COLOMBIA, 9 February 2021 (TON): President Ivan Duque stated that Colombia decides to give protected status to almost one million undocumented Venezuelan migrant residents in the country.

He added that the move will allow them to normalize into life in Colombia as it protection will last 10 years.

UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi praised the decision and said more than five million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, with Colombia taking in the greatest share.

At a joint news conference on Monday, he described it as a "historic gesture" and "emblematic for the region, even for the whole world".

Some 1.7m Venezuelans are thought to have arrived in Colombia but more than half are without legal status.

This move has facilitated the migrants to work, seek permanent residency and get access to health services.

WASHINGTON, 9 February, 2021 (TON): U.S. announced to re-engage with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), which Donald Trump withdrew from almost three years ago, as the new administration reverses another move away from multilateral organizations and agreements.

Antony Blinken, Secretary of State said the pullout in June 2018, “did nothing to encourage meaningful change, but instead created a vacuum of US leadership, which countries with authoritarian agendas have used to their advantage”.

“The Biden administration has recommitted the United States to a foreign policy centered on democracy, human rights, and equality,” he said. “Effective use of multilateral tools is an important element of that vision.”

The decision is likely to draw criticism from conservatives and pro-Israel voices, who have derided the council and echoed Trump administration complaints that it was too quick to overlook abuses by autocratic regimes and governments and even accept them as members.

Blinken said Joe Biden had instructed the state department to “re-engage immediately and robustly” with the council, but he acknowledged it still needs work.

“We recognize that the human rights council is a flawed body, in need of reform to its agenda, membership and focus, including its disproportionate focus on Israel,” he said.

Blinken said the council, when it works well, “shines a spotlight on countries with the worst human rights records and can serve as an important forum for those fighting injustice and tyranny”.

To address the council’s deficiencies and ensure it lives up to its mandate, the United States must be at the table using the full weight of our diplomatic leadership.

KATHMANDU, 9 February, 2021 (TON): Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachandra’ of NCP (Nepal Communist Party) said on Tuesday that it might boycott the snap polls proposed for April and May, saying the "undemocratic and unconstitutional" elections are not acceptable.

It also urged the international community to speak up in favor of democracy and constitutionalism in Nepal.

Prachanda said that although they were yet to decide over participating in the elections, his faction will seriously ponder over the polls to be conducted under the "undemocratic and illegitimate" government led by Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Oli dissolved the House of Representatives on December 20, 2020, and proposed to hold the snap polls on April 30 and May 10.

The Supreme Court challenged Oli's decision to dissolve the House.

"We have the faith in our institutions including the Supreme Court. We sincerely hoped that Supreme Court will not validate Oli's decision to dissolve the House and holding the snap polls," said Prachanda, who had earlier removed Oli as the NCP Chairman and also expelled him from the party membership.

It is expected that once the apex court delivers its verdict, there will be a clarity on whether Nepal will ahead with the elections or not or the dissolved Parliament will be reinstated.

DUBAI, 9 February, 2021 (TON): During a security meeting on Monday, Maeen Abdul Malik, Yemen’s Prime Minister condemned storming of government buildings.

Government buildings, including the ministries of Foreign affairs, Education and Justice were raided by 12 armed men on Sunday.

The gunmen harassed employees claiming they followed the leader of the Southern Resistance, Abu Hammam Al-Yafei who expressed objection to the work of some employees who he described northerners in the ministries.

He said he does not want a government in Aden.

The Southern Transitional Council condemned the “irresponsible actions,” and said these members of the Southern Resistance do not belong to any official security or military institution.

Meanwhile, security developments and the ongoing efforts to complete the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement were discussed by the Yemeni prime minster.

It was stressed that necessary resources for building security would be obtained, preservation of the state institutions and not harming the security and stability of the capital Aden.

BRUSSLES, 9 February, 2021 (TON): One Russian diplomat expelled by Germany, Poland and Sweden in a coordinated act of retaliation over the expulsion of three EU officials by Moscow while the bloc’s foreign policy chief was visiting last week.  

Expulsions on Monday underscored the volatility in east-west relations and an erosion of trust among former cold war enemies, as the west accuses Moscow of trying to destabilize it and the Kremlin rejects what it sees as foreign interference.

The Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said on Monday the removal of diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden, who were accused by Moscow of taking part in protests last month against jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, took place a day before Borrell’s trip.

Germany’s foreign office, in a statement regarding its ejection of a Russian diplomat, said the German official booted out by Moscow was only “carrying out his task of reporting on developments on the spot in a legal fashion”.

Poland’s foreign ministry said it ordered a member of Russia’s consulate in the city of Poznan to leave “in accordance with the principle of reciprocity and in coordination with Germany and Sweden”.

The Swedish foreign minister, Ann Linde, said Stockholm’s action was a “clear response to the unacceptable decision to expel a Swedish diplomat who was only performing his duties”.

Russia’s foreign ministry said the EU countries’ action against its diplomats was “unjustified and unfriendly”, the Interfax news agency reported.

Pleas to Russia to halt the expulsions were ignored. The former Estonian defence chief Riho Terras, now an EU lawmaker, has started a campaign calling for the high representative’s resignation, Borrell stated on Sunday.

But the executive of European commission said it had no regrets over Borrell making his first trip to Moscow as the coordinator of EU foreign policy because Russia was set on a course towards confrontation.

It is observed that the European Parliament has called for sanctions to stop the completion of the Nord Stream 2 energy pipeline between Russia and Germany, while some EU states intensified urge for new western sanctions against Moscow.

ROME, 9 February, 2021(TON): Italy’s Former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was quoted as saying on Tuesday that the decision by Italy’s far-right League Party to back the government hammered out by Mario Draghi the former ECB head, is wise and will be appreciated in Europe.

Draghi often credited with saving the euro, had “great capacity to manage difficult situations” and would do well in Italy as well, he said to the media.

He added that his government would not be a technocratic one rather a government of national security, and people appreciated his remarks.

NEW DELHI, 9 February, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the Supreme Court granted Sanjay Singh protection against arrest in all FIRs registered against him in Uttar Pradesh in relief to Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha member.

The SC issued notice on his plea for joining of all FIRs, he cited eight filed in Lucknow, Sant Kabir Nagar, Khiri, Bagpat, Muzaffarnagar, Basti and Aligarh etc.

His lawyer Vivek Tankha contended before a bench headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan that since Singh was a Rajya Sabha member, the permission for his prosecution should have been given by the Chair of the Upper House. Tankha said that identical FIRs have been filed against the AAP leader at dozen places.

After a brief hearing, the bench directed that Singh should not be arrested in the criminal cases registered against him and adjourned the matter for further hearing in the third week of March.

Singh has moved the top court to seek quashing of FIRs and claimed that these cases were a result of "political vendetta".

In his plea, the Rajya Sabha member said that he had merely highlighted certain social issues and the alleged apathy of the state government against certain section of society.

However, the bench said that Singh can seek exemption before the trial court and declined to issue any notice at this stage on the request that he should be protected in the backdrop of the NBW against him.

PYONGYANG, 9 February, 2021 (TON): DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea), the ruling party held a plenary meeting to further carry out plans for the policies adopted at its last month eighth party congress.

The North unveiled a new five-year economic development plan at the rare congress last month. 

On Monday, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly chaired the plenary meeting and delivered a report on implementing the first year's tasks. 

Kim said the WPK Central Committee should powerfully lead the masses to implement the decisions made at last month's party congress, stressing the need to provide party organization to implement ns and their members with practical means for innovation which would help bring about practical change and substantial progress from the first year of the five-year plan.

As the decisions made at the party congress are mid- and long-term tasks to be fulfilled during the coming five years, it is necessary to examine this year's plans down to details at the plenary meeting, Kim said.

Kim criticized "passive and self-protecting tendencies revealed by the state economic guidance organs" in setting this year's goals.

DHAKA, 9 February, 2021 (TON): Turkey’s envoy in Dhaka said Sunday that his country wants to “substantially increase trade volume and investments” in Bangladesh.

Mustafa Osman Turan spoke during a courtesy call with Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the latter's official residence, Ganabhaban, in the capital of Dhaka.

Turan mentioned Turkey's electronic and home appliances company Arcelik’s acquisition of its Bangladeshi counterpart, Singer Bangladesh while underlining fraternal ties between the two Muslim countries

“Turkish leading LPG Company Aygaz’s has decided to invest $100 million in LPG filling and distribution business in Bangladesh’s southern port city Chittagong,” said Turan.

While referring to acquisition of one of the top positions of Turkey’s construction industries in the world, Turan said, “Turkey’s competitive contracting companies have also expressed interest in mega infrastructure projects in Bangladesh.”

“In addition, Turkey is planning to build an international standard hospital in Dhaka,” he added.

Bangladesh is now joining its hands with the firm economies of the world that will foster investments within the country to make it prosper.

MOGADISHU, 9 February, 2021 (TON): An announcement made by the alliance of Somali opposition leaders states that “they no longer recognize President Mohamed Farmajo s the state leader for his mandate has officially ended on 8 February, 2021.

Previously, there was no success on reaching to a political agreement as the result of several talks between the federal states’ representatives and the central government.

Previous talks between representatives of the federal states and the central government in Dusamareb had failed to produce a political agreement.

Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, a Somali presidential candidate said, "We no longer recognize Farmajo as President. His term has ended and he is not only an obstacle to the nation but to national elections as well. He couldn't reach a deal with the regional leaders because he left the meeting on the elections, he can no longer be in charge as his tenure is over".

Farmajo and the leaders of Somalia's five semi-autonomous federal states reached an agreement in September that paved the way for indirect parliamentary and presidential elections in late 2020 and early 2021.

But it fell apart as squabbles erupted over how to conduct the vote, and last-minute talks to salvage the agreement collapsed Friday.

While, Jubaland accused Farmajo of refusing their attempt to compromise and the president blamed his rivals for reneging on the terms.

The lawmakers said that if President requests a term extension, they would reject it.

"It is not written in the constitution that the president can act as care-taker, only that the parliament can act as care-taker", Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame commented.

The Somalian Presidency, Villa has dismissed the rumors of planning term extension.

The opposition alliance suggested the creation of a council of lawmakers that could elect a transitional leader to govern until elections can take place.

"We believe that it remains possible to reach consensus, and that all sides are open to further discussions," the United Nations, African Union and other international partners said in a statement Monday.

However, many fear that the tensions going on the political platform in the country might reinforce the rebellion insurrection that intensified their attack the last year. There is a need to have urgent dialogue over the issue so that elections may take place as soon as possible.