MOSCOW, 19 November 2021, (TON): President Vladimir Putin said that the West was taking Russia's warnings not to cross its "red lines" too lightly and that Moscow needed serious security guarantees from the West.

In a wide-ranging foreign policy speech, the Kremlin leader also described relations with the United States as unsatisfactory but said “Russia remained open to dialogue with Washington.”

The Kremlin said in September that NATO would overstep a Russian red line if it expanded its military infrastructure in Ukraine, and Moscow has since accused Ukraine and NATO of destabilising behaviour, including in the Black Sea.

In the televised speech, Putin complained that Western strategic bombers carrying "very serious weapons" were flying within 20 km (12.5 miles) of Russia's borders.

Putin said "we're constantly voicing our concerns about this, talking about red lines, but we understand our partners - how shall I put it mildly - have a very superficial attitude to all our warnings and talk of red lines.”

Putin said “NATO with which Moscow severed ties last month had destroyed all mechanisms for dialogue.”

He told foreign ministry officials that Russia needed to seek long-term guarantees of its security from the West, though he said this would be difficult and did not spell out what form the assurances should take.

KABUL, 19 November 2021, (TON): The authorities of the capital of Afghanistan are grateful to Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Ministry of Defense for the delivery of humanitarian aid.

This was announced by the head of the Kabul emergency management department Mirweis Watanmal.

He said, answering a question “many thanks to the President of Russia, the Ministry of Defense and personally to the Minister of Defense of Russia Sergei Shoigu.”

“We are very pleased and look forward to new help from the friendly country of Russia.”

According to him, a very difficult humanitarian situation has developed in the capital and provinces of Afghanistan.

He said “we will probably distribute this aid to those most in need in Kabul.”

Vatanmal noted that due to the conflict, many internally displaced persons have appeared in the republic.

The head of the emergency management department said “most of them are now in the capital, and they also need help.” According to him, the situation may worsen due to the upcoming winter.

KABUL, 19 November 2021, (TON): A spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said “the first and second deputies of the prime minister met diplomats from Germany and the Netherlands in Kabul.”

Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate said in a series of tweets “the deputies of prime minister Abdul Salam Hanafi and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar today before noon met with representatives of the Netherlands and Germany and delegates accompamying them at the ARG (presidential palace).”

According to Samangani, the Afghan officials discussed biliteral relations with the German and Dutch envoys.

Baradar once again stressed the need to release Afghanistan’s bank assets.

He said “the frozen assets belong to the people of Afghanistan and we want the international community to pay attention to the economic challenges in Afghanistan.”

Markus Potzel, the German envoy, reiterated his country’s continued humanitarian support to Afghanistan. Potzel pledged that Germany would provide 600 million euros of aid to Afghanistan.

The Afghan officials called for the extension of relations between Afghanistan and Germany and the Netherlands.

ISLAMABAD, 19 November 2021, (TON): Pakistan drew the world community’s attention to the dire humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan and fervently called for lifting the “unjustified freeze” on the war-torn country’s assets to enable it to deal with the critical situation.

Ambassador Munir Akram told UN Security Council while highlighting that 28 million Afghans were facing acute food insecurity

“Cash is needed to revive the economy – to pay salaries, restore small businesses, revive the banking system.”

Speaking in the 15-member council’s meeting on Afghanistan, the Pakistani envoy warned that the consequences of a major humanitarian crisis and economic collapse would be horrendous, massive human suffering, the outflow of millions of more Afghan refugees, the likelihood of chaos and further conflict and reinforcement of Da’ish and other terrorist groups.

Ambassador Akram said “when the millions of Afghan refugees start flowing across our borders, we who are hosting 4 million Afghan refugees already will not be able to take more, they will have to go elsewhere.”

“These are consequences which the international community must avoid.”

ISLAMABAD, 19 November 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that overseas Pakistanis are the “biggest asset” of the country and the government does not need loans if expats’ full potential is utilised.

The premier said while addressing a launching ceremony of digital portal to simplifying the verification process of power of attorney for overseas in Islamabad “if we fully tap the potential of this asset then we do not need loans or IMF programme.”

He lamented that the past governments did not consider expats as the asset of the country instead they further created difficulties for them.

The premier said “overseas Pakistanis are “desperate” to invest or start a business in their own country but due to the corrupt system they bore losses.”

He also thanked the expats for supporting the economy by sending record remittances during his tenure.

He added “but despite this, unfortunately, we have failed to tap the real potential of their investment due to the lack of incentives.”

Speaking about yesterday's crucial parliament joint session, PM Imran said his government had officially made overseas Pakistanis part of the country’s democratic system.

NEW DELHI, 19 November 2021, (TON): Important Indian politicians, including the Indian Punjab chief minister, visited the Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, a day before Gurpurab, which marks the birth anniversary of Sikhism founder Baba Guru Nanak.

The Kartarpur Corridor, which links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district, reopened.

Indian Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi, along with his ministers, were part of the first delegation to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur.

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Sardar Ameer Singh greeted and received them on their arrival.

A Foreign Office spokesperson had earlier said Indian Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Om Prakash Soni, along with Punjab Congress President Navjot Singh Sidhu will also visit Pakistan.

Rajasthan Cabinet Minister Harish Chaudhry and eight members of the Indian Punjab Legislative Assembly will also be part of the delegation, the FO spokesperson's statement had said.

However, Sidhu's media adviser, Surinder Dalla, later said “the Punjab Congress president will visit Kartarpur Corridor to pay obeisance on November 20, and not today.”

NEW DELHI, 19 November 2021, (TON): Authorities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) ordered a probe into the killing of two men during a security operation, after police violently broke up a protest demanding the bodies be returned to their families.

Police said that the men died in "crossfire" during a shootout inside a commercial complex in Srinagar, the disputed region's main city.

Their families said that they were civilians and accused security forces of murdering the pair in "cold blood" denying police claims that the pair were associated with separatists.

Manoj Sinha, a New Delhi appointee serving as IIOJK's top administrator, said that the government would take "suitable action" as soon as a report into Monday's incident was completed.

The deaths of Mohammad Altaf Bhat and Mudasir Ahmed Gul sparked outrage in the territory, where around three dozen civilians have been killed this year.

Bhat owned the building where Monday's incident took place, while Gul was a tenant in the complex running a real estate business. Two freedom fighters also died in the encounter.

Police raided a candlelight vigil in Srinagar staged by family members demanding the pair's bodies be returned for a proper Islamic burial.

The sit-in protest had been underway since Wednesday morning, despite biting winter cold, but electricity was cut in the area around midnight and several people were bundled into an armoured vehicle.

DHAKA, 19 November 2021, (TON): Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen on Thursday said the adoption of a resolution at the United Nations (UN) by consensus for the first time on the situation of human rights of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar has a political value and it has a pressure on that particular country.

He told reporters after attending a program at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) “it’s a great day for us. We’re very happy.”

Dr Momen said the countries which used to create barriers like Russia and China also want solutions to the Rohingya crisis and he had discussion with Russia while China has taken some initiatives.

He said “they (Rohingyas) must go back to their country for a better future. All countries want a peaceful solution to the Rohingya issue.”

Dr Momen said “we strongly made our position clear explaining why we abstained at that time.”

DHAKA, 19 November 2021, (TON): Visiting US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Kelly Keiderling has paid a courtesy call on Salman F Rahman, private industry and investment adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, to discuss bilateral issues between Bangladesh and the United States.

A statement from the PM's adviser's office “during the meeting, both sides emphasized further strengthening Dhaka-Washington ties, with Rahman urging Keiderling to ensure more US investment in Bangladesh.”

Keiderling praised Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the citizens of Bangladesh for the country’s economic development.

When Keiderling pointed out workplace conditions and the recent factory fires and accidents in Bangladesh, Rahman outlined the government’s measures to prevent such incidents in the future, adding that the authorities are fully aware of the issue.

DHAKA, 19 November 2021, (TON): Ambassador Rabab Fatima said “adoption demonstrates international community’s strong resolve to end Rohingya crisis.”

The United Nations has adopted a resolution on Rohingyas by consensus for the first time.

According to a media statement by the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN in New York that the resolution, titled “the Situation of Human Rights of Rohingya Muslims and Other Minorities in Myanmar maintained its strong focus on the ongoing justice and accountability processes.”

Ambassador Rabab Fatima, permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations said “the adoption of the Rohingya resolution, for the first time by consensus, demonstrates the international community’s strong resolve to end this crisis.”

She said “the adoption of the resolution with a strong mandate will bring hope to the Rohingyas that they have not been forgotten.”

The resolution was jointly tabled by the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the European Union (EU), read a foreign ministry press statement.