CAIRO, 15 August 2022, (TON): At least 41 people were killed and 45 injured in a fire sparked by an electrical fault during Mass at a Coptic Christian church in the Egyptian city of Giza.

Two security sources said “the blaze erupted just before 9am when 5,000 people had gathered for Mass at the Abu Sifin church in the Imbaba neighbourhood.”

The fire blocked an entrance to the church, causing a stampede, they said, adding that most of those killed were children.

Yasir Munir, a worshipper at the church said “people were gathering on the third and fourth floor, and we saw smoke coming from the second floor. People rushed to go down the stairs and started falling on top of each other.”

DHAKA, 15 August 2022, (TON): The minister-level meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission will be held in New Delhi on August 25, raising hopes of progress in water-sharing treaties of the Teesta and six other rivers.

The decision-making meeting, last held 12 years ago, is taking place just ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to New Delhi on September 5-6 at the invitation of her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

This meeting will be held two days after the secretary-level talks on August 23, said sources at the water resources ministry.

A top official of the ministry said "There is nothing new in the Teesta water-sharing issue as we have already finalised the deal in 2011 and are awaiting its signing.”

DHAKA, 15 August 2022, (TON): The High Court termed the Swiss ambassador’s recent statement embarrassing, and asked the Anti-Corruption Commission and the government to file separate affidavits with the court that Switzerland was repeatedly requested to provide information about businesses.

A bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Khizir Hayat issued the directive to file affidavits by August 21 after the government and the commission informed the court on Sunday that Bangladesh sought money launders’ information from the government of Switzerland.

Nathalie Chuard, Switzerland’s ambassador to Bangladesh, on August 10 said “Bangladesh did not request Switzerland for information about the bank accounts of Bangladeshi individuals with the Swiss banks.”

KABUL, 15 August 2022, (TON): Speaking at a press conference, Wang Wenbin, deputy Director of the Foreign Ministry Information Department of China, said “the US government’s decision to seize Afghanistan’s $7 billion of foreign exchange reserves contributed mightily to Afghanistan’s economic collapse." 

The US government’s decision to divide these funds in two is arbitrary and unjustified and undermines the recovery of the Afghan economy, Wenbin said at the press conference. 

Wenbin told reporters “nearly 20 years of 'forced transformation' imposed by the US on Afghanistan have not only failed to lift the Afghan people out of poverty and turbulence, but also worsened the crisis of human survival and national development.” 

DHAKA, 15 August 2022, (TON): Acknowledging Bangladesh’s great difficulty in dealing with the Rohingya crisis, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet assured the UN’s continued efforts to realize safe and voluntary return of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.

She made the assurance when Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen said that protracted stay of the displaced Rohingyas in Bangladesh bears the risk of the spread of radicalism, transnational crimes and thus may hamper regional stability.

High Commissioner Bachelet, appreciating Bangladesh’s humanitarian gesture towards the Rohingyas, underscored the need for their education through fully operationalizing the learning centres in the camps.

DHAKA, 15 August 2022, (TON): Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said “Bangladesh economy is no longer dependent on foreign aid as she held a meeting with UNDP Assistant Secretary General Kanni Wignaraja at the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations.”

She mentioned "the economy of Bangladesh is no longer dependent on foreign aid Presently country needs more technical cooperation to ensure multi-dimensional development, including increasing sector-wise capacity building skills.”

Bangladesh, Dr Chaudhury said, in the meantime proved its economic and technical capability by implementing different mega projects, like Padma Bridge, with its own funding.

DHAKA, 15 August 2022, (TON): FM Momen briefed United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet about Bangladesh government’s efforts to protect and promote human rights in the country.

Momen said “Bangladesh also raised the issue of Rohygyia crisis and laid emphasis on repatriation of the Rohingya to their homeland in Myanmar’s Rakhine State.”

Talking to reporters after his meeting with Bachelet at State guesthouse Padma, Momen said “the UN rights chief shared their efforts to end the Rohingya crisis.”

The foreign minister said that Bachelet did not raise the issues of alleged enforced disappearances, and the Bangladesh side briefed the UN side on the issue.

WASHINGTON, 14 August 2022, (TON): US lawmakers adopted President Joe Biden’s sprawling climate, tax and health care plan a major win for the veteran Democrat that includes the biggest ever American investment in the battle against global warming.

Passage in the House of Representatives along strict party lines came after approval of the bill in the Senate by a razor-thin margin, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote.

Biden quickly hailed the adoption of his plan, which includes a $370 billion investment aimed at bringing about a 40 percent drop in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

The president tweeted “today, the American people won. Special interests lost.”

ANKARA, 14 August 2022, (TON): Two more ships left from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, Turkey’s defense ministry said “bringing the total number of ships to depart the country under a UN-brokered deal to 16.”

It said “Barbados-flagged Fulmar S left Ukraine’s Chornomorsk port, carrying 12,000 tons of corn to Turkey’s southern Iskenderun province.”

The Marshall Island-flagged Thoe departed from the same port and headed to Turkey’s Tekirdag, carrying 3,000 tons of sunflower seeds.

The statement added that another ship would depart from Turkey on Saturday to Ukraine to buy grains.

RIYADH, 14 August 2022, (TON): Kingdom’s Ministry of Defense said “the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and US Marine Corps launched a joint training exercise along the Red Sea coast in the western city of Yanbu.”

The “Outrageous Anger 22” exercise was inaugurated in the presence of Maj. Gen. Ahmed Al-Dibais, commander of the western sector, and Maj. Gen. Paul Rock, commander of the Marine Corps at the US Central Command, as well as senior officers from the Saudi armed forces and US Army.

An inspection tour included sites where the two forces will conduct the joint operations.

Col. Saud Al-Aqili, commander of the exercise, said that it aims to rehearse implementation of bilateral operational and logistical plans, exchange expertise between the two sides, and develop complementary work with civil authorities.