WASHINGTON, 16 October 2021, (TON): According to a press release “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Quito, Ecuador and Bogotá, Colombia.”

In Quito on October 19, the Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet with President Guillermo Lasso and Foreign Minister Mau-ricio Montalvo to continue discussions on democratic governance, counternarcotics cooperation, growing bilateral opportunities for trade and investment, advancing regional security and human rights, migration, climate ambition, and other issues that reflect the importance of the U.S.-Ecuador relationship.

On October 20, the Secretary will deliver a speech on the challenges facing democracies in the region, and how we can work together to deliver for our people.

Blinken will then travel to Bogotá from October 20-21, where he will meet with President Iván and Vice President-Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez to discuss our shared priorities, including advocating for strong democratic governments throughout the region, supporting sustainable peace and reconciliation, tackling irregular migration, combatting narcotics trafficking, promoting and protecting human rights, and addressing the climate crisis.

Additionally, He will open the U.S.-Colombia High-Level Dialogue, engage in a conversation on democracy and human rights with youth leaders and civic activists, and participate in an event on tackling the climate crisis.

MOSCOW, 16 October 2021, (TON): Destroyer US attempted to violate the state border of the Russian Federation in the Sea of Japan , a large anti-submarine ship of the Pacific Fleet, “Admiral Tri-buts” put a stop to the violation was reported in the Ministry of Defense of Russia.

It is reported that on October 15, at about 17.00 local time, the US Navy destroyer Chafee (DDG 90), which has been in the Sea of Japan for several days, approached the territorial waters of the Russian Federation and “attempted to cross the state border.”

“Admiral Tributs”, who was in this area, warned the foreign ship on the international communication channel about the inadmissibility of such actions.

It is added that the American ship was also notified that it is in an area closed to navigation due to “artillery fire” in the framework of the joint Russian-Chinese exercise “Maritime Interaction-2021” taking place from October 14 to 17.

“After the warning received, the destroyer Chafee, instead of changing its course to leave the closed area, raised its color flags indicating preparation for takeoff from the helicopter deck, which means that it is impossible to change course and speed, and took action to violate the state border of the Russian Federation in Peter the Great Bay” told in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation.

It is emphasized that, acting within the framework of the international rules of navigation, the ship “Admiral Tributs” took a course to drive out the intruder from the Russian territorial waters.

DHAKA, 16 October 2021, (TON): Four of a family were killed and several others injured as supporters of two UP member hopefuls in the Jagdal Union Parishad elections clashed in Magura Sadar upazila yesterday.

Police and locals said “there had been a long-standing conflict between Nazrul Islam, incumbent member of ward-3 (Dakshin Jagdal), and Syed Ali over becoming candidate of the ward.”

They said “around 4:00pm, Nazrul and Ali locked into an altercation when Ali declared himself as the member candidate for the ward in the UP polls, scheduled to be held in the second phase on November 11.”

Both are inhabitants of Dakshin Jagdal village.

They added “following this, supporters of Nazrul attacked those of Ali around 5:00pm. The two groups then attacked each other with sharp weapons and iron rods in Dakshin Jagdal village, injuring 20 people.”

Four of them died on the way to Magura Sadar Hospital, said on-duty doctor Rafikul Islam, adding that the others were undergoing treatment at the hospital.

NAYPYITAW, 16 October 2021, (TON): The military council is reportedly planning to reopen primary, middle and high schools as early as November despite continued threats of Pandemic and ongoing teacher strikes and student boycotts in accordance with the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) aimed at toppling the junta.

Most schools were already closed at the time of Myanmar’s February 1 military coup. The junta attempted to reopen them nationwide on June 1, the start of Myanmar’s academic year, but more than half of the country’s 400,000 teachers were on strike and just 10 percent of the estimated 9 million students nationwide opted to enrol.

According to the Myanmar Teachers’ Federation “more than 100 striking teachers have also been charged under the Penal Code’s Section 505a for incitement.”

Those schools that did reopen in June were later closed again on July 9 when the third wave of the pandemic hit the country.

However, a photo of a military council notice in Ayeyarwady Region’s Yegyi Township has recently gone viral online instructing the township education officer to prepare the schools to reopen in November.

While an official date for reopening has not been announced, the junta’s information team alluded on Wednesday that such an event was approaching but had been obstructed by anti-coup entities.

NEW DELHI, 16 October 2021, (TON): India’s position on Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 has further deteriorated after it slipped to the 101st spot out of 116 countries, lagging behind its neighbours Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

Eighteen countries, including China, Brazil and Kuwait, shared the top rank with GHI score of less than five, NDTV reported quoting the website of the GHI that tracks hunger and malnutrition.

The report, prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organisation Welt Hunger Hilfe, termed the level of hunger in India "alarming".

In 2020, India was ranked 94th out of 107 countries. Now with 116 countries in the fray, it has dropped to 101st rank. India's GHI score has also decelerated – from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.8 - 27.5 between 2012 and 2021.

Neighbouring countries like Nepal (76), Bangladesh (76), Myanmar (71) and Pakistan (92) are also in the 'alarming' hunger category, but have fared better at feeding its citizens than India, according to the report.

ISLAMABAD, 16 October 2021, (TON): Senate Chairman Muhammad Sadiq Sanjrani accentuated the need to further strengthen bilateral relations between Pakistan and South Korea in diverse fields including trade and economy.

A news release said “Pakistan cherishes its relationship with Korea and holds it in high esteem, he said while talking to Korean Ambassador Suh Sangpyo, who called on him.”

Sanjrani comprehended Korea’s remarkable journey on a path of peace, democracy and prosperity.

During the meeting, views were also exchanged on bilateral relations, matters of mutual interest and the overall regional situation.

Lauding Korea’s steadfast growth, the chairman remarked that within a short span of a few decades, it has transformed itself from a developing country into a leading technologically advanced economy.

Discussing the economic ties, Sanjrani underlined that economic relation between the two countries is the bedrock of the bilateral relationship.

He added “in the last two years, Korean companies have increased their footprints and market share in Pakistan.”

He underscored that the current bilateral trade of US$1.122 billion between the two countries was not commensurate with the true potential and stressed the need for Proactive measures to increase its quantum. A free trade agreement will bring benefits to both countries, he underlined.

ISLAMABAD, 16 October 2021, (TON): Pakistan has urged the UN human rights chief to hold India accountable for its “systematic” violations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, saying failure to do so would further erode the credibility of her office.

During an interactive dialogue with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, Ambassador Amir Khan, Pakistan’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, updated her on the continuing Indian human rights abuses, and demanded a probe.

The dialogue took place in the UN General Assembly’s Third committee, which deals with social, cultural and humanitarian issues. While thanking the High Commissioner for highlighting India’s multiple violations of the Kashmiri people’s rights in the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, the Pakistani envoy said he had hoped that her office would include the widespread violations committed by Indian occupation forces in her report.

Some of the gross violations, he pointed out, include, siege of occupied territory by a 900,000 occupation force; issuance of 4.2 million fake domicile certificate to bring about demographic change; mass blinding through the use of pellet guns and thousands of extrajudicial killings.

He added that there were also massive arbitrary detentions; demolitions of homes and properties; extensive torture; use of rape as a weapon of war; enforced disappearances and discovery of mass graves; crackdown on human rights defenders, journalists and the media; and internet and telecommunication blockades.

Aside from the two reports of 2018 and 2019 of the Office of United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), human rights organizations and international media continue to report on these violations, Ambassador Aamir Khan underlined.

Meanwhile, UN Special Procedures Mandate Holders had declared that the human rights situation in Kashmir was in “free fall”.

“This is the behaviour of the so-called largest democracy of the world,” the Pakistani envoy said, adding that it has embarked upon imposing Hindutva ideology on minorities and continues to reject any access to independent media, human rights organizations or to the OHCHR.

KABUL, 16 October 2021, (TON): The Taliban government in Afghanistan has directed local officials to avoid carrying out punishments in public unless the country's top court issues the order for public execution.

In a tweet, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Council of Ministers has decided that no punishment will be carried out publicly when there is no need to publicise the convict and till the court issues an order for a public punishment.

He said while giving details of the cabinet meeting "public executions and hanging of bodies should be avoided unless the supreme court issues an order for such an action.”

The Council of Ministers is the name given to the cabinet in the Islamic Emirate.

The Taliban spokesman said "if the offender is punished, the punishment must be explained so that the people know about the crime.”

Last month, the Taliban had hung the bodies of four alleged kidnappers in the western city of Herat. The incident had been widely criticised and condemned on social media and by rights bodies.

KABUL, 16 October 2021, (TON): Suicide bombers attacked a Shia mosque in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar during Friday prayers, witnesses said, killing at least 41 people and injuring scores more.

The assault came just a week after a suicide attack on Shia worshippers at a mosque in the northern city of Kunduz, which was claimed by the Islamic State group.

There has not yet been any claim of responsibility for the attack in Kandahar, the spiritual heartland of the Taliban.

A local Taliban official told media “our initial information shows it was a suicide bomber who blew himself up inside the mosque. We have launched an investigation to find out more.”

Hafiz Abdulhai Abbas, director of health for Kandahar, said “information from the hospitals shows 41 killed about 70 wounded in today's mosque attack.”

At least 15 ambulances were seen rushing to and from the scene, as Taliban security threw a cordon around the area.

ROME, 15 October 2021, (TON): The captain of an Italian-flagged ship has been sentenced to a year in prison for forcing more than 100 migrants back to Libya.

The verdict came at the end of a nearly year-long trial in the first case of its kind in Italy, with legal experts considering it a landmark in Italian legislation.

Seamen, representatives from the coast guard and NGOs, diplomats, and Italian parliamentarians were called to testify in front of judges.

“It confirms that Libya cannot be recognized as a safe landing place for migrants,” wrote Nello Scavo, a journalist from the Avvenire Catholic daily newspaper who broke the story with exclusive footage in 2018.

“From now on, any civilian ship involved in push backs to that country may face trial and conviction in Italy.”

The captain of the Asso 28 supply ship and a representative of Augusta Offshore, the company that owns the ship, were found guilty of violating international laws forbidding the forced return of people to countries where they are at risk.

Naples prosecutors Barbara Aprea and Giuseppe Tittaferrante said that on July 30, 2018, the Italian ship rescued 101 migrants near an oil and gas rig in international waters between Italy and Libya, before taking them to a Tripoli port and handing them to the Libyan coast guard.

They were rescued from an unseaworthy dinghy near the Sabratha platform, which is operated by Mellitah Oil & Gas, a consortium of Libya’s National Oil Corporation and Italy’s ENI.

Five children and five pregnant women were among those saved. Prosecutors said that no call was made to Italy’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre, despite the rescue occurring within Italian jurisdiction.