NEW DELHI, 14 November 2021, (TON): At least seven persons, including a colonel of the Indian army, his wife and son were killed when their convoy was ambushed by suspected insurgents in the northeastern state Manipur's Churachandrapur district bordering Myanmar. 

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said “five soldiers, including the Commandant of 46th unit of Assam Rifles, were killed.”

Two family members of Commandant Col Viplav Tripathi, his wife and son were also killed in the attack.

Officials said four others sustained injuries in the attack.

Rajnath tweeted "the cowardly attack on an Assam Rifles convoy in Churachandpur, Manipur is extremely painful & condemnable. The nation has lost 5 brave soldiers including CO 46 AR and two family members."

He said “the perpetrators will be brought to justice soon.”

The incident took place at a remote village in Churachandpur district close to the Myanmar border, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

DHAKA, 14 November 2021, (TON): Norwegian ambassador Espen Rikter-Svendsen visited the campus of the American International University- Bangladesh (AIUB) in the capital.

According to a press release “AIUB vice chancellor Carmen Z Lamagna welcomed the ambassador and gave him a tour to the campus.”

During the visit, Norwegian ambassador exchanged his view on future collaborations between AIUB and Norwegian universities.

DHAKA, 14 November 2021, (TON): The World Information Technology and Services Alliance named Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as the winner of Eminent Persons Award for 2021 for her fight against fundamentalism, militancy and terrorism.

The award was declared at the World Congress on IT (WCIT 2021) which began at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital.

The World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA) in a statement said previous winners of the award include late South African leader Nelson Mandela, co-fathers of the internet Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn and co-fathers of Wi-Fi John O'Sullivan and Terence Percival.

WITSA said “the WITSA introduced the award in 2010 to broaden its awards to include individuals who have made and are continuing to make a significant contribution to mankind.”

ICT State Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak accepted the award on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from WITSA Secretary General Dr Jim Poisant.

Planning Minister MA Mannan was present at the event.

KABUL, 13 November 2021, (TON): officials said “at least three people were killed and 15 wounded Friday by a blast at a mosque in Afghanistan's restive Nangarhar province, a hotbed of Islamic State activity.”

The blast, for which no group has yet claimed responsibility – underscores one of the many challenges facing the new Taliban regime in Afghanistan, with the UN warning the country is also on the brink of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.”

It happened during Friday prayers in Spin Ghar district of the eastern province, near the border with Pakistan.

A Taliban official told media "I can confirm a blast during Friday prayers inside a mosque in Spin Ghar district. There are casualties and fatalities.”

Walli Mohammed, a local elder and activist, told AFP a bomb appeared to have been hidden in a loudspeaker near the imam's rostrum.

He said “when the speaker was switched on to sound the azaan, the call to begin the prayer ritual, the device detonated.”

A doctor at the local hospital told "so far three killed, 15 wounded.”

Islamic State-Khorasan, the local branch of the jihadist group, first emerged in Nangarhar and was formally recognised by the group's central leadership in 2015.

LONDON, 13 November 2021, (TON): Britain has urged Iran to back a deal that would revive the agreement struck in 2015 that saw its nuclear program curbed in exchange for multilateral sanctions relief.

The US withdrew from the agreement in 2018, and relations between Washington and Tehran have declined sharply since.

After US President Joe Biden was elected this year, the two bitter rivals returned to the negotiating table to try once again to strike an agreement.

After a four-month hiatus following Iran’s presidential elections, the talks are set to resume in Vienna at the end of this month.

Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s deputy foreign minister and lead negotiator, came to the UK Foreign Office to set out his country’s demands.

Middle East and North Africa Minister James Cleverly told his counterpart that Iran should take the opportunity of the new talks to conclude a deal that he said is already on the table.

The Iranian side remains focused on securing sanctions relief and ensuring that the deal cannot break down again.

Western countries want the talks to focus on curbing Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which is moving ever closer to the level required for a bomb.

DOHA, 13 November 2021, (TON):  Foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has said “Qatar is not considering normalising ties with Syria and hopes other countries will be discouraged from taking further steps with President Bashar al-Assad’s government.”

His comments at a joint news conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington were in response to a question on a visit this week by the foreign minister of fellow Gulf state the United Arab Emirates to Damascus.

Al Thani said “it will be wishful thinking to have all the countries in the region united when it comes to the issue of Syria, and we hope that countries will be discouraged from taking further steps with the Syrian regime in order not to (worsen) the misery of the Syrian people.”

He added “we don’t see any serious steps by the Assad regime showing his commitment to repair the damage that he made for his own country and people.”

Qatar was among several regional states including Saudi Arabia that backed rebels in Syria’s decades-old civil war. Some like the UAE have sought to normalise ties after Assad regained control of most of the country.

The UAE earlier this year called for Syria to be readmitted to the Arab League. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed met with Assad in Damascus in the first such visit by a senior Emirati dignitary since the civil war erupted.

BRUSSELS, 13 November 2021, (TON): The United States and other Western powers expressed grave concern over the appointment of a new Sudanese ruling council by the general who led last month's coup, saying it complicated efforts to restore a transition to democracy.

The United States, Britain, Norway, the European Union and Switzerland also urged the security services to respect the right to free speech "without fear of violence or detention" ahead of protests set for Saturday by critics of the army's move.

Sudan's Khartoum state said “it would close all but three bridges across the river Nile at midnight ahead of the demonstrations on Saturday, Sudan TV reported, announcing what is a routine move to tighten security before rallies.”

General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan was sworn in as head of the new Sovereign Council, which replaces the power-sharing body he dissolved last month in a takeover that derailed Sudan's transition to civilian rule.

The head of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, was sworn in as his deputy.

A joint statement by the United States and the other countries said “the army's move undermined its commitment to uphold transitional arrangements requiring civilians on the council to be nominated by the Forces for Freedom and Change, a coalition that had been sharing power with the army since 2019.”

WASHINGTON, 13 November 2021, (TON): Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will visit Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal from November 15-20, underscoring the depth and breadth of our relationships with African partners. 

During the visit, the Secretary will advance U.S.-Africa collaboration on shared global priorities and building back to a more inclusive global economy, combatting the climate crisis, revitalizing our democracies, and advancing peace and security.

Secretary Blinken will begin his trip in Nairobi, where he will meet with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Raychelle Omamo, affirming our strategic partnership with Kenya. 

The Secretary and representatives of the Kenyan government will discuss our shared interests as members of the UN Security Council, including addressing regional security issues such as Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan.

Secretary Blinken will then travel to Abuja, where he will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, and Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama and discuss furthering cooperation on global health security, expanding energy access and economic growth, and revitalizing democracy. 

The Secretary will deliver a speech on U.S.-Africa policy in the capital of Africa’s largest democracy.  Additionally, the Secretary will engage with Nigerian entrepreneurs in the digital sector.

PARIS, 13 November 2021, (TON): Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met his Algerian counterpart Ramdane Lamamra, on the sidelines of the fourth Paris Peace Forum.

The meeting discussed opportunities to promote relationships between the two countries as well as items on the forum’s agenda.

Prince Faisal also met with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, exchanging views on ways to promote the relationships between the two countries and topics listed on the forum’s agenda.

The meeting also discussed the latest regional and international developments.

WASHINGTON, 13 November 2021, (TON): The United States is designating six targets associated with the Eritrean government and ruling party pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14046, which the President signed in September in response to the conflict in Ethiopia.

Eritrea’s destabilizing presence in Ethiopia is prolonging the conflict, posing a significant obstacle to a cessation of hostilities, and threatening the integrity of the Ethiopian state.

Credible accounts implicate Eritrean forces in serious human rights abuses, and the United States remains gravely concerned about the conduct of all parties to the conflict. Eritrean forces should immediately withdraw from Ethiopia.

We welcome the diplomatic efforts by AU High Representative Olusegun Obasanjo and urge the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to seize the opportunity to negotiate a cessation of hostilities without preconditions and commit to unhindered humanitarian access.

Although today’s designations are directed at the Eritrean government and ruling party, the United States remains gravely concerned about the conduct of all parties to the conflict.

We are not imposing sanctions at this time on elements aligned with the Government of Ethiopia and TPLF to allow time and space to see if these talks can make progress. If the parties fail to make meaningful progress, the United States stands ready to pursue additional sanctions, including against the Government of Ethiopia and the TPLF.