CAIRO, 21 October 2021, (TON): Saudi Education Minister Hamad bin Mohammed Al-Sheikh met with the Egyptian Ambassador to the Kingdom, Ahmed Farouk Tawfiq, to enhance joint cooperation between the two countries in the education field.

The two sides also discussed the development of scientific and research partnerships between the countries’ universities along with the exchange of expertise and experiences in educational technologies.

The talks focused on joint cooperation between the Kingdom and Egypt in educational programs and ways to benefit from the development plans and programs implemented by educational institutions in both countries.

Saudi Ministry of Education’s undersecretary for international cooperation, Saleh Al-Qassumi, undersecretary for public education, Mohammed Al-Muqbil, undersecretary for university education, Mohammed Al-Adib, general supervisor of the general administration of media and communication, Ahmed Al-Jumaiyah, and supervisor of the public relations department, Saleh Al-Thubaiti, also attended the meeting.

NAYPYITAW, 21 October 2021, (TON): Of the thousands of prisoners who were released on Monday as part of a mass amnesty, at least 110 have been taken back into custody, according to a rights group documenting the situation of Myanmar’s political prisoners.

In a statement released, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said that it had confirmed 110 cases of detainees who were rearrested almost immediately after they were freed by prison authorities.

The AAPP said in its statement “some prisoners were released then cynically re-arrested as soon as they arrived home. Some others were told they were on the released list, taken to the jail entrance, only to be taken back to prison in the face of additional charges."

The group added that some of those who were released on Monday have since gone into hiding to avoid being rearrested.

Media sources could not independently confirm the AAPP’s figures, but on Tuesday, it reported that an elected MP and 10 other members of the ousted ruling party, the National League for Democracy (NLD), were rearrested moments after their release from prison in Mandalay Region’s Meiktila Township.

It has since been learned that four of the detainees were subsequently released from Meiktila Police Station No. 1, while six others had new charges laid against them. The status of a woman who among the 11 rearrested NLD members was unclear at the time of reporting.

TUNIS, 21 October 2021, (TON): Tunisia's president said that he would launch a "national dialogue" on changing electoral law and the political system, but gave no detail on how he would allay international concerns about his seizure of near total power.

President Kais Saied assumed executive authority in July then last month brushed aside most of the constitution. Critics called the moves a coup and the European Union this week joined other donors in calling for a restoration of democratic order.

In a speech streamed on the presidential Facebook page, Saied said the dialogue would include the country's young people, but kept up a defiant tone.

He said that the discussions would not include "those who stole the people's money and traitors". He also criticised what he called foreign interference, telling world powers to "return smuggled Tunisian money to European and international banks".

Critics say his moves have cast doubt over the democratic gains of Tunisia's 2011 revolution. But his supporters have hailed the changes, saying they have reclaimed the revolution from an entrenched, corrupt elite.

RIYADH, 21 October 2021, (TON): The Saudi Foreign ministry said “Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud discussed the Iran nuclear talks with the European Union envoy coordinating talks on reviving the Iran nuclear deal, Enrique Mora.”

It added that they discussed developments regarding the Iranian nuclear program talks, and international efforts to ensure that Iran does not violate international agreements and treaties in this regard.

PARIS, 21 October 2021, (TON): France expressed “great concern” after a ballistic missile fire test conducted on Tuesday by North Korea landed in the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

France condemned the repeated shootings carried out by North Korea in recent weeks, which undermines regional and international peace and security.

France once again urged North Korea to comply with United Nations Security Council resolutions to engage in a process of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.

A French foreign ministry statement said “Paris would meet the U.N. Security Council members Wednesday on the issue.”

BRUSSELS, 21 October 2021, (TON): The EU is concerned about the increasing violence in Syria, as we witnessed in Damascus and in the northwest, where at least 27 people lost their lives in one of the deadliest days in the country in recent times.

We offer our condolences to the families and friends of the victims and wish the wounded a speedy recovery.

The EU calls on all sides to refrain from violence and show restraint.

We reiterate again our support for a full nationwide ceasefire as called for by the UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen.

We call on all parties to adhere to the principle of protection of civilians and international humanitarian law, and to avoid escalation and restore calm.

WASHINGTON, 21 October 2021, (TON): The United States remains seriously concerned at the continued erosion of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including political participation, in Hong Kong.

We note in particular the increase in politically-motivated prosecutions, including through the National Security Law, targeting Hong Kong’s teachers, labor unions, lawyers, journalists, health care workers, student unions, and individual citizens. 

We again call on the Beijing and Hong Kong authorities to release those unjustly detained and cease their crackdown on peaceful civil society organizations.  We once more urge Beijing to abide by its treaty obligations in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Hong Kong authorities continue to disqualify scores of pro-democracy district councilors, who received their public mandate from free and fair elections in 2019. 

WASHINGTON, 21 October 2021, (TON): US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has said that it’s wonderful to be here with all of you, with both of these remarkable teams, the teams behind the teams, because we know where the real work gets done. We’re grateful to all of you. 

And Marta Lucia, thank you so much for hosting us.  I had the chance to welcome you to the State Department a few months ago, so I’m very grateful to be here in Bogota, to the Palacio San Carlos, and to be with all of you.

So this is, in fact, the ninth High-Level Dialogue.  I am not new to the High-Level Dialogue.  I actually participated in at least two of them, maybe even three of them, back in 2015, 2016.  And I think what the continuity tells you is that this relationship transcends any administration or any political party in either of our countries, and that’s important. 

It also extends far beyond our governments, civil society, the private sector, families, communities.  So while this High-Level Dialogue is taking place, there are countless other dialogues happening every single day at every level between Colombians and Americans, and that really is the fabric that joins us.

I think if anyone needed to be convinced of the breadth and depth of the relationship between our countries, the areas that we’re working on together, that are having an impact on the lives of our citizens, all they had to do was listen to the vice president, because with tremendous eloquence, you covered so much that we’re working on together.  And I think that’s evidence of everything that brings us together.

ISTANBUL, 21 October 2021, (TON): Sources said that at least 15 people with links to an Israeli intelligence service have been apprehended in Turkey.

They were arrested as part of an investigation launched by the Istanbul public prosecutor’s office, according to Turkish judicial sources.

The suspects were relaying information and passing documents to the Israeli spy agency, said the sources, who requested anonymity due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The sources added “the network relied on Palestinian and Syrian nationals living in Turkey, who received payments through wire transfers and couriers.”

WASHINGTON, 21 October 2021, (TON): The U.S. Navy and Army tested hypersonic weapon component prototypes on Wednesday that will inform development of new weapons, the Pentagon said, calling the three tests successful.

The tests occurred the same day that U.S. Presi-dent Joe Biden said he was concerned about Chinese hypersonic weapons.

A statement said “facility in Virginia whi-ch will help “inform the de-velopment of the Navy’s C-onventional Prompt Strike (CPS) and the Arm-y’s Lo-ng Range Hypersonic Wea-pon (LRHW) offensive hypersonic strike.”

The Navy and Army will conduct a flight test of the common hypersonic missile in fiscal 2022, which began on Oct. 1. Hyperso-nic weapons travel in the upper atmosphere at more than five times the speed of sound, or about 3,853 miles per hour (6,200 kph).

The Pentagon said in a statement “these tests demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems in a realistic operating environment.”