BEIJNG, 01 August 2022, (TON): The speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, confirmed Sunday she will visit four Asian countries this week but made no mention of a possible stop in Taiwan that has fueled tension with Beijing, which claims the island democracy as its own territory.

Pelosi said in a statement “she is leading a congressional delegation to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan to discuss trade, the pandemic, climate change, security and “democratic governance.”

Pelosi has yet to confirm news reports that she might visit Taiwan. Chinese President Xi Jinping warned against meddling in Beijing’s dealings with the island in a phone call Thursday with his American counterpart, Joe Biden.

Beijing sees official American contact with Taiwan as encouragement to make its decades-old de facto independence permanent, a step US leaders say they don’t support.

KANO, 01 August 2022, (TON): A local government spokesman said “gunmen killed eight Nigerian security personnel, including three policemen and five vigilantes, in an ambush in a central state.”

Onogwu Muhammed, Kogi state governor’s spokesman, said “in the attack, gunmen suspected to be bandits ambushed and killed eight security officers in Ajaokuta local government area.”

No group claimed responsibility for the attack but Kogi has seen an uptick in attacks recently, including some claimed by Daesh terrorists operating outside their usual base in the northeast.

Security will be a major issue in next February’s election to replace President Muhammadu Buhari, who is under increasing pressure over the country’s worsening violence.

The statement said “Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello suspended a traditional chief of the area and questioned the political administrator of the district over Saturday’s killings.

LONDON, 01 August 2022, (TON): The bruising race between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss to become Britain’s next prime minister steps up a gear on Monday with the mailing out of ballots to Conservative party members.

With voting set to begin to find Boris Johnson’s replacement, bookmakers have Foreign Secretary Truss as heavy favorite ahead of former finance minister Sunak.

The pair have already spent a fractious two weeks on the campaign trail, where they have clashed repeatedly, particularly over their economic plans.

Truss has promised to slash taxes in an attempt to revive Britain’s spluttering economy and ease the burden of spiralling prices.

Sunak, who steered the UK economy through the pandemic, said Truss’s plans were “fantasy economics” that would fuel inflation and heap further strain on public finances struggling to recover from the pandemic.

RIYADH, 01 August 2022, (TON): The government’s statistics agency said “Saudi Arabia’s year-on-year economic growth hit nearly 12 per cent for the second quarter, led by a surging oil sector.”

The Middle East’s largest economy has benefited from a spike in oil prices triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and has largely resisted appeals from Western countries to raise output in order to bring prices down.

Growth in the second quarter was 11.8pc compared to the same period last year, according to initial flash estimates published by the General Authority for Statistics.

The agency said “this dynamic growth was mainly due to the increase in oil activities by 23.1pc.”

MOSCOW, 01 August 2022, (TON): President Vladimir Putin on Sunday signed a new naval doctrine which cast the United States as Russia’s main rival and set out Russia’s global maritime ambitions for crucial areas such as the Arctic and the Black Sea.

Speaking on Russia’s Navy Day in the former imperial capital of St Petersburg founded by Tsar Peter the Great, Putin praised Peter for making Russia a great sea power and increasing the global standing of the Russian state.

After inspecting the navy, Putin made a short speech in which he touted Russia’s unique Zircon hypersonic cruise missiles.

He cautioned that Russia had the military clout to defeat any potential aggressors.

Shortly before the speech, he signed a new 55-page naval doctrine, which sets out the broad strategic aims of Russia’s navy, including its ambitions as a “great maritime power” which extends over the entire world.

DHAKA, 01 August 2022, (TON): Eleven additional judges were appointed to the High Court Division of Supreme Court, raising the number of HC judges to 95.

President Abdul Hamid made the appointments for two years in line with Article 98 of the constitution, Law Minister Anisul Huq told media.

He hoped that justice and rapid case disposal will be ensured following the appointment of new HC judges.

A gazette notification issued by the law ministry said “their appointments will come into effect from the date of their taking oath.”

DHAKA, 01 August 2022, (TON): Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said “power and fuel shortage has hit even the developed countries, not only Bangladesh.”

The minister made the remark while replying to a journalist's question on BNP blaming load shedding and price hike in the country on the government's corruption.

He said a country like Germany where power cuts didn't occur even for once after the Second World War has asked the people to ration electricity and use cold water instead.

He further said the US government has sent sms to the public for maintaining austerity in power usage.

KABUL, 01 August 2022, (TON): Border guards from Iran and Taliban forces in Afghanistan clashed Sunday, with the Taliban confirming one death and another border official wounded.

Both Teheran and the Taliban blamed each other for opening fire first.

Meisam Barazandeh, the governor of Iran's eastern county of Hirmand, was quoted by the Fars news agency as saying that the conflict was brief and has ended.

The Iranian state-run Fars news agency reported the clashes occurred on the Iranian side of the border, in the Shaghalak area of Hirmand country, in the southeastern part of Sistan-Baluchestan province.

Barazandeh said "our forces gave the necessary response," and noted “there were no casualties on the Iranian side.”

DHAKA, 01 August 2022, (TON): A press release said “the Department of Global Studies and Governance of Independent University, Bangladesh has launched a book titled ‘Rohingya Camp Narratives: Tales From the ‘Lesser Roads’ Traveled’ recently.”

The release said “the book, the 4th international volume that the department of GSG published in the last five years, was launched on August 28.”

Edited by Dr Imtiaz A Hussain, professor at the department of GSG and Director of IUB’s Centre for Pedagogy, and published by renowned international publishing house Palgrave Macmillan, the book contains 13 chapters.

The launching programme was attended virtually by foreign minister AK Abdul Momen as the chief guest.

DHAKA, 01 August 2022, (TON): Bangladesh government has appointed three new high commissioners to Australia, Switzerland, and Denmark.

M Allama Siddiki, currently serving as Bangladesh's ambassador to Denmark, has been appointed as the next high commissioner of Bangladesh to Australia.

High commissioner-designate Siddiki is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 10th batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service foreign affairs cadre.

In his diplomatic career, Siddiki has served extensively in various capacities both at the headquarters and in Bangladesh missions abroad, such as Tokyo, Kolkata, Islamabad, and London.

Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, currently serving as the Bangladesh high commissioner to Australia, has been appointed as the next permanent representative of Bangladesh to the UN Offices in Geneva and ambassador of Bangladesh to Switzerland.

Sufiur Rahman is a career foreign service officer belonging to the 9th batch of the Bangladesh Civil Service foreign affairs cadre.