PARIS, 03 November 2021, (TON): Emmanuel Macron has said “France will delay retaliatory measures against the UK while talks over post-Brexit fishing rights continue.”

France had threatened to stop British boats offloading catches at its ports from midnight over the row.

But the French president told reporters the sanctions would be put off as talks between officials continued.

Environment Secretary George Eustice said there had been a "big de-escalation" of the row.

He added “there had been "constructive talks" with France on Monday.

We very much welcome the fact that France has decided not to go ahead with its threats and we'll continue to have those constructive discussions.

Brexit minister Lord Frost will meet France's European affairs minister Clément Beaune on Thursday to discuss a range of Brexit issues.

The French government said its measures would now not come into effect before this meeting took place.

In a statement, the president's office added that it expected the UK to respond to France's latest proposals on licensing by Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, 03 November 2021, (TON): Russian Ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov said “in relations between Russia and the United States over the past year, although small, but positive shifts have been outlined.”

US President Joseph Biden agreed to our proposal to extend the START Treaty for five years without any conditions. The summit of the leaders of the two countries was held in Geneva in June. The meeting was rich and productive.

As Antonov noted, Washington and Moscow managed to establish, among other things, a stable dialogue through the security councils and foreign affairs agencies. There are expert contacts on climate issues, the development and protection of the Arctic, business interaction continues, and trade is growing.

The ambassador stressed “nevertheless, these are just sprouts on the path of improving our relations. Much work remains to be done to create a foundation for further progress.”

He added that Russia is offering the US a positive program of action, starting with zeroing restrictions on diplomatic presence.

ANKARA, 03 November 2021, (TON): According to a US Navy investigation “the underwater object that an American nuclear-powered submarine hit last month was an uncharted underwater mountain.”

The USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class submarine, was operating in the South China Sea when it struck an unidentified object on Oct. 2, injuring some crew members and forcing the vessel to head to Guam for repairs.

The US Navy said in a statement “a probe determined that Connecticut grounded on an uncharted seamount while operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Seamounts are underwater mountains generally formed by volcanic activity that can rise as much as 4,000 meters high from the seafloor.

The investigation’s findings have been submitted to Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, commander of the 7th Fleet, which operates in the Western Pacific and Indian oceans.

SOFIA, 03 November 2021, (TON): The defence minister announced “Bulgaria deployed 350 soldiers to the border with Turkey to help police cope with the growing influx of migrants.”

Georgi Panayotov told  media “soldiers arrived at the Bulgarian-Turkish border since today to back up the border police.”

He added that the 350 troops deployed with 40 units of equipment.

According to the interior ministry “this year has already seen more than 6,500 people cross illegally into Bulgaria, three times the numbers for the first nine months of 2020.”

The east European country sits on one of the main routes migrants use to enter the EU from the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Bulgaria is an external border for the European Union. A partly damaged barbed-wire fence runs the length of the 259-kilometre frontier with Turkey.

RIYADH, 03 November 2021, (TON): According to Unesco, 62 journalists around the world were killed in 2020.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged the member states and the international community to stand in solidarity with journalists around the world and to demonstrate the political will needed to investigate and prosecute crimes against journalists and media workers with the full force of the law.

He said in a message marking the day "today, on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, we commemorate the legacy and achievements of journalists killed in the line of duty, and call for justice for crimes committed against them.”

Last year, according to Unesco, 62 journalists around the world were killed just for doing their jobs.

The UN chief said “many lost their lives while covering conflict. But in recent years, the number of media workers killed outside conflict zones has risen.”

He said "in many countries, simply investigating corruption, trafficking, human rights violations or environmental issues puts journalists’ lives at risk.”

Impunity for killing journalists is extremely high. According to Unesco almost nine out of 10 cases go unpunished.

Guterres said “and journalists face countless other threats, ranging from kidnapping, torture and arbitrary detention to disinformation campaigns and harassment, particularly in the digital sphere. Women journalists are at particular risk of online violence.”

RIYADH, 03 November 2021, (TON): The coalition has since October 11 issued near-daily reports of bombing around Marib, saying it has since then killed around 2,300 insurgents in the area.

The Saudi-led military coalition backing the government in Yemen said that 115 Houthi rebels were killed in airstrikes around the strategic city of Marib as the insurgents advanced.

The Iran-backed Houthis rarely comment on losses, and AFP could not independently verify the toll.

The coalition said "fourteen military vehicles were destroyed and more than 115 insurgents.”

Marib, capital of the oil-rich province of the same name, is the internationally recognised government's last bastion in northern Yemen.

The strikes were carried out in the past 24 hours in Al-Jawba, about 50 kilometres south of Marib, and Al-Kassara, 30 kilometres northwest.

The coalition has since October 11 issued near-daily reports of bombing around Marib, saying it has since then killed around 2,300 insurgents in the area.

ADDIS ABABA, 03 November 2021, (TON): Authorities in Addis Ababa told residents to register their arms and prepare to defend their neighbourhoods.

Ethiopia declared a state of emergency after forces from the northern region of Tigray said “they were gaining territory and considering marching on the capital Addis Ababa.”

The announcement on state-affiliated media came two days after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed urged citizens to take up arms to defend themselves from the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF).

Authorities in Addis Ababa told residents to register their arms and prepare to defend their neighbourhoods.

The state of emergency was imposed after the TPLF claimed to have captured several towns in recent days and said it was considering marching on Addis Ababa, about 380 km (235 miles) to the south of their forward positions.

Ethiopia last imposed such a measure in February 2018 for six months ahead of the transition of power to Abiy. Curfews were enforced and people's movements restricted, while thousands of people were detained.

A statement said “the city administration said people should register their weapons and gather in their neighbourhoods. House-to-house searches were being conducted and troublemakers arrested.”

WASHINGTON, 03 November 2021, (TON): The US President ‘expressed support’ for Asean's position on Myanmar, which last month boycotted a summit of the southeast Asian regional grouping after its chief was banned from the virtual event

The White House said “US President Joseph Biden and Indonesian President Joko Widodo called on Monday on the Myanmar military junta to release political prisoners.”

Meeting on the side-lines of the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Biden and Widodo also highlighted "freedom of the seas" in the Indo-Pacific region, the White House said, using language that typically refers to criticism of China's increasingly muscular presence.

According to the White House “they expressed concern about the coup in Burma and agreed the Burmese military must cease violence, release all political prisoners, and provide for a swift return to democracy."

Biden "expressed support" for Asean's position on Myanmar, which last month boycotted a summit of the southeast Asian regional grouping after its chief was banned from the virtual event.

The White House said “Indonesia is next in line as president of the G20 group and Biden "expressed support for its leadership in the Indo-Pacific as the world's third-largest democracy and a strong proponent of the international rules-based order.”

KABUL, 03 November 2021, (TON): Afghanistan's Taliban government said it would announce good news soon on older girls being allowed to go back to school, but urged the international community to help it fund the process as most external aid has been halted.

Ensuring rights for women and girls has been one of the most sensitive issues facing the Taliban since they seized power in August, with international bodies demanding proof they were being respected before any discussion of formal recognition of the new government.

In September, the hardline Islamist movement drew global condemnation when it allowed boys to return to the classroom but told older girls to stay home until conditions permitted their return.

Waheedullah Hashimi, Director of External Programmes and Aid at the Ministry of Education, told media in an interview "Inshallah we will have a good announcement for the whole country, the whole nation.”

In some northern areas, girls have already resumed their education but others are forced to study in hiding and heavy scepticism remains with countries from the United States to Russia demanding they match promises with action.

ISLAMABAD, 03 November 2021, (TON): Pakistan and Uzbekistan signed a protocol on the establishment of the Joint Security Commission followed by its inaugural session.

According to a National Security Division press release “the signing ceremony was attended by Secretary of the Security Council of the Republic of Uzbekistan Lieutenant General Victor Makhmudov and Pakistan’s National Security Advisor Dr Moeed Yusuf who led their respective delegations.”

The communique added “the protocol covered wide-ranging security-related matters of mutual interest and established a coordination mechanism between Pakistan’s National Security Division and the Security Council of Uzbekistan under their respective heads.”

Read Pakistan no longer ‘up for sale’: National Security Advisor

During the inaugural session, both sides discussed various aspects of the newly formed joint commission and the way forward for making the commission effective and mutually beneficial.

The press release further stated that the evolving situation in Afghanistan and the need to remain constructively engaged was also discussed.