UNITED NATIONS, 14 December 2022, (TON): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for the de-escalation in tensions along the India-China border, days after troops of the two countries clashed in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, resulting in minor injuries to some soldiers on both sides.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Parliament that Chinese troops tried to unilaterally change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control in the Yangtse area of Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang sector, but the Indian Army compelled them to retreat by its "firm and resolute" response.

When Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson to the UN Secretary-General was asked to comment on this issue, he said "Yeah, we've seen these reports. We call for de-escalation and to ensure that the tensions along in that area do not grow."

KUWAIT, 14 December 2022, (TON): The UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and the Arab Competition Network have congratulated Kuwaiti authorities on their efforts to protect consumers against commercial fraud.

The Kuwait News Agency reported “the organizations said the measures they introduced have helped to create effective and beneficial competition.”

Kuwait’s Competition Protection Agency has made significant progress in the past decade in its efforts to regulate the local market, Natalya Khaled, ESCWA’s economic affairs chief, said during a two-day conference.

KYIV, 14 December 2022, (TON): Ukraine’s prime minister has appealed for Patriot missile batteries and other high-tech air defense systems to counter Russian attacks that knocked out electricity and water supplies for millions of Ukrainians, putting Europe on alert to brace for more refugees.

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal told French broadcaster LCI that in addition to making Ukrainians suffer, Russia wants to swamp Europe with a new wave of Ukrainian refugees by continuing to strike power stations and other infrastructure.

Poland’s president said “his nation already has seen an increased demand to shelter refugees due to the combination of such attacks coupled with the freezing weather in Ukraine.”

UNITED NATIONS, 14 December 2022, (TON): The UN chief warned in a new report that the already dire humanitarian situation in Syria is worsening and if aid deliveries from Turkiye to the rebel-held northwest aren’t renewed next month millions of Syrians may not survive the winter.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the report to the UN Security Council obtained Monday by The Associated Press that cross-border aid to the northwest remains an indispensable part of humanitarian operations to reach all people in need.

Deliveries across conflict lines within the country, which Syria’s close ally Russia has pressed for, have increased but Guterres said they cannot substitute for the size or scope of the massive cross-border United Nations operation.

DUBAI, 14 December 2022, (TON): Emirates News Agency reported “Hu Chunhua, China’s vice premier, visited the Museum of the Future, where he was greeted by Dubai Future Foundation CEO Khalfan Belhoul.”

Representatives from the museum and the foundation met the delegation to discuss enhancing cooperation on the development of innovative ideas.

The tour was part of an official visit from Hu, who is in the UAE this week to strengthen relations between the two countries.

The delegation included Zhang Yiming, Chinese ambassador to the UAE; Guo Wei, deputy secretary-general of the Chinese State Council and Wu Jianghao, China’s assistant minister of foreign affairs.

NEW DELHI, 14 December 2022, (TON): Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accused the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in Rajasthan of harassing Hindus and boosting the morale of separatist forces.

Referring to the incidents of communal violence in Karauli, followed by Jodhpur and Bhilwara earlier this year, the Jodhpur MP said there is huge anger among people against the state government.

He claimed that because of the appeasement by the Congress government, the "morale of separatist forces is high" and they are trying to divide the society on the basis of religion.

Communal violence took place on April 2 in Karauli on the occasion of Nav Samvatsar or Hindu New Year.

KOSTIANTYNIVKA, 14 December 2022, (TON): Russia and Ukraine pounded each other’s forces in heavy fighting in the eastern region of Donetsk as Kyiv’s allies meeting in Paris pledged just over 1 billion euros to help Ukrainians survive the freezing winter.

Russian forces are battling to take control of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, two of four territories the Kremlin claims to have annexed in votes rejected by most countries as illegal.

Moscow is also attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with waves of missile and drone strikes, at times cutting off electricity for millions of civilians enduring Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War Two.

ROME, 14 December 2022, (TON): Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has condemned Iran for suppressing dissent and pledged that her administration would continue to defend the fundamental rights and freedoms of that country’s people.

In a speech in the Chamber of Deputies, Meloni recalled that on Monday Iran executed a second man — in defiance of an international outcry over the use of capital punishment in connection with protests that have shaken the regime for months.

She said “I say this clearly. The use of force against peaceful demonstrators, against women is unjustifiable and above all unacceptable.”

LONDON, 14 December 2022, (TON): Britain said “it had sanctioned 12 Russian military commanders implicated in missile strikes on Ukrainian cities as well as Iranian businessmen involved in the production and supply of military drones used in the attacks.”

Ukraine said “Russian missiles, artillery and drones had hammered targets in eastern and southern Ukraine.”

Britain said “Iranian-manufactured drones had played a central role in attacks on civilians, citing US information showing Iran has become one of Russia’s top military backers, sending hundreds of drones to Russia.”

Tehran and Moscow have denied Western accusations that Russia is using Iranian drones to attack targets in Ukraine.

NEW DELHI, 14 December 2022, (TON): India’s defense minister said “Indian soldiers were wounded in a recent clash with Chinese troops along the disputed Himalayan border.”

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said “soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army approached the notional border in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern tip of India, which shares a border with China, leading to a face-off and physical scuffle on Dec. 9 that “led to injuries to a few personnel on both sides.”

Addressing the Indian parliament, Singh said “Chinese troops crossed into Indian territory and unilaterally changed the status quo.”

He added that after soldiers from both sides withdrew quickly, local commanders met on Dec. 11 to discuss the incident.