DHAKA, 27 June 2022, (TON): World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, Mercy Tembon has said the global development lender is happy at the completion of the Padma Bridge noting that it will bring plenty of benefits to Bangladesh and its people.

She said “the World Bank is happy that the bridge has been completed and we congratulate Bangladesh for completing the bridge.”

Asked whether the Washington-based global lender regrets the past, Tembon said “they are looking forward and they are looking into how this bridge is going to benefit the people of Bangladesh.”

She said “the bridge has been completed and that is what is important. We are here to celebrate the completion of the bridge and I think the people of Bangladesh are very proud. Everybody is happy that the bridge is completed.”

DHAKA, 27 June 2022, (TON): Kuwait’s ambassador to Bangladesh Adel Mohammed Hayat paid a farewell call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban.

During the meeting, president Hamid said “Bangladesh attaches great importance to its relations with Kuwait.”

President’s press secretary Joynal Abedin Joynal Abedin briefed the reporters after the meeting.

He noted the excellent relations that exist between the two countries and hoped that these relations would be further strengthened in the future.

DHAKA, 27 June 2022, (TON): Prime minister Sheikh Hasina called upon the new generation to be prepared with the knowledge of science, technology and research to lead the country towards prosperity by utilising their hidden talents.

She said “our worthy children should be prepared with the knowledge of science, technology, and research to lead the country in the future. Hope you all would flourish your hidden talents in every sector and move the country forward to make sure that Bangladesh doesn’t lag behind anymore.”

The prime minister was addressing the award distribution ceremony among nationwide winners of the Bangabandhu Talent Hunt Competition-2022, speaking virtually from her official Ganabhaban residence in Dhaka.

Expressing her heartiest greetings to the winners, she said, ‘Your hidden talents are the future of our country.’

WASHINGTON, 26 June 2022, (TON): President Joe Biden signed the most sweeping gun violence bill in decades, a bipartisan compromise that seemed unimaginable until a recent series of mass shootings, including the massacre of 19 students and two teachers at a Texas elementary school.

He said “time is of the essence.”

Citing the families of shooting victims he has met, the president said “in the Roosevelt Room of the White House.”

“Their message to us was, ‘Do something.’ How many times did we hear that? ‘Just do something. For God’s sake, just do something.’ Today we did.”

The House gave final approval Friday, following Senate passage, and Biden acted just before leaving Washington for two summits in Europe.

LONDON, 26 June 2022, (TON): British Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to lead his Conservative party into the next national election, which could be more than two years away, despite two bruising by-election defeats that have led to renewed calls for him to quit.

Earlier this month, Johnson survived a vote of confidence by Conservative lawmakers, though 41 percent of his parliamentary colleagues voted to oust him, and he is under investigation by a committee over whether he intentionally misled parliament.

Conservative candidates lost two elections to the House of Commons held to replace former Conservative incumbents who had to step down, one after being convicted of sexual assault and the other for watching pornography in parliament.

RAMALLAH, 26 June 2022, (TON): Palestinian sources said “a Palestinian teenager died from his wounds hours after being shot by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank.”

A Silwad councillor told media “Mohammad Hamad, 16, was shot and wounded on Friday evening near the village of Silwad, near Ramallah in the northern West Bank, and died hours later.”

The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

The councillor said “the teenager was near a road leading to the neighboring settlement of Ofra when he was wounded by Israeli soldiers.”

His death comes amid a spike in Israeli-Palestinian violence.

Nineteen people, mostly Israeli civilians including 18 inside Israel and a Jewish settler have been killed in attacks by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs since late March.

JEDDAH, 26 June 2022, (TON): State media said “Saudi Arabia has conferred on Pakistan’s chief of army staff the Order of King Abdulaziz, an order of of merit named after the Kingdom's founder.”

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, implementing King Salman's order, decorated Gen.

Qamar Javed Bajwa the King Abdulaziz Medal of Excellent Class "in appreciation of Gen. Bajwa’s distinguished efforts in strengthening and developing Saudi-Pakistani relations.”

Bajwa was in the Kingdom on Saturday for a visit.

The crown prince and the Pakistani military chief also met and reviewed bilateral relations, especially in the military fields, and opportunities for developing them, in addition to a number of issues of common interest.

ISTANBUL, 26 June 2022, (TON): His office said “Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signaled that no progress had been made in Sweden’s bid to join NATO, urging Stockholm to take concrete actions to meet Ankara’s concerns.”

Turkish presidency said in a statement “in a phone call with Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Erdogan reiterated that Sweden should take steps regarding such fundamental matters as combating terrorism.”

He added “Turkey wanted to see binding commitments on these issues together with concrete and clear action.”

Finland and Sweden discussed their stalled NATO bids with Turkey in Brussels on Monday, but Ankara dampened hopes that their dispute will be resolved before an alliance summit next week.

Turkish officials said Ankara does not view the summit as a final deadline for resolving Ankara’s objections.

DUBAI, 26 June 2022, (TON): Iran’s indirect talks with the US on reviving the 2015 nuclear pact will resume soon, the Iranian foreign minister said “amid a push by the EU’s top diplomat to break a months-long impasse.”

Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian said “we are prepared to resume talks in the coming days. What is important for Iran is to fully receive the economic benefits of the 2015 accord.”

He added “he had held a long but positive meeting with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.”

Borrell met Iran’s top diplomat on Saturday, Iranian state TV reported, as the bloc seeks to break an impasse between Tehran and Washington over reinstating a nuclear pact.

MADRID, 26 June 2022, (TON): Human rights organizations in Spain and Morocco have called on both countries to investigate the deaths of at least 23 Africans and injuries suffered by dozens more who attempted to scale the border fence that surrounds Melilla, a Spanish enclave in North Africa.

Moroccan authorities said the casualties occurred when a stampede of people tried to climb the iron fence that separates Melilla and Morocco.

In a statement, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said “76 civilians were injured along with 140 Moroccan security officers.”

Local authorities cited by Morocco’s official MAP news agency said the death toll increased to 23 after several migrants died in the hospital.

The Moroccan Human Rights Association reported 27 dead, but the figure could not immediately be confirmed.