NAYPYITAW, 06 November 2021, (TON): Fighting between resistance groups and the junta has escalated in southern Chin State in recent days, with the Chinland Defence Force (CDF) reporting that it killed 37 soldiers in various ambushes.

The Matupi branch of the CDF said “this week that on October 30 its fighters killed 20 soldiers and injured another 10 using landmines on the road running between Matupi and the town of Paletwa.”

The CDF said that the group’s Mindat branch killed another ten soldiers on the road leading west from Mindat towards Matupi.

It added “a 73-year-old CDF fighter was killed in the clash and two of his comrades were injured.”

Spokesperson Yaw Man said “another two soldiers died when the CDF attacked the same convoy in the evening.”

The military has sent large numbers of troops into Chin State via two separate routes in a bid to pacify the area, prompting more guerrilla-style ambushes by resistance fighters that have led to heavy casualties on the junta’s side.

DHAKA, 06 November 2021, (TON): State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Enamur Rahman has said that Bangladesh has adopted a $37 billion programme for mitigation of climate change damages along the country's coastal areas.

He said “this at a COP26 side event organized by the ministry in Glasgow on Thursday afternoon.”

The minister added “climate change-related incidents displace about 50,000 people every year in Bangladesh.”

In his speech at the event Enamur said “Bangladesh is widely considered as one of the most vulnerable countries to global climate change.”

He said “in 2020 alone 30.7 million people were displaced due to natural disasters.”

He said “in 2017 Bangladesh was the 6th most stricken country among 135 countries that experienced displacement due to floods.”

The World Bank's Groundswell report also estimated that 19 million people of Bangladesh will be migrating internally by 2050, due to slow onset climate change processes such as water scarcity, declining crop productivity, and rise in sea level.

He said “the Bangladesh government recognizes that displacement has grave implications for the rights and entitlements of the individuals and communities.”

DHAKA, 06 November 2021, (TON): Ambassador Alexander Vikentyevich Mantytskiy said “Dhaka and Moscow enjoy warm ties which will reach new heights in future.”

Russian Ambassador in Dhaka Alexander Vikentyevich Mantytskiy hosted a grand reception at the Russian Club to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between Bangladesh and the Russian Federation.

Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was the chief guest at the event.

Ambassador Mantytskiy in his speech said “Dhaka and Moscow enjoyed warm ties which would reach new heights in the days to come.”

Later, a Russian cultural team entertained the guests with their performance.

Ministers, members of parliament, civil and military bureaucrats, leading business leaders, members of the civil society, politicians and journalists were in attendance.

KABUL, 05 November 2021, (TON): The General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) strongly condemns the attacks against a military hospital in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul, in which many people were killed and wounded.

OIC by releasing a statement said “the General Secretariat offers its sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims of these cowardly attacks, wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded.”

The statement added “the General Secretariat reaffirms the OIC’s firm, principled position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

ADDIS ABABA, 05 November 2021, (TON): The US embassy in Ethiopia has authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency government staff and family members because of armed conflict, it said on its website.

The decision came after the United States said on Wednesday it was gravely concerned about the escalating violence and expansion of hostilities, repeating a call for a halt to military operations in favor of cease-fire talks.

The embassy said in a statement “the (State) Department authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency US government employees and family members of emergency and non-emergency employees from Ethiopia due to armed conflict, civil unrest, and possible supply shortages.”

It added “travel to Ethiopia is unsafe and further escalation is likely.”

It said “the government of Ethiopia has previously restricted or shut down Internet, cellular data, and phone services during and after civil unrest.”

Government spokesperson Legesse Tulu did not immediately respond to a telephone call seeking comment on the US embassy statement.

ROME, 05 November 2021, (TON): Italian senators have established the Committee of Parliamentarians for a Free Iran.

The initiative, launched by Sen. Roberto Rampi of the Democratic Party, was presented at an event attended by Arab News in the Italian Senate.

A dozen senators belonging to all political parties took part in the event, which was attended remotely by Maryam Rajavi, president of the opposition National Council of Resistance of Iran.

Speaking to Arab News, Rampi expressed hope for “maximum support from the Italian Parliament” for the committee, which aims “to support the rights of Iranian men and women.”

Former Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata said the committee is “an extremely important signal to achieve the goal of a free, secular, nuclear-free Iran. Italian foreign policy should cooperate to achieve this goal.”

He added “crimes against justice in Iran are not tolerable. They must be punished. Italy must do like Switzerland and Sweden, which have brought criminals like (Iranian President Ebrahim) Raisi before national and international judicial bodies.”

Sen. Stefania Pezzopane of the Democratic Party said: “In Iran, women are excluded from human rights, and dozens of them are executed every year. We hope that the Italian Parliament will be the first parliament in Europe to honor those women who were victims of the Iranian regime.”

WASHINGTON, 05 November 2021, (TON): The Pentagon said “the US State Department has approved the potential sale of 280 AIM-120C air-to-air missiles in a deal valued at up to $650 million.”

The sale is the first major foreign military sale to Saudi Arabia by the Biden administration since taking office and adopting a policy of selling only defensive weapons to the Gulf ally.

The State Department approved the proposed sale on Oct. 26, a State Department spokesman said, adding that the air-to-air missile sale comes after “an increase in cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia over the past year.”

RIYADH, 05 November 2021, (TON): Saudi Assistant Defense Minister for Executive Affairs Dr. Khalid bin Hussein Al-Bayari and his delegation visited the International Defense and Security Exhibition from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5 in the Spanish capital, Madrid.

Al-Bayari and the delegation were received by the Saudi military attache to Spain, Brig. Gen. Khaled Al-Ghafaili.

They toured the pavilion of the Saudi Arabian Military Industries company and met its CEO Walid bin Abdul Majeed Abu Khaled, as well as a number of engineers who are part of the on-the-job training program.

The exhibition aims to promote modern technologies and innovation, establish strategic partnerships, strengthen international cooperation and exchange information between countries.

WASHINGTON, 05 November 2021, (TON): Pentagon said in a report “China is expanding its nuclear arsenal much more quickly than anticipated, narrowing the gap with the United States.”

China could have 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027, and could top 1,000 by 2030 — an arsenal two-and-a-half times the size of what the Pentagon predicted only a year ago, according to the report.

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) “is investing in, and expanding, the number of its land-, sea-, and air-based nuclear delivery platforms and constructing the infrastructure necessary to support this major expansion of its nuclear forces.

The assessment came in the US Department of Defence’s annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments.

It said “like the United States and Russia, the two leading nuclear powers, China is building a “nuclear triad,” capabilities to deliver nuclear weapons from land-based ballistic missiles, from missiles launched from the air, and from submarines.”

The report said China is likely not seeking a capability to launch an unprovoked nuclear strike on a nuclear-armed adversary, primarily the United States, but wanted to deter attacks from others by maintaining a credible threat of nuclear retaliation.

A year ago, the Pentagon’s China report said the country had about 200 deliverable warheads and would double that by 2030.

DUBAI, 05 November 2021, (TON): Emirates is to start daily flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv from December 6, the airline announced, in the latest sign of deepening relations since the UAE and Israel normalised ties in September last year.

The Dubai-based carrier, one of the largest in the world, said the new service would also link Israel seamlessly with its global route network.

Low-cost carrier Flydubai launched the first commercial flights between Tel Aviv and Dubai just a few months after last year's agreement.

Abu Dhabi-based airline Etihad and Israeli carrier Arkia now also offer regular flights.