“Amar Sonar Bangla” Imposed On Us By India: In Bangladesh, Calls Grow To Change National Anthem Penned By Tagore
New Age Islam News Bureau
09 September 2024
Protestors demand new national anthem for Bangladesh | Image: PTI photo
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• “Amar Sonar Bangla” Imposed On Us By India: In Bangladesh, Calls Grow To Change National Anthem Penned By Tagore
• Bangladesh: Islamist Freed By ‘Nobel Laureate’ Muhammad Yunus Demands Secession Of Kashmir And Punjab From India, Tells Mamata Banerjee To Target PM Modi
• Iranian Secret Service Agents Detained In France For Europe-Wide Plot To Kill Jews
• Saudi Arabia’s Film Commission Participating In 2024 Toronto Film Festival
• Germany And Iran In Tit-For-Tat Spat Over Islamic Centre Closure
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South Asia
• Harris campaign hits Trump on 2020 Taliban deal in response to his criticism of Afghanistan withdrawal
• GOP probe of Biden’s Afghanistan exit expands as election nears
• Fierce border clashes erupt between Pakistan and Afghanistan
• India yet to take call on Bangladesh’s request for Yunus-Modi meeting
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Europe
• Blackburn: Men Sat In Cars Are ‘Security Teams Protecting Mosques'
• UK and US spy chiefs warn of threat to world order
• The Body Shop rescued from administration after deal
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Arab World
• Saudi Arabia set to host International AI Olympiad
• Completion Of Saudi Arabia’s Qunfudhah-Sabt Al Jarah Road Project Expected To Improve Traffic Safety
• Saudi interior minister arrives in Egypt on official visit
• Riyadh to host National Cultural Awards on Monday
• Saudi Arabia: Body Of Missing Boy Found In Mecca Flooded Wadi
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Mideast
• Turkiye’s Erdogan moots Islamic alliance to stop ‘Israeli arrogance, banditry and state terrorism’
• Israeli air strike kills 2 Islamic Jihad commanders in central Gaza
• Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 61 in 48 hours as UN pursues vaccinations
• Ukraine war: Iran 'sends hundreds of missiles to Russia' in 'dramatic escalation'
• US informs allies Iran transferred ballistic missiles to Russia to use in Ukraine war
• Major roadblocks in Gaza ceasefire talks raise doubts over whether war can be ended before Biden leaves office
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New Zealand
• Government Cost-Cutting Leaving New Zealand Open To Terrorism, Federation of Islamic Associations Says
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North America
• Muslim Groups: Emory ‘Institution Of Particular Concern’ Due To Treatment Of Pro-Hamas Activists
• Vandalism at Muslim Community Centre on the Northwest Side being investigated by the Chicago police
• US MQ-9 drone shot down by Houthis in Yemen's Marib governorate
• CAIR Calls For Hate Crime Investigation Into Damage At Muslim Centre
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India
• Focus On Muslims In SanthalPargana, BJP’s 'Bangladeshi Infiltration' Claim Debunked
• Himachal Mosque Case: Waqf Board Claims Ownership, Court Asks How Single Storey Structure Turned Into 5 Storeys
• Boards Banning Non-Hindus, Rohingya Muslims In Uttarakhand Village Spark Row
• Rohingya Muslims Risk Losing Homeland In Myanmar: Rights Activist
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Pakistan
• Cup Of Tea In Kabul Has Cost Pakistan - Dy PM Hits Out At Imran Khan Government, Links To The Current Rise In Terrorism
• PTI Asks Workers To Reach Islamabad Individually
• Imran seeks acquittal under NAB tweaks he contested
• President signs public order bill into law in ‘haste’
• SC gives detailed reasons for clearing RekoDiq settlement deal
• Mayor criticises Centre’s lack of contribution to Karachi’s uplift
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Southeast Asia
• Halal Cert: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok Just Voicing Non-Muslims' Fears, Says DAP Secretary-General
• Bukit Aman Has Eyes On Company Linked To Deviationist Islamic Teachings Thought To Be Using Kids For Donations
• DPM Zahid to visit China from Sept 8 to 12 for key bilateral talks and strategic forums
• Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo eyes stronger defence ties with Malaysia post-2024
• PM Anwar unveils Malaysia’s first sustainable highway R&R in Seremban
• DPM Fadillah: Strong economic indicators and stability key to Malaysia’s continued progress
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Africa
• Chris Uba eyes Anambra South senatorial seat after Senator IfeanyiUbah’s death
• Two weeks to election: Tension hits Imo APC as candidates await primary results
• NAFDAC signs MoU with National Counter Terrorism Centre
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
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“Amar Sonar Bangla” Imposed On Us By India: In Bangladesh, Calls Grow To Change National Anthem Penned By Tagore
Protestors demand new national anthem for Bangladesh | Image: PTI photo
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By: Rohit
September 07, 2024
Bangladesh’s interim government has assured that it has no plans to change the country’s national anthem days after a former army man claimed that “Amar Sonar Bangla” was imposed by India in 1971 and reflects the country’s colonial past.
Addressing concerns about the Rabindranath Tagore-penned anthem, Bangladesh’s Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain said the Muhammad Yunus government “will not do anything to create controversy.”
On Friday, Bangladesh’s leading cultural outfit UdichiShilpigosthi organised an event where people sang the national anthem simultaneously across the country amid demands for changes to the anthem and flag. According to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper, the national flag was also hoisted during the program, and patriotic songs were performed alongside the anthem.
The row over the anthem began after some critics argued that it does not align with the identity of an independent Bangladesh. Abdullahil Amaan Azmi, the son of former Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Ghulam Azam, said the current national anthem is contrary to the country’s existence which was liberated in 1971.
“It reflects the time of the Bengal partition and the merging of the two Bengals. How can an anthem created to unite the two Bengals become the national anthem of an independent Bangladesh? This anthem was imposed on us by India in 1971. There are many songs that could serve as a national anthem. The government should form a new commission to select a new national anthem,” he told journalists at a press conference on Tuesday.
The former brigadier general, who was previously disappeared and later released following the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has called for a new anthem that better resonates with the nation’s identity and values. He also argued for constitutional reforms to ensure that laws align with Islamic principles. Azmi’s case received support on Bangladeshi social media, with some users suggesting alternative songs to replace the current anthem.
What stopping us from choosing this beautiful song as our national anthem..!!গান: প্রথমবাংলাদেশআমারশেষবাংলাদেশকণ্ঠশিল্পী: শাহনাজরহমতুল্লাহগীতিকার: মনিরুজ্জামানমনিরসুর:আলাউদ্দিনআলী#ChangethenationalAnthemBD pic.twitter.com/AfA6I0BHWI
This controversy comes as the minority Hindu population faced vandalism of their businesses and properties, as well as the destruction of Hindu temples, during the student-led violence that erupted following the ouster of Hasina. After anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled to India. The situation has drawn international attention, with various human rights organizations condemning the violence. The US government has also expressed concern over the attacks.
Source: Www.Voanews.Com
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Bangladesh: Islamist Freed By ‘Nobel Laureate’ Muhammad Yunus Demands Secession Of Kashmir And Punjab From India, Tells Mamata Banerjee To Target PM Modi
Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani (left), Muhammad Yunus (right), image via Vittorio Zunino Celotto/ Getty
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8 September, 2024
Three weeks after being released from prison in Bangladesh, Islamist Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani has called for the secession of Jammu and Kashmir from the Union of India. He has also sought the help of Pakistan and Afghanistan-based radicals for his nefarious agenda.
The revelations were made in a report published by The Print on Saturday (7th September). Rahmani is the leader of the radical outfit ‘Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)’ and is a vocal supporter of the Islamic terror organisation ‘Al Qaeda’.
As per the report, he had also urged West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee to delcare independence from the rule of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rahmani had promised to aid in India’s dissolution with the support of Khalistanis.
A video of his remarks went viral on social media. “His incendiary remarks made from what looks like a hospital room, has been circulating on social media and posted on YouTube,” The Print said in its report.
The Islamist declared, “I am warning India…Bangladesh is not like Sikkim or Bhutan. It is a country of 18 crore Muslims…If you take a step towards Bangladesh, we will tell China to close the chicken’s neck.”
“We will tell the Seven Sisters to join the freedom movement…Tell Kashmir to get ready for freedom. Pakistan and Afghanistan together will help Kashmir gain independence. We will work for the freedom of Kashmir,” he continued.
Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani said, “We will tell Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal to free Bengal from Modi’s rule and declare independence.”
He also expressed solidarity with Khalistani extremists, who have been fantasising for ages about the secession of Punjab from the Union of India.
“I will tell the Sikhs that your time has come, now call for freedom; to those Sikhs who are Khalistanis, in every province of India, your time has come,” the Islamist stated.
According to The Print, Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani also expressed hope to capture Delhi after having been inspired by the undemocratic ouster of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“If we are challenged, if we are neglected, if chaos is created in our country, then the Tawhid population of Bangladesh, just like it has risen against Hasina, to protect the freedom of Bangladesh, to protect Islam in Bangladesh, the Tawhid will unite to face you in the field. The day is not far when your country too will be broken and the flags of the Tawhid will flutter above Delhi,” he claimed.
On 12th August 2013, Rahamani was arrested in Barguna in connection to inciting people to commit violence. 30 members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team were also arrested. Since his arrest in 2013, Rahamani has remained in jail.
On 31st December 2015, a Dhaka court sentenced him to five years in jail in a case related to the murder of blogger Rajib Haider. The case was filed at Pallabi Police Station.
He has completed his sentence in the case. Apart from this case, two other cases were filed at Mohammadpur Police Station, one at Gulshan Police Station, one at Barguna Sadar Police Station and one at Uttara Paschim Police Station.
The trial is pending in all these cases. In two cases, he was granted bail by the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal of Dhaka in 2020 and 2022. In 2022, 2023 and January 2024, he was granted bail in other three cases.
Ansarullah Bangla Team made headlines with the murder of Rajib Haider in February 2013. In May 2015, the Government of Bangladesh banned the organisation.
Reportedly, the group has killed at least four bloggers and writers. They were also involved in the murders of LGBT rights activist XulhazMannan and his friend KhandokerMahbubRabbyTonoy in 2016.
Source: Www.Opindia.com
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Iranian Secret Service Agents Detained In France For Europe-Wide Plot To Kill Jews
A case revealed Thursday by French news website Mediapart signals a revival in Iranian state-sponsored terrorism in Europe, according to a report by France's General Directorate for Internal Security seen by AFP.
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Sep 8, 2024
A Paris court charged a couple for their alleged involvement in Iranian-backed plots to assassinate Jews in Germany and France. The suspects, identified as Abdelkrim S, 34, and his partner Sabrina B, 33, were charged on May 4 with conspiring with a criminal terrorist organization.
The couple has been placed in pre-trial detention as investigations continue, according to police sources speaking to AFP. The case, known as "Marco Polo," was first reported by French news outlet Mediapart and signals a worrying resurgence of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism across Europe.
"Since 2015, the Iranian (secret) services have resumed a targeted killing policy," the French security agency wrote, adding that "the threat has worsened again in the context of the Israel-Hamas war".
A report from France's General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) indicates that Iranian secret services have resumed a targeted killing policy since 2015, with the threat worsening amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.
According to the DGSI, Iran's goal was to target civilians, particularly Jews and Israelis living in Europe, as well as political opponents. The Iranian regime is accused of enlisting criminals, including drug lords, to carry out its operations.
Abdelkrim S, who had previously served a 10-year sentence for a killing in Marseille, was released on probation in July 2023. He is now accused of being the primary France-based operative for the Iran-backed cell. Investigators believe he was involved in planning violent acts both in France and Germany, including making multiple trips to Germany—despite his probation restrictions—for reconnaissance purposes. His wife, Sabrina B, reportedly accompanied him on these trips.
Abdelkrim S denies any involvement in terrorism, claiming that his travels to Germany were purely for shopping. French authorities have also linked the cell to several arson attempts on Israeli-owned companies in southern France between December 2023 and January 2024. These attacks were reportedly intended to intimidate Jewish communities.
Despite the mounting evidence, Abdelkrim S has rejected the claims. According to police sources, he maintains that his role in communication on Telegram was related to a planned insurance scam, rather than terrorism.
Source: timesofindia.Com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshowprint/113160024.cms
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Saudi Arabia’s Film Commission Participating In 2024 Toronto Film Festival
The Saudi Film Commission will take part at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival.
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September 07, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Film Commission is participating in Canada’s 2024 Toronto International Film Festival, which runs until Sept. 15.
One of the world’s top film festivals, it attracts filmmakers, critics and audiences from around the globe, serving as a key platform for the genre.
The commission is this year showcasing a pavilion which features major Saudi film projects and initiatives, offering visitors a chance to explore the Kingdom’s creative film industry.
A delegation from the commission is representing the diverse talent of the Kingdom’s film community, along with some Saudi filmmakers.
The pavilion also highlights the commission’s commitment to advancing Saudi Arabia’s film industry, showcasing recent achievements and opportunities for international collaboration.
The commission aims to attract global interest in Saudi stories and productions while fostering connections with filmmakers worldwide.
Its participation aligns with its strategy to promote Saudi cinema internationally, support local talent, and contribute to the film industry on a global level.
Source: Www.Arabnews.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2570491/saudi-arabia
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Germany And Iran In Tit-For-Tat Spat Over Islamic Centre Closure
German police raid the Islamic Center Hamburg in November 2023. The center was closed in July 2024 on allegations that members acted against a constitutional order and supported Hezbollah. © Reuters
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Jens Kastner
September 8, 2024
HAMBURG, Germany -- Some German lawmakers are calling for fresh sanctions against Iran as the clock ticks down for the former head of the Islamic Centre Hamburg Mohammad Hadi Mofatteh to leave the country by Wednesday.
Mofatteh was expelled by Germany in late August on allegations that the centre (IZH) was "spreading the ideology of the Islamic Revolution in an aggressive and combative manner and pursuing unconstitutional goals."
This comes at a time when new Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is making efforts toward the lifting of international sanctions on Iran in hopes of improving the economy.
Peter Heidt, a caucus member of the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP), a partner in Germany's coalition government, is one of the politicians calling for stronger action against Iran. He told Nikkei Asia on Monday that the bilateral relationship has hit rock-bottom.
"With the Iranian regime exporting terror to Syria, Lebanon and the Houthis and disseminating hate speech in the IZH, I cannot imagine that there will be any improvement in dealing with it, and we as the FDP are behind closed doors pushing policymakers both in Berlin and Brussels for tighter sanctions," Heidt said.
Germany's intelligence agency said Mofatteh, who headed the IZH for six years, was considered until recently the deputy of Iran's spiritual leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Germany. Mofatteh is not allowed to re-enter Germany or he faces up to three years in prison. It is unclear if he has left Hamburg as he could not be reached for comment.
The IZH, also known as the Blue Mosque, was deemed unconstitutional and closed by the German authorities on July 24, following investigations into its ties with Iran and Hezbollah, a Lebanese paramilitary group. IZH's assets and facilities were confiscated and five sub-organizations assigned to it were banned.
In apparent retaliation, Iranian authorities on Aug. 20 closed a German state-linked language school in Tehran.
The European Union has long imposed trade sanctions on Iran. In July 2023, restrictions were tightened because of Tehran's support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. German exports to Iran fell 24% to 1.2 billion euros ($1.3 billion) in 2023 from a year ago, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
The EU has also been eyeing additional sanctions over Iran's role in the war between Hamas and Israel. In April, the EU enacted a round of restrictions after Iran attacked Israel, which was sparked by Israel's bombing of the Iranian Embassy in Damascus.
An observer said, though, that both sides show little appetite for escalation.
"By closing an Islamic center and a language school, rather than expelling diplomats or closing embassies, both sides kept diplomatic channels open," said Carsten Wieland, a commentator and former diplomat specializing in Middle East affairs.
"The German and European sides want to hold on to diplomatic options to prevent Iran from crossing the threshold [into] becoming a nuclear state," he said, referring to the nuclear accord agreed in 2015 between Iran and the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the U.K., the U.S. plus Germany under the EU.
Under U.S. President Donald Trump in 2018, Washington withdrew from the pact, with the former leader pledging he would negotiate a better deal, which he failed to do before leaving office.
Recent Iranian news reports indicate that the nuclear accord's survival is in the interest of the reformist administration of President Pezeshkian. They pointed out that Pezeshkian appointed Mohammad JavadZarif, who was chief diplomat during the two years of talks that led to the nuclear deal, as vice president for strategic affairs. He also appointed Abbas Araghchi, who was Zarif's deputy during the nuclear negations, as the new foreign minister.
"As the Iranian population questions why their government has been sending so much money to the wars in Lebanon and Syria while they have to line up for fuel and other necessities, the existing sanctions exert great domestic pressure onto the Iranian regime to improve international ties," Wieland said.
Source: Asia.Nikkei.Com
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South Asia
Harris campaign hits Trump on 2020 Taliban deal in response to his criticism of Afghanistan withdrawal
By Aaron Navarro
September 7, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign is rehashing former President Donald Trump's 2020 deal with the Taliban, as the Republican nominee has repeatedly criticized her for the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan during President Biden's first year in office.
August 26 marked three years since the Abbey Gate suicide bombing attack outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, which killed 13 U.S. service members, injured 18 others, and killed about 170 Afghans.
During a speech in Detroit marking the day, Trump placed the blame for the "humiliation in Afghanistan" on both Harris and Mr. Biden.
In a response first shared with CBS News, Harris' campaign is using Trump's announcement, and abrupt cancellation, five years ago of a meeting at Camp David with Taliban leaders, to highlight the role his deal with the Taliban played in the withdrawal.
The campaign argues that Trump's deal created a "virtually impossible" deadline and left "the Biden-Harris administration with zero plans for an orderly withdrawal — only a dangerous, costly mess."
"Trump shamelessly attacks the vice president because he hopes he can trick the country into forgetting that his own actions put troops in harm's way," Harris campaign national security spokesperson Morgan Finkelstein told CBS News. "Trump wanted to bring the Taliban to Camp David just days before September 11th—think about that. He cut a bad deal with the very same people who violently took over Afghanistan and led to the collapse of the Afghan government."
On Sept. 7, 2019, Trump tweeted that a meeting with the Taliban was canceled after a U.S. soldier was killed in an attack by the terrorist group. Months later, in February 2020, Trump signed an agreement with the Taliban to pave the way for a significant drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by the end of that year, in exchange for guarantees from the Taliban that the country would not be used for terrorist activities.
However, Taliban attacks on Afghan forces continued. Trump's former national security adviser H.R. McMaster called the deal a "surrender agreement with the Taliban" during a podcast interview.
Source: Www.Cbsnews.Net
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https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harris-campaign-trump-taliban-afghanistan-withdrawal/
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GOP probe of Biden’s Afghanistan exit expands as election nears
By Dan Lamothe
September 7, 2024
House Republicans are expanding their investigation of the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, according to people familiar with that matter, pursuing additional witness testimony as former president Donald Trump attempts to make the war’s deadly endgame a central issue with the election now weeks away.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee’s GOP majority has been in contact with at least three senior military officers who were in Kabul in August 2021 and directly involved in the hastily organized evacuation of tens of thousands of people whose safety was in jeopardy when the Afghan government collapsed. The operation left U.S. forces partially reliant for their security on Taliban militants, whose regime U.S. and coalition forces had warred with for 20 years, as they made a stunning return to power.
The senior officers targeted by the committee are Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, Navy Rear Adm. Peter Vasely, who recently retired from active duty, and Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Farrell Sullivan, according to several people familiar with the matter. Each officer supervised U.S. forces during the evacuation, and Vasely and Sullivan previously voiced frustration with the Biden administration’s management of the crisis.
The Foreign Affairs Committee, which had been forecast to complete its investigation by now, also has intensified efforts to speak with at least two key administration figures: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was subpoenaed by the committee this past week, and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.
A Pentagon spokesman, James Adams, acknowledged that Donahue, Vasely and Sullivan had provided lawmakers with their “personal views and perspectives” and said “we are not aware of any official congressional requests for additional testimony” from them or other military personnel. A committee aide, who like others interviewed for this report spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing and politically charged inquiry, said investigators are reviewing the officers’ responses and that it is possible they will be asked for further participation in the inquiry.
Source: Www.Washingtonpost.Com
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Fierce border clashes erupt between Pakistan and Afghanistan
By Ayaz Gul
September 07, 2024
Islamabad — Border security forces of Pakistan and Afghanistan were engaged in intense clashes Saturday, reportedly resulting in several casualties on both sides.
The war zone is located between the southeastern Afghan border province of Khost and the adjoining Pakistani district of Kurram, as reported by security officials and residents on both sides.
The conflict reportedly broke out when Taliban forces attempted to construct a security outpost on the Afghan side, prompting Pakistani troops to open fire to force the other side to stop the activity.
Pakistani officials maintain neither side can construct new posts unilaterally under mutual agreements regarding the nearly 2,600-kilometer border between the two countries.
Source: Www.Voanews.Com
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https://www.voanews.com/a/fierce-border-clashes-erupt-between-pakistan-and-afghanistan/7775511.html
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India yet to take call on Bangladesh’s request for Yunus-Modi meeting
By Rezaul H Laskar
Sep 07, 2024
The Bangladeshi side made a formal request earlier this week for a meeting between Yunus and Modi, who will both be in New York for the UN General Assembly later this month
The Indian side is yet to take a call on Bangladesh’s request for a meeting between interim government head Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York, people familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
The people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a meeting appears unlikely following comments by Yunus in an interview with an Indian media outlet earlier this week. Yunus’s remarks had not gone down well in New Delhi, they said.
Source: Www.Hindustan Times.Com
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Europe
Blackburn: Men sat in cars are ‘security teams protecting mosques'
By Shuiab Khan
Concerns were raised by some residents who were unsure what people were doing sitting in cars at all hours of the day and night on street corners.
When first approached last month, they revealed they were ‘watching the streets’. Later, it transpired the security teams had been deployed to watch mosques and outside religious buildings following the riots in early August.
The security personnel were sat in unmarked cars sometimes in teams of four in separate vehicles. They were also believed to be taking pictures at intervals. Later they wore hi-vis jackets.
The teams will be place for a’ number of weeks’ at locations across the country. They were also spotted at mosques in Preston and Bolton in the past month.
Source: Www.Lancashiretelegraph.co.uk
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UK and US spy chiefs warn of threat to world order
September 8, 2024
LONDON: CIA Director Bill Burns and UK MI6 chief Richard Moore warned on Saturday that the world order was “under threat in a way we haven’t seen since the cold war”.
Writing in a Financial Times op-ed, the two spy chiefs said “we have no more trusted or esteemed allies” than each other, adding that the partnership would be vital as they “face an unprecedented array of threats”, chiefly from Russia, China and in the Middle East.
The United States and UK are among the leading financial and military supporters of Ukraine in its resistance to the Russian invasion launched in February 2022.
The op-ed by the CIA director and chief of the Secret Intelligence Service was the first-ever jointly authored by heads of their agencies. “The partnership lies at the beating heart of the special relationship between our countries,” they wrote, noting that their services marked 75 years of partnership two years ago.
Source: Www.dawn.Com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1857638/uk-and-us-spy-chiefs-warn-of-threat-to-world-order
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The Body Shop rescued from administration after deal
7 Sept 2024
Growth capital firm Aurea on Saturday announced the completion of its acquisition of UK-based cosmetics group The Body Shop, renowned for ethical hair and skin products.
The 50-year-old business entered administration in February, which led to FRP Advisory being brought in to try to salvage part of the group.
Soon after, The Body Shop announced it would shutter almost half of its 198 stores in Britain. On collapsing, it employed about 1,500 staff across its UK stores, and a total 7,000 worldwide.
"This investment demonstrates Aurea's focus on backing purpose-led and differentiated brands in the Beauty, Wellness and Longevity sector and represents its largest transaction to date," Aurea said in a statement.
Source: Finance
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https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/body-shop-rescued-administration-deal-151928661.html
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Arab World
Saudi Arabia set to host International AI Olympiad
September 07, 2024
RIYADH: A global edition of the International AI Olympiad gets underway in Riyadh on Sunday, with teams from 25 countries expected to take part.
The event, which will run until Thursday, is being organized by the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence Authority in collaboration with UNESCO, the International Center for AI Research and Ethics, and the International Research Center on Artificial Intelligence, in Slovenia.
The SDAIA hopes the olympiad will serve as a platform for AI competitions, and nurture talent while fostering skills development, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Source: Www.Arabnews.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2570479/saudi-arabia
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Completion of Saudi Arabia’s Qunfudhah-Sabt Al Jarah road project expected to improve traffic safety
September 08, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s road development project connecting the western regions of Makkah and Asir is now complete, the General Authority for Roads said in a report carried by the Saudi Press Agency on Saturday.
The new concrete road is expected to reduce accidents resulting from vehicles slipping into valleys during torrents, as well as increase road capacity and reduce travel time between the two regions.
Engineers have modified the path of the old Sabt Al-Jarah Road to bypass flood channels, installed 100 guidance panels, 2,000 ground reflectors, 97,000 meters of paint lengths, and warning vibrations, to raise the level of safety, said the report.
Source: Www.Arabnews.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2570524/saudi-arabia
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Saudi interior minister arrives in Egypt on official visit
September 07, 2024
His trip is being made on the directives of the Kingdom’s leadership, Saudi Press Agency reported.
Prince Abdulaziz was received at Cairo International Airport by his Egyptian counterpart Major General Mahmoud Tawfiq and the Saudi ambassador to Egypt Saleh bin Eid Al-Hussaini.
Source: Www.Arabnews.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2570494/saudi-arabia
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Riyadh to host National Cultural Awards on Monday
September 07, 2024
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Culture will host the National Cultural Awards at Riyadh’s King Fahd Cultural Center on Monday.
The awards, which are being held for the fourth time, will honor cultural pioneers from various fields, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Saturday.
The awards recognize individuals, groups, and institutions for their cultural achievements and artistic talent and “aim to promote excellence across 16 cultural sectors, offering financial and moral support, media exposure, and opportunities to represent the sectors at domestic and international events,” the SPA stated.
Source: Www.Arabnews.Com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2570490/saudi-arabia
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Saudi Arabia: Body of missing boy found in Mecca flooded wadi
Ramadan Al Sherbini
September 07, 2024
Cairo: After two days of searching, Saudi Civil Defence and volunteers recovered the body of a four-year-old boy who, along with his three sisters, died when their family's car was trapped by floods in the holy city of Mecca.
The accident occurred last week in Wadi Al Maghmas, a valley in eastern Mecca, where the car had been swept away by severe flooding.
Civil Defence personnel managed to rescue the parents and two of their children, aged 13 and two years. The other four — three girls and a boy — were swept away by the flooding. The bodies of the three girls were recovered earlier.
Source: Www.Saba.Ye
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Mideast
Turkiye’s Erdogan moots Islamic alliance to stop ‘Israeli arrogance, banditry and state terrorism’
08 Sep 2024
ISTANBUL, Sept 8 — Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Islamic countries should form an alliance against what he called “the growing threat of expansionism” from Israel, drawing a rebuke from the Israeli foreign minister.
He made the comment after describing what Palestinian and Turkish officials said was the killing by Israeli troops of a Turkish-American woman taking part in a protest on Friday against settlement expansion in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
“The only step that will stop Israeli arrogance, Israeli banditry, and Israeli state terrorism is the alliance of Islamic countries,” Erdogan said at an Islamic schools’ association event near Istanbul.
He said recent steps that Turkey has taken to improve ties with Egypt and Syria are aimed at “forming a line of solidarity against the growing threat of expansionism,” which he said also threatened Lebanon and Syria.
Source: Malaymail
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Israeli air strike kills 2 Islamic Jihad commanders in central Gaza
08-Sep-2024
Two battalion commanders of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) movement were killed in a recent Israeli air strike in the central Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Saturday.
The IDF said Israeli aircraft on Thursday carried out a "precise strike" on a command and control center in the city of Deir al-Balah used by Hamas and PIJ militants. The attack killed "a number of" militants, including Abdallah Khatib, commander of the PIJ's Southern Deir al-Balah Battalion, who commanded the battalion's operations in the October 7 attacks in southern Israel, according to the statement.
The IDF also reported that Hatem Abu Aljidian, commander of the PIJ's Eastern Deir al-Balah Battalion, who was involved in planning attacks against Israeli forces during the conflict, was also killed in the strike.
Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, huge numbers of Israelis again poured into the streets to protest the government's failure to secure the return of remaining hostages in Gaza, and hospital and local authorities said Israeli air raids in the territory killed more than a dozen people overnight into Saturday.
Source: News.Cgtn.Com
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Israeli strikes in Gaza kill 61 in 48 hours as UN pursues vaccinations
By Nidal Al-Mughrabi
September 8, 2024
CAIRO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Israeli military strikes across the Palestinian Gaza Strip killed at least 61 people in the space of 48 hours, medics said on Saturday, as Israeli forces battled Hamas-led militants in the territory.
Eleven months into the war, numerous rounds of diplomacy have so far failed to clinch a ceasefire deal to end the conflict and bring the release of Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza.
Airstrikes on two former schools that were housing displaced people, one in Gaza City and one in Jabalia, killed at least 12 people, Palestinian medics said.
The Israeli military said the strikes targeted Hamas gunmen who were operating in the compound. Five more people were killed in a strike on a house in Gaza City, Palestinian medics said, with a total of 28 people killed on Saturday.
The armed wings of the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah groups said they had fought Israeli troops across Gaza with anti-tank rockets and mortar bombs, and in some incidents detonated bombs to target tanks and other army vehicles.
The two warring sides continued to blame one another for the failure of mediators, including Qatar, Egypt and the United States, to broker a ceasefire. The U.S. is preparing to present a new proposal, but the prospects of a breakthrough appear slim as gaps between the sides remain wide.
Source: News.Reuters.Com
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Ukraine war: Iran 'sends hundreds of missiles to Russia' in 'dramatic escalation'
7 September 2024
Iran is believed to have sent more than 200 ballistic missiles to Russia - a move security chiefs say would be a "dramatic escalation" of its defence partnership with Moscow.
A Russian ship delivered the short-range Fatah-360 missiles from Tehran to a port in the Caspian Sea, a Ukrainian source told Sky News on Saturday.
So far it has supplied Vladimir Putin's forces with large quantities of attack drones - as well as artillery shells and ammunition.
But speaking at an event in London, CIA director Bill Burns said: "Should Iran ship ballistic missiles... it would be a dramatic escalation of the nature of the defence partnership."
Source: News.Cgtn.Com
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US informs allies Iran transferred ballistic missiles to Russia to use in Ukraine war
08/09/2024
Iran has supplied Moscow with its Shahed attack drone to use on the battlefield. Tehran has always denied this, saying the deliveries were made before the start of the war.
The United States has informed allies that it believes Iran has transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia to use in its war in Ukraine, according to two people familiar with the matter.
They did not offer any details about how many weapons have been delivered or when the transfers took place, but did confirm the US intelligence findings.
"Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and lead to the killing of more Ukrainian civilians," National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett said in a statement.
Source: News.Euronews.Com
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Major roadblocks in Gaza ceasefire talks raise doubts over whether war can be ended before Biden leaves office
September 7, 2024
The Biden administration has hit major roadblocks in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations after months of feverish work, raising doubts within the White House about whether the Israel-Hamas war can come to an end before the end of Joe Biden’s one-term presidency, officials told CNN.
While Biden and his top aides have persistently expressed hope that they can ultimately push a deal across the line, significant complications have shifted the mood in recent days.
US officials say they are increasingly skeptical that Hamas and the group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, may actually want an agreement. They have accused the group of making the negotiations more difficult following the recent execution of six hostages in Gaza.
And Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has poured cold water on US hopefulness, though Biden officials have largely refrained from criticizing him. The prime minister said bluntly this week that a deal is not close and is arguing for a permanent Israeli presence in southwestern Gaza, despite international calls, including from the US, for Israel to eventually fully withdraw.
Meanwhile, anger has soared in Israel with massive protests around the country against the Netanyahu government for failing to secure a deal that would bring home the more than 100 hostages who remain, several of whom are also American.
Source: Edition.Cnn.Com
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New Zealand
Government Cost-Cutting Leaving New Zealand Open To Terrorism, Federation of Islamic Associations Says
8 Sep 2024
By RNZ
The Federation of Islamic Associations (Fianz) says the Government must reconsider deprioritising and defunding much of the country’s national security framework.
A recent Security Intelligence Service threat assessment says a “terrorist attack on New Zealand soil remains a realistic possibility” and would most likely come from a “self-radicalised” person who acts alone.
Fianz chairman Abdur Razzaq said the value of the report was dependent on the proper funding of resources to monitor and respond to potential threats.
“So we are requesting the Government to actually look at their budget and give this a high priority because reports like this are barometers of how unsafe we are - and we are.”
Source: Www.Newstalkzb.Co.Nz
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North America
Muslim groups: Emory ‘institution of particular concern’ due to treatment of pro-Hamas activists
September 7, 2024
The Council on American-Islamic Relations and American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee have designated Emory University as an “institution of particular concern” due to its “hostility” towards anti-Israel student activists.
According to The Emory Wheel (which follows CAIR’s lead and refers to the activists as “anti-genocide”), the groups allege that Emory, along with George Washington University and UCLA, “set the standard for creating a thoroughly hostile and dangerous environment” for Muslims and Palestinians.
Back in April, CAIR-Georgia and Palestine Legal filed a federal civil rights complaint on behalf of Emory’s Students for Justice in Palestine, alleging the school created a “hostile anti-Palestinian and Islamophobic environment.”
Source: Www.Thecollegefix.Com
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Vandalism at Muslim Community Center on the Northwest Side being investigated by the Chicago police
By Mary Norkol .
Sept 8, 2024
The Muslim Community Center in Irving Park was vandalized in what staff members and others say they believe was a targeted attack.
The Chicago branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations called for an investigation of two incidents — on Tuesday and on Sept. 1 — at the center, 4380 N. Elston Ave.
“It’s unclear what the source of what look like bullet holes is, whether a gun, a BB gun or something else, but what seems clear is that the person who inflicted this damage on a Muslim house of worship did not come in peace,” said Ahmed Rehab, the organization’s executive director. “This attack is not just on a building. It is an attack on the Muslim community’s safety and right to worship freely.”
Source: Chicago.Suntimes.Com
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US MQ-9 drone shot down by Houthis in Yemen's Marib governorate
Sep 8, 2024
A US MQ-9 drone was shot down over the airspace of Marib governorate in Yemen on Saturday, according to Yahya Saree, the military spokesman for the Iran-aligned Houthi group. The group claimed that the drone was engaging in hostile activities in the area.
The Houthis, who took control of northern Yemen and its capital, Sanaa, in 2014, have previously downed at least eight US drones. The MQ-9 Reaper, a high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, costs approximately $30 million per unit and can operate at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet for up to 24 hours.
The downing of the drone coincides with Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, where the group has been demanding an end to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza, which has led to significant casualties. Since November, the Houthis have launched several attacks on shipping vessels, seizing one and sinking another, while also taking hostages.
Source: Timesofindia.Com
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CAIR Calls For Hate Crime Investigation Into Damage At Muslim Centre
By Sylvan Lebrun
September 07, 2024
CHICAGO - After possible bullet holes were discovered at the Muslim Community Centre this week, the Chicago office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations announced Saturday that they are calling upon police to investigate the incident as a potential hate crime. The Council on American-Islamic Relations wrote in their news release that the "targeted act of violence" against the mosque "appears to be yet another attack aimed at the Muslim community." Established in 1969, the Muslim Community Center in Irving Park is one of the oldest and largest Muslim organizations in Chicago. According to Saif Mazhar, chair of the security committee for the Muslim Community Center, office staff first found what looked like bullet holes on the building's glass doors during Labor Day weekend. When multiple new holes were found on Tuesday two days later, Mazhar said he then realized that the mosque was being targeted. The community has since been very "shaken up," Mazhar said. On Thursday, he reached out to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to request they look into the incident as a potential hate crime, concurrent to the Chicago Police Department's own investigation. "We don't want to be targeted again," Mazhar said. "What we would like is for the FBI to really investigate the situation, as we're citizens too. We live here as well. We're American too. So we don't want to be the ‘others'… we want to be part of the same team." Damage to the front windows and doors of the Muslim Community Center was reported to police at approximately 6 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Chicago Police Department. No offenders have been taken into custody and detectives are investigating the incident, police said Saturday. Chicago police could not provide comment on whether the incident is specifically being investigated as a hate crime. However, leaders of CAIR-Chicago reiterated that the choice to damage a mosque was likely not made at random. "It's unclear what the source of what look like bullet holes is, whether a gun, a BB gun, or something else, but what seems clear is that the person who inflicted this damage on a Muslim house of worship did not come in peace," wrote Ahmed Rehab, executive director of CAIR-Chicago, in their Saturday news release. "This attack is not just on a building; it is an attack on the Muslim community's safety and right to worship freely." The vandalism of the Muslim Community Center occurred at night when the mosque was closed, Mazhar said. Security footage did not capture the incident, he said, as the cameras were not directly facing the doors. The mosque had delayed repairs of the damage to the building for days since the incident, Mazhar said, as they were hoping that the FBI or other investigators would stop by to analyze the potential bullet holes. Yet since no one has come by, they now plan to begin fixing their building up, he added. Mazhar, who was born and raised in Chicago, said though he's felt more Islamophobia recently, "for years and years it's always been this thing where you know, we seem like the o
Source: Www.Bellinghamherald.Com
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India
Focus on Muslims in SanthalPargana, BJP’s 'Bangladeshi infiltration' claim debunked
AnimeshBisoee
08.09.24
Two outfits claiming to be a coalition of rights defenders in a fact-finding report released on Friday in Ranchi have stated that Bengali-speaking Muslims in SanthalPargana are Indians and not Bangladeshi infiltrators as “propagated” by BJP leaders in poll-bound Jharkhand.
The Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha and the Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan said that their delegation had gone to Pakur and Sahibganj districts of SanthalPargana as part of a fact-finding exercise after the BJP’s “continuous propagation” that a large number of Bangladeshi infiltrators are settling in the region by grabbing tribal land and marrying Adivasi women, leading to a decline in the tribal population.
“The BJP has linked some recent cases of violence with Bangladeshi infiltrators and is using it for social and political mobilisation. The fact-finding team spoke in detail with the students, victims, accused individuals, villagers from both sides, village heads and local activists in recent major cases in Pakur and Sahibganj,” said Siraj Dutta, a member of the fact-finding team.
“The team also studied the registered FIRs and related documents in these cases. Census data from 1901 till now, related census reports, gazetteers and research papers related to the demography of the area, were also assessed. The team found that the ground reality is far from the communal claims of the BJP,” Dutta said.
Source: Www.Telegraph India.Com
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Himachal Mosque Case: Waqf Board Claims Ownership, Court Asks How Single Storey Structure Turned Into 5 Storeys
By: Express News Service
September 8, 2024
The Himachal Pradesh Waqf Board Saturday submitted in a Shimla court that mosque in Sanjauli Colony belongs on its land, but it has no idea “who constructed additional four floors”. It also submitted that the matter is not about the legality of the mosque but of the additional floors added to the already existing structure on its land. Meanwhile, some residents of Sanjauli submitted an application seeking to be impleaded as a party in the case.
The Waqf Board and the locals made the submission in Shimla Municipal Corporation Commissioner’s court. After hearing both the parties, the court fixed the next hearing for October 5.
Advocate Jagat Pal, representing the Sanjauli local residents, submitted that the land on which the mosque is built belongs to the revenue department of the state government and that the Waqf Board is an encroacher. He submitted that the Waqf Board has been unable to produce any evidence of ownership. Another application submitted by the local residents outlined the difficulties they face due to the religious structure.
Advocate Pal said they were forced to join the issue as it had been lingering in the MC Commissioner’s court for the past 14 years and the Waqf Board was made a party only in 2023. The counsel submitted that it was not a communal issue but that of illegal construction and the mosque must be demolished.
Source: Indian Express.Com
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Boards banning non-Hindus, Rohingya Muslims in Uttarakhand village spark row
By Amit Bathla
Sep 08, 2024
Signboards banning "non-Hindus" and hawkers in Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag spark police probe amid rising concerns from Muslim groups over community targeting.
Signboards banning the entry of “non-Hindus” and hawkers have been reportedly installed outside several villages in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, prompting the state police to launch a probe, even as Muslim organisations raised concerns over the increasing number of cases targeting the community.
While Uttarakhand director general of police (DGP) Abhinav Kumar said he has ordered local police and intelligence units to ascertain reports of such boards being installed in multiple villages, Rudraprayag circle officer Prabodh Kumar Ghildiyal confirmed that they have removed several signboards and were trying to identify the culprits who put them up.
“It came to light that such boards have come up in some villages. We have been removing them. Some have already been removed from a few villages. We are also trying to ascertain the identities of those who have put up these boards,” Ghildiyal said.
“It is prohibited for non-Hindus/Rohingya Muslims and hawkers to do business/roam around in the village. If found anywhere in the village, punitive action will be taken,” the text on the signboard installed outside the Nyalsu village, written in Hindi, read. It claimed the directive had come from the gram sabha.
Pramod Singh, pradhan of Nyalsu, said that similar boards have come up in almost all villages in the region, including Shersi, Gaurikund, Triyuginarayan, Sonprayag, Barasu, Jamu, Ariya, Ravigram, and Maikhanda. Singh told HT that the signboard outside his village has been installed by the villagers and not the gram panchayat.
Source: Hindustan Times.Com
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Rohingya Muslims risk losing homeland in Myanmar: Rights activist
08-09-2024
Rohingya Muslims face the risk of losing their homeland if the international community fails to address the issue, according to one observer.
Rohingya rights activist and co-founder of the Free Rohingya Coalition, Nay San Lwin, said that following forced displacements in Rakhine State, there are approximately 600,000 Rohingya Muslims in the region, with estimates suggesting that 10,000 were forced to seek refuge in Bangladesh last week.
"If the international community fails to resolve this issue once again, we will lose our homeland. The most critical issue is impunity. The Myanmar army has been acting with impunity since 1978," he said in an interview with Anadolu, where he assessed the role of international organizations in addressing the issues faced by the Rohingya community.
Lwin noted that there are ongoing international court cases concerning the atrocities faced by the Rohingya community, but the duration of these cases remains uncertain.
He emphasised that a crucial step for the Rohingya Muslim community would be intervention by international organizations, a resolution by the UN Security Council, or the formation of an international coalition to assist the Rohingya.
Source: Www.Trtworld.Com
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Pakistan
Cup Of Tea In Kabul Has Cost Pakistan - Dy PM Hits Out At Imran Khan Government, Links To The Current Rise In Terrorism
Atika Rehman
September 8, 2024
LONDON: Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, who also holds the foreign affairs portfolio, on Saturday hit out at the supposed mistakes made by the Imran Khan government, particularly in relation to economic and security decisions, and linked the former administration’s ‘missteps’ to the current rise in terrorism and economic challenges.
Mr Dar made the remarks at a wide-ranging press conference held at the Pakistan High Commission in London’s Belgravia district, where he also spoke about UK-Pakistan relations as well as the political and security situation in the country. He rued mistakes made by the government and military officials of the past but struck an optimistic tone about the country’s future.
The deputy premier arrived in London on Wednesday on an official visit and met members of the British government and Pakistani diaspora, dubbing it a “useful, busy and fruitful” trip.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
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PTI asks workers to reach Islamabad individually
Zulqernain Tahir
September 8, 2024
LAHORE: The Punjab home department has apparently given a free hand to the PTI leaders and workers to attend party’s public gathering in Islamabad on Sunday (today), but the PTI leadership insists that police have been told to contain its workers within their respective districts.
The home department did not impose Section 144 primarily in the wake of the Islamabad deputy commissioner’s permission granted to the PTI to hold a public gathering on the outskirts of the federal capital.
The PTI says the district police officers have been instructed to check every vehicle at the exit of each district and ensure that no one should go out of the district for the protest.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
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Imran seeks acquittal under NAB tweaks he contested
Malik Asad3
September 8, 2024
ISLAMABAD: Even as Imran Khan railed against amendments to the National Accountability Ordinance 1999 recently restored by the Supreme Court, his legal team on Saturday moved an application in an accountability court seeking the former prime minister’s acquittal in the £190 million case on grounds that the amended law protected the decisions taken by the federal cabinet.
Imran Khan had challenged the NAB amendments introduced by the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government, which were later set aside by a Supreme Court bench headed by then-chief justice Umar Ata Bandial on Sept 15 last year.
These amendments were restored by the apex court bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa in response to a review petition by the government.
In the application, Imran Khan’s legal team comprising Barrister Salman Safdar, Usman Riaz Gill and Zaheer Abbas said that NAB had initiated proceedings against their client as well as other accused persons at the behest of political rivals.
“Despite being fully aware that the case does not fall within the ambit of the NAO, 1999, NAB exceeded its jurisdiction and filed a false and frivolous reference, alleging that the applicant, as the prime minister of Pakistan, chaired the cabinet meeting held on Dec 03, 2019, during which a deed of confidentiality was approved,” said his application.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
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President signs public order bill into law in ‘haste’
Iftikhar A. Khan
September 8, 2024
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has given assent to a controversial bill passed by the both houses of parliament to ‘regulate’ public gatherings in Islamabad, making it a law within less than a week after it first landed in the Senate.
Aimed to empower the district magistrate to regulate and ban public gatherings in Islamabad, the ‘Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Bill 2024’ was tabled in the upper house on Sept 2, approved by the standing committee concerned on Sept 3 and passed by the Senate on Sept 5 after suspension of rules in a move seen by the opposition as “tyranny of fake majority”.
The bill was then rushed through the National Assembly on Sept 6 amidst the opposition’s outcry and given assent by the president within hours.
Under the constitution, the president has 10 days to sign a bill passed by the parliament or refer it back to the parliament for reconsideration. The law prescribes a punishment of up to three years or/and an unspecified fine to the members of an “unlawful assembly”.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
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SC gives detailed reasons for clearing RekoDiq settlement deal
Nasir Iqbal
September 8, 2024
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Saturday provided detailed reasons explaining why former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial-led larger bench on Dec 9, 2022 cleared the RekoDiq settlement deal between Pakistan and international firms, Antofagasta Plc and Barrick Gold Corporation, for implementation.
The detailed reasons came after a gap of 21 months despite Justice Bandial’s earlier claim that the Dec 9 short order was comprehensive and there was no need to issue separate or additional reasons, especially when the short order had already been implemented by both sides. Justice Yahya Afridi, however, had a word of caution as he had pointed out that the SC must not repeat the judicial adventure of riding on the ‘unruly horse’ of ‘public policy’.
The opinion of the court had come in response to a presidential reference on the RekoDiq reconstitution deal. Former president Dr Arif Alvi through the reference had sought SC’s opinion on whether its 2013 judgement in the Maulana Abdul Haque Baloch prevented the federal and provincial governments from entering into the implementation agreement and whether the proposed Foreign Investment (Protection and Promotion) Bill, 2022 and any amendments to it would violate the Constitution.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
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Mayor criticises Centre’s lack of contribution to Karachi’s uplift
Imran Ayub
September 8, 2024
KARACHI: Lashing out at both the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and the federal government on Saturday, Mayor Murtaza Wahab accused the rival party of “blackmailing” Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by threatening to quit the coalition government at the Centre if the prime minister allowed heavy vehicles to ply on the Lyari Expressway at his request.
He also criticised Islamabad for “neglecting” Karachi and equated the federal government’s contribution to the development of the city to “zero plus zero equals to zero”.
The mayor shared his thoughts while replying to a question during his media talk after visiting Karachi Water and Sewerage Corporation’s TP-3 in Mauripur, which was made operational to treat 35 million gallons of sewage per day before being released into the sea.
The mayor was visibly disappointed and showed the sign of a thumbs down when asked about the federal government’s contribution for the city development and financial assistance from PM Shehbaz Sharif.
In the same breath, he also questioned the role of MQM-P which kept complaining about the Karachi infrastructure and development, but despite being a “key partner” of the coalition in the federal had “failed to bring anything for the city”.
Source: Www.Dawn.Com
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Southeast Asia
Halal Cert: Seputeh MP Teresa KokJust Voicing Non-Muslims' Fears, Says DAP Secretary-General
Sep 8, 2024
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has come to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok’s defence over the latter’s statement on the proposal to require restaurants and food companies that do not serve pork and alcohol to obtain halal certification.
Loke said Kok’s statement simply reflected the concerns of the non-Muslim community, particularly restaurant owners who were worried that their businesses would also be required to obtain halal certification.
Source: Malaysiakini.Com
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https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/718506
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Bukit Aman has eyes on company linked to deviationist Islamic teachings thought to be using kids for donations
07 Sep 2024
BANGI, Sept 7 — The police are monitoring a company suspected of having links with a religious movement in the country following reports of child exploitation involving the company, said Deputy Inspector General of Police Datuk Seri Ayob Khan MydinPitchay.
He said four reports were received in Selangor involving the company and the case was investigated under Section 32 (a) of the Child Act 2001 for allegedly exploiting children to collect donations.
“Based on the information obtained, it is believed that this company is not contributing to the Employees’ Provident Fund, and has established many charity homes donations which they use to seek donations.
Source: Malay Mail.Com
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DPM Zahid to visit China from Sept 8 to 12 for key bilateral talks and strategic forums
08 Sep 2024
PUTRAJAYA, Sept 8 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will undertake a five-day working visit to China from Sept 8 to 12, aiming to further elevate Malaysia-China ties as both nations mark 50 years of diplomatic relations.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that during the visit, Ahmad Zahid will attend the 2024 Conference of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum Lianyungang (GPSCFL) and the Malaysia-China Halal Business Forum, as well as hold discussions with State Councillor and Minister of Public Security Wang Xiaohong.
“The visit will add momentum to the strong bilateral ties between Malaysia and China as both nations celebrate the 50th year of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. Relations have continued to grow since its elevation to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) in 2013,” the statement read.
Source: Malay Mail.Com
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Indonesia’s president-elect Prabowo eyes stronger defence ties with Malaysia post-2024
08 Sep 2024
JAKARTA, Sept 8 — Indonesian president-elect PrabowoSubianto has expressed optimism about the future of defence collaboration between Indonesia and Malaysia, building on the momentum established following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Aug 9, 2022.
Prabowo, Indonesia’s current Defence Minister, in a statement released by the Defence Ministry following his visit to Malaysia, said the agreement is set to bolster cooperation in the defence industry, education, operations, and training.
He highlighted that both nations have long benefitted from mutual training programmes, with over 500 Indonesian personnel trained in Malaysia since 1967 and more than 200 Malaysian personnel receiving training in Indonesia since 1970.
On his meeting with Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, Prabowo, according to the statement, expressed his gratitude for the constructive discussions that took place during the meeting.
Source: Malay Mail.Com
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PM Anwar unveils Malaysia’s first sustainable highway R&R in Seremban
08 Sep 2024
SEREMBAN, Sept 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today officiated the Seremban southbound rest and service (R&R) area on the North-South Expressway, marking the launch of the country’s first sustainable highway R&R.
He emphasised that the development of this first sustainable R&R is a significant step toward prioritising facilities that benefit the public.
“I have travelled this highway for decades, and I have never seen an R&R as impressive and sustainable as this one. The people of Seremban and Negeri Sembilan are fortunate to have such a facility; it is a great start for both traders and the community,” he said.
Source: Malay Mail.Com
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DPM Fadillah: Strong economic indicators and stability key to Malaysia’s continued progress
08 Sep 2024
PETALING JAYA, Sept 8 — Economic growth, an increase in investment, exports and job opportunities as well as continuous low inflation are among the fundamentals that will help Malaysia to move forward as a rapidly developing country, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri FadillahYusof.
With these features in place, coupled with political stability, the government will then be able to focus on developing the country, he said.
"These are excellent features to have as we continue to develop from an economic point of view, and with a robust economy, the people’s social standing can then improve.
Source: Malay Mail.Com
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Africa
Chris Uba eyes Anambra South senatorial seat after Senator IfeanyiUbah’s death
Jerry Wright-Ukwu
September 8, 2024
Chris Uba, a once-formidable figure in Anambra State politics, is reportedly positioning himself for a potential political comeback as the senatorial seat for Anambra South becomes vacant following the death of Senator IfeanyiUbah.
Uba, the younger brother of former presidential aide and senator, Andy Uba, was once a key player in the state during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
At the peak of his political career, Uba was regarded as the kingmaker in Anambra State, known for his ability to make or break political careers.
Source: Www.Politicsnigeria.Com
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Two weeks to election: Tension hits Imo APC as candidates await primary results
By Williams Odunze
September 7, 2024
Just two weeks to the main elections on September 21, the Imo State All Progressives Congress, APC, is under tension as candidates and other members of the party are eagerly awaiting the release of results of the party primary elections which was conducted on September 3 at various LGAs and wards in the state.
The tension became more worrisome as results allegedly said to have emanated from the just concluded exercise flooded various media platforms with lists of certain names as the winners of the primary exercise.
Though, the state leadership of the party has earlier warned aspirants and other party faithful to disregard the list and wait for official release of the results which it said would be announced by the party.
DAILY POST learnt that despite the assurance given by the party leadership, many aspirants seemed to be uncomfortable with the delay of the results of an election which they complained was conducted five days ago.
Source: Dailypost.Ng
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NAFDAC signs MoU with National Counter Terrorism Centre
By Chimezie Godfrey
September 7, 2024
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Counter Terrorism Centre to tackle counterfeit drugs.
The signing of the MoU is contained in a statement issued by the Director-General of the agency, Prof. MojisolaAdeyeye, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
Adeyeye said that the move was part of the National Action Plan to prevent distribution of medicines used for terrorism, banditry and violent extremism in the country.
Adeyeye said the MoU would ensure that potential hazardous chemical threats that could have adverse effects on lives were adequately managed.
Source: Newsdiaryonline.Com
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https://newsdiaryonline.com/nafdac-signs-mou-with-national-counter-terrorism-centre/
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