NEW DELHI, 24 December 2021, (TON): Police said “at least two people were killed and as many injured after a powerful explosion ripped through an Indian court building.”

Footage showed police officers carrying the injured out of the building and asking others to leave the premises after the explosion near a restroom of the judicial complex in Ludhiana, north of the capital New Delhi.

A police officer at the scene said “there's been a blast but we can not confirm the cause.”

He added “we can confirm that four people are injured and out of four, two are dead.”

Local media reported “the blast damaged the walls of the bathroom and shattered glass in other rooms.”

Punjab state chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said “the government was on alert and announced an investigation.

NEW DELHI, 24 December 2021, (TON): Leaders of several far-right Hindu groups have called for genocide of minorities in India, particularly the country's 200 million Muslim community.

According to The Quint “a three-day ‘hate speech conclave’ was organised by the controversial Hindutva leader Yati Narsinghanand from December 17 to 19 in Haridwar city of India’s Uttarakhand state.”

At the summit Hindutva leaders with some of them affiliated with the ruling BJP party made calls to kill minorities and attack their religious spaces, sparking widespread outrage and calls for action against them.

Narsinghanand said at the gathering "economic boycott won't work. Hindu groups need to update themselves. Swords look good on stage only. This battle against Muslims will be won by those with better weapons.”

According to The Wire “another speaker Sadhvi Annapurna, general secretary of the Hindu Mahasabha [Hindu Grand Assembly], called for the ethnic cleansing of Muslims living in the country.”

Annapurna said "nothing is possible without weapons. If you want to eliminate their population then kill them. Be ready to kill and be ready to go to jail. Even if 100 of us are ready to kill 20 lakhs [two million] of them [Muslims], then we will be victorious, and go to jail.”

NAYPYITAW, 24 December 2021, (TON): According to one of the groups involved “a military logistics train came under attack from two local People’s Defence Force (PDF) groups in Magway Region’s Pakokku Township.”

An information officer for the Pakkoku PDF told media that the train was heading towards the town of Kyun Chaung from Pakokku when it was hit by four explosives between the villages of Nantawyat and Htanpinkaing.

The information officer said “the train’s engine and several cars at the front were badly damaged by the blasts, and at least five of the eight military personnel aboard were injured.”

He added “the attack was carried out in collaboration with the Myit Chay and Kyun Chaung Defence Force (MC-KCDF), another resistance group operating in the area.”

According to an inside news source “all eight soldiers were admitted to the hospital and three of them had to have their legs amputated. However, we still have not confirmed this.”

He added that the destroyed train was later towed by another train towards Pakokku. He said he could not confirm if the train was carrying weapons and ammunition.

NAYPYITAW, 24 December 2021, (TON): According to rescue workers and local sources “three more bodies were recovered and dozens more were still missing, a day after a landslide near the jade-mining town of Hpakant in Kachin State.”

Between 80 and 100 people are feared missing after the pre-dawn landslide at an old mine near the village of Tharyargone.

The body of one man estimated to be in his 30s was recovered later that day, and three more were found on Thursday, according to Min Naing, the chair of the Thingaha social welfare group, one of several groups involved in the search effort.

He added that at least seven social welfare groups are taking part in the search for bodies along with volunteers from the Red Cross Society and members of Hpakant’s fire department.

He told Myanmar Now on Thursday afternoon “we will continue searching for more bodies tomorrow.”

The landslide involved the collapse of a large pile of mine waste. Some locals suggested that it occurred because of erosion caused by a lake at the base of the pile.

DHAKA, 24 December 2021, (TON): The United States has proposed to the Bangladesh government for signing an agreement on using the funds it is likely to receive for its security forces under the Leahy Law of that country.

The Bangladesh government, at an inter-ministerial meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office on December 21, discussed the scopes of engagements under the Leahy Law after getting a communication from the US on December 1 in this regard.

The prime minister’s principal secretary, Ahmad Kaikaus, presided over the meeting attended by top officials of different ministries and departments.

The Leahy Law, enacted in 1961, refers to two statutory provisions prohibiting the US government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces if there is credible information implicating the units in the commission of gross violation of human rights, according to the US Department of State website.

The matter was also discussed in the context of the US sanctions slapped on the Rapid Action Battalion and several of its current and former senior officers on December 10.

DHAKA, 24 December 2021, (TON): Bangladesh and the Maldives have agreed to address and counter the threats posed by organised crimes, piracy, narcotic, and human trafficking, through multilateral and regional for a, including Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), in the quest of attaining security, stability and peace in the Indian Ocean region.

According to a joint communiqué issued “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President of the Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih agreed on the importance of working together bilaterally, regionally and internationally in combating the rising menace of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization.”

Both leaders emphasised that the regional organisations such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation has an important role to play in promoting regional cooperation in many areas.

The Bangladesh side highlighted that the country has assumed the Chairmanship of IORA for the first time, since October 2021 and sought the support of the Maldives for working together towards greater maritime safety and security in the Indian Ocean Region.

RIYADH, 23 December 2021, (TON): Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor general of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, met the special envoy of the secretary-general of the Arab League for humanitarian relief affairs, Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa Al-Thani, in Riyadh.

During the meeting, Al-Rabeeah reviewed relief and humanitarian projects implemented by the Kingdom through KSrelief, which amount to 1,806 initiatives in 77 countries.

Sheikha Hessa praised the center’s relief and humanitarian achievements and its efforts in delivering aid to impoverished and war-torn countries around the world.

Also, KSrelief signed an agreement to equip and operate Hajjah’s Emergency Center for Epidemic Disease Control in its third phase.

Ahmed bin Ali Al-Baiz, KSrelief assistant supervisor general for operations and programs, signed the agreement at the center’s headquarters in Riyadh.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Wadei, deputy director of the health and environmental aid department at KSrelief, said that the project aims to fight diseases and epidemics, secure primary healthcare in the Hiran area of Hajjah province and provide statistical data to the epidemiological surveillance system database.

LONDON, 23 December 2021, (TON): The US Senate has confirmed a Muslim as the US ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom for the first time.

Rashad Hussain, 42, was confirmed by the US Senate last Thursday by an overwhelming majority of 85 to five.

The US Commission on International Religious Freedom hailed Hussain’s appointment, and highlighted his previous role as director for partnerships and global engagement at the National Security Council.

He also previously served as the Obama administration’s special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

USCIRF Chair Nadine Maenza said in a statement “with his years of knowledge and experience, Ambassador Hussain is well placed to advance the US government’s promotion of international religious freedom.”

Hussain is a devout Muslim and hafiz, meaning he has memorized the entirety of the Qur’an.

An Arabic and Urdu speaker, Hussain’s previous work has included fighting antisemitism in the US, and defending religious minorities in countries with Muslim majorities.

BRUSSELS, 23 December 2021, (TON): With a budget of almost €900 million, the Global Europe thematic programme on Peace, Stability and Conflict Prevention will support actions with a global or trans-regional impact during the period of 2021-2027, by providing assistance to build capacities for conflict prevention, peacebuilding and crisis preparedness and addressing global, trans-regional and emerging threats.

Through this programme, the EU will contribute to the achievement of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The EU is stepping up its capacity to advance peace and security in conflict-affected areas.

High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell said “the EU needs to be able to address instability and conflict globally. With this programme, we step up our capacity to act and support our partners in conflict prevention, peacebuilding and crisis preparedness globally, and to address emerging threats. It will ensure that we match our ambitions with tangible support.”

Building on the work done under the Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace, it will be complemented by other tools, such as the European Peace Facility and Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations.

The support under this programme will focus on two main priorities “Peace, Stability and Conflict Prevention.”

TEL AVIV, 23 December 2021, (TON): The US national security adviser held talks Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who warned that negotiations in Vienna on Iran’s nuclear program had “profound ramifications” for Israeli security.

Bennett’s government has remained firmly opposed to ongoing international efforts to revive a 2015 accord that saw Iran agree to curbs on its nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief.

Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to President Joe Biden, said his visit to Israel had come at a critical juncture.

Sullivan said, according to an Israeli government statement “it’s important that we sit together and develop a common strategy, a common outlook, and find a way forward that fundamentally secures your country’s interests and mine.”

He did not directly mention Iran but the Israeli statement said the meeting focused on the Vienna talks.

A joint statement said “later, Sullivan and his Israeli counterpart Eyal Hulata led a meeting of delegations from both countries.”

The statement added “they discussed the need to confront “all aspects of the threat posed by Iran, including its nuclear program, destabilising activities in the region, and support for terrorist proxy groups.”