INDIA, IRAN AGREE TO ACCELERATE WORK ON CHABAHAR PROJECTIndia and Iran on Sunday agreed to accelerate work on the strategic Chabaharproject as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held wide-ranging talkswith his Iranian counterpart Javad Zarif on regional and global issues ofmutual interest.The Chabahar port - being jointly developed by India, Iran and Afghanistan -is considered a gateway to golden opportunities for trade with central Asiannations by the three countries. It is located on the Indian Ocean in theSistan and Baluchestan province of Iran.Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Iran, co-chaired the 19th JointCommission Meeting with Zarif. He is also expected to call upon IranianPresident Hassan Rouhani."Just concluded a very productive India-Iran Joint Commission Meeting withmy co-chair FM Zarif," Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting. "Reviewed theentire gamut of our cooperation. Agreed on accelerating our Chabaharproject," he said.The meeting comes after the US provided a rare exemption to India fromsanctions on the Chabahar port in Iran as Washington said it recognised thatthe strategic project was a lifeline for war-torn Afghanistan to gethumanitarian supplies from India.Jaishankar thanked Zarif for "his cordial welcome and hospitality." "Had avery good conversation on the regional and global picture with the Iranianforeign minister. India and Iran will work together closely on their sharedinterests," he tweeted.FATF'S 150 POSERS TO PAK OVER ACTION ON ERRANT MADRASASA global watchdog for terror financing has sought more clarifications anddata from Pakistan on action taken by it against madrasas belonging to thebanned outfits, weeks after Islamabad submitted a report to the Paris-basedbody detailing steps taken by the country to curb terrorism and moneylaundering.In March, Pak govt seized control of 160 madrasas, 32 schools, two colleges,four hospitals linked to JuD and its 'charity' wingThe Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which kept Pakistan on the Grey Listfor an extended period till February 2020, had warned in October thatIslamabad would be put on the Black List if it did not comply with theremaining 22 points in a list of 27 questions. Pakistan submitted a reportcomprising answers to 22 questions to the FATF on December 6.In response to the report, the FATF's Joint Group has sent 150 questions toPakistan, seeking some clarifications.AFGHANISTAN'S ASHRAF GHANI SECURES 50.64% OF PRESIDENTIAL VOTE INPRELIMINARY RESULT: ELECTION COMMISSIONAfghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani appeared to have won a second term onDecember 22, narrowly scoring an outright win in preliminary pollingresults, but his main rival immediately vowed to challenge the tally.After months of political limbo and bitter allegations of fraud andcorruption in the September 28 poll, Afghanistan's Independent ElectionCommission (IEC) said Mr. Ghani had won 50.64 percent of the vote.If it holds, the result is enough for Mr. Ghani to avoid a run-off. Heeasily beat his top challenger, Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah, whoscored 39.52 percent.Candidates now have three days to file any complaints they may have beforefinal results are announced, probably within a few weeks.As soon as results were announced, Mr. Abdullah's office said in a statementhe would contest them."We would like to make it clear once again to our people, supporters,election commission and our international allies that our team will notaccept the result of this fraudulent vote unless our legitimate demands areaddressed," the statement read.THOUSANDS PROTEST IN IRAQThousands took to the streets in Iraq's capital and across the south Sundayto protest against Iran's kingmaking influence as the latest deadline forchoosing a new Prime Minister loomed.Anti-government rallies have rocked Baghdad and the Shiite-majority southsince October 1, with demonstrators calling for a complete overhaul of aregime they deem corrupt, inefficient and overly beholden to Tehran."The revolution continues!" shouted one demonstrator at a protest encampmentin central Diwaniyah.Sunday marks the latest deadline - already pushed back twice by PresidentBarham Saleh - for Parliament to choose a new premier to replace Adel AbdelMahdi, who tendered his administration's resignation last month.Parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbussi on Sunday travelled to Arbil,capital of the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq, to discuss whocould become the next premier, the presidency there said.Officials say Iran wants to install Qusay al-Suhail, who served as HigherEducation Minister in the government of Mr. Abdel Mahdi."This is exactly what we oppose - Iranian control over our country," said24-year-old student Houeida.TRUMP SAYS TRADE DEAL WITH CHINA TO BE SIGNED 'VERY SHORTLY'President Donald Trump on December 21 said the United States and China would"very shortly" sign their so-called Phase One trade pact."We just achieved a breakthrough on the trade deal and we will be signing itvery shortly," Trump said at a Turning Point USA event in Florida.The Phase One deal was announced earlier this month as part of a bid to endthe months-long tit-for-tat trade war between the world's two largesteconomies, which has roiled markets and hit global growth.Under the deal, the United States would agree to reduce some tariffs inexchange for a big jump in Chinese purchases of American farm products.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said last week the pact would be signed inearly January, saying that the deal had already been translated and was justundergoing a technical "scrub."KIM JONG-UN LEADER HOLDS PARTY MEETING TO BOLSTER MILITARYNorth Korea said on Sunday leader Kim Jong Un has convened a key rulingparty meeting to decide on steps to bolster the country's militarycapability.The meeting came amid speculation that the North could abandon diplomacywith the U.S. and launch either a long-range missile or a satellite-carryingrocket if Washington doesn't accept its demand for new incentives to salvagefaltering nuclear negotiations by year's end.The Korean Central News Agency said Mr. Kim presided over a meeting of theCentral Military Commission of the Workers' Party. It didn't say when ittook place.It cited Mr. Kim as saying the meeting would determine "importantorganizational and political measures and military steps to bolster up theoverall armed forces ... as required by the fast-changing situation andcrucial time of the developing Korean revolution."According to KCNA, the gathering decided on "important military issues andmeasures for organizing or expanding and reorganizing new units ... [and]changing the affiliation of some units and changing deployment of (others)."KCNA didn't elaborate. But South Korean media speculated the meeting mighthave discussed the restructuring of military units over the deployment ofnew weapons that the North had test-launched in recent months, and whatsteps it will take in coming weeks.North Korea is to hold a higher-level Workers' Party gathering, a CentralCommittee meeting, later this month to discuss what it previously describedas "crucial issues" in line with "the changed situation at home and abroad."FRANCE STRIKE: TRAINS FOR CHILDREN BACK ON AFTER OUTCRYFrance's national railway company has backtracked on plans to cancel apopular service that allows children to travel alone over Christmas.SNCF said it was cancelling the service, in which children aged between 4and 14 are accompanied by a monitor, because of strike action.The move sparked outcry, with some 5,000 children expected to be affected.But following a "Christmas truce" from some striking drivers, SNCF said itwas laying on special trains on Sunday.The announcement came amid warnings of travel chaos over the Christmasholidays in France, where workers have been striking over planned pensionreforms.Many French citizens heading off to spend the holidays with family andfriends have found themselves stranded because of cancelled trains andgridlocked roads, while hundreds of flights have also been cancelled.President Emmanuel Macron called on striking transport workers to "observe atruce out of respect for families and family life".ERDOGAN SAYS TURKEY WILL INCREASE MILITARY SUPPORT TO LIBYA IF NECESSARYTurkey will increase its military support to the internationally recognisedgovernment of Libya if necessary and it will evaluate ground, air and marineoptions, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday, after the two sides signeda military cooperation accord last month.Turkey backs Fayez al-Serraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Libya,which has been torn by factional conflict since 2011, and has already sentmilitary supplies to the GNA despite a United Nations arms embargo,according to a report by U.N. experts seen by Reuters last month.Turkey has also said it could deploy troops to Libya if the GNA makes such arequest. The GNA has been fighting a months-long offensive by KhalifaHaftar's forces based in the east of the country. Haftar's forces havereceived support from Russia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates."If necessary, we will increase the military aspect of our support to Libya,and evaluate all our options, from the ground, air and sea," Erdogan said atan event in the northern province of Kocaeli.Speaking before Erdogan, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey will standby Libya's government until peace, stability and security are established inthe country.BALTIMORE: SEVEN PEOPLE REPORTEDLY SHOT AT IN DOWNTOWNSeven people were found suffering from gunshot wounds when officersresponded Sunday to a report of a shooting, the Baltimore Police Departmentand news reports said.The department said on its Facebook page that police responded to a reportof a shooting at 2:10 a.m. When officers arrived, they located four victimswho had been shot: a 20-year-old male with wounds to the shoulder and hip;an 18-year-old male with wounds to both legs; a 27-year-old male with awound to the arm; and a 17-year-old male with wounds to the back and leg.They were transported to hospitals for treatment.Two other people who were shot, a 22-year-old male and a 17-year-old male,walked to area hospitals, police said.Local news reports said police later announced a seventh victim arrived atan area hospital for treatment for a gunshot wound. The victim's age andexact injury is unknown.The police statement did not indicate whether anyone was taken into custody.Detectives were asking anyone with information to them at 410-396-2411 orMetro Crime Stoppers at 1-866-7Lockup.Baltimore is experiencing one of its most violent years on record, with morethan 330 homicides so far. That's up from 309 total in 2018. The city hasalso seen more than 1,310 commercial robberies and carjackings.