ISTANBUL, 10 August 2022, (TON): Turkey’s president inaugurated the country’s newest and largest undersea hydrocarbon drill ship that he said “would head for a spot northwest of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean, which is not claimed by any other country.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “our exploration and drilling in the Mediterranean is within our own sovereign dominion.”

Turkey is embroiled in acrimonious disputes with Greece and Cyprus over maritime boundaries and offshore energy rights, which triggered high tensions in the eastern Mediterranean two years ago.

Erdogan said Tuesday the new Abdulhamid Han ship would begin drilling at the Yorukler-1 well about 55 kilometers off the coast of Gazipasa, in Antalya province.

RIYADH, 10 August 2022, (TON): Saudi and US marine corps arrived in Yanbu ahead of the planned bilateral Native Fury 22 drill maneuvers, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The exercises are set to take place this week in Yanbu and Al-Kharj and will last for several days, according to SPA.

SPA said “the drills are aimed at enhancing the partnership between Saudi forces and their US counterparts when carrying out bilateral plans.”

KABUL, 10 August 2022, (TON): The report cited “overlapping debt and food crises can have devastating impacts, with international assistance the only solution.” 

Ministry of Economy in reaction to the report said “the economic crisis in Afghanistan is due to the sanctions imposed by the US.”

Latif Nazari, deputy Minister of Economy said “our solutions are based on several components, which is strengthening Afghanistan’s infrastructure, second, modernization of Afghan agriculture, and third, extension of trade and transit. Through these...components, we can reach self-sufficiency.” 

The World Bank’s report said Afghanistan’s rainfed and irrigated wheat production is likely to be below average, with northern and northeastern rainfed areas expected to experience the greatest deficits. 

Musbahuddin Mustaeen, a spokesman for the Minister of Agriculture said “the farmers have suffered, and it impacted their crops. However, the drought not only affected Afghanistan but the whole world.”

DHAKA, 10 August 2022, (TON): Bangladesh has resumed the process of sending migrant workers to Malaysia after a four-year suspension.

A total of 53 workers under the supervision of the recruiting agency Catharsis International left Dhaka for Kuala Lumpur on an AirAsia flight.

The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training expects to send 600,000-800,000 migrant workers to Malaysia in the next six months.

An official of Catharsis International told “we wrote to the ministries concerned in July for permission to send around 110 workers to the Jimat Jaya Company in Malaysia. We received permission on August 3.”

The migrant workers will work in factories of the company under a three-year contract with a salary of Tk32,000 per month.

DHAKA, 10 August 2022, (TON): Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stressed that the principle of non-interference in internal affairs is the golden rule for state-to-state relations and the magic tool for developing countries to safeguard their sovereignty and security.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry in a media release said "we appreciate those countries for their understanding and support for China's position.”

Media release circulated by the Chinese Embassy said “as unilateral bullying acts happen from time to time in today's world, the international community should reach an even clearer consensus and speak even louder, so as to jointly uphold the basic norms governing international relations and international law, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of all developing countries.”

DHAKA, 10 August 2022, (TON): Chinese Embassy in Dhaka said “the duty-free treatment of 98% tariff-line goods will help Bangladesh increase its exports to China.”

State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his recent visit to Bangladesh announced that the duty-free treatment of 98% tariff-line goods originating from Bangladesh exported to China will come into effect on September 1.

The embassy said “this will further help to boost Bangladesh’s exports to China.”

The Chinese side said “several kinds of basic leather products added into the 98% zero-tariff lines are good news to Bangladeshi exporters in the leather industry, which is an industry with huge potential in Bangladesh.”

Businessmen in the leather industry have already been focusing on the opportunity provided by the 98% duty-free treatment, according to the Chinese embassy.

WASHINGTON, 09 August 2022, (TON): The World Bank announced “it was mobilizing another $4.5 billion in US-provided financial support for war-torn Ukraine.”

The bank said in a statement “the funds will help Kyiv pay for services and pensions, key to easing economic impacts of the Russian invasion.”

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement “this economic assistance is critical in supporting the Ukrainian people as they defend their democracy against Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression.”

The latest tranche of aid, most of which will be disbursed this month, is part of $8.5 billion in total US support “which is helping Ukraine’s government keep hospitals, schools, and other critical government services for the people of Ukraine.”

TAIPEI, 09 August 2022, (TON): China’s military announced fresh military drills in the seas and airspace around Taiwan a day after the scheduled end of its largest ever exercises to protest against last week’s visit to Taipei by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

China’s Eastern Theatre Command said “it would conduct joint drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that Beijing would continue to maintain pressure on Taiwan’s defenses.”

Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week infuriated China, which regards the self-ruled island as its own and responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, as well as ditching some lines of dialogue with Washington.

The duration and precise location of the latest drills is not yet known, but Taiwan has already eased flight restrictions near the six earlier Chinese exercise areas surrounding the island.

WASHINGTON, 09 August 2022, (TON): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in South Africa “the United States sees Africa’s 54 nations as equal partners in tackling global problems.”

Blinken said “our strategy is rooted in the recognition that sub-Saharan Africa is a major geopolitical force one that has shaped our past, is shaping our present, and will shape our future.”

He said “it’s a strategy that reflects the region’s complexity, its diversity, its agency; and one that focuses on what we will do with African nations and peoples, not for African nations and peoples.”

Blinken said “the United States and African nations can’t achieve any of our shared priorities whether that’s recovering from the pandemic; creating broad-based economic opportunities; addressing the climate crisis.”

JEDDAH, 09 August 2022, (TON): The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation has condemned the attack on the Azerbaijani Embassy in the UK and Northern Ireland by radical religious groups.

The General Secretariat called for a thorough investigation of the unacceptable attack.

Protesters broke into the embassy, leading to eight arrests after the country’s flag was taken down and Arabic slogans were daubed on the building’s walls.

A spokesperson for London’s Metropolitan Police told Metro newspaper that it had received “reports of protesters who had entered the premises.”