“Constitution” Of The Proposed “Akhand Hindu Rashtra” To Be Unveiled At Mahakumbh On Basant Panchami
New Age Islam News Bureau
28 January 2025
In this image provided by CMO on Jan. 27, 2025, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with Yog Guru Baba Ramdev during Mahakumbh Mela, at the Sangam in Prayagraj.
PTI photo
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· “Constitution” Of The Proposed “Akhand Hindu Rashtra” To Be Unveiled At Mahakumbh On Basant Panchami
· UK: Seven London Mosques And School Vandalised With Islamophobic Graffiti
· BNP, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Agree On Reforms, Polls That Do Not Contradict Islamic Shariah
· An Addict And Mentally Unstable Christian Youth Held Under Blasphemy Charge In Sahiwal
· Islamic Jihad: Return To Northern Gaza Response To All Those Dreaming Of Displacing People
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India
· BJP Hails ‘Fulfilled’ UCC Promise; Muslim Bodies Plan Legal Action, Congress Calls It A “A Political Manoeuvre” Rather Than “A Social Necessity”
· Muslim Localities Lack Basic Amenities but Police Stations Everywhere: Report
· Waqf bill joint parliament panel to formally adopt tweaks tomorrow
· Rules On 2 Non-Muslim Members Among 14 Changes To Waqf Amendment Bill
· Waqf bill ‘rammed through’ by JPC, Opposition calls it 'a mockery of democracy'
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Europe
· UK’sAnti-Terrorism Programme Prevent Strategy Had In-Built Anti-Muslim Bias, Now It Is Under Review
· Mosque In France Vandalized With Pig Head Graffiti: Turkish-Muslim Umbrella Group DITIB
· Photographer's defiance after receiving racist message about pictures of Accrington mosque
· Iran's Qazvin Imam resigns amid controversy over Anti-Azerbaijan remarks
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South Asia
· Threats and determination of Afghan government
· Agreements Worth Over 1.79 Billion AFN Signed for Five Lead and Zinc Mines in Bamyan
· Dr. Mohammad Naeem Begins Role as Deputy Foreign Minister of IEA
· Explosion kills one child, injures five in Paktia, Afghanistan
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Pakistan
· attack case: ATC throws out Imran Khan's acquittal plea
· Govt warns of dissolving negotiation committee if PTI skips upcoming meeting
· Imran, Bushra move IHC against conviction in £190m graft case
· Larger bench allows SC official’s appeal in contempt case
· Special Branch official among three killed in Bara firing
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Mideast
· Northern Gaza is shattered. The spirit of returning Palestinians is not
· Hamas Urges Muslim Nations To Reject All Zionist Schemes Targetting Them
· Israeli president calls UN morally bankrupt on Holocaust anniversary
· Israel says ‘eliminated’ 15 Palestinians in Jenin raid
· Kuwait’s consul general underlines importance of joint Islamic action
· Islamic Jihad Movement: Issue of captive "Arbil" fabricated by Zionist enemy
· Iraq’s Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya rejects disarmament, pledges resistance
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Africa
· Shettima, Abba Laud Tijjaniyya Islamic Sect For Promoting Unity
· We Are Ready For Investors – Gov Bala Mohammed
· Minister Blames Niger Explosion On Illegal Storage Of Explosives
· Terror Alert: Kano Police Arrest Suspect With Explosives
· A United, Prosperous Nigeria Is A Must – President Tinubu
· ICC prosecutor calls for urgent action on Darfur
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Arab World
· Saudi Film Commission Joins Asian Film NetworkO Foster Knowledge Exchange
· Riyadh foundation hosts event to preserve history
· Saudi commission’s deep dive to protect Red Sea heritage sites
· Umrah guests praise Kingdom’s rich heritage
· Outgoing US ambassador praises transformation in Saudi Arabia
· New accelerator to boost Arabic digital content
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North America
· Rahway's Franklin School Celebrates Muslim American Heritage Month in Kindergarten Class
· CAIR Encourages Mosques to Review Security After Man Arrested for Plotting Mass Shooting at Nashville Mosque
· DeepSeek a 'wake-up call' for US tech firms, Trump says
· China's DeepSeek AI shakes industry and dents America's swagger
· Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him
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Southeast Asia
· 'Toll vs religion' - Akmal opens fire from Mecca, Johor MCA apologises
· Human Resources Ministry reminds employers not to force workers to take annual or unpaid leave during extended CNY closures
· MACC arrests man for offering RM18,500 bribe during police inspection in Segamat
· Singaporean influencer to face charges in court today for filing false abduction claim at JB ma
Compiled by New Age Islam News Bureau
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/constitution-akhand-hindu-rashtra-mahakumbh/d/134459
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“Constitution” Of The Proposed “Akhand Hindu Rashtra” To Be Unveiled At Mahakumbh On Basant Panchami
Piyush Srivastava
28.01.25
In this image provided by CMO on Jan. 27, 2025, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with Yog Guru Baba Ramdev during Mahakumbh Mela, at the Sangam in Prayagraj.
PTI photo
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A “Constitution” of the proposed “Akhand Hindu Rashtra” has been finalised and is ready to be unveiled at the Mahakumbh and forwarded to the Centre on the occasion of Basant Panchami on February 2.
The 501-page document, prepared by a 25-member committee of scholars, draws inspiration from the Ramayana, the rules and teachings of Krishna, Manusmriti and Chanakya’s Arthashastra.
The committee, known as the Hindu Rashtra Samvidhan Nirmal Samiti, includes scholars of Sanatan Dharma from Banaras Hindu University, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi and the Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi.
Swami Anand Swaroop Maharaj, patron of the committee, told reporters at the Mahakumbh on Monday that their target was to make India a Hindu nation by 2035. “Human values are in the nucleus of our Constitution, which has been prepared by 14 scholars from north and 11 from south India. Our Constitution is not against other religions but those who are found involved in anti-national activities will face harsher punishment than what is awarded to them currently,” Swaroop, the head of ShambhaviPeeth in Varanasi, said.
“Over 300 amendments have been made in the Indian Constitution in the last seven decades but our scriptures are the same for the last several thousand centuries. There are 127 Christian, 57 Muslim and 15 Buddhist countries. Even the Jews have Israel. But the Hindus, whose population is over 175 crore across the world, have no Hindu nation,” he added.
Kameshwar Upadhyaya, president of the committee, said military education would be mandatory for every citizen in the Hindu Rashtra. “There would be harsh punishment for theft. The tax system would be changed and there won’t be any tax on agriculture,” he added.
The “Constitution” proposes a unicameral legislature called the Hindu Dharma Parliament whose members would be called Dharmik Sansads. The minimum voting age has been fixed at 16 years and only those belonging to Sanatan Dharma will be allowed to contest elections.
“The Rashtradhyaksh, the chief of the country, would be chosen by three-fourths of the elected members of the legislature,” said Swaroop.
A sadhu from Varanasi told The Telegraph on the condition of anonymity: “This may sound ridiculous at the moment but this is how an issue is brought into public debate and eventually implemented.”
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/hindu-rashtra-constitution-to-be-unveiled-at-mahakumbh-on-basant-panchami/cid/2079973
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UK: Seven London mosques and school vandalised with Islamophobic graffiti
27 January, 2025
The Met Police confirmed to The New Arab these "shocking incidents" were being treated as hate crimes, although no arrests had yet been made [Getty]
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London's Metropolitan police are currently investigating seven incidents of vandalism involving
Islamophobic graffiti at mosques, community centres, and a primary school which occurred this month.
Signs such as "Stop Islam," "Remigration," and references to paedophilia were spray-painted on mosques, sparking concerns and allegations of hate crimes.
The Met Police confirmed to The New Arab these "shocking incidents" were being treated as hate crimes, although no arrests had yet been made.
"We are speaking to local faith leaders and have stepped up reassurance patrols in the areas," the Met told The New Arab, urging anyone with information about the incidents to contact them.
The incidents were reportedly fuelled by a hate group on Telegram, offering £100 to people to vandalise the buildings, according to Sky News.
The first incident occurred at West Norwood mosque on 6 January and the latest was at Noor Ul Islam Primary School on 25 January.
Other locations include the South Norwood Islamic Community Centre in Croydon, Stratford Mosque in Newham, Thornton Health Islamic Centre, Jamia Masjid in Leyon and AL-BIRR Mosque.
"There is no place for hate in our society," a spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain told The New Arab, adding that the recent attacks were part of a "troubling rise" in Islamophobia.
"These coordinated attacks on places of worship demand immediate local support and decisive national action to address the root causes of Islamophobia."
"We urge everyone to remain vigilant and stand united against hatred and division."
The UK has seen a record amount of Islamophobic incidents reported, with incidents more than tripling since Israel's war on Gaza started in October 2023, according to Tell Mama, a UK-based NGO that monitors anti-Muslim hate crime.
A series of far-right riots swept Britain in August 2024, fuelled by Islamophobia, believed to have been over the misinformation that the Southport attacker was Muslim and an asylum seeker.
One mosque in Southport was targeted by hundreds of rioters, throwing bricks, shouting anti-immigrant and Islamophobic slogans and clashing with police officers.
A "hit list", which was reportedly shared on a far-right Telegram channel, featured dozens of immigration law specialists' offices, asylum support charities, and immigration services in the UK to attack but did not materialise.
Instead, a series of counter-protests were conducted to deter the plot.
Source:newarab.com
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https://www.newarab.com/news/uk-seven-london-mosques-vandalised-islamophobic-graffiti
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BNP, Islami Andolan Bangladesh Agree On Reforms, Polls That Do Not Contradict Islamic Shariah
Jan 28, 2025
Photo: IAB media cell
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BNP and Islami Andolan Bangladesh yesterday agreed on holding a credible election as soon as possible after completing minimal reforms as part of the broader agreement, which include nine other key issues.
They include refraining from making any decisions that contradict Islamic Shariah, a national consensus to protect voting rights and all fundamental human rights, said leaders of the parties.
The decisions were made at a meeting between top leaders of BNP and IAB at the latter's central office in the capital's Paltan area.
The BNP delegation was led by its Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, while IAB was led by its Ameer Syed MdRezaul Karim, who is also known as the Charmonai Pir.
The meeting was held around a week after Jamaat-e-Islami chief Shafiqur Rahman met Rezaul Karim.
The BNP and IAB agreed on several issues. They decided to refrain from attacking each other; work together for the reconstruction of the country; and remain politically united to ensure that no fascist regime like the Awami League can come to power in the future.
They also agreed to control the rising cost of essentials and improve law and order.
Fakhrul was accompanied by BNP Vice Chairman Barkat UllahBulu during the two-hour meeting that began around 12:15pm.
IAB Senior Presidium Member Syed MosaddeqBillah Al Madani, Secretary General Maulana Yunus Ahmad, Presidium Member Ashraf Ali Akon, Senior Joint Secretary General GaziAtaur Rahman, and Joint Secretary General Imtiaz Alam were with Rezaul Karim.
After the meeting, Fakhrul offered Zohr prayers and had lunch with the IAB leaders.
"The BNP leaders agreed that if they come to power, they will not enact any law that goes against Shariah. They also agreed not to say anything against Islam," IAB Secretary General Yunus Ahmed told The Daily Star.
Asked, he said BNP had not proposed formation of any electoral alliance at the meeting.
BNP leader Bulu told this newspaper that the issue of Shariah was raised by the IAB.
However, BNP leaders said these issues are also reflected in their party's constitution.
"This does not mean we are supporting the establishment of an Islamic state," a BNP leader told The Daily Star, highlighting that the focus remains on maintaining harmony and mutual understanding.
Jamaat chief Shafiqur Rahman met Rezaul Karim in Barishal on January 21.
After the meeting at the Charmonai Darbar, the two leaders said they would work together in the interests of the country, Islam, and humanity.
This meeting piqued public interest about the dynamics of Islamist politics in Bangladesh.
Jamaat has long sought to forge greater unity among the Islamist parties. These efforts gained momentum after the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 last year.
On January 22, Fakhrul and BNP Standing Committee member Nazrul Islam Khan held a meeting with a nine-member delegation of Khelafat Majlish, including its ameer and secretary general.
Khelafat Majlish was once a part of the BNP-led 20-party alliance but left in October 2021. The January 22 meeting marked their first engagement in nearly three years.
After the meeting, BNP stated that it has taken initiatives to strengthen communications with all anti-fascist political parties, particularly Islamist groups.
Ahead of the national election, efforts are underway to build an alliance between Jamaat and other Islamic parties.
On January 24, during a programme at the Engineer's Institution in Dhaka, IAB said, "Efforts are ongoing to ensure a unified ballot in favour of Islam in the upcoming national election."
BNP's recent high-level meetings with leaders of Islamist parties are seen as part of a broader strategy to draw them closer into the BNP's fold.
Political analysts view this as an effort to consolidate support among Islamic parties ahead of the next national election.
Source:thedailystar.net
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https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/bnp-iab-agree-reforms-polls-3809636
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An Addict And Mentally Unstable Christian Youth Held Under Blasphemy Charge In Sahiwal
January 28, 2025
SAHIWAL: The Ghala Mandi police arrested a Christian youth under multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code, 295-A, 298-A and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorist Act-1997.
The complaint from the same locality claimed the suspect had uttered derogatory remarks when he was present with his friends.
Following the incident, village elders and religious leaders decided to lodge an official complaint with the police.
Locals reported the suspect was an addict and mentally unstable.
The district police deployed officers to ensure the safety of the suspect and his family and nearby Christian neighbourhood. Guards were stationed at a village Church.
DPO Rana Tahir told Dawn the suspect would be presented before a local judicial magistrate on Tuesday and the police would act according to the judge’s decision.
Bishop Ibrahim Danial of the Gospel Mission and leading minority rights activists expressed sorrow over the incident and called for a medical examination of the youth to determine his mental health.
Sources said more than a dozen blasphemy cases had been registered in Sahiwal over the past 15 months.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1888196/youth-held-under-blasphemy-charge-in-sahiwal
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Islamic Jihad: Return to northern Gaza response to all those dreaming of displacing people
27 Jan 2025
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine considered the return of hundreds of thousands of displaced people to the northern Gaza Strip, which was destroyed by the Zionist enemy, in a legendary scene, a response to all those dreaming of displacing the Palestinian people.
The movement said in a statement today, Monday, that the problem of the Israeli prisoner Arbel Yehud, which we have overcome, was fabricated with the aim of killing the joy of the people of Gaza.
The movement stressed that the steadfastness of the Palestinian people will eliminate any "Zionist dreams of stealing joy from our hearts and will break the shackles of the jailer and the occupation."
Source:saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3429674.htm
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India
BJP Hails ‘Fulfilled’ UCC Promise; Muslim Bodies Plan Legal Action, Congress Calls It A “A Political Manoeuvre” Rather Than “A Social Necessity”
ByAmitBathla
Jan 28, 2025
As Uttarakhand became the first state in the country to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) on Monday, a Muslim organisation threatened to move the state’s high court against the move, which triggered mixed political reactions, with the Opposition Congress calling it a “a political manoeuvre” rather than “a social necessity” and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hailing it as yet another promise fulfilled by its government.
On Monday, Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the UCC portal and rules, implementing the contentious law, which aims to simplify and standardise personal laws related to marriage, divorce, succession, and inheritance.
“The law has been brought to divide Hindus and Muslims and to target the minorities, as they (BJP) have been doing so since 2014. As far as the general public is concerned, it (the UCC) will neither improve their daily life, which should be the agenda of the government, nor the overall development of the state,” Naeem Qureshi, president of the Muslim Sewa Sangathan, alleged.
The head of the Dehradun-based minority group said they will deliberate with senior lawyers on Thursday and file a petition in the high court after it reopens post winter vacation.
Besides Muslim organisations, Qureshi said, Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Lok Sabha MP Chandrashekhar Azad will also be among the litigants.
Qureshi alleged that UCC “violates” Article 246 of the Constitution, which provides for the seventh schedule to categorise subjects into Union, state and concurrent lists, and questioned how it could be called “uniform” if it exempts tribals from the ambit of the law.
The Sangathan also submitted a memorandum to Uttarakhand governor Lt General (retd) Gurmit Singh, urging him to repeal the contentious law brought in by the BJP government, claiming it violates religious freedom enshrined in the Constitution under Articles 25, 26 and 27.
Prominent Muslim organisation Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind also said that it will challenge the legislation in both the high court and the Supreme Court. “The organisation believes that since this law is based on discrimination and bias, it cannot be called a uniform civil code. Another important question that arises is whether a state government has the authority to enact such a legislation,” a statement by the organisation said.
Razia Baig, former chairperson of the Uttarakhand bar council, said he along with few others will soon move the high court against the UCC law.
“They (government) have untouched the Hindu personal laws and also exempted the tribals from the UCC. It is not a uniform law. They just see the flaws in one community...and by legitimising the live-in relationships, what message do they want to send in the society?” he said.
The implementation of UCC was one of the promises made by the BJP to the residents of the Himalayan state ahead of the 2022 assembly polls, which saw the party returning to power for a second consecutive term.
The Congress alleged that UCC has never been part of public demand in Uttarakhand.
“UCC is neither practical nor constitutional because it is quite different from the civil code mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution which envisages a UCC applicable in the whole country and not limited to any particular state. UCC has never been a part of public demand in Uttarakhand. It seems to have been brought more as a political manoeuvre than a social necessity,” party’s state chief Karan Mahara alleged.
Hitting back his Congress counterpart, BJP state chief Mahendra Bhatt said the Constitution provides for the UCC and attacked the Opposition for its “appeasement politics”.
“Our government has fulfilled another promise made to the people of the state. The UCC will completely end legal discrimination in the state on the basis of caste, religion, region, gender etc,” Bhatt said.
Even as the BJP hailed the implementation of the UCC in the Himalayan state, its National Democratic Alliance (NDA) partners remained guarded in their response, but said any such move at the national level will require “consensus building exercise” from all sections of society, including religious minorities.
“This is just one state’s UCC and even if other states bring it, there will be no uniformity. UCC is an important and sensitive issue nationally and it needs to be brought out by involving different sections of society. Unity in diversity is the core of the issue and the law needs to be made with an intent to integrate the society,” Neeraj Kumar, spokesperson of the Janata Dal (United), told HT.
The JD(U), which has 12 lawmakers in the Lok Sabha and four in the Rajya Sabha, is a key ally of the ruling NDA at the Centre and in Bihar, where assembly elections are due later this year. The Nitish Kumar-led party has said that Bihar has no plans to bring in the UCC.
Another key ally, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which has 16 MPs in the Lok Sabha and two in the Rajya Sabha, maintained the party has no plans to bring in such a law in Andhra Pradesh until “the UCC is passed in Parliament”. “For us, what other states are doing are not important. We will be taking it forward based on the guiding principles of the Constitution,” TDP national spokesperson Deepak Reddy Gunapati said, when asked whether intervention on live-in relationships–like in Uttarakhand–was an issue for the ruling party in the Telugu state.
According to legal experts, a state is constitutionally competent to implement the UCC.
“Article 36 of the Constitution defines ‘State’ and it correlates to the meaning given in Part III (fundamental rights) of the Constitution. Hence, a state government has the power to make and implement the UCC for its residents. In January 2023, the Supreme Court also ruled that state governments have the power to examine the feasibility of implementing a UCC,” senior advocate of Uttarakhand high court Kartikeya Hari Gupta explained.
Source:hindustantimes.com
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Muslim Localities Lack Basic Amenities but Police Stations Everywhere: Report
January 27, 2025
NEW DELHI – Muslim neighbourhoods like Jamia Nagar in Delhi’s Okhla constituency lack basic amenities like drinking water, schools, electricity, health facilities, and public infrastructure but the localities have several police stations and booths, noted a report.
In the run-up to the assembly elections in the national capital, a report “Segregated Citizens: The Lack of Civil Amenities in the Muslim Majority Parts of Delhi” sheds light on the poor condition of Muslim neighbourhoods Zakir Nagar and Abul Fazal Enclave. The report was released by the SPECT Research Association in Jamia Nagar on Monday.
It highlights why these areas, with a large concentration of Muslims, have become ghettos for the community. These localities have seen development deficits forcing the residents to struggle for civic amenities. Being unauthorised colonies, overpopulation, issue of waste disposal, electricity and drinking water issues, flooding and waterlogging, lack of schools, health facilities, public infrastructure and increasing state surveillance and coercive apparatus are major drawbacks in these areas.
Speaking on the issue, senior journalist Prashant Tandon said the issue of the ghettos is not only a civic problem but also a political one.
“These ghettos were not created by Muslims but by the state. These ghettos are made by the state; they are political creations. These ghettos came into being after largely anti-Muslim riots in the country,” he said.
Tandon pointed out that for the first time, ghettos of Jews were created in Europe. “The irony is that when the Jews got a country, they created ghettos for Muslims,” he said.
“Ghettos were created due to political persecution when a sense of insecurity was created among a particular community. Lack of civic amenities is also there in several areas like Trilokpuri, Mandawali and Ashok Nagar, but these areas are not ghettos. The issues there are due to poverty and the absence of a development paradigm. They are not due to political persecution,” he said.
Elaborating on how Jamia Nagar has become a ghetto, the report pointed out three major incidents of communal violence which contributed to the migration of Muslims in the neighbourhood: The 1992 communal violence after Babri Masjid’s demolition, the 2002 anti-Muslim carnage in Gujarat and the 2020 northeast Delhi riots.
“The influx of Muslims to this area is currently ongoing. This started with the 2020 violence in northeast Delhi wherein more than 53 people died with two-thirds of them being Muslims according to official records. This led to the sudden influx of Muslims from mixed neighbourhoods to ‘safe’ areas like Jamia Nagar. The amount and nature of influx can be gauged by the changes in the rent and property rates in this area,” noted the report.
Therefore, the area is overpopulated. According to the report, these two wards under study in the Okhla constituency now comprise a population that is far from the average population per ward (as per the Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines) — 65,679 — and the permissible deviation of plus or minus 10% from this figure. The permissible upper limit of the population per ward is 72,246 and the lower is 59,111. However, the other three wards either come under the permissible limit or are marginally above it. On the other hand, out of the total 250 wards, 138 wards have a population below the permissible lower limit.
The conflict between the Delhi and Uttar Pradesh governments about the jurisdiction over the area has also affected road construction, maintenance of the sewage system and other development projects.
“One major problem in the region is irregular cleaning and disposal of waste, which results in waste accumulation that is highly unhygienic and results in contamination and health hazards. Because of the influx and overpopulation, the total waste produced in this area is much more than other areas of Delhi,” the report said.
On the issue of potable water, the report said in the whole of Okhla the supply of drinking water is erratic and insufficient. In most areas, drinking water still does not come through the water supply lines of the MCD. In a few areas like Zakir Nagar, around Khaliullah Masjid and Okhla Gaon there are old supply lines. The rest of the places access drinking water through boring. There is an acute water shortage during summers when the groundwater dips and the residents remain dependent on water supplied by tankers.
When it comes to schools, there are only 9 MCD-run primary schools that come under these two wards. However, in terms of physical structures there are only five schools under these wards, four out of five schools run in morning and evening shifts, for girls and boys respectively teaching both Hindi and Urdu medium students, thus accounting for a total of nine primary schools.
There is a lack of mohalla clinics as per the population of the area and there is no hospital. Construction of a hospital was initiated but it will take years to complete it.
Journalist Tandon and former member of the Planning Commission Syeda Hameed lauded the report while urging the government to chalk out policies taking the report into account.
Source:clarionindia.net
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https://clarionindia.net/muslim-localities-lack-basic-amenities-but-police-stations-everywhere-report/?noamp=mobile
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Waqf bill joint parliament panel to formally adopt tweaks tomorrow
Jan 28, 2025
NEW DELHI: Brushing aside opposition's protests and amid accusations of interference in religious affairs of Muslims, BJP and its allies on JPC Monday cleared key changes to Waqf Act, clearing the way for the end of "waqf by user" scheme, where properties are deemed to be a Muslim religious charity only on the basis of the word's current usage.
If the bill incorporating the changes recommended by the JPC are approved, all waqf claims will have to be backed by registered deeds.
The proposed changes, such as inclusion of two non-Muslims, excluding officials who may be there by virtue of their positions, in Central Waqf Council, seek to overhaul the administration of waqf properties worth hundreds of billions of rupees.
The JPC adopted all 32 amendments proposed by NDA, while turning down all suggested by opposition by a vote. Congress, TMC, DMK and AIMIM are expected to register their dissent.
Waqf bill joint parliament panel to formally adopt tweaks tomorrow
The JPC has called for the inclusion of up to four non-Muslims in state waqf boards. It also adopted an amendment to take minority Muslim sects like Dawoodi Bohras and Agakhanis out of the jurisdiction of waqf boards, mostly Sunni-controlled bodies.
Another crucial amendment as per sources is that a person claiming to be a Muslim and wanting to donate his assets to waqf needs to produce evidence to show that he has been practising the faith for at least five years. The changes are going to be formally adopted by by JPC at its meeting Wednesday to complete the procedural requirement for the bill to be referred back to Parliament and for govt to draw the time-table to seek its passage. Sources in govt said they were ready to move.
The outcome, marked by protests by opposition, was significant because of the steadfast support of BJP's allies JDU, TDP and Lok Janshakti Party which have often been sensitive to concerns of their Muslim constituents. The unity in the ruling bloc augurs well for the passage of the bill in the two Houses.
Govt has justified the proposed changes by saying they were necessary to tackle the misuse of "waqf by user" provision, check corruption in waqf bodies and for making them more inclusive. Another amendment adopted by the panel proposes to do away with vesting any inquiry into disputes over a govt property with the district collector and making room for the state govt to designate an officer above the rank of collector to carry out the inquiry.
It is also proposed to allow waqf boards to decide on welfare measures for widows and orphans, among others, instead of mandating it by law. Meanwhile, JPC chairman Jagdambika Pal rejected the opposition's charges, claiming the entire exercise was democratic and the majority view prevailed.
Source:indiatimes.com
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https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/waqf-bill-joint-parliament-panel-to-formally-adopt-tweaks-tomorrow/articleshow/117615254.cms
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Rules On 2 Non-Muslim Members Among 14 Changes To Waqf Amendment Bill
Jan 27, 2025
A joint parliamentary committee has voted in favour of 14 alterations to the draft version of the Waqf Amendment Bill, which had been tabled in the Lok Sabha in August last year and seeks to make 44 contentious changes to the way Muslim charitable properties are managed in the country.
The 14 alternations include distinguishing between the mandatory two non-Muslim members - as specified in the original draft of the bill - and nominated ex-officio members (Muslim or non-Muslim).
This means waqf councils, whether at state or pan-India levels, will have at least two, and possibly more (if the nominated ex-officio members are also not Muslim) members not from the Islamic faith.
Another key change is directing an officer nominated by the concerned state to determine if a property is 'waqf'. In the original draft this decision was left to the District Collector.
A third change is establishing that the law will not apply retrospectively, so long as the property in question is already registered. To this point, Congress leader and JPC member Imran Masood raised a red flag, noting an estimated 90 per cent of waqf properties are not, in fact, registered.
These changes, and the 11 others, were proposed by members from the ruling BJP, including Lok Sabha MPs Nishikant Dubey, Tejasvi Surya and Aparajita Sarangi.
Among the other 11 is a change - put forward by Mr Surya - specifying that anybody wishing to donate land must "show or demonstrate that she/he is practicing Islam for at least five years" and also acknowledge "...there is no contrivance involved in the dedication of such property".
Overall, MPs from the ruling party and those allied to it made 23 proposals to alter the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. MPs from the opposition made 44 proposals, none of which were accepted.
But the opposition's proposals were rejected by a 10:16 vote after committee members voted on party lines; the JPC has 16 MPs from the BJP or allied parties and only 10 from the opposition.
Voting to confirm acceptance of the 14 changes will take place January 29, and the final report will be submitted by January 31, sources told NDTV.
The committee had originally been asked to file the report by November 29 but that deadline was extended to February 13, the final day of the Budget Session.
Changes to the Waqf laws, sources told NDTV earlier, are meant to empower Muslim women who "suffered" under the old law. However, critics, including Trinamool leader Kalyan Banerjee, and AIMIM boss Asaduddin Owaisi (both JPC members), have called it a "direct attack on freedom of religion".
Mr Owaisi and the DMK's Kanimozhi, meanwhile, also have argued it violates multiple sections of the Constitution, including Article 15 (the right to practice a religion of one's choice) and Article 30 (the right to minority communities to establish and administer their educational institutions).
The 1995 Wakf Act was passed to regulate 'auqaf' (assets donated and notified as Waqf) by a 'wakif' (the person who dedicates the property). The legislation was last amended in 2013.
Source:ndtv.com
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https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/waqf-amendment-bill-non-muslim-members-rules-on-2-non-muslim-members-among-14-changes-to-waqf-amendment-bill-7570160
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Waqf bill ‘rammed through’ by JPC, Opposition calls it 'a mockery of democracy'
J.P. Yadav
28.01.25
A joint parliamentary committee on Monday cleared the contentious waqf amendment bill, adopting 14 changes proposed by BJP members and rejecting over 400 amendments pushed by the Opposition, using the power of majority.
The Opposition accused panel chairman Jagdambika Pal of flouting rules and procedures to shut out the Opposition members in his rush to clear the bill. The ruling side had 16 members on the panel against 10 from the Opposition.
“Our (the Opposition’s) amendments were moved by the chairman, the headcounts were done by him, and the announcement was also done by him,” A. Raja of the DMK told reporters.
“So, he (Pal) is the mover, counter, announcer.... Such a mockery of democracy was held today.”
Raja alleged that clause-by-clause discussions were not held over the bill.
“Jagdambika Pal did not allow discussions at all…. Our (the Opposition’s) amendments were rejected and theirs (the ruling side’s) were passed,” Trinamool Congress MP and House panel member Kalyan Banerjee said.
Pal rejected, by hand count, the 400-plus amendments moved by the Opposition members. All the 14 amendments moved by the BJP members were adopted.
The chairman rejected the Opposition’s charges, accusing them of pursuing a “political agenda”.
“This was our final meeting after wide-ranging discussions with all the stakeholders. All the 14 amendments were accepted by the committee based on a majority. All the amendments moved by the Opposition were also put to vote and rejected based on majority,” Pal told reporters.
The panel’s approval clears the decks for its report to be tabled in Parliament during the budget session, which begins on January 31.
The nearly 500-page report will be circulated among the panel members on Tuesday and adopted thereafter on Wednesday. The Opposition members will get the opportunity to forward dissent notes that will be included in the final report.
A waqf property is an endowment made by a Muslim for a religious, educational or charitable cause, and cannot be taken over for other purposes, according to a 1995 Act.
The bill moved by the Narendra Modi government proposes 44 amendments that would significantly reduce the waqf board’s power to designate properties as waqf properties.
Tabled in the Lok Sabha last August, the bill was referred to the JPC for scrutiny. The 14 amendments moved by BJP members of the House panel suggest tweaks to the 44 amendments proposed by the government.
The government can include all or some of the amendments proposed by the JPC, or ignore all of them, in the bill it brings before Parliament for approval.
Among the key amendments proposed by the government is one that requires the waqf boards’ property claims to undergo a mandatory verification. The amendments give the district magistrates the authority to determine whether a property is waqf property, and put women and non-Muslims in the apex waqf council.
The Opposition argues that these amendments amount to interference in the religious affairs of Muslims. The amendments proposed by Opposition members of the House panel tried to counter the moves to include non-Muslims in the waqf council and empower the district magistrates to decide on waqf properties.
Sources said that one of the amendments adopted by the House committee proposes that instead of the district magistrate, a designated officer of the state government be assigned the task of determining whether a property is waqf property.
“The chairman bulldozed everything and ended the meeting in 1.5 hours…. This new law will completely ruin (the institution of) waqf. It’s an attempt by the government to seize waqf properties,” Congress MP Nasir Hussain, a member of the House panel, said.
The government is expected to push the waqf amendment bill through during the budget session.
In the evening, 11 Opposition MPs released a joint statement underlining“willful and wanton disregard” by the JPC chairperson and appealed to the people to come forward to preserve the “secular credentials and to protect the rights of minorities”.
The statement highlighted that “during the proceedings, in entirety 95% of the stakeholders” had deposed against the bill. They alleged that the “minutes of the sittings held in Delhi and other places were not supplied to the members” and that “no clause-by-clause discussion was permitted, which is the essential element in the process”.
Source:telegraphindia.com
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https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/waqf-bill-rammed-through-by-jpc-opposition-calls-it-a-mockery-of-democracy/cid/2079950
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Europe
UK’sAnti-Terrorism Programme Prevent Strategy Had In-Built Anti-Muslim Bias, Now It Is Under Review
27th January
A UK government anti-terrorism programme that disproportionately targeted Muslims has come under the scanner once again after Prime Minister Keir Starmer admitted that it failed due to inherent flaws and announced its complete overhaul.
The UK premier’s announcement over the controversial Prevent programme came after a British teen was convicted and sentenced to life with a minimum of 52 years in prison for murdering three girls and attempting to kill 10 other people in what a prosecutor said was a “meticulously planned” stabbing rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England last summer.
It has been revealed that the convict, Axel Rudakubana, had been referred under the scheme three times as a schoolboy.
After Rudakubana’s conviction, Starmer announced a review to investigate why institutions failed to prevent the attack.
Starmer also announced that he has appointed David Anderson as the independent commissioner for the programme to assess how effective Prevent is. Anderson’s first task will be to investigate the failures in the Rudakubana case.
What is Prevent?
Prevent is a programme within the UK government’s counter-terrorism strategy designed to safeguard “those vulnerable to radicalisation and prevent them from becoming terrorists”.
It was launched after the 2005 London bombings, initially targeting Muslim communities, but faced widespread criticism for discrimination and being used as a surveillance tool.
According to civil society, 50,000 people have been referred to Prevent since its inception.
In recent years, referrals for "extreme right-wing concerns" have outpaced those related to "Islamist concerns". However, critics reveal that the referrals involving Muslims remain disproportionately high relative to their population size in the UK.
For example, the latest statistics indicate that 1,314 referrals (19 percent) were linked to far-right concerns, while 913 (13 percent) were associated with Islamist issues. Notably, 36 percent of all referrals involved individuals deemed to have “no ideology or counter-terrorism risk”.
Criticisms
Since becoming law in 2011, the strategy has been criticised by equality and rights groups for the challenge it is believed to pose to liberties and the justice system’s foundations.
Fionnuala Ni Aolain, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism, said the strategy has had a “negative and discriminatory effect on Muslim communities”, and its implementation is “inconsistent” with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
While the effect of the initiative “has not been felt equally by all children,” Ni Aolain said, “minority ethnic or religious communities” were impacted in particular.
Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have called for Prevent to be abolished, citing its “racist and discriminatory impact.”
Similarly, earlier this month, Rights and Security International reported that Prevent enables authorities to collect and share vast amounts of data, with children and young people being especially vulnerable.
Amidst long-standing calls for reform, the Labour government has faced mounting pressure to overhaul the Prevent strategy since returning to power in July 2024.
Starmer discussed the changing nature of terrorism in the UK last week.
He said that the UK now faces a “new and dangerous threat” from “loners, misfits, young men in their bedroom, accessing all manner of material online, desperate for notoriety,” a shift from the organised groups like al-Qaeda that previously dominated counter-terrorism efforts.
“It is a new threat; it’s not what we would have usually thought of as terrorism when definitions and guidelines were established. We must recognise this reality today.”
Starmer concluded that the country needed to be appropriate to the “new threat”, and whatever changes were necessary in the law would be made.
Source:trtworld.com
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https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/uks-prevent-strategy-had-in-built-anti-muslim-bias-now-it-is-under-review-18258429
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Mosque In France Vandalized With Pig Head Graffiti: Turkish-Muslim Umbrella Group DITIB
28.01.2025
A mosque in northwestern France was desecrated with a pig head graffiti, the Turkish-Muslim umbrella group DITIB said on Monday.
A pig head graffiti was found on Sunday on the door of a mosque in Cherbourg, operated by the DITIB, the group said in a statement.
Condemning the "unacceptable action" targeting the mosque, the group expressed its firm commitment to defend the values of respect and humanity.
Last week, a training hand grenade was left in front of a mosque, run by DITIB in the northern French city of Saint-Omer.
Source:aa.com.tr
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https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/mosque-in-france-vandalized-with-pig-head-graffiti/3463979
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Photographer's defiance after receiving racist message about pictures of Accrington mosque
27 JAN 2025
A photographer has spoken of his shock at receiving a racist message after he posted pictures of a mosque in Accrington.
Last week, Blackburn-based photographer Dan Conway posted some stunning pictures he had taken of the Raza Jamia Masjid in Accrington using his drone on his Facebook page. Dan receives many positive comments for his snaps but was shocked when he saw a direct message from someone criticising his latest project.
The individual told Dan he was angry that 'churches were being turned into mosques' and that the land could instead have been used to house veterans.
The message said: "You are supporting them taking over our community and our rights. Our own churches are being turned into Muslim places of worship and you are promoting this. That land could've been used to build housing for all the veterans that have served this country not take from this country."
After receiving the message, Dan uploaded a defiant post to his Facebook page in which he wrote: "I recently received the message shown in the picture after I uploaded a photo of a mosque, and I feel compelled to speak out.
"Messages like this are not only unacceptable but are deeply rooted in ignorance and prejudice. Racism, xenophobia, and hate speech have no place in our communities, inboxes , or society.
"As someone who values inclusivity, respect, and diversity, I stand firmly against any form of discrimination. Let’s remember: our words and actions have real consequences, and kindness always goes further than hate.
"If we want to build stronger, more united communities, it starts with challenging these attitudes and educating ourselves and others. Let’s strive to be better. Let’s do better.
"If you stand against racism and discrimination, join me in making it clear: hate will never win."
Speaking to LancsLive, Dan said it wasn't uncommon for him to receive hateful comments when he uploads pictures of mosques.
He said: "It's horrible that people are still like this in 2025. It is so narrow-minded. I'm used to it. I get a lot of horrible comments when I post mosque pictures in groups usually. But I've never had a direct message before."
Source:lancs.live
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https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/photographers-defiance-after-receiving-racist-30839587
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Iran's Qazvin Imam resigns amid controversy over Anti-Azerbaijan remarks
28 January 2025
BAKU, Azerbaijan, January 28. Ayatollah Abdul Karim Abedini, the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Qazvin province, has resigned from his position as the Imam of Friday prayers in Qazvin.
According to Trend, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on this development on Tuesday.
Abedi initiated the request for his own resignation. In his statement, he indicated that he had occupied this role for ten years. Nonetheless, the factors contributing to his departure are still not publicly available.
To note, Seyyed Jafar Aghai Marian, the Charge d'affaires of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Azerbaijan, was summoned to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 25.
The ministry stated that rather than issuing apologies for the controversial comments made by Imam of Friday prayers in Ardabil, Ayatollah Seyed Hasan Ameli, at a gathering in Ardabil, the initiative to back Ameli and the participation of various religious leaders, including the Imam of Qazvin, in actions against Azerbaijan were deemed unacceptable.
The ministry underscored that these actions jeopardize bilateral relations, necessitating the implementation of measures to avert them.
The Iranian Charge d'Affaires expressed regret for the unpleasant statements and actions and promised to report the matter to the relevant authorities in his country.
Source:trend.az
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https://en.trend.az/iran/3998391.html
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South Asia
Threats and determination of Afghan government
January 27, 2025
Afghanistan is a small country, the history of which is tied with continuous resistance against the powers and empires of the world. One of the pressures that have been exerted by foreign countries on the people of Afghanistan in recent years is the economic sanctions and political difficulties. These pressures are often exerted under different pretexts, but they have had their usual effects on the daily lives of people. Recently, Donald Trump, the newly elected President of the United States, has pointed to the people of Afghanistan in his recent inaugural speech and made unreasonable remarks about the Islamic Emirate and the people of Afghanistan. But history has shown that external threats and pressures, whether military or economic, cannot break the iron determination of the Afghan nation. Afghanistan has repeatedly proven that it does not only overcome crises but also gets stronger and more determined than before. Such words and threats made by world leaders cannot weaken the people of Afghanistan, instead, they will strengthen the Afghans’ sense of solidarity and independence. A society that has stood against empires, colonialists and aggressors for centuries, will know well how to face and fight against new challenges. Sanctions and pressures cannot weaken the spirit that has existed throughout history in this nation. The people of Afghanistan emphasize the fact that policies based on sanctions and threats will not work, but they just make the Afghan people more distrustful of external actors. Today, Afghanistan needs international support to build a sustainable future. They do not deserve more pressures of the international community as the burden of these pressures falls on the most vulnerable sections of the Afghan society. In the end, it should be said that the words of Trump and similar threats have no effect on people who have experienced war, sanctions and crises throughout history. The people of Afghanistan will continue to stand and make continued efforts to show the world that threats can never break the iron determination of a nation. Afghanistan is hopeful that Trump and the U.S. will remain bound by the Doha Agreement and take positive steps in the field of relations with Afghanistan. Over three years have passed since the Islamic Emirate took over, and during this entire period, the Islamic Emirate has been under the sanctions of the United Nations and the U.S., however, it seems and is clear that the United Nations and the U.S. have not yet gained anything from these sanctions. It is clear to the world and the international community that the Islamic Emirate is not just a group anymore. Over the past three years, the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly asked for positive engagement with the world and taken all necessary steps towards normalization of relations with the world and region. The Islamic Emirate runs the government and rules over the entire territory of Afghanistan and the world, the U.S. should know that any ban and sanctions if imposed on the Islamic Emirate and Afghanistan directly affect the ordinary citizens of the country; that’s why the strict restrictions that were in the early years of the Islamic Emirate have now been relaxed, and that’s why the sanctions have been somewhat unaffected. Mukhtar Safi
Source:thekabultimes.com
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https://thekabultimes.com/threats-and-determination-of-afghan-government/
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Agreements Worth Over 1.79 Billion AFN Signed for Five Lead and Zinc Mines in Bamyan
2025-01-27
KABUL(BNA): The utilization of five lead and zinc mining blocks in Yakawlang, Bamiyan, is set to commence soon.
Mullah HidayatullahBadri, the Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum, has signed contracts for the development of these mining blocks with Afghan German, Al-Haramain, Gamma Eagle, Kandahar Khogyani, and Musa Sultan companies. The total investment for the project amounts to 1.797 billion Afghanis.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Mullah HidayatullahBadri emphasized that the contracts are for five years, conditional on adherence to mining regulations, procedures, and commitments.
The Islamic Emirate holds a 51% share in this project.
Additionally, in exchange for extraction rights, the contracted companies will implement developmental projects, including the construction of roads, water and electricity dams, the second and fourth sections of the Khaf-Herat railway, and a teaching hospital.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/agreements-worth-over-1-79-billion-afn-signed-for-five-lead-and-zinc-mines-in-bamyan/
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Dr. Mohammad Naeem Begins Role as Deputy Foreign Minister of IEA
2025-01-27
KABUL(BNA): Dr. Mohammad Naeem has officially assumed the position of Deputy Foreign Minister for Administrative Affairs of Afghanistan.
Appointed by the decree of His Excellency Amir-ul-Mu’mineen, may Allah protect him, Dr. Naeem was introduced to the directors, deputies, and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, prior to the Islamic Emirate’s victory, Dr. Naeem served as a member of the Cultural Commission and the Political Office of the Islamic Emirate in Qatar. After the victory, he held the position of Acting Ambassador of Afghanistan in Qatar.
Source:bakhtarnews.af
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https://www.bakhtarnews.af/en/dr-mohammad-naeem-begins-role-as-deputy-foreign-minister-of-iea/
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Explosion kills one child, injures five in Paktia, Afghanistan
ByFidel Rahmati
January 27, 2025
Local officials in Paktia province report that a child was killed and five others were injured following the explosion of an unexploded rocket shell left from past wars.
Muneeb Zadran, spokesperson for the Taliban police in Paktia, stated that the incident occurred on Sunday in the GolGhundi area of ZaziAryub district when children were playing with the shell.
According to the statement, all injured children, including a girl, were taken to the hospital. Three of the injured children are in critical condition, and all victims are around ten years old.
Afghanistan remains one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, with leftover explosives from past conflicts continuing to claim lives, especially among children.
According to UNICEF, more than 500 children were killed or injured across Afghanistan last year due to landmine and unexploded ordnance explosions.
The presence of unexploded ordnance in Afghanistan continues to pose a serious threat to civilians, particularly children, who often unknowingly interact with these remnants of war.
Efforts to clear these explosives are crucial to preventing further tragedies and ensuring a safer environment for future generations in Afghanistan.
Source:khaama.com
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https://www.khaama.com/explosion-kills-one-child-injures-five-in-paktia-afghanistan/
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Pakistan
GHQ attack case: ATC throws out Imran Khan's acquittal plea
By Shabbir Dar
January 27, 2025
RAWALPINDI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Monday rejected jailed PTI founder Imran Khan's acquittal plea in General Headquarters (GHQ) attack case related to May 9, 2023 violent protests.
The development came during a hearing of the former prime minister's acquittal petition — filed under Article 265 of the Constitution.
ATC Judge Amjad Ali Shah conducted the hearing of the case at a make-shift court in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail.
During the hearing, Public Prosecutor Zaheer Shah noted that the prosecution had sufficient evidence against the accused and the trial in the GHQ attack case was underway.
He argued that the statements of 12 witnesses have been recorded so far, and that an acquittal request cannot be entertained during an ongoing trial.
After hearing the arguments, the ATC judge rejected the plea and adjourned the hearing.
Last month, the Rawalpindi ATC indicted a total of 100 people, including Imran and former interior minister Sheikh Rashid, in the GHQ attack case — which was registered at R.A. Bazar Police Station.
However, Imran among other indicted leaders denied charges against them.
Over 143 individuals, including Khan, were named as accused in the case, while 23, including Zulfi Bukhari, Shahbaz Gill and Murad Saeed, were listed as fugitives. Additionally, all accused have been prohibited from travelling abroad.
At least 70 PTI leaders were accused of planning the May 9 events and inciting the workers and supporters to attack military and government installations following the arrest of the ousted prime minister by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations including — Jinnah House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. The military termed May 9 "Black Day" and decided to try the protesters under the Army Act.
The PTI founder, however, blames the “agencies men” for arson and shooting in some areas during the May 9 violent protests.
The then-government as well as the one currently ruling have time and again blamed the PTI founder and the party's senior leadership for engineering allegedly "organised" attacks on military installations.
Despite securing relief in major cases, the former premier still faces a number of cases related to the May 9 incidents which are being heard by an Anti-Terrorism Court.
In October 2023, Imran’s bail petitions in eight cases related to the May 9 violence, including the Jinnah House attack were rejected by an anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore.
The cases included charges related to the Jinnah House and Askari Tower attacks, arson and vandalism at Shadman police station, and the burning of police vehicles at Rahat Bakery Chowk and Zaman Park.
Source:thenews.com.pk
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https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1276754-ghq-attack-case-atc-throws-out-imran-khans-acquittal-plea
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Govt warns of dissolving negotiation committee if PTI skips upcoming meeting
By Web Desk
January 27, 2025
ISLAMABAD: As the fate of ongoing negotiation process between the ruling coalition and the PTI hangs in the balance, Senator Irfan Siddiqui, a spokesperson for the government's negotiation committee, has warned that their committee would be dissolved if the former ruling party skipped the fourth round of talks scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday).
The development came days after the Imran Khan-founded party decided to boycott the fourth round of talks with the government over a “delay” in the formation of judicial commissions to probe the May 9, 2023 violent protests and a crackdown on party protesters in Islamabad on November 26 last year.
Taking to Geo News, Siddiqui termed PTI’s stance related to the ongoing talks “illogical”, saying that the former ruling party took six weeks to share their demands with the government’s team, while the ruling coalition just sought seven working days for a written response to the Khan-led party’s demands.
“In the joint declaration, seven working days are mentioned,” he added.
The PTI and the ruling coalition have been engaged in talks aimed at defusing political tensions in the country for nearly a month. Both sides have held three rounds of talks so far.
The dialogue process hit a snag as the Khan-founded party is of the view that they would attend the fourth round of talks only if the government formed the judicial commission while the ruling alliance stated that they would give their written response to the PTI’s demand in the next round of negotiation.
Senator Siddique, a day earlier, stated: “As per the agreed communique, no response can be given before the seven-day deadline...we will respond to PTI's demand for judicial commission at the next round of talks on Jan 28."
During his interaction with Geo News today, the PML-N senator said: “I don’t know whether PTI will attend tomorrow’s meeting or not”.
“I think National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq [who is playing the role of mediator] is in contact with the PTI,” he added while responding to a question.
Slamming the PTI’s political behaviour, Siddique said: “Negotiations are a serious and democratic process.”
He further said the former ruling party brought the negotiations to the streets.
In response to another query, the PML-N senator asked: “If the talks do not continue, then what will the negotiation committee do?”
“The government will give [its] response to whatever PTI will do outside.”
‘Contacts, negotiations among parties spirit of democracy’
Meanwhile, Senator Siddiqui held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and apprised him of the negotiations with the PTI committee.
PM Shehbaz said contacts and negotiations among political parties were the spirit of democracy.
“These contacts help in preparing a joint strategy to resolve issues facing the country and the nation, he added.
The premier maintained that avoiding negotiations was an undemocratic attitude which created tension and also damaged the atmosphere of national solidarity.
The prime minister added Pakistan did not need further agitation, tussle and confrontation but harmony and understanding so that a joint strategy could be adopted for rebuilding the economy and eradicating terrorism.
“With the grace of Allah, the country is making progress and its dignity has also risen at the international level,” he added.
“We will not allow anyone to create obstacles in the way of progress and prosperity through undemocratic behaviour,” warned the PM.
Source:thenews.com.pk
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1276752-govt-warns-of-disbanding-negotiation-committee-if-pti-skips-upcoming-meeting
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Imran, Bushra move IHC against conviction in £190m graft case
Malik Asad
January 28, 2025
• PTI founder says NAB reopened ‘closed’ probe for political reasons
• ATC rejects ex-PM’s acquittal request in GHQ protest case
• Maneka’s plea to transfer Iddat case to another bench approved
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan and spouse Bushra Bibi challenged their conviction in the £190 million corruption case before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday.
The appellants asked the court to set aside their conviction and 14-year and seven-year sentences, respectively, awarded by an accountability court earlier this month, emphasising the ruling lacked credible evidence and suffered from procedural lapses.
The identical appeals pointed to the UK Court of Appeal’s judgement dated Nov 26, 2021 and clarified that the funds at the centre of the controversy were neither proceeds of crime nor linked to any illegal activity.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) of the UK had agreed to a £190m settlement with property tycoon Malik Riaz Hussain, specifying that the funds would be transferred to Pakistan Supreme Court’s account as part of a legal framework, they stated.
Mr Khan’s appeal accuses NAB of withholding critical evidence and failing to present witnesses from the NCA or relevant documents to substantiate its claims. His legal team pointed to the NAB’s earlier closure of the case in 2020, following the NCA’s settlement agreement, and argued that the reopening of investigation in 2023 was done in bad faith and for political reasons.
The appeal also contested the validity of a purported confidentiality deed presented by the prosecution. Mr Khan’s lawyers argued that the document was unverified, with no forensic analysis conducted to determine its authenticity. They added that the document was merely procedural, with no evidence linking it to any criminal activity.
Mr Khan’s lawyers emphasised that no personal financial gain had been established. They said that the funds deposited in the account of Al-Qadir University Trust — a legally registered trust promoting education — for furniture had been wrongly connected to the case.
“The prosecution’s own evidence confirms that no donations or monetary benefits were received personally by Imran Khan or his wife,” the appeal stated.
The defence said the trial court had ignored key evidence and procedural safeguards. “The trial court failed to properly evaluate critical evidence, including testimony from prosecution witnesses and official documents, which directly refute the allegations of misuse of authority,” the appeal read.
Mr Khan accused NAB of pursuing a politically motivated agenda, claiming that the bureau had selectively targeted him while excluding several individuals implicated in the case. “The prosecution deliberately avoided implicating six other key accused individuals, raising serious concerns about the fairness and integrity of the investigation,” the appeal stated.
Bushra Bibi asserted that there was lack of evidence, highlighting several procedural and investigative flaws.
She contends that case against her is politically motivated and unsupported by substantive evidence.
She argued that the prosecution had failed to establish her alleged role in aiding and abetting her husband or her involvement in the affairs of Al-Qadir University Trust.
GHQ protest, Iddat cases
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) of Rawalpindi dismissed Mr Khan’s plea seeking acquittal in the case related to violent protest outside the GHQ premises that erupted after his arrest on May 9, 2023.
Judge Amjad Ali Shah said the court had already recorded testimonies of 12 out of 18 eyewitnesses.
As per the court order, the acquittal plea under Section 365-K of the CrPC, could not be entertained at this juncture.
Separately, Justice Mohammad Azam Khan of the IHC sent the appeal of Khawar Maneka, the ex-husband of Bushra Bibi, against her and Imran Khan’s acquittal in the Iddat case to the chief justice for entrusting the matter to another bench.
Petitioner’s lawyer Zahid Asif Chaudhry has challenged the July 13, 2024 decision of the additional sessions judge who had acquitted the two. The lawyer argued that the acquittal required judicial review due to legal inconsistencies.
During the proceedings, PTI lawyer Shoaib Shaheen raised objection over the judge, arguing that he had previously issued an adverse order in the related Sessions Court proceedings. “If a judge hears the case at one stage and it proceeds to the Supreme Court, the same judge cannot oversee it there,” Mr Shaheen contended.
Mr Chaudhry opposed the objections, emphasising that the decision in the main case was delivered by another judge and that Justice Azam Khan’s previous involvement did not warrant a transfer.
Justice Azam Khan acknowledged the concerns, noting that the court had previously heard a review petition connected to the matter. To ensure impartiality and fairness, he referred the case to the chief justice of the Islamabad High Court for the formation of a new bench.
SP summoned
IHC Chief Justice Aamir Farooq summoned the superintendent of Adiala Jail in person in response to Mr Khan’s petition seeking facilities like telephonic interaction with his sons, medical examination by his personal physician, and other appropriate prison facilities.
Faisal Hussain, the counsel for Mr Khan, said jail authorities were denying basic facilities to the former PM.
CJ Farooq noted that in a previous hearing, jail authorities had been directed to clarify rules regarding phone calls and meetings. The authorities responded that a phone call was allowed on Jan 13 on court orders, though WhatsApp was not part of the standard rules.
They also reported that Bushra Bibi had visited twice after the sentencing, with additional meetings occurring on Jan 17, 20, and 23 during court proceedings.
The CJ remarked that meetings during court hearings did not constitute proper visits and emphasised the need for clarity in compliance with court orders.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the authorities’ explanation, the CJ summoned the jail superintendent to appear in person with a detailed response. The official was instructed to review the court’s previous orders, particularly the one issued on Jan 23, before the next hearing.
Source:dawn.com
Please click the following URL to read the text of the original Story
https://www.dawn.com/news/1888161/imran-bushra-move-ihc-against-conviction-in-190m-graft-case
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Larger bench allows SC official’s appeal in contempt case
Nasir Iqbal
January 28, 2025
ISLAMABAD: A six-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail on Monday disposed of the intra-court appeal (ICA) of additional registrar (judicial), who had requested the court to quash the contempt proceedings initiated by a two-judge bench.
However, a ruling by the smaller bench for defying a judicial order escalated tensions when Justice Mandokhail highlighted potential repercussions for violating the Constitution.
“We have taken oath under the Constitution and not under any judgement,” emphasised Justice Mandokhail, who headed the appellate bench that heard the ICA of Additional egistrar (Judicial) Nazar Abbas.
Would non-adherence to the requirement of Article 191A, inserted into the Constitution through the 26th Amendment, amount to violation of the Constitution and oath of office taken by judges, he wondered.
The bench, however, disposed of the ICA unanimously, though Justice Mandokhail said he would spell out his reasons for the decision.
Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Shahid Waheed said they were disposing of the case as the appeal had become infructuous after its withdrawal.
Shahid Kamran, representing the additional registrar, had sought the withdrawal since the two-judge bench hearing the contempt case had earlier in the day discharged the show-cause notice issued to the appellant.
The bench was headed by Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, the senior puisne judge.
The smaller bench in its 20-page judgement, issued in the morning, described the present proceedings as unsavoury, but discharged the contempt notice. It referred the matter to CJP Yahya Afridi for convening a full court to decide once and for all the question of jurisdiction of the regular bench.
But the judgement held that the regular committee under Practice and Procedure Act (PPA) 2023 and constitutional committee under Article 191A of the Constitution were not legally authorised to take the administrative decisions of Jan 17 in violation of the judicial order by referring the matter to the constitutional bench, adding that in this background, it appeared as if the matter has to proceed further against the members of the two committees that also include the CJP.
“However, judicial propriety and decorum demand that the question be considered and decided by the Full Court of the Supreme Court so that it was authoritatively decided once and for all,” the judgement explained.
However, the directions made in the judgement left the members of the six-judge bench to wonder how a smaller bench could hold judges of the appellate bench in contempt without even following the procedure meant for contempt of court.
Justice Minallah and Justice Waheed wanted to close the proceedings on the grounds that after the discharge of the contempt notice, the matter has become infructuous, especially when the matter regarding violation of the judicial order was not under challenge before the court. “When the matter is not before the court, can we hear it on suo motu,” wondered Justice Waheed.
At one point, Justice Musarrat Hilali wondered: “What’s going on behind the scenes in the present case when ordinary cases involving constitutional interpretation are referred to constitutional benches by regular benches in routine.”
The smaller bench should have confined itself to discharging the contempt notice instead of commenting on the three-judge constitutional committee, observed Justice Mazhar, who also wondered would the CJP convene the full court, when he himself has become an alleged contemnor.
Additional Attorney General Chaudhry Aamir Rehman argued that after the 26th Amendment, cases involving constitutional interpretation had to be referred to the constitutional bench automatically.
Source:dawn.com
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https://www.dawn.com/news/1888164/larger-bench-allows-sc-officials-appeal-in-contempt-case
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Special Branch official among three killed in Bara firing
January 28, 2025
KHYBER: A policeman and two other persons were killed in a firing incident in Bara on Monday.
The police said the incident took place at a motor bargain centre in Qambarabad locality close to the Bara Bazaar, when unidentified assailants opened fire on a group of five persons, including an official of the police’s Special Branch.
They said that Abdul Wali Khan, the Special Branch sleuth, along with two other persons, Mohammad Afzal and Qismat Khan, were killed on the spot, while two other people, Abid and Mohammad Hussain, sustained injuries.
A police party immediately reached the spot and collected evidence.
The injured were taken to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar.
The police said that reason behind the firing could not be immediately known as they launched an investigation after registering a case against unidentified assailants, who managed to flee the area after the incident.
Source:dawn.com
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Mideast
Northern Gaza is shattered. The spirit of returning Palestinians is not
January 28, 2025
WADI GAZA, Gaza Strip: They walked for hours loaded with whatever clothes, food and blankets they could carry. Many smiled, some hugged loved ones they hadn’t seen for months. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians filled Gaza’s main coastal road as they streamed back to homes in the north.
The mood was joyous, even though many knew their homes had been destroyed in Israeli offensives against Hamas that leveled large parts of Gaza City and the surrounding north.
The important thing was to go back, they said, to prevent what many had feared would be a permanent expulsion from their homes.
“By returning, we are victorious,” said Rania Miqdad, who was heading back to Gaza City with her family.
Ismail Abu Mattar returned with his wife and four children to the ruins of their Gaza City home, which was partially destroyed by Israeli bombardment early in the war. Like many others whose houses are damaged, he planned to set up a tent nearby and start clearing the rubble.
“A tent here is better than a tent there,” he said, referring to the vast, squalid tent camps that arose in central and southern Gaza where he and much of the territory’s population have lived for months.
“We had thought we wouldn’t return, like our ancestors,” said Abu Mattar. His grandparents were among the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians driven from what is now Israel during the 1948 war surrounding its creation.
A mass return on foot and by car
Under the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, Palestinians were allowed starting Monday to return north. UN officials estimated that some 200,000 people made their way back over the course of the day. The scenes of celebration were a sharp contrast to the misery and fear during the war as more than 1 million people fled south on the same routes to escape Israel’s assaults.
Associated Press photos, videos and drone footage showed huge crowds heading north on foot along Gaza’s main coastal road. On one side was the Mediterranean Sea; on the other stretched a landscape of destroyed buildings and bulldozed land left behind by withdrawing Israeli forces. Armed Hamas fighters were visible in some spots, a sign of the militant group’s continued power in Gaza despite Israel’s vows to eliminate it.
Families carried bags of belongings and rolled up blankets. On their shoulders, men carried young children — or sacks of food and metal cannisters of cooking gas. Women balanced infants in their arms with satchels of clothes and jugs of water.
A little girl dressed in teddy-bear pajamas held her younger sister’s hand as they trailed their mother. A teenager strapped a pet carrier to his chest with his cat inside.
Others returned in cars and trucks piled high with mattresses and other belongings via a second route, Salah Al-Din Road.
Many were smiling. A child waved a “V-for-victory” sign. People tearfully hugged relatives and friends they’d been separated from for months.
One old woman being pushed in a wheelchair sang a traditional Palestinian song of perseverance dating back to 1948.
“Stand by each other, people of Palestine, stand by each other. Palestine is gone, but it has not bid you a final farewell,” she sang with a smile on her face. Then she added, “Thank God, we’re returning to our homes, after suffering so much ruin and hunger and disease.”
The joy was tempered by war’s cost and future’s uncertainty
Those returning crossed through the Netzarim corridor, a swath of land bisecting the Gaza Strip that Israeli forces turned into a military zone to seal off the north. The north saw some of the most intense Israeli offensives, aimed at eliminating Hamas fighters operating in densely populated areas.
Throughout the war, Israel repeatedly ordered civilians to evacuate the north – for their safety, it said – but barred their return. Under the ceasefire’s terms, Israeli troops pulled back from the main routes to allow returns and are eventually to pull out completely from the corridor.
For some, the joy of return was blemished by the deaths of loved ones.
Kamal Hamadah was returning to Gaza City, where his eldest son, his daughter and her children were killed by bombardment early in the war. Their bodies were left buried under rubble in the streets, even as the rest of the family fled south, he said.
Then just over a month ago, another of his sons who fled with him was killed.
“When his mother learned we were going back home, she was struck by a great sadness that she was returning without the boy,” he said.
Returning home, Yasmin Abu Amshah had a happy reunion with her younger sister, Amany, who had stayed in Gaza City throughout the war. “I thought it wouldn’t happen, and we wouldn’t see each other again,” the 34-year-old mother of three said.
Her four-story building was damaged but not destroyed, so she and other members of her extended family will stay there.
Those returning face an uncertain future. If the ceasefire collapses, they could face new Israeli offensives. If peace lasts, it’s not clear when Palestinians will be able to rebuild homes, leaving much of the population in temporary housing.
Ibrahim Hammad, his wife and five children walked five hours back to their neighborhood in Gaza City – knowing their house there had been destroyed by an airstrike in December 2023. His family will stay at his brother’s house until he can clear a space in the ruins of his house to set up a tent.
“We had to return, even to the rubble,” the 48-year-old told the AP. “Here we don’t have a house, but our family is here, and we will help each other.”
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2588056/middle-east
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Hamas Urges Muslim Nations To Reject All Zionist Schemes Targetting Them
Jan 28, 2025
The movement passed the remarks in a statement on Monday, marking the anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)’s appointment as God’s last messenger.
According to Hamas, the occasion serves as “a call to reject all Zionist schemes targeting them (the Muslim Nation) and to support the steadfastness” of Palestinians in the holy occupied city of al-Quds -- which they seek as the capital of their future state.
The occasion also calls for admiration of “those stationed at al-Aqsa [Mosque] by all means,” the group added, referring to those defying the Israeli regime’s restrictions against Muslim prayers at the mosque, which serves as the third-holiest site among the world’s Muslims.
Hamas also asserted that “the fascist occupation will fail to erase the Arab and Islamic identity of al-Quds and al-Aqsa or to alter historical and factual realities” concerning the dual locations.
Tel Aviv’s doomed efforts at doing so, it noted, featured “schemes of temporal and spatial division, excavations, provocative incursions, and crimes against worshipers and those stationed there, including killing, displacement, detention, and banishment,” the movement reminded, PressTV reported.
Elsewhere in the statement, Hamas hailed the fighters of the movement and its fellow Gaza-based Resistance groups’ Operation al-Aqsa Storm, which was launched on October 7, 2023.
The operation saw the fighters venturing deep into the occupied Palestinian territories, taking the Israeli military by surprise, and ensnaring 240 Zionists.
The regime responded to the operation, which served as an instance of retaliation against Tel Aviv’s decades-long campaign of deadly occupation and aggression against Palestinians, by taking Gaza under a genocidal war.
Source:mehrnews.com
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https://en.mehrnews.com/news/227535/Hamas-urges-Muslim-nations-to-reject-all-Zionist-schemes
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Israeli president calls UN morally bankrupt on Holocaust anniversary
January 28, 2025
UNITED NATIONS: Israel’s president attacked the UN General Assembly in a speech on Monday marking the 80th anniversary of the Holocaust, accusing the body of exhibiting “moral bankruptcy” and failing to confront anti-Semitism.
Isaac Herzog addressed the forum during worldwide commemorations of the Holocaust in which six million Jews were murdered.
“Today, we find ourselves yet again at a dangerous crossroads in the history of this institution,” Herzog said at the New York headquarters of the United Nations which Israel has repeatedly condemned since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023.
“Rather than fulfilling its purpose and fighting courageously against a global epidemic of jihadists, murderers, and abhorrent terror, time and again this assembly has exhibited moral bankruptcy.”
UN bodies like the International Criminal Court, which issued a warrant for the arrest of Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu, “opt for outrageous hypocrisy and protection of the perpetrators of the atrocities.”
“How is it possible that international institutions, which began as an anti-Nazi alliance, are allowing anti-Semitic genocidal doctrines to flourish uninterrupted in the wake of the largest massacre of Jews since World War II?” he added referring to the October 7 attacks.
Hamas’s October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed at least 47,317 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry that the UN considers reliable.
Ahead of Herzog’s denunciation of the UN, its Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned the “appalling October 7 terror attacks by Hamas” — as well as the rising tide of anti-Semitism globally.
“Today, our world is fractured and dangerous. Eighty years since the Holocaust’s end, anti-Semitism is still with us — fueled by the same lies and loathing that made the Nazi genocide possible. And it is rising,” he said on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
“Indisputable historical facts are being distorted, diminished, and dismissed. Efforts are being made to recast and rehabilitate Nazis and their collaborators. We must stand up to these outrages.
“The history of the Holocaust shows us what can happen when people choose not to see and not to act.”
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2588052/middle-east
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Israel says ‘eliminated’ 15 Palestinians in Jenin raid
January 28, 2025
JENIN, Palestinian Territories: The Israeli military on Monday said it had “eliminated over 15 terrorists” and arrested 40 wanted people during a major raid that began last week in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
The raid began two days after a truce took hold in the Gaza Strip, seeking to put an end to more than 15 months of the Israel-Hamas war that ravaged the Palestinian coastal territory.
The military said in a statement that during the Jenin operation troops seized dozens of weapons and “located an explosive device hidden inside a washing machine in one of the buildings in Jenin.”
Soldiers “also dismantled dozens of explosives planted beneath roads intended to attack troops,” it said.
During another operation, “an observation command center was located, containing gas canisters intended for manufacturing explosive devices,” it said.
Backed by bulldozers and warplanes, the military launched last Tuesday its “Iron Wall” operation in Jenin and its adjacent refugee camp, militant strongholds frequently targeted in Israeli raids.
AFP images on Monday showed Israeli troops still in the area, and black smoke rising over the camp.
Salim Al-Saadi, a member of the Jenin camp’s management committee, told AFP that 80 percent of its residents had fled since the raid began.
The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, said on its website that more than 24,000 refugees were registered in the camp in 2023, though the actual population is not known.
AFP pictures on Thursday showed rows of women, men and children filing out of the camp, some of them carrying their belongings in bags, accompanied by Palestine Red Crescent ambulances.
A number of Palestinian officials reported that Israel had ordered residents to leave the camp, but the military denied this.
The Palestinian health ministry had earlier reported that the Israeli operation killed at least 12 Palestinians and injured 40 more around Jenin.
Violence has soared throughout the West Bank since the war between Hamas and Israel broke out in Gaza on October 7, 2023.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 860 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, according to the health ministry.
At least 29 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military raids in the territory over the same period, according to Israeli official figures.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
Source:arabnews.com
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https://www.arabnews.com/node/2588048/middle-east
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Kuwait’s consul general underlines importance of joint Islamic action
January 27, 2025
JEDDAH: Kuwait’s Consul General in the Saudi city of Jeddah Yousef Al-Tunaib presented his credentials as Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday to the Secretary General of the organization Hussein Taha. In a statement to Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) after presenting his credentials, Al-Tunaib affirmed Kuwait’s belief in the importance of joint Islamic action to confront the challenges facing the Islamic world, whether political, economic, or humanitarian, expressing his pride and honor in representing Kuwait in this venerable organization.
He stressed the importance of the role played by the organization in enhancing Islamic solidarity, supporting the just causes of the Islamic nation, and striving to achieve common goals that serve the Islamic world and enhance joint cooperation among member states. For his part, Secretary General of the organization Hussein Taha praised the State of Kuwait’s active role in supporting the organization’s issues and initiatives, expressing his aspiration for continued fruitful cooperation with member states to achieve more accomplishments that serve the interest of the Islamic world.
Forced displacement
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Monday rejected and condemned plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians, whether on a temporary or long-term basis. In a press statement, the OIC said this constitutes a blatant breach of international law and relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions, echoing its call for occupying forces to fully pull out of occupied territories, deliver adequate humanitarian aid, and help displaced persons return home.
It underlined that the Palestinian government should be empowered to take its duties of safeguarding Palestinian territorial integrity, covering the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Eastern Jerusalem, and implementing emergency relief programs, economic recovery, and reconstruction. In this regard, it called on the international community to take on its responsibilities by putting the two-state solution in place, ending the occupation and colonial settlement, and empowering the Palestinian people to exercise their right to self-determination, regain their legitimate rights, and have an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. — KUNA
Source:kuwaittimes.com
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https://kuwaittimes.com/article/23943/kuwait/other-news/kuwaits-consul-general-underlines-importance-of-joint-islamic-action/
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Islamic Jihad Movement: Issue of captive "Arbil" fabricated by Zionist enemy
27 Jan 2025
The Deputy Secretary-General of the Islamic Jihad Movement, Muhammad al-Hindi, revealed that they informed the mediators that the Zionist captive "Arbil Yehud" is alive, indicating that this issue is on its way to being resolved.
Al-Hindi confirmed in press statements that the issue of the captive "Arbil Yehud" is fabricated by the Zionist enemy to obstruct the implementation of the agreement, and the mediators know that.
Source:saba.ye
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https://www.saba.ye/en/news3429709.htm
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Iraq’s Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya rejects disarmament, pledges resistance
2025-01-27
Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Iraqi group Harakat Ansar Allah al-Awfiya (HAAA), reaffirmed its refusal to disarm or dissolve, reiterating its commitment to resistance against US forces in the country.
Ali Al-Fatlawi, a senior member of the group, told Shafaq News, “Disarmament is unrealistic as long as US forces remain in Iraq.”
He underscored the group’s mission to resist the “occupier” and revealed that they are “closely monitoring agreements between Baghdad and Washington on troop withdrawal timelines.”
The HAAA stance comes amid ongoing efforts by the Iraqi government to integrate armed factions into official security institutions, including the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). Some faction leaders, however, insist on maintaining independence, framing themselves as part of Iraq’s “Axis of Resistance.”
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has stressed his administration’s commitment to integrating these factions into legal and institutional frameworks. He recently highlighted his government’s vision to build “a new Iraq rooted in its Arab civilizational heritage.”
Meanwhile, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, during a visit to London, highlighted a shift in societal attitudes, noting that armed groups operating outside the state framework are increasingly unacceptable.
Notably, HAAA and its secretary-general, HaydarMuzhirMa'lak al-Sa'idi, have been designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group by the US State Department. The group is part of the Islamic Resistance of Iraq (IRI), a coalition of multiple Iran-backed factions.
Observers suggest that integrating armed factions into Iraq’s security institutions could protect them from potential military strikes by the United States or its allies, while also strengthening the country’s sovereignty and security framework.
Source:shafaq.com
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https://shafaq.com/en/Iraq/Iraq-s-Harakat-Ansar-Allah-al-Awfiya-rejects-disarmament-pledges-resistance
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Africa
Shettima, Abba laud Tijjaniyya Islamic sect for promoting unity
AdeolaAjakaiye
January 27, 2025
Vice President KashimShettima, has applauded the contribution of the Tijjaniyya Islamic sect in fostering unity among the Muslim community in the country.
The Vice President made the commendation while speaking at the 2025 Maulud Celebration (the Birth of Prophet Muhammad) held by the Tijjaniyya Islamic sect led by late Sheikh Ibrahim Niass at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, Kano State.
A statement issued by SanusiBature, the Kano State governor’s spokesperson, said Shettima, who was represented by BabaganaFannami, praised the Muslim sect for standing over the past century in true teachings of Islam.
Shettima, who was the special guest of honour at the occasion, eulogised the guiding principles of the ‘Sufi’ sect to humanity.
The special guest emphasised the unwavering tenacity of the Tijjaniyya sect to lessons of Prophet Muhammad rather than compromising matters of the jurisprudence of Islam. He, therefore, reminded Muslims to emulate the true teachings of Islam and avoid extremism.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Chief Host, equally lauded the efforts of the Tijjaniyya Islamic sect in maintaining peace and harmonious relationships with other sects in Nigeria.
“As your host, we have to appreciate all of you for coming to Kano from far and near to attend this year’s maulud for Sheikh Ibrahim Niass”
Recall that the Police attempted to halt the Maulud over an alleged security threat, which the Government later dismissed as a fake and unfounded claim.
Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, who doubles as the National Leader of the Tijjaniyya in Nigeria, prayed for the unity of Muslims around the globe and tolerance with believers of other faiths.
Source:businessday.ng
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https://businessday.ng/news/article/shettima-abba-laud-tijjaniyya-islamic-sect-for-promoting-unity/
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We Are Ready For Investors – Gov Bala Mohammed
28 January 2025
By UdezeEkene
The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed, has urged investors to harness investment opportunities in the state, assuring an enabling environment.
Naija News reports that Governor Mohammed stated this during the third zonal sensitization and advocacy workshop organized by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) for diaspora direct investment in the Northeast region.
Represented by the Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning, and Multilateral Coordination, Amina Muhammad Katagum, the Governor commended NiDCOM for organizing such a sensitization workshop to educate Nigerians at home and abroad.
He noted that the diaspora constitutes a major source of potential investment to Nigeria, and a source of knowledge, ideas, skills, experiences and expertise that can turn around the fortune of Nigeria.
The Governor stressed that it was time for the region to look inwards and tap into the enormous opportunities of the diasporas and end the era of total dependence on the statutory federal allocation and VAT sharing.
Mohammed added that the northeast must prioritize revenue generation through appropriate exploration of the diasporas’ potentials.
He urged the northeastern government to leverage this golden opportunity of the workshop to learn the how, when, where and what can attract the diaspora of the individual states.
Governor Mohammed reaffirmed his commitment to leveraging and harnessing the huge untapped potentials of the Bauchi diaspora by creating an enabling environment and keep improving the ease of doing business to bring about the prosperity of the state across all sectors.
Earlier, the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, AbikeDabiri-Erewa, highlighted the huge material, mineral, agricultural, and human resources that the Northeastern region of Nigeria is endowed with that can be harnessed for national development.
Represented by the Commission’s Secretary, SuleYakubuBassi, NiDCOM Chairman noted that while Nigerians in the diaspora have remitted over 90 billion dollars as diaspora home remittances through cash, intellectual property, goods, services and investments in the past five years, there is the need for the sensitization and advocacy workshop for both Nigerians home and abroad to catalyze development in Nigeria.
Other dignitaries present at the workshop include Commissioner for Works, Titus Kukah; Gombe state Diaspora Focal Officer, JamiluJafaru; Yobe State Diaspora officer, AlhajiModu; and some members of the State House of Assembly, and members of private sectors.
According to the Commission’s spokesman, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the Bauchi advocacy was the third in the series of sensitization workshops on the promotion of diaspora investment potentials, having done that of South West in Lagos and South East in Enugu State.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/01/28/we-are-ready-for-investors-gov-bala-mohammed/
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Minister Blames Niger Explosion On Illegal Storage Of Explosives
28 January 2025
By Justina Otio
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has disclosed that the illegal stockpiling of explosives is responsible for the explosion that occurred at a mining site in SabonPegi in Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State.
Alake stated that investigations had fingered a resident of New Bussa, YushuaMaikampala, as the suspected stockpiler of the explosives.
Speaking via a statement yesterday, the Special Assistant to the Minister on Media, SegunTomori, said that Maikampala purchased and stored explosives and their accessories in a house at Sabo Pegi in Mashegun Local Government Area.
According to Tomori, an eyewitness recounted that the explosion was triggered by an electrical spark around 7 a.m. on Sunday, leading to the destruction of the building where the explosives were stored. The explosion also damaged approximately 20 other houses in the vicinity.
Alake condoled with the victims, describing the incident as avoidable, given the negligence surrounding the handling and illegal storage of explosives by the suspected stockpiler.
The minister directed relevant ministry officials, including the Mines Inspectorate Department, to carry out forensic analysis of soil samples collected from the blast site to determine the source of the explosives, which would guide the next course of the investigation and other necessary actions.
“Security agencies have been put on the trail of the suspected culprit. He will be apprehended to face justice,” he said.
Alake stressed that the Federal Government remained committed to ensuring that mining operators adhere to strict environmental and safety standards to avert a recurrence of the unfortunate incident.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/01/28/minister-blames-niger-explosion-on-illegal-storage-of-explosives/
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Terror Alert: Kano Police Arrest Suspect With Explosives
27 January 2025
The Kano State command of the Nigeria Police Force has announced that law enforcement officials arrested a suspect and seized substantial items, including explosives, in response to a warning regarding a possible terrorist attack in the state.
During a press conference on Monday, the State Commissioner of Police, Salman Dogo Garba, detailed the measures implemented by the police to safeguard the community and avert any potential assaults.
He disclosed that several suspects had vacated the state in light of the alert, with one individual being located in Kano after having initially departed.
“Recently, there was a security alert about an impending terrorist attack in Kano, particularly during the TijjaniyyaMaulud celebration. We raised the alarm, informed the public, and set up the necessary machinery to address the situation.
“One suspect, who came from a church, was arrested after his host, who had the key to his house, was also apprehended. Additionally, we made significant recoveries, including explosives,” the Commissioner of Police stated.
The Police Chief emphasized the critical role of intelligence in preventing potential threats and elaborated on the collaboration between the police and various stakeholders to improve security during that time.
Upon receiving the notification regarding the Tijjaniyya programme, Garba said the command mobilized all personnel and communicated with all relevant stakeholders.
“At one specific location, we coordinated with our Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit to guarantee the safety of the area,” he stated.
Garba acknowledged the difficulties of functioning within a politically sensitive context but reassured the community of the police’s dedication to upholding public order.
“In Kano, we politicise everything – even the food we eat. But I want to assure everyone that my team and I are fully committed to securing this state. My roots are in Tijjaniyya, and my forefathers have always stood for peace and security,” he said, recounting efforts to track a high-profile suspect linked to a past attack that claimed several lives.
“We tracked him to the venue, but he moved. In the process, we arrested a soft target who provided us with critical information. This is part of our commitment to ensuring that no criminal outsmarts the system,” Garba said.
The Commissioner of Police reassured the community that the Kano State Police Command would persist in its diligent efforts to safeguard the peace and security of the state.
He urged the public to stay alert and collaborate with law enforcement agencies to realize this objective.
“Let me thank everyone who has supported our efforts. Together, we can ensure Kano remains safe for all,” Garba added.
Source:naijanews.com
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https://www.naijanews.com/2025/01/27/terror-alert-kano-police-arrest-suspect-with-explosives/
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A United, Prosperous Nigeria Is A Must – President Tinubu
28 January 2025
By UdezeEkene
President Bola Tinubu has said unity is the only formula that works for national progress.
Naija News reports that President Tinubu urged Nigerian leaders to draw lessons from the natural confluence of River Niger and River Benue in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
He said the confluence of the two rivers in Kogi was a metaphor for the collective strength required to navigate Nigeria’s challenges and foster unity and collaboration for the nation’s prosperity.
Represented by Vice President KashimShettima, Tinubu stated this while speaking on Monday in Lokoja, at the Kogi Dialogue, which was part of events marking Governor Usman Ododo’s, first year in office.
“The convergence of these rivers is not just a geographical event; it is a divine lesson in strength and continuity. It symbolizes the power of unity, where individual streams combine to create a force capable of shaping destinies and carving paths.
“Just as water merging with water becomes stronger, so must we as leaders and citizens merge our efforts to build a united and prosperous Nigeria,” he said.
The President praised Governor Ododo for launching the Kogi Dialogue, describing it as “a spark of wisdom and a critical step toward fostering reconciliation and progress.”
He urged leaders across all levels to build bridges across the country, as well as prioritize dialogue as a tool for resolving differences and promoting national cohesion.
“Dialogue is not just an opportunity to air grievances. It is the true path to justice, reconciliation, and understanding. Without dialogue, history will pass us by, leaving us abandoned by time and forgotten by progress,” he stated.
President Tinubu particularly appealed to political and community leaders to be more amenable and unified in their support for government to create the needed environment for growth.
“Now is the time to reject division and embrace unity as the only formula that works. Chaos and discord are ladders for the self-serving, but unity is the bridge that carries us all forward.
“Kogi State stands as a testament to what we can achieve when we recognize the strength in our diversity. From the confluence of rivers to the convergence of ideas, this state symbolises what Nigeria can become when we come together with purpose and vision,” the President noted.
President Tinubu stressed that though there are challenges with governance in turbulent times such as the economic pressures and security threats facing the nation, true leadership is tested in tumultuous times.
“Each of us has a role to play in weaving a stronger, more united nation. Let us ensure that personal desires do not pull against the collective current of unity and development. We cannot hope to build a stronger Nigeria if we allow division to fester at home. Leaders must rise above personal ambitions and put the welfare of the people first,” he added.
Governor Ododo Lauds President Tinubu’s Support
In his remarks, Governor Ododo, thanked the President and the people of the state for their support for his government since assumption a year ago, even as he urged them to remain committed to the growth and development of the state, leveraging the opportunities and resources available in Kogi.
The Governor paid glowing tributes to Shettima for his support and inspiration in all that his government has done since assuming leadership about a year ago.
He said Kogi is blessed with rich human, natural and material resources with an enviable cultural diversity that needs to be harnessed for the prosperity and transformation of the state.
He noted important developments in the state since his assumption of office, including the upgrade of healthcare centers, improvement of infrastructure in the education sector and the introduction of free education at the basic level, and bursaries for students in tertiary institutions.
Source:naijanews.com
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ICC prosecutor calls for urgent action on Darfur
EPHREM KOSSAIFY
January 28, 2025
NEW YORK CITY: The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, on Monday stressed the urgent need for international action to address continuing atrocities in the Darfur region of western Sudan, and pleaded with the UN Security Council for more support to help bridge the “impunity gap.”
He painted a grim picture of a situation in which violence, famine and gender-based crimes continue to devastate communities, targeting women and children in particular.
Khan underscored a severe decline in the situation in the region over the past six months, including growing reports of civilian casualties, the destruction of vital infrastructure, and widespread violations of human rights.
“Famine is present in Darfur. Conflict is increasing. Children are targeted. Girls and women are subject to rape,” Khan said as he described the environment as one of “destruction” and “criminality.”
The country descended into civil war in April 2023 amid a conflict between rival military factions the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. It has killed more than 28,000 people, forced millions to flee their homes, and some families have resorted to eating grass in a desperate attempt to survive as famine sweeps parts of the country.
In Darfur, ethnic violence has escalated since the war began. The RSF, the origins of which lie in the Arab Janjaweed militia that was responsible for a genocide in the early 2000s that claimed about 300,000 lives, has focused its attacks on the Masalit ethnic group and other non-Arab communities.
This month, the US has accused the RSF of genocide and imposed sanctions on its leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, commonly known as “Hemedti.”
Khan’s latest semi-annual report on the situation in Sudan, published on Jan. 16, noted that his office has gathered sufficient evidence to establish reasonable grounds to believe that a wide range of crimes specified under the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, continue to be committed in Darfur. These include killings, pillaging, attacks against internally displaced persons, the indiscriminate targeting of civilian populations, gender-based crimes, and crimes against and affecting children.
Under the Rome Statute, the ICC has jurisdiction over four types of crime categorized as “international crimes”: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The court is finalizing applications for arrest warrants against individuals allegedly responsible for war crimes in West Darfur, Khan said. He stressed, however, that the applications will only be filed when there is strong evidence that can withstand judicial scrutiny, to ensure the highest chances of convictions and due process for victims.
He warned that international crimes are being committed as weapons of war in Darfur, including reports of widespread gender-based violence.
“This is not an unverified generalization,” he said, adding that the evidence his office has gathered, including witness testimonies and digital resources, is both extensive and credible.
Khan highlighted his office’s collaboration with national authorities in neighboring countries, where they have also been collecting evidence from displaced communities.
He also mentioned ongoing trials taking place at the ICC, in particular the trial of Ali Kushayb, a former militia leader charged with crimes committed in Darfur in the early 2000s, which began in 2022. Khan highlighted the significance of such trials, not only in terms of pursuing historical accountability but also as a beacon of hope for survivors who continue to suffer in Darfur.
“They say that they are not forgotten, they are not invisible,” Khan said, as he reiterated the ICC’s role in keeping the promise of justice alive for victims long denied recognition.
Despite these efforts, Khan acknowledged the deep frustrations arising from the lack of swift progress in Darfur. He pointed to the need for greater cooperation from Sudanese authorities, and said that while there have been some signs worthy of cautious optimism, more support from the UN Security Council is needed to help bridge the “impunity gap.”
Khan called in particular for the transfer of suspects, including Ahmed Harun, a former governor of Kordofan and minister of state who is wanted by the ICC for his alleged role in the Darfur conflict.
“We believe we know where Ahmed Harun is,” Khan said as he urged Sudan to honor its obligations under Security Council Resolution 1593, which requires authorities to cooperate fully with the ICC.
Khan invoked the historical significance of ensuring accountability for crimes against humanity, drawing parallels with past genocides, including the Holocaust. He called on the Security Council to prioritize the victims of Darfur over political divisions among council members, and echoed the sentiment that justice must be delivered to those who are suffering in the region.
He urged the council to renew its commitment to the principle of “Never Again,” referencing the outcome of the Nuremberg Trials and global efforts to combat cultures of impunity in post-conflict societies.
“The people of Darfur have a right to justice,” Khan said. “It’s time for us collectively to join hands and deliver on that promise.”
The US has historically backed ICC efforts related to Sudan. However the court faced criticism late last year after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Those warrants, related to charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes linked to Israeli military operations in Gaza since October 8, 2023, sparked a backlash from Washington.
Source:arabnews.com
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Arab World
Saudi Film Commission Joins Asian Film NetworkO Foster Knowledge Exchange
January 27, 2025
RIYADH: The Saudi Film Commission has joined the Asian Film Commissions Network to foster international collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Founded in 2004, the non-profit network includes more than 50 members from 19 Asian countries and regions, comprising film commissions, production offices and related organizations.
The membership highlights the commission’s work to support local and regional film projects, encourage co-productions and promote the Kingdom’s film industry, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
The commission aims to create new opportunities for filmmakers by providing platforms to showcase their work, supporting distribution channels and offering competitive incentives, the SPA added.
In June 2024, the commission also joined the Association of Film Commissioners International to boost Saudi Arabia’s presence in the global film industry and promote collaboration among production companies.
Source:arabnews.com
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Riyadh foundation hosts event to preserve history
January 27, 2025
RIYADH: The King Abdulaziz Public Foundation for Research and Archives staged a National History Lab event in collaboration with 30 Saudi universities and 15 national and international organizations to promote creativity in preserving and sharing national history.
The event, which is on at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh until Tuesday, features workshops, exhibitions and talks by 20 experts on innovation and heritage.
Aligned with Vision 2030, the lab provides a platform for youth and organizations passionate about history to collaborate and compete, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The initiative encourages students to develop ideas, technical projects and social initiatives that show Saudi Arabia’s cultural heritage and history in engaging and innovative ways to diverse audiences, SPA reported.
The initiative has two tracks: the digital innovation track, which focuses on developing technical solutions for documenting and sharing history; and the social impact track, which aims to design initiatives that strengthen community connections to history.
Thirteen judges will evaluate the projects, with support from more than 20 facilitators who will guide participants in refining their ideas.
Source:arabnews.com
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Saudi commission’s deep dive to protect Red Sea heritage sites
January 27, 2025
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Heritage Commission has launched the second phase of a project focused on studying underwater cultural heritage sites along the Red Sea coast.
In partnership with King Abdulaziz University and the University of Naples L’Orientale in Italy, the second phase builds on a series of national initiatives to preserve the Kingdom’s diverse cultural heritage.
This includes developing a sustainable approach to conserving underwater heritage, with a focus on sites spanning the governorates of Jeddah and Al-Qunfudhah, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday.
International partners of the initiative include the Alexandria Center for Maritime Archaeology and Underwater Cultural Heritage, the National Research Institute of Maritime Cultural Heritage in South Korea, and the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
The project seeks to provide accurate information for the management and protection of these sites, and expand research and scientific studies related to them. The ultimate goal is to enhance knowledge and documentation of this cultural heritage, SPA reported.
Expected outcomes include comprehensive reports analyzing archaeological findings, a developed management plan, and detailed scientific documentation of submerged heritage elements.
These will contribute to the national archaeological registry and enhance the national protection of underwater cultural heritage along the Red Sea coast, SPA reported.
This project will also highlight the historical and cultural connections between Saudi Arabia and other countries, as the Red Sea coast is a major historical maritime route.
The Kingdom has made significant efforts in this field, which aligns with the UNESCO Underwater Cultural Heritage 2001 Convention. These include establishing a dedicated center for underwater cultural heritage, a key initiative within Vision 2030 aimed at achieving sustainable development in the field of national heritage.
Source:arabnews.com
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Umrah guests praise Kingdom’s rich heritage
January 27, 2025
RIYADH: Guests of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Program for Umrah and Visit praised Saudi Arabia’s development and progress across various fields.
They commended efforts to preserve religious sites and historical monuments, highlighting a rich cultural heritage spanning thousands of years, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
During their tour of religious sites and monuments in Madinah, part of a program organized by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, they expressed gratitude to the Kingdom for hosting them.
Sheikh KhademMbaki, a preacher from Senegal, expressed his joy at witnessing Madinah’s rich cultural and historical heritage.
He highlighted how the sites reflect various aspects of Islamic civilization, and praised the Kingdom’s dedication to preserving these important landmarks.
Mbaki also acknowledged the Kingdom’s efforts to ensure the well-being of visitors and Umrah performers from around the world.
Ali Coulibaly from Mali said that the Kingdom is a global religious and cultural destination due to its many historical monuments and archaeological sites in regions like AlUla and NEOM.
He also noted the rapid development of infrastructure projects, which enhance the Kingdom’s ability to welcome tourists and visitors and provide year-round access to these historical and cultural sites.
Mohammed Abdo Abu Yaali from Morocco praised the cultural and historical richness he experienced during his visit to Madinah’s historical sites.
He appreciated the in-depth explanations about the significance of these sites as well as their connection to Islamic history and the life of the Prophet.
Amin Baddad from Algeria expressed his heartfelt thanks to the Saudi leadership for hosting him to visit Madinah and perform Umrah.
He shared the beautiful memories created during his visit and prayed to Allah to reward those responsible for the program for their efforts.
Source:arabnews.com
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Outgoing US ambassador praises transformation in Saudi Arabia
RASHID HASSAN
January 27, 2025
RIYADH: The dean of the diplomatic corps accredited to Saudi Arabia, Dya-Eddine Said Bamakhrama, hosted a farewell ceremony for outgoing ambassadors of the United States, Egypt and Oman at the Cultural Palace in Riyadh on Monday.
“We have gathered here for ambassador of Egypt, Ahmed Farouk, ambassador of Oman, Sayyid Faisal bin Turki, and the US ambassador Michael Ratney. The meeting marks the conclusion of their tenure as ambassador to Saudi Arabia. We have them here representing three continents, Africa, Asia and America,” Bamakhrama said in his opening remarks.
“All of them were very close to me and to many of our colleagues. Ambassador Farouk was here for more than five years, which is extraordinary for an Egyptian ambassador. Sayyid Faisal was my neighbor in the DQ (diplomatic quarter) and we had a great time. Michael has been here for two years. I wish them all the very best in their future endeavors. We will miss you, and wishing you all the best,” said Bamakhrama, who is also Djibouti’s ambassador in Riyadh.
On behalf of the diplomatic corps Bamakhrama presented souvenirs to the outgoing ambassadors.
At the same event he introduced new ambassadors in Riyadh from Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Syria, Palestine, Peru and Uruguay.
Ratney, in his farewell speech, said: “I wish I were staying in this country longer. It’s been, for me, an amazing experience to have a front row seat for what’s going on in Saudi Arabia, the amazing transformations of this country. And to have played even a small part in strengthening the relationship between Saudi Arabia and my country was an honor.
“Saudi Arabia is a country of tribes,” he said. “I feel like you are my tribe. Every time I walk in this room or one of your homes or an event, I feel like I am home. And I tell you, when I got to the country and started meeting the diplomats, I remarked that the quality of diplomats that all of your governments were sending to Saudi Arabia was extraordinary. And I thought, I need to step up my game. You all gave me a standard to try to meet, and it’s been just an extraordinary pleasure every time I am with you. I will miss all of you. I hope this is the end of my 34-year diplomatic career, and it’s time to move on.”
Farouk at the gathering said: “Thank you all for convening all our distinguished colleagues here. I have mixed feelings after 40 years of diplomacy since 1985. This is the end of my diplomatic career, and I believe that life has to come to a crossroads sometime.”
On a lighter note he added that sometimes there is a chance to make a U-turn and come back.
“I am glad, and I feel that I have achieved something for my country in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “I wish you all the best and wish the very best in your future endeavors, we will be in touch.”
Bin Turki said: “Just like my colleagues, I think, I definitely have mixed feelings. As a non-diplomat, I joined the ministry of foreign affairs in 2017. I never thought I would be appointed as an ambassador, but I ended up being an ambassador. And the first thing I had in mind when I came here, I said I wish they would give ambassadors a manual, the do’s and don’ts, but it doesn’t happen.
“For someone who is not coming from that background it’s quite a challenge. And the first thing I told my team when I walked into the embassy, I said, I have two options: I either become a classic ambassador, or someone who thinks out of the box. And I said, you will be teaching me everything that you are good at as diplomats, and I will be sharing with you everything that I know as a non-diplomat. And now I am the new diplomat. And it has been an extraordinary journey in this country, an amazing place. Four years, and it feels like yesterday.
“I keep telling people about the amazing things that are happening in Saudi Arabia and the amazing people that I meet every day. It’s a journey and I would like to thank everyone, the dean of diplomatic corps, all of you extraordinary people. I learned a lot and back home, I would love to share those stories, whether it’s with family and others as well.”
Source:arabnews.com
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New accelerator to boost Arabic digital content
January 27, 2025
RIYADH: The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language has launched an accelerator to support startups and entrepreneurs, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Arabic Language Innovation Accelerator aims to enhance digital Arabic content and provides a supportive environment with access to a network of partners and investors.
Abdullah Al-Washmi, the academy’s secretary-general, said the initiative reflected the establishment’s commitment to promoting the Arabic language in the digital realm.
He emphasized its alignment with the academy’s goal of empowering youth and entrepreneurs by equipping them with tools to transform their creative ideas into sustainable projects.
The accelerator provides startups and investors with training programs, mentorship and a variety of tools and skills to accelerate project growth and entrepreneurial development. It will connect participants with experts, consultants and a network of investors to foster project growth and sustainability.
Applications are now being accepted until Feb. 5. The official launch of the accelerator is set for April 7.
Source:arabnews.com
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North America
Rahway's Franklin School Celebrates Muslim American Heritage Month in Kindergarten Class
January 27, 2025
By Ashley Shanley
RAHWAY, NJ — To honor and celebrate Muslim American Heritage Month, Ms. Susan Cesare's kindergarten class explored a vibrant learning experience. The class began by reading Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors by Hena Khan. This beautifully illustrated book introduced students to the diverse and vibrant colors found within the Islamic world, exploring them through engaging stories and stunning visuals.
Following the reading, the students were introduced to a hands-on activity. Inspired by the beauty showcased in the book, they created their very own paper lanterns. With colorful paper, scissors, glue, and a touch of imagination, the young artists transformed ordinary materials into works of art, reflecting the intricate patterns and designs often seen in Islamic architecture and art.
This engaging activity not only fostered creativity and fine motor skills but also provided a valuable opportunity for the students to learn about the rich cultural heritage of Muslim Americans. By exploring the beauty of Islamic art and engaging in hands-on creation, Ms. Cesare's class celebrated Muslim American Heritage Month in a meaningful and memorable way.
Source:tapinto.net
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CAIR Encourages Mosques to Review Security After Man Arrested for Plotting Mass Shooting at Nashville Mosque
January 27, 2025
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today encouraged mosques and other Islamic institutions nationwide to review their security procedures after law enforcement arrested a Tennessee man for allegedly plotting a mass shooting at a Nashville mosque.
The suspect, 18-year-old Gunner Joseph Fisher, reportedly planned to carry out a mass shooting inspired by the white supremacist, Islamophobic attack on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 2019.
“We commend law enforcement for disrupting this alleged plot to launch a violent attack on the American Muslim community. Because of this disturbing incident and the recent spike in anti-Muslim hate, we urge mosques and other Muslim institutions around the country to review their security procedures. Basic safety precautions all mosques should take include maintaining internal and external security cameras, practicing an emergency evacuation plan, using keypad-locked entry doors, reporting any threats and suspicious behavior, and either employing armed guards at major events or authorizing trained and trusted members of the community to serve as guards, among other steps that can enhance security.”
CAIR invites community and mosque leaders to use advice offered in its “Best Practices for Mosque and Community Safety” booklet to help keep those facilities safe. Much of the advice in the booklet is applicable to houses of worship of all faiths.
Last month, CAIR’s Washington state chapter called on law enforcement to investigate vandalism at the Islamic Center of Federal Way in Kent, Washington, as a possible hate crime.
Mosques have been targeted in other statesnationwide..
From January to June 2024, CAIR documented 4,951 incoming bias complaints nationwide, a 69 percent increase over the same period in 2023.
Earlier this year, CAIR’s national office released its 2024 civil rights report, which revealed the highest number of complaints it has ever received in its 30-year history. Titled “Fatal: The Resurgence of Anti-Muslim Hate,” the report documented 8,061 complaints. Nearly half of all complaints received in 2023 were reported in the final three months of the year.
Source:cair.com
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DeepSeek a 'wake-up call' for US tech firms, Trump says
January 28, 2025
US President Donald Trump has called the rise of Chinese company DeepSeek "a wake-up call" for the US tech industry, after the emergence of its artificial intelligence (AI) model triggered shockwaves on Wall Street.
Shares in major tech firms like Nvidia fell sharply, with the chip giant losing almost $600bn (£482bn) in market value.
What has shaken up the industry is DeepSeek's claim that its R1 model was made at a fraction of the cost of its rivals - raising questions about the future of America's AI dominance and the scale of investments US firms are planning.
DeepSeek has become the most downloaded free app in the US just a week after it was launched.
Responding to the news on Monday, Trump said the latest developments in China's AI industry may be "a positive" for the US.
"If you could do it cheaper, if you could do it [for] less [and] get to the same end result. I think that's a good thing for us," he told reporters on board Air Force One.
He also said he was not concerned about the breakthrough, adding the US will remain a dominant player in the field.
On Tuesday, shares in Japanese AI-related firms including Advantest, Softbank and Tokyo Electron fell sharply, helping to push the benchmark Nikkei 225 down by around 1%.
Several other markets in Asia are closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Mainland China's financial markets will be shut from today and will reopen on 5 February.
Stock exchanges in major chip producing countries Taiwan and South Korea are also closed today.
Source:.bbc.com
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China's DeepSeek AI shakes industry and dents America's swagger
January 28, 2025
The speed at which the new Chinese AI app DeepSeek has shaken the technology industry, the markets and the bullish sense of American superiority in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) has been nothing short of stunning.
Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen may have said it best. "DeepSeek-R1 is AI's Sputnik moment," he posted to X on Sunday, referring to the satellite which kicked off the space race.
DeepSeek was the most downloaded free app on Apple's US App Store over the weekend. By Monday, the new AI chatbot had triggered a massive sell-off of major tech stocks which were in freefall as fears mounted over America's leadership in the sector.
Shares of AI chip designer and recent Wall Street darling Nvidia, for example, had plunged by 17% by the time US markets closed on Monday. Or to put it in even starker terms, it lost nearly $600bn in market value which, according to Bloomberg, is the biggest drop in the history of the US stock market.
This extraordinary, historic spooking can largely be attributed to something as simple as cost. And a claim by DeepSeek's developers which prompted serious questions in Silicon Valley.
While ChatGPT-maker OpenAI has been haemorrhaging money - spending $5bn last year alone - DeepSeek's developers say it built this latest model for a mere $5.6m.
That is a tiny fraction of the cost that AI giants like OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic have relied on to develop their own models.
As this dramatic moment for the sector played out, there was a palpable silence in many corners of Silicon Valley when I contacted those who are usually happy to talk. Many observers, investors, and analysts appeared stunned.
Some wondered if this marked a buying opportunity. Others questioned the information DeepSeek was providing.
"I still think the truth is below the surface when it comes to actually what's going on," veteran analyst Gene Munster told me on Monday. He questioned the financials DeepSeek is citing, and wondered if the startup was being subsidised or whether its numbers were correct.
The chatbot is "surprisingly good, which just makes it hard to believe", he said.
Regardless, DeepSeek's sudden arrival is a "flex" by China and a "black eye for US tech," to use his own words.
It was just last week, after all, that OpenAI's Sam Altman and Oracle's Larry Ellison joined President Donald Trump for a news conference that really could have been a press release.
The event represented peak American bullishness on AI.
They announced Stargate, a joint venture that promises up to $500bn in private investment for AI infrastructure: data centres in Texas and beyond, along with a promised 100,000 new jobs.
The US seemed to think its abundant data centers and control over the highest-end chips gave it a commanding lead in AI, despite China's dominance in rare-earth metals and engineering talent.
Some have even seen it as a foregone conclusion that America would dominate the AI race, despite some high-profile warnings from top executives who said the country's advantages should not be taken for granted.
The US may still go on to command the sector, but there is a sense that DeepSeek has shaken some of that swagger.
Trump's words after the Chinese app's sudden emergence in recent days were probably cold comfort to the likes of Altman and Ellison. He called this moment a "wake-up call" for the American tech industry, and said finding a way to do cheaper AI is ultimately a "good thing".
It is also worth noting that it was not just tech stocks that took a beating on Monday. Energy stocks did too. DeepSeek's arrival on the scene has upended many assumptions we have long held about what it takes to develop AI.
Maybe that nuclear renaissance - including firing up America's Three Mile Island energy plant once again - won't be needed. Maybe it does not take so much capital, compute, and power after all.
For now, the future of semiconductor giants like Nvidia remains unclear.
DeepSeek says its model was developed with existing technology along with open source software that can be used and shared by anybody for free.
But WIRED reports that for years, DeepSeek founder Liang Wenfung's hedge fund High-Flyer has been stockpiling the chips that form the backbone of AI – known as GPUs, or graphics processing units.
The company has said its models deployed H800 chips made by Nvidia. US policy restricting sales of higher-powered chips to China might get a second-look under the new Trump administration.
OpenAI's Sam Altman was mostly quiet on X Monday. But very late in the day, he wrote that DeepSeek was "impressive… particularly around what they're able to deliver for the price".
"We will obviously deliver much better models and also it's legit invigorating to have a new competitor!" he wrote.
It was Sputnik that truly ushered in the space age. There, too, the US was caught off guard. How its tech sector responds to this apparent surprise from a Chinese company will be interesting - and it may have added serious fuel to the AI race.
Source:.bbc.com
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Trump administration fires justice department lawyers who investigated him
January 28, 2025
US President Donald Trump's administration has fired more than a dozen justice department lawyers who worked on two criminal cases against him.
They were fired after Acting Attorney General James McHenry concluded they could not "be trusted to faithfully implement the president's agenda because of their significant role in prosecuting the president", a department official told the BBC's US partner CBS News.
The lawyers were part of former special counsel Jack Smith's team which investigated Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents and his alleged attempt to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
The firings on Monday are effective immediately.
Mr Smith was appointed as special counsel in 2022 to oversee the two justice department cases into Trump. The president had vowed to fire him "within two seconds" of taking office, but he quit before his inauguration.
Both cases resulted in criminal charges against Trump, who pleaded not guilty.
But the cases were closed following his November election win. Prosecutors wrote that justice department regulations do not allow the prosecution of a sitting president.
It was not immediately clear which members of Mr Smith's team were fired.
Many of those who worked on Mr Smith's teams were career corruption and national security prosecutors who had worked across various administrations and were appointed to the cases.
They reportedly received a letter on Monday which said their role in investigating and prosecuting the president made them unsuitable to work in the department.
"Firing prosecutors because of cases they were assigned to work on is just unacceptable," former US Attorney Joyce Vance told NBC News. "It's anti-rule of law; it's anti-democracy."
The firings follow a major reassignment of some of the justice department's top officials with expertise in a wide range of fields including national security and public corruption. On Monday, one of them, the chief of the public integrity section, reportedly resigned.
Trump and his team have accused the justice department of pursuing politically motivated cases against him, his associates and Republicans. Trump vowed an immediate overhaul of the department, which he says has been "weaponised" against him, while campaigning for re-election.
His nominee to lead the justice department, Pam Bondi, has echoed Trump's view that federal prosecutions against him were political persecution, saying the department "had been weaponised for years and years and years".
Mr Smith has publicly defended his work. In a letter accompanying the final draft of his report into Trump's actions after the 2020 election, he wrote: "The claim from [Trump] that my decisions as a prosecutor were influenced or directed by the Biden administration or other political actors is, in a word, laughable."
Also on Monday, Washington DC's top federal prosecutor announced the launch of an internal review into the charging decisions behind hundreds of Capitol riot cases, according to CBS.
Acting US Attorney Edward Martin, a Trump appointee, ordered prosecutors in his office to turn in documents, emails and other information related to the previous administration's decision to bring an obstruction charge against more than 200 Capitol attack defendants.
Source:.bbc.com
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Southeast Asia
'Toll vs religion' - Akmal opens fire from Mecca, Johor MCA apologises
Jan 28, 2025
Shortly after arriving in the holy city of Mecca, Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh launched a broadside against Johor MCA over its statement which compared allocations for Islamic-related matters with the lack of free toll provisions during the Chinese New Year.
He had demanded an apology within 24 hours, failing which police reports would be lodged.
This afternoon, Johor MCA, which has since deleted the statement from its social media, apologised and blamed it on...
Source:malaysiakini.com
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Human Resources Ministry reminds employers not to force workers to take annual or unpaid leave during extended CNY closures
28 Jan 2025
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 28 — Employers planning to extend business closures beyond the gazetted public holidays for Chinese New Year are reminded not to compel their workers to take annual or unpaid leave.
The Human Resource Ministry (KESUMA), in a statement today, said it has received complaints from employees about employers forcing them to take annual or unpaid leave.
“KESUMA wishes to emphasise that employees have the right to decide when to utilise their annual leave, and employers cannot force them to use their annual or unpaid leave to cut business costs.
“This is because annual and unpaid leave must be given based on the employee’s request and discretion,” the statement said.
The ministry advised employees facing deductions in annual leave entitlement or salaries during extended company closures to report such cases to the nearest Labour Office under Section 69 of the Employment Act 1955. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/01/28/human-resources-ministry-reminds-employers-not-to-force-workers-to-take-annual-or-unpaid-leave-during-extended-cny-closures/164830
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MACC arrests man for offering RM18,500 bribe during police inspection in Segamat
28 Jan 2025
SEGAMAT, Jan 28 — The Segamat branch Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) detained an individual for offering bribes to police officers.
According to sources, the 30-year-old male suspect was arrested by the MACC at the Segamat District Police Headquarters (IPD) at around 3pm yesterday.
It is understood that the suspect was arrested by the police during an inspection of a Toyota Hilux vehicle that he was travelling in with four other friends and checked the identity cards of all the individuals who had past drug and criminal records.
“Further checks were carried out on the body and the vehicle in which they were travelling and various types of drugs and tools suspected to be used for burglary were found.
“During the arrest process, the suspect tried to bribe police officers and gave them a bribe of RM18,500 and asked not to be arrested,” the source said today.
Meanwhile, MACC Johor director, Datuk Azmi Alias when contacted confirmed the arrest and added that the case was being investigated under Section 17(b) of the MACC Act 2009. — Bernama
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/01/28/macc-arrests-man-for-offering-rm18500-bribe-during-police-inspection-in-segamat/164827
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Singaporean influencer to face charges in court today for filing false abduction claim at JB mall
By Ben Tan
28 Jan 2025
JOHOR BARU, Jan 28 — A Singaporean woman, who claimed she was almost abducted at a shopping mall here last week, will be charged in the Magistrate’s Court here this morning for filing a false police report.
Johor police chief Datuk M. Kumar said the 45-year-old woman, who is also a social media influencer and content creator, is under state police custody.
He said the suspect will be brought and charged at the Magistrate’s Court here at 9am.
“The investigation papers have been referred to the Johor state legal advisor’s office and a decision has been made to charge the woman under Section 182 of the Penal Code for providing false information with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of others,” he said in statement late last night.
Section 182 of the Penal Code provides for a jail term of up to six months, or a fine up to RM2,000, or both if convicted.
The state’s top police officer was commenting on report that was filed on January 22 by the woman, alleging that she was “nearly abducted and kidnapped” after a tea sampling at the KSL shopping mall here.
The woman, known as Venus Ho, had earlier on January 14, posted a video online cautioning others after her alleged ordeal.
Kumar said that in her report, the woman claimed she was approached by a couple who wanted to promote tea in conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year celebration.
“The woman alleged that she was forced by the couple to inhale the tea that they were promoting, causing her to feel dizzy and lose consciousness.
“However, police investigations found that the attempted abduction did not occur based on close circuit television (CCTV) footage and technical evidence pointing to the lack of movement at the scene,” he explained.
Kumar added that the unconfirmed abduction incident had in fact received negative feedback after it was widely circulated on several social media platforms.
He said some segments from the public believed that the incident had actually occurred and linked it to the issue of safety in Johor.
“The Johor police assure that the issue of safety and security involving public order in the state is under control. The police are constantly monitoring the security aspects in the state,” he said.
Kumar warned that strict action will be taken against any individuals who deliberately threaten the safety of others.
“This includes spreading unverified rumours or manipulating facts with the aim of causing social unrest.
“I want to also remind the public to check and verify the authenticity of any information on social media first,” he said.
Source:malaymail.com
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https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/01/28/singaporean-influencer-to-face-charges-in-court-today-for-filing-false-abduction-claim-at-jb-mall/164774
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URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-world-news/constitution-akhand-hindu-rashtra-mahakumbh/d/134459