AMMAN, 24 November 2021, (TON): Jordan’s King Abdullah II emphasized the need to step up efforts to reach a just and comprehensive peace on the basis of the two-state solution in the Palestinian issue.

His comments came during a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed at Al-Shati Palace in the UAE capital.

Sheikh Mohammed affirmed the depth of relations between the UAE and Jordan at all levels during the meeting.

State news agency WAM reported that the two sides “reviewed various aspects of bilateral relations and ways to develop and push them forward during the coming period.”

They also exchanged views on regional and international developments, especially the situation in the Middle East.

Local media sources said “discussing developments in Syria, King Abdullah reiterated his country’s support for efforts to safeguard Syrian sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity, and the unity of its people.”

WASHINGTON, 24 November 2021, (TON): State media said “the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency began talks in Tehran, a week before the resumption of negotiations to salvage the Iran nuclear deal.”

The official news agency said “a day after arriving in the Iranian capital, the IAEA’s Rafael Grossi opened discussions with the chief of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami.”

Later, he was to meet for the first time with Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who is in charge of nuclear issues in Iran’s new government.

The talks come ahead of the scheduled resumption next Monday of negotiations between Tehran and world powers aimed at saving the 2015 deal that gave Iran sanctions relief in return for curbs on its nuclear program.

Hours before Grossi’s arrival, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh expressed hopes that his visit would be “constructive”.

He said “we have always advised the IAEA to stay on the path of technical cooperation, and to not let certain countries pursue their political orientations on behalf of the IAEA.”

Grossi’s visit comes after the IAEA said last Wednesday that Iran had boosted its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to 2,489.7 kilograms — many times in excess of the limit laid down in the 2015 agreement.

SOFIA, 24 November 2021, (TON): Officials said “at least 45 people, including a dozen minors, were killed after a bus caught fire south of the Bulgarian capital early.”

A cause has yet to be determined but officials believe a fire broke out onboard and the bus crashed into guardrails.

There were no other vehicles involved in the accident, which occurred around 2:00 am (2400 GMT) on a highway about 40 kilometres (26 miles) from Sofia, near the village of Bosnek.

National police chief Stanimir Stanev said “of the victims, 12 in total were under the age of 18.”

He told media that 45 of the 52 people on the bus were killed. Nikolay Nikolov, head of the Fire Safety and Civil Protection department at the interior ministry, told public broadcaster BNT that “seven passengers survived”.

He added “they were taken to a hospital in the capital with serious burns.”

According to local media, the bus was travelling from Turkey’s main city of Istanbul to Skopje in North Macedonia. North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said the victims were probably fellow Macedonians.

WASHINGTON, 24 November 2021, (TON): President Joe Biden announced he “has ordered the release of 50 million barrels of oil from the US strategic reserves in a coordinated attempt with other countries to tamp down soaring fuel prices.

The move is aimed at global energy markets, but also at voters who are coping with higher inflation and rising prices ahead of Thanksgiving and winter holiday travel.

According to the American Automobile Association “gas prices are at about $3.40 a gallon, more than 50% higher than their price a year ago.”

Biden has scrambled to reshape much of his economic agenda around the issue of inflation, saying that his recently passed $1 trillion infrastructure package will reduce price pressures by making it more efficient and cheaper to transport goods.

The White House said “this release will be taken in parallel with other major energy-consuming nations including China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom.”

The US reserves, held in underground depots in Texas and Louisiana, are the largest emergency supply of oil in the world.

DUBAI, 24 November 2021, (TON): Kuwait's Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid has been reappointed prime minister, state media said on Tuesday, and tasked with forming a cabinet that would be the Gulf OPEC oil producer's third this year in a domestic political standoff.

State news agency KUNA said “Sheikh Sabah, prime minister since late 2019, was reappointed by an emiri order issued by Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah. The government had resigned on Nov. 8 in the standoff with the elected parliament.”

Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed al-Sabah last week temporarily handed over some of his main constitutional duties to the crown prince, his designated successor, including naming the prime minister and swearing in the cabinet.

Before doing so, the emir had accepted the government's resignation as part of measures to end a months-long deadlock between the government and opposition lawmakers. He also issued an amnesty pardoning political dissidents to defuse the row.

Several opposition MPs had wanted to question Sheikh Sabah on various issues, including the handling of the coronavirus pandemic and corruption, despite a motion in March that had granted him temporary immunity.

JERUSALEM, 24 November 2021, (TON): Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said “Israel will not be bound by any new nuclear deal between Iran and world powers.”

Bennett said in statements at the Reichman University in Herzliya “the mistake we made after the first nuclear deal in 2015 will not repeat itself.”

He said “from the moment the deal was signed, it was like a sleeping pill for us.”

He added that even if the deal will be revived, Israel will not be bound by it.

The Israeli premier pledged that Tel Aviv will maintain freedom of action, stressing that Israel must utilize its advantages, including its economy, cyber prowess, democracy, and international legitimacy against Iran's weaknesses.

Bennett said “if the world turns a blind eye to the negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program, Israel does not intend to do so.”

"We face complicated times. It is possible that there will be disagreements with the best of our friends," he said, adding that this would not be the first time.

The nuclear deal was signed in 2015 by Iran, the US, China, Russia, France, the UK, Germany, and the EU.

MOSCOW, 24 November 2021, (TON): Russia's defence minister accused US bombers of rehearsing a nuclear strike on Russia from two different directions earlier this month and complained that the planes had come within 20 km (12.4 miles) of the Russian border.

The accusation comes at a time of high tension between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine, with US officials voicing concerns about a possible Russian attack on its southern neighbour - a suggestion the Kremlin has dismissed as false.

Moscow has in turn accused the United States, NATO and Ukraine of provocative and irresponsible behaviour, pointing to US arms supplies to Ukraine, Ukraine's use of Turkish strike drones against Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine, and NATO military exercises close to its borders.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Moscow had noted a significant increase in the activity by US strategic bombers which he said had carried out 30 flights close to Russia this month. That, he said, was 2.5 times more than the same period last year.

Shoigu complained in particular of what he said was a simulated US nuclear strike against Russia earlier this month.

Shoigu was quoted as saying in a defence ministry statement "the defence minister underlined that during the US military exercises 'Global Thunder', 10 American strategic bombers rehearsed launching nuclear weapons against Russia from the western and eastern directions.”

"The minimum proximity to our state border was 20 km."

TEHRAN, 24 November 2021, (TON): Less than a week prior to resumption of nuclear talks in Vienna, the UN nuclear watchdog chief met with top Iranian officials in Tehran.

The first meeting between the two officials “Rafael Grossi, the head of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during his whirlwind visit held talks with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian.”

A statement by the Foreign Ministry said “Iran's top diplomat expressed his country's willingness to "constructively interact" with the IAEA within the framework of the Safeguards Agreement.”

He also stressed the importance of the UN agency's "technical, professional and impartial work" as well as the need to "avoid foreign political pressures."

The statement said “the visiting UN official, for his part, expressed readiness to continue close cooperation with Iran and to "resolve remaining technical issues" between the two sides.”

Earlier, Grossi held wide-ranging talks followed by a joint press conference with Iran's nuclear agency chief Mohammad Eslami, during which both officials agreed to "bolster cooperation and seek common ground" on outstanding technical issues.

Describing his work in Tehran as "intense", Grossi said there are multiple issues that need clarification.

Eslami told reporters that the UN official acknowledged he had not seen any diversion in Iran's nuclear activities, and emphasized that all issues between the two sides are of technical nature.

KABUL, 24 November 2021, (TON): Afghan students who won Pakistani educational scholarships but have not yet been able to obtain visas gathered for a protest in front of the country’s embassy in Kabul.

The banners carried by the students are painted with the slogans “the students have nothing to do with politics. We want our visas.”

Jahan Zaib Waziri, a student said “we call on the relevant departments of Pakistan to take necessary steps.” “The lessons began about 40 days ago but have yet to participate in the universities,”

said Milad Ahmad, another student. These students won scholarships for bachelors, masters, and PhD degrees at Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad.

“We want them to immediately give us the visas so we can begin our lessons,” said a female student, who wished to go unnamed.

According to the students, classes began nearly two months ago. The Pakistan embassy in Kabul has not commented.

ISLAMABAD, 24 November 2021, (TON): Pakistan has strongly condemned the arrest of human rights activist Khurram Parvez by Indian armed forces in Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Parvez, 40, was arrested by India’s top anti-terrorism investigation agency during a raid at his home and office.

Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement “arbitrary arrests of human rights activists on orchestrated charges by Indian occupation forces is clear evidence of New Delhi’s state-terrorism and trampling of fundamental human rights in India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.”

The spokesperson said that the reprehensible unwarranted searches by India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) at the offices and residence of Parvez has also been condemned by international human rights activists and organisations.

He added “the world is aware that it has become increasingly difficult for human rights organisations and activists to continue their work in India and India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir due to an incessant witch hunt by the Hindutva driven RSS- BJP combine over unfounded and motivated allegations.”

The spokesperson said that the international humans rights preservation platform Amnesty International had to shut all its operations in India in September 2020 when its bank accounts were frozen by India in an act of reprisal because of their independent reporting on India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.