KABUL, 09 May 2022, (TON): The Islamic Emirate said “it will discuss with American officials the fate of helicopters designated for Afghanistan but given to the Ukraine by the US.”

Earlier, SIGAR reported that 16 Mi-17 helicopters and 17 other pieces of military equipment which the US allocated for Afghanistan were given to Ukraine. 

According to SIGAR “19, DOD notified Congress that it intended to transfer five U.S.-procured former Afghan Mi-17 helicopters that had been undergoing maintenance in Ukraine to the Ukrainian government. Ukraine accepted these excess defense articles on March 11, 2022.”

SIGAR said in a recent report “in mid-April, President Biden announced a military assistance package to Ukraine that included an additional 11 Mi-17 helicopters that had been scheduled for Afghanistan.”

“DOD also transferred nearly 16 million rounds of varied nonstandard munitions, originally procured for Afghanistan, to Ukraine.”

KABUL, 09 May 2022, (TON): Islamic Emirate spokesperson said “a gathering that is expected to be held soon will discuss the political, security and social situation in Afghanistan.” 

The spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Zabiullah Mujahid, however, didn’t provide details over the date of the gathering but said it will be attended by Islamic scholars, tribal elders and political figures. 

Zabiullah Mujahid, the spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said “we are trying to hold a gathering among the Afghans. The tribal elders, and Islamic clerics and influential figures will take part in it. But it is yet to be determined when it will be held. Inshallah, the discussion will cover political, social and security matters.”

A senior member of the Islamic Emirate, Anas Haqqani, said he hoped the gathering would conclude with a positive outcome. 

DHAKA, 09 May 2022, (TON): There is no possibility of Cyclone Asani, lying over the Bay of Bengal, hitting Bangladesh, state minister for disaster management and relief Md Enamur Rahman.

He said “it may move towards Bangladesh after it makes landfall along the Indian coast on May 12.”

He said “the cyclone is moving north-westwards.”

He added “it will weaken while passing through Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and West Bengal in India. ‘So far, no possibility of the cyclone hitting Bangladesh has been found.’

Due to the cyclone, there may be storms and rains in Bangladesh but there will be no cyclone or tidal wave.

NEW DELHI, 09 May 2022, (TON): Union Home Minister Amit Shah will tour Assam today, during which he will visit the India-Bangladesh border, inaugurate the National Forensic Sciences University and attend the first-anniversary celebration of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government.

Officials said “Mr Shah will begin his tour by visiting a Border Out Post at Mankachar and interact with the BSF personnel deployed along the international border.”

After that, the home minister will inaugurate the BSF's central store and workshop and launch Khadi and Village Industries products at Tamulpur.

In the evening, he will inaugurate the census office and an SSB building at Amingaon, near Guwahati.

Mr Shah will also inaugurate a super speciality hospital and the National Forensic Sciences University in Guwahati.

NEW DELHI, 09 May 2022, (TON): Following provocative vandalism of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly building this morning and a banned group's 'Khalistan' referendum call, the hill state has stepped up security from tonight.

The official order said “interstate borders have been sealed and police barricades placed there. Strict vigil of hotels and other probable hideouts has also been ordered. Bomb disposal units have been put on high alert and security strengthened for critical state infrastructure.”

Security has been put on high alert at the state borders and intensive night patrolling by the police has been ordered.

The renewed security measure comes after the banned outfit Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) announced that it will hold a 'Khalistan' referendum on June 6 in Himachal Pradesh. The order copy also details several recent incidents involving pro-Khalistan activities in neighbouring states.

DHAKA, 09 May 2022, (TON): Planning ministry officials have said “the cost of an infrastructural project being implemented largely with a Chinese loan to ease fuel oils storage and transportation is likely to be revised for the third time.”

The state-owned Eastern Refinery Limited took the ‘Installation of Single Point Mooring with Double Pipe Line’ project in Cox’sBazar in November 2015 at a cost of Tk 4,935.96 crore.

The project was scheduled to be completed in December 2018.

Of the project cost, the Exim Bank of China agreed to give a loan worth Tk 3,903.22 crore and the rest of Tk 1032.7 crore was to be collected from local sources.

A loan deal between Bangladesh and China was signed only in 2017.

DHAKA, 09 May 2022, (TON): USAID’s deputy administrator Isobel Coleman is now visiting Bangladesh as part of her tri-nation tour.

According to USAID “after wrapping up her Bangladesh 5 day tour, she will travel to Thailand and Laos.”

During her Asian tour, she will assess the needs of regional humanitarian crises, including the Rohingya problem.

The United States appreciates Bangladesh’s compassion and humanitarian response to support over one million Rohingyas currently living in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char Island.

USAID’s administrator Samantha Power met with foreign minister AK Abdul Momen and discussed Rohingya policies, joint climate action to promote clean energy solutions.

Administrator Samantha Power and minister Abdul Momen commemorated 50 years of Bangladesh-US bilateral relations and reaffirmed their longstanding partnership on development.

TEHRAN, 08 May 2022, (TON): According to Shahin Gobadi, the spokesperson for the National Council of Resistance “Iran is close to building a nuclear weapon and is using negotiations with the West to give them more time to achieve that goal.”

A thermal nuclear scientist who first joined the resistance while a college student at UCLA 40 years ago, Gobadi, 60, said the NCRI, which is based in Paris, works with the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran.

The PMOI/MEK operates inside Iran taking great risks to expose Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Gobadi said.

Without the PMOI/MEK resistance, Gobadi said “the world would never have known the true depth of Iran’s nuclear weapons program and how far it had advanced towards building a nuclear weapon.”

Gobadi said “the Iranian resistance, mainly the People’s Mojahedin Organization of Iran, have been the key factor, the key player that has brought the issue of the Iranian nuclear program to the international attention.”

KABUL, 08 May 2022, (TON): The Ministry of Economy announced it had set up a monitoring committee in Kabul and other provinces to oversee humanitarian aid in the country.

According to the ministry “the aim of establishing this committee is to distribute humanitarian aid to vulnerable and needy people in a transparent manner.”

Abdul Latif Nazari, deputy minister of the MoE said “our oversight work is completely transparent. In the provinces, the Department of Economy, together with the relevant departments and the cooperation of the governor, oversees the assistance. For example, if there is medicine, we monitor it with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health.”

Meanwhile, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned of rising poverty in Afghanistan. The head of UNOCHA said that women and children in Afghanistan need more humanitarian assistance.

KABUL, 08 May 2022, (TON): The Islamic Emirate denied the clashes between the Islamic Emirate and the Resistance Front’s forces in the central province of Panjshir.

A spokesman for Panjshir’s governor, Abubaker Sediq, said “there was a small amount of gunfire but the situation was controlled by the Islamic Emirate.”

He said “we deny this allegation. This is a plot by some biased individuals. This is not true. There was a small amount gunfire yesterday evening in the Abshar area by the opponents, but the Islamic Emirate controlled the situation.”

Meanwhile, the Resistance Front claimed that clashes are still underway in Abshar district of Panjshir province, and they have overrun several areas.

Sebghat Ahmadi, a spokesman for the Resistance Front said “an extended region of the Panjshir province, including a large part of Abdulah Khail and Abshar valley, fell to the resistance forces.”

This comes as reports of clashes between the Islamic Emirate and the Resistance Front in Panjshir have been posted on social media.