KABUL, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  President Ashraf Ghani spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday evening and they discussed the peace process and their concerns over the escalation of violence in Afghanistan, Presidential Palace spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said.

PM Imran Khan told President Ghani that Pakistan will help Afghanistan bring down the level of violence, leading to ceasefire, said Sediqqi.

Islamabad in a statement said that Khan had a phone call with Ghani to discuss the progress in the ongoing Afghan peace process and the strengthening of Pakistan-Afghanistan relations. 

Khan reiterated Pakistan’s steadfast support for the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process for a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan, it said.

Khan also underlined that “Pakistan’s outreach to all Afghan stakeholders was part of its facilitative efforts to ensure progress towards an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political settlement. The latest visit of Taliban Political Commission (TPC) to Pakistan is also in this context,” said the statement.

“The Prime Minister reiterated Pakistan’s call on all the Afghan sides for taking measures for reduction in violence leading to ceasefire,” it said.

The statement also mentioned that the leaders agreed to continue their engagement for supporting the peace process and enhancing bilateral cooperation.

This comes as a Taliban delegation headed by deputy leader Mullah Baradar has met with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday to discuss the Afghan peace process.

Reaffirming “Pakistan’s support for a peaceful, stable, united, sovereign and prosperous Afghanistan, the foreign minister reiterated Pakistan’s belief that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan." He underlined that Pakistan will continue to facilitate the Afghan peace process.

Pakistan's role in the ongoing peace process that has so far created an understanding among the stakeholders that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is in the interest of the region. Islamabad has played in easing the start of reconciliation talks between warring Afghan parties.

KABUL, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  Two explosive-laden hijacked military armoured vehicles were destroyed by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in restive southern Helmand province, authorities said Thursday.

"Acting on confirmed intelligence tips, AAF conducted two airstrikes roughly at 5:00 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. local time on Thursday. More details will be shared with media later in the day," the provincial directorate of the Afghan National Directorate of Security, the country's national intelligence agency, said in a statement.

The NDS personnel also found and defused an improvised bomb outside the house of a local elder in Police District 3 of provincial capital Lashkar Gah city earlier on Thursday.

The Afghan security forces have recently beefed up security operations against the Taliban.

Recent attacks in districts across Afghanistan are advancing despite a deal signed with the US in February. However, these attacks in Afghanistan will throw the very idea of a peace process into question.

ABU DHABI, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi will be visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 17-18 December 2020.

During the visit, the Foreign Minister will hold discussions with the UAE leadership on all areas of mutual interest including regional and global issues.

The Foreign Minister will exchange views on bilateral cooperation, in particular trade, investment and the welfare of Pakistani diaspora. The Foreign Minister will also meet Pakistani diaspora and interact with local and international media.

The UAE is home to the second largest Pakistani community abroad.

Pakistan and the UAE enjoy historic fraternal relations, rooted firmly in shared history, common faith, values and mutual respect. High-level visits are an important feature, which not only exhibit cordial ties between the two countries but also accord the leadership an opportunity to give further impetus to strengthening bilateral cooperation on a wide range of issues.

SRINAGAR, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, the occupation authorities have identified 200 kanals of land in Badgam district to set up the colony for the former Indian soldiers.

The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Association (JKPA), Aquib Wani has expressed deep concern over India’s identification of land in the territory for establishing soldier colonies.

Aquib Wani in a statement issued in Jammu said that the evil and heinous conspiracy hatched by the Modi-led BJP government in New Delhi regarding soldier colonies was aimed at changing the Muslim majority status of IIOJK.

He said, the Indian government is on war against innocent people of IIOJK and is implementing the policies which are against human ethics and the international law.

The Convener of AJK chapter of Mirwaiz-led Hurriyat forum, Syed Faiz Naqshbandi in a statement said, the Kashmiris will resist all these sinister designs and anti-Kashmir moves of the Modi-led Indian communal government.

He described such acts as an Israel-type colonial step to turn the Muslim-majority status of IIOJK into a minority.

Syed Faiz Naqshbandi sought the intervention of the UN Secretary General for immediate release of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and other Hurriyet leaders and activists languishing in different jails of India and the territory.

He said that under a well-planned agenda India is illegally issuing domicile certificates in large number to non-Kashmiris and Indian citizens to change the demography of IIOJK.

Syed Faiz Naqshbandi appealed to the United Nations and the peace-loving countries of the world to ask India to stop repressive measures in the territory and implement Kashmir resolutions so that permanent peace could be established in the region.

Demographic flooding in IIOJK is just to change region’s Muslim-majority into second-class citizens, a minority and pave way for ethnic cleansing.

TEXAS, 17 December, 2020 (TON): The American Economic Liberties Project (AELP) an organization that advocates for government action against business concentration has welcomed the states’ sue action against Google anti-competitive’ online ad sales.  AELP Executive director said that Google’s current business model is a threat to democracy and the free press.

Ten states on Wednesday brought a lawsuit against Google, accusing the search giant of “anti-competitive conduct” in the online advertising industry. They also claim a deal to manipulate sales with rival Facebook. Along with Texas other Republican attorneys general from Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, South Dakota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, Indiana and Utah has join them.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton alleges that Google is using its “monopolistic power” to control pricing of online advertisements, fixing the market in its favor and eliminating competition.

While in reply Google called Paxton’s claims “meritless” and said the price of online advertising has fallen over the last decade. We will strongly defend ourselves from (Paxton’s) baseless claims in court.

Paxton led a bipartisan coalition of 50 U.S. states and territories, formed in 2019. The coalition was investigating Google’s business practices, potential monopolistic behavior and citing .

The suit alleges “Google has an appetite for total dominance, and its latest ambition is to transform the free and open architecture of the internet”.

Google officials say the company shares the majority of its “ad tech” revenue with publishers, such as newspaper websites. They rejected the assertion that Google is dominant, saying that market dominance suggests abuse, which is foreign to the company.

ISLAMABAD, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  Pakistan has returned $1 billion to Saudi Arabia as the second instalment of a $3 billion soft loan, as Islamabad reaches out to Beijing for a commercial loan to help it offset pressure to repay another $1 billion to Riyadh next month, officials said on Wednesday.

Relations between historically close friends Pakistan and Saudi Arabia suffered a strain earlier this year. Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa subsequently visited Riyadh in August to ease tensions. Gen Bajwa also met the Saudi ambassador in Islamabad on Tuesday.

With the $1 billion flowing out, Pakistan — which has $13.3 billion in State Bank foreign reserves — could face a balance of payments issue after clearing the next Saudi instalment.

"China has come to our rescue," a foreign ministry official told Reuters.

A finance ministry official said Pakistan's central bank was already in talks with Chinese commercial banks.

Saudi Arabia gave Pakistan a $3 billion loan and a $3.2 billion oil credit facility in late 2018. After Islamabad sought Riyadh's support over alleged human rights violations by India in the disputed territory of Kashmir, Saudi Arabia has pushed Pakistan to repay the loan.

Saudi Arabia provided $6.2 billion worth of financial package to Pakistan for three years. Which included $3 billion in cash assistance and $3.2 billion worth of annual oil and gas supply on deferred payments.

China agreed to immediately provide $1.5 billion financing line to Pakistan to help the country repay the $2 billion Saudi Arabia debt. Out of $2 billion, Pakistan return the $1 billion on Monday and the remaining $1 billion will be returned in January.

BAGHDAD, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  Two oil wells in a small oilfield in northern Iraq's Kirkuk province were set ablaze by explosives in a "terrorist attack" on Wednesday but overall production from the field was not affected , the Oil Ministry and officials said Wednesday.

Iraqi Minister of Oil Ihsan Abdul-Jabbar Ismail said the Iraqi oil companies have managed "to extinguish the fires in the two wells of Khubbaz oilfield in Kirkuk province at an unprecedented time," a ministry statement quoted Ismail as saying in a letter sent to Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

In his letter, Ismail praised the efforts of the employees of the Iraqi North Oil Company and the national oil companies that support extinguishing the oil wells, stressing that "this is the appropriate response to terrorism that targets the national oil wealth," according to the statement.

The Oil Ministry gave no further details about the assailants behind the explosive devices that targeted the wells in Khabbaz oilfield, 20 km (12 miles) southwest of Kirkuk.

Technical teams isolated the two burning oil wells and there was no impact on output, two sources from the state-run North Oil Company (NOC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

The field produces about 25,000 barrels per day, oil officials said. The ministry said production from the two wells that were targeted did not exceed 2,000 bpd.

The ministry statement said a fire erupted at the two oil wells after explosive devices were set off half an hour apart.

Iraq's oil installations and pipelines have been frequently attacked by extremist IS militants despite the improvement of the security situation in the country after the government declared the full defeat of terror group throughout the country late in 2017.

TEHRAN, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  Senior diplomats from Iran and major powers have met online to discuss the state of a nuclear deal that is eroding despite conciliatory signals from United States President-elect Joe Biden.

Chaired by senior EU foreign affairs official Helga Schmid, the meeting on Wednesday of the so-called “joint commission” included the remaining signatories to the pact and was meant to prepare upcoming talks among their foreign ministers.

In the wake of the US withdrawal, Iran has retaliated by progressively abandoning limits on its nuclear activity laid down in the JCPOA, most recently planning to install advanced centrifuges at Iran’s main nuclear enrichment plant in Natanz. Last week France, Germany and Britain – collectively known as the “E3” – condemned the “deeply worrying” plan as being contrary to the nuclear deal.

After Fakhrizadeh’s kills, MPs in Iran’s hardline Parliament passed a bill calling for further expansion to Iran’s nuclear programme and an end to inspections of nuclear facilities by the UN watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is committed and obligated to implement legislation approved by the parliament after they have undergone legal processes,” Iran’s deputy foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, who represented Iran in the joint commission, said after the meeting according to a statement by the foreign ministry.

Iran’s execution of dissident journalist Ruhollah Zam on Saturday has further soured the diplomatic atmosphere.

“Instead of condemning the cowardly assassination of Iran’s prominent nuclear scientist, the three European governments condemned the legal punishment of a guilty individual,” said Araghchi.

Biden has said he hopes to return the US to the deal, which was negotiated while he was vice president, but has revealed little else about forthcoming US strategy on the question.

Earlier this month, Iranian President Rouhani said the nuclear deal could be restored without negotiations. “The next person (Biden) can put up a nice piece of paper and sign it and it just needs a signature, we’ll be back where we were. It takes no time and needs no negotiations.”

The Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was reached in July 14, 2015, between Iran and international powers after nearly 20 months of negotiations. Under the JCPOA, Iran and the United States, Germany, Britain, China, Russia and France (known as the P5+1), as well as the European Union, agreed to lift crippling international sanctions related to Iran's nuclear program in exchange for Tehran dismantling it.

But on May 8, 2018, President Trump unilaterally pulled US out of the international nuclear deal with Iran, revived punishing sanctions as part of a “maximum pressure campaign” against Iran. One year later, Iran started abandoning key provisions of the JCPOA.

LONDON, 17 December, 2020, (TON):  Britain and the United States signed a customs agreement on Wednesday to ensure continued smooth trade after the Brexit transition period expires at the end of the year.

The bilateral Customs Assistance Agreement was signed by the Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman and U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood Johnson in London, according to a statement on the British Treasury website.

"This is an important agreement that ensures continuity post EU exit," Norman said.

"This deal will allow us to continue to cooperate in combating customs offenses by sharing information and good practice, and provides the legal underpinning for schemes to ease trade flows for importers and exporters," he said.

Johnson said: "Every single day, the U.S. and the UK work side by side to stop criminals trafficking illegal goods across the Atlantic -- from guns to drugs, to illegal wildlife products and even counterfeit medicine."

The deal will also provide the legal basis for the Authorised Economic Operator Mutual Recognition Arrangement, which will ensure that people and businesses will continue to benefit at their respective borders.

Truss said the deal is a step toward joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) of which Mexico is a member.

The partnership also includes countries such as Australia, Canada, Japan and Singapore.

The UK will apply to join the trade bloc in early 2021.

Last month Britain secured a rollover deal with Canada with hopes that it will lay the foundations for a UK-Canada trade agreement.

NEW YORK, 16 DECEMBER 2020, (TON): UNICEF on Tuesday warned that millions of children are out of reach to humanitarian access despite an access agreement reached to the Tigray region earlier.

“Some 2.3 million children in Tigray, Ethiopia, remain cut off from humanitarian assistance amid continuing violence since the beginning of November,’’ UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore said.

“We are extremely concerned that the longer access to them is delayed, the worse their situation will become as supplies of food, including ready-to-use therapeutic food for the treatment of child malnutrition, medicines, water, fuel and other essentials run low,’’ she said.

“Protecting these children, many of whom are refugees and internally displaced, and providing them with humanitarian aid must be a priority,’’ Fore said.

“We call for urgent, sustained, unconditional and impartial humanitarian access to all families in need wherever they are.

“We also urge authorities to allow the free movement of civilians wishing to seek safety elsewhere. This includes those requesting to cross the border to seek international protection.

“Meeting the critical needs of children and women must not be delayed any longer,” UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore further said.

The access deal was presumed to allow the first aid to the region of six million people cut off due to the ongoing fighting between the federal and Tigray regional governments, each regarding the other as illegal.