BERLIN, 12 April 2022, (TON): Some German power plant operators had been preparing for sanctions announced last week for several months already. It was because of suspicious Russian behavior.

Late on the evening of April 7, the European Union announced a fifth packet of sanctions against Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. Besides sanctioning individuals and restricting shipping, the EU’s packet included a ban on Russian coal imports from August onwards.

Alexander Bethe, chairperson of the German Association of Coal Importers, admitted “we had actually been seeing delays in Russian coal deliveries since last September,”

His industry association, also known as the VDKi, represents the interests of the imported hard coal market there.

He added “stephan Riezler, a senior manager at STEAG Group, one of the largest power producers in Germany, “we started seeing pictures of the military build-up on Ukraine’s borders.”

According to the VDKi “last week, a poll of VDKi members found that 79 percent say they would be able to manage without Russian coal. Last year, Germany imported 41.1 million tons (37 million tonnes) of coal.”

NEW YORK, 12 April 2022, (TON): UN children’s agency said “nearly two-thirds of all Ukrainian children have fled their homes in the six weeks since Russia’s invasion, and the United Nations has verified the deaths of 142 youngsters, though the number is almost certainly much higher.”

Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF’s emergency programs director who just returned from Ukraine, said having 4.8 million of Ukraine’s 7.5 million children displaced in such a short time is quite incredible.

He said “it is something he hadn’t before seen happen so quickly in 31 years of humanitarian work.”

He told the UN Security Council “they have been forced to leave everything behind — their homes, their schools and, often, their family members.”

“I have heard stories of the desperate steps parents are taking to get their children to safety, and children saddened that they are unable to get back to school.”

Ukraine’s UN ambassador, Sergiy Kyslytsya, claimed Russia has taken more than 121,000 children out of Ukraine and reportedly drafted a bill to simplify and accelerate adoption procedures for orphans and even those who have parents and other relatives.

He said “most of the children were removed from the besieged southern port city of Mariupol and taken to eastern Donetsk and then to the Russian city of Taganrog.”

ROME, 12 April 2022, (TON): Italy will increase Algerian natural gas imports by nearly 50 percent after Prime Minister Mario Draghi signed an agreement with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

The agreement comes as Italy tries to compensate for a possible decrease in supplies of Russian gas amid the Ukraine conflict.

Draghi told the press at El-Mouradia presidential palace “our governments signed a declaration of intent on bilateral cooperation in the energy sector.”

He added “Italian and Algerian energy companies Eni and Sonatrach have agreed to increase gas supplies to Italy.”

Italy imports about 95 percent of the gas it consumes, and is one of the European countries most dependent on Russian gas.

Italy has said “it would support a ban on Russian gas over the Ukraine conflict if the EU is receptive to the idea.”

RIYADH, 12 April 2022, (TON): More than 1,400 landmines planted by the Houthi milita in various regions of Yemen were cleared by a Saudi-backed demining program, Saudi Press Agency reported.

The ‘Masam’ demining project, run by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, dismantled 1,444 mines, including 19 anti-personnel mines, 784 anti-tank mines, 640 unexploded ordnance and one explosive device during the first week of April.

According to the SPA report “the number of mines dismantled since the beginning of the “Masam” project so far has reached 330,981.”

The project, launched in 2018, aims to remove mines planted by the Houthi militia indiscriminately throughout Yemen, which often claim the lives of children, women and the elderly.

KABUL, 12 April 2022, (TON): After months of delay, the Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry resumed its activities in the western province of Herat. 

Officials at the chamber said “they will attempt to provide facilities for women’s activities.”

Bahnaz Saljoqi, a member of the chamber said “since the chamber is now reopened and it has resumed activities, other women are encouraged. The women who suspended their business activities, they will resume them again.” 

According to the Women's Chamber of Commerce and Industry “the activities of women traders has increased.”

A female entrepreneur in Herat called on the government and international organizations to provide support as they have suffered severe economic challenges.

Aqila Rahimi, a female entrepreneur said “every woman you see here is the breadwinner for her family.” 

NEW DELHI, 12 April 2022, (TON): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with his US counterpart Lloyd Austin and reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation and the regional security situation.

Mr Singh along with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in Washington to attend the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue, the first under the Biden administration being hosted by Secretary of State Tony Blinken and Austin.

Ministry of Defence said in a statement in New Delhi “Mr Singh, along with Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and a high-level delegation, held the meeting with US Secretary of Defence Austin who was accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other senior officials in Pentagon.”

The two Defence Ministers reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation and the regional security situation.

KABUL, 12 April 2022, (TON): Teams from Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan will meet in the city of Termez, Uzbekistan, to discuss key issues around the $5 billion railway project that passes through Afghanistan to link up with Pakistan’s seaports.

Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat, head of the Afghan railway department, said “all preparations have been made for the start of the railway project and that the Ministry of Interior has given a written commitment to ensure its safety.”

He added “Uzbekistan will build the railway from Naibabad city in Uzbekistan to Mazar-e-Sharif and Samangan in Afghanistan and that Pakistan will continue its part of the railway from Jalalabad to Peshawar.”

He said “we have a meeting in the Termez city of Uzbekistan to discuss and monitor things closely and see how things are and where to start.”

Abdul Latif Nazari, the deputy minister of economy said “we support the development of the road, and our goal is for Afghanistan to be a linking point in the region through railways.”

KABUL, 12 April 2022, (TON): The picturesque Band-e-Amir was a popular tourist destination in the past but the US sanctions on Afghanistan have ruined people’s joy here.

Mohammad Sadat, 25, from the capital city of Kabul, came to enjoy the natural beauty and clean atmosphere in Band-e-Amir lakes.

He said “economic problems and poverty “have ruined the lives of Afghans and without money, you can’t come here for fun.”

There are few tourists in Band-e-Amir, which is part of Afghanistan’s national park situated in the central Bamiyan province, and is comprised of six natural lakes and separated by natural dams made of travertine.

Mostafa, another visitor from eastern Nangarhar province said “the business here in the past was hustle-bustle. The people of Bamiyan had restaurants and hotels here to serve the visitors but unfortunately, all have almost closed and there is nothing this year.”

In the wake of the withdrawal of the US troops from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the country’s power in August last year, Washington has frozen some 9 billion US dollars of Afghan assets, which has worsened the war-torn country’s already fragile economy.

NEW DELHI, 12 April 2022, (TON): India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will meet United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai.

US Trade Representative said in a statement "ambassador Tai will meet with India's Minister of External Affairs Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. This meeting is closed press.”

As per the statement, Ambassador Tai will also meet with Germany's State Secretary for International and EU Affairs and G7/G20 Sherpa Dr Jorg Kukies.

She later will meet with Austria's Minister for Digital and Economic Affairs Margarete Schrambock and Minister for Labor Martin Kocher, as per the US Trade Representative.

NEW DELHI, 12 April 2022, (TON): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last night congratulated new Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and said India desired peace and stability in a region free of terrorism.

Taking to the Twitter, Modi said "Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.”

He said “India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people.”