SHANGHAI, 25 July 2022, (TON): The company said “China’s homegrown C919 narrow-body jet, designed to challenge the Airbus-Boeing duopoly, is nearing certification as its test planes completed all of the test flight tasks.”

The state-owned manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp of China said “on its official social media account that the six test planes have finished the testing tasks as the programme enters the final stage of receiving a certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China which is required for commercial operations.”

That would mark a milestone in China’s ambitions to climb up the manufacturing supply chain.

China’s COMAC is now effectively the third option in the market for planes with more than 100 seats, after Boeing and Airbus struck deals to take over production of rival planes made by Embraer and Bombardier.

LOS ANGELES, 25 July 2022, (TON): A California wildfire ripped through thousands of acres after being sparked a day earlier, as millions of Americans sweltered through scorching heat with already record-setting temperatures due to climb.

The heat wave encompassing multiple regions has increased the risk of blazes, such as the major Oak Fire, which broke out Friday in California near Yosemite National Park, where giant sequoias have already been threatened by flames in recent days.

The fire described as explosive by officials grew from about 600 acres to around 11,900 acres within 24 hours. Concentrated in Mariposa County, it has already destroyed ten properties and damaged five others, with thousands more threatened.

More than 6,000 people had been evacuated, said Hector Vasquez, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection official, as the fire remained uncontained as of Saturday evening.

LONDON, 25 July 2022, (TON): Rishi Sunak on Sunday promised to get tough on China if he becomes Britain’s next prime minister, calling the Asian superpower the number one threat to domestic and global security.

The former finance minister’s pledge comes after his rival in the final two of the race to lead the ruling Conservative party, Liz Truss, accused him of being weak on China and Russia.

China’s state-run news agency has previously said “Sunak was the only candidate in the contest with a clear and pragmatic view on developing UK-China ties.”

The Daily Mail, which has come out for Foreign Secretary Truss in the race to succeed Boris Johnson, called “the endorsement that nobody wanted.”

JAKARTA, 25 July 2022, (TON): The top U.S. military officer said during a trip to the Indo-Pacific “the Chinese military has become significantly more aggressive and dangerous over the past five years.”

U.S. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the number of intercepts by Chinese aircraft and ships in the Pacific region with U.S. and other partner forces has increased significantly over that time, and the number of unsafe interactions has risen by similar proportions.

Milley said “the message is the Chinese military, in the air and at sea, have become significantly more and noticeably more aggressive in this particular region.”

His comments came as the U.S. redoubles efforts to strengthen its relationships with Pacific nations as a counterbalance to China, which is trying to expand its presence and influence in the region.

CAIRO, 25 July 2022, (TON): President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi received Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Cairo.

The latter’s spokesman said “Lavrov delivered a message from Russian President Vladimir Putin to El-Sisi that expressed the importance Moscow attaches to consolidating its ties with Egypt.”

Lavrov briefed El-Sisi on the latest developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They also discussed cooperation in food supply and the oil and gas sector.

El-Sisi stressed the importance of prioritizing dialogue and diplomacy to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict in the interest of international security and stability, and expressed Cairo’s support for all such efforts.

MOSCOW, 25 July 2022, (TON): Russian forces have destroyed a Ukrainian warship and US-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles in the Ukrainian port of Odesa, Russian news agencies quoted the defense ministry as saying.

“A docked Ukrainian warship and a warehouse with US-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles were destroyed by long-range precision-guided naval missiles in Odesa seaport on the territory of a ship repair plant.”

The Ukrainian military had said Russian missiles hit the southern port, threatening a deal signed just one day earlier to unblock grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease global food shortages caused by the war.

RIYADH, 25 July 2022, (TON): Saudi Press Agency reported “King Salman was given Kazakhstan’s highest award during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to the Kingdom.”

The award, the Order of the Golden Eagle, was given to King Salman as an expression of pride and appreciation in the deep-rooted relations between the two countries.

The award was received on behalf of the king by the Kingdom’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan during a meeting with the president.

Prince Faisal thanked the president on behalf of King Salman.Tokayev is currently in the Kingdom and arrived.

KUWAIT CITY, 25 July 2022, (TON): Kuwait named the emir's son Sheikh Ahmad Nawaf Al-Sabah as prime minister, replacing caretaker premier Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid.

Sheikh Ahmad was deputy prime minister and interior minister in the outgoing government, which had submitted its resignation in April.

In his late 60s, he began his career with the police force and then entered the interior ministry. After his father Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad took power in 2020 he was appointed deputy head of the National Guard.

He was named interior minister, and a deputy prime minister, in March after his predecessor resigned.

RIYADH, 25 July 2022, (TON): The president of Kazakhstan met with the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised the great role played by the OIC in leading efforts to promote joint Islamic action and consolidate the spirit of Islamic solidarity.

He stressed his country’s interest in strengthening cooperation with the organization.

Hissein Brahim Taha expressed appreciation for Kazakhstan’s active membership of the OIC, and the country’s efforts to support the activities of the intergovernmental organization and promote joint action through various initiatives.

Taha also stressed the organization’s keenness to enhance cooperation with Kazakhstan in areas of common interest.

DHAKA, 25 July 2022, (TON): The 20th session of the Council of Ministers of Developing-8 known as D-8 will be held in Dhaka on July 27 with issues, including food and energy, high on agenda.

Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen told ‘food security and energy security have now become global issues. These will be elaborately discussed in the D-8 ministerial conference as there is much scope of cooperation in these areas among the member countries.”

He said that the energy security was now globally discussed and so it would get importance at the conference expected to be inaugurated by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, virtually.

The foreign minister said that tourism was another issue, which would also be discussed.

He added “Egypt, Malaysia and Turkey are mature in tourism industry. We have scope to do more through cooperation.”