Criticizing European stance on refugees, Pope Francis on Sunday urged globally coordinated action to tackle the issue as he visited Greek island Lesbos on the second day of his visit to Greece.

The issue of irregular migration is a problem of the world, to which no one can close their eyes, he said in a speech at the Mavrovouni refugee camp on the island.
With the European Union hardening border controls, the pope said: “We are in the age of walls and barbed wire.”
He warned that problems are not resolved by "building walls higher, but by joining forces to care for others ... and in respect for the law, always giving primacy to the inalienable value of the life of every human being.”
Fleeing war or poverty, tens of thousands of people in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, and Libya have turned toward Europe in recent years, hoping for a better life or just safety.
The pope said awareness that global action is required to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change is missing when it comes to the issue of irregular migration.
- The future of us all is at stake, and that future will be peaceful only if it is integrated. Only if it is reconciled with the most vulnerable - he said.
Referring to the increasing number of refugees who lost their lives while trying to reach Europe, the pope said: “The Mediterranean, which for millennia united different peoples and distant countries, becomes a cold cemetery without inscriptions. This great basin, the cradle of so many civilizations, now seems like a mirror of death.”
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, who accompanied the pope, argued that the country has carried a disproportionate burden from irregular migration and refugee crises.
Addressing these issues transcends national boundaries and is a shared responsibility of Europe, she said.
Pope’s audience on the island also included European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas and Greek Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, members of the local Greek Catholic community, humanitarian workers, and dozens of residents of the refugee camp.
In Athens on Saturday, the pontiff expressed concern over democracy’s retreat globally due to growing populism and called for dedicated efforts to promote the common good.

Mediterranean becoming grim cemetery without tombstones, says pontiff

Pope Francis urges globally coordinated action to tackle refugee problem

Pakistan envisions a friendly and strong relationship with Bangladesh, and the recent exchange of dialogue between the two countries on trade and economic ties symbolizes a new and bright start, according to a military official.

Commanding Officer of 6th Frontier Force (FF) Regiment Lt. Col. Asif Ali made the remarks during a briefing to a group of journalists who were visiting Head Sulemanki, a border area adjacent to India, where they paid homage to late Maj. Shabbir Sharif Shaheed, who was killed in the 1971 war.
- Maj. Sharif was the company commander of the 6th FF. He was ordered to provide stiff resistance to advancing Indian columns and capture high ground at Sulemanki Headworks. He embraced martyrdom on Dec. 6, 1971, after fighting tirelessly for several days - said the officer.
Sharif was directly hit by a tank shell as he was fighting "on the front line against the Indian army." He was posted in the 6th FF in 1964. He posthumously received the Nishan-e-Haider award, one of the three most coveted awards of the army.
- Bangladesh is our brotherly country. We should move on from the bitter past. The two countries have historical relations, and it is very important in today’s world to maintain good relationships with all countries in the region - the officer said while answering a reporter’s question.
Along with the journalists, a group of war veterans that served with Shabbir during the war was also present and offered special prayers for his departed soul.
- Maj. Shabbir Sharif is the embodiment of courage. He fought like a lion that day. Even the Indian side’s officers were praising his bravery and courage - said retired Maj. Shehreyar Ameerzada.
Subedar Jaffar Khan, a senior non-commissioned officer, and Havildar Muhammad Aslam, a soldier, told stories of the 1971 war.
- We fought day and night and even crossed the border on the other side, still at this age I can fight for my country. My son is the fifth generation in the army. We can do anything for our country, and now we are even stronger and we can deal with any conspiracies against us - Khan said with tears in his eyes.

<h2>Pakistan-Bangladesh relations in need of a fresh start</h2>

Recently, the prime ministers of Pakistan and Bangladesh extended invitations to each other for official visits, and both have shown a deep interest in bilateral talks and the need for developing trade mechanisms.

The Pakistani Foreign Ministry earlier this year said it is mutually beneficial for the two countries to candidly revisit and let go of the past and look towards a shared prosperous future in the era of geo-economics and regional integration.
Ties have improved with Dhaka following its constitutional “friendship to all and malice to none” foreign policy with Islamabad in recent months.
Likewise, on the Pakistani side, there is not a hint of hostility towards Bangladesh. Talking on the future ties, Asif Ali said: "From literature to textbooks, there is no material denouncing Bengalis. The separation of East and West Pakistan is largely remembered as a painful tragedy warranting soul searching and self-accountability."
He further said no malicious campaign has ever been run in Pakistan to show spite against Bangladesh at any forum. Rather, it is considered a brotherly Muslim sovereign state.
Bangladesh got its independence in 1971, while it was a part of Pakistan before then and was named East Pakistan.

On anniversary of Maj. Shabir Sharif Shaheed’s killing, veterans recall tragic events of 1971 war

Pakistan envisions a friendly and strong relationship with Bangladesh

Pakistan envisions friendly relationship with Bangladesh

A former Armenian parliamentarian has said a new window of opportunity has opened in relations between Yerevan and Ankara, despite Turkey's support to Azerbaijan in the Karabakh War which ended in November 2020.

Styopa Safaryan, a member of center-right party Heritage, told Anadolu Agency that after the recent war between Azerbaijan and Armenia, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan was facing difficulties at home and was willing to take steps to revive bilateral relations with Turkey.
- Pashinyan is trying to show that there is a positive signal from Turkey so that a common agenda can be formed. He is making these statements understanding very well the sentiment on the ground [...], - he said.
He added that the most sensitive issue in the normalization agenda is the Zangezur corridor, which will provide the Turkey-Nakhchivan-Azerbaijan connection.
Safaryan stated that some circles in Armenia interpreted the opening of the corridor as a political strangling of Armenia.
He claimed that Turkey will gain a lot from the opening of these roads without using the expression "Zangezur Corridor."
- If this (corridor) expression is used, the Armenian-Turkish dialogue will be finished - Safaryan said.
The routes of the corridor and its mode of transportation have been a bone of contention between Armenia and Azerbaijan, former Soviet states, who have been at loggerheads since the 90s.
Their tensions culminated in the second Karabakh War in 2020 in which Azerbaijan liberated several cities and some 300 settlements and villages after nearly three decades of illegal Armenian occupation.

Armenians perceive use of term "Zangezur corridor" as policy of strangling Armenia, says Styopa Safaryan

Former Armenian parliamentarian says new window of opportunity awaits Turkey, Armenia

US forces continue providing military training to YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria, according to local sources.

Sources said US Special Forces dispatched 70 soldiers to Al-Hasakah through Iraq on Nov. 28 to provide armed training to YPG/PKK members east of the Euphrates River.
The US soldiers, who arrived in the town of Rmelan -- where the US airbase is located -- started armed training for hundreds of YPG/PKK terrorists on Dec. 1.
In the training, which will last for about a month, the use of light, medium and heavy weapons, raids and infiltration methods in the villages will be taught to the terrorists.
After the training, the sources, who asked not to be named, said that some of the terrorists will be sent to the Ash Shaddadi district in Al-Hasakah and the Omar Oil Field in Deir Ez-Zor, while the remaining terrorists would stay in Rmelan.
The US and France, members of the coalition against Daesh/ISIS, previously supported YPG/PKK terrorists with military training in areas of Al-Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor.
​​​​​​​The YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, a designated terror group in the US, EU, and Turkey. US support for the YPG-led SDF has significantly strained relations with Ankara.
In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

Hundreds of YPG/PKK receive month-long military training

After the training, the sources, who asked not to be named, said that some of the terrorists will be sent to the Ash Shaddadi district in Al-Hasakah and the Omar Oil Field in Deir Ez-Zor

US forces start new training for YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria

An angry mob Friday lynched a Sri Lankan national in Pakistan's northeastern city of Sialkot and burned his body over alleged blasphemy, officials said.

- A mob has killed the factory manager and burned his body, but we do not have information about the reason behind this incident -&nbsp;an official at the Sialkot district police station told Anadolu Agency over the phone.High officials, including the regional police chief, are on the spot and the situation is now under control, he added.
According to media reports quoting officials, workers of the factory on Wazirabad road, Sialkot, had accused the Sri Lankan national, Priyantha Kumara, of desecrating posters bearing the name of Prophet Muhammad.
Soon after the incident, several video clips also got viral on social media that showed the mob chanting slogans of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) while burning the body.
In April, this year, the Pakistan government had declared the TLP as a "proscribed" organization for its alleged involvement in violent protests across the country.
However, last month, the authorities lifted the ban following an agreement between the government and the far-right political party that brought an end to violent nationwide protests calling for the expulsion of the French ambassador over blasphemous caricatures.
The provincial chief minister of Punjab, Usman Buzdar, said he was "extremely shocked" at the incident.
- I am extremely shocked at the horrific Sialkot incident. I have instructed IG (inspector-general of) Police to thoroughly investigate it. No one is allowed to take law in their hands. Rest assured, individuals involved in this inhumane act will not be spared - Buzdar tweeted.
The country’s Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari also condemned the incident.
- Horrific &amp; condemnable act of the mob attack on factory &amp; murder of Sri Lankan manager in Sialkot. Mob violence cannot be acceptable under any circumstance as state has laws to deal with all offenses. Punjab govt's action must &amp; will be firm and unambiguous - Mazari tweeted.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International South Asia also expressed deep concern over the incident and called for an immediate and impartial investigation.
"Amnesty International is deeply alarmed by the disturbing lynching and killing of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot, allegedly due to a blasphemy accusation," it said on Twitter.

Amnesty International calls for immediate, impartial probe into incident in northeastern city of Sialkot

In April, this year, the Pakistan government had declared the TLP as a "proscribed" organization for its alleged involvement in violent protests across the country

Mob lynches Sri Lankan national, burns body over "blasphemy" in Pakistan

An online meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Joe Biden may take place “in the very next few days,” a Kremlin official said on Friday.

The date will be announced simultaneously with the US side in agreed time, Yury Ushakov, the presidential advisor on foreign policy issues, told reporters in Moscow.
- We have a specific date and time for this video conference. But it is better to wait for the final approval of all parameters with the American side, and then we will officially announce it - Ushakov said.
The two presidents plan to discuss the implementation of the decisions made at the Geneva summit in June this year, bilateral relations, situation in Afghanistan, Iran, Ukraine, Libya and Syria, the advisor added.
Ushakov said Russia wants guarantees from the West on NATO's non-expansion to its borders and that this topic will also be raised at the meeting.
In addition, issues related to strategic stability, and Russia’s proposal of summoning a summit of permanent members of the UN Security Council will be discussed, he said.
Ushakov did not rule out the possibility that the two presidents may also address the situation in the oil markets.
Asked if the meeting will take place before or after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India scheduled for Dec. 6, Ushakov said: "After."

Date to be announced in coordination with US side, says Russian presidential advisor

Putin-Biden online summit likely in ‘very next few days’: Kremlin

The Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) called to strengthen efforts to resolve conflicts that are holding the region back from development and integration.

The Jordanian and EU co-presidency of the UfM released a joint statement after the union’s sixth regional forum wrapped up in Barcelona on Monday evening.
The first point centered on the Israel-Palestine conflict, with the parties encouraging anything that “achieves comprehensive Middle East peace and to relaunch effective negotiations to solve the Palestinian Israeli conflict on the basis of the two-state solution.”
Both Palestine and Israel are members of the UfM.
While the statement applauded recent high-level contacts, it also underlined the importance of not undermining trust with moves like Israel’​​​​​​​s push to build illegal new settlements.
Finding a political solution to the Libyan crises was another of the union’s key concerns.
The statement stressed the importance of holding presidential and parliamentary elections in December and upholding the 2020 cease-fire agreement, which would result in the “complete withdrawal of all foreign forces, foreign fighters, and mercenaries from the Libyan territories.”
Syria, the only country to have been suspended from the 42-member UfM, was another pressing issue.
The forum emphasized the need to keep pushing for a political solution to the Syrian crisis, while also renewing its commitment to providing humanitarian aid to Syrians in need.
- The UfM can contribute to these goals in the Mediterranean region by creating, through dialogue and cooperation, a political environment that is conducive to the solution ... of the conflicts and the political tensions affecting members - read the statement.
Besides discussing the conflicts plaguing the Mediterranean, country representatives also met on the sidelines to review progress on regional integration.
- Notwithstanding the progress made, it is also true that, despite its massive potential, the region remains one of the most economically fragmented regions in the whole world - the statement added.
​​​​​​​Turkey is one of the founding members of the UfM, which is an offshoot of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Process that began in 1995.

Conflicts, crises depriving region of peace, stability, says statement after Union for the Mediterranean forum

Both Palestine and Israel are members of the UfM

Mediterranean states seek to bolster peace efforts in Palestine, Libya, Syria

At least 22 civilians were killed Sunday in a rebel attack in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Cooperative for the Development of the Congo (CODECO) carried out the attack on the Ivo displaced people's camp in Ituri state, local media reported.
Members of the armed group opened fire on the asylum seekers and many people fled the camp.
Last week, an attack on the same camp resulted in the killing of 29 civilians.
President Felix Tshisekedi declared a military siege in the states of North Kivu and Ituri on May 7 to ensure security due to escalating violence.
Civilian officials of the region were dismissed and replaced by military officials as part of the siege.
Armed groups have been trying to control gold, cobalt and other mines in the region for nearly 20 years through attacks and clashes in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, which borders Rwanda, Uganda and Burundi.

Rebels kill asylum seekers in Ivo camp in northeastern Ituri state

Members of the armed group opened fire on the asylum seekers and many people fled the camp

At least 22 killed in attack on displaced people’s camp in DRC

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus poses a "very high" risk globally, the World Health Organization warned Monday as a special session of the global health body began Monday.

- If another major surge of COVID-19 takes place driven by Omicron, consequences may be severe - the WHO in a technical note told its members ahead of the meeting set to address the need for an international pandemic treaty.
Increasing cases, regardless of a change in severity, may pose overwhelming demands on health care systems and may lead to increased morbidity and mortality.

WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said: "The emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous and precarious our situation is.”

- The Omicron variant demonstrates just why world needs new accord on pandemics, our current system - he said, explaining that "it is time to make choices to invest in healthier, safer, fairer future."He said the emergence of the Omicron variant “proves just why world needs new accord on pandemics, response system.”
WHO on Friday named the COVID-19 variant Omicron that was tracked down in South Africa.
- South Africa and Botswana should be thanked for detecting sequencing and reporting this variant not penalized - he said after European and North American countries immediately imposed travel bans on southern African nations.
- We don't yet know whether Omicron is associated with more transmission, more severe disease, more risk of infections, or more risk of evading vaccines. Scientists at WHO and around the world are working urgently to answer these questions.
-This pestilence, one that we can prevent, detect, and treat, continues to cast a long shadow over the world - said Tedros.
He said that it is not yet known whether Omicron is associated with more transmission, more severe disease, more risk of infections, or evading vaccines.
Scientists at WHO and around the world are working urgently to answer such questions, he said.
The emergence of the highly mutated Omicron variant underlines just how perilous, precarious our situation is, said the WHO head.
- Health workers must be vaccinated first - he said, also noting: "We don't need lockdowns, which are a last resort."
Depending on the characteristics of the new variant, WHO warned there could be future surges of COVID-19, which could have "severe consequences," depending on various factors, including where surges may take place.
- The overall global risk related to the new VOC (a variant of concern) Omicron is assessed as very high - said the WHO.

Consequences of COVID-19 surge driven by new strain may be severe, says global health body

Increasing cases, regardless of a change in severity, may pose overwhelming demands on health care systems and may lead to increased morbidity and mortality

Omicron variant poses "very high" risk, warns WHO

NATO foreign ministers are scheduled to meet this week to discuss a range of issues, including the Russian military build-up near the Ukrainian border.

The meeting, chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, will take place in Latvia's capital Riga on Nov. 30 - Dec. 1.
The meeting is expected to focus on Russia following the recent military build-up of Moscow near the Ukrainian border.
NATO officials openly state that the Russian military activities in Crimea, which was illegally annexed in 2014, and around the Ukrainian border raise serious questions.
At a press briefing held last week, Stoltenberg said: "Russia must show transparency, reduce tensions and de-escalate.”
Referring to the upcoming meeting, he said the ministers will also talk about the migration crisis on the border with Belarus, which he called “a cynical exploitation of vulnerable people to put pressure on our allies Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania.”
The NATO ministers will also examine the security situation in Afghanistan, Ukraine and Georgia, as well as NATO's role in promoting stability and security in the Western Balkans region amid rising tensions between Serbia and Kosovo and the separatist ambitions in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Serb entity, the Republic of Srpska.
NATO’s next Strategic Concept and the alliance’s contribution to international arms control will also be addressed.
Some sessions of the meeting will also be attended by foreign ministers of Sweden, Finland, Georgia and Ukraine, which are non-NATO states.
Turkey will be represented by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, who is expected to hold a number of bilateral meetings with his counterparts in the sidelines of the meeting.
Fighting between Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian separatists since 2014 in Donbas has seen more than 13,000 people killed -- a quarter of them civilians -- and as many as 30,000 wounded, according to the UN.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Top diplomats set to meet in Latvia on Nov. 30 - Dec.1 to talk about pressing security issues

The meeting, chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, will take place in Latvia's capital Riga on Nov. 30 - Dec. 1.

Russia to be main focus of NATO foreign ministers meeting

A prominent leader of Muslim Brotherhood has died in a prison in Egypt, according to a rights group and his family.

We Register said on Twitter on Friday that Hamdi Hasan died in the Al-Aqrab Prison.
His body was handed to his family and the burial took place amid heightened security, the rights group added.
Hasan was arrested on Aug. 19, 2013 and handed down a number of prison sentences.
His daughter-in-law, Jihad Mohammed, remembered him in a Facebook post saying he was denied visits from family.
The Egyptian authorities have yet to comment on his death, however, it usually denies the presence of political detainees in prisons.
According to the Egyptian authorities, Hasan was imprisoned for committing violence in Alexandria, northern Egypt, inciting killing, and for affiliating to a group that aims to impair the provisions of the Constitution. Hasan pleaded not guilty in court.
Hasan, 65, was elected a lawmaker between 2005 and 2010, when Muslim Brotherhood was in power.
Following the ouster of former Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, Egyptian authorities began persecuting Muslim Brotherhood members and leaders, and outlawed the group.

Hamdi Hasan was arrested in 2013, sentenced to prison

Prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader dies in Egyptian prison

Nationwide protests erupted Thursday in Sudan against the military takeover late last month.

The protests that expanded to many regions in the country came despite a compromise that was signed between the head of the army, Gen. Abdul Fattah Alburhan to reinstate Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok.
Protesters raised anti-military slogans and criticized the agreement that was signed last week.
Thousands gathered in neighborhoods in Khartoum, including 40 station, 60 street, Omdurman, Bahri, Alkalakla, Alshajara, and the cities of Port Sudan, Kassala, Nyala Shandi and other parts of the country.
Among their demands are the release of political detainees and an investigation into the killing of protesters.
The Sudanese Professional Association (SPA) urged the "bringing down the military coup and the agreement with the Prime Minister."
Before the military takeover on Oct, 25, Sudan was administered by a sovereign council of military and civilian officials which was overseeing the transition period until elections in 2023 as part of a precarious power-sharing pact between the military and the Forces of Freedom and Change coalition.

Protesters criticizes agreement between Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok, Gen. Abdul Fattah Alburhan

Protesters raised anti-military slogans and criticized the agreement that was signed last week

New protests in Sudan against military takeover

Colombia has received a formal request from the US for the extradition of an accused drug trafficker.

Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as Otoniel, leader of the Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, a drug trafficking group, was captured by Colombian security forces on Oct. 24.
- The government has already formally received the request for the extradition of alias "Otoniel" by the United States of America. The administrative procedures have already been carried out in the Ministry of Justice and in the Chancellery, and yesterday that request was made available to the Supreme Court of Justice - said Colombian President Ivan Duque in a statement.
Duque said that he had already spoken to Supreme Court of Justice President Luis Antonio Hernandez for him to deal with the matter quickly.
The president also said the second head of the Gulf Clan, Antonio Moreno Tuberquia, known as Nicolas, will also going to be extradited to the US.
- This extradition is very important because we have been waiting for that decision for several years, and that is also a true blow to the structure of the Clan del Golfo - he said.
According to Duque, the country has captured the largest number of tons of cocaine in the history of the fight against drug trafficking in Colombia, with 595 tons so far in 2021, the figure was 500 tons in 2020.
Otoniel was the last major heir to criminal paramilitary groups demobilized during the government of Alvaro Uribe. Military forces had been on his trail for years. He was unable to sleep two nights at the same location because security forces were constantly tracking him.
Police Director General Jorge Vargas said Otoniel and his closest men were suffering from hunger because law enforcement operations had them surrounded.
He did not allow anyone around him to use cell phones and before any meeting, he made participants change clothes and toss them because he feared being located by GPS.

<h2>Colombia seizes cocaine worth $300M</h2>

Security forces on Tuesday captured 10 tons of cocaine belonging to the armed rebel organization National Liberation Army (ELN) after raiding two laboratories in the town of Samaniego on the country's border with Ecuador.

In a statement to the press, Defense Minister Diego Molano stated that "10 tons of cocaine with a market value of $300 million was seized in two laboratories belonging to ELN" in a joint operation of the army, police and air force.
The ELN was to transfer the seized cocaine to the US via Central American countries, he added.

Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as Otoniel, leader of the Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, drug trafficking group captured in October

Dairo Antonio Usuga, known as Otoniel, leader of the Clan del Golfo, or Gulf Clan, a drug trafficking group, was captured by Colombian security forces on Oct. 24

Colombia receives formal request from US for extradition of accused drug trafficker

A group of US lawmakers – the second this month – reached Taiwan on a visit that China said violates norms of international relations.

- A pleasure to welcome our US friends to Taiwan. I thank the representatives for their support, and look forward to productive discussions on how to further strengthen bilateral ties - Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen said after meeting a delegation of five American lawmakers led by Mark Takano, head of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
She said Taiwan’s Veterans Affairs Council will set up its mission in Washington early next year to "foster more bilateral exchanges."Takano, Colin Allred, Elissa Slotkin, Sara Jacobs and Nancy Mace landed in Taipei on a US military plane on Thursday night and are scheduled to leave on Friday.
The trip comes after the Chinese and US presidents held talks this month focused on bilateral relations amid heightened tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
In an expectedly sharp rebuke, Beijing, which views Taiwan as a “breakaway province,” said the visit “wantonly challenged the one-China principle, an unshakable norm in international relations.”
- (It) aroused strong indignation among 1.4 billion Chinese people. Taiwan is an inalienable part of Chinese territory, not a card in international relations - Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, told a news conference in Beijing.
- The clumsy performance of US politicians and Taiwan authority is just a few noises in the process of China’s reunification, and cannot change the firm pattern of 180 countries adhering to the one-China principle - he asserted.
Earlier, Mace, a congresswoman from South Carolina, claimed the Chinese Embassy in Washington had called on the group to cancel the trip.
- When news broke of our visit to Taiwan, China’s embassy demanded we cancel the trip (we didn’t). We’ve had a productive and meaningful visit throughout the Indo-Pacific region as the first bipartisan US House delegation since the start of COVID - Mace said on Twitter.
Her colleague Slotkin also said her office received a “blunt message from the Chinese Embassy, telling me to call off the trip.”
China has ramped up military and political measures to counter the increased exchanges between Taipei and Washington and its allies.
A record number of Chinese jets have recently flown across what Taiwan says is its air defense identification zone (ADIZ), while China also conducted a combat readiness drill in the direction of the Taiwan Strait after American lawmakers and a European Union delegation made separate trips to Taipei earlier in November.
A US warship also sailed through the strait this week, closely monitored by Chinese forces.

US officials claim Chinese mission asked them to abandon trip, Beijing says Taiwan 'not a card in international relations'

Taiwan’s Veterans Affairs Council will set up its mission in Washington early next year to "foster more bilateral exchanges"

US lawmakers visit Taiwan in 2nd trip this month

Iraq's Transport Ministry on Friday announced it has evacuated 608 refugees who were stranded on the border between Belarus and Poland.

The Director-General of the Iraqi Transport Company affiliated to the ministry, Abbas Omran, said in a statement: "Two charter flights successfully carried out the evacuation from Minsk Airport to Erbil and Baghdad airports, after obtaining official approvals from the Iraqi and Belarusian authorities."
The statement added the refugees were evacuated by the official Iraqi Airways.
On Nov. 18, Iraq announced the evacuation of 430 of its citizens stranded at the Belarusian-Polish border.
In early November, many asylum seekers tried to cross the border to enter Poland from Belarus, where there are currently about 4,000 stranded asylum seekers, according to the Polish Press Agency.
The European Union accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of coordinating the arrival of this wave of migrants and refugees to the eastern side of the bloc, in response to European sanctions imposed on his country after his regime's "brutal repression" against the opposition.

2 charter flights allocated to transfer Iraqis to Baghdad, Erbil airports

Refugees were evacuated by the official Iraqi Airways

Iraq evacuates 608 refugees stranded at Belarusian border

Morocco on Thursday signed an agreement with Israel to purchase Israeli drones and "advanced weapons" systems.

In a statement, the Israeli Defense Ministry said Defense Minister Benny Gantz and his Moroccan counterpart Abdellatif Loudiyi signed a “pioneering defense memorandum of understanding" during his visit to Morocco.
- The agreement provides a solid framework that formalizes defense relations between the two countries and lays a foundation for any future cooperation - it said.
- The agreement will enable defense institutions in both countries to enjoy increased cooperation in the fields of intelligence, industrial cooperation, military training, and more.The ministry noted that the agreement would help increase economic cooperation, bilateral tourism, and warm people-to-people relations.
This is the second agreement signed by Israel and Morocco during the visit of Israeli defense minister to Rabat.
On Wednesday, Gantz and Loudiyi agreed on military cooperation and signed a "pioneering defense memorandum of understanding.”
Gantz arrived in Morocco late on Tuesday for a two-day official visit, the first such visit by an Israeli defense minister to the North African country. His visit, however, has drawn criticism from human rights associations in Morocco.
On Dec. 10, 2020, Israel and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations that were suspended in 2002, making Morocco the fourth Arab country to normalize relations with Israel in 2020 after the UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan.

Israeli defense minister signs 2nd agreement with Morocco during his 2-day visit

This is the second agreement signed by Israel and Morocco during the visit of Israeli defense minister to Rabat

Pope Francis urges globally coordinated action to tackle refugee problem

Pakistan envisions friendly relationship with Bangladesh

Former Armenian parliamentarian says new window of opportunity awaits Turkey, Armenia

US forces start new training for YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria

Mob lynches Sri Lankan national, burns body over "blasphemy" in Pakistan

Putin-Biden online summit likely in ‘very next few days’: Kremlin

Mediterranean states seek to bolster peace efforts in Palestine, Libya, Syria

At least 22 killed in attack on displaced people’s camp in DRC

Omicron variant poses "very high" risk, warns WHO

Russia to be main focus of NATO foreign ministers meeting

Prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader dies in Egyptian prison

New protests in Sudan against military takeover

Colombia receives formal request from US for extradition of accused drug trafficker

US lawmakers visit Taiwan in 2nd trip this month

Iraq evacuates 608 refugees stranded at Belarusian border

Morocco signs deal to purchase "advanced weapons" from Israel

World

Pope Francis urges globally coordinated action to tackle refugee problem

Pakistan envisions friendly relationship with Bangladesh

Former Armenian parliamentarian says new window of opportunity awaits Turkey, Armenia

US forces start new training for YPG/PKK terrorists in Syria

Mob lynches Sri Lankan national, burns body over "blasphemy" in Pakistan

Putin-Biden online summit likely in ‘very next few days’: Kremlin

Mediterranean states seek to bolster peace efforts in Palestine, Libya, Syria

At least 22 killed in attack on displaced people’s camp in DRC

Omicron variant poses "very high" risk, warns WHO

Russia to be main focus of NATO foreign ministers meeting

Prominent Muslim Brotherhood leader dies in Egyptian prison

New protests in Sudan against military takeover

Colombia receives formal request from US for extradition of accused drug trafficker

US lawmakers visit Taiwan in 2nd trip this month

Iraq evacuates 608 refugees stranded at Belarusian border

Morocco signs deal to purchase "advanced weapons" from Israel