PARIS, 27 October 2021, (TON): France released a list of sanctions that could come into effect from Nov. 2 if sufficient progress is not made in its post-Brexit fishing row with Britain and said it was working on a second round of sanctions that could affect power supplies to the UK.

France could notably step up border checks on goods from Britain and prevent British fishing boats from accessing French ports, if the situation regarding the fishing licenses did not improve, the Maritime and European Affairs Ministries said in a joint statement.

WASHINGTON, 27 October 2021, (TON): The Department of State will conduct a series of internal reviews of the activities of American diplomats related to the evacuation from Afghanistan.

This was stated on Wednesday by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, speaking in front of officials of the Foreign Ministry.

The chief of American diplomacy said “I have ordered a series of internal reviews on our planning and implementation of evacuation efforts from Afghanistan. We will not let this opportunity to learn lessons and work better pass us by.”

The secretary of state said “many of you and your colleagues around the world have worked with great intensity to help ensure the safety of over 120,000 American citizens, foreign partners, Afghans in danger. This is a significant achievement and a testament to not only your dedication and resourcefulness, but also deep a sense of responsibility towards Afghanistan. And the operation was also incredibly difficult.”

He stressed that now you can start asking questions about how the task was completed: “Could we have done differently? Could we have taken this step differently? Should we have tried this or that idea first? Could we have done faster? come to this decision? “

Blinken added “we have learned a lot in a short period of time. We learned this from our own experience. We learned from practice. We owe it to ourselves, our Afghan friends and partners, future State Department employees who may one day face a similar problem, fix everything what we’ve learned, learn it, apply it, keep it in a way that makes our future planning more effective and helps us better prepare for future contingencies.”

TEHRAN, 27 October 2021, (TON): Iran’s deputy foreign minister said Wednesday, after talks with EU mediators in Brussels that Iran has agreed to resume talks next month with world powers over its nuclear deal.

Ali Bagheri, who also serves as Tehran’s chief negotiator, wrote on Twitter “we agree to start negotiations before the end of November. Exact date would be announced in the course of the next week.”

ATHENS, 27 October 2021, (TON): Greece has blamed Turkey for a migrant boat sinking in the Aegean that claimed the lives of four people including two children, noting that Ankara should prevent smugglers from risking peoples’ lives at sea.

Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi told a news conference “four bodies were retrieved without carrying personal lifejackets. The victims were aged four, 11, 25 and 28 years old according to the coroner’s report.”

Mitarachi tweeted four children died after the accident near the island of Chios in which 22 people were rescued.

On Wednesday, he said one to four people were thought to be missing based on the testimony of survivors. Three people were still in hospital, the minister said, adding that the migrants had come from Somalia, Sudan and Eritrea via Turkey.

Mitarachi tweeted “the Turkish authorities must do more to prevent exploitation by criminal gangs at source. These journeys should never be allowed to happen.”

KHARTOM, 27 October 2021, (TON): At least seven people were killed and scores wounded when soldiers opened fire on protesters.

Sudanese security forces launched sweeping arrests of anti-coup protesters, tightening the regime's grip while the international community ramped up punitive measures.

The World Bank froze aid and the African Union suspended the East African country over this week's military takeover.

Armed forces deployed in large numbers after overnight protests saw clashes in the capital Khartoum, when officers fired tear gas and arrested several leading pro-democracy activists, including from Sudan's largest political party, the Umma Party.

"Police forces have removed all the barricades since Wednesday morning and arrested all the people who stood near them," said Hady Bashir, a protester, after media correspondents saw security forces clear rocks and tyres blocking major streets in Khartoum.

Beyond the capital, protesters have stood their ground to decry the country's latest military coup, setting up blockades in Port Sudan in the east, Wad Madani to the south, and Atbara to the north.

MOSCOW, 27 October 2021, (TON): The Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov held a telephone conversation with the US Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa Jeffrey Feltman, during which he pointed out the inadmissibility of external interference in the affairs of Sudan.

In the message of the Russian Foreign Ministry said “during the conversation, the latest development of events in the Republic of Sudan was discussed. The Russian side emphasized the need for an early stabilization of the situation, the settlement of existing inter-Sudanese contradictions through an inclusive dialogue with the participation of all political forces in the interests of achieving national accord and solving urgent socio-economic problems of Sudan.”

The ministry stressed “at the same time, the inadmissibility of external interference in the internal affairs of this country was emphasized.”

WASHINGTON, 27 October 2021, (TON): A special event was organized today in the Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C. to commemorate the Kashmir Black Day.

Messages of the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan on the occasion were read out. A special documentary featuring the historical perspective and significance of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute and depicting the plight of innocent Kashmiris in IIOJK at the hands of Indian occupation forces was also screened.

In his remarks, Ambassador Dr. Asad Majeed Khan expressed solidarity with the victims of Indian repression in IIOJK and paid tribute to the resolve, bravery and steadfastness of Kashmiris living in IIOJK in pursuing their struggle to self-determination.

He reiterated government of Pakistan’s continued moral, political and diplomatic support to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in their just cause. He said that the Prime Minister of Pakistan was leading the efforts as “Ambassador of oppressed Kashmiris” to raise his voice on their behalf.

Ambassador Khan specially lauded the role played by the Pakistani and Kashmiri American community in highlighting the gross human rights violations in IIOJK and echoing the voice of innocent Kashmiris in the halls of U.S. Congress.

He stressed upon them to continue sensitizing the respective members of Congress and civil society on this grave issue.

KABUL, 27 October 2021, (TON): Acting foreign minister said that Afghanistan will do all it can to achieve domestic stability and contribute to regional peace and security.

According to Xinhua news agency “Amir Khan Muttaqi held out the assurance at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Doha.”

The Taliban would never allow any individual or group to use Afghanistan’s territory against China, Muttaqi assured his interlocutor.

He claimed the situation in Afghanistan had gradually stabilised since the Taliban gained power in mid-August.

He added “yearning for peace after 45 years of war, Afghanistan was willing to forge cooperation with other countries on the basis of equality.”

He hailed friendly relations with China as vital to Afghanistan and commended Beijing’s principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs.

Muttaqi said “his country was appreciative of China’s support and aid, which would be used to improve the Afghan people’s living standards.”

ISLAMABAD, 27 October 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan said that India's illegal occupation was meant to suppress the legitimate aspirations of the Kashmiri people to freely determine their future.

The premier’s remarks came in a message on 27 October which Pakistan and millions of Kashmiris observe as a 'Black Day' to “condemn the beginning of the illegal occupation of parts of the State of Jammu and Kashmir by India.”

The prime minister added that the day commemorates the countless sacrifices Kashmiris have made and continue to make as they resist the inhuman occupation and subjugation by India against their will.

PM Imran said “even after seven decades of brutal rule by Indian Occupation Forces, the will of the Kashmiris remains strong. We salute Kashmiri men, women, and children for their resolve, courage, and determination.”

He added that Kashmiris are an inspiration for all freedom-loving people across the world.

He stated that the “long outstanding Jammu and Kashmir dispute” has been on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) since January 1948 and is an internationally recognised dispute as affirmed by numerous UNSC resolutions.

NEW DELHI, 27 October 2021, (TON): Last week, Hindu right-wing forces in India forced a leading firm to withdraw its festive season advertisement after it featured a couple of words from the Urdu language, which in the popular imagination in the country is a “Muslim language”.

The company, FabIndia, issued an advertisement for Diwali, a significant Hindu festival that falls next month, showcasing its latest collection of clothes. The text at the top read “Jashn-e-Rivaaz”.

“Jashn” in Urdu means a celebration while “Riwaaz”, which is actually “Riwaaj”, means tradition. The title translated to “A Celebration of Tradition”.

But a young parliamentarian belonging to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who often makes headlines for his Islamophobic remarks, was not happy.

“Deepavali is not Jashn-e-Riwaaz,” 30-year-old Tejasvi Surya posted on Twitter, calling Diwali by its more traditional name.

This deliberate attempt of Abrahamisation of Hindu festivals, depicting models without traditional Hindu attires, must be called out.

When 2021 census takes place, my fear is that many speakers of Urdu might simply report Hindi as their mother tongue.