DHAKA, 06 January 2022, (TON): Some 92 Bangladeshi workers left Dhaka for South Korea by chartered flights operated by a Korean air company.

A South Korean Embassy press release said “it was the first batch of Bangladesh expatriate workers going to Korea this year.”

The South Korean Government suspended the recruitment of foreign workers in March 2020.

It resumed receiving expatriates last month.

 After the resumption, so far, a total of 203 Bangladesh expatriate workers have traveled to Korea. In December, 111 Bangladesh workers were allowed into Korea.

Among 92 workers who were admitted this time, 44 workers were newly employed while the rest of them were re-entry workers.

Korea has been admitting medium and low-skilled foreign workers from 16 countries including Bangladesh through the EPS (Employment Permit System) program.

DHAKA, 06 January 2022, (TON): Some 92 Bangladeshi workers left Dhaka for South Korea by chartered flights operated by a Korean air company.

A South Korean Embassy press release said “it was the first batch of Bangladesh expatriate workers going to Korea this year.”

The South Korean Government suspended the recruitment of foreign workers in March 2020.

It resumed receiving expatriates last month.

 After the resumption, so far, a total of 203 Bangladesh expatriate workers have traveled to Korea. In December, 111 Bangladesh workers were allowed into Korea.

Among 92 workers who were admitted this time, 44 workers were newly employed while the rest of them were re-entry workers.

Korea has been admitting medium and low-skilled foreign workers from 16 countries including Bangladesh through the EPS (Employment Permit System) program.

MANAMA, 05 January 2022, (TON): Bahraini Shoura Council Speaker Ali Saleh Al-Saleh commended Saudi Arabia’s pivotal role and contributions at the regional and international levels, under the leadership of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, at a meeting with Saudi Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh and his delegation in Manama.

Al-Saleh also praised the strong relations between the two nations under the support of Bahrain’s King Hamad and King Salman.

He added “Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad have made remarkable efforts, based on the directives of both countries’ kings, to deepen the level of cooperation in all areas, and noted that both have forward-looking visions and ambitions for a bright future for their peoples.”

WASHINGTON, 05 January 2022, (TON): The U.S. became the world’s No. 1 exporter of liquefied natural gas for the first time ever last month, as deliveries surged to energy-starved Europe.

Output from American facilities edged above Qatar in December after a jump in exports from the Sabine Pass and Freeport facilities, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.

Cheniere Energy Inc. said last month that a new production unit at its Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana produced its first cargo.

Graphic showing ship tracking data for LNG exports from the US, Australia and Qatar

A shale gas revolution, coupled with billions of dollars of investments in liquefaction facilities, transformed the U.S. from a net LNG importer to a top exporter in less than a decade. Gas production has surged by roughly 70% from 2010 and the nation is expected to have the world’s largest export capacity by the end of 2022 once Venture Global LNG’s Calcasieu Pass terminal comes online.

But the U.S.’s position as top LNG shipper may be short-lived. Exports were just a hair above those from Qatar and Australia, and any production issues could affect the rankings.

Looking further out, Qatar is planning a gargantuan export project that will come online in the late 2020s, which could cement the middle eastern nation as the top supplier of the fuel.

MOSCOW, 05 January 2022, (TON): A source in OPEC told media “the OPEC + ministerial conference ended without surprises. The meeting lasted only about half an hour, according to its results, the countries, the parties to the agreement, as expected, approved an increase in oil production in February by 400 thousand b / d.”

Later this information was confirmed by OPEC, having published the corresponding press release.

The source said “the growth of 400 thousand bpd has been approved.”

According to the official schedule, OPEC + countries will be able to produce 40.894 million bpd in February. Of this volume, Russia and Saudi Arabia will each have 10.227 million bpd.

OPEC + oil exporters proceed from the fact that the oil market is currently balanced, said the conclusion of the monitoring committee, which TASS got acquainted with on Tuesday.

At the same time, they expect that after the first quarter of 2022 the market will begin to shift towards a surplus and oil reserves will grow. Earlier, experts from the OPEC + technical committee estimated a possible surplus on the oil market in 2022 at 1.4 million bpd.

TOKYO, 05 January 2022, (TON): North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile off its east coast, underscoring leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year vow to bolster the military to counter an unstable international situation.

Japan’s coast guard, which first reported the launch, said “it could be a ballistic missile but did not provide further details.”

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters “since last year, North Korea has repeatedly launched missiles, which is very regrettable.”

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff also reported that nuclear-armed North Korea fired a presumed ballistic missile from an inland location toward the sea.

The JCS said in a statement “our military is maintaining readiness posture in preparation for a possible additional launch while closely monitoring the situation in close cooperation with the United States.”

Recent North Korean missile tests have often featured double or multiple launches.

United Nations Security Council resolutions ban all ballistic missile and nuclear tests by North Korea, and have imposed sanctions over the programs.

In state media summaries of a speech Kim gave ahead of the New Year, the North Korean leader did not specifically mention missiles or nuclear weapons, but said that national defense must be bolstered.

KHARTOUM, 05 January 2022, (TON): Sudan descended further into chaos as protesters took to the streets again to demand an end to a military coup and the establishment of a civilian government.

Up to 60 people have died in a security crackdown on demonstrations that began after the Oct. 25 coup, and intensified this week after the resignation of Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister.

Thousands of protesters took part in marches on Tuesday in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman. Young demonstrators sang, beat drums, waved Sudanese flags and set fire to tires.

They shouted “No, no to military rule” and called for the disbandment of Sudan’s ruling council headed by Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, who led the coup.

LONDON, 05 January 2022, (TON): The Prime Minister spoke to Naftali Bennett, Prime Minister of Israel.

They updated on progress in the fight against COVID-19 and booster vaccinations in the UK and Israel, as well as efforts to reopen international travel.

The leaders also discussed the ongoing talks on the Iran nuclear deal in Vienna.

The Prime Minister said the UK wants to see the negotiations in Vienna lead to full restoration of the JCPoA, but that we need Iran to engage in good faith. The diplomatic door is open, but time is running out to reach an agreement.

TEHRAN, 05 January 2022, (TON): State media reported that at least eight people have been killed in flash flooding in Iran’s south due to heavy rains expected to last until later this week.

Spokesman for the national rescue service Mojtaba Khaledi said “following the floods and rains of the past few days in the southern regions of the country, we have seen an increase in casualties and deaths.”

Khaledi said “so far eight people have died and two are still missing.”

He added that 14 others had been injured.

Five of the deaths occurred in Fars province, local crisis management official Rahim Azadi told the state news agency.

A local official had said that at least two people were killed in flash flooding in the province.

Azadi said “heavy rain damaged “agriculture, infrastructure, urban and rural housing.”

NEW YEAR, 05 January 2022, (TON): TS Tirumurti, India's permanent representative to the United Nations was named the new Chair of the UN Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC).

According to UNSC statement “prior to taking up his current position as Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, in May 2020, Mr Tirumurti served as Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, handling the Economic Relations portfolio (which included, inter alia, the Gulf and the Arab World, Africa, and India's Development Partnership).”

Mr Tirumurti previously served at the Embassy of India to Egypt, in Cairo; at the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva; as the first Representative of India to the Palestinian Authority, in Gaza; as Counsellor in the Embassy of India to the United States, in Washington.

The statement further said “DC; as Deputy Chief of Mission in the Embassy of India to Indonesia, in Jakarta; and as High Commissioner of India to Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur.”