MOSCOW, 12 October 2021, (TON): Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson Zhao Lijian has said that the Chinese side has received an invitation from Russia to attend international talks on Afghanistan to be held in Moscow on October 20.

He said during his regular briefing held in Beijing “the Chinese side has received Russia’s invitation. We stand ready to maintain communication and coordination with relevant sides including Russia.”

He said that Beijing supported all international efforts that are conducive to promoting peace and stability and gathering consensus in Afghanistan.

President Vladimir Putin’s special representative on Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov had said that Russia would invite representatives of the Taliban to international talks on Afghanistan that it planned to host in Moscow on October 20.

The representative did not provide further details on the planned talks in comments carried by Russian news agencies.

Israel can't lose sight of need to establish Palestinian state: Angela Merkel

BERLIN, 12 October 2021, (TON): German Chancellor Angela Merkel implored Israel not to “lose sight” of the need to establish a Palestinian state, as she wrapped up a two-day farewell visit.

Merkel’s support for a two-state solution has been one of the key disagreements with Israel’s leadership during her 16 years in office, which were characterised by unwavering support for Israel.

Speaking at an Israeli think tank, Merkel welcomed the historic diplomatic agreements reached last year between Israel and four Arab countries, led by the United Arab Emirates. But she said the deals, known as the Abraham Accords, did not erase the need for Israel to reach a peace agreement with the Palestinians.

She said “we must not lose sight of the right of the Palestinians to have a chance to live.”

“Therefore one should under no circumstances, even as it becomes more and more difficult because of the settlements, lose sight of the issue of a two-state solution,” Merkel told a panel at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv.

Backers of the Abraham Accords, which were brokered by the Trump Administration, have praised them as breaking the long-standing belief that Israel could not forge ties with the Arab world before reaching an agreement with the Palestinians.

KABUL, 12 October 2021, (TON): The Taliban will hold face-to-face talks with European Union officials, the acting foreign minister said, in a diplomatic push by the hardline group for international support.

The Taliban are seeking recognition, as well as assistance to avoid a humanitarian disaster, after they returned to power in August following the withdrawal of US troops after 20 years of war.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged the world to donate more money to Afghanistan to head off its economic collapse, and he slammed the Taliban's "broken" promises to Afghan women and girls.

The Taliban's Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the meeting with the EU would take place on Tuesday, days after he led the Taliban's first in-person talks with United States officials since the American pullout.

The Taliban badly need allies as Afghanistan's economy is in a parlous state with international aid cut off, food prices rising and unemployment spiking.

The regime, still yet to be recognised as a legitimate government by any other country, is also facing a threat from the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), who have launched a series of deadly attacks.

SRINAGAR, 12 October 2021, (TON): An Indian army spokesman says “suspected rebels have shot dead five soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir in the deadliest incident since February.”

Colonel Devender Anand said “one JCO (junior commissioned officer) and four soldiers were killed during a search operation probably by infiltrators, the operation is ongoing.”

The shootings occurred in a mountain pass near the Line of Control (LoC) dividing the disputed Himalayan territory between India and Pakistan.

The shootings were the deadliest attack on military forces in the area since a ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the de facto border was announced in February.

The Kashmir region in its entirety is claimed by both India and Pakistan, who have administered parts of it since their independence in 1947.

For more than three decades, rebel groups have been fighting the Indian soldiers, demanding either independence for Kashmir or its merger with Muslim-majority Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD, 12 October 2021, (TON): Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque visited the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) Office here on Monday and lauded the active role played by the national flag carrier in promoting people-to-people exchanges, bilateral trade, and tourism between Pakistan and China.

He remarked during his visit “PIA is very much active in promoting people-to-people exchanges, trade, and tourism between our two countries.”

The ambassador said that PIA was one of the largest and very important airlines of Pakistan and its relationship with China was very historic. PIA was the first non-communist airline which started commercial operations in China in the 1960s.

While appreciating the PIA management for playing a very critical and important role, he discussed the ways and means to further strengthen PIA’s relationship with China and to further improve its outreach into different regions of China.

He expressed the confidence that under the leadership of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Arshad Malik, the PIA would regain its glory, contribute to the nation-building process, enhance exports of Pakistan and develop the tourism sector in Pakistan.

NEW DELHI, 12 October 2021, (TON): India's largest port operator Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone said on Monday that its terminals would no longer handle export and import of container cargoes from Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan from November 15.

In a statement said “this trade advisory will apply to all terminals operated by (Adani Ports) and including third party terminals at any (company) port till further notice,” Adani Ports, which is part of the Adani Group conglomerate.”

The company did not give a reason for its action.

“The port has issued it to the concerned stakeholders,” an Adani Group spokesperson said without giving any other details.

The decision comes weeks after Indian officials seized nearly three tonnes of heroin originating from Afghanistan worth an estimated $2.65 billion from two containers at western Gujarat's Mundra Port, run by Adani Ports.

On the seizure, Adani Ports had said that port operators are not allowed to examine containers and the company has “no policing authority over the containers or the millions of tonnes of cargo” that passes through the terminals at its ports.

NAYPYITAW, 12 October 2021, (TON): Resistance forces in upper Myanmar say they used landmines to inflict heavy casualties against junta soldiers in recent days.

The attacks against columns of soldiers in Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway regions caused scores of injuries, local armed groups said, though they were unsure of the exact number of deaths.

A chapter of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) in Mandalay Region’s ​​Thabeikkyin Township attacked a military convoy last Wednesday night at Three Mile village, just outside of the town of Takaung and near the border with Sagaing.

Thabeikkyin locals said the attack injured at least 30 junta soldiers. The convoy was apparently heading towards Htigyaing Township in Sagaing from Thabeikkyin, one of the locals said.

The local said “three Mile village is right next to the town of Takaung. We heard the sound of the explosion and a military vehicle was caught in the fire.”

NAYPYITAW, 12 October 2021, (TON): Locals said that Junta forces have arrested three 15-year-olds in Sagaing Region after being unable to find the people they wanted to arrest during raids targeting National League for Democracy (NLD) members.

The children were among 13 civilians detained in the town of Htigyaing, just days after two abandoned police outposts in the area were burned down by fighters from the People’s Defence Force (PDF).

A source close to the NLD said “two of the teenagers were arrested in the town’s 4th ward while playing video games after junta forces raided the house of an NLD supporter who goes by the name of Phoe Thae and were unable to find him.”

He said “on the same day, the wife and 15-year-old daughter of Hpone Kyaw, another NLD supporter in 1st ward, were taken into custody when he could not be found during a raid on his house, the source added. Of those arrested on both days, five were female and eight were male.

The detainees were taken to the Htigyaing Township police station for interrogation, according to locals, who did not know the names of the children who were detained.

A Htigyaing resident said “they searched the whole town.”

“They especially targeted the NLD members and accused them of having connections to the PDF.”

On Wednesday, soldiers raided the house of an ousted NLD lawmaker named Maung Maung in Kanni village, which lies within the township of Htigyaing. They also raided the house of his mother and the house and grocery store of his sister in the village of Tonelone.

DHAKA, 12 October 2021, (TON): Chief of Army Staff Gen SM Shafiuddin Ahmed inaugurated the Army Aviation Forward Base in a programme held at Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport.

According to a statement of the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) “two modern Bell 407GXi helicopters were also inducted into the aviation base fleet during the event.”

Gen Shafiuddin was the chief guest of the programme attended by top army, navy, and air force officials.

Gen Shafiuddin said "Army Aviation Group is a specialized institution of Bangladesh Army which aims to provide enhanced support to the armed forces operations.”

He also said "two aviation bases are being set up in Lalmonirhat and Chattogram upon the government's approval to provide services to the armed forces in remote areas of the country.”

"On March 3 this year, the newly constructed hangar complex of Army Aviation School was inaugurated at Lalmonirhat Cantonment," the army chief said adding that the two US-made advanced helicopters added to the fleet will help in the training of new pilots as well as contribute to prompt delivery of an array of services including medical assistance and emergency supplies.

DHAKA, 12 October 2021, (TON): The prime minister inaugurated the reactor pressure vessel installation work of RNPP.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought constant support from Russia for building another nuclear power plant in Bangladesh’s southern region.

She said during a meeting with Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation Director General (DG) Alexey Likhachev at Ganabhaban in Dhaka “Once the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) is completed, we’ll go for setting up another in the southern region of the country. We need constant Russian support in this regard.”

Briefing the reporters after the meeting, the prime minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim said “Likhachev also expressed his country’s willingness to continue support to Bangladesh’s power sector.”

Rooppur power plant in Pabna, which consists of two units with a capacity of 1,200MW each, is the first nuclear one in Bangladesh. The project is being implemented by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and built with Russia’s technical and financial support.