ISTANBUL, 14 May 2022, (TON): President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said “Turkey did not have a positive opinion on Finland and Sweden joining NATO, throwing up a potential obstacle for the nations’ membership bid.”

The leader of NATO-member Turkey spoke ahead of expected confirmations from the Nordic nations on Sunday that they will apply to join the Western military alliance.

Erdogan accused both countries of harboring terrorist organisations in his unfavourable assessment of the membership bids.

Erdogan told journalists “we do not have a positive opinion.”

He said “Scandinavian countries are like a guesthouse for terror organizations.”

STOCKHOLM, 14 May 2022, (TON): Foreign Minister Ann Linde said “Swedish membership in NATO would have a stabilizing effect and would benefit countries around the Baltic sea, the day after neighbour Finland committed to applying to join the 30-nation alliance.”

Linde told reporters "Swedish NATO membership would raise the threshold for military conflicts and thus have a conflict-preventing effect in northern Europe.”

Sweden is widely expected to follow Finland's lead and Stockholm could apply for NATO membership as early as Monday.

JERUSALEM, 14 May 2022, (TON): Palestinian Health Ministry said “Israeli forces resumed raids in the occupied West Bank area of Jenin on Friday, where a prominent Palestinian journalist was shot dead this week, wounding at least four people.”

The Israeli military said its forces were conducting counter-terrorism activities on the outskirts of Jenin, where Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed on Wednesday. Her funeral procession in the Old City of Jerusalem on Friday is expected to draw thousands.

The death of Abu Akleh, who had covered Palestinian affairs and the Middle East for over two decades at the Qatar-based news channel, seemed likely to add fuel to a surging conflict.

A spokesman said “hundreds of Israeli officers were to be deployed in the area of the funeral to ensure it proceeds without confrontations.”

Residents in the area of Jenin said Israeli forces fired a projectile toward a home near Jenin on Friday in an apparent effort to arrest suspects inside. Palestine TV footage showed black plumes of smoke rising from the house. The Israeli military did not immediately comment.

LONDON, 14 May 2022, (TON): A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson responds to the ballistic missile launches carried out by North Korea on 12 May.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said “North Korea’s ballistic missile launches on 12 May are a breach of UN Security Council resolutions.”

North Korea’s repeated testing of ballistic missile technology poses a threat to our regional partners and global security.

The UK will continue to call out all violations of UNSCRs. North Korea must return to dialogue and take credible steps towards denuclearisation in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.

LONDON, 14 May 2022, (TON): Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is announcing fresh sanctions on Putin’s ‘wallet’ of family and friends, those whom he rewards with state positions and wealth in return for their undying loyalty.

Official records list modest assets for President Putin including: a small flat in St Petersburg, 2 Soviet-era cars from the 1950s, a trailer, and a small garage.

In reality, Putin relies on his network of family, childhood friends, and selected elite who have benefited from his rule and in turn support his lifestyle.

Their reward is influence over the affairs of the Russian state that goes far beyond their formal positions.

Sanctions will hit this cabal who owe Putin their wealth and power, and in turn support Putin and his war machine.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said “we are exposing and targeting the shady network propping up Putin’s luxury lifestyle and tightening the vice on his inner circle. We will keep going with sanctions on all those aiding and abetting Putin’s aggression until Ukraine prevails.”

KABUL, 14 May 2022, (TON): Local officials in southern Helmand province say they have eradicated hundreds of acres of poppy fields in Nawzad, Washir, Babaji and Marjah districts of the province.

 Ahmad Jan Khalid, Helmand police spokesman, said “we have started eradicating poppy farms in accordance with the decree of Amir of the Islamic Emirate and have cleared hundreds of acres of land so far.”

He also said “they have banned the sale and purchase of narcotics in Lashkargah, the provincial capital and many people arrested in connection to the drug business in the province. On the other hand, a number of farmers in Helmand say that the government should provide them with an alternative to poppy.”

Nazar Mohammad, a farmer in Nad Ali district of the province said “we respect the government for banning poppy cultivation, but they should find an alternative for farmers.”

KABUL, 14 May 2022, (TON): Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in a virtual meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce of Uzbekistan, discussed the finalization of the railway plan between the two countries.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi tweeted “both sides called for the development of trade, transit and the Mazar-Kabul-Peshawar railway during the meeting.”

Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat, head of the Afghanistan Railway department, said progress has been made in the construction of the Trans-Afghan railway and its survey will start within the month.

Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat, head of the railway department said “the technical teams of the survey are expected to start their work this month, now all departments are discussing this issue.”

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that connecting Central Asia with South Asia through Afghanistan will have a positive impact on the growth of Afghanistan’s trade relations.

Khairuddin Mayel, deputy of ACCI said “Having a railway to all three countries plays a very important role in their export and import trade, and we welcome this.”

NEW DELHI, 14 May 2022, (TON): The Indian embassy in Ukraine shut after Russia invaded the former Soviet republic, will reopen shortly in Kyiv.

The embassy operations in the Ukraine Capital had shut down in early March after Russian shelling intensified days after the February 24 invasion.

On March 13, the embassy had relocated to Warsaw after most Indian nationals were evacuated from Ukraine.

In a communique, the foreign ministry said “the Indian Embassy  in Ukraine, which was temporarily operating out of Warsaw (Poland), would be resuming its operation from Kyiv w.e.f 17 May 2022.”

Several Western political leaders including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have recently visited Irpin and other residential areas around the Ukrainian capital, where Russian forces have been accused of killing hundreds of civilians.

DHAKA, 14 May 2022, (TON): President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed profound shock and sorrow at the death of UAE President and Ruler of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

In a condolence message, President M Abdul Hamid said Khalifa had played an important role in the development of Bangladesh-United Arab Emirates ties.

“Bangladesh lost a tested and true friend.”

The head of the state prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and conveyed profound sympathy to the bereaved family.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina conveyed profound shock and grief to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on the passing away of the president.

DHAKA, 14 May 2022, (TON): Spanish ambassador to Bangladesh Francisco de Ass Bentez Salas has said “Madrid is ready to go into ‘More In-depth Cooperation’ as Bangladesh and Spain are reviewing its 50-year bilateral relationship.”

He said ‘it is a graduation day of our bilateral relations (with Bangladesh), in 50 years, we have gone from LDC-Long Distance Contracts - and are ready to go into MIC -More In-Depth Cooperation.”

The envoy was addressing a celebration event marking 50-year anniversary of establishment of Bangladesh-Spain bilateral relations in the capital on Thursday evening, the Western European nation recognized the newly independent Bangladesh.

The ambassador said “fifty years ago, Bangabandhu was there, leading his people into future in very difficult circumstances, right after the war of liberation.”

He added that Spain recognizes and commends the ‘unrivalled and unparalleled miracle’ of Bangladesh in only 50 years.