ISLAMABAD, 30 MARCH, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the Prime Minister of Pakistan removed the Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh from his office amid rising inflation.

After the move, the Information Minister Shibli Faraz stated that Industries and Production Minister Hammad Azhar will be leading the finance team.

According to Faraz, Khan decided to bring in a new finance team in view of the inflation that had taken place.

According to the Constitution, the premier can appoint any unelected representative as a minister for six months only.

However, this has seemingly come weeks after Shaikh, a former IMF employee, conceded a surprise defeat at the hands of a former prime minister and a joint opposition candidate, Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani.

BAGHDAD, 30 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the Egyptian and Jordanian ministers of foreign affairs arrived in Baghdad to meet the Iraqi counterpart.

The meet up was planned to prepare for the summit expected to gather top leaders of the three countries.

After the meeting, at a joint press conference, the Iraqi FM said, "We discussed various topics, including electricity interconnection and the project of an oil pipeline from the Iraq's oil-hub of Basra to Jordan's port of Aqaba."

"Projects to be implemented by the three countries in the fields of economy, energy, electricity, health, agriculture, industry, food, and construction," said FM Egypt Sameh Shoukry.

The understandings reached by the governments of the three countries will be sent to the three leaders in the upcoming summit, he said.

The meeting reviewed developments in the Arab region, especially the Palestinian issue, the crises in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, as well as cooperation in the field of combating terrorism and extremism, according to Shoukry.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, "We stand with all our capabilities with the Iraqi government in its efforts to enhance security, stability, reconstruction and provide a better life for the Iraqi people. The support for Iraq, its security, and stability is fundamental to the security and stability of the entire region."

He added, "The support for Iraq, its security, and stability is fundamental to the security and stability of the entire region."

Meanwhile, the summit announced on 27 March was postponed after the tragic trains’ collision in Egypt that killed and injured dozens.

GUDAIBIYA, 30 March, 2021 (TON):  In a meeting with Chinese FM Wang Yi, King Salman of Bahrain asserted his country takes pride in its close historical ties with China.

The king said relations are based on strong foundations of trust, mutual respect, cooperation and joint coordination in all fields.

The two met at Al-Qudaibiya Palace in Manama on Monday.

The two officials discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation, especially in the investment, economic, commercial and scientific fields, in addition to developing various aspects of coordination and joint work in order to achieve the common interests of the two countries. Bahrain appreciated the interest China in achieving security and stability in the Middle East, addressing political and security challenges, and accelerating the pace of cooperation among regional countries to achieve development and support the global economy, the King said.
Wang said he appreciated the king’s efforts to develop prosperous Bahraini-Chinese relations.
Wang also met Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad who said Bahrain was proud to participate with the UAE and China in clinical COVID-19 vaccination trials.

COLOMBO, 30 March, 2021, (TON): Sri Lanka will ban all groups who promote the LTTE ideology or separatism in Sri Lanka. Cabinet co-spokesman Udaya Gammanpila said that Sri Lanka is not prepared to engage with such groups or individuals.

Speaking at the post Cabinet press conference today, Gammanpila said that Sri Lanka does not recognize the term diaspora.

He said that diaspora is a Greek term used when Jews were expelled from Israel. "Nobody has been expelled from Sri Lanka. There is no diaspora as such," he said.

Gammanpila said that Sri Lanka will closely engage with the expatriate community but will ban any group or individual who promotes the ideology of the LTTE. "The LTTE is proscribed in Sri Lanka and separatism is banned under our Constitution," he said.

The Minister said that anyone who prop ages the ideology in Sri Lanka or overseas and anyone who promotes separatism will be banned. The Government has already banned a number of Tamil diaspora groups, including some influential organizations based in the UK.

Some of the groups were banned in 2014 but were de-listed by the Government in 2015. The Global Tamil Forum (GTF), British Tamil Forum (BTF), Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC), Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), National Council of Canadian Tamil, Tamil Youth Organization, and the World Tamil Coordinating Committee have been proscribed by the Ministry of Defense.

They have been banned under Regulation 4(7) of the United Nations Regulations No. 1 of 2012. 

DHAKA, 30 March, 2021 (TON):  Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) is set to investigate the incidents of vandalism and arson attacks by the rebel activists and students in Brahmanbaria.

On Monday, DIG Police Md Anwar Hossain affirmed that the two agencies will collect evidence from the scenes.

He visited the sites, including Alauddin Sangitangan music school and Brahmanbaria Press Club in the town.

“Police were not bystanders during the vandalism and arson attacks. We tried our best. We tried to tackle the situation by deploying additional forces from outside.

“We’ve however formed a three-member committee to investigate alleged neglect of duty,” he added.

At least 20 places were damaged in the attacks and the process to file cases over the incident was ongoing, said the DIG.

In the backdrop of Indian PM’s visit on the double celebrations of Bangladesh, the Hifazat and other rebel groups objected to the visit and called for nationwide strikes on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

MALE, 30 March, 2021 (TON): Maldives Police has appointed Ali Rashed as a new Deputy Commissioner of Police.

Rashed was previously serving as Assistant Commissioner of Police.

The official got promoted to the post on Thursday, 25 March.

However, he served as Assistant Commissioner of Police for over 11 years, besides; he led the Divisional Policing Division. Currently, he serves DC Police alongside Abdul Manan Yousaf.

MALE, 30 March, 2021 (TON): Maldives has received 25 tons of dates as donation by the Saudi Arabia as the Holy month of Ramadan is approaching.

Every year, the Kingdom donates dates to Maldives on this holy occasion.

The Kingdom provided 25 tons this year, half to what it provides every year, i.e. 50 tons of dates.

On behalf of Maldives, the Islamic Minister of Maldives Dr. Ahmed Zahir received the dates.

However, every year these donations are given to the public in Ramadan, especially the focus is on the needy people.

COLOMBO, 30 March, 2021 (TON): The country will not surrender to any pressure in response to the UNHC’s resolution, said Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Monday.  

Sri Lanka will face the challenge without fear and that it will not succumb to pressure, according to the statement issued by the President’s office.

Meanwhile, he noted that Sri Lanka's national development strategies are in place including environment-friendly projects such as providing electrical power to all households while boosting the economy in the country.

Furthermore, he stressed that local and foreign forces against SL’s progress are misleading the masses, and said, "If you give in to those lies the damage could be irreversible."

However, his remarks came as UNHCR adopted a resolution favored by 22 countries that called for accountability over the incidents relating to 30 years of civil war between the government and the Tamil Tiger rebels.  

BEIJING, 30, March, 2021, (TON): China's top legislature on Tuesday voted unanimously to adopt the amended Annex I and Annex II to the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The two annexes concern the technique for the choice of the HKSAR Chief Executive and the strategy for the arrangement of the HKSAR Legislative Council and its democratic systems, separately.

The amendments were passed at the closing meeting of the 27th session of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress.

President Xi Jinping signed presidential orders to promulgate the amended annexes.

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, presided over the meeting, which was attended by 167 members of the NPC Standing Committee.

The meeting also passed bills related to personnel appointment and removal.

Li also presided over two meetings of the Council of Chairpersons of the NPC Standing Committee before the closing meeting.

BEIJING, 30 March, 2021, (TON): Beijing affirmed a general update of Hong Kong's electing framework on Tuesday, a senior legislator who works with China's parliament on matters relating to the former British colony’s mini-constitution, said.

The actions are important for Beijing's endeavors to solidify its increasingly authoritarian grasp over the worldwide monetary center point following the burden of public safety law in June, which critics see as an instrument to pound contradict.

Maria Tam said Hong Kong’s election committee, in charge of selecting the city’s chief executive, will pick 40 representatives of the city’s legislature as part of the reforms approved by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee.

Beijing will also increase the size of the electoral committee from 1,200 to 1,500, as part of the restructuring. Chinese authorities have said the shake-up is aimed at getting rid of “loopholes and deficiencies” that threatened national security during anti-government unrest in 2019 and to ensure only “patriots” run the city.

The measures are the most significant overhaul of Hong Kong’s political structure since it returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and alter the size and composition of the legislature and electoral committee in favor of pro-Beijing figures.