Christmas In Saudi Arabia: Christmas Trees In Riyadh, Snowmen In Jeddah, And Even Santa Claus Putting In An Appearance In Al-Khobar
25
December 2022
The government’s efforts to move the country toward an
“open and moderate Islam” has created an atmosphere that is welcoming to other
faiths and traditions. (Supplied)
----------
• Christmas In Saudi Arabia: Christmas Trees In
Riyadh, Snowmen In Jeddah, And Even Santa Claus Putting In An Appearance In
Al-Khobar
• Indian Court Orders Archaeological Survey Of The
17th Century Shahi Idgah Mosque In Mathura
• Iran's Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence Of One
Protester, Accepts Rapper Yasin’s Appeal
• Pope Francis Decries War, Poverty And Consumerism In
Christmas Mass
• Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Pays Tribute To Muhammad Ali
Jinnah For Creating Separate Homeland For Muslims
Arab world
• ASEAN Conference ‘Khair Ummah’ Meet Highlights Islam
As Religion Of Charity, Mercy And Justice
• Riyadh Sentences Prominent Shia Cleric, Sheikh Omari,
To 4 Years In Prison
• Saudi Islamic minister receives Order of Merit for
outstanding influence
-----
India
• Jamat-e-Islam’s Properties Worth ₹122 Crore Seized
In J&K
• Media Only Shows Hindu-Muslim Hatred 24x7, Says
Rahul Gandhi During Bharat Jodo Yatra
• Man on 300km wheelchair pilgrimage to Sabarimala to
pray for Muslim teacher
-----
Mideast
• Turkey Squabbles With PKK Over Who Is Actually
Leading Fight Against Islamic State
• Report: Russia to supply Iran with dozens of Sukhoi
Su-35 fighter jets
• Iraq proposes to facilitate talks between Iran,
Egypt: Iranian FM
• At Least 44 Lawyers Arrested in Iran
-----
Europe
• Fiji Muslim League Wishes Everyone A Happy Christmas
• Weather Forecast UK: Met Office Issues Yellow
Warning For Snow With White Christmas Predicted For Part Of UK
• When was the last time we had a King’s Speech
instead of a Queen’s speech on Christmas Day?
• Rishi Sunak asks if homeless man ‘works in business’
during cringe chat
-----
Pakistan
• JIT Formed To Probe Friday’s Suicide Attack In
Islamabad As Conflicting Accounts Of Incident Emerge
• President, PM urge following Quaid’s guiding principles
as nation celebrates his 146th birthday
• Terrorist killed, soldier martyred during gun battle
in Balochistan’s Zhob: ISPR
• Shahbaz Gill briefly ‘disappears’ from Lahore
hospital
• ‘Unknown People’ Forced Punjab CS To Sign Governor’s
Order: Imran
-----
Southeast Asia
• Wish You A Merry Christmas? ‘Heresy’, Cry Some In
Indonesia - But Not AanAnshori, Peace-Loving Muslim Cleric
• Social Welfare Dept ready to counsel Batang Kali
landslide survivors, family members, says minister
• Tajuddin admits offered to join PAS to contest GE15
under Perikatan but stayed loyal with Umno
-----
Africa
• Troops Neutralise 26 Suspected Boko Haram Terrorists
InBorno
• Christmas reborn in Bethlehem after pandemic years
• 2023 presidency: Nigerians‘ll decide who succeeds
Buhari – Ucheaga
• Interrogating MisikiluMojeed’sThe Letterman
-----
South Asia
• Evil Forces Hatching Conspiracies Against
Bangladesh: PM Sheikh Hasina
• Afghan Hindu Family In Germany Await Visa To Immerse
Son’s Ashes In Ganga
• Third-World Workers Injured, Killed at US Bases in
Afghanistan Not Fully Compensated
• Terror attacks in Kabul may mar China’s plan to
extend CPEC to Afghanistan
• Afghanistan receives food aid from Uzbekistan
• India’s BSF Pushes Back Tribals Fleeing Bangladesh
Crackdown – Even As Mizoram Offers Them Shelter
• In coastal Bangladesh, communities drink rainwater
to cope with water woes
• FDI in Bangladesh not rising due to policymakers'
attitude, event told
-----
North America
• Trump-Backed Kari Lake Loses Bid To Overturn Arizona
Governor's Race
• Local Muslim group feeds the homeless every Dec. 24
• Is Elon Musk going to turn into the same sort of
joke that Trump has become?
Compiled
by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL:
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Christmas In Saudi Arabia: Christmas Trees In Riyadh,
Snowmen In Jeddah, And Even Santa Claus Putting In An Appearance In Al-Khobar
Nada Hameed
December 24, 2022
The government’s efforts to move the country toward an
“open and moderate Islam” has created an atmosphere that is welcoming to other
faiths and traditions. (Supplied)
----------
JEDDAH/RIYADH: Christmas shopping in Saudi Arabia is
unrecognizable compared to just a few short years ago, reflecting both the
growing culture of religious tolerance and the speed and scope of the social
transformation underway in the Kingdom.
Nowadays, festive gifts and decorations can be found
easily in many of the Kingdom’s markets and malls, with Christmas trees in the
capital Riyadh, snowmen in Jeddah, and even Santa Claus putting in an
appearance in Al-Khobar.
As more foreign expatriates choose to make Saudi
Arabia their home, the government’s efforts to move the country toward an “open
and moderate Islam” has created an atmosphere that is welcoming to other faiths
and traditions.
The transformation has also allowed local retailers
and e-commerce platforms to sell a broader range of products to those keen to
join in with the festivities.
Festive Kingdom: A Christmas trees in the Saudi
capital Riyadh, a snowmen in Jeddah, and a Santa Claus putting in an appearance
in Al-Khobar. (Supplied)
Wejdan Al-Khatabi, a Saudi marketing professional who
works at Napco National in Jeddah, told Arab News that Christmas items are
selling well this year and are in high demand in Saudi Arabia.
“Some of them celebrate in their home countries and
some of them celebrate here. They used to complain that they could not
celebrate here as there were no Christmas celebration vibes or products.
However, today they can celebrate with the full winter set.”
“We ordered the tree from Amazon and the rest of the
decorations from Noon and Mumzworld and it took a week to arrive, as related
items are more acceptable nowadays and are being shipped smoothly without any
restrictions compared to how it used to be before.”
The growth of e-commerce has made it far easier for
Christian households in the Kingdom to access gifts and decorations, and to
openly share their traditions with Muslim friends and neighbors.
“We brought everything online and we enjoyed the
preparation vibe,” said Al-Khatabi. “I love it. And for me, it is a sample of a
cozy winter, and it is really enlightening to be surrounded by people with
different perspectives.”
Alain Karam, a Lebanese expatriate living in Saudi
Arabia, confirms that finding Christmas decorations in the Kingdom’s stores is
much easier than it had been in previous years.
“Decorations were previously available in Saudi Arabia
in specific hidden locations because it was not permitted, but they are now
available in malls or nearby shops,” Karam told Arab News. “I used to go to
Christmas markets in embassies where people used to buy Christmas decorations.”
These days, some cafes and restaurants in Saudi towns
and cities are transformed into winter wonderlands, encrusted with decorations
and imported ornaments, and offering holiday beverages in Christmas-themed cups
and glasses.
At one of Riyadh’s best-known shopping centers,
Kingdom Mall, several shops are now selling Christmas decorations and gifts,
including the French beauty retailer L’Occitane.
“We have a variety of Christmas packages at
L’Occitane, including skin care, perfumes, and small giveaway packages,” Wedad
Al-Malki, a sales representative, told Arab News.
“Businesses that celebrate Christmas often place
special orders with us ahead of time. There is a high demand for Christmas
packages, particularly from businesses that celebrate Christmas with their
employees.”
Bateel, a cafe and store that sells organic Saudi
dates and luxury gifts, has launched a new collection of elegant tree- and
star-shaped gift boxes containing chocolates or stuffed dates, decorated in
red, green, white, and gold.
Lily’s Bakery and coffee shop in Jeddah is also
offering Christmas products and a winter ambiance, with cups of rich hot
chocolate decorated with gingerbread men.
Advertising agencies have also caught on to the
Christmas theme, releasing new commercials filled with festive scenes and cozy
winter iconography.
Neama Al-Sabea, a Jordanian based in Jeddah, told Arab
News she is welcoming Christmas this year with a full winter-themed setup,
including an electric chimney, snowmen, a traditional tree, and glittering
ornaments.
“This year I have a collection from seven different
places including red winter candles, wooden deer, and tiny snowmen, and I also
added artificial berry tree branches from Shein next to pine cones, which is
one of the key winter elements.”
“One of the dearest items to my heart is the handmade wooden
rocking chair, which I placed next to the chimney with a throw blanket over
it.”
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the text of the
original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2221456/saudi-arabia
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Indian Court Orders Archaeological Survey Of The 17th
Century Shahi Idgah Mosque In Mathura
25-12-2022
Muslims in India are concerned by the campaign of the
Hindu right-wing groups to claim Muslim monuments and mosques. (AA)
----------
A court in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh
ordered the survey of the 17th century Shahi Idgah Mosque in Mathura, 57
kilometers (35 miles) north of Agra city, after a Hindu group claimed that the
mosque was built on the birthplace of Lord Krishna.
The local court in Mathura asked the Archaeological
Survey of India to conduct a survey after January 2. The report will be
submitted after January 20.
The lawsuit was filed by the right-wing outfit Hindu
Sena’s leader Vishnu Gupta seeking ownership of the land of the historic Shahi
Idgah Masjid. The mosque is adjacent to a temple, where Hindus believe Lord
Krishna was born. The next date of the hearing has been fixed for January 20.
Vishnu Gupta in his suit claimed that the Idgah was
constructed by Aurangzeb on the 13.37 acres of Shri Krishna's birthplace after
demolishing the Sri Krishna temple.
The suit seeks the cancellation of an agreement
between Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sangh and Shahi Idgah executed in the year
1968, claiming that it is illegal.
Hindu groups in various Indian cities have claimed
that mosques and monuments built during the Mughal era were built after razing
Hindu temples.
Muslim groups had opposed such a move, saying it was
against the Places of Worship Act of 1991, which maintains the religious status
of any place of worship as of August 15, 1947.
Earlier, a court had ordered a similar survey of
Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi after a suit was filed by five Hindu women seeking
worshipping rights in the mosque compound.
Gyanvapi Mosque adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath
Temple is at the center of an ongoing legal battle in India. The mosque is
situated in Varanasi city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Hindus widely believe that the Gyanvapi Mosque was
built on the orders of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb by pulling down a part of the
Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the 17th century.
A persistent campaign by right-wing Hindu groups to
claim Mughal-era monuments and historic mosques has raised a wave of concern
among minorities, historians, and archaeologists across India.
Political analysts in India link BJP’s rise in India’s
political landscape to the movement to build the grand Ram Tempe at the place
of Babri Mosque in the city of Ayodhya.
On December 6, 1992, the 16th-century Babri Mosque in
the northern Indian city of Ayodhya was torn down by Hindu hardliners, who
claimed the site was the birthplace of their lord Ram.
Source: Trt World
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original story:
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Iran's Supreme Court upholds death sentence of one
protester, accepts rapper Yasin’s appeal
By: Prisha
Dec 25, 2022
Photograph:(AFP)
------
The death sentence appeal of one protester was accepted
by the Iran's Supreme Court while it declined the appeal of another, the
judiciary stated on Saturday. Initially, the court had stated that appeals by
both the protesters have been accepted, however, later the judiciary's Mizan
news agency, in a statement, said, "The public relations of the Supreme
Court of Iran has corrected its news: 'The appeal of Mohammad Qabadloo has not
been accepted/the ruling has been confirmed. Saman Seydi's appeal has been
accepted by the Supreme Court."
Saman Seydi Yasin who raps about inequality,
oppression and unemployment, had been accused of attempting to kill security
forces, setting a rubbish bin on fire and shooting into the air thrice during
anti-government protests.
Iran witnessed nationwide protests from mid-September
after 22-year-old MahsaAmini died in police custody after the morality police
arrested her for failing to follow the mandatory dress code laws of the Islamic
Republic.
Earlier this month, two protesters were hanged by
Iran. One of them, 23-year-old Mohsen Shekari was held guilty of obstructing
the main road in September and hurting the paramilitary Basij force member with
a knife.
Meanwhile, 23-year-old Majid Reza Rahnavard, who was
held guilty of killing two Basij members, was hanged publicly from a
construction crane.
According to Amnesty International, the death penalty
is being sought for around 26 people by the Iranian authorities in what it said
were "sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the
popular uprising that has rocked Iran".
Qobadloo is facing charges of killing police personnel
and hurting five others in the protests. Meanwhile, Yasin, a rapper who raps
about unemployment, inequality and oppression, is charged with singing
revolutionary songs and attempting to kill security forces and will now be
retried.
Speaking about the situation in Iran, the rights group
HRANA stated that the authorities have killed 506 protesters till Friday, which
includes 69 minors.
Source: Wio News
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original story:
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Pope Francis decries war, poverty and consumerism in
Christmas mass
By Euronews
25/12/2022
Pope Francis waves to faithful as he delivers the Urbi
et Orbi Christmas day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter's
Basilic - Copyright
AP
---------
Pope Francis has rebuked those “ravenous” for wealth
and power at the expense of the vulnerable, including children, in a homily
decrying war, poverty and consumerism.
In the splendor of St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis
presided over the Christmas Eve Mass attended by about 7,000 faithful,
including tourists and pilgrims, who flocked to the church on a warm evening
and took their place behind rows of white-robed pontiffs.
“While animals feed in their stalls, men and women in
our world, in their hunger for wealth and power, consume even their neighbors,
their brothers and sisters,” the pontiff lamented. “How many wars have we seen!
And in how many places, even today, are human dignity and freedom treated with
contempt!”
“As always, the principal victims of this human greed
are the weak and the vulnerable,’’ said Francis, who didn’t cite any specific
conflict or situation.
“This Christmas, too, as in the case of Jesus, a world
ravenous for money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones,
for the so many unborn, poor and forgotten children,’’ the pope said, reading
his homily with a voice that sounded tired and almost hoarse. “I think above
all of the children devoured by war, poverty and injustice.”
“Do not allow yourself to be overcome by fear,
resignation or discouragement.” Jesus’ lying in a manger shows where “the true
riches in life are to be found: not in money and power, but in relationships
and persons.”
Remarking on the “so much consumerism that has
packaged the mystery” of Christmas, Francis said there was a danger the day's
meaning could be forgotten.
But, he said, Christmas focuses attention on “the
problem of our humanity — the indifference produced by the greedy rush to
possess and consume.”
“Jesus was born poor, lived poor and died poor,”
Francis said. “He did not so much talk about poverty as live it, to the very
end, for our sake.”
When the Mass ended, the pope, pushed in a wheelchair
by an aide, moved down the basilica with a life-sized statue of Baby Jesus on
his lap and flanked by several children carrying bouquets. The statue then was
placed in a manger in a creche scene in the basilica.
Francis, 86, has been using a wheelchair to navigate
long distances due to a painful knee ligament and a cane for shorter distances.
Traditionally, Catholics mark Christmas Eve by
attending Mass at midnight. But over the years, the starting time at the
Vatican has crept earlier, reflecting the health or stamina of popes and then
the pandemic.
Two years ago, the start of Christmas Eve Mass in St.
Peter's Basilica was moved up to 19:30 CET to allow faithful to get home before
for a nighttime curfew imposed by the Italian government as a measure to combat
the COVID-19 pandemic. Although virtually all pandemic-triggered restrictions
have long been lifted in Italy, the Vatican kept to the early start time.
During Saturday evening's service, a choir sang hymns.
Clusters of potted red poinsettia plants near the altar contrasted with the
cream-colored vestments of the pontiff.
On Sunday, tens of thousands of Romans, tourists and
pilgrims are expected to crowd into St. Peter's Square to hear Pope Francis
deliver an address on world issues and give his blessing. The speech, known in
Latin as “Urbi et Orbi” (to the city and to the world), generally is an
occasion to review crises including war, persecution and hunger, in many parts
of the globe.
Source: Euro News
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original story:
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Khyber Pakhtunkhwa CM Pays Tribute To Muhammad Ali
Jinnah For Creating Separate Homeland For Muslims
APP
December 25, 2022
PESHAWAR - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood
Khan on Saturday paid tribute to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for his
struggle to create a separate homeland for Muslims of subcontinent and said
that his dedication and unflinching resolve for the cause would always be
remembered. In a message issued in connection with the birth anniversary of
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, KP CM said that we should follow his golden
principles of unity, faith and discipline to further improve country’s stature
in comity of the nations. He said that we could lead country on the way of
progress and prosperity by following golden principles of father of nation. He
said that animosity of India towards Pakistan has proved that Quaid-e-Azam was
right to launch struggle for creation of a separate homeland for Muslims. CM
felicitates Christian community on Christmas The KP CM also felicitated
Christian community on Christmas and said that minority communities are free to
follow their religion and enjoy rights as enshrined in constitution of the
country. In a message issued in connection with Christmas, the CM said that
constitution of the country gives equal rights to minorities.
Source: Nation
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original story:
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Arab world
ASEAN Conference ‘Khair Ummah’ Meet Highlights Islam
As Religion Of Charity, Mercy And Justice
December 24, 2022
BALI — The two-day ASEAN Conference entitled the Best
Nation ‘Khair Ummah’, which was organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs,
Call and Guidance of Saudi Arabia in cooperation with the Ministry of Islamic
Affairs of Indonesia, concluded here Saturday.
In a final statement, the participants issued a number
of recommendations underscoring the importance of the goodness of the Islamic
nation and its inclusion of the values of tolerance, moderation, harmony and
amicableness.
They confirmed that the goodness of the Islamic nation
will be reflected in its cooperation to do righteousness. Also they called for
imposing the instructions of the holy book of Qur’an and sayings and deeds of
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Source: Alriyadh Daily
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of the original story:
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Riyadh Sentences Prominent Shia Cleric, Sheikh Omari,
To 4 Years In Prison
Dec 24, 2022
Lebanon-based al-Ahed news website announced that the
clergyman-- the son of Shia cleric Sheikh Muhammad al-Omari, who is among
distinguished religious figures in the holy city of Medina –received a
four-year sentence on Saturday.
Sheikh Omari was also arrested on August 11, 2009,
after Saudi regime forces raided his father's farm in Medina, where his office
and mosque are also located.
Back in January, a court in Saudi Arabia sentenced
Shia cleric Sheikh Abdul Latif al-Nasser-- a resident of Dammam city in the
kingdom's oil-rich and Shia-populated Eastern Province--to eight years in
prison.
Source: En.Mehr News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://en.mehrnews.com/news/195333/Riyadh-sentences-prominent-Shia-cleric-to-4-years-in-prison
-----
Saudi Islamic minister receives Order of Merit for
outstanding influence
SPA
December 24, 2022
BALI: The Indonesian Ulema Council awarded Saudi
Minister of Islamic Affairs Sheikh Abdullatif Al-Asheikh the Order of Merit of
the first class for his influence in the service of Islam and its dissemination
based on the principle of moderation.
It is the first time in its history that the council
has granted such an order. Al-Asheikh received the order for his contributions
toward scientific and advocacy services, the Saudi Press Agency reported on
Saturday.
The Saudi minister met with Sheikh Mahrousoun, head of
the Indonesian Ulema Council in Bali, in the presence of Saudi Ambassador to
Indonesia Essam Abed Al-Thaqafi.
Source: Arab News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2221286/saudi-arabia
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India
Jamat-e-Islam’s properties worth ₹122 crore seized in
J&K
December 25, 2022
BY BL NEW DELHI
Working on the Centre’s directive to choke terror
funding, the Jammu and Kashmir’s State Investigation Agency (SIA) has unearthed
assets worth ₹122 crore of banned Jamat-e-Islami (JeI) spread across twelve
locations in the Union Territory.
On Saturday, properties spread in three districts were
seized post notification by respective district magistrates of Pulwama, Kulgam
and Srinagar, said the UT administration.
During the seizure proceedings, the district
authorities found that about a dozen business establishments in Kulgam,
including the shopping complex at Magam, are currently running from these JeI
properties on a rent basis. After due diligence, it was decided that these
would be allowed to continue so that private persons who may not have any
connections with JeI and are only tenants paying rent to JeI, are not penalised
and their livelihoods not impaired, said the UT administration in a statement.
Source: The Hindu Business Line
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Media only shows Hindu-Muslim hatred 24x7, says Rahul
Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra
Scroll Staff
24-12-2022
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that
the media in the country only shows hatred between Hindus and Muslims, even though
it does not reflect reality.
He made the statement at the Red Fort in Delhi during
the Congress’ Bharat Jodo Yatra. The march, which the party claims is aimed at
countering the Bharatiya Janata Party’s politics of hatred, entered the
National Capital on Saturday morning.
“Mediapersons are our friends, but they never show our
side on television,” Gandhi said. “That is alright, but they also do another
thing...These channels also engage in spreading hatred, they speak of
Hindu-Muslim 24x7.”
Source: Scroll.In
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Man on 300km wheelchair pilgrimage to Sabarimala to
pray for Muslim teacher
Dec 25, 2022
KOCHI: It's almost 10 days since Amangattuchalil
Kannan started his pilgrimage from Malappuram to Sabarimala and he's determined
to do it the hard way-all 300 kms in a wheelchair.
Kannan lost his left leg in an accident several years
ago and his other leg is partially paralysed and the main motive of his
pilgrimage is to seek Lord Ayyappa's blessings for the Muslim teacher who
helped him get a roof over his head when, following the accident, he had almost
given up on his future.
It was on December 3, 2013, that Kannan lost his left
leg while unloading wood logs from a lorry. One of his legs was amputated. As a
daily wage worker, who has three daughters and a son, Kannan was struggling to
make both ends meet after the accident. At that time, M P Sameera, an assistant
professor at Government College in Kondotty who was also coordinator of National
Service Scheme (NSS) unit of the college, came to know about Kannan’s tragedy
and the NSS unit constructed a house for him spending Rs 8 lakh.
Source: Times Of India
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of the original story:
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Mideast
Turkey squabbles with PKK over who is actually leading
fight against Islamic State
By Hussam Hammoud
24 December 2022
Reinvigorated Turkish attacks on northeastern Syria
have diverted attention back towards the fight against the so-called Islamic
State (IS) group, with Turkey and Kurdish forces in the region jostling for the
valuable mantle of chief IS opponent.
Turkey, which has been threatening a new ground offensive
in Syria for months, accelerated its artillery and air campaign there soon
after a bomb attack in Istanbul in November killed six people and wounded
dozens more.
Turkey blamed the attack on the People's Protection
Units (YPG), which it views as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK), an armed Kurdish faction that for decades has been at war with the
Turkish state.
Source: Middle East Eye
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-pkk-islamic-state-who-leading-fight
-----
Report: Russia to supply Iran with dozens of Sukhoi
Su-35 fighter jets
By TOI STAFF
25-12-2022
Russia is preparing to provide Iran with Sukhoi Su-35
fighter jets in the near future, according to a Saturday report citing Western
intelligence officials.
The report by Channel 12 said the deal could include
as many as 24 jets that were originally intended for Egypt, in a deal that the
United States thwarted.
This left Moscow looking for a new potential buyer,
which it has reportedly found in Tehran. The report comes after Iranian media
said in September that Tehran was weighing such a purchase.
Source: Times Of Israel
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of the original story:
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Iraq proposes to faciliate talks between Iran, Egypt:
Iranian FM
2022-12-24
Tehran, Dec 25 (IANS) Iraq has put forward a proposal
for holding talks between Tehran and Cairo at political and security levels to
restore relations between the two countries, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein
Amir-Abdollahian said.
The senior diplomat made the remarks in an interview
with Iran's Mizan news agency, which was published on Saturday, Xinhua news
agency reported.
Amir-Abdollahian said the proposal was made by Iraqi
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani, whom he met on the sidelines of a
regional conference held this week in the Jordanian capital of Amman.
Source: In.Investing
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://in.investing.com/news/iraq-proposes-to-faciliate-talks-between-iran-egypt-iranian-fm-3464045
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At Least 44 Lawyers Arrested in Iran
December 24, 2022
Reports from Iran say at least 44 lawyers have been
arrested since mass anti-government protests erupted following the death of
MahsaAmini, a Kurdish woman who had been arrested by Iranian authorities for
wearing her headscarf improperly.
The reports say that while about 20 of the lawyers
have been released from custody, two have been sentenced – one to six months in
prison and the other to a year. Both have been banned from leaving the country.
In November, a group of lawyers issued a statement
saying that many people were no longer interested in the Islamic Republic and
encouraged people to speak up about their discontent.
Source: Voa News
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://www.voanews.com/a/at-least-44-lawyers-arrested-in-iran/6890015.html
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Europe
Fiji Muslim League Wishes Everyone A Happy Christmas
By Basheer Ahmed
25 Dec 2022
Assalamu ‘Alaikum and Bula Vinaka!
The Fiji Muslim League is conveying best wishes to
our fellow Christian brothers and sisters of Republic of Fiji and everyone
celebrating Christmas around the world.
This is a special time of the year which our fellow
Christian brothers and sisters eagerly await to celebrate and spend precious
time with their loved ones.
Source: Fijisun.Com
Please click the following URL to read the full text
of the original story:
https://fijisun.com.fj/2022/12/25/fiji-muslim-league-wishes-everyone-a-happy-christmas/
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Weather forecast UK: Met Office issues yellow warning
for snow with white Christmas predicted for part of UK
By Ralph Blackburn
25-12-2022
The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for
snow and ice, with one part of the UK forecast to get a white Christmas.
The Scottish Highlands can expect snowfall, though the
conditions come with the weather warning across most of the Highlands, as well
as some lowland areas, from 9pm on Christmas Day to 6pm on Boxing Day.
“Frequent blustery snow showers are likely to cause
some travel disruption to higher routes,” the Met Office said, adding 10cm
(four inches) of snow is expected to fall on higher ground. The conditions
could also see interruptions to power supplies, with potential for the
temperature to drop as low as 1C overnight on Sunday.
Source: National World.
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When was the last time we had a King’s Speech instead
of a Queen’s speech on Christmas Day?
Olivia Stringer
25 Dec 2022
It is expected that the King will use the speech to
reflect on the late Queen, who died on September 8, 2022, aged 96.
For many of us it will be strange to see King Charles
on our screens on December 25th, as we have grown accustomed to hearing the
Queen’s message on Christmas Day over the last 70 years.
The last time the UK had a King’s speech on Christmas
Day, was in 1951 and it was delivered by King Charles’s grandfather father,
King George VI.
Source: Metro.Co.Uk
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Rishi Sunak asks if homeless man ‘works in business’
during cringe chat
Josh Milton
24 Dec 2022
The prime minister visited a homeless shelter in
London run by Passage yesterday and got behind the counter to dish out food
ahead of Christmas.
Sunak asked one homeless man, Dean, how he was doing,
to which he replied: ‘Hungry.’
The Tory leader said: ‘Well, let’s hope we get you
some good breakfast.’
After handing him sausages, toast and eggs, Dean asked
whether Sunak is repairing Britain’s battered economy.
Source: Metro.Co.Uk
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Pakistan
JIT formed to probe Friday’s suicide attack in
Islamabad as conflicting accounts of incident emerge
Munawer Azeem
December 25, 2022
ISLAMABAD: A day after a suicide bombing left a
policeman martyred and several injured, the Chief Commissioner’s Office
constituted a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to probe the incident in response
to the request made by the capital police.
On the other hand, conflicting statements have emerged
regarding the number of individuals involved in the deadly attack in
Islamabad’s I-10 sector.
According to a notification, the JIT is constituted
under Section 19-A of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 to investigate the case
registered on Dec 23 on charges of 7ATA, along with PPC Section 302, 324, 427
and 4/5 Explosive Act at the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) police station,
Islamabad.
Source: Dawn
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President, PM urge following Quaid’s guiding
principles as nation celebrates his 146th birthday
December 25, 2022
The commemoration of the day began with a change of
guards ceremony held at Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum in Karachi today where the
Pakistan Air Force cadets handed over the guards’ duties to the cadets of the
Pakistan Military Academy, Radio Pakistan reported.
Major General Umer Aziz, the chief guest on the occasion,
laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum and offered Fateha prayers.
President Dr ArifAlvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz
Sharif, in separate messages, have urged the nation to follow the guiding
principles of the father of the nation to ensure the progress and prosperity of
the country, Radio Pakistan reported.
Source: Dawn
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Terrorist killed, soldier martyred during gun battle
in Balochistan’s Zhob: ISPR
December 25, 2022
A terrorist was killed and a soldier martyred during
an exchange of fire between militants and security forces in an
intelligence-based operation in the Sambaza area of Balochistan’s Zhob
district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Sunday.
According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services
Public Relations on Sunday morning, the operation, launched on the basis of
“credible information”, was continuing for the last 96 hours.
The objective was to “deny terrorists the use of few
suspected routes to move across the Pakistan-Afghanistan border to sneak into
KP (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) along the interprovincial boundary and target citizens
and security forces”, the ISPR added.
Source: Dawn
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Shahbaz Gill briefly ‘disappears’ from Lahore hospital
Staff Reporter
December 25, 2022
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr
Shahbaz Gill, who had allegedly disappeared from a VVIP room of Services
Hospital on Friday afternoon, returned to the facility on Saturday.
Mr Gill, who is also PTI chief Imran Khan’s chief of
staff, was admitted to the hospital earlier this month owing to shortness of
breath. He was reportedly having difficulty breathing and coughing.
Services Hospital Medical Unit-II Registrar Dr Nauman
Zafar had issued an absence report to the medical superintendent that Mr Gill
had disappeared from a VVIP room of the facility without informing the
management.
Source: Dawn
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‘Unknown people’ forced Punjab CS to sign governor’s
order: Imran
Mansoor Malik
December 25, 2022
LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran
Khan has claimed that Punjab Chief Secretary Abdullah Khan Sumbal was persuaded
and pressurised by “namaloomafraad”, who usually call from unknown phone
numbers, to sign and give effect to the governor’s notification denotifying the
chief minister and his cabinet.
Speaking to journalists at his Zaman Park residence
here, Mr Khan said Governor Balighur Rehman had put forward legal opinions
given by his private lawyers, including Khalid Ranjha, and wanted Chief
Secretary Sumbal to sign the notification.
Answering a question, he claimed the chief secretary
had tried to resist the ‘pressure’ and written to the governor to appoint a
panel of legal experts, but his demand remained unheeded.
Sources also said Mr Sumbal was pushed to sign the
governor’s notification on the basis of three legal experts’ opinions forwarded
by the Governor House. They said the CS had explicitly responded to the order
that there were varied interpretations of the notification and he needed inputs
for a nuanced understanding of such a serious matter.
Source: Dawn
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Southeast Asia
Wish You A Merry Christmas? ‘Heresy’, Cry Some In
Indonesia - But Not AanAnshori, Peace-Loving Muslim Cleric
Johannes Nugroho
25 Dec, 2022
Wishing someone a “Merry Christmas” can be fraught with
difficulties in Indonesia these days, as the creep of religious conservatism
reaches further into every aspect of life in the world’s most populous
Muslim-majority nation.
“It’s not OK for Muslims to say it,” said Surabaya
resident Dini Priyastuti, explaining that in her understanding of Islam the
festive greeting was forbidden. “I see some people taking selfies near huge
Christmas trees at malls [too]. That’s also wrong.”
Nurul Choirunnisa, a fellow Surabayan, said she no
longer offers her friends or neighbours Christmas greetings after hearing
sermons against the practice on social media. “I now feel so conflicted so I
stay away from non-Muslims at this time of the year,” she said.
Source: Scmp.Com
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Social Welfare Dept ready to counsel Batang Kali
landslide survivors, family members, says minister
25 Dec 2022
KOTA SAMARAHAN, Dec 25 — The Social Welfare Department
(JKM) is ready to provide counselling to the survivors and family members of
those who died in the recent landslide at the Father’s Organic Farm campsite,
Gohtong Jaya in Batang Kali, Selangor.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk
Seri Nancy Shukri said JKM would from time to time monitor the emotional state
of those affected and traumatised by the heartbreaking tragedy.
“There are families seeking counselling services and
they definitely need the support at this time,” she told reporters after
visiting a relief centre housing 24 families at SekolahKebangsaan Kampung Baru
here today.
Source: Malay Mail
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Tajuddin admits offered to join PAS to contest GE15
under Perikatan but stayed loyal with Umno
By Kenneth Tee
25 Dec 2022
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 25 — Umno’s Datuk Seri Tajuddin
Abdul Rahman has revealed he was offered to join PAS and stand as a Perikatan
Nasional candidate for PasirSalak in last month’s general election but opted to
remain with Umno out of loyalty.
“I have been with Umno for a long time. I entered Umno
in 1975 when I was 25 years old. From young to old, Umno contributed a lot to me.
“But I wouldn’t have left Umno because there was a
problem with me not being nominated (as a GE15 candidate). I received offers.
When my name was not listed, I was offered by PAS to join and become a PN
candidate but I declined.
Source: Malay Mail
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Africa
Troops neutralise 26 suspected Boko Haram terrorists
in Borno
By Njadvara Musa
24 December 2022
Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) in the North East
have killed 26 suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Ngwom community of Mafa Local
Council in Borno state.
A counter-insurgency expert, in the Lake Chad Region,
ZagazolaMakama, disclosed, yesterday, in Maiduguri that: “The troops achieved
the feat while acting on credible intelligence,” adding that the terrorists
were moving in the Mafa axis to attack a military post along the road.
Makama said the troops swiftly acted in collaboration
with the Civilian JTF and laid an ambush against the terrorists and neutralised
about 26 of them.
Source: Guardian.Ng
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https://guardian.ng/news/troops-neutralise-26-suspected-boko-haram-terrorists-in-borno/
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Christmas reborn in Bethlehem after pandemic years
24/12/2022
Revered in Christian tradition as the birthplace of
Christ, the town of Bethlehem welcomes thousands of pilgrims and tourists for
Christmas every year, a windfall that dried up over the past two years due to
the coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions.
Now with restrictions lifted in the Palestinian
territories and Israel, where the closest international airport with access to
Bethlehem is located, the southern West Bank town has taken on a festive air.
"Christmas is the town's celebration, and we put
in a lot of time and effort to prepare for it," Bethlehem mayor Hanna
Hanania told AFP.
Source: France24
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2023 presidency: Nigerians‘ll decide who succeeds
Buhari – Ucheaga
25th December 2022
By Dickson Okafor
The Secretary, Police Equipment Foundation (PEF) and
chieftain of the defunct National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN), Mr Johnny
Ucheaga, has said that Nigerians would not allow incompetent person to succeed
President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
According to him, they would only decide to vote for a
competent candidate irrespective of his political party affiliation as the next
president.
The legal practitioner and political strategist
predicted that the result of the 2023 presidential election would astonish many
and would restore the confidence of Nigerians in the nation’s democracy.
Source: Sun News Online
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Interrogating MisikiluMojeed’sThe Letterman
By Matthew Hassan Kukah
25 December 2022
Opening this book, you will notice a fallacy in the
first line of the Preface. In it, the author states, ‘The idea of this book
came to me by accident’. After reading the book, I am of the view that it is
nothing short of an inspiration. Of course, the author is not alone in this
frame of mind. When we humans do not want to credit God, we say that a
particular thing is an accident, chance, happenstance, luck, providence,
serendipity, coincidence, fortune, or fate. The author, therefore, did not find
himself in Abeokuta on January 15, 2014, by accident. The book soon to be in
your hands is a masterful piece of ingenuity which has opened up a completely
different dimension in the onion-like life and history of one of the most
controversial, provocative, argumentative, insightful, inscrutable, enigmatic,
byzantine, inspiring individuals beyond the shores of Nigeria and Africa.
Often, some individuals turn certain time-tested
truths on their heads. For example, the subject of this book proves that you
can actually eat your cake and have it. General, President, Chief, Aremu,
Okikiola, Matthew, Olusegun Obasanjo’s mind is a very complex cobweb. A General
of the Nigerian Army. An officer and gentleman (debatable), rising to the foot
of the hill to the peak of his very illustrious career with a record without
visible blemish, or at least so we believed. He went from being a military Head
of State to a two-term elected President being cashiered from the military.
Being cashiered from the military meant that his military records were
obliterated and that his slate of military life had been wiped clean, a tabula
rasa upon which nothing was written. Then, he resurfaced from prison. His
records attained a resurrection and he ascended to the highest point of power.
Not only were his records restored, he ascended to the throne of the
Presidency, governing on two successive terms.
It is rather curious that no one has written a
biography of General Obasanjo. The man has made such a project redundant
because, not trusting anyone to tell his story, he developed almost an
obsession with getting his word on his own terms. His state of mental
discipline and alertness is incredible and almost impossible to decipher. His
mind is incisive, distrusting, suspecting, sharp and rapier as he writes and
ensures that he is the main deal in his own scripted drama. The Gospels
according to Matthew with an A for Aremu have covered all aspects of his
childhood and adult life. He has covered almost everything that he has been
involved in, military career, the civil war, prison life, presidencies, and
literally every and anything that has come under his watch.
Source: Guardian.Ng
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https://guardian.ng/art/literature/interrogating-misikilu-mojeeds-the-letterman-2/
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South Asia
Evil forces hatching conspiracies against Bangladesh:
PM Sheikh Hasina
December 25, 2022
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Saturday
that evil forces are engaged in hatching conspiracies against the country to
derail it from the path of development and prosperity.
Hasina said this while delivering her inaugural speech
at the 22nd national council of the Awami League (AL) to elect new leadership.
Hasina, who has been re-elected for the 10th time as
AL president, asked the party leaders and activists to remain united in order
to resist conspiracies and advance the country towards prosperity.
Source: Business-Standard
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Afghan Hindu family in Germany await visa to immerse
son’s ashes in Ganga
by Divya Goyal
ecember 25, 2022
Naveen Kakkar and his wife Sheela fled Afghanistan
nearly three decades ago as the first Taliban regime was ready to take control
of Kabul. Later, their son, Nishant, a special child, was born in Germany in
1991.
Source: Indian Express
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Third-World Workers Injured, Killed at US Bases in
Afghanistan Not Fully Compensated
24 Dec 2022
A Brown University study showed that Pentagon
contractors flouted the Defense Base Act by either partially compensating
workers or their families or not compensating them at all.
The United States (US) most likely provided little or
no compensation to several third-country nationals (TCNs) out of tens of
thousands from Nepal, the Philippines and other developing countries who were
killed or wounded during their employment at US military bases in Afghanistan.
According to a report authored by Noah Coburn and
Peter Gill for the Costs of War Project at Brown University’s Watson Institute,
US, around 4,000 contract workers, about 50% of them TCNs, died violently and
thousands more sustained severe injuries during the war.
Source: News Click
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Terror attacks in Kabul may mar China’s plan to extend
CPEC to Afghanistan
T. Brajesh
December 24, 2022
NEW DELHI: The increasing terror activities in Kabul
are likely to mar Beijing’s plan to extend China Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) to Afghanistan. A recent terror attack at a Kabul hotel frequented by
Chinese diplomats and businessmen has Beijing worried about the safety and
security of its present and potential investments in Afghanistan. Secondly,
clashes along the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan have also added to
Beijing’s concern about the safety of its upcoming and on-going projects not
only in Kabul but also in Islamabad.
Diplomatic sources who are closely monitoring the
developments in Beijing, Kabul and Islamabad told The Sunday Guardian that soon
after the terror attack at the hotel in Kabul, President Xi Jinping held a
high-level meeting in Beijing to review the situation in the background of
China’s plan to extend CPEC to Afghanistan. “During the meeting, Chinese
diplomats admitted that the growing threat of terrorism in Kabul, the Taliban’s
inability to rein in terror groups, and unrest on the Pakistan-Afghanistan
border are a setback for the CPEC extension plan,” sources said. Chinese
foreign ministry is learnt to have reached out to the Taliban, seeking a
thorough and impartial probe into the terror attack on Chinese citizens.
Moreover, the Taliban have been asked to provide security for the existing
projects of China in Afghanistan, sources told this newspaper.
In fact, China and Pakistan earlier decided to go
ahead with a plan to extend CPEC to Afghanistan despite opposition from India
on the issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity. CPEC is a key part of
China’s most ambitious project Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aimed ostensibly
at renewing the country’s ancient trade routes. But the ulterior motive of
China behind this project is to grow influence in the region. New Delhi has
consistently opposed the project, which links Pakistan’s southern Gwadar port
in Balochistan to China’s western Xinjiang and passes through Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir
(PoK). India has objected to the expansion of the CPEC projects in any third
country, expressing concern about its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Source: Sunday Guardian Live
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Afghanistan receives food aid from Uzbekistan
SuhrabSarwari
24 Dec 2022
KABUL (Pajhwok): Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign
Affairs on Saturday announced sending 170 tons of food and non-food items in
assistance to Afghanistan.
Source: Pajh Wok
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India’s BSF pushes back tribals fleeing Bangladesh
crackdown – even as Mizoram offers them shelter
Rokibuz Zaman
24-12-2022
On November 20, a group of 295 refugees arrived in
south Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district from Bangladesh. They had fled their village
in Ruma sub-district, in Bandarban district of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, to
escape alleged persecution at the hands of the Bangladesh security forces.
They were lucky. Only days later, on December 2, a
group of 117 refugees was not allowed to cross the Indian border, and an
elderly person among them died of starvation, according to a 33-year-old who
survived the trek.
Most of the refugees are from the Bawm tribe, a
sub-tribe of the Lai tribe, which is part of the larger Kuki-Chin ethnic
community. The Kuki-Chin tribes are spread out across the porous borders of
Mizoram in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar and share close ties.
Source: Scroll.In
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In coastal Bangladesh, communities drink rainwater to
cope with water woes
SHEHAB SUMON
December 24, 2022
SHYAMNAGAR, SATKHIRA: Waking up before dawn every day,
Tamanna AkterAkhi until recently used to walk 2 km to collect fresh drinking
water for her family — like many other girls in the coastal areas of
southwestern Bangladesh, where communities are bearing the brunt of the
changing climate.
Akhi, now a secondary school student, lives in the
Gabura and Padmapukur region of Satkhira district, in the Ganges Delta that in
2009 was devastated by Cyclone Aila, which damaged and contaminated all sources
of surface water in the area.
Increasing salinity has led to mass migration as
people were no longer able to cultivate their land due to an acute freshwater
crisis, which soon also caused disease outbreaks.
Source: Arab News
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2221421/world
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FDI in Bangladesh not rising due to policymakers'
attitude, event told
25 Dec '22
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Bangladesh has not
been rising due to the attitude of policymakers, an event organised by the
Policy Research Institute (PRI) in Dhaka recently was told. "Policymakers
seem to be anti-FDI," said AKM Abdullah, senior financial sector
specialist of the World Bank.
"Permissions from 43 organisations are needed for
making investments. Attesting a copy of a document costs money. They
[bureaucrats] forget about facilitating trade when they become
secretaries," The country’s foreign minister AK Abdul Momen was quoted as saying
by a domestic media outlet.
Source: Fibre2 Fashion.
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North America
Trump-backed Kari Lake loses bid to overturn Arizona
governor's race
Jacques Billeaud
Dec 25 2022
A judge has thrown out Republican Kari Lake’s
challenge of her defeat in the Arizona governor’s race to Democrat Katie Hobbs,
rejecting her claim that problems with ballot printers at some polling places
on Election Day were the result of intentional misconduct.
In a decision on Saturday (Sunday NZT), Maricopa
County Superior Court Judge Peter Thompson, who was appointed by former
Republican Governor Jan Brewer, found that the court did not find clear and
convincing evidence of the widespread misconduct that Lake had alleged had
affected the result of the 2022 general election.
Lake, who lost to Hobbs by just over 17,000 votes, was
among the most vocal 2022 Republicans promoting former US President Donald
Trump’s election lies, which she made the centerpiece of her campaign.
Source: Stuff.Co.Nz
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Local Muslim group feeds the homeless every Dec. 24
Becca Habegger
December 24, 2022
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Feeding the unhoused community on
Christmas Eve is an annual tradition for several dozen members of the local
Muslim community, who come out to Sacramento Loaves & Fishes to prepare and
serve a holiday meal.
21-year-old Cal Poly student Sana Iqbal wouldn't
normally be up at 6:30 on a Saturday morning.
"Definitely not. I love sleeping in!" she
said.
This Saturday, however, she and her brother Danyal
showed up early to volunteer at Loaves & Fishes, preparing a Christmas Eve
meal for hundreds of people in the unhoused community.
Source: Abc10.Com
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Is Elon Musk going to turn into the same sort of joke
that Trump has become?
Arwa Mahdawi
24 Dec 2022
I hate it when I have to do this but here goes: I was
wrong. I was very, very wrong. Back in October, when Elon Musk’s $44bn
acquisition of Twitter was finalized, I predicted that the social network would
become a lot nastier but ultimately keep chugging along. I assumed Musk had a
couple of brain cells and a little self-restraint; I assumed he wasn’t going to
drive away Twitter’s advertisers by making erratic business decisions; I
assumed he was going to be at least somewhat sensible. After all, he did have
$44bn on the line.
I assumed wrong. Watching Musk run Twitter over the
last couple of months has been like watching a toddler trying to drive a train
– “chaotic” doesn’t even begin to cover it. He’s fired half his staff; realized
that some of the staff he fired were actually pretty important or were laid off
by mistake and been forced to try and lure them back; told everyone the entire
company might go bankrupt; made important business decisions via Twitter polls;
suspended reporters who aren’t sufficiently deferential to him and then
un-suspended them after backlash; spread conspiracy theories and
misinformation; lost 50 of Twitter’s top 100 advertisers. The turmoil at
Twitter has even spread to Tesla, cratering its stock price – and Musk’s net
worth.
Could anyone really be this incompetent? Musk’s
leadership has been so bizarre that it has even given rise to theories that the
billionaire is intentionally trying to sabotage Twitter. These theories remind
me of the early days of Donald Trump’s presidency when some people assumed that
the president of the US couldn’t possibly be so inept; there must be some kind
of method behind Trump’s madness. Turns out, no. Trump wasn’t playing
“four-dimensional chess”; there was no method just madness.
Source: The Guardian
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/christmas-trees-saudi-arabia-santa-claus/d/128710