RIYADH, 29 January 2022, (TON): The Kingdom’s defense ministry said “the Royal Saudi Naval Forces continued a mixed bilateral maritime exercise with their Egyptian counterparts in the Red Sea.”

The Morjan 17 exercise, which began on Jan. 23, is being held at King Faisal Naval Base in the Western Fleet.

The exercise witnessed a number of combat hypotheses, such as dealing with hostile targets using live ammunition, storming buildings, reconnaissance of beaches and islands, maneuvers for naval vessels in the Red Sea, and several lectures on various maritime and strategic fields.

The ministry said “this exercise aims to strengthen relations and joint cooperation and raise the level of combat readiness and preparedness between the Royal Saudi Naval Forces and the Egyptian Navy.”

MOSCOW, 29 January 2022, (TON): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock in a telephone conversation on Friday expressed support for the work of the Normandy format to promote the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.

The Russian diplomatic service said in a statement “mutual support was expressed for the work within the framework of the Normandy format to promote the full implementation of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the crisis in eastern Ukraine.”

Lavrov also shared with Burbock Russia’s first reaction to the US and NATO responses on security assurances.

The Russian diplomatic agency said in a statement “Lavrov again drew attention to Russian initiatives on security guarantees in Europe and shared the first reaction to the US and NATO documents received in response to these initiatives, emphasizing the priority of the tasks of not expanding the North Atlantic Alliance and not deploying strike weapons that threaten Russia.”

MOSCOW, 29 January 2022, (TON): Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock in a telephone conversation on Friday expressed support for the work of the Normandy format to promote the full implementation of the Minsk agreements.

The Russian diplomatic service said in a statement “mutual support was expressed for the work within the framework of the Normandy format to promote the full implementation of the Minsk agreements on the settlement of the crisis in eastern Ukraine.”

Lavrov also shared with Burbock Russia’s first reaction to the US and NATO responses on security assurances.

The Russian diplomatic agency said in a statement “Lavrov again drew attention to Russian initiatives on security guarantees in Europe and shared the first reaction to the US and NATO documents received in response to these initiatives, emphasizing the priority of the tasks of not expanding the North Atlantic Alliance and not deploying strike weapons that threaten Russia.”

BAGHDAD, 29 January 2022, (TON): Iraqi officials said “at least three rockets struck near Baghdad’s international airport and an adjacent military base that hosts U.S. and other coalition advisors, damaging an abandoned commercial plane but causing no casualties.”

The rockets struck in the early morning hours, and landed between the civilian and military areas of the airport, two security officials said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the press.

Iraqi Airways, the country’s main carrier, said in a statement that the attack damaged one of its out of service planes parked near the airport but that operations were running normally and no delays were expected.

The attack is the latest in a series of rocket and drone strikes that have targeted the American presence in Iraq since the start of the year, following the second anniversary of the U.S. strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani and Iraqi militia commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

LONDON, 29 January 2022, (TON): Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has pledged £97 million of emergency UK aid to the Afghan people to provide life-saving food and emergency health support, as well as water and sanitation facilities.

This latest allocation of vital support means the UK has now delivered on its promise to double UK aid to Afghanistan, with £286 million committed this financial year.

UK aid allocated since October will support over 60 hospitals, provide health services for over 300,000 people; ensure 4.47 million people get emergency food assistance through the World Food Programme; and provide 6.1 million people with emergency health, water, protection, shelter, food, and education support through the UN Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund.

The Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Nigel Casey and government officials joined a meeting of US and European Special Representatives for Afghanistan in Oslo earlier this week to discuss economic and humanitarian issues, security and counter-terrorism, and human rights.

UK officials made clear to the Taliban delegation our serious concerns about human rights in particular the rights of women and girls and reports of reprisals against former members of the Afghan security forces.

WASHINGTON, 29 January 2022, (TON): A two-lane bridge in Pittsburgh collapsed ahead of a visit by US President Joe Biden to the Pennsylvania city, a dramatic example of the urgency behind his drive to rebuild the United States' creaky infrastructure.

According to authorities “ten people sustained injuries, all of them minor, when the snow-covered span collapsed into a wooded gully at about 6am (1100 GMT).”

The collapse also caused a massive natural gas leak, which prompted the temporary evacuation of several families from their homes until it was brought under control, Pittsburgh Fire Chief Darryl Jones said at a news conference.

She added “Biden was told of the bridge incident and will proceed with his trip as planned, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said. The White House was in touch with state and local officials about the collapse.”

JOHANNESBURG, 29 January 2022, (TON): Tropical Storm Ana has killed at least 86 people across southern and eastern Africa, with recovery operations still ongoing as another storm threatened more severe weather.

Storm Ana passed over Madagascar on Jan. 22, adding to days of already intense rainfall.

The country declared a state of disaster, reporting a rise in the death toll from Ana to 48, with people killed by landslides and collapsing buildings or washed away.

Ana then made landfall in Mozambique on Jan. 24, where 18 have been reported dead, before moving inland to Malawi, where it triggered massive power cuts. Malawi's death toll rose to 20.

According to the United Nations “across all three nations, Ana has affected hundreds of thousands of people and lead to widespread flooding and destruction.”

Maria Luisa Fornara, UNICEF Representative in Mozambique said "this latest storm...is a blunt reminder that the climate crisis is very much a reality.”

BEIJING, 29 January 2022, (TON): China vowed to safeguard outer space security as it outlined its priorities in exploring the final frontier.

China is starting a new journey toward becoming a space power, and the industry will contribute more to China’s growth, global consensus and human progress, read a white paper published by the country’s State Council Information Office, China's Space Programme,  a 2021 Perspective.

It said “in the next five years, China will integrate space science, technology and applications while pursuing the new development philosophy, building a new development model and meeting the requirements for high-quality development.”

Read more: China’s problems provide opportunities for Pakistan

The paper, China’s fifth since 2016, said “the global space industry has entered a new stage of rapid development and profound transformation that will have a major and far-reaching impact on human society.”

It said “at this new historical start towards a modern socialist country, China will accelerate work on its space industry.”

“Guided by the concept of a global community of shared future, it will work actively with other countries to carry out international space exchanges and cooperation, safeguard outer space security, and strive for long-term sustainability in activities related to outer space.”

NEW DELHI, 29 January 2022, (TON):  India and Pakistan have shown interest in opening up more sites and mode of travel for pilgrims.

There is an existing protocol to facilitate pilgrims on both sides. However, there is reportedly a new proposal to expand the number of sites and mode of travel.

India has a positive approach and is ready to engage with Pakistan on the issue, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during the weekly media briefing.

He said “as you are aware, under the 1974 Protocol between India and Pakistan, visits to religious shrines are being facilitated regularly. There is an interest on both sides to expand the agreed list of shrines and mode of travel.”

According to Pakistan media reports “Pakistan Hindu Council has proposed to fly 160 Pakistani Hindu pilgrims from Karachi to Jaipur and the trip has been postponed due to non-clearance” from the Indian side.

KABUL, 29 January 2022, (TON): The United States, Norway and other key European governments urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to do more to gain international acceptance.

Special Representatives and Special Envoys of the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States met in Oslo on Jan 24 to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

The meeting included sessions with representatives of the Taliban and Afghan civil society actors.

In a joint statement released in Washington and Oslo, the participants urged the Taliban to do more to stop the alarming increase of human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, media crackdowns, extra-judicial killings, and torture.

The statement specifically mentioned Taliban-imposed prohibitions on women and girls’ education, employment and freedom to travel without a male escort and recent detentions of women’s rights activists.

The statement said that the Oslo meeting focused on the urgency in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and highlighted necessary steps to help alleviate the suffering of Afghans across the country.

Participants recognised steps taken to ease access for humanitarian workers, male and female, while also expressing concern that there were still certain impediments in place.