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.

AMMAN, 15 December 2022, (TON): Jordan and the UK signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cybersecurity collaboration between both countries, the Jordan News Agency reported.

The MoU was signed by Jordanian National Center for Cyber Security Director Bassam Maharmeh and British Ambassador to Jordan Bridget Brind.

The NCSC stated that the agreement reflects the countries’ efforts to safeguard the economic, social and security benefits of using transparent and safe cyberspace.

It added “the memorandum is in line with the national strategy for cybersecurity and serves the NCSC’s efforts to achieve a safe and reliable Jordanian cyberspace that enables growth and prosperity.”

CAIRO, 15 December 2022, (TON): Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi will seek to strengthen trade and investment partnerships during a three-day American-African summit hosted by US President Joe Biden with the participation of 49 African leaders.

Presidential spokesman Bassam Rady said “El-Sisi, who arrived in Washington on Tuesday, intends to focus on broadening the African-US partnership to confront the food security crisis and to better integrate African countries into the global economy.”

He added “this will yield benefits in terms of economic growth, technology transfer and foreign investment.”

El-Sisi will meet several senior US officials to discuss strengthening bilateral relations, and is also scheduled to meet a group of leading businessmen to discuss greater cooperation in economic, trade and investment sectors.

NEW DELHI, 15 December 2022, (TON): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday and exchanged views on working together during India's G20 Presidency.

Mr Jaishankar, in a Twitter post, said “he valued the UN chief's insights on UNSC reform and the Ukraine conflict.”

Mr Jaishankar tweeted "a warm meeting with UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres. Valued his insights on UNSC reform and the Ukraine conflict. Exchanged views on working together during India's G20 Presidency.”

KYIV, 15 December 2022, (TON): Ukrainian forces shot down 13 drones on Wednesday, officials said “as Russia launched its first major drone attack on the capital Kyiv in weeks and the United States considered sending its advanced Patriot air defence system to help Ukraine.”

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said “explosions had rocked the city’s central Shevchenkivskyi district and that two administrative buildings had been damaged. An air raid alert was lifted three hours after it began.”

In one Kyiv district, residents said “they heard the sound of an Iranian Shahed drone known as mopeds by Ukrainians because of the loud whirring of their engines – followed by a powerful explosion at a building next to their homes.”

GENEVA, 15 December 2022, (TON): The new head of the International Committee of the Red Cross said she was prepared to go to Moscow to discuss access to prisoners of war.

Mirjana Spoljaric, who took the ICRC reins in October, told reporters in Geneva she had personally been “speaking with Russian counterparts.”

She said “I intend to go to Moscow, when the moment is there.”

Speaking at ICRC headquarters just days after returning from Ukraine, she said the organization was intent on gaining access to POWs taken by both sides since Russia launched its full-scale invasion last.

She said “we are in daily conversations at different levels, because access to prisoners of war is an ongoing engagement.”

“There is never a suspension or an end to that.”

KYIV, 15 December 2022, (TON): Ukraine said Wednesday that it had secured the release of a US citizen as well as 64 Ukrainian members of the military in its latest prisoner swap with Russian forces.

Ukraine presidency’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak said “sixty-four soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces who fought in Donetsk and Lugansk — in particular participated in the defense of the city of Bakhmut are going home.”

“It was also possible to free a US citizen who helped our people — Suedi Murekezi.”

MONTREAL, 15 December 2022, (TON): The thorny issue of how much money wealthy countries are willing to pony up to protect the world’s remaining biodiversity took center stage at UN talks in Montreal aimed at creating a peace pact with nature.

At stake is the future of the planet and whether humanity can roll back habitat destruction, pollution, and the climate crisis that are driving the sixth mass extinction of plant and animal species.

UN spokesman David Ainsworth said “negotiators worked late into the night Tuesday, but “the atmosphere deteriorated when the group started discussing concepts, in particular the global biodiversity fund proposal.”

The GBF is a new financial instrument sought by low-income nations to help them, for example, establish marine or terrestrial protected areas and implement biodiversity action plans.

WASHINGTON, 15 December 2022, (TON): President Joe Biden told dozens of African leaders gathered in Washington that the United States is all in on Africa’s future, laying out billions in promised government funding and private investment to help the growing continent in health, infrastructure, business and technology.

Biden told the leaders “the US is committed to supporting every aspect of Africa’s growth.”

Biden, who is pitching the US as a reliable partner to promote democratic elections and push critical health and energy growth, told the crowd the $55 billion in committed investments over the next three years announced was just the beginning.