DUBAI, 04 December 2022, (TON): Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, speaking on the second anniversary of the assassination of General Qassem Soleimani by the United States, said that former US President Donald Trump must face trial for the killing or Tehran would take revenge.

Iran and groups allied with it in Iraq and other countries have been holding events to honour Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards.

He was killed in Iraq in a drone strike on Jan. 3, 2020, ordered by then President Trump.

Raisi said in a speech "if Trump and (former secretary of state Mike) Pompeo are not tried in a fair court for the criminal act of assassinating General Soleimani, Muslims will take our martyr's revenge.”

Raisi added "the aggressor, murderer and main culprit - the then president of the United States - must be tried and judged under the (Islamic) law of retribution, and God's ruling must be carried out against him.”

Under Iran's Islamic laws, a convicted murderer can be executed unless the family of the victim agree to take "blood money" through a reconciliation.

KABUL, 04 December 2022, (TON): Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that Russian investors have announced their willingness to extract Afghanistan’s petroleum and gas while meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salaam Hanafi.

The Deputy PM has met with Russian investors in Kabul and discussed a number of economic projects including refinement and excavation of gas and petroleum, wrote IEA’s spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid on his Twitter.

Reads a Twitter post of Mujahid “Deputy PM Abdul Salaam Hanafi accompanied by Afghan traders and investors called on Russian investors in his office and discussed founding a cement factory, separate plants of SNG and LNG beside refinement and extraction of oil and gas in Afghanistan.”

Mujahid wrote that Hanafi welcomed the willingness of Russian investors for extracting Afghanistan’s gas and oil and assured them of providing a conducive environment for further investment in the country.

KABUL, 04 December 2022, (TON): Iran’s ambassador in Kabul said that his country will not recognize the current Afghan government unless its government is inclusive.

He made the remarks in a special interview with media Bahram Aman in Kabul. Ambassador Bahadur Aminian said that Tehran might persuade other countries to recognize the Afghan government if the Islamic Emirate brings reforms to its government structure.

He said “if a group comes (to power) and the group is (comprised) of a single ethnic group and all other ethnic groups are not included in the government, we don’t accept it, and, therefore, we benevolently call on the Taliban rulers to form an inclusive government.”

But the Islamic Emirate said Aminian’s remarks are an attempt to interfere in Afghan affairs.

“Is the government or the cabinet of Iran based on other people’s definition of inclusive?” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.

“Every country has their own definition of inclusive government based on their national interests.”

SANAA, 04 December 2022, (TON): Yemeni rebels have seized an UAE-flagged vessel in the Red Sea, the insurgents and a Saudi-led coalition said on Monday, giving contrasting explanations for the latest escalation in a seven-year war.

The coalition, fighting in support of Yemen's internationally-recognised government, said the vessel was carrying medical supplies but the rebels said they seized "a military cargo ship with military equipment.”

The coalition has been fighting for nearly seven years in support of Yemen's government against the Iran-backed Houthis, and fighting has intensified over the past few weeks.

Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said "the boat named Rawabi, bearing the flag of the United Arab Emirates, was pirated and kidnapped at 23:57 (2057 GMT) Sunday while off Hodeida province.”

In a statement cited by the official Saudi Press Agency, he said the vessel was travelling from Yemen's Socotra island, off the country's south coast.

Malki said “it was returning to the Saudi city of Jazan carrying medical supplies after finishing a mission to set up a field hospital on the island.”

KUALA LUMPUR, 04 December 2022, (TON): Officials said “thousands more people have fled swamped homes as heavy rains exacerbated flooding in seven Malaysian states, with over 125,000 people evacuated in total since mid-December.”

The National Disaster Management Agency said the weeks-long bout of bad weather was expected to carry on until Tuesday. 

Dangerous water levels were detected in rivers in at least five states, a government monitoring website showed yesterday, with rising levels recorded in many other areas.

Some 50 people have been killed so far, a police Facebook post on Saturday said, with two still missing.

The tropical Southeast Asian nation often faces stormy weather around the year's end, with seasonal flooding regularly causing mass evacuations.

WASHINGTON, 04 December 2022, (TON): The White House said in a statement “US President Joe Biden told Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy the United States and its allies will "respond decisively" if Russia further invades Ukraine.”

The call came days after Biden held a second conversation in a month with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid tensions on Russia's border with Ukraine, where Russia has massed some 100,000 troops.

White House spokesperson Jen Psaki said in a statement following the call "President Biden made clear that the United States and its allies and partners will respond decisively if Russia further invades Ukraine.”

Biden and Zelenskiy discussed preparations for a series of upcoming diplomatic meetings to address the crisis, according to the White House.

Zelenskiy said on Twitter that they discussed joint actions on keeping peace in Europe and preventing further escalation.

CAP TOWN, 04 December 2022, (TON): A spokesperson said “a massive fire in South Africa's houses of parliament in Cape Town has burned down the entire National Assembly where elected parliamentarians sit.”

Moloto Mothapo said "the entire chamber where the members sit has burned down.”

He added that the blaze had still not been extinguished.

The historic building houses a collection of rare books and the original copy of the former Afrikaans national anthem used during the apartheid era, "Die Stem Suid-Afrika" ("The Voice of South Africa"), which was already damaged.

The cause of the fire is unknown, but an investigation has been opened and an individual held.

President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters at the scene earlier yesterday that an arrest had been made.

DHAKA, 04 December 2022, (TON): The only female Formed Police Unit (FPU) of 180 members of Bangladesh Police has reached the UN peacekeeping mission, Kinshasa capital of Democratic Republic of Congo.

According to a press release issued by the Police Headquarters “the team left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport last night on a chartered flight of Bangladesh Biman.”

Members of the current BANFPU-1, Rotation-15, MONUSCO, DRC under the leadership of Commander Nazmun Nahar will replace the BANFPU-1, Rotation-14, MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo- MONUSCO) and DRC unit.

Additional IG Md Mazharul Islam, DIG Abu Hassan Muhammad Tarique, DIG Md Haider Ali Khan and AIG Nashian Wazed were present at the airport for seeing off the mission going unit.

Bangladesh Police has been participating in UN peacekeeping missions since 1989 with a commitment to the welfare of humanity and the establishment of peace.

NEW DELHI, 04 December 2022, (TON): India has given half a million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Afghanistan and pledged to send more vaccines and food grain in the coming weeks to the country, where millions face hunger.

According to the Indian Foreign Ministry “the vaccines were delivered Saturday.”

This was the second batch of humanitarian assistance from New Delhi to Kabul following the Taliban takeover in August.India sent 1.6 tons of medicines to the country last month.

The Foreign Ministry said in a statement “the Government of India has committed to provide humanitarian assistance consisting of food grains, one million doses of COVID vaccine and essential life-saving drugs.”

“In coming weeks, we would be undertaking supply of wheat and the remaining medical assistance.”

India has said that it plans to ship 50,000 tons of wheat to Afghanistan and has requested Pakistan’s help in delivering it through its territory.

NEW DELHI, 04 December 2022, (TON): Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting to assess the internal security situation in the country, and stressed on the threats of terrorism and the need for coordination among central and state agencies.

The meeting was attended by top officials of central agencies and forces apart from police officials of various states through video conference.

A statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said highlighting “the continued threats of terrorism and global terror groups, terror financing, narco-terrorism, organised crime-terror nexus, illicit use of cyber space, movement of foreign terrorist fighters, etc.”

It said “Home Minister stressed upon the need for better coordination and synergy among the central and state security agencies in countering the ever-changing CT and security challenges.”

The meeting was held just days after security forces said there were indications that last month’s Ludhiana court blast was linked to Khalistani and narco-terror elements operating from Pakistan. One person died and several others were injured in the blast inside the Ludhiana District Court Complex on December 23.

Sources said Monday’s meeting was a periodic review organised by the Multi Agency Centre of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), but it was not routine for a home minister to attend it.