KABUL, 08 May, 2021 (TON): Seven people, all members of one family, were killed in Nijrab district, Kapisa province, when a roof they were sheltering under during heavy rainfall collapsed on Saturday morning, district governor Abdul Quddos Mujaddedi said.

According to the official, the incident happened in Dara-e-Ghaws area in the district early hours of Saturday morning.

District governor said that the victims include parents of the family and their five children.

Due to recent heavy rainfalls, the house's roof was badly soaked that ultimately wrecked and caused the tragic incident.

Such incidents are common in Afghanistan as most of the houses and shops in countryside have been built with mud and woods.

COLOMBO, 08 May, 2021 (TON): Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the Ruwanpura Expressway Project said that “We as a country, should join hands and face this challenging time,” and emphasized that the development process of the country will not be limited by any challenges.

The PM said the government is launching this project when the whole world is engulfed in a pandemic as it believes that good road network is a measure of a country’s progress.

“Today we are embarking on the Ruwanpura Expressway at a challenging time when not only the country but the entire world is gripped by the Covid epidemic. You are aware that we, as a government are giving priority to protecting the people from the Covid-19 epidemic. Also, despite the difficulties, we have not deviated from the path of developing the country.”

The PM recalled that his government in 2006 started the construction of the Southern Expressway as the first expressway in Sri Lanka while a war was ravaging in the country.

While addressing to the inaugural ceremony of the Ruwanpura Expressway Project PM said “We are launching the Seventh Expressway in Sri Lanka today. I remember from the early days when highways were being built, our beloved people in Sabaragamuwa asked us when a highway would be built to Ratnapura,” the Prime Minister said recalling that the plans to build

the Ruwanpura Expressway were drawn in 2014. However, the project was abandoned by the previous government, the Premier added.

The whole world is now fighting the COVID plague. But we cannot keep the country closed because of COVID. While fighting against the virus, we also need to think about the economic condition of the people in the country. You know that if people follow proper health advice, it will not be so difficult for us to control this situation. Therefore, I urge people to always follow the advice given by the health sector,” the Prime Minister said.

The development efforts of successive governments during the last several decades have led to growth in per capita incomes, increase in standard of living of the people and decrease in overall poverty levels. However, Sri Lanka faces a host of environmental problems.

KABUL, 08 May, 2021 (TON): A delegation led by the Afghan Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar left for Hague, the Netherlands, to hold talks with the International Criminal Court prosecutor.

A number of senior government officials and judiciary and security experts will accompany Minister Atmar.

The ICC seeks to exercise its jurisdiction to pursue investigation and prosecution when and if member States lack the will or ability to address such crimes.

Based on the principle of complementarity jurisdiction and at the request of war victims and human rights organizations, the ICC has gathered complaints on alleged commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the last years of imposed war in Afghanistan, and demands practical and direct investigation thereof.

The Government of Afghanistan, in accordance with its international obligations has already submitted its performance report to the Tribunal on investigating and prosecuting all relevant cases, and intends during this visit to furnish further assurances to the ICC on Afghanistan’s willingness and action plan to address the alleged international crimes.

In order to address crimes committed in the country following Afghanistan’s accession to the ICC and to prevent such crimes from happening in the future, Afghanistan Government will seek assistance and support from the Office of the ICC Prosecutor. The request [for assistance] will be made based on the principle of the country’s judicial independence and provisions of the Rome Statute.

Afghan Government seeks to strengthen the existing peace process and ensure immediate and permanent ceasefire, by securing ICC’s cooperation with Afghanistan’s judiciary organs in addressing crimes and preventing them from happening in the future.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) operates under the Rome Statute, and Afghanistan has been a member of the Tribunal since 2003.

The International Criminal Court shall use its complementary jurisdiction to assist the Member States in dealing with international crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

NAYPYITAW, 08 May, 2021 (TON): The Myanmar Investment Commission approved 15 new projects including a program with large investment capital in power generation, the state-run media reported on Friday.

According to the report, new investment projects were given greenlight for electricity generation, livestock, manufacturing and other services sectors and proposals of increasing in capital of two existing projects were approved at the commission's meeting, with investment capital of over 2.7 billion U.S. dollars and 15.3 billion kyats (9.8 million U.S. dollars) and 2,473 employment opportunities.

The approved projects include a project to generate electric power from LNG with investment capital of about 2.5 billion U.S. dollars, and the electricity generated by the project will be sold domestically and is expected to support the goal of 100-percent nationwide electricity from the national grid by 2030.

Power sector topped the list with 26.57 percent of total investment, followed by oil and gas sector with 25.72 percent and manufacturing sector with 14.61 percent, the report said.

Singapore, China and Thailand are three largest investors out of 51 countries and regions, as of April 30 this year.

NAYPYITAW, 08 May, 2021 (TON): Myanmar’s ruling military, which is facing nationwide protests against the coup that ousted the elected government, has said it would not consent to a visit from a Southeast Asian envoy if it could create stability, which raises concerns that it would carry more deadly violence against protesters and ethnic minorities.

Earlier, Leaders of countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had reached consensus on five points at a summit on the Myanmar crisis, which was attended by the architect of the February 1 coup, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

Five points of consensus include ending the violence, dialogue between the military and its opponents, enabling humanitarian aid and allowing a special ASEAN envoy to visit.

“At the moment we are prioritizing the security and stability of the country,” Major Kaung Htet San, a spokesman for the military council, said on Friday.

“Only after we achieve a certain level of security and stability, we will cooperate regarding that envoy.”

The military government would consider proposals made at the summit if they would help in their visions for the country, he added.

Protests have spread across country since military coup, as citizens resist return to dictatorship.

According to an advocacy group monitoring the crisis, at least 774 people have been killed and more than 3,700 detained in the military’s crackdown on opponents.

TEHRAN, 08 May 2021, (TON): A Saudi foreign ministry official has confirmed that talks are being held between Saudi Arabia and Iran with the aim of reducing regional tensions.

Saudi Arabian official Rayed Krimly said, “The outcome of the talks were too early to be judged as Riyadh and Tehran are on the table”. He added, "We hope talks will prove successful, but it is too early to reach any to the conclusions."

Krimly's comments, the first public confirmation from Riyadh that the rivals were holding direct talks, came after Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed earlier that his country hoped to have good ties with Iran.

The crown prince told Al Arabiya TV in an interview last month that the kingdom wants Iran to help push the Middle East toward prosperity and both countries share interests in promoting regional and global growth. Enditem

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has always looked for a coordial relations with all the Muslim countries including Iran. However, Western media has generally presented twisted statements with either “totally black propaganda” or “selected omission.” During the Saudi Arabia visit the statement emitting from the Crown prince’s office were flexible and positive toward Iran.

Early this month, a Saudi official indirectly hinted on the condition of anonimity that there is a hope of friendly gestures from both the countries during this month in a third country, adding that there is no involvement of any Western country. However, the Saudi official did not name the country or spelled which level of interaction would take place.

BEIJING, 07 May, 2021 (TON): On Friday, China successfully sent a remote-sensing satellite group into orbit from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The satellites were launched by a Long March-2C carrier rocket at 2:11 a.m. Beijing time, which belongs to the Yaogan-30 family.

The satellite will study electromagnetic environment detection and carry out related technical tests during its trip.

Also aboard was a satellite belonging to the Tianqi constellation. The satellite, Tianqi-12, will be used for data collection and transmission.

It was the 369th mission of the Long March rocket series.

KABUL, 07 May, 2021 (TON): Kabul was hit by blackouts after electricity pylons were destroyed on Friday morning.

Households and businesses in Afghanistan’s capital have been hit by blackouts after electricity pylons in the north of the city were blown up early morning, the main power utility, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), said.

The incident took place in in Mirzakhil village in Kalakan district of Kabul at around 4:45 am on Friday in which two power pylons that transmit imported 220 kilovolts of power from Uzbekistan to Kabul were destroyed and a third pylon was partly damaged, said DABS.

According to DABS, bomb was placed near another power pylon in the area, but a team from the Afghan army is in the area to defuse the bomb.

The company said that its workers will be sent to the area once the area is safe.

COLOMBO, 07 May, 2021 (TON): The Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) is of the view that every effort must be made to impress upon foreign investors/ fund managers and diaspora of the compelling value proposition of the Sri Lankan Capital Market.

In this sense, the SEC believes capital flows will also act as a catalyst to economic growth and contribute towards increased wealth creation.

In the past 12 months the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) has performed exceptionally well with the All Share Price Index (ASPI) appreciating more than 55% and the S&P SL 20 Index appreciating more than 44%.

The SEC along with the Foreign Ministry and the CSE has commenced a series of virtual meetings to educate staff of Sri Lankan Missions overseas on the growth potential and investment opportunities available in the Capital Market of Sri Lanka. This initiative will enable the respective staff of Missions overseas to promote portfolio investments to Sri Lanka among the investor community in the respective countries and assist the SEC and the CSE in organizing future overseas forums.

"Portfolio investment will act as a catalyst for economic growth and is a top priority for the Government, particularly in the context of post- COVID economic recovery. These forums will offer the Sri Lankan diaspora the opportunity to understand the investment prospects available in the capital market of Sri Lanka as well” remarked Viraj Dayaratne PC, Chairman SEC.

The Average Daily Turnover of the CSE in 2021 stands at Rs4.8 Billion as against Rs.1.8 Billion in 2020.

Even though the market has performed exceptionally well, foreign investor contribution to the total market turnover is not substantial due to the prevailing Covid 19 pandemic throughout the world.

NAYPYIDAW, 07 May, 2021 (TON): As Myanmar’s violent protest continues throughout the country are causing disruption, Chinese energy companies contracted to build power plants in the nation are considering exiting the market.

According to the Irrawaddy report, since the military staged a coup in February, China seems to be very concerned over the unfolding chaos in Myanmar.

The strategic pipeline carries 12 billion cubic meters of gas, while the crude oil pipeline transports 22 million tons annually. "Power Projects taken up by Chinese state-backed liquefied natural gas and solar energy companies would have been difficult to implement even before the Feb. 1 military takeover, insiders say. Now the coup has further complicated matters," Nikkei Asia said in its report.

Calling the pipelines a crucial part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), in February, Chinese officials have asked Myanmar officials to tighten security measures at the pipelines. "Any damage to the pipelines would cause huge losses for both countries."

This important Chinese project recently came into the spotlight following Wednesday's attack on a group of security personnel who were standing guard at the pipelines' station in Mandalay. Reportedly, three guards at the "oil and natural gas station" were killed by unidentified attackers.

Earlier, a group of protesters in Myanmar chanted “China’s gas pipeline will be burned” on the route of a Chinese pipeline.

Many people in Myanmar are upset with the Chinese authorities. China accused protesters of setting the factories alight. However, protesters denied the accusation saying the attacks were a plot to justify military crackdowns.

The gas pipeline, which carries gas from Myanmar’s offshore fields, opened in 2013, as Myanmar’s military was starting democratic reforms. The $1.5 billion 770-km (480 mile) oil pipe alongside, bringing crude mainly from the Middle East, started in 2017 under the government of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is now detained and facing an array of charges.