DUBAI , 27 January 2022, (TON): The year 2022 was supposed to be the year the Kuwait Air Force took almost full delivery of two long-awaited platforms that would double its size and multiply its capabilities.

However, delays caused by the global pandemic have pushed the delivery and operationalization schedule to 2023 which may end up a blessing in disguise, as it has given Kuwait more time to figure out the fate of its current fleet of legacy F/A-18 Hornets.

The first two of 28 Typhoon jet fighters being built by Leonardo were delivered to the Kuwait Air Force last December, while the 28 F/A-18E&F Super Hornets Block 3 were reportedly delivered last September by Boeing to the US Navy.

Kuwaiti pilots training on the Typhoons will start flying the fighters to Kuwait during this year and well into the next one.

Those jets will serve as a dramatic upgrade to Kuwait’s current capacity of 27 legacy F-18 Hornets, plus six F-18D trainers. By the end of 2023, the Kuwait Air Force would have doubled the size of its fixed-wing fleet of advanced fighters and significantly bolstered its capabilities.

But the original expectation was that more than half of the Typhoons and all of the Super Hornets would be in Kuwaiti hands by the end of 2022.

WASHINGTON, 27 January 2022, (TON): The embassy said in a statement on Wednesday “the United States Embassy in Kiev is urging American citizens to consider leaving Ukraine “now” due to the country’s unpredictable security situation.”

The embassy said “the security situation in Ukraine continues to be unpredictable due to the increased threat of Russian military action and can deteriorate with little notice. The United States Embassy urges U.S. citizens in Ukraine to consider departing now using commercial or other privately available transportation options.”

The statement said “U.S. citizens wishing to depart Ukraine currently have multiple options via commercial flights from all Ukrainian international airports. If you have difficulty securing a flight or need assistance to return to the United States, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for guidance.”

“The Embassy remains open and able to process U.S. passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and can also provide repatriation loans for U.S. citizens who cannot afford at this time to purchase a commercial ticket to the United States.”

BERLIN, 27 January 2022, (TON): The issue of arms supplies to Ukraine should be resolved within the framework of NATO, German Economics Minister and Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck said at a briefing in Berlin.

Khabek said , answering a relevant question from the media “the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine is being resolved within the framework of NATO partnership, and this is the right way to do it now.”

Earlier at a briefing, a representative of the German Defense Ministry said that the position of the German government on the issue of providing weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged.

TEL AVIV, 27 January 2022, (TON): President Michel Aoun says “Lebanon is ready to resume talks over a maritime border dispute with Israel.”

Longtime foes Lebanon and Israel started indirect negotiations through a US mediator in 2020 at a UN peacekeeping base in Lebanon’s Naqoura, but have stalled several times. The last round of talks on the matter was held last May.

Israel and Lebanon have no diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war. They each claim about 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of the Mediterranean Sea as being within their exclusive economic zones.

Lebanon has sunk deep into an economic and financial crisis that started in late 2019 — a culmination of decades of corruption and mismanagement by the political class. The small Mediterranean country is eager to resolve the border dispute with Israel, paving the way for potential lucrative oil and gas deals.

RIYADH, 27 January 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia's Deputy Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and China’s Minister of National Defense discussed defense cooperation.

During a virtual meeting, Prince Khalid and Wei Fenghe reviewed the historic ties between Saudi Arabia and China.

The officials also explored ways to strengthen their military coordination.

PARIS, 27 January 2022, (TON): The deputies of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) by a majority of votes ratified on Wednesday the powers of the Russian delegation, voting for the relevant resolution. 97 deputies out of 142 supported the adoption of this decision.

The resolution states “the Assembly decided to ratify the powers of the members of the Russian delegation.”

As emphasized in the document, PACE expects that “the ratification of the powers of the Russian delegation will contribute to a meaningful dialogue leading to concrete results.”

French MP Jacques Maire called the annual attempts to challenge Russian powers “a sad tradition deserving of regret.”

In his opinion, the powers of the Russian delegation should be preserved in order to confirm the line of dialogue.

Ukrainian MP Aleksey Goncharenko, in a raised tone, tried to convince the audience not to support the resolution on the ratification of powers, while making insulting remarks about his colleagues. As a result, PACE President Tiny Cox forbade him to speak until the end of the debate.

SOFIA, 27 January 2022, (TON): According to the Bulgarian media “Bulgarian Defense Minister Stefan Yanev said that not a single Bulgarian soldier would take part in a military conflict on the territory of Ukraine or another country without the approval of the parliament.”

A closed meeting of the Council of Ministers was held in Sofia to discuss the crisis in relations between NATO and Russia in connection with the situation around Ukraine.

As a result, the government declared the de-escalation of tensions between NATO and Russia a priority of the national strategy.

After the meeting, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, Defense Minister Stefan Yanev, Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska and the heads of the security services arrived at the People’s Assembly (parliament) to answer deputies’ questions.

The defense minister said at the hearing “not a single Bulgarian soldier will take part in a conflict or operation on the territory of Ukraine or any other country without this decision being approved by the People’s Assembly.”

MOSCOW, 27 January 2022, (TON): The first multi-role fighter SU-35S of the Russian Aerospace Forces arrived in Belarus to participate in the test of the reaction forces of the Union State, within the framework of which the exercise “Union Resolve – 2022” will be held on the territory of the republic. This was announced in its Telegram channel by the press service of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, posting video footage of the landing of the Russian aircraft.

The text says “the SU-35S multi-role fighter of the Russian Aerospace Forces, which arrived first to participate in the verification of the reaction forces of the Union State on the territory of Belarus, is landing at the Baranovichi airfield of the 61st Fighter Aviation Base.”

Earlier, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the crews of the Su-35S multi-role fighters of the Eastern Military District, involved in checking the response forces of the Union State, are relocating to Belarusian airfields.

According to the ministry, during the flight, the crews make intermediate landings at the airfields of the Central and Western military districts to prepare for the next flight and rest the crews.

After arriving at the airfields of Belarus, the crews of the Su-35S will take up combat duty for air defense as part of checking the functioning of the unified air defense system of the Union State.

The verification will take place in two stages. At the first stage, until February 9, the redeployment and creation of groupings of troops on the territory of Belarus will be carried out as soon as possible, the protection and defense of important state and military facilities, and the protection of the state border in the airspace will be organized.

DHAKA, 27 January 2022, (TON):  Canada-Bangladesh Joint Working Group has planned to form a joint working committee of the two countries to brand Bangladesh in Canada for boosting both investment and trade.

The group has decided to form the committee at a virtual meeting where nominated members of the governments of the two countries discussed the issue.

FBCCI president Md Jashim Uddin and cofounder and vice-chairman of Consumer Health Nuzhat Tam-Zaman cochaired the meeting.

The meeting discussed that with the development of the economy, new potentials for foreign investment have been created in Bangladesh.

It said Bangladesh is now one of the best investment destinations in the region due to its infrastructural facilities, huge domestic market and duty-free facilities in the major markets of the world. ‘But Canadian investors are not yet aware of this advantage.’

So, they decided to form a joint working committee.

KABUL, 27 January 2022, (TON): The World Health Organization (WHO) once again expressed concerns over the collapse of the health system of Afghanistan.

It added that if urgent steps are not taken, the system will collapse. The WHO said vital health services that save the lives of many in the community have come under severe threat.”

It said “the Sehatmandi program is the backbone of Afghanistan’s health system, providing care for millions of people through 2 331 health facilities.”

Since the Islamic Emirate gained power, major funding for the program has been withdrawn.

WHO said in a report “today, the population’s health is seriously under threat. All the progress in health outcomes may be lost. WHO is urgently calling for international donors to step up and find an alternative funding mechanism for this crucial primary health care initiative.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health said it is working to attract more global aid to Afghanistan in the health sector.