KABUL, 03 January 2022, (TON): Khair Khawa Samangani, In charge of press said “300 Officers received their graduation certificate from 209Al-fatal training camps after completion of a month vocational training in Aibak city of Samangan province.”

He said “these border soldiers received graduation certificate after a month vocational training from 209Al-Fatah military training camps of Islamic Emirate in Samangan.”

Molavi Jalaluden Hanafi, the commander of border brigade, remind them in their next duties and responsibilities and said, the Majahiden who wears uniform bears the honors and dignity in defend of Afghanistan’s territory.

KABUL, 02 January 2021, (TON): Russia has linked the Taliban government’s recognition to progress in the fulfillment of their promises. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview talk of the Taliban’s recognition was premature at the moment.

Local media quoted him as asking the Taliban to keep their promises, including the creation of an inclusive government and combating terrorism and drugs.

He added “Russia would gradually move towards excluding the Taliban from the UN Security Council’s blacklist.”

This would create the basis for the official recognition of the new government in Afghanistan, the foreign minister argued. Lavrov confirmed Russia maintained working contacts with representatives of the Taliban, who came to power in mid-August.

NEW DELHI, 02 January 2021, (TON): Officials say “a crowd surge at a popular Hindu shrine in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed at least 12 people and injured 15 others on New Year's Day.”

Initial reports suggested an altercation between a group of devotees led to the crush early on Saturday at the Mata Vaishnav Devi shrine, where tens of thousands of Hindus gathered to pay respects in the hilly town of Katra near southern Jammu city.

Mahesh, who gave only one name said "something happened near one of the gates and I found myself under a crush of people.”

"I suffocated and fell but somehow managed to stand up.”

He said "I saw people moving over the bodies. It was a horrifying sight, but I managed to help in rescuing some injured people.”

Indian news agency quoted police chief Dilbag Singh as saying that authorities were quick to respond and the order within the crowd was immediately restored.

MOSCOW, 02 January 2022, (TON): Uzbekistan, which chairs the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), plans to hold more than 80 international events in 2022, develop a program for the development of intraregional trade and strengthen cooperation between countries in the security sphere.

As priorities, Uzbekistan outlined the intensification of economic cooperation and strengthening the organization’s potential in the field of security.

Tashkent intends to expand the SCO agenda through new directions, such as the creation of mechanisms for the development of digital technologies and innovations. Strengthening dialogue in the health sector remains relevant in the context of the ongoing pandemic.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the republic Abdulaziz Kamilov noted “the country’s authorities have developed a special roadmap and concept for their chairmanship. “There is no doubt that all events within the framework of Uzbekistan’s chairmanship in the SCO will be held at the highest level.”

The next meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO will be held on September 15-16 in Uzbekistan, which, according to Kamilov, opens up an opportunity to realize the potential of the organization in a new way, to strengthen its role and significance.

MOSCOW, 02 January 2022, (TON): The press service of the electric power di-vision of the Rosatom state corporation of the Rosenergoatom concern said “NPPs in Russia in 2021 set a new record for electricity generation, producing more than 222 billion kilowatt-hours.”

The message says “nuclear power plants have generated over 222.436 billion kilowatt-hours.”

In 2020, nuclear power plants in Russia produced a total of about 216 billion kilowatt-hours.

The press release says “the volume of electricity generated by the nuclear power plant in 2021 made it possible to save more than 111 million tons of CO2-equivalent emissions (if the same volume of electricity was generated by thermal generation).

The main factors that played a large role in increasing electricity generation were the commissioning in March 2021 of power unit No. 6 of the Leningrad NPP with a capacity of 1200 MW, as well as a 107-day reduction in the duration of repair campaigns, Rosenergoatom explains.

TEHRAN, 02 January 2022, (TON): The state-run news agency reported “Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard and an armed criminal gang clashed on Saturday in a restive southeastern province, leaving three Guard members and “at least five bandits” dead.

The report said “the fighting took place late Saturday evening in the district of Kourin, about 1,120 kilometers (700miles) southeast of the capital, Tehran, and near the Pakistani border.”

It also said that at least five other bandits were wounded. There were no further details.

The area is in Sistan and Baluchistan province, has been the scene of occasional clashes between Iranian government forces and various militant groups.

The province, bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan, is also where a Sunni separatist group affiliated with al-Qaida and known as Jeish al-Adl, or Army of Justice, operates.

PYONGYANG, 02 January 2022, (TON): North Korea's leader Kim Jong-un has said “the faltering economy will be the national priority this year as the country faces a great life-and-death struggle.”

He was speaking at the end of a key ruling party meeting, coming as Mr Kim marks 10 years in power.

A self-imposed coronavirus blockade has left North Korea struggling with food shortages.

There was no direct mention of the US or South Korea in his speech.

Mr Kim said “increasing development and improving people's living standards was the main task.”

He acknowledged the "harsh situation" in 2021 and set "an important task for making radical progress in solving the food, clothing and housing problem for the people", the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

He said battling the pandemic was one of the main goals for the coming year "Emergency epidemic prevention work should be made a top priority in the state work," he is quoted as saying by KCNA.

RIYADH, 02 January 2022, (TON): State news agency reported “Saudi Arabia’s KSrelief; King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center has dispatched seven tons and 400 kilograms of food baskets and 200 shelter bags to Kabul.”

Earlier in December; two aid planes went also to Afghanistan as part of the Kingdom’s ongoing support of people in Afghan.

On board the two aircraft were 1;647 food baskets and 192 shelter bags weighing 65 tons and 746 kilograms.

WASHINGTON, 02 January 2022, (TON): Outlining US foreign policy goals for 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has promised to look ‘intensely’ at options to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy.

At a year-ender news conference afternoon, the US foreign policy chief identified “Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine, Iran’s nuclear program, and China’s efforts to challenge the rules-based international order” as some of the major challenges of 2022.

He added “esponding to a question about Afghanistan, he pointed out that the US has participated in the release of about $280 million recently in the Afghan Trust Fund.”

“And we are looking intensely at ways to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy, to get more money into people’s pockets.”

The United States, he said, was doing that with other countries and partners and their goal was to “put in place the right mechanisms to do that in a way that doesn’t directly benefit the Taliban but does go directly to the people.”

The United States is the largest single provider of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and has already contributed about $500 million to these funds.

WASHINGTON, 02 January 2022, (TON): Outlining US foreign policy goals for 2022, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has promised to look ‘intensely’ at options to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy.

At a year-ender news conference afternoon, the US foreign policy chief identified “Russia’s aggression toward Ukraine, Iran’s nuclear program, and China’s efforts to challenge the rules-based international order” as some of the major challenges of 2022.

He added “esponding to a question about Afghanistan, he pointed out that the US has participated in the release of about $280 million recently in the Afghan Trust Fund.”

“And we are looking intensely at ways to put more liquidity into the Afghan economy, to get more money into people’s pockets.”

The United States, he said, was doing that with other countries and partners and their goal was to “put in place the right mechanisms to do that in a way that doesn’t directly benefit the Taliban but does go directly to the people.”

The United States is the largest single provider of humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and has already contributed about $500 million to these funds.

GENEVA, 02 January 2022, (TON): Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, who represents in the government the center-right “Free Democratic Party Liberals”, took office as president of the country. He will exercise presidential powers for 12 months, remaining the head of the foreign policy department.

The presidential elections took place on December 8 last year at a joint meeting of the two chambers of parliament.

Cassis was born on April 13, 1961 in the town of Sessa (canton Ticino). Graduated from the University of Zurich, Faculty of Medicine in 1987. In 1996 he received his Master’s degree in Public Health and in 1998 he received his Doctor of Medicine degree. From 1988 he worked as a physician, in 1996-2008 – cantonal physician in Ticino.

2008-2012 Vice President of the Swiss Federation of Physicians. From 2007 to 2017 – Member of the National Council – the lower house of the Swiss parliament from the Free Democratic Party. Liberals. From 2015 to 2017, he headed the parliamentary faction of this party.