TEHRAN, 10 December, 2020, (TON): Iran and Afghanistan on Thursday inaugurated the Khaf-Herat 220-kilometer (136 miles) railroad project, in presence of the presidents of both countries.

As part of the large east-west railway corridor extending to China and Europe, this new railway track connects Iran’s eastern city of Khaf with Afghanistan’s western city of Ghorian.

During the virtual inauguration ceremony, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani termed it a “historic day” in the relations between the two neighboring countries.

He said the rail route, which is Iran’s sixth border railroad with neighboring countries, will “strengthen the bond” between Iran and Afghanistan.

Under construction since 2007, the project worth 28 trillion rials ($700 million) consists of four sections. Three sections of the route were funded by Tehran and the fourth section by Kabul.

The three sections, covering 140 km (86 mi) from Khaf in Iran to Roznak in Afghanistan’s Herat province, were put into operation on Thursday.

According to Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mohammad Eslami, the railroad can transport one million passengers and six million tons of goods a year.

Rouhani, speaking through video link, said the culture and history of the two countries are intertwined, so the economy and markets should also be linked.

“Our victory is your victory and your happiness are our joy,” he said, addressing the people of the neighboring country.

"We are proud to have hosted millions of Afghans over the past 40 years," he added.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in his speech expressed happiness over the operationalization of what he described as a “historic and vital project.” He hoped the project will lead to an “economic leap” of the region.

After the construction of the last part of the project, trains will reach a station in an industrial hub on the outskirts of Herat city, 640 km west of the Afghan capital Kabul.

On December 3, the first trial freight train from Iran arrived in Ghoryan district of Herat, carrying 500 metric tonnes of cement.

The project, which came to fruition under a tripartite agreement between Iran, Afghanistan, and India is expected to play a significant role in linking landlocked Afghanistan with Russia, Europe, and Turkey.

Tehran and Kabul have been involved in talks with three countries (China, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan) in the east-west corridor to develop a long railroad from China to Europe, that passes through Iran and Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD, 10 December, 2020, (TON): The World Bank has approved $300 million for Pakistan to build resilience to natural disasters and health emergencies in the southern Sindh province.

These investments, according to the bank, will bolster Pakistan's efforts to counter floods and droughts in Sindh, strengthen solid waste management in Karachi - the country’s commercial capital - and tackle recurrent urban flooding and public health emergencies in the city.

Statement issued by the bank's local office says “The Washington-based lender approved $200 million for the Sindh Resilience project and $100 million for the Solid Waste Emergency and Efficiency project.”

"Building resilience to natural disasters and health emergencies is an important and urgent agenda in Pakistan, that will help save lives and protect the economy," said World Bank Country Director for Pakistan Najy Benhassine.

"The establishment of Sindh Emergency Service will greatly enhance the government's responsiveness to natural disasters and emergencies, particularly in a megacity like Karachi where many lives are lost due to insufficient emergency medical services," said Ahsan Tehsin, task team leader for the Sindh Resilience project.

The project will strengthen linkages between disaster risk management and the health sector by establishing the Sindh Emergency Service to strengthen capacity for disaster preparedness and emergency response, including health crises such as COVID-19.

In June, Pakistan received $500 million from the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank each to prop up its economy that has taken a hit from the global coronavirus restrictions.

KABUL, 10 December, 2020, (TON): Afghan peace negotiations between teams of the Kabul government and Taliban have been delayed for two days, according to sources.

Both sides of the peace negotiations in Doha were expected to begin “serious talks" on Wednesday, according to Reconciliation Council chief Abdullah Abdullah, but sources said that meetings have been delayed for two days.

The sources said on Wednesday that the Taliban has asked for two more days to discuss the 28-article demand list of the Afghan Republic's negotiating team, reports TOLO News.

The two sides have held three consecutive meetings this week at the working group level to discuss the agenda of the peace negotiations after having reached an agreement on the procedural rules for the talks.

"We hope that the Taliban consider the problems of the country and show flexibility and reach an agreement so that we become united," said Qazi Mohammad Amin Waqad, former deputy head of the High Peace Council.

The peace negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Taliban began in September in Doha but direct negotiations were delayed due to disagreement on procedural rules. Afghan government and Taliban representatives reached a preliminary deal on December 2^nd, to pursue Peace talks. This is the first written agreement in 19 years of Afghan war.

ABU DHABI, 10 December, 2020, (TON): The US Senate on Wednesday rejected efforts to block the sale of munitions worth $23 billion to the United Arab Emirates, overcoming concerns about sending weapons to Gulf Arab nation, which includes some 50 F-35 fighter jets, at least 18 Reaper drones and other precision weapons.

The United Arab Emirates on Thursday thanked the US for approving an arms sale worth $23 billion.

In a statement, Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the US said "The UAE deeply appreciates the consideration of all Senators in today's vote. Continued US support enable the UAE to take on more of the burden for our collective security — ours, yours and our partners.”

"It improves US-UAE inter-operability and allows us to be more effective together. It makes us all safer, be more tolerant and future-oriented.

"The UAE is charting a new positive path for the Middle East. We are committed to regional de-escalation and dialogue."

Last month, US President Donald Trump's administration notified Congress of the intended $23 billion arms sale to UAE.

Congress has shown a willingness to confront Trump on defence policy. But on Wednesday the effort to turn back the arms sales failed to reach the 51-vote majority needed for passage. Trump was expected to veto the two resolutions anyway.

The pair of votes, forced by a bipartisan group of senators, highlighted growing unease in Congress. In a victory for President Trump, the majority voted against the blockade, endorsing his last-minute push to send armed drones and stealth fighter jets to the Emirati military and arguing that bolstering the country’s arsenal would help nations allied against Iran.

BRUSSELS, 10 December, 2020, (TON): European Union leaders are set to agree sanctions on Turkish individuals on Thursday over an energy exploration dispute with Greece and Cyprus, but will postpone any harsher steps until March, according to a new draft summit statement.

Shying away from a threat made in October to consider wider economic measures, EU leaders will agree to punish individuals accused of planning or taking part in what the bloc says is unauthorised drilling off Cyprus.

The EU said it would seek to coordinate possible further measures with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office in January.

Turkey says it is operating in waters on its own continental shelf or areas where Turkish Cypriots have rights. Its president Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday he was not concerned by any sanctions the bloc might impose.

The EU asset freezes of as-yet unnamed individuals and companies will be in addition to two officials already on a sanctions list set up in November 2019.

“Turkey has engaged in unilateral actions and provocations and escalated its rhetoric against the EU,” according to the draft statement prepared by EU envoys that leaders are expected to endorse after a summit discussion over dinner on Thursday.

EU leaders will tell officials “to adopt additional listings ... in view of Turkey’s unauthorised drilling activities in the eastern Mediterranean,” the latest draft said.

Senior EU diplomats described the proposed sanctions as symbolic because the bloc was reluctant to severely punish Turkey, a NATO ally and candidate for EU membership.

In 2011, the internationally-recognised Greek Cypriot government began exploring for natural gas with a U.S. company despite warnings from Turkey, which does not recognise the divided island’s status and claims exploration rights.

The EU, led by Germany, has been trying to negotiate a settlement but without success. France has supported Greek calls for tougher sanctions. The European Parliament last month called for punitive measures. Athens has called for a formal arms embargo on Turkey.

In recent months, Ankara has clashed with Greece and Cyprus, disputing their maritime boundaries and sending research ships escorted by military vessels. Turkey and Greece came close to a military clash in early September, but tensions eased after Turkey paused drilling operations.

Sanctions over Turkey gas drilling will carry a much larger risk of increasing tensions. After the EU’s stance on Turkey, it is likely that Greece and Cyprus will redouble their efforts to bolster their defence ties to France and the US, as they have already been doing.

LONDON, 10 December, 2020, (TON): Britain told the European Union on Thursday it should make significant concessions to break the impasse in Brexit trade talks by the end of the weekend to give some clarity about the finale to the five-year-old Brexit crisis.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European Union’s chief executive Ursula von der Leyen gave themselves until the end of the weekend to seal a new trade pact after failing to overcome persistent rifts over a “lively” dinner of turbot on Wednesday.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made the remarks at Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, lower part of the British Parliament, before heading to Brussels later Wednesday that "Our friends in the EU are currently insisting if they pass a new law in the future which we don't comply, they have the automatic right to punish us...And they are insisting the UK should be the only country in the world not to have sovereign control over its fishing waters".

“There’s still clearly some scope to keep talking but there are significant points of difference that remain,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told BBC TV, adding that both sides needed to take stock at the weekend.

The pound extended its losses against the dollar and the euro, down 0.6% against the dollar at $1.3318 at 0829 GMT GBP=D3. Versus the euro it was down around 0.7% at 90.755 pence EURGBP=D3.

Raab said the main points of contention fisheries and commitments on a level playing field were narrow in scope but they were matters of principle for Britain.

The trade negotiations are at a crucial stage as time is running out for both sides to secure a deal before the Brexit transition period expires at the end of the year.

KABUL, 10 December 2020, (TON): Malalai Maiwand, a journalist at Enikass Radio and TV in Nangarhar, was killed with her driver when she was on her way to the office on Thursday morning in an attack by gunmen on their vehicle in Jalalabad city, capital of the province, local officials confirmed.

The incident occurred around 7:10am local time in the Golaye Araban area in PD3 of Jalalabad city, said Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the provincial governor. 

“She was on her way to the office when the incident occurred,” Khogyani said, adding that “her driver was also shot and killed in the attack.”

Maiwand was also an activist in the province, said Khogyani.

No group, including the Taliban, has immediately claimed responsibility for the blast. Since the successful peace process is going on, the attacks in Afghanistan has increased to give an impression that Taliban might are behind the attacks. The anti-Taliban elements do not want to see a peaceful settlement of the Afghan dispute which is important for potential political settlement in Afghanistan.

The German embassy in Kabul in tweeted: “We strongly condemn these attacks on media representatives and civil society and civilians. They must stop!”

On Monday, the EU delegation, NATO and diplomatic missions based in Kabul in a joint statement said they “strongly condemn” the recent targeted attacks on representatives of the media and religious leaders.

“We consider these not only as savage attacks against Afghan blood, but as an attack on the very peace process in Afghanistan. Recognizing the bravery of Afghanistan’s people, we are confident that these attacks will fail in their intent to silence the diversity of opinions,” it said. 

“It has never mattered more for the people of Afghanistan to feel able to express themselves freely and provide their opinions on the peace talks, as well as engage in the process, to achieve an inclusive and sustainable peace. Upholding the free flow of information and holding the perpetrators accountable will benefit everyone who wishes to live in a peaceful and democratic Afghanistan,” the statement said. 

Meanwhile, journalists are quite concerned about their lives after until recently a series of attacks on them.

WASHINGTON, 10 December 2020, (TON): The US House on Tuesday passed a $741 billion defense policy bill that would take steps to slow or thwart US President Trump’s planned withdrawal of American troops from Germany and Afghanistan.

 The bill contains a provision that would require the Trump administration to submit a comprehensive, interagency report and certification prior to obligating or extending funds to drawdown US military personnel in Afghanistan “below troop levels of 8,000 and 4,000.”

 The US Senate come up with an amendment that would adjust the troop level thresholds, modify certain reporting requirements, and adjust the waiver available to the Secretary of Defense. 

“The conferees reaffirm that it is in the national security interests of the US to deny terrorists safe haven in Afghanistan, protect the United States homeland, uphold the United States partnership with the Government of Afghanistan, and protect the hard-fought gains for the rights of women, girls, and other vulnerable populations in Afghanistan,” according to the US bill. 

 It further said that the conferees note the South Asia strategy emphasizes the importance of a conditions-based United States presence in Afghanistan in support of ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure a peaceful, negotiated settlement to the conflict.  

Moreover, It also note that any decision to reduce the armed forces of the United States in Afghanistan should be done in an orderly manner and in coordination with United States allies and partners and the Government of Afghanistan. 

 “Additionally, prior to withdrawal, the United States should seek to secure the release of any United States citizens being held against their will in Afghanistan,” it said adding that “The Administration has a constitutional obligation to provide the Congress and the American people with regular, timely, and comprehensive information on the status of security operations and diplomatic efforts in Afghanistan and across the globe. 

 “Today the House sent a strong, bipartisan message to the American people: Our service members and our national security are more important than politics,” Democratic Representative Adam Smith, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, Trump ordered the new withdrawal to be completed by Jan. 15, five days before he leaves office, aiming to leave about 2500 troops in Afghanistan.

However, citing security reasons, he did not disclosed details of troops withdrawal plans.

DAKHA, 9 December 2020, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on the occasion of “International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime” and “72nd Anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” highlighted the events of March 1971 and onwards, when people of the erstwhile Eastern part of Pakistan faced unleashed brutal mass killings of the innocent civilian population by occupying Western forces.

Prime Minister Hasina said, "On the occasion of the “International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime” as well as the “72nd anniversary of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”, Bangladesh joins the international community in paying solemn tribute to the victims of genocide throughout the history of the world and reiterates its firm commitment to preventing such heinous crimes." She added, "The pain and trauma inflicted on us in 1971 motivate us to seek an end to genocide anywhere and demand justice for the victims of this heinous crime."

She pointed out that despite the obligation of the global community to prevent the crimes of genocide, many innocent people across the globe continue to face atrocities, oppression and systematic persecution caused by xenophobia, intolerance and hatred,

While highlighting the persecution of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, she said, "The desperate Rohingyas want to return to their homeland. We urge the international community to help these people to exercise their right to return to Myanmar at the earliest and ensure that they can live in Myanmar in safety and security."

She called upon the international community to undertake concerted action to address the root causes of genocide, and ensure justice to the victims to prevent the recurrence of any future genocide anywhere in the world.

KATHMANDU, 09 December, 2020, (TON): The world's highest peak is now taller by 86 centimetres, Nepal and China jointly announced on Tuesday.

The agreed height of 8,848.86 metres (29,031 feet) unveiled at a news conference in Kathmandu was 86 centimetres (2.8 feet) higher than the measurement previously recognised by Nepal, and more than four metres above China’s official figure.

Until now the countries differed over whether to add the snow cap on top.

China's previous official measurement of 8,844.43m had put the mountain nearly four metres lower than Nepal's.

Everest stands on the border between China and Nepal and mountaineers climb it from both sides.

Officials at Nepal's foreign ministry and department of survey said surveyors from both countries had co-ordinated to agree on the new height.

The agreement to jointly announce the new measurement of the Earth's highest point was made during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu last year.

Chinese authorities had said previously Mount Everest should be measured to its rock height, while Nepalese authorities argued the snow on top of the summit should be included.

The Chinese surveyors had calculated their figure after they measured the mountain in 2005.

The 8,848m height Nepal had been using for Mount Everest was determined by the Survey of India in 1954, but for the first time the country has now conducted its own measurement of the summit.

Four Nepalese land surveyors spent two years training for the mission, before heading to the summit.