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Call to save Rohingya refugees adrift on boat without water, food Sri Lanka navy rescues over 104 Rohingya adrift in rough seas

On December 8, a boat carrying 154 Rohingya refugees was rescued off the coast of Thailand by a Vietnamese oil service vessel. The refugees were handed over to the Myanmar navy. On Sunday 18 Dec., the Sri Lankan navy rescued another boat carrying 104 refugees, including 39 women and 23 children. The navy said the small trawler had set off from Myanmar and was on its way to Indonesia when it ran into engine trouble. The UN refugee agency reported earlier this month that there had been a “dramatic” increase in Rohingya refugees making risky boat journeys from Myanmar and Bangladesh to Southeast Asian countries, partly because of deteriorating conditions in the refugee camps they are confined to in Myanmar’s Rakhine state and Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar. An estimated 1,920 mostly Rohingya people left Myanmar and Bangladesh by sea between January and November this year, compared with just 287 in 2021, according to the UN. About 119 people were reported dead or missing on these journeys, the UN added. Many Rohingya in Bangladesh and Myanmar risk their lives every year by attempting to reach Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia on rickety vessels. Their numbers have surged following deteriorating conditions in the camps and last year’s military coup in Myanmar.  The boat was first detected by the Sri Lanka navy when it was 3.5 nautical miles (6.5km) from the shore. A search and rescue operation was launched to eventually tow the vessel to the island nation’s northern harbour on Sunday night, navy spokesman Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya said. “The people have been handed over to the police,” Wickramasuriya told Reuters news agency. A navy statement said 104 Myanmar nationals were found on board the small trawler suspected to have originated from Myanmar and was heading to Indonesia when it ran into engine trouble in rough seas. Wickramasuriya said 39 women and 23 minors were among the rescued people. An 80-year-old man, as well as a woman and her two children, all suffering from minor sickness, were admitted to hospital.Source: Al Jazeera & News Agencies.

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Saudi Arabia’s lavish welcome of China’s President Xi A warning to US and Biden

Four royal air force fighter jets escorted Mr Xi’s plane as it entered Saudi airspace, while six aerobatic jets dragged smoke trails in the colours of the Chinese national flag.

Reporting by Aziz El Yaakoubi in Riyadh and Eduardo Baptista in Beijing

King Salman signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership agreement” with Xi, who received a lavish welcome in a country forging new global partnerships beyond the West. King Salman signed a “comprehensive strategic partnership agreement” with Xi, who received a lavish welcome in a country forging new global partnerships beyond the West. Xi’s car was escorted to the king’s palace by members of the Saudi Royal Guard riding Arabian horses and carrying Chinese and Saudi flags, and he later attended a welcome banquet. The Chinese leader held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, de facto ruler of the oil giant, who greeted him with a warm smile. Xi heralded “a new era” in Arab ties. The display stood in stark contrast to the low-key welcome extended in July to U.S. President Joe Biden, with whom ties have been strained by Saudi energy policy and the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi that had overshadowed the awkward visit. The United States, warily watching China’s growing sway and with its ties to Riyadh at a nadir, said on Wednesday Xi’s trip was an example of Chinese attempts to exert influence around the world and would not change U.S. policy towards the Middle East.

Saudi Arabia signs Huawei deal, deepening China ties on Xi visit

A memorandum with China’s Huawei Technologies, on cloud computing and building high-tech complexes in Saudi cities, was agreed despite U.S. unease with Gulf allies over a possible security risk in using the Chinese firm’s technology. Huawei has participated in building 5G networks in most Gulf States despite the U.S. concerns. In an op-ed published in Saudi media, Xi said he was on a “pioneering trip” to “open a new era of China’s relations with the Arab world, the Arab countries of the Gulf, and Saudi Arabia”. China and Arab countries would “continue to hold high the banner of non-interference in internal affairs”, Xi added.

“Trusted Partner”

Chinese and Saudi firms also signed 34 deals for investment in green energy, information technology, cloud services, transport, construction and other sectors, state news agency SPA reported. It gave no figures, but had earlier said the two countries would seal initial agreements worth $30 billion. Tang Tianbo, Middle East specialist at the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR) – a Chinese government-affiliated think tank – said the visit would result in further expansion of energy cooperation. Source: Reuters / Channel News Asia.

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At least three killed in Kabul hotel attack: Taliban officials

Deadly attack at hotel popular with Chinese nationals comes a day after China’s ambassador sought more attention on the security of its embassy in the Afghan capital. At least three attackers have been reportedly killed by security forces after they opened fire at a Kabul hotel popular with Chinese nationals, according to a spokesperson for the Taliban-run Afghanistan administration. The unidentified gunmen launch the attack on the multi-storey Kabul Longan Hotel on Monday, with witnesses reporting multiple blasts and several bursts of gunfire. While the firing was continuing in the hotel on Monday, a fire also broke out on one of the floors, according to witnesses. The attack came a day after China’s ambassador met the Afghan deputy foreign minister to discuss security-related matters and sought more attention on the security of its embassy. A hotel in the ShahrNow area of Kabul was attacked by attackers, where it is said that Chinese citizens were China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported that the attack took place near a Chinese guesthouse, and that its embassy in Kabul was closely monitoring the situation. Source: TRT World and agencies.

300 China troops entered LAC India Confirms First Border Clash with China Since 2020

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen

Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the northeast Indian border state of Arunachal Pradesh, India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told Parliament, officially confirming the first such encounter between the neighbors in about two years. Troops from both sides “exchanged blows” on Dec. 9 after hundreds of Chinese soldiers transgressed into India’s side of the boundary, Singh said. India has raised the matter diplomatically with Beijing and military commanders from both sides have discussed it. Singh gave no other details on the nature of the fighting in the Indian-administered area of Yangtze in Arunachal Pradesh. Indian officials, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue, said nearly two dozen Indian troops were injured in the clash by Chinese soldiers armed with clubs. They added that Chinese soldiers were also injured. The border between the two countries is “generally stable,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing in Beijing, while declining to comment on specifics. The two sides had “smooth communication on boundary-related issues through diplomatic and military channels,” he added. Senior Colonel Long Shaohua, a spokesperson for the Western theater of the People’s Liberation Army, said in a statement that Chinese troops were conducting a routine patrol on their side of the frontier on Friday when they encountered “illegal obstruction” from Indian troops who crossed the line. China tackled the situation in a “professional, standard and forceful” manner, Long said, adding that troops have since disengaged and Beijing demands New Delhi “strictly regulate its frontline troops” to safeguard border peace. With assistance by Philip Glamann and Jing Li Source: Bloomberg.

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Russia-Ukraine live: Large attacks on Ukrainian cities reported

By Edna Mohamed and Joseph Stepansky

Russian missile strikes caused “colossal” damage to infrastructure in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and mainly affected the energy system, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said. “There is colossal damage to infrastructure, primarily the energy system,” he said on Telegram.

“I ask you to be patient with what is happening now. I know that in your houses there is no light, no heating, no water supply”.

Kremlin finalizing price cap response

The Kremlin is finalising the last details of how it is going to respond to the Group of Seven (G7) price cap on Russia’s oil exports. Moscow has repeatedly said it will not sell oil to countries that comply with the cap and has promised to publish a presidential decree outlining Russia’s full response.

Ukrainian shelling kills eight people in Luhansk: Russian official

Eight people were killed and 23 injured by Ukrainian shelling in the Russian-controlled Luhansk region of Ukraine, the Russian-installed administrator of the region said. Source: Al Jazeera &News Agencies.

North Korea sent arms to Russia’s Wagner Group, White House says

The private Russian military company, the Wagner Group, took delivery of an arms shipment from North Korea to help bolster Russian forces in Ukraine, a sign of the group’s expanding role in that conflict, the White House said on Thursday. “Wagner is searching around the world for arms suppliers to support its military operations in Ukraine,” John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, told reporters. “We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner, which paid for that equipment. Last month, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner,” Kirby said. The news was first reported by Reuters. The Wagner Group was founded in 2014 after Russia seized and annexed Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula and sparked a separatist insurgency in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. The United States estimates that Wagner has 50,000 personnel deployed in Ukraine, including 10,000 contractors and 40,000 convicts recruited from Russian prisons, Kirby said. The US assessment is that the amount of material delivered by North Korea will not change the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine, but more military equipment was expected to be delivered by Pyongyang.

Pacifist Japan unveils unprecedented $320bn military build-up

Japan has said it would begin a once-unthinkable $320bn military build-up that would arm it with missiles capable of striking China and ready it for a sustained conflict as regional tensions and Russia’s Ukraine invasion stoke war fears. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s government worries that Russia has set a precedent that will encourage China to attack Taiwan, threatening nearby Japanese islands, disrupting supplies of advanced semiconductors, and putting a potential stranglehold on sea lanes that supply Middle East oil. Japan’s post-World War II constitution does not officially recognise the military and limits it to nominally self-defensive capabilities. In its sweeping five-year plan and revamped national security strategy, the government said on Friday it would also stockpile spare parts and other munitions, reinforce logistics, develop cyber-warfare capabilities, and cooperate more closely with the United States and other like-minded nations to deter threats to the established international order. “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a serious violation of laws that forbid the use of force and has shaken the foundations of the international order,” it said in the national security paper. “The strategic challenge posed by China is the biggest Japan has ever faced.”

Third-biggest military spender

Unthinkable under past administrations, the rapid arming of Japan, which already hosts US forces, including a carrier strike group and a Marine expeditionary force, has the backing of most voters, according to opinion polls. Some surveys put support as high as 70 percent of voters. Kishida’s plan will double defence outlays to about 2 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) over the next five years, and increase the defence ministry’s share to about one-tenth of all public spending. It will also make Japan the world’s third-biggest military spender after the US and China, based on current budgets. The five-year spending roadmap did not come with a detailed plan for how Kishida’s administration would pay for it, as ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers continue to discuss whether to raise taxes or borrow money.

‘Exclusively defense oriented’

The strategy document previously said Japan was seeking a “mutually beneficial strategic partnership” with Beijing, a phrase that has disappeared from this iteration. Instead it suggests a “constructive and stable relationship” and better communication. China’s foreign ministry o urged Japan to “reflect on its policies”. “Japan disregards the facts, deviates from the common understandings between China and Japan and its commitment to bilateral relations, and discredits China,” ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told reporters. Source: News Agencies.

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US researchers announce historic nuclear fusion breakthrough

By Ella Nilsen

CNN US Department of Energy officials announced a history-making accomplishment in nuclear fusion Tuesday: For the first time, US scientists produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy they used to power the experiment. A so-called “net energy gain” is a major milestone in a decadeslong attempt to source clean, limitless energy from nuclear fusion the reaction that happens when two or more atoms are fused together. The experiment put in 2.05 megajoules of energy to the target and resulted in 3.15 megajoules of fusion energy output generating more than 50% more energy than was put in. It’s the first time an experiment resulted in a meaningful gain of energy. “This monumental scientific breakthrough is a milestone for the future of clean energy,” said Democratic US Sen. Alex Padilla of California in a statement. The breakthrough was made by a team of scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s National Ignition Facility in California on December 5 a facility the size of a sports stadium and equipped with 192 lasers. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm on Tuesday called the breakthrough a “milestone.” “Ignition allows us to replicate, for the first time, certain conditions that are only found in the stars and sun,” Granholm said. “This milestone moves us one significant step closer to the possibility of zero-carbon, abundant fusion energy powering our society.” Granholm said scientists at Livermore and other national labs do work that will help the US move quickly toward clean energy and maintain a nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing. “This is what it looks like for America to lead, and we’re just getting started,” Granholm said. “If we can advance fusion energy, we could use it to produce clean electricity, transportation fuels, power, heavy industry and so much more.” Arati Prabhakar, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, spoke about how, as a young scientist early in her career, she spent three months at Lawrence Livermore working on its nuclear fusion project. Prabhakar reflected on the generations of scientists who got to today’s achievement with nuclear fusion. “It took not just one generation but generations of people pursuing this goal,” she said. “It’s a century since we figured out it was fusion that was going on in our sun and all the other stars. In that century it took so many different kinds of advances that ultimately came together to the point that we could replicate that fusion activity in a laboratory.”

US unveils $700m, next-generation B-21 nuclear bomber

The United States has unveiled its latest high-tech strategic bomber the B-21 Raider which is capable of carrying a nuclear payload and can be flown without a crew on board. The next-generation stealth bomber was rolled out at arm’s manufacturer Northrop Grumman’s facility in California during a flashy ceremony attended by top US officials on Friday. The US Air Force plans to buy at least 100 of the B-21 aircraft, which comes with a $700m price tag per plane, a Northrop Grumman spokesperson said. The unveiling of the new bombers comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions between the US, Russia and China amid the war in Ukraine and the territorial integrity of Taiwan. Russian and Chinese strategic bombers flew a joint eight-hour patrol over the western Pacific on Wednesday in a display of ongoing military cooperation between the two nations. China’s Defence Ministry called the mission a “routine” effort in bolstering defence ties with Russia. Moscow and Beijing are also currently developing strategic stealth bombers China’s Xian H-20 and Russia’s nuclear-capable Tupolev PAK DA which are expected to compete with the B-21. While the B-21 is capable of taking to the air without a pilot, the US Air Force said the aircraft is “provisioned for the possibility, but there has been no decision to fly without a crew”. “The B-21 Raider is the first strategic bomber in more than three decades,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a prepared statement. Austin touted the aircraft’s range and superior design. “Fifty years of advances in low-observable technology have gone into this aircraft,” he said. “Even the most sophisticated air defence systems will struggle to detect the B-21 in the sky.” The B-21, which carries a similar “flying wing” shape to its predecessor, will be capable of carrying conventional and nuclear weapons around the world using long-range and midair refuelling capabilities. Northrop Grumman has hailed the new planes as “the backbone of our future bomber force”. The aerospace and design company said the long-range bomber’s first flight is expected to take place in 2023. Six of the long-range bombers are in various stages of assembly and testing at its facility in California. Source: Al Jazeera & News Agencies.

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India conducts Night trial of Agni-5 nuclear-capable ballistic missile It can target Beijing

By Vishnu Som

The test was carried out to validate new technologies and equipment on the missile and has proved that the missile can now hit targets further away than before, they added. The newly tested Agni-5 missile is capable of striking targets beyond the range of 7,000 kms. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) – developed missile has been reduced in weight as well by replacing steel with composite materials, as per sources in the defence establishment. With the weight reduced by beyond 20 per cent, the government can easily increase the missile’s range to 7,000 kms. The missile, using three-stage solid-fuelled engine, is capable of striking targets at ranges up to 5,000 kilometres with a very high degree of accuracy, as per Defence Ministry’s statement.  India on December 15 successfully carried out night trials of Agni-5 at its full range of 5400 kms. India also carried out a successful launch of a surface-to-surface ballistic missile, Agni-5 from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha, in October last year. India’s nuclear weapon programme is mainly for deterrence against its adversaries including China and Pakistan as it has a no-first-use policy. The new missile and its extended range will also allow the country to strategise accordingly during times of conflict.  Source: NDTV News and Deccan Herald.

India-made missile destroyer “INS Mormugao” commissioned

Indigenous stealth guided-missile destroyer INS Mormugao, named after a port city in Goa, was commissioned on the eve of the Goa Liberation Day anniversary on Sunday 18 December. “INS Mormugao is one of the world’s most technologically advanced missile carriers. With over 75 per cent indigenous content, it is a testimony to India’s excellence in design and development of warships and a shining example of our growing indigenous defence production capabilities. “The warship will meet the present and future needs of our country as well as of our friendly countries across the globe,” he said. Safeguarding India’s interests in the Indian Ocean Region is the Navy’s prime responsibility, the Defence Minister said.  He lauded the armed forces for protecting the borders and coasts with unmatched courage and dedication, terming them as the backbone of India’s unprecedented growth. “In this era of globalization, almost all nations are dependent on each other in the field of trade. Hence, rule-based freedom of navigation, security of sea lanes, etc. have become more important than ever for stability and economic progress of the world,” he said. Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar described the commissioning of INS Mormugao as indicative of the large strides India had taken in warship design and building capability over the last decade. The Mormugao is the second warship of the four ‘Visakhapatnam’ class destroyers. Measuring 163m in length and 17m in breadth and with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes, INS Mormugao is packed with sophisticated state-of-the-art weapons and sensors such as surface-to-surface missile and surface-to-air missiles. The ship is fitted with a modern surveillance radar which provides target data to the gunnery weapon systems. Its anti-submarine warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed rocket launchers, torpedo launchers and the ASW helicopters. It is equipped to fight under nuclear, biological and chemical warfare conditions. It is propelled by four powerful gas turbines, capable of achieving speeds in excess of 30 knots. Source: Tribune India.

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North Korea completes ‘important’ test of spy satellite: State media

North Korea has conducted an “important, final phase” test in the development of a military reconnaissance satellite, which the country plans to complete by April 2023, North Korean state media has reported. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Monday that North Korea’s National Aerospace Development Administration conducted the test on Sunday at the country’s Sohae satellite launching station in Cholsan, in North Pyongan Province. A rocket carrying what was described as a “test-piece satellite” including multiple cameras, image transmitters and receivers, a control device and a storage battery was launched at a “lofted angle” to an altitude of 500km (311 miles), according to KCNA. According to KCNA, the test was designed to review satellite imaging capabilities, data transmission, and a ground control system.  “We confirmed important technical indicators such as camera operating technology in the space environment, data processing and transmission ability of the communication devices, tracking and control accuracy of the ground control system,” an unnamed North Korean aerospace spokesperson said in the KCNA dispatch. North Korea plans to complete “preparations for the first military reconnaissance satellite by April, 2023,” the official said in the KCNA report. South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Monday that KCNA also released satellite imagery of the South Korean capital “Seoul and its adjacent city of Incheon presumed to be shot from the test-piece satellite”. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has promised to develop high-tech weaponry  including spy satellites and tactical nuclear weapons  as a means to both deter and provide real-time information on military actions by the US and regional allies South Korea and Japan, which he claims are threatening his country. Source: Al Jazeera & News Agencies.

Netanyahu gov’t says West Bank settlement expansion top priority

Benjamin Netanyahu’s incoming hardline Israeli government has put settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank at the top of its list of priorities, a day before it is set to be sworn into office. Netanyahu’s Likud party released the new government’s policy guidelines on Wednesday, the first of which promises to “advance and develop settlement in all parts of the land of Israel in the Galilee, Negev, Golan Heights, and Judea and Samaria” the Biblical names for the occupied Palestinian West Bank. Israel captured the West Bank in 1967 along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The Palestinian Authority (PA) seeks the West Bank as the heartland of a future independent state. However, Israel has constructed dozens of Jewish settlements, illegal under international law, that are now home to about 500,000 Israelis. Approximately 2.5 million Palestinians live in the occupied West Bank and have their movements severely restricted by the Israeli military, which operates separate roads designed to be used solely by Jewish settlers. Several of Netanyahu’s key allies, including most of the Religious Zionism party, are ultranationalist West Bank settlers. The administration of US President Joe Biden has said it strongly opposes settlement expansion and has rebuked the Israeli government for it in the past. Source: AP.

What is the ‘Qatargate’ scandal that has rocked Europe?  What happened?

The scandal broke on the morning of December 9 when Belgium police carried out a series of raids across Brussels and arrested six people. This includes Kaili and Antonio Panzeri a former member of the European Parliament, who were implicated in money laundering and corruption scandal. Questions were also raised about Margaritis Schinas, VP of European Commission, who praised Qatar’s labour reforms. The allegations include influencing EU policymakers, with Qatar funding her to security policies in favour of it. The police have found thousands of Euros in Kaili’s possession across a range of private locations. The idea is to whitewash Qatar as a country in light of the recently concluded FIFA World Cup. Panzeri, who ran an NGO Fight Impunity, collected the finances, where individuals associated with the NGO and serving as parliamentary assistants to European members of Parliament were arrested in this scandal.

Why does Qatar need this influence?

It is an energy-rich country trying to sell natural as to the EU at a time when the latter is trying to cut its dependence on Russian energy supplies.  It has already signed a lucrative deal with Germany for LNG. Second, FIFA World Cup has put Qatar’s controversial views on LGBTQ and Kamala system in the spotlight. Third, Qatar is also trying to secure a relaxed visa regime for Qatari citizens wishing to enter the European Schengen area. As per some reports, 6500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since World Cup preparations started.Despite these issues, Kaili openly praised Qatar’s human rights record. On the contrary, the official openly criticized Doha for its human rights policy. Following this episode, Kaili was expelled from the Greek political party Pasok. While the jury is still out, evidence points toward the accused (Source: Business IN.

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