WASHINGTON, 19 January 2022, (TON): The State Department said “US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will fly Tuesday to Ukraine in a show of support amid fears of a Russian invasion.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price said “Blinken, who will meet Wednesday in Kyiv with President Volodymyr Zelensky, will “reinforce the United States’ commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Blinken will also head Thursday to Berlin for four-way talks with Britain, France and Germany on the Ukraine crisis.

Price said in a statement “the four transatlantic powers will discuss “joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine, including allies’ and partners’ readiness to impose massive consequences and severe economic costs on Russia.”

Blinken’s trip “follows extensive diplomacy with our European allies and partners about a united approach to address the threat Russia poses to Ukraine and our joint efforts to encourage it to choose diplomacy and de-escalation in the interests of security and stability,” Price said.

It comes as Blinken’s German and French counterparts also visit Ukraine, following travel to the frontlines by top EU diplomat Josep Borrell.

JERUSALEM, 19 January 2022, (TON): According to a letter released by Israel's leader “Israel has offered security and intelligence support to the United Arab Emirates against further drone attacks after a deadly strike by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group.”

Three people were killed and six wounded when three tanker trucks exploded in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. A Houthi military spokesperson said the group fired "a large number" of drones and five ballistic missiles in the attack.

On Twitter, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett condemned what he described as a "terrorist drone attack".

His spokesperson attached a copy of a condolence letter he sent on Monday to the UAE's de facto leader, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan.

"We stand ready to offer you security and intelligence support in order to help you protect your citizens from similar attacks," Bennett wrote. "I have ordered the Israeli security establishment to provide their counterparts in the UAE with any assistance, should you be interested."

BERLIN, 19 January 2022, (TON): NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg thanked German chancellor Olaf Scholz for his strong personal commitment to NATO and Germany’s leading role in the Allia-nce during a visit to Berlin.

Speaking at a press conference alongside the German Chancellor, the Secretary General stressed that NATO was ready to continue dialogue with Russia but will not compromise on core principles for Eu-ropean security.

Stoltenberg warned that the risk of conflict in Europe remains real because of Russia’s continuing “unexplained and unjustified” military build-up in and around U-kraine. “NATO Allies call on Russia to de-escalate”,

Mr. Stoltenberg said “any further aggression will come with a high cost for Moscow.”

Mr. Stoltenberg said “he Secretary General made clear that NATO is ready to continue dialogue with Russia.

He added ”I have today invited all the members of the NATO-Russia Council to a series of meetings.”

LONDON, 19 January 2022, (TON): The UK’s Royal Navy has rejected a plan by Home Secretary Priti Patel that would see the use of military vessels to push back small boats in the English Channel.

The navy has been called in by the government to prevent migrants from arriving in the UK from France.

Military sources have said the navy would focus on escorting migrants to shore for processing at hubs, not forcing them back to France.

Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, chief of the defense staff, said the plan ensures “no one gets to the UK on their own terms.”

Last year was a record one for arrivals via the Channel, with 28,381 people making the dangerous crossing.

Ministers expect more to arrive in 2022, and almost 500 people have crossed so far in January.

Patel insisted on Monday that the government is still pursuing the pushback policy. She told MPs that it is “absolutely the policy of this government,”

He added that means are being tested, technology is being used, but also the way in which boats can be pushed back has also been well tested.”

However, a military source told that the policy would not be pursued. “This isn’t about bumping small boats and turning them round that will never work.

The source said “you can’t do that in the Channel, it’s too narrow.”

MOSCOW, 19 January 2022, (TON): War-ships of Russia, Iran and China will take part in joint naval exercises. This was reported on Tuesday in the press service of the Eastern Military District (VVO) for the Pacific Fleet.

“A detachment of ships of the Pacific Fleet (Pacific Fleet), consisting of the Guards Order of Nakhimov, the Varyag missile cruiser, the Admiral Tributs large anti-submarine ship and the Boris Butoma large sea tanker, anchored in the roadstead of the Chakhbahar port of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In the port, the official A Russian Navy delegation will take part in a planned conference to hold joint naval exercises of Russian, Iranian and Chinese warships.

It notes that Russian shi-ps will also replenish food, water and fuel supplies.

The press service recalled that a detachment of ships of the Pacific Fleet went on a long voyage from Vladivostok a few days before the onset of 2022. It is planned that during the period of performing the tasks, the ships will visit the ports of a number of states, including the Republic of Seychelles.

BRUSSELS, 19 January 2022, (TON): At least 7 demonstrators were killed, while many others were injured during protests in Khartoum on 17 January. This brings the total number of deaths during protests to more than 70 since 25 October 2021.

Over the past months, the European Union and the international community have repeatedly called on the military authorities to refrain from violence against peaceful demonstrators. Once again, these calls have fallen on deaf ears.

Military authorities have been limiting the freedom of expression and the freedom of association since the coup d’état last year. Mubashir’s license was withdrawn in Sudan. Freedom of expression and information are fundamental rights that must be guaranteed.

Democracy, which the military authorities claim to build, cannot exist without freedom of the media.

Through disproportionate use of force and continued detention of activists and journalists, the military authorities are demonstrating that they are not ready to find a negotiated and peaceful solution to the crisis.

ADEN, 19 January 2022, (TON): An air strike killed about 14 people in a building in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa, residents said” during strikes across the city launched by the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthi group.”

The alliance strikes on Houthi-held Sanaa followed an attack claimed by the Iran-aligned Houthis on Monday on coalition partner the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi, in which three people were killed.

The coalition also said it intercepted eight drones launched toward Saudi Arabia on Monday.

Saudi state media said “the coalition said it had begun air strikes against strongholds and camps in Sanaa belonging to the Houthi group.”

The strikes appeared to be the deadliest since 2019 on Sanaa.

The strike that killed about 14 people, according to initial estimates, was on the home of a former military official.

It killed him, his wife, his 25-year-old son, other family members and some unidentified people, a medical source and residents told media.

DUBAI, 19 January 2022, (TON): Police said “a possible drone attack may have sparked an explosion that struck three oil tankers in Abu Dhabi and another fire at an extension of Abu Dhabi International Airport on Monday that killed three people and wounded six.”

Abu Dhabi police identified the dead as two Indian nationals and one Pakistani. It did not identify the wounded, who police said suffered minor or moderate wounds.

Police said an investigation was underway. Later in the day, the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation condemned the suspected drone attack and vowed to punish the perpetrators.

According to Khaleej Times, the ministry said in a statement that the UAE reserves the right to respond to these terrorist attacks and criminal escalation.

Terming the incident an act of a heinous crime committed by the Houthi militia, in violation of international and humanitarian laws, the ministry said the group continued to "spread terror and chaos in the region to destabilise it".

The ministry urged the international community to condemn the acts that target civilians and civilian facilities, according to the Khaleej Times report.

KABUL, 19 January 2022, (TON): The Taliban-led government gave its approval for a railway link between Afghanistan and Pakistan, greenlighting rail links between the cities of Peshawar and Kabul and Peshawar and Jalalabad.

Approval for a rail link with Uzbekistan was also given. The cabinet of the new government, during the meeting, also approved a rail link between Jalalabad and the capital Kabul.

The cabinet meeting was presided by Afghan Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund.

During the first phase, feasibility studies and surveys would be conducted and the findings of the first phase would be shared with higher officials during the second phase of the project.

A change in police and armed forces uniforms was also approved during the cabinet meeting.

The meeting of the five countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan was held last month to discuss the railway network  between the states, a senior official working on the project told The Express Tribune on condition of anonymity.

ISTANBUL, 19 January 2022, (TON): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned Russia against invading Ukraine, calling the former Soviet republic a powerful country with international friends.

Turkey’s supply of combat drones to Ukraine has drawn the wrath of Russia, which fears they could be used by Kyiv in its years-long conflict in two regions of the Moscow-backed separatist east.

Speaking to Turkish reporters in Albania, Erdogan said “he intended to discuss the rising tensions with Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Turkish media quoted Erdogan as saying “you cannot handle these things by saying ‘I will invade something, I will take it.”

Erdogan, who backs Ukraine’s NATO aspirations said “I don’t see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a realistic option because it is not an ordinary country. Ukraine is a powerful country.”

In December, Putin criticised Ukraine for deploying Turkish attack drones, urging Ankara to put pressure on Kyiv not to use the military hardware, which has played a key role in conflicts in Libya and over Azerbaijan’s separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.