JERUSALEM, 01 November 2021, (TON): A few metres away from the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound’s eastern walls lies the centuries-old Al-Yousufiya Cemetery, also known as the Bab al-Asbat (Lion’s Gate) Cemetery.

Over the past few weeks, videos and images of Palestinians clinging to their family members’ graves as Israeli forces arrest, beat, and attempt to forcibly pull them away have widely circulated on social media.

Israeli occupation authorities in Jerusalem have been moving ahead with plans to build a Jewish “national park” set to open in mid-2022 over parts of the cemetery, which spans more than 14 dunams (1.4 hectares) of land.

Three weeks ago, workers from the Israeli-controlled Jerusalem municipality and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority exposed human remains during excavations, causing outrage and unleashing continuous protests and prayers at the site.

Since then, Palestinians have been increasing their presence at the graveyard, including those going to protect their dead, and confronting Israeli forces, which responded with tear gas, stun grenades, physical beatings, arrests, temporary bans on individuals from visiting the cemetery.

At least three Palestinians were wounded and seven detained on Friday following Muslim prayers at the site, in addition to dozens of others over the past few weeks.

A hearing is expected to take place at the Israeli Jerusalem District Court next week for a second petition submitted by Palestinian lawyers based in Jerusalem against the ongoing excavations.

BAMAKO, 01 November 2021, (TON): The army said “seven Malian soldiers were killed in two separate attacks on patrols in the centre-west of the country, the latest bloodshed to indicate violence is shifting southward into previously peaceful areas.

The army said in a statement “at around 11:20 GMT an army escort was ambushed near the town of Mourdiah, around 200 km (120 miles) north of the capital Bamako, killing two and injuring three.”

Two hours later an army truck hit a roadside bomb near Segou, around 200 km (120 miles) north-east of Bamako, killing all five passengers, the army said.

The army said “a sweep of the area where the incident took place led to the arrest of two suspects who were immediately handed over to the gendarmerie.”

Armed attacks by Islamist militants and other groups are common across vast swathes of Mali and its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, despite a heavy presence of international troops. Thousands of civilians have been killed and millions displaced.

SANAA, 01 November 2021, (TON): The Arab military coalition in Yemen said that more than 218 Houthis were killed in airstrikes around Marib city, the internationally recognized government’s last northern bastion.

According to the coalition “Twenty-four military vehicles were destroyed” and more than 218 Houthis were killed in strikes in the past 72 hours in two districts.

In recent weeks, fighting has intensified around the city of Marib in the province of the same name.

The coalition has said it has killed some 2,000 Houthis around the city in almost daily strikes since Oct. 11.

The latest bombing was carried out in Al-Jawba, about 50 km south of Marib, and Al-Kassara, 30 km to the northwest.

The Houthis began a major push to seize Marib in February and, after a lull, renewed their offensive since September.

The airstrikes took place as at least 12 civilians, including children, were killed in a car bomb blast near the airport of Aden.

An official said “twelve civilians were killed in an explosion” in the vicinity of Aden airport and “there are also serious injuries.”

WASHINGTON, 01 November 2021, (TON): Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “the United States was absolutely in lock step with Britain, Germany and France on getting Iran back into a nuclear deal.”

 But he added that it was unclear if Tehran was willing to rejoin the talks in a meaningful way.

Blinken’s remarks in an interview with media come a day after the US, Germany, France and Britain urged Iran to resume compliance with a 2015 nuclear deal in order to “avoid a dangerous escalation.”

The accord, under which Iran curtailed nuclear work seen as a risk of developing nuclear weapons in exchange for a lifting of global sanctions, unraveled in 2018 after then-President Donald Trump withdrew the US, prompting Tehran to breach limits on uranium enrichment set by the pact.

Blinken said “it really depends on whether Iran is serious about doing that.”

He added “all of our countries, working by the way with Russia and China, believe strongly that that would be the best path forward.”

The nuclear deal is not the only point of contention between Iran and the US. On Friday, Washington issued a fresh round of Iran-related sanctions tied to an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps drone program that it said threatened regional stability.

BEIRUT, 01 November 2021, (TON): Foreign Minister Abdallah Buhabib said “the Lebanese authorities expect to resolve the diplomatic conflict with the countries of the Persian Gulf and with Saudi Arabia in particular.”

Buhabib told reporters after an emergency ministerial meeting “Lebanon hopes to resolve the crisis with the Gulf countries and reaffirms its commitment to commitments to the Arab world and Saudi Arabia in particular.”

According to the minister, a representative from the United States was invited to the meeting, as “the States can assist in resolving the conflict.”

Speaking about the resignation of the Mikati cabinet of ministers, Buhabib said that the work of the government will continue, as it is unacceptable to leave the country without a government.

Saudi Arabia’s state television reported that Riyadh was officially recalling its ambassador to Lebanon for consultations and demanded that the Lebanese ambassador leave the KSA within 48 hours.

An Arab diplomatic source told RIA Novosti that Riyadh is considering the possibility of breaking off diplomatic relations with Beirut.

Later, the Lebanese TV channel MTV, citing its own source, said that all Arab countries of the Persian Gulf would follow the example of the KSA. Following Riyadh, Bahrain and Kuwait demanded that the Lebanese ambassador leave the country in 48 hours.

ROME, 01 November 2021, (TON): Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong on the margins of the G-20 Summit in Rome.

Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Chung reaffirmed the ironclad U.S.-ROK alliance, which is the linchpin of peace, security and prosperity in Northeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific, and beyond.

The Secretary and Foreign Minister Chung discussed the importance of our comprehensive partnership in tackling the global challenges of the 21st Century, including the climate crisis.

The two also underscored our shared commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

WASHINGTON, 01 November 2021, (TON): Biden also raised the issue of human rights during their meeting on the side-lines of the G20 in Rome.

US President Joe Biden told Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan his request for F-16 fighter jets had to go through a process in the United States and expressed a desire to handle disagreements between the two countries effectively.

Biden also raised the issue of human rights during their meeting on the side-lines of the G20 in Rome, a US senior administration official told reporters.

The leaders met amid tensions between the two countries over defence and human rights issues.

A different US administration official said on Saturday that Biden would warn his Turkish counterpart that any "precipitous" actions would not benefit US-Turkish relations and that crises should be avoided after Erdogan threatened to throw out the US ambassador to Turkey and other foreign envoys for seeking the release of jailed philanthropist Osman Kavala.

Erdogan later withdrew his threat to expel the envoys.

LONDON, 01 November 2021, (TON): Macron's office said “they agreed to work on ‘practical and operational measures’ to resolve the dispute in the coming days.”

The French and British leaders agreed on Sunday to defuse days of sniping over post-Brexit fishing rights, according to Paris, potentially averting a full-blown trade war that would embroil the entire EU.

President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Boris Johnson met for about 25 minutes on the margins of a G20 summit in Rome, aides said, a day after Johnson complained to EU chief Ursula von der Leyen that French threats to trigger reprisals over the row were "completely unjustified."

Macron's office said “they agreed to work on practical and operational measures to resolve the dispute in the coming days.”

It said “they were united on the need for a "de-escalation" with concrete action to come "as soon as possible.”

There was no immediate comment from Downing Street.

Johnson has been stressing at the G20 that all sides must focus on the bigger picture of climate change as he prepares to host more than 120 world leaders at the COP26 summit from Monday.

But both the UK and French governments had been intensifying their angry rhetoric, and France last week detained a British trawler that was allegedly fishing illegally in its waters.

WASHINGTON, 01 November 2021, (TON): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Rome and raised concerns over human rights, in only their second face-to-face session as tensions between the two superpowers run high.

State Department spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement “Blinken expressed opposition to actions by China “that run counter to our values and interests including actions related to human rights, Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, the East and South China Seas, and Taiwan.”

Blinken also noted areas where he said the US and China's interests intersect and they can work together, including “the DPRK, Burma, Iran, Afghanistan, and the climate crisis.”

The meeting in Rome, where both diplomats were attending the G20 summit, is the first between Blinken and Wang since a stormy session in Alaska in March during which the Chinese delegation berated the American side as TV cameras rolled.

The statement said “Secretary Blinken underscored the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the People's Republic of China.”

Earlier this week, Washington ordered China Telecom Americas to discontinue its services within 60 days — ending nearly two decades of operations in the country and piling further strain on relations between the two countries.

ISLAMABAD, 01 November 2021, (TON): Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser said that Pakistan is playing crucial role in the establishment of durable peace in Afghanistan and urged the world community to promote cooperation with it in all sectors including trade.

Addressing a public meeting at Marghuz, district Swabi, the Speaker National Assembly said that the restoration of peace in Afghanistan will usher progress and development in the whole region.

He said that our businessmen will get access to the market of Central Asian States and help promote business activities.

Besides, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, Federal Minister for Communications, Murad Saeed, Provincial Ministers Shahram Khan Tarakai, Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra and Member Provincial Assembly Aqibullah were also present on the occasion.

The Speaker National Assembly said that a new era of progress and development has begun in the country and now Pakistan will give a changed look. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan the country has been put on track of development.

He said that the present government was inherited a numerous crisis that was battled by it bravely.

He said that the completion of projects initiated under the auspices of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) will increase economic activities and people will get employment opportunities. He said that during the present government district Swabi has been given unprecedented funds.