CAIRO, 12 March, 2021 (TON): At least 20 died and more than 20 injured in the blaze on the eastern outskirts of the capital, Cairo.

Reports say that the fire broke out at a textile factory in Egypt.

The cause of the fire that ripped through the four-story plant remained unclear, according to the statement released by the government.

Fifteen firefighting vehicles were dispatched to the scene to put down the blaze while ambulances were ferrying the casualties to nearby hospitals, the statement said.

Last month, a thirteen-story apartment building in Cairo caught fire after a blaze erupted at an unlicensed leather factory that occupied its first three floors.

However, incidents of this kind are common in the industrial sector of Egypt as the country lags lax enforcement of industrial and safety measures.

ABU DHABI, 12 March, 2021 (TON): Just after Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince and Israel’s FM had a telephonic conversation, the United Arab Emirates announced to fund $10 billion for investment in the Israeli strategic sectors, the media reported on Thursday.

“Through this fund, the UAE will invest in Israel within strategic sectors that include energy, manufacturing, water, space, health care, agricultural technology, and others,” the statement said.

“This move aims to strengthen economic relations between the two booming regional economies, open the way for investments, and create partnership opportunities to boost social and economic growth in the two countries and the region,” the statement added.

The phone call between Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu led several issues into focus.

“This initiative is one of the results of the peace agreement and embodies the spirit of friendship and cooperation between the three countries, in addition to their common will to advance the region and provide a model for peace by improving the lives of the peoples of the region,” the statement said.

In September, both the countries signed the U.S. brokered a peace agreement that resulted in official relations between the two.

However, as UAE is the third Arab country to normalize relations with the Jewish country, both countries have already established friendly diplomatic relations, direct flights have been launched, alongside several trade visits have taken place as a result of the Abraham Accords.

And just now, this announcement of fund release is again a friendly hand extended on the part of the Kingdom to develop initiatives and enhancing sound economic cooperation between the two sides   

JAKARTA, 11 March, 2021 (TON): At least 27 killed as a bus carrying pilgrims as the bus leaped down the gorge on Indonesia’s Java Island on Thursday.

Overnight, the rescue workers rescued the survivors from the wreckage in West Java’s Sumedang district on Wednesday.

When the bus fell, it had around 66 passengers including the junior high school students, the authorities said.

The fatalities are a mix of children and adults,” Bandung rescue agency official Mamang Fatmono told media.

Thirty-nine survived the misery, however, the bus driver and teenage passengers died.

The bus fell while returning to the town of Subang from a religious pilgrimage site in West  Java.

The incidents of this kind are quite common in this region as the roads are narrow and the vehicles are not maintained often.  

GENEVA, 11 March, 2021 (TON): As the conflict marks the 10^th anniversary, on Thursday Michelle Bachelet UN Human Rights Chief urged the countries to accelerate the trials in their national courts against the suspected war criminals in Syria.

Bachelet also called for increased efforts to trace tens of thousands of missing, which she said included people held in jails run by government forces across Syria.

She said, “It remains vital that national courts continue to conduct fair, public and transparent trials and reduce the accountability gap for such serious crimes,”

She called the conviction “an important step forward on the path to justice”.

“We owe it to the victims to ensure the next decade is one of accountability and remedy, with their rights and needs addressed so they can rebuild their lives,” Bachelet said in a statement.

In March 2011, the pro-democracy protests broke out against President Bashar al-Assad’s autocratic family rule in Southern Syria that met a crackdown. However, the protests spread across the country and developed into a multi-sided war that only caused several deaths but forced around 1 million people to evacuate the homes.

JOHANNESBURG, 11 March, 2021 (TON): The protests continued in the city of Johannesburg after the passerby was killed as a result of firing rubber bullets to disperse the demonstrators outside a top-tier university earlier in the day.

In early January, the students began protests over the alleged exclusion of some students by a government-sponsored tuition aid scheme.

  "We condemn any form of violence and call on all persons to keep calm during this very difficult time," the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) said in a statement, adding that two students had been injured.

Several protestors were also detained meanwhile; South African police has launched a probe into the death of the 36 years old man.

However, as the state-funded student financial aid scheme provides assistance to the disadvantaged students has been short of funds and confirmed difficulty in paying out to the first time enrolled students.  

BEIJING, 11 March, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, the NPC (National People’s Congress) gave a decision on improving the electoral system of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

At the fourth session of the 13^th NPC, the decision was passed by an overwhelming majority vote.

The return of Hong Kong to the motherland put the region once again under the overall governance system of the country, and China's Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR jointly form the constitutional basis of the HKSAR, NPC opinioned while drafting the decision.

According to the session, the electoral system of the HKSAR that involves methods to select the Chief Executive for forming the Legislative Council is yet another important political structure of the HKSAR.

“The electoral system should conform to the policy of one country, two systems, meet the realities in the HKSAR and serve to ensure that Hong Kong is administered by people who love the country and love Hong Kong,” according to the session.

However, as the decision comes, it is not wrong to say that it is a major step to improve HKSAR’s legal and political systems since it adopted the Law on Safeguarding the National Security.

DUBAI, 11 March, 2021, (TON): On Thursday, Egyptian Foreign Minister (FM) Sameh Shoukry said that it was necessary to sort out the Renaissance Dam issue before the onset of the next flood season.

During a discussion with Josep Borrell, he said that the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, that Ethiopia’s decision to unilaterally fill the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam will have negative consequences and stressed the importance of global involvement to resolve the case.

Egypt last month mentioned it has endorsed a Sudanese proposal to internationalize arbitration in the year’s long dispute with Ethiopia over the dam that Addis Ababa is building on the Blue Nile.

He further said that Cairo backs the development of an "international quartet" including the US, the EU, and the UN, alongside the African Union to encourage arriving at an arrangement on the filling and activity of the Grand Ethiopia Renaissance Dam.

The question fixates on how much water Ethiopia will deliver downstream if a multi-year dry season happens and how the three nations would settle any future debates. Egypt and Sudan likewise require a lawfully authoritative concession to the dam's filling and activity, while Ethiopia demands rules.

WASHINGTON, 11 March, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken affirmed that the U.S. will withstand the release of billions of dollars in Iranian funds from South Korea till Tehran fully agrees to the JCPOA 2015.

He said, “If Iran comes back into compliance with its obligations under the nuclear agreement, we would do the same thing.”

“That would involve if it came to that if Iran made good on its obligations, sanctions relief pursuant to the agreement,” he said.

While taking the notice of the situation, Mike Pompeo former U.S. Secretary of State said, “They have made very clear that they would prefer to re-enter some kind of negotiation that’s closely tied to the 2015 JCPOA.”

 “This administration said we’re going to take them off the list. This administration worked alongside the IAEA to say No, we're not going to issue a report about this material that was at undeclared locations,’” Pompeo said.

“They now are going to allow money from the IMF and from the Republic of Korea to flow into Iranian coffers. These are the kinds of concessions before there’s been any conversation about actually even entering into a negotiation. This connotes weakness and, I promise you, the Iranian leadership understands how to drive a truck through American weakness,” he added.

“We said we would attend. Iran so far has said no. I think the ball is in their court to see if they’re serious about engaging or not,” Blinken said.

The tussle between the two is likely to end when either of the two sides compromises and willingly takes a step forward to adhere to the deal.

NAYPYITAW, 11 March, 2021 (TON) Myanmar junta spokesperson said that Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi accepted a payment worth $600,000 plus gold illegally while in government.

The spokesman added that the information is valid and many people are being questioned over this.

The alleged corruption accusations also included President Win Myint and the cabinet ministers who had pressured the country’s election commission to restraint acting on the military’s reports of irregularities, said Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun.  

The accusations were allegedly stronger till the military coup arrest of the elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi on 1 February, 2021. However, the other remained house arrested.  

GANABHABAN, 11 March, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, while inaugurating the Community Vision Centers across the country, PM Hasina said that the government is working very hard to extend the medical support and facilities to treat all kinds of ailments, including birth blindness.  

She made the remarks while inaugurating ‘Community Vision Centers’ in 70 Upazilas across the country via video conference from Ganabhaban.

“Our country will move forward and people will receive proper medical care to keep them in good health. We need healthy people to build a healthy Bangladesh,” she said.

 “Eye treatment is quite expensive and unaffordable for the common people. But as citizens, why shouldn’t they have access to the treatment? I’m not only a prime minister but also the daughter of the Father of the Nation. I feel that it’s my duty and I’m trying to fulfill it,” she said.

There is no ‘good deed’ bigger than providing eyesight to a visually-impaired person, Hasina added. “The initiative is based on this thought. I would like to thank everyone for creating this opportunity.”

“Many members of the marginalized groups fail to avail eye treatment. Sometimes they don't realize the problem and blindness cripples their entire life. I believe that receiving this treatment facility will add a new meaning to their lives. They’ll live a healthy life,” Hasina stated.

In 2018, Community Vision Centres were opened in 20 Upazila health complexes in four districts following the establishment of the Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Eye Hospital in Gopalganj. The government is gradually expanding the service in each upazila, Hasina said.

While Bangladesh is growing further it is providing better health facilities to its people. Recently the country has introduced a system of telemedicine that could enable the sick to take treatment while staying at home.