LONDON, 27 July 2022, (TON): Britain’s rail network faces major disruption again as rail workers and station staff walk out in a row over pay and conditions, the latest in a catalogue of industrial unrest as wages fail to keep pace with soaring inflation.

The 24-hour strike by more than 40,000 members of the RMT and TSSA unions will see around half Britain’s rail network closed, with train companies operating a much reduced timetable and some parts of the country having no rail service at all.

Network Rail said passengers, including commuters, families heading off on summer holidays, and sports fans on their way to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham which begins, should only travel if necessary.

Strike action last month brought Britain’s rail network close to a standstill for three days.

LONDON, 27 July 2022, (TON): The latest televised debate between the two Conservative contenders vying to become Britain’s next prime minister was abruptly halted Tuesday evening after the moderator fainted on stage.

Live footage of the debate, between former finance minister Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on media channel, was suddenly interrupted about halfway into the hour-long event.

Moments earlier, Truss had stopped speaking mid-sentence with a shocked look on her face as the sound of crashing in front of her engulfed the broadcast.

“Oh my God!” a stunned Truss exclaimed, before leaving her podium to walk toward where the debate moderator.

DHAKA, 27 July 2022, (TON): Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anisul Huq said “the World Bank's decision to withdraw itself from funding the Padma Bridge was a blessing in disguise.”

He said "our self-respect has gone way up after constructing the bridge with our own funding. Our confidence in ourselves has become more robust. Father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had said none will be able to suppress us anymore. We have reached that stage.”

The law minister said this while addressing as special guest a function to unveil the cover of a book titled "Our Padma Bridge by Our Money", edited by Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen at Foreign Service Academy in the capital.

DHAKA, 27 July 2022, (TON): US Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter Haas has concluded a 3-day trip to Rajshahi from July 24 to 26 to promote US higher education and US government-fund exchange programs, economic engagement and law enforcement cooperation in the region.

A US embassy press release said “USAID Mission Director Kathryn Stevens accompanied the US envoy during the visit and they met with local government leaders, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, US Department of State exchange program alumni, students, and teachers in Rajshahi.”

The delegation paid a courtesy call on the Rajshahi City Corporation Mayor A H M Khairuzzaman Liton and discussed the US government's collaborative efforts in partnering with the Government of Bangladesh through the Department of State, Department of Justice, and USAID programs over the past five decades.

NEW DELHI, 27 July 2022, (TON): Terming the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent as sad and painful, north Indian state of Haryana’s Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said India, Pakistan and Bangladesh could unite just like Germany’s reunification.

He said “when eastern and western can unite, the merger of Pakistan and Bangladesh with India can also be possible.”

He said “not long ago but this happened in 1991 and people broke that (Berlin) wall.”

After the defeat of World War II, Germany was divided during the Cold War period between the Western Allies led by the United States and the Soviet Union in the East, with the two regions not being reunited until 1990.

Khattar said “the 1947 partition was done on religious lines and, people from minority communities were given the minority tag so that they would not develop a feeling of fear and insecurity.”

DHAKA, 27 July 2022, (TON): President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages today greeted the recipients of 'Agricultural Important Person ' status for the first time in the country.

Agriculture Minister Dr Abdur Razzaque will confer the AIP status on 13 persons at a function at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city tomorrow

The President said "I welcome the initiative of the Ministry of Agriculture for honoring the AIPs -2020."

Highlighting the importance of the agriculture sector of the country, the head of the state said the success of this country in the socio-economic field is based on the sustainable agricultural production system.

DHAKA, 27 July 2022, (TON): Bangladesh has sent a formal request for a $4.5 billion loan to the Washington-based multilateral lender International Monetary Fund to combat the ongoing financial crisis.

Another reason for the loan request is foreign exchange reserves declining against excessive exports.

The loan request was made in a letter to IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

According to sources, the government sought the amount as a balance of payment and budget support as well as to mitigate the effects of climate change on Bangladesh.

Finance ministry officials said “of the $4.5 billion sought, $1.5 billion would most likely be interest-free and the remaining amount would come at an interest less than 2%.”

DHAKA, 27 July 2022, (TON): A press release signed by Md Kamrul Islam, general manager of organization said “US-Bangla Airlines, one of the largest private airlines in the country, will operate two flights on daily basis from Dhaka to Kolkata from August 4 due to the increase in passengers.”

US-Bangla is currently operating one daily flight from Dhaka to Kolkata which takes off at 10am and again comes back at 12:55pm.

The newly second flight will depart Dhaka for Kolkata at 6:30pm every day from August 4 and depart from Kolkata to Dhaka.

The airlines will operate the flights with Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route. The US-Bangla has a total of 16 aircraft including 6 Boeing 737-800 to its fleet.

By Usman Khan

On Wednesday 20^th July acting President won the Sri Lankan Presidential election with a impressive majority against his opponents. In the election held in the Sri Lankan parliament, with its 225 members as the voters, the acting president got 134 of the 219 valid votes a recent SLPP rebel got 82 and the other got three. Voting was held by secret ballot permitted members to vote liberally.

On June 14, the post of President had been vacant since the former President resigned having falling from grace. On July 9, pressurize by a violent agitation former president fled the country to Singapore via Maldives and resigned from Singapore by email on July 14.

As per the constitution, the incumbent Prime Minister started office as Interim President and then as acting President after the former president quitted. Again, as per the law the parliament Speaker asked parliament to elect a President from between its members. The new president will be Sri Lankan President till November 2024 when former president term would have ended in the normal course.

The PM was supported by the single largest party in parliament, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), an outfit of the Rajapaksa clan. The combined opposition led by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) withdrew from the contest at the last moment and pledged support to, a recent SLPP rebel who was expected to divide the SLPP.

However, the opposition candidate failed to split the SLPP, even he was supported by the “chairman” of the party G.L.Peiris. The SLPP had 145 members out of a total House membership of 225. Out of this, a an ample number would have voted for the party candidate the new president as without those votes would not have got 134. This annihilates the pre-poll propaganda that SLPP MPs would desert the party because they feared the wrath of public agitators who had burnt many SLPP MPs’ houses and Prime Minister House.

The agitators who drove former president out had threatened to re-launch the agitation a candidate of the former president party won the election. However, no anxiety took place when the PM won. On July 19, trade unions had called for a general strike to prevent nominations being filed. But the call was ignored and all public services functioned.

The president called the extremists in the Aragalaya fascists who were demanding the resignation of all 225 MPs and a general election to elect a government which would follow their dictates.

The lack of response to the call for agitation was partly due to the fact that the Chief of Defense Staff had warned that disruptors and violent elements would have to bear the responsibility for their misdeeds. The peaceful supporters of the Aragalaya, who were the majority, stayed away, thus isolating the violent elements led by the ultra-leftist Frontline Socialist Party (FSP).

If there was violence on May 9 and July 9, it was mainly happened because the State machinery had collapsed. The then Head of State and Government of former president had lost his senses and failed to activate the law and order machinery. In the absence of orders, the men in uniform were mere spectators, for the most of the time.

The opposition candidates on the other hand, had promised the “Aragalaya” activists that they would go by their agenda, even though the more vocal section had put forth radical left and anti-IMF demands which cannot be implemented by any government.

On Tuesday, it was described that many members of the opposition had begun to feel that due to chaotic economic situation in Sri Lanka, the country needed a stable government under a firm leader who should be in a position to peacefully negotiate with the IMF and the international community for emergency forex injection and debt restructuring.

The domestic supply situation had also improved in the past few days with ships with fuel and cooking gas was to starting to arrive began to the streamlining the distribution system. As acting President, the PM had imposed a State of Emergency to keep materials flowing. That worked, giving confidence to a number of MPs who wanted a government which would work with single-minded decentralization.

After being elected, the incumbent president requested to the opposition to join to steer the country out of the economy disaster. Therefore, all the political stakeholder should work together to pull Sri Lanka out of the crisis. As President and Commander in Chief of the armed forces, he also inspected troops on Wednesday. He swore-in on Thursday in parliament, an institution to which he has been passionately devoted for decades.

WASHINGTON, 26 July 2022, (TON): The US has pledged $50 million to strengthen Egypt’s food security and help the country offset the consequences of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

US President Joe Biden made the pledge during a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Subject to approval by the US Congress, the $50 million in funding will, among other things, support Egypt’s smallholder farmers, according to the US Embassy in Cairo.

Nicole Shampaine, US chargé d’affaires in Cairo, said “building on more than 40 years of partnership and over $1.4 billion in US assistance to Egypt’s agricultural sector, the US government stands in solidarity with the people of Egypt at this crucial moment.”