SHARM EL-SHEIKH, 13 November 2020, (TON): Eight Multinational Force and Observers (MFO) including six US, one French, and one Czech serviceman were killed in a helicopter crash in Sinai Peninsula.

Acting Secretary of Defence Christopher Miller in a statement said, "We are saddened by the loss of six US and two partner nation service members in a helicopter crash in the Sinai Peninsula operating with the Multinational Force and Observers".  

In a statement, the Multinational Force and Observers also confirmed that eight members of the multinational peacekeeping force in Sinai Peninsula were killed in a helicopter crash, which took place during a routine mission in the vicinity of Sharm el-Sheikh.

The authority is carrying out inquiry to determine the cause of crash.

MANAMA, 11 November 2020 (TON): Bahrain’s Prince Khalifa bin Salman al Khalifa, who had held the post since independence in 1971, had been died at the age of 84 while, receiving treatment at Mayo Clinic, state TV reported without specifying a cause of death.

Sheikh Khalifa was one of the world’s longest-serving prime ministers who held the post since Bahrain’s independence in 1971.

According to the state news agency “The Gulf state’s King Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa announced official mourning for a week during which flags will be flown at half-mast.”

It added “The burial ceremony will take place upon the repatriation of his body and the funeral will be limited to a specific number of relatives.”

Sheikh Khalifa was one of the world’s longest-serving prime ministers who held the post since Bahrain’s independence in 1971 and survived the 2011 Arab Spring protests that demanded his removal over corruption allegations.

“Khalifa bin Salman represented the old guard in more ways than just age and seniority,” said Kristin Smith Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Washington-based Arab Gulf States Institute.

“He represented an old social understanding rooted in royal privilege and expressed through personal patronage.”

The son of Bahrain’s former ruler, Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, who ruled from 1942 to 1961, Sheikh Khalifa learned governance at his father’s side as the island remained a British protectorate.

Though, less powerful in recent years as he faced unexplained health problems yet, his machinations still drew attention in the kingdom as a new generation now jostles for power.

KABUL, 11 November 2020 (TON): At least four security force members were killed in two separate attacks in Kabul in the last 12 hours, police said on Wednesday.

Two police force members were killed and one more was wounded in a magnetic IED blast in Kabul on Wednesday morning, Kabul police said in a statement.

The incident happened about 06:30am in Lab-e-Jar area in Kabul's PD11.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Meanwhile, Kabul police said that two members of the Afghan army were killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in Qala-e-Wazir area in Kabul on Tuesday night.

This comes as violence has remained high in the country amidst peace efforts by the government and its international allies.

The intra-Afghan dialogue, which started in Qatar, has not yet achieved any significant breakthroughs because of disputes over procedural matters related to moving the process forward.  However, violence in Afghanistan is a threat to derail peace-building deal and the ongoing intra-Afghan peace negotiations.

WASHINGTON, 11 November 2020 (TON): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for stronger ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in tackling climate crisis and geopolitical tensions amid COVID-19 recovery.

The COVID-19 pandemic "has exacerbated vulnerabilities, inequalities and fragilities across the world. The recovery will require global cooperation to protect lives and livelihoods, and to keep economies and businesses afloat. We count on the strong engagement of SCO member states, and we stand ready to share good practices and provide technical expertise to your pandemic recovery plans," the UN chief said in his video message to the 20th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of Member States of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The climate crisis, like the pandemic, is a global threat that knows no borders. "Ambitious multilateral action is urgently needed to save lives and livelihoods. The Paris Agreement and the

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development underpin the work of the United Nations and should be central to national decision-making too," said the UN chief.

"The tide is turning. The European Union, Japan, the Republic of Korea, together with more than 110 other countries, have committed to net zero emissions by 2050, and China before 2060," Guterres elaborated.

"I call on more governments to join this net zero coalition and to align their COVID-19 recovery plans and 2030 Nationally Determined Contributions with this objective. And I urge all governments to bring concrete policies and plans to the Climate Ambition Summit I will co-host with several member states on Dec. 12," the secretary-general added.

"I welcome the support of the SCO, as a leading player in regional diplomacy in Eurasia, for my appeal for a global ceasefire. I look forward to your further advocacy and action to end hostilities around the world before the end of this year," said the UN chief.

Guterres stated that regular exchanges between the United Nations and the SCO "provide us with ways to enhance our cooperation on regional issues."

He expressed his gratitude to the members of the SCO for their "firm commitment to inclusive multilateralism and the principles of the United Nations Charter."

NEW DELHI, 11 November 2020 (TON): Air quality in India’s capital deteriorated to its worst this year on Tuesday, prompting a social media barrage of residents complaining about stinging eyes, sore throat and breathlessness in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.

Air Quality in the national capital remained in the ‘severe’ category for the fifth consecutive day on Monday, with calm wind speed exacerbating the effect of stubble burning.

Delhi’s overall air quality index, which measures pollutants including PM2.5 particles, rose to 488, its highest level in a year, according to government data. That was up from 477 on a scale of 500 on Monday. The data showed the deadly particulate matter PM2.5, which can cause cardiovascular and respiratory diseases such as lung cancer, also reached its highest levels since November 2019 and stood 30 times over the World Health Organization’s safe limit.

Pollution in New Delhi had almost disappeared earlier this year, when the government imposed a nationwide lockdown to contain the coronavirus, but has returned since the government began lifting restrictions at the end of August.

Authorities have banned the sale and use of firecrackers ahead of the Diwali festival in a bid to curb pollution, but environmentalists have called on the government to do more.

SAFAR, India’s main environment monitoring agency, has forecast severe conditions over the next 24 hours due to stagnant winds and rising humidity levels, which trap pollutants longer.

Indian capital city is among the most polluted cities in the world. Industrial activities and vehicular traffic are significant contributors to air pollution in the city, along with rampant construction. For the past many years, every year ahead of winters the air quality in New Delhi becomes hazardous.

WASHINGTON, 11 November, 2020, (TON): Russian peacekeeping troops were deployed to Nagorno-Karabakh, as part of a ceasefire deal that ended six weeks of escalation and heavy fighting within the region.

On Tuesday, Russian peacekeepers were sent as a "complete ceasefire” to Nagorno-Karabakh region, the site of conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia due to border disputes and complaints that each country was violating policies.

According to the deal, Azerbaijan will be able to maintain control over territorial gains made during the conflict. Armenia’s defense ministry announced that since the peace deal, no fighting had occurred and stability had been restored in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Russia will deploy peacekeepers in the Nagorno-Karabakh region as a "complete ceasefire" starting Tuesday was reached by Azerbaijan and Armenia,

Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a televised address that Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and he signed a statement on Monday declaring a "complete cessation of fire and all hostilities" in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict zone from 00.00 Moscow time Tuesday (2100 GMT Monday).

Putin added that Azerbaijan and Armenia agreed to stop at their positions they have held.

According to Russian Defense Ministry, Russian peacekeeping contingent is being deployed consisting of 1,960 military personnel, 90 armored personnel carriers, 380 vehicles and pieces of special equipment. At least 22 planes will be used to transport the peacekeepers, and 12 have already landed in Armenia, on their way to Nagorno-Karabakh.

In the meantime, Azerbaijan and Armenia will also exchange war prisoners, other detained persons and bodies of the dead, while all economic and transport links of the region will be unblocked, according to the Russian leader.

Leaders of Azerbaijan and Turkey announced that Ankara will be involved in monitoring the cease-fire along with Moscow as part of a peacekeeping center, which will be set up to host both Russian and Turkish military.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been engaged in a dispute over the mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh since 1988. Peace talks have been held since 1994 when a ceasefire was reached, but there have been many minor clashes.

The latest armed conflict broke out in the region in September, raised fears of a wider conflict. Russia has a defence pact with Armenia and a military base there, while Turkey supports Azerbaijan. New round of armed conflict caused heavy casualties and property losses.

WASHINGTON, 11 November, 2020, (Media Report): NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine has no intention to continue in his current position even if asked by the Joe Biden administration, said a media report.

In an interview with Aerospace Daily, Bridenstine said a new chief of the US space agency under the new administration would be in the best interest of America’s space exploration program.

“The right question here is ‘What’s in the best interest of NASA as an agency, and what’s in the best interest of America’s exploration program?” Bridenstine was quoted as saying in the interview on Sunday.

“You need somebody who has a close relationship with the President of the U.S. … somebody trusted by the administration, including OMB (Office of Management and Budget), National Space Council, National Security Council. I think I would not be the right person for that in a new administration,” he said.

When President Donald Trump nominated the former Republican Congressman to lead NASA in 2017, many lawmakers opposed the idea of a politician heading the US space agency.

The Senate, however, confirmed him in April 2018, with lawmakers voting along party lines, The Verge reported.

Bridenstine’s unwillingness to continue under the Biden administration gains significance especially in the context of NASA’s ambitious goal of returning humans to Moon by 2024 under the Artemis program.

In the meantime, President Trump refuses to concede his defeat in the recent election. That could complicate the access that a Biden transition team gets to NASA and its facilities as the new administration prepares to take over.

WASHINGTON, 11 November, 2020, (TON): The US State Department on Tuesday approved F-35 fighter jets sale to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced arms package with an estimated price tag of 23.37 billion US dollars including 50 Lockheed F-35 Lightning II jets worth 10.4 billion dollars as well as 18 MQ-9 Reaper drones worth 2.97 billion dollars, and 10 billion dollars of munitions. That could make the UAE the first first Gulf state to operate both fifth-generation stealth fighter and U.S.-built weaponized drones.

According to reports the F-35 deal between the US and the UAE was a part of the US-brokered agreement to normalize ties between the UAE and Israel, signed in September.

"The proposed sale will make the UAE even more capable and interoperable with US partners in a manner fully consistent with America's longstanding commitment to ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge," said the statement.

Israel's Qualitative Military Edge refers to a US legal standard that US weapons furnished to Israel are "superior in capability" to those sold to its neighbours.

Israel initially baulked at the prospective sale but last year dropped its opposition after US guaranteed that Israeli military superiority would be preserved.

The White House notified Congress of the sale of 50 F-35 fighter jets to the UAE two weeks ago, leading to concerns among congressional Democrats.

A sale to UAE will take years to close and then only with sustained congressional approval as the deal has stirred controversy, particularly due to concerns that it erodes the U.S. guarantee of a “Qualitative Military Edge” for the F-35’s only current operator in the Middle East, Israel.

BEIJING, 10 November, 2020, (TON): On Monday China declined to congratulate Joe Biden as the winner of the US presidential election, saying the outcome of the US elections 2020 should be determined according to the laws and procedures of country.

China has not yet come out with an official reaction to Biden and Kamala Harris' victory in the presidential election.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: “We have noticed that Biden declared he is the winner of the election.”

He added “our understanding is that the outcome of the election will be determined in accordance with US laws and procedures."

China is among a handful of major countries including Russia and Mexico that have not congratulated the elected President Joe Biden.

Trump, a Republican, has refused to concede defeat to his Democratic challenger, Biden.

On the China-US relations who have touched a new low under Trump, Wang said: “We have always advocated that China and the US should step up communication and dialogue, manage differences on the basis of mutual respect, expand cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and promote the sound and stable development of China-US relations”.

He, however, was more forthcoming on the victory of Kamala Harris as the first woman Vice President-elect.

Trump pushed aggressively on all aspects of US-China ties, including with his relentless trade war, challenging China military hold on the disputed South China Sea, its constant threats to Taiwan and branding corona virus as 'China virus' after it emerged from Wuhan in December last year.

Although the Democrat Joe Biden has won the election but President Trump has refused to honour forged results and has used his constitutional right to request for recounts of votes by challenging the Election 2020 results.

DAMASCUS, 9 November, 2020, (TON): Four US soldiers were killed by an explosive device in Syria's Hasakah province, according to a state media report.

On Sunday, explosive device tore through a US military vehicle in the village of Markadeh on the Hasakah-Deir al-Zour road. It added that a translator was among the slain soldiers.

Following the explosion, the US forces cordoned off the area.

According to the state media the slain soldiers were taken to a US base in the Shaddadi area in the Hasakah countryside.

It said the US forces and their allies of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) control the majority of oil fields in northeastern Syria.

After Trump’s decision to withdraw from Syria the US left just about 500 soldiers in the country which is rather symbolic military presence that is enough to complete American tasks.

US don’t want Kurds to engage in a meaningful dialog with the Syrian government encouraging Kurdish separatist aspirations, otherwise, Washington will have no reason to stay in Syria. Therefore, the US continues to play deterrent role. The Americans support local Kurdish fighters, part of a civil war that has convulsed the country since 2011.