MANAMA, 23 November 2021, (TON): Bahrain’s King Hamad and Jordan’s King Abdullah II stressed the need to continue to coordinate and consult on issues of mutual concern, the foremost of which is the Palestinian cause.

According to a statement issued by Petra, the Jordan News Agency “the two leaders noted the centrality of the Palestinian cause, calling for stepping up efforts to reach a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution, as a strategic option to end the conflict.”

King Abdullah, accompanied by Queen Rania, was in Manama for an official visit. The royal couple was greeted on arrival at Sakhir Air Base by King Hamad and Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad.

The Jordanian king praised the strong bilateral ties between the countries and highlighted the importance of expanding cooperation in all sectors. He commended Bahrain’s stances in support of Arab causes and its steadfast efforts to maintain Arab unity.

King Hamad also praised the deep-rooted ties between the nations, the advanced level of cooperation, and the contributions made by the Jordanian community in Bahrain in all sectors.

TUNIS, 23 November 2021, (TON): Tunisian authorities said that they had intercepted more than 200 migrants trying to reach the Italian coast, in nine separate operaions.

National guard spokesman Houssem Eddine Jebabli said "In the context of the fight against irregular immigration, units from the northern, southern and central regions managed to thwart nine (sea crossing) attempts" overnight Saturday to Sunday.”

The national guard said “the interceptions took place both at sea and on the coast, assisting 223 migrants from different African countries, including 111 Tunisians.”

Late last month, Tunisia's coastguard said it had thwarted six departure attempts and rescued 125 Europe-bound migrants, 112 of them from sub-Saharan Africa.

Earlier in October, four Tunisians migrants died and 19 others went missing after their boat capsized off the country's east coast.

More than 58,800 migrants have managed to reach Italy since the start of the year, most of them by sea, according to the UN refugee agency.

More than 1,300 have died or gone missing while trying to make the Mediterranean crossing, particularly to reach Italy, Spain and Greece.

MINSK, 23 November 2021, (TON): Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said that the European Union was refusing to discuss the fate of 2,000 migrants wishing to go to Europe and stranded in Belarus.

The West accuses Belarus of bringing in would-be migrants, mostly from the Middle East and taking them to areas along its borders with EU members Poland and Lithuania with promises of an easy crossing.

Belarus denies the claim, instead criticizing the EU for not taking in the migrants.

"I am waiting for the EU to respond on the issue of 2,000 refugees," Lukashenko told officials, adding that he expected Europe to let the migrants in.

"They said “(German Chancellor Angela) Merkel promised me that they will consider this problem at the level of the European Union. But they are not doing it.”

Lukashenko said European officials refused any contact on the subject despite calls from the Belarusian foreign minister.

Lukashenko said "we should demand that the Germans take them in.”

German government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Monday that Berlin made clear last week that was not acceptable.

He said "the idea that there could be a humanitarian corridor to Germany for 2,000 migrants... is not an acceptable solution for Germany or the EU.”

WASHINGTON, 23 November 2021, (TON): The agreement has angered China, which describes it as an 'extremely irresponsible' threat to stability in the region.

Australia formally embarked on Monday on a hotly-contested program to equip its navy with nuclear-powered submarines in a new defence alliance with Britain and the United States.

Defence Minister Peter Dutton joined US and British diplomats in signing an agreement allowing the exchange of sensitive "naval nuclear propulsion information" between their nations.

It is the first agreement on the technology to be publicly signed since the three countries announced in September the formation of a defence alliance, AUKUS, to confront strategic tensions in the Pacific where China-US rivalry is growing.

The deal will help Australia to complete an 18-month study into the submarine procurement, Dutton said after signing it in Canberra with US Charge d'Affaires Michael Goldman and British High Commissioner (ambassador) Victoria Treadell.

Details of the procurement have yet to be decided, including whether Australia will opt for a vessel based on US or British nuclear-powered attack submarines.

RIYADH, 23 November 2021, (TON): The Arab Coalition said “it launched 22 operations targeting the Houthi militia in Marib, and has killed more than 115 members of the group over the past 24 hours.”

It also said “it destroyed 16 military vehicles belonging to the group in Marib.”

The coalition targeted the group with five operations in the west coast, where it destroyed sites which include facilities used for storing basaltic missiles.

WASHINGTON, 23 November 2021, (TON): US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken sent a letter to Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani, in which he thanked the republic for helping to evacuate people from Afghanistan.

This was announced by the press service of the Georgian Foreign Ministry.

The press service of the Georgian Foreign Ministry said “I join you and the Georgian people, I salute the 32 Georgians who sacrificed themselves, as well as the more than 300 people who were injured defending our common values. regional problems. We expect the strengthening of our strategic partnership to strengthen our common interests.”

On April 14, US President Biden announced his decision to end the operation in Afghanistan. After that, the Taliban mo-vement lau-nched a large-scale operation to establish control over the country and on August 15 entered Kabul without a fight. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country.

The Georgian authorities announced that they had deployed NATO military transport aircraft on the territory of the Tbilisi International Airport, which flew to Kabul for evacuation of people or for other humanitarian purposes.

TASHKENT, 23 November 2021, (TON): The Minister of Defense of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Lieutenant General Bakhodir Kurbanov, received a military delegation headed by the Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan, Lieutenant General Murat Bektanov.

At the meeting of the defense ministers of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation, and also exchanged views on its further strengthening.

In particular, the parties comprehensively discussed the importance and significance of the joint exercises “Qalgon-2021” held in Kazakhstan and “Hamkorlik-2021”, which is currently ongoing in Uzbekistan, as well as issues of regional security and exchange of experience of military personnel in the field of combat training.

JERUSALEM, 23 November 2021, (TON): Israeli officials, police and medics said “a member of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement opened fire in Jerusalem’s Old City, killing one person and wounding three before he was shot dead.”

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett ordered security to be boosted and called for people to be on “heightened alert” over the risk of further attacks.

The four wounded, two police officers and two civilians, were rushed to Jerusalem’s Hadassah hospital, where one of the civilian victims died.

Bennett said in a statement “this morning there was a serious shooting attack in the Old City of Jerusalem.”

“At the moment we have one dead and three wounded.

“Two policewomen and one policeman quickly neutralised the terrorist.”

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation identified the victim as Eliyahu Kay, an immigrant from South Africa, who was employed by them as a guide at the Western Wall plaza.

 BEIJING, 23 November 2021, (TON): Chinese President Xi Jinping told leaders of the 10-country Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) at a summit that Beijing would not "bully" its smaller regional neighbours, amid rising tension over the South China Sea.

Beijing's territorial claims over the sea clash with those of several Southeast Asian nations and have raised alarm from Washington to Tokyo.

But Xi said “China would never seek hegemony nor take advantage of its size to coerce smaller countries and would work with Asean to eliminate "interference".

Chinese state media quoted Xi as said "China was, is, and will always be a good neighbour, good friend, and good partner of Asean.”

China’s assertion of sovereignty over the South China Sea has set it against Asean members Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.

The Philippines condemned the actions of three Chinese coast guard vessels that it said blocked and used water cannon on resupply boats headed towards a Philippine-occupied atoll in the sea.

KABUL, 23 November 2021, (TON): The Afghan Taliban have announced to include 25 new members in their interim cabinet, with the aim to accommodate those from Qatar's negotiating office and former members from various provinces of the country.

According to a statement issued by the group, the new names were announced as Afghan Shura met under the patronage of Ameer-ul-Momineen Mullah Habitullah Akhund in Kandahar.

Shahabuddin Dilawar, who was an ambassador to Saudi Arabia, counsellor to Islamabad and Peshawar as well as member of the Qatar negotiation team in Washington, has been made the minister of mines and petroleum while Haji Mullah Muhammad Esa was appointed his deputy.

Mullah Muhammad Abbass Akhund has been given the portfolio of the minister for natural calamities and other human-made incidents while Mulvi Sahib Sharifuddin was made as his deputy. Mulavi Inyatullah would also serve the ministry as a deputy.

Mulvi Sahib Hamdullah Zahid was appointed as the director of procurements and Mulvi Abdul Rahim his deputy. Mulvi Qudaratullah Jamal has been posted as auditor general and Mulvi Izatullah as his aide.

Most of those whose names have been announced have served various positions including shadow governors in the previous Taliban regime.

Also named in the cabinet is Mullah Muhammad Abbas, who served as a bridge between Pakistan and the then Taliban government and others issues.