Rengma Fellowship Burma Camp

ABU DHABI/JERUSA

LEM, AUG 31 (PTI): In a historic step towards peace in the Middle East, the first commercial direct flight between Israel and the UAE landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday after both countries announced normalisation of relations.

“We just completed a truly historic flight. This hopefully will be the first of many,” Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law, who is leading the US delegation along with National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien, said after disembarking from the flight. He thanked leadership on both sides on the occasion. Saudi Arabia granted permission for the use of its air space.

“Peace overwhelmingly desired by the people, except by those who exploit misery to remain in power. Future belongs to industrious people of the region,” Kushner said.

The Israeli delegation is led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat. Israel and the UAE announced on August 13 that they were establishing full diplomatic relations, in a US-brokered deal that required Israel to suspend its plan to annex parts of the West Bank.

BANGKOK, AUG 31

(AP): Thailand’s government has decided to delay the purchase of two submarines from China, withdrawing its request to parliament to include the sum for an initial payment in the fiscal year 2021 national budget.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri announced on Monday that Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who concurrently serves as defence minister, had told the navy to delay the 22.5 billion baht (USD 723 million) purchase until fiscal year 2022. The government had sought to have 3.375 billion baht (USD 108 million ) included in the 2021 budget to cover the first of seven annual installment payments.

Funding the submarines had become a hot political issue, with critics saying the purchases could not be justified while the country carried a huge economic burden from the coronavirus crisis. It also threatened to create fissures in Prayuth’s ruling coalition government, as a major partner threatened to oppose its inclusion in the budget.

Anucha said the government’s decision showed that the prime minister understood the worries of the Thai people, so the money will instead be used for other purposes, such as a relief program for those who are affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

Thailand will soon start negotiations with China on the details of delaying the purchase, he said. A report on the website of the Bangkok Post newspaper said Beijing has already agreed to the delay.

Thailand expects to receive its first modern submarine in 2023 as part of the same deal with China. Its purchase was funded in the 2017 budget.

The purchase delay may serve to ease pressure on Prayuth’s government, which has been facing a well-organized student-led protest movement seeking to oust it from power.

The protesters, who say their goal is greater democracy, want new elections, amendments to the constitution and an end to intimidation of critics of the government.

WASHINGTON, AUG

31 (PTI): US President Donald Trump has hailed Shinzo Abe as the “greatest” prime minister in Japan’s history during a telephonic conversation between the two leaders.

Abe, 65, on Friday announced that he intends to step down because of poor health, his long-running battle with ulcerative colitis, ending a tenure as Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.

President Trump on Sunday night telephoned Abe during which the two leaders spoke at length and reflected on the last four years.

“The two leaders remarked that their relationship is extraordinary; the President called Prime Minister Abe the greatest prime minister in Japan’s history,” the White House said in a readout of the call. This was the first phone call between the two leaders after Abe’s announcement to resign.

“The President said that Prime Minister Abe has done a fantastic job and that the relationship between the United States and Japan is better today than it has ever been,” the White House said.

“Although Prime Minister Abe will be leaving his position soon, the President noted that he will undoubtedly keep playing a big role in the future of Japan,” it said, adding that the leaders said they look forward to continuing their wonderful friendship for years to come.

Abe, whose term ends in September 2021, is expected to stay on until a new party leader is elected and formally approved by Parliament.

On Saturday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US deeply values the enduring contributions of Abe in making the USJapan relationship the strongest it has ever been.

Senior US Presidential Adviser Jared Kushner and NSA Robert O’Brien with members of the Israeli-American delegation before the departure to Abu Dhabi, at Ben Gurion Airport. (Reuters)

UAE is only the third off from the Ben-Gurion excited and look forward Arab country to establish airport in Israel landed in to more historic flights that diplomatic ties with the Abu Dhabi on Monday will take us to other capital Jewish state. Israel’s neighafternoon. The delegation cities in the region, advancbours, Egypt and Jordan, is visiting in the wake of ing us all to a more prosbeing the other two Arab the trilateral announcement perous future,” Tal Becker, states to recognise the Jewand roadmap towards joint the pilot of the plane, was ish state. cooperation between the quoted as saying in the

The development is United Arab Emirates and report. The special plane, being seen as a major breakthe State of Israel. El Al 737-900, is equipped through because the Israeli On asked about the with a system to protect national carrier, El Al, flew possible sale of F-35 stealth aircraft against aerial threats over the Saudi airspace, jets to the UAE, Kushner like ground-to-air missiles, which is being interpreted said, “Prime Minister Nethe report said. by analysts as acceptance of tanyahu and the president The Directed IR CounIsrael by the Gulf countries (Donald Trump) will distermeasures (DIRCM) manin general, and a probable cuss that at some point,” the ufactured by Elbit Systems normalisation of ties with official WAM news agency defend aircraft by detecting, some of the other “friendly reported. tracking and jamming incountries” in that region. “Another step toward coming infrared threats like

The flight that took regional peace. We are all heat-seeking ground-to-air missiles and shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles, also known as man-portable air defense systems (MANPADs), it said.

According to a report in the Gulf News, the US-Israeli delegation, comprised of representatives from the investment, finance, health, civil space and aviation, foreign policy, diplomacy, tourism, and culture sectors and will meet representatives of UAE government agencies to discuss ways to develop relations in related fields.

Earlier in Israel before take off, Ben-Shabbat said Israel’s goals for the trip is to “reach a joint work plan to promote ties in a broad range of areas, including tourism, innovation, health and much more”.

The Israeli Airline Pilots Association released a tentative map of LY971’s route on Sunday evening, showing the plane slated to cross through Saudi airspace.

Many believe that the normalisation of ties with UAE could have come only with Saudi blessings but Riyadh is yet to establish formal diplomatic ties with Jerusalem but is believed to covertly cooperate closely with the Jewish state.

Air India has been flying over Saudi airspace

“He championed our alliance as a cornerstone of peace and security and he advanced a free and open Indo-Pacific by working with the United States to build a network of partnerships across the region,” Pompeo said.

In a separate statement, Senator Ted Cruz said he is saddened to hear that Abe is resigning due to health reasons.

“In the last eight years, he has countered the Chinese Communist Party’s expanding influence and has been the strongest Japanese prime minister to do so since 1946,” the Texas Senator said.

“He has called for Taiwan’s inclusion in international organizations and he has also rebuilt much of the Japanese since its operations started in March 2018 on the Tel Aviv-Delhi route, but the kingdom did not permit Israeli airlines to fly over it.

Symbolic of direct connection between Israel and the UAE, the flight numbers have been marked LY971 on the way to Abu Dhabi and LY972 on the way back to Israel, using the telephone dialing code of the two countries.

It has also painted a peace logo in Arabic, English and Hebrew on the flight 971.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference on Sunday said the breakthrough signalled the end of a “Palestinian veto”.

Most of the Arab countries over the years have linked normalisation of ties with Israel to a peace agreement and just settlement of Israel-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian leaders have condemned UAE for agreeing to normalise relations with Israel, calling the move “despicable and a betrayal”.

The Prime Minister’s Office has said that the delegation aboard the “historic” flight is civilian in nature and defence officials would be travelling to the Gulf

Thai govt delays purchase of submarines from China

Abe ‘greatest’ PM in Japan’s history: Trump

country a few weeks later.

military, which, thanks to his leadership, is now doing military exercises with our allies Australia and India. Prime Minister Abe has also met with the threat posed by North Korea with strength,” Cruz said.

Abe became Japan’s youngest prime minister in 2006, at age 52, but his first stint abruptly ended a year later because of his health. In December 2012, he returned to power. He is credited with bolstering Japan’s defence role and capability and its security alliance with the US.

Abe on Monday last became Japan’s longest serving prime minister by consecutive days in office, eclipsing the record of Eisaku Sato, his great-uncle, who served 2,798 days from 1964 to 1972.

BEIRUT, AUG 31 (IANS):

Lebanon on Monday named the country’s envoy to Germany Mustapha Adib as the new Prime Minister following the resignation of the previous cabinet led by Hassan Diab amid mounting pressure over the August 4 Beirut port explosions.

Adib succeeded in securing 90 out of 128 Parliamentary votes, which will allow him to form a government, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said that this was the time for work and for all parties to cooperate for the country to heal and restore hope in Lebanon.

“Lebanese people are worried about the present and the future. We will hopefully be able to form a government with professional people to implement fast reforms to put the country on the right track for restoring prosperity,” Adib said following his meeting with President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace.

On August 11, Diab, who was appointed Prime Minister in January after months of deadlock, announced his cabinet’s resignation after many people accused the country’s lead

Mustapha Adib

ers of culpability through their alleged negligence and corruption.

President Michel Aoun had asked Diab’s government to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed.

The death toll from the nassive blasts which were caused by the detonation of 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at the port for years, stood at 190, while the number of injured people were over 6,500 and three persons still unaccounted for.

The huge blast damaged buildings in a radius of several kilometres in Beirut, leaving more than 200,000 homeless or living in homes with no windows or doors.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

....the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; bless be the name of the Lord.

Job 1:21

K-1361

Lt. VICHOTHA KECHÜ 16-08-2020

We, the family of Late Vichotha Kechü wishes to acknowledge the many expressions of sympathy and gestures of kindness and overwhelming support physically, materially, financially and spiritually during the prolonged illness and sad demise of our beloved father on 16 th August 2020. Your sympathy and prayers provided us strength and comfort during our difficult time.

We deeply regret our inability to thank everyone by name but it is our prayer that the Almighty God bless you all abundantly.

Loving Wife, Children, In-laws & Grandchildren

4TH DEATH ANNIVERSARY

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We the family of Lt. James V. Khuvung would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every individual, churches, prayer warriors, organisations, village communities, friends, staff, colonies and all the well wishers who supported us physically, financially and spiritually during his brief illness and sad demise on 25 th August 2020.

We deeply regret our inability to thank each and everyone of you individually but it is our fervent prayer that the good Lord bless you all abundantly.

Loving Family Members

DP-3681

LATE AOSUNGKUM IMSONG (UNGER) 16/01/1964 - 01/09/2016 Four years have passed but treasured memories of you, your kind and generous disposition will remain with us forever. Sadly missed and always remembered by your loving family.