DUBAI, 07 May 2022, (TON): Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed congratulated French President Emmanuel Macron on his re-election, wishing him continued success in performing his presidential duties and responsibilities.

This came during a phone call, where the two leaders discussed prospects of enhancing relations between their countries in various fields, Emirati state news agency WAM reported.

Macron was re-elected 12 days ago for a second term.

Sheikh Mohammed said he is looking forward to expanding the cooperation between their countries, and continuing joint work to promote peace and stability in the Middle East and globally.

Macron expressed his thanks and appreciation to the crown prince for the thoughtful gesture, and extended his greetings on the occasion of Eid Al-Fitr.

THE HAGUE, 07 May 2022, (TON): The public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by Germany in the case concerning Questions of Jurisdictional Immunities of the State and Measures of Constraint against State-Owned Property, which had been due to take place on Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 May 2022, have been cancelled.

The Court took this decision after receiving in the Registry, on 5 May 2022, a letter from the Agent of Germany, dated 4 May 2022, informing the Court that, following recent judicial developments in Italy and discussions between the representatives of the two Parties between 2 and 4 May 2022, Germany withdraws its Request for the indication of provisional measures.

In his letter, the Agent refers, inter alia, to the adoption of Decree No. 36 of 30 April 2022, published in the Italian Gazette on the same day and which entered into force on 1 May 2022.

MOSCOW, 07 May 2022, (TON): The Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov confirmed in a telephone conversation with a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Secretary General of the Palestinian People’s Struggle Front Ahmed Majdalani.

The statement said “during the conversation, the emerging situation in the West Bank of the Jordan River and the Gaza Strip was discussed in the light of the recurrence of acts of violence in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.”

It said that at the same time, special attention was paid to the ongoing tension in East Jerusalem around the Al-Aqsa mosque complex.

The parties also touched upon the issue of the speedy restoration of Palestinian national unity on the political platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

The ministry said “in this context, the Russian side confirmed its readiness to continue to maintain active contacts with the leading Palestinian political forces, including the possible organization of inter-Palestinian meetings in Moscow.”

LONDON, 07 May 2022, (TON): A press statement issued said “the first of a new suite of contracts to provide key services for the UK Armed Forces on overseas Ministry of Defence bases has been awarded.”

The £155 million contract, which will provide maintenance work, repairs, servicing, and hard facilities management to the MOD’s estate in Gibraltar, has been awarded to Mitie by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation.

It is expected to directly sustain around 200 jobs in Gibraltar.

This is the first contract to be awarded under DIO’s new Overseas Prime Contr-acts programme, which will also see further contracts come into force at Defence sites including Cyprus, Germany, the Falkland Islands and Ascension Island.

The contract is for an initial period of seven years and will come into service in the autumn. The new contracts have been developed taking into account recommendations for improvements to the current arrangements and will mean a better service for military personnel based overseas.

BAKU, 07 May 2022, (TON): The president of the Saudi General Bureau for Auditing, Hussam bin Abdulmohsen Al-Angari, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the chairman of the Chamber of Accounts of Azerbaijan, Vugar Gulmammadov, to enhance cooperation in the field of accounting between the two countries.

Al-Angari, who is currently visiting the Asian nation, signed the deal in the presence of the Saudi ambassador to Azerbaijan, Hamad bin Abdullah bin Khudair, in Baku.

Al-Angari said “the memorandum was aimed at aligning auditing practices between the two nations, in line with the main provisions and principles of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions and the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions.”

LONDON, 07 May 2022, (TON): The UN welcomed the release of Houthi prisoners by the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.

UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said “I welcome the release of detainees by the Saudi-led Coalition, and the earlier releases of detainees by Ansar Allah as well as the government of Yemen.”

Grundberg said “the prisoner releases was agreed by the parties through his office last month on another exchange of detainees.”

The Coalition released 163 Houthi prisoners of war and helped send them back to Aden and Sanaa as part of its initiative to pave the way for ending the conflict in the country.

Grundberg said “I urge the parties to agree on the details of the release, so that Yemeni families may be reunited as soon as possible.”

KABUL, 07 May 2022, (TON): An envoy of Uzbekistan said “in the current situation the country is not ready to recognize the Islamic Emirate alone.”

Ismatulla Irgashev, the Uzbek president's special representative for Afghanistan, in an interview said “it would be difficult for the new government in Kabul to qualify for international recognition any time soon.”

Irgashev said "the Taliban don't want to be isolated.”

"They want international recognition."

While urging greater engagement with the Islamic Emirate, Irgashev said Tashkent is committed to moving ahead with formal recognition only in concert with the international community.

He said "we will not recognize them alone.”

"When it happens, we want a collective voice and stand."

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, president of France, and Narendra Modi, prime minister of India, during their meeting in Paris expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis and human rights violations in Afghanistan and called for creation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan.

NEW DELHI, 07 May 2022, (TON): The Allahabad High Court ruled that delivering the azaan on loudspeakers is not a fundamental right.

The court made this remark while dismissing a petition filed by one Irfan of Budaun district, who sought permission to play azaan using loudspeakers in the Noori Masjid.

The court said "the law has now been settled that use of loudspeaker from mosque is not a fundamental right. Ever otherwise a cogent reason has been assigned in the impugned order. Accordingly, we find that the present petition is patently misconceived, hence the same is dismissed.”

The court further said that although azaan is an integral part of Islam, delivering it through loudspeakers is not a part of the religion.

NEW DELHI, 07 May 2022, (TON): India's permanent ambassador to the UN and the Dutch ambassador to the UK had a short, snappy exchange on Twitter, after the envoy tried to school New Delhi on its Ukraine policy.

This came shortly after India's permanent ambassador TS Tirumurti to the UN made his statement at a UNSC briefing on Ukraine.

Netherland's ambassador to the UK Karel van Oosterom tweeted "you should not have abstained in the GA. Respect the UN Charter.”

The retort from Tirumurti did not take long in coming.

Tirumurti said in response “kindly don't patronise us, Ambassador. We know what to do.”

The Dutch ambassador's unsolicited comment is in line with what several Western nations feel- that India should take a hard stand on Russia vis-à-vis the Ukraine conflict.

KABUL, 07 May 2022, (TON): Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said it is ready to negotiate with the United States on issues of an external nature. US suspended talks with IEA in March after it reversed a decision to allow girls to return to secondary school.

Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman said “IEA believed in negotiation and dialogue with all parties including the US since the very beginning. We are ready to negotiate on issues having external dimension with all parties.”

He said “I am sure problems and concerns can be resolved through talks.”

The official said that the international community continues to engage with the IEA to some extent, as he referred to the operation of the EU embassy in Kabul and the World Bank’s resumption of work on some projects in Afghanistan.

He stressed “humanitarian issues should be separate from political issues. Experts believe that apart from the issue of girls’ education, IEA’s warm relations with China and Russia have also affected its ties with the West.”