DHAKA, 14 December 2021, (TON): A youth has been shot dead by the Border Security Forces (BSF) on the Indian side of Maheshpur in Jhenaidah.

The deceased is Mikail Hossain, 30, hailing from Jinjira Para of Baghadanga in Maheshpur.

Nur Mallick, cousin of the victim, said “Mikail and some people went to India several days ago. They were trying to return with cows on Thursday night but were intercepted by the BSF members on patrol, who opened fire at them.”

He added “even though others managed to cross the border, Mikail remained missing since then.”

He further said “Hashkhali police in Nadia recovered his body on Sunday from the Tengra Canal near the border.”

RIYADH, 13 December 2021, (TON): Saudi Arabia’s King Salman received a written letter from the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The letter spoke of the strong and solid relations between the two countries and ways of strengthening them.

The message was delivered by the Qatari ambassador to the Kingdom and was received by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji.

WASHINGTON, 13 December 2021, (TON):  Dozens of devastating tornadoes roared through five US states overnight, leaving more than 80 people dead Saturday in what President Joe Biden said was “one of the largest” storm outbreaks in history.

A shaken Biden said in televised comments “it’s a tragedy and we still don’t know how many lives are lost and the full extent of the damage.”

As darkness fell scores of search and rescue officials were helping stunned citizens across the US heartland sift through the rubble of their homes and businesses searching for any more survivors.

More than 70 people are believed to have been killed in Kentucky alone, many of them workers at a candle factory, while at least six died in an Amazon warehouse in Illinois where they were on the night shift processing orders ahead of Christmas.

Kentucky governor Andy Beshear said “this event is the worst, most devastating, most deadly tornado event in Kentucky’s history.”

He added “he fears we will have lost more than 100 people.”

BEIJING, 13 December 2021, (TON): China branded US democracy a “weapon of mass destruction”, following the US-organised Summit for Democracy which aimed to shore up like-minded allies in the face of autocratic regimes.

China was left out of the two-day virtual summit along with countries including Russia and Hungary and responded by angrily accusing US President Joe Biden of stoking Cold War-era ideological divides.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said in an online statement “democracy’ has long become a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ used by the US to interfere in other countries.”

The ministry also claimed the summit was organised by the US to “draw lines of ideological prejudice, instrumentalise and weaponise democracy and incite division and confrontation.”

Beijing vowed to “resolutely resist and oppose all kinds of pseudo-democracies”.

Ahead of the summit, China ramped up a propaganda blitz criticising US democracy as corrupt and a failure. It touted its own version of “whole-process people’s democracy” in a white paper released last week that aimed to shore up legitimacy for the ruling Communist Party.

TEL AVIV, 13 December 2021, (TON): Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will travel to the United Arab Emirates on Sunday and meet the Gulf state's de facto ruler in the highest-level visit since the countries formalised relations last year.

The trip comes amid heightened regional tension as world powers try to renew a nuclear deal with Iran. Israel and some Gulf Arabs share concern over Iranian activities in the region.

Bennett told a meeting of his cabinet “I will be going out today to the United Arab Emirates, in the first visit ever by an Israeli prime minister.”

There was no immediate confirmation from Abu Dhabi.

The UAE along with Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco moved toward normal ties with Israel under a US-sponsored initiative dubbed the “Abraham Accords” in reference to the biblical patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims.

Bennett's trip on Sunday would be the first by an Israeli premier to any of those four countries.

Trips planned by his predecessor and Abraham Accords signatory Benjamin Netanyahu were cancelled, with Israel citing Covid-19 travel curbs and difficulties in arranging a flight over Jordanian territory.

WASHINGTON, 13 December 2021, (TON): The White House, stung by President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings, is blaming the press for some of its woes, US media reported.

A media outlet noted “Biden’s ratings have sparked fears among Democrats over the president’s weakened clout ahead of next year’s midterms.”

More than 60 liberal groups on Thursday urged the media for more balanced coverage of Biden.

The groups said in a letter to the media “please consider and swiftly address your role in promoting this widespread, destructive pattern of reporting.”

“Not only is it doing harm to our democracy, but it is also harming your reputation as journalists and that of the news outlets you represent.”

At Milbank’s request, a data analytics unit of the information company FiscalNote, went through more than 200,000 articles from 65 news outlets.

VATICAN CITY, 13 December 2021, (TON): Pope Francis expressed support for Ukraine and its people, urging to resolve tensions around the situation through international dialogue.

The pontiff said “I would like to assure you of my prayers for dear Ukraine, for all its churches and religious communities and for all of its people, so that the current tensions are resolved through serious international dialogue, and not through weapons.”

He said “I am very saddened by the statistics that I recently learned. This year more weapons were produced than last year. Weapons are not the way. May this Christmas bring peace to Ukraine.”

LONDON, 13 December 2021, (TON): The G7 said time was running out for Iran to agree a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions.

Foreign ministers from the world's richest nations held a two-day meeting in Liverpool, northwest England, seeking to present a strong, united front against global threats.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, from G7 host Britain, said “resumed talks in Vienna were the Islamic Republic's last chance to come to the negotiating table with a serious resolution.”

She told a news conference “there is still time for Iran to come and agree this deal.”

The final communique from the talks said “must stop its nuclear escalation and seize the opportunity to conclude a deal, while this is still possible.”

Negotiations restarted to try to revive the 2015 deal between Iran and world powers, which the United States withdrew from under Donald Trump in 2018.

Iran claims it only wants to develop a civilian capability but Western powers say its stockpile of enriched uranium goes well beyond that, and could be used to develop a nuclear weapon.

US President Joe Biden has said he is ready to return to the agreement and Iranian officials maintain they are serious about committing to the talks.

WASHINGTON, 13 December 2021, (TON): US President Joe Biden said “he told Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia would pay “a terrible price” and face devastating economic consequences if it invaded Ukraine.”

Biden told reporters “the possibility of sending US ground combat troops to Ukraine in the event of a Russian invasion was never on the table, although the United States and NATO would be required to send in more forces to eastern flank NATO countries to beef up their defenses.”

He said after remarks about the deadly tornadoes that hit the United States “I made it absolutely clear to President Putin that if he moves on Ukraine, the economic consequences for his economy are going to be devastating, devastating.”

Biden, who spoke with Putin by telephone for two hours last week, said he had made clear to the Russian leader that Russia’s standing in the world would change “markedly” in the event of an incursion into Ukraine.

Biden spent the weekend at his home in Wilmington.

Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven richest democracies on Saturday sent a similar message to Moscow after a meeting in Liverpool, warning of dire consequences for any incursion and urging Moscow to return to the negotiating table.

RIYADH, 13 December 2021, (TON): Supervisor-General of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah met Ambassador of Mexico to Saudi Arabia Anibal Toledo in Riyadh.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed issues of common interest relating to humanitarian and relief affairs.

The ambassador expressed admiration for the significant worldwide humanitarian work being implemented by Saudi Arabia, represented by KSrelief, stressing that the center has become a pioneer in the field of relief and humanitarian work.

Since its inception in May 2015, the center has implemented 1,806 projects worth more than $5.52 billion in 77 countries. The initiatives were carried out in cooperation with 144 local, regional and international partners.