LONDON, 05 December 2022, (TON): The Observer reported “Political turmoil in London has delayed an ambitious joint UK-Morocco plan to provide Britain with energy via a cable through the Sahara desert by “at least a year.”

The £18 billion Xlinks venture, expected to be operational in 2027, would supply the UK with 8 percent of its energy needs from huge wind and solar farms in the desert through a 3,800 km cable, powering as many as 7 million homes by 2030.

Morocco is an established market leader in the wind, solar and hydroelectric power industry, and is second only to Egypt for solar intensity, a measure of generation power.

MADRID, 05 December 2022, (TON): Saudi Press Agency reported “Saudi Arabia has joined the International Olive Council.”

A ceremony was held to mark the occasion at the council’s headquarters in Madrid, Spain.

Among those who attended were the Saudi ambassador to Spain, Azzam bin Abdulkarim Al-Qain, and the executive director of the IOC, Abdellatif Ghedira.

During the ceremony, Al-Qain raised the Saudi flag and planted an olive tree in the Peace Garden of the council.

SANAA, 05 December 2022, (TON): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmed bin Mubarak, met on Sunday with the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tijani, and discussed the political, security and humanitarian situation in Yemen.

Tijani affirmed Italy's support for efforts being made to resume negotiations to reach a peaceful resolution and end the conflict, stressing the importance of renewing and extending the armistice.

State news agency reported “Mubarak thanked the Italian government for its firm and continuous political support of the Yemen’s internationally recognised government in its endeavor to establish peace, restore state institutions and end the Houthi coup.”

DHAKA, 05 December 2022, (TON): Planning Minister MA Mannan today said there is no dollar crisis in the country, only a shortage.

he said “the economy will return to normalcy by March-April next year.”

He made the comments while talking to reporters after the opening ceremony of the two-day wrestling competition at Sunamganj district stadium this morning, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

The minister said "Remittance has increased last month, and exports are also increasing. Slowly it will return to the previous state. I expect everything will become completely normal by March-April next year."

RIYADH, 05 December 2022, (TON): Saudi Press Agency reported “Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Assimi, director general of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, and Dr. Osama Obeidat, CEO of Jordan’s Queen Rania Teacher Academy, signed an agreement to strengthen partnership through teacher training, exchanging expertise and establishing joint programs for professional development.”

The move is in line with the ABEGS framework on boosting cooperation with specialized organizations and institutions.

MANAMA, 05 December 2022, (TON): The US Navy said on Saturday it had seized one million rounds of ammunition along with rocket fuses and propellant being smuggled on a fishing trawler from Iran to war-torn Yemen.

The cargo was discovered “during a flag verification boarding”, the Bahrain-based United States Fifth Fleet said in a statement, noting it was the “second major illegal weapons seizure within a month” along the maritime route.

Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said “this significant interdiction clearly shows that Iran’s unlawful transfer of lethal aid and destabilising behaviour continues.”

TEL AVIV, 05 December 2022, (TON): Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Bahrain on Sunday on the first trip by an Israeli head of state to the small Gulf kingdom, following the normalisation of relations in 2020.

Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa.

They discussed issues, including regional security and ways to encourage communication between the representatives of the private sector in the two countries.

WASHINGTON, 05 December 2022, (TON): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed to oppose Israeli settlements or annexation in the West Bank but promised to judge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s incoming government by actions and not personalities.

Netanyahu is expected within days to return to power after sealing a coalition deal with extreme-right movements including Religious Zionism, which is set for a post in charge of settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Speaking to J Street, a left-leaning pro-Israel US advocacy group, Blinken offered congratulations to the veteran Israeli leader, who has clashed with previous Democratic administrations in Washington.

Blinken said “we will gauge the government by the policies it pursues rather than individual personalities.”

NEW DELHI, 05 December 2022, (TON):  Visiting Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock will discuss India's relations with China, which have been strained since the Galwan valley incident and the Russia-Ukraine war, amid the global consequences of the Moscow-Kyiv conflict.

According to the press statement released by German Embassy to India, during the two-day visit, Baerbock will talk with her Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar to discuss India's relationship with China in addition to the Russian war against Ukraine and its consequences, for example in the energy sector.

Germany's Foreign Minister visit is planned against the background of the global consequences of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine.

DHAKA, 05 December 2022, (TON): State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam said “Bangladesh does not expect the US to impose more sanctions considering the growing engagements between the two countries.”

He told "we continuously remain engaged. We have enhanced our engagements and shared relevant information. We don't expect that the US administration will impose new sanctions.”

In December 2021, the US imposed human rights-related sanctions on Rapid Action Battalion and seven former and current officials of the agency, including recently retired Inspector General of Police Benzir Ahmed, also a former director general of the paramilitary force.