COLOMBO, 30 March, 2021, (TON): Sri Lanka's High Commissioner-designate to India, Milinda Moragoda, is yet to venture out to New Delhi despite India endorsing his appointment during the latter part of last year, leaving the seat vacant for months, with his office saying he will leave 'soon' but with no confirmation of a date.

Sri Lanka and India have already gone through some diplomatic turmoil in recent months with the government refusing to hand over the East Container Terminal (ECT) to an Indian company, instead nominating the Western Container Terminal, then India abstaining from voting at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution on Sri Lanka last week and releasing a strong statement on Tamil issues in the island and now the latest issue of Indian fishermen poaching in Sri Lankan waters heating up once again.

Moragoda is unable to look into any matters concerning Sri Lanka's High Commission in New Delhi as he is yet to travel to Delhi and present his credentials.

When contacted, Moragoda's Office confirmed that he will leave to take up his post to New Delhi soon but was unable to say when. An official said preparations were being made for him to leave for Delhi.

Moragoda was not available for a direct comment.

"What we heard is this position would come into effect more when he is in Sri Lanka for diplomatic work and to communicate with the Sri Lankan government," a senior Indian official said.

Moragoda was personally appointed to the post by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

TRIPOLI, 30 March, 2021 (TON): In sign of a gradual return of stability in the country, France has reopened its embassy in Libya after a seven-year closure as insecurity swept the country following its 2011 revolution.

Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the reopening after talks in Paris with the head of Libya’s newly installed presidential council, Mohammed Al-Manfi.

In 2013, the French Embassy was targeted with a car bombing that wounded two gendarmes.

This made the Embassy move to a hotel, before relocating to Tunis in 2014.

Meanwhile, as a result of the October ceasefire that led to the establishment of the Government of National Unity.

It is likely that Greece, Egypt, and Malta are also about to follow France’s move, however, Italy already returned its embassy to Libya in 2017.

CAIRO, 29 March, 2021 (TON): Early Saturday, a nine-story apartment building collapsed in the capital of Egypt that left 18 killed and about 2 dozen injuries.  

Khalid Abdel-Al, the administrative head of the Cairo governorate, rescue workers were searching for any survivors trapped under the rubble of the building in the el-Salam neighborhood.

Police cordoned off the area, keeping back the curious and people apparently looking for relatives in the building.

Workers were seen using bulldozers to clear away debris.

However, it was not immediately clear what caused the building's collapse; therefore, an engineering committee was formed to examine the structural integrity of neighboring buildings.

THIMPHU, 29 March, 2021 (TON): The task force of the 21^st Century Economic Roadmap has proposed to establish an Economic Development Board (EDB) to carry out necessary reforms in the economic and public sectors.

It was suggested to establish the EDB under the Prime Minister’s Office.

The proposal seems to be based on the past experience where the taskforce saw that only having good ideas and pronouncing new policies were not enough.  

However, the members stressed that there was a need for real instruments to carry out any reforms through such policies.

The 21st-century roadmap said, “However, there was no single agency that assumed a lead role in implementing the policy.”

Considering the proposal under focus, the members viewed the need for EDB after realizing that there were several shortcomings when it came to the implementation of various policies under different agencies.

NEW DELHI, 29 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the Ministry of Jal Shakti announced that ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ has achieved a new milestone in providing tap water supply to four crore rural households across the country.

As per the latest data shared by the Ministry, 7.24 crore people (38 percent), more than 1/3rd of rural households, are now getting potable water through taps.

“States and UTs are now competing with each other and focusing on the target to ensure that every household in the country gets safe drinking water so that ‘no one is left out,” said the Ministry in a statement.

The mission was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15 August 2019 with the aim to provide a tap water supply to every rural home by 2024.

 The ministry affirmed that Jal Jeevan Mission has reached a new milestone in providing over four crore rural households with a tap water supply.

However, Goa has become the first state to provide 100 percent tap water supply followed by Telangana and Andaman and Nicobar Islands across the country, assuring water supply to every family living in 56 districts and over 86,000 villages.

BEIRUT, 29 March, 2021 (TON): If Lebanon could not form a government, it would sink like the Titanic, said Nabih Berri the parliamentary speaker on Monday.

The media quoted him saying, “We will all sink, with no exceptions.”

For months, the PM-designate Saad Al-Hariri and President Michel Aoun are at odds over the new cabinet.

However, the assembly was due to discuss a $200 million emergency fund to pay for fuel for Lebanon’s electricity company as the minister said that Lebanon has no funds to pay beyond the month of March.

RIYADH, 29 March, 2021 (TON): In order to discuss a massive regional tree-planting project, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman called the leaders of Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, and Sudan on Monday.

“The Middle East Green Initiative aims, in partnership with the countries of the region, to plant 50 billion trees as the largest reforestation program in the world,” the media said.

On Saturday, the prince disclosed about the campaign that Saudi Arabia is planting 10 billion trees in coming decades and working with other Arab states to plant another 40 billion trees, to reduce carbon emissions and combat pollution and land degradation.

Moreover, the initiative also aims to enhance the efficiency of oil production and increase the contribution of renewable energy, in addition to multiple efforts to preserve the marine and coastal environment, and increase the percentage of natural reserves.

However, this Green initiative is a part of the Vision 2030 plan.

BRATISLAVA, 29 March, 2021 (TON): Igor Matovic, the Prime Minister of Slovakia surprisingly announced to resign and swap roles with Eduard Heger the Finance Minister.

On Sunday, the announcement was made jointly after consultations between the party leaders of three of the four coalition parties.

Heger, who belongs to Matovic's party Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO), announced talks with all coalition partners and said he would meet with President Zuzana Caputova on Monday.

The four-party coalition had fallen into a serious crisis over a dispute regarding its coronavirus policy.

However, the smaller coalition partners SaS and Za Ludi (For the People) blamed Matovic for the high number of pandemic fatalities in the country and accused him of arrogance. Meanwhile, the critics in the coalition consider the vaccine, not a problem but Matovic's intolerable governing style.

ISLAMABAD, 29 March, 2021 (TON): In order to vaccinate millions of children against polio, Pakistan launched a new door-to-door polio campaign on Monday, an official said.

The campaign will last for 5 days and will target over 40 million children of ages below five.  

Around 285,000 frontline workers will span out across Pakistan's 156 districts to administer the oral drops while following Covid-19 safety protocols.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Health, Faisal Sultan, said in a statement, "Covid-19 continues to challenge us but we are committed to ensuring continuity of the essential public health services during these difficult times."

The country came very close to eliminating polio, but recorded 147 cases, a five-year high, in 2019, amid vaccine boycotts and attacks on health workers, nevertheless, Pakistan and Afghanistan are among only a few countries in the world where polio is still endemic.

SAN FRANCISCO, 29 March, 2021 (TON): On Saturday night, a helicopter crash in the area of Knik Glacier, U.S. state of Alaska left five dead and one seriously injured, Alaska State Troopers stated on Sunday.

The helicopter was chartered by Soloy Helicopters, a Wasilla-based charter company.

According to the officials, a team from Alaska Rescue Coordination Center was dispatched to the crash site late that night.

Five dead and one survivors were found at the crash scene.

State troopers said, "The survivor remains in serious but stable condition, and is receiving medical care at an Anchorage area hospital."

The helicopter carried two ski guides, three lodge guests, and a pilot.