BEIJING, 14 July 2022, (TON): A US destroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing, which said its military had driven away the ship after it illegally entering territorial waters.

The United States regularly carries out what it calls Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea challenging what it says are restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China and other claimants.

The US Navy said “the USS Benfold asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the South China Sea near the Paracel Islands, consistent with international law.”

ISTANBUL, 14 July 2022, (TON): The United Nations reported positive results from the first face-to-face talks in months between Russia and Ukraine on a UN plan to ship millions of tons of grain blocked in Ukraine because of the war to world markets and enable Russia to also send out grain and fertilizer.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was to brief reporters on the outcome of the grain meeting in Istanbul. His deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, said “the important point is we believe this is something positive and he will talk to you at some length about why that is.”

The war has trapped about 22 million tons of grain inside Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. UN, Turkish and other officials are scrambling for a solution that would empty the silos in time for upcoming harvest in Ukraine.

Some grain is being transported through Europe by rail, road and river, but the amount is small compared with the Black Sea routes.

DUBAI, 14 July 2022, (TON): President Ebrahim Raisi said “Iran will not retreat from its rightful and logical stance in talks to revive a 2015 nuclear pact.”

Iran refuses to hold direct talks with its arch-foe, the United States, and the last indirect meeting between them, in the Middle East nation of Qatar last month, failed to produce any breakthroughs.

Raisi added “Americans say Iran should return to the nuclear pact, but the Islamic Republic never left the deal and it was Washington that violated the treaty.”

BEIJING, 14 July 2022, (TON): The Solomon Islands prime minister met counterparts from Australia and New Zealand for the first time since striking a security pact with China that sparked concern among US allies over Beijing’s military ambitions in the Pacific islands.

Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare met Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and New Zealand premier Jacinda Ardern in separate bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum in Fiji.

During the four-day meeting, Pacific island leaders will discuss how to gather more international support and funding to fight the impact of rising sea levels and climate change, as well as China’s aim for greater security ties in the region.

The Solomon Islands security pact with China became a major election issue in Australia. Albanese said it was a failing of diplomacy by his predecessor Scott Morrison.

BRUSSELS, 14 July 2022, (TON): EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said “the European Union has frozen Russian assets worth $13.8 billion since the country invaded Ukraine on February 24.”

Reynders told reporters in Prague “for the moment, we have frozen coming from oligarchs and other entities 13.8 billion euros, so it’s quite huge.”

He said “but I must say that a very large part of it, more than 12 billion is coming from five member states.”

He refused to name the five countries but added that he expected the other members of the 27-member bloc to step up efforts soon.

LONDON, 14 July 2022, (TON): Former finance minister Rishi Sunak led the field of Conservative MPs bidding to become Britain’s next prime minister in the first ballot of Tory lawmakers, as the race narrowed to six with the elimination of two candidates.

Early frontrunner Sunak, who quit as finance minister last week to help trigger outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s downfall, topped the contest with 88 votes, followed by former defense minister Penny Mordaunt, on 67.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss finished third with 50 Conservative lawmakers’ support.

The remaining candidates to meet the minimum 30-vote threshold were former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, on 40, backbencher Tom Tugendhat, on 37, and Attorney General Suella Braverman, who scraped through with 32 votes.

However, former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt, who finished runner-up to Johnson in the last contest in 2019, and newly appointed finance minister Nadhim Zahawi, were both eliminated after struggling to hit the threshold.

BEIJING, 14 July 2022, (TON): According to the US undersecretary of state for arms control and international security “the current priority for Washington and its NATO allies is addressing the emerging global challenges the alliance faces, especially those originating in Russia and China.”

Bonnie Denise Jenkins said “the alliance has for the first time formally discussed the challenges posed by Moscow, especially in light of the conflict in Ukraine, and the growing global strength of Beijing, which is perceived as a threat to Western powers.”

She said “her talks with European allies at NATO headquarters focused mainly on arms control related to the war in Ukraine, and the alliance’s new strategic concept, which was approved during its summit in Madrid last month.”

Jenkins said “the summit showcased our collective strength to meet the challenges of the world and threats we are facing today and in the future.”

RIYADH, 14 July 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia and France share an ancient diplomatic relationship dating back to 1839, with the opening of the first French diplomatic post in the Arabian Peninsula.

The ties thrived over time, eventually encompassing all aspects of bilateral cooperation on trade, cultural, educational and political agreements.

Celebrating Bastille Day, Arab News en Francais met with French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ludovic Pouille to discuss the Global Strategic Partnership between the Kingdom and France as well as the ambassador’s aspirations in the country.

Regarding cultural cooperation between the two states, the ambassador told Arab News “since the intergovernmental agreement signed during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Paris in 2018.”

DHAKA, 14 July 2022, (TON): European Union Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley met BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.

The one-and-a-half-hour meeting was held at the BNP chairperson's Gulshan office.

Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP standing committee member and Shama Obayed, organizing secretary were also present at the meeting.

After the closed-door meeting, Khasru said they discussed in detail all the relevant issues involving bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the EU.

NEW DELHI, 14 July 2022, (TON): Officials said “Parts of south Gujarat and Kutch-Saurashtra regions received very heavy showers in last 24 hours leaving 14 people dead, while over 31,000 were evacuated so far this rainy season.”

Three national highways in Kutch, Navsari and Dang districts were blocked due to damage caused by rains.

Fifty one state highways and over 400 panchayat roads have also been damaged, state Disaster Management Minister Rajendra Trivedi told reporters.

He said "fourteen people lost their lives in the last 24 hours. Nine of the deaths were due to drowning.”