Babri Mosque, A Symbol of Slavery Brought Down: Karnataka BJP Leader on Babri Demolition

New Age Islam News Bureau

2nd January 2024

 

 

Babri Mosque

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·         Babri Mosque, A Symbol of Slavery Brought Down: Karnataka BJP Leader on Babri Demolition

·         Israel's Plan to Displace Palestinians Proves Gaza Onslaught Is War of Genocide: Islamic Jihad

·         ‘Completely Alienated’: British Muslims on Labour, Tory Stance on Gaza War

·         Media Have Freedom If They Respect National and Islamic Interests Values: Spokesperson IEA

·         Houthis Vow Revenge for US Navy Red Sea Killings

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India

·         ISIS Module Case: Six Accused Planned to Recruit 'Gullible Muslim Youths', Says NIA Chargesheet

·         Transgender Teacher Removed from Services Due to Sexual Orientation Moves SC

·         Haryana: Cow Vigilantes Beat Up 2 Muslim Men for Transporting Cattle

·         BSP leader Yakub Qureshi's benami property worth Rs 31 crore seized under Gangster Act

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Mideast

·         Al-Qassam Brigades: 71 Israeli Military Vehicles Destroyed; Tel Aviv Barraged with Rockets

·         Iran A ‘Model’ Of Ethnic, Religious Coexistence: Sunni MPs

·         Israel pulling out thousands of troops from Gaza as Smotrich calls for Jewish settlements

·         Iran FM hails firm pro-Palestine stance of Yemen's Ansarullah movement

·         Israel army warns Gaza war will continue throughout 2024

·         Tens of thousands hold anti-Israeli protest in Istanbul

·         Hezbollah says four of its fighters killed in southern Lebanon

·         Death toll of Palestinians rises to 21,978 in Gaza: Ministry

·         HR Observatory: Zionist enemy forces obstruct human rights organizations in Gaza

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Europe

·         SNP Government Kept Eye on Cronyism Row After It Handed £405k To Islamic Group Linked To

·         Humza Yousaf

·         Pope denounces violence against children in Gaza

·         UK warns willing to take 'direct action' over Red Sea attacks

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South Asia

·         Mosques And Madrassas Should Remain Free for Scholars to Speak Truth: Minister

·         Nobel Winner Yunus Convicted in Bangladesh Labour Law Case

·         Former President Karzai welcomes UN Resolution on Special Envoy for Afghanistan

·         1 million Internally Displaced Transferred to Home Areas: Ministry

·         Afghanistan Demands Respect from Neighbours

·         Smuggling Historical Artifacts Plunders National Identity: Khairkhwah

·         Vote on Jan 7 to foil BNP-Jamaat's arson violence: PM tells people

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Arab World

·         Saudi HR Ministry Starts Professional Verification Program In Egypt

·         Attorney General Meets His Counterpart of Ras Al Khaimah

·         KSrelief chief meets Omani envoy to Saudi Arabia

·         Saudi Arabia university to plant 50,000 trees

·         Saudi aid campaign collects $160m for Gaza

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Pakistan

·         Balochistan: Pakistan PM Says Terrorists Taking Money from India’s RAW

·         Pakistan Arrests 21 Members Of Outlawed Pakistani Taliban Militant Group Linked To Deadly Attacks

·         Muttahida, JUI-F agree on joint strategy against PPP in polls

·         Pakistan condemns ban on Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Party in IIOJK

·         IHC to hear NAB appeal in disqualification case today

·         Pakistan sends third consignment of 20-tonne relief goods to Gaza

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North America

·         US Carrier Sent to Mediterranean After Hamas Attack To Return To Base

·         Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters take to New York streets in solidarity with Gaza

·         New Jersey man faces charges after allegedly attempting to aid militant Islamist group

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Southeast Asia

·         More Rohingya Refugees Arrive In Indonesia Despite Rejection From Locals

·         Ismail Sabri denies joining ‘Dubai Move’, says returned to KL after ‘umrah’

·         Earthquake of magnitude 7.6 strikes Japan, tsunami warning issued

·         Number of flood evacuees rises in Pahang, unchanged in Kelantan, Johor

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Africa

·         Ilorin Chief Imam Lays Foundation OfUltra Modern Central Mosque In Kabba

·         Gunmen Abduct Nasarawa Local Government Chairman, One Other on New Year Day

·         We Have Arrested Some Suspects in Plateau State Massacre and Still Hunting for Others — Chief Of Defence Staff, Musa

·         Anglican Bishop charges Christians to hold unto God’s words

·         Bishop donates cash, food items to 1,435 beneficiaries in Niger, Kebbi

·         Plateau Killings: Pope Francis prays for families of victims

Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau

URL:    https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/babri-mosque-demolition/d/131440

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Babri Mosque, A Symbol of Slavery Brought Down: Karnataka BJP Leader On Babri Demolition

 

Babri Mosque

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2nd January 2024

Neha Khan

Shivamogga: Senior BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister KS Eshwarappa has stirred a controversy by stating on Tuesday that the mosque which was a symbol of ‘slavery’ was brought down to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

“Likewise, we will also build the Sri Krishna temple in Mathura,” he stressed.

Speaking to reporters in Shivamogga city of Karnataka, Eshwarappa stated, “About 496 years ago, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was destroyed. Mughal king Babar had built a mosque over the temple. By the blessings of god we are lucky to witness the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla in our lifetime.”

He added that the symbol of slavery was gone and the Ram temple, a reflection of the self-esteem of the Hindus, was constructed.

“We are distributing mantrakshate (sacred rice worshipped in Ayodhya) to every house. You keep the mantrakshate in your temple at home and celebrate the occasion on January 22 like Diwali festival,” he appealed.

“This is a sacred moment and I will not speak about politics. The devotees of Lord Ram are being invited. For leaders who are issuing statements like “the BJP’s Ram is installed in Ayodhya”, the invitation for the installation has not been given. Whoever worships Ram and feels proud of him, is welcome to participate,” Eshwarappa said.

He added that at the time the decision to build the Ram Temple was given the permission to conduct surveys in Hindu pilgrimage centres Kashi and Mathura was also given.

“We will get a favourable verdict in court to build temples here as well. We will bring down the masjid in Kashi and build Kashi Mandir. We shall build a Sri Krishna temple in Mathura,” he maintained.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/mosque-a-symbol-of-slavery-brought-down-karnataka-bjp-leader-on-babri-2947187/

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Israel's Plan To Displace Palestinians Proves Gaza Onslaught Is War Of Genocide: Islamic Jihad

 

Photo: en.mehr news agency

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01 January 2024

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has strongly condemned Israel's plan to forcefully displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to other countries, saying it proves that the regime is committing genocide in the coastal territory.

In a statement issued on Monday, the movement denounced "the remarks made by the officials of the Nazi government in the Israeli entity regarding the displacement of our people in the Gaza Strip and the search for countries to deport them to."

Such statements, the movement added, "are ongoing war crimes that confirm the Zionist aggression on the Gaza Strip is a war of genocide against the existence of the Palestinian people in their homeland."

The Israeli regime launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, following an operation by the territory's resistance movements, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm. Close to 22,000 people, most of them women and children, have been killed in the regime's military aggression so far.

Throughout the war, the regime's officials have been floating a plan, which requires forced displacement of Palestinians residing in Gaza to other countries.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry strongly condemns Netanyahu

On Sunday, Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich called for displacement of two million Palestinians from the besieged territory, so that only around 200,000 Palestinians would remain.

His remarks were echoed on Monday by another extremist minister who called for the return of Israeli settlers to Gaza, saying that Palestinians should be encouraged to emigrate.

"We must promote a solution to encourage the emigration of Gaza's residents," Itamar Ben Gvir said, adding that the onslaught on Gaza was "an opportunity to develop a project to encourage Gaza's residents to emigrate to countries around the world."

Hamas condemns as “a war crime accompanied by criminal aggression” the latest call by an Israeli minister on Palestinian residents of Gaza to leave the besieged region.

Commenting on their remarks, the Islamic Jihad said silence in the face of the Israeli regime's plan to displace the people of Gaza "implies implicit encouragement for the entity to continue its criminal agenda."

Such agenda "will not be limited to Gaza alone," the movement warned, adding that the plan threatens "Arab national security" and poses a "definite danger...to the stability of all countries of the region."

Concluding the statement, the resistance movement held the United States responsible for emboldening the Israeli regime to implement such plans against Palestinians "through the invention of the term 'voluntary displacement'."

The Islamic Jihad said the US is "giving the [Zionist] entity the time and weapons necessary to destroy all aspects of life in Gaza, so that displacement becomes the only option" for its people.

As Israel's most dedicated and age-old ally, the US has torpedoed the prospect of cessation of the Israeli onslaught by stonewalling ratification of all United Nations Security Council resolutions that have been calling for implementation of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Washington has also supplied the regime with more than 10,000 tons of advanced weaponry since the onset of the regime's military aggression.

The Islamic Jihad, however, vowed that Palestinian resistance groups will not hesitate to stand up to the US-backed Israeli onslaught.

Qassam fighters also targeted Tel Aviv and its suburbs.

"We affirm that we will continue to confront this war of extermination and displacement, and we rely on the awareness of our people and the bravery of the fighters in the field to thwart these criminal plans," the movement said.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/01/717436/Palestine-Israel-Islamic-Jihad-Smotrich-Gaza-war

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‘Completely Alienated’: British Muslims on Labour, Tory Stance on Gaza War

 

Protesters hold flags and placards as they take part in a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Trafalgar Square in London, November 25, 2023 [Alberto Pezzali/AP Photo]

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Umar Lateef Misgar

1 Jan 2024

London, United Kingdom — Visiting Tel Aviv in mid-October, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stood next to his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, who had launched a devastating war on Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attacks on southern Israel. “We want you to win,” Sunak told Netanyahu before the cameras.

More than two months later, the United Kingdom’s support for Israel’s war has remained largely unqualified, even as Israeli bombs and artillery firing have killed more than 21,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including more than 8,000 children.

But whatever a “win” might look like for Israel, Sunak’s Conservative Party and the opposition Labour Party, whose leader Keir Starmer has also backed Netanyahu’s war, have both lost voters like Ala Sirriyeh, a senior lecturer in sociology at Lancaster University.

“It has shown very starkly who they are prepared to throw under the bus to get elected, whose welfare matters and whose does not,” she told Al Jazeera. “As a Palestinian, I feel completely alienated from the major political parties [in the UK] and will not be voting for either of them in the near future.”

She is not alone. As Israel continues to bomb Palestinians in Gaza, a coalition of political groups, worker’s unions, students, healthcare professionals, journalists, writers, and common people from all walks of life have been organising in the UK, urging their political leadership to call for a ceasefire. The protesters, day in and day out have occupied public spaces and weapons factories and marched across city centres and university campuses. Thousands of people have signed petitions calling for a ceasefire.

Yet, as leaders across both major parties have stayed firm in their support for Israel, they face a particular crisis of credibility among British Muslims, who constitute 6.7 percent of the population and traditionally largely vote in support of the Labour Party.

“It is deeply distressing to see these calls for a ceasefire being ignored or shut down,” Sirriyeh said.

In a survey involving 30,000 Muslim participants conducted in late October by the Muslim Census, an organisation based in the UK, only 5 percent of the respondents said they would vote for Labour in the next general elections. That is much lower compared with 71 percent of British Muslims who voted for the party in 2019. The Conservative Party, which drew 9 percent of the Muslim vote in 2019, would get less than 1 percent of the votes of those sampled in that survey.

In another survey of 1,032 Muslims across the UK, more than two-thirds expressed dissatisfaction with the British government’s response to the Israeli assault on Gaza. Nearly half of the respondents conveyed similar sentiments regarding Starmer’s approach to the crisis, though a majority still backed the Labour Party.

And it is not just Muslims in the UK. In a YouGov poll of overall public sentiments published on November 15, a third of the participants said the UK government should oppose Israel’s war and push for a ceasefire. Another quarter of those who participated called for a limited ceasefire. Only 9 percent opposed any kind of a ceasefire while backing Israel’s military aims.

“I have seen the conversations, and perceptions, regarding this issue shift substantially in favour of Palestine,” Arooj, a schoolteacher in her 20s who has participated in protest rallies, told Al Jazeera. Arooj said she was not comfortable sharing her full name, at a time when many pro-Palestinian protesters have been targeted at their workplaces.

Even a month after that survey, however, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron refused to back an immediate ceasefire, in an op-ed, written in collaboration with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock. “We do not believe that calling right now for a general and immediate ceasefire, hoping it somehow becomes permanent, is the way forward,” they wrote, blaming Hamas for the crisis.

Starmer too has refused to back a full end to fighting in Gaza, instead calling for a “sustainable ceasefire”, a phrase that Tayib Ali, the director of the UK-based International Centre of Justice for Palestinians, termed a “weak and watered down call”.

During a parliamentary vote on a ceasefire resolution, introduced by the Scottish Nationalist Party, Starmer threatened Labour members with expulsion if they voted in favour. Earlier, in a radio interview, the Labour leader backed Israel’s decision to withhold water and electricity from Gaza.

Meanwhile, United Nations experts and leading human rights groups have warned that Israel is likely committing war crimes and that its actions might amount to genocide, as South Africa has alleged in a case before the International Court of Justice.

Sirriyeh said she believes the Labour leadership’s reluctance to criticise Israel stems from fears that allegations of anti-Semitism might be weaponised against the party. “Given the critiques levied at the Labour Party during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership about the party’s failure to address alleged anti-Semitism within its ranks, there is a wariness among politicians for calling for a ceasefire and calling out Israeli war crimes,” she said.

Starmer has faced a revolt from sections of his party over his stance. Imran Hussain, a front bench MP and shadow minister, in his resignation letter to Starmer, said a ceasefire was essential to ending the suffering of people in Gaza. Accusing Israel of inflicting war crimes and collective punishment, Hussain wrote, “The situation in Gaza is now beyond that of a humanitarian catastrophe.”

Condemning Starmer’s support for Israel’s policy of withholding water and electricity from Gaza, at least 23 Labour councillors left the party. Shaista Aziz, one among them, wrote that the Labour leader had “horrifyingly endorsed the collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza”.

But it is on the streets that Arooj sees the future of pro-Palestinian solidarity in the UK, in the form of young people — including schoolchildren — who have marched against the war. Polling shows that younger people in the UK lean significantly in support of Palestine. “The younger generation gives me hope,” she said.

Source: aljazeera.com

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https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/1/1/completely-alienated-british-muslims-on-labour-tory-stance-on-gaza-war

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Media Have Freedom If They Respect National and Islamic Interests Values: Spokesperson IEA

 

Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

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 2024-01-01

KABUL (BNA): In response to a recent report by Reporters Without Borders, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, stated that the media in Afghanistan have unrestricted freedom and support from the government.

Mujahid revealed these views during a discussion with Afghanistan’s National Radio and Television, adding that media outlets would have no obstacles if they followed the country’s laws and Islamic values.

This comes as Reporters Without Borders classified Afghanistan as one of the most dangerous nations for journalists and media people in their most recent report.

According to Mujahid, authorities have detained members of the media on occasion for their engagement in specific issues or as a kind of punishment, but this is not a systematic incarceration.

Mujahid added that certain detentions that led to trials had legal and criminal ramifications unrelated to media work.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson underlined that the media in Afghanistan operates freely, in accordance with Afghan laws and Islamic norms and principles.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/media-have-freedom-if-they-respect-national-and-islamic-interests-values-mujahid/

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Houthis Vow Revenge for US Navy Red Sea Killings

 

Members of Houthi military forces parade in the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, Yemen September 1, 2022. (REUTERS)

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January 01, 2024

AL-MUKALLA: Yemen’s Houthis have threatened to turn the Red Sea into a “hell” for the US in response to American marines killing 10 fighters on Sunday.

The official Houthi news agency ran an editorial under the headline “America has opened the door to hell for itself” on Monday, vowing vengeance for US Navy attacks on their boats in the Red Sea, accusing the US of supporting Israel’s heavy bombardment of Gaza by preventing them from imposing their ban on Israel-linked ships sailing through the Red Sea.

The news agency said that the US Navy performed “a foolish act by targeting three boats, as a result of which ten members of the Yemeni naval forces martyred, thus opening the door of hell upon itself, its ships, and its military bases in the region.”

The US Navy destroyed three of four Houthi boats in the Red Sea on Sunday, killing the crews after they tried to hijack a commercial ship and opened fire on the helicopters.

According to the Houthis, 10 of their men were killed in the US Navy attack.

Houthi leader Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti said the group would attack the US ships that killed their troops and would continue to prohibit ships traveling to Israel from crossing the Red Sea.

“This is an attack on Yemen, and there must be retaliation, and America must suffer the repercussions of this attack and crime,” Al-Bukhaiti told France 24 Arabic TV on Sunday night.

On Nov. 19, the Houthis launched their Red Sea attacks by hijacking a commercial ship called Galaxy Leader and rerouting it to the coast of Yemen’s western city of Hodeidah.

In the days that followed, they launched drones and ballistic missiles at commercial and navy ships to force them to avoid the Red Sea.

Despite the Houthis’ strong threats of retaliation, some analysts believe that regional actors such as Oman may step in to persuade the Houthis to de-escalate so as not to jeopardize the present promising UN-led efforts to forge a plan to end the conflict in Yemen.

Mohammed Al-Basha, a senior Middle East analyst at the Navanti Group, said that public pressure is mounting on the Houthis to retaliate and that, should they choose to do so, they would launch explosive-laden suicide boats at US Navy ships while simultaneously launching massive drones and missiles designed to overwhelm the US Navy’s air defenses.

“The effectiveness of the US Navy’s defense mechanisms could prompt the Houthis to contemplate a coordinated swarm offensive, involving joint drone attacks, Water-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices, and anti-ship missiles, with the aim of targeting a destroyer,” Al-Basha told Arab News.

At the same time, Yemeni conflict expert Nadwa Al-Dawsari said that the same Western countries that pressed the Yemeni government in late 2018 to halt the military offensive that was poised to expel the Houthis from Hodeidah are now rushing to launch airstrikes on the Houthis, adding that the Houthis would exploit any US military action to recruit people.

“Now it seems the West is rushing to war,” she said on social media platform X, adding: “Airstrikes might undermine Houthis missile capability in the short term, but won't address their threat. They will reinforce their propaganda that they are being punished for defending Palestine, a cause that most Arabs consider their first priority. This will help Houthis recruit fighters for future wars that will extend beyond Yemen.”

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2434816/middle-east

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India

 

ISIS Module Case: Six Accused Planned to Recruit 'Gullible Muslim Youths', Says NIA Chargesheet

01st January 2024

MUMBAI: The six people arrested in the ISIS module case were actively supporting the proscribed terrorist organization and were propagating its ideology among "gullible Muslim youths", the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in its chargesheet filed recently before a court here.

The accused planned to commit terror acts in India, said the National Investigation Agency's chargesheet, which was filed on Thursday against six people held in July 2023 during multiple raids in Maharashtra in the ISIS module case.

They have been identified as Tabish Siddiqui, Zulfikar Ali, Sharjeel Shaikh and Aakif Ateeque Nachan, Zubair Shaikh and Adnanali Sarkar.

The 4000-page chargesheet, which was filed in the court of Special NIA Judge A K Lahoti, has 16 protected witnesses.

It was revealed during the investigation that the accused planned to commit terror acts to show support to ISIS in India and meetings were held in Borivali (in Thane district).

It is evident from the statement of the witness that the accused had several meetings in Chhoti Masjid, Padgha-Borivali, wherein they used to plan the recruitment of gullible Muslim youth for Islamic State (ISIS), furthering the activities of Islamic State, propagating the ideology of Daesh ie. ISIS and to carry out violent jihad, the chargesheet said.

As per the chargesheet, it is a terror module with international linkages, whereby the accused have undergone radicalization towards the concept of violent jihad and are willing to undertake 'Hijrat' (migration to the land of jihad) to participate in the terror activities of ISIS.

They are all members of the proscribed ISIS outfit and had hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of the organisation, to strike fear and terror among the people and threaten the security of India, its secular ethos and culture as well the democratic system of governance.

Further, the accused were sharing DIY (Do It Yourself) kits with their contacts and were found to be raising funds to finance their terror plans and designs, the chargesheet said.

As per the chargesheet, they recruited youths and trained them in the fabrication of IEDs and weapons (small arms) for which they have shared relevant material including 'DIY kits' amongst themselves.

Further, on the directions of foreign-based handlers of ISIS, they created media content, which was then published in the magazine of 'Voice of Hind' to further the activities of said proscribed organization, it added.

The case was registered by NIA on June 28, 2023, against Tabish Siddiqui and others, following information received by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding a conspiracy hatched by them to disturb the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country, and to wage a war against the Government of India by promoting the terrorist activities of ISIS.

Further investigations in the case are continuing by the provisions of section 173(8) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/jan/01/isis-module-case-sixaccused-planned-to-recruit-gullible-muslim-youths-says-nia-chargesheet-2646836.html

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Transgender Teacher Removed from Services Due to Sexual Orientation Moves SC

02nd January 2024

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday agreed to hear a plea of a transgender person whose services as a teacher were terminated by two private schools in Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh after her sexual orientation became known to employers.

"We will see what we can do," said a bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices J B Pardiwla and Manoj Misra while issuing notices to the Centre, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh governments on the plea of the transgender woman.

Besides the government, the top court also sought responses from the head of the school in Jamnagar in Gujarat and the chairperson of another private school based at Khiri in Uttar Pradesh.

"The grievance of the petitioner is that her services were terminated in schools of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat after her gender identity was revealed. The petitioner says that she cannot pursue her remedies in two different high courts," the bench said and fixed the plea for hearing after four weeks.

The counsel appearing for the transgender person said she was given a letter of appointment in a Uttar Pradesh school and also taught for six days before being removed.

In Gujarat school, she was given the letter of appointment and later denied the opportunity to join after her sexual identity was known, the lawyer said. The petitioner seeks enforcement of her fundamental rights.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/jan/02/transgender-teacher-removed-from-services-due-to-sexual-orientation-moves-sc-2647107.html

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Haryana: Cow vigilantes beat up 2 Muslim men for transporting cattle

1st January 2024

In a horrific incident, two Muslim drivers were beaten up for allegedly transporting cattle in Haryana. The assailants also forced them to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’, a viral video shows.

According to reports, the incident took place on December 29.

In the video, shared by Hindutva Watch, an organisation that tracks hate crime in India, the assailants are heard forcing them to say, “Gaay humarimatahai (cow is our mother) and Jai Shri Ram (Hail lord Ram),” while continuously thrashing him.

“Budhebol… gaurakshak dal wale humarebaap hain (say the Gau Rakshak Dal members are our fathers),” they said.

When Siasat.com reached out to Haryana police, the officials neither confirmed nor rejected the reports of the incident.

Source: siasat.com

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https://www.siasat.com/haryana-cow-vigilantes-beat-up-2-muslim-men-for-transporting-cattle-2946952/

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BSP leader Yakub Qureshi's benami property worth Rs 31 crore seized under Gangster Act

02nd January 2024

MEERUT: The district administration here on Monday seized benami property of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader and two-time MLA Yakub Qureshi worth Rs 31 crore under the Gangster Act, officials said.

The seized properties include a hospital building at Bhavani Nagar in Nauchandi and two luxury cars that Qureshi had allegedly purchased in the name of his family members and employees, they said.

Three plots in Shastri Nagar measuring 3,265.35 square metres, 288 square metres and 213.60 square metres have also been seized.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rohit Singh Sajwan said that in compliance with the order given by the court of District Magistrate under the Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act, benami property of former minister Yakub Qureshi with an estimated value of Rs 31 crore has been seized.

Sajwan said that on March 31, 2022, police conducted a raid in a meat factory belonging to Qureshi in Meerut, and had detected the packing of illegally procured meat.

Police had arrested 10 employees of the factory and had named 17 people, including Qureshi, his wife and both sons, in the FIR, he said.

A case against the BSP leader, his wife Shamjida Begum, sons Firoz and Imran, factory managers Mohit Tyagi, Mujeeb and Faizyab was registered under the Gangster Act in December.

Qureshi was BSP MLA from Kharkhaudha assembly constituency in Meerut from 2002 to 2007.

He won the Meerut assembly seat in 2007 on a Uttar Pradesh United Democratic Front (UPUDF) ticket.

He was a minister in the BSP government in 2003.

Subsequently, he also became a minister in the Samajwadi Party government in October 2003.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2024/jan/02/bsp-leader-yakub-qureshis-benami-property-worth-rs-31-crore-seized-under-gangster-act-2647112.html

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Mideast

 

Al-Qassam Brigades: 71 Israeli Military Vehicles Destroyed; Tel Aviv Barraged With Rockets

 01 January 2024

The military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says its fighters have destroyed scores of Israeli military vehicles and killed over a dozen of the regime's forces in their latest operations.

Abu Obaida, the spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, made the announcement in a statement on Monday.

Over the past four days, he said, al-Qassam's fighters have managed to kill at least 16 Israeli forces and partially or completely destroy 71 Israeli military vehicles in 42 military missions.

The missions, Abu Obaida said, involved targeting the regime's troops with anti-personnel ammunition and explosive devices such as booby traps and landmines, as well as engaging the enemy's forces in close-range combat and sniper operations.

Noting that Palestinian fighters have also targeted an Israeli helicopter in the skies over the Gaza Strip, Abu Obaida added, "Our fighters downed two reconnaissance drones and captured another."

Most recently, the Israeli army reported the killing of an officer in the northern Gaza Strip, saying that the fatality brought the death toll among the regime's forces to 507 since October 7, 2023, when Israel's genocidal war on Gaza started.

Qassam fighters also targeted Tel Aviv and its suburbs.

Abu Obaida added that al-Qassam's fighters have also targeted the coastal city of Tel Aviv in the occupied territories with a barrage of M90 rockets.

"They also shelled [Israeli forces'] headquarters, field command rooms, and military gatherings with mortar shells and short-range missiles across the Gaza Strip," he said.

The regime began its military aggression against Gaza following an operation by the territory's resistance movements, dubbed Operation al-Aqsa Storm. Close to 22,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Israel's onslaught so far.

Also on Monday, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad vowed that resistance groups would not hesitate to stand up to the Israeli aggression.

"We affirm that we will continue to confront this war of extermination and displacement, and we rely on the awareness of our people and the bravery of the fighters in the field to thwart" Israel's criminal plans, the movement said.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/01/717437/Palestine-Israel-Hamas-gains-Gaza-war

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Iran a ‘model’ of ethnic, religious coexistence: Sunni MPs

Jan 2, 2024

TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) – A group of Sunni lawmakers in Parliament has expressed gratitude to Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Mehdi Esmaili for utilizing the capacities of the Sunni community in various cultural and artistic sectors

"Iran, the land of cultural coexistence for centuries, stands as a testament to peaceful cohabitation of diverse ethnicities alongside each other, recalling the accepted principle in the Constitution,” the representatives said in a letter addressed to Esmaili on Monday.

“For years, the peaceful life of different religions and ethnicities has transformed into a model of coexistence in the world. As we progress, the rings of national and Islamic unity and coherence become stronger and more robust,” they added.

The lawmakers further expressed hope that the Islamic world could overcome the obstacles and barriers created by the global arrogance to sow discord among Islamic countries.

Source: mehrnews.com

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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/210222/Iran-a-model-of-ethnic-religious-coexistence-Sunni-MPs

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Israel pulling out thousands of troops from Gaza as Smotrich calls for Jewish settlements

02 January 2024

The Israeli military says it is withdrawing thousands of forces from the Gaza Strip in the first significant troop pullback since the devastating war began nearly three month ago.

There is growing pressure on the Tel Aviv regime to move to a more low-intensity war amid mounting death and humanitarian toll of the genocidal war.

In a statement on Monday, the regime’s army said, “The move is expected to significantly alleviate economic burdens and enable troops to gather strength for upcoming activities in the next year, as the fighting will persist and their services will be needed.”

The announcement came as fighting has tapered off in the northern areas of Gaza, though clashes continue to rage in the south.

Earlier, Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the regime’s army was making adjustments to its deployment in Gaza, in anticipation of a long war ahead.

“The goals of the war require lengthy fighting, and we are prepared accordingly,” he noted.

Meanwhile, an unnamed Israeli official claimed that some of the five brigades withdrawn will prepare for a potential second front against the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement.

‘Gradual shift to lower intensity operations’

A US official said that Israel’s drawdown of troops from Gaza signifies a potential beginning of operations with reduced intensity in the territory’s north, stressing, however, that the conflict in that area persists.

“This appears to be the start of the gradual shift to lower intensity operations in the north that we have been encouraging... I’d caution though there is still fighting in the north and this does not reflect any changes in the south,” the official told Reuters.

A few days ago, the Israeli army’s much-hyped Golani Brigade was forced to withdraw from Gaza to “reorganize its ranks” after suffering huge losses at the hands of resistance fighters.

In a potentially course-altering turn of events, the Zionist regime’s much-hyped “Golani Brigade” has just retreated from the Gaza Strip – completely humiliated and functionally inoperable.

Israel waged the brutal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian Hamas resistance group carried out a historic operation against the occupying entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, almost three months into the war, Tel Aviv has failed to achieve its declared objective of eliminating Hamas and finding Israeli captives in Gaza, despite killing at least 21,978 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injuring 57,697 others.

Israeli ministers call for Palestinians’ expulsion from Gaza

Speaking on Monday, Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the regime “will permanently control the Gaza Strip to ensure security”.

He stressed that the objective would be achieved through the “permanent presence of Israeli forces” along with “establishing Jewish settlements,” adding that he would present the plan soon to the regime’s war cabinet.

“Those who think that the solutions in the Gaza Strip will be similar to those tried in the past are mistaken,” he said.

Similarly, Israel’s extremist security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the war presents an “opportunity to concentrate on encouraging the migration of the residents of Gaza,” branding such a policy as “a correct, just, moral and humane solution.”

Veteran Arab lawmaker at the Israeli parliament Ahmad Tibi condemned Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, saying their rhetoric was “inciting genocide.”

“A day will come and these two senior ministers in the Israeli government will stand before an international tribunal for war crimes,” he stated.

Source: presstv.ir

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Iran FM hails firm pro-Palestine stance of Yemen's Ansarullah movement

01 January 2024

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian hails firm stance of Yemen’s Ansarullah in support of the oppressed Palestinian people in the face of the Israeli regime's crimes and aggression.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remark in a Monday meeting with the spokesman for Yemen’s Ansarullah, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, who is in Tehran to hold talks with senior Iranian officials.

Israel waged the genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas carried out the cross-border Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities against the Palestinian people.

However, 87 days into the invasion, the Tel Aviv regime has failed to achieve its objectives of “destroying Hamas” and finding Israeli captives despite killing 21,978 Palestinians, mostly children and women. The war has also injured 57,697 people.

Yemen issues the Israeli regime a strong-worded warning, cautioning Tel Aviv against continuing the genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.

In his remarks, Amir-Abdollahian also voiced Iran's support for the promotion of peace in Yemen and the advancing negotiations with Saudi Arabia.

The top Iranian diplomat pledged Tehran's support for the Yemeni people's will and demand.

The senior Ansarullah official, for his part, lauded Iran’s unwavering political support for the resistance front and briefed the Iranian foreign minister on the latest developments regarding the promotion of peace in Yemen.

Back in September, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry welcomed the “positive results” of talks with a delegation from Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement aimed at bringing an end to the kingdom’s eight-year war on its southern neighbor.

Saudi Arabia welcomed the ‘positive results’ of peace talks with a delegation from Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement.

In a statement, the ministry supported a political solution to the Yemen conflict, after the Yemeni team, along with an Omani mediator, returned to Sana’a following five days of talks with Saudi officials in Riyadh.

Onus on US for Israel's war in Gaza: Qalibaf

In a separate meeting with Abdul-Salam on Monday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf described the US as the main culprit in Israel's ongoing war in Gaza.

Qalibaf added that were it not for the presence of the US and its military support, it would not have been possible for the Israeli regime to withstand the first blow delivered to the regime as a result of Al-Aqsa Storm Operation, launched by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas on October 7.

He reaffirmed Iran's support for the resistance front and called the US the root cause of problems in the Muslim world.

Abdul-Salam, for his part, voiced the Yemeni people’s strong support for the Palestinians in their battle against the Israeli regime.

He hailed Iran's support for the Yemeni people and added that all Yemen's capacities, including its weapons, aim to serve the interests of Muslims.

Yemen is currently capable of taking an operational position alongside the resistance front, Abdul-Salam said, adding that his country follows a policy that stands up to the bullying of Israel and the US in the region.

Iran's top security official lauds Yemen's pro-Palestine measures

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Akbar Ahmadian on Sunday lauded brave measures by the Yemeni government and nation to support the Palestinian people in the face of Israel's savage attacks.

In a meeting with the senior Ansarullah official, the two sides discussed issues of common interest and leading developments in the region.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/01/717428/Iran-Yemen-Palestine-Amir-Abdollahian-Ansarullah-spokesman-Mohammed-Abdul-Salam-Israel-resistance-Mohammad-Baqer-Qalibaf-US-Ahmadian-

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Israel army warns Gaza war will continue throughout 2024

January 02, 2024

GAZA STRIP, Palestinian Territories: Unrelenting Israeli bombardment rocked Gaza on Monday, while an army spokesman warned the war on the besieged territory’s Hamas rulers will continue throughout 2024.

Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met troops inside Gaza on Monday, and vowed in a statement that “life will return to its course” for residents of border communities hit in Hamas’s October 7 attacks that triggered the war.

In the southern Gaza Strip, AFPTV footage showed smoke billowing after a strike on Rafah and further north Palestinians, including children, wounded in a strike in Khan Yunis were brought to the city’s Nasser hospital.

In central Gaza’s Deir Al-Balah residents were inspecting the damage and searching for survivors under the rubble.

Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said the army was preparing for the “prolonged fighting” ahead “throughout this year.”

He later said some of the 300,000 Israeli reserve soldiers will be “gradually” released.

Heavy artillery fire and air strikes were reported across the length of the territory, with the health ministry there saying 15 dead bodies from the same family were recovered Monday from the rubble of a bombed house in Jabalia, in northern Gaza.

“It’s the worst year of our lives,” Sami Hamouda, 64, told AFP as 2023 came to a close.

“Every new day is like the previous one: bombings, death and mass killings.”

As fighting raged on in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, Israel’s top court on Monday issued a ruling against a key component of the government’s controversial judicial overhaul, which had been met with mass protests before the war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s war cabinet includes former opponents who had agreed to join on condition that the coalition freezes the divisive reform agenda.

The bloodiest ever Gaza war was triggered by Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

The militants also took around 250 people hostage that day, more than half of whom remain in Gaza according to Israeli officials.

Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and launched a punishing offensive that has reduced vast areas of Gaza to a ruined wasteland and killed at least 21,978 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

The Israeli army says 173 soldiers have been killed inside Gaza in the battle against the Islamist militant group which Israel, the United States and European Union have designated a “terrorist” organization.

Hamas marked the start of 2024 by firing a rocket barrage at Israel at the stroke of midnight in what it called a “response to the massacres of civilians.”

AFP journalists in Tel Aviv witnessed missile defense systems intercept rockets overhead.

Witnesses in northern Gaza told AFP they saw Israeli forces leaving several areas in and around Gaza City, likely suggesting redeployment rather than permanent withdrawal.

Hagari said the Israeli army was “adapting the planning of the force deployment in Gaza” including reserve soldiers, as “the fighting will continue and they will still be required.”

Since Israel imposed a siege at the outset of the war, Gazans have been facing dire shortages of food, water, fuel and medicine — eased only by aid trucks, about 120 of which entered on Sunday.

The UN says 85 percent of the population of the Gaza Strip has been displaced.

Mostafa Shennar, a 43-year-old Palestinian displaced from Gaza City, told AFP in the southern border town of Rafah that “living conditions... are just hopeless.”

Shennar, a coffee vendor, complained of “soaring prices” that have slashed his income.

“I used to sell two large cups of coffee for one shekel ($0.28)” — now the price of “one small cup,” he said, “and even that is hard to obtain” for many Gazans.

Barber Tamer Al-Shaer, whose shop in Rafah now stands amid rubble, said a strike had hit the area, but “I tried to clear out the salon, and it’s okay. I make a living for myself and my family.”

Blades are hard to find and for electricity, Shaer has “a small solar panel,” he said, adding: “May God find us a solution as soon as possible.”

In Israel, Gallant, the defense minister, said residents of some towns and villages near the Gaza border — most of whom evacuated since October — “will soon be able to return home.”

International mediators have continued efforts toward a new pause in fighting.

An Egyptian three-phase plan proposes renewable cease-fires, a staggered release of hostages for Palestinian prisoners, and ultimately an end to the war, sources close to Hamas said.

Their allies Islamic Jihad said on Saturday that Palestinian factions were evaluating the proposal and would give a response “within days.”

Violence has surged in the occupied West Bank, where more than 300 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers since October.

Israeli watchdog Yesh Din on Monday said 2023 was the “most violent” year on record for settler attacks in the territory, which Israel has occupied since 1967, “in both the number of incidents and their severity.”

Two far-right Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, have called since Sunday for the return of Jewish settlers to Gaza, from which Israel unilaterally withdrew in 2005.

Both said separately that Israel should “encourage” the territory’s approximately 2.4 million Palestinians to emigrate.

The war in Gaza has also raised fears of a broader regional conflict, with hostilities flaring with mostly Iran-backed militant groups in nearby countries who say they are acting in support of Hamas.

Iranian news agency Tasnim said Monday the Alborz warship had entered the Red Sea, a globally important waterway where a US-led maritime coalition has deployed to stop attacks from Yemen’s Tehran-backed Houthi rebels.

Also on Monday, Israel said it struck Lebanon, where the military has fought the Hezbollah militant group, in response to attempted drone launches.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2435026/middle-east

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Tens of thousands hold anti-Israeli protest in Istanbul

January 02, 2024

ISTANBUL: Tens of thousands marched in Istanbul Monday to protest “murderer” Israel’s war in Gaza and the killing of Turkish soldiers by outlawed Kurdish militants in Iraq.

The rally, called by a foundation which counts Bilal Erdogan, the son of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, among its members started after crowds performed morning prayers at Istanbul’s iconic mosques, including Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.

Protesters waving Turkish and Palestinian flags rallied to the Galata Bridge on the Bosphorus chanting: “Murderer Israel, get out of Palestine” and “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest).

Tens of thousands of people joined the rally “Mercy for our martryrs and a curse on Israel,” the official Anadolu news agency reported.

Erdogan, a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, has lashed out repeatedly at Israel for the scale of death and destruction caused by its response to Hamas’ unprecedented October 7 cross-border attack.

He has accused Israel of “state terrorism” and said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “no different” from Adolf Hitler.

The nearly three-month war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas’s bloody October 7 attacks on Israel, which killed around 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Fighters also took around 250 people hostage that day, most of whom remain in Gaza, according to Israeli officials.

Israel vowed to destroy Hamas in response, launching a punishing offensive in the Gaza Strip that has reduced vast areas to a ruined wasteland and killed at least 21,822 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory’s health ministry.

The Israeli army says 172 of its soldiers have been killed inside Gaza, with the war showing no signs of stopping.

The Turkish army said 12 soldiers were killed in late December in two separate attacks launched by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Iraq.

Turkiye regularly conducts ground and air operations in northern Iraq against the positions of the PKK, listed as a terror group by Ankara and its Western allies.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2434976/middle-east

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Hezbollah says four of its fighters killed in southern Lebanon

January 02, 2024

BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group said on its Telegram account on Monday that four of its fighters were killed in southern Lebanon.

The statement gave no detail about how the four were killed but said they “were martyred on the road to (liberate) Jerusalem.”

Hezbollah initially said three were killed before updating the number to four later in the day.

Security sources said the first three were killed in an Israeli raid on two houses in the Lebanese village of Kafr Kila near the border where Hezbollah maintains security control.

Hezbollah, an ally of Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, has been exchanging near-daily fire with Israel across Lebanon’s southern frontier since the eruption of the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza in early October.

The Israeli military said on Monday it struck a series of targets in Lebanon, including “military sites” where Hezbollah was operating.

Israeli air strikes and shelling have killed more than 100 Hezbollah fighters and nearly two dozen civilians, including children, elderly and several journalists, according to Hezbollah and security sources.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2435016/middle-east

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Death toll of Palestinians rises to 21,978 in Gaza: Ministry

Jan 2, 2024

TEHRAN, Jan. 02 (MNA) – The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has said that the total death toll from Israel’s attacks on the besieged territory since October 7 has reached 21,978.

The Israeli military killed 156 Palestinians and wounded 246 others in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours, Xinhua reported citing the ministry's spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra’s press statement on Monday.

The new causalities bring the number of Palestinian deaths to 21,978 and injuries to 56,697 since Oct. 7, according to al-Qedra.

He said that Israeli attacks had killed 326 medical workers and forced 30 of the 35 hospitals in the Gaza Strip out of service.

Al-Qedra called on international organizations to protect the healthcare system and its personnel in the Gaza Strip and said his ministry was in talks with UN agencies on the restart of health centers in different regions of the Palestinian enclave.

He also stressed the need to send medical teams and field hospitals to the Strip to meet the enormous needs for health care.

He criticized the mechanism in place for the injured Palestinians to receive treatment outside the Gaza Strip, pointing out that only 645 wounded people have been able to do so thus far, accounting for 1 percent of the total population in need of medical attention.

Source: mehrnews.com

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HR Observatory: Zionist enemy forces obstruct human rights organizations in Gaza

[02/January/2024]

GENEVA January 02. 2024 (Saba) - The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights has accused the Zionist enemy forces of continuing to launch a widespread campaign of incitement and distortion of the Observatory's work through false allegations that challenge the impartiality and professionalism of the organization’s work.

According to the Russia Today website, the Observatory indicated in a brief report that the incitement campaign comes in light of its monitoring and documentation of “large-scale crimes” committed by the Zionist enemy army in its war on the Gaza Strip, which has been continuing since the seventh of last October.

The Observatory for Human Rights noted that at the same time, “the Zionist enemy forces are obstructing the work of international and local human rights organizations working in the Palestinian territories in general, and in the Gaza Strip specifically.”

It added that this is evident in the imposition of widespread restrictions on field documentation operations, freedom of movement and widespread targeting of field teams working on the ground, in addition to preventing the access of UN teams and international investigation committees to investigate possible war crimes.

Euro-Med expressed its condemnation of this campaign, which is an extension of the approach of the Zionist enemy forces in trying to prevent documentation of violations and the policy of impunity.

It called for protecting the field crews, researchers, and workers in other human rights organizations from direct targeting, prosecution, and arrest.

Source: saba.ye

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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3292855.htm

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Organs of Palestinian bodies stolen by Zionist regime: Report

Jan 1, 2024

Tehran : Some organs of bodies of the Palestinians who were killed in Gaza by the Zionist regime of Israel have been stolen.

Ahmed Sahmoud, a journalist of the Arabic news channel Al Alam in Gaza, said on Monday the bodies of 80 Palestinians who were killed in Gaza by the Israeli regime have been delivered to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and then to the health ministry in Gaza. However, the regime’s officials did not provide any information about their names or the place where they had been bombarded.

Later, the health ministry discovered that some organs of the bodies had been stolen and the hands and feet of some of them had been cut. The bodies of the Palestinians were buried anonymously in Rafah City in southern Gaza without the presence of their family members.

The health authorities in Gaza have called for an immediate investigation into the case. The report announced that the Zionist army attacks both southern and northern Gaza and kills children and women everywhere it assaults. He added that the Zionists exhumed the bodies from the graveyards, although the move was against the principles of Islam.

Since October 7, 2023, over 21,000 people, including thousands of children and women, have been killed in Gaza. — IRNA

Source: muslimmirror.com

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Europe

 

SNP Government kept eye on cronyism row after it handed £405k to Islamic group linked to Humza Yousaf

1 JAN 2024

David Walker

Alex Salmond's SNP government kept a close eye on a cronyism row involving an Islamic group with links to Humza Yousaf. He handed the Scottish Islamic Foundation (SIF) £405,000 in grants to help it run events which never actually came to fruition.

This caused a scandal back in 2008 as the organisation had no track record of being able to put on events of the scale it promised, and its founding chief executive was the now First Minister's cousin Osama Saeed who was a former aide to Mr Salmond and stood as an SNP candidate in the 2010 general election.

Ministers in the cabinet were kept abreast of the row surrounding this cash as they were updated on a growing number of parliamentary questions and freedom of information requests about the SIF. This is shown in newly released papers published by the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

The SNP government were told that Mr Salmond's special advisers were helping to field queries from rival MSPs due to the high "media interest" surrounding the group and the payment. Mr Yousaf himself was a director of the SIF from May 2008 until September 2009 with his then girlfriend Gail Lythgoe being a director from June to December 2009.

They were later married before divorcing, with the First Minister now wedded to Nadia El-Nakla. At the time of the scandal, he was a parliamentary assistant to SNP MSP Bashir Ahmad, while Ms Lythgoe was the national secretary of SNP Students.

The SIF claimed it would hold the country's biggest ever celebration of Islamic culture in Glasgow in June 2009 and labelled it IslamFest. However, the project collapsed and the group had to repay £128,000 after spending £72,000 on development, with Mr Salmond predicting that it would be an "enormous event" for the city and Scotland.

It also failed to hold an Islamic financial event called Etisal which it pencilled in for November 2009 but this also never happened. Half of the original £400,000 in grants was withheld.

The SIF was included in a Scottish Cabinet Analysis of News and Current Events (SCANCE) report on 19 August 2008. It said: “A number of media reports over the past month have claimed that Scottish Government funding has been provided to the Scottish Islamic Foundation because their chief executive (Osama Saeed) has strong links to the SNP.

“A total of just over £400k has been provided: £200k (of an estimated £1.4m) for IslamFest; £190k for a partnership project to develop and promote education and personal development for young Muslims and encourage greater community involvement; and small amount for set up costs for the organisation.

“All grants were subject to normal funding processes and scrutiny. Political and media interest remains high, with 20 Parliamentary Questions and 16 Freedom of Information requests due to be answered.

“Audit Scotland is reviewing the grant assessment and payment process at the request of George Foulkes MSP and Frank McAveety MSP has written to ask for an independent inquiry.”

The SIF was discussed again two weeks later in the SCANCE report for 2 September. This said: “Following media reports over the past months claiming that Scottish Government funding had been provided to the Scottish Islamic Foundation (SIF) because its chief executive (Osama Saeed) has strong links to the SNP, the Scottish Government has received 26 Parliamentary Questions (PQ) and 21 Freedom of Information requests (FOI).

“Audit Scotland has been asked by George Foulkes MSP to review the grant assessment / payment process for some of the monies paid to SIF. Frank McAveety MSP has also written to the First Minister with a series of questions and calling for an inquiry. Audit Scotland's reply to Mr Foulkes will issue on Monday, 1 September.

“Correct procedures were followed in providing the grants and it is expected that this will be reflected in the response. Outstanding PQs/FOls will issue concurrently, followed by the response to Mr McAveety.

“Special Advisers were involved in preparing the responses to the PQs/FOls and it is believed that the information going into the public domain will be uncontroversial. However, media interest remains high. Communications Health will be provided with lines and briefing has been put forward for the legislative programme statement and FMQs.”

The SIF collapsed in January 2013 after spending £203,000 in government grants, with Mr Saeed quitting as chief executive in March 2010 following a damning audit report which showed that it went almost £5,000 into the red in its first year. Auditors reported “significant doubt” about its ability to continue as a going concern.

Source: scottishdailyexpress.co.uk

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https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/politics/snp-government-kept-eye-cronyism-31783085

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Pope denounces violence against children in Gaza

January 2, 2024

Pope Francis said children dying in wars, including in Gaza, are the “little Jesuses of today” and that Israeli strikes there were reaping an “appalling harvest” of innocent civilians.

Francis also called the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants “abominable” and again appealed for the release of around 100 hostages still being held in Gaza.

Speaking from the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica to thousands of people in the square below, he took another swipe at the armaments industry, saying it ultimately controlled the “puppet-strings of war”.

The 87-year-old Pope, celebrating the 11th Christmas of his pontificate, called for an end to conflicts, political, social or military, in places including Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Armenia and Azerbaijan, and he defended the rights of migrants around the world.

“How many innocents are being slaughtered in our world! In their mothers’ wombs, in odysseys undertaken in desperation and in search of hope, in the lives of all those little ones whose childhoods have been devastated by war. They are the little Jesuses of today,” he said.

He gave particular attention to the Holy Land, including Gaza, where, according to Palestinian health officials, Israeli air strikes killed at least 78 people in one of the besieged enclave’s deadliest nights of Israel’s 11-week-old battle with Hamas.

Pope Francis also highlighted the central role women have played in salvation history and that they still have for bringing peace to the world of the 21st century.

Addressing a congregation of seven thousand Catholics from all continents who gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica on New Year’s Day, including cardinals, bishops, women and men religious, lay people, and ambassadors from the 184 countries that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See, Francis spoke about the role God gave to women in the history of the world, and the important role women have to play today in both the church and society.

He began by reminding them, “God becomes man, and he does so through a woman, Mary.

She is the means chosen by God, the culmination of that long line of individuals and generations that ‘drop by drop’ prepared for the Lord’s coming into the world. She stands at the very heart of the mystery of time. It pleased God to turn history around through her, the woman.”

“The Mother and Child mark a new creation, a new beginning,” the pope said; “the Lord, a tiny child in his mama’s arms, has united himself forever to our humanity, to the point that it is no longer only ours, but his as well.”

Pope Francis, speaking in a strong voice after recovering from pneumonia, said: “The church needs Mary in order to recover her own feminine face” which, he said, means making “space for women and [being] ‘generative’ through a pastoral ministry marked by concern and care, patience and maternal courage.” His words echoed the increasingly pressing call that has come from Catholics around the world through the synods on the family, the Amazon, and the ongoing Synod on Synodality, asking church leadership to open up greater spaces and roles of responsibility for women in the church of the 21st century.”

He also called on those in St. Peter’s Square and worldwide to pray for peace in countries suffering from war, and especially “the martyred Ukraine, Palestine and Israel.” He also asked them to pray for the bishops and priests in Nicaragua “who have been deprived of their liberty in recent days.” He expressed his closeness to them, and to the entire church and people of Nicaragua, and appealed “for a dialogue that can overcome the problems.”

He concluded by wishing everyone Happy New Year and asked them not to forget to pray for him.

Source: thenationonlineng.net

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https://thenationonlineng.net/pope-denounces-violence-against-children-in-gaza/

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UK warns willing to take 'direct action' over Red Sea attacks

01st January 2024

LONDON: Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said Monday that Britain is "willing to take direct action" against Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen who have repeatedly attacked vessels in the Red Sea.

London's warning comes amid escalating tensions in the vital shipping lane, with US Navy helicopters firing Sunday on Huthi rebels who attempted to board a cargo ship.

The rebels, who seized Yemen's capital Sanaa in 2014 and control much of the country including its Red Sea coastline, have reported 10 fighters dead or missing.

The Huthis -- who say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza -- have repeatedly fired drones and missiles at passing ships in the seaway through which 12 percent of global trade passes.

Hours after the latest incident, Shapps said Britain could step up its own military interventions. A British destroyer shot down a suspected Huthi attack drone in the Red Sea in mid-December.

"We are willing to take direct action, and we won't hesitate to take further action to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper.

The Huthis "should be under no misunderstanding: we are committed to holding malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks".

Shapps described the situation in the region as "a test for the international community" which had implications for other potentially contested waterways around the world.

"If we do not protect the Red Sea, it risks emboldening those looking to threaten elsewhere including in the South China Sea and Crimea," he added.

"We need to stand firm with our allies, stand firm for our beliefs and stand firm for innocent people caught up in these events."

The Telegraph said London is drawing up plans with Washington for potential military strikes against the Huthis, and reported that a joint statement giving the rebels a final warning to stop their attacks was imminent.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Sunday he had spoken to his Iranian counterpart  Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian about the Red Sea tensions.

"I made clear that Iran shares responsibility for preventing these attacks," he said on social media, noting Tehran's "long-standing support" for the Huthis.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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https://www.newindianexpress.com/world/2024/jan/01/uk-warns-willing-to-take-direct-action-over-red-sea-attacks-2646794.html

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South Asia

 

Mosques and madrassas should remain free for scholars to speak truth: minister

 January 2, 2024

Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani said on Monday that under the previous regimes, some clerics would follow wrong government policies, and in order for the scholars to speak the truth and not be influenced by anyone, it is necessary to keep madrassas and mosques free and independent.

Speaking at a graduation ceremony in a madrassa in Logar province, Haqqani emphasized that madrassas in remote areas should be strengthened and people should continue to support them, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.

He said that students should be trained in such a way that they could always defend the truth.

Haqqani advised the graduating scholars to prioritize common issues instead of controversial ones, and strive for unity of the people.

Haqqani also visited the provincial directorate of refugees where he said that regardless of religion or sect, people have rights over the Islamic Emirate and the Islamic Emirate is responsible towards them.

Source: ariananews.af

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https://www.ariananews.af/mosques-and-madrassas-should-remain-free-for-scholars-to-speak-truth-minister/

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Nobel Winner Yunus Convicted in Bangladesh Labour Law Case

2024-01-02

DHAKA: Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus was convicted on Monday of violating Bangladesh’s labour laws in a case decried by his supporters as politically motivated.

Yunus, 83, is credited with lifting millions out of poverty with his pioneering microfinance bank but has earned the enmity of longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has accused him of “sucking blood” from the poor.

Hasina has made several scathing verbal attacks against the internationally respected 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was once seen as a political rival. Yunus and three colleagues from Grameen Telecom, one of the firms he founded, were accused of violating labour laws when they failed to create a workers’ welfare fund in the company.

A labour court in the capital Dhaka convicted and sentenced them to “six months’ simple imprisonment”, lead prosecutor Khurshid Alam Khan told AFP, adding that all four were immediately granted bail pending appeals.

All four deny the charges. Dozens of people staged a small rally in support of Yunus outside the court.

“I have been punished for a crime that I haven’t committed,” Yunus told reporters after the hearing.

“If you want to call it justice, you can.”

Yunus is facing more than 100 other charges over labour law violations and alleged graft.

He told reporters after one of the hearings last month that he had not profited from any of the more than 50 social business firms he had set up in Bangladesh.

“They were not for my personal benefit,” Yunus said at the time.

Another of his lawyers, Khaja Tanvir, told AFP that the case was “meritless, false and ill-motivated”.

“The sole aim of the case is to harass and humiliate him in front of the world,” Tanvir said.

Irene Khan, a former Amnesty chief now working as a UN special rapporteur who was present at Monday’s verdict, told AFP the conviction was “a travesty of justice”.

“A social activist and Nobel laureate who brought honour and pride to the country is being persecuted on frivolous grounds,” she said.

In August, 160 global figures, including former US president Barack Obama and ex-UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, published a joint letter denouncing “continuous judicial harassment” of Yunus.

The signatories, including more than 100 of his fellow Nobel laureates, said they feared for “his safety and freedom”.

Critics accuse Bangladeshi courts of rubber-stamping decisions made by Hasina’s government, which is all but certain to win another term in power next week at elections boycotted by the opposition.

Her administration has been increasingly firm in its crackdown on political dissent, and Yunus’s popularity among the Bangladeshi public has for years earmarked him as a potential rival.

Amnesty International accused the government of “weaponizing labour laws” when Yunus went to trial in September and called for an immediate end to his “harassment”.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40281588/nobel-winner-yunus-convicted-in-bangladesh-labour-law-case

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Former President Karzai welcomes UN Resolution on Special Envoy for Afghanistan

Fidel Rahmati

January 1, 2024

Hamid Karzai, the former president of Afghanistan, has welcomed the recent United Nations Security Council resolution appointing a special envoy for peace in Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, he stated on its social media platform X that “the Security Council’s Resolution 2721 on Afghanistan represents respect for sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, national unity, and the alignment of the international community to ensure stability and development in Afghanistan.”

Mr. Karzai called for “national understanding and representation of the people’s will,” access to education for girls and boys, and women’s participation in all aspects of society as pathways to Afghanistan’s progress, peace, and stability.

He, said that the key to overcoming problems and achieving lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan lies in the hands of the Afghans themselves.

Mr. Karzai welcomed this resolution, while a few days earlier, the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs deemed the appointment of a special envoy for Afghanistan “unnecessary” and stated that the government of this group was not consulted in passing this resolution.

The United Nations Security Council, following an “independent assessment and recommendations” by Feridun Sinirlioğlu, the organization’s special coordinator for Afghanistan, passed a resolution on Friday.

Thirteen members of the Security Council voted in favour of the resolution, but Russia and China abstained.

The resolution encourages the Security Council members and other regional and international actors to implement Sinirlioglu’s recommendations and calls for appointing a special envoy for Afghanistan.

Source: khaama.com

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https://www.khaama.com/former-president-karzai-welcomes-un-resolution-on-special-envoy-for-afghanistan/

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1 Million Internally Displaced Transferred to Home Areas: Ministry

Shabnam Amini

January 1, 2024

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has given statistics that there are three million internally displaced people in the country, one million of whom were transferred to their home areas.

Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, a spokesman for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, said that the preparations for the transfer of about 60,000 internally displaced people to their provinces in the near future are being made by the Ministry.

Abdul Mutalib Haqqani said: "We have almost three million displaced people inside Afghanistan, of which one million have been transferred to the provinces, they have been given food aid, transportation and have been transferred to their villages."

Mohibullah, who came to Kabul from Laghman due to insecurity and has been living in Kabul for several years, said that his and his family's difficulties multiply with the arrival of winter.

"We ask the Islamic Emirate to give us land, we don't have any place, we don't have food," Mohibullah said.

"We want the government to help us, we need a lot of help this winter," said Anwar, another displaced person.

Humaira, who is Mohibullah's daughter-in-law, said that she is worried about the future of her children.

"Our children do not have access to school. They cannot study. We have not been helped," Humaira said.

The ministry has pledged to address the challenges of internally displaced people and provide assistance to them.

Source: tolonews.com

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https://tolonews.com/afghanistan-186771

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Afghanistan Demands Respect from Neighbors

2024-01-01

KABUL (BNA) Afghanistan respects the rights and interests of other countries, near and far, and expects the same from them. However, some countries have shown hostility and aggression towards Afghanistan, accusing it of harboring terrorists and posing a threat to regional security.

Afghanistan rejects these accusations and says that it is the victim of terrorism, with evidence of foreign citizens, especially from Tajikistan and Pakistan, being involved in attacks on Afghan mosques, scholars, and people.

The Afghan Defense Minister says that many Tajik and Pakistani citizens have been killed or captured in terrorist activities in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan also accuses some neighboring countries, such as Pakistan and Tajikistan, of supporting activities against Afghanistan, using their airspace and territory, and hosting meetings with fugitive political figures.

Afghanistan says that these actions violate its legitimate interests and could damage regional cooperation and good neighborliness.

Afghanistan calls for these countries to stop their interference and aggression, and to respect its rights and interests. Afghanistan wants to have peaceful and constructive relations with its neighbors and the world, based on mutual respect and cooperation.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/afghanistan-demands-respect-from-neighbors/

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Smuggling Historical Artifacts Plunders National Identity: Khairkhwah

2024-01-01

FAIZABAD (BNA): Acting Information and Culture Minister Mullah Khairullah Khairkhwah considered the smuggling of historical artifacts as a form of plundering the identity of the country, emphasizing the preservation of historical monuments and structures during a meeting with the director of information and culture in Badakhshan province.

During the meeting, Maazuddin Ahmadi, the director of information and culture in Badakhshan, stated that they are actively working to protect historical buildings and prevent the smuggling of artifacts.

He also mentioned the recent discovery of seventeen historical structures and archaeological sites in Badakhshan, emphasizing that there has been no unauthorized excavation in these ancient sites.

Source: bakhtarnews.af

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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/smuggling-historical-artifacts-plunders-national-identity-khairkhwah/

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Vote on Jan 7 to foil BNP-Jamaat's arson violence: PM tells people

Jan 1, 2024

Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today urged the people to give a befitting reply to BNP-Jamaat's arson violence by casting their votes in the January 7 national election.

"Don't only cast your vote, but also protect your vote. Give a befitting reply to arson violence of BNP and Jamaat," she said.

The AL chief said this while addressing an election rally, organised jointly by AL Dhaka City South and North units at KalabaganKrirachakro Field in the city's Dhanmondi area.

She asked the people of Bangladesh to stay vigilant against BNP and Jamaat as they want to destroy the country.

"BNP and Jamaat want to snatch your voting rights in the upcoming election by resorting to arson violence," she said.

The PM urged voters to go to polling stations and cast their votes early on the polling day.

Source: thedailystar.net

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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/national-election-2024/news/vote-jan-7-foil-bnp-jamaats-arson-violence-pm-tells-people-3508246

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Arab World

 

Saudi HR ministry starts Professional Verification program in Egypt

January 01, 2024

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has started the first phase of the Professional Verification program in Egypt in cooperation with the Egyptian Ministry of Manpower.

The program twins the skill-inspection system in the two countries to ensure that appropriately skilled laborers work in the Saudi market, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.

The first phase of the program targets five vocational fields — plumbing, electricity, welding, automobile mechanics and carpentry. The ministry plans to add more vocational fields in the coming phases.

This initiative in Egypt is part of the ministry’s endeavor to activate the program in several countries after its successful implementation in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

The program helps to ensure that workers have the skills necessary to work in the profession they choose before entering the Saudi labor market.

The certificate attesting to professional verification has become a key requirement when recruiting laborers to perform specific jobs in the Kingdom.

The certificate may be granted by an accredited inspection center in the workers’ country prior to the workers’ arriving in Saudi Arabia, after passing two tests, one theoretical and one practical.

The program, together with a series of other development programs, falls under the umbrella of the professional accreditation system. It reflects the Kingdom’s aim to create a labor market that is characterized by flexibility, rapid response to variables and attracts higher skills.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2434771/saudi-arabia

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Attorney General Meets His Counterpart of Ras Al Khaimah

02 Jan, 2024

The Attorney General, Sheikh Saud bin Abdullah Al-Mujab, received today at the Public Prosecution headquarters in Riyadh, the Attorney General of the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, Counselor Hassan Saeed Muhaimid, and their accompanying delegation.

 At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Saud extended a warm welcome to the Attorney General of Ras Al Khaimah.

 They exchanged friendly discussions, highlighting the close and enduring ties between the judicial authorities of both nations. These strong connections are a result of the deep and steadfast bond between the leaderships of the two countries.

 Both sides discussed enhancing cooperation in legal fields, especially in criminal law, and leveraging successful experiences and modern judicial methods. Additionally, they explored the exchange of the latest expertise in this regard.

Source: alriyadhdaily.com

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http://alriyadhdaily.com/article/8143021d76ec406ab8633d2ebf781102

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KSrelief chief meets Omani envoy to Saudi Arabia

January 02, 2024

RIYADH: Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, supervisor-general of the Saudi aid agency KSrelief, met the ambassador of Oman Saudi Arabia, Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al-Said, in Riyadh on Monday.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed relief and humanitarian affairs.

The ambassador praised the humanitarian efforts exerted by Saudi Arabia, through KSrelief, to assist people in need around the world.

This week, Al-Rabeeah also held meetings with Malaysian Ambassador Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and Mauritius Ambassador Shaukat Ali Soudhan.

They discussed relief and humanitarian affairs, along with humanitarian work in Malaysia and Mauritius.

Since its inception in 2015, KSrelief has implemented 2,670 projects worth more than $6.5 billion in 95 countries, in cooperation with 175 local, regional and international partners.

According to a report by the agency, the bulk of the support has gone to Yemen ($4.3 billion), Syria ($391 million), Palestine ($370 million) and Somalia ($227 million).

KSrelief’s programs cover food security, health, sanitation, shelter, nutrition, education, telecommunications and logistics.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2434941/saudi-arabia

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Saudi Arabia university to plant 50,000 trees

January 01, 2024

RIYADH: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals is collaborating with a local company to enhance its green spaces by planting 50,000 trees.

The initiative, in collaboration with Net Zero Environmental Services Co., is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1,560 tons per year in this area, according to a statement issued by the parties.

On Dec. 29, an agreement was signed to launch the project, in the presence of Mohammed bin Imad Al-Sheikh, chairman of Net Zero, and Nidal Al-Ratrout, vice president of the university.

This project aligns with the Quality of Life Program, the Saudi Green Initiative, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Trees play a major role in reducing temperatures in cities, up to 7 degrees Celsius. They absorb moisture and counteract air pollution and greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

Al-Ratrout said: “We commend the distinguished role of the university and its keenness to stimulate awareness and community efforts to preserve the environment. We are ready to face this challenge and aim for the university to be carbon-free by 2050.

“We thank the Net Zero company for enhancing the participation of all age groups to volunteer for environmental sustainability and community improvement.”

Al-Sheikh highlighted the country’s commitment to connecting these issues with educational institutions and universities to combat climate change.

He added that one way to achieve this is by increasing vegetation cover and reducing carbon emissions. The agreement also includes naming trees after university employees to promote a culture of sustainability.

Al-Sheikh said the plan is to monitor the environmental impact of each tree.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2434736/saudi-arabia

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Saudi aid campaign collects $160m for Gaza

January 01, 2024

RIYADH: A Saudi national fundraising campaign to provide aid for the people of Gaza has so far raised more than SR600 million ($160 million), organizers said on Monday.

The initiative was launched on Nov. 2, 2023 by Saudi aid agency KSrelief through the Sahem platform for charitable donations, in line with directives from King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

By Monday, more than 1.35 million people had accessed the platform to make donations.

Those who wish to contribute can download the Sahem app from Apple’s App Store or Google Play, visit sahem.ksrelief.org, or transfer funds directly to the campaign’s Al-Rajhi Bank account (SA5580000504608018899998).

The Sahem platform, especially in the context of the Gaza war, stands as a remarkable example of how digital platforms can mobilize support and resources for humanitarian causes.

Its emphasis on the security of contributions, combined with its transparent and efficient operational model, has not only garnered immense support but has also set a benchmark for online charitable platforms worldwide.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s 34th plane carrying aid for Palestinians in besieged Gaza arrived at El-Arish International Airport in Egypt on Monday.

The delivery of the aid, which includes 24 tons of food, medical, and shelter supplies, is being coordinated by KSrelief to help Palestinians affected by the conflict within the Gaza Strip.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2434716/saudi-arabia

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Pakistan

 

Balochistan: Pakistan PM Says Terrorists Taking Money from India’s RAW

2024-01-02

LAHORE: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar on Monday said that issue of Baloch families from Balochistan was being projected in negative and in sharp contrast to realities as Balochs were standing with the state of Pakistan.

Responding to different media queries during his visit to Business Facilitation Centre, the prime minister said that terrorists and armed militants had been involved in the killing of people of Balochistan. They were killing doctors, lawyers and teachers, he added.

He reassured the state would fight with them with all force as they could not be given license to kill people.

The prime minister, referring to criticism by a section of the media, said that the government was not fighting with the Baloch families and regretted that efforts were made to spread confusion and mingle things together.

The issue of families of Balochs had been blown out of proportion, he said, adding these terrorists had been taking money and funding from RAW and killing people in the province.

The caretaker prime minister said that about 90,000 people had been killed in the fight against terrorism but hardly nine accused had been convicted so far.

The prime minister opined that the criminal justice system in the country required improvement.

To a question, he mentioned that there was no restriction on freedom of expression.

Replying to another question regarding an alleged firing incident in DI Khan over vehicles of Maulana Fazlur Rehman Amir of JUI-F, he said that it was alarming, adding the government was responding to security threats in the southern parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with all the available resources.

The caretaker prime minister said that all the resources and security apparatus would be utilized to ensure the holding of peaceful polls on the election date and expressed the hope that they would be successful in this regard.

Source: brecorder.com

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https://www.brecorder.com/news/40281575/balochistan-pm-says-terrorists-taking-money-from-indias-raw

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Pakistan arrests 21 members of outlawed Pakistani Taliban militant group linked to deadly attacks

January 01, 2024

Pakistan's counterterrorism police said on January 1 they arrested 21 members of outlawed militant group the Pakistani Taliban, which has been behind several deadly attacks across the country.

Acting on intelligence information, the arrests were made in the eastern Punjab province over the past two weeks, the provincial Counterterrorism Department said in a statement.

The Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, is a separate group but allied with the Afghan Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

The Counterterrorism Department provided a list of the suspects, the cases against them and their alleged affiliation. But the list did not give details about the attacks the militants were allegedly involved in, including the number of casualties.

The statement said that Mohammad Arshad, an alleged chief commander of the banned Baluch Nationalist Army which mostly operates in Pakistan's southwestern Baluchistan province, was also arrested.

Baluchistan has been the scene of low-level insurgency by nationalists for more than two decades. They initially wanted a bigger share of provincial resources, but later initiated an insurgency for independence. The TTP and other domestic militant groups also operate in the province.

Source: thehindu.com

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https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/pakistan-arrests-21-members-of-outlawed-pakistani-taliban-militant-group-linked-to-deadly-attacks/article67696542.ece

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Muttahida, JUI-F agree on joint strategy against PPP in polls

January 2, 2024

KARACHI: Further strengthening their electoral understanding against the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Monday agreed to make a joint strategy for the Feb 8 elections to bring an end to what they described as the “15-year rule of corruption” of their past ally.

The fresh development took place at MQM-P’s temporary headquarters in Banadurabad, where a JUI-F delegation, led by its Sindh chief Allama Rashid Mahmood Soomro, met with MQM-P leaders Mustafa Kamal, Aminul Haq, Anis Kaimkhani, Jawed Hanif and others and agreed to “common objectives” of the two parties in the upcoming polls.

“The leaders of the two sides exchanged their thoughts over the upcoming general elections, mainly in Sindh, and agreed that it’s high time to devise a strategy for the polls to form a people-friendly government in the province and bring an end to the 15-year PPP rule of corruption,” said a statement issued by the MQM-P after the meeting.

The two parties also agreed to continue the process of dialogues to build a joint strategy. Their leadership would hold another round of talks in a few days before reaching any consensual decision, it added.

Election office opened at PIB Colony

Separately, the MQM-P inaugurated an election office in PIB Colony on Monday.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, MQM-P convenor Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that his party would stage a comeback with full force in the Feb 8 elections and recover the mandate of urban Sindh which was “stolen” in the 2018 polls.

Khalid Maqbool vows to recover mandate ‘stolen in 2018 elections’

“Despite all grievances and complaints, we chose the path of struggle in a democratic and civilised way. Despite all reservations and apprehensions, we moved forward and accepted every single political entity of the country, only to safeguard democracy and the parliament,” he said.

“We believe in struggle, not in slogans and that’s the reason hundreds of thousands of Karachiites were counted in the digital census, who were left out in the initial phase. Now it’s time for our party to regain its ground and mandate which was stolen in 2018,” Dr Siddiqui added.

He said that the ruling elite was well aware of the significance of Karachi but it deliberately ignored the business capital. However, he said, the MQM-P had made the country realise the importance of this mega city which was home to people of every ethnicity in the country.

He accused the PPP of dividing the people of Sindh on ethnic lines and toeing the politics of hatred for its electoral gains.

He said: “We want to bridge the gulf between urban and rural areas in the province and we have already given our share of sacrifice for this. We are only against feudal democracy and this rule of feudal lords in the garb of democrats should come to an end.”

With the passage of time, the narrative of the MQM-P would further prove its accuracy and those who are building the narrative of hatred and ethnicity would face defeat, he added.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1802491/muttahida-jui-f-agree-on-joint-strategy-against-ppp-in-polls

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Pakistan condemns ban on Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Party in IIOJK

January 01, 2024

Pakistan has strongly condemned the Indian authorities' decision to declare the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Party in Jammu and Kashmir as an 'unlawful association' for duration of five years.

In a statement on Monday, Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that the banning of political parties is part of India's relentless campaign to subjugate the Kashmiri people, suppress dissent, and consolidate its occupation of the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Mumtaz Zahra Baloch emphasized that India must lift the ban on all political parties unlawfully outlawed in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, and respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Kashmiri people.

Source: radio.gov.pk

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https://www.radio.gov.pk/01-01-2024/pakistan-condemns-ban-on-tehreek-e-hurriyat-party-in-iiojk

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IHC to hear NAB appeal in disqualification case today

 January 2, 2024

Malik Asad

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is scheduled to take up on Tuesday (today) a National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) appeal about the disqualification of former Balochistan minister Mir Faiq Jamali.

The accountability watchdog had on July 25 challenged the IHC order of limiting the disqualification to five years, since the Natio­nal Accountability Ordinance (NAO) provi­des for 10-year disqualification for a convict.

An accountability court had sentenced Mr Jamali to 14-year imprisonment with a Rs6 million fine over corruption charges. He was released from prison after completing his jail term in October 2013.

In July 2019, a three-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the then chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa and comprising Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, barred Mr Jamali from contesting elections till 2026.

The case was filed by Mr Jamali, seeking clearance to contest the elections.

Ex-minister says he deserves relief following amendment to Elections Act

During the proceedings, the counsel for Mir Jamali urged the court to allow his client to contest the elections. His client was sentenced in NAB cases and after completing the jail term, he was free to take part in elections, he had stated.

The CJP, referring to the NAB laws, observed that individuals who completed their jail terms, were still barred from holding public office for the next 10 years.

The CJP had ruled that the former minister would be allowed to participate in the elections after Nov 28, 2026.

However, after changes were made to the Election Act 2017 — which reduced the period of disqualification to five years — Mr Jamali filed a petition before the IHC seeking permission to contest the upcoming elections.

However, NAB has pleaded that Mr Jamali’s disqualification under the NAO could not be altered as the recently-changed election law did not apply to his case.

The IHC division bench will hear the case on Tuesday.

Source: dawn.com

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https://www.dawn.com/news/1802498/ihc-to-hear-nab-appeal-in-disqualification-case-today

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Pakistan sends third consignment of 20-tonne relief goods to Gaza

January 02, 2024

Pakistan on Monday dispatched the third consignment of relief goods for Palestinians facing Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.

Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani sent off the cargo carrying medicines, surgical/medical items, hygiene kits, and dry ration with a special Pakistan Air Force (PAF) aircraft at Nur Khan Airbase in Islamabad, a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs read.

After arrival at Al Arish Airport in Egypt, the consignment will be handed over to the Red Crescent for onward distribution.

In his remarks at the sendoff ceremony, the foreign minister termed the consignment as a token of solidarity with the Palestinian brothers and sisters on the first morning of the new calendar year.

Reiterating Pakistan's unstinted support to the Palestinian people in their legitimate and valiant struggle for their right to self-determination, Jilani underlined the urgency of a ceasefire and unimpeded flow of humanitarian assistance to the people of occupied Gaza facing brutal Israeli aggression.

The Palestinian ambassador present at the ceremony thanked the government and Pakistani nation for continuous support especially the significant gesture of marking the New Year by expressing solidarity with the Palestinians.

Source: thenews.com.pk

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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1143851-pakistan-sends-3rd-consignment-of-20-ton-relief-goods-for-gaza

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North America

 

US carrier sent to Mediterranean after Hamas attack to return to base

January 02, 2024

WASHINGTON: The US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, deployed to the eastern Mediterranean after the deadly attack on Israel by Hamas in October, will return to the United States “in the coming days,” the Navy said Monday.

Sent to “contribute to our regional deterrence and defense posture,” the carrier will “redeploy to its home port as scheduled to prepare for future deployments,” the Navy said in a statement.

“The Department of Defense continually evaluates force posture globally and will retain extensive capability both in the Mediterranean and across the Middle East,” the statement added.

The Navy said it was “collaborating with Allies and partners to bolster maritime security in the region.”

It noted that the Defense Department will continue to rely on the presence of its forces in the region — including the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group — “to deter any state or non-state actor from escalating this crisis beyond Gaza.”

A new generation aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford is a 100,000-ton nuclear-powered ship equipped with new technologies.

After Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel on October 7, Washington provided military support to Israel and reinforced its forces in the region, including the USS Gerald R. Ford and other warships.

Source: arabnews.com

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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2434971/middle-east

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Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters take to New York streets in solidarity with Gaza

01 January 2024

Thousands of protesters marched on the streets of Manhattan, New York City, in a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people just hours ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations to call for an immediate end to Israel's onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

Footage shows protesters carrying signs reading, "Free Palestine," "Stop the genocide" and "Free Gaza," while chanting, "We won't pay for Israel's slaughter."

Members of the Orthodox Jewish community were also seen joining the protest with signs reading "Judaism condemns ... Israel."

"Today, once again, the enemy wants us to believe that the Palestinian people have been defeated. Here, in the belly of the beast, they want you to believe that the movement is not important. That our protests have no impact.... If this is true why Netanyahu is crying about protests in the West?" asked one of the speakers.

Source: presstv.ir

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https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2024/01/01/717438/NYC-pro-Palestinian-protest

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New Jersey man faces charges after allegedly attempting to aid militant Islamist group

January 1, 2024

A New Jersey man arrested in Kenya has been charged for trying to aid militant Islamist group al Shabaab, the U.S. Justice Department said, alleging he was motivated by Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel to wage violence.

The arrest comes amid heightened incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the wake of the Israel-Gaza war, which have raised terror threat levels in the United States.

Karrem Nasr, a U.S. citizen who moved from New Jersey to Egypt around July, was taken into custody in Nairobi on Dec. 14 and brought to the United States on Thursday, the Justice Department said in a statement on Friday.

The 23-year-old has been charged with "attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization," which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, according to prosecutors.

FBI seal

The seal of the F.B.I. hangs in the Flag Room at the bureau's headquarters on March 9, 2007, in Washington, DC. In communications exchanged with an FBI confidential source and postings online, Nasr stated that he had been thinking about "engaging in jihad for a long time." (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The United States designates al Shabaab as a "foreign terrorist organization."

"As alleged, Karrem Nasr, motivated by the heinous terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas on October 7, devoted himself to waging violent jihad against America and its allies," U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said.

Nasr traveled from Egypt to Kenya "bent on joining and training with al Shabaab," prosecutors said.

In communications exchanged with an FBI confidential source and postings online, Nasr stated that he had been thinking about "engaging in jihad for a long time, and he was particularly motivated to become a jihadi by the October 7, 2023 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel," prosecutors added.

Nasr took steps to join and receive training from al Shabaab, planning to meet members of the organization in Kenya for further travel to Somalia to join the group, the Justice Department said. He was taken into custody by Kenyan authorities.

It was not clear whether Nasr had legal representation.

The Justice Department has said it was monitoring rising threats against Jews and Muslims in the United States due to soaring levels of antisemitism and Islamophobia linked to the war in the Middle East.

In early December, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the threat level was so elevated that he saw "blinking lights everywhere."

Source: foxnews.com

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Southeast Asia

 

More Rohingya refugees arrive in Indonesia despite rejection from locals

01st January 2024

MEDAN: Nearly 150 Rohingya refugees, mostly hungry and weak women and children, have reached a beach in Indonesia’s North Sumatra province after weeks at sea, officials said Sunday.

The group of 53 men, 39 women and 55 children arrived on Karang Gadih beach in Langkat district late Saturday, said the village head, Muhammad Amiruddin. A rickety, leaky wooden boat that brought them from Bangladesh was moored on a lighthouse island not far from the village, he said.

Five of the refugees were sick after the long journey and residents gave them food and water while they waited for instructions from immigration and local officials to decide where to take them. Residents do not want the refugees in their communities, however, and last week many protested the recent Rohingya arrivals.

“We helped them as they look very weak from hunger and dehydration,” Amiruddin said. “But many residents cannot accept them to live in our village because they will only bring problems later.”

He said that one of the refugees told authorities that they sailed from the Cox Bazar refugee camp in Bangladesh to Indonesia and became stranded on a lighthouse island.

About 740,000 Rohingya were resettled in Bangladesh after fleeing their homes in Myanmar to escape a brutal counterinsurgency campaign by security forces. But the camps in Bangladesh are squalid, with surging gang violence and rampant hunger, leading many to flee again.

A mob of Indonesian students on Wednesday attacked the basement of a local community hall in Banda Aceh, the capital of Aceh province, where 137 Rohingya were taking shelter. The incident drew an outcry from human rights groups and the U.N. refugee agency, which said the attack left the refugees shocked and traumatized.

Indonesia’s navy said Thursday that it forcibly pushed a boat packed with refugees back to international waters after it approached the shores of Aceh province.

It’s unclear whether the refugees who arrived late Saturday in neighbouring North Sumatra province were from the same boat that was pushed away by the navy.

Indonesia has appealed to the international community for help and intensified patrols of its waters due to a sharp rise in Rohingya refugees leaving overcrowded camps in Bangladesh since November. Over 1,500 Rohingya have arrived in Aceh and faced some hostility from fellow Muslims.

Indonesia, like Thailand and Malaysia, is not a signatory to the United Nations’ 1951 Refugee Convention so is not obligated to accept the Rohingya. So far, refugees in distress have received at least temporary accommodation.

Source: newindianexpress.com

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Ismail Sabri denies joining ‘Dubai Move’, says returned to KL after ‘umrah’

01 Jan 2024

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 1 — Former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has reportedly refuted any knowledge or participation in an alleged plot to overthrow Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government, which is said to have plotted in Dubai.

The former Umno vice-president further described the speculation of him being involved in the movement as slander, according to Malaysiakini.

“I don’t know whether or not there is such a move. I am not involved and I did not go to Dubai.

“I was in Mecca and Medina with my family performing umrah,” he reportedly said, referring to the minor Muslim pilgrimage.

Ismail, who is the Bera MP, said he returned to Kuala Lumpur from Mecca right after he performed umrah on December 31 and further questioned the allegations.

“From Mecca, I went straight back to Kuala Lumpur on December 31 at around 1am. So, how am I involved with the meeting in Dubai if I am not in Dubai? It is completely defamatory,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ismail Sabri’s special officer, Affifi Aris also refuted the claim of Ismail’s involvement to change the government as claimed by certain parties.

He shared that Ismail had a direct flight to Kuala Lumpur without stopping in Dubai after performing umrah.

The speculation surrounding the “Dubai Move” emerged from talks between Opposition leaders and specific government representatives during their recent visit to the United Arab Emirates.

The alleged purpose of the meeting was to assign roles to “agents” tasked with identifying MPs who might switch support to the opposition, aiming to establish a new government.

Source: malaymail.com

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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/01/01/ismail-sabri-denies-joining-dubai-move-says-returned-to-kl-after-umrah/110142

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Earthquake of magnitude 7.6 strikes Japan, tsunami warning issued

01.01.24

Japan issued tsunami alerts and ordered evacuations following a series of earthquakes on Monday that started a fire and trapped people under rubble on the west coast of its main island.

The Japan Meterological Agency reported more than a dozen quakes off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after 4pm (local time), one of them with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6.

The agency issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu, as well as the northernmost of its main islands, Hokkaido.

However, later tonight Japan dropped its tsunami alert but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.

The agency initially issued a major tsunami warning for Ishikawa and lower-level tsunami warnings or advisories for the rest of the western coast of the island of Honshu, as well as the northernmost of its main islands, Hokkaido.

The warning was downgraded to a regular tsunami several hours later, meaning the waters could still reach up to 3 metres. Aftershocks could also slam the same area over the next few days, it said.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK TV initially warned torrents of water could reach as high as 5 metres.

NHK said the tsunami waves could keep returning, and warnings were continuing to be aired hours after the initial alert. Several aftershocks also rocked the region.

Hayashi stressed that it was critical for people in coastal areas to get away from the oncoming tsunami. “Every minute counts. Please evacuate to a safe area immediately,” he said.

People returning to get their wallets and other belongings have been known to be swept away and drowned even hours after the first evacuation warning. People were evacuated to stadiums, where they will likely have to stay for a few days.

At least six homes were damaged by the quakes, with people trapped inside. A fire has broken out in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture, and electricity is out for more than 30,000 households, Hayashi said.

He said no reports of deaths or injuries had been confirmed, saying the situation was still unclear. Japan's military was taking part in the rescue efforts, he said.

Japanese media footage showed people running through the streets, and red smoke spewing from a fire in a residential neighbourhood. Photos showed a crowd of people, including a woman with a baby on her back, standing by huge cracks that had ripped through the pavement.

Bullet trains in the area were halted. Parts of the highway were also closed, and water pipes had burst, according to NHK. Some cell phone services in the region weren't working.

The Meteorological Agency said in a nationally broadcast news conference that more major quakes could hit the area over the next week, especially in the next two or three days.

More than a dozen strong quakes had been detected in the region, with risks of setting off landslides and houses collapsing, according to the agency.

Takashi Wakabayashi, a worker at a convenience store in Ishikawa Prefecture, said some items had tumbled from the shelves, but the biggest problem was the huge crowd of people who had shown up to stock up on bottled water, rice balls and bread.

“We have customers at three times the level of usual,” he said.

Source: telegraphindia.com

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https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/earthquake-of-magnitude-7-4-strikes-japan-tsunami-warning-issued/cid/1990755

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Number of flood evacuees rises in Pahang, unchanged in Kelantan, Johor

02 Jan 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of flood victims in three states increased slightly on Tuesday (Jan 2) morning to 80 people in four relief centres as of 6am, compared to 70 people in three relief centres at midnight.

According to the latest report issued by the National Disaster Management Agency’s National Disaster Command Centre, in Pahang, flood evacuees rose to 29 people who took shelter in two relief centres in Maran and Temerloh, compared to 19 people in one centre in Maran earlier.

In Kelantan, the number of flood victims remained at 26 people in one relief centre in Pasir Mas, while in Johor, 25 people were still housed at a relief centre in Segamat.

Meanwhile, two rivers were at the danger level, namely Sungai Golok in Pasir Mas, Kelantan at 9.01 metres (m) with a downward trend and Sungai Arau in Arau, Perlis (24.3m with a rising trend).

The report also said that 26 roads were closed due to flooding, damaged bridges or landslide incidents.

Among the roads affected were Jalan Raya Timur Barat (JRTB) Kupang-Gerik-Jeli in Hulu Perak, Perak; Jalan Kota Tinggi-Kluang in Kluang, Johor; Jalan Bukit Kayu Hitam-Bukit Tangga-Sintok in Kubang Pasu, Kedah and Jalan Temerloh-Jerantut in Pahang. – Bernama

Source: thestar.com.my

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https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/01/02/number-of-flood-evacuees-rises-in-pahang-unchanged-in-kelantan-johor

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Africa

 

Ilorin Chief Imam Lays Foundation OfUltra Modern Central Mosque In Kabba

Jan 1, 2024

Atabor Julius

LOKOJA – The Kabba Muslim Community in Kogi, has concluded plans to build a 5,000 seater capacity ultra-modern Central Masjid worth about One billion naira.

The Chairman, Kabba Muslim Community, Alhaji Kabir Fadile stated this while speaking at the Foundation laying ceremony of the central Mosque on Sunday in Kabba.

Fadile said the aim of building the mosque was to have a centre where the Muslim faithful could improve on their intellectual benefits and expand their knowledge on Islam.

“The environment here is mainly dominated by Christians. So, the few Muslims here developed an intention of having this spiritual centre for the purpose of improving our religion.

“As we all know that Islam is a way of life and the Muslim community in this area should be able to expand their knowledge.

“By the time we lay the foundation, we are targeting about 5000 seater capacity centre for worshippers at a stretch for any festival.

“I will like to call on all and sundry to be partakers in the accomplishment of this gigantic project which the estimate for completion is put in the sum of One billion naira.

“I urge each and everyone of us to use our contacts, both within and without, to attract contributions towards the completion of the project,” he said.

Fadile commended the Obaro of Kabba, His Royal Majesty, Oba Solomon Owoniyi, for his support to the Muslim community in the area since his ascension to the throne.

According to him, the paramount ruler has given the desired support to the Muslim faithful and taken steps that had ensured inter-religious harmony in his domain.

In his remarks, the Obaro of Kabba commended the Muslim Community for the initiative, saying his prayer was to see development in all areas of his domain.

Owoniyi, who also is the Chairman , Okun Area Traditional Council, prayed that the mosque would be completed in his time.

The royal father urged the people to encourage their children to go to school and become educated in order to be great in life.

The paramount ruler stressed the need to continually prayed for the development of Owe Kabba and the entire Okunland as a whole.

The foundation laying of the new ultra-modern mosque was performed by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Sheikh Bashir Imam-Solihu.

The chief Imam congratulated Kabba Muslim community for the initiative and the progress made so far, saying, “building the mosque is a work of God, and Allah will reward the partakers”.

The reverred Islamic cleric urged the Muslim faithful to contribute generously towards the project, and offered prayers for the community and its successful completion for the benefit of all.

Earlier, the Chairman of the occasion, Alh. Suleiman Ejibunu, commended the Muslim faithful for their turnout in numbers for the occasion, and urged them to contribute generously towards the success of the central mosque.

The highlights of the occasion was the Quranic recitation, lecture and donations towards the building of the central mosque.

Other dignitaries at the occasion include: the Baba Adini of Okunland, Alh. Babatunde Ajidahun; Chief Imam of Kabba, Sheikh Ahmad Abubakar; the Chairperson of the occasion, Hajia Aishat Alimi; Mother of the Day: Hajia Funmilayo Sadiq; and Brig. Gen. Bode Ojuoloruntaiye

Others were: Chief Hassan Ejibunu, Alh. Zachary Ejibunu, Alh. Shuaib Ejibunu, Prof. Azeez Ejibunu; Barr. Mohammed Hadi Yusuf, leaders of Housa, Fulani and Ebira communities in Okunland, among others.

Source: independent.ng

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https://independent.ng/ilorin-chief-imam-lays-foundation-of-ultra-modern-central-mosque-in-kabba/

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Gunmen Abduct Nasarawa Local Government Chairman, One Other On New Year Day

January 2, 2024

Some gunmen have kidnapped the Chairman of the Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Safiyanu Isa Andaha.

The victim was whisked away on night of the New Year Day at Ningo village along Andaha – Akwanga Road, alongside a native of the area, police authorities said.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, Ramhan Nansel, security personnel comprising the police and other agencies have swiftly begun the trail of the abductors to ensure the release of the victims.

Gunmen have been operating in the North-Central and North-Western parts of the country despite the presence of security operatives.

Monday’s incident comes a few weeks after gunmen ambushed a convoy in Rivers, killing four soldiers, and two civilian drivers and abducting two Korean workers, according to the police.

Nasarawa, just like Zamfara, is one of several states in northwestern and central Nigeria terrorised by bandits who raid villages, kill and abduct residents as well as burn homes after looting them.

The gangs maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.

The country is facing a myriad of security challenges, including a 14-year jihadist insurgency in the northeast that has killed at least 40,000 people and forced more than two million others to flee their homes.

Source: saharareporters.com

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We Have Arrested Some Suspects In Plateau State Massacre And Still Hunting For Others — Chief Of Defence Staff, Musa

January 2, 2024

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, has confirmed that the Nigerian military has made some arrests of attackers responsible for the Christmas Eve massacre in two Local Government Areas of Plateau State – an incident where over 200 Nigerians were brutally killed.

The CDS said this on Monday when he appeared on Channels TV programme, adding that the military was also working with state governments to reclaim all communities presently captured by terrorists across the country.

“We are working with the state governments to identify these areas, this year God willing we will make sure bandits hold no community,” he was quoted.

He added that once the communities were recovered, the internally displaced camps in the country would be reduced drastically as people would freely relocate to their homes.

He continued: “Members of the community will be able to leave the IDP camps and be able to go there”

Recall that Nigeria is still mourning a Christmas Eve terrorist attack where about 150 innocent people were killed with many injured.

The Chief of Defence Staff has described the Plateau attack as a plan to “embarrass” everyone and take the government for a fool.

He continued: “I think the purpose is to embarrass everybody and to make the government look stupid and whoever did this, we are up on their heels and making some arrests.

“The general area where this incident occurred is not a small area and people question why the military was not able to react quickly.

“We cannot be everywhere,” he said while responding to the military’s delay in accessing the terror-prone areas.

Meanwhile, the General also added that the lack of political will from the government at all levels is the reason insecurity seems to be unresolved in the country.

On the challenges the military faced in their fight against banditry, General Musa said they were of a political nature that required decision-making from the political class.

He said, “The truth about it is that the challenges we are facing are political challenges and it is only when decisions are taken and directives have been given that we can take them.

“The military can only do so much, only they go back and can’t get the support from the government, that is why it is important that we work together as a team. It is a political decision, not a military decision on what is to be done.”

Source: saharareporters.com

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https://saharareporters.com/2024/01/02/we-have-arrested-some-suspects-plateau-state-massacre-and-still-hunting-others-chief

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Anglican Bishop charges Christians to hold unto God’s words

January 1, 2024

Biola Azeez

Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Offa, the Right Reverend Dr. Solomon Olusola Akanbi, has called on the Christian faithful to hold on to God’s word, saying that God has promised to bring His words to fulfilment.

In his New Year message, Bishop Akanbi said that as Mary trusted in the word of God and the word came to pass in her life, “God’s proclamation must come to pass and it shall beat human expectation and protocol”.

The cleric also said that God’s promise will be fulfilled in humans, adding that it does not matter what any man, prophet or enemy may say.

“We should, therefore, be an instrument of God’s manifestation, completely surrender ourselves to the will of God as an individual and as a nation”, he said.

Bishop Akanbi, who decried level of corruption and ungodly activities in the country, said that there is a need for people to repent, stressing that, “we cannot continue in sin and expect the grace of God to multiply”.

The religious leader said that as a nation, we should hold on to the word of God, confess positive things to our dear country, and live a life worthy of praise and honour of the Lord while assuring that Nigeria will be great again if people repent and come to the Lord.

Source: tribuneonlineng.com

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https://tribuneonlineng.com/anglican-bishop-charges-christians-to-hold-unto-gods-words/

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Bishop donates cash, food items to 1,435 beneficiaries in Niger, Kebbi

Adelowo Oladipo

 January 1, 2024

The Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State Chapter, Most Rev. Dr. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, has donated cash and food items, such as bags of rice, to 1,435 beneficiaries in Niger and Kebbi States.

The cash donations, including other items like Indomie noodles, seasonings, drinks, biscuits, bags of rice, and maize, were shared simultaneously among beneficiaries of parishes in Kontagora Diocese.

Speaking to journalists on Monday in Kontagora, Bishop Yohanna said it is an annual activity and a gesture to reach out to widows, widowers, orphans, and those in need.

According to him, “the gesture is geared towards improving the living standards of the poor and even the less privileged in society.

“The list rose from the last time we reached out to a little above 1,000 beneficiaries. So far, this time around, we are reaching out to 1,435 beneficiaries in the Kontagora Diocese, both parishes in Niger and Kebbi States.”

While expressing their joy, some of the beneficiaries thanked Niger State’s CAN Chairman for touching their lives, stressing that “this gesture can only be from God.”.

Source: tribuneonlineng.com

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Plateau Killings: Pope Francis prays for families of victims

Collins Nnabuife

January 1, 2024

Pope Francis has extended prayers and condolences to the families who were victimized by the 2023 Christmas Eve brutal attack in Plateau State.

It was reported that over 200 people were killed by armed militias in several villages across Mangu and Bokkos LGAs of the state.

After delivering the Angelus message on Sunday, the Pope spoke about recent violence across the world.

“Unfortunately, the celebration of Christmas in Nigeria was marked by serious violence in the State of Plateau, with many victims. I am praying for them and their families. May God free Nigeria from these atrocities!” he said.

Furthermore, the Catholic Pope also remembered others who are suffering around the world, including the victims of a tanker truck explosion in Liberia and those caught in the throes of war in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, and the Rohingya.

“At the end of a year, let us have the courage to ask ourselves: How many human lives have been broken by armed conflict? How many are dead? And how much destruction, suffering, and poverty?” he said.

Pope Francis urged those with interests in these conflicts to heed their conscience and consider the human toll of their actions.

Before his poignant remarks on the recent violence, Pope Francis addressed the beauty of family life, drawing parallels between the struggles of the earthly family of Jesus Christ and those faced by families today.

He delivered a message of solidarity to families in difficulty, saying, “If you are facing difficulties, I know what you are experiencing. I experienced it. I, my mother, and my father experienced it, so we can say to your family too: You are not alone.”

He encouraged families to find comfort in the knowledge that God is intimately familiar with human suffering and challenges.

Source: tribuneonlineng.com

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https://tribuneonlineng.com/plateau-killings-pope-francis-prays-for-families-of-victims/

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