DHAKA, 08 June 2022, (TON): The Bangladesh Tourism Corporation Bill, 2022 was passed in Parliament aiming to make the existing law a time-befitting one and boost revenue from the tourism sector.

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Mahbub Ali placed the bill and it was sent passed by voice vote.

As per the bill, the authorized capital of the corporation shall be Tk1,000 crore instead of Tk15 crore while the paid-up capital will be Tk400 crore instead of Tk5 lakh.

The existing law stated that the board shall consist of a chairman and not less than two and not more than four the whole tenure, and directors to be appointed by the government.

DHAKA, 08 June 2022, (TON): Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Vikentyevich Mantytskiy said “there is no place for true diplomacy at the moment as Western countries keep pumping Ukraine with razor-edge weapons.”

Speaking at a seminar, he said “western diplomats vehemently demand Russian defeat on the battlefield calling upon Ukraine to fight till the last Ukrainian.”

The Russian envoy said “as far as the contacts with the Ukrainian are concerned, we have never refused to talk, as evidenced from the meetings in Belarus and Turkey.”

He said “for these meetings to be fruitful, it requires a constructive position from Kiev which presently is nowhere in sight.”

DHAKA, 08 June 2022, (TON): Foreign Ministry called to explore all possible ways and means to find out solutions to the existing difficulties of SAARC in an innovative way through continuous consultation of the member states.

A foreign ministry press release said “he made the call while held a meeting with visiting SAARC secretary general Esala Weerakoon at the state guest house Padma.”

The foreign secretary assured the secretary general of Bangladesh’s commitment to SAARC and to extend every possible supports to materialise the goals of the SAARC to achieve a sustainable and integrated development.

Masud urged the secretary general to play an objective role in transforming SAARC into a meaningful regional organisation.

WASHINGTON, 07 June 2022, (TON): US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said “President Joe Biden has asked his team to look at the option of lifting some tariffs on China that were put into place by former President Donald Trump, to combat the current high inflation.”

Raimondo told in an interview “we are looking at it. In fact, the president has asked us on his team to analyse that. And so we are in the process of doing that for him and he will have to make that decision.”

She said “there are other products, household goods, bicycles, etc and it may make sense” to weigh lifting tariffs on those.”

She added that the administration had decided to keep some of the tariffs on steel and aluminum to protect US workers and the steel industry.

JEDDAH, 07 June 2022, (TON): Chen Weiqing, Chinese ambassador to Saudi Arabia and his country’s special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, praised the intellectual and scientific efforts of the Jeddah-based International Islamic Fiqh Academy.

During his visit to the headquarters of the general secretariat of the academy, the envoy stressed his country’s endeavors to strengthen relations of cooperation, coordination and partnership with the OIC and its affiliated bodies.

Koutoub Moustapha Sano, secretary-general of the academy, considered the visit of the Chinese ambassador an expression of willingness to enhance cooperation and coordination on various issues and that concern Muslim communities in China.

NEW YORK, 07 June 2022, (TON): US authorities moved to seize two luxury jets a $60 million Gulfstream and a $350 million aircraft believed to be one of the world’s most expensive private airplanes after linking both to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

A federal magistrate judge signed a warrant authorizing the seizure of the Gulfstream and a Boeing jet that authorities said was worth less than $100 million before a lavish customization.

The action takes place just days after the United States announced new sanctions and penalties on Russian oligarchs and elites, Kremlin officials, businessmen linked to President Vladimir Putin and their yachts, aircraft and firms that manage them.

A representative for Abramovich did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

US Attorney Damian Williams said in a release “his office was using every legal tool available to respond to “Russian’s illegal war in Ukraine.”

RIYADH, 07 June 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met with his Kazakh counterpart Mukhtar Tileuberdi during an official visit to Nur-Sultan.

Two ministers discussed aspects of relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing them in various fields to serve common interests.

They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.

MOSCOW, 07 June 2022, (TON): Officials said “Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was forced to cancel a visit to Serbia after several of its neighbors prevented his plane from passing through their airspace.”

Lavrov had been due to hold talks with top officials in Belgrade, one of Moscow’s few remaining allies in Europe since the launch of its military offensive in Ukraine earlier this year.

The countries around Serbia have closed the channel of communication by refusing to authorize the overflight of the plane of Sergei Lavrov who was headed to Serbia.

“The Russian delegation should have arrived in Belgrade for talks. But the EU and NATO member countries closed their airspace.”

DAMASCUS, 07 June 2022, (TON): A military source told Syria’s official news agency “Syrian air defense intercepted Israeli missiles south of Damascus on Monday, with no casualties reported.”

The Israeli enemy carried out an airstrike from the occupied Syrian Golan, targeting points south of Damascus.

“The losses were limited to material damage.”

According to war monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights “last month, Israeli surface-to-surface missiles killed at least three Syrian officers near Damascus.”

The monitor said “the Israeli strikes had targeted Iranian positions and weapon depots near Damascus.”

BEIJING, 07 June 2022, (TON): China’s defense ministry said “Canadian military jets have stepped up reconnaissance and provocations against China, endangering the Asian country’s national security.”

The ministry said it opposes Canada’s provocative actions.

Wu Qian, spokesman at the Chinese defense ministry, said “the Chinese military took reasonable measures to deal with Canada’s actions and have made ‘solemn representations’ via diplomatic channels.”