GENEVA, 5 March, 2021 (TON): UN human rights chief has asked the Ethiopia to permit monitors in Tigray to probe reports of killings and sexual violence.

Expressing fear over violations to continue, Michelle Bachelet said, “Victims and survivors of these violations must not be denied their rights to the truth and to justice.”

Until now several people have been killed and many forced from their homes as a result of the fighting between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s federal troops and forces of the region’s former ruling party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).

Relief agencies had also struggled for access, while communications were patchy.

ADEN, 5 March, 2021 (TON): KSrelief in collaboration with the UNFPA inspected progress of emergency services’ projects in Yemen.

King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and UN Population Fund jointly held projects to provide emergency services to women and girls affected by the gender based violence.

The projects aim to strengthen the protection of girls and women, providing professional and vocational training programs helping them to reintegrate them into society.

The projects have been managed in the governorates of Aden, Lahj, Taiz, Marib, Al-Mahra, and Shabwa.

NEW DELHI, 5 March, 2021 (TON): The Farmers Union plans to block major expressway outside the New Delhi on Saturday, marking 100^th day of the campaign.

Several thousands of the famers have been camped outside Delhi since December demanding the PM to repeal the three farm laws that open up the country's agriculture markets to private companies that will make the farmers vulnerable, they believe.

Union leaders said on Friday farmers from the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh plan to stop all traffic on the six-lane Western Peripheral Expressway that forms a ring outside New Delhi for up to five hours.

"We believe that after these 100 days, our movement will put a moral pressure on the government to accede to our demands, because the weather will also worsen," said Darshan Pal, spokesperson for the farmer unions' coalition Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), or United Farmers’ Front. "It will weaken the government, which will have to sit down with us to talk again."

"The laws are like a death warrant to us," he said. "We are prepared for the long haul." he said.

The government says the reforms will bring investment to the antiquated agriculture markets, and that new entrants would operate alongside government-regulated market yards, where farmers are assured of a minimum price for their produce.

KABUL, 5 March, 2021 (TON): Over the past 24 hours, around 90 casualties have occurs in direct clashes and terrorism in Afghanistan, RiV an independent war monitoring group said on Friday.

Reduction in Violence (RiV) confirmed on its twitter, "Over the past 24 hours, our team has documented 90 deaths, including eight civilians, five Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) members, and 77 Taliban militants."

The group said 33 people including 31 Taliban and two civilians were also injured during the same period.

As the country’s 34 provinces went through the security incidents, massive deaths and injuries took place in the consequence.

NEW DELHI, 5 March, 2021 (TON): Considering lesser government intervention into businesses, PM Modi on Friday asserted that the Center views government’s intervention into businesses tend to create more problems and no solutions.

While speaking at a webinar on the production-linked incentive schemes, he stressed on government’s self-regulation, self-attesting, self-certification and maximum governance.

Modi also said that the manufacturing sector should focus on the quality of products and adopt the motto of "zero effect, zero defect".

He stressed that these policies and strategies of the government will help in the growth of the entire ecosystem related to those sectors.

"The benefit provided to advanced cell batteries, solar PV modules and specialty steel will modernize the country's energy sector and in the same way the benefits for textile and food processing sector will support the agriculture sector," he said.

It is likely that PM’s tends to point towards doubling workforce in the sectors of auto and pharma sectors under PLI schemes in the next five years.

ACCRA, 5 March, 2021 (TON): On Thursday, Nana Akufo-Addo the President of Ghana was retained as a leader.

The move came after a seven-member panel of the country’s top court Judges' dismissal of the election petition filed by main opposition leader John Mahama.

The Supreme Court gave a unanimous decision that the case had no merit.

Former President John Dramani Mahama took the Electoral Commission to court.

He sought to challenge validity of results and subsequent declaration of President Akufo-Addo as the winner.

But reading the ruling of the court Thursday, Chief Justice Anin Yeboah said the petitioner did not satisfy all the 5 issues outlined by the court to determine the case.

The observers believed that the election was generally calm. However, five people were killed in violence on voting and counting day, according to police.

DHAKA, 5 March, 2021 (TON): The problems among neighboring countries should be resolved through negotiations and discussions, said PM Hasina to India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday.

During the meeting while appreciating Hasina’s leadership for country’s exile from the LDCs, he said, "It's a great achievement. The development of Bangladesh is miraculous," he told the Prime Minister, while adding that "the comfort levels of both the countries are so high now that there is no issue that we cannot discuss and resolve through amicable dialogue".

Jaishankar also confirmed India’s commitment to help Bangladesh in coping with the pandemic.

Jaishankar also said that it was a great honour for India to participate in the celebrations marking the Golden Jubilee of Bangladesh's independence.

Jaishankar asserted that the meeting was fruitful with his Bangladeshi counterpart AK Abdul Momen over Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Bangladesh during which he will participate in the celebrations.

The visiting Indian External Affairs Minister gifted two books, including one titled "Liberation War of Bangladesh" which was written by his father K. Subrahmanyam, to Hasina. While, the Bangladeshi PM also gifted seven volumes of a 14-volume book titled "Secret Documents of Intelligence Branch on Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman" to the visiting official.

CAIRO, 5 March, 2021 (TON): Areas of mutual cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean have been discussed between the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitisotakis.

This was followed by Turkey’s announcement on its willingness to negotiate with Egypt to demarcate the maritime boundaries in the region.

The call between the two officials discussed the close bilateral relations that bring the two countries together in various fields, especially cooperation in energy and the eastern Mediterranean, said Bassam Radi, Egyptian presidential spokesman.

While Egypt has demarcated its borders with Greece, President El-Sisi last October ratified an agreement signed on 6 August, 2020 between the Egyptian and Greek governments regarding the designation of the exclusive economic zone

However, regardless of the previous row the two sides aspire to advance various aspects of constructive cooperation in economy, energy and security.

West Bengal, 5 March, 2021 (TON): Rakesh Tikait, SKM (Samyukta Kisan Morcha) leader, will be visiting West Bengal to attend one of the Mahapanchayats on 13 March, 14 days ahead of WB polls.

The farmers agitated over the three farm laws imposed by the Indian government seem to make strategies for the future.

It is made clear that the farmer union will host series of Mahapanchayats across the country including the poll bound states to spread awareness about the protest.

Source said that other farmers' leaders Dr Darshan Pal, Yogendra Yadav, Balbir Singh Rajewal will also attend the Mahanpanchayat on 12 March while Tikait will address it on 13 March.

It is likely that because the SKM has recently announced its appeal to the people of such states to help teach a lesson to the BJP against the anti-farmer policies, therefore, the visit appears to be of much significance to the union.

NAYPYITAW, 5 March, 2021 (TON): The ambassador to the UN appointed by the Military of Myanmar has resigned.

On 27 February, Myanmar’s military-backed State Administration Council (SAC) had appointed Tin Maung Naing as the country’s UN envoy after firing his predecessor Kyaw Moe Tun.

His replacement came a day after when Kyaw Moe Tun pleaded with the General Assembly for help in restoring democracy in the country.

On Thursday in a statement, UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarric said that “Myanmar’s mission had sent a communication informing the body that Tin Maung Naing has submitted his letter of resignation, recalling that yaw Moe Tun remains the permanent representative of Myanmar to the UN”.

After a bitter exchange between Tun and the SAC after which the envoy wrote to the president of the UN-General Assembly insisting that the Council was unlawful and was not authorized to remove him.

“I wish therefore to confirm to you that I remain Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the UN,” Kyaw insisted on Monday.

 On Tuesday, Myanmar’s Foreign Ministry sent a note to the UN, claiming Kyaw Moe Tun had been removed.

However, reports state that UN looked at both the letters and called UN Accreditation and Protocol Committees to resolve the situation.