WASHINGTON, 15 April 2022, (TON): During a speech about surging inflation, US President Joe Biden appeared to accuse Russia's Vladimir Putin of genocide.

The Biden administration has previously stopped short of describing civilian killings in Ukraine as genocide, but has accused Mr Putin of war crimes.

The White House is seeking to pin the blame for rising consumer prices on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, though American inflation predates the war.

MOSCOW, 15 April 2022, (TON): Russia said “it had introduced sanctions against 398 members of the US Congress in retaliation against Washington’s punitive measures over Ukraine and said more sanctions would follow.”

The Russian foreign ministry said in a separate statement “it had introduced sanctions against 87 members of the Senate of Canada.”

ANKARA, 15 April 2022, (TON): A new survey has found that Turkish public opinion is more oriented toward international organizations such as NATO, reflecting a positive stance on the country’s EU membership bid.

The survey, titled “Turkish Perceptions of the European Union” was conducted by the German Marshall Fund of the US with the field study carried out in March by Istanbul-based Infakto Research Workshop across 29 provinces of Turkey through face-to-face interviews with 2,180 people.

The survey revealed that 48 percent of respondents expressed trust in the EU, a rise from the 40 percent who said “the same last year; 39 percent voiced support for NATO, a jump from 32 percent in 2021.”

As a candidate for EU accession for 23 years and as a powerful member of NATO with increasing economic and military dependency on Russia, Turkey is now trying to find a place in the changing European security and political architectures.

RAMALLAH, 15 April 2022, (TON): Three Palestinians were killed and 14 injured by Israeli forces during their latest raids into the West Bank flashpoint district of Jenin.

At dawn, the Israeli forces stormed the towns of Yamoun and Kafr Dan in Jenin, where violent confrontations erupted.

Six civilians were injured by bullets, three of them seriously.

Palestinian Health Ministry said “in a clash near Jenin, two youths died of injuries sustained in an Israeli attack.”

Hours later, the ministry announced the death of a 45-year-old Palestinian father of six who was critically wounded by Israeli bullets in Beita, south of Nablus.

Those attending the three funerals raised slogans denouncing the “crimes” committed by the Israeli occupying forces against the Palestinians.

LONDON, 15 April 2022, (TON): Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman reiterated that the only way to resolve the Yemeni crisis is through negotiations between Yemeni parties.

His comments came during a meeting with David Gressly, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in Yemen.

During the meeting, they reviewed the latest developments in Yemen, especially the humanitarian situation, and discussed the latest developments regarding the dilapidating floating Safer oil tanker that is moored in the Red Sea north of the port city of Hodeidah.

Sheikh Mohammed said “intra-Yemeni negotiations should be held in accordance with the outcomes of the national dialogue, the Gulf initiative and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, especially Resolution No. 2216, stressing Qatar’s firm position on Yemen’s unity and territorial integrity.”

LONDON, 15 April 2022, (TON): One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland joined the US-led military alliance then Russia would have to bolster its defenses in the region, including by deploying nuclear weapons.

Finland, which shares a 1,300-km border with Russia, and Sweden are considering joining the NATO alliance.

Prime Minister Sanna Marin said “Finland will make a decision in the next few weeks.”

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said “should Sweden and Finland join NATO then Russia would have to strengthen its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea.”

Medvedev also explicitly raised the nuclear threat by saying that there could be no more talk of a nuclear free Baltic, where Russia has its Kaliningrad exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.

Medvedev said “there can be no more talk of any nuclear–free status for the Baltic — the balance must be restored.”

MOSCOW, 15 April 2022, (TON): Russian officials said “Ukrainian helicopters had hit residential buildings and injured seven people in the Bryansk region, the latest of a series of cross-border attacks that Moscow has said may trigger a retaliatory attack on Kyiv.”

The governor of the Belgorod region said a village there was also attacked, but that no one was injured.

Ukraine’s defense ministry, which has declined to comment on several border incidents including a strike on a fuel depot in the city of Belgorod earlier this month, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on reports of cross-border attacks.

Russia’s investigative committed said in a statement “on April 14, 2022, using two combat helicopters equipped with heavy offensive weapons, military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine illegally entered the airspace of the Russian Federation.”

It said “moving at low altitude, they carried out at least six air strikes on residential buildings in the village of Klimovo.”

The statement said “six buildings were damaged and seven people were injured.”

RIYADH, 15 April 2022, (TON): Saudi Press Agency reported “Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has sent a congratulatory message to King Abdullah II of Jordan following his successful surgical operation.”

The royal palace had said “King Abdullah headed to Germany to undergo an urgent operation for a slipped disc in his back.”

The king said, wishing him more health and wellness “we are pleased to mark the success of Your Majesty’s surgery, and we send our congratulations and best wishes.”

King Salman had made a phone call to his Jordanian counterpart a day earlier to inquire about his health.

DHAKA, 15 April 2022, (TON): Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said “the human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than the United States in many instances.”

The minister told the reporters after attending a discussion titled "we do not agree with the US human rights report, Mahe Ramadan and Mass Media and an Iftar Mahfil organised by Bangladesh Sampadak Forum in the city.”

He added “data in this report might have been collected from certain sources. And the sources are one-sided and provide a lot of misinformation.”

"In fact, in many cases, the human rights situation in Bangladesh is better than in the United States, though not in all cases."

The minister said "there are no prisons in our country like the way people are tortured at Guantanamo Bay of the US.”

DHAKA, 15 April 2022, (TON): The United States special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry assured his country's assistance to Bangladesh in improving production of renewable energy as well as creating afforestation along the coastal belt.

A foreign ministry press release said “the assurance came at a meeting between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen and Kerry at Palau on the sidelines of seventh "Our Ocean Conference.”

During the meeting the presidential special envoy also assured US support in uplifting and widening embankment at the coastal banks of Bangladesh as part of climate change adaptation endeavor.

Kerry highly lauded Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's global leadership on climate change issues as well as her efforts in Bangladesh's climate change adaptation programmes.