DUBAI, 21 October 2021, (TON): Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed received a phone call from Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Sheikh Mohammed and Asssad discussed relations between their two countries and ways to enhance joint cooperation in various fields.

The statement added that hey also spoke about developments in Syria and the Middle East, in addition to several issues of common interest.

WASHINGTON, 21 October 2021, (TON): China today is the main threat to the national security of the United States and other countries of the democratic world, Nicholas Burns, a candidate for the post of US ambassador to the PRC, said.

Burns said that during a hearing at the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee “China is the main threat to the security of our country and the entire democratic world.”

Burns also noted that China, unlike the United States, today does not have a large number of friends and does not have real allies, and Washington should use this in its approaches.

He added diplomat “today, China has few friends and virtually no real allies. We, in turn, are linked by numerous alliances with other countries, which is our great advantage. We must work intensively with these countries to develop a strategy for China.”

MOSCOW, 21 October 2021, (TON): The Kremlin's representative on Afghanistan said that the Taliban must live up to international "expectations" on human rights if they want to be recognised by governments around the world.

He said “during Moscow talks on Afghanistan that included representatives of the Taliban, Kremlin envoy Zamir Kabulov said the group would be recognised when they start fulfilling the expectations of the international community on human rights and inclusion.”

The Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan said the Taliban gave participants of the negotiations in Moscow, including China and Pakistan, assurances the group is making headway on rights and governance issues.

Kabulov said that Taliban representatives told Kabulov they "are working on improving governance and improving human rights," he told reporters. "We'll see."

He also called on the international community to abandon its "bias" and unite to help the Afghan people.

He said "not everyone likes the new government in Afghanistan, but by punishing the government, we punish the whole people.”

He added that a joint statement from all 10 participating countries concluding the talks would call on the United Nations to convene a donor conference to raise funds for Afghanistan.

ISLAMABAD, 21 October 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran would attend the ‘Middle East Green Initiative Summit’ in Riyadh being held on Oct 25.

Special Representative of the Prime Minister on Middle East Tahir Ashrafi confirmed Mr Khan’s participation in the event, saying he had accepted Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman’s invitation.

The invitation was extended in July.

The prime minister is likely to travel to Saudi Arabia over the weekend. Besides attending the summit, Mr Khan is expected to hold bilateral meetings with the Saudi leadership.

In March this year, the Saudi leadership had launched the Saudi Green and Middle East Green schemes aimed at cutting carbon emissions by 60 per cent through employing clean hydrocarbon technologies and planting about 50 billion trees, including 10 billion in Saudi Arabia.

The Saudi Green initiative has more domestic focus while the Middle East Green initiative is meant to lead regional efforts for attaining global targets to combat climate change.

NEW DELHI, 21 October 2021, (TON): The death count in landslides and floods set off by incessant heavy rains in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand mounted to 47 last night.

Many people still remain trapped under the rubble after the mudslides, report our New Delhi correspondent.

Five deaths were reported on Monday and the remaining on yesterday.

Deputy Inspector General Nilesh Anand Bharne said "the number of casualties in Kumaon region alone has crossed 40."

He said “of the 42 victims whose bodies were found yesterday, 28 died in Nainital district, six each in Almora and Champawat and one each in Pithoragarh and Udham Singh Nagar districts.”

NAYPYITAW, 21 October 2021, (TON): A raid on a military outpost in Mandalay Region’s Natogyi Township last week left 11 soldiers dead and three others wounded, according to the group that carried out the attack.

The outpost, located at a school in the village of Su Phyu Kone and manned by 20 soldiers, came under attack by a group calling itself the Zero Guerrilla Force late last Friday.

Using handmade mortars and small arms, the group raided the outpost at around 10pm that night and killed an army captain and 10 others stationed there, the group’s leader told media.

He added “the bodies of the casualties, including Capt Tun Tun Aung from Light Infantry Battalion 113, based in Meiktila, were collected by the military the next morning.”

A Facebook post that reported the incident the day after it occurred was later deleted after military supporters commented that the casualty figures were inaccurate.

“We later managed to get the exact number of casualties,” said the Zero Guerrilla Force leader, who asked not to be identified by name.

NAYPYITAW, 21 October 2021, (TON): Two army trucks were hit by landmines in Sagaing Region’s Htigyaing Township, resulting in multiple casualties, according to the Htigyaing People’s Defence Force (PDF).

A spokesperson for the group said “the two trucks were travelling on the Htigyaing-Indaw road when the incident occurred a few miles from the town of Htigyaing at around 3pm.”

The spokesperson told media “one of the trucks was badly damaged. Many soldiers were injured and were sent to two hospitals in Htigyaing.”

The number of casualties was unclear, he said, but added that as many as 20 soldiers may have been killed in the attack.

Although this figure could not be confirmed, hospital sources said that several soldiers receiving treatment at the Htigyaing Public Hospital and another 50-bed hospital located just outside of the town have died of their injuries.

Other sources in the area said that soldiers who survived the attack opened fire on the village of Sardwin as they retreated.

According to the sources, shots were fired at homes and a local monastery and community hall, and an artillery shell landed near the village school. It was unknown at the time of reporting if there were any civilian casualties.

DHAKA, 21 October 2021, (TON): About 500 houses in the Teesta basin were washed away while 20,000 families were marooned as the trans-boundary river swelled above danger level, after India had opened flood gates of Gajoldoba barrage on the river amid onrush of waters upstream and heavy rainfall. 

Local officials concerned said “the Teesta Barrage’s flood bypass embankment road connecting Rangpur and Nilphamari with Lalmonirhat was damaged disrupting the road communication among the three districts while vast areas of cropland went under water.”

The Bangladesh Water Development issued a red alert in the Teesta Basin and ordered an evacuation of the people living in villages along the river banks.

Deputy divisional engineer of the board at Dalia Rashedin Islam said “we have issued red alert along the Teesta basin as the river is now flowing 70cm above the danger level. We have opened all the 44 gates of the Teesta Barrage to manage onrush of water.” 

He said that they asked shoal inhabitants to evacuate to safer places through public announcement system, fearing further deterioration in the flood situation as India had already opened 54 gates of the Gajoldoba Teesta Barrage.

DHAKA, 21 October 2021, (TON): PM Hasina's leadership lauded in Bangladesh's development journey. Terming China the largest trading partner of Bangladesh, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming on Wednesday said the Bangladesh-China relations have achieved a rapid development.

He said "the political mutual trust between our two sides has continued to deepen, the cultural exchange and education cooperation as an integral part of our deeply-rooted bilateral relations, have been active and fruitful.”

Currently, the envoy said, China has become one of the top destinations for Bangladeshi students to study abroad and students are one of the main cornerstones of the friendship between the two peoples.

The ambassador said "all of you are well aware of the journey to development that our two countries are having together and shoulder to shoulder.”

However, he said, there are many avenues of cooperation yet to be explored. "In Bangladesh’s mission of poverty eradication, China will always be by its side through sharing experience and resources."

The ambassador was addressing a webinar on poverty alleviation organized by the Association of Bangladesh-China Alumni (ABCA).

NAYPYITAW, 20 October 2021, (TON): Chin resistance fighters destroyed half the vehicles in a military convoy travelling along a mountain road towards the state capital of Hakha last week, forcing the survivors to halt their advance and set up camp at a village along the way.

The convoy of 35 military trucks and two tanks left the northern town of Falam on October 8 as part of a big push by the junta to reinforce its positions in the state. The convoy moved slowly over several days as it swept for landmines along the treacherous route to Hakha.

Fighters from the Chin National Army (CNA), a longstanding rebel group, and the recently formed Chin National Defense Force (CNDF) attacked the convoy with landmines and a shootout ensued, a CNDF spokesperson said.

No military vehicles were destroyed in that clash, but resistance fighters attacked again on Saturday near the village of Talanrawn, destroying seven vehicles and killing at least four soldiers while injuring another 15.

Then fighters from the Chinland Defence Force (CDF) destroyed another nine vehicles during a clash on Sunday near Taal village, which is three miles from Talanrawn and 28 miles from Falam. The remaining vehicles and soldiers have now set up camp in Taal.