DHAKA, 05 February 2022, (TON): Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde has appreciated Bangladesh’s remarkable development journey over the last five decades and expressed her country’s willingness to strengthen the bilateral relations.

She said in a message “we look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations and tackling global challenges together.”

As the two countries and their relationship have evolved, the Swedish minister said they are glad to see a partnership that is “stable, dynamic and growing”.

On February 4, 1972, Sweden and other Nordic countries recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent state.

The two countries are celebrating the 50 years of their friendship between the countries and their people.

BRUSSELS, 04 February 2022, (TON): Several European parliamentarians have reportedly stressed the importance to blacklist the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization due to their violations against civilians and for storing weapons in non-military facilities.

Yemen’s state news agency, reported that talks took place during a virtual seminar organized by the center-right bloc in the European Parliament (EPP Group).

During the meeting, European MPs said the Houthis used civilians as human shields, stocked weapons in residential complexes, schools and hospitals and had turned Sanaa airport into a military base.

As such they said “they would continue to push for the classification of the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization.”

RIYADH, 04 February 2022, (TON): Bandar bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, the Qatari ambassador to Saudi Arabia, presented his credentials as his country’s permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to Hissein Brahim Taha, the OIC’s secretary-general, in Jeddah.

During their meeting, they also reviewed relations and cooperation between the OIC and Qatar, along with other issues of common interest.

The OIC’s General Secretariat recently held a new round of political consultations with the People’s Republic of China.

LONDON, 04 February 2022, (TON): French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a clampdown on immigration in an attempt to lure France’s working-class voters ahead of this year’s presidential election.

Macron is facing challenges from two far-right figures, Marine le Pen and Eric Zemmour, both of whom have expressed anti-migrant and at times anti-Muslim sentiments.

On a visit to the northern French rustbelt, where National Rally’s Le Pen enjoys significant support, Macron outlined EU-level plans for the bloc to reinforce its external borders that would curb the number of migrants reaching France.

He also promised additional funding for home and infrastructure renovations to prop-up disaffected and run-down mining communities.

Macron, despite not having officially announced he is running for a second term as president, is the current favorite to win the first round of France’s multi-stage election.

He is followed by Le Pen, center-right candidate Valerie Pecresse, and TV pundit Zemmour. Le Pen and Zemmour argue that French identity risks being lost amid a flow of mainly Muslim migrants from the country’s former colonies.

The president’s Wednesday visit to Le Pen’s stronghold region indicates an effort to rebrand his image among working-class voters after long being seen as a wealthy Parisian uninterested in the concerns of ordinary people.

OUAGADOUGOU, 04 February 2022, (TON): The military announced “Burkina Faso’s junta lifted Wednesday a nationwide curfew they imposed after seizing power in a coup last month.”

The restrictions were imposed on January 24 after mutinous soldiers arrested President Roch Marc Christian Kabore following a revolt at several army barracks in the capital over the handling of jihadist attacks in the Sahel nation.

Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo said in a press release “the President of the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration, President of Faso, Head of State, updates, the total lifting of the curfew measure as of this day, February 2.”

The junta said in a televised statement “the nation’s nightlife will not completely resume as “popular celebrations and festive events are prohibited after midnight from Monday to Thursday and after 2 am from Friday to Sunday.”

The coup leaders said the measure was taken “in view of the security context and in solidarity with the victims of insecurity.”

RIYADH, 04 February 2022, (TON): Emirati state news agency reported “UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.”

During the phone call, Sheikh Abdullah condemned attacks by the Houthi militia on his country, stressing the need to stop the dangerous escalation in the region and to adhere to a political solution in Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia have began targeting the UAE in recent weeks with ballistic missiles, sparking widespread condemnation from the international community.

In the latest incident, the UAE’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed three drones on Wednesday before they had reached residential areas.

During the call, the two sides also held consultations and exchanged views on a number of issues of common concern.

BRUSSELS, 04 February 2022, (TON): NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern that Russia is continuing its military buildup around Ukraine, and that it has now deployed more troops and military equipment to Belarus than at any time in 30 years.

Meanwhile, more high-level diplomacy unfolded in Moscow and Kyiv amid deep uncertainty about Russia’s intentions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks in the Ukrainian capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was to meet with his Argentine counterpart, Alberto Fernandez, in Moscow.

Russia now has more than 100,000 troops stationed near Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014, and destabilize the Ukrainian economy. Russian officials deny that an invasion is planned.

Stoltenberg told reporters “over the last days, we have seen a significant movement of Russian military forces into Belarus. This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War.”

JERUSALEM, 04 February 2022, (TON): According to a review by Anadolu Agency “the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem has approved the construction of 3,365 settlement units east of the city since the beginning of 2022.

The approvals were conducted by the Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee but implementation requires approval from the Israeli Planning Administration of the Israeli Ministry of Interior.

The ratifications came within the framework of four settlement plans which included the establishment of hundreds of small rooms as well as the expansion of the Hadassah Medical Center which is built on the Palestinian town of Isawiya.

The Jerusalem municipality said in a statement on Jan. 10 that "the local Planning and building committee approved the deposit of three new building plans in Mount Scopus."

Plans "include the construction of 1,500 housing units, 200 protected rooms, and 500 student bedrooms on a land area of ​​150 acres."

BEIJING, 04 February 2022, (TON): According to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry “China and Russia coordinated their positions on Ukraine during a meeting between both countries' foreign ministers in Beijing.”

Ukraine says Russia has positioned 115,000 troops near its borders, stoking fears of a looming attack.

Moscow denies any such plan but international concern that Russia might be gearing up for war is running high. Russia has asked NATO to bar Ukraine from joining and to pull out of eastern Europe.

The United States and its allies have warned that an invasion would trigger tough sanctions and have rejected Russian's demands about NATO.

The statement said “China expressed understanding and support for Russia's position on security regarding Russia's relationship with the United States and NATO, after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.”

The statement said “both sides coordinated their positions on regional issues of common concern, such as Ukraine, Afghanistan and the situation on the Korean Peninsula.”

RIYADH, 04 February 2022, (TON): Bahrain’s king received Israel’s defense minister at the Al-Sakhir Palace during the official’s visit to the Gulf country.

Bahrain News Agency reported “King Hamad and Benny Gantz reviewed bilateral relations and ways to enhance joint cooperation across various fields within the framework of the Abraham Accords.”

The king expressed hope that the Israeli minister’s visit to Bahrain would contribute to broadening the scope of cooperation and joint action between the two countries to serve their common interests.

The King stressed the importance of building on the Declaration Supporting Peace signed between the two countries in 2020 to support efforts to reach peace and achieve stability, security, and prosperity in the Middle East.

He also praised cooperation agreements signed between the two countries on the sidelines of Gantz’s visit.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between Bahrain Defense Force and Israel’s Ministry of Defense in the field of military cooperation morning.

BNA reported “the MoU contributes to supporting and strengthening the joint bilateral military relations between the two countries.”