NEW DELHI, 05 February 2022, (TON): The government told Parliament “India and China continued to maintain dialogue through both diplomatic and military channels regarding disengagement in the remaining area of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).”

In a written reply to an unstarred question during the ongoing Budget session in the Lok Sabha, Union minister V Muraleedharan said, “Our approach in these talks has been and will continue to be guided by three key principles. First, both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC.

“Secondly, neither side should attempt to alter the status quo unilaterally and thirdly agreements between two sides must be fully abided by in their entirety.”

As regards disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, India and China have maintained dialogue through both diplomatic and military channels: MoS MEA V Muraleedharan in a written reply to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha.

This comes a day after India said its top diplomat in China will skip the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Winter Olympics over the "regrettable" decision by the Chinese side to depute a military officer involved in the Galwan Valley clash as a torchbearer for the mega sporting event.

DHAKA, 05 February 2022, (TON): British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said “British High Commissioner Robert Chatterton Dickson said “the United Kingdom looks forward to strengthening bonds with Bangladesh in the next 50 years and beyond.”

He said in a message “modern links between the UK and Bangladesh include trade and investment. We share a mutual vision of a modern 21st-century partnership bound by strong historical ties.”

The envoy said the world looks with admiration today at what Bangladesh has achieved in its first half-century, an RMG powerhouse, a leading contributor to peace and security, especially as a provider of troops to UN peacekeeping missions, and one of the most influential global voices on climate change that reacted at COP26 in Glasgow.

He said “I am happy to reflect on Bangladesh’s transformation from ‘one of the world’s poorest countries’ into ‘one of the world's fastest-growing economies’ and the UK’s part in that story.” 

The high commissioner also lauded the British Bangladeshi contribution to the UK National Health Service, education, development, defence, culture, cricket and curry.  

DHAKA, 05 February 2022, (TON): Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde has appreciated Bangladesh’s remarkable development journey over the last five decades and expressed her country’s willingness to strengthen the bilateral relations.

She said in a message “we look forward to further strengthening our bilateral relations and tackling global challenges together.”

As the two countries and their relationship have evolved, the Swedish minister said they are glad to see a partnership that is “stable, dynamic and growing”.

On February 4, 1972, Sweden and other Nordic countries recognized Bangladesh as a sovereign and independent state.

The two countries are celebrating the 50 years of their friendship between the countries and their people.

BRUSSELS, 04 February 2022, (TON): Several European parliamentarians have reportedly stressed the importance to blacklist the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization due to their violations against civilians and for storing weapons in non-military facilities.

Yemen’s state news agency, reported that talks took place during a virtual seminar organized by the center-right bloc in the European Parliament (EPP Group).

During the meeting, European MPs said the Houthis used civilians as human shields, stocked weapons in residential complexes, schools and hospitals and had turned Sanaa airport into a military base.

As such they said “they would continue to push for the classification of the Houthi militia as a terrorist organization.”

RIYADH, 04 February 2022, (TON): Bandar bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah, the Qatari ambassador to Saudi Arabia, presented his credentials as his country’s permanent representative to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to Hissein Brahim Taha, the OIC’s secretary-general, in Jeddah.

During their meeting, they also reviewed relations and cooperation between the OIC and Qatar, along with other issues of common interest.

The OIC’s General Secretariat recently held a new round of political consultations with the People’s Republic of China.

LONDON, 04 February 2022, (TON): French President Emmanuel Macron has promised a clampdown on immigration in an attempt to lure France’s working-class voters ahead of this year’s presidential election.

Macron is facing challenges from two far-right figures, Marine le Pen and Eric Zemmour, both of whom have expressed anti-migrant and at times anti-Muslim sentiments.

On a visit to the northern French rustbelt, where National Rally’s Le Pen enjoys significant support, Macron outlined EU-level plans for the bloc to reinforce its external borders that would curb the number of migrants reaching France.

He also promised additional funding for home and infrastructure renovations to prop-up disaffected and run-down mining communities.

Macron, despite not having officially announced he is running for a second term as president, is the current favorite to win the first round of France’s multi-stage election.

He is followed by Le Pen, center-right candidate Valerie Pecresse, and TV pundit Zemmour. Le Pen and Zemmour argue that French identity risks being lost amid a flow of mainly Muslim migrants from the country’s former colonies.

The president’s Wednesday visit to Le Pen’s stronghold region indicates an effort to rebrand his image among working-class voters after long being seen as a wealthy Parisian uninterested in the concerns of ordinary people.

OUAGADOUGOU, 04 February 2022, (TON): The military announced “Burkina Faso’s junta lifted Wednesday a nationwide curfew they imposed after seizing power in a coup last month.”

The restrictions were imposed on January 24 after mutinous soldiers arrested President Roch Marc Christian Kabore following a revolt at several army barracks in the capital over the handling of jihadist attacks in the Sahel nation.

Col. Paul-Henri Sandaogo said in a press release “the President of the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration, President of Faso, Head of State, updates, the total lifting of the curfew measure as of this day, February 2.”

The junta said in a televised statement “the nation’s nightlife will not completely resume as “popular celebrations and festive events are prohibited after midnight from Monday to Thursday and after 2 am from Friday to Sunday.”

The coup leaders said the measure was taken “in view of the security context and in solidarity with the victims of insecurity.”

RIYADH, 04 February 2022, (TON): Emirati state news agency reported “UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.”

During the phone call, Sheikh Abdullah condemned attacks by the Houthi militia on his country, stressing the need to stop the dangerous escalation in the region and to adhere to a political solution in Yemen.

The Iran-backed Houthi militia have began targeting the UAE in recent weeks with ballistic missiles, sparking widespread condemnation from the international community.

In the latest incident, the UAE’s air defenses intercepted and destroyed three drones on Wednesday before they had reached residential areas.

During the call, the two sides also held consultations and exchanged views on a number of issues of common concern.

BRUSSELS, 04 February 2022, (TON): NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg expressed concern that Russia is continuing its military buildup around Ukraine, and that it has now deployed more troops and military equipment to Belarus than at any time in 30 years.

Meanwhile, more high-level diplomacy unfolded in Moscow and Kyiv amid deep uncertainty about Russia’s intentions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hosted Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for talks in the Ukrainian capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was to meet with his Argentine counterpart, Alberto Fernandez, in Moscow.

Russia now has more than 100,000 troops stationed near Ukraine’s northern and eastern borders, raising concern that Moscow might invade again, as it did in 2014, and destabilize the Ukrainian economy. Russian officials deny that an invasion is planned.

Stoltenberg told reporters “over the last days, we have seen a significant movement of Russian military forces into Belarus. This is the biggest Russian deployment there since the Cold War.”

JERUSALEM, 04 February 2022, (TON): According to a review by Anadolu Agency “the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem has approved the construction of 3,365 settlement units east of the city since the beginning of 2022.

The approvals were conducted by the Jerusalem Local Planning and Building Committee but implementation requires approval from the Israeli Planning Administration of the Israeli Ministry of Interior.

The ratifications came within the framework of four settlement plans which included the establishment of hundreds of small rooms as well as the expansion of the Hadassah Medical Center which is built on the Palestinian town of Isawiya.

The Jerusalem municipality said in a statement on Jan. 10 that "the local Planning and building committee approved the deposit of three new building plans in Mount Scopus."

Plans "include the construction of 1,500 housing units, 200 protected rooms, and 500 student bedrooms on a land area of ​​150 acres."