Fourteen Palestinian inmates have been held in solitary confinement in Israel’s Negev prison, a Palestinian commission said on Wednesday.


- The Negev Prison Administration isolates 14 prisoners in Section 6, under difficult and harsh conditions - the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said in a statement.
The commission said the prisoners are held in a section “that was burned by the detainees a month ago in response to Israeli abuses of detainees” in the wake of last month’s jailbreak.
Six prisoners had tunneled out of the high-security Gilboa prison in northern Israel on Sept. 6, but were rearrested by Israeli forces a week later.
The commission said the prison administration "doesn’t provide the prisoners with any clothes except what they wear, and prevent them from going to the clinic for medical examinations."
As a result of the current conditions, some of the prisoners "began to suffer from skin diseases, joint pain, backache and kidney aches," it said.
Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA said that Israeli forces rounded up 20 Palestinians on Wednesday in raids across the occupied West Bank.
Israel detains about 4,850 Palestinians in 23 prisons and detention centers, including 41 female prisoners, 225 children, and 520 administrative detainees.

14 prisoners held in solitary confinement in Israel’s Negev prison

Six prisoners had tunneled out of the high-security Gilboa prison in northern Israel on Sept. 6, but were rearrested by Israeli forces a week later

Palestinians say 14 prisoners held by Israel in "harsh conditions"

Taiwan said on Monday that 52 Chinese military aircraft ​​​​​​​entered its air defense area, which it identifies as air defense identification zone (ADIZ).

- 52 PLA aircraft (J-16*34, SU-30*2 Y-8 ASW*2, KJ-500 AEW&amp;C*2 and H-6*12) entered #Taiwan’s southwest ADIZ on October 4, 2021 - the Ministry of National Defense said on Twitter.
On Friday, Taiwan said 38 Chinese military jets flew into its air defense zone.
China claims Taiwan as a "breakaway province" while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949.
Taiwan defines ADIZ as an area that extends beyond its air space where air traffic controllers ask incoming aircraft to identify themselves.

It comes after 38 Chinese military jets flew into Taiwan's air defense zone on Friday

Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye military multirole combat aircraft seen on the runway during the Han Kuang Military Exercise 2021 in Pintung, Taiwan, 15 September 2021.

Taiwan says 52 Chinese military aircraft entered air defense zone

An Afghan journalist was among three people shot dead by unknown gunmen in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday night, according to a local rights group.

Said Marof Saadat, a journalist who also worked as a spokesman in the previous Afghan government, was targeted along with two more people in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province that borders Pakistan, the Afghan Journalists Safety Committee said.
Saadat was an experienced journalist who worked with a number of local and international media outlets for over a decade, before serving as a spokesman for the provincial rural development department.
The two others killed in the incident were members of the Taliban, according to the local Salam Afghanistan radio.
There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, but Nangarhar has recently seen a string of such incidents, some of which were claimed by the Daesh/ISIS terror group.
Saadat is the third journalist killed in Afghanistan in a little over a month since the Taliban seized power.
The previous two were among the casualties in the massive Kabul airport suicide blasts in August.
According to a journalists’ union, up to 70% of media outlets in Afghanistan have shut down since the Taliban came to power, with around 67% of the country’s journalists losing their jobs.

No claim of responsibility yet for attack in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province

The two others killed in the incident were members of the Taliban

Journalist among 3 gunned down in eastern Afghanistan

The Russian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday it expelled a North Macedonian diplomat in a retaliation move.

Olivera Chaushevska-Dimovska, an employee of the North Macedonian Embassy in Moscow, was declared "persona non grata," the ministry said in a written statement.
- On October 4, the charge d'affaires of the Republic of Northern Macedonia in the Russian Federation, Olivera Chaushevska-Dimovska was invited to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where she was handed a note from the ministry declaring the employee of the Embassy of Northern Macedonia in Moscow persona non grata - it read.
The statement added that "the measure is a response to the unsubstantiated decision taken by the North Macedonian side in August of this year to declare a diplomat of the Russian Embassy in Skopje persona non grata".
On Aug. 17, North Macedonia's Foreign Ministry expelled a Russian deputy military attache for allegedly "inappropriate" diplomatic activities.
Earlier this year, North Macedonia already deported another Russian diplomat to show its protest against the poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal in the UK in 2018.
The move was followed by a retaliatory move from the Russian side – the Russian Foreign Ministry on June 10 declared an employee of the North Macedonian Embassy in Moscow "persona non grata."

Russian Foreign Ministry declares employee of North Macedonian Embassy in Moscow 'persona non grata'

On Aug. 17, North Macedonia's Foreign Ministry expelled a Russian deputy military attache for allegedly "inappropriate" diplomatic activities

Russia expels North Macedonian diplomat in retaliation

Germany’s Social Democrats on Monday called on the Greens and the liberal Free Democrats to start three-way talks to form the country’s next coalition government.

The Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) secretary general Lars Klingbeil said Sunday’s bilateral discussions with both the Greens and the liberal FDP have been “very constructive” and they would like to move to three-way coalition talks.
- I would like to clearly state that the SPD is ready now to start three-way talks. We want a swift government building, we want to see Olaf Scholz as the chancellor - he told public broadcaster ZDF.
He argued that election results showed voters want to see outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) in the opposition, not in the next coalition government.
The Social Democrats narrowly defeated the Christian Democrats in Sept. 26 elections but fell short of a majority in the parliament, and results showed the country may face months of negotiations between parties to form a government.
On Monday, top officials of the Greens and the Free Democrats said they have not yet taken a decision on starting three-way coalition talks with the Social Democrats.
Michael Kellner, secretary general of the Greens, said they had constructive discussions with the SPD and the Free Democrats, but no date has been set for a possible three-party meeting.
- We would like to first conclude our bilateral meetings - he told ZDF television, pointing out that the Greens are scheduled to meet with the Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) on Tuesday.
He said after concluding all bilateral meetings, the Greens would hold an internal debate and discuss their next moves in the coalition talks.
The FDP’s Secretary General Volker Wissing also said that they would first wait for the outcome of Greens’ meeting with the CDU/CSU, before taking any decision.

SPD's Lars Klingbeil says they are ready to start talks with liberal FDP, Greens to form three-way coalition government

Lars Klingbeil (C), Social Democratic Party’s (SPD) secretary general

Germany’s Social Democrats call for swift talks to form coalition gov't

At least eight Burkina Faso soldiers were killed on Monday morning in an armed attack on a military unit in the central-north Sanmatenga province, local media reported.

The attack on the Yirgou military detachment took place at around 5 a.m. local time (0500GMT) and left two other soldiers wounded, state television said, quoting security sources.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but sources said search operations are underway to find the attackers.
Last month, Burkina Faso's authorities said unidentified armed men killed six gendarmeries and wounded seven others in an attack on a convoy of vehicles returning from a gold mine in the eastern part of the country.
Groups with links to the Daesh/ISIS terror group are known to frequently carry out similar attacks in the country.
Some 480 civilians were killed in attacks orchestrated by insurgents in Burkina Faso between May and August, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) said last month.
More than 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Burkina Faso due to the attacks, according to the NRC.

Search operations underway to find attackers, say security sources

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but sources said search operations are underway to find the attackers

8 soldiers killed, 2 wounded in central-north Burkina Faso

Jordan’s Abdullah II received a phone call from Syrian regime President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, their first contact since 2011, the palace said.

The phone call dwelt on relations between the two countries and ways of boosting bilateral cooperation, the Royal Court said in a statement.
The Jordanian king reiterated his country’s support “to efforts aimed at maintaining Syria’s sovereignty, stability and territorial integrity,” the statement said.
Sunday’s contact comes amid efforts by Amman and Damascus to normalize their relations.
On Sept. 19, Jordan’s army chief of staff Yousef Huneiti met in Amman with Syrian Defense Minister Ali Ayyoub. Four days later, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi met with his Syrian counterpart Faisal al-Mekdad in New York on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly.
On Sept. 29, Jordan reopened the Jaber border crossing with Syria after a two-moth closure.

Sunday’s contact comes amid efforts by Amman and Damascus to normalize their relations

Jordan king receives 1st call from Syria’s Assad since 2011

American scientists David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian won the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine on Monday "for their discoveries of receptors for temperature and touch."

The announcement came from Secretary-General for the Nobel Assembly and Nobel Committee Thomas Perlmann at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.
A statement by the assembly said the laureates came up with "breakthrough discoveries" as to how nerve impulses are initiated so that temperature and pressure can be perceived.
- David Julius utilized capsaicin, a pungent compound from chili peppers that induces a burning sensation, to identify a sensor in the nerve endings of the skin that responds to heat - said the statement.
It added that "Ardem Patapoutian used pressure-sensitive cells to discover a novel class of sensors that respond to mechanical stimuli in the skin and internal organs."
The discoveries gave a start to intense research activities that led to a rapid increase in the understanding of how the nervous system senses heat, cold, and mechanical stimuli, the statement said.
- The laureates identified critical missing links in our understanding of the complex interplay between our senses and the environment - it added.
The statement said that Julius and Patapoutian jointly answered a "fundamental unsolved question" as to how temperature and mechanical stimuli are "converted into electrical impulses in the nervous system."
Nobel Prizes in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economic sciences are expected to be presented to the winners by Oct. 11.
The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded jointly to Harvey J. Alter and Charles M. Rice from the US, and Michael Houghton from the UK "for the discovery of Hepatitis C virus."

Scientists jointly awarded 2021 Nobel Prize ‘for their discoveries of receptors for temperature, touch’

Nobel Prizes in the fields of physics, chemistry, literature, peace, and economic sciences are expected to be presented to the winners by Oct. 11

Americans David Julius, Ardem Patapoutian win Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s Cabinet submitted its resignation Monday while newly elected Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader Fumio Kishida is expected to take over as prime minister.

The current Cabinet, which has been in office since September 2020, collectively resigned, Kyodo news agency reported.
- This is the real starting point. I will move forward with determination - said Kishida at a press conference held at LDP headquarters.
It is considered certain that Kishida, who won the LDP leadership election last month instead of Suga, will be elected prime minister at a parliamentary session on Monday.

Fumio Kishida considered certain to be elected prime minister by LDP-dominated parliament

Japanese Prime Minister Suga's Cabinet resigns

At least seven Palestinians were arrested on Friday in the south and north of the occupied West Bank, according to media reports.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA said Israeli security forces conducted military raids in the occupied West Bank provinces of Jenin and Hebron.
The Israeli forces detained two Palestinian residents after raiding and searching their homes in Al-Rama neighborhood in Hebron and the town of Deir Samet.
In Jenin, Israeli forces detained five Palestinian young men after raiding their homes.
In the Ashawawra village of the Bethlehem province, a young Palestinian was summoned for interrogation.
There is no official word from Israeli authorities on the raids.
Usually, Israeli forces storm cities and towns in the West Bank and arrest citizens on the pretext that they are wanted by the security forces.
There are around 4,850 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including 520 administrative detainees, according to institutions concerned with prisoners’ affairs.

Israeli forces conducted raids in Jenin, Hebron provinces, according to media reports

There is no official word from Israeli authorities on the raids

Israel detains 7 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Police in Bangladesh detained 24 more Rohingya refugees fleeing the remote island of Bhasan Char, where the country has relocated some 20,000 refugees despite opposition from UN agencies and rights groups.

Bangladesh is hosting around 1.2 million Rohingya in refugee camps in the southern district of Cox’s Bazar who fled Myanmar's Rakhine State after a brutal military crackdown in August 2017.
Citing overcrowding at the Cox’s Bazar camps, Bangladesh started relocating 100,000 Rohingya refugees to the Bhasan Char island in the Bay of Bengal last December.
- We detained 24 Rohingya refugees attempting to flee Bhasan Char to Chattogram through the Sandip area. After primary interrogation, we handed over the refugees to local refugee officials to send them back to the camp - Md. Shahidul Islam, police chief of Noakhali district, told Anadolu Agency.
- Life on the remote island is difficult. Refugees often flee the island to meet their family members and relatives staying at the Cox’s Bazar refugee camps - he said.
According to official records, about 300 refugees have tried flee from Bhasan Char, while some 500 to 600 Rohingya have managed to escape, the official added.
Earlier this week, police caught 35 Rohingya refugees attempting to flee the island, which is located 50 kilometers (31 miles) off the country’s southwestern coast and nearly 193 kilometers (120 miles) south of the capital Dhaka.
The government has constructed 1,400 big cluster houses four feet above the ground with concrete blocks and 120 multistoried cyclone shelters on the island. Each cluster house is made up of 16 rooms.

About 600 Rohingya have fled Bhasan Char island recently as life on isolated island is difficult, says official

Bangladesh is hosting around 1.2 million Rohingya in refugee camps in the southern district of Cox’s Bazar who fled Myanmar's Rakhine State after a brutal military crackdown in August 2017

Bangladesh detains 24 more Rohingya fleeing remote island

The death toll from a prison riot in Ecuador rose to 118 on Thursday with more than 80 injured, officials said.

Two more bodies were found dead after the authorities regained the full control of the Litoral prison where the major conflict took place, Ecuadorian media reported.
Soldiers and police teams searched all the wards in the prison for sharp objects, weapons and improvised explosive devices.
The country's forensic medicine institution said in a statement that only 24 bodies of the 118 prisoners who lost their lives were identified.
Meanwhile, officials said that security measures were increased in all prisons in Ecuador, and that strict inspections were being carried out in prisons where possible riots and conflicts could occur.
President Guillermo Lasso had announced that a "state of emergency" was declared for 60 days in the country's prison system.
The country's prisons bureau director Bolivar Garzon also said that Ecuador is facing a great tragedy, adding that the conflict between organized crime groups and the internal power struggle has unfortunately reached this point.
According to local media, the riot started in wards of members of the "Los Lobos" and "Tiguerones" gangs.
In July, Ecuador's president declared a state of emergency in the country's prisons after fighting between rival gangs left 22 inmates dead and dozens injured.
Around 38,000 detainees are currently serving terms at 60 facilities in Ecuador designed for 29,000 prisoners, which sometimes results in riots.
On Feb. 24, at least 80 prisoners died in riots that broke out simultaneously at facilities in three cities.

2 more bodies found dead after full control of prison by Ecuadorian security forces

Around 38,000 detainees are currently serving terms at 60 facilities in Ecuador designed for 29,000 prisoners, which sometimes results in riots

Death toll rises to 118 in Ecuador prison riot

Iran on Friday announced launching military exercises on its borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia, in the northwestern part of the country.

In a statement, the commander of Iranian ground forces, Kioumars Heydari, said the maneuvers were launched with the participation of armored and artillery units, drones and electronic warfare units, and army helicopters.
Noting that the drills will raise the level of combat readiness of the ground forces, Heydari said two anti-armor and some other weapons produced by his country will be tested.
He claimed that “Daesh/ISIS terrorists came to his country's borders at the invitation of a regional state during the clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia.”
Heydari said his country emphasized the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan during the subjugation of the Karabakh region by Armenia, adding: “We never defended the occupation.”
Notably, the decision to hold the maneuvers comes after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, in an interview with Anadolu Agency recently, criticized the "illegal entrance and presence" of Iranian trailer trucks into the recently liberated Karabakh region.
Saying that Iran continues such "illegal" actions despite warnings, Aliyev described the situation as "a disrespect" to the Azerbaijani government.
On Sept. 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani army launched an operation to liberate its occupied lands in the Karabakh region, after an attack by the Armenian army on civilian areas.
After fierce battles that lasted 44 days, Russia announced on Nov. 10, 2020, that Azerbaijan and Armenia reached a cease-fire agreement, providing for Baku to regain control of the occupied provinces.

Maneuvers aim to boost combat readiness of ground forces, says army commander

Armored vehicles take part in the "Khyber Conquerors" military drill in the general area of ​​the northwest of Iran, located at the borders with Azerbaijan and Armenia, on October 01, 2021.

Iran launches military drills on border with Azerbaijan, Armenia

Japan’s imperial family on Friday announced that the emperor’s niece will marry her fiance, an outsider, this month and give up her royal status.

The Imperial Household Agency said Princess Mako will wed Kei Komuro on Oct. 26, Kyodo News reported.
The agency also revealed that Mako has been “diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder caused by what is claimed to be mental abuse,” the report said, referring to the excessive media coverage around the princess and Komuro’s family in the past few years.
Mako is the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito, younger brother of Emperor Naruhito.
The couple, both 29, first met in 2012 at the International Christian University in Tokyo. They were unofficially engaged in 2017 but the marriage was postponed due to a financial dispute involving Komuro’s mother.
The wedding is expected to be held without the related ritual ceremonies, making Mako the first female member of the royal family to skip the traditions after World War II.
By marrying an outsider, Mako will lose her royal status but is entitled to a lump sum payment of about $1.3 million from the imperial family.
However, the princess has indicated she will not take the money, making her the first Japanese royal to forego such an offer.
The couple will register their marriage in Tokyo before moving to the US, where Komuro works for a law firm.
As Japan’s imperial family members do not have passports, Mako will have to register herself as a member of the Komuro family to apply for a passport after the marriage, the report said.​​​​​​​

Emperor Naruhito's niece has 'complex post-traumatic stress disorder' due to excessive media scrutiny, says imperial family

Japan's Princess Mako to marry fiance on Oct. 26

US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh on Thursday evening tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Supreme Court statement.

Per the court's regular testing protocols, Kavanaugh had a routine test ahead of Justice Amy Coney Barrett's investiture on Friday, said the statement.
He has no symptoms and has been fully vaccinated since January.
Kavanaugh, 56, has his last negative test that came Monday before the justices' in-person conference.
Kavanaugh's wife and daughters are also fully vaccinated, and they tested negative on Thursday.
As a precaution, the Kavanaugh couple will not attend Justice Barrett's investiture on Friday morning, the statement added.

Brett Kavanaugh has no symptoms, fully vaccinated since January

Per the court's regular testing protocols, Kavanaugh had a routine test ahead of Justice Amy Coney Barrett's investiture on Friday, said the statement

US Supreme Court Justice tests positive for COVID-19

China's latest regulations on cryptocurrencies aim to eliminate competition with Beijing's new digital currency, the digital yuan, an expert told Anadolu Agency on Friday.

- Making cryptocurrency transactions in China illegal is a much anticipated move to eliminate any potential competition to the government's new incoming sovereign digital currency - David Lesperance, managing director of international tax and immigration advisory firm Lesperance &amp; Associates, said via email.
- The digital yuan is part of an all-encompassing series of actions by the Chinese government to have complete control over the lives of its citizens - he said.
China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, announced last week that it will tighten regulations on cryptocurrency activities, including trading and mining, as the government intensifies its crackdown on digital coins.
Its regulations on the crypto market include prohibiting trading, token issuance and crypto derivatives, considering overseas crypto exchanges, which offer services to domestic residents in China, an illegal activity, and banning financial institutions, non-bank payment companies and internet firms from facilitating crypto trading.
Lesperance argued that China wants to have complete control over its population, and the digital yuan, combined with currency control in China, will give Beijing total vision over the population and all their financial transactions.

After Beijing tightening regulations, cryptocurrency holders in China have some options – they can either get their crypto assets outside of the country or wait for the government to offer a swap for their crypto assets in exchange for digital yuan.

- China's crypto ban will effectively divide that country's crypto currencies holders - Lesperance said.
He argued that a group of crypto investors in China will act to get their crypto assets and themselves an escape plan to avoid the complete control of the government, while another group will be under the scrutiny of the government unless they act.

Another hot topic in the crypto market lately is whether central banks around the world will issue their own digital currencies like the People's Bank of China.

- All of the world's monies and assets will be digitalized. Old paper-based solutions are not fit for a digital world, and central bank fiat currencies are no exception to this. Every central bank will be creating its own digital version of its fiat currency over the coming years - Matthew Le Merle, managing partner of San Francisco-based venture capital firm Blockchain Coinvestors, which invests in blockchain companies, told Anadolu Agency by email.
Noting that central banks around the world were in denial of cryptocurrencies three years ago when digital coins were introduced as alternative payment systems and stores of value in digital wallets, he said: "Today, there is no serious central banker in the world who doubts that the world will be going digital."
- It is notable that most of the world's banks do not have digital wallets... In the US, banks are far behind where they need to be. US lawmakers should help by providing constructive and future leaning laws to accelerate these innovations - he said.
Although US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has been critical of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said last Wednesday that the Fed is evaluating whether to implement its own digital currency and will be releasing a paper on the issue shortly.
- It all begins with a reliable, secure, compliant digital wallet and the US Treasury moving quickly to create a digital dollar - Le Merle said.
Lesperance said the move from physical to digital currency is accelerating.
- Some countries such as the US will use a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a means of protecting its reserve currency status. Other countries such as China will be using it as a means of controlling their citizens - he said.
- Those individuals who are looking for an alternative to the former or are worried about the assault on their freedom of the latter should look seriously at cryptocurrencies- he added.

Digital yuan and currency control to give Beijing total vision over population's financial transactions, says David Lesperance

China's central bank, the People's Bank of China, announced last week that it will tighten regulations on cryptocurrency activities, including trading and mining, as the government intensifies its crackdown on digital coins

Palestinians say 14 prisoners held by Israel in "harsh conditions"

Taiwan says 52 Chinese military aircraft entered air defense zone

Journalist among 3 gunned down in eastern Afghanistan

Russia expels North Macedonian diplomat in retaliation

Germany’s Social Democrats call for swift talks to form coalition gov't

8 soldiers killed, 2 wounded in central-north Burkina Faso

Jordan king receives 1st call from Syria’s Assad since 2011

Americans David Julius, Ardem Patapoutian win Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Japanese Prime Minister Suga's Cabinet resigns

Israel detains 7 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Bangladesh detains 24 more Rohingya fleeing remote island

Death toll rises to 118 in Ecuador prison riot

Iran launches military drills on border with Azerbaijan, Armenia

Japan's Princess Mako to marry fiance on Oct. 26

US Supreme Court Justice tests positive for COVID-19

China's crypto ban aims to eliminate competition with digital yuan

World

Palestinians say 14 prisoners held by Israel in "harsh conditions"

Taiwan says 52 Chinese military aircraft entered air defense zone

Journalist among 3 gunned down in eastern Afghanistan

Russia expels North Macedonian diplomat in retaliation

Germany’s Social Democrats call for swift talks to form coalition gov't

8 soldiers killed, 2 wounded in central-north Burkina Faso

Jordan king receives 1st call from Syria’s Assad since 2011

Americans David Julius, Ardem Patapoutian win Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine

Japanese Prime Minister Suga's Cabinet resigns

Israel detains 7 Palestinians in West Bank raids

Bangladesh detains 24 more Rohingya fleeing remote island

Death toll rises to 118 in Ecuador prison riot

Iran launches military drills on border with Azerbaijan, Armenia

Japan's Princess Mako to marry fiance on Oct. 26

US Supreme Court Justice tests positive for COVID-19

China's crypto ban aims to eliminate competition with digital yuan