MOSCOW, 14 December 2021, (TON): Russia said “it may be forced to deploy intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe in response to what it sees as NATO's plans to do the same.”

Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russia's news agency in an interview that Moscow would have to take the step if NATO refused to engage with it on preventing such an escalation.

His comments further raised the stakes in an East-West standoff in which Russia is demanding security guarantees from the West while the United States and its allies are warning Moscow to pull back from what they see as a possible invasion of Ukraine - something Ryabkov again denied was Russia's intent.

Intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) in Europe were banned under a 1987 treaty agreed between Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and US President Ronald Reagan in what was hailed at the time as a major easing of Cold War tensions.

Washington quit the pact in 2019 after complaining for years of alleged Russian violations.

Ryabkov said “there were indirect indications that NATO was moving closer to re-deploying INF, including its restoration last month of the 56th Artillery Command which operated nuclear-capable Pershing missiles during the Cold War.

KABUL, 14 December 2021, (TON): Following a series of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, the third shipment of humanitarian aid of USD 19.2 million reached Afghanistan.

The Transit of the aforesaid shipment from the airport to the Afghanistan International Bank was facilitated by Da Afghanistan Bank.

DAB has always tried to facilitate standard methods that result in prevention of poverty which the noble people of Afghanistan are faced with. Hereby, we assure our people that issues pertaining to the banking system of the country and foreign currency needs will soon be resolved.

It’s worth mentioning that DAB has been continuously trying to maintain the value of the Afghani currency at a fixed level against the foreign currency.

We hope that with the arriving of aforementioned aid, the value of Afghani currency will reach its desired level against the foreign currency.

KABUL, 14 December 2021, (TON): A top Taliban leader said in a rare interview “Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers are committed in principle to education and jobs for girls and women, a marked departure from their previous time in power, and seek the world’s mercy and compassion to help millions of Afghans in desperate need.”

Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also told The Associated Press that the Taliban government wants good relations with all countries and has no issue with the United States.

He urged Washington and other nations to release upward of $10 billion in funds that were frozen when the Taliban took power Aug 15, following a rapid military sweep across Afghanistan and the sudden, secret flight of US-backed President Ashraf Ghani.

“Sanctions against Afghanistan would not have any benefit” Muttaqi said on Sunday, speaking in his native Pashto during the interview in the sprawling pale brick Foreign Ministry building in the heart of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Muttaqi said “making Afghanistan unstable or having a weak Afghan government is not in the interest of anyone.”

Muttaqi acknowledged the world’s outrage at the Taliban-imposed limitations on girls’ education and on women in the workforce.

ISLAMABAD, 14 December 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan said that Pakistan had not been credited by western countries for the sacrifices made during the decades-long global war on terror.

The premier's remarks came during his address to the opening session of Margalla Dialogue 2021 in Islamabad.

The premier stated that the country faced immense collateral damage and was the only country in the US-led alliance which suffered more than 80,000 casualties, displacement of millions and over Rs100bn in economic losses.

Imran also regretted that Pakistan was not able to effectively present its point of view before the world.

Referring to national security, the prime minister said the focus was on military power but "it [national security] is actually an all-encompassing thing. You can't have national security until there is inclusive growth".

He said sans inclusive growth, inequality becomes the basis of discord in society.

ISLAMABAD, 14 December 2021, (TON): Pakistan strongly condemned the unwarranted, gratuitous and provocative comments made by Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, levelling "unfounded allegations in the context of terrorism and hurling threats against Pakistan".

The Indian Express reported Singh claimed that the 1971 war was a reminder that India’s partition on religious lines was a historic mistake and that Pakistan has ever since continued to engage in a proxy-war against India.”

The report quoted the Indian minister as saying "Pakistan wants to break India by promoting terrorism and other anti-India activities. Indian forces foiled its plans in 1971 and now work is going on to eliminate roots of terrorism by our brave forces. We have won in the direct war, and will achieve victory in the proxy war as well.”

In response, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said that Pakistan strongly condemned Singh's "unwarranted, gratuitous and provocative comments questioning established historical facts, levelling unfounded allegations in the context of terrorism and hurling threats against Pakistan".

The FO spokesperson said “it was the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "special forte to misrepresent history, resort to revisionism and delusional thinking and indulge in false bravado.”

He said "the world is aware that Pakistan is fully capable of thwarting India’s aggressive designs. We have demonstrated our resolve and capability in this regard, including in the recent past.”

SRINAGAR, 14 December 2021, (TON): Officials said “two police officers have been killed as suspected rebels ambushed a police bus in Indian-administered Kashmir, while about a dozen others were wounded.”

One officer said “shortly after darkness fell, attackers sprayed the bus transporting an unknown number of personnel from the police headquarters in a high-security area of the region’s main city Srinagar with automatic weapons fire.”

A police officer, who was not authorised to speak to journalists, told media agency on condition of anonymity “at least 12 other policemen were injured in the attack, a few of them are in a critical condition.”

The area was sealed off as reinforcements searched for the assailants.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and “sought details” of the attack, his office said on Twitter.

NAYPYITAW, 14 December 2021, (TON): The National Unity Government’s (NUG) Yangon Division Command said in a statement “the Yangon People’s Defence Force (PDF) attacked two military targets with explosives over the weekend, killing several soldiers.”

PDF fighters fired six shots from grenade launchers at an office of the military’s Tactical Operation Command in Hlaing Tharyar’s Anawrahta Industrial Zone at around 7pm.

A spokesperson for Yangon Division Command said four of the six grenades hit their targets, destroying about 80% of the office.

The spokesperson said “the fighters then used four handmade bombs to attack a convoy of five military vehicles at the Thamagone traffic junction as they towards the site of the first attack, destroying two vehicles, killing two soldiers and injuring six.”

He added “a military tactical officer was travelling in the convoy.”

He added “we were attacked on our way back from the mission but all of our comrades managed to retreat successfully.”

It is unclear how many junta casualties there were from the first attack.

DHAKA, 14 December 2021, (TON): UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, has said that the world must not forget the one million Rohingyas, who faced genocidal attacks in Myanmar and now are living in Bangladesh.

He made the comment as he started his first mission to Bangladesh today, which will last until December 19.

Andrews in a statement said "the world must not forget the roughly one million Rohingya from Myanmar forced to run for their lives from the military's genocidal attack against them. The Rohingya want nothing more than to return to their homes in Myanmar, when conditions allow for their safe, dignified and sustainable return.”

The special rapporteur is set to visit Dhaka, the Rohingya refugee camps in Cox's Bazar, and  Bhasan Char where many Rohingyas have been relocated.

Andrews will meet representatives of the government, as well as UN officials, representatives of civil society organisations and members of the Rohingya community.

NAYPYITAW, 14 December 2021, (TON): According to local sources “four people were shot dead in Mandalay over the weekend in three separate incidents that took place between late Saturday night and early.”

The first shooting was reported in Mandalay’s Chanayethazan Township, where residents told Myanmar Now that they heard multiple gunshots after around 10pm.

People living on 28th Street, where the shooting occurred, said “they did not learn until the next morning that one person had been killed and three others were injured in the incident.”

A man who asked to remain anonymous said “we could hear gunshots all over the neighbourhood. There were two barrages of gunfire. We thought there had been clashes at the ward and township administration offices.”

He added “we only found out in the morning that it was soldiers chasing around four civilians,” he added.

The victims were reportedly four youths who were returning from a restaurant when they encountered the soldiers. No further details were available at the time of reporting.

Sources told media “the two other incidents were reported in Pyigyitagon and Chanmyathazi townships at around the same time.”

DHAKA, 14 December 2021, (TON): The sanctions imposed by the United States on seven officers, including the Inspector General of Police Benazir Ahmed, are undesirable and unexpected.

Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) came up with the statement.

Signed by BPSA President Monirul Islam, an additional inspector general of the Special Branch of Police, and Secretary Md Asaduzzaman, a deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The statement said that the sanctions were imposed without proper scrutiny.

Every member of Bangladesh police is shocked and embarrassed by such a sudden unilateral decision taken by the US government.

The police have been working tirelessly to ensure overall security of the country's people, suppress terrorism, protect human rights and establish the rule of law under the leadership of Benazir Ahmed, reads the statement.