GENEVA, 30 December 2021, (TON): The Geneva authorities welcome the choice of this city by Russia and the United States for bilateral consultations and will ensure that the discussions are held in the best possible conditions.

This was announced by local media Minister of the cantonal government Natalie Fontane, who is in charge of international relations.

Answering a question about how the Geneva authorities assess the Russian-American consultations on security guarantees planned for January 10 in this city, Fontane said for this new debate between the two countries. This choice is an honor for our canton and its long-standing commitment to peaceful and constructive dialogue between states. “

The minister concluded “we will make sure that the discussions can take place in the best possible conditions, in accordance with the long Swiss tradition of good offices.”

Earlier, the official representative of the Swiss Foreign Ministry Eliza Raggi told TASS, answering a question about the consultations planned for January 10 in Geneva between Russia and the United States, that Switzerland is ready to offer its good offices when they are useful and desirable.

She said “this also includes acting as a host country or facilitating negotiations and meetings.”

DHAKA, 30 December 2021, (TON): The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase (CCPP) approved five proposals of the Power Division-Four for extension of contracts with four gas-based rental power plants and one for setting up a new independent power producer (IPP) plant.

Another seven proposals of different departments under different ministries also received approval from the CCPP.

Besides, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave nod to another proposal of the Power Division for signing an unsolicited contract for the operation and maintenance of a public sector power plant.

Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal presided over the consecutive meetings of the two cabinet bodies where their respective members were present.

The four rental power plants which got the cabinet body approval are 50MW Kumargaon power plant, 50MW Fenchuganj plant, 20MW Bogra power plant, and 53MW Ashuganj power plant.

About the approvals, the finance minister said the state-owned Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) will purchase electricity from them on “No Power, No Payment” basis for which the government will have no obligation to buy power from the plants.

DHAKA, 30 December 2021, (TON): The government is set to cautiously accept a US proposal of signing an instrument on the use of security assistance provided by the country.

Foreign secretary Masud Bin Momen after an inter-ministerial meeting said “the US wanted to engage with Bangladesh through a formal instrument on holding prior assessment on the use of security assistance provided by the country.”

He said “we are working on our options on the matter.”

He added that the government would communicate the US side a draft note after vetting of the law and home ministries and other authorities concerned.

The foreign secretary said “we may try to provide the instrument by December 31 depending on the consent of the appropriate authorities.”

He said that the Bangladesh side ‘may incorporate some measures in the instrument’ for safeguarding the national interests, keeping scopes for holding prior consultations about any reservations from any side and present views in defence of the national institutions here.”

KABUL, 30 December 2021, (TON): Over 600 internally-displaced and less fortunate families have been delivered aid by the Islamic Relief Organisation in coordination with the Department of Refugees in eastern Nangarhar province.

The Department of Refugees said these families had been identified through a survey. The aid packages provided to them included flour, rice, cooking oil and other food items.

Islamic Relief Organisation representative Mohammad Haleem Mamozai said “at the distribution ceremony that with technical cooperation from the Department of Refugees, they delivered aid to 607 displaced families in Nangarhar.”

Maeel Khan, displaced from Khogyani district during the previous regime, is currently living in Jalalabad. He told Pajhwok Afghan News the aid package was not enough for his family and urged more assistance.

He suggested the Department of Refugees in coordination with the Department of Works and Social Affairs, should provide them job opportunities.

Director of Refugees Ikramuddin Maftoon said displaced families in Nangarhar were committed to returning to their native areas.

DHAKA, 30 December 2021, (TON): Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain paid a farewell call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban, on his last day in office.

President's press secretary Joynal Abedin told media “during the meeting, the outgoing chief justice expressed his gratitude to the president for his cooperation in discharging his duties.”

Hamid also thanked him for successfully carrying out his duties.

The president lauded the steps taken by the CJ in the development of the judiciary including conducting judicial activities in a virtual manner.

NEW DELHI, 30 December 2021, (TON): Jammu and Kashmir Hurriyat Party and other opposition groups slammed India’s recent move to allow non-Kashmiris to buy land, saying New Delhi had put up Jammu and Kashmir on sale.

In a statement, Kashmir’s All Parties Hurriyat Conference headed by incarcerated Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, said it has “strongly appealed to the international community to take cognisance of the systemic demographic change being foisted upon Muslim majority Jammu & Kashmir, by settling outsiders here including through a new policy of sale of land and natural resources to them.”

APHC said that of Government of India wants to change the demographic character of Muslim majority J&K and disempower its residents through such diktats.

It said “the measures were aimed at scuttling “the final resolution of the long standing international political dispute of Kashmir in accordance with the will and aspirations of its people as promised by the international community, based on principles of justice and international law.”

Since August 2019, in succession one after another authoritarian laws and diktats are being implemented in the state towards this end and “to facilitate the electoral prospects of the ruling party in India as J&K has become its favourite whipping boy.”

NEW DELHI, 30 December 2021, (TON): The civil society groups in Nagaland's Mon district have claimed they have "doubts on the credibility" of the Army's Court of Inquiry instituted to probe the Nagaland firing incident and the killing of 14 youths.

The Konyak Union said in a press statement "the public at the ground zero had also recognized some faces who were directly involved in the December 4 Oting Yatong massacre incident. Instead of persecuting them, why are those culprits still safe and well protected? The act of bringing along the killers of the incident seems like an intention to hurt and aggravate those already in grief. The Konyak Civil Society Organisation doubts the credibility of the Indian Army inquiry team who had visited the ground zero.”

The Konyak Union, one of the most influential Naga civil society oganisations, demanded that those involved in the killing of the 14 Konyak youths must be punished immediately.

In a strongly-worded statement, it said that the central government must immediately "sanction order for the prosecution of those Indian Army officers involved in the killing of 14 innocent Konyak youths".

The statement said "the Konyak CSO also warned any move to distort the truth shall be considered as an act against the Konyak. Hence the onus lies on the government to prove whether the Konyaks are its citizens or not.”

KABUL, 30 December 2021, (TON): Turkish and Qatari firms said “a final agreement on operating the Kabul airport is yet to be signed with the Taliban government.”

Local media quoted the Turkish foreign minister as saying that a memorandum of understanding had been signed in Doha between the private companies.

Mevlut Cavusoglu added the MoU on running Kabul and four other airports in Afghanistan was inked in Doha earlier this month.

The United Arab Emirates, which took care of the civilian part of Kabul airport under the Ghani administration, was also interested in joining the Turkish and Qatari firms.

KABUL, 30 December 2021, (TON): Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi met United Arabic Emirate Chairman of Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security Ali Mohammed bin Hammad Al Shamsi.

In the meeting, Mr. Al Shamsi said “ties with IEA went back and remained strong, noting cooperation and investment in economic, education, technical and agricultural fields.”

Minister Muttaqi thanked them for their assistance and called for its continuation, saying IEA sought comprehensive positive relations with all world countries including the UAE.

SANAA, 29 December 2021, (TON): The United Nations warned that human rights violations will not go on with “impunity” in war-torn Yemen.

UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, said in a statement “we stress that violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Yemen cannot continue with impunity.”

The UN envoy “denounced the recent major military escalation in Yemen”, and urged the warring sides “to immediately de-escalate”.

Grundberg warned “the ongoing escalation undermines the prospects of reaching a sustainable political settlement to end the conflict in Yemen.”

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital Sanaa.

A Saudi-led coalition aimed at reinstating the Yemeni government has worsened the situation, causing one of the world’s worst man-made humanitarian crises, with nearly 80% or about 30 million needing humanitarian assistance and protection, and more than 13 million in danger of starvation, according to UN estimates.

Since February, Houthi rebels have stepped up attacks to take control of the oil-rich Marib province, one of the most important strongholds of the legitimate government and home to the headquarters of Yemen’s Defense Ministry.