, we were in the Opposition. Similar to the current allegation, even previously, utterly false and vituperative allegations had been levelled against my children, claiming they had scolded officials at the airport, misbehaved on expressways, involved in fights, etc., but it has been proved beyond doubt that all those claims were blatantly false. Therefore, it is clear that such fake news had been a part of a greater plan to discredit me and my family, as well as distract and discourage me in carrying out my duties,”

He continued, “There is no doubt that Sri Lanka’s politics has degenerated in recent times, and personal attacks against a person’s family members is common place and fair game for certain persons. Nevertheless, any right-thinking person will agree that a parent’s subsequent position as a Minister should not be a disqualification for a grown-up son or daughter to continue in employment which he/she has secured before his/her parent assumed office as a Minister,”

He added, “Finally, I wish to state that those who indulge in such falsehoods only display their pathetic political bankruptcy, and therefore I can only feel sorry for them".

DHAKA, 26 May 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed concern about the repatriation of Rohingyas.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Volkan Bozkir at the Gono Bhaban met Hasina, she said that the situation has become uncertain due to the recent developments in Myanmar.

PM Hasina’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters and said that over one million Rohingyas have taken shelter in Bangladesh, the PM said, "We were in dialogue with the Myanmar government with little progress."

“Bangladesh is monitoring the present situation in Myanmar as the repatriation process has become uncertain” said PM.

She further added that Bangladesh has prepared an island, Bhasan Char, for temporary but comfortable shelter of the Myanmar nationals, mentioning that over one lakh Rohingyas can be moved there, more than 18,000 have already been moved.

“Both Hasina and UNGA President Bozkir discussed various issues like the upcoming UNGA session, climate change, Rohingya issue and Covid-19 pandemic” Ihsanul Karim said.

KABUL, 26 May 2021, (TON): An official of the High Council for National Reconciliation said that “there has been no tangible progress made by political leaders and government officials in reaching an agreement on the Supreme State Council's structure, number of members, or authority, as either an advisory council or decision-making body.

In this regard a draft document has been prepared which mentions 18-person list for membership of the Supreme State Council, but the Presidential Palace said it is not final so far.

Enayatullah Babur Farahmand, the deputy head of the reconciliation council, said about the list should be based on proportionate religious and ethnic participation in the formation of the Supreme State Council. There are two big differences over the Supreme State Council. The first difference is over its authorities and the decision-making role of the council, and the second difference is on the structure and the number of the members of the Supreme State Council.

The document is being criticized that other leaders including Hekmatyar and Salahuddin Rabbani have not been consulted or issue has been discussed with them including finalization of the names of the council and the role, responsibilities and limits of its authorities. However, Presidential sources said that the government is in consultations with political leaders on the council.

The council is expected to finally focus on the management of Afghanistan’s situation after the withdrawal of international troops from the country.

KABUL, 26 May 2021, (TON): - The UN and NGOs humanitarian actors in Afghanistan made commitment to staying and delivering impartial and neutral assistance to millions of people in need. Ongoing clashes, spiralling food insecurity and the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a near-doubling of people in need in the space of 12 months – up from 9.4 million in January 2020 to 18.4 million in January 2021, according to a statement.

Humanitarian actors are deeply concerned by continued violence across the country characterized by high levels of civilian ­casualties and almost 100,000 people internally displaced just this year, while intra-Afghan negotiations present the opportunity for a lasting peace.

Increasing conflict and bureaucratic impediments have required humanitarian organisations to assess, mitigate and navigate the changing operational space.

Humanitarian actors in Afghanistan request to parties to the conflict that protect civilians, aid workers and civilian infrastructure such as schools and hospitals in compliance with International Humanitarian Law.

In 2021, the UN and humanitarian partners in Afghanistan require US $1.3 billion to help 15.7 million people. Only $166.8 million (13 per cent) of the funding has been received yet.