ANKARA, 13 October 2021, (TON): Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan launched on Tuesday an initiative to form a working group on Afghanistan under the auspices of the Group of Twenty (G20) and lead it.

The Turkish leader announced about it at the emergency summit of the G20, which is being held in the format of a videoconference. His speech was broadcast by TRT TV channel.

He stressed “I propose to create a working group on Afghan-istan within the G20. Ankara is ready to lead the work of this group.”

DHAKA, 13 October 2021, (TON): The navies of Quad countries , the US, India, Japan, and Australia began the second phase of a maritime exercise in the Bay of Bengal today as the chief of American naval operations arrived in New Delhi on a five-day visit.

After the first phase of the maritime exercise in the Philippines Sea in August, the current phase of the drill, named "Malabar", would build upon the synergy, coordination, and inter-operability developed during the earlier phase and focus on advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, and weapon firings among other things.

The Malabar exercises, which began as an annual bilateral naval exercise between India and the US in 1992, has seen an increase in scope and complexity over the years, reflective of Quad's commitment to supporting a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific as well as a rules-based international order, a clear reference to China's aggressive military build-up in the Indo-Pacific region.

KABUL, 13 October 2021, (TON): Afghanistan's foreign minister appealed to the world for good relations on Monday but avoided making firm commitments on girls' education despite international demands to allow all Afghan children to go back to school.

Almost two months after the former Western-backed government collapsed and insurgent forces swept into Kabul, the new Taliban administration has pushed to build relations with other countries to help stave off a catastrophic economic crisis.

"The international community need to start cooperating with us" acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said at an event organised by the Centre for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies.

"With this, we will be able to stop insecurity and at the same time with this, we will be able to engage positively with the world."

But the Taliban have so far refused to give ground on allowing girls to return to high school, one of the key demands of the international community after a decision last month that schools above the sixth grade would only reopen for boys.

DHAKA, 13 October 2021, (TON): Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami says India and Bangladesh can prosper together. But "incomplete narratives" and "urban myths" are making it harder for New Delhi and Dhaka to do that. This is the fourth part of his interview series with Adam Pitman, exclusive to local media.

Journalists and commentators often present the India-Bangladesh relationship as a list of complaints.

Academics and analysts cite this reporting as evidence New Delhi and Dhaka are at odds. Government representatives throw a wet blanket on it when things get heated. 

One way to look at it is that this is business-as-usual for India and Bangladesh. Another perspective is that bureaucrats need to communicate their decisions better.

The high commissioner, for his part, suggests observers should look out for solutions, rather than grievances, which he feels often reflect only one side of the story.

That suggests the relationship's critics may need to do more homework if they want their voice to count.   

ISLAMABAD, 13 October 2021, (TON): US Consul General in Peshawar Richard H Riley called on Governor Shah Farman here and discussed matters related to mutual interest and cooperation with him.

The current political and security situation in Afghanistan also came under discussion, according to an official statement. The governor said a peaceful and stable Afghanistan was not only in the interest of Pakistan and the US but for the entire world as well.

He added that the world should learn from the mistakes made in Afghanistan and extend full support to the Afghan people.

Mr Farman said in the wake of the situation created in 1990 in Afghanistan, one million Afghans embraced martyrdom but instead of helping the Afghan people, the world left them alone.

He said “the Afghan people have the right to take their own decisions and decide the system of their choice in the country.”

The governor said engaging India in Afghanistan was a big mistake of the US as the Afghans didn’t like India.

He said Pakistan wanted good people-to-people contacts with the US.

ISLAMABAD, 13 October 2021, (TON): The military’s media wing said that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Gujranwala to witness the commissioning of a state of the art Chinese origin VT-4 Tank into Strike Formation.

Gen Qamar was cited by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) as saying “VT-4 Tank is another symbol of Pakistan-China strategic cooperation and defence collaboration, and its induction will boost strike capabilities of our formations.”

He also witnessed the demonstration of the VT-4 Tank which is a “robust warfighting machine”.

The army chief also said, “the fast-changing dynamics of warfare demand the highest degree of professionalism and rigorous training with due focus on harnessing sophisticated technologies.”

The ISPR added the ISPR added that Based on its advanced armour protection, high manoeuvrability and exceptional firepower, VT-4 can be compared with any modern main battle tank of the world.

Equipped with an auto transmission system and deep water fording operation capability, it is considered “as a potent weapon of strike formations”.

NAYPYITAW, 13 October 2021, (TON): According to a spokesperson from the resistance group “four members of the local People’s Defence Force (PDF) were killed in a military raid on a village in Htigyaing Township, Sagaing Region.”

Around 100 junta troops ambushed Laythar village, around 10 miles north of Htigyaing town, at around 4:30am, and fighting with the Htigyaing PDF soon followed.

The PDF members who were killed were Tin Nyunt, Phyo Min Htet, Lwin Moe and Aung Ko Win.

The group’s spokesperson speculated that the military might have learned of the group’s location while interrogating a detained civilian familiar with the PDF’s movements.

The Htigyaing PDF spokesperson said “they were all trapped and surrounded.”

Several young men were also arrested during the raid, and the military reportedly confiscated multiple weapons. 

The junta’s troops were still occupying Laythar at the time of reporting, the PDF spokesperson said.

One day prior to the clash, much of Laythar’s population fled due to intensifying raids by the Myanmar army’s notorious LID 33 on villages in the northern part of the township. This included the village of Aletaw on Saturday, one of two locations where the PDF had burned down a police outpost in early October; the other outpost was in the village of Kanni.

WASHINGTON, 13 October 2021, (TON): Spokesperson Ned Price said in a statement “the US State Department appointed veteran diplomat A Elizabeth Jones as a new coordinator for efforts to relocate Afghans who have fled or want to flee their country.”

Another long-serving diplomat, John Bass, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, was sent to Kabul in August to be the point person for relocations amid the chaotic withdrawal of diplomatic staff and at-risk Afghans as the city fell to the Taliban.

Price said “Jones, a former assistant secretary of state and former deputy special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, will oversee the relocation process all the way from facilitating departures from Afghanistan to resettlement in the United States.”

He added "as she takes over these new duties, Ambassador Jones will focus on the very complex issues related to our efforts to facilitate the relocation and resettlement in the United States of Afghan individuals to whom we have a commitment.”

KYIV, 13 October 2021, (TON): Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, Charles Michel, President of the European Council and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, met in Kyiv for the 23rd Ukraine-EU Summit and issued the following statement.

We gathered today to reaffirm our continued commitment to strengthening the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the European Union, on the basis of the Association Agreement and its Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area.

We share common values of democracy, rule of law, respect for international law and human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as well as gender equality. The EU reiterated its unwavering support and commitment to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

We reaffirmed our strong commitment to further strengthening the political association and economic integration of Ukraine with the European Union, including through continued close cooperation to strengthen the rule of law, advance reforms, foster sustainable economic growth, support the green and digital transitions and increase resilience.

We acknowledged the European aspirations of Ukraine and welcomed its European choice, as stated in the Association Agreement and in the context of its entry into force in September 2017, after the December 2016 decision by the EU Heads of State or Government.

KUWAIT CITY, 13 October 2021, (TON): The army said Kuwaiti women will be allowed to enlist in the military in combat roles for the first time after years of having been restricted to civilian roles.”

Defence Minister Hamad Jaber al-Ali al-Sabah said that the door had been opened for women to join various combat ranks, including as officers, the Kuwait Armed Forces tweeted.

"The time has come for Kuwaiti women to be given the opportunity to enter the Kuwaiti military side by side with their brothers," the minister said in remarks carried by state news agency KUNA.

He expressed confidence in women's "capabilities... and their ability to endure hardship".