WASHINGTON, 13 February 2022, (TON): The US is withdrawing nearly all of its remaining soldiers from Ukraine, the Pentagon announced on Saturday, as tensions soar over a possible Russian invasion of the eastern European country.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the temporary repositioning of the 160 members of the Florida National Guard” who were in the country, advising and mentoring Ukrainian forces, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.

The troops who Kirby said were being withdrawn “with the safety and security of our personnel foremost in mind” will be repositioned “elsewhere in Europe.”

Since 2015, reservists from the US National Guard have been advising and training Ukraine's army alongside soldiers from other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) countries, notably Canada and Germany.

NEW DELHI, 13 February 2022, (TON): A US official has voiced concerns about the controversial banning of the headscarf at schools and colleges in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, prompting a strongly worded rebuttal from New Delhi.

Rashad Hussain, the US ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, said in a tweet that the hijab ban would stigmatise and marginalise women and girls.

Hussain tweeted “religious freedom includes the ability to choose one’s religious attire.”

“The Indian state of Karnataka should not determine permissibility of religious clothing. Hijab bans in schools violate religious freedom and stigmatize and marginalize women and girls.”

India’s external affairs ministry hit back at what it called “motivated comments” on its internal issues, adding that the case was under judicial examination.

Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said “our constitutional framework and mechanisms, as well as our democratic ethos and polity, are the context in which issues are considered and resolved. Motivated comments on our internal issues are not welcome.”

NEW DELHI, 13 February 2022, (TON): The Indian embassy in the Italian capital Rome said that the Indian government has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations World Food Program based on which the both will distribute food grains inside Afghanistan.

The agreement comes days after India supplied three tonnes of medicines as part of its fourth batch of medical assistance to Afghanistan.

Ministry of External Affairs said “as part of our humanitarian assistance, India supplied the fourth batch of medical assistance consisting of 3 tonnes of essential life-saving medicines to Afghanistan. The same was handed over to the Indira Gandi Hospital in Kabul.”

The Ministry further said that the Indian government is committed to helping the vulnerable people of Afghanistan by providing humanitarian aid. It also added that India will provide further batches of humanitarian assistance consisting of medicines and food grains to the Afghan people.

NEW DELHI, 13 February 2022, (TON): Hundreds of Hindu nationalist protesters marched in the Indian state of Gujarat, prompting the closure of stores owned by several multinational companies caught up in a furore over social media posts supporting occupied Kashmir.

The messages were posted last week by the Pakistani branches of firms including Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and fast food chains Domino's Pizza, Yum Brand Inc's Pizza Hut and KFC, which also operate in India.

They were issued by the companies on February 5 to coincide with Pakistan's Kashmir Solidarity Day, held annually to commemorate the sacrifices of Kashmiris struggling for self-determination, and caused anger among social media users in India.

Dinesh Navadiya, national treasurer of Hindu nationalist organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), told media during a protest in the city of Surat “these companies cannot be doing business in India and at the same time supporting Pakistan's stand on Kashmir.”

Shouting slogans such as “Kashmir is Ours” and wearing saffron scarves, more than 100 members of Bajrang Dal, another Hindu nationalist group, also joined the protest one of several held in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Both the VHP and Bajrang Dal are linked to Modi's ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).

DHAKA, 13 February 2022, (TON): Members of Rapid Action battalion have rescued seven Rohingyas, including six women, while being trafficked to India from Ramu upazila in Cox’s Bazar.

RAB-15 captain Khairul Islam Sarkar said afternoon “at that time, Md Idris, a member of the racket trafficking them, was arrested.”

The officials said “acting on a tip off, special check post of RAB-15 was set up in Cheinda area of Ramu night and rescued the seven Rohingyas from a CNG-run auto-rickshaw.”

Captain Khairul said “Md Idris was trafficking them after alluring them with better life.”

During primary interrogation, Idris mentioned the names of two others, Md Bashar and Syed Hossain who are members of the human trafficking ring.

KABUL, 13 February 2022, (TON): Demonstrators in Afghanistan’s capital condemned US President Joe Biden’s order freeing up $3.5 billion in Afghan assets held in the US for families of America’s 9/11 victims saying the money belongs to Afghans.

Protesters who gathered outside Kabul’s grand Eid Gah mosque asked America for financial compensation for the tens of thousands of Afghans killed during the last 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s central bank, known as Da Afghanistan Bank or DAB, also opposed the move, calling it "an injustice to the people of Afghanistan" and demanding that the decision be withdrawn.

It said in a press release "DAB considers the latest decision of [the] USA on blocking foreign exchange reserves and allocating them to irrelevant purposes [an] injustice to the people of Afghanistan and will never accept if the FX reserves of Afghanistan are paid in the name of compensation or humanitarian assistance to others, and wants the reversal of the decision and release of all FX reserves of Afghanistan.”

The bank said the "real owners" of the said assets were the people of Afghanistan.

It added "these reserves were not and [are] not the property of governments, parties and groups and never used as per their demand and decisions.”

KABUL, 13 February 2022, (TON): Demonstrators in Afghanistan’s capital condemned US President Joe Biden’s order freeing up $3.5 billion in Afghan assets held in the US for families of America’s 9/11 victims saying the money belongs to Afghans.

Protesters who gathered outside Kabul’s grand Eid Gah mosque asked America for financial compensation for the tens of thousands of Afghans killed during the last 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s central bank, known as Da Afghanistan Bank or DAB, also opposed the move, calling it "an injustice to the people of Afghanistan" and demanding that the decision be withdrawn.

It said in a press release "DAB considers the latest decision of [the] USA on blocking foreign exchange reserves and allocating them to irrelevant purposes [an] injustice to the people of Afghanistan and will never accept if the FX reserves of Afghanistan are paid in the name of compensation or humanitarian assistance to others, and wants the reversal of the decision and release of all FX reserves of Afghanistan.”

The bank said the "real owners" of the said assets were the people of Afghanistan.

It added "these reserves were not and [are] not the property of governments, parties and groups and never used as per their demand and decisions.”

DHAKA, 13 February 2022, (TON): The newly-appointed United States Ambassador to Bangladesh Peter D. Haas has said “he looks forward to working together with Dhaka to further advance the relationship between the two countries.”

According to a press release received here this morning “he was speaking at an interaction session with the officers of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington D.C.,.”

 Ambassador designate Haas paid the visit to the Embassy as he is expected to arrive in Dhaka in early March to assume charges of his new appointment.

The new envoy was received by Bangladesh Ambassador to the US M Shahidul Islam and other officials of the Mission.

During the discussion, the two Ambassadors expressed their resolve to work closely to further strengthen the friendly relations between Bangladesh and the US.

DHAKA, 13 February 2022, (TON): A foreign ministry press release said “Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen has called upon the Bangladeshi expatriates to invest in their motherland for building a prosperous Bangladesh.

Terming Bangladesh as a land of opportunity, he also urged the CIPs and businessmen to take advantage of the business-friendly environment prevailing in Bangladesh and asked them to share the country’s achievements to the global community.

According to press release “he foreign minister made remarks while addressing the business community at a  meeting as chief guest in Dubai.

The Foreign Minister underlined the fact that Bangladesh has now become a land of opportunity from the cliché of a so-called bottomless basket.”

 Dr. Momen recalled the tireless contribution of the expatriate workers in Bangladesh's collective achievement while terming them as the country's heroes.

He further highlighted the country’s remarkable transformation from the identity of a food deficit country to a food-surplus country under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina- the able daughter of the Father of the Nation.

LONDON, 12 February 2022, (TON): The UK government signed into law new legislation giving it powers to impose tougher and broader sanctions on Russia if Moscow steps up its aggression against Ukraine.

The new legislation entered force after being signed by a minister and formally laid before Parliament, a procedure that does not require a vote by MPs.

This came as UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss visited Moscow and met her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who said afterwards he was disappointed by the talks.

London said “the new legislation was part of measures to urge the Kremlin to end its campaign of aggression in Ukraine, as fears of an invasion grow.”

The UK government said “Minister for Europe James Cleverly had signed the legislation, providing a framework for the strongest sanctions regime the UK has had against Russia”.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told broadcasters in Warsaw that there must be “an automatic package of sanctions ready to go” if Russia attacks Ukraine.