BEIRUT/CAIRO, 4 February, 2021 (TON): Following El-Sisi, Egyptian President’s remarks, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri promised to form a Cabinet to enact reforms and save the country from economic collapse in the Cairo meeting on Wednesday.

Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Egyptian President assured his support for Lebanon, calling on its political leaders to settle their disputes and form an independent government.

During the meeting, Hariri highlighted the “strong historical” ties between Cairo and Beirut.

El-Sisi said that “in order to pull Lebanon out of its current crisis, all political leaders must put the national interest first, settle their disputes and form an independent government to address the current challenges, protect the Lebanese, and preserve national unity.”

He confirmed that Egypt is all ready to provide full support to help Lebanon overcome its economic and health crises in the wake of the Beirut blast and the pandemic.

Talks between Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun and Hariri over the past two months have failed to end the country’s political deadlock, with divisions between the two leaders widening.

From Cairo, Hariri announced that “he appreciates the Egyptian efforts to support Lebanon, especially after the port blast.”

He praised “Egypt’s efforts to garner support for Lebanon amid the political, economic and humanitarian challenges the Lebanese people are facing.”

Hariri also met with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who urged Lebanese officials to “put their differences and political and partisan quotas aside, prioritize the national interest and provide what is needed for the success of the PM’s attempt to form a government of specialists.”

The visit aimed at restoring the Lebanese brotherly relations with other countries.

It is expected that following this visit to Cairo, Hariri will visit France to meet Macron. It is likely to say that the meeting might or might not help solve the Lebanese crisis since some are taking the government hostage.

MADAGASCAR, 4 February, 2021 (TON): The World Bank and the United States donated $200 million to Madagascar to fight hunger in the south, from where thousands of Malagasy locals are also fleeing drought.

This year the number of migrants is increased because consequences compounded by the ongoing pandemic situation.

Soazoloke Tsimarivo, a migrant from the south, shares the recent choice he made to seek better opportunities, "I only had two zebus, I got them sold for around 146 dollars and used the money to finance my trip with my children."

In search of work, the family heads North in the vanilla production industry as thousands of men from the south leave to work elsewhere for a few months before returning home.

Mara who left everything to grow cassava in the north-west said, "I sold my house and my land for about 53 dollars when I had bought it for 266 dollars. I was so sad; I even had tears in my eyes”.

In the year 2020, famine hit hard in the Androy and Anosy regions.

In a local health centre in southern Madagascar, the number of malnourished children doubled in one year.

To fight against hunger, the state plans to build pipelines in 4 major rivers. The project, scheduled to begin this year, costs $280 million. But so far, only $20 million has been released.

Simon Robison Randriatsiferana, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Water, outlined the project in view and said, "We are going to exploit the EFAHO river by creating water arrivals to the Ambovombe plain. Thanks to this, there will be a plain of 120,000 hectares which will be arable. If this project becomes a reality, this plain will be able to meet the water and food needs of the entire southern part of the country. Up to 250,000 people will be able to benefit from this project".

Besides looking after the people, the authorities and government, simultaneously taking care and initiating few other projects including, granting thousands of hectares of arable land to 1500 migrant families etc, to ease the situation and serve the people in providing a better living.

New Delhi, 4 February, 2021 (TON): Greta Thunberg, a Swedish youth activist shared on social media a toolkit for the farmers' protests in India indicating the widespread campaign in favor of the 26 January farmers protests.

The toolkit included a document on the details of the 26 January, 2021 protests and online and street protests. The social media erupted in India after the toolkit surfaced, however, the document was restricted and later deleted, reports said.  

This document is adding fuel to the view that there is an international conspiracy afoot to defame India and the Modi government over the farmer protests.

The document details how and where the protests should be done outside Indian missions abroad, media houses, government buildings and even Adani-Ambani offices.

After the comments of Rihanna and Thunberg, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement, “Yet, it is unfortunate to see vested interest groups trying to enforce their agenda on these protests, and derail them. This was egregiously witnessed on January 26, India’s Republic Day. A cherished national commemoration, the anniversary of the inauguration of the Constitution of India, was besmirched, and violence and vandalism took place in the Indian capital.”

“Some of these vested interest groups have also tried to mobilize international support against India. Instigated by such fringe elements, Mahatma Gandhi statues have been desecrated in parts of the world. This is extremely disturbing for India and for civilized society everywhere,” the ministry said.

“Before rushing to comment on such matters, we would urge that the facts be ascertained, and a proper understanding of the issues at hand be undertaken. The temptation of sensationalist social media hashtags and comments, especially when resorted to by celebrities and others, is neither accurate nor responsible,” it added.

It is seen clearly that the longest protests in the history of India have started tarnishing the democratic image of the country. As the issue gained momentum with each passing day, it has become the center of attention in the international eyes outside Asia as well.

Lucknow, 4 February, 2021 (TON): Two New Delhi native sisters, Rani Kapoor, and Rama Rani Punjabi have moved the Lucknow bench Allahabad High Court, for claiming the ownership of a five-acre land where a mosque was to be built.

The sisters asserted the ownership of the land which was allotted to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya, in accordance with the Supreme Court verdict in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case.

The petition was filed before the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court on Wednesday and is likely to come up for hearing on February 8.

Rani Kapoor a.k.a Rani Baluja and Rama Rani Punjabi have said in the writ petition that their father Gyan Chandra Punjabi had come to India during partition in 1947 from Punjab and settled in Faizabad, the present Ayodhya district.

They claimed that 28 acre land in the Dhannipur village was allotted to their father by the Nazul Department for five years which he continued to possess beyond that period.

Later, his name was included in the revenue records, the petitioners have said.

However, his name was struck down from the records after which their father filed an appeal before the Additional Commissioner, Ayodhya, which was allowed.

The consolidation officer again removed their father’s name from the records during the consolidation proceedings, the petitioners further claimed.

The petitioner said that an appeal was filed before the Settlement Officer of Consolidation, Sadar, Ayodhya, but without considering the said petition, the authorities allotted “five-acre” of their land to the Waqf Board for the construction of the mosque.

Consequently, the petitioners demand authorities be restrained from transferring the land to the Sunni Waqf Board till the pendency of dispute before the settlement officer.

CIUDAD JUAREZ, 4 February, 2021 (TON): Dozens of Haitians were turned back to the Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez from EI, Texas, on Wednesday that contradicts the negotiations made by the former U.S. administration with Mexico.

Luis Garcia, a director at the Chihuahua state government agency COESPO in Mexico, responsible for the supervision of the migrants, confirmed the return of dozens of Haitians by U.S. immigration authorities.

“The situation seems somewhat extraordinary for us because they don’t speak Spanish, and it puts them in a situation in which they are increasingly exposed to risk,” Garcia said.

According to the public health law, Title 42, U.S. partially closed its border to asylum seekers. Mexico agreed to allow U.S. authorities to return Guatemalans, Hondurans, and Salvadorans who had previously transited through its territory.

However, the agreement was limited to the three nationalities and Mexicans according to the document published by Mexico’s foreign ministry on 21 March, 2020.

Under Title 42, the United States generally flies migrants of other nationalities back to their country of origin.

More than a dozen Haitian migrants the media had been held by U.S. immigration authorities for three or four days and then returned without any documentation of their expulsion.

“They returned us with nothing, they threw away our clothes and my children’s shoes,” said Johan Decopin, from Haiti, who was returned to Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday with her husband and three children. “We asked for asylum but they told us no.”

Immigrant advocates said on Wednesday, that they had seen more South American and Caribbean migrants being returned to Mexico amid a rise in returns under Title 42 in some regions since Biden took office.

“Up to 140 people are being returned to Baja California each day,” said Esmeralda Siu, coordinator of the Pro-Migrant Defense Coalition, which represents a series of migrant shelters in the Mexican state. “From what we’re seeing they are returning Venezuelans, Colombians, and Peruvians (to Mexico),” she added.

Taylor Levy, an immigration attorney working with clients in El Paso, expressed confusion about the return of the Haitians saying, “This violates the agreements between the U.S. and Mexico as they have been announced by both governments”.

The policies of the previous U.S. administration is readily being reversed by the Biden administration, however, this appears shaky on part of the administrative policies that may not involve abrupt changes.

RIYADH, 3 February, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief) signed a donor contribution note with the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), to help to assist the Global Muslim Philanthropy Fund for Children (GMPFC) with a donation of $9.16 million.

To open new opportunities for Muslim philanthropy to reach the millions of children in need of humanitarian support and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the GMPFC, a joint initiative of UNICEF and IsDB, was launched in 2019.

KSrelief Supervisor General Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, IsDB President Dr. Bandar Hajjar, as trustee to the fund, and UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore signed the memorandum.

In partnership with UNICEF and bringing urgent aid to around 135,000 people, health and nutritional facilities with be provided to the Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh.

It aims to provide primary health services to 110,000 children aged under five, 20,000 pregnant women and new mothers, 150 new babies, as well as training 150 doctors and 100 nurses to provide healthcare services for mothers and children.

This project does not stop at this, rather aims to support logistic services for 13 health facilities in Rohingya refugee camps and to treat malnutrition cases.

The vaccination coverage and health services for children under five years old will be improved in the provinces of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab in Pakistan, helping about 1,368,000 people, under the second project.

Routine immunization will also be included in the project, which is one of the most cost-effective means to reduce infant mortality.

It will support more than 295 health facilities with medical supplies, cooling systems, and generators, as well as providing personal protective equipment for more than 3,500 health workers.

Nevertheless, this initiative is utterly for humanitarian betterment and will gain momentum with the support of allies.

HARYANA, 3 February, 2021 (TON): In Jind (Haryana) on Wednesday, the Kisan Mahapanchayat in the presence of thousands of farmers adopted a resolution to revoke three contentious farm laws.

BKU leader Rakesh Tikait announced that "if their demands were not accepted, they will hold another 'mahapanchayat' of India level".

Tikait was given a grand welcome at the mahapanchayet, where the boosted agitation of the farmers could be seen.

Tikait was accompanied by state Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) President Gurnam Singh Chaduni.

Kandela 'khap' President Tek Ram, the organizer of the 'mahapanchayat', said besides revoking the farm laws, the resolution demanded that the government ensure that the farmers get MSP (minimum support price) for their crops and withdrawal of cases against farmers booked for violence on Republic Day in Delhi.

Ram said representatives of at least 50 'khaps' or community courts from across the state participated in the 'mahapanchayat', which came days after the other mahapanchayat held in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing the gathering, Tikait said, "If the farmers' demands are not accepted by the Centre, they would hold 'mahapanchayat' at the national level."

"When the ruler is afraid, he does fortification," he said, indicating his tough posture to the government.

It is decided to carry out campaigns in the villages of Haryana till 10 February, 2021 in order to gather support and momentum against the agitation.

A day before attending the 'mahapanchayat', Tikait said the farmers protesting against the three Central farm laws will take out a pan-India tractor rally if the government doesn't listen to them.

Previously too, Kandela had been a center of the farmers’ agitation. The farmers had launched an agitation from Kandela in 2002, demanding waiver of electricity dues.

The farmers’ agitation has seen to shift from Punjab Union camping places, Singhu and Tikri to Ghazipur where Tikait is in the hold.

COLOMBO, 3 February, 2021 (TON): Indian High Commissioner, Gopal Baglay met the Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena on Tuesday as the East Container Terminal (ECT) deal falls through.

As Colombo’s decision to pull out of the agreement with India and Japan to develop ECT at the Colombo Port meetings have been going on.

The Indian envoy’s message to the Sri Lankan leadership was that Colombo must adhere to its commitments in the tripartite agreement of May 2019, to jointly develop the strategic terminal with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) holding 51 % stakes, and India and Japan, holding 49 % together. The Adani Group from India, along with Japanese companies, was to invest in the project expected to cost up to $700 million, as per official estimates.

The Indian side, it is learned, conveyed that the signals emanating from Sri Lanka should boost the confidence of potential investors. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has pledged to draw foreign direct investments to the country, rather than take loans.

Sri Lanka reversing an agreement on a large infrastructure project for the second time that has involved Japan. The government scrapped the $1.5 billion and Japan-funded Light Rail Transit system last year.

According to the diplomats, the recent development has sparked alarm in India and Japan, who said Sri Lanka had neither conveyed its decision nor offered the alternative proposal to either of the partners.

They were also surprised by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s statement to port unions on Monday that the “foreign company” did not agree with the proposals put forward by the negotiating committee from the Sri Lankan side, as discussions had commenced only last week.

The unions subsequently called off their protests.

It is observed that India’s geostrategic interest in the project is evident.

Moreover, SLPA’s joint venture Colombo International Container Terminal holds Chinese merchants and 85% of China’s stakes.

GABON, 3 February, 2021 (TON): The President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba took 45 out of 52 seats and won an overwhelming majority In the first round of Saturday’s Senate elections, said the official body in charge of the poll.

Five opposition or independent senators were elected on Saturday and two seats remain to be filled in the second round on 6 February, according to a count by the Gabonese Centre for Elections (CGE). In addition, the head of state must appoint by decree 15 members of the future Senate, which will have a total of 67 members of parliament.

In addition to the 15 "personalities" chosen by Mr. Bongo for "honoring service to the state", the 52 other senators are elected for six years in an indirect uninominal ballot by members of municipal and departmental councils, themselves largely dominated by the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) of the head of state.

There was no suspense regarding the elections for in addition to the 15 appointed by Mr. Bongo, the PDG was the only candidate in 22 of the 52 constituencies.

As the National Assembly passes laws, so does the Senate that is dominated by the CEO, however, the lower house has the authority of word in case of any disagreement.

The only unknown to date is who will become president of the Senate, a role that has however lost its aura and importance since a constitutional revision of 29 December last.

The CEO was previously responsible for ensuring the interim of the head of state in case of vacancy or impediment, but the office now falls to a triumvirate composed of the presidents of both houses of Parliament and the Minister of Defense.

"In case of temporary unavailability" of the Gabonese leader, the three will replace the president until a new election in the event of a vacancy or, a novelty in the Constitution,

This provision is intended to fill the vacuum left during Mr. Bongo's long recovery after a stroke in October 2018 that made him for many months away from power but also from the country.

NEW YORK, 3 February, 2021 (TON): China blocked a UN Security Council statement condemning the military coup in Myanmar.

UNSC met on Tuesday but failed to agree on a joint statement for China did not agree, as China has the power of veto as one of the five permanent members of the council.

Ahead of the talks, the UN's Special Envoy on Myanmar, Christine Schraner, strongly condemned the military takeover which came after the army refused to accept the outcome of general elections held in November.

"We call upon the military to immediately end the state of emergency, restore power to the democratically-elected government, to release all those unjustly detained and to respect human rights and the rule of law," the statement released in London by the Gseven major economic powers comprising Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the US.

China has been alarming that the international pressure will make the situation get worse in Myanmar. Along with Russia, it has repeatedly protected Myanmar from criticism at the UN over the military crackdown on the Muslim minority Rohingya population.

It appears as China is considering the issue as Myanmar’s internal and only a cabinet shuffle.