GAZA, 07 October 2021, (TON): Thousands of Gazans apply for work permits for Israel, which has been reopening its gates to laborers from the Palestinian enclave following the latest military conflict in May.

In Jabalia, a refugee camp in northern Gaza, a crowd of men holding their identity papers lined up hoping to obtain a permit to work in Israel.

“There is no work in the Gaza Strip,” says Fathi Abu Nur, a 40-year-old unemployed man.

He said “Yesterday I heard that workers are registering to get permits (for Israel).”

“I hope things will get better because the current situation is really difficult,” the father of five says.

The total number of permits being granted by Israel to Palestinian laborers in Gaza is 7,000, an Israeli security official tells AFP, up from 5,000 workers and traders allowed in August.

In May, Israel and Hamas reached a truce following 11 days of the deadliest fighting in years.

WASHINGTON, 07 October 2021, (TON): US President Joe Biden said that he has spoken to Chinese President Xi Jinping about Taiwan and they agreed to abide by the Taiwan agreement, as tensions have ratcheted up between Taipei and Beijing.

"I've spoken with Xi about Taiwan. We agree,  we'll abide by the Taiwan agreement," he said. "We made it clear that I don't think he should be doing anything other than abiding by the agreement."

Biden appeared to be referring to Washington's long-standing "one-China policy" under which it officially recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei, and the Taiwan Relations Act, which makes clear that the U.S. decision to establish diplomatic ties with Beijing instead of Taiwan rests upon the expectation that the future of Taiwan will be determined by peaceful means.

The comments to reporters at the White House -- made after Biden's return from a trip to Michigan touting a spending package - come amid escalations in the Taiwan-China relationship.

Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing December 4, 2013. REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool/File Photo

China claims Taiwan as its own territory, which should be taken by force if necessary. Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedoms and democracy, blaming China for the tensions.

SANAA, 07 October 2021, (TON): Local officials said Thousands of Yemenis in Marib’s Al-Abedia district are at risk of dying from starvation due to an ongoing siege by the Houthis.

The siege has forced government troops and local tribesmen to surrender, with the Iran-backed militia banning residents from leaving and entering the district as well as blocking lifesaving humanitarian assistance from reaching people.

The militia has, at the same time, intensified shelling of residential areas and government fortifications with missiles, mortar rounds, and heavy machine guns.

Local aid “organizations and officials said that more than 30,000 people, most of them women and children, were facing mass famine as food was running out in grocery stores. There were also shortages of fuel and medicine”

Khaled Al-Shajani, deputy head of the Marib office of the Executive Unit for IDP Camps, told media “Al-Abedia is coming under (Houthi) siege, shelling and assaults on the ground.”

He said that local organizations had failed to dispatch humanitarian assistance as the Houthis had tightened their grip on the district’s entrances.

ISLAMABAD, 07 October 2021, (TON): Lieutenant General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum has been appointed as the new director-general of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the military's media affairs wing announced.

Meanwhile, Lt Gen Faiz Hameed, formerly the ISI director general, has been posted as the Peshawar corps commander.

In a statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) announced other postings as well, saying Lt Gen Mohammad Saeed has been posted as the Karachi corps commander, Lt Gen Nauman Mehmood has been appointed the president of the National Defence University, and Maj Gen Asim Malik has been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general as well as appointed the army's adjutant general.

Earlier, the ISPR announced that Lt Gen Mohammad Amir has been posted as Gujranwala corps commander, while Lt Gen Asim Munir has been appointed as the quarter master general.

The appointment of the ISI director general is the prerogative of the prime minister. The spymaster's choice is, however, made by the prime minister in consultation with the army chief.

Lt Gen Anjum was previously the commander of Karachi Corps. He was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general in September 2019.

ISLAMABAD, 07 October 2021, (TON): Federal Planning Minister Asad Umar addressed concerns over loans Islamabad has received from Beijing under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project, saying Pakistan does not have a "Chinese debt problem" as claimed by a western think-tank in its report.

In a press conference flanked by CPEC Authority head Khalid Mansoor, the planning minister said the report raised questions on transparency, debt sustainability, and 'secret loans' to Pakistan under CPEC.

According to Umar, the report also claimed that Pakistan borrowed money from China on commercial rates.

Speaking about the workings of the project, Umar said CPEC is a transparent project under parliamentary oversight.

The Senate Committee on Planning, NA body, and joint parliamentary body get reports about the project on a regular basis, Umar said, adding that Pakistan also shared information on CPEC loans with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

DHAKA, 07 October 2021, (TON): The Central European country is also interested in collaborating with Bangladesh to build an attractive tourism sector.

The Swiss government wants to operate regular flights to and from Bangladesh to promote trade between the two countries, marking 50 years of bilateral relations.

Swiss Ambassador to Bangladesh Nathalie Chuard made the proposal to State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali at a meeting at the Secretariat.

First encounter with the State Minister of Civil Aviation & Tourism, Md. Mahbub Ali. As our bilateral ties ????are strengthening, transport & #tourism are certainly areas to explore. Personally, I will continue to travel & discover this beautiful country.

The envoy also expressed her government's interest in collaborating with Bangladesh to build an attractive tourism sector.

Vietnam's Ambassador to Bangladesh Pham Viet Chien also expressed his country’s desire to establish air connectivity with Bangladesh and promote tourism.

NAYPYITAW, 07 October 2021, (TON): According to activist group Justice For Myanmar (JFM) “eighteen Myanmar navy personnel were denied entry to Ukraine last week and flew to Malaysia to apply for visas from the country’s embassy in Kuala Lumpur (KL).”

The personnel were part of a 20-person delegation travelling to Ukraine in connection to a Myanmar navy frigate construction project involving two Ukrainian state-owned arms companies: Ukroboronservice and Zorya-Mashproyekt, JFM reported.

According to photos provided to Myanmar Now by JFM, the military personnel were seen gathering with their luggage in what was believed to be the Kyiv airport, with some lying on the ground.

The JFM source said “[They] could not pass through immigration and were deported after sleeping in the [Kyiv] airport for about two days. They left on a flight to KL via Doha and have also been stuck in the KL airport, unable to pass through immigration. Right now they are trying to get visas from the Ukrainian embassy in KL in order to return to Ukraine.”

A total of 22 people from the Myanmar delegation checked in to the Sama Sama transit hotel in the Kuala Lumpur airport on October 3 and are checking out on October 8, according to hotel staff.

NAYPYITAW, 07 October 2021, (TON): According to activist group Justice For Myanmar (JFM) “an arms manufacturer majority-owned by India’s government continues to supply Myanmar’s coup regime with weapons through a broker with businesses in Myanmar and Singapore.”

In a report released on Tuesday, JFM said Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) sent a remote-controlled weapon station (RCWS) to the Myanmar junta in July via Mega Hill General Trading, a private military contractor based in Myanmar.

The report said “the shipment, valued at more than US$600,000, included five items: an operational system, a gun mount system, an optical system, a system controller and a drive system.”

JFM said “BEL launched its RCWS for 12.7mm machine guns on India’s Arjun Mk II battle tank in 2017. The station system can also be mounted on high-speed boats.”

The activist group said the BEL shipment points to the urgent need for a global arms embargo to cut off the junta’s access to foreign-made weapons that can be used against civilians opposed to military rule.

JFM said “the international community must impose targeted sanctions against Mega Hill General Trading, its network, and all other Myanmar military arms brokers.”

DHAKA, 07 October 2021, (TON): UNHCR and Bangladesh are set to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) next Saturday on UN involvement in operations of humanitarian activities for Rohingyas, who were relocated to Bhasan Char from Cox's Bazar.

Md Mohsin, Secretary of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, confirmed the development to media.

The deal will be signed between the UN Refugee Agency and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, said the secretary.

DHAKA, 07 October 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made a courtesy call on President Abdul Hamid at Bangabhaban this evening.

President's Deputy Press Secretary Munshi Jalal Uddin told media "the prime minster discussed different state-level issues and apprised the president of the outcome of her recent US visit where she took part in the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.”

At the time, the president congratulated the prime minister on receiving the "SDG Progress Award" in recognition of her leadership in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), declared by the UN.

He appreciated the overall role of the prime minister in the UN session and wished her on the occasion of her 75th birthday on September 28.

Earlier the premier reached the Bangabhaban at 6:30pm and left the president's palace at about 8 pm.