RIYADH, 17 January 2022, (TON): The Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance in Yemen dismantled 4,739 Houthi mines in the second week of January.

This figure includes 26 anti-personnel mines, 2,389 anti-tank mines, 2,230 unexploded ordinances and 94 other explosive devices.

The project is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia to help ease the suffering of the Yemeni people.

The demining took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale and Saada.

A total of 308,018 mines have been cleared since the start of the project. More than 1.2 million mines have been planted by the Houthis, claiming the lives of hundreds of civilians.

BRUSSELS, 17 January 2022, (TON): The close coordination between the European Union and the United States on recent developments related to Russia and Ukraine continues at the highest level.

After the informal discussions of the Foreign and Defence Ministers of the EU Member States this week in Brest (France), the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell spoke to US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken.

They discussed Russia’s military build-up around Ukraine and briefed each other about latest diplomatic engagements around Russia’s attempts to re-define security arrangements in Europe.

High Representative Borrell and Secretary Blinken rejected Russian initiative to re-build spheres of influence in Europe and underlined their determination to continue intense consultations on this and other issues between the US and EU presenting a strong, clear and united transatlantic front.

High Representative Borrell and Secretary Blinken reaffirmed support to Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and emphasised the need for Russia to de-escalate and fully implement the Minsk agreements.

They reviewed ongoing preparations of deterrent measures and of a robust international reaction with massive consequences for Russia in case of any further aggression against Ukraine.

WASHINGTON DC, 17 January 2022, (TON): Half the respondents in a new CBS News poll released on Sunday said that they were frustrated with Joe Biden’s presidency, just a few days before he marks his first full year in office.

When asked in the poll how Biden’s presidency made them feel, half of respondents said they were “frustrated” and “disappointed.” Additionally, 40 percent said his presidency made them feel “nervous,” while a quarter of respondents said it made them feel “calm” and “satisfied.”

Overall, respondents in the CBS News survey appeared to have a less than optimistic view on the current state of the country.

Nearly 75 percent of those surveyed said they felt that America was doing “somewhat” or “very” badly in a general sense.

A majority of people said that they disapproved of the way Biden was handling the economy, immigration, race relations, crime, inflation, policing and Afghanistan.

WASHINGTON DC, 17 January 2022, (TON): Half the respondents in a new CBS News poll released on Sunday said that they were frustrated with Joe Biden’s presidency, just a few days before he marks his first full year in office.

When asked in the poll how Biden’s presidency made them feel, half of respondents said they were “frustrated” and “disappointed.” Additionally, 40 percent said his presidency made them feel “nervous,” while a quarter of respondents said it made them feel “calm” and “satisfied.”

Overall, respondents in the CBS News survey appeared to have a less than optimistic view on the current state of the country.

Nearly 75 percent of those surveyed said they felt that America was doing “somewhat” or “very” badly in a general sense.

A majority of people said that they disapproved of the way Biden was handling the economy, immigration, race relations, crime, inflation, policing and Afghanistan.

NEW DELHI, 17 January 2022, (TON): India has entered into a very critical phase of communal strife after the Hindu zealots led by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) inspired Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders openly called for genocide of the Muslims and persecution of other minorities through tacit extreme ploys.

Indian and foreign media reports are rife with repeated incidents of lynching of Muslims and Dalits, destruction of churches, trolling of scholars, detention of activists, the harassment of movie stars, persecution of the minorities, the erosion of fundamental rights, distortion of history, the usurpation of social media by hate speech and fake news and propaganda and encouragement of vigilantism.

The same alarming situation also found words in a Congressional briefing of President of Genocide Watch Dr Gregroy Stanton a few days back, who had warned that something similar to the inhumane Rwandan genocide could happen in India if stern action was not taken by the government of India.

During a briefing in Washington DC, he also referred to the event of Dharam Sansad organised in Haridwar, where members of Hindu right-wing members made genocide calls against Muslims.

NEW DELHI, 17 January 2022, (TON): The Editors Guild of India today condemned the manner in which the office and the management of Kashmir Press Club (KPC) were forcibly taken over by a group of journalists with the help of armed policemen.

In a statement, the guild said it "is aghast at the manner in which the office and the management of Kashmir Press Club, the largest journalists' association in the valley, was forcibly taken over by a group of journalists with the help of armed policemen on January 15, 2022".

Reports our New Delhi correspondent citing the statement "the armed takeover has effectively scuttled this rule-based functioning of the club. Even more disturbingly, the state police entered the premises without any due warrant or paperwork, and have therefore been brazenly complicit in this coup in which a group of people have become self-declared management of the club.”

It further said "this violation of the sanctity of the club by the police and the local administration is a manifestation of the continuing trend to smother press freedom in the state, it alleged and demanded an independent inquiry as to how "armed forces entered the club premises.”

The Editors Guild of India also said it "is equally alarmed by an arbitrary order of putting the registration of the Kashmir Press Club "in abeyance", a day before this armed takeover of the club, on January 14, 2022, by the Registrar of Societies."

DHAKA, 17 January 2022, (TON): The Bangladesh rail authorities have dropped the Trans Asian Railway (TAR) from its priority as bilateral relations with Myanmar remain under strains and cooperation from the neighbouring country is close to zero.

According to Bangladesh Railways “the railway connectivity to carry goods between Bangladesh, India, China, Thailand and Malaysia through Myanmar has for now been put on hold.”

A Tk18,034 crore fast track railway project from Chittagong’s Dohazari to Cox’s Bazar via Ramu to Gundhum near Myanmar had been in the cards, according to the railway authorities.

The project, approved in 2010, was supposed to extend the existing rail line from Dohazari and connect to multiple routes.

The connection from Dhaka to Cox’s Bazar was expected to extend to Ramu and then to Gundhum, paving the way for a railway network to China, Thailand and Malaysia.

Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan told median“Myanmar did not undertake any railway project to connect Bangladesh to Gundhum.”

He added “it will be meaningless to continue our part of the project if Myanmar continues to be regressive.”

DHAKA, 17 January 2022, (TON): Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said following a meeting with US Ambassador Earl Miller “US sanctions on Rab and seven of its current and former officials were not meant to punish Bangladesh but to warn against the violation of human rights.”

He told reporters after the meeting at the Secretariat "I had a meeting with him (Miller). He said the US sanctions on the law enforcement agency were not aimed at punishing Bangladesh, but to warn us.”

The minister said “the US is attaching high importance on human rights and they perceive that the law enforcers in Bangladesh have violated human rights in some cases and that those need corrections.”

He added “they hope that Bangladesh would carry out the corrections.”

In response to Miller's observations, the minister said it was regretful that the US has put Bangladesh in the same category as North Korea and Myanmar.

Razzaque said "I said the human rights situation in Bangladesh is good. No human rights violations have happened here.”

WASHINGTON, 16 January 2022, (TON): Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R. Sherman spoke with Canadian Deputy Foreign Minister Marta Morgan, who represented Canada at the NATO-Russia Council meeting in Brussels.

The two pledged continued close coordination to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine.

They agreed that any further Russian invasion of Ukraine would result in massive consequences and severe costs, including coordinated, restrictive economic measures for the Russian Federation.

TUNIS, 16 January 2022, (TON): A new batch of Saudi medical aid, including 160 tons of liquid oxygen, has arrived in Tunis, as part of the Saudi relief airlift.

The batch was received at the seaport in the Tunisian Rades region by the Saudi Ambassador to Tunisia Dr. Abdulaziz bin Ali Al-Saqr, the Tunisian Acting Minister of Health Ali Merabet, and a number of senior officials.

The Tunisian minister thanked the Kingdom’s leadership for their permanent support for Tunisia.

Al-Saqr said that the Kingdom is regularly proving its support for its allies around the world and, today, it is proving to the Tunisian people that it is standing by their side to face all tough circumstances.