TEHRAN, 06 December 2021, (TON): The reluctance of the United States to lift all sanctions on Iran is the main challenge to reviving a 2015 nuclear pact.

A senior Iranian official said “as Western powers questioned Tehran's determination to salvage the agreement.”

Indirect talks between Washington and Tehran on reinstating their nuclear pact broke off on Friday, with both sides saying they would resume the following week, as Western officials voiced dismay at sweeping demands by the Islamic Republic.

The unnamed official was quoted as saying by Iran's Tasnim news agency "it is now clear that Washington's reluctance to give up sanctions altogether is the main challenge to the progress of the talks.”

"We believe that a deal is within reach if the US government gives up its campaign of maximum pressure and the European parties show serious flexibility and political will in the talks."

Iran and major powers started talks in April aimed at bringing back Tehran and Washington into full compliance with the pact, which was abandoned by former US President Donald Trump three years ago.

WASHINGTON, 06 December 2021, (TON): US President Joe Biden said “he would make it very, very difficult for Russia to launch any invasion of Ukraine, which warned that a large-scale attack may be planned for next month.

Washington and Kiev say “Moscow has massed troops near Ukraine’s borders and accuse Russia of planning an invasion.”

Biden and President Vladimir Putin are due to hold a video call shortly to discuss the rising tensions, both sides confirmed.

Biden told reporters in Washington “he was putting together the most comprehensive and meaningful set of initiatives to make it very, very difficult for Mr Putin to go ahead and do what people are worried he may do.”

Moscow seized Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has since backed separatists fighting Kiev in the east of the country. The conflict has left more than 13,000 dead.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told parliament in Kiev “the most likely time to reach readiness for escalation will be the end of January.”

ABU DHABI, 06 December 2021, (TON): The US State Department said “Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday to discuss “important regional matters.”

Spokesman Ned Price said in a statement “Sheikh Mohammed and Blinken reaffirmed their countries’ strong partnership and discussed ways to broaden and deepen their wide-ranging cooperation.”

Price added “Blinken also thanked the crown prince for the UAE’s generous support in hosting and facilitating the safe transit of US citizens, embassy personnel, and foreign nationals from Afghanistan to third countries, and commended the UAE for providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed held separate talks with his counterparts from Oman, India and Sri Lanka on the sidelines of the two-day 5th Indian Ocean Conference, which kicked off in Abu Dhabi.

During the meetings, Sheikh Abdullah discussed strategic relations and ways to enhance prospects for joint cooperation in all fields, as well as the latest regional and international developments.

Sheikh Abdullah welcomed Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi, and stressed the depth of the relations between the UAE and the sultanate.

TEHRAN, 06 December 2021, (TON): An air defence test triggered a loud explosion near Iran’s Natanz uranium enrichment facility as nuclear talks with major powers stumble.

The official news agency reported “the explosion was heard in the skies over the Iranian city of Badroud, just 20km from the nuclear plant.”

A witness said “badroud residents heard the noise and saw a light which showed an object had just blown up in the skies over the city.”

But the spokesman for the Iranian army, Gen Amir Tarikhani, told state television there was no cause for concern.

Tarikhani said “an hour ago, one of our missile systems in the region was tested to assess the state of readiness on the ground, and there is nothing to fear.”

Israel has said repeatedly that it stands ready to use all means, including force, to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, and Iran has carried out periodic exercises to improve the defences around its nuclear sites.

The army spokesman said “to evaluate the systems based in the region, such exercises are carried out in a completely secure environment and in full coordination with the integrated defence network.”

Israel has been pushing hard for world powers to abandon talks with Iran on reviving a 2015 nuclear deal, which reopened in Vienna on Monday.

DHAKA, 06 December 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged the global community to use resources for universal and sustainable development, not for arms.

She said “at this critical juncture in the world, I urge people to use their resources to achieve universal sustainable development without spending resources on the arms races. Let’s take action and commit to universal peace.”

The prime minister was addressing the closing ceremony of the World Peace Conference at the Hotel InterContinental Dhaka, joining it virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban.

Dhaka hosted the two-day international conference on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the Golden Jubilee of the country’s Independence to promote a culture of peace and tolerance.

Sheikh Hasina said the coronavirus pandemic has plunged the entire world into a new crisis.

She said “this crisis has proven that not one of us is isolated. There’s no alternative to building an accountable-world order based on partnership to live peacefully in this world.”

DHAKA, 06 December 2021, (TON): Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen has alerted the international community about possible disruption of peace and security in the region due to prolonged stay of the Rohingyas in Bangladesh.

He said as the two-day World Peace Conference ended on Sunday evening "as the crisis lingers, the desperation of these forcibly displaced people increases jeopardizing the peace and security of the region.”

Momen said “Bangladesh’s strong commitment to peace and humanity encouraged it to stand for the persecuted Myanmar nationals.”

The foreign minister said “like many other countries, he said, Bangladesh could have turned its back and remained insensitive. "Such indifference, however, is alien to our psyche."

Quoting Dr Martin Luther King, he said “darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

"Let’s lit up the power of love in every heart and create a mindset of tolerance; let the message of peace which this conference has generated help construct a defence of peace in every mind.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the closing ceremony as the chief guest.

KABUL, 06 December 2021, (TON):  Tens of millions of afghanis have been embezzled in the past in revenue of the Kunduz Agriculture Department.

The fund misappropriation becomes obvious, considering the revenue collected over the past three months and this last fiscal year.

Since mid-August, when the Taliban came to power, the authorities have collected over 36 million Afghanis in revenue from the Agriculture Department.

If the trend continues, an estimated 132 million Afghanis will be collected till the end of the current year.

During the last fiscal year, about 12 million afghanis were collected in agro revenue, indicating a difference of over 33 million afs with the revenue expected this year.

Findings of Afghan media sources show the provincial agricultural revenue stood at 11,896,451 afs in 2017, 10,854,363 afs in 2018 and 29,731,180 afs in 2019.

KABUL, 06 December 2021, (TON): The Ministry of Finance (MoF) said that it has reduced the salaries of senior government officials.

According to the ministry, the Islamic Emirate’s supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, receives the highest salary of 228,750 Afs.

Ahmad Wali Haqmal, a spokesman for the Finance Ministry, said “the salary scale of the previous government was unfair and unjust. Some departments were receiving different salaries. There was a need for a change in the salaries.”

Based on the ministry’s figures, the salaries of the government officials and employees are as follows:

Prime Minister: 198,250 Afs, Minister: 137,250 Afs, Provincial Governors: 91,500 Afs, First Rank Officials: 25,200 to 30,500 Afs, Second Rank Officials: 16,600 to 2,600 Afs.

Deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, Inamullah Samangani, said “those who work in the educational department and are considered academics have some extra.”

KABUL, 06 December 2021, (TON): Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reacted to the recent joint statement of 20 counties and said that they have not been killing any personnel of the former Afghan government.

20 countries including the United States (US) released a joint statement on Sunday, December 5 expressing concern over summary killings and the disappearance of former Afghan military personnel by the Taliban.

The countries reacted after Human Rights Watchdog released the report having interviewed eyewitnesses and family members of the former security forces killed in different provinces.

Spokesperson of Afghanistan’s interior ministry Saeed Khostai in a video clip denied the report and said that they are even ready to investigate the alleged killings if someone has proper documents.

Saeed Khostai said that they are still enforcing their announced general amnesty and all former Afghan security personnel is living in peace both in Kabul and provinces.

ISLAMABAD, 06 December 2021, (TON): Industry sources said “Pakistan has started supplying free medicines to Afghanistan in a move to strengthen its assistance to the neighbouring country facing serious medical and health challenges.”

The first consignment of medicines worth Rs25 million was dispatched from Karachi for treatment of viral diseases, regular drugs for common diseases among elders and stock of supplies used in emergencies.

Atif Iqbal of Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA), said “this is the first consignment of our plan of medical assistance in Afghanistan.”

“After a week or so we would be dispatching another such consignment worth Rs100m. The industry has responded to appeal from Afghanistan’s health minister who had recently sought support from Pakistan’s health sector including healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical industry.”

He said “the industry was also sorting out immediate medical needs of Afghanistan and coordinating with member manufacturers in all major cities of Pakistan.”

Consignment worth Rs25m dispatched from Karachi.