ISTANBUL, 26, January, 2021 (TON): Germany called the new talks between the two NATO member countries, Greece and Turkey to be a positive sign, on Monday in Istanbul.

The countries went through tensions over claims to Mediterranean waters, energy rights and other issues.

In Istanbul, the 61st round of discussions between the countries on the eastern Mediterranean standoff took place on Monday.

Tensions between the neighboring NATO members have been mounting over claims to Mediterranean waters, energy rights and a number of other issues. Germany has called the new talks a "positive" sign.

It is expected that the meeting will foster good relations between the two parties. The consultations were described as exploratory, with the expectation for more formal meetings to follow.

The United States said it "welcomes" the resumption of contacts, while Germany called them the "positive (sign) we have been waiting for some time." The standoff with both Greece and Cyprus last summer saw Turkey send exploration vessels into contested waters, EU allies dispatch ships to the region to back Greek claims and both Ankara and Athens conduct military maneuvers with warships and fighter jets.

The EU had threatened to impose sanctions on Turkey. But after a virtual meeting with his 26 EU counterparts on Monday, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who was in Turkey last week, said the ministers had decided to hold off on those measures for the time being.

Monday's talks are not only important for Turkey's bilateral relations with Greece, but will also play a key role in the country's relations with the EU.

NAIROBI, 26 January, 2021 (TON): On a two day visit to Kenya, the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defense, Ben Wallace agreed to refresh the UK-Kenya Security Compact.

Mr. Wallace stressed on the need to combat the extremist groups in the region.

Wallace said that it is important that we work together to defeat the common threat of the terror groups and friends and allies support in the task here in Kenya but also the United Kingdom and through the international community and indeed through the UN in Somalia.

“I think it is important that the United Kingdom stands side by side with Kenya in standing up for its values, for democracy, and working with Kenya to make sure that its neighbors follow a similar path", He added.

Fred Matiang’I, Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Interior and Coordination of National Government denied reports of Kenya’s involvement in sponsoring forces fighting against Somali forces.

"We understand there is a conflict on the other side of the border but it is a conflict internal to Somalia. It has nothing to do with us. We are not involved in it and none of our forces have crossed the border to go over to Somalia, so I do not know what they are referring to but you can take this to the bank, we are not involved in that. That is a conflict that is internal to Somalia", Matiang'I said.

Wallace’s visit to Kenya turned out to strengthen the long standing relations between both the nations. Kenya is a key base to fight against the terror group as it is based in the neighboring Somalia.

SAN JUAN, 26 January, 2021 (TON): Government of the US territory, Puerto Rico has declared a state of emergency over the femicides.

The declaration announced by the Governor Pedro Pierluisi, allows for more resources and a special representative to be appointed to fight the gender based violence and new programs to intergrate women into the labor market. During the previous year, the U.S. territory recorded 60 femicides and 6 murders of transgender people.

"For too long, vulnerable victims have suffered the consequences of systematic machismo, inequality, discrimination, lack of education, lack of guidance and, above all, lack of lack of action," Pierluisi said.

Pierluisi, who took office on January 2, was elected in the November US elections and publicly supports President Joe Biden.

The femicides in the territory spiked in recently. In recent years, places including Mexico City have also declared emergencies over gender based violence for several months.

NEW DELHI, 26 January, 2021 (TON): The Republic Day, tens of thousands of farmers lead massive protests and have begun driving into the capital New Delhi on tractors.

Police have urged tear gas to stop them from breaking barricades, and diverting from their routes in some places.

Demanding a roll back of recent market-friendly reforms, the farmers have been striking for more than a month at the city’s borders.

Tens of thousands of protesting farmers have begun driving into capital Delhi on tractors on India's Republic Day.

The laws are put on hold by the ministers but the farmers want them to be repealed.

Police obstructed six expected rally entry routes to Delhi. Farm groups were told to enter the city only after the Republic Day parade was over.

However, the groups have broken the barricades at two different borders, Singhu and Tikri and began to march on foot and in tractors.

The farmers have not been allowed in central Delhi, were official celebrations are taking place involving armed forces parades.

In addition to thousands that were already blocking the entrance points, joined several other groups on tractors travelling to the city.

Tuesday’s rally is latest in months-long protest and it is one of the longest farmers’ protests in the Indian history.

The laws that already seek to open up agriculture to the free-market made viral protests even after the parliament took action in September 2020. The government had defended the reforms, but the reforms made the farmers vulnerable to the corporate companies.8ih

BANGUI, 26 January, 2021 (TON): The rebels who tried to blockade the capital Bangui and overthrow the authorities have been killed by the government forces, the government said on Monday.

The demonstrators are protesting the re-election on December 27, 2020 of President Faustin Archange Touadera.

The rebel coalition said while following the January 4, 2021 announcement of the Touadera’s victory that they would take the capital and before the election, they had also taken towns in other parts of the country.

On January 22, 2021, the CAR government declared a state of emergency as the military and the UN forces are trying to repel the rebel groups.

However, the fighters against the authorities have gained two thirds of the country’s control, and have surrounded the capital Bangui.

The UN envoy has warned the CAR is "at grave risk."

The former President, Francois Bozize who was blocked from running the election has been accused by the authorities for the violence.

Bozizé, who was in office in 2003 and was overthrown in a decade later, denies the allegations.

"The perpetrators of these unforgettable crimes against the people of CAR will be found, arrested and brought before the competent courts," President Touadéra said on Monday.

At least 100,000 civilians have been displaced from their homes since December due to the fighting, the UN agency children's UNICEF said.

The army is also supported in its battle against the rebels by forces from Rwanda, Russia, France and the United Nations.

WELLINGTON, 26 January, 2021 (TON): New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern confirmed the signing of an expanded trade deal with China on Tuesday.

As Beijing seeks to establish itself as a strong supporter of multilateralism, and following a trade war with the United States while the borders are closed due to the pandemic conditions.

Ardern said at a news conference, “China remains one of our most important trade partners. For this to take place during the global economic crisis brought about by COVID-19 makes it particularly important”.

New Zealand trade minister, Damien O’Connor said in a statement, that the agreement expands an existing trade deal with China and hopes that it remains fit for another decade.

New Zealand’s mostly commodities based exports, dairy, timber and seafood will be cut or removed and the compliance cost will be reduced as per the deal.

Under the pressure imposed by the former U.S. administration over trade and international scrutiny over handling the pandemic crisis, China has surprisingly emerged well in globalization and multilateralism.

The trade pact with New Zealand also comes with Beijing’s ties with Australia. On the other hand, New Zealand is willing to help negotiate between the two countries to help build peace.

PYONGYANG, 25 January, 2021 (TON): High ranking North Korean diplomat, Ryu Hyun-woo deserted to South Korea.

The official was acting ambassador to Kuwait and is thought to have fled with family in September 2019.

The reports said that he wanted to ensure the future for his children.

The case points out towards the case of Jo Song-gil, who was stationed in Italy and reported missing in 2018. In 2019 he defected and the case opened publically.

The South Korean officials have not yet confirmed the reports.

The media reports said Ryu Hyun-woo is thought to have arrived in South Korea in September 2019 to seek asylum there but his defection was kept secret until now and currently, he was the acting ambassador in Kuwait since 2017.

It is seen very rarely that the senior North Korean officials to defect although about 1,000 people have each year.

It is not as easy as it sounds, for most North Koreans; it means either a dangerous escape across the highly fortified border to the South, or trying to cross over the border to China from where they risk being sent back to the North.

KAMPALA, 25 January, 2021 (TON): The court orders that the security forces can no longer keep the singer turned politician, Bobi Wine into detention in his own home.

On Monday, the Ugandan judge ruled that the forces cannot continue to keep the presidential challenger Bobi under de facto house arrest, howver, it remains to be seen the military forces continues to abide by the order.

The 38-year-old singer-turned-politician who ran against President Yoweri Museveni in the recent presidential election has been barred from leaving his house without a military escort since January 24.

The continued indefinite restriction and confinement of the applicant to his home is unlawful and his right to liberty has been infringed, Justice Michael Elubu ruled in favor of Wine's lawyers who had requested his release.

Elubu said that having found that the restrictions are unlawful it is hereby ordered that they are lifted.

The judge declared Wine's home was not a proper detention facility and said that authorities must bring criminal charges against him if he threatens public order.

Ugandan authorities had said Wine could only leave his Kampala residence with a military escort, fearing that his presence would incite riots.

The country was rocked by violence in the run-up to the presidential election, leading observers to question the fairness of the results.

After the court orders, no response yet from the military is reported.

Wine associates welcomed the court’s orders while the Ugandan authorities have a history of ignoring similar court orders.

BEIJING, 25 January, 2021 (TON): China takes new foreign investment top spot according to UN figures released on Sunday.

The country has passed as the world’s top destination for new foreign direct investment climbed 4%.

The new overseas investments into America fell by almost half last year, thus damaging its number one status in the market.

In contrast, UN figures show direct investment into Chinese firms climbed 4%, putting it number one globally.

The top ranking shows China's growing influence on the world economic stage.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said, China had $163bn (£119bn) input last year, compared to $134bn attracted by the US. In 2019, the US received $251bn in new foreign direct investment while China received $140bn.

In total foreign investments U.S. still happens to dominate, while China may be number one for new foreign investment.

This reflects the decades it has spent as the most attractive location for foreign businesses looking to expand overseas.

The figures underline China's move toward the center of the global economy which has long been dominated by the US, the world's biggest economy said the experts.

China, currently involved in a trade war with the US, has been predicted to leapfrog it to the number one position by 2028, according to the UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR).

China is among of those countries or probably the only country who has gained economy where others faced economic challenges lately, during the last year especially.

AMSTERDAM, 25 January, 2021 (TON): Tse Chi Lop, world’s most wanted runaway arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, police announced on Saturday.

Tse Chi Lop is the alleged leader of a vast Asian drug consortium responsible for up to 70% of all narcotics entering Australia, the law enforcement say.

Investigation accused the Tse’s syndicate of controlling the $70 billion, i.e. a year Asia Pacific drug trade.

He is believed to transport tons of methamphetamine, heroin and ketamine to at least a dozen countries from Japan to New Zealand. But methamphetamine is its main business, police say.

During a stop-over on a flight from Taiwan to Canada, he was arrested on the request of the Australian Federal Police (AFP). The cartel is suspected of often concealing its drugs in packets of tea.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conservatively estimates the syndicate's methamphetamine revenue in 2018 at $8 billion a year, but says it could be as high as $17.7 billion.

"The word kingpin often gets thrown around, but there is no doubt it applies here,” said Jeremy Douglas, Southeast Asia and Pacific representative for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in 2019.

The reports stated that suspected members of Tse's crime organization may have high level links to governments across Asia, having invested in large infrastructure ventures under the Chinese Communist Party's Belt and Road Scheme.

Tse has been the prime target of Operation Kungur, an anti-narcotics operation led by AFP, howver, involving about 20 agencies from Asia, North America and Europe, all places that have served as markets or supply hubs for Tse's organization. It is by far the biggest ever international effort to combat Asian drug trafficking syndicates, say law enforcement agents involved in the investigation.