KABUL, 08 December 2022, (TON): Some members of the Kabul Air Force complained that despite being on active duty they have not been paid since the fall of the former government.

Despite several attempts, local media was unable to obtain comments from the Defense Ministry in this regard.

The Ministry of Finance said that it has not received the list of employees of the Kabul Air Force to proceed with the payments of their overdue salaries.

The Islamic Emirate said the delay in payment of salaries of the Kabul Air Force employees is due to technical issues. Deputy spokesman, Bilal Karimi for the Islamic Emirate, also confirmed that the employees of the Kabul Air Force have yet to receive their salaries.

He said “Salary have not been paid in some departments due to technical issues. After the technical issues are solved, the process will continued.”

KABUL, 08 December 2022, (TON): The Taliban appealed for emergency humanitarian aid without "political bias", saying recent snow and flooding had worsened the plight of the Afghan people.

Since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August, the country has plunged into financial chaos, with inflation and unemployment surging.

Billions of dollars of the country's assets have been frozen by the United States, while aid supplies have been heavily disrupted.

LONDON, 08 December 2022, (TON): Electricity generation has ended at Scotland’s Hunterston B power station with the shutting down of Reactor 4, an advanced gas-cooled reactor (AGR).

Operator EDF says the power station produced enough electricity during its lifetime to power every home in Scotland for nearly 31 years.

The plant, which came online for the first time in February 1976, was initially expected to run for 25 years but had its generating lifespan increased to more than 45 years.

The station’s other unit, Reactor 3, was taken offline in November.

Station director, Paul Forrest said “the contribution Hunterston B power station has made to this country cannot be underestimated. As well as providing stable, well paid employment for thousands of people in the North Ayrshire area, it has produced almost 300TWh of zero-carbon electricity.”

“Everyone here is proud of what the station has accomplished. We will pause to reflect the end of generation but we are looking forward to the future. We don’t just switch off the power station, close the gates and walk away. It will take time to defuel and decommission the site and we will continue to need skilled people to do this.”

Both reactors were taken offline in 2018 after cracks in their graphite cores were discovered during routine inspections. The UK’s Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) gave approval to restart Reactor 4 in August 2020 and Reactor 3 the following month. However they were taken offline again in 2021 for further inspections of their graphite cores, with the ONR then giving permission for them to be switched on for about six months of operation each.

The two reactors will now be prepared for defueling, where nuclear fuel is removed from the reactors and transported to Sellafield in northwest England for storage.

PARIS, 08 December 2022, (TON): The European Union should develop its own proposals on European security and will deal with this in 2022, since no one should impose solutions on the EU in this area.

This was stated by the head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen at a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron in connection with the beginning of the French presidency of the Council of the European Union, which will continue until June 30, 2022.

“It is very important for me to reflect on the architecture of European security during this presidency (France in the Council of the EU – TASS note). We will return in 2022 with our ideas on European security, with our architecture, which we must discuss and develop together.

More Once I stress, there can be no decisions imposed on Europe in this area. Whatever the decision, it must be made with the participation of the EU,” said von der Leyen. She also stressed that NATO “must play a key role in this dialogue” and the leading EU countries are members of this organization.

The head of the Europe-an Commission also called for speeding up the creation of the EU Defense Union during the French presidency in the first half of 2022.

She said “we need to work to build a defense alliance to prepare to face new challenges, such as hybrid attacks from different directions. Work on the EU Defense Alliance in 2022 will reach a new speed.”

BEIJING, 08 December 2022, (TON): Beijing protested and made a presentation to Washington and Tokyo following the statements of the US and Japanese foreign and defense ministers about China following the two plus two talks.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokes-man Wang Wenbin said this at a briefing.

He said “China’s position on Taiwan, Xinjiang, Hong Kong and sea issues is consistent and clear.”

As the diplomat pointed out, China expresses sharp dissatisfaction and strongly opposes the statements and actions of the United States and Japan, which are gross interference in the internal affairs of the PRC, fabricate lies in order to discredit China, and undermine the unity and trust in the region.

Wang Wenbin added “we have already made a strict submission to the respective countries.”

Following the two plus two talks, the foreign and military heads of the United States and Japan “expressed concern that China’s ongoing efforts to undermine the rule-based order present political, economic, military and technological challenges for the region and the world.”

DHAKA, 08 December 2022, (TON): Twenty one Bangladeshi women, men, and children have returned to the country via Benapole border after serving five years jail term in India.

Indian police handed them over to Benapole Immigration Police at 6:45 pm, reports our Benapole correspondent quoting Md Raju Ahmed, officer-in-charge of Benapole Check-post Immigration Police.

He said “the arrestees were hailing from Narail, Dhaka, Faridpur and Khulna districts.”

He added that among the returnees, 10 are women, 6 are men and 5 are children.

The police official said a team of Indian police had arrested them from Kolkata city for visiting India illegally.

The OC said “around five and half years ago, a human trafficking gang took them to India through various borders, promising to arrange lucrative jobs.”

SRINAGAR, 08 December 2022, (TON): New Delhi’s representative in the occupied territory said “Dubai ports giant DP World is set to build an inland port in India-held Jammu and Kashmir.”

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in Dubai this week to promote investment, said “DP World would soon visit the 250-acre site earmarked for the inland port facility.”

He said “we will finalise it shortly,” describing the project as a “firm commitment” by state-owned DP World.

A DP World spokesperson said the company had a “productive meeting” with Sinha on Thursday and that it was preparing a proposal for the project.

The announcement last October that Dubai would invest in the India-occupied region was the first by any government since Delhi revoked its autonomy in 2019 and divided it into two directly-ruled territories.

NEW DELHI, 08 December 2022, (TON): India delivered two tons of medicines to Afghanistan, although it has not officially recognized its Taliban government.

Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said “the medicine was given to Kabul’s Indira Gandhi Hospital, which was set up with Indian assistance in 2004.”

India also announced that it will provide 50,000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan to ease food shortages there and is working out details of the shipment with Pakistan’s government.

Since the chaotic Taliban takeover of Kabul, an already war-devastated Afghan economy once kept alive by international donations is on the verge of collapse.

DHAKA, 08 December 2022, (TON): The Rapid Action Battalion detained four Rohingya men and seized several firearms during a raid in Naikhongchari upazila of Bandarban.

RAB-15 Deputy Commander Tanvir Hasan said “acting on a tip-off, the elite force conducted a raid in a forest at the Ghumdhum union early in the morning.”

The recovered firearms from the Rohingya detainees in Naikhongchari upazila of Bandarban.

Two pistols, six locally-made firearms and several rounds of ammunition were dug up from the ground.

DHAKA, 08 December 2022, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that everyone should remain alert so that no one can play with the fate of the people of Bangladesh and stop the country’s remarkable journey to economic development.

She said “we all have to keep up vigil so that no one can play ducks and drakes with the fate of people. Our development march forward must not be hindered in any way.”

Sheikh Hasina said this while addressing the nation marking the 3rd anniversary of her current government formed following the 11th national parliamentary election held on December 30, 2018, and stepping into four years of the present Awami League government.

She said “many people cannot tolerate it as Bangladesh is now moving fast on the development highway. So, anti-Bangladesh and anti-independence forces, both at home and abroad, are hatching various conspiracies to stop this progress.”