DHAKA, 18 January 2022, (TON): Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Didi has expressed hope for continued defence and security sector cooperation with Bangladesh especially in the maritime domain.

Chief of Naval Staff of Bangladesh Navy Admiral M Shaheen Iqbal paid a courtesy call on Defence Minister Mariya Didi recently and discussed issues of mutual interest.

During the meeting held at Bandaara Koshi, Minister Mariya noted the warm sisterly relationship between the Maldives and Bangladesh.

Discussions also focused on ways to further boost cooperation between the two countries' navies, including the provision of training opportunities for Maldivian officers and sailors.

According to the Ministry of Defence, Maldives “this was the first visit to Maldives made by a chief of naval staff of Bangladesh Navy, which signifies the enhanced relationship between the Armed Forces of both countries, and reflects the strength and solidity of the Maldivian government’s policy of international defence diplomacy and cooperation.”

LONDON, 18 January 2022, (TON): Egypt-UK Joint Statement following the meeting between Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and COP27 President Designate H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Dr. Yasmine Fouad, Egypt’s Minister of Environment and COP27 Ministerial Coordinator and Envoy, and COP26 President Minister Alok Sharma.

Following an open and constructive exchange of views on climate change issues, priorities, and areas for collaboration, in the follow-up to COP26 and in preparation for COP27, COP26 President Alok Sharma and COP27 President Designate Sameh Shoukry released the following statement:

As the current and incoming UNFCCC COP Presidencies, we affirm our joint commitment to accelerating the fight against climate change during this critical decade. In this context, we agreed that the United Kingdom and Egypt would strengthen bilateral cooperation to fight climate change and to maintain and build on the current momentum for global climate action.

We will work together in 2022 and beyond to drive ambitious implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, and to deliver on the outcomes of the Glasgow Climate Pact to keep 1.5 degrees in reach and support developing countries in adapting to the impacts of climate change.

The UK will give its full support to Egypt in delivering ambitious outcomes at COP27, including ensuring that it delivers for those most vulnerable to climate change.

DHAKA, 18 January 2022, (TON): Over the past one year, a total of 29 Bangladeshi nationals ‘inadvertently crossed’ the international border and all of them were handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh from India as a goodwill gesture.

BSF said “troops of battalions under North Bengal Frontier Border Security Force deployed on Bangladesh-India border in West Bengal are maintaining alertness of highest order along the international border to stop smuggling and infiltrations.”

A media release said “they are also making efforts to maintain good relations with Bangladesh.”

Troops of battalions under North Bengal Frontier BSF deployed on Bangladesh-India border in West Bengal under the leadership of Ajai Singh, inspector general of North Bengal Frontier BSF are maintaining alertness on the border in order.

Earlier, BSF handed over two Bangladesh nationals to Border Guard Bangladesh following a flag meeting as a goodwill gesture.

DHAKA, 18 January 2022, (TON): State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid has said international cooperation is essential to address the global energy challenges with reliability.

He said while addressing the 12th Assembly of International Renewable Energy Agency “it is necessary to enhance regional and sub-regional cooperation. We have to work together for modern and innovative technology open to all with affordable prices.”

The state minister said “Bangladesh is making every effort to expand renewable energy with limited resources.”

Nasrul Hamid presided over the Member Interventions Session where delegates from Zimbabwe, Colombia, India, USA, El Salvador, Belgium, Norway, Uruguay, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, Greece, Spain, China, Japan, Switzerland, Croatia, Turkmenistan, Serbia, Germany, France, Italy, San Marino and Saudi Arabia spoke at the session.

He added “by installing more than six million solar home systems outside the grid network, the government brought more than 20 million people under electrification facilities.”

Nasrul said “besides, the government has been supplying grid quality electricity to remote areas of the country through 26 mini grids.”

NEW DELHI, 18 January 2022, (TON): Former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said “getting rid of the BJP will be a bigger development than the freedom struggle against British rule.”

She said “as she accused the BJP of sowing seeds of hatred" among communities.”

The existence of Jammu and Kashmir is in danger under the BJP, the president of the People's Democratic Party said and urged the youth to stand up against the challenges faced by the country by spreading "love and friendship" without feeling intimidated by a party that she claimed uses government agencies to browbeat its opponents.

Ms Mufti said "they have ruined the country in the present situation, one feels insecure and does not know whether he/she will be alive tomorrow. The arrests and raids by ED and other government agencies against the opposition leaders have become the order of the day and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir is much worse than the rest of the country.”

"History gives an opportunity to play a role and people of India availed this opportunity to free the country from British rule. Today, we have an opportunity to get rid of the BJP (to save the country). This development will be much bigger than the freedom struggle against British rule as they (BJP) are hell-bent to break this country."

NEW DELHI, 18 January 2022, (TON): This is the best time to invest in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a special address to world leaders, while detailing various steps the country has taken to make it the "most attractive" investment destination in the world.

The PM said “Indian youth have an entrepreneurial spirit and an eagerness to innovate and adopt new technology.”

He said while speaking at the World Economic Forum's (WEF) five-day online 'Davos Agenda' summit "Indian youth are ready to take your businesses & ideas to new heights. With our global skills, India has registered more than 60,000 startups in 2021.”

He said "India offers a 'bouquet of hope' to the world. It includes our trust in democracy; it includes our technology, our temperament, and talent.”

He further said "in 2014, there were maybe a hundred registered startups in India. Now, the number has crossed 60 thousand. We also have more than 80 unicorns now, more than 40 of them achieved that status just last year.”

The Prime Minister highlighted India's innovations in technology and digital infrastructure, rapid adaptation of technologies like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), technological solutions like Arogya Setu and CoWIN, and tax reforms to strengthen 'ease of doing business in the country.

KABUL, 18 January 2022, (TON): An official said “at least 26 people were killed after an earthquake hit western Afghanistan on Monday.”

Spokesman for the province Baz Mohammad Sarwary told media “the victims died when roofs of their houses collapsed in Qadis district in the western province of Badghis.”

The shallow quake was magnitude 5.3, according to the US Geological Survey.

Sarwary said "five women and four children are among the 26 people killed in the earthquake,",

It added that four more were injured.

He said “the quake also inflicted damage on the residents of Muqr district in the province but details, including of casualties, were still unavailable.”

KABUL, 18 January 2022, (TON): UN and China demanded the release of Afghanistan’s frozen funds and stressed humanitarian assistence at a time when the people of Afghanistan are facing economic hardships.

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Last week 38 people were killed and injured in Afghanistan. Twenty-two people were killed and 16 others injured in separate incidents of violence in Kabul, Herat, Faryab, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces.

According to reports “unidentified gunmen killed a money changer in Heart and five members of a family were killed in Laghman and injured a sixth.”

In Nangarhar’s Lalpura district, nine students and two women were killed, four children and a woman were injured in a gas cylinder and unexploded ordinance blasts. In Kabul, a family claimed their daughter was killed in gunfire at a check-point in the limits of 13th police district.

PARIS, 17 January 2022, (TON): President Emmanuel Macron will tout 21 new foreign investment projects in France and a booming economy as proof his economic reforms have been bearing fruit less than three months before a presidential election in which he is expected to run.

His office said “during a visit to Alsace in the east, Macron will announce a 300-million-euro ($342 million) industrial project by German chemical giant BASF, one of 21 new projects worth 4 billion euros and 10,000 jobs as part of a drive to attract foreign investors.”

As the presidential race heats up, his aides are keen to shift the debate away from immigration and law-and-order issues and put the spotlight on the economy, which has been recovering strongly from the COVID-19 pandemic.

A presidential aide told reporters “this is the result of all the reforms that were carried out since the start of the mandate.”

He said “three months before an election, we could have expected investors to be in wait-and-see mode because of the uncertainty of an election. Instead, we see very strong confidence from foreign investors in the president’s economic policy.”

Since 2017, Macron has pushed through a cocktail of supply-side economic reforms meant to boost businesses’ competitiveness, cut taxes on investors and loosen strict labor market rules.

LONDON, 17 January 2022, (TON): The State Department said “US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held talks with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian to discuss efforts to promote the democratic process in Libya.”

Efforts to lead Libya into elections at the end of December were thrown into disarray when the country’s electoral commission said a vote could not take place, citing what it called inadequacies in the electoral legislation and the judicial appeals process.

Blinken also spoke about the recent informal EU foreign ministers’ meeting, that was held in the western French city of Brest on Friday as part of the French presidency of the Council of the EU.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian had reiterated following the meeting on Friday his view that talks to revive a 2015 Iran nuclear deal are progressing “much too slowly to be able to reach a result.”

“We now have to conclude and come to a decision: Either the Iranians want to complete this, in which case we have the impression that there will be flexibility in the Americans’ stance.

Le Drian said “or they don’t want to complete this, and in that case we will be faced with a major proliferation crisis.”

He warned “there will be nothing more to negotiate if nothing happens.”

Negotiations to salvage the nuclear deal resumed in late November after they were suspended in June as Iran elected a new, ultraconservative government.