WASHINGTON, 01 January 2022, (TON): The United States voiced concern about Iran’s new space launch, saying it would help the clerical state’s missile program, but indicated it was still pursuing diplomacy to return to a nuclear deal.

A State Department spokesperson said after Iran announced it had sent three research cargo units into space “the United States remains concerned with Iran’s development of space launch vehicles, which pose a significant proliferation concern.”

The spokesperson said “the space launch vehicles incorporate technologies that are virtually identical to, and interchangeable with, those used in ballistic missiles, including longer-range systems.”

The spokesperson contended that Iran’s space launches also violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which blessed a 2015 nuclear deal and called upon Iran not to carry out work on ballistic missiles with the potential to carry nuclear warheads.

Former President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the deal three years later and imposed sweeping sanctions.

BERLIN, 01 January 2022, (TON): Germany is shutting down half of the six nuclear plants it still has in operation, a year before the country draws the final curtain on its decades-long use of atomic power.

The decision to phase out nuclear power and shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy was first taken by the center-left government of Gerhard Schroeder in 2002.

His successor, Angela Merkel, reversed her decision to extend the lifetime of Germany’s nuclear plants in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan and set 2022 as the final deadline for shutting them down.

The three reactors now being shuttered were first powered up in the mid-1980s. Together they provided electricity to millions of German households for almost four decades.

One of the plants, Brokdorf, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Hamburg on the Elbe River, became a particular focus of anti-nuclear protests that were fueled by the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe in the Soviet Union.

The other two plants are Grohnde, about 40 kilometers south of Hannover, and Grundremmingen, 80 kilometers west of Munich.

Some in Germany have called for the decision on ending the use of nuclear power to be reconsidered because the power plants already in operation produce relatively little carbon dioxide. Advocates of atomic energy argue that it can help Germany meet its climate targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But the German government said this week that decommissioning all nuclear plants next year and then phasing out the use of coal by 2030 won’t affect the country’s energy security or its goal of making Europe’s biggest economy “climate neutral” by 2045.

ISTANBUL, 01 January 2022, (TON): Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on citizens to convert their gold holdings to lira through new financial instruments introduced to shore up the currency.

Erdogan said during his address to the General Assembly of Anatolian Lions Businessmen Association (ASKON) in Istanbul “we expect our citizens and business world to support this historic breakthrough of our country, by bringing their gold savings in to the financial system.”

On what he calls the under-the mattress savings of people who withdraw their assets from Turkish banks and keep them at home, he said as of the beginning of 2022, both companies and citizens “will accelerate the return to the lira.”

The president added “the more we bring back to our economy the 5,000 tons of gold kept under the mattress, the stronger our country and nation will be.”

Touching on the recent fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, Erdogan said measures are being taking to prevent sudden, harsh and unreasonable fluctuations.

KHARTOUM, 01 January 2022, (TON): A doctors group said “at least four protesters were killed and hundreds injured demanding the restoration of civilian rule in Sudan.”

At least four protesters were killed Thursday by live munition in Omdurman, the twin city of the capital Khartoum across the White Nile River, while 200 were injured, the Central Committee of the Sudanese Doctors said in a statement.

The committee said “Thursday’s repression of the demonstrations is known as a full-fledged crime against humanity, as the authorities launched a fierce war against peaceful demonstrations.”

It added “we detected about 200 injuries during Thursday’s demonstrations, including about 40 injuries from live bullets, some of which are critical.”

On Thursday, protest rallies took place in several areas in the capital Khartoum, Kasala, and Port Sudan in the country’s east, as well as the northern city of Atbara, according to an Anadolu Agency correspondent on the ground.

Protesters called for democratic civilian rule and decried a recent political deal between the military and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok.

PARIS, 01 January 2022, (TON): France condemned Iran's satellite rocket launch and said it was “all the more regrettable” as nuclear talks with world powers were making progress, echoing concerns expressed by the United States and Germany.

Iran said “it had used a satellite launch rocket to send three research devices into space, as indirect US-Iran talks take place in Austria to try to salvage a 2015 nuclear deal.”

France's foreign ministry said “the satellite launch was in breach of UN Security Council resolutions.”

The French foreign ministry said “these activities are all the more regrettable as they come at a time when we are making progress in the nuclear negotiations in Vienna.”

“We call on Iran not to launch further ballistic missiles designed to be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, including space launchers.”

BERLIN, 01 January 2022, (TON): Germany’s new government, which began work in December, will extend the ban on arms supplies to Saudi Arabia until 2022. This was reported on Friday by the DPA agency with reference to the data of the Ministry of Economy and Climate Protection of Germany.

Germany suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia in November 2018 over the assassination of journalist Jamal Hashkadzhi. This regulation was formally valid until December 31, 2021. Exceptions concerned only joint projects of NATO member countries with Riyadh.

Khashkadzhi, known for his critical articles on the politics of Riyadh, has lived in the United States since 2017, where he worked for The Washington Post.

He disappeared while visiting his country’s Consulate General in Istanbul on October 2, 2018.

On October 20, the Saudi authorities reported that Khashkadzhi was killed in the diplomatic mission as a result of the conflict.

KABUL, 01 January 2022, (TON): As part of its humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan dispatched the first consignment of 1,800 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan via the Torkham crossing.

According to a statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry “the consignment is part of the humanitarian package of Rs5 billion for in-kind assistance for Afghanistan announced by Prime Minister Imran Khan. The package includes 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat, winter shelters and emergency medical supplies.”

The statement added “the first consignment was handed over by Shehzad Arbab, the special assistant to the prime minister, to the Afghan side.”

NEW DELHI, 01 January 2022, (TON): Education being a big part of India-US relationship, both sides are exploring new ways of bringing together institutions that could build the next generation for India’s knowledge economy.

While the strategic and economic areas of the bilateral ties grab headlines, the real ballast is provided by the robust and growing people-to-people relationship, powered largely by the fact that India is the second-highest country of origin of foreign students in the US.

According to Open Doors figures for 2018-19, nearly 2 lakh Indian students, mostly in STEM areas, have been pursuing undergraduate, graduate, non-degree, and optional practical training programs in the US.

Speaking to the TOI, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Indian ambassador to the US, said, “We have been organising regular interactions to bring together educators and experts on both sides. The New Education Policy announced by the government in 2020 offers huge possibilities.

WASHINGTON, 01 January 2022, (TON): Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and nearly 1,000 homes have been destroyed as wildfires spread through the US state of Colorado.

The fast-moving blazes are burning in Boulder County, north of Denver. Governor Jared Polis called it a "New Year's Eve miracle" that no deaths had been reported.

Some 30,000 people in the towns of Louisville and Superior were told to leave their homes on Thursday.

A state of emergency has been declared.

Governor Polis said in a news conference "it was in blink of an eye. This was a disaster in fast motion, all in the course of half a day.”

He added "nearly 1,000 homes are gone.”

Winds of up to 105 mph (169 km/h) are fanning flames across the region amid a historic drought.

TEL AVIV, 01 January 2022, (TON): The Israeli Defense Ministry has signed an agreement with the US government to acquire 12 CH-53K heavy military transport helicopters and two Boeing KC-46 tanker aircraft.

The ministry’s press service said in a statement on Friday “the Israeli Defense Ministry has signed an agreement with the US government to acquire 12 CH-53K helicopters and two Boeing KC-46 tankers.”

They added that the cost of the helicopter deal is about $ 2 billion, and the contract for refueling aircraft is worth about $ 1.1 billion.

The press service added “the agreement provides for the possibility of purchasing six additional helicopters. The first helicopters are expected in Israel in 2026.”