MOSCOW, 17 December 2022, (TON): Ukrainian officials said “Russia fired more than 70 missiles at Ukraine on Friday in one of its biggest attacks since the start of the war, knocking out power in the second-biggest city and forcing Kyiv to bring in emergency blackouts nationwide.”

Two people were killed when an apartment block was hit in central Kryvyi Rih and another died in shelling in Kherson in the south, they said. Russian-installed officials in occupied eastern Ukraine said 12 people had died in Ukrainian shelling.

Kyiv warned late that Moscow planned a new all-out offensive early next year, around a year after its February 24 invasion, which has destroyed huge areas of Ukraine but brought little of it under Moscow’s control.

NEW DELHI, 17 December 2022, (TON): India has test-fired a long-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile, local media reported a development said to be a pre-scheduled exercise that gains significance against the backdrop of a recent clash between Indian and Chinese troops at the disputed Himalayan border.

According to Indian news website The Quint, the surface-to-surface missile, Agni-5, was developed indigenously, and it has a strike range of 5,000 kilometres.

The missile was launched from the Integrated Test Range at Abdul Kalam Island in the eastern Indian state of Odisha’s Bhadrak district, the report said, citing defence ministry source.

MOSCOW, 17 December 2022, (TON): The Belarus leader’s office said “Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit Belarus on Monday for talks with his counterpart and ally Alexander Lukashenko.”

The Belarus presidency said “the pair will hold discussions at the Independence Palace, Lukashenko’s office, in Minsk during Putin’s working visit.”

The visit comes 10 months into Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, which was launched from several directions, including Belarusian territory.

Minsk said the pair will hold one-on-one talks as well as wider negotiations with their ministers on “Belarusian-Russian integration”.

BRUSSELS, 17 December 2022, (TON): On 15-16 December 2022, the European Union and United States held the eighth EU-U.S. Cyber Dialogue in Washington, DC.

This took place in the context of a dramatically deteriorated cyber threat environment due to Russia’s illegal military aggression against Ukraine, which has underlined the need for enhanced transatlantic cooperation and coordination to prevent, detect and respond to malicious cyber activities and highlighted the need to ensure that critical infrastructure is secure and resilient.

Respective current and future cyber strategies, policies and legislation as well as cyber diplomacy, crisis management and crisis response, were also discussed.

Notably, the EU informed on the EU cyber posture and new cyber defence policy developed in 2022 with the aim to strengthen the EU’s cyber resilience and capacities to detect, deter and respond, increasing cooperation among EU’s cyber actors and developing mechanisms for leveraging joint capabilities at the EU level.

PYONGYANG, 17 December 2022, (TON): State media said “North Korea has successfully tested a “high-thrust solid-fuel motor” with the aim of developing a new weapon.

Despite heavy international sanctions over its weapons programmes, Pyongyang has built up an arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

All its known ICBMs are liquid-fuelled, however, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last year that developing solid-fuel engines for more advanced missiles was a strategic priority.

JAKARTA, 17 December 2022, (TON): The death toll from an earthquake that hit Indonesia’s main island Java last month has jumped by hundreds to 602, a local administration official said, after authorities verified unreported casualties across the worst-hit town.

The shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Cianjur in Indonesia’s most populous province West Java on November 21, with most of the victims killed as buildings collapsed or landslides were triggered.

Cianjur local administration spokesman Adam, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told media the new toll up from a previously reported figure of 334 was based on data collected from residents across the town.

SEOUL, 17 December 2022, (TON): South Korea issued a strong protest against Japan’s territorial claim made in a national security strategy released over disputed islands known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan.

South Korea’s foreign ministry demanded an immediate removal of the claims from Japan’s national strategy documents, saying in a statement that the move did nothing to help building a future-oriented relationship between the two countries.

By Namer Afzal Khan

On Saturday 10^th December2022, World Human Rights Day was observed at both sides of the Line of Control including Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) with unanimous resolve to continue struggle, with full robustness, for early end of the continuing enormous human rights violations against innocent local population by Indian occupational forces. Special rituals were reportedly held in various parts of AJK including in Mirpur division under the auspices of various Human Rights Organizations with the coordination of the members of the civil society to observe the day.

As the World Human Rights Day was being observed across the globe, Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir continues to reel under violent and brutal Indian occupation and political injustice. According to a report released by the Research Section of Kashmir Media Service on the occasion of the World Human Rights Day, said that Universal Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948 is indeed a milestone, however the Kashmiris human rights continued to be violated with impunity. It said among 30 basic human rights enlisted in the UDHR, not even one exists in IIOJK.

According to the report the Indian troops in their unabated acts of state terrorism have martyred 96,156 innocent Kashmiris including 7,275 in custody and false encounters since January 1989 till date. It said that these killings rendered 22,952 women widowed and 107,887 children leave parentless. It said that the troops mistreated 11,256 women and destroyed 110,495 residential houses and other structures. It maintained that Indian troops and police personnel subjected over 8,000 people to prison vanishing.

Addressing these ceremonies, speakers emphasized the need of making collective efforts by the international community to ensure the complete protection of human rights all over the world particularly in those areas where the people were being denied their due rights.

They called for the measures by the international human rights outfits to move for ensuring the grant of basic human rights in the areas including in the strife-torn Indian held Jammu Kashmir state where the masses comprising all segments of the civil society were being denied their due human rights – including Kashmiris globally-acknowledged birth right to self-determination.

In Mirpur, a walk by the human rights activists was the hall mark of the day. Participants marched through city streets shouting slogans for the vibrant role of international human rights organizations to save innocent people of occupied Jammu & Kashmir from the ongoing and increased Indian reign of state terrorism.

Addressing a meeting of senior journalists condemned the continued rather increased human rights violations against the innocent Kashmiris including the media in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir State at the hands of the Indian occupying forces for last 75 years in general and since August 05, 2019 in particular.

They fervently condemned the brutal tactics to suppress the voice of press in occupied Jammu & Kashmir. They called upon the world community to take instant notice of the fast increased human rights abuses as well as continued reign of violence unleashed against the innocent people including journalists by the Indian troops in occupied valley.

The Speakers called upon India to immediately stop the barbarous activities in the occupied state and instead positively respond to resume the result oriented dialogue process with Pakistan in order to ensure the early peaceful resolution of the core issue of Kashmir through grant of the basic human right of self-determination to the people of the state committed by the international community

The Indian occupational forces had been violating the UDHR in the occupied territory for the last more than7 decades and cruelly killing, arresting, persecuting, pestering and degrading innocent Kashmiris of every age and masculinity for demanding their right to self-determination.

They reiterated the long standing demand by Jammu & Kashmir people granting them the opportunity to determine their future in accordance with their wishes and United Nations resolutions on Kashmir. They called upon the world community especially the international organizations, claiming to be the champions and custodians of human rights the world over, to play a due constructive role for immediate just settlement of the Kashmir issue without further delay.

Now it is time that the international community should realize the gravity of the situation in South Asia and should offer their due practical assistance rather than mere lip service for early peaceful resolution of this longstanding issue since the partition sub-continent.

LONDON, 16 December 2022, (TON): Britain said “China has removed six diplomats from the UK, including its consul-general in Manchester, after they were accused of assaulting a Hong Kong protester in the northern English city.”

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said “the six envoys had left the country by a Wednesday deadline imposed by London for them to waive their diplomatic immunity and be questioned by police over the October incident.”

Cleverly said “as part of that investigation, we requested that six Chinese officials waive diplomatic immunity so they can be questioned.”

BEIRUT, 16 December 2022, (TON): Lebanese parliament has failed for the 10th time to elect a president, prolonging an institutional void amid a deep economic crisis.

This week’s vote was reflected the previous session to elect a president, with many MPs spoiling their ballots, including one who cast a vote for “Nelson Mandela.”

Last week, Hezbollah opponent Michel Moawad won the support of 39 MPs, but fell well short of the required majority.