BRUSSELS, 05 November 2021, (TON): After one year of fighting, the conflict in northern Ethiopia has further worsened and expanded, creating a devastating humanitarian crisis, undermining the territorial integrity and stability of the country and impacting the whole region.

The EU is particularly worried about the recent escalation of fighting in the Amhara region and the military advances of the TPLF and Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), as well as aerial bombardment by the Ethiopian Airforce of Mekelle, all of which risk dragging the country further into fragmentation and widespread armed conflict and worsening the situation of the population.

The EU reiterates that there is no military solution and calls on all parties to the conflict to implement a meaningful ceasefire with immediate effect and engage in political negotiations without pre-conditions, showing responsibility and political leadership.

The EU reiterates its call for the full and immediate withdrawal of Eritrean troops from Ethiopia’s territory.

In Tigray, violence has forced close to 3 million people to flee their homes and more than 5 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance.

In the neighbouring regions of Afar and Amhara, an additional 1.5 million people are estimated to be in need of emergency assistance. Immediate action is needed to ensure full, continuous and predictable access of humanitarian aid into all territories in need of assistance to avert a large-scale famine and relieve the suffering of the local population and IDPs.

All parties to the conflict must fully respect International Humanitarian Law, including protection of civilians and humanitarian workers.

WASHINGTON, 05 November 2021, (TON): State Department adviser Derek Scholle said “the United States is currently determining the correct size of the American military presence in the Middle East.”

The US foreign policy official said “given the challenges that we face around the world, as well as our unlimited resources, our goal is to find the right size of this military presence, to ensure it in a way that provides for the presence in this theater [of military operations] sufficient capacity for protecting our interests and achieving our common goals, while excluding the fact that we have upset the balance in relation to our needs elsewhere.”

He spoke at a seminar hosted by the Washington Center for a New American Security.

Schollet recalled that the Pentagon, on behalf of the current United States President Joe Biden, is studying the feasibility of adjusting the scale of the American military presence in all regions.

The diplomat said that the State Department adviser also noted that the Middle East, Europe, the Indian and Pacific Oceans are key in terms of United States foreign policy. The American leadership still devotes most of its time to the Middle East.

BEIJING, 05 November 2021, (TON): The United States and China, following the summit scheduled for the end of the year, may announce the resumption of the work of the consulates of the two countries and the easing of visa restrictions, Politico writes, citing sources in the American administration.

According to the interlocutors of the publication, after several months of escalation of tensions in bilateral relations, Washington and Beijing are considering the virtual summit of the leaders of the two countries, Joe Biden and Xi Jinping, as an opportunity to restart bilateral relations.

Politico said “no major breakthroughs are expected during the meeting, but sources say agreements to reopen consulates and ease visa restrictions are likely to be announced.”

According to sources “both sides expect that the upcoming summit will lead to “the removal of accumulated tensions.”

However, significant progress on sensitive issues, including violations of human rights in Xinjiang and the restoration of the rule of law in Hong Kong, is not expected.

WASHINGTON, 05 November 2021, (TON): Embassy of Pakistan in Washington D.C. hosted an event to promote Pakistan’s cultural diversity and tourism potential.

In his keynote remarks on the occasion, Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Chairman of the Senate Defence Committee said that Pakistan was blessed with breathtaking landscapes and rich and diverse cultural and historical heritage.

He highlighted the tourism opportunities offered by Pakistan including majestic mountains, fertile plains, deserts and beautiful coastline.

He also highlighted Pakistan’s importance as the home to some of the holiest sites for followers of Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism, making the country a top destination for spiritual tourism.

He said that the warmth and hospitality of the people of Pakistan was the country’s biggest strength. He invited the guests to visit Pakistan to experience first hand it’s various splendors.

In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Dr. Asad Majeed Khan said that Pakistan was the birthplace and proud inheritor of great civilizations like Mehrgarh, Gandhara and Indus.

KABUL, 05 November 2021, (TON): Following the regime change in Afghanistan, poverty has risen to the point where dozens of women line up in front of bakeries in capital Kabul daily to beg for bread and keep their children alive.

Local media correspondent in various parts of the city conducted interviews with a number of bakery owners and women who stand in front of bakeries, all of whom complained of poverty and misery and said that the only way to survive is begging.

To save our children, we have no choice but to line up in front of bakeries. Sepna, a resident of CharahiQambar area of Kabul, is a widow who begs daily for survival of her six children.

“I beg every day, but often no one gives me money. I stay in front of bakery until late evening so someone donate me some bread because my children stay hungry during night, I do it due to my obligation.”

She said “my husband was a policeman who had died. I used to work in the house of a businessman who, after the fall of the previous government, fled Afghanistan.”

Sepna is not the only one standing in front of the bakery to save her children, several other women are sitting next to her, waiting for someone to buy bread for them.

She said “Banafshah, a resident of Kota-i-Sangi area of Kabul, wearing a black chador, was sitting in front of a bakery in the second police district of Kabul with other poor women to find some bread to feed her children.”

She said “I come here before 5pm and stay here until 7pm until I get 10 bread then I go home.

ISLAMABAD, 05 November 2021, (TON): A summary has been prepared to appoint former Azad Jammu and Kashmir president Masood Khan as Pakistan’s new ambassador to the United States.

The term of office of incumbent Pakistani ambassador to the US, Dr Asad Majeed, will lapse in January 2022.

Sources have confirmed that the Pakistani envoy in Washington is being replaced as a decision has been taken to appoint a new ambassador and not to extend Dr Asad Majeed’s term.

Asad Majeed had been appointed as ambassador to the US in 2019.

Now, a summary has been prepared to appoint Masood Khan, who had also served as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations, as Pakistan’s new envoy in Washington.

ISLAMABAD, 05 November 2021, (TON): Pakistan said that despite deploying 900,000 troops in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), New Delhi is trying to portray false sense of normalcy in the occupied valley to mislead the international community.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar Ahmed said that India is trying to portray false sense of normalcy and development in IIOJK. But the reality on ground is totally different as you have also noted that the Kashmiri people have rejected these attempts.

Expressing serious concern on the reports about Indian occupation forces setting up a so-called new investigation agency in IIOJK, he said this could be another repressive tool to further terrorise Kashmiris.

According to the Indian media “New Delhi approved the establishment of a new, specialised investigating agency, State Investigation Agency (SIA), in IIOJK which will primarily investigate terrorism related cases.”

He said “the heavy deployment of India troops made the occupied territory the most heavily militarised zone in the world, and they continued with this policy of subjugating the people of IIOJK through the barrel of the gun.”

The spokesperson said “regarding the reported investment/development projects in IIOJK, that clearly is an effort by India to divert international attention from its illegal occupation and human rights violations, serious violations of international humanitarian law, war crimes and crimes against humanity in IIOJK.”

ISLAMABAD, 05 November 2021, (TON): The European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with South Asia, which covers relations with Pakistan, and other 5 countries in the region (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka), paid an official visit to Islamabad on 3rd and 4th November 2021, on the occasion of the 12th inter-parliamentary meeting between the European Parliament and the National Assembly of Pakistan.

The European delegation was comprised of the Chair Mr Nicola PROCACCINI (Italy, ECR), Ms Heidi HAUTALA (Finland, Greens, Vice-President of the European Parliament), Mr Luis GARICANO (Spain, Renew) and Mr Tomáš ZDECHOVSKÝ (Czechia, EPP).

The last official visit (Islamabad and Karachi) took place in November 2018.

The purpose of this visit is to provide Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and Members of both Chambers of the Parliament of Pakistan the opportunity to review together the state of relations between the European Union and Pakistan.

The signature of the EU-Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan in 2019 is a further milestone in relations between the EU and Pakistan, and as bilateral relations grow, it is essential that Parliamentarians on both sides assess progress and provide parliamentary scrutiny and guidance.

NEW DELHI, 05 November 2021, (TON): Indian police have detained or arrested at least a dozen Muslims for allegedly celebrating Pakistan’s cricket match victory October 24 over archrival India in the T20 World Cup.

Those arrested include a Muslim teacher in the western state of Rajasthan who was fired from her job for writing “We won” on her WhatsApp status following Pakistan’s crushing victory against India last week in Dubai.

Authorities at a government hospital in Indian-administered Kashmir also terminated the job contract of a Kashmiri Muslim medical technician after she allegedly celebrated the victory on social media.

In the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, seven people, including three Kashmiri students, were arrested for celebrating Pakistan’s victory. The state’s chief minister said all would be charged with sedition, and the accused could face jail terms of up to seven years.

Former Indian Supreme Court Justice Deepak Gupta said the celebration by any Indian of Pakistan’s cricket victory is “definitely not sedition and it is ridiculous to think it is.”

India and Pakistan are cricket-frenzy nations, and the neighbors have been fierce rivals on the pitch since British India was split into two countries in 1947.

NAYPYITAW, 05 November 2021, (TON): According to a representative of one of the anti-junta armed groups “a battle between Karenni resistance forces and the Myanmar army in southern Shan State’s Pekhon Township forced around 300 people to flee from their homes.”

The three-hour clash took place near the 70-household village of Larwhe at 2pm, with the Pekhon People’s Defence Force (PDF), Loikaw PDF, Central Myanmar Regional Operation Task Force, Karenni National Defence Force (KNDF) and the Karenni Army (KA) all fighting the junta’s armed forces.

A spokesperson for the Pekhon PDF said “four members of the Karenni alliance were injured.”

He told media “some junta soldiers died too but we still haven’t gotten the official numbers yet.”

Nearly all of Larwhe’s 300 residents were displaced by the fighting, and junta troops occupied the village, staying in the local monastery.