HARARE, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, Zimbabwe’s Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa stated that after the bumper harvest this year, food security in the country fell from 56 percent to 27 percent.

The Minister told the post-cabinet meeting, that according to 2021 Rural Livelihoods Assessment Report produced by the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee (ZIMVAC), the percentage translates into around 2.9 million rural individuals requiring 262,856 metric tons of cereal.

The drastic fall reflected the government's determined efforts to fight hunger and ensure a food surplus economy, she said.

"Development partners and donor agencies are encouraged to procure food from inside the country as imports will not be necessary," she added. 

However, Zimbabwe is expecting to produce about 2.8 million tons of maize this year, a record output in more than a decade, against annual national consumption of 1.8 million tons.

Moreover, as per the records of ZIMVACM, nutrition has also improved across the country, with 99 percent of people not experiencing food insufficiency.

HAVANA, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, a senior official told that for the first time the 13th edition of Cuba's International Convention on Environment and Development will take place virtually on 6-9 July.

Researchers from Cuba, the United States, Mexico, Italy and Germany, among other countries, had already confirmed their participation in the event, said President Cuba’s Environment Agency Maritza Garcia.

She said, "We will promote cooperation between countries in the fields of science, sustainable economic growth, social development, and human dignity."

New predictions for climate scenarios on the island from 2050 to 2100 will be presented in the convention, said Celso Pazos, the director general of Havana's National Institute of Meteorology.

"It is very important to asses climate change impact on different sectors of society, ranging from agriculture to public health," he said.

Presently, the island is working in different avenues, including the implementation of Tarea Vida (Life Task), a governmental program that aims ameliorating climate change impact on coastal areas vulnerable to the rise of sea levels in the coming decades and also, on the restoration of the ecosystems, reforestation and protection of biodiversity.

TOKYO, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Wednesday, Japan’s parliamentary session closed as no-confidence motion in PM Yoshihide Suga’s Cabinet was vote down in the lower house yesterday.

The motion was filed following the ruling coalition refusal of opposition’s request for pushing back the end of the current parliamentary session by three months to allow for more debate on matters related to Covid-19 and the Tokyo Olympics.

The extension request came as the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDPJ) and three other opposition parties went critical of the government's response to the pandemic.

They have also taken issue with Suga's pledge that holding the Olympics this summer in Tokyo from July 23 will be "safe and secure" as the Covid-19 pandemic has yet to be brought under control.

The parties believed more time is needed in the parliament to debate these highly pressing topics.

However, CDPJ leader Yukio Edano has accused Suga as being an unfit leader for not allowing the current parliament session to be extended during a national crisis.

However, along with the hosting of the Olympics, Tokyo will also hold a Metropolitan Assembly election in early July with the results viewed as a litmus test for the future direction of national politics.

ALGIERS, 16 June, 2021 (TON): According to the Algerian National Elections Authority, Algeria's ruling party, the National Liberation Front (FLN), won the legislative elections held on Saturday amid historically high abstention rates and a political crisis.

The FLN led with 105 of the 407 seats, followed by independent candidates with 78 seats.

Its victory surprised many observers who disregard the party due to its links with former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

With 64 seats, the Movement of Society for Peace (MSP) that had claimed victory in the polls, came third with 64 seats, elections commission president Mohamed Chorfi told the media.

However, the FLN's share of seats has recorded a significant decline compared to the last elections as it lost more than 50 seats and controls a quarter of the elected members of the new assembly.

RIYADH, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the creation of a sports academy has been approved by the government of Saudi Arabia to find new talent.

The Mahd Sports Academy is expected to become one of the largest in the world over the next decade and aims to create a new golden generation of Saudi sportspeople.

A number of international sporting officials and personalities including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Italian national football team coach Roberto Mancini and veteran football manager José Mourinho praised the academy launched in July 2020.

At launch, Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal, the sports minister, said, “This project is a dream step for Saudi Arabia, with the nation now focused on creating world-class Saudi talent that will make their country proud.”

“All of our programs today that we do in the ministry of sports and the Federation is all about diversity and inclusion,” Prince Abdulaziz said.

However, this is yet another initiative considering the Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia’s massive national reform program that has supercharged sports in the country since its introduction.

KHARTOUM, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, Sudan’s PM Abdalla Hamdok warned that his country will not tolerate anyone who brings down the country in chaos and exploits revolution.

 The PM’s comments were directed at the previous regime’s loyalists for he sought to defend the reforms aimed to pull the country out of chaos and economic crisis.

The media reported him Hamdok said that the government will take action in accordance with the constitution on those threatening the peace.

 “We have seen how the revolutionaries peacefully dealt with the brutality of the former regime and its repressive tools.  But what is happening now is dissimilar to the revolution or the revolutionaries. It is good that the real revolutionaries paid attention to what is happening. The real resistance committees also confronted the attempts to distort their image and worked to change the situation. We call on them to continue that effort, as we believe that the real support for the transitional government is these masses,” Hamdok said.

 “We are also aware of the importance and need of the security sector reform, which is what we keep in mind and work for day and night. Without carrying out the necessary reforms, our country will continue to be vulnerable to internal and external dangers," he said.

 “This danger will not only threaten our country, but will drag the whole region into a state of instability. Any threat to stability in a country like Sudan will represent a unique and unprecedented situation in the world,” the prime minister added.

However, the PM called on the youth to stay away from violence and hate speech to avoid spread of tribal discrimination.

DOHA, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, the Foreign Ministers of Iraq and Kuwait Fuad Hussein and Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah held talks to discuss developments in mutual bilateral cooperation.

He two met on the sidelines of the Arab foreign ministers consultative meeting in Doha.

The media reported, “The two sides discussed a number of issues related to bilateral relations in light of the steady growth that these relations are witnessing.”

Hussein indicated, according to the statement, Baghdad's keenness to continue working to advance their relations and develop them at all levels.

Iraq-Kuwait relations are historically longstanding and complex. Ever since Kuwait's independence in 1961, the Iraqi governments sought various opportunities to reclaim and annex Kuwait.

However, the relationship experienced a decade of thaw following the Iran–Iraq War, with Kuwait supporting Iraq against Iran.

MORONI, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, Comorian President Azali Assoumani expressed gratitude to the Chinese medical team for their successful mission in Comoros.

They team brilliantly discharged the mission, said Assoumani in his farewell speech to the medical team in Moroni.

"The Comorian government remained committed to action, in concert with the Chinese government, in order to always strengthen the deep bonds of friendship, which was forged by the Chinese and Comorian peoples," said Azali.

Taking this opportunity, Azali also elevated all members of the Chinese medical mission to Comoros to the rank of Knight of the Order of the Green Crescent of the Comoros.

The leader called the mission Chinese assistance to Comoros.

However, the team came from several hospitals in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, consisted of 12 medical experts, specialized in respiratory and critical care medicine, public health, laboratory testing, traditional Chinese medicine and other fields

RIYADH, 16 June, 2021 (TON): On Tuesday, a memorandum of understanding has been signed by the President of the Saudi aviation authority GACA in Riyadh with the UAE.

The aim of the MoU is to boost bilateral cooperation in aviation security.

Hopeful that the MoU will contribute to the modernization of the administrative, organizational, operational and technical fields, said the GACA’s president Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al Duailej and the general director of UAE’s aviation authority GCAA Saif bin Muhammad Al Suwaidi.

To develop the infrastructure, apply best practices to be used in the software systems and to benefit from qualified teams from both sides are the areas included in the MoU.

BEIJING, 16 June, 2021 (TON):  China highly appreciates Russian President Putin’s positive remarks on Chinese-Russian relations, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on Tuesday.

He noted that China is full of confidence in the development of the bilateral ties.

Putin said in a TV interview, "We have developed a strategic partnership relationship between Russia and China that previously had not been achieved in the history of our nations, a high level of trust and cooperation in all areas: in politics, in the economy, in the area of technology," expressed support to China on issues related to Xinjiang and Taiwan and refuted attempts to sabotage China-Russia relations.

Zhao’s remarks came in response when the reporter asked about Putin’s comments in a press briefing.

"The two countries have firmly supported each other on issues concerning each other's core interests, and the mutual political trust and strategic cooperation between the two has been continuously consolidated and enhanced," said the spokesperson.

"Together, we have resisted political viruses, safeguarded the outcome of the victory of World War II and international equity and justice, and firmly defended genuine multilateralism and international equity and justice. Together, we have become an important force for stability in a turbulent world," Zhao said.

"It is fair to say that the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for the new era is all-dimensional and all-weather. Sky is the limit for down-to-earth China-Russia cooperation, and we are full of confidence in the development of bilateral relations," Zhao added.

While concluding, the spokesman said that in one month's time, the two sides would mark the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation between China and Russia, which is of special significance to bilateral relations.

However, as per the stats, the Chinese-Russian bilateral economic and trade volume surged by 23.6 percent in the first five months of this year.