NAYPYITAW, 28 September 2021, (TON): According to members of the resistance group “the Zomi Revolutionary Army (ZRA), an armed group based on the Myanmar-India border, attacked a camp set up by anti-regime forces in Chin State’s Tedim Township last week.”

No casualties were reported in the attack, which took place on September 21.

A member of the group, said “one of our members was captured on his way back to his home village and tortured until he revealed the location of our camp. When we learned about this, we fled the area.”  

The camp had been set up by ethnic Hualngo youths as preparation for the formation of an anti-junta defence force. Around 20 people were undergoing training there.

The Hualngo youth told media “in addition to the defence group member, who was kidnapped on September 14, four other youths from his home village were also assaulted.”

He said “three of them were beaten up and then released, but the other two were blindfolded and taken into the forest. They were so badly beaten that they were covered in blood and couldn’t walk after they were released.”

He added “two of the youths also had slash marks on their faces that required medical treatment at a hospital on the Indian side of the border.”

NAYPYITAW, 28 September 2021, (TON): The junta cut off access to phone and internet connections on Sunday in three townships in conflict-hit Sagaing Region after it suffered heavy losses in fighting against the People’s Defence Force (PDF) and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).

Services for all four of Myanmar’s telecoms providers went down early morning in Pinlebu, Wuntho and Kawlin, which are all part of Kawlin district.

A Kawlin local who is now in Yangon Region, said “I had contact with a friend until 6am this morning but I can’t reach him anymore.”

A local of Pinlebu said “I still had contact with everyone last night but couldn’t call them anymore this morning. I still have the internet because I moved to another region. Wifi is also unavailable in the townships.”

Twenty-two other townships across Sagaing and neighbouring Chin and Kachin states have been hit with internet blackouts since August.

Kawlin, Wuntho and Pinlebu sit next to Katha, which borders Kachin. Local chapters of the People’s Defence Force (PDF) working with the KIA killed 40 junta soldiers in the Katha town of Moedar on September 20.

DHAKA, 28 September 2021, (TON): At least 35 Rohingyas were detained while they were attempting to flee Bhasan Char in Hatiya upazila of Noakhali.

All the refugees were from cluster no 50 in Bhasan Char, said “Md Shahidul Islam, superintendent of Noakhali police.”

The SP said “members of Bangladesh Coast Guard and Armed Police Battalion (APBn) detained them from a jungle, five kilometres east-south of Bhasan Char.”

The police official said “the 35 Rohingyas fled from their Bhasan Char camp early hours of today and concealed themselves in the jungle.”

The SP “they were handed over to the Camp-in-Charge (CIC) office in Bhasan Char around 3:30pm.”

RIYADH, 27 September 2021, (TON): Special security forces of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Greece and Egypt completed joint drills in the Greek capital, Athens.

Taking part what was hailed as further cooperation between allied states were the Royal Saudi Land Forces paratroopers, Emirati Special Forces, the Egyptian Army’s El-Saa’ka (Thunderbolt) Forces and Paratroopers and the Greek Joint Special Operations Forces.

The drills are part of a program to enhance military cooperation between friendly countries, to exchange training and experience and to increase the level of combat readiness to confront challenges in the region.

The training plan was conducted by the Royal Saudi Land Forces to maintain a high level of performance, training and combat efficiency as part of the annual training programs that are implemented with friendly countries.

ISLAMABAD, 27 September 2021, (TON): Pakistan will pursue individual trade deals with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said, as talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council remain stalled.

The GCC, which includes those three countries plus Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, started free trade talks with Pakistan in 2004. It has not implemented a free trade deal since 2015.

Dawood told media that the South Asian nation hoped bilateral negotiations for preferential trade deals with the three Gulf Arab states would start in the next 6-12 months.

He said in Dubai "we feel it is far better to do individual (deals) at the moment rather than with the GCC as a bloc.”

A preferential trade deal typically gives certain products preferential access such as by reducing or removing tariffs.

Dawood said “the negotiations would cover a limited number goods and would not be as comprehensive as a free trade agreement, though over time the deals, if secured, could be expanded.”

He did not say which goods Pakistan would seek to include.

The UAE announced this month it would seek broad economic agreements covering trade and investments with eight countries, including India, Britain and Turkey but not Pakistan.

KHARTOUM, 27 September 2021, (TON): Sudan says it has repelled an attempted "incursion" by Ethiopian troops into its territory.

The head of the Sudanese military, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said “this showed how the army was protecting the country after last week's coup attempt.”

In its statement, Sudan said the incident happened in the district of Umm Barakit.

Ethiopia's military has not responded to the BBC's request for comment.

But media sources quotes Ethiopian government sources as saying "we deny the movement of our forces on the Sudanese border or their incursion into any area."

Umm Barakit sits within the disputed al-Fashaga border region, where there has been increased tension.

For decades, Ethiopians there have been farming on fertile land claimed by Sudan.

RIYADH, 27 September 2021, (TON): Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met Colombia’s Vice President and Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The meeting discussed relations between the two countries and the means to strengthen them to serve common interests. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues of common interest.

The meeting was attended by the Saudi ambassador to the US, Princess Reema bint Bandar; the undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for multilateral international affairs, Abdulrahman Al-Rassi; and the director general of the Saudi foreign minister’s office, Abdulrahman Al-Daoud.

In a separate meeting, Prince Faisal met Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani. They reviewed relations between the two countries and considered how to best promote them.

ROME, 27 September 2021, (TON): Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Luigi Di Maio has said “the Taliban government in Afghanistan could not be recognised but said Afghans should start receiving the financial support that was frozen after the armed group took power last month.”

He urged foreign governments to prevent a financial collapse there that would result in a massive flow of migrants.

Di Maio told state-owned television “recognition of the Taliban government is impossible since there are 17 terrorists among the ministers, and the human rights of women and girls are continuously violated.”

Di Maio, who chaired a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in New York last week, said “clearly, we must prevent Afghanistan from implosion and from an uncontrolled flow of migration that could destabilise neighbouring countries.”

“There are ways to guarantee financial support without giving money to the Taliban. We have also agreed that a part of humanitarian aid must always go to the protection of women and girls.”

Italy holds the annual, rotating presidency of the G20 and is looking to host a special summit on Afghanistan.

Di Maio added “the G20 countries, together with Afghanistan’s neighbours, are committed to fight against terrorism, and to work for the protection of human rights.”

NEW DELHI, 27 September 2021, (TON): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used his speech at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday to highlight his concerns about Pakistan and China, although he did not name either.

He said “we need to ensure that no country tries to take advantage of the delicate situation in Afghanistan and use it for its own selfish interests. Without naming the country he was worried about. But both Indian and US media reported his statement as an apparent reference to Pakistan.”

Hundreds of Kashmiris and Sikhs protested outside the UN headquarters in New York as Mr Modi spoke inside the building.

Mr Modi, who was in Washington for meetings with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, travelled to New York to address the UNGA, instead of doing it electronically like some other world leaders.

Hundreds of Kashmiris and Sikhs protest outside UN headquarters in New York as Indian PM speaks inside building.

The Indian leader then underlined the need to protect oceans from “the race for expansion and exclusion” and again he did not say which country was expanding its influence over the oceans.

ISLAMABAD, 27 September 2021, (TON): Prime Minister Imran Khan while lauding efforts of the ministry of Maritime Affairs, termed inclusion of Karachi Comprehensive Coastal Development Zone in China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a ‘game changer’.

He expressed the hope that it would help in cleaning up marine habitat for fishermen, develop low income housing units and creating investment opportunities.

He posted on his twitter handle “Inclusion of Karachi Comprehensive Coastal Development Zone in CPEC is game changer. Will cleanup our marine habitat for fishermen, develop 20k low income housing units & present opportunities for investors. Will put Khi (Karachi) at par with developed port cities.”

China and Pakistan developed a consensus on making the multi-billion Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ) project part of the CPEC framework. According to a press release shared by Ali Zaidi the consensus was reached during the 10th Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) of CPEC on Sep 23.