ISLAMABAD, 14 October 2021, (TON): The Mustafa Prize International, a symbol of scientific excellence for the year 2021, has been awarded to Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary of Pakistan in the field of bio-organic chemistry.

The Mustafa Prize, a top science and technology award, is granted biennially to the top researchers and scientists of the Islamic world in four categories: “Life and Medical Science and Technology”, “Nanoscience and Nanotechnology”, “Information and Communication Science and Technology”, and “All areas of science and technology”.

A news release said that Mustafa Prize was established in 2012 as a symbol of scientific excellence at the international level, and it is regarded as the Nobel prize of the Muslim world.”

Five scientists, one each from Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Lebanon and Morocco have been awarded the Mustafa Prize in their respective fields of study.

Prof Choudhary is a world-renowned medicinal chemist. He has published 1,175 research papers in the fields of organic and bioorganic chemistry in international journals, 76 books and 40 chapters in books published by major US and European press. He has secured 40 US patents so far.

WASHINGTON, 14 October 2021, (TON): The US demanded an end to the Houthi siege of Abedia to allow beleaguered civilians access to humanitarian aid.

The Iran-backed militia has surrounded the district in the battleground Yemeni province of Marib for more than three weeks, denying 35,000 people access to food, drinking water, medicines and other essentials.

A senior US official said at a briefing in Riyadh “civilians in Abedia were suffering from what “looks to be encirclement.”

He said “this is another example of one side pushing for a military solution and putting great pressure on the Yemeni people.”

We call for this situation to be de-escalated and for humanitarian assistance to be able to flow into Abedia.

We regard the current Houthi offensive in Marib as contrary to the principle of de-escalation. We believe outsiders cannot impose any solution in Yemen. I want to build on UN efforts and those of neighboring countries to create the best climate for Yemenis to negotiate their own future.

The Houthis were an obstacle to peace, the official said “how can a well-armed militia continue to operate inside Yemen and still contribute to a peace effort?” he said. “We believe, 100 percent, there is no military solution to this conflict.”

He said “the US was not interested in merely a ceasefire, but in a longterm solution. A ceasefire is one step we want to see happen in order to turn the corner away from conflict and move toward peace and security.”

He said all issues “can best be resolved when we get to a negotiating phase. Our efforts are really focused on bringing the sides together for dialogue.”

BEIRUT, 14 October 2021, (TON): A civilian training plane that belonged to the Lebanese Aviation Club crashed into the Mediterranean Sea and the two people on board are missing, the Lebanese Army announced.

The crash site is off the coast of Halat near Byblos where search operations continue for the pilot, Ali Hajj Ahmed, and a student pilot, Pascale Abdel Ahad.

The Cessna 172 plane took off from Beirut-Rafic Hariri International Airport at 10:06 a.m. local time on Wednesday, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation in Lebanon. Less than 20 minutes later, the plane disappeared from air navigation radars over the sea in the Halat area.

Kris Kashouh, of the Lebanese Plane Spotters told media “the captain of the plane did not contact the control tower and did not give a distress signal, which is strange.”

The Lebanese Navy, Air Force, and Civil Defense have joined the search operations.

“The search concentrated on a wide area at a distance of one kilometer away from Halat beach and at depths ranging between 30 and 35 meters,” a Lebanese Civil Defense source said. “Divers from the civil defense took turns in the search operations in very delicate conditions, due to the tides and winds in the area.”

Unconfirmed reports indicated that Abdel Ahad had contacted the control tower because the pilot of the plane suffered a health condition.

WASHINGTON, 14 October 2021, (TON): The United States and Israel said Wednesday they are exploring a “Plan B” for dealing with Iran if the Islamic Republic does not return in good faith to negotiations to salvage the languishing landmark 2015 nuclear deal.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said discussions between their two countries have begun on “other options” should Iran reject an offer to come back into compliance with the agreement if the US rejoins it.

They did not elaborate on what those options might be, but there are a wide range of non-diplomatic options that could be considered, ranging from stepped up sanctions to covert or military actions.

The remarks were a rare acknowledgment by the US that it is looking at what to do in the event diplomacy with Iran fails. Israel has never been a party to the nuclear deal, which former President Donald Trump withdrew from in 2018, and its former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been a vocal opponent of the agreement negotiated by the Obama administration.

Blinken and Lapid made the remarks at a joint news conference at the State Department with the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates at which all three agreed to try to expand on the so-called “Abraham Accords,” the Trump-era agreements that normalized relations between Israel and the UAE and other Arab states.

Their comments came as Iran has hinted it’s ready to return to indirect negotiations with the US in Vienna but has not committed to a date. Iran has also continued to blow through limits on it nuclear activities that had been constrained by the deal.

RIYADH, 14 October 2021, (TON): Saudi Cabinet said “Saudi Arabia reiterated its call for a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction.”

It also affirmed the Kingdom’s statement at the meetings of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, of the great attention it attaches to the Convention on the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the importance of its objectives, and its role in strengthening international peace and security.

The comments were made in a statement issued by Acting Minister of Media Essam bin Saad bin Saeed, following a weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired virtually by King Salman from NEOM.

At the beginning of the session, the Cabinet was briefed on talks conducted with a number of countries during the past few days. They were also briefed on the content of a letter sent by King Salman to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara earlier.

The Cabinet addressed the influential role played by the Kingdom in international forums, through the UN, various international organizations, and the G20, to achieve greater security, peace, stability and development.

Ministers were also briefed on the outcomes of the 7th G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit, which was held in the Italian capital, Rome, and addressed the results of the Kingdom’s participation in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, and its commitment to joint cooperation, supporting humanitarian and development efforts, enhancing the stability and balance of global oil markets, and contributing to achieving global targets to combat climate change through qualitative initiatives, most notably the Saudi and Middle East green initiatives and the Circular Carbon Economy.

The Cabinet hailed the Kingdom’s election to chair four associations of the World Intellectual Property Organization as a new success added to its record of achievements in this field.

Bin Saeed said the ministers also reviewed regional and international developments, including the Arab coalition’s efforts to support the internationally-recognized government in Yemen, and “the necessary measures it implements to deal with terrorist acts, and (the) futile attempts of the Houthi militia to target civilians and civilian objects in the Kingdom, and threaten shipping lines and international trade in the Bab Al-Mandab strait and the southern Red Sea.”

WASHINGTON, 14 October 2021, (TON): Authorities said “two US Postal Service employees were shot dead Tuesday in a gun attack at a Tennessee post office.”

The suspected shooter opened fire at the East Lamar Carrier Annex in Memphis and then died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

US Postal Inspector Susan Link told reporters that both victims, as well as the shooter, were postal service employees.”

She said that there is no ongoing threat.

“The FBI is working the scene and can confirm that the shooter is one of the three employees deceased by an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” said Lisa-Anne Culp, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Memphis field office, at the same press conference.

She said an investigation has been launched.

Both Link and Culp declined to give further details about the shooting.

BRUSSELS, 14 October 2021, (TON): The representatives of the governments of the member states today appointed two judges of the General Court.

Mr Krisztián Kecsmár (Hungary) has been appointed as Judge of the General Court following the resignation of Mr Zoltán Csehi and Mr Ion Gâlea (Romania) has been appointed as Judge of the General Court following the resignation of Ms Octavia Spineanu-Matei.

Both judges have been appointed for a period beginning 7 October 2021 and ending on 31 August 2022.

The Court of Justice of the European Union consists of two courts: the Court of Justice and the General Court.

The judges and advocates-general are appointed by common accord of the governments of the member states after consultation of a panel responsible for giving an opinion on prospective candidates’ suitability to perform the duties concerned.

BEIJING, 14 October 2021, (TON): China said that Afghanistan was at a “crossroads” where “challenges and opportunities coexist.”

State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi proposed a four-way engagement with the war-torn country during a G-20 leaders’ meeting.

Wang urged helping Afghans' livelihoods with humanitarian support to overcome difficulties, including food shortages, the coronavirus pandemic and a lack of medical supplies while stressing respect for Afghanistan’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

Beijing already announced $31 million in humanitarian support to the Taliban administration given the looming humanitarian disaster as warned by the UN, according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

He said “Wang called for an open, inclusive path of development in Afghanistan. The international community should proceed from a rational and pragmatic perspective, engage in dialogue and contact with all parties in Afghanistan, support the Afghan people to independently choose a development path that suits their national conditions.”

He encouraged more financial support to alleviate poverty and infrastructure projects and said “unilateral sanctions on Afghanistan should be lifted as soon as possible.”

The US has frozen nearly $9 billion in Afghan reserves since the Taliban regained power in Kabul in August after the exit of foreign forces.

Wang said there should be a “zero-tolerance attitude” to ensure Afghanistan stays away from terrorism.

MOSCOW, 14 October 2021, (TON): The United States' involvement in Afghanistan has led to tragedy, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, one week before Russia is due to host the Taliban in Moscow.

After the United States and its allies withdrew their troops earlier this year after 20 years on the ground, the Taliban seized power in a lightning advance and the previous government collapsed.

A Moscow format meeting is scheduled for October 20 that will also discuss the possibility of holding a conference on Afghanistan under the auspices of the UN, the Russian foreign minister said.

Addressing a news conference in the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan on Tuesday, Sergey Lavrov said Moscow is currently waiting for a response from the invited parties, including the Taliban.

"We hope they realise the importance of this event," he said. "As for humanitarian assistance, we, together with a number of other countries, want to propose, in particular, during the 'Moscow format' meeting, to hold a conference under the auspices of the UN to provide assistance, including humanitarian assistance to this country."

WASHINGTON, 14 October 2021, (TON): US State Department said “the Biden administration has appointed Elizabeth Jones, a veteran diplomat, to lead efforts for relocation and resettlement in Afghanistan.”

The official announcement said “as the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts, Ambassador Jones will assume oversight of the entire Afghanistan relocation effort, from our ongoing efforts to facilitate the departure of individuals from Afghanistan to their onward relocation and resettlement in the United States.”

Ambassador Jones has been recalled from her retirement to lead the rescue and resettlement effort.

Her first assignment as a foreign service officer was in Kabul and she also worked as the Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. She was US Ambassador to Kazakhstan and assistant secretary of state as well.

A State Department official told reporters in Washington “Jones will be focusing on the very complex issues related to our efforts to facilitate the relocation and resettlement in the United States of Afghan individuals, to whom we have a special commitment.”