DHAKA, 14 April 2022, (TON): United States has acknowledged Bangladesh government steps to expose to justice some security force personnel who were accused of human rights violation as it released 2021 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices worldwide.

The report that covered 198 countries and territories for calendar year 2021, read “the government took few measures to investigate and prosecute cases of corruption and abuse and killing by security forces.”

The report said the US state department prepared the fact-based document in consultations with experts on workers’ rights, police and security issues, women’s issues, and other topics.

US embassy officials in a media briefing in Dhaka, meanwhile, said their country report on HR practice not only found incidents of human right abuses but also saw positive trends which were going on in Bangladesh.

An embassy spokesman told the briefing at the American Centre “Bangladesh government took measures to either correct those (human rights) abuses or to roll out programs to human rights and other areas.”

RIYADH, 13 April 2022, (TON): Saudi Press Agency reported “Saudi Cabinet renewed a call to hold an international conference to support Yemen’s economy and provide oil derivatives.”

The ministers reiterated the Kingdom’s support for the newly formed Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council to end the crisis in the war-torn country.

The Cabinet reviewed the results of the GCC 151st foreign ministers meeting chaired by the kingdom tackling the developments of joint work and regional and international issues, and the efforts to combat terrorism.

The Cabinet said that increasing this year’s Hajj capacity to 1 million pilgrims falls within enabling the largest number of Muslims around the world to fulfil their religious duties.

Commenting on the results of the joint annual meetings of the Arab financial institutions, the Cabinet said that Saudi Arabia will continue to support joint Arab action and contribute to the development of economic relations between Arab countries through regional institutions.

The kingdom will also take the lead in extending a helping hand to confront emergency and humanitarian crises, and support development and social efforts.

NAIROBI, 13 April 2022, (TON): UN agencies warned “millions of people in Somalia are at risk of famine, with young children the most vulnerable to the worsening drought in the troubled Horn of Africa nation.”

The agencies said in a statement "Somalia is facing famine conditions as a perfect storm of poor rain, skyrocketing food prices and huge funding shortfalls leaves almost 40 percent of Somalis on the brink.”

Many parts of Somalia are being ravaged by drought that has also taken hold in other countries in the region including Ethiopia and Kenya, but the UN agencies warned of a major funding shortfall to address the crisis and avoid a repeat of the 2011 famine.

UN World Food Programme's Somalia representative El-Khidir Daloum said in a statement "we are literally about to start taking food from the hungry to feed the starving.”

the UN World Food Programme's Somalia representative El-Khidir Daloum said in a statement

The agencies said “six million Somalis or 40 percent of the population are now facing extreme levels of food insecurity, according to a new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, almost a two-fold increase since the beginning of the year.”

DUBAI, 13 April 2022, (TON): Iran’s supreme leader said “his country’s future should not be tied to the success or collapse of nuclear talks with world powers, Iranian state media reported.”

He also added “the negotiations to revive a 2015 nuclear deal are progressing well.”

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the last say on all state matters such as Iran’s nuclear program, made the comments about a month after almost a year of indirect talks between Iran and the United States stalled.

Both countries blame each other for lack of political will to settle remaining issues.

Khamenei told a gathering of senior officials “absolutely do not wait for nuclear negotiations in planning for the country and move forward.”

“Do not let your work be disrupted whether the negotiations reach positive or semi-positive or negative results.”

In 2018, then-US President Donald Trump left the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions that have crippled Iran’s economy. A year later, Iran started to violate the limits imposed on its nuclear program by the 2015 agreement to make it harder to develop a bomb.

Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful use only.

MANILA, 13 April 2022, (TON): Officials said “heavy rains caused by a summer tropical depression killed at least 25 people in the central and southern Philippines, mostly due to landslides.”

City police chief Lt. Col. Joemen Collado said “twenty-two villagers died in landslides in four villages in Baybay city in central Leyte province.”

He said “at least six other people were reported missing in the landslides and a search was underway.”

Three other storm-related deaths were reported by the government’s main disaster-response agency in the southern provinces of Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental.

Collado told “in one village, a landslide occurred and other victims, unfortunately, were also swept away by the surge of water.”

Officials said “nearly 200 floods were reported in different areas in central and southern provinces over the weekend, displacing about 30,000 families, some of which were moved to emergency shelters.”

BERLIN, 13 April 2022, (TON): Germany said “it noted reports that Serbia was receiving Chinese surface-to-air missiles, warning it expected the Balkan country to align its foreign policy with the European Union if it wanted to become a member.”

Media reports said “Chinese military cargo planes last week delivered to Belgrade the FK-3 surface-to-air defense system, similar to Russia’s S-300 or the United States’ Patriot.”

Serbian authorities did not confirm the delivery took place.

Belgrade paid for the FK-3 missiles and China’s CH-92A combat drones in 2019, making Serbia their first operator in Europe.

Germany’s Federal Press Office said “as a matter of principle, the Federal Government’s expectation of all EU accession candidates is that they join the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and thereby moves increasingly closer to the EU”

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic, speaking at a military drill at the weekend, acknowledged he plans to present the newest pride of its army this week, without elaborating.

KYIV, 13 April 2022, (TON): Kyiv said “ongoing talks with Russia to end the war were extremely difficult after Moscow accused Ukrainian negotiators of slowing down discussions by changing demands.”

Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said “negotiations are extremely difficult. The Russian side adheres to its traditional tactics of public pressure on the negotiation process, including through certain public statements.”

Talks to end Russia’s nearly two-month assault on Ukraine have continued since early in the fighting but offered no concrete results.

Representatives from Moscow and Kyiv have held in-person meetings twice in Turkey, most recently toward the end of March.

THE HAUGE, 13 April 2022, (TON): Dutch customs authorities said “they had impounded a total of 20 yachts at shipyards in the Netherlands targeted by sanctions against Russia and Belarus over the Ukraine conflict.”

Customs authorities said in a statement “following the sanctions against Russia and Belarus, customs placed 20 yachts in nine shipyards and traders under increased surveillance.”

“Because these 20 yachts are under increased surveillance, they are not authorized to be delivered, transferred or exported.”

Fourteen of the luxury ships are under construction, two are in storage and four are in maintenance. The length of the vessels ranges from 8.5 to 120 meters (30 to 400 feet).

The statement said “for two of these yachts, it has been established that they are linked to a person on the EU sanctions list.”

Dutch customs authorities said “they had detained 14 yachts built for Russian beneficiaries.”

WASHINGTON, 13 April 2022, (TON): The US inflation rate hit a fresh 40-year high in the year to March after fuel prices soared during the first full month of the Ukraine war.

Consumer prices surged by 8.5% the largest annual gain since December 1981, following a double-digit rise in energy prices.

Last month, President Joe Biden banned all imports of oil and gas from Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

The attack on Ukraine began on 24 February and triggered a wave of international sanctions against Russia, which is the world's second largest oil exporter.

KABUL, 13 April 2022, (TON): The Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan in its bid for formal recognition established diplomatic ties with Russian government, adding up to the list of at least four other neighboring countries who have previously accredited the Taliban-appointed diplomats.

China, Pakistan, Iran, and Turkmenistan have accredited the Islamic Emirate’s appointed diplomat in recent months, though all had initially refused to recognize the 8-month-old government in Afghanistan.

This came after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last August, which lead the United States and other Western countries to shutting down their diplomatic posts in Kabul.

They, however, have maintained contact with the group to facilitate the flow of humanitarian aids into the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Saturday confirmed the Afghan Embassy in Moscow was handed over to the Islamic Emirates appointed diplomat, asserting they have the right to lead Afghan embassies for better services to its fellow citizen.

Inammullah Samangani, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirates said “the government’s envoy received credential form Moscow. We thank Russia for this move and hope to provide consular services for our compatriots in the country.”