PARIS, 20 June 2022, (TON): French President Emmanuel Macron lost his parliamentary majority after major election gains by a newly formed left-wing alliance and the far right, in a stunning blow to his plans for major second-term reform.

The result from Sunday’s second round poll threw French politics into turmoil, raising the prospect of a paralyzed legislature or messy coalitions with Macron forced to reach out to new allies.

Macron, 44, now also risks being distracted by domestic problems as he seeks to play a prominent role in putting an end to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and as a key statesman in the EU.

Macron’s “Together” coalition will still be the biggest party in the next National Assembly. But with 245 seats, according to full interior ministry results announced in the early hours of Monday, it is well short of the 289 seats needed for a majority in the 577-member chamber.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said “this situation constitutes a risk for our country, given the challenges that we have to confront.”

BOGOTA, 20 June 2022, (TON): Leftist Gustavo Petro, a former member of the M-19 guerrilla movement who has vowed profound social and economic change, won Colombia’s presidency on Sunday, the first progressive to do so in the country’s history.

Petro beat construction magnate Rodolfo Hernandez with an unexpectedly wide margin of some 716,890 votes. The two had been technically tied in polling ahead of the vote.

Petro, a former mayor of capital Bogota and current senator, has pledged to fight inequality with free university education, pension reforms and high taxes on unproductive land.

He won 50.5 percent to Hernandez’s 47.3 percent.

Petro’s proposals especially a ban on new oil projects have startled some investors, though he has promised to respect current contracts.

KYIV, 20 June 2022, (TON): Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky predicted Russia will escalate its attacks this week as European Union leaders consider whether to back Kyiv’s bid to join the bloc and Moscow presses its campaign to win control of the country’s east.

Zelensky said “obviously, this week we should expect from Russia an intensification of its hostile activities.”

Ukraine applied to join the EU four days after Russian troops poured across its border in February. The EU’s executive, the European Commission, recommended that Ukraine receive candidate status.

Leaders of the 27-nation union will consider the question at a summit on Thursday and Friday and are expected to endorse Ukraine’s application despite misgivings from some member states. The process could take many years to complete.

SHANGHAI, 20 June 2022, (TON): China has carried out a land-based missile interception test that “achieved its expected purpose,” the Defense Ministry said, describing it as defensive and not aimed at any country.

China has been ramping up research into all sorts of missiles, from those that can destroy satellites in space to advanced nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, as part of an ambitious modernization scheme overseen by President Xi Jinping.

Beijing has tested missile interceptors before; the most recent previous public announcement of a test was in February 2021, and before that in 2018.

State media has said “China has conducted anti-missile system tests since at least 2010.”

The ministry said in a brief statement “the ]ground-based midcourse anti-missile intercept technology” test had been carried out that night.”

CAIRO, 20 June 2022, (TON): The US regional summit in Jeddah, scheduled for next month, topped the agenda of a trilateral meeting between Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Bahrain King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa and Jordan’s King Abdullah in Sharm El-Sheikh.

US President Joe Biden will visit Jeddah on July 15-16, where he will discuss with other assembled leaders the energy crisis, the wars in Ukraine and Yemen, the Iranian nuclear file, cybersecurity and food security.

The leaders underscored the need to expand trilateral cooperation across all sectors to fulfill the aspirations of their peoples and enhance regional security and stability.

The meeting stressed the need to continue working to step up joint Arab action to overcome the challenges of food security, rising prices, and energy costs in light of global developments.

RIYADH, 20 June 2022, (TON): Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Sulami, vice president of the Saudi Shoura Council, met on Sunday with Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubaev at the council’s headquarters in Riyadh.

Al-Sulami welcomed Kulubaev and his delegation during their visit to the Kingdom to strengthen bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan in all areas.

He stressed the importance of exchanging parliamentary visits between the Shoura Council and the Kyrgyz parliament, and commended the constructive outcome of the visit of the Saudi-Kyrgyz Parliamentary Friendship Committee delegation in May 2022.

Al-Sulami noted the Kingdom’s efforts and initiatives to promote security and stability and consolidate peace in the region and the world.

DHAKA, 20 June 2022, (TON): The Rohingyas in their 29 makeshift camps here staged a simultaneous demonstration asking Myanmar to immediately take them back ensuring their security and dignity.

Thousands of Rohingyas joined the separate but coordinated demonstrations with a 19-point demand that included their quick repatriation to their homeland at Myanmar’s Rakhine state with full citizenship status.

Officials said the Rohingyas staged the protests under strict police vigil at their 29 camps, 27 at Ukhia upazila and two at Teknaf.

An official familiar with the demonstrations said “they rallied at their camps carrying placards and demanded involvement of the United Nations, the ASEAN countries, the United States and United Kingdom alongside Bangladesh in their repatriation process.”

DHAKA, 20 June 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said “the Rohingyas are creating social problems in Bangladesh as many of them are engaged in drug and women trafficking.”

The Premier said “this while newly appointed Canadian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Lilly Nicholls called on her at her Sangsad Bhaban office.”

Prime Minister's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the call on.

The Prime Minister said that over 1.1 million Rohingyas, forcibly ousted by Myanmar nationals, is a long time problem for Bangladesh.

She said "how long Bangladesh could bear such huge burden.”

NEW DELHI, 20 June 2022, (TON): Meghalaya government has sought financial assistance of ₹ 300 crore from the Centre to meet the losses sustained by flood and landslides.

Meghalaya and the neighbouring Assam have been hit by heavy rains and floods. Fifty-two people have died in the two states, and nearly 44 lakh people have been displaced.

Meghalaya government has written to the ministry of home affairs seeking financial assistance of ₹ 300 crore.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma along with state Home Minister Lahkmen Rymbui today inspected the damaged portion of NH6 at Lum Shnong in East Jaintia Hills.

The land commute between Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya to three neighbouring states of Assam, Mizoram, and Tripura has been disrupted for the past three days due to multiple landslides in the Lum Shnong area.

DHAKA, 20 June 2022, (TON): Bangladesh and India have agreed to work closely to further strengthen cooperation in the areas of common rivers, water management, cyber-security, energy, agriculture, food security and climate change.

The agreement came at the 7th round of Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission meeting, with issuing a joint statement on the outcome of the meeting.

Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr. A.K. Abdul Momen and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar co-chaired the meeting held at the city's Hyderabad House, according to the joint statement issued after the meeting.