Washington, 16 December 2022, (TON): Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State has said that So I can make this very simple and easy and quick:  What he said. 

But I feel an obligation to add just a little bit.  First of all, welcome.  It is wonderful to see so many friends, colleagues here in this room. 

To those of you who haven’t been here before, this is actually – Strive, this is the top floor, and this is the Benjamin Franklin Room.

Benjamin Franklin is looking down on us this evening.  He was, as many of you know, America’s very first diplomat.  He signed our first treaty, our first alliance, with France.  He charted the Gulf Stream.  He pioneered electricity. 

JEDDAH, 16 December 2022, (TON): Saudi Arabia has launched a cultural capability development strategy as part of the country’s Human Capabilities Development Program a giant leap in the transformation process of the Kingdom’s education and culture sectors.

The Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Education launched the strategy in Riyadh. The plan aims to link academic output with the needs of the labor market in the cultural sector.

The 33-initiative strategy is a comprehensive national umbrella, under the support of the Saudi Vision Realization Program. It is also part of the Quality of Life Program, aiming to foster a creative generation that serves the 16 cultural sub-sectors on which the Ministry of Culture is focusing.

JEDDAH, 16 December 2022, (TON): Ukrainian forces staged their heaviest shelling attack in years in the country’s Russian-controlled east as both sides ruled out a Christmas truce in the nearly 10-month-old war.

Alexei Kulemzin, the Russian-backed mayor of Donetsk city, said 40 rockets were fired from BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launchers at civilians in the city center in the early hours.

Ukrainian officials said “meanwhile, Russian forces kept up shelling and airstrikes along the entire eastern front line, killing one person, while two were killed in the southern city of Kherson.”

WASHINGTON, 16 December 2022, (TON): After years of benefitting from the enormous contributions of FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried accused of massive financial fraud America’s political elite are now skittering away, eager to put distance between themselves and the disgraced cryptocurrency darling.

The 30-year-old tycoon currently detained in the Bahamas awaiting US extradition proceedings had in recent years become one of the largest public donors to the Democratic Party, and claimed to have privately donated an equal amount to the Republican camp too.

Recipients reach as far into the US political world as President Joe Biden, whose 2020 campaign accepted more than $5 million in donations from Bankman-Fried.

NEW DELHI, 15 December 2022, (TON): Russia s flagship Urals crude has been sold at deeper discounts this month following a European ban on Russian oil imports, and dominant buyer India has bought barrels at well below a $60 price cap agreed by the West, four market sources said.

The European Union ban on imports of Russia s seaborne oil from Dec. 5 has driven Moscow to seek alternative markets, mainly in Asia, for about 1 million barrels per day.

Also on Dec. 5, the Group of Seven leading economies implemented a $60 price cap on Russian seaborne oil to try to limit Moscow s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.

BRUSSELS, 15 December 2022, (TON): Today is a celebration day. 45 years of diplomatic relations with ASEAN.

I am going to sign, on behalf of the European Union, two Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with Thailand and Malaysia. Important steps in increasing our cooperation with ASEAN countries.

The importance of ASEAN needs to be enhanced. We are the biggest cooperation partner on development. We are the second investor in the region, and the third partner with the region.

This region is a vibrant economy. It will be growing and growing in the next years. Now, right now, one third of all trade maritime trade in the world by volume goes through the South China Sea.

NEW DELHI, 15 December 2022, (TON): The government told the Lok Sabha “India plans to commission 20 nuclear power plants by 2031, adding nearly 15,000 MW in power generating capacity.”

The first of these 20 nuclear power plants, a 700 MW unit, is expected to be commissioned in 2023 at Kakrapar in Gujarat, which already has three atomic power generating units operational.

According to a written reply by Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is likely to be operational in 2024, followed by two 1,000 MW units at Kudankulam in 2025.

He said “two 700 MW units at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan are likely to be completed by 2026, while another two 1,000 MW units are likely to be completed at Kudankulam by 2027.”

LONDON, 15 December 2022, (TON): The UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO in Geneva, Ambassador Simon Manley, gave a statement during the USA’s 15th WTO Trade Policy Review.

Muchas gracias, Señor Presidente. May I join others in warmly welcoming the United States’ delegation, led by our distinguished colleague Ambassador María Pagán, and her colleagues both from here and in DC to this, their 15th Trade Policy Review.

Thank you very much also to our distinguished Discussant Ambassador Spencer. I’m glad to see that they both got the memo about the dress code for this morning, President.

There is still time to pick up your Santa suit so that this afternoon you can all be colour-coordinated.

NEW DELHI, 15 December 2022, (TON): The Ministry of Home Affairs has spent ₹ 2,814 crore in the last three years on security-related expenditures on the police of Jammu & Kashmir.

Member of Parliament Rajmani Patel asked a question in Rajya Sabha whether it is a fact that a huge amount is spent on Jammu & Kashmir security every year and if so, what is the total amount spent on J-K security during the last three years, year-wise.

Responding to the question, Nityanand Rai, Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs informed that there are various agencies/organisations which operate for the security of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

The details of expenditure for the purpose are not centrally maintained.

WASHINGTON, 15 December 2022, (TON): The Biden administration plans to place Chinese chip-maker Yangtze Memory Technologies and 35 other Chinese firms on a trade blacklist that would prevent them from buying certain American components.

The US Department of Commerce would add the Chinese companies to a so-called ‘Entity List’ as early as this week, the report said, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Once a company is added to the entity list, its US suppliers must seek a special licence to ship even low-tech items to it.