BAGHDAD, 06 September 2022, (TON): The prime minister’s office said “Iraq’s top executive powers and major parties agreed Monday at a meeting boycotted by powerful Shiite cleric Moqtada Al-Sadr to work toward holding early elections, a week after deadly unrest.”

The president, prime minister and parliament speaker met with representatives of political parties to chart an exit from an 11-month-long political paralysis.

Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhemi’s office said “they agreed to form a technical committee comprising the various political forces… to bridge differences with the aim of reaching early elections.”

MOSCOW, 06 September 2022, (TON): Moscow blacklisted 25 US citizens including actor Sean Penn in response to Washington’s constantly expanding sanctions against Russian citizens.

According to a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry, the group put on the stop list includes members of the US Congress, high-ranking officials, representatives of the business and expert communities, as well as public figures.

The statement said “the hostile actions of the American authorities, which continue to follow a Russophobic course, destroying bilateral ties and escalating confrontation between Russia and the United States, will continue to receive a decisive rebuff.”

AMMAN, 06 September 2022, (TON): The British Embassy in Amman is launching a month-long campaign ‘UK in Jordan 4 Inclusion’ to celebrate and highlight the importance and benefits of inclusion in all its forms.

Throughout this month, the British Embassy and British Council will emphasise inclusion across all areas of their work in Jordan, including gender equality, youth engagement and the inclusion of people with disabilities.

The British Ambassador, Bridget Brind, will engage with different partners to support equality and inclusion as a vital part of the design and delivery of the UK’s programmes and policies with Jordanian and international partners.

The ‘UK in Jordan 4 Inclusion’ campaign will include a range of activities to promote inclusion, including in education, the economy, the security sector, diplomacy and the environment.

By Nasriya Naffin

Tourism is one of the industries most affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Now, more than a year after the pandemic began, the numbers are staggering. In 2020, Sri Lanka had one billion fewer international arrivals to tourist destinations than in 2019. A sharp drop in international travel has resulted in a loss of approximately US$1.3 trillion in export earnings. It was more than 11 times higher than the previous economic crisis in 2009. From 100 million in tourism, 120 million jobs are at risk, the majority of which are small businesses.

This is a serious concern for emerging markets as they begin their recovery path. Supported by both the public and private sectors, tourism is not only an important source of foreign currency earnings, but also strengthens supply chains, boosts the productivity of local businesses, and creates jobs. and provides income for women and young people. The former Minister of Tourism says that he has seen firsthand the value tourism can bring to local communities and how sustainable tourism creates economic value while protecting cultural and natural assets.

Discussed the future of tourism in the face of current challenges at a recent panel discussion on building tourism resilience and moving forward better, held at WTO Aid for Trade Stocktaking event last month. Industry leaders from Costa Rica, Jordan, Kenya, and Sri Lanka shared their country's experiences in responding to and learning from the crisis and provided insights on the future landscape of tourism.

They are as follows:

• First, increase the trust of travelers. Second, understand and follow new market trends and demand drivers. Third, we commit to building a more resilient and inclusive tourism sector and capitalizing on the emerging interest in sustainability. This is an important long-term lesson.

• As tourism resumes, domestic travel will take center stage, exposing destinations to the threat of mass tourism, where the number of tourists exceeds destination capacity. Vietnam will be the first country in Southeast Asia to resume domestic travel, with discount packages and promotions aimed at driving demand. Other countries are also concentrating on some of the top locations to attract tourists. To reshape the tourism sector and provide tourists with a rewarding experience, mass tourism needs such as: Alternatives should be sought such as Sustainable rural tourism, nature tourism and themed tourism.

• Unprotected protected areas and government distraction have led to a surge in nature-based crime. As wildlife tourism declines, so too does the income source for conservation. We need strict laws to protect biodiversity and illegal activities. To protect ecological balance from tourism, governments can consider: Include a sustainable tax for tourists. Protect communities and indigenous sensitive areas from exploitation. Includes a scientific framework for policy making.

• Waste management infrastructure needs to be improved and all public places should be prepared for safe disposal of biomedical waste. Improving access to clean water and sanitation and promoting good hygiene practices such as hand washing also help prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Internet service providers also need incentives to improve connectivity in tourist areas.

• Tax reform should be implemented considering the frequent flyer tax. With many airlines on the brink of bankruptcy, the demand for government bailouts is growing. However, this funding must be subject to conditions that prioritize environmental improvements. In France, for example, his €7 billion bailout of Air France came with a requirement to become the "world's greenest airline". Other measures may include phasing out inefficient aircraft, reducing the number of flights when demand is low, and providing flyers with carbon efficiency information. Taken together, these strategies help ensure that political decisions are grounded in careful and scientific formulation. Protecting a region's critical assets is the very reason tourists arrive and is a fundamental pillar of any recovery to solve one problem and not create another. Through strategic planning and implementation, tourism as a sector can realize its potential as a driver of social, economic, and environmental well-being.

While bendy coverage answers are had to permit the tourism financial system to stay along the virus withinside the quick to medium time period, it's essential to appear past this and take steps to study from the disaster, which has discovered gaps in authorities and enterprise preparedness and reaction potential. Coordinated movement throughout governments in any respect stages and the non-public area is essential.

The disaster is a possibility to reconsider tourism in the future. Tourism is at a crossroads and the measures installed in the region nowadays will form the tourism of tomorrow. Governments want to take into account the longer-term implications of the disaster, at the same time as capitalizing on digitalization, assisting the low carbon transition, and selling the structural transformation to construct a stronger, greater sustainable, and resilient tourism financial system.

NEW DELHI, 06 September 2022, (TON): India is keeping an eye on the recent unrest in the Rakhine state of Myanmar as Bangladesh apprehends it might hamper the process of Rohingya repatriation.

Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the meeting room of her palace residence.

Senior Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen told "they told us that India is keeping an eye on the unrest being created there (Rakhine state).”

He said “Rohingya repatriation issue was discussed during the meeting.”

He added that the Bangladesh Prime Minister said whether the recent unrest in the Rakhine state issue would hamper the Rohingya repatriation.

DHAKA, 06 September 2022, (TON): South Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh Lee Jang-Keun has said “his country will continue to stand by Bangladesh in its journey toward infrastructure powerhouse with state-of-the-art technology and ample experience in infrastructure development.”

He was speaking at the opening ceremony of the Korea-Bangladesh Infrastructure Cooperation Center in the capital.

The South Korean envoy said “the opening of KBICC indicates in which direction Korea-Bangladesh relations are moving forward.”

He said “it also demonstrates Korea’s strong commitment to infrastructure development of one of the fastest growing economies in the world.”

DHAKA, 06 September 2022, (TON): Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen has expressed optimism that pre-signing procedures of the planned seven Memorandum of Understanding will be completed by Monday night and will be handed over during bilateral talks between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

He told reporters “these are likely to be finalized tonight.”

Responding to a question, he said interim water sharing of Kushiyara River is one of them. Earlier, Bangladesh and India finalised the text of a MoU.

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Sunday said Bangladesh and India are likely to sign seven bilateral documents on water management, railway, science and technology and information and broadcasting during Hasina’s India visit.

DHAKA, 06 September 2022, (TON): Prime minister Sheikh Hasina started her four-day state visit to India from the much-revered Nizamuddin Aulia Dargah.

She spent some time offering Fateha and munajat.

PM’s Deputy Press Secretary KM Shakhawat Moon told journalists “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offered prayers and munajat, seeking development, prosperity and welfare of the country, the nation as well as the entire Muslim ummah.”

He added “the premier, later, went around the Dargah of Nizamuddin Aulia.”

DHAKA, 06 September 2022, (TON): Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has said that resolving the water sharing issue mainly depends on India.

Mentioning that Bangladesh and India have water sharing deal only for the River Ganges and they have 54 other common rivers, she said, “It’s a longstanding problem. So, it should be solved. But it depends mainly on India.”

Hasina said “this in an interview with multimedia news agency Asian News International ahead of her four-day state visit to India.”

Recalling earlier discussions, in her meeting with  Indian counterpart Narendra Modi in March 2021, she iterated Bangladesh’s long-pending request for concluding the interim agreement on the sharing of the Teesta water.

DHAKA, 06 September 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina congratulated the newly elected Conservative Party leader, Elizabeth Truss, who is set to be the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now on a four-day visit to India, said “your appointment is a testimony to the trust and confidence of the British people in your leadership to take your country to newer heights of progress and prosperity.”

She reiterated “Bangladesh and the UK enjoy historic relations deeply rooted in our shared values of democracy, secularism, and tolerance.”