RIYADH, 30 December 2021, (TON): Multiple missiles fired by the Houthi militia in Yemen targeted Ataq Airport in Shabwah Governorate, damaging some technical equipment.

The General Authority for Civil Aviation in the legitimate Yemeni government in Aden condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack and targeting of Ataq Airport yesterday evening.”

The Arab coalition said it destroyed military vehicles belonging to the militia on several fronts in Shabwa over the past 24 hours.

MOSCOW, 30 December 2021, (TON): An informed source told media “in the Russian Arctic , tests of the S -500 anti-aircraft missile system (SAM) took place.”

The agency’s interlocutor said “the launch of the long-range missile system was carried out at a hypersonic target, the target was successfully hit.”

The source clarified that “testing of another system the S-550 is not planned in the near future, since its prototypes have not yet been created, while development is underway.”

BEIRUT, 30 December 2021, (TON): A war monitor said “at least two members of a pro-government militia were killed in an Israeli strike on the Syrian port of Latakia.”

The strike before dawn marked the second time that Israel has hit the key cargo hub since the outbreak of Syria’s civil war in 2011.

The Israeli attack, one of nearly 30 that have hit Syria this year — caused significant damage with stacks of containers catching fire.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said “two members of a pro-regime militia were killed in the Israeli strike.”

“They had suffered serious wounds and succumbed to their injuries” in hospital in Latakia on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, 30 December 2021, (TON): Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Secretary Blinken reiterated the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders.

The two discussed efforts to peacefully resolve the conflict in eastern Ukraine and upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia.

WASHINGTON, 30 December 2021, (TON): The United States appointed an envoy to defend the rights of Afghan women, signalling a key priority as the Taliban ratchet up restrictions.

Rina Amiri, an Afghan-born US scholar and mediation expert who served at the State Department under former president Barack Obama, will take the role of special envoy for Afghan women, girls and human rights, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced.

Months after the United States ended its 20-year war in Afghanistan, Blinken said that Amiri will address issues of "critical importance to me" and the rest of President Joe Biden's administration.

Blinken said in a statement "we desire a peaceful, stable and secure Afghanistan, where all Afghans can live and thrive in political, economic and social inclusivity.”

The Taliban imposed an ultra-austere brand of Islam on Afghanistan during their 1996-2001 regime, including banning women from working and girls from education.

JERUSALEM, 30 December 2021, (TON): Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas visited Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz during a rare trip to Israel for what Gantz s department said were talks on security and civil matters.

An Israeli Defence Ministry statement said “Gantz told Abbas that he intended to continue to promote actions to strengthen confidence in the economic and civilian fields, as agreed during their last meeting.”

“The two men discussed security and civil matters,” it added of the meeting, which Israeli media reported took place at Gantz s home in Rosh HaAyin, central Israel.

In late August, Gantz visited the Palestinian Authority s headquarters for talks with Abbas, the first official meeting at such a level in several years.

But after those talks, Israel s Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that there was no peace process ongoing with the Palestinians, “and there won t be one”.

Palestinian Civil Affairs Minister Hussein al-Sheikh tweeted on Wednesday that “Abbas met with Benny Gantz, where the meeting dealt with the importance of creating a political horizon that leads to a political solution in accordance with international resolutions”.

MINSK, 30 December 2021, (TON): President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that Belarusians appreciate Russia’s support and will not remain in debt, and suggested continuing cooperation in the defense sector, including joint exercises and the creation of centers for training military equipment.

Lukashenko at a meeting with Putin said “remember, no matter how our relations develop, we will not remain in debt. I think that we can still do a lot. And I have asked you for a long time not to stop cooperation in the military sphere, the defense industry and the military-industrial complex.”

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko stressed that his Russian colleague has always supported him in this regard.

Lukashenka continued “I turned to you so that you do not stop our joint exercises, so that we continue to create centers to train our children in new models of military equipment, which we buy from Russia, we are doing this.”

He added that the practice of holding joint exercises of the armies of the two countries should not be stopped, and reminded that the Russian side is considering Minsk’s proposals on such exercises on the territory of Belarus.

RIYADH, 30 December 2021, (TON): Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji on Wednesday held a series of meetings in Riyadh with foreign ambassadors to the Kingdom.

The envoys were Chen Weiqing from China, Mohammed Javed Patwary from Bangladesh, Abdul Sattar Al-Janabi from Iraq and Juraj Koudelka from the Czech Republic.

The officials discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and their respective countries as well as other issues of common interest.

Also, Al-Khuraiji met fellow Saudi Hani Al-Muqbel, who is the chairman of the executive council of the Tunis-based Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization. The two men discussed a range of topics of common interest.

WASHINGTON, 30 December 2021, (TON): US President Joe Biden is set to hold talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin for the second time this month, in a bid to de-escalate tensions over Ukraine.

The two leaders will speak by phone on Thursday.

A White House official said “they will discuss forthcoming security talks between the countries and the situation in Europe.”

Russia, which has built up forces on the border with Ukraine, denies planning to invade the country.

It said “its troops are there for exercises, and that Russia is entitled to move its troops freely on its own soil.”

A White House statement said “the US consulted European leaders ahead of the call to co-ordinate a common response to the issue.”

Ukrainian security officials say more than 100,000 Russian troops have been sent close to their shared border, and the US has threatened Mr Putin with sanctions "like none he's ever seen" if Ukraine comes under attack.

A US official told media “Mr Biden will offer his Russian counterpart a "diplomatic path" but remains "gravely" concerned by the Russian troop build-up on the border.”

VIENNA, 30 December 2021, (TON): Russian Permanent Representative to International Organizations in Vienna Mikhail Ulyanov said that he had met with the US Special Envoy for Iran, Robert Mally.

The eighth round of talks to re-establish a nuclear deal with Iran kicked off in the Austrian capital on Monday. The negotiators assume that weeks, not months, remain until an agreement is reached.

Ulyanov wrote on Twitter “today I met with the US special envoy for Iran, Robert Malli. Close consultations and coordination between the Russian and American delegations during the Vienna talks are an important prerequisite for progress in restoring the JCPOA.”

According to Ulyanov, the negotiators should focus on reaching an agreement by early February. Earlier, he noted that all the negotiators do not want to waste time and are focused on the early restoration of the JCPOA.

The previous, seventh round of negotiations in Vienna on the renewal of the JCPOA on the Iranian nuclear program started at the end of November. The main topic of the talks was the issue of lifting US sanctions from Tehran. On December 17, the completion of the seventh round of negotiations was announced. The parties reached an agreement on two draft agreements, in which the European side also included Iran’s position.